Children of Men

Children of Men (2006) is considered to be a classic film in some circles which easy to understand at first glance. Its premise of a world where mankind has been left infertile is interesting and its use of ong takes(oners) is legendary. However, just because a project is lauded with praise does not mean it above fair critique.

The tale of a man seeking redemption by guiding society's last hope presents great potential for character development, but its let down by the dialogue. All lines are delivered with concise wording and a fast, unnatural cadence that ,at first, I appreciated for how it sped up exposition. The problem arose when it was carried over into every exchange because that is not how people talk. This utilitarian approach to dialogue ensured that every line was efficient and had purpose but also led to a lack of resonance for me because it caused them to never seem like real people, which is a major flaw for a story that is meant to examine the humanity of its characters.

Quick, unnatural line delivery ties into my biggest critique with the film: its pacing. It moves at a breakneck speed and rarely slows down, making it difficult to get immersed into the world. Children of Men's take on a dystopian society is interesting and worth exploration yet the focus on moving from set-piece to set-piece does not allow the characters or audience to linger in one environment for too long, limiting the opportunities for quiet periods of reflection that build immersion.

Most disturbing thing about this scene is how hideous that bag is.

To the film's credit the set-pieces are well done, utilizing great staging and camera work to make each one visceral. Director Alfonso Cuaron seem to have a great handle on how to use oners to further a scene's tension and sense of chaos. Art direction is on point when it comes to lending the dilapidated world a sense of realism and scale. If I was judging the film purely on its technical merits then it would be spectacular.

Though the premise is fascinating and the entire production is well shot Children of Men's fast pacing and unnatural dialogue prevented me from getting fully invested and immersed. It was an interesting watch and though far from a bad movie it ultimately disappointed in many key areas of storytelling. Not a regrettable viewing but can safely say it will not be one I return to in the foreseeable future.

The Florida Project

Looking at Sean Baker's filmography reveals his tendency to tackle underexplored perspectives in our society. Take Out (2004) told the story of a Chinese immigrant, Tangerine (2015) was a tale about a transgender prostitute, and his most recent film The Florida Project (2017) is based around the lives of people living in the impoverished neighborhoods of Kissimmee, Florida. Centering on six-year old Moonee (Brooklyn Prince) and her mother Halley (Bria Vinate) as they try to make it through the Summer, this is a tale meant to showcase the struggles experienced by low income communities.

It starts as a series of vignettes that introduce the characters and the setting before transitioning into a tighter narrative structure in the second act. This is an approach that I am fond of and the film pulls it off quite well though some vignettes are overly long. The hottest point of contention with the movie is its ending which takes a more abstract fantastical style. I found this shift to be jarring and while the intention to leave the story on an open-ended note is understandable it clashes too heavily with the realistic tone of the rest of the project. Resolutions that are up to viewer interpretation can work but not when they veer too far from the thematic and stylistic approach of everything that proceeded it.

Though a consistent throughout the entire production is the strong acting with the child actors Being surprisingly good even when they are given clunky dialogue. Amazon's summary of  The Florida Project declares that Willem Dafoe's role as Bobby, the hotel manager, is a career-best performance and I would agree. Dafoe is well-known for his over-the-top roles that his down-to-Earth portrayal of Bobby allows him to flex his acting skills as he delves into a dramatic role..

Dafoe drops truth bombs better than be drop pumpkin bombs.

On the visual side the biggest standout is the film's color palette which, as you can see by looking at the movie's posters, really pop and standout which helps give the world life and personality while also having symbolic weight. In the text it is pointed out how the motel's owner spent over two million to give the building a vivid purple paint job but will not give Bobby the funds to hire an exterminator for a bedbug infested room. It points out how we often put up fronts and hide our problems in the world around us, but in this quest to gloss over the issues it leads to our flaws growing worse and potentially spiraling out of our control.

Several films that focus on people in poverty feel heavy-handed and preachy but The Flordia Project avoids those trappings thanks to strong direction, good writing, and interesting characters. While the effectiveness of the ending is debatable the strengths of the rest of the movie make it a great watch.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly

Blue Boys vs. Green Man: The Movie

In many ways Broly was the Boba Fett of Dragon Ball, with both characters having iconic designs that are undermined by shallow characterization. In his previous films Broly was little more than a raging giant. Luckily all those previous films are non canonical which now lets the series creator, Akira Toriyama, rework and reintroduce Broly into the series proper.

World building is given more focus than most previous DBZ films. Act one shows the origin of Broly while also giving more insight into the Freeza Force's history with the Saiyan race. There are slight retcons made like Goku's parents involvement in his departure to Earth which seemed somewhat unnecessary but welcome. The prioritization on character work in the first half was a pleasant surprise with the charm and personality of the returning cast being well displayed while the new characters get enough screen time to leave an impression .

Super Saiyan God Vegeta makes his onscreen debut and he looks so good!

The second half focuses squarely on unrelenting action. Amazing fight choreography and excellent, unique animation make this one of the most beautiful pieces of Dragon Ball media ever made. While the fighting is exciting it was disappointing to see Broly fall back into the familiar DBZ film formula after it had spent so much time sidestepping those trappings and exceeding what was expected out of a shounen movie. An increased focus on fisticuffs also meant less time spent on character interactions which was also sad to see. There are character moments sprinkled throughout the brawl but they take a noticeable back seat.

Luckily the climax and ending do renew the focus on character work, with the film's final moments demonstrating the franchise's trademark charm. While Broly is not the best Dragon Ball film ever made, that honor still belongs to Battle of Gods, it is easily the runner up due to how well it utilizes the cast to deliver an entertaining and engaging experience. While the action may have overly dominated its second half Dragon Ball Super: Broly was still a great time and a must-see for any fan of the series.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack

Gundam is a franchise that I have dipped my toe into over the years but have never to a degree where I would consider myself a full-on fan. That changed last year after watching the original Mobile Suit Gundam film trilogy. Many of the original's elements still hold up surprisingly well and demonstrates how influential this franchise has been on not only the mecha genre but the entirety of the anime industry. One of the strongest factors was the rivalry between Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, which spanned across the first series, it's sequels, Zeta Gundam and Double Zeta Gundam, with Char's Counterattack being the conclusion of the conflict.

Taking place 14 years after the end of the One Year War, Char is now leading a revived faction of Zeon as they launch asteroids at the Earth, with each impact bringing the planet closer to a nuclear winter. Amuro and the Earth Federation are taking every step possible to prevent such a disaster. The film is at its best when focused on Amruo and Ray's relationship and exploring how each has been emotionally crippled since losing Lalah and how each resents the other because of it. The most interesting wrinkle is that they both know that no one else can understand them on the same level that they know each other. This relationship is utterly fascinating and if this was the main focus of the movie than is would be spectacular.

Amuro and Char: the heart of the film.

Unfortunately much of Char's Counterattack is spent with new characters. The sheer glut of new faces in a two-hour film causes them to be underdeveloped, with Quess Paraya being the worst offender. Quess shares many similarities with Kamille Bidan, the protagonist of Zeta Gundam, as they both were raised in powerful but broken households and now lash out at everyone around them, which initially makes both of them unlikable. The difference is that Kamille had 50 episodes to mature and became a fleshed-out character. The same can not be said of Quess whose slight development fails to create significant character growth, preventing her from overcoming the initial unlikability.

Incorporating so many new younger characters was likely done to touch upon how war affects youth, one of theme s that is at the core of  Gundam. This presents an issue because the short run time means this is an idea that fails to be explored thoroughly while taking attention away from exploring the effect of war on those hardened by previous conflicts. That is a theme that Char's Counterattack is uniquely equipped to fully explore thanks to the characters and world that have been developed for over a decade upon it's release. Yet it squanders some of this thematic potential by trying to explore the youth angle more the veteran persepctive.

Though the movie is not without its merits. As previously mentioned, all scenes with Amuro or Char are great with some like Char riding a shuttle full of pro-Zeon civilians who sing propaganda  in his honor being great pieces of world building while also showcasing how the character's have evolved over the years. The climax is awe-inspiring and evocative, perfectly showcasing Gundam's consistent message of human potential and the power of cooperation. Shot composition is also strong particularity regarding showing scale and conveying the isolation of space. Also the animation is gorgeous and still holds up even 30 years after its initial release.

Creating a story that was meant to end a fourteen-year saga is not a simple task, especially with a universe as complex as Gundam's Universal Century timeline. While Char's Counterattack spends too much time focusing on its weaker elements the strong qualities rise to the top and the entire project evens out to being okay overall. It is a good film that disappoints because of how close it was to being truly great.

The Sweatbox

When a video called "The Sweatbox (2002) - BANNED DISNEY DOCUMENTARY" showed up in my recommended feed I initially thought it was a bad Creepypasta. Some research revealed that The Sweatbox (2002) is a real film that documents how the Disney feature Kingdom of the Sun was continually altered until eventually transforming into The Emperor's New Groove (2000). Getting a peak behind the creative process and troubles of an animated film did intrigue me so it became the fourth of one hundred films.

If anyone intends to watch this movie because it sounds like it will be a hit piece that showcases the evils of Disney then you will be disappointing. The Sweatbox is not an indictment of the corporation and despite what the flaunting of its "banned" status, its a fairly straightforward chronicling of the six-year production process of Kingdom of the Sun and the strain it put on those developing it. The first 30 minutes are spent showing Roger Allers, the project's lead, and his crew researching and creating a fantasy film whose scope was on par with Allers's previous hit, The Loin King (1994). Seeing most of that work get thrown out after its first screening to the heads of the animation department is devastating. When one of the heads said that the only thing he liked about the production was two songs you can feel all the crew's hearts breaking.

A living totem character was one of many elements from the original pitch that was cut.

This is when I started to have conflicting feelings about the film. On one hand seeing Aller's work get criticized and thrown away is sad especially as a fellow creator, but on the other hand I do not begrudge the department heads for their critiques. From everything shown it looked like Kingdom of the Sun was a fairly stock Prince and the Pauper-style story. Though the production seemed well-detailed and visually lavish, it seems to have been in service to tell a generic tale. While what the film eventually turned into, The Emperor's New Grove, is not Aller's vision it is arguably a more unique and interesting addition to the Disney pantheon then the initial pitch would have been.

Ultimately I am at impasse with this project since while parts of it are interesting, it showcases a production cycle that is fairly unremarkable when compared to other production disasters like Fantastic Four (2015) or Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). If you are a Disneyphile or a fan of animation then this may be worth a watch but everyone else could safely skip it. While the sun may have set on Aller's original idea, it would rise again to reveal a quirky cult classic and a serviceable documentary.

Fyre + Fyre Fraud

In the spring of 2017 a massively hyped-up music festival failed spectacularly as it was revealed to have been built on a bed of lies. Its attendees who were promised extravagant beach-side housing were left to sleep in wet tents. Everyone who bought into it felt scammed and whose on the outside ridiculed and memed their misery. This infamous debacle is known as Fyre Festival, an event that was spearheaded by entrepreneur Billy McFarland and professional rapper/grunter Ja Rule.

After a few weeks the memes died down, lawsuits were filed, and Fyre Media went into bankruptcy while the incident faded from the public eye. I have barely thought about Fyre Festival since with it only coming to my attention again after watching the Internet Historian's great video "The Failure of Fyre Festival" about a year ago. However it seems the event has remained in quite a few people's minds as in the span of one week not one but TWO documentaries about the festival were released on competing streaming platforms. How do they differ from one another and which is superior? Well that's what I intended to weigh in on.

Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened  (Fyre)/ Netflix

When taking a documentary studies class about a year ago the first lesson our professor taught us was how to identify a doc's intent ,and Fyre's  main goal is to illustrate how the many failings of the music festival (like its deceptive marketing, questionable business practices, and terrible event planning) can be fully blamed on Billy McFarland. Many testimonials from his former employees, advisors, and contractors paints a picture of a man whose thirst for success led him to lie to everyone around him as he refused to properly prepare for the monumental task he was throwing onto their shoulders.

Pay for villas, get wet tents.

The film attempts to level all blame onto McFarland is fairly transparent. Using cliche demonizing methods such as the heavy use of ominous music and slowing down clips to make them seem more threatening. Having a majority of those interviewed being those who played a prominent had in the festival's creation is also telling as they deflect all blame onto McFarland, even when talking about failings that their departments were in charge of. It's odd that the documentary never criticizes them, even the other major players, for the roles they played. Even weirder is that Ja Rule, the co-founder of Fyre Festival, was shown to have a lot of influence over how it was organized early in the film but after the first 30 minutes he barely gets mentioned again.

Fyre's heavy bias and focus on incriminating McFarland prevents the movie from truly exploring every facet of the doomed event. I am not saying that McFarland is blameless, far from it, but rather that he can not be the only one to blame. What about Ja Rule the other co-creator who in every clip seems to be the dominant personality in their relationship who, after the first 30 mins, barely gets mentioned? Or those who worked alongside McFarland yet dismiss any culpability? The film's narrow scope ultimately makes it feel more like a hit-piece then a comprehensive deep dive.

Fyre Frau/ Hulu

This doc succeeds where the other falters by offering a wider scope of the entire operation of Fyre Media and the history that led up to the festival. It covers many of the subjects that I wanted to be further explored such as the impact of influencer culture, the complicity of the other major contributors to Fyre Fest like its marketing and planning director, and what hand Ja Rule played in it all. The greatest advantage this film has is that it actually interviews Billy McFarland.

McFarland just riding the waves of a sea of tears. 

Despite not setting its sights squarely on McFarland, this film is better at showcasing his faults by having him speak. Seeing him dodge questions, frequently avoiding eye contact with the interviewer, and getting aggressively defensive at any allegations while evidence of his deceit are shown is fascinating. McFarland is shown not as a cartoonish monster but instead as a human being. A flawed, destructive, delusional man who refuses to take responsibility for what he did. A interesting character portrait is made alongside a critique of those who aided him in creating the event.

An interesting aspect mentioned at the end is that Jerry Media, the marketing company that advertised Fyre Festival, is funding its own documentary which is Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened. It seems Fyre was created by Jerry Media as damage control, using McFarland's terrible reputation to make him a scapegoat for any and all responsibility they had in organizing the failed event. Fyre Fraud has accomplished one of the most impressive clapbacks that I have seen, easily poking holes in the other doc's credibility.

Conclusion 

Of the two films Fyre Fraud is definitely the one worth watching. It only has a wider scope, more interesting editing,  and a greater statement. The dubious motives behind Fyre's creation led to a documentary that oversimplifies the situation while excluding important context. Hulu's Fyre Fraud is a powerful blaze while Netlfix's Fyre is merely a flash in the pan.

Both of the docs bring up the island of pigs. I figured it was the happiest thing to end on.

Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Riders

Gotta love crossover films. Even when the plots are cohesive their titles can manage to be convoluted.

On April 30, 2019 the Heisei period of Japanese history will come to an end after 31 years. One franchise that rose from dormancy during this time was Kamen Rider, which reemerged onto the scene with 2000's Kamen Rider Kuuga. Since then the series has been redefining and setting itself apart from its Showa era entries and becoming the most prominent and varied tokusatsu property. With the Heisei era's end on the horizon Toei have been using the yearly crossover films to celebrate the series's legacy and the identity it has been cultivating over the last two decades.

Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Riders (2017) is primarily a crossover between Kamen Rider Ex-Aid (which had recently ended when the film was released) and Kamen Rider Build (which was airing at the time and had just finished it first quarter), though it also features the appearance of four returning riders being OOO, Fourze, Gaim, and Ghost. Crossover films have had issues juggling their large casts, but the writers handle it well by effectively using Parad and Banjo as a narrative device that separates the characters while not completely isolating them. Additionally ,Banjo's arc of trying to find his own reason for being a Kamen Rider made sense for his character, because at the time this movie was released he had only been a Rider for a few episodes, and it was a great way of demonstrating the personalities of the legacy Riders by having them inspire him. Plus the theme of understanding and defining heroism is one that often resonates with me.

The character's placement in this shot actually has some significance. Crazy right? 

The returning actors do a great job reprising their roles with Sota Fukushi stepping back into his role as Gentaro/ Fourze so naturally that he was a joy whenever he was on screen. Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was how many supporting characters from previous seasons returned and that each of them got a nice moment to shine, which was really impressive. My only disappointment with the characters were how little of Ex-Aid's and Build's supporting casts appeared in the film. While its understandable that there roles were minimized to provide time for the returning faces it was still sad to see them sidelined.

Though this film was not the final crossover film in the Heisei era, that honor belongs to the next one, Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Riders is a great celebration of the franchise that is more than just fan service. If you are a new to Kamen Rider than this should not be your entry point because it will be very confusing, though if you are looking for an entry point I can give you recommendations. However if you are a fan of any of these seasons than this is a strong recommendation. This is a movie worth getting Excite-d for. (Excite is the name of Ex-Aid's opening song. That's the pun.)

What We Do in the Shadows

The second movie on my quest to watch 100 films for the first time is Taika Waititi's 2014 film, What We Do In The Shadows. This is the third of Waititi's films that I have seen with the other two being Boy (2010) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017). I had friends recommend this to me before and ,trusting their words, I put it on my Amazon Prime Watch List...about a year and a half ago. But luckily it is still available on Prime so better late than never.

Opting to frame the story in a mockumentary style was a smart choice since it allowed the characters to give exposition in a diegetic way. Waititi's comedic sensibilities remind me of Edgar Wright with how both emphasize sharp dialogue, character interactions, and using background elements for jokes. Though a major difference between the two comes in the form of their post production. Wright is famous for his stylistic editing while Waititi opts to keep his editing fairly plain in order to enhance the viewer's immersion. While I enjoy Wright's quick cuts they do take you out of the story to some degree.

There are funnier pics I could have used but wanted to avoid spoilers.

Instead What We Do In The Shadows contextualizes the structural elements of the film by framing it as a documentary, thus increasing the immersion and squarely keeping the audience's focus on the characters and their world instead of how it is being shown to us. Speaking of the characters they are all great with each having a distinctive, fun personalities and the actors portraying them having good chemistry with one another. Admittedly not every joke lands but a majority of them do, with me constantly laughing throughout my viewing. The practical effects in the film are surprisingly well done considering the smaller budget the production had.

My only real complaint with the film is that certain characters could have used more screen time, with one group in particular deserving at least one additional scene given how they factor into the resolution. Though that is a pretty minor gripe and not enough to stop me from strongly recommending this film to anyone interested in it. It's smartly written, well acted, has a nice pace, and is less than 90 minutes long which makes it easy to watch even if you have a busy schedule. So there is no excuse to not sink your teeth into this vampiric experience.

Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You

No matter what I might think of the film, gotta admit this poster is great.

Despite majoring in film I do not watch many films, instead preferring television over feature-length productions. So I figured a new year was a good excuse to o expand my movie-viewing habits. The goal is to watch 100 films for the first time before the end of 2019, analyzing each as I progress. So the first film I watched this year was Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You. I have wanted to check this movie out for quite some time and since it was recently added to Netflix it was now easily accessible.

A thematic reimagining of the beginning of Ash's journey to celebrate the anime's 20th anniversary is interesting and sounds like a fun way of turning the familiar origin on it's head in an entertaining way. Instead the film half-steps in delivering a new version by relying too heavily on reliving story lines from the original series ,like Ash freeing Butterfree and Charmander's abandonment. This undercuts the new characters/story elements by not giving them enough screentime. The way Ash meets the film's two new companions, Verity and Sorrel, is fun but neither characters gets much development or personality so end up feeling fairly dull.

That feeling when no one in your party has Mean Look.

On a positive note the film is beautifully animated, sporting some well-done fight scenes with every battle with Cross, the new rival, being a highlight in that regard. Entei's prominent appearance in the first act was surprising but welcomed as his status as a Legendary Pokemon was well showcased. Sadly his counterparts don't get the same treatment, with Suicune only getting a brief encounter with Verity and Raikou being little more than a cameo. It was also disappointing that they didn't come back in the film's climax despite how poised the opportunity for a final reappearance of the trio was. Not having the Legendary Dogs interact with Ho-Oh on screen was a major missed opportunity.

Missed opportunity is the best way to describe Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You. A solid concept that failed to fully commit to being different from the original series while the new elements it did introduced felt mostly under-baked. It also does not help that the movie's central message of treasuring friendship over power is the same theme that many of the previous films and seasons of the anime have covered, with multiple of the past efforts being more successful in delivering the message while remaining entertaining. While I would not classify this film as a bad experience it certainly was a bland one.


 

Track Talk: Returning to Acid Rap Pt. 1

At a recent party a friend played songs from Acid Rap and a rush of emotions came flooding back to me. Acid Rap is Chance the Rapper's second mixtape, and was the music that defined my senior year of high school. After discovering this album during winter break I listened to songs from it almost everyday. Despite having a lifelong love of hip-hop I barely explored the indie side of the genre before listening to Chance. Since then my rap horizons have been greatly expanded for the better. Since  this blog is meant to explore my personal passions, why not do a track by track breakdown and analysis of one of my most beloved albums of all time.

(If you want to listen to the mixtape as I am discussing it you can find it on Youtube or Soundcloud. Also can be referring to the Genius pages for many of the songs so you can read those here.)

Track 1: Good Ass Intro (ft. BJ The Chicago Kid, Lili K., Kiara Lanier)
The title of the song speaks for itself. It does a great job at introducing the listener to the artist and what is in store in the rest of the album. The immediate punch and energy of the hook hits hard with the lyrics featuring some good wordplay and rhymes that are fun to pick up on, with one of my favorite lines being, "Replay the replays; Green Bay the Packers. Cremate your teammates and freebase the actors." There is also a clever Community reference that I didn't learn about until looking at the song's Genius page. Chance does a great job on the verses as he exudes confidence and joy that is pretty infectious. 

Track 2: Pusha Man/Paranoia (ft Nate Fox & Lili K.)
"Pusha Man" is fascinating to examine since it is really two songs-in-one. The first part has Chance talking about the stresses of his life and how he took and sold drugs to get by, but expresses them with a flow and style that is so fast paced that the gravity of it is purposefully not allowed to sink in. The next verse then transitions into talking about how great his sex life is and touts his success in the same way many rappers do. The quick pace of this first half is a natural followup to the mood set by "Good Ass Intro" and touches on some deeper issues, but brushes by them in the pursuit of fun. Then their is silence that signals the transition into the second part, "Paranoia".

Chance comes down off his high and acknowledges the harsh reality surrounding him, with the rampant gun and drug violence that plagues Chicago. Here the beat gets far slower and more intimidating, making the listener uncomfortable. "Paranoia" shows that Chance is capable of being darker and more impactful than he initially presents himself as being. The haunting breakdown and final verse is an amazing showcase of the artist's range and what emotional lows he is willing to explore.

Track 3: Cocoa Butter Kisses (ft. Vic Mensa & Twista)
Warmly reminiscing about the past and realizing that you will not get those days back is a subject matter that can be quite somber, but "Cocoa Butter Kisses" decides to takes a warmer route with a beat that's welcoming and comforts the listener as the rappers express nostalgia for their youth. Songs with multiple guest verses can often lack cohesion as the additional artists tend to not explore the subject matter set up by the lead. However Vic Mensa and Twista's verses stay on topic while also showcasing their own styles. While Chance emphasizes whimsy, Mensa chooses to go harsher with his part and introduces a bridge and alteration on the chorus that adds a nice edge to the piece, and Twista's status as an OG gives his musings about the past a nice bit of weight that sets him apart from the younger artists on the track.

Track 4: Juice 
As the first track on the album that features no guest artists "Juice" sets the stage for Chance to show what he can do independently and he leans into it. His flow is tight and he spits some good rhymes, though he relies too heavily on repetition in the second verse. The most interesting aspect lyrically is how often he shouts out his friends, family, fans, and fellow rappers. Though he is proud of his success Chance's active effort to stay humble is a constant theme throughout his work and it makes him pretty likeable. Not an especially deep song but always a fun listen.

Chance and Noname Gypsy performing on SNL.

Track 5: Lost (ft. Noname Gypsy)

"Lost" is the most underappreciated track on the mixtape. Chance's choice to portray an unlikable man who feeds his girlfriend's addiction and knowingly takes advantage of her vulnerable emotional state is an surprising move, especially considering how much his likeability was emphasized in previous tracks. Yet he plays the role well with lines like, "Ooh your mama hate me, daddy wouldn't let you. If he ever met me, if he ever met you." and, "So dance for daddy like Gator. Ain't no partner on this trip. And lose yourself in my room. And find yourself in my grip." showcasing just how knowingly destructive he is, yet seemingly remorseless for his words and actions. Noname Gypsy's verse elevates the track as her voice commands such presence while also having vulnerability in her tone and cadence that sells her performance. Its a beautifully dark song that improves with every replay. 

Track 6: Everybody's Something (ft. Saba & BJ the Chicago Kid)
Stylistically this track has many similarities to Chance's first mixtape, 10 Day, which emphasized psychedelic,distorted beats and slower flows. This causes it to stand out from the more high energy emphasis most of the album has. This song is beloved by many and I understand why but it left less of an impression on me. It has some quality lyrics but the hopeful of the song doesn't fully land to the coldness of the beat. A hopeful,comforting message is nice but no warmth in its composition leaves an odd impression. It is not bad but fails to be a must listen for me. 

Track Talk: Returning to Acid Rap Pt. 2

Track 7: "Interlude (That's Love)"
"That's Love" succeeds where "Everybody's Something" faltered by portraying its positive message with a more thematically appropriate beat and every lyric enforcing the song's message of prioritizing experiences with loved ones over vane goals such as flaunting money. It's short, sweet, and effective.

Track 8: "Favorite Song" (ft. Childish Gambino)
Easily the most famous track on the mixtape and the first song from it that many people (including myself) heard. The flow is fast, the energy is electric, and the charisma of both Chance and Gambino is on full display. Their isn't much lyrical depth in the piece despite how great some of the rhymes are but at the same time its hard to knock the song for that. It wasn't trying to have much depth or meaning, instead focusing squarely on describing the fun of making music and being a rapper while at the same time being a great jam.

Track 9: "NaNa" (ft. Action Bronson)

When talking about my fondness for this mixtape I made sure not to call it perfect because it does have some flaws, with the biggest one being "NaNa". It's not a complete train wreck and to its credit the first verse does manage to be silly while also having some solid lyrics. However the second verse is a significant drop and feels sloppy and unfocused. This lack of cohesion comes to a head with Bronson's section, which had a decent flow but none of the jokes land. This track is an attempt to be playful that instead comes across as juvenile.

Track 10: "Smoke Again" (ft. Ab-Soul)
The choice to put "Smoke Again" rights after "NaNa" is odd since they both are intended to be silly, more happy-go-lucky tracks. To it's credit "Smoke Again" is stronger due mostly to it feeling more focused than the prior song. A tighter flow and more confidence from Chance and Ab-Soul make it a pleasant listen though Ab's attempts at jokes in his verse aren't successful. Overall not a bad song but far from the strongest piece in Acid Rap.

Track 11: "Acid Rain"
The style of this song is more in line with 10 Day and if it was on that album it would have probably been one of the standouts. Maybe that's a testament to how improved Chance is as a musician, that a song that might have topped his previous outing is unable to reach the heights of the follow-up. Though not in my top 3, this is a piece that establishes a great mood.

Track 12: "Chain Smoker"
As the penultimate part of the album it does an excellent job at winding down while still maintaining a good amount of energy. Chance maintains a solid flow throughout and mixes up the rhyming scheme in interesting ways, with the beginning lines of the first verse being a good example. It reminds me of how OutKast would mix up their delivery within songs, which is always entertaining to listen to.

Track 13: "Everything's Good (Good Ass Outro)"
The intro to the song being a conversation between Chance and his father is cheesy but sets the tone well and the rest of the piece plays off the start to thank everyone who helped in the album's creation and anyone who listened to it. The sampling of "Good Ass Intro" and reincorporation of elements from previous works like "Juke, Juke", which is from 10 Day, sells the finality of the track and rounds out Acid Rap.

Conclusion
Revisiting Acid Rap has been a trip. While there are flaws in the mixtape like weird song placement, some odd beats, and a noticeable dud with "NaNa". Yet the good far outshines the bad and this LP is still one of my all-time favorites. You may have noticed my constant reuse of the same musical terms throughout this analysis and that's because I'm not well versed when it comes to music criticism. So any info on what terms I misused, ones I could use in place of an often repeated one, or just your thoughts on Acid Rap would all be greatly appreciated.