The “Woke Agenda” of Acceptance and Love

It’s a real shame, that many in this country want to stop people, who in no way affect their lives, from living a peaceful happy existence. These oppressive forces do this out of fear, not because it is actually a threat, but because they are told there is a threat to distract from the truth, that people in power need people beneath them to stay there. It was done with women, foreigners, minority races, and now with members of the LGBTQ+ community. And it is time for this false hysteria to stop.

Before Lightyear even hit theatres it received massive undue backlash for having a reported on screen kiss between two female characters. Countries with strong religious theocratic leaderships banned the movie, “family values” commentators and politicians called Disney out for what they saw as a “woke LGBTQ+ agenda” to destroy America and its values, and some even said it was dangerous to children and part of a movement to groom children to an eventual life of pedophilia and other disgusting accusations without merit or evidence beyond wild conspiracies. And all this does is hurt people who just want to exist.

Here is the entire LGBTQ+ agenda in a single sentence: We want to exist without persecution. That’s it. That’s the whole thing. We want to have our lives, both straight-passing and not, become a normalized part of society. We would like to have the same ability to exist without judgement, oppression, and all other things that are currently parts of many of our lives. And Lightyear makes that part of its movie. It doesn’t glorify or over address the relationship. All it does is shows two women growing old together over time. And even when Buzz (Chris Evans) learns that his fellow Space Ranger Alisha (Uzo Aduba) is in a relationship, he asks who the woman is. It’s normal in his world that his friend likes women. And that’s the goal, to have all people, of all genders and sexualities, be accepted and normalized.

But we’re not there yet. We’re still living in a world where every day people are persecuted, harassed, degraded, and actively assaulted because of who they love and who they are. And it’s not helped by these “defenders of the family” who come into the conversation just to smear lies and continue to remind us that we are still fighting is what given to everyone else. Had this been a heteronormative couple, no one would have batted an eye. If this had been two aliens made up of go, or dog people, or robots, or anything other than two women celebrating a lifelong (40+ year) relationship with a one second kiss over a two-minute montage, it would have been seen as nothing more than a sweet moment to show Buzz what he’s fighting for.

And it’s sad that this is still a conversation. It’s sad that we still have people spreading this hate throughout the world. It’s sad that they choose to show hate to people who only seek love and acceptance. And I say this a member of this community who is often able to hide it. I see this as a person who believes in the same God, the same benevolent Creator as many of those who persecute. This choice, to turn people into monsters, has affected me too, hurt me too. And I see it happening to so many others. The fact that violence is almost 4:1 for those of the LGBTQ+ community is already heinous, and it happens because we are told we shouldn’t exist, and when we ask to be accepted, we are cast aside, belittled, or so much worse.

So while I would have loved to talk about this movie as a way to find your self-worth, or see the value in others, or realize the danger of selfishness, or learn to empower those around you, or so much more… I can’t. Because the work is not done. The world is not safe. And there are still people out there who are being told every day, that we are not accepted, valued, or wanted. And until that changes, I hope many more movies like Lightyear continue to exist.

Here is my breakdown for reviewing and ranking the movies of the Pixar series:

Voice Performances
Storyline
Worldbuilding
Most Memorable Scene
Villain

Each category will be ranked on a scale of 10 points for a possible total of 50.

So here is my breakdown for Lightyear:

Voice Acting: Chris Evans manages to take an iconic character and make it his own. He’s got just enough of the qualities of Tim Allen but doesn’t do an impression and it helps this Buzz feel different than the one from Toy Story. The supporting cast helps push this forward, especially Keke Palmer as Izzy. It’s a great ensemble overall but it also doesn’t stand out completely. (8/10)

Storyline: Story is fairly simple. It’s not anything spectacular but it does seem just unique enough to provide some fun moments for all the characters. And the choice to have Buzz confront himself and his own ambitions to be the hero he sees himself as is a really strong way to keep that narrative going. But again, it’s nothing too spectacular or out there, but it does enough to tell the story it needs to. (7/10)

Worldbuilding: I think the world building starts strong and then loses something. The initial aspects build the mythos of Buzz Lightyear and Star Command and then it just becomes little pieces here and there without every really letting the world expand further. (7/10)

Most Memorable Scene: I really loved watching Buzz continuing to lose everything as he tries to save it. The montage where he tries to time travel to save his crew. But watching as each mission loses more and more hurts and sets up the stakes of this movie incredibly well. (8/10)

Villain: Zurg (James Brolin) is interesting. They tried to make him a very different character and yet someone we can understand, and I don’t think it works completely. There are parts that could have been interesting, but we really don’t get enough to see the character grow and it seems like there would be more later, but that remains to be seen. For what this movie is, it’s just not quite enough to really let Zurg shine or feel fully developed. (6/10)

Total Score: 36/50

Current Ranking:
The Incredibles
Coco
Toy Story 2
Inside Out
Onward
Toy Story 3
Ratatouille
Brave
Luca
Monsters, Inc.
Soul
Toy Story
A Bug’s Life
Turning Red
The Incredibles 2
Lightyear
Toy Story 4
Monsters University
WALL-E
Cars 3
Finding Dory
Up
Finding Nemo
The Good Dinosaur
Cars 2
Cars

I know this blog seemed angrier than some of my other ones, but it’s because I have to fight for everyone. And I can see that Pixar understands the need for representation in media. I hope they don’t let this stop them.

So until next time, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!

Children Are Their Own People

We are all the product of those who came before us, whether we try or not, we have traits that are passed onto us, taught to us, and shown to us by our parents, mentors, guardians, and even our peers. And while these help shape us into the people we need to become, there is a harsh reality that sometimes those people, and even we ourselves, cross a line, and try to shape the lives of others. And that is something we need to stop doing.

Turning Red has a few messages in its story. The personal fear of bodily change, the necessity to let go of perfection, and what I want to talk about today, the need to let children grow up independently of ourselves. This movie has a strong message geared towards that adolescent struggle for independence and the parental struggle for control.

What starts as a metaphor for puberty then turns into a story of a daughter, who has spent her whole life working to please her mother, trying to break out and become her own person with her own dreams, goals, and interests. And as a result it also becomes the story of a mother who wants to protect and guide her daughter, learning to see where the boundary is too far and learning to let go and let her daughter be free.

And there are very real moments in this movie, that, were this movie not geared towards children, could have been far more traumatic than they were. Mei Mei (Rosalie Chiang) turns to numerous sign of teenage rebellion: sneaking around, hiding aspects of herself from her parents, living two lives, and cracking under pressure. And when Mei Mei cracks, it’s a lot more obvious.

The Panda in this movie is a metaphor for so many things, but it is especially true of shame. When learning to be themselves, it is often embarrassing under certain circumstances, but incredibly freeing in others. And to watch those children learn to embrace that weirder side of themselves is sometimes incredibly inspiring, especially as it helps forge close relationships with those around them.

But on the other side, it makes them hide from those who they feel will not approve of their lives, and often don’t. And this is the big lesson that Turning Red teaches: children are not their parents. And by keeping children contained within a certain bubble, parents actually do more harm than good. And that causes children to rebel, shut down, and experience underdevelopment of their maturity, and social skills.

So here is my solution, if a child shows an interest, even if you don’t understand it, try to keep an open mind. Try to see that just because they aren’t your interests doesn’t mean they aren’t good and may in fact lead to a better life as a result. All children grow up at some point, how they survive that process is up to those who raise them and show them the way.

Here is my breakdown for reviewing and ranking the movies of the Pixar series:

Voice Performances
Storyline
Worldbuilding
Most Memorable Scene
Villain

Each category will be ranked on a scale of 10 points for a possible total of 50.

So here is my breakdown for Turning Red:

Voice Acting: The voice cast in this one is good but not outstanding. While the representation by Asian actors is absolutely phenomenal, a majority of the characters don’t have the chance ot develop enough to be completely memorable. But Mei Mei and her friends are all an instant high point. (7/10)

Storyline: I actually felt like the plot on this one was a touch based on convenience. It was certainly fun, but I do wish there was more development and time given to some of the relationships that drive this story forward, and conflicts resolve quickly in some cases and very slowly in others. (7/10)

Worldbuilding: The best part of this was the legend that started the Panda transformation, and how that cultural mythology was present in so much of the movie. But beyond that, the way this continues the much needed normalization of Asian characters telling Asian stories that are not just about race is so powerful and so wonderful to see. (9/10)

Most Memorable Scene: I mean the climax of this movie is just so fun, between the battle of multiple pandas, the goofy camp of the boy band 4-Town, and the high stakes that come from the ticking clock of the red moon, the whole thing just works really well. It’s not Pixar’s best, but it also isn’t its worst either. (8/10)

Villain: What makes Ming Lee (Sandra Oh) such a good antagonist is that she’s so understood. She’s not trying to cause problems for Mei Mei, but her personal desire to keep Mei Mei contained and sheltered, even if well intentioned, is what causes a lot of the plot to unfold and triggers Mei Mei’s reaction. And yet she’s still very human, relatable, and complete as a character. (8/10)

Total Score: 39/50

Current Ranking:
The Incredibles
Coco
Toy Story 2
Inside Out
Onward
Toy Story 3
Ratatouille
Brave
Luca
Monsters, Inc.
Soul
Toy Story
A Bug’s Life
Turning Red
The Incredibles 2
Toy Story 4
Monsters University
WALL-E
Cars 3
Finding Dory
Up
Finding Nemo
The Good Dinosaur
Cars 2
Cars

Hey, I finally saw the new Pixar movie! It’s been a little while since I released one of these so I’m glad I finally got around to it. Hopefully you all still enjoy the Pixar movies as much as I do. I hope the next one is just as a good!

So, until then, as I always say, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!

Why Accepting Yourself Can Change Everything

Why do we hide parts of ourselves? Why do we choose to keep the things that make us who we are and define our very existence things that we have to hide? And why, as a society, do we choose to treat others like outcasts without cause? And what kind of a world would we live in if we simply embraced our whole selves and told society that we are who we are and we are proud of that? What if we lived unapologetically for our uniqueness?

There’s a parallel in Luca to a very real event in our world. And whether intentional or not the movie has a strong connection to the self-discovery and person embracing of being a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Luca (Jacob Tremblay) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) must come to show their true identity, as sea monsters, to the public in order to achieve their goals and be comfortable with who they are. In the same way many LGBTQ+ people struggle to function in society until they too come out and allow that burden of hiding themselves while trying to fit in.

And in the big final moment when Luca and Alberto reveal themselves, several other sea monster, some of whom are much older, come and show they too have been hiding their true selves. And this moment is a strong reminder that many people around us may be carrying these burdens without us knowing it. And they may take time to come out about who they really are. And that’s ok. It’s something for those people to decide. It’s not something for us to impose.

So how do we help these people find this self-acceptance? The simple answer is through love. By being a loving and caring individual, you allow someone the right to be who they are without judgement. And that’s a luxury many of us have had without ever having to change a thing. And it’s also a luxury that many of us want. But it’s only by standing up and accepting each other no matter what that we allow the world to be safe for all of us to be comfortable as we are.

If you take one thing from this, it’s that I accept you, all of you, for who you are. And I encourage you to show the whole of yourself to the world. But not before you’re ready. Because this is your journey, and you should do it in your own time. And when you have become truly comfortable in your own skin, then help to make the world safe for all others who are still working through their own journeys. Together we can make this world brighter, more colorful, and more loving every single day.

Here is my breakdown for reviewing and ranking the movies of the Pixar series:

Voice Performances
Storyline
Worldbuilding
Most Memorable Scene
Villain

Each category will be ranked on a scale of 10 points for a possible total of 50.

So here is my breakdown for Luca:

Voice Acting: The cast of this one is very strong especially the young actors. Tremblay, Grazer, and actress Emma Berman who plays Giulia. The supporting cast is filled with Italian actors who I learned performed the same roles in the Italian dub of the movie. And they all perform the roles so well that it leaves a great, if sometimes understated mark. (9/10)

Storyline: The plot of this one is a bit thin. The actual story has very little going on aside from the protagonists working to win a race, but the subtler themes enrich the plot and make it better. If the story were to continue, I would hope it dives deeper into the themes and really embraces them without shying away. (7/10)

Worldbuilding: This movie is beautiful. The world is built in color and the lives of both the humans and the sea monsters are fleshed out. The only part that bothered me is that we didn’t get a lot of time under the water. I would have loved to see the ocean more than I did. But what we do get is so clever and colorful and I found it beautiful. (8/10)

Most Memorable Scene: The moment where Luca and Alberto are revealed is such a wholesome and beautiful moment that it stood out far beyond everything else in the movie. And while many other scenes are memorable and fun, it’s the heart that really makes this movie land. (10/10)

Villain: Ercole isn’t really a great villain. He’s got some fun moments and is a very true to life bully, but as an antagonistic force he carries very little weight, he’d be better as a side character than a true antagonist. And I imagine there could have been a deeper villain in this story. (6/10)

Total Score: 40/50

Current Ranking:
The Incredibles
Coco
Toy Story 2
Inside Out
Onward
Toy Story 3
Ratatouille
Brave
Luca
Monsters, Inc.
Soul
Toy Story
A Bug’s Life
The Incredibles 2
Toy Story 4
Monsters University
WALL-E
Cars 3
Finding Dory
Up
Finding Nemo
The Good Dinosaur
Cars 2
Cars

What? Did you think the reviews were going to end once I hit Soul? No, this is a continuous series and whenever new movies get released, I’m gonna try to continue the ranking. So welcome back for a moment to the land of Pixar, we’re happy to have you here.

And as always, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!

Pixar Wrap Up (For Now)

So now we’ve reached the final summary. If you haven’t read a single blog post here. I’m going to quickly summarize each of my posts on the Pixar filmography and then compare my original ranking before my rewatch to my new one.

So let’s get to it!

Toy Story

Toy Story is about coping with the way life changes and learning how to handle when life doesn’t go the way you planned for it to go. It shows that if you accept change it can make life better.

A Bug’s Life

A Bug’s Life is an allegory for the way the wealthy and powerful exploit the weak and poor. It is only by working against the system and overcoming those judgements that we can better society for everyone.

Toy Story 2

Toy Story 2 talks about moving away from the pain of the past and aiming to keep the best days of your life ahead of you. If we don’t dwell on our past we can have a happier and more successful future.

Monsters, Inc.

Monsters, Inc. is about how the ends do not always justify the means. We can have the best of intentions but we defeat our own argument if we take shortcuts and harmful tactics when working to achieve our goals.

Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo has a simple message. No matter what obstacles come into your path, no matter what life throws in your way, not matter how hard it gets, Just. Keep Swimming.

The Incredibles

Syndrome is the absolute perfect movie villain. He contrasts Mr. Incredible perfectly. In the legacy of Pixar there has never been a better villain than Syndrome.

Cars

When we travel through life, it is often the journey that we remember, not the destination. If we only journey to get somewhere, we’ll miss so many wonderful moments and people who come across our lives.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille teaches us that we shouldn’t judge anyone by their looks. The way a person presents themselves is not indicative of their potential in any craft and if we just invest in people we’ll find that anyone can do anything.

WALL-E

WALL-E is a warning. If we don’t take care of ourselves, our neighbors, and our planet, we’ll destroy all of it before we know it. Life doesn’t survive if we don’t make the sacrifices necessary for it to do so.

Up

There will never be a right time to take that trip, so just do it. And if you think you’ve missed your chance, you haven’t. It may not be the best time, but it’s never too late.

Toy Story 3

As we grow up we learn valuable lessons. And if we are wise, we’ll learn to pass these lessons on those who are younger than us. If we want to better everyone’s life, we need to pass on what we’ve learned.

Cars 2

You are the only one who gets to decide who you are, you are the only one who gets to decide what you do in life, no one else can tell you who you are or what you are capable of becoming. Only you can decide that.

Brave

There is so much the world expects of you. But you can carve your own path, you can write your own destiny. You simply have to have the courage to face the mob of conformity and carve out a path on your own.

Monsters University

There is never one road in life. No matter what anyone tells you, there is always another way. Life is an open series of paths and you can follow whatever one fits you best.

Inside Out

Mental illness is real and it affects millions of people. If we don’t take it seriously we can lose those we love.

The Good Dinosaur

Sometimes the only way to overcome our fears is to face them. And when we do face our fears we can become stronger and more complete people.

Finding Dory

If we work together and use our differences we can do great things. There is no one in the world without value and not everyone can do everything. So come together and learn to work with each other because we’ll all be better for it.

Cars 3

If you’re looking at a dream and worrying about the outcome, ask yourself one question: what do you have to lose? I’ll bet it’s next to nothing, so take chances and be brave. Because you have nothing to lose.

Coco

There are people who will come into our lives and influence them more than we could every know. And there people who we’ll look up to, be careful of idolizing anyone but don’t be afraid to go meet your heroes.

The Incredibles 2

It took 14 years to get The Incredibles to the screen and it was worth every minute it took to get there. Sometimes getting it right is worth the wait.

Toy Story 4

If we look at things differently, anything can be special. If we open our eyes to the possibilities of the world, anything can be special. If we learn to play the way a child plays, anything can be whatever we need it to be. Anything can be a toy.

Onward

Often we’ll find people in our lives who help tell our story. And sometimes the gestures we do for others can have a grand impact. We all have more influence than we realize and we all can be the heroes those around us need.

Soul

There is beauty in the simple parts of life. If we simply take the time to look around once in a while and appreciate the things in life we have, we can make every day wonderful. Life has lots to be grateful for, we just have to take the time to look.

So how did these movies all stack up. Well before we get to that let me show you my predictions. These are my original rankings from before starting the blog:

1. The Incredibles
2. Inside Out
3. Toy Story 2
4. Coco
5. Toy Story 3
6. Monsters, Inc.
7. Toy Story
8. Onward
9. WALL-E
10. A Bug’s Life
11. Ratatouille
12. Up
13. The Incredibles 2
14. Brave
15. Finding Nemo
16. Cars
17. Toy Story 4
18. Monsters University
19. Finding Dory
    
    And I had not seen Cars 2, The Good Dinosaur, Cars 3, or Soul so I couldn’t accurately rank them.

Now let’s compare the old scores to the new ones.

1. The Incredibles +0
2. Coco +2
3. Toy Story 2 +0
4. Inside Out -2
5. Onward +3
6. Toy Story 3 -1
7. Ratatouille +4
8. Brave +6
9. Monsters, Inc. +3
10. Soul – New Entry
11. Toy Story -4
12. A Bug’s Life -2
13. The Incredibles 2 +0
14. Toy Story 4 +3
15. Monsters University +3
16. WALL-E -7
17. Cars 3 – New Entry
18. Finding Dory +1
19. Up -6
20. Finding Nemo -5
21. The Good Dinosaur – New Entry
22. Cars 2 – New Entry
23. Cars -7

Biggest jump: Brave (14th to 8th)

Biggest fall: WALL-E (9th to 16th) and Cars (16th to 23rd)

And finally my favorite character in each movie in order of release:

1. Toy Story – Woody
2. A Bug’s Life – Slim
3. Toy Story 2 – Jessie
4. Monsters, Inc. – Mike
5. Finding Nemo – Gill
6. The Incredibles – Syndrome
7. Cars – Luigi
8. Ratatouille – Remy
9. WALL-E – WALL-E
10. Up – Carl
11. Toy Story 3 – Buzz Lightyear
12. Cars 2 – Finn McMissile
13. Brave – Merida
14. Monsters University – Sully
15. Inside Out – Anger
16. The Good Dinosaur – Poppa Henry
17. Finding Dory – Hank
18. Cars 3 – Cruz Ramirez
19. Coco – Miguel
20. The Incredibles 2 – Helen Parr
21. Toy Story 4 – Forky
22. Onward – Barley
23. Soul – Joe

And that’s it, I now have no more lessons to learn from Pixar until they come out with another movie. But since that’s a ways away I’ll have to find another franchise to keep my attention in the meantime. And I’ve got big plans for how I’m tackling the next franchise. Let’s just say I’m gonna really dive into whether or not a certain super spy holds up in the 21st century.

It’s gonna be a few weeks while you’re waiting for that to get started though. So in the meantime feel free to check out my Youtube channel and my podcast for a different look at movies. You can find it all here: Ploominator

Thanks again for joining me on this journey and until next time, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated.

It’s the Simple Things That Make Life Worth Living

Life is joyful. Life is filled with wonder. Life is worth living. But we have to find the joy in life, and it’s not always obvious. But there is a way, by taking stock in all the good we have we can learn to make the most of our lives, and ultimately may get a chance to find the best parts of life before they pass us by.

Soul is a marvelous story of learning to love the life you lead. Joe (Jamie Foxx) spends much of his life chasing an expectation he has, and feeling discontent with the reality he has, even when it’s a good living by many standards. He has a job where he gets to share his passions, a family that loves him, and a community that takes care of him, but because it’s not the dream he longs for, it’s not enough. Now I’m not saying don’t chase dreams, but don’t let that dream make you angry about the life you have. Finding the good in life can make both the life you have and the life you want better.

But when Joe suddenly finds that life taken from him, he mourns for the opportunities he’s lost. And in his effort to return to those, he meets 22 (Tina Fey) a discontented soul who has no spark. 22 wants to find something to make life worth living, and when she and Joe find themselves back on Earth, it is while walking in his shoes that she learns the best parts of life are not major things or big events, they are the simple parts of life that most of us take for granted. Life is beautiful, even when it’s simple, we just have to learn to look for it.

And when all of these things come apart, and Joe gets to achieve that dream he’s been chasing, he finds it’s not the thing he thought it would be. And it’s only later that he finds that he’s content and happy just spending time reflecting on his simple, yet joyful, life. Our lives don’t have to be amazing to be wonderful. They can be the simplest things but still allow us to find a great deal of love and happiness within them. And we just have to learn to look for that joy in the places we live, learning how to make the simple things the most wonderful.

Soul has a lot of wonderful moments, but they are most gloriously seen when looked at for what they are, everyday moments. Simple understated moments. Life is simple. We just have to learn to find the joy inside the simplicity. If we learn one lesson from this movie, it’s to enjoy the life we have, not pine for the life we want.

Here is my breakdown for reviewing and ranking the movies of the Pixar series:

Voice Performances
Storyline
Worldbuilding
Most Memorable Scene
Villain

Each category will be ranked on a scale of 10 points for a possible total of 50.

So here is my breakdown for Soul:

Voice Acting: The voice cast is small but wonderfully cast. From the largely black characters who occupy the world Joe lives in, to the fun personalities that exist in the Great Before, each character fits the role they need to occupy beautifully and Jamie Foxx gives one of the most phenomenal performances of his career. (9/10)

Storyline: The story of this one has a few threads it forgets to tie up. But overall the story it tells is one that the audience needs to hear. We learn so much from the journey of Joe and 22 and when we finally get to the end, we have the satisfaction of knowing that whatever life they lead is gonna be amazing. (8/10)

Worldbuilding: Much of the world we see is in fact earth, but the moments in the Great Beyond and the Great Before are so phenomenally designed and animated that it feels like a wonderfully unique setting. There has really not been anything like it before and I doubt there will be anything like if after. (7/10)

Most Memorable Scene: There is a moment near the end where Joe remembers his life while improvising on a piano, and it’s so simple but so powerful that it really pulls at the heartstrings. I found it to be a fantastic moment that really summed up the message of the movie (10/10)

Villain: There is no villain in Soul; but there doesn’t need to be one. The story is not one of overcoming some major antagonistic force, it’s about learning to live in the world that you occupy, not a world that you long for. Appreciating what you have is a message that doesn’t need a villain to convey (6/10)

Total Score: 40/50

Current Ranking:
The Incredibles
Coco
Toy Story 2
Inside Out
Onward
Toy Story 3
Ratatouille
Brave
Monster’s Inc.
Soul
Toy Story
A Bug’s Life
The Incredibles 2
Toy Story 4
Monsters University
WALL-E
Cars 3
Finding Dory
Up
Finding Nemo
The Good Dinosaur
Cars 2
Cars

And that’s it! (For now) I’m sure I’ll add to this list as Pixar adds new movies to their history. But for now, there’s only one more wrap up post to go and then… It’s onto new territory. I’ve got a fun idea for the future of this blog, but if you want to know what that is, you’ll have to come back next week to find out! Until then, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!

We Can Be the Heroes in Each Others’ Stories.

When we look back on our early life, what are the memories like? Are they warm and happy or cold and rough? As we get older, we find that there are things we wish we took more time to appreciate when we were younger. So, understand two things, you can find what you were looking for in any relationship; and you can inspire anyone if you just put in the time to do so. What you do has an impact, even when you may not realize it.

Onward is a story of adventure. But even more than that it’s a story of brotherhood. Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley (Chris Pratt) have a large number of differences, but through the struggle of their journey to meet their father they find their own commonalities and grow closer to each other. And while it’s not apparent at first, Ian comes to learn that Barley is the role model he’s been searching for the whole movie. Not because Barley was anything out of the ordinary. He was there, and he put effort into his relationship with Ian, and in that way he’s more vital to Ian’s story than he realizes.

In that same way, Ian impacts Barley by choosing to indulge in his wild fantasies of adventure and questing. He gives Barley someone to be with and shows that he finally has a connection in his own world. Barley is able to come more and more alive by his interactions with Ian and as Ian grows, Barley’s excitement also grows. He’s happy to live through Ian and be a part of his journey.

And by the end of their journey Ian looks back and realizes that Barley has been the father figure he’s been looking for all along. He didn’t need to meet his dad because he found what he was looking for somewhere else. His older brother became the person he needed. And by being there for Ian, Barley likewise was able to grow as well. Their relationship changed and they grew closer as a result.

So, what do we take away from this? What can we learn from the journey of Barley and Ian? We have to look at every relationship from one of those two perspectives. If we are Ian, then we are looking for someone to look up to. We are searching for the person who will take us and make us better. We want someone who will inspire us and make us better. And these people can be anyone, any person who gives you the time of day. Find the people who inspire you and make you better and stay close to them. Let them teach you things you never knew you needed to learn. You will grow more than you realized.

And if we are Barley, remember that there is always someone watching you. Even when you may not realize it, people are learning and growing from your influence. So, you have to choose your words and action, you have to remember that you can always change the way someone lives their life. And when those people grow, be excited for them. Even if that growth is something different than what you expected, remind them that you are proud of their accomplishments, because in some way you helped them learn who they are.

There’s a lot we can learn from a movie like Onward. But at the most basic levels we can learn about how we interact with each other. And we can find that we have far more impact on and take far more way from the world around us. So, let’s do what we can to make that world better, because we never know why we might impact with what we do.

Here is my breakdown for reviewing and ranking the movies of the Pixar series:

Voice Performances
Storyline
Worldbuilding
Most Memorable Scene
Villain

Each category will be ranked on a scale of 10 points for a possible total of 50.

So here is my breakdown for Onward:

Voice Acting: The cast in this one is small but strong. Holland and Pratt feel like genuine siblings and Julia Louis-Dreyfus fits in seamlessly as their mother. In addition, Octavia Spencer’s Manticore is so dynamic that you almost don’t realize it’s her and it really helps sell the character. Even the characters outside of the core cast are fun and get moments to play. A Really stellar cast all around. (9/10)

Storyline: This plot has so much going for it, a mystery to solve, an adventure to go on, obstacles to overcome. It all works together well and the story never stagnates or lulls for too long. Each choice is a moment of growth for one or both of the brothers and the extra bits help keep the story humorous and fun. (9/10)

Worldbuilding: I love the world this movie built. There is so much unique and interesting imagery that permeates the landscape and really allows the characters a playground of possibilities to mess with. And the lore of the world, the unique portrayals of the characters and the mixture of fantasy and modern really shows a lot of potential for the future. This is a world to be explored. (10/10)

Most Memorable Scene: The Climax where Ian shows all he’s learned, and his mom becomes the warrior he needs her to be stood out to me. The drama, the growth, the heart all comes together and makes a really powerful ending. But this one was really hard as there are a lot of fun moments to choose from. (9/10)

Villain: There isn’t really a traditional villain, more a series of obstacles. The biggest villain ends up being the curse surrounding the phoenix gem, which manifests in the form of a dragon made of the rubble surrounding the shrine. It’s got a lot of punch at the end, but the major antagonistic force is the time before the spell wears off. It’s not completely weak, but there could be more. (5/10)

Total Score: 42/50

Current Ranking:
The Incredibles
Coco
Toy Story 2
Inside Out
Onward
Toy Story 3
Ratatouille
Brave
Monsters, Inc.
Toy Story
A Bug’s Life
The Incredibles 2
Toy Story 4
Monsters University
WALL-E
Cars 3
Finding Dory
Up
Finding Nemo
The Good Dinosaur
Cars 2
Cars

One more. One final movie to complete this series… for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed these journeys as much as I have. I’m excited to close this out and move on but it’s been a great journey so far. Here’s to next week and as always, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!

What Makes a Toy, a Toy?

There’s something to be said about the power of the child’s imagination. The ability to create, the something out of nothing. What if we all took that time to look at the world? What if we faced the world with the eyes of creation? Rather than seeing things for what they are, see them for what they can be. What if, much like a child, we see the potential of the world rather than the reality. And so, come with me as we ask the question, What is a toy?

There are many interesting questions posed by Toy Story 4. But one of the biggest ones it talks about is who has value and what is truly a toy. And thus we are introduced to Forky (Tony Hale). Forky spends much of the movie questioning his own reality. He lacks a full understanding for whether or not he is a toy. In his mind, he is not, he’s trash. But in the mind of Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw) he’s a precious toy. Bonnie makes him real, Bonnie makes him a toy. It is through her imagination that he comes to life and is given value. So when we look at a pile of trash, do we see a spork, a pipe cleaner, and a popsicle stick or do we see a new friend? Likewise when we see something around us, do we only see it for what it appears to be, or do we see it for something it could be if we only thought outside of the box.

Bonnie adores Forky, and Woody (Tom Hanks) sees this. His tenure as a toy has taught him how all toys, no matter how different, have value within the eyes of their kid. Woody spends much of the beginning of the movie convincing Forky that he is much more important than the trash he was made out of. He is in fact greater than the sum of his parts. Often in life we have to look at things the way Bonnie sees Forky. She created him with scraps but ultimately found those odd things to have value and used them to build herself something comforting and familiar. Often when given odd things, we cast them aside before giving them a chance. We look at the trash in our lives as just trash. But as the old adage goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Often we discard things before seeing the full potential, but in the right hands, those same things can be turned into something valuable.

But it is not only through Bonnie that Forky has value, eventually Forky learns he too has value. He finds his worth in Bonnie promotes worth in himself. And by the end of his saga within Toy Story 4, Forky has found himself. He sees his own value and he now knows that he is not in fact trash. Seeing the potential within those around us is even more important than seeing the value in things. People all have value, no matter how odd, or different, or unable to find their place in the world. What if instead of making harsh assumptions about those around us, we helped them find their value, their place, their calling. There is potential for everyone if we all just looks at them the way that Woody looks at Forky.

Here is my breakdown for reviewing and ranking the movies of the Pixar series:

Voice Performances
Storyline
Worldbuilding
Most Memorable Scene
Villain

Each category will be ranked on a scale of 10 points for a possible total of 50.

So here is my breakdown for Toy Story 4:

Voice Acting: The biggest issue I have is how little time it gives to a majority of its original cast. While Tom Hanks and Tim Allen get a significant amount of time to play, the remaining cast members are replaced by a new group of popular actors and it loses some of the impact because the time we thought we were saying goodbye was not it, replaced instead by a someone subpar sendoff. (6/10)

Storyline: The plot of this one is actually one of the most creative and interesting ones, it answers deep questions and really shows how toys can be resourceful in news ways and the treatment of older toys affect them. It’s not the most complex but it’s a very well told story (8/10)

Worldbuilding: The introduction of both antiques and carnival toys allows this movie to expand into new areas it had not ventured into yet. It shows a new world and we are no longer forced to hold within the simple and the suburban. And the idea that lost toys can have rich lives apart from children is a very unique and powerful story about what happens to our toys when we finally see them go. (8/10)

Most Memorable Scene: The finale of this movie is well staged, it has tension, it has humor, it has daring, it has heart. It allows for character redemption and big final gestures. It’s a great finale, and it’s only downfall is that it has to live up to the finale’s of it predecessors and it doesn’t quite make it there. (7/10)

Villain: Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) is a really solid villain. But unlike many of the previous Pixar villains, the thing about her that really makes her great is how her struggle is not rooted in malevolence, but rather in a genuine pain and longing for that void inside her to be filled. And by the end, she is able to see that her value is much more than one moment or one kid, and she gets a moment of redemption. (7/10)

Total Score: 36/50

Current Ranking:
The Incredibles
Coco
Toy Story 2
Inside Out
Toy Story 3
Ratatouille
Brave
Monsters, Inc.
Toy Story
A Bug’s Life
Incredibles 2
Toy Story 4
Monsters University
WALL-E
Cars 3
Finding Dory
Up
Finding Nemo
The Good Dinosaur
Cars 2
Cars

And then there were 2. With all the sequels out of the way we get to go into new territory and explore some original ideas. Next week’s movie is about a few topics I really enjoy so I’m sure I’ll have some fun things to say about that. Come back then, and as always, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!

Incredibles 2 Was Worth the Wait

What causes a movie to come back after more than a decade? What is it about a legacy that people crave another work and are willing to wait for years to see it? And what does it say about the first film as well as the second when the sequel succeeds to respark the interests of its audience, even after most of the original audience had grown up and now lived different lives. Such a thing happened in the Pixar universe and The Incredibles 2 shows just why a movie can still succeed even 14 years later.

When the original Incredibles was released, the director Brad Bird said he was not going to rush to make a sequel. Bird had already spent more than a decade bringing the first film to life and so a long but carefully specific creation process clearly worked as the first movie. And as someone who loves the first film I appreciate him taking his time to make it a better movie. And this helped enable Bird to really figure out the character dynamics, the major plot themes, the amount of modernity he wanted to keep in the story and the ability to keep the themes current rather than a flash in the pan aspect of popular culture that fades in years. But beyond all of that, by taking his time Bird ensured that he told the best story possible.

And the landscape had changed, with the arrival of Netflix revivals and cinematic legacies returning to the screen, it showed that audience were willing to wait for a sequel, sometimes even one which wasn’t as good as its predecessor. In the years leading up to the Incredibles 2 a new legacy had been launched, Mad Max came back from the long-forgotten cult desert it resided in and redefined the modern action movie. Star Wars released The Force Awakens and showed that audiences old and new were still clamoring for stories in their favorite franchises. And Blade Runner 2049 showed that crafting a good story could create a new classic off of the back of an old one. Bird had a lot of evidence that patience in storytelling was the right way to go.

When looking at sequels to major movies, the main thing they have to do is improve upon the original. If the first one is a major action film, the second one has to go beyond that action, if the first one is a hijinks comedy, the second one has to find a way to up the comedic stakes of it predecessor, and if the original is a superhero movie about family dynamics, then those dynamics need to change and update in order to help make the sequel interesting apart from its predecessor. And beyond that, the movie still needs to tell a full story on its own, independent of its former or future movies, ensuring that the audience understands it, whether they be old fans or first time fans.

So that’s what Bird did. He took his time. He crafted a story that evolved his characters and modernized his world. He made a story that was entirely different but still compelling, and he did it to a box office success that far surpassed his original. And it’s with good reason, Bird changed the family dynamic, making Helen (Holly Hunter) the central star in place of Bob (Craig T. Nelson). It updated its story for a more modern era, introducing the ability of screens to manipulate those around us (a problem we still are wrestling with). And he composed a story that still appealed to his core audience, who were no longer children and teenagers but growing up and learning to encounter the world far differently. These updates made the movie feel connected to its predecessor but it didn’t make it a simple rehash of the first, they evolved and rebuilt the legacy, and crafted a cohesive, fully developed, and ultimately good movie.

And all of these aspects made the movie successful. Even if the second never lives up to the first, the fact that it found success under the weight of all those expectations shows that the process of taking time to make a good story was a good choice. I know that it’s hard to wait, but sometimes you have to, because we never truly deserved stories this good, we never deserved the childlike sense of wonder that each one ignites in us, and we definitely have to recognize that Bird didn’t owe us anything. He could have walked away from the first one and left it where it stood. But he didn’t. He came back and gave us one more ride in the world of The Incredibles. And I for one am eternally grateful he chose to come back, even if I had to wait 14 years for it.

Here is my breakdown for reviewing and ranking the movies of the Pixar series:

Voice Performances
Storyline
Worldbuilding
Most Memorable Scene
Villain

Each category will be ranked on a scale of 10 points for a possible total of 50.

So here is my breakdown for The Incredibles 2:

Voice Acting: The fact that the entire main cast returned shows this movie wanted to be made. And the only one who didn’t (Spencer Fox) was due simply to being too old to reprise the role of Dash, but Huckleberry Milner’s performance as Dash is so close to the original that you almost don’t even notice. And new additions of Bob Odenkirk and Catherine Keener, fit seamlessly into the cast dynamic and cement themselves as members of the world. It’s a great showing all around. (9/10)

Storyline: The plot of this one is actually much more complex and interesting than the first. It deals with themes of family dynamics, technology dependence, media manipulation, and the corruption of politics. And while I think it has some slow moments or sacrifices cohesion for some of it’s more memorable gags, it still delivers a well told story that is relevant and interesting. (8/10)

Worldbuilding: The worldbuilding in this one is actually its weakest point, while it shows some growth, it doesn’t have the full spectacular wonder of the original. And it’s got its moments where it shows new supers, new locations, and new technologies, but it just doesn’t have the visual awe of the first and has too many moments within the small locations we’ve seen before. (5/10)

Most Memorable Scene: I could pick a lot of these moments but ultimately the one that stands out is the scene with Jack Jack (Eli Fucile) fighting the raccoon. It’s our first real good look at Jack Jack’s powers and the scene has a lot of high stakes energy for a rather low stakes moment. It’s fun, even if it doesn’t actually go anywhere. (8/10)

Villain: Screen Slaver is a really well thought out character. They shows a new approach to villainy where its less personal and more about manipulation, and the way that Screenslaver fights against the Incredibles is very different than how Syndrome (Jason Lee) fought them in the first. They’re not quite on the same level as Syndrome but it still stands out as a good villain in a good story. (8/10)

Total Score: 38/50

Current Ranking:
The Incredibles
Coco
Toy Story 2
Inside Out
Toy Story 3
Ratatouille
Brave
Monsters, Inc.
Toy Story
A Bug’s Life
The Incredibles 2
Monsters University
WALL-E
Cars 3
Finding Dory
Up
Finding Nemo
The Good Dinosaur
Cars 2
Cars

We only have 3 more Pixar movies to go, and I just finalized which series i’m going to tackle after this one is up, but we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves just yet. We have one more sequel and then two new originals, one of which I haven’t seen yet, to go. So let’s make this ending just as good as our beginning, and until next time, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!

Meet Your Heroes

There’s an old saying, never meet your heroes. But I want to explore that idea further and really get into a new way of thinking of it.  What if we don’t make heroes out of the idea of a person but rather we make people we admire in our real lives our heroes? There are heroes everywhere, and learning to admire to truth of a person rather than a fantasy we’ve created that no one could ever live up to. So let’s learn why we absolutely should meet our heroes, though they may not always be the heroes we expected.

Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), the protagonist of Coco, has devoted his life to living up the legacy of his hero, Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt). And in doing so he’s defied his family and hidden away to explore his passions. And when he learns that Cruz is quite possibly his great great grandfather it gives Miguel a great hope that he can live up the legacy that Cruz has left and it justifies what Miguel has done in his life up to this point. He wants to be the same kind of musician that Cruz was for him and help bring joy and meaning into many other lives.

While Miguel’s journey is an unorthodox one and really involves a lot of learning about himself and what his values are. But also, he learns the value of being true to himself and the virtue of thinking beyond yourself. And the person who really shows him this is Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal). Hector proves to be Miguel’s one and only ally in the Land of the Dead. And he helps Miguel accomplish his goal of meeting Ernesto de la Cruz. Without knowing it, Hector becomes the person Miguel wants Ernesto to be. And while he doesn’t realize it at first Miguel is also becoming the person Hector wanted Ernesto to be too.

So then we get the twist that Ernesto is not in fact the man Miguel thought he was and his actual great great grandfather is the man he’s been traveling with the whole time. And it is in that moment that the truth changes everything for Miguel, he loses his admiration for Cruz but he gains new admiration for Hector. And in gaining admiration he learns the valuable difference between and idol and a hero. Cruz was Miguel’s idol, he was the pinnacle of everything  Miguel loved and wanted to be in life. And in propping up the idolization of Cruz without knowing anything true about the man, Miguel was sure to be disappointed.

But he doesn’t build an idolization of Hector, his respect for Hector is built on his relationship with Hector and their mutual struggle, and because of this, his image of Hector cannot be damaged as easily, he’s already seen the harshest parts of Hector’s life and understands Hector as full human being, faults and all. And because of this Hector can be his hero, not a person who is Miguel’s ideal of a hero, but a genuine hero; a person who, in spite of their struggles, can bring inspiration and lift people up in order to achieve their dreams.

So look around your life, look at the people who inspire you and ask yourself, are they a hero or an idol? Are you inspired because of who they are, or who you think they are? How much do you truly know about the people you admire? Do you understand their faults? Do you actually find a true value in the people who inspire you, or does your inspiration come from a false sense of respect built on a delusion of who a person is, or does it come from a genuine interaction and a mutual understanding developed from genuine interaction? And if you truly have heroes in your life, you’ll have already met your heroes. So meet your heroes. Because those who are truly your heroes will make an impact in your life which really matters. Because that’s what real heroes do.

Here is my breakdown for reviewing and ranking the movies of the Pixar series:

Voice Performances
Storyline
Worldbuilding
Most Memorable Scene
Villain

Each category will be ranked on a scale of 10 points for a possible total of 50.
So here is my breakdown for Coco:

Voice Acting: What makes this voice cast so fantastic is the authenticity the filmmakers went for in casting. Getting Latinx actors to fill the roles makes the characters far more genuine and heartfelt than they would have been with people doing an accent who haven’t experienced Dia De Los Muertos nor understand the cultural traditions that come with growing up in a Mexican family. And what makes it even better is several of the actors reprised their roles in the Spanish version of the movie. (10/10)

Storyline: This plot has moments where it feels a little reminiscent of other movies out there, but by and large it’s one of the most original and interesting stories that Pixar has told in years and the culmination of the plot is so genuinely heartfelt and small that there is absolutely no better moment of intimate storytelling in any Pixar movie in the five years prior. (9/10)

Worldbuilding: The world that is created feels so unique and original that it flows with imagination in every scene, the design of both the living world and the dead world feel authentic but imaginative and the characters fit seamlessly into the world as they travel across beautiful landscapes and an ever more imaginative city. This world longs to be explored more and more and it’s one of the best parts of the movie. (10/10)

Most Memorable Scene: The final scene where Miguel and Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguia) sing “Remember Me” is so touchingly simple but heartfelt that you never see it coming and then it hits you with how sincere and wonderful it is, and the characters never play it too big or make it feel like it isn’t just a sweet moment to end a story about family, memory, and purpose within the world. (10/10)

Villain: Ernesto de la Cruz is a revelation of a villain, and it’s a breath of fresh air because the last villain who felt this genuinely sinister and despicable was probably Lotso back in Toy Story 3. He oozes with false charisma, manipulates and bullies numerous other characters, and when he finally gets his moment of eternal punishment, it is fully deserved. The only major issue is that he’s not in the movie more to steal all the scenes because he’s one of the most memorable Pixar creations in a long time. (9/10)

Total Score: 48/50

Current Ranking:
The Incredibles
Coco
Toy Story 2
Inside Out
Toy Story 3
Ratatouille
Brave
Monsters, Inc.
Toy Story
A Bug’s Life
Monsters University
WALL-E
Cars 3
Finding Dory
Up
Finding Nemo
The Good Dinosaur
Cars 2
Cars

And now we’re left with the final four Pixar movies, 2 sequels and 2 originals, one of which I haven’t seen yet. We’ve been on quite a journey and I’m excited to finish this one strong. So keep coming back to see what lessons there are to be held in this beautiful quartet of movies and as always, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!

What Do You Have to Lose?

What do you have to lose? That’s a question I often ask myself this when it comes to pursing dreams. As someone who faces a lot of fears and insecurity surrounding my own potential and abilities I often worry about the outcome of my actions. But what if we were able to overcome those fears, doubts and insecurities and realize that when we pursue our dreams, we rarely truly suffer. And when we do take chances, we often better ourselves even when we don’t fully succeed. Because by doing we gain something, whether it be something we learned, something we gained, or something we needed. What do we have to lose?

Cars 3 has a surprising secondary protagonist. While Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is the primary character, the addition of his trainer Cruz Ramierez (Cristela Alonzo) gives us a new perspective. We’ve seen Lightning go through a journey across these three movies and yet it turns out Cruz is the character we should be focused on. She lives as someone on the sidelines because she’s been told all her life that she doesn’t have what it takes to be a racer. And it takes a full journey of self-discovery for her to realize that other people out there don’t have any say in what she does and when she does it.

The truth is Cruz had always wanted to be a racecar but was told she didn’t have that special extra kick that a champion racer needs to succeed. And those voices around her talked her out of chasing her dream because she thought she’d struggle and humiliate herself, never amounting to anything in the process. But in truth she never even pursued that dream instead turning her love of racing into coaching other cars, living vicariously through them. And that is how many of us live, we have big dreams in our youth but are told by those around us, sometimes even our friends and family, that we do not have the talent or dedication to compete with the best in the business, but what if instead we didn’t listen, we trusted ourselves and our abilities more than the voices who judge us without a knowledge of all we’ve gone through, what could we accomplish.

So when Lightning realizes that the only thing holding Cruz back is the endless stream of chances that she never had, he gives her one. He gives her the chance to have that shot at success and in the process proves not only that she is capable in her eyes, but also it allows her to show the world around her what she could have done with a little push in the right direction and a little self-confidence behind her. And we all have to be that way. We all need to push ourselves further than we think we can go, and we have to believe in ourselves first and foremost because if we don’t believe we can do it, than no one else has any reason to either. So believe in yourself, and believe you can do anything you set your mind to. But don’t stop there.

But the other thing we have to do is pass on that belief. If someone has a crazy dream, and they tell you, that means they value you enough to let you know what lingers on their heart. So tell them to chase it. Be the person you would want if you told them about your crazy dream. Be the person who doesn’t smash the hopes that linger deep down in the souls of everyone. Be like Lightning McQueen for Cruz, show them how if one person believes in them, they can do anything they set their mind to. Be someone who believes in dreams!

Here is my breakdown for reviewing and ranking the movies of the Pixar series:

Voice Performances
Storyline
Worldbuilding
Most Memorable Scene
Villain

Each category will be ranked on a scale of 10 points for a possible total of 50.

So here is my breakdown for Cars 3:

Voice Acting: The voice cast in this one is an odd mix. Wilson really finds his groove as Lightning and New additions Alonzo, Chris Cooper, Nathan Fillion, Lea DeLaria, and Armie Hammer make solid impressions. But most the cast from the first two gets sidelined in favor of new characters and then only appears at the end in a way that seems just like the didn’t want to be forgotten, but it just feels like the movie is too big for its cast, and the numerous cameos from racers really don’t help that. (5/10)

Storyline: The plot of this one has a really interesting turn towards the end with Cruz taking over the spot of the protagonist. And that really separates it from the other entries in this trilogy and allows the franchise to pass on the legacy to another character and really keeps the story fresh and sends a fantastic message about following your dreams in your own time. (8/10)

Worldbuilding: The worldbuilding is actually the weakest of series, there isn’t a lot we haven’t already seen and beyond a few well-crafted moments, there isn’t a lot of new stuff that added anything to the world we’ve already seen. Aside from the demo derby scene which is fantastic and was easily the best scene in the movie. (6/10)

Most Memorable Scene: The demo derby is so fantastic. From the personalities of the characters to the chaos of the action, the whole scene is phenomenal and was a major breath of fresh air in a franchise that felt stale with repetition and scenes of constant car races. It’s one of the most fun scenes of the franchise (9/10)

Villain: Much like Chick Hicks in the first movie, Armie Hammer’s Jackson Storm doesn’t really feel like a villain, but much rather feels like a distant obstacle rather than a major villain. The biggest problem is a self-confidence issue within Cruz. But while Storm should be antagonist, he only serves that purpose in the most basic sense (5/10)

Total Score: 33/50

Current Ranking:
The Incredibles
Toy Story 2
Inside Out
Toy Story 3
Ratatouille
Brave
Monsters, Inc.
Toy Story
A Bug’s Life
Monsters University
WALL-E
Cars 3
Finding Dory
Up
Finding Nemo
The Good Dinosaur
Cars 2
Cars

And then there were 5. We’re in the final month of this wonderful saga and I’ve learned so very much. I hope you have too. We’re going to a great new place next week and I’m so grateful for all the support over this series. So here’s to next time and, as always, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!