Well, it's all done now. Skywalker. Vader. Palpatine. Except you know it really isn't. Since Star Wars is now a franchise and a brand and a 11 movie mega-mess, you know it'll never end. As entertainment, this was an engaging movie. It wraps up the threads started in the last two movies, yet it probably won't stay with you. Nothing here is new or super creative, although they'll keep your brain busy for 2 and a half hours. Many plot points feel hornshoed in, or attempts to retcon previous movies to explain what happens in this one (ie. Palpatine). Yet, if you're like me, you stopped caring about all the explanations and reasons a long time ago. Starting with The Force Awakens it was pretty clearly established that any logic you may think you know about the Star Wars universe isn't going to be used. And that even simple movie techniques (like C3P0 losing his memory) aren't going be permanant or meaningful. And that's the problem with this film and all the new trilogy films - it doesn't really matter what happens or what the characters do. They aren't going to act logically and choices won't bare any consequences. The story is going to plod along whether it contradicts anything that came before so it can reach its targeted goal. The good guys won't die, the bad guys will, lots of flash action scenes will fill every possible moment - it's all a product catered to a group of fans who want more of what they love. The problem is, by adding more to a series that was truly innovative and great, it reduces what the original was. Star Wars was once a movie series that changed the lives of many people and changed the way SciFi was done. Now Star Wars is a franchise on the level of never ending horror flicks like Elmstreet or Halloween. Each additional story doesn't add anything to the original experience (the prequel trilogy did that at the very least). The stories are instead rehashing everything that's come before to deliver an "experience." They are completely unnecessary experiences, however (ie. If you didn't watch them, nothing will change in the other films). I'm pretty sure that Lucas didn't intend Palpatine to come back (which does kind of negate the point of the original trilogy, if all they fought for didn't really defeat him). And it's obvious that the motivation for telling these stories isn't "Hey, I've got a great story for you," (which is the basis of any good movie, book, comic, etc) but instead, "let's keep this going (so I can make money off the huge audience out there)." I suppose it's nice for the kids, who are the true audience, to have never ending fodder for their imaginations to feed on (because that's what the original trilogy was for us old folks). Still, I wish this new trilogy didn't exist so Star Wars could be what it is was - a (finite) story that inspires your imagination.
Reviews
49 Reviews
Shame
(2011)
Well made but...
30 August 2019
Shame is well made. It develops a strong atmosphere, contains some strong acting, and uses its shots and editing to great effect. That said, I can't say I enjoyed the film. This is a character study, so the plot takes a back seat. While there is nothing really wrong with that, it means that a particularly interesting character needs to fill the vacuum to keep things interesting. Brandon, while interesting, is not really unique enough to do that. He's reserved, angry, not particulary likeable, and we don't truly get to see what started him down the path he is currently on. So while there are poignant moments, this exploration of a man's shame didn't feel very relevatory. And with the subject matter what it is, it's hard to recommend the film, despite being well made.
A visual achievement, but last favorite Iñárritu film
23 August 2019
Birdman is a clever film. It is a well made film. It is not Iñárritu's best film. The single-shot film is something so many filmmakers have thought about and tried over the years, but few have been able to successfully do. Birdman is the first to flawlessly pull it off (even though it wasn't truly a single shot). The problem is that gimmick made it more difficult to delve into the characters and story and instead pull attention to itself (the filmmaking) rather than the film. Because there is an interesting story in Birdman and some incredible performances (Keaton in particular), but I found it hard to truly get invested because I kept marveling at the technique.
Savages
(I) (2012)
Don't waste your time with this
2 August 2019
What has happened to Oliver Stone? Other than the (annoying) stylistic touches, this film in no way bears the marks of such an accomplished director. There are so many things that make the film a choir to watch - the style prevents the film from producing any real moments, the story is bad (and gets worse at the end), and the narration is annoying at times. I regret watching this.
I Am Mother
(2019)
Well made but not as smart as it thinks it is
14 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I Am Mother is well made and well acted - it's very watchable to say the least. The idea is also interesting (repopulating the human race via an artificial mother), albeit not new. The real problem is the story (or direction) really wants this to be a suspenseful journey even when it's not truly clear what the bigger picture is. Any information of what is going on in the world outside is purposefully leaked to the viewer in bits and blurbs so as to lead up to the typical big reveal. This unfortunately makes some actions make little rational sense and in the end, it makes the 'woman from outside' (APX1) really confusing. Which leads to the last point - the film thinks it is intelligent, but it's really not. It has all the pieces but the way the puzzle is put together, not everything fits. I guessed that 'the woman from outside' was some kind of incarnation of APX3 about halfway through (a bit after she entered the infirmary). The pieces to this later confirmed my guess (the APX1-3 embryoes, etc), but it didn't make much sense with the story she told daughter (other humans, mines, etc) plus why would she not remember this facility if she is from it, why would she want to take daughter out of the facility, what does her being so religious have to do with anything, plus a ton of other questions that arise if that is the case (which it is pretty clearly it is by the purposefully ambiguous alt-mother droid entering the cargo container in the end and saying the woman from outside was part of her plan all along). The film/story is trying so hard for that 'gotcha' twist, but it turns out more convoluted than clever (and I think some people will miss the APX1 thing all together). All that said, I Am Mother is not a bad movie. It's a strong first-time director's film, and an enjoyable way to spend 2 hours.
The Circle
(I) (2017)
Avoid
13 July 2019
What a mess. Almost every aspect of The Circle feels artificial. Watson's performance is surprisingly bad, not feeling natural at all. The story is lacking cohesion, any conflict or obstacles are forced, and the motivation for most characters is missing. The worst part is the 'dystopia' of The Circle - it's extremely unrealistic. The writer is trying to make a dystopian society/situation, but fails to capture how people actually react and think in the real world. Things become laughable, especially towards the tacked on ending. Avoid this movie. It's not worth your time.
Insane - in a good way
10 July 2019
Wow. That is how the TV show should have ended. It really takes Evangelion back to form. It drops the silly cliche anime elements of the first few episodes and gets back to some great design, some amazing animation, and some mind-bending elements. It also wraps the overall storyline of Evangelion up (kind of). Unfortunately much of the resolution makes little sense. It really feels like they were making up a lot as they went (and adding some very odd sexual moments). That said, it kind of doesn't matter. The imagery and animation is so above and beyond anything you've probably ever seen that the story is pretty much an excuse for the imagery. And with that imagery, The End of Evangelion is brilliant. However, Anno just can't keep to a conventional animation, and the film dips into alienating moments of self-referential, experimental film (like episodes 25 an 26 of the TV show). Luckily those moments are short. If you waded through the TV show, you must see this, as this is the conclusion that the show should have had (and you can get a sense of what Anno was trying to do in the last 2 episodes). If you've never seen the show, I don't know if it'd be possible to watch this film as a stand alone (it'd make even less sense) and I still don't know if I can recommend the series as a whole. But to those out there interested, The End of Evangelion is bonkers and beautiful.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
(1995–1996)
Very original, but overrated
9 July 2019
I'm not a huge fan of traditional anime. I dislike the cliches, melodrama and cartooniness. I like anime where it's about the story and not fulfilling the genre cliches. So when I started Evangelion, I wasn't the biggest fan. I observed a typical mecha anime, with some very cool animation/action. Then it turned into something a little different. Something with cool designs, a nebulous world where 'Angels' were trying to kill off mankind, and a slowly growing plot about what was happening and what this all meant. I thought, "oh cool, maybe this is some non-religious interpretation of Armageddon or something. Sweet!" Anno's shots and juxtaposition were also unusual/interesting, and worked in a cool art-house-cinematography kind of way. I thought I could understand why this was so famous. And then it went off the deep end. The main plot and awesomely-designed angels took a backseat to the main characters. The problem with that is that I found them all really annoying. They were more caricatures than real characters -- all one dimensional, representing some sort of human flaw. Shinji was cowardice/indecision, Asuka was selfishness, etc. And that's all their characters became about (Asuka never once said anything positive or unrelated to herself). It was for a reason, yes, but it made them particularly annoying and very flat. And it made it a chore to watch the series. The craftsmanship of the episodes themselves became uneven as well. The once cool, arthouse cinematography went nuts -- twice a stationary shot with no action lasted way, way longer than it should have. To the point where it became awkward, then comedic, then parody of what can go wrong with art house film. And the episodes themselves became convoluted, ending in the most tedious piece of media I can remember sitting through (and I've watched over 4000 films) - the last two episodes.
Those episodes ultimately kill the series for me. In a series of random imagery, a multitude of title cards and repetitive voice overs, Evangelion turns into bad theater. The characters sit on stage or in darkness spewing monologues of self pity which I think are supposed to be demonstrating the inner struggle of the character, but come off as rambling and extremely repetitive. And this is exactly what artsy (and often bad) theater does. While trying to be deep, it instead turns amateur. Characters emote their inner demons, which doesn't really connect us to them (following their journey and experiencing their triumphs and defeats does that). The ultimate problem with these episodes are that they are disconnected from the series and feel like the director/writer has gone off on a tangent and is fulfilling his own desires over fulfilling the work itself. Their is a bit of convoluted resolution to a few threads of story (which don't make much sense) but much of the story is left unsolved. This lack of resolution also reveals that all the interesting religious iconography is meaningless and superficial.
This is an unusual anime series, different than typical fare, but not in the way that I think people thought originally. My only explanation for it's popularity is because when it came out, it was mind-blowing to a bunch of teenage boys (which is the obvious audience in the beginning of the series). The thing is, once you gain some experience and perspective, Evangelion is no different than any other writers first work -- something incoherent that is trying to be everything and ends up as nothing. It's not actually deep which its psychoanalysis and religious iconography mislead some to believe (and after reading about the production it sounds like it came to this resolution simply because of what Anno was feeling at the time). To me, Evangelion is something that could have been amazing. If the iconography was not superficial, and the story didn't go off the rails, and the psychobabble was a true psychoanalysis, this could have been a cohesive finished piece. It could have been a classic. As it stands, while it has some great designs and animation, and parts are good, ultimately I can't recommend the series.
Those episodes ultimately kill the series for me. In a series of random imagery, a multitude of title cards and repetitive voice overs, Evangelion turns into bad theater. The characters sit on stage or in darkness spewing monologues of self pity which I think are supposed to be demonstrating the inner struggle of the character, but come off as rambling and extremely repetitive. And this is exactly what artsy (and often bad) theater does. While trying to be deep, it instead turns amateur. Characters emote their inner demons, which doesn't really connect us to them (following their journey and experiencing their triumphs and defeats does that). The ultimate problem with these episodes are that they are disconnected from the series and feel like the director/writer has gone off on a tangent and is fulfilling his own desires over fulfilling the work itself. Their is a bit of convoluted resolution to a few threads of story (which don't make much sense) but much of the story is left unsolved. This lack of resolution also reveals that all the interesting religious iconography is meaningless and superficial.
This is an unusual anime series, different than typical fare, but not in the way that I think people thought originally. My only explanation for it's popularity is because when it came out, it was mind-blowing to a bunch of teenage boys (which is the obvious audience in the beginning of the series). The thing is, once you gain some experience and perspective, Evangelion is no different than any other writers first work -- something incoherent that is trying to be everything and ends up as nothing. It's not actually deep which its psychoanalysis and religious iconography mislead some to believe (and after reading about the production it sounds like it came to this resolution simply because of what Anno was feeling at the time). To me, Evangelion is something that could have been amazing. If the iconography was not superficial, and the story didn't go off the rails, and the psychobabble was a true psychoanalysis, this could have been a cohesive finished piece. It could have been a classic. As it stands, while it has some great designs and animation, and parts are good, ultimately I can't recommend the series.
Westside
(2018)
The ending makes the show
4 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
A nice and short 'reality' series. It's got the drama and personality-clashes of American Idol for reality series fans, the pursuit of stardom/hollywood for documentary fans, and lots of music for music fans. For the first 7 episodes, its entertaining enough, but the songs that the group produces are pretty generic, bland pop songs - nothing you'd remember, nothing with a unique voice. Don't get me wrong, the entire cast is talented and definitely on the pro level. But that is what makes the show even more interesting - it shows that talent is a dime a dozen, it's a uniqueness that is what sets great music apart. It's in the eighth episode that things really come together. The cast gets a big time producer to have a go at the songs that they wrote, and wow, it makes a difference. The once bland songs turn into tunes I can definitely imagine playing on the radio. It's a great and uplifting ending to what could have been 'just another reality show.'
Chambers
(2019)
A good example of less is more
13 May 2019
Chambers started out very cool. It had lots of strange things happening, an interesting mystery, a good cast, and some interesting dynamics (with the Native American aspects of the story). Then it turns into a ghost story, which is still cool, because that is the kind of story I love -- an is-it or isn'-it kind of psychological ghost conspiracy. But the story starts to lose the plot about halfway through and becomes more preoccupied with fitting in an unnecessary strange/creepy occurrence every few minutes than actually pushing along the story (like the pulling skin off hand, the eye in the wall, the aura photo, etc). Then, things just get kind of silly, and cliches start taking the place of creativity. The characters start trying to explain silly concepts into believable ideas when the series would have been way stronger if the story was just cut down a few episodes to focus/streamline the mystery and use mood/psychology instead of showing things that boarder on silly and then try to rationalize them. Silly can become believable if done right (usually when less is shown/explained). While this might be a hard watch for a discerning audience, it's a fun time killer and good for teens.
The Wandering Earth
(2019)
Flashy
10 May 2019
So I heard about this huge big budget blockbuster that sneaked onto Netflix without a sound. After watching one hour of it I can see why. The Wandering Earth isn't a bad film, it's just it's not a good film. It's trying so hard to be a blockbuster hollywood film, and in a way succeeds at that. Unfortunately it's more of a The Day After Tomorrow or Volcano than a Star Wars. While the acting and script aren't horrible, the film is too cartoony to be taken seriously. From the way the characters act, to the story, to even the CG, everything is fast and artificial, not building realism, pace or mood. I think that partly falls on the fact that the underlying idea of the film (turning earth into a rocket) is pretty silly, and the story created to take advantage of that premise is ho hum at best. In the end, I just couldn't care about any of the characters or what was going on. So I stopped watching after about an hour.
C.B. Strike
(2017– )
Great cast, cliché storytelling
7 May 2019
CB Strike has a lot going for it. The leads are extremely likeable, the production is well done, and the idea of splitting up the mysteries over multiple episodes is great. The problem is, the storytelling is really old fashioned, to the point of being cliche. The ideas here (a PI down on his luck, many of the characters, etc) are well trodden and this series surprisingly doesn't put any new twists into the format. This is especially apparent when each mystery comes to a close. The resolutions feel like 80's B mystery TV episodes - not quite realistic, but works with some major suspension of disbelief (ie. "the murderer was secretly this guy in disguise!"). And to a modern day audience, which is rather sophisticated from viewing so much of those old shows and media, the stories can sometimes feel over-simple and easy to predict (in one, I joked that the most cliche choice was the murderer, and it turned out to be true). That said, the show is enjoyable to watch. It's something to relax to at the end of a long day.
True Blood
(2008–2014)
If you like trashy romances novels...
29 April 2019
Cheesy, trashy, cliche - just a few words that came to mind while watching True Blood. The thing is, that's exactly the kind of vibe the creators were trying to make. It's a shame because usually Ball's work is the opposite of that (and since I'm a big fan of that work I gave True Blood a shot). If you like Buffy or other stereotypical vampire novels/shows/etc, this might be for you. Unfortunately, this isn't for me.
Smokin' Aces
(2006)
Lot of fun. Lame ending
10 April 2019
The best part of Smokin' Aces is to see all the faces you'll recognize. Almost every role is an actor, singer or now super star. Its really fun to see who's going to pop up next. The movie itself is stylish and fast, reminiscent of a Tarantino film, yet not quite as original or groundbreaking. Everyone does a great job in their roles, turning this caper into a wild rollercoaster of a film. The only real weakpoint is the ending. It's an eye-roller. Yet if your looking for a light-hearted, action caper, give this one a whirl.
Love, Death & Robots
(2019– )
I wish there were more shows like this
31 March 2019
Love, Death and Robots isn't for everyone. It's gratuitously violent, salacious to a fault, and not politically correct. And that's exactly what Hollywood needs to do more of. No, it doesn't need to make films that are violent, over-sexed or obscene (it's already doing that). It needs to stop making things 'for everybody.' LD&R is obviously going to offend or turn off some, but that's because it's not made for them. But for those who have been waiting for a true animated version of Heavy Metal Magazine, then this is for you. It's got cyberpunk, odd fiction, silly stories and all the sci-fi you could possibly want. What's more, each story is really well made (unlike some attempts to bring Heavy Metal to film). If you like short films, CG, sci-fi or Adult Swim, you're not going to want to miss Love, Death & Robots.
Awesome
31 March 2019
Sonnie's Edges is style over substance. When you've got style this hot, however, who really cares about anything else. The action is perfectly timed, building in pace and done as well as big budget action flicks. The style is wonderful too, avoiding the uncanny valley by stylizing the characters just enough to leap over it. And while some elements feel more salacious than relevant, if you like cyberpunk, video games or Heavy Metal Magazine, this is the perfect short for you.
Cool looking, but ultimately empty
31 March 2019
Blind Spot is well animated. The action sequences are very slick. Yet there is no story. The entire short feels like someone said, 'let's make a kick-ass chase scene' and left the script at that. So while it's not boring to watch, and the craftsmanship is top-notch, it'd hard not to feel 'what's the point?'
Okay short, awesome CG
31 March 2019
Ice Age is a story you've seen before (Twilight Zone, Simpsons) and doesn't do anything different from those stories either. The comedy too is simply mild at best. Luckily the CG is very cool. Seeing things evolve at such a speed is pretty amazing. Fun to watch, but nothing overly memorable.
Random
31 March 2019
Alternate Histories is a funny concept that turns out to be not as clever as it thinks it is. All the scenarios felt more random than witty, and all feel like missed opportunities to make some wicked historical/political jokes. Yet it's not bad. It'd a nice addition to LD&R, mixing up the pace and tone to the series.
Wow!
31 March 2019
This was my favorite of LD&R. I think that is because it feels the most 'complete' of all the shorts. The problem with shorts this short is that they can feel like a one-line joke - not something truly developed or fleshed-out, and ultimately not totally satisfying. The Secret War, however, builds slowly (like how feature films do), is artfully constructed, and ends with a bang. On top of tha, this is some truly amazing CG. This is a great way to finish out the series.
Serenity
(I) (2019)
Avoid
31 March 2019
I rarely give reviews this low. I try to be fair, even if I dislike a film. But I haven't seen something this bad in a long long time. I thought they stopped making films this ludicrous and nonsensical in the 1980s with films like Troll 2. So I guess in that regard Serenity has accomplished something. But the profound mind-trip that it is trying to be, it most definitely is not. The film opens in a jumbled mess, unable to establish what kind of movie you're watching or even develop a tone, with bad dialog, hammy acting, strange camera-work and over-direction. While these were probably intended to be clues to the twist that comes about an hour in, they don't feel like clues, instead developing confusion (and probably some laughs). And that twist, you'll probably guess it 20 minutes before it happens. Even if you don't, the twist is hugely anti-climatic. Instead of making you want to know how things end, you'll probably wish the story would hurry up and get on with it. Because the 'big reveal' inadvertantly makes everything that happens after irrelevant. So avoid this movie. It's literally a waste of time.
Goofy trash
18 March 2019
Cool genre short tarnished by a weak ending
18 March 2019
This short was so cool...until it got to the end. The CG is really nice, yet falls hard into the uncanny valley. That said, there are some great artistic moments, and the fight scenes are just plain cool. And I liked how they handled the idea of werewolves (and I'm usually not a fan of overly used tropes like vampires/werewolves/etc). And while the story uses a lot of cliches, I found them easy to get over...until the end. There's no real motivation for it, except to check the box of having the hero walk off into the sunset, empowered and in control. Still a cool short for genre fans.
127 Hours in space
18 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
A thrilling little animation. It's nice to see a story that isn't over-the-top sci-fi, but in the realm of the possible. While I'm curious if the physics would actually work this way in space, this was a tense, 'realistic' piece of survival horror. The CG was also amazing, almost out of the uncanny valley. While the story still suffers from what most of these shorts struggle with (lacking depth and a feeling of satisfying purpose), this is one of the LD&R shorts that will stick with you.
Weakest of the series
18 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
An interesting idea, but the short never becomes more than that. The writing is pretty clunky and the way things play out, it feels like someone had an idea (ghost dinos), but never bothered really making an intriguing story (which you could definitely do with that idea). It also doesn't help that the animation style is reminiscent of the Tell Tale games. Not horrible, but the weakest short in LD&R so far.
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