Ezen Baklattan Posted March 23, 2019 Author Share Posted March 23, 2019 Scooby-Doo: Apocalypse Spoiler What if Overlord but they were all classic cartoon characters? Perhaps that's a bit of a crude summary of this film, but it's kinda surreal how this movie got made. We've seen our fair hare of surreal, inspired mashups in CAYOM, but this is definitely up there as one of those films that just has you feeling, "Okay, enjoy it here, because there's no way in hell this would get made in the real world." And for the most part, enjoy it I did. The film takes a bit of time to get going, with much of the first three quarters devoted to re-establishing a new look of the characters and having them begin to investigate something truly bizarre going on. The shifts between exposition (of which there is a bit much) and character development are a bit clunky, but for the most part, we're intrigued and excited by this new change in characterization, and the casting for the leads works pretty well too. Always appreciate more diverse casting. The final act becomes an all out action brawl, and while it's shot well and excitingly put together, you still feel it watching, "Yep, holy shit, this is Scooby Doo." It's an exciting new spin on the series that feels a bit clunky at parts, but it's almost too cool to look away. Spoiler B/B+ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 23, 2019 Author Share Posted March 23, 2019 MYSTERY ROUND #2: American Dragon: Flashpoint Spoiler @Xillix you didn't need to worry about that bullet point finale at all. American Dragon has always been one of the most enjoyable franchises in CAYOM 3.0. While it was never at the height of, say, The Scavenger Wars, Xillix delivered a powerfully fun installment with every round. This final chapter, I'm pleased to say, ends the series in a high note. While the action doesn't get truly exciting until the finale, it's fun to watch these characters and worlds interact with each other, and the ending also definitely tugged at the heartstrings, even if it did seem a bit predictable. I don't have too much more to say here, but thanks for a fun, not so little ride. Spoiler B+ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 MYSTERY ROUND #2: Perfect Match Spoiler When I wrote Seeing Her in Y5, I was looking forward to other spins on romance and relationships with a sci-fi slant this game would see, and I think I've found a....perfect match. At least almost. The story begins to play out with an interesting premise of an organization that offers true love that seems almost too good to be true. Zazie Beets in a strong, relatable lead performance as Leila, meets her match in Hayden, and we soon find out that all is not what it seems. The film becomes more of an on-the-run action thriller in its second half, but for the most part, the change in tone is well executed. While I try to avoid spoilers here, I do think I need to discuss it in how the themes play out, which is to say that I think more could have been done to explore the artificial intelligence aspect of it, and that the themes themselves feel like they aren't explored quite as much as they should be. Also, I think the film doesn't quite do enough to establish Eros as truly evil beyond them going over the top in trying to hunt our heroes down, but I still think for what we do get, there's something truly interesting being explored. The film sometimes falls short of its potential, but what we have still is a fascinating, surprising, and poignant modern tale of love, and all the struggles in finding it. Well, that and a whole lot more. Spoiler B+ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 Sylvarius Spoiler Now that I don't have to worry about Spark beating this I can give it a much fairer review. But in all seriousness, I enjoyed it a great deal in 2.0 and to my limited surprise, it's great here as well. Numbers has exceeded at creating a fantastical fairy tale with a surprising bit of insight on environmentalism (in a subtle, nuanced way!!), propaganda, and education. The tale as a whole is truly wonderful to watch unfold, and Selena gives a strong protagonist for us to latch on to as she gets thrown into an adventure where she'll need to create peace between worlds. Queen Asyr is also an effective villain, almost functioning as a fusion of Snow White's Evil Queen and The Scavenger War's James T. Packer. I do think a bit more could have been done with her relationship with Anna, as well as seeing more of the Forest Kingdom, but all in all, I think that this will go down as a wonderful little classic that families in the CAYOM universe will surely enjoy, but it's smart, engaging, and touching enough to attract adults as well. I hope to see @4815162342 make more films like this. Spoiler A- 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 Fantasia: The Next Dimension Spoiler I'll review by short in order of how they appear in the film. My ranking will be noted at the end. Beethoven's No. 9 - A fun and simple idea, even if it never truly wows you. Either way, it's a decent introduction to the magic of Fantasia. Finlandia - With some gorgeous animation from Dean DeBlois, the music doesn't perfectly match the story, IMO (it feels a bit overblown) but there's still a good bit of magic here. Danse Macabre - Well when you ask the director of Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas, this is what you get, pretty much. The stop motion is lovely. La Campanella - It's a bit too slight and predictable, but has it's cute moments. Winter - A fun little jaunt with some clever and amusing animation from Daron Nefcy. The ending felt a bit flat for me, though. Der Erolkoing - So that's why this isn't rated G. William Tell Overture - Who'd have thought that Tarkovsky's style would work so well with Disney's iconic characters? (A Goofy Movie is iconic. Fuck you if you think otherwise) Mars, The Bringer of War - Fun fact: This song was in the background as I wrote Beatrice's death scene in Spark 3. So this did the song badass justice. Clair De Lune - And boom goes the dynamite. Ranking: Spoiler 1. Mars/Claire De Lune 2. Winter 3. William Tell Overture 4. Danse Macabre 5. Der Erokloing 6. Finlandia 7, Beethoven's No. 9 8. La Campanella Ultimately, it's a wonderful mix, and all the shorts are well crafted, even if none of them have the truly big WOW factor. Verdict: Spoiler B+/A- 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted March 24, 2019 Share Posted March 24, 2019 @cookie Looks like 70% of all CAYOM villains will now be compared to Packer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 Reading ByteRealm now. @Xillix why did you cast Ludi Lin as Constance Wu's son.....when they're only five years apart in age? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xillix Posted March 24, 2019 Share Posted March 24, 2019 8 minutes ago, Spaghetti said: Reading ByteRealm now. @Xillix why did you cast Ludi Lin as Constance Wu's son.....when they're only five years apart in age? Ludi Lin is 31? What the fuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xillix Posted March 24, 2019 Share Posted March 24, 2019 I didn't see his age listed on IMDb and since he played a high schooler semi-convincingly in Power Rangers just a couple years ago I figured it was fine, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted March 24, 2019 Share Posted March 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Spaghetti said: Sylvarius Hide contents Now that I don't have to worry about Spark beating this I can give it a much fairer review. But in all seriousness, I enjoyed it a great deal in 2.0 and to my limited surprise, it's great here as well. Numbers has exceeded at creating a fantastical fairy tale with a surprising bit of insight on environmentalism (in a subtle, nuanced way!!), propaganda, and education. The tale as a whole is truly wonderful to watch unfold, and Selena gives a strong protagonist for us to latch on to as she gets thrown into an adventure where she'll need to create peace between worlds. Queen Asyr is also an effective villain, almost functioning as a fusion of Snow White's Evil Queen and The Scavenger War's James T. Packer. I do think a bit more could have been done with her relationship with Anna, as well as seeing more of the Forest Kingdom, but all in all, I think that this will go down as a wonderful little classic that families in the CAYOM universe will surely enjoy, but it's smart, engaging, and touching enough to attract adults as well. I hope to see @4815162342 make more films like this. Reveal hidden contents A- If there is ever a sequel down the line, it would explore more of the Forest Kingdom and other potential natural forces in the world. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 He-Man and OPM drop tomorrow, as well as Mystery Round #3: Hints: Spoiler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YM! Posted March 24, 2019 Share Posted March 24, 2019 1 minute ago, Spaghetti said: He-Man and OPM drop tomorrow, as well as Mystery Round #3: Hints: Hide contents Squirrel Girl and IDK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 12 hours ago, YourMother the Edgelord said: Squirrel Girl and IDK? Squirrel-Girl is getting reviewed between rounds 3 and 4. Think about the context of each video rather than the videos themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 He-Man III: The Horror of Hordak Spoiler At this point, you're either with the franchise or not, but the way the film earnestly lies into its B-movie esque tendencies helps give this one a bit more of a unique flair. The film does a good job of embracing its campy tendencies with sincerity while still giving audiences a fun time (Especially with that visually bonkers) finale although I can't say with confidence that it's going to win over many new fans of the franchise. Either way, if you're trying to beat the summer heat, there could be many more options. I'm also happy to see that @Xillix is finally giving the lizard people some love. #JusticeForEzen Spoiler B- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 @Rorschach I'm feeling a bit...punchy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 Wait....that's what the main character is named? ...are you fucking kidding me. I simultaneously want to JK Simmons, Leonardo DiCaprio, David Tennant, Oscar Isaac, Winona Ryder, and Will Smith react. 1 2 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 He ignores the comotion and continues walking until he almost runs into a giant humanoid crab (mocap cameo by Colin Farrell) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 Spoiler Sam is able to pull back on the tie, resulting in the eye socket bursting from the monster’s head and gray bodily fluids erupt out of Crablante like a water fountain. MPAA Rating: PG-13 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezen Baklattan Posted March 24, 2019 Author Share Posted March 24, 2019 Spoiler PARVELLI REUNION REUNION Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YM! Posted March 24, 2019 Share Posted March 24, 2019 4 minutes ago, Spaghetti said: Hide contents Sam is able to pull back on the tie, resulting in the eye socket bursting from the monster’s head and gray bodily fluids erupt out of Crablante like a water fountain. MPAA Rating: PG-13 “Remember, kids, TV violence is fine, as long as you don’t show a nipple!” -Krusty the Clown 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...