Tag Archives: Action

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Review

Posted on by
Reply


This is one of those games I sorta forgot existed for a while there. I think it was technically a big deal but yeah it really vanished. It’s one of those very cinematic games where you get to embrace the story over gameplay but there is still a good amount of gameplay to be had. It’s a fun title but as a result it is also one of those games where you won’t really have much to do if you want to just have fun playing it later on. The cinematic part also means the game will probably be moving a bit slower on a second playthrough although of course it’s all towards the goal of making the first playthrough as good as possible.

The story starts off pretty fast with the Guardians getting into trouble as per usual and now they owe the Nova Corps a whole lot of money. Star Lord gets them to give the Guardians a few days to pay off this fee but even then it will not be easy. We’re talking an incredible sum after all so now they are going to have to scam some folks. Perhaps the legendary monster tamer lady will be a good target. Meanwhile some dark forces are approaching the universe and seek to destroy the Nova Corps. This includes some people who are very important to Star Lord.

The story may start out fairly small in scale but naturally it is a classic save the universe story by the end. It’s a solid story all the way through and you should be very engaged. This is where the cinematic approach works well as there are endless cutscenes here as you go off on your quest. The combat gameplay that we do get is also a lot of fun. You have to really strategize on how you will use each member of your party as well as their various abilities. Particularly until you get to the final chapters where you learn the revive spell. Until then you always have to watch out because a few lucky shots can pull you under.

Personally I always tend to go with a few familiar options instead of trying everything. So I would use everyone’s super, then their O move which seemed to be the strongest ones. I wouldn’t even bother with the other two options. You always have quite a few methods of attack here so at least there is no reason to worry yourself. If something’s not working then try something else. None of the enemies should pose enough of a problem where you can’t figure it out after some troubleshooting. In some ways the platforming could be the toughest part like how I would end up falling more than once.

The graphics are pretty solid here. It’s going for a bit of a live action look but with enough colors where it still feels enough like a comic. The energy effects are nice and the whole time you really feel like a big budget was put into the title. Just look at all of the songs they were able to squeeze inside. You will hear a lot of music as the game goes on and they’re all fairly catchy tunes. You also have the ability to play a mixtape once per fight that completely restores everyone’s health and super attacks. It’s a rather broken ability I must say, but I like how it ties in with how much Star Lord enjoys a good tune.

The game also has a few different fake outs which was really fun. That always adds to a game and the plot twists will keep you guessing as well. I would definitely enjoy a game like this for the Avengers and X-Men at some point. I would say Spider-Man already has this treatment with the big two games that came out a while back. You can tell a whole lot of stories with this although I imagine it probably takes a long time to produce one of these games.

I ended up getting most of the trophies during my normal playthrough and I can’t say that I was really doing much out of the ordinary. It can be nice to play a game that is really generous like this one. There are also a lot of bonus elements and collectibles that don’t even relate to any trophy. This is an especially nice point because it means true collectors can have fun doing a lot of extra exploring while people who want the Platinum can still get that without too much hassle. It’s a win/win for everyone involved.

If there’s anything I would have liked to see, it would have been having more of a hub world. Letting you go back and forth to the different planets on a whim to have fun and of course grind out some levels with the minions. The game has a level up system but you actually max everyone out in the game fairly early and at that point the EXP just vanishes entirely. I suppose this is a decent way to control your level and make sure the player doesn’t get too broken but they probably should have added a wider range of abilities for you to power up. It’s super rare that you play a game where you reach the level cap with everyone like this.

Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy is definitely a fun game. It is a pretty decent length too and there is some replay value with all of the different dialogue options. I doubt you would really go as far as to try and hear them all but the game does deserve a lot of credit for just how many they put in here. It must have taken a long while to record every piece of dialogue. The Platinum seems relatively easy to get but will still take some work. If you like a good action title then you should definitely pick this one up.

Overall 7/10

Maximum Risk Review

Posted on by
Reply

This review is of the TV-14 version of the film. All thoughts below should be addressed as such as a review of the unedited version would be more negative

Maximum Risk is one of those films with a lot of action and the hero is outnumbered from start to finish. Not an easy situation to be in but at the same time it’s not something that will phase the main character either. He’s been through a whole lot worse than this after all. Or at least he thinks that he has. It’s a reasonably good film, I was satisfied with it by the end. It does make some mistakes here and there but the positives outweigh the negatives.

The film starts with someone making a break for it but he ends up being murdered. We then cut to a police detective named Alain who looks just like the victim. He’s concerned to say the least and finds out that the guy was his secret brother. Alain now needs to live out his brother’s life to find out exactly what happened here. This will involve a lot of deception and it quickly becomes apparent that his brother made a whole lot of enemies among different gangs. Can Alain crack the case or are the villains going to bump him off?

Clearly Alain is in danger from the jump since his brother was already murdered…which makes his opening actions pretty questionable. He walks into seedy neighborhoods asking dangerous questions and then goes straight into a bar. He is just rushing way too much the whole time which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense since in this case he has a police (And military) background. If he was an ordinary joe, then sure he could make the rookie mistakes. So he ends up getting lucky a lot and has a ton of plot armor but even so you kind of just have to shake your head a bit at that.

Also the most troublesome part of the film is definitely when he runs into his brother’s girlfriend Alex. Now it would be taboo to hook up with her for a bunch of reasons. Respect for his brother’s memory, not going after people who were with family, etc. Unfortunately he doesn’t bother with any of that and they get together real fast. The reasoning just makes it even worse as she says at least he looks a lot like his brother. So it goes without saying that the romance is particularly bad here. I would definitely not be able to give this one a pass.

The villains aren’t the most interesting but the film does something here that I appreciated. In all of the mafia films you have the leader being some really old guy who can’t fight but everyone is nervous of him anyway. It basically comes down to the power that he represents and so that makes a lot of sense but even so you’re wondering how nobody has decided to just take a shot yet. Well, in this film the leader gets a little too ahead of himself and so somebody does make a move. It just makes so much sense that somebody would do this eventually. When you get too old, there naturally comes a time where you aren’t able to command the same respect even if you were a really well liked leader. It’s just inevitable.

The film explains early on that Alain has sniper skills from when he was in the army so you keep wondering when he will use these skills. They finally come in handy near the end so that was pretty nice. In general the climax was pretty good as we even brought back Alain’s police friend from the intro. That guy was gone for a while but the movie didn’t forget about him. He also has a pretty good scene near the end even if he caused a whole lot of trouble first. He’s just not initially meant to be a fighter and you can see that. He’s definitely more the detective type while Alain turns out to be a great fighter.

While you have a lot of serious plot twists and gang moments, the film does still have time for levity. One side character who was a lot of fun was the cab driver. Yeah the guy was perhaps a little crazy with how invested he was getting in this but he also did save Alain directly on several occasions. Without him the villains would have absolutely won this one. It was a tough journey for the cabby but he won’t be forgotten.

The very ending of the film is a little cheesy with how the characters are nervous about going to talk to somebody but I guess the movie wanted to have a bit of a funny ending. Not every joke lands of course and this one didn’t work for me but it’s the thought that counts. The film certainly had a lot of range and in a way that all helps the film out overall. It definitely feels like a 90s action film with how chaotic it is the whole time.

I also do have to give credit to one of Alain’s opponents. He was a powerful gang member who just kept getting back up and returning after many near death experiences. He was really strong and really durable so Alain had to defeat him multiple times. It was nice to have a rival like this who forced the hero to stay alert at all times. He knew that this guy could appear at any moment. He really left an impression, more than you would have expected from any villain in this film. Especially someone who wasn’t one of the bosses of the underworld.

Oh yeah I can’t forget about the FBI. (Or might have been the CIA) They have two corrupt agents running around trying to apply pressure as well but it’s crazy how inept they are. All they had to do was pretend to be heroic for a few minutes and they could have gotten Alain on their side. Instead they immediately try to throw threats around and pay the price. No their smartest moment but also not their worst as they let Alain and Alex have a private meeting in the background to discuss how to betray the agents. Rule 1 would be to not let them be together out of earshot. Yeah Alain really got lucky that so many of these characters had no idea what they were doing, that’s another form of plot armor you could say.

Overall, Maximum Risk is constantly moving at a high speed and that works in the film’s favor. At its core this is a fun film. If anything the actual story probably plays second fiddle to the general action. Yeah there are twists and such but at the same time I would consider it to be a basic thriller title. The details may change but at its core this is about the main character taking on the underworld and winning. The fight scenes are where the series can have more fun with Alain’s signature kicks. He really knows how to take down his opponents in close quarters combat. The writing is good and the pacing is solid so I really didn’t have any big problems here. The only thing hurting it from going further up has to be the very weak romance because this is absolutely the definition of a rebound. How do you go from finding out your boyfriend is dead to immediately going for his brother within the span of hours/days? Just not a good look since it makes the whole relationship look suspect. Perhaps the brother realized this too and that’s why he didn’t mention her in his final message where he accurately predicted a lot of what was going to happen.

Overall 6/10

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning Review

Posted on by
Reply


This is it, we’ve made it to the end of the Mission Impossible series. Naturally there is a whole lot going on here since the film tries to close out a lot of story threads at once. It’s a solid film to be sure although it is unable to quite match the last few. It underestimates how much the audience is paying attention and throws in more recycled footage than you’d expect. Still, all fans of Mission Impossible will likely be satisfied with how this one plays out.

The story starts a few months after the last one with Ethan Hunt still on the run from all of the countries around the world. His team of operatives are ready to help him save the world, but there isn’t an easy path to this. He may have the key that will allow the heroes to access the source code, but only Gabriel knows where that is. Ethan is going to have to track that guy down yet again, but every time he catches up to him, Gabriel ends up murdering one of his friends. Will this time be any different?

The story changes quite a lot as the film goes on which makes sense since it is basically 3 hours long. We get several plot twists and of course there is a pretty big cast here. In general the film does a good job of switching things up so you don’t feel the runtime but there are some moments where it seems like the film is actively padding the time. Several long drawn out stares across the room, endless flashbacks, and I would say the whole film goes on pause during a long underwater sequence.

For the latter, I’m generally not a big underwater guy so mileage will vary on that one. It just feels like everything always goes in slow motion during those points. It’s not like there are any enemies down there, it’s really just Ethan against the elements. I’ve yet to see a film that really manages to make underwater interesting and i think it’s because of the physics of it. It’s like characters bouncing around in space, you can’t really do much in the way of an action set piece there.

For the flashbacks, I don’t mind them in theory as it’s fair to have a flashback to remind folks of what’s going on. Where the film crosses the line is in showing the same flashbacks over and over. We get several scenes 3-4 times like Ethan and the rabbit’s foot, all of the missiles being armed, the end of the world, etc. If someone in the audience can’t remember what they saw 20 minutes ago then that’s rough but you really don’t need to be entering recycled footage more than once. They’re on their own at that point.

The long length of the film does allow them to have a sequence of long events before the film title actually pops up which is pretty nice though. The longer you can make the intro the better because it’s just a fun way to kick things off. Now this might sound like a bit of an insult but I would say the film peaks in the scenes before the film’s intro. We have some nice fights and it’s got that fast paced action you expect from the series. After that we don’t get quite as much action. The action does return but this felt like the most exhilarating part of the film.

We sort of get cheated out of a final fight in this film. It ends up being more of an anti climax compared to the previous films, even part 1 of this saga which had a more climactic final battle. I enjoy the general action too of course but nothing beats a big fight. So I can see how there are pacing issues within the film. You could also say that Ethan is such a dominant main character that the subplots have a harder time without him. That definitely might make it harder if they want to do future films without him, right now it seems like that would be a bad idea.

It might be interesting to handle that Ballerina style with someone calling in Ethan Hunt to take down the new protagonist but we’ll see how that goes. As expected, Ethan is the best character here. He’s a very heroic figure who always does his best to protect everyone even if it puts him in a whole lot of danger. He does make one really dumb decision in terms of going into the computer’s death chamber and nearly being fried though. I don’t think there was enough of a tangible benefit to really make that a good idea and the A.I. should have just murdered him there. There’s no reason it really needed to wait.

That does bring me to the AI or…the Entity as they call him. He might just be the weakest main villain in the MI series. It’s a good thing Gabriel was here to be a fun villain because the Entity just has no presence. He may as well be mindless with how easy he is to manipulate. I was glad he at least got one scene but the whole thing still makes him look worse and worse. There’s just nothing particularly likable about him and I don’t think he will be remembered as the years go by.

Gabriel is fun as always though. He’s still a good fighter and a real strategist. The fact that he is still able to one up Ethan and stay ahead on the planning even without the Entity is quite the feat. The guy really earned his rep as being one of the top tier villains. Additionally he is also just a really good fighter so it’s not like he is only good at theory crafting. It would have been nice for him to have had more of a proper fight with Ethan though. It’s still unfortunate that we didn’t get to see much of that since all of their battles always happened in unique venues that added a lot of RNG.

Grace’s role is a bit smaller here or maybe it just feels that way because of the bigger cast. She still gets to use her pickpocketing skills as a superpower of sorts since she can steal many things in the blink of an eye. It’s a handy ability and she gets to contribute several times in the film. This is one of those ensemble films where everybody gets something to do. Luther and Benji also have their moments where they help out. The group is very reliable at this point and Ethan knows he can count on them to get the job done.

Paris is the newcomer to the group and she’s a lot of fun. An instant show stealer and also the most powerful member of Ethan’s allies. She can hold her own in a fight and is always ready for action. You absolutely need someone like that on any team to keep the villains honest. I definitely look forward to seeing more of her if we get any more future films. Especially if Ethan is gone since she will then be the only top tier fighter on the group. We do get one more secret member of the team towards the end though and he can fight so I suppose she won’t be on her own.

The music is really good as you’d expect with the classic theme playing and always a lot of tense music in the background. The stakes are high here so the music tends to always be very serious. At times the film may go a bit overboard in how seriously it takes itself with everyone constantly stressed and looking terrified but I can picture most people acting like that so it’s not like it’s a bad thing. You’re just waiting for the characters to compose themselves and move on. This is most prevalent in the president subplot as everyone is panicking and yelling for a lot of it.

While the beginning of the film may have set things up a little too high, I still had a great time by the end. I think the initial realization that this doesn’t beat the last few films can make it all feel a bit lower initially but after you’ve had enough time to process the film you remember it more positively. I was definitely wavering on the 7 vs 8 in terms of a final score but ultimately I would say it does enough right to get the extra nudge. It also has a lot of replay value built in because of how much is happening. I could easily see it again and that’s always the quality of a great film. I would sooner rewatch some of the other ones first but yeah I don’t have many complaints with how this one ended.

Also while I would say the rest of the film after the title didn’t have as many big fights, there was a good skirmish inside of somebody’s house. It was extra interesting because of how the fight concluded, it didn’t go the way that I thought it would. Initially I figured we were setting up for a rematch but ultimately it didn’t play out that way. I guess that’s just how things go sometimes but it definitely worked as a really tense moment.

Overall, Mission Impossible has been a great series and it will be a shame to see it go. I’m still hoping they will announce a new film sooner than later but if it does end here then I can still say that we had a really good run. You definitely won’t want to miss this one on the big screen and shouldn’t let the long run time stop you. The pacing could be better and the flashbacks are overdone but I do like how they tried to tie a lot of things together here. Just get some of those mac and cheese balls at the theater and you’re all set. Whether you’re having a blast with the action scenes or mocking the entity and how he messed everything up so badly, there is something here for everybody.

Overall 8/10

Azure Striker Gunvolt: The Anime Review

Posted on by
Reply


It’s time for a quick anime OVA that adapts the beginning of the Gunvolt game. That game was really a blast when I got to play through the trilogy and I can say that it was fun to see some of the events again here. It reminds me why Gunvolt is such a great character as he defies orders to get the job done. He does what he has to here and not many characters could have followed suit. It’s also nice to be following a prodigy who is known for the best as opposed to some rookie. It’s not like this is the only story like that but they are still rarer than the alternative so I enjoy each instance.

The story starts pretty fast as you’re thrown into some battles and we see Gunvolt get captured by the enemies The Sumeragi company basically owns the world and they are as corrupt as possible. Gunvolt is part of a resistance group that saved him a while back and he uses his powers to help out. There are people who have special abilities like Gunvolt and they are all basically hunted down or end up joining the villains. This should have been a routine mission of sabotage but it all goes sideways when it turns out that the thing powering up the villains is actually a little girl. Gunvolt is ordered to murder her but naturally he refuses such an order. What all these characters forget is that Gunvolt is a hero!

Naturally that should be an easy decision for any main character because murdering a child would make them no better than the villains. It also immediately ensures that you don’t like any of the members of the resistance since Gunvolt was the only one to stand against them there. Sure, it’s easier for him since he is the strongest one but the others still could have done something instead of just watching the whole time. So that’s why Gunvolt is the only true hero here.

We also get a glimpse of his fighting style when he takes out a bunch of minions and we even cover one of the boss fights. The cameo from the rival is a bit random as he fires some shots at Gunvolt and the villain before vanishing. I suppose it just took him a while to get there. He is a fun character to have around though. You just don’t really know what his deal is from this episode.

The animation is not the best but I wouldn’t call it bad or anything like that. It gets the job done in terms of the action and showing us the electricity effects. The voice acting definitely could use more energy as well. It feels a bit too low and the characters don’t sound as if they are in the middle of a deadly conflict. You can’t be quite so calm in such a circumstance. So that’s definitely something they really could have improved upon. It’s clear that the technical elements weren’t a top concern for this special but at least we did get a song.

This is almost like a pilot chapter for a series. It just gives you the intro and you’re on your own from there. So I would say that this one succeeds because it would have definitely made me want to check out the games. If I hadn’t played them already I would definitely be racing to order them off Ebay. While the video games feel like Mega Man, I would say the anime and concept are sufficiently different so this does feel like a new experience. Definitely full credit and bravo to Gunvolt here. The special is really over in the blink of an eye.

It’s why you don’t really want to buy any excuses for series that take until episode 10 or more to get good. You need to be good right out of the gate. If you aren’t able to be good by the end of episode 1 then you did something wrong. Even with the technical limitations, we had good writing and a solid story here. Right away you could buy into the bond between Gunvolt and the kid he saved. Gunvolt will definitely be a good mentor and protector. You can feel the hero vibes off of him immediately.

Overall, This was a good special. It certainly didn’t get top production values or anything like that but it told a good story. The concept is enough to hold the product up on its own after all. The game will just have to show you the rest of the content. Hopefully one day we will get a proper adaption of Gunvolt because this could really be an awesome story. It’s also a completed one at this point so that should also help in terms of helping the creators pace it. In the meantime this special will have to do though so enjoy it while you can.

Overall 7/10

Toy Soldiers Review

Posted on by
Reply

This review is of the TV-14 edited version of the film. All thoughts below should be addressed as such as a review of the unedited version would be more negative

When you watch films about how tough the bullies were back in school, you may sometimes wonder how they would fare against an actual threat. Well, this film isn’t quite about this as the main characters aren’t bullies but they are big time delinquents and this is their chance to do something big. They can save the school and really make everybody owe them. Do they really have what it takes though?

The film introduces us to the villains early on with Luis and his gang breaking in and causing some chaos. Luis didn’t realize that his father was already taken away though so he leaves. A long time passes by and this time he breaks into a school containing the sons of the most powerful people around. He aims to use them as hostages to get his father out of prison but the U.S. does not negotiate with terrorists. Will they break the rules on this one to save the kids or leave them be?

What the villains don’t realize is that this is Billy’s school. He’s been a delinquent for as long as he can remember and likes doing all kinds of pranks like taking the dean’s office and throwing everything outside or messing with the phones. Edward has decided not to expel him in each case though because he really wants to fix Billy. Billy’s already been expelled several times after all an Edward doesn’t want his school to just become another one of those. That said, when the terrorists invade the school, we may need some delinquents on hand.

Now you’re probably wondering how some random school kids can do anything in this situation and well…they do need a lot of plot armor. The film tries to balance the happy go lucky tone of a school film with the bleak moments when the terrorists are murdering people. It makes for a bit of an odd balance and this even affects the kids as they are pulling off crazy Home Alone type plans while in a fairly serious situation. So yeah realistically they would probably be blown away to Kingdom Come but the film lets them have their fun.

I’d say it ends up being a fun result at the very least. Yeah I wouldn’t take it too seriously so if you are looking for a very serious title then this one probably isn’t for you. The switching back and forth can be a bit jarring but I kind of get it since it’s hard to maintain the serious tone the whole time with the kids. Not impossible of course as others have done it but this one wasn’t quite ready for that.

Billy makes for a decent main character although I do think he is unreasonable for most of the film. There was really no reason to be acting up in school so much. We get a glimpse into his backstory enough to know that he’s not particularly close with any of his parents but for that reason he should be trying to make sure that he does well in school. This is his last bastion of peace after all. Once he’s out of here then it will get tricky. I know he’s just not looking ahead like that but he should be. He also loses his nerve later on in the film but gets the courage back when it counts.

There is a body count here so things don’t go great for everyone but for the most part the villains are taken down. One kid in particular who went down looked good before taking the loss. He was at least trying to do something and was ultimately just a bit too slow in the draw. I’ll take that over not even attempting to do something like most of the other kids here. Those could have used a real lesson in bravery and learning what to do next.

As for Edward, he was a fun adult here. Perhaps a bit too lenient at times but I do appreciate that he was trying to look out for the kids. He also works as the hype character in the film as he tries to tell the FBI that these aren’t your average kids. These delinquents don’t get scared or anything like that. That’s why it would have been fun if we could have seen more out of them. Ultimately there isn’t much time for the delinquent phase before the stakes go high.

As for the main villain Luis, he’s really solid as an antagonist. The guy has clear goals and well thought out plans at his disposal. Realistically he takes the win in most situations here. I did like how the fact that one of the kids was the son of a mafia boss actually played a role in the story here. It’s why Luis decided to let him go but then things went sideways right after that. The mafia gets their revenge rather quickly and we see just how much power they have. Luis may be a terrorist but he certainly doesn’t have the same level of reach and influence as an established Mafia. Not even close.

I appreciate the fact that the film actually had the government get involved but to be honest they look pretty weak here. They literally lose their entire 3 man sneak squad right they begin the infiltration. Yeah it was bad luck that wasn’t really their fault but still. These are supposed to be the professionals and they’re going down like that? No wonder the kids had to really take matters into their own hands. This is considering that the kids had earlier gotten them the full locations of where all the enemies where. If the kids had all seen that, they’d have definitely been a little irritated to say the least.

Overall, Toy Soldiers is a good film. I thought it was entertaining all the way through. Not saying it’s a great film or anything like that but I did think the premise itself was rather solid. While hostage films can be annoying at times as the heroes have their hands held behind their back in terms of what they can do, it’s fun once you reach the counter attack stage. Since the heroes are kids you shouldn’t be expecting a ton of fights or anything like that but at the same time we still do get our action moments. As long as you like a good action film then I think you will be enjoying yourself here. It’s what I would call a true popcorn flick for you to just turn your mind off and enjoy.

Overall 6/10

Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai Review

Posted on by
Reply


Dragon Quest is one of those massive series where I haven’t really gotten to enter it all that deeply but it always looks super hype. Well it should come as no surprise that the anime is quite excellent. It feels like a DBZ adventure with all the big energy waves and attacks flying around. The series got quite a few episodes too which is nice to see since nowadays that gets rarer and rarer. If you haven’t seen this yet, I don’t blame you since the show didn’t get promoted a ton. That said, better late than never for you to get into it!

The story starts by introducing us to a humble kid named Dai. He grew up on an island inhabited by monsters. Fortunately they are all fairly nice but one day the demon king reawakens which causes a wave of evil to transmit around the globe. Monsters are being turned evil and the world is in danger. Dai’s master Avan sacrifices himself to buy some time while Dai and his best friend Pop now have the daunting task of ending the threat once and for all. Are they really equipped to take on an entire planet of evil fighters and monsters though? They will have some help but it will be the toughest fight imaginable.

I would say this anime even feels like an RPG with how it plays out. You’re not literally watching the characters save a cat out of a tree in episode 1 but they are fighting the weakest demons imaginable during the pre arc and by the end they’re taking on dark gods. This would be tough to pull off in 12 episodes but when you have 100? The sky’s the limit at that point and this series really didn’t hold anything back.

Right away I can tell you that the visuals for the show are really high tier. You can expect to get constant great looking fights throughout the adventure. Not just for Dai’s fighters either even if it’s fair to say that he tends to have the best one but there is a whole lot of shine to go around. Pop’s fights all look really good as well as Mam’s. The fights in the show have a good amount of strategy in addition to all the flash.

Then you have the soundtrack which is really solid. I may not be the biggest fan of the openings here but that’s fine since the music within the episodes is solid. You’ve got good battle themes and everything. There is also a good amount of variety here which is good so the show doesn’t have to rely on the same tunes over and over. No this one is going for the gold with an absolute master class of different tracks. You can feel the drama and cliffhanger hype with even the non action tunes.

I also like the character designs and outfits a lot. This is one of those series that isn’t afraid to switch up the costumes. Each of the main characters gets more than one design/outfit during the series and they really pop out. It may seem like a more minor point next to the others but a good design can really go a long way both in making the enemies look powerful as well as making the characters fun to root for. That’s really the balance you want to strive for.

Meanwhile there are definitely a lot of story arcs throughout the series as you can expect. I’ll definitely dive into a bunch of those as well as the characters. Strap yourself in for a long ride because there is a whole lot of detail to get into. I’ll also preface this by saying the ending is a bit open ended but not bad. You can probably choose how you interpret the ending to an extent but to me there was enough evidence going where it had a pretty bright spin on it. Certainly many ways you could go about doing a sequel some day if you wanted to go about it. Power levels could be tricky but hey in a fantasy world why not invent new even more powerful villains?

First up we have the main character Dai. In a sense you can say he starts out a lot like Goku. He grew up among monsters and definitely wasn’t the most knowledgeable about the outside world. Once he had to leave though, he quickly embraced his destiny as a hero of justice. Someone who would fight to defend the planet from all enemies but that could be humanoids or monsters. He’ll protect anyone who is on the side of justice. The guy has a lot of natural power as we get twists about his parents and why he is so strong. It all works out well and may even remind you of the Saiyan plot from DBZ.

Dai gets serious fairly early on. At times he does overthink things and gets himself into trouble but who doesn’t run into those issues from time to time right? He definitely works really well as the lead and he’s the kind of classic hot blooded Shonen character that you will find nostalgic. Definitely a character who has withstood the test of time.

Then there is his best friend Popp who gets a whole lot of character development. He starts out as the really scared, coward kind of character. He’s not particularly good at magic and has an inferiority complex but then he gradually gets more and more confidence as the series goes on. He really learns about what his strengths are and how to make the most of them. He eventually becomes one of the most consistent characters in the series and someone who can be counted on. He makes up for his lack of physical ability by being the greatest mage in the series. Popp has a lot of good strategic moments as well and while the guy has his share of setbacks, he is an easy character to like.

His romance plot can be a bit overly dramatic but it’s not like it ever really takes over the show. It’s what I would call a reoccurring background plot as opposed to ever being the central story plot. He could still handle himself a lot better in those scenes to be honest but it is what it is. The fact that the story has multiple serious romance plots definitely puts it a step ahead of the average Shonen where romance is usually relegated to whispers in the background and a big moment in the final episode.

Then we have Maam as the final member of the big 3. Initially she isn’t much of a fighter as she has a support item but it wasn’t particularly useful from the start. So she very wisely decided to learn martial arts and became extremely talented. In particular she learned a technique that bypasses defense and directly hits an opponent’s life aura. I thought that was really impressive and it stays relevant even to the end. For that reason every enemy finds a way to dodge it but the fact that she makes them aware of her is important. She is able to contribute to the fights and main dynamic the whole time. She also has a tough personality and is never afraid to jump right into the action so I really appreciate that. It’s another reason why the show is so good because when you have 3 solid main characters like this, you are starting the series off on the right foot.

Princess Leona also gets a fairly big role in the series. Although for most of it she cannot really fight which does limit her ability to stay in the fray during the climax of every arc. She does learn a specific magic move near the end of the series that helps a lot though. She is a solid ruler and can always be counted upon to help out. I would have liked her to have done a bit more but you can’t just have everyone become a big fighter I suppose. At the end of the day she is still always there to help.

Then we have the rival Hyunckel. Initially he starts out more as a full blown villain and gradually becomes a trusty ally. His abilities were always very high and he manages to stay on Dai’s level for quite a while. He’s a fun character who got a really effective backstory to support his character development. Definitely not the kind of character who stays on the backburner for very long. Whenever he does lose, the guy gets a good power up. His armor can stop nearly any projectile which is super handy.

Additionally, he tends to be the most pragmatic of the main fighters. You can count on him to stop the others from walking into obvious traps or anything like that. He also keeps Avan at arm’s length near the end of the series and for good reason since the guy seems super shady. Yeah you definitely want Hyunckel around to watch out for any suspicious activity and shut it down at the source.

Avan is certainly a big character here. As the original mentor he served as a goal to aspire to. Although it feels like the characters surpass him rather early on. I was glad that the series even acknowledged this since often times the original mentor can get a little too much credit. The next generation will often have enough screentime to pass the old fighters after all. Avan makes up for his lack of overall magical ability with smarts and tons of backup plans. If anything it makes him look even more impressive because not just anybody could pull that off. He regularly goes up against fighters many times his strength and still winning.

Yes, some of these fights may make you shake your head a bit but it’s the thought that counts. It’s also nice to have a mentor that you can really respect for a change. So many times you have mentors like Roshi and Jiraiya that you forget mentors can be cool as well. Avan shines as a beacon of justice for the rest of the characters the whole time and it’s really impressive. It took me a little time to really warm up to the guy but by the end he was definitely one of the best.

Gomechan is essentially Dai’s little animal mascot that is around for most of the series. The whole time you are waiting to see what Gomechan will end up doing. It’s a bit of a classic trope but always a fun one. In the end Gomechan comes in clutch as needed. Ultimately I wouldn’t say the character ever really became one of my favorites or anything but wasn’t bad. I would just forget about this character for large portions of time.

Then we have Crocodine who is another ally who initially started out as a villain but quickly became a powerful fighter. I do feel bad for him a bit though as his gimmick was being the power hitter of the group but that goes away very quickly. He is surpassed by a whole bunch of characters early on and never really ends up catching up to them. If anything the gap only continues to grow as the series goes on. He is still a good character and I like his honor code but he could have had a bigger role in the second half. At the end of the day he always did his best though.

Matoriv is a senior magician who helps Popp a lot on his journey. This master is of more questionable character and you get the feeling that he should be helping more than he actually is. At least you can count on him for advice and such. I never got super invested into his backstory or anything but you could do a lot worse for a mentor. The guy just feels too old and doesn’t have the super speed of the other old timer. You never really get too old for magic so he can help out in a supportive role but you probably don’t want him on the front lines.

Then we get to one of the big villains in Baran. This guy is seriously powerful and easily one of the most powerful characters in the series. Without him the heroes and villains would both be in a very different spot. I really like the idea of this guy as a wild card although I would have introduced him that way instead of making him a part of the villain’s group. We understand why he joined up after going into the backstory but it would have made even more sense to me if he had decided to be a loner. It would still achieve his objectives.

He is absolutely crucial to the events that close out the series and things would be a whole lot different without him. We rarely get to see him go all out for very long and when we do, he definitely impresses. The way his powers work is also very appealing because it’s all power that he wields from within. He doesn’t have to rely on technology, magic, or any assistance. The power is all his own and it can continue to improve as he trains. Given enough time I would say Baran would easily be the most powerful character in the series. He could have ended all the other threats at the start of the series if he wanted to.

Baduck is a nice character who isn’t particularly powerful or resourceful but he always wants to help. You appreciate how genuine the guy is. You can always count on him to do something and he ends up doing well in repairing equipment. He actually ends up getting power creeped in that department by a legendary blacksmith but he helped out for a while. He’s a good example of a character who was useful without the story having to really stretch to come up with solutions on how he could help out.

Merle is probably one of the more tragic characters because she likes Popp but she’s not the main heroine. You already know how this is going to play out and the worst part is you’re probably rooting for her because she is able to clearly articulate her feelings while the other characters keep on faltering. She’s a very nice character who just gets the short end of the stick here. It’s pretty hard to see even when it is completely expected. She was never really able to help much in the fights either which didn’t make it easy to get close to Popp. She did her best to make up ground anyway but sometimes things just aren’t meant to be.

Then we have Soala whose role is fairly small but pivotal all the same. She ends up jump starting a whole lot of events and proving once again why you can’t trust humans. She was a really nice character who had to go through more than she should. It’s always impressive when you can really hold this level of power in a series without even getting a whole episode’s worth of screentime. At least even with flashbacks I don’t think she reaches that mark.

Lon Berk doesn’t get a huge role until the series starts to close but he was definitely helpful. The guy is strong but what really put him on the map was how he could create immensely powerful weapons. Weapons so powerful that just using them was a risk in itself. He has a really strong finish to his character arc as well so he definitely did good. I had no real complaints with this guy at all.

Another supporting character who got more to do by the end was Nova. He starts out as one of those guys you can’t take all that seriously but he does genuinely want to be a great hero and so that ends up taking him far. He never gets anywhere close to the level of the main characters but he still arrives to the big battles. He even uses his own life force to amp up his attacks and make them even stronger. Definitely not something a half hearted fighter could do.

Brokeena is the definition of half hearted though. He’s an old man and all but the guy is incredibly powerful. We see how he can keep up with the fastest fighters in the verse and he has enough power to injure them. The way I see it, he had no business staying on the sidelines for as long as he did. He should have been there fighting from early on. The fact that he didn’t means I don’t have a ton of respect for the guy. He needs to do better.

I also didn’t really care for Chiu. I guess you could say the guy meant well but eh he was just annoying most of the time. The guy was completely out of his depth and really just getting in the way most of the time. There comes a time where the strength gap is so massive that it isn’t really bravery anymore. At that point it’s just a bad move and you shouldn’t be putting everyone in danger like that.

Hadlar is one of those villains that I did mock for most of the series. Look it wasn’t my fault, the guy was losing just about every fight in the saddest ways possible. He lost to Avann in the intro when the guy was far from his prime and then he lost to Dai and then he just kept on losing. Hadlar gets stronger with every defeat though and by the end of the series he was a legitimate threat. So I give him a lot of credit there. Usually determination is almost exclusively a heroic trait but this time he got a little bit of that action.

The series gave him way more credit than I would have expected so I can say he was actually a very good villain. He really gets the advantage of being in a long running series because this just wouldn’t have been possible if the series had ended sooner. So full props to this guy. Meanwhile Vearn has to wait until the end to really do much but he does make his screen time worth it. Certainly more than the dragon who talked tough but didn’t really get a role here. Vearn spends the whole series talking tough from the shadows so it was absolutely mandatory that he show up to take some names later on.

I would argue Hadlar was probably more powerful than Vearn near the end though. Yes, Vearn’s final form would scale higher but from their brief encounter before that, Hadlar had the edge. It was nice to have some in fighting among the villains and I was also glad that Hadlar didn’t just go down in an instant. It’s not every day that we have villain vs villain matchups after all so that was a real highlight.

Flazzard isn’t as big as the other villains but I have to bring him up because the guy was a lot of fun. He’s one of those villains you almost want to root for because he just has a fun personality aside from being brutally powerful. He ends up getting power creeped hard by the end but he left a good impression. Zaboera is the opposite as he lasts a long time but never gets even remotely likable. He’s the definition of a side villain as the guy has to try to keep on planning and planning to do anything interesting because he lacks the raw power to hang with the others.

I’m not saying that as a villain you have to be powerful but the hand wringing kind of minion like this is always hard for me to root for. I also think he got lucky with his chimera being as powerful as it was because that should have been no sold a lot easier. If I want a strategic villain then I’ll take someone like Mystvearn who can actually fight.

Mystvearn was incredibly impressive because he kept getting better with every appearance. The show treats him like a big deal but you wonder how strong he can really be. Well, he shatters all expectations and ends up easily being one of the strongest fighters in the series. I would even argue that on feats he is probably the strongest in the verse and the heroes got supremely lucky. His quiet rage is always something to give you pause and the guy has a super intimidating aura. Also a great design so yeah you can see how he was great in every way. He has a rival among the heroes but the power gap between them was colossal.

There’s a lot of Vearns in this series and so next up is Killvearn. This guy is a real enigma with his scythe and merciless way of attacking. He likes to mess around with his opponents and matching him up with Avann was a genius move since they are two of the smartest characters in the verse. I do think Avann probably should have gotten wrecked easily but hey I won’t let any power scaling get in the way of a fun fight. Killvearn introduces some interesting elements to the story but they weren’t able to fully be capitalized before the series ended. Something to definitely keep in mind for the future though. If the series ever got a sequel then I think his part of the lore would be really important. In the meanwhile he still made for a great villain.

Larhalt might be the most random character to suddenly get a big role near the end of the series. I only vaguely remembered him from his villainous days and then suddenly he showed up for the big teamup? Well I definitely wasn’t complaining. He ends up being pretty fun. He perhaps looks a bit more powerful than he should considering how he went down the last time though. It was a little hard to buy just how fast he had become in the present. He also showed up at an awkward time since he got power creeped anyway pretty quickly. I guess it can be hard to have the timing down perfectly though. He’s one of those characters who likes a good fight and doesn’t back down so he fit in right away with the other characters. Sometimes doing something random can really work out.

There is a whole villain group of chess pieces that show up in the series. They come a bit late into the game but are all rather fun. They can fight and each one has a moveset that makes sense based on the piece that they are. In particular, Hym gets the biggest role here. The guy really gets free will and is able to improve his abilities. He even learns how to use spirit energy which the characters initially did not think would be possible. Once he absorbs a certain energy, he really becomes a threat. I like the idea of a random minion really coming into his own and becoming a big threat so that was fun. Hym is also just a likable character in general so he is easy to root for. The show wrote him really well and this was a redemption arc I could get behind.

Yeah the cast here was really terrific all around. An elite show demands elite characters and so that was not surprising. Meanwhile there were also just a whole lot of great story arcs here throughout. The raid on the demon castle is naturally a contender for best arc. You get a ton of nonstop battles all around and everyone really got to show their stuff. Each character gets to show his/her worth here without any exceptions. All big series are expected to end with a mega climax after all and this one did not disappoint.

The series did a good job of gradually raising the stakes the whole time. The first few pre arcs have Dai and friends going around as rookie adventurers with everyone treating them like kids. We got the battles with Flazzard, opening meeting with Hyunckel, and of course the early battles with Hadlar when he was weak. Then we got more enemy generals and started expanding the side characters. The series even got to have multiple iterations of the villain groups as most of Hadlar’s generals died out early on so then he got a whole new set.

The 100 episodes go really fast because the pacing is super quick. There is still time for long character arcs for everyone but there is always a new threat around the corner. The older generation of heroes may not put in as much work as they should have but at least they do help during the climax and everything. This is really Dai’s story and he gets to shine. This title may perhaps set the bar too high for any other Dragon Quest titles but it does clearly show me why people really love the franchise.

Overall, Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai is definitely an elite series. Definitely an anime I could really recommend to anyone. It has such a retro feel to it in all of the best ways. It’ll remind you of the big anime you watched as a kid. The characters are really solid and it really succeeds on every technical element. Yes you’re not going to find very many shows like Dragon Quest, hopefully one day they animate the prequel is definitely quite good as well.

Overall 9/10

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review

Posted on by
2


Now it’s time for Indiana Jones to edge closer to the next generation. This one introduces a new kid who can actually be rather fun at times. I’m not saying he’s amazing or anything like that but he does bring a lot of confidence and energy into the picture. This makes for a fun film as a result and I’d probably put it in second behind the original film. There is a lot of fun adventuring to be had here and the film moves at a good pace.

The movie starts off with Indiana being captured as always and he still escapes but not before getting betrayed by his friend Mac. Mac basically just wanted a lot of money and didn’t care who he got it from. Well sadly this means Indiana’s reputation is shot as people think he is a commie so he is forced to take a leave of absence from his teaching position. He prepares to leave the country but is stopped by a teen named Mutt. Mutt informs Indiana that there is one last job to do. Indiana’s old friend Ox has gone crazy after looking into a powerful gem and our hero needs to look into this. It may have something to do with ancient civilizations and it’s not like Jones was ever one to back off from a challenge like this. Can he still hold his own in a fight at his age?

The main thing you will be wondering as you watch the film is how Indiana hasn’t died of some kind of bacteria disease just yet. He’s constantly touching old mummies and dead bodies without any gloves or protective equipment. That seems like an absolutely terrible idea right? All it would take is one misstep and he is absolutely cooked. Ah well I guess he’s lucky. Unfortunately as always Jones looks bad in the romance department here. It’s retroactive in fact as we find out he got cold feet right before the wedding. It’s a terrible look for him. Also while it is played for laughs, we see how he holds very different standards for a random guy vs his son. His tune changes real fast.

Jones is generally more in control than in the previous films though so maybe old age actually helped him out this time. He knows how o handle himself in a fight as always but also isn’t getting outmaneuvered as much. I do think he was a bit easy on Mac towards the end though. When you have a traitor there can be no mercy at al, Mac never gave me a reason to actually think that he would be any good at all. The guy was willing to sell everybody out in order to get what he wanted and that makes him as evil as it gets. The first time Jones got to punch him was definitely satisfying.

Spalko is the first villain in a minute who is actually memorable and solid. She’s not relying on her feminine wiles to win a fight or anything like that. No, she can just straight up fight and gives Indiana a real battle the whole time. That’s what I want to see from one of these villains and she’s one of the more powerful opponents that we’ve seen in a minute as well. Ultimately her own ambitions were what got to be too much for her.

As for Mutt, well he’s a fun lad like I said in the intro. He’s always ready for a fight an his pocket knife comes in handy on more than one occasion. Without him the heroes would have really been in a bad spot. He isn’t always prepared like when he brought a knife to a gun fight but it’s also not like you would expect a teen to have his own gun just yet. Mutt is definitely a very rebellious character but written in an effective way so that he doesn’t come across as too annoying.

Marion shows up rather deep into the film and doesn’t look bad. I would just say that she is too merciful. She should want nothing to do with Indiana after what he did. It’s something these films never seem to learn when it comes to romance. Things don’t just patch together in an instant. There is always going to be some resentment and you can’t build a good relationship out of that. The film should have kept them as just friends or something instead. It’s also not like you really needed any romance here and could have kept us in suspense instead for a future film.

Indiana’s friend Ox tends to be super annoying though. It’s not fully his fault as the guy went absolutely crazy but that’s the case for almost the whole film. He can barely talk and when he does it is just cryptic nonsense. He’s basically more of a plot device than a character. The plot itself was interesting but I definitely would have cut him out. You just don’t need the guy. Meanwhile the film can’t help itself with the creepy crawlies and so this time you have a ton of Ants eating people. A bunch of them also get stomped with some really crazy ooze effects.

Was all of that really necessary? The ants design is pretty intense when you focus on how they actually look. I definitely give the film some good credit there but otherwise you really could have skipped those. Then we have the climax with some pretty big implications for the series. I fully expect all future films to completely ignore the ending though. Jones keeps finding some rather crazy stuff but then doesn’t tell the world or try to make it a big deal. He should be using this knowledge for the betterment of humanity but of course he will need to go slow or he will be jailed for conspiracy or something like that. You could probably do a whole film on Jones just trying to gather his bearings on all of the things that he knows now. The film’s effects were definitely solid.

Overall, Indiana’s dynamic with Mutt is actually rather solid. I enjoyed their scenes together and Mutt holds his own way more than you would expect from the average teen. Perhaps the film series is just good at handling kids and the rest. While the film admittedly has less of a sense of danger than the previous ones, it is still a lot of fun which is the important part. The opening scene involving a fridge was really quite solid as well and shows what a quick thinker he is. Not just anyone would have been able to handle that. Finally Indiana just loses less than he does in the other films. He’s still not always on top or anything like that but he is starting to act like the main adventurer he is supposed to be. Even if he is quite a bit older now.

Overall 7/10

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Review

Posted on by
Reply


Now we are on to the third Indiana Jones film. This time even his father gets in on the action. It’s definitely a considerable step up from the last film although I would give the first one the edge. The father gets some fun moments here and there but as a whole I do think he tends to take away from Indiana’s moments instead of bolstering them. If you’re up for another big adventure then you’ve come to the right place.

The film sets the stage early on with the goofiest intro scene as a young Indiana tries to outsmart a bunch of crooks but is naturally defeated. In part because his father doesn’t try to help at all. Well, in the present Indiana gets his revenge but when he gets home, he is told by his friend that his father has vanished. The last thing he did was send Indiana his diary which was focused on his quest for the Holy Grail. He must have been on to something which is why he has disappeared so suddenly. Indiana is on the trail now but can he find him? Additionally, will he be able to keep things professional with Dr. Elsa? Yeah…I didn’t think so either.

Indiana isn’t able to stay professional for 5 seconds as he immediately starts to flirt with her. If she was an enemy operative trying to seduce him it could not be any easier as he falls for her immediately. His dad’s in a real bind so you’d think that would make Indiana focus but here is no such luck. The romance here is quite bad once again. It’s played for laughs a bit as they both try to talk tough about how they’re not easy but even they don’t take that seriously. It also makes Indiana look really gullible like in one scene where he is given a heads up but all he can think about is Elsa. Not his best moment at all.

Fact of the matter is, Indiana is completely over his head. Before the mission he is told to trust nobody and yet he ends up showing Elsa the secret diary rather quickly. He also buys some rather terrible excuses. Yeah it’s no wonder why he is always being defeated in every film. This one may be his worst appearance overall but it’s close since he is constantly devastated in every film. The villains just keep their eye on the ball longer than he does which gives them a real advantage.

Meanwhile there is a little drama with Indiana and his father but there’s just not enough time within the film to really get started on that. It feels like a subplot you didn’t really need since it barely goes anywhere. Henry (The father) doesn’t change at all from the beginning of the film to the end. He still calls Indiana “Junior” to annoy him and ends up being more of a liability. He is just a really weak character the whole way through and unfortunately he also has Indiana’s weaknesses. That doesn’t put him in a good situation at all. With more self control maybe he could have solved the mystery already.

Indiana’s partner Marcus is unfortunately also at his worst here. He is even more oblivious than usual and has no idea what he is doing. I initially thought this would be his time to step up but it wasn’t to be. The guy is just not equipped for battle and doesn’t even know when it has begun. Forget calling him an asset to Jones, the guy is basically just a distraction at best. I liked him more in the previous films where he stayed home.

As for Elsa, well there’s not much to like about her. She’s very wishy washy the whole time and really doesn’t see the big picture. Elsa doesn’t stay logical during the case and lets her emotions run away with her. Not a smart move for someone with a big plan like this. I would also hit Indiana with the same complaint since he starts to make a crazy rookie move near the end which makes no sense with how he had just been acting a second prior. It’s like he forgot everything that had just happened a minute prior.

While the characters tend to all be really annoying, this was definitely a good return to form on the adventure front. You finally had a clear goal with different steps needed at every corner in order to get closer to it. This feels more like what you would expect from an Indiana Jones film. Additionally the film had good humor with funny jokes sprinkled in. It matched the first film more in that regard. Generally it is more light hearted than the first film without a doubt but without going too far. This is still a serious adventure after all and the writing is good either way.

We also got to see more of Professor Jones which is always fun. The guy is definitely a really well respected teacher so you can imagine how much everyone misses him when he’s gone. You get the feeling that the school probably wouldn’t put up with all of his absences otherwise. Although I guess we can assume that off screen he wins enough to have a very solid reputation as an explorer who gets priceless artifacts to the museum so I may be selling him a bit short here. Either way I’m still waiting for a film to dig into the human identity a bit more although this had the most screen time by far so I can accept that. Jones almost seems to have a completely different personality while at school as he’s a lot harder and more sarcastic about the legends. It would be nice if he always had that attitude during the film.

Overall, This was a fun movie. It’s a good adventure that goes by quickly while covering a lot of ground. I think there was some potential with the father son dynamic but the film didn’t really make full use of it at all. To a degree I dare say that you didn’t even need the father there. It’s not like he contributed a whole lot to the story anyway. The movie should have gone into the drama a bit more and tie in a satisfying conclusion. Ah well, the movie succeeds on the other fronts with the writing and humor. I appreciate how they made this one more light hearted. If you haven’t seen it yet then you definitely ought to.

Overall 7/10

Spy X Family Code: White Review

Posted on by
Reply


It’s definitely cool that Spy X Family got a big movie already. Many titles never get a movie or it happens at the very end but at this rate the series can probably squeeze another 1-2 films in before the series is over. It’s a fun adventure with a new setting to have fun in. The fact that it’s a movie also allows us to get a really dynamic fight scene in and Yor hasn’t been this relevant in quite a while. It works as a really solid stand alone adventure.

The film starts off with Loid taking down another villain group but his secret organization is not impressed and still says he will need to be reassigned from his current project. The only way to convince them otherwise is to make some progress really fast. He figures the quickest way to do that is by getting his daughter Anya to win the cooking contest and get the elusive Stella grand prize. Loid knows that the judge loves a certain kind of cake but it is only sold in another town so he plans a big vacation with his wife Yor and Anya to go try it out. This should be a piece of cake.

Meanwhile Yor finished her latest assassin mission and murdered her opponents but the next day she sees Loid seemingly kissing another woman. Her friends happen to be talking about infidelity and tell Yor to watch out for 3 big red flags. Sudden vacations, lots of presents, and new clothing styles. Yor is now on red alert for this big trip to try a cake. Is that the real reason for this trip? While her marriage to Loid may be a ploy, she has started to catch feelings and won’t let this slip away so easily.

Finally Anya is always really hungry and unfortunately she broke into someone’s luggage and ate their chocolate. What is even more unfortunate about this is that inside the chocolate was a tiny microchip containing a lot of important data and so now the government is after her. They need the data and aren’t afraid to murder Anya to get it. As Anya is just a child she doesn’t quite recognize the immense danger that she is in. Has she just doomed them all?

I would say that the 3 plots converge eventually but technically the 3 characters are together for most of the adventure. They just don’t know the specifics of what the other is doing for the most part. It makes for a fun dynamic and everyone gets something to do. It probably goes without saying that Anya has the weakest plot of the 3 though. For starters the whole thing is her fault since she should not have been eating other people’s chocolate. Yes, the eating part was an accident but she still opened the suitcase on her own which was not a good idea. We get a trippy dream sequence about using the bathroom as well which felt like something out of Teen Titans Go. Definitely not what I was expecting here.

Anya definitely means well but you can see why she is still just a kid. She isn’t quite prepared for this situation. I’d have traded in her scenes for Yuri getting to do a bit more. He looked great here as he was immediately ready to go save Yor when he heard that she was in a dangerous place. Yuri was ultimately stopped but it is the thought that counts. He’s the kind of guy you can really count on to help as needed. Maybe he will get more to do in the next film.

Loid looks solid as always. He is always trying to basically do everything on his own and does a good job there. He doesn’t want to make anyone worry after all and he’s trained for things like this. he can always handle himself well in a fight and thinks his next move through carefully. He may not be perfect at reading the other characters but who is right? At the end of the day he continues to get closer to achieving his objective.

Meanwhile Yor does really well here. She did well to take down the two guys attacking Anya near the beginning and her fight within the burning ship was great. The background was really intense and the animation got to shine there. Dealing with someone who is basically not even human anymore is no small feat and this is a fight where even Loid would have been in trouble. She really had to use her athleticism and smarts to take this guy down. Her opponent would probably end up being one of the strongest enemies in the series. It’s also a fight that really benefits from being in a movie where the staff can really show off with the animation.

As a whole the animation is quite solid here. It may not be looking like Dragon Ball or My Hero, but it still shines considering that this isn’t first and foremost an action story. It manages to contain action stories that would make those titles proud. The soundtrack is a bit more forgettable. I was expecting at least one big lyrical song to play during the climax but what we got was still decent. Soundtrack is just something that I think the movie could have worked a whole lot harder on.

Yor getting jealous and insecure may be a bit of a stale plot point already but it’s not like that is the sole focus of the movie. It would have been dicey if that was the case but the movie has a lot going on throughout. Anya aside, the humor tends to be good and the film is very fast paced. Bond gets the shaft here but it’s not like there is much you could have expected him to do here anyway. This is really a mission for the top two fighters in the business and they get the job done. As I said before, it’s an easy film for new watchers to get into as well since the basics of the plot are explained at the very beginning. If you’re up for a fun action/adventure title then you’ve come to the right place.

Overall, This was definitely a pretty good film. It was fun seeing the characters in action again and Yor definitely had the best moments here. Every time there was a fight it was definitely a lot of fun to see. At times the film could maybe be moving a bit slowly and you don’t really care about Anya’s scenes all that much. While the new setting helps make this feel like a film, I would also say it feels more like an extended episode compared to other big films like Demon Slayer and the DBS Broly film. So it may not be nonstop hype all the time but there was definitely enough of it going around where it still ends up being a quality title all the way. It’s a chance to see the characters in a new adventure never before seen in any format and that alone is worth the cost of admission.

Overall 7/10