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Sukeban deka: Kôdo nêmu = Asamiya Saki (2006)
Don't Ask Questions, Just Enjoy
The latest entry in the decades-old "Sukeban Deka" franchise is a worthy successor to the name, and while it isn't at all necessary to be familiar with the other incarnations of the title to enjoy the film, it does help the viewer catch a few mythology gags and shout-outs here and there. Production values are amazingly high for a low-budget Japanese film; it looks almost like a mid-budget Hollywood effort at times, which is a tribute to the director and the production design team, as well as their selection of impressive and sometimes beautiful locations for shooting. It does suffer from a couple mysterious plot holes particularly near the climax, but they shouldn't really impede enjoyment of the surprisingly well-crafted story. Aya Matsuura's dark and gritty turn at Saki is a pleasant surprise to anyone who knows her primarily from her uber-cutesy idol persona "Ayaya", and Rika Ishikawa likewise successfully plays against her image in her role as bad-girl high school queen Reika. Despite the goofy sound of the title in English, this is easily worth the money to rent or even buy.
Dungeons & Dragons (2000)
Awful if you play D&D, Awful if you don't
What can be said? About the only praise I can give this film is that it's kind of pretty to look at. Beyond that? Pfeh. It starts with an incoherent script riddled with idiot plot points and clichés. The majority of the leads are talentless hacks; I have no problems with unknowns, but unknowns who can't act are clear indication that a film is already off the rails and heading into a ditch. The "name" performers in the film turn in strangely sub-par performances, as well -- Thora Birch does a fine impression of a wooden plank, while Jeremy Irons chews the scenery so thoroughly one wonders if he's getting enough fiber in his diet from other sources. And the less said about Marlon Wayans' "Stepin Fetchit" character the better.
It's worse if you know the game, because the production team certainly *didn't*. It wouldn't have been hard or expensive to get all the details right, no more so than it was to get them *wrong* -- and doing them right would at least have gotten the crew points for *trying*. But it's clear that this was not a labor of love, no matter what the director has claimed, simply a fast hack job. Perhaps it was cranked out quick and sloppy because the rights were about to expire, like the 1994 "Fantastic Four" movie.
My final take: this film isn't even worth renting -- save your money for something more worthwhile, like "Plan Nine From Outer Space".
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
Paradoxically Good
How can a script so unlike the original "Hitchhiker's Guide" radio show and miniseries still come off feeling so much like its predecessors? I'm not sure, but I have no doubt that it's due in no small part to the genius of the late Douglas Adams. When one steps back and thinks, it's disturbing how few of the story's famous quips, lines and jokes actually made it into the movie; in fact, reviewers elsewhere on the Net had already been cataloging the "missing in action" material for weeks before its premiere. And some of the story's familiar elements were weirdly transformed in the journey to the big screen. But...
Somehow, even with everything that was excised or changed the movie is still undeniably, unmistakably "The Hitchhiker's Guide". The flavor is the same, the chemistry is the same -- even though it looks like it ought to fall apart from accumulated bad production decisions, the whole thing not only holds together, it succeeds admirably. It tells the familiar story, it gets its laughs, it takes you a few new places you didn't expect, and at the end you come out of it feeling both pleased and surprised.
I recommend this film highly.
Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
Another Horrendous "Adaptation" By Disney
I learned this lesson by the time I was ten -- Disney films "based on" a well-loved book or story are always horrendous mutations apparently written by people who once saw a "Classics Comics" version and couldn't remember it all that well. I should have known that "Around The World in 80 Days" wouldn't be any different. About the only things left from the original Verne masterpiece are the character names and the trip around the world. Nothing else is the same -- and the movie suffers for it.
Oddly enough, it's a fun flick. Some laughs, some action, some romance. A little suspense, some thrills. But it's not Verne's book. Or Mike Todd's classic film. And anyone expecting something with more than a superficial resemblance to the *real* "Around The World in 80 Days" will be grossly disappointed.
If you're basically ignorant of culture or literary history, you'll like this film. If you don't care about Disney hacks savaging a classic story in a typical misguided Hollywood attempt to "punch it up", you'll like this film. If, however, you care about original sources, and want to see a faithful film translation of those sources, you will wince at *every* scene in this movie; save your money and go rent the *real* film of the book -- Mike Todd's version -- from Blockbuster.
Dual! Paralle lunlun monogatari (1999)
"Tenchi Muyo!" Does "Evangelion"
Made by the same team that created the classic Tenchi Muyô! Ryô Ôki (1992) (V), this is an extremely well-done series that manages to be both a fond tribute to and a sly parody of the "giant robot" genre. In particular, it gently spoofs some of the more distinctive elements of the groundbreaking anime "Shin seiki evangelion" (1995). Although a little short on coherent explanations (which action in the opening scenes of the first episode caused which universe, exactly why Kazuki is so different from his counterpart), it's chock-full of great characterization, hard-and-heavy robot action, and character-driven comedy that's never silly or cringe-worthy. While the characters are mostly high school age, adults can watch "Dual!" without fear of it being "dumbed down" for a younger audience; the writing is on the whole sophisticated and witty. And for those who don't like subtitles, the Pioneer dub is chock-full of great performances, particularly Joshua Seth and Georgette Rose.
Don't miss it!