LordZepp Reviews

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (I) (2004)

Lush visuals, thick with allegory - another Oshii Masterpiece

[10/10 · 27 March 2005]

The fact that this film didn't feature the Major was Oshii's greatest idea. How do you make a sequel to one of the most beautiful and metaphorical films ever created? By breaking that mold. This film isn't consumable in one viewing. The first viewing makes you wonder what you've missed. The second makes you believe you've missed nothing. And the third opens the door to the meaning behind the film.

I can't say enough about the blend of traditional animation and cg to create a confused and crowded futuristic world that is just too much for the senses - and that's the point. It is too much - so Batou comes back to that which is simple - the hound.

The soundtrack is another haunting, yet beautiful work by Kenji Kawai, the only composer that can match the pure talent of Yoko Kanno in Japan.

I recommend this film because it forces you to think. It's the perfect compliment to the first film. It's as much philosophical as the first was action. I've never seen anyone pull off extended scenes without dialogue in anime like Oshii - the visuals do all of the talking and then some. Simply poetic genius. 10 out of 10, and all without Motoko!

The Village (2004)

A few things borrowed...good to see once, never again.

[6/10 · 1 August 2004]

I swear, M.Night must have rented the Brotherhood of the Wolf while writing this film...because several things were concoctions of several aspects of Christophe Gans masterpiece...red cloaks, spikes on the back, claws, secrets...Hell, he could have casted Vincent Cassel as Noah, and he could have called the film "the brotherhood" and given Gans a credit for all the similarities. Now, that said, there is definitely a fair amount of good "original" ideas, and the movie does work, even if only for 15 minutes.

All in all, it's a stark social commentary, and thats all. Not up to the standards that M.Night has set for himself...this movie could have been a ton better if he'd have spent a bit more time on the script.

On the bright side, Hurt was great, Phoneix was good, and Howard definitely has some potential.

Tequila Body Shots (1999)

Lame but fun. A guilty pleasure.

[6/10 · 3 June 2003]

If this movie even tried to take itself seriously, it would be a train wreck. But it doesn't, and because of that, it's fun. The plot is loose, there's a bunch of badly developed characters, but who cares? It's completely fun, it has a completely wacky style to it, and it's well presented. Go ahead and enjoy it...there's way worse cinema out there.

The Vision of Escaflowne (1996)

Epic...the best production ever.

[10/10 · 12 March 1999]

This is IT! If you ever see one complete anime series, make this one it. Escaflowne is hands down THE BEST story presented in film. The scope is amazing, the plotline intense, the dialogue is brilliant, the animation is unmatched, the soundtrack is amazing....I just can't say enough. Not since Star Wars has a series come along that is worth watching all at once in succession. Needless to say, I was hooked from episode 1, and the rest is history. This even beats out the much fabled "Ghost in the Shell" and "Record of Lodoss War". If Disney is so bent on being the best at animation, then they need to watch this film, and learn from the masters.

Bang (1995)

A break from the monotony of Films. Fresh, stylistic, good.

[8/10 · 30 November 1998]

Bang is a good film. Ash manipulates the story well, and the camera squeezes every bit of it in the frame. Great paradoxes between the real and the absurd. Everything is presented well. Good acting, great story, great drama, great cinematography. Check it out. It is a fresh film, one that stands out from the normal action/ drama that is out there.