#mini review

Watch The Road - By mirawakestudios (7/10)

I wasn't completely in love when I played it, but I do love the setting. Simple and effective and scary.

To see a main character who is a man be loving and genuine to everyone around him; to have such a great love for humanity, even if he himself is not biologically human. What makes him human is that he feels, he loves; he dares to consider others in an inconsiderate world. Clark isn’t afraid to be vulnerable. He doesn’t view it as unmanly or a weakness, but a way to connect with the people around him and show them there’s hope.

People were going to die!

I keep thinking about this scene with Lois and this line and its delivery in particular. It’s not that Clark didn’t think about the consequences when interfering in an international dispute; he knew that there would be some ramifications to his actions. But would that mean he let a genocide happen? No, obviously not. The frustration he feels when his actions are challenged, as if any other way would’ve prevented or slowed down the progress of evil, is so valid.

Does that make him idealistic? Perhaps it does, but in a world as cynical and as hateful as ours has become, isn’t it so refreshing to see a character be allowed to trust others and see the good in everything? Isn’t it refreshing to see them do good to the maximum amount? Like when did it become so radical to be nice to others?? And when did it become cringe to be earnest and genuine about your feelings or about the things you believe in?

I’m so glad kids, especially boys, get to look up to this new Superman because they can learn that it’s okay to be kind and to express themselves, and stand up against the atrocities committed against their fellow humans.

On a more serious note, as someone who was raised Catholic, it was really surprising to see a genuinely positive portrayal of a priest in a Hollywood movie. It’s mainly because the movie had Benoit Blanc go on this atheist rant and Monsignor Wicks being a shitty priest, it felt like the movie was just gonna be another round of, “religion bad, religious people are crazy”. But the way they portrayed Father Jud was really inspiring. Just a good man who is trying to do right by his flock. And, to be honest, Father Jud just being a good person who believes in God felt more genuine than some other religious movies I’ve watched, where the movie just blatantly preaches at the audience.

This looks like a very fun and promising modern take on The Little Mermaid. The early part of the first episode does take place inthe 1700's, but the final part takes us to the present.

There is clear inspiration by Disney's take (including Lara being a redhead, rather than a blonde like the book mermaid and having a secret grotto where she hides human things!), but also some (inversion of...?) the novel's religious themes?

In Hans Christian Andersen's tale, mermaids do not possess an eternal soul. They are more animal-like than human. The little mermaid wants, not only love, but a soul... Her happy ending is that she can work, doing good, for a long time, to attain a soul and enter Heaven.

A lot of modern retellings and adaptations side-step the religious aspect and just have the mer-king fear humans for whatever reason, like maybe they claimed too many of his own, or because they pollute the sea (Ponyo!), etc., so it's interesting here they see humans as cursed.

They made the witch her aunt in this version! Aaand she's ridiculously convincing. Yeah, if I was the mermaid and everybody treated my simple interest in something as inherently evil and then I got LOCKED UP IN A DUNGEON for saving a life, I might be inclined to listen too...

She wakes up in a dress rather than washing ashore, well, bare, and making it from ship sails on the beach in this version! It's fun comparing versions...

Oh, no...

Her love was genuine, but the prince hated and feared her. She died, turning into seafoam, but was reborn... only to find her castle in ruin, her father and sisters gone, only magic mirrors that show her what she wants to see...

She gets a chance to make things right. Her family isn't dead, according to the witch, but in a deep slumber...

That "tsuzuku" ("to be continued") got me right in the heart, don't care how simple it is, the nostalgia just. WOW.

DON'T HIT WITH NO HESITATION!

Season Six - Episode Twenty

Creatures: Archangel, Angels, Demons. Unknown Monsters.

Rating: 6/10

Review:

Excuse me Castiel, were you going to step on the fish? I don’t mind this episode, it has the same vibe every third episode from last has. But I really like that it’s from Castiel’s point of view. I really like it when the episode goes to heaven or hell. I don’t know why, but something about it is very interesting.

I received my new 14th Doctor Sonic Screwdriver.. It's pretty great overall especially aesthetically. There's a few interesting things about it.

It has elements of each previous sonic:

extending like the 11th and 10th but with a shorter travel and no spring loading is manual like the 9th/10th

The top has the lightbulb type like the war doctor, and then the part after that is like the 12th, middle like the 9th/10th and bottom like the 11th

Actually, the front part is a bit like a Dalek gun in design..

the finished for the middle is painted on rather than molded as it is with the 9th/10th sonics.

the bottom is nicely gnurled and it feel the best in the hand out of all the modern sonics IMHO

the button to activate the sonic is clicky but doesn't do anything..

the gnurled bit can be turned and has satisfying clicks.. there's a screw at the end so it might remove for batteries which would add a bit of weight depending on what type it takes..

I like how at this point I have enough experience with Sonic Screwdriver toys to do this mini review.. 😅💜

I misplaced my 9th/10th sonic though so I need to find that particular when my sonic rack arrives... but if t doesn't just these four would make a good collection for display.

I'd like to do some more gunpla/model painting techniques to all of them.. I did some weathering to all the others so far