Luca Padovan and Robert Pattinson. © 2023 GKids, Studio Ghibli, and Toho.
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. VFA Nominee - 2 VFAs Including "Best Animated Feature Film"
Watched it at 59th The Chicago International Film Festival @ Music Box (CIFF #4)
How Do You Live? It has been a decade since Hayao Miyazaki's recent film, The Wind Rises. A decade of waiting. Waiting for the supposedly final film by Miyazaki and it is now here. Was it worth the long wait? It definitely is and Miyazaki pushes the animation genre with breathtaking animation and a deep story that will speak to our current lives and our morality. This story goes to new lengths to bring meaningful imagery and it lets us question our choices in life and the regrets we have that strengthen or weaken our relationships with others. So many questions that Miyazaki let us interpret with his latest film and it sure was a personal experience from beginning to end. Let's travel to the oceanic world and witness the beauty and madness of this world. Story: Mahito, a young 12-year-old boy, struggles to settle in a new town after his mother's death. However, when a talking heron informs Mahito that his mother is still alive, he enters an abandoned tower in search of her, which takes him to another world. The beauty of this film is out of this world with so many deep themes while keeping the "awe" factor that makes this film colorful and spectacular. Through its synopsis, it seems like a straightforward story about finding a mother in an extraordinary unique world. However, the story is far more through the visual imagery and characters. The characters are the story of this journey. It feels like this story is just a simple blueprint for the vast depth and emotional complex of the characters in the film which combines another story within the main initial story. I always loved the visual complexity, symbolism, and philosophical themes that Miyazaki explores and there's so much to explore. Yet, the more I watch and think back to the film, it gets more personal and it slowly reveals a huge message about grief and family relationships. Also, a theme of trying to move on and pushing yourself to become your true self. A lot of thematic elements and central themes which are almost all laid out with the protagonist and the side characters in the film. It doesn't feel like a narrative structure, but rather, a thematic structure and it spices the film through its crazy adventure. It feels like two films into one but it culminates the main themes of the film into a very personal message for Miyazaki and his audience. With those thematic elements, the characters carry them which makes their journey, a journey through personal ups and downs. These characters are very likable with certain characters having a lot of depth. The cast of characters are very great with the Heron character and Lady Himi being the biggest standouts. Even with their American voice-over performances, they are amazing and they have some much depth in their character that connects to the overarching themes. Lady Himi being a representative of a mother is very heartwarming and seeing her with the protagonist Mahito Maki was emotional and touching. These characters click easily and they carry the film alongside its supporting cast of characters. With these characters, it paints a picture of a personal journey for the audience and Miyazaki. I feel like these characters are a representation of Myazaki's family but also a representation of his emotions and past memories. It is a very personal film and it easily resonates with me through its many symbolisms and visual imagery. Even with its simple story, it opens for interpretation and lets you soak into the many emotions these characters are going through each event and it makes their journey wildly special.
The animation alone is a fantastic treat and a spectacle of wonder, imagination, and texture of each world and location Mahito Maki visits. 2D animation always floors me. Even though I love 3D animation, 2D animation, especially hand-drawn animation, really adds depth and smooth flow to the animation and there is more freedom to do. The set designs are flawless with each distinctive location being tied to the emotional and thematic context. I also have to compliment the food animation because the food in Studio Ghibli movies looks delicious and this film is no exception. Besides the wonderful animation, the sound design is great alongside its breathtaking score by Joe Hisaishi. The mixture of sound design and score really made the sound aspects stand out more frequently which adds a feel of vividness and straight-up goosebumps. Some of the in-animation camera work is smooth with divine lighting and colors! Altogether, the animation and technical filmmaking hits the jackpot with its stellar attention to detail and letting the audience feel the sense of imagination and scale through its huge feat of animation. Even with all of this praise, there are some flaws that I would like to point out.
The film's pacing was a bit of a mixed bag. While I like the editing choices with certain sequences and transitions, it felt a bit slow, but unintentionally. It could slow some of its emotional scenes and some little scenes or moments could have easily been cut out. The majority was in the first half of the film but the second half was much stronger with its editing and pacing. Plus, some audiences would be a bit lost with its narrative or even a bit bored because there is nothing quite going on in terms of plot. I could see that issue flying over some audiences and I felt like for certain scenes, the plot moved more slowly than I expected. Yet, it amps up when we arrive at the magical world and the rest of the film is a treat. Miyazaki gave us a wonderful and thematic focus film that not only speaks to him but to his central audience. Jaw-dropping animation, well-rounded thematic story, amazing voice-over performances with Robert Pattison and Karen Fukuhara being the major standouts, and maybe an emotional send-off to Miyazaki's career. We don't know for sure that this is his true final film but time will tell what will Miyazaki and the team at Studio Ghibli will do next.
Currently Playing Only in Theaters!
Vizeit Score: "A"
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Copyright © 2024 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Chief/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
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Shameik Moore. © 2023 Sony/Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Marvel Entertainment, Arad Productions, Lord Miller Productions, and Pascal Pictures. Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson.
Watched it in Dolby Cinema @ AMC Theaters
The Universe Expands with Some Consequences Behind It This year of comic book films is so far pretty mixed with some great while some disappointing or straight-up WTF. However, Sony Animation brought us some of the best animations I have ever seen in cinema and a story that will bring every emotion on screen. This film is wild from start to finish and this being a comic book film and a animated film, I was glued to the screen. It's memorizing, beautiful, emotional, action-packed, and just insane with the scope of this eye-popping film. It's a film that I will remember decades ahead and it's up there as one of the best sequels of all time. Dazzling and down to earth, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the film that everyone will love whether you love comic book films or not. Join me in the multiverse and high-five every Spider-Man we see until we run across the Spider Plushie. Story: After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders. He must soon redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most. Since the first film was released way back in 2018, it changed the animation industry by taking unique risks to make their films more artsy or pop-out by creating a unique identity. Five years later, they did it again by changing the animation game by pushing the limits of animation while giving a grounded story that the audience will connect with. While the story and characters are very important to every film, the technical elements should get more praised, especially with this film's groundbreaking animation from every frame and little detail. Over 1,000 animators worked on this film and it's the longest American animated film ever with over 140 minutes. That is insane, especially for an animated film that takes a while to complete. I applaud every animator who worked on this film and it came out beautiful. The animation details are incredible with the iconic comic book style, a mix of 2D and 3D, with different art styles from different eras. It's beautiful from every frame and I loved how there are small nice animation details that make the movement more smooth and poppy. I really love animation and this is by far the best technical animated film of all time with Ponyo still at number one. This film pushes the boundaries of animation but also superhero storytelling through animation. You still have the animated gestures and expressive actions of characters and action moments, but during serious moments without any action, the animation takes it down for a bit and makes a scene realistic. Not in terms of texture or graphical fidelity, but with lighting, emotions of each character, and atmosphere. That's where the animation gets stronger during emotional set-pieces and it works very well. The story itself also is fantastic because of its expansive characters and new worlds that put each character in danger of their own mistakes.
The story is now more expansive than ever. We travel to different universes and worlds that we would never see on the big screen. However, the story also expands on Miles's characteristics, struggles, and point of view of the world around him. While the film explores different universes and connects them all together into a larger-than-life story, it's still Miles's journey. His character arc is what keeps this story integral and the multiverse is just the icing of the cake. While it's nice to see cameos and references in the film, that's not the focus. It's about Miles jumping the hurdles of becoming Spider-Man and being his real self. We see Miles in his personal struggles with family, school, and friends. Plus, being Spider-Man can take a toll on his personal life and he makes new enemies along the way which can damage his personal life. There's no escape until you follow your canon event or break it to become the true Spider-Man. This film explores many ideas that come together on the creation of Spider-Man and this film does it very well. Miles's family is the center of his situation and he cares about his father's fate and his friend's life. However, Miles needs to make some sacrifices in order to become Spider-Man but he's in limbo. I love that it explores many corners and scenarios of Spider-Man and by the end of the film, we see what really happens to Miles when he encounters his true fears. This story is more personal for Miles and the multiverse concept also expands more than ever. I really liked the multiverse plot of this film and I like how each consequence Miles makes can hurt his universe but also his personal friends and family. It not just affecting Miles but also Gwen because she wants to save Miles from danger while also still letting him progress to becoming Spider-Man. Gwen gets more screen time in this film and we follow a similar pattern to Gwen from Miles but the film splits both povs to the larger events of the film. I love this kind of storytelling and it worked very well through the multiverse concept while still being a central focus of the struggles and risks of being Spider-Man.
The other side characters are amazing as well. I loved Miguel O'Hara as Spider-Man 2099 and since he is the main antagonist of the story, it made Mile's journey more difficult throughout the multiverse. However, the villain of this film really took over the first act and half of the second act of the film. The spot really made Miles's consequences way worse and his backstory is hilarious and dark. Having two antagonists in the story is unique and it does a great job differentiating each other on who really is messing up Miles's journey. It's nice to see Miles's mentor come back including newcomers like Jess Drew, Spider-Man India, and Spider-Punk. Spider-Punk is my new favorite Spider-Man and his personality just stands out easily. The voice cast here is fantastic and they really bring out their all into this film, especially Hailee Steinfeld. Everyone did a great job in the film and by the final frame of this film, you are begging to get more adventures of each character's stories but we will have to wait until the third film is completed. The score of this film is a complete overhaul of the first film with more exciting music and great character music themes. Spider-Man 2099 music theme is fantastic and the way they used music for suspenseful scenes is fantastic. Plus, Metro Boomin's songs are also a great addition to the music overhaul of this film's soundtrack. The editing is way more fluid in this film, especially during the fight scene in 2099. The runtime didn't bother me a lot and it flew fast which is a good thing. There is a lot to jam into this film but it didn't feel rushed. However, even with the cliffhanger in the end, I feel like there wasn't an ending which made me sorrowful for a bit. I still believe the first one is still a fantastical comic book film but this is definitely one of the best sequels I have ever seen in terms of story and technical achievement in cinema. A grand slam for animation. Multiverses can be a little bit tiring now but this film really hit the home run by making the multiverse concept big while still being a central story about struggles and scarifies through personal and superhero life. This is a fantastic animated film and it subverts every expectation in the comic book genre. This is a beautifully done film and when the credits roll, you beg for more adventures of Miles Morales. This is a grand achievement for animation and I'm happy this film hit the ballpark for me and for the fans. I cannot wait for the final film in the trilogy. Now Playing in Theaters! Vizeit Score: "A+" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie cinema website.) Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Cheif/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
Chris Pratt, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, and Anya Taylor-Joy. © 2023 Universal Pictures, Nintendo and Illumination. Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
Watched it in IMAX @ AMC Theaters
One of The Most Iconic Characters in Video Game History Returns on the Big Screen! In today's film market, everyone is heading for big franchises just to squeeze out money including video game franchises. However recently, there are video game films that prove that they are worthy on the film/tv medium including Sonic The Hedgehog, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, and The Last of Us. After almost 30 years since the live-action Mario film, Nintendo is back to try again once again to make a movie about Mario and what's the result? Well, they finally did justice and it was worth the long wait since my birth. Illumination is stepping up its game recently for the past two years and they are proving that it can entertain audiences while giving us a good story. Join me in the mushroom kingdom and fight against Jack Bla- oh wait, I mean Bowser and save the kingdom! Story: After Mario and Luigi got separated by a magic pipe in Brooklyn, with help from Princess Peach, Mario gets ready to square off against the all-powerful Bowser to stop his plans from conquering the world. The biggest carry of this film is the animation and it's very faithful to the video games. It has that pop-animation style that Illumination is known for but it's turned up to the max. It's fast, colorful, and also uncanny for a bit. Obviously, there are certain costumes and textures that look very real but for this to translate in movie form, it's done very well. Even one Mario game that used some realistic textures like Super Mario Odyssey was also uncanny but mixed well. The one thing I was worried about when they announced that Illumination was producing this film, I thought they would go the Despicable Me route of human animation. However, that wasn't the case when they released their first teaser poster and from there, I trusted them on creating a faithful adaptation of the Mario franchise. The animation took me into the film and the two worlds of the film within their style are just beautiful and faithful. The human world which is in the city of Brooklyn is so cartoonish yet normal. The human characters look human but very cartoonish like the 80s 2D animation type but into 3D. When Mario and Luigi travel to the Mushroom Kingdom, it's night and day. Very colorful with cartoonish elements and it feels lived in. It feels like an open-world video game and from there, I was sold on the animation. This is Illumination's best visually animated film in their studio and they should be proud. It's colorful, vibrant, stylized, cartoonish, and most importantly, faithful. DreamWorks could also pull this off but I feel like Illumination was the right choice. That's just the animation side and the story side is an interesting side of this film. The story is very simple and straight to the point. The Mario games weren't praised for their narrative storytelling but there are certain Mario games like Super Mario Galaxy mixed in well with story and platforming. The film falls into the same territory but is simpler and aimed at kids. However, there are plot elements that diehard Mario fans who are now adults or teenagers will appreciate more. I love that we get time to be with Mario and Luigi's family in Brooklyn and expand their personal life before we get to the main central story. The plot is predictable until the third act. That's where my expectations go in a complete direction and that's where the plot starts to get very spicy. No spoilers but the final act is the best part of the film. All come in a full circle and the story ends perfectly while opening up to a potential sequel (in which case they are since it made a crap ton of money). The pacing of this film was right for this film. It didn't waste any time and I was hooked on every scene. The characters in this film are great for this adaptation. Mario and Luigi are great but Luigi had less screen time which bumped me. However, Bowser was the highlight out of all the characters due to Jack Black's voice performance and he gets a lot of screen time. Huge props to the directors for making Bowser a centric villain and making him what he really is, while sympathizing with him. The voice cast in this film is pretty great and Mario's voice from Chris Pratt isn't that bad. I got used to it and it's pretty good. Toad's voice performance by Keegan-Michael Key was unrecognizable and he wasn't annoying thank god. The cameos were sweet and I'm happy they had Charles Martinet in not just one cameo but has a role in the film which I won't spoil. Overall, the cast is pretty great and the story was simple and easy to follow.
There are a bunch of easter eggs which contain spoilers but I will only mention some that are non-spoilers. We get to see Yoshi Island for a bit within a travel montage scene which was pretty nice. The power-ups are pretty cool including the tiny mushroom and I love how they made fun of those power-ups. While the film is colorful and harmless, there are some dark humor or dark references that adults will catch. A lot of "deaths" which is normal for an Illumination film but not a Nintendo movie. On Twitter, someone mentioned that one of the Koopas was a suicide bomber, and looking back, oh boy. That was pretty dark. There are a bunch of easter eggs that I want to discuss but that will make the review a little bit longer. However, there are fan service moments that worked nicely into the story and I'm glad it didn't shove it right to the audience. A lot of great easter eggs throughout and it made me pay much attention to every detail in the film. All of this shows the dedication the directors really truly cared about this film. The passion behind this film on making a fun entertaining film that all ages will love from new fans to diehard fans. These directors really did a great job on the camera movements, shot choices, and especially the final act of creating an emotional resolution that brings everything full circle. I loved every second of this film but I have some critiques that many people will agree with.
The film's plot is very straightforward but it's a plot that we have seen a lot in films and if you expected this to be The Godfather, well, you will be disappointed. The film strays away from Luigi a lot which sucks since Luigi is an important character in the story. I felt like a chunk of the movie was missing and there weren't enough moments of true character development or even a moment of a sit-down. The tree scene could've been longer to establish an emotional connection with peach and toad. Even though Mario isn't famous for its narrative, I wished they could've improved more of its character development and added more screen time while keeping the same original pacing. One thing I will definitely agree with is the weirdly placed use of 80s music. It's so Illumination and it kind of took me out for a bit. However, the score of the film was really great and I loved the mix of modern and classic Mario music while making it cinematically. I wouldn't say this film is a video game masterpiece, but if you go into this film with normal expectations, you will be having fun. I feel like critics are being harsh with this film and it shows what are the problems now with critics these days. Have an open mind with this film or expect a fun movie with the whole family! This was definitely a fun time at the movie theaters and I'm definitely going back for a re-watch. It's fun, colorful, funny, and nostalgic. It's the perfect movie that we need in 2023 right now and I'm happy they brought this adaptation to justice. It's what I have been waiting for since I played my first Mario game on the Nintendo DS. I loved this film so much that I will recommend watching it on the biggest screen possible and buying it on Blu-ray. Go watch this film and you will have a fun time! Now Playing Only in Theaters in IMAX and 3D. Vizeit Score: "A-" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie film website.) Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. © 2022 Netflix, Monkeypaw Productions, and Gotham Group. Directed by Henry Selick.
Watched it on Netflix
Quick Review: Stop-motion animation films are amazing and this film was amazing with its animated storytelling. I really enjoyed Wendell & Wild due to its funny duo characters and its dark themes. It's a simple straightforward story but there are a lot of interesting plot elements that make this story work. The small demons trying to escape for freedom in exchange for life. Pretty basic but its execution works with the character development of these two main creatures. Kat played by Lyric Ross was good and her character development was somewhat interesting. In one scene, a lot changed for many characters and it felt rushed in some way. But I still connected to the loss of parents, especially in the ending. The villains are lackluster unfortunately and I felt like the film was a bit slow repeatedly which is rare in my case. But at the same time, the pacing was fast after the madness begins. The animation is always fantastic from Henry Selick and the attention to detail in these figures and production design is immaculate. I was confused by the "PG-13" rating and even though there were some dark moments, it didn't feel as dark as I hope for. I wish they could've gone darker with its animation but kept the original tone of the film. The narrative could've been tighter with its main character Kate but I still liked her in the story. The comedy is pretty good, mostly from Key and Peele. Overall, it's a great film and I hope we get more animation films like this in the future. Now Streaming Only on Netflix Vizeit Score: "B" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
Antonio Banderas. © 2022 Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation. Directed by Joel Crawford.
The Fairy Tale Legend Returns
You thought the legend retired? Nah, he came back with more adventures but in Spider-Man form so he can give J. Jonah Jameson some pictures of Spider-Man's crime-fighting. This was an amazing surprise from DreamWorks and they are releasing bangers this year. If Antonio Banderas came back to this role, you know something is about to heat up in this film. It's an animated wild fest of a film and there are a lot of things to appreciate from the animation to the storytelling. The gold core of DreamWorks is shown here and with animation adapting into a new form, this is the stepping stone of the new generation of animation. Even the muffin man will be surprised by this movie. Let's go back to the world of Shrek and join Puss in Boots on his glorious adventure with some leche to go. Story: Set after Shrek Forever After (2010), the film continues Puss in Boots's (Banderas) journey as he sets to find the mystical Last Wish and restore the eight of his nine lives that he lost while escaping new enemies (Pugh, Mulaney, and Moura) who plan to hunt him down, with the help of his friends (Hayek and Guillén). But there's one enemy named the Wolf or Death who is hunting him down to kill him, one last time. Bound to one life, this film brings the adventure into a colorful fest of life, death, and heart. It's a beautifully animated film that packs heart but also brings out the violence to a hardcore mode for a kid's film. The animation is absolutely beautiful and creative. It's a mix of 2D and 3D animation with some hand-drawing animation that makes it stand out. There is a lot of creative animation decision that makes every scene stand out. The opening scene is just outstanding and it shows what Puss in Boots was up to. I was just in awe of the animation during the action and fighting sequences. It's eye-popping and it's everywhere which is great. The cinematography is also great because of many classic callbacks to old western and iconic films. It embraces the fairy tale look and storytelling through visuals. It's so heavily inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse but it does it in its own way and respects the animation while creating new grounds with fairy tale storytelling. DreamWorks go full and beyond with its animation and it shows that you don't need a realistic animated film to impress audiences. This film uses animation in a cartoonish way but still keeps it as cinematic as possible and creative. When you watch it in full motion, it's blended so well and it's way better to see it in a movie theater rather than at home. This is what I miss from animated films and DreamWorks is making them more fun and creative while keeping them cinematic and raw. Plus I really loved the direction and making each scene feel purposeful. It's a wonderful film that animation students will love. The storytelling is also very strong in the film. I'm glad that it's taking place after the events of the last Shrek film and exploring how's Puss in Boots is doing. I really loved Antonio Banderas's performance and he makes the character more likable and hilarious. The Spanish jokes are hilarious, and there's a lot of strong language in this film, which is surprising for a kid's film. Good thing it wasn't produced by Disney so DreamWorks can get away with a lot of stuff. The supporting characters were also great as well. What I really love about the plot is that we get to look at the three different groups of characters with their strengths and weakness. Goldilocks and the three bears' story arc is so well developed. We get heartful and menacing moments from this group and get a satisfying conclusion. Same thing with the "main" villain which is Jack Horner. But more on the bear family. The other two main supporting characters, Kitty Softpaws and Perrito are also great. Perrito's arc is pretty good while Kitty's character grows in this sequel. However, there is one character that is legit already one of the best-animated villains of all time. I'm not kidding and it's the big bad Wolf/Death, voiced by Wagner Moura. His performance is so brutal and cold. His opening scene is golden and the final confrontation with Puss in Boots is the best scene in the entire film. The animation of his character is flawless and scary. His character motivations are strong and whenever he pops on screen, it gets serious and it feels like there are stakes whenever he's present. I like how he's just in the shadows waiting for the right moment and his screen time is perfect while not ruining some of the characters' moments and arcs. I want more of this villain in future Shrek films. This film really delivered two of the most important aspects of a movie. Storytelling and cinematography (animation) and the director and the animation team delivered it. But I still have some nitpicks as well. Even though the film had the right runtime for an animated feature film, I feel like I wanted more action in this film. That's my personal opinion. There are your typical kids' jokes that were cringe but not distracting from the mature dark humor during the second half of the film. I wanted a little bit of backstory with Wolf on how he managed to follow Puss in Boots throughout his life. As an animated film, I can't find something to shit on which is surprising. Not gonna lie, Perrito was annoying at first but he kind of grew me later on. But that's all the critiques of this film. This is the best entry in the Shrek franchise since Shrek 2 and it delivers emotional beats by connecting with the protagonist and supporting characters. It's fresh air for animation cinema and I love how creative it is. The villain is cold yet amazing and Puss in Boots is literally my childhood. I grew up with this franchise and I'm happy to say that this film should be watched in theaters. Two DreamWorks bangers in one year and I hope they keep it up next year. I cannot wait for more adventures from Puss in Boots and his friends. Now Playing in Theaters in 2D and RealD 3D. Vizeit Score: "A" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for your continue support.) Copyright © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. |
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