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general-cyno · 5 months

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since I've rambled quite a bit on zoro's side of things in some of my zolu posts, I wanted to give luffy a try too! though perhaps overall subtler than zoro's grand gestures throughout the manga, there's no doubt to me that luffy cares for him just as much and his relationship with zoro is one of the most important he has (without intending to downplay others btw), both as individuals and crew, so let's goooo.

(warning: it's going to be long. sorry. also spoilers for the manga, as usual.)

albeit luffy and zoro's journey as a crew starts in the marine base where they met, I've mentioned here before that their childhood experiences, the way they sort of parallel each other's, also play a big role in their personalities and understanding of one another later on. the specifics are different, sure, but both were acquainted with struggle since they were young. zoro had already lost his parents by the time he was 8 and dragon left a baby luffy in garp's care, which... involved some questionable (dangerous) caretaking choices in order to make luffy "stronger". eventually, zoro would become a student in the isshin dojo, interact with koushiro and kozaburo, and start his rivalry/friendship with kuina just like luffy would later meet folks like makino, shanks and his crew whom he'd be inspired by, then dadan, ace and sabo, who'd become his family.

although we don't know yet what luffy's particular dream is, it's one he's had since young and that he mentioned to his brothers. similarly, as a kid, zoro wanted to become the world's greatest swordsman too, which he told kuina about and promised to strive for along with her. still, it's not until they lose sabo and kuina respectively that their dreams are accompanied by the necessity to become stronger for other people's sake. this is a specific sort of grief they share and are motivated by. and in luffy's case, his vow to become stronger is so he can prevent the further loss of those he loves.

(I'll get back to this, because it's important!)

fastforward to years later and we have a luffy that's started his journey to become the pirate king and achieve his dream. the insane thing about zoro's recruitment is that it only took hearing about the guy's name and fearsome reputation to have luffy pester koby about meeting him. I've also mentioned here that "fate" seems to be a recurring theme in OP especially in the latest arcs, and especially where luffy and zoro are concerned, seeing as they not only have a bunch of parallels with each other but also with important figures/characters in OP, some of who share or have shared a close relationship among themselves as well - namely, roger and rayleigh.

heck, luffy and zoro's lives are so intertwined you can even see lil zoro training during the ASL flashback chapters, when dragon mentions the dojo providing the revolutionaries with some food (ch 589). it's kinda incredible tbh. even so, when it comes to zoro... he was first and foremost a choice. regardless of how fate has come into play in the story, it was luffy's decision to actively seek him out and rope him into joining his crew, one he made after realizing zoro wasn't just a good guy but that he also had a cool, crazy dream and a determination to make it come true that was similar to luffy's own.

back then, luffy was already punching others (helmeppo) and getting angry on zoro's behalf, taking bullets for him and leaving himself wide open for zoro to protect during their confrontation with morgan. this is pretty much the beginning of his unwavering trust in zoro's strength and his willingness to step in when luffy needs someone to watch over him in turn. this is what their relationship is based on within? hours? of meeting and it's the foundation of the straw hat crew.

he's praising zoro before he's actually taken morgan down and luffy doesn't even look back to check. the amount of trust luffy's placing on zoro off the bat is bonkers and it's literally just the start.

from shells town onwards - well, in spite of how luffy's considered an anchor by shanks in the first chapters of OP because of his inability to swim, I believe the anchor metaphor is actually kinda perfect to describe zoro and his relationship with luffy, more so from luffy's side, even if he doesn't necessarily say this stuff on the pages.

I may be going on a slightly poetic tangent but it works imo. anchor symbolism is pretty popular and you can find all sorts of articles about it online. I read a few out of curiosity and y'know, the anchor as a nautical symbol has supposedly been regarded as one rooted in feelings such as those of stability and safety. you can probably tell where I'm going with this.

in terms of stability, think of OP's arcs and how many of them zoro's been in alongside luffy. they don't always fight side by side strictly speaking, but zoro is a constant - he's usually there to fight the second strongest threat and sometimes protect or lead the others when luffy's otherwise occupied, or he handles things while luffy gets there/recuperates enough to battle again. for the most part, zoro's also there in a bunch of the crewmate-rescuing arcs and he's even the one to directly liberate brook's shadow in thriller bark. there's only two major instances in which luffy and zoro (+ the crew) get separated for a considerable amount of time, one of them unwillingly and the other by choice: sabaody and zou/whole cake island. ig you could count baratie/arlong park too, but I don't think as much time passed in between one and the other compared to zou/WCI and the reunion in wano.

something that really got me even though it was tinted by a comedic feel, is the fact that bon-chan turned into zoro out of all straw hats back at impel down when luffy was trying to rescue ace and how happy he was at the prospect of having zoro there to aid him. no matter how the adaptation differs from the manga, I couldn't help but think of opla luffy's I need you speech too. would he have been as happy to see any other members of the crew? likely so! still, zoro's definitely someone luffy particularly looks forward to having by his side when things get tough.

irl, anchors are generally used to secure a vessel and prevent it from drifting. sounds a little familiar, I'd say.

it's not as though zoro's the only character in OP who's "guided" luffy but there are moments when he does ground his captain in a manner other characters can't at the time, and my favorite part of it is how seriously luffy takes zoro's words/advice whenever it happens. water 7 and enies lobby are perhaps the best examples of this, as it comes up in the context of luffy's fight with usopp and robin's supposed betrayal.

this is a really, really good moment imo. once luffy slows down to consider what zoro's saying, you can see he understands the importance of it. plus, luffy knows zoro's not someone who'd just leave a friend behind (he's fought to bring some of them back at this point, with luffy and the rest of the crew) and if anything, his "so the fact that he left our crew means nothing to you?!" outburst proves he's as upset as all of them about usopp's choice.

that said, you can tell how much luffy values and respect zoro's imput simply by the way he cries his soul out when usopp finally apologizes and asks to come back. luffy wears his heart on his sleeve and adores his friends, doesn't want to lose them ever, so reining all those feelings in to stay true to his position as the captain that zoro has placed his faith and loyalty in? amazing. and consider it from another angle: if he had ignored zoro, luffy would've lost him too. he certainly doesn't want that either or this would've gone differently.

this kinda thing happens also post timeskip, with zoro reminding luffy to get his shit together at punk hazard, bringing up the fact that they can't just ignore the threat kaido poses in zou to have the entire crew going after sanji, or when they're facing kaido and big mom in wano. zoro's someone luffy counts on to keep him steady and afloat, and this part of their relationship is something that was portrayed (again) nicely in the live action. in ep 6, it's zoro who manages to reassure luffy of his position as the captain and that he's done nothing wrong, that their crew isn't falling apart, because if luffy needs him then zoro vows to stand by his side til the very end. (they're insane).

in addition, their core similarities, understanding of each other and luffy's (almost unbelievable) faith/trust in zoro is what allows him to depend on zoro, specifically, when it comes to things like saving smoker in alabasta, not fighting back against bellamy's crew on jaya, or just mentioning the spilled oshiruko as explanation enough for zoro to get why luffy's angry during the onigashima raid, to name a few of examples off the top of my head.

as for the safety aspect of the anchor symbolism... that one speaks for itself I think. I feel like I must mention once more that zoro's not the only character or even the only straw hat to help or protect luffy, but he's fairly insistent and consistent in this aspect compared to others. compiling all the moments in which zoro's stepped in to protect luffy, worried about his well-being or signaled the rest when luffy's truly in danger/has reached his limits would probably break this site's image upload limit lol.

that said, luffy's the same back at zoro just in a bit of a less common manner or in a different way rather - mostly because of his belief in zoro's strength and the lengths he'd go to keep people safe, which includes allies and more so their friends. one could argue depositing that kind of faith in zoro can have its drawbacks (sabaody) or isn't completely fair (like when he goes all, "with you here, how could this happen?!" in skypiea) BUT. my opinion is that trusting zoro any less than that would likely hurt his pride more. so when luffy says stuff like this,

it's not about having unrealistic expectations wrt zoro but more about fully trusting in the man who tearfully swore to him that he'd become the greatest swordsman and never lose again. the one who trusts luffy just as much in turn, called him captain and pirate king first. luffy's seen zoro pull through some impossible situations, so it'd be more unfair to doubt him this way if you ask me.

this is also why I mentioned luffy's childhood vow. if you ever wonder "how important is zoro to luffy?" compare this,

to this:

luffy's past is revealed hundreds of chapters after skypiea. yet in hindsight, it adds so many layers to his relationship with zoro. for someone like luffy, who promised to become strong so that the people he loves wouldn't have to leave him, who would even die as long as it means he won't lose a member of his crew, the fact that he can relax this much when he gets separated from his friends because zoro's with them is... a lot, man. when you remember luffy's lost people close to him or had them leave him (for very understandable reasons, often out of everyone's control), zoro being one of the most stable presences in his life since they met - someone who will help him fight to get their friends back or stay behind to watch over them when they can't all go together, that for zoro to leave he'd have to be pried by force from his side unless they both agree to it for the sake of their journey and crewmates, is likely to be a very comforting fact to luffy. luffy, who's afraid of/hates being alone more than getting hurt.

he doesn't voice it out but allowing zoro to protect him and the people they both care for is giant sign of love and unbeatable trust, where luffy's concerned. although he doesn't know about it, zoro's sacrifice in thriller bark demonstrated why luffy does this without hesitation too. however, it's worth noting that luffy does worry for zoro's own safety whenever he's there to actually witness him being in danger and he knows zoro well enough to tell when said danger is real. it happens during the mihawk duel, when kizaru almost kills zoro in sabaody then as kuma sends him away, for example. he gets angry, desperate and teary in all of these instances. luffy cares so much about him.

lastly yet just as relevant... is that luffy likes zoro, beyond metaphors and all zoro might represent/stand for in the crew. luffy thinks he's cool, that he'll certainly achieve his dream, enjoys teasing and bullying him harmlessly, offered to share his food with him to convince zoro into accompanying them in thriller bark, tried to give an injured zoro an entire barrel of alcohol because luffy knows he loves booze and thought it'd make him feel better, and is generally someone luffy's happy to be with.

I bring up the wano hug a lot but honestly it doesn't get clearer than this. I've seen people try to downplay this moment but hey, context. people that luffy's hugged this way include 1) sabo, the brother luffy believed had been dead for years, 2) hancock who helped him try and rescue ace and 3) jimbei who's helped luffy during some of the most dire moments he's gone through, like impel down, marineford and WCI. for luffy to straight up hug zoro with just as much happiness, eagerness and enthusiasm in a relatively danger-free situation... he likes zoro, there's no better way to put it.

it's not that they can't butt heads sometimes either, but never seriously enough to damage their relationship. as a more recent example, luffy's shown he can put his stubbornness and recklessness aside when zoro's right even if he doesn't like it (ch 1060, about vivi's current situation). and as long as he's there, luffy won't let people interfere in zoro's fights, much less when it involves zoro's dream - like when he held johnny and yosaku back from stepping into zoro's duel with mihawk, even though luffy himself was worried about zoro.

so yeah, zoro might get to be crazier about luffy more often and explicitly but imo, it's an entirely reciprocal thing.

if you got this far, thanks so much for reading!

#zolu #tp #long post #like. real long #I love these two so much!!!!#and i don't think their relationship is as one sided as some seem to believe it is. luffy's just as crazy abt zoro #regardless of how you prefer to view the nature of their relationship #this is for layne also🙏🏼hope it's a worthwhile read!#jay reads op

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queen-of-badomens · 1 year

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Seeing The Old Guard on the Big Screen and Gina Prince-Bythewood in Person!

Last Saturday, November 5th, there was an event in Santa Monica, CA, US, where Aero Theatre would be showing The Woman King (2022) and The Old Guard (2020) and hosting a Q&A with director Gina Prince-Bythewood in person. I love these movies, and even though I’d already seen both (The Old Guard many times), I knew I had to go.

[Image of my ticket for the event, image taken by me]

For a few of my thoughts on the event, what I learned, and what it was like to see The Old Guard on the big screen, click below!

It was a free-to-attend event, only having to RSVP online, but seating would be on a first-come, first-serve basis, so I made sure to arrive early. Though, I perhaps ended up arriving way too early… In fact, my brother insisted I didn’t need to be there any earlier than 11:30 PM for the 1 PM event, but anxiety made sure I arrived at 10:30 AM, which was later than I had originally planned. There was absolutely no one there waiting, no one was even in the theater yet, but you know what? I was there, I was going to watch The Old Guard in a movie theater for the first time, and that was all that mattered. So I parked myself across the street with a pastry and a hot tea and watched until I saw life. Which, as it turns out… wasn’t until 11:30 AM, but my brother doesn’t need to know that…

Based on the marquee, The Woman King would be shown first, followed by the Q&A and ending with The Old Guard. I knew TOG would not be what drew most people to the event, and while I am a fan of both movies and Gina Prince-Bythewood, my main drive for getting up early and forcing myself to go to a crowded place was to see the The Old Guard on the big screen, something that was sadly denied to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This would be, as later confirmed by the moderator of the Q&A, the first time The Old Guard was to be shown in a theater to a public audience. I wished my online TOG family could’ve been there with me, but I hope I did my best to represent our collective love for it.

[Front of the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, CA, USA, image taken by me]

After checking our RSVPs and vaccination cards (I still wore my mask the whole time inside), they began letting us in at about 12:00 PM. By that time, a sizable crowd had gathered so I was happy to have gotten there early. Once inside, I had a fairly good choice of seating and chose a place not too far from the stage but not too close so I could enjoy the films without straining my neck and eyes. Also, since it’s an older theater without stadium seating, I also picked a centered seat so I would have a good view.

[The screen at the Aero Theatre, image taken by me]

The Woman King was shown first, and I enjoyed the opportunity to see it again. Especially with a crowd who clearly loved it and cheered loudly at all the great moments. It is a rousing film and a great action movie that has a lot of character driven moments, and I recommend anyone who hasn’t seen it to go if they are able. It tells a not-well-known story of African women warriors, the Agojie, of the Dahomey kingdom in the 1800s. And it truly accomplishes one of GPB’s goals as a filmmaker to “disrupt the genre,” something I’ll touch upon again in a moment.

After TWK came the Q&A, with Gina Prince-Bythewood strolling with swagger and yet also casually towards the stage to take a seat with the moderator, Mark Olsen of the L.A.Times. I was a little starstruck to see her in person, this visionary who helped craft these two amazing movies, but also happy to see how cool, calm, and collected she was. GPB had confidence without the overbearing ego and a quiet strength that I know she uses to fight for her vision.

[Gina Prince-Bythewood in the flesh! image taken by me]

While most of the questions were about the process of making The Woman King, a few questions touched on The Old Guard, making it clear why TOG was being shown in addition to TWK. And GPB’s answers showed me how TOG compliments TWK, how both movies create something unique and ground-breaking for the Hollywood industry that has long failed to tell diverse stories. So, now I want to focus on a few things from the Q&A and what they say to me about The Old Guard.

The moderator pointed out that TWK isn’t just a historical epic, it also functions as an action movie and a finely tuned character drama. This is something that I would argue is also true for TOG – it’s not just a summer action/comic book movie. It doesn’t feel anything like an MCU film but instead functions as a meaningful character drama, which is why I believe it has such a devoted fan base even two years after its release. Both TWK and TOG have awesome fight sequences worthy of numerous rewatches, but they also make time for quiet character moments, something that studios tend to cut in order to get to the action faster. But GPB comes from making deep character dramas, and she brings that to all her films, regardless of genre.

Getting into action is relatively new for GPB, but it’s something she wanted to do in order to make a film that her kids could see themselves in. But she had to get her foot in the door first, which began with filming the pilot for the Marvel TV show, Cloak and Dagger. According to GPB, having that little “Marvel” on her resume got her in to direct Silver and Black, a now defunct Sony “Spiderverse” project, which then led to her being hired for The Old Guard. Though, in the end, GPB said Skydance really hired her because they loved Love and Basketball, her first movie, a much beloved film and most definitely a character driven story. And I think that says a lot about what kind of movies TOG and TMK turned out to be.

[Gina Prince-Bythewood and Sanaa Lathan on the set of Love and Basketball, image taken from imdb.com]

The moderator also pointed out how TWK “works as a character drama, and it works as a super kick ass action movie. Like, those things don’t necessarily all go together, but don’t often get all those things in one movie, especially the way that you have like character beats happening within action scenes,” and he wanted to know how GPB managed to strike that balance. She said that Hollywood loves action movies because they bring in money, but in her pitch to the studio, she wanted to emphasize that it was more than just an action flick. That what she wanted for this film was for it to be “intimately epic,” and that for her “that meant that the quiet character moments were as seismic as the big set pieces, knowing that those two things had to work in tandem. You will not care about the action if you don’t care about the characters or there’s no stakes.” And I think that’s very true of the movie, but also something she definitely did with The Old Guard.

After all, some people might dismiss it as a dumb summer flick, but I think it functions as an “intimately epic” movie too. There are no world ending threat or giant CGI villains to fight – the climax is a shootout in a small set of an office/lab/penthouse – but still, the stakes matter in the movie because you care about the characters, because the filmmakers, led by GBP, took time to show those quiet moments that made us all such devoted fans of these characters. She made sure to show Andy meeting Celeste in the pharmacy, Booker talking about his son’s death, Joe and Nicky spooning in the background, and Nile listening to music to ground herself. GBP drops these little crumbs throughout the movie because she knows that “you have to care about these characters for it to matter.” That all pays off later, so that when Andy says, “Let’s go get this motherfucker,” you feel that line and are cheering as they make their way through the lab, mowing down everyone in their path.

GPB also talked about how important training was for all the TWK’s actors to go through that in order to develop and feel connected to their characters, but also for her as the director in capturing their performances. She said, “That helps me put character into the action because I show performance. I’m not cutting around stunt doubles, this is really them, giving me everything that I need.” And we know training was a big part of the actor’s preparation for TOG as well, so when it came time for the viewing of TOG, I made sure to pay attention and realized for the first time that for a lot of the action scenes, you can actually see the actors’ faces most of the time. And that absolutely makes the movie feel more alive and real. For two hours I wholeheartedly believed these immortal warriors existed.

[Still from The Old Guard, image taken from straight.com]

But it’s not just about strength and how bad ass the characters are – although make no mistake, they are tough as nails, and I would personally love to see a story where Nanisca from The Woman King (played by Viola Davis) meets Andromache the Scythian (played by Charlize Theron) and they go on a tear–, GBP knows to show that vulnerability is strength. She personally has a “no crying rule on set” which she attributes to her athlete mentality growing up and also being a woman in Hollywood – you can’t cry as a woman, she explains. But she did mention that she broke her own rule and cried during her pitch for TWK, but it ended up getting her the job. Because Viola Davis said it meant that she could trust GPB as a director. I think that is a very powerful message, and something that is felt even in TOG, where these immortal warriors are compelling because they are permitted vulnerability and emotion.

The moderator said how TWK could have easily just centered around Viola Davis’s character, Nanisca, but GPB made sure to also tell the stories of the other women around her. When asked why that was important to her, GPB explained that she loved all the characters and wanted them to have more, and Viola supported that. Because Viola knew “that the better the whole ensemble is, the better the film.” And so GPB tasked the cast with coming up with their backstories, some of them coming up with such amazing stuff that GBP wanted to make movies just out of those backstories. And this really reflects in the film with how strong and layered the characters are, you truly care about all of them and their fates. It may be Viola Davis’s movie, but she shines because everyone around her is also shining. And I think that’s true of TOG too.

The Old Guard could easily just have been just about Andy and Nile, and though they are the main characters and focal points of the story, we know from interviews that the other actors, such as Marwan Kenzari, put a lot of consideration into their characters, such as collecting poetry that reminded him of Joe and Nicky’s relationship, even though they were secondary characters. They could have easily faded into the background and been forgettable, but there’s a reason that these characters have their own set of devoted fans even today. Their scenes are fewer but no less impactful and they help make a richer story. Even Copley, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, has a heartbreaking scene that explains why he, a seemingly good man, would sell these immortals to a heartless Pharma-bro. There are not just one-note characters, and together they make Andy and Nile’s stories stronger.

It’s deeply intentional that fans love and care about Izogie, Amenza, Nawi, Gezo, Ode, Malik, Joe, Nicky, Booker, Quynh, Copley, and even Celeste. Because Gina Prince-Bythewood wants to make character driven stories, and she succeeds in both of these films. If she had been allowed the budget, I know she would have shot more backstory flashbacks for all those characters. But, as she pointed out, studios often want to cut those moments to get to the action quicker.

Another connection that was a delight to learn about was that GPB used the same fight coordinator on The Woman King that she used on The Old Guard, Danny Hernandez. GPB told us that when she got TMK, Hernandez was her third call, because he is, according to her, “a genius.” So in terms of action, these two films really feel like siblings. And GPB was very grateful for having done TOG first so she could meet him and then have him work with on TWK. TOG also taught her, she said, what it takes to do good action – as many takes as you need and actors who are willing to give it. She explained, “And this sounds really basic and obvious, but if you did not shoot it, it's not gonna show up in the edit room.“ And it’s not just about action. We know that the famous Van Speech had numerous takes to get just the right one, the one that still makes us go nuts. Which again leads me to ask, Dear Netflix or Skydance, when are we getting BTS footage and the deleted scenes?!

[Charlize Theron with what I’m 82% sure is Danny Hernandez in the background, image taken from looper.com]

The moderator then asked her about a phrase he’d heard GPB use a few times – something I referenced earlier– which is that as a filmmaker, she wants to “disrupt the genre.” And he wanted her to talk about that and how she did that with TWK, to which GPB replied: “Sad reality is, disrupting the genre was literally putting black women at the center of it,” words which were met with thunderous applause from the audience. TWK is a unique movie in that it is a historical epic and centers on so many deeply complex black women. And in the same way that GPB disrupts the historical epic, she did the same with the hero’s journey in The Old Guard, putting Nile, as played by Kiki Layne, in a role traditionally inhabited by a long line of white male characters. GPB and Greg Rucka worked together to really bring that genre disrupting story to film, where Nile is like Luke Skywalker (to use a big pop culture reference), discovering a strange new power, leaving everything they formally knew behind, to follow a wise, old warrior who will guide them. And yes, I am saying that Andy is a more bitter, drunker Obi-wan. But in all seriousness, one could easily name a dozen other hero’s-journey stories about some white dude, but Nile makes it unique, to finally have a black woman inhabit that role in a major movie. Even with the multitude of comic book movies taking over Hollywood, The Old Guard has done something none of them have yet. (Though, Wakanda Forever may finally change that, I’ll admit. But hey, more cake, right?)

Finally, the moderator mentioned the sequel for The Old Guard, which drew loud cheers and applause, only to turn to disappointed “awws” when he mentioned that GPB wasn’t directing it, though that was soon followed by some good hearted laughs as she smiled sheepishly to the audience.

It was previously reported that GPB has a “no sequels rule,” and she explained that while, yes, she does, it’s because for each film, she puts so much of herself into that particular film in order to say everything she wants to say. So if she ends up wanting to do a sequel, it means she didn’t say everything she wanted with the first film. Which means something went wrong. She went into TOG knowing it was a trilogy, and she admires Greg Rucka and his “amazing mind,” but she had a personal connection to the arc of the first film so that was the story she wanted to tell. She explained it was just her personal thing and feels like she doesn’t have anything new to bring to the sequel. And while I am saddened that she did not direct the sequel, reigns handed over to Victoria Mahoney, I appreciated the thought GPB put into it and I respect her reasoning.

[Mark Olsen and Gina Prince-Bythewood, image taken by me]

With that, the moderator opened up questions to the audience, and though I tried to ask a question, I was sadly not picked (I planned to ask about TOG deleted scenes). Also, in the end, they only had time for three questions which were mostly focused on TWK and film making in general. Not to mention the one lady who took up a lot of time with her three part question that everyone else had a hard time following, so much that the moderator had to cut her off. If he hadn’t, I’m sure she would still be talking to this day...

As GPB made her way off stage, a large crowd gathered to get last minute questions in or just to shake her hand. I tried diligently to get to the front so I could give her a small gift bag of TOG fan made stickers, but it was nearly impossible and I was so nervous by then, I was literally shaking. So I handed them to a woman next to her and explained it was a present for Gina and then I ran off! I have no idea if they got to her, but if they didn’t, it’s okay, I might not take a gift from the panicking grown woman who hands it off and then runs for her life.

About half the theater cleared out after that, but a sizable portion stayed for the viewing of The Old Guard, myself included. Me and this other lady were probably the most excited people in the theater, her loudly declaring “You should stay! It’s a good movie!” to which I added, “She’s right! She speaks the truth!” Mystery lady who left before I could talk to you – are you on Tumblr? Hit me up, let’s be friends!

[Proof of TOG on the big screen, awkward image of the hotel concierge checking out Booker taken by me]

Then, I finally got to see The Old Guard as it was meant to be seen– on the big silver screen! And guys, let me tell you, it was freaking amazing. We were SO robbed of this experience and it is my fervent wish that somehow it gets a limited run around the world so people can experience it as well. I feel like I noticed more details and just fell in love with the story and the characters all over again. And I know there’s division when it comes to the soundtrack – some love it, others hate it – but I gotta say, in a movie theater, I think the song choices hit harder and work so much better. You may still dislike it, but I personally felt more emotionally roused in the church fight scene and during Nile’s elevator ride.

Also, it’s important to say that the people who did stay were a vocal group, and it was such a joy to be part of it! I feel like Joe comes off as snarkier with an audience, his lines definitely earning the most laughs and rounds of applause– let me tell you, the audience loved him laying into Booker. And his beautiful eyes as he teared up in the van scene really popped on a big screen. Actually, all the actor’s eyes were simply stunning. And as for audience reactions to certain sequences, I would say that the biggest winners were a tie between the Van Speech and Nile’s defenestration with Merrick. Both got huge cheers and applause. It was, as GPB would put it, intimately epic.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on that evening and please join me in a prayer circle for there to be a run of the first movie in theaters as we get closer to the release of the sequel. Thank you for reading! And go see The Woman King if you haven't! (and can!)

#The Old Guard #TOG #gina prince bythewood #The Woman King #Charlize theron #kiki layne #marwan kenzari #luca marinelli #Matthias Schoenaerts #I hope this was fun to hear about #I love TWK but my heart is still in TOG hell haha #though someone write that Nanisca/Andy fic!

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