Aoki ryûsei SPT Reizunâ (1985) Review

IMDB Review: Aoki ryûsei SPT Reizunâ (1985) 

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The first 24 episodes of SPT Layzner are terrific. These shows are military focused science fiction that have the grit and mood of Votoms, but with a more likable cast and far, far better animation. It's the same director/creator, Ryosuke Takahashi, so likely he was given more money this time. I adore Votoms, but the animation timing and colors on that show aren't great (unless you like mauve and lavender explosions that happen at the same slow speed as a person walking). SPT Layzner contains some of the most wonderfully detailed television cel animation from Japan. The intricate shading, the dynamic key frames (often in the Yoshinori Kanada-style), and the fluid in-betweening in the fight scenes often compare to OVAs of that era. The mecha are incredibly well designed. In these regards, I'm hard pressed to think of SPT's rival.

For 24 episodes I thought I had come across something that would rank amongst my favorite real robot shows and OVAs, which are Macross, Macross Plus, Votoms, Gundam 08 MS Team, Mobile Suit Gundam (1979), and Metalskin Panic Madox 01.

But then the second season begins on episode 25 (actually 26 since 25 is mostly a recap episode), and things get different. The dark, atmospheric backgrounds are replaced with mostly bright daylight, and science fiction and military conceits are jettisoned in favor of an action story that was probably equally influenced by Fist of the North Star, The Road Warrior, Macross, and possibly the V mini-series. Although I like all of these things, they are not SPT Layzner, and the experience of watching the second part of SPT Layzner is frustrating and disappointing.

The temporal jump and overall concept of this second season are from Macross, and the freedom fighter angle is from there as well. The ensemble characters that worked so well in 1-24 no longer function as an ensemble---and they are less interesting as individuals than as a group. The villains in 25-38 are cackling buffoons (including the lone cackler who was resurrected from the first season). Some of these guys look like Jagi from FotNS, except Ru Cain, who looks like Shin from FotNS. And our once reluctant warrior Eiji is now a killer Kenshiro martial artist. These latter episodes have an increased amount of sadism, but not really comparable to what was going on with OVA stuff at the time--or even on a level with FotNS, so not notable in that regard. The mild version of Baoh or Violence Jack or MD Geist is a sad digression from what SPT Layzner originally was . 

There is only one thing that gives these latter episodes any value: there are an abundance of very well animated mecha battles. But that's it, and that's a shame.

Also worth criticizing is the last episode, which is bad and mostly a clip show. So my suspicion is they ran out of money and this lackluster "conclusion" was only there to set up the OVAs. I will check these out when I've recovered from my disappointment with the last 14 episodes, but for it's first 24 episodes, this show was everything I want in a real robot anime and executed at a higher level than I've seen in eighties television anime. A bittersweet viewing experience.

13 Hours (2016) Review

IMDB Review: 13 Hours (2016)

Although the phrase 'The best Michael Bay movie ever' may not be an actual compliment in a lot of circles, '13 Hours' is a solid 7 out of 10 and better than almost every movie that I saw in 2015. It is the successful modern warfare movie that the highly confusing 'Black Hawk Down' and the very dull 'Zero Dark Thirty' were not.

Showcasing a big cast of likable (and discernible) characters and some good (albeit slightly confusing) action set pieces, this movie bears comparisons to the HBO series 'Band of Brothers' and 'Generation Kill,' which it more strongly resembles, but it is actually a bit better than those good shows, thanks to the very likable, better differentiated ensemble cast of characters and the uncomfortable, but steady ratcheting of the plot. And unlike 'Black Hawk Down' and 'Zero Dark Thirty' almost all of the drama here actually works. The grisly moments are well--and dryly--handled, and the performances are good, and in some cases--such as with Schreiber, Denman, and Krasinski--very good.

None of the flaws are severe. Mostly, they are limited to the (expected) overcutting of the material, the occasional stylistic flourishes that don't quite gel with the rest of the movie (e.g. the mortar shell point of view), some scenes that are explained rather than shown (eg. the guarding the ambassador during his public appearance), and a handful of line readings of the wisecracking dialogue that don't seem as natural as those that are in the rest of the movie.

In terms of morals and messages, '13 Hours' was noticeably grayer than I was expecting it to be, especially considering the director and that it was based on a true story. If I did not know who directed this, my first guess would actually have been Michael Mann--the visuals really have that lose, purposefully ugly 'Collatera'l and 'Miami Vice' (2006) feel--though this is certainly a much more sentimental picture than anything that Mann has made in decades. A surprisingly good ensemble war event along the lines of 'Men in War' (1957) and 'Battleground' (1949). Recommended.

The Revenant (2015) Review

IMDB Review: The Revenant (2015)

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This tedious movie is a humorless, monotonous, pretentious music video that occasionally feels like a Leonardo DiCaprio showreel. It is distractingly directed by the gimmicky showman Inarritu, whose Birman is possibly the least dramatically interesting movie ever to win an Oscar.

And while a movie does not need to have have likable characters, it should at least have interesting characters, and The Revenant has neither. DiCaprio certainly looks uncomfortable in the snow, but since there is nothing to his character but his affection for the young native--a relationship that does not last very long--most of the movie has a zero dimensional character struggling with the elements with elaborate, gimmicky, cg-enhanced set pieces. Despite being played by a talented actor, the lead is completely uninteresting and his quest for revenge dull.

This is the worst movie I've seen in the theater since the similarly humorless, monotonous, and self-important movie, Precious. The politics are very patronizing and simple minded and lacking any depth other than the typical "we are all to blame" rehash that so many guilty and self loathing people love, as exemplified by the "you are to blame!" and truly laughable final shot.

A feature length music video full of cg tricks, but wholly lacking in characters, drama, humor, heart, and depth. Self-congratulatory, egotistic garbage masquerading as important art that will unfortunately fool a lot of people

Kamen Rider Gaim (2013) Review

IMDB Review: Kamen Rider Gaim (2013)

Surprising turns, cool speculative concepts, and a big likable cast make this my favorite tokusatsu series to date. Despite the inherent silliness of the fruits concept, Kamen Rider Gaim is an emotional, exciting, and philosophically deep fantasy adventure. An incredibly ambitious fighting science fantasy show only hindered by some pretty nutty fruit costumes and the overacting typically found in tokusatsu, though some of the cast is very solid--Kouto and Mitsuzane in particular. It's not surprising that this show was scripted by Gen Urobuchi, who also was behind Puella Magi Madoka Magica, a truly boundary pushing, beautiful, and superb magical girl anime. Kamen Rider Gaim is wholly unpredictable and smart--this one's a great gateway into tokusatsu for those who wonder at its merits, though I've not yet seen it's equal.

Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters (2012) Review

IMDB Review: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters (2012)

Without question, Go-Busters has the best robot battles I have seen in a tokusatsu show, which is of no small importance in a Super Sentai series. The robots are really well done and the staging of their battles is superb. Tons of great mecha designs, each with multiple forms, and a more modern take on the sentai suit designs as well.

Although the series might crescendo twice, the likable cast and central mystery (about a missing group of scientists that disappeared to another dimension to aid humanity) keeps things fun and engaging in every single episode, even if it is a bit sillier than most of my other favorites.

Yet another thoughtful, well planned work by writer Yasuko Kobayashi.

Beware of chickens!