kayael1 Reviews

Wendell & Wild (2022)

Fairly good quality Netflix "content".

[6/10 · 28 October 2022]

I'm a fan of Mr. Henry Selick. I follow creepy animated movies subgenre thoroughly. I'm sad to report that this movie was uneven and average. Story was disjointed despite being modestly inspired. At least characters were ok. Animation was respectable and stylish but a bit simplistic compared to Selick's earlier works. Some backgrounds having too little work on them constantly reminded me that this movie is direct to tv stuff. Jokes are too few and far in between. A lot of things and situations go around the movie despite most of them are not fleshed out. Don't hold back if you really want to see it. It is ok. But go with low expectations. You may opt out for a better movie if you are a casual movie goer.

Cat Nation: A Film About Japan's Crazy Cat Culture (2017)

Worst Host Ever

[6/10 · 12 September 2022]

Turkish cat enthusiast here. In this movie we are taken to a Japanese cat tour which is enjoyable and interesting if you love cats.

It could be informative too. Alas host knows nothing on the subject. He is not there to cover for that with interviews also. He just makes inane comments. It is evident that he is not a cat lover. He is not sarcastic also.

Don't expect Monthy Python or any other form of British humor. Just a person who is unfit for hosting making inane comments. You could feel insulted if you are Japanese. Don't expect information or insight. It is just a light visual tour with a lacking, banal host.

Paragraph 175 (2000)

Good documentary about persecuted but not persecutors.

[6/10 · 28 September 2021]

This documentary consisted an accurate and good depiction of what happened to homosexuals during Third Reich. Story is all presented through interviews with survivors. Yet info beyond those survivors alone is very scarce and mentioned only in passing. You can't really learn about Third Reich's attempted way of dealing with homosexuality from this documentary. This one holds only a minor interest to serious WW2 enthusiasts. However the documentary is good for what it is. A group of surviving homosexual people giving their accounts in an effective and relatable way.

The Suicide Squad (2021)

Best Hollywood can provide nowadays.

[9/10 · 6 August 2021]

This was a full action comedy unlike first Suicide Squad movie. Unusual for DC but refreshing. Clearly and upgrade from the first flick. Movie has really great production quality. Cinematography has a distinct style especially. Only negative is that pace is slow in middle section because of plot and character development. But it pays.

This movie doesn't care about offending woke cultists yet it is not political at all. It refreshingly does not care about politics.

I god pleased with this despite walking in with high expectations. Hollywood is full of woke lame movies today. So a reasonably original and solid movie like this wins by default because its politically neutral.

The Humpbacked Horse (1975)

Good but inferior to the original in every way.

[6/10 · 24 June 2020]

This movie has a good story and stylish animation. However it is a clear downgrade compared to same director's original1947 movie. Especially in artistically stylish animation department. Since it is a direct remake I can't find a meaning to new iteration being clearly inferior.

Storywise, the single scene that doesn't exist in the original doesn't add anything to the new flick. English dubbing is serviceable but falters during songs. Also doesn't fit to characters very well but that's nitpicky for general audience. Original had better dubbing also.

My enjoyment of this movie was decimated by having seen the clearly superior original two days ago. Since two movies have almost identical stories watching one diminishes the other. So watch the original instead. Otherwise this one is a nice movie also.