Ken Friedel Tribute

Today, I'm here to talk about a close friend of mine named Ken Friedel, who has his own youtube channel where he mainly talks about Thomas and Friends and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but also dabbles in movie discussions from time to time.  His content ranges from episode/movie reviews to parody videos, redubs, and also music videos.  Said videos are very entertaining and will keep one hooked for a while.  He promotes his channel, as well as interacts with fans, through his Facebook and Twitter pages.

As for Ken himself, he's a nice guy who has done a good job making an image of himself in the Thomas and Friends and My Little Pony communities.  He keeps up with episodes from both franchises well, as evidenced by his frequent uploads to YouTube and Facebook, and he does at least try to spread a positive vibe to his followers.  His videos are well-meaning and most of his reviews are laced with well-thought-out points

However, there is one thing that I noticed a while ago that seems to be holding him back in terms of channel success.  Some of what he says in his videos is somewhat repetitive, especially when it comes to his "What If..." videos as well as his "reaction" videos.  The latter of which involves him putting clips from a separate video into a scene that he thought was funny and the former consisting of sound clips edited into various scenes.  While they are interesting, they are arguably the weak point of his channel with the repetitive clips and jokes, which is the case with some of his other content.

However, despite that, he does make content that works on an entertainment level and also manages to get his points across.  Not only that, but despite the fact that he does involve himself with spoilers, he always tries to keep an open mind about whatever he's reviewing and 9 times out of 10, it actually works.  Many people think that in order to truly keep an open mind, one must avoid any spoilers at all cost, but with the right attitude, they tend to matter less and less until you aren't affected by them whatsoever.  This is what Ken Friedel does and I think that a lot of up and comping reviewers can learn much from this example.

If you're interested in Ken's work, I highly recommend checking out his videos on youtube first.  As for reviews, he normally posts his them to Facebook before uploading them to YouTube if you want an early scoop or want to give him feedback on his content.  He also has accounts on Instagram, Blogspot, and Patreon if you're interested and wish to contribute to his content.  That's all I have and until next time, think simple, think big, and think positive.

Top Three Equestria Girls movies.
(Updated)

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is a show that started it's run in 2010 and has gained some unexpected popularity from adult/adolescent males who have since called themselves Bronies.  Part of the reason for this popularity is how the characters are not only identifiable, but are also put into relatable scenarios with well-rounded morals.  Not only that, but the main locale of Equestria is very nice, as well as diverse with multiple real-life and mythological creatures as part of the populous.  Eventually, the popularity for this show became so great that the creators decided to make a spin-off series in the form of the Equestria Girls movies, which have been hit or miss with the fandom.  With the latest installment, Legends of Everfree, coming to Netflix next month, I felt it only appropriate to count down my favorite ones thus far from worst to best.  So with all that out of the way, let's get started.

3. My Little Pony: Equestria Girls

- The first installment in this series as well as arguably the weakest.  The story centers around Twilight Sparkle, voiced by Tara Strong, attending a royal summit when a magical item is stolen and taken to a world populated by human versions of the inhabitants of her home land, Equestria.  She tracks it down to a high school within said world called Canterlot High (CHS) and from there, it's your typical high school underdog story.  Where the main character is a new student at school who has trouble fitting in and tries to do so via competing for what is basically a prom queen against the resident, for lack of a better word, bully.  And for the most part, it works in the film's favor as the story doesn't go too far with the typical high school tropes and it actually sets a motive for the main character.  As opposed to just winning the pageant just for the sake of getting back at the one who initially wronged you.  It's still present, but it serves a greater purpose in the story.  The animation is also well done and the characters are portrayed nicely.  There are several problems that make it anything but perfect though with some of the plot holes being pretty glaring and if you aren't a fan of films set in high school, then you're not gonna like this film much.  Also, there are many references in this movie with most of which that will more than likely make little to no sense out of context.  Overall: hardly perfect, but entertaining enough to be considered a guilty pleasure.

2. Equestria Girls: Friendship Games

- This installment on the other hand is a bit better, but there are still a few issues with it.  While the story itself is much less cliché, the premise is still somewhat so with two rival schools competing against each other in a sports event.  However, the movie is still better than the first one due to the characters being handled better as well as the animation quality getting a much-needed boost.  Not to mention that the build up to the climax is quite intense, especially with the song sung by the villain, who is the principal of the rival school.  Speaking of which, she is really entertaining with her constant desire to continue the winning streak that her school has against Canterlot High.  However, the aforementioned issues with this film still hold it back.  The main problem is the initial interaction between our main leads and the Twilight Sparkle of the human world, who has been dubbed Sci-Twi by the community.  The other problem is the students of the rival school Crystal Prep Academy, who seem to have personalities solely based on their respective names, which is kind of ironic considering that a few of them are featured on the poster.  But in any respect, this film is still better than the first movie, and I think that's something worth appreciating.

1. Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks

- Speaking of better than the first movie, we now arrive at the film which most fans have deemed the best one so far with me being no different.  The story is enjoyable with the introduction of a musical showcase that later becomes a battle of the bands thanks to our villainous trio known as the Dazzlings, who are really Sirens who were banished from Equestria. These three are not only intimidating, but also have very funny interactions with one another, as well as most of the other characters in this movie. Also, the music is arguably the best part of the movie.  This is especially the case with the final song before the credits where it's an all-out music battle between our main heroes and the sirens.  However, if there is one glaring issue with this movie, it's a song sung by one of the main characters Rainbow Dash, voiced by Ashleigh Ball.  The whole thing is just her singing about how superior she is to everyone else, and it's made even worse due to the fact that such an amazing instrumental was wasted on this kind of song.  However, that's the only glaring issue with the movie as the rest of it is very entertaining from beginning to end and well worth watching or even owning, especially if you're a hardcore brony.

So there we have it, the Equestria Girls movies so far ranked from worst to best.  Hopefully, Legend of Everfree will be just as good, if not better than the rest.  Until it comes out, my list still stands and now I'd like to hear from each of you.  Let me know your respective thoughts in the comments below and then, if you get some free time, grab a few snacks and invite some friends to check out these movies, preferably in the order in which they were released.  That order being Equestria Girls, Rainbow Rocks, and Friendship Games.  And then, if your curiosity has been further peaked, definitely give the show itself a chance as it does live up to most of the praise.  Until next time everyone, think simple, think big, and think positive.

The Last Airbender

Movie vs TV show

Avatar: The Last Airbender is considered to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, television series of all time.  Especially given how simple the premise is with a group of kids who can control the four elements; air, water, earth, and fire respectively, with one of them being able to control all four at once, otherwise known as The Avatar.  These kids band together to stop an evil ruler from taking over the world, which sounds way too simple on paper and yet it works to the shows advantage.  The main points of praise are directed towards the colorful animation, personality-driven characters, and the several real-world and relatable issues that are tackled in various episodes.  In terms of personal experience, it took me a while to really get into the series as I didn't think too much of it when it was airing on TV.  However, I rewatched the series a few years later and I find myself enjoying it much more than I ever have in the past.  It still isn't my favorite TV show, that slot is taken by Code Lyoko, but it is crystal clear where the praise comes from.  Nowadays, this show is in my top 5 favorite shows of all time along with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and Steven Universe.  And it wasn't too long before a movie based on this beloved show was in the works.

Unfortunately, the film itself is a complete mess with story that rushes itself out every chance it gets, poor character presentation, and poor special effects.  Not only that, but M Night Shyamalan, the director, made several changes to the story with most of them making little to no sense in the long run.  The main one of these changes being more focus on the establishment of the world around our heroes as opposed to our heroes themselves.  Another example of an unnecessary change is that the movie shows the enemy holding a group of earth benders in a prison made almost entirely of earth, the very element that they can manipulate to their will.  In comparison, the show has the prison set on a metal oil rig where their abilities are rendered null and void.

Top: movie
Bottom: show

Another point of comparison is the action sequences.  In the show, these scenes are very quick and really know how to get the blood pumping.  However, the action scenes in the movie are mostly tracking shots that quickly get boring after not even a minute.  Most of that is due to the timing between the bending and the actual movements of the characters.  In the aforementioned prison scene, six earthbenders are shown to be moving a small boulder and using it to hit a firebender.  This is nothing short of a copout considering that in the show, that many benders were able to easily send a tank flying with one or two synchronized movements.

The characters in the movie are also poor representations of their TV counterparts.  Sokka, the undisputed king of comedy in the show, is changed to a no-nonsense stick-in-the-mud, as well as a complete pessimist who can't see the bright side of anything.  Katara, with her unwavering devotion to her friends, is made no better due to her nonexistent contributions to the plot that basically turn her into one of those non-playable characters (NPCs) in video game who spoon feed information to the player during a boss battle.  And possibly the worst offender is the main character, Aang.  In the show, he has a kind spirit who never tries to sugarcoat the harsh reality of his situation and recognizes his inevitable fate while desperately searching for another path to victory.  In the movie, he's completely naive and too attached to the past to see what's directly in front of him, like a more annoying and less interesting version of Captain America.  The only two characters that retain their original identities are Zuko and Iroh as the former does give this sense that he's been hurt by his father in more ways than one and the latter does seem at least somewhat like a real uncle to Zuko.

Despite that however, the movie still has too many flaws to be considered worth checking out in the slightest.  There have actually been a few rumors about a sequel floating about and if that is the case, I just hope that it will be at least somewhat more tolerable than this Titanic of a movie.  But until that hope comes to fruition, I'll stick with the great show that we already have and its sequel series, Legend of Korra.  Which by the way, has reviews that are a bit more mixed, but I still enjoy it and consider it a worthwhile entry into the Avatar Franchise.  As for the movie, the only way I go back to it nowadays is a review from the Nostalgia Critic.  His review of the movie is what inspired me to make this comparison blog and if any of you get the chance, definitely take a look.  He goes into much greater detail about the show, the movie, and even a bit about Shyamalan himself.  There is also an article that explains not only the events that are missing from the movie, but also the characters with quotes from Shyamalan himself put into it.  I'm not sure if this does the movie justice or not or even if it's completely valid, but I'm not gonna hold my breath.  Even if it is, this movie is still getting a 2.5/10 from me with the 2.5 going to the fact that it was the first Shyamalan movie I saw and the fact that when I first saw it, the only pressing issue for me was how they pronounced the names of certain characters.  With that said, thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you all very soon.

Thomas and the Magic Railroad Review

(Updated)

Thomas and Friends, a British TV series released in 1984 that centers around talking trains and their adventures on the Island of Sodor.  More specifically, the escapades of Thomas the Tank Engine as he and his friends complete various jobs around the island while learning various life lessons along the way.  While the TV show was and still is met with somewhat mixed reviews, it is still regarded in a positive light.  So much so, that eventually the creator of the show, Britt Allcroft, was tasked with making a movie based on this show.  Enter Thomas and the Magic Railroad, the first and only Thomas and Friends movie to be released in theaters.  Upon it's release in 2000, the majority of reviews towards this movie were negative with the consensus being that it didn't deliver what most children's films nowadays do.  That criticism is somewhat valid as the americanization of the film did remove some of the charm that the original series had, but does that make the film awful?  Well let's catch that next train out of the station, take a look, and find out for ourselves.

The film opens, appropriately enough, with our main character Thomas chugging down the line to work as the narrator, played by Alec Baldwin, gives a brief description about Sodor and introduces himself as Mr. Conductor.  We are then introduced to Diesel 10, who has come to Sodor in search of a "lost engine" whom he plans to destroy.  Turns out that this lost engine is not so much "lost" as "hidden" in a workshop up on Muffle Mountain under the care of Burnett Stone, played by Peter Fonda.  He gives a boy who visits him named Patch, and us by extension, a brief history between the engine, named Lady, and an "evil diesel" as Stone puts it.  We then meet Mr. Conductor himself at a railway station by the name of Shining Time and he has been given the task of looking after the engines of Sodor while their controller, Sir Topham Hatt, is on holiday with his family.  He says goodbye to his friends at Shining Time and arrives on Sodor while we are then introduced to Stone's granddaughter Lily, Mara Wilson.  She visits her Grandpa up on Muffle Mountain and then meets up with Patch, who brings her along to visit Shining Time Station.

While there, she meets up with Mr. Conductor's cousin Junior who takes her with him to the Island of Sodor via his gold dust, which is one of only two ways of getting to and from Sodor.  The other method is traveling with Lady, but this is a problem as both Mr. Conductor and Junior are close to completely running out, but they theorize that they can get more with the help of the lost engine Lady.  Once on Sodor, Thomas, Lily, and Junior meet up with Mr. Conductor at a windmill where Junior is flung from the blades and lands on top of a speeding Diesel 10.  As a safety precaution, Thomas reluctantly takes Lily through the buffers leading to the magic railroad  and back to Muffle Mountain.  While traveling, he sees a coal truck that he lost earlier and decides to take it with him to the mountain in the hope that it will help Mr. Conductor and Junior to find the source of the gold dust.  Upon arrival to the mountain, Lily leaves Thomas to find her grandpa, but Thomas ends up sliding down the mountain while she's gone and into another set of buffers.  Lily gets to her Grandpa and begs for his help, but says that he can't due to the fact that he has tried everything to get Lady working and failed.  Lily then decides to try the coal that she and Thomas brought with them and asks Patch if he can go and retrieve some, to which he excitedly agrees.

Meanwhile, Junior reunites with Mr. Conductor after being forced to use the last of his supply to escape from Diesel 10, leaving both conductors with little strength left.  Back on the mountain, Patch returns with the coal and Burnett shovels it into Lady's firebox, allowing Lady to create enough steam to get her working and onto the tracks.  The magic railroad is restored, they reunite with Thomas and the conductor cousins, and they all arrive safely back on Sodor.  But they are not out of the woods yet as Diesel 10 appears and he chases Thomas and Lady down the main line all the way to an old and unsafe viaduct which Lady and Thomas cross successfully, Thomas only just.  As opposed to diesel who falls through a gap in the bridge and falls into a passing barge of sludge.  After the ordeal, the group figures out the source and successfully creates more gold dust for Mr. Conductor and Junior.  With all said and done, the Conductor cousins go their separate ways and Lily gives the gold dust that Junior promised her earlier in the movie to Burnett.  He then decides that they should share it as he puts it onto Lily's bluebird plush toy and the movie ends with Thomas puffing home into the sunset.

And that's Thomas and the Magic Railroad, and the only lingering question is whether or not it's truly as bad as it was made out to be.  Personally, I think not as it is entertaining and it's simple enough for fans of the original show to follow along.  Even if you've had no previous exposure to the show, it can still be a worthwhile watch if you go into it with the right mindset.  It's not perfect as the americanization is somewhat apparent and despite being the title character, Thomas himself doesn't get too much screen time.  Despite that however, this movie is still well worth watching, especially when you can clearly see that it's trying to tell a good story without feeling the need to resort to any pointless CGI effects.  Two examples of films that unfortunately fall into this category are Lost in Space (1996) and Godzilla '98.  Meanwhile, the only CG used in this movie is for the magic railroad itself and the gold dust while everything else is either practical or a green screen.  It might not compare to these two and others as a sheer spectacle, but it does its job of being a simple children's film that anyone can enjoy very well.  Overall, this film gets a solid 7 out of 10 from me and with all said and done, think big, think simple, and think positive.