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AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

This is a very, very familiar story in Japan. It's a story from the 10th century, "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter". And, since it's a classic, there have been many movie versions of the story. For the most part, the story you see in the movie is the traditional tale. One day, a poor woodcutter slices into a stalk of bamboo and finds a beautiful thumb-size child. Since he and his wife are childless and have always wanted one, they are overjoyed with the discovery and raise the child who grows into adulthood quicker than a normal human. The animation for this movie is quite lovely with a nice look that appears as if it was made with coloured pencils and watercolours. The story however goes on for too long and I found my interest waning from time to time. Had they trimmed about 20 - 25 minutes, I think the movie would have worked better for me. Worth seeing for a very patient audience who is looking for something very different - otherwise a strange sort of picture that probably would offer little appeal to kids and folks wanting something light and Disney-like. Not the best Ghibli movie I've seen but good nevertheless.

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Suicide Squad

 Suicide Squad 9/10

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

Suicide Squad has to be the best DCEU movie so far. The characters were outstanding and it had a lighter tone than the previous movies which was desperately needed. Will Smith was superb in it but Margot Robbie and Jared Leto shine as Harley Quinn and The Joker. It's like no other movie in the DCEU or the MCU. I don't get why the critics rate the movie so low. The Joker is barely in the movie which was a little disappointing. I am eager to see more especially since in this movie he's just Harley's boyfriend. Which is understandable since the movie isn't really even about The Joker, it's about Deadshot and Harley Quinn. Batman makes nothing more than a few cameos and a scene after the mid-credits. The Enchantress as the villain wasn't the best but the characters more than made up for it. The soundtrack was phenomenal. It looks like DC is finally learning from past mistakes. Here's hoping that Wonder Woman and Justice League will also be just as spectacular as this movie.

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan voted for list

Lists I'm following (28 list items)

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Top Five

 Top Five 6/10

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

Chris Rock is a very talented comedian. He is hilarious and quite insightful. However, his career in movies has been lukewarm so far. With Top Five, he rectifies that by delivering a smart, funny, and surprisingly dramatic movie. Chris Rock really delivers a Woody Allen style movie in his own way by mixing drama with comedy very well. It tackles celebrity, alcoholism, and the need to reinvent oneself with depth, but it never gets in the way of the comedy. Speaking of comedy, the movie delivers a lot of laughs with a few special gutbusters in there from some cameos. It moves at a good pace and the cast is great all around. Props to Rosario Dawson as she gave a good performance as she traded jabs with Rock and Gabrielle Union who brings some depth to a reality star character and makes her endearing. Overall, this is a return to form for Chris Rock in terms of comedy. Give it a shot.

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Everybody Wants Some!!

 Everybody Wants Some!! 7/10

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

Set in 1980s Texas, the story of Everybody Wants Some!! follows a college freshman who arrives three days before the start of classes and moves into a home that shelters members of the college baseball team. After getting acquainted with the rest of his teammates, he heads out with them for fun and, over the course of the next 3 days, gets a brief taste of the freedom & adventures that lie ahead of him in the freewheeling, unsupervised and experimental years of college life. Director Richard Linklater is a wonderful filmmaker who has a relaxed and natural way of presenting characters and events. The escapades roll on and keep the audience entertained and often in stitches. The actors are comical in an unforced way, and every scene is cleverly constructed. The net result is that you feel you've enjoyed the company of some startling lunatics having a good time. I bet that even with the rigours of film production that this gang of actors really did enjoy themselves. Clever wit and innovative physical scenes keep your mind hopping. A highly enjoyable comedy that you do not want to pass up.

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Grandma's Boy

 Grandma's Boy 7/10

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

Adam Sandler produces this random comedy and he isn't in it but all of his old friends are, and surprisingly this stoner laden movie is a comical success. The story of a lazy middle-aged video game tester who moves in with his grandma has little if any point and that is the beauty of it. All the random acts and completely engrossingly pop-culture themes make this one of the best comedies in recent memory. Allen Colvert takes the main part with all of Sandler's old time sidekicks taking the supporting roles. While the plot may be non-existent, it is the characters and absolute hilarity of it all which keeps the movie going and never leaving the viewer time to catch breath from laughing. This movie is a right blast and well worth checking out.

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan voted for list

My Blu-Ray Collection (1282 movies items)

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Mistress America

 Mistress America 4/10

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

Mistress America is supposedly a quirky homage to screwball comedies from director Noah Baumbach. I think he should had taken advice from somebody as to how to make modern screwball comedies. It's about a young woman at college who starts to hang out with her soon to be stepsister. The main problem with this movie is it isn't funny enough. It feels too much like a stage play, they literally do stand around as if they were on stage. They even deliver lines like the audience were in the same auditorium. I wasn't a fan of Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha and I'm afraid my opinion of her hasn't changed in this movie either. Overall this movie weaved from being smart and sassy to being just dull and as such I cannot recommend it.

8 years, 4 months ago

AKB48Fan rated The Day After Tomorrow (1976)

 The Day After Tomorrow (1976) 6/10

8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

Around the same time as Gerry Anderson was making Space 1999, he also made this pilot movie for a new series he was developing. Unfortunately it wasn't picked up to be commissioned for a full series. The plot follows a family of 5 who are sent into the outer reaches of space in a spaceship that has a new propulsion drive but things go wrong when the drive malfunctions and they are sent deeper into space than they anticipate. The entire story is more or less set on the ship as they encounter various problems they have to solve. The story might sound like it's a British take on Lost In Space but it isn't. The acting is pretty good with Space 1999 regular Nick Tate as the ship's captain and a nice surprise to see Brian Blessed in a rather subdued role! An interesting pilot movie which will interest fans of Gerry Anderson more than casual sci-fi fans.

8 years, 5 months ago

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8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

It's allegedly been called Australia's 1st zombie comedy horror but is it any good? There's been a glut of zombie comedies over the past year and unfortunately this one is what I would call below average. The gore is all there but the comedy leaves a lot to be desired for. The zombies are also never treated like a serious threat, except for the moments when someone is about to die, and that leaves the movie completely lacking in tension. To be fair, the intention of the writer/director Declan Shrubb shows through and he does the best he can with the low budget at his disposal. Overall, this is more miss than hit, probably best viewed after coming home from the pubs at night when it can be enjoyed that bit more.

8 years, 5 months ago

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8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection

8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 5 items to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan voted for list

2016 Movies I've Seen: Best to Worst (77 movies items)

8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Jason Bourne

 Jason Bourne 6/10

8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

The original Bourne trilogy still stands out as one of the most intelligent post-Cold War spy action thrillers and it mostly succeeded in being the last word in the genre. Its huge success and relevance also gave the Bond franchise a big wake-up call. So 9 years later, Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon decided it is opportune time to inject a dose of Bourne-adrenaline and his extreme ways into us. The only problem is that instead of innovation and reinvention, it serves up last night's cold pizza. It's more of the same plot points as before. This issue aside, the movie is still a pulsating ride. The pace is relentless and Matt Damon's Bourne still represents a driving force of reckoning. The spycraft and action set-pieces are good. However I have one major complaint - I absolutely abhor the jumpy hand-held shots. Overall it may harken you back to the days of the original trilogy but it never truly pushes the character to a new frontier.

8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

It's the most wonderful time of the year. To die!! Directors Grant Harvey, Steve Hoban and Brett Sullivan all lend their talents in an attempt to turn the happiest day of the year into a horrifying movie experience in A Christmas Horror Story. Best described as an anthology, this movie interweaves multiple stories with Christmas being the anchor theme. The stories are diverse and in no way repeating. Santa takes on a horde of zombie elves. A family goes Christmas tree hunting where their son gets possessed by a demon. A group of teenagers return to the scene of a grizzly crime to film a documentary where the evil still lurks. And a family is terrorized by Krampus, the anti-Santa Claus. William Shatner plays a radio DJ host that helps intertwine the stories and provides some spots of levity along the snowy roads to where the movie journeys. All of the 4 stories are interesting and provide plenty of blood for the gore hound. A surprisingly good movie!

8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection

8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

The Belgian horror Cub is a slasher movie to the core. People go to the woods, they camp, a killer is in the woods, and people die. The formula almost never changes and it doesn't here at all. However, the main difference here is that most of the characters are kids from the lead to the killer. At the end of the day, it delivers some solid entertainment while continuing to spin the horror wheel. The directing is really good with crisp cinematography and good camera shots. The music has a very 80's synth style to it. The acting is good from the actors especially the lead boy. I did like that the cast is mostly made up of kids instead of teenagers which makes it stand out and bump the danger. The movie moves at a good pace and it delivers some good violence. Despite it concentrating on a set of characters we don't usually in slasher movies, the movie follows all the clichés of the subgenre. It doesn't separate itself from many other wood slashers so it still falls short of truly becoming something memorable. Overall, it is a fun movie to watch if you want a slasher movie that changes the formula a bit, but still retaining that old school flavour.

8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

This movie presents us with an interesting premise from the start. A young American woman takes a job as a nanny to an elderly couple's child in Britain. Only when she gets to their large, creepy mansion does she learn the "boy" is really a doll that the couple treats as if it is alive and their son. Much of what ensues after this is fairly predictable. We know the doll is going to end up doing creepy things, or at least we'll be led to believe this is the case. We also know there will be something more going on than what meets the eye. Lauren Cohan does a very good job, which is essential because she has to carry most of the movie. Many scenes are with her and the doll alone. Also, the setting and the doll itself do a great job of creating the mood. The movie does well at holding the viewer's attention; however, once we see the final "twist" we understand that it was really the only reasonable explanation - although it is really not all that reasonable. There are a few scenes where the dialog and impact fall a little flat. It's watchable enough, just don't expect a masterpiece.

8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection

8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to From The Superb To The Crap - Movies Seen In 2016 list

In this fascinating documentary about the secretive state of North Korea, director Álvaro Longoria takes us with him on tour of North Korea's capital Pyongyang. What I really enjoyed about this movie is its rawness - you get to see everything from Longoria's eyes and decide for yourself what is real and what is not. It felt like a very personal experience. The deception of the State and its effects on its people are nothing short of terrifying. How could they act so naturally if everything is staged? Could it be real? Are they really so brainwashed? Are these people suffering? Longoria presents many opposing arguments but there really is no telling the extent of North Korea's deception or on the flip side, the warping of information in Western media. I suspect Longoria himself does not know what to make of it. On one hand, the country looks nice and clean and BIG....but on the other, much of it also seems fake. Worth seeing but I am really not that sure what the message is or what most people will take from the documentary other than confusion.

8 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan rated San Ferry Ann

 San Ferry Ann 6/10

8 years, 5 months ago