ROOSTER TEETH THOUGHTS:

ROOSTER TEETH THOUGHTS:

Rooster Teeth, the company that made RWBY, closed recently. I wanted to talk about it. I really only joined Rooster Teeth fandom around 2015. I was certainly aware of Rooster Teeth, because Red vs. Blue premiered in 2003, when I was in high school. But, that was before it had a plot, and it was just kind of friends messing around with HALO assets to make a comedy show. Things changed when Monty Oum was brought in. Monty Oum was a wunderkind animator.

He made things like Dead Fantasy and Haloid (HALO vs. Metroid). What made these shows work was always that they were kinda familiar, fast-paced, and action-packed. Dead Fantasy was Final Fantasy, but not really. Haloid was Metroid vs. HALO, but not really. Along with Monty Oum's focus on fast-paced rhythm-based action (with a background as a dancer.) Monty Oum's style of animation was ultimately a victory of re-branding that re-vitalized Rooster Teeth, and gave it direction.

Now, under Monty Oum, Red vs. Blue became an action show, where it was HALO, but not really. It had a plot and characters, and action scenes. After the success of HALO, but not really, Monty Oum was given the green light to develop RWBY, which was Final Fantasy 8, but not really. The costumes, weapons (Everything is a gunblade.), and plot were straight from the 1999 videogame, but not really.

Parts of media like Kingdom Hearts, fairytales, plus shows like Once Upon A Time and Snow White and The Huntsman can also be seen as influences on RWBY, with a color scheme and elaborate rhythm-based team battles, and attacks. Several fairytales had become public domain in 2012, which made them easy to adapt for the small business. RWBY's popular team-based color schemes allegedly came to Monty in a dream, probably from working on Red vs. Blue too much.

So, I joined right in the middle of all this, by watching RWBY. FF8 was my favorite Final Fantasy, so I picked up the plot immediately. I was all about RWBY for a good while. It was like revisiting one of my favorite games, with a fairytale twist, as was popular at the time. The success of RWBY was unprecedented, spawning a fandom. Unfortunately, Monty Oum fell into a coma in 2015 just before the completion of Season 3. (Seasons of RWBY are called Volumes, like fairytale books.)

Season 3 is widely considered the best Volume of RWBY, as it is a tournament arc featuring many different teams and battles, showcasing the fighting mechanics that made RWBY unique. Additionally, it would open up the world, going beyond locations visited in the previous volumes and introducing the second half of the plot with new villains and character development for Team RWBY. Perhaps most importantly, this meant that Volume 4 would be the first without Monty Oum, as his coma proved fatal.

Volume 4 introduced Salem, the new big bad villainess who was secretly controlling everything. The characters slowly discover that magic is real, and that they do in fact live in a fairytale-type world where they are to act as guardians for sacred relics, before Salem can get to them. This was an okay Volume. It's basically the second half of FF8, but at least it left you wondering what could happen.

Volume 5 splits up each individual member of Team RWBY to give them their own arcs. I understand the reasoning behind this, but I felt like they hadn't developed much as a team first. Yang recovers at home and then tries to find her mother, Ruby joins a new team, Weiss is imprisoned back at her home, and Blake takes a boat trip home to confront her misguided past.

At least they reunite by Volume 6's end. I hung in for all the new characters and villains. The writing on the wall for RWBY came, I think, by Volume 8...when COVID happened. It seemingly changed some direction of the show. Instead of the fast-paced action scenes, I felt like now we have cramped action that takes place in one static location, opting for flashes and bangs in place of dynamic movement, often resolved quickly by Ruby's eye powers or one big move, despite earlier establishing the series' love for gun kata (Kung Fu with guns.), and the characters' skills with their own unique weapons.

Also, earlier the series had made references to the fact that the Kingdom of Atlas was basically Germany. It combined its education and military, and chose a different side in the series' Great War. Even Weiss Schnee from Atlas uses a German name. So, the twist that Ironwood actually wanted to defend Atlas by himself by forsaking dust and the other Kingdoms, didn't shock me at all. If it was supposed to be shocking, it failed, since it was telegraphed all along if you know Final Fantasy and history. Final Fantasy is always setting up Magic vs. Technology.

Since the heroes use dust (magic), it's logical to me that the antithesis of that would be embodied in Ironwood, who favors militarism and technology. But, even this distracts from the main plot, which was supposed to be now defeating Salem. Although, I understand they were trying to create villains for every continent in the show's world, with Ironwood being the villain for Atlas. I was disappointed that they couldn't come together already to defeat Salem.

Time was running out. We were now at Volume 9 (2023), and they took a detour once again to The Ever After, a place where fairytales are real. Yang lost her mechanical arm and Ruby lost her weapon. Weiss keeps insisting there's no way they're in a fairytale. It's pretty much at this point where I watched, but lost my former interest. Magic and fairytales had already been proven real. Ruby had already proved herself as a leader. It was a neat visual detour, but there was no thematic reason to reset characters' motivations, other than that's all the writers knew to do absent the guidance of Monty Oum.

I will say I liked the inclusion of BMLB (A fan-created romance between Team RWBY members Yang and Blake.) being absolutely confirmed in this Volume. But, otherwise, it seemed to retread familiar ground, and reset characters' motivations. The Rooster Teeth merger with Warner Bros forced new projects to be focused on instead of the main show. On top of this, dramatic scandals rocked the once-seemingly benign company, including pay disputes and harassment charges. But, it ultimately survived.

I've already written about RWBY: Ice Queendom, the Japanese anime version of RWBY. In addition, Rooster Teeth focused on cross-over comics and movies with DC's Justice League, which again, while interesting both covered familiar grounds. By this point, if you didn't already like RWBY, you weren't going to watch another origin story and re-introduce the team. They staked everything on the success of RWBY and Batman, but Batman doesn't need RWBY.

You see, what made the show work was always that it was Final Fantasy, but not really. I say that as a fan of RWBY. It was not perfect, but it was the little animation studio that could. If you add Batman to it, or bigger more recognizable entities, in my view, it kills the idea that these characters were home-grown successes. Rooster Teeth had fans who had watched it grow from a small web animation studio, to become something original in spite of being a victory of re-branding Final Fantasy characters with twists. The merger with a giant corporation killed their home-grown success myth.

What will happen to RWBY now that Rooster Teeth is going under? I don't know. Probably, it will just move to a Warner Bros. Company. Maybe Cartoon Network will pick it up, or Crunchyroll. It was a wild ride while it lasted, Rooster Teeth. Everyone involved will probably just come back under a new company. I just hope they can finish RWBY's story, and give it a good ending.

Batman vs. Superman: How To Save The Movie

 Batman vs. Superman: How To Save The Movie

So, I just got back from a cabin in the woods with no internet, and I’m just now finding out that Ben Affleck is Zack Snyder’s Batman. Like a lot of people, I’m disappointed. Some people fear this will be as bad as Daredevil’s first Hollywood attempt, which Affleck starred in. Personally, I don’t really have high hopes for a Batman vs. Superman movie anyway. It just serves the purpose of showing once again that DC Comics is still embarrassed of Superman, who used to be their biggest hero. Now it looks like they’ll be beating him up in his own sequel.

    So, then they will try to make a Justice League movie. And that’s fine by me. It just seems like they’re rushing to catch up to The Avengers, and rushing leads to bad decisions. In the DC movie Universe so far, we’ve barely gotten to know Superman, and although his debut film was just okay, (Fans of this site remember my initial reactions.) it certainly wasn’t inspiring or heroic, but I don’t think that justifies beating him up so soon.

    The one to blame for that god-awful idea is Frank Miller, whose 80s plotline The Dark Knight Returns makes Superman a government stooge who overreaches his power and tries to arrest Batman. Fans of this site will also remember that I hate Frank Miller’s insistence on praising fascistic anti-heroes, using too much red, and droll noir narration. My point is Ben Affleck is not the worst to happen to this movie. It was messed up when it was announced.

      That said, I can think of two ways to save the movie. Either bring in a good villain or introduce secondary characters like Wonder Woman. In Greg Rucka’s graphic novel “Sacrifice“, it wasn’t Batman who stopped a rampaging Superman, but Wonder Woman. That would be a big surprise for the audience to see Batman defeated as well as provide a good entry point for a Justice League movie, with the big three finally together. It would also end this ridiculous Batman vs. Superman debate. Who would win? Throw a curveball: Go with Wonder Woman…and then do an “Infinite Crisis” storyline for a Justice League movie.

     Alternatively, I would introduce Barry Allen, AKA The Flash into the movie Universe. He has a real chance to be a guide throughout the movies’ universe, just as Iron Man was for The Avengers. They both have the same attitude, and both were geniuses who’s powers were gained by accident. Flash was struck by lightning, Iron Man was captured. The tragic aspect would make his character relatable, as would his mortality, just as it does for Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, who can laugh off Nordic gods and supersoldiers because he’s one radical dude. That attitude would work with The Flash, and give audiences a comedic character to relate to, in what has so far been a dark and gritty universe. There is also one last option in my mind, to save this movie.

      Cast a good villain. The Dark Knight is mostly remembered for Heath Ledger’s Joker. In the 80s, before anyone knew that Michael Keaton was a viable Batman, Jack Nicholson was probably the main draw for that Batman movie. A good villain can make all the difference. I hear Bryan Cranston is maybe taking the role of Lex Luthor, but that sounds too good to be true. Especially fresh off his success with Breaking Bad, I suspect he won’t take a big risk by being in a Zack Snyder comic book movie. If it happens, I’ll be thrilled…he can play a good psycho. But, I don’t have high hopes from the guy who ruined Watchmen, consulted Frank Miller for a Superman story, and made Superman a bland angst summer movie. In my mind, a good Superman movie is something that reaches for the heavens and inspires heroism, as Richard Donner did.

     Lastly, I’ve been asked who my picks would’ve been for Batman and the villain, if not Ben Affleck and someone else. That’s easy: I’d do a live action Batman: The Animated Series. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are THE voices of Batman and Joker, and have done voice work for them as recently as Arkham City. Casting them would be a wonderful way to keep Batman and Joker familiar. The Arkham game series has proven  The Animated Series can work well with a dark atmosphere. I know Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are both older (and busy!) but it would’ve gotten a better reaction than Ben Affleck, whose last superhero performance in public memory was the failed Daredevil.

   Well, it may be too early to judge, but those are my initial thoughts on Ben “Batman” Affleck and how to save a Batman vs. Superman movie! I’m no Hollywood executive, but those are the two courses that would best appeal to me. Whatever appeals to Hollywood, I have no idea, but they ruined Green Lantern and Daredevil, so let me say I don’t have that much confidence. However, I’ll be satisfied if at least one of my speculations entertains my audience!    

Beware The Batman: Thoughts and Previews

BATMAN: BEWARE THE BATMAN INITIAL THOUGHTS & PREVIEWS:

“To those that would hurt the innocent. I give you this one warning: Beware my wrath.”

- Beware The Batman teaser clip

    Beware The Batman premieres tomorrow on Cartoon Network as part of the channel’s DC Nation Saturday morning cartoon series. I thought I’d record some of my initial thoughts and expectations here. I was initially excited that the series will be based on Grant Morrison’s Batman & Robin run. But that for me raises a really big question: how the heck do you do that for a kid’s cartoon, being that Professor Pyg rips peoples’ faces off, and surgically replaces them with doll faces!?
    To be frank, I think the answer is they won’t change much beyond the names of the villains. Mr. Anarky is basically Joker. I predict Magpie will be a replacement Catwoman. Guess who Tobias Whale is a template for? Ugh…the one development I am happy to see is that Alfred will be more action-oriented, and an ex-MI6 agent. That would be like if James Bond was butler to Batman! And that sounds cool! Though I have to be honest, I’m leery about the show being CGI. It worked for Green Lantern though.
        I don’t have high expectations for the series. 3D animation notwithstanding. I got a preview comic on my iPad. It was okay. It introduces Alfred, Tobias Whale, and Mr. Anarky. I wonder how Professor Pyg will come in. Will it have The Red Hood? Being that the violence is toned down, and it’s 3D, and a kid’s show, how much action can they show! But, Batman is always good!
    I’ll probably be watching in the spirit of reserved hope. Maybe I’ll like this new one. Grant Morrison sure did some awesome Batman comics! How will they translate to CN? I’m excited to know! I just hope the villains aren’t just mockups of the originals! Plus, it’s always disappointing not to hear Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman. Beware the Batman? Or just don’t watch? We’ll see! Stay tuned!

The Lone Ranger (2013)

The Lone Ranger (2013) Review:

    

    First off, I know next to nothing about the original Lone Ranger, beyond various pop culture references, so I can’t compare it to what came before. That being said, I liked the movie. The action scenes were great, it had good humor, and at the same time dealt with a serious subject: the annihilation of indigenous cultures by huge corporations.

  

  At first, it looks to be as if one greedy bandit (Butch Cavanditch; played by William Fichtner, who has a wonderful make-up job!) is behind a plot to make it look like the Comanche attacked a railroad, so that it can expand and leave his gang with all the silver mines. This is where Johnny Depp comes in, who takes on the brother of the slain Texas Rangers (After some funny dialogue with a white“ spirit horse”.) under his wing. He becomes The Lone Ranger…in this version, he’s a lawyer commited to the Law and Justice. They come up with unique ways for him not to kill…mostly with trains crashing! Yes, a lot of trains crash, and it is beautiful!

   

   Johnny Depp is there mostly for comedic relief. But also, they had real Native Americans in the movie, who explain that Tonto is a bit of an idiot. I found it telling that Tonto was never with the real Native Americans, as if to be respectful of their culture. By the way, the Native Americans didn’t speak pidgin English. I thought them writing off Tonto’s antics was well-played as a show of respect. There’s also bits of African-American, Irish, and Chinese culture, which reminds us that the West was built by immigrants. It was nice to see such multiculturalism!

   

 There are plenty of gunfights, horseback and afoot. But, The Lone Ranger never kills, so committed is he to justice. There’s a nice assortment of characters from all walks of life including an oddball prostitute played by Helena Bonham Carter with a rifle in her wooden leg. Did I mention all the gunfights are outrageously over-the-top? Yeah, they are. They got horses jumping off roofs like it ain’t no thang. But, to me, that’s a good thang! 

  Overall, it was a great movie. People in the theater laughed, I laughed at Tonto and that “stupid horse” (Tonto seems to be, to me, an amalgam of Depp’s Hunter S. Thompson in voice, and in performance, Jack Sparrow!) Anyway, it’s got good action, a good moral, and some good storytelling and jokes. Armie Hammer (The actor who plays the Lone Ranger.) is a likeable guy. I can easily see him as the next Batman, or some other masked hero. He’s got a very clean-cut heroic face. It was also nice to see that they used the Lone Ranger’s classic theme to good effect…twice at least! (Superman take note!) 

     Two thumbs up from me, and I’ll be looking forward to Armie Hammer’s next role. Though I’m betting it’ll be a superhero. The next Batman, maybe. Or The Flash. I don‘t know; from Lone Ranger to Batman seems like a logical step to me. Some Justice League guy, I’d like to see him as! (Again, Superman, take note!) Or maybe he’ll just do The Lone Ranger 2. I’d be happy with that!

     

DOCTOR WHO REVIEW: THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR:

DOCTOR WHO REVIEW: THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR:

“The name I chose is the Doctor. The name you choose, is like... it's like a promise you 

make.”

- The 11th Doctor

Just watched the season finale of Dr. Who 3 days ago. Holy crap was it a good cliffhanger! I’ve generally been disappointed by this season because Clara is so boring, but I feel like they put her to good use here. Also, you wanted an anniversary episode with some Doctors? How about ALL the Doctors. Oh, it’s only for brief moments…but they’re all there!

   So, the main plot is that The Great Intelligence convinces The Doctor to fight him in what will be his final resting place. During this time (Long story short!) he almost gets him to reveal his name, and he gains access to The Doctor’s time-stream. I’m trying to hard not to give spoilers, but man…it means T.G.I can erase The Doctor from history.

     Clara is sent in to repair The Doctor’s timeline, which hopefully means we won’t see much more of her, and resolves how she is able to be everywhere in The Doctor’s history. (I.e.: as a Dalek and such!) So, I think that was good. Goodbye, Clara!

    When in the Doctor’s time stream, she is surrounded by all his previous forms. However, there is one form that apparently The Doctor fears, and he keeps claiming that that man is not The Doctor; even though everyone there is The Doctor. Apparently, this one might be somewhat evil, maybe? He claims to use The Doctor’s real name, and The 11th Doctor further clarifies that he didn’t do these things in the name of The Doctor. Still, we don’t know who he is.

    Then the man turns around to reveal (spoilers!): JOHN HURT? MINDBLOWN! So, let’s end this with a nice Whovian debate. Who do you think John Hurt really is? The 12th Doctor? The Valeyard? Some other evil version of himself? I’d love to hear some fan theories in the comments section. Especially from those in the UK, since I’m American, and may be a bit behind on Doctor Who lore than those in The Doctor‘s home turf! Also, I’m really hoping this whole time stream repair plot means some old Doctors will re-unite! Allons-y, I say!

   A good episode, all in all! I think it was misleading, since we still don’t know The Doctor’s name, but what a cliffhanger! I even got to see some old Doctors, AND (possibly) Clara’s gone! So, whatever comes next should be action-packed and thrilling, with big reveals, and maybe some Doctor team-ups! Who knows? Doctor Who knows! Let me know what you know in the comments section!

                                                          (Episode poster!)
                                                           

A digital William Hartnell makes an appearance! (1st Doctor!)

   

(Clara makes a sacrifice to save The Doctor throughout time!)

A Quick Cultural Critique of Man of Steel

A Quick Cultural Critique of Man of Steel:

Hey Viewers!

Enjoyed talking Iron Man with you last time! Now, this is just something I need to get off my chest. As you may or may not know, I'm not a big fan of the dark re-boot aesthetic for Superman. But, mainly, here's why. The thing about Superman is he represents coming from two different cultures. And for the most part, stands up for what's good about his adopted culture, but he doesn't even particularly need to DO much. The environments, the soundtracks, HIS actions, fill you with hope. But, contrary to Iron Man, he's completely modest. All he needs to do is...save falling building, "Just doing my job, ma'am!" fly off...cue Superman theme! Isn't multiculturalism nifty? Sure am glad Superman flew down to save us...

The mind fills in the rest. This isn't the sense I get from Man of Steel. There's gonna be a lot of exposition. In Superman: New Krypton the graphic novel, we're told that the "S" is actually the Kryptonian crest of House El. As in "Kal-El" and "Jor-El". I like that explanation. It makes sense. His parents sent him with a momento of Krypton. Nope. Not in Man of Steel. In Man of Steel, it just means "Hope". Do we really need to be told Superman is hope? Anyway...I hope they base it on good comics, but yeah, essentially this seems to be a Dark Knight re-skin. I'll admit I was excited at first, but really Superman is about modesty and multiculturalism; when I see Henry Cavill in the preview explaining that the S means hope; I DUNNO....YA DON'T SAY???

Additionally, the soundtrack seems to be off. When I hear the new theme, I get the impression of a man burdened with responsibility, but still no hope, no rising notes. There are no rising notes to signify the "flight" of Superman which is optimistic because he's above the world he's saving; but he just sees it as his job. "This looks like a job for SUPERMAN." Ever since 1941, there have been these sort of three rising notes that (to me.) seemingly sing SU-PER-MAN, and symbolize his flight. Especially after the "It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!" bit. Heck, even Lois & Clark played around those notes. As did John Williams, and the '96 Superman: The Animated Series (Which I was watching when I opened up the N64. Epic Nintendo reveal!)

To demonstrate the effectiveness of the Superman leitmotif and character, I leave you with a sample of selected Superman anthems, and Captain Picard playing around with notes (Because it's what Superman's themes do, too! (With the three rising hopeful notes.) It's never the same theme, but it's played around. The new theme does not, and is flat. Plus to demonstrate the effectiveness of Superman's modesty, consider the opening scene of Lois and Clark. It was a cheesy 90s drama, I know! But consider  Dean Cain's first scene as Clark Kent.That's perfect! He stops a bus with his hand, and just walks it off. Modesty! All of Superman's traditional portrayals are essentially mild-mannered.

When I hear Russell Crowe as Jor-El say "He'll be a god to them." in the trailers...I cringe a little. Superman wouldn't want that; Jor-El wouldn't want that. That's what I have against all these "Superman learns not to be a god" plots. He just wouldn't want to be. He's just doing his job, and doesn't want to hurt innocents. It amounts to a humiliation of Superman to try to portray him as a god. But nonetheless, Injustice needs its villain...and Batman is popular right now.

You can make the argument that Superman's creators were Jewish, yes. But, to me, nothing about Superman is a religious experience. He's for America, and for everyone who's ever felt different. TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THE AMERICAN WAY. It's about honoring that Jewish background, maybe, but there is no evidence that he is exclusively tied to it: he represents intercultural discourse. WITH HIS FISTS and a Boy Scout morality. Oh, sorry I went all Colbert on you there.

Like to me, Superman represents the feeling of me being in German class, almost. When speaking German, I don't worry about my disability. I'm able to focus on what I can do..speak. I have a sense of being judged by the good I can do, not restrained by physical limits. And indeed independent living has been an alien world for me, that I'm still in culture shock about. But anyway...you see, with Superman...the less said the better. Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman said it best: "Gods get their strength from us believing in them. Superman gets his strength because he believes in us." Superman can never be a god, and wouldn't want to be.

Maybe the film will clear it up later. "Secret Origin" was good as a comic, but I kinda lost hope when Superman was explaining to Lois that the "S" means "HOPE" and General Zod was all: "I WILL FIND HIM!" and blowing stuff up. In the comic, Luthor just manipulates the military's paranoia about alien threats, which they will no doubt do here, but differently. It all comes down to identity, not who Kal-El is, not who Clark Kent is, but as that comic later shows, who SUPERMAN is. I guess I just worry that when I see Henry Cavill strutting around is that armor over a gloomy orchestra...they're setting him up to be a god, and something much less human. Just my two cents. Enjoy the links, and see if you agree with my analysis!

                                        Now let's learn about playing around themes with Picard!

Iron Man 3 Review

   Iron Man 3 Review:

     

   

Iron Man 3 is like combining Die Hard 1, T2: Judgment Day, and Iron Man! I was right that Extremis would be involved, but I’m not giving spoilers. There’s some good action and nice character development (Everyone knows its after the events in Avengers.) We learn a lot about how Tony Stark regains his faith in others, how he relates to his suits, and how he deals with threats around him. The threat this time is threefold.  No spoilers, but lets just say it’s the three big ones: Mandarin, a rival industrialist, and a former associate.

   The biggest obstacle though is Tony Stark himself, a little stressed (Shall we say…) from the events in Avengers. He comes to the realization early on that he can’t deal with every threat, and theUS government doesn’t think he can either.  So, not only is everything he loves at stake, but also his confidence. Major themes here include trust, man vs. machine, man vs. self, and of course…in plenty of explosions and fights, man vs. man. There’s plenty of that Tony Stark humor too, that makes me proud to identify (probably most.) with Iron Man aside from his dependence on technology.

    Oh! And I was right about another thing! There’s betrayal…but it wasn’t who I expected the movie to pick. People who have read Extremis should see it right away. That’s the only hint I’m giving! Needless to say though, Iron Man…well, Iron Man is Iron Man! His machines are part of who he is, which also play a role in how he sees himself, grows, and deals with terrorists/bad guys. If you take it all away, he’s still Iron Man. He can’t be everywhere physically at once, or deal with every threat at once, but he has connections anyway! Some really good comments on the nature of terrorism and its inherent relationship to the media. It essentially does what Die Hard 4 failed to do which is: make a good action movie about modern threats to society/digital crime/terrorism, and do it with style. With Tony Stark! Move over John McClane!

    But, at its core for me was the theme of man vs. machine. Will machines exist to serve us, or take away our humanity in the interests of particularly “modern evil”? (Terrorism, media, corporate greed etc…) I don’t know…I think as a disabled man, I pick up fairly easy on the man/machine symbiosis! Sounds heavy but, the movie put it all on the line and eventually Stark himself reveals the answer! A fun movie that definitely raises the stakes. In my view, it might even influence modern action movies outside of the superhero/sci-fi genre. It really plays with the psyche of the character and in the end we come full circle. No doubt he’ll be ready for Avengers 2 as cocky and high-tech as ever! Highly recommended and fun!  

Game of Thrones Update: Season 3 Episode 2

Game of Thrones Update:

Jojen: “You can’t kill him, you know.”

Bran: “How do you know?”

Jojen: “Because the raven is you.”

    Bran’s dream of hunting a raven becomes real when he’s approached by strangers. Should I say spoilers? SPOILERS! I knew Bran had strong dreams ever since the show decided to push him out a window, but this new episode of Game of Thrones turns the knob all the way to 11. He can see through the eyes of animals and into the future. I’m particularly fond of the interactions between him and his caretakers. But, it seems someone got past him, his “aides” and his pet wolf on the way out of Winterfell, where he told him the news of his magic.

   And Bran isn’t the only one! There were a ton of new characters introduced in this episode, one of whom beyond The Wall is the same kind of wizard as Bran (Who is also disabled, but he has been since day one; so he’s a second favorite of mine!) Of course, my first favorite is Tyrion. Sadly, he still hasn’t shown me really that he’s back in the game, so to speak. He tells his confidante that she shouldn’t come into his room without permission from his father, but she does anyway. Such deference to the law worries me; isn’t normal for him.

   Sansa is having to act happy about not being married to the King. Could it be a sign of House Stark coming together? Tyrion has already suggested that any man can have her now that she’s not married. Meanwhile Geoffrey is still setting up the wedding and generally flaunting his new wife to Sansa; and we learn that Sansa’s grandmother’s not too keen on him doing so. Geoffrey may have to face revolution from the inside, and I like it, but that’s my wishful thinking.

Sadly, there’s no Khaleesi or Milisandre in this episode, but I don’t think it means their armies are going away. I see this episode mainly as focusing on strengthening the ex-Starks. Arya is traveling with vagabond warriors known as the Brothers without Banners who seem impressed by her escape. It appears they’ve also found Brienne. With the ex-Starks gaining allies, and some of them new powers, it might be enough to topple Geoffrey. But, he seems as arrogant as ever, and I doubt he even cares what his people think of his scandals.  

In this episode, I was particularly taken by Bran’s development that he’s a wizard. He could possibly see a future in his dreams where this journey pays off. Speaking as a disabled man, I often find that my dreams compensate for not being able to physically act on all my thoughts…curiously, in his dreams, as in mine, he is able-bodied. So, I hope that symbolizes some power or influence left in him. All in all, a hopeful episode, assuming the Brothers Without Banners are friendly. I just hope my outlook isn’t misplaced! Nice Stark development, but I can’t wait to get back to The Queen of Dragons.

 

GAME OF THRONES SEASON THREE PREMIERE:

GAME OF THRONES SEASON THREE:

Game of Thrones Season 3 is off to a good start! The only thing I didn’t like about it was that the dwarf Tyrion remains stripped of power. Meanwhile, the Khaleesi is raising an army, and it appears that a big battle is about to happen. Those dragons are growing up. Logic tells me they wouldn’t bother to develop the dragons without seeing them fully grown and in battle. Khaleesi has a ragtag army put together. I don't know whether to root for her, Tyrion, or the ex-Starks, but definitely not Stannis Brartheon for me! I secretly wish Tyrion would rule Westeros, but it doesn't look likely; I was crushed at the end of Season 2. I'm divided.

Meanwhile, in House Brartheon, it seems Milisandre the sorceress is also trying to go on another attack! There should be another huge battle. And Robert Baratheon has defected to the Khaleesi. I can only hope that Khaleesi’s recent successes don’t foreshadow an early death.She appears to have avoided an early death already from a scorpion-thing. Robert was quick about that!Anyway, it makes me wonder with Robert being an expert swordsman, will he train the Khaleesi’s army? And will the Lannister’s be able to hold King’s Landing from Stannis without Tyrion? I hope Tyrion comes back in full form!

 In supernatural news, I also hope John Snow will be fighting white walkers very soon! He, in my view, could be the one to bring House Stark back, if only he were legitimate. He’s already made allies beyond The Wall!

So, my overall review of the premiere? Anywhere from great to really great. I just hope Tyrion can regain his honor. Then, again, as House Stark proved, honor doesn’t mean much in George R.R. Martin’s world. But, maybe the Stark’s will come back too. Who knows?  People who read the books, I know!

I know there are books to read. I should most definitely read them. But at this point it would just seem like cheating. I might read them when the show is over. Depending on how depressed/uplifted I am by the show’s finale. Though I don’t imagine I’ll be disappointed either way. Say what you will about the immorality of Game of Thrones, whatever conclusion it comes to will fit together logically within the show‘s premise. It is fundamentally, after all, a show about power; and not always who wields it justly. In the Game of Thrones, “you win or you die.”

TRAILERS AND SPECULATIONS: THE WOLVERINE AND IRON MAN 3:

TRAILERS AND SPECULATIONS: THE WOLVERINE AND IRON MAN 3:

Listen, I’m a Marvel guy. And because all of the DC posts I’ve been doing lately, I feel I need to regain my Marvel cred. So, I’m just gonna do some posts about some Marvel movie trailers. Wolverine and Iron Man. First off, in the Iron Man trailer we see Iron Man on the ground after an explosion. The Mandarin swears to hurt those closest to him. Iron Man swears revenge, and then finally Pepper Pots shows up in an Iron Suit to rescue Iron Man. So…off-handedly, what does this tell me about the movie?
 
First, it tells me that the Mandarin is not the main villain. That’s misdirection. I have a shocking theory. This trailer is eerily similar to the Iron Man 1 trailers where he gets injured in Afghanistan and builds the suit. Only this time the suit can’t save him. Who advised him to make a profit from the suits? Obadiah  Stone, who went behind Tony’s back to sell his tech to the very terrorists who captured him. Who did Tony leave as CEO in Iron Man 2? Pepper Pots. You think she’s just gonna give it up that easy? How will she make a profit, with access to Tony’s suits? So…wait for it! Pepper Pots sells Stark technology to a foreign enemy, against the U.S.; the Mandarin. That’s why Tony has to challenge Mandarin 1-on-1; so there’s no nuclear warfare.
 
But Pepper Pots: Think about it. She’s the ex-CEO, at least. She’s thinking about how to profit. That’s why Tony’s friends (and Stone was his friend!) keep betraying him. He can’t make a profit if he keeps the suit a secret. Also…should I say spoilers? They can repeat the betrayal plot because we’ve all but forgotten about Obadiah. Pepper gets a pass because she’s pretty, and the two were formerly romantically involved, which will make her betrayal sting more. In any case, Tony will have to confront her, unless he wants his tech constantly falling into the hands of foreign terrorists.

I have no clue if Tony will forgive and forget or throw Pepper out a window. But, after selling his suits behind his back “she gonna have some serious ‘splainin’” to do. Also, I think this movie might be based on Warren Ellis’s 2007 Extremis storyline, in which (spoilers?) some female scientist sells Stark tech to a white supremacist. Poor Tony. He just can’t keep friends! And of course, you could go the easy route and say that it’s Mr. Hammer who tried to sell Stark technology to Whiplash, a Russian terrorist, in Iron Man 2! No! If you’re gonna up the stakes, you can’t repeat the same plot! I know there’s betrayal in the works. If they really upped the ante, it just might be Pepper Pots. Maybe not. But, betrayal is in the works!

 Now, The Wolverine trailers don’t give me much to work with. I know he goes to Japan and loses his powers. But, I think at this point we all know it’s some variant of the Japan storyline. Early trailers (6 secs.) show Logan on a pagoda rooftop with a katana. Could this be where he fights Silver Samurai? Either way, the other trailer I saw is an ADHD mess of Wolverine growling and mowing down ninjas like it’s Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon! Was I excited? Yes! After the disappointment of X-men Origins: Wolverine, I think Wolverine deserves a few canonically accurate action scenes.

  Plus, the 3D shows him busting out his claws while surrounded by ninjas! I think there’ll be a lot of good action here. Ninjas aren’t none to fight alone. They’ll have buddies for Wolverine to mow down with his claws. And, IF Silver Samurai is involved, there’s going to be some fast-paced sword fights! In sum, I don’t expect Wolverine to be a pacifist in this one. There will be blood. And Hugh Jackman has even dropped hints that someone uncovers how to hurt Wolverine! (In some unspecified weakness! No powers?)
 
 In conclusion, I think these movies will raise the stakes for both heroes. Tony will be betrayed again. Logan will be injured somehow, possibly to where he has to use a sword. (Wouldn’t that be cool? Ok, no, but for a while; yes!) After the Avengers, Marvel’s Phase 2 should be all about setting the bar higher. And I…really hope they have!