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WandaVision: The Series Finale (2021)
My immediate reaction
This episode did so much right. The performances, the score, the way it was filmed, all top notch. But... I can't help but find it distracting when during the final goodbye between Vision and Wanda (this beautiful moment of him fading away as they hold each other which a great moment on its own) the audience is already aware that Vision isn't gone! The other version of Vision has his memories restored and he goes off on his own proclaiming he is Vision... why am I the only person who found that completely undermines this shows ending sacrifice?! This fantastic scene that Olsen and Bettany perform perfectly is completely ruined by the knowledge this isn't actually the character's swan song!
As for the Evan Peters twist, I will admit I was reading all the theories too, but I never thought Mephisto would make an appearance in this series or anything so outlandish as that. What I was hoping for though, was that this Quicksilver was actually something more than just a boner joke. You cannot blame fan theorists or hardcore x men fans for being disappointed in this - especially with how heavily marketed this show was supposed to tie in to 'Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness'. Blaming fans for a bad twist or a cheap gag is outright unfair in this instance - and trust me I have been guilty of saying "the fans are just upset because their theories were wrong or it isn't comic accurate".
Overall, a decent effort but ultimately this ending plays it very very safe and I just wished Disney would take more risks with these stories - especially baring in mind how promising this show started. Comics are a wonderful medium where literally no story is off limits and creativity has no limit. Why can't these adaptations do the same?
Wonder Woman (2017)
Almost great
Wonder Woman is an almost perfect Superhero/War movie. The casting on all fronts is pretty much spot on. The dialogue is smooth and the two leads have strong, natural chemistry. However, the movie almost lost me with its third act reveal; so spoilers ahead.
Throughout the film, Diana (Gadot) is trying to prove to Steve Trevor (Pine) that if she can find and kill Ares; the Greek God of War, it will bring an end to WWI and mankind will be permanently freed from his manipulation. Meanwhile, Steve is trying to educate Diana about how to behave in the societies of 1910s Europe. This includes trying to convince her that there is no god of war controlling humanity and that sometimes there are just bad people in the world who do not care if they are responsible for the deaths of innocents.
The film feels the need to pick a side on this debate when really, it could have had its cake and eaten it. Instead of revealing Ares to be the British general from London, he should have been a foot soldier and one Steve Trevor's team. Making the Chief, or even Sameer Ares would have allowed there to have been a big bad for Wonder Woman to battle in the third act while also revealing that Ares has not needed to start any wars for thousands of years - mankind has been doing his work for him. This way Wonder Woman still undergoes a strong character arc as the way she views humanity would change by the end of the film.
Had this one small change been made, the film could have worked so much better thematically and would easily have been a 9 or maybe even a 10/10 for me.
Hagane no renkinjutsushi (2003)
I watched brotherhood first, but...
Coming from someone who used to say Brotherhood was his favourite series, I can honestly say this series is equally as good as the remake. In many ways this show's story and themes are much more mature than the more adventure focused 2009 series. It also has a superior soundtrack and stronger story boarding and colour direction.
I strongly recommend new fans watch this series first!
JoJo no Kimyô na Bôken (2012)
A very strong adaptation
David Productions have made a perfect adaptation of Araki's iconic manga. The studio have added a few scenes here and there, not for filler but just to flesh out the story more. The animation can be stiff but the art style is just so stylist, nobody can deny it's stunning to look at. The music is stellar all the way through and the Japanese cast are perfect in their roles. For those of you have haven't heard of this series it has a multi-generational narrative about a strange family called the Joestars. This type of story telling benefits this series greatly as it goes from a Victorian gothic horror, to an Indiana Jones style adventure, to a road trip race against time, to a murder mystery, to a gangster story, to an apocalyptic prison break. THIS SHOW HAS EVERYTHING!
Hunter x Hunter (1999)
Watch this first!
I have to say, I tried watching the 2011 series first and I was so uninterested. I gave up 8 episodes in. I eventually turned my attention to this series a year or so later and loved it. While the animation isn't as smooth, the art direction, music, and characterisation is so much better here. And don't be put off by the prospect of filler! There isn't a lot in this series at all compared to other shows of the time, and what there is, is much better written than say... dragon ball z filler. Definitely check this out if you're a fan of that 90s anime aesthetic or if, like me, the popular 2011 didn't grab your attention.
Supernatural: The Girl Next Door (2011)
Great episode until the end
Really enjoyed this episode until the last 10 minutes. The relationship between Sam and Amy was interesting to watch and their history made a lot of sense considering sam's character. But Dean... what the hell? Didn't he learn anything from season 2 episode 3?! Remember? When the brothers learned that good monsters exist in this world and Dean was worried that he'd killed good creatures in the past without realising it? Where was that in this episode? Very out of character of Dean and clearly only happened to create an artificial conflict between the brothers later on.
Signs (2002)
for those who wish to understand this film properly
Please Note: this is not like my usual reviews and is more of a discussion on this film and key narrative points. As a result, I will be discussing major spoilers, as this is targeted towards people who have already viewed the film.
This Movies marks the beginning of the downward spiral of M Night Shyamalan's directorial career. While the Sixth Sense and Unbreakable are cinematic greats, Signs is a mess of a film, with a plot twist so ridiculous I didn't know what to say.
For a start, you know you have a poor plot twist when your fans have to create their own theories in order to make your film seem competent. The fan theory goes that the Aliens are not aliens, but in face daemons from hell. This would explain why they don't use fancy technology, are weak to water (as it is a drastic change from their normal hot environment), and matches to religious tone the movie has built up, up until the point of the first sight of the aliens. However
this is clearly not what the movie had intended. If this was the truth, then that would have been the plot twist to this film (as to be expected of all Shyamalan's works), but that is not what is stated, or ever implied by either the narrative or the characters.
Instead what we are given is an alien invasion film where the aliens are completely unprepared for what is actually on the earth. One online critic who I am a great admirer off used the found footage scene to show off how Shyamalan is a good visual story teller as you can see the alien is scared and hiding before it walks away. However, if this invasion plan of theirs was actually well thought out, it would have no need to be fearful of us. You would think, if the plan was to invade Earth, they would have brought some form of weaponry or some way to protect themselves from the water which covers most of the surface of our blue planet.
Another theory is that the reason the aliens are so unprepared for us humans is that their intension was to come in piece, and we just attacked without stopping to consider this, therefore presenting us as the villains without us realising it. However, again if this were the case, a competent film maker would make this more explicit and clearer in this message. To see a similar idea done well, please watch the original ending of I Am Legend (2007). All these fan theories do make the film seem very well made, but in reality, that's all they are; theories.
Signs is not an awful film however as it does feature a solid, creepy atmosphere, with interesting camera work (another staple of Shyamalan's features), and strong performances from its leads – well... the adult actors at least. With this film however I cannot tell whether Shyamalan directed these kids to behave how they do, or whether they are just bad little actors. The script has them speak in ways that no child (in a realistic world) ever would, and every line is monotone and expressionless: a weak method of creating a creepy tone (by making the children needlessly creepy).
Shyamalan has recently made a couple of decent movies. His last two features I have found effectively creepy and the moments of comedy in both has worked very effectively. The dialogue is the same as in all his films as it's so unnaturally written, it's almost hard to believe anybody would say the lines he right in real life. Luckily he has the money to afford great actors who can pull off these lines well enough for it to be not too distracting
most of the time
Secret Window (2004)
underrated, solid movie
Stephan King's repertoire is certainly an expansive one, though his name is almost always associated with the horror genre. On many occasions however, he has told stories less on the super-natural, and more on regular people who struggle through emotional turmoil's and how it affects their life; such is the case with his 1990 novella 'Secret Window, Secret Garden' This story would later be adapted into the screenplay by David Koepp for the 2004 thriller flick 'Secret Window'
The film stars Jonny Depp as Mort Rainey, an author of numerous novellas and novels who is suffering from writers-block due to him being in the middle of making his divorce official. On top of this, one day he receives a visit by a man named John Shooter (John Turturro) who accuses his of plagiarising a novella he himself wrote some time ago. From here on out, it's up to Mort to find evidence that his own story was published before Shooter's all while being terrorised by his obsessive fellow writer.
As well as writing the screenplay, this film marked Koepp's third directorial feature and has a fascinating use of juxtaposing the film's mise-en-scene. Koepp uses very warm colours in his film, putting heavy emphasis on the yellows and oranges, in order to highlight the peacefulness of the Lake-side setting. This would seem like a direct contrast to the codes and conventions of the thriller genre if it wasn't for the night time scenes. One such of these scenes, includes having a fog roll in while a confrontation is taking place between Mort and Shooter. This leads to one of the most intense moments in the movie only second to the climactic finale – which ironically takes place in broad daylight.
The ending of this film however, I do have mixed feelings about as it is reflected through the ending of Mort's finally completed book. This isn't the problem, the problem is that Mort's final statement is that "the only thing that matters is the ending
and this one is very good". This makes the film feel very pretentious and self-absorbed as the ending, while clever, seems diminished when the film seems too proud of its own content – therefore becomes less effect.
All in all, however, this truly is a strong picture – far more so, than any of Steven King's TV mini-series specials (such as IT) – and think it may also feature Depp's strongest ever performance in a film.
Last Shift (2014)
I respect what they were trying to do.
When newcomer officer; Jessica Loren (Juliana Harkavy) takes her first night shift in her police station, she – along with the audience – notices an immediate that there is something wrong with her new post in the station. After her discomforting commanding officer; Sgt. Cohen (Hank Stone) leaves, strange occurrences begin to unfold as the night gradually progresses, leading to a moderately discomforting venture for both the lead and audiences alike.
Harkavy is a convincing young actress who I would be happy to see get more work in the business. She carries the weight of this film on her back and we grow to genuinely fear for her safety, as we learn more and more about his backstory and her motivations as to why she seems so determined to stay and complete her shift, rather than taking the more sensible option and leave the station to safety. The supporting characters however certainly leave something to be desired. While one likable side character does appear around half way through the movie (this being Officer Price, played by Matt Doman), he does not stay for long and really only serves to add a little more depth to Loren's history. He does nothing to further the plot or in any other movie, doesn't even stay long enough to leave a lasting effect on the audience. The only reason he is as memorable as he is, is because all the other characters are bland shells that only slightly resembles humanity.
Other characters include a drunk homeless man who breaks into the station, however he serves no purpose aside from being a prop for the director to cause jump scares and be a play thing for the paranormal entities – which in turn, frighten Officer Loren. Sgt. Cohan is an unnecessarily disturbing old cop who first introduces himself to with a very peculiar attempt at a jump scare. He yells at Loren when he first sees her and creates much tension in the scene that follows. His character is never expanded upon and is just presented as an unlikable, rage-filled man. I believe the intended effect is to show how this station has left a haunting effect on its residents, however it is never shown in a manner that we can relate to. She doesn't seem like a tortured soul, just like a child with anger management issues.
There are a few other characters throughout the narrative, such as a prostitute, a group of young female cultists and a serial killer (played by Joshua Mikel), however none of them are particularly noteworthy. However despite the abysmal character writing, there were many other aspects of the film making that truly reaches above and beyond my expectations. The while the narrative, falls into the many typical tropes of the genre. the movie shies away from using the musical score build suspense or add sharp, loud sound effects to the jump scares and instead chooses to allow the scenes to play out how they would in reality – allowing the intensity of certain scenes to grow entirely through the eerie silences and echoing sounds that rattle through the 'empty' halls of the police station.
The cinematography is also impressively done in a way, not typically seen in the Supernatural/Horror genre. There is an extended shot within the last ten minutes of the film that lasts for an exceptionally long time during an action filled shoot out in the station. This is intended to give the impression of a documentary style police raid with the camera staying consistently within a mid-shot of Harkavy's back in the left
of the screen while the action is shown from a perspective likewise to her own. As a result, whenever the opposing gunmen turn to face Harkavy, they are also looking at the viewer, adding to a certain amount of audience immersion. By this point in the film, because we are rooting for Officer Loren to survive this onslaught, the fact that the film maker's made this choice shows that they have a strong awareness of which aspects of the film matters more than others. We connect to our lead in a way that allows this last few minutes to feel whole-heartedly immersed in the events. However, despite my respect for this prolonged scene, it leads to an ultimately abrupt and unsatisfying conclusion that leaves a lot to be desired. Without giving anything away, it ends in a manner that not only doesn't tie into what the narrative was leading you to believe (yet it doesn't have a plot twist), but also isn't conclusive in any particular arcs. They say that the ending can either make or break a story and here it certainly does apply. While the movie does have other problem, had it ended in a way that made a little more sense narratively, I would be a little more forgiving of these issues. However as it stands, my feelings of Last Shift are incredibly mixed. Director Anthony DiBlasi also Wrote and Edited this film and I can see he is a talented film maker, and I hope he gets more work in the action oriented side of film making, however, as a writer he has a lot to improve upon.
Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966)
Greatest Movie ever? In my eyes, absolutely
Not only do I believe that Sergio Leone's 1966 masterpiece, 'The Good the Bad and the Ugly' is the greatest spaghetti western off all time, I would argue that it is also the greatest movie ever put to the big screen. With an iconic soundtrack, memorable characters, fantastic cinematography, and the most climactic and fitting ending to the dollars trilogy, 'The Good the Bad and the Ugly' shines above and beyond any movie I have seen before or since.
The movie opens introducing it's villain Angel-eyes, to the audience and immediately actor Lee Van Cleef creates a presence of intimidation and power without even speaking a single line of dialog. In the next scene, we meet the selfish middle man Tuco, played by Eli Wallach, who is without a doubt putting every inch of his being trying to make his character authentic and is clearly loving every second of it. As a result, he is the funniest aspect of the movie, without turning into a simple side/comic relief character. His character is one that goes through the most pain and suffering as shown when we learn about his shaky relationship with his family and an incredibly gruesome torture scene that is able to shock audiences even now, fifty years later.
Finally we are introduced to the lead man Blondie, played by legendary actor and future director Clint Eastwood. Eastwood's presence is the most phenomenal thing to witness on screen as he is (and believe me, there is no other way to describe him) just the coolest man who ever lived. He doesn't even need to try to look cool like most actors will do, he just seems naturally prepared for any situation. No matter what surprises are thrown at him, he just seems able to shrug it off almost like it doesn't bother him. This doesn't bring the movie down however, due to the audience believing he cannot die through his endless confidence, instead it feels more like he has accepted the dangerous world he lives and acknowledges that he can die at any second, yet it does not face or scare him, making him both an incredibly respectable and entertaining character simultaneously.
The movie's story and script is another thing about it that is just awe inspiring. Despite the basic plot of three men on a treasure hunt, the movie throws in elements of the events that actually were affecting the world they inhabit at the time, the American Civil War. Whether being captured and imprisoned by one side or ending up even enlisting into one of the armies, the men never forget their true goals and ambitions. While the plot gets side tracked, the characters don't and the war ends up becoming just another obstacle for them to overcome. Also, because these characters stay so true to form, we are able to observe and take in some of the best suited and interesting dialog possible. Watching these three completely different personalities talk, fight, and betray each other is so excellently executed and seamless, you almost forget that these men are factious.
Where the movie really shines however is in it's cinematography and soundtrack. While I could talk about every single scene here, instead I shall focus on one in particular where both are used to their absolute best. After deciding to double-cross Blondie, Tuco flees and discovers the graveyard where the gold is buried. What ensues is the greatest scene in the movie, where Tuco stands up and begins to run around the yard, trying to locate the grave with the hidden gold. The song that plays is called 'the Ecstasy of Gold' and, as the name suggests, it perfectly encapsulates the climactic tension that the movie has been building up to as Tuco almost madly runs around for the grave. Every now and then, the scene will cut to a new shot, showing the situation from "the Ugly's" perspective. To simulate his running, the camera starts to spin, slowly at first, then quickens and quickens to show Tuco's desperation for the gold he yearns until a sudden halt of the spinning motion, causing the viewer to feel as dazed and confused as the character does in his state of potential madness.
There are many different 'cuts' of this flawless film, all with different run times and prolonged/shortened scenes, the most common one being the longest with a run time of 173 minutes. This should not by any circumstances put off any film buff or fan of cinema as despite this hefty length, the ending is well worth the wait and while slow at times in the middle, still keeps the viewer's intrigue enough to make them want to watch it to the very end. Casual movie goers however may want to prefer to search for a shorter cut of the movie if this more common run time is a little too much for them to handle.
A movie that has stood the test of time strongly and firmly, being now just over fifty years old. As a result, The Good the Bad and the Ugly deserves my immense praise for the greatest movie ever crafted.
La La Land (2016)
Best film i've seen in the cinema since my first trip to the movies (to watch the Return of the King)
(please note, I do not think there are any spoilers in this review, however I don't think it is worth the risk of having the review taken down). I had been thinking about joining this site for some time now but never really found time to. This is my first ever review on the sight and I would like to make it known I am an avid film buff. The main reason I joined was because of all the negative reactions to this film - to the point where it's rating dropped from an 8.8 average down to an 8.7 average. This bothered me a lot because this in my opinion is the greatest film to come out so far in the decade and is now one of my favourite films of all time, and I would like my voice to be heard on the matter. So... here it goes...
This movie marks the director's third feature length film after Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009) and, a personal favourite of mine, Whiplash (2014). Chazelle's newest film however is, without a doubt his masterpiece. As noted from when I watched Whiplash for the first time in collage, Chazelle is a master with the use of his camera and is able to make every single shot meaningful and artistically stimulating. This film however takes this skill to a whole new level as his use of long takes to show off his actors skills, is utter perfection. The dance routines in this film are well choreographed and must have taken many rehearsal hours to get on point. This hard work pays off purely through the extended length of each take – however there are certainly moments that seem to try and trick you into thinking a sequence is done in one take when in reality they cut as the camera is spinning (reminiscent of 2014's Birdman). The greatest aspect of this film is the closing sequence which reflects on all the events leading up to this point of the story, and it done in a manner that is so movingly artistic, it almost brought a tear to my eye (a feat that is never accomplished with me). Chazelle experiments with many forms of visual storytelling, without the use of voice in this sequence, that for a general audience, who do not pick up on stylistic choice, it may become daunting to some, or boring to others. As in the case of Whiplash the story is incredibly focused on the two leads, with the side plots being left as just that – to the side. In this film Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone play the lovable pair of Sebastian and Mia who both aspire for greatness in their industries. Sebastian has a passionate flair for jazz music (reflecting on Chazelle's view on the genre as all three movie have been heavily focused on the dying of that industry) and Mia is a talented actress who just cannot seem to land a roll no matter how hard she tries. The film relishes the beauty of these aspirations and has a message for artists everywhere that she should always follow their dreams no matter how hard it may seem or how often you are set back – which is again reflected on Chazelle's own experience as a low budget film maker to now accomplishing his dream and now working in the big leagues of the industry. But I digress, the chemistry between these two is so believable through the writing and acting that it no longer feels as though you are watching a film and more as if you are peering into the struggling lives of two very real people and you feel compelled to follow their story to the very end. This film is not just a romance however, it is also a musical, and a musical is nothing without a good soundtrack that relates back to the story or the raw emotions the characters are feeling at the time. This film is the best written Musical I have ever seen. The songs' tone and pace is very reminiscent of that of the musical decade of the 1950's only unlike those movies, this one is heavily grounded in the harshness of reality and forces you to confront the most realistic scenarios that these character would go through in the real world. This film is visually fascinating, musically pleasing, and heart-wrenchingly grounded in reality – creating a very dream like state where both everything and nothing feels real. This one I will be buying on Blu Ray and will be re-watching time and time again.