Ta-metru_defender

I agree with the X-24 thing, it could have been much more interesting. I also wanted more Laura in the climax.

Something that sticks with me is that despite it being super grim is that it still has this air of romantic hope to it, something that's not terribly unlike that of the MCU. It's darker, sure, but it's not the DARKNESS NO PARENTS of the DCEU.

It's times like these I realize I never learnt the Okotoan script and don't ever intend to.

Sure. 

I got into when they opened for RK in 2008. Colors Run is an excellent tableau of an album, but End is Not The End may still edge out Suburba for my favorite one of theirs.

Wow. Three whole years.

Wow.

Certainly Avengers for 2012: they redid half of New York. Life of Pi had the tiger and such, but it was done differently.

Of what's nominated this year, depends on what you're after. I didn't see Jungle Book, so I can't comment there.

Kubo deserves recognition for blending VFX in with Stop-Motion, so there's that.

I don't remember Deepwater's VFX at all (and I don't remember much of Deepwater either, make of that what you will).

Rogue One applied an especially cinematic touch to its VFX shots, which is particularly excellent. Edwards' use of scale to give CGI weight definitely puts it in the running.

Strange, however, had a lotta vision to its VFX. It didn't just use it as a stopgap or shortcut, but really told its story with it – and got weird.

So really, toss up between Rogue One and Strange.

I... I don't know.

I think that beast could be the stand.

Oh I cannot wait.

lol

LIAAAAAAAR

The Last Jedi. Because Star Wars will always be my first love.

But LEGO Batman, Thor: Ragnarok, and Free Fire are others.

Memes.

There were a lotta people out for a walk in New York too. We yelled at a building together. It was nice.

I was wary when they announced it, but the first trailer got my attention a little. This one, though, has me pretty stoked to see it. I'm not a big X-Men person, but hey.

Why hello there.

Welp. That's it, I'm buying it just for Shirtless Sexy Mickey©.

Oh man, I love that movie. Got to go to a screening with a Q&A with Wiseau, which was almost as fun as watching The Room in a theater with a smuggled flask and commenting along with the crowd.

I still like Spec Ops: The Line's way of doing it in that you aren't old you're making a choice and do so just by interacting with the game.

Yoooo, this right here. But there are choices! But they don't feel heavy handed and stuff because it works! And no matter what you do you end up up chocolate creek.

I'm gonna replay that game this week.

I mean, say what you will about Dish 2, it's still a lot more Pacifism-friendly than Dish 1 was in every area. Non-lethal drop-takedowns, two more nonlethal crossbow bolts, combat chokeout, Arc Mines, all new. Plus, Domino, Mesmerize, Shadow Walk, and Far Reach all have nonlethal capability on their own or in combination, as does Blink Assault (if you don't screw it up).

 

It's nice to be able to play the game and use more than just three or four tools in the arsenal to not kill people.

Oh man, I know. My non-stealth non-lethal run was mad fun, would stop time and choke everyone out. But it was my third New Game+ and I realized a couple missions in that I'd gotten every non-lethal upgrade and power I could. That certain powers (eg: rat swarm) were basically off limits was a bit of a bummer.

Though Mesmerize + Void Favor x4 + Void Favor x4 is a wonderful combo.

Hm... I've got a fairly decent library of assorted stories across all different forms of media and I'm having trouble thinking of anything. Closest I can think is maybe the Percy Jackson books. and that's probably pushing it. It's been quite a long time since I've read them, but all of the main characters are demigods and sort of don't fit iin with the human  world and can't live with the gods so maybe?

 

I dunno, probably pushing it.

I can see that I suppose, but do the books explore it beyond the "you're special!" idea?

For the Avatar - Last Airbender example... there were some comics that explored the Fire Nation territories in the Earth Natation after the war ended, in that the Earth Nation wanted them gone but the residents felt disconnected from the home-land fire nation and didn't want to leave... and eventually that's why Republic City was founded, as kind of a compromise. It does explore some of their issues with identity, although not necessarily by race.

Got a name for that comic?

I've been thinking about this more, and you could argue that some interpretations of Tarzan or the Jungle Book fit this. Although genetically human, Mowgli and Tarzan are raised in a world where they are considered outsiders to the animals and suffer a lot of prejudice because of it. When they eventually try living with the humans, they suffer predjudice there too. So they aren't really biracial, but you could certainly say they're bicultural.

Hmm. I suppose. I can see it somewhat with Disney's Tarzan from forever ago. I suppose that straddles the line.

The big thing about the examples I mention is that they do it so well without doing it too much. Like in 2009's Trek, half of Spock's backstory is stuff I dealt with as a kid, and a lot of his arc is wrestling with his two sides – it's why he joins Starfleet.

Balto, I'd argue, is even better. Iirc, he gets ostracized for being half-wolf and always doubted. He doesn't belong where he is because of that. I'd have to rewatch it (it's been literally well over a decade), but it struck a heckuva chord with me when I was a kid.

Neither narrative has a chosen one twist to it, and neither present one identity as being more 'powerful' or 'superior' to the other. Rather, they're about navigating that inbetween. That's what I'm looking for.

(I suppose Tarzan and Mowgli both have those arcs in a way, but I'm wondering if it's a little too far removed)

"Once Were Warriors" is a 1994 film on Maori culture that covers the conflict of abandoning the old ways of the family's culture and living in the modern world. There are some graphic moments (R rated), but it is a it's a really powerful film discussing heritage. (The actor who plays Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones is one of the main characters) Definitely one to watch if you're looking for movies in race and identity. 

Nah, not quite what I'm looking for. I mean stories about being racially mixed, not the weirdness of culture clash (though that's another fun thing). The characters in Warriors are all Maori living in a white world. I'm looking specifically for characters who are of two ethnicities/races and have to navigate that.

The Legend of Korra comes to mind, where we see Aang and Katara's kids.  Tenzin adopts his dad's culture, Kya adopts her mom's culture, and Bumi ends up doing his own thing.

True, but it's not really explored. Mako and Bolin may be better, since we actually see them visit their Earth Kingdom relatives and all that.

Nonetheless, *adds to list*.

Same thing it is every year: Don't die.