Category Archives: Television / Movies

Dunes

Posted on by

No, I’m not going to the beach. No, I’m not going to the desert either. I really don’t like that kind of heat and I definitely don’t like that much sand. I’ve been to the desert before. I don’t like it. “It’s a dry heat…” is the common refrain. Yes, so is my oven. I don’t want to climb in there either.

This is about the latest film adaptation of Dune for the big screen.

I know that many folks won’t remember so I’m going to start off with pair of links. Around five years ago I found this film that was all about the version of Dune that never got made. I wrote up a bit about it, but have since reconsidered certain aspects of my stance on that film. It is worth knowing the story of the first attempt to get this movie made because a lot of other films rose from the ashes of that attempt. I posted it here.

Second, I wrote about how loaded 1984 was in terms of movies. I was fourteen that year and it was absolutely the sweet spot for movies for me. There were easily a dozen movies that have had a lasting cultural impact. We’ve got access to a huge number of these films still and a number of the franchises are still going. I wrote it up here, and on that list was a little film called Dune. And they’re making it again.

So, here we are in 2020 (the year of suck) and there’s another version of the movie being made. I get it, Dune is a huge, sweeping story with lots of space (see what I did there, space… ok, I’ll stop) for story telling and interpretation. There is at least one, perhaps two generations of people that have not seen the 1984 adaptation and that’s a lot of money to leave out there. Computer graphics have rocketed forward (… I… I clearly can’t help myself) and give a huge number of options that were certainly not available when the earlier film was made. There are reasons why somebody would want to make another version of Dune.

This relates to another conversation that I’ve had off and on with other fans as well. When you come to something, either film or book, in your life’s journey really matters. I’m not going to attempt to argue for never recreating a film nor will I argue against mining the same thing over again. There are a handful of instances where the version of something I really like is actually a remake of something much older that I didn’t know existed. I don’t like the original as much as the remake version that was the first one I saw, “my” version. It happens.

I wish they’d spend the money on something new. Yes, I know there are all those fans that haven’t seen the old one in a theater. I’m not sure banking on those fans to go to the theater is such safe money these days. It seems like those days of red carpet premieres might be gone for good. Who knows?

I showed the trailer for the new movie to my daughter and one of her friends. I wanted the opinion of young fans. My daughter was aware of the older version (though she told me that she definitely didn’t ‘hang around’ while I was watching it) and her friend had never seen nor heard of the story at all. My wife watched along with us, then I asked for opinions.

“Well, they’ve got money. They’ve got some very famous actors in there.”

“It’s so dark. Why can’t we see any of what’s going on. It needs to be brighter.”

and lastly, from my wife, “I’ll have to see what they do with it. I like the old one, but it wasn’t nearly what the book was. I should pick that one up again and see what in my memory is the book and what has crept in there from the movie”.

I explained to the kids that they’d had money for the old one too. They seemed impressed that that “old guy” from that super old band The Police had been in the movie too. They didn’t really recognize any of the other folks, but they got the idea. Then I ran the video that I’m going to link below. The reactions amounted to, “OK, we see what you’re saying”.

My biggest issue with a remake is just that – it’s going back and using the same recipe. It’s going to have to work extra hard to be fresh and worthy. Things like how horribly dark all the movies are these days (a fad I hope) aren’t substantial changes and are decidedly not good. It’s not just my ‘old eyes’ either. One of the kids asked why she couldn’t see anything on the screen. that kind of dark just doesn’t help the aesthetic at all. It’s a desert planet – the sunlight might make it, I don’t know, super bright? Just a thought.

I was happy to find that somebody had made a video cut using bits of the old movie version and putting them up side by side with the new version. This film person has a host of side by side cuts like that posted to his channel. I think looking at the side by side will show in terms far better than I am able to string together by way of text what bothers me about remakes. Not only have I seen it, but there are in fact parts of the “update” that are not necessarily better. Check it out for yourself and see what I mean:

What do you think? See the new one? Stick with the old one? Watch them both and compare them at length?

10a.

Posted on by

I’ve never been particularly good at indexing.

10a is in reference to my top ten list of sword and sorcery movies that I posted back in (checks notes… wow, that long ago?) June. I listed sword and sorcery movies that are my favorites. I was, and am, happy with this list.

As things go on the internet, more than one person declared that I was somehow “wrong”. I’m still not sure how I can be wrong about what *my* favorites are, but there you have that. It was also pointed out that a significant number of my choices were from the 80s. By significant they meant 80%. The other two on the list were even older (50s and 60s).

Have there been NO sword and sorcery films since the 80s that are worthy?

It’s a complicated question. Being that the list is MY favorites, uh, no. Simple answer. The simple answer is not always the best answer though. It’s been something that’s rattled around in all that empty space at the back of my noggin since the question was asked. I’ve started to look for, look at, and consider other fantasy movies and have found two others that I rather enjoy. They don’t crack the top ten but I’ve found worthy sword and sorcery is out there.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Seventh Son (2014) is the story of the seventh son of a seventh son who is recruited in the battle against the queen of all evil witches and her minions. Julianne Moore plays the queen of witches, Mother Malkin. Jeff Bridges plays the professional monster hunter Master Gregory. There are a couple of small plot twists in here that I won’t give away. It’s a challenge to say more about the plot after that… it’s a little thin. It is however filled with shape shifting monsters, sword and staff fights and magical spells. The computer generated effects don’t generally get in the way of the movie. All in all, fun to watch (and up on Netflix at the time of this writing).

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) is the story of a rogue boy taken from the streets and brought into the life of a prince by the man who becomes his father (the king). This prince must then unravel the mystery of who is behind the threat to his adopted father’s kingdom and stop the villain before he unwittingly destroys the world. There’s not a ton of magic in this movie, but the magic is central to the plot. Jake Gyllenhall plays the parkour prince really well and having Ben Kingsley as part of the cast is always a giant plus in my book. It is a movie inspired by a video game (and at one time held the world record for most expensive film in that category) but don’t let that be a knock against it. It was a well done movie that is not overwhelmingly stuck in the psuedo-European model of swords and sorcery (and available on Disney+ at the time of this post).

I’m going to continue to hunt for good sword and sorcery films. I do love that genre so. Are there any you think are worthy that I’ve completely neglected?

You Should Be Watching

Posted on by

This post was originally published in Watch The Skies fanzine – August 2020

Great artwork for the apocalypse!

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.


I will admit that hearing a statistics type description for this show might make it sound unappealing. It’s an animation with a Y-7 rating, meaning it’s generally aimed at an audience of ten year old kids. That does not tell the story at all.

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts is a Dreamworks production that currently has two seasons on Netflix. It is the story of Kipo and her adventures in a post apocalyptic world. Humans do not dominate here as they did some two hundred years ago – they are now the bottom of the food chain and have moved into underground ‘burrows’ to survive. On the surface of the world mutations have created outlandishly over-sized plant life and many powerful ‘mute’ factions. If you want to survive in the world you’ve got to stay on your toes. You’ll need to deal with all manner of mutes roaming around and staking out territory. The world is a dangerous place for humans.

Kipo’s adventure begins when she finds herself suddenly outside of her burrow. She begins to wander the surface world and has to deal with a knowledge loving wolf pack, timber cats that love pancakes, giant two headed flamingos, mod frogs, scooter skunks, deathstalkers and of course a giant six armed monkey. That really just scratches the surface of the weird. Kipo is also musically inclined. There are a number of episodes that contain songs, musical inspirations for characters and (yes, sadly) even Karaoke. Eventually Kipo teams up with a number of other surface folks to help her along her journey as she attempts to find her way back home.

This show is light, fun and relentlessly positive. Each episode clocks in under a half an hour so it’s also a great show to squeeze in when you might not otherwise get to sit and watch something. It is genuinely the sort of show that feels like a perfect fit for the current times. Grab some popcorn and turn this show on when you want to smile!

You Should Be Watching

Posted on by

This post was originally published in Watch The Skies fanzine – July 2020

Netflix has been dominating in the production and release of new works. It has recently released two comic adaptations, and I am going to recommend one of them. Warrior Nun was released at the beginning of July and it has committed the most egregious of transgressions. It just stops. You invest, you watch, you reach the 10th episode and it just stops. There is no ending and there is no part two. Netflix as a network churns shows at a massive rate and even reasonably successful shows never get more episodes made. I can’t in good conscience recommend Warrior Nun. Instead, I can and will say that you should invest two hours and watch the movie The Old Guard.

The movie tells part of the story of Andromache the Scythian (Andy), an immortal warrior and the other immortal warriors that make up her small team. These warriors join various battles across time working toward some unknown, unclear goal. They fight, sometimes they are killed and every time they survive to move on to another battle in another place at another time. There is no competition between them, there is a connection and a drive to find others. They may not understand the goal, but they do understand the battles. The film itself takes place in modern times. A new immortal warrior is found and the team sets out to fight a new, modern battle.

The movie is self contained. The story, the clips of history, character motivations and action all fit neatly into the allotted time. The acting, the action and the emotion is all extremely well done. The writer of the comic was also the writer that adapted the story for the screen. I believe that genuinely helped make this tight package successful. The actors were all fantastic. Fair warning for those that don’t like action / violence / fighting – there’s a lot of it in this movie. They are after all warriors. Fighting is what they do, and they are very good at it.

Another part of what makes this story work is that we buy in on what the characters are feeling. They are numb to the violence that surrounds them, but they’re all still searching. Living for hundreds and hundreds of years has not dulled the need for them to connect. They have each other, but connections to others slip away as people age and die while the warriors stay as they have always been. Pain and loss are constant companions. Searching for family and a place to fit with others gives this decidedly action flick enough depth to keep non-action fans on board.

The movie isn’t perfect, but it’s easily worth the time to watch it. Yes, there is a set up at the end for more but you can be satisfied with the ending as it stands. I hope the film is successful enough that they decide to produce more. I would love to see the old guard in action again. This is definitely a movie you should be watching.

Watch Party

Posted on by
Do you actually put it in a bucket at your house?

The longer I go, the more I accept that I enjoy doing many things on my own. I am clearly headed directly to the land of curmudgeon ~ however there can be something said for a shared experience. Having the musical Hamilton released on a streaming service lately brought that into focus for me. During these trying days of “shelter in place” and “social distance” to avoid the plague those shared experiences can be difficult to find. To enable that, some people have turned to technology. What did we do for Hamilton? A Watch Party.

You can’t have your friends over to watch a movie any more. So? Jump on your streaming service of choice and have a watch party… except.

I like the concept of the watch party for certain circumstances. Those circumstances are remarkably similar to when I’d actually like to go and see a movie with somebody… that is to say not very often. A watch party exacerbates the one thing I really hate about watching a movie with others. You’re listening intently in the middle of a deep and moving scene and the person next you says, “Wait. I thought she didn’t like that guy…” or “I think I missed something. What’s he doing that for?”.

Rage.

Just watch the movie. Nobody knows because we haven’t seen it before. Shut up and pay attention. Stop distracting me from my experience. NO, I don’t want to chat about it now, I’ll wait until the end thank you.

Now – If I’ve seen the movie in question before and we’d like to all watch it together to talk about various parts of the film, that’s fine. If it’s a goofy comedy and you’re tipping a couple of adult beverages back on a Saturday night and you want to share that with some friends, excellent plan.

Technology then becomes the barrier.

Are you all on the same streaming service? Are you all in the same region? Yes – services like Netflix change what they have to offer by region. Are you in the same time zone? My daughter is communicating with some students in other countries and they’re off our time by 6 hours. When can we all actually do this? Schedules are still a real thing, even if you can’t go out to do certain activities anymore. Technology is the main barrier here. What platform will you use for watching? Are you all on Discord? Oh, wait, I thought we were doing this through the Chrome app… But what about Facebook? Wait – I run my streaming service through a Roku, how does that work? I don’t want to sit at my computer screen when I have a large TV in a room with a comfy recliner. There are lots of folks out there making this work, but it is very dependent on shared tech and preferred method of consuming media. I suspect this shared preference will not be something that happens to me much as we go forward.

I am not opposed to the concept of the watch party. I don’t suspect I’ll find myself participating in many. I like to view a film and talk about it later, perhaps watching it again for a more nuanced view. Enjoy the entertainment for what it is. Get drawn in by a good story. Go along for the ride… tweet about it when you’re done. Your phone won’t miss you and ‘yousuckland’… I mean twitter, will be there when you’ve got time.

In the end, you could also try reading a good book and joining a group to chat about that. Those don’t seem to have changed as much as the movie going society.

You Should Be Watching

Posted on by

This post was originally published in Watch The Skies fanzine – June 2020

You Should Be Watching OR more precisely, you should watch again.

Netflix has recently made the Nickelodeon show Avatar – The Last Airbender available for viewing. Airbender is an animated series following the journey of Aang, the last of the air nomads as he travels a world where adepts have the ability to change the elements around them using a form of martial arts known as bending. Aang is the Avatar, a person who has the ability to blend all forms of bending (earth, water, air and fire) together. His quest? Save the world.

I originally watched the show with my daughter when it first aired back around 2008. As soon as the show became available we grabbed it up on DVD so we could revisit it when we wanted to. As happens with many discs, the show languished for us at the back of a dusty shelf. We did revisit an episode now and again, but less frequently than we might have. Since the show has popped up on Netflix we sat down and re-watched the entire series in order. It might be more than a decade old, but the show holds up.

This show is one of those rare animated series that combines so many parts that anyone in the family can enjoy it. The world building shows a fantasy world with a number of cultures. There are matters of daily life, holidays, politics and any other sort of thing you’d expect in a world. It’s a place that feels lived in. The characters are as varied as the cultures they visit. Diversity is on display without making a big deal about said diversity. Characters with physical differences and abilities were not treated as if they were somehow lacking, it was the spirit that mattered. As the heroes journeyed through three seasons of shows they dealt with corruption of those in power, sexism, love, loss vulnerability and the use of true power. Heroes can make mistakes. Villains can redeem themselves. Mistakes can be forgiven. I will even say that the ending was one of the most satisfying I’ve watched for any series.

If you’ve seen Avatar, it’s worth a re-watch. If you haven’t seen it you should seek it out.

“I’m not looking for anyone’s approval, I know who I am…” Toph Bei Fong (aka The Blind Bandit)

Top 10 Sword and Sorcery Movies

Posted on by
Iconic fantasy art from Frazetta

Like so many people I’ve spent a lot of time with YouTube (and many over streaming services) lately. Along the way I bumped into a list video. These videos are not uncommon. Most of the time I can either enjoy or ignore them. One caught my attention – the top ten sword and sorcery movies list.

This particular list made it difficult to tell if they were in a particular order or not. I chose to believe they were in random, jumble order. If they weren’t, it only made the list more challenging for me. I could only agree with a handful of them. As I thought about it I tried to assemble my own list and realized I needed to narrow down what I meant by sword and sorcery and then what my own top ten would be.

Sword and sorcery is a sub-genre of general fantasy films. They are mythic adventures involving a great deal of action and supernatural or magical entities. They can (and often do) involve romance, but it is not always the case. The story could be a world saving adventure but doesn’t have to be. It can just as easily be a single hero’s journey to achieve some goal.

That definition puts epic scale fantasy in a different category. I love the Lord of the Rings series but I would call that epic fantasy rather than sword and sorcery. I think Narnia falls into the epic category as well, though that one is also clearly a portal fantasy. It also eliminates a really wonderful movie – The 13th Warrior (1999) from contention. While it has swords and action it is very short on sorcery. There is the barest hint of prophecy at one point, but it’s really just a great adventure movie set in the time of the Vikings.

In narrowing the field I found it made the choices here much more clear. My list starts at number 10 and works up to my favorite. It’s entirely possible that this list shifts over time. I haven’t seen a lot of great sword and sorcery coming out recently, but there’s always the chance that something new will jump in here too. The list:

#10 The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) This is a pure nostalgia pick. The story of a mercenary with a triple bladed sword who is recruited to help stop a tyrant and his sorcerer, this was the very first R rated movie I ever went to the theater to see. It’s a bit dark at times, a bit cringy at times, and I don’t think it holds up well, but it makes the list.

#9 Sword of the Valiant (1984) This movie does not get the credit it deserves. Sean Connery, John Rhys-Davies, Ronald Lacey and Peter Cushing are all in this movie. I’m genuinely shocked more people are not on board with it. The story is of Sir Gawain accepting the challenge of the the Green Knight and the journey he takes to meet that challenge. I am actually looking to pick this one up on DVD to add to the collection. It shocked me that I don’t already have it.

#8 The Beastmaster (1982) I went back and rewatched this one recently. The story of a warrior who could communicate with animals – an ability that those in power tried to eliminate from the world. He and his animal companions set out to track down his father’s killer and take revenge. There are a lot of parts that are very cringe worthy given today’s view of things. I still put this one in the top ten.

#7 Willow (1988) This movie is just a lot of fun. It is the heart of what I think a sword and sorcery film can be. A villager who would be a wizard sets off on a quest to return a lost child ends up protecting her from an evil queen. This wizrad is joined by the great warrior Mad Mardigan – a masterful swordsman with a delightful mercenary streak. I really enjoy this one.

#6 Excalibur (1981) A wonderful film version of the Arthurian legend. It’s soooo shiny! The sword work is all over the place and Merlin is just as nutty and dangerous as you would imagine. One of my favorite versions of this tale.

#5 Jason and the Argonauts (1963) My only real inclusion of the Greek mythos in this list. I clearly remember watching this one on Saturday afternoon television as a kid. The story telling is solid and the special effects are from the one and only Ray Harryhausen. Stop motion battles at an amazing level. Harpys, skeletons, a hydra… just fantastic stuff that is still watchable today.

#4 The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) Everything I said for the previous entry applies here as well. The fantasy aspects combined with pirates racing to save a princess from a sorcerer who has holed up on an island filled with monsters. Just as with Jason – still totally watchable all these years later. Harryhausen’s stop motion is magic.

#3 Legend (1985) I love the visuals of this movie. I love the soundtrack(s) from this movie. I love the villain in this movie SO much. Legend is the story of a young man who must stop the Lord of Darkness from destroying the last unicorns and ending daylight forever. It is a legend.

#2 Ladyhawke (1985) Significantly more romance than most of my top picks, this is the story of a thief who is rescued by a warrior after escaping from a dungeon. The thief becomes involved with the warrior and his plan to destroy the bishop in the city the thief just escaped from. IF the bishop can not be faced, the warrior will lose his love forever. Some anachronistic parts, but still great sword and sorcery.

#1 Conan the Barbarian (1982) Conan must take the top spot here. The Arnold Schwarzenegger portrayal of Robert E. Howard’s iconic hero is hands down my favorite. It has everything. War, cultists, magic, partying, stealing and vengeance. It is violent and grim. It had one of the first villains that gave me something to measure other villains against. When James Earl Jones plays the cult leader Thulsa Doom and says, “now they will know why they fear the night…” it gives you shivers.

That’s the list. My top ten. Do you agree? Is the order all wrong? Are there any that are missing?

You Should Be Watching

Posted on by

This article was previously published in Watch The Skies

There has been a lot of binge watching out there since folks have gone into isolation. The global pandemic has put a whole new focus on finding something to watch that doesn’t exacerbate the anxiety of the real world. A number of shows have leaped in popularity that might never have gotten the chance in the past simply for the lack of other entertainment. Many of those shows likely won’t last, but parts of them might endure. It’s difficult to predict. The same has always been the case with the big screen. Movies that “flop” in the theater become cult classics. Movies that people had modest hope for endure for generations. These movies can have an impact that lasts long after their run in the theater is done.

That lasting impact, in the form of physical objects, is the focus of the show Prop Culture now streaming on Disney+. The show hosted by Dan Lanigan digs into the physical props that remain from some Disney films that have had a significant impact on pop culture. The first season includes: Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Mary Poppins, Tron, Nightmare Before Christmas, The Muppet Movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Chronicles of Narnia, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

Dan digs in behind the scenes and hunts down various creators and actors to reconnect them with the objects that helped make these films great. Hats, swords, puppets, matte paintings and all manner of samples. Not all props are small either. Ten foot tall models, cars and tall ships are part of this as well. Seeing these real world things give both the creators and the viewer a very strong sense of nostalgia.

At a half hour in length these episodes are just the right length. They don’t drag and they don’t hold back for the sake of false anticipation. There are expected pieces along with little things that evoke strong emotions for all. Along with strong emotion there is a fun sense of humor. You get quotes like, “There’s a lot of bald yaks out there…” from a effects studio head. It hits all the right notes to help the viewer feel good after each episode.

If you have the opportunity and love to know more about the movies this show is definitely worth a look.

Comfort Zone

Posted on by

I don’t spend a lot of time watching shows or movies that are outside of my comfort zone. I think it’s worth noting that getting outside your own comfort zone is important, but it’s also work. I have declared before that I am a true child of media – the original MTV generation – but over all this time I have really moved away from so many forms of entertainment. I have narrowed my focus and made an effort to get away from the things I just don’t enjoy.

I was drawn to a particular publisher based on the description listed on their submission page:

If it’s a story about a 13 year old girl named Mary coping with the change to womanhood while poignantly reflecting the recent passing of her favorite aunt Gertrude, we DON’T want it! Now, if Mary is the 13 year old daughter of a vampire cowboy who stumbles upon a government conspiracy involving aliens & unicorns while investigating, hard-boiled style, the grizzly murder of her favorite aunt Gertrude, then we’ll take a look at it.

This seemed like a place where I would fit right in. I stick to what I like a lot of the time. It has taken a long while, but I have started to figure out what it is that I like. I can define it. I understand it. Yes, sometimes it’s quite predictable and I’m just fine with that.

So, when I was given a homework assignment for a class I am taking that amounted to reporting on the movie The Peanut Butter Falcon I was… less than enthusiastic. This movie had a lot going against it.

First and easiest, it was assigned homework. I could get past that ~ I am taking the class after all. I’m paying for it, I’m sure as hell going to do the homework.

It’s frequently described as “heartwarming”, “real” and “wholesome” along with a lot of other things that make this story about a man with Down syndrome who goes on a life altering adventure start to sound WAY too close to that description above. Definitely not something I’d consider go-to entertainment.

It also stars Shia LaBeouf. I have never met the man in person. I don’t know him and would genuinely reserve my personal opinions about a person… however he has managed to so thoroughly annoy me that I can’t stand watching him. It doesn’t matter the role, I only see his annoying face. I really can’t stand him. At all. He makes it easy to dislike all things Hollywood.

Normally that’s strike three, that movie would be out. Add to the case against with it’s hard to find. It’s not on any streaming service that I have. I have been told it’s on Hulu, but I wasn’t signing up for an additional service just to dig up this film. Thankfully my Luddite self is still part of the DVD program with Netflix. Yes, you digital natives, I get an actual physical disc in the mail when I request it so that I can play it in my local player. I do not depend on the whims of streaming services nor the speed of the internet when I really want to just sit and watch without interruption. So I added this movie to the que and waited for it to come in.

A couple of Saturdays ago I found myself in possession of said disc and happened to have a couple of hours to deal with it. I treated it like a chore. It was an unpleasant side effect of something I wanted to do, so I sucked it up, sat down and hit play.

I believe your expectations of a film factor heavily in how you feel about the film when you’re done. I had built this up to such a terrible thing in my mind that it would have had to be truly terrible to meet what it had become in my head. Tempered with that in mind, I will tell you that this is a genuinely good movie. It’s not just good, I’d recommend it.

No, I still can’t stand LeBeef. Yes, he was exactly what that part needed. Exactly. I will not hesitate to tell you that Zack Gottsagen’s character hooked me immediately. He’s hilarious and genuine and IS that part. Yes, it was written with him in mind, but I’ve seen films where the script is written with an actor in mind and they still suck. Definitely not the case here. The other characters were dead on. There was no smarmy pandering – Zack is an actor playing a role and he killed it. Yes, it was a little bit predictable, but that does not detract from the story at all. It was real.

I’m glad I watched it.

Ghost?

Posted on by

Ghost of a story?

Shell of an anime?

Looks a lot like Laura Croft to me…

Normally I’d write up a media post about “what to watch” for the fanzine, but I really don’t know if I can recommend watching Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.

I am not an anime purist. I suspect most anime lovers would suggest that I’m barely a fan. Yes, I’ve been hanging around the fringes for a very long time (yes, I still call it Starblazers, thank you) but I’m not super invested. When GITS popped up on Netflix I didn’t rush to it. I was interested enough to start, and finish the series so far.

IF you’d like a review filled with fans and spoilers – head over to Gizmodo and check them out.

I’ll stay away from the spoilers (I think). I’m not sure if Patrick Huge is a spoiler or not… but it was a ridiculous character name in this show. I find little things like that distracting.

Anyway, the story itself is set in the future of the GITS characters, beyond a lot of the other material I’m familiar with. It presents some very interesting world building. There’s a lot of room for action and the creators do not shy away from that. There’s a lot of clunky action.

Why clunky? Because this is all done as 3D render, not traditional anime style. It’s downright distracting and tough to watch. It’s twitchy and looks cheap. I know it can’t be cheap, but I’ve been spoiled. IF you haven’t seen the animation from the Netflix series Love Death + Robots you should definitely go watch that. That stuff is amazing work. This variation of GITS was a struggle.

So, getting past the animation style itself – the story could have continued with the starting point, but then it felt like it changed half way through the episodes. We switched focus from this giant, world building economy based story to this other post human thing and it’s just messy. I’ll probably take a look at the next season to see if they tie all this stuff together, but I’m not in a rush.

IF you’re desperate for some new GITS then you can give these a look, otherwise I’d wait and see what so called season 2 will be… and hopefully we’ll avoid naked back flipping things…