kingsword Reviews

Dune (2021)

Technically competent, emotionally stunted yet not eloborated story

[7/10 · 4 November 2021]

Villeneuve once again delivers with his epic spaces and poetic cinematography which does a lot of depicting on the visuals for the book reader. What he does lack is the life in those characters except a couple maybe. A lot of screentime comes in the form of visions that aren't carrying the story forward yet blurring the very little that we are told. For a book reader that can still remember the story, not much is lost but I suspect a lot of confusion and misunderstanding for someone lacking the background knowledge of the setting. What's a mentat? Why are Sardaukars feared? What is the Landsraat? We are spared from critical info that would draw our interest in the story. So many characters having barely a couple of minutes or less, their lines compacted while there is no shortage of a myriad of visions with Zendaya. All together, there is a sense of sterility and disconnection that is hard to describe but permeates the movie. We go through the motions of the story but I found myself reminiscing the parts from the book at times instead.

While this is a technically very well shot, impressive movie but I'm not able to say that it's the treatment Dune deserved. I can only hope that in my lifetime, there will be another adaptation by a director who can focus on the story and characters instead of just the visuals and sound. I'll try to hang around for another 37 years.

High Score (2020)

Good when it can talk about games rather than oppressed *insert minority*

[6/10 · 21 August 2020]

There are some fantastic interviews and enactments with actually legendary people like Richard Garriott and Roberta Hall among others, whose influence have shaped a whole industry to this day which impacted billions of lives. Then it moves onto some nobody who did something nobody cared about who talks about how he was oppressed by some long gone bigots. Seriously, it's mind boggling how they cannot just keep talking about games and creators without inserting totally irrelevant stuff. It's a massive disservice to many people who literally ceated history and I get why many didn't take the time to talk as it dilutes the experience. Just cut some 10-15 minutes each episode and there is a decent enough, even if lacking documentary.

Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 (2020–2022)

A worthy addition to Ghost in the Shell saga

[10/10 · 24 April 2020]

GitS SAC and 2nd GiG together remain as the pinnacle of Sci-Fi TV series as far as I'm concerned to this day and I have been waiting for 15 years for a sequel. We got Solid State Society but not a full-fledged series except Arise prequel. I could not have higher expectations and Kenji Kamiyama once again did not disappoint. The plotline explores the changed setting of 2045 at first and then presents an intriguing mystery that does not fall behind Laughing Man and is possibly better than Individual Eleven. Politics, society, and impact of technology over them are wondrous to watch with our characters in the thick of it. The original cast is back and in too shape as well. While I'd personally appreciate 2D animation much more, this 3D animation isn't something that detracts from the fantastic production. Facial expressions could use some more nuance but the action choreography and portrayal is as good as it gets. Character designs are top notch with the voice actors performing as well as they ever did. I'm personally looking forward to a following season, I'm thankful that Production IG and the rest of the cast once again delivered.

American Factory (2019)

Overweight entitlement meets 19th century capitalism

[7/10 · 15 February 2020]

As Western capitalist business owners carried over their factories for cheaper workforce over to China, they empowered an emergent industry that was extremely competitive due to conditions reminiscent of modern serfdom. Shifting capitals means the the tables has turned and Chinese are the employers in this case. Lamentations about the good old times and birthrights ensue. Everyone seems oblivious to how the rest of the world was living when they were the producer and others were the market, trading raw materials for pennies as they gulped down those bacons.

The documentary would benefit from an outside perspective to lay out some facts as the hands off presentation just comes down to wild capitalism vs the dignity of the worker class. Still a an ironic and at times tragic story behind how the drive of finding the cheap and high quality comes at a cost to fellows humans behind the scenes. It never was pretty, after all.

The Irishman (2019)

As a matter of fact, I'm really more than a little concerned for Scorcese.

[4/10 · 30 November 2019]

So Scorcese comes in with guns blazing: Marvel isn't cinema and he's the authority on what's cinema and not. Fellow mobster movie auteur Coppola weighs in, goes one step further: Marvel is vile. After such boisterous, vain comments, one expects that Scorcese has something big in his pocket. What he has however is a .38, it takes three and a half hour of shooting to bore the viewer to death.

Now don't get me wrong, the movie isn't strictly bad on its own. But whatever it has comes from the big name actors, even if they play the roles they have already played at least a dozen times before this in much better movies. You have seen their better performances and in fact in, much better Scorcese mob movies. The latter half of the movie especially is a slog but I guess they thought "it's Netflix, just put in all the film we shot without editing". It drags on and on as if there's something in reserve to warrant the build up. It never comes.

And mostly it's due to the anemic story: It's as if the scenario was written by a deep learning machine which was fed mobster movies, it's like a composite of those. Every scene you saw somewhere else before and definitely better, and towards the finale it's as generic as it goes. Even if it's an adaptation, Scorcese should have realized this story didn't need a movie, especially not one as long as Titanic.

But here's the issue: He has been long sipping his bread in the wine of his Mobster Cinematic Universe, a continuous barrage of gangster movies that ended up repeating itself the most in this one. If he thinks this is his magnum opus, featuring his star-studded cast to the point that big names get like two-liner cameos, I'm concerned for him. As a matter of fact, I'm really more than a little concerned for Scorcese. It's what it is.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Perfect blend of sci-fi and action creates a filming legend.

[10/10 · 6 May 2003]

Schwarzenegger and Cameron returns in the sequel of the Terminator to define a popular culture legend; striking at first sight and keeping its effect over the last 12 years which were merciless against 'special effects films'. The marks of this film can be seen in most action films since 1991, most noticeable and recent example would be the Matrix. We don't often see unforgiving AI hunters as the bad guys.

*possible spoilers*

While the Terminator had a thrilling chase story of the perfect death machine and a lonely waitress, T2 extends the characters: the death machine becomes a devoted protector and friend through learning, lonely waitress turning into a commando through desperation. There's much more moral lessons in this film than the first, all addressed well.

Patrick as the T-1000 displays a wonderful performance; sleek and sharp both his body and mind, dedicated to exterminate John Connor by any means necessary. You won't be hearing any excuses from him. Virtually unstoppable, an even better 'killing machine' is featured.

The action sequences in this film is magnificent. Most newer films looks dated compared to T2 due to over-using of cgi and stupid cliches. Even the 'bullet-time' style of the Matrix and its followers begin to age while T2 still looks as fascinating as ever, from the shopping mall to the research lab every scene is masterfully crafted.

*end of spoilers*

Also having many memorable lines and a remarkable ending, T2 delivers one of the best visual experiences of the 90's, the satisfying feel always "will be back."