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KiffyCub
Reviews
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018)
"All Women Are Taught To Fear Power"
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina -- set in the same universe as the gritty-but-pretty Netflix show Riverdale -- is an artsy take on pagan witches, and is based on the comics of the same name. It features sacrifice, necromancy, cannibalism, sexuality, feminism, hazing, and, well, Satan.
Let me start off by saying that most -- if not all -- of the characters in this show are grey. Not grey as in dull, no. Morally grey. While that's okay, because essentially people are neither all good or bad, it did leave me with a sense of . . .'what?'
My personal favorites are sweet Hilda, determined Sabrina, powerful Prudence, cool Ambrose, hella-shady Miss Wardwell (spoiler alert: who isn't exactly Miss Wardwell), and the seedy, disgusting Lord Blackwood.
Aesthetically, the show is beautiful. From Sabrina's rich red coat, to the chilly atmosphere of the location shots. Even the school is dingy and treated with a sickly blue-beige color scheme. Dr. Cerberus, the themed coffee shop, is a triumph. If it was a location in my own town, I'd go there every day.
The show follows a simple episodic pattern, with teen angst, and a 'will-she-won't-she sign the book' arc throughout.
My main problem with this show is the special effects, and the The Dark Lord -- or TDL. Now I love me some monsters, especially special effects monsters -- ahem, Fish God from TSOW --, this show lacked both inspiration and the ability to know when less is more. In the case of Salem's goblin reveal, that was done beautifully. Inky shadows, rich red, Sabrina's palpable fear at just exactly WHAT did she invite into her room. And then everything switches when the inky shadow creature changes its form. TDL, however, not so much. The design was clunky and laughable. And he appears almost every five minutes -- I'm exaggerating, but still. Don't even get me started on The Greendale 13 and their laughable zombie-witch effects.
(Also, the 'Cunning'? Really? Sigh.)
A question that irritated me throughout the show was this: why the hell would Satan be hanging out in a mine shaft in Greendale? It just doesn't make any sense. I get that the mines 'go all the way down to Hell'. But that doesn't explain why a malevolent, powerful being would hang out in a mine. To do what, give people jump scares?
Aside from my personal gripes about TDL, the show isn't a bad watch. The characters really drive it forward. Despite Sabrina's outward innocence, something dark lies within. And the closing frames of the season are breathtaking.
Overall score: 8/10
Give this a try on a cold, rainy day if you like morally grey characters doing morally grey things.
Barbie: Star Light Adventure (2016)
Barbie to the galaxy's rescue
"Might contain spoilers"
Okay, so as an avid watcher - not exactly a fan, but I have watched around 95% of the Mattel Barbie movies - I went into this movie thinking that it was going to be different and innovative.
The concept and idea was good. The animation, voice acting, lighting, and color was vibrant and lovely. They've really upper their game over the past few years. I did miss the inclusion of Kelly Sheridan as Barbie since I've grown accustomed to her wonderful voice. But Erica was a stunning replacement.
The animation itself screamed sophistication. Yes, a few animals lacked pizazz and creativity, but nobody's perfect. The animal preserve scenes were gorgeous. The city too.
My qualms stem from the obvious - Barbie must always save the day, Barbie must always be a goody-two-shoes, Barbie somehow always ends up shrouded in magical sparkles. Yes, it's kinda glorious and sparkly and pretty, but it gets repetitive. I was pleasantly surprised by her lack of outfit change in the climax. I was silently hoping she stayed in her practical gear. And she did. The movie sent forth a vibe that was a cross between Star Trek and Stars Wars. I know, I know. Shame on me for comparing a piece of trash, kid's movie to STAR WARS, right? But the controls, the ship, the aliens on the planet . . . Well, they looked eerily familiar. Not to mention Barbie's resemblance to a certain female called Rey. Just saying.
There was also something a little off in the third act. I somehow felt as though something was missing - some huge chunk of the end. I guess I was expecting a villain trying to steal the stars or enslave the galaxy, or maybe even the king turning out to be the bad guy. Hints were dropped throughout the movie only to leave me dissatisfied with a lackluster conclusion to a promising tale.
Overall, if a little more planning had gone into the plot, the movie would have been a solid addition to the Barbie franchise. I do love the science fiction aspect, really. But the plot holes seemed to be akin to black holes.