lukas-ingel

Say what you will about Netflix' release strategy (which won't matter in the years to come and thus says nothing about the show's quality itself, although it can be frustrating now to wait)... The fact remains that they filmed season 2 and 3 back-go-back and thus have the next season filmed already and it will release next year, which we enter in some days. So like, all the complaints and bad ratings for this is so nonsense when season 2 is literally just part 1 and season 3 part 2 of the same season (that's why they filmed back-to back like Stranger Things season 4 part 1 & 2), so ending it on a cliff hanger with a lot of balls up in the air and storylines cooking make perfect sense. If anything, thanks god we've got so much to look forward to.

As for season 2, Hyun-ju played by Park Sung-hoon served and carried and had me terrified for their survival. No spoilers, but what she does and represents is some real powerful material that moved me deeply. I cannot stress enough how much I love and appreciate this character and storyline and performance; it's up there with Kang Sae-Byeok from season 1 for me.

There were multiple other standout performances. Most notably for the characters In-ho/The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), Recruiter (Gong Yoo), Su-bong a.k.a. Thanos /Player 230 (Choi Seung-hyun), and especially the mother-son duo Yong-sik/Player 007 (Yang Dong-geun) and Geum-ja/Player 149 (Kang Ae-sim).

The music is perfect in every way. It elevates and captures the exact intense, off-beat vibe characteristic of the show. Multiple iconic songs and scores/themes are woven in.

The production design still slaps but I would've never expected to see some of the recurring sets be used in the way that they are here. It's refreshing, satisfying and exciting how these familiar environments change in their purpose, usage and symbolism as the narrative develops.

Just like in the first season, the second season has a lot of twists and the finale goes out with a bang quite literally. The stakes are incredibly high, the characters both new and old are consistently being developed and I can feel myself really rooting for a lot of them and wanting to see some fall real bad. So, as for the writing, I think it's very entertaining, consistently thought-provoking and innovative.

However, there are some things I could call out like the tendencies to lean towards characters acting illogically and out of character (Gi-hun not questioning 001's character after Oh Il-Nam, suddenly being willing to sacrifice innocent people when safer opportunities are still possible?) and that a lot of plot threads feel unresolved such as Jun-ho searching for the island, No-eul (the woman from North Korea) helping Player 246 to save his terminally ill daughter... But that could just as well be part of flawed character arcs and plot threads that are supposed to be unresolved... Because this is the middle of the "real" season lol, we're going to return. Narratively, in hindsight, I think this is going to make total sense when we get the rest. I can already see some things work out such as Gi-hun facing a serious confrontation with his internal conflict and tragic flaws, the potential of a different outcome for the characters No-eul and Player 246 than what we are led to believe here. I think there's a callback to the In-ho/Jun-ho season 1 cliffhanger maybe.

There is a lot of stuff to enjoy, discuss and be hyped about in my opinion. I seriously don't get the hate and criticism; this show is such a big event and we're witnessing cultural barriers in television once again being broken down with strong, high-stakes, universal storytelling. I think that is phenomenal.

*Don't let this distract you from the fact that they put in additional unneeded footage of Mera played by the known abuser Amber Heard*, who is also in talk to get her own show and has officially gained support from director James Wan (because he likes her...) to be included in Aquaman 2 and not have the role recast, etc. This is aside from several huge media outlets taking her side or avoiding criticism of the situation despite her actual abuse of actor Johnny Depp being public available material that everybody with access to the internet can look up. The severity of it is shocking, as is the support Amber Heard is met especially in continuing her role against what more than *1.5 million people* have wrote their signature in an official petition to have her removed from.

Since this is the newest footage of her in this role and nothing at all is being done about it, quite the opposite, I've taken space in this review to speak up. I hope you will go out and actively show your support to disallow abusers to get away with their behaviour unpunished by any system and by the people, and to hurt Warner Bros who actively supports her, where it hurts, in their money pocket, since that's the only thing that will stop their hypocrisy and poor, biased treatment of this case against Amber Heard. *Thus do support by boycotting Aquaman 2 with her in the role of Mera and any possible Mera television show per this happening, as it allows an abuser succesfully avoiding punishment by the public and gain even more success and popularity in the Hollywood business.*

If you are still in doubt about her actions or the severity of them, I can't do much here but recommend a quick Google search/YouTube search and look up photos, videos and articles showcasing the hard evidence, photos, videos, recordings which involve Amber Heard herself admitting to the abuse as well as Johnny Depp's severed finger, etc. The actual proof is there widely available, and your support will help bring justice. You've watched The Snyder Cut, you've watched these heroes, go take actions of justice yourself now, alright?

*At last, I will speak for the movie alone and not Amber Heard's role in it.*

The Snyder Cut has some of the most stunning visuals seen in about any superhero movie. It's where the movie is the strongest, when it combines its strong visuals with the depth Zack Snyder carves out for the characters.

Unfortunately, it's hard to develop all the characters very much in one movie (even when it's 4 hours long). This means some of the character moments and lines fall flat every now and then, and we miss a bit more backstory to make up for the highly dramatic elements.

Zack Snyder's Justice League still does a great job of fleshing out the story and the characters more than the cut that now nobody will watch ever again. Wonder Woman, Cyborg and the Flash are the standouts of this cut and bring a lot of heart and action.

In conclusion, I think the movie has an epicness and stunning quality that's impossible to deny even for the hardest doubter of the Snyder Cut, so all I can say is really... Go see it for yourself and enjoy.