In a recent video, Back 4 Blooddeveloper Turtle Rock Studios distanced its new game from its work with Valve on the Left 4 Deadfranchise. The team, which was known as Valve South under the publisher's ownership from 2008 to 2010, rose to prominence with its original pair of zombie FPS titles. Both Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 were big success stories for all involved, but an internal conflict between Turtle Rock and Valve caused a split. The team then went on to work on Evolve with 2K, which stumbled out of the gate in 2015 and never fully recovered. The team moved on to several VR projects with Oculus following that game's closure before announcing a return to mowing down the undead.
Now set to be published by Warner Bros. Games, Back 4 Blood promises to be an evolution to the co-op shooter formula Turtle Rock introduced with its first two big titles. It's been ten years since Left 4 Dead, and Back 4 Blood showcases that with a distinct graphical upgrade and a new card-based loadout system to keep gameplay fresh. The game was recently sampled by many eager players during a widespread closed alpha preview that garnered heaps of critical praise.
In a new official video, Turtle Rock details its vision for Back 4 Blood, and it's clear that the team wants to move forward from where Left 4 Dead started. The game's survivors are described as hardened veterans of the undead outbreak, with some of them being immune to infection. This makes the game tuned more towards mowing down hordes than finding a safe house, with at least one team member saying that the game was all about "kicking zombie ass." This doesn't preclude letting players playing as mutated infected such as the human bashing Tall Boy and the bile spitting Retch.
The new special infected aren't the only thing that Turtle Rock is trying to improve upon from its Left 4 Dead roots. Despite wanting to create a wholly new experience, everything from the co-op action to the acclaimed AI director is returning in this improved spiritual sequel. The big difference is the conceit of cards, which both the director and players will use to assign perks and modifiers to each session. While the director will alert players as to what kind of infected await them in the level, players will gain special abilities to take on their enemies and other perks to make them better zombie killing machines.
Talk is cheap, and those who played Back 4 Blood during its closed alpha are well aware that this is indeed a very close cousin to Turtle Rock's Left 4 Dead duology. It's understandable why the company would want to keep the games separated considering that Valve owns the Left 4 Dead franchise, but the developer also seems to want to stick with what brought it to prominence in its new game. Evolve got a raw deal on the marketplace, but it was an outright failure, and the team at Turtle Rock may want to play it safe and prove to fans that it's still got it when it comes to co-op shooters. Whether that actually proves to be the case will be seen when their new game hits in June, but it certainly looks promising in the lead-up to release.
Sony made a very generous move this week for PlayStation Plus subscribers regarding Tripwire Interactive's Maneater. A Reddit user who recently purchased the survival game logged on to find that Sony had refunded them for Maneater since the ShaRkPG is being added to PS Plus for free in January. The automatic refund was a pleasant surprise for PS Plus subscribers, since users typically have to ask customer service for refunds in these scenarios.
Maneater was released back in May for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with later ports on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. A Nintendo Switch version is slated to arrive in the first half of 2021. The game sees players take control of a female bull shark who must evolve and survive in the ocean by attacking people, with an ultimate goal of taking down the fisherman who disfigured the shark and killed her mother. The single-player adventure was initially meant to be an expansion for the 2014 multiplayer shark game Depth, but grew to become a standalone product. Maneater even includes collectibles from the classic Jaws series and was said to draw inspiration from Jaws Unleashed.
Reddit user BraeWhyit revealed that when they booted up their PS5, they noticed that Sony offered them a refund for Maneater, which they had purchased last month. According to the message, Sony will refund the purchase price of the game to users' PlayStation Store wallets because of Maneater's addition to PS Plus, where subscribers receive monthly free games and access to online multiplayer. "This will not affect your ability to play the game as we have not removed the game from your library," the message added.
After receiving a few questions about how the license works with PS Plus, BraeWhyit clarified that they do get to keep the license and will not lose the game if they end their PS Plus subscription. In other words, unlike typical PS Plus titles downloaded during their free period, users will get to hold onto Maneater forever and for free if they purchased it before January, even if they drop their subscription.
The open world RPG's addition to PS Plus comes just months after players received free next-gen Maneater upgrades alongside the arrival of the PS5 and Series X|S. The upgrades brought ray-traced graphics to the game, as well as 4K and 60 FPS gameplay and haptic feedback on the PS5 DualSense controller. PC players can also expect an upgrade for the hit title in 2021.
These automatic refunds for Maneater are certainly an unexpected yet pleasant gesture from Sony, considering the money they'd be losing from the offer. As fans may know, it is possible to receive refunds on newly-free games that PS Plus subscribers recently purchased, but only if negotiated with Sony customer service. Sony has really been pushing PS Plus alongside the PS5, so this Maneater gesture could be another effort to draw fans to the service. Perhaps other games will receive the same treatment in the future.
Elizabeth Olsen says WandaVision is the Scarlet Witch story she's always wanted to tell in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since her debut at the end of Phase 2 in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Olsen reprised her role as Wanda Maximoff throughout Phase 3. Her development has come as a supporting character, but that hasn't limited the mighty power that Scarlet Witch has. Wanda's time as a secondary character is now behind her, though, as she and Vision (Paul Bettany) will somehow be reunited as the stars of the MCU's first Disney+ series.
The idea for WandaVision was first revealed in 2018, but Marvel Studios didn't confirm details about the series until the following year. Originally set for a 2021 release and then moved up to late 2020, delays caused by COVID-19 pushed WandaVision back to early 2021. The debut is nearly here, and fans couldn't be more excited for new MCU content after a year without any movies. Yet, Marvel has kept details about WandaVision's story to a minimum. The main focus in the marketing has been the altered reality Wanda and Vision are living in, leaving fans to dissect early references and Easter eggs to try and learn more.
In a new interview with SFX Magazine (via Reddit), Elizabeth Olsen was asked about the initial pitch she heard for WandaVision. She reiterated that it was Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige who explained the idea of Scarlet Witch and Vision starring in their own TV show. As much fun as she and Bettany have working together, the reason why it was so easy for Olsen to sign on to do WandaVision is that it is telling the Scarlet Witch story she's always wanted to.
"I though that was exciting on its own, and also kind of intimidating. It is a bit nerve-wracking being the first. But when [Kevin] Feige explained his idea for WandaVision, and specifically the comics he wanted to reference and pay homage to, it was really easy for me to want to do that, because it was more or less the story that I've always wanted to tell... without knowing that we would be interweaving sitcoms!"
This might not seem like too big of a reveal on the surface, but combing back through Olsen's previous comments about what she'd want to do with solo Scarlet Witch projects could provide some clues about where WandaVision is going. Before Marvel was confirmed to be making Disney+ shows, Olsen expressed interest in doing a show where Wanda and Vision live a domestic life together. She might not have thought such a story was possible in 2018, but that appears to be the backbone of WandaVision.
The other story that Olsen has expressed interest in telling is House of M. Brian Michael Bendis' 2005 comic event saw Scarlet Witch alter reality and create a family for her and Vision, but she then ripped apart Marvel's universe when she was told this family wasn't real. The comic is famous for Scarlet Witch uttering the phrase, "No more mutants," and wiping the majority of them out of Marvel's universe. At the time, Olsen believed that such a story would have to be changed since she isn't known to be a mutant in the MCU and the X-Men rights were still at Fox.
With just a few weeks to go until WandaVision's debut, Olsen might have inadvertently revealed a lot about the Disney+ series. The domestic life with Vision is clearly part of the show, and it has already been widely speculated that the family they have will be her creations, just as in House of M. Whether the show includes a giant mutant twist remains to be seen, but the trailers have featured a few subtle House of M Easter eggs along the way. In any case, it is great to know that Olsen is such a big fan of the story WandaVision will tell.
The newest season of90 Day Fiancé has introduced viewers to French beauty Amira Lollysa. She fell in love with the "daycare dude" Andrew Kenton, and the couple got engaged just three days after meeting each other face to face. She's now traveling to the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic. Amira is ready to reunite with the love of her life. However, the road isn't turning out to be smooth. In fact, it is very bumpy, because she has been detained at an airport in Mexico. Andrew has no idea what to do next, as his girl doesn't seem to have her phone with her. While the couple tries to figure out a way, fans can see how Amira's life looks on social media.
Just like many 90 Day Fiancé couples, Andrew and Amira first met through an international dating site. The California native runs a daycare with his mom, and due to long working hours, he can only find women through dating sites. When nothing worked out in the United States, he tried an international dating site and met Amira. It's no surprise that he fell for her, as she looks amazing in her Instagram pics.
Here she is, standing in the middle of the desert, looking like an Egyptian goddess in her blue tube dress. While showing off her hourglass figure, the 28-year-old TLC star wore oversized silver hoops and left her long curly hair down. See the post below:
The "half French and half Egyptian" beauty was also looking to date someone from a foreign country. She met Andrew in Las Vegas for the first time and soon became one half of a TLC reality show couple. Amira hardly shares any pictures with Andrew, but she does entertain her Instagram family with her full-length sexy shots. Here she is flaunting her long and toned legs in a short black dress. She opted for minimal makeup and paired the outfit with her thigh-high lace-up heels. Chic! See the post below:
Many 90 Day Fiance viewers are wondering how things will work out for her, and so are former 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days stars. Two of them (Lisa Hamme and Ash Naeck) left a few congratulatory comments on her pictures. It looks like her fiancé Andrew is "resentful" because he never seems to appear anywhere on her Instagram. Are they over already? If yes, Amira can easily land another charming guy. She's such a beautiful woman in the pretty picture below:
The pic above was taken at Christmas, and Amira flaunted her cleavage in a red dress adorned with sequins. The self-proclaimed makeup lover was sporting a brown lip shade and possibly wearing fake eyelashes. Her lips may be a little puffier than they are on the show. Anyway, let's hope that everything turns out well for this new 90 Day Fiancé entrant in the upcoming episodes. She really wants to reunite with Andrew!
Specs said to be for the SonyXperia 1 III leaked recently, providing an unconfirmed glimpse at the upcoming smartphone's next-generation upgrades. Assuming the leaked information is accurate, the next major Xperia phone will be arriving with fairly minor gains, both in terms of the hardware and pricing. Sony unveiled the previous model in this line, the Xperia 1 II (or Mark two), back in February.
Despite boasting some impressive qualities, such as having a crisp 4K display, 5G support, and solid camera capabilities, the Xperia 1 II reception was quite underwhelming, to say the least. Sony's announcement failed to generate as much buzz as Samsung's Unpacked event which occurred in the same month. In addition, Google, Xiaomi, and many others released their own smartphones powered by the same Snapdragon 865 processor for considerably less than the asking price of Sony's handset.
In spite of this, it appears that Sony will continue with the same formula for its upcoming Xperia 1 III. That is if the latest claims turn out to be correct. Based on a recent The Galox Tweet, Sony's next flagship will sport a 6.5-inch 4K OLED HDR display, 8GB RAM, 256GB internal storage, as well as a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and an IP65/IP68 water and dust resistance. All of which sounds identical to the previous Mark two, and not majorly different to the first Xperia 1. In terms of actual changes, the biggest ones seem to be an upgrade to the Snapdragon 888 processor and a 15-percent brighter display. Although, these improvements will reportedly cost $1,200.
One of the biggest hurdles facing consumers when considering a Sony high-end smartphone is the price. Other smartphones, like Xiaomi's recently announced Mi 11 (also equipped with the next-generation Snapdragon 888), are priced much cheaper. In fact, Samsung and Apple both released cheaper flagship series models in 2020, highlighting the importance of price in the market right now.
In contrast, Sony's flagship phones seem to maintain a high price point and without as many changes, aside from a few predictable upgrades. The original Xperia 1, which runs on the older Snapdragon 855, still costs $700 on Sony's website. Likewise, the Mark 2 is still listed at $1,100, even though it doesn't offer anything as innovative as LG's quirky Wing or Samsung's folding phone. There's no doubt that Sony smartphones are extremely polished and equipped with some of the best parts, but playing it safe when it comes to handsets continues to be one of the major problems for the company's mobile division.
Two creators of Bob’s Burgers have made a new animated show The Great North with two new clips having been released. The show is being led by two writers and executive producers of Bob’s Burgers, Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, and a writer from Cartoon Network’s hit animated sitcom Regular Show, Minty Lewis. The Great North is FOX's newest animated sitcom and follows a family living in Alaska, led by single father Beef Tobin, who is voiced by Parks and Rec-alum Nick Offerman.
This new venture will follow the same animation style previously set up by Bob’s Burgers and will also revolve around a whacky, hysterically flawed family, delivering hilarious situations in the Alaskan tundra. With Offerman leading the cast as Beef, the show is already in experienced hands due to his voice work in Gravity Falls and in both TheLego Movie and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part as MetalBeard. He will be joined by the honorable Jenny Slate (Big Mouth, Bob’s Burgers), Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth), Paul Rust (Love), Dulcé Sloan (@midnight with Chris Hardwick), and Aparna Nancherla (BoJack Horseman).
Two new clips for The Great North were released for FOX’s animated programming block Animation Domination. The first clip follows Slate’s Judy, the daughter of Beef, as she tells her imaginary friend Alanis Morissette, played by Morissette herself, about her new job at the mall but worries how her dad will react if she’s not helping out the family business. The second clip involves the rest of the crazy family on Judy’s sixteenth birthday as a moose breaks into their house, gets wrapped up in her birthday balloons, having them spell out “SEXIN” in its antlers. Watch the two clips below:
The new family-driven show was announced earlier this year, and these videos help to depict a very familiar, dysfunctional family like is seen in most well-known sitcoms. Its two obvious departures from some of the most-watched animated sitcoms, like Bob's Burgers and F is for Family, is the noticeably absent mother and the show’s location. These facts are both brought up in the clips, reiterating reasons why audiences should consider viewing them. Audiences might not have been interested in watching a funny, punny story about a patriarch who is mourning the loss of his wife and who also happens to live in a desolate landscape with his three wild children, but now they might be.
With the built-in fanbases offered up by both Bob’s Burgers and Regular Show and an incredible voice cast, this adult cartoon already seems to be off to a great start before its release, even being renewed for a second season. It’s a clever, fresh idea for a sitcom, keeping the staples audiences have grown to love but adding some material to revitalize the overcrowding field of adult animation. The Great North releases on January 3.
Warning! Spoilers for King in Black and Valkyrie #1 below.
Marvel's King in Black saga started off with a bang as Knull, the God of Symbiotes ripped apart Marvel's most powerful hero in half with relative ease. The death set the done for how dark things were about to be for the Marvel Universe and in a new preview for Valkyrie #1, a dead Sentry reveals he wishes he could have done so much more.
In the opening issue of Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, Frank Martin, and JP Mayer's King in Black event series, Knull's long-teased arrival on Earth finally came to fruition. Knull proved to be every bit the universe-threatening cosmic giant that he's been described as in both Venom, Silver Surfer: Black, and the Absolute Carnage saga.The Avengers and Marvel's top heroes (and villains) thought they had an ace in their sleeve when they unleashed Sentry on the villain, but Knull ripped him in half while absorbing the Void - making the strongest hero in the universe look like no challenge.
In previews for Valkyrie #1 by Jason Aaron, Torunn Grønbekk, Nina Vakueva, and Tamra Bonvillain, Jane Foster, the former Thor who's currently a Valkyrie and a guide to the honored dead to Valhalla, will seemingly be responsible for guiding Sentry after his death at the hands of Knull. The preview shows Jane meeting Sentry, as the pair stand over his dead body. He tells her his life did flash before his eyes before dying and that he saw his wife Lindy and his family. He also says he recalled the first time he flew into space on saw Earth. Now, looking at Earth (currently enveloped in darkness) Sentry says fighting Knull was his fight and he failed. He says he wouldn't minded death "if it counted for something. If I could have taken Knull down with me."
Jane does her best to console the fallen hero, telling him, "the sum of your life is more important than the end." It's an intimate conversation between the Valkyrie and Sentry, who clearly blames himself for failing to stop Knull. Jane chooses not to tell him that the even darker fate for Earth upon gazing at it. It's a grim, but touching scene.
Sentry has toed the line between superhero and reluctant villain thanks to the Void - so, while he should be sad about his death and Knull's takeover, he should feel proud that he sacrificed himself in an effort to save the world. He'll be remembered as a hero by his fellow Avengers. Sadly, King in Black is simply too powerful for Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and with Sentry, the strongest out of all of them, out of the picture, it's unclear how they'll defeat him now.
When New Girl fans think of Schmidt, they likely think of his outrageous behavior or his one-liners first. Schmidt, however, has a great character arc for the sitcom. He goes from thinking about himself to wanting what's best for all of his friends. Schmidt also goes from a perpetual player to a married father.
Just because he has such a great arc doesn't mean his growth is a smooth course. Like most of the characters in the show, Schmidt grows in fits and starts. For every bit of genuine growth he experiences, there are also moments where he regresses to less mature times.
10 Growth: He Tells His Roommates About The Parking Spot
In the aptly titled second season episode "Parking Spot," Schmidt bursts into the loft to reveal that their apartment actually has an assigned spot in the garage, so someone doesn't have to park in one of the many inconvenient places they all have their cars. Schmidt pretty quickly laments that he shouldn't have even told them.
While the bulk of the episode then includes Schmidt, Nick, and Jess childishly fighting over the spot instead of figuring out how to share it, the fact that Schmidt's first instinct is to share the news with his roommates shows that he's starting to grow. He doesn't entirely understand it himself just yet, but the growth is there.
9 Regresses: He Breaks The Hutch
Schmidt has some control issues - especially when it comes to decorating the loft. He has a problem with second-hand pieces of furniture, wanting everything in the loft to be brand new, something his roommates can't always afford. When Jess decides to introduce a hutch that she found to the loft, Schmidt is not okay with it.
Their arguing about the hutch leads to Schmidt knocking it over, breaking several parts of it and making it unusable. It would be one thing if he could have had a calm discussion with her or explain his germaphobic tendencies (which she should have been aware of at that point). Instead, he acted like a small child who didn't get his way.
8 Growth: He Tries To Get Winston To Embrace His Blackness
This storyline is something. It's definitely offensive in a lot of ways, but it's also some real progress for Schmidt, which might seem counterintuitive.
Schmidt, after seeing Winston interact with a group of black people at the bar, suddenly worries that Winston isn't able to be himself around his roommates. He means well when he decides to help Winston embrace his culture, telling Winston that the two of them will do anything and everything Winston wants to do that he might feel like he can't do around his white friends. Winston is clearly insulted at the implications, and rightfully so, and he teaches Schmidt a lesson. What's important here, however, is that as insensitive as Schmidt usually is, and as much as he really can't read the room when he starts talking to Winston about his plan, he genuinely wants to put Winston first and make sure his friend is comfortable in the loft.
7 Regresses: He Kisses Jess
When Nick first kisses Jess after a game of True American, it changes the dynamics in the loft, shifting the ground under everyone's feet drastically. Winston tells Nick to fix things because it won't be Jess moving out, but Schmidt takes a more childish approach.
Schmidt shows Jess the oath the male roommates took when Jess first moved in and claims that in order to make things less weird, he should kiss Jess too. Weirdly, though Jess is furious about the oath, she agrees to kiss Schmidt. It's a strange thing for the two to decide to do given that when Schmidt tried to kiss her on his birthday, he ended up putting $50 in the jar as a result. It's also not clear just how it would fix the dynamic in the loft.
6 Growth: He Decides To Be A Stay At Home Dad
Much of Schmidt's worth in the early seasons is built around his work. He's concerned with whether he can impress his bosses, get the big promotions, and just how many hours he works each week. That changes once he and Cece have a child.
After the time jump in the final season, Schmidt has been staying at home with Ruth while Cece heads back into work. When the two trade their tasks and Schmidt goes back to work, he realizes how much he hates his job. It might take him a long time to figure out what's important to him, but Schmidt doesn't even hesitate to decide to be a stay at home dad.
5 Regresses: He Pranks Cece's Wedding
When Schmidt gets it into his head (admittedly, rightly so) that Cece doesn't want to marry Shivrang in the second season, he decides to delay her wedding by any means necessary. He even enlists Winston to help him repeatedly pull pranks.
To Schmidt's credit, he does try to tell his other friends what he believes first, and he's right, but Cece isn't ready to admit that she doesn't want to marry Shivrang. Schmidt's pranking, however, doesn't just delay the wedding but causes an argument between Nick and Jess, and even puts wedding guests in danger.
4 Growth: He Maturely Ends Things With His Boss
Schmidt tends to have a thing for women in positions of authority. Most of his relationships end badly. He and Emma, however, approach their dalliance maturely.
Though Emma outranks him at Associated Strategies, they work up a contract for their purely physical relationship so that work and their personal lives don't interfere with one another. When they discover that their relationship just isn't working out, there's no hard feelings or mind games, unlike what Schmidt might do with others, and they agree to go their separate ways.
3 Regresses: He Cheats On Cece And Elizabeth
At the end of the second season, Elizabeth and Cece both make their feelings for Schmidt clear. He just has to decide which relationship to pursue. Rather than break up with either woman, because he's too scared to make them angry or hurt, he lies to them both.
While the cheating in and of itself is bad, what makes it worse is that Schmidt is presented with opportunities to come clean or break things off, and he only digs in deeper. He lies to both of them when they're both invited to a party at his work, and then further allows Cece to believe that Nick is cheating on Jess instead of telling her the truth about himself. It's one of the most questionable paths Schmidt takes in the show.
2 Growth: He Breaks The Douchebag Jar
When Schmidt and Cece marry, it's after a long journey. When he proposes, after all, they aren't even dating, but trying to avoid their feelings for one another. As they marry, the tradition of the groom breaking glass beneath his feet is kept with Nick giving Schmidt the douchebag jar to do it with.
For five seasons, that jar is a symbol of just how immature Schmidt really is. Every time he does something his roommates deem "the worst," he puts money in the jar. By Nick giving him the jar to break, it's an acknowledgment that Schmidt has grown up.
1 Regresses: He Tries To Break Up Nick And Jess
After the debacle that is Cece and Elizabeth finding out Schmidt's been dating them both at the same time, he places the blame unfairly on Nick and Jess. He sees them as the reason Cece (who tells Elizabeth) finds out and despises their happiness.
Rather than just wait for Nick and Jess to hit their own stumbling blocks, he throws some in their path. Schmidt decides to be petty with his best friend, that his own happiness is more important than Nick's, which might be his most childish act ever.
In a wonderful mirror of the makeunder Diana Prince received in the first movie, a newly resurrected Steve Trevor must dress to blend into the Era of Excess. Through a delightful montage, whereby he ransacks the closet of an engineer, Steve puts on a fashion show. Left to his own devices, Steve shows that he's fearless when it comes to creating his ensembles. Here are all of his outfits, ranked from least appealing to totally rad.
8 I Saw This In A Magazine
No sooner has Steve rolled out of bed with the lovely Diana than he's tucking a leopard print shirt into a pair of slacks. He eventually finds a blazer to accompany it with a prominent brushed pattern and dark grey trim. He scrunches up the sleeves because according to him, he "saw it in a magazine" and it appears to be on-trend.
Diana isn't thrilled with his '80s fashion sense and promptly informs him that she thinks they can do better. What follows is a clever montage that adds a lot of comedic warmth to the movie and conveys the playfulness in their relationship.
7 America's Fanny Pack
Just when viewers think that Steve is going to go for a truly subdued look in a breezy button-down shirt and khaki slacks, he whips out a show-stopping statement piece; a leather fanny pack with the American flag emblazoned on the front.
Despite him being proudly patriotic, Diana decides that this isn't the look for Steve. While the outfit is supposed to allow him to blend in, it also isn't particularly noteworthy and doesn't highlight any of his best features nor seem like it would be good for action sequences.
6 For The Love Of Neon
At one point Steve is simply fed up with trying to please Diana's sense of taste, and throws on a bright yellow tank top, which he immediately begins tucking into his slacks (a man from the 1910s would never have let a shirt just hang out!).
Yellow is most assuredly Chris Pine's color (the actor has a penchant for brighter shades), and the tank top shows off the impressive physique he was known for in the first movie. But it would attract a lot more attention, and not the sort he nor Diana would want.
5 Tantalizing In Tan
One of the better looks that Steve picks out involves pale yellow pleated pants, a green t-shirt with two pockets, and a matching blazer. The blazer combines the yellow of the pants with the pale green of the shirt arranged in a soft checkered pattern.
The ensemble looks like it wouldn't go amiss in a season of Miami Vice, but Diana shoots it down. While it looks perfectly respectable and comfortable, it doesn't exactly seem like Steve's style.
4 Footloose
The last outfit Steve tries on before they head out on the town is a combination of sportswear and seems like both a practical and aesthetically pleasing choice. He pairs dark blue track pants with a zip sweater with white and yellow paneling, as well as a grey fanny pack.
He begs to be able to keep a pair of white Nike trainers, which Diana agrees to because they appear to make Steve ridiculously happy. He doesn't remain in the outfit, but the shoes do end up in the final look he sports throughout the rest of the movie.
3 An Extra In The Music Video For "Bad"
As though selecting an outfit for a Michael Jackson music video, Steve trots out some black and red vinyl parachute pants. He giddily comments on the number of zippers and speculates that people in the '80s are obsessed with pockets that go nowhere.
He pairs the pants with a red and black tank top, with a bold striped graphic print that only serves to exaggerate the V-shape of Pine's frame. It certainly wouldn't help him blend in, except with the crowd of punks he encounters with Diana on their way to the Smithsonian.
2 Pirate Chic
Diana selects one outfit personally for Steve and he loathes it. The shirt is bloused around his waist, the cuffs are unbuttoned and loose, and the belt around his waist is only put in one loop. It's completed with a large knit scarf worn loose around his neck.
Though Steve doesn't find it very chic, it doesn't look too hideous on him. The scarf is also a nice callback to his days as an ace fighter pilot, where scarves were often used in the precarious planes flown in WWI because of how cold the cockpits got at high altitudes.
1 Back In Black
The outfit Steve ends up wearing through most of the film happens to be the best of the bunch. Not being able to go wrong with basic black, he pairs black slacks with a black Members Only jacket, a white t-shirt, and what has become his signature fanny pack.
He also wears the white Nike trainers with the iconic red swoosh logo and has as his one accessory a silver stainless steel Rolex. All in all, it's not only a chic look but an action-oriented ensemble that doesn't look too extreme.
Based on the popular series of children's novels of the same name by Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Childrencontains a variety of colorful characters that seem to be reminiscent of the mutants from X-Men and the wizards from Harry Potter. The main protagonists of Tim Burton's fantasy movie are all children with "Peculiarities," who thrive under Miss Peregrine's watchful eye until the dreaded Hollows track them down.
The movie has been divisive for fans of the source material, though viewers needn't have read the books to get enjoyment out of the movie's kaleidoscopic visuals or its whimsical plot. Viewers' interpretation of the characters may depend on their attachment to the books, their critique of the performers portraying them, or the inconsistency of the script.
10 Best: Jake Portman
Swept up in the circumstances of an unusual family secret, Jake is an adventurous and precocious teenager who shows fearlessness and insight beyond his years. When he discovers Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, he forms strong attachments to all the inhabitants and becomes their de facto protector, thanks to his own peculiar power of seeing normally invisible Hollows.
Jake undergoes a typical Hero's Journey throughout the movie, but has a believable temperament and inquisitive personality, making him someone the audience can root for and relate to. He isn't quite as whip-smart as his book counterpart but Asa Butterfield's charm goes a long way.
9 Best: Abe Portman
The incomparable Terrence Stamp lends his gravitas to the character of Abe Portman, Jake's eccentric grandfather and a peculiar who has passed down the ability to see the Hollows to his grandson. He's also one of the only peculiars who managed to escape his time loop before the destruction of the manor in 1943.
Like all good mysterious grandfathers in these sorts of movies, he has the right amount of avuncular and crypticness. He inspires Jake to go on a grand adventure that will surely transform him at the right formative age, where reason and logic of adulthood are vying to strip him of his imagination and ruin his childhood.
8 Best: Enoch O'Connor
Enoch (Finlay MacMillan) is the resident sourpuss at Miss Peregrine's Home, whose ability to reanimate dead things and turn them into his own personal puppets is both unnerving and totally on point for a Tim Burton movie. This gift comes in quite handy in the climactic battle at the end of the movie.
Enoch isn't happy about being stuck in a time loop or being the same age forever. He also wasn't very happy with Jake getting all the attention as the new kid, which are valid complaints. Enoch represents pragmatism and realism, which aren't always looked at favorably, but still add value.
7 Best: Miss Peregrine
Eva Green, while perhaps not perfectly cast as Miss Peregrine, carries the movie with her wily charisma. As a Ymbryne, she can transform herself into a peregrine falcon and has the ability to manipulate time, making others like herself responsible for protecting peculiar children.
By picking "the right day and the right time," she's able to make a loop in which her wards can reside, protected from the outside world. Since she had to make hers in a hurry, there are various dangers she must prevent daily that come with the temporal territory.
6 Best: Mr. Barron
Samuel L. Jackson is delightful as Mr. Barron, the leader of the Wights who hunt peculiars and consume their eyes to remain in human form. His failed experiment to become immortal transformed most of his cohort into Hollowgasts, and while he no longer needs eyes to remain a human, he does everything he can to help his friends.
Mr. Barron has the ability to transform into a variety of different people, including Jake's therapist Dr. Golan, which makes him incredibly deceitful. His hands can also form blades, lassos, and several other tools, making him a formidable threat to Miss Peregrine and the peculiars.
5 Can't Stand: Frank Portman
Jake's father Frank (Chris O'Dowd) is a photographer and bird watcher, too timid to expand either interest beyond a hobby because of feelings of inadequacy. Growing up in the shadow of Abe's accomplishments as a hero of WWII, Frank yearned for a connection with his father but couldn't relate to his wild stories about Ymbryne's like Miss Peregrine, and her peculiar wards.
Abe's peculiar powers skipped a generation, which may have contributed to Frank growing up uninterested in exploring anything because it's "already been found." But Frank's real weakness is that he is not able to use his imagination to connect with his son.
4 Can't Stand: Fiona Frauenfeld
Fiona (Georgia Pemberton) can have control over her natural environment, making plants and vegetation grow to unusual sizes whenever it suits her. She's one of the more precocious children Jake meets, but other than creating the World's Largest Carrot for supper, she isn't given much to do in the plot of the movie.
In the books, she's a wild-haired, Poison Ivy-esque young girl, who runs about holding chickens and doesn't speak because of the horrors she witnessed during Ireland's Potato Famine. Her movie counterpart is much more tame and far more chatty. Instead of being stubborn and brave, she's often made out to be an "annoying little sister archetype."
3 Can't Stand: Emma Bloom
Emma (Ella Purnell) is one of the oldest children under Miss Peregrine's watch, which puts her in charge of the younger wards. She has the ability to manipulate air and even breathe underwater. She also has to wear special lead shoes so that she won't float into the atmosphere. However, in the books, she has Olive's peculiarity - the ability to manipulate fire.
Like her aerokinetic powers, Emma is obtuse and confusing. In the books, she's fiery and determined, whereas the movie sees her much more subdued and doll-like. As for her powers, sometimes she needs to be tied into a chair (for meals), and other times, it seems her weightlessness isn't as much of a problem. There's also the oddity of her falling in love with Jake because he looks like her former lover (his grandfather).
2 Can't Stand: Hollowgast
Hollowgasts were once Wights but became sightless monstrosities after Mr. Barron led his cohort in a ritual to gain immortality. They transformed into lanky-limbed creatures with razor-sharp teeth and odd stumps for hands and feet.
"Hollows," as Miss Peregrine calls them, may have seemed like a good idea, taken directly from the books, but the creatures end up being one of the weaker parts of the movie itself for a variety of reasons. Like their lore, their CGI properties are muddled, and how they interact with their environment in juxtaposition to the rest of the characters is confusing and awkward.
1 Can't Stand: Olive Abroholos Elephanta
Olive (Lauren McCrostie) is a peculiar with the ability to set things on fire, which requires her to wear chic evening gloves throughout the entire movie. But other than that, she isn't given many interesting things to do. She's supposed to be Enoch's love interest (a detour from the book), but other than pining over him, they have no chemistry.
Olive supports Enoch's bad decisions and poor attitude without questioning why she has feelings for someone who only acknowledges her when she's useful to him as a glorified laboratory assistant.
After a phenomenal introduction and storytelling of the perspective characters like Grogu and Din Djarin in the first season, fans were amazed that the makers and creators replicated the excitement of its content in season 2. Though some believe that the first season is better, others will argue that the second season was far more thrilling and felt like a true Star Wars story.
10 Season 1 Is Better: The First Impression With The Introduction Of Grogu
Before the show's premiere, all we knew was that the show would center on a Mandalorian, Din Djarin. Little did viewers anticipate the show's direction since the trailers did not spoil anything. No one thought that the first episode would introduce a young green fellow that resembled Master Yoda.
Considering that franchises like Star Wars are prone to leaks on the internet, it came as a surprise that those involved in the show kept this major secret. It was worth not knowing this beforehand because his surprise appearance caught people's attention, kept us on the edge of the seat, and wanted to see more on what was to come. Grogu's reveal on the show set a new sensational character to become a talking point on the internet.
9 Season 2 Is Better: The Growing Father-Son Relationship Between Din Djarin & Grogu
Season 1 only set the stage for the journey for Grogu and Din Djarin. Though Din started to feel attached to Grogu in season 1, his relationship with Grogu became more pronounced in season 2.
Because of his father-son relationship with Grogu, we saw a change in the character development of Din. He goes from being a reserved bounty hunter to a caring and defensive father figure. Their close relationship was beautifully written and left viewers touched, so it was emotional when both characters parted in the season 2 finale, with an incredible performance by Pedro Pascal.
8 Season 1 Is Better: The Backstory Of Din Djarin
Despite a dynamic character development in season 2, there is still little we know about Din and his personal life. The first season highlighted a segment of his childhood that explained how he became a Mandalorian. However, his backstory was not further touched upon since then, leaving questions about who he is aside from being Grogu's caretaker.
We had hoped that there would be more backstory of Din Djarin in the second season, which made sense, but it was completely absent. Though season 2 focused on Din's relationship with Grogu, it would not hurt to learn about his childhood before the attack in his village and his living as a bounty hunter before meeting Grogu.
7 Season 2 Is Better: Answering Questions
Since the show's first season, fans have had several questions. These questions included Baby Yoda's name, the use of the Darksaber, and the reasons for wanting Baby Yoda. Most shows drag on with these mysteries for several seasons before revealing them to the public.
Fortunately, we received most of the answers throughout the second season, which satisfied viewers and added excitement. When new questions surfaced, viewers did not have to wait too long as the Jedi to receive Grogu's call was revealed by the season 2 finale.
6 Season 1 Is Better: It Set The Direction For Season 2
Season 1 established the precedence for the show's future. After surviving Gideon and his troops in Nevarro, the finale clarified the show's next plot to help Grogu find his rightful home. Therefore, viewers knew what to anticipate for the second season, which is worth the wait.
Unfortunately, the season 2 finale left viewers with little indication about the future since many fans did not believe that the main plotline would conclude this quick with Grogu. This cliffhanger leaves questions for what is next for Din Djarin.
5 Season 2 Is Better: Acknowledging The Remaining Star Wars Universe
Season 2 was exhilarating due to the appearance of several popular characters. The first of them was the surprising revelation of Boba Fett, which ended the long three-decade debate. Not only was the revelation a major one for Boba Fett fans, but he also reunited with his suit and showed his badassery when he faced the stormtroopers in "Chapter 14: The Tragedy."
Season 2 also saw the live-action portrayals of popular characters from The Clone Wars series. Since this is a show about Mandalorians, it seemed fitting to introduce Bo-Katan, who continues to reveal the lore behind Mandalorians. Then, the first Jedi featured with Ahsoka Tano, who once again showed why she is one of the most formidable Jedis in the universe. It also does not end there as a prominent character featured from the movies, Luke Skywalker.
4 Season 1 Is Better: Everything Was Original
Although we love the nods to the old movies and animation series, we also love to see more original content. The first season benefits from this originality because it makes the story refreshing within the Star Wars universe. These new contents include new characters like Cara Dune and Kuiil and lore about Mandalorians.
This has to be acknowledged since the Star Wars universe is more than just Jedis, Siths, and the Force. Viewers want to see a world beyond the Force, and The Mandalorian is the perfect show for it. Though season 2 did not accomplish the originality, we can be hopeful that things will change for the show's future content.
3 Season 2 Is Better: The Buildup Of The Final Episodes
The one reason that makes season 2 far superior to season 1 is the buildup of the second season's story and pacing. Though the first season had well-written episodes and story development, it did have filler episodes that did not fit well with the story, causing the first season to appear incohesive in its content and pacing.
Though the second season also had some of the same issues at the beginning with filler episodes, it was after "Chapter 13: The Jedi" when the story took a turn and built on the existing content. With new revelations and high stakes, each episode ended with viewers wanting more and anxiously waiting to see what happens next. Each episode built its story towards the finale that allowed the story, pacing, and tone to be cohesive and consistent.
2 Season 1 Is Better: Grogu Had More Action
One thing that we loved about Grogu is the power he possessed. He is cute, but he shows himself to be quite powerful. In the first season, Grogu displayed his force abilities, such as taking out a beast and moving fire. He also appeared to have healing abilities, which is unusual to see with those with the Force.
Unfortunately, Grogu sidelined himself when it came to displaying his powers in the second season. He was not as formidable as he was in the first season, although he did have his reasons. We did see Grogu use his Force during his assessment with Ahsoka and did have some action when he faced stormtroopers after being abducted. However, Grogu used his Force more often in the first season than in the second season, so we did not have as many Force moment scenes with Grogu in season 2.
1 Season 2 Is Better: The Mind-Blowing Season Finale
Because of the buildup from previous episodes, the season 2 finale looked exciting, with a rescue mission for Grogu. Little did viewers know that their minds would be blown, with a season 2 finale that will be a roller coast ride of emotions. We got several fight scenes, including all the female characters against the stormtroopers and Din Djarin's battle with Gideon. Also, tensions were high between Din and Bo-Katan regarding the Darksaber.
However, the unexpected arrival of a beloved Jedi caused the internet to explode. Luke Skywalker came in a fashion similar to his father in Rogue One to face the Dark Troopers with his immense powers. After feeling nostalgically ecstatic, we also deal with emotional sadness. The final episode concluded with a heartbreaking conclusion of the Grogu and Din's adventure as Din accomplishes his mission and Luke takes Grogu as his trainee.
Survivor is a complex game, and its winners have employed a wide variety of tactics to ensure their victories. The beautiful thing about Survivor is that there is no "right" way to play the game. Some people excel at physical challenges, others at strategy, others at socializing, and others at things like jury management and simply staying out of the way.
As such, each winner of Survivor came about their win in different ways. One strategy is not better than another - the $1 million prize is all that counts in the end. Getting it is tricky, and it requires brains and brawns in equal measure.
10 Sandra Diaz-Twine: Make Friends With The Jury
Sandra Diaz-Twine became the first two-time Survivor winner by winning Heroes vs. Villains. While the season was mostly dominated by Russell Hantz and Parvati Shallow, it was Sandra who was eventually crowned with the victory. And that's because she was smart enough to realize how the game was going (that the Villains would dominate the merge) and ingratiated herself with the Heroes.
In the end, the jury was made up mostly of Heroes, and Sandra walked away with an easy 6-3-0 vote.
9 Natalie White: Stay Out Of The Way/Ride Coattails
Russell Hantz is a fantastic strategist, but he is also his own worst enemy. Hantz absolutely dominated Samoa, and his cunning strategy allowed the Foa Foa Four to come back from a major numbers disadvantage.
However, Hantz is notoriously untrustworthy, callous, and unfriendly, and his jury management is quite poor. Natalie White realized that Hantz was shooting himself in the foot with his abrasive personality and decided to ride his coattails all the way to the end. There, her "in the shadows" gameplay and easygoing personality awarded her a 7-2-0 winning vote.
8 Tom Westman: Steamroll Your Way To The Finals
Tom Westman employed a deceptively genius strategy throughout Palau - be the fittest and the strongest and simply steamroll your way to the ending. Tom served as the undisputed leader of Koror, but his physical domination made him a major threat in the post-merge.
The other contestants constantly wanted him out, but Tom never allowed it. He won five individual immunity challenges, forcing the others to turn on and eliminate each other. He fought his way to the final Tribal, and the jury awarded his determination and physical prowess with an easy 6-1 vote.
7 Tony Vlachos: Backstab Everyone
Tony Vlachos is one of the most famous winners in Survivor history. Cagayan is widely touted as one of the show's greatest seasons, and it's mostly due to Tony's unbelievable gameplay. One of his greatest strengths was his complete lack of heart, as he didn't get bogged down in potentially disastrous alliances.
He frequently double-crossed and blindsided his own allies, and he essentially manufactured the destruction of his own alliance to ensure himself a better place in the camp hierarchy.
6 Ben Driebergen: Find Lots Of Idols
The hidden immunity idols are a divisive element of modern Survivor. But an element they remain and taking full advantage of them is well within the rights of a potential winner.
The player to take the most advantage of them is undoubtedly Ben Driebergen. Ben found himself quite low on the totem pole owing to his controlling personality, and he was the constant target of post-merge elimination. However, he found and played three hidden immunity idols in a row, and he eventually won Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers in a 5-2-1 vote.
5 Yul Kwon: Gain The Allegiance Of Others
Cook Islands was filled with some great (and now iconic) Survivor players, and Yul Kwon is undoubtedly among them. Yul and the Aitu Four alliance made a stellar comeback, with the key move being the switch of Jonathan Penner.
Penner agreed to the switch owing to Yul's hidden immunity idol, and they conspired the elimination and blindside of Nate Gonzalez. It allowed the Aitu Four to make the final four, and Yul ended up narrowly winning the season owing to his incredible and respectable strategy.
4 Todd Herzog: Eliminate Threats
China is often regarded as a fantastic season, and that is mainly due to its incredible cast of characters. The eventual winner was Todd Herzog, who won 4-2-1 over Amanda Kimmel and Courtney Yates. One of Todd's greatest rivals was Jean-Robert Bellande, a professional poker player.
Like all poker players, Bellande was a strategist, and Herzog saw him as his primary strategic threat. So he manufactured his elimination. It's one of the biggest rules of Survivor - eliminate threats when the opportunity arises.
Amanda Kimmel returned for Micronesia, but it was Parvati Shallow who dominated the season and emerged victorious in a 5-3 vote. Parvati proved her social and strategic dominance by forming the famous Black Widow Brigade.
Widely known as one of the greatest alliances in the history of the game, the Brigade orchestrated numerous blindsides, including that of James Clement and Ozzy Lusth (both of whom part of the Malakal Couples Alliance) and Erik Reichenbach (perhaps the show's "dumbest" blindside of all time).
2 Kim Spradlin: Keep Them Guessing
Kim Spradlin's win in One World is often considered one of the most dominating wins in the history of the game. While Spradlin initially kept a low profile, she eventually emerged as a strategic mastermind.
She never allowed others to get a read on her gameplay or allegiances, resulting in numerous blindsides (including that of allies Jonas Otsuji and Michael Jefferson). And, like Tom Westman, her dominating performance in individual immunity challenges allowed Spradlin to coast to the finals.
1 Ethan Zohn: Be Friendly
One of the most genius strategies is also its most deceptively simple - be friendly. Of course, this isn't nearly as simple as it sounds in a game that requires backstabbing and keeping secrets.
However, it was this strategy that allowed Ethan Zohn to win Africa. It was Zohn's likability - not a massive strategic move or physical dominance - that ensured his win over Kim Johnson, and he emerged victorious in a 5-2 vote.
