My heart is so full of joy...
I can't... I just can't even... Be prepared for a lot of capslock everyone because THIS FILM. THIS FILM OH MY GOSH.
1. Notable Pre-Show Stuff:
I don't actually have much to say about the trailers this round. Most of them weren't really all that interesting to me, or were brief teasers that didn't really tell me anything about the plot, or looked a little too silly for my tastes. Even Cars 2. I mean, I liked the first one well enough but I can't muster up much enthusiasm for the sequel. So I don't really have anything to comment on, trailer-wise.
...Weeeeeelll, okay, I guess the Tintin trailer looked kind of cool, despite the uncanny valley realistic CGI.
The most interesting part happened when they accidentally started up the movie in 3D, instead of the 2D showing we had paid for. Oops. A bunch of people (including my mom) got up and apparently went and told someone on the staff because they promptly stopped the film, and had someone come in and apologize for the inconvenience and direct us to go up to the services desk after the showing for recompense, before restarting the movie in its correct format. After the movie we went up to the desk and got three free passes to see any film at that theater from now until September, which is kind of awesome.
And the movie was sooooo worth the minor inconvenience.
2. The Animation:
ASFALFIASFS THE MOVIE OPENS WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL 2D-ANIMATED SEQUENCE THAT RECALLS/RESEMBLES CHINESE SHADOW PUPPET THEATER AND IT WAS RIDICULOUSLY PRETTY.
AND THE FIREWORKS! AND THE CITY! AND THE CRISP FLUIDITY OF THE KUNG-FU! DID I MENTION THE CITY? BECAUSE HOLY COW THAT IMPERIAL CITY WAS THE PRETTIEST MOST GORGEOUS PLACE EVER. I ACTUALLY GASPED OUT LOUD IN THE THEATER THE FIRST TIME I SAW IT, WITH MY HAND TO MY THROAT AND EVERYTHING. "SCENERY PORN" IS A VERY APT DESCRIPTION FOR IT BECAUSE THIS SCENERY WAS HAVING EYESEX WITH ME.
ASFHALSFKHAS!
ASFALFKA!
<333333333
3. The Music:
Given the SPENDIFEROUS AND MAGNIFICENT quality and awesome of the first film's soundtrack, I was not surprised in the least that the second film's soundtrack matched that. What I was not prepared for, however, was that awesome coming by way of not only my love Hans Zimmer, who composed the score for the first one, but ALSO John Powell, who composed the beautiful How To Train Your Dragon score.
To recap: Two of my favorite composers teamed up to produce this soundtrack.
The universe loves me.
4. The Furious Five Plus Po and Newcomers:
Lol, I think they gave Jackie Chan more lines than last time. Monkey, Viper, Mantis, and Crane didn't have much to do besides be awesome. (Though Crane did have a hilarious over-the-top beak jawdrop at Tigress hugging Po and vice-versa.)
Tigress and Po got most of the character focus and development this round. They had a lot of nice interaction and scenes together actually. They tag-teamed a few times during the fights, had heartfelt, sweet, and poignant conversations and bonding, had the aforementioned hugs plus a noticeable amount of other kinds of shoulder and hand touches, and Tigress actually defrosted a lot from her usual uptight and no-nonsense manner. Yeah, I officially ship Po/Tigress now. I'd been leaning towards it and contemplating it a little in the first movie, in a "They'd be kind of cute together." and "I wonder if he likes her?" kind of way, but the first time they tag-teamed in this movie my brain immediately went, "BATTLE COUPLE!" and it just went downhill from there.
Mr. Ping, Po's goose father voiced by the same guy who did Chi Fu in Mulan, had more screentime as well, and some genuinely touching moments between him and his adopted Panda offspring. Oh cripes, the freaking goose yanked on my heartstrings this movie. What is the world coming to.
Master Shifu was shifted a bit Out Of Focus, except for the beginning to demonstrate the requisite Chekov's Skill that would be important later in the film. And towards the end, when he had his CROWNING MOMENT OF BIG DAMN HEROES AWESOME. Along with Master Croc and Master Storming Ox, who were nifty additions, though they didn't really do much.
The soothsayer goat lady was pretty cool. Had some of the funniest lines and I love how she was so smugly sure of her predictions. Also, she was really nice to Po and Shen and everyone.
Oh the villain! Shen the peacock was a wonderful villain! Tragic, precise, calculating, and even more chilling and cold-hearted than Tai Lung. Yes, they actually made a peacock more intimidating than a snow leopard. And way more evil too. Shen STARTS the film with an act so horrible his parents can only gape in shock and proceed to banish him. And then, especially in the last third of the film, he just keeps going. Po appears to have been killed and the Five are distraught? Oh he'll mock and taunt them a little to rub it in. A bridge is blocking his ship fleet's path to the harbor? Oh he'll just get it out of the way by blowing it up while there are people on it. Po and friends have fought their way onto the ships, negating the effectiveness of cannons because the gunners are too busy fighting? Shen orders his flagship to fire on his own men. His wolf lieutenant grows a conscience and refuses to do this? Shen knifes him without hesitation and goes to light the fuse himself.
This peacock is a real piece of work all right.
5. The Story:
OKAY, THIS IS SERIOUSLY MY FAVORITE CG-ANIMATED DREAMWORKS FILM NOW.
YES, EVEN OVER HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON.
Easily better than the first one, and seeing how that one surprised me with just how touching and heartwarming and good it was... the fact that the second one blows it out of the water is just... I can't...
ASFALKFJA THIS MOVIE. THIS MOVIE.
WHEN PO WAS STARTING TO REMEMBER INFANT MEMORIES AND FLASHBACKS OF THE GENOCIDE OF HIS SPECIES AND HE FELT SO LOST AND CONFUSED ABOUT WHO HE WAS AND WHERE HE CAME FROM?
AND MR. PING FELT TORN UP BECAUSE HIS "SON" MIGHT CHOOSE HIS REAL PARENTS OR NEVER COME HOME FROM SAVING CHINA?
AND THEN WHEN THEY TRIED BREAKING MASTER OX AND CROC OUT OF THE PRISON BUT THE TWO MASTERS HAD SUNK INTO DESPAIR AND GIVEN UP HOPE AND WERE NOT GOING TO COME?
AND THEN THE FURIOUS FIVE PLUS PO WERE BADASS AND AWESOME AGAINST SHEN'S WOLF MINIONS SEVERAL TIMES IN RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING AND OFTEN HILARIOUS WAYS? AND THEY GOT TO THE PALACE ONLY TO BE SURROUNDED BUT PO HAD A PLAN AND THEY TRUSTED HIM?
AND THEN WHEN PO REALIZED SHEN KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT THE DAY HIS PANDA VILLAGE WAS ATTACKED? AND HE FALTERED ENOUGH SO THAT SHEN COULD GET AWAY AND START FIRING ON THE PALACE WITH HIS CANNONS?
AND THEN TIGRESS AND THE FIVE CONFRONTED HIM AND PO DODGED SO TIGRESS WAS LIKE, "FINE. YOU'RE STAYING HERE THEN." AND HE WAS LIKE, "NAH-UH, I'M COMING." AND TIGRESS KIND OF BATTED HIM AROUND A LITTLE UNTIL HE COUGHED UP, "HE KNOWS WHERE I CAME FROM AND WHAT HAPPENED TO MY REAL PARENTS!" AND TIGRESS HUGGED HIM AND WAS LIKE, "YOU'RE STILL STAYING. I CAN'T LOSE MY FRIEND."
AND THEN PO WINDS UP IN THE OLD PANDA VILLAGE AND STARTS TO REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED, AND LETS THE SAD MEMORIES FLOW WHILE HE PERFORMS THAT EYE-MELTINGLY AWESOME INNER PEACE THING WITH THE SINGLE RAINDROP MASTER SHIFU DID EARLIER BECAUSE HE'S FOUND IT. HE'S FOUND INNER PEACE AND HE KNOWS WHO HE IS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE BEGINNING OF HIS STORY THAT MATTERS, BUT WHAT HE CHOOSES AFTER THAT? AND HE GETS EVEN MORE BADASS THAN BEFORE?
AND THEN HE GOES AND RESCUES THE FIVE AND SHIFU AND OX AND CROC SHOW UP AND THEY BATTLE SHEN'S FORCES TRYING TO STOP HIS SHIP FLEET FROM LEAVING THE HARBOR TO CONQUER CHINA? AND WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S FAILED PO USES INNER PEACE TO LOB THE CANNON BALLS BACK AT THE FLEET AND KUNG-FU FREAKING CANNONS TO DESTRUCTION?
AND THEN HE RETURNS HOME AND HUGS HIS DAD, SAYING. "I'M YOUR SON." AND THE CAMERA PANS UP AND ZOOMS OFF, FLYING OFF AND OVER LOTS AND LOTS OF PRETTY COUNTRYSIDE UNTIL IT SWINGS AROUND TO A LITTLE SHRINE, WHERE THERE'S A MEDITATING PANDA AND IT'S PO'S FATHER AND HE EXCLAIMS WITH JOY, "MY SON IS ALIVE!" AND THEN PAN OVER TO A FIELD WHERE A WHOLE VILLAGE-FULL OF SURVIVING PANDAS ARE?
TEARS FOREVER, IF YOU NEED ME I WILL BE OVER THERE CRYING IN A CORNER.
Po is like Lloyd now: he has an adopted dad and a real dad and he loves both very much.
AASFHLASFHA!
ASFLASKFHALSFKN!
WAAAAAAAAH!
*flails forever until the end of time*
*calms down*
6. Conclusion:
You heard what I said above. This is now my favorite CG Dreamworks film. No contest. None.
...and I'm strangely tempted to do fanworks this time.
Thirty Day Ship Meme
Day 03:
Well, uh… *cough*… Originally when I had planned to do this meme, a couple months ago good grief I’m slow, my answer for this one was OVA-verse Lloyd/Colette from Tales of Symphonia, since they were taking their sweet time adapting the game’s storyline to the OVA episodes, and had been really emphasizing the Colloyd in their version, and hadn’t had any really good moments for the couple for two episodes (spread out over five months and the wait was agony I tell ya). And then Tethe’alla Episode Four happened and, well…
Yeah.
So instead my answer’s going to be…
Young Justice
Kid Flash/Artemis-
Slap Slap Kiss couples have a tendency to frustrate and annoy me if they keep the belligerent sexual tension too antagonistic or going for too long. So for the sake of my calm temperament I'm hoping they hook up soon. Or maybe just have a kiss. That'll work too.
---
Day 04:
DC Comics New Teen Titans
Dick/Kory (Nightwing/Starfire)-
Holeeeee cats did these two have some smokin' chemistry. They were passionate, flirtatious, emotionally honest with each other, and spend no undue amount of time naked or wearing very little clothing. The chemistry just comes off the page in heat waves man.
They were a long-term and committed couple for almost a decade under the New Teen Titans title, and even now after they've (sort of) broken up and their romantic interactions are more relegated to the occasional sexy hook-up, the chemistry and tension is still there and very palpable.
Dammit DC, why won't you just put them back together?
The Lord of the Rings (films)
Aragorn/Arwen-
Oh yeah, them too. Aside from being immensely pretty together, they just steamed up the screen whenever you cut to them.
INTENSE.
It helps that Viggo Mortensen and Liv Tyler are both gorgeous and threw themselves into their parts with gusto.
1. Notable Pre-Show Stuff:
I don't actually have much to say about the trailers this round. Most of them weren't really all that interesting to me, or were brief teasers that didn't really tell me anything about the plot, or looked a little too silly for my tastes. Even Cars 2. I mean, I liked the first one well enough but I can't muster up much enthusiasm for the sequel. So I don't really have anything to comment on, trailer-wise.
...Weeeeeelll, okay, I guess the Tintin trailer looked kind of cool, despite the uncanny valley realistic CGI.
The most interesting part happened when they accidentally started up the movie in 3D, instead of the 2D showing we had paid for. Oops. A bunch of people (including my mom) got up and apparently went and told someone on the staff because they promptly stopped the film, and had someone come in and apologize for the inconvenience and direct us to go up to the services desk after the showing for recompense, before restarting the movie in its correct format. After the movie we went up to the desk and got three free passes to see any film at that theater from now until September, which is kind of awesome.
And the movie was sooooo worth the minor inconvenience.
2. The Animation:
ASFALFIASFS THE MOVIE OPENS WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL 2D-ANIMATED SEQUENCE THAT RECALLS/RESEMBLES CHINESE SHADOW PUPPET THEATER AND IT WAS RIDICULOUSLY PRETTY.
AND THE FIREWORKS! AND THE CITY! AND THE CRISP FLUIDITY OF THE KUNG-FU! DID I MENTION THE CITY? BECAUSE HOLY COW THAT IMPERIAL CITY WAS THE PRETTIEST MOST GORGEOUS PLACE EVER. I ACTUALLY GASPED OUT LOUD IN THE THEATER THE FIRST TIME I SAW IT, WITH MY HAND TO MY THROAT AND EVERYTHING. "SCENERY PORN" IS A VERY APT DESCRIPTION FOR IT BECAUSE THIS SCENERY WAS HAVING EYESEX WITH ME.
ASFHALSFKHAS!
ASFALFKA!
<333333333
3. The Music:
Given the SPENDIFEROUS AND MAGNIFICENT quality and awesome of the first film's soundtrack, I was not surprised in the least that the second film's soundtrack matched that. What I was not prepared for, however, was that awesome coming by way of not only my love Hans Zimmer, who composed the score for the first one, but ALSO John Powell, who composed the beautiful How To Train Your Dragon score.
To recap: Two of my favorite composers teamed up to produce this soundtrack.
The universe loves me.
4. The Furious Five Plus Po and Newcomers:
Lol, I think they gave Jackie Chan more lines than last time. Monkey, Viper, Mantis, and Crane didn't have much to do besides be awesome. (Though Crane did have a hilarious over-the-top beak jawdrop at Tigress hugging Po and vice-versa.)
Tigress and Po got most of the character focus and development this round. They had a lot of nice interaction and scenes together actually. They tag-teamed a few times during the fights, had heartfelt, sweet, and poignant conversations and bonding, had the aforementioned hugs plus a noticeable amount of other kinds of shoulder and hand touches, and Tigress actually defrosted a lot from her usual uptight and no-nonsense manner. Yeah, I officially ship Po/Tigress now. I'd been leaning towards it and contemplating it a little in the first movie, in a "They'd be kind of cute together." and "I wonder if he likes her?" kind of way, but the first time they tag-teamed in this movie my brain immediately went, "BATTLE COUPLE!" and it just went downhill from there.
Mr. Ping, Po's goose father voiced by the same guy who did Chi Fu in Mulan, had more screentime as well, and some genuinely touching moments between him and his adopted Panda offspring. Oh cripes, the freaking goose yanked on my heartstrings this movie. What is the world coming to.
Master Shifu was shifted a bit Out Of Focus, except for the beginning to demonstrate the requisite Chekov's Skill that would be important later in the film. And towards the end, when he had his CROWNING MOMENT OF BIG DAMN HEROES AWESOME. Along with Master Croc and Master Storming Ox, who were nifty additions, though they didn't really do much.
The soothsayer goat lady was pretty cool. Had some of the funniest lines and I love how she was so smugly sure of her predictions. Also, she was really nice to Po and Shen and everyone.
Oh the villain! Shen the peacock was a wonderful villain! Tragic, precise, calculating, and even more chilling and cold-hearted than Tai Lung. Yes, they actually made a peacock more intimidating than a snow leopard. And way more evil too. Shen STARTS the film with an act so horrible his parents can only gape in shock and proceed to banish him. And then, especially in the last third of the film, he just keeps going. Po appears to have been killed and the Five are distraught? Oh he'll mock and taunt them a little to rub it in. A bridge is blocking his ship fleet's path to the harbor? Oh he'll just get it out of the way by blowing it up while there are people on it. Po and friends have fought their way onto the ships, negating the effectiveness of cannons because the gunners are too busy fighting? Shen orders his flagship to fire on his own men. His wolf lieutenant grows a conscience and refuses to do this? Shen knifes him without hesitation and goes to light the fuse himself.
This peacock is a real piece of work all right.
5. The Story:
OKAY, THIS IS SERIOUSLY MY FAVORITE CG-ANIMATED DREAMWORKS FILM NOW.
YES, EVEN OVER HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON.
Easily better than the first one, and seeing how that one surprised me with just how touching and heartwarming and good it was... the fact that the second one blows it out of the water is just... I can't...
ASFALKFJA THIS MOVIE. THIS MOVIE.
WHEN PO WAS STARTING TO REMEMBER INFANT MEMORIES AND FLASHBACKS OF THE GENOCIDE OF HIS SPECIES AND HE FELT SO LOST AND CONFUSED ABOUT WHO HE WAS AND WHERE HE CAME FROM?
AND MR. PING FELT TORN UP BECAUSE HIS "SON" MIGHT CHOOSE HIS REAL PARENTS OR NEVER COME HOME FROM SAVING CHINA?
AND THEN WHEN THEY TRIED BREAKING MASTER OX AND CROC OUT OF THE PRISON BUT THE TWO MASTERS HAD SUNK INTO DESPAIR AND GIVEN UP HOPE AND WERE NOT GOING TO COME?
AND THEN THE FURIOUS FIVE PLUS PO WERE BADASS AND AWESOME AGAINST SHEN'S WOLF MINIONS SEVERAL TIMES IN RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING AND OFTEN HILARIOUS WAYS? AND THEY GOT TO THE PALACE ONLY TO BE SURROUNDED BUT PO HAD A PLAN AND THEY TRUSTED HIM?
AND THEN WHEN PO REALIZED SHEN KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT THE DAY HIS PANDA VILLAGE WAS ATTACKED? AND HE FALTERED ENOUGH SO THAT SHEN COULD GET AWAY AND START FIRING ON THE PALACE WITH HIS CANNONS?
AND THEN TIGRESS AND THE FIVE CONFRONTED HIM AND PO DODGED SO TIGRESS WAS LIKE, "FINE. YOU'RE STAYING HERE THEN." AND HE WAS LIKE, "NAH-UH, I'M COMING." AND TIGRESS KIND OF BATTED HIM AROUND A LITTLE UNTIL HE COUGHED UP, "HE KNOWS WHERE I CAME FROM AND WHAT HAPPENED TO MY REAL PARENTS!" AND TIGRESS HUGGED HIM AND WAS LIKE, "YOU'RE STILL STAYING. I CAN'T LOSE MY FRIEND."
AND THEN PO WINDS UP IN THE OLD PANDA VILLAGE AND STARTS TO REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED, AND LETS THE SAD MEMORIES FLOW WHILE HE PERFORMS THAT EYE-MELTINGLY AWESOME INNER PEACE THING WITH THE SINGLE RAINDROP MASTER SHIFU DID EARLIER BECAUSE HE'S FOUND IT. HE'S FOUND INNER PEACE AND HE KNOWS WHO HE IS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE BEGINNING OF HIS STORY THAT MATTERS, BUT WHAT HE CHOOSES AFTER THAT? AND HE GETS EVEN MORE BADASS THAN BEFORE?
AND THEN HE GOES AND RESCUES THE FIVE AND SHIFU AND OX AND CROC SHOW UP AND THEY BATTLE SHEN'S FORCES TRYING TO STOP HIS SHIP FLEET FROM LEAVING THE HARBOR TO CONQUER CHINA? AND WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S FAILED PO USES INNER PEACE TO LOB THE CANNON BALLS BACK AT THE FLEET AND KUNG-FU FREAKING CANNONS TO DESTRUCTION?
AND THEN HE RETURNS HOME AND HUGS HIS DAD, SAYING. "I'M YOUR SON." AND THE CAMERA PANS UP AND ZOOMS OFF, FLYING OFF AND OVER LOTS AND LOTS OF PRETTY COUNTRYSIDE UNTIL IT SWINGS AROUND TO A LITTLE SHRINE, WHERE THERE'S A MEDITATING PANDA AND IT'S PO'S FATHER AND HE EXCLAIMS WITH JOY, "MY SON IS ALIVE!" AND THEN PAN OVER TO A FIELD WHERE A WHOLE VILLAGE-FULL OF SURVIVING PANDAS ARE?
TEARS FOREVER, IF YOU NEED ME I WILL BE OVER THERE CRYING IN A CORNER.
Po is like Lloyd now: he has an adopted dad and a real dad and he loves both very much.
AASFHLASFHA!
ASFLASKFHALSFKN!
WAAAAAAAAH!
*flails forever until the end of time*
*calms down*
6. Conclusion:
You heard what I said above. This is now my favorite CG Dreamworks film. No contest. None.
...and I'm strangely tempted to do fanworks this time.
Thirty Day Ship Meme
Day 03:
Well, uh… *cough*… Originally when I had planned to do this meme, a couple months ago good grief I’m slow, my answer for this one was OVA-verse Lloyd/Colette from Tales of Symphonia, since they were taking their sweet time adapting the game’s storyline to the OVA episodes, and had been really emphasizing the Colloyd in their version, and hadn’t had any really good moments for the couple for two episodes (spread out over five months and the wait was agony I tell ya). And then Tethe’alla Episode Four happened and, well…
Yeah.
So instead my answer’s going to be…
Young Justice
Kid Flash/Artemis-
Slap Slap Kiss couples have a tendency to frustrate and annoy me if they keep the belligerent sexual tension too antagonistic or going for too long. So for the sake of my calm temperament I'm hoping they hook up soon. Or maybe just have a kiss. That'll work too.
---
Day 04:
DC Comics New Teen Titans
Dick/Kory (Nightwing/Starfire)-
Holeeeee cats did these two have some smokin' chemistry. They were passionate, flirtatious, emotionally honest with each other, and spend no undue amount of time naked or wearing very little clothing. The chemistry just comes off the page in heat waves man.
They were a long-term and committed couple for almost a decade under the New Teen Titans title, and even now after they've (sort of) broken up and their romantic interactions are more relegated to the occasional sexy hook-up, the chemistry and tension is still there and very palpable.
Dammit DC, why won't you just put them back together?
The Lord of the Rings (films)
Aragorn/Arwen-
Oh yeah, them too. Aside from being immensely pretty together, they just steamed up the screen whenever you cut to them.
INTENSE.
It helps that Viggo Mortensen and Liv Tyler are both gorgeous and threw themselves into their parts with gusto.