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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Those Old Scientists (2023)
Crossover heaven
Absolutely brilliant execution of the crossover format.
Boimler and Mariner are accidentally transported to the past, meeting up with the pre-Kirk Enterprise crew for some wacky time travel shenanigans.
There was always the danger of sending this episode into a slap-stick direction but thankfully it was handled with grace.
A fine balance between the two shows was struck, with both the comedy we all know and love from lower decks, to the human drama of STW, making this entry the new standard for crossover episodes in any genre.
Well done to the writers and above all else to Jonathan Frakes for this fine fusion between animation and live action.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
A resounding success
Where Spiderman 3 failed in trying to bring together too many characters, this film made it seem effortless.
It is a well paced mix of action, drama and comedy, with well placed moments of levity and hilarity, all the while managing to keep the audience engaged. One thing I can say about most MCU films is the phone never comes out due to boredom and this one is definitely one of them.
Here we have proof it is possible to have a large ensemble of characters (some obvious, some VERY unexpected), without collapsing in on itself.
Star Trek: Prodigy (2021)
Excellent start to a new series
I have to say there was some doubt when I hear Nickelodeon was making this but after the first episode, I have to say this is going to be an impressive addition to the Star Trek world.
The characters are diverse, funny and most importantly seemed to show excelletn cohesion even in the first episode.
Some detractors complain about similarities to Clone Wars which I couldn't see and certainly wasn't thinking that until it was mentioned. By that logic, every piece of 3D animation is based off Toy Story. I'm guessing to please everyone, this show should have been animated using sand.
As for influence, Star Wars itself is based on a plethora of other works, including Asimov's Foundation, Frank Herbert's Dune and various others, but for some reason no one whines about that.
If the animation style and one robotic character is all people can come up with, then keep on rusting onto that hull.
I look forward to where this will go, as a fan of all Sci-Fi.
Foundation (2021)
An excellent story from the master of Science Fiction
Having been a huge fan of Asimov's works since my early childhood, I was thrilled to hear that Foundation was finally ready to be formed into a visual format.
I was worried there for a while as there were to be movie versions directed by Roland Emmerich and while I don't begrudge his work, he is definitely the wrong man for the job as Foundation is an intellectual story, rather than an popcorn action epic.
To my profound relief, the task was handed over to people who are capable of taking a story written in the 1940s and succesfully adapt it to a more realistic setting in this day and age and this is where we encounter the rusted on fans who insist the story must not be tampered with.
While I do enjoy the original works by Asimov, reading them now we can see the cultural trends of the time in his stories which is by no means a bad thing. It is just how it was back in the day.
Take the example of Tintin in the Congo. The first edition of the comic (Which I have a reprint of for the purposes of collection) was considered extremely racist but at the time, no one batted an eyelid as that was considered normal. Herge himself later admitted it was a mistake and changed the story to reflect the changing cultural trends but we didn't hear any outcry demanding the original be left alone.
Foundation, the original story was by no means racist but it was stuck in the past and even Asimov himself acknowledged this indirectly as his writing evolved with cultural trends and this TV series is the final culmination with one of his relatives guiding it.
I for one have enjoyed the story so far and have definitely not been dissapointed.
Same way I was not dissapointed with the new Star Wars series as they were created to introduce new generations to this wonderful universe, same as Foundation.
As an example, some people have commented on the way hyper drives are portrayed but to be honest, the book versions were extremely dull but that works in the book.
Or that Demerzel is a woman in this version but the fact is that Demerzel being an ancient robot by the name of R. Daneel Olivaw has been described in other books considered cannon as taking whatever form he deemed necessary at the time also included a female form.
While Foundation is an amazing literary masterpiece, converting it as is into a visual format would have resulted in a garbage heap as it was not written as a film, same way Star Wars was not written as a novel.
All I can say is the sotry so far has been riveting and I look forward to the ongoing saga and thank heavens it was not made into a movie.
Ghostbusters (2016)
A fun adventure
Yeah okay, they swapped all the leads out with women but looking at this entire film as a standalone piece, I found it to be rather enjoyable and a good romp.
The four leads did have great chemistry which made the viewing experience that much more enjoyable. Chris Hemsworth playing a brainless moron was one of the great highlights and frankly, everyone just looked like they were having a great time.
Sure there were some cringe worthy moments but the same could be said about the original.
If people review this film on it's own then fair enough but scoring this against the original is closed minded and takes away from the entertainment.
Disclaimer: I enjoyed watching both equally and I don't think Mr Ramis would mind.
The Suicide Squad (2021)
Amazing...
... what can be achieved when you have an excellent director,coupled with a great script and all without the usual studio interference.
This is exactly what the first movie was supposed to be, a rag tag team of undesirables forming a bond to become an actual... I guess non-rag tag team.
I'm hoping WB will learn from this and never repeat the mistake of terrible or average DC films...
Nah kidding, they'll screw up the next one I'm sure but it is great to see superhero movies done properly, fleshing out the characters, making them relatable and fit perfectly within an enjoyable story arc within a reasonable time frame.
Then there's projects being adopted as an exercise in self indulgence only to be morphed into some four hour monstrosity fanboys wave around as an example of 'film making'. That's not a film, that's a work print with extra special effects.
You're awesome Mr Gunn!
Gake no ue no Ponyo (2008)
A mixed bag of... something?
I'd like to begin by saying the works of Miyazaki got me back to watching Japanese animated films (As well as Makoto Shinkai's early works), after a long pause due to the limited selection of content in my area at the time. This selection focused on the robots/demons/school girls battling each other, filled with nonsensical plots and over the top violence. Gets boring pretty quick.
Upon seeing Spirited Away many years later, I was drawn to Miyazaki's other films and can safely say I've never been disappointed, until now. Sort of...
The quality of his work is top notch as always, his attention to detail is second to none, however the story in this instance was just not there. At the very least, the ending was extremely lifeless.
The film follows Sousuke and his adventures while protecting the little fish princess Ponyo. Sousuke is instantly protective of her and from the get go, dedicates himself to protecting her and risking his life to do so.
At the end is where the entire thing breaks apart, when he is greeted by a water spirit/god being who asks him if he's willing to dedicate himself to take care of and protect Ponyo. So precisely the very thing he was doing up until now without being asked. If this was real life, Sousuke and Ponyo would have both done a Picard style facepalm and walked off shaking their heads...
I realise Miyazaki grows his stories organically without a script but I simply felt like he got writers block at the end and tied up the ending in the loosest way possible.
I honestly thought I was imagining this but all of my Japanese friends said exactly the same thing describing this film more as a Studio Ghibli showreel, than a film.
This film would have been far better without the "What The Heck" ending but still deserves 7 stars for the wonderful visuals and 90% of the story.
Army of the Dead (2021)
This must be some kind of Rick 'n' Morty spin-off
I recall there was an episode of Rick 'n' Morty in which Morty was trying to pitch a heist movie to Netflix. If this was the result, I can understand why Rick was trying to bury it.
This is just one cliche after another and barely watchable as half the scenes are done in bokeh focus. That may work on a smartphone screen but anything larger results in headaches.
Also memo to mr Snyder, longer does not equal better.
The Emoji Movie (2017)
Not THAT bad
I doubt anyone expected this movie to be Citizen Kane but I have to say it at least didn't put me to sleep. Unlike Citizen Kane.
The premise of creating a film around emojis is extremely thin, however the result is suprisingly fun with some very good casting choices, such as Tim Miller. The moral of the story is a bit of a miss but I doubt this was the reason most people saw this.
It also goes to show that Patrick Stewart is up for a laugh by allowing himself to be cast as the poop emoji, by far the most unique role he's ever taken on.
Overall it's great mindless fun for people of all ages and well worth at least one viewing.
Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010)
Champagne comedy
The review title has been shamelessly stolen, just like the animated bird clipart in this film(?)
In all honesty, this 'movie' was 500% hilarity and pure entertainment. Everything is ramped up to -11, making is so bad, it's worse. Great to view with a few drinks and friends.
Rent it or find it free on a certain popular streaming site.