Monthly Archives: April 2016

U62: The Targ

Episode 9.06: The Adventures of Clippy McGoo

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Time to roll out another installment of U62: The Targ!  This time out, targcastI’ve got quite few things to talk about, so that’s what I do.  What am I talking about on Episode 9.06: The Adventures of Clippy McGoo?

And, I have a special question for you, the listener!  Listen to the podcast, and leave me your answer in the comments below!

So let’s roll out Episode 9.06: The Adventures of Clippy McGoo!

Download here!

And here’s iTunes!

Movie Reviews

Movie Review – Zootopia

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ZootopiaZootopia

Directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore

Starring the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons, Jenny Slate, Tommy Chong, Octavia Spencer, and Shakira

Backstory

Zootopia didn’t quite grab me when the first trailers came along.  It looked cute, but nothing really jumped out at me.  Then it actually did come out, and the reviews for it were phenomenal.  I love Disney, and I still had a gift card left over from Christmas, so I figured why not?  Besides, Disney Animation has been on a pretty good run lately, and the last time I felt indifferent towards a Disney animated film was Wreck-It Ralph, but I checked it out because of the positive reviews and was wonderfully surprised.  So we could go two for two.

Plot

In a world populated by anthropomorphic animals, Judy Hopps is just a small town girl with a big dream:  head to the metropolis of Zootopia and become its first-ever rabbit police officer.  With grit and determination, she graduates from the police academy at the top of her class, and gets her first assignment as a meter maid.  Her path soon crosses that of a fox con artist, Nick Wilde.  Showing a little too much ambition, Judy soon lands the case of finding a missing otter.  Since Nick was the last one to see him, he’s her only lead.  The two then form an unlikely partnership as they go through Zootopia’s criminal underworld, soon uncovering a mysterious conspiracy.  Will they find the true culprit?  And will they be able to battle their own prejudices about the predator/prey relationship?

What I Liked

This film has a very solid message about racism and combating prejudice, as many characters fall back on their stereotypes of certain animals:  sly foxes, savage predators, and such forth.  It’s neat seeing the issue tackled in this way.  The voice cast is top notch, with Ginnifer Goodwin being unbelievably adorable and likable as Judy, with Jason Bateman injected just the right amount of smooth-talk for Nick.  And this is Disney, after all, so of course the animation is gorgeous.  The city of Zootopia is a visual feast, with buildings designed to accommodate the unique physical needs of such a wide cross-section of animals.

What I Didn’t Like

While I did appreciate the message, it does get a little blunt in some places.  The plot is a bit formulaic, as I was hoping for a few more twists and turns.  Can we please retire the “super-nice guy turns out to be the villain” trope, because I called the criminal mastermind the very minute the character was introduced.  And we get it, Disney, Frozen is still a thing.  I counted at least a dozen Frozen Easter eggs and in-jokes, that stood out in the annoying way.

Final Verdict

I have pretty much the same opinion that I had with Frozen.  I enjoyed it, it was a fun afternoon at the movies, but I didn’t quite see it as the game-changer everyone is making it out to be.

3 Nibs

U62: The Targ

Episode 9.05: Just Another Saturday

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Well, now that my life is returning to some sense of regularity, shall we try to get podcasts out on a regular basis?  I don’t have much to ramble about in Episode 9.05: Just Another Saturday, but I have a few things to ramble about nonetheless.  What are my rambles?

  • Well, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is now on Blu-Ray, so I’ve watched it again and have some new thoughts to share.
  • Speaking of Star Wars, we’ve got the first trailer for Rogue One, so I’ve got some thoughts to share on that.
  • And we’re getting more Marvel TV shows and reviews for Captain America: Civil War are out, so I share the news.

And that’s all I’ve got on Episode 9.05: Just Another Saturday!

Download here!

And I’m on iTunes, too!

Movie Reviews

Movie Review – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Directed by Zack Snyder

Starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter and Gal Gadot.

Backstory

So, Man of Steel came along in 2013, and I thought it was an OK update of the Superman mythology, but I did have issues with how they tried to make Superman gritty and realistic.  And then, trying to get some of that Marvel magic, Warner Brothers decided that the sequel would be launching the DC Cinematic Universe, and that BFFs Batman and Superman would be appearing on screen together for the first time.  I was cautiously optimistic.  Was my optimism justified?

Plot

It’s been 18 months since Superman first came on the scene, and destroyed most of Metropolis trying to save the world from General Zod.  Congressional hearings are going as to how Superman should be dealt with in this world, and indeed, Superman himself still has doubts about how best he can help this planet.  But there’s one man who’s made up his mind about Superman:  Bruce Wayne, whose Wayne Enterprises tower in Metropolis was destroyed, and many of his employees killed.  He’s of the mind that Superman does need a deterrent in this world…Batman.  As tensions grown between Batman and Superman (oh, Superman doesn’t agree with Batman’s methods and has been attacking him as Clark Kent through editorials in the Daily Planet), Lex Luthor begins pulling the strings behind the scenes to further his own agenda.  What his agenda?  Will Batman and Superman see through the charade before they come to blows?

What I Liked

Oh, it is so good to finally see Wonder Woman on the big screen.  And she’s got this theme comprised of angry guitars that really announces her presence.  As we saw in 300 and Watchmen, Zack Snyder is really good at replicating comic book panels on the big screen, and there are pages torn out of The Dark Knight Returns that were so good to see on the big screen.  And when Batman and Superman do begin to throw down, it is a visual treat.  And damn that haters, Ben Affleck is a great Batman.  He does the world-weary, battle-hardened version of Batman that Frank Miller gave us quite well.

What I Didn’t Like.

“Hey, you know how everyone loved that confusing dream sequence in Avengers: Age of Ultron that did nothing but set up the sequels?  Let’s have MORE of those!”  Lex Luthor.  Jesse Eisenberg gives him so many quirks and ticks that he gets annoying, and you’re never ever really clear as to what his evil plot is.  The film does seem disjointed at times.  There’s a definite Amazing Spider-Man vibe of “Let’s throw everything at the wall and see what forms a franchise.”  And I, too, have always found it to be a remarkable coincidence that Batman and Superman’s mothers both have the same name, but that’s not the payoff for that coincidence that I would have expected.

Final Verdict

I’m conflicted.  Batman and Superman are warring for my heart.  I want to like this film.  I really really do.  But no matter how much I try, the best I can muster is “meh.”

2.5 Nibs

U62: The Targ

Episode 9.04: Mark v Cheeseburgers – Dawn of Obesity

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Holy moly!  What happened to me?  Where did I go?  How come I targcasthaven’t done a podcast in 6 weeks or so?  Well, as Jeff Goldblum said in Jurassic Park, “Life finds a way…to get in the way of your hobbies.”  (I may be paraphrasing.)  Well, I had my first weekend to myself in a while, which was the perfect time to sit down and record Episode 9.04:  Mark v Cheeseburgers — Dawn of Obesity.  What do I ramble about?

  • Well, i go into the specifics of what happened to me.
  • I just got home from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, so some off-the-cuff thoughts.
  • In fact, off-the-cuff thoughts on all the superhero TV shows on TV these days.
  • And International Women’s Day a few weeks ago had me reminiscing about the women’s studies course I had to take in college.

All this in Episode 9.04:  Mark v Cheeseburgers — Dawn of Obesity

Download here!

And iTunes, too!