Blankments Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 By the Balls and Fortnite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted October 21, 2018 Author Share Posted October 21, 2018 (edited) The Odyssey: Homecoming Alright, first things first, let's get the first two parts of this epic saga out of the way: The Spoils of War - It's a solid start to the adventure in front of us, but it can be a bit narratively exhausting at times. 🍿🍿🍿 The Counsel of the Dead - A far more focused installment that ramps up the intensity and action while pulling the series out of the first's narrative lull. It also features an incredible climax to boot. 🍿🍿🍿🍿 Alright, now on to Homecoming. I won't spend much time gushing over it as I feel like people have already covered what makes this final installment such a banger, so let's make this brief. I especially liked the use of the R rating as it makes the gory climax and everything inbetween all the more impactful, whereas previous films had been holding back. Overall, besides the use of some modern colloquialisms that don't fit solidly into ancient Greece, I don't have any real qualms with this film. What an incredibly bold, incredibly satisfying and totally unforgettable payoff for this saga. Well done @Rorschach Overall rating: 🍿🍿🍿🍿🥤 (And yes, the cup of soda represents half-a-star. So you got 4-and-a-half stars, @Rorschach) Edited October 21, 2018 by Alpha 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorschach Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 Thanks for the great review @Alpha. You pretty much summed up the saga up from a critical standpoint in one entire post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted October 21, 2018 Author Share Posted October 21, 2018 One Piece: The Journey Begins Hopefully some success at the box office for this adaptation leads to more cohesive followups. While I should give credit to its unique atmosphere and Finn Wolfhard's performance, the film is overall a bit dull and distracted. The screenplay is out there, and not in a good way (probably due to some grammar issues that can be resolved in the future), and the story is pretty kitsch. Overall, it's a lukewarm adventure that I imagine younger kids will enjoy but will leave others wanting more. Overall rating: 🍿🍿 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted October 23, 2018 Author Share Posted October 23, 2018 Earthsong will be up later tonight, and I hope to get all the requests done by Friday. Then I think I'm going to jump straight into the Top 25 for the sake of time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted October 24, 2018 Author Share Posted October 24, 2018 Earthsong: Volume I - Haven's Guard There are plenty of things to like about this film. For one, Julie Taymor is a confident choice for director and her offbeat theatrical style certainity fits well with the film's many colorful characters. Not to mention that the performances are all around are solid, with Jennifer Connelly standing out as a hypnotizing presence as the titular character. But ultimately, multiple factors drag this film down for me. First off, for all the characters that are introduced within the first few moments of the film, hardly any of them get further developed and just become kinda one-note, like Elle Fanning's Willow. The plot also suffers from some issues. The film certainly has an intriguing concept, but there's exposition dumps here and there that make the whole story less interesting. Finally, I'll also echo other's complaints that the film ends too soon, and the cliffhanger ending is going to more disappointed to audiences than a way to get them in the seats for the next film. Overall, while Earthsong excels in its technical aspects, its hindered by a clunky plot that doesn't really take advantage of its creative setting. Sorry @Xillix Overall rating: 🍿🍿🥤 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xillix Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 3 hours ago, Alpha said: Sorry @Xillix Overall rating: 🍿🍿🥤 Eh. It's not like it's unreasonable. Virtually all of the problems you pointed out are 1) valid and 2) a consequence of the fact this isn't a story but the first third of a story, during which everything had to be explained and set up. The sequels (again, assuming I get to make them) will be a lot more interesting and I can promise you Willow gets a LOT more development once her... mystery is solved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 Mass Effect, High School Musical 4, Pillars of Eternity, Pokemon and Can You Imagine reviews will be up today @4815162342 @YourMother the Edgelord 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YM! Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Just now, Alpha said: Mass Effect, High School Musical 4, Pillars of Eternity, Pokemon and Can You Imagine reviews will be up today @4815162342 @YourMother the Edgelord Out of likes but very excited to say the least. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 Mass Effect While it would be easy for a video game adaptation like Mass Effect to get lost in it's ambitions, this film succeeds primarily because it remains brisk and well-paced throughout it's runtime, never becoming too bogged down by world-building or its political elements. I also really enjoyed the performances of Mackenzie Davis and Jake Gyllenhaal as Shepard and Banes, thus proving once again that Femshep is the best Shep. It's a fun, engaging ride that was born to be a crowdpleaser. Overall rating: 🍿🍿🍿🍿 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 High School Musical 4: Reunion I was never into High School Musical even back in grammar school, and this is basically what you'd expect having seen the original three. The plot is ultimately very cliched, with Hugh Jackman's character being the worst offender as a "sports are better than the arts" principal so stereotypically nefarious it hurts. I imagine it would be a fun nostalgic ride for anyone who grew up with the original, but it's not going to win over any potential converts like me. Overall rating: 🍿🍿 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted October 27, 2018 Author Share Posted October 27, 2018 Gonna have to make a delay, the Pillars of Eternity review will be up tomorrow morning. On the other hand, everything requested should be reviewed by Sunday/Monday and then I can move on to the Top 25 countdown. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted October 28, 2018 Author Share Posted October 28, 2018 (edited) Sorry for the wait @4815162342, but I have a feeling you're not going to like what I have to say. Pillars of Eternity: The Hollow Vale *finishes reading all 25k words* You know how I said Mass Effect benefitted from being brisk, well-paced and not getting bogged down in the process? While there's plenty of admirable things to talk about here, what keeps Pillars of Eternity from becoming a truly great film is that there's just so much going on at once that it was easy for this critic to get lost in its world multiple times. Now, to be fair, as a writer, I've been guilty of too much worldbuilding. The first Amulet is an incredibly exposition-heavy film that at points feels overstuffed. But right from the get go, this felt like worldbuilding overkill. Right off the bat in the opening narration we're introduced to dense lore about gods and goddesses walking the earth, reincarnation and children without souls that felt more intimidating than inviting, especially to someone like me that isn't into hard fantasy. Maybe this is the kind of setting that works best in a video game when a there's a large, expansive world for the player to explore, but in a movie it felt cramped and overstuffed. That being said, there's still a lot that Pillars of Eternity does well that kept me engaged. The film truly excels in creating interesting characters with interesting arcs, and the large action setpieces are thrilling. But while some might find its expansive world absorbing, I just found it overwhelming. Maybe it's just not my kind of film.Overall rating: 🍿🍿🍿 Edited October 28, 2018 by Alpha 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted October 28, 2018 Author Share Posted October 28, 2018 Pokemon: Rise of the Rockets It's an improvement on the first installment with great action, a better story and even some more mature themes. There's not much below the surface of this movie but at the end of the day it fulfills its purpose as fun popcorn entertainment. Overall rating: 🍿🍿🍿🥤 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 (edited) Well, it's been coming for a while, but without much fanfare, here's my Top 25 Countdown for the year. Each film will have its score. 25. TULPAby @Rorschach ★★★ 24. KINGDOM OF THE SUNby @YourMother the Edgelord ★★★ 23. STORIES FROM EDENby @Spagspiria ★★★ 22. MARKED UP TIME by @Blankments ★★★ 21. PILLARS OF ETERNITY: THE HOLLOW VALE by @4815162342 ★★★ Edited November 10, 2018 by Alpha 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 (edited) 20. A FOOL'S ERRANDby @YourMother the Edgelord ★★★½ 19. POKEMON: RISE OF THE ROCKETS by @4815162342 ★★★½ 18. THE DOGS OF BABEL by @Blankments ★★★½ 17. AMERICAN DRAGON: DARKNESS RISING by @Xillix ★★★½ 16. BLUE AND GOLD by @YourMother the Edgelord ★★★½ Edited November 10, 2018 by Alpha 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 (edited) 15. REALITY SHIFTby @Blankments ★★★½ 14. SIR THYMES TIMEby @Blankments ★★★½ 13. SILENT HILL: RESTLESS DREAMSby @Xillix ★★★½ 12. EXTRASENSORYby @Spagspiria ★★★½ 11. RESONANCEby Yours Truly ★★★½ Edited November 10, 2018 by Alpha 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 (edited) 10. STARLIT HIGHWAYby @Spagspiria ★★★★ 9. MASS EFFECTby @4815162342 ★★★★ 8. CAN YOU IMAGINE?by @YourMother the Edgelord ★★★★ 7. A MONTH AT BELMOND LANEby @Spagspiria ★★★★ 6. THE SQUARE MILEby @4815162342 ★★★★ Edited November 10, 2018 by Alpha 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorschach Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 Top 5 is coming tomorrow morning. Keeping you all in suspense 1 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...