Dennis_D_McDonald Reviews

Blue Eye Samurai (2023)

An excellent companion to LADY SNOWBLOOD

[7/10 · 27 February 2024]

Like the Lady Snowblood film directed by Toshiya Fujita, the Blue Eye Samurai series on Netflix is a tale of rape, revenge, and bloody violence centered on a female assassin who seeks to avenge the brutalities inflicted on her family.

Both are "road pictures" set in old Japan where considerable time and energy are spent following the characters' journeys, mostly on foot. Both narratives involve skullduggery in high places and feature extensive blood and gore. However, Blue Eye Samurai is much more explicit given its release in 2023; Lady Snowblood was released in 1973.

The primary difference between the two is that Blue Eye Samurai is animated, not live-action. This gives it certain advantages over Lady Snowblood. For example, the series boasts intense motion and fight choreography from multiple angles and employs modern CGI techniques to create action sequences impossible in the early 1970s. Also, the rendering of natural landscapes and clothing in Blue Eye Samurai are gloriously detailed, beautifully lush, and painterly.

Snowblood is a live-action Japanese film from its era. While its fight choreography may not be as elaborately rendered as Samurai, it remains impressive. Its photography and color, especially in a modern digitally remastered edition, are vibrant and striking.

Both are fantasies yet contain enough realistic detail to feel grounded in the real world despite their intensely stylized approaches. Samurai spans an eight-episode series which allows for more extensive character development that is significantly enhanced by excellent English language voice acting.

Which is "better"?

There are significant differences between the two that make direct comparisons challenging due to the different times and artistic media. Lady Snowblood is a product of its time. Appreciating it helps by considering that context. Blue Eye Samurai, on the other hand, leverages modern computer graphics and a much longer run time to depict well-delineated characters and a tightly woven revenge tale.

Which did I enjoy more?

Despite my respect and admiration for Blue Eye Samurai's artistry, detail, and superb production values, at its core it's a revenge tale centered on a monomaniacally focused main character whom I really wouldn't want to know. Plus, the series' unrelentingly grim focus on blood and revenge is stark and occasionally starts to feel somewhat numbing.

Lady Snowblood is a more traditionally structured film that shares many Blue Eye's same themes but is much more tightly constructed given its much shorter run time. Both, however, are worthy of your attention.

Archie (2023)

Not really Amazon Prime

[4/10 · 3 January 2024]

Amazon Prime customers, in the US at least, need to be aware that, while Amazon advertises ARCHIE as being available on "Prime Video," it's only the first episode that's avaiiable. You have to subscribe to BritBox in addition to what you are already paying for Amazon Prime to watch beyond Episode 1.

I'm NOT suggesting that commercially produced programming should be made available for "free." I do suspect that the Prime Video interface, traditionally the most confusing of all the streaming services, is now even more confusing for Amazon Prime customers (who are also now being asked to pay another $3 per month to avoid intrusive commercials).

I would be happy if I could just say to Prime Video, "Just show me ONLY those things I'm already paying for." But I understand why they don't do that -- hence the confusing (and annoying) user interface.

I doubt we will be subscribng to BritBox to see the other episodes of Archie, even though my wife enjoyed Episode 1. We already subscribe to other streaming services whoe interfaces are much simpler to navigate and who also have a wide variety of programming offerings.

It could be that Amazon management, disappointed by the reception of its super-expensive RINGS OF POWER series, is as a result nickel-and-diming its customers to make up for that debacle. As a businessman I have to sympathize, but I would appreciate a cleaner approach to making program offerings available.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

A "B" movie masquerading as an "A" movie

[5/10 · 15 December 2023]

As democracy is increasingly threatened in the US I fear that the "new US Civil War" sub-genre of post-apocalyptic movies and TV series will become increasingly popular as Hollywood feeds on public fears.

This movie is a perfect example. It's a "B" movie with all the trappings and veneer of an "A" movie. There are loose plot threads, unconvincing dialog, strained attempts at social significance, and acting by pros who are not really convinced of what they are trying to convey.

A few set pieces are entertaining (self-driving white Teslas, for example). Otherwise I long for what someone like Roger Corman at the height of his powers might have made of this mess.

My Daemon (2023)

Captivating, Exciting, and Scary

[9/10 · 14 December 2023]

I found this 13-episode series to be captivating, surprising, emotional, and at times, scary.

The story follows an 11-year-old boy navigating a post-apocalyptic Japan. His mission is to find a 'daemon' capable of resurrecting his deceased mother. Japan, and seemingly the rest of the world, have been overrun by 'daemons' of various shapes and sizes, unleashed by a catastrophic nuclear event. These daemons range from minor nuisances to evil, violent entities. A semi-governmental organization akin to the military has emerged to study and eventually eliminate them.

Some humans possess the ability to control daemons, using them to hunt and eliminate malevolent ones. Despite their efforts, the conflict persists, rendering vast areas of Japan uninhabitable.

The young, naive protagonist and his companion daemon are constantly pursued and mistrusted, leading to a life on the run.

The diversity of daemons in terms of size, shape, and abilities-some bordering on supernatural-is remarkable, showcasing the creators' imagination. The narrative's road trip and pursuit elements highlight various human challenges in understanding and combating daemons. In his quest to revive his mother, the boy encounters a spectrum of characters, both malevolent and sympathetic. These characters are effectively depicted through detailed animation, including facial expressions, clothing, and near-future technologies.

Like many dramatic anime, 'My Daemon' balances human relationships and sentimentality with its darker elements. A few characters are designed to be more cartoonish, slightly undermining the series' otherwise serious tone.

However, this is a minor criticism. 'My Daemon' is an enthralling series, deserving of the time invested in its beautifully illustrated 20-minute episodes. Highly recommended.

Past Lives (2023)

Take Your Time and Enjoy

[8/10 · 11 December 2023]

I've tagged this as "Korean" on my web site but it's more complex than that. Two young and very close Korean teenagers are separated when the girl's family moves to the West. They lose touch. Twelve years later they take up their relationship again but from long distance, he from Korea and she from the United States.

They break up again. Another 12 years pass. She is married and living in Manhattan. He is still in Korea and living with his parents. He comes to visit her. She, her husband, and her old friend from Korea then meet in person.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this film was how the director uses time. It's all about how relationships evolve (or don't) over time but its real attraction for me is that the film allows the characters to speak and move about in an unhurried fashion. Some scenes play out in silence while in others we wonder, "Where is this conversation going?"

Another thing I enjoyed was the focus on the three main characters. There is very little extraneous detail here in terms of multiple characters such as friends, siblings, and parents. They are mentioned and even figure in some scenes. In one scene, for example, we see the young man's mom serving him breakfast. For most of the scene we don't see her head or face, just the young man sitting at the table.

In other scenes the director takes time to show us the characters as they interact against an urban background. In one scene the young man is showing her a video view of the Seoul cityscape from a cable car as it moves up a hill outside the city. It's a constrained view of the metropolis but enough to touch her emotionally.

When he finally comes to New York, in contrast, the director takes time as they walk about the city and see the sights, many from the perspective of ferry rides with views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty - all while they talk on and off. One gets the impression that the point is "See how her perspective has opened up and changed compared to his!"

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Wow! See/Hear it in Real Imax!

[10/10 · 30 November 2023]

Thsi is an amazing film.

Godzilla is a terrifying monster in this one, the human drama is palpable, and setting the film in 1945-47 postwar Japan is a stroke of genius. Even better than SHIN GODZILLA -- the time it really feels real. Sound effects are incredible. Even better: the marshall music hearkens back to Toho monster movies of old.

Wharever you do see this in a real theater with good projection and good sound; it's going to be hard to duplicate this in a home theater. Also, we don't often see human drama reflect the domestic human drama based on Japanese war experience.

This one is going to be hard to beat.

Living (2022)

Best movie I have seen this year

[9/10 · 17 November 2023]

Holy cow, this might be the best movie I've seen all year! And, it's remake of Akira Kurosawa's IKIRU!

The story: an aging paper-pushing civil servant in a meaningless job in 1950s London finds he has 6 months to live. He decides to make his remaining days mean something. We follow his efforts via a series of flashbacks that contrast the past and the present.

If you saw the Kurosawa original you may have doubts about a remake but, trust me, this one works. A lot is due to Bill Nighy's performance; he makes no attempt to present a "warm and fuzzy" demeanor but quietly goes about dealing with his situation in a convincing and honest manner. There is no grand angels' chorus announcing his changed approach to life but, as in the Kurosawa version, he does accomplish something important before he shuffles off this mortal coil.

The movie is beautifully photographed, the music is perfect, and all the supporting actors are excellent. Highly recommended.

Tatami Time Machine Blues (2022)

A Breath of Fresh Time Machine Air

[9/10 · 1 November 2023]

Maybe it's because I've been seeking a respite from today's awful war, political, and legal news, but TATAMI TIME MACHINE BLUES is a breath of fresh sci-fi/comedy air.

We follow a young college student living in a delipidated apartment building as he and a band of fellow students eke out an existence in the sweltering heat of a Japanese summer. His trials and tribulations, despite their seemingly outlandish nature-for example, a time machine plays a pivotal plot role-seem remarkably familiar due to the exceedingly clever and realistic nature of how different personalities and their foibles are portrayed.

Augmenting this is a fresh and vibrant animation style that combines color, movement, and abstract representations of the real world in refreshing and inventive ways. As an added attraction, the closing song is fresh, bubbly, and sweet (I've added it to my "jaunty" Apple Music playlist).

The Wandering Earth II (2023)

Extraordinarily produced dumb fun

[5/10 · 27 September 2023]

This is a prequel to The Wandering Earth. Here we see Chinese-led international efforts to blast the earth out of its orbit in the midst of social unrest and conflict between those who support digitizing human memories and those who would rather blast the earth out of the solar system.

We know from the first film that the latter group won. Here we witness a massive series of disastrous cliffhangers punctuated by jaw-dropping special effects and extraordinarily detailed robotics, hardware, and technology. Interspersed are human vignettes of tragedy, sentimentality, sacrifice, fear, the by-now-standard ugly American, and ticking-bomb suspense.

As with the first film, one must put one's brain on hold to accept the story and its echoes-albeit spectacular-of other sci-fi and disaster films. Amazing and detailed vistas of on- and off-earth events are fun to watch, at least initially. But too many cliffhanger episodes of red-wire-blue-wire-type suspense take a toll that eventually threaten to overwhelm the film's final attempts at sentimentality and humanity.

Vesper (2022)

One of a kind world building

[8/10 · 27 September 2023]

This is one impressive movie. Acting is top-notch, the story itself is unique despite the well-trod post-apocalyptic landscape, and the visuals whether computer generated or practical are world class.

This is a future world where an ecological catastrophe has killed off most animal and human life. Those that remain eke out a living where human blood is traded for seeds that sprout.

Especially impressive on display is plant life that has developed motility and invasive as well as predatory behaviors. If you were fascinated by Annihilation's worldscape Vesper will definitely appeal to you.

The story: a young scientist works on the fringes of what passes for "civilization" in this world. She attempts to reverse the paralysis that has infected her father with whom she is still able to communicate via a military surplus drone.. One day a ship crashes in a nearby forest and a young woman, surviving the crash, offers a glimmer of hope to the young scientist.

How that situation plays out forms the basis for serious dramatic conflict. In the process we witness the extreme measures the young scientist will pursue in her experiments and in her attempts to save her father.

It's a grim and dark world yet sets, exotic plant life, laboratory equipment, and computer technology are unique and quite original. The movie may be dark but the technical originality of the movie's visual designs and details is very impressive, as are the performances of all cast members.

Another film with similar production quality is Prospect. If you are interested in a serious and imaginative film, Vesper is for you.

Ooku: The Inner Chambers (2023– )

Unique!

[9/10 · 27 September 2023]

I'm a sucker for well-made alternate histories. This one makes the grade.

It's the Edo period in Japan. A mysterious plague decimates the male population. Women take over running the country. The plague's impact extends to the Shogun's household where there now is a male harem-the Ooku of the title-in attendance to the female Shogun. Palace intrigue ensues.

Based on just this outline you might think this was going to be just another harem-heavy comedy with fan service, adolescent jokes, and stale rom-com situations.

You would be mistaken. This series is actually an extended and sophisticated exploration of a range of serious themes such as gender identity, role reversal, sexual politics, and economic discrimination. If you like serious themes uniquely addressed, you should check this one out.

Invincible: Atom Eve (2023 TV Movie)

A geat standalone prequel

[9/10 · 26 July 2023]

Despite my unfamiliarity with the animated TV series INVINCIBLE I enjoyed this standalone prequel. It tells how young Atom Eve learned about her superpowers while growing up with an adoptive family. It's chock-full of familiar story elements but the animation, voice acting, and sheer kinetic nature of the action provides a fresh take on the superhero genre that's gone stale from recent Marvel and DC bloat.

I'm not sure I want to watch the whole series (Season 2 will arrive shortly) but this one hour special stands on its own and provides a fresh look at the by-now familiar trope of superheroes-that-live-among us.

Amusingly, I watched the first half in Japanese with English subtitles, my default setting for watching animation since I watch so much anime. On a whim I switched to English and found the voice acting to be just as good. Recommended, but not for young children.

Suzume (2022)

Extraordinary. See this in a theater if you can.

[10/10 · 27 April 2023]

I'm currently on the Japanese history kick. I recently reviewed a book about Japanese myths and I'm now working through an online Harvard course about historic Japanese documents. I've been eager to see this particular director's latest movie given that I have been so impressed with his other works. When I discovered Suzume was showing at a local multiplex here in Alexandria Virginia I immediately bought tickets rather than wait for it to show up on a streaming service.

I'm glad I did. Seeing Suzume on a big screen with good sound is an impressive experience. There's a lot of detail both in close-ups and in horizon spanning wide vistas where massive moving objects in the sky generate an overwhelming sense of scale. Even in such scenes we can see a tiny plot-critical character in the distance, an effect that might be lost on even a decent sized flatscreen TV.

The underlying plot line is fairly simple: ancient gods who control Japan's earthquakes awake and escape. They need to be put back under lock and key or else disasters will occur, disasters of the type the Japanese people are altogether too familiar with. A high school girl, Suzume, becomes enmeshed in efforts to control the portals the gods are using to influence our world. In the process we learn about Suzume, her own back story, and a host of well defined secondary characters whose emotional states frequently boil over and intertwine.

Oh yes, there's also a talking cat, a talking chair, and giant hideous worm like vortex of supernatural force that periodically escapes into our world and threatens to plunge to earth to cause massive earthquakes (another reason to see this with a good sound system).

Some of the visuals in Suzume are simply awesome but we've learned to expect that from Makoto Shinkai. What I found most engaging about this film-beside its awesome visuals-or two things in particular:

1. The characters themselves. We identify with stubborn plucky Suzume but even the secondary characters are remarkably well portrayed. They have personalities.

2. The country. If you know anything about Japanese history and its earthquakes, both past and recent, you can't help but experience dread when everyone's cellphone lights up with earthquake warnings (a frequent occurrence in this film). The earthquake causes portrayed here may be fanciful, but the potential for destruction is so anxiety- inducing that, as rational and science-focused as I am, I can't really blame people for grasping onto supernatural explanations for such horrors.

As popular as this film is elsewhere (in Japan and China for example), I don't expect Suzume to do a great business in theaters here in the US. My theory about that is that anime and animation fans may have become accustomed to streaming services along with the plethora of anime series now available via services such as Hulu and Crunchyroll.

That's a pity. This film is execeptional and deserves to be seen on a big theater screen.

Raised by Wolves (2020–2022)

Still can't believe it's cancelled

[9/10 · 6 January 2023]

Definitely one of the best SF TV series ever made but certainly not for everyone. Weird story line, great acting, bizarre physical environment, some really terrifying moments. Also it's great to see religion treated as an important plot point in such a creative fashion. So many unanswered questions! What is apparent in every episode is the creativity displayed in even minor physical details. Normally one would see a story like this is a long SF novel which the reader would be justified in asking, "How the heck would they ever fim this while retainaing the main ideas?" Yet, here it is. I doubt that anyone else will pick this production up given the state of the world economies and hate that the cancellation will be viewed as a warning to others not to press the envelope too hard.

Aaron with 2 A's (2022)

A LOT is packed into thsi short film

[10/10 · 14 November 2022]

I saw this while working as a volunteer at the Alexandria Film Festival in Alexandria Virginia. Steve Lichtenstein led a great Q&A session with the audience following the film's screening and provided a lot of useful insight into the creative process and the practical challenges of getting a film like this made. What I told him was how impressed I was with how much is packed into this short film. Part of this achievement is due to his dedication to telling this (somewhat) personal story and part to the team he worked with including the director. Working a film festival as a volunteer is fun especially if you like hobnobbing with creative people; I'm always amazed at the dedication required to get independent films produced.

Contact (1997)

CONTACT has lost none of its punch

[10/10 · 16 September 2022]

This 1997 film still packs a visceral and emotional wallop. Its treatment of serious scientific and emotional topics is exceptional. I remember seeing it soon after its opening at Century City in LA and came away totally amazed. It was also the LOUDEST film I had ever seen up to that time -- Arroway's walk through the Machine to the device must be listened to with a decent subwoofer. Plus, the destruction of the first machine is totally shocking. I recommend for anyone interested in the film to listen to Foster's commentary on the DVD/Blu-Ray. The ferocious intelligence she brought to the film is evident.

Psychic Princess (2018–2019)

Weird, funny, and charming.

[8/10 · 4 September 2022]

I really enjoyed this weird Chinese animated series, much more so than the CGI-heavy Chinese fantasy series available these days on various streaming platforms. Parts of it are just downright charming and sometimes laugh out loud funny.

PSYCHIC PRINCESS' animation style is somewhat reminiscent of older Japanese high school and harem anime but it does incorporate classic Chinese architecture, nature, and character designs. It's hard to mistake this for a Japanese production. (Haoliners did co-produce FLAVORS OF YOUTH with the Japanese company CoMix Wave Films.) Character movement and facial expression are not always realistic but are still quite serviceable in the interest of storytelling and it's the story that accounts for the entertainment value of this series.

The 16-episode series begins with an encounter between a rural official and his wife with their teenage daughter. They tell her she is to wed the Prince of Ye. It's obviously a politically arranged marriage designed to further the father's ambitions. The daughter tearfully resists. The parents relent and agree instead to substitute their other daughter, Qian Yunxi, who had been sent away when a child to live in "Spirit Cloud Mountain" due to her weird and sometimes embarrassing magical abilities.

And so, Qian Yunxi is sent to wed the Prince of Ye. While pretending all the while to be her sister, she and the Prince do not hit it off, which is, to put it mildly, an understatement. Over the series' episodes their troubled relationship evolves but painfully. She is immature, self-centered, and stubborn. He is arrogant, distant, and proud. Naturally-this is after all a romance-their relationship evolves through a series of events that are weird, unusual, magical, and funny.

As the series progresses an increasing number of magical and supernatural elements are introduced including ghosts, demons, Taoist priests with magical powers, tree spirits, and cute "flower fairies."

I enjoyed hearing the spoken Chinese even though I had to rely on the subtitles to tell what was going on. The actors portraying the Prince and Princess have very expressive voices that communicate emotion regardless of language. Qian Yunxi's voice actor is especially effective at communicating the Princess' stubborn and at times immature personality.

For non-chinese speakers the English subtitles are essential to understanding what's going on. Objectively, though, it's obvious that English is not the native language of whoever created the subtitles. The English subtitle text inexplicably mixes modern slang with a dictionary based almost random word selection. Besides, some of the word choices in the English subtitles are amusing-but they get the job done and along with the voice work and animation do propel the story along in a fun and entertaining way. (This is not meant as a criticism! I speak only one language (American English) and have an utmost respect for anyone who speaks more than one language!)

All is not perfect with PSYCHIC PRINCESS. The plot has loose ends, there are several places where it appears that cuts have been made by or for Amazon prime, and the series ends very abruptly.

But overall this fantasy provides a decent respite from that nasty political goings on here in the US.

Recommended, especially for animation fans interested in a light take on fantasy, court intrigue, and very traditional (and almost retro) romantic themes.

Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021)

Cronenberg+Lynch+Humor=BNCF

[9/10 · 24 May 2022]

The eight episode series BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR is a reminder of what can be accomplished when a talented team is free to push the artistic envelope.

Lisa Nova (Rosa Salazar) comes to Hollywood dreaming of hitting it big. A big time producer sees Lisa's short horror film, is impressed, then proceeds to steal the production rights.

Lisa is not pleased. She seeks the services of a modern day witch to make the producer suffer. The tangled story then plays out with lots of blood, zombies, body horror, very tightly scripted dialog (often funny), weird apparitions, and glimpses of the cutthroat nature of early 90's Hollywood.

What holds this all together is an amazing performance by Rosa Salazar (Alita Battle Angel, Undone) as the driven director who wants to get her movie made her way despite the evil that must be experienced along the way.

Why the title? Who knows. What I know is that a few times I had to stop watching, not because of the copious amounts of blood being spilled or the ratcheting up of tension, but because I wanted to be sparing in partaking of the constant barrage of total weirdness interspersed with frequent laugh out loud dark humor. (I told Number One Son that one way of describing the series is "Cronenberg Meets Lynch but with occasional humor.")

The series really starts firing on all cylinders three or four episodes in. One could be forgiven for at first thinking that there's no way for all these threads to be pulled together. One's patience will be rewarded even if some of what is put on screen makes one squirm. If you like "weird" this one's for you. You've been warned!

The Hand of God (2021)

An EXCELLENT coming of age film

[9/10 · 18 January 2022]

Coming of age films are a dime a dozen. This 2021 Italian film is better than most. It's episodic, gritty, heartfelt, sad, funny, tender, and occasionally weird.

We follow young Fabio as he struggles to become an adult in 1980s Naples. The city by the water is just a much of a character as the myriad of family members and friends who pop in and out of the film. Gorgeously photographed, we get a distinctly non-touristy view of Italy and Italians that refreshingly blows away the homogenization that has overtaken so many Western films. This is due to the influence of the director/writer who bases the film's incidents on his own youth in Naples.

Is it all believable? Not completely. We can usually tell when the director is playing with the audience and daring us to believe that a particular incident really happened the way it's portrayed in the film. But that's OK. Memory is like that. We sometimes embroider past experiences when retelling them for entertainment's sake.

One of the most impressive feats of this movie is the number of characters. Sometimes what happens with large ensemble casts is that we find ourselves losing track of who's who and who did what. Not in Sorrentino's film. Everyone makes an impression and early events have a way of being referenced - sometimes quite amusingly - later on.

Highly recommended.

Foundation (2021– )

Increasingly Intersting

[9/10 · 15 November 2021]

Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein were favorites of mine in my youth but only Clarke has aged well. Asimov's writing now seems dusty and old fashioned. I am very pleased to say though, that this FOUNDATION series is remarkably up to date and engrossing. It does not pander and emphasizes strong characterization, strong story, and remarkable visuals that are just as impressive as DUNE. The diversity of the cast is terrific. I love what Harris does with Hara Seldon. I just wish I could binge the whole thing -- waiting from week to week is painful!

Pig (I) (2021)

A wonderful walk on the weird side

[9/10 · 9 September 2021]

It's understandable to compare this movie with Nomadland. Both deal with outsiders who, for various reasons that are semi-revealed during the course of the movie, have turned their backs on "normal" society.

In the case of Pig, Nicolas Cage plays a forest recluse who lives frugally and ekes out a living by finding and selling truffles to a young Camaro-driving middleman. His only companion is a pet pig who follows him everywhere and for which he cooks very nice meals. He loves the pig. Dog lovers will understand.

One day his beloved pig is stolen. He goes to town to hunt down the perpetrators. He starts by hooking up with a community of itinerant truffle farmers. From there he re-enters - painfully -- the urban society he left 10 years before.

Gradually, as is the case with Nomadland, past secrets are revealed as the details of the past unfold.

While I found Nomadland to be sad and depressing (though well produced and acted) I found Pig to be simultaneously puzzling and entertaining. It is beautifully photographed. Both inside and outside scenes are carefully framed and shot and make excellent use of lighting conditions of all kinds. At least one scene reminded me of Edward Hopper's Nighthawks painting; I can't believe that was accidental.

What carries the movie is Nicolas Cage's performance. This is not the chew-the-scenery Cage we've grown to love. Instead we have a toned down but tightly coiled loner who as he goes about his business transmits both strength and vulnerability. Cage does a great job with the part and deserves a lot of credit for carrying this movie on his shoulders. He's on-screen almost constantly.

Pig will not be everyone's cup of tea. It's very weird at times but is never boring. If you're looking for something that is not run-of-the-mill, check it out.

Chaos Walking (2021)

Reminded me of a Heinlein "Juvenile"

[7/10 · 1 September 2021]

Watching CHAOS WALKING (on Hulu) reminded me of a sumptuously produced Heinlein "juvenile" novel. We have a young here tottering on the edge of adulthood. He's eager to Do Something More With His Life, a theme to be popularized later by Luke Skywalker.

That reference to Heinlein is not meant as a putdown. I cut my sci-fi teeth on Heinlein novels and still have fond memories of The Rolling Stones, Have Spacesuit Will Travel, and Citizen of the Galaxy. In fact, this movie is based on an YA novel trilogy (by Patrick Ness). That shows by some of the punches that are pulled both dramatically and dialog-wise.

Nevertheless we have a very well constructed action-adventure with some very interesting concepts at the core including telepathy and a female-free planetary colony that has lost touch with its Earth roots and now depends on a minimum of technology to scratch out an existence.

What really saves the movie is the camaraderie that develops between the two leads played by Tom Holland (as the young and impulsive guy) and Daisy Ridley (as the calm and collected astronaut whose ship has crashed and who is now being chased for reasons that will eventually be made clear). They are on screen constantly and, as movies like this are wont to do, they spend much of the movie on a dangerous cross country quest to find a more hospitable society. Adventure and well-produced action - including horseback and motorcycle chases - accompany them all along the way.

A little research shows that this film has been much delayed and that much reshooting was required by the studio. It shows. There are plot loose ends and the very final scene between Holland and Ridley was clearly shot at the beginning - they both look noticeably younger. Still, it's an enjoyable and very attractive film populated by interesting characters and well done action sequences. Enjoyable.

Heaven Official's Blessing (2020– )

Terrific Chinese Fantasy

[8/10 · 26 April 2021]

The heavenly gods in this animated Chinese fantasy have some things in common with the Olympian gods of Greek mythology. They squabble amongst themselves and for one reason or another seem unable to resist engaging with the human world in ways that don't always turn out well either for them or for the humans.

Our story in this 12-episode series concerns one particular god, Xie Lian, who is banished from heaven for the third time in 800 years. Upon returning to earth he finds himself not only bereft of worshippers but also engaged in a series of adventures that gradually reveal not only how warlike and dysfunctional life on earth is but also the details of his prior lives.

Most of the stories take place on earth and display how gods, humans, and demons interact. There are heavenly magical powers on display but not enough to push the drama into the realm of purest fantasy. There are real terrors and horrors here on earth with some of the animated imagery being downright scary. At other times the subtlety and complexity of the animation, whether focused on heavenly or earthly matters, are simply beautiful. I have rarely seen such nuanced and delicate characterization combined with such occasional evil and even brutality.

We have grown accustomed to animation being used to represent foibled superheroes with godlike powers. Sometimes such animation offers pure escapism and sometimes reflections on societal challenges. As fantastic as Heavenly Official's Blessing is, I can't help but think that it offers a dramatically satisfying view of how good and evil play off each other in the real world. Even the gods themselves suffer when this happens and we humans often get caught in the crossfire.

Stowaway (I) (2021)

Artificial Gravity?

[3/10 · 22 April 2021]

Can't watch it. It physically looks realistic but they have artificial gravity. And the ship is not spinning. Too bad. Looks dramatically interesting.

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Reminded Me of Toho

[8/10 · 1 April 2021]

This movie had me smiling quite a bit. True, the human stories and characters are trite and the action sequences are world class. Nevertheless, I was reminded of the Toho monster movies of my childhood where silly humans and magical technologies formed a backdrop for giant monsters duking it out as cities, country-side, and ships at sea were shredded.

One thing is certain: see this on as large a screen as possible. The attention to detail of both large and small objects is mind-blowing and, believe it or not, some scenes are downright beautiful.

I am trying to imagine what it would have been like for my 11 year old self to have seen this. I would definitely have preferred it over Zack Snyder's JUSTICE LEAGUE which I had just finished watching. That movie is wonderfully produced but unrelentingly grim.

GODZILLA VS. KONG on the other hand is unrepentadly goofy and focused on what we want to see: fantastical giant monsters with personality duking it out in an alternate world that, temporarily at least, takes us away from the trials and tribulations of daily life.