tbchico7 Reviews

Castlevania (2017–2021)

Netflix is really struggling with its anime content

[4/10 · 10 July 2017]

I will admit firstly that I have a sort of particular taste when it comes to anime, and I guess I'm a little fussy. I've read some positive reviews here and I'm glad that plenty of people are digging this so far. This review comes after four episodes, and here's what I have to say about this show:

I don't like it. It's weak in the writing department and especially with characters. The hero is your typical anime 'badass' who's cool, sarcastic, and on the surface uncaring but when the time comes will risk his life to help people. This kind of character can be done well, (I mean, look at Spike Spiegel) but in this case he feels like a caricature. I do sort of like Armitage's mumbly voice a little. The rest of the characters here are no better from what we see, though this rendition of Dracula is fairly interesting. Kinda wish the show spent more time on him to be honest.

The animation is pretty good, though some of the faces are hideous. A lot of the backgrounds look great, but that's to be expected in 2017 from a company as big as Netflix.

The show does have some things going for it. The gore is delightful, and it had me laughing out loud a few times. Some of the action scenes were pretty cool, especially a fight scene at the end of the fourth episode. Speaking of that, I think the writers really messed up ending the season with that encounter. It was easily the most interesting part of the show, and I feel it would have been much better off having gotten to that much sooner. Instead, we got way too many weak and contrived dialogue scenes from uninteresting characters.

Oh well! This definitely wasn't my cup of tea, but maybe if you're a fan of the video game series or are looking for a quick fantasy anime you might like this. I'll probably against my better judgment end up watching more since as I mentioned it was finally getting good at the end. Damn those cliffhangers!

5/10, one point off for the worst bar fight scene in the history of anything

Adventureland (2009)

Damn good movie

[9/10 · 11 July 2013]

This is perhaps the best comedy I've seen in years, and it isn't really even a comedy. Sure, it has some good jokes and funny scenarios, but at it's heart, Adventureland is a love story, and a very good one at that.

Set in the summer of 1987, we follow Brennan (a typical Jesse Eisenburg character), a high school grad looking for a job to pay for an apartment and a trip to Europe. He is overqualified for manual labor, and finds himself working at an amusement park known as Adventureland. It isn't the most original idea, and not much about the film is particularly unique, but it has taken, I think, all the great aspects of teen comedies and romances and honed them into a well made, peak-of-the-genre film.

The supporting cast is extremely likable, which amazed me since I hadn't liked a single one of these actors before. Ryan Reynolds is a maintenance guy/musician who is popular amongst the young women at the park. He is the closest thing to an antagonist, but isn't really that bad. Bill Hader was excellent as the owner of the park. He is so over the top, especially when chasing people with a steel bat. The biggest surprise was Kristen Stewart, who really blew me away. I can't say I don't like her since I haven't seen the Twilight films, but I've been told that she is absolutely awful. Not from what I've seen. Her character "M" is someone with a lot of depth and soul. she is so easy to like or hate. Not perfect, but understanding and extremely well acted. One scene that best displays this is when she confronts the girl who had just put-down one of her nerdy friends. I couldn't help but smile.

I can't think of another "comedy" with this much heart, or where the characters are so likable. Don't go by the trailers, and certainly don't pass it off as another dumb raunchy comedy. it's not.

The Hunger Games (2012)

A very pleasant surprise

[8/10 · 11 July 2013]

This is a movie I never thought I'd see, let alone right a favorable review on. I'm one of the only Teens in the world who hasn't read the books, and was only watching because of the talented Jennifer Lawrence, for whom I have a great deal of respect. It turned out to be one of the best films I've seen all year, and one of the best surprises I've ever seen.

The plot is pretty universally known (even I was familiar with the core concept) Teens fighting each other on T.V for the worlds entertainment. Not too original, but well executed. The visuals and scenarios were really well done, and I almost felt sucked into the world. The contrasts from the poor world of district 12 to the wealthy, colorful cities was awesome.

The Film is lead by the lovely Jennifer Lawrence, who plays the part of Katniss Everdeen wonderfully. Katniss was the first volunteer tribute from district 12, and she was to go to the Hunger Games along with Peeta Mellark (played by Josh Hutcherson) Although not friends, they become romantically linked, and develop a bit of a love throughout the film which is used to gain interest from viewers. Despite the good acting, the romance did seem a little far fetched, and it is doubtful that any man could turn down the role of Peeta if only to snuggle with Jennifer Lawrence. Woody Harrelson, a favorite of mine, played their mentor, a former winner of the Hunger Games. He is a bit of an alcoholic, but very likable. The rest of the cast was good, but aside from the two A? listers, no performances stood out.

I really liked this movie. I have some complaints, but nothing that ruined this nice experience. I would recommend it to people looking for a visually striking film with a strong female lead. Jennifer Lawrence was the highlight for me; I personally thought that she created a great character with tons of depth. Strong film, I might even go see the sequel in theaters.

13 Assassins (2010)

An action epic with a soul

[9/10 · 22 June 2013]

In 1844 peace in Japan is threatened by the cruel lord Naritsuga and his followers. A council is held by the shogun adviser Sir Doi, and as he tells the mighty samurai Shinzaemon Shimada of Naritsuga's evil deeds, it becomes clear that the man must be taken care of. 13 assassins was a movie I avoided watching for a long time, partially because of my ignorance towards foreign films (which is long gone) and also because I judged it to be a typical action movie with little plot and over-the-top action. Reflecting on this stubborn mindset, I don't think I could have been any more wrong.

Takashi Miike, who I'm quickly becoming a fan of, directed the hell out of this movie. He did an excellent job of establishing the villain and getting you to side with the 13. The actors in this film, none of whom I was familiar with, all did a terrific job in bringing their respective characters to life. Each of the samurai were unique, and all showed humor and heart to contrast with the dark tone set by the film. I even found myself getting upset as they were felled one at a time in the final battle. The first half of the film was more akin to a drama, and that was fine. There is a great deal of talking and walking as the characters are introduced, and at the same time we become more aware of just how evil Naritsuga really is. The film has a heart, and the values of the samurai, their honor and their beliefs were exceptionally well done. These men are shown as tea drinkers who rise up when called upon to protect their country. You see how they are willing to lay down their lives for the greater good, and would rather die than be dishonored. The climax of this movie was unforgettable and truly a highlight of modern cinema. The movie built up to the confrontation between the 13 assassins and Naritsuga. The battle, a 45 minute show fest of swordsmanship and blood was possibly the best action I've ever seen in a movie. forced to go through a village, Naritsuga and his force of 200+ men run into booby traps and explosives in what was to be a "total Massacre." After some messing around the 13 samurai all unsheathe their blades and jump into a suicide battle. The shots, choreography and editing in the scene were fantastic; it was vaguely Tarantino-esque in terms of violence, (think kill bill) but it was beautifully done. Nothing was better than seeing the 13 of them cut through Naritsuga's samurai like butter. Overall, this was a great movie and a very satisfying watch. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys action and sword fights, or to someone who just wants a really well told story.

Prometheus (I) (2012)

An interesting yet flawed masterpiece

[8/10 · 29 June 2012]

I had the privilege of seeing this movie in a small theater with my uncle. we were the only people in there, so we could discuss our feelings throughout. when the credits rolled, we pretty much shared the same opinion, and could sum up the film in one word; interesting. After viewing, I felt very much compelled to write my first review on this site. I liked it, but like everyone has said, this movie is filled, I mean stuffed with plot holes. The writers either rushed and did very little editing, or they just had no explanations for some things that happened and hoped we wouldn't notice. This was a tough call between 7 and 8 stars, but a certain actor and breathtaking visuals earned another star for the film. I was nervous about seeing this because of all the bad reviews, and I entirely understand where all the one stars are coming from. "Alien" and "Aliens" are two of my favorite films, and this had quite a bit to live up to. I think one of the reasons I liked this more than a lot of people was because I wasn't too excited about it. Most people raved about how this was going to be the best movie in a long time, and I guess the hype let them down. Prometheus is directed by the one and only Ridley Scott, who has made such films as "Gladiator" and "Blade Runner," who also directed Alien I'm not too familiar with the cast, but they did a well enough job. The opening scene was fantastic, easily the most memorable part of the movie. A very large and ripped alien was dropped off on a planet, ours. He watches as his massive spaceship flies slowly away and pulls out a bowl of black liquid... The film mostly takes place in the year 2094, with a group of scientists aboard the ship USS Prometheus, on an expedition to discover their creators. Yup, they're looking for their god. It was a trillion dollar mission which started when, a few years ago, two of the characters (Noomi Rapace and Logan Marshall-Green) come to the conclusion after several archaeological digs around the world, that aliens had created humanity and had even visited. The rest of the crew (a total of 17) had not been briefed apparently, and were awakened from their hyper-sleep after two years with no idea what they were doing. The characters were pretty average, your typical bunch of space scientists motivated by ? However, one stood out. David, played by Michael Fassbender, completely put everyone else to shame. He was, ironically, an android. By that I mean he acted better as a robot with very little emotion, than anyone else. His performance was excellent, and I hope he starts getting recognized for his talent. The whole mission, I believe, was funded by Weyland industries, whose CEO is interested, you might say obsessed, with the idea of immortality. The crew land safely on the planet, a ways away from some giant stone temple. Thats when it starts. A lot of things happen there, almost all bad. I won't write about the main events of the movie, if you want those, read the plot synopsis. A lot of things didn't make sense, and there were some annoying characters, but overall, I liked this movie. Between the incredible scenery and Michael Fassbender's acting, it turned out pretty well. 8/10