aractos-890-607133 Reviews

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Excellent, light-hearted fun and a nice animation showcase

[6/10 · 30 January 2022]

--The direction and writing took ques from comic book conventions and took jabs at them, which was well done and amusing. Miles and the rest of the cast are affable peeps with just enough character to make the movie a fun watch. Despite running the risk of having too many characters in one movie, they do a decent job of introducing the important ones. That said, the stuff they touch on could have prolly been better served by a show. This would give the story room to unfold and do character development properly instead of one and done scenes which were about 10 seconds each. The short format and pacing of the movie also meant some plot contrivances pop up and overall the script was pretty thin.

--The soundtrack mixed modern hip-hop with classic movie style music. The intention was likely to capture the cultural feel of youth today, which will make the soundtrack pretty short-lived. Although it adds good flair to the movie at times, I personally did not enjoy this choice. Overall, the soundtrack is serviceable and competently done.

--There were some shots which felt like I had a copy of the movie which was intended for viewing with 3D glasses. (this was not the case) This was very distracting, but ultimately didn't hurt the movie too much.

--This movie is kid friendly and can be a good family watch. Hope you'll also have fun with this one if you give it a go. Cheers.

****Animation tech rant which you can skip:

--The animation included a stutter which imitated the limitations of doing 2D animation at 24 frames per second, aka traditional animation. I believe this choice is superior to the unnervingly smooth quality of most 3D animation done on film so far. I've seen other animated movies which tried to incorporate that stutter, but mostly failing to do so. It felt obvious that standard 3D animation was done, and then someone ran a script over it which introduced the stuttering. To be fair, this movie must have been done the same way. But whoever programmed the script which introduced the stutter did a much better job. Instead of being an obvious imitation of the 2D animation stutter, it felt almost organic. Still doesn't feel it's quite where it should be, but it's pretty good.

--Speaking of animation tech, I love the combo of physics-based animation. I'm certain it was done here as well, and it worked very well. It's allowing animators to risk doing much more complex scenes, without the time constraints of animating them bloating to such insane proportions that it shuts down production of the movie.

--2D animation has had some incredible artistic work done in its realm, and it's about time 3D animation showed up. While this movie is decidedly not art, the animation done in it is a huge step in the right direction and I look forward to seeing where this animation road takes us.

The Last Duel (2021)

A slow start, a classical experience, resonant themes and worth watching.

[8/10 · 3 January 2022]

--The introductory chapter of The Last Duel felt long and boorish, with some gratuitous violence. I wanted to like this movie, I wanted a title with an interesting cast and director to work. There haven't been enough traditional movies lately I feel, they've been drowned out by colourful pop pieces. The first chapter did not bode well at all. But then the movie really starts.

--The second chapter significantly shifts the tone of the movie and it becomes clear that we are actually experiencing its story through multiple, unreliable narrators, and the violent, crude and boorish first chapter was an illustration of its narrator rather than flawed directing. The movie recalls the same events through three different viewpoints, all of which tell us something about their narrator, reminiscent of Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon from 1950. It is hard to tell just how much detail went into creating such distinct experiences for its three chapters, and how much was circumstances retroactively appearing as genius design, but the end result is excellent.

--Without spoiling too much, I hope the audience of this movie will be patient with it and attentive. There are many nice details and divergences in the stories told that need to be noticed for the full experience. When I saw news articles which implied Ridley Scott blamed the short attention spans of today's audiences for this movie's poor box office performance, I laughed and thought he might be turning into an old grumpy man who is stuck in his ways, something that to an extent we all have to look forward to. But Mr Scott was onto something. This movie may be a bit too slow for today's audiences. It may also stand the test of time though. The actors performances, the beautiful direction and ultimately compelling story are well worth watching it.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982–2002)

Macross vs Robotech & An Excellent Start, but a Bad Finish

[2/10 · 17 April 2021]

--I've recently re-watched the original Macross series. Well... more accurately, I've watched it for the first time. As a kid, I really liked Robotech, an adaptation of the show for the US and international distribution. The producers of Harmony Gold had the show edited and some of the dialogue re-written to connect three unrelated shows into one with three seasons, as the minimum number of episodes a show can have to be aired on their TV stations at the time was 60 something.

--They also had a new soundtrack recorded, which was honestly much better and varied than the original Japanese version and likely in part influenced by Star Wars. Both versions feature pop idol songs which were very watered down and overused, although the melodies are slightly more complex in the US version, but overshadowed by the otherwise fairly good Robotech soundtrack. Also, an interesting thing occurred with the script in the rewrites... They kinda improved it by cutting some of the melodrama from the original show, and they added a narrator which allowed discussion of the inner feelings of characters, making them more fleshed out. Also, I'm not sure if it was less misogynistic than the original Japanese script, or perhaps the bad writing simply flew by my attention as a kid, and I was too fascinated with the sf elements and the characters actually changing dramatically throughout the course of the show. The Japanese version however has some intense levels of misogyny displayed mostly by the two main female characters, which soured the experience quite a bit for me.

--After re-watching it, I got disillusioned with my idea of what the show was as a kid. I love the pacifist threads in it, but it is ultimately definitely trying to show a pro-military story and the pacifism is a caricature contrasted by the glorification of the fates of soldiers. When I watched Gundam, I could instantly see how it influenced Robotech, as many elements were directly lifted from there, some of them being explored a bit more, with a relatively serious tone. The mature themes of the show are sadly just a backdrop for the dreaded love triangle. One which is played out so much, to absurdity, until the episodes revolve only around it, and there is no story and it's just nauseating melodrama and rather shallow writing.

--The show required too much work for the original studio to complete, so a lot of the work was outsourced, creating a ton of animation discrepancies, as well as some downright ridiculous drops in quality, all the way down into the territory of "so bad it's good." And although the bad parts are hilariously bad, this really butchers the premise and the elements of the show which were actually good and showed potential if they were written with the pen of a more skilled writer and with a consistent tone.

Realistically a 2/10, although I'll probably always have a soft spot for this one.

Heavy Object (2015– )

Author needs to go to horny jail, but overall an ok title

[5/10 · 12 March 2021]

--The author of this show needs to go to horny jail. (insert meme.jpg) Using their female characters to bait male viewers is something a lot of anime does. It's called "fan service." In that regard, this isn't the most egregious case I've seen, but western audiences might be bothered by sexualization of a character who is 14. I am aware this is a full year over the age of consent in Japan. I guess I still hold western morals in my mind and find this character to be a child. And sexualization of children is incredibly inapropriate and can encourage behaviour which is dangerous for persons still forming and at a very vulnerable age.

--Don't expect strong characters in this show. Female characters are mostly there to be sexualized, even to the point where the entire personality of one of the main female characters revolves around her ability to reproduce. Among the antagonists, two do stand out with a little bit of flair, but they could have been developed more. The main protagonist is pretty bland, but somewhat endearing, and his side-kick is mostly there to be the cowardly one, providing some grounding for how insane and suicidal their adventures are. That said, the dynamic between them does kinda work, and the humor in this show made me laugh or chuckle a few times. There's some meat in there and this is probably one of the reasons I was interested enough to finish the show.

--The show does utilize deus ex machina a fair bit, but even so the dramatic tension works well. The plot is plausible enough within its setting and combat requires the protagonists to be smart about how they will try to win. It was also pleasing that their plans didn't just magically work out all the time. I found this part of the story satisfying. The animation is very good, and so is the camera direction (when it's not focused on body parts for extended periods of time).

--All in all, this would be a nice throwaway show to see, and is mainly held back by how horny it is, which may even be an issue with the Japanese market and not just the individual author.

American Bistro (2019)

A well-made, wholesome experience

[7/10 · 8 December 2019]

--Heartfelt indeed. I feel American Bistro does a great job of throwing some relatable and arduous life experiences your way, only to quickly spice them up with wry humour. And to top it off, there are decent emotional payoffs to the hooks which are laid, as well as solid messages about life that tie up the movie's points.

--The musical score does nothing extraordinary, but it is tasteful and does its job of guiding you through the movie's emotions quite well. I don't remember seeing any of these actors before, which probably tells more about my lack of engagement than their talent, because they deliver great performances. Particularly the two male leads. The movie largely approaches the problems it ponders through a father/son dynamic and the female characters, while they have fun personalities and moments of expression, are mostly there for the ride and do not greatly influence the plot. This isn't criticism, but a notification for any girls or women reading this. You might be amused, but may find fewer points to relate.

--There are only two points where I felt the movie's quality weaken. There is one argument between Medor and Gwen which felt somewhat theatrical, but both actors display good performances outside of this scene. At the very end of the movie, it decides to really drive certain ideas and messages, and somewhat forces them upon the plot. Perhaps some screenwriting or editing magic could have made it more seamless. I felt a jog in the pacing, but even with that in mind the resolution unfolded quite well.

--If you're looking for a well-made, wholesome experience, I'd argue this movie is a fine choice.

The Lobster (2015)

A visual concept should not be confused with quality or originality

[5/10 · 12 June 2019]

--The Lobster is pretty aesthetically pleasing. But that is it's strongest point. The atmosphere is heavy, unpleasant, reminiscent of Dogtooth with it's long shots where few things transpire and the tension builds, and any human interactions are severely disjointed. However, Dogtooth had an internal logic which became apparent from the beginning of the movie and remained consistent up until the end. The Lobster on the other hand does a very poor job of describing it's inner mechanisms.

--I've tried searching for reviews of this movie to see why it is so highly acclaimed, and they mostly seem to be revolving around the statement "oh, it's a smart critique of how our society views human interactions." However, where is the foundation for this statement? The Lobster seems to have been designed to jam a few superficial observations down the viewers throat, but each of these have been previously explored deeply in better works of film or literature. It is a series of superficial and vague statements which are not interconnected by any internal logic within the work itself.

--The problem with this is that any set of images can be then interpreted by the viewer while searching for depth, but this does not mean that the movie has any actual depth. Which it doesn't. The characters have all the complexity of cardboard cutouts. This left room for the society in which they live to be a character of its own, but this opportunity is not seized, as the society itself is not elaborated upon in any way. The central source of all tension within the movie are its society's rules, and since their role in society, or the motivation to create them, all remain without explanation, they come off as trite and arbitrary.

--In the end, this movie felt rather humorless, pointless and left me hungry for substance. I firmly believe there is a lot of "art" in the world which thrives on people "not getting it" and then being scared of seeming foolish to those who do "get it". Stop this nonsense. There are wonderful, symbolic works of art out there. Go enjoy them and never praise this movie again. I would include suggestions, but the list would be too long and then this would no longer be a review for The Lobster.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Flawed but okish

[5/10 · 22 May 2019]

--This movie has some genuine, touching, human moments, but they are few and far between. They mostly don't happen due to the movie's biggest letdown, which is its poorly written dialogue. It constantly tries to explain the plot directly to the viewer in the form of characters spewing exposition. This is because the characters aren't talking between themselves, they're talking to the viewer. And their choices of topics often feel unnatural and simply serve to further the plot. It's the sort of thing which will keep breaking suspension of disbelief if you notice it.

--Another problem is the way it handles its dramatic build-up. It seems to recognize where the buildup should occur, but the buildup itself, much like the dialogue, feels formulaic and hollow. As a result, it doesn't do a very good job of getting you excited for the story's payoffs.

--I like the directing idea of using the off-the-shoulder camera with close angles during various tense scenes in the first half of the movie, to try and relay the protagonist's anxiety to the viewer. The concept is very good and offers some nice shots which explain the mood of the scenes well, often without even showing the actor's face. But it in other scenes it feels unpolished, as if done without a clear sense of purpose. This is especially problematic when the movie has some very classical romantic comedy directing towards the end, which feels polished and slightly like the heart of the movie had already left the stage.

--All in all, this isn't a run-of-the-mill rom-com which is encouraging, but it lacks organic writing and a single design philosophy. These flaws leave it feeling rather bland despite some cool and honest moments.

Ichi the Killer (2001)

Gore fest, plot is shoddy, directing is nice

[4/10 · 15 August 2018]

--The opening is awesomely done and is a good sample of some cool directing moments that happen throughout the movie. You can expect good editing and exciting camera angles during action scenes. Kakihara's character is very well designed, with the scars, piercings and choice of flashy clothing. It is visually a pretty well made movie.

--That said, the plot is kinda all over the place. The main characters, Ichi and Kakihara are superficially interesting, but the movie doesn't ever really dig in to them or make them anything more than cool-looking cardboard cutouts.

--Overall, watching this movie was a peculiar experience. But I wouldn't do it again, the plot just doesn't hold my interest. Keep in mind that there's literally blood and guts flying around in a few scenes, and the movie gets very perverse here and there. If you're squeamish, I don't recommend watching this movie.

Blame! (2017)

Generic action anime with some Blame elements slapped on

[4/10 · 7 March 2018]

--The movie borrows the main two characters of Blame, but it fails to convey everything that made the manga good. To aggravate the issue, characters occasionally plop into lengthy exposition, which is also unrelated to the Blame manga and relatively badly written. Furthermore, things happen simply for dramatic effect a lot, which breaks suspension of disbelief.

--Everything is completely animated in 3D, but the characters are rendered to resemble 2D, and their animation frame rate is chopped up for the same reason. The results are excellent at their best, but during some lazily animated, non-action scenes, the effect is very noticeable and bothersome. The special effects are rather lazy as well, so fires, explosions and shots seem very meh.

--All in all, despite being painfully generic, it will amuse you. For a bit. But it is likely to leave you wanting more.

--I can't suggest reading the manga enough. The manga is good because the lore is consistent throughout, and it is a character of it's own, worth exploring.

Atomic Blonde (2017)

Cheap thriller pretends to be a spy drama for 2 hours

[4/10 · 4 January 2018]

--Somewhat naked women grinding for about 60 seconds. If that's all you want from a 2hrs long movie, go for it, but I really suggest that you google "lesbian porn" instead, if that's your shtick. Oh yeah, there are about 4 cool songs from the 80's. And one fight scene at a stairwell which is well shot with a dynamic camera that's really in the mix of things, with some nice cuts between the scenes making it look like a really long shot filmed from the shoulder.

--On a more serious note, the pacing in this movie is terrible. The photography is completely forgettable. The plot felt contrived because we never see what motivates the characters. I was hoping for a reveal at the end which would save it from being grossly thin, but there wasn't one. The ending just made the characters in the movie even more trivial. The acting also feels very flat, but to be fair, the actors didn't really have much room to show off. Still, fake sounding accents, not showing a sensation of pain or fear where appropriate; these things made the already seemingly impossible suspension of disbelief even harder to achieve. (it wasn't achieved, for me at least)

--I guess there will always be room in the theatre for movies about tits, explosions and people getting punched in the face. Can we at least have more good action scenes and less bad plot time? Be honest when it comes to what is the movie about, you'll make a better movie.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Poor acting, dialogue, music and camera work, wasted 136min of my life -.-

[2/10 · 21 March 2016]

--I find it really hard to believe that this movie is in the top 250 on IMDb. I've seen movies rated 6 and below that are more amusing. After decades of brilliant film-making, does this kind of piece really have a place on such a list?

--I first thought that it perhaps aged terribly, but the ideas that are presented in it with the intent of blowing your mind are trite and dealt with in a really shallow manner. My only guess is that the nudity and the subtext screaming "fear the reds" brought in enough fans for the movie to catch some attention.

--You could say that the bad dialogue, boring camera angles and horrible music are all worth surviving so that you would discover enlightenment at the end, but alas it was not to be. Go watch something else, you won't miss out on anything.

When They Cry (2006)

Average animation, flat characters and an inconclusive story

[4/10 · 4 February 2014]

--Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, or When They Cry is a mystery anime with some cute characters, a few morbid scenes and several stories that are shown in sequence.

--It revolves around the standard Japanese anime trick of not giving you enough information. The lack of information lets your imagination run wild, contemplating the reasons and motives of the events that take place, which can sometimes be a really good thing. When the story reveals one of those ideas to be right on the money, or when it's so inconceivable it sweeps you of your feet! However, this is not the case with When They Cry. The initial mystification caused by the apparently cute characters with dark secrets falls short when the characters' motives are reveled to be underdeveloped, oversimplified even. Grievous topics such as insanity and family abuse are touched, but shown with the depth of perspective you would get from reading about it in a news paper. Even when love is mentioned, it's used so trivially to motivate characters that all immersion is lost.

--The animation aspect of the anime is also lacking. The colors of the characters will hurt your eyes due to distasteful and unappealing choices, while the backgrounds are pretty standard. The characters sometimes go into "spooky mode" which is overemphasized, like emotions in most anime. In this case however, the overreactions in "spooky mode" cross the line necessary to communicate the characters emotions to the viewer and wind up being outright grotesque.

--The end of the anime is inconclusive and looks pretty much like a commercial for the video game from which this anime was adapted.

--In short, When They Cry doesn't deserve it's misleading current score of 8,3 on a site like IMDb. This score is held by famous movies such as Rashomon, Snatch and Some Like it Hot. The more appropriate number, in my opinion is around 5, maybe even lower. Cheap thrills in a visually unstimulating package. Cheers!