sequbu
Joined Jun 2012
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Reviews41
sequbu's rating
On paper, Tornado has everything going for it-an intriguing concept, a strong cast (including Koki, Tim Roth, and Jack Lowden), and a visually striking trailer that promised a bold fusion of samurai and Western genres. But in execution, the film doesn't deliver on its potential.
As with some Wes Anderson films, Tornado feels more like a fable than a grounded story but without inviting the audience from the beginning to suspend disbelief and accept stylisation over realism and lacks the emotional depth or imaginative clarity to fully pull this off. Combined with a theatrical tone that echoes Quentin Tarantino-particularly in its monologues and character staging-the film hovers awkwardly between stylised myth and serious drama, without fully committing to either.
The result is disorienting: pacing feels both slow and rushed, the world-building is vague, and the narrative often leaps forward without enough context. Viewers are left grappling with plot holes and underdeveloped motivations, which breaks immersion.
Most surprisingly-given its dual heritage in samurai and Western genres-the film features almost no action. There's no dramatic showdown, no cathartic swordfight, no "duel at dawn" moment to anchor the stakes. The final act, while atmospheric, lacks the payoff many expect from stories built on vengeance.
As with some Wes Anderson films, Tornado feels more like a fable than a grounded story but without inviting the audience from the beginning to suspend disbelief and accept stylisation over realism and lacks the emotional depth or imaginative clarity to fully pull this off. Combined with a theatrical tone that echoes Quentin Tarantino-particularly in its monologues and character staging-the film hovers awkwardly between stylised myth and serious drama, without fully committing to either.
The result is disorienting: pacing feels both slow and rushed, the world-building is vague, and the narrative often leaps forward without enough context. Viewers are left grappling with plot holes and underdeveloped motivations, which breaks immersion.
Most surprisingly-given its dual heritage in samurai and Western genres-the film features almost no action. There's no dramatic showdown, no cathartic swordfight, no "duel at dawn" moment to anchor the stakes. The final act, while atmospheric, lacks the payoff many expect from stories built on vengeance.
I have watched over 3k moves in my lifetime and rated at 1 star less than 2 hand full as I always try to find the angle that makes it interesting or valuable.
But today unfortunately add an other one to the 1 star list and it specially hurts because it is as someone who has been a ST fan for over 35 years.
But why did I rate it at 1 star? Well it's just bad, incredibly bad.
Let's start with the story. Imagine someone made a Star Wars movie about peaceful space exploration. Yeah it doesn't fit it probably wouldn't work. If you took Star Trek out of the title the story could play just as well in any generic SciFi franchise. It could be Star Wars, it could be Rebel Moon, in fact it would fit better into Rebel Moon than into Star Trek. There is zero natural connection with the Star Trek universe and it feels like Paramount had some contractual obligation with Michelle Yeoh that they still needed to cash in and they pulled an ok Sci Fi story they had stored in a drawer.
The setting; take one if not the most secretive and discrete secret services ever imagined and now imagine that Janet's of being secretive they now run around blowing stuff up and pulling attention towards them.
The characters; the characters are flat, over played and feel like a bad imitation of Suicide Squad. There is zero character development and it is incredibly hard to buy into any of their motivations or why they are there to begin with as they add zero to the plot, aka the plot would not change had any of them not be there.
The cinematic; average to bad it best, there are definitely several takes that could have done considerably better.
Music; overload the movie jumping between the same repetitive tracks, trying to build a feeling and sensation that neither the story or the characters or the cinematic supports.
But today unfortunately add an other one to the 1 star list and it specially hurts because it is as someone who has been a ST fan for over 35 years.
But why did I rate it at 1 star? Well it's just bad, incredibly bad.
Let's start with the story. Imagine someone made a Star Wars movie about peaceful space exploration. Yeah it doesn't fit it probably wouldn't work. If you took Star Trek out of the title the story could play just as well in any generic SciFi franchise. It could be Star Wars, it could be Rebel Moon, in fact it would fit better into Rebel Moon than into Star Trek. There is zero natural connection with the Star Trek universe and it feels like Paramount had some contractual obligation with Michelle Yeoh that they still needed to cash in and they pulled an ok Sci Fi story they had stored in a drawer.
The setting; take one if not the most secretive and discrete secret services ever imagined and now imagine that Janet's of being secretive they now run around blowing stuff up and pulling attention towards them.
The characters; the characters are flat, over played and feel like a bad imitation of Suicide Squad. There is zero character development and it is incredibly hard to buy into any of their motivations or why they are there to begin with as they add zero to the plot, aka the plot would not change had any of them not be there.
The cinematic; average to bad it best, there are definitely several takes that could have done considerably better.
Music; overload the movie jumping between the same repetitive tracks, trying to build a feeling and sensation that neither the story or the characters or the cinematic supports.