Quarantine Control #3: Just Geeks Babblin’

It hasn’t been that long since we’ve been told to stay at home to slow the spread of COVID-19 and “flatten the curve,” only a little over a month. But it feels like it’s been longer. The world has been on fire for the last four years, which noticeably intensified with the Brexit referendum in June 2016, so it often feels like time moves slower. It hasn’t actually been years since the virus started, though you’d think so given the reactions from dumber people determined to prolong this by not staying at home and gathering in crowds. Thanks, guys.

Fortunately, having a bunch of material to watch and play helps make this time much more tolerable. We started this Quarantine Control series two weeks ago to document how the writers on this blog have been passing the time while staying at home, and we aren’t about to stop now.

 

Joseph Daniels

Perhaps appropriately, my contribution to this third edition of Quarantine Control contains the word Three in its title.  If you’re wondering why I’m not very verbose in my preamble this week, I used up all my words yesterday.

The Legend of the Three Caballeros (2018)
Source: Disney+
Episodes: 13

I’m not entirely sure where this series came from.  Okay, it’s obvious, it came from Disney.  But what I mean is, why was this series made?  It seems like an odd time to create an entirely new series featuring Donald Duck which references old school Duck Tales on a few occasions, at the same time that a reboot of Duck Tales is currently being broadcast which features Donald in a more prominent role than he had in the original series.  The second season of Duck Tales even brings in alternate versions of the other two Caballeros in its ongoing mission to create a single timeline for the entirety of Donald’s own history and that of the Disney Afternoon.  It’s almost like they’re trying to create an entire cinematic universe within the new Duck Tales.

So… are they still wanting to experiment with shows that exist outside this continuity?  Is that where The Legend of the Three Caballeros comes from?  And now that this show is available outside of the Phillipines, which is an odd choice of place to premiere it, will it receive a second season or is it doomed to only ever consist of thirteen episodes, since Disney is currently thowing all of their eggs in the Duck Tales basket?

I don’t know, but if you’re worried that the series is somehow going to be lacking of the kind of wit and snappy writing that they’ve demonstrated with Duck Tales, then allow me to assuage your fears: The Legend of the Three Caballeros is more than worthy of the legacy of its three titular characters.  The series also isn’t just content to feature Donald, José and Panchito, for while Duck Tales regularly features familiar characters and concepts from the Disney Afternoon, The Three Caballeros seems to revel in shining a light on lesser known aspects of the Disney canon.  The Aracuan Bird from the original The Three Caballeros and Melody Time shows up and acts exactly as you’d expect.  Humphrey the Bear shows up as Donald’s bear rug.  And did you know that Daisy has nieces?  April, May and June serve a similar function here as Huey, Dewey and Louis do in Duck Tales.

The series even starts off by honouring many of the tropes of old Donald Duck cartoons to the point of near ridiculousness.  And yet it works.  Donald losing everything, including his job and his girlfriend Daisy, is immediately made better when he inherits… a miserable run down shack.  The introduction of Xandra, the Goddess of Adventure, kick starts the Caballeros’ adventures around the world, and they gradually find out about a threat to the world named Feldrake.  Season one is about the Caballeros learning to work together and learning how to be Caballeros, and ends with a sequel hook that so far has not been acted upon, but now that the series is available on Disney+, I’m holding out hope that more is coming.

Oh yeah, and I should note that this series is one of the few available on Disney+ that is listed in correct order.  I’m not kidding, every series that aired as part of The Disney Afternoon with the exception of Gargoyles is listed out of order.  The first episode of Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers, “To The Rescue, Part 1” is listed as episode 28, Tale Spin’s first episode, “Plunder & Lightning, Part 1” is listed as episode 34, and the two part premiere of Darkwing Duck is listed as episodes 29 and 30 on Disney+.  Even the new Duck Tales series didn’t escape this, with the first episode, “Woo-oo!” being listed as episode 4.  Hopefully eventually someone will go through and correct this.

 

Geoffrey Barnes

Final Fantasy VII Remake
Source: PlayStation 4
It’s a Video Game

After an extra week of waiting, at least partially necessary thanks to Amazon focusing on essentials for packaging and deliveries these days, my copy of Final Fantasy VII Remake finally arrived. I’m over 20 hours in at this point, and I’ve had as good a time with it as expected thus far. I’m saving my extended thoughts for an eventual review. Here, I’ll focus on the game’s overall progression, and highlight moments and characters that have stood out to me thus far.

I’ll be honest: FFVIIR is more linear than I expected, though I have nothing but myself to blame for being even the slightest bit surprised at this. The original game was a linear experience, and the Midgar section was one of the most straightforward segments, which this first episode of the overall project consists of. The progression has reminded me of Final Fantasy XIII’s, as it involves wandering through largely linear areas and dungeons to one story beat after another. (It’s even more reminiscent of Final Fantasy X, but FFXIII is still on more people’s minds, including mine.) This also shouldn’t be surprising considering the team that worked on the FFXIII trilogy was involved, but this does make me surprised at the more positive reaction this game is receiving compared to FFXIII.

The reactions, in fact, actually show how a little variety can go a long way towards making an experience feel more open. The issue with FFXIII’s progression was how it forced players to travel on too straightforward a pathway for most of the game, with few breathers in between, and didn’t open up until Chapter 12. FFVIIR, comparatively, has Cloud and crew travel to several sectors of Midgar, where the characters can stop to take breathers in addition to experiencing story sequences. The sectors also have side quests to let players spend more time in them, further emphasizing the illusion of freedom. This experience, like with Final Fantasy X’s before it, shows how much this matters.

The progression is further helped by the game having an extremely fun battle system, though it takes some adjusting at first. It’s easy to segue into when you’ve played the demo and learned the basics. The characters and story are more intriguing than FFXIII’s ever was, even at this early stage during in the series. The story is greatly expanded upon over the original, with gaps it left being filled in here. From my current point, Tifa, Aerith, and the Avalanche trio benefit from the extra character development given to many characters. Others could too, but again, I haven’t finished it yet.

I’ve had a better time with FFVIIR than I’ve had with a Final Fantasy game in a while. It’s a shame Square Enix had to go back to a remaking a popular game to provide one of the better FF experiences in the last decade, but it could help show them the way forward for the franchise from here. It’s a shame this game is so linear and restrictive, sure, but the second episode will be more open considering it will involve venturing out of Midgar — reminiscent of another FF sequel in particular.

Anyway, please look forward to a review of Final Fantasy VII Remake at some point in the near future.

I also spent a little time catching up on some Pixar films, specifically their 2015 slate.

Inside Out
Source: Disney+
It’s a Movie

One of the reasons why I was intrigued about watching Pixar’s 2015 movies was due to it being a reportedly dark time for Pixar. Their sterling reputation for releasing one excellent film after another was first ruptured due to the combination of Cars 2 and Brave, both of which critics and moviegoers felt weren’t up to their usual standards. Inside Out was a light in the darkness compared to those, and after seeing it, I can see why: It takes an intriguing concept and runs with it as far as it can.

The movie is partly a coming-of-age story featuring Riley, an 11-year-old girl who begins to experience the first struggles in life before she turns 12. Girls nearing their teenage years always face struggles, but hers are exacerbated by the family’s sudden move from Minnesota to California, leaving everything and nearly everyone she knew behind to start a new life. This does a number on her emotions and feelings.

Fortunately, we get to see what effect that has here, as those emotions take the form of colorful characters that, for instance, represent Joy, Anger, and Sadness. This is where the most (but hardly all) of the memorable parts of the movie occur, but the focus on them thankfully isn’t overwhelming enough to push Riley’s story into the background. They play off each other well.

The story takes unexpected twists and turns that make it unusual compared to Pixar’s catalogue, but at the same time, it’s the kind of experience anyone familiar with their productions would have expected from them. Not everything is as it seems from the opening parts of the movie, in Riley’s real-life world and especially with her emotions. It’s a lesson in how unpredictable young girls can be, in good and bad ways.

It’s an enjoyable film, and you should watch it if you haven’t. Also make sure to watch the sequel short, Riley’s First Date, which is more about the parents and their emotions than Riley herself.

The Good Dinosaur
Source: Disney+
It’s Also a Movie

The Good Dinosaur, meanwhile, shows why this was considered a dark time for Pixar, despite it being in the planning stages for well over a decade and actually being in the works for years (and one, in the end, they didn’t profit from). The movie is about talking dinosaurs in families, with a particular focus being on the shy and kind-hearted Arlo. He’ll grow over the course of the film, particularly when he meets a young human caveboy later named Spot, who he spends most of the movie with.

The story is predictable fare, with the kinds of twists seen in several Disney films that predated Pixar. I won’t say that parts of the film didn’t get to me in a heartwarming way, but it’s the kind of film that you realize is overall unfulfilling compared to their better films. It’s still an entertaining and often beautiful-looking movie, but it’s easy to see why filmgoers were expecting more from the studio coming off the superlative aforementioned Inside Out.

It’s a disappointment considering its concept and development hell-laden production, but it’s still an entertaining film. Take time to watch it if you’ve gone through a bunch of other films on Disney Plus.

 

Angela Moseley

At one point I had planned to write a little about Final Fantasy VII Remake, but between Geoff and Drew’s impressions there’s not much need. So have more anime and movies I’ve been watching. 

Fruits Basket (2019) Season 1
Source: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 25

The original 2001 animated adaptation of Natsuki Takaya’s Fruits Basket manga was fairly popular in the early aughts. The original series was animated by Studio Deen and only ran for 26 episodes leaving out much of the story found in the manga. Given the popularity of Fruits Basket and the trend of anime studios revisiting completed manga series, a new adaptation isn’t surprising. This new series is being animated by 8PAN and TMS Entertainment. I didn’t watch the 2001 series, so this remake is new to me.

Tohru Honda is a kind-hearted teenager who gets the worst of life when her mother dies and she can no longer live with her grandfather’s family. Not wanting to be a burden to others, she moves into a tent in the forest. Unbeknown to her, the property is actually owned by the Soma clan. One day Yuki Soma who’s also Tohru’s classmate and his older cousin Shigure are out for a walk on their property and discover her tent. They invite her to live with them.

In exchange for a room, Tohru helps with cooking and cleaning around the house. Yuki is known for his coldness toward the opposite sex at school, but it turns out he and much of his clan are actually hiding a secret. Some Somas are possessed by Zodiac animal spirits, and when they are hugged by the opposite sex they turn into their Zodiac animal. In Yuki’s case, he turns out to be the rat and Shigure is the dog. Things take a turn for the rowdy when Kyo (possessed by the cat spirit) moves in and transfers to Tohru and Yuki’s high school. As Tohru stays with the family and meets other possessed members of the Soma clan, it turns out the family has a dark and cruel secret.

My take on Fruits Basket is one of fascination and frustration. On one hand, I don’t mind romantic shojo comedies. On the other hand outside of Tohru and the main cast, much of the supporting cast of this show is insufferable. They are deeply flawed people who desperately need a therapist. The reason why just about everyone in the Soma clan, especially the Zodiac members need therapy is explained. I understand WHY they act the way they do, but that doesn’t make their time on screen any more enjoyable.

Tohru herself is another area where this show rubs me the wrong way and gives me hope. In season one she’s presented as a selfless character that can do no wrong. Yes, she’s bad about asking for help, overworking herself, and holding in her true feelings. That said, because she’s kind, polite, and a bit helpless at times, characters seem to fall over themselves to rescue her from difficult situations. Or the antagonists of this series hate her kindness. For example, if someone tries to bully Tohru, someone is always there to help her out or defend her. She’s dangerously close to Mary Sue territory at times. 

At the same time, Tohru and her relationships with the main cast are what makes this series so enjoyable, thus the hope. Tohru is a person who is open-minded and has a gentle, but forceful will that draws others to her. As this happens they become better kinder, gentler versions of themselves. In one episode she falls sick, so Kyo takes it upon himself to nurse her back to health. He’s the type of person who’d never cook for anyone else, but because of all the care Tohru showed him, he wants to repay her. This is basically a show about the power of kindness.

I’m hoping in season two that Tohru’s own issues are addressed and the darkness that plagues the Soma clan is dealt with in some positive way. Anyway, if you were a fan of the original series or you enjoy romance series, check out Fruits Basket.

Cats (2019)
Source: Bit Torrent (Did you really expect me to pay for this?)
Episodes: 1 movie

When people think about Cats the first thing that comes to mind is the 1980 musical. That musical was based on T.S. Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. I’m not a fan of musicals and I’ve seen some versions of Cats throughout the years. I just couldn’t get over how weird the costumes were nor did I ever understand the plot. When the trailer for the 2019 movie adaptation of the musical was announced, the trailers and the screenshots turned me off. I wasn’t alone in my repulsion, as most people were taken aback by director Tom Hooper’s vision. Instead of going with costumes like in the original musical, he opted for digital fursuits. The results were nothing short of uncanny valley horror. The movie also bombed at the box office, as it cost $100 million to make, but only made $38 million globally.

I was certain that I would never see this movie. I ended up watching this movie online via Discord with friends. (It was my group of friends in The Balto League I mentioned last week.) We managed to pull 10 people into the viewing and commented as we watched. Cats is bad, but it does down a lot easier with friends.

One night a kitten named Victoria is tossed onto the streets of London by her owners. Frightened and alone, the kitten meets a group of alley cats named the Jellicles. She is first introduced to Munkustrap, Mr. Mistoffelees, Demeter, and Cassandra. From there, she’s introduced to more of the group, on the night of the Jellicle Ball. It is a night of singing and dancing where members of the group make their case on why they should be chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer to be reborn in a new life. The ball doesn’t go as planned, as the villainous Macavity sabotages the competition by disappearing various Jellicle cats.

His plan comes to fruition when he uses his partner in crime, Bombalurina to distract the remaining cats with a song and drugs to get close to the Jellicle leader, Old Deuteronomy. Macavity makes the case for why he should be chosen after getting rid of the competition. She deems him unworthy of ascending to Heaviside Layer, so he uses his magic to kidnap her. Using his own magic and being cheered on, Mr. Mistoffelees counters Macavity by bringing back Old Deuteronomy. 

Meanwhile, the cats who were kidnapped earlier manage to break free and return to the rest of the group. Everyone rejoices, while Macavity slinks away and his minion, Growltiger is tossed into a river. Victoria vouches for the previously outcast Grizabella to ascend. After a touching song, Grizabella is chosen and sent away on a chandelier that floats like a hot air balloon. Macavity desperately tries to ascend with Grizabella, but fails miserably.  Victoria is accepted into the Jellicle cats and is officially welcomed by Old Deuteronomy. Everything ends with leader of the Jellicle cats breaking the fourth wall as she tells the audience how to properly address a cat. (Did you know a cat is not a dog?!)

Where do I even start with this mess of a movie? On the upside, I’m impressed by how Tom Hooper managed to gather such a star-filled cast. We had Judi Dench (Old Deuteronomy), Idris Elba (Macavity), Jennifer Hudson (Grizabella), Ray Winstone (Growltiger), and even Taylor Swift (Bombalurina). The song themselves were well-composed and well-performed—I especially enjoyed Taylor Swift’s song “Macavity: The Mystery Cat,” and Jennifer Hudson and Francesca Hayward’s (Victoria) “Beautiful Ghosts.” I also enjoyed the set of downtown London. Some of the backgrounds were amazing and the colors worked well.

Unfortunately, that’s about as much praise as I’m willing to give Cats. The biggest flaw with this film (aside from the CGI) is that it being a musical didn’t translate well to the big screen. It felt awkward as every single plot point in the film had to be conveyed via song and dance. There were 20 songs sprinkled throughout the nearly two hour running time. Things got weirder when the realization hits that these cats were singing and dancing about why they should be chosen to die. In essence, Cats is about a death cult with veneer of glamour liberally applied to hide its disturbing undertones. Those undertones are made worse by the uncanny valley of the digital fursuits the actors are wearing, coupled with the sexually charged nature of a majority of the songs. The dance number with Bombalurina (Taylor Swift) and Macavity (Idris Elba) made me distinctly uncomfortable, despite how great the song was. 

I just couldn’t get over these two actors essentially in skin-tight bodysuits covered by digital fur (complete with abs and nipple-less boobs), with digital cat ears, partially human faces, and humans hands dancing that sensually. Combined with enduring over an hour’s worth of weird digital effects where collars didn’t quiet sit right on the cats, glitches within the CGI, the human hands, one cat in particular being able to take off her skin to reveal clothes underneath, dancing cats only wearing sneakers and the weird scale of the cats in proportion to the backgrounds, and the most sexually charged dance in the movie nearly broke my brain. The ending was just as messed up, as the Jellicle cats rejoiced in sending a fellow cat off into the sky to die. Part of me was glad to have seen the movie just so I could write about how bad it is, another part of me regrets wasting two hours of my life on this theatrical trash.

So should you watch Cats? If current world events have you feeling anxious, it’ll definitely take your mind off of things for about two hours. Otherwise, if you have a taste for a movie with musical numbers see 2019’s Judy instead.

 

That’s all for this week, but we’ll undoubtedly be back at this time next week. Lockdowns aren’t being lifted for many cities, states, and countries for at least a couple of weeks, especially if they’re in densely populated areas. (There are some going through with opening up their economies anyway, as a way to apparently sentence their citizens to death.) All of us will have played and watched more by then, so you’ll have more to read here.