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itsumishi
Reviews
Wu-Tang: An American Saga: As High as Wu-Tang Gets (2021)
A disappointing final to an otherwise stellar season
Despite minor gripes about "Saturday Nite" Season 2 has been really compelling and excellent up to this point. Unfortunately the Season finale was a big disappointment.
10 minutes in, it was clear the producers did not know if the series would be given a third season, so the contents of what should have been 5 or 6 episodes were crammed into the finale. The result is a fast paced episode full of action, which unfortunately lacked the quality writing and compelling drama which has made earlier episodes like 'Protect ya neck' to shine so well.
Without giving too much away in spoilers the only part of this episode that really shone was ODBs story arc, but even that was crowded out with everything else going on.
Wu-Tang: An American Saga: Saturday Nite (2021)
Otherwise great episode with one very odd stylistic choice.
Almost all of this episode was great. The negotiating with labels was compelling, the drama of getting the club was great. The performance at the end was top-notch.
But why, oh why did the creators decide to portray Tracey Waples as some kind of weird porno character complete with cringey monologues that were completely out of place compared to the rest of the series?
Godfather of Harlem: The Bonanno Split (2021)
Season 2 has really gone downhill
The writing is shoddy. Every second line is poorly executed exposition. Even some of the terrific actors involved seem to be putting in half arsed efforts, Forest Whitaker especially. Sets and costumes are still on point, but damn this is sloppy.
The Congress (2013)
An incoherent mess of a film
This film starts with some genuine promise, with an interesting science fiction theme about identity, choice and free will, and some interesting insights into the film industry. The first third has some excellent acting, especially by Kodi Smit-McPhee. Then the film suddenly takes a bizarre change of direction by switching to an incoherent drug induced animation which is nothing more than a nose-dive into barely comprehensible dribble. The film never recovers from this. The animation is beautiful and colourful, and there are moments which gave me a slight chuckle, but these factors do not redeem the incomprehensible story which makes it impossible to have any emotional attachment to the characters. Unfortunately the massive change in direction makes the film seem like two separate pieces of work which do not fit together adding to the problems with this film.
I'd give it 1 star if it wasn't for the decent acting and lovely animation, but they both deserve a star each.
Casino Royale (2006)
8/10 without the opening credits sequence
Well I finally got around to sitting down and watching Casino Royale. It seems the critics were right. Daniel Craig acted superbly, the opening scenes in B&W were magnificent. The parkour chase at the start was beautifully executed and really the storyline was classic Bond. The whole film, minus the few minutes of opening credits sequence were all very good.
Unfortunately that opening credits sequence was horribly horrendous, the music, the cheesy as hell flash animation, the music, the cheesy and disgusting animation, the music... the crappy animation... the way Daniel Craig faded into the scene where his cheap, jagged black animated silhouette once was while the singer of that terrible song continuously shouts "you know my name!" over and over...oh god.
2/10 but 8/10 without that opening sequence.