miyaxchan Reviews

Pom Poko (1994)

A low for Studio Ghibli

[5/10 · 11 July 2005]

I'm sure this comment isn't exactly going to make me popular...

Let me start out by saying that I've seen every Ghibli film except My Neighbors the Yamadas and The Cat's Return (several of them twice), so I don't think I'm making a gross overstatement when I say that Pom Poko is the worst out of all of them.

I recently watched this movie for the second time, and before I did I couldn't remember exactly why I didn't care for it...the movie drags on, is repetitive, and IMO, is incredibly confused. Is it trying to be a soapbox for environmental sustainability or is it just trying to have some fun? The movie becomes annoying when the tanuki first try one strategy against the humans, then try another variation on it, then another...and that's basically the entire movie. There is no build up to a climax, there is no resolution. All in all, they are still raccoons and the humans are still humans, and are still pressing forward with the construction project. I don't consider that a spoiler since it's quite obvious from the onset of the movie.

This leads the viewer to wonder what the point of the movie is. They're GOING to lose, but the movie is trying to advocate for something...isn't it? Either way, if it doesn't have a message or if it does, it's doing a bad job of conveying that. It's comical and about a serious issue, but it's not satire and it's not trying to advocate for anything, while at the same time you get the impression that it IS trying to advocate for something.

Confusing, right? I thought so too.

I greatly enjoy Takahata's other works (most notably Grave of the Fireflies) and I STRONGLY suggest those over this one. I know he often gets the short end of the Ghibli publicity/praise/fame stick, and overall he deserves much more credit.

But hey, even Tom Hanks and Robert DiNiro made some bad movies.

Sylvia (2003)

Good...but Lacking

[6/10 · 27 March 2005]

I must admit that prior to seeing this movie, I was under-informed as to the Plath-Hughes story, outside of the basic "he was a schmuck, she had emotional problems, she killed herself" that I was told in English class. I had read a few of their poems and liked them both, although his I remember were very strong and aggressive, and hers were, well, dark and sensitive.

That having been said, I felt this movie was good, and beautifully directed, stunning imagery and extraordinary usage of colors and symbolism, but it can't make up in direction what it lacks in information. There is more to Plath's character, background, and psyche than the movie delves into. We know she's disturbed, since she tried to kill herself a couple of times and her father died when she was nine, but we don't know why she always wants to kill herself.

The movie tries to play it all off, as another commenter said, as postpartum depression, but we know this has been going on for almost her whole life...but why? What did her family do to help her--anything? It is hard to deal with the death of such a close family member, but if that's the only cause, she would have succeeded in killing herself years ago, not after Hughes' affairs.

Many details omitted leaves this biopic very vague, and therefore, in my opinion, deserving of little more than a six out of ten.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)

What a trip!

[5 January 2004]

Wow, what a cool movie! I wasn't previously familiar with the story of the Baron, so I couldn't tell you how accurate it is--and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I care. This movie was a lot of fun, the characters were great and the story was even better. Gilliam's direction is, as always, top-notch. This movie sort of felt like the 17th and 18th century stories of Balzac, Cyrano de Berserac, Jules Verne and others. It had a great fantasy feel to it, which--being unique to live-action cinema--definitely gave this movie some bonus points. Gilliam also makes use of his siguature Monty Python animation.

I'd recommend this to anyone who apreciates magic in cinema, fans of Peter Pan and so on; and of course Gilliam fans. This isn't Brazil (his best work) or 12 Monkeys by any means, but a great movie nonetheless. Also if you liked this movie, I'd suggest Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky, which is set in a similar time period and has a similar feel and fantastical story...but is animated.

Ordinary People (1980)

Underrated

[3 January 2004]

I heard a few negative comments regarding this movie when I was in high school (less than two years ago). People my age found Ordinary People dated or otherwise a miserable, aimless, pointless movie.

Yes, the movie is old--older than I am. But that doesn't affect it at all. Its subject matter is surprisingly more relevant than I could imagine it being 20 years ago. In terms of quality, this film contains some of the best acting I have ever seen. Timothy Hutton was quite young here, and this is one of his earliest roles, and it's clear even Donald Sutherland is having a hard time keeping up with him. It's a crime against humanity that he hasn't had a good role like this since. Also, the directing is top-notch. I believe this is the first movie Robert Redford ever directed, and he won Best Picture for it--certainly that should tell you something.

In terms of plot, no, it doesn't have a solid story outside of family trying to overcome extreme tragedy. And yes, it's quite sad. After watching it, I can't imagine you'd want to go out and have a good time. You couldn't. The movie has that much of a deep effect.

Ordinary People is a haunting film with amazing acting and excellent directing. It deserved every award it got and more. Don't be turned off from this movie by its age--if the age bothers you that much, go watch The Fast and the Furious or some other recent movie that doesn't require much thought or emotional strain. Because that's what all the movies produced now-a-days are like.

All the King's Men (1949)

Biggest Insult to a Novel Hollywood Ever Made

[13 June 2003]

As a complete nerd, I often enjoy reading books then watching their film versions, and comparing them and see how well the books are adapted to the screen. But never in all my life have I seen something this disgusting. "Forrest Gump" actually made a better movie than book, Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" was done very well, even the Harry Potter adaptations are entertaining.

But this...this is the biggest insult to an author I have ever seen. And this author happens to be Robert Penn Warren, who not only was a big-time Southern regionalist writer, and did not only win the Pulitzer prize for this novel and two others, and was not only our country's first poet laureate, but wrote a novel with such a great impact on American politics and literature that modern authors are still trying to repeat it (remeber Primary Colors?)

Not only does this movie completely stray from more or less ALL of the novel's contents/plot/character developments, etc., but the movie, set in the South--a very important detail when considering what Warren was trying to achieve--does not contain a single actor even TRYING TO FAKE a southern accent, it's horribly miscast, and the dialogue is re-written to make the characters seem vapid and stupid. The pacing is entirely wrong. Key parts of the book are completely neglected in the movie, along with crucial characters. Things are re-written so much that the movie seems to be either what its writer (Rossen) wished the novel was or him just taking the characters and manipulating them as he pleased. Both the writing and the directing are incredibly sloppy.

Folks, do yourselves a favor and read the book. Because I can't see anyone enjoying both, and I'm having a harder time seeing how anyone could enjoy this movie.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Bittersweet

[21 December 2002]

When I first learned that this movie had been released as a double feature with Grave of the Fireflies, I was, to say the least, confused. But now I definitely see why that was done.

My Neighbor Totoro, once put into proper historical perspective, becomes a rather difficult film to watch, especially for someone born and raised in the country that put the Japanese in that situation all those many years ago. All the clues are there--the mother in the hospital, Kanta's hat, the setting, the dress, and particularly the way the mother's medical condition is never discussed. It doesn't come on as strong as Grave of the Fireflies; it's more an optimistic piece, an exercise in innocence and naiveity.

Or rather, how children deal with painful realities.

I hope I haven't given much away. Anyway, this is definitely among Miyazaki's best; and I would go as far as to say it was one of the best animated films ever made, except for the way in which it ends (too abruptly and perhaps too soon).

Don't let the dub lead you to believe this is mere kiddie fare. While it can be watched with the family, anyone with a brain won't be able to swallow it that easily. (Methinks the realization that this ISN'T kiddie fare, contrary to what I've always been told, has sent me into more of a shock than anything else. ^_^)

Inspector Gadget (1983–2023)

Beautiful!

[19 January 2002]

There isn't a member of my generation (or maybe even the generation before mine) who didn't grow up on this cartoon. "Inspector Gadget" is a real work of art, I'm serious...kids shows which are intelligent, funny, and still worth watching ten years later have always been few and far between, and this is one of those shows...granted, we all could live without the super-cheesy moral lessons at the end of the show (they meant well..); I know they bothered me even when I was three. ^_^

But come on...Ferris Bueller as Inspector Gadget??