Change Your Image
turner-wfu
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
Interesting but under-developed lore cannot save the lack of a script.
The lore of the assassins' world is interesting and it is always interesting to see the creators delve deeper into this. How would a multinational organization of assassins organize itself? What would be their rules? Their customs? How would they enforce these? What conveniences would they enjoy and how might such an organization blend itself in plain view?
This stuff is interesting and cool, but it's not a script. It's a back drop. Unfortunately, all the details of John Wick 3 lack any sensible realism to match the creativity of the shadowy world they've created. While JW1 was violent, it was also stylish, interesting, and somewhat understandable. The antagonists' resistance felt believable and a necessary presence to demonstrate Wick's skill and acumen.
JW3 villains are preposterously inept. They are easily slain, and the fighting and killing is so voluminous that no pastiche of the former film's flare can be found.
The film's lore is interesting and kept me somewhat engaged. But the rest of the plot is so thin I'm shocked this film has anything above a 6.5 rating. As I write this, I know there are at least JW4 and JW5 now. I don't know if I can bring myself to endure more, and I prefer to remember John Wick for the enjoyable experience I had in the first film.
Gifted (2017)
Nearly every trope you can imagine
I was drawn to the premise of this movie, but it was hard to finish because it became obvious pretty early on that it would rely on *nearly* every trope of the gifted person story. It's a shame because the premise is interesting and could have been an interesting.
I say *nearly* because the main one missing was the trope of that gifted person being horribly reclusive and obsessive about non-human interests. I suppose that is more often reserved for male geniuses.
It's a nice feel good story that won't push you or the characters in any meaningful ways. In that way it fits comfortably into the comfortable pop dramas that seem to do well enough.
Mob Psycho 100 (2016)
A light shonen about accepting yoursel, but nothing groundbreaking
This is ultimately a kind-hearted shonen targeting young teens. From that perspective, it's good. They follow some typical shonen tropes, like the young male protagonist who is prodigiously powerful but lacks control, yet is also very idealistic and virtuous. There's also the pseudo-high stakes nature of villains who never really cause any long-term consequence to the characters, but they serve up the periodic obstacle. Mob Psycho 100 throws a few wrinkles here in that the villain is sometimes a friend or someone who is not necessarily evil--but they these are dimensions that are underexplored and characters are redeemed rather quickly with moral changes of heart that occur within the span of a few hours of conflict.
Ultimately that is the challenge with Mob Psycho. The ideas are interesting at times. Dimple is a fascinating companion who nurtures avarice and also sincerity. While that combo isn't necessarily unique in anime, this series explores some storylines where this moral duality does produce real tension between Dimple and others. Unfortunately, there are very few such tensions in this series, and little of the conflict feels consequential as the story progresses toward a fairly obvious conclusion.
The action is interesting and they serve up enough new characters to go through each season that it never feels repetitive, even if at the end you never feel sure how much progress anyone has made until the series finally ends and there's a need for real resolution. I think that's fine if you take this show for what it is: an anime for teens, with fairly inoffensive themes and likeable characters, and which isn't meant to be dwelled upon. It's a feel-good story about people trying to do the right thing. In that way it accomplishes its goal. I just wish, with such a compelling premise, that it were more ambitious in the scope of its storytelling. If so, it might better justify the lavish praise it seems to have received!
Death Note: Desu nôto (2006)
Full of exaggerated leaps, but engaging characters and fast pace keep it interesting
This is one of the few series where I would love to see a *faithful live action adaptation series (e.g. HBO). As is somewhat typical with anime, the 20 minute runtime for episodes means that amidst all the fast pace action, there is not a lot of room to flesh out characters or the really provocative themes the source material introduces.
Light is an extremely compelling character and I would love to see more of him and get into his head. Does he ever have doubts? What about some of the other characters. How are people in the world grappling with this? What is it like for multiple national police agencies unable to get control? What's the vibe like in the bureau? Are any cops struggling with their conscience, struggling with their fear, what does that look like? Does anyone have a change of heart? What is the meaning of "justice" when it comes to punishing crime, and how does that differ across nations and across cultures? Light uses women and sex to accomplish his goals, do other characters do the same, is this always wrong, do we all do it to each other?
There are so many provocative and meaningful questions this series brings to the surface, but does not dive into. It instead spends more time in the cat-and-mouse of the chase, which is indeed very fascinating and understandable given the anime medium and the run-time available. But if I could have a wish, it would be to see someone expand this into a multi-season series which meditates on all the many dark and cerebral elements that remain under-explored. Maybe flesh out the characters so they don't seem so exaggerated. Maybe capture the brilliance of Light, L, Near, and Mellow without indulging in some of the exaggerated leaps of reasoning that are preternatural to the point of being cartoonish. This serves to make the plot interesting and keep the viewer guessing, but I think this can be done in a way that feels a bit more grounded.
Ultimately the show is creative in its use of a dark protagonist who is also the villain, however who also has a well-fleshed out moral framework that is not simply evil for the sake of evil but which genuinely is oriented towards improving the world. I think I would have liked to see this done a bit more service.
Ultimately the characters are engaging but a bit superficial, and the story is engaging but a bit exaggerated, and the themes are dark and provocative but under-explored. It's 8/10 generally, but I think it ranks more favorably among anime for its willingness to portray dark themes in an adult fashion that feels more grounded in the real world even if told through animation.
Dark (2017)
Does some things exceptionally, but drops the ball in a lot of places
The good: The model of time travel, the mechanism, the cinematography, the creativity. Themes like the dark flaws of human desire coupled with unintended consequences.
The bad: Dark does something I personally find aggravating which is characters speaking in oblique and nebulous ways to create suspense and withhold information. People in the "real world" don't speak in riddles, but this is accepted as a regular occurrence in the world of Dark, and it's part of a theme of this show which focuses on suspense and intrigue over realism or believability. Plot gaps are created (how does Claudia know many things that she knows? Fans can only speculate, how are certain devices capable of achieving some of their unique abilities, etc) and never addressed.
I hope this show is remade in 15 years and there is a deeper exploration of the characters and what drives them rather than the preoccupation with creating a complex yarn of suspense. You're left having very little interest in the characters because ultimately this show isn't about time travel, science, or human nature so much as it's about suspense and mystery.
Also, there's a website for Dark that is essential if you want to understand its plot. You can input which episode you have seen so far so it won't give spoilers, and it keeps track of all the plots and characters. I highly recommend using that. Just search for "Dark Official Website" and you should find it.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022)
Starts off strong, fizzles into something generic
Disclosure: I never heard of the game before this show.
The beginning of the series starts strong. There were some of the expected themes of a dystopian fiction: class inequality, injustice, greed, romance. We're presented a main character with a unique talent who is able to do things others typically can't, and romantic interest who also has a mysterious backstory, and a crew of likely disposable side characters.
The setup felt generic, yet the first few episodes imbue the series with a level of sincerity and heart that contrasted the mechanical tech around which the story revolves. All along you're hoping the series will continue to flesh the characters and their motivations, to make them more human. Instead, the series becomes increasingly generic.
It's not clear characters grow or develop from prior events in the series, and their motivations and rationale for their decisions are fairly simplistic and lacking the kind of nuance that makes for a great show with themes as dark and tragic as Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. By the end I felt less invested in the characters than I did 3 episodes in, mostly because they ceased to seem like nuanced, growing characters and instead like tropes.
Overall it felt like a show that wished to be adult and managed to achieve that in its themes and presentation, yet feels ultimately juvenile in its execution. The result is a promising, but disappointing, homage to the typical beats of cyberpunk anime with a fresh, modern coating but no updates to the underlying soul.
If you are a fan of cyberpunk, a fan of the game, or simply looking for some anime that doesn't revolve around school-children and has mature themes, this is a good show. If you're looking for a cerebral or sophisticated plot, nuanced character studies, or an innovation within the genre, this is not for you.
Hunter x Hunter (2011)
At its best, one of the best and delivers a stunningly poignant experience. Unfortunately, most of the show remains typical of its genre.
Hunter x Hunter is an example of Shounen Anime at its best. It sticks to some of the common tropes of the genre (the brash, erstwhile protagonist, the gang of friends he wins over along the way, the gradual progression in strength for both him and his enemies). However, HxH is at its best when they're challenging much of the norms of shounen. There are a few themes that draw these notable elements togethers.
1) Friendship: While "friendship" is a common theme in shounen, the relationship between Gon and Killua is stirring at times in ways that are uncommon. This is because their relationship is not static as in most shows but instead grows and bends in ways that are believable and painfully relatable, causing real anguish for the characters involved. Killua's character does most of the emotional lifting here as Gon is never given much depth, but the result works in the context of their two personalities. The ending captures some of the bittersweet emotions of growing up.
2) Purpose / Love: The Chimera Ant arc is really the reason to watch this show. If the shows before and after that arc could be reduced to ~10 episodes to establish the characters, and the Chimera arc perhaps tightened up to trim some of the fat, HxH would easily contend for one of the greatest shows I've ever encountered (anime or otherwise). Regardless, the Chimera Ants represent an existential threat to humanity--hardly a novel concept in action animes. However, the emotional depth of the villains, particular the king ant, including the development of those villains over the course of the arc, is wonderfully paced, believable, and emotionally profound. The king of the Chimera Ants stands as one of the best crafted villains in all of anime, though he could have benefited from more screen time to flesh him out. There is a lot of metaphor in the Chimera Ant arc, much of it rather obvious, some more subtle, but all together contributes to why this arc really is something special.
Other good things:
1) The Nen abilities provides a bit of a deus ex machina, but mostly it's coherent and interesting as a framework for the powers and abilities of the show.
2) At least some important characters are allowed to die or to lose, which is not always the case in shounen.
3) Pacing is excellent. Things move along for the most part without feeling rushed. It's not perfect and they're still given to melodramatic scenes where people are mostly just staring or crying or whatever, but this is not common.
4) Dubbing is quite good.
Somewhat disappointing things:
1) Soundtrack is incredibly repetitive. It's good, but you get tired of hearing the same notes.
2) The narrator is inconsistently utilized, overall mostly annoying, but in some episodes plays a crucial role in providing exposition without forcing the characters to monologue in ways that break character or to have pointless spectators to provide that exposition (e.g. In the fight between Meruem and. Chairman Netero).
3) Series doesn't really cover the full story of HxH. I didn't read the manga, but many elements are left unresolved at the end. (i.e. Certain villains never have their stories resolved, certain protagonists are never meaningfully heard from again like Kurapika). In some ways I praise the show for not feeling it must dwell and hang on to every character and "bandmate" introduced in the show, people are allowed to "exit stage left" so to speak, but it would be nice if that was associated with actual resolution of closure for their storylines.
4) Episodes outside of the Phanton Troupe arc and Chimera Ant arc are no where near as impactful or interesting. The initial 10-15 episodes are downright mediocre. At multiple points I wanted to quit on the show but stuck it out because of the high praise it's received. This felt misguided until I reached the Phantom Troupe and felt I understood why this show has received such lavish praise.
*** Summary ***
Overall, I can see why Hunter x Hunter is so well regarded. In spite of that, I do think it benefits heavily from being graded on a curve, that curve being our rather pedestrian expectations for shounen anime. Most of the episodes are not remarkable and a great deal of the plot is driven by formulaic elements typical of the genre. HxH does excel at these, and in addition really attempts to inject some nuance and emotional maturity into _certain elements_, and where they endeavor to do this, they are quite successful and it leaves a profound impact. Nevertheless, I'm left wishing that this approach comprised a greater fraction of the show. In this way, HxH doesn't transcend its genre, but it exemplifies some of the best elements of what shounen anime can be. It also suffers from a *very* mediocre initial 30-40 episodes, which is a lot to sit through to get to the best parts. The Chimera Ant arc is incredible.
I rate 8/10 because if you like shounen, you will almost undoubtably enjoy this show. If you are not as into shounen, it likely doesn't have enough other meat to satisfy.
Der Untergang (2004)
It drags but some of that is our sense of the inevitable
It's a very well executed if at times tedious film, a snapshot of life within Nazi journey at a time which is seldom depicted so dispassionately behind the camera...and by that I mean, the characters are allowed to merely live and breathe on the screen, and little (visible) effort is made to overlay any moral overtones or message. Perhaps the director wisely understands that no one really walks into a Hitler film without a mountain of context and historical understanding of the inevitability of the conclusion. And yet, as one watches these individuals in their lifelike realism--less monster, more unfortunate, lost human--one wonders if this all was so inevitable after all if only better men and women could have risen at the right times instead of Hitler. But that's not the ultimate focus of this movie.
Dune (2021)
An incomplete but attractive portrait
If we knew nothing about Dune, the source material or the prior Lynch film (to say nothing of the TV series), the incompleteness of this film would be more palpable. It covers half of Herbert's original novel, with the remainder of the novel to be captured in the sequel film which I assume will be released next year.
There are ways to split source material into multiple installments, and it really is not the splitting here that is the issue, but rather the resulting pacing. We are teased from the beginning with visions of a character (Zendaya) who, once finally encountered, feels rather anticlimactic and immaterial. To those who know where the story is going, this is fine because we know the role she will go on to play. But as a standalone film, even the first in a series, it doesn't provide a satisfying conclusion to the tension that was built.
That comes to define a lot of the film. There is very little satisfying conclusion to anything, in part because there is so much story left to tell. The fight at the end of the movie sort of stands in as a "boss battle" to satisfy the audience that *something* got vanquished. But is it really satisfying to have a trivial character both introduced and dispatched in the span of 8 minutes?
Some storylines certainly progress, including battles over land and one side coming out the victor. Some characters die, but again, these characters all feel immaterial to the story. None of this is fatal or surprising for the first film in a series, but in that way, nothing is particularly special about this first film in the series--at least not from a storytelling perspective.
Villeneuve does a great job presenting the atmosphere of the dessert planet on which the story unfolds without getting mired in world-building details. You don't always get the sense that they're in the hot dessert that they initially describe as you never really see any consequences outside of dialogue ("You shouldn't be out in the son", "save your moisture"). But this is a minor point in an otherwise well-crafted setting. It is thus unsurprising that the film's academy award wins were all for areas such as sound, editing, cinematography, makeup, production design, visual effects, and score.
Overall this film inherits a great fanbase and source material, and I believe much of its high esteem flows from there as people can fill in the dots themselves or subsist on anticipation in addition to the technical work they pull off to create a unique environment. You certainly feel like you're "there" with the characters, you just end up waiting to figure out why.
Beoning (2018)
Film doesn't provide enough to justify credit for clever possible interpretations
The film Burning (2018) starts off slow in the first half and builds up pace in the second half. By the end, some viewers will be left wondering, "is that it?" Whenever this sentiment washes over me, I have to wonder if I have missed something. For many great films, I had indeed, and a close rewatch and/or investigation of others' interpretations can help to point out details that were missed.
In this spirit, there are some truly interesting interpretations for Burning. Perhaps this is a meditation on the fractured nature of a man's inner psyche and the male and female leads are actually the same person. Perhaps we witness the lustful paranoia of a simple man with aspirations to become a writer who weaves his own life into a dramatic plot that culminates with his own committing a murder. Perhaps the entire film is a metaphor for society's rule of law and our sense of justice crumbling. Perhaps none of these things. There's precedent for all of them, and it is no crime for a film to commit to metaphor or subterfuge for the entirety of the film in the service of leaving a profound effect on the viewer. But films that take so bold an approach can be praised or lampooned as a result of this risky approach.
Fight Club (1999) is heralded for its masterful use of two characters who actually were the very same, as revealed by the ending. Mother! (2017) meanwhile was less charitably received for their use of extended metaphor throughout the film. Mulholland Drive (2001) is praised for its surreal disruption of coherence and challenging the audience's expectations for narrative. Shutter Island (2010) carries us with a narrator who actually we discover may in fact be paranoid and insane. There are many many other films which do these things. Whether or not any of these films deserves praise or scorn is less important to me than the fact that they each committed to their design, and thus the audience is able to decide whether or not the director/writers/actors were effective in producing a great film.
Burning, on its surface, is somewhat simple. While the score, color palette, and pacing should be appreciated for their work in generating a sort of listless unease, the rest of the film is simply good. It progresses coherently, the characters behave with internal consistency, etc. However, attempts to dig deeper, to justify the film as a masterpiece, to me must be met with some skepticism. Sure, there are interesting ideas for what the film can represent, but the text of the film itself simply does not provide sufficient basis for these interpretations. In this way, the film is perhaps a classic Rorschach test for the viewer, whereby some will see a wonderfully clever subplot amidst it all. The variety of interpretations to me speaks most to the lack of real basis for any one in particular because, crucially, Burning does not commit to any of these designs.
Burning would have been far more compelling to me if it had pursued any of the avenues which some reviewers have already praised. What's remarkable to me is that it would not have taken much. As an example, had they provided some actual clues to suggest that perhaps Hae-mi had indeed fled on her own, the viewer may thus be left to ponder what the actual nature of her disappearance was, was Ben a murderer, had Jong-su rushed to conclusions and condemned an innocent man? What ought one do in this case, what would I do in this case? Etc etc. Some fans suggest that this indeed was the goal of the film. But if you look back through the plot, they don't give real evidence to suggest this would be true, and instead *almost* all of the evidence points to something having "happened" to her. That a few crumbs for doubt are thrown in (e.g. Why did Ben agree to meet Jong-su if Ben had been told that Jong-su and Hae-mi wanted to meet him with Ben already knowing that Hae-mi is dead) only adds to the frustration because these crumbs hardly count as counterevidence given the lack of support from and coherence with the rest of the story.
Ultimately Burning feels like the scaffolding for a great film hidden amongst its reality as a good film. It would only take a few small tweaks to cross that threshold. However, without them, the film doesn't provide enough to justify the many clever interpretations others would suggest. Sometimes an ink blot is just spilled ink.
tick, tick...BOOM! (2021)
Too much Garfield for the story to breathe
I've been trying to figure out why this film, and Garfield's performance, did so little for me.
Ultimately I think the film suffers from an ill common to the biopic format: an obsessive focus on the central (famous) star.
For example, the scene after we realize that one of Larson's closest friends has HIV is designed to be a powerful one--and in many ways it is. "Real Life" is a beautiful song. For me, in this scene the power is all in his friend Michael who is grappling with the reality of having HIV and the high chance he'll die from it, and asking himself "is this real life?" And yet the majority of the voice we hear and visual we see is Garfield. Michael is reduced to a background character even though all of the drama is his. We see flashes to Garfield on stage monologuing, crying and wanting it all to stop. And it does. And I'm left wondering, what about Michael, what does he want? What's he thinking? In this incredible moment what I wanted was more of others, not more of Garfield/Larson--who somehow has managed to bend another person's mortal tragedy into his own narrative orbit.
The whole movie just feels like it deeply misses any flesh to the other characters. They're all shadows dancing on the wall and all we really get to see is Garfield marveling at it all and at himself and at his own rendition of them through song. It's meaningful for me that in the original Tik Tik Boom the number "Real Life" doesn't have a special focus on Larson, but instead features all three performers (it's a 3-person stage show) singing as equals with probably some focus on Michael (I think appropriately) (Look it up on Youtube).
Garfield's monologuing on top of the movie version does actually add something but there's just too much of it with the camera focusing on him running dramatically alone in the park and crying at the audience. The movie felt too much like it obsessively focuses on Larson and I'm left not really investing or caring about any of the other characters that supposedly meant so much to Larson in the first place.
This is really quite common for the biopic genre. If you think about most good musicals, whether contemporary ones like Hamilton or Larson's most famous, Rent, different viewers can feasibly be drawn to different characters depending on what resonates with them. Even a musical like Hamilton, which like Tik Tik Boom revolves around its titular character in a way Rent doesn't, provides you with plenty of other interesting supporting characters with their own narrative and lyrical identities. Tik Tik Boom really has none of that, it's all Larson all of the time. In the rare moments that he's not singing a song about something, the other person is singing a song about him.. I actually don't think this is unique to Tik Tik Boom. This is just how most biopics are designed and I find that so many consequently produce subpar storytelling which gets a pass due to most audience members' investment in the central character for reasons that have nothing to do with the biopic itself. I doubt many would be able to stand on their own if they were, for example, purely fictional stories without name recognition or cult followings to carry them.
The Father (2020)
Stressful but salient
This film was originally written and delivered (by the same director) as a stage production. These roots show throughout the film, which relies on only 2-3 sets and uses a sparse cast of characters. This minimalist setup forces much of the film to be carried by the acting. Thankfully the film is in good hands with both Hopkins (who started his career on the stage) and Colman as leads.
The story of dementia in a film is not necessarily unique, but the nature of the storytelling is, and the way it unfolds brings the audience into the stress dementia can introduce into everyone's lives. Violent or shocking moments in the film become questioned as easily as the name and face of a supposed close contact. It's thought-provoking to participate in, but also draining. Thankfully the runtime is only 90 minutes as I do not know if I could have taken much more.
Thankfully the movie does not wear its point thin. There are some interesting nuggets to chew on and maybe a few unanswered questions...but that's all part of the experience I suspect.
8/10.
Tasogare Seibei (2002)
A film which takes its time and doesn't overreach
This film, much like its central character, takes its time. Though there are some fights (some of which are quite tense), it is by no means an action film. The pacing will not be for everyone and some may not find that the payoff is worth it in the end. Ultimately the story and cinematography are quite simple. And yet the performances are sensitive and carry the film. If you are the sort who appreciates a simple meditation on life's struggles, you won't be disappointed.
I felt most of the characters were regrettably underexplored and mostly seemed to serve as objects (though important ones) to our protagonist. The conversation between him and the Master of the Watch at the end was almost cathartic because we finally got to hear the samurai reflect on some aspect of their circumstances that was greater than the quotidian challenges we'd spent most of the film observing. Even there, like much of the dialogue, it was somewhat plain.
It is a good film, a sensitive one with a hint of melancholy which connects with the part of you that sits in those quiet moments in life, wondering how you got here, what could have been, and observing how unlucky things can feel to he who aspires to be a good man (or woman). Some will feel this was not enough. Though it hits on themes of love, regret, and death, I do wish it gave us a bit more of everything, which is why I give it only a 7. But I enjoyed it for what it was and if you don't mind a story which slowly unfolds itself, you may as well.
Beomjoidosi (2017)
Standard action flick with nationalist vibes?
It's a satisfying action flick with a strong male protagonist beating up villains who make themselves extra vile. It's your standard macho flick where everything revolves around the single strong man, and no one else really matters except as a means to move him closer to resolving the conflict as only he can. They do a good job of making the bad guys appear intimidating, even if logically it's not clear how they're so effective with so few resources and manpower.
There's no cheesy love interest forced in, but in its place are subtle seemingly nationalist vibes that seem to throw shade on immigration from China and Chinese-Koreans (e.g. Snide one-liners at villains that they don't pay taxes or cries from exasperated side-characters that even if they stand up for themselves to repel the immigrant thugs the criminals will just get new IDs and be let back into the country to terrorize them). To this Western viewer these subtle elements caught my attention, but I have no idea the local context in which they'd be received within Korea.
Ultimately, it's all immaterial to the plot, which is fairly straightforward. Bad guys are bad, good guy is tough, tough guy takes out bad guys.
Shigatsu wa kimi no uso (2014)
This show has flaws, but if you can stick through them, there's something happening here that makes it special.
I nearly quit the first time I tried to watch this show. Its flaws are apparent in the beginning. The show can be emotional, bordering on mawkish. The TPE (tears-per-episode) rating has to be higher for this show than any I've watched in recent memory. Some may find that this is effective at demonstrating characters anguish and angst at specific moments, particularly Kousei. I think it's plausible, and it's simply distracting and "unrealistic" in the sense that normal people, even those suffering, do not typically wear their emotions with such theatrics (even in middle school).
There is a lot of narration of the characters' inner thoughts. This, too, can border on melodramatic. Descriptions of "love framed by the cherry blossoms cascading in the night moon" (I'm paraphrasing but you get the idea) from a single interaction are almost comically dramatic. Such profound expressions (verbally and physically) of emotion are almost dissonant with what on the surface appears to be a fairly superficial love triangle juxtaposed with a tragic past (no complex character is complete without it).
And yet, it is difficult to fully penalize the show for this because, to my surprise, this emotionality is in fact part of what the show ultimately manages to use effectively to tell its story. To get there, you will have to accept some of these elements of the show at face value and move on. One could excuse the melodrama as merely the immaturity of youth, and but I think that actually would do the characters a great disservice. This is an emotional show, but it's also a surprisingly cerebral one that grapples with profound thoughts and feelings--romance, purpose, abandonment, rejection, grief. The show is at its best when these themes are wound together and articulated through musical performances which often move the plot (and the characters) forward.
The music is indeed one of the stars of the show. Throughout the show, music becomes a nuanced and sophisticated way in which the characters both literally express themselves and also experience certain truths about the world. Music becomes not just an event or a competition, but an actual meditation on all of the themes that the characters are struggling with throughout the show (see above). Part of the magic is that these struggles are life itself, it is what defines us, and this is what binds the viewers to the characters however improbable the occasional tearful moments may be.
There is a surprising wisdom for the characters which also connects to the viewers. As Tsubaki struggles with the feeling of unrequited love, she is a "teenager" about it, however in moments delivers or receives wisdom from peers that reflect maturity that connects for an adult audience. When Watari offers advice to Kousei on girls, his character changes and offers a sober and pragmatic perspective that almost catches you off guard. These moments instill the characters with maturity and a sense of purpose that allowed me to let go of my initial feeling of "Why do I care how middle schoolers grapple with love? Or anything for that matter?" Though there are emotions abound, there is more to this cast, and if you give it a chance and listen, these are sensitive and sober reflections on a world filled with emotional sources of heartache. That is what this show captures, that's the part that stirs and sits in your soul, that's the part that makes you want to cry. Not because the characters are crying, but because they are struggling against the same fight each of us knows intimately, and expressing it with a rawness that lays bare the aching of all things that make us the most human: love, grief, fear of death.
Somehow they turn this aching into beauty, a beauty which is expressed through music and ideas. It is only through their pain that they really learn to appreciate what relationships and music mean. This is the beauty that is left for the viewer if you listen and hear more than just the sounds through the screen.
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
A detective story that underachieves
Despite the all-star cast assembled, the story really has little screen time for the various suspects we are meant to develop some intrigue and mystery about. There is a murder, as expected from the title, and then there is the unraveling. The detective has the requisite moments demonstrating that he is clever and steadfast, the cast has moments where each person shows the requisite amount of "maybe they did it"--but really it's a case where the plot it not necessarily predictable, it just doesn't feel like it matters--murder has never been so forgettable.
There aren't much stakes in part because we have no real reason to care about any of the characters, or meat with which to build anything other than a superficial idea of what their motives might be. Consequently there isn't much drama, but they go through the steps of a detective procedural.
There is the twist at the end, some may guess it. It is not a bad movie for a group to watch to keep them occupied. This passes the "is the plot coherent test". But is it novel? Interesting? Fun? Intense? Not really. If you've seen a whodunit, you've seen this one.
Army of Thieves (2021)
Standard heist with some occasional wrinkles
This is technically a prequel for Army of the Dead. I haven't seen it so can't comment on its relevance there. This movie is your standard popcorn heist movie. It's got a guy, a gal, a squad, a "mark", an they work together as a team to try to pull it off. The film doesn't aspire to be much more than a decent film, and I think there's no shame in that. The story is coherent and the performances believable.
There are a few amusing wrinkles thrown in here, like some of the nearly 4th wall breaking moments when they acknowledge the similarity of their circumstances to a spy or heist movie, but the movie writers do not attempt to develop this into anything that stylistically identifies the film or which is worth more than a chuckle here and there.
I have always maintained that a movie does not need to be great or novel to be decent, it just needs to be coherent and not demand that much suspension of disbelief. If you sat down to watch this movie with a bag of popcorn, by the end you'd feel like you watched a movie and at no point felt like throwing your food at the wall or screaming at the characters.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Good enough for a slightly raunchy rom-com
I didn't expect to see Jason Segel's manhood quite so early or as frequently in the film, but it's nothing scandalous. The film is funny enough, sweet enough, good enough for your typical rom-com, but one which goes for a bit more of the raunchy humor rather than the Girl-next-door stories that saturate the genre. Enjoyable so long as you take it for what it is.
Toy Story 4 (2019)
Enjoyable mostly for nostalgia
This is not a bad film. The first half is a bit rough, but the second half is much better. In classic Toy Story fashion, Pixar manages to wring a lot of emotion out of a simplistic array of storylines.
As a standalone movie, it's not that remarkable. As a conclusion to Woody's arc through the four films, it's oddly mature and satisfying. Unfortunately most of the plot is pretty muddied until the final half-hour or so and it feels as if the film was essentially killing time to get us to the real story.
Manbiki kazoku (2018)
Actually quite enjoyable
This film is a minimalist and intimate puzzle about the nature of family. The story revolves around a stripped down cast of characters with meager posessions. This serves a stylistic purpose, but it also removes distractions from a plot that chooses its words carefully and thus ensures that the story does not get lost in a web of "stuff".
While some reviews characterize the film, or just its ending, as sad, I did not find that to be the case. The ending is meditative, and ultimately leaves the viewer to consider a poignant but muted exchange between the Grandma and Nobuyo Shibata (played by Sakura Ando, who in my mind could have warranted an oscar nomination for this incredible performance). During a walk, Nobuyo muses that maybe the bond is more powerful if a former stranger chooses to be a member of a family. Hatsue (aka Grandma) responds that it "will not last."
I found myself reflecting on this conversation throughout the film and especially at the end. You can understand much of the two characters' behaviors through the lens with which they viewed family. In fact, much of the relationships in the film exist in pairings which to me pose this question over and over again and dissect the question from different but related angles: What is the meaning of family? Is it worth anything? Is it stronger if chosen? What is parenting? What do "father" and "mother" represent? How does one show love and intimacy?
These are powerful questions delicately posed and thoughtfully rendered. If the director felt there was a clear answer, he was not heavy handed in his execution. I think the ending is actually quite hopeful on this wider question, even if some of the individual characters' fortunes may seem a bit melancholy. These material setbacks, to me, seem less consequential, and one can savor the greater war that was won in demonstrating humanity's capacity to construct a deeply fulfilling bond by choice, even amidst scarcity and depravation. I found this quiet battle of flawed, unlikely soldiers quite inspiring indeed.
No Time to Die (2021)
Not the send off Craig deserved
When Craig was first revealed as the next Bond, I was incredibly skeptical. His performance in Casino Royale made a believer of me (and most of the world!) and he has done the character a great justice throughout his five film tenure.
Unfortunately, this will be remembered as one of the weaker of the films. The villain is thinly written with few goals that appear consistent with his motivating experiences as a kid. The film almost humorously acknowledges how hackneyed the villain is. As M is first explaining the new threat to bond, he eventually jokingly breaks off and comments "threatens the world, destruction, so on and so on". This is about as much as Rami Malek's character matters.
The writers for this series seemed intent on throwing things together to make specific outcomes occur, regardless of its sensibility. For example, as Rami Malek's character is attempting to kill Bond, he also decides to inject him with the potent toxin that will prevent Bond from touching his lover/daughter. How strange for a villain in the midst of trying to kill an enemy to be concerned with trying to inflict upon him a curse that is only relevant if the hero survives! One also wonders why he inexplicably returns to the island when he seemed on his way to achieve his wider objective by escaping and releasing his nano-poison.
The rapport between most of the characters does not feel meaningful in any way, with the exception of Ana de Armas. She absolutely steals the show during her early scenes and plays wonderfully off of Bond. If only she could have stayed beyond the first half hour. Otherwise, the characters all seem to have little real tension or dynamic with Bond's characters. For example, the new 007 is revealed initially to be a hard ass competitor to bond. After a few minutes where she jabs at Bond over her taking his number, she quickly concedes the title back to Bond. There isn't really any build up or camaraderie established to make this a satisfying (or believable) concession--it simply happens.
Much of the plot just happens in this way. Some small tension, and then a quick resolution to move things along. There are of course many other bizarre inconsistencies (e.g. Q's gadget works on a henchman's electronic eye but not on Bond's audio transponder?) or plot choices that seem unlikely (they elect to bomb the entire island with Bond on it rather than simply bomb the transport ships approaching the island). All to achieve a rather obvious attempt at pathos.
Overall it's not a bad film, it's just not a tight or particularly inspiring one. It's a shame given everything Craig has done that they couldn't muster a stronger story, villain or love interest.
Arcane: League of Legends (2021)
Bold story to match a dazzling animation (I've never seen the game)
When I started, my major concern was that the show would be mostly intelligible or simply adored by only fans of the game upon which it is based. There's no knock on that--in my generation I loved watching Sonic and Street Fighter movies that were objectively mediocre but a treat for those who'd burned hundreds of hours at the console altar.
This show stands alone and there is no need to have affection or even familiarity with the game.
This is an ambitious show. The art, as others have acknowledged, is beautifully rendered and unique in its approach. Characters are rendered in an impressively stylized fashion becoming cartoonish. The environment is equally stylized, probably closest to "Steampunk".
It's not all just a pretty face to look at. The studio leverages the visual elements to draw the viewer into a very rich story that is admittedly dark and intended for an adult audience. There is much to love in the characters they've created, and their relationships with each other, both in opposition and in attraction, are layered and in some places suspenseful.
There are some familiar beats in the grander plot, though they make some bold choices. It's the believably crafted characters who carry the show, and ultimately if Arcane is to succeed it will require continued nurturing of those characters/relationships with just enough surprise to keep things fresh as they react to the conflict which is slowly engulfing them. This is an ambitious show which has set up a very strong first act and I can only hope it can deliver on all the balls it has set in motion.
If there's one thing that didn't quite work for me, it's the soundtrack, which occasionally felt out of place and distracting. It's infrequent and ultimately irrelevant to the story, but there you have it.
Juliet, Naked (2018)
A charming distraction but there's not much to it
This is a movie which is charming because the lead actors all mesh well and the plot doesn't attempt to carry more than it's designed to. The plot is fairly simplistic, there's not much movement during the movie, not much "happens", but we get to see some folks interacting in largely believable and relatable fashion, even if there is the requisite minor absurdity necessary to kick off romantic comedies. It's really not quite a romantic comedy--the comedy is pretty light and the romance is too. It's mostly in the genre of "slice of life" mixed with a little romcom spirit.
Ajeossi (2010)
Solid action that sticks to the genre
I was intrigued by the rating for this film and the many reviews hailing it as one of the best action movies ever. That's heady praise. Having watched it, I'd say this is a very good action movie that sticks to the expectations of the genre. It blends elements of TAKEN and LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL, the latter being an example in my mind of one of the best action movies of all time. TAKEN probably earns a lot of heart for its cultural significance.
THE MAN FROM NOWHERE certainly doesn't lack for heart. The young So Mi plays her role in an at times wrenching way. It's impressive for her age! In spite of this, the film doesn't quite bother to spend much time fleshing out the connection between So mi and our former special forces protagonist. They spend the vast majority of the film separated, which really weakens any influence of their connection. The action is also surprisingly restrained until the final battle, which does make the final climax more impactful, however this is at the expense of the rest of the film. It's noteworthy that the first time he fights one of the "cronies" it occurs off camera, and we see only the aftermath. In another instance, he incapacitates multiple individuals but it is shown only through CCTV footage in fragments. All of this builds mystique--but it's an action film. Let's actually see the action!
The plot is reasonable but largely irrelevant, as is the case for most action films. It serves only to move the protagonist from conflict to conflict. All in all, a very good movie. However, there wasn't enough action for my tastes, and the other bits (plot, emotional connection, etc) wasn't sufficiently great or unique to push this film above the standards within its genre. It has a good heart though, it's almost "sweet", so definitely a worthy choice for viewers of all persuasions looking for some action.
Paprika (2006)
A stylistic reflection on accepting reality
When I first watched Paprika, or rather, as I was watching it, I felt intrigued but confused. I felt hopeful it would eventually all "make sense" when I got to the end of the film. This was not the case. As is often my tendency, my confusion gave way to irritation.
After some searching, conversation, rewatching, and reflection, I think I better understand what what Satoshi Kon was aiming for in this 1:30 hour animation. With this view (and admittedly the confusion cleared), the movie is quite strong for me and I will reflect on it for quite some time.
The movie centers on the tension between the the shortcomings of reality and our aspiration for the way reality could be, should be, or how we simply wish--or literally "dream"--it were. Multiple characters in the show have a relationship to fantasy which is unhealthy and which undermines their ability to thrive within their reality.
In the Chairman's reality he is paralyzed from the waist down, however his dream becomes an obsession, and a delusion, of the feeling of walking again and the power it will bring him.
For Detective Konakawa, his dreams are plagued by a recurring vision of a homicide that he cannot solve. His inability to grapple with his feeling that he abandoned his old friend, failed him, pervades his dreams and even his relationship to film, which is itself just a form of manifesting dreams. He feels that in a way he is responsible for his friends death, and also, through his betrayal, he has also "killed" himself, or rather his own identity (thus the element of his dream which shows that he is the one holding the gun and the one who was shot).
Dr Atsuko Chiba is reserved in her reality, to the point that she does not permit herself to engage with her romantic feelings for Dr. Tokita. She appears blank and cold throughout the film, and her clothing is a colorless black and white blazer. However, the dream machines allows her to so thoroughly take on a new persona that she takes on a new name: Paprika. Her appearance also changes. Her hair is red, her attire bursting with color, and she has a cheerful flirty energy, a sharp contrast to the Dr Chiba who will not allow herself to acknowledge or embrace her romance.
The majority of the film, in its somewhat psychedelic tones, portrays the horror of fantasy when it is allowed to indulge itself to excess. Ultimately, Satoshi's message is that it is unhealthy to live in a state of aspiration for the way we wish the world could be. That could be true even if one's aspirations were noble dreams of a better world. In the real world, there is pain, there is infirmity, there is loss, and there are tender relationships which will never bloom unless they are acknowledged and watered with care.
Dr. Osanai is an interesting character. For him he dreams of power, which I won't dwell on. But he serves as a great plot device to reveal the tension within Dr Chiba. He remarks (with disgust) that she should stop wearing her "Paprika" appearance in the dream world, and viciously cuts her free. What is curious here is that he expresses his love for the more muted, reserved form of Dr Chiba. In contrast, Dr Tokita appears to love a more balanced form of Dr Chiba. He is neither repulsed by her Paprika form nor bothered by her restrained form. This is symbolically captured after he swallows the Dr Chiba form in his dream, when he remarks that he is still missing the other part of her, the "spice". It is only when he also swallows Paprika that the transformation is complete, and ultimately the climax of the show is resolved as she is able to defeat the chairman's delusional rampage.
Thus the message of the show. Though the movie is literally about dreams and film, it pertains really to any of our hopes, aspirations, and desires for the world. These can be manifest through thoughts, games, art, film, and indeed dreams. Here Director Satoshi says that dreams and aspirations can be dangerous, but they are not to be abandoned. Indeed, these are the spice of life, they give life joy and can improve our condition. We must engage in both. We must accept the shortcomings of reality--but not turn away from dreams, the way Detective Konakawa did by vehemently avoiding films even after Paprika implored him. The movie ends with the detective finally embracing the conclusion of his own arc, by reembracing his love of film by purchasing a movie ticket. It was never the films that ailed him, it was his need to rediscover how to enjoy fantasy in a flawed world dotted with regrets.
It's an incredible film, though the story is at times needlessly bizarre, and certain elements are revealed too late for the viewer to appreciate the full payoff. (e.g. Dr Chiba's romantic feelings are too well obscured, and even a single moment of a lingered touch that betrays some question in the viewer if that was romantic, would have made the payoff at the end more potent). Still, memorable, powerful, worth watching, but probably hard to fully appreciate without spending a bit of time.