Ratings 2022
Intro
Nothing new to say once again, just more content that I’ve consumed. REVIEWS CONTAIN SPOILERS.
Ratings
Matrix 2: 7 / 10
I liked Matrix 2 even more than the first Matrix. With the scene already set, we get to dive even deeper into the Matrix, following fully unleased Neo and Agent Smith, among other charismatic characters (I love the Keymaker). Matrix 2 features even better production quality, hype extended fights, and a layered story with a lot of moving parts. Matrix 2 is a bit in your face about the existential philosophy, but I enjoyed it. Great movie.
Finished: 1/9/2022
Ponyo: 9 / 10
Honestly, this may be my second favorite Ghibli film after Spirited Away. It has a simple premise and story, but the entire movie is magical, playful, and fun to watch. The setting and the animation is beautiful. I’ve never seen waves done that way, and all the water scenes were mesmerizing.
Fish-form Ponyo looks really derpy, but in an endearing way. Lisa is awesome and has a great sense of style. Feels bad for Kumiko.
Finished: 1/19/2022
Demon Slayer S2: 9 / 10
Demon Slayer is undoubtedly one of the defining animes of our generation. Season 2 solidifies this and somehow manages to top episode 19, which I previously described as “straight up my favorite animation sequence of all time.”
The story itself is pretty cookie cutter. Like before, the real magic comes from the animation. We get about 6 straight episodes of flashy fighting between Tengen/main trio and Lower Six, and boy does it deliver. I feel like a broken record every time I praise Ufotable for their animation. It’s the best I’ve ever seen, and I’ll just leave it at that.
In terms of characters, I actually really liked Tengen. His constant exasperation when dealing with Zenitsu/Inosuke felt so relatable. Zenitsu continues to be one of my most hated characters. He wasn’t that annoying this season, but in my opinion, that’s because the author copped out by having him fight while asleep for 6 straight episodes. A real cop out. Overall, not a huge fan of Demon Slayer characters. Tanjiro’s cool, but Inosuke’s annoying, and I maintain that Nezuko is a cheap plot trick. The upper six duo was cool conceptually, and the brother/sister parallel was neat, but didn’t like them much either. This season also overdid it a bit with the deus ex machina family visions.
I feel like a lot of Demon Slayer’s humor is a miss for me, but it actually worked pretty well for Season 2. Maybe I’m devolving, but I thought it was pretty funny when Tengen couldn’t deliver his final words in the final episode.
That being said, I want to re-iterate that Demon Slayer’s animation is the best around. Every Sunday was 20 minutes of pure audiovisual joy. While I have my gripes with the characters, the show is really exciting to watch, and that’s what matters.
Finished: 2/13/2022
The Batman: 3 / 10
Batman will forever like in Christopher Nolan’s shadow. No reboot will ever come close.
This 2022 reboot, featuring Robert Pattison and the Riddler, differentiated itself by taking a much darker, noir approach while maintaining an ambitious plot and philosophical undertones. Ultimately, it fell flat. I bet if I read a bullet point of all the main plot events, I’d think the movie seemed pretty good. But the execution was all wrong. That’s my main gripe with the movie - on paper, there was so much potential. Wasted.
A lot of the scenes were way too long or altogether unnecessary. During the Penguin car chase, I kept thinking to myself, “Is it almost over yet?” It was like 5 minutes long or something, and nothing was accomplished in terms of plot, character, or entertainment. In fact, the constant jump cuts and chaotic nature of the shots gave me a small headache. The exact same movie could’ve been presented in 30 minutes less. Stripping away the Penguin subplot would shave off another 30 minutes and make the movie even better. Yeah, it ties into the rest of the story, but it just wasn’t executed in a satisfying way. Felt like we put the main plot on pause for 30 minutes. Same thing with the romance subplot. The execution was just terrible. This version of Batman is not romantic, and it detracted from the story if anything. See, it made sense in the Dark Knight because of obvious plot implications, but there was zero purpose in this movie. Plus the dialogue was pretty cringe. It was forced, like the characters were explaining the contrived plot to the audience rather than holding a real conversation.
In general, I was not a fan of the cinematography or editing. When the audience notices the editing, you know you’ve done too much. Holy cow, there were so many jump cuts. Two people talking? Let’s change the camera angle every 3 seconds, snip snap, snip snap, snip snap! And then there were so many just head shots where we stare at a character’s face or back for extended periods of time as they walk. There were a few spots with cool cinmatography (e.g. epilepsy scene where Batman’s manhandling Falconi’s goons in a dark room), but overall a disappointment. I get that they were going for a claustrophobic feel, but it was just too much. Same thing with the dark color palette. Yeah yeah, it’s a dark movie, I get it. 3 hours of it is not enjoyable.
Casting wasn’t great outside Pattison, but maybe that’s just because I love The Dark Knight. Why didn’t Alfred have a British accent? Music was very generic and unmemorable. Even unfitting at times.
In terms of positives, I liked the Riddler’s puzzles. It was fun to watch the chaos unfold as Batman struggled to figure everything out, and that kept the movie going. I will say, his unmasking and the finale was a bit of a meme. Turns out Riddler was an internet conspiracy theorist who gathered a bunch of other QAnons to storm the capitol. The whole “rat with wings” thing took way too long to figure out though. Oh also, there were a lot of plot non-sequiturs where things just happened coincidentally and it felt completely random. Like why did Penguin happen to be there with a gun when Falconi was shot? Damn, I wanted to end on a positive notes, but all I can think of is gripes. The movie had potential to be a lot better, let’s just leave it at that.
Finished: 3/9/2022
300: 6 / 10
Okay, I went into it for the “This is Sparta” meme (and because it was at the front of the airplane’s alphabetical movie catalog), but I actually really enjoyed the movie. It’s definitely no masterpiece, and it probably won’t leave a lasting impression, but it was entertaining to watch, and that’s what matters.
300 is a testerone-filled montage of stylized violence, and that’s about it. Yeah there’s a bit of plot and history, but mostly it’s just Spartans going HAM against Persians. The acting and cinematograph aren’t particularly noteworthy, but the movie is presented in a way where that doesn’t really matter. It feels almost like a visual ancient Greek epic, with a story-like narration and bigger than life characters. You know what’s gonna happen, but it’s cool to watch the process unfold. You know Leonidas won’t bow to Xerxe or survive the battle, but you wanna watch him fight to the death anyway.
The action scenes were pretty cool. There was a lot of slow-mo, and it worked surprisingly well. I think mostly because of the long cuts. This wasn’t like your standard modern movie where you have 50 jump cuts masking the actors’ inability to actual fight. No, with 300 we have a beautifully choreographed slaughter.
Finished: 3/19/2022
Turning Red: 7 / 10
How do I even start this review. Turning Red is a Zoomer movie, and I loved every minute of it. It was chaotic and fun to watch.
The movie’s biggest lesson is targetted towards parents rather than kids; Let your kids be themselves. While my upbringing was great (Good job, Mom and Dad), the “overbearing parent” sentiment hit close to home. Mei Lee’s family is Asian (North) American, and I felt a real connection to the movie’s portrayal of home life in spirit.
Other thoughts: Abby is wack, Dad is the real MVP, and I loved the ending crossover with fake Backstreet Boys singing over Cantonese chants.
Finished: 3/26/2022
Jeen-Yuhs: 8 / 10
I’m a pretty big Kanye fan, so I roughly know the details of his come-up story. I was excited to watch this documentary, and it was nothing like I expected it to be. Rather than recounting a sequence of events, this was a behind-the-scenes, intimate, first-person, look into Kanye’s day-to-day life. The passion, the struggles, the love for his family/friends, everything. We got to see the “real” Kanye. The Kanye behind the public act, the fame, and the controversies. The Kanye struggling to sign a record deal. The Kanye who believed in himself and thought he could whatever he set his mind to. The Kanye who loved his mom more than anything. I felt like I was watching a friend grow up.
That being said, part 3 felt like a haphazard, rushed conclusion to an otherwise great documentary. Kanye had grown up, and we no longer had the same firsthand look at life. A lot of details were skipped over and it was a fragmented picture compared to parts 1 and 2. That being said, I appreciate the alternative perspective of Kanye’s descent into madness. Rather than writing him off as crazy, I felt sadness and concern. Rather than dismissing his new music as trash (still not a fan, btw), I could see how and why it came to be so religious.
But yeah. Not a great ending, but super enjoyable to watch, as a Kanye fan. Mad props to Coodie for foreseeing Kanye’s rise to greatness and recording so much footage. Maybe my dad had it right, recording everything as I was growing up - “You’ll understand when you’re older.” Amen.
Finished: /2022
Rubber: 1 / 10
We watched Rubber as a meme. I guess it’s unsurprising that the movie’s a meme. It’s a tire that goes around killing people. That’s it. That’s the movie. There’s some absurdist, self-aware commentary built-in, but really there’s not much to see here.
Finished: 4/3/2022
Attack on Titan S4 P2: 4 / 10
In case my header wasn’t clear, I am once again re-iterating, THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.
I was pretty disappointed by Attack on Titan, The Final Season Part 2. Mostly because THERE’S GONNA BE A PART 3. This “final season” started airing in December 2020, and you’re telling me I need to wait until 2023 to see the ending? Hell naw. I’m just gonna read the manga.
I still hate the adult character models and some of the CGI, but production value and animation did admittedly improve. Still nowhere near Season 3 though. Comparing some of the fight scenes, it’s night and day.
Story-wise, there was a lot to be desired. The sheer chaos and plot-twistiness of the first 5-6 episodes was entertaining, but everything thereafter felt pretty forced. Why did we spend an entire episode around a campfire? Another 2 episodes with a randomly inserted “steal the boat” sub-quest. Most of the final episode was a flashback. It was a good flashback, but my point stands. Also there was way too much deus ex machina. All the characters now have plot-armor until their chosen time to die. Floch should’ve been killed about 5 times before he finally got shot (thank God) during his kamikaze attack. Falco went berserk but thank The Lord - no one was hurt. Shadis came out of nowhere to save the day (and then he promptly suicided).
None of the emotional scenes really hit home. I can’t tell if it’s because of the pacing/presentation or the source material, but at this point, I feel pretty detached from the characters. I just wanna know what happens.
That being said, I do appreciate the grand scale of Attack on Titan. Despite my gripes, I can’t dispute that it’s one of the greatest animes of our time. I also appreciate Eren’s character. He may be irredeemable, but it’s cool how his character came full circle. His friends thought he changed, but really he was always the same. I guess I’m realizing that too, and it’s pretty neat.
Finished: 4/6/2022
Everything Everywhere All at Once: 6 / 10
Subjectively, Everything Everywhere All at Once had a bit too much going on at any given moment. Don’t get me wrong - the move was super entertaining to watch, and it was a breath of fresh air to see something so unique. But it just felt too haphazard for me. The opening scene was purposefully anxiety-inducing, but that feeling of chaos persisted throughout the entire movie for me. I felt overloaded.
Looking through the pandemonium, I felt like the story, and especially the ending, didn’t really hit home. Really, the story boils down to a busy mom getting her priorities straight and putting her family first. Her daughter just wanted her mom to understand and accept her, and that’s what we got at the end. Yay, everything’s resolved. It’s a good message, but it’s not particularly new or exciting, especially after watching Turning Red, which has a similar theme.
Audiovisually, the movie was great - it was an acid trip (or what I imagine an acid trip would be like). I don’t understand how the writers came up with a swinging dog weapon, hot dog fingers, and an everything-bagel black hole, but it was a sight to see.
As usual, seeing relatable Asian family content was nice.
I really liked the scene where Evelynn was told that she was the worst version of herself. The one that made all the wrong decisions. But that’s what led her to where she was now. A nice little message with hilarious execution.
Finished: 4/23/2022
Saving Private Ryan: 6 / 10
Saving Private Ryan was pretty much what I expected. A really good war movie. Showed the horrors and trauma associated with war, with a bit of politics and American patriotism thrown in the mix. Opening sequence in particular was amazing.
Finished: 5/3/2022
Ya Boy Kongming: 8 / 10
I went into the show like everyone else - thinking it would be a meme. To be fair, the premise is a meme, but somehow everything just works perfectly.
The show comes out swinging, with a banger of an intro and our isekai’ed Kongming unleashing a new stratagem every episode. The first few episodes follow a predictable pattern, but it’s insane and funny, and I found myself watching just to see how ridiculous the strategies could get. Towards the middle of the show, we transition more towards character development and multi-episode plot arcs. It was a bit slow at times, especially during depressed rapper arc (I can’t believe Kongming cured his depression (eye-bags)), but it was genuine and well-paced. Towards the final few episodes, all the different plot elements converge, and we reach a climax with Kongming unleashing the same strategy he used at the Battle of Red Cliffs. The story was surprisingly pretty good, and it was tied together with a nice little critique of the idol/music industry.
Characters were great. Kongming was hilarious, Eiko was somewhat cookie-cutter but fun to watch, Nanamin had a nice (although also generic) story-arc, and rapper dude… what’s his name again? His depression got cured. Amazing. Rapping, quotes, and faces were funny, music was good, animation was good, overall it was a well-produced show.
One last thing - this show was full of DRIP. Every episode, I looked forward to new Eiko outfits. Nanamin was on point too with the two-tone hoodie and bucket hat. I love when shows put extra effort into smaller details like clothes, and Paripi Kongming did not dissapoint.
Finished: 6/16/2022
Spy X Family: 10 / 10
I’ll keep it short. I love Spy X Family. Perfect mix of comedy, action, and wholesomeness on top of great animation, story-telling, and music. Probably my go-to anime rec.
Finished: 6/25/2022
HUSTLE: 8 / 10
In terms of plot, Hustle was exactly what you’d expect. Adam Sandler finds an unknown troubled basketball savant. Despite all odds, going against all sorts of adversity, Juancho Hernangomez gets drafted.
That being said, the movie was just plain fun to watch. The dunks were cool. The training montage was hype. The cameos had me jumping out of my seat. Every 5 minutes, I’d be like “Yo, that’s [insert NBA player]!”
Anthony Edwards was a hilarious villain, and Juancho’s actually a decent actor (I guess he didn’t go all in on the basketball skill tree). Super enjoyable brain-off movie for anyone who likes basketball.
Finished: 6/25/2022
Ousama Ranking: 3 / 10
Ousama Ranking started off with a lot of potential. Right off the bat, we’re introduced to an unlikely protagonist and a world full of intrigue. Interesting themes about perseverance and forgiveness. Every episode introduced a new plot element, and I was super curious to find out how it would all converge.
In the end, it didn’t. The show was a disorganized, cliched mess. First of all, plot elements that seemed important became irrelevant later; The dichotomy of Daida and Bocchi had so much potential, and in the end, Daida spent the entire show banished to the shadow realm (don’t get me started on how ridiculous this is in the first place)… Other times, we’d spend an entire episode or two on something entirely pointless. What was gained from the Gigan backstory? Yeah, we know Bocchi is a stand-up guy, that’s already been established. Waste of time. Finally, new plot elements would be suddenly introduced at the very end to try to make sense of the situation. The whole relationship between Miranjo and Bosse isn’t explained until much later, and the whole Houma Kingdom backstory feels like an insultingly written cop-out to explain how Bosse could betray his country and family. Not only is it unbelievable, but I hate when shows do it after the fact to try to manipulate how you feel.
Turns out Miranjo was behind everything that happened - She killed Bocchi’s birth mother, caused the deaths of tons of people, started a war, etc. But for some reason, everyone (I’m looking at you spear guy) decided to simp for her, and in the end, Daida decided to marry her because of some hallucinations he had in the shadow realm. This show just makes no sense at all.
So yeah, the plot is terrible. Bocchi’s training arc was rushed and unbelievable. The wish-granting devil makes no sense. Same with Bocchi’s journey into Miranjo’s past. I was infuriated watching Bocchi fight Ouken, and how stupid that entire charade was. Ok, I’m just gonna stop. There’s a hundred other things I could list.
So at the end of the day, what drives this show isn’t plot, but emotions, and I feel like that’s why it’s rated highly. But it just wasn’t doing it for me. I can only take a “death” followed by immediate revival so many times before I start feeling numb to it. There’s no tension, no sense of danger. Only deus ex machina.
Would only recommend as an example for how to write a show poorly.
Finished: 6/30/2022
Yesterday: 4 / 10
As someone who’s not super into the Beatles, this movie was fine for a chill popcorn flick. The music was good, and the Ed Sheeran cameo was fun. But I can’t get over how insufferable to romance aspect was. The main character did NOT deserve the girl.
I was not a fan of the ending, we’ll leave it at that.
P.S. RIP Gavin.
Finished: 7/8/2022
Outer Wilds: 9 / 10
Outer Wilds is a spectacular game, even with limited mechanics and no combat. For the first half of the game, I happily explored the world, learning more and more about the mysteries of the Nomai. Eventually, it becomes obvious what the goal of the game is, and it’s thrilling to race against the clock to make as much progress as possible.
The puzzles are satisfying to solve, and it always felt like there was something interesting to explore. The world-building was fantastic, and I had a lot of fun making my way through the solar system. Giant’s Deep in particular was my favorite to explore - it felt magical figuring out how to get to the core.
Game took me about 25 hours. Highly recommend.
Finished: 7/15/2022
The Wind Rises: 8 / 10
I really liked The Wind Rises. It was a beautiful, heartwarming movie that had a more serious tone than most Ghibli films, yet it was still really enjoyable. I’d describe it as romantic. Not in a plot-sense, but in terms of tone. The whimsical yet bittersweet music definitely added to that, and I think my enjoyment for the music added to my enjoyment of the movie. As a side note, I went to a Joe Hisaishi x Studio Ghibli orchestral concert in NYC, and the mandolin player for this movie’s soundtrack was amazing.
I also loved the animation’s color pallette and the small bits of magical realism used to make the movie feel even more like a beautiful dream. The ending scene was especially enchanting and a really cool way of of tying together the plot and anti-war theme.
Finished: 7/24/2022
The Revenant: 7 / 10
The Revenant is a very straightforward revenge film, but it’s fun to watch. Leonardo puts on a show, and the movie’s quite scenic. The CGI bear attack was a bit unbelievable, but it looked super cool.
I thought it was funny that Leonardo spent a majority of the movie crawling. There must’ve been like 30 minutes of screentime where he’s just dragging himself across the ground. An amazing performance for sure, but it is definitely a bit of a meme that he won his Oscar for this.
Finished: 8/1/2022
Howl’s Moving Castle Rewatch: 6 / 10
Re-watched as part of my studying for the Joe Hisaishi concert I went to. Merry-go-Round of Life is a banger.
Movie itself was okay. Studio Ghibli movies are always fun to watch, but I still think the plot of this movie in particular is a bit scattered and nonsensical.
Finished: /2022
Hollow Knight: / 10
Finished: /2022
Made in Abyss Season 2: / 10
Finished: /2022
In Queue:
House of the Dragon
Rings of Power
Frozen Planet
Mob Psycho S3