kyphe Reviews

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2021–2022)

Not the He-Man we know, but still fun in it's own right.

[7/10 · 17 September 2021]

First things first. This is way better than Kevin Smiths revelation! I can actually see myself watching the entire season after watching the first 5 eps.

It will not appeal to everyone, it is clearly aimed at a younger audience with it's animation style and its characterisations, but the dialog is wonderful and the animation fluid and dynamic.

I found myself liking the characters quite quickly which is something Kevin Smith never managed. Some of the the female characters are a tiny bit over-macho as if the things we would call a boy dumb or possibly suicidal for make a girl appear strong, but don't get me wrong, compared to a lot of what we have been getting lately this is surprisingly balanced. I never felt like I was being beaten over the head with a woke bible at any point.

The aesthetic grew on me, a bit like clone wars 3d did and the vehicle designs are pretty cool. Some good toys coming for Christmas no doubt.

My biggest annoyance was that cringer constantly forgets he has teeth, you will see what I mean.

Overall once I got over the initial shock of just how different it was to the established He-Man universe It managed to put a smile on my face.

Thumbs up from me.

Sherlock: The Empty Hearse (2014) Season 3, Episode 1

Sherlock Groans, aka the ep that almost ruined this show for me

[4/10 · 2 January 2014]

Above all no matter what personality you give Sherlock Homes you do not make him stupid, and this ep was filled with stupidity from the outset.

Clearly the writers backed themselves into a corner when they made that ridiculous death scene and struggled to explain it which you will see when you watch it.

But what is unforgivable is the way Sherlock engages with Watson upon return. No man as totally oblivious or callus to human emotion or behavioural norms as he is portrayed to be in this ep would ever be able to deduce their way into a toilet, never mind solve major crimes and thwart criminal masterminds.

In past episodes this has always been bluff, it always emerges that he knew exactly how his actions effected others, he really just has no time for the niceties and we forgive him as he has his own charisma and it makes him a bad boy in a sense.

But here we have him with one of the few people he is supposed to care about acting in a totally reproachable manner to the point where the character becomes both unlikable and unbelievable.

This is not the show I have come to love, after 40 min both myself and girlfriend were looking at the time thinking is this over soon.

The rest of the fluff around the main point of his return was just plain boring, lets hope this is just a hiccup a bump in the road caused by bad decisions in the last series.

Justin and the Knights of Valour (2013)

Enjoyable but what was with the audio

[6/10 · 7 December 2013]

The animation superb! the plot by the numbers! the script lays it on a bit thick in parts but all of that is fine hokum for a Sunday afternoon! But the audio? I thought it was a bug in the trailer on IMDb but it was not! the sound is about a 10th of a second out of sync and it was flat and deadpan not rich and vibrant. I think that unless I was just unlucky or imagining things someone needs to get a lawsuit going! As someone messed up in post production! and that is a lot of highly skilled highly paid voice acting that they messed with. It is not a game breaker but it does detract from the whole experience. Other than the sound, my only other gripe was a it being a little to shallow with the main female character in some crude attempt at feminine empowerment which I have no issue with in principle, they took a 3d character and made an unconvincing 2d personality.

Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 1: Ghost Pain (2013)

Disappointing

[5/10 · 7 December 2013]

Now If I am honest I went into this movie a bit sceptically due to the looks of the trailers. But upon pressing play I found the new visual design to be of little consequence and very soon I settled down to what I hoped would be an enjoyable watch. So where did it all go wrong! Well not graphically! I can tell you, graphic quality is not an issue in this production. In fact this is very much a spectacle rich movie in line with western blockbusters as far as that goes, but just like western blockbusters the brains have left the building! It's all flash and no bang, the plot is both boring and stupid, the pacing of the non action moments are so poor you find yourself drifting and thinking about shopping lists and laundry! The things that made GITS so special above its setting its look and even its main characters, was it depth and intelligence! You will find little of either in this film. It is not bad, it is just no where near a 7 out of 10. It is a mediocre 5, watch it and forget it.