Petra Halbur, Author at The Mary Sue

Petra Halbur

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The Kid in Castle Rock

Get Your Monster Sorted: A Castle Rock Finale Rant

I’ll give Castle Rock this much: Its season finale was the first episode of television to ever make me throw up. I’m not kidding. But let’s back up a bit.

What Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Gets Right About the “Bunch of Misfits” Trope

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s writer and director, James Gunn, recently opened up on Facebook about his early life struggles with isolation and suicidal thoughts. He described how movies, comics and music were what got him through and how that experience informed his writing of the Guardians of the Galaxy films.

Review: Iron Fist Is a Mess, but I Kind of Loved It Anyway

Well, Marvel’s winning streak on Netflix is officially over. Iron Fist is undeniably Marvel’s first major stumbling block. Yet, I didn’t hate it. In fact, I quite enjoyed it. It’s flawed, for sure, but it’s not the 13-hour train wreck that I was worried it would be. Whether Iron Fist’s strengths ultimately outweigh its weaknesses or the other way around is a matter of personal preference but, for me, the show’s lasting impression has been a positive one.

The Art of Using Brainwashing as a Tool for Character Development (or Not) in the Arrowverse

A few weeks ago, Legends stepped up its game by reintroducing Rip Hunter into the show as the reprogrammed lackey of the Legion of Doom in a twist that has quickly developed into one of the Arrowverse’s best brainwashing plots (and we all know how much the Arrowverse loves mind controlling its characters).

Review: Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events Is Dreadful, Melancholy … and Impossible Not to Enjoy

“If you are interested in stories with happy endings, then you would be better off somewhere else.” With that, Netflix’s adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events had me hooked. Only two minutes in and the show had already given me a deliciously catchy intro song, a forlorn dedication to Beatrice and a book-accurate disclosure from Lemony Snicket that the series I was about to watch would not be pleasant. I was in.

My Takeaway From Spending The U.S Election in Germany

So … I was in Germany when Donald Trump won the election. Just to be clear, it was not preemptive Hillary-or-expatriate move but a total coincidence. I spent the better part of the last five months volunteer farming abroad and on November 8 I just happened to be on an organic goat farm in Baden-Württemberg.

Keanu Review: A Brutally Funny Comedy With the Universal Appeal of Kittens

It takes a lot to get me to go watch a comedy in theaters. For me, the genre is just too hit-or-miss to be worth a movie ticket splurge most of the time. So, it’s a testament to the marketing build up for Keanu that I scrambled to my local theater to see it opening day. I was not disappointed.

Review: Daredevil Season 2 Is Full of Grit, Moral Complexity, and Polarizing Side Characters

It’s been a loooong year waiting for the second season of Daredevil. So, I’m happy to report that season 2 was well worth the wait and, on the whole, an exceptional follow up to season 1.

ZOOTOPIA – Pictured (L-R): Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde. ©2016 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Zootopia’s Story Was Originally Going to Be Much Darker … and a Lot a Less Interesting

So, fun fact! Zootopia underwent some major plot changes late in production … and it is so much better for them.

Zootopia Review: Brilliant, Insightful, Poignant Fable About Bigotry That You Must See

Isn’t it wonderful when a movie lives up to hype? Zootopia … what can I even say? It’s a triumph in animated filmmaking on every level, combining cutting edge animation, detailed world building, likeable yet deeply flawed characters, spot-on voice casting, and allegorical animals to tell a story that reflects an ugly side of our own world right back at us … while still being engaging and funny. It’s effectively a 21st century Beatrix Potter-style call for intersectionality, and it is a marvel.