Luke Canady!

SPOILERS FOR THE ORIGINAL SERIES, THE MOVIE, AND THE FIRST TEN EPISODES OF FUTURE SO FAR! One can’t help but wonder why Steven Universe as a whole has been consistently so great. Other showrunners would’ve probably burned themselves out by the time they got a movie, but not Rebecca Sugar and her crew- they’ve somehow managed to keep the themes they established 100% consistent throughout the original series and the movie. “Steven Universe Future”, the latest (and last TV broadcasted) chunk of the series isn’t complete yet. But you know what? This is on par with, if not somehow BETTER than the original show. Continuing a few months after the events of the movie, Steven’s opened up a school for any Gems still adjusting to the new, peaceful “Era 3”. Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl are helping teach any Gems interested in starting anew, and Steven seems the most peaceful we’ve seen him in a while. “But wait,” a skeptic may ask. “What about Steven’s mother issues? What about Jasper? How about Pink Pearl’s awful crack on her face?” I’m so glad you asked, hypothetical skeptic. The main purpose of “Future” is to act as an epilogue that’s answering all the questions some fans may have after Season 5 of the original show wrapped up (and the movie happened) and to serve as a cap for Steven’s character development. Speaking of which, if you only liked Steven before, then this show will make you LOVE HIM. All his angst about his mother combines with his “need to be needed” and newfound destructive powers that his mother fought to repress to create one angry, confused hybrid son of a Diamond insistent on burying his own issues while forcing himself to solve others’s problems. I love this. Normally, I would be opposed to such a shift in Steven’s character, but as he’s aged up by 2 years and grown a neck, it actually makes sense. He’s still just as empathetic and kind as ever, but the flaws in his approach are beginning to show. Who knows how long it will be before he has a full-on meltdown? Regarding the other Crystal Gems and the other characters, they’re just as stellar as ever. Garnet’s focus episode hasn’t happened yet, but Amethyst and Pearl both got excellent episodes that either cap off their development or show that they’ve got a ways to go regarding Pink Diamond and her short-sighted actions. “Future” doesn’t introduce that many new characters, but that’s okay. We don’t need to overclutter this epilogue with a dozen new Gems or humans (and the ones we are getting are pretty great). However, the show has also taken its time to show the healed corrupted Gems reintegrating themselves into society and getting jobs among the townies of Beach City. Overall, Steven Universe Future has surprised me. Not only is it on par with the original show instead of being a subpar continuation (like Dragon Ball Super or post-movie SpongeBob), but it’s keeping things going in a way that would make the original show proud. God bless, Rebecca. Once again, you’re making some of the best stuff on TV. Just take a break after all this, okay? You’ve earned it. Rank: 10.9/10 Reward: Protein Shake and a Round of Steven Tag Peace, love and Garnet!

Whoa. After spending the last 18 years of my life having faint recollections of this movie and its characters, I finally got a chance to rewatch it in its entirety. Keep in mind, I hadn’t seen Treasure Planet in a long while, and Disney Plus served as the venue on which I rewatched it. And did it hold up? Yes. Yes, it did. Directed by Disney Renaissance alumnus Ron Clements and John Musker, this movie serves as a reminder of what happened when the Mouse House dared to stand apart from the crowd. Oh, sure, we still have Moana, Big Hero 6 and the upcoming Raya and the Last Dragon, but this is pure imagination. With a blend of Renaissance-caliber hand-drawn animation and impressive-for-the-2000s CGI, it’s a very different look than what Disney has now (what with giving their princesses horse-sized eyeballs and paper-thin waists). The cast of characters, due to this being an adaptation of Treasure Island (but in SPACE), are visually inventive while still adhering to their book counterparts. And to my surprise, they don’t simplify every character down so that the wee lads and lasses can understand- remember, this movie was directed by the guys who gave us Aladdin. John Silver, while he is antagonistic at times, still serves as a loving father figure. Also, I cannot emphasize how much Doctor Doppler and Captain Amelia worked as a couple compared to... ahem, more modern Disney couples. Overall, it’s a crying shame that Treasure Planet didn’t find the audience it wanted until far too late. I personally think that this is among the movies that Disney should remake, if only to see how a new generation would react to it. Then again, live-action Amelia and Doppler would look like Cats rejects if done poorly... All I can say is PLEASE WATCH THIS MOVIE. You’d be surprised at how well it holds up nearly twenty years later, and for all you parents who are tired of kids begging for Frozen 2, show them this instead. Chances are they’ll be more fond of Ben than they are of Olaf by the end of it. Rank: 9/10 Reward: “Is this yours?” Peace, love and Garnet!

I’m 17- scratch that, two months away from becoming a legal adult- and yet I’ve just now decided to go and see the original version of The Lion King. Either I’ve repressed all memories of it from watching it on a car DVD player, or there’s something wrong with me. Probably the former. Well, even after 25 freaking years, this has more than earned its spot as one of the mane (pun) films you should watch before you die. A timeless story that was something bold and unexpected (unless you believe Disney shamelessly ripped off Osamu Tezuka’s classic Kimba the White Lion), music composed by THE Elton John that’s still standing as some of the best the Renaissance era had to offer, and the animation. Need I remind you, this was only a year before Disney and Pixar decided to partner up for the first time. And yet the hand-drawn stuff still is the absolute best the era had! Seriously, Disney, is it THAT hard to find people working in 2D these days? One point that I, a self-proclaimed “villain analyst”, was surprised by was how much more Scar was allowed to do compared to Disney’s... more modern antagonists. Instead of being hidden behind a twist (therefore reducing what he can do and causing his personality to do a 180), Scar is shown to be kinda manipulative and outright neglectful even before... THAT moment. “Long live the king.” Brr. Overall, I was honestly blown away even more than I thought I was going to be. An absolute masterpiece worth being preserved as is for the next decade or so. So don’t settle for Favreau’s “realistic” (and bloated) animation test- watch the one that has Nathan Lane and Ernie Cabella singing their hearts out. Rank: 9.8/10 Reward: Noshing on some Grub Peace, love, Hakuna Matata and Garnet!