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chrismyates
Reviews
Ryû ga gotoku Zero: Chikai no basho (2015)
My Favorite Thing Ever
Yakuza 0 is nothing short of a miracle. This game was born from SEGA giving one final push for the Yakuza series to succeed in the United States and boy oh boy, did they do it. It's a cinematic roller coaster of action and emotion.
This was the second game I played in the series. Yakuza Kiwami, the remaster of the first game that was published after this one, was my first. I really recommend playing them this way, mostly because meeting the two protagonists and going on that adventure with them gave me ten times more investment in this story (But don't blame yourself if you can't get through Kiwami. It's short but the story is still full of holes from the original).
Speaking strictly of the story, once you hit the end of Chapter 2 you're hooked. Every two chapters you switch between the two protagonists, Kiryu and Majima, and their respective cities, Kamurocho and Sotenbori. The writing on both sides is immaculate. Once those two chapters with that character come to a head, they're left caught in a situation that leaves you wondering what happens next. But the best part is that switching to the other character doesn't feel like a dip in tension because you were already excited to find out what happened to them since last time. It's a very well-balanced approach to the dual narrative structure.
The cinematography isn't half-bad either. The tone for this title is much more serious (at least in the main story) than its brothers and sisters. There's moody lighting, excellent expression capture, period-accurate environments (did I mention this game is set in 1980's Japan?), and other details that create a believable atmosphere. I'm a huge proponent of using motion-captured cutscenes to tell a story versus using in-engine mouth flapping and dialogue boxes, and this is the Yakuza game that probably delivers the most on that front. Every other cutscene is mocap, and nearly all of them are played real-time with the detailed models (which means they can run at 60fps). There are so many scenes that crank up the intensity to 11 and catch you off-guard and it's wonderful.
Surprisingly, the combat is not my favorite out of the series. You have your staples like separate fighting styles, impactful heat actions, etc. But it has some mechanics like the depleting heat bars and abilities costing money that might throw off a gameplay-focused gamer. I still adore it, but if a remaster happened in five years I'd hope they change some things.
If you're looking for a great game that keeps you on the edge of your seat and has amazing presentation, you found it. It's probably my favorite piece of media in the entire world.
Drive-Away Dolls (2024)
Compelling & Fun, I Wanted More!
I had a good time watching this one. The characters are a true highlight here, and the two leads contrast each other well. Jamie being the most lovable of the two, and Marian has the most emotional depth to her. The cameos were also well-casted, so even though you spend maybe three minutes meeting those characters, you can understand what kind of person they are without needing the exposition. Nobody ever feels like they're being talked down to or reduced to a stereotype. The humor is on-point, even when there are uncomfortable moments you can't help but chuckle a little bit at the circumstances.
The one critique I have is that there are a lot of psychedelic cutaways and transitions that (save for one specific one, you'll know when you see it) seem like pure filler. The movie is way too short, I would pay to see a whole series of Mariam and Jamie going on little escapades a là Poker Face. Missed potential there. It's a short, sweet, fun movie! This is one of those movies that doesn't need it, but I really hope they make a sequel!
Oppenheimer (2023)
Nolan's latest masterpiece
Oppenheimer was a surprising, pulse-pounding, twisting picture of both the human condition and the condition of all of humanity as we know it. The runtime and pacing of each scene has been constructed carefully, with great attention to detail.
Oppenheimer uses its audio cues to great emotional effect, like rhythmic stomping and split-second explosions cut in at the right times. However, as with many recent Nolan films, it does suffer from poor dialogue volume and dialogue capture. Although not as bad as 2020's Tenet (in that movie every time traveler wears a gas mask that muffles them), I still found myself struggling to piece together sentences in the middle of a crowd or wide echoing room. I did eventually grow to understand these parts better as the movie continued, but I wish I didn't have to.
Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Oppenheimer's struggle with human morality, political scrutiny, and personal decisions effectively throw the audience into his shoes and force them to see what he has seen. I was thrilled by its entirely practical visuals. Dream sequences and cutaways are never gratuitous and always manage to paint the emotions of its characters with a strong contrast to their more subtle expressions.
FOOTNOTE: The movie works surprisingly well juxtapositioned after a showing of Barbie. Both films explored what it means to be human in both a micro and macro sense. Barbenheimer does work.
Barbie (2023)
Mile-a-minute laughs, but with a message.
From the get-go, Barbie hits hard with its spectacle and wit. The movie literally starts and ends itself in quips. But make no mistake, there is purpose and feeling to the film. It presents its core message boldly around its character's struggles, and subtly beneath its self-referential humor.
I could best describe Barbie as the inaugural Marvel movie of Greta-Gerwig-involved projects. It has a fantastic ensemble all-star cast with added cameos you never saw coming. Dazzling VFX and detailed practical set pieces bring life to the most plastic aspects of Barbieland. At several points it not just breaks the fourth wall, but blows through it altogether. There is no moment where it won't reset your expectation about what will come next.
There are definitely characters and relationships I would have liked to see explored more in-depth in the film. Regardless, Barbie will send you home with a profound motivation to re-explore who you are, where you're headed, who you want to be.
Succession: Connor's Wedding (2023)
Absolutely outstanding episode
This episode builds it's tension so well it shocked me to my core. You live with a character like Logan, who is so large in on- and off-screen presence that he permeates everything, and then without warning or a visual performance that presence is instantly hollowed out. The kids play out intense emotions that reach out of the screen and touch you. Season 4 is one of the first times I could say for sure that I felt sorry for these main characters. This episode is the highlight of the show so far and deserves all the praise in the world. If you haven't started watching Succession yet, start watching from the beginning just to get to this part. So worth it.
Breaking Bad (2008)
I've never been this invested in TV
One of the best TV shows ever made, hands down. In a world filled with 6- 8- and 10-episode streaming miniseries that drop every week like rain from the sky, Breaking Bad is a breath of fresh air. It's cinematography is often focused on long, wide shots of characters that illustrate tension, and make you reflect on what has occurred or might occur. I also loved how each character is given detail and depth. Scenes are never rushed, and time is given for each person involved in Walt's schemes to share that spotlight. Seasons 4 is my favorite, I didn't feel like season 5 was necessary but after watching I can say that it's a deserved victory lap for cast and crew. This is just one of those shows I will forever wish I could re-experience for the first time.