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gandalf321
Reviews
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story (2021)
Actually, it's a gem: brilliant production, brilliant combat mechanics
Perhaps some people let a bias against big companies, like Riot Games, let sway their consideration of this game.
Actually, it's brilliant. The production is AA (near AAA, in terms of voice acting and game design, but less budget for story animation so not quite AAA). I played on Xbox, and the graphics were great. Everything seems intelligent, almost nothing stupid or frustrating. The developers took the game formula they had mastered in a prior game (Battle Chasers) and improved and extended it for this game--I'm happy with that.
The tactical combat has to make you think it through carefully. There is an innovation of a speed line, such that you can trade off less damage for more speed (i.e., less delay on the timeline till your next turn), or vice versa.
I put in over 100 hours on this game. For me, it was one of the best tactical RPGs available on Xbox.
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Clever!
You've seen tons of reviews here and elsewhere for this classic movie. I'll mainly just emphasise one word that stood out for me:
CLEVER.
This movie stands out among others for being clever. You'll be amazed at how smart this movie is, in terms of suspense, comedy, action, wit, deciphering the secrets of characters, and behaviour unfolding as per character.
It reminds me that classic movies are like classic literature, things that have stood the test of time and still stand out are the best use of my time.
Note that this movie has no obscenities, no sex (but romance, yes), and less violence.
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Great story, characters, songs -- and also important themes
Tevye is a good person struggling with the change that is occurring all around him. Many of us may see ourselves similarly.
All right, the specific changes in the Fiddler movie are historic (which some would say are interesting on their own), such as marriage arranged by a matchmaker), but if we can generalise that to how does Tevye handle complex situations and change, then it speaks to us today.
One theme is the passage of time, and your children growing up. The beautiful song Sunrise, Sunset captures this, and from the vantage point of several characters. If your own kids have grown up, like mine have, the emotional power of the melody, lyrics, characters, and story situation--can bring a bit of a tear to the eye.
Collateral (2018)
Bait and switch, appears to be a murder mystery then becomes a political drama
The first episode is an interesting murder mystery beginnings. However, it seems the writer of the show wanted to use that to draw us in for him to then present his political views on Britain today. His views are leftist, which you might enjoy if you're also of that view, but if you're a centrist or conservative, steer clear.
Illusions perdues (2021)
Classic novel with unnecessary smut
A classic novel, but filmmakers chose to show MANY graphic sex scenes and a close up of a penis. It's hard for me to understand why a close up of a penis is necessary for a classic novel like this.
Arcane: League of Legends (2021)
Superb animation, but abysmal world building and uninsightful
Negatives
What is the moral of the story? What's new and insightful about the human condition?
While in close up there is the League of Legends world, we don't get a rich and full fantasy world as in Middle Earth (Tolkien) or Dune. Too dark a tone for me, though the writers must think the utter darkness of this story is hip.
The quick-cutting from scene to scene style interweaving the multiple character stories seems to leave very few longer scenes of rich dialog and interaction.
While LoL is a battle game, the best part of the game is the strategy involved--in this TV series, there is no battle strategy, just lots and lots and lots of action scenes to have to sit through. As someone told me, he'd rather play the game and be actively involved than passively watch a story set in the game world that someone else has written. (By the way, a new and promising entertainment type is the 'game' that is an interactive movie such as Detroit Becomes Human.)
Positives
Incredible visual quality of animation!!!
The audience is not spoon-fed, this is not a dumbed-down show in terms of presentation of the story. The quick cutting style interweaving stories of the many characters, and the not-fully-explained world, require you to concentrate to try to follow the story.
Very good voice acting.
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016)
Another mostly meaningless action movie
Oh how I miss the creativity in plot and visuals of the first Final Fantasy movie, The Spirits Within, from 2001. That was a meaningful movie! Some people said it was "complex", but I thought its complexity reflected a richness of story. To this day, 18 years later, I still remember it fondly.
To me, Kingsglaive is the opposite. It's yet another mostly meaningless action movie. It seems like 80 to 90% of the screen time is action sequences. Even Final Fantasy XV the game has more percent of time spent on character and story development, and less percent of time on mere action sequences. You cannot tell me that Kingsglaive is a meaningful movie. Even the action sequences at the end moved so fast it was a bit hard to follow. The action sequences are not even epic army sequences like Lord of the Rings (for example, Battle of Helms Deep), but were small numbers battles, often one hero versus one or a couple of enemies (as another user review that I read noted).
Conan the Barbarian (2011)
One close in mindless action scene follows
How brainless can a movie get? This move seems like one mindless close-in action scene following another. Not even epic action scenes. If you're look for story, fantasy world creation, interesting characters, good dialog, etc for the components of good movie -- they're not here.
I was playing the video game Conan Unconquered (a fun co-op survival RTS tower defense game) so I wanted to see the move.
Not even interesting, epic action scences like Lord of the Rings. Just close-in camera on fighting and gore.
I couldn't stand to watch this movie to the end, even with low expectations. Thank goodness Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is available as something good for me to watch now. It is the opposite of this movie: great story, great fantasy world, epic plot, great characters, great dialog.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
The original story Q&A by Vikas Swarup is much better
If you liked Slumdog Millionaire, give a try to the original story Q&A by Vikas Swarup.
There is even a BBC audio drama of the original story, which is what I listened to. You know what? I thought the audio drama was ten times better than the movie. You find that hard to believe? Give it a try! (Don't condemn without giving it a fair hearing. Note that, from Wikipedia: "The radio dramatisation by Ayeesha Menon, directed and produced by John Dryden on BBC Radio 4, won the Sony Radio Award for Drama 2008 and the IVCA Clarion Award 2008.") The story, as in the BBC audio drama, is quite different from the movie. The movie is only very loosely based on the original story. The original story AVOIDS THE LEFT-WING Clichés of the movie. Starting at the very beginning, for example, the main character's name is Ram Mohammed Thomas and while very young he is raised by a kind Christian priest (not in the slums). The left-wing cliché avoided here is that he is oppressed by society/the establishment from birth, growing up in slums with his mother killed in a massacre of a religious minority by the religious majority. And the comparison goes on and on like this, if you compare the original story to the movie version.
You say that I must be a fool because the movie screenplay won an Academy Award? That's one view. My own view is that the Academy Award was political and I've lost respect for the Academy.
Again, before sounding off that anyone who believes the original story is vastly superior to the movie script must be a fool, please read the original story or listen to the BBC version.