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Danielrl1982
Reviews
Pacto de silencio (2023)
Cringe addiction
This series is so bad, that it gets too a point where it gets so cringy that it's addictive. You want to see the next ridiculous thing.
The plot is quite frankly ridiculous. The twists make no sense. And the basic premise is just laughable. The characters are super unrealistic, dumb decisions, the dumbest human beings are represented in the characters.
The acting, OMG. Either not enough or too much. The lead characters are terrible. Perhaps Samantha, Tomas and Irene put on a good performance but their characters are so stupidly designed that their work gets frustrated.
I cringe every episode, so much that I feel I need to see the next stupid thing they come up with.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
A great closure and a new beginning that gets you curious
Over 30 years waiting for a worthy sequel to the Ghostbusters franchise.
While I can't say that the wait was worth it, because 30 years is just way too long for anything, the movie itself doesn't disappoint.
This is a movie with a lot of fan service, but it is done in a way that it just works with the story.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife IS the perfect sequel in the Ghostbusters universe and although it may not be the perfect movie for movie critics (whatever is for those guys anyway? Just boring technically complex B&W movies), it just works on so many levels that it is hard to leave the theater unsatisfied, and not thinking: "Yes, this is how it should end, and how it should begin."
The movie is full of nostalgia, references to the previous movies and small details only true Ghostbusters fans will notice, but what makes it work is that it doesn't lose itself around those things.
The script is very well balanced with enough old stuff that explains where everything comes from so that people who have never seen a Ghostbusters movie understand what's happening and enough new stuff to keep everyone interested in the direction the new story will go forward.
Perhaps I would have liked to see more screen time from the old Ghostbusters, but again, it just works with the story. It feels natural, and what you get is enough to close the old Ghostbusters book for good. Personally, I'm satisfied.
The new story, well... it is a new story, and this is but an introduction with a lot of potential for where the Ghostbusters franchise can go in the future. Hopefully, we won't have to wait another 32 years for the franchise to go on.
In summary, a very well-known story with enough new elements to make a movie that feels fresh and alive on its own, a satisfying ending for a story that began almost 40 years ago, and an introduction to a new chapter that seems to have good potential for keeping the franchise alive for decades if they play ir right.
Most importantly, 2016 Ghostbusters, never happened.
Mortal Kombat (2021)
Awesome Trailers... Mediocre Movie
Gee. It pains me to write this review. I had such high expectations for this movie.
A solid and established video game. A history in film from which to learn. Modern visual effects. And Hiroyuki Sanada in the role of Scorpion. They had everything to make a great film.
Opinion on Plot (No spoilers):
I honestly don't know where to start. The plot is ok...ish I guess. I personally don't mind movies sticking to the well known and established history from video games but I understand Hollywood feeling the need to change a plot and a story and introduce character nobody really wants just because... because I don't know why. I guess the director and writters are just so full of themsleves they want their personal touch in everything. Cole makes no sense at all. That's all I'll say to avoid spoilers, but there is nothing special about this guy and there is really nothing that makes him a unique or irreplaceable character in the Movie. We were all waiting for the Mortal Kombat tournament and it didn't even happen! Like... c'mon, guys!
Acting:
Acting is terrible. Except for perhaps Sanada and Taslim, the rest of the cast just felt weird... fake. Save for the ninjas and perhaps Kano and MAYBE Jax, the rest just felt off their characters. At some point I even felt they were uncomfortable doing it specially the guys playing Liu Kang, Raiden and Kung Pao (great joke by the way). I won't even talk about Reptile. Goro's participation in this movie is essentially non existent.
Fan service:
We all wanted some fan service, but I think this movie picked the most cringy way to deliver what I consider an forced amount of fan service (specially catch phrases).
Concept:
At first I thought they were going to keep a balanced amoutn of realism and fantasy and they didn't they went for full fantasy. Which is ok, but they in the end what they chose to put on the fantasy side, looked kind of ridiculous. There a very serious lack of consistency on the brute strength of the characters. Kabal is very fast at first, and then he gets tired (I guess) cause out of nowhere he becomes slow enough to take a hit. Goro is super strong that he destroyed a vehicle, but apparently he loses his strength when he hits an oponent he's grabbed. Out of nowhere Cole understand old Japanese from the 17th Century. Again, inconsistent.
Screen time (agh!) - Some minor spoilers (may be):
I know, I know. It is impossible to give enough screen time for all characters of the franchise. But precisely because of that reason, why the heck would you include irrelevant characters that add absolutely no value to the plot and waste screen time that could have been used to expand perhaps on, gee I don't know: "some back stories besides Sub-Zero and Scorpion's rivalry?!!!" Nitara? Reiko? But... no Johnny Cage? Characters that didn't appear until Shinnok returned, now didn't even make it to the first tournament alive?! Goro went down just like that? Some times less is more. Unfortunatelly this movie just didn't get it.
Conclusion
The ninjas truly are so cool, that they just barely save the movie from a total disaster. Their scenes were not perfectly written, but they were good enough. The bad thing is that you'll find everything good about this move in the trailers and the 7 minute preview you can find in YouTube. I think that the premise of a movie with modern visual effects and based on Scorpion and Sub-Zero's rivalry is way more appealing than the 1995 concept. BUT! And I know this will rise some eyeborws... I think that however imperfect the 1995 movie was, it is way more consistent than this one:
Better plot: 1995
Better character balance: 1995
Better choreography: 2021
Better visual effects: 2021 no doubt
Better acting: 1995 (by a lot)
Is it a total waste, not if you have HBO Max already. If you will pay extra to watch this, I'd wait for it to be available in Netflix or Prime Video.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive: All or Nothing (2019)
Sadly biased episode
I just had to write something about this episode. I'm not a Checo Perez fan or anything, and if I may go a little off topic, I'll even say I don't like Perez's driving. But from a documentary perspective I think this episode is very biased towards presenting Esteban Ocon as a victim of an inferior Sergio Perez whose only virtue is to be backed by Carlos Slim. Or at least that's how they lead the viewer.
The episode leaves out some very important aspects of Serio Perez's role in helping avoid the bankrupcy and mid-season disappearance of then Force India.
The truth is Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez fought like many other drivers and rivalries in F1 history. A rivalry that was fueled by keeping their job.
In several cases, the episode presents Perez as this evil rich driver who is picking on poor little Ocon by smashing him into walls and just not letting him get ahead, but the same episode fails to point out or at the very minimum softens the description of those moments when Ocon returns the favor to Perez. When Perez hits Ocon it is presented as an unprofessional immature move, but when Ocon does the same to Gasly in Mexico (or to Perez in other GPs), it is disregarded as a driver racing and trying to show what he can do. Gasly, by the way has been another driver who has spoken agains Ocon's driving style and immature moves.
The episode heavily suggests that Perez only remained in Force India instead of Ocon, because of the sponsors money. They fail to inform the viewer that Perez ended the season ahead of Ocon in the standings, so the thesis of Ocon is the better driver is not sustained at all.
The episode ends with an "Ocon failed to secure a seat for 2019" as if he had been some sort of war hero KIA. When I bet that if you ask Verstappen or Gasly, they'll consider Ocon as much of a d*ick as Perez may have been.
Again, I just don't see the episode presenting two drivers fighting for a seat and dealing with pressure their own way. The episode should be retitled to "The French Martyr" at least.
Really disappointed at the obejctivity in this episode.
Seinto Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac (2019)
Interesting new approach, poorly executed, too americanized.
I don't see why this series is getting so much hate.
Like most of those writting reviews for this show, I have been a Saint Seiya die hard fan since it was broadcasted in my country somewhere in the early 90s and I have been a fan of this story since then. All movies, All Manga, all series, figures, etc.
Let's get something out of the way. Knights of the Zodiac is an apple that still falls very far from the tree. Period. But then again... what in the Saint Seiya franchise isn't?
Even the original Anime was heavily criticized when it came out because of the great differences with the Manga and made-up sagas. Still most people know Saint Seiya because of the Anime and most don't realize that those of us who read the Mangas consider that the original Anime was a poor production compared to the quality and story delivered by the Manga. I mean we only had to wait over 12 years to see the 1st part of the Hades chapter animated.
If you take that into account and accept the fact that this is an attempt to gain American viewers for this franchise, which is basically unknown in the US you can perhaps enjoy a little of what it does right.
First, what you should really focus on... The story. I thought that the way the story of Seiya is presented to the viewer is fresh and gets your attention in the way that it is different from that in the Manga and the Anime. It gets you thinking "Ok what did you change? tell me". I think the approach is interesting, with enough new elements to keep you interested but without deviating too much from the story we all love.
The animation. Well... remember I said this is poorly executed? The poor executon starts with the animation. Not only is the character design way too cartoonish and childish, the animation itself is terrible. It feels rushed. Textures for eyes look extremely artificial.
Dubbing, I didn't like either. It feels artificial too, although... I guess that depends on the language.
Censorship. This is perhaps the biggest problem I have. Saint Seiya would be so great if someone had the courage to make a dark enough adptation, that it really hurts seeing this surgarcoated version as if the censorship Cartoon Network put on the original Anime wasn't bad enough.
Shun is a girl. Yes. Deal with it. IT MAKES SENSE! I actually don't know why he wasn't a girl in the first place. The original Shun's personality has always been more common in girls than in straight or gay men. Plus it brings an interesting twist to the team and perhaps to the Hades arc (although that's probably not going to happen with such bad reviews, I'd like to see it). I hated when The Legend of Sancturay turned Milo into a woman, because it just didn't make sense, they just did it to be inclusive which is dumb if it is done just for the sake of it... in Shun's case it makes sense. Back in the 90s we all thought he was basically a girl anyway.
Americanization. Some of the humor included in the show, the censorship, the cartoonish style and political correctness is very clearly aimed at amusing and pleasing very a young American audience. Expect that.
All in all, although this show is very, very far from pleasing die hard fans, I think that if you watch it with an open mind and with the understanding that you're not watching a rerun of the original series you might actually find some interesting story elements that can keep you watching it and enjoying it at times. So much hate is an unexplained mystery for me. I know that without noticing I found myself "enjoying it" more than I expected when I first saw the trailer.