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Moon Knight: The Tomb (2022)
I think that was good??? I have no idea how I'm supposed to feel.
I feel as though this will be very love it or hate it. Right now, I *think* I love it...? It's weird.
Anyways - ignoring the elephant, or rather hippo, in the room - the episode had everything. Some action, emotion, great shots, and Steven being Steven. Only complaint is that a huge number of the scenes are just too dark to see what is happening. It's just the direction this episode takes that I'm conflicted over.
Moon Knight: The Goldfish Problem (2022)
Best start to a Marvel series since Daredevil, with some dodgy effects.
Awesome, creative, atmospheric, great music, cool action, intriguing premise, an English accent that doesn't suck... But wow, some of the CG is really poor by Marvel's standards. For a TV series, it's perfectly serviceable. But, it does take you out of it a little in what would be an extremely tense scene. Nevertheless - a good time.
The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter 3: The Streets of Mos Espa (2022)
A little silly, but sets up what's to come.
The prospect of a gang war is exciting, even if this was a little too colourful and silly. A little bit of a dip, but hopefully things will reset to the quality of the first two.
Hawkeye: So This Is Christmas? (2021)
This episode was excellent. Until...
Yeah. What the hell was that... Spoilers for the remainder of this review.
WHY have they wasted the best MCU villain like that. Maya is a very interesting character, sure. But if they *really* killed off Wilson Fisk, then this is the biggest anticlimax ever. No explanation as to how he wriggled out of the end of Daredevil before being shot in mundane circumstances in a back alley. Yelena was great, Kate was fantastic, Clint was brilliant. But, as a huge fan of Daredevil, this episode proved to be a huge F-U from Marvel. I've waited years for them to bring back my favourite characters. And when they do, they kill off the best villain at their disposal. Worth a watch if you don't have an attachment to Daredevil.
Kaubôi bibappu: Cowboy Bebop: Stray Dog Strut (1998)
Ein
How can one rate this so low when Ein. Ein. EIN. EIN! EIN EIN EIN!!!!!!! EIIIIN. Ein. I love Ein. Greatest character in television history. Fat corgi.
Dune (2021)
If there's a part 2: this film is perfect.
First off: I've read the book. I love the book. But, regardless: as an avid sci-fi fan, Dune was a treat. Flawed, perhaps. But excellent. Small omissions are made that don't *really* affect the story (explanation of Mentats, Highliners, The Spacing Guild, CHOAM, and shields+lasguns=bad), but they don't make much difference. And, if part 2 explains them: perfect! And that's essentially what my thoughts are. If there's a part 2, then it's perfect. The criticism of the film feeling half over is just so stupid to me. Of course it's half over! It's half a book! They don't destroy the ring in Fellowship!
See Dune. See it in cinemas. Give the studio am incentive to make this second part, because it's well deserved.
Star Wars: Visions (2021)
Star Wars: Visions spits in the face of canon. And that's why it's so enjoyable.
All of this is so refreshing. New concepts being explored within the backdrop of the universe we're so familiar with. A stellar cast who give mostly good performances (though, whoever got Joseph Gordon Levitt to sing in Tatooine Rhapsody should reconsider their career choice), and a great soundtrack make this feel more like an anime than Star Wars. This will upset some fans, I know it. My advice? Don't take Star Wars so seriously, and enjoy the ride!
Formula 1: Drive to Survive: Down to the Wire (2021)
These other reviews...
Racing shouldn't be political? It isn't. I don't remember Lewis getting on the radio during a race and talking about anything political. Lewis entirely has a right to make statements of race, particularly as he's the only black driver on the grid. By complaining about the 'politics', you're trying to shut out the issues. Politics don't worsen the races. It's important to start dialogue. People with a platform should use it to speak on social issues, especially when the issues aren't political. These issues are about human rights.
Shingeki no Kyojin: Assassin's Bullet (2021)
Pain.
Just. Pain. So much pain. Astronomical amounts of pain. There are few works of fiction to make me feel such relentless rage on the same level as this episode did.
The Mandalorian: Chapter 10: The Passenger (2020)
Fine. Bottom tier Mandalorian episodes, but good overall.
God these reviews are insufferable. It was fine. Nothing of greater consequence happened. The last 2 episodes have been a solid 90% filler. Besides the reveal at the end of episode 1, the plot has been stagnated. It needs to get a move on now.
The Mandalorian: Chapter 9: The Marshal (2020)
Ratings will be skewed thanks to the nostalgia and the end. But still awesome
This episode is one of the rougher ones of the series. I put it above Sanctuary and The Gunslinger. Plot is there to move things along and to have some fun but it's pretty tired and tested (Dune lore meets The Great Divide from Avatar: The Last Airbender). John Leguizamo delivers a poor performance unfortunately, but Tim Olyphant is pretty great. The end was, in typically Mandalorian style, jaw-dropping and bumps this up from a potential 6 or 7 to an 8. The VFX range from top-tier, to rookie (one area in particular where an object is tracked very poorly and some dodgy green-screen here and there). Overall, it's a lot of fun and does set some baselines to come, but I'm expecting much more from the episodes to come.
Tenet (2020)
Not Nolan's Magnum Opus.
Imagine Inception with more technobabble and big words that mean nothing to the average viewer. That's Tenet. Though, while they're alike in some ways, Tenet takes the mind-bending nature of Inception and turns it on its head. While Inception a visual spectacle, Tenet was a 'how did they do that?!' type movie. All performances were stellar, the camera work was spot on, stunts were mind-blowing at times, enough comedy to cover for some of the darker moments, and a soundtrack that threatens to match Hans Zimmer with Ludwig (I'm too scared to spell his second name), fresh off the iconic score to The Mandalorian. Do not go into Tenet expecting Nolan's best work. This is no Prestige, Dark Knight or Inception. This is something wholly unexpected and fresh, even if it is severely bogged down by the absolute nonsensical nature of the technicalities of the time.
Dune (1984)
Some things to love, but oh so many to loathe.
I read the 1965 novel recently in preparation for Villeneuve's star-studded effort out of sheer excitement and admiration. I found a copy of this floating around, so I gave it a go.
My expectations were in check when my father walked in and sighed.
Firstly: practical effects, costumes, performances - all great. The Baron in particular is suitable evil and Gurney Halleck is a standout.
Things don't land though. While those aspects are good, the changes from the source material are mind-bogglingly stupid. The weirding way of Bene Gesserit combat turned into a weapon called the weirding module? No. The character of Alia was executed painfully. Some sequences were unintentionally hilarious. But the most egregious of all are the internal dialogues. Thoughts and feelings told in exposition placed over the scene. It's dull. Show, don't tell. The music is also strange. Good, but strange. It doesn't fit the film at all. Who on earth thought Toto would be a good fit? Granted, the main theme is fantastic.
Overall, Denis Villeneuve has a lot on his plate to fix before his rendition. Take this as a warning of what not to do when adapting a book.
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Firebending Masters (2008)
The best animation in all of A:TLA
This episode is good. But what makes it great is the animation. It has a very distinct flow and the mix of colours is transcendent. While it isn't the best in terms of story, it's up there with the world building done and small character moments. It's a nice mix between the character moments of The Beach and action from book 2.
The Legend of Korra: Remembrances (2014)
Necessary for the show if watching weekly on Nick, not necessary for binging
A nice recap of the show. Funny commentary from the characters with some nice Cartoon Network animation for the narration. But in the age of binging, where many of us watch Korra within a couple weeks, we don't need this reminder of the whole show.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Phantom Apprentice (2020)
The stress of what's to come...
Clone Wars continues to give me so many gasp worthy moments as they foreshadow the eventual turning of the clones in Order 66. This was the most I'd gone "Oh my God!" at an episode so far. So many things weaved in to add to the stress of knowing what's going to happen. I'm beyond excited (and afraid) for how things will pan out in the next 2 episodes.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Another knockout from Taika!
Taika has solidified himself as a real master of comedy. This film has moments that hark back to Monty Python's style comedy. Every actor brings their A-game, especially Roman Griffin Davis! What a surprise!! I feel like this film will be similar to Life of Brian, in that it was a risky subject matter, but will stand the test of time as a cult classic. Everyone should see this film.
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Damn near perfect... for the first 1/3
I'll get this out of the way. Watch this film. The first storyline with Vincent D'onofrio's Pvt. Pyle is amazing. The performances are spot on. But, after this strong start, it becomes a generic war movie with little to no character. It all feels so sudden, like two separate films, which is a shame. It isn't terrible, just unoriginal. You're better off watching the first third or so, and then going off to watch Saving Private Ryan.
Watchmen (2019)
People trashing this show are just blind
Seriously, read the reviews. I challenge you to find one that doesn't mention politics or the original comics. The performances and cinematography are both spot on, and the world building is intriguing if a little irreverent and odd. Overall a solid start. Everything nowadays is political to some degree. Complaining about it is doing the show a disservice
Chernobyl (2019)
Unfaltering.
HBO/Sky Atlantic's Chernobyl is, simply put, masterful. Everything from the superb writing to the spot-on acting is so beautifully done (particularly in the case of Stellan Skarsgård's Boris Yeltsin. The phone tantrum will go down as one of my favourite moments in TV history, right next to the stunning 90 second long take in episode 4.
I have no shame in admitting I cried on two occasions (episode 2 and episode 4). The whole thing is so hard hitting, and it becomes more surreal when you realise: this happened. Now, Chernobyl does not dethrone my favourite TV series out of pure personal love for Marvel's Daredevil, but it comes very damn close. This is such an important show, especially today with our post truth society. It gets quite scary at times to see the manipulation governments can have. In short, watch Chernobyl. It isn't uplifting, happy or optimistic. It's grim, real and sickening in the best way possible.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
Action cinema at its very best
The John Wick universe rivals the MCU as my favourite cinematic universe. The deep layers established in the original and built on in the sequel are really explored in greater depth in chapter 3, to good effect. The inclusion of Asia Kate Dillon's Adjudicator was very welcome, partially due to their incredible performance as the stoic judge of the criminal underworld. The story in this film is close to non-existent. Picking up from the end of the second and giving John one goal: survival. The lack of story is welcome, as it doesn't take anything away from the breathtaking action. Some scenes had me scratching my head as to how they could have shot it, and wondering why there was no disclaimer in the credits reading "No cameramen were harmed in the making of this movie". While the penultimate fight dragged on a little too long for my liking, the finale was perfectly earned and built up, with fight scene prior to the penultimate one being perhaps my favourite in film history. As always, Keanu brings his A-game, and Lance Reddick as Charon solidifies himself as my favourite character in the franchise bar Wick himself. There is little else to say about John Wick Chapter 3. If you enjoy good acting, gut wrenching, visceral, hyper-violent and wince-worthy action, comedy (surprisingly) and have an appreciation for cinematography in any degree: watch this film. Now.
Taxi Driver (1976)
Almost lives up to the hype...
Taxi driver is undoubtedly a masterpiece, particularly from the time. However, technical mastery cannot save it from one glaring flaw: the final climactic showdown. Two hours of incredibly built up tension leading to a rather bland and poorly stages showdown which left me baffled. Now, I am giving the film the benefit, due to its age. The sound mixing felt particularly odd to me, but then again: could just be a sign of the time.
Other than that, the intense, edge-of-your-seat tension through multiple scenes left me very, very intrigued throughout the runtime. Save for a few strange meddlings with the order in which the events take place, the film was mostly coherent and ambiguous, but not to the point of being pretentious. Overall, I think this is an essential piece of cinema for sure. But, if hasn't aged particularly well.
Daredevil (2015)
Season 1: incredible. Season 2: good. Season 3: perfection.
Daredevil is immaculate. It somehow manages to pack in arthouse level cinematography (see season 1 episode 2 and season 3 episode 4) with deep, meaningful messages on morality, and keeps it interesting for casual viewers!
Now, season 1. Quite polarising to some. I'd say 50% of people I know adored it, and the other 50 couldn't sit through it due to the slow build. And I understand that. However, patience is a useful tool with TV shows. Give it time.
Season 2 seems to address criticisms of slowness from season 1 with big, dumb action setpisces that are, admittedly, entertaining, but feature one of the lamest, most uninspired bad-guys ever. Other than that, and a few side characters that overstuffed the season, it's still a perfectly serviceable follow up to season 1.
Now, season 3... Where do I begin? The intelligent writing, the dark themes, the religious imagery, the damn action! It's all perfect! Truthfully, it takes a couple episodes to really get going... But episode 3 onwards is the best piece of television I have watched to date. Not only that, but this show started my love for long takes. And good god, does this show deliver on those. Each hallway sequence is so masterful in its execution, that it leaves you totally dumbfounded. Season 3 episode 4 has the best long take ever, in my opinion. It packs in fights, important exposition, and a swooping wide shot of the surroundings into an 11 minute, uninterrupted shot. Masterpiece. Watch Daredevil. Now.
Finally, my frustrations. Netflix, why did you cancel such a masterpiece?! I can't wrap my head around it... But, Murdocks always get back up. I can't wait for a season 4, with Charlie Cox's impeccable acting, and choreography galore. But until then, it was nice knowing you, Daredevil...
Roma (2018)
Cuaron can't direct happiness.
Roma is strange. It's like watching a bizarre hidden camera show (a-la Truman show) of Cleo's life, making for discomfort in the scenes. Even the camera inside the house mirrors the movements of a CCTV camera; panning right to left or vice-versa in a fixed position. My first introduction to Cuaron (other than Gravity, I was just a blissfully unaware child at that time) was Children of Men, one of my favourite films of all time. But, the theme I noticed after Roma, my third Cuaron film, is the surprising absence of happiness. This film will not make you happy. It is a depressing tale of a native Mexican house-worker in a wealthy family. I would have to rank it second in Cuaron's filmography that I have seen in terms of depressingness, not dethroning Children of Men, but leaving you far more empty inside when compared to Gravity. Also, in terms of quality. The film-making: Superb. The cinematography: Superb. The visual storytelling: Fantastic. My only gripe would be the first half-an-hour or so, being a bit of a drag. But having seen it through to the end, it all makes sense. The life of Cleo is monotonous, therefore the film follows suit.
In conclusion, watch this film if you have Netflix. If anything, it shows how the theatrical release of films is dying. Long live the streaming king.
The Punisher (2017)
Episodes 1 to 9, incoherent, barely passable. Episodes 10 onwards, fantastic
I'm a big fan of daredevil. I was told Punisher was way better and I had to see it. While I do not agree for a second, it becomes really interesting when the punisher we know actually appears (it takes about 9 episodes though...).
My biggest problems: some of the cinematography is bland and annoying. Although, I just came off the back of daredevil which has some of the best stuff ever.
Second, I do not care about his wife. I spent all of season 2 of daredevil caring, so caring just became annoying.
Awkward sex scenes in poor places ruining scenes for the sake of sex and an 18 age rating
Lastly, the first few episodes are a mess. I had no idea what was happening a lot of the time
Things I liked: when he becomes punisher. It takes a long time, but it's worth the wait.
Lieberman is surprisingly great!!
There's a LOT of tension and it works well near the end
The action makes me wince for the bad guys