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The Boys: The Instant White-Hot Wild (2022)
A very good finale, but a tad rushed
While the episode does progress and tie up character arcs neatly, there are so many of them it feels a bit rushed. I think this show would've benefited from an extra episode or two. Especially to elaborate on the more geopolitical side (like Neumann's plotting and the results of the Soviet research on Soldier Boy). But overall a great finale to a great season. Here's to more.
District 9 (2009)
Solid film with a few plot holes
Overall, a very well-executed movie, with a few plot holes here and there. The cinematography, especially the mockumentary aspect, was very in-your-face and grounded. The worldbuilding does a great job of keeping you immersed.
The alien apartheid feels a bit contrived. Kind of weird that other governments don't get involved and try to smuggle alien tech, etc.. or that the aliens don't use their technology as a bargaining chip, and so on. Would have made more sense if the mothership was permanently grounded/disabled, with the humans scavenging all the tech and turning the husk itself into the giant ghetto, District 9.
Halo (2022)
For Failure Such As This, No (Constructive) Criticism Is Too Great
For those of you who want to keep it short:
To put in terms the showrunners will likely not understand: Your inability to safeguard Halo was a colossal failure. And for failure such as this, no (constructive) criticism is too great.
For the rest of you:
One of the things that confused me so much is why they bulked up the elites the way they did. I mean, I know why they did it, but their decision process reveals a lack of understanding that genuinely confounds me.
The elites are 7 ft tall in canon, and they wanted to have that "scary, intimidating factor" to them. So, naturally, you expect the elites to be that big, right?
Here's the problem, and something the showrunners would have understood if they respected and/or played the games even a little bit: the elites and Spartan IIs are the same height because Bungie wanted to reinforce the idea that the elites are rivals to the player.
The main design motif of elites is this aspect. It's why you play as the Arbiter in Halo 2, instead of, say, a Jackal or something. They carry the same deadly elegance Chief does, but directed against the player.
Elites are intimidating, for sure. But they're intimidating the same way Spartans are: as highly focused, professional, lethal vectors. Their physicality is certainly a part of that, for sure, but it's not central to their design the way that it is for the Brutes. It's literally why they are called Elites and Brutes. The reason I rant about this is, had the showrunners understood this, they would've realized that:
A.) You would need to CGI the Spartan IIs to make their proportions accurate. Considering how expensive this would be, it would make much more sense to have the cast centered around Marines, ODSTs, or Spartan IIIs. Spartan IIIs work especially well, as they're actually the same size as the Spartan IIs in the show. Plus, It'd make more sense to show their faces in the first ep, unlike with Chief.
B.) They keep the Spartan II proportions. This is fine, and frankly I find it to be an interesting direction. However, in order to make this work, you would basically need to resize the Covenant entirely. Again, had they played the games, they'd have realized this. The elites would therefore have to be Chief's height, and thus about a foot shorter, scaling the other species accordingly. So, if they wanted to have the big scary aliens, they could easily use the Brutes, who would still obviously outsize Chief.
This fundamental lack of comprehension is also manifested in how both the Covies and Innies debuted. Just as they misunderstood the spirit of the Covie design, they totally misunderstand their tactics as well.
The Covenant strike team is shown to be composed entirely of elites. This makes sense, because those kinds of squads are deployed to secure precious artifacts (see: Reach). Although, there weren't any Zealots present AFAIK, which is another red flag, as they're a core component of these squads. Tactically, they should be very agile and cunning. Elites take great pains not to even shed blood in combat, lest they lose face among their colleagues. They should be cloaked and extremely patient, likely striking in the dead of night and clinically executing all the humans, or bypassing them entirely. Body slamming a Chevy Silverado to flex on the humans is something that makes sense for Brutes or Hunters, but is absolutely braindead here. Carjacking, sure, absolutely. They do that in the game all the time :p.
If they wanted the elites to be more aggressive and brazen, they should've deployed them as part of a mixed species squad, like in the games. Having brutes and elites be in the same squad would easily explain their heightened aggression, as each group is trying to one-up the other in bloodshed, honor, and respect/fear from their subordinates. Seeing a Brute body check a truck in this context makes total sense to me. It'd also be a solid way to characterize how each different Covenant species fights, as well as their roles/caste in the greater society. Have Grunts, Drones, Hunters, and of course Jackal Snipers (terrifying). This is something that is easily understood playing Halo 2 for, like, 2 hours.
Now, onto the Innies: Are you honestly telling me that trained colonists working near heavy machinery are gonna have the getup of a homeless liberal arts student? Are you kidding me? Half of em would be dead of industrial accidents, let alone Covenant assaults. That's of course to say nothing of their total lack of 26th century equipment. The Innies actually do have a fascinating arsenal of weaponry in the lore. Not to mention they'd probably have access to UNSC weaponry, being a UNSC colony and all (they can modify the smart links pretty easily, most likely). The writers could have easily given us this with extra UNSC props. Instead they go for what I assume is an incredibly clumsy "underdog" motif, where the rebels are literally so ragtag they don't even have basic armor, and fight with the contemporary equivalent of arquebuses. What a mess.
It's incredibly clear that there are core, endemic structural issues not just in how the showrunners and writers understand the material, but how much of Hollywood views games in general (Netflix's Castlevania and such are obvious exceptions). The showrunners neglected the games because they believed them to be "inferior storytelling," because much of Hollywood considers anything that isn't characters literally breaking down and crying to be "bad story." Halo, and other games of its caliber, have an understanding of environmental storytelling, worldbuilding, atmosphere, and "narrative through design" that easily exceeds most movies and shows, full stop. Most of the story is told through action and setting. 343 also failed to understand this, and it's why no one ever shuts up in Infinite, to say the least. This isn't even going into how badly they butchered the UNSC and Chief. The Prophet of Regret was assassinated less brutally than Chief's character, good Lord.
The Lighthouse (2019)
A Powerful, Visceral work of Psychological Horror
In my humble opinion, the Lighthouse is one of the best cosmic horror films in recent memory.
The homages to Lovecraftian horror are present through the tentacle motifs, the mermaid/sea creature fantasies, the already faltering mental health of Tom, and of course the dreary New England setting. But more viscerally, the film places a strong, searing focus on the unraveling of the human psyche, and the presence of hazardous knowledge. Both are staples of the cosmic horror genre. Surprisingly enough, what really undergirds the film for me is the immersiveness of the actual setting. The location and era-appropriate dialects. The architecture of the lighthouse, and the backbreaking labor required to maintain it. The damp, salty grunge that covers their living quarters, their food, and their overall existence. All of these portray a visceral, grounded, blue collar experience that contrasts with, and compounds on, the implied supernatural setting. Like with Stephen King's IT, the horror comes from both at fantastic and the mundane, simultaneously. If you enjoy cosmic horror, period pieces, and/or just want to see Pattinson and Dafoe flex their acting chops, I thoroughly recommend this film.
Arcane: League of Legends (2021)
Incredible Work
Honestly, the worst thing about this show is that it might make you like League Of Legends. Take care, those are dangerous waters.
Jokes aside, the animation, writing, worldbuilding, voice acting, pretty much everything is phenomenal here. I heard it was good, didn't know it was *this* good.
Inside Job (2021)
A Majestic 12/10
For those of you who know your SCP Lore, I'll sum up the show like this:
Inside Job is what would happen if Dr. Bright actually *got* to run the Foundation
For those of you not in the know: (REDACTED, CLASS-7 AMNESTICS DEPLOYED)
Jokes aside, I binged this show the second it came out. Though, whether it was me or the nanobots in my municipal water supply making that call, I can't say. Either way, I *can* certainly tell you that this show is absolutely worth your time. If you're a fan of dark comedies like Review (whose own Andy Daly makes a prominent role here) or Rick and Morty, you'll find this show right up your alley. The jokes are well-paced, varied, and almost always land.
The premise of the show is basically a hodgepodge of Deus Ex, Men in Black, and the aforementioned SCP Foundation. That is, it centers around spoofing and deconstructing the idea of an omni-present, hyper-conspiratorial "Deep State" whose logistics and system management would make any Amazon engineer froth with envy. Just as we'd expect in real life, the organization is fraught with bureaucracy, petty office politics, and staggering screw-ups. So much so, that the department's continued existence is basically a minor miracle. And, honestly, it's easily my favorite part. No conspiracy theorist seems to wonder what happens if the "Grand Orchestrators" at the top forget to do fluoride inventory or file their death squads' payrolls with HR. Thankfully, Shion Takeuchi, of Gravity Falls fame, has taken it upon herself to shed light on this pressing issue.
That I mention Gravity Falls is, of course, no mere coincidence, Sheeple (Sheepsons? Whatever). The animation and art style, while being surprisingly smooth and frankly impressive, also have a very "cutesy," mid-afternoon Disney vibe that belie its darkly comedic undertones. Quite fitting, for a show centered around conspiracy theories. Though this deliberate tonal contrast was present in Gravity Falls, it's definitely on full blast here. Also, much like The Marvelous Misadventures of Dipper and Dorito, Inside Job does a pretty good, well, job at maintaining its own continuity. Ironic, considering most if not all conspiracy theories can't even do that themselves. Things that seem like off-the-cuff jokes will actually turn up as key plot points later, adding up to worldbuilding that is frankly very fascinating. All in all, the incredible art, animation, writing, and voice work make this a must-watch in my eyes.
Now if you excuse me, I'm off to buy some Microsoft-themed products. I hear Windows 11 is good this time of year.
Review (2014)
A Truly Engaging Tragicomedy: 4 and a Half Stars
Unlike the Australian counterpart, Review (US) is a much more focused study on the inherent subjectiveness of critics and the review process altogether. Thus, it focuses much more on continuity and consequence, as can be seen in the placement of the "Murder" episodes. It nevertheless carries a pitch-black tone that's guaranteed to grab fans of dark comedy and take them through a truly unforgettable experience. My only complaint is that there haven't been more shows like it. 4 and a half stars.