[7.5/10] When I wrote about the finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender my thesis, in part, was that it was about how Aang stayed who he was no matter what. Even with the fate of the world on his shoulders, he couldn’t, or at least didn’t want to, bend his principles and take a life. As he always did, he found another way. The climax of the series served, in many ways, as a tribute to his steadfastness.
But Korra’s path has been different, and the best thing to say about the finale of The Legend of Korra, and the show as a whole, is that it’s been about growth. The Korra we leave beaming off to the spirit world is much different than the one we met blasting firebenders at the South Pole. She is a more understanding, more steady, more complex, and more compassionate Avatar than the headstrong youth who first bolted her way through Republic City.
The rub, and the thing that keeps “The Last Stand” from earning a higher rating, is TLoK reveals this through heaps and heaps of emotional exposition. An inevitable and almost unavoidable part of any finale involves a certain amount of signposting and summing things up, but TLoK’s goes overboard with it. Between a post-battle heart-to-heart with Kuvira to on-the-nose exchanges with Tenzin about hope, “The Last Stand” brings its hero to an interesting place in terms of both story and character, but lays the message of the change on too thick.
But hey, it delivers some damn cool action, so that earns it plenty of points too. Having the climactic battle feel genuinely epic, particularly after a fourth season where the good guys have already battled an energy-bending rabble rouser, a flying revolutionary, and the Anti-Avatar, it would be easy for the last big battle to fall short. Instead, “The Last Stand” delivers a final confrontation that matches the moment.
It features some cool set pieces that give everyone something to do. It’s a nice grace note to have the Beifong sisters working together and immobilizing the Colossus’s arm together. Plus, it gives Lin a chance to do some badass combat that looks like fencing as she takes on an Earth Empire guard. To the same end, watching another pair of siblings, Mako and Bolin, try to shut down the engine to the Colossus works both to service two characters who have an important relationship outside of the show’s protagonist, and to give them a goal that contributes to the larger project.
It also gives Mako a nice moment of self-sacrifice. It seemed unlikely, at best, that TLoK would actually kill him off, but it’s still a nice moment in the sun (so to speak) for one of the show’s main characters, giving his all and using his unique powers to help. Bolin’s assurances to Mako that he already thinks his brother is awesome was an amusing, and true-to-character way to bring the pair’s relationship to the fore.
Korra’s one-on-one with Kuvira met the heightened expectations as well. The designers and animators deserve great credit for this season. Although we’ve seen many metal-benders before, the way that Kuvira and her crew use chain links and swatches to disable and move around their enemies gives them a distinctive fighting style which makes combat against them seem fresh. Seeing Korra and Kuvira go toe-to-toe in the enclosed bridge of the Colossus made for an enclosed by expansive setting that prevents either from running away but gave each plenty of room to work.
The climax of their fight was the highlight of the episode. While the villain’s hail mary, semi-crazy attempt to get back at the hero is a cliché, and the spirit weapon conveniently being near where they feel is a bit contrived, the power and symbolism of the moment really clicked.
When Korra faces down the blast from the weapon, instead of being destroyed by it, she harnesses its power, saving Kuvira and channeling that energy into a new spirit portal. It’s a choice that carries wonderful symbolism, how Korra’s previously attack first, ask questions later mentality has evolved to where she uses her abilities to turn a weapon into a bridge, a mortal attack into a saving throw. The scene is scored perfectly, with Korra’s theme adding gravitas to such a spiritual, emotional moment that represents the peak of Korra’s arc in this season and perhaps the series.
The problem is then the series decides to write it all on the screen. I’ve genuinely enjoyed the parallels between Korra and Kuvira this season, but having them have a literal “we’re not so different you and I” conversation is just too much. The themes are solid -- the idea that Korra sees her own impulses in Kuvira, the notion of wanting to ensure you’re never vulnerable again -- but it’s all too blunt and too artless. Hell, we get the revelation that Kuvira is an orphan thrown in at the last minute as an explanation for her perspective, and it’s just the most tacked on psychological explanation for her behavior.
Then the show doubles down on it with Tenzin. Again, while I like the theme, having Korra outright say that she needed to learn what suffering was in order to be more compassionate, is just too direct. It’s delivering the literal message of the show in dialogue. The same goes for Tenzin saying he’s glad that Korra is more hopeful, or Mako saying he’d follow Korra into any battle. I like those ideas, but just depositing them into the story as announcements is too much.
It’s not all bad though. As I mentioned in the prior episode, Wu’s evolution into a reasonable leader has been an unexpected treat. The fact that he sees what happened to Kuvira and decides that the Earth Kingdom doesn’t need another monarch or dictator, but instead an elected representative, is one of the most striking political changes, and a third option the show and its predecessor has rarely seemed to consider.
Then there’s the final moments, where “The Last Stand” brings all the subtext between Korra and Asami this season to the fore, and suggest the beginning of a romantic relationship. Asami is often a cipher on this show, being given little to do in comparison to the rest of Team Avatar. But in Season 4 in particular, the series has hinted at a deeper connection between her and Korra. Ending the series on that note is a bold choice, and the heartwarming, lyrical sequence in which they beam off together is a wonderful way to go out.
It’s just a shame that the rest of the finale cannot quite match the balance that sequence presents. Season 4, and the series as whole, took Korra on an incredible journey, but underlining the point of it all at the end cheapens the actions and decisions that led her there. Still, it’s been a hell of a journey, one filled with kinetic action, endearing characters, and most of all, a protagonist who grew and developed little by little as the series went on, until she became a stronger, more assured, and balanced Avatar. Some of Korra’s most engrossing growth happened this year, and whether it’s overdone or not, it’s lovely to see her walking off into the sunset, hand-in-hand with someone she loves, a changed, better person.
This was pretty awful.
The entire movie was trying to dictate something to the audience, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.
At no point do you feel anything at all for the characters. The kidnapped girls and Casey's dad are not developed at all, so their deaths don't carry any weight.
The one smart character (the doctor) doesn't act rationally. The whole lecture sequence made me cringe. The doctor is originally presented as someone who approaches her patients methodically. She is perceptive and crafty. Then she gives a Skype lecture where she pleads with a group of scientists to believe her. She doesn't present proof or make a convincing argument, even though she must have that capability.
Then in dangerous situations she shuts down. While she can write out his name, she doesn't call it out or check for his presence. She knows how dangerous he is. She suspects him. She even stuffs the tissue into the keyhole, but she still doesn't call out his name to snap him out of it.
The girls are also in an unrealistic state while trying to escape. In most other movies, people in this type of situation are either 1) competent, 2) paralyzed by fear, or 3) completely frantic and flailing. These girls were none of those. Their maddeningly slow pace was inconsistent with the terror they must be feeling.
The whole parallel with Casey's uncle (and being imprisoned after being "released" into his custody) didn't match well with the main story. Why did she pull the trigger on The Beast but not her uncle? At first it seems like both stories were parallels, where at this point in her life she actually overcomes her fear and confronts her aggressor. But then she just goes back to her uncle. It's very unclear what her character is feeling and what she's going through.
Also, the fact that The Beast is immune to gunshots and has superhuman strength is out of nowhere. The story abides in the natural world before derailing into the supernatural. While the supernatural element should be a big reveal, it wasn't. His powers build up step by step, so there is no surprise factor. The lack of surprise implies that we should expect this. Yet the world presented doesn't give us any hint before the build up. Tying it into Unbreakable at the end was jarring as well. The tie-in explains more about the movie's universe, but nothing about the movie's tone or world-building mirrored Unbreakable.
McAvoy's performances were decent but spread very thin. So many characters (8?) are introduced that none of them were well developed. The other thirteen aren't explored at all, which was pretty disappointing. MNS might be saving them for the sequel, but I doubt most viewers will be willing to sit through another ordeal of this magnitude.
The only success of this movie is when Casey goes for a gun and the non-Beast personalities plead for their lives one by one. It makes you think about the twenty-some actual people who would die if she pulled the trigger in self defense. Unfortunately, this was the only redeeming quality of the movie and not enough to justify a watch.
Did not like it.
I guess it will go well with star stricken audience that watches movies just because a movie star that they like is in it.
For me it is a bad movie.
Bad characters (after watching the movie ask yourself what did you actually learn about lead characters.
Not two rows worth of character development and also almost no interaction between them).
Bad heist plot (multiple plot holes and inconsistencies:
SPOILERS they drag Ann to toilet so they can steal the necklace and then act that they found it somewhere else because it slipped although it was pointed out that it can not slip since you need magnetic key to remove it, or at least wouldn't it be easier just to give her the fake necklace in the toilet saying that it fell.
Also later they drove off with the rest of the diamonds while the place was in lockdown by "best security team in the world" that just accepts "oh, look what i found in the pool" explanation...
Not to mention the movie is caled Ocean's Eight but there were seven women in a group which made Ann Hathaway's reveal at the end not so much of a shock, more of a meh.
There are many more plot holes but it would take longer to read them than to watch this movie.
About SJW in the movie
they managed to cover all "the colors of Benetton", Also it is marketed as a movie about an "All women's heist team",
but in the end they have a male in a team, but I guess he doesn't count and doesn't deserve an equal part of the loot.
Constance swiped one necklace and gets 38 million, but the guy that collected all the rest gets a tap on the shoulder, and no credit.
This is 'Primer' for dummies.
The movie frustrated me from time to time because of massive plot holes and bad writing. The idea is challenging, and complex enough to have fun with, and not too complex to get lost in. However too many things did not add up.
For such smart kids they sure were reckless and rushed everything as if they were for the first time in a chemistry class. Every guy who has even the slightest idea of timetravel knows that messing with stuff in the past is going to get you in trouble (butterfly effect) and if you are going to do something you have to plan it out carefully.
There are also multiple occasions when they travel back in time for a 2nd time to the same time and place, but do not meet their 'earlier' time traveling selfs there. This was especially awkward with the kiss scene. Arguably the most important scene of the movie. Even if the device somehow canceled out earlier jumps to the same time, they didn't have to interfere but just had to jump and wait.
For the story it might have been much more interesting if they didn't focus so much on the main actor during the final act of the movie and prevent such a boring cliched ending.
There is more, but lets leave it with this
There is 1 interesting detail in the ending though; the papers David throws in the garbage bin after the talk with his father date 2025. I wonder what that implies....
Still, there are way worse movies out there.
Edit: there is another thing I really liked about the movie btw. It used a track by Mark Sixma. :D
I have been watching the big bang Theory ever since it first aired. Being an IT student at the time, the uncomfortable social situations and nerdy jokes spoke to me. However, much has changed throughout the seasons, more about that later.
We start out with our four nerdy main characters. There is the recognizable fact of the three people with higher degrees (PHD holding Sheldon, Leonard and Raj) who make fun and feel themselves better than "simple" engineer Howard. There is the desperate search for love coming from both Howard and Raj, and the differentiation between the confident yet single Howard and the timid, uncertain just-as-single Raj. Sheldon is the one who has no sense of what's going on around him, and is only interested in his own world. Leonard is the humble cute guy who manages to get a date from time to time, an inspiration to Howard and Raj, although his on/off fling with Leslie gives us the impression that he isn't really that successful after all.
Then we have the obvious babe, Penny, the complete opposite of our four nerds. She makes something stir in all three of them, but follows the cliché of going out with the "wrong" men, being dumb, and ignoring their advances.
Even though these are all cliche’s, the inside jokes and the disarming clumsiness of the four guys made the first seasons well worth watching. Gradually however, as the show became more popular, the writers started to abandon what once made it so.
With the introduction of Bernadette and Amy the female characters are drastically expanded, but they don't add any real value to the show. Bernadette is the caricature of Howards mother, where as Amy is an attempt to make Sheldon look more human. At the same time, we go from a show with it's own flair to a one-in-a-dozen sitcom. The laughing tape went from being an accessory to being the main engine of the show. The characters became aware they were going to make a pun and started smiling like idiots before they said it, and laughing like people high on weed after someone made it. The longer this series continues, the more painful it becomes to watch. The lines that are supposed to be jokes are simply not funny. The acting and stereotyping are more bearable in a highschool play. And, as stated in another review made before this one, the show changes from laughing with the characters to laughing at the characters. From a nerdy show to a show about nerds.
Conclusion: if you're looking for some nerdy fun, watch the first three or four seasons. After that, it gets the same illness so many American shows suffer from, namely that it becomes a cash cow for the producers and starts a long, painfully slow, continuously prolonged process of dying a silent dead.They never seem to know when to end something great instead of going on to make it something mediocre.
The funny thing is, we would do the same thing when I worked loss prevention, that is, install pinhole cameras over the suspected thief's cash register, and EVERY one of them that got called into my office for stealing said EXACTLY the same thing. First they denied doing anything wrong, then, we'd just roll the camera footage, and either they would say "It's not what it looks like", or, the tears would start and they'd start pleading for their job cuz they had kids, or, a sick Mom, or some other reason we should just disregard their stealing and keep them on. But, I was pleasantly surprised, because it looked like Pop's was just going to put Daughter in charge and keep her on, but he did the look head fake, handed it off to his kid, and let her fire the lying azz Fido's wife. Don't let the door hit cha' where the good Lord split cha'! ABCU wouldn't wanna BU! You could tell everybody knew she was toxic by the way the applauded her departure.
JEEEEEZUS!!!!! Did you see the SHOVELS FULL OF grease and gunk they were scooping out from under the equipment???? That place had never been cleaned since it was opened. and what's worse, if they really DID replace those deep fryers and stoves, then , they just installed them ON TOP of all that filth. Cue Janet: "I don't like nasty cars, I don't like nasty food! The ONLY nasty thing I like is a nasty GROOVE!" Just shows the level to which EVERYONE had checked out and put blinders on. You KNOW they ALL walked through that kitchen every day, and no one ever said, "hey, hand me a rag and some hot soapy water!"
Pan frying chicken takes at LEAST 10-15 minutes for drumsticks and thighs and up to 25 or even 30 minutes for larger thick pieces like breasts. It took me a minute to learn the timing too. I'm guess pressure cookers are too hard to teach proper, safe usage in only a few hours, so he let's them go with what they already know.
I'm on a BOAT!!!!
I saw the trailer and was intrigued.
I was expecting before watching it that it was gonna actually be Death, Time and Love coming to Howard, and I was a bit sad when I saw that they were just actors. But how thrilled was I towards the end, that plot twist I just couldn't have seen coming!
I was going along with them just being actors, and then at the end, we see Death herself at the hospital with Madeline (as we learn at the end, she is Howards wife and the mother of his dead daughter). Revelation! And when Howard and Madeline turn around at the end, we see that Howard is the only one who sees the three. Then we have to remember what Death said about the rules: "We have the power to be seen by whomever we want, whenever we want". Madeline needed to see Death at the hospital that day, but she didn't need to see her again or the other two. Howard still saw them all, however at the end when the camera turns we see that they're gone. Maybe Howard doesn't need them anymore... or might it be us, the viewers, who can't see them anymore? We've gained what we can gain from watching the movie and now they're not visible to us? I might take it a bit far, but my first time watching this was just amazing!
A little sidenote, when thinking about why the "actors" wanted to money, or didn't want it. First of all yeah, they might have done it so to play the role of the starving actors, but not just that. We can use our resources, money, to save time, to get more time - we spend money so we don't have to wait. With death I'm not 100 % sure, but my take on it is that we fear death so we spend money to avoid it. In a straight forward way by paying for vaccines, medications, psychologists. But also think back to when people would pay to get a "ticket to heaven", we are scared and think money is the solution. And then there's love, and she didn't originally want to do this, but when she hears that she can help someone, she's in it. She's only in it when it's about the love. Most people will probably say that you can buy a lot in this world, but you can't buy real love. Don't you just love that.
I honestly am gonna watch this again in the near future with someone I care for, cause it made a huge impact on me and I'm sure it could on other people in my life as well. Will Smith, or well all of the actors, I really thought they did a great job. Recommending!
*Old fashioned murder mystery on a ship.*
A nice easy breezy murder mystery. Full of fun. Don't count on anything serious or deep here just sit back with your popcorn and a soda and enjoy the movie. Nothing offencive here. Just an adult murder mystery romp. We don't get many like these anymore. Ignore the people who like to criticize everything because they think they are actual critics. Chemistry between Aniston and Sadler is awesome. I hope they make more movies together. Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler are the best!
My Score: 7/10.
^^*Trivias*^^
+This movie set a new Netflix record. In the first 3 days 30,869,863 accounts watched the film. 13,374,914 North American accounts & and an additional 17,494,949 accounts watching worldwide.
+The movie seems to be an Agatha Christi-esque style murder mystery thriller. At the end of the movie, we see the characters of Audrey and Nick on a train named "The Orient Express". This is a direct homage to Agatha Christie's famous "Murder on the Orient Express" (1935) novel.
+Adam Sandler's real life wife, Jackie Sandler, makes a cameo appearance as the flight attendant on the plane.
+When Audrey goes to the first-class section of the plane, a passenger is watching a clip of Game Over, Man! (2018), another film directed by Kyle Newacheck.
+In the movie Nick mentions a guy named Eric Lamonsoff. Kevin James played a character named Eric Lamonsoff in Grownups and Grownups 2, also starring Adam Sandler. Most of Sandler's films reference that last name, in a nod to his old friend.
+Andrea Bendewald who plays a customer in the salon Jennifer Aniston is working at in the start of the movie. Andrea is Jennifer's best friend. She was maid of honour at her wedding to Brad Pitt. She also guest starred in Jennifer's sitcom "Friends"
+Adam Sandler's and Jennifer Aniston's second film together. The first was Just Go with It (2011).
+In 2013, a report surfaced from a German financier that Colin Firth, Adam Sandler and Emily Blunt would be joining Charlize Theron in the movie, which turned out to be false. Coincidentally, Sandler did become attached to the project in 2018, though Theron had already left.
+When Nick and Audrey arrive at Malaga Airport (Spain), the airport shown is actually Milan Malpensa Airport (Italy), not Malaga Airport.
+This is the third film featuring Luke Evans and Gemma Arterton together following Clash of the Titans (2010) and Tamara Drewe (2010).
+Charlize Theron was once attached.
+The shield shown by Nick on the plane and in the store is a patrolmen's shield yet he was referred to as a Sergeant.
+Luke Evans and Victor Turpin, who both appeared in "Murder Mystery", are a couple in real life.
+During the interrogation, the character yells 187. That is a California code for murder, not world or US code.
+John Madden was once attached to direct the movie. Anne Fletcher was attached to direct the movie later.
+The Rolls-Royce that Cavendish owns is a Phantom Drophead Coupe, License plate number EQU 617. Recent models (2016) approaches $533,000 new. It gets 14 MPG, has a 412 cubic inch, 453 horsepower V-12 engine, and weighs in at 5,780 pounds. (16.8l/100km, 6.8l V12, 2.6t)
+Game-Over Man (another netflix movie) is playing on the airplane when Jennifer Aniston's character is wandering around the plan.
Spoilers
+Body count: 6
+At the end of the movie when Nick and Audrey are on the train, the camera pans out and we see the name of the train is Orient Express. This is in reference to another famous murder mystery movie, Murder on the Orient Express.
This was definitely more for Godzilla fans than it was for critics. It was way better than the 2014 film that got Certified Fresh. The film is just badass. Not perfect but....bad ass.
They do over-do the family drama again though. Especially when the family drama makes no sense. Mark Russel (Kyle Chandler) blames Godzilla for the death of his son. He wants all monsters dead.
Mark’s wife Emma (Vera Farmiga) says screw mankind. The monsters will cure the planet of Climate Change. So yeah in another words who cares if anyone else loses family members. Due to her plan to unleash all monsters.
Her daughter Madison (Millie Bobbie Brown) sticks with her. Despite her mom teaming with some bad men with guns. Who kill some nice scientists right in front of her. So yeah, Mark is the sanest one in that family.
Even if there’s too much of the humans and a silly plot. This is the best of the Hollywood Godzilla movies. Critics are just wrong. One even said the Roland Emmerich version is better. What drugs is that critic on ?
The battles are some of the best done of any monster vs monster battle. Unlike the first film this one has a ton of Godzilla history to it. It shows him way more and shows the character great respect.
While not without its charms, The Rain is filled with moments where you'll be wondering "why did they do that", "couldn't they have just...", "they dont seem to be very upset about that person dying", why are they so upset about this person dying" or just "why?!"
Season 1
Too much off this show fails to make sense or is just plain convenient, even from the very start, when dad is speeding along the motorway and turns to speak to his painfully annoying son - the daughter and mum were somehow failing to get him to put his seat belt on. This error of judgement sees dad have a near miss with a truck, the truck in turn tries to swerve but topples onto it's side neatly blocking the road. Dad decides that the family will go on foot and by the magic of editing they seem to make very good time which makes it seem like it was probably better than driving anyway.
Throughout the show people who have been living in the zone for years and are very aware of the dangers, dont seem to have developed any good strategies for preserving their safety - beyond very basic plans such as getting to cover before it rains, the rain that never seems to catch them by surprise as rain often does in real life. apparently these people have all become experts at reading weather patterns and can move around with confidence that not even a drop of the deadly rain will land on them. Perhaps this shared expertise in meteorology is so advanced and obvious that they don't even need to acknowledge it.
Nobody has every heard of checking someone's vital signs, as they all posses that special film expertise of being able to confidently asses someone's vitals just by looking at them for a moment.... Don't pass out or you might be assumed dead and left behind.
Most of the characters spend a good portion of the series being quite annoying, Beatrice being the only one whose character seems more interesting, or at the very least more consistentantly likable and as such the only character I felt any genuine concern for. I actually think some of the reviews are too harsh on the acting, while it's sometimes patchy I think the poor script is to blame.
Season 2
I was considering whether it was worthwhile putting myself through another seasons of this show and read the other reviews here. The general feeling seemed to be that season 2 was a big improvement so I decided to give it a bit more time. Season 2 was in fact much better even if not without moments of season 1's silliness - one of my favourites was when someone thinks they have been locked in a room. It's been well established that it has keypad entry but they try and open the door with the handle and freak out thinking their suspicions are confirmed. Of course the door wouldn't have opened with the code anyway so when they do eventually punch the code in they find that it has been jamed shut.
Lea and Jean thoroughly irritate me through both seasons and I find their dysfunction is much harder to watch than other characters... Why are the plants dying, I'm So depressed... then, wow you fixed the plants... then I want to destroy all the plants... blah blah blah.
While better than season 1, 2 does devolve into a bit of a weepy soap opera at times. Most of the rain in season 2 seems to be from all the blubbering.
If they make a season 3 I'll probably keep watching as it felt like it was just becoming good at the very end.
This whole episode focuses on the wedding and wedding night, mostly out of sequence. And it makes the episode that much more personal.
We start the episode with Claire's first wedding as a contrast to her present. To what she is most emotionally tied to and at odds wiht her current situation.
After the second wedding, Claire and Jamie must consumate the marriage in order for the wedding to be valid. Using Claire's reluctance to sleep with Jamie, an excuse to have Jamie and Claire get to know each other. Most of the episode is just them talking, about why Jamie agreed, about their families, about themselves, most of the storytelling shown in flashback scenes for the benefit of the viewer, to break the monotony and give breaks and flow the pacing. Outside of a technical point, having these two get to know each other is a lovely, to have them sorta speed date, trying to get to the deeper parts of conversation that would normally take weeks, if not months to get to. With each story, Claire sees Jamie for who he is (concerned for her emotional well being given the situation, reassuring her she is safe, and the more she sees, the more she truly starts falling for him. She sees the kind, soft, earnest young man who adores her. No longer sleeping with a stranger, but at the very least now someone she cares about. It's beautiful to watch the flashbacks to their wedding as Jamie recounts it with such awe and reverence, such importance, much like he sees Claire.
Though they have intercourse several times, each makes sense to where they are at with each other, in trust and emotions. The first time is all about consumating the marriage and all about Jamie's first time. It's awkward, over before it starts, and a bit uncomfortable for Claire. Jamie is so ready for this, as he truly loves her, but Claire has only gotten to the like him, but she also knows is still hung up on already being married. Though she has gotten to know Jamie, she still has a wall within her, still unsure. We also get a post conversation of Jamie's misconceptions about sex (which shows us how inexperience he is, as a whole, knowing little to nothing about sex), but it's also endearing when he asks Claire if she enjoyed it, how he shows that it's important that she enjoy it as much as him. He cares for her and love for her to care back.
After the awkwardness and nerves of the first time, the walls continue to crumble between them. Jamie describes their wedding, as Claire was VERY hungover for it. Claire gets further into who Jamie is, how he sees her, what he feels for her and alot of it us love. And you can start to see her fall for him, maybe not in love, but def in like. The second time it's more lust filled, full of raw energy but also reverence. Taking their time to get to know the other's body. It's all about their enjoyment of each other.
The last moment is much more emotional. Jamie has given Claire his mother's pearls, a show of how much he will honor and charish her. It's one of the few things that he values, his last connection to his mother, are now hers. Something precious for someone precious. Their last moment is soft, slow, basking in the warmth glow of the fire. There is no lust, just love. Claire's walls have crumbled and she has let Jamie in.
All of the scenes are beautifully shot, trying to focus on the emotions each one conveys, nothing voyeristic or scandelous about them, just a focus on the characters and where they're at psychologically.
The ep ends with Claire finding her first wedding band, each ring on one hand and her in the middle. Torn between two lovers, two marriages and two fates.
Love the softness with which Claire treats Jamie after he feels disappointed that she didn't enjoy their first time. And how he's trying to be good for her.
Who Reiner was talking about during his family dinner:
“this one person just... started eating a potato. When the instructor reamed her out, she admitted without even a hint of guilt, ‘I stole it because it looked so tasty.’ Still, she could tell she was going to be in trouble, so she offered to give him half. But the part she held out to him wasn’t even close to half the potato. They don’t have concepts like fairness or compromise.” = Sasha Braus
“There was one moron dumb enough to forget why he came to the bathroom,” = Connie Springer
“an irresponsible guy who only thought about himself,” = Jean Kirstein
“a straight-laced dumbass who’d think of everyone but himself,” = Marco Bodt
“a guy who’d charge into any situation without thinking,” = Eren Jaeger
“and the two who would follow him through anything...” = Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert
It is clear that Reiner couldn’t think of reasons why the Eldians on Paradis are evil (Karina was afraid Gabi would start thinking of them as humans, as that’s how Reiner portrayed them). Too bad he has to put on two faces back in Marley as well, even with who the successor of the armoured titan will be.
Ahhhhhh i’m so happy they are not shying away from the tough conversations on what it means to be Captain America in this decade. I love symbolism in storytelling and there’s no stronger symbol than that shield, and the way they have used it as a vehicle and representative of the different American identities (good and (really) bad) has been incredible.
Steve Rogers, John Walker, Sam Wilson and Isaiah Bradley all represent sides of the US that co-exist, and John Walker being the effective Captain America for most of this show isn’t accidental - he’s the side of America that’s most present and salient right now (in the world off the screen), but ending the show with Sam Wilson carrying that shield - and going through all the issues that that might bring up - is as powerful a message as any - one of hope and of what the US should aspire to be. Steve Rogers is no longer enough, Steve Rogers is the American Dream - Isaiah Bradley the American Reality - and Sam Wilson is both. This show, and all of Captain America’s storyline, is about so much more than just men in spandex and they’ve done a fantastic job taking it even further here. Glad Marvel is still delivering after so many years, makes me proud to be a fan!
I was definitely excited for a sci-fi thriller, but this movie was so underwhelming. The visual effects also looked really bad. I thought there would be more manipulation of time, sort of in the same vein as Gravity/Interstellar(?) but I felt let down by that. This was advertised kind of as a timey-wimey scifi thriller but it's barely that.
Steve and Dennis work as EMTs in New Orleans when they attend to a series of strange calls of people catatonic, seemingly overdosing on drugs, injured in strange and horrible ways. There's a drug being distributed making waves, called Synchronic, that works by manipulating the Pineal gland in your brain. However, by adulthood the gland is no longer functional, so the drug has different effects on teenagers. As one can guess, the story is pretty obvious from here - I was actually hoping there would be more to it, but it was honestly very straightforward.
I felt like the structure of the narrative was overblown - seeing the different conversations about and between Dennis and Steve had almost nothing to do with the drug and the overarching plot. Why do we need to see different snippets of a conversation when the drug takes you to a different timeline IN THE PAST. The drug emphasises how it shows you a different time and how all time is happening all at once - but it literally sends Steve to the distant past at different times depending where he stands when he takes the drugs. None of the timelines are exactly explained. I also felt like the attempts at humour were really poor. Plus the sad moments didn't affect me either. When Steve takes his dog into the past and loses him there - we could have known that without seeing a weird flickering dog whining in the background.
The characters are so self-deprecating but it's just depressing because it plays into the dark tones of the movie. I liked the dynamic between Steve and Dennis but the side characters were not developed that much. I didn't understand the bonding scenes with Brianna or with Dennis' wife. The one scene where Dennis bonds with his daughter over her future - is that meant to explain why she turns to drugs? Anyway, I was just very disappointed by this film. It was trying to be a human and sympathetic story, but I didn't feel the emotions I would have if I had read this as a book. I would say it would be in the same camp as books like The Last Policeman, The Gone World or The Space between Worlds, but it just didn't hit me the same.
I did like the filming techniques and the colours of the different environments.
It's been so long since I've seen a styling masterfully directed movie from Guy Ritchie. This is far from the best movie of all time. Not even my favorite Guy Ritchie or Jason Statham film. But it's a movie that's told with such verve. This is a crew that isn't trying to do new experimental story telling at this point. They know exactly where they want to go. The tension and the pacing are prepared like a chef whose done this 100 times before. In the wrong hands you'd wonder why the narrative goes back and forth all the time but in Ritchie's hands this only serves to help the tension build.
This is your mother's pie, it's comfortable and delicious in all the ways you hope it would be. But there are misses here as there are in any film. Mostly in the writing. I like Statham and I think his presence carries the perfect amount of menace. There are a few poorly explained plot points like H taking pictures of employee badges (I think this was to do research on all of their names a point that leads absolutely nowhere). I understand H and I empathize with his motivation but I don't care about him. He's almost too much menace. A good Statham role is about 50-70% menace and the rest English bad-boy charm. H is about 90% menace leaving not enough room for anything else to matter. His previous characters have been meticulous and precise almost to a fault and you get to revel in his mastery but here we have that character interrupted forced to forgo the planning we know him for and in it's stead just a continuous forward progression. The rest of the cast is filled with characters that should have been fun. They have great names, solid backstories. In a John Wick style movie this cast would be amazing but here we could have used more of Ritchie's telltale dry gallows humor. For such a full cast filled with actors who could really chew the scenery they didn't get a lot to do. Taking everyone here and transplanting them in something like Boss Level would be perfect. Those characters were almost too cartoonish. I would have loved to see these actors get more to do.
Cool concept but terrible, terrible writing.
None of the characters behaves in a believable way, it all feels staged (you know those lines that just happen in movies but just don't feel right in real life? Like "there's no time to explain, just follow me" or "we've got company"), even at the beginning at the resort, before the supernatural part kicks in, like a series of scenes almost unrelated one to the other and patched together, each with the precise purpose to stimulate a feeling in the audience or to get the plot ahead. Characters falling as flies like in predictable horror movies.
Some unexplicable sloppy screenplay moments:
The ending was the best and more naturally progressing part of the movie
This movie shows in a very good way how the next virus outbreak that will be just as big or maybe even bigger as the Spanish Flu is gonna happen in the 21th century. And believe me, sooner or later IT WILL HAPPEN.
I liked the electronic music that was playing at the beginning of the movie. It had sort of an panicked tone to it that together with the people who where getting sick and dying set a thrilling tone to the first part of the movie.
I found the movie to be very realistic. Jude Law character was spot-on. When there is gonna be an outbreak we will see people on the internet (who have no medical training whatsoever) who think they have found the cure and millions of people will listen to them. There will be millions of people who stop going to work, who stay at home and avoid contact with anyone. Others will do whatever they can to get their hands on a vaccination, even if that means killing someone else.
I liked the fact that we got to see the story from so many different angles. It really gave an overview of the entire situation and what the virus had for an impact on all the people involved.
The end of the movie was a bit disappointing. In my opinion that could have been a lot better. But overall i find this movie to be really good.
Ok, compared to the other episodes from this season, this one was gold. I really used to enjoy Supergirl and kinda never got tired of it and I wasn't expecting this final season to decline drastically in both writing and general plot and also everything that I always enjoyed about Supergirl. At least it was a satisfactory ending and thankfully it was the end, otherwise the next season would be awful. I was happy for Nia and Brainy and couldn't care less that Mon-El and Kara did not end up together and gladly Winn and James screen time was minimal cuz I can't stand Winn and James is a bore. Cat could deliver an "old days vibes" while in another of her teachable moments with Kara and it was a good moment. J'onn is cool, had a glimpse of his future and all and Alex went crazy with this "mother plot" which was boring just like Kelly (and her brother) ... . If Lena gets a spin-off, I'll be watching, definitely lol love her! So, I guess it was a happy end! Yay! Probably won't miss Supergirl cause they did a terrific job creating the worst season of the show.
[4.8/10] Oof. Well, I feel bad about saying that I wish the show would stick to low-stakes quirky legal comedy material, rather than veering into more traditional superhero business, because this was the pits. Unfunny, too hokey, and downright irksome in places, this was a relatively brief episode that nonetheless felt like it took double the runtime.
Once again, the ideas here aren’t terrible. Sorcerer Supreme wants to sue local illusionist using the mystic arts for cheap (and dangerous) parlor tricks? That’s something! You could have a lot of fun with that! Instead, we get the broadest imaginable shtick with a stock douchey magician and the hokiest party girl stereotype. Once again, the proceedings are so cartoonish, like something out of a bad 1990s sitcom, that they can’t actually generate any laughs, despite Benedict Wong’s great comic timing.
The fact that the hack magician goes too far and accidentally summons demons that She-Hulk and Wong then have to defeat is fine, I guess. But it’s not especially clever or interesting as a resolution, even when Jennifer basically holds the schmuck hostage until he agrees to their terms, especially since that approach would almost certainly come back to bite her. It’s pretty weak broth outside of the (probably improv’d) tag where Wong and Madisynn discuss drinks together.
The same goes for the B-story. I feel like a broken record, but you could do a lot with the idea of someone struggling with the idea that they can’t get dates as their real self, but find that everyone’s only interested in their superheroic self. Instead, we get a host of hacky Tindr date humor that only provokes eyerolls. Once again, Jennifer trying to get with her hunky date, only to have it interrupted by superheroing, feels like something out of a two-bit sitcom. And the show breezes through the fact that the guy’s weirded out by She-Hulk having a civilian form rather than actually taking time to explore the most interesting concept in the episode.
At least we’re seemingly poised to get a visit from Jameela Jamil next week, but on the whole, this is a low point for the show that seems to demonstrate it’s as weak at low stakes humor as it is at bigger stakes personal drama and superhero challenges.
Previously, I wrote a short, but positive review at the end of Season 1, stating how excited I was for Season 2.
I absolutely despise when great shows are cancelled. However, in this instance I truly wish it had been cancelled after Season 1. At least we would have been left with a positive memory and with our imaginations running wild.
It’s difficult to review Season 2, without giving anything away, therefore I will try and keep my words brief…
WTF! The last episode was an absolute joke and a huge cop out. Who on earth came up with it? Someone very lazy or maybe with an axe to grind? I was literally spitting feathers. There were many amazing possibilities to explain the show to date.
Maybe they were told unexpectedly towards the end of Season 2 it was to be cancelled and they had to come up with something very quickly?
In honesty, I did find Season 2 a tad boring even before reaching the worst ever final episode in history. I felt the show wasn’t progressing , even a tad repetitive. But, I wasn’t put off, due to many shows having their boring episodes.
Wrapping things up; I really don’t feel like wasting anymore of my time, especially given the horrendous ending…PLEASE DO NOT WATCH SEASON 2. You will be sorely disappointed and in danger of being furious.
It made me remember an American TV Show from the 80’s I think, who pulled the same stunt. The media had a field day, with nothing nice to say. If I state the name of this well known show, I imagine you’ll guess what fate awaits you, in the final episode. But, my lips are sealed.
Do you dare watch? Or finish on Season 1, with your happiness intact?
Good luck :)
PS. Not related to the show, but thought I’d point out I’m Dyslexic. Please forgive any mistakes I make. I do check my rants before clicking submit, but alas I still miss too many blunders.
2023 TV Shows Ranked (list on my profile) --> https://trakt.tv/users/justinnumerick/lists/2023-tv-shows-ranked?sort=rank,asc
Season 1 Review:
Beef is such a welcome surprise. I didn't expect too much out of this and was wondering how they could stretch out a show about road rage to 10 episodes, but the road rage incident happens immediately and the show is really about what ensues after that, and I thought it was so effective from start to finish. A HUGE part of that success is due to the actors, who were so, so great. I've been a massive Steven Yeun fan since his days on The Walking Dead, and this show reminded me of just how talented of an actor he is. Ali Wong also does a fantastic job, and with the show centered on these two, they both effectively carry the load and help the show excel. Beyond the performances, the writing is sharp, clever, and very smart. Things are set up well including certain events and character beats, and therefore the story feels very tight. But what really impressed me was how effectively the show built the conflict and obsession between Danny and Amy over the course of the season. The road rage incident is just the beginning, and everything that happens after is like a wild back and forth that gets more and more serious and dangerous as the show progresses. Yet, it's not a completely linear or straightforward descent into madness, as both characters show signs of being better people here and there, but inevitably something always draws them back in. In some ways it makes the characters quite unlikable, but I found it so entertaining more than anything. The themes are also quite relatable in the sense that no matter how different we are as people, we all have stress and anger that builds up over time if we don't let it out, and sometimes all it takes is one inciting incident for us to explode. The show exaggerates this beyond what would likely happen in the real world, but I love when shows or movies use something so relatable and exaggerate it, and Beef is such a strong example of how to do that right. This show also handles massive tonal shifts as good as anything else out there. We start off in comedy mode, then as things get more serious the comedy gets darker and darker, and then as things progress even further we get into full-on intense drama. The show pulls off all of its tones very well. Dark comedy is some of the best comedy when it's done right, and while there were some pretty dark things here that feel a bit too serious for comedy (at least for me), overall the dark comedy was very effective. Then when things get more serious I found myself on the edge of my seat due to the intensity. And because they take their time to evolve the show as it goes along and place little elements comedy and drama throughout as both primary and secondary tones, there isn't much tonal whiplash when the tension ratchets up and the transitions are mostly seamless. The final episode did feel like a bold move and provided the most whiplash for me, but I loved it on a character level. The more I think about this show the more I love it.
8.8/10 -- Great
I've watched movies running the gamut of genres, including some of the most gruesome splatter films including I Spit On Your Grave, the Hostel franchise, the entire (so far) Saw franchise, and even The Human Centipede.... but nothing I've watched has ever made me as uncomfortable as this film did. It's easy to see why it won Best Picture...and it's easy to see the supposed indifference and blasé attitudes of some of the comments on here: this movie hits all of us right where we live, and for some, it's preferable to shrug it off and say, "Meh, whatever." than it is to admit "I saw myself in this movie, and it was not pretty." The truth - and it's revealed here - is that we all have prejudices, we all have biases, we all stereotype other people just because they're different than we are. And we paint with a really broad brush in spite of what comes out of our mouths. This movie reveals that, and it's extremely unsettling and uncomfortable...which is why there are so many half-hearted "whatever" comments about it. None of us want to face the truth that we fall into the same traps, prejudices, and feel the same scorn and disdain for others as what is so elegantly portrayed in Crash. I applaud the entire cast and crew of this movie for an absolutely amazing performance and for peeling back the layers of who we are and showing us how ugly society really is. There are good and evil in humanity...always have been, always will be. But it's completely unfair of us to paint so broadly the way that we do. This is my second time to watch this, and I'm glad I watched it again. Don't know that I would ever want to sit through it AGAIN, but it definitely bears seeing at least ONCE with a clear and open heart. Very touching, very emotional, and sadly, very revealing of the humanity in all of us.
Russo Brothers' expensive mistake which reaches new levels of ordinary
Citadel is an expensive & exorbitant mess made out of 1600 crores with which they could have revived countries out of poverty. This stylized, fancy espionage spy thriller is no better than hundreds of spy thriller we have seen in the past. Starting from patchy vfx, forced drama , unegaging characters and mediocre plot twists this has everything to get you dissapointed if you are loyal fan of solid spy thrillers.
The screenplay is a victim of uninteresting time jumps which taints every bit of engagement it tried to bring in. Other than Leslie Manville's vicious performance , Citadel fails to deliver even in terms of any other credible performance. The action set pieces other the opening sequence doesn't catch your eyes as all seem mediocre.
Overall, if you are someone who binge watches everything popular you may not like Citadel as it feels monotonous and tedious, but if you ocassionaly watch content on your TVs then this might be a good option to try. You might also want to watch this as Amazon is producing a spyverse for Citadel across multiple countries. Indian Edition of Citadel stars Varun Dhawan and Samantha and is being directed by Raj and DK. Citadel S01 also teases thr next chapter Citadel : Diana starring Italian actress Matilda De Angelis which will release in 2024.
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Barbenheimer: Part 1 of 2
This is the kind of film I really don’t want to criticize, because we don’t get nearly enough other stuff like it. However, mr. Nolan has been in need of an intervention for a while now, and unfortunately all of the issues that have been plaguing his films since The Dark Knight Rises show up to some degree here. Visually it might just be his best film, and there’s some tremendous acting in here, particularly by Murphy and RDJ. However, it makes the common biopic mistake of treating its subject matter like a Wikipedia entry, thereby not focussing enough on character and perspective. As a whole, the film feels more like a long extended montage, I don’t think there are many scenes that go on for longer than 60 seconds. There’s a strong ‘and then this happened, and then this happened’ feel to it, which definitely keeps up the pace, but it refuses to stop and let an emotion or idea simmer for a while. There are moments where you get a look into Oppenheimer’s mind, but because the film wants to cover too much ground, it’s (like everything else) reduced to quick snippets. It’s the kind of approach that’d work for a 6 hour long miniseries where you can spend more time with the characters, not for a 3 hour film. I can already tell that I won’t retain much from this, in fact a lot of it is starting to blur together in my mind. There are also issues with some of the dialogue and exposition, such as moments where characters who are experts in their field talk in a way that feels dumbed down for the audience, or just straight up inauthentic. Einstein is given a couple of cheesy lines, college professors and students interact in a way that would never happen, Oppenheimer gives a lecture in what’s (according to the movie) supposed to be Dutch when it’s really German; you have to be way more careful with that when you’re making a serious drama. Finally, there are once again major issues with the sound mixing. I actually really loved the score, but occasionally it’s blaring at such a volume where it drowns out important dialogue in the mix. I’m lucky enough to have subtitles, but Nolan desperately needs to get his ears checked, or maybe he should’ve asked some advice from Benny Safdie since he’s pretty great with experimental sound mixing. My overall feelings are almost identical to the ones I had regarding Tenet; Nolan needs to rethink his approach to writing, editing and mixing. This film as a whole doesn’t work, but there are still more than a few admirable qualities to it.
Edit: I rewatched this at home to see whether my feeling would change. I still stand by what I wrote in July, though the sound mix seems to have been improved for the home media release. It sounds more balanced and I didn’t miss one line of dialogue this time around. I’m slightly raising my score because of that, but besides that I still think it’s unfocused, overedited, awkwardly staged and scripted etc.
5.5/10
[7.8/10] I love all the moving parts of this one, and how the episode ties together the budding relationship between Leslie and Dave and Leslie’s responsibilities as a beauty pageant judge.
After agreeing to go on a date with Dave, Leslie starts to demur when she realizes that he doesn’t know who Madeline Albright is (humorously thinking she’s Leslie grandma), and wonders if the two of them share the same values.
Then she goes to judge a beauty pageant, and there’s Trish, the bubbly, airheaded “hot one” whom everyone on the judges panel loves, and Susan, the accomplished, smart, but plainer contestant who only Leslie seems to appreciate. Despite Leslie’s attempts to 12 Angry Men her fellow jurors, Leslie loses out to Tom’s horndoggery and the rest of the panel giving into Trish’s sparkly, xenophobic presentation. There’s a great deal of potent commentary there about how women are judged or overlooked, and it manages to be quite funny as well.
The B-plot sees Mark coming over to Ann’s to fix her shower, and Ann discovering that Andy lives in the pit. I like that Ann is frustrated but Mark is sympathetic to Andy, and convinces her to bring him in. It’s the start of Andy being gormless but ultimately sweet when he’s that excited about seeing her, and you can see the show beginning to transition him into something a little nicer. (Though I’ll admit, I’m probably retroactively applying the character he’d become to the character he was at this point of the show.) There’s also a surprisingly nice comic dynamic with the three of them in the same room together.
We also get our first April subplot, with her starting to be developed a bit more. Her attempts to do the beauty pageant thing are hilarious, and the fact that she quits when she learns the prize is only $600 in gift cards that will defray the cost of a fence is perfect.
But what’s more perfect is that even when Leslie is a bit resigned at how things went at the pageant, Dave shows up. And after an evening when everyone was fawning over Trish because she’s bright and bubbly despite her being empty-headed and pandering, Dave just wants to be straight with Leslie and barely even notices Trish. Leslie sees that he does share her values, and him learning the names of all the female leaders pictured on Leslie’s bookshelf is the icing on the cake. It’s elegant emotional and character material, and I just love how it comes together.
SPOILERS FOR MUCH LATER IN THE SERIES. DO NOT READ THE BELOW UNLESS YOU’VE AT LEAST SEEN THROUGH SEASON 4
Leslie and Ben are one of my all time favorite television couples, and I wouldn’t trade them on this show for anything. But man, there’s a part of me watching this season and wishing that we had gotten more of Leslie and Dave. Dave is just so adorable; Louis C.K. brings a distinct energy to the show, and Dave and Leslie’s chemistry is amazing. He really fit what the show was doing and where the character of Leslie Knope was at the time, and it’s a delight going back and seeing the two of them together.
Poor Things is very pretty, I’ll give it that much. Colors pop, and the watercolor, blurry sky and the scaling but condensed environments of Lisbon and Alexandria both convey the miasma of Bella’s mind quite well. How the background blurs in our young memories and how we remember all the buildings and places that looked large over us but so rarely the walks to them. Those work for me. So much of the rest of the film doesn’t.
I see what it’s going for- it’s hard not to. A journey of womanhood through the conceit of a child’s brain in a woman’s body, when women are treated as children and property to begin with. But it’s so fucking weird, with that conceit, to devote so much time to sex. Sex is an important part of being human for many people, I’m not denying that. But the attention it gets here throughout compared to brief, paltry scenes of Bella reading, seeking knowledge, having an interest in medical science and surgery is disproportional. Especially when the film wants to play her coming home and following in Godwin’s footstep as a culmination of her journey when it’s a facet of the film that barely gets any play in comparison. Angelica Jade Bastien, whose Variety review you should all read, brings up how in a film ostensibly about a cis woman and her relationship with her body menstruation does not come up once. It’s so telling where the film’s true focus lies.
And yes, sex can be beautiful, and conversely so can sex scenes. But the ones here are done dispassionately yet voyueristically. There’s no interiority, no sensuality, no sense of emotion and character felt through them. Compared to films like The Handmaiden they are sterile in heart if not content. It’s a big swing to go from black and white to color, and I can see sex being the impetus for it, sure, but when it’s done like this I don’t buy it. It’s interesting to me that her first time having sex is portrayed like this, with penetration until the man comes, thrice over, and yet her first time with cunnilingus is off screen. I feel like all the sex in this film is similarly narrow and lifeless.
None of what this film is trying to say is new, but much of it is muddled. It wants to rail against the entitlement of men, how they see women as property, how they want them to be exciting and adventurous but only in service of them. And yet it gives Max no grief at all for falling in love with. A child. Literal child, this is not a metaphor, it’s a child’s brain. And marrying her but refusing to have sex with her until marriage because that would be taking advantage, as if marriage would not be taking advantage and has not been used as the ultimate control. On some level the film condemns this, but only in the opposite direction, as part of Emily leaving Max is her frustration over not having sex. It’s baffling that the film seems to take the viewpoint that we ought to let children consent to sex with adults, that it is part of their development and journey to personhood. The film is similarly forgiving to Godwin, who used a woman’s body in a way she would very likely not have consented to all while the film extols a woman’s choice and ownership of her body.
Everything the film has to say about the nature of man and people, about women’s place in society, about sex work, etc, is rote. Nothing here is new, and nothing is heightened by the core conceit. It’s so surface level. And the cast is game enough. Dafoe is Dafoe and that’s always a good time, but I wouldn’t call this one of his greatest roles. Carmichael, much as I love his standup, just is not working here. Stone and Ruffalo are acting for the back seats, and while that has its moments of charm, it’s too much for most of the runtime. And Stone is just. She’s playing into ableist stereotypes for so much of this performance. The film drops the r slur and we’re just gonna pretend that Stone isn’t doing an insulting caricature at the same time? I don’t even want to delve into all the questions raised by the mental disability angle, others could do that better than me, but it’s another level of thoughtlessness and surface level depth.
The score is similarly cloying and overbearing. It insists on a scene rather than being a part of it. It doesn’t enhance it or complement it, it beats you over the head with how the scene is meant to make you feel. I could enjoy the sound of it in isolation, but as a score it’s distracting more than anything else. It’s a bit surprising to me how much this film has been praised as outside of the production design, I don’t see it. I just don’t. For me, this is as much a misfire as Barbie, if not more. Poor things.
Alright, there it is...the "best" new anime of the season. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from this but it would've been great if this came out a few years ago. With the release and the popularity of action shonen anime rising by the minute, it's too easy to call out these types of anime to be filled with cliche tropes so I'm gonna be slightly critical here.
Firstly, I'm really happy with the production decision they made here. Real ballsy of them to develop characters because they know there is nothing much to be discussed story-wise. I have a couple of criticisms here which I don't wanna go deeply into considering this is just the first season. But since we're here...I do not like the 'internal monologuing' here at all. It's probably a personal thing but it kinda gets annoying I feel like I'll get used to it in the coming episodes. Adding to that point there's a lot of exposition happening here in terms of the power system. At the same time, I feel like there are no other ways to go around it so I can excuse it.
Having said that, negativity aside there's a lot to like here, the later half of the show has some incredible fighting action sequences, the choreography is excellent and the powerups pack a punch. I love the character design, the voice acting is incredible and I love how they decided to expand more into characters without making it seem too rushed or too fast. The power system which is probably the biggest strength of the show is one of the best I've seen in the genre, although it follows the same weakest-to-strongest trope they add their twist to it with the power system. They also throw in a bit of fan service which I won't complain about as long as we get more of Cha Hae In.
In conclusion there's a ton of room for improvement here, I could see this being the magnum opus of new gen anime.
