Reviews

Kimi no Nawa is up there with the quality of work Studio Ghibli makes. It's a journey in a world breathing with atmosphere, mystery, and visual wonder. A journey about growth and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. A journey about human emotion that transcends space and time, as we watch our two protagonists struggle relentlessly against fate. A journey that might just be one of the most captivating anime movie experiences I've had in years.

Director Makoto Shinkai's artistry is something people tend to love or hate, but this film is solid proof to all of his disdainful critics that his movies were never "just eye candy". They explore the nature of life and relationships in quiet ways rarely seen or discussed, which is why most of them are not fast-paced or action packed...and why they are so beautiful. But even if you're not a fan of this kind of style with its major use of metaphorical imagery and mixture of subtle and explosive emotions, definitely give Kimi no Nawa a chance. This is by far his most ambitious, original movie in many ways. For instance, there's an actual mystical element to the story apart from his previous films that are set purely on realism. The pacing is a lot faster and intense. There's a surprising amount of humor in the script, making the chemistry between the characters more light-hearted and comically entertaining than expected. All of this is done through a narrative vision so emotional, so brilliantly realized, that I'm pretty sure everyone at the Anime Expo world premiere screening was tearing up, including me.

Without spoiling, what mainly drives this film's story is the dynamics of our main characters' relationship. The way these two interact is just so unique and lovable. The premise itself allows them to bond on a more personal level, far more intriguing than the usual teenage love story where boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy gets girl. Eventually, you become so invested in their strange relationship, that when all the action goes down, it's no longer just suspenseful - it's almost heartbreaking.

Editing and sound design play a HUGE role in this immersion. There's rarely a single dull moment because of how gripping and emotionally driven the timing of every cut is. The sound design combined with a beautiful music score is outstanding - subtle and moving when creating atmosphere, powerful at times of dramatic conflict. In fact, the same can be said for pretty much all of the visual aesthetics - which if I haven't already mentioned, are amazing. This is a prime example of astonishingly jaw-dropping animation combined with powerful storytelling.

Kimi no Nawa is not just any anime movie. It has the potential to be viewed and studied as art cinema. It's so beautifully crafted and meticulously detailed, I feel like I didn't even cover 80% of its greatness in this review. To do that, I would have to make a spoiler analysis review, and to do that, I would probably have to see the movie again, maybe a couple more times before I can fully appreciate this nearly flawless masterpiece.

I know I sound like I'm fanboying, but as a film student and anime fan for many years, I'm being fully honest here - if Director Makoto Shinkai keeps this kind of quality up, he is going to be an even bigger name in the anime industry for years to come. Remember Your Name long enough until it's available in your country, if you're not seeing it in Japan theaters. Because trust me, you're not going to forget it. 10/10

Director Denis Villeneuve, according to his biography, quit his studies in entomology to pursue his love of filmmaking. I can easily argue that such was the best decision, for if not for him, we would not have been given this wonderful masterpiece. 'Prisoners' may just be the best movie I've seen all year.

After leaving the theater, I was still left with awe in regard to the incredibly dark (and awesome) atmosphere. Hugh Jackman gives his best acting performance to date, and pretty much every actor casted was sensational.You can truly feel the various emotions and mental afflictions each character faces, as it builds up to the resolution of the mystery, piece by piece. The story seems simple at first, yet the execution is just so breathtaking and well-written, you are forced to stay at the edge of your seat. You may feel like it's slow-paced at first, but as you progress, you are gradually more and more indulged by the insightful atmosphere.

However, in my opinion, the strongest element (and possibly the most Oscar-worthy) of this film is the cinematography. All of the rack focuses, slow panning wideshots, close-ups, etc., along with the dark color gradients and perfect lighting, totally sold the visual tone and storytelling aspect. I really do hope Roger Deakins does win an Oscar this time. His work in this movie was incredible!

I don't really have any complaints. If you're looking for a dark thriller with powerful performances and prestigious photography, this is the movie for you this year! Do not miss out! 9/10

I'm gonna be honest; I'm not a big fan of Marvel. I thought this was gonna be another action-devoured, hero-glorifying crap that Marvel usually does with many of their hero characters in movie sequels.

However, when I found out Shane Black was directing this one, who by the way is a veteran filmmaker in the action genre (known for screen writing Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, etc.), I decided to give this one a chance.

I must say that I was SO not disappointed! This movie beginning to end was exciting and engaging, with great pacing and everything a decent superhero story needs to keep smart audiences interested. Allow me to elaborate:

Without any real spoilers, in this story, the machine-industrial billionaire Tony Stark is constantly faced with anxiety and mental distress as the result of his relentless work and constant political/terrorism-based issues that pose a threat to him and his girl (who we all know by now is who he cherishes the most). You can see the great character development as the plot continues to unfold how his arrogance and childish attitude in the past has affected others. Now, those sins have come back to haunt him, and he must deal with more than just The Mandarin. Away from home, with a nearly shattered Iron Man suit, and no signs of his wife, Tony must struggle against his own fears, uncover the mistakes of his past, and redeem his actions in order to be at rest again.

A lot of times, directors of sequels face the issue of either copying the same style from the previous installment or trying something new. People would complain either way, but hear me out, do NOT listen to all these haters. Personally, I LOVED this new style of Iron Man. I totally digged the intense atmosphere and the beautifully epic music score by Brian Tyler, who is always one of my all-time favorite soundtrack composers.

Acting is more or less the same level from the previous two. Robert Downey Jr. nails his role as the infamous Tony Stark. Ben Kingsley made a very dark, menacing Mandarin. Even Guy Pearce does a great job, as I could not recognize him at first glance.

Cinematography and CG animations are on point, though some may argue it gets weak sometimes when it comes to the bad guys. Being an amateur filmmaker and editor myself, I can only imagine how many hours it must have taken to render scene where all the Iron Men arrive (no, if you saw the trailer already, that wasn't a REAL spoiler).

So why are people hating this movie? It's simply different. We live in a world where the type of entertain Hollywood markets is not the same as the substance the original comics or works of literature may illustrate. However, even among those who haven't read the comics, the top two complaints I hear are: 1. There's too much action and nothing really new about the story. 2. Iron Man is not wearing the Iron Man suit enough.

Are you kidding? The amount of action for this ACTION film was rational, and it kept the pacing better than the previous installments, not leaving much time in between for audiences to breath (which I guess can be considered a good or bad thing). Sure, it's not completely original story-wise, but since when has any superhero movie aside from Nolan's Dark Knight demand for ingeniously creative depth? And why would you want to see Stark constantly rely on the suit!? That would make him like every other of the crap movies Marvel came out with - superheroes that are perfect and always rely on their powers/abilities to solve everything.

There's even a moral theme to this movie on how even the smallest mistakes/wrongdoings can create the biggest impact on one's life. In fact, as a human race, we naturally "create our own monsters." The very first scene of this movie established this theme and it was well-played out in supporting the villain's intentions and background.

Movies that give me the worst impressions on Marvel include Captain America, Spider Man, Fantastic Four, etc. In those movies, the hero(es) always seem so perfect and good at heart, being misunderstood and mistreated but eventually recognized thanks to their new superpowers. Hollywood has murdered that cliché concept. I'm sick of it.

But thanks to this movie, Iron Man has shown that there's more to him than just being a hotshot billionaire who wears an powerful robot suit to battle. With a variety of creative action and intense scenes, he utilizes his mind, his integrity, and his struggles against internal anxiety. A man that makes mistakes, takes the pain he feels from the results of those mistakes and uses them to strengthen himself and defeat adversity. A character that shows vulnerability and relatable weaknesses in spite of their powers, how much wealth they possess, or how talented they are. A character that changes himself not to just "save the world" but to save the things in life that are truly important - love, happiness, people, moral wisdom, etc. THAT is what I call a true hero.

Just avoid the haters and avoid having too much hype. As long as you don't go in with super high Oscar-winning expectations and treat it as a typical family movie, you will definitely enjoy it as a thrilling ride with a brilliant, yet simple plot. Till this day, Iron Man is still my favorite Marvel hero.