The entire basis of this blog is that I have a lot of thoughts about the media I consume, whether it be movies, TV, video games, sports or other interests of mine. Since I dabble in many of these corners, I don’t always want to take the time to write a full-length post on everything I’m doing (nor do I have that much to say about some of it).
So, I decided to start this semi-regular series, where I write a few hundred words or so on a couple of notable things I’ve been up to media-wise. Below is my first crack at that — and I’m really excited about each of the topics I’m covering today.
Percy Jackson on Disney+ — An Actually Good Adaptation
It’s no secret that the Percy Jackson movies are utter garbage. Well, okay, the first one is FINE as an adaptation of the story of the first book, but the casting is terrible and the vibe is way off. The second one is truly unwatchable — a mishmash of plot points from different books in the series that is just an awful time, from memory.
The Disney+ PJ series, a much better executed attempt than the movies, wrapped up last week. I was really hoping this second go at it would be closer to one of my favorite book series growing up, and, thankfully, it was.
For me, the casting really made this a success. All three of the core trio of Percy, Annabeth and Grover are fantastic. Walker Scobell, in particular, perfectly embodies the insecurities and rebellious fire that makes Percy such a relatable character to kids. I thought the three of them had wonderful chemistry, and I’m excited to (hopefully) see them grow up together in future seasons. The supporting cast was also strong, as I enjoyed the brief appearances from actors like Jason Mantzoukas, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Lance Reddick.
Of the many problems with the movies, the most glaring is that they just don’t feel anywhere close to the same tone as the books. From the first few minutes of this show, I had the same feeling I did when I was reading the books as an early teen. It’s light and fun, but also has valuable lessons about identity and self-esteem for kids and adults alike. Author Rick Riordan was far more involved with this effort, and it shows.
I think my main issues with the series are the same as the majority of Marvel and Star Wars Disney+ shows from the last year or two: poor pacing and wonky special effects. On the first note, I would have liked to see one or two setpieces removed in favor of more time to get to know these characters. Each episode, especially the middle four or five, largely feel like separate adventures rather than an intertwined story.
Secondly, I really am sick of the Volume. For those of you who don’t know, the Volume is a 360-degree soundstage that uses LED screens to render fantastical backgrounds in real time during shooting. For early uses in shows like the Mandalorian,I thought that it was a genuinely seamless alternative to blue-screen. Now, I don’t know — it might just be because I’m too steeped in this stuff that I’m always looking out for the Volume, but it really took me out of the show on multiple occasions. Too many settings looked really fake, like the actors were just standing in a big void. The big fight in the final episode takes place on a beach, but it’s extremely evident that their surroundings are entirely digital. Just film it at a real beach!! Disney is leaning on this technology far too much.
Overall, this was a really solid start that has a ton of potential for growth and improvement. Disney+ has been weird about not renewing non-Star Wars or Marvel content, so I’m crossing my fingers that this gets enough attention to warrant a second season.
(Editor’s Note: After I wrote this, Disney announced a second season has been greenlit! Woooooo)
The Last of Us Part II: Remastered — Hacking and Slashing Through Zombies
Over the last few weeks I’ve been playing quite a lot of the newly released remastered edition of The Last of Us: Part II. Did we really need a remaster of this game? Well, no. The game was originally released for the PS4 in summer 2020, so it’s less than 4 years old. It came at the end of the PS4’s life cycle, so the original was already one of the greatest technical achievements in gaming. The graphical updates in the remaster are so minute that they are barely detectable. I’ve played through the story twice, so I don’t feel the need to do so again any time soon.
All of that said, it’s been taking up a lot of my pre-employment down time over the last few weeks because of the new mode that the remaster added, called No Return.
For many reasons, The Last of Us: Part II is one of my favorite games of all time. High on that list is its immersive, grounded combat system that creates heart-pounding rushes of adrenaline. For years, I’ve been wanting a way to experience the combat of TLOU without replaying the story over and over again. No Return does just that, as it lets the player battle waves of enemies in different kinds of scenarios and settings.
Each run of 6 encounters, ending with a boss battle, is randomized each time you start for a fresh experience every time. If I have an extra 10 minutes to spare, I can hop into a round where I’m fighting off Infected left and right, or I’m pinned down by a group of human enemies who I have to silently pick off one by one. I really enjoy the diversity of experience I can experience from one session to another.
With the tentative announcement of a Part III last week, I suspect I’ll be playing a lot of No Return in the coming years as I impatiently wait for the end of the trilogy.
Reservation Dogs — The Perfect Balance of Melancholy and Humor
I’m about halfway through the three seasons of Reservation Dogs, an FX/Hulu half-hour dramedy about four Indigenous teenagers and their community on an Oklahoma reservation. Res Dogs shares a bit in common with The Bear as shows that provide a slice-of-life look at their respective communities. Both shows center around people who make the best of their surroundings and fight the constant battle against entropy in their communities.
However, while The Bear is often constant chaos punctuated by moments of reflection, Reservation Dogs is quite the opposite. It’s a deeply atmospheric and slow-paced show from episode to episode, with a wide range of supporting characters from parents and police officers to helpful spirits and unusual role models. Co-created by Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo, it’s full of Waititi’s signature offbeat humor.
The first season largely centers around the four teenagers — Bear, Elora Danan, Willie Jack and Cheese — and their quest to save up enough money to leave the reservation and move to California. This quest was largely spurned on by the death of the fifth member of their group, Daniel, whose story is slowly unraveled throughout the first season (another similarity to The Bear). We get to know each of the friends intimately through their interactions with each other as well as bottle episodes that focus on each of them.
Where I stand in my watch-through, almost halfway through season two, this plotline is still in development, but the core message is clear: It’s easy to run away from your problems, but it’s harder, and necessary, to make things better where you are for the people you love. I definitely plan to write more on this excellent show as I make my way through it.
Love No Return for single-handedly making me better at shooting zombies 🥰