Wreck-It Ralph, Professor Layton, The Hobbit, FotR rewatch

[oyceter]

Wreck-It Ralph

Really loved this. Love all the gender stuff and how quietly and matter-of-factly the movie codes gaming as a gender-neutral or sometimes leaning-toward-female thing, LOVE Jane Lynch's character, adored the Sarah Silverman character, and was very impressed by how Dreamworks managed to make a pop-culture-inspired movie that feels so much bigger than just a string of pop-culture jokes. Also had thoughts about Ralph kinda sorta representing male gamer privilege when he's so medal focused. CB didn't quite think so, though. What do people think?

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva

So weird to not be solving puzzles by myself for the whole movie! Alas, the series continues to have saintly, largely inactive girls and women, though at least this one features Emmy for a bit. There are also a lot of Laputa influences. Mostly it makes me want to play the newest Layton, which I have discovered is now out but only available for the 3DS. ARGH. Want to play but don't want to buy a 3DS just to play a single game!

The Hobbit

I've never been a fan of the book (read it once in sixth grade, never mustered up enough interest to ever finish a reread), so mostly I had fun with the movie. Was happy just to be back in cinematic Middle Earth, especially once the Shire theme started to play. Mostly the movie is notable in that a) now I can at least remember one or two of the dwarves' names (me watching FotR Moria scene: "Who the heck is Balin?"), b) Thranduil's doofy-looking "I am not emotional" expression, c) the hunger-inducing first scenes in Bilbo's house, and d) RABBIT SLED.

Fellowship of the Ring rewatch

Wow, I can't believe it's been ten years. The special effects hold up amazingly well, I'm guessing because they did a lot of things with stunt doubles and forced perspective and miniatures. And though I'm now largely uninterested in mainly-male medieval Europe-ish quest epic fantasies, this one has so much nostalgia attached, both for the books and for the movies, that I don't care and I love it anyway. I was also extremely amused that the very first shot after the Fellowship is formed is a long shot of the Fellowship traversing a mountain range, silhouetted against the sky. Also, the end Boromir + Frodo scene is filmed disturbingly like a rape scene.

Comments

[telophase]

I want to play the latest Professor Layton, too, and was in the same boat until we remembered that Toby's brother has a 3DS. He's said I can borrow it, so all I have to do is work out when I'll have the time to sit down and play, and then work out how to collect it from him (he lives across the metroplex from us).

I was annoyed that Assassin's Creed: Liberation only came out for the PSP Vita, but a friend of ours then got one, and has said we can borrow it, so yay.

[oyceter]

Grah! CB's brother alas sold his 3DS so I can't do that =(. Gaming platforms, you are so annoying.

[thistleingrey]

Gah, that Layton title as well as the not yet North Am Layton vs. Phoenix Wright--not quite enough to get us to buy a 3DS, either. If we had one, you could borrow it!

[oyceter]

OOo Layton vs. Phoenix Wright!

But yeah, need to see if there's anything on it CB is interested in to spend the money.

[starlady]

As thingswithwings' Christmas live-tweet of FotR reminded me, Fordo is pretty consistently put in a very rapey place in the movies.

[oyceter]

"The Fellowship of the Ring; Or, Frodo Has A Tempting Golden Hole That Everyone Wants to Get Inside"

BWAH! So true!

[metaphortunate]

LOL omg.

I loved Wreck-It Ralph for all these reasons, plus I loved the soundtrack, plus it was just FUN! I went sort of expecting it to be a series of nostalgia-based jokes and instead it was wonderful.

[oyceter]

Yeah, I was expecting to like it, but I really loved it!!