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shiroi_hikari
Reviews
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Disappointing, to say the least.
Here be spoilers; tread carefully.
Overall, this film left me cold. Also, the fact that the score was nothing short of deafening might have put a bit of a damper on my enjoyment. (I am getting really, really tired of Hans Zimmer.) To make matters worse, the dialogue was so quiet that I couldn't hear what the characters were saying half the time. And then we had Thing-In-the-Mouth Face whose speech was often totally unintelligible.
Let me get it out of the way now: The first half of this movie was bo- ring. I found myself getting restless about halfway through. (It's about the same length as Avengers, plus about 15 minutes, and I've sat through Avengers several times without getting bored.) Things picked up when Bane blew up all the bridges, though.
Speaking of which, I thought Bane was a wasted opportunity. He had a lot of presence, thanks to Tom Hardy, but the film completely throws him away in the end. The truth comes out about Tate, and Bane is tossed aside like a pistol whose ammunition is spent. Was that the point? I don't know. If that is the point, it's a crappy point. You don't spend two and a half hours building up a villain and then just toss him aside. I was just fine with him being the son of Ra's Al Ghul, was it really necessary to have Tate be his progeny instead? I feel like it was only done for the sake of shoving a plot twist in there.
In fact, I'd go as far as to say that Marion Cotillard's character didn't need to be in the film at all. Only real purpose she seemed to serve was to make sweet, sweet love with Bruce down by the fire. She totally usurped Bane in every way, even though she supposedly "loved" him and he went through hell to save her when she was a child. That's gratitude for you.
Which brings me to another problem I had with the writing: Bruce was supposed to be so broken up over the death of Rachel, yet he's totally okay with sleeping with Tate, whom he seems to barely even know. And then there's the half-assed "romance" between him and Selina. What? I think it's the most ineffective love triangle I've seen in a movie in a long time.
I think Selina could've been interesting if fleshed out a bit more (no pun intended). Instead, she's little more than a pretty face in a catsuit, and a plot device. I saw one review of the film that said she was a much more convincing ass-kicker than Black Widow; I disagree so vehemently that I almost punched my computer screen. I mean, was that person asleep during Black Widow's fight scenes? These characters may both wear skin-tight black costumes but that's where the similarities end. Black Widow feels like a real person, or at least a very deep and well-thought-out character. Selina Kyle does not, in my opinion.
The empty "politics" also really bothered me. It felt more like window- dressing than anything else. At times it ripped me right out of the story because the parallels to OWS were TOO obvious and really served little purpose to the overall story other than saying, "LOOK HOW REALISTIC THIS IS, GUYS". But for what? To what end? Did I miss something because I couldn't hear the damn dialogue over the score? It felt like the film was trying to say something when it really had nothing to say besides "blowing people up is bad". A sentiment I agree with, but still. People tout Nolan as an artiste and an auteur, and all kinds of other pretentious BS, and all his film can say is "violence bad"? Like I said, maybe I missed something.
I wasn't all that impressed by the action, either. I realize that some people will hate me for this, but I thought the action scenes in Avengers were way more thrilling than the ones found here. I realize that in Avengers, pretty much everyone is superhuman, but The Dark Knight Rises is still about a guy in a batsuit with wonderful toys, so I think the comparison is a valid one. I also cared a lot more about the characters in Avengers, so that might also have something to do with it.
About the "death" of Bruce Wayne: I felt sad, but only for Alfred. I'm not sure if it was just due to Michael Caine being excellent, or if it was due to the writing. I'm inclined to lean on the side of the former.
If the series was over anyway, I would have preferred that they just kill Bruce off for real, what with all the talk about sacrifice and not being afraid to die. It would have made that emotional moment with Alfred ring so much truer. It would have made much more sense. But then the second I saw Alfred on holiday, I knew. He could've ended it on a question mark and just shown Alfred looking into the camera as if seeing someone he recognized, and then cut to the end credits. Even that would've been better than showing Bruce with Selina, which just felt cheap to me.
It wasn't all bad, though. I liked Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Blake. He seemed like a real human being trapped in a world of crazy characters. And at least his motivations were somewhat clear. Also, you gotta love Gary Oldman.
The Avengers (2012)
You need to see this film.
So I just got back from seeing Marvel's The Avengers.
Excuse me while I reattach my face to my skull.
I'll admit that when I first heard that they were going to put all of these big egos in one big movie, I was expecting a cinematic disaster of epic proportions-- something as awful as the Transformers "films". Something that was nothing more than Badasses on Parade. So initially, I was completely uninterested. Then I heard Joss Whedon was involved. I said to myself, "Well, it'll at least be decent," and decided to go see it. Boy, am I ever glad I did. It is Badasses on Parade, but it goes far, far beyond that.
Let me get it out of the way right now: I don't know a damned thing about comic books. Luckily, familiarity with the original comics is not necessary. You can get by with just seeing the "prequel" films. I saw (and enjoyed) Iron Man and Thor, snored my way through The Incredible Hulk and skipped Captain America: The First Avenger. I did not have any trouble following what was going on in Avengers. So if you need some setup, Iron Man and Thor are the only ones that you really need to see. The other two are pretty much optional.
I didn't give a crap about Hulk or Cap when I went into this movie, and I walked out actually liking both of them. I thought Edward Norton's absence would leave a gaping hole. I thought wrong. Mark Ruffalo does a fine job. Also, Chris Evans is charming as hell, charming enough that I was totally sold on Cap about halfway through the film. In fact, I like him so much that I may just go back and watch Captain America after all.
Let's talk more about actors. Specifically, let's talk about Tom Hiddleston, who plays Loki, God of Mischief in this film and in Thor. He is one of my favorite things about this movie (and was most definitely my favorite thing about Thor). I was really worried when I learned that he was going to be the main villain. I was having visions of him growing a really big mustache so he could stand around and twirl it while laughing maniacally and tying Natalie Portman to some railroad tracks. Thankfully, that is not the case at all. Both the script and Hiddleston's acting make Loki one of the best movie villains I have ever seen in my life, and I've seen a lot of movie villains. He's so good that I was almost rooting for him! Okay, maybe it's partly because I also find Tom Hiddleston strangely attractive. His devilish grin chills me to the bone and gets my heart racing all at the same time. (None of you need to inform me that I'm a weirdo; I'm fully aware of it.)
Now let's talk about action. I am not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best damn action movies I have ever seen. Speaking strictly about ass-kicking fight sequences and city-smashing spectacle, this is right up there with movies like The Matrix and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Every hero (and villain) gets their due; they all get to show off their strong points. Therefore, they all shine. The action is well-choreographed and nicely shot-- no Shaky-Cam to be found here (thank God!). Furthermore, we care about the action because we like and care about the people involved. Filmmakers take note: this is how you make an action film.
Another thing that's great about this movie is the script. Not only did Joss Whedon direct, he also penned the screenplay. Anyone who's familiar with his work knows he's the master of witty dialogue and has excellent comedic timing, and he's in top form here. In other words, this movie is funny. Really funny. There's plenty of the razor-sharp wit we've come to expect from Tony Stark (played to perfection by Robert Downey Jr.), but there's also physical comedy delivered by...well, I'll try not to spoil it for you. You'll know it when you see it.
Let's talk some more about the script. The film clocks in at around 2 ½ hours, but you won't feel it at all (unless you drank too much soda). There's a place for everything and everything is in its place; there's nothing extraneous and there's nothing missing. It establishes the group dynamic and establishes the plot, and then everything pays off in a big, big way. The plot is nothing revolutionary, but it's perfectly serviceable, and it's really the characters who should be the main focus here in the first place.
Anyway, to sum it up: This movie delivers on just about every level. If you just want to munch some popcorn and watch some awesome action, then this movie will not disappoint you. (Seriously, I can't say enough good things about the action sequences.) If you want a good laugh, forget the "comedy" films and just watch this. If you like hot guys in tight costumes, there are plenty of them here. If you want to see acting that ranges from good to excellent, here it is. If you want characters you can feel something for, well, it has that too. Sounds too good to be true, right? I'm probably among the most skeptical moviegoers in these United States, but this movie made a believer out of me.
I've been trying to find a fault in The Avengers, but there are none that present themselves upon first viewing. I guess I'll just have to watch it a couple more times. Well, darn.
Sarcasm aside, if I had the 10 extra bucks, I'd go see it again right this minute.
Gekijô-ban - Bishôjo senshi Sêrâ Mûn S (1994)
Better than it has any right to be!
I've seen all three of the Sailor Moon movies, and this is by far the best one.
For one, it actually has a story you can care about. Yes, the usual "save the world" element is still there, but it takes a backseat to Luna's tragic love story.
Also, the animation is proof of how great a job the Japanese can do when given a proper budget. Everything's fluid, crisp, and colorful.
However, I think the best thing about this film is probably the fantastic score. Luna's theme is one of my favorite pieces of music.
By all rights, this movie should be inane and very forgettable. It's a theatrical film based on an animated TV series, and it only runs for an hour. But somehow they managed to make something touching and highly entertaining. Just be sure not to watch the English dub! It ruins the feel of the whole thing.