MediaPanther
Joined Feb 2010
Welcome to the new profile
Our updates are still in development. While the previous version of the profile is no longer accessible, we're actively working on improvements, and some of the missing features will be returning soon! Stay tuned for their return. In the meantime, the Ratings Analysis is still available on our iOS and Android apps, found on the profile page. To view your Rating Distribution(s) by Year and Genre, please refer to our new Help guide.
Badges2
To learn how to earn badges, go to the badges help page.
Ratings35
MediaPanther's rating
Reviews19
MediaPanther's rating
If this film was told from another perspective, Kubo and the Two Strings might be considered a bit preachy. It still might be, regardless. But no matter how you look at it, it is something to be looked at more than once. It is simply an amazing work of animated achievement in cinema.
Set in what could be medieval Japan, a little boy named Kubo scratches out a meager existence on the village streets earning just enough for him and his mother to survive. For her part, mom (voiced by Charlize Theron) sits at the mouth of their mountaintop cave in a comatose state every day until dusk. This is also the time when Kubo must be home, not only to be there when she snaps out of it to regale him with stories of his long lost warrior father, but so he can be safe from the evil that bewitched his mother and left him with only one eye. Failing to do this one fateful night forces Kubo on a journey to recover mythical armor and weapons that will beat back the forces of darkness and restore love and harmony to his life and the lives of others. Aiding him on his quest are a miniature monkey carving come to life, an origami samurai, and a beetle/man warrior (Matthew McConaughey).
What is truly exceptional about Kubo and the Two Strings is not the story. The characters have American English accents and are not Asian. A couple characters aren't really fleshed out (those of Brenda Vaccaro and Ralph Fiennes for example). Although the film is geared toward a younger audience, there are deep themes of rebirth and reincarnation that are a major part of the movie and seem heavy handed, as was hinted at earlier. The story is not the star, the presentation of the story is what shines.
Anyone who is familiar with Laika studios work (Coraline, The Boxtrolls) will not be disappointed in how Kubo and the Two Strings looks. For the uninitiated, be prepared to see a film that hearkens back to the old style of painstaking, stop-motion animation with a splash of 21st century wizardry. These filmmakers have done what other strive to do with budgets two, four, even six times larger. They have made an animated world that pulls you in with its realism. It doesn't come off as cartoon like. Eyes glisten, teeth are almost translucent, hair blows in the wind, characters have shadows. Any shortcomings in the script are quickly forgiven when the evil sisters float into the scene or when Kubo (Art Parkinson) captivates the town folk with his storytelling. It's the attention to detail, the craftsmanship, and artistic appreciation that sets films like Kubo and the Two Strings apart from other animated feature films. The filmmakers have learned a lot from the old masters and have served notice that they are at the top of their game. Just sit back and let them and their latest undertaking work their magic on you.
www.mediumraretv.org
Set in what could be medieval Japan, a little boy named Kubo scratches out a meager existence on the village streets earning just enough for him and his mother to survive. For her part, mom (voiced by Charlize Theron) sits at the mouth of their mountaintop cave in a comatose state every day until dusk. This is also the time when Kubo must be home, not only to be there when she snaps out of it to regale him with stories of his long lost warrior father, but so he can be safe from the evil that bewitched his mother and left him with only one eye. Failing to do this one fateful night forces Kubo on a journey to recover mythical armor and weapons that will beat back the forces of darkness and restore love and harmony to his life and the lives of others. Aiding him on his quest are a miniature monkey carving come to life, an origami samurai, and a beetle/man warrior (Matthew McConaughey).
What is truly exceptional about Kubo and the Two Strings is not the story. The characters have American English accents and are not Asian. A couple characters aren't really fleshed out (those of Brenda Vaccaro and Ralph Fiennes for example). Although the film is geared toward a younger audience, there are deep themes of rebirth and reincarnation that are a major part of the movie and seem heavy handed, as was hinted at earlier. The story is not the star, the presentation of the story is what shines.
Anyone who is familiar with Laika studios work (Coraline, The Boxtrolls) will not be disappointed in how Kubo and the Two Strings looks. For the uninitiated, be prepared to see a film that hearkens back to the old style of painstaking, stop-motion animation with a splash of 21st century wizardry. These filmmakers have done what other strive to do with budgets two, four, even six times larger. They have made an animated world that pulls you in with its realism. It doesn't come off as cartoon like. Eyes glisten, teeth are almost translucent, hair blows in the wind, characters have shadows. Any shortcomings in the script are quickly forgiven when the evil sisters float into the scene or when Kubo (Art Parkinson) captivates the town folk with his storytelling. It's the attention to detail, the craftsmanship, and artistic appreciation that sets films like Kubo and the Two Strings apart from other animated feature films. The filmmakers have learned a lot from the old masters and have served notice that they are at the top of their game. Just sit back and let them and their latest undertaking work their magic on you.
www.mediumraretv.org
If you have watched the original Rocky and think it is a near classic, then Creed is close. Maybe not a classic, because only time will tell. But it is close in terms of look and feel. There are scenes, tempo, performances, music, and of course the setting (Philadelphia) which harken back to the award winning 1976 film. This is not a comparison piece, but Creed is what the earlier release this year of Southpaw could have been; a gritty, modern day boxing film.
Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station), plays the titular character (using the name Donnie Johnson) who yearns to exorcise his demons/ follow his dreams in the boxing ring. Without giving anything away, he's the son of the late, great Apollo Creed and he sets out to find any trainer willing to take him on. He can fight, but he's raw and needs refinement if he's going to be taken seriously.
His search lands him in his father's old Philly stomping ground, where he pester's one Rocky Balboa (Stallone) into training him. He pulls every angle to get Rocky to help him since his pop and Rocky were combatants and close friends before he died. Once Rocky begrudgingly gives in, things begin to coalesce. Stallone is excellent as the "Mickey"-esque Balboa. Although he didn't write the screenplay for Creed, he is one of the producers and his presence is felt. The dynamic between his character and Creed is perfect. The right combination of old school and new school. One scene is indicative when Creed takes a picture on his phone of Rocky's workout routine then tells him it's "in the cloud" to Rocky's bewilderment.
In Creed, director and writer Ryan Cogler is reunited with Jordan. As Creed, Jordan's performance is on part with Stallone's. He imbues his character with just the right amount of bravado, not cockiness, just confidence, hunger, and drive. He also trained and bulked up for the role. But he's not all fierce competitor, he has funny, sensitive sides as well. Cogler's team decided Creed should have a love interest. The relationship he forges with a local neo- soul artist played by Tessa Thompson (Dear White People) could have been syrupy, but thankfully it doesn't overshadow the main theme or feel forced. Frankly, some of the scenes with Thompson and Jordan are very good and so is their chemistry.
Creed is an excellent example of mixing newcomers with established names on both sides of the camera and having the end result come out perfect. The crew and cast turn in great work. Cogler had the fortune and skill to work with people who know what it takes to put together a film that would appeal to critics and audiences alike. There were a couple scenes that are "wow" moments, not just fight scenes, which are are amazing, but little scenes that are set up, shot (by Maryse Alberti) and acted that will have a lasting effect on the viewer. Maybe classic isn't a stretch.
Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station), plays the titular character (using the name Donnie Johnson) who yearns to exorcise his demons/ follow his dreams in the boxing ring. Without giving anything away, he's the son of the late, great Apollo Creed and he sets out to find any trainer willing to take him on. He can fight, but he's raw and needs refinement if he's going to be taken seriously.
His search lands him in his father's old Philly stomping ground, where he pester's one Rocky Balboa (Stallone) into training him. He pulls every angle to get Rocky to help him since his pop and Rocky were combatants and close friends before he died. Once Rocky begrudgingly gives in, things begin to coalesce. Stallone is excellent as the "Mickey"-esque Balboa. Although he didn't write the screenplay for Creed, he is one of the producers and his presence is felt. The dynamic between his character and Creed is perfect. The right combination of old school and new school. One scene is indicative when Creed takes a picture on his phone of Rocky's workout routine then tells him it's "in the cloud" to Rocky's bewilderment.
In Creed, director and writer Ryan Cogler is reunited with Jordan. As Creed, Jordan's performance is on part with Stallone's. He imbues his character with just the right amount of bravado, not cockiness, just confidence, hunger, and drive. He also trained and bulked up for the role. But he's not all fierce competitor, he has funny, sensitive sides as well. Cogler's team decided Creed should have a love interest. The relationship he forges with a local neo- soul artist played by Tessa Thompson (Dear White People) could have been syrupy, but thankfully it doesn't overshadow the main theme or feel forced. Frankly, some of the scenes with Thompson and Jordan are very good and so is their chemistry.
Creed is an excellent example of mixing newcomers with established names on both sides of the camera and having the end result come out perfect. The crew and cast turn in great work. Cogler had the fortune and skill to work with people who know what it takes to put together a film that would appeal to critics and audiences alike. There were a couple scenes that are "wow" moments, not just fight scenes, which are are amazing, but little scenes that are set up, shot (by Maryse Alberti) and acted that will have a lasting effect on the viewer. Maybe classic isn't a stretch.
- See more at: http://www.mediumraretv.org/review/creed/#sthash.l3vjP0Ca.dpuf
The catchphrase of The Hunger Games series is easy to remember: "May the odds be ever in your favor." For the final installment of this trilogy, the odds were excellent. While last year's Mockingjay: Part 1 failed to entertain, Part 2 delivers far more excitement as the action- packed, emotionally-charged conclusion to The Hunger Games.
Mockingjay: Part 2 starts slowly, like an extension of the previous film, as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) wakes once more in a District 13 hospital. For the first 20 minutes, Katniss pulls her usual tricks, defying orders from her elders while nursing her wounds. This is par for the course, and Gamemaker-turned-rebel Plutarch (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) and District 13's President Coin (Julianne Moore) continue their propagandist scheming while barely keeping tabs on Katniss. Eventually, the film turns from the weary greys of the Panem districts as Katniss sneaks away from her inspiring role as the Mockingjay – luckily for the viewer, since the beginning camera work is as shaky as a foundfootage reel. Accompanied by an elite squad of soldiers and her love interests, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Katniss infiltrates the Capitol on a death-defying mission to assassinate villainous President Snow (Donald Sutherland).
Tensions run high through the movie, as familiar and beloved characters – mostly the bedraggled victors of the former Games – encounter danger after danger on their quest. Given that director Francis Lawrence was also at the helm for Mockingjay: Part 1 (which suffered from a serious case of the doldrums), it's odd that Part 2 feels more like a horror movie than an adventure flick. Whenever tragedy occurs, the grief that follows is rushed, as though the action sequences were more important than any fallen character. Still, as Katniss' bravery falters in the face of the on screen perils, Jennifer Lawrence proves herself a more- than-capable actor, voice broken into a hoarse whisper as she carries an invisible weight on her shoulders. Most of the surrounding cast is just as good – particularly Julianne Moore, who, stripped of her signature red hair, makes an excellent ice queen – and Hoffman's absence from some key scenes is well-disguised with some clever ploys from the screenwriters.
The film's secondary plot line, Katniss' love triangle, is one of a few signs that Mockingjay 2 – perhaps the entire series – isn't quite a masterpiece. While Hemsworth and Hutcherson do their best with their one-dimensional roles (stoic soldier Gale and Peeta, the tortured male ingenue), it's difficult to feel much sympathy for their characters, who seem to have a fourth- wall knowledge about their love lives. Meanwhile, Katniss' own romantic feelings are completely inscrutable, leaving the viewer to hope she'll stay single.
Although producers Nina Jacobson (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and Jon Kilik (Babel), have plenty of experience under their belts, they missed their chance to strengthen the film. The pacing is strange, with too much time spent on the Mockingjay propaganda arc. No one seemed to notice that the screenwriters barely even wrote a script. Much of the dialogue present in the source material, Suzanne Collins' book series, is cut in favor of shots of the actors' anguished faces. Overall, the whole trilogy might have benefited from narration – it would give more credence to the befuddling choices Katniss makes. Given Jacobson's penchant for strong female leadership, it's unsurprising that the women in Mockingjay are never truly questioned.
Despite its faults, Mockingjay: Part 2 is a solid film. At its core, The Hunger Games is a grim dystopian tale, and its final installment perfectly fits the bill. After spending two hours immersed in this greyscale universe, it is a welcome relief to step out of the theatre into a world with full color.
Mockingjay: Part 2 starts slowly, like an extension of the previous film, as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) wakes once more in a District 13 hospital. For the first 20 minutes, Katniss pulls her usual tricks, defying orders from her elders while nursing her wounds. This is par for the course, and Gamemaker-turned-rebel Plutarch (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) and District 13's President Coin (Julianne Moore) continue their propagandist scheming while barely keeping tabs on Katniss. Eventually, the film turns from the weary greys of the Panem districts as Katniss sneaks away from her inspiring role as the Mockingjay – luckily for the viewer, since the beginning camera work is as shaky as a foundfootage reel. Accompanied by an elite squad of soldiers and her love interests, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Katniss infiltrates the Capitol on a death-defying mission to assassinate villainous President Snow (Donald Sutherland).
Tensions run high through the movie, as familiar and beloved characters – mostly the bedraggled victors of the former Games – encounter danger after danger on their quest. Given that director Francis Lawrence was also at the helm for Mockingjay: Part 1 (which suffered from a serious case of the doldrums), it's odd that Part 2 feels more like a horror movie than an adventure flick. Whenever tragedy occurs, the grief that follows is rushed, as though the action sequences were more important than any fallen character. Still, as Katniss' bravery falters in the face of the on screen perils, Jennifer Lawrence proves herself a more- than-capable actor, voice broken into a hoarse whisper as she carries an invisible weight on her shoulders. Most of the surrounding cast is just as good – particularly Julianne Moore, who, stripped of her signature red hair, makes an excellent ice queen – and Hoffman's absence from some key scenes is well-disguised with some clever ploys from the screenwriters.
The film's secondary plot line, Katniss' love triangle, is one of a few signs that Mockingjay 2 – perhaps the entire series – isn't quite a masterpiece. While Hemsworth and Hutcherson do their best with their one-dimensional roles (stoic soldier Gale and Peeta, the tortured male ingenue), it's difficult to feel much sympathy for their characters, who seem to have a fourth- wall knowledge about their love lives. Meanwhile, Katniss' own romantic feelings are completely inscrutable, leaving the viewer to hope she'll stay single.
Although producers Nina Jacobson (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and Jon Kilik (Babel), have plenty of experience under their belts, they missed their chance to strengthen the film. The pacing is strange, with too much time spent on the Mockingjay propaganda arc. No one seemed to notice that the screenwriters barely even wrote a script. Much of the dialogue present in the source material, Suzanne Collins' book series, is cut in favor of shots of the actors' anguished faces. Overall, the whole trilogy might have benefited from narration – it would give more credence to the befuddling choices Katniss makes. Given Jacobson's penchant for strong female leadership, it's unsurprising that the women in Mockingjay are never truly questioned.
Despite its faults, Mockingjay: Part 2 is a solid film. At its core, The Hunger Games is a grim dystopian tale, and its final installment perfectly fits the bill. After spending two hours immersed in this greyscale universe, it is a welcome relief to step out of the theatre into a world with full color.