Log: week 29 / 2023

The Black Ox appears on Earth, and only a young boy can stop him. He has the power to control Tetsujin 28, an old robot that was discontinued after the war ended. Before he can take on Black Ox, he has to learn to control T-28, and that's not an easy feat, especially for a young boy like Shotaro.

Some decent acting talent and a classic Kaiju structure could've made this into an amusing sci-fi romp, but the CG really is unbelievably bad. The robots look dumb and the PS1-like action scenes are an affront. It's a shame, Japan can do a lot better than this, this is just lazy milking of a popular franchise.

Edgin is a small-time thief. One day he is played by a red wizard as he steals a relic for her that grows her power tremendously. Edgin has moral standards and he wants to right his wrongs. Together with a band of friends, he begins his adventure to steal to relic back and save his daughter in the process.

The fantasy bits are pretty boring, and so is the aesthetic. It's a shame the comedy wasn't funnier, Chris Pine isn't a good fit and most of the jokes felt lazy and predictable. Still, the light tone made it quite a bit easier to make it until the end. Next time, get some better writers and a proper director.

After their mother died, two siblings find her diary and discover that she had an affair when they were still kids. When a National Geographic photographer visited their town on an assignment to photograph the bridges in the neighborhood, they had a short romance that nobody ever knew about.

Streep is somewhat decent, but Eastwood is a terrible actor and there is zero chemistry between the two. The cinematography is offputting, the score is incredibly sappy and the film drags to get itself over the 2-hour barrier. An unsightly film, it's beyond me where it got its positive reputation from.

After a big battle on Kunlun Mountain, the Long sect comes out victorious and puts measures in place to protect the city down below. Not everyone from the Yi sect is defeated though, and several members infiltrate the ranks of the Long. A decade later, a poisonous spider attack sets their plan in motion.

The costumes and cinematography are pretty damn great, but they are ruined by terrible CG. The spider in particular is cheaply made and looks like a plastic toy rather than a menacing enemy. The silly prosthetics and the lame comedy don't really help either. The film is short and well-paced, so there's that, but I expect more these days.

Norioka is a middling actor. To get more validation, he organizes a workshop, hoping to attract younger actors to who he can teach what he knows. One day two young women stand on his doorstep, ready for their lesson. Nami is polite and ready to accept him as her teacher, but Maki has her doubts and isn't afraid to express them.

Three actors, a single location, and a basic premise that is explored over the course of 30 minutes. It's a fun enough short film, but it hardly stands out and it lacks the crazy and the kooky that made Ishii's earlier work so special. Here's to hoping he can secure bigger budgets again in the future, he's simply too good to be making these kind of films.

Wara is going through a hard time. When she's up on the roof of a hospital, another kid stops her from harming herself. He ties a bandage around the fence where Wara stood, a symbol that moves her. She decides to form the Bandage Club and reaches out to other youngsters who are also struggling.

The performances are good, the film is subtle, and the drama isn't too overbearing, even though it handles some tougher topics. The film is still one of many though and doesn't do quite enough to stand out from the crowd, but if you're looking for a hidden gem, chances are slim you've already seen this one. A fine discovery.

Kikuno is a student who is also a skilled assassin for hire on the side. She operates her business from a ramen shop with a couple of colleagues and is about to get mixed up in a complex Yakuza case. They hire Kikuno to get rid of their bookkeeper, but she gets an assassin of her own on her tail.

The action scenes are flashy, the cinematography is colorful and the pacing is slick. The comedy falls a little flat though and the film could've been a tad shorter, but I had a pretty good time throughout. It's not the most remarkable film, Japan can do better in this genre, but if you're looking for fun filler, look no further.

The past comes to bite Dominic in the ass once again. The victim of an old heist they pulled is out for revenge, and he's planning to take everything away from Dom and his crew. When he frames them as terrorists, his plan is set in motion and the Fast crew are about to face their meanest enemy yet.

Momoa is a terrible villain, the family stuff is pretty cringeworthy and there are a few too many lulls in the first half of the film, but that's quickly forgotten once Leterrier goes all in on the action. Some insane stunts and a flashy presentation make the wait worthwhile. Very entertaining nonsense.

Nick Bianco is a low-ranking criminal who is taken in after a botched jewelry heist. Because he has a family he is given the chance to reduce his sentence, but only if he rats on his accomplices. He doesn't want to be a snitch but after three years in jail, something happens that changes Nick's mind.

Widmark and Mature are decent, and the drama works relatively well, but other than that I didn't really care for the film. The black-and-white cinematography was rather dull, the gravity of the film doesn't gel with its extreme adherence to genre clichés, and 100 minutes is quite long for a core genre flick. Not the worst in its genre, but that's not saying much.

Two fallen angels believe they've found a loophole in God's rules, which would allow them to rejoin heaven. In order to do that they have to destroy the entire universe, but they don't seem to care that much. God is aware of their plan and she sends a few of her disciples in order to stop them from ending everything in existence.

It's fun to see famous actors make a fool of themselves, there are some great gags and the level of absurdity is quite high. Smith leans a bit too much on the dialogues though and the presentation comes off a little cheap and rushed. Dogma is still a hoot, the type of comedy that's sorely lacking these days, but its imperfections kept me from calling it a personal favorite.

Katherine starts teaching at a prestigious school. The girls in her class are smart and come prepared, and Katherine feels intimidated after her first lesson. But she pushes through and decides to challenge the girls in less academic ways. Rather than repeat the opinions of others, she tries to get them to think for themselves.

Roberts is her annoying self, the young women are just as insufferable and the presentation is utterly kitsch. It helps that the film doesn't take itself too seriously, at least not during the first half, which makes it somewhat bearable. Hard to recommend this though, unless you like saccharine cinema with obvious morality.

The DBZ folks have entered a fighting tournament. They have little trouble getting through the preliminaries, while Mr Satan waits to take on the remaining fighter. He isn't too keen on participating and tries to flee. Meanwhile, Bojack and his cronies are using the tournament as a guise to conquer the planet.

The first 25 minutes or so are rather funny. The art style is still too basic and angular for my liking, and the animation quality is low for a franchise of this stature, but at least they brought the fun back into the series. This isn't great cinema, but it is one of the better DBZ films so far. It makes a bit more hopeful for what follows.

A group of kids is staying in the Sorasoi Hotel, which stands close to the beach. They joined a dance group hoping to participate in a yearly dance event, even though they aren't all that skilled. But their tutor motivates them, and as they get better at dancing, they grow closer as a group.

Ishii's quirkiness surfaces from time to time, but this is more of a lighthearted drama where kids learn about life during a summer holiday. There are traces of Ogigami's Glasses here, but the acting isn't as good and the presentation feels a little cheap. A nice enough film, but hardly a stand-out.

Professor Fletcher is ill and needs a little vacation to recover. When he travels up north, he has a chance encounter with a famous criminal. Fletcher is drawn to his lifestyle and joins the criminal gang. As he begins to regain his strength, he isn't just content with being a simple member of the gang.

The setting and characters still don't do much for me, but at least these films are aware of their core identity. This is all about burly men and bank robberies, the good guys versus the bad guys, pure cinematic nonsense, and the direction reflects that. Not great, but better than many of its peers.

A mass suicide shocks Japan. More than 50 high school students gather in a station and jump in front of an oncoming train. The police are puzzled, more so when a string of human skin is sent to them and suicides keep multiplying. A mysterious website seems to be the key to unraveling the mystery.

The opening scene is a true classic, but once the investigation gets underway the film slows down too much. The performances are strong (not too surprising if you check the cast) and there are several scenes that jump out. The ending too is an absolute delight for fans of Japanese kookiness, only Sono would hone his work considerably in the following years. Good, but not great.

When a neighbor drops off his kids, a young childless couple spends one of the best days of their lives with them. When the kids are gone, they decide to have some of their own, but after a few tries and no success, complications arise. One of them proves to be infertile, so they try artificial insemination.

It's one of those comedies based on unlucky coincidences and misunderstandings. The comedy is very traditional, though it gets a bit more exciting in the second half of the film. There are some decent giggles and laughs throughout, but most of it is very basic and predictable. Decent comedy filler, but hardly one of Chor's better films.

Alvin Straight is an old man. He hears that his brother, who he hasn't spoken to for a decade, is ill and so he wants to reconcile. Rather than take the car and drive there, he takes a small tractor and spends the next six weeks on the road. He meets various people along the way, who love to share their stories with him.

The performances are fine, the soundtrack is atmospheric, the film has a lot of heart and even though it's pretty slow, it never gets boring. But it's clear that this isn't really Lynch's forte. It lacks that extra layer of polish that can make a film like this truly special. Still, a worthwhile film, just not quite as special as I remembered it to be.

A new theater show destined for Broadway is ready to be launched, but the night before all the costumes and sets are confiscated. The cast finds themselves without work. Luckily, they find someone willing to bank the show. He's also a great performer, but for some reason, he doesn't want to join the production on stage.

A meager plot, interrupted by a bunch of musical numbers, that's the formula. The numbers are well staged and it's clear that, in contrast to the plot, this production wasn't shy for money and talent. The mood is light (only interrupted by some pointless drama near the finale, but what did you expect), it's just a bit too long for this type of film. Decent for what it is.

On her 16th birthday, Dora finds out that her father kept information behind about her mother, who left them when she was younger. She goes on a trip to find her mom and meets some peculiar people along the way. Meanwhile, a mean old crone is trying to frame Dora for the death of her husband.

Rainbow is a fun and contemporary take on The Wizard of Oz. The references are obvious, but also smart and original, making sure this isn't just a carbon copy of the old story. The cinematography is bold and colorful, the soundtrack is fun and the performances are strong. A tad long maybe, and not everything works equally well, but Paco León is a promising director.

The film follows three unrelated people: a father, a mother, and a son. They are all struggling and trying to deal with their problems their way, but things don't quite go as they expected. The three narratives cross each other's path and their encounters will change their lives forever.

Intriguing characters, moody cinematography, a solid score, and some memorable moments. If I'd seen this film 20 years earlier, it might've become a favorite of mine. I've seen so many similar films now that it wasn't quite as impressive as it would've been back then, but if you're looking for an undiscovered gem, be sure to give this one a shot.

When the goddess Athena is born again as a human, she is cast to Earth with her protector. He doesn't survive the trip, but Athena is given a chance to survive. Some people want her dead as they fear she'll turn into the goddess of war, others want to protect her, by the means of a mythical knight.

The lore is a bit more colorful than your average American comic book nonsense and the film takes a few more chances than its peers. Ultimately though, this is little more than a bombastic blockbuster hoping to recoup its money. Amusing while it lasted (and thank God it didn't last longer than 2 hours).