Change Your Image
tiffanyguest101-792-809937
Reviews
Paper Girls (2022)
THIS SO AMAXING WHY DID AMAZON CANCEL IT
Paper Girls. PAPER GIRLS!
I started watching this show unsure on how it would be after reading the graphic novels and it is so vastly different from the plot of the books but it was still brilliant!
I found the graphic novels whilst enjoyable to be very confusing which feels like it's meant to be but kind of makes it a frustrating read.
The TV show however is a little more clearer and sets up the story very well where it keeps you guessing but you are informed of plot points and explanations at a more balanced rate and one that keeps you watching.
The plot is four Paper Girls, the first onesz of being girls working in a male-orientated job and working on 'Hell Day' aka November 1st, the day after Halloween.
We have Erin Tieng, first shift that day and unsure of herself and shy; Tiffany Quilkin, smart and a high achiever; MJ Brandmen, sporty and level-headed; and Mac Coyle, first of the Paper Girls in Stony Stream and a badass and takes no nonsense.
Then they time travel to 2019 and find themselves in the middle of a Time War between the 'Old Timers' who want to keep the current timeline and the 'STF' a group of rebels who think we should use time travel to stop anything bad happening ever in time.
This leads to a lot of mess involving the group meeting older selves in different times, the finding out of their futures an the revelations that come with them but also realising they have no idea what to do in this war or how to get back home to their current time of 1988.
The shining glory of the show is the main cast, they are all aged between 15 and 17 playing 12 year olds so close enough to their character ages and we need more young teen/ adult shows for people their age to see themselves in big stories and the cast really showcased their talents into such a raw and believable character arcs.
They enhanced the graphic novel versions of themselves and made them go from 2D to 3D versions. Erin and Tiffany are upset how their lives went off track, MJ freaking out that she is into girls, Mac finding out she dies in the future. It really makes them consider their lives and their future at such a young age, and 12 years old is when you start realising stuff about yourself and becoming your own person who will shape you into the adult you become.
In this show, it really amps up the panic and the need of the girls to grow up, in their terrifying adventures of time travelling, dinosaurs and robots, they are most confronted with themselves and how drastically they change at adulthood when they are at that cusp of changing already from child to teenager. I think it puts things into perspective for older Erin and Tiffany, seeing the hopes and dreams of their younger selves and also bringing about the harsh realities of growing up but it does make you wonder. If you got to meet your older self, would you be harsh about the reality of your life or use it to change?
On the other hand there is the special effects, it isn't the most high-brow or advanced which I wish it was, especially in the costume department. The fun thing about the Paper Girls graphic novel world, is that they are weird with headdresses and funky outfits in a more vintage look at what people thought Science-Fiction would be but makes it unique.
The TV show takes a more modern and contemporary take reminiscent of a clean look but also with the silver hi-vis jackets that are very popular at the moment (especially in tracksuits), which makes the 'Old Timers' more of an organisation but it takes away some of the uniqueness of the world.
The world effects are very simple but I think work, the pink hue that features so often when there is an 'Ablution' an occurrence by the 'Old Timers' when they wipe a towns memory of something out of place happening lends itself to an unsettling, and unnatural occurrence happening. The garish colours feel very reminiscent of the graphic novel and honor it and later on in the show it really pushes along those hard-hitting scenes.
Other highlights:
Biggest note, having Jason Mantzoukas as the Grandfather is the most PERFECT casting ever. He has that calm but absolutely chaotic, insane energy that is befitting of his graphic novel counterpart.
In love with the numerous f-bombs dropped in this show by the teenagers mainly, brilliant and realistic, it felt very real to how teenagers act but also refreshing to see in media.
I am very very sad that Amazon didn't give this the amount of promotion it deserved as this could've and should've been the next Stranger Things but something that isn't as dark. I am so disappointed that it was cancelled because Paper Girls deserves so much more especially after the ending which didn't close up the story, it is clearly unfinished and we don't get to see what will happen to the Paper Girls or whether they get back to their current timeline.
It only needed another season too to wrap everything nicely but that's what you get when you only have streaming-only companies coming up with new content. The bad shows keep on going because of their shock factor whilst those that may have gained a smaller but loyal audience (It would've been bigger if they actually put the work in) that would've bought in more fans especially cause everybody loved Stranger Things, this is an extension of that genre.
Catherine Called Birdy (2022)
So hilariously funny but accurate to the era, and brilliant for young adult audiences.
Catherine Called Birdy follows Bella Ramsey as Catherine aka Birdy, who after her father (played by Andrew Scott) realises they are absolutely broke decides to wed his daughter to keep the family and his lavish lifestyle going.
Except Birdy doesn't want that, she doesn't want to marry and have to grow up. She still wants to be free and wild and childish and thus begin her plans to turn off every suitor.
I found this balanced the time of the 1200s really well with having a humorous side in turning away suitors and teenagers being silly combined with the realities of that time. Birdy had men of all ages coming for her hand from 14 all the way to 60s ish, and also her friend Aislyn, also needing to be married has to marry a 9 year old boy at 16. It portrays well the way children especially girls had no power in their futures or who to spend their lives with and the reality that girls at 14 didn't know what sex or periods were at that age.
It was brilliant to see periods spoken about so openly in the show with the dramaticness provided by Birdy and thinking she is dying but also the horror at the fact that she is becoming a 'woman' because of that and thus more marriageable material. The trying to hide it and the sadness at realising this is actually happening felt so relatable and I think is an important thing to show in movies for young girls so they can find relatable experiences and not feel so alone.
There are quite a few familiar British faces in the cast with Billie Piper, Joe Alwyn, David Bradley and Russell Brand and it was so refreshing to see people from the UK take up so much of the cast along with newer and younger stars who will be up and coming stars like Bella Ramsey and Archie Renaux.
The costumes felt very on tone with the time era, I wouldn't be able to say for definite that they would be accurate for the era but they are recognisable to what I would imagine the Medieval times, but they didn't make the cast look utterly gorgeous. It was very shapeless and kind of ugly but really set up the scene.
I highly recommend watching this for a quick and fun movie, it isn't highbrow butis perfect if you want a fun time!
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Brilliant chemistry between Cage and Pascal
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is your standard action movie with the typical twists and scenes you would expect of the movie. Except it knows that and the creators have intentionally made fun of it and played along with because this isn't like the other action movies.
It plays homage to Nicolas Cage, well-known actor of action movies and the movie is filled with references to his previous work and life.
The story: Nicola Cage is a divorced man in the middle of a crisis. Obsessed with himself and having issues with ex-wife and teenager daughter, along with the recent failure of landing a role forces him to take an inadequate, beneath him job as being a guest at a rich persons party.
Enter Pedro Pascal as Javi Gutierrez, superfan of Nick Cage and hopeful scriptwriter wanting Nick to star in his movie.
What comes next is the daughter of a president being kidnapped, a CIA plot involving the political parties and drug- cartels, and Nick is embroiled in their plan to save her from Javi.
Throughout the movie, Nick embodies previous character he plays to help further the plot along and whilst the story isn't the greatest, I found Cage's and Pascal's chemistry to be unbelievable. You could really see that Pedro is a big fan of Nick and that bleeds into his role and they provide a hilarious back and forth as they both work on Javi's script. With points about they need a 'drug scene' or a 'chase scene' and then that happening in the story was so funny and meta. The chemistry between the two and the clear love for Nicholas Cage's work is definitely a highlight for the movie.
As for those who haven't seen a Nick Cage movie (like me), it still works and still enjoyable to watch when you don't want anything too serious or thought-intensive.