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Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor (2022)
No surprises here, Chibnall made another failure
It's apparent that Chibnall took some inspiration from, not only past Doctor Who finales, but also the MCU. It's all nostalgia-bait and cameos, that sacrifices any competent or worthy story telling. The inclusion of past characters, whether they're part of the main group or a simple point-at-the-screen feature, doesn't enhance what's going on; in fact, they serve no purpose. Take them out, and you would have basically the same episode, with a few very minor tweaks. I would consider my self an avid fan of the classic run of the show. I haven't seen it all, but enough to comment about this. The emotions this episodes tries to tug by bringing these characters back don't register at all. In the hands of a competent writer, then perhaps I would take it away differently; however, knowing the losses of the past few years has taught me to not expect anything from this era's finale, and yet I still sigh and eye-roll. It was certainly risky trying to cram all these together, but doing so left many holes, specifically with the absence of certain people.
Even when you ignore the crowd-pleasing attributes, the central story is still stuffed and bloated. The Master! The Cybermen! The Daleks! Wow, the Doctor's big 3 antagonists all to do....nothing, essentially. The Daleks take an off-screen approach to provide no threat in the slightest. Chibnall has blatantly overused the Daleks - and to an extent, all 3 of these vital villains - in his tenure as showrunner. Constantly regurgitating them out for some of the poorest written episodes in TV history, just to make them look like fools and weak. I'm sorry, but wasn't it established countless of times in the revival that the Daleks are the universe's ultimate threat? The most powerful race? Of course, we see plentiful of failures, yet we still witness their pure evil. Guess Chibnall forgot to include that very core characteristic when throwing them in here. This can be said again for both the Master and the newish Cybermen. Trying to amalgamate beloved appearances from both sides into one highlights the consistent flaws that persist in Chibnall's run. His whole shtick with his finales are nothing more than contrived fanservices that build up to nothing.
As for the central plot, it's still pathetic. So the man did it, he actually made 0 decent episodes for his singular-doctor era. What an idiot. What a fool. Let's pray he is blacklisted from working on Doctor Who. It's actually quite irritating attempting to articulate exactly why the plot was bad, because the plot doesn't exist. The characters, which I've already elaborated on, force the plot to happen. That's not good writing. Good writing allows the characters to make decisions and then follow the story from there. What's happening here is the characters do certain actions because why not. There's no history, just recycled motives. They just exist because the episode wanted them to. What do they do? What do they want? Oh they just want to kill humans/destroy the Earth, again, using some uber-complex plan that involves out-of-nowhere devices that contradict written lore, again, and hoping the Doctor doesn't stop them even though they do, again. No nuance, no spices or flavour to appear different. I wouldn't even dare call it a reskin, it's just repeats after repeats.
Visually, it's still horrendous as well. Doctor Who trying too hard on effects is pointless, because evidently, the show has never been about how pretty or realistic it looks. Yet with the desperation to make all the crap on screen look somewhat tolerable, it achieves the polar opposite.
I'm obliged to note on the final minutes. To no one's surprise that this certain event was going to make it in. Again, it's just another attempt to make the viewers smile and eager to continue watching after the appalling 3 seasons we've had. Clever, admittedly. It's obviously the only way they could make us care to tune in next time, which I'm sure we will, excited for a promising, well-deserved good episode with a new writer.
Ojing-eo geim (2021)
A blast to watch mixed with disappointment
I enjoy watching a lot of death game movies and shows similar to squid game, so when I heard its popularity I was instantly intrigued, not only was it so talked about, but it had really high critic scores. Now, I try my best to not have ratings or my expectations to cloud my judgement when watching, so that's not the reason why I think squid game is only a 7/10.
With all the other content I've seen with similar foundations, this one stands out. Not only is it a series with a high budget, but it's Korean. I'm not well knowledgeable in the Korean culture, it's film/show industry or it's childlike games, but I was definitely shocked when watching this. Most western content I've seen usually has low budget and pretty weak acting, but this is the complete opposite here. These well written characters were so easily brought to life by everyone....except the VIPs but I'm sure everyone knows how bad they are. Not only was the acting incredible, but the accompanying score and visuals made it so this show was so excellently crafted.
The main plot of squid game is relatively simple. There are people who need to pay debt and so they play games to win a lot of money, nothing original. They get tested/challenged by someone, who randomly goes up to them, targeting them, to see if they are worthy enough to enter their competition of children's games. This test is simple, play ddakji. Winner pays the other 100k won. Since the player cannot afford it after they lose, the businessman slaps them instead, and they keep going. The test here is, will the player keep on gambling the money they don't have. If so, then they get handed a business card, containing the number to call if they accept the invitation. So already, the start shows us how these games will work out, you're gambling something so heavy for something you so desperately need in return. So when they're on the island, they play 6 games over 6 days, death happens every time, you get the idea. I think it's here I should mention, there is a background meaning to a lot of this. The Front Man sometimes mentions about equality. However, if we take this morality of this, some events just don't match up. The biggest example I can think of is the bridge with glass tiles. This was so incredibly stupid that it was here (well before with the VIPs]) that started the train wreck of the show. In the other games, if you had a choice, you still were able to win:
-Choosing the shape for ppopgi, despite being at a huge disadvantage for choosing the umbrella, it is still possible to beat it.
-Choosing teams for tug of war, even if you have a weaker time, you can have strategy to win
-Choosing the pair for the marbles, we saw many ways how this could be done, either manipulation, gambling, or skill, yet you still had a fair chance if you knew what you were doing. Even one guy playing used the morality of equality to try and increase his chances of winning because he knew that's how the games work.
-But then you have the glass bridge. The commentary by the VIPs in the show were indeed correct. Going straight at the front and straight at the back are both disadvantages, which is true. However, the people at the front so clearly have a disadvantage that's it's basically impossible to win if you're in the first 9 people. Sure, there could have been strategies thought of to test each glass, but for games that made it so you still have a chance no matter what you pick, this is a bit out of place. Oh and that glass explosion at the end is incredibly stupid. Tbf this whole game is stupid, were they really gambling their entire playercount on 1 game? We know this is for entertainment after all, as they even decided to make the bridge harder last second. What's so entertaining about all your players dying at once?
Ok so that's not to say every other game is perfect. Red Light, Green Light has the problem of bullets not being 100% fatal allowing for 2nd chances, other people being moved when half the game stampeded in retreat, the inconsistency of what considers "movement".
Another huge problem with the show is the subplot. The plot of the detective (I think he's a detective?) searching for his brother. Not only did I just not care about this plot because we don't have much going for the detective character, but it's ending and setup is so flawed. Why not check on the constantly suspicious looking guard earlier? Why was he able to get away just because the doctor shouted? Why did he waste his only bullet at the end? And not only that, the reveal that the front man was his brother, whilst not obvious, wasn't "WOW I did not see that coming" either. In fact, after the reveal, the sub plot just ends. Nothing comes out of knowing who the Front Man is. This whole subplot was just useless in the end, and only served a purpose so we know what's happening with the doctor. Speaking of which, I get why he got shot in the end, but what if he was forced into helping the guards? Why did the guards even try to kill him when they need him for their scheme? If they had to kill the doctor, why not the other players who got told about the game by the doctor himself? You could probably remove around 90% of this subplots content and you would have the same thing in the end. The detective doesn't achieve anything, we the audience don't obtain anything out of it besides from an attempt of a huge shocking reveal.
Despite my problems with the plot, the characters in this show are amazing. Nearly all of the ones we spend time with are unique, interesting and dynamic. Seong Gi-hun is an incredibly executed character. Being quite naive yet smart at times, he's more human than the characters he surrounds himself with, and yet overtime, his humanity starts to decrease, but it never breaks, even in the final game, he couldn't bring himself to kill his childhood friend, despite all that trauma, and even offered a withdrawal from the game. And yet, his emotions still cloud him. He's not perfect, he's a flawed individual. We see this so clearly at the start, when he finally wins ddakji and was about to slap the businessman, so eager for revenge, so into his anger at losing that he forgot what he was playing for. This was so beautifully mirrored in the last game, the squid game. At many moments, he had the chance to get victory, to walk into the circle. He didn't have to fight or kill his friend, he could have let the guards do it for him once he claimed victory, but because of his anger, he was too into it, he forgot what was on the line, and despite how in the first episode he was easily able to attempt the slap on the businessman, here he couldn't bring himself to kill him despite the fighting. It's so subtle yet that character development is huge. Although he definitely does have plot armour. Every single game, he won barely, always at the last second. Even with the fight against his best friend, he was about to die but quickly turned the tables. I'm fine with this happening for the first 2 games or so, but every time? It gets old and repetitive.
Cho Sang-woo is another incredibly written character from the start. He's cold. He's in this to win. And, opposite to Gi-hun, his humanity actually breaks down as time goes on. Sang-woo is, without a doubt, the smartest player in the game. He tries his best to increase his chances of winning, he tries his best to eliminate possible threats. He's the cause of the most emotional scene in the entire show. He looks the least likely to be someone like him, and yet it makes sense. You don't want to feel human in this game, you need strategy to increase the chances of survival, him being this character makes him the smartest, and yet, Gi-hun can't accept it. Ironically, Gi-hun keeps calling him smart but when it comes down to his smartest thinking, Gi-hun rejects it. He rejects the fact his childhood friend is like this. Not only was their chemistry so natural, but when they had conflict, that also felt so realistic. My only problem is, I just don't feel like he's a real character himself. What I mean is, we know Sang-woo isn't a psychopath, he does what he has to do to survive, but yet he shows no signs of remorse. No guilt. And it would have been better if at the start of the show, he wasn't already like this, making his change much more damaging.
Ok so Sae-byeok is a pretty ok character. She has an interesting backstory, but the show just doesn't utilize her to the best they could. In episode 2, we had the chance to see the main characters and their lives, them realising it's much better to be in the games. And yet, we barely get any screen time with her. I understand at this point she wasn't a main character yet, but they could have at least done something to make her feel more complete. And then with the marble game, we see glimpses of sadness from her after killing that one irrelevant female character, and yet, that wasn't touched upon either. And for the most irritating thing, her death. Ye her death is dumb. Well not all of it. I like the fact Sang-woo finishes her off, but the fact the glass even exploded in the first place is just a problem. I thought everyone was supposed to have an equal chance, Front man? I guess not. Felt like a cheap way to write in her death so the 2 childhood friends can have a 1v1 I guess.
The other characters are great too, but unfortunately I don't have room to explain here sadly. Ji-yeong and Jun-ho are still irrelevant characters, Deok-su's death feels so out of place also, and the final twist at the end of the show is dumb.
Also one thing that triggers me a lot about this show is the use of slow mos. Stop!
What If...?: What If... Ultron Won? (2021)
Only Good Episode
Let me say it first, I dislike this show. None of the episodes have any logical sense in story telling or links to the original source material. My highest rated episode before this was the Dr Strange episode at a 6/10. But oh wow I was shocked Marvel pulled of a competent episode.
Ultron Won is by far the best episode for many reasons. It links back to the source material nicely, the what if makes sense and isn't random, it shows the cause and effect of the what if, and it will tie nicely into the future. This what if episode is special because it's no longer episodic. If the watcher was the audience, then it's breaking the 4th wall, it's tying in with the meaning of the show. No longer is it just a one off, but now it's story telling. But that doesn't make it the best episode.
So, to make a good what if episode, you need these 3:
-Showing the different action to create a new path
-Showing what happens because of this new path
-Showing the aftermath of it
1: New path. For the different action to a new path to be considered good, it has to link back to the original. This is why the beginning of the dr strange episode sucks. We know the avengers retrieved visions body, but we see here they dont, and they die because of it. Ok makes sense
2: Happening. What happens is, Ultron takes over the body and destroys the earth and basically the universe
3: Aftermath. Whilst there is no aftermath yet, we could say him breaking the watcher's 4th wall and going into the multiverse is the aftermath of this current episode. We've seen strange see the watcher before so this isn't anything new and we know it can be done, and given Ultron's power with the infinity stones, him breaking through seems entirely believable.
With this, it creates a realistic scenario with action, tension, and overall excitement for what's to come. It didn't create a new thing to fit the story, it just used previous source material, and the what if made sense. And that's how you create a good what if episode.
Ok so did the execution go perfectly? No of course not.
Problems:
-How did Thanos know where Ultron was? Seems a bit convenient. And why didn't vision just kill Thanos like Ultron did here in the original timeline?
-Why did Ultron destroy every planet, except Earth?
-Clint's death was unnecessary and dumb. It wasn't needed.
-Blackwidow somehow became really good with the shield
-The Watcher vs Ultron fight was honestly lacking. This is the first time we've seen the Watcher fight, yet I couldn't tell how powerful he is, what abilities he has etc. And for 2 allmighty beings, why did they end up punching each other? Seemed very comical.
Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004)
An Illogical Mess
Whilst visually appealing, this movie makes no sense. It fails to create any interesting or dynamic characters, but instead adds forced chemistry, in this unexplored world where the plot and history is just confusing or unknown. Watching the grass grow is more enjoyable than watching something that's this boring and frustrating. Furthermore, compared to other Ghibli movies, this soundtrack is also disappointing and forgettable.