Longform reviews of films, TV, anime, books, and audiobooks, written by the scrobble.life community and published to the Hive blockchain, so each one is owned by its author and can earn rewards from readers. 60,000 reviews and counting.
Ah yes the 'Maze Runner'. Quality quality stuff indeed. Truly nothing to complain about in this film in my opinion.
I read the books once upon a time. I may have owned them but I think perhaps I borrowed them from the library. The library days were pretty epic. Anyway, I did read these books and found them pretty enjoyable. Straightforward and gritty. The movie does a pretty spot on job with recreating the book. Massive massive props.
I think I saw this first one years ago, but definitely not the next two films. So essentially this is a fun experience that I look forward to enjoying, it's a long time coming too. I'm currently re-reading 'The Inheritance Cycle' and so, I ended up back at this series after some web surfing.
I think the reason I didn't watch this series in full was for several reasons. 'Eragon' was done super poorly, as well as another favorite of mine 'Cirque Du Freak' combine that trauma (LOL) with life events and generic laziness, yeah, it's 2025 and I haven't actually watched all of these.
But yes I recently watched 'The Maze Runner' and it was just awesome. I totally see why people love this series and why it consistently brought in very much strong numbers at the box office. They averaged approximately $300 million a pop. That's nothing to sneeze at! The movie is fast and action packed, the story is fascinating, and the characters are good. Seriously just checks all the boxes of an action movie as well as having an actual good story. The movie was not shy about anything either, very bold and aggressive.
I love the idea of The Maze. It's so infinitely symbolic. Everyone feels trapped by something sometimes, unwilling to take risks, unwilling to explore. Whatever the case my be. It even teases some conspiracy theories but that's just my silly brain 🤪LOL. Still that's what good sci-fi/fantasy does in my opinion.
This film was like a weird more violent version of 'The Truman Show'. Kinda, sorta-ish LOL.
Seriously this is such a fun film. Incredibly rewatchable. That's said a lot about films but this is soooo true for 'The Maze Runner'. I anticipate that I'll enjoy the next two since I liked the books and well, this film was excellent. Since I will likely like the next two, I could totally see myself wasting a day watching these three back to back.
There's just something I really respect about this movie, just bam, here's there situation, it's chaos, figure it out or perish. Then the mystery behind everything just adds that perfect element.
Hey, I hope you're all doing great, dear The Anime Realm community. This time I want to talk about an anime that just ended. I'm going to give you my honest opinions on Negative Positive Angler, and look, I'll be honest, when I started watching it I had no idea what to expect. I said, "Well, go ahead, go fishing, I haven't seen many of those, maybe it's calm, relaxing." How wrong I was, people, my goodness, really, the series starts in a way that, wow! I didn't expect anything at all. Forget about peace and quiet, it's nothing like that!
Right from the start, we meet the main character, Suito Sasaki – I hope I'm saying this right – and it's not that the guy is having a bad day, the start is... surprisingly dark, dramatic... for an anime about fishing, I mean, very dark, in the first few minutes, boom! They tell us he has a terminal illness, he has just two years to live, two years... and as if that weren't enough, the guy is up to his neck in debt, with dangerous people, those ugly moneylenders, because he got into trouble gambling, and to top it all off, they demolish his house, right there in front of him! We see the guy on the floor, thinking about not going on, about taking his own life because he feels like he's done, that he has nothing left... and I'm there watching, thinking "Let's see, let's see, is this the fishing anime?"
It was a blow, much more intense than one would imagine, but right there, when he couldn't take it anymore, after running away from these guys and ending up falling into the water... guess who pulls him out? Exactly! A gang that was there, fishing... this is where things change perspective, where the series throws the hook... yes, I know, the joke is terrible, but it is like that! Fishing here isn't just a hobby; it's presented as the literal lifesaver for the protagonist. It's his chance to start over, to find some peace after having sunk so low. These new friends sort of mentor him, you know? They show him their world, one of casting a line and waiting patiently. It's as if they've thrown him a life preserver just as he's drowning, and not just in the water, but in life.
Hola, espero que estén super bien, querida comunidad de The Anime Realm, en esta ocasión les quiero hablar de un anime que termine hace poco, les daré mis opiniones sinceras de Negative Positive Angler y, miren, les soy sincero, cuando empecé a verlo no tenía ni la más mínima idea de qué esperar.. dije "Bueno, va, pescar, no he visto muchos de esos, chance y está tranqui, relajante".. qué equivocado estaba, gente, madre mía, de verdad, la serie arranca de una forma que ¡wow!, cero me la esperaba.. olvídense de la paz y la tranquilidad, ¡nada que ver!
De entrada conocemos al prota, Suito Sasaki – ojalá lo esté diciendo bien – y no es que el tipo esté teniendo un mal día, el arranque es.. sorprendentemente oscuro, dramático.. para ser un anime sobre pesca, o sea, muy oscuro, en los primeros minutos ¡pum! nos dicen que tiene una enfermedad terminal, le quedan dos años de vida nada más, dos años.. y como si eso fuera poco, el tipo está hasta el cuello de deudas, con gente peligrosa, prestamistas de esos feos, porque se metió en líos apostando, y para acabarla de amolar, le tumban la casa, así, enfrente de él! Vemos al compa en el piso, pensando en ya no seguir, en quitarse la vida porque siente que ya valió, que no le queda nada.. y yo ahí viendo, pensando "A ver, a ver, ¿este es el anime de pesca?".
Fue un golpe, mucho más denso de lo que uno se imagina, pero justo ahí, cuando ya no podía más, después de escaparse a la carrera de los tipos estos y terminar cayendo al agua... ¿adivinen quién lo saca? ¡Exacto! Una banda que estaba ahí, pescando.. aquí es donde la cosa cambia de perspectiva, donde la serie lanza el anzuelo... sí, ya sé, malísimo el chiste, pero ¡es que es así! La pesca aquí no es solo un pasatiempo, se presenta como lo que, literal, le salva la vida al prota, es su oportunidad de empezar de nuevo, de encontrar un poco de paz, después de haber caído tan bajo. Estos nuevos amigos como que lo apadrinan, ¿saben? le enseñan su mundo, el de tirar la caña y esperar con paciencia, es como si le hubieran tirado un salvavidas justo cuando se estaba ahogando, y no solo en el agua, sino en la vida.
But what really caught me, as I continued watching, was how the series plays with tones, what a way to balance things out, it starts off super dark, very dense, like I said, but suddenly it gets calmer, more relaxing, even therapeutic, especially when they're fishing, you feel that concentration, that silence, like being in the moment, and that contrasts a lot with all the chaos that Sasaki has inside... but be careful, it's not all about relaxing, the series includes its good moments of comedy, which almost always come from how Sasaki interacts with this band of half-crazy friends that he meets... most importantly: they don't forget the strong drama that is there, underneath it all. The guy's illness, the mistakes he made, the fear... that doesn't just go away, it all comes out, especially later on, and it creates a mix of light and dark moments that, honestly, works really well, and the crazy thing is that it doesn't feel forced, right?
It feels... real, like life itself, it's not all black and white... even if you don't want to, you end up learning a lot! The thing is, Sasaki doesn't know anything about fishing, zero! So, as he's learning, we do too. The anime gives you facts, shows you techniques, corrects your ideas about where and when to fish. I was one of those who thought, "Oh, well, you just look for water and throw out the line, and that's it." No way, nothing to do with it... the series takes its time to explain things to you: if for such a fish you need to go to such a place, if the weather affects it, the time... it was super cool, honestly, they even included a joke, or almost, that was repeated... after the first few chapters, they put up a little sign like "Careful, this is fiction, follow the real rules for fishing, get your permit, don't fish where you shouldn't!".. which, honestly, made me laugh a little but I also said "ah, look how responsible they are!", it gave it a touch of reality without feeling like they were giving you a class.
Pero lo que de verdad me atrapó, mientras seguía viendo, fue cómo la serie juega con los tonos, qué manera de balancear las cosas, arranca súper oscura, bien densa, como les dije, pero de repente se pone más tranquila, más relax, hasta como terapéutica, sobre todo cuando están pescando, se siente esa concentración, ese silencio, como estar metido en el momento, y eso contrasta un montón con todo el caos que tiene Sasaki por dentro.. pero ojo, no todo es ponerse relajado, la serie mete sus buenos momentos de comedia, que casi siempre salen de cómo interactúa Sasaki con esta banda de amigos medio locos que se encuentra.. lo más importante: no se olvidan del drama fuerte que está ahí, debajo de todo. La enfermedad del tipo, las metidas de pata que tuvo, el miedo... eso no se va así nomás, todo eso vuelve a salir, sobre todo más adelante, y se arma una mezcla de momentos luminosos y oscuros que, la verdad, funciona súper bien, y lo loco es que no se siente forzado, ¿eh?
Se siente... real, como la vida misma, que no es todo blanco o negro.. tambien sin querer queriendo, terminas aprendiendo un montón! Es que Sasaki no sabe nada de pesca, ¡cero! entonces, como él va aprendiendo, nosotros también, el anime te va soltando datos, te muestra técnicas, te corrige ideas que uno tiene de dónde y cuándo se pesca, yo era de los que pensaba "ah, pues buscas agua y tiras la caña y ya". Qué va, nada que ver.. la serie se toma su tiempo para explicarte cositas: que si para tal pez necesitas ir a tal lado, que si el clima afecta, la hora.. estuvo súper chévere, la verdad, hasta metieron un chiste, o casi, que se repetía.. después de los primeros capítulos, te ponían un letrerito tipo "Ojo, esto es ficción, sigan las reglas de verdad para pescar, saquen su permiso, no anden pescando donde no se debe!".. que, la verdad, me dio un poco de risa pero también dije "¡ah, mira qué responsables!", le dio como un toque de realidad sin sentirse como que te están dando una clase..
But the heart of the series, what really caught me, was seeing how Sasaki himself changes. The development of the protagonist is key; it's the center of everything! We see him go from being super closed-minded, aimless, to becoming more and more hooked on fishing, and that kind of helps him deal with his anger, to grow... at first, the guy is bitter, cynical, completely lost, but as he gets into the fishing groove, as he connects with this new gang, you see a little sparkle in his eyes, and then, a real commitment. He starts to want to learn, to be better... it's not like fishing magically cures his illness or pays off his debts, not at all!
But it gives him something good to focus on, a lighter way to handle it, a band that supports him, it's that transformation that cooks slowly, but feels super earned and leaves you with a really cool feeling when you see it... he really is coming out of that negative hole to something more positive, little by little... and although a lot of it is calm, there are some moments that bam!, they hit you straight in the heart, especially later on, like in episode 10... no spoilers, I promise, but that's when things kind of explode, all that pain, that fear that Sasaki had been keeping inside... it comes out suddenly! How they handled the direction in that chapter, the lighting, the focuses... everything changes... the faces, you could feel the emotion so, raw, everything that wasn't said but that weighed heavily in the air, it was one of those moments that tell you "hey, this isn't just a nice story and that's it", there's real drama here, a very human struggle done with interesting art.
Pero el corazón de la serie, lo que de verdad me atrapó, fue ver cómo cambia el mismo Sasaki, el desarrollo del prota es clave, es el centro de todo! Lo vemos pasar de estar súper cerrado, sin rumbo, a engancharse cada vez más con la pesca, y eso como que le ayuda a lidiar con sus broncas, a crecer.. al principio, el tipo está amargado, cínico, perdidísimo, pero mientras se mete en la onda de pescar, mientras conecta con esta banda nueva, le ves como un brillito en los ojos, y luego ya, un compromiso real. Le empiezan a dar ganas de aprender, de ser mejor.. no es que la pesca le quite la enfermedad o le pague las deudas por arte de magia, ¡para nada
Pero le da algo bueno en qué enfocarse, una forma de llevarla más leve, una banda que lo apoya, es esa transformación que se cocina lento, pero se siente súper ganada y te deja una sensación bien chida al verla.. de verdad va saliendo de ese hoyo negativo a algo más positivo, poquito a poquito.. y aunque mucho es tranqui, hay unos momentos que ¡pum!, te pegan directo al corazón, sobre todo más adelante, como en el episodio 10.. sin spoilers, se los prometo, pero ahí la cosa como que explota, todo ese dolor, ese miedo que Sasaki se venía guardando... ¡sale de golpe! Cómo manejaron la dirección en ese capítulo, la luz, los enfoques... cambia todo.. las caras, podías sentir la emoción así, cruda, todo lo que no se decía pero que pesaba un montón en el aire, fue de esos momentos que te dicen "hey, esto no es solo una historia bonita y ya", aquí hay drama de verdad, una lucha bien humana hecha con un arte interesante.
And well, my people, in the end, what I'm left with from Negative Positive Angler, beyond the curious fishing facts and that start that left me cold, is the message of hope that it leaves you with... the anime sort of tells you softly: "Hey, no matter how screwed up things are, how bad things have gone before, you can always get ahead, find a cool path and live better than you expected, finding reasons to keep putting in the effort with friends or with something you're passionate about".. Sasaki's situation at first seems to have no way out, you know? But by finding this fishing vibe that he never expected and connecting with people who truly care (even if they're kind of crazy!), he finds a way to make better use of the time he has left, to truly live it instead of just waiting for it to end, it's a very powerful reminder that finding something that gives you purpose, even something as simple as fishing, can change everything...
So yeah, what can I say, I came in expecting a simple, even boring, series about fishing... what I found was a super deep story, that touches your heart, about hitting rock bottom, finding a lifeline where you least expect it, and that slow, difficult, but ultimately hopeful path of rebuilding your life, even when everything looks black, the mix of tones, for me, worked incredibly, the development of the protagonist felt super real, and those emotional blows fell right where they should. My rating? I give Negative Positive Angler a great 8/10, and it connected with me in a different way, you know? It was unique, sincere, and touched on difficult topics with care but also with warmth and humor, leaving me feeling moved and thinking for a long time. If you're looking for something more than meets the eye, something with substance beneath a simple-sounding idea, I highly recommend checking it out. Well, that's all for today. Take care of yourselves. See you later, bye!
Y bueno, mi gente, al final, con lo que me quedo de Negative Positive Angler, más allá de los datos curiosos de pesca y ese arranque que me dejó frío, es el mensaje de esperanza que te deja.. el anime como que te dice bajito: "Oye, no importa qué tan jodida esté la cosa, qué tan feo te haya ido antes, siempre se puede salir adelante, encontrar un camino chido y vivir mejor de lo que esperabas, encontrando razones para seguirle echando ganas con los amigos o con algo que te apasione".. la situación de Sasaki al principio parece no tener salida, ¿saben? Pero al encontrar esta onda de la pesca que ni se esperaba y al conectar con gente que de verdad le importa (¡aunque estén medio locos!), encuentra la forma de llevar mejor el tiempo que le queda, de vivirlo de verdad en vez de solo esperar a que se acabe, es un recordatorio bien potente de que encontrar algo que te dé un propósito, aunque sea algo tan simple como pescar, puede cambiarlo todo..
Así que sí, qué les digo, llegué esperando una serie simplecita, y hasta aburrida, sobre pesca.. lo que me encontré fue una historia súper profunda, que te llega al corazón, sobre tocar fondo, encontrar un salvavidas donde menos te lo esperas, y ese camino lento, difícil, pero al final lleno de esperanza, de reconstruir tu vida, incluso cuando todo se ve negro, la mezcla de tonos, para mí, funcionó increíble, el desarrollo del prota se sintió súper real, y esos golpes emocionales cayeron justo donde debían. ¿Mi calificación? A Negative Positive Angler le doy un señor 8/10, y es que conectó conmigo de otra forma, ¿saben? Fue única, sincera, tocó temas difíciles con cuidado pero también con calidez y humor, y me dejó sintiéndome conmovido y pensando un buen rato. Si andan buscando algo que sea más de lo que parece, algo con carnita debajo de una idea que suena simple, les recomiendo con todo que le echen un ojo.. bueno, eso es todo por hoy, cuidense mucho, nos vemos, byebye!
Tell me... have you seen this anime? Has it caught your attention? Tell me what you thought of this review with my opinion, and tell me if it has made you want to watch this anime. You can leave me in the comments your recommendations for future publications! 😊
Cuéntame.. ¿Has visto este anime? Te ha llamado un poquito la atención? Dime que te pareció esta reseña con mi opinión, y dime si te han dado ganas de ver este anime. Puedes dejarme en los comentarios tus recomendaciones para las próximas publicaciones!! 😊
📲 My social media:
See you next time! 👀🎞💗
Traduced with DeepL
Banners y separadores hechos con Canva Pro. Banners and dividers made with Canva Pro.
This blog is a personal journal of all the movies, Tv-Shows, & Games I consume during a year which enhances my overall experience. The ratings that I give are fully based on my personal preference and enjoyment at the time of watching and I'm writing spoiler-free reviews. (All HBD earnings are used to get extra Hive Power Delegations!)
I have been somewhat on a break from watching movies and tv shows because I'm busy with other things that all add to my screentime already. While I went to see the new Jurassic World movie in the cinema, there was a trailer for the new Superman movie which almost sold me on also going to see that one. However, I can't say that I'm a fan of Superman or Superhero movies in general so I wisely skipped and I'm glad that I didn't spend any money on it. I did however end up choosing this one to watch on my tv some days ago as I wanted some no brain entertainment which is kind of what this movie gave.
My Superman History
When it comes down to the Superman Franchise especially the movies, I'm never really was a fan. I was too young to really watch the old Christopher Reeve movies and recently saw a part of one while it was on tv. I did kind of like the vibe in those as i love old movies and there was some kind of simplicity over it that new movies no longer have as everything needs to be bigger and bolder all the time. There have been 3 different Superman reboots ever since. I think I watched Superman Returns (2006) but I'm not even sure and it was totally forgettable if I did. The same thing I would say happened with the Man of Steel reboot and I just could not watch total garbage like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and skipped on Justice League.
However, I do have extremely fond childhood memories of the tv series Lois & Clark, The New Adventures of Superman, and Smallville which I watched a bit later in life.
-|-
Superman for me just works way better as a series as it allows for much better emotional connection building with the characters while it's fairly easy to make individual 40-Minute episodes where each season has a bigger story arch.
Superman (6.4/10)
So this is yet another reboot doing almost the same thing over and over again introducing the same characters played by different actors. It's all manufactured in a way where they start from things they want to include like a cute pet dog with superpowers, some cool villains, big spectacle and distruction, some romance, some modern day references with the influncer girl that takes selfies, and they pretty much try to build a story around that which for me rarely works as it tends to sacrifice one for the other.
While the movie kind of start off skipping all the 'how superman came about' which is a good thing as the audience has seen that too many times already. It also brings a world where I was full of questions as someone who is not caught up with any of the franchise or the source material. It feels like we are put in a world where everything and everyone now has super powers as sume guys manufactured by Lex Luthor start off defeating Superman, there are these robots in the fortress of solitude I have no clue where they came from, Superman had some allied super heroes I never even heard off and just felt utterly stupid. Some guy with a strange haircut, a girl with wings, and some cyber dud floating in a chair who all kind of felt like the avengers from the discount supermarket.
They also need to go bigger in scale on everything. Some expampler are the Giant monster that grows out of nowhere, the entire pocket universe story arch and the bigger fights with more and more enemies.
Inbetween all of this mindless entertainmaint, they also try to bring a message about being human and caring but it just felt like another obligated thing to include in the moivie like all of the other things.
Trailer
The thing I'm personally looking for in movies are interesting original stories, thought provoking ideas, emotions I relate to, great cinematograhy and not just 100% CGI, life lessons. In that regard, superhero movies in most cases just totally lack which is one of the reasons there are only a handfull that I really loved and the new Superman reboot for sure is not one of those.
Conclusion
In the end, I had an ok time with this movie and it kind of felt similar to Jurassic World Rebirth with the difference that I enjoy watching Dinosaurs on an Island way more than a Superhero in a city which made me much more forgiving. The thing about these movies is they are all backwards contructed starting off with things they need to include trying to build a story around it. In the best case, this brings about a movie that is very bad but still entertaining to watch so I still score it a 6.4/10.
28 Years Later is a divisive film. On the one hand, for a viewer who loves classic zombie horror, the experience may feel empty, dull, and lacking intensity. On the other hand, if you approach it as a commentary on the genre itself, it opens up a vast space for reflection. Personally, I see it as a bridge-work. It’s not the culmination of the genre, but rather a meta-commentary that shows the limits and dead ends of “commercial” zombie cinema, while at the same time leaving cracks open for new beginnings.
28 Days Later (2002) rejuvenated the genre by introducing fast, aggressive zombies that broke the tradition of 20th-century films. Since then, almost all zombie cinema and television have followed that “normality.” In 28 Years Later the surprise is different: zombies don’t have a single fixed identity or behavior. There are fast and slow ones, hulking and crawling, some aggressive and others almost indifferent. What may seem like a weakness in pacing (because of the differing speed and violence of the zombies) can instead work as a reservoir for new interpretations and meanings of zombies as a field for expressing social fears.
This variety may unsettle the viewer who seeks clarity, but it is closer to the experience of contemporary times. There is no single “enemy” that everyone perceives the same way; fear is fragmented and individualized. For some, it is the silently suffocating threat; for others, the terror of becoming prey in a relentless chase; for others still, the violent, visceral slaughter. The zombie in 28 Years Later ceases to be a collective allegory and becomes a mirror of individual terrors.
The film begins—after the introduction of the zombie outbreak—in a “self-managed” community on a rocky islet in the UK. The choice of location and context is surely not accidental, evoking Brexit, the illusion of self-sufficiency, a quarantine-like isolation. At first, everything seems functional, almost peaceful. But as scenes progress, the emptiness is revealed.
Collectivity offers no comfort, the nation inspires no cohesion, the family is not a foundation. These collapse not because zombies tear them down, but because they were already exhausted. This is perhaps the film’s most disturbing point: the great myths that once held societies upright have lost their power.
And there is nothing to replace them. No political alternative, no utopia, no hope of a different social order. There are no “good guys” defending equality or justice. There are only people going through mechanical rituals, performing the role of community. The absence of social honesty and a vision for the future is perhaps more frightening than the zombies themselves.
In its second half, the film shifts from the social to the existential. What does it mean to live? What is the meaning of death? What makes a human, Human? What does hope for humanity’s future look like?
The film doesn’t try to give answers. More radically, it doesn’t even pose the questions. There are no monologues, no philosophical conversations, no heroes seeking meaning. Instead, everything unfolds ritualistically, in constant transitions from nothingness to nothingness. It is a dystopia without screams, a process-dystopia, and the happy Sisyphus (borrowing from Camus) is the resigned one, the mechanical one, the suicidal one.
And what, in the end, is the “world” of the zombies? Perhaps the most intriguing dimension is here. In most commercial films, zombie territory is something to be conquered, cleansed, colonized by the living. In 28 Years Later the opposite occurs: the island seems to belong to the zombies. It is their place. The humans passing through are the real invaders.
This is a “de-colonization” of the genre. Zombies no longer function as threatening enemies tearing down the walls, but as inhabitants of a land they have the right to defend. It’s not clear if they want to kill or simply to protect. Even the scenes with the baby are morally ambiguous: abduction or adoption? abandonment or safeguarding? These ambiguities could refresh mainstream zombie films (as opposed to experimental/alternative works that have wrestled with such questions for nearly twenty years).
Additionally, the setting is brilliant in itself. A community on a safe islet, yet cut off from other uninfected zones by military forces—not to protect them from zombies, but to keep them inside. This creates a paradox: the real enemy is not only the zombies but restriction, self-restriction, the prison of “safety” and the very concept of threat.
In a world after the zombie apocalypse, freedom is not curtailed by the infected, but by the structures that pretend to protect you. That’s a commentary with huge implications, especially if we recall recent experiences of quarantine, surveillance, and control.
28 Years Later may disappoint someone looking for “pure horror.” It’s not a film that easily scares, nor one that builds clear suspense. It is, however, a film that suggests we look at the genre itself and the interpretive commentaries it generates. To see that our myths are worn down, our questions unanswered, our enemies fragmented and ambiguous.
Perhaps, ultimately, 28 Years Later does not work as a zombie film but as a film about zombie films and, by extension, about new-type societies without vision, about our mechanically “repeating” existence without meaning or purpose, about our fear without clear shape. And that, paradoxically, makes it one of the most “updated” moments in the genre.
The five friends before the accident smoking and drinking
I watched a movie recently and I realized that sometimes it is good to forgo past relationships that are not what redeeming. In my experience in life, I have had many occasions where I have made friends who were an integral part of my existence at that moment but due to growth and development we grew apart and have not been in communication since then. Sometimes, most of these relationships are built in a natural way that we cannot be close proximity for eternity. Things would occur like distance, education, career, hate, guilt, marriage, family and so many more.
The friend when the blackmailing started and they are getting scared
A brief synopsis of the movie titled "I Know What You Did Last Summer" was released in 2025, it is a horror movie about a group of friends who has been close since High School, apparently four of them were close because one of them had to drop out of college because her father was a drug addict and it affected them badly. These group of friends went out on a ride to watch the fireworks but in the process one of them was high on drugs and cause a fatal accident to happen. After about a year, the five of them started experiencing death because of what they did last summer, someone in a fish slicker would attack them with a hook and kill them in a gruesome manner. This happened for a while until they found out that the culprit was amongst them.
The killer in fish slicker
Apparently, these five friends Did A Bad Thing during the summer and acted like nothing happened because they did not want to be implicated while some had Guilty Conscience to report the case to the police station others tried to manipulate the matter and buried it. Unknown to them, the person who died in the accident was the boyfriend to the lady who was forced to drop out of college because of lack of money and funds to continue.
The pastor who was falsely accused and killed too
As a means for revenge, she took it upon herself to replay an event that happened in 1997 where there was a killer who carried out a revenge for the death of a sibling, she blamed these other friends for her misfortune in life claiming that because they were privileged to have money and wealthy parents they were able to continue their lives without bothering to check up on her when her father had issues and could not pay up their bills. As if that was not enough, she claims that it was after the incident where they caused the accident she realized that it was her boyfriend who was the only man that stood by her when things were rough that they killed.
The killer
The killers partner in crime
When we got to the plot Twist and realize that she was the gruesome murderer it was so sad because no one would have suspect it that she could do that.
The movie is an horror movie an interesting watch at that highly recommendable for those who loves dark and horrific sins where death is portrayed in a bad manner.
Note: the images are obtained as screenshots from the movie I downloaded
This is a kind of movie that I really think holly shit this is so colorful so shining so bright and show so much happiness, is not that I don´t like happy movies but this movie is more than that this is a horror movie so what we see will turned into a ¨nightmare¨, also the director Ari Aster is a good reason to watch this movie, he is so unexpected and the twist that come in his movies are always a good surprise and at the end that was happen in this movie, is not that I love the movie but I enjoyed that Aster gave here. The movie present it main character, Dani a woman that is living a grief because she just lost her mon, dad and sister and now is by her own in this shitty world, she has a boyfriend who has decided to end the relationship with her but when he knows about the tragic news he couldn´t left her instead Dani joint to a trip with her boyfriend and their friends to Sweden for a sunny festival but soon they will realized that nothing is what it seems all those flowers, smiling faces, white clothes just hide a cult with tragical rituals and creepy endings.
Dani is the center of all this story she is in pain because now she has no one, talking about family, that is with her, she feels that her only support is her boyfriend Christian a man that want to broke to her but decided that wasn´t the right moment instead of stay with her he plan to go to a festival with his friends Josh the thesis guy, Mark the clown, Pelle the friend who connect all of them to the festival in Sweden that they want to go, Dani is desperate for companion and decided to go with them. At the moment they arrived to the village you can feel that everything was so wrong, so many colors, flower, sun, white and happiness, obviously they look more like a cult instead of a pacific group of people and you realized that everything is toast her at the moment that appear in scene a ritual of the oldy people jumping from a cliff to end their life, that was the point of break, in that moment they should run but now people is stupid and Dani with her boyfriend and his friends decided to stay, that was the worst decision of their life's.
At the moment of the story I felt that I was wasting my time watching this movie but the performances play an important part on this movie starting with Florence Pugh playing Dani, you can feel her pain, her dependency with her boyfriend because she feels he is everything in her life, Jack Reynor is Dani´s boyfriend his performance really made you bad, the way how he shows that he doesn´t love Dani anymore and he complete that in a scene where he cheated on her with a woman of the village he couldn´t say no to her, he was selected to complete a ritual procreating a child with that woman and he succeed on it poor Dani. Will Poulter was Mark, Christian friend he didn´t last too much in screen but what he did was good, the clown of the team who dies for pee a special tree in the village, dumbest way to die. William Jackson was Josh the nerdy of the group, I like this guy because he went to the village only for his investigation and die for it, hahaha, better way to die.
The true is the the men of this story are not the center of it the only principal her is Dani that after she start feeling that want to leave that place, everything start changing, because the villager show her that they understand her pain, her sorrow, he grief, show her that they can be part of her feelings as an only individual. This movie shows that the villager are like one big cell and that knowledge made Dani change her mind to the point that she didn´t realized that some of her friends are no longer in the village, she didn´t care about that anymore, she became her May Queen in a contest and she accepted it. All the women of the village dress her with a lot of flowers and celebrated with her that she won, she forgets about her boyfriend too. At this point of the movie one again it let you that Dani is a dependent person and now that she is accepted in this place she can feel that she is back with her family again that need nothing more. Something that really called my attention is the effects when they are high instead of showing crazy scenes, you can see the best psychedelic on screen vibes not goofy rainbow stuff more like textures on bark pulsing, flowers opening like lungs, faces warping just a bit, it sells the idea that Dani and the others are never fully grounded.
This movie is not for everyone, is in the category of horror but more as a dramatic horror, the cinematography of this movie is good, beautiful scenes, those mountains in Sweden show that they are like in magical place but as a story the other side is so dark. I do believe that people that is living a grief, a lost in their life this movie will affect them more and why? Shows the reality how people can be manipulated by others when you are in the deepest dark moment of your life and it shows in the movie in the scene where Dani has to decided her boyfriends life in another creepy ritual of this cult, that is the the new people that arrived in the village for the festival is sacrificed been burn and Dani was upset because her boyfriend cheated on her and she didn´t save him she let him die and the only think you see at the end is she smiling, at this moment you don´t know if she is finally become an evil person or just accepted the villagers as her new family, is a way of doesn´t feel alone anymore and with that change and killing her boyfriend she is no longer in pain. Midsommar is a movie that I understand but not recommend for everyone, is deep, is stupid is some kind, slow in other and the ends you know how it happy, why it happen but you can´t accept that it happen, that is a good movie for me yes it is so I let you to decided if you want to see, is phycological horror that somethings are more difficult to watch.
When I saw Home Alone for the first time, I did not imagine that I would laugh so hard and still be touched at the courage of a child. It is the story of a little boy Kevin who is left home alone when his extended family travels to spend Christmas elsewhere. Initially, I believed that parents will never forget their own child but the movie made it look plausible due to the chaos and busyness that surrounded the preparation of the trip.
Macaulay Culkin is Kevin and tons the story with his tongue in cheek expressions, his strategy and his courage. At first, he is perceived to be an unruly boy, who consistently quarrels with his siblings and who makes life tough on his mother. However, when he wakes up to a deserted home, he eventually has got the freedom that he had always desired. The manner in which he screams and runs through the house devouring whatever he desires is what every child might imagine happening to him/her.
But this is drastically changed when two burglars, Harry and Marv, attempt to break in on the house. These two characters are criminals but they are made to be funny with regard to the part they play. They believe that it will be an easy task to rob a house where only a child is present but Kevin puts them wrong.
This is the part where the movie comes out in the way of stars The tricks against the burglars prepared by Kevin are so imaginative, and I could not help laughing at how each of the burglars could be tied down one after another. As well as the perils of walking on melted ice, being burned were all exaggerated but also entertaining.
The best part I enjoyed is that Kevin is portrayed as a person that is well matured before his time. Despite the fact that he is afraid, he decides to protect his homestead. He gets inventive, using objects that they find around the house to fight adults. I was also reminded of how even when children are discounted, they can prove stronger and smarter than adults think.
Nevertheless, this is not the only capacity in which this movie is based. It is also lonesome and emotional at times. The feeling of sadness can be felt when Kevin peeps in through the window and sees families together. He regrets that he wanted his family to disappear, but he comes to understand that they are very important. One of the most heart touching parts was when the old man was separated just like Jon in the church with his family. It gives us the idea that without loved ones Christmas is incomplete.
As a Nigeria, there were some parts in this movie I could relate with in my own way. Family is the core value in our culture, and there is rarely a person that would not miss relatives once they are gone. The experience of Kevin reminded me of how there are times that we fail to appreciate what we are surrounded with until we do not have it anymore.
There was good acting in the film. Macaulay Culkin as Kevin was in a performance that was not just innocent but a smart one too. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as burglars were also ideal in their performance as idiot but dangerous characters. The way they expressed themselves when they were caught in the traps of Kevin was simply funny.
The desperate mother, played by Catherine OHara also added emotion, trying to make the desperate attempt of getting back to her son.
The movie is contemporaneous with the Christmas period and the decorations, snow, and music created a warm atmosphere notwithstanding the threat Kevin had.
Another thing that I observed about the movie is the balance of the light moods and lessons. It makes children creative and that when they face fear they should not quit. In the case of adults, this makes them remember how it is essential to be mindful of family and not to take them lightly.
Home Alone is by no means a recent movie, yet, it is fresh. It enables the mixture of humor, actions, and heart to attract both children and adults. Although I understand the role murder played in Kevin, it was not boring and I enjoyed it from the first month to the last reunion with his mother. It is that type of film which can be viewed over and over, particularly at Christmas time.
To conclude, Home Alone is not only a comedy film. It talks about family, bravery and learning the reality that even a child may be able to stand tall when alone. I laughed, I was touched and ended up liking the message it carries. In my case, it is the film that I will advise people to watch as it offers humor and learning lessons in a single event.
I'd come across this book many times in bookstores and libraries, and I knew the movie existed because the edition I saw most often was the one on the cover of the promotional poster. However, I barely knew—or thought I knew—that it was a fantasy story for children and young adults, somewhat in the vein of The Spiderwick Chronicles. I didn't even know this was a Disney movie, and that says it all. I recently stumbled across this title again in an Instagram post that included it alongside other stories with sad moments or endings, but that didn't prepare me for the experience I had when I saw it earlier this week.
Me había encontrado muchas veces con este libro en librerías y bibliotecas y sabía que existía la película porque la edición que más veía por allí era la de la portada del poster promocional. Sin embargo, apenas sabía - o creía saber - que era una historia de fantasía para niños y jóvenes, un poco en la onda de Las Crónicas de Spiderwick. Ni siquiera sabía que esta era una película de Disney, con eso lo digo todo. Hace poco me topé de nuevo con este título en un post de Instagram que la incluía junto a otras historias con momentos o finales tristes en la trama, pero eso no me preparó para la experiencia que tuve al verla a inicios de esta semana.
Bridge to Terabithia is a film directed by Gábor Csupó based on the book of the same name by Katherine Paterson. It tells the story of Jess Aarons (played by a very young Josh Hutcherson), a boy who feels a bit weird both at school - he's not one of the popular ones or the older students - and at home - he's the only son in a couple who also have four other daughters. His parents tend to be more concerned with the two younger girls and his older sisters don't pay much attention to him, so Jess walks almost on his own, dedicated to two things he loves: running and drawing. On the first day of school after the summer, eccentric Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb) arrives at her class. She not only refuses to be intimidated by the aggression of some of her classmates but also beats Jess and the other kids in a race. After school, the kids meet again on the school bus and it turns out that Leslie's family has just moved into the property next door to Jess's family, making them not only classmates but also neighbors. At first, Jess isn't too happy with the idea, but little by little he starts to get to know Leslie and discover some interesting things about her personality. Like him, she's also a weirdo, but of a different kind because the girl, the daughter of two writers, is a very good teller of fantasy stories, which leads Jess to use his imagination in new and stimulating ways.
Bridge to Terabithia es una película dirigida por Gábor Csupó que está basada en el libro del mismo nombre de Katherine Paterson. En ella se cuenta la historia de Jess Aarons (interpretado por un jovencísimo Josh Hutcherson), un chico que se siente algo raro tanto en el colegio - no es de los populares ni de los estudiantes mayores - como en su propia casa - es el único hijo varón de un matrimonio que cuenta además con otras cuatro hijas. Sus padres suelen estar más preocupados por las dos niñas más chicas y sus hermanas mayores no le prestan mayor atención, así que Jess anda casi por cuenta propia dedicado a dos cosas que le encantan: correr y dibujar. El primer día de clases después del verano llega a su curso la excéntrica Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb) quien no sólo no se deja amilanar por la agresividad de algunos compañeros sino que además vence a Jess y a los otros chicos en una carrera. Después de clases, los chicos vuelven a encontrarse en el bus escolar y resulta que la familia de Leslie se ha mudado recién a la propiedad contigua a la de la familia de Jess con lo que no serán sólo compañeros de clases sino también vecinos. Al principio, Jess no está muy contento con la idea, pero poco a poco comienza a conocer a Leslie y a descubrir en ella algunas cosas geniales de su personalidad. Al igual que él, ella también es rara, pero de una rareza diferente porque la niña, hija de dos escritores, es una muy buena contadora de historias de fantasía, lo que lleva a Jess a usar su imaginación de nuevas y estimulantes maneras.
One day, upon returning home, Leslie tells Jess that they need a place, a place they can go and escape from life, from their bullying classmates, from bad things, a place that belongs only to them, and that's how the kids take a section of the forest that surrounds their houses and transform it into the magical kingdom of Terabithia. The transformation isn't real, or is it? If things are what we think they are, where does reality begin and where does fantasy? Bridge to Terabithia is, among many other things, a tribute to the power of imagination.
Un día, al volver a casa, Leslie le dice a Jess que necesitan un lugar, un lugar al que puedan ir y escapar de la vida, de sus compañeros abusadores del colegio, de las cosas malas, un lugar que les pertenezca sólo a ellos y es así como los chicos toman una parte del bosque que rodea sus casas y lo transforman en el mágico reino de Terabithia. La transformación no es real, ¿o sí? Si las cosas son los que creemos que son, ¿en dónde comienza la realidad y en dónde la fantasía? Bridge to Terabithia es, entre muchas otras cosas, un canto al poder de la imaginación.
I want to talk about the film's strengths, and I can't do so without spoilers, so I'm inserting a WARNING here. From the discovery of this kingdom onwards, the story weaves together different narrative threads. On one hand, there's the children's school life, their classes, their teachers, their classmates, etc.; on the other, we have the family dynamics of the Aarons, with five children, a modest income, and a ton of chores that don't leave much time for displays of affection. Meanwhile, the Burkes are a happier family, with a single, wonderful daughter and projects as colorful and fun as painting a room gold. Added to this are Jess and Leslie's adventures in Terabithia, those games that increasingly feel more real and are full of adventures, giant trolls, and other magical creatures that inhabit the place. But there are also other personal, very emotional aspects, such as Jess's relationship with her little sister May Belle (Bailee Madison); The boy's admiration for Miss Edmunds (Zooey Deschanel); Jess's lack of affection from her father (Robert Patrick); themes such as friendship, bullying, vocation, family, loneliness, empathy... the film even allows itself to discuss such heavy topics as belief in divinity, life after death, and grief after losing a loved one. Some think this makes the film unsuitable for children, but with proper supervision—and starting at a reasonable age—I think it's a good way to introduce these uncomfortable, yet necessary, conversations.
Quiero hablar de los aciertos de la cinta y no puedo hacerlo sin spoilers, así que inserto aquí una advertencia. A partir del descubrimiento de este reino, la historia va mezclando diferentes líneas narrativas. Por un lado está la vida de los niños en la escuela, las clases, los maestros, sus compañeros, etc., por otro lado tenemos las dinámicas familiares de los Aarons, con cinco hijos, ingresos modestos y un montón de tareas que no dejan mucho tiempo para las muestras de afecto, mientras que los Burke son una familia más feliz, con una única y maravillosa hija y proyectos tan vistosos y divertidos como pintar una habitación de color dorado; a ello se suman las aventuras de Jess y Leslie en Terabithia, esos juegos que cada vez se sienten más reales y que están llenos de aventuras, trolls gigantes y otras criaturas mágicas habitantes del lugar. Pero también hay otras aristas personales, muy emotivas, como la relación de Jess con su hermanita May Belle (Bailee Madison); la admiración que tiene el niño por la señorita Edmunds (Zooey Deschanel); la falta de afecto que siente Jess de parte de su padre (Robert Patrick); temas como la amistad, el bullying, la vocación, la familia, la soledad, la empatía... la película incluso se permite discutir sobre temas tan densos como la fe en la divinidad, la vida después de la muerte y el duelo al perder a un ser querido. Algunos piensan que eso hace que la película no sea apropiada para niños, pero con la supervisión debida - y a partir de una edad prudente - creo que es una buena forma de introducir estas conversaciones tan incómodas como necesarias.
The film doesn't really have any plot twists. The only, all-important one is common knowledge and is one of the reasons why this film is so difficult to forget for those of us who've seen it. In a way, I already knew what would happen when it happened, but at that moment, immersed in the plot and having accompanied Jess and Leslie from the beginning as just another inhabitant of the magical Terabithia, I was truly surprised. I let myself be swept away by the story's tenderness, by its joy, and I couldn't anticipate the shock that would come. I wasn't prepared.
La película en realidad no tiene giros en la trama. El único, importantísimo, es de conocimiento popular y es una de las razones que ha hecho que está película sea tan difícil de olvidar para quienes la hemos visto. De alguna forma ya yo sabía lo que ocurriría cuando sucedió, pero en ese instante, sumergido en la trama y habiendo acompañado a Jess y a Leslie desde el inicio como un habitante más de la mágica Terabithia, la verdad es que me sorprendió. Me dejé envolver por la ternura del relato, por su alegría, y no supe anticipar el golpe que recibiría. No estaba preparado.
Yes, I cried. I cried with Jess when Leslie left him alone, and I felt deep within me the guilt, the fear, the pain, the anger, and the confusion that comes with losing someone that way. I cried because, like Jess, I came to love that little girl, so alive, so awake, as magical as the stories she spun. But I also cried for the Burkes, for the Aarons, for Jess's lack of affection in their home, for the void Leslie left in their classroom, for her legacy, for the way Jess chose to honor her, for the gesture at the end, for the way love, friendship, and noble sentiments can transcend the barriers of time, space, and even life. As writing, the script for Bridge to Terabithia is far from among the best, but it works very well on an emotional level. I tend to get very emotional during movies, but not cry. Not like this. I have shed tears at some scenes in stories like Big Fish, Hachiko, Up (those bastards from Disney and Pixar!) and the tremendously emotional Black, an Indian film with the iconic Amitabh Bachchan (which I now want to see again), but few others. Maybe it's because I've been very emotional lately or because I got too caught up in the plot and identified so much with its protagonists, but I confess that this film destroyed me and left me with red eyes and a crumpled heart. I've always said that I prefer art that makes me feel, that moves me, a bit like that famous Kafka quote and Oh, boy, this movie really moved me! So thanks for that. How many of you have seen this film? I'll read you in the comments.
Sí, lloré. Lloré con Jess cuando Leslie lo dejó solo y sentí muy dentro de mí la culpa, el miedo, el dolor, la rabia y la confusión que significa perder a alguien de esa manera. Lloré porque, como Jess, llegué a amar a esa niña tan viva, tan despierta, tan mágica como las historias que ella misma inventaba. Pero también lloré por los Burke, por los Aarons, por la falta de afecto de Jess en su hogar, por el vacío que dejó Leslie en su salón, por su legado, por la forma en que Jess decidió honrarla, por el gesto del final, por la forma en que el amor, la amistad y los sentimientos nobles pueden trascender las barreras del tiempo, el espacio e incluso de la vida. Como escritura, el guion de Bridge to Terabithia dista mucho de estar entre los mejores, pero funciona muy bien a nivel emocional. Suelo emocionarme mucho con las películas, pero no llorar. No así. He derramado lágrimas en algunas escenas de historias como Big Fish, Hachiko, Up (¡esos desgraciados de Disney y Pixar!) y la tremendamente emotiva Black, película india con el icónico Amitabh Bachchan (que ahora tengo ganas de volver a ver), pero pocas más. A lo mejor es que estoy muy emocional últimamente o que me adentré mucho en la trama y me identifiqué mucho con sus protagonistas, pero confieso que esta película me destruyó y me dejó los ojos enrojecidos y el corazón arrugado. Siempre he dicho que me gusta más el arte que me hace sentir, que me remueve, un poco como aquella famosa frase de Kafka y ¡Oh, boy, this movie really moved me!, así que gracias por eso, ¿cuántos de ustedes han visto esta película? Los leo en los comentarios.
Reviewed by | Reseñado por @cristiancaicedo
Other posts that may interest you | Otros posts que pueden interesarte:
This post is in Spanish and English. You can go to the post in English by clicking HERE
Saludos amantes del animé de #TheAnimeRealm. Hace tiempo atrás me recomendaron ver la película La Tumba de las Luciérnagas y pasado un tiempo le di una oportunidad sin saber de qué trataba. No me arrepiento de haberla visto, pero para mí es una de esas películas que merece ser vista al menos una vez.
Cuando decidí darle una oportunidad a la película fue porque se trataba de uno de los trabajos más emblemáticos de Isao Takahata y porque pertenecía los famosos estudios Ghibli del cual me considero gran fan por sus tantas películas que siempre están cargadas de enseñanzas de vida y moralejas.
Pero La Tumba de las Luciérnagas es diferente a todos los temas que conocía de este estudio. Muestra la cruda realidad de lo que implica un país en guerra y las personas que quedan en él intentando sobrevivir.
Y lo peor no es sólo el tema de la guerra en sí sino que te cuentan la historia de supervivencia desde el punto de vista de dos niños indefensos que han quedado huérfanos a causa de la misma y por ende, te muestran situaciones fuertes que estas criaturas tuvieron que experimentar buscando una mejor calidad de vida.
La historia de por si es increíble, Takahata supo cómo tocarle la médula y el corazón a quien ve esta película, al menos fue así en mi caso. Te lleva de la mano con estos dos niños disfrutando buenos momentos y otros no tan buenos, pero siempre conservando la inocencia infantil, lo que la hace realmente tierna.
Los tiempos de guerra siempre han sido crueles a nivel mundial, pero ver a las víctimas de la misma y que a su vez sean almas tan jóvenes, con tanto por vivir y experimentar, la hace aún más fuerte de ver.
A mí me recordó mucho la historia del Niño de Pijamas de Raya, film que por cierto sólo vi una vez por lo cruda que fue, así como otras tantas películas de este género. La verdad hay que tener tanto corazón como estómago para ver estas cosas.
Y aunque la película empieza con spoilers y te cuenta un poco lo que ocurrirá al final, ves ciertas cosas en el inicio que carecen de sentido pero al conocer más la historia de estos niños y darte cuenta de lo que realmente ocurrió, es algo bastante triste.
A mí me dejó mal esta película por unos cuantos días. Ambos personajes me costó sacarlos de mis pensamientos pensando cómo hubieran podido hacer mejor las cosas, cómo les hubiera ido mejor de haber tomado decisiones diferentes pero la triste realidad es que aunque es una película animada, fácilmente se puede confundir con una historia basada en hechos reales.
Tal vez yo soy muy sensible para estos temas y lloro por casi todo. Pero la verdad es que esta película merece todos los reconocimientos que recibió ya que Takahata se esforzó en hacer llegar su mensaje al público con su trama. De mi parte le otorgo:
Al Final del post puedes ver el Trailer de la Serie o pincha AQUI para ir allá
>
English
Greetings anime lovers from #TheAnimeRealm. A while back I was recommended to watch the movie Grave of the Fireflies and after a while I gave it a chance without knowing what it was about. I don't regret having seen it, but for me it's one of those movies that deserves to be seen at least once.
When I decided to give the film a chance, it was because it was one of Isao Takahata's most emblematic works and because it belonged to the famous Ghibli studios, of which I consider myself a big fan for their many films that are always full of life lessons and morals.
But Grave of the Fireflies is unlike any other I've seen in this studio. It shows the harsh reality of what it means to have a country at war and the people left behind trying to survive.
And the worst part isn't just the war itself, but the fact that they tell the story of survival from the perspective of two defenseless children orphaned by the war, and therefore show you the powerful experiences these children had to endure in their quest for a better quality of life.
The story itself is incredible. Takahata knew how to touch the core and the heart of anyone who watches this film, at least that was the case for me. He takes you by the hand with these two children, enjoying good times and some not so good ones, but always preserving their childlike innocence, which makes it truly endearing.
Wartime has always been cruel worldwide, but seeing the victims of war, and the fact that they are such young souls with so much to live and experience, makes it even more powerful.
It reminded me a lot of the story of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a film I only saw once because of how crude it was, as well as many other films of this genre. Honestly, you have to have as much heart as stomach to watch these things.
And although the film starts with spoilers and tells you a little about what will happen in the end, you see certain things in the beginning that don't make sense, but when you learn more about these children's story and realize what really happened, it's quite sad.
This movie left me feeling sick for a few days. It was hard to get both characters out of my thoughts, wondering how they could have done things better, how things would have gone better for them if they'd made different decisions. But the sad truth is that even though it's an animated film, it can easily be mistaken for a story based on real events.
Maybe I'm just too sensitive about these issues and cry at almost everything. But the truth is, this film deserves all the accolades it received, as Takahata made an effort to convey his message to the audience with his plot. From my side, I give it:
If there is an institution whose name evokes saturation among film (and now television) viewers, then it is Marvel Comics. Its comics, most often tied into a self-contained universe that allows for countless crossovers of popular heroes, have served as a template not just for one, but even two rather successful film franchises that bring in a fortune for the parent studios, and, most tragically of all, eliminate the need for any particular creativity on the part of filmmakers. This means that all these films and superheroes will eventually start to resemble one another and mean nothing beyond the most die-hard fans or the children whom parents drag to multiplexes to watch CGI explosions and men in bizarre costumes for just under three hours. Conversely, this also means that any film from this franchise that deviates even slightly from this formula will be something truly special—either a financial cataclysm after which established critics and Hollywood watchers will ask, “What were the studio bosses smoking in the office before they gave the green light?” or, far more rarely, something that resonates so strongly with an audience hungry for change that it generates enthusiasm the film might objectively not deserve. Deadpool, which appeared in cinemas in the first half of 2016 and became one of the biggest sleeper hits in recent times, falls into the latter category.
The film belongs to the X-Men, the second Marvel franchise, based on a series of comics about superhuman mutants, which, unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is still held by 20th Century Fox rather than Disney. This franchise, launched way back in 2000, is much older but also less successful than Disney’s, and after the third film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it nearly got canned due to commercial underperformance. In that ill-fated film, the mutant-mercenary Wade Wilson, better known by the alias Deadpool, appeared as one of the supporting characters, portrayed by Ryan Reynolds. The Canadian actor, despite his character in Origins being a villain who ultimately dies, fell in love with the role, particularly its original comic book incarnation where his trademark was sarcastic commentary and direct address to readers. Reynolds began aggressively lobbying 20th Century Fox to give Deadpool his own film, in which he would play the lead, and after numerous hurdles, he succeeded—largely thanks to the “leak” of test footage online, which triggered an avalanche of enthusiasm among comic book geeks, whose opinions nowadays often carry significant weight in Hollywood studios. Deadpool, however, did not have Fox’s full confidence—which was understandable given Reynolds’ involvement in the superhero disaster that was Green Lantern. This resulted in a relatively modest budget of just tens of millions of dollars but also greater creative freedom, making Deadpool one of the rare superhero films to receive the stricter “R” rating.
That Deadpool is definitively not a typical superhero film is evident right from the start, which throws us in medias res into a spectacular action sequence where the titular masked protagonist, armed with katanas, wakizashis, and similar cold weapons, bloodily dispatches hordes of heavily armed villains on an overpass. Beyond the rivers of blood spilled and the stream of profanities uttered, Deadpool’s atypicality lies in his direct address to the audience, as he begins explaining how he got to this point. This is followed by a flashback introducing Wade Wilson as a former elite special forces operative working as a mercenary in New York. On one occasion, he meets the prostitute Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), with whom he begins a passionate romance and eventually proposes. His marital bliss is disrupted by a medical diagnosis informing him he will soon die; unwilling to traumatise Vanessa with this, he abandons her. When offered participation in a secret experimental programme that could extend his life, Wilson agrees and enters a clandestine laboratory run by Francis Freeman, alias Ajax (Ed Skrein), whose goal is to create an army of mutants through an extremely complex, lengthy, and excruciatingly painful mutation-inducing process. Wilson, subjected to constant torture by Ajax, eventually escapes the laboratory but realises that alongside his extended life and new superhuman abilities, he has acquired a grotesquely disfigured appearance, leading him to don a mask and dub himself “Deadpool”. Finding refuge with the blind elderly black woman Al (Leslie Uggams), he begins planning his revenge against Ajax, though complications arise with the intervention of the “official” X-Men, represented by Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Briana Hildebrand) and Colossus (Stefan Kapičić).
Deadpool cannot be classified among films remembered for fascinating characters, intriguing plots, or significant themes, yet it cannot be denied that it delivers its content to audiences in an exceptionally entertaining and often clever manner. It is clear that Reynolds revels endlessly in the role, knowing it will wash off all the stigma of Green Lantern, and part of this enjoyment is contagious for viewers, who rarely get the chance to witness a veritable antithesis and parody of the typical Hollywood superhero. The film’s parodic and unserious character is evident in scenes whose explicitness regarding “inappropriate” activities recalls the raunchy comedies of Judd Apatow (including one after which male viewers will celebrate Wives’ Day with entirely different eyes). Its contribution is also bolstered by numerous pop culture references and an iconoclastic approach to the Marvel universe, best exemplified by the inclusion of two “conventional” superheroes—Negasonic Teenage Warhead, so obscure that even the most die-hard comic book geeks must turn to search engines to identify her, and who mostly remains silent and inactive in the film; and Colossus, representing the “normal” and “socially responsible” superhero who, largely unsuccessfully, tries to “set Deadpool on the right path”. What prevents everything in Deadpool from being perfect is the combination of a structurally unpolished script and budgetary constraints, most evident in the anticlimactic final showdown, and the main villain, portrayed by Ed Skrein, is not a character that will linger in memory. Because of all this, Deadpool is a very good film, but one that rose, thankfully unfounded concerns that the inevitable sequels, starting with Deadpool 2 in 2018, would, in true Hollywood fashion, ruin everything.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
(Note: The text in the original Croatian version is available here.)
At this point, I think I actually like it more when I hate a movie or TV show. That way I get to prove I have some credibility and standards and don't just love everything.
Well thank you The Amateur for providing me an opportunity to show that I'm not just all puppy dogs and ice cream all the time! I hated this movie. It suffered from some of my biggest pet peeves in a movie. First, it was based on a book. Obviously that alone is not enough to sink a movie for me. After all, Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest trilogies ever and it is based on a book. But that is the exact point. Lord of the Rings spent over three hours (four if you watch the extended versions) making sure to tell the whole story. When a movie based on a book is too short, it always feels like an incomplete story to me. Characters and their actions don't make sense because we only have part of the story. Even with a two hour run time, it still felt incomplete.
But I'm honestly not complaining. What they kept was so boring that I don't think I could have handled another minute let alone another hour. I have heard some people comment that the movie should have been a limited run television series. Perhaps that would have worked if that extra time allowed anything to make sense... but I doubt that would be the case.
Even though I hated the movie and would never recommend anyone spend time on it, I realize people have different tastes and may love it. Therefore, I will stick to my no spoilers rule. I will only stick to things that are in the trailer for the movie or that can't spoil anything. The first example of something that made no sense was why Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, the Punisher) is listed as being in the movie. He is literally in the movie for less than five minutes and he does absolutely nothing. I mean nothing. If his scenes were cut entirely, there would have been zero difference to the movie. It was actually kind of weird how little he was in it. In his opening scene, it seems like he will be a major factor... and poof... then he's gone.
WARNING! He's not really in the movie.
The second example of something making absolutely no sense is the pool scene that is in the trailer. Our "hero" played by Rami Malek wants to kill a guy who took part in the murder of his wife. he approaches the man at the deserted rooftop pool... OK wait. I need to explain that they made a very big deal about the fact this bad guy rented out the entire top floor including the pool. they closed it to the public and somehow Rami Malek just strolls up to him. OK whatever. And then, Rami decides to use some crazy device to decompress the air between the glass of the pool shattering it and sending a ton of water... AND GLASS falling on to a beautiful courtyard 200 stories below. Luckily the courtyard was empty on this beautiful night so no innocent people were killed. I'm not sure why no one was in the courtyard aside from them being blocked by plot armor... but whatever. I get that Rami's character can't kill anyone with a gun or a knife. He's no murderer so he needs some distance and technology. But a device to depressurize and break glass? Has he ever heard of an extension cord? Just drop that in the pool and walk away. Why risk any innocent peoples' lives below?
As soon as that happened, I asked my wife "Do you want to keep watching this?' Sadly she said yes. Then the two of us proceeded to spend the next 45 minutes scrolling on our phones while absurd spy shit happened on the TV. I was bored out of my mind. Its honestly the most bored/annoyed I have been by a movie in quite a while.
Hello, cinema fans. Let's talk about one of the most underrated and forgotten classics of the science fiction genre. A mix of military action and humor that gave birth to a highly criticized franchise within the industry. But the nostalgia and memories that this work offers are the reason why I'm bringing it to you today. This film is directed by Roland Emmerich (the same director of Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012). It also stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. Discover one of those films that were part of a great era.
SPANISH VERSION
Hola, fanáticos del cine. Hablemos de uno de los clásicos más infravalorados y olvidados del género de la ciencia ficción. Una mezcla de militares con acción y humor que dió nacimiento a una franquicia muy criticada dentro de esta industria. Pero la nostalgia y los recuerdos que esta obra ofrece es la razón por la cual se las traigo el día de hoy. Esta película está dirigida por Roland Emmerich (mismo director de Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow y 2012). También cuenta con el protagonismo de Jean-Claude Van Damme y Dolph Lundgren. Conoce una de esas cintas que fueron parte de una gran época.
The film begins with what appears to be the Vietnamese jungle on a rainy night, with a soldier running for his life. One of his comrades stops him and asks what happened to the rest of the platoon, to which he replies that they have all been killed by their own sergeant. Soldier Luc Deveraux goes to the village where they were stationed to find the bodies of his comrades and Sergeant Andrew Scott making a necklace out of severed ears. Luc says he wants to go home, but Andrew accuses him of being a traitor like the others and orders him to shoot a couple they have imprisoned. He refuses, causing the couple to be killed by the sergeant and then killed each other.
However, instead of telling the world what happened in that village, the US Army decides to classify this as "missing in action". Later, the bodies of the sergeant and soldier Deveraux are taken away on ice to carry out a secret experiment in body reanimation. This project is called Universal Soldier and, decades later, is run illegally by a small group of scientists and soldiers. This elite squad, made up of soldiers killed in war, is used to carry out dangerous missions such as terrorist attacks.
SPANISH VERSION
Trama
La película inicia con lo que parece ser el bosque de Vietnam, en una noche lluviosa, con un soldado corriendo por su vida. Uno de sus compañeros lo detiene y le pregunta qué sucedió con el resto del pelotón, a lo que le responde que todos han sido asesinados por su mismo sargento. El soldado Luc Deveraux acude a la aldea en la que se encontraban para toparse con los cuerpos de sus compañeros y al sargento Andrew Scott haciendo un collar con orejas cercenadas. Luc dice que ya quiere irse a casa, pero Andrew lo acusa de ser un traidor como los demás y lo manda a dispararle a una pareja que tiene aprisionados. Él se niega, lo cual hace que la pareja muera a manos del sargento y luego sean asesinados mutuamente.
Sin embargo, en vez de contarle al mundo lo sucedido en esa aldea, el ejército estadounidense decide catalogar esto como “desaparecidos en combate”. Posteriormente, se llevan los cuerpos del sargento y del soldado Deveraux en hielo para posteriormente realizar un experimento secreto de reanimación de cuerpos. Este proyecto es llamado Soldado Universal y, décadas después, está a cargo de un pequeño grupo de científicos y soldados de manera ilegítima. Dicho escuadrón de élite compuesto por soldados asesinados en la guerra es utilizado para realizar misiones peligrosas como lo son los atentados terroristas.
Undoubtedly, this is one of the films I remember most when names like Jean-Claude Van Damme come to mind, for example. And not because it is popular among the wide repertoire of action films he has worked on, but because of how nostalgic it became for me when I saw it as a kid. However, beyond being a simple classic from the 90s, Universal Soldier is nothing more than a failed attempt to recreate the famous success that Terminator had at the time. Of course, with the only difference being that, in this case, it's not robots coming from the future, but genetically reanimated soldiers.
While the premise was appealing at first, the execution never quite delivered the expected result. Even so, this first installment was a box office success, which doesn't surprise me at all given that it was directed by the great Roland Emmerich (although this is by far his best film) and starred two of the greatest action actors of the time. But if we look at the script, the story, and the characters themselves, there are so many details to mention that I would simply end up giving it a terrible rating in the end. I remember very well how one of the sequels to this film was repeated so often on television that it was difficult not to watch it because of how entertaining it is, but not in a good way.
SPANISH VERSION
Indudablemente, esta es de las películas que más recuerdo cuando se me viene a la mente nombres como Jean-Claude Van Damme, por ejemplo. Y no porque sea popular entre el amplio repertorio de cintas de acción en las que ha trabajado, sino por lo nostálgica que llegó a ser para mí en su momento cuando la veía de chico. Sin embargo, más allá de ser un simple clásico de los 90s, Universal Soldier no es más que un fallido intento de recrear el famoso éxito que tuvo Terminator en su momento. Claro está, con la única diferencia de que, en este caso, no son robots que vienen del futuro, sino soldados reanimados genéticamente.
Si bien la premisa fue llamativa al principio, la ejecución nunca llegó a tener el resultado esperado. Aún así, esta primera entrega fue todo un éxito en taquilla, algo que no me sorprende del todo debido a que detrás está el gran Roland Emmerich (aunque esta es de lejos su mejor película) y de protagonistas están dos de los más grandes actores del género de acción de aquella época. Pero si nos vamos por el lado del guión, la historia y los personajes en sí, hay tantos detalles a mencionar que simplemente acabaría con darle una pésima calificación al final. Recuerdo muy bien cómo una de las secuelas de esta película se repetía tanto en la televisión que era difícil no verla por lo entretenida que es, pero no de buena manera.
Let's just say that this sequel surpassed the first film only in the absurdity of its plot and character development. In the end, the failure of this film and other subsequent sequels completely wiped out the franchise. Now it is only remembered as a classic action and science fiction film that went nowhere, beyond entertaining with the same old stuff found in any american film. As I said at the beginning, I'm only bringing you this film because of nostalgia and its plot, nothing else. Because it doesn't have much else to offer, beyond a brutal antagonist like Andrew Scott (played by Dolph Lundgren) and Van Damme's incredible action scenes, of course.
But if we look at the story, there are details that become somewhat absurd, such as the theme of body reanimation. This is barely explained in the film in a rather vague way—in my opinion—which is not at all convincing and borders more on fiction. This would be the only thing, since the rest is pure, hard action typical of the time. On the other hand, we have the main characters, such as Luc Deveraux (played by Jean-Claude Van Damme), who seems to be the younger, dumb brother of the Terminator. Both his personality and his acting leave a lot to be desired, to be honest. The only thing he excels at is the action scenes, and that's it.
SPANISH VERSION
Digamos que dicha secuela superó a esta primera entrega en únicamente lo absurdo de su trama y ejecución de personajes. Al final, el fracaso de dicha cinta y de otras secuelas posteriores desterró por completo a esta franquicia. Ahora solo es recordada como un clásico del cine de acción y ciencia ficción que no llegó a ningún lado, más allá de entretener con lo mismo de siempre de cualquier cinta estadounidense. Como dije al principio, si les traigo esta película es únicamente por la nostalgia y por su trama, nomás. Porque de resto no tiene mucho más para dar, más allá de un brutal antagonista como lo es Andrew Scott (interpretado por Dolph Lundgren) y las increíbles escenas de acción de Van Damme, por supuesto.
Pero si nos dirigimos a lo que es la historia, hay detalles que pasan a ser un tanto absurdos como lo es el tema de la reanimación de cuerpos. Esto en la película apenas y lo explican de una manera bastante vaga -en lo personal- lo cual no convence para nada y raya más en la ficción. Esto sería lo único, ya que de resto es pura acción pura y dura típica de la época. Por otro lado, tenemos a los personajes principales, como es el caso de Luc Deveraux (interpretado por Jean-Claude Van Damme) que pareciera ser el hermano menor y tonto de Terminator. Tanto su forma de ser como de actuar deja mucho que desear, la verdad. En lo único en lo que se destaca es en las escenas de acción y ya.
Meanwhile, in the case of the aforementioned Andrew Scott, I think Lundgren does an excellent job of playing the role of a maniacal killer and ear collector. I don't know if it's because at that time I only saw him in villain roles (as was the case in the Rocky movies) or simply because the role suits him well. Other than that, I don't have much else to say about the performances of the other characters, apart from the mediocre doctors and the annoying ex-reporter who only serves as the typical supporting role. But that's not all, as the film fails not only in terms of its characters.
There's also the script and the absurd number of clichés in this film. Most of these details are seen at the end, in the third act, in particular. Moments when logic completely escapes the screen just to give us action scenes and explosions for no reason. Dramatic twists that are simply unnecessary. Double entendres and awkward moments that only serve to provide fan service. And let's not forget the inexplicable moment when everything went down the drain because we believed that a certain character had died when in fact he never did. The latter was just to give the story a more dramatic ending.
SPANISH VERSION
Mientras que, en el caso del ya mencionado Andrew Scott considero que Lundgren hace un excelente trabajo de interpretación al meterse en el papel de maniático asesino y coleccionista de orejas. No sé si sea porque ya en ese entonces solo lo veía en papeles de villanos (como lo fue en el caso de las películas de Rocky) o simplemente porque el papel queda bien con él. De resto, no tengo mucho más que opinar de la actuación de otros personajes, dejando de lado a los doctores mediocres y a la ex-reportera pesada que solo sirve para ser el típico papel secundario. Pero eso no es todo, ya que no solo la película falla en el tema de los personajes.
También está el caso del guión y la cantidad absurda de clichés que tiene esta película. La mayoría de estos detalles se ven al final, en el tercer acto, en especial. Momentos en los que la lógica se escapa por completo de la pantalla nomás para darnos escenas de acción y explosiones sin más. Giros dramáticos que simplemente están de más. Chistes de doble sentido y momentos incómodos que solo sirven para dar fanservice. Y no olvidemos el inexplicable momento en el que todo se fue al caño por creer que cierto personaje había muerto cuando en realidad nunca murió. Esto último nomás para darle un cierre más dramático a la historia.
Honestly, I'm not saying that all of this is wrong in this movie, at least not if you're just looking to be entertained by watching your favorite action movie star fight and kick ass. Because if you're looking for logic or meaning in the story and some of its details, then you're better off forgetting about it and saving yourself the headache. In the end, these types of movies become famous simply because they are a repertoire of clichés with endless action sequences, low-budget explosions, and plots with superficial characters and not much to tell. You know, those Hollywood movies that abound today.
Last but not least, let's talk about the audiovisual aspect of this film. With such a low budget, it's to be expected that we'll see a lot of practical effects. There's almost no CGI, which is a positive thing. Likewise, both the plot and the script of the film don't point to many magnificent scenes, far from it. The style of photography, moving cameras, and transitions are typical of any action movie of the time. The sound effects are fine, but nothing like the movie's soundtrack, which, from time to time, can be quite impressive. As I said, this is a movie that is only good for switching off your mind and entertaining yourself.
Personally, I give it a rating of 6.5/10 in terms of the action and science fiction genre.
SPANISH VERSION
Sinceramente, no digo que todo esto esté mal en esta película, al menos no si lo que buscas es simplemente entretenerte viendo a tu actor favorito de cintas de acción pelear y dar patadas sin más. Porque si buscas lógica o sentido a lo que es la historia y algunos detalles de la misma, entonces es mejor que te olvides de ella y te ahorres ese dolor de cabeza. Al final, este tipo de películas llegan a ser famosas por el simple hecho de ser un repertorio de clichés con secuencias interminables de acción, explosiones de bajo presupuesto y tramas con personajes superficiales y sin mucho por contar. Ya saben, de esas películas hollywoodenses que abundan al día de hoy.
Por último, pero no menos importante, hablemos del apartado audiovisual que tiene esta película. Al tener muy poco presupuesto es de esperarse que veamos utilizar muchos efectos prácticos. No tiene casi nada de CGI, lo cual es positivo. Igualmente, tanto la trama como el mismo guión de la película no apuntan a ver muchas escenas tan magníficas ni muchísimo menos. El estilo de fotografía, cámaras en movimiento y transiciones es típico de cualquier cinta de acción de la época. Los efectos de sonido están bien, pero nada como la banda sonora que tiene la película que, de vez en cuando, llega a impactar bastante. Como ya dije, esta es una cinta que solo sirve para descontar la mente y entretenerse.
Personalmente, le doy una calificación de 6.5/10 en lo que respecta al género de la acción y la ciencia ficción.
Tell me, have you seen the movie yet? What did you think of it? You can leave me your answer in a comment.
Dime, ¿ya has visto la película? ¿Qué te ha parecido? Puedes dejarme tu respuesta en un comentario.
Cover Image & Banners: Canva.
Traslated by: DeepL Translate.
Character Art by: @/ushiro.snow.
-|-
The friend when the blackmailing started and they are getting scared 
The killer in fish slicker
The pastor who was falsely accused and killed too
The killer
The killers partner in crime 
[Source](https://screenrant.com/)
[Source](https://screenrant.com/)
[Source](https://screenrant.com/)
[Source](https://screenrant.com/)
[Source](https://screenrant.com/)
[Source](https://screenrant.com/)
