Log: week 30 / 2023

Ryota is rather small in stature, yet he dreams of becoming a basketball star. When his older brother, a natural basketball talent, is lost at sea, Ryota is even more determined to make his dream come true. His first big test is beating the guys from Sannoh high school, but they are a tough and talented bunch.

The film covers just this one match, but it includes enough flashbacks to give the characters some heart and soul. The film sticks closely to genre conventions but still manages to build up the tension remarkably well. The finale is a real thrill, the detail of the animation is spectacular and the love for the sport is tangible. A neat surprise.

Yasuko lives in a small urban apartment with her family. She is getting more and more calls and house visits from shady salesmen, which starts to scare her a little. When she gets a tad violent toward a particularly pushy guy, the salesman wants revenge and tries to break into Yasuko's house.

The build-up is solid, the film becomes increasingly more tense, and even though the soundtrack is a little cheesy and the horror elements are somewhat toned down compared to modern standards, the ending does feel appropriately grotesque. A fine classic Japanese horror film that won't disappoint fans of the genre.

The Flash is fast, even so, he usually gets the menial tasks while the rest of the Justice League is fighting off evil. When he discovers his speed allows him to travel back in time, he can't help himself and he tries to save his family from the malice that messed up their cozy lives. By doing that, he creates an alternate future (he may be fast, smart he is not).

The comedy falls flat, the CG is very disappointing, the plot is a messy patchwork of time travel ideas and superhero clichés and the film drags, which sucks for a superhero whose main power is speed. Oh, and the 80s/rock soundtrack is just baffling, who comes up with that? Even for a superhero flick, it's pretty damn bad.

In the 30s, there was a growing conflict between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. A mysterious station becomes the primary focus of Wang Li Wen, who reunites with his sworn brother to find out the secret behind the station. Even though they're working towards a common goal, the trust between both men is fragile.

There are some solid action scenes and the setting is aptly recreated, but that's about the gist of it. The crime elements are poorly realized, the performances aren't that great and there's too much dialogue, which messes up the pacing. It's not bad, but this type of film has been done so much better in the past.

Chen messes up her exam after discovering her parents are close to divorcing each other. She doesn't dare to come clean with them and makes up an excuse about a break-up with her non-existent boyfriend. Things get complicated when the story spreads and the guy is publicly confronted about a relationship he never had.

The performances are solid, the cinematography is slick and atmospheric, but the music is a tad too cheesy and the EDM pretty commercial. The romance is rather predictable too and two hours is a bit much for a film that offers nothing new. That said, as prime genre filler, Upcoming Summer definitely delivers.

King Henry IV is trying to unite his country, but he's worried that his successor isn't taking his job seriously. Hal prefers to hang around with hoodlums, led by Falstaff, a lousy knight. To Henry's surprise, Hal finally caves under his father's pressure and starts to feel the urge to prove himself to his father.

The black-and-white cinematography is decent and harbors some pretty shots, though they are few and far between. I didn't care much for the plot, the performances were terrible and the two-hour runtime turned this into a sluggish film. Fans of Shakespeare and Welles might get something out of it, I didn't.

Kei is a happy man, living a good life together with his family. That is all turned upside down when his wife and daughter die in a car accident. Kei has a hard time processing what happened, but then one day an unknown man stands on his doorstep. He has an unbelievable story to tell, that involves Kei's daughter.

The performances are a bit uneven, the drama could've been more subtle and the premise isn't used to its fullest. The styling is polished though and there are moments when Hiroki's craft shines through, it's just that he is capable of so much more. Not a bad film, just not good enough considering the talent involved.

On his way home, Du An experiences some car trouble. To escape the pouring rain, he follows an old man inside an abandoned apartment complex. The old man tells Du An three stories that are all related to Du An's past. Du An has no memories of the events until he finally realizes what is going on.

The cinematography is top-notch, the structure of the plot is interesting (with the subplots so rigidly separated that they feel like stand-alone shorts) and the pacing is extremely slick, keeping the film under 80 minutes. This film is a golden standard for Chinese streamer flicks and comes extremely close to being a personal favorite.

The future Earth is a wasteland, and water has become the most precious material. It is controlled by some power-hungry men working for a mega-corporation, but Tank Girl loves a good challenge. She wants to overthrow them, which is easier said than done. Together with a band of misfits, she's willing to take the gamble.

The designs are outrageous, the film's comic book roots are embraced rather vigorously and the kitsch levels are high, though everything is handled with a big old wink and smirk. Tank Girl is pure fun, a bit unpolished, and rough around the edges by modern standards, but a real hoot if you like your films a tad weird.

Especially not when they're starting to recycle enemies from previous films. As the title suggests, Broly is back. After 20 minutes of goofing around, Broly reappears and starts his battle with Trunks and Goten. Broly is a fierce enemy and it's only when Gohan returns from the dead that they stand a real chance.

The art style is a tad more detailed and the prolonged intros are by far the most enjoyable part of the film. The battle is quite dull again and takes up about half of the film. There's so much more that could've been done with this, but money rules the world, with yearly cash-ins as the result.

When Frank White is released from prison he isn't ready to better his life, on the contrary. He wants to seize control of the Bronx. He is a hardened criminal who knows how to stand his ground, still, he is respected by the local people as he gives back to the community. More so than the police and politicians.

In essence, King of New York is a pretty basic crime/kingpin flick. But Walken's performance, the edgier hip-hop soundtrack, and Ferrara's subdued direction give the film that extra bit of much-needed flair. It's still not the most notable film, but compared to its direct peers, it's a pretty big stand-out.

Barbie is living her perfect life when suddenly cracks in her existence start to appear. In order to find out what is wrong, she has to leave her perfect world and travel to the real world, to mend the problems of the person who is using her as a toy. Ken joins Barbie on her quest, and that's when the problems start.

The film works best as a simple comedy, but even then the styling feels unfinished and lacking in creativity. Things get more embarrassing when Gerwig tries to add meaning to the film, resulting in a rather dull and painful finale. The most impressive thing about Barbie is the hype created with advertising dollars, apart from that, it's a pretty middling and forgettable film.

Lucy and Edmond are forced to spend the summer with their return cousin Eustace. They are bored until a painting comes to life and transports the three of them to Narnia. They meet up with Caspian on the Dawn Treader, a royal ship that will take them to several mysterious islands to rescue the Seven Lords of Narnia.

The kids are still rather annoying (Poulter in particular), the fantasy is a bit basic by and by the numbers and the adventure is mostly aimed at younger viewers. There are some memorable moments though and the budget seemed a bit more in line with the aspirations of the film.

A ship is going to Tahiti for trade. They need a crew, but the only ones willing to board are sailors unaware of Captain Bligh's strict reputation. On their way back, the crew is completely fed up with Bligh's unreasonable behavior and they plan a mutiny, knowing full well they'll have to explain themselves once back on land.

For an adventure flick it's very heavy on dialogues (then again, it's a 30s film), the performances aren't very good and the runtime is excessive. What remains are annoying characters I didn't care for at all. At least the Tahiti segment has some minor exotic appeal, but that's about it I'm afraid.