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Matt Geiger (15 KP) rated Cars (2006) in Movies

Jun 27, 2020  
Cars (2006)
Cars (2006)
2006 | Action, Animation, Comedy
There really is no such thing as a perfect film. Ergo, there really is no such thing as a perfect film studio. After 11 years of winning the world over, Pixar was due for a slip-up at some point. Enter this lowbrow, highly unremarkable passion project from Pixar creative giant John Lasseter. CARS is admittedly a highly nostalgic film, not just in the sense that it pays tribute to the quaint, remote, and practically undiscovered sections of the world we wish had more notoriety in the face of progress, but its swelling commercialism reflects an entire generation of young boys who had nothing better to do than play with their matchbox cars and Hot Wheels all day long. Just think: this trilogy has made more moolah from their merchandise than a franchise that has the word “toy” in its frickin’ title. As a narrative, in the same vein as the franchise’s final installment, there really is nothing abhorrently wrong with CARS. It adds onto its aura of nostalgia by remaining consistently harmless and humorous thanks to its well-chosen cast, with Paul Newman standing out in his cinematic swan song, one of the most underrated vocal performances in animation history. Though CARS often feels like the first Pixar film targeting a specific target audience, Newman’s gruff, yet somber voice resonates with older viewers, the thought of what could’ve been and now is always on his mind. Then again, how ironic it is that a film that very much centralizes the concept of missed opportunities is itself a missed opportunity. CARS is a predictable, if not enjoyable, family-friendly romp that doesn’t have the unforeseeable on its mind. While it is quite literally the most inhuman of Pixar films, it at least is not quite as inhuman on a metaphorical and emotional level. And hey, stock car racing is not as accessible as other sports, but this film manages to make it look more entertaining, especially for younger viewers. What more do you really need?
  
Hero Mask
Hero Mask
2018 | Action, Animation, Crime
6
7.5 (2 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Great storytelling, James Blood is an action hero personified, great action sequences grounded in reality instead of over the top was cool (0 more)
Kinda full of clichés and not the most original (0 more)
Part Crime Mystery Part Sci-fi Thriller - 6/10
Hero Mask is a sci-fi action thriller anime series written and directed by Hiroyasu Aoki and animated by Studio Pierrot; with character designs by Takahisa Katagiri and music by Hisaki Kato.


James Blood is an officer for the elite "Special Service of Crime" (SSC) division of the Capital Police Department in London. After Monica Campbell, Crown Prosecutor, suddenly drops dead mysteriously and an enemy James thought dead goes on a rampage at a police station, the SSC begins to investigate. James teams up with Sarah Sinclair, a subordinate of Monica's, to uncover the truth behind who's involved in a ever growing conspiracy including a powerful paramilitary corporation, escaped prisoners who were executed, and masks that give their wearers superhuman abilities.


Hero Mask is in no way a perfect anime, but that didn't stop me from enjoying a lot of what it had to offer. It is full of cliches and might not be the most original but I thought the story telling was great and the way it unfolded over the 15 episodes was done quite well. James Blood is an action hero personified. As I watched I felt like I was watching an actual action thriller. Critics complained about the action being slow but to me it felt more grounded in reality and believable instead of over the top. Also I really liked the way the whole mystery and investigation unfolded piece after piece and how it all came together. The animation was top notch and what originally drew me into viewing it as well as the concept. I wouldn't recommend this to the average anime fan but if you are looking for a crime/mystery plot, then you shouldn't write this one off. I give it a 6/10.
  
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
2018 | Action, Adventure, Animation
7
7.0 (2 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime is a 2018 anime series animated by 8-Bit with the light novel written by Fuse. It was directed by Yasuhito Kikuchi, with Atsushi Nakayama as assistant director. Kazuyuki Fudeyasu handled music composition with Ryouma Ebata designing the characters and Takahiro Kishida providing monster designs. The series was Simulcast by both Crunchyroll and Funimation.


Minami Satoru was a 37-year old manga loving, corporate worker until one day his life ended in tragedy. While meeting up with a friend for dinner, he sees a man with a knife run up and shoves his friend out of the way, but is fatally injured and dies. When Satoru regains consciousness, he discovers he has been reborn as a "slime", a famously weak character from video games and now in a different world. Blind, deaf, and weak, things are pretty grim initially but he finds he has some new abilities which he uses to gain both friends and enemies in a whole new world.


This anime is pretty cool. It's an "isekai" anime which means it's set in a different world; and is also a genre of anime that I enjoy. It has a fantasy element too and a variety of different races of characters. This series has quite a bit of "fan service" so it might not be for everyone. Also the main character is pretty "op" (over-powered), so you might not find it as compelling as other anime. I felt that they were able to make the conflict that arises work very well with the storyline and with the introduction of new characters. One thing that I didn't think I was going to like, was how he has abilities similar to a character in a video game and learns more over the series. This wound up being really cool in the way they show him use it and develop his abilities as he uses them against enemies. I really liked the animation and designs of the characters and monsters too.
  
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Lenard (726 KP) rated Soul (2020) in Movies

Dec 26, 2020  
Soul (2020)
Soul (2020)
2020 | Adventure, Animation, Comedy
There is a saying that even though you can't achieve greatness you can still inspire someone else to be great. Joe Gardner is a sometime jazz pianist who works as a part time middle school band teacher. On the day the principal hires him as a full-time teacher with all the benefits, Joe is invited to join a jazz quartet for their nightly club gigs. In his dazed excitement, he falls down an open manhole (the city will face a major lawsuit for that). His soul is transported onto the conveyor belt for the Great Beyond, but Joe escapes into the Great Before. There, in order to stall his forever death, he becomes a mentor to a "new" soul so that the nonbinary entity named 22 finds a spark to live. 22 has been mentored by all the greats from Archimedes to Copernicus to Mother Teresa never finding a reason to exist. That is, until a trip to the land of the lost souls ends with both Joe's soul and 22 inside corporeal beings. Joe teaches 22 that life has value whether it is a pursuit of music, a dream deferred like a raisin in the sun, or observing a leaf falling from a tree. In fact, Joe has influenced the lives of many of his students, like Curley, a jazz drummer in the Dorothea William Quartet, or current student Sonia, a master trombonist, who he privately teaches outside of school. While some people can see his dreams may not be his meal ticket, Joe will always be a mentor to other struggling musicians who may one day be successful.
On the technical aspects of the film, there is a lot to praise. While a Michael Giacchino score may have worked, the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross counterposes the jazz score throughout. Music soothes all souls. The animation is masterful as usual. The "Terry" sequence and some of the character designs in the afterlife will influence future animators much like Joe's students.
  
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