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Reviews
The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
Who MADE Tony Soprano
I have a love/hate relationship with this movie. I love how David Chase was able to show that if Dickie were alive, then Tony wouldn't be dead since he was the role model/father figure that Tony needed. (You can't say Tony didn't die in the series finale of the Sopranos anymore because this movie confirmed it when Dickie said 'as long as I'm here I'll make sure nothing happens to you' after Tony said he wishes to not die being shot in the back). This further proves that Dickie's death is what led to Tony's downfall. Ironically, if Dickie did not die neither would have Christopher Moltisanti which is why the last line of this movie is "That's the guy, my uncle Tony. The guy I went to hell for". Now, what I didn't like about this movie is how Dickie died since it felt slightly underwhelming, as if, there should've been more content building up to Dickie's death. Overall, David Chase did a very good job with making the story come full circle by how he connected one man's actions to all of the events we see take place in the Sopranos.
Shadow and Bone: A Searing Burst of Light (2021)
Instantly appeals to book fans, but hard to understand the world if you're not familiar with it
I'm going to do a review of the show from a readers pov and then a review for those who haven't read the books:
Book Fan: 10/10
If you read the books, it will be easier to understand details like what the Small Science (the magic system) is, easier to process the characters' behaviors since we know their backstories already, and why Ravka is on the brink of collapse. I thought the transition scenes were very well done and the Crows introduction didn't feel out of place from the main story. Also, the actors portrayal of the characters were perfect!! Exactly as I imagined it. The camera work was great except for when Alina's face lit up in the Fold because that angle just made the scene look cheesy. I even loved the improvement of Mal's character to the point that I actually support him and Alina's friendship. A lot more believable in the show, then it was in the books! Overall, I was very pleased with this episode and the writers managed to do the impossible: the pilot became my favorite episode of this season and I usually hate pilots to shows because it's usually very slow due to character introductions and getting the viewers familiar with the world, but maybe it was because I was familiar with this world already so I just sat and enjoyed the show without needing to figure anything out.
Non-book Fans: 8/10
You'll probably feel overwhelmed or just confused on what is going on at first because it feels like you're getting a ton of information thrown at you all at once. My friends told me it took until episode 3 or 4 to understand the magic system and the world especially if you haven't watched Netflix's YouTube videos where they explain all of that. Overall, the characters and story seemed intriguing for them to wanna continue watching the show and start reading the books!
Shadow and Bone: No Mourners (2021)
The ending was executed better in the books
The ending to Shadow and Bone was better in the books in my opinion because it was slightly darker where Mal actually didn't escape from his imprisonment and the Darkling was going to feed him to the volcra. To save Mal, Alina actually makes the decision of letting everyone on the skiff die after they failed to side with her and listen to her warnings about the Darkling. She does this by learning to use the Cut for the first time which destroys the skiff and then her and Mal escape by only having the light surround them. This perfectly foreshadows the internal struggle and character development Alina will go through in the next book because she's afraid that she's becoming the Darkling and he's truly the only one who understands her. This is even leaves room for the Darkling's manipulations towards Alina as well as having the reader question the Darkling's character because if him and Alina are not so different does that truly make him a monster?
Compared to the season 1 ending, I can't complain about the Crows involvement too much because they needed to fit into the story somehow. Also, I liked how the writers actually gave an explanation to why the Darkling killed the citizens of NovoKribirsk because it's not explained until King of Scars that they want independence from Ravka since they've grown comfortable with not being ruled over, thanks to the Fold. They were even planning on aligning with Fjerda to do it even though they hunt and kill Grisha. As a result, the Darkling killed them as a lesson to his enemies; if he's willing to slaughter his own people, then imagine what he'll do to his enemies?
Now, the negatives: I didn't like some of the camera shots because it made the scenes look awkward and cheesy at times. Also, I didn't like how the Darkling got into a fist fight with Mal because he's supposed to be this all powerful being and that scene diminished that. The other complaint was how Zoya was friendly towards Alina at the end of the season because there wasn't any build up to a friendship forming between them. They were enemies, then they magically make up because the Darkling betrayed them even though in the books there was so much more than that being the reason why Zoya didn't like her.
Overall, this is Netflix's best fantasy adaptations or at least one of the best and I look forward to season 2!!
Shadow and Bone (2021)
S&B has its flaws, but overall it was very enjoyable!!
I enjoyed almost half of the episodes this season. The soundtrack, the costumes, the cast, and the world building was very well done!!
The best book change was definitely Mal and Alina's relationship; you actually see how and why they are so inseparable and I actually root for them whereas in the books I did not like Mal lol.
Also, I think the Crows storyline was perfectly blended into the plot of S&B while still feeling like it is its own thing.
The show is less teen drama and slightly more mature compared to the books; instead of Alina doubting almost everything about herself like she did in the books, she is only doubting her potential as the Sun Summoner.
I'll admit it, I think because I read the books it was easier for me to keep up with what was going on especially when the show was jumping between all of the point of views and the meaning behind certain details such as who Pekka Rollins is to Kaz and the significance of his gloves.
Now to the negative parts:
There were some cheesy camera work at times and one or two lines were a little cheesy too.
Some characters or plot lines were not fleshed out as much as others or just rushed. For example, we only saw one or two scenes showing the rivalry between Alina and Zoya. Then, they just magically are friendly-ish towards each other at the end of the season.
There were certain things about the Darkling I didn't like either. I wanted to see more of his cunning/manipulative and ruthless side of him like we did in the books. It might just be me, but I thought he was a lot more humanized in the show since he was fine with not killing Mal and seeing how he created the Fold humanized him too. Other than those issues Ben Barnes did an amazing job and was the perfect person to play the Darkling.
As for the ending, I prefer how it was done in the books a lot more, but because they had to fit the Crows into the plot as well as Zoya I can understand why they changed it.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Cliche
This movie could have been a lot better. You can definitely tell that Disney and Lucasfilm needed a lot more time than was given. The plot is very scrambled and incohesive compared to its predecessors. Due to the movie being rushed, it sacrificed character development that was established in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, negates the lore introduced into Episodes 1-6, and neglects the characters and actors who were in the previous trilogies to push the main character's (Rey) story forward.