aobo33 Reviews

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

"A New Hope" is not the Star Wars I want to see

[6/10 · 19 June 2019]

(Short Review) Here is something that George Lucas does not seem to understand about film: Movies DO get finished--they are finished when they are published to theaters (whether Mr. Lucas likes it or not), and finished movies are relics of the time in which they were first released into the world. I am not a Star Wars fan, and I probably never will be, because I am alienated by the definitive so-called "special" editions and I will never get past the fact that I can never, ever see the first film in its original form. A film (as well as its subsequent sequels) so pervasive and inescapable in American pop culture should not be tampered with at the whims of one man's "vision."

Watching "A New Hope," the obvious edits are very jarring and distracting, and it is frustrating to know that there may be several more alterations that I didn't notice because I can never compare it to the original. I can never evaluate the film "Star Wars" because, for all intents and purposes, it doesn't exist anymore. Who knows what rating I would give it? "A New Hope" is only a defiled remnant of what is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, and for that it only deserves a 6 at best.

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)

Fun moments, but not a great film; substantially overhyped

[5/10 · 14 June 2019]

(Theater impressions--short review) Semi-casual Pokémon fan here--played through a few of the games (never played Detective Pikachu), watched the anime as a kid, but not super invested in the franchise. A lot of people seem to be giving this movie high ratings. Detective Pikachu is not without merit, but the film's good points (namely, Ryan Reynold's performance, some good humor, some nice character interaction and overall high production values) are unfortunately outweighed by its bad points (namely, a needlessly and hopelessly convoluted plot, hit-or-miss performances from the remaining cast, some jokes that didn't land, some heavy-handed dialogue and some poor character interaction, and lack-luster CGI). The film is overall inconsistent in tone; it doesn't seem to really know who it's for or what it wants to be. I had fun watching the film with my friends in the theater (who are also familiar with Pokémon), but if you're unfamiliar with Pokémon or if you're watching it on your own on the small screen it might not quite be an enjoyable experience.