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The Walking Dead’s Season 11 Premiere Brings Back The Horror That Was Missing!
AMC’s The Walking Dead will kick off their 11th and final season on August 22, 2021. I was given access to the first two episodes of the season back in July. Although I would love to give you all the juicy details of the episodes, I cannot go in detail with certain plot points. For now, here is my non-spoiler preview of The Walking Dead’s 11A premiere.
I will also note that these two episodes are titled “Acheron Part 1” and “Acheron Part 2.” These two are not airing back to back and these were the rough cut versions of the episodes.
What I like about Part 1 and Part 2, is how the boundaries are tested. Those mostly have to do with Maggie and Negan. The two of them are reaching a level of a big clash that I believe will happen later in the season. Their tension that is building up on Part 1 that is carried into part 2 also affects the group too. But not to the point of who’s side is one person is on. More like if what one person is trying to make sense over another in the current situation. I will have to say this, one line said from one of the characters will have a trigger warning. What happens after that said line is exactly what that character deserved at that moment.
The atmosphere truly brought out the threatening horror of The Walking Dead, which has been missing for quite some time. It is no surprise that AMC has managed to capture the horror vibe on the show from the abandoned train station to the military compound. Especially the first opening minutes where one move wrong could have been a disaster for the group. Additionally, the group encountered a very disgusting walker who almost resulted in one of them losing his life. However, there was one character who made sure it wouldn’t happen.
The sound department also gets a high praise from me. The score, and how the sound was used for one particular scene made me question whether if it was reality or just part of the episode. And I am not sure if it is because these are the earlier versions of the episodes, but one line said from a character is muted. I read that character’s lips when it was muted and it might have been a “F” bomb (Editor’s Note: I watched the final cut of the episode last week and the line was unmuted. No “F” bomb to be heard).
One question that ran through my mind during the first two episodes was about the status of Alexandria. There was no explanation on what happened to the community. I hope this will get addressed later on in the season.
What you knew about Maggie a long time ago, is completely gone. Although I will refrain from calling her a “Dark Maggie”, she is different and cold. You’ll have to discover what the reason is, but there is one. As far as I recall, Rosita, Aaron, and even Carol did not get much screentime in the first two episodes. But when they were on screen, it did matter!
I did not forget to mention Eugene, Yumiko, Princess, and Ezekiel. It might have been debatable whether if their scenes could have been one episode, but It worked for these two. They have not stepped foot in The Commonwealth yet, but they are questioned for a long period of time. There were multiple times that this sequence was showed to us as a split screen. Speaking of The Commonwealth, Mercer is here! I will not disclose which episode he debuts on, but Mercer is more menacing and threatening than he is over his comic book counterpart.
The scenes with the guards were good, and I liked their interactions with them, but there was one major scene that caught me by surprise. Whether the actress is being recast or if the character is a decoy is unclear, but I was caught off guard when I saw it. Furthermore, a revelation to one of the characters is also depicted in the comics in a similar manner if you understand what I mean.
I do also feel that 11×01 should have been longer, or aired alongside of 11×02 based on what happened at the end of 11×01. And a few minutes before the end of 11×02, be sure to pay close attention to the area!
That is it for my preview. While the first episode of the final season is not as strong as the season 10 premiere, it did made me look forward to the rest of the season. I am sure that fans of The Walking Dead are happy that the show is back. I can also say that The Walking Dead is back and better than ever!
Be sure to check out my weekly recaps of this season along with interviews from the cast. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @julianexcalibur for more content.
The Suicide Squad is a Fun and Bloody Mess!
With the insertion of the word “The” to the title as the only acknowledgment that it is the second film in the series, the title seems to be a dig at its 2016 predecessor, Suicide Squad, which was widely panned. Even though that movie could have been a random take on The Suicide Squad, the new movie is The Suicide Squad, and that’s what counts.
In the DC Cinematic Universe, the Suicide Squad occupies an odd spot. Though it’s not the sequel to Suicide Squad, it’s a kind of sequel nonetheless. Even though it isn’t a reboot, it works in the same way. There is a new creator with this film – James Gunn who did the Guardians of the Galaxy. A much more violent version of the already ultra-violent original, it is rated R. Characters from the show are some of the same ones (and actors), while others are different. The film does not feature Jared Leto as the Joker, which is a good thing. While definitely better than its predecessor, it isn’t all that great by itself.
James Gunn’s track record as a writer and director would fit well with such a film. In addition to being based on characters in the comic books who were relatively unknown at the time of the films, the Suicide Squad is a throwback to Gunn’s early days in film making.
In summary, The Suicide Squad is cheesy, gory, funny, a bit goofy (always a plus for a DCEU film), but it makes little or no sense. Death is a common occurrence in the plot – mostly violent – and the villain is a monster starfish that threatens to end the world. For all its flaws, The Suicide Squad isn’t a bad film in the least. It was very humorous to see all the characters interact with one another and the brutal deaths that took place in the movie.
The main problem with this film (as with the Guardians of the Galaxy films as well) is that the antiheroes are, on the whole, not that exciting or likable. During the course of the second film, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) is the only fascinating character who develops a wider-eyed perspective.
While the other characters have their moments, such as John Cena as Peacemaker and Idris Elba as Bloodsport, King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone as Steve Agee) offers a lot more entertaining moments than his predecessor did.
Although The Suicide Squad is an entertaining movie, there are two significant problems. A major problem with the story is its lack of involvement. As the Squad is assigned a top-secret mission, there is little room for plot development or character development if the mission does not make sense. It’s not unreasonable to expect a film called The Suicide Squad to have both of these elements.
As well as the flaws discussed above, The Suicide Squad depicts shocking violence in an overly violent manner. The gore and violence aren’t a problem for me, but the casual viewer would find it excessive. The first DC movie’s R rating opens the floodgates for more blood and even some sex scenes, as the Deadpool films experienced in the outer reaches of the Marvel universe, however, the blood and guts eventually subside. When presented with extreme violence, an audience is close to being anesthetized.
The Suicide Squad would have been better if it demonstrated a certain amount of self-restraint and tact. However, a film which is populated with criminals probably shouldn’t ask for too much of either. I can see what a DCEU entry might have become if the movie had been a part of the wider DCEU. However, this one appears to be anomalous as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Suicide Squad, an improvement over the 2016 film and it made me forget that it even existed. This is DCEU’s Guardians of the Galaxy in its finest and most violent form, and I can see myself watching it again!
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Space Jam: A New Legacy Review
I remember when Space Jam was released in the 1990s, and it was a fun movie. With age, I became more conscious of the flaws in the film. Even though it remains fun, I would not call it perfect. A sequel to Space Jam had been talked about for a long time, but it never seemed to happen.
However, the discussions intensified during the last few years, and the resolution was achieved. My reactions to the idea were mixed, because I would have preferred some more original take on it. No matter what, I did not see any problem with updating Space Jam to the newer generations.
Compared to the original, this film does not stand out as anything exceptional. Rather than writing a clever plot, the original movie set up a premise well. The first film is much more magical than Space Jam: A New Legacy. We are given a few lines of introduction to this villain, but his character is never fully developed. Furthermore, I’m generally fine with a film doing something and accepting it for what it is. A fatal flaw in this film is that it tries to explain everything in a manner that is realistic and serious. There’s no need for that!
While the last ten minutes of the film have some emotional impact, the rest of the film is impersonal. It lacks emotion and thought. In addition, Warner Media’s properties appear to be used extensively in this film. The two hour commercial was non stop. Not to mention Michael B. Jordan’s bait and switch!
Although LeBron’s basketball skills are numerous and world renowned, his acting skills pale in comparison to Jordan’s. In other words, he is wooden without a basketball in his hand, and frankly, he is boring to watch. Supporting cast also fails to impress. There is no good outcome from any of it.
There was some connection between Space Jam and space. Even that isn’t in this movie because I felt like the name of this movie was used as a trap to exploit the branding name of what we remembered when we were all kids.
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