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Dune: Part Two (2024)
Fumble at the endline
I have to say I was profoundly disappointed in the second instalment of Dune - I left the theatre with the same feeling I would have had if Peter Jackson had fumbled the end of the Lord of the Rings.
There is little to point fingers at in casting, cinematography or design - its fully as beautiful and epic and true to manifesting the universe of Dune.
My disappointment comes from the omission of central characters or changes to these and their story arcs.
My list:
* The lack of Tuffir Hawat and the whole extra play for treachery vs loyalty that his enslavement to the Harkonnen entailed.
* That Alia was not allowed to grow to become a creepy little kid and her place in incapacitating the old Baron Harkonnen.
* That Baron Harkonnen was now killed by Paul.
* The change in the dynamic of Chani, Paul and Jessica with Chani being substantially more hostile and the heart-breaking ending of the movie with her believing Paul has abandoned her.
Jessica becoming a sinister figure who fans the flames of religions war and frankly does not resemble how I read her.
* The lack of the confrontation between Gurney Halleck and Jessica when he believes she was the traitor - it would not have taken more than 5-10 minutes to resolve and its a central dramatic point.
* That the Emperor is challenged to come to Arrakis by Paul and doesnt come there on his own power to solve the issue of faltering spice - and presenting Baron Harkonnen with Rabban's head.
* That Stilgar becomes a comic figure of belief - in the books he is a believer but still a pragmatic bedrock of a man and frankly the change is not good.
* The whole showdown between Emperor, Bene Geneserit and Paul seemed almost a side note with very little dramatic value - horrific underuse of Christopher Walken.
* The whole introduction of lack of belief in the messiah figure and the younger generation not buying into it and a division between north and south Arakkis - it might be more modern, but it rang false to the source material.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
that was TERRIBLE!!!
It seems like Taika just tried to wing this one and just make it one big laugh - but what worked in Ragnarok cannot just be repeated and reused. Rather than throw in a few laughs this one tried to make it a neverending stream of jokes and laughs, which REALLY doesn't work when you are also trying to sell some seriously dramatic content.
Honestly it feels like this one was phoned in and Taika didn't know which direction he was going - and even with Christian Bale, Portman and Hemsworth working hard to make this one work, its just wasted opportunity and a very poor ending to the Thor saga.
I had really hoped that this was just the usual ruckus with a stronger female co-lead but honestly jump part this one in the watch list and avoid seeing some great Marvel properties being squandered on cheap laughs.
Kind of wondering where Kevin Feige was on this one? Has he stopped having a watchful eye on the Marvel line?
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)
Too early to tell where this is going but its a good start
This is clearly its own thing and not Peter Jackson's LotR trilogy l, but that's not a bad thing.
Good actors, serious cinematography and effects - this is very clearly a big budget production.
The first two episodes are what is out now and they are building pace, so if you are the impatient kind, you will probably be ignored.
Lots of new characters (we already knew this) but also lore well-knowns like Durin, Celebrimbor and of course Galadriel and Elrond - looking forward to getting to know everyone.
This feels like Middle Earth and there is some good world building going on - and ignore all the neckbeard review bombers: this is not the end of life as we know it.
Jinsei furûtsu (2017)
Life-affirming and heartwarming
If you are looking for fast action and easy-to-consume media, look elsewhere, this is not for you.
The documentary follows 90-year-old architect Shuichi Tsubata and his 87-year-old wife Hideko live in Aichi Prefecture. They are entirely self-sufficient from the many fruits and vegetables growing in their huge garden.
The couple lives in harmony with nature and are utterly disconnected from the stress of modern life.
As the documentary progresses, we dive into the past of Shuichi Tsubata and learn of his original meeting with Aichi Prefecture as a young man proposing a way of building housing that were in harmony with nature after WW2 - but the government refused because being able to house maximum amount of people on the minimum amount of place was the only priority.
Shuichi Tsubata has spent his entirely life trying to live his beliefs - changing the area, living by example and even getting classes established for kids to learn about a more sustainable way of life.
On top of this, we follow the every-day life of the couple with many little rituals and details - with enormous vitality and love of life, the two are an inspirational meeting to say the least.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Who greenlit this dumpster fire?
I am not surprised that the 4th Matrix movie is bad but I am surprised at how much of a dumpster fire it is AND that this actually ever got madd - they seriously could not see thay this was a stillborn idea?
The idea that a new Matrix has risen is fair enough and that a new Architect would rise that couls do it better - but trying to resurrect the effoet of Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving usibg actors who has not an ounce of their charisma and style, that was doomed to fail.
That and the fact that the story is quite dull ans mostly a rehash of previous movies when it comes to the action, well it juat quickly becomes something you should see on fast forward.
The Book of Boba Fett (2021)
A series where the title character goes missing for 2 episodes?!?!?!
I actually think this started out very well but it seems like they either switched writers or didnt have enough ideas for the whole series, as this has certainly lost its pace and way.
2 episodes suddenly sidetracks into The Mandalorian and I came to see ONE Mandalorian and his name is Boba Fett - so that has been a massive disappointment and I have frankly seen the past two episodes on fast forward.
The show has made heavy use of mix between current time and flashbacks - and its a trick that doesnt continue to work, when we know Boba is going to track back in time every time he goes into the bacta tank - go back and do the past until its done, then play out the current time; that would be my preference.
Its a real shame the wheels have come off - its rather well casted, the initial detailing of the Tusken Raiders was super but then it just went poof.
I went from a solid 8 to a 5 on this.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts (2022)
Too staged, too controlled, too sentimental
I love the movies but this reunion was just too staged and insistent on placing the actors in the well-known scenic sets.
Too much direction and control - I feel this would have been better served by a round-table talkin the actor's guild format, so we could have dug a bit deeper than what was presented.
Also leaving out JK Rowling and just using archive footage of her was utterly cowardly. If WB had focused more on telling a great story than protecting their golden brand, this would have been worthwhile.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Fine martial arts/fantasy movie - it just has very little to do with Shang-Chi comics
I realize that there are some problematic elements in the original Shang-Chi Master of Kung-Fu comics and I was not expecting a 1:1 between comics and movie, but this has nothing in common with the comics except the name of main character.
Its a fine martial arts movie and good fun for most of the family as its the usual soft-violence from Marvel where people might die, but it happens very cleanly.
I assume there is both cultural and copyright issues with using Dr Fu Manchu at the main villain, but he was always the most interesting part of that universe - a villain utterly devoid of pity and wielding virtually unknown science that seemed a mix of black magic, alchemy and traditional science. He could easily have been updated instead of turning him into a bland martial arts powered warlord.
All in all - this movie fails spectacularly in leveraging the entire gallery of interesting characters and stories from the comic books and I must say I was very disappointed at the cookie-cutter martial arts adventure I got served up.
Red Notice (2021)
Cookie-cutter template action movie that wants to be a heist, a buddy and an indiana jones flick
I was thinking Red Notice looked like a fun romp from the trailers but I gotta say its mostly firing on all the default cylinders - but if you just want more of the same, it's probably going to get ok.
The movie tries unsuccessfully to mix a elements of heist movie, buddy flick and even throw in some Indiana Jones elements to mix it all up. But the story line is paper thin and takes you video game style (scenic opening shot + name of what city/locale you are looking at) from location to location without much transition.
On the main actors - this is more cookie cutter,
The Rock plays The Rock as he has done in so many movies. Ryan Reynolds defaults to wisecracking Deadpool style. Gal Gadot shows some sparks as potential diabolical villain (she should really explore that) but it is all very very bland.
To keep things moving, there is added an Interpol.agent thrown into this who chase Johnson and Reynolds around - with the little factual mistake of American writers having once again gotten the idea that they are an international FBI.
I would have to say this is utterly forgettable and could easily have been made much, much better - certainly very easy money for the 3 leads.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Don't understand the hate this one is getting - perfectly fine Wonder Woman movie
I must say I was somewhat tiptoeing in to seeing this and grabbed it when iTunes has a special short-time price. Overall - I gotta say I don't get the hate here - this cannot be over the movie.
That a relic from the gods is found and wrecks havoc, demanding hard choices and sacrifices to overcome the challenges and save the day - that is core Wonder Woman stuff.
I was happy to see Chris Pine return, even in a roundabout way, as he and Gal Gadot has absolute perfect on-screen chemistry and just seem to bounce off each other like choreographed.
And their relationship also is a great vehicle for exploring the absolute core of Wonder Woman - and perhaps that is what is throwing people off here; this is not another movie of Wonder Woman kicking ass, but rather finally facing up to having locked herself away from the world and what it is costing here - there are some serious leaps of growth as a character and I certainly hope to see Gal Gadot return to this role; albeit, I would appreciate a third movie with some more omph! :)
The ending of Max Lord is perhaps the weakest point in this movie - without spoiling everything, I think he gets away too easy, that feels definitely unsatisfying.
Mr. Right (2015)
Perfect mix of chemistry, weird and quirky
A hitman who doesn't want to be a hitman anymore and falls in love - it's a weird premise but it's carried to perfection by Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick. Both share a great chemistry and while this movie is certainly not for everyone, I thought it was a charming and fun romp, underscored by a lot of beautifully choreographed violence and good laughs
The Mandalorian (2019)
THIS feels like Star Wars
After 5 minutes this feels like Star Wars - true to the bone A New Hope Star Wars - and that feeling doesn't go away.
That is all you need to know.
Missing Link (2019)
Good technical effort but not as engaging as expected
There is no denying that the Laika movies are wonders of technical achievement taking stop motion to places you never expected with amazing characters, scenes and environments. The voice acting is top notch with Hugh Jackman and Zach Gallifianakis delivering strong performances.
However, the movie falls short of really being engaging and you will have seen most of the best moments already in the trailer - which frankly made this look a lot better. Maybe I was expecting something like Pirates! but it just didn't deliver on that and overall I felt a bit disappointed after having followed this tale.
Hellboy (2019)
Getting a lot of hate - not entirely deserved - closer to the comics that before
This movie is getting a lot of hate and I think it is not entirely deserved - a lot of it seems to be "this is not Del Toro - hate it!" I will admit to maybe being to close to the subject matter as an avid Hellboy reader of many, many years, but this is much closer to the comic book source than Del Toro's version ever was and if the director/script writer/producers had stuck to that strength, it would have been a serious reboot.
Instead there is a strange tendency to wanting to pay homage to the Del Toro version, which only waters down the overall impression and impact of the movie.
If this movie deserves hate for anything, it's for the atrocious use of random rock music for action sequences, which seems like the way a 14-year-old would score this movie, instead of using a proper musical score. It outright ruins the enjoyment of these sequences.
THIS is actually much, much, much closer to the comic book Hellboy instead of the thug buffoon that Del Toro created and which I must admit I was annoyed with. Characters from the books are shown very close to their book counterparts, but I fear there is too little overall context for anyone not well-versed in the comic books.
I think David Harbour was actually a wonderful Hellboy and could easily have carried more movies - but I think that is not likely to happen.
The main Achilles heel of this movie is that it takes the story lines The Wild Hunt, The Storm and the Fury and elements of Darkness Calls and the short story Hellboy in Mexico and mash them together to create one movie. This means unsuspecting movie goers are subjected to a barrage of characters and there is too little time to properly describe and represent them.
For Hellboy readers, there is a fun visit with many classic characters but it is wrapped in a storyline that wants to do too much. I can't help but feel this would have been better served being turned into a TV show.
For the casual moviegoer, there is too much going on and too many characters being introduced to really appreciate it all. It is a fantasy/horror rump that is no better or worse than the two previous movies.
For Del Toro fanboys, this is a movie that doesnt bow down fully to the predecessors and neckbeard rage will ensue.
John Carter (2012)
Most maligned movie - most unjust
This is a marvelous translation to movie format of the classic John Carter saga - and it got its chance at launching a new franchise ruined by fanboys and haters - it seemed that it became a trend to hate this movie.
Not only is this true to the novels, those who like me were raised on Marvel's Warlord of Mars series, will find many things recognizable too. Amazingly well cast, fantastic visuals and a rich narrative - its one flaw might be, that it is not as fast paced as an attention deficient audience is used to, this hails from a time where you build up your story.
This is not only an excellent sci-fi movie but also a love letter to the pulp era.
Batman Ninja (2018)
Not much Ninja in Batman Ninja
I must say I was initially very excited for this title - to see what some great people in character and animation design could do with a Batman transported back to feudal Japan - what was not to like? I also have to say I regret having purchased this title as it is mediocre at best - an uninspired attempt.
Instead of actual use of the mythology surrounding Ninjas and in a historic era that contains a boundless amount of legends and great stories, the movie falls back to all the villains transported back in time (Joker, Deathstroke, Poison Ivy, Penguin and Two-Face) have built castles that can transform into giant robots and battle each other in those. This seems like almost a joke play on how some Japanese anime plays out. And don't even get me started on monkeys and bats combining into a giant organic Batman robot!
And yes - I had also seen the trailer with the Joker castle but I figured that was for a crazy no-holds-barred finale - instead of something that just rolls off 15-20 minutes into the movie.
What's worse - the rest of the villains are just backdrop, not really playing much of a role as it is of course the Joker who is the main villain character. They might as well have been left out.
There is also very little Ninja in Batman Ninja - yes he does ally with a Ninja clan and yes his sidekicks (Red Robin, Red Hood, etc) all have reinvented themselves as Anime-style ninjas - but there is not really much ninjaing going on - nothing that will add great mythology.
Usually DC creates excellent animated features that I have greatly enjoyed, but this one is a stinker and one to avoid
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
This is EVERYTHING the new Star Wars should have been - space-trucking drama and fun
In my mind, THIS is the very best comic adaptation on film to date - it blows away everything else. Of course, I admit I am biased because it also brings to the screen the fantastic, over-geared and outright psychedelic cosmic scene of the Marvel universe - this is the house built by Lee, Kirby and especially Starlin.
This is and has always been high fantasy/space opera in the purest form - and the movie pulls it off perfectly. But with a very intelligent twist, it also mixes in self-deprecating humor and doesn't take itself overly serious - laughter and drama goes hand in hand.
The cast itself walks right off the comic book pages - having grown up with Adam Warlock (I know - not in the movie but a lot of his supporting cast is) it was a thrill to see Gamora, Thanos, Drax and Ronan the Acuser come to life and be just perfect. Add to this Groot and Rocket - who blends right into the scenery and you forget they are CGI after a few minutes - and of course Peter Quill himself and you have dynamite waiting to blow.
The visuals are top notch, the main characters impeccable, the supporting cast flawless and sometimes handled by some serious A-listers like Benicio Del Toro and Glenn Close to name a few, the story line is almost classic Marvel adventure (bad guy wants to blow up universe - misfits band together - chaos and hilarity ensues - but it works and it evokes a feeling that THIS is what the prequel Star Wars movies should have been. Fun, drama, lovable rogues, CGI characters that have heart and a gleam in the eye and smile on the lip as everything goes to hell in a hand basket.
This movie has the wide-eyed wonder at high-fantasy space adventure fully intact and it shows.
I can't recall the last time I saw a movie where people spontaneously clapped and laughed at the same time - but this one pulls it off - that alone makes it worth an admission ticket :)
The Croods (2013)
Good fun, great voice-cast - highly recommended
I had seen nothing of the advertising for this movie and I didn't really know what to expect - perhaps more ice age stuff? But no - this has animation with focus on the fantastical, a great voice cast and a story line that is simple yet works surprisingly well and just invites you along for the ride.
Nicolas Cage as Cave-dad is fantastic - Cage should definitely do more voice-acting as it seems to set him free from his usual manic style and just deliver a very different thing. But everyone works - I don't know if the cast recorded their dialog together, but there just seems to be great chemistry between the characters.
And it's FUN! Great comedy - some of it slapstick, some of it from the character interaction and good dialog - and it doesn't take itself overly serious.
A warning to those demanding high doses of reality - this is NOT it. The Croods deliver a prehistoric setting in the best tradition of what-if - strange animals and creatures you could almost believe had existed once upon a time.
Highly recommended.