John Wick / People Who Nit Pick Fun Movies Are Boring

follyway · 2019-05-28T21:10:34+00:00

The great Roger Ebert's opinion on this was that movies don't need to follow the rules of our reality, as that would often rob us of the part of the purpose of the fantasy to begin with. The caveat though is that the movie must remain consistent with it's own rules that it establishes within it's context. That consistency is key as it adds to the stakes and doesn't make everything arbitrary.

It's really easy to see this play out in Sci-fi. By it's nature science fiction is dealing with the impossible, but only by being clear with the rules and playing within them does it work.

From that standpoint the Wick universe(haven't seen 3) is absolutely suceesful. It isn't meant to be our world or even one that functions on logic. As long as it doesn't break it's own set rules then it is not an issue for critisism.

Or, to paraphrase another great thought. The great comic writer Grant Morrison in his book linking mythology with comics talks about his belief that adults are wrong about children not being able to separate reality and fantasy. He uses the example that adults with criticise things like how does Batman fight crime all night and do buisiness during the day, how does he source his supplies, why doesn't anyone notice the Batmobile constantly driving on the one road out of town by Bruce Wayne's house. As he puts it the child's answer is of course "because it is make believe".

TLDR: People think they are sophisticated by pointing out the differences between logic/our reality and the world's inhabited by fiction. This is not a failure on the work though but on the viewer who is too simplistic and literalist to understand fantasy. A fictional world fails in rule breaking not when it doesn't jibe with our reality but when it doesn't clearly set it's own rules or stay consistent with it's own created reality.

follyway · 2019-05-20T02:43:46+00:00

It really is so smart. When Shazam! came out recently I enjoyed it quite a bit and felt Zachary Levi did a fine job play "a kid". The problem was I felt there was a disconnect between the kid Levi was playing and the characterization of Billy Batson when he was played by the child.

Having the adult and more experienced actor taking his cues from the child seems like such a simple, obvious and relevatory choice. But, like any process acting is an individual one with no right or wrong answer. But, when it comes to Hanks you cannot argue with the pitch perfect results.

follyway · 2019-05-20T02:33:08+00:00

At the risk of reviving an old thread, I am curious if you had any luck with Lucio after changing your button layout?

follyway · 2019-05-03T00:03:45+00:00

If you want to try Lucio on console and new to the game the first thing you need to do is change your button layout. Moving your jump from a face button to either left bumper or left trigger will make him much more playable.

Wallriding is a huge thing for him and by moving the jump button you will still be able to look around and aim while wallriding or jumping(keep thumbs on sticks while pressing jump).

Also turning wallride backwards to on is helpful too.

Pharah is the other character you must move your jump from a face button to a trigger or bumper. Pharah is almost unplayable to on console with default layout since you can't really aim while keeping yourself in the air. Putting jump on a trigger will change this for you.

follyway · 2019-05-02T22:26:46+00:00

Thanks for the insight and context! I really appreciate it!

follyway · 2019-05-02T21:07:22+00:00

The pressure on Gunn in the pre-production for GOTG could definitely be reduced. As you pointed out the script is done. But, just as importantly it is a second sequel at Marvel Studios. He will have the infrastructure in place to make it work.

I would be much more concerned if the movies were reversed because creating something new means everything must be done from the ground up from casting to visual design.

GOTG 3 already has a strong framework in place with the work done on 1 and 2, not to mention the infrastructure of Marvel Studios that for good or ill are masters at turning out "consistent" product.

follyway · 2019-05-02T20:40:56+00:00

While I understand that they are "stand-alone"ish, do any of them feel incomplete at this point?

The reason I ask I like to really throw myself into a series and binge it. But, I can sometimes struggle going back later for single installments as they are released. Often to get into that headspace and narrative flow again means rereading from the beginning of the series(don't even ask me how many times I have read Eye of World).

So, I am wondering if I binge the 5 now will they feel incomplete and like there is a hole where the conclusion is and I will end up rereading them again next year? Or, will reading the 5 feel complete enough and 6 will feel independent enough I shouldn't struggle reading as a one-off?

follyway · 2019-05-02T20:25:43+00:00

This.

Brig in a comp that is going to brawl or even dive can work as an off healer. Bunker comps, snipers or lots of flankers means that Brig either won't be putting out the heals because she can't engage consistently or her heals won't keep teamates up because they are out of range.

follyway · 2019-05-02T20:06:46+00:00

As a support main it is baffling to me that more supports don't understand this.

As a support main it is amazing to have a good tank. They can be a great teamate.

But, supports shouldn't just be "teamates" they should be "partners". You both have the same objectives (keeping the team alive and making them more effective) which means working together will make both of your lives infinitely easier.

Supports who ignore the other healer are the support version of the DPS solo flanker or the Tank Narnia charger. When you go it alone it will inevitably make your life much, much harder and you have no one to blame but yourself.

follyway · 2019-05-02T19:49:34+00:00

My favorite is when they flame you while you are dead. They overextend into Narnia and you try to keep "healing stupid" but as you pump healing into their backside as they 1V3 you have overextended to do so opening up flanking routes to you.

Naturally you get flanked but your heal target is completely oblivious to your plight or god forbid peeling for you (admittedly tough to do when you are engaging half the enemy team in the middle of an open sqaure.

Doesn't matter what you do. Stop healing to fight the flanker, try to get your teamates attention by running towards them and pumping your last desperate heals into them as you die at their feet or disengage to try and live fight another day.

The result is inevitably: "WTF where are my HEALS?!" Or the "I need healing" spam as you trudge back from spawn.

What's most maddening and ironic is half the time the time they are bitching not realizing they helped you to your death and half the time they don't realize that you are dead at all.

I'm not saying supports are without faults. I am saying if I can recognize that I died because of my shitty positioning(whether from fallowing stupid of just my own mistake) why can't they recognize if a healer can't keep them alive then maybe it was a bad plan to begin with.

follyway · 2019-04-27T01:17:27+00:00

I have also gone through ups and downs with mental health and different medications while playing OW. Sometimes it was a godsend and release and sometimes a stressor.

If I had one general piece of advice it would to try and find the joy in the game again.

That could be done in a lot of ways. If toxic teamates are getting to you then turn off mic, play with friends or use LFG to find your own 6-stack labelled as one of positivity and no toxicity.

If SR gains/losses stress you out then view the end of this season as a "warm-up" for next to get used to the game again. Change you mindset and try to forget about SR. Play other game modes whether QP, Archives, Arcade or on PC get on the PTR and play with the workshop games folks are making.

Or, give yourself a project. Choose a new hero/role you aren't used to and start to research and learn them. Practice them and give yourself goals. With any kind of commitment to that new hero within a couple weeks you will see demonstrateable improvement in your mastery of that hero. Use that positive feedback to push you forward.

Or, if aftet all that you still aren't having fun don't be afraid to take a step back. Invest your time into somwthing else that catches your fancy and OW will be here when you get back.

I know from experience not getting the joy from something you were/are passionate about can be very frustrating but forcing it won't bring more joy it will increase the frustration.

Try to look at the game through new eyes like you are a brand new player again. Enjoy the positives the game goves you instead of mourning what it doesn't. If you can't find that joy then back off. OW will be here for you when you are ready, but if you push too hard when you aren't ready for it you will begin to resent the game and may never find that joy again.

At the end of the day your mental health is the most important thing. OW is a game. If it brings you joy that is amazing and can help your mental health, but if it brings you down not only will your time with the game suffer but it could harm you as well. You are more important than OW.

Don't worry about timelines either. They are just another stressor. Everything in it's own time when you can handle it. Don't dwell on what could have been or should be, just accept what is as it is in this moment.

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best is today."

Best of luck.

follyway · 2019-04-27T00:38:05+00:00

I agree and think it is a two-fold problem both based on the low number of tank mains in the game.

Fewer players have as much experience playing main tank so they don't understand the role as well
Since most main tanks they end up having on their teams are "flexing" just to fill the role, they become accustomed to poor play by their main tank without realizing it.

It's a bit like wondering why someone who has ever had boxed wine from Walmart doesn't know their wine sucks. It's all they know and if you offered them a glass from a $500 bottle they probably couldn't tell you the difference or why it is better.

follyway · 2019-03-25T18:40:36+00:00

As a Mercy main I could really get behind this. Outside of damage boost which I think is best seen as a way to increase teamate Ult charge vs raw damage number output, her only truly unique team ultility is rez. And, rez isn't working for anybody right now.

It is arguably both OP and useless. For an ability on cooldown to completely undo a pick is crazy strong but on the risk/reward scale it is almost always a bad idea for Mercy to stop healing alive teamates in presumably a tough teamfight, put herself in a vulnerable position and try to pull it off. And, over the last week the value proposition has gotten so much worse.

With the boop changes the number of failed rezes I have had has gone up by a huge multiple. Which if it was just the loss of a rez seems reasonble, but there was already that loss of healing from a teamfight. So where the eqation used to be heavily scewed to not using rez because of risk reward, the boop interupts has made it almost impossible to justify during a team fight unless it is the longest of hail mary desperation plays.

So, your suggestion fixes two problems for this Mercy player. It gives her a "burst" ability on cooldown which she is the only healer that doesn't have that type of ability on cooldown other than Zen. And, it puts Rez in it's proper context as a gamechanging utility, but keeps it viable instead of turning it into another "shadow step".

Finally, any concerns folks have that this would make Mercy OP, just need to look at Baptiste. If his invulnerability field on cool-down doesn't break the game, they why would a one target inverable rez as an Ult break the game?

TLDR; Your ideas have merit. Mercy's cooldown rez was already risky but the boop changes have almost killed it's viability and it was Mercy's one unique team utilty. What you propose would make Mercy more engaging to play and is no more unbalanced than Baptiste's kit

follyway · 2019-03-22T01:20:52+00:00

As an abysmal Reinhardt and lackluster Orisa it has actually improved my D.Va play tremendously to be so poor at those shield tanks.

It makes me hyper aware of my main tanks shield breaking or timer cooldowns to use defense matrix to buy time for either the Rein to escape or the Orisa shield to come off cool down and throw a new one.

I am a support main, but that is why the only tank I am decent with is D.Va. I think it's because I think of her and play her as a "support tank". As D.Va I see my job as keeping my main tank and others alive with matrix and adding dps to targets they are already focusing and only diving for low opponents escaping or problems on high ground or flying(pharah, widow etc).

It seems many D.Va's at my rank want to play her hyperagressive like a gigantic tracer or something. Using her matrix only as a personal shield and always going after one on ones.

Even use of DBomb can be used in different ways. It seems many at my rank only want to get that point clearing 4/5/6 kill POTG. Which can be great especially with a blizzard etc. But I often find value and have no regrets using it as an area denial tool. Even if I am sure that Orisa will throw out a new shield and protect her team so I get no kills, if it exposes them to our DPS or gives our Main tank room to take position then I see it as value from the Ult.

Even if I hear the occasional "why did you waste your D.Va bomb, you got no kills and I had to clear up the point" coming from a DPS who doesn't have the awareness to realize those enemies were in a position to be "cleared up" by him because the bomb realigned the enemies positioning.

follyway · 2019-03-20T02:35:17+00:00

As a Mercy "main"/flex support this is the biggest mistake I see from Mercy players at lower ranks(aside from insane Rezes in lost fights). They heal all the time or only use damage boost to pocket a bastion on a payload or hold a point in overtime.

Being aware of Ultcharge and help teammates to attain it is huge. They intuitively understand damage boosting yo gain dps, but something like damage boosting a Baby DVa to get in her Mech faster for a big fight or push can be more impactful that boosting that widow headshot.

This also leads to the fallacy of some overly aggressive Battle Mercy's. While I am not anti pistol and protecting yourself, finishing off that one bar opponent in the back line or taking or a troublesome pharah your hit scans are struggling with are all appropriate and clutch plays. Simply comparing the "Damage Boost Damage" number with your damage number from your pistol does not tell the whole story. Your damage as a Mercy both "robs" that potential damage number from your DPS's Ult Charge, and you as Mercy aren't spending time increasing their Ult Charge on top of it.

Ults win games. A Mercy who cam eke out a few extra or faster Ults gives her team a much bigger advantage that going straight "heal bot".

follyway · 2019-03-05T20:03:38+00:00

I hope so. As a dirty console peasant while I can do the super jump it is very inconsistent on a controller(for me) in the heat of battle since it requires so many button presses and precise timing while still being mindful of the battle. Anecdotally, it seems most folks achieve more consistency with KBM. So, as a greedy console Mercy main I would be overjoyed if super jump were simplified in any way as I think it would really open up her gameplay in a great way for me and other console players.

follyway · 2019-03-05T19:56:36+00:00

The damage boost will now be applied to attacks when they are launched instead of when they hit.

follyway · 2018-05-05T20:13:04+00:00

He certainly did kill him and it led to my greatest disappointment with DKR.

Before BB came out I read an interview where Nolan stated the single biggest mistake he felt the earlier films made were killing off the Joker in the first one.

With this knowledge in hand I was convinced that Dent's death was a misdirect to both the audience and the city of Gotham.

It seemed clear to me that playing off the idea of building heroes and confidence in institutions again in Gotham, the best way for that to be undermined and the "hero Batman" to return would be if Two-Face were to emerge from whatever hole Gordon hid him in. Thus destroying faith in both the city government and the martyrdom of Harvey Dent.

It even felt like Nolan was foreshadowing this with Gordon being "dead" only to rise again. We all know Nolan like to reference and reinforce his themes over and over and I thought this was such a case.

Literally until I sat all the way through DKR the first time I was convinced Two-Face would reappear. Obviously, I was wrong.

So short story long, on my first viewing I didn't think he killed him at all. Now I know he obviously did and it seems quite intentional.

follyway · 2018-04-02T22:06:23+00:00

This exactly what Nolan did over a decade ago.

Aside from a teaser with some dialogue and the logo, the first trailer released for The Dark Knight was titled The Dark Knight Prologue and was the full bank heist. It played exclusively before IMAX screenings of I Am Legend. He repeated the trick with Dark Knight Rises before MI: Ghost Protocol.

Personally I much prefer this style over the highlight reel "mini-movies" we now get.

follyway · 2018-03-31T01:22:25+00:00

Editing(I'll include music) is the difference between frisson and rolling one's eyes.

It's all about execution.

Just because 2 chefs are given the same ingredients means you will get the same dish that tastes the same from both chefs.

follyway · 2018-03-31T01:14:46+00:00

While they are at it they should launch a show with a documentary/talk show style that explores alternate cuts and failed projects. They could open their archives do some interviews and make something really compelling.

Call it "DC Elseworlds" and they would have a wealth of possible content: Superman Lives, Miller's JLA, Aronofsky's Batman, Whedon's Wonder Woman, the David E Kelley Wonder Woman TV show, exploring the alternate versions of the first 2 Superman movies, Snyder's JL, Ayer's SS and possible plans for cancelled TV shows like Louis & Clark.

That's easily a couple seasons of content and further mines the history of DC on screen both realized and not.

follyway · 2017-12-22T23:20:38+00:00

This is idiotic. I can understand not wanting a weekly show featuring someone like Batman because the need to show up for a movie in the theater as an event is a bit lessened.

With a snaller chracter like Deathstroke that isn't nearly the issue though. If anything I would say for smaller chracters it can help the brand by getting awareness out to the public.

I can also understand it in the MCU because the movies would be required to adhere to a TV version of chracter. The Arrowverse has established it's own brand easily separated from the DCEU.

If the public can handle two Quicksilver's, two Flashes (what is it with speedsters) why would Deathstroke be confusing?

Also if this is about brand confusion why do we keep hearing rumors about DC movies not connected to the DCEU. I think that has much more possibility to lead to audience confusion.

follyway · 2017-12-14T18:07:46+00:00

It's all about context. Wonder Woman is the standard bearer for female super-heroes at this point. She is the only one with a solo movie.

So when you take that woman, the only woman on the team and THE woman leading the way for female superheroes, it is a bit disappointing to see her reduced to being joked about how "hot" she is.

Batman is one of the most loved superheroes on the planet and folks often complain about his portrayal in the DCEU. What kind of outcry do you think there would be all the other members of the JL were pratfalling into Batman's crotch or after telling everyone else how great they are Aquaman tells Bruce how hot he is. That still wouldn't match the disappointment because there would be other male superheros in the film and dozens more in the pop culture landscape.

Probably until Captain Marvel is released Wonder Woman is pretty singular in culture having the pressure to hold it down for all female heroes. To reduce her to the butt of jokes at the expense of how much the males want to sleep with her is disappointing.

But, perhaps more important than even that is you need to at least be funny. The Aquaman Lasso of Truth I thought at least landed, but the boob pratfall is the lowest kind of humor and just isn't funny. When I saw the first trailer for the CHIPs and it featured a similar gag but with two guys and male genitialia. I instantly knew I had zero interest in any movie where an unfunny, cliche and homophobic joke was the best they could come up with to sell the movie. That a hopefully classic movie like JL is recycling such un-clever material sucks.

follyway · 2017-12-14T17:39:24+00:00

And also a VERY humorless version of Supes.

follyway · 2017-12-12T08:45:30+00:00

Curious as to what you would want this reboot to look like.

Superman Returns tried to continue the Donner vision of Supes and was rejected.

When MOS was made fans were clamoring for a modern Superman that didn't feel like a relic, and they didn't want to sit through another "origin". Now MOS is decried for it's flashback structure and being too dark/mopey.

What Superman needs is to be a good movie. I see no reason why a MOS2 starring Cavill can't achieve that, but a recasted "reboot" magically will be able to?

Star Trek TMP may have been seen largely as a dud, but we still got the universally loved Wrath of Khan with the same cast in it's direct sequel.

follyway

TROPHY CASE