Samurai Jack season 5 episode 10 was one of the most powerful episodes of the whole show. This review contains spoilers so beware!
I loved how Aku took his time in deciding how to best kill Jack. Finally, he decides to use Ashi to kill him. That would've been a cruel fate as Jack loved Ashi.
Before Aku can have Jack killed, Jack's friends come to save him. That was a very emotional moment. They most likely knew they were going to die but they tried rescuing him anyways. It was hard to watch Aku kill some of them. This episode did an astonishing job of building up tension and various emotions. If Jack doesn't travel back to the past, Aku will kill everyone. Jack tries his best to get Ashi back on his side. When he said "I love you!" out of desperation, that was powerful. The power of love was what finally helped Ashi regain control of herself. The soundtrack during this part of the episode made the scene more intense.
Ashi realizes she has Aku's powers which means she can create a time portal to send him back to the past. The rematch between Jack and Aku was epic. Jack finally destroys Aku and rids the world of him forever.
The scene of his return to the past was amazing. I loved how beautiful the animation was especially during the wedding. The use of slow-motion in this scene was perfect. It made a dramatic transition from the awe and joy of marriage to shock and despair as Ashi slowly collapses. When she disappears and Jack cries, that was heartbreaking.
Jack grieves presumably for a long time over her disappearance. Although Jack destroyed Aku and saved the world, Aku got the last laugh by taking away the woman he loved from him. He left a deep wound in Jack. When he sees a ladybug, he's reminded of the ladybug Ashi saw earlier in Samurai Jack season 5. This scene was a powerful ending. Jack realizes although Ashi is gone along with Aku, he can create a future of his own. What made it more powerful was the brand new soundtrack. The animation in the last scene was so amazing, especially the last shot of the mist dispersing as sunlight shined through. The shot of the cherry blossom tree was breathtaking. It resembled Ashi's head to me which meant she is still with him in his memories.
Originally, I loved the ending but as I pondered more and more - I realized this was not a good ending. I disliked Ashi and Jack's relationship because it felt more like fan service than essential to the story. I understand what the writer was trying to do but it didn't work well. Ashi's purpose was to motivate Jack to return to the past which worked well. However, when he returned to the past - it felt like fan service and a forced ending. Jack spent so many years trying to get back to the past. He made so many friends in Aku's world and developed as a character. He learned valuable lessons in his journies like freeing himself from his rage and the meaning of friendship.
For him to return to the past is to undo all of that. Its character development but backward. Losing Ashi after returning to the past was powerful but if Aku destroyed both Ashi AND his chance to return to the past - that would've been completely devastating. I feel like having Aku destroy Ashi and his chance to return to the past before Jack destroyed Aku would've been the best ending. It would've given a powerful theme that you can't change the past but you can change the future. Sadly, that's not the ending we got.
There are other flaws in Samurai Jack such as adult references and screentime devoted to Ashi's relationship with Jack. The humor was good but I felt it was mostly filler material. I really wished that screentime would've been devoted to things like the story rather than humor. Samurai Jack season 5 felt rushed compared to past seasons.
In summary, Samurai Jack season 5 was an amazing season regardless. The show was near perfect. Samurai Jack is one of the best legendary animated TV shows in my view. I highly recommend buying season 5 on DVD!
This is one of the best Samurai Jack episodes of season 5. This review will include spoilers. I loved the dialogue between Ashi and Jack about his past. It was sad and hopeful at the same time. Jack uses the good things of his past to motivate him to find a way back. He leaves Ashi because he doesn't want her to die which was powerful. You normally didn't see Jack do that before.
When he tried to find the time portal and fight the Guardian, he finds it destroyed and the Guardian's remains. This made me despair greatly. I was surprised Jack still refused to give up. I can conclude Aku destroyed the time portal and killed the Guardian. I would've loved to see a rematch between the Guardian and Jack but I think that would've been unnecessary sadly.
The confrontation between Jack, Ashi, and Aku was one of the darkest and most intense moments in the show. Aku reveals the dark and disturbing truth of Ashi's origins. I was shocked at the fact the leader of the daughters of Aku cult would drink from Aku's essence then give birth to his daughter. Jack was at one of his lowest points in the show! I was very concerned that he wasn't going to recover from the psychological blow of Ashi's origins and the painful thought of having to kill her to defeat Aku!
The animation was amazing and dreadful at the same time! It reminded me of Naruto turning into the nine-tailed fox in Naruto. When Jack gives up, I felt like Aku was going to win and kill Jack. The music and incredible animation at the end made me feel like that was the end for Jack.
I highly suggest you own Samurai Jack season 5 on DVD!
This is one of the most intense Samurai Jack episodes I've ever seen. I loved the beginning of the episode because we got to explore another alien culture. It was special and creative. The scenery was beautiful. This review contains spoilers so beware!
The scene with the green tigers was a very intense fight. I loved how the show built up the tension quite well with little to no dialogue. What made this fight scary was seeing Jack and Ashi completely surrounded by them. It was also the fact the tigers expressed themselves with letters.
The cinematography made this fight more intense with its "shaky camerawork" after Jack delivers each blow. The music was decent. Rather than fight them until they win, Jack and Ashi choose to flee. It's wiser and makes you wonder if they would've lost had they stayed.
When they enter the prison, the setting and dim lighting made this disturbing. What made it more unsettling was the mystery behind what happened to the prisoners.
The last fight was the most intense of the episode especially considering how Jack doesn't know how to use the device properly.
I didn't like this episode as much as others. I disliked the sexual references. I thought they didn't add anything to the story though they were humorous. I also didn't like Ashi and Jack's relationship that much. I'll elaborate more on that in my review of the last episode of Samurai Jack season 5.
I highly suggest buying Samurai Jack season 5 on DVD!
Salo or the 120 days of Sodom is one of the most disturbing horror movies of all time. I was deeply horrified when I first saw it and couldn't sleep. I was still shocked by what I saw and how such terrible things could happen. I thought about the real-life cases similar to the film's depiction which happen and how they could happen. The scenes kept replaying in my head. I was in the mood to watch an extremely disturbing horror movie so after watching Salo, I immediately regretted what I wished for. I had a nightmare about Salo.
When I saw the torture scene at the end, I literally exclaimed "Oh my God! Oh my God!" as I grabbed my chest in horror and disgust. I was the only one watching Salo in the dark so I was trying to comfort myself. Just the name itself "Salo or the 120 days of Sodom" is scary and dark considering Sodom was a city so wicked, the God of the Bible destroyed it.
In this review, I'll give a non-spoiler review first then a spoiler review.
Non-spoiler review:
Cinematography:
Despite Salo being a horrifying film, the cinematography is beautiful. I loved seeing beautiful camera shots of rich and extravagant buildings at the beginning of the movie. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to soothe me from the horrors to come.
Dialogue:
The dialogue in Salo or the 120 days of Sodom was bone-chilling and disturbing. It built up horror and tension very well.
Acting:
The acting is great, especially the actors who played the Libertines. The actors' reactions and dialogue made Salo or the 120 days of Sodom scarier than the torture itself.
Soundtrack:
For much of Salo or the 120 days of Sodom, the libertines played the soundtrack. That was disturbing and creative.
Story:
The story is about fascists who kidnap adolescents and subject them to 120 days of torture.
I must confess this movie is not for everyone. Salo or the 120 days of Sodom was disturbing because the torture was realistic. It was not excessively gory or meant for shock value and entertainment like typical slasher horror movies. If you're looking for that, don't watch this movie. There are no jump scares, obviously fake blood, etc. Just terror.
Themes:
I loved the complex themes of Salo or the 120 days of Sodom. I feel like there's more than one way to interpret the film.
Overall, Salo or the 120 days of Sodom is one of the scariest and shocking horror movies ever made. If you can get past the horror and grotesque nature of the film, you can see how it's a masterpiece. I highly suggest you buy it on DVD!
Spoiler review:
Cinematography:
Despite Salo being a horrifying film, the cinematography is beautiful. I loved seeing beautiful camera shots of rich and extravagant buildings at the beginning of the movie. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to soothe me from the horrors to come. The cinematography was incredible. As the torture is happening, the camera is recording everything from a distance. It's to make you feel disassociated from what's being shown. The set designs are special because they're minimalistic and simple, forcing you to focus on what's shown in front of you.
The camera shots at the circle of death scene increased the dread felt when watching the teens get tortured. This scene was disturbing not from a story point of view but also because the camera angles make you feel like you're a voyeur like the libertines.
Dialogue:
The dialogue in Salo or the 120 days of Sodom was bone-chilling and disturbing. It built up horror and tension very well.
Soundtrack:
For much of Salo or the 120 days of Sodom, the libertines played the soundtrack. That was disturbing and creative. The soundtrack made Salo scarier especially during the circle of death scene. The libertines drown out the horrifying screams, shrieks, and groans of pain from the teens with classical music. This made this scene more horrifying because you're left to imagine what sounds they made while they were tortured.
Acting:
The acting is great, especially the actors who played the Libertines. The actors' reactions and dialogue made Salo or the 120 days of Sodom scarier than the torture itself.
Story:
The story is about fascists who kidnap adolescents and subject them to 120 days of torture.
Salo does a fantastic job of creating dread and learned helplessness. The scene where the libertines give the children the rules is a good example. The servants watching the children know something is terribly wrong but the libertines scare them away.
I was deeply disturbed by the woman telling the story of how she was abused as a child. This realistically shows victims of child abuse can become abusers if they don't peacefully resolve their trauma.
The scene where the libertines point a gun at a boy's head and act like they're going to shoot him but don't. What they say afterward is ruthless and cruel.
The scene where the man forces a girl to eat his defecation was the most disturbing and intense scenes of Salo or the 120 days of Sodom. She's forced to eat it or suffer a worse fate. As a viewer, I didn't want her to do either which made me feel worse.
I was disturbed when the libertines revealed they killed their own mothers. We get no flashbacks which is more terrifying.
We don't learn the victims' names which shows how dehumanized they are. I was disturbed by the various reactions from the adolescents. Some are disassociated, others try to escape, etc. It felt real.
The ending was highly disturbing and scary. The young libertines learn the sadistic and sick cruelties from the older ones. Although the kids went home free, they could never be the same. Their souls will be corrupted by the horrors in Salo. Technically, they're not free because of the extreme trauma they endured.
Theme:
Salo or the 120 days of Sodom has a complex theme. I have two interpretations. One is a political message on capitalism. The hypocrisy of capitalism is the concept of all people being equal are not practiced. People with high social statuses get more privileges than lower classes. The lower class are treated like cattle.
The other way I interpreted it is a message on child abuse. Salo or the 120 days of Sodom exposes the horrors of child abuse. Adults are sick enough to prey on the most vulnerable of society to gratify selfish and vile desires - children. What you see in Salo or the 120 days of Sodom happens more often than people think. It doesn't matter what people's social statuses are, how intelligent they are, how rich they are, etc. Child abuse happens at all levels of society. Salo exposes the disturbing reality that child abuse can happen to anyone. If abusers have enough power and money, they can escape justice.
These themes are what made Salo or the 120 days of Sodom horrifying.
Overall, Salo or the 120 days of Sodom is one of the scariest and shocking horror movies ever made. Salo is powerful because it makes you realize you have a dark sadistic nature like the libertines that you refuse to acknowledge. If you didn't, why would you watch the film in the first place? If you can get past the horror and grotesque nature of the film, you can see how it's a masterpiece. I highly suggest you buy it on DVD!
How would you benefit from buying this DVD?
DVDs are cheaper than streaming - Streaming sites are a waste of money. When you compare the time you're not using your monthly subscription to the time you are, you'll see you're not getting your money's worth. It's worse if your internet is poor to where your movies buffer. You're wasting money paying monthly fees. If you pay more for better internet, that's even worse. With DVDs, you only make one-time buys which save you a ton of money long-term.
DVDs have tangible ownership, streams don't - When you buy DVDs, you technically own them. With streams, you only pay for permission to watch them. If a company no longer wants to have its content in say Netflix's library, the company can request Netflix to remove it. You won't be able to stream it anymore. If a company stops selling a movie on DVD, that's the worst thing they can do. The company won't bother to confiscate your DVD.
DVDs have exclusive content, streams don't - DVDs (namely special editions) have much more content than streaming services such as extended editions, unrated editions, deleted scenes, interviews, "making of" documentaries, etc. Movie streams don't. Typically, streaming services play only standard editions of movies. This DVD set has Salo : Yesterday and Today, a 33 minute 2002 documentary featuring interviews with director Pier Paolo Pasolini, actor filmmaker Jean Claude Biette, and Pasolini friend Ninetto Davoli
Fade to Black, a 23 minute 2001 documentary featuring directors Bernardo Bertolucci, Catherine Breillat, and John Maybury, as well as scholar David Forgacs, the End of Salo, a 40 minute documentary about the film's production. Video interviews with set designer Dante Ferretti and director and film scholar Jean Pierre Gorin. It has deleted concepts that were more grotesquely violent than the official version!
You can resell DVDs but not streams - You can resell DVDs since you have tangible ownership of them. With streams, you don't own them so you can't. Once again, you save a ton more money buying DVDs than streaming.
DVDs have better quality than streams - Quality is determined by bitrate. Higher bitrate means higher quality video and audio. Quality can also be affected by codec encoding and compression techniques. Regular DVDs run at 6-8 megabits per second. Streams usually play movies at lower rates. Netflix for example plays movies at around 5 megabits with a standard connection. This DVD set has high definition digital restoration.
DVDs don't require Internet, streams do - If your internet connection or streaming service fails, you won't be able to finish watching your favorite movies and shows. Nothing is worse than watching one of the most critical and intense scenes in a movie only to be interrupted by say internet lag. It ruins the viewing experience. With DVDs, you don't have those problems.
DVDs look fantastic on display! - DVDs will make your room look much more alive with its stunning physical artwork! There's nothing like holding a DVD of your favorite film in your hands! With streaming, everything belongs to the streaming service. It can feel like you're just renting your favorite films.
This review will cover the Incredibles, one of Disney Pixar's wonderful masterpieces. I'll give a non-spoiler review first before giving the spoiler review.
Story:
The plot is about Mr. Incredible and Elastagirl who are forced to live with secret identities after the Government bans superpowers. While Mr. Incredible loves his family, he craves adventure and his superpowers. He gets a chance to go on an island and fight a robot but needs to be saved.
The plot was creative and original. The Incredibles wasn't a typical superhero about superheroes needing to save the world. The superheroes in the Incredibles aren't wrapped in typical superhero ideals. The story was about a family struggling to live regular lives. The humor in this film was great. It didn't need excessive crude humor to be funny.
I loved the Incredibles because it tackled various complete, mature, and dark themes. This is a list of my favorite deleted scenes that were supposed to be in the film and serve as examples.
In the first deleted scene, Mrs. Incredible (AKA Elastagirl) has a conversation with another woman on work. Her friend looks down on her for being a stay-at-home mother. I thought this gave a good social commentary on how mothers are looked down on. People don't consider women having kids as a serious form of labor but being a mother and a wife is very challenging. Mothers have to give so much of themselves for others. It also showed the real struggles superheroes would have to go through to keep their identities a secret. Superheroes have to feign vulnerability which leads to immoral behavior as we see later.
Snug, Mrs. Incredible's ex-boyfriend, takes her and her kids to find Mr. Incredible. He subtly mentions their past and in a way, tries to court her. He didn't respect the fact she was a married woman. We can figure out why they broke up. When he dies, I was surprised the Incredibles planned on including death in a children's movie.
The scene where Mrs. Incredible confronts Mr. Incredible on the possibility of him cheating was also shocking and intense. He explains himself and she feels guilty for her suspicions. She later has a somewhat disturbing dream of him being with other women while she's stuck in a washing machine.
This scene was powerful because it showed Mrs. Incredible's insecurities. She's afraid of being abandoned and used. She's afraid of being stuck in a loveless marriage where she's burdened with responsibilities. This is what makes the characters in the Incredibles movie relatable and memorable.
I loved the tension in almost every scene of the Incredibles. I disliked one crude joke although it was a very small flaw with the movie. It didn't add anything to the story and seemed to appeal mostly to adults.
Characters:
I loved the appearance of the Incredibles characters. Although their superheroes, they look more like a family.
Cinematography:
I loved the close-up camera shots of the characters. I loved seeing the characters' facial expressions.
Animation:
I loved the animation because of its special shapes and colors. Some characters are round, some are square-shaped, the list goes on. Some vehicles are square-shaped or rectangular. There's many different types of lighting and colors. The animation was amazing.
Soundtrack:
I loved the music to the Incredibles. It fit the film so well and sounded like it was made in the 20th century. It reminded me of the movie - Mission Impossible. Some of the Incredible's film score was very catchy like "road trip." The soundtrack made you want to go on an adventure.
Dialogue:
The dialogue was usually intense in some way. I loved how the dialogue revealed much of who the characters in the Incredibles were.
Acting:
All of the voice actors in the Incredibles were amazing and believable.
In conclusion, the Incredibles is a masterpiece with timeless themes and a memorable story. The characters were compelling and lovable. I highly recommend you buy the Incredibles on DVD!
The plot is about Mr. Incredible and Elastagirl who are forced to live with secret identities after the Government bans superpowers. While Mr. Incredible loves his family, he craves adventure and his superpowers. He gets a chance to go on an island and fight a robot but needs to be saved.
The plot was creative and original. The Incredibles wasn't a typical superhero about superheroes needing to save the world. The superheroes in the Incredibles aren't wrapped in typical superhero ideals. The story was about a family struggling to live regular lives. The humor in this film was great. It didn't need excessive crude humor to be funny.
I loved the unpredictability in the Incredibles. When Mrs. Incredible urges Violet to use her powers to block the missiles from destroying the plane - I thought Violet was going to do it. I was shocked when she didn't because she was afraid and lacked confidence.
At the beginning of the film, the citizens loved the superheroes but they expected more and more from them. The citizens wanted superheroes to capture criminals quickly and without destroying the city. It was realistic.
While the Incredibles were superheroes, they were far from perfect. They broke some moral codes which made the conflict in the Incredibles realistic. The scene where Mr. Incredible's boss calls him to his office for a reprimand was one of my favorites because of its intensity and what it revealed about the characters. While his boss wasn't a supervillain, he was still a villain judging by his bullying behavior and disregard for the man who got mugged. This scene exposed how villains in society can have high positions of power even if they never committed a crime. Mr. Incredible using violence against him also revealed the disturbing truth about superheroes. The dinner scene showed how dysfunctional the Incredibles family was. Superheroes can also abuse their powers and exhibit villainous traits.
Another one of my favorite scenes was the scene between Syndrome first meets Mr. Incredible for the first time. It revealed Mr. Incredible's mistake in rejecting him at first. We can guess its because Mr. Incredible saw Syndrome as inferior due to his lack of superpowers. Mr. Incredible was only sorry because Syndrome became a villain.
One of the disturbing pieces of information revealed in the Incredibles was the fact Syndrome killed many superheroes before.
Another one of my favorite scenes was the argument between Mr. Incredible and Mrs. Incredible. It was powerful because we learned what the characters really thought of each other. Mr. Incredible was devoting less time and energy to his family. Its like he didn't want to be there. Maybe he didn't want to be a father and husband. Mr. Incredible pointed out how unfair Mrs. Incredible was being to Dash, her son. He was right as she expected Dash and Mr. Incredible to pretend to be average.
Another is the scene where Mr. Incredible captures Syndrome's girlfriend and threatens to kill her but Syndrome dares him to. Syndrome knows Mr. Incredible knows he can't do it, nullifying his strength. However, Syndrome's girlfriend feels betrayed and ultimately helps Mr. Incredible so Mr. Incredible's move worked after all.
The humor in this film was great. It didn't need excessive crude humor to be funny.
I loved the tension in almost every scene of the Incredibles. I disliked one crude joke although it was a very small flaw with the movie. It didn't add anything to the story and seemed to appeal mostly to adults.
Characters:
I loved the characters because they were well-developed and believable. They were deeply flawed as well as gifted with superpowers. I loved the appearance of the Incredibles family. Although their superheroes, they look more like a family.
Syndrome - He's a prime example of how the Incredibles' create a dark tone in the story. He originally wants to be like Mr. Incredible for the wrong reasons. When it's revealed he becomes a villain, I was quite surprised and disturbed. Syndrome was a special villain because he's not evil for the sake of being evil. He doesn't necessarily plot to destroy. He had a plan to give everyone superpowers so superheroes wouldn't be special anymore. This plot is to get revenge on Mr. Incredible for rejecting him because Syndrome didn't have superpowers.
Mr. Incredible - Mr. Incredible wanted adventure and the need to be needed. I feel like he's a superhero partially because he loves the attention and thrill of it. He struggles to live as a regular citizen but he knows he's not. This habit of dishonesty is what makes him lie to Mrs. Incredible about his whereabouts when he's called to the island.
Mrs. Incredible (AKA Elastagirl) - She's very assertive and strong-willed which makes her attractive. She is supportive of her husband in some areas. Mrs. Incredible's flaw is not being completely empathetic to her family's needs. We see this when she threatens to ground her children if they despair. She had unrealistic expectations of her family. For almost the whole movie, she conditions Violet to not use her powers. Because of this, Violet doesn't have the confidence to use her powers when she desperately needs it the most.
Mr. Huph - He was a bully and felt the need to intimidate Mr. Incredible.
Dialogue:
The dialogue was usually intense in some way. I loved how the dialogue revealed much of who the characters in the Incredibles were. The perfect example is the argument Mrs. Incredible had with Mr. Incredible.
Animation:
I loved the animation because of its special shapes and colors. Some characters are round, some are square-shaped, the list goes on. Some vehicles are square-shaped or rectangular. There's many different types of lighting and colors. The animation was amazing.
Soundtrack:
I loved the music to the Incredibles. It fit the film so well and sounded like it was made in the 20th century. It reminded me of the movie - Mission Impossible. Some of the Incredible's film score was very catchy like "road trip." The soundtrack made you want to go on an adventure.
Acting:
All of the voice actors in the Incredibles were amazing and believable.
Cinematography:
I loved the close-up camera shots of the characters. I loved seeing the characters' facial expressions.
Themes:
I loved the Incredibles because it tackled various mature and sometimes dark themes.
I think the Incredibles gave a dark theme about the dangers of isolation. When Syndrome was a child, he wants to be Mr. Incredible's sidekick but Mr. Incredible rejects him because Mr. Incredible worked alone. This attitude contributed to Syndrome being a villain. Syndrome internalized this rejection and believed he wasn't a good person. Mr. Incredible could've stopped Syndrome from going down a dark path by being a good role model but he didn't.
The Incredibles gave a good message on the importance of family and the need to unite. Mr. Incredible's flaw was his need to do everything on his own because he didn't want to lose people. The irony is he would've lost them like he lost Syndrome. Why? Because he refused to acknowledge his weaknesses and how he affected others. If he fought the creature at the end, he would've been killed.
The Incredibles was a dark movie because it sometimes blurred the lines of superheroes and villains. The superheroes for much of the film broke the law and committed immorality. It makes you think whether the superheroes are no better than the villains.
In conclusion, the Incredibles is a masterpiece with timeless themes and a memorable story. The characters were compelling and lovable. I highly recommend you buy the Incredibles on DVD!
The Soul disney pixar movie stood out to me because of its predominantly black characters and emotionally powerful story. I love the Soul Disney Pixar movie for it's profound themes, humor, memorable characters, list goes on. This review will have spoilers.
Story:
The Soul Disney Pixar movie is about Joe Gardner, a middle school band teacher who's life doesn't go as planned. He's passionate about Jazz but when he travels to another realm and helps another being find its passion - he learns the meaning of soul.
I loved how the Soul Disney Pixar movie portrayed blacks realistically in regards to their mannerisms, culture, speech, etc.
I loved how Joe hated Jazz at first until his father took him to a Jazz club and Joe falls in love with Jazz after hearing it.
I loved the character development in the Soul Disney Pixar movie. Joe was selfish and didn't care about the spiritual realm he was in. Eventually he realizes life is more than just your career. 22 originally doesn't want to live on earth because it's worthless in her mind. Joe could've been a lost soul had he continued in his selfish ways and stayed disconnected from life. 22 doesn't see the purpose of life which is why she refuses to go to earth.
The animation of lost souls disturbed me especially when Joe saw 22 in the body of the lost soul and heard her insecurities.
I loved the ambiguity of the ending in the Soul Disney Pixar movie. We don't know which body Joe Gardner and 22 end up in.
Scenes:
I'll analyze my favorite scenes from the Soul Disney Pixar movie. We're introduced to Joe Gardner doing band practice with his students in a classroom that's poorly funded. First of all, I love how accurate this scene is. When I was in elementary school, kids dressed and behaved as shown in the the Soul Disney Pixar movie. They were fooling around and not taking music seriously. Joe dislikes this judging from his cringe but tries to instill his passion for Jazz in his students despite the situation he's in. The girl (Connie) plays the trombone with passion. When she stands up, we can see she's the only one who took music seriously. Nevertheless, she loses confidence when the class makes fun of her. She doubts herself when she points out she's 12 years old. The school is poorly funded probably because of institutional racism against blacks and society doesn't take music seriously in school. I loved the sense of humor in this scene. Joe's work seems to pay off when he plays the piano in front of the kids and they simply watch in amazement.
Soul started with a strong opening because we not only learn Joe is passionate about Jazz that he doesn't care about money, he also wants to inspire others to be like him. I love how Soul reveals to us who the characters are through body language. When Joe looks at a picture of Dorthea Williams in the classroom and presumably his favorite Jazz musicians, we learn he idolizes them.
Joe's flaws are revealed early in the Soul Disney Pixar movie. He's selfish. For example, when he tells his story to Connie - he doesn't stop and think if she can relate. Another flaw is he's not completely honest about his feelings towards others. This is shown when he tells the school principal "you're doing my ears a favor." His student gets offended and Joe says "not you! You're good!" but secretly tells the principal he's not.
When he talks with his mother, we can see what kind of person she is. She doesn't completely support him. It seems she only loves him for who she wants him to be. When his old friend, Curly, calls Joe - we see Joe is humble.
When Joe rehearses with Dorthea Williams and the rest of the band, we can see Dorthea is not impressed at first. This is probably because of so many musicians who failed to meet her standards as a pianist. This also suggests performing on stage with Dorthea Williams isn't what Joe is expecting. Joe can't see it because he's blinded by a fantasy and idol worship of her. This will play a bigger part later in the film. Joe plays the piano and gets into "the zone." This is likely when he somehow opens a connection with the soul realm later in the Soul Disney Pixar movie.
When Joe's so excited that he finally got the job, he carelessly moves around and nearly gets in accidents. From this scene, we can see Joe's weakness. He cares too much about his career that he doesn't care much about his wellbeing. He believes life's purpose rests on your actions, namely his dream career.
In the scene where 22 in Joe's body tutors Connie was powerful. Connie is on the verge of quitting. We can probably infer Connie has been trying hard to practice playing the trombone but couldn't meet her own expectations. When 22 sees Connie play the trombone, 22 understands Connie loves music although 22 can't empathize with her. Connie realizes she loves music too much to quit.
I loved the barber scene where Joe Gardner had a talk with the barber about something other than music. It really showed Joe's flawed view of life. Joe was too busy focusing on his passion, he forgot about connecting with others.
The scene where Joe Gardner argues with his mother was powerful. We learn Libba has never supported Joe's dream career because she didn't want him to struggle like his father. She eventually supports him.
The ocean scene was also quite impactful. Joe should've been happy he finally got the dream career he wanted but he wasn't. He was expecting more. Dorthea Williams told him the story of a fish to basically tell Joe he had unrealistic expectations.
The scene where Joe realizes life is about living and his connections with others. He realizes life is much greater than having the ideal career. Throughout most of the Soul Disney Pixar movie, he was selfish and thought of only himself. He was insecure about his ability to achieve his ideal career.
There's a deleted scene where Joe goes into his dream and debates whether to go back to his body or not. This gave the Soul Disney Pixar movie a somewhat sadder tone.
In another deleted scene, 22 admitted to Joe she wanted to go to earth but regretted it because it was a lonely place. She wasn't wrong. I think the Soul Disney Pixar movie depicted that well. If this scene was kept, it would've given the Soul Disney Pixar movie a darker tone.
Dialogue:
The dialogue felt very natural and humorous. I loved how the Soul Disney Pixar movie's dialogue stood out from other movies. Ever since 22 manifested itself in Joe's body and Joe in a cat's body, they have to work together to speak for each other.
Cinematography:
I loved the cinematography. The beautiful camera shots of vast amazing landscapes show how life is larger than Joe Gardner.
Animation:
The Soul Disney Pixar movie's animation was breathtaking and amazing! It looked so realistic! The soul world looked phenomenal! I didn't expect that kind of animation. I loved the "living line" animation.
The animation in the Soul Disney Pixar movie helped the storytelling in a dramatic way. For example, when Joe goes in the zone at the beginning of Soul - the color change beautifully shows Joe's disconnection from reality in his trance state. In the scene where Dorthea tells him the story of the fish - the light goes out after she leaves. He's left in the darkness to ponder her words. The darkness symbolises Joe's ignorance of life. The light goes out as if his world is telling him getting his dream job won't change the poverty and disconnection around him.
Soundtrack:
I loved how the Soul Disney Pixar movie blends Jazz with ambient music in the soul world which sounded so calming. It sounded like the music you would play to help with meditation. It was ethereal, supernatural, and electrifying.
Themes:
I loved the overall theme of life being more than just your passions. We live in a toxic culture where your life's purpose is determined by your contributions to society. Your real purpose is to simply exist. Life is about experiencing everything - good, bad, pain, pleasure, etc. Your connections with others and yourself are what ultimately matter. There's a huge danger in turning passion into an obsession and becoming disconnected from life. This is the concept behind the lost souls.
We should teach people to simply live rather than try to justify our existence on this Earth when such justifications aren't necessary. We're already born with purpose and value.
Characters:
Joe Gardner - I love Joe because he's a well developed and has a great personality.
Connie - While she's a supporting character, she has a huge impact on Joe.
Curly - He's a side character who loves Jazz and Joe Gardner.
I loved almost all of the characters because they're relatable.
Acting:
The voice actors did an amazing job. Every voice actor sounded so natural. I felt they really wanted to be in the movie and not just because they were getting paid to.
Flaws:
While I loved the Soul Disney Pixar movie, I thought the movie did have some serious flaws.
The first major flaw was its subtle form of racism against blacks. While the Soul Disney Pixar movie had black characters, we didn't get to explore their world as much as we did the soul world. Furthermore, Joe Gardner wasn't in his body for most of the film. It was technically a white character. Meanwhile, Joe was stuck in the body of a cat. This sends the message it's not ok to be blacks, blacks are animals, and ignorant. I wasn't expecting the concept of souls to be featured in the Soul Disney Pixar movie. I was hoping to watch a movie with a story about black characters with a powerful message on Jazz all the way through. Unfortunately, I didn't get that.
The second major flaw with the Soul Disney Pixar movie was the ending. Personally, I felt like Joe Gardner should've gone to the great beyond after trading his place with 22. I loved how he realizes his spark wasn't his purpose. It was his act of living and giving life to others such as 22. He gives up his Earth pass, gives it to 22, and explains he's already lived on Earth. The story is naturally flowing in the direction of him going to the great beyond until Terry decides to give him another chance. The natural flow stops and after that, his choice to return to Earth feels forced for the sake of fan service. I feel the Soul Disney Pixar movie could've been more powerful if Joe Gardner went to the great beyond, we would've learned Joe was fine with living his life and willing to sacrifice himself so someone else could live. We would've learned Joe became dissatisfied with achieving his dream career and thus had no motive to live anymore.
Overall, I loved the Soul Disney Pixar movie regardless. I thought it was quite memorable. If you want a movie with powerful themes, humor, and a story based on the afterlife then the Soul Disney Pixar movie is a film for you. I highly recommend you to buy it on DVD through Amazon!
I hope you enjoyed this review!
I'll give my review of the teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon. I'll do my best not to spoil anything because this is a must-watch show for fans of the teenage mutant ninja turtles.
When I was a child, the teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon was one of the first TV shows I saw. I stumbled across it by accident playing around with my TV. When I saw it, I instantly fell in love with it. I had so many memories of it. I love this show for various reasons. I showed my friend a few episodes and he was very excited. I watched it with my mom and she was just as invested in it as I was. I watched it whenever it aired on TV regularly.
Animation:
The animation was incredible. There was a high attention to detail in every season. I loved how beautiful the natural environment looked in places such as New York City.
Tone:
I love how the teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon knows how to be serious and humorous. When the show gets dark, it gets DARK! The teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon is one of the darkest and most violent shows I've ever seen.
There's some very dark themes such as grief, death, trauma, family, guilt, the list goes on. I'm surprised the Teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon got away with much of its content considering how violent it was. I was deeply disturbed by much of what I saw in the teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon. It knew when to add mystery and when it did, it was disturbing.
Here's the perfect example from an unreleased episode called "nightmares recycled." This episode was too violent, 4Kids TV forbade it from airing on TV! This is the episode's script and concept art.
"Hun (one of the show's villains) runs into the TMNT [Teenage mutant ninja turtles] in a junkyard, but before they can fight, Garbageman (another villain) shows up in a powerful new robotic suit and captures everyone. Garbageman takes his prisoners back to "Recycle World" (apparently his new realm). When everyone wakes up, Garbageman reveals that him and Hun were conjoined twins - but Hun hired a shady doctor to separate them. Hun left his twin behind, thinking that he would perish - but the doc performed experiments on him and turned him into Garbageman. Thus he's looking for revenge against the TMNT and his brother, Hun, and he drops them onto a conveyor belt that's heading for some giant, spinning blades. Our heroes escape and turn the tables on their foe. Garbageman ends up falling into a vat of acid and gets flushed out to sea by Hun. Hun and the Turtles leave, thinking that Garbageman is dead - but the final scene shows a bubbling slick of acid rising to the waster's surface, with something alive within it - so it looks like Garbageman survived the acid bath."
I can only imagine the trauma Garbageman must've faced remembering his childhood, the shock of his revelation, the list goes on. You can see how violent and cruel the villains like Hun are in episodes such as this. The villains in the teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon are far from being heavily sanitized.
Cinematography:
The camera shots made the teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon more intense. At times, the camera faces away from violent acts such as slashing or stabbing which build tension or dread. The camera also focuses on areas such as a character's eyes to reveal his or her intensity.
Plot:
Here's the story.
Four pet turtles were bathed in ooze then mutated and became the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Raised in New York City sewers by their foster father and martial-arts master, Splinter, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael wage war against crime. They stop evildoers in all forms - barbaric gangs, thieves, deranged cyborgs, and the Foot clan led by their archenemy, the Shredder.
I love how the teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon changes each season. There's almost new characters, challenges, etc. The environment, characters, and overall story change. The villains don't just impact the heroes physically but psychologically as well. Whether the turtles win or lose, they still have to deal with the impact the villains have on them in the aftermath. Sometimes, the villains impacted the turtles so much that the heroes can never be the same.
Many elements of the teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon are very creative and work well.
The show is extremely action-packed. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) has made some of the most epic and brutal animated fights I've ever seen! The show does an outstanding job in making you feel like a character or characters are going to die. Nothing feels rushed.
Characters:
I love all of the characters. The show did a spectacular job of making you feel deep emotions for all of the characters. They all have their own special personalities. All of these characters have strengths and weaknesses. They make choices that positively or negatively affect them. They go through external and internal conflict along with personal growth. Although there are side characters with little to no speaking roles, their mysterious personas can make them either more appealing or disturbing.
Leonardo - He's the most serious, disciplined, spiritual, and determined leader of the turtles.
Donatello - He's the most intelligent turtle and knowledgeable in technology along with the kindest.
Raphael - He's the toughest and angriest turtle.
Michelangelo - He's the funniest turtle.
Splinter - He's full of wisdom and insight. He knows what every turtle needs and has a strong spirit regardless of the situation.
The Shredder - He's very intimidating not just physically but psychologically. He has a strong presence.
Soundtrack:
The soundtrack was phenomenal. It made the show more intense and emotional. I loved how the show mixes different genres well. Rock and hip hop illustrate certain characters. Kabuki-inspired Japanese music makes up the Shredder's theme. The music intensified various emotions such as dread, fear, joy, awe, excitement, joy, sorrow, etc.
Flaws:
As great as the teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon was, it had its flaws.
I felt some of the romance was unnecessary. It felt like the creators put it there because they didn't know how else to make the characters interesting. The romance felt completely out of character at times. Some of the female characters could've been developed more.
I don't count the seasons made after 5 and the movie for two reasons. 1) They were awful and felt rushed. 2) They weren't originally planned. Season 5 was supposed to be the last season of the teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon.
I felt one of the show's minor flaws was ruining the mystery behind some characters. Part of the charm was having characters with a mysterious background.
Acting:
The voice actors were believable and fit naturally with the characters. The Shredder's voice actor sounded like he talking through a metal helmet. I'm not sure how the creators managed to produce that vocal effect but it made him sound intimidating and iconic.
Overall, the show was an amazing and mostly cinematic experience. The teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 cartoon brings you on an unforgettable journey full of surprises, excitement, laughter, horror, grief, and so on. That's why I highly recommend you buy seasons 1-5 on Amazon! I hope you enjoyed this review!
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