{"id":7409,"date":"2019-09-16T08:00:45","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T15:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=7409"},"modified":"2019-09-14T19:24:35","modified_gmt":"2019-09-15T02:24:35","slug":"mark-watches-steven-universe-the-movie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2019\/09\/mark-watches-steven-universe-the-movie\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Steven Universe: The Movie’"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Steven Universe<\/i> movie, Steven and the Crystal Gems must deal with yet another ramification of Pink Diamond. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch Steven Universe<\/i>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Trigger Warning: For discussion of trauma and grief<\/b><\/p>\n

Oh, I just love this show, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I also love musicals, and there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so much I want to talk about in regards to Steven Universe: The Movie<\/i>, but this feels like the most natural place to begin. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even know when I began to love the format of the musical as a means of storytelling, but I bet I could trace it back to a lot of the classic Disney<\/i> films. (Which brings me to the first of many tangents: the animated The Lion King<\/i> is one of my absolute favorites, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll never quite experience the betrayal of what it was like to watch that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153live-action\u00e2\u20ac\u009d abomination. UGH, YOU GOT MOST OF IT WRONG also I need facial expressions!!!) The first proper musical I saw was probably Guys & Dolls<\/i>, and I was lucky enough to see a touring production of Into the Woods <\/i>with Vanessa Williams in high school, which is also when I made my musical debut as Harold Hill in The Music Man<\/i>. I discovered RENT<\/i> during this time, and then it was like falling into an abyss, except the abyss sings to you on your way down about how sorry it is that it didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t move out of the way, but you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re here now, so why don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t you sing about what you’re<\/i> feeling and advance the plot in the process?\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s long been a strong musical bone within Steven Universe<\/i>, and this is certainly not the first time that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve talked about musicals and the way this show utilizes elements of that art form. (At least I hope not. I feel like I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done it before! If not: SHAME, Mark. SHAME.) If I look at Steven Universe: The Movie<\/i> purely as a musical: THIS SHIT RULES. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got the perfect structure! Songs that advance the plot and reveal important information! Refrains and reprises that provide additional information that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s vital to the story! (Seriously, the repurposing of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Let Us Adore You\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to be about Spinel instead of Steven is FUCKING BRILLIANT.) The arc is PURE musical theatricality, taking us from a place of static emotions and joy to something that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s DEEPLY upsetting. Like, even the whole gem reset thing works super well, since each of the main characters sings about who they were in songs like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Tale of Steven\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Happily Ever After,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d but then must discover who they are through song throughout the episode.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And then there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Other Friends,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d which manages to sound fucking SPECTACULAR and exists within a tradition of antagonistic musical numbers that are somehow the most poppy and catchy moments in the whole show. Holy shit, that song??? Spinel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s performance\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhich goes to SARAH STILES, OH MY GOD, I DIDN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T REALIZE IT WAS HER\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis just so heartfelt and revealing and entertaining. And it should<\/i> be entertaining! She needed to have the big, over-the-top showstopper because her character is meant to entertain<\/i>. And I love that sort of thought put into the construction of this movie, which is something we saw in the show, too. (I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m particularly thinking of many of the songs that have been written for Pearl, all of which perfectly match her characterization.)<\/p>\n

As a continuation of the story from the season five finale, and as a Steven Universe<\/i> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153episode,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I gotta say that this really<\/i> worked for me. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve definitely<\/i> written about this before: I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve come to love the complicated nature of the show\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s serialized plot and how it never lets things resolve in easy ways. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an element of this film that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in conversation with a lot of seasons three and four, and even earlier than that. As Steven vocalizes here, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s long had to contend with the ramifications of his mother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s actions, and this is no exception. But we start<\/i> at such a different place! The first act of the film is unbridled joy, and it was such a fascinating emotional anchor for the story. After finally \u00e2\u20ac\u0153defeating\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the Diamonds and helping them to reform their ways, Steven and his friends and<\/i> Beach City were\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 problem-free. THE WAR WAS OVER! And I loved how the show addressed that the Diamonds were<\/i> changing, that Steven had, over the years, pushed them to end their colonization EVERYWHERE, not just on Earth. I mean\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I feel like I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m also just brushing past the huge reveal that STEVEN AND CONNIE ARE SIXTEEN YEARS OLD NOW??? It only took me 750 words to get there, but WHAT A SURPRISE. Is that something the show is going to commit to in further seasons? I imagine they have to, especially since Zach Callison and Grace Rolek are getting older and their voices must be changing. (Zach did<\/i> sound different here, but I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s all performance or because he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s now in his early twenties.) It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s kinda cool, too, because the kids who have grown up with Steven are now getting older, too, and the idea of this character getting older with them is so damn great!<\/p>\n

Anyway, the point I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m coming to: Steven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life has changed in undeniable ways, and thus, I understood why he wanted his life to be static. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s all been chaotic since he came into the truth of who he was and what his powers are. Finally, his life is happy<\/i>. His friends are all well and full of joy, and gems are now building their own Homeworld on Earth. It is a portrait of HAPPINESS, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s well-deserved after everything that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s happened. But no single person\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life can ever truly stay the same, at least not without isolating one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s self from\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, literally everything. Change is an inevitable part of being human. Our bodies change. Our feelings change. Our circumstances change. And often, those forces for change are external, too, like the sudden arrival of Spinel and her drill. Internally, Steven is actually quite fine! Sure, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s dealing with the Diamonds\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 attachment issues and their desire to have him live on Homeworld when he just wants to be on Earth. But relative to the things he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s had to deal with since he was a kid? That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nothing<\/i>. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a fairly small problem to have!<\/p>\n

In just a few minutes, though, the tranquility that Steven has evaporates. Spinel arrives, loudly announces her intent to destroy Earth, Steven, and Steven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s friends. And lord, can we talk about the animation??? I loved that Spinel felt like she belonged in Looney Tunes<\/i>, and the decision to have her style mimic a goofier kind of animation was brilliant. She was made to entertain! Comically so! She shares a meta-purpose with that age of animation, and it works so perfectly in showing us who this character is long before Pearl actually explains what Spinel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s original purpose was. But I think that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s actually the case for the show as a whole! Like, if you never saw an episode of this show, I think the film works real well to onboard a new viewer to the larger story while still respecting those of us who have been watching the entire time, and that goes for all the visual storytelling that happens, too.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Take the storytelling that happens once Spinel uses the Rejuvenator (and has it used on herself). What we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re effectively watching is a reset, a moment where each of these gems are sent back to their \u00e2\u20ac\u0153default\u00e2\u20ac\u009d settings. Their memories, experiences, personalities\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 all of it is gone. So what do these characters look<\/i> like? They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re each animated in ways to remind us of their default gem states. Pearl is now formal, upright, proper, and eager to serve. (In this case, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Um Master Greg, one of the best running gags of the episode.) Amethyst is smaller and only mimics those around her, unable to feel worthy of developing her own personality or sense of self. Garnet is split into Ruby and Sapphire, and the two of them easily fall back into the roles they are supposed to play.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I loved this plot, for the record. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the looming threat of the drill and the possibility that life on Earth will be destroyed, but everything else felt so personal<\/i>. In order to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153reboot\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the Crystal Gems, Steven has to trigger the missing pieces of their lives. WHICH IS VERY SATISFYING TO WATCH. Look, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m just never<\/i> going to get over watching Ruby and Sapphire fuse? And \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it Love?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d made me cry? I LOVE GARNET SO MUCH??? So I felt a ton of joy watching Steven try to figure out what it was that each of his friends needed to transform back into their original selves. (Well, he also involves Peridot, Bismuth, and Lapis, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m so happy the three of them got as much screen time as they did.) And through song! \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No Matter What\u00e2\u20ac\u009d highlighted the special friendship that Steven and Amethyst had; AND THEN THERE WAS \u00e2\u20ac\u0153INDEPENDENT TOGETHER.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I had to text a friend to find out that Steven and Greg\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fusion name is STEG. (I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Google these things to avoid spoilers.) I just\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t deal. I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t deal with how amazing and shocking that sequence was, how much the song worked, and how TED LEO VOICED STEG AND TED LEO IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE MUSICIANS ON THE PLANET! But let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s talk about that theme, the message of independence and agency, and how much this helped Pearl to realize that she can be her own person<\/i>, and THIS IS EXACTLY PEARL\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S CHARACTER GROWTH, and I am so thrilled by this show, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And because this is Steven Universe<\/i>, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gotta be something gut-wrenching or heartbreaking, and that arrives in the form of Spinel. I got the sense that she was yet another unintended ramification of Pink Diamond\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s choices, but\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 lord. Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ready for how utterly soul-destroying this was. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve enjoyed how much this show is willing to give their villains sympathy and understanding, and Spinel is no exception to this. Her dedication to wanting to destroy Steven, his friends, and his home was confusing, right up until the point where Spinel reveals what was done to her. SIX. THOUSAND. YEARS. Wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t that the number given to us? She was abandoned by Pink Diamond after Pink Diamond was given Earth as a colony, but Pink Diamond wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t take her with her. Instead, she made it into a game where Spinel had to wait for Pink Diamond to return, and SHE NEVER DID. She wait thousands<\/i> of years for her, and it was only when Steven sent out a message to all the gems of Homeworld that Spinel found out what had happened to her. That image of Spinel ripping her foot out fo the ground? THAT SHALL HAUNT ME FOREVER.<\/p>\n

Yet even the solution to this isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t cut and dry, and I found myself fascinated by the complicated turn of events that followed. It was natural that Steven offered to make right what his mother had done wrong, but how do you make up for that many years of solitude? Plus, Spinel wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t exactly reading to trust everyone, and most of the Earth characters weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ready to trust her, either. And so, we get this complicated mess of intentions and misconceptions, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s how Spinel comes to see Steven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s actions as inherently self-serving, even though Steven is doing his best to try to save Earth. But that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the crux of this problem! Steven is trying to save Earth, which is a noble idea, but his whole motivation is that he wants to go back to the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153ideal\u00e2\u20ac\u009d happily ever after that he thought existed towards the beginning of the film. He wanted perfection, even though that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not what happiness is. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s working against Spinel, whose entire life was designed for one purpose: to entertain Pink Diamond. How is she supposed to do anything <\/i>else? Her life had been unchanging in the most dramatic, ridiculous way imaginable, and now, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s all changing rapidly before her.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But change, while scary and frightening and upsetting and frustrating, is an inevitable part of us all. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s part of the very fabric of Steven Universe<\/i> and, more specifically, of Steven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life and powers. It was only through embracing his changing body that Steven was able to truly use his powers, and thus, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the piece he has to find alongside Spinel. (Oh, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Change\u00e2\u20ac\u009d was SO good, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. These songs!!! They are so much!!!) They have to accept that their lives have changed, that they<\/i> can change, that they can grow out of trauma and hardship and become something else. And in the Diamonds, Spinel can find a life where she<\/i> is appreciated for once, you know? The Diamonds seem to see her as more than what she was created for, something that Pink Diamond was ultimately not able to do.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what the future of Steven Universe<\/i> is. (Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t tell me!) I feel like there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so much left to explore in the world. Beach City has been fundamentally changed after Spinel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s drill, and while Steven can \u00e2\u20ac\u0153heal\u00e2\u20ac\u009d much of the world, I wonder what he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll leave as-is. What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s worthy of change? What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s part of the new city? And how will the new Homeworld become a part of life in Beach City? I want to see these sort of questions answered! So, whatever comes of this show, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been so happy it exists. This film was yet another reminder of this for me, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m glad I got to experience it. And you better believe I went and downloaded the soundtrack so I can listen to it a million more times.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The video for Steven Universe: The Movie<\/i> can be downloaded here for $1.99<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n

– The paperback edition of my debut, ANGER IS A GIFT, is now OUT!<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>If you’d like to stay up-to-date on all announcements regarding my books, sign up for my newsletter<\/a>! DO IT.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"