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agentnico · 9 months

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The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan (2023) Review

Anyone feels that tad bit more sophisticated and intelligent when they watch a film in a foreign language with subtitles on? Nope? Just me? Alrighty then, je suppose que c'est juste moi.

Plot: Young D'Artagnan arrives in Paris, trying to find the attackers who left him for dead. He instead finds a real war brewing and joins the king's three musketeers - Athos, Porthos, and Aramis - as they work to ensure the future of France.

The way I heard of this movie was surprisingly my dad who turned to me and said he watched yet another movie iteration of the Alexandre Dumas classic, and what made this version so fascinating to him was the fact that all the characters are super dirty. And no, not in a sexual way you perverted sods, but in the literal sense. The characters are all greasy-haired with faces covered in mud and sweat. Gone are the trademark bright blue cloaks and instead the musketeers are stuck wearing very old and worn-out grey and brown garments. So of course I wanted to see some super dirty musketeers, so here we are.

There have been many versions of The Three Musketeers adapted to screen. One could say too many. Like Sherlock Holmes and Godzilla (never thought I'd ever reference those two in the same sentence!), these stories have consistently entertained us over and over again, showing us the test of time. Not going to lie, I absolutely adore Dumas' original novel, and as such have seen a few of the adaptations. There were most certainly some terrible ones out there, but also some interesting ones too like the amusing 1978 Soviet comedy-musical version (yep, that's a real thing!), and then there is the 2011 steampunk one with airships and a pompously over-the-top Orlando Bloom which is all good fun. However with D'Artagnan it's the first time where I'm actually discovering a French version, and it would be shocking if the French were to ruin their own classic, right?

The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan is a highly entertaining historic romp. It takes a lot from the book but also changes things up quite a bit, resulting in a familiar yet fresh feel to the now-modernized story. The atmosphere is dark and the action was superb. There were many sequences of swordplay where the camera would literally zoom around the battle area in one singular take, frenetically capturing all the detailed fencing choreography, and it was actually really impressive. Director Martin Bourboulon evidently has an eye for action (bet he watched a lot of John Wick and The Raid for his homework) and manages to keep an exhilarating energy through all the epic sequences. There are some very creative choices too such as an impressive sweeping shot of a horse chase over the cliffs of Dover.

The movie also feels very French. It sounds to put it like that, but it is indeed very romantic in a way only the French can be. The central love between D'Artagnan and Constance is innocently adorable and playful, and the love triangle between Louis XIII, his Queen and the Duke of Buckingham was amusing, forgetting the immoral involvement of adultery at play. But yes, it is very romantic, and I haven't seen a good love story at the movies in a while so this was simply delightful.

The cast were all very game here too. Francois Civil as D'Artagnan had the pride, naivety and boyish charm that was befit of the young Gascon. Romain Durin as Aramis found the perfect spirit of the character's duality between faith and seduction with his constant swaying towards the female gender. Louis Garrell and King Louis XIII exhibited the stupidity and blindness of the royal really well, yet also managed to give the character an element of strength which made way for a solid interpretation. Vincent Cassell as Athos was solid, but also made me wonder why such an old actor was cast as Athos? I guess they wanted to physically portray the hero's tortured past, but it just felt strange to have Athos be so old. And then Eva Green - look, I think Eva Green can be very powerful in the right role, but her role here was so minimal that it hardly left an impression. With the Milady sequel already filmed and on the way I expect her to have a bigger role in that where she will most likely be allowed to properly bring her mischievous character to life, but yet for now she has been heavily under-used.

The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan is a super enjoyable take on the classic that adds some modern touches of finesse and takes some own liberties to change up the story, however, the result is very entertaining and makes for a swashbuckling historic adventure. And so whilst I await the upcoming sequel, I shall look back at that aforementioned Soviet version, and the amusing song lyrics that go along the lines of the following: "Let's be happy in our time, with the beauty and the goblet, with the lucky blade; While we swing the feathers on our hats; To destiny we'll whisper more than once "merci beaucoup"."

Overall score: 7/10

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wornoutspines · 5 months

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My Top 5 Movies Based on Books | 2023

From hometown nostalgia to cosmic adventures, these top 5 movie adaptations are a must-watch! of 2023🍿💖 #MovieMagic #BookstoFilm #YearInReview #WrapUp #2023Cinema 👉

As we usher in a new year, movie enthusiasts and book lovers like myself eagerly anticipate the silver-screen adaptations of some of the most beloved literary works. In 2023, the silver screen witnessed an array of compelling films based on books, each weaving a unique tapestry of emotions and storytelling. I sadly haven’t watched them all, some were just not available where I live, but out of…

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#Arrête avec tes Mensonges #Based on a book #Based on a novel #Book adaptation #Book to Film #Book to Movie #Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 #Lie with Me #movie adaptation #movie lovers #movie review #movies #Red White & Royal blue #Review #The Little Mermaid #The Three Musketeers: D&039;Artagnan

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bob-the-movie-man-film-reviews · 5 months

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"Flickering Dreams" Ep. 40: Reviews of Wonka; Maestro; Leave the World Behind; Merry Little Batman; The Three Musketeers: Milady & Icons Unearthed: Marvel Plus a review of the Golden Globes 2024 Nominations.

Episode 40 of Flickering Dreams. #flickeringdreams. Features: Wonka; Maestro; Leave the World Behind; Merry Little Batman; The Three Musketeers: Milady; Icons Unearthed: Marvel & the Golden Globes 2024 Nominations

In Episode 40 of Flickering Dreams I’m joined by Emma Sewell of Emma@The Movies on X. In this episode Bob and Emma review the following films: Wonka: the origin story of the chocolate magnate; Maestro: the Bradley Cooper biopic of Leonard Bernstein; Leave the World Behind: an apocalyptic mystery thriller on Netflix with Julia Roberts; Merry Little Batman: DC meets Home Alone on Prime…

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harrietvane · 5 months

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Brief review of part 2 of the 2023 Three Musketeers (aka: ‘The Three Musketeers: Milady’)

Didn’t think I could be more attracted to Eva Green. I was mistaken.

It’s possible that Romain Duris (Aramis) was wearing even more necklaces than he was in part 1. Love the commitment to ‘more is more’ accessorising.

Not enough Porthos. But I always say that.

Admirably messed up Athos/Milady dynamic. Weeping, attempted murder, unhinged singing, call-back jewellery. Hot mess express, nicely done.

(Obviously) much more book canon-compliant than American productions. Being that the Siege of La Rochelle seems to be most of it, and commitment to uhhhhh major character death. Although lots of story and character deviations anyway, which tbf suits me most of the time. Also more a series of vignettes than a modern movie-style thematic through-line. Although swashes were most definitely buckled, good and proper.

Anne ‘Milady de Winter’ de la Fere did nothing wrong ever in her life, and she should be allowed to kill whomever she wishes. But again, I always say that.

#the three musketeers: milady #aka she’s BACK and this time it’s PERSONAL

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winterinhimring · 4 months

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20 Questions for Writers

Thanks for the tag, @musewrangler! This looks fun.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

94.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

852,051. (Holy cow.)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

A lot! Tolkien, Star Wars, Marvel, and Hornblower are the ones I've written most for, but I've also written stories for the 1985 movie Silverado, and for The Three Musketeers, Dune, The Hunt for Red October, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Jat'ca'nara, The War of the Ring, Pirunir Sur'haaise, break my bonds and be bound to me (what. the. heck.), and Ba'slan Shev'la.

I will admit, I was not expecting all of those. The Star Wars ones (all the Mando'a titles) make sense, WOTR is my first and longest fic and also in the Tolkien fandom, but break my bonds is one of the RAREST of rare pairs and despite it being in the Star Wars fandom too, it's focussed on some comparatively minor characters, so I am...very surprised by that.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! Always. I love receiving comments so the least I can do is respond to them. Also, I nearly always have thoughts to share with my readers in response to their thoughts on my fic.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Unquestionably Cuyan'e. It's a character study of two very deeply broken men who have both lost everything, one at the hands of the other, and it earns its 'hurt no comfort' tag. The title means "Survivors" because they're both the last survivors of their families. It's very unusual for me to write a fic this painful without putting in a happy ending, but that story pretty much showed up to my brain written the way it is, and when that happens I write what I'm given.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

That's much harder to answer than the last one! A significant majority of my fics have happy endings, or at least happier ones than canon. However, I'll have to go with Tegaanal, the climax of my Star Wars fix-it series, because it's such an earned happy ending and we watched the characters fight for it every step of the way.

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

Nope! I review my comments on the first couple of fics of any series, until I have an idea of what my reader base is like, and that seems to ward off the weirdos.

9. Do you write smut?

Heck no. I don't need that in my head.

10. Do you write crossovers?

On occasion! Usually because the muses show up and start jumping on the table banging pans together until I write them something.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to the best of my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I HAVE had a piece of music inspired by a fic. I wrote a poem (in Mando'a and in English) for Partaylir, and the absolutely fantastic Siena_Alexandria actually wrote a tune for it and recorded the result. If you like Mandalorians, Mando'a, conlangs, or just good music, listen to it here! (Each chapter is a different version of the poem.)

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yep, several! Mostly with @musewrangler.

14. What‘s your all-time favourite ship?

I don't really have one, as I don't tend to get all that deeply invested in ships. Characters, yes, but not specific ships. I guess I have a soft spot for Walon Vau/Shmi Skywalker, though, since it's a canoe I launched all by myself (see my boggled reaction to break my bonds and be bound to me being one of my most-kudosed fics above).

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

*grits teeth* I. Will. Finish. All. My. WIPs. (There's only one that is arguably in danger of abandonment, Of the History of the White Tree, and I'm going to come back to it as soon as I've reread the source material.)

16. What’s your writing strengths?

Hmm...I would say it's my character writing, above all else. Once I have a clear mental picture of what someone would or wouldn't do, I can basically drop him into situations and just let them play out and see what happens, pretty much trusting the character to respond the way he should. A lot of my fics consist of this, and the consensus from my readers has been that I do it well.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

Strong emotions, and people who are open with their emotions, are difficult for me to write. Whenever I write a scene that involves feelings and vulnerability, I have a holy terror of becoming kitschy. And people who actually show their emotions voluntarily by default are kind of a mystery to me, so I don't really write them because I don't understand them.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Fun to do when I know the language and/or enough of it to get by! I put in quite a lot of Mando'a for my Star Wars stories and I enjoy working within the constraints of its limited vocabulary because it forces me to pare down my usually verbose writing style into just the core of the meaning I intend to convey.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Tolkien! My first, most lasting, and perhaps dearest fandom.

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

HOW CAN I PICK JUST ONE???? My favourite fic is nearly always the one I'm writing now, though, so right now it's So We Can Learn to Pick Ourselves Up, the latest instalment of what started as post-Endgame MCU fix-it and has now grown into a live-action Spider-man multiverse fix-it.

No-pressure tags for @ramblingsofachristiannerd, @hollers-and-holmes, @lady-merian, @ghosts-and-blue-sweaters, @thatonebasicfan, and anyone who'd like to jump on!

#winter says things #tag game #my writing #the war of the ring #cin vhetin #requiem fic #tolkien #marvel #star wars

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jadedbirch · 5 months

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As my lovely wife @zoi-no-miko said "We must feed the source of our marriage!"

And so, I bring you my sacrifice and review of the OTHER 2023 The Three Musketeers movie, compliments of the UK. And this one has a Black d'Artagnan! Unfortunately it also has a 1.8/10 IMDB rating 🤣

Ramblings and review under the cut!

Having watched this 94 minute "masterpiece" I must start by saying, this is not an adaptation of the Dumas novel, it's an adaptation of the 1993 Disney version of The Three Musketeers. So, all the best parts are lifted straight out of the Disney movie, including direct lines of dialogue, and the best action sequences. Le sigh.

The plot is also quite similar. The Cardinal plots to have the young king assassinated, and to accomplish this, he has an elaborate plot to disband the musketeers and implicate them in the murder. A one eyed Rochefort and a comely Indian Milady are his co-cosprators.

Richelieu, who I must keep reminding everyone was in his late 30s during this time historically, now looks like this:

And the musketeers, delightful assholes that they are, look like this:

That's right. They are so poor, they can't even afford pants! Just kidding, but for Reasons, they spend a fairly long scene pantless, and require the help of "Madam Chevreuse" (an homage to Marie de Rohan) and "Madam Coquenard" (an homage to Porthos' wife), who were a delightful little invention that I rather appreciated. Especially since Porthos had to sleep with them both in exchange for their help 🤭👌🏻.

Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is fairly Meh. Unlike The Fourth Musketeer, which took place entirely indoors, this one does its low budget business entirely in some "forest" which looks a lot like a local park. There are also about 11 extras who have to cover their faces in every scene so that they can be killed over and over again. The dialogue is really stilted, d'Artagnan is as breathtakingly dumb as the one in The Fourth Musketeer, and the pacing is completely off, causing surprisingly dull periods to pass that make the movie feel a lot longer than it is.

In a plot device that is truly inspiring in its stupidity, people go around saying things like "Have you seen this symbol ⚜️? Take a good look at it ⚜️⚜️" as if all of France isn't literally covered in ⚜️⚜️⚜️, including the embellishments around d'Artagnan's own neck. At least they use proper French currency in this one.

I think the biggest problem the movie has is that it fails to commit to a genre, going from slapstick comedy to taking itself way too seriously within minutes.

So, in summary, this fails spectacularly as both an adaptation of the book AND as an adaptation of the Disney movie. The casting of the 3 assholes was actually pretty good and it did have some fun moments, but all of them were plagiarized so I can't really give them points for it. It's really disappointing that with all the juicy goodness that both sources of material have to offer, the result is this lackluster and forgettable experience.

Grade: I have to give it an F for originality, and as an adaptation of the Disney movie it gets a C+.

#the three musketeers #2023 the three musketeers UK #alexandre dumas #i'm suffering

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msweebyness · 2 months

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Miraculous Barbie Content: The Guide

@imsparky2002 @artzychic27

Random Thought Intros:

Princess & the Pauper/Magic of Pegasus

Island Princess/Rapunzel

Swan Lake/Diamond Castle

Sparky’s Reviews:

Nutcracker First Thoughts

Nutcracker Review

Weeby’s Movie Adaptations:

Nath as Rapunzel

Ondine’s Swan Lake

Princess Marinette & Socqueline the Pauper

Magic of Pegasus (starring Chloe & Zoe)

Mylene, the Island Princess

(Non-Platonic) Diamond Castle

Alya and the Three Musketeers

#miraculous ladybug #Barbie #Barbie movies #masterlist

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harpagornis · 6 months

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The Marvels review

Captain/Ms Marvel and the various people that donned those titles are among my favourite Marvel heroes, so a legacy flick focusing on these underrated gals was a treat to see.

Carol Danvers in particular gets the lion share of character development. A criticism of her debut movie is that she comes across as a Mary Sue. Not here! Her actions have consequences that torment her and actuall give sympathy to the villainous Kree Empire. Her relationship with Monica is strained, and it's something she needs to fix herself.

Kamala Khan is adorable as always. My only critique is that she has a moment of a broken pedestal seeing Carol take more pragmatic means, but this is not developed upon.

Monica Rambeau is the least developed of the three, but that's alright. She is a badass in her fight scenes and ultimately pivottal to an important scene I will not spoil.

Overall, three photokinetic musketeers saving the universe is a must watch

#marvel #captain marvel #miss marvel #kamala khan #monica rambeau #carol denvers

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whencartoonsruletheworld · 1 year

Note

My Writing class is doing an assignment to review and analyze an animated movie and I wanted you to know that you’ve inspired me to choose Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers.

fucking amazing

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emerald-notes · 2 years

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My Masterlist

Fan Fiction:

BTS:

Another Masterlist

Wizarding World (Harry Potter):

1. Miss Lupin 2. Miss Lupin - 2

Marvel: 1. Peter x Gwen x Eddie 2. Wanda x Loki

The Riot Club: 1. That Time (Dimitri x reader) 2. James x reader

Tale of the Nine Tailed: 1. I’m Here For You (Lee Rang x reader) 2. Your Wish Is Granted (Lee Rang x reader) 3. My Mysterious Neighbour (Lee Rang x reader)

Dorian Gray: 1. When We Were Young (Dorian x reader)

Fandoms (Analysis):

Law School: 1. Characters’ theme songs 2. Joon Hwi’s relation with his uncle 3. Quotes analysis

BTS: 1. “First Love” and “The Last” 2. Wings, album by BTS 3. Little Things Matter 4. World Expo 2030 Busan Concert 5. Soulmates???

Others: 1. Teresa deserves better (Maze Runner) 2. My Connection to It (Stephen King) 3. How to recover from Squid Game? 4. Strangers From Hell 5. I’m So Lee Rang (Tale of the Nine Tailed)

Personal Writings:

1. Late Night Chat 2. One Last Dance 3. One Last Dance - 2 4. 7 Deadly Sins 5. Beauty of Things

My Thoughts:

1. How Hatred Starts 2. Secondary Guilt 3. Depression 4. My Spider Phobia 5. Parents/Step-mother 6. I Cry 7. Run BTS 8. This Jimin

Reviews (TV Shows):

1. Vienna Blood - Season 1 2. January-February 2022 3. The End of the F***ing World - Season 1 4. March 2022 5. April-May 2022

Reviews (Movies):

1. The Words 2. Last Night in Soho 3. Gangubai Kathiawadi

Reviews (Books):

Classic: 1. The Great Gatsby 2. Great Expectations 3. The Three Musketeers 4. Wuthering Heights 5. Absent Minded Man 6. The Crucible 7. Dracula 8. Pride & Prejudice 9. Charlotte’s Web 10. Demian

Modern: 1. Maze Runner Trilogy 2. Loki: Where Mischief Lies 3. The Devil All the Time 4. Me Before You 5. The Female of the Species

Video Edits:

1. Girls Like Bad Boys 2. Miss Havisham (Great Expectations) 3. Pip x Estella (Great Expectations) 4. My Crushes 5. Dorian Gray x Sybil Vain 6. POV: Yoongi is your boyfriend (BTS)

Photo Edits:

1. Alex Lawther 2. Top 5 Books 2021 3. Lee Dong Wook Bromance 4. Top 3 Books 2022

Moodboards:

Photos: 1. Asa Butterfield and Girls 2. Marauders Reimagine 3. Marauders Reimagine - 2 4. Floral Photoshoots 5. Feminine-Muscular 6. Tom Holland’s Range 7. Kim Bum Range 8. Flowers x BTS 9. Vminkook 10. NamJinSope

Aesthetics: 1. Dorian Gray 2. A Lady 3. Peter Parker and Harry Osborn 4. Reaper x Sunny (Goblin) 5. Bad and Crazy 6. Jungkook - Red 7. Jin - Orange 8. V - Yellow 9. J-Hope - Green 10. Jimin - Blue 11. Suga - Indigo 12. RM - Purple 13. Happy Birthday Jungkook 14. Happy Birthday RM 15. Happy Birthday Jimin 16. Happy Birthday Jin 17. Happy Birthday V

Meme:

1. Tale of the Nine Tailed 2. Kim Bum 3. Min Yoongi and Alex Lawther

Others:

1. Quote by Joan Clarke 2. Van Gogh Arts 3. My Birthday Gifts (Books) 4. Movies Rec by Genres 5. The Duality of BTS 6. Hobipalooza 7. Jimin’s ‘ID: Chaos’ 8. Writers Block 9. The Avonlea Story Club

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kylesvariouslistsandstuff · 1 year

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SPYRO THE DRAGON In The Style Of THE LAST WISH

Here I go again about PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, a movie that is over two months old and is finally out on physical media formats. I snatched up a copy on release day, in the aftermath of a nasty snowstorm. It was the Target exclusive edition that came with a small 40-page art gallery book, much like the BAD GUYS release that they did. Too bad those editions didn't have the 4K disc. What's up with that?

Anyways, one thing that really struck me about PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, more so than most of the aspects it has been getting heaps of praise for... Whether it's the themes of valuing one's life and realizing that those who care about you are more important than some perceived glory, or the filmmakers' willingness to go quite hard with a story that's suitable for most children to watch, or the absolutely cool look of the movie... The thing that struck me, personally... I pointed out in my Letterboxd review and another post on here...

There's such a lovely, airy, dreamy, borderline-ethereal tone to this movie that I feel is completely unique to this one movie in the SHREK franchise. It still keeps some of that old-school adventure movie vibe that the first PUSS IN BOOTS movie was going for (Zorro/Three Musketeers/spaghetti westerns/etc.), and it taps back into the SHREK movies' farcical fairy tale stuff (but executes it differently), but the vibe they go for here felt fresh and new. The SPIDER-VERSE-inspired visuals and animation techniques certainly add to that, as it does eschew the ornate detailing of the other SHREKs/PUSS IN BOOTS Uno - and most computer animation films made for a good 20 years, from TOY STORY up until this past decade - for something more like a painted storybook illustration. But no, by the middle of the movie, I was really wrapped up in this movie's feel. Like, even that final shot of Far, Far Away... It just felt so different from what we've seen and known, and if SHREK 5 looks/feels like this does? Hoooo mama.

It ignited so much of my imagination while watching, the way a really striking movie does. I've always loved the fantastical of all kinds, and the dreamy fairy tale aesthetic is one I've always had a soft spot for. The bright colors, magic being everywhere, occasional threat and darkness, beauty in the ethereal, stories operating on dream-like logic more so than a conventional plot. The latter example, I feel, is what separates this movie from SHREK 1-4 and the first PUSS. Those are more conventionally plotted, with fantasy characters and weird elements in them, THE LAST WISH veers more towards the dreamlike quality of a fairy tale. That's especially true of the entire block of the movie that takes place within "The Dark Forest", whatever that dimension may be. But even the scenes outside of that are a bit like that, too. Puss' battle with the giant in Del Mar goes from a Three Musketeers actioner to, like, SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS or something. The filmmakers use animation to transport us into Puss' mind, his feelings, how he's experiencing his "legendary" fight with a behemoth! Hence the flourishes like the dashing lines and effects, the anime-inspired action beats, and so on.

I'm tangenting here, in true form. But yes, the dream-like storytelling, embracing the unreal qualities... It's part of why I love, say, the early Disney animated films of the Walt years so much. Or something like Marcell Jankovics' SON OF THE WHITE MARE (a film that I highly recommend if you've never seen it, it will completely boom your mind open to what an animated fantasy film could look and feel like). It's refreshing to see fantasy like that still thriving...

So, this brings me to... Of all things... SPYRO THE DRAGON.

SPYRO THE DRAGON played an important role in my life as a creator and artist, and I'm not only talking about the original trilogy of games developed for the PlayStation by Insomniac in the late 1990s, I'm talking about the first game specifically.

The original SPYRO THE DRAGON indeed feels kind of sparse and minimal compared to its much-more involved sequels, but part of me really loves it for that... The environments are certainly less populated and feel kind of lonely, I do love and enjoy the company we get in SPYRO 2: RIPTO'S RAGE (GATEWAY TO GLIMMER for any fellow Europeans reading) and SPYRO: YEAR OF THE DRAGON... Yet in a weird way, that almost services everything else. Stewart Copeland's score is also minimal in a way, airy and less genre-buffet like the later games are. Like in SPYRO 2, you have levels like "Zephyr" where the soundscore goes from an acoustic piece with all this weird stuff going on in the background to a completely out-of-the-blue banjo solo, like *that is* great stuff... But in the first game, it's a lot more straightforward. For each and every home world and its individual levels, rather than one level having a wildly eclectic piece of music accompanying it. The Artisan world is cozy and inviting, as a more homey and first hub world should be. The Magic Crafters and Dream Weavers worlds feel so airy and magical, the Peace Keepers world is a little more assertive and harsher in its score given its militaristic desert setting and quite buff dragon population. The Beast Makers' world is shadowy and eerie, yet still effective and beautiful in a way I might not be able to really articulate. Other than that, there are fairies and magic all around, whirlwinds that take you places, all sorts of weird-looking enemies...

SPYRO THE DRAGON feels like a PlayStation One fairy tale. If something like CRASH BANDICOOT was an adventurous Looney Tunes/Tex Avery homage, then SPYRO 1 is a fairy tale. SPYRO 2 and 3 bring it more into fantasy adventure/cartoon territory. What with talking cheetahs and professor moles and more advanced worlds and such. Think levels like Robotica Farms and Metropolis and such. That isn't to say SPYRO 1 didn't have some of that, though. After all, the Beast Makers world was home to Gnorc enemies using electricity, and the final boss in that world was a giant robot using electrified poles to make it operate. But I feel that outside of those few elements, SPYRO 2 and 3 pushed further in a different direction. Again, you have characters like Hunter and the Professor and things like the roller coaster/carnival attractions in Dragon Shores, tech-based levels, silly things like farm animals with saucers and laser guns waging war on a robot city, etc. Like, SPYRO 2 and 3 feel like Disney TV Animation cartoons from the 1987-1994 period, and other such adventure cartoons. The likes of DUCKTALES, TALESPIN, etc. And I mean that in the best way possible. But for comparison's sake, SPYRO 1 is more SNOW WHITE and SLEEPING BEAUTY and early Disney animated films like those, SPYRO 2 & 3 are more Disney Afternoon cartoons. And yet, some of that dream fairy tale quality is not lost in the sequels. One level in SPYRO 3 that always stuck out to me was Charmed Ridge, like it could've very well have been plucked out of the first game if not for the absence of bigger dragons to rescue and the abundance of characters you just wouldn't see in the first game.

But then you strip away the dreamy feel of SPYRO 1, and you've got a stock cartoon set-up. In fact, the bookend cutscenes in the game show the adult dragons being interviewed, complete with boom mics and an offscreen voice saying "Ok, rolling-" It's not taking itself too seriously. Actually, I thought the REIGNITED TRILOGY version of SPYRO 1 did something clever by having Gnasty Gnorc be watching all of this on TV. In the original, he seemed to have overheard the dragons calling him "ugly" and such from faaaaar away... In REIGNITED, he's watching the live interview on an old-fashioned TV. The one element that clashes with the otherwise fantastical, medieval/fairy tale times setting of the first game. Going back to the PS1 version the first SPYRO game, it's understandable. This was Insomniac's 2nd ever game, and their first major success commercially. SUPER MARIO BROS., SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, and CRASH BANDICOOT are kind of barebones first installments when you get down to it, with the sequels adding more and more cool stuff and expanding the worlds/stories along the way, as their respective developers have learned more from their experiences making the first one. Lather, rinse, repeat. So yes, SPYRO THE DRAGON is quite simple: Evil guy with scepter freezes all of your kind and turns your world's treasure into bad guys, standard collect-a-thon set-up. It's 2 & 3 where things get fleshed out more.

So... SPYRO THE DRAGON... PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH... What's the connection outside of how I personally link them up based on some similar qualities?

Well, I would love to see an animated SPYRO THE DRAGON movie. Or a TV series. Anything.

It's a purple dragon with a bit of an attitude that torches bad guys and lives in a cool fantastical world, what's **not** to animate? It's shocking that even Crash Bandicoot doesn't have a feature or a cartoon series. I get it, these things are complicated. SUPER MARIO BROS. got a live-action movie adaptation in 1993 that did so badly, that Nintendo pretty much ruled out big-time movie adaptations of their properties, excluding POKEMON. That a big-time animated Mario movie is coming out now, in 2023, says a lot. Nintendo was super-protective of their IP for so long, and THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE's success (it's inevitable) could only mean more Nintendo movies and shows down the line. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG got the big-time movie treatment merely 3 years ago in the form of a live-action/animation hybrid, then a second movie last year, and now there's a third movie on the way. Lots of other video game adaptations were live-action movies, some with lots of VFX animation and some not so much... Most of them did either so-so or poorly. The 2020 Jeff Fowler-directed SONIC THE HEDGEHOG movie and this new SUPER MARIO BROS. film from directors Mike Jelenic and Aaron Horvath mark a major change in video game movies, I feel. This isn't merely a once-in-a-few-years modest success like the 1995 MORTAL KOMBAT movie or the 2001 LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER movie, or a video game-inspired movie like FREE GUY or READY PLAYER ONE, to say nothing of Disney Animation's WRECK-IT RALPH duology... No, I feel Mario and Sonic themselves have possibly... Broke the dam, and the flood is gonna flooooow-

But, I always wanted to see a SPYRO THE DRAGON movie... And I feel, post-SPIDER-VERSE, post-MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES, post-BAD GUYS, post-LAST WISH, post-ARCANE, etc. etc. We're now in this era of painterly, beautifully-stylized computer animation films... I would say CG or CGI films for short, but it's weird using the term "computer-generated" in a day and age of what... Ay-Eye is being used for. Ick. Anyways, we're past ornate detailing and hyperrealism, these films are pushing stylization and giving us illustrations, paintings, concept art pieces... But living and moving. THE LAST WISH is the latest in this train of super-cool movies... So then I pictured it... something like SPYRO THE DRAGON done like that!

I know I'd personally love to see it, I feel that style suits it so wonderfully...

#spyro the dragon #spyro #video games #puss in boots #puss in boots the last wish #dreamworks #animated movies #opinions #unorganized thoughts

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fischotterkunst · 1 year

Text

an informal review of "La Tulipe Noire" (1964)

this film named after but NOT based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas, best known for "The Three Musketeers" (to which a character in "The Black Tulip" gives a nod). the theme of "fuck the monarchy AND ALSO fuck cops" is just as strong in this movie, however, and it likewise takes a couple of interesting twists while following the titular vigilante, The Black Tulip.

^^^ ET SON CHEVAL, VOLTAIRE 👏👏👏

The Black Tulip is the alter ego of local nobleman Guillaume de Saint Preux who robs from the rich in the name of the poor. and disrupts aristocrats in various vague ways but mostly robs them. he's famous in the province, beloved by the people and hated by the authorities.

^^^ he plays tag with Voltaire ngl that's cute

during a robbery and subsequent encounter with Head Buffoon/Police Lieutenant Baron La Mouche, Guillaume receives a nasty wound to the face, marking him and thus preventing his appearance in society lest he be recognized. so he sends for his younger brother, Julien, who strongly resembles him and also happens to idolize him. Julien is a revolutionary and gladly agrees to double as Guillaume in public so he can continue his Black Tulip activities without suspicion.

Julien starts out the film as a pathetic little meow meow he's so cute and he's trying so hard ;3; five minutes into the gig, he falls off his horse and is nursed by Actual Goddess, Caro

i literally spent half the movie physically holding my heart as it tried to beat out of my chest like a cartoon character im very in love with you, ma'am.

Caro and her father are also revolutionaries, and when Guillaume gets tired of the charade and tells Julien that he's always just been in it for the money and doesn't give a shit about the poor or the revolution, Julien snatches The Black Tulip role from him like a powdered wig and goes to get fencing lessons from Caro

when she's a 10 AND she can kick your ass with style and grace 😍😍😍

obviously Julien falls in love with her (who wouldn't???) and lemme tell u i haven't cared about a straight couple getting together in a MINUTE but i love these two

the revolutionaries hatch a super sneaky plot to fuck with the monarchy that starts with Julien faking a love note to Prince William from the Marquise and then going to "defend her honor" (the Prince is ugly af she wasn't losing out) in order to assassinate the Prince. said assassination devolves into shenanigans (this is a comedy and they play the Actual Plot and humor together beautifully) i won't spoil the entire rest of the film but i wanted to share some of my personal highlights:

^^^ Caro's dad impersonates the Prince

^^^ Vintage Film Fight Slapstick hell yes

^^^ both Caro and her dad get to do some genuinely badass swordplay (seriously, i love the role Caro has in this film. there's a brief bit in her intro scene where her father mentions he calls her by a masculine name because he wanted a boy, but afterward it is never made an issue of that she's a woman. she's overall equal to the rest of the heroes which really surprised me for a film made in the 60s. if anything they sexualize Guillaume so much more than any of the women in this film. he's running around with his tiddies out for 90% of the scenes he's in.

^^^ ( @ Netease i fully understand the decision to have borrowed the main Black Tulip outfit but next time consider this alternative)

so yeah if you're into bare-chested men covered in their own blood this film ALSO is for u!!!

like i said in a previous post, if you enjoyed The Princess Bride this film is right up your alley in terms of mood and aesthetics. i can definitely tell where the filmmakers and possibly even the author drew inspiration from this movie. 10/10 would recommend and will certainly rewatch again.

#don't mind me i just really adore vintage cinema #the scenery is gorgeous and the dialogue is SO endearingly cheesy #long post #the black tulip #la tulipe #noire #river babbles

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