It took me a hot minute to finish the series, but I made it. It’s a wonderful addition to the MCU. I chose to ignore the haters that complained about Kamala getting her costume in the last episode. Duh. It’s the origin story of Ms. Marvel. You can’t come out of the gate with a costume. It’s essentially a six hour movie so they had time to explore her character and get into what makes her the way she is.
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Well, I finally got caught up on this series. (I’ll try not to spoil it for anyone!)
It’s just not the same with my geeky stuff buddy here. She had already warned me of the plot twist in episode 2 and was quite shocked I hadn’t seen it yet. Don’t have the amount of time on my hands that she had, apparently. That housekeeping out of the way, here we go! I love that the Marvel Studios title card has had different music for each episode. It’s made it unique and kind of fits the feel of the episode. Marvel did that with the end credits for “Moon Knight.” I know… Ms. Marvel is unique. Kamala’s desire to be different in her world and be like her hero Captain Marvel is plastered all over. In her room, in her locker, the wallpaper on her phone, and even her clothes! We can see the struggle between the American culture where she was born and raised and her parents’ Pakistani culture. It kind of had “Bend it Like Beckham” vibes and that is amazing because “Bend it Like Beckham” is one of my favorite movies. This show has the hero’s journey with the refusal deeply ingrained in the first episode. I feel that it’s because of Kamala’s struggle between her American and Pakistani halves. She wants to be the good daughter but yet, she wants to be badass like her hero. Her best friends Nakia & Bruno (if he had his way… they’d be more and you can feel that in several moments sprinkled throughout the show) … one grounds her (sort of) to her Muslim faith and her Pakistani roots while the other encourages her love of Captain Marvel and helps her with her Cosplay for the very first AvengerCon. I will say that the first episode gave me “Turning Red” vibes to a point in the tone. It was great build up for the rest of the series, which eventually leaves Jersey City, New Jersey and travels to Pakistan, a place Kamala has never been but is there with her mother because her grandma (Nani) has said they should come. Kamala’s American-ness gets the group (an aunt, two cousins, Kamala, and her mother) relegated to the patio at a restaurant because Kamala has worn jeans. Her cousins take her through the city and eventually leave her to explore on her own. She runs into someone from the group known as the Red Dagger. During a battle, Kamala is sent back in time to Pakistan and the partition. I suppose I would know more about this event if I had taken more World History classes in college. If you didn’t know 15 August 1947 is when then British India was divided into India and Pakistan. To go even further… Pakistan is a divided a bit more. It’s been divided into the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. If you want to read more click here. And back in 1947 is where the episode ends. I haven’t read the Ms. Marvel comics but kudos to Marvel for creating this character. It’s about time. Even more praise for Marvel Studios for choosing this character to unpack in a TV series. I don’t think an origin movie would have done Kamala Kahn’s story any justice. If you haven’t watched it yet because you weren’t sure about the character or the story… I urge you to give it a try. If you’re waiting for all of the episodes to drop… it looks like 13 July is the date. So far, only 6 episodes are listed on IMDB. Of course, true to Disney+/Marvel Studios fashion, there’s a season 1. Will we get another season? We’ll see! It’s been rough. Went on vacation, came home, then Friday morning happened and I wasn’t ready to finish this series. To be fair…
I’ve also been dragging this out. I don’t want the series to be over, so I procrastinated finishing episode six. It was amazing!! So, without further ado (spoilers involved)… Remember, I’m a freelance screenwriter so yes, I know about plot and structure which is why this story worked so well as a show rather than a feature. As a feature we would have lost so much of the storyline (we’ll call it the B Story) with Reva. I kind of want to know how she moves on. Now this character is where we loop back to the first episode of the series when the younglings are slaughtered. Why show that again? It’s what was happening above that grizzly massacre that’s important later because it distracts you, fills in some blanks maybe. Sure we see the younglings escape and we already know what happened to one of them. Well, okay. That’s the distraction! Obi-Wan puts it together that the only way Reva would know if Anakin were still alive was if she’d seen him. Yes, indeed. Reva was one of the younglings in the slaughter. She reveals how she did it. Before you say “Anakin would have known” would he? He was so focused on keeping Padme alive that he was completely ignoring anything else. We see his focus on Obi-Wan (okay, it’s more of an obsession really) interfere with his mission for the Emperor and Palpatine points it out. Not subtly either. So, the B Story… is really Reva’s story and not part of executing Order 66. She uses the A Story (Order 66, I know… 10 years later and it’s still going. Well, they expanded it and we’ll get to that in a moment.) to advance her desire for revenge. How else would she know to kidnap Leia to lure Obi-Wan out? She knew he was still alive. With Vader’s thirst for… whatever… revenge, closure, an apology… she uses that to take Organa’s kid. She only knew that Obi-Wan was friends with Bail and not the whole secret but she did get there and went after Luke. That was another level of “will she or won’t she.” But what was Reva getting revenge for? Let’s go back to that part where she was the survivor of the youngling massacre. Her plan to use Obi-Wan to get to Vader and kill him was destined to fail. One, it would have really messed up ANH. Two, we had to have another confrontation with Vader and Kenobi. The B Story is resolved when Reva is confronted with the choice to kill the boy or return him to Owen and Baru. She chooses the latter. She chooses to not become like Anakin and kill a youngling. Instead, she confers with Obi-Wan and leaves her lightsaber behind to begin healing, as well as a new life. (Okay #Disney I want a Reva series!!) We do get the final confrontation of the show with Anakin and Obi-Wan. And boy is it good! A lot of back and forth with the Force throws, banter, and lightsaber action. It proves why Obi-Wan was just as badass as a Jedi as Mace Windu and Yoda. This sequence will also give you a plot point in ANH. When Ben tells Luke that Vader killed his father… Vader tells Obi-Wan that he killed Anakin, not Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan stands there with tears in his eyes, mourning the loss of his padawan and best friend all over again. But, Obi-Wan kicks ass, makes his getaway and senses that Luke is in danger. About that… we see the lengths that Owen and Baru are willing to go through for their nephew. Baru planned for something to happen, Owen did not. Remember, Owen is a bit of a pacifist. He seems genuinely shocked that his wife had thought of fighting. It does give Luke time to run when Reva arrives with two people blasting away at her. In Reva’s need for revenge and in her anger, she becomes unfocused. Reva does follow Luke and we’ve already discussed what happened there. Here’s what happened after… Obi-Wan goes to Alderaan. It’s introduced to us by Leia getting ready to greet some dignitary. She slides on her really sensible boots, her gloves, and Tala’s holster. She is 100% Padme’s kid. But we already knew that. She reminds her father that he told her there were different ways to lead and that is what she chose. He agrees to making changes with her, together. Then she’s surprised by Obi-Wan’s arrival. He had to return Lola after all. It is a touching moment. Obi-Wan tells the young princess that she must not tell anyone they know each other or it would be dangerous. We can see the reluctance on her face but she knows how to do her duty. And that was part of her duty, to help keep the Jedi safe. Now, for Luke for anyone saying, “What about…?” Ben stops by the Lars homestead after he packs up his cave. He conveys upon Owen the job of protector. Ben saw in the Lars family that Luke would be able to be a child and that was just as important as Jedi training, maybe a bit more important. This, friends, is where the Jedi code changed. Here’s how Luke knows about Ben. As Obi-Wan is leaving, Owen asks if he wants to meet Luke. Of course he does and the series ends with Kenobi saying “Hello there.” I didn’t forget, in case you were wondering… Order 66 and it’s expansion to fit the narrative of this show. Well, not really. If I recall correctly it was expanded in the EU (now Legends). The Inquisitors were also hunting families of Force sensitives and murdering them. That was totally a Palpatine paranoia, so it makes sense that there would be a dedicated unit to eradicate anyone that may be able to stand up to Palpatine and the Empire. (Hm. Sounds familiar IRL…) And there you have it. My review/impression of the series finale of “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”
If you want a short spoiler free review, watch the video. If you want a bit more detail and don't mind spoilers, read after the video!
This is a CBS All Access show. If you haven't seen it, or even heard of it by now, let me tell you, you've missed out. There are 11 episodes to the season and it just wrapped 17 October. Last week, CBS gave the go ahead to Marc Cherry and his crew for season two.
Season one followed three women in different decades all connected by one house. As a writer myself, I find it easier to predict what's going to happen, this show not only kept me guessing but it kept me laughing week after week as we followed Beth Ann and Rob, Simone and Karl, and Taylor and Eli. Beth Ann, played by the lovely Gennifer Goodwin, and Rob (Sam Jaeger) are introduced first and it seems like they are the perfect 1950s couple, except that it's the early 60s. Beth Ann is a doting wife and Rob is a career driven executive at the 1960s equivalent of a tech company. However, when Beth Ann meets Shelia (Alicia Coppola) and Leo (Adam Ferrara) Mosconi, it's clear that there is a deeper story to Beth Ann and Rob when Leo realizes where he's seen Rob before. As the story progresses and Beth Ann's friendship with Shelia grows, the story takes an unexpected turn, and then another. It wraps up nicely in the final episode when a 1974 Beth Ann hands the keys over to a 1974 Simone. Simone, played by the wonderful Lucy Liu, and her husband Karl (Jack Davenport) have the finer things in life. Friends, a country club membership, a popular art gallery which Karl runs and Simone doesn't step foot in unless necessary, and Simone hosts extravagant parties that are the envy of their circle of friends. She seems like she has everything. What can make a woman more crazy than finding out her husband is cheating on her? That he's cheating on her with her hairdresser who happens to be the best in L.A.! Everything goes downhill from there for Simone and Karl. Her best friend turns against her (you'll have to watch the show to learn why) and in the end everything works out for Simone too as we see the 2019 version handing over the keys to Taylor and Eli. Taylor Harding, played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste (I had to look her up!), is a no-nonsense kind of lady. She's a lawyer married to Eli Cohen (Reid Scott), a screenwriter who sold one screenplay and is struggling to follow it up with a sophomore hit. They have an open marriage which as an audience we see right away that while it is beneficial to Taylor, Eli is not okay with the situation and it causes strife especially when Taylor brings her hook up home, which goes against the ground rules. Of course... this is where it all falls apart. You will definitely have to watch the show to see how this plays out. If you don't know what "Thruple" means I highly recommend looking it up. The way these stories were woven together each week was impressive. It was almost like they were written like little webisodes. I would love to get my hands on the shooting script for the final episode. It was a masterpiece of cinematography, directing, writing, and editing. I was very impressed. It was unique. and now that it's been done... I can't say enough about this series. It's hysterical, touching, frightening, and surprising! Remember, you can only catch it on CBS All Access. I was fortunate enough to get to preview this film with two of the most important women in my life, my mother and my daughter. Thanks to the Arkansas Cinema Society for the opportunity! I always knew that Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a trailblazer, but seeing the story of her early career on screen... put it all in perspective. Thanks to her and women (and men) like her, my daughter has more choices than I had just 23 short years ago. I will say there was one historical inaccuracy. Back in the '70s... firefighters were firemen because women were the auxiliary and didn't go into burning buildings. (At least where I lived and that is another story about how I became a firefighter.) Once you get to that part, you'll know. If you want to know the whole history of women in the fire service you can, just click here. Or women in combat, which thanks to the laws being changed, we can now do. But women have served honorably in combat for a long time. Don't believe me? Here's a document that gives a timeline of women in combat. If you have the chance to go see this film, wherever you are... do it. Take the women in your lives to see just how the battle for equality for all started. It started with a tax law assuming that women would be solely in the caregiver role. Interesting. It is in limited release now and everywhere 11 January. Felicity Jones (Rogue One) did a fantastic job as Justice Ginsburg. I don't think there could have been another better. Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as Martin Ginsburg... he redeemed himself with this role from the terror that was unleashed with The Lone Ranger and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Same Waterston and Kathy Bates have supporting roles and are fantastic as always. Mimi Leder directs the cast and turns the script by Daniel Stiepleman into a moving work of art. Easily one of the best films I've seen.
So, if you're a Nic Cage fan you've probably already heard about SpectreVision's movie "Mandy." Did you also know that it's out in theatres and video-on-demand? One of the first movies to take a shot at this type of marketing and it seems to be working. On the iTunes chart it's 11th over all as of Friday. 7th in Action Adventure, 3rd in Independent, 2nd in Horror, & 4th in Thrillers. The soundtrack is 8th overall and was featured on the iTunes homepage.
I did get to see this movie on the 13th of September. As an investor in Legion M, we had access to a special viewing before the official release date. I'll say that "Mandy" earned it's R rating! Red Miller and his girl, Mandy, lead a quiet life until Jeremiah Sands, leader of the Children of the New Dawn, sees her and has to have her. Jeremiah plots to have her, but she rejects him and he kills her in front of Red. (Well, duh, of course that's going to make anyone want to seek revenge!) It's all downhill from there. Panos Casmatos had a vision and brought it to life. It was a great homage to the early 80s, "Heavy Metal," and the horror/revenge genre. It was a trippy adventure full of blood and rage. Oh, and #NicCage gave a a great performance. I will advise, there is some full-frontal nudity of the male variety. (Thanks for that Panos!) I will caution you, this is a "midnight" movie. You may not be into it and that's okay. I recommend checking out the trailer first. If "Mandy" isn't screening in a theatre near you, here's a few ways you can get your hands on it to complete your Nic Cage collection: So, I took my daughter to see the first part of the epic wrap up to a story that started ten years ago with Iron Man. For us, this was a tradition... I took her out of school early but let me back up just a little bit here. I was in the Army for those of you that didn't know (or read that over in the short bio over on the sidebar). Back in 2008, I knew I was going to be deployed but we weren't sure if it was to Iraq or Afghanistan. We had a pretty good idea but with the military, nothing is ever certain. So, I made the conscious decision to do something fun and memorable with my daughter before I spent weeks away preparing for deployment. I figured I like comic books and Iron Man was about the best you can get (at the time) for comic book movies (Sorry Stan, I can't put comic and book together... maybe when spell check catches up). It was a great adventure and Iron Man, in my opinion for effects, got better with each appearance in a movie. I did a repeat with every Marvel movie that came out while she was in elementary and middle school. I think we only missed Thor 2 & 3, GotG 1 & 2, Doctor Strange, and Ant-Man. My kid and I have a history with the franchise. So, why wouldn't we go see the newest installment? Next year... well that will be different. Next year will be our last MCU film together before she goes off to college. (I'm not crying, you're crying. Stupid ninja cutting onions behind me...) I'll tell you right now... if you're a casual MCU watcher... catch up, fast. I hadn't finished GotG 2 or Thor 3 and there were major spoilers. Some fan theories were busted but one big one was confirmed! Red Skull is not Thanos but he does play a part and that is all I will say about that. It was a great theatrical presentation. Very vivid color. You cheer, you laugh, you gasp, and yes, you may shed a tear (and that was in the first 10 minutes) as you watch the story unfold on the screen. So much thought went into each section of the script to keep it all flowing... I'm impressed. As a writer myself, I know how hard it is to keep the continuity for a few characters let alone twenty-nine! Mind you, that is not counting the rest of the minor characters. IMDB states there were ninety-eight souls listed in the cast list. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend that you go. However, if you have a younger child that doesn't grasp the concept of "movie death" leave them home. (We had a child in the theatre, about 5 or so that cried, loudly, when his favorite character "died" on screen. I will tell you, it disrupted the moment.) If you're a Game of Thrones fan ... Peter Dinklage plays a larger-than-life role. To keep this truly spoiler free ... Avengers: Infinity War definitely earned its $630 million. What do they have in store for fans May 2019? Wow. Just...wow. I will try not to spoil this for anyone. If you're thinking that this will be another "Empire" you are sadly mistaken. If you're looking for the answer to "Is Jedi plural?" yeah, I'm not gonna answer that for you... I'd like to point out that I counted 5, possibly 6 but that would be a SPOILER, hero's journeys. Here's a quick run down: 1. Rey - she has been a reluctant hero since the beginning of TFA, but with TLJ she owns the journey. 2. Finn - is he a coward or is he just concerned for his friend? He is the epitome (IMHO) of a reluctant hero, yet he turns out to be pretty badass. 3. Luke - I know, how is he a part of this? Watch the movie and you'll see. He, too, is a reluctant hero, yet he finally owns the destiny he was meant for. And if you've watched @hamillhimself on Instagram, you already know he says Luke is more of a mentor. FYI, he's still pretty good with a lightsaber. 4. Poe - he's a hero and he knows it. He strives to be as heroic as people think he is because he feels he has to live up to the legend that is Poe Dameron, Ace Resistance Pilot. 5. Rose - a new character to the story but a wonderful addition! You don't realize she's on her own journey until later in the movie and that moment is amazing. It would be a shame if J.J. Abrams didn't use that for IX. I have a complaint... they took a cheap shot at Rey's linage. It had been teased for months that we'd finally learn who Rey's parents were. Now, we all "saw" in TFA that Rey's parents left her. Or did we? No one really knows and Rey can't really be reliable to answer that. So, that still leaves the burning question... who are Rey's parents? There are other things in the film that point toward her parents being members of the Resistance and you know which ones I'm talking about. Porgs... you've seen them, unless you've been under a rock, then here's a quick explanation. They're birds from Luke's island. And they're adorable. They are not Ewoks and they are not the next Jar Jar Binks. However, they are cute little scene stealers! To sum up the movie without spoilers... Yay for the good guys... Oh $#!t for the bad guys. Oh, *SOB* for the good guys. If you haven't booked your tickets yet, what are you waiting for? Do it now you will. Come back in a week or so for a spoiler filled review. I was one of a fair amount of folks sitting in a dark theatre at my local cineplex waiting on the new Wonder Woman movie last night. As has become Hollywood tradition, theatres pre-release new releases the day before their actual release date. It's seems a bit... counterproductive in terms of opening weekend numbers. But with this movie, I feel these "preview" showings were important since Warner Bros. didn't invest as much in the way of marketing as they did Suicide Squad. Were they worried they'd have another Catwoman on their hands? Well, they shouldn't have fretted about that.
The story line is great, however a bit problematic with setting it in WWI. A friend of mine pointed that out. If Diana was still in London for WWII would she really have let Hitler happen? I'm thinking that's a big fat no. Over look that for a moment. The pacing was great. (There wasn't a really good time to exit the theatre for more snacks or other business.) The costuming was outstanding (my daughter wants her own set of Wonder Woman armor to cosplay). The effects, locations and overall quality of the film were much better than anyone could have asked for. Gal Gadot is a badass. Not just because she plays my childhood hero and owned the role in ways that Hollywood never thought Lynda Carter could back in the day. (Lynda Carter was a badass too, don't get me wrong.) She served two years, as required, in the Israel Defense Force with a role as combat trainer. She taught gymnastics and calisthenics. Add that to the self defense that the military is taught and we have a badass. The themes are obvious: Good vs. Evil, Ancient God vs. Humanity, Love vs. Hate, and the loss of innocence. The film really was about Diana's coming of age if you will. We're introduced to the adult version and a memory from the past whisks us back to her childhood. We learn how Diana was raised, how much she doesn't know about the world outside Themyscira and that the Queen is over protective by not allowing Diana to train with the other Amazons. When Steve Trevor crashes his way to the island everything Diana knows is challenged but she still believes in good people and bad people. So she leaves to go fight the war with her wayward pilot. There's love, explosions, gunfire and lots of girl power. I won't give away any other details of the film but I will tell you... go see it! You won't be sorry! (Wonder Woman will be the DC movie-verse's saving grace!) |
AuthorCollege graduate, Army vet, single mom, Husky mom, Movie lover, writer Archives
August 2022
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