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Lilies of the Field Review

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It’s time for a very wholesome film. This one is basically what I’d call a slice of life because action/adventure doesn’t really apply and at the same time I wouldn’t really call it a romance or a comedy. Slice of Life just seems to feel like the best fit because basically the main character gets to help some people out and that’s really about the extent of the story. Lets dive into the plot in more detail than that though.

The movie starts with Homer driving down the road when his car starts to heat up. He stops by a house for some water and it turns out that it is being run by Mother Maria and her colleagues. They are on a mission to build a chapel in the area but it’s been tough since they don’t really have any money so nobody will help them build it. They desperately need someone to step up and perhaps Homer can be that guy. Thing is, he needs some money of his own and the ladies don’t speak English very well and he doesn’t speak their language so it can be difficult to communicate. What can he do?

The cast here is really small so most of the movie is really about the dynamic between Homer and Maria. Both of them are confident that they will come out on top and neither will back down. Homer is absolutely happy to build the chapel but he wants to get paid for his work which is a bit tricky here. Ultimately he gets talked into helping and tries to keep up his good cheer about the whole thing but it really is tough to work without money.

Fortunately he finds a good job in the area which helps pay the bills. For the most part Maria and Homer may be on different sides but I would say they were both reasonable. This is the only time I thought Maria wasn’t being very fair at all. Homer worked hard to get money to buy them all a bunch of food and help out yet she never really thanks him for it and finds something else to complain about. It felt a bit much in the second half where you sort of see that she’s trying to make a point but it was really misguided. She got lost in the sauce you could say when she should have really been trying to have his back. Homer did a lot to help her so he should get more credit for that.

As for Homer, the main mistake I’d say he made was getting too invested in building the chapel. You know it’s too far when you start refusing help from people out of a sense of pride. If he was close to completing the project then I’d get it but it’s clear he wasn’t anywhere close to being done so at that point turning away help just wasn’t smart. Ultimately the townsfolk take this in stride and help him out which was good but he shouldn’t have made it so hard for them.

The disagreements and troubles that come up during the film are basically on this level. It never goes too far and there isn’t a true sense of danger which is why slice of life works. At the end of the day it’s about overcoming your differences and doing the right thing in a pinch. It took a while for the characters to all get on the same page but it happens eventually. So how much you like this film will all come down to how much you like the characters. They are definitely both solid and hold the film up reasonably well.

I’d say the only thing keeping it from a higher score is that it’s not the most interesting. The language barrier definitely helps to keep things from being too easy but at the same time it also reduces the amount of possible banter that you can have. That’s the real problem in all of this. Homer gets a lot of funny lines but the other characters often can’t appreciate them because they don’t fully understand so then of course they cannot reply to the lines either.

I also wouldn’t say that the film would have a lot of replay value by the same token. It can be a bit of a slow burn and when you know everything that’s going to happen, it’ll be tougher to sit through it all a second time. This movie succeeds more by not making any mistakes than by having any big wins. It’s a safe strategy and so this is a film that I could easily recommend to anyone. That said, I wouldn’t have minded some kind of extra draw to make it even more fun.

Maybe have some kind of rival show up to force Homer to really think about whether he wans to help or not. Maybe more scenes at his workplace as he drives the tractor. I’m not saying you need full on danger or a villain but something to keep the movie exciting would be nice. Banter usually accomplishes this goal very smoothly so if you use that as a template then you should be all set. Maybe Homer could have been on the phone with someone from back home or at his ultimate destination to talk with. That said, the film is probably much too early in time for that. There certainly weren’t cell phones around and I don’t believe I saw any landlines in the house.

Overall, Lilies of the Field is a good film to watch when you want to take a step back and enjoy a calm movie. Something where you won’t be worried for the characters or anything like that. You can just lie back during this film and see how it all turns out. I don’t think you could do this for many films before it were to get old but this film is rather retro so it gets dibs there. One day perhaps I’ll check out the follow-up to see how it stacks against this one.

Overall 6/10

Ghoulies II Review

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Ghoulies may have been a dreadfully awful film but would the sequel be able to save the franchise? Unfortunately I can confirm that it did not. It does defeat the first film but it’s a marginal victory at best because these two are still on the same level. It may be taking on a different approach than the first Ghoulies but I wouldn’t really say that it learned any lessons. The only impressive part about this movie is how it’s not rated R since it felt extremely violent but I suppose it’s because most of the more painful deaths are heard/implied but not really seen. It’s clever directing but not going to save this one.

The movie focuses around an attraction at a local circus about scaring people. I forget the term for the scarehouse but basically you go in to get spooked by people in costumes and scary images. Unfortunately it’s not doing so well and corporate has decided to shut the place down. They have one last weekend to get their sales up but the main characters aren’t so confident. The only 3 employees is a teen who’s in over his head, a short guy who has trouble being convincingly scary, and an old man who is constantly drunk. Yeah this may be the end of the line but at least they can escape with their lives right?

So where do the Ghoulies come in? Well they get summoned by the old man because that’s how this works now and they decide to start bumping people off left and right. Now again you have to consider that this is part comedy to explain why the film goes the way that it does. It’s heavily being inspired by the Gremlins so the characters are being a little extra quirky and manic the whole time. They have a lot more personality than last time at least but I still couldn’t say that they ever got all that interesting either way. At the end of the day they’re still just sinister monsters without much reason and purpose.

It can be rather frustrating when you see them murdering everyone and the audience is just cheering as they watch what they think is a show. Of course it should be obvious but hey these are not the brightest bulbs in the bunch. Not by a longshot unfortunately. The Ghoulies also don’t seem all that powerful so you constantly wonder how they are doing so well. This movie does establish that they are super durable. Acid, stabbings, and bullets are not enough to put them down. They seem functionally immortal as every injury promptly heals itself. So that definitely puts the characters in a bit of a bind. If they would use basic teamwork or stop taking their eyes off of the creatures this would be easy but unfortunately that never happens.

I’ve always said that small creatures are more terrifying than huge ones and I think this movie supports the point well. Put it this way, if you’re faced off with a massive monster then you’re probably dying instantly when it steps on you or fires off a massive energy blast. With a small creature it’s death by a million cuts, bites, etc. It’s the worst way to go. They chose the most disturbing death in the film for the corporate guy and you can’t help but feel bad for him. He certainly wasn’t a nice guy by any means but you hate to see anyone go out like that.

Many characters are destroyed in this one as the Ghoulies really take names and add onto their body count. It’s impressive on one hand but the film quickly loses focus of anything else. It’s not devoid of plot like the first film though. At least we do have the drama with the circus and a number f real characters. There is some drama with the main heroine getting ready to leave the circus and so you actually remember things about this movie aside from the ghoulies. Ultimately it just isn’t enough to save the film.

Even if you put aside all of the excessive violence here, there aren’t any real strengths that would make you watch the film. The old man getting massively drunk on the day when he knew his friends were counting on him was awful. Seriously you can’t let people down like that and it put him in a very poor position to fight back. Then the film can feel a bit mean spirited with a lot of random teenagers getting murdered who didn’t do anything to deserve it. At least let them go out quickly as opposed to all the creative way the Ghoulies get them. An instant death would definitely have been way preferable.

There is a bit of a romance plot here but it doesn’t really serve any point in the film. The film really should have spent more time giving the characters development so you can root for them to fight the Ghoulies. For example one scene that was actually decent was when the main guy calls all of his friends from the circus over to help and they actually do. They all drop everything to help out and it was nice to see that they all had each other’s back. That’s what you would like to see in this kind of situation and it’s annoying that the fight was still really close.

Again, the Ghoulies are super durable and can keep on regenerating but in terms of strength they shouldn’t be that bad. Just keep your eye on the monsters and you should be fine. We do briefly get an even bigger Ghoulie later on which was interesting but you don’t want to leave your hopes in the hands of a monster like that. When you have guns and the numbers advantage this shouldn’t be so crazy. If the Ghoulies could talk then at least it would be interesting to hear what their plan for the world is beyond total chaos.

Overall, Ghoulies II is really more of the same as the first one. This one is definitely better to be sure but not enough so to earn it any extra stars. I wouldn’t say there is any true reason to check this one out. You’re just watching the Ghoulies murder everyone in gruesome ways and that is absolutely not enough to constitute a real plot. Throw in some better characters as well as some restraint and then we can talk. In the meantime I don’t have much hopes for the next two Ghoulies films to be honest. Maybe they can be decent but I definitely have massive doubts.

Overall 1/10

Police Story 2 Review

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It’s time to return to the world of Police Story. The first one definitely surpassed all of my expectations. Not to say that I ever thought it would be bad but it was just so excellent that I couldn’t have guessed it would be this good. It was definitely really impressive and the sequel while still great isn’t quite able to match how brilliant the first one was. From the fighting to the comedy, it just isn’t ready to match that.

The movie starts off right away with Ka-Kui being demoted since while he may have saved the country, there was a lot of destruction and the villain has powerful friends. So he’s out of jail already and intends to ruin Ka-Kui’s life. He does this by harassing the guy and threatening his girlfriend. He’s trying to goad Ka-Kui into attacking him and if successful then that will really put him in a jam. Can he really resist these attacks for long though?

The best scene in the movie happens fairly early which is always a risk. Do you have the peak right away to get the audience invested or leave it til the end to make a lasting impression? I doubt it’s something a film maker would think about for too long because in theory every scene is made to be great but for me the restaurant fight was definitely the best part. John Ko and friends finally push him too far so he just beats them all up and it’s super satisfying. You do not mess with this guy.

You’d think that the villains would have learned their lesson after the first film but they are just really confident that no matter what he won’t end their lives. In a way I suppose they are right since Ka-Kui is a hero but that doesn’t mean he has no boiling point. If they took things just a little bit farther I wouldn’t have been surprised if he took John down for the count. Either way it’s great because sometimes you do need to just beat up the villains.

Surprisingly John Ko and his boss basically get written out of the film after this. New villains show up to give Ka-Kui a run for his money while these guys vanish. There is a plot reason for this and it also works as a twist of sorts because the first time you learn this knowledge you just assume the villains were faking so when the twist actually happens it’s a bit surprising. It’s a solid subversion so I enjoyed it well enough. The main problem is that the other villains don’t feel like they are as much of a threat.

The climax still has Ka-Kui go into a very difficult fight to be sure but it never feels insurmountable. I guess the guy’s catchphrase of saying general nonsense while tossing the fire pepper onion wrappers is very memorable though. When Ka-Kui finally turns the tables on that guy it’s definitely satisfying. There are also a lot of explosives so the climax is definitely intense visually. You can’t beat the mall fight from the first film but it’s still a lot of fun.

In general the film has a lot of action, there are several other scenes with a lot of battles as well. The film also keeps the general happy tone that it has from the first with a lot of comedic moments. Ka-Kui still has a lot of trouble with his girlfriend May due to a lot of misunderstandings. While in the first film I felt like 90% of those were directly his fault, at least in this one it can be more 50/50 like when the cops pulled him off the plane. That was one example where there wasn’t really anything he could do. It’s probably not much of a consolation to May who still has to deal with the fallout but hey, it could certainly have been worse is all.

May also ends up going through a lot here as she is captured and actually injured quite a bit. The sequel does have a few moments that are actually rather dark like when May and Ka-Kui get tortured by the villains. So you also empathize with her even more for being upset with Ka-Kui since now she’s in constant danger. She always bounces back really quickly and tries to be cheerful but you wonder how long it can last.

Ka-Kui is taking steps to try and make the relationship be a bit smoother like going on vacation with her but it’s just never as easy as all that. I’ll give him credit for making the attempt though and in general I would say he looks pretty good in the movie. For the most part he takes the right steps and again I give him a lot of credit during the restaurant moment. He wasn’t going to let the villains get away with anything and just charged in there!

While John Ko doesn’t stick around for the whole film, I will give him credit as a persistent villain. The guy can’t even fight super well but he’s always around to make life hard for Ka-Kui and is really resourceful. He appears everywhere and takes his job as the boss’ right hand man very seriously. He’s the biggest thorn in Ka-Kui’s side despite not being a fighter which is impressive in itself. He’s certainly crazy but works well within the role.

In general the supporting cast are solid too. I liked both Ka-Kui’s direct boss and his boss’ supervisor. They’re both always playing an intricate game of appearances where they keep trying to pass the buck off. This can make for a lot of fun comedic moments all throughout. The film wouldn’t be the same if either half of the genre was missing. This is a great comedic action film. You need the high level martial arts but you also need the fun humor. Mi the two together and I don’t see how this series can lose. It’s of course easier said than done to make a film funny and action packed but this team clearly has the right formula.

Overall, Police Story 2 takes just about all of the strengths from the first film and keeps the series moving at a high level. It doesn’t really make any mistakes but it simply can’t keep up with the first movie. It’s close though and that’s the important thing though. You could watch both films back to back and it works really seamlessly. I’m interested in seeing how it goes from here. Can it go 3 for 3 or is this the last hurrah? Only time will tell but the track record is in this one’s favor.

Overall 8/10

Shazam! Fury of the Gods Review

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Shazam returns for another big adventure in this one. At this point he’s really been overshadowed by Black Adam but in theory Shazam should be able to reach similar levels of power so it would be interesting to see how he fares here. Ultimately I would say he’s still not on the same level but he doesn’t look bad here. Mainly he just needs to get way better at fighting and his durability could use a lot of work too. Once he masters those things then he should be set. This film’s pretty good overall, I’d probably give it the slight edge over the first one. It’s a good blend of humor and action.

The film starts off with Shazam feeling bad because he doesn’t think that he’s been doing a great job of leading the team. It’s like a junior version of the Ruby character arc from RWBY. The rest of the fighters keep ditching him too and they seem to think he’s trying to restrict them too much. They want to come into their own as solo fighters and he thinks it’s too dangerous. Well now there are a trio of gods coming after him. Can Shazam keep his family safe while taking all of these guys down or will it be too much for him?

What the film does right here is the humor. I still find Shazam and his antics to be funny along with the rest of the crew. While some Shazam fans probably still won’t like how he’s basically a joke compared to the rest of the league, he balances the humor well. If he was serious then you’d have to really amp up the villains to Superman level but this way you can put some average fighters in front and have Shazam just mess up every time they attack. Perhaps not the most satisfying resolution for Shazam fans but it’s a way to get him.

I also think the movie had more clever dialogue than the first one. Freddie actually gets a number of funny scenes here as well. Then the fights are also good as we actually get some more super speed usage here. The comedic moments do tend to take away from the fights a bit so you’ll usually get a cool moment, then a comedic break, then a cool moment, etc. I think if the film wanted to pull off a really good fight scene that it probably could but that wasn’t the main goal here.

For example, one of the goddesses can manipulate the environment, moving buildings and such. This made for some really cool visuals and is a form of reality warping that I can actually find appealing. If you did that for a longer period of time then that would have been great but it’s only for quick bursts so that it’s over just as it has begun. It was also done in a way where you can see how even someone with Shazam’s speed could have a hard time dodging it. I’m not saying the fights we got were bad but they could have been a lot better. The best battle here was definitely Shazam against the leader of the trio. The battle with the large dragon isn’t as impressive since it feels more one sided even when the dragon is landing hits.

The special effects all look cool here. I feel like Shazam’s costume getting singed and turning black was possibly a nod to Black Adam. The energy effects are cool and the movie didn’t hold back with the visuals. The soundtrack is a bit more forgettable but I enjoyed seeing the hero song play. Now that was a good bit of fun especially with how often the song has been appearing lately. It’s a really good song so why not have it just keep on appearing right?

The film has a pair of after credit scenes here and I can safely say that both of them are pretty good. The first one could have maybe been a little more hype but I like the setup. I’m doubtful on if it’ll go anywhere with the DC direction often changing but if it does it would be fun to put Shazam in a new environment. Most likely he couldn’t bring his friends along so they’d have to lose out but from a power levels standpoint that makes sense. Without shenanigans or depowering rays how can you stop a whole group of Shazams right?

The second scene is also a lot of fun. In a way it really works because the humor is breaking the fourth wall to an extent. For fans who have been waiting for something in particular this tease is basically saying that it’s not happening anytime soon if ever. I feel like that was the film’s way of slamming the door on it but it also could still mean something for a Shazam 3 if it ever came out. Jury’s out on that but regardless the scene itself was executed well.

So a lot of good positives here but now onto the negatives. The first one is I think Billy can still be a little too obsessive about Wonder Woman. That seems to be a core part of his character in different continuities at this point but cmon now. He’s a superhero, you need him to have some more dignity here. Also while he is slowly getting more used to his powers, I feel like he’s been a hero for years now so I’d expect him to do better here. Did he really think that he beat a goddess by slamming her to the ground?

I think writers often underestimate how strong the heroes are. For example the goddess throws a box at Shazam at one point which knocks him over. A normal box…. Here’s the thing, the writer probably figured that the box was thrown at super speed so it would work. The reason why it wouldn’t is that the box would just shatter on impact at any speed where it would be enough to come close to hitting Shazam. There is no scenario where the box itself pushes him, likewise the ground isn’t knocking someone out who is at his strength level.

So some of the power levels can be a little interesting but that’s how it goes I suppose. Shazam’s foster parents don’t get as much of a role in this one but they’re still nice enough. Most of the siblings don’t have a lot to do either. I would say the main one with a big role is Freddy since he gets a romance subplot with a new girl in school named Anne. They hit it off right away and so he now has extra incentive to be a big hero all on his own without waiting for Billy. The romance may be a little heavy handed with Freddy not handling things so well but it could be worse. By the end I just don’t think this should really work out long term.

Now there is one part of the film where I definitely disagree with Billy. So the other kids, mainly Freddy want to go out and do hero things but Billy says they either all have to go or none of them do. Here’s the problem with that, they have super powers and can realistically save a ton of lives. Functionally it’s like having half a dozen Supermen at the ready. They should be going around making the world a better place, not waiting until everyone is together. I know it’s safer when you’re in a group but realistically they can solo over 90% of the threats on the planet. If Freddy wants to go stop some thieves or escaped convicts then he should be able to. So the characters were right about Billy holding them back a bit.

That said, I still found the Wizard annoying because he spends a large chunk of the film bashing Billy and it doesn’t feel deserved. Like when he tells Billy that he regrets giving him the powers. Kind of a nasty thing to say to a kid just trying to do his best. By the end of the film they try to make the Wizard more likable but those opening scenes for him were really rough. It’s definitely hard to come back from that.

As for the goddesses, they were okay but could have used more scenes. For example the oldest one is all about getting revenge and seems like a decent villain but gets a little wishy washy by the end. She starts getting sloppy and dropping her guard which is never a good idea. The middle one is the most intense and ready to do anything for the mission. You can definitely respect that but at the same time I wanted to see her fight more. Physically she doesn’t do much here and she’s actually lucky the heroes didn’t try to take her down during the cheesesteak lunch because she would have had no way to defend herself. It was a tactical blunder.

Finally you have the youngest one who seems nice enough but can also be a bit wishy washy about the whole thing. Ultimately you need to pick a side and while she has more compassion than the others, it doesn’t mean as much if she won’t actually step in there to stop things right? I wanted to see her get more of a real fight too. There’s a cool scene of her dodging an energy blast but of course she ends up letting her guard down anyway. Not her best moment.

Overall, Shazam! delivers another pretty good film here. The skittles scene definitely feels like ultimate product placement but the fact that the film is so shameless about it does make it more impressive to an extent. Reminds me of an infamous Transformers scene involving beer. Ultimately the movie has got a solid amount of replay value and was a cheerful film so you could really watch it at any point. I’d like to see more of a prolonged fight in the third film but in the end this is still one that you could pop in and watch any day because it is easy to watch again. It definitely feels a lot shorter than 2 hours which is a good credit to the writing/pacing here.

Overall 7/10

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Review

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I remember when I first saw the trailer for this film I thought it looked really good. Like surprisingly really good because I just wasn’t ready for this at such a high level. Well, I finally got to see the film and I dare say that it’s even better than I had expected. The witty banter is on point and it manages to nail the Dungeons and Dragons vibe without the many downsides of a film that takes place back in an older setting. It’s a rare W for the past and while it would still likely be tricky for a sequel to replicate this success, at least the chance is there now.

The movie starts off with Edgin and Holga locked up, they’ve been locked up for 2 years which is rough but now they can finally get out if the court votes to release them early. Fortunately, the council does see things in their favor although the heroes break out anyway. The problem is that their old partner Forge has ended up lying to Edgin’s daughter for the last two years and has turned her against him. The guy is also the king of the kingdom now so it won’t be easy to get back at him. Edgin and Holga will have to put together a powerful team in order to break in but can they really pull this off? In the end they are thieves, not conquerors and an infiltration of this level sounds very daunting.

First off one of the big advantages that the film has going its way is that the humor is really funny. It’s not one of those titles that is just trying super hard the whole time. No the gags actually land most of the time and the script is as clever as it appeared to be in the trailers. You’ll have a lot of good laughs here and so this ends up feeling a lot like those classic upbeat adventure films of the good ole days. The film still balances in a lot of great visuals and action scenes though. It just knows when to take things easy.

The special effects here can’t be understated as they just look really good. In just about every scene there is some kind of treasure that really stands out. Then you have the energy effects for the swords and other weapons. For example the energy sword battle was really good in large part because the energy swords looked so real. They deserve a whole lot of props for that. The fights here really delivered.

It’s another example of how the film ended up surpassing my expectations. Everything about it is just so well rounded. The characters are great, the action is great, and so ultimately the film itself was also great. This is a really good video game adaption title. I may not be all that familiar with the games so I couldn’t tell you how accurate the movie is but at the same time my understanding is that the franchise is mostly building the world for you and then from there the stories are endless. So this is just a fun story about a group of thieves and that’s all I needed.

This movie also had the most accurate depiction of an in game dungeon that I’ve ever seen. From the corridors all looking the same to the random chests scattered about, it was great. They even got the fake chests in there as well. This plays out like if you were playing a video game although of course with much higher stakes than usual. I would have ended the film with more of a huge cliffhanger to bait in some sequels but I’m still satisfied with the ending overall. You can plug this movie in at any time because of how self contained it is.

Edgin works well as the main character here. Ultimately he was only captured initially because he went on a super dangerous mission to try and bring his wife back to life. It’s a very noble goal so I wouldn’t fault him for that. He may not be the most powerful guy on the block and he gets mocked very regularly but he never loses faith. That’s what makes Edgin strong. He’s able to just take the shots and keep it moving. Nothing ever gets to this guy.

The film also doesn’t make him comically weak or anything like that. It’s just that he has no special abilities or strength like the others. He’s what I would call an average guy physically with above average resourcefulness. He can break out of being tied up on his own and can quickly jump from portal to portal. He just ends up being the comic relief because the other characters are simply better. It’s a clear distinction from not actually being a strong character so you want to keep that in mind.

Then you have Holga as a very good heroine. She’s one of the standout characters here and can fight with the best of them. Holga is the very stoic character of the group but she’s not uncaring. She’s always nice to Edgin’s daughter and when her friend wants a hug then she’ll let it happen even though she doesn’t love those. Holga’s another very well written character who simply isn’t one dimensional.

This is also where I have to point out that the film pulled off what 99% of movies could not…a good friendship. As Edgin and Holga are the main characters you’re probably expecting a big romance the whole time but that doesn’t happen. Edgin doesn’t suddenly move on from his wife and Holga doesn’t forget about her ex boy friend. These two just get along really well and team up to take care of the kid. They’re good friends and joke/rib each other a lot without things ever getting awkward.

It’s the definition of a great friendship and I really appreciate that. It’s fairly rare to see this nowadays. The only other recent film I can think of off the top is the latest Mission Impossible. There are certainly others when you think about it but in the vast majority of instances the two characters just end up getting together because that’s what the movie figures the audience wants. It would have been super disappointing if that happened here so I was glad that it didn’t. At the end of the day not only is it possible for men and women to simply be friends but it’s an extremely common occurrence. Step outside for a few minutes and that’s the reality around you no matter what the movies may have you believe.

Without that romance drama to split up the team, we get to really see everyone having a lot of fun. The team is hardly the most unified one but they’re a fun one to follow along. The movie’s a blast from start to finish and the light tone just works really well. I would also say on the whole I liked all of the characters. Simon may not be very good at magic but he gets a character arc about learning to believe in himself and harnessing his powers which was definitely good. That’s always a solid story beat to follow.

Doric is another valuable ally to the cause and I really liked how her shapeshifting was handled here. The scene of her starting out as a fly and then transforming into a ton of different animals as she progressed through the castle was great. This is truly not an opponent to underestimate and it was a great way to show off Sofina’s magical abilities without having one of the main cast get caught. I don’t think any of the other heroes would have been able to pull off the infiltration. It would have been way too much for them.

The most powerful fighter of the group has to be Xenk though. He’s a guy who takes everything literally and can be hard to talk too, but he has a solid honor code and is someone you can count on. He won’t ditch the other heroes for anything in the world and his burning blade was the only reason they could get away from the assassins. This guy was really a beast in combat and I’d have liked to see him appear even more.

As for Kira, Edgin’s daughter, well she wasn’t the best. I think she was rather gullible the whole time. I know it’s been 2 years but you should still trust your own father way more than his friend. Forge may have given her a good life all this time but at the end of the day you still have to choose a side and I was surprised that she picked him. I also expected her to do a little more with her invisibility charm although I guess the one big moment is enough.

The only other character that I felt was a little underdeveloped would have been Sofina. She’s a very interesting red mage and one of the first villains from that type I remember seeing. They’re really handy in the Final Fantasy games since they can use both light and dark magic. In this film she’s clearly one of the most powerful characters and should be able to destroy the heroes at any moment but often gets overconfident. By the time she does make a move then it ends up being too late. I still liked her as a villain but would have liked more screen time. Likewise for her master who talks tough in the shadows but there really isn’t much time for him.

Finally we have Forge and he makes for a fun villain. The guy is definitely evil all the way but jokes around a lot so you can quickly mistake him for just being a whimsical type of fellow. Definitely don’t fall for the act, he shows his true colors on more than one occasion. He can’t really fight but serves his role as the more comedic kind of villain. It also did take ambition and resourcefulness to become the lord of the kingdom so you have to give him some credit there.

Overall, Dungeons and Dragons is a really fun film. I had a blast all the way and hope it does get a sequel at some point. Again, films taking place in a setting made to be like the olden days is often very difficult to pull off so the fact that this one did was very impressive. I highly recommend this to anyone who was on the fence about watching it. The positives really outweigh the negatives by a wide margin. Sometimes you just want a really fun action film and this one’s the ticket for you. The writing is particularly impressive but the action and effects are also good so it’s a win/win.

Overall 8/10

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One Review

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Mission Impossible is one of those series that always delvers high quality pictures and this one is no exception. I’ve been looking forward to Dead Reckoning for quite a while now and it’s really everything you could hope for it to be. The dialogue is very strong, there are a bunch of great characters, and the pacing is on point. Something is always going on here and there is a lot of replay value despite the length. This movie is definitely the complete package.

The film starts off with a submarine testing out some new tech but unfortunately things don’t go very well for it. We then cut to Ethan Hunt receiving a new mission, however this time he gets it with a lot of subtle threats as well. This is apparently the biggest mission of his career. He needs to recover two keys that open something that isn’t any of his business and the whole world is at stake. Ethan’s not really satisfied with that answer and decides to delve into this a bit further but this is at the cost of the whole world being after him. Every special intelligence agency in the world is on his tail now. He may be the most powerful Agent in the world but can even Ethan beat the combined forces of the planet?

Fortunately Ethan isn’t completely alone. His two steadfast allies Luther and Benji are around as always. Luther’s still great at hacking and managing everything from the control room. Meanwhile Benji always ends up getting a side mission of his own and he does well in them. These two are fun characters here as always. They may feel out of their depth in a lot of ways but it is a fact that Ethan would have been in big trouble without them.

Ethan here is a very solid main character who makes the right calls at the right times. I appreciate that he still has a strong sense of justice here and is always ready to save a friend even if it means defying orders. Ultimately that’s what you need to be able to do because if you just follow orders then you will inevitably become the villain. It’s not the first time Ethan’s had to go against the government either although I will say that it’s probably the quickest. He has to go rogue almost immediately here.

It’s another thing I appreciate about this film. The action starts up very quickly. We go to the desert and have an opening fight, after that we have an infiltration by Ethan, then a bunch of chase scenes and they just keep on going. Ethan certainly gets a lot of running done here that’ for sure but he gets to show off his intelligence and resourcefulness as well. Ethan is a fighter but the reason he is the best is because he always finds a way to win. His quick thinking in posing as a lawyer for example got him out of one jam.

The guy pulls off plans and disguises pretty much back to back and does it seamlessly. Also while the film’s a pretty serious one with an intense plot it does still make some for some good humor. There are a lot of quick lines that are really funny and all of the jokes are well thought out. You won’t be groaning at any point or anything like that here. The movie cycles through all of the genres rather effortlessly.

So it goes without saying that Ethan is the best character here. Then as the main heroine we have Grace who is a thief. A very good one at that as she manages to even pick Ethan’s pocket more than once. She causes a lot of damage and destruction throughout the movie because of how persistent she is. After a point you’ll probably just find yourself wishing Ethan would capture her already with how many times she betrays the group but ultimately that’s not how he operates. He wants to do his best to get her on his side as opposed to using force.

At times Grace really seems to act against basic survival instincts with how she handles this but ultimately she’s still a good character. She is a nice character for Ethan to have some banter with and she can actually fight which is always a plus. Automatically that helps her character out and when the chips were down she did get up and deliver so she has my respect.

Then there’s Ilsa who is another solid character. She doesn’t do quite as much here but we get to see how she’s still a really good shot and of course her close combat abilities are nothing to sneeze at. Definitely not someone you want to underestimate. Good ole Kittridge returns here as well although I can’t say that he looks too impressive. A bit of a shady fellow and while he may want what’s right for the country, his views aren’t always the best ones. I was definitely on Ethan’s side the whole time.

Alanna is one of the big villains/wild card characters here and she was a fun character to shake things up. She has a lot of connections/resources so whenever there is danger you can bet that she’s watching it unfold somewhere. I think the way she was dealt with near the end was a bit too easy so I couldn’t really buy into it but she definitely did a lot in this title.

Then there’s the main villain but it seems like the trailers avoided showing much of this guy so I won’t name him. Then the main villain has a boss that is mentioned constantly but we don’t know much about it. I’m not expecting the boss to really do anything other than get terminated in part two but the human villain has a lot to do here. He is able to fight really well and has a ton of confidence. He’s smirking in just about every scene that he is in and the guy keeps up with Ethan the whole time. This guy had to play his cards perfectly and that’s exactly what he did. Definitely not the kind of character that you can easily forget and I dare say that he may be the best out of all the Mission Impossible villains. It’s just hard to pull one over the guy.

Having a good villain like that is definitely huge for the movie. There are other villains here like one of his main minions but ultimately they’re more for the action while he is doing the thinking. They would not be able to keep up in that arena. Now if I had any small issue with the film it is that I would have liked to have seen some more factions. After all, think about it for a moment. The entire world is after Ethan so we should be seeing the CIA, M16, Japanese special forces, etc. Really the only main faction getting in on the action here are the Americans and for the most part the others are mentioned but don’t do as much.

I think in a lot of ways this should have been as chaotic as John Wick 3. You should have had people shooting from every direction and causing a lot of trouble. Of course this film isn’t a full action like that but I think you could still pull this off really naturally. I really liked the main cop who was after Ethan the whole time and think having more characters like that would have been great.

The soundtrack is really good as you would expect. The Mission Impossible theme plays quite a few times and it is definitely a catchy tune. There are a number of solid action themes within the movie as well so it never misses a beat. Of course the graphics are also really good as you would expect. The part looked very futuristic and every special effect was really clear. The series is second to none when it comes to showing off a bunch of great locations and making them all fit in.

There may be less actual fight scenes compared to some of the other Mission Impossible films but in the end you will still get a satisfying amount of action. Ethan takes a lot of fighters down and the supporting characters get to fight as well. There are also a lot of chase scenes as you would expect so you’re also getting action in that way as well. This is a very smart film so you can expect a lot of good planning too. At most you could make the case that maybe the main villain should have already won but otherwise I didn’t have any issues with the power levels or the plans going on. It all operated on a high level and had logic that made sense within the film.

It’s always a big thing when a film never gets boring and this one was really engaging the whole time through. There’s a lot more to say about the movie in the spoilers realm but I’ll let you see that for yourself. Sometimes I end up including a warning and then doing a spoiler section when there’s something I really need to dive into but in this case I would say there isn’t. Main thing to know is just that I was on Ethan’s side the whole time. The villains/antagonists and all of their goals are interesting to be sure but still not ones that I can get behind.

Overall, Mission Impossible succeeds in a big way once again. There’s a whole lot happening in this movie and it’s all balanced really well. I would say another strength to the film is how much was hidden. The trailers really didn’t touch on much of anything at all which meant there was a lot more to be surprised about. It can be a risky strategy nowadays since people probably want to see a lot to know if they’re going to theaters or not, but I would say the risk definitely paid off big time. I’m eagerly awaiting part 2 now to see if it can top part 1 and of course to see how this whole saga comes to a close. It’s going to be a long year!

Overall 8/10

Ghoulies Review

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The Ghoulies is one of those films that really doesn’t seem super sure on exactly what it wants to do. One one hand it’s usually a very disturbing horror type film with a lot of crazy visuals and goes fairly high up on the violence chart. On the other hand you have many scenes with comedy music playing and so you’re wondering just how seriously you’re supposed to take all of this. It’s certainly a tricky call but in the end all I can say is that it wasn’t able to pull this off.

The movie starts with a cult trying to sacrifice a baby but the baby’s mother is able to put a talisman around him for protection just in time. She’s destroyed but the baby is allowed to leave. Years later Jonathan has grown up to be a rather ordinary person and he ended up inheriting a rather spooky house. That’s his queue to invite all his friends over while he and Rebecca figure they will have the time of their lives. It all goes sideways rather quickly though as Jonathan wants to do a summoning and then monsters start to murder everyone. Is there any way out of here?

In a way the film is trying to emulate the success of the Gremlins but it is failing spectacularly. I wasn’t a particularly big fan of the Gremlins myself but you could tell that it tried more. The humor landed a lot more naturally and the main cast was better. A big issue here is that Jonathan isn’t likable at all even before he gets controlled. He’s really insistent on all of the characters performing the summoning to the point where he starts to get really upset about the whole thing. You could say that the atmosphere was already starting to control him but I think the guy just wasn’t very well balanced from the start.

As the film goes on he keeps on making more and more mistakes which endanger everyone around him. There’s no point where we get to see him just being a nice guy and that’s something that really hurts him. It’s not like the other characters were much better though. The teens were busy getting drunk and messing around the whole time. None of them thought that this whole party was a bad idea and none of them seemed to have any restraint. They’d all be considered as bad influences out in the world and you wouldn’t want to be in this friend group.

Whenever I see all the memes about how the characters really put themselves into these dangerous situations in horror films like wanting to use a spirit board or driving into a seedy hotel it does make you wince. This one’s the same thing with the whole summoning. Even if you thought it was all a joke, why even go through with it? What’s the upside? Are you so bored that doing this is the best form of entertainment you can think of? Because if it’s the latter then that’s really bad. You have the whole place to yourself and all your friends so entertainment should really be just about unlimited.

As mentioned the film could also be surprisingly violent at times. Characters are often wounded in the face/neck and the effects all seem rather practical so you feel the intensity. I was even surprised the film was PG-13 because of how graphic it could get. Maybe it’s just the way the bites went since it looked painful but technically wasn’t as explicit as it could have been. That’s certainly a possibility at least but eh they definitely should have toned that down somewhat.

The movie also started on a low note with the cult trying to sacrifice the baby. At least it didn’t actually happen unlike another movie but the fact that the mom ended up getting sacrificed and nobody did anything about it was rough. Of course it’s a cult so likely everyone there was basically evil but it’s still annoying regardless. It’s also one of those things where the villains have so many powers and the heroes can’t do anything about it so it isn’t even compelling. With a stronger hero cast perhaps there’s something you could do but that wasn’t the case here.

The story also ends early on as it’s just the characters messing around and getting folded by the enemies everywhere. The main villain Malcolm is one of the most generic evil masterminds you’ll ever see. I guess the guy just wants destruction but there’s nothing about him that stands out. If he wasn’t so powerful then he would be doomed. He’s not too smart with how roundabout his plan was and he fumbles the ball constantly. With his abilities he should never lose so that means he has to make odd choices in order to give the heroes a shot. Again, that’s not a high value villain.

If I’d give the film credit for anything, I’ll say that the creature designs weren’t half bad. They’re not amazing or anything but the small green monsters were a little intimidating. In particular there is one scene where they jump out of one of those small wooden jesters that was intense. Still not enough to outweigh all the negatives of the film but hey it’s a start right? Now just take away the fanservice, the awful romance, the terrible characters, the bad plot, etc and then you can start a real conversation about this one.

Overall, Ghoulies is a film I absolutely recommend skipping. There is nothing much of value to be found here and it’s really just an excuse to see monsters eating everyone. The plot was probably just written around that concept instead of being planned out first. It’s just one of those films with the characters messing around with satanic elements and quickly finding out that this was a bad idea. Should have been obvious but that’s how it goes. At least we did get a half hearted ending cliffhanger which the film still can’t decide if it’s trying to be funny or not. I figure at this point the enemies are on their side so it’s more of a happy ending than anything but at the same time could you ever really trust them? I’d be very hard pressed to trust any creature that just tried to murder me.

Overall 1/10

Blame! Review

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Blame! is one of those manga that is definitely super unique. You really won’t see very many things like it. So it’s pretty cool that this got a movie and in some ways it even clears the manga. On average the manga does have higher highs but it also has lower lows with some of the intensity going on there. This one hits a fairly safe peak and stays there. I think it would have looked a whole lot more impressive with proper hand drawn action of course and you could have made this longer but in the end it was a satisfying watch.

The main guy’s name seems to be spelled differently every time I see it. I’m used to something like Kyrii, but here it’s Killy but I’m pretty positive it was spelled differently within the film. I guess it doesn’t matter in the end and I’ll go with Killy. So the movie starts by explaining that humanity fell a long time ago. The world now belongs to the robots. The “Builders” are the robots which continue increasing the size of the world to no end. The problem with this of course is that these are basically empty buildings and floors with no food or anything and so humanity keeps falling more and more to hunger. You can travel for days just to get enough food for one meal.

The film follows a girl named Zuru as she tries to help her village by finding food but it isn’t easy. She leads an expedition to get something at least but most of her group are murdered by the nearby robots. The only silver lining is that she bumped into Killy who is clearly very powerful. If the village can get him to stick around then maybe they’ll be saved. However, Killy has bigger goals in mind and aims to save the entire world if he can just find the net terminal gene. Is it possible that this is actually located within the village?

The apocalyptic world is a very good setting for this story and the film does properly capture the atmosphere from the manga. The robots are for all intents and purposes limitless since the master computer can create hundreds in seconds and installs new bases with every expansion. Basic robots are enough to destroy dozens of humans and the specific material needed to destroy them is very limited. By the start of the film the heroes have already lost most of their ammo. The exception to this is Killy who has a super gun with unlimited ammo but the drawback is that it does zap some of his energy every time he uses it.

The humans really figure that they are only delaying the inevitable and that there is no true victory at the end of the tunnel. It’s a rather depressing thought but it is impressive that they have lasted this long so far. A good chunk of the film is really about building upon this atmosphere and so I wouldn’t expect too much action. We get a big climax near the end and some quick action at the beginning but that’s about it. There are long sections where no fighting happens but fortunately the characters and setting are enough to keep the film afloat.

From the characters Killy is definitely the best character I’d say. It’s clear that at this point he doesn’t have much humanity as he’s basically emotionless and can barely even talk at times. He will say his general idea but that’s about it. He’s not exactly a conversationalist and is really just interested in saving the world. Think of him like the Terminator in that respect. Ultimately he is someone you want on your side though and he quickly goes back to help the humans when they’re in trouble. He ultimately prioritizes saving the world over side missions but he won’t abandon anyone right in front of him. That’s really all you can ask for from a guy in this kind of rough situation.

He does save a ton of lives directly by beating the enemies and indirectly by giving the village enough food to tide them over for a few months. Then Cibo is the other big character here as she is someone who managed to survive for thousands of years long enough for Killy to return. That can’t have been easy so that’s impressive. She’s really handy to have around since she can interact with the robots and has impressive hacking abilities. Cibo is the brains to Killy’s brawn and without her the village would not have been in a good spot. She’s also a lot of fun to have around. She may mostly be emotionless like Killy but she talks a lot more and is someone you can count on.

For the most part the villagers are just around but they’re all likable enough. When they’re wearing the robot suits it can be tough to tell them apart. Outside of the suits they all just want to help the village out. Zuru steps up when the going gets tough and takes the leadership role. This is definitely appreciated since otherwise the village wouldn’t have really had a good plan. The village elder was also good as he made the right call in banking on Killy. After all if the village doesn’t do anything they will eventually die so you may as well take a risk now right? Some of the other villagers tend to panic and don’t do as well so their performance varies.

Then as I mentioned earlier we do get a good fight near the end. Sanakan is the final boss here and she’s one of the more impressive villains in the manga as well. She can hold her own against Killy and then some as her strength and speed both appear superior to his. He has a better weapon which does help to equalize things a bit. What makes Sanakan stand out is how she can actually plan things out and knows how to infiltrate a hero base. The rest of the robots are terrifying but still mindless so you can work around them. That’s not so easy with someone like Sanakan who can use tactics against you.

This worked really well as the climax to this film. It was a fitting way to end as Killy had to fight for humanity’s survival and the fiery backdrop felt appropriate for a final boss. In the end I wouldn’t say the animation for the film is all that great but it’s clear that they tried hard for this fight. The CG can just be a little stiff and it doesn’t have the same intensity that a hand drawn film would have had.

I think CG works well enough for robots as it’s still at a disadvantage but not as much as with the humans. That said, it’s not enough to hurt the film. You can always still tell what is happening and that’s the important part. The soundtrack is a bit more bland, I couldn’t really tell you any of the tracks or even say that I recall them much. For a sci-fi film like this you can absolutely do better.

Overall, Blame! is a pretty fun film and a lot of that is due to the premise and story. With any animation style you’d probably have a good time here and the CG works well enough. Killy is a solid hero to root for and that climax was really intense. This is a film that you won’t be forgetting anytime soon and it would be fun to see it get some sequels and see how that goes. In the meantime while you may be left with some questions, I would say you should get most of it since the film breaks down the story well. In the end robots will always claim the advantage over humanity at some point. It’s only a question of when.

Overall 7/10

Nothing in Common Review

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It’s time for one of those films that will have you knocked out in no time. There just isn’t much good to say about this film while there are certainly a lot of negatives to give it. The romance is everything you don’t want in a film, the drama makes all of the characters look bad by the end and so the ending isn’t particularly satisfying either. Yeah this is definitely one that you’re going to want to skip and fast!

The movie starts off with introducing us to David who has been moving through relationships like butter. He can just never stick with just one person for long and keeps on moving. Well now his parents are having issues as well and ended up splitting up. His mom wants to go back into the dating scene again while his father’s been fired and is trying to work again. Both of their issues are causing issues for David whose job had been going great but now he’s also being distracted. Can he continue to churn out powerful ads while dealing with all of this or is it all over for him? Only time will tell.

First off the film isn’t really able to make you like David as a character because he’s not the committed type. He ends up falling for the daughter of an executive and they have some flings but then he’s still ready to go back to another girl later when Cheryl leaves. David is someone who just never stays in one place and that’s a trait that’s hard to really change even if he does learn more about family later on. If anything seeing what happened to his parents would probably make it even harder for him to ever sustain a normal relationship.

Then the movie goes so far in making his father Max look bad that there isn’t really any way to recover his character later on. He cheated on his wife pretty much right after they got married and it ended up traumatizing her for life. It’s a really big weight to try and get rid of. Then Max is also irresponsible, doesn’t own up to his mistakes, etc. A character like that never ends up being sympathetic and since the film wastes a lot of screen time trying to do so, it’s just no good.

Meanwhile Lorraine comes across as way too desperate when she’s trying to get back into dating. Lets be realistic here, she’s older now since she was married for many years and it’s also not something you should be jumping right into like that. It’s all just too fast. I was glad that she still ended up leaving to try and reclaim her life on her own but the whole dating plot could have been taken out.

In general I think the saddest part about all of this is that the movie would have been so much more fun if it just focused on David. Just be about him and working on the advertisement business and we skip all of the family drama. I would have enjoyed it a lot more for sure and I think it’s fair to say that around the board it would have been a much better film. I still don’t think it would have been great mind you but at least things were happening in David’s plot that were interesting.

For example, seeing how the commercials was made was fun. We got to see the script phase where you write down what’s going to happen, the initial filming, etc. I rather enjoyed that and think you could easily make a whole film around the concept. I’d watch it at least and while it wouldn’t salvage the lackluster romance, the film would have something more to stand on. Ultimately David’s not a good character and he isn’t portrayed as one but you don’t have to worry about that while you’re watching the film.

The best character is definitely his boss Charley. The guy always had David’s back and was ready to defend him from all who would attack. Even to the end he was able to get David his job back and you know there was probably a lot of backlash for that. The guy’s a true friend who looks out for his people even when corporate tries to get in his way. I don’t think there are a lot of people who would have done that.

In the end I also think the movie is really just lacking a true hook as well. Even aside from the unlikable characters you have to ask yourself what the point of the movie was. David learns a lesson in finding a true romance instead of just playing the field and manages to achieve a proper work life balance but you could have done all of that in a much shorter timeframe. I think the film was trying for a fairly happy tone by the end where the redemption arc really worked and it was all good but to me that didn’t quite succeed either. Eh not every film can be a winner but this one just didn’t really have anything to enjoy about it.

Overall, I really didn’t enjoy this film. The whole backstory of what happened with the parents was a bit too tragic. In any plot like that you at least need to leave enough room for things to go well or to part on amiable terms but this wasn’t it. It would have been a more satisfying film if David just ran off to be honest. The whole thing happened a long time ago of course but since he just found out it would have still been rather fresh. In the end it just feels like a mean spirited title so stay far away!

Overall 1/10

Fate/strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn Review

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It’s time for Fate to begin another animated spinoff. The franchise has really done a whole lot as it expands in every way and this film is already going to be getting a full TV show later on. It’s definitely impressive and this one kicks the route off to a really good start. The Holy Grail War always feels grand in every timeline and this one’s no different. The special also already adds a number of different hooks to really make it stand out.

This one starts off with a rumor about a new Grail War taking place in the United Stated. The ministry is skeptical, however they can’t take a chance on this being legit and send over a pair of professionals to check it out. Due to the war being in America the rules are a bit different due to the magical history not being present. There is no ruler/observer this time around and there is one less servant….for now. There are conditions by which an extra servant can still appear but otherwise this is still very much the classic war that you remember. Each of the masters summon their servants and prepare for battle. Who will come out on top?

This whole special/movie is really about setting up the tournament so at this point it has barely started. Still, that makes it the perfect way to build up the hype and introduce the characters. The cast is already quite large so don’t expect them to all do a lot just yet but we already know some of their motivations and we almost get the first big fight here. The quick clash was a good way to get you ready.

Now the main question you may be wondering is…who am I rooting for? Well let me break down the teams and my general view of their goals and why I would or would not root for them. First up we have Gilgamesh and Tine, this is the pair I am rooting for. Tine’s goal is really to win this grail war quickly o that she can push away all of ther interlopers who have appeared and are wrecking the land. As someone who has helped protect the land for many generations she just can’t let this stand and I resect that. Excellent motive right off the bat so she had my attention. She can also fight and took care of the other guy real quick.

One thing you will learn quickly in this series is that you always have to act very quickly. If you want for even a moment then you may get bumped off by the very servant that you summoned or someone else can land a cheap shot. So your best bet is to use a command seal immediately and otherwise you may be in trouble. Tine doesn’t have this problem because she knows how to address Gilgamesh with respect and doesn’t cross any lines. That’s the kind of dedication and devotion that he is looking for in his subjects. No more and no less, just do what you gotta do and you’ll be fine. It’s completely possible that she will have some sinister motivations in the background but for now she’s easy to root for.

Then Gilgamesh is a super impressive servant as always. I love how grand he talks at all times and the man carries himself like a true professional. He is not someone to be trifled with and we actually get to see him cut loose for a little bit as he gets excited in one scuffle. It’s very rare to see him treat any opponent with a high level of respect so that was cool. Also if you’ve been watching some of the other spinoffs like Grand Order then you get a little something extra in all of the interactions with him and his rival since you got to see more of the context there. Yeah I don’t see any team passing this one and they should be the obvious lock to win the tourney.

Then we have Enkidu and Wolf. In theory this is the next strongest pairing but I’m highly expecting Enkidu to suffer the worf effect here. The pieces are all just in place right now. This guy’s a literal god compared to all of the other servants who are mere heroic spirits. He can control the very atmosphere and environment and Gilgamesh has been looking forward to fighting him. I’m betting that the little girl’s shadow is going to show up and murder him since the foreshadowing is already there. It would be a shame to see Enkidu go down so quickly but I do have high hopes for this new villain so it really could work out. It’s also a little too early to actually be worrying all that much.

I like Enkidu as a pretty solid antagonist. He’s a very reasonable fighter and someone with complex motivations. Then you have the owner who is a normal Wolf. It’s an interesting concept since before now we’ve only seen humans be masters but it makes sense that any sentient life could do it. My one problem is how the Wolf is going to be involved in the fighting and could get hurt now. That already happened here and it’s definitely animal violence you don’t want to see. If the series brings that back in any form it’ll definitely be concerning. This was the only part that wasn’t great since the rest of the special was spectacular.

Alexandre is another fun pick for a master because he’s a police officer. I guess police chief is probably more appropriate here and the guy even has a personal army dedicated to his cause. He wants to fight for justice but gets criticized by one of the other officers for it. You can tell that this guy’s sense of justice is probably more the tyrannical sort but considering some other fighters here are going to be pure evil, you may need to root for him.

This is really helping to take full advantage of the fact that the war is in America this time by involving the police and government. I’m really liking the approach. Unfortunately while this guy is one of the more interesting characters, I really don’t like his servant Orlando yet. The guy doesn’t seem like a fighter and gets overwhelmed too easily by his vices. I have a feeling he’s going to be a chore to watch until he eventually gets bumped off. Hopefully he can prove me wrong.

Then we have Flat and Jack who feel completely out of their league. Flat has skills but doesn’t totally know how to use them yet which could come back to hurt him. Then we have Jack the Ripper who seems reasonably tough but not all that impressive. Yeah they should be very worried at this point and could be a first round exit. They have no interesting motivations for being in this tournament either so there’s not much reason to root for them. They’re just doomed.

We don’t know almost anything about Richard and Ayaka yet so I’ll mainly skip them. Richard seems like a solid hero and the only “Hero” out of the 12 who is actually heroic. You can tell that he’ll be one of the main characters. As for Ayaka she appears to still be in her rebellious phase so we’ll have to see how that plays out. I see them being a fun combo to root for but I’ll still take Gilgamesh any day. Richard’s going to really need to prove himself here.

Tsubaki’s just a kid so right now it’s not like she has any big plans. Fortunately she seems to potentially have one of the strongest servants since the mysterious shadow is getting a lot of hype. Her whole plot is wrapped up in some mystery right now since we don’t even know if her parents totally know about what happened. Initially it seemed like her father wanted to be the master based on the planning and getting the artifacts but we also got a scene where he was monitoring a mysterious bruise/imprint on her so maybe this is a plan to make her powerful. Either way I can see this being one of the darker plots but as long as she has the shadow to protect her I expect things are going to start going up for Tsubaki.

Next up is Jester who is very much a big wild card character here. His servant Assassin seemingly took him down for the count right away but he was able to auto revive later on. He definitely has some pretty solid abilities even as a “human” so there is more to him than meets the eye. Even the servants may want to be afraid of the guy at this point and I think the Assassin should be very nervous. It’s going to be difficult for her to get away from this guy should he choose to chase after her. Making some humans a big threat is a good way to increase the tension though so I look forward to seeing what this guy can do.

While Waver and Grey are not in the tournament it will be interesting to see if they get involved in the action. As a pseudo servant Grey can fight and while the Waver show depicted how she would not be able to hold her own against any servant perhaps she can get some kind of power up. Waver is also well versed in magic and perhaps he would be able to come up with a spell that could work as well. They don’t need to get involved but it would certainly be fun.

Francesa is very much another mystery character. She is a servant where we don’t know who her master is and she appears to be a double agent. Francesa also doesn’t seem particularly heroic and has a whole speech about how easy it is to be a villain. This is someone you want to watch out for because she will absolutely stab you in the back. I don’t expect she will end up being one of the stronger servants but should still have a sizable role.

Then we have Faldeus who is a government worker and it seems to be implied he’s either CIA or FBI. He’s a really fun character right off the bat here because he made a great plan and executed it flawlessly. He knows how to be undercover and having the government around here is a brilliant move. It adds a whole new dimension to the Holy Grail War and really spices things up. I’m betting he will be a main antagonist here and at the end of the day even servants can die against bullets if you land the attack with enough stealth. Yeah this guy is going to be a lot of fun.

So there are the combatants. As you can see the movie set up a whole lot of plots and characters right from the jump which is excellent. This tournament is bound to be a blast and even thought the tournament is typically only a few days long, you can easily make this a long series just by having lots of fights, planning etc. The bigger the cast the bigger each day will be and the cast is already quite large here.

The animation is definitely really solid as you would expect. We haven’t had much action yet but all of the characters are really clear and the backgrounds are sharp. The soundtrack isn’t quite as memorable as the other Fate titles just yet but I did really like the ending theme. I’ve been hearing it a lot on Pandora and it really helps bring in the grand vibes of the series. Fate should always feel like a huge deal with even the weakest spirit still being a powerful fighter and that comes across here.

Overall, I expect this is going to be a really high tier part of the Fate franchise. The setup was excellent and there is just so much to do here. It’s still early to get a proper vibe on how things will play out so we’ll just have to wait and see. If they keep the production values and writing up then there should be no worries here. I definitely recommend checking this one out as soon as possible.

Overall 7/10