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AgentPhoenixxx
Aspiring Artist, Author and Influencer.
Reviews
Mulan (1998)
Beautifully elegant and mature
Mulan is a movie about a young woman who takes her father's place in the army to save his life, knowing that if it's discovered that she's a woman she will be killed. It surprisingly tackles mature themes such as honor and gender and does so flawlessly.
The movie is hilarious thanks to the dragon Mushu. Excellent fight scenes and beautiful classic Disney animation elevate the already deep story. Mulan makes an excellent main character, she has to work harder than any of her peers to rise to the top and this makes every triumph matter that much more.
Mulan is an instant favorite, With excellent songs, mature concepts and funny characters.
Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)
A crowded but fitting finale
The final movie in the trilogy and the first one to actually give some depth to the main characters.
The action is incredible and the CGI effects are very well produced. The characters finally get a little exposition and have relatable sides of the story to tell.
It's overly fast paced, no major plot point gets any chance to breathe and matter. They continue to throw side characters into trouble and expect you to care even though we've had little buildup.
The Death Cure is a great end to the trilogy and it does its best to make up for previous inadequacies that have become more apparent as the series goes on. But it's still way too quick and this really should've been two different movies.
Gekijôban Spy x Family Code: White (2023)
Sweet and entertaining
Spy x Family Code: White, continues the over the top chaos that we see in the show. The plot is inconsequential, you don't need to see the movie to continue watching the show and the movie will catch you up on the events you've missed.
The animation is beautiful, with tons of color and lighting effects. The story is constantly entertaining and hilarious. The main characters have tons of life thanks to their talented voice actors. Pacing is quick, but it doesn't mind slowing down when it needs to give a character arc extra focus.
Wether you are new to the series or a longtime fan, you'll find something to love in this family dynamic.
Knuckles (2024)
A great addition to the Sonic universe
Knuckles is a spin-off show about Knuckles training the police officer Wade. Despite the name, Knuckles is really a show focused on Wade, while this may be disappointing, Wade's character arc is unexpectedly pretty great.
The story is pretty simple, it's about a bowling tournament and some cookie cutter villains who want Knuckles' power. The characters are super fun and the exposition is great. The dialogue is corny quite frequently but this is mostly for humor. Visually it looks pretty good for a show relying so much on CGI but there's a few odd animated expressions here and there. The soundtrack relies heavily on older songs and this combined with the humor and camera work give it a retro vibe.
If you don't mind the bait and switch, the show is really fun and we still get to see plenty of Knuckles.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Crowded but good
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 dials things up from its predecessor. There's more at stake both emotionally and physically for Peter Parker.
While the actors continue to look too old for their parts, they play their roles excellently and Emma Stone is the star. The visual effects are very well done. The writing is great, the ending is dramatic and emotional thanks to excellent exposition across the film. The chemistry between the leads and balancing two lives continues to be the highlight.
The movie suffers under its unfocused direction and balancing too many characters ineffectively, but that doesn't make it a bad.
The movie is great and likely better than the first. If it wasn't dragged down by being overly busy it could be a lot better, perhaps separating it into 2 films would have been beneficial.
Old Yeller (1957)
Slow-moving, but emotional and sincere
Old Yeller is a coming of age story and is about human relationship with dogs.
The movie is slow paced but it's short and sweet. And the buildup to the climax is masterful. The setting of the American prairie serves the mood correctly and helps it feel very real.
It has minor issues in certain character inconsistencies and the acting isn't particularly good. Visually and musically it's nothing special and the whole movie has a mundane atmosphere.
Old Yeller is a thoughtful and sweet movie. It's a great family watch and a tearjerker that ranks among the best live-action Disney films of the era.
Alice in Wonderland (1951)
A colorful, quirky descent into madness
"Nonsense" as Alice puts it in the movie, is the perfect way to describe Alice in Wonderland. Now let's be clear, I don't mean that in a bad way.
Alice in Wonderland plays out in small segments generally with a song. The dialogue frequently makes little sense and the characters switch topics and moods on a dime. While I haven't read the full novel, the movie captures the vibe well. The movie is essentially a comedy cartoon in many ways, often feeling like a segment of Looney Toons. Alice's character arc doesn't go through much change, but there's a small moment of genuine emotion.
Alice in Wonderland is fun, pointless, mind-numbing, weird and frequently funny. So naturally, some will love it for what it is, if they can get past the stupidity and just enjoy it the way it was meant to be viewed.
Dumbo (1941)
A sweet story with a great moral
Dumbo tells the story of a young elephant who is bullied and doesn't get to see his mother. The protagonist never says a word and yet you can genuinely read his emotions and empathize with him thanks to Disney's spectacular art direction.
It has the best animation Disney had done up to this point. It's very short and doesn't overstay its welcome. The music isn't stellar but there's a catchy song or two.
The movie does have a few odd filler scenes particularly a scene where characters get drunk, it feels strange and useless.
Dumbo isn't going to please everyone with it's simplistic story but it's a fun tale with cuteness and charm which should make most Disney classic fans happy.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Genuinely one of the most overrated movies of all time.
2001 a space odyssey is one of the earliest sci-fi movies. It is technologically impressive for the time, but this is the only redeeming quality.
The pacing is like watching grass grow, I'm not saying this lightly. There are scenes with ships slowly moving across the screen for full minutes, It's similar to watching a screensaver. The music is nothing memorable, The dialogue is almost non-existent and the characters have no personal conflict or emotion. The main story is actually okay, it involves the computer HAL and a few astronauts on a space voyage. But this plot thread is only active in the middle of the movie and it's surrounded on both sides by nothing.
2001: A Space Odyssey is a classic that I cannot recommend to anyone. It's a glorified tech demo with almost nothing happening. The monkey scene in the beginning is honestly the most gripping part.
Helluva Boss (2019)
Entertaining but repetitive.
Helluva Boss is a comedy about a startup company of assassins in hell. It's built on a great concept and has lots of potential for funny interactions. It ultimately falls short because of how quickly the formula becomes old.
The art style is reminiscent of Cartoon Network shows, it's colorful and has excellent lighting. There's no real overarching plot to talk about here, every time it looks like the show is going somewhere it returns to the normal episodic storytelling. The characters bring tons of energy and variety to the show, the main cast of four is excellent but the side characters have paper-thin personalities and are usually just plot devices. The comedy consists of a single joke over and over, the shock value of profanity and violence. It's hilarious at first but it gets old quickly and could do with more variety.
If you like extremely raunchy cartoons you'll probably enjoy this. It's an excellent example of what the indie industry can accomplish and it truly has so much potential but it's too repetitive to make both seasons consistent.
The Legend of Zelda (1989)
Corny, but pretty good
The Legend of Zelda is a tv show adaptation of the video game series. It doesn't require any knowledge of the game series, but the intended audience is fans of the early games. Various trends from the series started here.
The show is an episodic interpretation of various exploits by the evil Ganon to steal the triforce of wisdom. The main characters are very different from their game counterparts and the dynamic between them is entertaining.
The plot is repetitive, predictable and there's no overarching narrative. The catchphrases are iconic but cheesy. The animation is pretty generic and the action is simplistic but the sound design is great and has lots of callbacks to the classic game
If you are a fan of 90s cartoons or The Legend of Zelda and don't mind how corny it is you should enjoy this. It's actually pretty fun and humorous if you can get past the faults.
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
A good sequel but nothing special
The Scorch Trials continues the story of Thomas and his friends as they discover there's more at stake in this world than they thought. It loses the interesting setting of the maze and feels a little more generic overall but it's still enjoyable.
The Visual Effects are very well done and there's a few horror influences this time around. We are introduced to a couple new characters that are pretty interesting and the acting has improved since the last movie.
The movie comes with the same negatives as the first but perhaps they're more noticeable now. The dull main characters that make this talented cast look bad, the pacing issues and the expectation for us to sympathize with characters that had no development at all.
While I can't speak for how faithful it is to the book. The Scorch Trials is an interesting middle entry to the series that has some genuine moments of heart.
Cinderella (1950)
A staple Disney classic
It goes without saying Cinderella is one of the most famous Disney movies, with the iconic Disneyland castle and numerous remakes. The movie is a thoughtful tale about making the most with what you have.
At times it feels a lot like Snow White, with the mice having small segments devoted to their shenanigans, scenes mostly focusing on the title character cleaning and an evil stepmother. The execution however is much better than Snow White. The music is very pretty and the lead actress has a wonderful voice. The movie has its share of jokes as well, with the cat chase scenes and stepsisters being highlights. Romance is the weakest part of the movie, it moves extremely fast and we don't get to hear any conversation to get us to really cheer for the relationship. But you get attached to Cinderella and that makes the romance mean more because it will make her happy.
Overall this is classic Disney with all the charm, laughs, happiness, seriousness, stellar art and magic you would expect. If you had to watch one classic Disney movie this should be it.
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
The best Disney movie of the Walt era
Lady and the Tramp is a flawless Romance that influenced the future of the genre. It's a story of opposites falling in love and making each other better people than they were before. It's a beautifully animated movie that holds up extremely well today!
It has a timeless art direction that feels distinctly Disney. The plot is surprisingly refreshing in it's simplicity of the Romance genre. The characters are varied in personality and have good voice acting. The music, while not Disney's best Is still really good.
An absolutely gorgeous movie overall, it is an immediate favorite. People of every age will be able to enjoy this layered film.
The Bear (2022)
Realistic Restaurant Drama.
The Bear chronicles the story of a man taking over his late brother's restaurant and attempting to fix it up. It's a brilliantly written drama about chaos, loss, stress and family.
The actors are the highlight of the show. The cast plays their roles masterfully even in scenes that have a lot going on. The cinematography is excellent and very dynamic, including one single shot that is 17 minutes long. The characters are interesting and layered.
One thing I have to note is that this is labeled as a comedy, and in my opinion it utterly fails in this category. It's an exceptional drama but it never came across to me as funny.
If you love a good stressful drama than The Bear is for you. It's won all sorts of awards for a reason, the quality is undeniable.
The Maze Runner (2014)
Entertaining with a solid setting
The Maze Runner is an adaptation of a book series and it is built on the very interesting concept of teens being trapped in a forest surrounded by a maze.
Visually it looks pretty good, there's some solid scenery. The acting for the side characters is great, but the actors playing Thomas and Teressa don't show much emotion or character development. The writing and story are great, though they perhaps go a bit heavy on the lore terms with no explanation as to what they mean.
The Maze Runner is a good start to the trilogy, with plenty of action and intrigue. If you like other YA adaptations like Hunger Games or Divergent you'll likely enjoy this.
Ore dake Level Up na Ken (2024)
The best anime of 2024!...so far
Solo Leveling is a simple anime. The plot is about a teen who has special powers and trains hard to reach a goal. It's fairly standard Shonen fare but the lore of the world and good characters helps it stand out.
The action scenes are beautiful as well as the vibrant colors and smooth animation. The opening and ending themes are catchy and memorable. The Voice acting dub is also well done.
If you are a fan of action anime or shonen in general than you're sure to love Solo Leveling! It may not do anything incredibly new or different but it's a well executed anime with some interesting game-like world mechanics.
Beastars (2019)
A dramatic masterpiece
Beastars is about a wolf, who falls in love with a rabbit. In a world divided by predators and prey this poses a problem, one that Legoshi will have to overcome. The show is a complicated and deeply-written drama with excellent pacing and character development.
Visually the show uses a 3D style, while this generally doesn't work well in anime it actually works and looks really great here. Voice Acting is great in the Dub and the Openings for both seasons are top tier, particularly the 2nd OP.
The second season does feel like one big training arc and some minor character traits feel inconsistent but this doesn't affect the quality at all.
Overall this is a beautiful series so far and easily the best anime I've ever seen.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
The first ever Disney movie and a technical marvel for the time
Snow White was a milestone that defined animation as a medium and got Disney off to a great start. It is unfortunately kept from perfection by glaring issues. The story is a classic we have all likely heard before, Snow White is a young women who gets chased from her home and lives in the forest with dwarves.
The animation is absolutely stellar for the time and holds up remarkably well today. The movie is full of happy, charming moments and the witch is the highlight of the movie.
It has some minor pacing issues The important plot points are rushed and the smaller things get a lot of screen time, now that isn't necessarily a bad thing but watching the dwarves shenanigans for over 15 minutes is probably not up everyone's alley and frankly feels like filler. The music ranges from catchy to an absolute miss, which is likely due to the audio quality of the time. The plot is very similar to sleeping beauty and other later Disney movies and while Snow White gets credit for being the first, later movies did it better.
Overall this is a fun, well animated movie especially for its time! Snow White is definitely overrated but I would still recommend everyone see it at least once. Kids are likely going to get more enjoyment out of this one than adults.
Aggretsuko: We Wish You a Metal Christmas (2018)
Unique and Charming Christmas Special
Taking place between season 1 and 2 this special gives us some great character development for Haida while giving an interesting social media side-plot.
You get everything you know and love in Aggretsuko with a slightly longer format. Haida is the star here getting the screen time he deserves and there's plenty of laughs and smiles to be had with the rest of the characters.
My only complaint is for the first half of the episode it simply doesn't feel like a Christmas special, it just feels like another episode of the show. But that's sort of the point! It's about simplicity at Christmas time and that makes it refreshing and unique among the Christmas catalogue.
If you're going through the show anyway make sure to watch this! It's easy to miss.
Dune (2021)
Dune walks so the sequel can run
Dune is a movie about Paul, a young man who realizes he is part of a prophecy. The movie delves deeply into this world's politics. The book this is adapted from is what Star Wars likely took inspiration from.
The CGI is incredible as well as the music! Both giving a deep sci-fi feel. The cast is amazing and stacked with well known celebrities who play their roles to perfection.
The pacing is very slow and the story is good but unsatisfying. Because this is the first part it feels like the entire movie builds up to a moment that never comes.
Dune is a beautiful cinematic experience. It's very high-quality but you'll need to get past the slow pacing and be ready to watch the second one to feel fully satisfied.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
A visually stunning sci-fi Experience.
Dune Part 2 expands upon the narrative of the first as we continue to follow Paul's journey of leadership and revenge.
The actors are perfectly cast and play their roles beautifully and the dialogue is chilling. The movie has some of the best visual effects in the industry as well as a stellar, otherworldly soundtrack. The story is good and elevated by great world-building.
The only real issue with the movie is very slow pacing. This is purposeful and looking back you don't notice it as much.
An excellent adaptation of a classic novel that defined Sci-fi as we know it. Dune part 2 is a memorable experience and sci-fi fans will love it as long as you can be patient.
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Opposites attract in this beautiful love story
Beauty and the Beast is about Belle a young girl who goes searching for her missing father. It's a tale of romance and seeing past appearances.
With a French small town vibe and excellent storytelling this movie is a classic for a reason. The music is beautiful and compliments the tone of each scene. The art direction is gorgeous too, though a little generic. The pacing is exceptional as well as the dialogue and plot. The voice cast is varied and adds lots of depth to the characters and scenes.
This is a fun, mature and emotional story that deserves to be seen by all ages. There's no doubt it's one of the strongest Disney films.
The Last of Us (2023)
A thrilling experience.
The Last of Us is a zombie tv series based on a popular video game. There's no context needed, the directors did an excellent job making this for everyone.
It's very high quality with excellent cinematography and music that sets the gritty tone. From the very first scene you know exactly what you're getting and the suspense is built throughout the show masterfully. The actors brings so much life and emotion to the table with truly captivating performances.
The only major pitfall of this first season is that the third episode takes a detour and doesn't advance the plot, while it does effectively show life during the apocalypse the time could have been used better.
The Last of Us is extremely high quality and deserves all the praise it's getting. If it continues this suspense and focus on morality in the second season then it's looking like an all time great.
The Fox and the Hound (1981)
A fun and emotional buddy film
The fox and the hound is a sweet film about friendship, coming of age and abandonment, as well as challenging stereotypes. Note that this movie probably won't appeal to all children as it's much more serious in nature than other Disney movies but for mature kids and adults this is an amazing watch!
It has some very relatable characters and emotional story beats. The animation is pretty enough though some scenes look rather unattractive, overall it has a heartwarming and usually cute vibe. Although this movie takes most of its cues from Bambi its execution and plot sets it apart. The only thing that is subpar about the movie is the music which is underwhelming for a Disney film.
With some tear-jerking moments and a beautiful story about friendship and change makes The Fox and the Hound the best Disney movie of the era.