Turning Red is the best Pixar movie in years
Polygon Patch Notes is a weekly newsletter highlighting the best things to watch, play and read. We wanted to share the launch challenge to give you an idea of what’s next. Let our team of editorial experts simplify your plans.
Our top recommendation of the week: blushes. Pixar’s new film “follows 13-year-old Mei (Rosalie Chan), an energetic Chinese-Canadian high school student living in Toronto in the early 2000s. “[Mei’s] juggling her devotion to her mother and her duties in the family temple with her good self-esteem. After one particularly stormy day, she wakes up to find herself transformed into a giant red panda.”
And so begins a fun, heartfelt adventure that leaves room for complex universal themes like our relationships with our parents, culture, and bodies. Last month we spoke with the creators of blushes about the film’s open image of puberty and periods. She also shared four classic anime that inspired the film.
Radulovic says that they blush “unabashedly and hilariously embraces its individuality with such tenderness it hurts” and calls the film one of Pixar’s best films. We’re crazy about the Pixar filmmakers who won’t get a full theatrical release, but selfishly we’re glad we can watch the movie whenever we want and as often as we wish on Disney Plus.
This week on YouTube | Resurrection of the Matrix is a movie about video games. And one of the most important but underestimated aspects of gaming is the walk cycle. Every character needs a walk, and a poorly animated walk cycle can immediately seem supernatural for people familiar with the concept. So, game developers have found many fantastic ways to implement walks in the games we play – making them both accurate and exciting. Jenna Stober was walking history walks and walking loops in video games and how they got to today.
Five stories worth reading
Almost every entertainment brand will spin the metaverse in 2022. Here’sBrace yourself, friends. a fun and concise explanation of everything you need to know and how to spot technical marketing bullshit.
Some Ukrainian game developers volunteer to join the fray | We continue to follow the war in Ukraine, keeping in touch with game developers who have been forced to leave their homes, hide in their apartments, or choose to fight for their nation. Western media brands continue to boycott Russia. Netflix suspended its service for subscribers in Russia. FIFA Ultimate Team no longer includes players from Russian football clubs and removed other Russian brand items. Nintendo decided to postpone his remake of Frontline wars for Switch, referring to “recent world events.”
Here’s one way to help Ukraine (and get a lot of games) | More than 700 game developers from all over the world have collected about 1,000 games to donate money to two Ukrainian charities. The collection includes some of our favorite games of all time, including Baba is you, Celeste, super hexagonal well, and very hot.
After Yang deliberately subverts the fetishistic sci-fi image of the “hollow Asian.” | Leo Kim talks to director Kogonada about the creative choices behind his excellent new movie. “Kogonada deliberately perverts the imagery and mechanics we’ve come to expect,” writes Kim, “using them as a starting point for responding to the sci-fi genre’s dark legacy of Orientalism and the dehumanization of Asian peoples.”
Batman rekindled some big bat feelings |. To begin with, we have collected the most current history about the conflict between the Riddler and Batman. But let’s be realistic: The Riddler has nothing to do with Catwoman, the real one. Gotham’s best villain. Director Matt Reeves left enough unfinished themes for a sequel. Batman seems inevitable, but first, we might get a TV show or two. One TV spin-off could run into trouble, but another rushing to production. Whatever happens next, please turn on that cute boy, robin. Also [spoiler] about [spoiler]. And hey… talking about bats.
Four things to watch
Project Adam on Netflix | A teenager partners with a future version of himself to save the world from time travel. And Mark Ruffalo plays Ryan Reynolds’ father! Honestly, that’s enough to give the film Reynolds’ second collaboration with free guy directed by Shawn Levy – try it.
Dirty Old Movies on the Criterion Channel | Before the Hays Code removed all smut from cinema, 1930s Hollywood produced mountains of cheery cheesy films filled with sex, drugs, and sordid double entenders. These black and white films don’t shock anyone. Second season Euphoriaoh well, how can you resist a movie called Murders at the Zoo? We are talking about a rich zoologist who knows how to torture and kill! Do (Prefer more modern crime films? We’ve rounded up ten great detective films that can be streamed right now)
Leslie Cheung and the Hong Kong LGBT Cinema on YouTube | Accented Cinema produces some of our favorite film critics on youtube. His latest film, a tribute to the late Leslie Cheng, is an excellent reminder of what to watch. Happy together, which currently airs on HBO Max and the Criterion Channel.
This Obi-Wan trailer on youtube | What’s the deal with these finely dressed Star Wars villains? We have an answer.
Plus, everything new in streaming: scream Got surprised streaming release! Dunereturned! Dog woof is coming!
Three games to play
Lost Ark | Polygon recommends | The Diablo-inspired action MMO took over Twitch in Korea and Japan in 2019, but it’s only now that people in Europe and North America can try the game. Available on Windows PC.
Mushroom designer | Jump on an emotional time machine in the time of the Tamagotchi. Available on itch.io.
More ancient ring | Such a big, mysterious, and popular game is not typical. So please forgive us for including “Video game freaks “two weeks in a row. Many of us have spent dozens of hours in the game and have no idea if we are close to the finals. Meanwhile, one speedrunner Finished the game in less than an hour. We prefer a more leisurely approach killing the beasts one by one with our game suspension for an occasional snack break. To become the oldest lord, it is required correct fuel. Available on PS4, PS5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X.
Free Game of the Week
Auto chess and similar titles of this relatively new genre. Super Auto Pets | Gamer wrote that. What’s true: the cute animals in the game can easily be replaced by Pikachu and his friends, and the experience is primarily borrowed from popular games. But Super Auto Pets also stands on its own—quite confidently—as an accessible, addictive entry into video games that are played independently.