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Movies first. Thor: Ragnarok was a visual delight, a solid story, and genuinely funny and fun. I was so pleasantly surprised, especially since the second Thor movie was a bit of a slog and a downer. The few problems I had with this one are mostly residual from the narrative in Thor 2, so I did some hand-waving and we're good!
The Greatest Showman has a paper-thin plot gluing a bunch of really fun and showy music videos together. I'm not sure if the real P.T. Barnum would be proud or appalled (he was not a pleasant man), but the real Jenny Lind would be upset. Since she's been dead for more than a century, I'm gonna let it slide.
The music is catchy and upbeat enough that I might buy the soundtrack at some point. Or at least some individual songs.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is one of those films that doesn't stand up to the next day test: when your brain has had enough time to digest the film, pick apart some of the plot holes and other problems, and you weigh that against the enjoyment of the overall experience. Put it this way: I haven't seen the movie a second time (I watched The Force Awakens twice in the theatre), and I won't buy the movie later either (I own The Force Awakens on blu-ray).
In fact, the more I think about The Last Jedi and the bone-deep problems it has, the more I'm angry about it; not just for this being a movie that could have done better, but also because it makes The Force Awakens worse in retrospect. Some of the "let's wait and see what they do in the next film" moments from episode VII are wrecked by episode VIII.
I'd say more but I'd start capslocking in rage. You can ask me in comments if you want to know more of the reasons I'm deeply displeased about this film, but there are plenty of them. *sigh*
edited to add: this entry now comes with bonus capslocky ranting in the comments on dreamwidth
I got Wonder Woman on blu-ray for Christmas, so I've rewatched that a couple of times now, and I still adore it.
Books! Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham delves into the Tulsa race riots of 1921. (A lot of white people rioted through Tulsa's thriving black neighborhoods, destroying them and resulting in dozens? hundreds? thousands? of deaths; there's not an exact toll, because the entire event was quickly buried.) The book flashes back and forth between the past and present. I thought it was well-researched, thoughtful, with a solid story and well-intended, but there are definitely moments, plural, where the author's experiences as a white woman make for a slightly off feel for the past and present-day narrators, who are both mixed race.
Margot Shetterly's historical narrative Hidden Figures was published in 2016. It delves into a larger time frame than the scope of the film, and has a more nuanced view about lots of events. There's also a lot more science, but it was still a clear enough read, even for me.
Uprooted is my first Naomi Novik novel in several years. I read the first three (?) of her Temeraire series before my interest fizzled out. I think she's a capable writer who often chooses narratives that prioritize men, and I just got worn out, I think. So many men! So few women! So little free time to read have I, so why am I going to keep reading a series that only grudgingly gives time and space to women in the story?
Oops, that was a bit of a rant. Anyway, Uprooted was solid enough. There's a surprisingly graphic sex scene at one point; surprising because the narrative wasn't built in such a way that I wanted or expected it. Also, I'm rather done with much older man plus young woman who saves him from his curmudgeonly wayswith her magical vagina. But if you're a Novik fan, it will probably fill the gap nicely before her next Temeraire book. (Heh. Fill the gap. *wink wink nudge nudge*)
I finished Bitterblue, by Kristin Cashore, and while it doesn't replace Paladin of Souls and my beloved Ista, it does satisfy my desire to read about women of political power dealing with magical elements.
TV!!!! All the exclamation marks because I'm swooningly in love with season two of The Good Place. What a show. I'm amazed that this season is just so solid, and so much fun. The way season one ended was a blast but I wasn't sure they'd be able to pull off a good second season with that finale. I'm happy to be wrong. And I would say more about how this season has been so great, but it would be massively spoilery and I think anyone who jumps into this show now should have the chance to try it unspoiled.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fifth season isn't quite as strong as season four, but it's definitely entertaining. While season four was almost everything I could have asked for with this specific show, I'm satisfied enough with the current direction to be glad that it's still on air. Even if it's also a shame to have some of television's most gorgeous actors covered in blue makeup to play the alien Kree overlords.
The Greatest Showman has a paper-thin plot gluing a bunch of really fun and showy music videos together. I'm not sure if the real P.T. Barnum would be proud or appalled (he was not a pleasant man), but the real Jenny Lind would be upset. Since she's been dead for more than a century, I'm gonna let it slide.
The music is catchy and upbeat enough that I might buy the soundtrack at some point. Or at least some individual songs.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is one of those films that doesn't stand up to the next day test: when your brain has had enough time to digest the film, pick apart some of the plot holes and other problems, and you weigh that against the enjoyment of the overall experience. Put it this way: I haven't seen the movie a second time (I watched The Force Awakens twice in the theatre), and I won't buy the movie later either (I own The Force Awakens on blu-ray).
In fact, the more I think about The Last Jedi and the bone-deep problems it has, the more I'm angry about it; not just for this being a movie that could have done better, but also because it makes The Force Awakens worse in retrospect. Some of the "let's wait and see what they do in the next film" moments from episode VII are wrecked by episode VIII.
I'd say more but I'd start capslocking in rage. You can ask me in comments if you want to know more of the reasons I'm deeply displeased about this film, but there are plenty of them. *sigh*
edited to add: this entry now comes with bonus capslocky ranting in the comments on dreamwidth
I got Wonder Woman on blu-ray for Christmas, so I've rewatched that a couple of times now, and I still adore it.
Books! Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham delves into the Tulsa race riots of 1921. (A lot of white people rioted through Tulsa's thriving black neighborhoods, destroying them and resulting in dozens? hundreds? thousands? of deaths; there's not an exact toll, because the entire event was quickly buried.) The book flashes back and forth between the past and present. I thought it was well-researched, thoughtful, with a solid story and well-intended, but there are definitely moments, plural, where the author's experiences as a white woman make for a slightly off feel for the past and present-day narrators, who are both mixed race.
Margot Shetterly's historical narrative Hidden Figures was published in 2016. It delves into a larger time frame than the scope of the film, and has a more nuanced view about lots of events. There's also a lot more science, but it was still a clear enough read, even for me.
Uprooted is my first Naomi Novik novel in several years. I read the first three (?) of her Temeraire series before my interest fizzled out. I think she's a capable writer who often chooses narratives that prioritize men, and I just got worn out, I think. So many men! So few women! So little free time to read have I, so why am I going to keep reading a series that only grudgingly gives time and space to women in the story?
Oops, that was a bit of a rant. Anyway, Uprooted was solid enough. There's a surprisingly graphic sex scene at one point; surprising because the narrative wasn't built in such a way that I wanted or expected it. Also, I'm rather done with much older man plus young woman who saves him from his curmudgeonly ways
I finished Bitterblue, by Kristin Cashore, and while it doesn't replace Paladin of Souls and my beloved Ista, it does satisfy my desire to read about women of political power dealing with magical elements.
TV!!!! All the exclamation marks because I'm swooningly in love with season two of The Good Place. What a show. I'm amazed that this season is just so solid, and so much fun. The way season one ended was a blast but I wasn't sure they'd be able to pull off a good second season with that finale. I'm happy to be wrong. And I would say more about how this season has been so great, but it would be massively spoilery and I think anyone who jumps into this show now should have the chance to try it unspoiled.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fifth season isn't quite as strong as season four, but it's definitely entertaining. While season four was almost everything I could have asked for with this specific show, I'm satisfied enough with the current direction to be glad that it's still on air. Even if it's also a shame to have some of television's most gorgeous actors covered in blue makeup to play the alien Kree overlords.