Reviews

Yeah, I'm not a fan of this season finale. The dark and edgy is laid on so thickly that it feels like some poorly written emo fan fiction . The twist of Cassandra becoming evil should not have been saved for the end of the episode. It makes the whole thing pointless. Rapunzel doesn't develop at all, and yet the angst supposedly makes her a more complex character. I felt for Eugene, and the twist with his father is good, but his plot should have been given more time to breathe. This is just terrible.

I could write a whole blog on how bad this "short" is, but I'll keep it simple:

1. Animation that's too over the top

2. Shaky camera angles

3. Flat and unlikable and annoying characters

4. Its 80% filler

5. Shoddy CGI and bland backgrounds

6. Trying too hard to be shocking

John Kruc

My feelings on the show are rather mixed. It has plenty of good elements, but plenty of bad moments. This is one of those moments. I could write a thesis paper on why the finale was terrible, but I'll just sum it up with a few phrases:

1. Too short; it needed to at least be 45 minutes

2. 90% of the characters are annoying, unlikable, pathetic , and/or underdeveloped

3. Unfortunate implications with Star committing mass genocide by killing magic

I'm not satisfied with how the show ended. I'm satisfied that it ended. This is just terrible.

So, here we have the big, epic for the Marvel Rising franchise, "Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors". How does it hold up? Let's talk about. The movie starts with Kamala and Doreen hanging out in the park when they come across someone named Victor chasing Dante, who's been wreaking havoc with his fire powers. It turns out that this is the latest in a line of Inhuman related collateral damage when the Terogen wave hit. As they try to investigate what's going on, Kamala ends up being abducted and sent to outer space by Hala the Kree accuser, and now Doreen must rescue her alongside Daisy Johnson, Patriot, Dante, America Chavez, and Captain Marvel.

The unifying theme for the movie is about rising above adversity and unlocking your potential to be a true hero no matter what. Given how this is a character driven movie, let's talk about individual characters and various dynamics explored.

1. Let's start with Kamala Khan and Doreen Green, aka Miss Marvel and Squirrel Girl. One of the major plot points of the movie is about their friendship, the conflicts they face, and how they're different yet similar. Miss Marvel is established to be a very wholesome person, someone who wants to see the best in others and do what she can to reach out to those in need. She does have her own personal baggage though, such as how she's seen as an awkward geek, how her mother is overly critical of her to be a success, and is seen someone of lesser worth due to her status as an Inhuman. Doreen is very different. She's shown as being too devoted to the heroic cause to the point of being impulsive and quick to judge anyone who acts too much out of the ordinary. She even accidentally uses the Inhuman slur against Kamala. Wow! What makes their dynamic work is the intention. Kamala likes seeing the best in others, but focuses too much on reaching out primarily through heart. Doreen is impulsive, but you can tell it's just for a defense since she has the heart of a hero, but acts more on gut instinct. It also helps that they do regret fighting with each other after the abduction.

2. Now I will talk about Daisy Johnson and Rayshaun Lucas, aka Quake and Patriot. Both are seen as just wanting to be special, but both go about it in different ways. It turns out that Daisy has powers of her own, and she's been hiding them from Patriot since she wants to be respected as an agent of SHIELD. Patriot wants to be seen as his own hero without being compared to Captain America, who's much older and wiser and calmer. What really helps sell their dynamic is the sense of vulnerability. Daisy is shown as very strict with what she does to the point of snappishness , yet also able to show compassion when she senses something isn't right. Patriot has the same moral values as his idol, but with more of a willingness to push forward and defy authority when given the chance.

3. Now let's talk about Dante. He was once just a normal person, until the Terogen wave gave him fire powers, and he accidentally burned his parents' house down, and eventually them. He's shown as hot headed and impulsive due to not wanting to be seen as a freak. That's pretty sad. What helps his case is that he's simply acting out of desperation, and at least tries minimal using collateral damage.

4. Let's look at America Chavez. She's hot headed and no nonsense, generally wanting to be left alone and literally flying away when she feels like it. However, her backstory is tragic. She looked up to her two mothers as heroes, but was heartbroken when they sacrificed themselves to save her when their planet was being destroyed. Another wow! It also helps that, though not as determined to stop collateral damage, at least just wants make sure others are safe.

5. Though she only appears for about 20 minutes, Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, stands out. Kamala looks up to her due to her cool head and ability to act on the fly. Even with her slight cockiness, this holds water since she's commanding yet also knows how to let others work in their own.

Now let's talk about our villains, Victor/Exile and Hala. Victor sees Inhumans as rather scummy even though he himself is an Inhuman, and thinks of humanity in general as a subspecies. He also initially passes him as a nice guy before revealing his true colors. However, he sees Hala as a type of mother figure, and just wants to please her. That's pretty sad. As for Hala herself, she manages to be dangerous, yet also rather complex. She kidnaps Inhumans to be part of her army in order to unlock their true potential as heroes given how humans see them as second rate. That's pretty deep. You can see this in action when she chastises Victor for failing her.

Now let's talk about the ending. Victor rejects redemption, but is still a conflicting figure, while Hala is thrown out the air lock. Kamala manages to work with everyone to free the Inhumans and save them from perishing. They, under Captain Marvel's advice, then decide to form their own team, the titular Secret Warriors.

This movie has everything you can ask for: interesting and likable characters, sleek action, witty humor, and a very thought provoking message. I look forward to see what's in store.

Well, it's time to grab your scuba gear, and dive underwater for another DC Superhero Girls adventure. This is "DC Superhero Girls: Legends Of Atlantis". Let's begin.

The movie starts with the discovery of The Book Of Legends, a powerful book with dark magic. When the girls lock it away, Mera and Siren steal it from them in order to take over Atlantis from Aquaman. The girls then try to go underwater to stop them and keep the surface world from flooding. This movie packs in quite a lot in just 75 minutes, yet it manages to tie itself well with a moral on being able to overcome your personal issues and rise to true courage and heroism. Let's talk about the four major character arcs in this movie.

Wonder Woman's story: Oh man, is Wonder Woman sympathetic here. Let me explain. When she was a child, she met up with Mera and Siren when playing on the beach, and almost died when she was dragged underwater and attacked by sea monsters. Since then, she's had a crippling fear of the sea monsters, essentially being traumatized. Wow! That's pretty tragic. She's more impulsive and snappish due to her struggles in trying to lead the team to save the team. What really helps her case is her altruism shining through. She maintains the innate desire to do good while also making sure no one gets hurt or almost sacrifices themselves to help her out. It also helps that she at least feels like she doesn't want to be a hindrance to the mission.

Mera and Siren's story: Now let's talk about the sisters Mera and Siren. Since they were young, they've been orphans, and just want to be able to get by in life and survive. How they go about it is where they differ. Mera doesn't actually want to do anything bad. She just wants to be part of a good home, and actively goes out of her way to minimize collateral damage, and even save people when she can, as shown in the flashback where she saved Wonder Woman, but left before she woke up. Siren, on the other hand, is more vindictive. Although she's also sympathetic, she goes way too far in her endeavors, wanting her sister to stay onboard with her and getting less tolerant of her goodness, and resorting to conquering Atlantis and locking away her sister. She does still have a FreudianExcuse of not wanting to be stepped on, but Mera is still more sympathetic since she actively tries to do the right thing, but doesn't have the spine to stand up for herself.

Harley and Raven's story: Now let's talk about Harley and Raven's plot. When locking away The Book Of Legends, Raven accidentally swaps Batgirl and SuperGirl's powers (which I elaborate on below), and is too hesitant to use her magic when it goes haywire, and closes herself off to protect others. Harley tries to cheer her up and make her more proactive. So, we have a nice "opposites attract" vibe where both Harley and Raven are pretty likable. Harley is trying to do what she can to help Raven open herself more to others, while Raven doesn't want to be seen as a weak link in the school's sturdy chain. It helps that Raven is still learning more about who she is, while Harley at least has respect for her privacy.

Batgirl and Supergirl's story: As mentioned above, Raven accidentally swaps their powers. Batgirl becomes rather impulsive with her newfound powers, while SuperGirl is a bonafide geek with her new intelligence. They naturally struggle, but it works with their characters. Batgirl is no slouch in a fight, but she's more tech based in combat. While SuperGirl isn't dumb, she is more reliant on using brute strength in a battle. The undying support they have for each other is rather admirable.

So, how does everything end? Well, it starts with Harley restoring Raven's confidence when she shows her how much others need her, and she successfully turns Batgirl and SuperGirl back to normal. Batgirl then hatches a foolproof plan taking advantage of the general area. It then cuts to Mera using her cunning to trick Siren, while she and Wonder Woman work together to finish her off and restore power. The girls are honored as heroes of Atlantis, and Siren is banished, with Mera feeling bad for her. Add in some slick action and straight up fun humor, and you have an enjoyable movie.