In Case You Missed it!

Your Name (Kimi no na wa)

Your Name is a 2016 film by Makoto Shinkai, and centers around a two main characters Taki and Mitsuha, and a connection that forms between them. That is to say, Your Name is really a love story, but probably not like any you’ve seen before. There really is something special in what Makoto Shinkai’s has created here. The movie is also based on a Novel and subsequent screen play, all by Shinkai, and that really does show in the story telling, and its adaptation from novel to film. But what does make this such a special movie?

Now I’m sure, this isn’t the first, last, and only movie to deal with a subject matter like this, or to tell a story that uses similar tropes, but its the way this movie does it that makes the biggest difference. This movie is a love story, but its a love story across space and time. The movie also knows just how much information to deal out, and how fast or slow to do it, and that pacing keeps you both interested and simultaneously allows for the twists and turns in the plot to really hit home. And hit home they do (hard).

That in itself is another way in which the movie shines. It does such an amazing job bringing you on the journey with these characters, that you feel for them deeply, and the are totally invested in the conflicts that arise. Not only are these characters deeply layered and unique, they are also extremely identifiable with in a way that only draws you further into the plot and intrigue. All of this is then wrapped up in a package that can only be delivered in a medium such as this.

This is an absolutely gorgeous movie, and not just in its actual animation which is really top notched, but also in the more traditional film aspects like lighting, framing and camera movement, and visual effects. It adds that final layer of complexity and attention to detail, that seals up this movie so tightly. Your Name is truly a movie worth checking out by anyone, not just fans of animation or anime, but anyone who’s a fan of good and compelling story telling, complex characters, and in this case, romance. Yes you have to read subtitles, and yes thats not always anyone favorite thing in the world, but here it actually makes you pay even more attention, to a movie that 100% deserves it.

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Trailer of the Week!

This weeks trailer of the week goes to:

Coco (Trailer 1)

Now I know what you’re thinking, “I’ve seen this movie before, and it was called the Book of Life”, and you’re not really wrong. Coco comes to us from the heavy hitters that are Disney Pixar, who are known for a a laundry list of amazing films, so I think as much as this idea might seem to be taken, I think we have to give this film the benefit of the doubt that it will one of real quality.

Coco follows a young boy, who find himself on the wrong side of the tracks after the annual Day of the Dead celebrations, putting him in a place where no living person has set foot before. The movie also uses a mostly hispanic cast of voice talent to lend  a lot of authenticity to this project. The movie is directed by two directors who have been main stays in many of the previous Pixar movie line up, getting their bump up to full time directors for Coco. Though this trailer is mostly an introductory teaser trailer, we can really get a scene for the visual style, and their take on the classic Day of the dead imagery, and is a slight departure from the generally more photo-realistic styles used in pervious Pixar films. Are you excited to see Coco, or think its just gonna be a Book of Life knock off?

Review : Kubo and the two strings

“A young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armor worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past.”

The very first frame of this movie, to the very last, the first words spoken, and the last muttered…this movie is brilliant. Laika, the studio that seems to want to single handed make sure we never forget the mastery of stop motion animation, brings us this new and instant classic. Kubo and the two strings takes on a whirlwind adventure across time and space, full of magic, fright and wonder enough for adults and children alike. Thats definitely one aspect of this movie that really shines, and thats is ability to tell both a story worthy of adult attention, while also being plainly entertaining enough for younger audiences. Kubo is also absolutely stunning in its visuals, and those visuals only barely win over the voice acting here as the most outstanding feature of this film. This movie combines all the best things about film making and story telling, and tells its narrative in a timely manner, keeping bloat to a minimum. When all of these things combine we are truly left with a film that I would call damn near perfect. If there is a movie you are going to see this weekend or soon, let it be Kubo, so these kind of film making doesn’t go away anytime soon.

Review Score : 9.5 out of 10

Review : Sausage Party

“A sausage strives to discover the truth about his existence.”

Simple premiss, solid execution, but this movie is a great example of it would have been better without the trailer, but without the trailer no one would see it. If you’re like me, and the trailers for this movie had you rolling across the floor, then you will enjoy Sausage Party, but you will feel somewhat let down I think. To be clear the movie is funny, and does have funny moments, but a lot of them have already been seen, and there is also just a lot of connective tissue in this movie that just isn’t super funny. This movie is also most certainly rated R, and it goes everywhere you think it could and beyond. At points that raunchiness seems a bit forced just to push the envelope, but at other times it fits perfectly with the sick and twisted world created for these walking, talking and everything elseing grocery items. The movie does make great use of its soundtrack and those songs come in at perfect times. They also do well to play on popular stereo types and some good play on words action. All in all, Sausage Party I’d say is a success, and is funny, but if you’re going in there with high expectations like I was, be prepared for a let down.

Review Score : 6.5 out of 10

 

Review : Finding Dory

“The friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish reunites with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.”

Straight off, is this movie better than Finding Nemo? Nope. Is this a good movie? It most definitely is. Finding Dory does a good job at building on the story of the first movie, while also introducing some very good and very memorable new characters that for the most part actually out shone the call back characters in my opinion. So whats the problem then? Well problem maybe isn’t the best word, but this movie does struggle to deliver and story of the same scope and gravity of its predecessor. And thats the real story here, Finding Dory is good, but it almost always is grasping at the might and legend of Finding Nemo. This movie is totally worth your viewing however, don’t take what I’ve said as me saying you shouldn’t see this movie. The animation and new characters alone are worth I think the price of admission, Hank the octopus ESPECIALLY, is worth the trip to the cinema. This movie, like all Pixar movies, does well to tug on the heart strings when they want or need to, and tug they do, trust me. All in all, if you’re a fan of the original, just want to see this movie, or have younger ones who want you to take them, you really should go.

Review Score : 8 out of 10

Review : Warcraft

“The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people, and their home.”

Warcraft has the injustice of being branded as the lone or last hope for video game movies, and while it can’t single handedly make up for all the horrible video game movies that came before, it is a good enough movie to be called a good video game movie. This movie does some things well, and some other things not as well. Firstly, its world and the characters in it all seem very real and well created. All of the cities and places we go too, seem really wonderful and beautiful. They also do a good job in portraying that neither side here, neither orc nor man, really thinks that they have a choice when it comes to what they most do to save their respective peoples. Both sides have strong motivations to win and see their side to the end, and I liked and appreciated that a lot . The movie does however seem to gloss over some things that I think anyone who isn’t a big fan of these games would necessarily understand right off the bat. The action and animation is movie is also top notch I’d say, especially when it comes to magic and the magic users, they do come off as powerful and cool I think as they were meant to be. The best thing I can say about this movie is that I think it truly is a good start to what I hope can be a franchise. I really would like to see this movie get a sequel that can take us deeper into the lore and bring some more of these fantastical characters to life.

Review Score : 7 out of 10

Don’t Miss It!

Kubo and the Two Strings:

Rooney Mara, Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Ralph Fiennes and George Takei are just some of the talent lending their voices to this up coming animated action, thriller, adventure movie from Laika Entertainment, the people who brought us movies like ParaNorman, The Box Trolls and Coraline.

Kubo and the Two Strings looks to take us on a whirlwind asian inspired adventure full of music, magic and wonderfully strange and beautiful characters. Staring a young boy named Kubo, with certain magical abilities and a supporting cast of warrior beetles and guiding monkeys. Laika is known for their distinctive and beautiful and painstaking stop motion animation and hand made character puppets, that give their work not just a unique and signature look and feel, but also helps them stand out in an animation world dominated by 3D computer animation.

Kubo looks to hit theaters later this year, and hopefully make a big splash with critics and audiences alike. If you’re a fan of animation, and want to see more than just the typical, then make sure and give this movie a look in a cinema near you. If you’re just a fan of original stories and unique story telling, Kubo and the Two Strings should be just the kind of movie that you don’t want to miss!

Trailer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWMyKZyIFnA