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Reviews
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Droning 2nd sequel one could watch when really bored
I thought the Crimes of Grindelwald marked an uptick in the series, with the mysterious, dark, and dangerous Grindelwald played masterfully by Johnny Depp weaving his sinister plans and credibly and charismatically rousing an army of angry wizards and witches. And then I got really let down by this droning second sequel which looks pretty with lots of special effects scenes but ultimately lacks depth and engagement.
Mads Mikkelsen played Grindelwald like a deadpan piece of muscle-flesh, flexing his way through the movie. He was as exciting as the zombie little beast in the movie (you'll know what I'm talking abt if you choose to watch the movie). He was unconvincingly flat, and frustratingly under-motivated in his words and actions. I mean for a supposedly genius-level wizard who masterfully schemed and plotted and roused rebels like in the first sequel, he fought like a half-hapless wimp. Mads is a poor replacement for Johnny.
Anyway, watch the movie if you are really bored. Set your expectations really really low, and perhaps you might actually enjoy the movie!
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Closure and Completion
I generally enjoyed the movie. It brought closure and completion to the nonology as best as one could expect, after the TLJ fracas.
It's not perfect, with cringy moments and overly fast story squeezing at some points, like trying to squeeze 2 movies into one, but I did enjoy the revelations and cameos, and warm fuzzy goodbyes peppered throughout the movie. And hey, they added interesting new tech, force techniques and minor details to the SW world, which I appreciated. Not like TLJ, which kind of just rehashed some old universe items with a superficial visual veneer.
I would give JJ Abrams credit for generally nailing this monster of task of closing the Grandest Story in the Universe.
Hello, Privilege. It's Me, Chelsea (2019)
It throws light on the awkward subject of silent racism
I come from a multi-racial state in Asia, and is fortunate to be of the majority race. This frank documentary raised my awareness of how racism can be structural and silent. I can better empathize with the experience and frustrations of my fellow minority race citizens now.
What really struck a chord was how invisible racial privilege is to the majority race folks. Accepting it took some effort because the notion seemed to attack my self-image and self-assessment that I did not contribute to that silent structure. But after seeing it, one cannot unsee it.
There will be lots of denial from some. I think it's ok. Maybe they just need more time to accept the idea. The rest of us who see it can do our little part to make the world a better place.