Change Your Image
![](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjQ4MTY5NzU2M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDc5NTgwMTI@._V1_SY100_SX100_.jpg)
grandascent
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try again![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNGNhMDIzZTUtNTBlZi00MTRlLWFjM2ItYzViMjE3YzI5MjljXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzkwMjQ5NzM@._V1_SX86_CR0,0,86,86_.jpg)
Some of these are still good and easily viewable. Others are somewhat mediocre. But some fall way bellow that standard.
I'll add more movie to the list overtime, but feel free to mention any mvoies you think are overrated.
Reviews
Star Trek (2009)
I don't think there is a word in Klingon to describe how bad this is.
What do you get when you mix the Original Star Trek with Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and J. J. Abrams? An incoherent mess of a movie. Highly resembling the manic chaos that is the Michael Bay, Transformer movies.
The first and obvious thing that is notable about this film is the absolute train wreck visuals. This film features: slanted angles, shaky-cam, light glares, strobing lights and loud very music. It's all used to make things appear more fast-paced and exciting but it makes the whole movie feel a lot less distinct and memorable. It includes the kind of quick editing which misses out all the intermittent scenes which would make the movie flow as a whole. The movie loves to get painfully close to people's faces to the point where it feels like an invasion of privacy.
The second thing to draw would be the awful plot and writing, courtesy of the dumb and dumber pair of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. With such unbelievable lines as "a supernova that threatens the entire galaxy" it becomes clear that these two think the audience is as dumb as they are. Once against the Earth is in danger from some bold megalomaniac person from the Romulan empire. Any Star Trek fan will instantly recognise this as the plot from the last movie, Star Trek Nemesis. So not content from trying to rip-off some of the plot from one of the worst Star Trek movies up until this one, what else can they steal? Well it's been noted already by many at how this movie seems to heavily resemble the Star Wars franchise. More specifically; A New Hope. But where A New Hope had groundbreaking special effects. With unique aspects interwoven to capture people's imagination, like the force. This movie has nada.
Onto the characters we have James.T.Kirk; a roguish, womanising, law-breaking, fun-times kinda guy who cleans up his act by the end of the movie. Yep his character is reduced to Tony Stark from Iron Man(2008). But where you have the quick thinking and smooth charm of Robert Downey Jr to back up that character. We get a rather flat Chris Pine for a Kirk. John Cho from Harold & Kumar fame plays Mr Sulu but lacks the extravagant voice to match George Takei's original interpretation. Instead Sulu is reduced to being the guy who can swing a sword and do cool Asian martial arts. Anton Yelchin's Chekov has some pretty funny and unconvincing sounding Russian accent here, but he fills the role adequately. Zoe Zadana plays a rather bitchy Uhura who is made a tacked-on love interest. Simon Pegg pulls of the most lively and wonderful performance as Scotty. He carries an enthusiasm for the situation and the general surroundings which make it seem all the more believable that he loves his craft. Zachary Quinto plays a fairly good Spock who is far more emotional than Leonard Nimoy's own Spock. But I was a little disappointed with the lack of famous Spock eyebrow raising which always happened to make him seem quite human but also perplexed at the same time. Quinto's voice just doesn't hold that cold, rigid firmness that Vulcans and Spock in particular, are noted for. Carl Urban is pretty good as Bones, he really makes it believable that he and Jim are good friends. His franticness really make his character the most believable in the role of a medical officer. Eric Bana plays Nero who just feels like nothing more than a stomping angry figure then a complex and clever villain that Trek has been known for. Lastly there is Leonard Nimoy who is the only one of the Original series cast to reprise their role in this picture and yet he feels rather underused. In fact his dialogue is pretty bad and he cobbles such eye-rolling sentiments as "destiny" in the scenes which are a clear sort of pass-the-torch moments. A far more uninvolved Spock which is counterintuitive to the old stubborn ambassador who enters any and all situations to achieve his ambitious but well-thought ends.
This is a bad movie, not because it loses its adherence to the old Trek. After all the old Star Trek has produced its own fill of bad movies. No the movie is bad because it lacks intelligence, cohesion, good characters and memorable acting on the whole.
Perhaps next time, instead of trying to copy elements for the most widest and blandest adaptation. They should try to look at all the good Star Trek series and moments. To try bring about what was actually unique and special about the franchise. Rather than reduce it to this stupid, tumble-heap of a movie mess.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)
A heart of latinum, and a small one at that.
By far the single most overrated series that the Star Trek franchise has ever produced. For something that has been praised for taking the franchise in a new dark direction, it must also be guilty of sacrificing some of the chief tenets that the series was supposed to be about.
Now during the first few seasons the show bore false promises of exploration with a new wormhole to a new unchartered part of space. Such was the way in the series of boldly going where no man has gone before. Much like Voyager it Starfleet officers and members of other factions to create a mismatch crew aboard a space station. Of course the space station was the indication of things, as they attempted to create a more grounded series which attempted to delve into the woes of two races; the Cardassians and the Bajorans.
The cast consisted of; Benjamin Sisko a bereaved husband and father who eventually becomes the most battle-hardy but hypocritical captain ever. Jazdia Dax; a smarmy know-it-all who was really just a rehashed Guinan. Chief O'Brien who was an underused character in TNG only to find himself suffering in increasingly pointless ways.Dr Bashir; a genetically enhanced individual with the flaws of egotism which made him feel right at home with the cast. Constable Odo; a stern changeling who is torn in his loyalties. The least of course is Major Kira Nerys; a former terrorist who is incredulously privy to Starfleet tech and is repeatedly called "sir" despite the alternative "ma'am". All these characters were not without incredible amounts of hypocrisy and arrogance, with O'Brien to a lesser extent. They were all uninteresting and boring characters who laboured under the mundane conditions of working in a space station nowhere they would make their annoyed and snooty characters pronounced. Then came relaxation time when they would would huddle into their own little pairings which detracted from any feeling of a united crew and restricted the interaction between the crew members significantly.
The greatest failings were evident when it was the minor characters who were the more likable ones. With their charm and earnest it was Garak and Quark among the few that stood out. Though they were increasingly belittled by the main cast and made to feel their blunt wrath and annoyance they carried on with grace and diligence. Then there was Gul Dukat the antagonist from the start. He too was made to feel the hostility from a group so beneath him in zeal and yet in the later series he grew to be a very powerful antagonist who made the failed Bajoran-prophet story, flesh out and have some semblance of meaning.
The first few seasons were very uneventful until the introduction of the founders. At this point the show made with the agenda of closing of the wormhole. That's right, they wanted to do away with exploration. However, they were perfectly content to explore to mundane nature of the Bajorans. The villains early on (Cardasians) served to create very petty tension and were otherwise largely ineffective. Due to the annoying and unalien nature of the Bajorans. There was never anything interesting about these religious elements. Instead they became tedious elements to involve Sisko with powerful energy being known as the Prophets who despite their best efforts of conservation, felt totally unalien much like the Bajorans.
But they now had to deal with the dominion governed by a race who's goals were simple but lacked any of the charisma of Dukat. Or the iconic threat that the Borg posed. They used an army of genetically-engineered soldiers. Who shared this trait of being devoid of anything interesting or worth noting. The Vorta were another serving race who were made to be subservient but as smarmy and two-faced as the Ferengi. But whilst they were usually non-threatening. They definitely helped put a face on otherwise bland enemy.
The show was able to have some good episodes showcasing the seriousness in all things war related. But the price of which became extensively of past ideals. Sisko was willing to abet the murder of a senator and yet apposed Section 31 who's methods would not have been so similar. That episode (In the Pale Moonlight) is hailed as one of the best. When in fact, it was one of the most disgusting perversions the franchise had undertaken. Sisko was a hypocrite and it was not his first time that he had done such "dark" things. There was the time in "for the uniform" where Sisko went out of his way to persecute the Marquis, even breaking his Star Fleet code. Even to argue that ideals must be balanced with reality. We would see that justice still exists as part of the equation. To avoid the corruption and crimes that Sisko would continue to carry out.
The Marquis were a very interesting element but the show. Found themselves being juggled like many plates. As a result the Marquis storyline finished on a rather timid note. By having so many threads running it became a detriment to the series for most of it's run such as having a major war, With only a very few confrontations only to dabble back into the tediously retreaded grounds, like the Bajorans Had they put more focus into the story lines in one season. They might have come to full fruition. But instead they became terribly wasted opportunities.
The show reached it's peak at season 4 and then began to decline into eventual antics such as holosuite episodes. The war which started as a cold war ignited only to be felt half-heartedly as something requiring a quick bulletin update before the mundane procedures of the station needed to be carried out.
This show drew the franchise into a deep trough thanks to the fans which may have hastened it's demise. It is the ultimate proof that fans can drag a franchise to it's knees.
Dragon Booster (2004)
Control the dragon control the world
Dragons. Now and for a long time a popular mythical creature. It has been fairly common for fantasy settings to involve controlling and taming these beasts. The idea of riding a flying, armoured fire breather is quite appealing.
Dragon booster however takes this idea to the next level. The dragons for one aren't the most typical class you would expect. In this universe dragons are lizard like horses as well as raptors, hued in the full spectrum. But what makes these dragons truly magical is their ability to use electromagnetism including high tech gear.
These dragons are used in a variety of competitions in all shapes an sizes.
What makes dragon booster different is dragons are used for racing as well as fighting. This makes things nice an even with races being just as exciting as fighting and means the skills for both are translatable.
Here humans and dragons live together but there is a threat that dragons and humans would go to war. The heroes are generally about unison and teamwork with he dragons and each other.
The character are generally a goofy fun bunch but a lot of them do show signs of complexity.
The whole show is full cg cell shaded which makes everything stand out quite well.
Plot did move along nicely and the characters were always gaining something even the villains.
Dragon booster is really successful in making its own mythos with the idea of mag energy being as tied in with the world as the force in star wars. The long winding city with massive pitfalls and bright neon lights is certainly something. Along with the massive array of varied dragon types and designs.
Unfortunately this show was doomed before it could truly mature. But the conclusion of dragon booster it was the final in entering the next stage of their evolution. They had all hyped up about this next stage which sadly never came to fruition.
As a show its fairly good but its really sad to think what could have been.
Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijô-ban: Air/Magokoro wo, kimi ni (1997)
The End if only.
The actual anime Neon Genesis Evangelion was chock full of problems. Budgeting, animation, writing and progression to name a few.
But this movie was an attempt at one final trip through the mad world of this show. One final attempt at giving what was supposed to be an explanation to the chaos.
In that regards this movie was both a catastrophic failure and a glorious victory. This movie was as true to the anime as possible. It began virtually before the infamous last two episodes. It carries the massive flaws of the anime such as the plot threads and te characters. Along with increasingly abstract use of art. The animation scenes were all wonderfully drawn and done. It was a real spectacle.
Imploring techniques such as real life footage intermingled with the madness. The music is so emotional tuned it is astounding. From the unfitting cheerful music when people are screaming. To the piano keys playing in those lonely scenes.
It gave the best explanation to the psychological problems of Shinji in such a relatively clear way with a monologue which cleverly took the approach not to show shinji during those times. It was as if Shinji would have been speaking out to the audience or actually occupying his cerebrum.
Unfortunately the film goes sour with all the problems the series faced and some quite new to the film.
One is the infamous Shinji/Asuka hospital scene. It is an example of a near out of character inappropriate moment. Shinji has never even looked at lad mags and was crowded with very open attractive females he never saw much interest in, found himself overcome over a comatose comrade. I mean there is a time and place.
A lot of other characters don't really get the good send of at all. They abruptly end up deceased without a chance to express sentiments other than the ones out of the anime. Its as bad as x-men 3. It gets worse by the fact their deaths are unrequited later on such as Shinji failing to get his act together.
The selfish and ridiculous problems get over exaggerated as to become amusing to think this is what humans are capable of. Shinji whines and is willing to die for NOTHING. Despite the fact everyone who ever tried to care for him or he has known is dying. His father distanced himself because he is schizoid. Yeah nice save there. A father who puts his only son through the horrors of piloting a robot against monsters and their is no concern. Or the fact he cares more for Rei. I find it impossible to believe that humans could ever be this selfish, pitiful, immoral and near worse than evil.
Rei exists in this film as massive fan service. She exists as a magic genie let out of the bottle to grant wishes to Shinji.
Asuka is the only character to actually get better but her triumphant glory is cut short. All the characters pretty much get worse or are no better than they started.
Christian, Jewdaism, Kabbala are all used is a most nonsensical idealogical fashion simply because the Japanese think their alien and really don't care or respect them. The spectacle of the film is ultimately a hollow one where symbolism loses all meaning in its increasingly derivative use.
But what makes this movie truly bad is the fact nothing really gets resolved. At the end of everything the characters have experienced with world changing consequences along with deep introspective looks, they are still the same. It gives no clear answer for how to deal with any of these issues.
How disgusting indeed.
Naruto: Shippûden (2007)
The wait is long enough
I thought it would be best to review this after the series has finished. But then I checked how long the franchise has been going. The whole fanchise has been going nearly over 10 years. Whilst shippuden is in its third. It has occurred to me that something that has gone on for so long is not above being reviewed. Who knows how long shippuden will continues when the franchise has proved such a cash cow.
I dare say that this has to be put under the Darwinian philosophy of evolve or die. But such is the current problem with anime in general that a lot of anime are ridiculous long runners.
Naruto shippuden follows up on the ninja as Naruto struts back in. During the time-skip the kids have decided to have a change of clothes after growing a few inches whilst the adults can expect to wear the same do-rags to emphasise how mundane they all are compared to the new hip generation.
In fact Shippuden is all about the next generation and how awesome they are. Too bad that only ever means few of the main character get the chance to train for the next tournament in between the long fillers where the peripheral characters are drawn in, to emphasise how stock theyreally are. In fact showing that the new generation has only gained so little in their techniques it is laughable with the exception of the few.
Team 7 has been reformed with two replacement characters out of nowhere who belong nowhere. We have Sai, the vague slightly off putting character who uses drawn to life attacks. As well as yamato who is low and behold another eerie character this time to make the plants rise up and attack without the green talk. Both these characters only serve to push naruto and sakura together which in turn forces naruto to go it alone after seeing how useless they all are as a team and himself sometimes.
The villains are even more genderly confused and have perfected the art of deux ex machina. Expect much gloating from these freaks as they explain their detailed plans and abilities if you so much as challenge them. They all are really good at dodging so a lot of crappy ninja tag. Battles ensues with even more dust clouds to obscure the action.
The plot has thickened by having the villains appear vaguely threatening then disappear opportunely to plan even more enigmatically. Whilst the good guys amnesiacaly go back to their villages whilst strings play in the background.
Naruto himself has become less trickster like and much less likable. He feels more emotional then most the women and their disappearing periods. Kishimoto even has the nerve to say that naruto is the all cliché chosen one destined to bring peace to the ninja world. Almost as funny as the Pokémon movie when the character mentioned that getting monsters to fight was (lex Luthor moment) WRONG! So once again naruto is the tumble mix of a show where nothing happens and status quo ahoy. Villains are less enjoyable than even the stereotypical twirly moustache variety but even more ridiculously clandestine and obscure. This show has no ending planned and such a series can never be called good.
If you like shippuden then your just a soft anime user. The regularity of naruto only substantiates that it is meant to be like a routine fix. Once you miss one you go etching back for another. But aren't you tired of the same thing. There are good alternatives out there, but you must admit you have a problem first. Of course naruto shippuden has more problems than any of us ever will.
Corpse Bride (2005)
A dead art no longer
Tim Burton is a director who manages to bring across something much darker in a cheerful fancifully way. This film is no exception.
The plot is an adaptation of an old Jewish story when a dead bride come to claim her still alive accidental spouse. Of course its plays out much more like a horror accept when they come to terms with it.
In the classic Tim Burton fashion however the scenes which should be icky and grotesque end up on the fun side. Indeed the dead are shown partying well in the afterlife. New arrivals for the most part receive a musical number with the ghosts and ghouls literally playing each other. Whilst the land above is filled with character who are really about living their own lives. The land above is always shown in the eternal night under constant moonlinght.
In fact the over top is where everything certainly feels creepy and for good reason. The villains in this movie are never the supposedly evil dead. Although they acre treated with full fear once they surface.
The characters include two young soon to be betrothed victor and victoire. They are often subject to the demands of all the peripheral characters and it seem they are never in their element or at least in a comfortable position. Victoire's parents are played up to the arrogant stereotypes whereas Victor's are much more humble. The cast of dead fellows includes many but the most prominent is an elder who is nothing but bones. Of course the corpse bride is the title character who manages to prove very endearing.
Make no mistake this movie is played out in full pantomime fashion. Expect music numbers of the dark and dastardly kind you'd expect from a Disney movie. Those jazzy tunes and brass beats are all for interpretation i guess, but go the way to explaining the characters.
The relationship between Victor his betrothed and his was to be betrothed is the main draw. Victor is meant to be with Victoire and yet the corpse bride Emily has certainly more draws except for the rotting and decaying part.
In classic Burton style the forbidden romance is played out but its also more about the characters coming to understand one another. Victor might well be trying to marry Emily out of pity, or maybe she makes him feel more at ease.
The problems this film faces are I guess similarities between the nightmare before Christmas. The setting of the film to feel quite remote and confining but I guess that gives the movie are short story feel. However Tim Burton should have tried for a much more artistic extravagance that we know he is capable of rather than playing it so timidly. The film feels much shorter than it is and the musicals do feel like they steal the spotlight from when characters really do progress when they are more intimate.
So this film is much like a short story. It can fill the short slot of an evening and you may get a short chuckle. But it feels as if it doesn't realise its a movie. The art style is still different from most but it still isn't evolved from the original. This is more I dare say straight to DVD but in a good way, at the very least a rental.
Street Fighter (1994)
An extra slice of cheese please
Oh dear. The Van Damme movie. Hated by street fighter fans and those who are not. In terms of expectations, the fans wanted the shoto centric characters to fight in a tournament where plasma is thrown freely. They wanted all the special moves and the original story lines intact, the costumes and the exact looks. Probably wanted Japanese subs as well if not the whole movie.
Instead they got one of the loosest adaptations to come along. Something so far out of street figther it baffled them. And so in their ignorance they shouted BOOO and all claimed Hollywood was hurting their precious franchise.
But when I watched this movie I expected something dumb and colourful. A few fights her and there some nice sets. I got way more than I bargained for. The movie blew me away with how outlandish it was to the point of being cartoony. The characters were so exaggerated as to have trivialised the plot. Fight scenes took weird turns where the fighters tried to outdo the other. Dialogue was chock full of the most quotable things to have you asphyxiate under the strain of hilarity.
Everything that went wrong in this movie somehow enhanced it. It became a joy to delve into scenes to pick apart the small out of place details in a where's Wally like quest.
This movie can only be described as so bad its good. So out there in both bizarrely and ludicrously that somehow it was all funny. I guess the interpretation is varied. In the mood of watching something serious, slapstick may seem inappropriate and yet the laughter here is so funny as you don't expect to laugh.
The fact that the movie has only a passing resemblance is but a blessing. It could tell a story no one would care for and yet push characters into the scenes which gave whole new reactions.
A faithful adaptation would have only given what was already there.I would be hard pressed to enjoy viewing the fights over being able to play out those fights myself. The story played by real actors with silly wigs talking in the the silly Japanese stock phrases such as growing stronger would have been annoying. In the game the story could be ignored but a theatrical version would try and be so faithful as to remove that luxury. Pitting all the character with their stories intact for the goal of fighting would mean they might not be able to do much else. To put it plainly fighting games including street fighter have poor plots. The nerdiness of the video game would still come across to the general audience. Fans were selfish enough to think the film should be just for them.
This film turned those weaknesses into strengths. By changing the characters whilst exaggerating the more core characters the film became a far better showcase. The games already give plenty of coverage to the shoto's so a film where Guile and M.Bison square of is refreshing. Raul Julia plays M.Bison with such zeal in what it the realised parody of a deluded dictator. From the Nazi skull hat to the sweeping cape, M.Bison is played so grandiose that his insane schemes seem hilarious. Raul Julia, one of the best actors puts his full effort into this swan song. For nothing else of street fighter the movie was about him. Van Damme's guile has a french accent for an all American soldier. He has good chemistry with Raul Julia who exchange insults and threats like a wwf showdown. The whole film pivots on this epic confrontation of the two opposing characters. Everyone else does a decent enough job.
So what wins the film for me is mainly the funniness of the whole movie. They didn't care for a poor story but they were creative enough to play on the aspects not fully realised in the video games. Many people will not forget the memorable quotes and scenes used in that movie. They may insult it whilst slightly snickering or they may hold their noses high. Even some will say this film killed Raul Julia. I like to think he lived a completely different life during that movie. The movie which should be by all accounts bad is still enjoyed by some. RIP Raul Julia.
Signs (2002)
Shyamalan defence force assemble!
After viewing metacritic (a mistake) and looking and several of the reviews here I am forced into giving my response to the ill gotten hate. This film in no small amounts is absolutely wonderful and totally unique on its own.
Lets start with the plot of an ex-clergy man turned farmer Graham living through what seems to be a strange turn of events. Suddenly he finds a crop circle instantaneously appear in his crop with no obvious indication as to the culprits. But those issues are packaged with the family of two small children which he and his brother care for.
Graham and his family of course feel the tension of these happenings and old wounds which never healed become salted. But the as a large impending force looms. Graham must evaluate his life. The family look to each other for strength. But still with all those mysterious goings on Graham and many others contemplate deeper matters.
The carefully built suspense is artistically used to give everyone including the audience a sense of foreboding. Everyone is hearing from all over of these events that are playing out globally which no one can answer. As these claims escalate it seems a pivotal moment for both the world and such a small family. The genius is of course putting an ordinary family which tries to deal with the global events so extraordinary. It gives the film a very isolated feel especially with such a small core cast. The music is used so sparingly and it uses long pan shots for added effect. The nearby village is scarcely populated by folk so ordinary but some of them seem more clued in then the rest. The exchange of stories leave most the family uncomfortable in their denial.
Most of the family members all have their little quirks which they pull of well. Merril acts much the tough guy but looks up to his brother Graham as well as holding some resentment to the road not taken. Bo is a strange girl who seems to know things strangely more accurate than what the adults can fathom. The second kid is the one who resents his father for not listening to him and for his ignorance. All the cast pulls a wonderful performance of a family broken by tragic and yet not distasteful problems like alcohol abuse.
The draw towards this family is something but with these turn of events, it feels as though they are coming to a crossroad. The decision may rest on something more than just what they have come to know. Indeed facing the unknown they are fearful and unprepared.
Shamalan manages to bring faith into the movie without being condescending about it. Graham puts it perfectly about how people may view such events. Simply there is the viewpoint of faith. The willingness to believe something is far greater than your own comprehension. That doesn't say atheism is wrong in any way either.
For a story to tell about a compelling family, a suspenseful thriller and evaluate the intricacies of faith, this movie can only be called excellent.
The detractors however question the antics of the alien forces. But the stupidity of it is judging aliens by human logic. To aliens we humans would seem to be completely illogical. Aliens would indeed act in a whole other manner and customs. People seem to hate the symbolic weakness of water and yet for reasons we don't understand perhaps there was something in the water that was effective. I could give a million reasons as to why the aliens acted in that way. To simply call them ridiculous is an ignorant claim.
This movie goes for an homage to the alien invasion movies of the bi gone era. Yet like the rest of the movie nothing is as it seems. it was never an invasion but a raid. As the threat passes the world mourns is loss but the family feels safe and whole.
People say this film is too similar to his other ones but i feel that is more to do with Shyamlan's style of film making. In terms of themes it couldn't have talked about anything more real and important than family.
They Live (1988)
A film at a whole other level
From what i've seen on the ratings, they live has got mediocrish ratings. Whilst i can only whine about how the top films on IMDb are voted by morons, i'd rather spend the time explaining why this film is a masterpiece.
John Carpenter is a director who doesn't care for the norms. He's dabbled in horror and sci fi mostly as well as some action movies among others. But what he does in this movie is once again to blur the distinction of films. Not only does they live have action sequences and buff guys fighting but it also contains a clear and intricate message.
Typical of John Carpenter, the film can appeal to one audience and yet cater for something outside that audience. That is the sign of a brilliant film maker.
It seems most people fault it on being a cheesy 80s action movie with bad hair, ripped pecks, gratuitous violence and snappy one liners. Yet i don't see that as a bad thing. All it shows was the respective era of 80s film making and those benchmarks. They are all still very enjoyable elements which have been lost in recent movie making in attempt for even lower form of humour and brass action.
What sets they live apart is the message that it tries to bring even though the package it tries to deliver it apparently doesn't fit.
Well as i have said this movie would be good enough for anyone in the 80s or those who remember that era. But this film asked some deep stuff in a rather amusing way and some people wrongly believes that takes away from the message.
To deconstruct this film i would say to use characters as buff as Roddy Piper in a way makes for a herculean average Joe. A character with a simple enough story but with the zeal and personality to get himself through any situation. He finds himself in the middle of very bad situation and yes the scale is played small in that regard. But that's the beauty of it, as a an average Joe the small scale of it makes him more effective than rather blowing up a mother ship.
They live wasn't a big budget film nor an art-house movie and yet it feels more effective then either. Yes its a B-movie but its the best of that niche. While its played outlandishly somewhat it does it out of regards to that era of film making and previously alien invasion scare movies.
The fact that this film has permeated even video games is testament to its appeal or the fact that over 20 years later its is still being referenced. Even the most cheesy 80s elements have become a hallmark for the film such as the infamous overlong fight scene. You could even say the overlong gag owes it self to this film. Even the underlying political and social message was sheer brilliance. Before the stark and dark tones of the matrix and dark city there was this film telling us that the world was not all that it seemed and the solution was as simple as joining forces and taking arms. That feels far more empowering then the superhero esqe matrix or dark city.
So they live is a film above excellence. Even now the film is incredibly relevant and fun in its own right. Year from now i believe people may still issue the I'm here to kick ass line. I just hope they remember where it all came from. More than that i hope they listen to the message of the film.
Samurai Sentai Shinkenjâ (2009)
Bleach? Oh no its called Shinkenger.
Shinkenger is a Sentai based on old Japanese legends with Yokai which are basically Japanese bogeymen. The Shinkengers are an order of samurai dedicated to fighting the Gedoushu as they are called and are aided by the use of Mojikara which is basically magic.
A run down of the rangers is Takeru who is the lord and red ranger, mostly a stoic. Mako who is the motherly support figure who is pink. Ryunosuke who is the overactive yet loyal blue ranger. Kotoha is the shy and submissive yellow ranger who feels unworthy. Then theirs Chaiki the brash and loud ass of the group, who feels he deserves more than is beyond his ability.
Later on we see Genta who is an avid sushi seller and age old friend of takeru. He is a mojikara genius which generally puts takeru to shame as he is supposedly lower cast but is the only one among them capable of creating any mechas.
Their is also a support character known as Jii who is a wise old man looking after Takeru so he is the Alfred to him.
The villains consist of Doukoku an abusive drunk general who is a powerful berserker lacking the brains to be a manipulator. Luckily he has his adviser on hand Shitari who is a good strategist and a fill in for whenever the villains need direction for Doukoku's absence. A bard like character exists for this set known as Dayu who plays eerie music which can calm down doukoku, she was the woman scorned in her human life.
Later on we get Juzo who is a demonic swordsman who was once human. He serves as the rival to Takeru because he believes they both stray the path of a true samurai and nothing can satisfy him more than a fight. Also arriving is akumaro who is a master manipulator and quite powerful but forced into shadowy work because he is no match for Doukaku.
Now as a series its rather middling in quality as although many of the characters get development including the villains and particularly takeru. The characters never take it upon themselves to give each other true motivation. Take the villains for instance, Doukoku fights well because he's just angry. Juzo fights because he likes fighting, well theirs a surprise. Dayu well she just spends time reminiscing and only fights so that she can hold onto her shamisen. Akumaro is the only character who goes to the lengths to be seen as a true villain establishing himself with other characters in the past and manipulating people into his favour. Whilst he certainly makes the effort he feels much like a court jester because of Doukoku and that diminishes his ability to be a serious villain.
Whilst many character get their own little stories it doesn't really carry through in much of the story anyway. Only Takeru gets the consistence throughout the series in his character development which can follow through. unfortunately his character is bland and unappealing. Whilst near the end a well thought out plot twist puts many things into perspective it usually equates to mopping episodes where all the character show anguish over what has happened. While that is all nice it generally gives over to endless monologue sequences of stuttering pondering. Only Genta and Jii it seems have the balls to back his friend and actually add to the story rather than share a revelation hog stealing moment where character say the same damn thing.
The rest of the characters under the stern yet boring leadership of Takeru are truly just cheerleaders and exist to scream "donnnooo" as well as act as meat shields at times.
The fights are some of the most boring fights to have ventured Sentai history. Seeing as swords are their main weapon it means the choreography plays out nearly the same way with few exceptions on certain episodes. They have secondary weapons or Shinkai as i like to think of them which are seldom used unless your name happens to be takeru. Another detractor from fights is the addition of their super modes which is really just a long-tail no sleeve white coat giving them the power of cut scenes and no real change in battle style or tactics. Lazily followed by hyper mode which is simply a red version with at least a different main weapon. Eventually their is a Mougyu bazooka which severs as a baffling one hand cannon despite its size and only takeru really uses it.
Now i like to think of this as bleach seeing as they have Shinkais and even a Bankai mode with the super and hyper resembling Ichigo's. Along with Mojikara (cough kiddo) and gendoushu being a lot like hollows. So i'm not really impressed with the creativity of this series.
The mecha are a fair clunky bunch but nowhere near the cluster level of rpm. Some of the additional mechas really get few episodes of their own and are later resigned to kibble on the jumbo tron. The fights are short cut scene filled and that makes them at least tolerable.
To summarise shinkenger is certainly not horrible but not memorable either. Aside from one nice twist not a lot of suspense goes into this series and characters are grossly uneven in every known aspect. Contradictory roles often negate any kind of character development and it just roles back to status quo. Unoriginal ideas and fight scenes makes it feel like i've seen that same fight before it even finishes. This certainly is no change in any sentai formulae and definitely no game changer. Ultimately its just another in long line, unable to be anything more than its origins.
Avatar (2009)
You were told to think this was good...they succeeded.
James Cameron's Avatar. Oh the hype, the rumours and the budget.
Whilst many saw the dizzying heights Cameron was willing to risk the few of us only saw the inevitable. This film would be a mega blockbuster.
But ticket sales alone will not vindicate this movie nor will its budget or any other extravagant claims from Cameron. Truth be told is this film is average at best.
For all the bark Cameron makes of making an alien world the use of cgi and humanoid aliens with the pseudo political overtones makes it feel more at home in the star wars universe. The so called groundbreaking effects feel to be in the same vein as new star wars trilogy with a whole world being constructed on the backdrop of green screen and even the movements, colours and gestures seem traceable to those movies. And yet the film has heavy stereotypes of natives like something out of the peter Jackson movies, in an epic 3d landscape with 2d stereotypical portrayals. just about every character in this movie fits the stereotype so much that the plot itself becomes derivative and utterly predictable. So when the preachy new age underlying message tries to appear we are left unmoved and unimpressed. The film itself might as well have been called George Lucas's and Peter Jacksons Avatar in 3d.
But people and reviewers are raving about this movie claiming it to be the an artful masterpiece of cinematography. But were you ever in doubt that what you were looking at wasn't real? The CGI still has the unnatural tones and blitzy light so recognisable as computer generated. And the fluid movements and slight gestures still look unconvincing. just look at the earliest use of cgi in the movie for the humans just as the protagonist arrives. It looks nothing more than the opening for a ps3 game. The 3d manifests itself as particles that float between your field of vision rather that of any large moving cgi, this adds more realism and yet it doesn't really justify at revolutionary either based on the scale of its use.
And just ask them about the plot and they say the same resounding thing, that it was predicable and then they simply pass that aside.
Forgive me for thinking that films with a truly original plot and innovative ideas were what goes into making a good movie. Oh well i suppose because we now have avatar,dancing with wolves isn't as good anymore despite having class acting, beautiful landscapes and a genuinely emotional plot as it lacks cgi, marketing and 3D.
But history will ultimately give the final verdict and as technology and cgi improve all you are left with is the story and the idea. And what seems quite clear is that Cameron attempted like many other to push the boundaries and make a foot mark and yet he has not achieved the title first for anything this movie offers.
What seems clear from all this is a sad resigning fact of what people expect. They accept the films with no new concepts, big cgi budgets and heavy marketing. They applore the average. Average is indistinct and a waste of time at a running time of over two hours, a mighty one. The people watch what they're told almost to the point of being unthinking for themselves in quality.
I would happily accept that it is an average movie but the straw that breaks the camel's back is that it isn't just the masses who support this movie, but even the long time reviewers.
It seems everyone has adjusted their bar that much lower and are willing to support the status quo and remain in their comfort zone. The bold and different have been left silenced as the vocal vanguards turn tails.
This film is momentous to one horrifically true fact; the stagnation and predictability of Hollywood.
Shinseiki Evangelion (1995)
through the brush stroke of the devil
In no human form of communication can I convey how much I hate this series. I hate everything this series has to offer, everything it represents, everything it was, still is and will ever be.
Its not clever its not thoughtful its not insightful. All it is is someone telling you to give up die, succumb, surrender, give in. It preys upon the weakness of human ego and it tries to convince you that its okay to be pathetic.
As long as I have lived their has always been films and shows which have tried to bring about something positive. Something telling me to reach higher, to push myself to be the best that I can be.
All this anime has to offer the world is the sad bleak vision distorted into a disgusting vague medium with absolutely no sound message whatsoever.
Firstly the characters are all bland, gormless exhibitions of the human condition. Shinji is by far the worst character in anime hands down. He's a selfish, weak, subservient coward who would rather wallow in his own woes then face up to the world and his responsibility. There are people in the world far worse of then him and yet he finds that his problems are all important. Even when he is given the opportunity to do good he cowers away rather than step up and make a difference. Rei is a girl who is a mobile manikin, who's purpose is to stand blankly looking into nothing whilst delivering generic monologues just like the rest of this forsaken cast. Asuka acts almost remotely human at first but when stuck with these inwardly dead humanoids she also finds herself suffering from the mental angst. As you can expect from most animes the people here are all form the same generic character molds.
The plot is a throwaway one involving using giant mechas to fight aliens. But believe me that simplest of descriptions provides all the entertainment you can glean from this husk of a show. As most of their filler slot time is filled with still shots accompanied by limited character interaction along with redundant recycled audio sound such as those bird sounds that are heard every episode.
The themes shown in the haziest of details are psychological concepts such as the hedgehog syndrome, but you would only know this if you were to actually read about the synopsis of the show and know about the syndrome in the first place. This means adding these concepts in the show is little more than referencing since the only way as to fully understand this would be to know through an outside source. Even then the conceptual ideas are on the instabilities of the human mind and other ailments to the psyche with no true understanding on what they are or how to deal with them in the show. It doesn't ask the questions or give the answers it whispers monotonously trying to lull you into a poor man's hypnosis.
The last few episodes even the movie are notable for their lack of any coherent plot despite what the fans chanter. It's not a matter of a deep intricate philosophical debate more a psychedelic yonder into the realms of insanity, in other words its what to expect in hell.
This series is the worst human nature has to offer its every bit as dystopian as can be, every bit depraved and vulgar.
For all you fans who would blindly follow this series its a hell you deserve.
Dragonball Evolution (2009)
the fans are right to be angry
From day one this film had its out right critics, with fans up in arms over what they perceived as nothing short but the desecration of a popular franchise. But were they determined to hate the movie, I would say no. Because as fans they had a standard of quality associated with dragonball. The simple fact is the film didn't meet that standard. It is a poor movie in pretty much every aspect.
Lets start with the storyline. Well for all intensive purposes Goku is still an alien were-chimp, Gohan is his wise grandpa, Bulma is a tech wiz, Roshi is a perverted master, Yamcha is still a bandit and Piccolo is still a megalomaniac alien. The wish granting dragonballs are the focus of the film.
So it sticks true with somethings, but those are the only things that it shares with the original. They then go onto add some nonsense about an ancient prophecy involving the destruction if the Earth which correlates with the eclipse and the Saviour is a young boy, the only way to save the planet is to globe trot for certain items and collect them to a said location. So the plot contains the usual rite of passage stuff with the reluctant protagonist in self doubt moaning "I'm not ready" only to conveniently embrace destiny when all hope is lost. Along the way he must learn what his new master teaching including airbending? Seriously the manga never talked about airbending but is sounds awfully familiar... . The master also teaches him about key philosophies while getting him to do seemingly unrelated tasks such as standing upside down whilst trying to move something with his mind, (what is his master Yoda now).
This is so cliché and so lazy that even a lobotomised zombie could have come up with something better. With these changes you simply insult the intelligence of the entire audience. Because they have seen it so many times before which means they know how it ends and they've seen it end better.
The character progression is almost non-existent. They simply meet characters who pretty much on the spot agree to join them. They don't go about earning admiration, respect or friendship they simply just go along for the ride. When they are together the dialogue and interaction is minimal. For the most part the characters only have a few short sentences at a time. A lot of the dialogue involves throw away one liners which simple aren't necessary or remotely funny. The villains are just as generic as possible. "I'll take over the world" says Picollo but then all the other characters say your out to destroy it? Why do yo want to take over the world? We don't know but Hollywood will probably put it to the fact your an alien so you must be evil. Also character reactions are pretty abysmal, when goku's grandpa dies he shows a little sadness but when he meets with other characters he gets a bout of sudden amnesia. You would expect an emo like him to brood but rather he simply forgets. When goku is revealed to be ozaru he simply yells no suddenly turning ape only to revert after a series of flashbacks.
What portrays Goku's defining moment of stupidity throughout the whole film is when he makes his wish to Sheng Long. Now he wishes back Roshi to life but wait a minute isn't his beloved grandpa dead to, you know the person who raised him for 18 years and he's known Roshi for how long? The average person would wish for both of them back to life. But this film is designed simply to steal from and insult the average person.
The fight choreography is poor, it is the usual movements followed by sounds. When they do fight they simply just do it without effort almost as if its to casual. These fights usually short and have no defining moment about them up until the kamehameha.
As for the special effects, well they suck. Seriously the energy blasts are just a bunch of whirling multicolour flame which I've seen done better like 10 years ago. The cgi for the monsters is also poor and the final dragon from D-wars looked better than that abysmal Sheng Long. Ozaru doesn't hold a candle to the apetastic wonder of Jackson's Kong. If they expect us to believe these special effects will impress then they are sadly mistaken. The only thing that shocks me with the cgi is the apparent multimillion dollar budget it has.
So in an almost relieving end I say this film should be avoided at all costs, with the costs coming to the wretched studios of course. This was nothing more than a cheap attempt at making some cash with little said effort and even less attention. The film is not ambitious in its attempts to represent dragonball yet it rather hastily modifies the plot and character to suit the running time. I have seen episodes of power ranger better in every category including special effects. I wish it were a lie, heck I wish the movie was good. But unfortunately the dragonballs aren't real. Like this movie could never be called a real dragonball movie.
Wolverine and the X-Men (2008)
Wolverine sure can cut it
When I first heard of this series I had initial doubts due to the somewhat decline in quality with Marvel but after seeing its newfound direction with the film Ironman I thought they might be onto something.
What was once comics has now expanded into a full blown media outlet with movies and games as well as the original comics. Not only have they realised that it is a good way of getting cash (and a lot of it) but it also allows for the retelling and the rejuvenation of the franchise.
However I thought this series would be dumbed down but to my surprise the series quickly establishes itself as mature and respectful to the original comics.
Firstly the title gives you the idea of their direction with this series. Wolverine is now the main character and also the defacto leader. This is somewhat new but welcome seeing as how popular Wolverine and how putting him in such a different role allows for more character progression as he is plagued with doubts. Also the series quickly puts staples Jean Grey, Cyclops and Professor X into the background i think maybe due to the influence of X-3. But I feel they are in tune with the viewers by setting aside of deux ex machina the Pheonix, Professor X and by the book cyclops. Cyclops is on the team but no longer as the leader and more as the loner. Xavier still makes commands from the future through astral projection (I know this makes no sense). At the beginning its pretty much the cold war with mutants and humans itching to duke it out. The X-men have pretty much disbanded which is good because it allows for character reunions but it also puts them at a disadvantage. Magneto is present as a villain but takes a much more sidelines approach, he now has Genosha which is a thriving utopia or so it seems.
The series makes little or no attempt at changing the mythology of the comics but it comes across in a refreshing and not to overbearing way. However it chooses to omit particular details of the recent comics which is fine by me because i never liked the idea of a feline beast. There are also slight comedic moments within the series which does remind you it is after all a cartoon and it isn't as dark and grim as the 90s cartoon.
As long as it continues down this path the series will go fine. But my irk with Marvel is that things always get too bad too quickly. Hopefully this series will be a little more light hearted with its tones of maturity. The fight scenes are alright but it still has the ludicrous only kill if its metal policy meaning grunts are constantly thrown about and never killed but the machines have a pretty short shelf life. Its perfectly understandable but it is getting real old. There shouldn't be blood or gore but they could at least imply people died. The dialogue is often good and witty so no complaints there.
All in all it looks a good series but who knows maybe Marvel will see only misery ahead and it will slowly drudge on till a confusing unhappy ambiguous ending. I hope Marvel doesn't go this route because as it stands this is an excellent series
Superman Returns (2006)
Superman i now you can go back in time but quit living in the past, or at least rectify this mistake
Now I'll try say things as original as i can find them, but I have to agree with what everyone says is bad in this movie, and boy is there a lot. I'm a big fans of the man of steel by which I mean the comic book series, 90's superman was bad ass. During these times he wasn't disturbingly dark or living constantly in the past, instead it was pure fantasy. He was violent and had a penchant for being easily "hyptonised" by women. But at the end of the day it was somehow him who had the moral high ground despite contradictory actions. This is why he was my favourite superhero.
Then came this travesty of a film which i thankfully didn't contribute a penny to, as I saw it on a lent DVD. But man was this film bad. Admitidly I am seeing this in the eyes of a disillusioned fan, but even people who don't even follow superman can tell this wasn't a great film. Firstly apparently Superman is the second coming of Christ. Somehow pro-American propaganda was traded in favour of jingoist Christian ideals. I have no problems with the religion but it is in a place where it isn't needed.
Secondly romance is dead. Now i pretty much hate Lois Lane because she tries Superman down. He inevitably has to rescue her dumb ass. Not to mention the incessant pillow talk. Even thought there not married in the film, knocking her up and stalking her is a relationship i don't want to see. If they ever make another Superman I never want to see Lois Lane in risk of this happening again. Would Batman ever be as big with a Mrs, no of course not. Sure give him romance but make it tragic because the greatest love stories never have a happy ever after. I know this goes against my policy of never make superman full of survivors guilt and a past dweller, but it can be done to a degree.
Thirdly the plot really didn't have much originality. Oh that evil Lex Luthor and his real estate plans what will he think of next. Now despite calls for a real villain i still think they can work with Lex. But make him more of a linchpin or the president, someone how can pull the strings. Because Luthor is one of the greatest villains of all time after all and not some mischievous gold digger. i would have really liked to see superman save people the way they did in Ironman. I want to see a emotional Superman fly off and leave some gang banger 5 feet under. What i don't want to see is Superman's continual feats of lifting prowess which seems to be a power of its own. How else could he possibly lift a kryponite continent. Which brings us to kryptonite, its really fulfilled its movie purpose and it can build dust along with Lois Lane. A new film needs to have an edgy plot kind of like Ironman except with more of a political thriller feel along with some good fight scenes, throw in some emotional scenes and you got a decent movie. Bearing in mind to keep some of the fantasy that only a Superman can deliver on but without the cheesiness.
The acting was really poor, although Kevin Spacey did a good job. Next best was the guy who played cyclops in the x-men films. That guy alone had more moral fibre than this Superman. Brandon Rooth was so wooden in his acting that i could have mistaken him for the CGI. Kate Bosworth was completely dislikable even for a Lois Lane who just supported a scared or annoyed look throughout the movie. Admitidly no man in history will ever usurp Christopher Reeve as the best Superman but there must be the next best thing out there. None of the cast from this movie should be allowed to appear in any other Superman film because they would carry the stench of failure.
Now i ask myself where did it all go wrong, then two words came to mind. Bryan Singer. This ass hole just watched the Donner movies and decided to base Superman solely on that. Fool didn't even read the comics, at the least he could of watched Smallville or more Superman media. What kind of a director ignores key source material when making such an iconic movie. If he had read the 90's comics then maybe this film could have been decent, heck even the cartoon.Instead he makes this cheap imitation. The biggest change that needs to come to the Superman movies should be the director. Bryan Singer should be go. You know i'm starting to wonder if he is Lex Luthor in disguise or at least on his payroll. Because why else would you wreck this film so bad.
So in painful end I say please don't give up Superman. He can still make good movies and don't forget that The Dark knight in some ways owes itself to the failure that was Batman & Robin. But there is no excuse for a bad movie.It showed this film was rather a remake than a reboot failed one at that
Zentrix (2001)
A great show which faded into obscurity
Its surprising how a show of this calibre could disappear into nothingness. I can only say it was due to being shown at times on channels you wouldn't normally watch. I inadvertently strayed onto this show but with one episode i was hooked.
It did something that no other series had done before, it actually got better with every episode. It had a mix of fast and slow pace which created different enjoyable elements. At its slowest you could see the shear wonder of its cgi world and the interactions between characters. At its fastest it would give DBZ a run for its money. The fights were so lightning fast that every episode came with a warning for epileptics. It was like cgi DBZ with robots, and it was awesome. These robots would be brutally pummelling each other and it never got repetitive. It certainly was the highlight of the series.
People may say the characters were just plain dumb. But at least they weren't complete stereotypes. Sure the dialogue was the weakest element but the atmosphere and some of the line were brilliant. A one that i can still remember was "humans were the most dangerous of all animals". At the time it was profound to see how intelligence really made us dangerous, I had always heard of man-eating this and that.
The plot was pretty close to the terminator with a human and a robot protector being sent back in time to stop a robot overlord from ruling the world and exterminating humanity. But it wasn't overused dribble about people's destiny. It had an array of interesting creature and characters with some comedic moments. The villains in this were cruel and deceptive and they were actually pretty dark at times. Don't go thinking that the good guys always won because i can tell you they suffered a few defeats as well. This is what makes it such a good series because the progression and dilemmas.
Something that sticks in my mind is the last fight. Not only is there death but the hero wins not through brute strength but through brains. Actually outsmarting the most powerful and intelligent artificial intelligences ever. Leaving a perfect conclusion which is both happy and sad at the same time.
People may write this off as just another dumb cgi animation. But these people just don't give it a fair chance. Sure its DBZ meets the terminator and it has its flaws. But what shines through is nothing less than TV wonder. Truly unforgettable.
Dejimon seibâzu (2006)
Sure has Digisoul
I'm sure I'm being ignorant enough to say its original. But it is in respect to previous series. Okay so we start of with a street fighter Masaru and yeah he is stereotypically violent and stupid. His rival Touma is stereotypically clever and good with ladies, but has to acknowledge Masaru. Yoshino is just an anime girl. So the characters lack some originality. If that was a problem then every other anime would stop doing the same. Even if there characters are similar its their portrayal that gives them identity. No Digimon before has had such a heart-filled plot. Especially with Ikuto. You start to see the digimon in a different light. They actually become characters in their own right. Its here where the characters shine, as they play out perfectly. The fights are good and aren't of an over repetitive nature. The interactions with the other characters is good and not always comical. The music is awesome. They have a full out orchestra which just makes the quality shine. The gimmick here is Digisoul which you could all say is just a DBZ power up ripoff. But it plays well with the character progression. Its not just them rooted on the spot yelling. The other new addition is the burst mode which is alright. There are a few plot twists in the series which mixes things up. All in all its a great series which kids can watch without being perplexed. The crew are now teenagers as a opposed to kids and there is maturity here. Too many Animes out there are just too complex but this fits in well with just the perfect balance of everything. In my opinion this should be the stepping stone to how all Digimon series should be made from now on.
Naruto (2002)
The most overrated anime of all time
Ninjas have forever been the cash cow of anime. The idea of ninjas was cool to a western audience and they lapped it up. Enter Naruto, one of the biggest cons of the anime world. Understandably the writers draw out the plot with a fight going easily over four episodes. At first you don't mind because it's all new. Admittedly at this stage I was starting to like Naruto especially with the Zabuza saga. Then it stayed on that level till about the time that Sasuke left. Ah yes Sasuke now we hit the characters. Boy I know anime typecasts are a staple but geese. Lets start with the main man Naruto, you guessed it he's a loud mouth, idiot who loves food and fighting more along with a dark hidden power. You may want to sympathise with at times otherwise you'll be rooting for the bad guys to kill this annoyance. Even though he's supposedly just a spiritual clone of Goku I still want to see a DNA test. Sasuke is your typical cold, revenge obsessed avenger who has a dark past and girls falling for him. Sakura is a bitch. Then we hit the other stereotypes; lecherous old man, woman with big breasts, gender confused villains so on so forth. The villains are just as bad, some are memorable most are forgettable. The only original character is Rock Lee. He's the real under dog and I'd rather see a series revolved around him.
Well I've hit part of the plagerisms but I might as well dig deeper. For instance the Rasengan, Naruto's signature move. Original? No, a technique called the Kuatsuken by Fuusuke in Ninkus preceded it and what a coincidence; he's a ninja who uses wind. This is only one examples, there are literally dozens of them. People who think they know anime think Naruto's original and what's worse is the Japanese do as well. This is an insult to great shows like Ninku.
Then there's the plot. Well for the first half its decent. But afterwards it just becomes filler. Don't get me wrong some of these fillers are good but seriously there's no point in watching whole seasons of filler. You think Mario games are bad for plot, this guy rescue a girl and beats a madman every week. Not to mention the endless flash backs and recycled scenes of them jumping through the forest. Use a catapult, anything just don't give me the same recycled crap. The dialogue does no favours either. What's with characters calling out the name of someone when they are in trouble, are they trying to get them killed. They could at least add some advice onto that but reminding them of their names should do. Battle talk is annoying too, I get that the viewer has to know what's going on but you don't expect everyone to just spill their secrets on the battlefield.
The fight scenes in general are lacklustre. Just a bunch of people who can dodge. Dodge, dodge, dodge, dodge, dodge. As well as the endless clouds of dust generating from fighting which you don't even have to watch anime to recognise as overused. Or worse just substitute, if you seen this once it loses its shock every time afterwards. Some fights are good, but I can count those fights on just one hand.
All in all Naruto is undeserving. There are so many better anime's out there. It entices you at first but there is just too little good to make up for the most of it which is bad. A classic example of homage gone wrong. Please people just do something original.
Jûken sentai Gekirenjâ (2007)
Reasons why America just ain't got it
Enter the marvel that is Gekirangers. As a young boy I grew up idolising the power rangers and their coolness. Oh how the naivety wore off and I soon realised they were just anglicised Japanese shows.
The story is about two groups of martial artists who's style is based on animals. You guessed it, one's good and one's evil. At first the story is rather simple but then small intrigues and elements are thrown in, not enough to speculate but enough to pique your interest. Its still got light hearts humour seeing as it is for kids and this is generally from the good guys. Jan, Retsu and Ran are your run of the mill anime characters. Jan is a big loud mouth without the brains to do or say anything clever, but being the red ranger he is the strongest. Retsu is your typical metro sexual stylish com padre. Ran is just an anime heroine, enough said. Episodes mainly focusing on the good guys are kid orientated outing which is fun for kids. But if your older its the bad guys who you want to see. The bad guys at first also come of the overused anime character mold. Top dog Rio is your usual effeminate, power hungry, slightly ruthless bad guy with a dark past. His girl on the side Mele is your regular doting servant with a twist of comedic moments and some S&M cruelty at hand.
I know what your thinking, sound all too common. Well I just wanted to get the bad parts out the way. Its true the good guys are the boring half when their not fighting. But its the bad guys who give you more than enough reason to keep following the plot. These bad guys are cunning, you simply don't know their true intentions at first. It seems that everyone has an ulterior motive and the alliances that are formed can be very easily broken. Rio despite his flaws becomes a bad ass when he dons his black lion armour. He don't look, sound or fight like a sissy. He's so strong that even his masters can't compete or overthrow him. Then there's his right hand Mele. She manages to be cute, sexy, elegant and dangerous all at the same time. The relationship between them in time becomes more complex. A lot of things aren't said but through the thick and thin they rely on only each other. Its Mele who usually exposes the traitors and deceivers within Rio's camp. Rio's just the one who ends up beating them to nothing but dust with his bare hands. His rise to power is interesting as it supposedly makes him more evil, we all know it means the ultimate confrontation is near. But with power comes a price. Rio knows this but along the way he wonders if its a price worth paying. Jans own history becomes entwined with his, and they become like light and shadow. Similar but vastly different as well. It makes their rivalry more of a highlight as you know something epic is at work.
Fighting and effects wise it is good. There's no pistols this time but they get old school with nun chucks, its refreshing and gives it the martial artist feel. Unlike power rangers no effects are overused and its not a grunt fest either. A fair few of personal finishers are at hand and i do enjoy the idea of beast style moves. Although masters outfits must have a bargain tag somewhere. Zords aren't too chunky but they lose prominence quickly, we've seen better.
Eventually new characters come forward like Gou and Ken. Again its traits we've seen too many times. At first you get your usual "its my debut and look what i can do". Expectedly it wears off and their left fighting and losing to various villains.
Near the end it comes to a full circle and a final stand is made. The true villain (i won't say who), comes forward with his motive. At this point there will be celebration and despair. You won't be crying "whyyyy" but it will come as a surprise.
All in all it is a good series, certainly the best Japanese power rangers out there because of its plot and maturity. For everyone who argue whether the Japanese are better than American power ranger they need only to look at this to realise japan makes awesome stuff, America makes them suck.