Log: week 26 / 2024
Fury Road was a big commercial and critical hit, but regardless of its qualities, it's impossible to see it separately from the big 80s revival that happened last decade. In that sense, it's not surprising that Furiosa bombed. The 90s are enjoying their time in the spotlight again, the 80s are back to their former cheese and kitsch. The CG and green screens are a little annoying, the styling is kitsch and pretty laughable and the action scenes aren't all that impressive. The story is also pretty boring and the runtime is beyond acceptable. There's some cheesy fun to be had here, but other than that it's a ridiculously expensive vanity project that has no place in modern-day cinema.Read all
My preferred Fellini so far. I'm not a big fan of his work, especially his more dramatic efforts. In contrast, Juliet of the Spirits feels quite light and frivolous. There are more playful elements here that make the film a lot easier to digest, even when I didn't care so much for the main character and her challenges. Juliet of the Spirit is a pretty extravagant film. The colorful cinematography and the outrageous fashion give the film a clear identity. It kept me engaged despite the excessive runtime, the mediocre performances, and the tepid drama. I didn't think it was a great film, but still much better than I had anticipated.Read all
Disney knock-off sequels rarely do well at the box office (as most are direct-to-video projects), but the Jungle Book sequel is a rare exception. I assume it drew people on its reputation alone because the film isn't much to look at. It's a very simple and lazy sequel, made with only one thing in mind: profit. The animation isn't up to Disney's usual standard (which is normal for their offshoot sequels), the plot is very minimal and the runtime is short. That's the only positive really, but even that is a little questionable because of the motivation behind it. If you ever wonder why studios keep making bland sequels, the fact that this was a box-office success should give you some clues. Read all
Now here's a movie that gets by on age and topic alone. Directed by a woman, Outrage tells the story of a young girl whose life is ruined when she gets raped on her way home. And for sure, for its time, it's a pretty bold and daring undertaking, but the film itself is pretty damn terrible. The setup is pretty simple, and it could've been effective too. It could've worked as a subtle/nuanced film, or as a punch-in-the-gut type drama, but instead, you get bad melodrama and poor performances. At least the film is short and moves about at a decent pace, but it leads nowhere interesting.Read all
I loved Sasanatieng's horror film when I first watched it, nearly two decades later it has a much tougher task distinguishing itself from so many other Asian horror films of that era. Sure enough, it has distinct Thai elements, but I missed Sasanatieng's extravagant visual finish this time around. Gone are Sasanatieng's bright and expressive colors, this movie is all about dull browns and greens. The cinematography is still stylish, but simply not as impressive. The horror elements are predictable and the combo with romance is typical for Thai cinema. It's not a bad film, it is well-made and all that, but it's just not as impressive or effective as I remembered.Read all
Blind Fury is a semi-amusing action flick that mixes in some crime, war, and comedy elements to keep things interesting. It's a silly 80s action flick that pits two unlikely companions together, but Noyce adds a couple of extra winks and nudges that help it stand out from the many others. Hauer is good for the part, the rest of the cast plays properly tongue-in-cheek too. The action scenes are decent, the film doesn't take itself too seriously and the runtime is short enough so it never overstays its welcome. If you want an '80s US Zatoichi, this is probably the closest you'll ever get.Read all
Messy but fun. Think of Mutant as an action distillation of the Matrix films, condensed into a 90-minute movie. It's a typical Chinese streamer film, core genre work made cheaply, but with a lot of passion. And I must admit that despite its obvious shortcomings, I had quite a bit of fun watching. The CG is far from great and just about every scene is built upon it. The designs are pretty nifty though and the camera work is solid, so the sci-fi element was much better than I had anticipated. The pacing is excruciating, the story silly but amusing and the performances sufficient. Great cinema this is not, but it's packed to the brim with genre goodies, which counts for something.Read all
A classic war movie that is showing its age. If you want to cheer for the Brits while they fight against the native people of India, this is definitely a film for you. It's a mix of war, adventure, and comedy, but for the most part, it's just very bad and very dated. Apart from the above-average cinematography, there's nothing to see here. There's a bit of Indiana Jones here, especially when the four soldiers get stuck in an Indian temple. The film doesn't take itself too seriously, but the performances are terrible, the cultural elements are grating and the runtime is excessive for a simple film like this. Not a memorable film.Read all
Alex Garland's latest explores a subject this fear-ridden world embraces with open arms: the US at war with itself. It's not an action blockbuster though, instead, we get a more toned-down trip that emphasizes characters and narrative over spectacle. Sadly, Garland's direction is disappointing. The performances aren't great, the score is downright annoying, and the action scenes don't leave much of an impression. If the fearmongering works I guess this might be an impressive film, otherwise it's a bit of a dud that seems to be in line with Garland's other films. All bark, no bite.Read all
Tsukamoto's latest is a harrowing look at a post-war civilization, sporting flashes of Grave of the Fireflies. A young boy walks around aimlessly and stumbles into a tavern, where a hostess takes him in if he's willing to stop stealing from the local market. It's a film where every character is broken, struggling to survive. Whatever humanity there is, is muddled by a sense of survival. The poignant cinematography and lovely score give the film a little extra heart, the performances are impressive, and the finale is memorable.
Kitano's historic war epic is a bit too straight-faced for my liking. It's a quality film, but there isn't as much Kitano in here as I'd hoped. If you like Kurosawa's samurai films then this may be up your alley, as it seems to go for a similar balance of action and intrigue, with a dash of sly comedy on the side. The cast is top-notch, it's fun to see Kitano on screen again and with Asano, Nishijima, and Kase circling him there's no lack of talent. The comedy bits are a little limited though and the story isn't all that interesting. Hisaishi is being missed too and there's no real need to go beyond the 2-hour mark. It's not a bad film, just not a very memorable one.Read all
Adil & Bilal left a good impression with their previous attempt, so it's not too big of a surprise that they were asked to direct another Bad Boys movie. And this time, they themselves are the proper bad boys of the film. They delivered a film that should make Michael Bay proud, which is pretty impressive. Smith and Lawrence are good, but it's the two directors who make sure this film turned out to be a fun and entertaining blockbuster. The action scenes are impressive, with mad camera work and impressive lighting. The final set piece is also very cool, the comedy is on point and the pacing is solid. I liked this quite a bit.Read all
Not as bad as the first two films, then again, that bar was set very low. This film is a bit closer to the original cartoon, without live-action elements are failed attempts to make the Smurfs "cool" (which they are not). Instead, it's a more traditional animation with a simple adventure propelling the Smurfs through a mysterious forest. The outcome of the film is predictable, the voice acting is annoying and the comedy is iffy, but the animation is somewhat charming and the adventure is at least effective. It's not a great film by any stretch of the animation, but considering the complete failure of the first two, it wasn't as bad as I feared it would be.Read all