Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Once Upon A Time: Episode 1 Review

Well hello, it's finally time to take a whack at this reviewing thing. Jasmine here, and I have just watched the first episode of Once Upon a Time.


This show is about the fairy tale world (you know, your usual Snow White, Pinocchio, etc.) that got sent to the real world (which in this case is Storybrook, Maine) where they have no memory of their past lives and have no happy endings. This was done by the evil stepmother/witch from Snow White who wanted revenge. Snow White and her husband decided to send their daughter to safety (watch and you'll find out why) and proclaimed that she will return on her 28th birthday to save them all.

Unfortunately for the plot I really can't say much else without fear of spoiling it for you. So I recommend that you watch episode one and then tune into the next one.

Sorry for the shortness. We're experiencing scheduling issues here at 2G&O (clever acronym, eh?).

Hope to write to you soon!

Jasmine

Monday, October 17, 2011

Terra Nova-The Runaway Review

Shocky here again- and its time for another reviews, but done slightly differently
I think.

             Compared to the last two episodes of Terra Nova, this one holds up a bit better. The stupid love triangle is gone.Its in fact a lot better than the horrid last episode. A lot.
The biggest good things is that stuff actually happens. The 2 thirds of my fandom's nickname have returned to cause trouble and the bring back the mystery surrounding them first introduced in the pilot.All these are good things.
           Whats still not good of course are the characters and their relationships, and the show isn't nearly as interesting to me as DS9 is at the moment, or even close to the how deeply into BSG I was. It also lacks either's depth. In other words, its still an average, if not below average, series.
             I'd also like to point out how stupid and generic everything is.Everything.
So its time for a short comparison between DS9, BSG, Firefly and Terra Nova, so I can illustrate how the three can be different and good at the same time and Terra Nova can suck. Also because I am a fan so I must gush about them.

Lets first look at this scenario.

Problem: The little runaway girl turns out to be a spy from the Sixers trying to get some locked Case thing in the camp for their leader because she threatened to hurt the little girl's brother. Protagonists are faced with with whether to believe her or not after trusting her before was a mistake and what to do about. So, Jim is dumb and runs off to take things into his own hands, gets captured, but it all turns out ok because of luck anyways. Now obviously well developed characters also aren't this stupid, but the point is how Taylor deals with this.

Terra Nova: Oh, its okay, it all turned out alright. No problem.

DS9: Sisko is a reasonable captain. Since he'll defy starfleet when its required, he'd probably at least thank you for doing what you believed was right, but scolded for not listening. May get some punishment.

BSG: Your going in the brig, no questions asked.

Firefly: This depends. You may get a punch to the face if your just insulting to Mal or you could nearly be airlocked if your an actual threat. However if your so dumb your obviously not a threat.

         See, here's the problem. In all three other shows, there'd be some sort of consequence for not listening to who's in command. In all shows whether what you've done worked or didn't, there's still scolding, or punishment, even if it was right. The problem with this show is THE CHARACTERS NEVER LEARN ANYTHING!
EVER! And I like character development, and these characters NEED development.

I love characters. Half the reason I love these shows is usually characters, if I don't like ANY of them, I'm not going to be interested for long, that's the problem. DS9 has some of the best star trek characters that DO deal with problems. BSG is chock full of characters whom by the end of the show I didn't want to let go. Firefly has some of the most original and fun characters Ive watched on screen that work together so well.

This is my biggest complaint still. These stupid, flat, static characters.

Oh and that dude from the last two episodes, I think he's thespy. Just a hunch.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Terra Nova-What Remains Review

Shocky-I swear I must have made most of the posts here because I like to babble. I know your thinking I should have my own blog(or not) but this is good filler, right?

 Heres some more equations for everyone.
Bad Star Trek- Corny fun=Terra Nova.
Pretty much. Terra Nova is as generic as the first season of Star Trek Voyager, this episode has proved, because when even I can predict the ending, that's pretty predictable. Sad,sad.
While Star Trek Voyager I found very little new about it, as it reused situations Id seen in TNG (Although it gets better apparently) I still had fun watching it, because it was good bad. Janeway was crazy, but amusing. The lack of logic was fun to mock. Throw in the Doctor and some general Star Trek weirdness you've got some fun times. Mostly. Excluding Neelix centred episodes.
   Terra Nova is bland and blander. I like over the top, and if Worf runs around screaming "brah brah brah" and hacking limbs for a whole episode I wouldn't care because that's sounds hilarious, though stupid. Im not looking for BSG here anymore, since it obviously cant co in that direction, so Im looking for trek. No luck.

  The problem is, nothing improves. It all gets worse. Corny love plots get cornier. Simple scientific solution get More boring. Stupid teen are annoying and angsty. The only bright spots were the fact ti looked like they were returning to the sixer plot line and crazy Taylor was kinda funny. Not Worf running around screaming "brah brah brah" and hacking limbs funny. Not "trouble with tribbles" funny. Not as funny as Quark can manage to be in the right time. Not as funny as Baltar in his most pitiful state. And not EVEN CLOSE to Firefly levels. I picture of Jayne Cobb would make me laugh More than anything in this show. In fact, just thinking about him is more entertaining. Easily.

Theres still hope though...please....

Saturday, October 8, 2011

My Return

Shocky here-posting too much again, with something probably not realy worth posting but hey, its not like we have anything close to a reputation yet

  Short post here. Now Iv'e finished Cowboy Bebop, and am still trying to get over BSG I have returned to the trek universe for the time being. It was kind of strange, my return, as it was spurred by watching too many of SF Debris reviews and the fact that the internet is obviously very acssesible to me. At first I was thinking of Voyager, but that lasted all of five second, as there isnt much to think about in that show

My thoughts:"Oh hey the Doctor. I love the Doctor.He's the best. I could ednlessly watch him. Oh wait he isnt featured prominenetly in every episode......OH FRAK ITS NEELIX!"
I don't remember what review it was, but an article before the show was aired was brought up comparing Neelix to the alien DS9 chaarcters. As equals. My favourite characters on DS9. Neelix. No.Just no.
WRONG!

  Anyhoo, so I decided to first adjust into the trek universe again, Id start with Voyager as I cared less about it and I didnt really have to pay any attention yet still could enjoy it. Halfway through the episode, which unfortunately focused on Neelix(no one likes him. but Wesley Crusher is still worse in my books)
I was half asleep and suddenly came to my senses, wondering why the frak I was watching this crap when I wasnted to watch DS9.
Derp.

Why did I just use that word?

In other words, my plan worked.

  I found, after returning to the show midway throguh season four that I did love this show. Very much. I was surprisingly happy to see them all again and return to familiar territory. Even my least favourite characters are far better than Neelix. And that kid from Terra Nova. And possibly Apollo.

 Math: 
D=Blandness
A=Blandness+Whining
Dax>Apollo.

    Yup. Theyre both fairly bland, but Dax doesnt come off as a whiner.
  There are no characters I dont like to some degree, while some could come off irritating,
(Quark)
They don't
(its called a FOIL(try it Voyager(and Terra Nova)))
I must say, conflicting characters = happiness
No annoyances= happiness
No souls crushed yet= happiness
no thoughts of BSG=HAPPINESS
Oh wait this was A RDM show too....

D:
Frak

Thursday, October 6, 2011

On Cowboy Bebop

Shocky Here- and really happy to see that were finally all together. Now the others can edit all my typos!Awesome! I know I have a lot of random posts, but I have lots to say.
 Around 3 months ago I finished Firefly. Two weeks ago I finished Battlestar Galactica. Today I completely finished Cowboy Bebop. I watched the last episode yesterday, with its wonderfully ambiguous ending.Today I watched the 2001 movie Knocking on Heaven's Door.

It was gooooooooooooood.

I have to say, I haven't watched a ton of anime so much as reading manga. I've seen a few episodes of Naruto, one of Fullmetal Alchemist, Some Ouran High School Host Club, Hamtaro when I was little and a bit of Spirited Away except I was like 7 and noface scarred me for life.
I think I should watch it again. (Jasmine thinks you should too)
 But I have to say, no only did I get very attached to ALL the characters, I never knew anime could be this good. Far better than Naruto.
FAR BETTER. Well this is one of the most influential anime of all time and ever...

Quick History Of My Love for Animation
2010, May-I watched The Nightmare Before Christmas
2010 Until now- I suddenly saw what makes animation so wonderful beyond the same elements found in live action
 The animation in Cowboy Bebop was great (although it didn't look so hot on a relatively small screen after being uploaded onto the web.)
But with the bigger budget the movie looked brilliant. I felt like it was last fall, when I was most interested in animation, and I'd watch disney movies on youtube, often when bored, just to WATCH it.

The thing about the series is, I cant even explain it. Everyone knows why its great. I couldn't put it in words, I know the characters are brilliant, and it does all sorts of new things, and it has deep philosophical messages underneath or something, I cant put it in words.
You just know its good from the start.
  I think what made this show so popular was a lot of things. The characters, the action, the fact it is a bit more American than other anime or maybe because its just plain cool.
Id say it was the mixture of animation and music, because I very rarely sit through credits.

Anyhoo, thats my two-cents, its seems Im having a good run with television my next mission is to finish DS9
see how that turns out...
probably a lot more satisfying than Terra Nova..

We're finally all together

Hello all,

You heard me right! We finally got over our illnesses and our Otaku finally joins us on this here blog! Look out! We'll be planning discussions on a variety of topics coming your way in the near future! Thanks for reading!

Jasmine

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Awwwwww

Yeah, I'm the Otaku! And I finally got this set up! Oh YUSSSSSSS! :3 tee hee hee...
Hi everyone! B)

~Rune

Monday, October 3, 2011

Terra Nova-Instinct Review and Some Other Stuff

Shocky here- sorry to anyone that this has been going rather slow, had some slight problems along the way and weve all been sick the last week, but while no group discussion posts are up yet, Ill be posting this kind of stuff

   Episode 3 of Terra Nova has given me almost the same feelings as I got from the pilot. Im not really sure f I should bother watching this show but I can see some good things in it. Its good entertainment, for one, but so is Star Trek Voyager with is the kind of thing I watch when Im tired and dont want to think about when Im actually watching. Now Star Trek Voyager isnt all that bad, its just very inconsistent. VERY. Some are good, some are...bad, but Im usually entertained to some degree, afterall bad can be entertaining. Now before I go off topic, Id like to point out that Terra Nova isnt inconsistent. But it is a few other things.
 Im not going to write about this episode as I did the last, because I find that boring, and I only did it because the pilot needed to setup the show, and so did I. This may be a short review if I can condense my thoughts.
 The Good
-the entertainment value, hoards of small dinosaurs swooping in to mob some people are EXCITING
-ACTION!
-Taylor being a Badass, when he commands, you will LISTEN
-Main character guy(yes Ive still been too lazy to go on wikipedia and find out the names) is finally beginning to grow on me, Im actually starting to genuinely like him!A main character!Wow!
-Science that makes sense. Yes, the technobabble solution isnt made up so much of nonsense that even I can sorta get it
-REDSHIRTS!Death by small flying reptiles
-How good this show LOOKS most of the time

The Bad
-Teen Angst plays a guitar, I couldnt believe he could become more  of a stereotype!
-some of the up close dino shots really didnt gel with me, and Im usually good at believing effects, but they just looked like plastic
-no true opening sequence. I LIKE COOL OPENING SEQUENCES, GIVE ME ONE!
(just not a pop song for a theme song please)
-Older Daughter gets shoved to the side for her brother, again, maybe if they tried shed be less of a stereotype and More interesting
-still not really caring...that much

The Not Able to Classify in Good or Bad
-A line.One line. Something after a question on"will it be enough" with the answer,"It had better be." Suddenly I realized I was watching sci-fi TV, and a line that appears in all those shows. Strange feeling from that one...
-being reminded of BSG. Far too many times, just small things. Or Star Trek, but that more of a happy feeling than sad.
-the realization that the reason I may not be fully satisfied with the show, and keep thinking its going to give me more is because I just finished BSG.I wasnt looking for BSG experience when I began Cowboy Bebop. Or when I started Farscape. Or when I watch Star Trek. Theyre each their own things. But this...I dont know, maybe it hasnt come out into its own...

Fortunately its still got lots of time....
or not, this is FOX afterall

Now onto something else Id like to throw in. Going over to IMDb this morning, I didnt expect anything much, but I was pleasantly surprised. This was an important time. Cult Television triumphed today.Finally. Today a show, axed by FOX, loved by a devoted fanbase ,got what it deserved. 10 new episodes and a movie. It doesnt matter whether you like this show, or have never seen it(I actually have.). It doesnt mater the content of the show, or who that fanbase is. It doesnt matter why. What matters, is that a cult show killed by the evil FOX is living and breathing again. This means something for cult TV, like Serenity meant something. Like Star Trek:TMP did back in 1979.
Arrested Development has just beaten all the stupid networks, and what an achievement that is.

Jasmine says hello

Hello all,

Posts have unfortunately been slow during the past couple of days. We've been pretty busy and actually all three of us are sick!

Yes the cold bug has attacked us!

Might as well introduce myself to you all.

Hello, Jasmine here. It's short for JasmineAnnSnape. I like Harry Potter, fantasy novels, and mostly what the other two people on here like. I am opinionated but more understated than my counterpart of the geek title.

I also enjoy reading the Percy Jackson series, the Narnia series, and just about anything I can get my hands on. If anyone out there has any requests for any of us feel free to comment away!

This is pretty short but I wanted to let you all know that because of some real life stuff that is occupying us right now we may not be posting as often as we'd like.

Thank you for reading!

Jasmine