aci_J Reviews

Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer (2018)

High octave, plot heavy

[8/10 · 11 July 2018]

Unlike other films in the franchise, this film is very closely related to the canon of the main series, so it's very hard to recommend this film as an entry point. That being said, tying the film so closely to the canon allowed them to use Amuro as a main character in the film, and his chemistry with Conan is excellent. Obviously, Conan has had many great cooperators in the past, but the relationship he has with Amuro is wholly different from anything we've seen before - both of them distrust each other, and are constantly second guessing each other's motivation and actions.

In turn, the inclusion of Amuro in this film has altered the style of mystery storytelling that the series has always relied on in the past. This is because Amuro is actually a high-ranking member in the Black Organisation as Bourbon - making him one of Conan's main enemies. Therefore, it's pretty obvious from the beginning that he is behind the events of the film in some shape or form, thus making the film less of a straight-forward mystery then it is a thriller, as Conan tries to uncover Amuro's true role in the events, all the while trying to avoid drawing attention to himself.

Of course, mystery does feature in the film, as Conan still needs to figure out the true culprit behind the explosion at the Edge of Ocean facility as well as who framed Morui, but that's less of a focus this time around. That's not to say that previous films haven't also downplayed the mystery elements of the series, but that was in favor of setpieces and spectacle, most likely in an attempt to draw in new fans. As a result, because the formula of the series had been altered somewhat, I found myself immediately drawn into Zero's Executioner and the web of conspiracies surrounding Amuro's involvement, which surprised me given how forgettable previous movies have been. There's not many film series that can still engross you in their twenty-second entry, and I feel like I have to give Detective Conan some credit for that.

Terry Tate, Office Linebacker (2002)

Good fun

[6/10 · 11 July 2018]

Office discipline can be a tough thing to enforce, but here's one solution - hire a linebacker to drill those rules into your employees, with the help of a little rough and tumble. Part of a series of Reebok commercials produced for the Superbowl, Terry Tate: Office Linebacker follows the titular Terry Tate in his role as office linebacker, which is about as ridiculous as it sounds - Tate tackles his coworkers for not making a new pot of coffee, not sorting the trash correctly, and any other minor offence. It's a laugh out loud scenario by itself, but we also get to see some unexpected sides of Terry when he gives a serious presentation to his colleagues and reacts badly when he gets hurt himself, which gives him a little more depth as a character. Such a shame then that the short only has time to do this in a couple of instances, leaving it as a fun couple of minutes, but not much more.

Akira (1988)

Seismic

[8/10 · 27 June 2018]

There are few pieces of media that have had the seismic effect that Akira had on it's 1988 release. Based on the manga of the same name and directed by the same author, the science fiction film changed the face of Japanese cinema and, indeed, the face of Japanese fiction in general.

It's not hard to see why. Katsuhiro's world is dense and alive in such a captivating way; beyond the biker gangs of our main characters Tetsuo and Kaneda we have doomsday cults, government conspiracies, insurgent terrorists, mysterious physic powers... Audiences back then and even now are pulled into the world, invited to explore every nook and cranny, making it instantly watchable and perfect for repeat viewings.

Such a shame then, that this is exactly what drags the movie down, particularly in the second act. Cramming the plot full of so many subplots gives rise to many false climaxes and resolutions, leaving the pacing choppy at best. Particularly evident is the resolution of the titular Akira plotline, which seems like it should be the resolution of the movie, but upon looking at the remaining time, you'll be shocked to discover that almost half an hour still remains. Cutting a lot of these superfluous subplots would help the pacing greatly, but then again that's exactly what made the film so engaging in the first place, providing a serious conundrum.

Even more confusing is that, because of the inclusion of so many subplots, it seems that the characterisation and character development of our main characters - Tetsuo and Kaneda - suffers as a result. Tetsuo turns too quickly from disgruntled childhood friend to telekinesis-wielding antagonist, but at least this isn't as bad as Kaneda's treatment, who remains the same one-note, shouty delinquent virtually the entire way through the film. Why the filmmakers chose to focus on these smaller threads instead of the main thread of the movie escapes me, but at least another key area of focus for the film - production - paid off in spades.

The bubble economy of the 1980s made Japan a lot of money, and it's no surprise that a lot of this money was channeled into entertainment - namely, the burgeoning anime industry. With a budget of around $10 million, this is still the most expensive anime film of all time, and it shows. Everything on screen is animated, even the backgrounds in panning shots, making for one of the best looking pieces of animated film out there. Just watching the film for this level of quality rarely seen in anime films anymore is worth it, and there's no way you'll pick up on every detail with just one watch.

So perhaps this is why, despite choppy writing, the film still stands the test of time today, and can still be enjoyed with our modern eyes. Akira still remains one of my favourite films of all time - perhaps because of the impression it left on me at a young age - even though it can't exactly be called the 'best.'

Born with It (2015)

Enlightening

[6/10 · 27 June 2018]

If you listened to popular discourse, you'd probably think that race relations aren't a problem in modern Japan - yet many mixed raced citizens suffer in spite of this, and it's up to films such as 'Born With It' to bring the issue to light. The film follows half-Japanese, half-black Keisuke as he transfers to a new school in the countryside, having to deal with prejudice from his classmates and finding out about who he is in the process. Such a heavy issue as race relations could've made this film rather heavy, but luckily the great script and some surprisingly good child acting inject this film with a good sense of humor and a healthy dose of heart. That being said, there are some moments where the message of the film is stated verbatim by the characters, making it come across as less intelligent than it actually is. The cinematography also sometimes lends a hand in putting across the message with some good framing, but often feels slightly flat due to long cuts and static camera positions. Hopefully, this film will inspire others to explore this as of yet unexplored issue, even if it isn't amazing in and of itself.

Embers (2006)

Missed potential

[3/10 · 27 June 2018]

The Pacific theatre of war, and even more so the involvement of the former Commonwealth countries in it rarely makes an appearance in western cinema despite their relative historical importance, so this short film makes for a welcome breath of fresh air. It is 1946 and a young wife eagerly awaits the return of her husband, sent off to fight the Japanese army, but when he returns, she finds that he is not the same man he once was. Long shots and lingering cuts give the film an atmosphere of claustrophobia as well as loneliness, and the recurrent nightmarish visions that the wife witnesses are striking. Yet, the second act and the climax occur far too fast, not allowing the film to properly explore the themes which it lays bare. Particularly wasted is the climax, which features a good performance on the wife's part, but ends up not having much narrative weight to it because of the poor pacing.

Knick Knack (1989)

Evolution of 3D Animation

[4/10 · 27 June 2018]

It's always incredible to see how fast technology moves in the modern age, and nothing shows that more than the evolution of 3D computer animation. Back when Pixar was owned by Apple founder Steve Jobs and merely six years before their first feature Toy Story, the animation studio produced several shorts that showed off the potential of their in-house software that would later go on to become Renderman. One of those shorts was Knick Knack, which follows a snowman in a snow globe as he tries to break out of his glass dome to join the other 'knick knacks' at a summer pool party. Although the animation is now considerably dated, particularly in the areas of texture detail and character motion, the humor still shines through to make it entertaining. Even so, the lack of a proper resolution to the story except for a cheap laugh means that it's unlikely you'll remember the short in the long term. The studio has certainly come a long way.

The Crush (I) (2010)

Full of heart

[8/10 · 27 June 2018]

Having a crush on a teacher is probably an experience we've all had, but none of us have hopefully taken it as far as one young boy does in The Crush. This Oscar nominated short film follows a young boy who has a crush on his teacher. He gives her a ring, 'proposing' to her, only to find out the next day that she has gotten engaged to another man. Influenced by western movies, he promptly challenges his rival in love to a duel - to the death. This is a film full of heart and great humor, mainly stemming from the excellent dialogue and character work, having possibly one of the most effective uses of a certain swear word I've ever seen. It will pull any audience member in initially with it's humorous concept, but maintains that interest effectively over it's short run time with it's high tension and high stakes plot. An amusing yet relatable conclusion will also ensure that it remains in the hearts of its viewers for many years to come. (8/10)

Patlabor: The Movie (1989)

A landmark piece for a genius director

[7/10 · 23 May 2018]

Director Mamoru Oshii is best known for his 1995 sci-fi landmark piece Ghost in the Shell, and less so for his meditative 1985 arthouse piece Angel's Egg, but Mobile Police Patlabor: The Movie remains as an interesting touchstone for the development of the genius director.

Based on the manga and OVA series of the same name, the film takes place in Japan in the near future, where giant robots or 'Patlabors' have revolutionised industry. In the wake of global warming and overpopulation, the Japanese government begins the 'Babylon Project,' which will reclaim thousands of acres of land from the Tokyo seafront by utilising the power of the Patlabors, which are hundreds of times more efficient than human workers. Yet, a series of worrying incidents where Patlabors go berserk and cause great destruction sets Asuma of the 'Mobile Police' - a section of the metropolitan police that utilises the Patlabors to fight crime - on the case, and the mystery he plunges into has far more dangerous consequences than he ever imagined.

The rich world building and level of detail in the film that would later play a major part in the appeal of Ghost in the Shell is evident here, even in this early part of Oshii's career. Each line of dialogue is utilised efficiently to discuss geo-politics, bureaucracy and engineering in this fictional future. The level of detail put into the design of the Patlabor's themselves by Yutaka Izubuchi also helps further reinforce this realistic yet relatable tone.

Although the film doesn't do a great job getting new viewers of the series up to speed, leaving several blind spots such as the sudden appearance of Kanuka Clancy in the third act, it does a good job of introducing us to the characters of Asuma and Nao, who's chemistry in turns drives the soul of the film, alongside the richly detailed fictional landscape. Asuma's work on solving the mystery is also far from perfect, sometimes overloading viewers with exposition instead of explanation, but for the most part he's an engaging point of focus for the viewer, mainly thanks to Toshio Furukawa's excellent voice work.

In terms of Oshii's later career, a lot of his tendencies can be traced back to this formative work. Namely, his eye for detail and preference for dialogue instead of action. Plus, his visual direction is as excellent as you'd expect, giving us striking compositions and engaging framing. Yet, this is at the same time the least Oshii-esque film in his career, since it comes across as less of an Oshii film, like with Ghost in the Shell and Angel's Egg, and more of a Oshii-directed Patlabor film.

Even so, whether you're an Oshii newbie or an Oshii expert, a Patlabor newbie or a Patlabor expert, there's definitely something for you here. And who doesn't want to see giant robots duking it out, anyway?

J'attendrai le suivant... (2002)

Heartbreaking urban ennui

[7/10 · 23 May 2018]

Opening on the desolate scene of an escalator descending into the subway, this Oscar-nominated short film paints a bleak and heartbreaking picture of modern life. Our protagonist, a middle-aged woman, feels alone despite being surrounded by so many people on her journey. When a man suddenly speaks up on the subway, makes a speech about true love and his desire to find it, she finds herself enamoured and touched. She must make the choice to grab this rare chance with both hands, or risk continuing to feel isolated for the rest of her life. What happens next is powerful cinema, punctuating the piece's message about the irony of urban ennui with a dark, realistic turn. Despite it's short runtime, both it's conclusion and some great acting from the cast leave the viewer with burning questions that will haunt them forever.

Whacked (II) (1998)

Suspenseful and engaging

[8/10 · 23 May 2018]

In New York, people are falling over in pain seemingly at random with no apparent cause. Why is this happening? This suspenseful short film engages you from the start and never lets go with that simple question. It is beautifully shot and edited to give the film the visceral and uncomfortable tone that it needs, adding greatly to the overall aesthetic of the film - the sounds of launched golf balls bludgeon us; the camera cuts and moves erratically. Meanwhile, our main character's performance is at once pitiful as it is menacing; his unkempt face filling the entire frame and staring into the souls of the audience. We wonder why he does the things he does - is it anger? Boredom? Disrespect? In the end, we leave with as many questions as we had when we entered. This is what short films should be: short, tight, and impactful.

Three Days in Kamakura (2012)

Stumbling performances

[5/10 · 23 May 2018]

Our story revolves around David and Keiko, a British and Japanese couple who are recovering from some previous trauma in their relationship. Things aren't going well, that is until they are burdened with caring for a mixed race boy, which starts to affect their relationship. The themes of loss and grief are explored well here in both Keiko and David's character arcs, as they learn how to overcome and push forward in the face of despair. We also get a great exploration and feel for the locale of Kamakura, as we see it become a character in the visual and thematic landscape of the short film. Yet, it's in front of the camera where the film stumbles - the performances aren't the best, with Keiko's performance coming off as particularly one-note. David is also fine as a leading man, but there's not much to his performance that adds to the story.

Fish Out of Water (2005)

Bubbly and entertaining

[7/10 · 23 May 2018]

This short film follows a man disgruntled by the stress of the morning commute, who consequently decides that, instead of driving into work like everyone else, he will take a different approach - rowing a boat across the river. Combining excellent cinematography with lush, vibrant colour design, the film builds on it's premise to the point of absurdity with an excellent rhythm and eye for visual comedy. Further accentuating this is the excellent score, which has been expertly crafted and choreographed to help elevate the film and communicate emotions without the need for dialogue, as well as solid performances from all of the cast. It may be light on theming and narrative weight, but this is a bubbly, refreshing take on an absurdist conflict moulded expertly by the team behind it

Father and Daughter (2000)

Flawed beauty

[5/10 · 23 May 2018]

Father and Daughter As the title suggests, this 2000 Academy Award-winning short film revolves around a father and his daughter, the latter of which is left alone one day when her father doesn't return from sea. There's some brilliant visuals on display here, from the Lowry-esque character designs to the striking use of black and white, but it's in character and story where the film falls short. It's often hard to distinguish our main character from others in the long shots both because of her lack of distinctive design as well as lack of characterisation, meaning that the precious few minutes we spend with her are somewhat marred by confusion. In addition, I found some of the theming regarding the power of the father figure questionable, and the lack of character arc for the daughter was rather disengaging. Even so, this is a visually fantastic piece of cinema that shows the potential beauty of the animated medium.