Rings of Power Review Part 2 Spoilers

 

Here is part 2 of my review of the Rings of Power...So I watched the next two episodes of the series. Now episode 3, I would say, was all right, and episode 4 was way too long, but meh.

Now in episode 3, we are introduced to Numenor's people. I got to be honest Numenor looks fantastic, and I will admit I like the actor who plays Elendil. He does a great job. Everyone else is okay, but my only issues are why Elendil has a daughter. Earien is an original character in the show, but I don't think they needed to add a daughter. Why not just make her Isuldir's girlfriend or wife. Why not have Elendil's wife still alive in the first season? Also, Pharazon has a son in this show named Kemen. Pharazon had no son, just like Elendil had no daughter.

In episode 4, it seems they are setting up a romance between the two, which feels kind of weird and forced. I think it's going to be a forced romance or something. It just doesn't fit. 

I think they will likely kill off Elendil's daughter like she's sacrificed at the temple of Morgoth, and it's expected her building designs will probably be used to help build Gondor and Arnor. I just feel like they will do that in the show.

Tar Miriel's father, Tar Palantir, is in the show, and they still have him faithful, trying to restore the friendship between the elves and men. Which is good. I like how they kept that. 

Isuldier's story is that he hears a voice calling, and it feels weird that he doesn't want to be a sailor. He and his father have some issues, but we all know they would become great kings of men.

Pharazon is basically being set up to take over Numenor, and he's telling the King's Men the elves won't take their island. He goes all they won't take our jobs.

One thing that is weirdly funny but creepy is Galadriel riding a horse.

She seems to really like it like she enjoys riding that horse too much. I just find this scene cringe to watch for some reason. It's already become a meme.

Also, Galadriel believes she was sent back to Middle Earth for a reason and wants to convince Numenor to fight against Sauron, who is taking the Southlands. Elendil is the only one who agrees with her, revealing she is the scourge of orcs. I'm like, really? She was not. However, some shippers are shipping her and Halbrand. Why did they cut Celebrom? Still bothers me but hey he might be the next season.

Speaking of Halbrand, he might actually be Sauron or the Witch King. He shows a lot of signs. It's revealed he is the king of a kingdom in the south. However, I got a feeling he is likely Sauron he looks at Blacksmith forging, and Sauron was a craftsman, after all. So I think they will pull a twist in the end that he is Sauron, or he becomes the Witch King because he's got a lot of anger and hate despite being a charming guy. 

Some of the dialogue in these episodes is kind of bad, and it just feels like, my god, this writing cringe. Like Elendil says, the past is dead, and I'm like, in the books, you firmly believe in the old ways. At the end of episode 4, Miriel agrees to help Galadriel, but I got to bring up that in the second age, Numenor had colonies in Middle earth. I mean, why did they change that? There is a lot to see what they will do, and they are setting up Pharazon to take over, but I think he should have been a general and still be nicknamed the Golden. The show also teases the downfall of Numenor in a vision that kind of does spoil because if you've seen the movies and read the books, you know it will happen. You could have teased, just showing if the white tree falls, the line of kings will end. 

Now the Hobbits appeared again in episode 3, but one thing that bugs me is that harfoots abandon their own if they get left behind. I'm like hobbits don't do that. They even talk about who they lost but kind of joke about it. When the stranger is revealed to the harfoots, they have Nori and her family put at the back of the line, and the stranger helps them carry their wagon. Honestly, we didn't need hobbits this season. They should have waited like a season 4 set during the third age. The hobbit storyline just doesn't work with anyone. It just feels forced. Also, hobbits were friendly to everyone and would help anyone in need and not abandon their own friends!

The Arondir storyline is the one I'm actually interested in the most.

In episode 3, he and his fellow elves are forced to work for Adar, who could likely be Sauron or an original character who served Morgoth. I will admit I liked this character's action scenes and some cool moments. 

The warg in episode 3 looked really weird. I mean, it looked like a hyena on crack.

Still, I quite like this storyline, and in episode 4, we meet Adar, and he frees Arondir and tells him that the south pledged loyalty to him. Of course, the people of south Bronwyn won't agree to it, and they will likely fight against him. Also, her son Theo I think they will set him up to be a future Nazgul or maybe not. I like the scene where Arondir, Bronwyn, and Theo are escaping the orcs, especially when the sunlight comes out of the clouds because it does show that there is always hope in the light.

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One thing I would have added to this show was the Blue Wizards. Like they didn't show up in the second age, but they did appear in the third age, with Saruman, Radegast, and Gandalf, the stranger, likely will be. I would add the Blue Wizards to the story because it would have worked. After all, their mission was to help and teach the Harads and Easterlings not to worship Morgoth. The two blue wizards would have been great to include.

Also, we are introduced to Adar, the Father apparently, and he could be Sauron, no doubt, or an original character we don't know. 

Now the Elrond and Durin as well the Celebrimbor storyline, is just okay, and I did find it stupid that Durin the third doesn't like Elrond because he didn't go to his wedding. Still, this storyline is okay but nothing great I mean, it is setting up Durin's Bane because the dwarves keep digging, and we all know what they found shadow and flame.

So far, that is a good build-up, and I found it funny when Dis asks Elrond if he saved her husband or if he saved him. That was a funny scene, I will admit. I also like how they mention his father, Earendil, which was cool, and I do like that dialogue between him and Durin about how fathers would feel about what they have done with their lives. 

Overall, like the last two, I just don't like how Amazon is writing the show, and one of my cousins once said if they only had the rights to the appendices, why make a show if you don't have the full rights to the entire series. He has a point. I got to be honest episode 4 was so long that I paused and took my dog for a walk because of how long the episode was. I give both episodes a 4 out of 10. If you like the episodes and the show so far that's fine. 

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House of Dragon is way better for what it's worth because they got more experience and better writers. I mean, the last season of Game of Thrones sucked but at least House of Dragon is making up for it. 

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Now I want to talk about this review bombing that's been going on with the show. 

Now when I wrote my first review, and this is my second review of this show, I give honest opinions about how I feel about this show. I'm always honest about how I feel about certain shows and movies. Lately, people have seen anyone who doesn't like this show as review bombing it because you are a bigot if you don't like Rings of Power. 

This is ridiculous. If people don't like the writing or the characters in the show, that's not review bombing. They're being honest. Like, look at me, I don't like the story's writing and characters, but I do like the designs and visuals of the show. If someone says they don't like the show, it shouldn't be looked at as review bombing, being toxic, or a bigot. They are just giving their honest opinion about how they feel about it. Now I know there are some review bombers out there, but the ones who write honest reviews aren't review bombing because they watched the show, but those who do without watching the show are review bombing. See the difference between honest reviews and review bombing. 

My thoughts on the MCU Thunderbolts

 

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My thoughts on the MCU Thunderbolts.

So with the news of Marvel's Thunderbolts film, we see our first look at the team. The Rooster is Winter Soldier, Yelena, US Agent, Taskmaster, Ghost, Red Guardian, and Valentino. I find this team both interesting but kind of disappointing. Their all super soldiers except for Ghost and Valentina. Thunderbolts is Marvel's answer to a Suicide Squad but don't expect it to be fun like James Gunn's. You won't get an R-rated film. 

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I mean, let's face it most fans were hoping for this. I'm going to tell you all you're not getting something like The Suicide Squad.

I mean, this film is not coming out till 2024, and all they said was Yelena will lead this team which is kind of a weird choice. 

I mean, she's only been in one Marvel film and one Marvel show. It just doesn't feel deserved. Wouldn't Winter Soldier make more sense because he led the Thunderbolts, or why not have the character of Moonstone in the film because she's led the team too? I mean, I don't dislike the character of Yelena. She was pretty cool in Black Widow, but she feels like a weird choice as team leader. They might be pulling well, she's the weakest team member, and that's why she's a brilliant choice to lead. Sometimes the weakest member is the right person to lead a team. Much like Cyclops was chosen as the team leader of the X-Men, and now that character is one of the most outstanding X Man leaders of all time. We just have to wait and see what they do, but I think Winter Solder or Moonstone would have made more sense as team leaders. 

As you can see, Bucky led the team, and I think he would have been more logical sense as a team leader. Having Bucky lead, this team would have made more sense because of his history with the team. I read Winter Solder leading the Thunderbolts comic run. It was good, and Bucky was an excellent leader. Also, people are now shipping Bucky and Yelena because, in the comics, Bucky and Nat were lovers, but we didn't get that in the other films. So who knows, fans may see a super solder and a super spy get-together. 

Another choice is Moonstone, I feel this character should be in the film, and she would have worked as a team leader. She's led the Thunderbolts in The Initiative series, and she would have worked being a long-time member of the Thunderbolts. One thing they could have done if she was in the movie. Zemo and Valentine make her the team leader because she's their most powerful member of the team, for they feel the most powerful member is the right choice for the team leader. It's basically showing why Captain America was the leader of the Avengers and not Thor.

I know Zemo will be in the film, and I wouldn't be surprised if he is actually the real leader and he's pulling all the strings. I think they will keep the character quiet and working in the shadows, ad he has his own agenda and using this team for something else.

 I would have Zemo as the team leader, but he makes Winter Soldier, Yelena, or Moonstone Field Team Leader. As well, they could make Zemo the Norman Osborn of the team. Like maybe he's working with Dr. Doom, or he's trying to steal a secret weapon. This could happen in the film because Zemo is in the movie, no doubt. 

I just feel like the team rooster could have been picked better. Also, the film will have Taskmaster, and let's face it, that character got ruined. Again, as I mentioned, everyone hated the gender swap of this character. I mean, they could have an opportunity to fix it like reveal, like give us the real Anthony Masters as Taskmaster and Antonia becomes the Red Widow at the end of the film. I feel like they need to fix Taskmaster and bring in the character of Anthony Masters. Antonia would have worked better as Red Widow, not Taskmaster. 

I wish Bullseye was a team member because we are getting Daredevil Born Again, but I think they are saving him for that series first. Still, it would be great to bring back Wilson Bethel as Bullseye again. 

Also, having Red Hulk would have been cool to have as a villain or a member. Sadly due to William Hurt's death, it may not happen, but they could have Red Hulk.

Now I know this film will take inspiration from many Thunderbolt runs. I just hope it's good because I have doubts lately. After all, phase 4 hasn't been good except for No Way Home. I would love to see the MCU get darker, more bloody, go r rated, and focus once again on a good story and character arcs. We shall see what they do but don't expect what you got in the Suicide Squad film from James Gunn.

 Also, if I were to direct this film, here's the rooster I would go with for a Thunderbolts team. 

Baron Zemo Team Leader who works in the shadows and is a Norman Osborn-type leader and he has sinister intentions with the team.

Valentine Allegra De Fontaine Second in Command. She's working with Zemo and has more sinister intentions like him. 

Winter Soldier Field Leader

Yelena Belova/Black Widow 

US Agent

Moonstone 

Ghost

Bullseye

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This is the Thunderbolts team I would have chosen in the film. 

I think in the film they will be named after General Ross because after William Hurt's death I think they will reveal that Ross has died and Valentine names the team the Thunderbolts in honor of General Thunderbolt Ross. It's hundred percent likely. 

Their mission would be to take out AIM, but they learn that Zemo and Valentine are trying to use this team to find the ultimate weapon, called Project Rulk which revealed to be a new hulk codename Red Hulk. 

He's the most powerful hulk we see on screen and the most dangerous too.

Red Hulk would be in the film as a villain, but it turns out he's actually General Thunderbolt Ross, who everyone thought had died recently. Now due to the death of William Hurt, if I were to recast, I would have Clancy Brown voice him and never have the character change back into a human again. 

I would also pull a Suicide Squad where it's also revealed that Moonstone and Bullseye were loyal to Zemo and Valentine, not the team. At first, both of them seem like good friends until they backstab them because it was all fake. It's revealed that Zemo and Valentine want to use Red Hulk as a weapon to take over the world. That something Bucky, Yelena, US Agent, and Ghost don't want. 

Thus we see Winter Soldier, Black Widow, US Agent, and Ghost team up and stop Zemo and take down Red Hulk. 

Just something I would have done, and the film ends with Bucky killing Baron Zemo, Valentine is killed by Yelena, Bullseye is defeated by US Agent in a brutal fight, and Moonstone is defeated by Ghost by luck. 

Red Hulk is stuck the way he is, and Bucky and Yelena decide to make a new Thunderbolts team. For the shippers, both Bucky and Yelena would get together. Red Hulk is reformed and joins the team that would set up a sequel with Red Hulk as a member and new team leader of the Thunderbolts.

Who knows, this could happen in the film they're making right now.

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So that's how I feel about this Thunderbolts team. Many hardcore fans may not be big on this team and are disappointed they didn't use any well-known members like Songbird, Moonstone, Anti-Goliath, Beetle, Ghost Rider, Punisher, or even Deadpool. Deadpool would have been a superb choice as a member of the team. That is the biggest letdown now.

We will have to wait and see what they do in this film. It could be good, or it could be bad. Some fans are already calling it Black Widow 2 because they brought back Yelena, Red Guardian, and Taskmaster, so I get that, and Yelena will be the team leader. People say this is season 2 of Falcon and Winter Solder, only this time, it's Winter Solder and US Agent.

Again this is a wait-and-see on what they will do, but I don't think it will be as good as James Gunn's Suicide Squad film. 

Minions Rise of Gru Review

 

Minions The Rise of Gru

Review

So I saw Minions The Rise of Gru last night, and here's my review of it...I enjoyed it. I thought it was a fun film and it's a good family film to watch. I thought some of the jokes were funny and had good scenes. It's an entertaining prequel film to the Despicable Me film series. The cast all did a great job voicing like Steve Carell, Taaji P. Henson, Alan Arkin, and many more. I give this film a 7 out of 10. It's a fun family film for everyone. 

Rings of Power Review Part 1 Spoilers

 

Rings of Power Review Part 1

So I watched The Rings of Power, and here's my review of it...it's meh, but I did have a lot of problems with this show. I feel like the series changed too much of Tolkien's work. Now, this is only the first two episodes, but I have a lot of issues with this series. 

This looks good; not going to lie.

The settings and kingdoms in Middle Earth look amazing.

First, I want to say the visuals and effects are good, the filming locations are good too, Moria looks good too, and I am interested in the Harad Elf Story. As well it's good to hear Howard Ashman again.

However, I don't like the other stories I feel should have been done differently. A good example is Galadriel's story arc. 

There was no need to change her story arc in the Second Age, and I got to be honest. She comes off as a Karen. I hate to use that name, but she does. I just did not like how she's being written in this show. 

In the lore, Galadriel was never a commander or a warrior. She is one of the series's wisest and most powerful characters and doesn't need to pick up the sword. She's a sorcerer who has a powerful connection to nature. In the second age, she's married and has a daughter. She tries to find her kingdom to rule, eventually becoming Lady of Lothlorien. That's the story arc they should have stuck with instead of this whole revenge against Sauron arc. Also, her brother didn't die in a big battle, but there is still a chance they will stick with the Beren and Luthien story. Galadriel is done terribly in this show; if you agree or disagree, that's fine. The opening episode also has her being bullied as a child, which is like, really? 

Also, those who will defend Galadriel being a warrior don't believe those quotes and descriptions. Those don't count because Tolkien would have written her in a battle if she was a warrior. 

They also cut her husband Celeborn in the show, but he might appear in a future season.

I know Amazon didn't have the rights to certain Tolkien works, but they could have done it better.

If you ask me, this show should have been a period-piece fantasy series. Set in a different timeline, that was a major event in Middle Earth's history. The first season should have focused on the elves after the first age and focused on them picking up the pieces of the events of the First Age. 

The actors do a good job, but their characters need improvement. But these are the first two episodes. I hope they do more with the characters or make them more interesting. Also, I really don't like the hairstyles they have in the show; elves have long hair and let me tell, most renowned Tolkien artists drew them with long hair. 

Now the show added hobbits, but the show they are called harfoots even though it still counts. Hobbits weren't involved in any event in the Second Age of Middle Earth. I feel like they should have saved the hobbits for a future season like for example, Season 4 could have been set during the Third Age, and the Hobbits played a role in the Fall of Arnor, the Kingdom of the North. I think they just added hobbits because everybody loves hobbits, and they should have built up the hobbits better. 

Also, Nori and Poppy here are basically the Frodo and Sam of this series.

Again, this only two episodes I watched, so maybe it will work, but I have a feeling the Stranger is Gandalf, which would not surprise me and breaks canon.

I got to be honest, I feel Ismael Cruz Cordova would have been better suited to play Celebrimbor instead of Charles Edwards, but it's the first two episodes. 

Also, would it have killed them to give him long hair? 

Now we have an original story set in the Southlands, aka Harad, and I'm not surprised because I knew they would do this. Even Tolkien once wrote that Harads and Easterlings were not all evil. In fact, in the Silmarillion, it's revealed that some Easterlings from House Beor remained loyal to the elves and stood by them against Morgoth. The Blue Wizards storyline could also have been used, but you know, adaption rights. I admit this storyline interests me, but this original story makes sense, and the whole male elf and female human works, and it's not forced.   

Also, I find it interesting that they also made Bronwyn a single mom. She's the town healer and basically kills an orc and presents its head to show the town's people to escape the orcs. 

Let's be honest that these original characters may or may not work in the series. There's a good chance these characters will be like, why are they here, and their story arcs make no sense.

Now the dwarves I like in the series, and I love seeing Moria before its downfall at the hands of the Balrog Durin's Bane. I like Durin the Third, and Princess Dis was good, despite how some of the dialogue was bad. Still, the friendship between the two, I don't think, was canon to the lore, though, but these two had interesting dialogue. 

If you thought you would get an epic prologue like the films, no, we don't. 

It's really disappointing. I was hoping to see Morgoth and maybe show more events from the First Age. It was disappointing.

Next episodes, we will see Numenor, but the characters we will see should have been saved for a future season. If you ask me, they should have focused on Tar Minister as he was the last good King of Numenor as his son would speak up against the Valar. They should have built up the King's Men in the first season instead of flush appearing into it. They also didn't need to give Elendail a daughter and Pharazon a son. 

Overall, I feel strongly mixed in this show, and I don't like most of the changes they've made. Still, I will give this show two more episodes. Maybe the next ones will get better. I still stand by my problems with the show. They didn't need to make Galadriel a warrior, they didn't need to add hobbits in the first season, they shouldn't have merged two timelines, and they shouldn't have changed too much of the lore. 

I heard Amazon ghosted Jackson when they went to him for ideas. 

When Jackson adapted Lord of the Rings, he made changes to the story, but he still profoundly respected Tolkien's themes and story. He didn't merge two timelines or change a lot of the characters. Say what you will about Arwen replacing Glorfindel, but that's fine. It worked because it still respected the spirit of Tolkien's writing.

So far, I give Rings of Power a 4 out of 10. If you watch it and like it, that's fine, and if you watch it and don't like it, that's fine too. We got more episodes to watch, so maybe it will get good, or it will become total crap and pure fan fiction. Who knows? Let's just wait and see.