Entertainment
Netflix’ Bridgerton is fun, raunchy, and visually appealing escapism at its best
The Duke of Hastings is enough reason to binge this show.
If Jane Austen wrote Gossip Girl, this would probably be it. Bridgerton is Netflix’ latest offering for people looking for a bit of an escape — this time, to the Regency era where life was seemingly less boring than one might imagine.
The show is based on the first book of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series: ‘The Duke and I’. For comparison’s sake, I found myself reading the book after finishing all of its eight episodes. Personally, I find the small screen adaptation proves to be quite respectful to the canon. Some adjustments were made to make it a slightly better fit for today’s audience.
Seamless in injecting diversity
A racially diverse cast that doesn’t feel forced for the sake of being woke is something I truly appreciated. Show creator Chris Van Dusen reimagined the Bridgertons’ world with people of color having status and power. This was actually addressed by some of the characters, complete with its own narrative that fit — quite seamlessly — into the plot.
I’m pretty sure I speak for a lot of us who watched the show that this was something we welcomed. After all, this adjustment gave us Regé-Jean Page as lead character Simon Basset — the ‘Duke’ the book title refers to. The story revolves around the courtship between him and Bridgerton eldest daughter Daphne, played by Phoebe Dynevor.
*Spoilers are coming. You’ve been warned.*
It’s London in the early 1800s and Daphne has debuted into the marriage market. Despite rave reviews from their print-era version of Gossip Girl, Lady Whistledown, her prospects are looking pretty bleak. The Duke who doesn’t wish to marry to avoid fathering children finds himself in an agreement with Daphne that will make her more popular among potential suitors. And as for him, it will ward off determined mothers from foisting their marriageable daughters on him.
They pretend that they are courting and their ruse eventually leads them to develop feelings for each other. Surprise, surprise. And that’s where things get interesting. Despite the steamy adventures of eldest Bridgerton brother Anthony, things are a little slow during the first few episodes. The fun only starts to pick up midway into the series.
Expect to see Nicola Coughlan of Derry Girls fame as the daughter of Bridgerton neighbors, The Featheringtons. She plays Penelope who’s in love with Colin, one of Daphne’s brothers. I actually love her character and that of another Bridgerton sister — Eloise.
To see what happens to them, however, we’ll have to pray for more seasons of the show. This season is all about Daphne and the Duke of Hastings. I did enjoy the series, especially the parts where they tried to inject as much female empowerment that 1800s London can take. However, I still found some parts of it fell short.
Bridgerton: escapism but still a tad problematic
As a woman living in 2021, it was quite hard to relate to Daphne’s character who had her whole life pegged on marriage and having children. Sure, it’s the Regency era and women had limited options for a good life. So while these things should have been understandable, I felt horrible for Simon when she practically forced him to have children with her.
The act was much worse in the book but thankfully, Van Dusen made this part a tad bearable in the series. I have to admit, I lost much respect for Daphne after that. Without Page playing the Duke, I probably would have lost interest and hit fast forward just to find out who Lady Whistledown is.
At a time when there’s so much more to being a woman and consent is a major issue for both genders, I hope impressionable viewers won’t take Daphne for a role model. There’s always Eloise for this season. Pick her!
Bridgerton is fun, quite raunchy, and pretty exciting thanks to the mystery that is Lady Whistledown. I absolutely loved how cheeky she was.
It’s a visually appealing series with gorgeous sets and costumes in aesthetically pleasing color palettes. Well, except those worn by the Featheringtons. Oh, and did I mention Julie Andrews is the narrating voice of Lady Whistledown? That, in itself, is more than enough reason to grab that remote and give the series a try.
Catch the first season of Bridgerton on Netflix.
Entertainment
Street Fighter special look: Blanka vs. Ryu
Jason Momoa, Andrew Koji’s characters face off
Paramount Pictures has released a new special look for Street Fighter featuring Jason Momoa and Andrew Koji.
The short, minute-long clip shows the actors’ respective characters, Blanka and Ryu, in battle.
It opens with a chained prisoner struck by extreme electrical charges, transforming into the green-skinned, electricity-infused Blanka.
He unleashes a fierce roar. Meanwhile, Ryu drops into a fighting stance, but tells Blanka he does not want to fight him.
Forced to defend himself, Ryu then fires a signature Hadouken fireball towards Blanka, as the teaser cuts to the Street Fighter title card.
Street Fighter debuts in cinemas starting October 14. It is directed by Kitao Sakurai and stars an ensemble cast that includes Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoai as Akuma, and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as Balrog, among others.
The film is set in 1993 when estranged Street Fighters Ryu and Ken Masters are thrown into combat when Chun-Li recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament.
Entertainment
Now Playing: Spider-Man: Brand New Day
It’s a must watch for Spidey fans who want to see Peter Parker enter his sad boy era.
The Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy is one of my favorite franchises in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Compared to other series with admittedly disjointed plots, all of Spidey’s storylines have a clear thread leading from one to the next. Since the fourth entries after trilogies are historically lackluster, I had a lot of trepidation heading into Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Thankfully, all those worries were unfounded. Brand New Day follows the same throughline as its predecessors, once again reinforcing Spider-Man as the strongest franchise that Marvel offers fans today.
A brand new day indeed
Coming from No Way Home, Brand New Day still has Peter Parker live a new life as a literal nobody where no one remembers who he is. So begins his existence as just Spider-Man with no friends or family.
When a new and unseen threat ravages through New York City, Spidey starts to wish that he still had friends to help him out, which leads him on an inevitable collision course with Ned and MJ. Ironically, it also leads him to other characters in the city, including the Hulk and the Punisher.
A cacophony of villains
When I first saw the trailer, I was worried about the astounding number of villains from the get-go. After all, one of the biggest problems in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3, the most maligned entry in Spider-Man movie history, was the villains. Though far from the movie’s biggest problem, having too many bad guys without a solid plot led to its terrible reception. You can see why Brand New Day’s trailer raises some flags.
If you were thinking the same thing, Brand New Day does indeed have a cohesive plot. Everything flows neatly into one another. Each emotional beat of Peter feeling for his solitude mixes well with the action. In here, fight scenes feel like they have a purpose.
And there is a big bad here. It’s not just a collection of guys that Spidey has to go through. That big bad, who shall not be named at this time, doesn’t feel like just a placeholder for Peter’s internal struggles. They have a character of their own and their own struggles to solve. I wouldn’t say they’re at the level of Loki just yet, but they definitely have a better go at it than most of the MCU’s other villains.
Marvel’s New York City finally debuts
Despite being a prime location since 2012’s Avengers, New York City never really felt like the quintessential city for superheroes in the comics. In the movies, the city was just another city to be ravaged when a new villain comes along.
For the first time, Brand New Day makes the city feel like a lived-in world with a bunch of superheroes living in the neighborhood. And they do pop up.
Does Peter have a scientific problem that only a very specific hero can solve? It’s a good thing Bruce Banner is just around the corner. Does he need some muscle? Well, the Punisher is skulking around somewhere. Plus, there’s even a succinct reason why other superheroes can’t help out.
In this way, Brand New Day presents itself more like a comic book series than a one-off movie. It’s like following the story alone from issue to issue. It’s not the most perfect adaptation of the landmark city, but it goes a long way from just another ravaging of New York.
Peter’s sadness
Everything here hinges on Peter’s loneliness. Despite meeting a trove of characters across the cinematic universe, Peter yearns for time with his loved ones. But they’re gone.
Unlike the past three films where he always had someone to go home to, he has no one here. Tony Stark is dead. Aunt May is gone. Happy has gone to parts unknown. Ned and MJ have no memory of him. Brand New Day has a way of making you feel for his aches, whether the way he still keeps track of MJ or some physiological changes as a result of his predicament.
It also helps that the movie’s big bad has similar motivations. Both serve as perfect mirrors against each other, elevating both their stories effectively. And that’s all I’ll say about that.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a few steps behind from being a perfect Marvel movie, but it’s still an extremely strong part of the Spider-Man mythos. The trilogy, now quadrilogy, remains Marvel’s most consistent franchises to date. It’s an absolute must-watch.
Entertainment
UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony hits Makati in October
Determination arrives in October.
For so small of a game, UNDERTALE quickly made it into the gaming world’s hall of fame. Despite being only a decade old, the small title has had a major influence for modern-day gamers because of its unique gameplay, its lo-fi art, and, of course, its catchy soundtrack. If you’re a fan of UNDERTALE’s soundtrack, a unique concert experience is headed your way.
On October 17, Film Concerts PH, in partnership with SOHO Live, is hosting UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.
The concert will be performed by the Filharmonika Orchestra and conducted by Thanapol Setabrahmana. Personally curated by creator Toby Fox and developed by Lambert Jackson with Materia Music, the concert experience showcases the game’s most recognizable tunes laid over gameplay footage playing simultaneously. Plus, for the world tour, the experience will have expanded scoring.
In the game, you play as a small child stuck in the mysterious Underground filled with interesting characters and monsters. Unlike traditional RPGs, UNDERTALE asks players to choose between building relationships and chasing after wins. It’s a unique experience that’s defined by whether you chose to make friends or fought your way to the top. It teaches players to value different ways to solve problems, all while showering them with its one-of-a-kind humor.
Pre-sales for the concert, exclusively for members of the Film Concerts PH community, start on August 4. Public sales, however, will start on August 11 via Ticketmelon.
SEE ALSO: The hunt begins: The Witcher in Concert hits Manila with surprises in tow
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