I don't know what's worse in this show, the acting, the writing, the special effects or the super typical story of the normal kid who is actually special.
More build up for future episodes where nothing relevant happened.
Jujutsu Kaisen has way to much exposition and almost zero character drama. I'm dropping it again.
This is how you make a pilot, my God, what a beauty. Setting, world building, rhythm and characters, each with their dynamics, roles, relationships and conflicts, in addition to all being interrelated with each other. All of this in a single chapter.
I hope that the show maintains that level of quality until the end of at least the first season and does not leave an ending as open as usually happens in live action shows.
The first episode was entertaining, the protagonist emotionally relates to the events of the plot. But the show didn't leave me wanting to continue watching it, there is nothing at stake, there is no cliffhanger and no interesting twist other than the robbery that the protagonist carries out at the end, something I saw coming two blocks away.
The first half of the episode was a comedic teenage dilemma where the protagonist lives with a girl he likes, but she didn't pay attention to him; The second half unfolded in a dreamlike and surreal environment where the protagonist saw that same girl die no matter what he did.
It's weird how they try to combine serious moments with comedic moments. Personally I don't like it very much, but I do find it curious.
The third episode I feel didn't show as much as the previous one and, at the same time, almost nothing of what was presented in the previous one was used. A shame, really.
The episode introduced more characters and their dynamics and relationships on a superficial and simple level. They related the two protagonists by establishing that they are brothers and also revealed the non-linear narrative flow that the story follows.
The powers are basically eye magic that seems to activate at will. I like the powers because they are unconventional and I like how they combined them to solve the terrorist situation.
I liked this chapter more than the first. The lead role went to Momo, a young idol who tries to balance her life as a celebrity and her life as a student.
The chapter shows you her life now and what it was like before: her father died trying to save her from drowning (possibly developing survivor's guilt there); she was pressured in her early years of school because she was the best in art competitions (possibly developing a need for validation); Her mother is in poor health and the people around her are represented not by people, but by objects (possibly developing a feeling of social isolation). All of this gives many layers of depth to the character.
All of this left me wanting to know how they continue to develop everything.
A satirical, ironic and comedic situation wrapped in a quite striking and unconventional artistic and narrative style. It leaves you wondering what the fuck was all of that about. It reminds me a lot of Sonny Boy.
It's entertaining, most of the time. The other part of the time it's cheesy and stereotypical. There are great sequences like Jack Wilder's escape from the police when he uses all the magic tricks against them, tremendous choreography. But then there's the romance between Dylan Rhodes and the French police; His only function was to give a loving touch to the tape, but it only serves to blur the tape.
The twist at the end that Dylan, Lionel Shrike's son, driven by revenge, was the one behind everything is nice, but when you repeat the movie you can't see any details that lead you to that conclusion, it's just a ending that surprises you and nothing more. "Now You See Me" has no replay value. The film is a set of very entertaining shows, the problem is the moments in the middle of those shows: boring, irrelevant, without substance or style. Beyond small fragments, it is not worth spending two hours on this film to watch again.
Another movie that I don't understand. If they don't explain everything to me at the end, I wouldn't have a clue about anything. I feel like the pieces fit together, and thank God, because my head was already hurting from seeing so many things disjointed and out of place.
Someday I will return to this film and I hope I enjoy it with the context I have of it now.
"The Incredibles" is a movie about superheroes trying to live the lives of ordinary people, but this time the concept is well-executed, not halfway as is often the case.
Set in a time when superheroes are real, living hidden among the crowd, and saving the day like they provide a public service. Over time, due to collateral damage and civilians annoyed by the mess the supers made in the city, the government decided to shut them down. (In just twenty minutes, the movie did what "Civil War" couldn't.) The main story takes place fifteen years later.
Bob Parr, Mr. Incredible to his friends, a married super with a family, misses his glory days when he was a superhero and considered exceptional by the public. He lives a normal life with a job he hates, and the burnout and lack of interest in his work keep him from connecting with his family. It's not until he receives a secret message about a machine causing havoc on an island that he can return to superhero action, but without his wife, Helen Parr, or Elastigirl, finding out.
The new superhero activity suits Bob well. He rediscovers himself, starts exercising, his desire for his wife returns, and he connects more with his children. But his happiness won't last, as in the midst of all this, a plot of mysterious superhero deaths and Helen's doubts about what her husband is doing when he goes to "work" will be waiting for him at the end of the tunnel.
The film explores the dynamics of a not-so-normal family that wants to be normal, and the situations that arise from that are very interesting to watch. The attempt at normalcy makes the characters deeply relatable: the whole family feels like a normal family trying to navigate their lives with superpowers; each of them has characteristics that differentiate them greatly and contribute to the development of conflicts in the plot. It's impossible not to love them.
The cinematography, use of colors, and composition are beautiful. The clean style reminds me a lot of Dune for some reason. On the other hand, the jazz musical composition is so good that I could listen to the pieces from the film every day and in any context.
The only thing I would criticize about the movie is that the emotional catharsis at the end doesn't do justice to the entire build-up. What is the final evolution of the characters? What do they learn and in what ways do they change? Yes, the kids learn to accept their superpowers, and the family becomes a more united superhero family fighting against evil, but what about the marriage? There is distrust, deception, vulnerability, but I didn't see as strong a change as I expected. The ending almost feels like just another event in Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl's catalog, as the development is very smooth and almost nonexistent. Also, the acceptance of their powers at the end seems more like a positive consequence from society after they defeat the Omnidroid.
There are many things that feel underexplored and should have had a more significant impact on the viewer. "Toy Story" manages to strongly impact due to the catharsis of its characters' conflicts, "The Incredibles" does not, and it's a pity.
Waaaay better than Edgerunners fr fr
They kidnapped the protagonist, they killed the director of the neurodances, they said things that had already been established and they caught Tanaka. All that happened and I still feel the story is static.
The style is good and the animation is tremendous (those designs are finger-licking good), but I'm not buying this cheap romance. The build up of the relationship was terrible. Romance is incredibly hollow and soulless. I don't even care about David as a character and I know practically nothing about Lucy, even less will I care about this forced relationship.
Everything else is not bad, especially those scenes of the protagonist training and having a good time with each of the members of the group, but everything falls apart when you realize that the foundation on which it is being built is bad, and the problem is David and his lack of content. The character has nothing to tell you apart from the death of his mother.
I feel like nothing is happening in the show. I mean, it's clear that things are happening, but I wonder why I should care. David is too flat as a character, so much so that my attention is lost on other characters like Lucy about whom I have hardly been told anything.
The cinematography is good, the animation is tremendous, but I also keep thinking that I already saw all this with "Kill la Kill" and that show is far superior to this one in all aspects.
Everyone will remember the episode for the plot twist more than anything. I think it was decent, plus it helps develop what seems to be the deuteragonist of the show. On the other hand, I don't give a damn about the protagonist, he lacks characterization. Lucy's not bad, but she doesn't move me at the moment. On top of that, the entire episode feels more like a build up with little content for the next episode more than anything else.
Very good animation along with the characteristic style of the Trigger studio, it is impossible not to like the show, not from that section at least. The story, on the other hand, is not at all interesting.
The chapter is summarized in exaggerated victimization towards the protagonist because he is poor. At least David has certain glimpses of characterization and the repetition of scenes and attitudes gives him some depth. Good direction on that side, but the victimization remains. It's not that it's a bad element in itself, because not even the protagonist himself reacts realistically to it (the whole development feels a bit absurd), but it will depend a lot on what direction they take from now on.
Nimona's character is the best thing in the film and steals the focus from the first time she appears. Then no other character matters unless he's used as comic relief, not even Ballister.
"Nimona" lacks real conflict. The whole question is summarized in "I don't have any problem, it's society that is wrong." It is obvious what the correct answer is, no viewer will support society, not when you present it in such a simplistic and one-dimensional way. On top of that, the topic is something already quite hackneyed that has been discussed hundreds of times in recent years and apparently no one knows how to execute it in an organic and credible way. However, I appreciate that "Nimona" has something to tell even if it doesn't manage to tell it well.
The half-medieval, half-futuristic setting is dissonant and strange. It feels absurd, but seeing the tone in which the film works and the direction it takes, it seems like a conscious decision.
The jokes are great, at least for me. That's why the movie is entertaining even if it fails in many other aspects.
"Nimona" does not respect serious moments, it is as if it was afraid that the film was too serious for his audience. Every time something remotely strong happens, it's interrupted by comic relief. That kills the immersion and seriousness that the film tries to build.
The last conflict where Ballister has the fight with Nimona when he doubts her because of the piece of parchment that her boyfriend gives him... Terrible. How is it possible that all this time Nimona gives you to understand that society and everything in it must be questioned, but when they show a parchment all worn out that was in God knows where, drew it God knows who and talks about a time in the past when you were not born, you believe what it says and question the person who was helping you not die all this time? You more than anyone know that the director is the real villain of the matter, she said it herself, she herself tried to kill your boyfriend when she was confronted by him. Are you really going to question everything you saw and know with complete certainty because of a piece of paper? Teeeerrible execution, an attempt to create a simple conflict at the expense of the realism of your characters and your own narrative construction.
"The Will of Fire" spends the entire time telling Naruto to let Kakashi die, that there is no other way to defeat the antagonist, but the movie has his name and we can't make the character give in to the logic and experience, we have to make it super idealistic and irrational. Oh, and agreeing at the end just because and on top of that betraying the coherence of the magic system and preventing the villain from absorbing his rasenshuriken despite having been able to absorb even the chidori more times than I can count on my hands. .
The fights before the finals had creative resolutions however.
Good second episode: maintains and slightly expands everything that makes the first good. Lance and Ilana are further developed and this dual conflict between the two is even shown where the first, always alert in search of possible dangers, feels a great (almost toxic) responsibility towards Ilana's well-being, while the second, who sees in humans those feelings of unity that they value so much, want to know and adapt to human culture.
Reference continues to be made to Lance's past and the fierceness of the antagonist is shown. More battles with gigantic creatures where the protagonists try not to damage important infrastructure or kill innocent people, which raises the tension of the confrontations. The solution to the battle in the chapter is decent and it is appreciated that it is not a simple unresolved and disorderly action.
The use of cinematography draws a lot of attention, especially in those sequences where Lance follows the bus where Ilana is or when they are both looking for furniture for the house.
To date the best film I have ever seen in my life. I still don't give it ten stars because I lack reasons and by "reasons" I mean seeing more films as good as this one to justify "Inception" being the best of the best. Fair, right?
Something that Nolan did not know how to do in "Batman Begins" was to maintain the protagonist's internal conflict, something that remains in place until the end of "Inception." Cobb is warned and tested by Ariadne so that he understands that has a problem and must solve it: let go of the memory of Mal and accept the blame for his death. It is only until the end, in limbo, where to see his children again he accepts his wound and grows. This is how you keep your viewers hooked until the tape ends.
The concept is also very creative and is executed masterfully. Book sagas could be written where the magical system is based on the whole question of dreams. The concept is taken to the extreme with things like inception and a dream within a dream. And with that same level of construction, Nolan manages to effortlessly explain the entire system he built without it feeling condescending or breaking the viewer's immersion.
"Inception" is the best Nolan film I've seen so far.
A round, focused and forceful film. How the paranormal component affects the emotional component of the protagonist and leads her to do what she does is magnificent.
I have nothing bad to point out about "Talk to Me".
"Batman Begins" has more similarities to "Man of Steel" than I expected, and of course when it's Nola and Boyer who wrote both screenplays.
The first half is a nearly immaculate origin story. Wayne lost seeking to escape his anger and fear of it, being taken as a disciple of Ra's al Ghul and growing as a character to bring justice to Gotham. The second half, although good, is still an empty shell that has nothing more to tell. Bruce Wayne already had his hero's journey, there is nothing more to overcome internally, only external conflicts like all the corruption in Gotham. In that sense it is also very similar to Snyder's "Man of Steel", only better executed and with more details. It also reminds me of the first installment of Favreau's "Iron Man" where Tony also goes through his growth stage very early in the film.
But that does not prevent this Nolan film from being established as one of the best superhero films ever produced in live action.
It's a Naruto movie, there wasn't much to expect from this. Incredibly, it did not disappoint me, but not because it was good, but because I expected a fairly mediocre production, a cashgrab for the fans.
Much of The Lost Tower is built on the viewer knowing a little about the series. If this is not the case, you will not understand the reason for many of the characters or the dialogues.
Naruto is Naruto, there is nothing more. The real protagonist, Sara, is a flat character who they tried to give a hero's path to, but her execution was pretty bad. The villain, as is customary in Naruto productions, makes others feel sad and boring in a way I couldn't even imagine; The guy had four transformations and each one of them was the same as the previous one only bigger. Hilarious.
This Matthew Vaughn film is incredible, nothing more needs to be said. Too round, with a tremendous narrative flow. He does everything well and stands out for the style he works.
The antagonist is nothing out of this world, but he works and leaves you with that impression like the antagonist in Sam Mendes' "Road to Perdition." The action, however, is above average by far, with those great choreographies and such marked cinematography to support it. One of the best action films I've seen, definitely.
In a psychological or content sense it doesn't go very far, but it is of great quality in everything else.
The typical functional trio, an alien past with gentle but good world building, mechas and action scenes and the teen factor.
The show wants to cover too much in just eight episodes, but it fails miserably. Too many characters, too many subplots, too many conflicts: Richter's fear, the love between Olrox and the knight, Maria and her father, the fight against the Messiah, Anette and her disconnection from her ancestors and her loss of Edouard. The viewer doesn't have time to focus on anything because they throw everything at the same time.
The only thing I cared about at least a little was Richter's plot and, although it was developed, it was not the best executed. The magic returns to Richter when he realizes that he has many people to protect. That trope is something we are tired of seeing, especially all those who come from consuming anime, consuming shounen to be more specific.
I was not interested in any character and I was even less interested in the antaognists. As usual, I remember that the first part of Castlevania did not shine for its construction of villains either. Who on the team thinks of making the vampires so one-dimensional and giving them so much focus? What is not attractive to the viewer is supposed to be kept on the sidelines.
It makes me laugh how they saved the worst for last: Alucard's appearance. It was not necessary to use the nostalgia card and even less so at a critical moment like that: right at the end when everyone is at their lowest moment and almost about to die. The way they executed those last scenes, Alucard feels like a Deus Ex Machina.
The action scenes were on point. Kudos to the group of animators and directors behind it. Castlevania has always had some of the best choreographed animated battles I've ever seen.
The first part of Castlevania was not something that was very worthwhile, but Castlevania: Nocturne disappoints even by those low standards.
It was difficult to keep up with the film due to the speed of the dialogue and the compactness of the information it was trying to convey. It's as if Anderson wanted to present you with a two-hour-plus film in a short film of just forty minutes.
Still, the story and the character move. In essence it is a simple, textbook story, an Aesop fable, but it undeniably works.
The style that works is, as expected, very Wes Anderson, and that is appreciated. To this day, this man's style is one of the most interesting I have ever seen, perhaps the most impressive of all. The colors, the shots, the staging and the mimicry of the theatrical works, all of this leaves a great impression on the viewer.
I couldn't get a reading of the tape and, to be honest, I don't know if I'll ever do it, I don't even think I have anything to say beyond the obvious, but what is obvious is the great impression it has left on me.
So few dialogues give the film a great personality, until now I have not seen a film that has the same style. The cinematography, on the other hand, doesn't go that far, but it's decent. It has good shots and excellent scenes and, together with the script, they all help to tell things with very little.
The big problem with Nicolas Winding's film is that it completely lacks substance. It is undeniable that the style has left the film on top, but when you repeat the film about three times you realize that neither the story nor the characters are going anywhere. The first half of Drive is a romance story, the second half is about gangsters; the film doesn't quite decide what it wants to be and doesn't achieve anything on either side. When you know that no character has relevance beyond being a plot device to advance the story, you will stop caring after the first twenty minutes.
Drive has nothing to tell on a narrative level, it has no message like "(500) Days Of Summer" nor does it leave an impact like "Hard Candy." The only impact it has is its style, which, without detracting from it, is very good and not every film has a personality as marked as this one has.
I give Drive a light 7.
