It's something of a refreshing delight to see queer characters presented as a diverse group of complicated people while straight folks are being satirized. Their safe, dark coloured clothing and serious personalities are a stark contrast to the bright colours and vivid personas of the conversion camp teens, and it's clear to me why so many of my fellow queer friends in high school mentioned this movie as one of their favourites. I hope LGBT+ representation in cinema gets a bit more complex than this as time goes on, but I also hope it remains about as strange and individualistic as this movie was.
Reviews
15 Reviews
Pretty Good
23 May 2022
It starts off strong, and though it may lose some steam by the end, its classic style of absurd character comedy is hard not to smile at. The characters are somewhat weak - at least for a character-based comedy - but always entertaining. Though, I hate to be that guy (but I'm gonna be that guy anyway): WOW, what a cast of copy/pasted one-note female characters. I could probably count the skits involving female characters that DIDN'T end with the girl getting mad and hitting the guy unreasonably (or within reason for getting her PANTIES STOLEN for god's sake) on one hand. I can't even say I'm getting tired of the consistent anime trope of women and girls being violent emotional caricatures to contrast the reasonable male characters: I have BEEN tired of it. Some many of the gags being at the expense of the girls spoiled some of the show for me - that being said, there are some hilarious and memorable segments that merit rewatching. I loved the running gag with Yassan and Hidenori sitting on the slope exchanging cheesy lines, and the main trio's improv escapades were always fun to watch (though I started to wonder where on earth Tadakuni had gone halfway through the series, never mind how a joke was made calling out his absence). Maybe I'm at fault here for letting its status as a classic raise my expectations too high, but whatever the cause is, it didn't ruin the experience entirely; I'd still recommend this show to anyone looking for an easy laugh.
Parasyte: The Maxim
(2014–2015)
Almost Great
9 May 2022
A highly engaging and entertaining show, the excitement of the plot triumphs over relatively weak characters - however, it falls victim to typical anime melodrama and aggravating character inconsistencies more and more as it runs on.
Mononoke
(2007)
Chilling and Beautiful
9 May 2022
A mesmerizing piece of art - with its animation and art style which sit somewhere between gorgeous and unsettling, and its paper-texture overlay, it feels like an ancient ghost story come to life. On the other hand, its layers, symbolism and open-ended conclusions sometimes work to its detriment. You may find yourself scratching your head for a few minutes after certain story arcs have concluded, wondering when you got lost and whether you were supposed to really understand what was going on to begin with. In the end, that doesn't make it much less worth watching, and watching again a few dozen times.
Shugo Chara!
(2007–2008)
A Hot Mess
9 May 2022
Pretty bold move for the last season of a long-running show to be entirely filler, with the first half of each episode taken up by bewildering live action idol-project segments and short cartoon segments that aren't even canon to the already-not-canon main show. Even the opening sequence was a montage made up of footage from the show rather than anything new. Shugo Chara was never a particularly stellar series to begin with, but its characters were likeable and for the most part it sent a healthy message to kids about not limiting your ambitions to fit into a box. That being said, I'm a firm believer that children's programming can also be good. For the most part, despite its shortcomings in terms of depth and storytelling, I still enjoyed it for the characters and the albeit formulaic 'monster-of-the-week' magical girl themes. The final season, however, was the final nail in the coffin that neatly did away with every last thing that made me like the show in the first place, topped off with a disorganized disaster of a finale.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
(2022)
About What You'd Expect
1 May 2022
It picks up in the middle but starts painfully slow, and the writing doesn't exactly shine, despite some pretty funny lines. In all fairness, the kids sitting behind me in the theatre had a great time, but if you aren't a kid, you'd have to be predisposed to liking anything Sonic-related to really appreciate this movie. Luckily I am exactly that, and I did have about as great a time as those kids behind me, but I won't act like it's great cinema, either.
Edward Scissorhands
(1990)
Lost in Projection
30 April 2022
It's always a treat to see weirdos and outcasts as main characters, being a weirdo and outcast myself. But, sometimes, the self-insert on the part of writers gets a bit too strong for my liking. The interactions between Kim and Edward, while sweet, would have much more substance if she had any established interests, quirks, or personality in general, but I got the sense that I was supposed to just accept that "he's different" was a pivotal enough factor in Kim's life to prompt her character growth from "girl" to "girl who likes Edward". Because of this the ending struck a bit hollow to me - that being said, it did have me completely enamoured for the most part. The character designs are all distinct and memorable for a bunch of suburban folks, the details in the outrageously perfect and clean suburban neighbourhood were striking (like nearly all the cars in the laneways being complimentary colours to their corresponding pastel houses), and the whimsical score brought a lump to my throat. I only wish there'd been a bit less time spent on wacky scissor antics and more spent on establishing characters, then perhaps I'd find the ending to cut as deep as I think it was supposed to.
The Bad Guys
(2022)
Worth Watching Once
29 April 2022
Someone has to say it: it's weird that the only talking animals in this human-run world are the main characters. The Zootopia-like message about going against societal expectations gets kinda lost when there are no other societally integrated creatures to compare our heroes to. That being said, though they enact a largely predictable plot, the main characters are charming and likeable, their development and relationships are easy to get invested in, and the film as a whole is fun to watch. The character design hearkens back to the days of mainstream 2D animation in the best way: simple, pleasing to the eye and full of personality. The voice acting is excellent - here's hoping that Sam Rockwell does more voice work in the future - as is to be expected from a Dreamworks casting budget. Colours, sound design and animation are major strong points here, enhancing the already engaging action sequences to the next level, with attention to detail that is totally unnecessary (which is exactly what makes it so great; augmenting things that most folks won't think twice about.) That being said, its predictability will likely lend itself to forgettability. Kids and fans of animation are sure to get a kick out of this, but it might lose its kick the second or third time around.
Inexplicable
27 April 2022
A hypnotizing kaleidoscope of creative genius, a baffling comedic triumph, an unintelligible masterpiece, an unspeakable treasure of cinema. If you like anything, anywhere, at any time, do yourself a favour and see it yourself.
Kung Fu Panda
(2008)
Almost There
26 April 2022
Kung Fu Panda opens up more loose ends than it has time to tie shut, but for a kids' movie, it's well-constructed, showcases some of the most absorbing action sequences and gorgeous cinematography animation has seen, and has a real heart at its squishy panda centre.
Turning Red
(2022)
Bold, Blunt and Bewitching
21 April 2022
For kids, it's an adventure of liberation and self-acceptance, and for parents it's a cautionary tale of the dangers of over-parenting: that punishing rebellion too harshly only forces rebellion into secrecy. This is all conveyed with no shortage of humor and style, making it the most distinctive animated film to come out of Pixar in ages, jam-packed with anime references and excellent visual gags. Its relatability may not be applicable to everyone, but that's exactly what makes it authentic, real, and beautiful.
Licorice Pizza
(2021)
A Beautiful Husk
17 March 2022
A gorgeously shot film that felt like it was trying very hard to tell me something. Though it was consistently engaging - compelling drama, colourful characters and a vivid setting - I couldn't help but feel that I could've gone without seeing it and been the same person afterwards. The characters are intriguing but never grow, the conflicts presented are seldom resolved, and I couldn't help but feel that the two leads were ultimately loathsome. It drags on just a little longer than it needs to, and the ending had me thinking, "that's it?" If you're a child of the 70's, I'm sure this is a delightful nostalgia-fest. I'm not a child of the 70's myself, but I love a great movie about bad people. Sadly, I don't think this a great movie.
ParaNorman
(2012)
Laika Never Disappoints
7 March 2022
A stunning spectacle of animation, and another stellar addition to Laika's catalogue of not-quite-for-kids movies. It's got it all - loveable characters, a goofy spooky adventure, a beautiful score, an excellent voice cast, some genuinely disturbing imagery, and a twist that'll wrench your gut on its way to touch your heart. This is a movie for all the weird kids whose weirdness was seen as something to be driven out through discipline, and for all the adults who were once those weird kids: you don't have to be a ghost to feel seen by Norman.
Whisper of the Heart
(1995)
A Movie That Comes From the Heart
8 February 2022
You'll be enchanted by a sense of fairytale adventure, then made giddy by a childish romance, then find yourself crying over the true-to-life struggle of Shizuku's artistic process and self-doubt. All the while, Ghibli's second-to-none animation holds your attention in a vice grip and makes you fall in love with everyday life for the umpteenth time - all in less than two hours.
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