Okay guys this is going to be a crap review because Blogger told me they saved it, and I clicked publish like three times, but the dumb site didn't save my first review so now I have this short one! YAY. (No, not yay, I literally just finished muffling my screams of anger.)
So, as much as it pains me to admit it, I am now Descendants trash. I would like to clarify that when I first heard of the movie I thought it was going to be like a terrible fanfiction. Now that I've seen the movie, it's like the really cliché AU that you read, but happens to be amazing.
NON SPOILERS
It's a modern Disney prep school AU, in which all of the villains have been banished out of the kingdom and onto a island called the Isle of the Lost. Prince Ben, son of Beauty and the Beast is about to be crowned king, and as his first proclamation he decides to give the children of said villains a chance to live among the heroes at Auradon Prep. He chooses the children of Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, Jafar, and the Evil Queen to test run the proclamation. Once the villains get wind of this, they create a plan to use the situation to free themselves. It's all up to Mal, Carlos, Jay, and Evie to "save the free world", but do they really want to be evil?
Descendants is a heartwarming tale about choosing your own path and finding worth in who you really are. It's filled with friendship, catchy songs, and the cutest Disney ship so far.
Objective rating: 7/10
Biased rating: 8.5/10
Pros:
1. Life lessons like learning to stand up for yourself, not judging others by their background, teamwork, love and friendship, and choosing your own destiny.
2. Ben and Mal are the cutest thing on earth.
3. The songs are awesome and the dancing is super cool.
4. Cool clothes.
5. The villain kids are super awesome and really good characters. Their friendship is amazing, and their individual arcs are so great.
6. JUST THE EMOTIONAL PLOT IS A+ OKAY?!
7. Super magical Disney feel.
8. Prince Ben's character is A+
9. Positive messages for young girls include: being smart is awesome, you are beautiful inside and out, a boy should not force you to change yourself but instead make you want to be a better version of yourself- not someone you aren't, he doesn't have to be prince charming, and you can be strong and feminine.
10. Shows that even the "good guys" can be mean.
Cons:
1. Villains are super cheesy. They don't feel threatening at all.
2. The CGI is terrible, but I mean, it's a TV movie so it's not like that's in the budget.
3. The setting timeline wise is confusing since the fairy tales literally take place hundreds of years apart in Disney canon, but somehow everyone is alive in the modern 21st century.
4. Cliché
So yeah! There you go. You can watch Descendants at watchdisney.go.com. Sorry the review wasn't that long, but I am seeing Paper Towns today and will do a long review of that.
What did you think of Descendants? Tell us in the comments, and to see more follow us via Tumblr, Blogger, or email.
-Lizzie
P.S. Since I'm a bit late, the August TBR is up on Tumblr
P.P.S. I have a new sideblog for Disney things: i-think-i-want-to-be-good.tumblr.com
Friday, August 7, 2015
Saturday, August 1, 2015
July Wrap Up: Lizzie
Hi everyone! So as this was my first written out tbr, I can thoroughly tell you that I kind of failed. However, I did end up reading a couple of books so I'll give you a quick summary of my reading this month.
1. Move Forward by Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul
9/10
So this was my first experience with D.C. comics. I'm still really confused with the whole reboot thing and how it works, but I figure I'll get used to it. I really enjoyed the arc about the expansion of the Flash's powers, and the "Speed Force" (it could use a better name though tbh). Barry's powers are nearly limitless when you think about it, so that was super cool how he could actually predict what was going to happen by speeding up his brain? I was really ticked off with where the comic ended though so sigh. GRODD.
2. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
10/10
I WANT THE NEXT BOOK NOW. GIMME. Hollow City was just as great as Miss Peregrine's, and that didn't really surprise me. Just by reading Ransom's first novel you can tell that he's the kind of author that wraps up things nicely, and the story escalates from book to book. I have no idea how the next book is going down, and I'm so excited about this new revelation of second souls of peculiars. Anything could happen, and if I understand Ransom said that Library of Souls may not be the last book in the peculiar world!!!
3. Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes
8.5/10
I actually really like the Disney Channel movie Lemonade Mouth (2011) so when I saw the book in the YA section I was like, why not? And honestly it doesn't really surprise me that the movie was based off of a book because Disney Channel isn't known for decent movies. The book was really heartwarming, cooky, and fun. I really enjoyed the different themes that went with the characters. I loved how Mo was Indian, how Olivia was often described as overweight (like, wow, awesome female character that isn't a size 2? WHAT?!) and her story with her father in jail was present, how Stella worries constantly about being enough for her family, and Charlie worrying about this cosmic accident with his twin brother. Wen's part was a little weird, but whatever. I just really appreciated the realistic portrayal of issues teenagers go through. Don't be turned off just because it's associated with Disney Channel. Lemonade Mouth was a blast.
4. The Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes
6.5/10
I was really excited picking up this book because of the cover and the synopsis, but getting into it I didn't like it nearly as much as I thought I would. It's got a good message, and it's actually based off of a real life event in the authors life, which I think is cool, but it felt really dramatic and middle school esc. Anika seemed much younger than she was, like this entire thing was about 7th graders, and the whole thing about her father being Romanian was really weirdly handled; it just kind of tipped off the feel of the story. I mean all she did was call him Count Chocula.
To me the book was a good enough read, but the feel was completely different than what I was expecting. However, I really liked the story with Logan, and I found the ending satisfying and bittersweet. I understand this book is based off of a real life experience and that makes the book much more touching. Logan is based off of a young man the author knew I guess, and I think it's beautiful that she uses his story to teach and honors his memory.
All and all this book wasn't really my cup of tea, Anika and I kind of clash, but I can see why it has become popular.
5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephenie Perkins
9.5/10
I'm planning on writing a review for this which should be published next week (?).
Anyway, I LOVED IT! This book was so cute and emotional and St. Clair is my new fictional crush. Anna was so sweet, and the book was either making me glow with cuteness or making my heart ache. So good. The European setting made it even more magical. Lola is the next one right? Gimme.
So yeah! Wrap up done. August tbr will be coming in a day or too so check that out, and remember to follow via tumblr, blogger, and email.
1. Move Forward by Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul
9/10
 |
| goodreads.com |
So this was my first experience with D.C. comics. I'm still really confused with the whole reboot thing and how it works, but I figure I'll get used to it. I really enjoyed the arc about the expansion of the Flash's powers, and the "Speed Force" (it could use a better name though tbh). Barry's powers are nearly limitless when you think about it, so that was super cool how he could actually predict what was going to happen by speeding up his brain? I was really ticked off with where the comic ended though so sigh. GRODD.
2. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
10/10
 |
| amazon.com |
I WANT THE NEXT BOOK NOW. GIMME. Hollow City was just as great as Miss Peregrine's, and that didn't really surprise me. Just by reading Ransom's first novel you can tell that he's the kind of author that wraps up things nicely, and the story escalates from book to book. I have no idea how the next book is going down, and I'm so excited about this new revelation of second souls of peculiars. Anything could happen, and if I understand Ransom said that Library of Souls may not be the last book in the peculiar world!!!
3. Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes
8.5/10
 |
| en.wikipedia.org |
I actually really like the Disney Channel movie Lemonade Mouth (2011) so when I saw the book in the YA section I was like, why not? And honestly it doesn't really surprise me that the movie was based off of a book because Disney Channel isn't known for decent movies. The book was really heartwarming, cooky, and fun. I really enjoyed the different themes that went with the characters. I loved how Mo was Indian, how Olivia was often described as overweight (like, wow, awesome female character that isn't a size 2? WHAT?!) and her story with her father in jail was present, how Stella worries constantly about being enough for her family, and Charlie worrying about this cosmic accident with his twin brother. Wen's part was a little weird, but whatever. I just really appreciated the realistic portrayal of issues teenagers go through. Don't be turned off just because it's associated with Disney Channel. Lemonade Mouth was a blast.
4. The Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes
6.5/10
 |
| goodreads.com |
I was really excited picking up this book because of the cover and the synopsis, but getting into it I didn't like it nearly as much as I thought I would. It's got a good message, and it's actually based off of a real life event in the authors life, which I think is cool, but it felt really dramatic and middle school esc. Anika seemed much younger than she was, like this entire thing was about 7th graders, and the whole thing about her father being Romanian was really weirdly handled; it just kind of tipped off the feel of the story. I mean all she did was call him Count Chocula.
To me the book was a good enough read, but the feel was completely different than what I was expecting. However, I really liked the story with Logan, and I found the ending satisfying and bittersweet. I understand this book is based off of a real life experience and that makes the book much more touching. Logan is based off of a young man the author knew I guess, and I think it's beautiful that she uses his story to teach and honors his memory.
All and all this book wasn't really my cup of tea, Anika and I kind of clash, but I can see why it has become popular.
5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephenie Perkins
9.5/10
 |
| Amazon.com |
Anyway, I LOVED IT! This book was so cute and emotional and St. Clair is my new fictional crush. Anna was so sweet, and the book was either making me glow with cuteness or making my heart ache. So good. The European setting made it even more magical. Lola is the next one right? Gimme.
So yeah! Wrap up done. August tbr will be coming in a day or too so check that out, and remember to follow via tumblr, blogger, and email.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Children's Books are Actually Great: Lizzie
Hi guys! It's Lizzie! So fun fact about me: I actually really love children's books, or specifically: middle grade books. So much of YA fiction is so dark and twisted and filled with crazy romance, and picking up a middle grade novel once in a while can be kind of refreshing. Also, the nostalgia is intense. So intense. There's just something whimsical about children's books and reading from the point of view of a child.
So, I've decided to break down a list of the most important children's books in my life from Preschool to 6th grade. Feel free to use this list as a recommendation for your own children or to give yourself a nostalgic magical journey!
Preschool-Kindergarten:
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Chronicles of Narnia is an old and beloved children's classic. I haven't actually read all of the books, for I was too young to read when I heard them on audio tapes my mom brought home from the library, but that doesn't stop me from loving the books. My favorite used to be The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (I had a big crush on Eustace), but my favorite is easily The Horse and His Boy Now.
Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Again, didn't actually read this myself. Before I had started school my mom used to read me them all the time. I absolutely loved Laura, and this series is adorable. It's family oriented, adventurous, and funny. Laura is completely relatable (four year old me hated my brown hair, too), and her story will warm my heart more than any other.
First Grade:
Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park
Ehh! Anyone surprised this book is on the list? If so, get out. My first grade teacher didn't have a lot of stuff in his room, so whenever we had to have inside recess or a break time he'd read us one of the gazillion Junie B. books. They are a side buster of laughter. (And good for early reader since they're very small.)
Second Grade:
The Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne
I know, I'm carting out all sorts of obscure children's books aren't I? Wait for it, I'll have a couple. The Magic Tree House Series is excellent. It's full of adventure and heart, and guess what? It teaches your child a ton about history. Each book is set in a different time period, and countless adventures embark. This series led to the creation of "magic bunk bed" at my house, since we didn't have a tree house.
The Box Car Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Another classic. The Box Car children are the best. Literally, they live in a box car the entire first book. No adults. They make their little home super cute and honestly little me couldn't wait to live in a box car. The stories are very sweet and family oriented like Little House too.
Third Grade:
Andrew Lost Series by J.C. Greenburg
I remember this series very fondly. It's about these two cousins that always end up misusing a relative's science experiments and equipment. They end up in a lot of wacky situations, like shrinking down and time traveling to the ice age! There's science and it's kind of gross sometimes...but as a nine year old I thought it was pretty cool. I'll be honest I'm not planning on ever re-reading these, but for a ten year old kid- these are gems.
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
Funny story, in third grade when I started reading these I actually read them backwards. I had this crazy notion that one did not have to read the books in the series in order. Then my mom decided after we watched half of the movie that these books were much too gruesome. I think I finished 9. However, these books are so cool! They're fabulous, and I really need to re-read them.
Andrew Clements
If you haven't read Andrew Clements books then you need to. They are phenomenal. Just read them.
Fourth Grade:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Ahh yes, fourth grade, the year I discovered fantasy. Mock me all you want folks, but Percy Jackson and his friends will remain in my heart for a long time. The series is action packed, hilarious, full of amazing characters, and Greek Mythology!!! Rick Riordan also has lots of themes about each child being a hero, someone special, despite their disabilities which is great.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
In fourth grade I read this book in a month which was somewhat to be expected I think since the reading level was four grades above me. Our librarian told me that if the book took m longer than two weeks to read I'd flunk the AR test. Guess who aced the AR test? Anyway, this is a really sweet book about friendship and overcoming the darkness in your life. It's a very beautiful book, and I would highly recommend it.
The Penderwicks Series by Jeanne Birdsall
The Penderwicks! This series is about a family with four little girls. They find themselves in all sort of mischief and always get out. They're all very different from each other, and it really brings a healthy, wonderful sense of family into them.
Fifth Grade:
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
I really don't think I have to say much about these right? It's Harry Potter. Come on. A series beloved by children and adults of all ages and pretty much a modern classic.
Molly Moon by Georgia Byng
These books are so fun! They're about Miss Molly Moon, an orphan who discovers a book that teaches her the incredible powers of Hypnotism. She uses her powers to make her orphanage a better place, and along the course of the series our little heroine finds a family and saves the world! This is a really good series for little girls and boys because it's just as much a coming of age novel as it is a fantasy. As Molly grows to believe in herself, they may too.
The Companions' Quartet by Julia Golding
This series is an undiscovered gem, and it quite literally pains me that it has not received the attention it deserves. I discovered it the summer before fifth grade when I was suffering from post Percy Jackson depression. The series is about a secret society of people that protect and bond with the magical creatures of myth that everyone believes to have either gone extinct or never existed. It's a four book series, and I hold it very close to my heart. I've probably re read them just as much Percy Jackson.
Sixth Grade:
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Christine actually introduced these books to me, and let me tell you, they are fantastic. They're full of mystery, puzzles, craziness, and adventure. There are loveable characters, interesting villains, and to be honest, it kind of feels like a Tim Burton movie. Christine and I love these books very, very much, so we HIGHLY recommend.
And there you guys go! All of my highly recommended children's books for mothers, fathers, and lovers of children's books! Hope you enjoy, and if you have a children's book I didn't list, put it in the comments , and if I get enough I might just make a whole new article of your recommendations!
Remember that you can follow via tumblr, email, or blogger! Also, we've got a pole for content at the top left of the page for you. Bye!
-Lizzie
So, I've decided to break down a list of the most important children's books in my life from Preschool to 6th grade. Feel free to use this list as a recommendation for your own children or to give yourself a nostalgic magical journey!
Preschool-Kindergarten:
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
 |
| glogster.com |
Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
 |
| goodreads.com |
First Grade:
Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park
 |
| juniebjones.com |
Second Grade:
The Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne
 |
| amazon.com |
I know, I'm carting out all sorts of obscure children's books aren't I? Wait for it, I'll have a couple. The Magic Tree House Series is excellent. It's full of adventure and heart, and guess what? It teaches your child a ton about history. Each book is set in a different time period, and countless adventures embark. This series led to the creation of "magic bunk bed" at my house, since we didn't have a tree house.
The Box Car Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
 |
| amazon.com |
Third Grade:
Andrew Lost Series by J.C. Greenburg
 |
| amazon.com |
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
 |
| snicket.wikia.com |
Andrew Clements
 |
| theliteratemother.org |
Fourth Grade:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
 |
| riordan.wikia.com |
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
 |
| amazon.com |
The Penderwicks Series by Jeanne Birdsall
 |
| en.wikipedia.org |
Fifth Grade:
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
 |
| en.wikipedia.org |
Molly Moon by Georgia Byng
 |
| mollymoon.wikia.com |
The Companions' Quartet by Julia Golding
 |
| amazon.co.uk |
Sixth Grade:
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
 |
| themysteriousbenedictsociety.com |
And there you guys go! All of my highly recommended children's books for mothers, fathers, and lovers of children's books! Hope you enjoy, and if you have a children's book I didn't list, put it in the comments , and if I get enough I might just make a whole new article of your recommendations!
Remember that you can follow via tumblr, email, or blogger! Also, we've got a pole for content at the top left of the page for you. Bye!
-Lizzie
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Marvel's Ant Man Review: Lizzie
Hey guys! So I saw Ant Man on Friday, but because of relatives visiting and my play I haven't been able to get to this article until now. Sorry! Here we go!
Ant Man Marvel's newest movie. It came out on Friday and has so far gotten a 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. It follows Scott Lang, the second "ant man" in the Marvel comics. Hank Pym, the original Ant Man is also a main character, but this movie is more Scott Lang's.
NON SPOILER REVIEW:
Basically, Ant Man is about Scott Lang, an ex burglar who is trying to turn his life around. Scott gets recruited by Hank Pym and his daughter Hope Van Dyne to steal the Yellow Jacket suit. The movie is action packed, heart warming, and hilarious, and the two end credit scenes are fabulous. Ant Man is definitely a set up for Civil War, but as a stand alone it has the strength of an ant. It sounds dumb, but it's wonderful.
My rating: 9/10
AND NOW FOR SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED LEAVE.
Plot:
Ant Man is basically an espionage super hero movie. It's a really nice change of feel from the other movies in the Marvel cinematic universe, especially since they've all been sequels and such lately.
The pacing was very nice. We get to know Scott and his back story and motivations while getting sneaks at the surrounding threat. Scott's inner turmoil to live a decent life and to support his daughter cleverly fuels the plot so that we get insight into his character without losing screen time. This mixing effect saves screen time without cutting out important things. The writers constantly use this handy trick to develop Scott while advancing the plot.
This also makes Scott a relatable character. In all simplicity he's just a Dad trying to turn his messed up life around so he can provide for his daughter. Most of the story is about Scott struggling to come to terms with this crazy experience and become the person that Cassie believes him to be, and it's pretty beautiful.
Of course, since it is Hank Pym and the situations he throws Scott into that allows Scott to come into himself we get a ton of fun action sequences before the final battle. When Scott first tries on the suit, when he escapes the police station, and the Falcon's cameo.
Onto the final show down. I love this part. I love how Scott's friends are incorporated into it, and how they get to become better people too. I absolutely loved the spy feel, and how advanced their plan was. It was fairly obvious that the bald guy would stop them from stealing the suit, but that just made us root for Scott more! The helicopter scene was so intense, and the final showdown in Cassie's room? Sobbing in the corner.
While it was fairly obvious with the set up that Scott would have to make the same sacrifice as Janet, I was okay with it because, like Hank, I see the fact that Scott escaped as an opportunity to bring the original Wasp back. That being said, I do think it was a smart choice to make a new generation, and I'll get to that soon.
Special Effects:
This will be short. Honestly, I know nothing about special effects. All I can say is it looked really realistic and pretty darn cool.
Emotional plot/characters:
I loved the father daughter redemption parallel between Scott and Hank, our two fathers in the movie. It was very sweet and gave a lot of substance to the movie. The relationships in the movie were just fabulous. Every single one resulted in character growth. Scott and Hope learn from each other, Scott and Hank learn from each other, Hank and Hope, Scott and Cassie, Scott and Cassie's mom's new fiance, Hank and his old protege. Ant Man definitely has a strong family element, and that is why it was so fabulous.
Humor:
It was just perfect. A+. Scott's best friend was gold.
Comic adaptation:
While Yellow Jacket is actually Hank Pym, and Hope is kind of a villain, and and Hank was a founding Avenger with his wife, these changes made sense in my mind, and here's why I think we needed a new generation.
A) Age of Ultron
Ultron is a really big part of Hank's story line. He created him, and in the Avengers 90s run I've been reading it is revealed that Ultron was originally created using scans of Hank's own brain. A huge part of pre 2000's Hank was his mental instability and his guilt over Ultron's crimes. However, the first time he created Ultron Hank was brain washed into forgetting it. It is possible that since he worked with Stark that Tony Stark much later found the abandoned project and revamped it. However even of this were so, Ultron would not have done as much damage in Bank's MCU timeline vs his comic book timeline to make him feel as horrible.
B) Yellow Jacket
Previously mentioned and also hinted in the movie, in the comics Yellow Jacket is created by a chemical accident that gives Hank a serious case of temporary schizophrenia. This in addition to his repressed guilt about Ultron makes Hank go crazy and take on the identity of Yellow Jacket. Through a dark twist of events Hank does recover, but not without causing a lot of trouble and wrecking his marriage with Janet.
Because of these very important parts to Hank Pym's character, I assume that Marvel decided to immediately jump to Scott Lang so that they could have a change in tone. Think about it. Other than Guardians of the Galaxy most of Marvel's movies have been pretty dark. Add the fact that whoops we accidentally gave Ultron to Tony, and you've got a good enough reason to make the story about someone else.
Marvel could still hint at Hank's mental instability (and they did), and make Yellow Jacket a product of mental instability, but by making Yellow Jacket someone other than Hank they could skip out on all of the darkness and confusion.
By confusion I mean that I feel it would be much harder to pack a movie with Hank/Yellow Jacket into the same timeframe without having to make a sequel (which may opt him out for Civil war). By darkness I mean that between Tony Stark, Loki, the Winter Soldier and more, the MCU has enough darkness. The MCU is Disney and so they do like to make some of the movies more family friendly. It also makes a refreshing change of tone after AoU.
So yeah! Sorry if this is jumbled, I had a lot of thoughts. Tell me your opinions in the comments, and make sure to follow via email, tumblr,and blogger!
-Lizzie
Oh!
P.S. I also can't believe how bad I feel about stepping on ants now. ANTONY!!!!
(But seriously, that scene was just cruel.)
 |
| Imdb.com |
NON SPOILER REVIEW:
Basically, Ant Man is about Scott Lang, an ex burglar who is trying to turn his life around. Scott gets recruited by Hank Pym and his daughter Hope Van Dyne to steal the Yellow Jacket suit. The movie is action packed, heart warming, and hilarious, and the two end credit scenes are fabulous. Ant Man is definitely a set up for Civil War, but as a stand alone it has the strength of an ant. It sounds dumb, but it's wonderful.
My rating: 9/10
AND NOW FOR SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED LEAVE.
Plot:
Ant Man is basically an espionage super hero movie. It's a really nice change of feel from the other movies in the Marvel cinematic universe, especially since they've all been sequels and such lately.
The pacing was very nice. We get to know Scott and his back story and motivations while getting sneaks at the surrounding threat. Scott's inner turmoil to live a decent life and to support his daughter cleverly fuels the plot so that we get insight into his character without losing screen time. This mixing effect saves screen time without cutting out important things. The writers constantly use this handy trick to develop Scott while advancing the plot.
This also makes Scott a relatable character. In all simplicity he's just a Dad trying to turn his messed up life around so he can provide for his daughter. Most of the story is about Scott struggling to come to terms with this crazy experience and become the person that Cassie believes him to be, and it's pretty beautiful.
Of course, since it is Hank Pym and the situations he throws Scott into that allows Scott to come into himself we get a ton of fun action sequences before the final battle. When Scott first tries on the suit, when he escapes the police station, and the Falcon's cameo.
Onto the final show down. I love this part. I love how Scott's friends are incorporated into it, and how they get to become better people too. I absolutely loved the spy feel, and how advanced their plan was. It was fairly obvious that the bald guy would stop them from stealing the suit, but that just made us root for Scott more! The helicopter scene was so intense, and the final showdown in Cassie's room? Sobbing in the corner.
While it was fairly obvious with the set up that Scott would have to make the same sacrifice as Janet, I was okay with it because, like Hank, I see the fact that Scott escaped as an opportunity to bring the original Wasp back. That being said, I do think it was a smart choice to make a new generation, and I'll get to that soon.
Special Effects:
This will be short. Honestly, I know nothing about special effects. All I can say is it looked really realistic and pretty darn cool.
Emotional plot/characters:
I loved the father daughter redemption parallel between Scott and Hank, our two fathers in the movie. It was very sweet and gave a lot of substance to the movie. The relationships in the movie were just fabulous. Every single one resulted in character growth. Scott and Hope learn from each other, Scott and Hank learn from each other, Hank and Hope, Scott and Cassie, Scott and Cassie's mom's new fiance, Hank and his old protege. Ant Man definitely has a strong family element, and that is why it was so fabulous.
Humor:
It was just perfect. A+. Scott's best friend was gold.
Comic adaptation:
While Yellow Jacket is actually Hank Pym, and Hope is kind of a villain, and and Hank was a founding Avenger with his wife, these changes made sense in my mind, and here's why I think we needed a new generation.
A) Age of Ultron
Ultron is a really big part of Hank's story line. He created him, and in the Avengers 90s run I've been reading it is revealed that Ultron was originally created using scans of Hank's own brain. A huge part of pre 2000's Hank was his mental instability and his guilt over Ultron's crimes. However, the first time he created Ultron Hank was brain washed into forgetting it. It is possible that since he worked with Stark that Tony Stark much later found the abandoned project and revamped it. However even of this were so, Ultron would not have done as much damage in Bank's MCU timeline vs his comic book timeline to make him feel as horrible.
B) Yellow Jacket
Previously mentioned and also hinted in the movie, in the comics Yellow Jacket is created by a chemical accident that gives Hank a serious case of temporary schizophrenia. This in addition to his repressed guilt about Ultron makes Hank go crazy and take on the identity of Yellow Jacket. Through a dark twist of events Hank does recover, but not without causing a lot of trouble and wrecking his marriage with Janet.
Because of these very important parts to Hank Pym's character, I assume that Marvel decided to immediately jump to Scott Lang so that they could have a change in tone. Think about it. Other than Guardians of the Galaxy most of Marvel's movies have been pretty dark. Add the fact that whoops we accidentally gave Ultron to Tony, and you've got a good enough reason to make the story about someone else.
Marvel could still hint at Hank's mental instability (and they did), and make Yellow Jacket a product of mental instability, but by making Yellow Jacket someone other than Hank they could skip out on all of the darkness and confusion.
By confusion I mean that I feel it would be much harder to pack a movie with Hank/Yellow Jacket into the same timeframe without having to make a sequel (which may opt him out for Civil war). By darkness I mean that between Tony Stark, Loki, the Winter Soldier and more, the MCU has enough darkness. The MCU is Disney and so they do like to make some of the movies more family friendly. It also makes a refreshing change of tone after AoU.
So yeah! Sorry if this is jumbled, I had a lot of thoughts. Tell me your opinions in the comments, and make sure to follow via email, tumblr,and blogger!
-Lizzie
Oh!
P.S. I also can't believe how bad I feel about stepping on ants now. ANTONY!!!!
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Homestuck According to an Outsider: Lizzie
If you haven't seen the articles on Hypable: everything I know about ____ I learned from Pop Culture, well, you should. Basically, a person that isn't a member of a fandom attempts to write an entire article about the fandom solely by what they've seen in Pop Culture. I've thought they were hilarious, and so here goes mine- Homestuck.
I'm going to go on the Homestuck tag on Tumblr and pictures of characters, and write about what I see, what I think it's about, and basically give Homestuckers an idea of what the rest of the world sees your love as- or- at least me. Hopefully someday I'll actually find the gumption to start Homestuck, and we'll all look back at this article with found
I'm going to go on the Homestuck tag on Tumblr and pictures of characters, and write about what I see, what I think it's about, and basically give Homestuckers an idea of what the rest of the world sees your love as- or- at least me. Hopefully someday I'll actually find the gumption to start Homestuck, and we'll all look back at this article with found
HOMESTUCK ACCORDING TO AN OUTSIDER:
(I'm gonna be completely honest here- I've read a couple pages of Homestuck. There now you know that I'm not a complete noob- just 99%. You're welcome. Also, really sorry if I mess up and insult your favorite character on accident. I'm sure they're great.)
Homestuck is a web comic. That basically means you go on the internet and there's this guy that posts his comic on his website, and everyone reads it on his website and loves it and him for eternity. I think he has other web comics, but all anyone really cares about is Homestuck. I've seen stuff on Tumblr where people freak out about "updates" and one of my friends told me that the comic is in acts (like a play) so I'm going to assume that an act comes out maybe every six months? That seems like a reasonable amount of time, right? (I mean, the dude has to draw all of this.)
Homestuck is also kind of weirdly interactive- at least the portion I've read. It starts with this dude that doesn't have a name, and a message pops up telling you to name the dude. Which I thought was cool until they were kidding and made me chose the generic name "John". Then I proceeded to be weirded out with the "magic hands" that the narrator made me use. All in all, I was confused. Apparently Homestuck is like really weird for the first two acts, and then it's like a black hole of obsession and you'll never come back if you get that far.
I'm pretty sure that I read somewhere on Wikipedia that Homestuck is about John and two(?) other friends getting stuck in a video game, so I guess that the entire thing is about them finding their way back to their own reality. Along the way they meet some demonic zodiac trolls. Apparently, Homestuck isn't really about the trolls, but that's the only part that people care about.
Okay, onto the tag to discover more...
Vriska.
Hmm.. She seems to be going through a lot of emotional turmoil right now, and reacting in a non-positive way. Apparently she's kind of like Snape for a lack of a better description because like there are things she's doing that you're like asdfljga'l' !#%##@* you Vriska, but at the same time you know that she's dealing with emotional turmoil crap so you're like bby come here precious child. Like the Russians in Daredevil that did human trafficking but you still felt really bad for them. Yeah. She also appears to have a terrible self consciousness, that is constantly bullying her named (Vriska). I mean unless she's possessed or something...
The number 8.
Apparently this is a reoccurring grammar error or another hint to the web comic/video game stuff. Upd8. That's gonna get old.
The Trolls.
Aradia: She's a really chill emo chick that writes poetry about super dark and feels destroying stuff, but is also like super nice and kind and helps people with their problems. (She must have secret powers because no one else's eyes are glowing.)
Tavros: He looks like the kind of person that would make everyone really uncomfortable about his condition because instead of like being upset about it he just rolls around making jokes, and he'll say stuff like, "What, is it because I'm in a wheel chair?" and everyone will be like, "oh no I swear!" and he just cackles. Kind of like how Foggy in Daredevil is always making jokes about how blind dudes catch more ladies.
Sollux: Ooh he's Gemini. It'd be really cool if he had an evil twin or something. Anyway, he's totally a no chill dork. Like I mean, he'd look super depressed, but he's wearing these awesome dork glasses. Rad, bro. He definitely doesn't care about what other people think about his fashion sense. He probably likes really obscure alternative rock/hippie music and watches underrated anime in his spare time, and when people tell him his taste is weird he's quietly like, ef you and turns back to his show. Rock on glasses dude.
Karkat: Yeah, he's on drugs.
I am told he is not on drugs, but he just kind of looks so out of it??? I guess the poor baby just must be really tired from all his anxiety. I understand sweetheart. I understand.
Nepeta: This girl is the super cute dorky one. This girl is me. I am always this girl. She's probably super friendly and talks to everyone, and tries to show people her fandoms and when they don't like it she just tries super hard to find the kind of fandom they might like, and if they do she gets super excited. She's totally a hugger. And look at her kitty hat! Aw she probably has a pet cat! And what if her significant other is introverted, and she's extroverted; her so struggles with depression and her cat helps with their depression ahh that's so cute!
Kanaya: She's the super hot kick butt chick that literally gives no crap about anyone else.
Terezi: She's super extroverted and a thrill seeker and likes scream-o and shops at hot-topic.
Vriska: She's rockin. She looks like she's really sarcastic and sassy. Probably kicks butt. Probably a smart alec. Probably rad. I have a feeling that she doesn't get along with Nepeta very well.
Equius: He's a super hard core dude. He's the kind of guy that spends hours at the gym and is like, "Hey, girl, look at ma pecs." Probably not the sharpest crayon in the box. Definitely the team's muscle. Aw are those braces?? That's cute! I had braces once. (A million years ago...)
Gamzee: He reminds me of the Joker. He's their evil turned good friend that is always like, "And we SHOULD BlOW ThEM UP!" And everyone's like, "NO!" He's very fascinated with creepy things and explosives and someone has to keep an eye on him at all times. Also, he's kind of a dork, and paints his face and makes up code names for everyone in the group.
Eridan: He's like the team leader sort of dude. It's definitely difficult for him to condescend himself to everyone else's level. He's very serious, and isn't good at opening up and showing his feelings, but inside he's secretly an awkward nerd.
Feferi: She loves color and music and art. Very fashion orientated. Very girly. Probably related to Eridan since she has those fins on the side of her mouth. She's very quirky and loud.
The cherub things are good and evil beings or something. They must be like the demon and the angel that sit on your shoulder or something referencing the devil and angels.
The purple and white snake thing is their mascot.
John.
He and his friends got transported to this other world and are kicking butt and being awesome but also trying to find their way home. People ship him with his blonde dude friend I think (unless that's a different thing), but I've also seen some of him with the trolls. He's the main character and wears a rad costume of blue with a cute cape. He's a dork. I know that he's a dork.
So yeah, how did I do? What was the most accurate and least accurate. This was basically complete speculation so sorry if I completely get your favorite character wrong and offend you or something. I'm clueless.
A friend suggested that I update my theories as I read Homestuck. What do you guys think? Tell us in the comments and be sure to follow via email (under our archive on the right side), tumblr (links on the left at the top), or blogger! We also have a poll for you at the top to vote on what content you'd like to see. Bye!
-Lizzie
Vriska.
Hmm.. She seems to be going through a lot of emotional turmoil right now, and reacting in a non-positive way. Apparently she's kind of like Snape for a lack of a better description because like there are things she's doing that you're like asdfljga'l' !#%##@* you Vriska, but at the same time you know that she's dealing with emotional turmoil crap so you're like bby come here precious child. Like the Russians in Daredevil that did human trafficking but you still felt really bad for them. Yeah. She also appears to have a terrible self consciousness, that is constantly bullying her named (Vriska). I mean unless she's possessed or something...
The number 8.
Apparently this is a reoccurring grammar error or another hint to the web comic/video game stuff. Upd8. That's gonna get old.
The Trolls.
Aradia: She's a really chill emo chick that writes poetry about super dark and feels destroying stuff, but is also like super nice and kind and helps people with their problems. (She must have secret powers because no one else's eyes are glowing.)
Tavros: He looks like the kind of person that would make everyone really uncomfortable about his condition because instead of like being upset about it he just rolls around making jokes, and he'll say stuff like, "What, is it because I'm in a wheel chair?" and everyone will be like, "oh no I swear!" and he just cackles. Kind of like how Foggy in Daredevil is always making jokes about how blind dudes catch more ladies.
Sollux: Ooh he's Gemini. It'd be really cool if he had an evil twin or something. Anyway, he's totally a no chill dork. Like I mean, he'd look super depressed, but he's wearing these awesome dork glasses. Rad, bro. He definitely doesn't care about what other people think about his fashion sense. He probably likes really obscure alternative rock/hippie music and watches underrated anime in his spare time, and when people tell him his taste is weird he's quietly like, ef you and turns back to his show. Rock on glasses dude.
Karkat: Yeah, he's on drugs.
Nepeta: This girl is the super cute dorky one. This girl is me. I am always this girl. She's probably super friendly and talks to everyone, and tries to show people her fandoms and when they don't like it she just tries super hard to find the kind of fandom they might like, and if they do she gets super excited. She's totally a hugger. And look at her kitty hat! Aw she probably has a pet cat! And what if her significant other is introverted, and she's extroverted; her so struggles with depression and her cat helps with their depression ahh that's so cute!
Kanaya: She's the super hot kick butt chick that literally gives no crap about anyone else.
Terezi: She's super extroverted and a thrill seeker and likes scream-o and shops at hot-topic.
Vriska: She's rockin. She looks like she's really sarcastic and sassy. Probably kicks butt. Probably a smart alec. Probably rad. I have a feeling that she doesn't get along with Nepeta very well.
Equius: He's a super hard core dude. He's the kind of guy that spends hours at the gym and is like, "Hey, girl, look at ma pecs." Probably not the sharpest crayon in the box. Definitely the team's muscle. Aw are those braces?? That's cute! I had braces once. (A million years ago...)
Gamzee: He reminds me of the Joker. He's their evil turned good friend that is always like, "And we SHOULD BlOW ThEM UP!" And everyone's like, "NO!" He's very fascinated with creepy things and explosives and someone has to keep an eye on him at all times. Also, he's kind of a dork, and paints his face and makes up code names for everyone in the group.
Eridan: He's like the team leader sort of dude. It's definitely difficult for him to condescend himself to everyone else's level. He's very serious, and isn't good at opening up and showing his feelings, but inside he's secretly an awkward nerd.
Feferi: She loves color and music and art. Very fashion orientated. Very girly. Probably related to Eridan since she has those fins on the side of her mouth. She's very quirky and loud.
The cherub things are good and evil beings or something. They must be like the demon and the angel that sit on your shoulder or something referencing the devil and angels.
The purple and white snake thing is their mascot.
John.
He and his friends got transported to this other world and are kicking butt and being awesome but also trying to find their way home. People ship him with his blonde dude friend I think (unless that's a different thing), but I've also seen some of him with the trolls. He's the main character and wears a rad costume of blue with a cute cape. He's a dork. I know that he's a dork.
So yeah, how did I do? What was the most accurate and least accurate. This was basically complete speculation so sorry if I completely get your favorite character wrong and offend you or something. I'm clueless.
A friend suggested that I update my theories as I read Homestuck. What do you guys think? Tell us in the comments and be sure to follow via email (under our archive on the right side), tumblr (links on the left at the top), or blogger! We also have a poll for you at the top to vote on what content you'd like to see. Bye!
-Lizzie
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
whAt aka Lovely Little Losers Premier: Lizzie
Hey guys! Not dead. Actually, I've got a lot of stuff to catch up on here. I thought I'd pop out my reaction to "Returns" aka Lovely Little Losers episode 1. I swear I will review my Flash new 52 comic book. Just a quick update: if you are interested, I did live blog "A Tale of Two Stans" here.
Anyway, you're probably here for LLL, so here we go.
Okay, but I totally forgot how much I love the dweeb that is Benedick Hobbes. Precious little dweeb. He's oblivious as ever though, as he decides to tell us basically what we've gathered from the trailer and nothing else.Thanks, Ben.
So, Ben's in University. He's rooming in a flat with (so far) Freddie, Balth, Pedro, and co. Yeh
Freddie:
So this is the mysterious girl in the trailer that everyone thinks has removed Beatrice.
Anyway, you're probably here for LLL, so here we go.
Okay, but I totally forgot how much I love the dweeb that is Benedick Hobbes. Precious little dweeb. He's oblivious as ever though, as he decides to tell us basically what we've gathered from the trailer and nothing else.
So, Ben's in University. He's rooming in a flat with (so far) Freddie, Balth, Pedro, and co. Yeh
Freddie:
So this is the mysterious girl in the trailer that everyone thinks has removed Beatrice.
 |
| The fandom |
From the looks of the first episode, we're in the clear- for now. Freddie and Ben have this cute bro relationship that I like, so let's keep it that way. However, a female character is not defined by the males around her (at least a good one), and Freddie is looking to be a favorite from the start. She's very cute and awkward, and I can't wait to know more.
Pedrozar:
Is...dead???
Why would the Candle Wasters set up this relationship just to show us it is completely gone. Not only is Pedro making out with some dude, but Balthazar has a date with...Kit? Hopefully there shalt be more explanation.
Beatrice: Is where?
Like, I'm not expecting her to be in the first episode, but no mention whatsoever? Ben, are you going to explain more, because clearly stuff happened in the first semester of college.
The montage made me laugh, and I can't wait to her more about the characters we know and love. (Except Claudio. Never Claudio.)
I really need to spark note Love Labour's Lost since I didn't get around to reading it. *sigh* Such a disappointment.
Anyway, here are the links for:
Remember to follow via email, tumblr, and blogger, and tell us in the comments what you thought of "Returns".
Until next time,
Lizzie
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Doctor Who Season 9 Trailer Breakdown: Lizzie
So, if you didn’t know a Doctor Who Season 9 trailer dropped!!!!! I’m here for a trailer breakdown/reaction for all of you Whovians out there, so enjoy!
-Lizzie
Okay but first of all, I literally started hyperventilating. You think I’m exaggerating, but I’m not. I wasn’t expecting anything today. I mean, yeah, SDCC is going on, but usually corporations take this as an opportunity to show off stuff to the people that can go there, and make the rest of us scream in agony. I don’t know if it leaked or what, but all I know is I found a luscious 1:30 trailer on my dashboard at around 5 o clock in the afternoon today.
Note: feel free to use this article solely to analyze screen caps, and completely ignore my commentary. All of these photos were not taken from anyone. I simply screenshotted the released footage.
*****SPOILERS TRAILERS SHOW FOOTAGE AND I WILL TRY TO PIECE TOGETHER FOOTAGE WITH CONFIRMED INFORMATION PROCEED WITH CAUTION*******
Here is the full trailer.
*****SPOILERS TRAILERS SHOW FOOTAGE AND I WILL TRY TO PIECE TOGETHER FOOTAGE WITH CONFIRMED INFORMATION PROCEED WITH CAUTION*******
Here is the full trailer.
The trailer opens up with the usual, TARDIS flying through outer space stuff. It’s nearly a tradition to include a shot like this in every Doctor Who trailer, so no one is really surprised.
Next, we get some lovey sequence where the TARDIS is crashing. Explosions everywhere. Could we be breaking into a pocket universe to find Gallifrey perhaps…?
Clara’s running.
There’s a shot of Clara diving underneath a closing door with water pooling in. This must be episodes ¾. A two parter that is “claustrophobic and damp” and stars a 7’ 7” ex British Basketball player as the alien Fisher King that lives in Loch Ness. (Source)
Who’s this chick?
Next, a shot of what looks like a cross between a jawa and a dalek.
There’s this shot of someone’s eye opening.
Here’s a shot of the station Clara was in shutting down.
Here’s a shot of the “box robots” slated to make an appearance in “The Girl Who Died” according to that source I mentioned above.
Aaannndd… zombie hands reaching out of the dirt…Are the flesh making a comeback? Are people actually coming back to life? Because those would be some interesting implications for Danny Pink. Maybe this is a shot from The Girl Who Died/The Woman Who Lived.
Again, in the shot of what looks like a power outage in that station we see a creepy masked old man.
Shot of the Daleks. Who’s surprised? Not me.
More creepy masked people.
Oohhh weird camera angles of a man wearing some laser glasses. I hope he’s the “Magician” in the Magician’s Apprentice. A sci-fi magician would be cool…Actually, just kidding. He's from "The Girl Who Died". See how his goggles look so similar to the material of the box creatures?
There’s a man crouched by a rusty hatch. Is that a nuclear symbol? Pretty sure that’s a nuclear symbol…bro, that’s not a good hiding place…
Hi Missy! How are you? No seriously, how are you alive? You died. And didn’t regenerate. Like at all. OHH maybe this is before she did the thing with the cybermen? Just kidding, knowing Moffat that’s way too reasonable of an explanation.
Doctor shrugs because of his weird line. “I WANT TO KISS IT TO DEATH.”
We know, Doctor, you have your obsessions, I have mine.
Okay, but here’s what I think the full line is: “Every time I think it couldn’t be more extraordinary it surprises me. It’s impossible. I hate it. It’s evil. It’s astonishing. I want to kiss it to death.”
I’m pretty sure he’s just talking about the universe. What else does the Doctor love and hate? Something that contains all of the beauty and all of the horror. The entirety of existence.
Here’s a crazy cool city that looks like it’s molded out of the same material as the box creatures. Is this their planet?
This dude I’m pretty sure is a Time Lord. The only other priest like people in red were in the Rings of Ahkatan, and I’m pretty sure they aren’t making a reacurrence. Also, the teaser for season 9 says that Gallifrey…is…returning…dun…dun…dun…
TARDIS flying.
Clara’s in her suit. (Pretty sure this is The Girl Who Died/The Woman That Lived, because Maisie William’s character is wearing a suit like this in a later clip.)
Hi again, Missy.
Shot of a really scared woman standing in a metal area. (Given the lighting it’s probably the same episode as the flooding station aka 3/4).
Ah, Fisher King makes an appearance. Cool.
A shot of a city glowing from above. The circular architecture sort of looks like the other city we saw a couple shots ago. WAIT. Fisher King that makes his home in Loch Ness. This looks underwater! So it isn’t the TARDIS that’s flooding. It’s this compound.
Doctor running out of a barn in pajamas. Sounds like a domesticated fluff fic.
Clara is not prepared for the hug that he gives her. (Maybe Maisie Williams character is Clara, and he’s happy to see her alive?)
Clara is hiding behind a door and spying on them. Same clothes and the red and white strips are from earlier in the trailer, so this is part of episodes 3/4.
I guess that the Zygon peace talks didn’t end well in the Day of the Doctor, since this one is holding a little girl hostage? This will be episodes 7/8 (again, that source).
More TARDIS explosions.
Domesticated Doctor returns with his guitar.
OH MY GALLIFREY! It’s those dudes that are in the Christmas Invasion! (right?)
Oh s**t.
Clara’s eye. That’s the second ominous eye shot. Maybe there’s an episode about the danger of pink eye?
Clara falling? (Probably why the Doctor was so happy to see her before.)
Not really sure what this is.
Scary Fisher King is chasing Clara and the Doctor.
A shot of people in capes getting shot at with lasers. Lighting looks the same as the hand zombie shot.
Explosions. More military. That article I mentioned said that there were going to be Vikings in The Girl Who Died. Could this be it? They have capes in the first screen shot…
Clara and Missy see an ice cream trunk. Actually it’s probably just the Doctor being ridiculous.
Apparently these glasses are super cool, and Clara doubts their coolness.
Lighting change matches the Doctor’s guitar hero session.
SONIC.
I’m the Doctor, and I save people!
*Maisie Williams takes off goggles*
“YOU!”-the Doctor
“What took you so long old man?”
*eyebrows*
DUN DUN.
So, what do you guys think of the new trailer? How excited are you for September 19??? Tell us in the comments, and make sure to follow us on blogger, tumblr, and email.
Bye!
-Lizzie
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