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Reviews
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Impressive but somewhat soulless
On the visual and audio side of things, this is a tour de force. Watched in IMAX and this move must have used the subwoofers more than all other movies combined. Your seat is shaking from battles and worms, it's almost too much to take at times.
And visually it's a masterpiece, both in fidelity and in the set and costume design. Not a single feeling of green screen CGI bonanza.
But story and character wise, while not bad, it's just not that engaging. You are never surprised (a problem with sticking close to the well known story). There's a little character development but i would have wanted to see Paul's change with more gradual tension. And the second half seems very rushed, with a lot of big events just thrown in without a lot of reason. Suddenly if feels like Avengers and every fremen is a superhero. Maybe that's a problem with the original story?
Zone 414 (2021)
Boring and derivative
I had low expectations going in to this, but I did have a small hope that there would be some cool sci-do concepts or dramatic scenes to offset it. Unfortunately, the movies instead went for a slow burning Blade Runner copy in style and story. But there are almost no stakes, only a few interesting characters and very little world building or concepts. It bored me and never surprised.
The only thing on the positive side is decent cinematography and acting, some interesting sets and ok sound design (but quite bland soundtrack).
Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004)
Beautiful and incredibly imaginative but confusing and scattered.
Beautiful and incredibly imaginative but confusing and scattered, I found it hard to stay focused and to care for the characters.
(And by the way, the Netflix edition has terrible subtitles)
Sense8 (2015)
Great concept but flawed
Loved the overall concept of shared souls, lends itself to great storytelling and direction where a scene unfolds across space and across actors. Big plus for diversity of cast, themes and more importantly, filming locations. Feels authentic.
Downside is that many episodes lack a strong plot, meandering and sometimes getting lost in what almost seem like in-jokes. Worse, for the most part, there isn't much challenge to the characters, they can seemingly kick and blast through any danger. It all seems a bit too easy and deus ex mechanized.
The diversity theme sometimes also becomes a bit preachy, while dialog drifts into being stylized or downright silly.