Log: week 13 / 2023
Italian Mafia flick, but with a more modern/realistic twist. I guess that's why this film made a name for itself, and it's exactly why it kept my interest during the first half. The appeal didn't last though, as the bottom line isn't that different from more traditional Mafia films, with some of the characters being just as irritating. There are some more modern touches in the cinematography and score, but they aren't as prevalent as I'd hoped. The performances are decent, but the characters can get quite annoying (certainly the two wannabe crooks who go against the clans) and the film's a tad too long. Not all that bad, but I have no idea what all the fuzz was about and the second half lost my attention.Read all
Bay's latest didn't make many waves. Not too surprising maybe, as it's a pretty basic action flick, sporting some of Bay's usual touches, but not at their most extreme. What rests is pretty decent Hollywood action fare, which is fine while watching, but isn't the most memorable or recommendable. The camera work is dynamic, which helps the action scenes a lot, but that's a given with Bay. The scope of the film is rather small, yet it still ends up feeling pretty epic and grand. The thing is, this is just another heist flick with some cool action scenes and a couple of police chases. The execution is solid, but that's all there is.Read all
Timo Tjahjanto takes on the action/comedy genre and does so with plenty of glee. I'm not sure if it's the best niche for him, considering Tjahjanto's best films tend to be rawer and darker, but he had enough talent to turn this into an entertaining romp. If a tad long and maybe not all that memorable. There's plenty of action, the comedy keeps things light and Tjahjanto's horror background shines through from time to time, but somehow the film never quite reaches the level of cool it so desperately chases. 140 minutes is also way too long for this type of film, even though the pacing was solid. Fun, but I was hoping for more.Read all
13 years after Cameron "gifted" us the first film, he returns with the first in a series of sequels. I'd forgotten most about the first one already, apart from the fact that it was incredibly long, gaudy, and cheesy. This second film is just more of the same, and that's not a good thing at all. Technically it may be quite impressive, but it's such an aesthetic eyesore that I simply couldn't enjoy a single thing of it. The CG looks utterly ridiculous, Pandora is the worst kind of color barf and the creatures look like they were designed by old AI. Add to that some cheesy drama, a bland plot, a terrible score, and a runtime crossing the 3-hour mark, and you have yourself one pretty bad film.Read all
An odd little drama. The first half is very sweet, gentle, and heartwarming, but underneath that layer of happiness lurks a darkness that isn't so much evil or malignant, but still has a very severe impact on the characters involved. The second half hits pretty hard, also due to the contrast with the first part, well-played by director Yazaki. Other than that, you get a Japanese drama that is pretty much by the numbers, sporting polished cinematography, a pleasant score, and excellent performances. The interesting twist is what makes Sakura stand out, well worth watching for fans of the genre.
A classic romance, with light fantasy touches. Don't expect too much from those though, one of the characters is a ghost (at least, the plot says he is, but the film doesn't make much of an effort to make him look like one), and that's about it. The romance then is extremely dull and proper, so disappointment all over. The classic British vibe is quite dusty, the romance and the drama aren't too interesting and the fantasy elements are downright disappointing. At least the mood is quite light, and the drama isn't too pervasive, but a shorter, more concise, and somewhat more dynamic film would've been a lot easier to stomach.Read all
Shigeaki Kubo is gone, three new directors take his place. The result is an entertaining high school brawler, that lacks the extravagant flair that Kubo brought to the franchise. It's a good film, certainly if you like this kind of poser action, but it's by far one of the worst in the franchise, which is a little disappointing. The characters are a fun bunch, the fights are chaotic and dynamic, and the pacing is pleasant. The cinematography isn't quite on the same level as the previous films though, and there's a bit too much drama, messing up the balance with the action scenes. I had a good time with it, but I was hoping for a bit more.Read all
A bit of an oddity, this one. The film starts as a pretty straight-up genre flick, not too original, but a fun take on a familiar concept. Rather than stick with it, there's a big turnaround in the second half where the film goes full-on drama. I'm not sure if this was the best decision, to be honest, but here we are. The repeating day structure is nothing new, the small group of people "stuck" in a small room is pretty familiar territory too, though the spin on it is quite nice. The drama didn't work for me though, and it made the film look like a suicide hotline-sponsored warning video. A pretty interesting experiment, just not entirely successful.Read all
It's a little hard to believe it took me more than 80 films into Cheh Chang's oeuvre to arrive at this film. It's a quintessential Shaw Bros martial arts production, featuring familiar faces, a pretty common setup, and plenty of action scenes to make sure the 90-minute runtime passes quickly and effortlessly. It doesn't get more genre than this. People who've seen a handful of Shaw Bros films should know what to expect. There's really nothing exceptional about The Savage Five, which is both good and bad. It's fun martial arts filler that won't disappoint fans of the studio, but it's not exactly memorable nor essential in any way. And if you have no idea about the whole Shaw Bros niche, there are better films to start with.Read all
A rather straightforward South-Korean horror flick. A bit too basic maybe, because the film makes no real effort to bring anything new to the table. The bigger problem is that it isn't all that scary or thrilling. The base quality is there and the film still functions quite well as basic horror filler, but that's about it. The setting is lovely and the cinematography is above par. The performances are solid too, but that's where the good critique ends. The story is rather dull, the scares are boring and the drama takes up too much space. It's just way too generic to leave any kind of mark. Not bad, but extremely forgettable.Read all
California Crisis
A fun and action-packed anime. It's a tad random and more than a little unfinished (the plot really just stops halfway through, leaving a bunch of core elements completely unexplained), but the animation is solid and the art style is pretty cool. It's also an amalgam of familiar genre elements, so even though the film lacks explanations, it's not too difficult to fill in the blanks. The American comic book-like touches are an interesting stylistic choice, not in the least because they are part of the animation, giving the film a very detailed and lush look. The plot is trivial, simple, and unfinished, but it's a good hook for some cool action sequences. Certainly not the most memorable anime, but fun filler nonetheless.Read all
Elevated horror on the cheap. It's only a matter of time before B-horror productions would figure out the clichés of the elevated horror hype, and would try to mimic them on a budget. Reunion isn't even the worst attempt, but it's obvious that it's a bit of a half-hearted affair, that fails on both the drama and the horror side. The performances aren't that great, Mahaffy does his best to build up a mood, but never quite gets there, and the mystery elements are poor and derivative. It's a pretty short film and as pure filler, it's certainly not the worst, but I'm not the biggest fan of the niche to begin with, and even then I've seen this executed way better.Read all
Ranma ½: The Movie 2, Nihao My Concubine
The second Ranma movie offers pretty much the same kind of entertainment as the rest of the franchise, though it does feel considerably more like filler. Rather than a movie, it's more of a spring or summer special, with the Ranma crew chilling on the beach. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but with only 60 minutes on the clock, it means it all feels very flimsy. The characters are fun, the animation isn't anything special but not too bad for this type of thing and while the plot might be just a little too thin, it does provide ample opportunities for the usual Ranma weirdness. I did like the first film better, as it was a little more padded with oddness, but if you're looking for light filler, this is a pretty safe bet.Read all
Ohmori tackles the crime genre. It's a pretty good match for his grim style and the result is as good as expected. It's just that I know Ohmori can do better and Goodbye Cruel World sticks to the conventions a little too closely. Where it differs, it tries to mimic classic American gangster conventions, not something I really care for. The cast is pretty cool, Ohmori mixes contemporary and classic gangster elements and the story has some solid twists and turns. It's all pretty damn good, but it never becomes great or outstanding. And there's no lack of gangster films in Japan, so this one simply didn't stand out enough for a higher score. Still, fans of the genre owe it to themselves to give it a whirl, they won't be disappointed.Read all
A fun little streamer epic. It's one of the many and people who've had their eye on the Chinese streamer market will certainly recognize the type of film they're dealing with here. Don't expect a blockbuster-type production, but a swift and genre-centric film that aims to please. If you're okay with that, Cong Zhao delivers a mighty fun flick. The CG is less than great, but it is often used in a rather aesthetically pleasing way, so it's definitely not as bad as some of its peers. The demon worlds are pretty fun, the action is solid and the pacing is perfect. It's another solid genre film, the kind China is producing en masse these days.Read all
Based on true events. It's not a lie, but Cocaine Bear is a very straightforward horror/comedy that makes no attempt at being realistic in any common sense of the word. It takes a weird event and makes it even more absurd, and that's what makes it fun. It could've been funnier though. The characters are pretty over-the-top, everything is played for laughs and the pacing makes sure that whatever joke doesn't hit doesn't linger too long. The weirdest thing though is that the film isn't quite as crazy as it sounds, and the second half felt a bit more pedestrian because of that. Still, good fun, as long as you don't expect the world from it.Read all
A pretty typical arthouse affair. It's shot in black and white (because of conventions), and it has a meandering plot and some minor genre elements thrown in for good measure. It's a short film and I didn't really mind it, at the same time, I don't think it had anything remotely interesting to say. What you get are small vignettes, parts of Sebastián's life as he takes on the odd job, or just chills with his dog. There is an absurd streak here, which surfaces during a cataclysmic event, but it remains very understated. Not the worst of its kind and it's a difficult film to hate, it's just not all that memorable either.Read all
An Italian/German co-production with a British cast (so it has broader international appeal) and a horror/fantasy vibe. It's a pretty typical Italian thing to do, sadly these projects rarely deliver. There certainly is enough potential here, but when it comes down to the details, Shortcut falters. The cinematography is cool, the score is moody, and director Liguori's decision to go full-in on the atmosphere is one I wholeheartedly support. It's just that the film is a bit loud and messy, with makes it hard to build up tension, and the monster really looks pretty ridiculous. Other than that, I liked this quite a bit.Read all
This was an experience. A film that starts with a bang and never really lets up until the very end. It's all Gavras' direction, who places his camera in the middle of the action and makes the audience part of the escalation. If visceral cinema is what you're after, this is a film that deserves your attention. The camerawork (lots of long takes) is impressive, the performances are great, the cinematography and score are well in sync and the pacing is excellent. Maybe it slows down just a tad too much in the middle, other than that I was fully immersed. Quite brutal and unsubtle, but those are positives in my book.Read all