Hey there, Internet! Been a while since I posted one of these journal entries. ^^'
But fret not! For today, I come bearing a surprise...an impromptu movie review! Specifically, I'll be sharing my take on the third Sonic movie.
So, without further ado, let's get down to business...
SHORT SUMMARY
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In case you're in a hurry and don't have time to read the more detailed breakdown below, I'll go ahead and give you the short version of my review:
Broadly speaking, I don't think Sonic Movie 3 is as good as the second movie in terms of overall quality. Humor was largely a miss for me, and the pacing really needed some fine-tuning (some scenes were either too short or too long). But it's not a bad movie by any means, and I think that regardless of how much experience you have with the Sonic franchise as a whole, you'll be able to have a fun time. All the emotional moments - both big and small - hit all the right notes and with just the right amount of weight. Most of the characters were spot-on as well, and the way the writers chose to handle Shadow - from backstory to character arc, and everything in between - was fantastic. So if you're looking for a fun movie for the whole family, and you don't mind taking a chance on a series you may have no familiarity with, consider giving this movie a shot. As for a numerical rating...I'd give it a 7 to 8 out of 10.
With that out of the way, let's go over my longer review and more in-depth thoughts...
LONG REVIEW PART 1 - CHARACTERS & ADAPTATION
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To start off, I feel like I should acknowledge that I’m in a bit of a weird spot when it comes to my relationship with the Sonic franchise as a whole; I didn’t really get into the series until Sonic Unleashed came out in 2008, and even then I was only able to play games as far back as Sonic Heroes. So I don’t really have the same nostalgic bias towards the Adventure-era stories (and towards Shadow in particular) that older fans might have.
All that being said...I ended up enjoying the way the characters, especially Shadow and Sonic, were portrayed here. Sonic's characterization as a fun-loving, wise-cracking gremlin that also cares deeply about his found family is carried over from the previous movies, and it works just as well here as it did there. In fact, I found it often made the more emotionally-intense scenes - where Sonic drops the fun-loving attitude and gets serious (or is otherwise in a state of emotional turmoil) - even more impactful.
Likewise, in spite of my initial apprehension upon watching the prerelease trailers, I found Shadow's portrayal in this movie to be spot-on. His characterization as an angry and broken person, who ultimately chooses to let go of his anger and pain to stop his surrogate father Gerald from destroying Earth, was handled with care and respect, something that I was not particularly expecting going into this movie. And it makes the scenes he shares with Sonic all the more emotionally impactful. (I wanna give special mention here to the scene after Sonic and Shadow's super form brawl, where they're just sitting on the moon, talking things out and relating to each other's pain. That scene in particular was just...chef's kiss.)
One character that surprised me was Eggman. His characterization as the boisterous and self-aggrandizing mad scientist who wants to rule the world is carried over from the previous movies, and is more or less what I expected from him. What I did not expect (and was pleasantly surprised by) was the arc he undergoes over the course of this movie: Going from a down-and-out reject who initially joins Sonic and Co. out of a desire to clear his own name (and gain a favor from the main trio), to a naive kid (figuratively speaking) who jumps at the opportunity to join Gerald and Shadow when he discovers the former is his grandfather - a choice born out of a desire to have someone who loves and appreciates him unconditionally (more on that when we get to the supporting cast) - to ultimately betraying Gerald and helping Sonic and Co. (along with a freshly-reformed Shadow) stop Gerald from destroying the Earth, which ultimately leads to his demise...that was a turn of events I did not anticipate getting to witness. But now that I have, I think the movie is better for it.
Speaking of Gerald, his portrayal in this movie is...interesting. In a good way. ^^
He shares a lot of the same on-screen energy as Eggman (makes sense, since they're both played by Jim Carrey), but where Eggman is more naive and looking for geniune connection, Gerald is more calculated and disconnected, ultimately seeing everyone around him - including his allies - as nothing more than tools to use in his desire to get revenge on GUN and the rest of humanity for taking Maria away from him.
It all makes for an incredibly sinister villain, one who's portrayal is wildly different from the source material...and I think it works better here than his portrayal in Adventure 2. (Spicy take, I know. XD)
As for the other characters…most of them are handled very well. Commander Walters and Agent Rockwell end up being real duds (the former because he's used for some unnecessary and rather lengthy exposition dumping, amd the latter because her character literally goes nowhere), but Idris Elba and Colleen O’Shaughnesy as Tails and Knuckles continue knocking it out of the park. Agent Stone also gets a surprising amount of humanization in this movie as well, to the point where he is unironically one of my favorite new side characters now. And although she doesn't get as much screen-time as the others (ultimately a wise choice, if I'm being honest), Maria is handled with the care and respect she deserves; The writers do a very good job of showing the friendship she develops with Shadow, and how devastating it was to have that ripped away from him and Gerald.
Tom and Maddie are done reasonably well here too, even given the incredibly small amount of time they spend on-screen. I wasn't a big fan of some of the jokes that took place in some of their scenes (more on that later), but otherwise I found their presence passable.
All in all, characters and their respective characterizations were done well across the board. Not much else to say here.
LONG REVIEW PART 2 - TALKING ABOUT COMEDY
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While I had a lot of positive things to say about the characters and their characterization...the same can't be said for the movie's attempts at humor.
To be clear, there are a few jokes and references that got me to smile. The scene of Shadow watching the Spanish telenovela and adding his own running commentary was a surprisingly clever (and tasteful) reference to the "Shadow Loves Latinas" meme that's been around since the mid-2010s. And the gags involving Agent Stone managed to ellicit a smirk from me. There was also that short quip from Gerald about "women in the military" that caught me off-gaurd, which I thought was oddly fitting for his portrayal in this movie.
However, the majority either went on for far too long, or veered into subjects that were a bit too uncomfortable for my taste. For the former, a lot of the scenes between Eggman and Gerald really needed to be trimmed down by about 30 seconds. (The scene where they first meet in particular I felt was done better in the trailers.) And for the latter, the gag involving the Little Tom puppet comes to mind. Just...eugh.
Not much else to say here, other than I hope the writers can deliver better jokes and gags when the fourth movie rolls around. Moving on now...
LONG REVIEW PART 3 - AWKWARD STRUCTURE & PACING
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Following what I said in my section on the movie's jokes and gags, I don't think it'll be much of a surprise to hear that I think this movie has some pacing issues. But beyond the length of individual scenes and amount of screen-time afforded to them, the way the movie's story is told is a little clunky, and could've benefitted from a bit of polishing.
For example...instead of Commander Walters expositing Shadow's entire backstory in a single scene, I think it would've been better if the movie had opened with a flashback showcasing a brief interaction between Maria and Shadow, and then transitioned (via some sort of abstract visual cue) to the moment Maria died in the explosion and the aftermath. This would've allowed the audience to get up to speed on Shadow's motivation for wanting to destroy Earth while still keeping the relatively brisk pace intact. Not to mention that we could still keep the rest of the flashbacks where they are, since they help to reinforce how important Maria was to both Shadow and Gerald.
...Honestly, I think that's all I've got for this section. (For now, at least.)
Moving on.
LONG REVIEW PART 4 - MISCELLANEOUS STUFF
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For this last section, there really isn't gonna be amy sort of overarching thesis or structure; I'm just gonna talk about some random anecdotes that I couldn't fit into the other sections. So uhh...buckle up.
1. The post-credits scene showing off Amy and Metal Sonic (and the Metal Sonic clones) was interesting. I'm very curious as to how the writers will handle Amy's characterization in the fourth movie. And seeing Metal Sonic is always cool. No other notes here. c:
2. Like with the previously-mentioned Amy, I'm interested in seeing what the writers will do with Agent Stone now that Eggman (at least for now) is basically dead. Maybe he'll go into hiding again? Whatever happens, I hope we get to see the development afforded to him and his relationship with Eggman go somewhere. It would be a real shame to have it all thrown away.
3. It's a very insignificant thing when taking the rest of the movie into account, but...that brief scene inside the abandoned base where Shadow captures everyone except Eggman via silly, b-budget horror movie-style fake jumpscares was honestly kinda thrilling to watch. And I really like how it kinda indirectly plays into the subtle cosmic horror theme Shadow has always had as part of his origin story. Makes me wanna see Sonic Team cook up a Sonic-themed horror game starring Shadow himself.
…And I think that just about covers all the points I wanted to hit on.
Hope y'all enjoyed this movie review, and I look forward to talking to y'all sometime soon. Until then...see ya later!
Samuel Pierce
[Created on Jan. 4th, 2025 @ 5:16 AM CST]
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Back for another web journal entry. ^^
This time, I thought I'd tackle a niche, but still relevant (to me, at least) topic: Digital Minimalism.
For those of you who don't know what it is, "digital minimalism" refers to the act of a person deliberately minimalizing - and optimizing - both their use of various electronic devices, and how many devices they use, in an effort to reduce negative psychological effects (burnout, being overly-distracted, etc.) as well as make the act of engaging with the devices themselves more meaningful and/or fulfilling.
That definition sounds pretty specific - and to a certain extent, it is - but the way in which that strategy is implemented varies from person to person. For some, it could be as simple as turning off certain apps or features on their phones via the Settings app; For others, it may entail getting rid of certain devices altogether, and buying more specialized devices as a replacement.
As for me...I've decided I want to go with the second strategy I mentioned previously. To that end, I have assembled a small roster of devices that I feel best fill the majority of my everyday needs, and I thought I'd share that list with y'all...along with a short explanation as to why I chose that particular device.
So, without further ado, I now present to y'all...
Why I Chose This Device
While I am a predominantly stay-at-home artist, there are occasional moments where I need to step outside my house; be it for an inpromptu road trip, attending some sort of family gathering, or whatever. This often means that I need to bring my work with me. And in those moments, having something like this 2-in-1 Windows Tablet PC would be immensely helpful. Besides being a good all-rounder for my various forms of work though, this tablet PC (or a custom equivalent) would also have enough computational horsepower to play most (if not all) of the various Steam games I have in my Library, along with most of the multiplayer titles that my friends have been subtly pushing me to play. Add all this together, and you get one solid package that suits all of my needs.
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Why I Chose This Device
When I was a kid, I was staunchly anti-cellphone; they were nothing but a massive distraction loaded with a bunch of features that I never found much of a use for. Cut to now, as an adult who has gone through one iPhone SE (and is currently going through another)... I have to admit that I do understand why so many people use these things. However...as of late, I've also noticed that I've been having a hard time staying focused on anything art-related, with most of the distractions coming from my bad habit of binging YouTube videos, and anxiously awaiting message pings on the Discord app. As such, I've decided the best course of action is to give up my iPhone, and replace it with two more specialized devices: A handheld AM/FM radio with MP3 playback and onboard audio recording (more on that in its respective list entry), and this low-tech TCL Flip Phone available with a Verizon StraightTalk data plan. As to why? Well...it helps me maintain all the necessary communciations I need to have with my relatives (who may need me on the line for something important or urgent at any time), without bombarding me with extra unnecessary features that would otherwise be a major distraction. (Seriously...just trying to browse the web or use Google Maps with this thing is a pain. And in this case, I consider that a good thing.)
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Why I Chose This Device
Those of you who browse the Archives on my main site likely know that I used to be a digital artist (albeit not a great one). Eventually, though, I switched over to being a predominantly traditional artist. And while I've wanted to get back into digital art, I've also had a lot of trouble getting used to the...err...nuances of working with a plastic/metal stylus on a glass screen. To the point where I often get frustrated and stop altogether.
Yes, I'm aware that things like screen covers, different styles of styluses, and other devices exist that could probably help me overcome at least some of these problems. But if given the choice, I'd rather just find a way to make these issues nonexistent entirely. And that's where this nifty little drawing tablet comes in. You see, the iskn Repaper XLite has one very unique feature that makes it stand out from the crowd... It allows you to use it as both a regular drawing tablet, and as a digitizer for traditional art. The way it accomplishes this is by allowing users to choose between either using the included stylus, or slipping a small metal ring over a preferred traditional drawing instrument (pens, pencils, etc.), clipping a piece of regular paper onto the tablet with some included clamps, and drawing on the paper as they normally would. And all of the pen/pencil strokes get registered and displayed on-screen.
In other words...it means that I no longer have to choose between doing traditional art, or doing digital art; I can do both simultaneously. And since the drawing tablet is compatible with most of the big-name digital art apps, it means you don't have to use the name-brand app available for the drawing tablet.
...Need I say more?
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Why I Chose This Device
As previously mentioned, I've noticed as of late that I've had a hard time focusing on anything art-related, largely due to my bad habit of binging YouTube videos and anxiously waiting for message pings on Discord. My proposed two-step solution to this problem was to let go of my iPhone SE, and replace it with two more specialized devices. The first one is the TCL Flip 2 Cell Phone (see above). The second...is the BOESPATR Handheld AM/FM Radio.
"Why replace your iPhone with an old-looking radio?", you may be wondering. "Wouldn't the iPhone, with its myriad of freely-available MP3 player and Files apps, serve the same purpose?"
And to that I reply with: "Yes, the iPhone does offer numerous ways of playing MP3 files and listening to AM/FM radio stations. However...many of these apps tend to have a laundry list of issues that make them a no-go for me; from the aggressive implementation of in-app purchases (a monetization method I thoroughly despise), to the near- constant inclusion of intrusive advertisements (which oftentimes also require you to fork over money to stop seeing them), to the app developers' often questionable data privacy policies...I think I'm at least a little justified in wanting a device that allows me to get away from all that nonsense."
This is what the BOESPATR Handheld AM/FM Radio accomplishes (over-the-radio advertisements notwithstanding).
Not only does it have an MP3 player and AM/FM radio combined into a retro-styled handheld design (complete with an extendable whip antenna), but it also has an onboard audio recorder. So if a song comes on the radio that I like, or if I need to make a voice recording to reference later, I can just hit the RECORD button (and plug in an external microphone in the case of the former scenario), and I can record the audio directly to whatever storage medium I'm using for all the audio.
And yes, I said "storage medium"; Both Micro SD and USB flash drives are compatible with this device.
(I also wanna experiment with sending messages over the AM/FM bands, but that's a subject for another time.)
Oh, and this handheld radio also has a 3.5mm audio jack anda built-in speaker.
...I think I've made my point now. c:
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Why I Chose This Device
I made an off-hand remark earlier about my friends subtly pushing me towards playing some multiplayer games with them. Normally, I'd be inclined to pass on multiplayer games (I strongly prefer games that are primarily a single-player experience), but I really wanna play some games with these friends (preferably something other than Jackbox party games) and forge more meaningful connections with them.
Unfortunately, trying to play games on a PC with mouse and keyboard (especially the more action-intensive games) isn't something I can do very well. So, I believe a dedicated game controller is...well, maybe not a necessity per se, but certainly a deeply-appreciated convenience.
Of course, me being me, I'm very picky about what game controller I get. And if I'm gonna be taking a dedicated game controller with me to places outside my house, then I want a controller that's got a relatively slim form factor, and still has all the various buttons and joysticks I need to comfortably play games with it.
These are the reasons I chose the 8Bitdo Sn30 Pro USB Game Controller (along with a few others); It meets all of these needs and packages it in an SNES-styled form factor that looks and (theoretically) feels good to use.
Moreover, since I'm an aspiring Indie game developer, having a dedicated controller on hand will be very useful if and/or when I decide to target a game console as a platform to export any of my game projects to.
As for why I went with a wired controller instead of a wireless one? Simply put...I won't need to worry about input lag (something that can occur with a wireless controller), and I won't have to worry about recharging or replacing a built-in battery (I find it often devolves into micromanaging battery levels, especially as the device gets older and suffers from the usual wear-and-tear gaming tends to throw at it).
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...And that concludes my Digital Minimalism Device List. Did any of these devices catch your attention?
If not, I hope I was able to get y'all thinking about digital minimalism as a concept. Or at the very least, gave you some mild entertainment talking about some neat gadgets I found while surfing the Net.
That's all for now. Hope to post another one of these web journal entries soon! ^^
[Created on Nov. 28th, 2024 @ 7:18 PM CST]
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Welp...time for another journal entry. ^^
This time, I figured I'd introduce myself in a more formal manner; Let y'all know who I am, where I'm from, what my goals are in life, etc. So, without further ado, here's some more info about me...
My name is Samuel Pierce, but I prefer to just go by "Sam."
I am a 27-year-old, gender-nonconforming (he/him, she/her, and they/them are all valid) small fry currently residing in Miami, Oklahoma.
Aside from being a freelance artist, I'm also an aspiring indie game developer, an aspiring toy and product designer, and a stay-at-home worker (I.E. I help keep the house clean when I can).
My other hobbies include listening to music (Rock/Metal and various forms of Electronica), tinkering with various electronic devices, cars (of all shapes, sizes, and functions), videogames, and designing websites for my own personal use/entertainment.
In terms of life goals...I'm mostly out to do two things:
1. Make a name for myself as a prominent creator/author/storyteller.
2. Become as independent as possible, and live a relatively stable (if incredibly boring) life.
How I'll achieve these goals is still up in the air, but I'll figure it out as I go along.
Welp, that's about everything. Hope y'all enjoyed this more detailed descriptor of yours truly, and I hope to post another one of these journal entries sometime soon. ^^
[Created on Nov. 23rd, 2024 @ 6:33 PM CST]
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Hi there! My name's Sam, and thanks for dropping by this...let's call it a "web journal". I created this web journal as a way for me to talk about whatever random ideas and thoughts pop into my head on any given day. There really won't be any sort of consistent theme with these posts; Sometimes I might talk about current events (no harrassment/bigoted comments, please!), other times I might talk about niche hobbies or old toys, and sometimes I may talk about something completely out of left field. It all just depends on what my brain has to say.
In any case, I plan on posting more of these web journal entries as time goes on. I hope y'all find them interesting (or at least entertaining), and I look forward to posting another web journal entry in the future. Bye for now! ^^
[Created on Nov. 22nd, 2024 @ 10:41 PM CST]
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