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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) in Movies
Dec 22, 2020 (Updated Jul 5, 2021)
In this sequel to the so far best film of the DCEU, Patty Jenkins dares to ask, what if Wishmaster was a family friendly superhero movie?
Wonder Woman 1984 is an overall mixed experience, but let's begin with some positives. For a start, Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman through and through. She shined in the first movie, and is just as bright the second time around. What ever plans are afoot for the future of the DCEU, she should rightly be at the forefront.
Another cast highlight is Kristen Wiig. Her character is designed to be the sympathetic good guy who yearns for more acceptance and influence on the people around her, the relatable type, who inevitably turns into the tragic antagonist. Her arc is handled so-so, and is plagued with cliché "nerdy-girl-becomes-attractive" moments, but Wiig is clearly having a blast in this role, and the movie is better for having her around.
Pedro Pascal is also here as classic DC villain Maxwell Lord. He camps it up to the max, and does well in the seedy businessman type role, but again, his arc is handled in a so-so manner.
It has some genuinely decent set pieces. Highlights include a fun (if a little drawn out) opening scene, and then the big desert car chase glimpsed in the trailers. The CGI is also pretty good (for the most part, I'll get to that in a second) and a few more out-there details (no spoilers here) lifted straight from the comics that add that extra sweet spot of nerdy delight.
This all being said, WW84 does unfortunately suffer from a few pitfalls. The big glaring problem is the pacing. This film is 2.5 hours long, and boy does it drag in places. It could have easily lost 30 minutes without impacting the story, and the end results feels bloated and a bit directionless.
As mentioned above, the effects are great for the most part, but as the trailers show, Cheetah looks a little...off when she eventually turns up. She sort of looks like a colourless CGI blob when engaged in battle, and it's a shame, because some of the close ups look great, as is the overall design of her character.
Some of the narrative beats are a bit choppy, I get the feeling that some parts were cut that could have better explained some things, and then there are some plot beats that just straight up don't make a lick of sense.
And then there's Steve Trevor... Chris Pine is enjoyable enough as per usual, but honestly, his inclusion just feels a little forced. There's an obvious morally tearing plot point as to why he's here, but I felt that overall he just added to the bloatedness. And that's without addressing weird, kind of rapey body possession thing that's going on.
I had an ok time with WW84, but it's held back by a shit tonne of unnecessary clutter that seals it's status as an inferior sequel.
Wonder Woman 1984 is an overall mixed experience, but let's begin with some positives. For a start, Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman through and through. She shined in the first movie, and is just as bright the second time around. What ever plans are afoot for the future of the DCEU, she should rightly be at the forefront.
Another cast highlight is Kristen Wiig. Her character is designed to be the sympathetic good guy who yearns for more acceptance and influence on the people around her, the relatable type, who inevitably turns into the tragic antagonist. Her arc is handled so-so, and is plagued with cliché "nerdy-girl-becomes-attractive" moments, but Wiig is clearly having a blast in this role, and the movie is better for having her around.
Pedro Pascal is also here as classic DC villain Maxwell Lord. He camps it up to the max, and does well in the seedy businessman type role, but again, his arc is handled in a so-so manner.
It has some genuinely decent set pieces. Highlights include a fun (if a little drawn out) opening scene, and then the big desert car chase glimpsed in the trailers. The CGI is also pretty good (for the most part, I'll get to that in a second) and a few more out-there details (no spoilers here) lifted straight from the comics that add that extra sweet spot of nerdy delight.
This all being said, WW84 does unfortunately suffer from a few pitfalls. The big glaring problem is the pacing. This film is 2.5 hours long, and boy does it drag in places. It could have easily lost 30 minutes without impacting the story, and the end results feels bloated and a bit directionless.
As mentioned above, the effects are great for the most part, but as the trailers show, Cheetah looks a little...off when she eventually turns up. She sort of looks like a colourless CGI blob when engaged in battle, and it's a shame, because some of the close ups look great, as is the overall design of her character.
Some of the narrative beats are a bit choppy, I get the feeling that some parts were cut that could have better explained some things, and then there are some plot beats that just straight up don't make a lick of sense.
And then there's Steve Trevor... Chris Pine is enjoyable enough as per usual, but honestly, his inclusion just feels a little forced. There's an obvious morally tearing plot point as to why he's here, but I felt that overall he just added to the bloatedness. And that's without addressing weird, kind of rapey body possession thing that's going on.
I had an ok time with WW84, but it's held back by a shit tonne of unnecessary clutter that seals it's status as an inferior sequel.
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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated See how they run (2022) in Movies
Dec 8, 2022
Despite a miscast Sam Rockwell - it works well...enough
The British Comedy/Murder Mystery SEE HOW THEY RUN came and went in movie theaters (at least in the U.S.) pretty quickly last fall and, consequently, most folks missed that this was even a thing.
The good news is that it is now streaming on multiple streaming services so as people gather for the Holidays there is a fun, family friendly (but good for adults) film that young and old alike could gather around the TV to watch together.
Written by Mark Chappell and Directed by Tom George (both of whom who have quite a few BBC TV Series under their belts, but it looks like this is the Major Motion Picture debut for them both), SEE HOW THEY RUN is a comedic look at the British Murder Mystery with a frumpy detective, a victim who “deserved it” and a plethora of potential suspects who are all brought into a room by the Detective on a “dark and stormy” night to reveal “whodunnit”.
Normally, with these types of films, it comes down to the casting and while there are some very good - and fun - actors in many of the roles, one of the roles is terribly miscast and that brings down the quality of this film quite a bit.
So, let’s start with what works - the central murder mystery is clever…enough…(for this sort of thing) and is wonderfully constructed around the London Stage debut of the long-running Agatha Christie murder mystery play THE MOUSETRAP in the 1950’s and, thus, this film is a period piece and that atmosphere adds - in a positive way - to the look and feel of this movie.
Saoirse Ronan, as always, is very good as the young Policewoman who is brought in to aide the main detective and proves out to be quite the Detective herself. She really holds this film together tightly in the middle. Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, David Oyelowo and Harris Dickinson all bring something to the film in their characters (and suspects) that add color and life to the central mystery.
Unfortunately, the usually good Sam Rockwell is miscast as the lead sleuth on this case. His frumpy, disheveled Detective was reminiscent of Columbo and just didn’t fit in this British Murder Mystery. While this performance is not a distraction to this film, it doesn’t elevate or lift this movie either, and - in a murder mystery - the detective solving the mystery is a major cog in the movie machine and this cog just isn’t that interesting.
Rockwell is not helped by a green Director and Writer who are looking to make the leap from television to film and this film feels more like a made for TV film, than a major motion picture.
Which is why this film is a good one to catch on one of the streaming services it is currently on. It is a fun enough film that will entertain young and old alike over the Holidays.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
The good news is that it is now streaming on multiple streaming services so as people gather for the Holidays there is a fun, family friendly (but good for adults) film that young and old alike could gather around the TV to watch together.
Written by Mark Chappell and Directed by Tom George (both of whom who have quite a few BBC TV Series under their belts, but it looks like this is the Major Motion Picture debut for them both), SEE HOW THEY RUN is a comedic look at the British Murder Mystery with a frumpy detective, a victim who “deserved it” and a plethora of potential suspects who are all brought into a room by the Detective on a “dark and stormy” night to reveal “whodunnit”.
Normally, with these types of films, it comes down to the casting and while there are some very good - and fun - actors in many of the roles, one of the roles is terribly miscast and that brings down the quality of this film quite a bit.
So, let’s start with what works - the central murder mystery is clever…enough…(for this sort of thing) and is wonderfully constructed around the London Stage debut of the long-running Agatha Christie murder mystery play THE MOUSETRAP in the 1950’s and, thus, this film is a period piece and that atmosphere adds - in a positive way - to the look and feel of this movie.
Saoirse Ronan, as always, is very good as the young Policewoman who is brought in to aide the main detective and proves out to be quite the Detective herself. She really holds this film together tightly in the middle. Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, David Oyelowo and Harris Dickinson all bring something to the film in their characters (and suspects) that add color and life to the central mystery.
Unfortunately, the usually good Sam Rockwell is miscast as the lead sleuth on this case. His frumpy, disheveled Detective was reminiscent of Columbo and just didn’t fit in this British Murder Mystery. While this performance is not a distraction to this film, it doesn’t elevate or lift this movie either, and - in a murder mystery - the detective solving the mystery is a major cog in the movie machine and this cog just isn’t that interesting.
Rockwell is not helped by a green Director and Writer who are looking to make the leap from television to film and this film feels more like a made for TV film, than a major motion picture.
Which is why this film is a good one to catch on one of the streaming services it is currently on. It is a fun enough film that will entertain young and old alike over the Holidays.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Taryn K (441 KP) rated Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu Volume 2 (manga) in Books
May 15, 2022 (Updated May 15, 2022)
The characters are well written (1 more)
The world is beginning to expand.
Another quiet slice-of-life night at Izakaya Nobu
Much like volume 1, volume 2 of Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu takes us to the pub that sits between modern Japan and the rather medieval city of Aitheria. Again, we have Japanese, German, and English food terms going on, which keeps life interesting, but the explanations are handy, so there is minimal chance of confusion.
The book starts off with one of the soldiers from volume 1, Hans, stopping by the pub after training only to find out it's 'Kisu Day'. Hans is surprised to see Chef Nobu deep frying the tempura-battered fish and putting it on paper, which is a very expensive commodity in Aitheria. The little details really make this series special, I think.
In chapter 2, "Thief", we meet a new helper, a young girl trying to help out her family, named Effa. There is a bit of confusion, but we get to meet the new deacon in town, who has already become a regular.
Chapter 3, "An Uninvited Guest", Chef Nobu learns a 'new' recipe, and we are reminded that Shinobu can cook as well. A pompous little man and his gourmet aristocrat boss stop by in search of the Ankake Yudofu that pleased the bride-to-be in volume 1, as she praised it at her wedding. Each chapter builds ties to other people or builds ties between Shinobu/Chef and the regulars, which Is another thing I love. Ankake Yudofu is out of season, as it is no longer winter, so schnitzel is apparently just the ticket, if Chef just knew what it is.
Chapter 4, "Quarreling Craftsmen", sees two new characters introduced. Holga, a glassmaker who heard about Izakaya Nobu from the tax collector Gehrnot, who enjoyed the 'Spaghetti Napolitan' in volume 1, and Han's father, a woodworker named Laurenz. They spend most of the chapter arguing and trying each other's dishes, but it is a friendly rivalry that gets settled down by a surprising person.
Chapter 5, "The Commander's Weakness", is hilarious due to more puns on squid than I ever thought could be made, but Commander Bertholdt has to conquer his fear of squid before his arranged marriage to the daughter of a fisherman. Such a good chapter. One of my favorites. "He squidn't!"
Chapter 6, "Effa in Wonderland", sees Effa going through the back door of the pub into modern Japan. Not much cooking in this chapter, but we find out a little more about how the pub ended up being in two places at once. Thankfully, she gets back to Aitheria safe and sound.
I'm not completely sure about this being a review as much as a rundown of what happens. It's just a feel-good series, with just a hair of drama, but nothing that can't be resolved in a chapter or perhaps two. The characters are likeable, for the most part, and those who aren't are meant to be unlikeable. The interpersonal relationships are fun to see revealed. Definitely a good pre-bed book. 😊
The book starts off with one of the soldiers from volume 1, Hans, stopping by the pub after training only to find out it's 'Kisu Day'. Hans is surprised to see Chef Nobu deep frying the tempura-battered fish and putting it on paper, which is a very expensive commodity in Aitheria. The little details really make this series special, I think.
In chapter 2, "Thief", we meet a new helper, a young girl trying to help out her family, named Effa. There is a bit of confusion, but we get to meet the new deacon in town, who has already become a regular.
Chapter 3, "An Uninvited Guest", Chef Nobu learns a 'new' recipe, and we are reminded that Shinobu can cook as well. A pompous little man and his gourmet aristocrat boss stop by in search of the Ankake Yudofu that pleased the bride-to-be in volume 1, as she praised it at her wedding. Each chapter builds ties to other people or builds ties between Shinobu/Chef and the regulars, which Is another thing I love. Ankake Yudofu is out of season, as it is no longer winter, so schnitzel is apparently just the ticket, if Chef just knew what it is.
Chapter 4, "Quarreling Craftsmen", sees two new characters introduced. Holga, a glassmaker who heard about Izakaya Nobu from the tax collector Gehrnot, who enjoyed the 'Spaghetti Napolitan' in volume 1, and Han's father, a woodworker named Laurenz. They spend most of the chapter arguing and trying each other's dishes, but it is a friendly rivalry that gets settled down by a surprising person.
Chapter 5, "The Commander's Weakness", is hilarious due to more puns on squid than I ever thought could be made, but Commander Bertholdt has to conquer his fear of squid before his arranged marriage to the daughter of a fisherman. Such a good chapter. One of my favorites. "He squidn't!"
Chapter 6, "Effa in Wonderland", sees Effa going through the back door of the pub into modern Japan. Not much cooking in this chapter, but we find out a little more about how the pub ended up being in two places at once. Thankfully, she gets back to Aitheria safe and sound.
I'm not completely sure about this being a review as much as a rundown of what happens. It's just a feel-good series, with just a hair of drama, but nothing that can't be resolved in a chapter or perhaps two. The characters are likeable, for the most part, and those who aren't are meant to be unlikeable. The interpersonal relationships are fun to see revealed. Definitely a good pre-bed book. 😊