#writers on medium

[geenawrites]

'Godzilla vs. Kong' is Kong's Story

Unlike the '62 film, GVK's plot puts Godzilla and Kong on equal footing in terms of strength. Kong is no underdog and he's not there for laughs. Nothing underscores this best than how the story rests on his shoulders. Oppositely, there's a distinct disinterest in Godzilla. If he isn't blowing something up, Godzilla is absent for most of the film. GVK renders Godzilla inert where he was far more proactive, animated, and personable in King of the Monsters. For all intents and purposes, GVK is more of a sequel to Skull Island than it is the two Godzilla movies. The best part about the film was watching my sister struggle to survive the two-hour run. It was hard not to laugh when she gave up on the movie after Kong fixed his shoulder like Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon 2, and literally buried the hatchet with Godzilla. GVK is a hollow note for the franchise to end on. Yes, it was fun, but it could've been more as well. Something was missing here, and I'm content with blaming it on the disregard for the human characters and their connection to the universe (and its monsters).

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[coffeeandnotebooksandpens]

The Education of the Democratic Candidates

An in-depth analysis from a(n) (almost) College Student

I recently penned an article on the education of the democratic candidates. It’s what I’ve been doing instead of studying for finals. Have fun with it.

[imnotsleeping76]

"Hey there Tumblr Tribe, welcome to 2018. Hope it was a smooth handover from 2017, let's keep seeing where we can elevate to - no limits. Are any of you guys writers or readers over on Medium? Well if so, come holla at me (user name is D Abboh) and let me know your thoughts on my stuff - i just joined in about three weeks ago. I mainly write longer think type pieces about life, love and whatever else comes to mind - a little poetry too. I'm going to try and stretch out with some short stories - if i think they're good enough I'll post them. So let's get busy living out here. Chow for now 😉🌻

- D @imnotsleeping76

[geenawrites]

‘Star Wars’ and the Art of ‘Making It up as We Go Along’ 

 Much like Abrams and Terrio’s Skywalker, Fates is compromised down to its foundation by Johnson’s Jedi, tonally and narratively inconsistent with Awakens. By all rights, this script is a clearer communication of Disney and LucasFilm’s rejection of Awakens more than Skywalker ended up being. If there’s any sign that Abrams should’ve finished what he started instead of walking away and letting LucasFilm play hot potato, it’s the characters.

 I’ve never had the displeasure of experiencing a more discombobulated cast of characters in my life. From film to film their personalities, goals, and defining traits shift worse than sand coming apart underwater. 

 Between Jedi and Fates, I’m not sure who makes worse characters out of the cast of Awakens — Trevorrow or Johnson. It’s a Frankenstein’s monster of a mess, and there’s no reason for it other than the two being allowed to do what they want within the limits of company mandates.

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[geenawrites]

‘The Last Jedi’ and the Death of a Story

Kylo Ren goes from a genuine villain to a poor and troubled adolescent acting out through the Dark Side, in need of rescuing. Kennedy and Johnson have declared our emotional cipher is not the people he harmed, but perpetrator himself. We can all relate to Kylo Ren. It’s such a tone-deaf and baffling series of arguments that attempt to minimize the character’s violence by reinforcing a troubled childhood over owning his actions in adulthood.

It’s not that Kylo Ren doesn’t stay manipulative or even irredeemable throughout Jedi, it’s that so much time is wasted on asking the audience to consider his redemption and offer him sympathy. It comes at the expense of the trilogy’s three stars, which is troubling as hell.

And with Finn, Poe, and Rey, the characters audiences wanted to see together in the sequel, Johnson’s apathy toward all three is at once plain within the script’s aforementioned rewrites and his failure to understand why the three worked as well they did in Awakens.

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[geenawrites]

‘The Rise of Skywalker’ and Failing Upwards (Part II)

Finn has no arc in Skywalker. Finn’s origin story does not appear, and of all things to take out of the film (be it during the rewrites, reshoots, or editing), removing Finn’s story remains the most baffling decision made. Like in Trevorrow’s script, Finn is the reactionary party of the underdeveloped cast of characters that have grown in more significance than he has.

Finn is a supporting character where Poe and Rey are elevated within the plot (but not to their benefits). It’s hard not to notice that Boyega is slipping into the background of Ridley and Isaac in most group shots. And if you haven’t quite got the message that he won’t be a Jedi, Abrams salts that wound by having Finn hold Rey’s Lightsaber for a hot second while she heals a random snake monster.

Skywalker does little to correct the myriad of problems that manifested in Jedi with Finn. It just has the convenience of never having to acknowledge that subplot. The code-breaker and Canto Bight side-quest is as pointless as criticized upon release. As if to drive this idea home, The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary describes situations that would’ve made a better story for Finn than what he got in Jedi.

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[geenawrites]

The Rise of Skywalker and Failing Upwards (Part I)

In most cases, Abrams’s tried-and-true scavenger hunt model can work to the advantage of developing the characters. But because so much of the film is focused on Rey, her feud with Ren, and her past, Rey’s relationship with Finn and Poe gets lost in the muck. The script is constantly creating physical and narrative gaps between the characters. It ends up being represented in the speeder chase. Rey is isolated from Finn and Poe in a scene that doesn’t see anyone except Finn and Poe work together as a unit. 

 The film is relying on the chemistry between Boyega, Isaac, and Ridley to sell the dynamic. It wants Finn, Poe, and Rey to be the heart of the trilogy (not just this film). It tries to accomplish this through discord and bouts of comedy. But there’s little substance to carry their interactions forward. The writing is failing them. Finn and Poe might be with Rey on her quest, but they have no impact or stakes in it.

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