Jake's Blog of Entertainment : January 2019

Thursday, January 31, 2019

In The Mind Of: David Dunn/The Overseer, Kevin Wendell Crumb/The Horde, and Elijah Price/Mr. Glass (SPOILERS)

I'm just an ordinary man...

Let him show the world how powerful we can be...

They called me Mr. Glass...

There are two films that have left a significant impact on M. Night Shyamalan's career. Those films are Unbreakable (considered by many to be one of his best if not the best) and Split (which is considered to be his comeback after taking a nosedive in his career.) Now, with Glass, everything has come together. In this post of In The Mind Of, I'll be looking at not one, not two, but three characters, each of them from these three movies. To begin, let's talk about the hero of this tale:

David Dunn starts off as this man who is thrown into so many situations where after each event, a new question pops up for him. It all serves to reveal to him that he is more than he thought; that he is in truth a superhuman being. It takes a while for him to accept that fact and adjust to it, but once he does, it proves to be a very complete and fulfilling journey. He becomes the Overseer and works to protect those who need it, especially from people like the next two characters.

Kevin Wendell Crumb, A.K.A. The Horde, is a truly unique individual. Having lost his father in the train crash that helped Dunn discover who he was meant to be and victim to a horrifically abusive mother, Kevin developed a disorder known as D.I.D., in which he changes between 23 different personalities, with three of them, Hedwig, Patricia, and Dennis, asserting the most control. Eventually, he soon develops a 24th personality known as the Beast, which is essentially Kevin transformed into a superpowered, ravenous monster of a man who engages in cannibalizing young girls he considers "impure." Overall, what little of Kevin is trapped within his subconscious, yet there are still moments where it is clear that he is still there and not too far gone.

Our final character, Elijah Price, is the most villainous of the three yet still suffers hardships and misfortunes that could easily garner anyone's sympathies. Having been born with a disease that makes his bones brittle and easy to break, and being an avid lover of comic books, Elijah has spent most of his life trying to find his purpose and prove he is not a mistake. It makes it all the more tragic, disturbing, and bizarrely heartwarming once he reveals to David that he was the one who caused the train derailment (and many other accidents that claimed many lives) after he helped the latter realize his potential as a superhero, thus finally finding his place in the world even if that means being a villain.

David, Kevin, and Elijah are unique characters within their world and they affect everyone around them, even each other, in many ways. Sadly, their story doesn't end well for any of them, but they have managed to leave an impact that will change the world as they knew it.

Glass (SPOILERS)

First name, Mr. Last name...

M. Night Shyamalan is a very interesting case. It's safe to say he is divisive among the world of cinema...and that's putting it lightly. However, one thing that I am sure everyone can agree upon is that he truly struck gold with the film Unbreakable. With a unique take on the superhero genre and powerful performances from Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, this film really did a lot to put Shyamalan on the map. Since then, his career took a nosedive before he reemerged in recent years, with the film Split being considered his comeback. While I am not the biggest fan of the film personally, I genuinely enjoyed the performance by James McAvoy and was intrigued to see where Shyamalan could go with the character of Kevin Wendell Crumb. At the end of the movie, it turns out that Split was a stealth sequel to Unbreakable, creating a mini-shared universe that was planned to close out with Glass. Now reviews for this film are...not so great. That being said, I really enjoyed Glass for what it was and think it did a (mostly) solid job wrapping up this trilogy. And here's why:

UPS

The actors were really good in this film. Our big three continue to sell us on their characters, with McAvoy going even further by taking on many more personalities. Outside them, Sarah Paulson delivers a reserved yet ultimately intense performance as Dr. Ellie Staple, who per Shyamalan's twist turns out to be more than she lets on, while Spencer Treat Clark, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlayne Woodard reprise their roles from their respective films in welcoming ways. Overall, they all give it their all, even if the story (especially in regards to Willis, which we'll get to,) doesn't do enough to serve some of them well.
The ways in which Shyamalan ties this movie to Unbreakable and Split. The two major ones for me were having Shyamalan himself cameo as a way to show that the characters he played in all three movies were all the same person, while of course the big one is definitely the reveal that Kevin's father was on the same train as David and as a result perished when it was derailed. All in all, these reveals made everything come together nicely and make the movie more satisfying.
Now, contrary to what everyone else may say, I actually really liked the ending. Sure, it may not be what everyone was expecting and in some ways was kind of disappointing, but it was a truly unique way to wrap the story up and provides a sense of joy when it seemed like it was going to be a lot more depressing.

DOWNS

Bruce Willis, as mentioned before, was not given the full spotlight that he deserved. Compared to Jackson and especially McAvoy, Willis easily gets the short end of the stick, which really sucks considering that he started out the film being a major focal point before sizzling out and eventually dying in the climax. Yep, he dies, and the way it happens make it all the more unfortunate. All in all, he did the best with what he was given, but sadly it wasn't enough.
The way the movie starts trying to bridge the world of the film with the world of comics starts to get very heavy-handed. In particular, during the final showdown, everyone takes very long amounts of time to stop what's going on to talk about how these events would play out in comics, and it just sounds so unnatural and out-of-place. All in all, it flowed well in Unbreakable but it didn't work quite so well here.

OVERALL

I was really impressed with Glass. Sure, not everything played out the way it could have, but it was different from what I expected in a good way. It may be hard for me to recommend it, but if you like these movies, I would at least give it a shot. Who knows, maybe the overall consensus will turn around someday. After all, Unbreakable didn't start out with the best record either...

And that's it for this post guys! Tune in for more coming your way :)

Monday, January 28, 2019

Retro-Reviews: Spider-Man (PS4/SPOILERS)

When you help someone, you help everyone...

If you've followed this blog or know me at all, then it's practically common knowledge by now that I am a huge fan of Spider-Man, or at least Peter Parker. That being said, what isn't clear to many is what I consider to be the perfect Spider-Man story, or at least the one that I think is the best and my all-time favorite. For a while, I actually didn't have one. Each Spider-Man story had their strengths and weaknesses, some better than others, but all had something to like about them, at least for me. I couldn't really give you a definitive answer...that is, until I played this game. When I first saw all the advertising, I was intrigued by what I saw, but unfortunately, being someone who primarily played on Xbox, I wasn't too keen on investing in a PS4 for one single game, so it seemed like I would never get the chance to play through it. Well, my birthday changed all that :) As I played through, my love for the game grew tremendously the more I swung through New York City and became immersed in the story and characters of Peter's world. By the time I finished, I didn't feel like I was playing as Spider-Man, I felt like I was the web-slinger himself. Overall, this game is for me the perfect Spider-Man story and would easily be the best movie if it ever were translated to screen, so let's dive into why I feel this way and address the one minor flaw to be found:

UPS

Spider-Man/Peter Parker is perfectly translated to this game. Not only is he perfectly designed and Yuri Lowenthal provides excellent voicework, but the developers of this game have simply nailed the core aspect of this character. He is funny, likable, and relatable in all the right ways, and what really makes him stand out is his heroic and caring soul. This game really puts Peter through some really tough ordeals, and it's all the more rewarding to see him rise above the challenges he faces. As perfect as Spidey is though, he's not alone...
His entire supporting cast were nailed as well. MJ takes a much more active role in this game than she has ever had in any other medium, while J. Jonah Jameson is never seen but always felt thanks to the bombastic and hilarious podcasts that turn up multiple times during the game. Likewise, Harry Osborn isn't present in the game, but the side missions involving him make him feel as if he is just as involved in the story as anyone else...until you realize that he does in fact play a VERY important part, one that will no doubt play out further in the future. Ultimately, the real standouts for me are Miles and Aunt May. Miles has gotten quite the track record as of late, and this game provides him his own origin story while also having him play a part in the overarching narrative, sharing touching moments with Peter that really play on the dynamic these two characters will share later on. Now, as for Aunt May, well...we'll get to her...
Spidey's rogues gallery gets superb treatment as well. To start off, Norman Osborn is present in this game, and while he isn't donning any green yet, he still retains his devious, ruthless businessman persona while also holding a touch of humanity within him. Furthermore, the Sinister Six are given awesome designs and fun boss battles that make them entertaining adversaries to face, but the real masters of villainy here are the game's primary antagonists: Doc Ock and Mister Negative. To date, this may be the best interpretation of the Master Planner that we've had since Alfred Molina's take in Spider-Man 2, largely due to his fleshed out character arc, personal relationship to Peter, and the fact that the game does a tremendous job of making you feel for him, almost to the point where you are dreading the moment he starts to become who we all know he's destined to be. Overall, these villains join the incredibly large cast of wonderfully crafted characters that this game presents.
The whole world of New York City. Swinging through this city is one of the most awe-inspiring things to do in this game, as there is so much detail put into every aspect of this large world that you could easily get lost swinging around.
The emotion....good lord, the emotion! What really sets this game apart from others for me is that it is filled to the brim with genuine, heartfelt emotion. No where is this more clear than when Peter makes the gut-wrenching choice to let Aunt May die (yes SHE DIES!!!) so that the rest of the city can be saved. Throughout the game, you will feel joy and despair, you'll laugh and you'll cry, and all the while, you'll be playing through the whole thing with a big smile on your face.

DOWNS

Some side missions get a little repetitive and boring. Of particular note is the ones where you have to match a bunch of electrical pieces together and the warehouse battles where you face up to six waves of enemies. Every once in a while, they're not so bad, but they really don't make you want to do it multiple times throughout.

OVERALL

Spider-Man (PS4) is practically a video game masterpiece, a word I try not to use lightly. If you love Spider-Man just as much as I do, then this game is the right fit for you.

And that's it for this post, guys. Tune in for more on the way :)

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Updates on Top 10 Lists for The Walking Dead (First Eight Seasons Only/SPOILERS)

When I started this blog, The Walking Dead was a major talking point, seeing as it is one of my favorite shows ever. Since then, however, I have become immensely frustrated with how the show progressed these past few years, and with its popularity gradually declining, I started to shift my focus away to other things. As such, I haven't done any predictions or other special posts for Season 9, even as many big things were happening. Despite Season 9 doing a lot to improve the show and managing to regain some of its former glory, I still feel that my desire to post about it has all but evaporated and it's going to take a lot more to bring it back. That said, I did have my top 10 lists, and pre-Season 9, each list has made substantial changes, so regardless of how I feel about the show right now, I still feel that I must put these out there. For this post, all three lists will be presented with the new additions and changes that I made. Note that these are based around Seasons 1-8 as Season 9 has not concluded yet. Once it does, expect a new post like this one if any changes are made. Now, without further adieu, let's begin:

Top 10 Moments

10. Escaping Terminus (Season 5 Episode 1 "No Sanctuary")