Series Review: Poker Face – Season 1 (2023)

I love procedurals. Sure, a lot of the time they’re quite trashy, but they bring me a certain comfort. Just something nice about that structure that I can easily hunker down with and enjoy. But on occasion something comes along that sticks out within the genre…

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Poker Face”.

Living lie detector Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) finds herself traveling the states, on the run from people who want to hurt her. But as she tries to stay one step ahead, she often finds herself helping out random people she meets, using her skills to get to the bottom of a situation. Have you seen “Columbo”? Now take that, mix it with the semi-meta sharpness of “Knives Out”, and you get this show. It’s a procedural, very much borrowing from the structure of the aforementioned “Columbo”, but twisting it a bit akin to the creator’s previous works. And as a fan of both those things, this was very much up my street. I love seeing the setup at the start, and seeing how ol’ Chuck figures out how to prove that the villain of the week is… well that. It follows that familiar formula while also letting the writers and directors still have fun with how they play around with what happens, all while keeping the tension of Charlie’s own journey every looming in the background. So you get that familiar case of the week thing, which in itself tends to be clever, a little tense, and funny, while also having a bit of a ticking clock silently going in the background. Makes the story/ies of this procedural constantly engaging, even if some episodes of course stand above others.

The characters in this are wonderful, layered and written with a slightly self-aware edge without it ever feeling snide or smug. Our protagonist herself is such a good example, often leaning into classic procedural hero tropes while also successfully subverting them and even commenting on them without it feeling too much like a wink. But she’s also kind, supportive, funny as fuck, and can instantly sniff out a liar, so she’s just a delight in the writing department. And Natasha Lyonne is excellent in the role. As for the supporting cast, we don’t *really* get much in terms of recurring, as the show focuses more on a cavalcade of guest stars. What a list though. Benjamin Bratt, Adrien Brody, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hong Chau, Ellen Barkin, Lil Rel Howery, just to name a few. It’s a colorful list of character actors, and everyone brings their A-game, marvelously playing interesting characters.

The score for the show was composed by Nathan Johnson and Judson Crane and it was solid. A nice mix of classic thriller stings and droning, with a few minor western and bluegrass influences. Charlie’s theme in particular is this jaunty, yet also melancholy banjo tune that really leans on those things I mentioned, and it’s arguably the best bit of music in the show. There’s also a few licensed songs used throughout and they work pretty well in their respective scenes.

“Poker Face” was developed by Rian Johnson, with writing and directing by him and various other cool people. And I love how this show is crafted, just perfectly balancing serenity, suspense, and snappiness. Each and every person directing the show manages to perfectly deliver whatever mood is needed, while never letting any moment overstay its welcome. And as this is a bit of a mystery show, they do such a brilliant job with what to show/hide and how to reveal it. It’s just beautifully crafted.

This show/season has been quite well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 98% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 84/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 7.9/10.

Season 1 of “Poker Face” makes what’s familiar feel new and delivers on 10 episodes of procedural goodness. It has a great story, great characters, fantastic performances, really good music, and great directing/writing. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for season 1 of “Poker Face” is a 9.45/10. So it gets the “SEAL OF APPROVAL!”.

My review of “Poker Face” season 1 is now completed.

Puh puh puh Poker Face, puh puh Poker Face.

Movie Review: One Cut of the Dead (2018)

Alright, time for another Month of Spooks review. And what would a month long horror binge be without something zombie-related? I mean, it’d probably still work, but it’s nice to cover all bases, ya know.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “One Cut of the Dead”.

Somewhere in Japan, an independent film crew are shooting a low budget zombie feature. This venture takes a dire turn however when real zombies stumble into the set to wreak bloody havoc. And from this point, “One Cut of the Dead” provides one of the most clever and entertaining narratives I’ve seen in a while. It’s a funny and fiendishly smart tale filled with heart that, using horror as an ode to filmmaking, cinema, and the little guy. What also adds so much is that it’s meta without being smug, aware and audience-winking without making you feel like you’re being talked down to. And I found it all to be so much fun and highly engaging. It’s also very hard to talk about this story without revealing too much, so I’m gonna cut this segment here.

The characters in this are all so wonderfully written, with a lot of little nuances to them that make them so entertaining to follow. They perfectly ride the line between feeling real and theatrical, making for some believable and fascinating developments. The cast are great too. Takayuki Hamatsu, Yuzuki Akiyama, Harumi Shuhama, Kazuaki Nagaya, Manabu Hosoi, and more, all kill it.

The music for the movie was composed by Shoma Ito, Kyle Nagai, and Nobuhiro Suzuki, and it’s just so much fun. Highly energetic and filled with a strong can-do drive, it has this way of creating a really fun and wonderfully kinetic feel that gives the proceedings a real strong vibe that just works incredibly well for the movie.

Inspired by a play by Ryoichi Wada, “One Cut of the Dead” was written, edited, and directed by Shinichiro Ueda, and I have to say that he killed it. His filmmaking style isn’t necessarily flashy, but there’s a clear passion for what he’s doing that makes his direction stick out. Much like its story and characters, it’s both grounded and a bit theatrical, which keeps it feeling snappy and engaging. Speaking of which, considering the meager $25,000 dollar budget, it’s impressive to see a few of the things they pull off here. It’s pure passion and effort and I salute Ueda-san and his crew.

This movie’s been really well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 100% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 86/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 7.6/10.

“One Cut of the Dead” is a stellar and really clever horror-comedy. It has a great story, really good characters, great performances, really good music, and great directing. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “One Cut of the Dead” is a 9.77/10. So it gets the “SEAL OF APPROVAL!”.

My review of “One Cut of the Dead” is now completed.

The Japanese film industry is two for two this Month of Spooks. Rad.

Movie Review: Scream VI (2023)

So last year I watched and reviewed the entirety of this franchise leading up to the fifth installment. I had fun going through the series and was intrigued when a sixth one got announced. It then came out in cinemas and I missed it because my local cinema has really given horror movies the short end of the proverbial stick when it comes to showtimes this year. Anyhow, I finally saw it on Netflix last night and am ready to talk about it. So let’s go.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Scream VI”.

Following the traumatic events in Woodsboro one year ago, Sam (Melissa Barrera), Tara (Jenna Ortega), and the other surviving youngsters have moved to New York City to try and get a fresh start. This peace doesn’t last however as a new Ghostface seems to emerge, stalking and creating another gruesome nightmare for our heroes. Cue murder, mayhem, whodunnit, and further commentary on the state on not just horror, but film franchises as a whole. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of “Scream VI”, it manages to evolve the familiar beats of the franchise in interesting ways, increasing the scale of set pieces and its approach to its legacy, all without straying too far from what people generally enjoys about these movies. I don’t necessarily think it’s as strong or packs the same punch as last year’s “Scream 5” (which I’ll keep calling it), and the longer runtime does make the pacing feel a tiny bit sluggish at points, but it’s not so bad that I’d call it a drag. It’s still an engaging, decently clever, intense, and solidly enjoyable slasher story that thrills, chills, and brings some very good laughs in equal measure.

The characters in this are as colorful and interesting as ever, with most of them getting some decent development throughout. From Sam dealing with the fallout of what happened last year, to Tara trying to come into her own with an overprotective sister around, to the twins getting some time to shine as well. Everyone has their moments and not one member of the cast is weak. Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Roger Jackson, Dermot Mulroney, Samara Weaving, Tony Revolori, Liana Liberato, Hayden Panettiere, Courteney Cox, Josh Segarra, and more all kill it.

The score for the movie was composed by Sven Faulconer and Brian Tyler, and I think this score is great. It takes a lot of the traditions of earlier movies, along with the bolder orchestrations that Brian Tyler brought with “Scream 5”, and develops it further to creative this really fun, surprisingly varied score that I think marvelously sets the mood whenever needed, be it for intense chases or for some of the more quiet character moments we get throughout. It’s possibly my favorite score in the series, or at least it’s around the level of the original. There are also a bunch of licensed tracks used throughout (including the returning “Red Right Hand”) and they work quite well for their respective scenes too. So yeah, the music here is really good.

Following on from their success with the fifth movie, “Scream VI” was directed by the returning Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (AKA Radio Silence), with script duties once again falling on James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick. And I think this movie is really well directed. They just have this flair and energy to their style that makes them perfect for this series. Whether it’s two characters talking, or Ghostface stalking someone in a convenience store, they absolutely brought their A-game. Their direction brings a really riveting intensity to the action scenes, and when the more intimate character moments show up they do a beautiful job in bringing us into those as well. And holy moly, the violence in this is something else. With “Scream 5”, they brought a new level of savagery to the violence of the series and its spooky-mugged killer, and they didn’t skimp on that here. In a lot of ways it’s even nastier, gorier, and very much made me squirm once or twice… so good on them for that.

This movie has been decently well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 76% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 61/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 6.6/10.

So while I wouldn’t put it at the top of my franchise ranking, I still thoroughly enjoyed “Scream VI”. It has a good story, really good characters, great performances, great music, and great directing. Time for my final score. *Ahem*.. My final score for “Scream VI” is an 8.43/10. So I’d say it’s worth buying.

My review of “Scream VI” is now completed.

New York, New Rules. Even the tagline’s really fucking good.

Series Review: Vinland Saga – Season 2 (2023)

So in good news: I recently managed to get my laptop working mostly normally again, meaning I’ll be able to provide my incoherent ramblings to you all again. So yeah, get ready for that. Anyhow, let’s chat about viking sequels. Oh, and I guess beware some spoilers for the end of season 1.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Vinland Saga” season 2!

A few years after his quest of revenge takes an unexpected turn, Thorfinn (Yuto Uemura) has become a slave, working under a Danish farmer. While there he meets a fellow slave named Einar (Shunsuke Takeuchi), and we follow the pair as they lean on each other, doing their best to make it through every work day, all while developing as friends. Season 2 of “Vinland Saga” is interesting as it almost completely shifts gears from season 1’s brooding revenge road trip, to a slow burn tale of personal redemption set mostly within one location. Making such a huge realignment in the storytelling’s approach can have somewhat of an adverse effect to a show, and I did feel that the first few episodes of the season did drag a little bit as it had to set up the new status quo. But it’s still generally good at that point, and as the narrative moves forward, it becomes a beautiful, haunting, heart-wrenching,  intense, and surprisingly hopeful story that made me cry on more than one occasion. It’s such an emotionally charged and nuanced tale that I found myself constantly blown away by (post the setup stage, mind you).

The characters on display here are absolutely spectacular, riding a wonderful line between tropes found within anime and really grounded and believable,  giving us some really colorful and compelling characters. Thorfinn here is completely different from season 1, being a complete shadow of his former self, which is used to sort of reshape him into a much deeper and genuinely interesting protagonist. His personal journey this season is mesmerizing and he’s become one of m favorite anime protagonists thanks to it. And Yuto Uemura does a magical job with his performance. Next is newcomer Einar, a rough, yet kind man getting dragged into slavery. He makes for a good counter balance to Thorfinn in personality, as well as in how he aids in his companion’s development, while also being an interesting and enjoyable character in his own right, with Shunsuke Takeuchi bringing him to life splendidly. The rest of the cast is great too, featuring actors such as Mayumi Sako, Hideaki Tezuka, Fuminori Komatsu, Hiroki Goto, Kensho Ono, and many more, all bringing the wonderful cast of characters to life perfectly.

The score was once again composed by Yutaka Yamada, and I think he absolutely outdid himself here. His score has this perfect way of hitting every emotion without fail and without feeling overly manipulative, creating a rich and resonant soundscape that complements the events we see throughout the show. Guitars, brass, strings, piano, probably other instrument types I forget, he brings them all and creates something really special with his sound here. As for the opening and ending songs this season, they’re really good. “River” and “Without Love”, which are the opening and ending respectively for the first half of the season have been in very frequent rotation on my phone since geting introduced to them. As for “Paradox” and “Ember” (second half opening/ending), they’re also really solid. So yeah, the show has great music.

Adapting chapters 55 to 100 (and apparently a tiny piece of 101) of Makoto Yukimura’s manga, season 2 of “Vinland Saga” brought back Shuhei Yabuta as director, but with overall animation duties shifting from Studio Wit to MAPPA. This is however not a problem in my opinion, as the show still looks astonishing. There’s so much detail in pretty much every frame and so much fluency in each movement, you can tell that the MAPPA team really put in a ton of love and effort into making the show’s animation still retain the highest quality. And while it’s not as action packed as the first season, when fights and battles happen in season 2, you feel it, there’s so much weight and fluency to each impact and movement, which turns every bit of violence into a major event. It’s just a consistently great looking show… except for one closeup shot of a 3D CGI ship, that one looked off, but the rest of the show is visually marvelous.

This show/season has been well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 100% positive rating. And on imdb.com the show has a score of 8.8/10, and is ranked #87 on the “Top 250 TV” list.

While its slower pace may turn off some viewers, I generally found season 2 of “Vinland Saga” to be a beautiful and riveting season of TV. It has a great story, great characters, great performances, great music, and stellar direction/animation. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “Vinland Saga” season 2 is a 9.89/10. Which means it gets the “SEAL OF APPROVAL!”.

My review of “Vinland Saga” season 2 is now completed.

Feels good to be back, but also ANNOUNCE A THIRD SEASON, YOU BASTARDS.

Series Review: Black Bird (2022)

Don’t do crime. Or do, I’m not your mom, you face the consequences of the legal system if you wish. I’d recommend you don’t, but I can’t make ya.

Disclaimer: I know this thing is based on a true story, but I will not base my review on how perfectly accurate to the real situation it may or may not be, but I will instead judge it as a show… which it is. Disclaimer over.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Black Bird”.

After getting sent to prison to serve a ten year sentence, drug dealer Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) makes a deal with the FBI to befriend a suspected serial killer (Paul Walter Hauser) in order to hopefully get information on the locations of the victims. And so we follow Jimmy taking a dive into murky water as he works to befriend the suspect, along with trying to stay alive within the prison system. All the while a detective (Greg Kinnear) tries to solve the case on the outside. “Black Bird” is a slow burn drama, a believably gritty and unsettling descent into darkness, exploring the depths of human depravity and what that can do to seemingly normal people who get drawn into it. It’s a compelling six episode run, a little too slow in moments, but for the most part it’s well paced and quite riveting and got so deep in the murky waters that it made me feel like I needed to scrub myself off on multiple occasions. It’s dark, it’s nuanced, it’s haunting, it’s a great story.

The characters in this are all quite interesting, believably flawed and written with enough layers to make them feel real. Taron Egerton plays Jimmy Keene, a cocky, womanizing drug dealer who has to eat a bit of humble pie when he’s arrested. I like having him as a protagonist because he’s a charming asshat, a twat that has enough charisma to keep me from totally hating him. It makes for some compelling drama, as he is a bit unlikable at times. And Egerton is great in the role, especially in the last two episodes where he truly gets to flex his chops. Next is Paul Walter Hauser as Larry Hall, a seemingly timid, kind of odd man who’s the suspect that Jimmy has to befriend. He’s a really fascinating character in ways that are hard to explain without giving away things, but they do some really interesting stuff with his development and I always found engaging. And Hauser is great in the role. The rest of the cast is great too, containing people like Ray Liotta (R.I.P), Greg Kinnear, Sepideh Moafi, Robert Wisdom, Tony Amendola, Robyn Malcolm, and more.

The score for the show was composed by ambient rock band Mogwai, and hoooooo I loved what they did here. Utilizing some piano, synths, and guitars, they create this unsettling and emotionally rich atmosphere that really added so much to the show, along with being pure ear candy. There are also a handful of licensed songs used throughout and I think they work quite well in their respective scenes.

Based on a book by James Keene and Hillel Levin called “In With the Devil”, “Black Bird” was developed for Apple TV+ by Dennis Lehane (my favorite author), with writing by him and a few others, and directing divided between Michaël Roskam, Joe Chappelle, and Jim McKay. I really dug the way this was crafted, giving the show a grimy, borderline claustrophobic feel, even in scenes set outside of the prison. The crew somehow find ways of making sure no scenes ever really feels safe, bringing an oppressive atmosphere that really brought me into the darkness in a really eerie and strong way.

This show has been well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 97% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 80/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 8.1/10.

“Black Bird” is an unsettling, really compelling drama series that I can highly recommend. It has a great story, great characters, fantastic performances, great music, and great directing. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “Black Bird” is a 9.56/10. Which means it gets a “SEAL OF APPROVAL!”.

My review of “Black Bird” is now completed.

Blackbird singing in the dead of niiiiight…

Series Review: Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)

Faith is fascinating. A belief in something bigger than ourselves, in something bigger than our very world. Whether it’s christianity, judaism, islam, or any other, I’ve always found that stuff interesting. So explorations of that in film, tv, and other forms of media has often lead to good stories.

Disclaimer: I know this thing is based on a true story, but I will not base my review on how perfectly accurate to the real situation it may or may not be, but I will instead judge it as a movie… which it is. Disclaimer over.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Under the Banner of Heaven”.

Utah, 1984. Devout mormon and detective Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield) finds himself tested when the violent murder of a young woman seems to connect to a local, powerful LDS family. So we follow detective Pyre as he tries to solve this horrible crime, as well as how the deeper in he gets, the more his faith starts to waver. And through his investigation we also get a deep look into the Laffertys, the family at the center of this case, and what kinds of fundamentalist actions they get involved in. The show also explores mormonism as a whole, including its origins. “Under the Banner of Heaven” is filled to the brim with story, themes, and backstories, and while I do find most if not all of it fairly riveting, it can also feel like an absolute slog to get through at times. Like, all the pieces here have an emotionally rich texture to them and individually make for really engaging and at times thrilling experiences, but something about the overall structure does make it feel like a drag at times. Like I said, the story and drama is generally insanely riveting, it presents a nuanced and intense look into a massively fucked up and complex situation, but I do think something about its structure does hurt it too.

The characters in this are all insanely interesting and I found them endlessly compelling. Andrew Garfield plays Jeb Pyre (pronounced Pie-ree, as I learned through this), good cop, loving family man, devout mormon. He’s a deeply interesting protagonist with such a fascinating arc and personal conflict, and Andrew Garfield is absolutely fantastic in the role. The rest of the cast is well rounded as well, featuring people like Gil Birmingham, Sam Worthington (giving a career best performance), Daisy Edgar-Jones, Wyatt Russell, Rory Culkin, Billy Howle, Denise Gough, Adelaide Clemens, Chloe Pirrie, and many more, all delivering top notch performances.

The score for the show was composed by Jeff Ament and it was really good. It mixes a lot of familiar thriller droning with elements of ambient rock and even minor touches of a few subtle western cues, making for a really interesting and atmospheric score that I think adds a lot to the show and its emotional impact.

Based on a book by Jon Krakauer, “Under the Banner of Heaven” was developed for FX by Dustin Lance Black, with writing and directing by him and a bunch of cool people. And I think this is a really well helmed show, a lot of well thought out shots, a lot of suspensefully directed sequences, some very well handled (and disturbing) bursts of violence. It’s somehow both cinematic and somewhat real-feeling, balancing what makes for solid entertainment while still making it feel grounded and gritty and believable. It’s a tricky balance, but they nailed it.

This show has been well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an 86% positive rating and a “Fresh” certification. On Metacritic it has a score of 71/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 7.5/10.

While its pacing is bogged down by its hefty structure, “Under the Banner of Heaven” is still a compelling crime-drama that I can easily recommend. It has a really good story, great characters, fantastic performances, really good music, and great directing. Time for my final score. *Ahem, Amen*. My final score for “Under the Banner of Heaven” is an 8.32/10. So while it’s flawed, it’s still definitely worth watching.

My review of “Under the Banner of Heaven” is now completed.

And then god said “Yo, that Andrew Garfield guy’s pretty good at the whole acting thing” – The Book of Markus, 18:46.2

Movie Review: The Pale Blue Eye (2023)

*inhale*. Can you smell that? First new release of the year. I’m excited.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “The Pale Blue Eye”.

New York, 1830. When a young student at the West Point military academy is found dead, weary detective Augustus Landor (Christian Bale) is called in to investigate and hopefully figure out what happened. And to aid him in his quest, he secretly acquires the assistance of an enigmatic young man (Harry Melling) who goes to the academy. I find myself a tad conflicted when it comes to the story here. On one hand, I genuinely enjoy the murder mystery going on here, it has this dark and very pulpy feel to it that I love, and it does take some pretty interesting turns that build in engaging ways. But there are also aspects to the story where it can feel slightly unfocused, as it tries to not only be a pulpy detective thriller, but also explore various other dramatic avenues. And while that could be fine, the script never makes them feel truly cohesive or like they weave in and out of each other as well as they could. This unfocused nature can especially be felt towards the middle, where it almost felt like it dragged. The movie on the whole is a slow burn, but the middle section does feel kinda bogged down. But in the moments where it zeroes in on the desolate, isolated, almost claustrophobic mystery, that is when it shines. Those bits are genuinely compelling.

The characters in this I find to actually be pretty interesting. most of them are generally presented with somewhat interesting personalities and it’s interesting to see how everyone interacts with each other or react to the vents unfolding. Christian Bale plays Augustus Landor, an aging and world-weary detective who’s gone through some rough times. He’s a compelling character that’s hard to describe since I don’t want to say too much. But he’s a solid protagonist and Bale is great as always. Next is Harry Melling as a young Edgar Allan Poe, a cadet at the academy and Bale’s secret assistant/confidant. He’s an enigmatic and talkative fella and I loved seeing both his personal arc and how his relationship to Bale’s Landor evolves. And Melling gives a fantastic performance in the role, this is so far a career best from him. Supporting cast is great too, containing people like Simon McBurney, Timothy Spall, Toby Jones, Gillian Anderson (a bit underused, IMO), Charlotte Gainsbourg (very underutilized), Lucy Boynton, and more, all giving damn solid performances.

The score for the movie was composed by Howard Shore and he killed it. Chilling strings, harsh brass, the man just brings an emotionally resonant score to proceedings that I could feel deep in my bones throughout the entire thing. It’s haunting and beautiful and I loved it.

Based on a novel by Louis Bayard, “The Pale Blue Eye” was recently released on Netflix, and was written and directed by Scott Cooper, and while his script could’ve had another look, I can’t deny what a good director he is. The pacing of scenes, the way he shows and/or hides things from the audience, the man brings his A-game in that regard. He also has a great way of making this movie feel cold, and I don’t strictly mean emotionally. Rarely do I see a movie set in a cold or snowy environment that genuinely makes me feel like I’m freezing, despite wearing knitwear in a relatively well heated room. And Cooper, together with cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi masterfully makes that come across through the way they shoot the movie. Just thinking about some of these scenes makes me feel like I need a blanket.

This movie’s so far gotten a pretty mixed reception. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 67% positive rating. On Metacritic it has a score of 56/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 6.7/10.

While it doesn’t quite reach its potential, I still found “The Pale Blue Eye” to be a fairly enjoyable little mystery-thriller. It has a mixed story, pretty good characters, great performances, great music, and fantastic direction/cinematography. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “The Pale Blue Eye” is a 7.44/10. So while it is flawed, I’d still say that it’s worth a watch.

My review of “The Pale Blue Eye” is now completed.

Linger ooooooon… your pale blue eyes…

Movie Review: Raymond & Ray (2022)

Hello there! First post of 2023. And I don’t know about you, but I am ready to get into a new year of blogging shenanigans. So let’s jump into the our first review of the year.

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “Raymond & Ray”.

When their estranged father dies, half-brothers Raymond (Ewan McGregor) and Ray (Ethan Hawke) reunite in order to bury the old man. And as they go through the motions associated with a funeral, the brothers begin to process their upbringing, along with learning about some of the stuff their father’s been up to in the years they’ve not seen him. On paper, I get what the story wants to do, and I think there’s a lot of great ideas found here, both in the bigger picture and in individual scenes. Sadly though, I never really found myself invested in any of it, something about the way it’s written just makes it feel like it never comes alive. I feels like the script could’ve used another pass or two. Not outright terrible, the ideas and even a few scarce moment are interesting, but the overall story feels undercooked.

The characters in this are fine. As with the story, they are the victims of a script that could’ve used more time in the oven. That said, they do still fare a little better. They feel a bit more defined, even if they never feel fully developed (despite the film’s best efforts). And then there’s the performances. On the whole, they’re generally pretty good. Ethan Hawke is great as always and just naturally slots into the role of Ray well, bringing him to life nicely. But then you have Ewan McGregor as Raymond, which I have mixed feelings on. I love McGregor as an actor, and he tries his best with his performance, but never did he feel like he fit the role. Whether it’s the dialogue or even a gaze, while his overall performance is technically good, I just never bought him as this character. Supporting cast is pretty good too, containing people like Todd Louiso (sidenote: where’s he been the last 15 years?), Sophie Okonedo, Maribel Verdú, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and a few more.

The score for the movie was composed by Jeff Beal, and I really liked it. It has this really interesting sound to it, mixing elements of lounge jazz with some mild thriller droning, and it makes for a soundscape that sometimes elevates the various scenes it can be found in. It’s solid.

“Raymond & Ray” was written and directed by Rodrigo García, and while we’ve gone over that his script isn’t the best, I can say that his directing is pretty solid. Everything’s nicely paced and his framing is nice. And that’s about all I can say, it’s well done. Not amazing, not terrible, just good.

This movie has not been super well received. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 47% positive rating. On Metacritic it has a score of 49/100. And on imdb.com it has a score of 6.2/10.

While I think it has some good ideas, “Raymond & Ray” ultimately ends up being fairly underwhelming. The story isn’t very interesting, the characters are underdeveloped, the performances are mostly good, the music’s good, and it’s pretty well directed. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “Raymond & Ray” is a 4.44/10. So I’d personally recommend skipping this one.

My review of “Raymond & Ray” is now completed.

Some spacemen use rayguns. Others use raymondguns.

Movie Review: The Big Four (2022)

GUNS! EXPLOSIONS! INDONESIA! BUZZ WORDS! Let’s talk about a movie, shall we?

Ladies, gents, and non-binaries… “The Big Four”.

When her father is murdered, a police officer (Putri Marino) goes on a quest to track down a group of elite assassins to help her in finding her father’s killer, as these assassins seemingly had history with the old man. Right from the word go, “The Big Four” intrigues, setting up a dark, violent world, filled with assassins, evil organizations, and… slapstick? Yeah, the story here is a bit of a mishmash of tones, ideas, and inspirations. The main revenge mystery at the film’s is pretty intriguing on its own, giving us some really intriguing world building and escalating the drama pretty well. But then it further builds on itself and its characters with bombastic set pieces and a little bit of Stephen Chow-esque slapstick. Not quite “Kung Fu Hustle” levels of cartoony, but it did give me his kind of vibes at times. And while this hodgepodge mix of “The Night Comes For Us”, “John Wick”, and goofy farce could (and honestly should) end up a fucking mess, it all comes together incredibly well to make for a really fun and enjoyable narrative. And despite being nearly two and a half hours long, it’s really well paced, never was I bored. It’s an enjoyable, well told story.

The characters in this are wonderful, all being colorful, charming, and a ton of fun to watch. They’re also really well defined, their personalities standing out and balancing each other out really well. The one that arguably sticks out the least is Dina (the policewoman), but that’s also since she’s sort of the straight man in this scenario. And Putri Marino plays it really well, so I can’t complain. As for the rest of the cast, I won’t go too in depth, as I think their quirks are best left experienced. But they’re all fun, and I think the cast is brilliant too. Abimana Aryasatya, Arie Kriting, Lutesha, Kristo Immanuel, Marthino Lio, and everyone else just deliver some really solid performances.

The score for the movie was composed by Bembi Gusti, Tony Merle, and Aghi Narottama, and it was alright. Can’t remember much of it as I sit and write (its lack of availability online doesn’t help) beyond the feeling, which was generally “Yeah, this is alright”. There’s also a little bit of licensed music used throughout, and those tracks work quite well in their respective scenes.

“The Big Four” was (at the time of writing) recently released on Netflix, and was directed and co-written by Timo Tjahjanto, and the dude absolutely brought his A-game with this. As a fan of some of his previous action movies, I knew the dude knew how to shoot action scenes. But once again, he managed to blow me away just with the sheer intensity, creativity, and brutality on display. It’s been slightly recontextualized from his previous, more serious work, to fit the goofier tone, but it still carries everything we can expect Indo action at this point… AKA intense camera movements, gorgeous wides that clearly show what’s going on, and some of the goriest violence in film. And it’s all a blast to watch, delivering all the well choreographed, blood-soaked carnage you can ask for.

This movie’s gotten some mixed reception. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an 86% positive rating. And on imdb.com it has a score of 6.1/10.

While its strange blend of tones, lengthy runtime, and gory violence might not be for everyone, I had an absolute blast with “The Big Four”. It has a fun story, great characters, really good performances, pretty good music, and fantastic directiong/action. Time for my final score. *Ahem*. My final score for “The Big Four” is a 8.44/10. So it gets the “SEAL OF APPROVAL!”.

My review of “The Big Four” is now completed.

“Big Four”, my ass. Couldn’t see Metallica anywhere…

Along with the Gods: The Two Movies

Hi there. So this won’t be a typical review style post of mine (though it shares minor aspects of those). Instead it’ll be more like my post on the Fable movies (AHEM AHEM), loosely rambling about them in a bundled post. I should mention that both movies will from here on out simply be referred to by their subtitle, as it’d be too long and clunky to use the full title each time. So anyhow… let’s go.

The Two Worlds

After perishing in the line of duty, a firefighter (Cha Tae-Hyun) finds himself in the company of three spirit guides (Ha Jung-woo, Ju Ji-Hoon, Kim Hyang-gi) who have been tasked with guiding him through the afterlife in order for him to potentially earn the right to reincarnate. Based on a webtoon by Ju Ho-min, “The Two Worlds” is an interesting blend of inspirations and tones. Most noticeably, it uses Buddhist philosophy as a springboard to tell an interesting and really fun fantasy adventure story, a morality tale that also happens to have some really fun VFX-driven action and colorful characters. Taking us through visually distinct environments to tell a nuanced fantasy story.
As we follow the firefighter’s journey through the afterlife, we get to know him more and more, seeing what led him to the initial incident. We see why he does what he does, we get to know the deepest inner workings of his soul, and finding out just how complex even the most seemingly good people are. And the way that affects the events of the movie, the ways his guides have to assist him, it makes for some compelling drama and some surprising suspense. So when we get to the climactic trials that are crucial in determining his fate, it put me on the edge of my seat, and also may have caused the waterworks to begin operating. Because while someone might come to this for the spectacular VFX, fun action scenes, or extremely good looking cast, soon enough they’ll also find that this movie has a strong emotional core as well. I am not ashamed in admitting that this movie made me cry. It’s one of those flashy action flicks that also happens to have some truly compelling characters and drama. But it can also be quite funny at times, especially with the quips and general demeanor of Ju Ji-Hoon as the delightful Haewonmaek.
What else is there to say? It’s a big popcorn flick with a great story, plenty of heart, a wonderful cast of characters, and some mesmerizing visuals. I loved it.

The Last 49 Days

Released a year later, “The Last 49 Days” sees our favorite spirit guides as they take on the task of helping a new soul towards reincarnation, all while also trying their damndest in trying to retrieve a fellow guardian (Ma Dong-seok) who’s been living on Earth for a long time. “The Last 49 Days” is once again a blend of things. Fantasy action, historical epic, domestic dramedy, and I think all these individual pieces are great… but together they don’t flow super well. I get that you need all the bits together to tell the complete story, take one piece out and the tower comes crashing down, but there is a whole lotta movie to this movie. And I’m not just talking about runtime, as it’s really only like 5 minutes longer than the first one, but rather it’s how much is crammed into it. There’s an exhausting amount of narrative threads going on at any one time, and while I found all of them pretty compelling on their own, their flow is just almost non-existent. It’s especially horrid near the middle of the movie, where things really begin to drag. You know that deep sigh you make when you’re bored? Yeah, that happened here. It’s just an exhausting drag at times.
So while the story is a mess, the characters do get some really interesting extra depth, which also leads to the actors getting more to chew on. The cast was great in the first one, but they really get to flex their acting chops here, and I think they give terrific performances here. And it’s just nice to have Ma Dong-seok be part of proceedings, the man just slots in flawlessly and brings such a unique charisma.
Action scenes are once again a lot of fun, not quite as flashy as what we saw in the first one, but definitely still highly enjoyable. Effects are still top notch (bar one or two obvious green screens), costumes and makeup are solid, and there’s some really fun cuts and transitions spread throughout. It’s just stellar on a technical level.
So while nowhere near as strong as its predecessor, I can’t say that I disliked “The Last 49 Days”. It still has some great stuff to it. If the first one’s a strong 9/10 for me, then this is maybe a weak 7/10. Hurt by its poor pacing, but still has a lot to admire.

So yeah, I watched and generally liked the “Along with the Gods” movies. Basically if you like big spectacle with plenty of heart and don’t mind reading subtitles, then I can easily recommend them. And apparently there’s a third and fourth one coming at some point… so I’ll be cautiously looking forward to those.

Have a good one.