Every Year I do a review of the movies I saw duing the year. I identify the theme and see if it matches the year ahead theme that I detected. Do the movie themes and the year experience coincide?
In previous years there have been significant synchronicities. This year wras a bit of a blank slate since alot of movies I planned on seeing didn't release their trailers until just before the movies came out. Three movies that I wrote about in my Year Ahead Review for 2018 didn't come out- the X-men movies and Alita Battle Angel. This year was a very weird and disappointing year for movies. My internal recevier, what I am attracted to, has become very narrow. I don't really enjoy drama or romance (I have too much empathy to watch romance movies) and I have lost all interest in horror movies. From a purely analytical critical point of view this was the year of subpar sequels. I cannot even count how many times my favorite Movie Critic on YouTube, Chris Stuckman, said he was disappointed by the sequels that came out this year...whether it was Deadpool, Antman and Wasp, the latest Halloween movie, Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom, or the latest Predator movie. I didn't see and wasn't interested in a lot of movies this year but the sheer amount of movies that didn't live up to expectations were fascinating. This year I was mostly attracted to Super Hero and Science Fiction movies. That will continue into next year. I think it's the only genre that is thriving at the moment because it's fresh and new. The drama and romantic movies are the same old boring storyline. Even the Super Hero movies this year had some worn out drama storylines woven into them (lazy writing). I find it fascinating that Action Hero movies that people joked about and hated so much in the 90's and 2000's are now the most successful genre. That switch in public opinon shows a dramatic change in the Collective Subconscious. Let's take a look at these movies and see if there is a theme... ** Disclaimer** I am not saying that these are the themes for everyone. We live in a very subjective world. Unless you saw only the exact movies I saw...this probably doesn't pertain 100% to you. Similar to an oracle card reading you can see if you can spot the theme in the movies that you were attracted to...there were a lot more movies then those I'm going to cover. For example, I saw Incredibles Two with my husband but it's never really made my list. As I noted, this year in particular, I'm on a very narrow band frequency... which means I'm attracted to very particular interests...and therefore movies. I belive the entirety of movies that come out and whether or not they are successful is a reflection of the Collectiove Unconscious of Humanity (a Jungian concept), which others may call an Oversoul or the Logos of this planet. Those who fail are those who that do not resonate with the Collective Consciousness and those that succeed to resonate with the Collective Consciousness. This an example so that you can look back and reflect on what you were attracted this year and see if you too can see an interiro theme that was reflected in the external world.
Black Panther
Not my favorite movie in the Marvel Universe but it was good. I really enjoyed the parts that were reminiscent of 007 and the Killmonger character was so compelling (Michael B Jordan has a fantastic career ahead of him...he is also incredibly good looking). This is a movie I can watch over and over again. There is so much in this movie that the first time it's hard to absorb it all. Lupital Nyango (she played Nakia) has a fantastic career ahead of her as well...out of all of the character's in this movie she played my favorite. Lupital's strong on screen presence and acting skills are what made Nakia, a minor character, one of my favorites in the entire Marvel Universe. The movie shows the development of T'Challa as he accepts becoming the King of Wakanda. In the movie the nation of Wakanda faces it's fear of losing it's isolation. The existential crisis of opening up the country to the world so that their technology can benefit all of humanity...or if they should continue to keep it to themselves...is the central theme.
Avengers Infinity War
I was shocked and horrified during this movie. I was completely taken off guard when Loki died at the start...I did not expect that one. Then when Gamorah was killed by Thanos I was absolutely heart broken. The charecters they killed off in this movie took me completley by surprise. Thanos (played by Josh Brolin) was masterfully crafted and way too easy to empathize with even if he was absolutely wrong. The fact that he was very Hitler-esque and one of the reviewers I watched actually said he could agree with him Thanos says how well that charecter was written (https://youtu.be/q1a9en8wY0s). I have heard the very analytical and intellectual among us state that the population of this world needs to be reduced. On the mysterious Georgia Guidestones there is a statement that says that their is an ideal number for our world popuation so this sentiment is popular. Thano's fingersnap that removed 50% of the population from the cosmos is vey siimilar to the dogmatic idea of the Rapture as well...something that a great deal of Christians desire. Hopefully, this movie moves them to think of how unhealthy harboring such a death wish is for them. (Thanatos in sanskirt means Death Wish). Carrying a death wish for a great deal of the population because they are not in agreement with your exact beliefs is a very poisonous burden. Family, in this case of all life throughout the multiverse, was the the main theme of this movie.
​ Deadpool 2
Not loved by critics I really enjoyed this movie. I could see it's flaws which I blame on the Studio being dumb. I think it's proof that stuidos haven't realized that society has changed. However, the Super Duper Cut on Blue Ray was amazing. Here Deadpool is utterly defeated when Vanessa is killed at the start. Vanessa is associated with the subconscious. Every time Deadpool tries to die he is seen plunging into a body of water. Since water is an archtypal symbol for spirit, the emotions and the subconscious that was a very weighty choice. The theme of this movie Deadpool goes from service to self to service to humanity (a plot point Chris Stuckman hated). This is Deadpool's Dark Night of the Soul. At the end of the movie we see Deadpool time traveling to set everything right...completely negating this movie. The ending was probably one of the most memorable cinematic moments I've ever encountered. Family was the main theme of this movie (Vanessa and Wade, at the start of the movie, were going to start trying to have kids).
​ Antman and Wasp
I loved this movie. This movie was very much about the Wasp, which the title suggested, and it was really funny. I love the light heartedness of the Antman series. The movie was a bit all over the place and left a lot of questions. Especially since the ending showed Antman stranded in the Micro-Realm. Family was the main theme of this movie.
Christopher Robin
This movie came out of nowhere. I have to admit, I haven't watched it yet but it is one I hope to watch this year. I love Winnie the Pooh. The plot seems obvious...I think it's adorable that Pooh has to 'Save' Christopher Robin from his work-a-day life so that he goes from focusing on working to his family. This ties in so well with the other themes for this year that I cannot fail to include it. I asked the question if Creativity Is Dying...much like in the Neverending Story in this blog:​https://bridgetkorns.weebly.com/blog/is-creativity-dying-in-the-united-states. Here, Creativity and imagination literally save Christopher Robin who's become a working zombie. ​Again, family, as Christopher Robin realizes his relationship with his daughter is more important than his high paying job that kept him away from home.
With a theme similar to Christopher Poppins...Mary Poppins Returns to save the Banks children. Only, it seems like she's there for the next generation. The trailer give sit away though...she's really there for the adults who've lost their imagination.
​Agaim, the theme that family is more important than work is the theme.
Very rich in symbolisim this movie was very one dimensional. While the symbolisim and sets were gorgeous the acting was okay and the story was really lame. My husband fell asleep in the theater. There was never a good reason for why the Sugar Plum Fairy viewed Mother Ginger as an enemy aside from the fact that she didn't want to 'play nice' anymore. A very disappointing movie...just like so many others this year.
​The plot, however shallow, was of family as the main charecter releases the anger she felt for her father and learned to trust herself.
Ready Player One
I don't know why so many people liked this film aside from the fact that it's filled to the brim with pop culture nostlagia. My husband couldn't even sit through this movie. I don't think he watched it all the way through. There were some very minor twists but there was not much charecter development and the plot was very one dimensional. This movie wasn't for me. The Movie Surrogates with Bruce Willis that came out in 2009 had the same plot and it was a better movie. The theme was don't isolate yourself from others in a fantasy world or you will miss out on life. The creative genius behind the Virtual Reality created that realm because he was not able to interact with people in the real world. So, he created a fantasy world for himself and left behind keys for anyone able or willing to study him to understand why he created it. However, what he left behind was a story of solitdue...that he missed out on the love of his life and having a family because he had entered into his own inner realm. Here too, interaction with actual people and not just a virtual reality, was the main emphasis.
By far the most blah movie of the year.
Yes, it was somewhat watchable but not terribly so..it was so predictable. We know that Han makes it out because he's in the original Star Wars Triliogy so there is no sense of danger...and when charecters in the original 'crew' die there is no emotional significance because there was no charecter development. That's one of the problems with these prequels. We know that the hero's will survive and the only way to make the movie worth our time is to develop other charecters that are interesting. The only intriguing part was Qi'ra because she was Han's first love and she became evil..as indicated with Darth Maul. The plot and the origin story could have ben so much better! They stuck with a somewhat safe story...Chewy eating people though just doesn't fit that charecter. This movie, in my opinon, was a total failure.
Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom was another sequel people felt were ho-hum.
I really enjoyed it, kind of like Deadpool, for personal reasons. The bedroom scene with the Indominous Raptor with Lockwood's 'grandduaghter' was a scene right out of one of my repetitive nightmares. I love that they explored the significance of genetic manipulation again. The fact that Lockwood's grandduaghter is a 'clone' of his dead daughter (and that she didn't know it) was a fascinating part of the movie. Hopefully, that subject will be explored more in the third movie of the trilogy as Clair and Owen are seen driving away with her in their car. Although it was a very subtle theme...the theme of choosing life over purely selfish business interests was the focus of this movie.
Another disappointing movie.
Yet, there were parts that were really good despite itself. ​They got one part right-Venom. When the journalist interacted with Venom it was really enteraining. I'm curious to see if there is a directors cut, like there was with Deadpool 2, that redeems the film. This was another film where the studio probably inteferred with the directors creative expression. The plot and directing, though, were boring. In this one an evil corporation wanted to exploit an alien species to enable mankind to travel through space but that alien species was actually exploiting the corporation so that they could take over and consume Earth. The main theme were two 'losers' teaming up to protect life.
I was shocked that this movie received such a huge positive review from Chris Stuckman who gave it an A. I'm going to see it at the end of this month- well after this blog is to be posted. I am so excited to see it! Time travel and multiple spidermen from multiple 'timelines'/'dimensions' working together to change the outcome of the plot.
Again, you can tell that it is family and team work overcoming personal self-interest that would destroy all life (Kingpen) that is the theme.
Conclusion
We started out the year with the first black main super hero film. The year is ending with the first black spider man in film- even if it's animated. I think that's an interesting thing to point out. In the Hopi tradition there is a statement that the Black race represents the element of Water- which is closely connected to the Subconscious, Emotions and Spirit. Just as the female archetype represented this elemet and was repressed...so to has the Black race. So the rise of the Black super hero is on par with the meaning of the rise of the female super hero. (Watch Hopi Lee Brown talk about this at around the 2:!2 minute marker in this video: https://youtu.be/u3mzk__aa-o). This year was choppy. The world is in transition and despite itself Hollywood seems to be reflecting the Collective Unconscious-albeit completely unconsciously and in a way they are not used to yet. Old plots and shallow writing are no longer working. Movie goers expect a lot more emotional depth out of movies than they did twenty years ago. The story telling was awful. ​ Most of the movies were a huge disappointment. This year the world has been in a flux. We're in an awkward transition filled with potential for next year. I'm glad I originally did such a poor job of writing this blog because I realized that the huge theme for this year was an emphasis on family. Choosing not to sacrifice family for one own's selfish intellectual desires...as a matter of fact. On a personal level, for me, that would be the choice to leave the Work Force even though that felt like a totally illogical idea at the time. So much of my identity was wrapped up in working, especially since I have degrees and to not work seems like a waste (although, the menial part time job I was doing was far below what I should have been doing with those degrees). My true place is at home building my family and I let go of a lot to learn that lesson. Further, it was choosing to leave the workforce that allowed me to write a book, the 7 Code, the first in a series of books on the Path of 7 that might serve all of humanity. I can see this theme in others lives as well...including my husband who was on a very selfish path spending money only on his desires instead of what would benefit our entire family. Is Humanity switching from the selfish-business-cancer like- mentality of constant growth and self-gratificationi to serving the Collective? I hope so...and boy is 2019 shaping up to be the year of the woman...more so than ever before with all of the strong female charecters that should have dominated the box office being delayed until next year.
0 Comments
I know, I know, I can hear the groan. After trying to figure out the Bull/Beast symbolism last year you're probably sitting there going, "More?" Well, this is a research topic that just keeps giving. The main reason this is timely is because we just studied the Hebrew letter Aleph and the Fool Card of Tarot. As you probably saw in the post on Aleph- the symbol for Aleph...the first letter of the alphabet started off as the image of a bull/cow head. I am attaching that depiction of the evolution of that Hebrew letter at the heading of this post. Second, there was a huge hubbub over Uranus traveling into Taurus on May 15th. Uranus will stay in the sign of the Bull until November 6th. The key terms I've come across when reading about that is, "Results" and Money. Some have pointed out that every time this planet enters this constellation it appears to effect the Market..and usually not in a good way. The constellation of Taurus is a fascinating subject in and of itself when looking at it from the esoteric point of view. Also, I must note, I am not the first one to be obsessed with this symbol. Carl Jung, who became interested in Alchemy and the esoteric because *SO* many of his paitients had alchemical symbols in their dreams (in fact he wrote books on the subject that are super expensive- one is still $20 and another is over $100!!) became so obsessed with the cow symbol that there is a room in his home near the lake that is covered with drawings of the Cow. He went a little nutty, in other words, studying this symbol. Aleph The subject of the Beast/Bull/Serpent is deeply intertwined with some of the deepest and murkiest symbols. The fact that the Subconscious is deeply connected to the symbol of the Female is one of the best keep secrets of Kabbalah. In fact, the entire idea that the female aspect of a person must be worked with in order to reach enlightenment. That's at the heart of Kabbalah. In the Tarot explorations of Kabbalah it becomes the most apparent but I've found that in more of the traditional Kabbalah books as well. We know that Aleph is a fairly naieve energy that runs through and supports everything. This is also an 'outward thrusting energy' which makes you think it might be more male. Yet, it is depicted as female as you can see in my video on the Hebrew letter. The energy of this card is said to run through and support all of material creation. This, in Alchemy, would be called the quintessence. Alchemists sought to reduce all types of different types of matter into that Quintessence in their experiments. These experiments were like meditations and by performing them as well as understanding the psychological and physical application to the body as well Alchemists were seeking to understand the mechanics of the universe. Taurus When we look at these teachings it's important to look at the subject from many perspectives. Taurus is one of the Fixed Earth signs. That means these are considered to be signs that stabilize creation. We also know that the symbol for this sign is what Ezekial saw in his "wheel within wheels' vision. The Bull/Beast Symbol 2017 I wrote *many* blogs on this subject last year because I was shocked by how many films or events had the bull and beast symbolism in it last year: Logan, Split, Beauty and the Beast, Transformers: The Last knight, Ferdinand and Wonder Woman are the ones that come to mind at the moment. The above image of the bronze statue of a girl squaring off with the Bull of the stock market was very potent. The fact that the bull is associated with the stock market at all is fascinating. A bull market is a rising stock market where stock prices are high. In almost all of these there was a young girl squaring off with the 'beast.' In Logan it was Laura who was Wolverine's daughter. In Split it was the girl Casey who, it turned out, also had deep Subconscious issues like the main character who was abused. Izabella in Transformers: The Last Knight. Beauty, obviously in Beauty and the Beast. In Ferdinand it's Nina. In Wonder Woman it was when she faced off against Aries...who represents all of those base carnal desires that can rise up and destroy those unprepared to deal with them. As I said, when I see such a potent symbol pop up a lot I can't help but take notice. Clearly, something is occurring in the Collective Consciousness. Last year it was pretty mysterious to me even though I had read a lot of the books that I am revisiting this year as I make YouTube videos. As with most of this information I find that I have to re-read the information more then once to absorb all of it and process it correctly. This information tends to be buried pretty deeply and when reading about the 22 major cards of the Tarot, in particular, each card needs to be digested on it's own and meditated upon to really reap the full benefits of the symbolism and deeper meaning. The toughest thing is that since Christianity was so patriarchal and tried to kill out any association with a feminine essence....references to the matriarchal were utterly destroyed. What we have today that survived from those time periods survived mostly due to oral traditions- whether the Jewish or the Dogon of Africa (which have since been converted to Islam and lost much of their history). The Bull is a huge archetype in humanity- from the constellation of Taurus which is clearly defined (although, I haven't delved into esoteric astrology too much) to various other traditions. In Edgar Cacye on the Revelation we find that the Beast is associated with the Root Chakra which we will delve into in just a moment. The Bull In The Bible In the bible we find that when Moses was leading the people out of Egypt they were worshiping a Calf. Now, we know that in Egypt they worshiped Bulls but not so much Calves. Why would the people gather together and agree to worship a Calf? Second, we also know that in Ezekial's vision of the four living creatures that have bronze legs of calves and one of the faces was like an Ox. An Ox, as I pointed out, is a very common symbol in the bible. Jesus urges us to take up his yoke and be like him...which is what an Ox carries. So, the Ox represents 'nature' domesticated. All of this seems very mysterious...until we realize that the face of the man from Ezekial's vision is the fixed sign of Aquarius, the Lion's face is the fixed sign of Leo, and the Eagle is actually the fixed sign of Scorpio (which was a constellation described as an eagle before a scorpion). Each is associated with the four elements, earth, air, fire, and water. There is more that could be said here, I am sure, but I haven't delved into it very deeply. Instead, we are going to turn to Egypt. A Dream Symbol Mystery The main reason that I have been absolutely fascinated with the Bull symbolism is due to a dream. I have covered this dream before but my mind kept going to it and it has been solved. In that dream, there was a structure representing the Mystery. I noted that there were two screws lose. One of those screws troubled me, because I was misled by the work of Zehciraih Stichin (although, he did do me a great service because he helped me to see religion and spirituality differently. I do have great respect for the man because he was thinking outside of the box). That golden screw said, "Accept the bull." (The other golden screw said "In no cent," which I understood as anyone that wanted to use this information for profit or to reinforce their ego would not be successful. I was aware both were puns- one saying Innocent and the other Acceptable...but they had layered meanings as dreams often do). The only symbolisim I had studied at that point was what Zachirah Stitchin said and the Bull represented Enki. I was not willing to give up worshiping the One Creator as opposed to a minor deity. This frightened me because the Annunaki scared me at the time thanks to how they are portrayed by the online community and mostly fear based individuals interacting with the material...and projecting fearful Apocalyptic Christian ideas on to the old Sumerian tales. The Bull Symbolizing Hathor I will go further into depth on the "Goddess" connection to this subject in another meditative blog on that subject. As I studied the Tarot, in particular the Star key pictured in the last section, I discovered that the Bull was actually representing Mother Nature. Sometimes, this is also referred to as Isis. Remember how that beautiful Goddess's name has been tarnished thanks to a male group of terrorists? When I realized that Hathor, often depicted with Bulls Horns, was the original Bull God I was Shocked. The horns she wears on the her head also symbolize the three phases of the moon. However, often times she wears the Solar Disk upon her head that symbolizes the One Creator in Egyptian Art. Egypt was monotheistic, it would seem, at it's core, at one time but the priests twisted the teachings to their own ends so that they could profit off of them. Originally, in Egypt there was one God, Ra, that was the primal source. You might be confused that the original Bull was a woman. Bulls are associated with men. Originally, most breeds of cattle had females and males with horns. The horns were eventually bred out of the female cows. Go ahead and do your own research on this topic. Paul Foster Case says very plainly the goddess Hathor is Mother Nature. I guess you could also refer her to the Earth Itself. She is the undomesticated wild energy of the beasts of the field that underlies most of mother nature. She can be deadly but she can also be very gentle. I think that all of us are familiar with this Archetype. The God Enki In Babylon the truth was even more confused then in Egypt by the priests. They turned all of the symbols that had preceded them before into the images of men. So, the images associated with Hathor became Enki. Doesn't this picture remind you a little bit of the image on the Star Tarot key? Enki has two streams of water pouring off of him. Water, as we have discovered elsewhere, is a fantastic symbol of the Subconscious which is associated with the Quintessence. The Subconscious is our connection with the divine. In Alchemy, the Subconscious has to be filtered. In fact, in modern channels such as the Pledians they tell us that we are fish. We are fish swimming in a sea, they say....we are the product of the subconscious and most of us are subconscious. In the Tarot Moon key it shows a crawfish crawling out of the ocean...that's what we do with Mediation. We crawl out of the ocean of our subconscious...we stop being zombies...but we will study that in depth soon. Notice the calf at his feet again...similar to the calf fee of Ezekial's vision. Again, this is a major archetypal symbol that repeats. We also have the Eagle at the top representing the fixed sign of water, or Scorpio. Now, since I have studied the feminine principal enough in other writings I can comprehend what this image represents. This image absolutely represents the Subconscious. Enki is said to be the God of the Ocean. He was filtering gold from the Ocean...but there was very little of it. Here is the deal, in Alchemy, Gold is spiritual development. Well, when you study the story of Spirit (which is more or less what the Subconscious is) you find our souls progress very slowly because we are so unrestricted. Souls are so content in Spirit they change very slowly and it's hard to reverse bad habits. Yet, the rulership of Earth was given to the god of the Land, Enlil, because even though there was more gold in the ocean...it was far easier to obtain on land. Land is Material Reality. This simply symbolizes that even though the Subconscious came first...it was the Waking Consciousness that governs a person. The rulership was given to the Land because by coming into a physical body, forgetting our history and the old bad habits from before, allowed for far more Spiritual progress at a far more rapid rate. We learn and accomplish a lot more when going into physical bodies then when we stayed in Spirit. That's what the Sumerian tale of Enki and Enlil really represent. The only battle between them is the battle that goes in within the self between reconciling the Subconscious and Conscious mind. Conclusion
Humanity doesn't seem to want simple. We want an opposing force outside of ourselves to fight. Yet, that's not what the myths and spiritual stories passed down for generations really mean. All traditions have the same kernal of Truth at the center because they are all based on Universal Archetypes that come from Subconscious which is our telephone line to Spirit. Artists and writers are the ones who develop this line of contact to the fullest but the scientist is the one who can really make magic happen in the outer world. These symbols are then interpreted by the culture that receives them. Then usually misinterpreted by those who follow those who had the original vision because they have nothing they can relate them to except literal physical matter reality. Humanity, even now, for the most part cannot conceive of abstract ideas because it requires imagination. If I were to go to most Christians and say, "Armageddon is a war in your mind between your Conscious Waking Mind's carnal physical desires and the Spiritual desires that lie in your Subconscious. Your subconscious is like a garden that you must tame and maintain in order to have a better life but first you must become centered in your heart," they would flip out on me or completely fail to understand what that means. Yet, that sentence sums up the majority of what I have learned on my Spiritual Path and what has brought me great joy most recently. While everyone is searching for Truth to come to them in the external world it lies inside them as seeds patiently waiting to grow...but they must turn inward. Finally, on a Collective Conscious level, the fact that the Bull has popped up simultaneously with the return of the Goddess is TREMENDOUS! If you have followed that the Subconcious is synchronized with both the symbol of the Goddess and of the Bull....it really means the same story is being told. Hence, the little girls with the Beasts. I have realized what this means on a deeper level, yet, this blog has gone on far too long. Suffice to say, more people are paying attention to and honoring their Subconscious more then ever before!
Given peoples current emotional fallout from the election of Trump I've decided to do something that's just fun. After all, part of being enlightened requires lightening up. Right now everyone is taking things just too seriously.
So lets have some fun. ​Feel free to disagree with me! One of the things that I will remember 2016 for is some of some memorable movies. There were a lot of movies I was interested in going to see. This doesn't normally happen. There were a few movies that were absolute flops and some that were surprises and some where the potential was there but they didn't live up to expectation. I am not a professional movie viewer and this is just my own selfish personal opinion...but it's fun to write this so enjoy. As you can see from what movies I'm drawn to I like movies that are just fun. Most of the films that I watch are not nominated for Academy Awards. The Movies I Loved 1. Deadpool In my opinion was the best movie of the year. The writing was brilliant. The opening scene was mesmerizing. There was not a dull moment. Although, the first time I watched it I felt as though I needed to take a shower...it has an endearing quality to it and remains one of my favorite movies to watch. The satire is some of the best I have seen in years. I doubt that sequels, which will happen due to the wild success of the movie will be as good because they might not try as hard. Yet, this is a movie that is already in my collection and I have watched many many times when in need of a good laugh. This is my go to movie when I'm taking life a little too seriously...all of us need to be a little bit more like Deadpool (aside from the killing people part, obviously).
2. Passengers
This came out of nowhere. I saw it as an ad in a different movie (I can't remember which one). Again, really well written and brilliant on many levels. The ending with the tree of knowledge, the brilliant way that it captures the human spirit and the human story...on a metaphorical level brilliant and on the literal level brilliant. I will probably do an in depth review of this movie. This one wasn't even on my radar. Ninety-Five percent of the reason I decided to see it was because of Jennifer Lawrence and Christ Pratt. They proved in this movie that they are phenomenal at acting and they have the best charisma as a couple. Plus I love science fiction. A great movie I intend to buy and watch several times. This is one of the few love stories I can tolerate.
3. Doctor Strange
I admit it could have been better but they had to start a little slow with this subject. A beautifully shot film with a bit of comedy. This wasn't the movie I was expecting but it was amazing to see so many metaphysical concepts put on the main screen and explored. The take on the whole magic thing is something that I'd expect someone to write in the 1930's but the character was a product of the 1960's when the East and West did not understand each other so it's not a huge surprise. Definitely a movie that I will be buying and I'm super excited where they go with this franchise.
Movies That Were Okay
1. Captain America Civil War: This movie was okay. I can't really complain about it but I can't say that it was fantastic. Yes, it had some brilliant moments. Did it quite live up to the hype? Not really. Winter Soldier remains the best movie from this franchise but it was fun to watch. 2. Rogue One Yes, it pains me to say that it was just okay. I wasn't expecting much out of this movie to start with and it was good. There was just something missing from Rogue One, despite having great charecter's, that I can't really identify. Something about the plot just wasn't developed. I only watched it once so I can't put my finger on it but the movie experience was a bit shallow. I do admire that they decided to show a darker side of the Resistance and I would like to see them develop and delve a bit more into that but...if I take it out of the Star Wars context it's a passable movie. 3. Star Trek Beyond This movie was really good but it wasn't as good as the first two. This movie was on the same level that a normal episode of Star Trek: Next Generation or Star Trek:Voyager. While good it wasn't fantastic or thought provoking like the first two films. This was just a fun frolic with our favorite charecters and an albino alien. 4. Zootopia Every now and then I like to see a well written children's movie. Although probably one of the better children's movies to come out in a while it wasn't something I would care to watch more than once. Again, a generic plot but it was entertaining. Not So Great But Watchable There were a few of these this year. They sounded good but they weren't that fantastic. 1. X-Men Apocalypse I read the reviews. I saw what people said. I went to see it anyways. I thought it was a good movie. Unfortunately, the plot is too similar with Magneato being the bad guy yet again although teaming up with another bad guy. There were parts that were really good...and I enjoy watching the film but it had nothing new to offer. 2. Suicide Squad Harlequin and Deadshot are what made this movie good. The rest really didn't fit in very well. This has to be the best movie DC has so far for their new universe. That said, I hated the way they portrayed the Joker. The plot was the biggest problem. As many suspected there were just too many character's and the story relied too much on exposition. The Harlequin character has a future if they can figure out a good story that really portrays the psychological part of that character that is *SO* redeeming and human. Absolutely Terrible Movies 1. Batman Vs. Superman By far the worst super hero movie to have ever come out. The plot was terrible. Visually stunning with no substance. Very disappointing. Amy Adams was absolutely terrible. Whoever wrote the script failed. The directer is fantastic at showing architecture and terrible at instructing his actors. 2. Alice: Through The Looking Glass While I didn't mind this one so much the movie completely missed its mark with it's target audience. The plot (thankfully) is antiquated. They threw in character's for nostalgia which made it feel like a cartoon. This was by far Anne Hathaway's worst performance to date. 3. The Jungle Book Terrible. Just terrible. I thought it would be good but I didn't like this one at all. I was bored halfway through the movie. The visuals were dazzling but the story telling was just really tortured. They left out everything I loved that was in the cartoon and it missed a heartwarming meaning or even a moral to the story. Movies I Haven't Seen There are a couple of movies I still wish to see. Most of the above I saw in theater. 1. Arrival At the top of list is a movie that my hard science loving, analytical and science fiction loving husband desperately wants to see. I refuse to go to the theater to see it because I am completely sick of Amy Adams and the movie looks like a obtuse version of Independence Day. 2. Moana Disney's latest offering just didn't look interesting enough for me to pay the money to go see it. On a slower year when there were less movies competing for my money I probably would have seen it. I look forward to seeing it at home. 3. Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children This movie looks intriguing. I did not like the book but the trailer is enough to prompt me to suspend my dislike of the source material. The main reason I did not go see it in theaters is because I didn't like the book. Tim Burton's films are always visually stunning and the plot looks inventive. His focus on Time with this and Alice Through The Looking Glass, which he produced but did not direct...is a curious thing. Conclusion So, that was the year of 2016 in movies as I see it. There were a lot of movies this year that had potential. A few excellent movies that will be timeless treasures in my collection. There were a lot of big disappointments this year. I must mention the horrible attempt at Ghostbusters and Independence Day. Sorry, but I had no intention of ruining those classic movies by seeing the latest updates. I have no intent of ever watching either of these movies. Some movies should never be re-done and some should never have sequels. Final Thoughts We have seen the rise of the anti-heroes this year and we now have an Anti-Politician in office. The usual people failed to produce this year...so a different more quirky breed has stepped up to the challenge completely destroying peoples paradigms and waking them up on a massive scale. Strangely, for me, much like a tarot card reading my top three movies reflect the year that I had. Luckily, in all three movies there was a tongue in cheek sense of humor to the serious questions. In all three movies a terrible tragedy befalls that main character's, through introspection they come to see the universe from a different perspective and despite seemingly all odds they rose above their situation to create something awesome. Often, when we think that our lives are over...that the worst possible thing that can happen has happened...we find that the sun rises the next day. From the shattered ruins of our old paradigm we can create something even more wonderful than we could have imagined. We absolutely must remember our sense of humor. May this be the lesson the world now learns. ​ |
Author:
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
|