__Happy Easter weekend, everyone.🙂 It's the first Saturday of April, so it's time for another compilation of the mini reviews I've posted on Twitter over the past month.
__First, let's talk about movies. In contrast to last month, I've actually seen quite a few this time, starting with Top Gun to prepare for the sequel due for release this year (here's hoping things are much safer by that point), then a couple of movie spin-offs from the TV shows I'd been watching in the evenings. Then there was a small set of movies from the end of 2020 and the start of 2021, including a few of the Oscar nominees that had just been announced, which I decided to watch as soon as possible. There are still a couple that I haven't been able to see, though, like Minari and Another Round.
The egotistical hero and his rival could easily have been overly corny, but thankfully they're downplayed. The result is nothing too spectacular, but not bad. The performances are decent (except for Kelly McGillis), as is the action.
My rating: 60%.
The actual return of the Joker does lead to a glaring plot hole, but it compensates for that with an incredible flashback and a terrific climax. I never cared for Terry on the show, but his arc here is also interesting.
My rating: 70%.
I'm not a huge fan of the show, but this movie wowed me regardless. The thrilling plot never loses momentum, and the animation is stunning, especially the detailed city shots. I also love Jennifer Hale's performance as Elektra.
My rating: 85%.
The conversations in the first half feel utterly real, including the awkwardness. The second half is still good, but it casts a huge question mark on everything before it, though it's all anchored by Aubrey Plaza's fantastic performance.
My rating: 70%.
Despite its heavy subject matter, it never feels sombre. Everything about it is delightfully over the top, from the acting to the bright colours. Of course, it's a topical movie as well, a firm condemnation of victim blaming.
My rating: 75%.
One of the most ludicrous thrillers I've seen in a long time! It sets up an extremely predictable reveal early on, and the idiocy just keeps snowballing from there. Every attempt at suspense is laughable, and the remotest thought collapses all logic.
My rating: 35%.
The opening scene is fantastic, and all done in one shot so you feel like you're sharing in the experience yourself. The rest is rather incoherent, but still has several highlights. Its weak point, unsurprisingly, is Shia LaBeouf.
My rating: 70%.
The first half is rather corny, but the second half is when things really escalate, with dwindling patience leading to disputes and interesting conversations left and right. The rooftop scene in the middle really is the turning point.
My rating: 70%.
To sum this movie up in one word, I'd say "cold". Everything from the muted colours to the editing that cuts every scene short evokes a vacant, distant feeling. If that was the idea, mission accomplished, but it also killed my investment.
My rating: 40%.
Delving into Batman's eastern training sounds promising, but… I'm not sure what, but it feels like something's lacking. The opening is bizarrely an apparent homage to James Bond instead, and the ending is just as clunky.
My rating: 55%.
I could see the potential for a tense, hard-hitting drama, but… I'm sorry, I just could not understand the dialogue! I got the gist occasionally, but not nearly enough to be invested in the characters' predicaments.
My rating: 45%.
There is mild enjoyment to be found in its corny thrills, but it's hard to sing its praises when it gets increasingly silly and there are no likeable characters. I suspect the vitriol on Metacritic is only because it stars a lesbian couple.
My rating: 55%.
Not just a satire of classism in India, but it has a universal message of what you must become to succeed in a corrupt society. However, the characters' loyalties shift so erratically that it's hard to get a read on the circumstances.
My rating: 55%.
Hardly the most compelling story in the world, but its gentle charm holds your attention well enough. It's a generally decent movie, except for the bizarre editing choice to constantly dub conversations over a montage of scenes surrounding them.
My rating: 60%.
One of the most immature movies I've ever seen. The gratuitous swearing feels like it was written by a thirteen-year-old trying to sound cool, and the addiction storyline usurps the PTSD one, making it seem like it's conflating the two conditions.
My rating: 35%.
Aside from some dodgy effects, this is a fun movie that puts its own spin on the time loop trope. Roy is constantly fighting for his life from the start of the day, and his personality keeps you engaged as he tries to figure out how to escape.
My rating: 70%.
It tells three stories simultaneously, but they're all dull, and the lack of any connection or similarity means they distract instead of contributing to each other. Two of them at least merge later on, but Gary Oldman's is completely superfluous.
My rating: 40%.
__And now for the video games that have also been occupying my days.🙂 I mentioned last time that I've been going through all my unplayed games by year, and this time I finished up with the ones from 1995. Among them was the original Trials of Mana, which I played as part of Collection of Mana on the Switch. (If you don't know, that's the first time it was officially released outside of Japan.) There's also Star Wars: Dark Forces, the first instalment in the Jedi Knight series. Before I started, I read on Wikipedia that it was often described as a Doom clone, and I can see why.🙂 It looks and plays exactly like Doom.
While it's nice that Diddy gets to star in his own game, just like he always wanted, somehow it's nowhere near as fun as the first one. I like the new animal companions, but not the remixes of the original tunes.
My rating: 75%.
It's impressive to see a DOS game capture the feel of Star Wars, but it typifies everything I hate about shooters. Killing enemies in a maze just for the sake of planting a bomb already feels repetitive the second time you do it.
My rating: 55%.
Each of the six playable characters has their own beginning to the story, an impressive feature that makes it fun to try out each one. The combat is much faster than Secret of Mana, but the fights usually become chaotic scuffles.
My rating: 70%.
A huge improvement on the original Super Mario Kart! It's much easier to steer – just as well, because the competition is much fiercer! There's nothing more satisfying than hearing that final trophy fanfare, even if you haven't won.🙂
My rating: 90%.
__Mario Kart 64 is not the first 1996 game in my line-up alphabetically, but I played it because I felt it'd be a quick sit, and I breezed through it in one afternoon.
__As I mentioned last time, I realised when I looked at my list that 1996 was the big turning point that essentially began the fully 3D era. On that note, I've also realised that Resident Evil, Tomb Raider and Super Mario 64 are all celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversaries this year.🙂
No comments:
Post a Comment