viperr101

I find the concept of originality significant in most things in life. Everyone should be aware that this is somewhat of a fallacy in the world of movies as the basic principles of all stories have overlapping similarities. For something to be truly original, it needs to fundamentally change the basics of what has been established in storytelling.

Moana does not reinvent storytelling as seldom few movies ever will. In fact, it hinges on the Disney formula that we all know. But what it does do is take all the greatest aspects of amazing or significant movies and brings them together to create a remarkably coherent, funny, sad, empathetic, and heartwarming experience. And by doing so, it taps into a sea of emotion.

There were so many aspects of so many different films that I felt this movie drew from. Mulan, Pocahontas, The Emperor's New Groove, Hercules, The Little Mermaid, Zootopia, Finding Dory, Kubo and the Two Strings, Lilo & Stitch, Frozen (in a good way), even The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker although that's a game. All of these came to mind and seemed to inspire Moana in a way that I never expected or ever thought was possible, and that's just to name a few. I'm sure there's more that could easily be put on the list. And that's just part of what made it feel so special. That's not to say it didn't have its own originality either because it did. But by taking a little bit from a lot of different things, it turned it all into something it could call its own.

It's not perfect as nothing is. But the flaws that it has diminish very little from the overall journey. So much so that I forgot what parts I disliked after the credits rolled.

I'm sure people will disagree and feel that it was "just another Disney story" and that "it's all been done a million times before" because to be fair, it's somewhat true. It has all been done a million times and it IS just another Disney story. But what made it different to me was the fact that it remained enjoyable throughout almost the entirety of the film, never once felt like it lost its purpose, and kept me engaged with the desires and actions of the characters. It remained true to itself, and to its audience. And on top of all that, it pushed the boundaries yet again on how visually stunning animated movies have gotten year after year.

I think the most important thing was how it tapped into a part of myself that has changed over the years due to the nature of growing up, and I hope it does the same for other people. Everyone who grew up watching animated movies at a young age, 2D or 3D, is getting older and usually hides a special part of themselves that existed when they were younger. Very few things have the power to bring us back to a time where we enjoyed so much and had so little to worry about. I don't mean this in a strictly nostalgic way although it's hard to phrase it otherwise. It was more the aspect of being reminded that there are still simplicities in life that we overlook, like something as simple as being alive at a time in history where watching an animated film that took thousands of hours to create by hundreds more people is possible. Even with money as the basis for most everything which is created, this did not feel like a cash-in just to capitalize on children, voice actors, or traditional nostalgia despite all that's been said. That's what made it feel genuinely remarkable.

Moana was an experience that I won't forget.

This film will be slandered, scrutinized, picked apart, and downright crucified. It will also be praised, respected, honored, and remembered. That's the nature of something so ominous as a series like Star Wars.

It's very hard to review a film that is trying to revive a franchise that completely changed cinema. It's like trying to recreate the Atari 2600 by adding a slightly modernized appeal to a timeless classic that defined a new age of entertainment.

What this movie had to accomplish was far beyond anything anyone could possibly come up with. That is, if your expectations exceed the realm of reality.

There's something about the late 70's and early 80's that holds a charm that we may never experience the same way again. It's unfortunate that The Force Awakens doesn't have that charm like the original trilogy. But being the 7th movie in a series like this puts it in a precarious position.

They couldn't reinvent the wheel dare they make another abomination such as the likes of the prequels, but they also didn't have to take it so far as to copy things so wholesale that you feel as if you already read the script before watching the movie.

I think what they tried to do was let a new generation experience something that millions of others had when the original Star Wars came out. And in some ways, they succeeded.

It's not even close to being perfect. Neither was the original. But it's nowhere near some of the bottom of the barrel drivel that gets shoveled out every year that everyone is so used to seeing.

My only real emotion after watching this movie was contentedness. I am hopeful that the next two movies may revive a feeling of an epic that the original trilogy will hold for as long as they're remembered.

You may be disappointed, or you may be overjoyed. Or maybe you'll feel like me and just sit back and enjoy the ride. Critiquing cinema has always been an ambiguous subject. But whichever way you look at it, it's still Star Wars.

Nothing more, nothing less.

I don't usually write reviews for shows, nor have I ever written about anything on IMDb before, but I felt as if I should after watching this show.

It's hard to put into words the way I felt about watching BoJack Horseman. Sure, it starts out as a comedy with seemingly no real plot. Sometimes it just seems stupid, yet still comes off as possibly a new, interesting yet also run-of-the-mill animated series, but it starts to develop into something more. Something that I think a lot of people may or may not fully see to the end of the first season because they decided the show wasn't for them. And that might still be true. But I can't help but feel some form of disappointment. Why? I don't really know. I guess I just foolishly want everyone to get something out of it.

I don't think anything, whether it's a book, a movie, a game, or even a show deserves a 10. But sometimes, for just a brief instant, you stop caring about how you want to quantify how much you like something and just want to express how much you enjoyed it. That to me is the only way I can really describe BoJack Horseman. I can't say it's good, or bad, or even average. It's just a show that wants to get its point across, whether it's original or not. And it does it in a way that's hard to look at critically.

And at the risk of sounding like I'm contradicting everything I've already tried to say, I almost don't want the show to have a new season. Not because I hate it or think it's "too good" to continue on, but because it already feels complete. I obviously don't feel bad that the series has already been renewed for a second season. And even if it happened to only be a two season series, I'd still be thrilled. It's just that in some way, I hope it doesn't change.

So even though most likely no one will be reading this review (which is actually more like a reflection of how I felt about the show rather than a genuine examination), I at least hope that more people will try watching it and get some enjoyment out of it. Even if it's only for one episode. Who knows? I might even look back at it and wonder what I was thinking, or why I wrote a frankly pointless review about it.

But that's alright. Because in the moment, it was something memorable.