The Animation Lover

  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Sup_bat_public_enemies_dvd.jpg Among the assortment of Superman villains, few have the recognition and longevity of Lex Luthor. The bald head and green suit are identifiable enough, along with his obsession to eliminate the man of steel. As over the top as his personality may become, though, Luthor’s motivations are surprisingly nuanced in some readings. His drive to kill Superman typically stems from viewing this alien saviour as humanity’s downfall - a threat to earth’s future advancement. It could also be a projection of his own jealousy and need for hero worship, despite having vast financial and public power as is. Likewise, Clancy Brown also has a general reverence, even among those not familiar with his profession. A seasoned performer, Brown is perhaps best known to live action audiences for playing Victor Kurgan in “Highlander”, and later Captain Hadley in “Shawshank Redemption”. In the years since, he’s also found his secon...

  https://archive.org/details/ghost-in-the-shell-1008p Going into this film, I was aware of the 2017 adaptation starring Scarlett Johansson, which I still haven’t seen first hand. That version was criticised, and rightfully so, for positioning a white lead in a Japanese centric story, though the central character’s ethnicity is less definitive. I ultimately felt not watching that film before the original property wasn’t a huge loss. Also, as per my rule from “Dragon Ball: Battle of Gods”, I did watch the version with Japanese audio for this review. And on an extra side note, my initial viewing experience was interrupted several times by technical issues (ironic, given the film involved). I wanted to reveal that to firmly separate my frustration from the movie’s quality, since it’s now part of my introduction to “Ghost in the Shell”. With that settled, how is the actual film? To put it simply….I understand the hype. “Ghost in the Shell” is a rather unique title, and a rather straigh...

  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/62/My_Adventures_with_Superman_%282023%29.png Episode ten starts on a purposeful anti-climax, compared to the hardships our central trio have just endured. No supernatural forces or power mad scientists this time. The greatest peril Jimmy, Lois and Clark initially deal with includes a promotion, and joining the Kents for a nice Thanksgiving dinner. What could go wrong? Well, as a matter of fact, there’s one small hiccup - Lois invites her dad to the celebration AKA General Lane. And I will fully admit to not expecting this twist, despite it being a bit obvious by the shared surname. The series wanted it to be shocking, and at least in my case, it was. More importantly, this revelation further adds to the potential General Lane now has as a character. The awkward conversation he has with Lois takes on a new layer. He conveys a certain distance, and perhaps some insecurity, though at the same time little moments of pride do shine through....

  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/62/My_Adventures_with_Superman_%282023%29.png In revisiting “My Adventures with Superman”, episode eight was the one I remembered the least, as it was a bit overshadowed by the content succeeding it. Therefore, this was as close to a fresh watch as I’ve gotten in these reviews. I’d forgotten about the focus on Vicky Vale, or the introductory sequence involving General Lane’s recruitment of the Intergang prisoners. One detail I did recall was Clark discovering his super hearing, which is an incredibly useful power…and a serious inconvenience if you lack focus. Clark spends much of the time gripping his head in pain, stumbling around Metropolis disoriented, and even causing some collateral damage to a poor truck driver. This episode primarily serves as a set up for the next, and Clark’s troubles here emphasise its defining contribution: Addressing why people would be wary of Superman. Cynical citizens could see him as exploiting good will...

  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/62/My_Adventures_with_Superman_%282023%29.png When episode five ended with a giant ape in frame, I was convinced the writers were bringing in Gorilla Grodd, played marvellously in the old “Justice League” cartoon by Powers Boothe. What we got, however, was obviously quite different. After Jimmy breaks into a fenced off area at night, in search of the legendary bigfoot (of course), he gets abducted by Monsieur Mallah and the Brain. I’ll be honest, of my initial predictions about the show, I wasn’t expecting to see a same sex relationship between a french gorilla and german robot. And I must say, it was the most wonderful and charming sort of surprise. Their dynamic is handled very well, and both Andre Sogliuzzo and Jesse Inocalla deliver fine work as their unique characters. It’s equally endearing and hilarious to see these two bicker like…well…an old married couple, while also being genuine in the right moments. Of the fresh concepts th...