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Reviews
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Animation quality not up to the original
I watched the original Puss In Boots the day before seeing this one and I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I hadn't. The story and characters were fine, but there was a noticeable drop in quality of the animation and cinematography. Firstly the animations style had added clear Manga influence. Especially in the fight scenes which often had that flying background, stuttered amazon that Manga uses. The second issue I had was that the final rendering had obviously had a paint effect applied. As if each frame had been hand painted rather than 3D rendered. The result dropping a lot of the quality and detail that the original film had. If it hadn't been for both of these issues I would have given this film a much higher rating, but together it felt like a cheaper, less finished film than the original.
Avatar (2009)
Resonates
Avatar is one of those rare films that change the world. Some people criticise it's story, saying it's predictable and un-inventive. But they miss the point.
Avatar's greatness comes from the way it changed the way people view movies, the way they view the world and the way it resonates at a far deeper level than just the story or visuals. It pulls at the raw associations we all have with the world around us. It's beauty making you stop and think - what have we done? And suddenly you come a little closer to understanding the feelings of native tribes around the world as mining and forestry companies push them aside to destroy their forests, all to make a few more dollars.
Avatar has done more for the awareness of what we are doing the the planet than decades of protests and petitions.
Ricki and the Flash (2015)
Disappointing
Any movie with Meryl Streep in it is usually worth the price of a ticket. There is no doubt she is an accomplished actor as is Kevin Kline. Ricky and the Flash could have been a good movie, all the bits were there - a variety of personas, all with flaws, back stories, conflicts and interests. So I sat there through the whole thing just waiting for something to happen. And it didn't. All the stories that could have been developed and explored weren't. It was like we got introduced to each one, and then the director skipped straight to the happy ending without the story arch in-between. It left the characters feeling flat and undeveloped, no growth as people, no emotional involvement, no real change.
In the end the movie could be summed up as 1/ Meet a bunch of characters who don't get on, 2/ play a bunch of old songs in a bar, 3/ Play some more songs at a wedding and everyone forgives each other and lives happily ever after.
if you're a fan of Meryl Streep, or have some nostalgia for classic pub tracks then you might like Ricky and the Flash. If thats not your gig, you will probably wish you had gone to something else.
District 9 (2009)
This should not be missed!
Just got home from a preview of District 9. We had seen the previews and were intrigued to see just what the film would be like.
The film style was very much documentary like with lots of sound byte style comments settings the scenes and giving commentary all through the film. These in my opinion took it from being what could have been just another "aliens vs humans" film and elevated into the realms of social commentary. The aliens are presented almost as animals yet you rapidly start to sympathize with them and tune into their desperation.
If it wasn't for the alien space ship in the background and the poor being alien in every sense, you would think this was a movie about any slum and the people who prey on the inhabitants.
Like other films which cover the worst that humans can do, there is a brutal violence present and the directory has not shied away from depicting it. This is not a film you want to watch after a big meal. Just ask my girlfriend. She thought she would have to leave half way through.
In all, this is a film we worth every cent to see. Right up until the end you are never sure what's going to happen next. The characters are believable and the style of the film just adds to it. This could have happened, and in fact may happen.
For a first effort, Neill Blomkamp has created one of the best SciFi for a while, his future work will be well worth paying attention to.
I Love You, Man (2009)
Wait until DVD and then wait some more.
Saw this tonight. Thank god I didn't have to pay for the tickets.
It's basically about a guy who has so little imagination they he simply does whats expected of him without realizing he's doing it. But just before his wedding he overhears himself being talked about in a negative way (which he's not used to) because he has no male friends. So he decides to do something about it. The solution being to go out on "Dates" with perspective best friends in order to find a best man for his wedding. After a couple of disasters (including the predicable gay date) he meets another guy who is avoiding commitment and they embark on forming a friendship which predictably, ends up annoying his fiancé, etc etc. And they all live happily ever after.
This could have been so much better. The characters felt like they had been given the 'B' script lines. The jokes were so obvious that by the time they got to the punch lines it was not longer funny. By the time it was half way through the clumsy and silly male banter dialog had become repetitive and painful.
Story wise it could have been so much better and even made the film funnier if it was less predictable. The premise had some possibilities but was let down by the lack of imagination.