If you’re a good girl tonight

I saw Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters last night with Molly and Wook Jin!  It was AMAZING-AWFUL.  It was this perfect mix of absurd and self-aware and just….just going for it.  Just owning the awful.  Anyway, here are some reaction comics!  SPOILERS!  (And man…there were SO many more jokes than this.  Funny stuff from Wook Jin and Molly that I didn’t include.  I just could not fit them all in.)
 
 
 
 
 
 

And then they did.

 

Just, in general, such gratuitous violence in this movie.  Sometimes it was funny, usually it was gross.

The movie was actually really, really fun.  At a $3 theater with two friends who can appreciate a good bad movie, it was a perfectly wonderful time.

Show some mercy if you can

Unfortunately, this is how I experienced the whole movie.
They really reminded me of the brofoes in Hark, a Vagrant #265.
I was kind of annoyed by all of these characters.

More movie reaction comics: What Women Want, Looper, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, Magic Mike, Brave, Prometheus

I do not feel ashamed

So here’s what happened last night:

Have you seen What Women Want?  I recommend it!  Try finding a copy to watch before reading these comics; they’ll be funnier if you are familiar with the movie:

What Women Want was released when I was 12, and I only saw about 10 minutes of it on TV once, so it was practically brand new to me.  I thought previously that it was a standard romcom, and the convenient magic element turned me off in the previews, but I turned out to really like it!  I’m glad I went back and watched it.  It had some really great things to say and I loved a LOT of little things the movie did.  Probably too many to list.  But here are a few: hearing the deaf women’s conversation, Nick’s rant to his male coworker about what he’s discovered about men and women, positive portrayal of Nike (Portland priiiide), so very many lady characters / speaking roles, the Ivy-league-graduated secretary’s rant, the way that Alex knew all of the reassuring cliches but hearing them reinforced by her dad helped her believe them, the reveal about Erin appealing to Nick to be a copywriter, Darcy sinking into her bubble bath after her bad day rather than answering her phone, and just the general lack of things that piss me off in movies (directed by a woman and co-written by a man and two women…coincidence?).

My other movie reaction comics:  Looper, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, Magic Mike, Brave, Prometheus

I could show you things that could make you sick

I saw Looper this week!  Read on for SPOILER-filled reaction comics:

One of the things I liked best about the film was the slow (like, embarrassingly slow) realization that I was NOT rooting for Old Joe.  Him killing that little boy was a point of no return, but I didn’t realize until the final confrontation that Old Joe was not our protagonist.  We are so conditioned to side with characters who are motivated by love, it takes time to see that Old Joe is not the wiser of the Joes.  In actuality, Young Joe comes to understand the nature of love far better than Old Joe does–he chooses self-sacrifice for the greater good over preserving one individual’s experience of love.  He sees beyond himself and breaks the cycle so that others can thrive.
I mean, you all saw the movie.  You know this.  But can we talk about it a bit?  That was amazing!

At Sara’s first appearance, I asked, “Is this our prostitute friend (Suzie)?”  I was not the only one in the group who assumed that it was.  Diversity please.

Okay so this movie you guys.  Two days ago I would swear up and down that Safety Not Guaranteed was the best film of the year, but now…I think I’m on team Looper.  Just.  Wow.  It almost never happens that a movie is that surprising and makes sense.  That it also makes statements about ending the cycle of violence, self-sacrifice, and the subjectivity of good/evil at the end of a shoot-em-up action movie?  Incredible.

Details I absolutely loved: Old Joe’s falling-in-love montage, Sara’s mimed smoke on the porch, Abe’s understated death off-camera cuing that he is not our main antagonist, Joe practicing French while waiting to kill someone, frog toy booty call, final shots of Sara and Sid going through daily life together.

Read my reactions to other movies:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, Magic Mike, Brave, Prometheus

These times are changing and reshaping into something I can’t face

I saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (in 2D, non-iMAX, and I-can’t-remember-how-many-fps)!  Read on for SPOILER-filled reaction comics~
I started twitching in my seat after 2 hours, but the movie held my attention throughout.  I enjoyed revisiting the rich world of The Hobbit, and appreciated the time lavished on the sets and creatures.  The designs were incredible!  The diversity amongst the dwarves’ designs, the shots of The Shire and Rivendell, the gobelins and orcs and trolls and stone giants…amazing!
 

Okay, I had one big issue and it was with the horrific staging during the chase scene where Radagast leads the Wargs/Orcs away from Team Gandalf.  What the hell was going on in that scene?  Back and forth and back and forth, it felt like Team Gandalf was stuck behind the same rock the whole time, even though it was suggested that they were moving.

*Gollum (thanks, Ann)

Every hour has come to this

(Other reviews: Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, Magic Mike, Brave, Prometheus)

I watched Twilight: Breaking Dawn, part 2 last night! Read on for reaction comics. As always, SPOILERS!

So…I actually really, really liked what they did with that battle.  All of  the action and drama of a full-on fight, because you believe it’s really happening, and then a conclusion where A) the “villain” or hate sink doesn’t need to die*, B) the conflict is resolved through discourse, and C) everyone finds a way to coexist albeit a compromise.  THAT NEVER HAPPENS IN BLOCKBUSTERS YOU GUYS.
*I mean, I guess that Irina did play the hate sink and die….but I’m counting Aro as the main one and the rest of the Volturi as next in line.

You may have my number you can take my name but you’ll never have my heart

I saw the new Bond film Skyfall last night! Here are some reaction comics I made before bed.  As always, SPOILERS!

*Incongruous

*Whoops, that’s “Silva”…ha ha….British accents, you know…!

^My mom and I made this joke almost simultaneously.

So okay, it’s fun to poke holes in movies, but in all seriousness I really enjoyed Skyfall and will be recommending it to my friends.  It’s a good Bond film.  It’s a good action film.  The glass door scene?  The opening shot?  The rat monologue?  The rooftop dirt biking?  The new Q?  The use of the backhoe loader?  The word association game?  Every single establishing shot in the film? *whistle*
I was a little underwhelmed by the plot and the not-so-deep reveals about James Bond’s past because my friends had built it up a bit too much, but ah well.  He’s an orphan.  He hid in a cellar once.  I would have loved more character development than that, but I should have reminded myself that I was going into a James Bond film and they need to save all the time they can for the shoot-outs and explosions.  That final act…don’t even get me started.  The ice scene was cool, but I was falling asleep during the rest of the fire BOOM fire shouting BOOM stuff.

We forge our friendship by saving the world

Review comics for The Dark Knight Rises! As always, SPOILERS.

I had the Holy Musical B@man soundtrack stuck in my head ALL DAY Thursday before watching the movie.  It was hilarious how many of the jokes and themes from the play made appearances in the movie.  Most relevant:

Anyway, on to the comics!

It reminded me of Goldmember’s ridiculous flexibility.  Was that really Anne kicking that high, or was there a prop leg?! xD

There was a 2-ish-minute stretch while Batman was chasing down Talia al Ghul where I completely spaced out and couldn’t tell you what I’d just seen.  Bleh.  A bit is good but more than 30 seconds of people punching each other or shooting or whatever without breaks and my brain shuts off.

I didn’t actually cry, but a lot of people in my theater did. I didn’t believe for a second that he was really dead (I called ‘everyone thinks he’s dead but he’s really alive and training the next generation like in The Dark Knight Returns’ while my brothers and I were placing bets in line), but it was still a moving scene.

I looooved the movie.  From the complaints I’ve heard from friends, it sounds like the main difference between us is that I WANT neat, happy endings.  That’s exactly what I like (Dickens fan!).  The darker and more pessimistic the story, the more satisfying it is when I actually get a happy ending.  And this was the neatest, happiest possible ending for the DARK GRITTY trilogy, so I was extremely satisfied.

Last, here are my notes from the premiere if you are interested.  A lot of these got cut or altered on their way to the comics:

Somebody’s broken heart

Yo!  How are you all?  Having a good summer?  I’m taking advantage of Portland’s GORGEOUS but brief summer months over here.  Getting outside, doing some summer reading, eating lots of fresh vegetables…it’s a total treat.  I saw two great movies this week: A Cat in Paris and Safety Not Guaranteed.  Both good but the latter, in particular, I highly recommend.  Don’t read anything about it–just go!

Here’s some recent artwork: 
First off, a Korra fan art collaboration with Grace Allison.  I penciled this, Grace inked it and flatted the digital file, and I finished up the colors.  We’re doing another piece where our roles are the reverse, and I’ll post that as soon as it’s complete.

Next, some Lilo & Stitch / Wall-E fan art for a friend:

And last but not least, I posted a preview of this poster in early 2012, but I don’t think I ever posted the full thing!  This was for a performance of The Thrilling Adventure Hour that included the Hypercattle Overdrive episode of Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars.  I’ve plugged it here before, but if this is your first time reading about it, let me say that the whole thing is hilarious and awesome and you should start from the beginning if at all possible (all of the episodes are free on iTunes).

Imagine living in a box

I did another series of movie reaction comics.  This time the film is Pixar’s Brave, in theaters today.  Here’s a spoiler-free text review before the spoiler-full comics:

This movie is fantastic.  If you think that our tastes are at all similar, or you have a heart or a mom, you should go.  The bottom line is: this is a well-crafted, beautiful, fun, surprising, and touching film.  It has been advertised in a cringey, slapstick way to get children into the theater, but don’t worry: this is not a lowest-common-denominator animated film.  It’s another Pixar masterpiece.  Quite a bit of the movie was withheld in the commercials, and it’s WONDERFUL.  You are in for pleasant surprises.  I recommend watching it in 2D; the film is a little too dark in 3D and some of the lovely details and textures faded out.

THESE COMICS CONTAIN SPOILERS.  Go watch the movie first — these probably won’t be funny unless you’ve seen it, anyway.

And all of the talk about changing your fate (“You can rise to meet it if you choose”).
And the closing gate and trying to escape into the woods.
And the misty, forested mountains.
And the animal mom protecting her human child. 
And the animal mom at risk of becoming an actual demon.
Horses, in my mind, are this feminine symbol of freedom and power and grace.  …I thought that was a well-documented thing, but apparently it’s just an association I have.  I was looking around the internet for any writing that had been done on it, or a catchy name for the trope or something, but came up empty.  ANYWAY, women riding horses = overwhelming ‘FUCK YEAH’ response in my head.
One of my friends pointed out that the triplets are always trying to steal buns/cakes from Maudie that look like boobs, complete with berry nipples.  And now I can’t unsee that subtextual subplot wherein the triplets are on a quest for Maudie’s goodies xD
LOOOOOOOVED THIS.  Commanding a dead silence by walking?  So cool.  And that austere expression on Queen Elinor’s face?  Just…GUH. PERFECT.
And then Merida demonstrates how much she has grown and come to understand and appreciate her mother (and the power she wields) by performing it just like her.  asdf;ljk.  One of those moments that is so perfectly foreshadowed it’s shocking you don’t see it coming.  PERFECT.  PERFECT!
Also, Merida…even I can sew better than that.  I mean really.
TWO LADIES ON HORSEBACK?  A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER ON HORSEBACK?!! *dies*
Cool/funny things that it would be repetitive for me to draw because they were done perfectly in the film:
-”Legends are lessons.  They ring with truths.”  (And so do Pixar films)
-Little Merida!  Especially the teeth–somehow they captured little-kid-mouth just right in her design and expressions
-One of the triplets lip synching perfectly with his father during the bear story
-The crow.  Just delightful.
-Every single instance of Queen Elinobear moving in an effeminate way despite her altered stature 
-”I’ve decided to do what’s right and break tradition.”  SO much love for that line.
-Merida going toe to toe with her father in a sword fight and winning?!
-Cutting his peg leg out from under him!
-Momma bear getting superbear strength when her daughter is in trouble 
-Mor’du’s spirit rising from the back of the rock
-Naked triplets!  Perfect timing, comic relief

I just added a donate button to this blog.  I am by no means starving, and I appreciate your traffic on its own merits, but if I raise a few dollars on these review posts it will help justify continuing to make them.  Thanks again, everyone!

Copyright © Natalie Nourigat
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