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Reviews
Doom: Annihilation (2019)
How can anyone let this movie come out...
This is beyond me. This movie does not even try to be good. On a technical level, it's absolutely terrible in every possible way. Doom 2005 was not great but it actually tried to please to niche. It tried to give the fans a little something to relate and enjoy. Doom 2019 does not even try. It simply spits on a franchise that revolutioned the media entertainment industry.
It's hard not to believe that this wasn't made to sabotage a franchise.
Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist (2014)
An extremely well produced series for both fans and new comers alike.
For the past 2 decades, pretty much every movies based off a video game; flops. Usually, this is due by the complete disregard to the original creation. While some comic books and novels did get a great feature film, Street Fighter has always been stuck on the short end of the stick. Hollywood latest attempt to monetize the franchise was nothing short of extremely bad. From terrible casting, bad fighting scenes to a genuine lack of passion and respect to a franchise that has impacted our world in more ways than we could ever imagine.
So why is Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist any different? Why is this particular series able to break the vicious circle of failures?
Well, for a starter, Street Fighter: AF was produced by passionate fans for the fans, but passion is only the starting point. While it is a great driving force, a good script is required and that's where SFAF shines. For new comers to the franchise, the series presents a well written story that carries an intriguing lore, which gradually reveals itself through each episodes. The premise is simple and focused on two iconic characters; Ryu and Ken. Both learning a mysterious martial art in a secluded part of Japan in the mid 80s. Through each episodes, we get to discover and learn about past students and the darker secrets behind the art.
To reinforce the script, we are presented with an incredible selection of actors that really poured their hearts into this production. For fans, the characters were authentic and as real as they could get. Mike Moh and Christian Howard are pretty much the perfect Ryu and Ken. Both can act the part and perform physically. Togo Igawa and Akira Koieyama really felt like masters of an ancient art while still offering a very human side. The careful balance between being a surreal character with a human touch is very hard to maintain but these actors did and it payed off. The intensity of certain scenes could rival some of the best triple A productions out there.
Speaking of authenticity, Street Fighter: AF nails it in pretty much every possible way. From choosing the right shooting location, to the fighting style of each characters to the incredible costumes. Ryu and Ken are in simple words, perfect. Even through the action scenes, the combat stances, special attacks and general movements were simply jaw dropping. As a huge fan of Street Fighter, I couldn't stop reciting the sequence of every moves such as Ryu performing a great focus attack.
As for the music, usually in independent productions, the music is often very generic and unoriginal. However, I got to say that in this case, the soundtrack is quite good and in most situation, it strongly delivers. For the fans, there's a few pleasant surprises. On a technical side, the production does contain a few mistakes here and there. Some special effects and editing could have used a bit of additional tweaks but for the most part, these issues are very minor and shouldn't distract you from the overall experience.
In the end, Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist is an incredible independent production that values and respects both fans and new comers alike. It has heart and knows its own limits. The story is focused, the actors are well balanced, the action is short but intense and the overall production is strong.
As a fan and artist, I really do not have anything negative to say. There was a huge effort put in this production and it was felt from Episode 1 to 12.
Bravo to everyone involved!
Almost Human (2013)
An excellent show that seems to be growing in the right direction.
Almost Human feels like a plausible future. It's classy, clean and yet, very similar to what we know. Now, what is truly great about the show is the scope. The focus is set on a weekly story that sometimes hints to a bigger arc while carefully presenting us a new avenue of this futurist world. The foundation of the show doesn't break any new ground. Instead, it simply grows on it's strength and quickly discard the weaknesses. Each week, the acting is better, more relaxed and natural. Special Effects are kept to a minimum but when it's time to go all out, it looks fantastic.
The chemistry between Urban and Ealy is really good. Some may call it a bromance, I simply call it, well played. It has heart but doesn't fall into the cheesy or theatrical. To me, Urban never really disappoints. There's a certain beauty that comes out from properly dosing each aspect of your characters. This intricate sense of balance can be felt throughout the entire show. The action is tight, explosive and exciting but condensed and controlled. Yes, there is a certain level of violence but gore itself is kept only for crucial impact. Down times are often layered by a gentle touch of comedy and romance.
Overall, a really good show that presents an incredible cast of actors with a solid foundation at it's core. To me, this is the closest we will ever get to Ghost In The Shell with live actors.