Wanted

Yesterday I saw yet another summer action flick based on a comic. I was attracted by the glimpses of cool action and a profound plot in its trailer. While Wanted did not quite accomplish the latter, it has the former in spades. The movie’s coolness comes from gratuitous use of slow/reverse motion, mind bogglingly impossible shots, and of course way over the top shootouts. Some of the character developments were done in a highly clichéd manner, such as Fox’s background and Wesley’s “curve the bullet” training, and the storyline was questionable under scrutiny. However, Wanted’s intensely stylish action pieces are worth the price of admission, and a few funny scenes adds extra incentive to the movie.

Slayers Revolution after episode 01 - First Impressions

I have never seen Slayers before, but after witnessing much anticipation for Slayers Revolution, I decided to give this a try, perhaps gaining some insight as to why the Slayers is so well loved. The first episode does a very good job of exhibiting Lina Inverse’s personality, which I appreciate as a Slayers virgin. With campy action, cheesy writing, and tacky background music, Slayers Revolution screams old school fantasy, and I would venture a guess that it is a defining quality for the entire Slayers franchise. Not quite the sense of “classic” I was looking for. Even though the series is tongue-in-cheek, it remains a bit too silly for me. I think Slayers can be a lot of fun if one approaches it with a childishly fanatical mindset. Unfortunately, that will be hard for me to do, but I will try.

Chocolate Underground after episode 01 - First Impressions

Big Brother is watching you…eating chocolate. In Chocolate Underground there are serious Orwellian ideas enveloping a rather benign substance, chocolate, presented in a comedic fashion. However, there is nothing funny about invasive propaganda, Big Brother, police states, and so on. An illustrative example is the indomitable television scene. Television being a method of forced delivery of party ideals is unnerving (the two way televisions in 1984 were worse), but yet the show tries to make light of Louise’s struggle to turn it off. The disturbing Orwellian setup stifles much of the humor, and it is an uneasy mix. The rare smiles I had during the first episode were unsettled.

Kure-nai after episode 12 - Final Thoughts

It is peculiar how Kuhouin henchmen and Benika and friends rely exclusively on martial arts. In a modern setting, one would imagine contract mercenaries such as Benika and her pupils, or guards of a powerful family such as the Kuhouins, would be packing heat. Guns are abundant, easy to train and use, and can kill at range. Considering these advantages over martial arts, guns should be the first weapon of engagement, and martial arts as backup. At the very least a few goons (of any kind) could have gone down with ease had Benika and company carried a couple of silenced pistols on the job.
One of the main letdowns of Kure-nai was Shinkurou’s demon powers. Its manifestation is little more than a bullet proof blade and brief bursts of agility, and thus has been underwhelming in effect and description. The power carried so much intrigue and promise that were never fully taken advantage of in the anime. How exactly did Shinkurou gain that power? What is the full extent of his power? These are interesting questions that, perhaps due to the lack of time, the show did not explore. If only Kure-nai was longer.
And that is my sentiment after finishing Kure-nai. The characters and their interactions or analysis are so well composed and portrayed that it is entertaining to see them do the most mundane things. Though I realize that I might have been charmed by the attractive females in the series. But I am charmed because they were so superbly presented. The series suffers animation deterioration occasionally, but has effective use of background music. Kure-nai’s few flaws does not obscure its character accomplishments that propels it into the ranks of the best of this year. Murasaki is one of the more memorable girls in the anime kingdom.

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

I have not seen Ang Lee’s Hulk, nor have I followed Marvel’s comics. I have seen the animated series when I was a small boy, but it was such a long time ago that much of my memories of the cartoon have evaporated. Today I watched The Incredible Hulk with a buddy, and I walked into the theatre essentially as a clean slate. The Incredible Hulk was, one would say, a summer popcorn action flick. The movie progresses with a standard pattern of quiet plot development between sections of “HULK SMASH!”. The computer graphic render of The Hulk is detailed and fluid, and when he is calm one can see sensitivity in his face. The Incredible Hulk is marred by vague details and plot holes, which is stereotypical of this type of movies. There are certain things and events in the movie that could have, and should have, been explained but were not. A highly likely sequel might excuse some of the detail gaps, but not all of them.