Perhaps overshadowed by other films in Hayao Miyazaki’s filmography, Porco Rosso (紅の豚) is no less than another magical, high-flying adventure that exemplifies the veteran filmmaker’s talent.
Kamen Rider Zi-O NEXT TIME: Geiz, Majesty ((仮面ライダージオウNEXT TIME:ゲイツ、マジェスティ) is a thoroughly above-average V-Cinema entry that takes on an interesting and relatable discussion while successfully serving up more fun anniversary treats.
Kamen Rider Heisei Generations FOREVER (仮面ライダー平成ジェネレーションズFOREVER) is a thrilling send-off and loving tribute to the Heisei Era of the Kamen Rider franchise.
Kamen Rider: Reiwa The First Generation (仮面ライダー 令和 ザ・ファースト・ジェネレーション) is a stunningly thrilling and surprisingly emotional passing of the torch. Bidding another quick final farewell to the Heisei Era of Kamen Rider (with a quick shoutout to the Showa Era too), the film is really the loud, explosive and official arrival announcement of the Reiwa Era to the long-running franchise.
Twelve years after the release of the groundbreaking Love of Siam, director Chookiat Sakveerakul is back with Dew the Movie (ดิว ไปด้วยกันนะ/Dew, Let’s Go Together), a film that shares some of the former’s heart and sincerity. But somehow loses a bit of the emotional connection to truly make for a profound experience.
After watching Weathering With You, I decided to immediately jump into an earlier Makoto Shinkai work I had been meaning to watch for a while now: The Garden of Words (言の葉の庭).
And after watching Shinkai’s 2013 film, I can’t help but feel like it is able to present similar themes and imagery as Weathering With You, but in half the time and in a more affecting way.
Perhaps Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering With You (天気の子) faced some unfairly high expectations after the global success of Your Name. But while Shinkai’s stunning vision and creative storytelling is still present, something somewhere stumbles. And that leaves the film struggling to avoid comparisons and struggling to give itself its own memorable voice.
The 2002 short film Voices of a Distant Star (ほしのこえ) is one of Makoto Shinkai’s earliest works. But for anyone who watches it after having already enjoyed his more recent films, it is easy to see the talent and depth he would bring to his work later on already present.
I first watched Mamoru Hosoda’s Summer Wars (サマーウォーズ) a couple of years ago after enjoying Wolf Children. It’s been a while since watching the film again, so I decided to pop the Blu-ray in. And it was a little eye-opening to see some parallels between the film and what is happening in the world today.
Kamen Rider Zi-O: Over Quartzer stays true to the series itself. Don’t sweat the details and just hop along for the ride.