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Reviews
Erufen rîto (2004)
Simply a Masterpiece
I have watched hundreds of animes, each that had hundreds of episodes, but this one managed to make me cry more than all the other animes could with just only 13 episodes.
A lot of controversy had risen because of the intense gore, physical/verbal violence, and nudity within this series, but if it was all just drama, action and romance, it would have taken itself too seriously. The silly and/or disturbing scenes actually gave the show a realistic balance. It does tackle, after all, very important scenarios of life: abuse (physical and sexual), abandonment, loss, jealousy, need for parental care or friendship... Of course, we've seen shows that do focus on these plots, but again, with just 13 episodes, this show sent its harsh message (the question of whether the human race should be eliminated) in the only effective way it could.
The the best part was the music. The single melody "Lilium" is repeated in every episode (often in different versions), but it does not feel repetitive as it fits any scene it plays on.
For those who want to watch it, know that it might take a while for you to truly understand the significance of it, as the drama doesn't really start until the forth episode, and up to that point it's all just clues for you to remember when watching later episodes.
Hope you do consider watching it and enjoy it!
Tru Calling (2003)
Canceling this show was a sin
Tru Calling was one of the most enjoyable and thrilling TV show I've ever seen. The concept alone (a girl at a morgue who relives days to prevent certain deaths when chosen to) is very interesting, but the characters, their relationships and development made the show grow bigger episode by episode. Tru Davies is one inspirational character to people everywhere, with her determination and faith in what she does, balancing her own life and education, often even sacrificing to save the life that asked her to, no matter how much gratitude or care they show.
The best things about this show was that it tackled almost every subject you could think of in a crime scene (murder, suicide, accidental deaths, etc.), in basically any setting (hospital, beauty pageant, prom reunions..). Also worth mentioning is that Tru could try and fix some trivial or sometimes important issues with her friends and family, like allowing her brother to win a bet after he already lost in the erased day, or throwing her best friend a birthday party even though she originally forgot about her birthday. Special episodes also include one where Tru either fails to save a person, or succeeds but someone else dies in their place, which could often cause her to relive the same day more than once. This teaches her of the consequences and ripples resulted of her calling, which can be both a gift and a curse.
Tekken: Buraddo benjensu (2011)
A Masterpiece
We all know how awful live action movies are when they're based on video games, but we rarely get to see a CGI movie based on one. Tekken Blood Vengeance is a work of art from start to end.
Most fans are disappointed that the story is centered on Xiaoyu and her friendship with Alisa, and how there aren't enough fight scenes and how Shin had no point of being in the movie. Honestly though, Shin was useless, and the climax involving him was weak.
But I disagree with everything else. A movie centered around the Mishimas and Kazamas would be just another Devil Within or Bloodline Rebellion or Tekken live action movie, to which most of everyone were disappointed in. Focusing on a different person's perspective was actually quite smart and refreshing. It's nice to know how other people are effected around them. Plus it re-adds a bit of emphasis on the character, who felt forgotten due to the increasing character roster. And I also believe there were fairly enough fight scenes. Those who're complaining would only complain about there being TOO MUCH fights, had there been more.
The only other weak points I can think of is the most of the dialogue (but let's face it, Japanese were always cheesy in this case) and the final battle scene. I'm not talking about the three-way fight building up to the Devil Jin vs Devil Kazuya. No. THAT WAS EPIC! I'm talking about Heihachi in Mokujin Monster Fashion whatever... that was unnecessary.
Withal, every piece of work has its flaws, but once you get over yourself and enjoy what there is (and think about how much effort was put into it) it's actually a well-made masterpiece.
Tekken (2010)
starts off good but then loses its potential
This movie is hard to discern. It has its ups and downs, its cheesy moments and its groundbreaking battles...
As a stand-alone movie, one might think it pretty good. The acting isn't as bad as independent movies usually deliver. The characters are two-dimensional, and all the main characters were adorned with minimal background stories that blended in well with the movie; in other words, they didn't feel forced just so you can know the characters better. Also, unlike other movies that start off from one setting and then jump to a luxurious island/mansion/castle, etc., this movie maintains its dystopian vibe from beginning to end, maintaining the reality of its world its inviting you in.
Compared to the games, there were a lot of disappointments. The characters dress like they do in the games, yet none of the actors are physically similar to them, nor do they talk like them. Also, some important characters (Heihachi, Kazuya, Nina) were extremely reduced to a disappointing level, while others (Christie, Steve, Raven) were needlessly emphasized.
The movie actually manages to grasp your attention, but halfway through, it spans out of control, and the final fight was a major disappointment. I will also say that I'm glad some core characters like Paul Phoenix, Lei Wulong and Hwoarang were left out; it's better to leave them untouched than to ruin them.
All in all, the movie might have had more credit if it changed the title and the names of the characters. In other words, it didn't need to be a Tekken adaption. One could easily come up with a movie based around a tournament without disappointing a lot of gamers (because let's face it, most of the people that watch these types of movies are gamers).
Bridesmaids (2011)
A Fresh Taste in Comedy
This movie definitely exceeded my expectations. But it did take a while for it to happen. Other than the fact the opening for the movie was a sex scene, despite the title the whole film revolves around the maid of honor, trying to best out one of the bridesmaids (who's younger, prettier, and richer) who's coming in between her friendship with the bride, while the other three bridesmaids couldn't accumulate more than forty-five minutes of screen time in a two-hour long movie.
But other than that, the film is actually pretty funny. I haven't had a good laugh watching a comedy in a long time. The plane scene in my opinion was hilarious, while the attention-car scene at the end was priceless. Kristen Wiig is a very talented actress and I don't believe they could have chosen someone better to play the role of Annie. Same goes for Rose Byrne in the role of Helen.
In the end, I guess you need a clear head to watch this. Because if you're gonna be thinking "this is so unrealistic" or "no one ever acts like" than don't even bother watching it. If not, then you should definitely see it!
Scream 4 (2011)
Just as good as the others
Many people expected Scream 4 to fail. Usually, a sequel that comes out well over five years after the last doesn't do so well. A remake has a better chance, though only slightly. In this case, Scream 4 tackled the both.
Now it's hard for any horror movie to be groundbreaking these days. But Scream 4 definitely shoves that theory in our faces with its opening. Every film buff nowadays claims there aren't enough character development, no unforeseen jumps, unconvincing characters, too much gore and no solid plot, blah, blah, blah. These kind of people were portrayed in the opening, right before they get stabbed to death. It's scenes like these that reminds us of what the Scream series are about.
Now some characters' deaths might have been too boring, but we do get very shocking ones in parallel. You're bound to feel sympathy for at least one or two of the victims. And the climax? Well, I must admit I saw it coming myself, but not entirely. I don't want to give away too much. But you gotta admit, nowadays ANY character can be the killer, so it's unfair to judge the movie solely on the shock of the revelation of the killer.
In my opinion, this movie only does justice to the others (though I'm sure you'd agree it's better than the third).