Media of the Month(s)

So, at the end of each month, I’m going to be doing a Media of the Month post where I recap some of the media that I’ve checked out recently.  I’m probably only going to put the things that I enjoyed (but if something is really bad, I might just share about that too!).  Since I missed the month of January, I’m combining January and February.  I hope that you enjoy this list and that it will inspire you to check out some of these awesome forms of media!

Spiderman: Homecoming

[CW:  some violent scenes and some strong language]

So, right now I’m making my way through the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and I have to admit I haven’t been going in order, despite the fact that I would usually watch these movies in order.  Anyway, to kick off 2022, my first movie of the year was Spiderman: Homecoming, which is about young Peter Parker as he deals with his new identity as Spider-Man while balancing his everyday teenage life.  This was my first Spider-Man movie since Into the Spider-Verse (I haven’t seen the ones with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield), and I have to say that I really enjoyed it.  It was fun to see my first live-action Spiderman movie, and Tom Holland is one of my new favorite actors; it also helps that he’s super cute (and don’t worry, I’m not far from his age!).  My only complaint was that as a huge Zendaya fan, I wish she had a bigger role in the movie but I think that changes in the sequels; also, I had to buy the movie since, of course, the Spider-Man movies are the only Marvel movies not streaming on Disney+.  But, overall, I would highly recommend you see this one!

Encanto:

[CW:  some upsetting scenes]

Yes, it took me a little while to see Encanto but I finally got around to it.  Encanto is about Mirabel, a young woman who is the only member of her family not to have magical powers and who thus she feels very out of place in life.  Mirabel decides to go on a quest to see if she can finally get the powers she’s always wanted.  I was very disappointed with Disney’s last animated movie, Raya and the Last Dragon, but thankfully Encanto was so much better.  It has some of the most beautiful animation to come from Disney, some great characters, some funny moments, and Lin Manuel Miranda can make some great tunes!  I was also excited to see that Stephanie Beatriz from Brooklyn 99 was in it (and man could Rosa and Mirabel not be any more different!). Also, for the record, my mom said that “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” was going to be a hit before it climbed the charts.  Overall, Encanto was a very fun watch and I’d highly recommend you watch it no matter your age!

Eternals:

[CW: some violence, some strong language, and a brief sex scene]

Now, Eternals was an interesting watch.  Despite reading that it was the worst Marvel movie since Thor: The Dark World, I decided to give it a shot; after all, it couldn’t be that bad could it!? (It is Marvel, of course!)  Anyway, this movie is about a group of immortal celestial beings called The Eternals who, after spending thousands of years in hiding, come out to fight their enemies, the Deviants.  While this movie was not as bad as I thought it was going to be, I still had very mixed feelings about it.  I honestly didn’t feel attached to most of the characters at the end, and the main couple that it looked like you were supposed to root for was awful (not Druig and Makkari who were kind of cute).  The movie is also very flighty and not very consistent and drags in a lot of parts.  I did like that there was a deaf superhero and some ASL (American Sign Language) but even that got drowned out by the dryness.  Overall, I’d say it’s up to you to decide whether or not this movie is worth watching.  Also, spoiler alert, poor Gilgamesh!

Avengers: Age of Ultron

[CW: Some violence and some strong language]

Now, one word to describe this movie would be Epic!  This one is about the Avengers trying to battle against Ultron, who is AI (artificial intelligence), trying to destroy the world.  I was a huge fan of the first Avengers movie so I had no doubt that this movie would not disappoint!  The performances are really good and I enjoyed getting to see my favorite superheroes again (like Thor, Black Widow, and maybe even Hawkeye at this point). I also was able to understand Wandavison a lot better after seeing this movie.  So, a little piece of advice for you, please watch the Avengers movies before watching Wandavision! Overall, I would highly recommend you watch this movie!

Captain America: Civil War

[CW: some violence and some strong language]

Oh look!  Another Marvel movie!  This movie continues the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron and follows the Avengers as they become divided after they realize that their superhero heroics have actually been hurting people.  While not as good as the previous Marvel movie I just mentioned, this movie is still definitely worth a watch.  Once again, as always, the performances were very good and it was great to see some of my favorite superheroes.  Also, it’s worth mentioning that both Tom Holland’s version of Spider-Man and our much-beloved Black Panther get their MCU introduction in this movie.  Woohoo!  Overall, this movie is definitely worth watching if you’re a Marvel fan!  Just please watch the previous Avengers movies first cause, while this movie is technically not an Avengers movie, it still feels like one to me.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

[CW: some violence and some strong language (these films are a bit more crude than past Marvel movies and if you’ve seen the first one, you’ll know what I mean)]

This is the last mention in the abundance of Marvel movies!  This movie, a continuation of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, is about Peter Quill/Star-Lord and his cosmic friends, who are the guardians of the galaxy.  When Peter’s biological father comes back into his life after not being present for his whole childhood, Peter is struggling with how to feel about him; but it soon becomes certain to his crew that there’s something shady going on with Peter’s dad.  This movie was right on par with the first movie with its great performances, funny/heartwarming moments, cool soundtrack (though I must say that I think the first movie’s soundtrack was better), and great messages about “found family;” and, of course, who can forget about our sweet adorable Groot!  I also really liked Mantis’ character as well and hope that she gets more attention in her next appearance.  Also, I would never have guessed that Rocket was played by Bradley Cooper!  And lastly, while I won’t put any spoilers here, let’s just say that I was quite sad at the end of the movie; so, I am sending a little “boo-hoo” aIert.   Overall, I would highly recommend this movie but please do watch the first movie beforehand.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power:

[CW: some action and lots of talk about trauma that characters have experienced]

This was the very first TV show that I watched in 2022 and it was quite the experience!  This show is a remake of the original She-Ra (which takes place in the same universe as He-Man) and is about a young woman, Adora, who was kidnapped as an infant by a group called the Horde and who grows up thinking everything that the Horde say is right.  One day, Adora stumbles upon a magical sword which transforms her into She-Ra, and she learns that the Horde is actually evil and wants to destroy the planet Etheria.  Together with the help of her new friends, Glimmer and Bow, Adora works to fight against the Horde, even though that means she has to fight against her childhood friend, Catra.  While I wasn’t 100% sure about this show at first, it ended up becoming a fun watch.  The chemistry between the characters is amazing (Can you say that with cartoons?!) and the plots really keep you fascinated; and there’s also a neurodivergent character, Entrapta, who’s really cool (fun fact: Apparently, we both like seltzer water!).  I have seen some complaints about the show, even though it was very well-received critically, mostly regarding the animation, which some say is mediocre.  While definitely not the most well-done animated show, I don’t think the animation is bad at all.  I would recommend that you check this show out.  Oh, and also, does Adora’s She-Ra transformation remind you of Sailor Moon’s or is it just me?!

The Book of Boba Fett:

[CW: some violent parts and some gross scenes throughout]

Now, this show is interesting to say the least.  The Book of Boba Fett is set in the Star Wars universe and tells what happens to Boba Fett after Return of the Jedi.  At first, I was excited for this show, especially since I’ve seen the original Star Wars trilogy; but it turned out to be a very inconsistent show.  The first couple of episodes had some good parts but other parts of the show dragged a bit and were kind of boring actually.  I won’t put any spoilers here, but I will say that the last three episodes did get remarkably better.  But in the end, it’s very unclear what kind of audience Boba Fett was aiming for.  At first, I would’ve said that it was up to readers to decide to watch this show.  But after the last three episodes, I would say now that, as dry as the show can be, Star Wars fans have to watch it because the final three episodes will clear some things up for Mandalorian fans.  That’s all I’ll say (just beware if you’re scared of Jabba the Hutt!).

Brooklyn Nine-Nine:

[CW:  some crude language/dialogue]

As my first comedy show of the year, it didn’t disappoint!  This show follows a group of police officers at the fictional 99^th Precinct in the NYPD who solve cases while getting into various shenanigans.  Over Christmas, I subscribed to Peacock and, after hearing good things about this show, I decided to watch it; and it turned out to be really good! With great characters and funny moments, this is definitely a good show to watch if you’re looking for something lighthearted; and I personally think most of the characters are somewhat neurodiverse! My only complaint is one graphic autopsy episode, so please skip the 4^th episode of season 1; that episode was disgusting and totally off-par with the rest of the show.  I felt nauseous watching it.  Overall, with the exception of that particular episode, I’d highly recommend this show!

Amphibia:

[CW: some gross parts from frogs]

I’m currently very excited about this show!  Amphibia is about a Thai-American teenage girl, Anne, who (after being forced into stealing a music box) ends up in the fantasy world of Amphibia, which is filled with anthropomorphic frogs (animals that behave like people and have human characteristics).  Anne ends up befriending one frog, Sprig, his grandfather, Hop-Pop, and his little sister, Polly.  Together, the four of them work to try to find Anne a way home, while getting into various shenanigans.  I actually tried watching this show a while back but was confused by the plot and never went back to it until now; and I’m so glad I decided to go back to it cause this show is so fun!  It’s a little hard to get into at first but the show gets better the more you watch it.  It has cool animation, likeable characters, and hilarious moments.  I always find myself laughing at something every episode.  However, some parts of the show can be gross (as lots of cartoons can be); but, let’s face it, if frogs were “people-like,” they would probably be a bit gross.  I do have some sad news and that is the show is going to end after they finish up the third season (ironically Disney is also going to finish up The Owl House this year, a show which I quite frequently compare to Amphibia).  Oh well, Amphibia had a good run!