Akira-36 Reviews

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Fun fun fun

[7/10 · 3 April 2023]

We had fund watching this movie at the cinema last night. Likable characters, well choreographed fights and scary villain. A pure fun film to watch, reminiscent of the fun we had with Stardust. Amazing SFX. Both Pine and Rodriguez charm with their on screen chemistry and acting. Well casted roles. Even the mage's role and fight were well done.

No preaching nor BS identity politics. The filmmakers did such a disservice to the movie by saying some woke stuff in the media, I almost didn't go to see it. I never played D&D but still enjoy the movie a lot. I could see how much a D&D player would enjoy it even further with so many easter eggs and references.

I even got two of the references simply by watching Big Bang Theory or Stranger Things.

The running time was just right and the set pieces were well designed.

Give it a go at the cinema.

1899 (2022)

What a disappointing second outing, ruined by its poor editing and identity politics.

[5/10 · 5 December 2022]

I am so glad Dark was created independently and slightly before identity politics became Netflix DNA. Dark is a well balanced, soulful and mindboggling scifi existential drama that is smartly written, beautifully shot and well acted. The characters were all flawed but grow or diminish as the story progresses with satisfying conclusions. A well crafted interwoven stories of tragedy and misadventures that carefully walk between the line of melancholy and thrilling scifi adventures. Not a single wasted second is in each episode.

Even though 1899 clearly has the bigger budget than its predecessor, it is the opposite in almost every regard to Dark. It's pretentious, preachy and poorly edited. I had guessed the Kerberos passangers were inside a couple of layers of simulacrums within the first ten minutes. Very much a retelling of other movies done better like the 13th Floor, Dark City, The Matrix or Shutter Island. And each of these were inspired by classic scifi novels like Simulacron-3 and Time Out of Joint amongst others.

To make matters worse, injected within 1899 is a revolting identity politics filled with misandrist and feverish class struggle. The best part is the last ten seconds of the series. Not looking forward to season 2.

Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)

A bittersweet finale to Ip Man's portrayal by Donnie Yen & Wilson Yip

[7/10 · 1 February 2022]

The finale movie of Donnie Yen's portrayal of Grandmaster Ip Man is a bittersweet closure to this version of Ip Man. It is less melodramatic than its predecessors and more contemplative as the aging Ip Man is dying. Here Ip Man is shown to have attended Bruce Lee's kungfu demo at the San Fransisco Karate Tournament in 1964. This is the first hint that the movie is still set within a fully fictionalised world. The second hint is when Master Wan, the chairman of Chinese Benevolent Association, chastises Ip Man's student Bruce Lee for teaching non-Chinese wushu. Then in the next scene we are introduced to his daughter who looks very much half-white (unless her nose and face are fake). In the 60s, and perhaps earlier there were already Chinese martial arts teachers who were teaching their arts to non-Chinese even before Bruce Lee migrated to the States. But I understand this was a generally accepted myth-taboo that would help make for dramatic stories.

The production quality is still top-notch, and the CGI towns and backgrounds of 60s Hong Kong and San Francisco are well crafted. I gave this movie a couple of extra points for the moving and lyrical music by maestro Kenji Kawai. This is one of his best, and in this fourth rendition, he mellows down the upbeat tempo of Ip Man's theme to reflect the deteriorating condition of Ip Man's health and how his life has matured beyond his fighting days. The real Ip Man was a gaunt by this time while Donnie Yen still looks full of vitality. Still missing mysteriously is Ip Man's actual Wing Chun's flag bearer, his first son Ip Chun. Instead, Ip Ching's teenage rebellion becomes the genesis of Ip Man's venture into San Fransisco.

At times the movie meanders back into a caricature of racism in 60s' San Fransisco, where one-dimensional and poorly written characters, especially the non-Chinese, were all out to get you. While racism is part of human reality and every society is plagued by this condition (it's even more entrenched in Asian countries), I understand the movie needs to kowtow to its China financiers so expect a lot of abuses towards Chinese and literally all the European characters want your money or harm you. It is a reflection of the current state of affair between the two Superpowers (and I suppose the state of minds of the target audience of this movie).

This is why Jacky Chan's movies are more universal as he bridges the cultural and political gaps through humour and athleticism. Seek what unites us instead of what divides us. Once you have trust and connection, then you are at a place to discuss the more complex and difficult human conditions. In a way, Ip Man does deliver some good advise to the Chinatown's kungfu masters that they should be out building bridges rather than remain in the cultural bubble of China Town, which exists as a symbol of historical segregation and a legacy of racist policies.

Luckily, the fight sequences are still well choreographed by HK cinema veteran Yuen Wooping and they are paced evenly throughout the movie so that you are never bogged down too much by any moral dilemma or social criticism. I do miss Sammo Hung's direction from the first movie, as his fighting style is more grounded and suited to Wing Chun. But Yuen is as good as they come, albeit he does more flashy and wire-fu. I do enjoy the creative clashes between the different styles and this time around we get to see Wing Chun vs Taiji. In fact, we even get to see a bit of Xingyi and Seven Star Mantis vs Kyokushin Karate/Wrestling.

All in all I am happy with the movie I got and congratulate both Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen for their swan song after 13 years of making these Ip Man movies for us martial arts enthusiasts and cinema goers.

Midnight Special (2016)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind meets D.A.R.Y.L.

[7/10 · 4 November 2021]

Tonight I watch Midnight Special for the second time and found myself more engrossed in the movie than the first timw. It is an a effective Sci-Fi that is easy to follow, well edited and told efficiently.

All the actors played their characters well, although you can feel that it was low budget movie.

The movie at its core is a story about parenthood and the loss of one's young child, that is wrapped in a sci-fi narrative. And the little that we get to see in terms of the science-fiction aspect was really well executed.

I particularly enjoyed the sequences involving visions of the parallel universe.

I did wish Jeff Nicols had explored a bit more on that world but I appreciate how the minimal storytelling keeps the element of suspense and mystery at full tilt.

All in all I really enjoy this movie, and it is like Close Encounters of the Third Kind meets D. A. R. Y. L.

Top of the Lake (2013–2017)

You'll never see Queenstown or their police department the same way again...

[5/10 · 11 July 2021]

Top of the Lake season one is a moody, bleak and depressing tv series. It's about 20% mystery and 80% drama set in a fictional town in South Island, NZ between what looks like Paradise, Glenorchy and Queenstown. Although the landscape is beautiful there is an unsettling undertone through all the episodes which leave you with a somber mood with just enough intrigue for you to try to solve the mystery of it all. Although the final episode answers some of the main mysteries, I couldn't shake the negative feelings I had by the end of the series. I didn't feel any sense of redemption nor satisfaction after watching the show, except that sinking feeling in my gut.

It's like Twin Peaks without the quirks and any uplifting sense of justice or any redeemable characters whatsoever. In that sense, Top of the Lake succeeds in dwelling upon the sense of emptiness, despair and social ills in this era of uncertainty. I don't think I would've managed to finish the first season if it weren't for the performance of Elizabeth Moss, despite the fact like the rest of the characters, hers was also broken and abused. The hardest to understand was David Wenham's Al who mumbles his way through the series, often obscuring important hints and clues to this otherwise slow drama. The series lacks decent characters that could have made this a more engaging narrative. In summary, I find this series toxic, filthy and leaves you with a sense of hopelessness. These are not qualities one would wish to associate with New Zealand.

Love it or hate it, you'll never see Queenstown or their police department the same way again...

Underwater (2020)

A well made horror best watched without prior knowledge!

[8/10 · 25 April 2021]

Underwater was a delightful surprise. It is a well made underwater horror with allusions to Aliens, Deep Star Six and perhaps The Abyss. It is more action oriented, and could benefit from an extra 15-20min to flesh out the characters, but overall was edited in a way that kept the tension going. It's been awhile since I felt this anxious watching a movie, so I certainly appreciate the direction and VFX.

Unlike some other movies in this genre, the characters were mostly likeable and you appreciate they are trying to survive. The tension was palpable and within the first 15 min I was over my skepticism of Kirsten Stewart being the lead character, as she seems to have gotten over her ticks.

The design and production value were great, worthy of the Alien franchise, and the creature design was effective. The last part where you see more of the creatures were terrific, scary and I'm glad I haven't heard / read much about this movie because the last portion was quite a gift (SPOILER) for those who like certain horror from the deep.

Tenet (2020)

Memento on Steroid

[6/10 · 28 September 2020]

I am at once entertained and confounded by Nolan's latest escapade. At its heart, Tenet is an ambitious retelling of the old time travel thriller genre, however it feels convoluted and seems to be deliberately confusing upon first viewing.

After reading an online story beats and some fan theories, while combining them with my own, I've decided to stick with my original rating of 6.5 and perhaps in time it will change.

The movie was shot with sophistication and style, but there are too many plot contrivances with narrative bogged down by the weight of its own logic and inability to be coherent.

The sound and dialogue seem to be designed to make it hard for viewers to understand and thus enjoy the story arcs and its conclusion. Characters were talking with heavy accents, behind masks and exposition upon exposition that were dominated by the background music or sound effects.

And like Nolan's recent movies, Tenet is almost bereft of emotion, where he seems to delight in the technicality of his sci-fi world more than telling a good story. There are drama and violence for sure but they were delivered with such cold precision and calculated structure that the amazing action pieces actually takes away from the story's cohesiveness.

And by the time you reach the final act, either you are on board and are in awe with Nolan's masterpiece or totally dumb founded and feel the entire movie is one good looking mess that works only in his mind.

Nolan makes incredible and thought-provoking movies but for me, his last truly great movie was Inception. And I feel that it has been a steady decline in storytelling quality and an increase of cold logic/technicality.

In essence, Tenet is a revisit of Memento but on steroid. The muscles have taken over the healthy man within.

The Old Guard (2020)

Interesting premise, marred by terrible music and paper thin protagonist

[5/10 · 15 July 2020]

Greg Rucka's wrote an interesting premise of a story that might be better told in the comics medium. The movie on the other hand feels like The A Team meets The Highlander, except with a terrible choice of music. Every time one of the bad taste songs or background music plays, it takes me away from the story build up or immersion. The protagonist, Nile Freeman, is the least interesting character that pales in comparison with the four Old Guards.

We wanted to know more about these Old Guards but we saw very little of their intriguing past, and by the end of the film, we are made to feel that all of these are just a prelude to something that could be more interesting. Alas, I won't be tuning in for any sequel given that this is nowhere near the level of Kingsman: The Secret Service.

Disappointing movie, bad music with a few good action sequences. No doubt inspired by Equilibrium and John Wick.

Tiger King (2020–2021)

A repulsive train wreck that is hard not to watch

[6/10 · 1 May 2020]

The entire series feels like a train wreck that is hard not to watch, each episode makes you feel repulsed and sickened by the show's main characters. The ones who shone were some of the animal keepers and they seemed like genuinely caring for the big cats although they were very rough around the edges themselves.

This is definitely a show that you want to skip if you're having meals.

Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)

Star Trek: Discard

[3/10 · 4 April 2020]

Discard your hope and expectation for this to be a good Star Trek series, let alone welcoming back one of the best starship captains in the Sci-Fi universe. This is a Picard who has become an activist of some sort, inconsistent in his behaviors and lacking the growth or wisdom that has distinguished him as a beloved character we knew.

Instead we have an uneven series with a hollow of a man named Picard, surrounded by a ragtag band of uninteresting and out of place new characters (in the form of his new crew and villains). I'd say his Romulan caretakers and maybe Captain Rios have potential, but they were hardly developed nor explored in the series. Instead we have a highly unstable Dr Agnes who seems better suited to be in Sabrina or other teenage series for girls, a caricature of a Wuxia warrior in Elnor and the incoherent Raffi whose preference to call Picard 'JL', made me want to vomit every time I heard it.

The entire universe feels off and has the outer appearance of Star Trek but ignores all the rules and logic that shape that universe. Federation people swearing like rap artists, humans still live in poverty, smoking and taking drugs, Starfleet led by foul mouthed and angry xenophobes - this is not the Gene Roddenberry's vision of the 24th century.

In fact, the dialogue and characterization are so juvenile that at times I thought I was watching a CW melodrama. Instead of that optimistic spirit and unity in the face of adversity and conflicts from the old series we've come to love, we now have literally dark show that is obsessed with close-ups, lens flare and torture scenes. Who are producing and writing these garbage?

What a shame and a missed opportunity, they should really think about getting genuine Trek writers if they want to win the fans back for Season 2. Three points for Seven of Nine and seeing old faces like Hugh, Riker, Troi and Data.

I won't be watching Season 2, and will be keeping to The Orville, thank you very much.

Us (II) (2019)

A bland horror and let down from the highly entertaining Get Out

[5/10 · 10 June 2019]

I really like Get Out, but found Us to be bland and uninspired. No intriguing subtext nor social commentary, and no humor in it too. I think Lupita acted well but I couldn't be absorbed into the movie, there seems to be an aloofness to it all. And I never really went through the journey with any of the characters, unlike Get Out. A shame really as it could have gone somewhere incredible or twisted. Speaking of the twist, it was predictable from about a quarter through the movie.

The problem is that US recycles a number of older horror movies which did each of the theme better: Invasion of the Body Snatcher, Logan's Run and The One I Love came to mind.

The opening text was misleading too, I thought it was alluding to some sort of subterranean mutant world or a supernatural dimension. The film is a bit of a mess, although the actors gave pretty solid performance. It's just they are not that well written nor interesting for me to sympathize with. None of them are.

Jordan Peele needed to cook this one a bit longer.

Kingdom (2019–2020)

An entertaining medieval zombie flick that lacks the intensity of Train to Busan

[7/10 · 16 February 2019]

I have not read the comic source of Kingdom, so I can only judge it based on the Netflix TV series version. For a long time zombie flick fan I must say that this was a surprisingly fresh take on the zombie sub-genre set in medieval Korea. I would imagine that people living in that era would have been stronger, more savage and handy with weapons, thus they would fare better in a zombie apocalypse than their 21st-century counterparts. Alas, many of the characters especially the would-be victims act and think like modern people. They bicker and stay frozen in times of dire situation. There are a lot of posturing, waiting and being shocked by the horror that surrounds them. The series would be scarier if these characters would display their savage nature and still horribly die in the face of unstoppable zombie horde.

This leads me to my second biggest criticism of the show: the extras should have spent more time in zombie-acting school so they could move, run and behave like a zombies. Instead most of the time these Korean zombies were running like a mob of hobos. The outbreaks of zombie epidemic becomes more like a mad dash of rioters during a clothing sale at the local mall.

Other than those main complaints I thought the first season was fun, fresh and an interesting take on a zombie sub-genre. And the production value was really high and sometimes it feels like promotional videos for Korea tourism.

I'm certainly looking forward for the second season, and hoping they will improve the intensity of the show so it's closer to what I had experienced with Train to Busan. I'm also a little disappointed that the end of the first season reveals the nature of the infected horde, which made them more like the Wights from Game of Thrones.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Right down there with the Twilight series

[4/10 · 16 November 2018]

Cash grab J.K. Rowling with her merry band of Hollyweird associates wooed audiences with nice period costumes and quality production, covering a carcass of hollow story and characters bereft of real drama. It is the kind of quality writing on par with the likes of Twilight series.

Life (I) (2017)

Surprisingly an effective scifi-horror in the tradition of Alien

[7/10 · 1 January 2018]

There are so many negative reviews about Life, yet I found this sci-fi horror to be effective and a genuine tribute to Alien. The cast all performed well and relatable. Only one character who genuinely pissed me off, whereas in other space horror movies, usually the majority of them would be annoying and silly.

Although the dialogues and themes explored are not as philosophical as in Sunshine, they are much better written and acted characters compared to the jokers in Gravity.

The seven astronauts working on the Mars lifeform aboard ISS are more believable and likeable than those jokers in Gravity.

Here, the special effect of the ISS is well done, except for the part of the astronauts floating effect. You can see where they attached the actors with strings to float them. The ISS itself is well designed and there are some creative camera techniques in this movie.

Now when it comes to the horror element, I think the director and cast have done a good job in creating sheer terror. Over the span of the movie, the cute little algae-alien rapidly evolves into a ravenous space starfish. Some of the chase and hide & seek scenes are fresh and creatively written, although at times what the characters do or say have been designed to entertain and create suspense while sacrificing a more realistic approach that movies like 2001 or Interstellar have done.

There are moments throughout the movie that disgusted and scared me in a good way. In a way that transported me to a time when I watched Alien and Aliens for the first time as a young chap. Ironically, Life is more successful in creating that foreboding terror than Alien: Covenant.

Give this movie a chance and enjoy the ride.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

A sumptuous sequel to Blade Runner that is in love with its own aesthetics but missing the soulfulness of its predecessor

[7/10 · 21 October 2017]

I guess my expectation was a little too high for Blade Runner 2049. I enjoyed Sicario and Arrival, and was excited to see what director Denis Villeneuve would bring to the classic sci-fi world of Blade Runner.

My expectation was further built up after watching the three excellent short stories that the studio released on YouTube. They were wonderful short-films themselves. The narrative, the mood and the acting of the three shorts were nothing short of astounding.

Now I'd like to point out that Blade Runner 2049 is a really well made film. You can feel the passion and respect of the film crew and cast in revisiting the dystopian world first written by Philip K. Dick decades ago.

That story has been further expanded with intriguing new characters, both humans and replicants. However, at 47 minutes longer than the original movie, the film felt protracted. It seems Villeneuve is in love with his own storytelling as there were too many lingering shots over barren landscapes, the horse sculpture scenes and conversational points that felt somehow hollow.

Although the visual aesthetics is gorgeous and the production design is top notch, I feel that 2049 couldn't decide if it wants to be Blade Runner 2.0, or Ghost in the Shell. The first is an existential study of identity and memory wrapped in neo-noir detective story in a dystopian retro-future. While the latter is an existential study of soul/consciousness wrapped in an action hi-tech thriller.

Maybe Villeneuve or the screenwriters wanted 2049 to be both. Certainly, there are more and frenetic action sequences in this movie that for me, feels jarring when juxtaposed with the slow and contemplative sequences that almost drown the narrative flow of the second arc.

It didn't help that the soundtrack was heavily post-industrious with mechanical clanking screeching over nostalgic synthesizer of the original's. While, the overall cityscape and gears in 2049 are kept retro-futurist looking, this sequel has lost the neo-noir feel of the original. Contemplative scenes and longing gazes of the original are replaced by emotionless look and disconnection between the characters.

While the sense of mystery kept me engaged in the first half of the movie, the slow burn sequences in the middle and last part of the movie didn't really build up enough tension nor immersion in the story. So when the revelations of beloved characters showed up, they didn't feel so much as rewards but empty shells of their former selves.

I agree that both Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas are beautiful to look at, but there is something mundane about them that kept pulling me out of the futuristic world. Perhaps someone like Armie Hammer would have been a better choice than Gosling. There is also very little chemistry from K towards Joi, and I'm not sure if it was written to be that way. Because K's interaction with almost all the characters in the movie were cold and disconnected as well. He posed and fought well throughout the movie, but when it comes to the investigative or character building portion, he didn't feel natural.

I guess I found Detective K's character too stoic to sympathize with. More at home with his digital girlfriend than with humans, this blade runner does not exude enough emotion for me to understand his anguish outburst at the memories facility, neither did he hint at any stirring emotions that would make his character arc felt satisfying.

In the end Roy's tears in the rain was more poignant than K's tears in the snowfall. If Blade Runner was haunting and dark, 2049 is tragic and sleek. I do enjoy the plot twists and revelations, but wish they had substituted some (but not all) of the lingering shots with more character building, especially building up Bautista's Sapper and Leto's Wallace characters. I appreciate the nods to the original movies with a slightly updated Spinner design and cameos from both Gaff and Rachael.

In the end though, I'm glad they made this movie with such fervour and respect to its predecessor and to the original fans. It's just a pity that 2049 in my opinion lacks heart and soul of the original's. Who knows, perhaps like the original, I'll come to appreciate 2049 upon second or third viewing. Perhaps this movie is truly ahead of its time, much like Ridley Scott's Blade Runner.

One thing for sure, Blade Runner 2049 deserved to be experienced on the big screen. And it's a leap above Rupert Sanders' Ghost in the Shell.

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Hollywood's take on Ghost in the Shell, that is more of a shell lacking its soul. Pretty to look at but weak on story and characterization

[6/10 · 1 April 2017]

Just got back from watching Ghost in the Shell movie today. I love the original manga by Masamune Shirow and think that Mamori Oshii's anime version was good but quite a different beast. Basically, Oshii chose the latter chapters from the manga series and used them as a platform for his existential psycho-babble about the nature of memories, identity and soul (ghost) in a world where the line between humans and machines blur.

Similarly, Rupert Sander's version is a also different beast although it pays tribute to a lot of sequences from the anime version including story arcs and characters from the Stand Alone Complex anime series.

I find Sander's movie to be lacking depth, and both the screenplay and characterisation were poorly executed. All in all I think he missed a big chance to bring the GITS world into a cinematic live-action experience. I am unsure why he introduced four new female characters who took away much of the screen times from other Section 9 members: two of them were generic scientists with lackluster personalities and another character felt out of place from the rest of Section 9 team. The only one with any meaningful existence is the mother character.

I feel that the addition of these four new characters didn't add much layers to the storyline, and in doing so, Sanders sacrificed opportunities for other Section 9's members to interact and develop their relationship with Major. I wonder if Sanders wanted to have a play with gender politics in this movie, otherwise I thought the action, VFX and production design were really good.

It's also a shame Kenji Kawai's eerie and spiritual music were only used sparingly and the Tachikoma's design was rather too angular and coloured in industrial grey. Both my wife and I almost felt asleep a couple of times throughout the movie, and that is due to Sander's inconsistent direction and weak screenplay.

Most of my scores go to Weta Workshop for their excellent works, and ScarJo's acting was actually decent although I feel she was playing a different incarnation of the character that I knew from the original materials. No doubt that she was always pleasant to look at, but nowhere near the mysterious and tough-as-metal Major Kusanagi from the anime nor manga.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Rogue One stands out as the rogue in the family

[7/10 · 16 December 2016]

SPOILERS AT YOUR 12

I give this movie 7.5 out of 10. It wins points for its freshness, introducing new elements to the Star Wars universe like new types of Stormtroopers and new vehicles, whilst teasing your nostalgic sensibilities. Classic characters from the original trilogy and prequels make cameos that build connections to both trilogies and the animated series. Even Aunt Beru's blue milk made an appearance.

I was personally delighted to see both Gold and Red Leaders from Episode IV and even a couple of familiar Cantina's thugs. The action pieces and production design are of high caliber - at once they fit within the Star Wars universe gritty and used looks, and at the same time they help heighten the war zone feel of the movie.

Like all the Star Wars movies, Rogue One takes its inspirations from classics like The Dirty Dozens and Saving Private Ryan. We have heard the story before, things are familiar and yet within the context of Star Wars - they feel bold and brave. Kudos to all the film crew and cast for pushing the envelope and stay close to the director's vision, despite I heard Disney's attempt at making it child-friendly.

And this is where the movie starts to lose points: although the narrative is solid and the story flow doesn't feel 'Forced', it is uneven at places. Especially every time they threw a joke in what should have been a somber or a tensed sequence. There are too many times this happens that I never feel truly immersed in the world. The jokes, admittedly funny, were too frequent and peppered throughout the movie that they diminish the weight of the situation and all the sacrifices that climax with the death of all the main characters.

Additionally, many of the powerful shots and sequences from the second trailer are not in the movie. I would have loved to see that rebel soldier running towards the AT-AT.

At times, it also felt they put in too many references to the original movies that Rogue One never quite spread its wings and be a truly independent vision from all its predecessors.

However, I am sill happy with the overall movie. It is better paced and told compared to Episode VII. It's got my childhood hero Donnie Yen and all the other cast and characters brought gravitas and quality to their performances. Unlike the cast of Episode VII who at times felt like they were so giddy to be in Star Wars and were there simply to stitch the set pieces together. In Rogue One, each character feels they belong with the story line.

Lastly, for a couple of minutes the end sequence made me feel like a boy again: I was five or six watching Episode IV for the first time on TV, terrorized by Darth Vader as he invaded Tantive V and walks through that smoky hallway amongst dead rebel soldiers. For those two glorious minutes I thank Gareth Edwards for finally delivering a Star Wars film worthy of the classic trilogy.

Rogue One never reaches the height of the original trilogy, but it is certainly a bold and fresh take on the Star Wars legacy that more than makes up for last year's recycled sequel from J.J. Abrams.

Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005)

This movie has lots of heart

[9/10 · 28 November 2016]

I have watched Always - Sunset on Third Boulevard three times and it remains a wonderful movie experience. It gets better with each viewing like a well cooked broth. It is funny and touching at the right time. The pacing of the movie and some scenes felt like they came out of the manga, although it has so much more to offer.

The cinematography and music help set a nostalgic feel of what it might have been like in 1950s Tokyo. It is full of spirit and energy where the country is on an accelerated path in rebuilding and redefining itself. There is hint of the Meiji Restoration, where the denizens of Tokyo enthusiastically absorb Western cultures, from pro-wrestling to Coca-Cola.

And the building of Tokyo Tower, itself a smaller replica of The Eiffel, symbolizes the emergence of post-WW II Japan - a dichotomy of Eastern identity that embraces Western advancements.

The product design and CGIs were top notch for its time, and I love how they use the different stages of Tokyo Tower's construction and the seasonal changes to mark the individual story arcs' progression.

The movie embraces its manga roots with sincerity: all the characters' quirks and social slapsticks remain intact. Horikita Maki's Mutsuko is simply adorable as the country girl (check out that rural dialect) trying to make it in a big city. The uncommon romance between the gorgeous host girl Hiromi and the oddball writer Ryunosuke. Plus many more delightful details make Always, not only a funny snapshot of behavioral comedy, but also a touching ode to a bygone era.

How can you not love a movie filled with this much heart?

The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)

A well made horror gem marred by its horrible message

[2/10 · 24 April 2016]

This is the first time I ever gave a well made movie a vote of 2 due to its horrible message about faith, family and for its satanic undertone.

One point is given for its well-researched, written, directed and acted film. The production value and cinematography are excellent for an indie movie. I applaud the director's effort to stay true to his vision, and perhaps somewhere in there, was a genuine attempt to create a contemporary horror inspired by 'folk tales, fairy tales and true accounts of witch craft' as stated by the pre-credit scene. The director himself has said he wanted to create a horror tale that befitted his home in New England.

The second point is given for the cast's amazing acting, especially Anya Taylor-Joy. She was a revelation to behold, captivating and hypnotizing just like Natalie Portman was in Leon The Professional.

The movie felt like what it would be like if 'The Blair Witch Project' had been directed by Terrence Malick. However, unlike Malick's overarching theme of enlightenment or spiritualism via Nature and its ties with humanity, Egger's The Witch feels like the Bizarro of Superman. The Witch is like an evil doppelganger of Malick's movies, where faith, family unity and nature itself are constantly doubted, inherently flawed and imbued with the propensity towards Evil.

SPOILERS The animals, forest and weather in the movie are means by which the Devil himself tears the family apart.

The witch craft and hex scenes are truly disturbing and the overall tone of the movie made me feel sick. And I grew up watching horror movies for over three decades.

At the end when all the children are dead, the parents murdered and the baby boy slaughtered, we found the surviving daughter, Thomasin, actually converted to wicca and joined the coven. The very coven, whose member has attacked, abducted, molested and murdered her family.

Some critics said the movie was about feminism and its fight against patriarchy. But when The Satanic Temple praised its message about women liberation and satanic spirituality, is that actually a positive message? Would you equate feminism = satanic worship? Is Wicca = Satanism?

There are some horrific scenes in the movies that are disturbing on a visual, aural and intrinsic levels.

The ending also finds our young protagonist joining the coven, flying towards the moon naked and filled with ecstasy. All of these after signing her name on the book of the damned as she was tempted by Black Phillip. It was also revealed that the production house of the movie, A24, collaborated with The Satanic Temple in Detroit to promote the movie by setting up advance screening.

The production house might have thought this was a smart marketing strategy to promote the movie. The director, Robert Eggers, might have not intended a feminist read into the movie or even to make his film a satanic propaganda. Regardless of what their true motivations were, I find this movie thoroughly irresponsible in its depiction of nature worship, feminism and psychological traumas.

Could we believe that the award-winning level of fastidiousness and filmmaking skills of the director (and the studio) be complemented by such massive disregards for spiritualism. Is the nightmarish and downright anti-social message of the movie simply an ill-considered side effect of the director's attempt to shock and awe his audience.

However you want to cut this cake - I'd say for the love of everything that is good and holy in the world - stay away from watching this ill conceived movie.

It's not only sacrilegious towards religion, but towards life and nature itself.

Lucifer (2016–2021)

A hollow adaptation of Mike Carey's Lucifer that resembles its comics book source in all but name.

[3/10 · 30 January 2016]

It's good to see Vertigo titles getting green-lit for the small screen, however they tend to have poor ratings or at times their screenwriters were unable to keep to the comics books mythologies. The well-intended Constantine TV series, for example, had its protagonist staying relatively close to its comics book's persona (compared to the Keanu Reeves' movie version). But alas, that show got canned after lukewarm receptions on its 1st Season. It was a tragic attempt at serializing one of the great graphic literatures for the television.

NBC's Constantine stayed remarkably close to its comics counterpart, albeit the character's motives and moral compass were adjusted to make him more palatable to the general audience.

Similarly, Fox's Lucifer had been turned into a mutated clone of its superior comics version. For instance, in the pilot episode we see Lucifer Morningstar partners up with a detective to solve mundane crimes because he 'cares' about humanity. Then there is the sub-plot involving his growing (dis)affection to the said detective's juvenile daughter. The characterization feels disingenuous, awkward and makes no sense at all.

In fact, Fox's Lucifer is a pale facsimile of the truly intriguing character, first created by Neil Gaiman, and later fully fleshed out by Mike Carey. In the comics series you became immersed in the esoteric underworking of the spiritual realms, and even sympathize with the Devil because of you begin to care about his journey and storyline. In the series he stayed true to his evil origin and antagonistic nature towards God. But you begin to understand his struggle and indifference to humanity, as these reflect our own journeys as human beings faced with our daily sufferings and challenges.

In fact, the character of Lucifer (in the comics) is a reflection of our own foibles and failings as a species.

Gone were the white clothing, the blonde hair, the elegant and devilishly classy demeanor that made Lucifer character one of the most enduring comics book personalities. It would be interesting to see how the story pans out too, as the consistently well-written Vertigo title lies heavily on its supernatural themes, whereas the TV version seems adamant on making Lucifer as mundane as it gets.

His classy jazz club had been turned into a strange pub-cum-strip-joint. The mysterious and strong Mazikeen in the TV series became a whiny and lusty bartender.

Whilst in the comics, Morningstar couldn't care less about the fate of humanity and would rather spend his days playing the piano and singing in his club, Tom Ellis' portrayal of him is too flamboyant and too eager to care/help humans. He is filled with so much lust and sleaze, that he would make a used-car salesman or a pimp blush.

I feel that the 42-min pilot had almost no resemblance to its source, except at a superficial level. It is a hollow adaptation that betrays the high quality storytelling that made both Neil Gaiman and Mike Carey's writings great.

The Assassin (2015)

My poor in-laws fell asleep through this movie

[1/10 · 30 July 2015]

The in-laws are visiting us in New Zealand and Dad loves Chinese period drama and martial art movie. He was in awe with The Civic building, where this movie was playing so I decided to buy them tickets to The Assassins, thinking that he might be able to explore The Civic and enjoy a movie in mandarin.

When they came home that night, he told me how marvellous The Civic theatre was. Unfortunately, the movie was terribly long, slow and badly directed. He couldn't even understand the spoken mandarin even though he was well versed in it.

The goat scene was the most puzzling part for him, and he fell asleep a few times.

I'm glad he enjoyed the Civic, but I'd advise from watching this movie if someone like my Dad couldn't go through with it.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

A madly beautiful post-apocalyptic movie in ages

[9/10 · 6 June 2015]

Insane. Captivating. Frenetic. Visceral. Beautiful.

Mad Max Fury Road is a frenetic roller coaster ride unlike any other. It was written with minimalist dialogue, saturated colour palette and a visceral neck break speed. The smooth blend between practical VFX and CGI makes the movie believable, and yet feels so otherworldly.

Miller & co. directed his movie like fine arts maestros as if it were a motion painting - an artistic expression of art, visual, sound and motion.

In Fury Road, we find Max Rockatansky played by Tom Hardy, haunted by his past (with strobing flashes of characters from the first movie) traversing the bleak desert landscape of a future world where the Earth has become almost barren due to nuclear war. There he struggles to survive by driving his Interceptor car from place to place, avoiding marauding gangs and running away from the ghosts of his past.

We find Max's survival skills intact, wearing the same jacket from the Mel Gibson's days, complete with his cool Interceptor, knee harness and shotgun. I still miss his dog, and it is a pity that the Interceptor is destroyed so quickly in the beginning of the movie. I've read that the video game builds a back story where you control Max and trying to build his Interceptor.

The movie movie is set in a world where food and water are scarce. Nature and humans have mutated, and humanity is enslaved by its own survival instinct. In this chapter, we get a glimpse of a town ruled by Immortan Joe, a disfigured old tyrant, who lives atop a rocky cliff. In the caverns of his palace, he has adequate water, plants and slaves to do his bidding.

From time to time, he would send out his lieutenant, Imperator Furiosa, to retrieve oil from one of the last remaining oil rigs near his town. The movie's plot basically revolves around Furiosa's plot to safely elope with Immortan's wives to the Green Place, her childhood birthplace.

Almost the entire movie is a long string of car chase sequences, that needs to be experienced in the cinema. It's simply a tour de force of the car chase sub-genre. In a time when we have series like The Transporter, Fast Furious and well made post-apocalyptic features - it's amazing how Fury Road can stands on its own weight and deliver something fresh and unique.

I have to say that compared with Gibson's version, Hardy's Max is slightly mad and at times feels like he is just a passenger in Furiosa's story. The scenes with the guitarist, the custom cars and war rigs fights were thrilling and pure popcorn cinema.

Though the level of violence is not as brutal as Mad Max 1 & 2, Fury Road is still dark and unsettling in some places. My wife still finds the movie too violent, but nevertheless entertaining.

Go see it today, you owe yourself a speedy treat!

The Garden of Words (2013)

Worthy of Takahata Isao

[8/10 · 19 April 2014]

Garden of Words is simply gorgeous to look at. Scenes that were outsourced to non- Japanese animation studio do suffer from sub standard quality but they were few in far in between that you don't mind them at all. The lingering shots of raindrops, maple leaves caressing a pond and other breathtaking shots were otherwise done with superb animation and cinematography that you can't help but fall in love with Japan again.

Though most of the setting take place in Shinjuku Park and it it a small short film, the emotional depth is expansive and engaging.

Tackling a forbidden romance between a shoemaking aspiring 15-year old boy and his 27- year old literature teacher, this could have turned dark and disturbing if not for Shinkai's expert direction. He focused more on the developing inner thoughts, feelings and non- judgmental in depicting the repercussion of such relationship.

Honest, caring and gentle - Garden of Words is simply a delight to experience. His latest anime has convinced me that Makoto Shinkai is more comparable to the great Takahata Isao, the anime maestro who is the soul and conscience of Studio Ghibli.

Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011)

Excruciating samurai drama with seppuku as its narrative vehicle.

[7/10 · 2 January 2014]

I have to say that Miike's jidaigeki or chanbara movies tend to be more consistently mature, well produced and of high quality narration. There are instances of the auteur director's trademark brutality or fetish popping up in one or two scenes in 13 Assassins as well as in Hara-Kiri.

But in the latter's case, it's almost entirely appropriate as the camera lingers on the excruciating pain suffered by samurais committing seppuku, the suicide ritual of regaining one's honour.

I watched 13 Assassins first, and had an uncomfortable premonition that Miike would shoot a movie with harakiri with its central theme, as 13 Assassins was opened with a painful harakiri scene. I felt that Miike hasn't completely purged his inner demons yet with that short but deeply affecting scene.

So now we have a well-made remake, with harakiri or seppuku as the movie's central narrative vehicle. I haven't actually watched the 1962 original, but feels that Miike's version has little pay offs by the end of the story.

Don't get me wrong, it is a well told, well acted piece of samurai drama with a strong message at the end of the movie - that by the time of the Edo period, honour in the samurai caste is but a farce or of superficial value. Reading Japanese feudal history, one would even assume that there was little honour to begin with when it came to the samurai caste of the past.

I find that the situation that the poor samurai families had to go through during that time was presented with panache, but I can't shake the feeling of fatality and hopelessness in Harakiri. I guess such feelings is to be expected of Miike's movies. His movies are rarely uplifting, although I have to say that I was totally satisfied, elevated even, with the ending of 13 Assassins.

Harakiri is bitter all the way through, with very little sweetness. It reminds me of classical novels where all the main protagonists suffer through the story and all end up dying in horrible manners.

I'm going to have to watch Samurai Fiction a couple of times to wash away the sadness that still lingers after watching Harakiri.

Oblivion (I) (2013)

An engaging sci-fi with heart and soul

[8/10 · 28 April 2013]

It's by serendipity that Iron Man 3 ticket ran out and we ended up watching Oblivion in a cinema filled with only a dozen audience.

However, the movie was such a wonderful experience (even cathartic I might add) and mature in its sci-fi conception, that we left the theatre feeling satisfied.

Oblivion feels like a love letter to classic sci-fi movies of bygone eras. As the writer-director Kosinski weaved an intricate narrative that questions the correlation between memories, love and the human identity in this post-apocalyptic future.

The production design is reminiscent of Moon and Alien, whilst the minimalist cast and setting work well with the theme of isolation and 'last humans on Earth'. I would love to live in Jack Harper's Zen-like residence above the clouds.

There are so many homages to classic sci-fi films such as Logan's Run, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, Silent Running, Total Recall to modern ones like Moon and War of the Worlds.

The music is excellent and has a nostalgic vibe to it. The cast and acting are well performed and consistent. Although I think there is a little pacing issue especially during the lake cabin scenes. And perhaps a lack of chemistry between Kurylenko and Cruise, but the storyline makes up for it.

But overall, Oblivion has become another favourite of mine, and deserve to enter the hall of classic sci-fi films for the ages.