Great Scarrier Reef= WTFuzzy.
Feb. 15th, 2016 04:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
impyFirst up, the disclaimer: I feel like crap. I don't know if it's just simply that I didn't eat anything before falling asleep after work and then didn't even get to sleep all that long or what, but I am not feeling my best right now. Which is ticking me off because I could be seeing Deadpool tonight if I felt less like death warmed over. Sigh.
With that in mind, let's rip apart the newest MH movie offering.
Guys. You guys. I... I don't know how I feel about Great Scarrier Reef. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel. I've liked most of the MH movies thus far (and liked is probably underselling things by quite a bit) excluding New Ghoul at School which was just... no.
I think GSR might be somewhere around New Ghoul. And that's really disappointing.
You see, I love Lagoona Blue. She is my baby, my favorite, my first love. I love so much about her and I try to not be completely insane and shrieking from the rooftops about her being shoved aside for the 900th Draculaura because I get that some characters work better for a line and also some just sell better. But Lagoona is my love and I've been waiting rather patiently for her to get some screen time that wasn't the never ending saga of Lagoona/Gil.
And I will give the devil its due: GSR has one mention of freshwater/saltwater issues and then everything thereafter is played as a "meet my whole family!" kind of thing. So points are awarded in that regard.
Unfortunately the writer for this movie is about to become my new punching bag because holyfuckmuffins did they screw Lagoona up royally.
Look. If, in order to get your story told, you need to make your main character act completely out of character the entire time, you are using the wrong main character OR you're doing an alternate universe thing and that's just not what's been sold here. K?
From day one, Lagoona has been the steady, reliable, sensible one. She's the one talking Frankie out of being a complete idiot in New Ghoul (fat lotta good that does her) and in general, Lagoona's not the type to be completely delusional about anything. Which is probably why she got saddled with the fresh/saltwater rivalry, because they couldn't figure out anything dramatic enough to do with her.
But Lagoona was one of the original fearleaders we met (granted it never really lasted beyond that initial arc), she was featured in the Dance lineup awhile ago (that involved dancing on stage in public), and has never once shown any sign of stage fright. Not once. Not ever.
So naturally GSR hinges on Lagoona being so traumatized by one spectacular flameout as a child that she's unable to dance in public. Ever. She goes belly-up and freezes with the most unfortunate face when she does so. And when called on the stage fright, she insists she's fine-fine-fine.
Really? Lagoona?
Really?
Jesus.
If this had come out towards the start of the series, I could maybe buy it. But Clawdeen (who is narrating for once) mentions that they've all been friends for so long now that it seems insane that they might not know everything about one another. Yes, like one friend's crippling stage fright. As someone who could never, ever, everrrrrrrrrrrrr get up in front of a huge audience for anything, I can assure you that by now Lagoona's stage fright would have come up. Seriously.
I cannot stress this enough, but the entire movie hinges on Lagoona not being Lagoona. Throw in a new voice actress for her and it's very bizarro world for me. :/
*flails a bit* I just... I want to like you, movie, but it's hard. It's so hard. And while I want to watch it again, I'd rather watch it in HD and that's not going to be possible for awhile.
Ooh, pain meds kicked in. Now I'm sleepy again. You've been warned.
Let's switch gears and go with Toralei. She's basically trying to steal the movie, but she's been hosed for so long by the MH writers that the first part of the movie is just a never ending parade of really, Toralei? Isn't she supposed to be a good dancer? I don't remember her Fearleading prowress suffering because she wasn't good at her job. So she shouldn't be suddenly bad at it just so Clawdeen can get a "it looks awful, so yup, you're doing it right" quip.
That said... once they get sucked underwater, Toralei is easily one of the best things in the movie for me. From her freaking out about suddenly being a catfish to getting the hang of it, to her instant dislike of Kala (because a mean girl can tell another mean girl immediately), I loved her a whole lot. I don't even mind her being territorial over being the villain and wanting to knock Kala down a peg or thirty.
Kala. Kala. Like most things in the movie, I don't know what to do with you. You're kind of awful, aren't you? And yet I think I could have liked you if the whole "he's my dad!" reveal wasn't so painfully obvious. You didn't think to tell anyone that, like ever? Really? I think they could have pulled this off if they'd tried, but it felt off and thus I just spent the movie bitching to the dog everytime someone would mention how awful and ugly and horrible the Kraken is. "Really? MH, where freaky flaws are loved and you're gonna go on about how big and ugly someone is?" and then the dog would whine and I'd agree with her that this was really shitty.
Peri and Pearl didn't do much for me, honestly. They were there, it was a thing, and it made an interesting contrast to Meowlody and Purrsephone who finally got lines (score!) but since the doll makes them both look blandly nice, meh.
Posea amused me but I wish she'd come with the seamares. I'd have bought her because they're adorable and she feels incomplete without them.
Kelpie (that's lil sister's name, yes?) was/is adorable and I would harm someone for her to be released in doll form. I think it's interesting that Lagoona doesn't really look like anyone in her family and it's never commented on. I guess sea monsters are just odd all the way around.
It was a bit jarring to see Abbey and Cleo hanging out, but I'm all for more Abbey (and Cleo) so I'll live. It was just... odd.
I completely lost my train of thought and will to bitch.
On the plus side, it made me want to get the more basic dolls. You know, the ones that are harder to find. :P But I should probably hold off for right now unless there's a sale since I just bought Lilo from Disney with their 25% off and oh yeah, free shipping.
Look, I can only stay good for so long, okay? I mean, when the universe hears you say "sigh, shipping" and takes that cost away, you don't question it. You just buy.
And thoughts on various Toy Fair things will have to wait until after my nap because my brain is really just not functioning at the moment. I will say that I'm going to die trying to get all those little MH minnies, aren't I? Are they blind box? I think they might be. Crap, we'll have to set up a trading thing or something, or I'll have to buy a box or twelve and go full out.
Sleep. Mm. Yes.
With that in mind, let's rip apart the newest MH movie offering.
Guys. You guys. I... I don't know how I feel about Great Scarrier Reef. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel. I've liked most of the MH movies thus far (and liked is probably underselling things by quite a bit) excluding New Ghoul at School which was just... no.
I think GSR might be somewhere around New Ghoul. And that's really disappointing.
You see, I love Lagoona Blue. She is my baby, my favorite, my first love. I love so much about her and I try to not be completely insane and shrieking from the rooftops about her being shoved aside for the 900th Draculaura because I get that some characters work better for a line and also some just sell better. But Lagoona is my love and I've been waiting rather patiently for her to get some screen time that wasn't the never ending saga of Lagoona/Gil.
And I will give the devil its due: GSR has one mention of freshwater/saltwater issues and then everything thereafter is played as a "meet my whole family!" kind of thing. So points are awarded in that regard.
Unfortunately the writer for this movie is about to become my new punching bag because holyfuckmuffins did they screw Lagoona up royally.
Look. If, in order to get your story told, you need to make your main character act completely out of character the entire time, you are using the wrong main character OR you're doing an alternate universe thing and that's just not what's been sold here. K?
From day one, Lagoona has been the steady, reliable, sensible one. She's the one talking Frankie out of being a complete idiot in New Ghoul (fat lotta good that does her) and in general, Lagoona's not the type to be completely delusional about anything. Which is probably why she got saddled with the fresh/saltwater rivalry, because they couldn't figure out anything dramatic enough to do with her.
But Lagoona was one of the original fearleaders we met (granted it never really lasted beyond that initial arc), she was featured in the Dance lineup awhile ago (that involved dancing on stage in public), and has never once shown any sign of stage fright. Not once. Not ever.
So naturally GSR hinges on Lagoona being so traumatized by one spectacular flameout as a child that she's unable to dance in public. Ever. She goes belly-up and freezes with the most unfortunate face when she does so. And when called on the stage fright, she insists she's fine-fine-fine.
Really? Lagoona?
Really?
Jesus.
If this had come out towards the start of the series, I could maybe buy it. But Clawdeen (who is narrating for once) mentions that they've all been friends for so long now that it seems insane that they might not know everything about one another. Yes, like one friend's crippling stage fright. As someone who could never, ever, everrrrrrrrrrrrr get up in front of a huge audience for anything, I can assure you that by now Lagoona's stage fright would have come up. Seriously.
I cannot stress this enough, but the entire movie hinges on Lagoona not being Lagoona. Throw in a new voice actress for her and it's very bizarro world for me. :/
*flails a bit* I just... I want to like you, movie, but it's hard. It's so hard. And while I want to watch it again, I'd rather watch it in HD and that's not going to be possible for awhile.
Ooh, pain meds kicked in. Now I'm sleepy again. You've been warned.
Let's switch gears and go with Toralei. She's basically trying to steal the movie, but she's been hosed for so long by the MH writers that the first part of the movie is just a never ending parade of really, Toralei? Isn't she supposed to be a good dancer? I don't remember her Fearleading prowress suffering because she wasn't good at her job. So she shouldn't be suddenly bad at it just so Clawdeen can get a "it looks awful, so yup, you're doing it right" quip.
That said... once they get sucked underwater, Toralei is easily one of the best things in the movie for me. From her freaking out about suddenly being a catfish to getting the hang of it, to her instant dislike of Kala (because a mean girl can tell another mean girl immediately), I loved her a whole lot. I don't even mind her being territorial over being the villain and wanting to knock Kala down a peg or thirty.
Kala. Kala. Like most things in the movie, I don't know what to do with you. You're kind of awful, aren't you? And yet I think I could have liked you if the whole "he's my dad!" reveal wasn't so painfully obvious. You didn't think to tell anyone that, like ever? Really? I think they could have pulled this off if they'd tried, but it felt off and thus I just spent the movie bitching to the dog everytime someone would mention how awful and ugly and horrible the Kraken is. "Really? MH, where freaky flaws are loved and you're gonna go on about how big and ugly someone is?" and then the dog would whine and I'd agree with her that this was really shitty.
Peri and Pearl didn't do much for me, honestly. They were there, it was a thing, and it made an interesting contrast to Meowlody and Purrsephone who finally got lines (score!) but since the doll makes them both look blandly nice, meh.
Posea amused me but I wish she'd come with the seamares. I'd have bought her because they're adorable and she feels incomplete without them.
Kelpie (that's lil sister's name, yes?) was/is adorable and I would harm someone for her to be released in doll form. I think it's interesting that Lagoona doesn't really look like anyone in her family and it's never commented on. I guess sea monsters are just odd all the way around.
It was a bit jarring to see Abbey and Cleo hanging out, but I'm all for more Abbey (and Cleo) so I'll live. It was just... odd.
I completely lost my train of thought and will to bitch.
On the plus side, it made me want to get the more basic dolls. You know, the ones that are harder to find. :P But I should probably hold off for right now unless there's a sale since I just bought Lilo from Disney with their 25% off and oh yeah, free shipping.
Look, I can only stay good for so long, okay? I mean, when the universe hears you say "sigh, shipping" and takes that cost away, you don't question it. You just buy.
And thoughts on various Toy Fair things will have to wait until after my nap because my brain is really just not functioning at the moment. I will say that I'm going to die trying to get all those little MH minnies, aren't I? Are they blind box? I think they might be. Crap, we'll have to set up a trading thing or something, or I'll have to buy a box or twelve and go full out.
Sleep. Mm. Yes.
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(no subject)
Date: 2016-02-16 03:20 am (UTC)I agree on GSR. It just was not good. On so many levels. I never thought I'd say it, but Boo York with some of my most hated types of music in abundance blew it out of the water. Ha. Water.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-02-16 08:43 am (UTC)GSR and BY were pretty much opposites for me. I went into BY with rather low expectations because musicals and I don't always get along, but it was surprisingly good. (Would've been better if they forked out money for more than two singing voices but alas.) I wanted to like GSR though I don't think my expectations were super high, but still wound up seriously disappointed. Woe.
Icon love.