Recensioni di ianwagnerwatches

This show is a lot of things: it's a visual marvel, bordering on a masterpiece. Arcane is one of the best looking 3D animated television series ever made. It also has a pretty good story (nothing groundbreaking, but certainly engaging). Due to the moderately engaging story, I postponed watching the penultimate episode without realizing it, and did the exact same thing with the final episode. This show leaves a but to be desired in terms of story, and even character development, but it's still a competent story. I think the worldbuilding does a lot of heavy lifting, which isn't a bad thing.

The only thing I seriously dislike about this show is the music. God, I think I actually hate the music. It feels like the music is trying to stand alone, refusing to be part of the "score" and insisting it deserves an award, and yet, it's mediocre. Boring pop rock and pop EDM that feels soulless in its execution, even if it is soulful on paper. The music ruins so many good moments, for me. It ruins the tone, too. I don't like the music. I should have named this review "I don't like the music at all."

This is the most emotionally impactful episodes of television I can recall. I have been destroyed and remade by this episode. There is a modicum of joy, a modicum of self evaluation, and a great piece of true suffering, such that justifies and gives meaning to everything we've been through up until this point. Once uppn a time, I watched this episode during a particularly intense come-up on psychedelics, and it made me feel psychotic. Without any spoilers, this episode made me want to kill a fictional character. That is very rare. In fact, I have never felt that way before. During this psychedelic episode, I watched this episode twice in a row and got something new from it each time. I thought it was 45 minutes long, for all of the development and emotional turmoil it incurred in me. "Angela" is perfection.

We're not all the same. We all suffer, extraordinarily, and suffer to find company for your misery. You don't understand anyone. Noone understands you. But, sometimes you understand another so well that it stops you. You could swallow the whole world in it, the bottomless depths of empathic cries and moans, and that's all there is. That's all there is.

This episode stopped me in my tracks. I sobbed for damn near half an hour. I love these writers, I love these performances, I love it all. The writing finds all the right places to make you laugh and all the hardest places to make you cry. I will remember the feeling that our protagonist felt at the end of this episode. I will remember it for a long time. It almost broke my heart.

A very odd animated film about sex, romance, and (from what I can tell) social masking. The ending is the most bizarre part for me. I have quite a hard time deciphering the symbolism, and that makes it all the more fascinating. The director/animator responsible for King Of Fools has only a few locatable films under his belt, and they're all very well animated, sexually charged, and surprising in their own ways. It seems that King Of Fools is all about the desperation of the insecure and eligible male and the "costumes" they wear to be, or merely appear, competitive in the dating poil. This film is about the complexities and inherent suffering of the mating game for the average human, from the perspective of an animal who idolizes their chosen/ideal mate to such a degree that they must battle themselves just to relate.

There are few short films I have this much to say about. I only just recently discovered Olaf Encke, and I have been equally impressed and perplexed by his work. I recommend it.

I don't like shows that disrespect my time. I watched this with a couple amateur critic friends of mine and we all had the same takeaway: why didn't they make this a feature? The sad fact is we all knew why, there's simply more money is episodic streaming these days. What a shame.

It's impossible to watch this show without thinking about everything I'd cut out. Personally, I'd cut a third of it, bare minimum. The number of times they repeat themselves in this show is infuriating. We spend so much time talking about people doing things that are kinda creepy, alluding to people doing something worse eventually, cutting to someone saying "he seemed like a totally normal guy... then it got weird", then cutting to the same god damned picture of the guy for a fourth time, and then cutting to three years prior and doing it all over again. It drives me nuts waiting for this show to actually go somewhere, and it takes it's sweet, sweet time getting there. Take a look at a mini series that's edited efficiently and professionally like Leaving Neverland and Quiet on Set looks like a school project by comparison. This series is stretched criminally thin, like the script was a highschool essay and the poor kid realized too late that their chosen subject wasn't substantive enough to meet the minimum word count, and the editor didn't leave a single thing on the cutting room floor.

This is what a documentary that lives on fluff looks like, and I don't recommend it. Watch a video essay instead. Unlike this series, a video essay will respect your time.

I gave this film a 6 the first time I saw it, but I'm watching it for the third time, now, and I ahve to ask myself "Why do I keep watching this movie?" The plot seems relatively simple, at times. Deaf girl, bully, romance and tragedy ensues. But I always come back. The music, personally, is the best aspect of this film. Kensike Ushio is brilliant, and I listen to their music regularly. But the story, as simple as it is, always makes me feel something. I always feel the same thing, but it's the feeling itself that has me coming back this third time. A Silent Voice is about the innocent cruelty of youth, the way we look back at ourselves and see foolishness, and the responsibility we have to correct our ignorance as adults. This movie is about learning compassion, learning to let people into your life, learning that all humans deserve love, and accepting that no matter how many mistakes you've made, it's never too late to change and never too late to make a difference. This movie always makes me cry.

Hopefully, other studios will see this series as proof that you CAN make a faithful adaptation of a video game that people will watch and enjoy. Resident Evil tried and failed, Halo tried and failed, Hitman tried and failed, Doom tried and failed, Max Payne tried and failed, but all of the studios behind those awful adaptations simply needed to RESPECT the source material. Throughout this series, I recognized and reveled in the shockingly accurate recreations of settings taken directly from the game, frequently exclaiming (to nobody but myself), "I REMEMBER THIS LEVEL!!!"

The Last Of Us proves that video games can be adapted into film and television without deviation and people will love it. You don't need to add subplots, you don't need to change significant plot points and characters, you just need to care about your source material, the same as any series or film based on a book. Video games can and often do have good stories, and even without the interactivity of a video game, those stories that people fell in love with can be fantastic in any medium. I pray that other studios will watch this series and realize that screwing with the stories their fans love isn't the way to succeed. THIS is the way to succeed: with love, faith, and reverence. The people have noticed, and now the studios will notice.

This is not the sort of series I generally give a 5. Normally, this would be a 6 or a 7. The cinematography is competent, sometimes good. The production and art design is generally pretty good. The writing is more than adequate, it satisfies and more. The performances are probably the best part, they're actually very compelling; in fact, my curiosity tp see Evan Peters in this role is the only reason I gave Dahmer a shot. But, I digress: shows with above average quality normally get an above average rating from me, except in cases where the show had a damaging effect on the world (for example, the South Park episode that accidentally created gingerism), or which deal with sensitive subject matter insensitively and without a necessary level of tact.

Dahmer uses the story of Jeffrey Dahmer for a sensational story with a famous serial killer name brand for extra viewership, but the show never deals with or addresses the effects it might have on the living victims and family of the man himself. I didn't realize this when I started the show, and didn't think too research until halfway through, that Jeffrey Dahmer's parents may still be alive. His father is. I don't know about you, but having seen the series and it's portrayal of Lionel Dahmer, I don't like that one bit. The series never talked to the victims' relatives, either. That's my main issue, but it's a big one. I don't think that you could, in good conscience, make a biopic about a serial killer without talking to the people who live with that trauma every day. It's disrespectful.

As well, I think that the changes made to the true story were often morally questionable, such as the depiction of Steven Hicks' murder, which was made significantly less egregious and unjustifiable than the true story. It's not like they made it seem reasonable; but certainly less deranged and much more understandable given the context. I think that the gruesome and horrifying details this show occasionally decides to dance around would make an equally compelling story that the semi truth they choose to tell, and therefore I cannot see any good reason behind it. Even more egregious is the fictional depiction of Jeffrey Dahmer and Tony Hughes as having a reltionship, when in fact Tony was killed just like all the others: the night they met Jeffrey. I found this fabricated friendship between the two to be grossly inappropriate and wholly unnecessary. They could have invented a fake person, instead of distorting the image and life of a real human victim.

I have no doubt this story was made with the victims at it's heart, but many questionable choices were made that seem antithetical to that heart. As well, the show was kind of boring toward the end, so yeah. 5/10.

Hardcore Henry is an action film, and it shares most of the flaws that action films do, except for a gimmick: first person perspective. However, the creators of Hardcore Henry committed to that simple concept with a level of clarity that elevates the work and makes it truly unique.

What I find truly impressive is how much more real everything feels from a first person perspective. Every chase scene feels real, every gunfight, every visceral punch just looks and feels so right. Using a gopro for the entire film doesn't lend itself well to a beautiful image, but committing to such a concept anchors it in reality, and that's the important thing. As well, the main character is a mute, which immediately cals to mind the silent FPS protagonist, and allows the viewer to imprint upon them. It's fantastic.

I'm not going to talk about what doesn't work, because it's the same problems most action flicks have: it's unrealistic, it's goofy, it has too much music, and it's story isn't terribly well written or interesting. But it looks damn good, and it feels damn good, and that's all I care about. I wish there were more movies like this.

Jordan Peele has been a surprisingly talented director since his debut, and this film is as good as any fan would expect. Nope is a science fiction thriller, and the protrayal of the science fiction concepts therein is compelling, though not perfectly implemented if you think too hard about it. Overall, it's well performed, well shot, well written, blah blah blah Jordan Peele is a perfectly competent director, most of what he did is good. My main problems with this film were the lack of a denouement, a few moments that demand an unreasonable suspension of disbelief, and the unaddressed implications of the UFO phenomena portrayed. It's still a good film, but it's no Get Out.

Shows that are good for the whole family are very, very difficult. Most of them are great for children and terrible for everybody else. The very concept of the "family" genre is generally a false pretense. However, Avatar is truly a show for the whole family.

Very few episodes, if any, can be considered filler. The homage and love of Asian culture is evident and will certainly provoke educational questions in a young mind, and the theme and learning lesson in each episode is more or less directly stated, but restrained enough that any child can take something from it and few adults will be irritated by it.

The world building isn't perfect, but it's damn close. The viewer is consistently fed enough images of the greater world that it's inner workings are plenty without evoking endless questions. Oh, it will evoke questions: "Why din't they just make an ice bridge? Why doesn't the avatar just fly everybody away?" It'll happen, but unlike many fantastical series, it won't ruin your experience. For example, my question (as always, at this point) is why aren't there guns? Why is the fire nation, a nation that has access to incredibly advanced technology and machinery, still using trebuchets on their warships? There's no answer to that question, but unlike most shows, I easily forget this question. In general, everything works cohesively enough that it's easy for an unreasonably skeptical adult such as myself to forget their misgivings and enjoy the story.

Oh my gosh, the sound design? It's perfect. It's consistently perfect. It's no easy task to make the process of manipulating water, fire, sand, rock, and lightning sound natural, and this show does it flawlessly. The fact that few people even think about the sound design is a testament to how convincing it is.

The story is good. Actually, it's REALLY good. I don't even want to take the time to dive deeply, it's just really good. The characters are great, the visual storytelling is superb. It takes you back to a time when animators drew everything. Sure, there's plenty of 3D effects and assets to help out, but this show feels genuine and innately human in its animation style. I can feel the time that every frame took, and that's important.

Overall, as far as American TV-Y7 rated shows go, this and Spongebob Squarepants have to be the best. Seriously. Give it your time, you won't be disappointed.

I'm only going to talk about one thing, and that's the sound design. The mix is so awful, so inconsistent and distracting that I had to look it up. I thought I was doing something wrong, but it turns out that director Michael Mann micromanaged the sound mix, and it really shows. Sound effects are always way too loud, the dialogue is usually too low, and every single layer seems to change volume at will, and if you want to hear any of the dialogue without being deafened by the gunfire, you better keep your hand on that volume button at all times. Just awful.

The rest if the movie's good. Not great, but decent.

I was extremely surprised to find out that Francis Ford Coppola directed this film, not because it's below the standards I expect from him, but because it is really well directed. It's rare that a movie can be so well directed and so bad at the same time. It's hard to pinpoint the exact problem here, until you realize it's all in the writing: moreover, the story. Robin Williams does everything he can for this character, and the story does not reciprocate. The entire cast is a success, in fact. I generally loathe child actors, but these ones are almost believable; Jennifer Lopez nailed a lot of nuanced beats and really surprised me; Bill Cosby was incredibly endearing, despite all of his horrible crimes. The shots and storytelling behind the camera, save for a couple janky inserts, is effective. Yeah, the more I think about it, the clearer this case of bad writing becomes. Not a bad premise, but the execution is hit or miss at best and the ending is woefully dissatisfying. All I needed to know is what he wrote for that essay, but we didn't get it. What a shame.

There is something uniquely charming about predicitve science fiction films: while there are often many surprising paralleled to the fictional world and modern day, there are just as many hilarious blunders. I don't know about you, seeing wealthy people in the year 2022 playing Asteroids and on a behemoth of a machine with a disproportionateely tiny screen simply puts a smile on my face. And yet, it does not remove me from the world, but better informs me of the world through the context and time period of the film's production. "We're playing Asteroids in 2022?" I say, in awe. "What a world we are living in." 1973's Soylent Green, adapted from the 1966 novel Make Room! Make Room! By the phenomenally named Harry Harrison, paints a picture of a dystopian future where famine and overpopulation defined a generation in one if the densest cities on planet Earth: New York City. I think it paints this picture well.

The characters are engaging, and their struggles are relatable. In particular, Thorn and Roth's relationship is heartwarming and effectively understated. The essence of stageplay in the dialogue and intimate character moments do the tone and story of Soylent Green many favors. The camera seems most comfortable in wide shots in this film. Not my favorite style, but typical of the era.

The sound design was surprisingly mediocre: this is most noticeable in the scoop scene, which features bizarrely sparse and illogical footstep sounds. In general, most scenes in this film feature has poor levelling, noticeably missing or out of sync footsteps and foley, or the absence of essential sounds: things like cloth foley, bodies thudding, etc. The sound in this film usually does the job, but it is noticeable more often than it should be.

Overall, Soylent Green seems to me a sci-fi classic. It makes a point and makes it well.

Review date: 2014.

Animation was ok, art was pretty good, soundtrack was very good, story was great, narrative was really great, characters were wonderul, and it was surprisingly original.

For an action-adventure story, this s*** was pretty damn good. It was a simple shoot 'em up type anime, but it wasn't a mindless one. This is how you do an action anime.

Review date: 2014

Animation was great, art was simple but unique, soundtrack was very good, story was very good (though not entirely original), narrative was really great, characters were fantastic.

First off, I loved that the females clearly have noses. They barely exist in the world of anime. Anyways, after having watched both the subbed and dubbed versions of Steins;Gate, I am thoroughly happy with almost everything about this series. A delightful set-up with lovable and dynamic characters, a wonderul soundtrack, many honest and even educational themes, a deep and evocative story, and a powerful narrative with great voice actors. But, to be honest, I've seen plenty of great anime that do those things. To me, the areas in which this anime truly shines beyond the rest is in it's perfection; it simply lacks error. I have always been a man who finds every little problem and every detail, analyzing them and using them to form a more detail-oriented opinion. However, I must say that throughout this entire anime, almost every question was answered and everything fit together without error. After watching it a second time, I saw there was one thing that wasn't explained, but I think I figured out the explanation myself, so it doesn't bother me much. When it comes to continuity, this anime is number one, especially when it comes to sci-fi, and even more especially when it comes to time travel sci-fi. This is the most well thought out and put together time travel story that I can remember seeing in my entire life.

Reciewed: 2011

Animation was great, art was wonderful, soundtrack was nostalgic, story was great, narrative was truly phenomenal, characters were really great, and it was very original.

I don't think I've ever seen a supernatural story that takes place during the prohibition, and I love it. The best quality of this anime is by far the narrative; the characters were perfect, the voice acting was exemplary, and the character development combined with the anachronism was spectacular. This anime has earned the closest rating to perfection that I've ever given and currently holds the title of both the best anime I've ever seen and of my favorite anime. Truly incredible.

Animation was phenomenal, art was very good, soundtrack was interesting, story was beyond impressive, narrative was good, characters were pretty good, and it was incredibly original.

This series told a cyberpunk story unlike any other I have experienced before. Though the anime's animation and narrative was pretty mediocre at times, the story was incredibly complex, detailed, and intellectually engaging. The movies had remarkable animation, especially for its time. Overall, the series was revolutionary and had an impact on the sci-fi industry the marks of which are evident to this day.

Incredible animation, beautiful art, fascinating cyberpunk narrative and action. Watch it. Watch it now.

Avoid the 2008 "2.0" version like the plague. Seriously.

Review Date: 2013

Haruhi Suzumiya = 7.8 "Uniquely Delightful"

animation was great, art was ok, soundtrack was mediocre but lovable, story was pretty great, the narrative was great, characters were good, and it was very yet inexplicably original.

The series was consistently fun and charming, telling a relatively unique supernatural/highschool story with metaphysical themes about perception and God with a silly and stretched yet truly intriguing premise, tying it all together in a way that I find hard to describe. A phenomenal series that currently holds the place of my second favorite anime, if we pretend season 2 never happened. I'd give it an 8, but season 2 was a piece of sh**, and I mean sh**. With the exception of season 2, it's more than likely I will be rewatching this series over and over again. Pure happiness.

"Berzerk: The Golden Age Arc I-III" = 7.9

It's not often that I find myself rooting for a man to slaughter people, for any reason. And yet, I never stopped rooting for Guts once. The Berzerk films sport a thoroughly engaging dark fantasy narrative, supported by entertaining and well animated action scenes. This series effortlessly glides between very funny and very serious, whichever it's trying to be at any given moment. The only real problem I have is that the dialogue can be really cheesy, clunky, if not simply detached from reality. Chalk it up to the translation, I suppose. Regardless, this film series is the sort of thing I show to people who think anime is silly, nothing but Dragon Balls and Narootoes, and it rarely fails to open minds to this huge world of animated cinema.