Mithrindir Reviews

The Dark Knight (2008)

A Masterpiece of Hope

[10/10 · 26 July 2008]

I saw the Dark Knight in IMAX theaters, fully awake, in the morning with 9 of my friends and family. The theater was packed and we were all spread out in pairs of groups of three. Does the Dark Knight deserve such a hype and success that follows it? Yes. In every way, this movie surpasses the hype and delivers on its promises. However, there are many things about it that aren't perfect. That being said, it is an epic film to be enjoyed for what it is, a beautiful tale of the Dark Knight and his world.

Batman is an iconic superhero who takes no shortcuts and never kills. In this movie you might question how the public reacts to what he does and what he is said to be doing, as well as his actual actions. What I mean is, wonder if the Batman and Bruce Wayne created by Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale is the Batman and Bruce Wayne of the real comic books. The other point that I want to make is about the Joker. Heath Ledger's acting is spot on, and he is marvelous in every way. While Bale struggles with his Wayne persona and Batman's crude voice (which at times becomes so low and muffled it's almost not believable anymore), Ledger's Joker is wiser and more fleshed out. If not for Heath Ledger, this movie wouldn't be a 9.3/10 on IMDb.com with over 125,000 votes, as it currently stands, but around the high 8s/10. Every actor was great, and the script was impressive, but the movie (although as a film is on par with every other classic or epic) is not perfect.

I enjoyed it. Hans Zimmer and James N. Howard's music is still stuck in my head days after the film, and the entire movie (thanks to Nolan and his team), is very memorable. It deserves to break Titanic's record (at last), and it deserves a bunch of Oscars, although the Oscars are just opinionated awards and not based on numbers, like a standardized test would be. The Oscars are not the Olympic gold, they are the opinionated Olympic gold of movies. Which means, don't feel bad if your favorite actor or crew member of a movie doesn't win one.

This movie deserves a 10/10 not because it's perfect but because it's great.

Dragon Ball Z (1996–2003)

Incredible Anime That Deserves Much Attention

[10/10 · 23 July 2006]

I watched all the DBZ episodes on the Cartoon Network when Toonami just started out a few years ago. They were all very entertaining. I think the best part about this anime is that it is very addictive. The plot, the characters, the fight scenes, and the overall feel of the entire series makes a fan out of any child, and even many adults.

I remember at one point I read somewhere that DBZ has around 67 million fans worldwide. I believe they meant viewers. This I read a long while ago, but I think the number holds to current times. This is because the series as a whole, including Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball GT, all the movies, games, and toy lines, reach out to many nations and are somewhere in the memory of many fans of different age groups.

This is a classic anime that is easily adaptable to American television. Its power lies in its originality and the fact that it is fun to watch. The anime has a strong sense of suspense and a large inclination towards great battles between alien forces. It has a lot of humor and builds on the concept of morality that surrounds its main character, Goku, although the Japanese version is more vulgar than the American, or other international versions.

Altogether I give this entire series a solid 9/10. The reason I hold back 1 point is because its episodes are sometimes empty of any action and the animation in general is slow. The reason I don't hold back more than 1 point is because this thing is a classic and deserves much attention. A live action movie made from DBZ (not just based on DBZ) would be extremely fun and interesting to watch.

9/10

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

A True Fantasy Movie

[10/10 · 30 December 2004]

From the beginning to the very end, the Lord of the Rings trilogy is interesting and enjoyable. The books and the movies alike grasp one's attention as if they were real. You, the reader or viewer, can sense the pain of the characters, their emotions. The trilogy is truly powerful on screen. The second movie, however, I believe has something the first and third are missing; it feels like a bridge connecting two great islands. There is something unique about it that cannot easily be described. Metaphorically, the first movie is, say, a soldier. The third movie is the path home from war. And the second movie is the act of coming home because it contains the obstacles that must be passed through before achieving the goal. Although not 100% loyal to the written trilogy, the movies are done in such a way that the mainstream audience and LOTR fans from before the movies came out can say they were enjoyable and well made.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

10/10 It's a Classic

[10/10 · 30 December 2004]

There are very, very few movies in existence that can compare to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, even the first one that some believe isn't as good as the last second or third. The Fellowship of the Ring is a movie with great graphics and acting. The amount of work that went into making this movie can only be tremendous because such greatness is seldom achieved when it comes to the movies. It seems as though the film is more popular than the book, though I still believe the books are better. There is more detail in the books. Also, there is a lot more to talk about after reading the books than after seeing the movies. However, it quickly becomes apparent with the opening scene of the first movie that it is a great adaptation of the fantasy trilogy. A collector's edition of both the books and the movies is something not only die-hard fans should have but millions of average fantasy novel and movie fans should have as well. It's definitely worth it. And both the books and movies can be seen and read more than once. They never fail to keep you interested.

Final Fantasy VIII (1999 Video Game)

One of the Greatest Story lines in a Video Game Ever

[21 November 2004]

There is no other game that I know of that has a better romance/action/adventure storyline than Final Fantasy VIII. From the moment the first disk begins spinning on the PlayStation to the moment the fourth disk stops this game has everything you need to be entertained, enthralled, and inspired. This video game has revolutionary PlayStation graphics and gameplay RPG elements and a storyline with FMVs, sequences, sub-plots and side-quests that cannot be matched. The game deserves a movie, a complete next-generation remake, and a series of professionally written novels by the same people that wrote the script and plot. There are many little bugs and misses with the gameplay, graphics, and camera, especially for the PC version of the game, but these are misses you tend to overlook when it comes to something made in 1998 and released in 1999. The characters are those you actually get to care for, not like the mindless digital bodies you use to simply press buttons to shoot guns or run fast. The environments are original and unmatched, and the world map is huge for a PlayStation game. To explore it all, entering and leaving towns, etc, on foot can be matched with the Grand Theft Autos and the Morrowinds, and the Fables out there. I grade this game A+. (For FFVII fans: This game deserves your respect and appreciation, and those that give it can say that FFVII is a better game if they choose and I will always value their opinion.

Those that stubbornly deny FFVIII's greatness because of its lack of some FFVII elements that they got used to or feel attached to have no right whatsoever to have other people listen to what they say.)

The Lion King (1994)

Disney Has Forgotten

[10/10 · 23 October 2004]

It seems that animated motion pictures nowadays lack the true epic quality that makes am movie memorable and try to make up for that lacking in weird attempts at modern comedy that appeals to a young audience. Disney's serious efforts in producing something extraordinary as in The Lion King are no longer showing. With that, I'd like to say a few things about the animated classic, The Lion King. The Lion King is an amazing animated film with great music, great art, and an incredible plot with astounding voice-overs. I saw this moving pic. a hundred times and never got bored of it once. Of course most of the times I've seen it when I was much younger, but even now it does not fail to keep me listening and paying attention and being entertained. The movie is a great family film and I recommend it for every person out there who wants to get that inspiring rush, kind of like an aftershock, at the end of a great epic film or your favorite sports team winning an important game, if not "the" important game. Moving pics. don't move me much emotionally, especially nowadays, but The Lion King is a pic. worth seeing if you want some good, moving entertainment that may also teach a valuable lesson or two.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Justice Was Done to the Big Silver Screen

[10/10 · 14 September 2004]

There is no better fantasy/adventure movie than the Lord of the Rings. All the elements of a good movie are placed in there fittingly to make a exceptional work of art. The action sweeps you off reality's base, the drama is beyond the level of some top drama movies, the emotions are well balanced and well acted out, the script is loyal to the book and everything works. The entire LOTR series in general, book and movie alike is my favorite fantasy work, and should be a favorite for many people who are fans of movies or books in general. If there is any movie that can compare to this work, it has not yet been shown on the big silver screen. The final outcome could truly be considered a classic.