Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

Maelstrom

Member
  • Posts

    1.1k
  • Joined

Reputation

5.6k Excellent

Recent Profile Visitors

2.4k profile views
  1. Three years late to the party, but I just discovered this show last week - and I think I'm done with it already. I gave up on season 1 partway through, after learning that Deborah won (because I just couldn't with her) and now after watching this molten hot pile of bullshit, I don't think I'll waste any more time on this show. Sending Jason home even though he attempted to meet the challenge requirements, and keeping Chris who openly defied the challenge because he didn't want to do it? No. Just no. This show isn't worth my time or the spike in my blood pressure it's apparently going to trigger. Too bad, because there are a couple of people here like Kat and Nao whom I've really enjoyed. I want to watch cool, talented people make cool, amazing things - I don't want to watch egotistical snobs thumbs their noses at challenges they decide are beneath them and get rewarded for it! If I want to watch glassblowers make cool things, I bet there are countless Youtube videos that are all bullshit free. I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments here, though! 🙂
  2. Me: Listen Steve, I’ve never been a gal to rewatch a thirty year old Frasier rerun for the hundredth time rather than watch GH. I’ve never been somebody going, “Hey, I can’t stand to watch another episode of this shit-fest today.”
  3. Unless Flower (or any of the ghosts) can walk through solid earth I don’t see how walking out of the well is an option.
  4. Just coming here to post that! Ozai's evil clearly wore off on DDK 😄 And I think Ozai would be disappointed that he didn't manipulate them more and get them to concede their utter defeat. Here's a fun one about their approach to bending And about the creatures
  5. I almost expected the scribe to turn around before leaving to flash a big thumbs up at Aang, lol. Heck, for Zuko that's a big beaming grin! 😄
  6. HA! The PCPD wishes they were on the same level as Hitchcock and Scully. At least H&S actually solved crimes back in their heyday.
  7. Right? It would be so much fun. I also thought about one of those drinking bird toys just for the sheer absurdity of it 😄 One bob for yes, two for no.
  8. Don’t throw the cakes out, Jay! Find somewhere to sell them, or give them as gifts/bribes to the neighbors. Maybe June and Allie like cake! Also, I’m thinking there should be wind chimes or something in every room that Trevor can poke for some rudimentary conversations with Jay - one jingle for yes, two for no. Could make for a fun gag.
  9. Overall thoughts: I feel this remake was a really good adaptation of the original animated series. There were a few missteps and decisions I don't really agree with/fully get why they were made, but there were enough things I loved for the positive to far outweigh the negative. The Good: Casting for most of the main characters. Dallas Liu, Gordon Cormier, and Ian Ousley were all so perfectly cast it's like the animated characters were brought to life as flesh and blood people. All three so perfectly and believably embodied their characters and I loved watching them. Gordon especially impressed me, since he was so young when this was filmed and he so perfectly captured all of the facets of Aang's character. He had a lot of big moments to play out, and he blew me away in every one. And a big kudos to Dallas - Zuko is such a complex character who's just as important to what makes AtLA what it is as Aang, and I wasn't sure if anyone could do what Dante Basco did with just his voice. But Dallas really stepped up and delivered every episode. I wasn't sure about Paul SunHyung Lee as Iroh initially just because his voice and general vibe seemed so different from Mako, and it was hard for me to imagine anyone embodying Iroh like him. But holy crap I take it back, because Paul was absolutely freaking fantastic and a total scene stealer. He made me tear up so many times, and I love him for it. If only we all had an Uncle Iroh! The adult cast of supporting actors in general was wonderful and all perfectly cast, and Daniel Dae Kim turned in a chilling performance as psychopath Ozai (not that any of us doubted he would). The obvious love for and knowledge of the original showed through in so many details big and small, and it just made me so happy to see those little moments and hear those lines taken directly. The fleshing out of Zuko, his twisted dynamic with his father and his loving, supportive dynamic with Iroh was one of the things I was most hoping we'd see, and this didn't disappoint. I also really, really loved the extended interactions between Aang and Zuko, and all I'll say on that is that I really really need to see seasons 2 and 3 happen. Please, Netflix. Dallas and Gordon just captured those scenes so beautifully. And I really loved seeing more of Iroh's backstory especially with Lu Ten and how that loss changed the course of Iroh's life. I've always felt that Lu Ten's death was a turning point in the lives of the entire royal family, because so much change resulted from it (Perhaps in the future we could have flashbacks with Lu Ten? Please?) Visuals were stunning and so realistic looking BlueSpiritBlueSpiritBlueSpiritBlueSpirit holy crap just as awesome as I could've hoped and so much was taken shot for shot and I loved it so much! The Less Good: Episode 5 in the spirit world was largely a misstep IMO. The general tone was somewhat incongruous with the rest of the show, and personally I feel it introduced a lot of story elements that just frankly didn't need to be there. And in turn things that should have been given focus (such as Heibai's storyline) were lost in the shuffle. The lack of adventure of the week/road trip vibes - I fully understand why they changed that, because 7 1/2 hrs of live action in the streaming age of the 2020s is a totally different creature than 10ish hrs of animation on a kids cable network in the 2000s. But diminishing that aspect also diminished lots of little opportunities to develop Aang, Katara and Sokka's personalities and also show their growing bond. It's a hard line to toe, and while I think this version did the best they could with the time/budget they were given, I do wish we could have gotten more fun adventures. The Hmmmm Bumi. I'm still torn about this since we know there's still more story to come, and so I know it's too soon to judge. But I can't help but feel that the changes made to Bumi's character were a disservice. Here has come across IMO as mean, unbalanced, largely toothless character instead of the weird but hugely powerful ally he was in the original. Totally agree with Lugal's (potentially spoilery) thoughts about Omashu. Time will tell where they take Bumi from here, but... hm. Though I have to give Utkarsh credit for his performance, I love him on Ghosts and I thought he did a good job with what he was given. The focus on the devastation of war, and its effects on the world of Avatar was a realistic and mostly well-written aspect of this version that I largely appreciated. However, by season's end I did feel like that aspect was emphasized at the expense of others, and a little more balance (Avatar pun!) wouldn't go amiss in future seasons. Katara was the weakest of the main characters, sad to say, and she was my favorite in the original. I do think part of it was Kiawentiio not being perhaps as strong of an actor as Gordon, Ian or Dallas. Part of it though, is the character just didn't get enough focus to get a strong sense of her. Disappointing, though hoping that this will change in future seasons. Really hoping for a renewal, because I want more! Bring on seasons 2 and 3 Netflix!
  10. This was a good episode and a solid finale. I would say overall it felt as though there was more focus on the action of the battle than on the big character moments, and I personally would have been fine with the fighting being trimmed down a but. Though I gotta say Koizilla looked a lot cooler than I thought, they did a fantastic job with the effects there. Zuko didn't get quite as much screen time as in the original but I loved his goodbye scene with Iroh at the beginning, and his comment about Lu Ten being fortunate to have Iroh as a father (I forget his exact words) was a lovely touch too. Interesting that the original had Iroh explicitly tell Zuko he sees him as his own son since losing Lu Ten, but that was dropped here - I understand it though, since this version has made a point of showing Iroh's unspoken love for Zuko in many instances, so that we didn't need it spelled out. Also, didn't the original finale have Zuko's famous line that Azula was born lucky, but he himself was lucky to be born? Interesting that was left out. And of all the lines they did keep, it was Zuko calling Katara "You little peasant," lol. Zuko's people skills *are* legendary, after all. And his final scene with Zhao, oh, ouch. Those are some hard truths, and to hear them from Zhao of all people. Poor Zuko. No wonder he's messed up. Ditch your abusive dad! Go with your loving uncle and maybe a few new friends instead. Ken Leung did a brilliant job of playing a very unlikeable man. "I'm only gonna kill the moon!" Like, duh, don't be silly! Excellent actor, horrible character. Aang's standoff with Zhao was so well done, and I loved that Iroh heard his speech, and saw the sacrifice Aang made. I've enjoyed that this version has had them connect in more scenes. Iroh is, as always, a joy to watch. The female water benders ready to fight was a powerful scene, even if Pakku did only let them do repairs. I appreciated Pakku's final scene with Katara, about forgetting that water was the element of change. Katara finally felt like the Katara from the original, but honestly I'm really surprised she's already a "master" when so little focus was given to her learning to waterbend. It's a bit of a disappointment, since her journey to learn bending is a big part of her character development. Same with Aang, though I suppose I could hand wave that he's spent the season learning what it is to be an Avatar, rather than mastering the other elements. Still though. Bending's important! It's in the title! Momo!! Thank goodness they healed him, I am not up for any of our adorable creatures being hurt. Yue's sacrifice and Han's rewritten-but-inevitable death were both just as tear-jerking as expected, and I thought Amber Midthunder did a wonderful job in her final scenes. I loved the Spirit Grove! Just like the original, I want to live there. The map of the Northern Water Tribe the Fire Sage showed Zhao in flashback looked gorgeous and I'm sorry we didn't get a better shot of it to freeze frame. Glad Kuruk showed up again. There's a big bad comet a-comin'! But Bumi's captured already? And the Fire Nation has airships already? Hmmm... Thoughts on the season overall to come.
  11. They deliberately didn’t show his face before season 3 to keep him mysterious and build up the threat of him. Disappointment and disdain do count as feelings, so good point.
  12. This was a lot of fun! Man was the Northern Water Tribe gorgeous. They've done a fantastic job with all of the locations, not only do they look photo realistic but utilize so many details/props/etc from the original it's a pleasure just to look at. I loved how the original showed that the clothing and objects of the NWT are obviously derived from the same source as the SWT but with believable regional differences, and I so appreciated this version keeping that same level of detail. And the North also has sea prunes! Except we didn't get to see Aang try them. Maybe next ep. I also really liked Han being a genuinely decent guy here instead of a stuck-up jerkass. Loved seeing Katara get to shine here! This is the first ep that I really feel like she's the same spunky, determined awesome girl we watched in the original. I've felt that the character has been somewhat underdeveloped compared to others, and I haven't been wowed by Kiawentiio as I have with the other main cast members until now. I loved her fight with Pakku, and I always love seeing her and Sokka bond and be there for one another. And I really liked the deeper explanation of how water bending is used for healing. A Martinez was appropriately grumpy and stodgy as Pakku. I too was distracted by Yue's wig (it had that stiff wig look at the hairline/part that always gives it away) but I thought the actress was a nice choice for the part. She had a little more personality here, which I didn't mind at all, and now I know who voiced the three tailed fox spirit! Not quite sure what I think about that change to her backstory, but it's not not cool, so what the hey. Loved her line to Sokka about the heart of the warrior mattering most, a nice echo of Suki's words. And Yue and Sokka were just as adorably awkward as I could have asked, though I'd say the awkwardness was largely on Sokka's side. Ha, good point Crazed Spruce, it was too bad he didn't ask her if they could "do an activity sometime", hehe. Line of the night for me was "I think I should stop saying words now." Poor Sokka, couldn't stop his mouth from falling down the stairs while talking to the pretty half-spirit moon priestess princess. That's rough, buddy! Kuruk! Meegwun Fairbrother was a standout on Burden of Truth so I've been looking forward to seeing him here. Hoping we get to see more of him in the final ep. I liked the getting more of his backstory beyond what we were given in the original. It's interesting how each previous Avatar had a focus in their lifetime - for Kuruk it was taking care of the spirit world, for Kyoshi tending to the regular world, for Roku it was maintaining the balance of all... until he didn't. Really liking the clarity and exploration of what's expected of the Avatar. Why am I even surprised Azula et al use Earthbender prisoners for sparring/target practice? The Fire royals continually out "the worst" themselves. And.... lightning bending! We finally get to see it, and it looks even more awesome live action than it did in animation. Loved how that entire scene played out here. I'm seriously so excited to see this remake cover seasons 2 and 3 now! *struggling not to go into potential spoilers for anyone who hasn't watched the original* Lt Ji's newfound but sincere loyalty to Zuko was wonderful to see. Loved the little exchange between Iroh and Zuko about "so no plan, then?" and a very sulky teenage "I'm working on it, Uncle" in reply. Classic! It was a nice touch that Appa had snow stuck all over his coat when they were flying in. Looking forward to the finale! But then it's over 😭 Please give us more, Netflix!
  13. Tennisgurl, I'm pretty much with you re: the humor. It was an important part of the original, and I"m hoping it's not going to be largely sacrificed for the sake of this version being darker and serious. Obviously the original had some pretty dark stuff going on, whether the show addressed it directly or indirectly, but that's exactly why the lighter, warmer moments were so important. We don't need the wacky silliness, but we do need levity and lighter moments to balance the more tragic aspects. (Balance! Avatar pun!) After seeing the following episode, "Masks," I don't feel that most of the spirit world stuff was actually necessary to see in this episode. I'm especially unsure of whether we really needed the full on tragic history of Katara and Sokka's family at this point, and I'm really not sure how I feel about the changes to Sokka's backstory. He's had plenty of trauma, he doesn't need a disapproving father as well - I too am not keen on this Hakoda being so disappointed by Sokka. We already have one questionable father in this world, and Hakoda was always the counterbalance to Ozai. LOL, well said. An angsty teenage bull with superpowers. Not controversial to me! It's interesting, I've felt this Ozai very much IS the Ozai from the cartoon, we're just getting a better look at him here. Like, if you scratched beneath the surface of OriginalOzai, you'd get RemakeOzai. I've always thought that his horrible parenting is ultimately responsible for much of the suffering in the Avatar world for how badly he damaged both Zuko and Azula, and by extension how much their actions affected others. He's definitely played them off against each other more blatantly here, and I've appreciated seeing more of how the messed up Fire Family dynamics came to be. Thank goodness Zuko has Iroh, and maybe a gang of good friends down the line, to serve as positive influences.
  14. As for the rest of the episode, I was happy to get more of June, and even a conversation with her! I'd say her jaded world view certainly leaves room for a bit of character growth in the future... The effects for Nyla's "scent vision" were really cool, considering I wasn't sure how they'd translate it from the cartoon. The Fire Temple was gorgeous! The locations and visuals have been breathtaking in this version, and this was an especially beautiful one. Loving how many details they kept from the original. I hope that the helpful Fire Sage whose name I've forgotten is OK though. He was fine in the original but it wasn't very clear here. Roku! It's a bit of a different take on his personality but I liked him a lot. Maybe they wanted to differentiate him from serious Kyoshi, and from the largely warmongering Fire Nation characters we've seen. His mention of friends being liabilities was a nicely done bit of foreshadowing as well. Yu Yang archers continue to be badass! They all looked to be women here - I wonder if they'll be women only, or if it's just how the casting worked out for this ep? Either way, they're super cool! Oh Zhao, you small, small man. It's brilliant how Ken Leung started off sounding very smarmy and fake-pleasant, but now that Zhao's gotten a taste of real power he's become just as bombastic and grandiose as Jason Isaacs voiced him in the original. Nicely played, and I commend KL for making such a successful unlikeable asshole, lol. Forgot to mention in my previous post how much I loved that they even added in the Blue Spirit's sword sparks when he fights. The only less-than-perfect part of this ep was the resolution of the spirit world storyline - I don't mind it being rushed, since I didn't especially enjoy most of it in the previous episode, but I am sorry that Heibai's storyline was essentially lost. We didn't get to see the scary, wounded monster spirit turn back into the peaceful panda spirit thanks to Aang's compassion, and it's such a missed opportunity. The original had a very strong theme of environmentalism, and the Heibai storyline was the introduction of that. It's a shame to have lost it. And I almost forgot - Gordon Cormier was absolutely fantastic in this episode! He's done a brilliant job with Aang, and I am continually impressed by his performances. He's a true gem, and a very talented actor, and I'm so happy he's our Aang!
×
×
  • Create New...