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Taryn K (441 KP) rated Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu Volume 1 (manga) in Books
Apr 14, 2022
The eatery just 'suddenly appeared' in town and soldiers and locals, and eventually members of the nobility visit in the six chapters of the book, and Chef Nobu and Shinobu-chan are always up for creating something delicious for whomever is visiting at the time. Most issues that come up are taken care of in the chapter they're brought up, and while there are issues that could be explored, like the commander's refusal to eat fried squid tentacles which we end up finding out why in a later volume, they aren't cliffhanger material. The book is written in such a way that if there hadn't been a volume 2-9, it still feels like a complete collection of stories, yet each volume builds on the previous one.
That said, the art is very anime, by which I mean that it is somewhat realistic, but still very cute and a bit exaggerated. The characters are well thought out and slowly introduced one or two at a time, other than the first chapter where we not only meet the chef and Shinobu, but two members of the military, Nikolaus and Hans and eat oden. The second chapter, we meet Commander Bertholdt and eat kara-age chicken. Chapter three, it's Tax Collecter, Gehrnot with spaghetti Napolitan. Chapter four is Viscount Johan Gustav and his niece, Hildegard, enjoying Ankake Yudofu. In chapter five, merchants Ignatz and Kamil discover sashimi and Kaisendon. The sixth and final chapter for this volume brings us back around to Nikolaus and Hans experiencing Tonjiro for the first time.
This manga is all about food and community. So everyone who comes in eventually fits back into the story, interacting with various people in the community, with food very much a part of the interactions. So descriptions of the food and how amazing it is and how different it is from anything in Eiteriach and how well it goes with the draft beer they call "Whatsontapp" make up a good deal of the book. Somehow Chef Nobu always understands what they want, even though the words they use for what they want are German, For example, Commander Bertholdt asks for a huhn dish that goes well with whatsontapp. The chef knows he wants chicken and fries him up kara-age chicken, which is what he calls it. There is mention of schweinefleisch (pork), and mustard/karashi/senf... the translation notes underneath and in the back are very helpful.
It's not a manga to read if you want action, adventure, and excitement, but for a delicious little series to settle down with in between times, it is delightful. I recommend it highly.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Tomb Raider (2018) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
That’s all conjecture anyway as Vikander is the leading lady we have ended up with, for better or for worse. But is this Tomb Raider reboot the film to end that dreaded video game to movie curse and can Vikander take on the role that Angelina Jolie made so famous back in the early 00s? Read on to find out.
Lara Croft (Vikander) is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer (Dominic West) who vanished years earlier. Hoping to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance, Croft embarks on a perilous journey to his last-known destination – a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. The stakes couldn’t be higher as Lara must rely on her sharp mind, blind faith and stubborn spirit to venture into the unknown.
Director Roar Uthaug, who only has a few Swedish movies to his name, directs a decent, if not outstanding adaptation of the famous character’s origins story that features some nifty action set-pieces intertwined with a hectic and often nausea-inducing filming style. It doesn’t break the video game to movie curse, but it’s a good shot.
Unfortunately, the cast is one of the film’s weakest points. Vikander is a whiny, self-absorbed brat for the majority of the runtime, only letting this insipid persona go in the latter half of the movie. This is through no fault of her own as her performance is as solid as we’ve come to expect from the actress, but the script really lets her down. The film starts off poorly with a messily edited boxing match giving way to a rather implausible bike chase that ends with Vikander face planting the bonnet of a police car. Thankfully, this is as bad as it gets.
From then on, the audience is treated to a selection of thrilling set-pieces, populated by some very good CGI indeed. It’s just unfortunate the characters lack any sort of presence whatsoever. Outside of Vikander’s insipid Lara, the rest of the cast are merely there to offer expositional dialogue. Dominic West in particular, who plays Lara’s father, spouts nothing but exposition, even narrating certain parts of the movie.
Apart from a couple of scenes involving Nick Frost as a greedy pawnbroker, Tomb Raider is devoid of any sense of fun whatsoever
Elsewhere, for a film called Tomb Raider, there’s very little tomb raiding to be had. In fact, it feels like a hybrid of Kong: Skull Island,The Mummy, Indiana Jones and The Hunger Games and for this reason it lacks a sense of identity and any originality whatsoever.
Cinematography wise, Tomb Raider is competent but not exceptional. The shot choices are limited and the action is sometimes messily edited to the point where it’s difficult to tell exactly what it is that’s going on. It avoids unnecessary shaky cam, which is a miracle in itself but it’s not the best the genre has to offer.
Unfortunately, director Roar Uthaug’s idea to go the complete opposite of many blockbusters nowadays results in a film that really doesn’t have a sense of humour. Apart from a couple of scenes involving Nick Frost as a greedy pawnbroker, Tomb Raider is devoid of any sense of fun whatsoever. It seems the scriptwriters missed the memo about the premise being absolutely ridiculous – a dose of humour would have done this tale a world of good.
Overall, Tomb Raider is a decent stab at resurrecting a character that Angelina Jolie performed so well over the course of her two films in the early 00s. Alicia Vikander plays a very different Lara Croft to Jolie and whilst she may need a couple more films for us to get acquainted with her, she’s off to a reasonable if unoriginal start. Whether or not she gets the chance to tomb raid again remains to be seen, it all depends on those box-office numbers.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2018/03/16/tomb-raider-review-contains-little-tomb-raiding/
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Godzilla (2014) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Now, 16 years after Emmerich’s critical flop, Monsters director Gareth Edwards resurrects the gargantuan reptile in this year’s reboot, simply titled Godzilla, but is it a return to form?
Yes, is the short answer. From an engaging story to a stellar cast, Edwards recreates the fan favourite with the utmost care and attention, and comes out smelling of roses.
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) stars as Joe Brody, an American nuclear power officer living and working in Japan with his wife Sandra (Juliette Binoche) and their son Ford,bryan-cranston-fans-will-be-disappointed-with-godzilla just as a nuclear disaster begins. Fast-forward 15 years and a disheveled Joe is trying to find the truth about what happened at the nuclear plant, believing the authorities are trying to hide something from the general public. As his descent into madness continues, a fully grown Ford, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson decides to come to his aid.
What ensues is a great story of father bonding with son as they try to work out exactly what is going on together. Though what they find shocks the globe.
Within the first hour of Godzilla, the titular monster’s appearances are limited to shots of spines poking from the ocean, keeping the audience guessing as to how the creature has been designed by Edwards and his team.
This can become increasingly tiresome as we make do with the film’s primary antagonists MUTO, and as impressive as they are to look at, all we really want to see is Godzilla in all his glory. Though Edwards’ constant teasers are brilliantly varied.
Thankfully after numerous jaw-dropping set pieces ranging from a Japanese nuclear plant to a Hawaiian airport, Godzilla is finally revealed and the result is exceptional.
Gone is the T-Rex on steroids look that Emmerich shoved down our throats in the 1998 monstrosity and in its place is how the beast used to look in the original foreign classics – of course with revolutionary special effects to keep things looking tip-top.
The CGI, of which there is a huge amount, is breath-taking. Godzilla, the MUTO and all of the set pieces are of the highest quality, with no visible lapses whatsoever, and what Edwards does that so many other directors don’t is to keep the story going instead of letting the CGI take over, it never becomes overly loud and obnoxious.
One scene in particular, involving a group of paratroopers infiltrating a desolate San Francisco as Godzilla and the MUTO do battle is probably one of the most beautifully shot and eerily quiet action sequences in cinematic history with one section involving some perfectly positioned Chinese lanterns being the highlight.
A really enjoyable aspect of the film is spotting the homages to previous Godzilla films as well as other monster classics like Jurassic Park. There are many scattered throughout the film.
Moreover, the acting is generally very good. Cranston is sublime and shows what a brilliant actor he is. The character of Joe is the one you care about the most throughout the film. Taylor-Johnson is good, if a little staid as the generic armed forces stereotype.
Elizabeth Olsen, David Strathairn and Sally Hawkins also star. Unfortunately, a weak link is Ken Watanabe who plays Dr Ishiro Serizawa. His over-the-top and hammy performance begins to grate after an hour of seeing him on screen.
Thankfully though, Godzilla’s inevitable weak points are far outshone by the incredible special effects, interesting story and excellent acting. Bryan Cranston is a real highlight and the beast himself is a wonder to behold.
Gareth Edwards has not only created one of the best monster films ever with some of the most breath-taking shots ever seen on celluloid, he has also whet our appetites for Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World set to be released in June next year – that can only be a good thing.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2014/05/20/godzilla-review/
Kyera (8 KP) rated Flame in the Mist in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Although the story is vastly different from the Wrath and the Dawn, Renée Ahdieh's poetic style of writing comes across just as beautifully in this novel as her previous series. The gorgeous writing is my favourite aspect of the book, followed very closely by the plot, characters, and the world.
I have always been a huge admirer of the Japanese culture and love seeing the (fictional) historical representation of feudal Japan. There aren't a lot of examples of this that I have personally read and truly fallen in love with. This is by far my favorite iteration of that time and I adore the story that accompanies that world.
Mariko is to be wed to one of the Emperor's sons, an act that would bring her family honour and one that she does not wish to partake in. Alas, she is a girl and thus does not get a choice in her future. Halfway to her destination, her litter is attacked and the entire envoy is killed - except Mariko.
This attempt on her life changes everything and leads her on a journey to discover who put a price on her life, to find answers and ensure her family's honour. Mariko knows that a girl cannot accomplish this on her own and takes drastic measures. Her first act is to cut her hair and it gave me such Mulan vibes. It immediately made me so much more excited to read this book, especially if she channeled my favorite Disney heroine (and spoiler alert, she does).
Mariko is a great female character to look up to because no matter what situation she finds herself and she will persist, fight against the odds, learn whatever she can, and never let anyone keep her down. She is such a strong character and it is so empowering to see that in the novel, especially when you don't see that type of character generally in this world.
She masquerades as a peasant boy and is able to fool everyone. I almost immediately fall in love with Mariko as she is curious, intelligent doesn't always know when to stop talking. She is a feisty, strong female character who is not used to being on her own but is intelligent enough to always want to learn and succeed despite the hurdles. We get to know Mariko best and see her grow over the course of the novel.
Her twin brother Kenshin is the brawn to Mariko's brains. He is much more comfortable on a horse or with a weapon in his hand than in conversation with nobles. It is his actions that truly lead her down the path and make her question everything she's ever believed in. Which is so difficult to do because you want to believe in the best of your family until wonder if that's not true, can shake your entire foundation. It's a really authentic feeling in the book and you wonder just as Mariko wonders - could it be true?
Ranmaru and Okami are members of the Black Clan, a band of notorious thieves who may be more than they appear. The two men are like yin and yang, the counterbalances of one another. Ranmaru is an optimist, more talkative and humorous than Okami, who is more serious and hides himself behind a mask.
Renee Ahdieh's beautiful writing extends to the world at large, painting vibrant pictures of cities like Inaka and foreboding ones of the forest where the Black Clan make their home. You are transported into the world with the characters and don't want to leave, even if the situations you're faced with aren't always pleasant.
I fell in love with the story and the characters almost immediately. Flame in the Mist is a wonderful story and I cannot wait to read the next in the series. The book has a satisfying conclusion while also leading you to excitedly anticipate what will happen in the subsequent books. Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who have enjoyed Renee Ahdieh's previous novels, strong female leads, and beautifully written stories.
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