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Reviews
Onimusha (2023)
Starts of strong, falls apart by the end
As a fan of the games I was at least hoping for this to be decent. And while half of the season is enjoyable with interesting characters and good looking fights, when it gets close to the end, something is missing.
The villain and his minions are very clichéd and predictable, so are their motivations. I also didn't like the setting at the end, although it's a bit reminiscent of Onimusha 3 style wise.
I think if this would have been a game, I wouldn't mind the mediocre storytelling. I mean seriously, did any of the games have serious writing? It was all about the fights with the oni gauntlet which is also underused here. But as a show I would have wanted a bit more depth. Just a bit. Or at least consistent writing.
All in all the show is worth one watch and then I forget about the it and await the arrival of a reboot/new game!
The Moor (2023)
Underrated as hell
I really don't understand the bad ratings. I guess people nowadays are used to fast paced and commercially accessible monster/exorcism flicks with no depth. And believe me, I did watch The First Omen and Immaculate. While the first one mentioned was still watchable, the second one here is an utter disgrace.
In comparison The Moor is just one of those Indie Horror gems you cannot miss, especially if you have no problems with slow story telling opposed to the mentioned mainstream movies.
The images and scenery are scary in the first place already, although you do have some of the usual scares here and there which I somehow felt that they didn't feel forced.
The no name actors are all doing a very decent job especially the 2 females and the creepy soundtrack itself is simply phenomenal.
Still trying to make sense of some of the scenes, but the almost constantly tense atmosphere kept me on my toes!
My Animal (2023)
Why the bad ratings?
I guess everybody expected a lesbian werewolf version of "Twilight" here? But honestly this movie has more to offer than a simple cheesy love story. First and foremost a very strong performance from lead actress Bobbi Salvör Menuez. They carry the film all by themselves and their acting is always engaging and believable.
Also, the small town atmosphere adds to the depression and emptiness on the whole. And the werewolf idea is actually the icing on the cake.
A true hidden gem that by the end feels a bit too rushed in my opinion. Still, go watch it, if you appreciate proper slice of life/coming of age dramas.
The Acolyte (2024)
Had potential
I was looking forward to this series only to be disappointed by a bad script and wooden actors. None of the characters are really likeable, nor are their motivations really believable. At times some of the dialogues remind me of the often cringy dialogues from the prequel trilogy, but I think here it's even worse.
Some of the fights are decent, if only a bit short. Music is not memorable. All in all still watchable, but honestly the worst Star Wars series to date. Not sure, if a season 2 can turn things around. Maybe if they add some more fan service and link to popular characters or events, then I might have hope.
Gojira -1.0 (2023)
A Godzilla movie as a Drama...?!
I was excited to see this movie. And I honestly did believe the hype. But now after watching it I must say, I am disappointed.
While I appreciate the attempt to add some war drama and personal story to the usual human side mix that every Godzilla has plenty off, in the end it doesn't pay off. The actors are all so wooden and soulless and also the script writing was often poor and predictable. The dialogues lack intensity and are often too long. Also, the characters are very standardized: the fuzzy haired scientist, the grim looking hero, the pretty girlfriend, the cool sidekick etc. Of course it's the late 1940s, in a way it does make sense. I just didn't like it.
The angry Godzilla scenes are short, but awesome though. CGI is decent in my opinion.
Would have been interesting to see a Godzilla movie with either a decent script and proper actors. I really like the idea of turning a Godzilla movie into a drama. Let's hope something like that will actually appear in my life time.
To me the best Godzilla movie in recent years was Shin Godzilla, it also wasn't perfect, but I thought the political satire was more fitting plus Shin as a Kaiju was actually disgustingly scary.
Ishura (2024)
Slow start, then good
After all the introduction of characters which almost takes half of the season, the story kicks off and each characters motives slowly become clearer. There is definitely depth here and some of the dialogues are meaningful and intense which I like. Some awesome fighting scenes here, too. Music and artwork are decent, but not particularly memorable. What stands out are the characters with their individual powers and backgrounds.
I wished for more episodes to explore more of every character and also the history of the two kingdoms if Lithia and Aureatia though because sometimes things seem a bit too compact.
Nonetheless, a good show that I recommend to anyone who is not into brainless action and straightforward good vs evil storylines.
Hellraiser (2022)
What a waste of time!
The original Hellraiser was no masterpiece, but a solid Horror film that established the Cenobites as cult favorites among the 80's gallery of memorable genre characters like Freddy and Jason. The original also has this now irresistable 80's flavor: The makup effects, the orchestral soundtrack, the often non existent story line and essentially a very memorable creepy atmosphere.
This new iteration has a lot more backstory or you could say actually attempted Drama moments which are completely random and uninteresting. A lot of the dialogues are uninspired and too long for my taste. Where the original ran for 1 1/2 hours and didn't waste any time on blabla, I sat thru the new one for around 1 hour and basically nothing had happened so far. Also, none of the characters are likable in any way. Maybe the problem here is the fact that you have a bunch of twens doing their twen thing which has been done over and over in a lot of others series before.
The soundtrack's good moments cites Christopher Young's original score which I like (you don't really notice the new score) and the new cenobites look reasonably cool as well. Although, I wasn't fond of the new pinhead and I am not sexist here. There was just something imposing, majestical about Doug Bradley that Jamie Clayton lacks somehow.
So, in the end I would rather watch 1-3 again then this 2022 remake a second time. Don't waste your time.
Moon Knight (2022)
Hands down the best mature Marvel show!
Pros:
- The performances of Oscar, Calamawy and Hawke are stellar. You wouldn't expect such good acting in a Marvel show.
- The dialogues between the characters are ranging from funny to intense and are always believable.
- The action scenes are brutal, engaging and look pretty cool.
- The soundtrack is one of the best epic choral scores I heard in years plus the songs also fit very well.
- The setting and mood overall are always interesting thanks to excellent cuts and camera work.
- The special effects are outstanding and blend seemlessly into the other scenes.
- The Humor is sometimes a bit flat, but never boring or retarded. Occasionally on spot!
- How the story unfolds and how the characters develop keeps you on your toes at all times until the very end.
Con:
- The only con I have to mention is to have more episodes to explain some more background stories like Hawke's origins for example.
All in all, almost perfect. Cannot wait for S2!
Fantastic Four (2015)
Surprisingly entertaining
I read the reviews and saw the scores, but still wanted to check it out nonetheless.
Yes, at times the dialogues are a bit draggy and the storytelling overall feels a bit like this was supposed to be a pilot for a planned FF series. Still, the casting choices were more believable compared to the originals. So was the chemistry between the characters.
People might miss the big laughs, the over the top action scenes or some semi dramatic love story here. And that is actually what I enjoyed, there was nothing or hardly nothing of that here. Story and action wise it was spot on without many flashy distractions.
A pity Marvel didn't use any of the characters in the later Avengers movies. As someone who grew up with the comics I am pretty sure Tony would have benefitted from Reed Richards help against Thanos tremendously.
So, in the end watch this if you don't want your usual super hero movie. Imagine what could have been...
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
The worst Marvel movie!!!
The good
- Trevor returns!
- The first Asian American Fantasy/Martial Arts movie (?!)
- Some decent looking CG creatures and FX
- The usual Marvel references to other movies
- The post credit scene
The bad
- The script puts a lot of emphasis on the variety of locations as the adventure unfolds, unfortunately somehow forgets its characters need to show some believable "emotions" too. So, basically because of this, there - firstly - is no real depth in character development and - secondly - as a consequence NO chemistry between ANY of the characters at all
- The story is extremely foreseeable and doesn't have any surprises which wouldn't be a problem, if the story is at least presented in a manner that ACTUALLY was exciting and engaging
- A completely underused Tony Leung who doesn't even need to act at all
- Most of the fighting choreography felt a bit amateur-ish
- Some Asian clichés are really presented as clichés (Karaoke, not understanding the 4 sounds in mandarin, underground fight club)
- The hiphop music parts were actually more annoying than fitting
- Some of the language spoken mixes US english with some mandarin words, but they are somehow never translated (Qingming Jié!?) So, what's the audience of this film? Chinese American teenagers? American teenagers? Everyone?!
- The humor is often very flat and one dimensional
- There will be a sequel...
For people who want a brainless family film with the usual "hero needs to suffer to be strong" storyline, give it a try. For anyone who wants a much more fun Chinese Wu Xia/Fantasy series, go watch "Douluo Continent" (Not the Animation). A low budget Drama, but it's comparably funny, well presented and the characters are actually likable. Plus good FX and an interesting and complex "magic" system!
Sorry, Shang-Chi. Hope your tie in into the expanded Marvel universe will give you better roles in the future.
Mortal Kombat (2021)
Worse than the original
Ok, I mean it's Mortal Kombat, so I don't expect a sophisticated story. Looking at the story modes from the more recent games I must admit I actually found those enjoyable and engaging. Unfortunately, there is nothing like that here. The pacing is terribly slow and the dialogues often drag (especially Kano talks way too much).
The acting is pretty much forgettable. If you remember the old movie it felt like nobody really took themselves too seriously and that's why it had this fun trashy 90's appeal. Now in 2021, the actors are trying a bit too hard to sound serious and that completely falls flat. Except for Sub-Zero and Scorpion in the opening scene there was actually nothing much to act in the first place.
The Fighting choreography is average at best with few exceptions. The costumes, fatalites and CGI is all well done but it doesn't save the movie at all. I rather play the games or watch one of the old movies than suffer though this mess AGAIN.
The New Mutants (2020)
Not as bad as everyone says
I often don't understand these 1 or 2 star reviews without actually giving proper points. The New Mutants is no masterpiece but it's not a total flop either. In my opinion the actors chosen did a decent job to portray their characters especially Raine and Illyana stand out. As a fan of the 90's comic you cannot deny the film kind of was trying to capture the spirit of this era.
I somewhat had to think of Sam as the emo kid listening to Grunge all day and being depressed. You could say it's a but cliché but It somehow reminded me of my own teenage years in the early to mid 90's.
The overall pacing can be a bit slow at times and the Horror elements are not actually scary. It reminds you somewhat of IT though the scenes here are generally more creepy.
In the end it felt more like a pilot to an upcoming New Mutants TV series...that will never be. And it might have actually been a decent TV series with more time to explore every characters background a bit more in detail. Like this it's a one time watch only.