Quebec_Dragon

I already know it's gonna get bashed for seemingly ripping off elements of Star Wars, but I think It's kind of an unfair criticism and I loved the film. Let's get that part over first: there are at least two main elements that might make you think Star Wars near the end. They're somewhat similar but not really the same and play out differently in a very different setting with different components.

So I thought the high concept of the movie - motorized cities rolling on land - might seem ridiculous, but I gotta admit it worked for me and made the movie feel fresh. That starting chase sequence between the two towns was original and memorable. There were other spectacular action sequences, including one involving buzzsaws, with great special effects, but I gotta admit the melee fights were weak as they were of the chaotic, frantic-cut variety, except perhaps those involving Shrike that were better. Regarding that undead cyborg Shrike, I loved pretty much everything about him: his look, the way he moved, his back story and his story arc. Probably my favorite character, but the others were interesting too, and the acting was solid overall.

The production design was excellent with several fascinating cities and/or vehicles with a certain steampunk design vibe. Special mention to the location where the giant London tank threads passed. Visual effects were outstanding with sights you might never have seen before. Music was very good and appropriately grand when called for. I liked the story despite feeling a slight déjà-vu in the last part. This future world creation based on the novels was very well portrayed and captivating to me, and I wanted to learn more about it. Overall, the film was a very nice surprise, quite different than the usual sci-fi/fantasy blockbuster, at least in its setting. To be honest, until the last act I was going to recommend this film without any real reserves, but then it felt as if had to explain certain things.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 (Remarkable)

As other reviews pointed out, the tone was all over the place and the comedy didn't mix well with the darker parts. As a horror movie, it failed because there was poor tension, creepiness and no gore despite the potential. As a comedy it failed because it was not really funny for me even though some Venom fans laughed at his every line (why?). The action parts were too busy, chaotic and hard to follow, especially when Venom was involved. Tom Hardy really tried hard and emoted a lot, sometimes too much, but ended up looking goofy and dumb too often. The events of the plot felt rushed, and sometimes downright stupid. In fact, repeatedly, the behaviour of the characters didn't seem believable. Overall, this movie irritated me and reminded me of bad, older superhero movies (even though Venom is no superhero, I know). I watched this at an advance screening in a full theatre, and there was no applause at the end.

Rating: 3 out of 10 (poor)

P.S. For Marvel fans, there's no real connection to the rest of the universe, so you can easily skip it or wait for home viewing.

After watching the trailer, reading the sypnosis and checking out the poster, I didn't expect much, but boy, was I surprised by how good and gripping it was. Despite a few far-fetched concepts, which you shouldn't think too much about, I was blown away by the story, the twists and especially how it was told. I especially liked how some of the most tense moments were some of the smaller ones, such as whether the "bad" guy would "shoot" or not, or how far he would go. Despite some great grandiose music at time, the director often knew when to cut off music to improve such moments.

The storytelling was no doubt helped by tremendous acting performances from the leads, the older man (Inuyashiki Ichiro) and the young man (Shishigami Hiro) who develop powers. I was made to feel sympathy for the kind but disrespected Inuyashiki even though he sometimes emoted too much in action scenes. I felt the menace from the usually stoic young man who sometimes showed glimpses of genuine emotion. Even felt sympathy for him sometimes. Those characters had depth, had a progression and were played so well. Even the secondary characters, such as the young man's best friend and the older man's daughter, were played believably and well. I'm often taken out of Japanese films by "exagerated" acting but such was not the case here.

As I was watching, I was struck that perhaps this wasn't a very expensive film after all, not because it looked cheap, but because there was a certain reserve used as for when and how to show special effects (witness the shooting, the analysis power and the use of screens). It probably worked in its favour as it showed story and directing ingenuity. The special effects were otherwise excellent, especially the creepy transformations and the spectacular final showdown worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster. I've seen a ton of "superhero" movies, and I'm not even sure Inuyashiki would qualify as one, but the American ones could certainly learn something from it in terms of characters, suspense, sincerity and storytelling. For me, this film was refreshing, heartfelt and exhilirating despite a few silly elements. Bravo!