#the concept/plot was just so fun and the script was actually competent 10/10

[its-kinda-snowy]

You can't have tea kettle night without a tea kettle.

[deltaengineering]

mid effort hot takes on the summer anime of 2022 that I watched this summer

Bucchigire

Took a chance on this one, didn't really pan out but oh well. It's far too generically shounen, especially in the way the main character and especially the main antagonists are the worst parts of it. There's really only one aspect that consistently delivers and it's the spicy Akira/Kogurou romance (a vanishingly tiny part of the show). Apart from that, it's not terrible but not good either. 5/10

Kakegurui Twin

Kakegurui S2 already wasn't very solid and Twin is not righting the ship. It's still technically Kakegurui nonsense, which makes it mildly entertaining, but it's lacking the special something that made S1 so exciting. Heavyhanded color correction also makes it remarkably ugly for no reason I can determine. 6/10

Extreme Hearts

This one is probably nobody's favorite show but it does have a few ideas that make it stand out from the crowd, such as the bizarre concept, the idea of padding out a 5 member plot with literal bots and some of the rivals. But on the other hand, it still is a very basic idol show with not particularly memorable characters and low production values. An attempt was made. 6/10

lmao of the Arsnotoria

This is an extremely weird one. At its core it's a competent but only slightly above average cute girls doing cute things in a cute setting. It's decent at it but that's it. However, it also randomly cuts to edgy dudes doing edgy things sometimes, with a vague implication that this may eventually matter. Well joke's on you, because the whole thing ends up feeling mostly like a prank. So while this does absolutely not deliver on the one real hook it has, it refuses to deliver to a degree that it's hilarious. Thankfully it's just good enough for the whole thing not feeling like a waste of time anyway, but again: it really is a mostly content-free cutefest that occasionally cuts to the most chuuni edgelords imaginable decapitating people and talking about Australia(?) for no apparent reason, and then right back to talk about cake or whatever. It's kinda amazing, but also not. 6/10

Chimimo

Chimimo is another very basic show in that it's a cutesy slice of life comedy with a mild twist. It's pretty well made and has no real weaknesses, but it's also not really punching above its weight and the strengths are rare. Entertaining, but hardly more. 6/10

Gooberploink Edgelords

Now here's a big one, and right off the bat I have to say that I can't be entirely contrarian this time. It's not as great as people think, because there's fairly severe problems: it's 90% clichees (if something isn't a cyberpunk clichee it's probably an anime clichee instead), the pacing is off (it starts annoyingly slow and ends in a dumb, ridiculously overblown yet still anticlimactic boss fight), the characters are somewhat lacking (they're not bad per se, but also not nearly fleshed out enough to provide the depth that the script seems to be aiming for), and Imaishi's penchant for comedic ultraviolence occasionally undermines any attempt at seriousness anyway. But I'd still take a bunch of clichees halfway competently strung together over whatever the fuck TRIGGER writing usually is (apart from the Gridmens, which are definitely better written than this). And writing aside, it's fun; Imaishi's thing is great in small doses and this script affords to let him go wild just about exactly the right amount. It always looks cool and occasionally super cool. So yeah, had a good time but don't believe the hype. 7/10

Summertime Render

I have a weird relationship with Summertime Render, because it definitely adheres to the shounen school of "no idiot left behind" writing. Half of every episode is basically exposition, with graphs and numbers and similes that really destroy any mysticism this show might have (and it's almost always the first half, which looks to me like an attempt of the scriptwriter to leave each episode off with a positive impression - which actually works!). I'd say those parts are pointless for about the first half where the plot is very simplistic, but then the second half hits and things get excessively convoluted. In a way, then two weaknesses cancel each other out: There's an absurd number of complicated twists but they're silly and not worth picking apart logically, so it's a plus that you can just take the show's word for it because it makes damn sure to provide it. So that's the bad parts but apart from that, it's actually surprisingly good. The first half has a solid, Twin Peaks-esque mystery vibe and while the second half devolves into complete schlock, it's very entertaining schlock. Also, it not only has an ending, but a well-paced, satisfying one at that - which is surprising given the nature of it (yes, it's exactly what you'd assume it is three episodes in). 7/10

Shadows Haus S2

I really liked Shadows House S1 almost despite itself, and S2 removes a lot of the problems such as the entire middle bit being a very contrived quest arc. S2 also has a lot better defined characters, and a ton more of them to boot. However, since we now know a lot more about what's going on, it's also significantly less creepy than S1, and that was really the best part about it. S2 is almost a different kind of show, more of an outright character drama. So while it's an improvement in almost all ways, I don't consider it significantly more enjoyable all in all. Which is completely fine, because it was plenty enjoyable to begin with. 7/10

Love Live Superstar S2

Similarly, Superstar S2 is just Superstar S1 but better. Since Superstar S1 was already arguably the best Love Live yet, that makes it pretty damn good. The two-stage group building really pays off here, because the character introduction arcs are historically the best part of any Love Live and this way they take up the vast majority of the show. And the new characters are great: Kinako is very cute, Natsumi is delightfully trashy and Mei and Shiki are the gayest thing to come out of this already exceedingly loaded franchise. They do try to ruin it again in the end (also a tradition at this point) with a drama arc that goes precisely nowhere, but the prompt promise of an S3 softens this blow enough to it still coming out on top of the Love Live heap rather easily. 8/10

Made in Abyss S2

I actually like Made in Abyss enough to read the manga, so I knew what this arc was going to be from the start. And, with that knowledge, I expected it to be very sketchy because the pacing is completely shot in the source material. Surprisingly though, the anime tweaks just a few things, brings out the strengths more and generally smoothens things out to a degree that it can easily hold its own compared to the first season and the movie. That's not to say the pacing is entirely fixed, especially the ending drags considerably (it definitely didn't require a double length final episode, for starters), and it also can't fix the main problem with the entire arc, in that it ultimately doesn't have a whole lot to do with the main narrative of Riko and crew. Some minor bits aside, it very much feels like a side story, and maybe it would have been a better fit as one. On the other hand, said side story (the backstory of Iruburu Village) on its own is fantastic. If you're this far in, it's not a spoiler that Made in Abyss is, despite appearances, an excessively grim horror story. However, this arc for the first time manages to fully make the grimness work on a thematic level. This is especially true compared to the movie, which, while certainly impressive, really was just a supervillain twirling his moustache past the point of ridiculousness. THIS arc, however, is legitimately a grand tragedy, one with the full impact (and grodiness) of an ancient creation myth followed by a matching apocalypse. Oh yeah, and the author's still a weird pervert. But he gets results. 8/10

[aion-rsa]

10 Best Fighting Game Movies

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Once upon a time, Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly, and John Saxon visited a crime boss’ private island to compete in a fighting tournament and it was awesome. The 1973 movie Enter the Dragon is basically the prototype for the fighting games like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter. And when those fighting games became popular, they inspired their own movies that either tried to emulate Enter the Dragon or do something completely new.

The ‘90s gave us the cheesy live-action fighting game movies from Hollywood and the animated movies from Japan. There have been several live-action Mortal Kombat movies as well as a few animated ones. There have also been multiple Street Fighter movies, four attempts at Tekken, a trilogy of Fatal Fury films, and more.

Are most of them bad? Yes. But did we pick our 10 favorite fighting game movies anyway? You bet. Here are our picks:

10. ART OF FIGHTING (1993)

Eh…it’s harmless.

The Art of Fighting series is mostly defined by the twist that the first game’s final boss is the main character’s father and the second game’s final boss is a younger incarnation of the villain from Fatal Fury. Take away those aspects and you’re left with a rather lowkey storyline for a fighting game where a teenage girl is kidnapped by a mobster and is rescued by her brother and her boyfriend.

Wait, I said that weird. It’s two different people, I swear! Except in Capcom, where Dan Hibiki is literally both of them merged into one character.

In the 45-minute Art of Fighting movie about Ryo and Robert, who are like chiller and dopier versions of Ryu and Ken, we watch as the duo gets sucked into a plot about stolen diamonds, martial arts criminals, and angry police lieutenants. It doesn’t take itself seriously and it’s a fine, breezy watch.

Ryo’s incorrect hair color kind of irks me, though.

9. STREET FIGHTER ALPHA: THE ANIMATION (1999)

This movie suffers from the same problem as Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture. It features a cast of heroes from a fighting game taking on a villain created for the movie instead of the villains we actually give a shit about. But the movie does also have some brief but awesome cameos (Kim Kaphwan and Geese Howard from Fatal Fury and Dan Hibiki and Akuma from Street Fighter Alpha) to brighten up a less-than-stellar plot.

Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation does at least get by because the original characters play up Ryu’s whole fear about being overcome by “the Dark Hadou.” This leads to some cool animations where Evil Ryu looks like a mindless, shambling zombie but also an unstoppable fighting machine.

The movie’s main storyline is about a kid named Shun who claims that he’s Ryu’s long-lost brother. He too is a fighter cursed with an inner dark side, which is used as a red herring to suggest that Shun’s father (and presumably Ryu’s father) is actually Akuma. That ends up being bupkis and Shun is just linked to some scheme by a mad scientist or whatever.

Probably the funniest thing about this movie is the directors’ infatuation with Chun-Li’s midsection. She’s wearing her form-fitting Street Fighter Alpha costume and there are dozens upon dozens of random close-ups to her lower torso from the front and back. If this were a drinking game, it would kill you.

8. FATAL FURY 2: THE NEW BATTLE (1993)

Of the Fatal Fury movie trilogy, this one is easily the best, even if it makes all the good guys seem like a bunch of overly-serious crybabies. The basic story is that after having avenged his father’s death, Terry hits rock bottom, dusts himself off, and comes out the other end stronger. Good, good. Going Rocky III is the perfect direction for a follow-up.

The problem is that Terry comes off as a bit of a whiner and the other heroes try way too hard to vilify the movie’s main antagonist, who hasn’t actually done anything that terrible. Krauser shows up one day, challenges Terry to a fight, wins, and says, “Okay, when you get better, train and fight me again.” Krauser isn’t trying to take over the world or murder orphans or whatever. He’s just a dude with huge shoulder armor who wants a good fight.

But everyone acts like Krauser’s the absolute worst. Terry starts drinking and falls to pieces while his buddies hope to get revenge. What a bunch of jerks.

While a fun romp, the worst thing about this sequel is how they redesigned Krauser. Gone is his mustache and forehead scar for the sake of making him seem younger. Kind of a bullshit move, considering he’s supposed to be the half-brother to middle-aged Geese Howard.

7. TEKKEN: THE MOTION PICTURE (1998)

This hour-long anime is almost great but just can’t stick the landing. It runs into the same problem as Mortal Kombat: Annihilation where the game series tells a specific overall story but the movie cuts corners to tell the same story. Tekken: The Motion Picture covers the first Tekken while setting up Tekken 3 and skipping Tekken 2 completely.

It means that everything’s well and good until the confusing and rushed finale. Otherwise, the movie is a fine use of the Enter the Dragon formula. Heihachi Mishima has a special island fighting tournament and the entrants include his vengeful son, a couple of cops investigating the situation, a gigantic robot, an angry Native American girl, two feuding assassin sisters, and a bunch of awesome characters who only get about three full frames of appearances each. Really would have liked to see something from Paul, King, and Yoshimitsu, though.

Other than Kazuya being pissed at everything, the best scenes are the over-the-top ones. When Jack does crazy robot stuff, when dinosaurs show up and start eating people, and that memorable sequence where Heihachi catches a hatchet with his mouth and then shatters it with his jaw.

6. STREET FIGHTER (1994)

I know this movie is just a GI Joe script with Street Fighter names pasted over it. I know it’s a cheesefest of dopey ideas and Belgian accents. I’ve long accepted that. Thing is, the movie is still a total blast to watch. What it lacks in faithfulness to the source material, it makes up for with pure camp and ham.

The 16 characters from Super Street Fighter II are represented here, except Fei Long is replaced with the forgettable Captain Sawada. How ironic that the movie star character isn’t even in the movie!

In general, the movie features some head-scratching depictions of classic Street Fighter characters. All-American Guile is played by Jean Claude Van Damme, Charlie Nash and Blanka are the same character, Dee Jay is an evil hacker, Ryu and Ken are comedic conmen, and Dhalsim is a frumpy scientist.

It’s Raul Julia’s M. Bison who keeps this guilty pleasure afloat. He’s to Street Fighter what Frank Langella’s Skeletor was to Masters of the Universe. He gives 110% and his performance is easily the best reason to watch this movie. It’s truly a wonder to behold.

Read more

Games

The Forgotten Fighting Games of the 1990s

By Gavin Jasper

Games

King of Fighters: Ranking All the Characters

By Gavin Jasper

The movie is infamous for inspiring a fighting game based on it, but you know what nobody ever talks about? The Double Dragon movie also had a fighting game based on it made by Technos and released on the Neo Geo. And Double Dragon wasn’t even a one-on-one fighter to begin with!

Anyway, if you intend to sit back and watch Street Fighter, make sure to add in the RiffTrax commentary.

5. DOA: DEAD OR ALIVE (2006)

Enter the Dragon meets Charlie’s Angels is a heck of a concept, but DOA: Dead or Alive is so confidently tongue-in-cheek that it succeeds as an action comedy that’s way better than it has any right to be. Part of why it works is that Dead or Alive has never had much of an overarching storyline, but is more defined by the individual characters (plus, you know, all the cheesecake). Enough of those characters appear in what’s your regular “fighting tournament on a mysterious island” setup.

The whole thing moves with such energy that it’s easy to get sucked in. It’s the opposite of the live-action Tekken movie, where even though the film features accurate versions of all the characters, everything is so drab and lifeless that you just can’t wait for it to be over. In DOA, the combatants spend their downtime playing cartoony action volleyball with Fake Dennis Rodman on commentary, while in Tekken everyone mopes about dystopian capitalism.

Other than Helena’s character being “important dead guy’s daughter,” most of the main characters are charismatic enough to keep your attention during the 3% of the movie when fights aren’t happening. It must suck for Ninja Gaiden fans that Hayabusa is depicted as a total dweeb, but he at least gets to do some cool stuff here and there.

The movie also has Kevin Nash playing a character based on Hollywood Hogan and he’s so likeable that I’m genuinely bummed that he peaces out about halfway into the movie. Luckily, the movie is entertaining enough that I didn’t even notice until after it was over. It helps that during that time, we get more of Eric Roberts, his amazing hair, and his special sunglasses that turn him into the ultimate martial arts master.

Spoiler alert, but the secret to defeating him is, get this, removing his sunglasses!

4. MORTAL KOMBAT LEGENDS: SCORPION’S REVENGE (2020)

It took a while, but Warner Bros. Animation is on fire these days. After that Batman vs. TMNT movie and Teen Titans Go vs. Teen Titans, the studio appears to be hitting more than they miss. That’s exactly the kind of team needed to put together the latest animated Mortal Kombat movie.

This is the umpteenth retelling of the first game’s story. Not only does it have to compete with the first live-action movie, but also the events of Mortal Kombat 9, which depicts the tournament in cutscene format. Fortunately, Scorpion’s Revenge has a few tricks up its sleeve. First, it puts Scorpion in the forefront as the protagonist. He was barely a character in the original movie and the game just had him kill Sub-Zero and feel bad about it for the rest of the story mode. Now he feels like a character in a crossover, making a mark on the original story instead of being put in the sidelines.

We also have the wonderful stunt casting of Joel McHale as Johnny Cage. More importantly, Jennifer Carpenter plays Sonya Blade, which is such a step up from Ronda Rousey’s voice acting in Mortal Kombat 11.

This cartoon has a very hard R when it comes to violence. From the very beginning, Scorpion’s origins are gruesome and grisly. Once Jax is introduced, it doesn’t take long until we realize, “Oh, that’s how they’re dealing with THAT plot point in this continuity.” Then there’s a surprise villain death late in the movie that not only comes as a shocking development, but it’s so graphic and nasty that you can’t help but be taken aback.

Scorpion’s Revenge is a fantastic first chapter of what is hopefully a series of animated movies, but it does have its pacing issues. Scorpion being the protagonist may be a welcome change, but at times it does feel like a square peg being crammed into a round hole.

3. TEKKEN: BLOOD VENGEANCE (2011)

One of the best things about the Tekken series is the endings. While the cutscenes from the first couple games haven’t exactly aged well, these CGI epilogues have become a staple in nearly every installment. What better reward for your time and success than watching a rocking action sequence with Yoshimitsu and Bryan Fury killing each other in the jungle?

And so, to play to the series’ strengths, Bandai Entertainment released a Tekken movie that’s really just one big ending cutscene. It’s not canon, but it feels at home with the games.

Since Tekken’s main conflict is with two ruthless megalomaniacs (Heihachi and Kazuya) and a disgruntled nihilist (Jin), it’s hard to treat any of them as a real protagonist here. Instead, they go with Ling Xiaoyu, who is portrayed as the person who sees the good in Jin and wants him to see the light. She’s given a robotic BFF in Alisa Bosconovitch because Xiaoyu is kind of a tame character and needs someone with chainsaw arms and a jetpack to liven things up.

The first hour or so is good enough to keep your attention and its lightened up by a couple appearances by Tekken’s best character, Lee. But once it gets to the third act, it just becomes a completely awesome Heihachi vs. Kazuya vs. Jin fight, with Xiaoyu taking a backseat to watch all the crazy shit going on. It’s a full-on fireworks factory, as we not only see Devil forms of Kazuya and Jin but a very special final form for Heihachi that’s a true delight for Tekken fans.

2. STREET FIGHTER II: THE ANIMATED MOVIE (1994)

Let it be said that for someone who grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, finding a faithful cartoon adaptation of a video game property was not easy. Link and Simon Belmont were unlikable sexual harassers. Mega Man was a more annoying sidekick than Scrappy Doo. Mario and Luigi teamed up with Milli Vanilli. Power Team was…a thing. When we got an animated movie based on Street Fighter II, it was mind-blowing. This was a movie where the very first scene was Ryu tearing Sagat’s chest into a bloody gash thanks to a well-animated Shoryuken.

There’s a lot going on in this movie, but at the same time, nothing is going on. By this point, there were 17 characters in the various Street Fighter II games, and outside of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Akuma cameo, it feels the need to include every single one of them. Some get minor roles, like Cammy and Dee Jay. Then there’s Zangief and Blanka, who fight each other for no reason other than for the sake of giving them something to do. Even Ryu vanishes for a huge chunk of the runtime.

Once everything funnels into the third act, this movie is great. And the earlier fight scenes are straight fire too, including the memorable Chun-Li vs. Vega brawl. Even though the movie already feels true to Street Fighter II, it’s even better when you realize that it’s all supposed to be a prequel to the game itself.

Or at least I hope so. Otherwise, all Sagat gets to do is get his ass kicked by Ryu and get chewed out by Bison.

1. MORTAL KOMBAT (1995)

The stars truly aligned for this one. Mortal Kombat Mania was at its peak, so it makes sense that this movie was a retelling of the first game’s story with added aspects from the second game, all while hyping up the arcade release of the third game. CGI was such a novelty in Hollywood in the ’90s that even if it looked primitive, it still looked cutting edge at the time. It was the perfect time to release this movie.

But Mortal Kombat isn’t perfect. Reptile is embarrassing. Scorpion and Sub-Zero being relegated to goons still stings. I still roll my eyes at the part towards the end where Sonya is suddenly the damsel in distress and Raiden flat-out verbally buries her by saying she couldn’t beat Shang Tsung in a million years. Otherwise, it’s the perfect storm of ‘90s action garbage.

There are so many over-the-top and charismatic performances here. Johnny Cage, Raiden, Shang Tsung, Kano, and even Goro are a blast to watch. All 10 characters from the original game are given something to do and, most importantly, they realize how uniquely weird the game’s story is and actually dive headfirst into it. The movie isn’t embarrassed to be a Mortal Kombat movie but handles itself well enough that we aren’t embarrassed to be watching a Mortal Kombat movie.

Even with a PG-13 rating, the movie was violent enough. Kano talked up seeing a pile of frozen guts in the wake of a Sub-Zero fight, Scorpion got his skull sliced apart with demon brain goo spewing all over the place, and Shang Tsung got impaled to death.

With the reboot being rated R, going for the gore could very well be the right route to go, but for the love of the Elder Gods, don’t forget to have FUN. All I’m saying is, if even Johnny Cage isn’t hamming it up, then what’s the point?

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[recentanimenews]

Isekai, Ranked

If Anime is escapism, there is no better way to escape than plunging Into Another World, where our niche skills and routine possessions may shake the fabric of reality! From MMO-inspired, to hard fantasy, there are many types of shows on this list but no movies nor series we haven’t seen recently. Bring all disagreements to the comments below!

1. Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World Re:Zero takes Isekai’s love for fish-out-of-water stories on step further: through brutal, expectation breaking blind sides, it makes the viewer a fish out of water too! Dripping with fantastic animation, Re:Zero true strength is the balance of its highly detailed world without over explaining its magic system, time loop mechanic and political systems. It also earns bonus points for  limiting the application of its protagonist’s powerful magic and technological advantages.

2. Sword Art Online (1st season)  In the narrowest of second places, SAO pairs top shelf animation with an approachable cast and easy to appreciate central conflict. Its lovingly constructed MMO setting aside, Kirito’s mistakes and occasional darkness elevate him above his potentially generic good-at-everything character type and Asuka plays the strongest heroine/love interest on the list.

3. Now and Then, Here and There Imagine if Digimon told a bleak about story sex trafficking child soldiers trapped on a waterless world with a maniac king? NTHT’s intense swerve from adorable into darkness is on par with Re:Zero and, much like Natsuki Subaru, HTHT’s Shu must rely on ‘durability’ and ‘heart’ to make it through. While some of it’s later tragic moments are predictable, this f’ed-up little anime scores major points for telling a complete story and having that story grow Shu from simpleton into a conflicted young adult.

4. Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet While Red’s post-earth scifi origin may stretch the common definition of Isekai, being trapped in a primitive culture that treats him (and his AI-driven mech Chamber) like a hero of old does not. Beautifully, Gargantia flips the script and makes Red’s overwhelming power, and killing in general, at odds with the local people.

5. Yōjo Senki / The Saga of Tanya the Evil Give us World War I with magic, a gender swapped villain as our protagonist, and God as our antagonist, and you’ve given us something pretty damn original. Like Gargantia, this reborn in another world captures thinking differently about the world can be as powerful and terrifying as unworldly strength. Without question, Yojo Senki’s cast is the most uniquely imagined on this list.

6. No Game No Life Like Tanya, the Blank twins piss off god and are sent to another world as punishment. However, their punishment is much more stylish and… harem. Underneath NGNL’s acid-soaked panties, over the top protagonists and the psychedelic color pallet, lives a show featuring thoughtful puzzles and imaginative spins on classic gamble to win story telling. Sadly, its story ends unfinished…

7. KonoSuba One part jab at Isekai and one part love letter to the starting town of every fantasy MMO, KonoSuba is all parts ruthlessly funny!  While this reborn in another world (with a goddess!) show is not be as smartly written as NGNL, and it becomes repetitive after a time, the constant frenetic action more than makes up for it.

8. Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash Quiet, thoughtful, and full of sadness, this hard fantasy Isekai doesn’t care if its heroes are reborn in another world or trapped in a dungeon crawl afterlife. Building family bonds and connecting with people who would not normally be friends is all that matters… and it’s lovingly animated to boot!

9. ReCreators As a reverse Isekai, ReCreators distinguishes itself by bringing the other world to us. The experience is fantastically animated and packed with clever dialog that somehow breaths sincerity into a profoundly silly plot. The cast is quite diverse, both in design and personality, which keeps the action fresh, yet somehow cohesive throughout. It’s only major flaw is, the final act, which is way to drawn out.

10. The Devil is a Part Timer No I’m not kidding! This reverse Isekai’s premise that the Devil is trapped in our world and must work at McDonnald’s to get by is charming. While DiaPT’s humor isn’t particularly specific to the devil, the jokes are punchy, and the overall plot develops at a respectable pace. As an added treat, the opening gothic fantasy fight scenes are surprisingly well animated.

11. Log Horizon (1st season) Most exposition heavy, trapped in an MMO themed Isekai featuring ‘top ranked’ players crumble after a few episodes. More often than not, these shows try too hard to sell the coolness of their game worlds, user interfaces, and central characters. Miraculously, Log Horizon gets better mid season with a simple question: if former NPCs have personalities, can grow and learn, and even die, are they more human than the former players that dismiss them as background texture? Still, it takes Log Horizon six episodes to get going and good lord is it gray looking…

12. Overlord (3 Seasons) This transported into an MMO Isekai mirrors its main character: it is competent but not sure what it should be doing at any given moment. Sometimes the protagonists are villains and sometimes they are heroes. More often than not, characters are given lavish screen time to develop, only to be slaughtered whimsically. The resulting narrative is full of call backs and revealed foreshadowing… yet hasn’t gone very far in 3 seasons and hasn’t asked any interesting questions along the way.

13. El Hazard – The Magnificent World (OAV/TV) Predestined paradox, trans-dimensional time jumping high school students (and their drunk gym teacher) are trapped in an Arabian Nights’like land besieged by sentient bugs, a secret tribe of assassins from another dimension, and a death star like eye of god orbiting nearby. If you watched anime in the 1990s it will all be familiar but it still manages to feel original yet cohesive production. The character abilities are wonderful, the tragedy is nice, and plenty is left up to your own imagination to fill in the blanks. A bland, fault free, protagonist and a boy-crazy harem vibe are the only reasons it isn’t higher on the list.

14. Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri This invading the other world Isekai flips the script to deliver political intrigue, clash of culture, and commentary on Japanese society. It loses points for being a overly harem, relying on super dumb/super evil antagonists, and a dull protagonist but it’s fun enough to watch.

15. Drifters Stylishly violent, strikingly ugly, historical character filled and utterly bonkers, this reborn in another world Isekai’s uniqueness will hold your attention. Even if you do not want it to.

16. Rise of the Shield Hero (2 Seasons) On paper, this transported to an MMO world Isekai’s “treat the hero like crap,” “watch him accept the role of a slave-buying villain” and ultimately “rise to become the true hero” concept is great. Revealing that the world he’s saving may be less redeemable than the world the invaders are trying to save is also great. Too bad its padded and many of the arbitrary delays and narrative dead ends feel like cop outs.

17. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime While it lacks the initial hardcore’ness of Shield Hero, this reborn in another world Isekai is pleasantly animated and full of heart. The idea that naming monsters grants them power is a pretty neat mechanic too. It just sort bounces from idea to idea without a sense of purpose of resolution. One minute it’s a story of unlikely friendship, then magic destiny, then town builder, then harem, and onto magic school and isn’t about anything in particular until a hastily thrown together plot ties it up at the end. It scores points for making its hero a slime… although the reborn aspect never feels played with or justified.

18. Angel Beats! If the gun fetish, kids fighting a loli-angel instead of attending school in the afterlife plot weren’t so dumb and drawn out, this rebirth story’s touching moments would push it much higher. There’s a really good tale of life cut short, reunion after death, and again after rebirth here and it gets major bonus points for finishing the story it had to tell. Totally squandered.

19. Death March / Kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku Like Shield Hero, this reborn in an MMO Isekai is actually quite good looking. However, its Gary-Stue protagonist, harem and absurd narrative padding make it far less interesting.  OMG how many episodes are about making lunch?! That’s too bad because the concept of code-like “copy and paste” magic system is pretty neat.

20. Wiseman’s Grandson / Kenja no Mago Despite opening with a modern day man being killed, this reborn into a fantasy world Isekai is more Magic School than Isekai. The only thread that connects the protagonist’s lives is that he can look at magic with an eye for process instead of outcome. The result is harmless easy watching but harem elements, a slow pace and lack of getting anywhere narratively hold it back.

21. How Not to Summon a Demon Lord This summoned into an MMO Isekai starts off as charming, but ecchi-heavy, before abruptly turning dark at the end of the season. We’re talking ‘make a child watch as her best friend is slowly tortured to death’ and creepo ‘finger-bang a loli cat girl in order to give birth to the demon inside her’ level dark. While those elements elevate HNtSaDL above niche appeal of its harm and MMO content, they aren’t so interesting to earn my recommendation.

22. Problem Children are coming from Another World, Aren’t They? The non-ecchi poor man’s No Game no Life features a talking cat that only some characters can understand and dreadful music. TFW smooth jazz? There’s some cuteness to be had, and the solutions to gambling games can be clever, but the overall vibe is low energy. It loses drama points because its protagonist is as smart as a god and physically stronger.

23. Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks? This poor man’s Konosuba is occasionally funny, satire of RPG conventions and family relationships. Mama’s skill that interrupts whatever her son is doing, no matter what it is or where he is in the game world, is particularly charming. Unfortunately, there’s no avoiding the creepo factor of sexualizing that family relationship.

24. Restaurant from Another World My mom is secretly from another world and my restaurant’s front door connects back to that world each day is certainly unique, but it’s structured more like a food-porn show than Isekai. While the linkages of each patron become clear over time, few characters are not aware of those connections themselves. The result never feels like it gets anywhere.

25. In Another World With My Smartphone Stories without risk are still watchable when they immerse us an interesting world, or delve into niche details like food or how magic works, or sleeze us with harems and sex appeal. Smartphone fails all of these things. Worse, it does nothing with it’s one idea: protagonist Touya is reborn in a fantasy world with smartphone. Except, GOD GIVES HIM GOD TIER MAGIC FROM THE GET-GO! Ironically, Re:Zero and No Game No Life both use of a cell phones in more interesting ways, and Tanya’s God isn’t even comparable. Unoriginal, unfunny, not dramatic, not sexy, not worth watching.

26. Maou-sama, Retry! This transported to an MMO Isekai’s trash production values, and bizarre characters are hard to take seriously. The results are sometimes so terrible they are funny, such as incompetent background music transitions and detailed horses hiding at the edges of the frame. Sadly, a bland harem and complete lack of narrative objective kill the mood.

27. Isekai Izakaya Imagine a low energy, public access style show, with a tourism theme, that featuring a modern Japanese restaurant that serves fantasy world patrons…

28. Isekai Cheat Magician A loveless summoned to a fantasy world Isekai who’s protagonists are the most powerful and purely good characters could deserve a niche rating. Not this one. The narrative sort of ‘skips the boring stuff’ and, in doing so, skips character development. Hilariously, what the narrative does show is poorly animated, always underwhelming magic battle scenes or people standing around talking.

29. Endride Without dialog, this stumbled into a magic world Isekai’s vibrant color and crisp art would be watchable. The fact that the world is somehow inside of Earth’s core and the sparse use of mythology are unique, but its dumb-as-bricks whiny teen protagonists have the maturity of a small children. There are many unintentionally funny moments like scientists using gigantic laptops or the king’s magic weapon looking like a safety pin. Ultimately, the cast is so unlikeable that the show itself is unwatchable.

By: oigakkosan

[scottbrownmoviereviews]

THE MEG FILM REVIEW

The Meg, directed by Jon Turteltaub, is like Jaws, if Jaws had overdosed on so much HGH and steroids that it grew dozens of feet longer. But really, after accidentally releasing this monstrous shark, those that set it free must put it end to it. It’s basically a combination of exploration gone wrong and forces of nature shredding everything in sight.

From the get, The Meg just sounded really, really dumb. But then again, Jaws as a concept sounds incredibly done as well and that’s still one of Spielberg’s best films. Plus, you have Jason Statham who you just know is going to do his Jason Statham thing, aka crack one-liners and do a bunch of action scenes, throughout, which is always fun.

So, walking out of The Meg, I had one thought. That was dumb. It just felt like a rip-off of Jaws, like so many other shark movies. It’s not horrible however, and there is fun to be had.

The Meg is competently directed throughout, which really doesn’t sound like anything special. “You did your job at a passable rate, congrats!” is kind of what it sounds like. But I do mean it as a compliment considering the script that Turteltaub was seemingly working with. He helms several pretty intense sequences that, while not terrifying, provide some good scares and not a false jump scare to be found. All jump scares were used in order to build tension or actually be scary and really none of them were accompanied by loud music which was nice.

As for the performances, most are solid given the material that they’re working with, but a couple are simply over the top and annoying. Jason Statham did his Jason Statham things are was fun to watch when he was on screen. Li Bingbing made a good counter to Statham and she was very enjoyable to watch as well. Rainn Wilson and Ruby Rose were solid too, giving probably the most emotional shots of the film. Side note, I’m really happy that Rose was cast as Batwoman for the CW superhero shows. That is all.

But looking deeper, the film falls apart. The plot is a generic, something new is discovered, ancient thing is released, we need to stop it. Just this time, instead of something magic, it’s a megalodon. There is absolutely nothing new plot-wise and it felt so bland because it really didn’t try to do anything differently.

And the characters are essentially non-existent. I honestly can’t remember the names of any of them besides like, two. They are cardboard cut-outs of people that don’t have any actual characteristics to them and their motivations can change whenever the plot demands it. Like one character sees the meg eat a friend of his and then tries to get a picture with it, pretty much completely forgetting it ate his friend.

Which that’s another massive problem with the film. Tone. It doesn’t know what it wants to be. A fun, dumb monster movie with a giant shark? A dark exploration about risk and reward in discovery? It tries to be both, completely lessening the impact of the former and completely failing on the latter.

Overall, The Meg is a dumb monster movie that was trying so hard to be next Jaws. It’s an enjoyable time if you want something to turn your brain off to, but really, the best part of the film was the Godzilla: King of the Monsters trailer that played beforehand.

5.75/10

Thanks for reading!

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #182 - The Haunted Mansion

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: No.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: DVD

1) According to IMDb:

Following the massive success of Ghostbusters (1984), Disney green-lit the film in the mid 80s. However they at first would only give permission for the film to be made if either Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis or Rick Moranis would play the lead role.

The film ended up being released the same year as the wildly successful ride-to-film project Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. To say this film had the opposite kind of success would be an understatement.

2) The prologue.

The prologue is actually on of the stronger (if not the strongest) element of the film. It captures the macabre and dark sense that the ride plays with so delightfully well. There’s this slight sense of dread which is elevated by Mark Mancina’s score, but unfortunately the rest of the film does not work with these elements.

3) There are a lot of fun references to the ride which I appreciate (especially since the ride is my favorite in the Disney parks). Master Gracey hanging himself, the 13th hour, even the opening line, “Welcome foolish mortals,” is all straight out of the line. I dig the intention even if the execution ends up being a little lackluster.

4) The random kid on his bike being jumped at the mansion is a much more interesting potential protagonist than what we get. The whole, “kid in danger,” trope popularized in the 80s with ET, It, The Goonies, Stand By Me, etc. (and paid tribute to in “Stranger Things”) would’ve worked beautifully! But instead the kid comes and leaves, only to let the mansion know of Eddie Murphy’s wife’s existence.

5) In theory, a realtor in the Haunted Mansion could be funny/clever/creative. But this film ditches any sense of mystery, darkness, or even strong macabre tone in favor of a style more akin to a Disney Channel Original Movie (as opposed to Curse of the Black Pearl). The whole thing with Eddie Murphy’s Jim Evers feels totally foreign to the rest of the film. It’s generic and without tone, there’s nothing to make it feel like it BELONGS in a Haunted Mansion movie.

6) Michael freaking out at the giant spider in his room is very relatable. For me. I hate spiders. I HATE spiders. Yet, ironically, Spider-Man is my favorite superhero.

7) Some of the elements in the mansion itself have potential. There’s an occasional sense of place and tone, but it just does NOT mix with the Evers’ family or that subplot. It is just a total bust. But Terrence Stamp made up to look a bit like Boris Karloff is nice. The weird workaholic of Jim Evers is not.

8) Master Gracey.

The most interesting thing about Master Gracey is that it is Disney accepting a longtime Haunted Mansion fan theory as canon. There is a tombstone seen in the line for the original ride for a “Master Gracey” (named after imagineer Yale Gracey) leading many fans to claim that the infamous Ghost Host in the ride is this Master Gracey. For years Disney just let the fan theory fester, but with the release of this film they accept the head canon into just normal canon. Merchandise for The Haunted Mansion in both California and Orlando occasionally refers to it as Gracey Manor even. Honestly it’s the only interesting aspect of the character. He’s sort of a flat broken hearted loverboy who over acts in the film. But still! Master Gracey is now canon!

9) There is literally nothing done to establish Ramsley or Gracey as ghosts. They look, act, talk, and behave like humans except for when the script calls for it. It shows a lack of commitment to concept.

10) Look, I knew this film was bad going in. But I didn’t know it would be so…boring. Like, dear god. Nothing happens for the whole first half hour of the film. And I’m just WAITING for something to happen or for the story to make some sort of sense.

11) Even the visual style of this film is painfully lackluster. The cinematography, the lighting, the composition of the shot, nothing is done to support the tone because there ISN’T any tone! It just all is aggressively FLAT.

12) No one other than Terrence Stamp and the actor playing Michael really have shown any ability to act honestly so far. Master Gracey is over the top, Eddie Murphy is wildly unlikable, the actress playing Megan doesn’t emote until she’s screaming in the faces of zombies, Murphy’s wife is painfully stagey and just not believable. It’s just BAD.

13) All the winks/nods to the original ride ARE appreciated by the fan in me, but they’re random. Eddie Murphy literally just wanders through the hall with nothing to do so we can see these cool winks to the ride. And then things which have NOTHING to do with the ride like a zombie mirror.

14) Emma (Dina Waters) and Ezra (Wallace Shawn) are honestly a nice bit of life to the film. They’re MILDLY INTERESTING which makes them scene stealers in the film. There’s a nice dynamic between the pair and they perform it nicely.

15) So no one explains why Madame Leota is even in the mansion. Jennifer Tilly is well cast but she’s not a character, she’s an underdeveloped plot device which exists solely to move the “story” along.

16) The graveyard ride is interesting to me - again - solely because I’m a fan of the original dark ride. It’s FILLED with references to the original attraction which I appreciate. But again, it is fan service for the sake of fan service and supports the plot only in the minimal of ways.

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

17) But whatever plot support the graveyard ride gives is totally lost with the Singing Busts. Again: fun idea, glad to see them as a fan. BUT it’s literally a distraction from the main story. You could’ve left the Singing Busts scene on the cutting room floor and NOTHING would change.

18) The mausoleum scene is actually a somewhat competent piece of action in the film. There are nice scares, nice stakes, nice pacing, and Rick Baker’s makeup is exceptionally strong with the practical zombies, and Michael having to deal with his fear of spiders at the end is pretty nice.

19) I’m with Eddie Murphy on this one.

Jim: “The butler did it? You gotta be kidding me.”

20) Again, I appreciate the efforts of the filmmakers to recreate the ballroom scene. But it’s so lazy and just shoehorned in I just…ugh.

21) The forced marriage between Jim’s wife (I don’t know her name) and Gracey actually has a nice sense of tone to it. I think a primary source of this is the teary eyes the actress has and the HAUNTING organ music that plays. However, from a story point, there are a number of reasons this marriage shouldn’t left the curse:

It’s not exactly consenting

She’s MARRIED

She’s not Elizabeth

And she’s ALIVE

22) So Ramsely damns everyone to hell and all the ghosts in the mansion go haywire, only for the fireplace to come alive and randomly swallow him to hell. Because…plot, I guess?

23) Ghost Elizabeth has the power to literally bring people back from the dead? Couldn’t she do that with every ghost in the mansion?

24) And it’s over in a pretty cheesy way.

Look, the only reason to ever watch Haunted Mansion is if you’re a SUPER fan of the ride and you want to take in all forms of media related to the ride as possible. Otherwise...don’t. It’s not even so bad it’s good. It’s so bad it’s BORING. Very little of it makes since or is interesting, there’s no sense of tone, it’s just incredibly flat/dull. In my opinion, it should just be avoided.

[cinesaver]

Netflix History? : The Cloverfield Paradox Review

                This super bowl Sunday had many fans rejoicing for a surprise trailer, and I am not talking about Solo: A Star Wars Story. The Cloverfield Paradox not only excited fans for its much anticipated sequel, but also because they could instantly stream it on Netflix immediately after the game. Talk about convenience. The factors behind this film provide an interesting jumping off point so allow me a minute. J.J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot are no strangers to the surprise release tactic, with their last hit film 10 Cloverfield Lane getting a release day and title a mere two months before the theatrical release. Many have speculated when the new installment of the Cloverfield franchise would be released with many rumors circling the internet. Step in power house streaming service Netflix, who has for years tried to make original films that would compete with that of an actual theater. Unfortunately they have created flop after flop especially with their most recent film Bright. Netflix paid Bad Robot around $50 million for the exclusive rights for the film. The question is was this purchase worth it, and will The Cloverfield Paradox change how audiences watch movies?

The Plot

               The two previous Cloverfield films are somewhat unrelated, with the only similarities being that the events of each film occur in the same universe. The Cloverfield Paradox hopes to fill in the gaps that have plagued fans for years. The movie takes place entirely on the space station, aptly named Cloverfield Station, whose main mission is to test their particle accelerator in hopes to solve the world’s energy crisis. Things quickly become evident that this machine has malfunctioned and caused more problems than solved.

               The Cloverfield Paradox is a space film with great concepts and ideas, but it doesn’t know how to fit all the pieces together. At times it feels like strange scenes happen in the film, and even though they can be interesting they aren’t full explained or come back to. This gives the movie a disjointed feel as if it didn’t have the answers to the questions it was asking. This movie leaves it wide open only barely answering the questions it poses.

               The film does boast an interesting look and the special effects can be impressive, but at the end of the day it simply didn’t give the connections I wanted or needed from this movie. All of this makes me wonder if the studio saw the film as being unsuccessful at the box office, so they sold its rights to Netflix to guarantee its money back.

The Cast and Characters

               For a film that is now considered a Netflix original, it does have an impressive cast that has fun with the source material. Each member of this international crew is from a different part of the world so its cast is diverse which allows each character to be unique, but at the same time each character does seem forgettable. The lead of the film is Hamilton played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Her performance is very suitable, but much like the rest of this film, her backstory and character seemed muddled. I often questioned why her character made the choices she does.

               The second notable crew member is Schmidt, who is played by Daniel Brühl. I will keep the story of this character as spoiler free as possible, so I apologize if this is vague. His character is one of the more interesting in the film, but the interesting concepts are never allowed to take full form. Rather it simply talks about it and moves forward without looking back.

               The last actor that needs to be talked about is Elizabeth Debicki as Jensen. Much like Brühl, her characters origins are a high point for the film. That is to say her characters motivations seemed rushed, so it feels like it is coming out of left field when she does make some drastic moves throughout the film.

The Verdict

               At this point Netflix has become a master of advertising. Their aggressive ad campaign gives hope for fans, but at the end of the day its content cannot keep up. The Cloverfield Paradox can’t seem to reach the high bar that was set by the previous two films. It promises to answer questions, but simply asks more. The film does have a good ensemble cast with some impressive visuals, but also an overly convoluted script. Unlike my other reviews this one doesn’t have an option of discount prices so I will just suggest it is worth a watch for its entertainment value, but realize that this film doesn’t reach its full potential.

[aion-rsa]

The Outsider is Better as a One-Season Wonder

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Here’s a fun little look behind the curtain. Back when HBO announced the release date of Richard Price’s atmospheric Stephen King adaptation, The Outsider, Den of Geek ran the news as an article, as one does. 

Shortly after the article went live, representatives from HBO reached out to clarify that they weren’t categorizing the project as a “miniseries” as many outlets (and none other than Wikipedia itself) had reported but rather a traditional series. It seemed clear then that HBO had at least the possibility of multiple seasons in mind when it greenlit the show. After all, why wouldn’t they? Stephen King adaptations always tend to do well and The Outsider boasted a solid cast (led by Ben Mendelsohn, Cynthia Erivo, Paddy Considine, and Jason Bateman) and an intriguing concept true crime-meets- the-supernatural concept

The Outsider would then go on to pull off 10 good episodes, receive modest-to-excellent critical acclaim, kill it in the ratings, and drive online chatter for a month or so. A second season seemed all but assured. In fact, according to both original author King and showrunner Price, scripts were already being churned out for season 2. That’s why the news that HBO isn’t moving forward with a second season after all is particularly shocking.

“We enjoyed our collaboration with Richard, Jason, Andrew, and the MRC team, and we wish them well in continuing the world created by the brilliant Stephen King,” an HBO spokesperson told Variety in a statement.

The show’s production studio MRC is free to find new network or streaming suitors for its second season and seems determined to do just that. Still, such an unexpected turnaround from HBO begs the question: why was this show canceled in the first place?

For starters, it’s important to understand that HBO is rather unusual when it comes to television networks (as the company itself likes to say “It’s not TV, it’s HBO”). While features like ratings successes, buzzworthy actors, and Stephen King have plenty of cachet on traditional TV enterprises, HBO isn’t always swayed by such things. Just look to the fact that HBO has pretty definitively closed the door on future seasons for its beloved Watchmen miniseries or that this summer’s hit Lovecraft Country isn’t a given for season 2. HBO makes its money from subscribers but also by maintaining its identity as a “premium band.” Certain seasons of Game of Thrones notwithstanding, HBO is usually preoccupied first and foremost with quality. Such has been the case for years and such remains the case for now, even as its new parent company WarnerMedia undergoes a grand consolidation via HBO Max. 

With that in mind, it’s possible that the decision-makers at HBO just felt that the story of The Outsider had already been told and any future seasons would only jeopardize what was currently a good thing. Or maybe I’m projecting because that’s what I believe.

I can’t help but react to the news that HBO turned down future seasons of The Outsider with some relief. In its first (and potentially only) season, the show handled its themes and story quite deftly over its 10 allotted episodes. Regardless of whether one thinks the show was good or not, it’s hard to argue with the notion that 10 episodes wasn’t the perfect amount of episodes for the story it had to tell. 

At its core, The Outsider is a simple yarn. A group of individuals in a small, very King-ian Georgia town are confronted with something impossible. Terry Maitland (Bateman) very clearly killed local boy Frankie Peterson. His DNA is all over the scene and surveillance video can track him to the crime easily. And yet, there’s competing evidence that Terry was in another city entirely while the crime was being committed. Cherokee City detective Ralph Anderson (Mendelsohn) must then not only solve an unsolvable case, but slowly come to grips with the fact that there may be such a thing as the boogeyman after all.

Read more

TV

Why The Golden Age Of Stephen King Adaptations Could End

By Don Kaye

When written out like that, the plot of The Outsider actually sounds overly straightforward and maybe even a little boring. And to a certain extent perhaps that’s true. It’s just that the execution of said plot is superb. “Man of science coming to grips with the fantastical” is a tried and true theme in storytelling. Rarely, however, has it been presented so compellingly as it is in The Outsider’s first season. As Cynthia Erivo’s private detective Holly Gibney and many of her allies come to terms with the existence of the mythical “El Coco”, Ralph just can’t bring himself to join them.

Ralph needs more evidence, then more, and more, and more, and more until the truth of things that go bump in the night are almost quite literally staring him in the face. And though that might come across as exasperating in lesser hands, Mendelsohn makes Ralph’s rugged skepticism the show’s greatest special effect. Ralph decided that believing in things bigger than himself was pointless after his son died, so why should he start doing so now just because there seems to be an actual monster on the loose? The journey that Ralph goes on, or more accurately the journey that Holly takes Ralph on, is the centerpiece of The Outsider and the key to all its success.

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Despite one storytelling cliffhanger, The Outsider ends on a thematically definitive note. This was the story of one man choosing to believe again and now that he has that story is over. The nuts and bolts of The Outsider still exist in the show’s continuity: Ralph, Holly, Claude, Yunis, and perhaps even El Coco himself are still out there. But that thematic journey is over and it’s hard to imagine the show conjuring up another nearly as compelling. 

I suppose we’ll see once another networks swoops in to save the show, which one almost certainly will.

The post The Outsider is Better as a One-Season Wonder appeared first on Den of Geek.

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