I know this is super late compared to when the actual DVD came out. Yet, I scheduled reablogs all the way up until now...so that's the reason for the delay.
I highly recommend that you pick up the Super Duper Cut of Deadpool 2. The Super Duper Cut was so much better then the theatrical release. I don't know why they edited the theatrical release so much. If it was for time...that was idiotic. No one asked for the time to be shorter in Deadpool 2. There was no reason at all for that to be neccsary. I mean, we're in the age where almost everyone wants to see a two hour movie...because if a movie is crafted well the movie doesn't feel that long. Most notable of the Super Duper Cut is that there is more charecter development of Russel...we are shown what he experiences at the orphanage. That explains why he hates the headmaster so much. In the theatrical release thats all shown in flashbacks when he's in prison..it's very brief and doesn't have the emotional impact. Everything they removed from the movie (aside from the awesome asian bath martial arts scene at the start) contained charecter development. The second scene tha was very impactful was when Deadpool is trying to prove that he's turned around and trying to fit in as an X-Men. There is a scene where Colosuss is trying to figure out why the soap dispenser in the kitchen isn't working..and a running joke about the labels used in the fridge at the Mansion...without the scene these jokes just fall flat. The Super Duper Cut completley changed my opinion of this movie. Finally, there is the Baby Hitler part in the post credit scenes which was funny but probably way too contoversial for the theater. I give the Super Duper Cut of Deadpool 2 a 10/10!
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I was curious about this movie.
My favorite reviewer and a friend said it was awesome. I felt the trailer depicted a movie that was about as good as or weaker then Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets...which bombed in theaters because it was all visual eye candy, bad actung and little substance. Ready Player One is just as shallow with slightly okay acting but because they have direct references to particular popular franchises like Doom and Minecraft. To put it mildly...I was not impressed. When the movie ended I looked at my husband and asked, "This was a Spielberg movie?" The charecters were very predictable and stereotypical. The setting was, again, a dystopian future. The story was not original. About mid-way through my husband got up and started doing other things. He was that bored. The only thing that made this movie even slightly entertaining was the pop culture references. Even that was really cliche. The little touches that were thrown in were fun...little easter eggs in a movie about a big easter egg...but that was 95% of what the movie relied on for being entertaining. This movie reminded me a lot of Hunger Games. The setting and the big corporation (yeah, it's not the capital but it's the same) exploting poor people who are in debt just to make revenue (even to the point of killing someone to reach their goals) is an old storyline. The story line about the eccentric creator that doesn't want his invention to be used by corporations just to make a profit is the same exact story as the movie with Bruce Willis called Surrogates. In fact, the message that only 'reality is real' instead of using a simulation and an eccentric inventor unable to connect with people normally is directly lifted from that movie. Ultimately, I was disappointed by this movie. There was so much potential for it to take the story in a different direction. There could have been overtones about how the human body is, itself, an avatar. Instead the main line that held the moral of the story was, "Reality is the only thing that's real." This movie could have been mind blowing if it was written by someone who was not a materialist. Instead, it comes off as both a condemnation of materialisim where advertising is more important than the human conditon...and an enforcement/enabling of materialisim as a valid form of repression. That's why this movie came off as one-dimensional with the only unique thing that it offers being cheap thrills for geeky fan boys. So much of this movie consists of pop culture references it's going to be dated very quickly. In a couple of generations most people won't know what the Easter Egg references are about.
I'm a little belated on this review but I give this movie an A+ and I suggest that you go see it right away.
This is the funniest and most accurate depiction onf Spiderman I've ever seen. The classic Peter Parker charecter was hilarious. At first I didnt' consider going to see this movie. Isn't the Super Hero movie category crowded enough? Yet, the reviews were stunning. Every aspect of this movie was entertaining and hilarious. The artistic style of the animation was mind blowing and that alone would have entertained me. The story, however, was even better., prior to Spide I found the ending scene that was reminiscent of Black Panther with the maincharecter of this movie, Miles, a Spiderman from a different dimension.. Archetypes Spiderman taps into the archetype of the Spider that weaves the universe. There is a paticular scene of the interwoven Spiderverse that particularly callled this archetype. In Dogonmyth the Spiders name is Nana and in Native American lore it's Spider Woman. There are some powerful archetypes. Add in the Hadron collider and spiritual people that awakened should sit up and pay attention. Spiderman even says that it might open a black hole. Conspiracy therosits should be having a field day with this one. Sunflower The above music video has a song inspired by Spiderman Into The Spiderverse and it's called Sunflower. I will always associate Sunflowers with Francesca Simeon and the Sun card in the tarot. The Sun Card just happens to be 19...and we are in the 19th year of the 2000's. So, another synchroncity. Sunflowers always turn towards the Sun. That's the reason there are Sunflowers in the Sun Key Card. I covered this card in our 7 key cards of the Path of the Seeker. I'll attach that video below this blog. Conclusion I particularly liked the, "Hey I thought I was the only one!" part of this movie. I kind of feel that way when I find someone who is as deeply interestedin Spiritual and Metaphysical teachings or literature. I've only encounter a very small handful of people who really read and apply what they learn. Every time I feel a lot less alone! I think, for most of us, until the internet we felt very much alone. Molly Mccord not too long ago mentioned that fact. Truly spiritual people who want to apply the teachings in their daily life are so rare it's not likely to meet another one by random chance. Again, a suprisingly deep story line, beautiful eye popping animation and jus wholesome fun.
I went to see this movie because the symbols in the trailer were intresting. Plus, it had a bit of a Narnia type feel to the trailer.
I give this movie a C. I felt as I did when I saw the live action Cinderella that did okay but not fantastic. There was no real heart put into the movie. The plot was as hollow as a tin soldier. Maria, the charecter from the Nutcracker musical, had grown up and had a daughter. Clara. Clara is dealing with the loss of her mother and her Godfather is following her mother's wishes by sending her to the Four Realms. There she discovers her mother had created life. She works to retrieve a key from the kingdom that belongs to Mother Ginger where the Mouse King lives. The mouse king is a swarm of mice that form a giant mouse...although it looks more like a rat. There is no explaination as to why the rats belong in Mother Ginger's kingdom. Clara never questions why Mother Ginger is considered evil. She goes and retrieves a key so that the Sugarplum, who rules the kingdom of Sweets, can create an army of tin soldiers. Sugarplum ends up evil because she, "Doesn't want to play nice." The same pin key that started the machine that turned toys into life also fit an egg music box with the Tree of Life on it that Clara was given as a Christmas present from her mother. The box had been given to her by her mother with the words, "Everything you need is inside." Over the course of her adventure Clara realizes her father is lonely. She'd held anger towards him because he expected everyone to behave normally despite their mother's death. She also realizes that everything she needs to make it in the world she has inside of herself. She's into science and she uses that to save the Four Kingdoms. I'm going to have to look into the book that this movie was based on called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The symbology is fascinating. I watched the original Nutcracker play on Netflix and realized the Mouse King had seven heads. That's really interesting. I didn't see this movie in the theater.
I was skeptical about it based on the trailers. Critics confirmed it was mediocre. I have to give it a 7/10 because there were elements in this movie that I thought were absolutely brilliant. The Dionsaurs were kind of a sub-plot but there were some subtle shots of the dinosaurs that were really good. Just like Deadpool and Venom...the plot that was this movies main focus wasn't it's strength. Even in his review of this movie, my go to reviewer, Chris Stuckman asked, "What's up with the little girl?" We learn, along with the little girl Maisie, that she is the result of genetic experiments. She didn't have a mother but was a clone of the daughter that Lockwood had lost. She was raised as the granddaughter of Richard Hammond's original partner in creating the dinosaurs, Lockwood, and their business relationship ended because Hammond felt Lockwood had crossed the line. The social justice element of, "Should we save the dinoasurs?" was an interesting topic to explore. Yet, the movie mostly ended up being more of a commentary on big bad business and rich people. There seemed to be three plot lines...the mysterious little girl Maisie, the illegal auction of the dinosaurs as weapons, and the plot of, "Do we save the dinosaurs?" None of these plots were explored in depth making the film feel unfocused. Throw in the awkward charisma/love relationship between Owen and Claire...things got a bit muddy. The key brilliant moment's for me were when the little girl looked through the glass where her reflection should have been and saw the face of the genetically created Indominous Raptor. Then, of course, was the scene where she hit the button to release the dinosaurs and said, "Because they are alive like me." Those two moments made the movie absolutely worth watching for me. Personal Level I think I shared befored that the scene with the little girl, Maisie, in her bedroom was a familar nightmare for me. I had the same repetitive nightmare of a t-rex or raptor coming to get me...over and over again. In most of the dreams they were looking for my brother and not me. I have no idea what that means...but watching the bedroom scene with Maisie...which really seemed unneccesary in the movie but gave me goosebumps anyways...was really thrilling. I haven't had those dreams in a long time...but I'll explain why in the next portion of this blog. Collective Consciousness The Fallen Kingdom. Just the name invokes the level of Malkuth (Kingdom) in the Kabbalah Tree of Life...add to that the word Fallen and it gave me a bit of a pause. The dragon or dinosaur is a great archetype for the 'lizard like' basic instincts of our society. This is created by our fear...the part that lives in the intellect...often associated with the self-conscious that I prefer to call the waking consciousness. So, the dinosaur, like the dragon, represents intellecutal fear. Irrational intellectual fear is running rampant in our society right now. There is a fear that the idea that globalization, which like socialisim, looks wonderful on paper has fallen through. People were literally banking on a future one world government and economy but individual countries retaining their individuality is what people are chose...much like retaining our individuality on a personal level has been embraced by many. The idea that there is not an objective reality of which all of us are a part...but that each individual person represents a pocket of subjective reality...causes people who live in an entirely intellectual world a lot of fear. Having people choosing to be different instead of falling into line and conforming to some weird false sense of normalcy is driving the intellectual people crazy. There is an entire group that believe, thanks to Zachiriah Stitichin (and I used to be one of them but not so much the way he portrayed it) that believe that human beings as we know them were created by aliens through genetic manipulation. This entered the mainstream collective consciousness with the movie Prometheus. The entire question of ethics regarding genetic manipulation has many faucets that need to be explored. Conclusion Our world is in a transition. A one world Nanny Government was almost a foregone conclusion. That's all changed with the Trump presidency. At the same time cloning technology is a thing with celebrities cloning their dogs...what is the ethics on that subject? What are the limitations? Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom suffered from sticking to the safe story line of corporate greed. That is a tired story line and I think people are ready to move on. The rich people who make these films, however, haven't realized that yet. They are on an old band wagon. While this one was another 'meh' but entertaing movie...with great visuals...I think it's clear the next movie will be about Maizie and should be absolutely fascinating. How we apply genetic manipulation on human beings is a fantastic subject and I look forward to the third installment of Jurassic World. I'm curious where the director and writers intend to take it. Maizie was the best part of Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom. This past weekend I had the opportunity to go out on a date with my husband Ross. This was the first time since our daughter Michelle Annmarie was born that we had the opportunity. Grandma and Grandpa Carr had the weekend available to baby sit. This was my first time leaving my Deer Little One and she did fantastic.
We went out to see Venom. This movie was a bit of a disappointment. I give it a 7 out of 10 because for me they got the most important part right - the charecter Venom. Venom has always, to me, represented the Ego. If this movie generates enough profit it's possible they will make another and maybe hone in on what they got right in this film. I was surprised that there were a generous amount of people in the theater even though the movie was plagued with rumors saying that there were reshoots and there was a lot of negative criticism. I had kept away from the critics and I'm glad I did. If I had listened to my favorite critic (who's fallen into the cliche critic mode now that he's going to film school, sadly, so he's drifting farther away from popular opinions) I wouldn't have gone to see Venom at all. As a Spider Man fan he hated it. That's one major hurlde making movies based on the comics...the creators have to make a unique film that's true to the comics and, yet, fresh enough of a take that the ordinary person who doesn't know the history can enjoy it. That's a tough chasam to straddle but completely possible if looked at from the perspective of- what makes the charecter look cool and what part of human psychology can we explore with this charecter? Let me say that again, the most crucial thing for me going into the film was that Venom was portrayed correctly, and this movie got that right! That's HUGE in my world since we saw the terrible portrayal of that charecter in Spider Man Three. That said the story was choppy at best and focused on scenes that were just not that great. The entire plot with the Life Foundation should have been secondary to Eddie Brocks experience of being infected with the symbiot and his interaction with it. The Life Foundation should have been the subplot...not the main basis of this movie and it's almost like someone involved in the film knew that but didn't quite win the argument...so there was an unevenness between the story about the Life Foundation with a bunch of unneccesary forgettable scenes...and the scenes that were done right involving the interaction between Venom and Eddie. The acting from all of the actors was very wooden when they were interacting with each other (the only scenes that were not were those between Eddie and Venom)...which means the director sucked. When all of the actors have the same delivery that always indicates a really horrible director that's just going through the motions. The charecter of Eddie Brock, as my husband pointed out, seemed to just act more and more intoxicated as the movie went on without explaination. He was always sweating profusely...even when he had a fever...and looked sick. Even after he and Venom and come to an agreement to work togehter. Plus, if they had waited until the final battle agains Venom and Riot to reveal that Venom could heal Eddie there would have been more emotional impact. Missed opportunities such as that is what really held this story back. The love story between Eddie Brock and his ex-girlfriend also made no sense. I couldn't tell if she had feelings for him or not most of the time. That actress was just really horrible at portraying emotions...but that was probably the directors fault...because from the villian to the the liquor store proprieter barely any emotion was portrayed. Tom Hardy was perfect when he was interacting with Venom. That any aspect of his acting shone indicates that despite a crappy director he still has acting chops. He's not the best...he kind of plays himself I'm guessing...but a good director would use that to benefit the story. That's also why when Venom said Eddie had changed him...it felt false. There was no good reason why or how Eddie had changed Venom. You could argue it was the fact that Venom was within Eddie's mind and that he saw that Eddie was fighting for the common good and had made a difference. That was hinted at but not demonstrated....how could Eddie be a loser and, yet, on some level be such a role model to change an evil alien life form? Collective Conscious Interpertation This movie shared something in common with Deadpool 2 and Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom....there really didn't need to be a main villian in the movie. The Life Foundation and it's crazy CEO should have been a vehicle only to explain why and how Venom got here...the rest should have focused on Eddie's interaction and the eventual peace he foremd with Venom. Super Hero films are getting to the point where an evil villian isn't needed to oppose the hero to make it interesting. That was one of those things that the cheesy formula super hero story emphasised. Instead, we are starting to see these movies evolve to where they can explore more psychological concepts. The genre is perfect for this exploration because it's just enough of an escape because the fantasy elements can provide a platform for just enough depth that these subjects can be broached in a fun environment that more of the population can appreciate. I think this transition from the formula of yesterday to the new platform that super hero movies provide today are to blame for why these two films feel so choppy. New ideas, especially when not fully formed usually end up wobbly if they are not completely conceived. Venom, in particular, can provide a wonderful environment to expore the ego and the infulence of the ego. The ego is a lot like a parasite (just read A Course In Miracles and it becomes obvious). When we make peace with our Shadow (where the Ego resides) we can find peace in ourselves but it takes some work. Venom makes the perfect platform to explore this concept. As a Collective Consciousness we have looked into the mirror and realized that the villian is not outside of us...but a part of us. These films mark the start of that transition from dualistic thinking to unity...and it can't happen on a mass level soon enough. The idea that there is an outer force out there that wishes to destroy us...that fear is weaning big time. That dualistic notion and desire is what fueld the invention of nuclear weapons and the world wars. Conclusion When we walked out of the theater my husband admitted there were parts that were entertaining but over all it was Meh. At one point the entire theater erupted into laughter. That's when I thought the movie would realy take off but they kept to the lame Life Foundation storyline. When the scientist who told Eddie Brock about the human experiments and let him in died...I didn't care and it was predictable. For fans of the comic book and this charecter in particular who wanted violence and gore...the PG13 rating did hold it back. However, I'm hopeful that if this version makes enough money the sequel might redeem itself (with a different director and writer)...especially if reviewers make it clear that this movie would have been a whopping success if it was rated R. The time when an outer villian was needed to oppose the super hero is over. The time when super heros movies were made only for kids is over. In fact, the time for villians in all genre's including action movies has passed. They are just too cliche...mankind has reached the maturity level where there doesn't have to be a 'bad guy' for a 'good guy' to exist. Duality is fading at long last...it's giving one heck of a death rattle to humanity in the form of politics in the United States...but it's on the way out. This years movies really indicate that and...while it leads to confused movies...it's a huge sign for hope. We are a society in major transition. This concept of duality...that for there to be light there must be darkness...the concept that a hero only exists if there is a villian...is at an end. For that reason I love this movie. I see so much more potential for the charecters of Eddie Brock and Venom in the future. I hope it comes to fruition.
I give Star Wars: The Last Jedi a strong 8/10.
Yeah, I know, this movie review is very late. At the time that it came out I wasn't sure what to think of the Last Jedi. I went to see it in theaters but I really wanted to watch it again. Especially after listening to reviews of the movie and what other people thought of it. I watched it again a month ago and, again, had mixed feelings. On one hand I love a lot about this movie. Yet, there were just so many components to this movie that didn't work (mostly the side stories of Po/Holdo and Finn/Rose). If those two side stories had been the only thing in the movie I would probably have given the movie a 2/10. I agree with my favorite reviewer, Christ Stuckmann, they detracted from the part that was great...which was the dynamics between Luke/Rey and Rey/Kylo. I really enjoyed the Last Jedi but only because of the story lines involving those three charecters. I really loved what they did with the character of Luke Skywalker. I really loved Kylo and Rey's relationship in this movie. Po's character was under utilized and after insubordination and a mutiny was strangely forgiven. I really didn't enjoy that part of the movie either...they just sort of strung him along. Finn and Rose were a bit forgettable and really felt like the director (Rian Johnson) was putting his own personal beliefs into the movie. I'm note sure I wanted something so overtly political in a Star Wars movie...after all, that was my main gripe with the prequels. I wasn't a huge fan of Vice Admiral Holdo even though I really enjoyed that character in the Leah book. She wast really undeveloped in the movie and had I never read that book I don't think her death would have had the impact on me that it had. I really loved her character in that book so when she sacrificed herself it hit me hard. She made really ignorant decisions in the movie. I wasn't a huge fan of Leah surviving to the end of that movie. I think she was supposed to be a major part of the third movie. However, with Carrie Fisher's death I do not want to see that character in the third movie. I really hope in the final movie they focus on finishing off Rey's story line and all of the extra characters can just have cameos. With all of that said I really enjoyed that this movie was a total change. This movie didn't feel like The Empire Strikes Back. This movie felt like it's own whole and complete story which is what Star Wars needed. Luke Skywalker There was nothing better then to see a bitter old Luke Skywalker that had shut out the Force. We find that our original hero had tried to recreate the Jedi Order but failed. He sensed the Darkness in Kylo but he couldn't kill him...which is what sent Kylo on his destructive spree. After his attempt to recreate the Jedi he retreated to the planet where Rey finds him. When he took that light saber and threw it over his shoulder at the start of the movie I couldn't help but laugh. That was so unexpected. Yet, there was Rey, so much like him when he first got drawn into the battle between the Dark and Light side of the Force in the original trilogy. The approach to the Force in this movie was just so right...it wasn't the stupid scientific Physical Matter Reality crap that Lucas proposed in the Prequels (can we forget those exist?). The Force as it was portrayed in this movie was perfect. As for the Jedi being wrong and that being a failed religion...yup. There was no moderation. That is a hard pill to swallow for people who imagined themselves as Jedi or want to emulate that idea. Yet, very true. Extremes don't work and being a reclusive order of monastic monks won't save it either. That final battle where Luke fought Kylo Ren on the Salt Planet was also beautiful. That was a scene that was so well done. The fact that Luke didn't leave footprints in the Salt...makes the second viewing of that scene riveting. That Luke chose, in the end, to understand that being a symbol can be a good thing because it gives the oppressed Hope and makes room for something new was also beautiful. Rey The highlight of this movie was Rey. I really loved how Rian Johnson chose to not let her have the easy way out. He didn't want to her to be someone significant. He wanted her to be a nobody who was just thrust into this situation for seemingly no apparent reason. Who on the Spiritual Path of the Seeker doesn't experience the same thing? You find someone you think knows the answers only to find disappointment. The Path, in the end, is unique to each individual and no mass marketing or mass indoctrination can produce the results. The Results you reap on the Path of the Seeker is entirely up to you. I loved Rey's scenes with Luke where she was training. The scene where she had the Dark Night of the Soul and went for the Dark spot on the planet...only to find herself trapped without answers...just a hall of mirrors effect. That was so perfect. Which brings us to the relationship she develops with Kylo... Kylo and Ren Probably the highlight of the movie is when Rey tries to save Kylo and he tries to turn her. Not only does she fail but she causes him to go deeper into the darkness. That is one tough lesson to swallow...but the only person we are responsible and can save is ourselves. No matter how much we want to help other people we cannot save them and often times the attempt sends them into a deeper darkness. That was such a brilliant part of the movie. Both of them were tempted by the other but clearly didn't understand one another. Seeing them work together it was clear if they did join up they would have been an unstoppable team but there was no way either of them could cross the line to the other side. Conclusion There were brilliant parts of this movie that I really loved. They made the movie worth seeing and I would almost like to watch the movie without the subplots because I'm sure it would be better. At the same time the subplots were just unnecessary. I didn't like any of the original characters that Rian Johnson brought into the fray. Even though I agreed with the scoundrel DJ that it was better not to choose sides and that there were people profiting by selling to both sides of the war...I didn't like the character and it was unnecessary preaching that detracted from the plot. The subplot with Finn and Rose made the entire idea of battle between the Rebellion and the First Order seem pointless. You would think that the Rebellion should just throw in the towel...give up and limp home so they could scratch out a living under the oppressive First Order. That subplot really cheapened the movie. I can see that Rian Johnson wanted to bring more depth into the movie then the Us vs. Them narrative that has defined the Age of Pisces but his way of doing so didn't jive well with the Luke/Rey/Kylo story line so it felt like two movies tacked together. So, while Rian Johnson did really well on some things which were refreshing...he did terrible on others and he used this movie to promote his political beliefs which is always bad taste. He did the movie he really wanted to see with Finn and Rose...thankfully he didn't completely screw up with Rey. However, there is a lot of room in the third movie to revert things. Rey can be changed to be someone important, because it is possible Kylo lied or was deceived by the Dark Side of the Force. That's kind of how the Dark Side works. I will definitely see number three just to see the end of Rey's story line. I was disappointed by this sequel because of the Rose/Finn/Po stuff but it hasn't completely ruined this trilogy for me. I doubt the Last Jedi will be seen as the most brilliant of the films because it was so clunky...although some are trying to equate it to the Empire Strikes back. I will admit that Rose did have the best line in the movie when she stops Finn from sacrificing himself. She says something along the lines of they won't win against the First Order by giving up their lives but saving what they love.
This Review is about 10 years late.
I freaking adore the hell out of this movie...it get's an A++ with me. I would never admit it before because I was almost ashamed that I loved this movie because so many people showed it *SO* much hate based on one small feature. Being that it falls into the realm of fantasy 'curving bullets' is no more fanciful then most but for some reason it drew real hate. I think that's why I didn't think about this movie when I was making my Top 10 favorite movies list...but I have to add this one on there because it was the first time I sat in a Box Office and really felt I could relate with a character 100%. This movie really impacted my thinking. My husband chose to watch this on Netflix (it always trends really high when it's on there) and I realized I had ever scene memorized. The thing has been engraved on my mind. I had a lot of fun watching it when it came out. The movie was beautifully crafted. I remember it was the first movie that I saw that I flat out laughed when I saw it in theater. If Wanted movie had been made in this day and age it would be far more accepted. The movie came out in 2008. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 71% rating. I'm pretty sure it was because of the horrendous backlash against this movie in the media and everything that caused me to drop it from my top favorites list. Even Mythbusters got in on the act and did an episode that aired on Netflix about how it's impossible for curving bullets. The harsh backlash over such a stupid small detail when the story was *SO* good always amazed me. Why Do I Think It Failed Cognitive Dissonance. The world was just not ready for this type of movie. Movies goers just didn't like to think of anything that couldn't happen in the real world. Almost all super hero movies were destined to fail. They were looked down on by many. Currently, people have proven they are willing to think outside of the box but film makers, aside from Marvel, and people making original films are still stuck in the past. They haven't evolved to match the imagination of the people... there are a lot of challenges of making a good science fantasy movies and most attempts have missed the mark especially since most movie studios aren't willing to take chances. Hard science fiction movies have always been made and praised in Hollywood. Soft fantasy science fiction is totally different. I always preferred the latter and it does not surprise me the rest of the world does too. I prefer to watch Labyrinth over Contact any day. Hard science fiction tends to be very pessimistic and dark. I think we are heading out of the Dystopian Future type stories now (thank god!). However, one optimistic movie that failed totally and completely was Disney's Tomorrowland and I think that says a lot. Based on older films from the 80's that imagined a positive future today's negative self-centered teenagers and young adults simply couldn't relate to the concepts in that movie. There were crude and gory scenes in this movie but this was the Hollywood and movie goeres that wouldn't have been capable of making or watching a Deadpoool movie. This movie was simply ahead of it's time. Angelina Jolie was the main pull for the movie and she did an amazing job. Her character, named Fox, is the one who brings in the main protagonist. However, most people were probably disappointed she didn't play the main character. James McAvoy, who's proven to be one of the best actors of our Era, was the main character and I loved Wesley. I think it's such a shame that McAvoy wasn't really recognized as the great actor until Split The world, James, was just not ready for you. The same goes with Chris Pratt who played the jerk best friend. My Favorite Parts Every Day Is Exactly The Same- The Zombie Story Wesley's introduction scene, called Wesley's story, is so perfect when it comes to capturing the frustration of the Working Zombie. We've all had that micromanaging insecure jerk supervisor/manager. The Nine Inch Nails song Every Day is Exactly the Same captures the Angst of the modern world. Not to mention I've always loved Tren Reznor who is truly a self-actualized person...he might not be at the Being level but he's probably close.
You Apologize Too Much Chase Scene
I loved the part where Wesly meets Fox and she tells him he apologizes too much. I used to have that issue. She appears to save him. As they flip over the police cruisers he screams, "I'm Sorry!" That always makes me laugh so hard! That was so me before the Path of the Seeker. I felt sorry and apologized for so many things that were not my fault because I had a poor sense of boundaries.
The Training Scene
This one is brutal to watch...but it perfectly shows what it's like to have your Ego/Personality construct taken apart...the fact that it's by force and by someone else is why it's not so simple. Who know's who they are or why they are here? A lot of people have shared that a spiritual Awakening isn't all joy and light. To go through transformation means that you have to break down all of those previous personality structures and admit...I don't know. Wise people readily realize and verbally recognize they are ignorant. No one can know everything and anyone who pretends they do will be humbled eventually.
The Loom of Fate
The other part I loved, as as student of the esoteric, was the scene with the Loom of Fate. Of course, in the Greek tradition we have the three crones who weave the loom of Fate. In the Native American tradition they say the world is created by Grandmother Spider who weaves everything with her web. The Dogon believe something very similar, their Spider woman is named Nana. There is a weft and weave, a pattern, to life and it's fascinating. The esoteric tradition tracks these patterns...the reality we live in is expressed by a sort of mathematic code- the 12 zodiac signs, the 7 classic planets, the 7 chakras, the 7 Tarot Card keys...the pattern is there if you can see it...but people who know about it or are fear based and know a little bit about it have been twisting it for their own benefit for generations.
Fox's Death Scene
I loved this scene too. This proved that Fox actually believed that the Loom of Fate needed to be adhered to no matter what. The fact someone would be willing to sacrifice themselves for the better of the world and placing the needs of the many before her own needs is always refreshing. Of course, it's funny because the Jimmy Buffet Song- If You Like Piniacoladas- has been in a lot of movies recently (Guardians of the Galaxy volume 2 and Deadpool 2, for example).
Finally, the ending is amazing because it shows the transformation that Weasly has gone through as a result of the Fraternity. He's become a self-actualized individual that is proactive in the world instead of pretending to be a robotic zombie.
Conclusion
I guess this was the real first Wake Up call in movies of which I was aware. I find it strange that it does coincides with my First Awakening attempt. At that time I was really into the Annunaki and I could just barely taste the esoteric hints littered throughout this movie. There were hints and I realized there were Archetypes but I didn't know what they meant. The brutal backlash caused me to drop it. Watching it recently I laughed so hard at so many parts again that I was like, "Why the Fuck did I ever pay attention to popular opinion and forget about it?" How I despise Group Think and Peer Pressure but at this point I hadn't figured out myself and faced my demons. I was a total pacifist and hadn't really stepped onto the path of the Seeker even though I had been called. What Wesley goes through is kind of like the Path of the Seeker...you want to know who you are and what the purpose of life is...and not many people are like that. Most are happy with societies rhetoric that life arose from chaotic principals and what you see with your five sense is all you get. We start off a miserable puppet of our Ego/Construct that tells us to play it safe and just go along with what society dictates. We become the usual robotic work zombie never daring to think ourselves or develop our individuality because as far as large governments or empires are concerned that's safe. People who think for themselves might not tow the party lines. When we first wake up we go through the destruction of the Ego/Construct. Wesley had some help with his training but it's never pretty. I'm sure it helps if you know people who have gone through it before. I have a friend named Mikey who was lucky enough to know people who'd gone through it before when he went through his Awakening experience. I wasn't so lucky but thankfully I found the right authors and books at the start...now I have a small group of online friends on a similar path. Then, after all that Wesley has experienced, he has the option of going back to the life he lived. He chooses to take responsibility instead...he doesn't want to be just another Walking Zombie. He takes control of his own life. Little did I know that this movie and how much I adored it was a foreshadowing of what was to come in my own life. I knew it influenced me. I had googled my name and found a result (these days google will put the top search result as whoever pays for it...I found that out back in 2014 when an aspiring co-worker who wanted to be a comedian was pissed my name turns up instant results).
My "Normal" Review
I have to give this movie a B. This movie was not edited well. David Leitch, who directed the John Wick movies, really has no sense of comedic timing so the movie was rough. The writing was still absolutely hilarious. Even though the timing was off on the jokes and the delivery seemed off (thanks to the directing) they were hilarious. I really enjoyed this movie. The movie was not as tightly run as the first one. The initial scene set an odd tone. I really detest smoking so I couldn't appreciate those jokes. However, I really loved a lot of elements of this movie. There were just so many reasons to enjoy it...for me personally...that I can't hate it. I got a lot of the jokes but I was aware that the other people in the movie theater with us didn't get it. I thought it was brilliant that Vanessa was killed off at the start. That was a bit like Luke throwing his light saber over his shoulder in the Last Jedi (which I have written a review for that and will be posting it). Since the directing was terrible it didn't have the emotional impact that it should have had. Every scene that Zazie Beets, the actress cast as Domino, was in was astounding. I really enjoyed that character and I want to see that actress more! I am so excited to see such beautiful Black women in powerful roles. We need more of these! Cable was awesome but under utilized...Josh Brolin is an amazing actor. Juggernaut was a complete and utter surprise...but wasn't very exciting. I loved that almost everyone in the team Deadpool created (X-Force) died. I loved Dopinder calling Deadpool his Lestat and referring himself to Claudia. I was obsessed wtih Interview With A Vampire and Anne Rice when I was in Middle School and High School. So, this is one of those moments where I was just about dying laughing and everyone else in the theater audience was stony faced. I loved that Dopinder killed the religious headmaster of the rehabilitation center. That was by far one of the best scenes in the movie! I love that the bad guys don't get off scott free in Deadpool's movies. I love it when the bad guys die. Justice, got to love it. Also, it was absolutely hilarious when Deadpool was at Xavier's Mansion and the cast of the newest X-Men movies were in a room, shook their heads and closed the door on Deadpool without him realizing it...that was awesome. There was as lot to love in this movie. The movie was so close to being awesome. There just needed to be a little bit more love and attention to detail put into it by the Director that just didn't happen. With all of that said, this is one of my personal favorites for sentimental reasons. <3 There are a lot of reasons I'm sure the general audience will not like it...it starts off with him smoking and much of the movie he is trying to commit suicide which most people will find detestable. So many in our Western World take suicide so seriously because we really believe we only live once...that to make a comedy about it...well, people are just not ready for that at this time. So, I can see why people were disappointed. The choppy editing, the bad comedic timing, and the subject matter were very difficult and it would take a very deep thoughtful director to make this movie work...which is not the guy from John Wick (which is a series of entertaining but terribly one dimensional shallow movies). Universal Archetype Review There were some powerful ones in this movie: 1. Water- When Deadpool attempts to cross over to be reunited with Vanessa he is plunged into water. Water symbolizes the Subconscious. 2. Vanessa - Sure, she might have been the Spirit of his lover in the Earthly life...however, she was more then likely what Carl Jung calls the Anima. This is the Soul of the person...in these visions he was encountering a portion of himself. 3. His Heart- This is a major one. This is a major theme right now. I touched upon this on the Beast Revisited blog (https://bridgetkorns.weebly.com/blog/the-bull-symbol-revisited). Humanity needs to find their heart...not this superficial love crap that people are talking about and equality crap...but the real deal. They need to discover their Heart Center/Chakra and know what that means...we are Ascending to that level...we were at the Solar Level...and now it's time for the Heart Level of humanity. I know I need to go into further depth on this but I did touch upon it a tiny bit in my 2018 theme video (https://bridgetkorns.weebly.com/blog/2018-year-theme). 4. Not Killing- The fact that Deadpool has to save the kid from going down the path of the destruction that killed Cable's family is very reminiscent of Xavier, Wolverine and Magneato having to keep Mystique from killing in Days of Future Past. The deeper Archetype Symbolic meaning of this has to do with the story of Gilgamesh...in that story he kills the Celestial Bull...he kills his subconscious. Because he kills his subconscious he's not allowed into heaven...humanity is on the past to kill our subconscious in the name of Higher Learning. Our True Imagination is dying like in the Neverending Story...and that would lead us down a very bad path. 5. The Number 7 - Okay, if you haven't noticed by now with the 7 Tarot Card Keys of the Seeker, The 7 Hebrew Letters of the Path of the Seeker, the 7 Steps of Alchemy....7 i s a very important number! In the Kabbalah 7, as Francesca Simon so intuitively and succiently explains, IS PROGRESS. You could also say that it is the SYMBOLIC PATH OF THE SEEKER. 7 was the number of the train that Russel was on....and it was also the number that deactivated the collar that was killing Deadpool. 6, The Team - By far the thing that Chris Stuckman, my favorite reviewer, hated about this movie was that Deadpool put together a team- The X-Force. Well, this is very entertaining because we are in a Number 2 year...2 symbolizes Duality and Teamwork. Conclusion I really enjoyed this movie. The reason wasn't because of a well crafted movie but because the underlying meanings were so potent. Plus, the references to some of my favorite things. I find it sad that this is probably going to be the worst of the Deadpool series but I'm sure there will be more. For me personally, the start with Vanessa and Deadpool planning on having kids...well, that was very meaningful. Since, as you know, I am pregnant with what will be my first child. So, for me, this movie will always have a bit of nostalgia because in my life it is perfectly timed to coincide with what I'm experiencing on the eve of my family being created. As Deadpool explained at the start, this was a Family movie....or at least the story of how Deadpool learned that family is not a bad thing....whether it's his fellow mutants or Vanessa and the child they will create. Also, the final scene of cleaning up the Timelines...even the ones for Ryan Reynolds life...was just priceless. That will probably go down as movie Gold. Oh, and the fact Vanessa was saved at the end did kind of negate the storyline...but the transformation to Deadpool's character cannot be understated. Celine Dion Music Video "Ashes" For giggles sake I was just going to put the Celine Dion video but then I realized it is so perfect for this years theme...The Dark Night of the Soul. Plus, the 11 and 5 comment....this year is a 11 which, as I said breaks down to a 2....which is Duality and Teamwork which I've talked about before. Five is my lucky number and it represents Change. When we hit the point where I cover Calcination in the Alchemy video Ashes will take on a new level of meaning....as that's what Calcination does...it burns to the bone leaving only Ashes in the Alchemeical process. That's a good description of the Dark Night of the Soul breaking down old patterns. Beauty, interestingly, is Tiphareth on the Kabbalah Tree of Life which is Beauty...and it also represents the center most closely associated with Jesus. Just some interesting Archetypes. We take life so serious on this planet...we need more characters like Deadpool to remind ourselves not to take things so seriously! Here's the lyrics for the song: What's left to say? These prayers ain't working anymore Every word shot down in flames What's left to do with these broken pieces on the floor? I'm losing my voice calling on you 'Cause I've been shaking I've been bending backwards till I'm broke Watching all these dreams go up in smoke Let beauty come out of ashes Let beauty come out of ashes And when I pray to God all I ask is Can beauty come out of ashes? Can you use these tears to put out the fires in my soul? 'Cause I need you here, woah 'Cause I've been shaking I've been bending backwards till I'm broke Watching all these dreams go up in smoke Let beauty come out of ashes Let beauty come out of ashes And when I pray to God all I ask is Can beauty come out of ashes? Can beauty come out of ashes? I give Avenger's Infinity War an A++.
I went through most of the movie going, "What just happened?" and thinking, "Wait what?!" After seeing the movie I really wanted to buy another ticket and watch it again. There was so much packed into the two and half hours it was amazing. I completely lost track of time. First, I have to say I was really disappointed Hawkeye was not in this movie. I really like that character but he and Antman apparently decided to opt out so they could stay home and take care of their families. A perfectly understandable decision. I loved this movie and I highly recommend anyone who likes the Marvel movies to go see it right away. For those not into Marvel this might not be as exciting. The best moments in the movie are when you are emotionally connected to a character that was developed in previous movies and something happens to them. You can't expect to walk into this movie and get a dozen introductions. That is the brilliance of the Marvel Cinematic universe. Not only did giving each Avenger their stand alone movie (along with Antman, Dr. Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy) prevent them from having to do charterer development in this movie it equated to more profit all on it's own. Brilliant. The start was exactly as I expected. I expected the Asgardian ship to be attacked and destroyed thanks to the end of Ragnarok. For the most part, the story of this Avenger's movie starts off right where Thor: Ragnarok left off. That right there is absolutely perfect. As the trailer shows- Thano's is undertaking reducing half the population of every planet by force to 'even the scale'. Ragnarok is a reordering of the Universe so...those two ideas really tie in perfectly together. From the very start, thanks to how invested I was in the characters after Thor Ragnarok I was absolutely drawn in and devastated in the opening scene. Absolutely devastated. They freaking killed Loki! How could they freaking kill LOKI!! Oh man, my throat dropped to my stomach and I was not a happy camper. I loved how he went out fighting for his people. I love that he tried to kill Thanos. To start off with that though...man was I reeling. I went through most of this moving thinking, "No they really didn't just do this...no they really didn't just do that," and by the end of it I was just like crap. Whoa. Crap. I mean seeing some of my absolute favorite Marvel characters die? Gut wrenching. When Gomorrah dies if I had had popcorn in my hands I would have thrown it at the screen in rage. My thought was, "You freaking bastards." I loved the entire Gamora storyline, however, so I have to throw that in there...it was unexpected and brilliant. That really developed Thano's character. That entire story line was gripping and a surprise. Zoe Saldana, the actress that plays Gamora, was amazing. There was only one character that died that I expected to die.... Just one... I really wish there had been a stand alone movie that focused on Scarlet Witch and Vision. I really think it would have made the death of that character more compelling. Since he was the least developed of the characters his death just didn't have as much impact as any of the others. Now, when Bucky died I was like, "What the hell was the point of introducing him as White Wolf?" Then Black Panther died and I was like, "No they didn't!? They couldn't!" The Black Panther fans must have been so disappointed because his role was so small and then when he dies at the end it was so abrupt! Then Manits, Drax, Star Lord....and those bastards killed GROOT! WTF!? Then Spider Man and Doctor Strange!! I was like, "Yeah, this ain't going to stay that way." Doctor Strange out of thousands of possible futures only saw one opportunity for them to win...and that was to have Tony Stark/Iron Man live. I loved that part of this movie. Holy crap. When Doctor Strange saved Stark by giving up the Time Stone was the third moment I really wanted to throw popcorn at the screen. I did not see that one coming at all. However, by getting rid of the character's they did in this movie it's clear what character's will be in the next movie. As far as writing goes that is brilliant! Thano's was every inch the villain I wanted. You could actually understand why he wanted to kill half the universe. I loved how they wrote that charecter. Yes, he has a cold heart to a degree much as a general on a battlefield cannot be sympathetic because he needs to get through the day. Killing half the universe is obviously not nice but he thinks that it will benefit everyone and needs to be done. As the Georgia Guide stone prove- people have thought long and hard about such an idea. Over population is a bad issue without a good fix (I myself posted an article about a woman who had 16 kids on Facebook and my first thought was really? With over population, really? But I guess if you believe in a higher power...just like global warming...it is an issue that will take care of itself). I loved the mashups with different characters, although, the trailers did kind of ruin that one. If they hadn't been in the trailers it would have been better. I was fascinated watching Tony Stark and Dr. Strange interact...that was so gratifying. There were a lot of fan moments in this that I really loved. I am super psyched about seeing Captain Marvel because obviously she's going to have an important role in the next movie. Her movie comes out just a couple of months before Avengers Infinity War Part Two. I can't really wait for that one. Conclusion Alright, so I already said I give this an A++ and I'm super psyched to see Captain Marvel. That movie is going to be interesting and probably not even going to be 1/10th based on the comic book so that's going to be something entirely new. They may be going with the 2012 story line that does have a very Wonder Woman like story but we will see. I'm excited for that and the actress in the upcoming movie said that it is very much inspired by Wonder Woman. I am horribly biased and so excited to see a super hero character that's a blond that isn't second fiddle like Super Girl. As a blonde who always wanted to dress up as a bad a$$ female super hero I'm just glad that's going to be an option. I'm really hoping they don't screw up that movie. My guess on the next Avengers is that the Time will play a huge role. Will it be the time stone exactly? Maybe not. Captain Marvel will obviously play a key role. Since Antman and Wasp takes place after this one, in a world where so many have died, I think that it will give us more of a clue as to what is going to happen in the second part of Infinity War. Although, some say the events in Antman and Wasp coincide with Infinity War. Marvel is great at stringing us along to see the other side stories in order to find out what's ahead. That's a brilliant strategy. One of the reasons that the universe works out so well is because they have these stories roughly worked out before making them and how they interconnect in a way no other franchise has ever dreamed of in the past (because most are a bit lazy and it's a risky proposition). The Mystical Stuff I was struck by the fact that this is the second movie where the bad guys win. The first was the Last Jedi which left Star Wars fans in tears. (By the way I'm skipping Han Solo. There is no way I'm watching anyone else but Harrison Ford play Solo. I'm hoping a lot of Star Wars fans will do the same and that will kill the trend of recasting). On a personal level why do I think I was attracted to two movies where the villains win? That kind of goes with Deadpool. I was sick of the bubblegum pop, "The hero's always win," story line. The anti-hero trend (I'm note sure Venom actually fits that category but I'm trying to keep an open mind). In real life things there aren't clear cut good guys or bad guys. Usually, when you can only think in terms of good guys/bad guys you're stuck in the prison of duality. Every bad guy has a justification for what he's doing. Very rarely is he doing it just for self gain and he wants to see other people suffer. Usually, it's because they are suffering and have a twisted view of reality. Much like Thanos. Such stories are far more closer to reality then the bubble gum pop hero stories of the past although Marvel is good at balancing the happy endings with deep losses (such as the death of Bucky in Captain America or adult Groot in Guardian's of the Galaxy). In both cases there is a lot of Hope because there are people who can turn the tide. I think the next set of movies will be more optimistic. We will find out about Infinity Wars in May of next year (with Captain Marvel being right before it and undoubtedly tied in) and Star Wars at the end of the year. In a lot of cases I love the anti-hero phase because it really gives people the opportunity to really connect with their Shadow. Connecting with the shadow is a tremendous opportunity for self-healing. I'm looking forward to the next Deadpool as well though I have a feeling it's not going to be as good without the original director. So, two themes...a newly crowned King (Black Panther and Aquaman), anti-heros and the villains winning. I'm sure the Dem's would agree that's a reflection of what happened when Trump was elected president. The fact that the nation seems to be thriving and Trump's odd ways has fostered peace in North Korea. He's not being the nice hero guy like Obama that's all about appearances (as I've said, Obama had no choice as the first black president). He's being the anti-hero and he quite doesn't understand why people don't like him. Does it mean anything on the level of the Collective Consciousness level? After walking out of this movie I had an, "Oh," moment. In the paste few years (somewhere about five) we've clearly been dealing with our Shadows on the collective level...the rejected parts of ourselves that we don't usually see or acknowledge. I found myself having a deep empathy with Thanos. Killmonger in Black Panther was very much T,Challa's shadow. The entire scene with Rey and Kylo Ren as her Shadow in The Last Jedi really sealed the deal. As usual, it turns out when you confront your Shadow that it's not as scary as you would think. Like the character Deadpool said when he killed Francis...if being a hero means you have to let freaking psycho's run lose in society then it's not worth being a Hero. We've had a ton of psychos in our own government and we've just let them be because they were the norm and that's not okay. So take a look in your closet and check out what your shadow looks like...what's in there that surprises you? Don't try to disown it...embrace it and transform it because otherwise it rules your life. I think that's what's going on at an inner level on a Collective Consciousness basis. Facing your shadow means facing your fears with grace. Sometimes thought structures have to break down completely, like in Avengers Infinity War and Star Wars the Last Jedi, before they can be reborn as something completely new! We are watching this happen on the Collective Consciousness level right now and it's being played out in a big way on the Big Screen instead of in real life (say with the collapse of the United State through economic catastrophe and war) which I am incredibly grateful for...it's kind of like what happened with 2012. Everyone wanted the big event to come and shake the world in the physical form but we just explored it on a consciousness level on the big screen...which is much safer. I have been facing my shadow this year. By becoming pregnant I'm repeating an experience that was the most traumatic event in my life. I'm hoping that it will have a different outcome with my second daughter (I promise to do an update on all of that next week). As a result I've really had to face my shadow and I've had some really fascinating dreams as well which I may choose to discuss. This week will be all about about the Shadow on this blog and in my Youtube video Traveler's Notes. At the least I hope you enjoyed my review! Next year is shaping up to be exciting. |
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Thank You For Visiting
Brave Soul! May Your Journey On The Path Of The Seeker Bring You Joy and Peace! I'm currently posting every Saturday. With a new addition the family I have pre-scheduled most posts through December 2022. Full Moon Posts will contain up-to-date content when I can get to them. Thank you so much for your support and understanding! This is a place where you can encounter new spiritual ideas that have helped me develop as an Individual On The Path of the Seeker. Take or Leave this information as you see fit. Archives
April 2024
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