mgv011207's Activity (28)

  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic has read this book.
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic added a movie review.
    First things first. This movie will be thoroughly enjoyed by kids still in elementary school. But from start to finish, this movie feels cynical and has few redeeming qualities. The expressive nature of the strong character designs, the fluid, and technically impressive animation, and the aesthetics of a more rebellious cyberpunk world juxtaposed alongside a sterilized depiction of the Internet is what keeps this movie from being terrible in my eyes. Ooh, and the princess scene. Okay. The first movie is, in almost every single way, superior to the second. That's because it seems like Disney's out for money with this movie and wants to capitalize on the hip trends of today. Sure, it doesn't fare as badly as The Emoji Movie in any respect, but it's so much blander by comparison. The titular character of Ralph seems to have regressed so far from what seemed like the substantial character development in the first movie, while Vanellope has a more reasonable yet still frustratingly simple problem with Ralph. She wants Ralph to let go of her so she can be free to do more with her life and break free from the shackles of everyday monotony while Ralph is a clingy crybaby for the entirety of the movie. He wants to stick by Vanellope and live an unchanging life for as long as he can possibly manage, breaking any rule as long as Vanellope stays with him. This movie will directly contrive itself in order to stretch out this thin, shallow conflict for as long as it can while leaving these undeveloped characters in a state of turmoil and basically dropping all the prominent side characters of the first movie. Fix-it Felix and Sergeant Calhoun aren't needed by the script anymore and are replaced by others like Yesss and Shank, the latter of whom is more interesting just because of the artistically interesting nature of her environment. These two characters are only here to steal the two protagonists away, with Shank's potential fading as she becomes Vanellope's source of guidance and nothing more. Fix-it Felix was someone other than Vanellope that Ralph could share his troubles with in the first film, and we don't see any interactions where he doesn't behave incredibly dumb as opposed to the first film. Take King Candy from the first film as another example. Someone twisted by the elimination of their game, he goes from oppressive and seeking fame to one that's obsessed with power. The only villain in this movie is Ralph's insecurity, something he's supposed to have moved on from. Something broken by random internet comments that go "you're so bad" because of course it's got to have a clean censor rating. Not only does the film fail to make these main characters interesting with their new arcs, but they also aren't able to do it for any other character that makes an appearance in this film. Disney shifting from video games to an explorable internet seems like a movement in line with their remakes, a desperate attempt to become the woke dudes that sees the quality of these films devolve slightly. Don't be deceived by that world of Disney in which the princess scene takes place, or the Ralph mobile game advertisements, or the absolute memefest that is this movie. It's only better than the Emoji Movie in the sense that it's taking well-loved characters and building a new film in which they don't necessarily break said character. It's a marketing scheme that Disney financially benefits from in spades. Nowhere is this more apparent than the Ralph meme compilation that you'll only have the kids enjoying because it feels shoehorned in in order to appeal to the lowest common denominator. As evidenced by the first film, there are much better ways to do that.
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic's movie review was featured in Klaus.
    TLDR? I used big big word but watch this movie ples. A greedy rich dude named Jesper gets wrecked by his father who tells him to go be a postman in a fictional Siberia. He does, and in doing so, meets a pre-famous Santa Claus, whom he initially tries to exploit. He quickly learns that surprise surprise, money isn't everything and love is essential for the human soul. Klaus undoubtedly has some of the most gorgeous 2D animations the industry has witnessed in a long time, and coming out alongside the animated Green Eggs and Ham series has this hand-drawn digital art style begging for a revival. Klaus is a movie that has love pouring from its scenes in almost every frame, from the way the expressive characters pose in an exaggerated manner to the baked-in lighting that serves to greatly enhance the scenes in this movie. This movie is by no means groundbreaking in terms of its plot, but the simplicity of this storyline is what makes it so accessible and engaging at the same time. A child wouldn't have to invest themselves much in order to catch the subtle expressive nuances laden on the faces of these characters, and that's what makes this movie an incredibly fun watch on such a high scale. As stated before, it doesn't do much to deviate from the very genre it tries to tell Santa's origin story from. There's not much subversion in the way of character archetypes, bonding plotlines, theming, and just the general feel-good tone that permeates itself throughout the movie. Regardless, Klaus proves to be a masterful executor of the very tropes it sets out to emulate from the start, making the most basic character development feel heartwarming and deserved. Spoilers, there's a scene in which Jesper fulfills the requirements to go back to the life of riches he was so used to, and he realizes that he cares for the people here more than he does a life of luxury. He decides not to get on the boat home and goes back to save the day. It's such a painfully predictable turn of events but to see a character like Jesper realize the error of his ways proves to imbue a strong sense of cathartic sensation anyway. Klaus is a movie that strives to be both emotionally touching and hilarious in order to appeal to the lowest common denominator. It can switch tones at the drop of a dime in a manner that temporarily suspends the disbelief of the viewer, seamlessly tonally transitioning in between the two to have you feeling genuinely sick to your stomach for someone's loss or laughing at some absolutely hilarious slapstick moments on screen. This film is a passion project that caters to all audiences alike and absolutely excels at it.
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic added a movie review.
    TLDR? I used big big word but watch this movie ples. A greedy rich dude named Jesper gets wrecked by his father who tells him to go be a postman in a fictional Siberia. He does, and in doing so, meets a pre-famous Santa Claus, whom he initially tries to exploit. He quickly learns that surprise surprise, money isn't everything and love is essential for the human soul. Klaus undoubtedly has some of the most gorgeous 2D animations the industry has witnessed in a long time, and coming out alongside the animated Green Eggs and Ham series has this hand-drawn digital art style begging for a revival. Klaus is a movie that has love pouring from its scenes in almost every frame, from the way the expressive characters pose in an exaggerated manner to the baked-in lighting that serves to greatly enhance the scenes in this movie. This movie is by no means groundbreaking in terms of its plot, but the simplicity of this storyline is what makes it so accessible and engaging at the same time. A child wouldn't have to invest themselves much in order to catch the subtle expressive nuances laden on the faces of these characters, and that's what makes this movie an incredibly fun watch on such a high scale. As stated before, it doesn't do much to deviate from the very genre it tries to tell Santa's origin story from. There's not much subversion in the way of character archetypes, bonding plotlines, theming, and just the general feel-good tone that permeates itself throughout the movie. Regardless, Klaus proves to be a masterful executor of the very tropes it sets out to emulate from the start, making the most basic character development feel heartwarming and deserved. Spoilers, there's a scene in which Jesper fulfills the requirements to go back to the life of riches he was so used to, and he realizes that he cares for the people here more than he does a life of luxury. He decides not to get on the boat home and goes back to save the day. It's such a painfully predictable turn of events but to see a character like Jesper realize the error of his ways proves to imbue a strong sense of cathartic sensation anyway. Klaus is a movie that strives to be both emotionally touching and hilarious in order to appeal to the lowest common denominator. It can switch tones at the drop of a dime in a manner that temporarily suspends the disbelief of the viewer, seamlessly tonally transitioning in between the two to have you feeling genuinely sick to your stomach for someone's loss or laughing at some absolutely hilarious slapstick moments on screen. This film is a passion project that caters to all audiences alike and absolutely excels at it.
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancriticliked a comment in Americans Demand Justice For George Floyd.
    Not really... They want everyone to be treated the same way because those cops were arrested, yes, but there could be more people like them and they want laws against that so they are allowed to do that and no, they are not looting, so what made you think that? People are just fighting for what's right, so does that do any harm?
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancriticis now following pizzagirl7.
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic has watched this movie.
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic has watched this movie.
    Over 4 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic's movie review was featured in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
    **NO CRITICAL SPOILERS** This movie is a revolution in the world of animated films. In an industry where so many aesthetics of different movies feel the same, there is little variety in the actual animation style big (and really bad, mainstream) studios such as Dreamworks and Illumination keep churning out. Films like Into the Spider-Verse show how much potential the animation medium still has left to uncover as a whole. By adopting a comic book theme, appropriate to the universe of Spider-Man, Into the Spider-Verse has a specific animation style consisting of not just wonderful character designs that seem realistic and stylized at the same time, but also lots of cut frames that make the action seem less fluid so that it actually looks like transitioning pages in a comic book. (Technically speaking, the film runs at 12fps instead of the standard 24 for snappier poses so it looks like a comic book.) And it's not just the animation; this movie excels in so many other aspects. It's one of the most innovative Spider-Man films to come out in recent times, completely removing Spider-Man himself from the role of the protagonist, replacing him with Miles Morales, a protagonist that comes across as exceedingly fresh, especially after being fatigued with so many pieces of Peter Parker media. The other characters are interesting, too. Peter Parker from the alternate universe is equally as interesting, representing a failed version of the hero that we had known to come and love. He manages to be equally as entertaining as the original, with an added, almost permanent dry sarcasm to his voice with every joke, signifying that he is perfectly conscious of his traits and has accepted his identity as a failure. And it raises so many interesting questions. What would've happened if this Peter Parker that we had come to know for so long had given up on life? What if he didn't have the strength to get back up and fight? This movie addresses that motif along similar lines. Gwen is also similarly interesting enough, and while she does have her own backstory, she isn't given as much screen time, and it looks as though part of her character was scrapped halfway through development. It doesn't matter, though, because, as Spider-Woman, with striking character design, she symbolizes a fresh perspective in this superhero world. She's really entertaining to watch on screen, and the chemistry she shares with Miles Morales proves to be convincing. The other Spider-People, involving a black-and-white WWII based crime detective, an anime girl from the next millennium (as an avid anime consumer, I find this reference to be absolutely wonderful), and even a cartoon news-reporting pig, are all great as characters, but never expanded to their full potential, and it's fine. Miles Morales' screen time is already being stolen enough. However, they have striking and amazing character designs that are absolutely unforgettable. The crime detective's got a black-and-white theme that becomes a running gag, the anime girl looks fantastic as a 2D character integrated into a 3D world, and the pig has cartoony squash-and-stretch animation that's a joy to watch on screen. Miles' uncle is an absolute phenomenon. He has a very important and involved role that makes the stakes feel so much more personal. Speaking of personal. Kingpin as the villain is absolutely fantastic, just fleshed out enough to be a villain, and though he has a tragic backstory, the film doesn't try to make that an excuse for his actions, and that's why he works so well as a character. (Dogo won't let me write much more.) The lighting, backgrounds, music, themes, and literally every other piece of this film is fantastic, but there's so much more to expand on, and the film warrants for a sequel. Do I care about its supposedly glaring flaws that other reviewers went to such lengths to show? No. Do yourself a favor and don't hold a bias against this film just because it's PG and animated. Watch it. 5/5.
    Over 5 years ago
  • theindiancritic
    theindiancritic added a movie review.
    **NO CRITICAL SPOILERS** This movie is a revolution in the world of animated films. In an industry where so many aesthetics of different movies feel the same, there is little variety in the actual animation style big (and really bad, mainstream) studios such as Dreamworks and Illumination keep churning out. Films like Into the Spider-Verse show how much potential the animation medium still has left to uncover as a whole. By adopting a comic book theme, appropriate to the universe of Spider-Man, Into the Spider-Verse has a specific animation style consisting of not just wonderful character designs that seem realistic and stylized at the same time, but also lots of cut frames that make the action seem less fluid so that it actually looks like transitioning pages in a comic book. (Technically speaking, the film runs at 12fps instead of the standard 24 for snappier poses so it looks like a comic book.) And it's not just the animation; this movie excels in so many other aspects. It's one of the most innovative Spider-Man films to come out in recent times, completely removing Spider-Man himself from the role of the protagonist, replacing him with Miles Morales, a protagonist that comes across as exceedingly fresh, especially after being fatigued with so many pieces of Peter Parker media. The other characters are interesting, too. Peter Parker from the alternate universe is equally as interesting, representing a failed version of the hero that we had known to come and love. He manages to be equally as entertaining as the original, with an added, almost permanent dry sarcasm to his voice with every joke, signifying that he is perfectly conscious of his traits and has accepted his identity as a failure. And it raises so many interesting questions. What would've happened if this Peter Parker that we had come to know for so long had given up on life? What if he didn't have the strength to get back up and fight? This movie addresses that motif along similar lines. Gwen is also similarly interesting enough, and while she does have her own backstory, she isn't given as much screen time, and it looks as though part of her character was scrapped halfway through development. It doesn't matter, though, because, as Spider-Woman, with striking character design, she symbolizes a fresh perspective in this superhero world. She's really entertaining to watch on screen, and the chemistry she shares with Miles Morales proves to be convincing. The other Spider-People, involving a black-and-white WWII based crime detective, an anime girl from the next millennium (as an avid anime consumer, I find this reference to be absolutely wonderful), and even a cartoon news-reporting pig, are all great as characters, but never expanded to their full potential, and it's fine. Miles Morales' screen time is already being stolen enough. However, they have striking and amazing character designs that are absolutely unforgettable. The crime detective's got a black-and-white theme that becomes a running gag, the anime girl looks fantastic as a 2D character integrated into a 3D world, and the pig has cartoony squash-and-stretch animation that's a joy to watch on screen. Miles' uncle is an absolute phenomenon. He has a very important and involved role that makes the stakes feel so much more personal. Speaking of personal. Kingpin as the villain is absolutely fantastic, just fleshed out enough to be a villain, and though he has a tragic backstory, the film doesn't try to make that an excuse for his actions, and that's why he works so well as a character. (Dogo won't let me write much more.) The lighting, backgrounds, music, themes, and literally every other piece of this film is fantastic, but there's so much more to expand on, and the film warrants for a sequel. Do I care about its supposedly glaring flaws that other reviewers went to such lengths to show? No. Do yourself a favor and don't hold a bias against this film just because it's PG and animated. Watch it. 5/5.
    Over 5 years ago

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First BookCreate an AvatarWrote First Book ReviewFirst MovieWrote First Movie ReviewJoined National Geographic Kids Book Club

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bookworm890
theindiancritic

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