The Book of Life

The Book of Life (9/10)
(Movie for children / available on Netflix)


Description: Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart, embarks on an adventure that spans three fantastic worlds where he must face his greatest fears.

Bechdel Test: 8/10
Although the plot of this movie still is two guys fighting over a girl, throughout the film there are loads of comments and actions which show women as being intelligent and powerful. This movie is especially great for the specific reason that it shows women as being able to handle themselves in a very positive and blatant way which is comprehensible for children.






Character Development: 6.5/10
There isn't really much change to the characters throughout the movie apart from them learning the intended message of the film. Despite this the characters are still incredibly fun to watch and the little character development that there is, is the type that you knew would happen from the start but it is still sooooo satisfying to see.



Diversity of characters/Representation of Minorities: 8/10
This film does not outwardly include any LGBTQAI+ characters or anything similar, however, the entire plot is based on an old Mexican story which depicts certain aspects of their culture in a fun and digestible way for kids. (Within the first few minutes of the movie their is an explanation given for the day of the dead and why it is celebrated).



Acting Skills: N/A
It's an animated kids movie.



Visual Presentation: 10/10
The animation in this film is spectacular! meant to look like wooden dolls, each character is the perfect balance of 'believable' autonomy, and explosively alive characterization. The backgrounds, the colors, the beautifully crafted lighting, all come together to make this movie truly beautiful to watch, especially if you are someone interested in visual art/animation.










Story Line: 8.5/10
Fun and surprising, the first time I watched this film I thought it would be predictable and boring but I was happily surprised! This film breaks barriers that many other kid movies and shows do not, while still being entirely family friendly and heartwarming to watch.





Additional Comments:
I have pretty much been avoiding doing a review on any kids movies up until now as I am a huge dork for them and sometimes I just really need the promise of a happy ending. (P.S. Guess who just realized she could add GIFs)



Let me know what you think about this show and if there is anything you would like me to review next!

Bones

Bones (8.5/10)
(seasons available on Netflix)


Description: Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist who works at the Jeffersonian Institution and also writes books, has an impressive ability to read clues from victims' bones. Consequently, law enforcement calls her to assist with investigations when remains are so badly decomposed, burned or destroyed that standard identification methods are useless. Brennan is teamed with Special Agent Seeley Booth, a former Army sniper, who mistrusts science and scientists when it comes to solving crimes but who has developed respect for Brennan, both professionally and personally.


Bechdel Test: 8/10
Women of color, queer women, intelligent women, artistic women, scientific women, bad ass women, etc... This shows does a really good job of having believable and solidified female characters who can be both; girly should they choose, and/or, someone willing to really get their hands dirty (often literally!). Loosely based on a real woman, this show has a really great way of showing equality among genders. It must however be said, that some of the women in this show do very occasionally have "save me I'm a girl!" moments, which are usually then explained to be a trick or a joke.









Character Development: 9/10
Everyone in this show experiences development.  Even the interns get enough plot to seem like real genuine people. From season 1 to season whatever the hell they're on now, the changes and growth of each character is just noticeable as to be engaging but no where near drastic enough to look out of place. It is only when you go back and re-watch the first seasons (as I have done many times) that you really notice just how much you've learned about each character and exactly how much they've grown as people.





Diversity of characters/Representation of Minorities: 8.5/10
This show has a little bit of everything and for the most part it is all represented in a really respectful and/or realistic way as to the personalities of the characters. There is representation for POC and LGBTQAI+ amongst the main characters! There is talk of mental illness, sexuality, gender, race, disability, privilege, everything at one point or another throughout the show and a lot of it is experienced or represented by the actual main characters.






Acting Skills: 8/10
This show has been running for a long time which means that the actors have all settled into their characters completely and that they really just seem like people acting and reacting the way they naturally would, as opposed to actors playing roles and reading scripts. Along with the character development.






Visual Presentation: 7/10
This show has a really nice mix of your typical cop show settings as well as putting a lot of effort into the gory details of the forensics. Not the most fantastical in visual aesthetics but what is done, is done well and to the point.









Story Line: 9/10
The plot of this show is a perfect balance between; recipe tv (basically the same things happen each show only in different places), and continual character and overarching storyline development. One of the reasons I love this show so much is that you can watch any episode (out of order) and be perfectly entertained by the basic formula of the episode, but should you choose to watch it in order, you will see how each episode advances some part of the plot and adds just a little bit more to the development of the characters.

Additional Comments: Overall I am a really big fan of this show! Its calm enough to have on while you are doing something else, while also being interesting and engaging enough to have you watching for hours. The characters are loveable and complex, the plot is interesting and moves with the characters, this show is one of my all time favourites! (I am very bias and probably blinded by nostalgia)

Let me know what you think about this show and if there is anything you would like me to review next!

Princess Bride

Princess Bride (9/10)
(movie is available on Netflix)


Description: This movie begins as a grandfather reading to his bedridden grandson a story which has been read in their family for generations. The tale of the beautiful farm girl Buttercup, her childhood beau, Wesley, a malicious prince, a six fingered man, a Spaniard, a brute, a self proclaimed genius set on causing a war, and the ever notorious; Dread Pirate Roberts.


Bechdel Test: 5/10
This movie generally fails miserably in the sense of having strong female characters. Though the story is sweat and will forever be one of my personal favorites, Buttercup is pretty much the only named female character.  However! though she is alone, and even though she is expected by pretty much everyone around her to just sit there and look pretty, there are several moments where she fights back or makes the move no one is expecting in an effort to escape her captures.



Character Development: 8/10
There is not a moment in this film in which the history and personalities of these characters could be found boring. From start to finish the humor, mannerisms, and emotional backstories of each of the characters are captivating. In particular, the development of Buttercup, Inigo, and Wesly are the most thoroughly fleshed out in the changes these characters must make in order to adapt and survive will facing royalty and pirates alike.


Diversity of characters/Representation of Minorities:6/10
Other than perhaps André René Roussimoff (a.k.a. Andre the Giant) who is known for having giganntism, there are only really two other people who canonically can be identified for representing a minority of sorts. The albino dungeon man, and the six fingered man, are both decent characters though its not a great representation even then seeing as how both of them are villains in this film.



Acting Skills: 8/10
As this is a comedy (/action/romance), the acting and character portrayal is much more on the 'fun' side of things but even so, the actors so really good at fitting into their characters. their actions and words are well portrayed and generally look 'natural' rather than scripted which is a big part in what makes this movie so great! 




Visual Presentation: 7/10
As a somewhat older movie, there are no great special effects and a lot of the back grounds and props are incredibly cheesy. However, this only adds to why this movie is great because it gives you one more thing to giggle about while you're watching the characters do there thing.







Story Line: 10/10
As you might have already guessed, this movie brings back a lot of nostalgia for me and so these reviewing are probably a bit more bias than usual. Regardless, of my own memories of watching this as a kid, the story in this movie progresses in a way that will always have something interesting happening which will keep you engaged and interested to see what will happen next.



Additional Comments: This movie is funny, family friendly, interesting, incredibly quotable, and basically just a good time all around! There is next to no one who I wouldn't recommend watching this to at least once!


Let me know what you think about this show and if there is anything you would like me to review next!

Firefly

Firefly (9/10)
(There are only 14 episodes)


Description:Set 500 years in the future after a universal civil war, the crew of a small transport spaceship takes any job so long as it puts food on the table. The disparate men and women just want to survive and maybe have better lives, but they face constant challenges on the new frontier, such as the Reavers -- flesh-eating mongrels who live on the fringes of the universe.


Bechdel Test: 9/10
The female characters of this show are diverse in their personalities, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, etc... they are strong even when they are suffering and are incredibly well crafted characters. The portrayals of these woman are well balanced and incredibly entertaining. The weak and fragile is also the most powerful, the naive and innocent is also the best with the ship, the strong and the fearsome is intelligent and capable, the beautiful and seductive is the best trained and most respected.






Character Development: 8/10
There are only 14 episodes (although that is only because of a stupid grudge someone in the producing field had) So although the characters aren't really given that much (prepared) time to show much change, the fleshing out of personalities and backstories is done beautifully. However, because the show was unexpectedly cut short, I warn you now that there are plots and mysteries which are never satisfactorily answered, (though many are dealt with in the fan funded movie serenity).

(angry man is angry)

(angry man is angry, with his woolly hat on)

Diversity of characters/Representation of Minorities: 9/10
Also lacking in any cannon variations upon binary gender, this show includes representation for many different minorities and is able to do so by simply incorporating it into the character, instead of the more common, turn the character into the minority. One of the main characters is a sex worker, however, against the norm in any media which does include people who work in the sex industry, she is intelligent, has her own rights which she has no difficulty upholding by herself, and out of the entire motley crew, is the most well respected and diplomatic character. Along with this, there is representation of un-diagnosed mental illnesses including in some instances PTSD, two of the main characters are visibly identifiable as POC.






Acting Skills: 9/10
Every character is a person, the actors in this show are really well chosen for their roles and are able to be their characters in a way that allows them to show a wide range of emotions (like a real person does), and even to bring in deviations to the usual personality of a character in way which still gives them a realistic and consistent portrayal.


Visual Presentation: 8/10
In a future where Asian customs (mostly recognizable as Chinese and Japanese), are melded with those of the old American West, which are then all flung out into space, this show does a really great job of showing a realistic version of how human culture might have evolved in such a situation. From the set design to the costumes and makeup, everything is strange and beautiful yet it somehow all feels normal. Their bizarre future lives at times are entirely alien and yet their clothes look lived in, their rooms are alive, and they use strange made up technology in their everyday morning routines.






Story Line: 9/10
Once again, although the story was unfortunately cut short, not a single episode is wasted and even though their lives aren't entirely structured, there are consistent overarching plots which tie everything and everyone together.

Additional Comments: This show is one of my personal all time favourites! It of course has it's problems, and will always be way to short, but if you are at all interested in some great quality sci-fi story telling and wonderful world building/ loveable characters, I would highly recommend you watch this show! (also the director apparently really likes the gun towards the audience shot because almost all the characters I searched for pictures, had at least one image fitting that description).


Let me know what you think about this show and if there is anything you would like me to review next!