CinematicSyndrome Reviews

Jujutsu Kaisen: Right and Wrong - Part 3 (2023) Season 2, Episode 20

My Brother

[10/10 · 8 December 2023]

I don't know what stuff people are on who complain the animation is bad keep me away from that stuff cause this season has been nothing but crazy demonstration of talented and passionate people the best of the best going all in and its a goddamn treat. I know the working condition at the studio sucks but that doesnt take away from the fact that we have been getting peak animation every single episode like you crazy no other show has this crazy animation every single episode. And this episode was no exception, What a beautiful episode so hype with the entry of "My brother" i was jumping and screaming.

I cant think of a reason not to enjoy this amazing show. I am resisting so much not to read the manga i might give in by the end of this season its so gooooood.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Red Scale (2023) Season 2, Episode 13

Cinematic masterclass

[10/10 · 20 October 2023]

The fight many were waiting for though i was still reserved a bit as i dont know how good Choso is but from the opening shot of Yuji's shadow running composed with the no running sign i knew i was in for the best directed episode... And i was not disappointed... Nothing short of a masterclass not only in terms of direction but animation, lighting, music, the setup, the absolute one of the best hand to hand combat choreographed in all of anime enhanced by the mix use of martial arts and their individual techniques like what is MAPPA this was movie quality.

As confused i was by the ending, i am glad to be alive to have witnessed such a beautifully animated episode i am so happy i am watching this weekly even though its hard to wait each week i always look forward to it making it even more exciting and then treated this well for my patience.

I am so glad im watching JJK. My favorite by far.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Shibuya Incident - Gate, Open (2023) Season 2, Episode 9

MY GOD the ending

[10/10 · 21 September 2023]

That ending was..... WOW. My jaw was on the floor.

Well my jaw was on the floor throughout the episode but man so much to unpack this episode. Answers almost every question i had since the end of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie but in the most unexpected and bizarre way throwing what i should or should not believe out the window. I wasn't expecting that and holy cant wait to see how things are to unfold now.

This was undoubtedly the most i have felt watching a jujutsu kaisen episode. Amazed. Scared. Horror. Shock. WTF!

I was scared of Gojo Satoru at the beginning of the episode and now i am scared of Geto.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)

Words are not enough

[10/10 · 13 March 2023]

Words are not enough to tell how much it moved me. I saw it today after it won the Oscars which was well deserved. Its easily my favorite movie/short of the year 2023 so far.

With its gentle yet beautiful tone portrait the journey that life is, the hardship and challenges one might face, yet we must move forward, spreading kindness and love and be loved with the people that appreciate one another.

It packed so much in such short timeframe yet moved me beyond any which only a handful other feature length film has.

Everyone's journey is unique everyone deserves to be loved and like in the short -

"You are enough just the way you are, and we love you more the same".

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

What a spectacular movie

[9/10 · 10 June 2022]

What can i say about this amazing movie which hasnt been said already. The things they are able capture in camera with little to no vfx with all the jet sequence is just breathtaking. Great music great vibes with spectacular stunts makes this movie one of the best of the this year and my second favorite movie right behind everything everywhere all at once. Must watch on big screen.

Arcane (2021– )

Familiar story done right!!

[9/10 · 24 November 2021]

I am someone who hasnt played the game, familiar with one or two characters from here n there but have seen and loved the music produced by riot based on the games and I was very excited to see the French animation studio behind one of my favorite music video "Rise" to helm this project and boy do they knock it out of the park AGAIN.

So right of the bat the animation for the show is immaculate. I often found myself pausing and even replaying some scenes in awe of how well directed well animated the character animation, movement and expression were not to mention the the various settings it takes place in. Amazing.

Story wise its not trying to reinvent the wheel by presenting something new. There are your usual outcast from lower class wanting to prove themselves in a world oppressed by the upper class with good and bad people from both the ends. What it does unique is with its style of storytelling. Its a familiar story but done right from all aspects. With well developed characters to perfectly woven story connecting them all making it easier to follow and enjoy.

There were occasional hiccups at some places where it felt the story could have been condensed a bit with scenes lasting for more than they should but they were minor enough to be ignored. The voice performances were all solid for the majority with some noticeable places lacking the punch but nothing major.

Overall its a great show which deservers a watch for the animation, simple yet powerful story, likable characters and solid performances. One will not be disappointed. Looking forward for the next season.

8.5/10.

The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)

If storytelling is not your cup of tea. Tragic yet beautiful

[8/10 · 15 December 2020]

If you are looking for jumpscares and see what will get you spooked then this is definitely not for you but if you are looking for a solid show with a good heartfelt story deep inside then you are at the right place. It's definitely a slow burn drama with a tragic love story at core first and a horror/ghost story second. It's definitely not as perfect as haunting of the hill house but still pretty good show with solid performances and production overall. Sure it has few hicups here n there but I was engaged throughout and was emotional towards the end. I do agree that the marketing and even the title itself makes you believe you are in for one thing yet the overall theme of the show is something but I didn't think it affected the viewing at all at least mine. A solid watch

Tenet (2020)

You'll understand what's happening and won't at the same. But crazy fun experience

[8/10 · 7 December 2020]

Having watched the movie twice by now Tenet I'd say is not Nolan's best movie but still a very good movie. I will always be a fan of Nolan for bringing such unique movies to the table where sequel prequel remakes and even other source material adaptation (books or comics) are becoming the norm, he always brings something people have not seen or heard before. His movies are an experience at this point and this movie is no exception. The way Nolan films "inversion" and the action sequences which it brings along with it are some of the best you'll see. I was just wowed. The movie does require a second watch to fully appreciate not because it begs you to but because you will wanna watch it again you will want to experience and understand Nolan's vision for it. I enjoyed myself watching the movie the second time.

The God of High School (2020)

The could have been...

[7/10 · 7 October 2020]

This could have been such an amazing show, but instead of loving it i just ended up liking it thats all. Starting of with the positives is the animation, really well animated and choreographed fight scenes for the majority. MAPPA is killing it. Well produced soundtrack, something which i can see myself listening to over and over. Where it lacked is the same where everyone seems to be complaining. The Narrative. Its like a good chunk of it was left out. Things happen in a fly and escalate from 1 to 100 like we are all buckled up but we are not so we end up crashing with the plot development wondering what and why and how it happened. And most of the missing part is exposited in a flash like we are supposed to go with it. Because of which character development also suffers. I dont think i was able to connect with anyone of the character, everything was in passing. A 25 episode season could have brought out so much depth and fleshed out the characters so much which was felt missing from the show. I wasnt wowed when i should have been but just ended up finding it cool.

Nonetheless they did try to achieve as much as they could in the limited episodes they had so its not all bad. You will be impressed by the animation, fight scenes and will be entertained for a while but you wont stop thinking about how good this all could have been. 6.5/10

Dororo: The story of the Moriko Song, part 2 (2019) Season 1, Episode 6

Speechless

[10/10 · 4 October 2020]

I still think about this episode and get chills. Gut wrenching.

Dororo (2019)

Best anime to come out in decades yet underrated

[10/10 · 4 October 2020]

I saw this the year it came out but leaving a review now to express how underrated it is and more people need to see this masterpiece.

I am out of words to describe how much I love this anime. So just go watch it if you haven't already.

The Lighthouse (I) (2019)

I honestly dont know what to rate this movie

[7/10 · 17 February 2020]

As far as i could understand vaguely the story is about greed/power and how we perceive it but i still have so many questions. After i saw the movie i looked up for the meaning behind it and everyone seems to be having different opinions about the movie which is props to the movie to make us think like that but i coudnt find something satisfactory. They say its loosely portrays aspects of Greek Mythology (which i was never familiar with plus dont know why that was important to put in the film) but i still have so many things that i didnt get and now i have just stopped searching for it.

Its definitely a movie to spark questions and people will be talking about it years from now. And is going to be one of the weirdest and bizarre movie of all time. So if you enjoy mysteriously mind bending movies which may or may not make sense then its just the movie you are looking for but dont expect to completely understand it. I myself am divided as to what to think of it.

Apart form that acting was great and the visuals and sound design is definitely great which works wonders in creating the mysterious unsettling and almost horror like atmosphere which they were going for. So its going to be one hell of journey for sure just unsure of the destination.

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

Do not understand how the ratings came up to 7

[5/10 · 27 December 2019]

One thing i have noticed in almost all Disney properties is how even the bad ones have rating on IMDb all conveniently stack up to minimum 7 (Aladdin, The Lion King 2019, and this one) i remember all of them having below 7 yet now they all have at least 7. Ratings usually comes down over time not the other way round. Maybe a coincidence.

But anyway i am rating this movie for what it is which is a mess. All of us would have been ok with all the major changes and also the not so different one if and only if these movies were consistent. Clearly they didnt have any plan which i dont understand why with all the talent and money and time they couldnt come up with. And i dont wanna repeat all the same things that everyone seems to be saying about this movie and how it makes so much of the previously built things meaningless and how it all have the same beat like the originals. So unoriginal. Though everyone hates the last jedi it at least was somewhat different and the idea of that it doesnt matter who you are the force lives strong within each of us was a great way to move forward, but it all got fed up here.

Overall this movie had some few good moments but some equally or even more so baffling stupid moments including the return of the emperor that i didnt care about anything at all by the end.

Fire Force: Those Connected (2019) Season 1, Episode 21

Beautifully animated

[10/10 · 16 December 2019]

I don't usually rate or review individual episodes but i just had to mention here the animation quality during the fight scene towards the end is just something to behold. I mean i was already amazed by the animation quality on the entire show but this episode it was absolutely beautiful. The shots were absolutely cinematic and the way shadows moved over characters and fire effects. And the sound quality oh the sound quality. Ah so much to love.

Dr. Stone (2019– )

Wonderful.

[8/10 · 1 December 2019]

I usually wait till i have watched either the entire show or at least a complete season to rate a show but this one among few others i know will not be disappointed by by the end. A clever premise to put the humans back to the stone age and is a light hearted, very funny and exciting show with each episode leaving you with a big smile on your face. Whether or not you are a science fan you will still appreciate and find something to like in this show. And for me it was like revisiting how it was like to feel getting introduced to all our history our discoveries and inventions via books for the first time in school. Even the not so great episodes at least give me a good laugh. Only negative i can think of is that it kinda drags and becomes very slow in the middle with few not so interesting arcs but I'm excited moving towards the end to see where it lands... Hopefully for the better

Aladdin (2019)

Unmagical

[5/10 · 29 August 2019]

Unmagical... Something I have felt in almost all of the Disney live-action remakes. Everything looks shiny all glittering from the outside but equally missing the heart that made the originals such classic. Something Guy Ritchie failed to bring in this adaptation. The story wasn't told in a gripping way, it was just moments tied in together with mediocre dialogues and mostly ok-ish song (however one or two were actually good) and Not to undermine the efforts of the lead actors they were actually trying their best and I could see potential in their performances but I believe Guy Ritchie failed to bring the best out of them. Speaking of which Jaffar was such a disappointment. Will Smith's Genie at first I wasn't on board with, he looked like he was trying too much but towards the end of the movie you kinda get used to it and even he starts to loosen it up and overall was nice I'd say not bad but not too great as well. Overall a B-grade adaptation coming out of something which should have been left untouched but ofcourse how else will Disney cash grab and fill it's undying greed. 6/10 for the movie but one less start because of Disney and it's greed.

A Quiet Place (2018)

Quite good of a movie

[8/10 · 17 April 2018]

When it comes to horror movies there are very few that actually peeks ones interest in the plethora of cliched unoriginal movies in this genre and successfully meet those expectations. In the recent times the success rate of such movies have only increased and i am glad it succeeded this time as well.

With good direction, A Quite Place's simple yet interesting plot is what keeps most of the tension built throughout the movie with great performances by the lead characters to support it. And focusing on just this one family was a great choice to create the claustrophobic tension that was required for audience to be engaged throughout. There wasn't a single dull moment in the movie and kept my interest or curiosity till the end. One might find similarities to other horror movies such as Signs and 10 Cloverfield Lane but it never feels like a ripoff.

On the downside i did find the movie to be predictable to a certain extent with few out of character choices (which do server some purpose for the plot to move in a certain direction, so understandable) and few unnecessary jump scares.

All in all its a pretty good movie, definitely worth checking out.

Cars 3 (2017)

Just as good as the first one (a short review)

[7/10 · 28 October 2017]

What we liked about the first one (and not the second) was the simplicity and innocence in the story with a good heart and intention made for younger audience. This installment carries all that, one might say this is the sequel the original cars movie deserved. The themes this movie carries is very much similar to the original and at times feels like you are watching the first movie itself with certain characters switching places, but nevertheless its much better than the last one and worthy of a sequel. And as always Pixar's animation is beautiful to watch.

Verdict: Worthy of existence.

Sinister (I) (2012)

Perfect combination of horror, mystery, thriller (a short review)

[8/10 · 26 October 2017]

Its rare for a horror movie to impress me, and this one simply shines with the perfect blend of horror, mystery, thriller and really invests one into the life of a true crime writer's life. Amazing performance by Ethan Hawk he always impresses and much credit goes to Scott Derrickson for the writing, definitely top notch for a horror movie. It consists of genuine scares throughout and executed perfectly. And what works about all this is that its all kept as grounded as possible. The end however wasn't that grounded which makes one think that it could have been better but its acceptable considering the plot was eventually gonna go that path. Still a lot better than most horror flicks,

Verdict: Definitely worth checking out.

Bone Tomahawk (2015)

Not that good as everyone is saying (a short review)

[5/10 · 24 October 2017]

So most of the people are saying that its not slow but just building characters well they all are blind as moments of character development is minimum and all we get for the first hour is filled with normal stuff that people do. It feels like that they didn't have anything to make the movie longer as the plot itself is like 3-4 pages long stretched for more than 2 hours. Not much happens throughout and neither are the cave dwellers who at least should be intimidating are any good as at the end they switch their button to go from stupid to completely stupid. Only good about this film is their performances and how the movie was shot from western standards. In all its just fine at best, could have been a lot interesting.

Verdict: you may skip.

V/H/S (2012)

Creepy at best

[3/10 · 24 October 2017]

seriously its not worth it. I could end the review right here as its not even worth reviewing as one already knows what to expect form 6 different found footage recordings in one movie with each one supposedly offering different things but is mostly boring and creepy at best. If not a story i at least expected good scares but its actually not at all as scary as i expected or as people here are telling you it is (i was actually laughing as to wtf is happening).

Verdict: not at all worth watching

Parasyte: The Maxim (2014–2015)

A thought provoking show (a short review)

[10/10 · 24 October 2017]

As i watched the last episode i just sit there in silence as the credits roll thinking about the various themes this show explored. What it is to be human?. How everything around us should be treated? Are we supposed to be on the top? Do we deserve that? Are we any different from an animal simply wanting to survive? What separates us as humanity? This show beautifully explored these themes with the introduction of parasite in the human lives. An amazing character study on the meaning of life itself. On the surface its damn entertaining and sometimes sentimental with interesting characters and parasite and enough bloody violence for an avid anime watcher to love but will also bring delight to the ones looking for something more as well. And it delivers it all in a well made show which might possibly be one of the best animes i've ever seen.

Verdict: Beautiful

One Punch Man (2015– )

A Short Review for this awesome show

[10/10 · 23 October 2017]

There's nothing not to love about the show, from its amazing and delightful characters to its non conventional take on superheroes and being hilarious every time. Saitama is freakin amazing but so are the supporting heroes including Genos. Their student-master relation is as entertaining to watch as the stupendously choreographed action scenes. MadHouse delivers yet another winner. Simply cannot wait for the next season.

Verdict: Perfectly Badass.

Tokyo Ghoul (2014)

A Short Review for a very interesting show

[8/10 · 22 October 2017]

This was my first anime which has monsters/gore. So its fair to say that with little to no other show to compare it with at the time, it stood out strong with its story, characters and the themes it carries. But unfortunately by the time i'm writing this review i have started watching Parasite: The Maxim which has very similar theme and implements it 10x better. By no means it is a bad show its in fact a very good, well made with amazing character study towards self discovery in finding the right place for yourself in the derailed world and as to what it is to be human. But these themes are explored much better in the end than throughout. It does touches them but are fully exploited in the end because of which to me it gave the most satisfying end (well not a complete end but definitely to the theme it was carrying throughout). Likable characters but they could have given them much better story. Had a potential to be an amazing show but still is a very good one. One thing which is undeniably perfect is its soundtrack.

Verdict: Definitely worth checking out.

RED (2010)

A Short Review for this watchable, but forgettable movie

[5/10 · 22 October 2017]

I think one would know what to expect from this kind of movies, the over the top action, clichéd hunt the bad guy with your friends, oh there's a list to help you out. You know if you start looking for plot holes and mistakes with the movie you'll find plenty but one can choose to ignore these and watch it just for the actions. But its devoid of any good action in the first 40 min. Performances by everyone is fine nothing commendable but you are not here to see performances are you? Story is predictable and nothing else worth mentioning In all its watchable and can be fun and enjoyable with friends. I would have given it 6 but i'm deducting one for boring me through the first 40 min.

Verdict: meh.