etherealtouch Reviews

Sing (2016)

Truly enjoyable for all ages

[9/10 · 22 March 2024]

I should put out a disclaimer that I generally don't care for illumination movies. Dreamworks and Pixar truly paved the way for quality 3d animated flicks for kids and set the bar fairly high. Illumination, while not terrible, always felt like it was playing catch-up and emulating its cinematic predecessors with lukewarm success.

I was initially wary as the movie really seemed to embrace the "zeitgeist" of the modern music industry "top 40" offerings, but, Sing is the first movie where it truly seems as if they "got it". It has its own issues and isn't perfect... But what it DID get right, is far more significant than what it got wrong.

The way the story is put on display from a circulating perspective around the main character (Buster) is done in a classic "hub and spoke" fashion. This generally shouldn't be considered remarkable as many movies, for quite a while now, have used this approach. Sing just pulls it off incredibly well. The way they've decided to interweave all the characters and their respective circumstances was creative and interesting.

The movie also pulls at the heartstrings gracefully. It doesn't feel cheap. There's some real thought that went into this in order to engage the viewer. Over the course of the last few years I have watched this movie 4 times now (with healthy breaks in-between), and each time, without fail, my eyes get misty at certain parts.

The subject matter this movie delves into is complex, but it tries to approach it gingerly. There's too much fluff in some moments, but the primary focus NEVER shifts away from the meat of the matter. I am glad to see that the studio has remained consistent with this with Sing 2 as well.

I could keep extolling this movie's strengths but it really all boils down to 3 things:

• The characters and their happenstance are relatable and not overly simplified
• Leading in from the previous point, the movie seems to respect the viewer
• The thematic through-line from beginning to end is subtle, and not hamfisted

There are little details that you will catch on your second or third re-watch that'll make you appreciate it more. This is generally true of many movies- but here the way it's presented is very subtle.

I will continue to re-watch this periodically as it honestly surprised me.

Velma (2023– )

Unimaginative and soulless

[2/10 · 16 January 2023]

Well, here's attempt #2 at submitting a review. I'll try and be more concise with my gripes.

As the title says, the show really feels unimaginative and soulless. I don't care for the majority of the surface factors that some people have taken issue with (e.g. Bending or re-imagining characters)- but rather with the underlying fundamental building blocks that make a good show.

The characters are made... Well, flat. Not even two dimensional in this case. There's very little substance on offer here and you realize about 5 minutes in that the writers have decided to use them as a vehicle to carry specific messaging. You wait for the other shoe to drop where they start to become interesting or at the least boast elements that make them enjoyable/relatable at a basic level. It just never seems to happen. The basic stew of archetypes that's mashed together doesn't really seem to have any chemistry- not in a hilarious, contentious banter, kind of way... They just don't work. You immediately understand this was an attempt to make a more 'adult' rendition that includes characters from Scooby-doo, they only loosely relate to their past iterations. The lack of chemistry and the wafer-thin nature of the characters alone could be forgiven if at the very least the dialogue or storytelling was engaging or interesting- but even there the show suffers.

The above leads me to my next point: The show is highly inconsistent. The above issues I raised are simply to provide a bit of context- but the flavor (or lackthereof) comes through in fairly confusing disconnects between what is being said and what is being shown. The greatest example that caught my attention is Daphne, whose prior iteration was claimed to be nothing more than eye/arm candy, was sexualized fairly early on and used as a cheap writing device to carry what little plot was strung together.

Non-character oriented inconsistencies exist as well. The storytelling is haphazard and tends to suffer from bizarre pacing choices that constantly cause me to peel back when watching. Not quite unlike a fourth wall break that gets a bit jarring when reading a book.

It is possible that this could have actually been a funny show if it was more fleshed out, but, it's not clear what audience this is for. It neither hits the same vibe that good adult cartoons do nor does it offer much in the way of substance to maintain sufficient interest. It's like the creators made this show only for themselves.

Vesper (2022)

Almost good, but, significantly lacking in substance

[6/10 · 18 December 2022]

Have you ever watched a show with an absolutely stellar first season, that either quickly derails (not because of hamfisted messaging that gets stuffed into just about everything nowadays) a couple of seasons in and limps along going forward?

This movie suffers from the same thing, so to speak. Some TV shows are written with either only one season in mind, or so much of the "secret sauce" that made the writers/creators so excited didn't spill over and distribute evenly across the board.

Vesper had a lot of interesting things on display, both conceptually and visually, but suffered from bizarre writing. Namely the way the stakes in the movie's universe are presented, the baffling choices the characters make, and an ending that truly feels like you've been punched in the gut after an hour and a half of talking to someone that kept your interest from waning until the last 30 minutes.

While I enjoy movies that respect their audience and expect them to put the pieces together, this falls into the "oops, the jigsaw puzzle is missing half the pieces" category. The way that some of the components of the plot are explored are great- while others frankly fall flat on their face and end up both confusing and disappointing the viewer after attempting to garner emotional investment.

I'm not sure if this was the by-product of an attempt to introduce a modicum of mystery... But it was neither a modicum or, true mystery. You're just left hanging.

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Dissapointing mediocrity

[5/10 · 19 October 2022]

I've been a fan of Marvel works since.... Well, wow. Since early 90's cartoons. I've enjoyed their comics and works for a long time now.

This is by far one of the weaker, bottom-of-the-barrel offerings movie-wise.

Everything about this feels like tasteless pulp that's been mashed together. So far Thor 2 was, by comparison, the most weakest offering from the Thor chain specifically but oof, this one makes it look like a brilliant entry by comparison.

I wanted to love the notion of the female representation in this film, and some of the concepts weren't terrible but everything else pressed in-between was just sad.

It was just barely cohesive that it somehow functioned as a movie but failed in every other aspect. It was neither exciting, nor interesting enough to work for the title it was granted.

It felt more like an attempt to materialize a steamy fanfic than actually pull together good story, character development and universal consistency for the final product to seem sane.

What has happened to Marvel in phase 4? You started to derail before this point but... Boy, this is bewildering.

I hope you guys bounce back, but, I worry you somehow will continue to make some questionable decisions that will impede in this effort.

So I'm a Spider, So What? (2021– )

Better than expected, nanika?

[9/10 · 1 April 2022]

Aoi Yuki rocked the hell out of the role. It was a pleasant surprise to see a female protagonist in this capacity and it felt very successful rather than hokey or leaning too hard into any particular anime staples. Usually something like this would fall under the usual "Kyaaaaaaa~" or obnoxious bucket but it held water just fine. Really solid stuff.

The cast was fantastic in general and while it can be argued that the animation could have been better... The series is still well worth a watch despite the abundant use of 3d peppered with 2d scenes and sequences.

The storytelling and character development is rather good and the universe itself is interesting. One of the better Isekais out there (although not quite as good as, say, RE:Zero or Mushoku).

The twists in this are not quite that grand and there is a very corny aspect to the "Hahaha I'm dying... Or maybe?" anime trope but I think it's leveraged in a healthy way rather than something that's tired.

I really look forward to a season 2. Already bought the first season out of respect for those involved.

Gambatte ne!

Dune (2021)

A serious love letter to Frank Herbert's imaginative writing; uncompromising

[8/10 · 20 November 2021]

Short disclaimer:

* Reading a lot of other reviews for this movie is intriguing and bizarre and makes me wonder whether I've watched the same movie as their respective author

* It wasn't by any means perfect- but it's a far cry from the 'disaster' that others seem to lament. I also find it fascinating how many are somehow claiming foul play against the positive reviews that, in my opinion, were rightfully earned

How is it that some propose only the positive reviews as meaningless and/or careless?

Let's immediately clear the air with regards to my own review and establish a few things:

• Nobody is paying me for this
• I appreciate Frank Herbert's written works and have read nearly every one of his books (aside for 1-2 titles including the Jesus incident)
• DESPITE the aforementioned, I do my best to be as objective as humanly possible (nigh impossible task as everyone is marred by their own subjective tint/lens) and share my observations based on the basis of the product's merits and deficits

Let's get to the nitty-gritty.

PROS:

• Deliberate care was taken to portray the universe of Dune as closely to the original written work as possible (within reason). There are multiple scenes in this piece that made this rather obvious. Doubly so when compared to prior attempts

• The director, despite following the events as outlined in the book, chose not to hold the viewer's hand. He chose to respect the viewer enough to put two and two together with what they've been provided. Stark contrast to much of modern cinema as so much of it relies on hamfisted exposition or elaborating ad nauseum

• The sense of scale this movie establishes is no small feat (no pun intended). You are immediately made aware of the relative size various environments, cities and spacecraft have to offer

• The casting choices were excellent. While I believe this falls into a very subjective space that flaps between preference and familiarity- I think there's (tying in with my first point) an admirable balance struck between accurate portrayal of the written work's characters and leveraging the current pool of Hollywood talent

• I find there are commonly one of two approaches that CGI seems to take:

1. Leveraging it to establish or bolster (subtly or not) some type of form or function.

2. Eye candy.

A lot of sci-fi offerings seem to rely on dazzling visuals to compensate for lack of substance and/or poor writing. Denis Villeneuve's vision seems to have followed the former approach and this is a rather pleasant surprise

• Excellent audio engineering. While I'm only a fledgling in this space (as of this writing) I've taken time to appreciate the amount of work that was put into this movie's score, soundscapes and ambience. This breathed life into what the eyes feasted upon; it did not shy from applying helpings of weight and momentum to every motion and action that took place

• This isn't a real point (so ignore it in case you're perusing my post) but It was hard to peel my eyes away from the screen. To put things into perspective: I have ADHD. 'nuff said

CONS:

• The pacing seemed a bit jarring at times. While this is a minor quibble for me it is a point I concede to the naysayers. This isn't to say that this ruined or disrupted my immersion- it's just something that could really use a bit more polish. There are moments that felt like they stretched on unnecessarily while attempting to establish a sense of urgency or significance, while other moments that appeared to be urgent or significant (I write this while attempting to ignore my knowledge of the book) were kept short. While I can suspect what the director was attempting to accomplish here, I can't say I agree with the decision.

• From a slightly different bucket, albeit akin to the prior point... I wish the Baron had a bit more screen time. It felt as if Rabban was given more screentime than the Baron and that felt rather off.

All in all this was a rather fantastic rendition of Dune. I can't wait to see what the second part has on offer.

-CO.

Maniac (2018)

Impressed; breath of fresh air

[9/10 · 26 August 2021]

This smacks of the same degree of quality that the first season of Legion had on offer... Slightly off-beat worldbuilding, despite it borrowing from a rather cliche and overdone theme, that beckoned the mind to fill in many gaps based on the information that was provided. It had me compelled and drawn in effortlessly- and for someone that has ADHD that is saying something. It's simply good writing. The world and universe feels "lived in". It doesn't appear to be something that was concocted in a hurry, storytellers soullessly 'drawing' within the lines of an exasperated outline or to conforming to a list of checkmarks. It feels lived in. Like Frank Herbert's Dune. Like Robert A Heinlein's 'A stranger in a strange land'. Like Bladerunner. Yes, sure. It's sci-fi and follows many of the staple pathways that so many before had traversed... But it doesn't seem cheap. Even the manner in how some of the more outlandish concepts is explored is with deliberate care. It's actually explored passively rather than driven into the mind of the viewer like so much mindless drivel that is out there. You are allowed to experience it rather than have it simultaneously thrown at you and crammed down your throat. That in itself places this show well ahead of the mini-series pack.

Although I have to admit that it is the manner in which the topics and themes are touched upon and explored in 'Maniac' that left me speechless. The symbolism and imagery felt like it possessed an artistic streak but it was not so lost in the attempt that it became difficult to follow. There is usually little grace in the way that these sorts of items are handled nowadays. There is either too little credit granted to the viewer- or too much. You didn't have your hand held but you weren't preached to/at either.

That final point really elevated this series in my eyes: This show did not preach. It was not overrun by any messaging that is commonly seen nowadays. It was purely focused on its craft. Its entirety was for the viewer to enjoy a story that was laid one deliberate brick at a time. Nothing else.

Wonderful stuff. Perhaps not perfect- but I find that whatever imperfections the mini-series had suffered could be easily forgiven as the positives so heavily outnumber and outweigh their counterpart.

Ollie & Scoops (2019– )

Thoroughly enjoyable

[9/10 · 9 May 2021]

Stumbled across this series on Newgrounds and it honestly surprised me. This is one of those series where it seems to be a labor of love and it definitely shows. Between the high quality art direction, line work, voice acting and writing- the bite-sized episodic is rather enjoyable to peruse. It's not perfect, by any means, but the few flaws one might be able to nitpick at really pale in comparison to the good that is on offer.

While this is obviously targeted at a younger audience I do highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys cartoons.

Smiling Friends (2020– )

Late review, but oh man, what a GEM

[10/10 · 1 March 2021]

I grew up on Newgrounds. I've always appreciated the type of community (along with its animators and productions) that the website spurned and still actively hosts to this day.

I've watched this Pilot a bunch of times and each time I end up laughing. I truly hope that the show materializes cause this elbow drops my brain right in the funny bone. This stands out as a breath of fresh air amidst a sea of half-hearted and generic content that's indifferent to the type of wonderful lunacy that I recall seeing last when watching Ren and Stimpy.

Keep at it, -CO

The Mandalorian (2019– )

This series is like a bottle of cold water in the Saharan heat

[10/10 · 14 January 2021]

As a very thirsty and disappointed Star Wars fan- this series is simply refreshing. I'm baffled as to how many times they got it wrong (with the exception of Rogue One) as of late before dropping a gem like this for all to enjoy.

I feel my I resonate with many reviews on here: It gets Star Wars right. It is honestly some of the best character oriented storytelling where the product doesn't suffer or feel flimsy for inane reasons... It's just great writing mixed with some fantastic directing. There's so much that this show gets right:

• Proper strong female characters
• Having an appreciation and respect for the original source material in a way that doesn't create unnecessary inconsistencies
• Various acknowledgments of and references to the Star Wars EU
• Commonly exhibited approach of 'less is more' which leads to no distractions and a fine balance between build up and pay-off that the viewer is genuinely interested in... I find that Star Wars has suffered in this department the most as of late
• Great casting choices

I could keep going but I'll stop myself while I'm ahead. I highly recommend the show to anyone that is into Star Wars, enjoys Sci-Fi (especially if you're a Firefly fan) or good character oriented storytelling in general.

Disney: Please don't screw this up with needless meddling. Let the people working their magic to their own devices cause this series is single-handedly carrying the entire franchise on its back right now.

Birds of Prey (2020)

A very heartbroken DC fan...

[2/10 · 28 December 2020]

I wanted to like this movie. I really did. It suffered from a lot of issues. My chief concern is that the people that made the movie had only a preliminary understanding of 'Birds of Prey' and didn't quite comprehend its nature. Then rather than focusing on ensuring the basic building blocks were given the proper amount of care, added insult to injury by stuffing the movie full of unnecessary fluff.

This is the nth time that newer movies have fantastic source material to work with but completely trip over themselves due to hamfisted messaging that makes the characters and plot suffer various inconsistencies. In addition it becomes fairly obvious about mid-way through the film that minimal attention was spared on a properly thought-out interpersonal dynamic and the setup that leads to it in the movie.

I should clarify that I am in no way detached or unsympathetic to the monumental undertaking that translating a graphic novel/comic book/etc to cinema is. I understand that the product tends to turn into a caricature of the original that's glazed in creative liberties and changes but this is a bit much. The way that 'Birds of Prey' worked does not really match what is seen on screen. The changes are so significant and unnecessary that the entire basic premise no longer matches and fails in a rather fundamental manner. The kid was seriously like throwing a lego block into a 1000 piece puzzle and saying 'yeah, that works'.

While I enjoy non-sequitur storytelling and character development, it truly seems as if this movie suffers from a lack of clear and concise boundaries. It feels like a hot mess that jumps from one thing to the next and doesn't really provide much in terms of emotional bond or build-up that makes me as a viewer feel invested in the characters and their plights.

The villains and 'bad dudes' of Gotham were almost 90% of the time more fleshed out and methodical, even in the original portrayal of the Birds of Prey. What we're shown here is by far a very stark contrast that feels like it's from a completely different intellectual property and universe. It feels as if they're just hollow vehicles to try and propagate the obnoxiously polarized generalization of 'man bad, woman good' that so many people mindlessly succumb to these days.

This had such tremendous potential that was wasted for all the wrong reasons. I think Margot Robbie was fantastic. While I don't care for the re-imagined version of Harley Quinn- I definitely think that she handled the role rather well and the mannerisms were fairly true to her character.

I'm honestly seriously heartbroken about this. I was looking forward to this movie a lot despite my trepidation after having watched the absolute trainwreck that 'Suicide Squad' was.

Wayne (2019)

Whoa. What a rush!

[10/10 · 21 January 2019]

This show is honestly far more than you would expect at face value. It is concise but filled with heart, character development, a good and simple storyline that is followed through consistently and interesting takes on themes that have been repetitively done to death over the years to the point where they're mush.

I highly recommend this show. It is worth a watch and it definitely makes you take a step back and process things.

Kino af.