|
Post by Basil on Sept 25, 2021 20:18:36 GMT
Am I right in thinking you're quite far through now? I'm about 50 episodes in. Still have a ways to go, but I knew about Darth Maul even before I started watching the show. I also lowkey spoiled myself by watching a compilation video on YT of some of Maul's scenes in Clone Wars and Rebels, and now I can't wait to get to that stuff in the show. I'm talking about this video: I'm really loving it though. I do wish there was less filler, but when the show is good, it's great, and I love the fact that it humanizes the clones so much. I freaking cried during some of the scenes between Waxer and Boil and that Twi'lek girl on Ryloth.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 25, 2021 20:00:49 GMT
Bro, they about to ruin my favorite anime: Cowboy Bebop. This is the first I'm hearing about this. I have to say kind of weird that they cast a 50-year-old to play Spike. Nothing against John Cho, but he wouldn't have been my first choice for the character. And in other news, apparently, Chris Pratt has been cast to play Super Mario. I binged Mike Flanagan's new show "Midnight Mass" last night and it was great. I think I liked it more than Bly Manor, but not quite as much as Hill House. Squid Game is on my list, I've heard good things. I kind of want to finish Clone Wars before I start a new show though.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 23, 2021 19:54:09 GMT
"Wow, if I had a nickel for every time I've killed someone and they came back as a robot, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice." - Obi-Wan Kenobi
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 20, 2021 20:35:33 GMT
I'm currently listening to the Phantom Menace audiobook on Audible and loving it. I vaguely remember reading it when I was like 12 or something, but no details, and I didn't remember it being this good. Like it's surprisingly well written, it doesn't read at all like a novelization of a screenplay, but as a standalone, full-fledged book. Brooks seem to have had a real understanding of the story and characters, maybe even more so than Lucas himself, because he tells it in a much more compelling and in-depth manner. The book gives you a real sense of who these characters are. The politics of the setting are explored in more detail, you get a deeper understanding of what the conflict is actually about and what's at stake. Virtually every piece of dialogue has been rewritten to sound more believable, and there's also a lot of internal dialogue, which helps smooth over some of the rough edges in regard to characters like young Anakin and Jar Jar. Like I'm not kidding, freaking Jar Jar Binks comes off as fairly complex because he's actually a POV character. We get a glimpse into Jar Jar's thought process at certain points and the author also changed some of his dialogue to make him feel far less inept. There are certain things that the movie only hints at, that are explored in far more depth in the novel. Qui-Gon's relationship to Obi-Wan is one such thing, the author made a point to demonstrate the many ways in which they are opposites of each other. I find this super interesting because the fact that it was Obi-Wan, not Qui-Gon, who ended up teaching Anakin definitely played a part in his downfall. Obi-Was was a brother to him, but what Anakin really needed was the parental figure that Qui-Gon would have been, so in his absence, Palpatine ended up assuming that role. When Qui-Gon offers to take Anakin as his padawan, this leads to conflict between him and Obi-Wan, something that, again, is only hinted at in the movie, but explored in detail in the novel. Obi-Wan almost comes off as a bit unlikeable at certain points where he did not in the movie, not because the author changed who Obi-Wan is, but because he is not a POV character. Qui-Gon is, so we only hear Qui-Gon's thoughts and perspective on things like the Jedi council and Anakin, which are often in direct opposition to Obi-Wan's. I also feel that Brooks must have known about future plot points to some extent because even though the book came out the same year as the movie did, 1999, there is stuff in it that seems like it's foreshadowing specific elements from the later movies. For example, Qui-Gon's mysterious teacher is hinted at briefly, and there is a fairly lengthy new scene where Anakin saves the life of a Tusken Raider while he's out in the desert. That night, he has strange and foreboding dreams about Tuskens, and while they don't outright hint at the fact that his mother would be killed by them, it still feels like it's foreshadowing Anakin's first big step towards the dark side. It's a fantastic scene. Also, side note, the version I'm listening to on Audible was read by the guy who dubs all of Ewan McGregor's characters in Germany, so it feels like Obi-Wan is reading it to me, which is great. He has also read the novelizations to Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, which I'm gonna listen to next. hopign they're just as good.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 12, 2021 23:57:31 GMT
Now that you mention it, I actually bought Salt and Sanctuary on PSN a couple of years ago because I saw it on sale, but have not actually played it yet. I should probably do that at some point. And speaking of 2D Soulsborne clones, Blasphemous is another really amazing one. Not just in terms of gameplay, but the lore as well is veeeery reminiscent of Dark Souls, in just how dark and cryptic the whole thing is. And the pixel art might be the most stunning I've ever seen. Would very much recommend to anyone who enjoys Dark Souls and/or metroidvanias.
I haven't had too much time for gaming lately, but I have been playing some Hades here and there and really loving it.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 12, 2021 16:13:06 GMT
"Somehow palpatine returned." "How?" "Some."
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 11, 2021 20:31:55 GMT
I love the battle droids in Clone Wars so much
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 10, 2021 12:45:14 GMT
I love the fact that they made God of War Thor fat and unwashed and people on Twitter are freaking out because they were expecting Chris Hemsworth.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 9, 2021 23:50:05 GMT
oh shit, I just realized that the GoW Ragnarok trailer contains some MAJOR spoilers for the first game. So please don't watch if you plan on playing it.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 9, 2021 23:21:18 GMT
Excited for God of War Ragnarok as well, but also a little bit worried. I loved the first game a lot, but the first game felt like a prologue set up for a much, much larger story. So I was really hoping they would at least tease some major story developments or some huge set pieces and boss fights in this, but the trailer is super lowkey, and it makes the game feel and look exactly like its prequel. I really hope I'm wrong, I hope the game is a step forward and not just more of the same, but this trailer gives me stroooong filler episode vibes. Would you recommend the first game for someone with no clue about the rest of the franchise before it? I was tempted to look at it a while back, but saw that it was something like the eighth game in the series and that kinda put me off.
I know you spoke very highly of the first when it came out, and this new one looks pretty cool, but I feel I'd be a bit lost if I just jumped into it.
Yes, absolutely! I had also not played every God of War leading up to it, but I didn't have any issues following the story. It really is more of a soft reboot than a sequel, with a new story, setting and characters. The events of the previous games are acknowledged, but the story doesn't build upon them at all, it's just something that's happened in Kratos' past and has shaped him into the person we see in the new game. If you watched like a brief ten minutes summary of the events of the previous games on YouTube ( this one for example), that would be more than enough. And even if you didn't, it still wouldn't hurt your enjoyment of God of War 4, I don't think. It's one of my favourite games of recent years, so I would highly recommend checking it out. The writing and characters are really fucking great, and the depiction of Norse mythology is fantastic.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 9, 2021 22:51:28 GMT
They'll probably also give Revan a voice actor this time, I don't think a silent protagonist would fly nowadays.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 9, 2021 22:30:53 GMT
Excited for God of War Ragnarok as well, but also a little bit worried. I loved the first game a lot, but the first game felt like a prologue set up for a much, much larger story. So I was really hoping they would at least tease some major story developments or some huge set pieces and boss fights in this, but the trailer is super lowkey, and it makes the game feel and look exactly like its prequel.
I really hope I'm wrong, I hope the game is a step forward and not just more of the same, but this trailer gives me stroooong filler episode vibes.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 9, 2021 22:14:10 GMT
Wow that’s exciting news! No release year makes me think it’ll be veeery far off though. Yeah, sounds like it. From the brief interview with the developer at the end of the show, it seems like they're still in very early stages of development. And it's going to be remade from scratch, so I don't expect a release date before 2023 at the very earliest. Still very much looking forward to it. I've played both Kotor games many times over the years, but the second one has definitely stuck with me more. I don't think there has ever been a piece of Star Wars media that has dissected the Force mythology as thoroughly and critically as Kotor 2, and that has really helped shape my opinion and thoughts on the Star Wars setting in general. If there's one thing I want from this remake, it's that they include more depth and nuance to the dialogue options. In the original game, most choices boil down to you either being a saint or an utter scumbag. There's almost never any middle ground or compromise, you're either a light side paragon, or a sadistic piece of shit. For example, having the player character spew empty Jedi rhetoric at Bastila when trying to convert her back to the light side, knowing what the Jedi have done to him, is straight out terrible writing imo, and it really undersells who that character is supposed to be in lore.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 9, 2021 20:20:25 GMT
a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one
Guess this is also a way for them to integrate Revan's story into the new canon.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 9, 2021 20:11:35 GMT
holy shit, the Knights of the Old Republic remake is actually real I hope it's good and I hope they remake Kotor 2 as well, aka the better of the two.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 7, 2021 22:45:49 GMT
I actually started watching Clone Wars like immediately after I posted about it. So far, I'm about 20 episodes in and really enjoying it. Last time I attempted to get into the series a few years back, I was watching the episodes in release order, which I now realize was a mistake and is probably what ended up killing my desire to keep going. The disjointed manner of storytelling makes virtually half of the episodes feel incredibly inconsequential and the incoherent timeline didn't exactly help either, which is why I eventually gave up on the show altogether. This time, I decided to watch them in chronological order, using this guide I found on reddit as a reference and it really does help with the pacing and structure so much. Even the slower filler episodes don't feel so much like a waste of time anymore, because they usually build up on or contribute to something established in another episode ... well, mostly. It's pretty crazy how for example literally the very first episode of the show is a direct continuation of a season three storyline, but how would you know that if you watched them in release order? But yeah, I'm feeling it, and I definitely think I'm gonna finish it this time. My guilty pleasure is definitely Phantom Menace. Maybe it's because it was one of the first movies I owned on VHS and I used to watch it pretty much on the daily as a kid that I have a soft spot for it in my heart, but just thinking about some of the imagery from that movie makes me incredibly nostalgic. The beautiful Naboo landscapes, Theed, Queen Amidala, Darth Maul. Visually, it's the most striking and memorable movie in the franchise imo and I also adore the score, I could listen to the Droid Invasion theme and Duel of the Fates all day. Also, my dad got me the Phantom Menace PS1 game one christmas and I used to play it all the time as a kid. That stupid level where you had to escort the Queen safely to the hangar and she would die all the time, I must have spent hundreds of hours trying to beat that level. And even now, 20 years later, I still have all of her dialogue memorized. Good times. I think the saddest part about Rise of Skywalker for me is how it so shamelessly panders to the most toxic, hateful side of the Star Wars fandom, as those were the people who were the loudest in their disdain for The Last Jedi. Because I genuinely don't believe that the general audience hated The Last Jedi that much, it was mainly those hardcore fans, the ones who usually hang around on reddit or in YouTube comments, who drowned out all other voices. But (and this is just speculation on my part, but it does feel that way) it seems like Disney got so scared by the backlash, that they completely caved in and scrapped everything Rian Johnson set up in his movie. So instead of sticking to whatever creative vision he might have had for the sequel, they made a soulless product that actively went against certain aspects of The Last Jedi ... you know, to appeal and to make amends with the same people who made a fan-edit of TLJ removing all the female characters, the same people who bullied Kelly Marie Tran and Daisy Ridley off of social media. The lack of integrity is just sickening to me.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 6, 2021 11:24:34 GMT
It's really fucked up how in the end, not only did Palpatine manage to destroy the Skywalker bloodline (albeit somewhat indirectly), but his descendant ended up assuming the Skywalker name and legacy, too. The movie frames this as an empowering, beautiful happy ending, which is also how I took it the first time I saw the movie - but in retrospect and especially with my new-found appreciation for the prequels, I gotta admit, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. And I get what the writers were trying to say, Rey overcoming her Palpatine heritage or whatever, but it's still pretty yikes if you really think about it.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Sept 4, 2021 21:12:19 GMT
I'm currently going through my periodic Star Wars obsession, and I've realized that the more I rewatch and think about the prequels, the more I appreciate them. I'm actually starting to really love them, which is weird. But sadly, the exact opposite is true for the sequels. The more I think about those, the more they fall apart for me, the more I am repulsed by the empty pandering and the fanservice, rehashing of old ideas and the meandering plot. Except The Last Jedi of course, which I still consider to be a step in the right direction for the series, and had they not just completey contradicted everything Rian Johnson set up, maybe The Rise of Skywalker would not have turned into the irrelevant dumpster fire that it ended up being. But back to the prequels, I mean, obviously they're not great movies and every piece of criticism most commonly directed at them is one hundred percent legit. The acting and directing are often wooden, the dialogue is borderline terrible at times, the heavy reliance on CGI is disappointing (which really hasn't aged the best by the way, especially in Phantom Menace). But underneath all that, I have truly come to believe that the basic story Lucas was trying to tell was actually brilliant, if not in execution, at least on a conceptual level. There is an insane amount of depth to the plot, especially in regard to Anakin's fall to the dark side and the death of the Republic and the Jedi Order. Anakin in general, whom in the past I've dismissed as whiny and unlikeable, I have really come to appreciate as a character. Again, the execution is often not the greatest, and it's hard to defend the sand speech and other things that have rightfully achieved god-like meme status, but the character arc itself is actually beautiful on paper, with a surprising amount of depth and nuance (which admittedly is sometimes hard to see past the less than stellar dialogue, but it's there). Also, Hayden Christensen definitely didn't deserve all the hate thrown at him. I'm happy to see that nowadays, the fanbase generally thinks of him much more favourably, and that he'll be returning to the franchise for the Obi-Wan series. I also really need to sit down and finish Clone Wars already ... it's just that, the amount of episodes is daunting, not gonna lie.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Aug 12, 2021 17:13:05 GMT
I'm scared.
|
|
|
Post by Basil on Jul 28, 2021 16:40:12 GMT
Genuinely can't wait for this:
I've confessed here before to loving the Dan Brown novels. Even though I'm aware that they're not the best written or best researched, they're still insanely fun detective stories with some really cool themes and characters that are impossible to put down. The movies have been kind of hit-and-miss though, especially the last one Inferno was an absolute dumpster fire, so I'm really hoping the TV show won't suck.
The guy who plays Langdon seems great at least.
|
|