Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2018) is the first animated film about the titular monster and it’s film number thirty-two in the franchise. It was produced by Toho and released by Netflix with a story penned by none other than Gen Urobuchi (Madoka Magica, Psycho-Pass). The concept, a futuristic sci-fi universe that has been decimated by Godzilla, is a fresh take but unfortunately the execution leaves a lot to be desired.
Humanity has been ousted from their home planet by Godzilla, who has destroyed most of the population. The last of the humans board a ship and travel light-years away but they eventually start running out of resources (this has shades of the plot of Battlestar Galactica) and they decide to figure out a way to return to earth and destroy Godzilla.
While the story is excellent on paper, way too much of the exposition is front-loaded into the first two acts of the film with a lot of time spent watching characters talk back-and-forth. This is not to say that the narrative needs to have action every five minutes, but the pacing is off and it feels like it takes too long to finally get to any sort of forward plot movement. This is something that is inherent in a lot of Urobuchi’s work as he loves to craft complex stories, but it’s up to the director to supply this lore in an interesting manner.
Weeb us alone!
Unfortunately, Planet of the Monsters drags immensely for most of its run-time. The characters felt flat and uninteresting. Polygon Studios was chosen to animate the film and their signature style is a CGI cel-shaded look. It was used in previous Netflix anime productions to include Blame! (2017) and Knights of Sidonia (2015). I personally find it visually unappealing, as for the most part, they don’t take advantage of the 3D models. The staging and camera work still acts like it’s utilizing 2D animation and it looks garish and awkward.
The characters never seem like they are an organic part of the scene as the backgrounds have more of a painterly look to them. The action scenes are okay, nothing too special. It is cool that they are fighting Godzilla with mechas and futuristic weapons, but the action choreography is bland. I also wasn’t a huge fan of Godzilla’s redesign in this film and the texture work on him looks awful. This is apparently the first film in a trilogy so I have hope that the next two films fare better pacing-wise since most of the lore-building occurred in this first outing. I found this movie to have promise and I hope they build upon it. 2.5/5 Bibles.
Go Nagai is one of the most influential creators in anime and manga, having pioneered both the super robot and magical girl genres with Mazinger Z and Cutey Honey, respectively. He was also one of the first artists to make ecchi/erotic horror more of a mainstream genre and his cemented his infamy with his grotesque and epic manga series Devilman in 1972. The anime was extremely controversial due to its adult themes and extreme gore and nudity. It has been adapted several times over the years with series and OVAs in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s with various levels of quality.
This newest version DEVILMAN crybaby was produced as an original Netflix series, helmed by avant garde director Masaaki Yuasa (Ping Pong, The Tatami Galaxy, Kaiba). It’s an reinterpretation of the original manga with an entirely new art style as well, though there are still hints of Go Nagai’s iconic character designs.
Devilman is an extremely dark tale full of psychological and existential horror and it was a heavy influence for anime series such as Berserk and Evangelion, both of which deal with similar themes. The story follows Akira Fudo who is a teenager in high school. His mysterious childhood best friend Ryo Asuka returns to Akira’s life to tell him that a race of demons has returned to the earth to take it over and the only way to stop them is for Akira to fuse his body with a demon and gain his powers. Akira thus becomes Devilman, with the body of a demon and the heart of a human. He has to fight the various demons in the city and figure out what their master plan is. However, Akira’s family and eventually all of humanity are in grave danger.
Since this anime was never intended to be shown on broadcast television, it is chock full of uncensored blood, gore, nudity and sexual acts. DEVILMAN crybaby is hardcore and not for the faint of heart, but the extreme content is not just there for shock value as it contributes to the overall narrative. This is a story about how everyone needs to work together to achieve peace (to conquer their literal demons) and that, sometimes, love and goodwill isn’t enough to save the ones you care about.
Just in case you’re double-hungry.
The world is chaos. The universe is death. Quite frankly, this is one of the most nihilistic and bleakest anime series I have ever seen and every character is put through the maximum amount of suffering. The ending of the manga is one of the most infamous of all time and it was incredibly ballsy of Go Nagai to go that route back then, and the anime interpretation is equally as tragic and beautiful. Though there are some lighthearted moments they are few and far between.
The animation was done by Yuasa’s indie studio and it’s unique looking — a departure from the style of most of the anime on the market right now. It’s deceptively simplistic but the colors, lighting and angles are creative and artistic and the editing for the scenes is clever. The fight scenes are epic and when it gets hot and heavy it reminds me of Trigger style animation with everything being elastic and distorted. The score by Kensuke Ushio is fantastic, utilizing synthesizers — with a distinctly synthwave flavor — and bombastic choral pieces in equal measure. Everything about this show is top-notch; though, at only ten episodes, it feels a tad rushed pacing wise. I don’t know why they didn’t use the standard 12-13 episode arc but at least there’s no filler. Netflix has a certified hit on their hands as well as an early contender for one of the best anime series of 2018.
On Netflix today is Bright, the most expensive Netflix original film to date with a $90 million budget and a fantasy action crime film written by Max Landis (American Ultra, Victor Frankenstein) and directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, End of Watch) with the potential to become a massive franchise; the sequel was greenlit before the film’s debut on the streaming service on December 22nd.
Will Smith stars as Daryl Ward, a battle-scarred Los Angeles police officer who plans on retiring in the next five years. Ward finds himself grudgingly partnered with an orc named Nick Jakoby (the unrecognizable Joel Edgerton). Ward has just returned to work after being shot on the job while Jakoby is hated and mocked for being an outcast on the police force and a disgrace to his own kind.
In an alternate present where humans attempt to coexist with orcs, fairies, and elves, a typical night on the job evolves into Ward and Jakoby being hunted by their own police force, the magic FBI, and dark elves who are determined to summon a greater evil known as The Dark Lord. Magic exists in this world and anyone who is capable of holding or possessing a wand is considered a Bright, but the potential of what a wand can do in present day Los Angeles ignites blood splattered warfare that is blind to all races.
This gritty Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot is the shit, you guys.
After the poorly received yet financially successful release of Ayer’s venture into the comic book universe with Suicide Squad, Bright seems like a return to his roots despite its fantastical elements. With exception to Fury, Ayer seems to be at his strongest when his films revolve around a partner dynamic a la Harsh Times, End of Watch, and Training Day (which Ayer wrote but didn’t direct). The ongoing conflict between Ward and Jakoby along with the chemistry between Will Smith and Joel Edgerton is what really sells the film; the constant ribbing of one another along with the relationship that develops between two individuals that initially hate each other make what could have been a lame concept more bearable and even entertaining at times.
The film tackles racism and diversity along with corruption and underhanded tactics by individuals who are supposed to be the good guys. A war occurred a couple thousand years ago and orcs picked the wrong side of the battle. They’ve been referred to as pig-faced criminals ever since, but one orc had the opportunity to be on the police force after he shaved down his tusks and when he wasn’t “blooded” along with his own kind. The film is basically a what-if situation of J. R. R. Tolkien getting a hold of the rights to Alien Nation and making a film franchise out of it.
Early on, Bright introduces concepts that sound really stupid when they’re said out loud and even seem forced and more than a little ludicrous as they’re introduced but — somehow — the film is able to make it all work. There’s a clunkiness to Bright; this awkward and misshapen quality that is corny and hard to swallow but something about crime being intertwined with fantasy and prejudice works really well in today’s day and age. Accepting someone based on their actions rather than their appearance or preconceived notions on their culture is a lesson that will always be timeless and relevant.
Bright is like this blundering mishmash of The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, John Wick, Atomic Blonde, and End of Watch which is incredibly promising on one-hand, but its cheesy flaws are apparent for all of the same reasons that make it appealing. It should be terrible with its crummy dialogue, weak story structure, and clumsy choreography, but it almost seems like Bright is accidentally decent for all of the wrong reasons. The magic introduces this unpredictable element that could take the film into unexplored territory, but the crime perspective that forces the audience into the shoes of unwanted cops attempting to the best they can in a broken world keeps the film tightly wrapped in familiar territory. The action is unexpectedly gory at times with people being blown to smithereens and explosive gunfights and mass destruction that John McClane would approve of.
Orc farts aren’t so subtle in public.
Netflix’s latest venture into fantastical urban crime isn’t going to sit well with everybody. It seems as though Landis is a huge fan of End of Watch and World of Warcraft and decided to write a screenplay specifically for Ayer to direct. Its banal humor and trite concepts go overboard and miss the mark way more often than they land, but the film is more enjoyable than it should be and is at least less of a mess than Suicide Squad.
There are definitely worse things to stream on Netflix on a Friday night than David Ayer’s obvious sequel bait known as Bright, which can at least boast about some halfway decent action sequences and will likely have you exclaiming, “Let’s titty bar gunfight die!” well into the new year. 3/5 “Are Your Holes Okay?” Bibles.
Welcome to another installment of GHG’s Top “Geek” TV of the Year! All the following lists take a look at our favorite superhero, sci-fi, fantasy, horror and geek-related programming of 2017: cable TV and streaming services included. This side of a few mentions however, notincluded this year is animation (we will have a separate animation/anime list in just a couple weeks).
Otherwise, let us know what you think on the tweetstream @GodHatesGeeks!
Felipe “The 3rd Deacon” Crespo @F7ovrdrv
1. Legion (FX) – For the longest time, Hannibal has been my favorite show. Geek or otherwise, it still is; but this one came damn close from taking the top spot. Even the taking liberties with the source material, its incredible writing, striking viral style and fantastic cast put this ahead of the–very stacked–competition. It’s hard to pick one standout performance, but I’m going with Aubrey Plaza <3. – 5/5
And everyone said we’d fail. Typical.
2. American Gods (Starz) – I was at best cautiously optimistic since I loved the book (don’t worry, this won’t derail into an annoying “book person” review), and wasn’t thrilled by Ricky Whittle‘s casting as Shadow… And then was thrilled to learn Ian McShane was going to be Mr. Wednesday. As far as book-to-screen goes, it rarely gets as good as this, especially with how they translate some of the more surreal imagery. It’s gorgeous. Standout performance (tie): McShane and Gillian Anderson. – 4/5
3. Preacher (AMC) – Any other year, this easily takes my number one spot. Capturing the spirit of the comics perfectly, Preacher gave AMC a much needed boost with geeks (people are finally seeing that TWD is pure basura). It captures the shitty, small Bible Belt town vibe perfectly along with great character portrayals. Standout Performance: Joe Gilgun. – 4/5
Honorable mentions: The Punisher, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Defenders.
Kevin “Pastor” Palma @eggrollko
1. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC) – Yeah, you’re reading this right. AoS, the show that hasn’t been able to maintain even a third of its original viewership is the best superhero show on TV, and yeah, this is a superhero show. This season was the most “comic booky” season of a superhero show in every way, with a story structured like a comic run, separated into three story arcs that all come together at the end of the run. It also introduces Marvel comics lore while building on the lore of both this show and the MCU as a whole. Structure aside, the story itself was the best in a single season of a superhero show. – 5/5
Thanks in all due to Moody’s “extra” work.
2. Legion (FX) – The silent movie fight set to Bolero music alone makes this show worth watching. It’s one of the most creative and enjoyable fight scenes I’ve ever seen. I really can’t wait to see what comes next for this show. – 5/5
3. Supergirl (CW) – I can’t remember the last time a show made me feel real, genuine emotions.. much less a superhero show. As much as I love superheroes in comics, movies, and TV, they generally aren’t successful at presenting real world issues without a degree of escapism on account of the fact that real world issues like racism and homophobia can’t be solved by punching someone in the face, running as fast as the speed of light or shooting arrows. This season of Supergirl, however, has done an excellent job of blending both real world issues and social criticism with allegorical representations and fun superhero action, making virtually every episode a roller coaster of emotions. And that doesn’t even include the crossover, “Crisis on Earth X,” which, if I could have included on its own, would have finished top of this list. – 4.5/5
Honorable mentions: The Defenders, Rick & Morty (fav animated), Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, The Orville.
“Sister” Sarah G @DarthHistory
1. American Gods (Starz) – The rookie season takes what was great about the much-heralded source material and added amazing visuals, compelling pace and a stellar cast. Who’s to complain? – 4.75/5
2. Legion (FX) – A surprisingly rich, intense and off-the-wall “superhero” series that satisfied my need for mutants way better than those last few terrible X-Men flicks. – 4.5/5
3. Marvel’s Runaways (Hulu) – Brian K. Vaughan’s fan favorite Marvel comic-turned-streamer gets props for not destroying its source material and making the adult characters as compelling as the kids. – 4/5
Honorable mention: The Defenders.
“Cardinal” Roberto de Bexar @RobBex2
1. American Gods (Starz) – Bryan Fuller finally brought to life Neil Gaiman’s work of art in such a way that it is both beautiful and chilling. Without Fuller in the driver’s seat next year, one can only wonder how that will impact the show. – 4.75/5
Jesus, Moody won’t let me include my REAL favorite show (yeah, it’s a cartoon).
2. Lucifer (FOX) – Usually the “will they/won’t they” shows tend to be a bit slow, but Lucifer has been able to keep people guessing from season to season while also bringing equal parts humor and drama. – 4.5/5
3. *TIE* Legends of Tomorrow/Supergirl (CW) – Arguably the two least popular of the CW superhero shows had such great bounce-backs from their previous seasons, while touching on topics the other two wouldn’t go near. – 4.25/5
Honorable mentions: Riverdale, The Punisher, Gotham, The Walking Dead, The Defenders, Preacher, Runaways, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Legion, Future Man.
Non-Geek Honorable mentions: The Good Place, Saturday Night Live, The Goldbergs, Black-ish, Will & Grace (yeah, it’s topical and hilarious).
Richard “Bishop” Zom @Richard_Zom
1. The Punisher (Netflix) – First Dolph Lundgren, Thomas Jane, and Ray Stevenson had their hand with the giant dripping white skull; and–now–Jon Bernthal (Shane, of Walking Dead fame), thanks to superb writing and his own incredible performance, takes the infamous Marvel antihero to icon status. it doesn’t hurt to follow great story arcs from the comics we loved growing up, either. Geeks, has there ever been a greater time to be alive? – 4.25/5
Rick Remender’s Zombie Punisher NEEDS to get made.
2. The Defenders (Netflix) – All geeks cheered when this was Marvel Team-Up was announced. I mean, who doesn’t want a crew of roughnecks to defend the hope of the neighborhood people. The Hood Captain America in Luke Cage, the killer punchlines (and punches) of Jessica Jones, an improved albeit a little slightly Iron Fist, and the always masterful Daredevil.. we’re talking from the streets level heros that make the Justice League look.. second league. – 4/5
3. Young Sheldon (CBS) – From the young life of Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory, fans of the longtime hit show get the chance to witness Jim Parson‘s iconic nerd’s many adolescent issues. Better, is the humor that comes from a child with a higher-than-average IQ in a plain-minded world. – 3.5/5
“Divine” Derek Vigeant @uncledarryl37
1. The Walking Dead (AMC) – While so many on the interwebs shout their disapproval of how this show has progressed over the last year or so.. I could care less. The war between the possible next Batman in Geoffrey Dean Morgan‘s Negan and the three tribes was an enjoyable change of pace from the past seasons that just focused on brain dead zombies. – 4.5/5
Ah, “Batman”.. I totally get it.
2. Vikings (History) – In its fourth season we saw the death of its biggest character in Ragnar Lothbrok. At the same time, we also saw the rise of Lagertha as queen and the introduction of Ragnar’s sons as grown men. While the swan song for Ragnar was at times mediocre, the development of his sons shows a changing of the guard and a new invigorating direction for the series. – 4/5
3. *TIE* The Strain (FX) / Preacher (AMC) – I’ve enjoyed every season of The Strain as it continuously told of how the evil strigoi marched on to take over the planets entire populace, while the crazy absurdity and fantastic originality of Preacher‘s S02 left its previous season in the appropriate dust. The hilarious trio of Jesse, Tulip, and Cassidy are one dysfunctional group but their outlandish adventures backed by a unique collection of supporting characters make this one of the most creative shows on TV. – 4.25/5
Honorable mentions: G.L.O.W., Riverdale, Man Seeking Woman, The Gifted, Legion, American Gods, Supergirl.
Non-Geek Honorable mentions: Better Call Saul, Fargo, The Sinner, Big Little Lies.
Anton “Aristotle” Tilgren @jw_falcon
1. The Defenders (Netflix) – Of all the great shows in 2017, Marvel’s super team-up was the show I was most excited about and — thank the Jack Kirby gods! — it did not disappoint. While a shortened season in comparisons to its solo acts, the bit we did see definitely has me hyped for the next seasons of Daredevil and Jessica Jones — and that’s great enough for me. – 4/5
(Almost) Fantastic Four.
2. Stranger Things (Netflix) – Season 2 (to which you can read my review if you click on the title to the left…) would have been first on my list — if not for that spin-off episode. Thankfully, there are many more intense CGI sequences this time out that make the vibe feel much more like a movie rather than a show. Bravo. – 4/5
3. Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access) – While I love anything Star Trek, this was definitely not the show I was expecting. But that’s not a bad thing! Like anything we’ve loved our entire lives, Discovery took some time to warm up to.. yet, that epic final episode — and the gift of its slow burn — now has me anxiously awaiting the debut season’s second half. – 3/5
Honorable mention: The Punisher, Bob’s Burgers (fav animated), Castlevania.
“Monsignor” Travis Moody @TravMoody
1. Game of Thrones (HBO) – Did y’all forget who is Ki.. Queen? It’s a race to the finish in the World’s Most Popular TV Show (even if the HBO #’s don’t show it; can we finally admit that GoT has overcome TWD in terms of popularity?), with David Benioff and D.B. Weiss pushing Season 7 at literal breakneck speed — past both George R.R. Martin’s novel time and our Westeros-level expectations. Gone, was the slow plod that plagued much of S06; here, were fights, twists and turns so surreal, we never had a second to breath. Sansa became someone we could root for; Arya became someone we could fear. And someone please make a “Dragon Club” t-shirt with the crazy lit faction Dany now has with Jon and Davos; the Lannister’s don’t stand a chance. – 4.75/5
I see hatchlings.
2. American Gods (Starz) – “Religion inspires in those who fear nothing, fear of the gods, and using that fear requires a certain element of fucked up.” My god, Ian McShane is GOD. Old God, New God, Humpday God.. I’m not even gonna front; I’m actually slack-watching this show — the end of its eight episode run — as I write this description and McShane is stealing every scene with his every whisper, every ounce of forehead sweat, and every second of his perfectly pronounced, blasphemous wisdom. The evil pace, anxious editing, masterful color hues, stilted performances (and a kick-ass, underrated soundtrack), whip up preacher curls on my fav show of 2016: Preacher. If it wasn’t for Fuller and Michael Green‘s departure I’d say there was a new nerd religion in town, but… – 4.5/5
3. The Punisher (Netflix) – Had this dropped before Daredevil Season 1, this might be my fav of the Marvel Netflix stash; still, Bernthal’s enthralling season 1 ride as Frank Castle lived up to many expectations and was a far bigger character piece than we expected from the co-star in DDS02. Microchip (an ultra impressive Ebon Moss-Bachrach) was fully dimensional and more than a slob-ass fanboy, and the rise of Jigsaw (Billy Russo) was hinted in front of our face the whole time (what a much better backstory than a mindless one-note mob figure, too!). Yeah, you had no fuckin’ idea either. Showrunner Steve Lightfoot took a a street level comic book character only known for one thing and made it so much more. Thanks for re-energizing this once impeccable marathon streaming stroll. – 4.5/5
Honorable mentions: Mr. Robot, Preacher, Legion, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Defenders.
Non-Geek Honorable mentions: Billions, Homeland, Ray Donovan (with all the wrestling and anime I devoured this year, I didn’t watch shit for “TV”).
GodHatesGeeks @GodHatesGeeks
1. American Gods(Starz) 2. Legion (FX) 3. The Defenders (Netflix) 4. The Punisher (Netflix) 5. Preacher (AMC)
Honorable mentions: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Walking Dead, Supergirl.
One batch Two batch Penny and dime They pull the hammer back And you trigger down their crime
Jason “Bad Preacher” Bud
!!! WARNING !!! The following review for Netflix’s: The Punisher, Season 1, may read as a Spoiler of War. To avoid any claymores of the mind, you are advised to abort this mission immediately. This is your final warning!!!
Despite the reality that America’s seemingly bullet-holing down the imperialism dustbin (with our nation arguably a failing empire born of another, based upon the pathological roots of: genocide, slavery, racism, sexism, and perpetual warfare), it seems inevitable that conjecture will ensue amongst some of us geekeratti, as to whether, or not, the arrival of Netflix’s latest Marvel installment, The Punisher, Season 1, is one of timeliness, untimeliness, or perhaps even…timelessness???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMW_dPtm7Bo
Our whirled-up world has seemingly gone full-on Willy Pete (military slang, for white phosphorous ordnance that literally melts flesh from bone), being turned-and-burned from upside down to inside out, as the United States continues to experience one or more mass shootings a day; amidst ever-increasing political turmoil that’s become even greater spectacle than P.T. Barnum could’ve imagined. At the time of writing this review, we’ve surpassed over 400 mass shootings so far, for the year 2017 alone, and we still have 38 days to go before this one’s done.
The red-black-and-blued story of Frank Castle is one that’s initially made in America, forged within the machinations of the military/industrial/media complex, outsourced to engage in clandestine and illegal operations overseas, and then imported boots-back-home-on-the-ground again to re-assimilate into civilian society and social media; this, with all manner of war-torn manifestation flowing through his shell-shocked psyche and fractured fleshbreak. Initially conceived by Gerry Conway as a one-and-done villain for Marvel’s Peter Parker to websling away into arachnidian oblivion (see Spider Man #129, from 1974), the Punisher has transmogrified from a largely one-dimensional, psychotic killer, into a morally-conflicted anti-hero living in a world of gray boundaries that he continually cluster-bombs into mind-melting organ splatter. Or, is he merely the collateral to his own damage…
Just making sure I don’t get shot today.
According to Conway’s own admission, Jon Bernthal delivers the best portrayal of Frank Castle yet, imbuing him with a heavy-leaded, visceral grit succinctly interwoven within the layers of pathos and gravitas comprising the very fibers of his Kevlar-armoured consciousness. Providing nuanced counterbalance to Bernthal’s FrankenCastle is Ebon Moss-Bachrach, as David Lieberman (Micro), a former NSA analyst — and Edward Snowden archetype — who may be initiating an unholy alliance and partnership by contacting the Punisher to convince him that the mission will not succeed without his own techno-svengali mastery.
What further infuses this pairing with firepower is their inverse relationship; wherein Frank is fighting to avenge his lost and murdered family, while Micro has faked his own murder to ultimately protect and reconnect with his living family. Jaime Ray Newman expounds the humanity quotient amongst them, as Sarah Lieberman (Micro’s wife and mother of his children), by both personifying and symbolizing the love and life-giving presence who helps to nourish the very existence of both of these men.
I thought cameras made everyone look 10 lbs. heavier?
Amber Rose-Revah stars as Dinah Madani, a war veteran and highly-trained Homeland Security agent who’s continuing investigation into the murder of her former Afghani police officer partner in Kandahar, Afghanistan; this sinks her deeper into a labyrinth of black ops corruption and romance that finds her within the deadly blast-radius of the Punisher’s Warzone. Paul Schulze does dastardly duty as the Big Bad in this series, by portraying William Rawlins (codenamed Agent Orange, by Castle) – a high-ranking CIA officer, who ran the Punisher’s clandestine assassination squad in Afghanistan. Playing the guns-for-hire guru who packs the muscle for Rawlins is Ben Barnes, as Billy Russo, Frank’s former best friend, who now owns and operates a private security firm called Anvil – that continues to expand it’s might by procuring FedGov contracts that often equate to corporatized murder. Russo meets his future fate at the hands of his old buddy Frank by series end, and this will undoubtedly arc into Season 2, when he returns as the Punisher’s old comic book nemesis, Jigsaw.
Despite the fact The Punisher forcibly captivates the viewer’s attention with high production value, luridly urban scenes and set pieces, action-packed choreographics, and emotionally-compelling performances by a truly talented cast, there’s a slight gun-barrel burst misfire: The series doesn’t really rake the muck regarding the deeper issues that are painfully obvious within its very own content, such as America’s endless and illegal globalized warfare; engagement in extrajudicial killing and murder; the systemic corruption within our economic and political systems; the continued explosion of public mass shootings; and the growing rise of suicide rates, PTSD, and traumatic brain injury amongst our returning military veterans. It seems we’re only really given cursory reflection into a shallow grave pool, with so much unexamined meat rotting below the soil here.
Yeah, I hated Saw too. I mean.. Saw 2, 3, 4, 5, Jigsaw and all those damn sequels.
Granted, we are talking about a Marvel comic book series that’s been adapted to the digital screen by Netflix, but it may still be irresponsible to not to openly analyze and critique the underpinnings of the material they’re disseminating to the global public. Are they justified in body-bagging these imperative concerns within the confines of a propagandized product that ultimately supports obedience to imperialism — by implying that our underlying hierarchy is actually one of sound mind and principle — and that we only need to bullet-brain some of the corrupted elements from its hide to properly heal it?
Or is their take away possibly this: Frank Castle is an anti-villain in a world that no longer has any heroes to speak of, and he actually might be someone who can bring salvation by expunging, by neutralizing, by obliterating, all of the sociopaths who brandish themselves as saviours, when they’re actually really our slaviours? Isn’t the Punisher ultimately a reflection of the very monsters he once served? Doesn’t violence just beget violence beget violence into silence???
Sic Semper Tyrannis, Sic Semper Populi, Sic Semper Orbis
It’s rare when a sequel of a smash hit is on par with its predecessor. But like Empire Strikes Back to A New Hope, Stranger Things‘ Season 2 does not disappoint. Last season left us with a ton of unanswered questions. Did Eleven die? What the hell was going on with Will in the bathroom before his Christmas dinner? Are Nancy and Steve really as happy as they seem, or does she have the hots for Jonathan? What was the aftermath of that deal Hopper made with those crooked government mad scientists? And, of course, is there any sort of acknowledgement of Barb’s demise? Thankfully, they all get answered.
Season 2 picks up roughly a year later. Our four beloved nerds have moved on past Dungeon and Dragons and spend all their time at the arcade. Unfortunately for Will, his problems have only got-ten worse where he has had to deal with a year of shifting back and forth between our reality, and the Upside Down. As part of the deal Hopper made, Will has to keep going back to Hawkins Lab where the new head of the department Sam Owens (Paul Reiser) conducts tests and concludes that Will’s visions of being in the Upside Down are merely flashbacks caused by trauma. Kind of a no brainer but obviously we the audience realize that is false. We soon learn that an even bigger prob-lem threatens not only Hawkins, but our reality as we know it, namely a new creature referred to as the Shadow Monster.
Noah Schnapp was a little tied up!
In addition to the introduction of Sam Owes, there are a few new characters that serve to keep the series fresh and interesting. Joyce has a new boyfriend named Bob Newby (Sean Astin) who is a geek that works at Radio Shack but also serves as the positive father figure Will and Jonathan des-perately need. Since Steve had his moment of redemption near the end of Season 1 he has quickly changed into a very likable character, but has his own problems when a new bad boy named Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) shows up in town and becomes the new “king” of high school. Nancy feels extremely guilty about Barb and that guilt has created a friction rotting the roots of her relationship with Steve.
Billy has a little step-sister named Max (Sadie Sink) who quickly draws the attention of Lucas and Dustin and it ends up creating a love triangle. Mike is still dealing with the absence of Eleven and quickly grows to resent Max, seeing that she is stealing the attention of two of his best friends. What Mike doesn’t know is that Eleven is still alive and is being protected by Hopper in an isolated cabin in the forest.
The addition of these new characters allows Season 2 to explore story arcs that pair together several characters we wouldn’t necessarily expect to be duos. Steve and Dustin grow a bond. Mike and Will spend a good amount of the season away from Dustin and Lucas. The most intense relation-ship is that of Eleven and Hopper, who has kept it secret from everyone that she is alive and well. She wants to see Mike and has grown frustrated with isolation. We also see that her powers have also grown in strength.
Finn Wolfhard (Screenshot: Stranger Things)
One of the biggest controversies of the season is a stand alone episode where Eleven leaves Haw-kins alone to find her mother and a “sister” who is also a super human called Eight (Linnea Berthel-sen). Eight, also known as Kali, are not related by blood, but went through hell together during Brenner’s experiments in Hawkins lab. Eleven ends up traveling to Chicago and reunites with Eight who spends her time with a gang of thugs who are tracking down the retired member’s of Brenner’s group and taking revenge by killing and robbing them. While it could be the pilot episode of a stand alone Eleven spin off series, it raises one unanswered question from Season 1: Is Brenner still alive? The problem with the episode is that it takes place after a cliffhanger episode and it interrupts the pacing of the primary Hawkins story with Will and the Shadow Monster.
Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour (Screenshot: Stranger Things)
Overall Season 2 wraps up the loose ends and leaves us feeling a sense of
Gabrielle Maiden, James Landry Hébert, Linnea Berthelsen, Kai L. Greene, Anna Jacoby-Heron (Screenshot: Stranger Things)
completion. Like a good sequel, it’s tone is much darker. Everyone is dealing with the emotional baggage of all the crap that happened a year ago. We get to see more development and it’s fun to see how the characters from last season are evolving. The scale is bigger as well. The Duffer Brothers spent no expense as there are many more intense CGI sequences that make the vibe feel much more like a movie rather than a show. Like last year, I watched the whole season in a day and once it was done I felt myself wanting more. Only complaint I have is that the season’s conclusion drags on longer than it should have and it feels like they added a bunch of filler material that really didn’t need to be there. Unlike last season, there really aren’t any cliffhanger moments that leave us asking too many questions about what will happen next year, and that might actually be a good thing. The Duffer Brothers have left it open where anything can happen in the next season and I hope they explore new possi-bilities that create stories we have set to see in the town of Hawkins. Bottom line, watch it and watch it now!
