Archive | BD/DVD Reviews RSS feed for this section

IR DVD Review: FAIRY TAIL Vol. 4 [Funimation]

26 Mar

“Fairy Tail” is a story of a young guild of wizards, more cyberpunk than Hogwarts, that believes in the power of connection above anything even when dissent threaten their very livelihood. The tendency of characterization balances between stakes that create intense emotional consequences and intensity that is simply created for the good of the game.

Disc 1 The aspect of the personalities that make up a Guild define exactly how the stories tend to be structured. The element of the family here makes their basis around Elza who, in the beginning is the most isolated of all. Three of the teams take out different opponents of a Tiger group though the realities of what is truly at stake seem less than diabolical. It is only through the possible loss of Elza’s friends who have come to mean everything to her that forces the inevitability to take a stand. The ideals are based in notions of identity and what it takes in terms of redemption to realize them. The two sided (literally) personality of the lead villain brings this more into full focus in the battle around the R System. There are some exceptional cinematic pieces aside from the normal battle sequences in this multi-arched structure. A supposed death sequence after an emotional sacrifice is well played offering some great emotional notes. The structure of this journey quest in allowing the members to find their own core self gives the anime a bit more depth than it might have normally. However when it returns to the Guild home at Fairy Tail, it becomes more conventional and Natsu starts to bear more than a passing resemblance to another hotheaded anime hero who tends to not know when he is beaten. The commentary shows a dexterity of how to modulate but skirts the issue regarding serious dramatic points instead aiming for  an angle of fan fun.

Disc 2 The aspect of family tries to play darker on the second disc but undeniably has a softer impact because of the lack of a more epic background. The bulk of the story in these episodes revolves around returning to the Guild proper and reintegrating with the other wizards instead of being on a one-off mission in search of the “truth”. The conflict here is between The Master of the Guild and his grandson Laxus who believes the congregation has gone soft and needs to be re-imagined. As a result, the over-reaching student sets up a high stakes battle that, while not killing the wizards involved, forces them against each other to prove who is willing to go the distance to protect the core. The main problem is that Laxus as a character is overplayed as a over-hyped, power hungry, high-on-his-own-supply beefhead who doesn’t necessitate sympathy even when he comes crawling back in shame. His underside simply comes off as a pathetic. While this makes the other characters, even Natsu, seems positively chivalrous by comparison, it tends to play more overwrought than necessary. The one fight where a quiet girl transforms into a She-Devil motivated by the almost death of her brother is the main angle of the disc that gives the progression weight. Granted some of the fights including the two-on-one Dragonslayer duel have their moments but they tend to pale in contrast to the stakes on Disc 1. The commentary on this disc, especially featuring the voice of Mira/She Devil who is also a writer on the translation, shows the interplay of creativity as well as frugality that allows the folks at Funimation to bring this kind of material to the States. In terms of trailers, “Chrome Shelled Regios” takes the cake with its near future textures mixed with an element of “Riddick” revolution.

While the first disc definitely shows the true potential of character connection, the second disc tends to rely on formula-bent structures of family discord despite some interesting fights, especially in the cathedral. “Fairy Tail” distinctly offers more than the name describes but its success is dependent on the level on the intensity of the game being played and the resounding stakes that must be fallen.

B-

TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE – DVD Review

17 Oct

The aspect of a technology-based Western has always held a degree of fascination but, as “Cowboys & Aliens” shows, there is a fine line to making it work since there needs to be an element of tongue-in-cheek progression but also a slick presentation. “Wild Wild West” failed on this principle as well. It also might be the dexterity of capturing it live action.

That makes it a balance of why “Trigun”, even as a feature film anime, works.

Disc 1 Granted the film itself is not punctuated by undeniable cinematic flourishes but the way it presents the darkness of the world balanced by the lead clown/vigilante Vash gives it a definite cadence and visual style. The background of this story revolves around a young lady seeking revenge on a legendary bank robber called Gasback who is responsible for the death of her mother. The opening scene paints a picture of a robbery gone wrong 20 years earlier when the non-aging Vash dispelled an earlier crime. While this age discrepancy is never explained, it does not take away from the enjoyment of the film which would have been a problem in live action. What transpires is a little like “Mad Max” with a bit more brevity. The character including a would-be bodyguard are distinctly interesting especially when every bounty hunter converges on the town in question to gather the reward for Gasback which is a couple hundred thousand devil dollars, whatever that is. The character of Vash can be annoying for sure but his progression plays to a point which gives an uneven balance that nonetheless works especially during a heightened bar brawl as well as a desert chase sequence. The difference between the Japanese and English versions obviously differs on the texture of slang with the actual English version being more cohesive due to the genre. In terms of trailers, the stand out for this disc is “Evangelion” which actually plays better than the movie though the promo for “Soul Eater” has more energy. The arcade-homage “Funimation” promo also shows a balance of the company’s intention between older and young viewers.

Disc 2 This disc of extras include firstly discussions with the cast and crew from Japan the day after the recording. Most have a perspective of returning and finding that same voice after 12 years between the TV series and the movie. The voice of Gasback understands the intonations of why this man does what he does while the original author Nightow, despite being simply a consultant, knows the importance of creating diametric characters to further the experience which is balanced by Yoshimatsu, the head animator, who found it necessary in a more widescreen structure to show the wasteland. Director Nishimura highlights the element of the crowd scenes which give distinct character as being something specific to the movie which gives it more depth. The movie premiere shows the reflection of anime in Japan with the large amount of applause. The “Post Recording” seems a little staged but the reflection of working off of drawings shows the interconnect in making the reactions a little more life-like. Some of the features like Anime Expo 2009, the brief Yoshimatsu story and the raffle drawing seem too extraneous. The special talk show though gives some good insight though too much time is spent on theoreticals and not the progression of the story. In terms of overall impact, the web promotion clip optimized by hard rock does the best job while some of the other commercials save for the latter original Japanese one don’t communicate the intensity.

“Trigun” is a great amalgamation of two worlds colliding which can only be relaied in most presumptions in an anime setting. Both the visual and the narrative structures work well in congruence. The extras are extensive but some are extraneous despite some effective cast and crew interviews and an interesting talk forum post-premiere.

B

TO [Funimation] – DVD Review

7 Jun

“TO” as a standalone 2-part feature takes the idea of what “Vexille” showed with the new 3D anime software and brings it to space in the vision of an almost “2001/Star Trek” motivation. What is distinctly different here in the inset is the use of pace and not necessarily action that had been essential to the previous outing.

“Elliptical Orbit” begins the idea with a comparative fluidity prevalent in “Vexille” but what seems to have been accomplished in this outlay is a massive sense of scale which has become even more and more defined as the CG tools have become more realized. Detail is a given but senses of space and depth (which in the real world is determined by lenses) seem wonderfully envisioned here, especially with the docking mechanisms and use of sun flares. The story itself begins with a notion of “Blade Runner” which, even with some of the music using vocalists, harks to our oncoming future. The narrative involves a crew who travels back and forth from Alpha Centauri over a 15 year period in cryogenic sleep to bring back an energy source from a faraway and uninhabitable world. This is the only possible way to bring it back. There is an undeniable connection from the skipper of the transport vehicle (who looks no more than 32) and the older captain of the orbiting Earth station (which has the ability to fire cargo containers at the moon at high velocity). The orbiting station is attacked by terrorists looking to heist the energy and destroy the moon dwellings who are taking resources away from the Earth. While the motivation in the story has its holes, the revealing relationships, especially with the skipper and the captain, make this integral upon repeated viewings. While the resolution happens a bit too quickly making the plot points a little flimsy, overall the intention of the anime is sound. In terms of extras, the extended video segment with Director Funihiko Sori and stars Akio Ohtsuka (“Ben”) and Romi Park (“Maria”) show the similarities and differences in the actual production process of this kind of anime using live action mimicking of the physical form which makes the motion very different from classical anime. This is represented in more lingering shots, silences and glances which gives the animation a more emotional core. The teasers and spots seem to play up more to the action element of the terrorists which, while true, is the lesser of the strengths because of the depth structure allowed by the process of the animation. In terms of trailer, “The Last Exile” which is an older title sticks out simply because of its historical backdrop and fluidity.

“Symbiotic Planet” exists in a slightly different world where life is not as separated by thoughts of conquering as one might think. Again the backdrop functions on the basis of mankind depleting all their resources and being forced to move outward into the cosmos in order to survive. In a jump of technology and logic from “Elliptical Planet”, a trip to a nearby planet that boasts exceptional promise is only 21 light years away and journeyed to in 5 hours. The crux at the center of the story is a love affair between a man (“Ion”) and a woman (“Alena”) in two conflicting colonies. One is an American and one is a Eurasian, both bent on tapping the necessary permissions to mine the world’s possibilities. Other life exists on the planet but seems fairly benign. Ion, an American scientist, finds that the beings floating in the atmosphere (called Picards) are sentient and intelligent but doesn’t quite understand their full possibilities. One of his jobs is to figure out why the planet seems to be covered in white spores. After the fungus finds its way out in a lab explosion, Ion is infected which causes heightened tension between the two colonies leading to a would-be air strike. The resolution paints towards certain ideas of hope hich will not be revealed because of its spoiler potential. Sori’s use of music and scale in terms of large moving ships, either taking off or crashing show what the medium of this type of CG optimizing an anime structure is capable of. However, it seems that its ability in space to give objects weight is its most interesting current capability though the emotional depths in the eyes continues to get better. The accompanying special program interview like “Orbit” talks about the elements on the planet and the love affair between the character sbut is not as dense as the previous outing. The trailers play more to the strength of “Orbit” though the “Symbiotic” episode seems much more mythic for whatever reason. In terms of trailers, “Summer Wars” has the most impact with its online/”Wargames”-like sttructure which allows for a balance of old school with neo-modern thinking but “Samurai Champloo” shows some of the coolness that people like Tarantino have been speaking about for ages.

“TO” is a wonderful piece of work that keeps pushing anime upwards and forwards, both embracing its heritage and improving what it is capable of, both in stories and in visuals. Out of 5, I give it a 3.

The Hit List [SPHE/Stage 6] – DVD Review

25 May

“The Hit List”, as a conceptual thriller, introduces the ideal of a reverse “Collateral” where the assassin, tired of his rigamarole, decides to take a down-on-his-luck schlub and attone against people for his sins. Cuba Gooding Jr. as the hitman has that darkness and yet a sense of intelligence down pat. While his selections of the past couple years reflect a lack of great roles that reflect his interests, the idea of these types of people obviously fascinates him.

Cole Hauser, who most remember from the Vin Diesel sci-fi picture “Pitch Black”, plays Allan who has been continually passed over for promotion as well as cheated on by his wife because he has no will or drive of his own to speak of. Life hasn’t treated him badly. He simply has not taken advantage of it despite his lofty ambitions. While people begin dying close to him as a result of the erstwhile killer Jonas, it creates the necessity of him to take action. There are glaring plot holes and functions in logic but playing to this notion of a genre film within a made-for-a-price formula, the personalities are allowed a bit of leniency in their approach for their crimes. While the central car chase of the film offers a stunning bit of stunt work with the flipping of a police car, the rest of the film fails to live up to the cinematic structure of that (which is played tongue-in-cheek directly after its occurrence). The final storming of a police station (not unlike “The Terminator”) has been seen in films before and the reveal of the assassin’s real identity does not provide any awe.

No extras placate the disc and the trailers promote the element of Stage 6 which is Sony Home Entertainment’s low-budget genre division which, considering its straight-to-dvd sequels such as “Sniper: Reloaded” and “SWAT: Firefight” promoted here, understands the necessities of its audience. That said, out of 5, I give “The Hit List” a 2.

Middlemen – DVD Review

13 Feb

The idea of the launch of “pay-per-click” and view promoted sites on the internet seems like a simple aspect of the internet now but when it started, it was not simple and the reasoning is that no one wanted to fund it. The reality, like any other point of civilization, is that the smut industry motivated it into being. “Middlemen”, as a movie, does nothing to dispel that.

Capitalizing on a frenetic pace of filmmaking with an actual story behind, “Middlemen” with its backstage dealings, great actors, guerilla-style filmmaking, high productions value and overlying voice over propels the story similarly in many ways to Martin Scorsese’s “Casino”, if not for its connection to Vegas.

Luke Wilson as the primary focus of the film as a “fixer” (who is brought on to keep the aspects of the two “click inventors” played with vicious and funny scitzophrenia by Giovanni Ribisi and Gabriel Macht) descends further into covering up the different aspects of their business and eventually results in the attention of the FBI as well as organized crime.

While the movie spins back and forth from the allure that is placed in front of our hero to the unwanted focus that comes down on him because of different deals (including ones with Russian mobsters gone wrong), the story plays very much like the Rise & Fall Of The American Dream (as seen before the Great Recession of 2007 — which is funny because it was made after that).

The commentary by Director George Gallo (who wrote the original “Bad Boys” with Will Smith) along with his editor and cinematographer is great for how specific they are on how things were done. The production, despite its frenetic pace and shooting, seems to have come out collaboratively because, even though Gallo is an encyclopedia, he seems very good at working with others in high stress situations.

This efficiency shows even in the deleted scenes. While good, they provide almost too much of a slowdown in exposition with one relating to Wilson’s character as a young boy in terms of his motivation and the discussion of his character later relating to the impending divorce from his wife. Both play well but were ultimately unnecessary.

The outtakes primarily revolve around James Caan and Luke Wilson. Caan, as an old pro, doesn’t cut his co-stars any slack. Wilson, as much as he wants to, looks a bit intimidated by the man. Having met him, Caan does have a power about him but also knows when to laugh at the situation.

The slap montage is a wrap party gem that was seen back when the film was released. Lots of them in the film. The previews are a little more indie than usual with “The Traveler” starring Val Kilmer showing that the actor is keying in more to character structure now which is good while “The Romantics”, based on a play, fares a little better in terms of cohesion on a Saturday afternoon.

“Middlemen” as a film and a DVD release has its ducks in a row as a vividly entertaining film about a segment of life that is right in front of our face but also defines an occurrance that altered the Internet is a very basic way. To make an angle like that interesting with a story mixing sex, drugs and rock n’ roll is the true stuff of movies. Extras work perfectly in congruence with that. Out of 5, I give it a 3.

← Older Entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.