A decadent narrative parenthesis that is very limited despite its two-hour duration, with a cast of actors who are truly not very close-knit. Adam Driver tries to do well though and Ms. Cruz is at least comfortable in the role, so they come off as decent. Mann's direction, even if it is on autopilot, provides some good scenes and some emotions. There is inconsistent writing, bland characters and a clear indecision on what to focus on. Overall it could bore fans of the "prancing horse" or those expecting a more complete film, for them perhaps it is better to revisit the mini television series with Castellitto made ten years earlier, although even that is not particularly memorable.
Reviews
35 Reviews
Dark Gathering
(2023– )
Who you gonna call?
28 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Dark Gathering is a series that you willingly follow even if you are not a fan of the horror genre, but the 25 episodes of which it is made up only cover the first half of the story and you have to turn a blind eye to a couple of elements, namely the plot-armor of the protagonists and the total awareness that certain things are unclear partly because they are Shinto in nature and in many others (individual capabilities/solutions/human authorities), because they are simply suited to the narrative need. In this sense the main core of a horror story helps to get over it and the growing psycho-splatter violence of the episodes also. In short, it should be seen a little with the brain turned off, after all in this anime everyone blindly relies on a pre-adolescent girl with two skull-shaped eyes.
Yayoi is a little girl with special eyes that see the spiritual world, but she tragically lost her parents due to a sort of ghost embryo, an entity that in the future could develop into a nefarious being of global reach. At her side there are; Keitaro, an impressionable half-introverted young adult with a cursed hand and Eiko, the typical, improbable and beautiful childhood friend, as well as Yayoi's cousin, who has the task of chauffeuring them around Japan and above all the passion for everything that's scary.
A couple more words should be said about Eiko, given that, despite doing everything to be a nice and positive character, is at the same time even more disturbing than most of the embattled ghosts. His interest in the occult leads to perversion and his apparently genuine affection for Keitaro is somehow tainted by the boy's special propensity to attract spirits, which would partially remain with him even if he managed to erase the annoying curse on his hand. Eiko also has a hidden secret, but we are not given the opportunity to see the effects clearly.
Even Yayoi, however, is not so normal. It is not clear whether it was due to the accident, but her intelligence is conveniently disproportionate and her character, with the excuse of the pre-established objective, apart from a few rare moments of enthusiasm is somewhere between constantly inexpressive and cruel. The little girl is always super equipped, it is not clear how, but in the space of a year spent by her cousin she studied the paranormal phenomenon, becoming more expert than many monks, and despite not having exorcising powers she managed to devise many tactics.
Although in Dark Gathering it may initially seem that Keitaro shares the starring role with her, and that Eiko is useless, it will soon be clear that this is primarily the story of Yayoi and then with equal importance also of her two friends.
Apart from the absence (in a couple of episodes), of one of the two university students, the development will be quite fixed, the trio goes to a place particularly renowned for appearances, things get worse than expected, but by deflecting the damage on the cute puppets of Yayoi and using increasing equipment of dubious usefulness will mostly manage to escape... even when they unleash dangers of equal magnitude if not even worse than the evil fought.
The basic motivational principle is "For extreme evils - extreme remedies", even if this fight is not for the good of humanity, but for purely personal issues. Motivations that involve little in Yayoi's case, thanks to her pragmatic attitude, her world made up of wandering spirits and Shinto-Buddhist reincarnation as the only relief for the human being.
In this sense, the Ai-kamiyo subplot serves to reinforce everything, but we continue to be interested in the mini narrative arcs and little in the final objective, because it is difficult to empathize with the protagonists. Even Keitaro, who with his constant anxiety, average appearance, and a somewhat wasted life, would potentially be the most relatable character of the trio, has two sisters barely glimpsed twice, a communication difficulty exploited only once (and not even that serious), the classic lack of libido of a Japanese protagonist and a hypothetical pain in his hand that never seems to get in the way of his daily life.
Among the avoidable things, apart from a clear revanchist sentiment with a ghost soldier, a drawing style that makes the two nineteen-year-olds appear excessively young, especially Keitaro and limits the variety of adults in general, an excessive severity with some victims turned executioners in turn and whose corruption sometimes even makes you smile a little, like the names of the most powerful spirits, typically pompous and cacophonous as the Japanese like... one thing that left me perplexed is the total disinterest in delving into both the human world in which the characters live, including living relatives, and the more positive side of the spiritual one . We will only be shown a gray mix of two realities in which the happiest entity wanders or stands still waiting for oblivion and a restart. In short, you know, it's better to enjoy life to the fullest.
In general it was a pleasant and advisable viewing, and if they were to make a second season I will certainly watch it, however it remains a partially cold product that involves for its atmosphere, but hardly enters the heart of its viewer. Dark Gathering is a continuous sequence of short battles and quickly explained strategies, it makes full use of the time at its disposal, but it moves too quickly.
Yayoi is a little girl with special eyes that see the spiritual world, but she tragically lost her parents due to a sort of ghost embryo, an entity that in the future could develop into a nefarious being of global reach. At her side there are; Keitaro, an impressionable half-introverted young adult with a cursed hand and Eiko, the typical, improbable and beautiful childhood friend, as well as Yayoi's cousin, who has the task of chauffeuring them around Japan and above all the passion for everything that's scary.
A couple more words should be said about Eiko, given that, despite doing everything to be a nice and positive character, is at the same time even more disturbing than most of the embattled ghosts. His interest in the occult leads to perversion and his apparently genuine affection for Keitaro is somehow tainted by the boy's special propensity to attract spirits, which would partially remain with him even if he managed to erase the annoying curse on his hand. Eiko also has a hidden secret, but we are not given the opportunity to see the effects clearly.
Even Yayoi, however, is not so normal. It is not clear whether it was due to the accident, but her intelligence is conveniently disproportionate and her character, with the excuse of the pre-established objective, apart from a few rare moments of enthusiasm is somewhere between constantly inexpressive and cruel. The little girl is always super equipped, it is not clear how, but in the space of a year spent by her cousin she studied the paranormal phenomenon, becoming more expert than many monks, and despite not having exorcising powers she managed to devise many tactics.
Although in Dark Gathering it may initially seem that Keitaro shares the starring role with her, and that Eiko is useless, it will soon be clear that this is primarily the story of Yayoi and then with equal importance also of her two friends.
Apart from the absence (in a couple of episodes), of one of the two university students, the development will be quite fixed, the trio goes to a place particularly renowned for appearances, things get worse than expected, but by deflecting the damage on the cute puppets of Yayoi and using increasing equipment of dubious usefulness will mostly manage to escape... even when they unleash dangers of equal magnitude if not even worse than the evil fought.
The basic motivational principle is "For extreme evils - extreme remedies", even if this fight is not for the good of humanity, but for purely personal issues. Motivations that involve little in Yayoi's case, thanks to her pragmatic attitude, her world made up of wandering spirits and Shinto-Buddhist reincarnation as the only relief for the human being.
In this sense, the Ai-kamiyo subplot serves to reinforce everything, but we continue to be interested in the mini narrative arcs and little in the final objective, because it is difficult to empathize with the protagonists. Even Keitaro, who with his constant anxiety, average appearance, and a somewhat wasted life, would potentially be the most relatable character of the trio, has two sisters barely glimpsed twice, a communication difficulty exploited only once (and not even that serious), the classic lack of libido of a Japanese protagonist and a hypothetical pain in his hand that never seems to get in the way of his daily life.
Among the avoidable things, apart from a clear revanchist sentiment with a ghost soldier, a drawing style that makes the two nineteen-year-olds appear excessively young, especially Keitaro and limits the variety of adults in general, an excessive severity with some victims turned executioners in turn and whose corruption sometimes even makes you smile a little, like the names of the most powerful spirits, typically pompous and cacophonous as the Japanese like... one thing that left me perplexed is the total disinterest in delving into both the human world in which the characters live, including living relatives, and the more positive side of the spiritual one . We will only be shown a gray mix of two realities in which the happiest entity wanders or stands still waiting for oblivion and a restart. In short, you know, it's better to enjoy life to the fullest.
In general it was a pleasant and advisable viewing, and if they were to make a second season I will certainly watch it, however it remains a partially cold product that involves for its atmosphere, but hardly enters the heart of its viewer. Dark Gathering is a continuous sequence of short battles and quickly explained strategies, it makes full use of the time at its disposal, but it moves too quickly.
Bah Humduck!: A Looney Tunes Christmas
(2006 Video)
Low budget or low conviction?
5 May 2023
It cannot be said that the world lacks representations of Dickens' Christmas story, occasionally even with some variations, as in this case. Indeed, "Bah Humduck" is more reminiscent of the 1980s film parody "Scrooged" with Bill Murray than the 19th century book.
Daffy is a decent choice for Ebenezer Scrooge and the modern setting has been given adequate time to showcase a good number of the underused Looney characters and to show some regret as well. Unfortunately however, with the three ghosts we went at great speed, and although with the Looneys there are no claims of excessive seriousness, this still damages Daffy's repentance.
With the ghost of Christmas past, which allowed greater freedom, a single memory is decidedly ridiculous. As for the ghost of Christmas Present, as well as for Bob Marley, the choice of character is perplexing. That scoundrel Yosemite Sam can't call anyone a miser and it's ironic to think that in a 1979 special the role fell to him. An exchange of roles with Sylvester (or at least Elmer) would have made more sense. Choice made perhaps to stay close to the villosity of the cheerful original character.
Another sour note is Bugs. Even if he admonishes Daffy he's not a paragon of Christmas soul, he's just himself, and while he's not necessarily bad, remains a useless presence in this halfhearted parody.
Adding twenty minutes of running time might have made all the difference, however it cannot be said that they used the available time to the fullest. It's not a bad product, technically it does its duty without flashes or disasters, but it is without passion. A missed opportunity, because after all the sympathy of the Looneys is always there and Porky and his sweet daughter are quite fitting for the role, even without the tiny Tim's poor health.
My impression is that there have been some changes during the making. In any case, the older Disney special, with half the time available, is definitely better... and not just that.
Daffy is a decent choice for Ebenezer Scrooge and the modern setting has been given adequate time to showcase a good number of the underused Looney characters and to show some regret as well. Unfortunately however, with the three ghosts we went at great speed, and although with the Looneys there are no claims of excessive seriousness, this still damages Daffy's repentance.
With the ghost of Christmas past, which allowed greater freedom, a single memory is decidedly ridiculous. As for the ghost of Christmas Present, as well as for Bob Marley, the choice of character is perplexing. That scoundrel Yosemite Sam can't call anyone a miser and it's ironic to think that in a 1979 special the role fell to him. An exchange of roles with Sylvester (or at least Elmer) would have made more sense. Choice made perhaps to stay close to the villosity of the cheerful original character.
Another sour note is Bugs. Even if he admonishes Daffy he's not a paragon of Christmas soul, he's just himself, and while he's not necessarily bad, remains a useless presence in this halfhearted parody.
Adding twenty minutes of running time might have made all the difference, however it cannot be said that they used the available time to the fullest. It's not a bad product, technically it does its duty without flashes or disasters, but it is without passion. A missed opportunity, because after all the sympathy of the Looneys is always there and Porky and his sweet daughter are quite fitting for the role, even without the tiny Tim's poor health.
My impression is that there have been some changes during the making. In any case, the older Disney special, with half the time available, is definitely better... and not just that.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
(2020 Video Game)
For fans... a little idealized
27 January 2023
At one point ActiBliz seems to have got tired of simply collecting money from CoD and decided to squeeze the nostalgia a bit, so, after years of absence, aborted projects (two TV series) and failed experiments (Mutants), here it finally comes a new game about the silly but charismatic peramelidae that raised the 80s/90s generation and that had become the "Mario" of the Playstation. To take charge of it was "Toys for Bob", which had previously tried to badly include the two mascots Spyro and Crash in the infernal circle of games with scannable figurines, then ending up making them simply two more monsters among the many available. However, T.f.B undoubtedly remained the team with the most experience with this IP and also with a good propensity for cartoonish style, together with "Vicarious Vision" who previously dealt with porting their games for less performing consoles. Paradoxically, T.f.B had to do the remaster of the Spyro trilogy, which perhaps needed more skill given its more exploratory nature, while Vicarious had the remaster of the Bandicoot trilogy. The results were objectively good in both cases, the iconography was recovered and transposed adequately and even if the wrinkles of time on the playful side were visible, they proved to be still enjoyable games. It is also true, however, that rejuvenating games is not the same as creating them, and in hindsight, if only one sequel had to be made between the two sagas, it would have been better to give T.f.B the Crash trilogy, both to maintain greater stylistic coherence and to assimilate more the essence of that ip.
Crash 4 is a successful project, but not perfect in my opinion. The doubt that came to me is which group of players wants to like it. I believe that T.f.B has misunderstood his audience. Historical fans no longer have the reflexes and the free time of the past and with the new ones the platform genre, traditionally cartoon and colorful, is no longer popular, so it is difficult to create a new passionate generation, even more if you rediscover a dated vertical structure, which suffers as originally from an imprecise perception of depth. Not that you have to do everything open-world, on the contrary, but neither should we avoid taking steps forward.
Crash games have always been a bit challenging, but T.f.B wanted to increase the load on the player's shoulders. You can't wear the guise of a video game for enthusiasts, if you are then forced to recommend the mode with infinite lives and more numerous checkpoints, it means admitting that something in the balance has gone wrong. Furthermore, the checkpoints are not always put at their best and sometimes the additional ones appear instead in the ideal points or in useless points, such as the Bonus platforms which act as checkpoints in turn. Difficulty makes but it can also kill the fun and sorry to say, there's too much severe trial-and-error. Half a dozen times, without a couple of extra tiki masks I don't know if I would have been able to continue the game.
Interesting was the inclusion of three additional characters to diversify the gameplay. In general it is risky, but fortunately they tried to keep the jumps as a fundamental mechanic. However, the characters introduced are not perfect. Dingodile is a Tank-type, based on the directional vacuum cleaner. It's fun to use with boxes, but rather clunky, although you get used to it over time. Tawva was probably the most controversial, given the typical tough-girl liberal-chich twist. With the excuse of the universes, she does not respect and consequently does not noble the original character, however it must be recognized that in the movements, although essentially only a more physical reinterpretation of Crash, she is the funniest of the three. However, the grappling hook should be improved, because to reach the boxes sometimes you have to position yourself millimeterly and the hook does not seem flawless even in large jumps. Finally, we have the historical nemesis of the peramelidae, Dr. Cortex who with his transforming pistol is probably the worst of all. He's not as slow as Dingodale, but he's stiffer and more inaccurate at hitting enemies, and his short dash suspension can be problematic on fast platforms. One thing that annoyed me was that their stages in the middle give way to Crash and Coco, you practically retrace half stage already completed and this takes away a lot of sense from their presence, not to mention that there is a jump narrative between Tawna and Dingodile in the Entropy area.
Many have complained, understandably, about the length of the stages, but I have to say that up until the futuristic world it wasn't a burden for me. I also made the "inverted" versions and I kept an average of 3/4 diamonds out of 6, managing to unlock half of them in the penultimate dimension, as well as collecting skins for Coco and Crash, at least until the snowy world, then the request for 8 /9 gems was starting to be really too expensive. Nothing extraordinary, just enough to have fun and feel like I didn't waste the game. Mostly I used Crash, because even if in this game the two brothers are equal, I consider him the only true protagonist, however, I noticed that for Coco's skins there was a sort of fear in creating her outfits pretty, since the only one that could be defined as feminine is 1920s style and has funereal tones. Not that it matters in any way, are purely aesthetic elements, what matters is the gameplay but... let's say that, overall, so even including Crash, many skins aren't really that great.
Currently I stopped the game in the second stage of the last world. Unfortunately I have to admit that the flames on the swirling platforms, were where my patience snapped. Expecting the worst, I had decided to take a few days off... and as often happens, you end up dedicating yourself to something else.
At first glance it seems that T.f.B wanted to compete with the legacy of "Naughty Dog" and mainly emulated the first Crash, recognized today as the least balanced, also due to design defects, defects which, however, given its sections shorter ones were less heavy. Rumors say that it was a misinterpretation due to the habit of testing levels, which led to increasing the challenge, especially collecting. A better test might have done well.
What is certain is that the release was too close to the trilogy, the sales scarce compared to excessive expectations and the cancellation of another project for an animated series means losing new potential fans. Even the attempt to make cash with the "Gaas" Team Rumble honestly does not bode well. I sincerely fear that we will see our dear Bandicoot friends again not any time soon. Well... unless Microsoft succeeds in acquiring ActiBlitz and has a more aggressive policy. Currently it seems complicated.
Crash 4 is a successful project, but not perfect in my opinion. The doubt that came to me is which group of players wants to like it. I believe that T.f.B has misunderstood his audience. Historical fans no longer have the reflexes and the free time of the past and with the new ones the platform genre, traditionally cartoon and colorful, is no longer popular, so it is difficult to create a new passionate generation, even more if you rediscover a dated vertical structure, which suffers as originally from an imprecise perception of depth. Not that you have to do everything open-world, on the contrary, but neither should we avoid taking steps forward.
Crash games have always been a bit challenging, but T.f.B wanted to increase the load on the player's shoulders. You can't wear the guise of a video game for enthusiasts, if you are then forced to recommend the mode with infinite lives and more numerous checkpoints, it means admitting that something in the balance has gone wrong. Furthermore, the checkpoints are not always put at their best and sometimes the additional ones appear instead in the ideal points or in useless points, such as the Bonus platforms which act as checkpoints in turn. Difficulty makes but it can also kill the fun and sorry to say, there's too much severe trial-and-error. Half a dozen times, without a couple of extra tiki masks I don't know if I would have been able to continue the game.
Interesting was the inclusion of three additional characters to diversify the gameplay. In general it is risky, but fortunately they tried to keep the jumps as a fundamental mechanic. However, the characters introduced are not perfect. Dingodile is a Tank-type, based on the directional vacuum cleaner. It's fun to use with boxes, but rather clunky, although you get used to it over time. Tawva was probably the most controversial, given the typical tough-girl liberal-chich twist. With the excuse of the universes, she does not respect and consequently does not noble the original character, however it must be recognized that in the movements, although essentially only a more physical reinterpretation of Crash, she is the funniest of the three. However, the grappling hook should be improved, because to reach the boxes sometimes you have to position yourself millimeterly and the hook does not seem flawless even in large jumps. Finally, we have the historical nemesis of the peramelidae, Dr. Cortex who with his transforming pistol is probably the worst of all. He's not as slow as Dingodale, but he's stiffer and more inaccurate at hitting enemies, and his short dash suspension can be problematic on fast platforms. One thing that annoyed me was that their stages in the middle give way to Crash and Coco, you practically retrace half stage already completed and this takes away a lot of sense from their presence, not to mention that there is a jump narrative between Tawna and Dingodile in the Entropy area.
Many have complained, understandably, about the length of the stages, but I have to say that up until the futuristic world it wasn't a burden for me. I also made the "inverted" versions and I kept an average of 3/4 diamonds out of 6, managing to unlock half of them in the penultimate dimension, as well as collecting skins for Coco and Crash, at least until the snowy world, then the request for 8 /9 gems was starting to be really too expensive. Nothing extraordinary, just enough to have fun and feel like I didn't waste the game. Mostly I used Crash, because even if in this game the two brothers are equal, I consider him the only true protagonist, however, I noticed that for Coco's skins there was a sort of fear in creating her outfits pretty, since the only one that could be defined as feminine is 1920s style and has funereal tones. Not that it matters in any way, are purely aesthetic elements, what matters is the gameplay but... let's say that, overall, so even including Crash, many skins aren't really that great.
Currently I stopped the game in the second stage of the last world. Unfortunately I have to admit that the flames on the swirling platforms, were where my patience snapped. Expecting the worst, I had decided to take a few days off... and as often happens, you end up dedicating yourself to something else.
At first glance it seems that T.f.B wanted to compete with the legacy of "Naughty Dog" and mainly emulated the first Crash, recognized today as the least balanced, also due to design defects, defects which, however, given its sections shorter ones were less heavy. Rumors say that it was a misinterpretation due to the habit of testing levels, which led to increasing the challenge, especially collecting. A better test might have done well.
What is certain is that the release was too close to the trilogy, the sales scarce compared to excessive expectations and the cancellation of another project for an animated series means losing new potential fans. Even the attempt to make cash with the "Gaas" Team Rumble honestly does not bode well. I sincerely fear that we will see our dear Bandicoot friends again not any time soon. Well... unless Microsoft succeeds in acquiring ActiBlitz and has a more aggressive policy. Currently it seems complicated.
Robby the Rascal
(1982–1983)
A forgotten cartoon of good old times
13 April 2022
A nice vintage anime that in the southern europe of the last century, for many years was relegated to less important television networks with limited broadcasting capacity, and still rarely re-broadcast on just a couple of nostalgic themed channels. The typical product that for content, genre or public trends, did not convince its buyers to bet on it, one of those products, in short, taken because they are part of packages with more interesting stuff inside, rather than for a selective choice.
Cybot Robotchi bears clear similarities to the more well-known and older Dr. Slump, for example: a robotic protagonist with peculiar abilities, a demented comedy, a tousled-haired scientist pining for love, an evil scientist who meddles in, and a gang of brats etc...
Obviously there are differences to avoid complaints of plagiarism. For example: the main robot this time is male and with a decent intelligence as well as in love with someone. Haiguro, the rival mad scientist, is more handsome and present than Dr. Mashirito by Dr. Slump. The thugs of the village this time are not friends but opponents to be defeated, there are more robots and fewer recurring humans, two Robo-mounts (one flying and one aquatic), there is the almost absence of anthropomorphic creatures, the comedy is slightly less nosense and a pinch more mischievous and the main super power that solves the day is not based on mega strength / invulnerability like Toriyama's creature, but rather on a kind of oven that creates tangible holograms, like a kind of Aladdin's lamp.
To be more precise, in the first third of the TV series, the main enemy is a trio of gangster that wants to steal Dr. Deko's engineering projects. In this phase (and in the central one), despite the light-hearted tone, the scheme of the episodes is less wild and predictable and the use of illusions is reduced to very few occasions. It will then be with the arrival of the mad scientist and his two robotic henchmen (ep.21) that Cybot Robotchi will become more repetitive and incoherent, but perhaps even slightly more fun.
Although the same television fate has happened to much greater cult creations (Hokuto no ken, Saint Seya, Time Bokan series, etc.), Cybot Robotchi, despite being little remembered today, was one of those cartoons that ensured good ratings and for this reason, repeated quite often, at least until the first half of the 90s. Compared to Dr Slump and Arale, reviewing the episodes of Cybot Robotchi, one cannot fail to notice a lower care in the drawings, very fluctuating, the less justified narrative events, some forced (or reworked) dialogue, an excessive saturation of colors (not even optimally matched), as well as a lack of fluidity in the movement of the frames dedicated to the landscape and grouped characters, perhaps a sign of cheapness, but quite common in those times. There are also occasional defects, which underline the age of the material and its non-existent restoration in the recent transition to the 16:9 format.
Despite this, however, ignoring the absurd humanization of robots, which also eat human food, ignoring the non-repetition of the new secondary characters, such as the little robot Kaori and the robo-cameraman, and ignoring the extreme inconstancy of power and duration of holograms, Cybot Robotchi still remains a pleasant vision, with that lighthearted comedy that Japan itself has struggled to reproduce and re-propose in the new millennium.
Cybot Robotchi bears clear similarities to the more well-known and older Dr. Slump, for example: a robotic protagonist with peculiar abilities, a demented comedy, a tousled-haired scientist pining for love, an evil scientist who meddles in, and a gang of brats etc...
Obviously there are differences to avoid complaints of plagiarism. For example: the main robot this time is male and with a decent intelligence as well as in love with someone. Haiguro, the rival mad scientist, is more handsome and present than Dr. Mashirito by Dr. Slump. The thugs of the village this time are not friends but opponents to be defeated, there are more robots and fewer recurring humans, two Robo-mounts (one flying and one aquatic), there is the almost absence of anthropomorphic creatures, the comedy is slightly less nosense and a pinch more mischievous and the main super power that solves the day is not based on mega strength / invulnerability like Toriyama's creature, but rather on a kind of oven that creates tangible holograms, like a kind of Aladdin's lamp.
To be more precise, in the first third of the TV series, the main enemy is a trio of gangster that wants to steal Dr. Deko's engineering projects. In this phase (and in the central one), despite the light-hearted tone, the scheme of the episodes is less wild and predictable and the use of illusions is reduced to very few occasions. It will then be with the arrival of the mad scientist and his two robotic henchmen (ep.21) that Cybot Robotchi will become more repetitive and incoherent, but perhaps even slightly more fun.
Although the same television fate has happened to much greater cult creations (Hokuto no ken, Saint Seya, Time Bokan series, etc.), Cybot Robotchi, despite being little remembered today, was one of those cartoons that ensured good ratings and for this reason, repeated quite often, at least until the first half of the 90s. Compared to Dr Slump and Arale, reviewing the episodes of Cybot Robotchi, one cannot fail to notice a lower care in the drawings, very fluctuating, the less justified narrative events, some forced (or reworked) dialogue, an excessive saturation of colors (not even optimally matched), as well as a lack of fluidity in the movement of the frames dedicated to the landscape and grouped characters, perhaps a sign of cheapness, but quite common in those times. There are also occasional defects, which underline the age of the material and its non-existent restoration in the recent transition to the 16:9 format.
Despite this, however, ignoring the absurd humanization of robots, which also eat human food, ignoring the non-repetition of the new secondary characters, such as the little robot Kaori and the robo-cameraman, and ignoring the extreme inconstancy of power and duration of holograms, Cybot Robotchi still remains a pleasant vision, with that lighthearted comedy that Japan itself has struggled to reproduce and re-propose in the new millennium.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
(2019 Video Game)
The Force is weak but noticeable
8 February 2022
Played on Xbox One, and I can say that the game sometimes struggles to maintain a certain fluidity on the older generation, I think also due to a certain state of abandonment with the patches. You will also notice some textures loaded late and the animations are fluctuating. Concerning the chests with components, the unmotivated shaking underwater will make you smile, when it would have been better, in the absence of our robot assistant, to invent something different, even if basic. While as regards the protagonist we play, he sometimes seems to have a mandibular paresis.
The story isn't very elaborate or even original, but it just entertains just enough. The gameplay must instead be divided and evaluated on two fronts, exploration and combat.
It is probably the element that will least interest a large part of the game's buyers, but personally, I can say that I had a lot of fun looking for and finding chests and echoes of the past, which was also fairly rewarded as experience points. Over time, we will also acquire a couple of new strength-related abilities, which will classically allow us to return to the old territories to discover new areas or find new objects. The basic skills useful for this are very familiar, namely Prince of Persia-style wall running, and GodofWar-style plants and eroded rock climbing. It must be said, however, that the sliding phases are not that great and some distances are a tad millimeter.
Regarding the fight instead, the developers have taken a choice that probably few would have expected and that it is good to keep in mind, because some will not appreciate the inspiration from the Souls-like, with obvious differences. The enemies, even the less important ones, will parry most of the blows that will be thrown at them, so it will be important to get around them by dodging or using some more advanced powers and techniques to take them from a distance or to make them fall into the ravines. The dodge is not the most reactive and it is not automatically enough to avoid damage, so you have to keep in mind the state / movement of the enemy to get the right timing. Yes, in an advanced phase with more low-level enemies around, some of which are more resistant ... sometimes it can be tedious, but you can take advantage of the dobule-sword by losing some damage to cover your back. Everything is not slow, but the best results will be obtained by playing on the defensive. Resending laser bullets with a sword is always fun, even if they sometimes cause unnecessary confusion.
I haven't played a Star Wars game since "The" Force Unleashed, and I can honestly say it was definitely a pleasant experience. One thing I just didn't like is the fact that the force only charged by hitting enemies, or in the advanced phase of the game, with healing vials, often leaving you unable to use stronger blows with the sword that should not even require the use of force, or at most a laughable amount, which at least does not affect the exploration. The slowing perfect dodge doesn't seem to work very well, I do not recommend investing points if possible. The difficulty level should be changeable at will, in case you get stuck with the bosses... and honestly Malicos even on a normal level is a painful temptation.
From the point of view of the emotional bond between the characters, there would be good potential in the ship, but it is all too rushed and action-packed and some dialogue just feels empty, as the player does not feel the time that theoretically has passed and does not has business to farm with NPCs, he can only collect a few seeds on his travels and read ancient walls to pretend there is a lore.
So how to evaluate "Fallen Order"? Well it doesn't have much personality despite the nice characters and.. between Souls-like and Platinum's stylish action, there's a huge middle ground to explore. I haven't found any serious bugs, but there is definitely some optimization work to be done. If the game were in peak condition, it would be the classic full 8 game, good but not memorable. If you are a mega-fan of the brand, you collect action figures and have seen each movie and tv series multiple times ... well, evaluating it as a tie-in I suppose you can see my rating as an 8.5. However, I recommend playing it on the new generation of consoles, although it shouldn't be necessary ...
The story isn't very elaborate or even original, but it just entertains just enough. The gameplay must instead be divided and evaluated on two fronts, exploration and combat.
It is probably the element that will least interest a large part of the game's buyers, but personally, I can say that I had a lot of fun looking for and finding chests and echoes of the past, which was also fairly rewarded as experience points. Over time, we will also acquire a couple of new strength-related abilities, which will classically allow us to return to the old territories to discover new areas or find new objects. The basic skills useful for this are very familiar, namely Prince of Persia-style wall running, and GodofWar-style plants and eroded rock climbing. It must be said, however, that the sliding phases are not that great and some distances are a tad millimeter.
Regarding the fight instead, the developers have taken a choice that probably few would have expected and that it is good to keep in mind, because some will not appreciate the inspiration from the Souls-like, with obvious differences. The enemies, even the less important ones, will parry most of the blows that will be thrown at them, so it will be important to get around them by dodging or using some more advanced powers and techniques to take them from a distance or to make them fall into the ravines. The dodge is not the most reactive and it is not automatically enough to avoid damage, so you have to keep in mind the state / movement of the enemy to get the right timing. Yes, in an advanced phase with more low-level enemies around, some of which are more resistant ... sometimes it can be tedious, but you can take advantage of the dobule-sword by losing some damage to cover your back. Everything is not slow, but the best results will be obtained by playing on the defensive. Resending laser bullets with a sword is always fun, even if they sometimes cause unnecessary confusion.
I haven't played a Star Wars game since "The" Force Unleashed, and I can honestly say it was definitely a pleasant experience. One thing I just didn't like is the fact that the force only charged by hitting enemies, or in the advanced phase of the game, with healing vials, often leaving you unable to use stronger blows with the sword that should not even require the use of force, or at most a laughable amount, which at least does not affect the exploration. The slowing perfect dodge doesn't seem to work very well, I do not recommend investing points if possible. The difficulty level should be changeable at will, in case you get stuck with the bosses... and honestly Malicos even on a normal level is a painful temptation.
From the point of view of the emotional bond between the characters, there would be good potential in the ship, but it is all too rushed and action-packed and some dialogue just feels empty, as the player does not feel the time that theoretically has passed and does not has business to farm with NPCs, he can only collect a few seeds on his travels and read ancient walls to pretend there is a lore.
So how to evaluate "Fallen Order"? Well it doesn't have much personality despite the nice characters and.. between Souls-like and Platinum's stylish action, there's a huge middle ground to explore. I haven't found any serious bugs, but there is definitely some optimization work to be done. If the game were in peak condition, it would be the classic full 8 game, good but not memorable. If you are a mega-fan of the brand, you collect action figures and have seen each movie and tv series multiple times ... well, evaluating it as a tie-in I suppose you can see my rating as an 8.5. However, I recommend playing it on the new generation of consoles, although it shouldn't be necessary ...
Kyûketsuki Sugu Shinu
(2021– )
Being a vampire doesn't necessarily mean being cool.
23 December 2021
A demented series with characters, more and less important, well differentiated. The comedy is not very elaborate, it is based a lot on male physical ugliness and on the fetishisms of hunters and (above all) of vampires, all very weird characters. The concept of creature of darkness is very far from the classic canons and the few "ecchi" occasions with female characters will not be exploited. As for the protagonists, Draluc embodies the duality of the anti-hero well, albeit in a very personal way. Draluc does not have a heroic spirit nor is he particularly altruistic, indeed he does not hesitate to abandon his companions if the situation becomes complicated, even if he is the only one who risks relatively nothing on the physical level (but moreover he cannot even be useful in combat). However, looking closely, this indifference seems to be going to be reduced with some characters and this unusual vampire, despite a lonely past, with the exception of the main members of his peaceful family, loves company and still manages to coexist easily with humans, pulling not infrequently out his irony and teasing the roommate and vampire-hunter, Ronaldo. Draluc despite being of noble lineage has a disadvantaged physical condition, but seems to live it with total serenity, with no ambitions beyond those of enjoying the time available. His comic sidekick, on the other hand, is practically the opposite. Ronaldo is not kind to anyone, has an easily irritable personality, but takes his role rather seriously. The two can't stand each other, but they are initially forced to live together due to some circumstances, finding over time a sort of mutual tolerance thanks to John, the sweet armadillo familiar of Draluc, for which they both have great affection.
The secondary characters are all quite funny, but it cannot be said that they are very deepened, except a minimum with two: 1) Draluc's father, perpetually anxious for his frail son, 2) the elder brother of Rolando, somehow imprisoned in his responsibilities. Outside of these characters, there seemed to be more development potential for half-breed Handa and especially young girl Hinaichi, but at least for the first season, both remain unexplored.
Unless there are external motivations behind Draluc's physical condition, there will hardly be any relevant developments. The general atmosphere is really too disengaged, the villains are ridiculous or easily countered in groups, and the most powerful characters are the editor Fukuma, the obese Lady-vampire and Draluc's grandfather, all inoffensives... though particular. The vampire protagonist himself is not like Mosquiton, who by drinking blood passed from Mumen Rider mode to Red Garou mode. He might have a good mind control resistance, something can be glimpsed in the interesting first half of episode 10, but otherwise he doesn't seem to have powers, apart from that of transformation, in which he has no talent. Paradoxically, his only strength seems to be his anomalous regeneration, perhaps developed to compensate for his extreme fragility, which in a human would be comparable to a severe form of osteogenesis.
As a show it was certainly enjoyable, despite some comic skits a little disturbing.
The secondary characters are all quite funny, but it cannot be said that they are very deepened, except a minimum with two: 1) Draluc's father, perpetually anxious for his frail son, 2) the elder brother of Rolando, somehow imprisoned in his responsibilities. Outside of these characters, there seemed to be more development potential for half-breed Handa and especially young girl Hinaichi, but at least for the first season, both remain unexplored.
Unless there are external motivations behind Draluc's physical condition, there will hardly be any relevant developments. The general atmosphere is really too disengaged, the villains are ridiculous or easily countered in groups, and the most powerful characters are the editor Fukuma, the obese Lady-vampire and Draluc's grandfather, all inoffensives... though particular. The vampire protagonist himself is not like Mosquiton, who by drinking blood passed from Mumen Rider mode to Red Garou mode. He might have a good mind control resistance, something can be glimpsed in the interesting first half of episode 10, but otherwise he doesn't seem to have powers, apart from that of transformation, in which he has no talent. Paradoxically, his only strength seems to be his anomalous regeneration, perhaps developed to compensate for his extreme fragility, which in a human would be comparable to a severe form of osteogenesis.
As a show it was certainly enjoyable, despite some comic skits a little disturbing.
Komi Can't Communicate
(2021–2022)
Cute and potentially valid
25 November 2021
A series that, in its basic idea of the involuntary communication difficulties, finds a very interesting starting point. Komi and Tadano are a nice duo and Najimi is a likeable character. Together they make a self-sufficient trio for a good part of the time, however the biggest limitation of the series comes from the support of the secondary characters. There are no events of particular importance (ramen shop, dress shop, pool etc...), except perhaps the glimpses dedicated to Komi's family, and the goal of making her many new friends forces the authors to introduce them with a certain speed.
It is usually a delicate operation to create a character with qualities that make them memorable, takes time... and it must be said that a good portion of the animes do not shine in this aspect. Having to introduce new characters in almost every episode, also following the setting of the comic (still in progress and rather long-lived for the context), the authors constantly throw out stupid stereotypes or poorly defined people, in the sad attempt to make people smile. Frankly, these crazy human doormats are not even remotely funny nor originals.
In this series everyone is in love with Komi; men, women... even the school blackboard if it had life. All except Tadano lack intuition or the ability to ask certain questions that could oxidize the figure of their goddess, while they are inclined to feel themselves inadequate or to improvise a sort of "mental reading", mostly wrong. A gesture from Komi or a look at her falsely impassive face makes everyone fall in love, she is practically a symbol of divine perfection and genetic selection for the world in which she lives, despite the fact that she has a modest, naive and fearful personality, uncommon traits for any girl who is minimally aware of her attractiveness.
In this sense, her communication problem is rather diminished, because after the shock everyone accepts her friendship willingly and adores her more than before, even people that she herself should rather exclude and remove from her list of acquaintances, such as Yamaki, the yandere. Komi is a very particular human case, not only for the communicative factor, in fact in the behavior of the girl, on some occasions we notice a purer and sometimes childish soul. The fear from which she is dominated has certainly clipped her wings, keeping her isolated or at home more than necessary, but this has also preserved Komi from negative contamination of society.
I only watched the episodes for the brief moments between Komi and Tadano, which fortunately remain tender without overdoing the romance. In fact Tadano, although kind-hearted, does not even think about trying, because he considers himself too average for such a high level girl , a fearful but realistic attitude. As for Komi instead, well there is no event that has sparked interest and it is difficult to say, given the particular subject, the extent of her feelings and... if this is not motivated simply by being partially understood by someone of the opposite sex who is outside the family unit. The two students need time to be taken seriously, more than the setting can allow them without being redundant and ... boring. So far, in seven episodes viewed , apart from the young Yamaki (who has already calmed down), there have been no major dangers or problems, despite Komi's cascade of suitors. I will continue to follow the vision, but I don't have high expectations from a narrative point of view.
Overall, a pleasant evening stopgap, with a light atmosphere. Like many discreet Japanese products, it could do much more.
It is usually a delicate operation to create a character with qualities that make them memorable, takes time... and it must be said that a good portion of the animes do not shine in this aspect. Having to introduce new characters in almost every episode, also following the setting of the comic (still in progress and rather long-lived for the context), the authors constantly throw out stupid stereotypes or poorly defined people, in the sad attempt to make people smile. Frankly, these crazy human doormats are not even remotely funny nor originals.
In this series everyone is in love with Komi; men, women... even the school blackboard if it had life. All except Tadano lack intuition or the ability to ask certain questions that could oxidize the figure of their goddess, while they are inclined to feel themselves inadequate or to improvise a sort of "mental reading", mostly wrong. A gesture from Komi or a look at her falsely impassive face makes everyone fall in love, she is practically a symbol of divine perfection and genetic selection for the world in which she lives, despite the fact that she has a modest, naive and fearful personality, uncommon traits for any girl who is minimally aware of her attractiveness.
In this sense, her communication problem is rather diminished, because after the shock everyone accepts her friendship willingly and adores her more than before, even people that she herself should rather exclude and remove from her list of acquaintances, such as Yamaki, the yandere. Komi is a very particular human case, not only for the communicative factor, in fact in the behavior of the girl, on some occasions we notice a purer and sometimes childish soul. The fear from which she is dominated has certainly clipped her wings, keeping her isolated or at home more than necessary, but this has also preserved Komi from negative contamination of society.
I only watched the episodes for the brief moments between Komi and Tadano, which fortunately remain tender without overdoing the romance. In fact Tadano, although kind-hearted, does not even think about trying, because he considers himself too average for such a high level girl , a fearful but realistic attitude. As for Komi instead, well there is no event that has sparked interest and it is difficult to say, given the particular subject, the extent of her feelings and... if this is not motivated simply by being partially understood by someone of the opposite sex who is outside the family unit. The two students need time to be taken seriously, more than the setting can allow them without being redundant and ... boring. So far, in seven episodes viewed , apart from the young Yamaki (who has already calmed down), there have been no major dangers or problems, despite Komi's cascade of suitors. I will continue to follow the vision, but I don't have high expectations from a narrative point of view.
Overall, a pleasant evening stopgap, with a light atmosphere. Like many discreet Japanese products, it could do much more.
The Magic Riddle
(1991)
A magical road crash
2 September 2021
A fairy tale variant with very childish tones, just look at the pretty Cinderella barefoot and dressed in the style of the farmer's daughter, or the horrendous stepmother with the single tooth of an old fisherman, an Asterix-style big nose, Krusty the clown hairstyle, and the breasts at the umbilicus level, to immediately understand that it will be a crazy vision.
Decades ago, this little film was appreciated precisely for being an original mixture of various classic tales: Cinderella, Pinocchio, Snow White, the three little pigs ... but revised today, well, honestly we realize how little was enough to entertain us. All in all it remained agreable and you can glimpse their desire to create something decent.
Decades ago, this little film was appreciated precisely for being an original mixture of various classic tales: Cinderella, Pinocchio, Snow White, the three little pigs ... but revised today, well, honestly we realize how little was enough to entertain us. All in all it remained agreable and you can glimpse their desire to create something decent.
DuckTales
(2017–2021)
Not better, but definitely alternative
13 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Nowadays, that every 80/90 cult icon is easily pulled out of mothballs to make a profit, it's no surprise there's a reboot of the "Ducktales" series. But what was the result in the end? Well! For sure ... it cannot be said that it is a faithful product to the past, because many characters and their way of life have been brutally changed. If once we had a distracted and good-natured Gyro Gearloose, now we have in his place a gruff scientist. The chubby Doofus, from a sweet and insecure Junior Woodchucks he was transformed into a selfish and psychotic billionaire. Fenton found himself becoming Hispanic, and his mother (unsurprisingly) from an indolent couch potato has become a capable police officer. Goldie is now a a "Fujiko Mine" octogenarian. The faithful butler Duckworth is no longer among the living and was represented with a more snobbish personality. Flintheart in addition to being stocky (to differentiate him more from his rival), has suffered a lowering of intellect, becoming more than an opponent , a comic shoulder in Patrick Star style. Donald is no longer a member of the navy (but they continue to make him appear shortly). Mrs. Beakley from a sweet defenseless lady has become an ugly agent Schwarzenegger. The triplets have been positively differentiated, giving them: Red = the role of intelligent and competitive Lisa Simpson style, Blue = the daring sportsman, and Green = the role of the lazy and swindler. A more adolescent version, but which helps the fun factor a lot. Even the poor Webby, once an emblem of purity and sweetness, has found herself transformed into a sort of hyperactive small soldier stuffed with enthusiasm, with a constant presence in the show. The only one who, despite the different context, doesn't seem to have changed much, is the evil witch Magica. Furthermore, his stories, along with those concerning Della, are ... exaggerated as they may be, among the most willing.
The old series was adventurous and feel-good, while this modern one is more action and zany, with an alternation between cisnism and emotionality . The importance of family ties and friendship are messages also present in the old series, but here they are both reiterated much more often. Seriously, I didn't think I would ever see the gang of ducks have so many mood swings, shed so many tears forcibly, and I didn't even think I'd see them beat so many punches and spinning kicks to make you feel nostalgic for "Walker, Texas Ranger". Well ... as for Donald, and only him, I can't deny that the scenes where he comes into action out of anger and parental affection, I liked them. It suits his temper and in any case that doesn't make him automatically a winner, which is also why he is perhaps the most loved of the classic characters.
Probably they hoped to give them a deeper characterization, certainly the intent was to also catch teenagers, who love strong and underlined sentimentality.
The introduction of the new characters was positive, from a certain rebellious shadow-girl (with a immoderate evolution), to the half-brother of a well-known greedy bad guy, to finish with the tough sister of a classic character. Oh, it was appreciable to have had clearer origins for a certain superhero, even if ... these clash with the original. A little less enthusiastic than some modern gags.
As for the edgy art style, personally I still find it not exactly gorgeous, but I understand that with habit it has been appreciated. I recognize that embodies the soul of this new production well. In general, I have not despised this reboot, it is done with skill, but I didn't like the brutality of certain changes, nor the crafty heavy citations to other series, Disney and not Disney.
New generation, new storytelling. It was necessary? I don't think so, but the important thing is that it was appreciated... I presume.
The old series was adventurous and feel-good, while this modern one is more action and zany, with an alternation between cisnism and emotionality . The importance of family ties and friendship are messages also present in the old series, but here they are both reiterated much more often. Seriously, I didn't think I would ever see the gang of ducks have so many mood swings, shed so many tears forcibly, and I didn't even think I'd see them beat so many punches and spinning kicks to make you feel nostalgic for "Walker, Texas Ranger". Well ... as for Donald, and only him, I can't deny that the scenes where he comes into action out of anger and parental affection, I liked them. It suits his temper and in any case that doesn't make him automatically a winner, which is also why he is perhaps the most loved of the classic characters.
Probably they hoped to give them a deeper characterization, certainly the intent was to also catch teenagers, who love strong and underlined sentimentality.
The introduction of the new characters was positive, from a certain rebellious shadow-girl (with a immoderate evolution), to the half-brother of a well-known greedy bad guy, to finish with the tough sister of a classic character. Oh, it was appreciable to have had clearer origins for a certain superhero, even if ... these clash with the original. A little less enthusiastic than some modern gags.
As for the edgy art style, personally I still find it not exactly gorgeous, but I understand that with habit it has been appreciated. I recognize that embodies the soul of this new production well. In general, I have not despised this reboot, it is done with skill, but I didn't like the brutality of certain changes, nor the crafty heavy citations to other series, Disney and not Disney.
New generation, new storytelling. It was necessary? I don't think so, but the important thing is that it was appreciated... I presume.
The Outer Worlds
(2019 Video Game)
Fall Effect
7 August 2021
A valid game, which takes its cue from Bethesda's "Fallout" saga, placing it in a context of "Mass Effect". Obsidian has always had a passion for this genre of games, but as long as they were independent they had to make ends meet, so the title ended up being less profound and ambitious than the games it is inspired by. Let's start by saying that there is no Karma system, but a more manageable system of popularity with the factions. The comrades, while commenting on many dialogues, are unlikely to impose their vision or contest the stealing of resources in homes. The only real protest personally encountered was from Felix, the hothead of the group, now towards the end of the game, and because he hated a certain character, a moment that reminded me a lot of the Alistair vs Loghain dispute in the first chapter of Dragon Age. On the other hand, the "charisma" system is a pleasure. It's always fun to solve everything with the power of simple dialogue.
As for the controversy over the management of NPCs, there is indeed an evident politicization, not in its totality as we read on the net, but to a large extent, especially in the first half of the game, where we will focus more on the assignments of the space station. To be honest, the perception of the number of female characters is bizarre, in part because they have been given the majority of executive duties and only a few settlements justify their portrayal, which is not very varied in itself.. In Outer World, in fact, women are divided into two types, the tough young girls with short hair (even the ship's AI), and the tough old women with a bun. The only four that I would dare to define feminine are: a secretary more competent than his ambiguous boss, a foolish wild girl with always short hair, the rich mother of the combative Ellie and the sweet mechanic Parvati, who however makes us immediately clear the her following the Sapphic doctrine, in which we will also have to help her. On the other hand, men do not shine in terms of morality and intelligence, except the vicar and, partially, the one who set us free.
Does all this ruin the gaming experience? Absolutely not, the gameplay is solid, classic and fun. After all, the general irony could also make us justify this "modern" vision. Of course... it's bizarre not to be able to have a courtship mechanic, a choice clearly not dictated by the budget but by the pure will of Obsidian. It must be said that the "gray" choices have been made as white / black as possible, as in the case of the Iconoclasts. As if to say, it lacks that flicker of personality, creative freedom and completeness that can elevate OW to a masterpiece, but in itself it is a very valid title, with nice allies, which gave me 41 hours of lightheartedness, and without the Gorgon Dlc. I hope Microsoft's money will now help take the step forward.
As for the controversy over the management of NPCs, there is indeed an evident politicization, not in its totality as we read on the net, but to a large extent, especially in the first half of the game, where we will focus more on the assignments of the space station. To be honest, the perception of the number of female characters is bizarre, in part because they have been given the majority of executive duties and only a few settlements justify their portrayal, which is not very varied in itself.. In Outer World, in fact, women are divided into two types, the tough young girls with short hair (even the ship's AI), and the tough old women with a bun. The only four that I would dare to define feminine are: a secretary more competent than his ambiguous boss, a foolish wild girl with always short hair, the rich mother of the combative Ellie and the sweet mechanic Parvati, who however makes us immediately clear the her following the Sapphic doctrine, in which we will also have to help her. On the other hand, men do not shine in terms of morality and intelligence, except the vicar and, partially, the one who set us free.
Does all this ruin the gaming experience? Absolutely not, the gameplay is solid, classic and fun. After all, the general irony could also make us justify this "modern" vision. Of course... it's bizarre not to be able to have a courtship mechanic, a choice clearly not dictated by the budget but by the pure will of Obsidian. It must be said that the "gray" choices have been made as white / black as possible, as in the case of the Iconoclasts. As if to say, it lacks that flicker of personality, creative freedom and completeness that can elevate OW to a masterpiece, but in itself it is a very valid title, with nice allies, which gave me 41 hours of lightheartedness, and without the Gorgon Dlc. I hope Microsoft's money will now help take the step forward.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
(2021)
Virtual Meh
1 August 2021
Frankly, I don't know anything about basketball, I grew up with the first film, and at the time I knew the name of Jordan, but only because it was a little bit mentioned on television, an iconic name like Dali for boxing or Pelé and Maradona for soccer... Lebron, on the other hand, I did not know who he was, nor that he was disliked by half of the fans of this sport, so I did not automatically judge him as an unfortunate choice.
I found the film itself a little inferior to the progenitor, which was already a simple film for kids, with a non-actor visibly struggling to talk to the void (even for real actor it is complicated). Lebron honestly seemed less awkward than Jordan, but the film falls on other fronts. There are too many improvised humans for too much time, and the emancipating diatribe between father and nerdy son, quickly becomes annoying. While the first film, in its mediocrity, I could still watch it every now and then, of this sequel, I think I just liked the recruiting part in 2d animation.
Regarding the scandal for the flattening of the chest of Lola I think that the fans have exaggerated... a little, it is true that in the '90s she had a more aggressive appearance, but she never had an exaggerated body like Jessica Rabbit, nor even provocative like Berri of "Conker" or the Minerva Mink of the "Animaniacs". Lola has been made more generic, for small children, it is true, a pathetic choice for sure, but it is not all this great change and loss, she's never even been popular. I would have understood more if the fans had complained about how sometimes, the CG, does not render his face very well in the "three-dimensional version". On the other hand, regarding the exile of that loser womanizer of Pepè Le Pew for ravings of incitement to rape ... it reminds me of the silly polemics about japan robots in the 80s and against magical girls in the 90s. Luckily Pepé has never been particularly nice or funny, give a damn, but it remains a disturbing fact.
As for the opponents, the first impact is negative, the Monstars were not very charismatic masses of muscles, but their being dull and brightly colored made them nice. These new mutants have less time to make themselves known and have to struggle harder because of the grim CG.
The development of the challenge is rather confusing because in addition to sports, it mixes video-game rules with Looney's follies, and computer graphics complicates things. The Rap part sucks, but not as much as the excessive citation of the Warner properties, which used the film to get a mega publicity, even making many famous characters move awkwardly in the background, worse than a Capcom fighting game. Plus, other minor quotes that should grab the nostalgic, like the wtf Mc Hammer ballet. Even some regular scenes are a bit nonsense, like super Granny against Chronos.
The quality hasn't really dropped, it's just that they tried too hard in my opinion. Simplicity was the winning weapon in the first film, the incipit of this sequel feels more stupid, both for the identity of the algorithm, and for the way in which technology is superficially treated, with an aftertaste of old "Serial Experiments Lain" that doesn't get your brain off the ground like a couple of unscrupulous cartoonish alien entrepreneurs. Obviously, the new generations will elaborate it in their own way, but I don't think they will diverge too much in opinion.
In short, a film to be seen only once, there is a certain attention to detail, but... I doubt it will be remembered as the first with Jordan.
I found the film itself a little inferior to the progenitor, which was already a simple film for kids, with a non-actor visibly struggling to talk to the void (even for real actor it is complicated). Lebron honestly seemed less awkward than Jordan, but the film falls on other fronts. There are too many improvised humans for too much time, and the emancipating diatribe between father and nerdy son, quickly becomes annoying. While the first film, in its mediocrity, I could still watch it every now and then, of this sequel, I think I just liked the recruiting part in 2d animation.
Regarding the scandal for the flattening of the chest of Lola I think that the fans have exaggerated... a little, it is true that in the '90s she had a more aggressive appearance, but she never had an exaggerated body like Jessica Rabbit, nor even provocative like Berri of "Conker" or the Minerva Mink of the "Animaniacs". Lola has been made more generic, for small children, it is true, a pathetic choice for sure, but it is not all this great change and loss, she's never even been popular. I would have understood more if the fans had complained about how sometimes, the CG, does not render his face very well in the "three-dimensional version". On the other hand, regarding the exile of that loser womanizer of Pepè Le Pew for ravings of incitement to rape ... it reminds me of the silly polemics about japan robots in the 80s and against magical girls in the 90s. Luckily Pepé has never been particularly nice or funny, give a damn, but it remains a disturbing fact.
As for the opponents, the first impact is negative, the Monstars were not very charismatic masses of muscles, but their being dull and brightly colored made them nice. These new mutants have less time to make themselves known and have to struggle harder because of the grim CG.
The development of the challenge is rather confusing because in addition to sports, it mixes video-game rules with Looney's follies, and computer graphics complicates things. The Rap part sucks, but not as much as the excessive citation of the Warner properties, which used the film to get a mega publicity, even making many famous characters move awkwardly in the background, worse than a Capcom fighting game. Plus, other minor quotes that should grab the nostalgic, like the wtf Mc Hammer ballet. Even some regular scenes are a bit nonsense, like super Granny against Chronos.
The quality hasn't really dropped, it's just that they tried too hard in my opinion. Simplicity was the winning weapon in the first film, the incipit of this sequel feels more stupid, both for the identity of the algorithm, and for the way in which technology is superficially treated, with an aftertaste of old "Serial Experiments Lain" that doesn't get your brain off the ground like a couple of unscrupulous cartoonish alien entrepreneurs. Obviously, the new generations will elaborate it in their own way, but I don't think they will diverge too much in opinion.
In short, a film to be seen only once, there is a certain attention to detail, but... I doubt it will be remembered as the first with Jordan.
Thundercats
(2011–2012)
It won't be perfect, but it's the ideal way to revamp a classic series
26 July 2021
2011 is not that far away, but it seems almost another era, just look at the Voltron made a few years later, or the recent two ramshackle attempts to modernize the M.o.t. U saga. I liked the original show enough, but I don't have very clear memories, however it is not necessary to realize the strong difference of this production. The new version basically tries to deepen the characters, their history, their universe and the various animal species. It does so by focusing on Lion-O, who has remained the undoubted protagonist, and this risks making the other Thundercats, especially Tyga and Cheetara, feel in the background for much of the time. The reason is due to the attempt to perceive the growth of the King of the Thundercats, from immature to wise. This will involve various episodes dedicated only to Lion-O and in various bickering between him and his stepbrother. Unfortunately, the actions and decisions of the young King will not always seem coherent and linear with the path taken previously.
Luckily, the authors have given all the characters a minimum of useful space to make themselves known better and beyond that, they did not give too much to their protagonist, a rather common pitfall usually. In fact, Lion-O is a leader of peoples, one who holds the lives of enemies in high regard, and the holder of power, but he is also one of those who make the most mistakes and also the one who loses the most people dear to him.
The violence factor is reduced, while Japanese direction is noted in some clashes, such as that of Panthro and Grune or in some episodes like that of the paperbender... or with the very oriental-looking hare blacksmith. Some things are more out of tune than others. Unfortunately, the series does not have a definitive ending, it would need another season, but at least the closure has unexpected elements and leaves hope for the future.
A series developed in a healthy and neutral way, initially with some uncertainty, as if the groups at work did not communicate properly with each other, but overall an example of how every television work should be, something that today seems absurdly difficult to obtain.
Ps: Regarding the bad attempt to make a zany reboot with Thundercats Roar... better pretend it doesn't exist.
Luckily, the authors have given all the characters a minimum of useful space to make themselves known better and beyond that, they did not give too much to their protagonist, a rather common pitfall usually. In fact, Lion-O is a leader of peoples, one who holds the lives of enemies in high regard, and the holder of power, but he is also one of those who make the most mistakes and also the one who loses the most people dear to him.
The violence factor is reduced, while Japanese direction is noted in some clashes, such as that of Panthro and Grune or in some episodes like that of the paperbender... or with the very oriental-looking hare blacksmith. Some things are more out of tune than others. Unfortunately, the series does not have a definitive ending, it would need another season, but at least the closure has unexpected elements and leaves hope for the future.
A series developed in a healthy and neutral way, initially with some uncertainty, as if the groups at work did not communicate properly with each other, but overall an example of how every television work should be, something that today seems absurdly difficult to obtain.
Ps: Regarding the bad attempt to make a zany reboot with Thundercats Roar... better pretend it doesn't exist.
Family Matters
(1989–1998)
The Urkel Show
13 July 2021
A series that I loved as a kid, but that even then, did not convince me in its last seasons. Let's start by saying that of the Winslow family, of eight elements, only 5 will soon be seen ... to which Steve will soon be added, who will fortunately steal the lead role, sharing it with the burly and grumpy head of the family, Carl.
What started out as a typical B-grade family comedy soon became an appreciated, but repetitive, moment of revenge for the young and stunted black nerd, always full of good intentions, a candid soul (despite his intelligence and stoicity) and ... a great giver of household disasters. This misunderstood saint with glasses and braces, will inspire repeated examinations of conscience in those around him, especially the good Carl and his pretty daughter Laura. Both of them wouldn't even be wrong to get angry at Steve for his intrusiveness, if they didn't overdo it with anger every time.
The series found, in a reduction of the staff, a spontaneous identity, but dragging it into too many seasons lowered the quality, which even from the start was objectively only average. To dilute the soup, they began to focus on ridiculous things, in fact the greatest emblem of the decline of the series is identifiable in an object, The Genetic-Transformative Cabin, invented by Steve to initially become, in Dr. Jerryl style, his fascinating alter- ego Stefàn, and from then on, implement real parodies, like that of Bruce Lee. The thing that bitter me the most was that not fully exploited all the characters and all the options. For example, Eddy, the selfish and superficial eldest son, while appearing relatively little, is the emblem of the contradictory character and his stupid friend Waldo, was wasted for the usual role given at the time to the mentally limited characters. What am I referring to? To an innate culinary talent, as if instinct and improvisation were enough to become a Chef. An almost offensive stereotype, probably due to not wanting to complicate the shooting location. Little better went with the presence of Mrs. Winslow and her grandmother, wise and pleasant even if under-exploited too, in the first case also for contractual reasons and change of actress.
"Family Matters" was soon reduced to situations already seen, with Steve becoming more robust, and Mr. White who played him, less inclined to that comic role, perhaps perceiving that role demeaning from an actor's point of view. I also remember that there were the typical promotional episodes of Disney World, present in various TV series of the 90s.
If I were to trace the no-save point after the introduction of the Transformative Room, I'd say the series managed to hold up well until the presence of the character of Myra. This bizarre but beautiful girl, short, curvy and possessive towards Steve, however unlikely she had improved the situation a little, her win on the haughty Laura was even desirable, but between different choices, an increasingly listless direction and sad health problems of the actress, the TV series could not help but scrape the bottom, dragging itself through seasons without ideas, content with the messages: "in love whoever lasts wins", "all freaks can improve themselves enough" and "even a superficial, egoist and fraudulent brother can suddenly wake up and become a good guardian of the order". Sure...
What started out as a typical B-grade family comedy soon became an appreciated, but repetitive, moment of revenge for the young and stunted black nerd, always full of good intentions, a candid soul (despite his intelligence and stoicity) and ... a great giver of household disasters. This misunderstood saint with glasses and braces, will inspire repeated examinations of conscience in those around him, especially the good Carl and his pretty daughter Laura. Both of them wouldn't even be wrong to get angry at Steve for his intrusiveness, if they didn't overdo it with anger every time.
The series found, in a reduction of the staff, a spontaneous identity, but dragging it into too many seasons lowered the quality, which even from the start was objectively only average. To dilute the soup, they began to focus on ridiculous things, in fact the greatest emblem of the decline of the series is identifiable in an object, The Genetic-Transformative Cabin, invented by Steve to initially become, in Dr. Jerryl style, his fascinating alter- ego Stefàn, and from then on, implement real parodies, like that of Bruce Lee. The thing that bitter me the most was that not fully exploited all the characters and all the options. For example, Eddy, the selfish and superficial eldest son, while appearing relatively little, is the emblem of the contradictory character and his stupid friend Waldo, was wasted for the usual role given at the time to the mentally limited characters. What am I referring to? To an innate culinary talent, as if instinct and improvisation were enough to become a Chef. An almost offensive stereotype, probably due to not wanting to complicate the shooting location. Little better went with the presence of Mrs. Winslow and her grandmother, wise and pleasant even if under-exploited too, in the first case also for contractual reasons and change of actress.
"Family Matters" was soon reduced to situations already seen, with Steve becoming more robust, and Mr. White who played him, less inclined to that comic role, perhaps perceiving that role demeaning from an actor's point of view. I also remember that there were the typical promotional episodes of Disney World, present in various TV series of the 90s.
If I were to trace the no-save point after the introduction of the Transformative Room, I'd say the series managed to hold up well until the presence of the character of Myra. This bizarre but beautiful girl, short, curvy and possessive towards Steve, however unlikely she had improved the situation a little, her win on the haughty Laura was even desirable, but between different choices, an increasingly listless direction and sad health problems of the actress, the TV series could not help but scrape the bottom, dragging itself through seasons without ideas, content with the messages: "in love whoever lasts wins", "all freaks can improve themselves enough" and "even a superficial, egoist and fraudulent brother can suddenly wake up and become a good guardian of the order". Sure...
The Black Hole
(1979)
Born Old and without the Benjamin Button effect
30 June 2021
On the one hand, you can see the economic investment for the sets, all lights and slides with a kaleidocopic effect, and a general commitment to the technological part, but it certainly does not compete with colossals such as "Star Wars", released two years earlier, more spectacular and charismatic. This old film has a flavor of children's literature in a dark sauce, it looks more like a cross between a "20,000 leagues under the sea" and the first television "Star Treck", even if V. I. N. CENT, the toy philosopher robot with horrid square eyes recalls mix of the Lucasartian ones, for height R2-D2 and for pedantry C3PO. In practice, he too is relegated to a partial comic element, although the film tries not to miss airs of drama, especially with the clash between scientist and red automaton with blender arms. An excess even a little badly acted.
There are animations and other elements that are involuntarily funny, especially with the soldiers, woody and weak, not to mention the rather banal dialogues, a sentimental hint made so much for classicism and semi-handsome actors that transmit nothing to the viewer. Among the characters are saved only the mustache and the bad guy.
No wonder it was forgotten, it could have competed with the Forbidden Planet in 1956, but not with the many modern shi-fi that would have come out in those years. A bit 'the limit that was also of "Flash Gordon", although it maintained a fresher setting and perhaps a superior direction. However, the pompous geriatrics of "The Black Hole" gives him a vintage charm today.
Fun fact, the film contains the scene of the giant red ball used, along with others, in the old theme of the Vhs Disney Home-Video, the one with the dance version of the Dumbo train song.
There are animations and other elements that are involuntarily funny, especially with the soldiers, woody and weak, not to mention the rather banal dialogues, a sentimental hint made so much for classicism and semi-handsome actors that transmit nothing to the viewer. Among the characters are saved only the mustache and the bad guy.
No wonder it was forgotten, it could have competed with the Forbidden Planet in 1956, but not with the many modern shi-fi that would have come out in those years. A bit 'the limit that was also of "Flash Gordon", although it maintained a fresher setting and perhaps a superior direction. However, the pompous geriatrics of "The Black Hole" gives him a vintage charm today.
Fun fact, the film contains the scene of the giant red ball used, along with others, in the old theme of the Vhs Disney Home-Video, the one with the dance version of the Dumbo train song.
Klaus
(2019)
A little classic for families
27 June 2021
Excellent film, balanced in dosing tenderness (the little girl Sami and the sad past of Klaus) and entertaining (the feud in the style of Capuleti vs. Montecchi). The fake-3D is certainly excellent, but during the presentation it left me perplexed, all those tricks of shadows and shades gave me the feeling of superfluous weight to the vision, honestly I was eager for a classic 2D. Fortunately, the film later disproved my concerns.
The story is not complicated, after all we do not expect it given the Christmas theme, however the triggering reason of the story and the spoiled protagonist, were not even too trivial. Usually, these films tend to use an heir for the bearded giver of gifts, regardless of gender, disposition or any family relationship. Here, on the other hand, he is a mere, unexpected, assistant and at the same time the puppeteer, moved by absolutely personal reasons. I think it's one of those few cartoons in which I really felt the gradual redemption of the protagonist. Mr. Pablos as director certainly deserves to be kept an eye on for his possible future projects.
100% positive opinion, it is clearly seen that it is not a real Netflix product, but for once ... it must be acknowledged that it was useful in promoting something really decent. Could it have been the magic of Christmas?
The story is not complicated, after all we do not expect it given the Christmas theme, however the triggering reason of the story and the spoiled protagonist, were not even too trivial. Usually, these films tend to use an heir for the bearded giver of gifts, regardless of gender, disposition or any family relationship. Here, on the other hand, he is a mere, unexpected, assistant and at the same time the puppeteer, moved by absolutely personal reasons. I think it's one of those few cartoons in which I really felt the gradual redemption of the protagonist. Mr. Pablos as director certainly deserves to be kept an eye on for his possible future projects.
100% positive opinion, it is clearly seen that it is not a real Netflix product, but for once ... it must be acknowledged that it was useful in promoting something really decent. Could it have been the magic of Christmas?
Dragon Ball GT
(1996–1997)
Lowest point in the series before "Super", but not that bad overall
24 June 2021
A series made by the students of Mr. Toriyama, who in the initial intentions would have wanted to interrupt the story after the arch of Namek, and then inevitable ride the tsunami of success between ups and downs. The GT series attempts to re-present a modern version inspired by the origins, that of child goku, not only bringing him back to that age, but also returning to the original philosophy of Dragon Ball, whose title already says it all. The magic spheres, or better, the quest to gather them is the fulcrum of everything. They had been invented to add flavor to adventure, not to minimize tragic events, because it can always be remedied.
However, too much time had passed since the first great series, the sayans fly now, they have no natural obstacles, nor is anyone given time to re-create (uselessly) some deadly defense as in the origins. In addition to this, the writers were willing but without particular skills, and most of the main audience was mostly raised with the adult Goku with luminescent hair gel, which further disliked the space trip of Goku, Pan and Trunks. So unfortunately... or fortunately, this leads to a return to the combative tones of the Z series, maintaining the weird differences in strength that initially were easier to ignore.
Of this "new youth" the period of Baby, herald of the Tsufuru/Tuffle rancor, is generally remembered with some appreciation, but personally I believe that the only merit of this series is the best possible closure of the saga with arch of the Evil Dragons. It was a simple and partially wasted idea, but brilliant in his karmic irony, and as a teaching not to play too much with destiny it was valid. With hindsight, you can also appreciate the transformation of the Sayan 4, initially badly received, but after the color corrections of the Super series, much re-evaluated. That transformation made sense as a definitive passage to the savage sayan force, which let us remember, are monkey warriors deep inside, a remnant of Chinese legend but nonetheless not ignorable.
I would say that despite the fluctuating involvement and some objective flaws, this is a series that can be remembered with affection, as, at least there was an attempt to want to do something valid, except in the central arc of Super C-17, which in fact it makes no sense at the plot level and is remembered as the worst. Having decanonized this series in favor of Super, which instead is a prequel to the final scenes of the manga, was not a big deal, although it also has some valid elements within it.
Bizarre as Goten is, in all versions, in some ways the forgotten "Cinderella" of the Saiyans, but thanks to this, compared to his brother (prisoner of studies), his father (destined to fall on the battlefield) or his childhood friend (divided between being the last bastion of a dystopian future or a scion of an economic empire), the only one who can have a relatively normal youth amidst leisure and love interests.
However, too much time had passed since the first great series, the sayans fly now, they have no natural obstacles, nor is anyone given time to re-create (uselessly) some deadly defense as in the origins. In addition to this, the writers were willing but without particular skills, and most of the main audience was mostly raised with the adult Goku with luminescent hair gel, which further disliked the space trip of Goku, Pan and Trunks. So unfortunately... or fortunately, this leads to a return to the combative tones of the Z series, maintaining the weird differences in strength that initially were easier to ignore.
Of this "new youth" the period of Baby, herald of the Tsufuru/Tuffle rancor, is generally remembered with some appreciation, but personally I believe that the only merit of this series is the best possible closure of the saga with arch of the Evil Dragons. It was a simple and partially wasted idea, but brilliant in his karmic irony, and as a teaching not to play too much with destiny it was valid. With hindsight, you can also appreciate the transformation of the Sayan 4, initially badly received, but after the color corrections of the Super series, much re-evaluated. That transformation made sense as a definitive passage to the savage sayan force, which let us remember, are monkey warriors deep inside, a remnant of Chinese legend but nonetheless not ignorable.
I would say that despite the fluctuating involvement and some objective flaws, this is a series that can be remembered with affection, as, at least there was an attempt to want to do something valid, except in the central arc of Super C-17, which in fact it makes no sense at the plot level and is remembered as the worst. Having decanonized this series in favor of Super, which instead is a prequel to the final scenes of the manga, was not a big deal, although it also has some valid elements within it.
Bizarre as Goten is, in all versions, in some ways the forgotten "Cinderella" of the Saiyans, but thanks to this, compared to his brother (prisoner of studies), his father (destined to fall on the battlefield) or his childhood friend (divided between being the last bastion of a dystopian future or a scion of an economic empire), the only one who can have a relatively normal youth amidst leisure and love interests.
Luca
(2021)
Bread, Love and Laziness
23 June 2021
Very simple story, with the typical message about the acceptance of those who are different from us, a valid narrative element but ... now more than half a century has passed since "The Boy with Green Hair" or even the more famous "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner ", I understand the difficult times, but by now it is no longer a courageous topic and hardly enough to excite if it is not supported by an interesting script.
The first half hour of the film is a pure and boring commercial for Piaggio, then from the acquaintance with the Marcovaldo family the vision improves, even if the film remains uninvolving, and not very original with its typical problematic parents, to whom the son not even seem be fond of. Not that the village bully is better, he's a pretty forgettable villain, moreover, the only problem of the Marcovaldo family is solved quickly and easily.
Overall Luca is super-American in bringing together Italian elements and not knowing what to do next. The seaside village of Portorosso, inspired by the coastal area of the Cinque Terre, is rendered in a colorful and pleasant way, while the marine world is definitely neglected. The choice of songs is very vintage, undoubtedly cult songs, but they do not always feel appropriate to the scenes. Frankly, where was the usefulness of the direction of Mr. Casarosa, outside the beautiful dream sections and some old quotes, I ignore it, but I suspect only to avoid controversy. In short, a Pixar product of the less important ones. To make a forced comparison, "Luca" is comparable to "Coco" as "To Rome with Love" is comparable to "Midnight in Paris", they can like both, but the level of inspiration is different, and the sad thing is that Luca, with the context of sea monsters, started with less worn bases than mariachi and the feast of the dead.
The theme of friendship, however, has been cinically well transposed, but given the setting, I was hoping for something more ambitious. Regarding the possibility of potentially controversial content, the rumors about it were all mental fanfiction of those who enjoy matching characters of each product with a minimum of notoriety. There is no Lgbt stuff, the director had already clarified about it. The Disney princesses are no longer what they used to be, and the tv series "Star vs. The Forces of Evil" and even more "The Owl House" were effectively an introductory attempt, surely "Amphibia" will go that way too, but the situation in this case is different. On the other hand, those who complained, obviously have not seen the film, or they interpret it with particular dedication.
A film that can be watched by everyone, but designed only for a young American audience, who will quickly forget it after viewing.
The first half hour of the film is a pure and boring commercial for Piaggio, then from the acquaintance with the Marcovaldo family the vision improves, even if the film remains uninvolving, and not very original with its typical problematic parents, to whom the son not even seem be fond of. Not that the village bully is better, he's a pretty forgettable villain, moreover, the only problem of the Marcovaldo family is solved quickly and easily.
Overall Luca is super-American in bringing together Italian elements and not knowing what to do next. The seaside village of Portorosso, inspired by the coastal area of the Cinque Terre, is rendered in a colorful and pleasant way, while the marine world is definitely neglected. The choice of songs is very vintage, undoubtedly cult songs, but they do not always feel appropriate to the scenes. Frankly, where was the usefulness of the direction of Mr. Casarosa, outside the beautiful dream sections and some old quotes, I ignore it, but I suspect only to avoid controversy. In short, a Pixar product of the less important ones. To make a forced comparison, "Luca" is comparable to "Coco" as "To Rome with Love" is comparable to "Midnight in Paris", they can like both, but the level of inspiration is different, and the sad thing is that Luca, with the context of sea monsters, started with less worn bases than mariachi and the feast of the dead.
The theme of friendship, however, has been cinically well transposed, but given the setting, I was hoping for something more ambitious. Regarding the possibility of potentially controversial content, the rumors about it were all mental fanfiction of those who enjoy matching characters of each product with a minimum of notoriety. There is no Lgbt stuff, the director had already clarified about it. The Disney princesses are no longer what they used to be, and the tv series "Star vs. The Forces of Evil" and even more "The Owl House" were effectively an introductory attempt, surely "Amphibia" will go that way too, but the situation in this case is different. On the other hand, those who complained, obviously have not seen the film, or they interpret it with particular dedication.
A film that can be watched by everyone, but designed only for a young American audience, who will quickly forget it after viewing.
Dragon Ball Super
(2015–2018)
A Veteran now full of scars
8 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A series initially well received, albeit with some skepticism. Leaving out the initial technical problems (approximate drawings), a symptom of a Japanese society that is increasingly extreme in the quantity of its projects, as well as in the poor quality of life of its animators, in the long run, the defects of "Super" began to show themselves on most important levels. Needless to say, this project it was designed with brutally commercial intent. The original manga has been over for quite some time, the author Toriyama after the cyborg saga has adopted a more indifferent approach to his work, Toyotarou is still an immature pupil, and this is not it was the only attempt to continue squeezing a lemon now lacking in juice, considering the GT series, the various unimaginative OAVs, the non-canonical Heroes series and the painful movie "DB Evolution".
What is Super's biggest problem? Its going on without a real goal. The series has always been about factor of training to beat a more powerful foe, however, up until Namec saga there was a clear direction of events. Well... if we consider and are satisfied with the attempt (later canceled) to pass the task of protector of the earth to Gohan, despite a slight but noticeable decline, even up to the Cyborg saga.
Unfortunately, in "Super" it must be said that it is not clear what they are fighting for. Yes, of course, the protection of the earth/universe we could say, but between gluttons destroyers of worlds, increasingly messed up pantheons, new transformations that are now excessive and stylistically lazy, other Saiyans with the usual gimmick of alternative dimensions, the heavy fanservice, with the return returns of old characters now unpresentable as power, the questionable sentimental link Trunks / Mai, Vegeta not very credible family-man, and the unexciting theme of life and death, widely used and easy to resolve... it really seems a fidgeting for nothing.
I don't feel like rejecting everything, after all, even the mediocre, but more willing GT series had some good, for example with the idea of evil dragons, in the revalued simian style of the Super Sayan 4, and with the tomboy grandaughter Pan. In the case of "DB Super", I feel like promoting Freeza's return, however late and ridiculously managed, I like the improved canonization of Broly, certainly see two historical enemies fight briefly together in the final round of the galactic tournament was galvanizing, and I admit that some crazy characters like Zamasu have charisma, unlike Jiren, whose only distinctive element is being unreasonably hyperpowered. However, "DB Super" appears to me as a soulless series, even compared with previous products.
What is Super's biggest problem? Its going on without a real goal. The series has always been about factor of training to beat a more powerful foe, however, up until Namec saga there was a clear direction of events. Well... if we consider and are satisfied with the attempt (later canceled) to pass the task of protector of the earth to Gohan, despite a slight but noticeable decline, even up to the Cyborg saga.
Unfortunately, in "Super" it must be said that it is not clear what they are fighting for. Yes, of course, the protection of the earth/universe we could say, but between gluttons destroyers of worlds, increasingly messed up pantheons, new transformations that are now excessive and stylistically lazy, other Saiyans with the usual gimmick of alternative dimensions, the heavy fanservice, with the return returns of old characters now unpresentable as power, the questionable sentimental link Trunks / Mai, Vegeta not very credible family-man, and the unexciting theme of life and death, widely used and easy to resolve... it really seems a fidgeting for nothing.
I don't feel like rejecting everything, after all, even the mediocre, but more willing GT series had some good, for example with the idea of evil dragons, in the revalued simian style of the Super Sayan 4, and with the tomboy grandaughter Pan. In the case of "DB Super", I feel like promoting Freeza's return, however late and ridiculously managed, I like the improved canonization of Broly, certainly see two historical enemies fight briefly together in the final round of the galactic tournament was galvanizing, and I admit that some crazy characters like Zamasu have charisma, unlike Jiren, whose only distinctive element is being unreasonably hyperpowered. However, "DB Super" appears to me as a soulless series, even compared with previous products.
Radioland Murders
(1994)
The radio cannot be killed
5 June 2021
Crime comedy such as the older and better known "Clue" and "Murder by Death". Personally, I have always appreciated it, in contrast with the opinions of the critics who drowned it. I admit that shoving and bouncing are sometimes excessive and not for everyone, and some scenes may be fast, but the story, the setting and the black humor are very pleasant and Benben seemed comfortable playing the clumsy scapegoat. The film was originally made with good intentions, even though it was subsequently a flop. The only thing that surprises me is that Christopher Lloyd was given such a marginal role.
Film more suitable for teenagers, but it is valid for all those who are looking for something light in my opinion.
Film more suitable for teenagers, but it is valid for all those who are looking for something light in my opinion.
Pinocchio
(1971)
A more humble, authentic, Pinocchio
28 May 2021
A slightly unknown film, which certainly did not have the Disney dollars available, and which for years ended up among the cheap vhs of fairy tales sold on newsstands and in small video stores. It was a project with a tiny team, and required a great deal of willpower to complete. Despite its limitations, it probably still remains one of the best transpositions of Collodi's puppet, together with Comencini's live mini-series, luckily more well-known.
The Angry Birds Movie 2
(2019)
Less angry, more competitive
27 May 2021
Well, honestly, for being one of those products that directly seeks to lecture you against masculine self-centeredness, while also putting the female opposite on a better level, like Red vs Silver and in some ways, even Mighty Eagle vs Zeta... I have to admit they did a decent job. The group is bigger, more varied, there is more madness, and thanks to the light atmosphere, certain things never lapse into real dislike. Unfortunately there are still bad vulgar scenes, too brazen, similar to the previous ones (with the mouth, going to the bathroom, etc.) and unnecessary.
I'd say it's on the level of the first movie , maybe slightly more fun. Neither film, however, is at the top of the titles that I would show a son or a little brother.
I'd say it's on the level of the first movie , maybe slightly more fun. Neither film, however, is at the top of the titles that I would show a son or a little brother.
Pinocchio
(2012)
Between artistic modernity and tradition
24 May 2021
A long production, which had to work hard to keep costs down. Because of this, there is some compression of events, such as the desire not to give up too many elements. Average dubbing, good soundtrack, pleasant illustrative style, very European, but not the most suitable for animation or to attract viewers, due to a very authorial iconography, more wisely dosed in "The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily" , which however remains a subject of lesser appeal.
D''alò is a good director, best remembered for his first two works ("Lucky and Zorba" / "Momo") and this is a good Pinocchio film, even if it will never have the prestige of the one made by Cenci in the 70s, nor is it my favorite among his works. I hope he can find funding for other traditional animation projects.
D''alò is a good director, best remembered for his first two works ("Lucky and Zorba" / "Momo") and this is a good Pinocchio film, even if it will never have the prestige of the one made by Cenci in the 70s, nor is it my favorite among his works. I hope he can find funding for other traditional animation projects.
The Simpsons
(1989– )
It could end up as a radioactive hero or live long enough to become a flandered Homer
21 May 2021
As a boy I fully loved the series until the thirteenth season, after that, even with the permissiveness of youth, something in the Simpsons began to feel broken. After the film, which did not fully repay the human resources involved, there was a slight and not lasting improvement, but the show never returned to what it was before, for the simple fact that The Simpsons had already said everything. It was possible to try to age the three children of Homer and Marge, but the merchandising was too appetizing and they preferred to continue whipping a dying horse. Over time, the pupil "Family Guy" began to be copied, the fututistic flashbacks no longer coincided, Homer became more stupid, the parents' adolescence was moved from the 70's to the 90's, more modern technologies began to appear, there were more VIPs cameos and many classic characters were flandered.
No show can remain memorable with such a venerable age, but they haven't seriously tried and that's what bothers most. Why not create new iconic Springfield citizens, especially considering that some of them disappear along with their voice actors over the years? Why not make more use of the secondary historical characters, who have only recently had some episodes? Why waste some of Lisa and Bart's love interests when a couple of them might have potential as recurring characters (Cletus's daughter, the cool ecologist, the bipolar girl, etc.) ? Why be so Homercentric?
Reviewing with the adult eyes the first ten seasons, I gained an even more severe opinion. I certainly reevaluated the episode with Frank Grimes, which I once thought was too cruel without a real purpose, however, contrary to many fans who refer to the ninth season as that of the fall of quality for the infamous Skinner episode, I think it is also the case to discard the octave from the really good seasons. The writing in both seasons was still better than it would be in the future, but already the eighth was too experimental. Personally I think the Simpsons are dead after the great seventh season and ironically my rating reflects the same number. If I had to evaluate the series in its entirety, giving 6 stars would already be extremely generous, but we can't ignore the golden age, and what the Simpsons fever represented for us in the 90s.
No show can remain memorable with such a venerable age, but they haven't seriously tried and that's what bothers most. Why not create new iconic Springfield citizens, especially considering that some of them disappear along with their voice actors over the years? Why not make more use of the secondary historical characters, who have only recently had some episodes? Why waste some of Lisa and Bart's love interests when a couple of them might have potential as recurring characters (Cletus's daughter, the cool ecologist, the bipolar girl, etc.) ? Why be so Homercentric?
Reviewing with the adult eyes the first ten seasons, I gained an even more severe opinion. I certainly reevaluated the episode with Frank Grimes, which I once thought was too cruel without a real purpose, however, contrary to many fans who refer to the ninth season as that of the fall of quality for the infamous Skinner episode, I think it is also the case to discard the octave from the really good seasons. The writing in both seasons was still better than it would be in the future, but already the eighth was too experimental. Personally I think the Simpsons are dead after the great seventh season and ironically my rating reflects the same number. If I had to evaluate the series in its entirety, giving 6 stars would already be extremely generous, but we can't ignore the golden age, and what the Simpsons fever represented for us in the 90s.
Louise by the Shore
(2016)
Good intentions, symbolic, but still boring
20 May 2021
An exercise in style, slow and sadly boring. The forgetful Louise would also be tender, but she does nothing but wander around in a vacuum around that seaside village doing very common things, not even she has to survive since she collects everything easily around. To alternate the vision, we are granted a few glimpses of the past, mixing them with dreams and auditory hallucinations with quotations from Carroll. Why all this? Well, in the end you are not sure you understand.
It is not bad movie, but not even poetic, I would say pretentious. Louise with her voice accompanies the viewer more than what happens in "The Red Turtle", but also in this film the authors want us to interpret (and have fun) too much without elements, and visually the production is not surprising, offering bare landscapes and no elements worthy of mention.
At least the art style is pleasant.
It is not bad movie, but not even poetic, I would say pretentious. Louise with her voice accompanies the viewer more than what happens in "The Red Turtle", but also in this film the authors want us to interpret (and have fun) too much without elements, and visually the production is not surprising, offering bare landscapes and no elements worthy of mention.
At least the art style is pleasant.
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