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mikhailmagno
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Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind (2022)
Enjoyable
I'll start by saying I'm a fan of Sub-Zero (especially Kuai Liang) so giving him central focus obviously sways my preferential treatment of this movie. Additionally, I always enjoy his team up with the grandmaster of his rival clan so yeah this works for me. It's removed from the klassic Mortal Kombat storylines but we have (several) other movies about that so this one is a nice supplementary story to the franchise. Favorite part is when Kuai Liang teaches Kenshi about "...nothing more poisonous than 'I can't.'"
The only thing I'm not sure is whether this connects fully to the previous installments "Scorpion's Revenge" and "Battle of the Realms". As a stand-alone it works thanks to MK11 timeline shenanigans. Best to take it as an individual offering.
Angel (1999)
Angel, More Than Just A Spin-off
While it appeared to start as nothing more than a little extension of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Angel" managed to take on a life of its own. Whereas Buffy stands guard in suburban Sunnydale, Angel takes on the criminal and supernatural underground of the aptly chosen sprawling megalopolis of Los Angeles.
More than just a simple change in setting, "Angel" also takes on a darker and more mature route sprinkled with elements of noir. A vampire with a soul seeks redemption, walking between his desire to do good and his dark past brought by his evil alter ego, Angelus. Although Angel is admittedly a nuanced character with good personal conflicts even from the parent show, I never found myself as interested in him as I did other characters. Despite that, his character shone and developed in his own series.
Additionally, old and new characters bring their brand of inner demons, need for redemptions and morality to the table. Highschool queen of popularity Cordelia finds herself unsure of her path in the big city, gradually leaving her desire to become a celebrity in favor of becoming a selfless champion for others. Rogue slayer Faith is forced to confront her misdeeds and rediscovers what her purpose is. Spike simultaneously maintains his rivalry and friendship with Angel.
There are no character developments if there are no challenges, and this show excels in sending its characters into the crucible, as even the champions of good often stray into dubious territory. Angel himself tumbles as he confronts the powerful and influential law firm Wolfram & Hart. Wesley mingles with an enemy in ways more than one. Doe-eyed genius Fred eventually loses her innocence in a bout of vengeance. Confident vampire hunter Gunn gradually loses sight of what made him fight the good fight. Indeed, as they head into the final season, the entire ensemble makes a string of game-changing decisions that to this day, is still worth arguing over on whether they made the good choice. And for a show that tackles different shades of morality, and, what it means to do good despite one's shortcomings, it sure is fitting that entire arcs are written to explore this.
True to the core of its parent show, "Angel" delivers with a good mixture of adventure, fantasy and horror elements, drama and action. It truly is a worthy addition to the mythos of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997)
Buffy the Must-See Series
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is a seminal work in occult fantasy, coming-of-age, and, television in general. An intentional weird or goofy title that often turns many people off, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" delivers good and relevant commentary on a wide range of topics from academic and social challenges people go through while in school, to the difficulties of adulthood and being independent, all while being wrapped up in a horror package. Monsters are used effectively as metaphor, giving both relatability and escapism.
Its early seasons feature monster-of-the-week format reminiscent of "the X-Files", which introduce the viewers to the central character Buffy, her friends, and the struggle to balance the natural and the supernatural world. A major villain or 'big bad' drives the season's overall narrative, a format that will later become popular and give rise to other shows in the genre like "Supernatural".
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is subversive (in a good way), and, forward thinking. Considering the whole premise of the show was to subvert the trope of the blonde girl dying first in horror stories, it makes complete sense for the show to go against the grain and tread new ground that in its time, may have been controversial or largely untouched by mainstream media. Buffy herself stands up to classmates and seniors who seek nonconsensual pleasure, to misogynistic enemies like Warren and Caleb, and even against milennia-old group of men who have used and controlled slayers as their weapon. Buffy's best friend Willow starts as a meek geek, but over the years gains confidence and masters an art that would at one point allow her to go toe-to-toe with Buffy. Worth mentioning is that Willow also one of the first characters of a teen-oriented series to explore her sexuality openly. Just like Buffy was made to subvert a trope, Xander, the only mainstay male friend and classmate, supports the team in less conventional ways. At times, Xander will even fumble. And yet, the show is not antagonistic to men, nor do they make men comically incompetent to uplift the women. And that is something about equality that got lost somewhere into the modern age. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" makes sure the females are strong in their own way. Yes, they kick vampire ass, but they also love shopping, and, painting nails, too. Or jeans and casual street look instead, as Faith has shown.
The show has a bit of everything for everybody--horror, camp, drama, romance, and, morality. Out-of-the-box episodes like "Hush", "Normal Again", "Once More, With Feeling", and "Conversations With Dead People" embody the show's creativity and innovation. Certain special effects betray its age, but the story definitely transcends time and remains relatable even for the new generation of urban fantasy enthusiasts.
Supernatural (2005)
Supernatural: An Essential Occult/Urban Fantasy Show
Let me preface by saying "Supernatural" is by all means not flawless. Over the course of fourteen, going on fifteen, years, there are bound to be some inconsistencies. However, from start to its forseeable finish, it remains true to its core about the series creator Kripke's central theme: "family is hell".
For someone who is into occult and biblical mysteries, with a bit of urban legends and folklore, "Supernatural" is an essential experience. It is worthy of its title as it keeps the supernatural aspects front and center--integral to the story and not just an added quirk (as many shows in the genre tend to do). Ghosts, demons, vampires, werewolves, angels, and, even gods, all come to play and test the amazing brotherhood of Sam and Dean Winchester.
"Supernatural" borrows from its predecessors "The X-Files" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" but builds up on its own mythos and identity to set itself apart.
Monster-of-the-week cases feature villains that either parallel certain hardships of the main characters (such the monster Rugaru or the half-demon Cambion who were both destined to a dark path being used as effective parallel to Sam's future) or symbolizes their inner conflicts or desires (such as when a Djinn taps into Dean's inner desire of a peaceful life free of monsters and hunting). An overarching plot drives the story deeper into the supernatural world while remaining grounded about familial challenges. A latter addition of a central character Castiel is when the show fully steps out of the shadow of its influences and solidifies its own mythology. A decade after Castiel reveals his wings, and "Supernatural" easily still has the best depiction of angels in live-action television.
Meta and unique episodes also keep the show fresh and innovative. Even the iconic 1967 Chevy Impala arguably becomes its own character and is heavily featured in an episode that revolves around it in season eleven. The muscle car, combined with classic rock and small town, blue-collar American backroads paint an aesthetic and build vibes that are distinctly "Supernatural". Come season thirteen, and this long-running show about monsters and ghosts crosses over in an animated episode with "Scooby-Doo", another long-running show about monsters and ghosts.
Originally written for just first five seasons (it has become an inside joke to many fans that somebody made a crossroads deal to extend the show for another ten years), "Supernatural" is slated to end in its fifteenth season. While the first five seasons (also known as the Kripke era) remain the best years, the latter seasons (eleven onwards) are shaping up to be very good additions. The middle years unfortunately have been weakened by a change of showrunners, which left the transition weak due to fractured and self-contained story arcs as opposed to a gradual build up of coherent arcs that the first five had. Answers among the fans will vary on which one is the weakest season. I personally enjoyed season six and seven (Gamble era), due to their attempt to expand the mythos without muddling the established lore, as opposed to season eight to nine (early Carver era), which had more retcons that hurt the overall narrative, and, repetitive arcs. However, season ten and eleven (latter Carver era) were significant improvement. Seasons twelve to fifteen (the Dabb-Singer era) had conflicts that are gradually built up and are often tied to the previous seasons, which make the overall narrative of the series stronger once more.
Aside from the theme of family, the show tackles a number of interesting topics such as morality, addiction, forgiveness and redemption. It is not a perfect show, but it is relatable on many levels, and the scope and scale of the show will surely satisfy fans of the genre.