The Boy and the Beast (2015)

The Boy and the Beast (2015)

 

6/10

Starring the voices of

Eric Vale

John Swasey

Bryn Apprill

 

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

 

The anime The Boy and the Beast is predictable, and it is still an easy-going anime anyone can sit down and enjoy. I liked the voice casting, and I enjoyed the dub more than the sub, and the animation is not setting any groundbreaking thing.

It follows a runaway young boy named Ren who gets pulled into a world of beasts and lands as the reluctant student of Kumatetsu, a lonely, undisciplined warrior nobody else wants to follow.

In the Beast Kingdom, the grandmaster has decided he will retire in order to reincarnate as a deity and names two potential successors, Lōzen who is popular with many disciples and Kumatetsu, who is lonely, brash and has nobody wanting to study under him. The Grandmaster suggests that Kumatetsu find a disciple, believing that this will bring out a side of Kumatetsu that will make it easy for him to succeed.

So one day, while wandering the streets of Tokyo with his friend he meets Ren and suggests that the boy becomes his disciple.

Kumatetsu asked for his name, but head strong Ren refused to share his name and so he called him Kyuta. Now, neither of them can teach or be taught and that's the whole film.

A master who can't explain what he does and a kid who won't listen, and as you would expect in films like this, they both find a way to make it work. The training, the fights, the two of them screaming at each other in the street. It all followed a familiar beat but that ending, it was like a stab in the back for all that was building towards it.

Ichirohiko is the film's real tragedy, a human raised his whole life believing he's a beast, then there is this darkness in humans which then takes over him.

But where was this darkness brewing from?

Well the movie gave glimpse, but none of the glimpse made his character transformation sink in.

His character needed more screen time instead of being pushed to the side. Now we know the focus is Kyuta and Kumatetsu, but then why resolve their arc in Ichirohiko's.

And then there's Moby Dick reference, as in it just did not fit.

You see, Kyuta reads the book on screen, and when Ichirohiko turns we see a whale like darkness.

The film hands you the metaphor of something, does not explain it, then it just leaves it there. A giant whale explodes out of the pavement in the final act, and it looks incredible, and I still don't know why it mattered.

And it is not because the film trusted me to work it out. Because it never finished the thought it started.
Look, it is an ok watch, but it is no must see.

The Legend of Hei (2019)

The Legend of Hei (2019)

7/10

Starring the voices of

 Emi Lo

Aleks Le

Howard Wang

 

Directed by: MTJJ (Ping Zhang)

One thing I can tell you is this, the first few minutes of this animation are very captivating. This Chinese animated film has a wonderful English voice cast that captures every moment, and the animation art style fits the feel of the story perfectly. It was only after seeing this movie that I realized it is actually a prequel to the Chinese animated series, The Legend of Luo Xiaohei.

The fight animation is very well crafted, and the movie keeps you at arm’s length when it comes to what is really happening, allowing curiosity to slowly get the best of you. The film does not play around when it comes to excitement from the very beginning, and because of that, there is a slight point of letdown later on.

After the introduction, we move into a chase centered around rescuing Hei, a spirit cat who is captured by Infinity, a human with spirit-like powers. During this capture, Hei begins bonding with Infinity, and we reach a point where the movie wants us to question which side is good and which side is bad. This is where the pacing starts to drop, as there is a lot of dialogue about Stormend, his goals, and the goals of the guild.

To put all this into a clearer narrative, here is the plot. Set in a modern world where humans and spirits secretly coexist, this Chinese animated fantasy follows Hei, a young cat spirit whose forest home is destroyed by human expansion, forcing him into the human world. He is lost, alone, and angry over his loss when he encounters Stormend, another spirit who takes him in and introduces him to a group of spirits living together.

Their home is later attacked by Infinity, which leads to Hei being captured and placed at the center of a much larger conflict involving territory, balance, and coexistence. Hei meets other spirits who belong to Infinity’s guild, a group that believes strict rules are necessary to maintain peace between humans and spirits. This belief clashes directly with Stormend’s views, which lean in the opposite direction.

The film blends gentle slice-of-life moments with bursts of fluid action, which works well with its soft visual style. However, during the calmer sections, the pacing can slow to a crawl before the action pulls it back up again. And then, the lack of full knowledge of everyone’s intent, even when you are more than an hour in, can be a disappointment, as the curiosity withers.

Overall, the movie explores themes of displacement, moral complexity, and finding where you belong. It is a good film and worth watching if you have not seen it already, especially with part two released in mid 2025, which makes it easy to continue the story right after.

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas (2018)

  

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas (2018)

4/10

Starring the voices of

Mahiro Takasugi

Lynn

Yukiyo Fujii

Yuma Uchida

 

Directed by: Shinichiro Ushijima

 

 

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas is manufactured emotion pretending to be profound and I did not feel any of it.
The animation is decent, clean, bright and soft with no headaches like the movie Mind Game which I saw before it, but I feel the voice casting did an average job and there is this failure on their part to capture my attention and make me want to drop everything I am doing to sit and listen. Like Mind Game and a lot of other anime movies, I saw this in Japanese with subtitles so I can watch and not be tempted to skip ahead, but this still failed to capture me.

The movie plot is too straightforward and it does not give me a reason to have a second take, no wait what moment, just me sitting in manufactured chaos and emotions. It is about a quiet boy who reads a girl’s diary and finds out she has a terminal pancreatic illness and they become friends and she teaches him how to live, the formula we have all seen like a thousand times before now.

And because the film starts by showing her funeral, there is no tension and we already know she will die, this is not a spoiler, so with a lack of mystery or emotional bait you know exactly where it is heading.

The one thing I will give this movie is the twist of Sakura getting murdered instead of dying from the illness and I did not see that coming, but I felt they wasted that twist because it could have been a sharp cut that should have caused everything to change and force a new direction. Instead, the movie does not use it that way, it uses that twist to drag the grieving process even longer.

Now we must meet her family and her friend and discover her special gift, and the whole thing turns into grief tourism, structured sadness like the makers are holding a board saying cry here everyone.

Some films use emotion to make you look inward, an example is A Silent Voice which hits you because Shoko’s suicide attempt forces you to question the signs you missed, and Your Name hits you because the timeline twist makes you re-examine everything you thought you were watching, and Look Back hits you because the murder happens fast and sharp and only ten minutes and the film refuses to drown you in grief because it trusts you to feel without being dragged.

This film does the opposite and every emotion is stretched and every moment is designed to instruct you to react.

This movie is wasted potential wrapped in manipulation and that is the biggest problem with it and why I do not recommend you seeing it.

Your Name (2016)

 

Your Name (2016)

7/10

Starring the voices of

Ryunosuke Kamiki

Mone Kamishiraishi

 

Directed by: Makoto Shinkai

 

The anime Your Name is a very good film. I’ll be honest, I was not hooked from the start the way I expected myself to be, as the pacing starts slow. The body swapping and what they did in each other’s bodies were not well detailed enough for me to catch interest, but I continued to watch, and I was glad I did. The moment we got to the point where we discover that they are three years apart, the pacing picked up, and so did my interest.

The anime changed gear around halfway in, and now we are trying to see how to make these two be around the same time to meet. There are so many clues dropped along the way about their paths crossing at one point, you just have to watch until it all comes together.

The anime is about two people, Mitsuha, a high school girl from Itomori, and Taki, a high school boy and part-time waiter from Tokyo. Both intermittently switch bodies, and when they wake up back in their normal bodies, we see the difficulty they have in tracking what the other has done.

This body-switching thing is not explained in detail, it seems to happen on Mitsuha’s side of the family, but the ambiguity is one thing I like about the anime. It’s a phenomenon that just happens, so deal with it.

They start to leave notes for one another and set ground rules on how to behave so they can keep track of things, then all of a sudden it stops. So Taki decides to go find Mitsuha and realizes that he doesn’t know where she lives. Using drawings from memory, he tracks her rural area down, only to discover that nobody is there anymore. Then he realizes she was living three years behind him.

Now he’s bent on finding a way for them to meet. How the writers handled the situation to make this happen may not be the best writing I’ve seen, but I guess they wanted to add some mystic feel to the crater scene when both were there at the same time three years apart and also create a happy ending. I think I would have loved it more if the anime had gone with a never meeting flow, where each changed the other’s life and they moved on separately. I guess I’m just sad like that.

Your Name has fantastic animation, wonderful voice work, and handles its character development very well. It was suggested to me on TikTok, and I’m glad I watched it. I recommend that you do too.

A Silent Voice (2016)

 

A Silent Voice (2016)

 

9/10

 

Starring the voices of

Miyu Irino

Saori Hayami

Aoi Yūki

Kenshō Ono

 

Directed by: Naoko Yamada

 

It is not easy to make a movie like this, where you are touching on very delicate issues like suicide, bullying, and redemption. There are many redemption arc movies out there, and A Silent Voice is to me one of the best.

This animation takes you through the motions, from different angles, the bully and the bullied and shows how each thinks the best way out of everything is if they are not around anymore to cause problems. Life can drag you to such a point, and the way Shoko smiles and carries on with her head held up, you would not know that inside, she is broken. She blames herself for everything and just wants to be accepted by everyone.

This 2016 anime is about Shoya Ishida, a boy who used to bully a deaf girl named Shoko Nishimiya. When the bullying got intense and a scapegoat was needed, his classmates turned on him, and he became the outcast. The same way he isolated her, the world now isolates him.

The animation then jumps ahead some years, and Shoya is still living in guilt. He has not been able to get over the pain of isolation and, in a way, understands the pain he caused someone else. He decides to try and make amends. The anime now turns into a redemption story.

But what makes this anime powerful is not just the story but how real it feels. The depiction of bullying, depression, and loneliness is handled with so much care. The movie doesn’t shy away from showing how one cruel action can destroy someone’s spirit and how hard it is to fix what’s been broken.

No amount of “sorry” can whitewash the damage done to a soul from isolation and bullying. We see that even when you are on the path of redemption, you still have to face up to the public for what you have done. And even then, not everyone will be on your side, that is what Shoya learns.

The suicidal themes in this movie are handled with care, and that is what makes it touching, we see how one person’s actions can actually destroy not just their own life, but that of their friends, families, and even the families of the ones who feel responsible.

Shoko and Shoya’s growth in this movie is massive. Watching them try to rebuild their connection, to forgive, and to find peace is powerful. Yuzuru, Shoko’s little sister, is amazing too, protective, strong, and always trying to keep her sister safe even when she doesn’t know how.

The animation is beautiful. The color work and subtle sound design make every emotion hit harder. You will love the voice acting as the cast did their very best to capture all the needed emotions and the difficulty of being deaf. Now, I have to say, the movie is long, it is like two hours and ten minutes, and at some points, it drags.

I liked that not everyone in the story magically becomes good. We still see Shoko face challenges from some of Shoya’s old friends when things were at their darkest.

I will say, A Silent Voice is a hard watch, but it’s worth it. It’s about pain, guilt, and forgiveness, and how even when life gets dark, you can still find your way back to the light.

 

The Witch (2015)

 

The Witch (2015)

6/10

 

Starring

Anya Taylor-Joy

Ralph Ineson

Kate Dickie

 

Directed by Robert Eggers

 

Did I like this movie?

Maybe. I give it an 'okay' because I was held in suspense, wanting to see how everything would unfold in the end. I give the writing props for not being predictable. Even though it drops hints about who the antagonist is, I didn't notice them—thanks to the way the writer and director crafted this movie.

The film feels confined, and it has a very slow buildup, which was more tiring than gripping. But the suspense to know who was behind all their calamity carried me to the very end.

I respect the acting, as the cast gave a compelling performance, and their delivery of the dialogue is one of the most inspiring things about the movie.

I am not a fan of horror, but this movie is a good pass. One thing I have to warn audiences: like me, do not read or watch the trailer of this movie before seeing it. I have a feeling that knowing beforehand will mar the movie experience. The way the movie reveals its truth is not horrific, which I believe will annoy horror fans. Also, the movie lacks a backstory that links the real antagonist to the family.

Here is the plot: set in 1630s New England, a man named William and his family—his wife Katherine, teenage daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), preteen son Caleb, and fraternal twins Mercy and Jonas—are banished due to a religious dispute. We see William act overzealous in his defense.

So, William and his family set up home on a farm near a secluded forest. Somewhere down the line, Katherine bears another child, Samuel. Then, while Thomasin is caring for the child, he just disappears. Thomasin briefly searches for her brother but can't find him, before alerting her parents. We later see that the child had been taken by a witch.

Katherine is inconsolable after this incident, and we see Thomasin trying to get by while holding onto this guilt and bearing the blame for other things besides her missing brother. The farm experiences a drought—no crops, no yield—so William decides to go hunting for meat. He is not successful in his hunt, so Caleb and Thomasin go, and something horrible happens.

Now there is a problem in the home, as accusations of witchcraft are passed around, and William is lost, not knowing how to handle it.

I can say I enjoyed the movie, but the end just didn't do it for me.

I didn’t know how to process the anticlimactic ending. If I lost my family, lived in constant fear, and witnessed death around me, I’d lose my mind. Anyone would. There’s no way after all that, someone would calmly walk into the lion’s den and say, 'Hey, now that you’ve taken everything from me, can we be friends?' That ending feels surreal and completely undercuts the dread, suspense, and tension built up to that point.

I feel the ending just lacks the intensity you'd expect from someone who’s just gone through trauma.

The movie is watchable.

Ne Zha (2019)

 

Ne Zha (2019)

6/10

Starring the voices of

Jordan Cole

Griffin Puatu

Aleks Le

Vincent Rodriguez III

Jaden Waldman

 

Directed by Jiaozi (Yang Yu)

 

I have to say, the animation design is good, and the plot story is very fun indeed. The movie also has an amazing start, which really sets the flow of the movie. This Chinese produced animation is actually fantastic, and it is amazing that it is produced to such class with less than $25 million, if this was Hollywood, this kind of animation would be around $100 million.

The animation tells the mythological origins of Ne Zha. Now, Ne Zha is a protection deity in Chinese folk religion. I believe the story in this animation is inspired by the Ming-dynasty novel Investiture of the Gods.

The movie does feel a bit long, with some pacing issues before it finally gets to the main battle. You might get angry at how long it takes Ne Zha to start thinking about others other than himself, but you have to remember, he is a caged three-year-old. That aside, I really enjoyed the movie, and it made me crave seeing the second part, that was released earlier this year.

It starts with what led to the birth of Ne Zha. In this world-building, we have a Chaos Pearl, which was born from primordial essences (I do not fully grasp that), but the pearl is seen greedily draining energy from the Sun and the Moon. So, to stop it, Yuanshi Tianzun (the lord of Heaven) sends his disciples Taiyi Zhenren and Shen Gongbao (both are also immortals, kind of like demi-gods) to subdue the Chaos Pearl.

They couldn't gain the upper hand because the pearl was just feeding off their energy when they fought it. For this reason, Tianzun had to intervene, capturing the pearl and splitting it into two parts: the Spirit Pearl and the Demon Orb. He then curses the Demon Orb, which is nearly indestructible. To eventually destroy it, it is marked, and in three years, a powerful lightning strike will destroy it. Tianzun then orders Taiyi to take the Spirit Pearl and reincarnate it as Ne Zha. This is where the story goes off for me—why not just give him the Spirit Pearl alone? Instead, he is given both together. So, he is to reincarnate it in the third son of Li Jing.

After this nice introduction, which was effectively done to keep you engrossed and invested, the plot kicks off when Shen steals the Spirit Pearl, causing the Demon Orb to be the one reincarnated into the child of Li Jing. So, Ne Zha is born with demonic traits.

Taiyi then warns Li Jing of the fate of his son, that in three years he will die. Li Jing believes he can change this fate. Meanwhile, Shen gives the Spirit Pearl to the Dragon King, who then uses it to create a son, Ao Bing, hoping to raise a dragon worthy of Heaven. Shen takes Ao Bing under his wing.

To comfort Ne Zha and quell his demonic nature, his parents lie to him. They tell him that he was born from the Spirit Pearl and is destined to be a demon hunter. So, Ne Zha is trained under the guidance of Taiyi. As Ne Zha grows, he becomes skilled, but also impatient with the restraints on his life, so he escapes to hunt demons.

My issue with the movie is that Shen's motives are kept hidden for way too long, which can get pretty annoying as the animation progresses. Also, you can easily spot Shen's evil nature early on because of the animation's visual cues. You see, a lot of animated films make this too obvious, and even Disney has found ways to stop this. What these animated productions do is use obvious color cues—like bright, warm colors for the good guys and dark, gloomy colors for the bad guys, along with facial expressions that scream "villain." This takes away the suspense of not knowing who’s really on which side.

The plot feels pretty predictable from the start, which isn't ideal. The movie’s voice casting, though, is actually a bright spot. I watched the English dub, and I have to say, the cast did a great job. Their performances really help bring the characters to life and made it easier for me to enjoy the film. I can’t speak to the Chinese voice acting, so this review only covers the English cast.

I recommend seeing this movie, it is worth the time invested.

Seven Psychopath (2012)

Seven Psychopath (2012)

 

8/10

 Starring

Colin Farrell

Sam Rockwell

Woody Harrelson

Christopher Walken

 

Directed by Martin McDonagh

 

Seven Psychopaths gives you a feeling like you're watching a Quentin Tarantino movie, but it’s not. This movie is the brainchild of Martin McDonagh. He wrote and directed this masterpiece, and contained in it are characters that are memorable, developing before your eyes. Each one has their own deep, dark past, and we watch them crawl to the surface. The characters engage in deep dialogue with one another, and the sharp exchanges unveil dark truths about each person, making you realize this movie has some of the best dialogue I’ve seen in years.

The movie is bloody, violent, and filled with numerous comedic undertones. My love for Christopher Walken brought me to see this, and his character delivered. Walken plays Hans, an old Quaker who, at first, starts off trying to navigate a life with his dying wife. We get to see how he navigates living after she dies.

I enjoyed when the big reveal came up, and you see that everything the characters are going through is because one of them is actually a psychopath.

Seven Psychopaths is the name of the script that Marty is working on. Marty (Colin Farrell) is a screenwriter going through some writer’s block. His good friend Billy (Sam Rockwell) is an actor and a part-time dog kidnapper, working with Hans. Billy kidnaps a dog belonging to a gangster named Charlie (Woody Harrelson). Charlie loves his dog and is willing to kill everyone involved in her disappearance.

There’s also a character running around in the movie killing bad guys—a serial killer of killers.

Billy wants Marty to finish his screenplay and suggests ideas as often as he can. When Charlie tracks down the dog kidnappers, his men capture Hans and force him to take them to his and Billy’s hideout. There, Hans meets Marty for the first time. Hans is unaware that Billy stole a dog from Charlie and stands his ground, ready to die rather than give up Billy. Marty, on the other hand, would rather not; he’s about to sell out Billy’s location when the killer of killers shows up and kills the men holding the two at gunpoint.

The three meet up and discuss the situation, but Charlie gets angry and takes it personally when he kills someone close to the three. The three decide to run to the desert for a while to think about how to handle the situation. There, we get to know more about them—and much more than we could care to know.

I had no idea about this movie’s existence until I saw a clip of Walken refusing to put his hands up on TikTok. I used that info to track down this movie, and I’m glad I did. The movie features fantastic acting by the cast, but the situations they found themselves in were sometimes so unrealistic that they made me raise an eyebrow.

Awesome, magnificent, and worth watching any day.

The Perfection (2018)

The Perfection (2018)

 

5/10

 

Starring

Allison Williams

Logan Browning

Steven Weber

 

Directed by Richard Shepard

 

The Perfection is a psychological horror-thriller that some might view as a form of movie art, especially with its ending—an amputee performance featuring the amputee. Personally, I didn’t see it that way. I couldn’t appreciate it as art and felt that the entire series of events leading to the finale was a little over the top. That said, I do appreciate how the movie gets straight into the heart of the matter from the start and keeps that focus until the end.

As far as surprises go, the movie definitely shocked me with its unexpected twists, particularly when the two female leads ran off together and the consequences of the drugs began to unfold. The story begins with a woman named Charlotte (Allison Williams) contacting a couple to let them know she’s ready to return to work. Charlotte is a cellist and was once the star pupil of Anton and Paloma, a couple who run a prestigious music school. Charlotte had to leave the school to care for her ill mother, but after her mother’s death, she returns, only to find she’s been replaced by a new star pupil named Lizzy.

At this point, the movie seems to hint at where it’s going—you start to anticipate jealousy coming into play. This impression is reinforced when the film shifts to show certain events from Charlotte’s perspective, revealing her apparent plot to ruin Lizzy and ensure she can never perform again.

Charlotte’s unstable mental state isn’t hidden, as flashbacks reveal something deeply troubling in her past. Then, the plot takes a sharp 180-degree turn, shifting our understanding of who Charlotte is and the reasons behind her actions. While this twist is interesting, it’s also where I feel the movie goes a bit too far. Even though Charlotte justifies her actions, they feel excessive.

The darker side of Anton and Paloma’s music school—what lies beneath the surface—wasn’t much of a surprise. From the moment they appear on screen, the movie gives off that unsettling vibe, so the eventual revelation didn’t catch me off guard.

The ending, however, is something that might appeal to those who enjoy abstract or artistic interpretations, but I found it frustrating and pointless. In my mind, I could imagine worse outcomes that might have had a stronger impact.

In any case, The Perfection is available on Netflix for anyone who finds such films intriguing. My advice is to read the synopsis beforehand but avoid diving into the full plot—it’s best to experience the twists for yourself.

Victor Frankenstein (2015)

Victor Frankenstein (2015)

6/10

 

Starring

Daniel Radcliffe

James McAvoy

Jessica Brown Findlay

Andrew Scott

 

Directed by Paul McGuigan

 

This movie is a sci-fi fantasy based on a contemporary adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 book Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.

It’s a bizarre idea trotting down a new path, deciding not to focus on what we all look forward to: Frankenstein’s monster. Instead, it gives us the drama before the creation, the lives affected along the way, and the changes that obsession can cause. I see many reviewers complain about the missed opportunity because, in the last moments of the film, the monster is created, and it turns out to be a zombie. We get to see the monster for like 5 minutes, and it wants to kill everyone before it, acting on animal instincts rather than anything intelligent. Victor’s experience of this sort of behavior happened earlier in the movie when he wanted to save a creature he created, regardless of the lives it would have killed. This time, his life was on the line, and what people saw as a missed opportunity, I saw as a certain realism. Who wouldn’t try to save his own life when the thing you created refuses to reason and wants to take your life?

The characters and their written actions in this movie, I feel, were a hit too many in the re-imagining of this story. The movie was written to have a gloom cloud hanging over it.

The movie sets this tone right from the start. Igor (Daniel Radcliffe) is seen as a hunchback who works in a circus. This hunchback has a thing for human anatomy and has read so much that he could be looked upon as a physician. He is, however, mistreated in the circus in many gruesome ways. He is made to act as a clown, sometimes thrown into a cage, and treated like property. Victor Frankenstein (James McAvoy) comes to his rescue from the circus after witnessing Igor perform some sort of medical genius when a lady fell from the trapeze. You’d think the cruel mistreatment would end, but Victor, though miles better in his treatment of Igor, still carries an air of gloom throughout. When things seem to lighten, for example, Igor meeting someone and growing towards being a better version of himself, something dark happens. This either sidelines his feelings for Victor’s own purposes or results in some incident that deepens his gloom.

The romantic subplot in Igor’s life wasn’t well crafted. I feel they should have just left romance out of this entirely. But then, I guess they wanted Igor to have an ending that had nothing to do with Victor.

Victor, on the other hand, after creating his first monster, which he tried to save but then had to kill, does this in front of a man who he wanted some form of sponsorship from. The man agrees to sponsor their work, so Victor and Igor can create a man.

Chasing this duo is an officer, a man who is so religious that he figures out Victor’s plans in the most unrealistic genius way. There were no clues or anything solid enough for anyone in his shoes to have put this together. But this man, thanks to some divine intervention, does.

He is after the two because he knows what they are up to and wants to stop them, as it is against God’s will.

The movie is a nice one to see, in my opinion, except for the shortcomings here and there.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014)

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014)

 

7/10

Starring

Takeru Satoh

Emi Takei

Tatsuya Fujiwara

Yosuke Eguchi

Munetaka Aoki

Yūsuke Iseya

Directed by Keishi Ōtomo

This marks the end of the main arc in the Samurai X anime. The popular series builds up to this long-overdue final showdown between Kenshin Himura and Makoto Shishio. Watching the anime, you can appreciate the journey—Kenshin striving to be someone who no longer kills or fights unnecessarily. Along the way, his friendships take shape, and in the battles leading up to Shishio, we see everyone in his circle reaching their full potential. From Sanosuke to Saito, each character rises to their challenges and overcomes them.

This movie was shot back-to-back with the previous installment, Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno, as part of the Shishio trilogy. Since this live-action adaptation delivers the much-anticipated final battle between protagonist and antagonist, the cinematography and fight scenes had to meet high expectations—and they did not disappoint. The speed and intensity of both Kenshin and Shishio perfectly capture what fans envisioned for this epic clash.

The story picks up where Kenshin discovers Shishio’s ship about to set sail with the kidnapped Kaoru onboard. He boards the ship, setting the stage for what appears to be the main battle between Kenshin and Shishio. However, when Kaoru is thrown overboard, Kenshin dives into the sea to save her. Tragically, he fails to find her, and the sea takes its toll on him. We next see our hero’s unconscious body washed ashore, where a man finds and carries him away.

That man turns out to be Hiko, Kenshin’s master, who originally trained him in the Hiten Mitsurugi style. Kenshin pleads with his master to complete his training so he can learn the ultimate technique, "Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki," and defeat Shishio. At this point, Kenshin accepts the grim possibility that Kaoru is dead since her body, unlike his, never washed ashore.

Meanwhile, Shishio has seized the prime minister and is holding the country hostage, demanding Battousai be brought to him. On his side, Kenshin struggles to master his training, learning that adopting the name Battousai had caused him to lose his will to live. Hiko reveals the secret to unlocking the Hiten Mitsurugi technique, "Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki," allowing Kenshin to finally complete his training.

Afterward, Kenshin returns home and surrenders to the police. From this point on, revealing any more would spoil the experience. If you’ve seen the anime, you can probably piece everything together. If not, what are you waiting for?

Once again, Takeru Satoh wields the reverse-edged sword as Rurouni Kenshin, and his portrayal will undoubtedly be remembered for years to come. His performance cements him as the definitive Kenshin in live-action form. I was pleasantly surprised to learn later that a two-part continuation of the story would be released on Netflix in 2021.

Sabotage (2014)

Sabotage (2014)

 

3/10

 

Starring

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Sam Worthington

Olivia Williams

Terrence Howard

Joe Manganiello

 

Directed by David Ayer

 

Well, what a waste of time this movie was, which even failed at the box office.

If you need a character to play a stiff role, then Arnold Schwarzenegger is your man. Even though this movie has the whole '90s-style action movie vibe, it’s toned down a lot from what you’d expect from a typical '90s action film. The story can best be described as shabby, wasting more than a third of its runtime telling you about everyone and everything in the most boring way before kicking off the main plot.

The movie has a very convoluted beginning but then falls into a rhythm where you can start figuring out who’s who and what you’re supposed to be focused on. This doesn’t mean the movie still didn’t play hide and seek with itself, tripping over its very own idea of suspense. With pacing problems and some truly horrible characters, this movie can be hard to watch. Even though the cast roster looks promising, every character was annoying, and you’ll find yourself wishing they all get killed off. One thing I can tell you to watch out for before seeing this movie is that the testosterone level is so high, it becomes silly.

The plot introduces us to John (Schwarzenegger), who leads a team of DEA special operations. From the get-go, during their bust, you can tell that this team is not all there. Every member seems to have a screw loose somewhere. The drug bust is a success, and the team steals $10 million. They hide the money and blow up the whole building, hoping to get rid of the evidence—but things don’t go as planned. First, the money they hid away is stolen. Then, because of the way things went down, they’re suspected of theft and suspended while the investigation goes nowhere.

When the team is reinstated to their roles, things don’t get any better. They start dropping dead one by one. The remaining members begin to suspect that the drug dealers they took down are behind the hits. But as the investigation continues, we discover there’s more going on and a lot of framing happening. The whole plot reminds me of the Agatha Christie novel And Then There Were None.

In the end, this is one of those movies where if you never see it, you’re not missing a thing. We, who have seen it, wish we had not.