(Movie) Shoot for the Moon...A look at the Tale of Princess Kaguya

For anyone who knows me, I absolutely love Studio Ghibli (Pronounced Jib-Lee,) films. One of them actually features on my top five favourite films of all time. (Which I probably won't review because I couldn't analyse them critically. It'd be like trying to decide which child is your favourite. You just can't do it.)

In any case, the Tale of Princess Kaguya follows the story of a girl who was found in a bamboo stalk. Her adopted family was gifted with beautiful clothes and gold and thus was lead to become nobility.

It's a tale of rags to riches, with a twist.

Story/Dialogue: Having watched this in Japanese dub, I found myself enthralled in the story that I don't think the English dub could have compared to. Each character is well rounded and though you don't really remember most of the names of the characters (The only ones I really remembered were Kaguya and Sutemaru,) each one plays their part perfectly. The story itself is powerful and Kaguya is a fantastic character to follow. She's so earnest but doesn't allow even the Emperor of Japan to walk all over her.

Animation: For those of you who are familiar with Studio Ghibli's works, this was a bold step in a different direction to their other works. Princess Kaguya feels more like a moving storybook, with each of the characters moving with a slow, deliberate grace. It's arguably the most human animation I've ever seen.

Audio: Joe Hisaishi. That guy could make white noise sound beautiful. From the 13 stringed Koto to the fusion of Japanese and Western instruments to the beautiful, sad song that reminds us to live as nature does. It overwhelms you and makes you feel a part of something bigger. It puts a soft light on your inner demons and makes them weep. I have never been more moved than listening to his music.

Overall: This movie was outstanding. From the beautiful animation to the well rounded characters and the passion that went into this movie, I would be doing the world an injustice if I didn't give this movie 5 stars.

Final Thoughts: I feel as though the only reason this movie lost out to Big Hero 6 is because the Western World relates to Big Hero 6 than Princess Kaguya.
Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE Big Hero 6. I won't even review it because I love it so much.
However, I feel that by such a beautiful and intimate piece of culture being set aside for something more familiar, we're doing the movie a disservice. Frankly, it's like taking a cake that someone makes you and smooshing it against their face.
So please, if you haven't seen it, I insist you do.


Feel free to drop me a line and share your thoughts with me on this movie.
What's your favourite Studio Ghibli film??

(Movie) A New Kind of Class.....a look at Kingsman: The Secret Service

Never in my life did expect to see the classiness of James Bond combined with the hyper violence of Kick-Ass.

Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin is a young man who excels at everything he does, including getting into trouble. Upon being arrested, he calls the number on the medal his father was honoured with in order to get out of trouble.

Thus Eggsy falls into the world of Kingsman, a high class independent international spy agency.

With that out of the way, let's finish our Guinness and get to the review.

Story/Dialogue: This story was rich with characters that were likeable and charming. Even the villain was hard not to like. One of the most notable things was that the plan was fleshed out gradually. There was no telling of the master plan until close to the end when there wasn't much time.
Eggsy is a ballsy, charming character who thinks on his feet, but his reluctance to trust makes for a well rounded character.
I honestly would have liked to see Roxy have a bit more background, though I can understand why they didn't add that.
The best part was the fact that Eggsy and Roxy's relationship was platonic or at least they saw each other as comrades.

Cinematography: This movie was shot brilliantly. The angles during the fight scenes forced you to the edge of your seat and gave you a grand sense of scale, even in the tiniest of rooms.The colours were rich and intense, the same way Bryan Fuller shoots his tv series. I enjoyed seeing the contrast between hero and villain organisations. Where Valentine's scenes were full of shadows, reds and purples, the Kingsman's headquarters were restrained. Tortoiseshell, greens, golds and woodgrain.

Audio: One of the key things about the audio that I enjoyed was the transition from, 'Bonkers' to something more refined and grand. It really added to Eggsy's character. When the music plays around a character's development and it contrasts to the scene itself, it makes the overall feel all the more intense. Tarantino does that a lot in his films and it was nice to see someone take his approach.

Overall: This movie was astounding. It's hard to critically analyse a movie when you're so immersed in it. You want to like the characters, you want to laugh and you want to sit on the edge of your seat to see what happens next. Sometimes it's not about putting butts on seats, it's about how close to the edge of the seat you can get the audience.

5 stars.

Feel free to comment and discuss and/or fangirl with me about this film.

(Movie ) Gotta go fast! A look at Maze Runner

Having read the book before watching the movie made me realise two things:

1. Some books that weren't all that great end up translating poorly into movies, making them worse.

2. When a poor movie portrays things better than a poor book, you know you messed up.

Thomas is a young man who ends up in the centre of a maze with a group who have already established a community there. In three days he makes friends, enemies and becomes a Runner. Runners are highly respected as they go into the moving maze to work out how to escape.

With this in mind, let's assess the key points of this film.

Note: This review will not be based on comparisons to the book, but rather how well the film works. 

Story/Dialogue: This film stands on its own as well as a puppet without a hand. On its own, it creates a world where we do not really develop attachments to Thomas or his friends, nor fear for their lives when they try to face off against the threat that they face. Without the attachment, it's difficult to invest emotionally in characters who often come off as one dimensional (Though this isn't necessarily the fault of the actors, but rather the writing,) Also, deliberately leaving out exposition so that you can possibly cash in on a sequel makes for terrible endings. As a result, the audience doesn't really care who they are or where they go or why they're special. 

Cinematography: Visually, it's all post-apocalyptic, so it looks as though they asked a monkey to throw condiments (Mainly consisting of BBQ sauce and that weird green tomato sauce from Heinz) at a wall to see what would happen. It did not so much create the illusion of 3D but rather that, 'bolted to a wall,' kind of feeling. The one that makes you realise that beneath all the attempt at flashy looking structures, lies a lot of lime green walls. The creators would have had more luck using the game engine that was used to create the Halo games. Also, the light wrapping was shoddy. Light wrapping (for those who don't know the industry,) is a digital simulation of light to show how the light interacts with an object. It also shows how shadows would be positioned when the light hits the object. The moment where Thomas and Minho were walking down the bridge near the exit to the maze was an example of poor light wrapping.

Audio: The lack of music didn't so much as create a sense of vastness within the maze as it did create a sense of nothing going on. With that said, I enjoyed the drums as they were running through the maze, which not only attempted to create a tense atmosphere, but also simulated a driving heartbeat. 

Overall: In an industry where a lot of half baked ideas are getting thrown at a wall to see what sticks, this is up there. It comes off less like a post apocalyptic story and more like an event (an event is the style of movie created by Michael Bay, in which things happen, yet there's no really story,), yet there were fewer explosions. It was like a lighthearted version of Lord of the Flies. Actually, if you want to watch something great, watch Lord of the Flies. Brilliant, intense and a much better alternative to a post apocalyptic version of Big Brother.

2 stars.

Author's note: Feel free to share your thoughts on the film with me. I'm more than happy to discuss with you. Same goes for my other reviews.

(Movie) Pursuit of Knowledge....a look at the Theory of Everything

When people think of Stephen Hawking, they think of the guy who sounds like the voice function you used to find on older computers that you could make say stupid things like, 'lololololol' and 'pass the salt, you peasant.'

However, Dr. Hawking is much more than that. This biopic not only shows how his theory of everything came into being, but also the challenges he faced being set upon the path.

Story/Dialogue: This story of triumph and tribulation shows yet another perfect example of the Gap. Things progressively getting worse, pressure rising, etc. You really felt more and more heartbroken as time went on. 

With that said, as a story it doesn't really finish (to be fair though, Hawking is still alive, so the story is not technically over,) so it leaves an opening for a possible sequel.

It was a piece that grips your heart in a fist and squeezes it to remind you that you still feel things.

Cinematography: Watching the beautiful colours show a rich, golden hue around the border of the screen and watching it progressively bleed out over time is one of my favourite parts of this movie. A visual representation of positive-negative/ vice versa in storytelling. Visually, this movie was wonderful.

Audio: This score made me feel the immense vastness and emptiness of space. It also managed to fill those spaces with brief moments of triumphant fanfares and smooth jazz pieces. It really added to the time frame.

Overall: Watching Hawking's descent into a mind trapped in a non moving body is like watching a star die. Beautiful and sad. I couldn't help but fall into the infinite of this person's passion and determination to keep working even after he'd heard the news. Powerful and moving.

4 and a half stars.

(Movie) Taken too far? A look at Taken 3

Not many people will know this, but I absolutely love Luc Besson. He's like a well read Michael Bay. Someone who has a decent storyline, colourful characters and many an explosion.

However, his latest movie has left me wondering about whether or not his skills as a writer are in question, or if Hollywood still has an awful habit of messing with the creativity of the rest of the industry.

Bryan Mills is on the run from the police after being accused of murder, while trying to find the real culprit.

Storyline/Dialogue: The reason a cinema will give you a refund after the first 10-15 minutes is because that's how long it takes for humans to get invested in the film. Normally, I would have walked out before that time had elapsed with this movie. While it's a somewhat important part to the story, I struggle to connect with any of his family members or old workmates. It's like Bryan himself beat the character out of them. For example, what happened to Kim's singing with that somewhat famous person? Do Sam and Bryan's other mates (Whose names I don't think are disclosed during the movie,) do anything while Bryan's not around? It just feels like they sit around and wait for him to cause trouble. It's because Bryan is such a central character that anyone else feels like a plot device, rather than an actual character and that concerns me greatly. I feel like I would care a lot more about these characters if I knew more about them other than them simply being bait so that Bryan can go do his CIA badassery. Furthermore, the ending was atrocious! It felt as though nothing was really resolved and there was no emotional payoff. I want to see a killer brought to the justice I expect of Bryan Mills when he is out for blood, damnit!

Cinematography: Visually, this movie hurt my eyes. I felt as though my retinas would have had the image of Bryan beating on nameless thug #200 burned onto them. I'm amazed I can still see after all that. I did however like how the over shoulder shots attempted to create a sense of dread at what he was to find. It felt like an advertisement for California, rather than a feature film. Personally, all it told me was that I'd be better off filming when it's less bright. If I were to film there. Which I don't plan to.

Audio: This movie knows that sometimes, silence creates more atmosphere than a track could. With that said, its track weren't all that memorable. I love how some music in some scores will just randomly come back to you. I have already forgotten most of the score in this film.

Overall: The first movie, was fantastic. It really stuck with me that a person will do as much as humanly (Or in Bryan's case, inhumanly,) possible. Something with a primal theme such as the desire to protect the ones you love really resonates with the audience. However, the next two movies seemed to lose their way. This last one especially. I can't abide poor storytelling nor terrible dialogue. This movie was as bad as the movie in which Neeson played an air marshall.

I give this movie two stars.

(Movie) A plethora of chaos....a look at Birdman

Admittedly throughout the film I found myself thoroughly lost. This film is critically acclaimed and I struggled to grasp what it was really about.  Does that make me stupid? I wouldn't think so. 

A washed up actor is trying to make himself relevant in current society by performing a Broadway adaptation of a book. When he realises that he can only get his big break when he gives himself a break, that's when he finds freedom.

Story/Dialogue: This movie shows what it'd be like to be on a Broadway stage. Thing is, you've got so many people trying to be profound and relevant that in the end, none of them were. It was like the only way to be original or to stand out was to do something absolutely crazy and only then can you break this cycle of normality. The story felt real. Too real. Like the harshness of cold water waking you from your sleepy dream world.

Cinematography: Visually, this movie was....surreal. I liked how they portrayed the duality of power and insanity. It made me question Reggin's mindset. I enjoyed the lighting which gave it an almost 'Noir' kind of feel, especially during the night scenes. (Ask me sometime about why the Mask is one of my top 5 favourite movies.) I had to question some of the camera decisions, however, like the moment that they leave it on a hallway for an overly long amount of time.It didn't feel like a nothing moment, (One of those moments you'd find in a Studio Ghibli film where the plot is not continued, but things are still happening.) It felt like an odd design choice.

Audio: I enjoyed the drum solos, that represented the clashing of thoughts in his mind. I can understand and relate to that. The music, though it featured a lot of classical pieces, did not stand out as much as I would have liked.

Overall: This movie had me wondering what the hell I was watching. If nothing else, this movie has tremendous rewatch value, especially for the analysis of the movie and possibly to work out what the heck is going on. Word of advice, don't watch this with the expectation of it being a superhero movie. It's not.

3 stars. 

(Classic)(Movie) It's getting hot in here....so call off all your cops! A Look at Some Like it Hot.

Sometimes you watch a movie and ask yourself, 'who comes up with this stuff? What kind of experiences did they have in order to make something like this?' I know I've had this thought many a time, especially regarding movies such as the Human Centipede and Funny People, which frankly, wasn't all that funny.

In this particular movie, two musicians witness a murder committed by the mob and escape by touring in Florida with a band. The twist? It's an all women band. So they have to go undercover to hide from the mob.

According to the American Film Institute, this movie has been regarded as the greatest American comedy film of all time.

Story/Dialogue: It's nice to see simple, yet witty dialogue in a film. I found myself laughing when I expected to keep a straight face through most of it. Another thing I found striking was the fact that the mob didn't play as big a part in the film as I expected. I got so caught up in the chaos that followed as Joe and Jerry arrived in Florida that I completely forgot about the mob. So when they arrived I found myself floundering, partly with nervousness, but also partly with excitement for what was to come. This is a good example of the 'Gap.' The gap is the escalation of a situation. I found myself thrilled by the thought that they may get caught and how any of the parties (Mob, conductor of the band or even Sugar would react.)

And that ending....oh man. I've seen screen captures, but I didn't realise that it came from this movie.

Cinematography: This film is in black and white, yet I found the quality of the picture allowed a step back in time rather than a hindrance. The matte paintings for the visual effects were simple and did their job.

Audio: I had one question regarding this particular area. Did they dub the maracas? That was literally the only thing that bugged me. I know it's really nitpicky, but it really bothered me. Other than that, Marilyn Monroe has a terrific voice.

Overall: This movie found my funny bone and made me appreciate the writing of the golden age of cinema. Normally, I would have written it off as simple and dull, but I delighted in its simplicity. Overall, this movie earned its five stars. I know I said that the maraca dubbing bothered me, but the overall brilliance of this movie far outweighs such a minor detail.