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Gojira -1.0 (2023)
A Decent But Overrated Movie
This movie is a decent entry into the large Godzilla movie franchise. It sits somewhere near the top 15 or maybe top 10 films. However, it is overrated on review forums.
I should start with the greatest thing about the movie, the visual effects. The visual effects are absolutely amazing in this movie. Godzilla, ships, planes, the destruction sequences, etc. Were just out of this world. Unironically some of the best visual effects I have seen from a movie. Another great thing about this movie was the beginning which had a great setup for both its plot and themes. Unfortunately the setup of the movie is the best part of the script and it only starts to fall apart rapidly from there.
The weakest link of the script is the main couple's relationship. It just felt so rushed. I felt like the movie should have taken a lot more time to develop their relationship and implement more intimate scenes between them. I never felt like they an organically developed relationship. I felt like the relationship could have been taken out the movie entirely and nothing significant would have changed. The relationship felt redundant and shoehorned in.
What did not help was the acting. A lot of the acting (mainly from the main character) was very overacted at points. I felt like a more subtle approach to more emotional scenes would have worked a lot better. Instead, it felt like a melodramatic soap opera which made it difficult to connect with the main couple's relationship.
The plot was filled with deus ex machinas too. These deus ex machina moments ruined any sense of tension and build up. At points, it felt as if entire scenes were removed that would have explained scenarios that seemed unrealistically convenient.
Another flaw was some weird editing choices like some redundant shots that made the pacing feel off. Plus, awful use of slow motion that was extremely cheesy.
The new music was weak and generic too. It did not fit well with the older Godzilla soundtracks at all.
However, is that why people go to watch Godzilla movies? Probably not, so I can understand why people would turn a blind eye to these parts of the film. The action scenes were amazing which is probably the most important part for kaiju movie fans. However, I really felt that if they refined the script just a bit more than this movie could have been one of the best monster movies ever. Unfortunately, the entire movie just felt rushed and generic.
Shin Godzilla is a far superior film in terms of its acting, direction, script, soundtrack, etc. There are scenes in Shin Godzilla which leave you speechless and resonates for years to come. Godzilla Minus One is far more safe and generic. It never pushes the boundaries besides its visual effects.
Would I suggest watching this movie? Yes, if you are a fan of kaiju movies the action scenes and visual effects alone are amazing. However, if you are not that into Godzilla or kaiju movies I would avoid (although I think it is better than any of the American Godzilla movies).
*Edit*
I re-watched the original and it is so much better. It is dated for sure, the effects especially, and the movie has the hallmarks of a movie from the 1950s (although the 1954 movie is still far ahead of it's time). However, the cinematography, tone, theme, and music are superior to Godzilla Minus One. Just comparing the endings it is like night and day. The original 1954 movie holds a certain gravitas which is not of hope and recovery (as seen in Minus One) but of solemn despair in the face of ceaseless destruction that humanity brings upon itself. As long as their is war and devastation humanity is doomed to repentant annihilation.
The Sudbury Devil (2023)
An Excellent Movie
Movies made by YouTubers are often horrible garbage. Most are made just to be a cash cows while a few others are made with genuine interest. Unfortunately for either case, they often times serve more to make an audience cringe than to entertain. However, Andrew Rakich's "The Sudbury Devil" completely flips this narrative.
This movie is excellent with great acting, cinematography, and directing. The dedication to historic period dress, dialogue, and setting must be praised as one of the best representations of the period. It is up there with the "The Witch." The special effects or practical effects are amazing with extremely realistic gore. It cannot be understated how amazing this movie is on such a low budget (according to the Indiegogo campaign, this movie had a budget of $4,453).
As for negatives, my major gripe is that this movie needs subtitles. Fans of his channel might be able to understand dialogue clearly but there is a language barrier in understanding 17th century English dialogue for the average viewer. Subtitles would help in this regard. Some other minor nitpicks are that the visual effects sometimes look out of place and poorly composited. Another issue is that some scenes sometimes last too long specifically ones of the erotic nature.
I should mention that this movie has explicit sex, nudity, and gore. If you are reviled by such bawdiness I would avoid this movie.
This movie is loaded with themes. Showcasing the disturbing Puritan ideology and the hypocrisy of its followers. The audience confronts the disturbing reality of how the colonization and creation of cities like Boston are built through the genocide and repression of indigenous people, racial minorities, and other so called "sinners." At least that is how I interpreted it.
In conclusion, this film is not without its flaws. However, it remains an excellent piece of media that shows that one does not need a lot to produce a great movie. It defies the typical expectations of so called "Youtuber Movies." I highly recommend especially for the Halloween season!
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
A Fantastic Movie
Firstly, this movie has some great visuals, action, and music. I felt these three aspects exceeded or maintained the same level of greatness from the first movie. The pacing like the first movie is quick but not necessarily too fast. With all these positives I felt the greatest letdown was the plot/writing. The overall plot was more interesting than the first movie. However, it has some major plotting issues. These plot issues comes from the justification of characters' actions and the unquestioning of others on said justification. It is hard to explain without spoiling the movie, but it just seems difficult to believe these characters listen to this particular character without major dissent. Overall great movie but they maybe needed to refine the script a bit better. The ending is polarizing, I really liked it but it could be a let down for others. I was engrossed throughout the movie and never felt the runtime. After another watch I may boost my rating. A fantastic movie with some plotting issues.
Silence (2016)
Slow but Good
I was interested in this movie because it's unique environment and period. Luckily, Scorsese's "Silence" has some great environments, costumes, and cinematography. This is a great movie for those that are really into great cinematography. I also enjoyed the acting and themes around faith. However, unlike some other people, I unfortunately do not see this movie as a masterpiece.
Some problems I had were in the pacing, the first hour or so dragged a bit. A lot of the drag came from a lack of developing tension during the start. The tension was too slow to be engaging. After that hour, the pacing went pretty well because of an increase in tension. Another odd thing that bugged me while watching was a lack of Portuguese language. For Portuguese Jesuits, they seem to lack ability to speak the language, even though the Japanese spoke (for the most part) Japanese. This would have been difficult with the American cast, but for the amount of attention put into period costumes and sets I just wish they dedicated some towards language of their period.
I overall enjoyed this movie even with its slow start and even if I did not find this to be a masterpiece, I think a lot of people can get a lot from this move. I recommend it.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Phantom Apprentice (2020)
Fantastic
Everything is great about this episode a must watch for anyone into the series and Star Wars. Some of the best dialogue and fight scenes during the entire series. Unfortunately, the only problem that I had was that during some of the scenes with Maul, it was hard to hear the voice actor's dialogue over the music and the fighting.
Devilman: Crybaby (2018)
A Good Series
Going into this anime I did not know much about it besides it being highly regarded. I finally go the chance to watch the series and it was good.
Starting off with the positives. The music is fantastic in this series ranging from electronic/synth-wave to heart jerking slow songs. The art direction is also pretty good and stylistic. The voice acting was also all around good (English dub). The themes presented are intriguing as well. I liked how there is no filter to this series, it shows the cruelty of mankind our lust for sex, obsession for drugs, abuse, violence, and overall hatred. Besdies the theme, some of the characters are good like the Miki and Miko, but besides them (and the rappers) that is were the faults begin.
The main character is bad. He is horribly written and I could never really relate with him. Another issue with this series is the plot. The plot is littered with plot holes and provides for a less than engaging experience at points. The story has also been done before many times and the themes presented can be really pretentiously written, take for example the stoning scene. Also, to people who argue, "that the story though unoriginal is good because the manga inspired other famous series," is a terrible excuse for a badly written story. We are not reviewing the manga we are reviewing the TV series, so please stop using the manga as a defense. The best word to summarize my review for Devilman: Crybaby is disappointing. Though this series does have shining episodes such as episode 8 and 9, it is just an all around decent show. There is nothing really special about it and is definitely is not a masterpiece as a lot of reviewers may praise it as. If you are interested in something different or are into something to entertain you for an afternoon than I would watch this series.
SSSS.Gridman (2018)
A Fun Anime
After watching some of the other original anime of 2018, I finally got across to watching SSSS. Gridman. Going into the show, I heard of all the praise, so I expecting something truly great. I think my expectations were a little high, but do not get me wrong, I still I found the series to be entertaining.
I found that the most entertaining points of the series were the visuals and some of the characters. The visuals especially during the fight scenes were well done. The animation tended to be on point for the most part, specifically during the fight scenes. Some of the characters were good. The main characters Rikka, Akane, and Anti were the best in the series. Akane specifically stands out as the most interesting character in the show. The music was alright, with some stand out tracks such as the opening song. Besides these positives, the show did have some issues.
As mentioned previously, there are some good and bad characters. One of the worst characters was the main protagonist/hero, Yuta. I just found him to be severely uninteresting and cliched. My other problem with the series, was with the action scenes. The action scenes lacked a sense of stake. I won't go to in depth, so that I do not spoil anything, but I never really felt that anyone was in real danger during the fights. The show starts averagely and ends messily. Though, the episodes around 4- 11 get progressively more interesting.
SSSS. Gridman is a fun anime series with nice visuals, some good characters and an interesting plot/story, but there are some cliched characters and a lack of stakes. I advise those to watch the series if they enjoy action, mecha, adventure, or science fiction anime.
Chiisana eiyû: Kani to tamago to tômei ningen (2018)
A Good Family Movie
This film is divided into estentailly four parts: three short films and an interview by one of the directors/producers.
The first two short films were good and the last short was great. The films seemed to be set up from the worst to the best.
The first short film, "Kanini & Kanino" was my least favorite out of the bunch. It revolves around two humanoid water creatures going on a dangerous journey to save their father. Now in this film, the use of CGI looked a bit odd with the 2D animation and the story felt a little inconsequential, mainly due to the short run time. This short wants to be a full length film and feels like a promo for one. Besides the negatives, the audio is done pretty nicely and the lack of verbal dialogue between characters makes for an interesting viewing experience.
The second short film, "Life Ain't Gonna Lose" is my second favorite short. It revolves around a mother and her son trying to live with the son's deadly food allergy. This film, like the previous, wanted to be a full length film. Also, some of the foreshadowing was a bit odd (pidgeon scene). Besides that, the short was good. The characters are really empathetic and the visuals are fantastic with a nice water color look to them.
The last film "Invisible" was fantastic. This film is about a lonely man, who is possibly invisible and weightless that must find a way to get out of that lonely state. Unlike the other shorts, it felt like it was made to be a short film. The visuals, cinematography, and animation were fantastic. The story was by far the most interesting out of the bunch as well.
The last segment of the film was a interview with one of the directors/producers. He discussed the creation, themes, length, and reason for making these shorts. Even though this was a bit odd compared to the rest of the film, it was rather insitful.
The only other issue and the main issue with the film is the length. It's only 53 minutes long! What you have to consider is if only three shorts are worth a full ticket price? It is sad because the prestigious Isao Takahata was going to direct a fourth short, but due to his passing they were limited to three shorts.
I had an all around good experience. I recommend watching and buying these short films. The general lack of recognition compared to their full length counterparts is really saddening. To buy this film is to not just support the foreign film and anime industry, but to also support the short film medium.
Kimi no na wa. (2016)
A Joyful Shinkai Film
It was in the middle of my first semester in college when I got the chance to watch this film. It was a nasty and gross winter day. I expected the usual melancholy love story which Shinkai had did in his prior works. However, after watching this film I felt joy and happiness resonating in me and in a way enlightened my day (I watched it in the middle of the day).
This film's joy is routed in its soundtrack, story, and visuals. The film's soundtrack done by Radwimps, fits the tone and setting of the story so well. It has a nice mix of rock and classical music within soundtrack. The story is also very well done. I found the story even though basic at its roots to be very dynamic. The visuals, like usual, are stunning in this film. The backgrounds especially are truly breathtaking. Also, the character designs are a lot better than in his prior works. They are not great but they are better. Another interesting aspect of the film was its tone. The tone was really light heated compared to the rest of Shinaki's works that I have watched.
Some issues I had with the film is that the characters could have been more developed. I did enjoy the characters, but characters like Taki are given little character development and feel some what run of the mill. Another huge problem is the film's plot holes. A minor, but not too noticeable issue, is the pacing. During points in the film the pacing felt a bit odd.
In conclusion, this film might not be masterpiece, but I still think it is a great watch. It is definitely the best of Shinaki's films (so far) and is personally one of my favorites. I highly recommend watching this film.
Byôsoku 5 senchimêtoru (2007)
A Beautifully Flawed Film
5 Centimeters Per Second is the first anime movie I have ever watched. At first I thought that this film was a masterpiece, but I began noticing some flaws.
However, there are some major positives in this film. The first major positive is of course the visuals. There is a reason this film is nicknamed "5 Wallpapers Per Second" it is visually stunning. Any shot from this film could be used as a screen saver. The soundtrack is also fantastic and is one of the best in anime. Besides these elements everything else is average or bad.
First off, the animation is not really impressive and tends to be average, though the animation of cherry blossoms falling is very impressive. The characters are really bad in this film. The characters literally don't have character, the audience does not really know much of anything about the characters to be invested in them. We know where they live, what they think about and the sports that they play, but besides that nothing. The most well developed character in this entire film is Kanae and she's only in one third of the film! The reason why we feel so attached to these characters isn't because we are attached to them. No, we are attached to these characters because we can relate with their relationship problems on a personal level. This is poor character writing. The film also relies too much on dialogue. It begs the question, what is the purpose of having so many good visuals when I can easily just close my eyes and get the entire story by listening? The plot/story isn't really anything special and the pacing is very slow.
I have ripped on this film so much, so how does it have a 6/10 score or in my mind a good score (above mediocre but lower than great)? Well I think the biggest factor that shines in this film is the theme. The theme or purpose of the film is really important for the target audience (teenagers and young adults). I don't think this film is necessarily great, but I think it is still a necessity to watch because of the lessons it teaches the audience.