It's a funny film. Not by any means a masterpiece, not even a great movie, but an enjoyable and entertaining one. It's just fun. The humor is a bit grotesque and not the kind you want to admit you laugh at, but you laugh at it anyways.
It's so over the top, so silly and it knows it. It doesn't take itself seriously at all and that's what makes it an honest fun movie. The small cameos from Pamela Anderson & David Hasselhoff feel a bit forced, but they are appreciated and I liked the fact that while the main character is called Mitch, David Hasselfoff's character is also called Mitch and not something else. Although I don't particularly get why or how they have the same name, but it wasn't particularly bothersome.
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Monday, June 5, 2017
Wonder Woman
I honestly didn't have much expectations in terms that I had no idea what this film would be about - other than Wonder Woman. I had heard great things about it through, about how empowering it felt for women and great.
It was pretty good. The plot was consistent, there was one. It was pretty logical. For most part. I don't really understand why Diana couldn't return to the amazons once she left, but maybe I should have read the comics. There were visual inconsistencies - a mug being in once place in one shot and in other in other. But these were small mistakes that I didn't even notice, and wouldn't have noticed, if they weren't pointed out to me.
I think the actors were pretty good. Our leading actress fit into her role well and I liked the amazons. They didn't look too young, nor did they look old. They looked kind of perfectly ageless if that makes sense, somewhere between old and young.
I don't think this film was that groundbreaking in other ways. Sure, Diana seems like a very headstrong and independent woman - for the early 20th century where she is thrown into. I think she is all that by the modern standards too, but I wish they would have tried to show her as an independent strong woman in the 21st century, where all other characters aren't comically and pointedly not feminists. It feels like a bit of a cheat.
The ending was cliche'd and perhaps the most boring part of the film. The moral was so worn-out that there were holes through it. It wasn't wrong, just over-exploited. All in all there was little that felt new. Besides a female heroine.
It was pretty good. The plot was consistent, there was one. It was pretty logical. For most part. I don't really understand why Diana couldn't return to the amazons once she left, but maybe I should have read the comics. There were visual inconsistencies - a mug being in once place in one shot and in other in other. But these were small mistakes that I didn't even notice, and wouldn't have noticed, if they weren't pointed out to me.
I think the actors were pretty good. Our leading actress fit into her role well and I liked the amazons. They didn't look too young, nor did they look old. They looked kind of perfectly ageless if that makes sense, somewhere between old and young.
I don't think this film was that groundbreaking in other ways. Sure, Diana seems like a very headstrong and independent woman - for the early 20th century where she is thrown into. I think she is all that by the modern standards too, but I wish they would have tried to show her as an independent strong woman in the 21st century, where all other characters aren't comically and pointedly not feminists. It feels like a bit of a cheat.
The ending was cliche'd and perhaps the most boring part of the film. The moral was so worn-out that there were holes through it. It wasn't wrong, just over-exploited. All in all there was little that felt new. Besides a female heroine.
Monday, May 1, 2017
JAFF Post: Гофманиада
I saw this film as part of the Japanese Anime and Lifestyle Festival in Tallinn.
This is one of those films I am in such an awe of that I kind of don't feel fit to criticize it. It's a piece of art and I think it really doesn't deserve any bad things to be said about it. The animation is beautiful, the varying styles that are put together are interesting. It's an unfinished film still as it is of now, but it felt coherent and whole enough that you could get the story if you bothered to pay attention.
The way the real world melts to one with the artist's fantasies and hallucinations is brilliantly done and captivating.
Even the documentary bit that was shown afterwards was interesting and I am usually not a big fan of those "Behind the scenes" bits unless I'm a huge fan of whatever is shown. Sometimes even then. But this was fast-paced and not overly self-indulgent. It was still apparent that the whole thing was done with a lot of love, patience and passion.
The only real bit of criticism I have is that I don't think it ties in with the Festival. It's a Russian animation and it's a bit out of place at a Japanese Anime Film Festival. Regardless, if they had this exclusive chance to show it I see why they would want to and it was an amazing animation plus the the chance to meet the director and the producer is always appreciated.
This is one of those films I am in such an awe of that I kind of don't feel fit to criticize it. It's a piece of art and I think it really doesn't deserve any bad things to be said about it. The animation is beautiful, the varying styles that are put together are interesting. It's an unfinished film still as it is of now, but it felt coherent and whole enough that you could get the story if you bothered to pay attention.
The way the real world melts to one with the artist's fantasies and hallucinations is brilliantly done and captivating.
Even the documentary bit that was shown afterwards was interesting and I am usually not a big fan of those "Behind the scenes" bits unless I'm a huge fan of whatever is shown. Sometimes even then. But this was fast-paced and not overly self-indulgent. It was still apparent that the whole thing was done with a lot of love, patience and passion.
The only real bit of criticism I have is that I don't think it ties in with the Festival. It's a Russian animation and it's a bit out of place at a Japanese Anime Film Festival. Regardless, if they had this exclusive chance to show it I see why they would want to and it was an amazing animation plus the the chance to meet the director and the producer is always appreciated.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Ghost in The Shell (The live-action film)
I actually prepared for this movie. I watched the first anime to have a good feel of the original material. I wanted to see it before I saw this. I had low expectations, because I had heard many bad things about it, but once again, I don't think it was as bad as people make it out to be.
It has a totally different feel than the anime. It's less subtle, less deep. It demands less of the viewer than the original. Watching the anime I constantly felt like I had to think, fill in the gaps. Hollywood movies don't do that. They spell everything out for you. But I actually liked some of the scenes they added. The bit where Batou lost his eyes. It made me want to read the manga and find out of they took the scene from there or came up with it themselves.
I also liked the addition of Major's mom. It added a bit of that Hollywood-ish Happy End to the mix, but it wasn't sickeningly sweet. It worked. It was well made. There weren't too many words, it wasn't overly spelled out and that's why it worked.
Scarlet isn't a bad actor. She does her best. Does she capture the essence of the character? Does it feel like the same character? Not to me...I just think this role needs a Japanese woman.
I liked the Japanese guy there was. The one who actually spoke Japanese, but it kind of made it even more clear the film was kind of racist.
The city they were in was weird too. In the original it feels like they are in Japan. In the movie it's some weird futuristic city and one doesn't really get if they are Japan or America or in some new weird country.
I liked that they didn't make it very Matrix-like. The original was older than Matrix, but it still reminds people of it and had the film used that esthetic too much it would have looked like a knock-off.
I liked that a lot of scenes were visually incredibly similar to the anime. The plot was different, but not terrible. Not as good, sure, but you can't make a greater thing out of something that was already brilliant.
In conclusion: Watch the original, but if you're interested give this movie a try too.
It has a totally different feel than the anime. It's less subtle, less deep. It demands less of the viewer than the original. Watching the anime I constantly felt like I had to think, fill in the gaps. Hollywood movies don't do that. They spell everything out for you. But I actually liked some of the scenes they added. The bit where Batou lost his eyes. It made me want to read the manga and find out of they took the scene from there or came up with it themselves.
I also liked the addition of Major's mom. It added a bit of that Hollywood-ish Happy End to the mix, but it wasn't sickeningly sweet. It worked. It was well made. There weren't too many words, it wasn't overly spelled out and that's why it worked.
Scarlet isn't a bad actor. She does her best. Does she capture the essence of the character? Does it feel like the same character? Not to me...I just think this role needs a Japanese woman.
I liked the Japanese guy there was. The one who actually spoke Japanese, but it kind of made it even more clear the film was kind of racist.
The city they were in was weird too. In the original it feels like they are in Japan. In the movie it's some weird futuristic city and one doesn't really get if they are Japan or America or in some new weird country.
I liked that they didn't make it very Matrix-like. The original was older than Matrix, but it still reminds people of it and had the film used that esthetic too much it would have looked like a knock-off.
I liked that a lot of scenes were visually incredibly similar to the anime. The plot was different, but not terrible. Not as good, sure, but you can't make a greater thing out of something that was already brilliant.
In conclusion: Watch the original, but if you're interested give this movie a try too.
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Beauty and the Beast
Assuming some of you read this blog regularly you may remember that Cinderella was the first film I ever reviewed here. I didn't really like it.
This, I loved. One might argue that it's cheap to make a film that counts on the young adults feeling nostalgic seeing it, but I think this is how you should make a live action film based on animation. It stayed true to the original and the things it added helped to fix up some of the plot holes people have long been wondering about. Questions like: "Who is Belle's mother and why doesn't anyone remember there used to be a prince living in a castle or wonder about what happened to the royal family? Is all the furniture in the castle alive?" are wittily answered.
I liked the add-on of the fact that if the last petal of the rose falls the enhanced servants would all turn into things forever. Inanimate objects. That being said, I think the reason as to why the servants ever deserved to be cursed was never very well given, the movie tried to offer something there too, but I don't think it was convincing.
I didn't grow up with the Beauty and The Beast animated film, I simply had the classic Disney-style book of it, but even I somehow knew these classic sings by now and I'm so glad they kept them! The songs were great. The new added songs were cool too, although I preferred the old ones. They haunted me for days. The added bits, like Belle being an inventor ,were cool too. Gaston was so perfectly cast! The casting was good all-in-all, but man, Gaston! He looks like he jumped out of that animation.
The visuals were gorgeous. I especially liked Lumiere's design. Then again I always liked him in the original too.
This, I loved. One might argue that it's cheap to make a film that counts on the young adults feeling nostalgic seeing it, but I think this is how you should make a live action film based on animation. It stayed true to the original and the things it added helped to fix up some of the plot holes people have long been wondering about. Questions like: "Who is Belle's mother and why doesn't anyone remember there used to be a prince living in a castle or wonder about what happened to the royal family? Is all the furniture in the castle alive?" are wittily answered.
I liked the add-on of the fact that if the last petal of the rose falls the enhanced servants would all turn into things forever. Inanimate objects. That being said, I think the reason as to why the servants ever deserved to be cursed was never very well given, the movie tried to offer something there too, but I don't think it was convincing.
I didn't grow up with the Beauty and The Beast animated film, I simply had the classic Disney-style book of it, but even I somehow knew these classic sings by now and I'm so glad they kept them! The songs were great. The new added songs were cool too, although I preferred the old ones. They haunted me for days. The added bits, like Belle being an inventor ,were cool too. Gaston was so perfectly cast! The casting was good all-in-all, but man, Gaston! He looks like he jumped out of that animation.
The visuals were gorgeous. I especially liked Lumiere's design. Then again I always liked him in the original too.
Logan
I had great expectations for this film. I had heard that it was the best of the Wolverine movies and while I hadn't managed to see any of those I have at least seen all of the main X-men movies and liked them if not loved them.
I could see why this film was said to be different from the rest. It really stood up from the rest of the X-men franchise and I sat in the cinema hall wondering if that was a good or a bad thing. By the end of the screening I decided that it wasn't or at least that I didn't like it.
While I applaud Marvel's effort to do something different, something that doesn't come off as a regular super hero film, in this case they didn't pull it off. They tried so hard to make a realistic drama that was still a superhero film that in my opinion they managed neither very well.
From this point on there are major spoilers ahead! Read at your own risk!
I liked the first half of the movie just fine. There was a lot of gore, but it still seemed the film was on to something. There were good domestic scenes, interesting storyline. Then everything turned into a pretty awful bloodbath.
Dear film industry, please get over the notion that the more death and sadness you put into a film the more artistic it gets. It's not just an issue this film has, but this film certainly has it. I personally thought the ending was crap. Was the death of Logan and Charles unexpected of a superhero movie? Yes. Did it make it a good film? No. In fact it ruined it. You killed all of the likeable characters. At the end of the film you have a bunch of kids whose only redeeming quality is that they are children. Most of them we haven't met until 30 minutes ago and as characters, they are undeveloped and I'd quite possible not care at all if most of them dropped dead.
It wasn't a terrible movie, but the more I thought about it the less I liked it.
I could see why this film was said to be different from the rest. It really stood up from the rest of the X-men franchise and I sat in the cinema hall wondering if that was a good or a bad thing. By the end of the screening I decided that it wasn't or at least that I didn't like it.
While I applaud Marvel's effort to do something different, something that doesn't come off as a regular super hero film, in this case they didn't pull it off. They tried so hard to make a realistic drama that was still a superhero film that in my opinion they managed neither very well.
From this point on there are major spoilers ahead! Read at your own risk!
I liked the first half of the movie just fine. There was a lot of gore, but it still seemed the film was on to something. There were good domestic scenes, interesting storyline. Then everything turned into a pretty awful bloodbath.
Dear film industry, please get over the notion that the more death and sadness you put into a film the more artistic it gets. It's not just an issue this film has, but this film certainly has it. I personally thought the ending was crap. Was the death of Logan and Charles unexpected of a superhero movie? Yes. Did it make it a good film? No. In fact it ruined it. You killed all of the likeable characters. At the end of the film you have a bunch of kids whose only redeeming quality is that they are children. Most of them we haven't met until 30 minutes ago and as characters, they are undeveloped and I'd quite possible not care at all if most of them dropped dead.
It wasn't a terrible movie, but the more I thought about it the less I liked it.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Lego Batman
I saw this film as a bit of a rebellious act against some people that I've recently spoken to and who were very strongly against seeing any sort of mainstream films due to them only re-enforcing stereotypes and being rubbish. So I sort of felt the need to see something screamingly mainstream.
I was very positively surprised by this film. I didn't have any expectations for it. I hadn't heard anything of it, positive or negative and I thought it was lovely. A nice proper bit of parody, similar to Deadpool in a way, but there was a lot less fourth-wall breaking and a lot more references to pop culture. If you like that sort of references and even, one might say, crossovers, this is the film for you. The jokes are funny and quite witty, it's a children's movie, but the jokes rarely resort to any sort of low humour, no farts or poops, which is always good. If you can, see it in English, I had to see it in Estonian dub and I feel like some of the humour was lost even if it was a good film.
I'm not sure if things happening in the lego universe add much to the plot or anything to the movie. I suppose it helps with the way the ending works out and makes animating easier. It's fun, lovely, clever and certainly worth a watch.
I was very positively surprised by this film. I didn't have any expectations for it. I hadn't heard anything of it, positive or negative and I thought it was lovely. A nice proper bit of parody, similar to Deadpool in a way, but there was a lot less fourth-wall breaking and a lot more references to pop culture. If you like that sort of references and even, one might say, crossovers, this is the film for you. The jokes are funny and quite witty, it's a children's movie, but the jokes rarely resort to any sort of low humour, no farts or poops, which is always good. If you can, see it in English, I had to see it in Estonian dub and I feel like some of the humour was lost even if it was a good film.
I'm not sure if things happening in the lego universe add much to the plot or anything to the movie. I suppose it helps with the way the ending works out and makes animating easier. It's fun, lovely, clever and certainly worth a watch.
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