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mikelmallow
Reviews
Blue Eye Samurai: The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride (2023)
A Perfect Episode
I'm not sure what the Emmy awards give out for animated series these days, but they need to give this episode... something.
This is the best episode of anything that I've seen all year. There have been a lot of contenders, but this is by far the best of the bunch. It is action-packed, weaves all the threads of Mizu's tragic upbringing into one thread, and manages to tell the story simultaneously from past, present, and future perspectives. It all comes together so perfectly that I am reeling from the experience!
This episode is going to sit with me for a while and I have absolutely no problem with that at all.
One Piece: Romance Dawn (2023)
One of the best first episodes anywhere
There are very few first episodes that I like, but this may be one of the best executed (pun intended?). I had never watched the original anime, but I'm familiar enough with it that I recognized each character as they were introduced. Those introductions are fantastic, charming, and perfectly frame each character for their roles to come. The casting has been outstanding thus far. The action set pieces are fast-paced and well choreographed. The central McGuffin is an intriguing and worth the adventure to come. I'll definitely keep watching. I may even check out the anime when I hit the end of the season.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Part VI (2022)
Fantastic, but limiting.
Love this. The performances were strong, and the camerawork on the final battle was some of the best in Star Wars.
My one gripe is that, much like the third episode, the battle just stops. There is no reason for it other than the characters are canonically locked and can't finish each other. That would be fine except there is no reason given other than some underlying nuanced that aren't fully communicated on screen. I could make that leap on the third episode, but less so on this one. Regardless, it was a thrilling experience and I'll still give it a perfect score for sticking the landing otherwise.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Much more conclusive than the last.
Better than the previous installment, but doesn't quite soar to the heights of the first two. This film feels like a better place to end as the end of the trilogy left too many questions unanswered. We have answers and that's enough.
Cowboy Bebop: Binary Two-Step (2021)
Great remix
Brain Scratch was my least favorite episode of the original series, and this remix of that story makes it much more palatable. The episode overall still get a little thin, but it kept me on edge throughout.
Âya to majo (2020)
Good, Not Great
When a good studio makes a mediocre movie, it tends to get slammed harder than a mediocre studio making a bad movie. This isn't a bad movie, but it's not at the standard that Studio Ghibli tends to bring to the table. But Disney and even Pixar have had their down moments, and I expect this is one of them for the famed studio. I thought it was a fine movie, but it ended the moment momentum was just starting to build. It felt that there were many more questions to be asked, and many more to be answered. Another half hour would have benefited this film. The jump to CGI is a little awkward from a foreign studio, as the English dubbing isn't as easy to cover with more lifelike animation. You do get used to it after a while.
Ghostbusters (2016)
Loved it! Haters Gonna Hate.
I went in skeptical, and came out pleasantly surprised.
I grew up with the original movies, so my loyalty lies with them; however, one thing I noticed in watching them as an adult 30 years later is that they don't seem to stand up against the test of time.
The new film revises what we've already seen, and renews the excitement I felt while watching the old movies as a kid.
The ladies were great – particularly Kate McKinnon, but Leslie Jones was also a much more interesting character than the trailers would lead you to believe. The humor and chemistry between actresses works wonderfully. The supporting cast is just as good, most notably Thor's turn as the clueless secretary.
The cameos and call-backs to the older movies, while ever-present, were much more natural feeling than previous reboots. Only one cameo felt out of place, and it was the one you would least suspect.
While I actually don't love it enough to give it a 10 (probably 8.5 is where I would land). I'm leaving my review at 10 to help counteract the hatred this flick is getting undeservedly. It may not be the most accurate reflection of my opinion, but neither are the poor reviews.