jochang-30856 Reviews

Atlas (2024)

Watch J Lo doing J Lo things

[5/10 · 26 May 2024]

That's all this movie is. Everything else is to accompany that in the most cliche and generic way. You know her character is smart because she plays chess. You know she's right because there's a cocky, armed tac squad that doesn't take her seriously. You know she's a brilliant analyst because everyone finds her difficult to work with. You know she will win once she confronts her past because that's simply how these things are. Oh yeah, and she's also addicted to caffeine. Cue feelings of amused endearment. This film is a vanity project that works because because the star is who she is. More celebrity than an actress nowadays, which is too bad because she actually is a decent actress if she would ever take a role for something worth watching.

The special effects are generally good. Doesn't always blend well so it feels spotty in some parts. Meaning sometimes you can clearly tell there's nothing real on the screen either due to a lack of proper shadows or physics that don't quite sell. Others are so overdone and in your face that it's like a replacement for a plot that's actually worth a damn. The story and premise is the most bland and unsurprising thing ever. AI gone insane to protect human beings from themselves. If this was executed well, overplayed tropes don't really matter. But it wasn't. It happened in the dumbest way, full of nonsensical things that will make you ask, "Why does she have that to begin with?" or, "Are there no safeguards to these things?" You just have to accept that some events occurred without putting too much thought into it or risk feeling insulted that they felt this was believable enough to make you watch it in the first place.

Simu Liu is terrible in this. Just awful. I like him in most other shows and films I've seen, but the poor attempt at an unfeeling, genocidal AI projecting malice but is actually trying to save the human race is just bad. So are the cheap-looking color contacts he wears so we know he's not human. The film itself is already kind of middling and this amplifies that. It's almost like they deliberately gave the least amount of effort required to establish him as a character. This is especially true during his origin story mentioned above, easily being the worst part of the entire thing.

J Lo and Smith has some enjoyable dialogue. It's designed to elicit laughter and sometimes it lands. But really, you watch this movie because you want to watch J Lo. That's it. If you're good with that, it's not terrible. Might even be fun.

The Nevers (2021–2023)

Unrealized potential that feels incomplete

[6/10 · 25 May 2024]

Lots of unexpected developments. At first it seemed a mystery involving some sort of supernatural detective agency. Witches using powers to solve crimes with a bigger nefarious plot slowly being revealed. This takes place in Victorian London along with all the intellectual verbal fencing Brits are known for. Throw in some prototype tech for that steampunk aesthetic. Interesting, right? At this point I'm sold.

Then it turns into something else entirely. Points for originality and daring to make something so different, but at the end it didn't really work. For these pieces to fit together to a point where the audience would actually care it needed more episodes. There's just not enough room for all these insane things in a single, coherent story without it. No attachment felt throughout. Not the characters, some of whom changed way too fast to make any sense, nor the overall story that just kind of happens and you see that it does... and that's about it. This is hugely accentuated by the abrupt, unsatisfying finish. Ultimately, none of it matters because you've not been given enough reason for it to.

This is a shame because there's so much going for it. Definitely not lacking talent, for one. All the acting is quite good. Aside from the obvious heavy hitters that are simply amazing, side characters are fantastically well done. Everybody nails it. Just a waste of pure skill given how things turned out. There's high production value as well, and the choreography is great. Stellar, at times. It's not just flashy moves or over-the-top flair. There's some of that, but a few fights are impressively done from a realistic point of view. Nice to see the amount of effort that went into it.

The Nevers is a series that could have been amazing had there been more. It's obvious from some of the smaller stories told that the creators are really good at their respective jobs. They can take one hour-long episode and turn it into an entire experience. Unfortunately, things didn't work out for the overall plot, likely due to production issues. You'll probably enjoy the ride while it's happening but feel a little disappointed once it's over.

His Dark Materials (2019–2022)

An enjoyable adaptation

[7/10 · 20 May 2024]

It's been a long time since I've read the books, so having none of this seem too familiar wasn't exactly surprising. But the characters I do remember, as well as the setting, and neither of those matched what I imagined all those years ago. Some parts were also altered or removed altogether, for reasons I suspect would make it hard to provide context in moments requiring a narrator to describe something you wouldn't be able to understand by simply watching. Standard book-to-film adaptation stuff.

But none of that matters. They took this story and made it their own. You can see the care for pacing and thoughtfulness in nearly every scene. After the 2007 film this was such a nice thing to experience. The sheer acting talent from the cast doesn't hurt, either, with high points being some of the best I've ever seen anywhere. Ruth Wilson in particular. She really is something else. Formidable. Terrifying. Sad. Simultaneously a monster and a tragic figure. An entire character arc eventually satisfied. James McAvoy, too. He's able to communicate so much with the most subtle expressions on his face. Actors like him elevate the people he works with, and the rest of the cast also did a great job. The only exception to this being Amir Wilson. To be clear, he's not bad. His portrayal of Will was good, initially. It just didn't really work because he's pretty much the same person all the way through. The developing affection for Lyra was also somewhat unconvincing. That's a problem considering how central this is to the actual story. As a result we're not 100% sold on what they mean to each other, which ends up taking us out of it.

Iorek Byrnison needs to be mentioned. This is arguably the coolest character in the story, and while most of how he's portrayed is good they did kind of stumble which made him inconsistent. Trimmed a bit of what should have been given more attention, and some actors interacting with the visual effects didn't sell it. For instance, Lyra would turn away too early in conversation and it would diminish him actually being there. Or critical points felt like they were "good enough" to move forward with so they put the scene together without the emphasis. These were significant events in the actual books that left a real lasting impression, but here you'll see it play out, then wonder why it didn't hit as hard compared to having read it. I can only imagine working with these kinds of special effects presented unexpected challenges. None of the other characters felt this way. Only scenes with the bear, which is a real shame because he had such presence in the source material. This one detail really stood out to me.

Overall, this is a great show. If you're a fan of the trilogy it's a good watch. If you're coming in fresh it may take a few episodes to settle in.

Fallout (2024– )

Nails the atmosphere, but fumbles on storytelling

[6/10 · 16 May 2024]

This is a show made by people who love the Fallout franchise so much that everything else becomes something of an afterthought. Much like how the main character in the the Star Wars prequels is the universe itself, it is also true here. While that may be fine for Star Wars since it is a culturally defining piece of media where those films were basically complementary additions to the original trilogy, Fallout is the first live-action of its kind and for all the success the games have had over the years it falls short of that esteem. So it doesn't work.

I don't want to give the impression this is a bad show. It's not. I did enjoy myself. Much of the humor lands, and the dangers found on the road plus game references were all quite fun. Costume and set design were also superb. But the hyper-focus on the setting really took away from characters and actual storytelling. Lucy, who is arguably the main character of the show, conforms far too much to her specifically engineered upbringing to stand out. Instead of adding to her characterization, she ends up blending into the background because of it. If the writers wanted to make her a real person, she should have broke or strayed away from her conditioning in a consequential way but she doesn't. Also, Maximus gets a mention for being extremely unlikeable and became ever more so as the series progressed. Just when you think he finally has a backbone after finding something to fight for he shows you he is the same as he ever was. This is a shame because Moten is a talented, convincing actor. Everyone outside of the Ghoul was relatively bland and generic, but you can't focus on him either because he is more part of the setting than someone for the audience to relate to. The point is, you basically get no one to root for, not even the main characters, and develop zero emotional attachments to anything outside of it being a Fallout show. When that hits home, the heavy-handed overuse of oldies music amidst gratuitous violence while traversing the wasteland ends up feeling a little cheap and transparent. It happens too often which reveals itself to be a targeted attempt at game nostalgia. This should be complementary to things of substance, not observed at the forefront by default because those things are not there.

Additionally, what we see over the span of eight episodes doesn't stand on its own. I had thought the main plot reveal at the end would accomplish this but it doesn't. The entire thing is one big build-up to New Vegas. I like expansive arcs that cross multiple seasons, but not at the expense of what you're currently watching. It must be a complete and weighty experience on its own. This is not, and if you think so, ask yourself if it would have been fine for it to have ended here altogether.

I'll likely watch the following season, but won't be anywhere near as excited as I was for this one.

X-Men '97 (2024– )

Seriously good

[9/10 · 16 May 2024]

As a fan of the original series I was cautiously hopeful this show would be decent. There was a ridiculous amount of hype which usually means review scores are completely inaccurate, and in the case of sequels for old and beloved childhood cartoons nostalgia will no doubt make that doubly so.

Well, I watched the entire thing in one sitting and it's incredible. This is a fantastic follow-up to the original. Even without nostalgia the story is well told. Transitions, tone, momentum. Substantive while brisk without feeling too rushed (for the most part). Fluid from one focus to the next. Every character gets their moment in the sun, too. Many showing changes and growth from who they used to be, without feeling ham-fisted or jammed in for necessity's sake. Largely speaking, they feel like real people with their own thoughts and experiences. The dialogue was also surprisingly good. Some of it unexpectedly dramatic, while others quite clever which I'm sure some writer somewhere is rightly proud of. I say this as a person not well versed in the comics so there may be nuance I'm not privy to, but as a sequel for fans of the original this show is pretty much perfect. Don't miss it.

The only thing I would be able to note as a negative is how some of our heroes sound. Maybe negative is too strong a word, more like minor distraction. It's the same voice actors but at times their performance feels inconsistent. Strained, mostly. As if it's difficult speaking in that accent again or with that particular cadence. It'll fluctuate from expected to slightly odd. A few of the characters' personalities and speech are naturally over-the-top, so anything less than perfect delivery can really stick out. It doesn't have a huge impact, but you may hear it now and then.

In any case, I'm really excited for the next season. It can't come soon enough.

Abigail (2024)

In expected fashion, the trailer is the entire film

[6/10 · 15 May 2024]

There's value in going to see a movie that turns out to be exactly what you wanted, but sometimes I wonder if there couldn't be a better way to advertise these things. What tension there was in the beginning of the film doesn't hit because you already know where the danger is. This means any mystery dished out is also irrelevant because you can accurately predict the circumstances as well. Maybe that's part of the appeal, being given the players just to see how it all pans out. But I wonder how much more I would have enjoyed it having gone in knowing absolutely nothing.

The acting is competent but inconsistent. Dan Stevens in particular. Some of his earlier scenes were plain odd, the likes of which you might see in a rehearsal take. It doesn't ruin the movie, but you notice it because it's there. Also, Alisha Weir is fine in her role, but it's only in performances like these that you catch how absolutely crucial lead roles can be. Especially ones where they play the villain. Her demeanor and movement were great at times, but awkward and childlike in others. Not because she's a vampire trapped in a child's body, but because she IS a child trying to channel that atmosphere. There's no true malice here. Only an attempt at one that ultimately misses. Had she exuded real danger befitting her character, that would have elevated this film into something spectacular.

Special mention goes out to Matthew Goode. One seriously creepy performance. He is absolutely the monster he should be. When people talk about presence in film and theatre, this is it.

Abigail is one of those films knows what it is and simply does it well. It's not scary nor is it meant to be. There are horror elements but it's basically a fun comedy. Just like Malignant (2021), I think realizing this for some people will allow them to enjoy it far more.

Natsume's Book of Friends (2008–2017)

Beautiful and heartbreaking

[9/10 · 15 May 2024]

Maybe it's me getting on in years, but I don't think any other show has so frequently moved me to tears. This series is full of little stories involving themes of love, loneliness, belonging and acceptance. It's a wonderfully painful reminder of how connecting with others remains a core imperative of our nature, and the lack of it alone is enough to break someone to pieces. There are few things as sad as not belonging, or not being able to be with someone you deeply love. Natsume yûjinchô exploits all that. Expands on it. Fill you to the brim with pity, loss and desire. To bittersweet endings and the cruelness of fate. But it also shows you the kindness we are all capable of. From the most powerful to the weakest and least significant of us, and through small actions something profound may occur and remain.

I don't have the words to describe these emotions, nor can I properly explain what this series illustrates. Just that it's beautifully sad while heartwarming in a quiet way, and you'll be better off for having seen it.

Sting (2024)

Fun, but typical

[6/10 · 14 May 2024]

The formula works, but we get some overused and completely unsurprising racial stereotypes. Such as the nerdy and socially awkward Asian man doing science in his apartment. Or the capable but foul-mouthed black man in a blue-collar job that serves as comedic relief. These characters are identified through their ethnicity before anything else. While character stereotypes can be welcome and preferred, racial stereotypes are just offensive and lazy. Constantly pushing these caricatures doesn't do anyone any good, and it certainly doesn't make for a better movie. They could have easily cast different people for these roles or simply switched them around some, but no. The audience is already largely used to who these people should be, so why not go ahead and reinforce those beliefs?

That aside, it's shot pretty well. There's some interesting drama that doesn't overstay its welcome, nice visual effects, and the actors are all very convincing. Everyone did a great job at their respective roles. Alyla Browne in particular radiates star quality. She's pretty, confident in her delivery for the most part and emotionally adept when the scene calls for it. This actress is going places.

I enjoyed this film, mostly. It's well-made but very much a product of an old, existing template and doesn't stray at all from that blueprint. But you know, it's 2024. How nice would it be to finally see characters as who they are vs who people expect them to be?

Inuyashiki (2017)

Just okay

[6/10 · 14 May 2024]

This show has an interesting enough premise and the visuals are fitting, but your enjoyment of it ultimately depends on whether or not you can accept that things happen the way they do simply because. As the series went on I never got the sense the characters do things because that's who they are. More like it's a convenient way to drive the plot forward. Just a means to function as a foil for the protagonist in a cheap and often shocking way. The shock value tends to sway a lot of people into believing something is worth watching. Whether it's overt violence, sexual abuse or over-the-top gore. These can be done well, but most of the time it's a low-effort jab at appealing to base emotions everyone has. When it's that lazy and transparent, it just turns into garbage. I wouldn't classify this show as outright garbage, but there were times it came close. This is made worse by the copious amount of snot that accompanies every scene of someone ugly crying, which happens super frequently. Someone is always crying to the extreme. It feels too exaggerated to be believed and ends up taking you out of the moment altogether.

Overall it gives the impression of an attempt at a good series as opposed to actually having seen one.

Ninja Kamui (2024– )

Apparently, this is what passes for entertainment nowadays

[4/10 · 6 May 2024]

Ninja Kamui is one of the most bland and uninteresting shows I've seen in a long time. I cannot believe the IMDb rating of 7.9 and the reviews calling this utter snoozefest, brilliant. Outside of competent voice work and some decent fights, it has few redeeming qualities to speak of. Generic premise that quickly turns ridiculous, awful and out of place soundtrack, hugely inconsistent animation quality, plus characters so two-dimensional you don't care about any of them at all. They try to elicit emotional reactions from you with very typical tropes that are so poorly done and transparent it's almost insulting. Throw in some mid-2000s CGI jank at the end showcasing the most boring boss fight ever, some shallow crap that passes as resolution, and then it just ends.

For some incomprehensible reason, people think this is good. Just look at the rave reviews. I can't tell if they're joke reviews or it's simply some I-am-14-and-this-is-deep nonsense. Do yourself a favor and don't waste time on this show. I had to force myself to watch it all the way through because I finish everything I start. It begins in common fashion, meanders and plateaus throughout, then takes a massive, anticlimactic nosedive at the end. This is uninspired trash designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator. You're better off watching almost anything else.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021–2024)

A continuation of the clone wars that I didn't know I wanted

[8/10 · 5 May 2024]

This series is incredibly formulaic. Not exactly original but that doesn't mean it's bad. A good formula executed well can still equal a great show, which is what this is. It really speaks to how effective certain tropes are when even after seeing slight variations of the same things time and time again, still elicits feelings of satisfaction in the hearts of the audience.

For instance, the villain is someone that we've seen countless times before, but it's pulled off so well in such perfect form that it just works because he's who we want him to be. Our heroes also conform to such typical stereotypes but again, done so well that we don't mind and even welcome it. It can be argued that the uninspired roles they fill with personalities to match are reasoned away in the larger context of what it means to be a clone, but that's just another convenient variation of a theme that we're comfortable with. The entire show is filled with things like this, such as Omega being somehow special and needs to be guarded, but her guardians also recognize her as a full member of the team so that's different enough to accept as something fresh. Or how we see old characters make an appearance for arguably little more than nostalgia, yet as transparent as this is it's briefly explained away via story and we just accept it because we want to. This continues all the way through until the finish. The way things end up is exactly as expected. Outside of one event that the writers shockingly committed to, nothing else was surprising in the slightest and there's nothing wrong with that.

Now combine all of the above with superb animation, excellent lighting and atmosphere, A+ voice work, great scene composition, good pacing / transition and you end up with something fantastic.

I only have one complaint, and that's the inclusion of fillers. There may have been fillers in the original clone wars series, but that had far more episodes than this one and could allow for it. The ones present here would have benefited from being a little more focused and less freeform.

I really enjoyed The Bad Batch. If you were a fan of the series that came before it this is a must watch. Or if you simply like good storytelling, for which this is an excellent example of.

Bungo Stray Dogs (2016– )

Yo dawg, I heard you like flashbacks so we put flashbacks in your flashbacks...

[7/10 · 2 May 2024]

This series should be called Flashback: The Anime. It never stops. Constant visits to the past to explain something in the present. Over and over and over again it happens, to the point where it's less, "Ohh... so THAT's why that is!" and more "Jesus, will this story ever move forward?" There's even an entire season dedicated to this, and once you finally think it's starting to pick up and we have all the background info we need, there's another flashback. Some people might like this style of storytelling, I do not. It makes everything feel incredibly disjointed and is irritating to follow. For this reason, pacing is all over the place. There's a good show somewhere beneath it all, but you have to be far too patient to finally see it. Not until season 4 did things really start to come together, and after you sit through yet another flashback it's pretty decent.

Additionally, the tone of this show is very inconsistent. You have many serious, dramatic scenes. Some are perfectly implemented while others are so overdone you may as well be watching Naruto be all by himself sitting on that swing again. Throughout this, there's over-the-top goofiness smashed in with no logical or coherent transition. Countless other series also do this but is either built on it (not meant to be taken seriously) or done with tactful moderation. BSD is of the group that takes it to another level. There are clearly events not viewed through the lens of humor yet it will often make a random appearance at twice the intensity. You just have to accept that ridiculous chibi sprites which would fit in an outright comedy simultaneously belong with murder and brutal violence without a moment's notice. Furthermore, character interactions between warring factions are terrible. Who are the enemies? Who are allies? The answer is, whatever is convenient. Instead of the thrill of watching fully realized characters previously at odds now cooperating with one another for some greater purpose, you're left with incompetent attempts to appeal to that emotion. This isn't a spoiler because it happens all the time. There are also basically zero stakes because after a while you know who is going to win in every fight. There's nothing wrong in enjoying OP heroes doing OP things, but the tension this show attempts to create doesn't hit so nothing feels particularly important for most of it.

I don't want to give the impression there's nothing of value here. When things are done well it's spectacular. BSD is probably one of the prettiest, and most stylish series I have ever seen. Superb character design, gorgeous fashion, fluid/striking animation and overall visual glam. The stories that are told in these flashbacks are also done well, mostly. Especially when they don't sporadically insert cute nonsense into critical moments. There's a lot to like individually, but everything put together creates an amalgam of things that don't quite fit at a pace you can't really adjust to.

I enjoyed most of what I watched and will likely check out season 6. That said, if it somehow slips my mind and I forget that's okay too.

Arcadian (2024)

Decent, but questionable camera work ruins the experience

[5/10 · 1 May 2024]

Adroitly written dialogue, believable characters, nice special effects, creative enemy design and a coherent, concise story that makes sense. They also did away with a lot of detail for background to put us into the moment. Very much the essence of "less is more" in every scene and it works well. Nothing's missing, and there's just the right amount of what we need to know.

But is it a good film? It's work like this that makes me appreciate how complicated and involved filmmaking actually is. Arcadian is arguably a competent piece of work, but none of it will stay with me. I enjoyed everything I watched along with how it was put together, and yet had I not seen it at all that would have been okay too. I wouldn't have missed it. This would also not be on my list of recommendations unless it was for a fan of the genre, and even then I would tell them to curb their expectations. There's something about the way it was shot that hurts the movie, and whatever it is reduces an otherwise decent film into something that's rather forgettable.

If you're a fan of the medium and appreciate the artistry I would say this is worth your time. If you're looking to passively enjoy something in this genre there are better options out there.

Tomodachi Game (2022)

Pointless fan service ruins an otherwise decent show

[5/10 · 30 April 2024]

Not the best in its genre. Can be overly dramatic and a little too convenient, but when a plan or scheme comes together it's not bad at all. Based on those merits I'd say it's worth watching if you like this kind of thing.

However, the fan service is awful. I don't really like fan service to begin with, but depending on the tone of the show it can work. It can even be really funny. What's featured in this series, though, just ends up being distracting. A random panty shot at a critical moment. Boobs displayed like a museum exhibit during an important plot point. Massive cleavage focus in one scene, and then the following for pretty much no reason except boobs. It's almost as if they don't trust the audience to continue paying attention unless there's nudity on the screen. Things like this alone already make the show seem kind of cheap, but when you combine it with the standard anime tropes you'd come to expect it just amplifies that to the point where you can't take anything seriously. This is a shame because there are moments in this show that really shine, but none of it matters because somehow boobs have to be involved. It's the kind of thing that sabotages potentially great shows and turns them into instantly forgettable garbage, which is exactly what this is.

If you don't mind watching trash with some halfway decent psychological strategy, this is an okay choice.

Late Night with the Devil (2023)

Interesting idea that ends up being incredibly underwhelming

[5/10 · 27 April 2024]

I don't understand why people like this film so much. It's as if the bar is so low that anything different in the smallest way is somehow worthy of high praise. An original script is always welcome, but the film has to be good. This is not good. The building tension and suspense, plus what passes as foreshadowing all fizzles out into nothing. The entire movie was a long period of waiting for something interesting to happen, seeing what might be considered interesting, then realizing it wasn't that interesting at all. This is largely due to the weak climax at the end. Nothing was revealed, resolved, nor explored upon. You're shown what you knew from the very beginning, minus character backgrounds that were made out to be important and never mentioned again, then it ends.

The film being split between color / black and white to signify on and off air also doesn't really work. Perhaps I'm too young to appreciate the detail there since another reviewer had mentioned this format contains historical significance, but when you put it into practice in a film like this it ends up being distracting. When they're off air, it's like a faux reality show. If there really was supposed to be a camera filming the set off air for whatever reason, then why was so much of the focus on the main characters themselves? It's not even subtly done, they're literally front and center, hushed intimate conversations and all. Obviously this is for the benefit of the audience, but in doing so becomes incredibly contrived and super fake which doesn't match the tone of the film whatsoever.

The '70s aesthetic, costume and set design are all A+. Actors did a great job as well. It's easy to appreciate individual pieces of this work, but when you step back to see the entire thing it's simply not a good film.

Undead Unluck (2023– )

Better than I expected

[8/10 · 26 April 2024]

This show seemed lewd and generic. Didn't appear to have a particularly interesting premise so I kept my expectations low. Turned out to be a good time. Charming character design and art style, hollow melodrama kept to a minimum, creative battle mechanics and is actually something of a cute love story. The plot itself also gets progressively more interesting. Far more than the first few episodes would indicate with the continuation of an engaging story arc coming in later seasons.

If you're a fan of anime in general this is a good pick, if you're among the uninitiated (and don't mind some low-brow humor) you may have to be a bit patient. It won't immediately hook you but you'll likely enjoy having stayed around.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two (2024)

It's not great

[5/10 · 25 April 2024]

I'm not the biggest fan of the Tomorrowverse saga, but each film that's come out thus far has been relatively decent. Until Warworld. Just like that film, is this a long episode or an actual movie? Personally, I like long story arcs that continues across separate entries, but this continuation can't be so much of the focus that it hurts the individual film itself. While parts one, two and eventually three are in the actual title, each release needs to be able to stand on its own. They failed at that here.

The entire thing kind of drags. While the parts containing Kara, Psycho Pirate and the Monitor are interesting, the way these events are put together hinders momentum. That, along with the monotonous color palette combines to create a sense of meandering and stagnation. At one point I actually paused the film just to see how much of it was left, something I never do for any film worth watching and the first time I've done so for a DC animated one. By the time the lukewarm cliffhanger hits, you simply feel nothing about it.

There have been a lot of criticism about the art style for Tomorrowverse, and while I can confidently say style is subjective and not indicative of true quality, some of the scenes in this film and the ones prior appear to have been rather hastily or even lazily done. A fight happening in the background put there with the absolute minimum effort because, who's going to stare at that? Or someone wiping their face simply with a hand motion sans any of the facial mannerisms to match. Things like this scream budget, effort, or time issues and it absolutely hurts the final product.

I love DC Comics and the animated films/series that have come from them, but this film and a few before it have been disappointing. Even if part three turns out to be amazing, it won't save this one nor justify the time spent to get there.

Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song (2021)

An oversight mar an otherwise perfect show

[8/10 · 25 April 2024]

The pacing, premise and animation are all A+. There's real artistic talent to the way the story is told from the very first scene all the way to the end. They closed that story loop perfectly. Melancholy, longing and heart-pounding action. Existential contemplation. Reflecting on the human condition. The question of a soul. All those heavy hitters from classic cyberpunk this has in spades. Given that there are only 13 episodes, the feeling you've been on a long journey once everything is said and done is a mark of great storytelling. I absolutely loved this show.

The only blemish is the lack of clarity concerning one of the character's motivations. They left it open as an unsolved mystery like an afterthought. Not nearly enough to ruin the emotional climax at the end, the highs throughout, or the attachments you will undoubtedly develop but it's there.

Regardless, this is an excellent show and well worth your time. It's fantastic.

Shangri-La Frontier (2023–2024)

I've no idea why this show isn't more popular or rated higher. It's excellent.

[9/10 · 22 April 2024]

Wasting time watching a new series just to find out it's terrible is the worst, so when Shangri-La Frontier popped up as an option I very nearly skipped it. No one talks about this show. There's no buzz or hype that I've seen whatsoever, and given how much mediocre anime there is out there at a glance this seemed more of the same. It isn't. It's actually quite good. I'd go so far as to say it's the best 'full-dive' online game anime I've ever seen, easily on par / surpassing bigger titles such as Log Horizon, Overlord, SAO, and Accel World.

The creators are obviously mmo gamers themselves. You can see this in showcased mechanics, message board behavior from the community, or hilarious moments set-up for maximum, social awkwardness. While you don't need to be a gamer to enjoy it (they provide charming, pop-up explanations for the uninitiated), it's made for people who are. Story itself is well told. Pacing in particular. A surprising amount of attention given to specific events makes you excited for what comes next. They could have cut-out entire episodes for the sake of time or additional work involved but they didn't. It's deliberate considering the context, and far better for it. Clearly there's real vision for the overall story being told and no shortcuts are being taken here.

SLF isn't an isekai. There are no life-threatening stakes involved, no one is trapped, and there are zero irl concerns worth mentioning of any kind. This is also a comedy first and foremost. It's deliberately dumb at certain points, and funny in the best way. SLF knows exactly what it is and pulls it off perfectly.

I really enjoyed this show. If any of the above sounds appealing, you will, too.

Justice League: Warworld (2023)

I can see what they were going for, but it doesn't land.

[6/10 · 4 March 2024]

The premise is interesting and the setup had a lot of potential, but what few mini-stories we had prior to the main event were wasted. For the most part, it just wasn't good. They could have went anywhere, done anything with those, but outside of the first one being decent the others were not great. Then when things started coming together, not enough questions were answered. This is followed by an interesting plot point regarding Warworld itself, and then it simply ends on a cliffhanger for something else entirely. Another reviewer mentioned the whole thing felt more like an episode as opposed to an actual film, and this is accurate. Like the movie itself was just building up to what comes next, which diminishes this entry altogether. Even the official summary is completely inaccurate--

"...Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and others must unite to form an unbeatable resistance to lead the entire planet to freedom."

This is not what happens. Not really. It would likely have been a far better film if it was.

I still enjoyed it, because I'm a fan in general. That said, there's a lot of wasted potential here and people that aren't familiar with these characters or DC at all aren't missing anything because as a standalone film it's nothing worth writing home about. The art style is also not to my liking, and while it is indeed a subjective issue some of the scenes felt lazy while a few in particular were downright ugly. Very inconsistent. Maybe what they did here was more cost effective. Whatever is it, it hurts.

Batman and Harley Quinn (2017)

Fun and silly, wonderfully done.

[8/10 · 13 February 2024]

The opening title sequence tells you everything you need to know. It is not a serious movie. Much of it is utter nonsense in the best way, and you can tell the creators had a lot of fun making it. Some of the humor doesn't quite land but the ones that do are hilarious, and best described as immature adult comedy amidst an absurdist backdrop.

The art style is deliberately nostalgic. For anyone that grew up on Batman the Animated Series you will feel right at home. However, this is not a kid's film. There's blood, sexual innuendo and violence that is clearly not for children. The little ones that watched Batman in the early nineties are all grown up now, though, and this is created specifically for that audience.

It's a testament to how well done the world-building is along with the excellent job the original crew did in making Harley Quinn come to life all those years ago. The entire time spent watching this film I couldn't help feeling a little homesick. Seeing Harley go about her day in the usual endearing insanity we've come to love and expect, I was surprised at how fond I am of her even now. A different voice actress notwithstanding. Melissa Rauch is great with her own style, but Arleen Sorkin will always be the real Harley Quinn to me.

This movie is a gift for old fans of the original animated series. The people that rated it poorly simply don't get it.

The Equalizer 3 (2023)

Each entry weaker than the last

[6/10 · 12 October 2023]

Bland, predictable and formulaic. There's nothing inspired about this whatsoever. The previous films at least had some tension and enemies worth writing home about, with our hero convincingly troubled, challenged and restless in a way that's realistic and easy to understand. This one had bad guys that were so cookie-cutter they may as well have been one line npcs in some mediocre mmo. No real sense of threat or danger, and at one point so laughably weak I couldn't believe they put it in there. Denzel's conflicted nature was also grossly overplayed; we've seen all this before. With the most obvious resolution when all was said and done. No struggle to get to this point throughout, which means the finish had little to no impact at all. The setting deserves mention because it's a poor excuse for praise. You get some scenery and a charming look into a nice neighborhood in Italy, but that won't save the terrible script from being noticed for anyone actually paying attention.

Additionally, Dakota Fanning's character was utterly wasted. She's far too talented for this kind of meaningless role. The idea appears to present her as a young and intelligent operative that would somehow assist in an adjacent fashion yet she contributed zero to the overall investigative work aside from informing higher ups of what she was simply fed. Adding insult to that, they took her out of action for a significant portion of the movie. Who thought this was a good idea?

It is the worst of the trilogy by far. The only reason to see this is to watch Denzel doing cool Denzel things. Plus a little nostalgia for fans of Man on Fire, a far better film.

Speak No Evil (2022)

Upsetting. Would not recommend, but there is a lesson here.

[5/10 · 29 September 2023]

The premise is interesting and the acting superb, but it'll just make you frustrated and angry. The entire thing is one big violation.

If there was an underlying message to this film, it would be to not allow rules, customs or societal expectations to remove/inhibit personal agency. Decent people are raised to be polite, considerate, and at times to overextend themselves for others when the danger in doing so results in personal discomfort and even harm. In being overly considerate you are at risk of being inconsiderate to yourself. That's unacceptable. So, feel confident in being rude, even savage, or simply saying no when the situation calls for it. If someone treats you with no respect, they deserve the same or worse in turn. Defend yourself. All the shock, speechless indignation and reasoning in the world after the fact mean nothing.

Ender's Game (2013)

Not bad

[7/10 · 26 June 2023]

This film got a lot of flack due to comparisons to the novel so of course it's going to score poorly. Some of the best moments in the book were only briefly touched on as well, and pivotal events glossed over or even left out entirely. That's obviously going to rub some people the wrong way, but the low scores are ridiculous. 1 star? Really? As a standalone film this is easily a 7. There's enough here to entertain. Great special effects with some solid acting. Pretty exciting action sequences. It's far from the steaming pile of garbage some of these reviewers claim it to be.

Personally I think some more time could have been better spent to flesh out certain parts of the story. It floats in the limbo of being slightly too vague for people that haven't read the novel, and too trimmed for the ones that have. Also, choices made regarding some characters surrounding Ender to appeal to a wider audience was a mistake. It feels very generic, safe and budget conscious. As in, "Not sure if sequel will happen, so let's condense this in the most risk-free way." Typical Hollywood stuff.

This won't rank in your list of top films, but you won't regret having spent time watching it, either.

Extraction II (2023)

It's a fun movie, just predictable and unrealistic

[7/10 · 18 June 2023]

If you like action and well-choreographed combat, this movie has it. It's entertaining, and the acting is superb. There's nothing original about the characters or the story, though. These people are pre-built cliches that fit well into this typical formula where a bunch of action sequences has a story as an afterthought to pass for a film. It's not nearly as egregious as John Wick 4, but can still be described exactly in this way.

You can guess key events once the premise is set. It's that obvious. That's kind of a testament to how effective these tropes and cliches are. Works so well a viewer with a passing interest in film can make accurate predictions immediately. Not a downside, unless you were expecting to be surprised. The only truly bad part of the film was the training montage. I don't care how light on story you want to make your action film, but suspension of disbelief is still a thing and having the hero make a miraculous recovery after being critically injured in the span of what, a few days? A week or two? This right here is just lazy and doesn't make any sense at all. They could have simply extended the time in recovery before he gets the mission and the entire thing would have been far better for it. Instead, they gave him superhuman healing abilities and it just hurts the film. So easily avoidable I have no idea what the intent was here.

The high ratings as well as the incredibly low ones are both inaccurate. It's a 7 because it does what it set out to do really well, and that's all. This has great action, is well-shot/casted and is entertaining. Not every movie needs a deep storyline or even needs to be completely believable. Is it fun? Yes. That's enough. It's also not some 9 out of 10, either. Scores that high require a more complete package and this clearly isn't it.