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RaikoLives
Reviews
ThunderCats Roar (2020)
I'm Glad This Exists
Wow. I'm really glad this has been made. The animation is fun, the pace of the show is acerbically fast, and it doesn't take the "original" Thundercats show too seriously. This version has actual characters, decent jokes and is generally a fun time. The old show is absolutely unwatchable, and anyone telling you otherwise is lying, trying to sell you something, or fighting some kind of culture war. The show was always about a child in a man's body, and the family around him, and this is a cool, modern take. I like Lion-O being a doofus, not some stupidly all-powerful warrior who everyone just waits for to come solve the problems with his sword. The animation of the show is most reminiscent of the Misadventures of Gumball, which is a beautifully ugly, chunky looking style with a tonne of character in the facial expressions and body language, which is perfect for cat-people. I like the show, and I'm guessing most of the one-star reviews didn't even watch it. Don't let them sour you on the show. As someone who grew up on the "original" show, I'm down for this. Here's hoping it really does follow Teen Titans GO and gets a movie!
ThunderCats Roar: Exodus Part One (2020)
Don't listen to the haters
This show is smart, fast paced, and totally gets the characters from the original. In fact, it adds to them by giving them actual personalities. If I wanted to watch the old show, I can and would. This is a new take for a Regular Show/Adventure Time generation and it works. Ignore the One Star reviews, they're just pushing their pre-conceived notions, fighting some kind of war against shows that are fun, funny, and not beholden to the whims of 30 year old manbabies who wouldn't have cared about Thundercats if their little friends on YouTube hadn't told them to be angry about it. I remember the old Thundercats show. And you know what? It sucks. It was cool when we were four, but it doesn't hold up. Some great design work and a killer theme song don't make for a good show when the animation is awful and the writing is even worse. If you want a "serious" take on the Thundercats, the older reboot from like 10 years ago is out there, with animation more akin to Avatar, which it was clearly aping at the time. It's actually ironic that it was pretty much riding the coat tails of Last Airbender, when the original show was riding the coat tails of He-Man. And now this one is doing a Tenn Titans GO thing. Thundercats are always copying someone, so I'm not about to get too precious about the show being silly.
Jack & Bobby (2004)
I thought I was the only one...
I just watched the last episode of this great show and I just needed to know something. Am I the only person who liked it? Luckily... It would seem that I'm not.
Jack and Bobby... The story of two brothers... One who becomes President of the United States of America... And one who should have.
Now, it's great to see that there are those out there who dislike it, debate is always good, but I am so glad it wasn't just me that truly believes this show to be a classic.
Jack and Bobby struck me as though it was going to try to be allegorical to the Kennedey's, hell, they're in the titles, but it simply used that one feature to help viewers connect, and then we were treated to a show that truly lets you know that American TV isn't as dead as Big Brother and Idol would make you think.
Two seasons passed by in the time it would take a normal show to have one, and this is great. Long have I decried the 24-26 episode length seasons that the US seems to prefer. Most shows end up with 10 good episodes and 15 or so of just filler. But Jack and Bobby only had a few portions where it felt as though it was just tacked in. And when they passed you were back to great acting, great surprise actors including J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man, Oz and now Jack and Bobby... Is this man perfect or what?) and many more familiar faces.
This should be required viewing for everyone. Americans, Australians, French people and Chinese folk as well. Truly original stuff is hard to come by these days, but Jack and Bobby is the closest thing to it I've seen in many a year.
I can't give halves on the "vote" but if I could, it would get 9.5 out of 10. Seriously. Don't pass up the chance if you get it. You won't be disappointed.
Akira (1988)
A mind blowing roller coaster! And that's just my review!
Akira is one of those films that EVERYONE should see.
If any movie has ever deserved a "5 star rating", 10 out of 10, then this is the one.
From the stark musical score of the opening frames, till the final names in the credits disappear from view, I was hooked.
The movie is a portrait of friendship and love, as well as having some kick ass action scenes, and the obligatory romantic story doesn't feel as though it was merely tacked on, like many other films I could mention.
On the issue of "the rape scene" and the gore, they have both been blown out of proportion. Neither is as graphic as I expected (it only just scrapes the definition of rape, and she's topless for less than 10 seconds), but I will accept that under 15's should probably be kept away from the household copy of "Akira".
The two leads, Kaneda and Tetsuo, are such wonderful stereotypes of the genre while still remaining unique to themselves. And our trusty heroine, Kay, is a sturdy, resourceful, independent woman, who will do her all for something she believes in. This too sounds like a stereotype, but she is much more than that. Even Kaneda and Tetsuo's gang are depicted as real people, rather than the standard kinds of chaps we see in most stock Japanese animation.
The movie is a sad tale of boys in world that does not allow them to grow or express themselves in any way. Our two heroes drift apart, one able to overcome the obstacles, the other spirals down, unable to cope with the power and responsibilities in his life.
A true classic.