After the first live action Gantz movie, Gantz, proved to be quite good, I had a reasonable amount of hope that the second, Gantz: Perfect Answer, would at least be OK.
It's not. It's mostly terrible. Even the gorgeous Ayumi Ito as Eriko can't save it.
Obviously the whole CGI budget was spent on the first part, because in this one the aliens are all conveniently taking on human form. They do something weird with their eyes from time to time to remind us that they are aliens... but mostly they are just people (often the same people who are normal people too).
And the story goes bonkers.
We know that Kei is desperate to get 100 points and resurrect Kato. But when the older guy gets 100 points first (how?) he resurrects Kato... even though he knows Kei is also just about to get 100 points. And then Kei resurrects the young brat fighter in the hoodie. Which would be fine, except that when everyone thinks that Gantz is about the expire the older guy becomes so desperate to get the last 100 points that he almost kills the innocent girl for it. Huh? He says he wants to resurrect his wife (did we even know she was in the running for resurrection, I missed that) ... but if that is so important to him, then why did he resurrect Kato? It just doesn't make sense.
And that is just the easiest to explain dumb thing about the story.
On the plus side, some of the fight scenes are better in this one than the first. But that's like saying the Star Wars prequels have merit because the lightsabre battles are better than in the original trilogy.
Overall this is a poor movie. I can't help thinking that like the animated effort, they should have done one decent film instead of attempting two.
Friday 29 June 2018
Hana-bi
A Japanese crime drama. Not what I expected at all. It is quite slow, there isn't a lot of dialogue at times, there aren't many characters.
But I found something about the main character Nishi-san quite interesting. He is almost enigmatic at the start. He doesn't say or do much. What he does do is whatever he wants, or so it seems.
As the film progresses you realise that Nishi is a fairly ordinary cop who has been dealt a bad hand. A really bad hand. So bad in fact that he has given up on the world... and most of the people in it, apart from a select few.
Gradually it becomes clear that Nishi is on a mission to show the world it can go fuck itself. He takes a destructive path, but because he doesn't care about defeat, he steamrollers all opposition.
We know that ultimately Nishi's quiet rampage will end in tragedy. But really the tragedy happened before the start of the film, so what we see is his long defiant finale.
Not always my kind of film. But on this occasion I really enjoyed it.
But I found something about the main character Nishi-san quite interesting. He is almost enigmatic at the start. He doesn't say or do much. What he does do is whatever he wants, or so it seems.
As the film progresses you realise that Nishi is a fairly ordinary cop who has been dealt a bad hand. A really bad hand. So bad in fact that he has given up on the world... and most of the people in it, apart from a select few.
Gradually it becomes clear that Nishi is on a mission to show the world it can go fuck itself. He takes a destructive path, but because he doesn't care about defeat, he steamrollers all opposition.
We know that ultimately Nishi's quiet rampage will end in tragedy. But really the tragedy happened before the start of the film, so what we see is his long defiant finale.
Not always my kind of film. But on this occasion I really enjoyed it.
Thursday 28 June 2018
Ghost Wars
This show has to go down as "good start, bad finish".
After the first few episodes I was really enjoying it. It seemed like The Returned in some ways... just a lot less French. And it looked like it was going somewhere.
But as it progressed, it stopped going anywhere. The middle episodes just drifted. What was going on? Hardly anything. The only thing changing was whether Meat Loaf liked Roman or hated him... and that changed every 20 minutes.
I real turning point was when the Lambda boss arrived. Then it just got boring and predictable. By now it was trying to be Stranger Things 2.
When the bar owner started on the weird pregnancy I thought something important might happen. But it didn't. When the priest burned the live ghost pod people I thought the surviving one might become more powerful, or something. She didn't.
Nothing was happening. The ending just came and went. And I really don't care how Roman ended up with the amber rock thing at the end... when it was supposed to blow up and close death's door for good... without a single other person noticing that nothing blew up.
Sorry, but Ghost Wars disappoints all the more because it showed early potential.
After the first few episodes I was really enjoying it. It seemed like The Returned in some ways... just a lot less French. And it looked like it was going somewhere.
But as it progressed, it stopped going anywhere. The middle episodes just drifted. What was going on? Hardly anything. The only thing changing was whether Meat Loaf liked Roman or hated him... and that changed every 20 minutes.
I real turning point was when the Lambda boss arrived. Then it just got boring and predictable. By now it was trying to be Stranger Things 2.
When the bar owner started on the weird pregnancy I thought something important might happen. But it didn't. When the priest burned the live ghost pod people I thought the surviving one might become more powerful, or something. She didn't.
Nothing was happening. The ending just came and went. And I really don't care how Roman ended up with the amber rock thing at the end... when it was supposed to blow up and close death's door for good... without a single other person noticing that nothing blew up.
Sorry, but Ghost Wars disappoints all the more because it showed early potential.
Saturday 23 June 2018
Prime Suspect 1973
This is a prequel to the 1990s police drama Prime Suspect and shows the early days of Jane Tennison as a probationary police officer.
Whilst I didn't particularly follow the original "series" very closely (each "season" consisted of two 2 hour parts) I did enjoy this portrayal of the character.
Perhaps the format was just more watchable, with 6 episodes of 45 minutes. Perhaps it was because I watched it on Netflix with no ad breaks (I hate ad breaks in drama... they destroy the atmosphere).
It is a shame that ITV have already announced that there will not be a season 2. This has a similar feel to Endeavor and that has been running nicely for several seasons now.
As much as Tennison suffered sexism in the 1990s, by then she was basically a tough woman playing like a man in a man's world. In contrast, the 1973 character is still idealistic and determined to succeed in the police as a woman. That is more interesting. Especially given the insight into how her own family even fail to support her much of the time.
Whilst I didn't particularly follow the original "series" very closely (each "season" consisted of two 2 hour parts) I did enjoy this portrayal of the character.
Perhaps the format was just more watchable, with 6 episodes of 45 minutes. Perhaps it was because I watched it on Netflix with no ad breaks (I hate ad breaks in drama... they destroy the atmosphere).
It is a shame that ITV have already announced that there will not be a season 2. This has a similar feel to Endeavor and that has been running nicely for several seasons now.
As much as Tennison suffered sexism in the 1990s, by then she was basically a tough woman playing like a man in a man's world. In contrast, the 1973 character is still idealistic and determined to succeed in the police as a woman. That is more interesting. Especially given the insight into how her own family even fail to support her much of the time.
Monday 18 June 2018
The Alienist
Scanning the list of things to watch, you are bound to think that The Alienist is a sci-fi. But it is not. It is a crime drama set in late 19th century New York.
And it is really good.
Like the Scandinavian crime dramas that I love, it has such a strong set of interesting characters that you can't take your eyes off it for a minute. The crime itself is just a backdrop for the characters to fight in front of.
And it even makes you doubt the honesty of the main "good guys" from time to time. That is a gripping drama.
Now we are just getting started. Bring on season 2.
And it is really good.
Like the Scandinavian crime dramas that I love, it has such a strong set of interesting characters that you can't take your eyes off it for a minute. The crime itself is just a backdrop for the characters to fight in front of.
And it even makes you doubt the honesty of the main "good guys" from time to time. That is a gripping drama.
Now we are just getting started. Bring on season 2.
The New Legends Of Monkey
Absolutely abysmal.
If you remake something that people loved; you have to do something special. Otherwise why bother? This has none of the character of the original and no new angle.
I forced myself to watch the whole of the first episode because I really, really wanted it to get better. It didn't. It is rubbish. Boring even. Sad.
If you remake something that people loved; you have to do something special. Otherwise why bother? This has none of the character of the original and no new angle.
I forced myself to watch the whole of the first episode because I really, really wanted it to get better. It didn't. It is rubbish. Boring even. Sad.
Gantz
I saw an animated movie on Netflix called Gantz: O a while ago. It was very futuristic, a bit weird, and obviously based on a Japanese Manga comic. Quite enjoyable. I even watched it again one night when I was drunk...
Anyway, when I noticed a film called Gantz on Cinema Paradiso I wondered if it was the same one. And I was intrigued to find that it was a live action film of the same material.
But, remembering how much the animated film relied on big dramatic monsters, I assumed that the live action version would probably be a bit rubbish. Like the old Godzilla movies with a badly articulated puppet monster.
It seemed to have a decent rating though. So I thought I would give it a go. There was even a sequel so it couldn't be that bad (I later discovered that both films were shot back to back and released a few months apart).
And it is quite good. Mostly the same story as Gantz: O but different enough that I wasn's always sure what was going to happen next. Not as spectacular because it doesn't have the budget for lots of amazing effects, but enough to make you buy into the concepts.
So overall I enjoyed it and am looking forward to part 2.
Anyway, when I noticed a film called Gantz on Cinema Paradiso I wondered if it was the same one. And I was intrigued to find that it was a live action film of the same material.
But, remembering how much the animated film relied on big dramatic monsters, I assumed that the live action version would probably be a bit rubbish. Like the old Godzilla movies with a badly articulated puppet monster.
It seemed to have a decent rating though. So I thought I would give it a go. There was even a sequel so it couldn't be that bad (I later discovered that both films were shot back to back and released a few months apart).
And it is quite good. Mostly the same story as Gantz: O but different enough that I wasn's always sure what was going to happen next. Not as spectacular because it doesn't have the budget for lots of amazing effects, but enough to make you buy into the concepts.
So overall I enjoyed it and am looking forward to part 2.
Thursday 7 June 2018
Jupiter's Moon
Usually I eventually figure out what a film is about. Or I get bored and don't make it to the end. So Jupiter's Moon is unusual because I did watch it all the way to the end without understanding what was going on or why.
SPOILERS - sort of...
Firstly I don't see what this movie has to do with Jupiter or any of its moons. There is some text at the beginning speculating that there might be life on Europa. So what?
Then what was it about Aryan that made him change when he was shot? Was it even getting shot that changed him? It's never even clear what he can do... levitate, yes, but also rotate a whole room? Whilst not detaching it from the surrounding building?
Was he even really flying, or just making people think he was? I'm inclined to think the latter... because otherwise why didn't he just fly away from the bad guys instead of always just failing to escape by running away? Maybe he could only go straight up? Except he did traverse along above the pool didn't he?
The camera work is very mixed. Some of the shots are great - I loved the car chase with the low camera angle, that was very exciting, much better than the average. But many were just disorienting - most of the levitation shots just made me dizzy, was that deliberate? I wondered if it was supposed to convey something about the disorientation of Aryan or the amazement of the people seeing him... but in the end thought it was probably just the director playing about because he thought it was fun.
Doctor Stern was the doubting disciple who underwent a conversion. And some of the other characters kind of had biblical counterparts. But it was all very muddled. I must have felt something for some of them, otherwise I would not have watched it all. There was a clumsy exposition of "you are here to make people look up" ... and literal proof of that at the end ... which was just dumb.
At the end I thought for some time about it. Wondering if I had missed something important. Maybe I did. But I can't think what. Unfortunately it just left me cold and shrugging my shoulders.
Some stuff happens. The audience have to guess why. The End.
SPOILERS - sort of...
Firstly I don't see what this movie has to do with Jupiter or any of its moons. There is some text at the beginning speculating that there might be life on Europa. So what?
Then what was it about Aryan that made him change when he was shot? Was it even getting shot that changed him? It's never even clear what he can do... levitate, yes, but also rotate a whole room? Whilst not detaching it from the surrounding building?
Was he even really flying, or just making people think he was? I'm inclined to think the latter... because otherwise why didn't he just fly away from the bad guys instead of always just failing to escape by running away? Maybe he could only go straight up? Except he did traverse along above the pool didn't he?
The camera work is very mixed. Some of the shots are great - I loved the car chase with the low camera angle, that was very exciting, much better than the average. But many were just disorienting - most of the levitation shots just made me dizzy, was that deliberate? I wondered if it was supposed to convey something about the disorientation of Aryan or the amazement of the people seeing him... but in the end thought it was probably just the director playing about because he thought it was fun.
Doctor Stern was the doubting disciple who underwent a conversion. And some of the other characters kind of had biblical counterparts. But it was all very muddled. I must have felt something for some of them, otherwise I would not have watched it all. There was a clumsy exposition of "you are here to make people look up" ... and literal proof of that at the end ... which was just dumb.
At the end I thought for some time about it. Wondering if I had missed something important. Maybe I did. But I can't think what. Unfortunately it just left me cold and shrugging my shoulders.
Some stuff happens. The audience have to guess why. The End.
Monday 4 June 2018
Justice League
I am not really a DC fan and everyone I know who is said that Justice League was rubbish...
But I like to make my own mind up so I stuck it on my Cinema Paradiso list and it turned up on Friday.
You know what? I liked it. It wasn't awesome. But it wasn't bad either.
The best thing they did was keep Superman out of it for as long as possible. I don't remember how he died in whatever other film it was that preceded this one... Batman vs Superman (?) ... but it was painfully obvious that he was going to come back somehow ... and you know when he does that he is just going to batter the bad guy into the ground ... unless he has Kryptonite ... which this guy didn't ... because he obviously knew he didn't need to pack any since Superman was dead.
I had no idea who the bad guy was. But he was quite cool.
Batman was good in the role of ageing hero. Nearly worn out. Flash was decent value for comic effect. Wonder Woman was awesome (again) and so was Cyborg.
In fact I think Cyborg was my favourite.
The boxes weren't as good as the Infinity Stones in the MCU... and there were only 3 of them :)
It wasn't too long.
Sadly though, now that Superman is alive again, how are we going to get another decent film where he doesn't just overpower the baddie? Maybe he can go on a really long holiday to an alternate reality for some reason...
But I like to make my own mind up so I stuck it on my Cinema Paradiso list and it turned up on Friday.
You know what? I liked it. It wasn't awesome. But it wasn't bad either.
The best thing they did was keep Superman out of it for as long as possible. I don't remember how he died in whatever other film it was that preceded this one... Batman vs Superman (?) ... but it was painfully obvious that he was going to come back somehow ... and you know when he does that he is just going to batter the bad guy into the ground ... unless he has Kryptonite ... which this guy didn't ... because he obviously knew he didn't need to pack any since Superman was dead.
I had no idea who the bad guy was. But he was quite cool.
Batman was good in the role of ageing hero. Nearly worn out. Flash was decent value for comic effect. Wonder Woman was awesome (again) and so was Cyborg.
In fact I think Cyborg was my favourite.
The boxes weren't as good as the Infinity Stones in the MCU... and there were only 3 of them :)
It wasn't too long.
Sadly though, now that Superman is alive again, how are we going to get another decent film where he doesn't just overpower the baddie? Maybe he can go on a really long holiday to an alternate reality for some reason...
Stratton
The beginning of Stratton is really good. It is exciting and draws you in towards the main characters very nicely.
Then it goes downhill. Fast. The head of MI6 has one of the oddest English accents I have heard on film in a long time... (not as bad as the legendary Dick Van Dyke - I'm saying odd not terrible - probably OK sounding to a non-native speaker, but just clearly not from anywhere). Connie Nielsen is much better as a leader of the Amazons than a leader of a covert British intelligence service.
And when she is the only one who recognises the bad guy, even though he is supposedly the most terrible FSB agent ever, you know she has a personal connection to him that will probably be significant... except it isn't... or if it was then I was asleep by then.
And poor Tim Felton just had to be the turncoat didn't he. OMG. Casting director: who can we get to be the mole? I know, Draco Malfoy. FFS. Give the guy a part where he isn't a snivelling weasel; he can act, let him.
That girl from the Robots thing on Channel 4 is quite good (Gemma Chan). Dominic Cooper is too. What is Derek Jacobi doing? And why did the writer only manage to find a decent 15 minutes worth of story... the last 80 is pure tosh.
Shame. The actors deserved better material to work with.
Then it goes downhill. Fast. The head of MI6 has one of the oddest English accents I have heard on film in a long time... (not as bad as the legendary Dick Van Dyke - I'm saying odd not terrible - probably OK sounding to a non-native speaker, but just clearly not from anywhere). Connie Nielsen is much better as a leader of the Amazons than a leader of a covert British intelligence service.
And when she is the only one who recognises the bad guy, even though he is supposedly the most terrible FSB agent ever, you know she has a personal connection to him that will probably be significant... except it isn't... or if it was then I was asleep by then.
And poor Tim Felton just had to be the turncoat didn't he. OMG. Casting director: who can we get to be the mole? I know, Draco Malfoy. FFS. Give the guy a part where he isn't a snivelling weasel; he can act, let him.
That girl from the Robots thing on Channel 4 is quite good (Gemma Chan). Dominic Cooper is too. What is Derek Jacobi doing? And why did the writer only manage to find a decent 15 minutes worth of story... the last 80 is pure tosh.
Shame. The actors deserved better material to work with.
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