In Retrospect: Detective Pikachu

I finally figured it out guys.

The thought occured to me while I was watching this movie, why is Detective Pikachu the absolute best video game movie? What makes this film have the secret ingredient that other video game movies have tried and failed to have for decades? Other movies have not entirely replicated their games, the Super Mario Bros. Movie took liberties with the story, Street Fighter The Movie didn't follow the plot perfectly, yet this one worked. Why? And it took me forever to find out but now I know, Pokemon has no story. It just doesn't. What is the plot of Pokemon Red and Blue? You journey out into the world, collect fantastical creatures, and challenge leaders of various gyms until in the end there can be only one. And that is why this movie works! You can do whatever you wish with the story and it would completely work. Pokemon is a crafted miracle, this series has existed for just as long if not longer than myself, so 25 years, and though it hasn't reached that Pokemania fever in the late 90s leading into the new millenium again, it is still popular, still beloved, still embedded in pop culture. Now I'm not saying Pokemon could be the one and only video game series that could eveeerrrr be made into a movie, with the right creative team you could make a Legend Of Zelda movie, you could make a Halo movie, You could make an Earthbound movie for crying out loud! It is all possible. Now let's be harshly true with ourselves, video game movies are nearly impossible to make and make well. But Pokemon is that golden child because it has just enough of reality mixed with the fantastical elements to make it work, it has always been a feasible movie to make. You take our normal everyday world, throw in some creative creatures, and bam you got a series you could do anything with. It's really quite amazing. Plus you add perfect timing with my generation having kids of their own and this was always going to be a surefire hit! But does the film work on repeat viewing when you know the solution to the mystery? Ehhhh....some things really work, I love what they did with Ditto, I love the fact they pull a 1989 Batman with the gas balloons, the stuff they subvert is well done, buuut seriously the kid just...forgot his dad's voice? Was it really that hard to defeat the villain? In fact the villains plan was a bit, huuuh?? So yeah, the ending is a bit mixed but when more than half the movie is a fun, enjoyable, colorful, and very entertaining movie you don't mind too much. Still needs more Snorlax though. I mean could you imagine if he got dosed with that gas and just blasted hyperbeams and pulled a Man Of Steel, just levelling skyscrapers? Tonally inconsistent, yes. Incredible joygasm, ohhhh yeeeeah. I know he's practically shaped like a friend, and honestly I can't praise the art direction with the pokemon enough, but come on! Give my boy some love! Still a 7/10 despite the slight issues, can't wait to see more.

School Of Rock

You know, for a movie over 15 years old (and you just let that sink in for a minute) it honestly hasn't lost any of it's charm or enjoyment for me.

I can't remember exactly when I first saw School Of Rock, I know I definitely rented it at one point so I must have been fairly young maybe 10 or so, but it has a lasting impression on me. More on that later but first, story time! So our story begins with our man Jack Black as a guitar player named Dewey that gets kicked out of his old band, and in need of a steady gig impersonates his roomate who's a substitute teacher and gets into a prep school. After learning about his student's musical talents he forms a rock band and grows a great relationship with the kids as they perfect their craft for a battle of the bands event. First off, there is no way in hell that this movie could have worked without Jack Black, I mean he has that energy and appeal plus he can totally act and even play. He's the best part of the movie, but his co-stars aren't outshined. These are cool kids, pretty much perfect acting from all with extra love and admiration going to Summer, Zack, and Tomika. Granted some kids are more in the background but they get their moments and with an ensemble cast this big it was unavoidable. Bottom line, the kids are awesome! But what's the point of talking about the movie if you don't bring up the soundtrack? I mean geez this film practically groomed me for my music taste! This film introduced me to a lot of artists that I've come to enjoy and appreciate like The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and AC/DC, bands I didn't know much about when I was younger but now am big fans of them all. If you straight up asked me what my favorite band is, it's either Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, or The Doors, it really did influence me that much. The music selection no matter how brief is really, really good with even the original songs being great. Lord knows I'd take a music class like that where I could be introduced to lots of different groups and appreciate their styles and songs. It really puts you in a good if not great mood by the end, it's easy to get invested in the story, to enjoy these characters and their interactions together. Jack Black is so good in this movie, he can talk to these kids about their problems and issues and be completely genuine while still having fun and being crazy. It's a damn good movie man, what can I say? I do hate the whole liar revealed nonsense, cause you know they're just gonna go rock out anyway, those scenes no matter the movie are padding. Plain and simple. But beyond that is there anything I even slightly dislike? Nope, I love how the opening shot is kind of a long take, I love all the actors, the story is original and fun, the music is all kinds of awesome, not much at all to hate here! 4 stars! See it again if you grew up with it, introduce it to your kids if they dig that kind of music, have fun with it, rock out, you just go have a ball. Okay I have to tell this story cause I have such good memories of this movie, waaaay back during the summer of 2007 I was on break at my grandparent's house, and Cartoon Network pretty much had a marathon of this movie for about 3 days and all I did was watch the movie, play some Guitar Hero (both 1 and 2), and had a great summer. I pretty much had my own version of Woodstock and it was pretty far out, granted it wasn't as massive or as wild as Woodstock but I loved every minute of it so I'm always in higher spirits when the School Of Rock starts rolling credits. And what's summer without some great tunes?

Ladyhawke

Ah, that hit the spot.

I'm so happy I saw this movie again, and I haven't seen it in years. The first time I saw it was in my english class in high school of all places. Why? I have no idea. And I never saw a fantasy movie like this before or even after, the story is simple but still has a lot of heart and adventuring, the soundtrack is all kinds of funky cool, the film is so unashamedly 80s and I wouldn't want it any other way. Our story follows a young thief Gaston played by Matthew Broderick, who escapes a prison before meeting a mysterious knight Naverre played by Rutger Hauer who requires his assistance to settle an old score. We slowly learn more about Naverre and the hawk who always accompanies him, which is revealed that a curse was placed upon the two of them. By day Naverre is a man, and by night he is a wolf while the hawk named Isabeau transforms into a beautiful woman by nightfall. I really like how it's not a straight up Beauty & The Beast story, that both these lovers are cursed and the tragedy ensues from the fact they can never truly see each other face to face. That is a brilliant idea that I haven't seen since! I fully can say this is a fantasy love story, yet another rare thing in this world and I do mean proper fantasy because it's based in medieval times. I greatly appreciate the romance it builds, they just don't talk about how much one loves the other, but you can see it in their actions and hear it in their voices and you want to see them have a happy resolution. The movie looks great with good portions being filmed in Italy and it looks excellent, with several real life castles being used, and very moody and atmospheric sets. All the actors are committed and give great performances, Matthew Broderick is a very fun and endearing thief with some great chemistry with our other main leads, Michelle Pfeifer though she has little on screen time as a human doesn't waste a second of it giving a lovely and sweet performance, and last but absolutely not least we have Rutger Hauer. I was very shocked and saddened to hear of his passing and it was truly wonderful to see him again, he outshines everyone with a performance that has mystery, tragedy, and a sense of humanity, his character has a lot to enjoy with a sense of humor, great brawn, and charm unparalleled. He almost seems like a D&D character come to the big screen and if I ever truly created a character I would base it on him. He has two scenes that really hit me, in one you can truly see and feel his heart be crushed in anguish, and in another he shows compassion and understanding. I know everyone points to Blade Runner for his acting talents and granted he is beyond spectacular in that movie, but I mean really if you watch him in any movie and you love him. It was great to see him in a hero role which he honestly got by pure luck and I'm happy he did. This was great fun to watch and I really enjoyed it so much more than the first time around. I know I would have just loved this movie when I was young, fantasy movies have always been my thing especially along with science fiction movies, and I've heard lots of stories about people who have been watching this movie since they were kids and still enjoy it. So you bet I give a huge recommendation for this movie, it hits that 80s fantasy adventure just right with brief but good comedy, swordfights, and even a very good love story. It may not be one of the greatest fantasy movies to some but I'll always appreciate and love it.

In Retrospect: Alita Battle Angel

I love this movie!

I have great respect for Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron for doing this story properly. They took it seriously, and wanted to make a good movie based off of something most americans wouldn't go for. It's a risk but I think it payed off to bring an adaptation of a influential and beloved manga to western audiences. I took a step back as the movie played and I asked a simple question, could anybody enjoy this film? And as the film progressed and I really looked at how they handled everything, I really do feel that anybody could. The world has evolved since Blade Runner, that movie was a hard sell for audiences and wasn't very successful but it grew to be one of the best science fiction movies in history and even it had fans when it came out. The movie knows how to connect us to our main character, they make her so charming and lovable you are with her every step of the way, and the way they handle her story makes you interested and invested. They got Alita so right, not just from a character point of view but as the driving force for the audience. They explain the world but still leave intrigue to where anyone can come to terms with it and wants to know more. The romance works, the characters are still believable and have their charms, the world is interesting and cool, everything works just right. But they don't play all their cards at once, and I very much hope they make the rest of the series because they handled this first chapter incredibly well. This could be a great film series, hell in a weird sort of way I kind of associate it very much with films like Ladyhawke or The Last Starfighter or Big Trouble In Little China, this could be a kid's favorite movie growing up. It could make a kid's imagination run wild and they would love every second of it, they could put it on anytime and have a ball. It's understandable to a kid, kind of relatable, has a fascinating story, good characters, and action that gets them fired up and makes 'em want to play some motorball. I would have loved this movie when I was 8 years old! It really does harken back to the more underground films of the 80s, and I know it's right up some kid's alley. I mean it has a straight up F-word like any true PG-13 movie from the 80s, it just fits that mold perfectly. I would totally rent this movie on VHS if I could from a video store. The setting is dystopian but is still pretty and visually striking, all the effects are done expertly and Alita looks damn near real. I mean you don't even notice it's an effect early on because the movie grabs you and you roll with it. And I'll level with you, Alita Battle Angel was the first manga I actually read, and it's a great story! Sure it has some tropes in it that a lot of anime take note from but it works, it throws you for twists and curves and you want to see what the end goal is and how it ends. I know that series can make damn good movies and I really hope people give it a chance. It's worth the rental and you may want to see what happens next, but for me this is a definite buy. I mean let's face it the western culture isn't screaming for adaptations of japanese media, and they screw up sometimes. I mean poor Dragonball man and we won't even mention the atrocities of Netflix, but they did Ghost In The Shell very well and I still stand by my views on that being a good movie, they did Alita well and have a fantastic opportunity for more, friggin' Detective Pikachu was pretty much set for success due to my generation being Pokemon maniacs and the time was right, movies based on anime or manga is something different but when they get it right they get it very right. And I don't know about you but I'm in the mood for some more kickass lesser known and valued movies. I think I know just the one to see too.

Green Book

Okay, okay, I get it now.

I was very shocked to see Green Book win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, there was a lot of potential winners and Green Book was honestly the last on my list for winners. But now upon seeing it, it makes a hell of a lot more sense why it won. I saw the synopsis and trailers and it didn't look like a bad film, and when I finally watched it I can safely say this is a really damn good, if not great movie. The story centers around a jack of all trades regular joe named Tony who gets hired by a popular musician named Dr. Donald Shirley as his driver as they tour through the deep south. In the 60s. So a rough and ready Brooklyn boy is just what the doctor ordered as they tour and they form a friendship. And that's what I loved above all, you can fully tell they become great friends. They bicker like a married couple, the Doc always tells Tony off like a parent, their personalities offset each other perfectly. Doctor Shirley is a very sophisticated and polite man while Tony is a bit of a slob and has a bit of a bad attitude but by no means is a horrible person. He's just a normal guy who gets this job to drive this musician around and keep him safe, but as time goes on he gains more respect for the Doc and always stands up for him no matter what, fighting a lot of bigotry and standing by his friend even when he gets carted off to jail. It's a wonderful relationship played by two great actors. Viggo Mortensen is perfect in this role and is just so damn enjoyable, you really grow to like him fast. Mahershala Ali is great, I can't give him enough praise if I tried, he's funny, heartfelt, and very intelligent. I almost completely call bromance on this, I absolutely adore it. They even have a Christmas scene, Tony invites the Doc over for Christmas and it is so damn schmultzy I can't help but love it. I can fully appreciate the story, the people, and the head on potrayal of southern culture in the 60s. They have no issue just stating the facts of that time and place and don't shy away from it. It's a great movie and one I have no problem seeing again, I saw it over my break and knew immediately I had to contribute to the good things said about it, give it a shot if you're not sure whether you want to watch it, you won't regret it. And just as an added bonus for me we have Linda Cardellini being the supremely sweet and charming woman as she always is, and if that doesn't give a movie brownie points in my eyes not a damn thing will. 4 stars! Definite recommendation and next time we take a look back at a movie that split both audiences and critics but I was definitely in the love camp.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

I'm happy this was the movie to come back on.

I had a great opportunity to see the movie on legit 35mm film, and it did nothing but add more to the movie. Set in the late 60s, our story follows a film actor and his stunt double, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt respectively, going about their daily lives in Los Angeles while we also briefly follow stars Roman Palinski and Sharon Tate. It's kind of a hard movie to describe, it's very slice of life set in a time capsule of 1968, so nothing major happens plot wise until near the end. It's very much a movie you can watch with friends but you better have some time on your hands. This movie pushes 3 hours but never does it drag or feel dull, I was fully enjoying the film all the way through and enjoying the style and scenery. The cast I felt was really damn good, Leonardo DiCaprio plays an aging movie star pretty much pitch perfect, you can keep your Titanic and Romeo & Juliet DiCaprio, I prefer him more like this. Brad Pitt and him have excellent screen chemistry, you can really tell they are friends and get along, plus I just love how Brad looks in this film. He fits that gruff cool stuntman from the early 70s look, I mean he just melds into this part. Margot Robbie though not having a major part in the film has some nice moments and well if you know the real life story of actress Sharon Tate you really don't want to see anything bad happen to her. But my absolute favorite is Julia Butters who plays a bit part on Leo's show, like they really have some great scenes together and I absolutely loved her performance. I don't even know why she just did that good a job, she plays a child actor wiser beyond her years and is just excellent! And I'm a sucker for the 60s I can't help it, and the cinematography even with film grain and scratches looks great! The colors still pop, it's not hazy or out of focus, it just immerses you further into the movie. The best way I can sum up the movie is, it's a Tarantino movie. And if you've liked the 9 movies he made before this, then no doubt you'll enjoy this one too, and even if you haven't I still recommend it. It's worth the time and you'll find something you enjoy in it, whether it be actors, the time period, music, visuals, no doubt you'll dig the ending. I mean damn, I wish the ending was the true ending. But nevertheless, 3.5 stars check it out! And I will be back next week with more.

Back Again.

Guess I didn't miss much. Literally one movie I wanted to see came out and that review will be posted tomorrow. Big news though, a change of scenery you might say but no doubt it will help me be able to ingest more good movies and even more shows for the future. In fact I am so confident on that fact that you will see my longest and most likely only TV review marathon at the later half of this month. But the moving process will be no doubt completed by next week so back to the regular schedule from there on. I have a few movies that hit video which I need to see again and re-evaluate and add on to my original reviews. And I no doubt will have plenty to praise and rant about before the month is over starting with this piece: why in the hell are there so many horror movies coming out before October? Like seriously, two Chucky movies, Scary Stories, fricking IT Chapter Two, and more I can throw out there. When there are only two new movies to see in October for me and one of them is a comic book movie, you kinda have to ask what the heck. I mean could you imagine if all the anticipated and hyped horror movies came out in late September through October? It would be an incredible horror stint! Like nearly to my first year where there was almost a review per day, I really would like to do that again but for the time being it will be the usual 3 reviews per week in October. Need to fill in some gaps on my schedule but I'm ready to get back to it. The break was nice, but the show must go on! So tune in tomorrow for Quentin Tarantino's 10th film, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.