artistic_romantic

Typical Seth - a ridiculously raunchy, quick witted but also fun loving comedy of a dysfunctional family that somehow ends up being heartwarming at times. Each character has their quirks and their endearing qualities - in varying ratios - but they all genuinely care for each other. The plot centers around Ted going above and beyond to help his best friend in his high school endeavors. Ted's humor is lengthy, smart and savage - if you don't like Seth's work, this isn't for you. The actors interact so believably with the titular teddy bear come to life that I genuinely believe Ted exists now. He's not CGI - he's real. They even have the balls to tackle some serious issues with his controversial humor in a heart warming way and not so in-your-face as they could be in these times. We need more of these carefree ridiculous comedies in these cancel culture times. It's meant for enjoyment - laugh - no judgement here.

This is one of the best live action adaptations. Exactly what every adaptation should be - it respected the source material and elevated it. It took an emotionally mature children's cartoon and made it an epic fantasy live action series. They told the same story but in a whole new way, (though some lines and shots are directly lifted from the cartoon) weaving familiar storylines and embellishing the characters motivations. Every. Single. Actor. Knocked it out of the park! By working closely with the original creators, the director beautifully captured the epic scale and ran with it. Superior modern day effects, skilled actors and masterful writers are what separate this from the earlier live action movie we fans do not speak of. While certain characters were made more likable by the additions, the only flaw I hold against the movie is the lack of focus on hard work and dedication. There was a little struggle for our protagonists in the earlier half of the season, but by the time we arrived at the finale it didn't feel as earned as it did in the cartoon. There was more reliance on an inner strength, which was executed well, but at the expense of all the hard work the original Aang put in. Perhaps they could have spent one more episode on practicing their waterbending before the big finale. Regardless, this series had me on the edge of my seat laughing and crying my eyes out both with happiness and sadness. I thoroughly enjoyed the roller coaster of emotions this put me on. After watching all of it, this was not made with children in mind. This was designed to rip the hearts out of the fans of the source material while also giving us exactly what we wanted.

Really don't get the hate on this movie. Yvonne is phenomenal in her role as Laura! I didn't have a problem with the kids - kids are supposed to grate on your nerves every now and again, and they were scared for their lives. Considering how hard it is to find good child actors, I was blown away by the older one! I felt her terror in her screams, and her bravery at the end was well earned. The beginning of the movie sets up really succinctly our characters, their relationships, and when we get to the lake house, the exposition of the background is cleverly NOT front and center. You have to listen if you don't want to miss it. I also appreciate that it's a realistic horror film. No demons, no monsters. Real people facing real danger. Sure, we've seen similar cabin in the woods type slasher films, but it stands on its own with the children's book woven through the story, small but powerful cast, and careful focus from the mom and girls' perspectives. Would definitely recommend!