“Loss of limb, (just one if it helps)”

13 years later and I still can’t believe Dreamworks had the balls to just amputate a 15-year old kid and handled it in like the best way possible.

DreamWorks has always had such mature themes now that I think about it, and they introduced them and handled them in a way that seems so natural to children.

Hiccup’s amputation is such a good example.

DreamWorks didn’t gloss over it either, and even they continued, in every show and every movie from then on, to show what it’s like living with a disability like that. There were some things Hiccup had a harder time doing than before, but in no way did it get in the way of his goals and dreams.

I didn’t understand how important that was when I was a child, watching the movie for the first time, but I understand it now.

DreamWorks has guts, and I’m so happy that they do

My thoughts on episodes 1-3 of Netflix ATLA (SPOILERS):

1. Commander Zhao has middle-aged white guy manager energy. I feel like this man is about to lead me in a team-building exercise

2. Aang having his origin story changed irks me! He ran away impulsively in the original show and got stuck in the ice. In this version, he fully monologs to Appa about his fears, but then just leaves for a joyride and gets stuck. It takes away from the significance of Aang leaving in the first place. When Kyoshi berates him for running away, it doesn't feel right because in this version, he didn't really run - he just got stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time

3. The Zuko that stood on an iceberg during a full Moon and challenged Katara to battle would be absolutely enraged at the Zuko that ran from the conflict in Omashu

4. Also, the fact that Zuko has not mentioned honor yet? What the fuck?

5. Seriously, Commander Zhao has a LinkedIn. He's got great networking skills

6. I miss aggro Katara. This version is way more subdued (though we do get a sibling fight in episode 3) and somehow listening to Aang's weird circular philosophy helps her learn how to waterbend and I don't get it

7. Seeing Aang be joyful is a nice change from the movie that shall not be mentioned

8. If Gram-Gram putting the waterbending scroll in Katara's bag replaces the storyline where Katara says fuck cultural looting and steals one I will scream

9. It's interesting to see Azula so early in the story, but I'm bummed we missed out on the whole blackmail thing with her & Ty Lee

10. Do you think Commander Zhao pays his employees a fair wage? Do you think they have health insurance? 401k matching? Vacation time? Sick days? What kind of benefits does his company offer?

11. This version of Sokka is definitely not silly enough

12. I feel robbed that Aang got to transform into a magical girl but we didn't get a magical girl transformation sequence

13. Also, we were robbed of Sokka crossdressing as a Kyoshi warrior and they are so rude for that

14. The graphic murder of the Airbenders felt. Weird? Wrong? I don't think we needed to see that. The impact it had when Aang arrived at the temple to find all of them gone in the original show felt heavier than in this version. We saw what happened, we know they're all dead. As a kid watching ATLA the first time, I remember feeling hopeful for Aang that maybe he wasn't really the last one. We don't get to feel that with this version

15. They did not understand Uncle Iroh at all. His character is so weird. Maybe it gets better???

16. The pacing is weird but maybe that gets better too???

17. I have never related more than when Ozai just burned that Earth nation dude who was about to start monologing, please shut up in my presence

18. Apparently everywhere has names?? Who decided on these names?

19. As a lesbian I also get horny on main immediately for girls who could definitely kick my ass, Sokka was so real for that

20. Overall I think they lean into the idea that the audience for this show is primarily older than the audience for the original (they're not totally wrong!) but I worry about it losing some of the messaging along the way. Part of the beauty of the original ATLA show was tackling these big, complex issues in a way that both kids and adults could relate to and understand. Anyone who knows me knows I also love Bluey for this, along with a few other shows that do it well. Media like ATLA that tackles the ideas of colonization, genocide, war, and so many other important issues is crucial! I hope that these topics are handled just as well as they were in the original series.

Am I going to watch the whole thing? Probably, yeah. Will I enjoy it? I hope so! It's not terrible, but it's also hard to do a show that has so much nostalgia attached to it in a way that will please all viewers.

If you haven't watched it, I think it's worth a shot. Just don't expect it to be an exact retelling of the original story.

... ⠀⠀יִיִ⠀𝃣 ⠀⠀ writeblr intro ⠀⠀ 💌 ⠀⠀ ── ⠀⠀ ;

hello ! my name is third king january but feel free to call me third or january ( or any other nickname you'd like ) ! i'm a twenty two year old black lesbian pursuing a graphic design major with a minor in art history and creative writing—considering media studies—who uses they/them pronouns !

ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ :⠀ 🍓. i think this may be my third or fourth time trying out a writeblr, but the other attempts didn't go well since i was busy and didn't put a lot of effort into interacting with my mutuals </3. this time around, i really want to be a part of the community and be more supportive of everyone's writing! my goal for this account is to share my wips, any writing, and keep motivated to do more than just stare at a blank document for hours </3.

i'm a big reader and i plan to share some of my recently reads on this blog. please feel free to send me book recs if you think it's something i might like or if you just wanna ramble about something you read that you really liked! my favorite genres are horror, magical realism, fairy tales and fantasy. i love beautiful prose that's almost poetic and ambiguous writing that has you questioning everything until the grand reveal.

my favorite books are: bunny by mona awad, deathless by catherine m. valente, and how to win the time war by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone. the last two books helped me understand the kind of writing style i want to strive for as did poetry !! i don't have a whole lot of fav poems, but worm king's lullaby by richard siken is one that's always spinning in my head.

alongside reading i like manga, webtoons, videogames, and anime. my all time favorite anime is hyouka followed by angel beats and clannad. my favorite webtoon is omniscient reader's viewpoint and i can't recommend it enough. it's soosososo good! ( i started with the webtoon before switching to the novel bc i was too impatient to wait for the updates ) my favorite games are the halo series and oxenfree.

other interests of mine include music, drawing, art, watching youtube videos, journaling, horror movies, and sleeping 😴. i have a few graphic novels / webcomics in my wips so i'm learning how to draw to make them a reality! i also have a video game that's tied to another wip so i'm getting into coding as well !

please never be shy / afraid to tag me in ask games, send me an ask, or even a message! i also have a discord ( username: thirdking ) if you'd like to add me and message me there. also never think or feel like you're bothering me or anything if you wanna say hi or ramble about your interests. i'm always looking to make new friends !! 😁

i ask that minors don't interact or follow !! thank you !!

i have a handful of wips that's been running laps in my head for some time now but these are the ones ( excluding shorter stories ) that aren't multimedia projects or animation ideas, but i may talk about those anyways 😋 since most of these are still in the outlining stage they're subject to change but i'll make sure to update anything to reflect those changes !

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip one ; spring ( technically untitled but springs gna be in the final title )

the story follows two ex band mates reconnecting in their adult years after they parted ways when their front man signed a major record deal.

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip two ; sisyphus

sisyphus stars three siblings at the center of a conspiracy 1!1!1 the oldest sibling, an astronaut, goes missing during a privately funded space mission embarking to a new planet found in the solar system. i wouldn't call this a greek retelling, but it does a feature a lot of nods to classic greek myths!

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip three ; atwe

atwe follows the mother of a teen superhero getting revenge after her kid is killed by an unknown villain. though it's my own special take on superheroes featuring my personal criticisms on teen heroes, it's also a study on family—in particular—distant family relations and saying i love you a little too late.

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip four ; march marchen ( title will definitely change )

march marchen is my sort of alice in wonderland / fairy tale retelling that follows an unnamed girl in what might be wonderland trying to figure out who she is and who she isn't. ft parallel worlds, escapism, the fear of childhood, and the fear of adulthood.

📝 𖹭 ⠀ֵ⠀ wip five ; neapolitan ( title will definitely change )

neapolitan is a magical girl webcomic / graphic novel. the story follows a trio of girls becoming the successors of a long line of ice cream inspired magical girls. ft a bright fun palette, gore, and cannibalism! though it's a webcomic, i intend to give it a novelization from the perspective of a different set of magical girls.

if you'd like to be added to a taglist please send me an ask! it'll be easier for me to keep track ! thank you for reading <3

So RWRB was a movie with some discourse...

In all honesty, the discourse has bugged me more than any issues with the film itself. I get a film adaptation not living up to personal expectations set by a book is... a response that people have, but the fact some people have been trying to convince people it's not worth watching bothers me.

Don't get me wrong, I've seen all of the love for it too and I know the antis for the film are definitely in the minority. No one can control how anyone relates or who is allowed to enjoy a piece of media, but the sheer hatred I've seen from some of the people on here for the film hurts a bit to see. The arguments seem to be no deeper than "x character was removed" , "there's these plot holes" and "it's too formulaic" that last one of which I feel was kind of the point: it's a formulaic romcom so that queer people can have a fairy tale romance story like the straight ones that get shoved down our throats from a young age by companies like Disney. McQuiston, an NB writer, has gone on record stating that a huge reason why they write is to feature queer identities and make stories that people like them would have liked to read and feel represented by when they were younger.

If this was a straight Hallmark romcom (which tbf, it basically is in terms of story structure, and I low-key love it because of that) it wouldn't have made so much as a blip on most people's radars. But because it features queer characters the threshold for scrutiny seems to have been dropped to the floor (insert "Get Low" joke here). I can get having criticisms of the film, I have a few myself, but the attempt to convince people the film is bad and to disregard it as a whole because of them ignores the positive qualities, what the film means to people in the queer community, what its success can lead to in terms of representation for underrepresented people in the community (Ace, bi, NB, trans, etc.), and an understanding of intricacies that go into adaptation.

At the end of the day, this film was competently made (and in my opinion, well made) by a gay director with an inclusive team and a deep care for both the source material and an understanding of what the film would mean for millions of viewers. It featured experiences and themes that are common to many people in the community with several very poignant messages that actually have huge metatextual implications with the film (The "forced conformity of the closet" quote sticks out in particular to me: the number of op-eds speculating Nick and Taylor's sexualities and how they've been mum about them makes me think a lot of people missed that one; also looking at you, people that forced Kit Connor out of the closet 😒)

The film is a celebration of love featuring characters that people like me and others in the community can relate to. Is it formulaic? Yes. Did they remove some characters to try and create a tighter narrative focused on the main romantic pair? Yes. Is it overly cheesy and so unrealistically sweet that it will give me diabetes? Delightfully so.

So ending on a positive note, I just want to run down some things I've loved about it:

- An mlm story with an actual happy ending that features adult main leads! (Credit to youth stories, they're important, but as an adult it's hard to relate to teenage characters sometimes)

- The charisma both TZP and NG just radiate throughout the movie

- Sarah Shahi eating the absolute SHIT out of every scene she's in (Touch her and die)

- Same for Rachel Hilson

- Uma Thurman and Stephen Fry (enough said)

- The acting overall was fantastic

- The care and work put into intimate scenes and inclusion of an intimacy coordinator

- On a personal level, I loved seeing parallels between Alex and Henry's relationship and the relationship I have with my husband. For the first time in my 30 years I actually see a little of myself in an uplifting and happy piece of media and not portrayed as a dramatic tragedy, villain, or inconsequential background character.

Tl;Dr if you didn't like the movie, that's your opinion. I'm not here to try and convince you otherwise. But please stop trying to convince people it shouldn't be watched. Regardless of your opinion, this film means a lot to a lot of people, including the author of the original book! Just let us enjoy this imperfect, but tasty cheese with our w(h)ine ❤️

Same anon and what you said about the desire for a healthy relationship for D vs Sansa because of their respective ages and experience in canon is sooooo true I never thought of that. I definitely think that contributes to my feelings about it. I also totally agree with what you said wrt to powerlessness and Sansa because they hate show!Alicent for the same reason. For me it doesn’t make Sansa boring or frustrating but actually more relatable but in an uncomfortable way. Sansa reflects a lot about me. I am a romantic, gentle-hearted person. I daydream a lot and I’m prone to idealization and have had a lifelong fixation on romance and relationships. I’m an escapist who loves movies and songs and books and an artist. I’m an aesthete with a strong sense of style. And I’ve always felt trapped by the expectations of femininity but have not been strong enough to meaningfully reject them (besides, there are some I actually enjoy, like having long hair). I was an ugly duckling around Sansa’s age so I think there’s a bit of disconnect I feel because of that, but I grew into someone that people generally consider to be very beautiful and it feels like a cage at times. My life has been marked by both older men and male peers idealizing me, using me, preying upon me, listing after me, etc. I have taken back a lot of that power and healed a lot but I still hurt and I still feel the heavy burden of the male gaze that makes me feel I must perform. Sometimes I fear that beautiful is all I am and I’m cursed to be wanted but never loved. And Sansa reflects this all so so well and I think the fact that she’s still in the throes of it all just lampshades these aspects of me and my life to myself in a way that’s uncomfortable. She doesn’t reflect much upon it in canon but I imagine being a warg whose wolf died makes it feel like there’s this emptiness inside you, something missing, that everyone else seems to have (because their animal is alive or because they are not skinchangers) and that feeling that you’re missing a piece somehow is also so relatable to me.

Last thing: it seems like Sansa fans are generally much more sympathetic to me as a Sansa and D fan than D fans are. I’ve been accused of only pretending to be a D fan despite my entire blog theme being based on her character, just because I accept the likely possibility of villain D. Whereas Sansa fans seem to have an attitude of “you like Sansa? I like Sansa too! Not everyone loves Jonsa, that’s okay!” I wish more fans could be more willing to interact and engage with people who have different opinions and interpretations. I even follow people who hate D because they have other opinions that I agree with! And I think that’s normal!

(continuation of this convo)

Oh, reading this message I can certainly understand why her story would feel triggering to you in some regards. Many Sansa fans identity with her in this way. She's like us or has experienced things we have too. Sansa's story is simply inundated with adult men lusting after her. It’s tiresome to have all the men perv on her. The Hound, LF, Tyrion….Dontos and Marillion...so many! I imagine the pressure to perform/live up to exacting standards is something we have each experienced as well, but for many, the failure to do so is prolly what makes Arya more relatable, whereas Sansa is trapped by her dedication to the role, the work she puts into that dismissed, and the damage that burden has done to her ignored.

I actually think the fear of being wanted, not loved, is quite poignant in Sansa's story (wanted for her beauty or wanted for her claim), and that is why I believed she will have a romance on the page because this is a major issue in her story that needs to be resolved. Even while I understand all the squicks around Jonsa, over and over, we realize, part of how all women are victimized in this world is that they're all a means to an end. A prophecy baby, an ally, a castle...Sansa is going to be our opportunity to see someone love her for herself, care about the girl as an individual, not only for her own personal fulfillment, but as a way to address this problem in their world. And obvy, the guy who will do that is Jon who has a) already refused to take her claim, b) already helped a girl escape a marriage in which she was being used as a means to an end, c) already been recognized as Sansa's hero in the the the text (Slynt's severed head). There are other characters we might love and want good things for, but this particular issue will be answered in her storyline. There's groundwork for it.

Even though I pointed to Dany’s past sexual relationships as a reason fans are primed for her to have a healthier one, I actually think Martin was using it for a different purpose which doesn’t bode well for her at all. He said a certain series of essays got her completely right and I pulled some quotes from them:

(link)

Obviously, the fandom at large doesn’t agree, Dark Dany is a big no-no, but I believe they’re very wrong about that and setting themselves up for disappointment.

She doesn’t reflect much upon it in canon but I imagine being a warg whose wolf died makes it feel like there’s this emptiness inside you, something missing, that everyone else seems to have (because their animal is alive or because they are not skinchangers) and that feeling that you’re missing a piece somehow is also so relatable to me.

Absolutely. I think a lot of people feel this way. Most people have a period of searching because we have a sense that there is more, that we are more, even if we don't have such a clearly defined aspect of ourselves stolen.

Thank you for the follow-up message, anon. I enjoyed reading it, and I hope you can curate a little corner of the fandom that you're able to enjoy!

Because someone already asked those questions about your fav anime/manga, can I ask your top 5 favorite western animations (can be movies or series)? Why love them?

Certainly you can dear anon ^7^

So some of my favourite western animations of all time include

1) Tangled

Why do I love it so much? Well it has been my absolute comfort movie since I was like 10 years old and watched this movie in theatres with my older sister. I also highly relate to Rapunzel, both due to her personality and her experiences with Mother Gothel. Also to this day I fully stand by the believe that Flynn/Eugene and Rapunzel’s relationship is the single most romantic and beautifully written Disney couple in this studio’s entire history. Lastly: THE ANIMATION IS GORGEOUS! And I think few people understand just how ground breaking this movie was in terms if 3D animation as back then animating hair, and most importantly that amount of hair that Rapunzel has, was a nightmare to animate in 3D, so the Studio had to essentially come up with an entirely new animation program specifically for the protagonist’s hair to move around in a natural way.

2) Lego Monkie Kid

Created by the Australian Studio Flying Bark Productions, the same Studio behind Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this show means EVERYTHING to me. Because one thing rarely talk about on Tumblr: I am OBSESSED with Mythology. Greek Mythology, Roman, Mythology, Yoruba Mythology, Chinese Mythology, Norse Mythology etc. you name it. Like my bookshelf is nothing but Manga, history books and an astronomical amount of mythology and fairytale books. The show follows MK a hyper and optimistic boy as he is chosen to be the Monkey King Sun Wukong’s successor and learning to be a hero. So as you may have gathered this show is not only inspired by chinese mythology but essentially it’s equivalent of what Percy Jackson is to Greek Mythology. What I adore the most about this show are its characters and the GORGEOUS ANIMATION! I swear the fighting animation especially in this cartoon is smoother than butter!

3) The Owl House

Aka "What if Harry Potter was not written by a biggot”. If you’ve seen the pinned post on my blog, you know that Lumity is one of my absolute favourite sapphic ships. But honestly this ship is only the peak of the iceberg for why i adore this show. The beautiful artstyle, Luz’s character arc over the course of the show, EDA SIMPLY EXISTING AND BEING FANTASTIC, the beautiful world building and magic system, Emperor Beloz being an absolute irredeemable asshole in the most entertaining and bone chilling way. Srsly if you can dear Anon, give this show a watch.

4) Infinity Train

An Anthology Series who up until recently you could watch on Max HBO. This show is both delightfully funny and absolutely gut-wrenching and dark. The show essentially follows on a new set of characters each season who all end up getting trapped on a train with an infinite number of cars and they cannot leave the train until they essentially come to terms with and/or face some sort of trauma or other psychological issue they may be struggling with.

And as you may have guessed those themes of working through psychological issues is something that my mentally ill ass highly relates to. Not to mention these are some of the most well handled depictions of mental illnesses in animation i have seen in years. Especially given the show was originally targeted towards children and teenagers. I cannot recommend this show enough.

5) Nimona & Over the Garden Wall

I know you asked for only Top 5 Favourite western Animations but I seriously could not decide which one I prefered so they gotta share the spot. Hope you don’t mind 😊.

Starting with Nimona: I mean what else is there to say about Nimona that has not been said before? Fantastic and unique world building? Check. Absolute comedy gold? Check. Openly Queer characters? Check. Said characters also being absolutely loveable? Check. A heartfelt message for both adults and children? CHECK. Seriously this movie is just gorgeous and on Youtube FOR FREE! Like there is nothing stopping you from watching it right this instant.

Now onto Over the Garden Wall: I come from a country where we don’t typically celebrate Halloween. So due to a lack of direct cultural ties to Halloween I never truly had any super strong interest in Halloween movies and never had the urge around October to bundle up in a blanket and watch those classic Halloween movies and shows, like some of my friends do. The most I did was carve pumpkins with my sister and drink hot cocoa cuz it’s genuinly fun. Until this Mini Series came along. The atmosphere just absolutely perfectly manages to capsulate the feeling of autumn and the eeriness of that season. Far more than any other Halloween Classic in my humble opinion. Also again I’m a huge mythology Nerd and this show is basically Dante’s Inferno for children in very weird way. But yes ever since this show had come out I instantly rewatch it the second the leaves start to fall outside.

My secret fairy gift to @thomtrebond one of the longest analyses I've ever written until now (so much so that I'm still working on this). Truthfully, I was afraid that The Whole Shebang podcast had already said all there was about the Oscar Wilde references in Velvet Goldmine, and it has been a while since I've read The Picture of Dorian Gray, but while writing and doing research for this (I've studied more for this analysis than I ever have for school lmao) I realised things that I hadn't thought of before so this was a surprise for me as well! Also, since this analysis is gonna be split into different parts I'll link them all once I'm done with them. I hope you enjoy your gift <3

Part one: The importance of being Jack Fairy

When thinking about Velvet Goldmine and Oscar Wilde I'm reminded of the first episode of the miniseries "Queers" (2017), although I can't stand Mark Gatiss (Sherlock trauma) this episode is well written and just thinking about it makes me cry. There will be spoilers for the episode in this analysis, so be warned.

For the people that don't care about spoilers here's a small summary of what you need to know to understand this analysis: in the episode, titled "The Man On The Platform", the protagonist, a WWI soldier, gets asked about how gay men recognise each other, and he answers saying:"A certain liquidity of the eye." Later in the episode, he recalls a story from his teen years, while waiting for a train with his family he sees a prisoner getting taken away, he meets the gaze of the prisoner for a second and he feels seen by him and thinks "He knows me for what I am", after that he learns that the prisoner is Oscar Wilde.

In Velvet Goldmine, it's the pin that creates this connection between the characters and Oscar Wilde, Jack is able to find himself and others quite like him after finding the pin, and later we have all the young queer fans relating to Curt and Brian. The movie shows that self recognition through the other is an important aspect of queer communities, having an example of queerness to relate to or be inspired by makes it possible for people to find each other and learn about themselves.

In Jack's case, Oscar Wilde is not only a connection to queerness but also an inspiration for his art. Jack Fairy is the personification of art, specifically born from aestheticism's idea of "art for art's sake" Jack's persona is just that, beauty that exists simply to be beautiful and reveal nothing, the movie adds to this by never making Jack Fairy speak, even during the Death of Glitter concert he's either reciting a poem or singing, the little we know of Jack's inner thoughts is shown in the flashback of him as a child, adult Jack Fairy is a complete mistery to us.

What's interesting about this is that, unlike Brian, we never feel that Jack's persona is a manifactured one, even if we know nothing of him, and his looks and aesthetics are obviously thought out, he still appears much more genuine than Brian. Following Wilde's idea of art as an amoral creation that never expresses anything other than itself (in true wildean paradox fashion Wilde himself doesn't always respect this rule), it then becomes obvious why it doesn't matter if we know nothing about Jack, the way he presents himself is enough to express everything he wants other people to see, he's being truthfull to himself never trying to justify or moralise his art or himself but simply being, any possible reading or interpretation about his persona becomes then nothing more than the viewer's own thoughts or ideas projected onto him and do not necessarily reflect the truth, adding to the allure of his persona and making it a perfectly malleable art medium, free of bounds or expectations (apart from beauty, which is of course what all art, according to Wilde, should strive for).

On the other hand, Brian constantly trying to add a message to his aesthetic ended up being to his detriment since what he was saying was being fed to him through the record company to attract press, not leaving then any room for interpretation and putting strict barriers around his art, and of course to define is to limit causing his entire act and persona to never be as authentic feeling as Jack's. It's clearly artificial but not in a camp way, even if it might have started off that way, the alien and uncanny later becomes fake the same way advertisement is, planned and trying to get your attention for money, reaching the peak of uncanny valley with Tommy's way too pristine looks and character.

But even after having roasted him I have to admit that Brian's character has a much bigger connection to Wilde's work than Jack does, since Jack's story is more inspired by Divine from Genet's "Notre-Dame-des-fleurs", even having a scene from the book remade almost exactly in the movie, with Jack it makes more sense to compare him to Wilde himself since, just as Wilde became one of the major exponents of aestheticism and homosexuality in England, in the movie Jack is one of the original inspirations of the Glam Rock movement and an iconic figure in the queer community of the 60s and 70s, so of course he'd be the one to find the pin and carry the legacy of Oscar Wilde.

Tune in next whenever I post it to see me roasting Brian more in part two

My top 5 bird-themed movies because why not

Okay, you guys I'm very excited about Illumination's new movie "Migration for a ton of reasons, but the main reason is that I love ducks. I'm personally, as a Chicken Run fan, NOT excited about Chicken Run 2 because I feel like they're going the wrong direction with it. Getting a new director, firing most of the old voices actors, and then Netflix taking over the ownership? No thanks! I'll still give it a try though. Here are my top 5 favorite bird themed movies, and why

(Chicken Run, 2000) I love this movie mainly because of the message and the fact that it tackled some heavy subjects in a family friendly way. The humor is really well done, like most DreamWorks movies, and the voice acting is amazing! I don't recommend it for children as much, but I'd say the age rating to start watching, is maybe 10-12 or older? It's a bit dark but it's still a beautiful movie and there's a character that almost everyone can relate to!

(Storks, 2016) Okay, this one is more for children and family, but has a few subtle jokes that mostly adults will understand,. I personally think it still has an amazing message about the lives of people come before objects and also that family isn't always birth given, adopting kids they're still family. And of course, the characters are very fun and adorable. Compared to most teen-young adult girls in animated movies, I really love Tulip's design. They don't make her too "sexy" but still make her look cute, she dresses plain, and she's a total goofball. I personally love seeing more female characters like that.

(Rio, 2011) You guys know this one's a cult classic! My mom and I loved this one a lot and were sad when Disney shut down BlueSky Studios. The movie is still incredibly underrated, although it has a strong fanbase of 2000s-early2010's kids! The music in the movie is incredible, the visuals and scenery is gorgeous, and it actually makes you want to travel to Rio! I feel like they tried to show the culture in the best way they could, even though I'm not an expert, they did it in sort of a subtle way, but still enough that it makes you admire it!

(Duck Duck Goose, 2018) This is an adorable and underrated movie for the family, even though the villain may be a bit scary at times! I love how it focuses mostly on the animals, I love when movies focus mostly on the animals to the point that you forget the humans are there, but they still do show humans sometimes. The humans don't have like, speaking lines or anything. Also, the characters are adorable! Peng's character really reminds me of Rocky from Chicken Run, but a little more childish and care free. A better comparison to Peng would be Otis from Barnyard, at first he acts like he wants to party all the time, but then learns to become a man by the end of the movie. The ducklings, Chi and Chao, are so adorable! Chi's a very loving and helpful big sister, and she's voiced by Zendaya! Also, Stephen Fry voices one of the crane brothers (or maybe they're gay cranes? I have no idea...). The voice acting and characters are so amazing in this movie, and the scenery is also so gorgeous! The humor is also on point, and you'll love the little squirrel character! I also think this movie is good for maybe 6 and up, depending on how used to movies the kid is. My 6 year old self didn't have that kind of attention span yet but some kids are different. Anyway, I just consider it a good movie for the whole family!

(Ploey you Never Fly Alone, 2018) Okay, this one can be a bit sad but also has a pretty good story. I'm personally not too comfortable with kids having love interests in movies/shows, like kids that are younger than teenage. Because they're birds and have no confirmed age, you can feel however you want about the Ploey and Ploveria relationship. I'm only uncomfortable about it because they both sound young and it wasn't much time after Ploey hatched from an egg when they met, but again, they're birds. It's still a beautiful movie with fun characters and really talented voice acting! I put it at the bottom of the list because it's not one of my first choices, but I haven't seen it in a while. You may have different feelings about it. I think i recommend this movie more for 10 and up, it does have some emotional moments though. It's not really funny or anything either, so I don't recommend it for parties or family movie nights. If you love bird themed movies and have a friend who does, it's something nice that you can watch together when you're not busy.

I hope you like the movies I recommended, and let me know what you think in the comments! I love to chat!

Which Disney movies do you like most?

Zootopia is one of my all-time favorites, the way the fur is animated, the way they updated everything it looks so clean and polished and the story was absolutely important for the times and there is so much opportunity to expand this world.

Elemental covered this later on in Pixar's side Elemental covered the personal side while Zootopia showed the whole societal effects of racism and judgment especially within a police force which back in 2016 was a huge debate as George Floyd had just happened and it still is to this day with the Black Lives Matter Movement and Free Palestine

Another one that completely changed my life was Meet the Robinsons, the quote that ran through the movie, Keep Moving Forward, that's actually my motto,

“Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”- Walter Elias Disney

It is such a poignant quote that everybody forgets,especially in a world where we can easily stagnate and stay in one place thinking the same idea over and over. It developed into my belief

Keep moving forward for tomorrow is going to be a better day. Tomorrow is going to be better, and I have lived by those words since I was 8 and saw this film,

This film also showed me what a family really should be, that despite your quirks and how weird you may be they don't flinch they don't get angry

yeah your parent may get annoyed if you time travel when you shouldn't, but you know there's a logical reason behind that haha

I didn't have the best family growing up I have an amazing mother and father now but back then I didn't know what a healthy family looked like until Meet the Robinsons showed me which is why it's so dear to my heart nowadays.

Brother Bear is another one that I absolutely loved as a kid and especially as an adult from the visuals to the story

Brother Bear is another one like Zootopia that has a poignant message for everyone in 2024 look through another's eyes before you judge them and do something that is irreversible that you may regret especially if that person has done something to you and you don't know the full story.

Walk in another's shoes before you scorn them, even though it may be the most exhausting Journey you've been on, you still come out of it, understanding a little bit more about that person

And the visuals of this film are still some of the highlights of Disney the Transformation scene between the music provided by the Bulgarian women's choir and the absolutely stunning animation from Disney come together in a spectacular Feast for the viewer it's a scene I watch repeatedly.

Treasure Planet is near and dear to me as someone who grew up with a single mother I know Jim's mother's frustration and just trying to make it I always felt heartbreak for her when she lost everything,

I saw my own mother in her when she had to let her baby go to go on this journey hoping that it may be what he needs to grow.

And Jim's song I'm still here I was raised without my father my biological father he's a sweet man but unfortunately my stepmother it's a classic Cinderella tale she runs the house and treats us his biological kids like shit,

And so I used to listen to I'm still here on repeat because I related to that, especially as my stepdad came into my life my mom found her happiness finally and I didn't know exactly how to react

all the men in my life had been bad and here was this man reaching out with a gentle kind hand and I didn't know whether to bite at him or allow him to get close for fear of being hurt again.

This movie weirdly mostly helped me through a lot, understanding that it's okay to heal and move on, that there was nothing you could do, just be grateful for the parent or parents you do have.

Shout out to Onwards for having a similar effect with me. Especially at the end, I cried with the stepdad because all I could picture was my own stepdad, who is just as big a goof as the police chief is.

Atlantis the Lost Empire is another one I just like watching because it's funny and it's one of my favorite films visually and story wise. It was so unique and out of the box that this is one of the rare films I really do hope they take to live action, especially my most favorite scene out of every single Disney catalog which is The Crystal Chamber Scene

That scene still gives me goosebumps that moment where Kida walks on the water and says Matem fun fact I can actually say her full name

The way Milo's head slightly nods when she says what she says you think as a kid he really didn't catch it but as an adult you catch that moment and you realize he did he just lied to Rourke

The lighting, the animation and the music oh the music is powerful It's haunting it's ethereal this to me is Disney at its Peak right then in there in that moment

The jokes of this film are top notch and again the animation is just so unique and stunning

ok i was sleep deprived tweeting about this but i got at least 6 hours of sleep last night so im ready to approach this with a degree of normalness. anyway remember when i said i was going to start shipping bloombolt ironically. well lets just say ive been thinking about things they have in common LMFAO but you’re likely unsurprised this is actually my way of saying Here’s How ShigeGou Can Still Win-

ANYWAY THE POINT BEING. goh? terrible friend. god he sucks. actually, chloe doesn’t even consider him a friend, at least not to his face (probably because he thinks friends are a hinderance to his goals and he’s got a lot of problems that make him think he doesn’t need friends he just needs to be the Bestest Coolest Guy Ever Who Knows Everything About Pokemon). in their debut episode they are 6 years old and she introduces him as someone who “hangs around my dad’s lab a lot” (possibly could be “comes to play at my dad’s lab a lot,” which isn’t REALLY much better - still holds the implication that he comes to play with her dad’s pokemon or his cool pokemon-related technology rather than her). she says to professor oak she invited him to pokemon camp simply because he’s always at her dad’s lab and she knew he’d like it.

ok now hear me out here. aside from the fact that she doesn’t EVER call herself goh’s friend, there is zero indication that chloe dislikes goh. actually, she tries pretty hard for him! she clearly likes him, or at least feels bad for him because she can tell he’s lonely (i theorize this is because he’s just like her. that her father’s status as what professor oak himself in this same scene calls A GENIUS has resulted in her feeling somewhat isolated. it’s probably in that “adults always want to talk about how great my dad is and the other kids pick up on it and think i’m Weird And Annoying because all our teachers and their parents seem to think i’m Special” way). it seems that her refusal to acknowledge that they Are friends stems more from the fact that she is aware - perhaps from experience - that attempting to establish that they Are friends will only make him push back, and maybe push her away. she is playing a game with rules that he decided on because his Complex is so ingrained in him even at 6 years old that he tells her to her face I Don’t Need Friends >:(

if this is sounding at all familiar, perhaps you’ve heard my pallet childhood friends spiel. if not, not to worry, for i wrote all about it here. the tl;dr here however is that whether or not ash and gary being childhood friends who go like see movies together or whatever is a late-series addition, there’s actually no good reason to think they DON’T have some kind of established relationship prior to the season one pilot. actually, it seems more as though gary has made the decision for the both of them that it’s time to stop being kids and start being serious - on the day they get their first pokemon, he declares ash his rival and begins calling him satoshi-kun in order to establish that we are not friends, you don’t take this seriously and so i won’t take you seriously until you show me you’re worth being my rival.

you could argue ash isn’t as understanding as chloe, so rather than you know, bringing him his homework and whatnot, he just gets pissed off. HOWEVER, they actually both do the same thing: reach out, constantly, and get rejected over and over. in jn002 goh stands chloe up and then when he finally responds to her messages all he says is essentially “i’m doing something more important than that, sorry” and her reaction is “he always does this.” likewise, ash takes gary’s rival declaration seriously! every time he sees the guy, he wants to battle, to prove himself to him (that he’s worthy, that he’s better than gary thinks, etc etc). for a good 200 or so episodes, every time gary shows up, all he does is walk away from ash. barring that, making fun of him for being no good at battling, yet never actually engaging him in a battle to prove it. the first time gary actually tries to battle him is after they’ve both received eight (uh. or ten) gym badges. the first time they actually battle is way after that. and then he wins and continues to just walk away again, until pretty close to the end of the johto arc (though there’s a little more respect there).

anyway the parallel is pretty obvious. at least to me. there's something deeply wrong with them both <3 which is why then in the project mew arc, who is the one telling goh that he has to be good at teamwork? that he has to learn to cooperate with people in order to achieve his goals? obviously ash is the one who taught goh about The Meaning Of FriendshipTM, but gary occupies a unique position of actually understanding why this is a skill he needs to work on, because it's something he had to learn the hard way too.

on the other hand! ash and chloe have their own fun solidarity: world's shittiest, most emotionally repressed childhood best friend who is allergic to the word friend to begin with

Ok so I recognize this will be controversial but it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot the last few years with how media criticism has evolved

Things made for adults don’t have “lessons”

They have themes, messages, motifs. Sometimes those things are profound and meant to make the audience think and reflect, sometimes it’s as simple as having a good time while you engage with it. But the writers do not sit down to write something for grown adults and think about the lesson they are trying to teach the audience about how they should act like it’s a children’s story about sharing your toys or not being jealous of a new baby

You can disagree with a message, or say it was executed poorly, or just flat out not like it. But that is different from that thing existing to teach adults a moral lesson. If an adult is watching a tv MA show or an R movie with the idea that they are meant to learn how to live their lives from these characters and should emulate their actions, that’s the fault of that adult not the writers

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people say “50 First Dates is terrible because it teaches you that tricking and taking advantage of someone with a mental disability for your own ends is ok!” And my dude if you watch an Adam Sandler movie and think that it is meant to guide you on your path rather than just be a weird 90 minute What If scenario then again, that is your fault not the movie

You can say you think the story is messed up, you can say it has just a slew of awful things in it not even related to the main love story, you can say you don’t think it’s a What If scenario that is ok to put depict. But it is very clearly not meant to be a movie you emulate

It’s one thing if it’s YA because it’s geared towards teens who are still forming complex understandings of the world and often assume what they see and read is meant to be normal, but again that’s YA not something designed for adults

Not gonna mention the show but a lot of people have been upset that the latest season was teaching people not to deal with their problems, that they should forgive abusers because being upset is your problem, that certain ways of acting and dealing with things was bad. And that show may have all those things as a message, I don’t know, or maybe it was trying to get something else across and it failed. But those are criticisms very different from the idea that the show is meant to teach people who are traumatized how to deal with that trauma. It may have had messages about what the writers think, and you may disagree or think they got the message across poorly, but that is very different from this being an after school special about how to deal with an abusive boyfriend

Idk I just think people feel like saying “this message is bad” or “I don’t like this idea” isn’t strong enough when something upsets them so they go to the next level which is the idea that it is purposely harming society at large

If Hunter was involved in the plot, would Quaritch either openly or secretly favor one child over another? If so, which one and why? Would Lyle and Zdog also be Hunter's godparents (I don't remember if Zdig was the Spider's godmother, please correct me if I'm wrong) or would someone else be chosen for this role?

So in this Spider has a sibling Cabin in the Woods Au, Quaritch wouldn't favor one child over the other because he's just happy to have both of his sons with him. I do think the father/son dynamics would be very different though.

Spider is Quaritch's first born. I'm no parent but from what I understand having your first child just hits different then the rest. In the beginning Spider tried to verbally fight Quaritch every chance he got. Quaritch just laughed at him, his son's feistiness reminding him of his late wife. The fight would drain out of Spider when his father didn't challenge him back. He was use to adults yelling at him for "misbehaving" (defending himself) but his father didn't even seem to care. Add to that Quaritch whispering in his ear about how Hunter was adopted by a nice family while he was left to rot. Reminding him of every major/minor act of neglect he suffered in the foster care system. Reinforcing that they are the happy family that Spider has always wanted. It all works to quickly and effectively brainwash Spider. And once Quaritch gets Spider to fall in line he is the model oldest child. Responsible, respectful, kind, looks after his younger brother. Quaritch puts a lot of trust into him and the brainwashed Junior loves that, always doing his best to make his father proud.

Hunter due to the circumstances surrounding his birth is the miracle baby along with being the actual baby of the family. Quaritch wouldn't coddle him though. He actually really hates how Hunter's adoptive parents raised him, thinking that they made him soft so once he trust the boys to not immediately run off the moment he opens the door, Quaritch starts encouraging Hunter to go outside and be rougher. To play tag with his brother and not care if he gets dirty or skins his knees. To climb trees if he wants to. To be loud and active. Everything his adoptive parents would never allow. Everything he had always wanted to be. This makes Hunter feel accepted in a way he never did before, especially with his big brother there who encourages him like their father but is just easier to talk to and be around. It's all over once Quaritch gets into his head turning Hunter against his adoptive parents. After that, Hunter becomes a lot more rowdy, but is still respectful to his father and trails after Spider like a baby duck.

As for godparents your right that Spider's godparents are Lyle and Z. But for Hunter I'm not sure. Because I don't think you pick that same people as godparents for both of your kids. Unless that's just a catholic thing because of baptisms and all that. If I'm picking someone else for god parents I'd either go Fike or Prager for godfather. I guess Walker would be my only option for godmother, though I've never cared to write about her since she died so early in the movie. But in Quaritch's will Lyle and Z are listed as the people who should get custody of his boys should anything happen to him.

Thanks for the question! Feel free to message me with anymore ideas/questions about this au (or anything Avatar related in general) 💞

In Defense of Lady Bird Six Years Later; Just Some Thoughts

Last night I watched Lady Bird for the first time since I was fifteen, and what I gleaned from it made me love the film even more and in a whole new way. While the surface-level message of this film is important, it’s what the film doesn’t say that makes it special to me. I think there are two different ways to view it, how they differ is why there are such strong opinions on this film. One, is Lady Bird is an ungrateful, whiny brat who doesn’t deserve anything and who uses growing up as an excuse for her behavior, and is selfish at the expense of others. The second way to watch, is to see how Lady Bird is lost, growing up, and this is a journey of self-discovery. The best way to watch, is a blend of the two. 

Viewing Lady Bird as an echo of yourself, is how we relate to her. We see the similarities between us and her, as at some point, we acted ungrateful toward our parents, even if we didn’t intend to be. We all wanted to go where the 'culture is' and escape the small town we've been pigeon-holed in. In a sense, Lady Bird serves as a dramatized character who represents our biggest flaws and aspirations as teenagers. Gerwig herself said, "nothing in the movie literally happened in my life, but it has a core of truth that resonates with what I know"--this 'core of truth' being that echo. To me, this film marks itself as a love letter to a younger self, yet a bit critical and satirical of how you behaved back then. You can tell it’s written from a mature perspective. It takes itself seriously, but isn’t afraid to poke some fun, as shown through the humor throughout the film. Growing up and being able to laugh at yourself, but still recognizing what you went through was important at the time and taking it seriously for the sake of your past self—this is what I love about Gerwig! The ability to reflect is so crucial to how we change and grow as people.

You can recognize and sympathize with Lady Bird's struggles and mistakes–But you can also grit your teeth at her actions from a grown point of view that Lady Bird is on the journey to understanding herself. This isn’t a film that tells the story of a girl being ungrateful and then regretful of her decisions and redeems herself at the end.–No, rather it tells a larger story. To me, this film focuses on the bigger picture of growth in her life, instead of just what is presented in the film, highlighting the fact that growth nonlinear. Her arc is not in the film, but it ends with the beginning of it. This film is just a snapshot of her life. It can be frustrating to see how Lady Bird’s insecurities make her hang with the wrong crowd, watching her hook up with asshole Kyle and a man at college, being ashamed of her house and status, and betraying Julie– but that’s how human growth is. We fuck up again and again before we realize it and then really try to change. This change manifests itself at the end through her hit to rock bottom. When she wakes up and realizes it’s time to shed her teenage skin become an adult. this can be seen when she starts to go by christine, and call Marion. She got what she physically wanted by going to college, but inside she’s unfulfilled. Nothing is quite how she thought it would be. Thinking she didn’t get ‘punished’ for her behavior and actions because she got everything she wanted, but in reality, her punishment serves itself on a bittersweet plate. She may have been able to go to her dream school, but at what cost to those around her? Her relationships? Herself? but the ending is the start of recognizing her faults. Lady Bird’s character speaks on the twisted irony of life; we’re never happy with what we have. And what’s more relatable than that, to a teenager? 

I love all the different themes this film highlights as well. It’s not just about growing up, but there is another theme at play; how much our parents did for us. It’s impossible to watch this film without understanding where each character’s heart lies. At minimal, Lady Bird is frustrated nobody takes her seriously, Marion is a hardworking mother who feels under appreciated and grapples with an ungrateful daughter, Larry is the mediator and wants what’s best for Lady Bird but is fighting his own battles as well. Larry and Marion are prime examples of perhaps the selflessness we should all strive for, seen when they tirelessly try to support Lady Bird, and when Larry roots for Miguel going for the same job as him. It’s the type of selflessness you can only gain when you become a parent. If finishing this film doesn’t make you feel like you need to hug your mom or reflect on your own interactions growing up, I’m not sure what will. Lady Bird’s relationship with Marion is one every daughter and mother has experienced to some degree. It’s complex, both are flawed, but ultimately love each other, they’re just not sure how to say it or show it in a way each other will understand. They are constantly missing each other. Lady Bird is headstrong, yet unsure of who she is. She behaves unfavorably but still wants her mom to like her–as we all do, or did as teenagers. While Marion has an idea of who Lady Bird should be and is grappling with Lady Bird’s differences, while tirelessly working and making ends meet for her children. But Marion is trying to understand her, an example is seen when she starts to embrace calling her ‘Lady Bird’ instead of criticizing it. At the end of the film when Lady Bird calls Marion, thanking her, we see a glimpse of who she’s starting to become. And we see Marion trying to communicate with her through the letters. It’s a start. Marion and Lady Bird are finally meeting in the middle, instead of passing each other. 

At the same time as all of this, I think this film is an excellent example of an ‘unlikeable’ and ‘difficult’ girl who should be allowed to tell her own story as well. You don’t have to condone a character's actions and behaviors to understand them. And not to sound too modern-white-feminist here, but her 'unlikeableness' comes from real flawed aspects that all women experience, and while we consume stories about unlikeable men all the time, what makes her different? She has a strong personality and it’s an unapologetic story that deserves to be told. And to the people who feel ‘So what, why should I care? What makes her special?’ after watching, that’s fine. I get where the criticism comes from. But it all just clicks for me. You aren’t supposed to walk out of this film necessarily liking Lady Bird, but understanding her. Understanding the thesis of her character; wanting to be not just loved but liked. Teenage girls man, they’re complicated and I am one. Idk I know I’d get made fun of for thinking this movie is so ‘deep’ and whatever but I just love studying the aspects of these films! Every scene exists for a reason, with no filler. Gerwig incorporates the intricacies of girlhood instead of the surface problems–in all her work too. I just had to get this all out somewhere after rewatching it again for so long. Love you forever Greta & Saoirse!

The Curse of Creativity and the suffering of artists:

"There are tons of people who are just as good as me." - Seiji Amasawa, Whisper of the heart (1995)

Ghibli movies have always had a huge impact on me. Full of quiet sensibilities and easily understood complex concepts; Ghibli movies made my childhood and the person I am today. And despite the cuteness of Totoro, the innocence of Ponyo, the quirky weirdness of Howl's moving castle (the themes of that movie are so intricate too) or the message about hardwork and burnout in Kiki's delivery service, there is one movie that remains in my heart (no pun intended)

"Whisper of the Heart" has taught me so much about myself and the path I am headed. It is the most beautiful, soul-crushing movie I have ever watched not because it has wars and the death of loved ones but because it is relatable and grounded. I can see myself in Shizuko and Seiji, I understand their struggles and dreams. I smiled with them and I cried for them. I related to Shizuko's struggle to see her writing as anything good and Seiji's belief that despite his achievements he isn't anywhere near as good at his skills as some other people.

This movie made me think about the saying I so often hear "Don't suffer for your dreams". While I scoffed at it when an adult said that to me first, now that I am much older and hopefully wiser, the words struck me not as nagging but as a warning.

Suffering doesn't equal great art, some people think that only those who are depressed and mentally ill can make great art, which is completely false. (Although I don't blame those people as many great artists and writers were actually mentally ill, it's not the only thing that makes one a great artist!) You don't have to suffer to be a great artist, you just have to be creative and work hard, there's nothing more to that.

When I was in my most depressed state during the last two years of high school, I wasn't writing or working hard on my book. I was staring at the wall wishing I would disappear. Overcoming that depression led me to write better, work harder, chase my dreams with passion.

During the times where I am stuck in a chapter I can't get through and my brain goes blank, I think to myself if I am actually a good writer or I have been just treading the waters of talent that I don't have. When people call me talented, it makes me squirm, it takes away my hardwork and effort.

Being a creative person is not easy, it's not all sunshine and rainbows where you are constantly getting new ideas. Sometimes it makes my head hurt. Acting on your ideas is not easy. I can think all I want but when it comes to actually writing that idea, I freeze.

Being an artistic person makes you feel self conscious. If anyone will like what I do? Will someone criticize me? What if no one likes my work? What if they judge me? There's someone who is better than me, why should I even bother?

Creativity isn't just a blessing, it's also a curse. It's a double-edged sword.

You should try to achieve the best but not make it your end goal. Life is so much more than success, fame and material goods. I don't write for any of those things, I write for myself and the people I care for. Even if I don't end up publishing any of my novels, I would still write. Never stop dreaming and become monotonous, you don't have to make sure your hobbies earn you money, they should give you peace and happiness.

There are times when I spend too much time in front of my computer typing out another new story when I stop and think back at those words, I don't feel dispassionate, suffering won't make me happy, writing whatever I want would. So I type ahead for some more minutes and take a break. I indulge in the world that I create in my books and make characters that I love more deeply than human beings, but I don't want it to become my life. I would still do normal everyday things and talk to normal everyday people. Work-life balance is utter bullshit and too idealistic, but making sure your work doesn't consume your life is what matters.

Even if I do end up getting an ordinary job and not making my hobby a career, I would not be disappointed.

I am ready to live a life of rationality and pragmatism but I will never accept monotony.

We tried watching Matilda the Musical movie last night.

We got to about 20-30 mins in before we turned it off. 

The 1996 movie was a huge part of my childhood and I adore musicals, so I was very disappointed in this new adaptation I was really looking forward to seeing.

If I had to use a word to describe it, it would be “grating”.

The pacing was horrendous - sudden, jerky jumps from one scene to the next, hurried dialogues, this constant feeling of being in a rush to somewhere that really prevented me from immersing myself in the movie. If it had been my first time seeing the film with no previous knowledge of the source material whatsoever, I think I wouldn’t have been able to remember half the character’s names, much less their backstories or the plot lines. How can you make a movie for CHILDREN without giving them the time to process the information they are receiving through their eyes and ears simultaneously?

The visuals were so, so, so garish and phony. Don’t get me wrong, I love the atmosphere of a colorful, kind of “fake” set (I’m thinking about shows like Pushing Daisies, for instance), but here it just felt like an over-saturated punch to the face. No subtlety whatsoever.

And the worst part was the music for me. There was literally not a catchy tune or line that I can recall. It was so unremarkable and forgettable. The songs all sounded like regular, written lines they forced the children to sing, for some reason. And there were SO MANY of them. Literally a song every couple of minutes! As said at the top, I adore musicals, but it’s not blurting into song every thirty seconds that makes them what they are. If I think back, for instance, to how wonderfully Galavant did it, back in the day, the contrast is even more jarring. So, not only is the pacing dreadfully rushed, not only we get no real introduction to the characters, not only we skip from set to set in the blink of an eye, but now we also have to pay double attention because somebody started singing once again, and if we’re (un)lucky it’s something that has nothing to do with the story or the current situation at all. Oh, and I’m really awfully sorry to say this, but screaming is not singing. Because that’s what the children were doing in my opinion. Screaming. It was nerve-wrecking.

Last of all, I didn’t understand a lot of the choices they made in the movie (in the short time I watched, of course). What was the point of removing Matilda’s brother and adding that librarian lady character (I don’t recall the name), for instance? Matilda’s brother used to be a great point of paragon with which to compare their parents’ behavior, not to mention one of the catalysts to her powers and inner change. The librarian lady was completely pointless to me. I felt they just wanted to point out that Matilda reads in the most obvious way possible, while also omitting completely her hopeful and joyful journey through literature the way the first movie did - “So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.” Also, her presence cheapened the later bond between Matilda and Ms. Honey: if she already had a positive, loving adult presence in her life whom she liked and trusted, what could be new in her relationship with Ms. Honey?

Her parents were one of the biggest disappointments. The horrible abuse they put her through was so downplayed and sanitized - it sounded like the one thing they had against her was that she was not a boy. There was zero backstory to why Matilda was the way she was: we got her already fully formed and ready, with no grounds for us to empathize with or relate to her.

And WHERE exactly was her trauma? Her lonely, painful, scarring childhood? Instead of a shy, fearful, humble, mistreated child I saw a brash, bold, entitled, spiteful little kid, who had no qualms punishing her parents and standing up to just about anyone who disagreed with her, her empowerment more one of loud, brutish sauciness than a heartwarming discovery of trust, self-worth and self-confidence.

Anyway, I’m very sorry, but there was just no magic in it for me. It was very Netflix, very 2022. I don’t think I’m gonna finish it anytime soon.

I think I got away from the subject of theories kkkkkkkk, but that's what Barbie represents, childhood and good times where, as she says, we could be whatever we want. I hope that the new generation that sees the film will be able to appreciate the message it wants to convey and reflect a little on it.

(When I watch the movie, I'll come back here to share the experience) ~📓Anon

That's fine I love talking about nostalgia just as much as yanderes. 🤣🤣 Barbie's message was so powerful, as a kid I don't think I understand just how deep and meaningful that single line was. Growing up I get it now!! I honestly have the same hope but I have a feeling that mostly nostalgia driven teens and young adults are going to be the ones flocking to the theater 😥🤣😥🤣 can't wait to chat with you again!! It was a ball, and it was so nice to have a chill conversation w/ someone!! By the time the moive comes out I'll have several barbie related content available. Hopefully!!