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Reviews
Nanatsu no taizai (2014)
Well done, but...
When the credits rolled on the final episode, I couldn't help but feel that removing Arthur and the final "mini-arc" would have made this series a little better. The last few episodes, for me, took away some of the impact of the series. Not enough was done with Arthur throughout the series to make him feel worth spending time on. He's there for while. Then he goes away for quite a while, then they bring him back in the last few episodes for a quick, unnecessary, arc that just felt tacked on.
Overall, the story was enjoyable enough. It's pretty predictable, but anime of this kind usually are. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions. There were inconsistencies as the seasons went on but compared to something like Dragon Ball's inconsistencies, this series is fine. The pacing is mostly well done. The animation is very acceptable. Character designs are great for the most part (to me). The dub performances were above average.
Bottom line: It's not the best anime I have ever seen, but it was very above average with only some slight missteps (in my insignificant opinion, at least). I enjoyed my time watching it and would recommend it to fans of shonen anime. I feel an 8/10 is where it landed for me.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Not terrible.
Fair origin film. Generally, Marvel's character introduction films are slightly above average affairs. They need to introduce a character that some people may not be familiar with. This usually leads to a lengthy stretch of the beginnings of those movies to be slow. This movie, however, felt like it kicked off fairly quickly and maintained a decent pace. After the ramp up to Infinity War and Endgame, and bombastic, wild action in them, this movie feels like a step back. However, you need to keep in mind that this is the beginning of a new story arc in the MCU. Build up is necessary. In that regard, this movie is a success.
With that said, I do have a few gripes.
Awkwafina grated on my ears and nerves for the whole movie. A personal preference. I don't remove a star for that.
Many of the action sequences were well done but filmed with the cameras too close. Had they been filmed from a greater distance they would have been more impressive and flowed better overall.
That's pretty much it. I found it to be one of the better origin films. Nothing spectacular, but it was VERY watchable.
Mortal Kombat (2021)
Eh... watchable.
I haven't read/watched any reviews for this yet. Wanted to keep my opinion untainted.
Pros: Some decent fights. Mainly the opening fight.
Kano kept me smiling when he was on screen. Good job with his character.
Cons: Main character was BLAND and boring.
Kung Lao was TERRIBLY miscast. I could not stand him. He was worse than the main character for me.
Some shots were abrupt and sloppy in their editing. A LOT, actually.
Weak script. Not very engaging.
Overall: It's a "watchable" movie, but I will likely never watch it again. It's just... mediocre at best.
Kaze no na wa amunejia (1990)
Good premise marred by rushed ending.
The pacing during the first... roughly 90% of this movie is good. The relationship between Wataru and Sophia is given nearly no development, which gives a scene towards the end no impact and a feeling of randomness. The ending, overall, would have had more impact if it wasn't done so abruptly and delivered in such a bland way. A 6/10 is all I can give this because of its rushed feeling ending. Again, it is a great premise. It just fails to deliver a satisfying story due to poor relationship development and a lackluster ending that doesn't stick the landing.
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)
Not even average...
Was going to give this a 2/10 to match how I rate Kevin Smith's daughter's looks... but I did like catching up with old View Askew characters, so I added one star.
Supergirl (2015)
Poor, lazy writing.
There is a right way and a wrong way to do social commentary on being open-minded and more accepting of other ways of life, etc... The storytelling here is just ham-fisted, lazy, and obnoxious. I'm all for being open-minded and accepting but this show just rubbed me the wrong way so badly that by midway through season 2, I just stopped watching. My wife stopped watching it a few episodes before I did. Can't recommend this garbage.
Slobbys World (2017)
Obnoxious.
Slobby, as he presents himself on camera, is just obnoxious. I use the f-word profusely, but even I find myself thinking, "Just talk like a human being!" multiple times per episode. Personally, I find his gold grill and jewelry gaudy and stupid. Overuse of "fire" and he just comes off as scummy trash with wannabe class.
Seeing stuff from when I grew up was kind of neat, but the presentation and Slobby himself just make this show unbearable. "Your mileage may vary." Obviously.