Chaos Magic (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ceiphiedknight) wrote2014-10-02 10:37 am
ceiphiedknight) wrote2014-10-02 10:37 am
Review For "A Tale of Two Sisters."
TOP FIVE THINGS I LIKED/LOVED
1. Anna. Her casting is magnificent. I'm sure the writing helps, as they wrote her as if she just stepped out of the movie, but the wrong actress would come across as forcing the cheerful and awkward nature of the character. This actress, however, hits it just right.
2. They have upped their CGI game. The trolls and Marshmallow, not to mention the ice magic, all looked really good. I haven't been so impressed with the CGI since the dragon/Maleficent in the first season finale.
3. Rumbelle dance. OMG. The costumes, the music, the cheese! I loved it. If we assume that, yes, in this world these characters would be familiar with the Disney version of Beauty & the Beast, it makes perfect sense for Rumple to have created such an atmosphere for them. It was iconic in every way. I feel like the Rumbelle fandom actually dreamed that scene into existence. We have certainly been wishing for it for a very long time!
4. Rumple's scene at Neal's grave. Another scene that I wanted to happen, since he had to miss the funeral, yet I also didn't want it to happen because it was just so painful. Robert Carlyle's amazing monologue easily brought me to tears. And it was yet another painful reminder that Nealfire got the short end of the stick to make way for another ship with Emma. I kept expecting (hoping) that Rumple would turn around and his precious boy would just be there, alive. Wishful thinking, I know.
5. Regina choosing to save Marian from Marshmallow. Good girl. It was clearly not an easy decision for her, and everyone else was unconscious, so she could have easily let Marian die and then pretended like she was never even there. But she didn't. Good for her. That is a redemption arc.
TOP FIVE THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
1. Regina's backslide. I know I just said that she made a good decision with Marian, and she did. But using Sidney again, and wanting to crush everything in her path again (the book) is just so first season. I expected so much more from her this season, and now she's ignoring her own son who she crossed realms to save. gg, Regina.
2. The costumes for the Frozen people. I'm sorry, but it's a bit bothersome when no other characters in the series have ever had a direct translation of their Disney costumes until now. Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff are STRAIGHT OUT OF THE MOVIE. I was so looking forward to the embellished Elsa dress that we caught a glimpse of at the end of season three. I know it was rushed and not really a full costume, and they just slapped it on a stand-in actress, but I WANTED IT, DAMN IT. And it's not that they didn't do a lovely job, because they did, but I have seen nothing that a dedicated cosplayer couldn't do. In fact, as a cosplayer, I've SEEN IT DONE. I guess I just wanted something a little different and more spectacular out of the Frozen costumes. Not direct translations. Anna's wedding dress being the only exception so far. And, considering I've seen a sneak peek of Hans, I'm still left feeling disappointed because it's yet another direct translation of his gray outfit from the film. I know you can do better, Eduardo, so do it!
3. Rumple being tempted by magic again so soon after promising his son that he would be a better man. Sure, it was right under his nose, but I've known people who have quit smoking for longer than that! I felt it was too soon. Yes, allow him to backslide because it would be in character, but not within the same episode that he gave Belle the real dagger back, and made a promise over his son's grave to do better.
4. Too much plot packed into one 42 minute episode. They shoved so much Frozen in our faces that the already established characters almost felt shoehorned in. If they wanted to do that, it would have been better to have a two hour premiere. Give us time to get to know these Frozen people in this variation, and don't just assume we know who they are from the movie. I always needed more Emma and Henry dealing with stuff, especially considering that Henry JUST got his memories back. The lack of Charmings, however, was a nice change of pace.
5. Robin Robin Robin. He said something that bothered me on a personal level. Bad stuff should stay in the past where it belongs? No, bro, that's not how life works. If you just ignore the parts of your life that you don't like anymore, you will never be able to learn from them and grow as a person. I love that he's a noble and virtuous man who makes noble and virtuous decisions...but that statement REALLY rubbed me the wrong way. It makes me not even care what kind of bad stuff he supposedly did in his life. Talk about a line that just kind of squicked me out.
And this has been my review of the Once Upon a Time season four premiere. I'll be here all night. Tip your waitress.
1. Anna. Her casting is magnificent. I'm sure the writing helps, as they wrote her as if she just stepped out of the movie, but the wrong actress would come across as forcing the cheerful and awkward nature of the character. This actress, however, hits it just right.
2. They have upped their CGI game. The trolls and Marshmallow, not to mention the ice magic, all looked really good. I haven't been so impressed with the CGI since the dragon/Maleficent in the first season finale.
3. Rumbelle dance. OMG. The costumes, the music, the cheese! I loved it. If we assume that, yes, in this world these characters would be familiar with the Disney version of Beauty & the Beast, it makes perfect sense for Rumple to have created such an atmosphere for them. It was iconic in every way. I feel like the Rumbelle fandom actually dreamed that scene into existence. We have certainly been wishing for it for a very long time!
4. Rumple's scene at Neal's grave. Another scene that I wanted to happen, since he had to miss the funeral, yet I also didn't want it to happen because it was just so painful. Robert Carlyle's amazing monologue easily brought me to tears. And it was yet another painful reminder that Nealfire got the short end of the stick to make way for another ship with Emma. I kept expecting (hoping) that Rumple would turn around and his precious boy would just be there, alive. Wishful thinking, I know.
5. Regina choosing to save Marian from Marshmallow. Good girl. It was clearly not an easy decision for her, and everyone else was unconscious, so she could have easily let Marian die and then pretended like she was never even there. But she didn't. Good for her. That is a redemption arc.
TOP FIVE THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
1. Regina's backslide. I know I just said that she made a good decision with Marian, and she did. But using Sidney again, and wanting to crush everything in her path again (the book) is just so first season. I expected so much more from her this season, and now she's ignoring her own son who she crossed realms to save. gg, Regina.
2. The costumes for the Frozen people. I'm sorry, but it's a bit bothersome when no other characters in the series have ever had a direct translation of their Disney costumes until now. Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff are STRAIGHT OUT OF THE MOVIE. I was so looking forward to the embellished Elsa dress that we caught a glimpse of at the end of season three. I know it was rushed and not really a full costume, and they just slapped it on a stand-in actress, but I WANTED IT, DAMN IT. And it's not that they didn't do a lovely job, because they did, but I have seen nothing that a dedicated cosplayer couldn't do. In fact, as a cosplayer, I've SEEN IT DONE. I guess I just wanted something a little different and more spectacular out of the Frozen costumes. Not direct translations. Anna's wedding dress being the only exception so far. And, considering I've seen a sneak peek of Hans, I'm still left feeling disappointed because it's yet another direct translation of his gray outfit from the film. I know you can do better, Eduardo, so do it!
3. Rumple being tempted by magic again so soon after promising his son that he would be a better man. Sure, it was right under his nose, but I've known people who have quit smoking for longer than that! I felt it was too soon. Yes, allow him to backslide because it would be in character, but not within the same episode that he gave Belle the real dagger back, and made a promise over his son's grave to do better.
4. Too much plot packed into one 42 minute episode. They shoved so much Frozen in our faces that the already established characters almost felt shoehorned in. If they wanted to do that, it would have been better to have a two hour premiere. Give us time to get to know these Frozen people in this variation, and don't just assume we know who they are from the movie. I always needed more Emma and Henry dealing with stuff, especially considering that Henry JUST got his memories back. The lack of Charmings, however, was a nice change of pace.
5. Robin Robin Robin. He said something that bothered me on a personal level. Bad stuff should stay in the past where it belongs? No, bro, that's not how life works. If you just ignore the parts of your life that you don't like anymore, you will never be able to learn from them and grow as a person. I love that he's a noble and virtuous man who makes noble and virtuous decisions...but that statement REALLY rubbed me the wrong way. It makes me not even care what kind of bad stuff he supposedly did in his life. Talk about a line that just kind of squicked me out.
And this has been my review of the Once Upon a Time season four premiere. I'll be here all night. Tip your waitress.