That Geek Thing

Fast & Furious 7 review

April 4, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

The Fast and the Furious franchise is a film series that has gone through the strangest evolution. From a range of films that started as guilty pleasures in a generation of films like Torque – where illegal street races, souped-up vehicles, and the ever-present “NOS” to give that extra speed-boost were the norm – the Fast & Furious movies have since grown to be legitimately impressive films that have shaped the fun side of the action genre.

One can’t ever assume that Fast & Furious made for down-to-Earth realism, so from the later installments such as Fast Five, the movies have embraced the sort of blockbuster cinema we’ve otherwise been lacking. No superheroes or alien threats here, these are movies about family. And fast cars, pretty women, fist fights, more fast cars, and an impressive, diverse, ensemble cast.

But what of Fast & Furious 7?

Well, it may just be the best installment yet. By quite a margin.

For the uninitiated – though you don’t really need to follow the plot too heavily here – Fast & Furious 7 follows a group that includes Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez), and more. In previous films they’ve raced together, pulled off heists together, and taken down bad guys together. But having taken down the Big Bad of the last movie, Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), his even bigger, badder brother, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) is out for revenge.

Fast & Furious 7 is a homecoming of sorts for the franchise. While Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6 brought together characters from the movies, Fast & Furious 7 honours the entire series so far, even the lesser appreciated sequels. Characters, elements, vehicles, everything is a tribute.

There are elements and plotlines from the previous films that are brought into this movie. Letty still has amnesia as covered in the previous instalments, which makes for the only few scenes that pull away from the pace and direction; Tokyo Drift – the underappreciated cousin of the movies – is brought into the series canon a little more; Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) – the DSS officer and ally of Toretto and his crew in the last couple of films – confronts and is hospitalised by Shaw, kickstarting events, and setting up one of many brilliant pay-offs for the character in the third act.

The film is also a tribute to the tragically passed actor Paul Walker, whose presence is strongly felt here. Despite not being able to complete filming, Walker’s performance and likeness lives on in Fast & Furious 7, thanks to just how far technology has come. Thankfully, we don’t get Jeff Bridges in Tron: Legacy here. For the most part you won’t even notice unless you’re actively looking for it. But you shouldn’t, because it’s spot on. O’Conner isn’t pushed back at all from the limelight, he’s celebrated, and that’s wonderful. It may even pull the rug from beneath your feet by the film’s end, because it is the most tasteful, beautiful tribute that doesn’t feel at all out of place. It services the story and the narrative of these movies, and even if the franchise continues, it will work.

And boy does Fast & Furious 7 work. As the most fun you’ll have at the cinema in quite a while (at least… until Avengers: Age of Ultron comes out in a couple of weeks), just like the previous couple of instalments, Fast & Furious 7 knows exactly what sort of film it is. From director James Wan (director of Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring), Fast & Furious 7 is like a Michael Bay movie without all of the offensiveness. It’s like the Bad Boys III we’ll never have. Which basically means it is absolutely ridiculous in the absolute best of ways.

It’s overwhelming just how crazy the movie gets. If you’ve seen the trailer – where cars are thrown out of a cargo plane and parachute onto a narrow, cliffside road to chase down a bus armed with armour-piercing machine guns – that’s still just a slice of what you get. Even in just that sequence. That’s a heavily edited chunk of what feels like a 20+ minute set-piece. And that isn’t even a bad thing. James Wan has helped create a Spielberg-ian set-piece, turned it to 11, and then pumped it with steroids. Then he does it again a few more times.

As mentioned before, the plot doesn’t really need to be paid attention to. There’s a whole thing about the Macguffin of the “God’s Eye” (think Batman’s surveillance tech in The Dark Knight) that catalyses the action and the changes in location, but the trailer and scenes involving Kurt Russell’s character Frank Petty (which, by the way, is a brilliant use of Russell, who even gets a great character moment as well) tell you what you need to know. They’ve unwittingly “created a monster” in Deckard Shaw, and he’s going to hunt down our protagonists. The Macguffins and the globe-trotting are inconsequential, but they give us the basis for each brilliant sequence.

Overwhelmingly fun, ambitious, and crazy, you’ll be surprised with each new action beat, and be fist pumping, laughing and revelling in each awesome moment. A bit of the hand-to-hand combat is disappointing in the way it’s shot, but there’s more than enough to keep you hooked.

The only thing this review needs to do is describe the very first scene. So here goes. Fade in. London. Deckard Shaw stands in a hospital ward, looking out the window. After some talking, he looks over to his hospitalised brother, before leaving. But not without warning the nurses to look after his little brother unless they want him to return. Then, as we follow him, we see carnage. Lights shattered. Windows smashed. SWAT teams and policemen scattered around. Shaw gets into the lift as the credits speed by. As he leaves the elevator he tells a SWAT member to “Hold this”, hands him a grenade, and pushes him back into a chair. The grenade goes off as Shaw leaves through the hospital’s front door, revealing half the exterior pretty much destroyed.

From there on you just know you’re in for a ride. And what a ride it is.

Definitely go and watch it. No hesitations.

Fast and Furious 7 is out nowl. It is directed by James Wan, written by Chris Morgan, and stars an ensemble cast that includes Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, and Michelle Rodriguez.

Bleach Series 14 Part 2 DVD Review

April 3, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

With the end of the current Fall of the Arrancar and the storyline surrounding Eizen looking set to be wrapped up, this latest Bleach release courtesy of Manga Entertainment promised to potentially be a must have purchase for both fans and casual viewers alike.

This season features episodes 304-316 and as mentioned, on paper, looks to be a must have DVD. However once you start watching it you begin to see that all may not be what you first thought and hoped. Whilst both the aforementioned storyline and story arc are wrapped up, you will be surprised to hear that it is all done in five episodes, leaving a total of eight episodes that are pure filler/fan service.

Yes, Bleach is well known for its filler/fan service episodes, and as pointed out in previous reviews, this can help when it fills in character background. Most of the eight filler episodes on this set however are just pointless.

Worse still is that the storyline that has taken up hundreds of episodes is seemingly wrapped up in five short episodes. The final battle itself, the one everyone has been waiting for, Ichigo v Aizen, lasts, unusually for Bleach, only two episodes! That’s right, the series that can sometimes eek a battle out for four or five episodes or more resolves the battle everyone was waiting for in what seems like a blink of an eye and as such leaves you feeling somewhat cheated. As if this point was not irritating enough, the sub-plot surrounding Ichigo learning his final Getsuga Tenshō is resolved through a flashback during the final battle with Aizen. What is odd about this is that in the past when he has been training the writers have taken their time to show Ichigo learning new powers. Here it seems as if they wrote the battle sequence and halfway through remembered that they had forgotten to resolve this point and so quickly wrote in something to cover it off.

There is also only one episode devoted to the aftermath of the battle and as such you are only shown what has happened to a handful of characters. Considering the sheer number of characters who were used in big ways throughout this arc, it leaves you wanting and reaching for the internet again to find out if your favourite lieutenant was killed or if that captain survived.

Add to this the somewhat casual mention of something or someone that could potentially be a huge story arc and something crucial to the whole world of the Soul Society, only for it to be left unanswered. You are left wondering whether the writers forgot everything that they had been taught about resolving plotlines and building intrigue when adapting this section of the manga.

Granted in the build up to the battle there are some interesting plot twists relating to some of the characters that will make you gasp, but sadly these are overwhelmed by the aforementioned points.

Bleach EP 308 Ichigo v Aizen

The rest of this release is fairly standard by now, in that the voice performances by all the cast are good and the anime quality is presented well. The disc menus too are still the same static picture background, but that again is no surprise. What is interesting is the cover art for the set that Manga Entertainment have chosen to use, for it is a huge spoiler, revealing the look for Ichigo when he achieves his final Getsuga Tenshō. In revealing this they actually show that Ichigo not only learns it, but that we will be seeing him use it in the episodes.

It is difficult to defend a release that promises much on the surface but then sadly fails to deliver. It is releases such as this that are enough to make the audience wish for the days when they could buy individual volumes so as to avoid episodes that they did not want to see. It might be difficult to justify spending the RRP of £30 here, unless you are a collector or a major fan of the series.

Bleach Series 14 Part 2 is available on DVD from April 6th courtesy of Manga Entertainment at the reduced price of £22.49.

John Wick review

April 1, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

If you can’t deal with a film built around a man taking revenge against the thugs that killed his dog, then this is clearly not for you. For everyone else, rejoice for we now have a film where Keanu Reeves walks into a church and starts shooting.

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a reformed hitman who has been living the quiet life with his wife Helen (Bridget Moynahan). An illness causes her to pass away, but to make sure John isn’t alone she leaves him a dog, Daisy. When giving Daisy a ride in his ‘69 Mustang Mach 1, John encounters some Russian gangsters led by Iosef (Alfie Allen), who takes an interest in John’s car. Later they break into John’s home, beat him up, kill his dog and steal his Mustang. John does not take this lightly. He puts on his best suit, loads up on weapons and manages to hunt down those responsible to New York. John discovers that Iosef is the son of his former boss, Viggo (Michael Nyqvist) and turns the city into his bullet-ridden playground trying to track him down.

From stuntman turned director, Chad Stahelski (who was Reeves stunt double in films such as The Matrix and Constantine), John Wick is his directorial debut. Stunt collaborator David Leitch is credited as a producer. Given his background, Stahelski excels here when it comes to framing the action itself. John takes down wave after wave of nameless bad guys and does this as stylishly as possible, with moments of balletic gunplay that pays homage to the likes of John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow and The Killer. There’s none of that shakey camera nonsense and multiple edits to hide inexperience (the Taken franchise being a notable culprit). Stahelski (along with cinematographer Jonathan Sela) wants the audience to appreciate the action here, to show that John really is good at shooting people (mostly in the head), and the camera does not shy away from the violence.

The film builds John up as a legendary hitman, and it does this ridiculously well. “I once saw him kill three men in a bar with a pencil,” remarks former boss Viggo (Michael Nyqvist making the most of a standard villain). When we first see John in action, he kills about 12 men within the space of three minutes. Almost everyone John meets long enough to have a conversation with knows of his reputation.

The amount of bodies and mayhem John leaves in his wake during his time in New York would obviously attract the attention of the police, yet the one and only appearance by a police officer tells us that they’re willing to turn a blind eye to whatever he does. This is a necessary inclusion, for Stahelski understands that adding extra sirens and cops to the mix would only ruin the pace.

Stahelski also doesn’t want you to forget why John is taking revenge, with a few reminders where we hear that it was, “just a dog”. The fact that Reeves plays this seriously merely strengthens the film. Seeing John tear through New York appears to be an indirect way of dealing with the loss of his wife. When she is struck with an illness, John is completely helpless. He cites the dog she left behind as all that remained of his wife’s memory. So when that is taken from him too, this time there is at least someone responsible, something he can do about it, and you’re rooting for him all the way.

Reeves’ character is made out to be a one-man army, and his past action roles in films such as The Matrix trilogy, Speed and even the recent Man of Tai Chi adds to the belief of what John is capable of. Yet there are also moments where Reeves convinces as a vulnerable anti-hero. Yes, there is a cringeworthy teary moment, but he is beaten up, thrown, shot, stabbed and a few of his adversaries even take advantage of his injuries. Even though he’s patched up, it’s interesting to see that the injuries affect his skills as the film progresses.

Derek Kolstad’s screenplay borders upon the generic and is fairly predictable (a clichéd duel in the rain is a bit of a letdown), but John Wick doesn’t pretend to be anything more than what it is. As well as paying homage to revenge movies like Point Blank and Man on Fire, there is a clear video game structure to the plot, as John takes down numerous henchmen and uses up all of his lives taking out fellow assassins to reach the final boss. As a wink to a certain generation, the film even shows someone playing a first person shooter.

It’s impressive to see just how much personality the supporting actors bring to their characters. As fellow assassins Marcus (Willem Dafoe), Harry (Clarke Peters) and Perkins (Adrianne Palicki), the actors make the most of their screen time and could potentially have a movie that centres round them. Ian McShane and Lance Reddick appear as a manager and receptionist respectively of the Continental Hotel, which John stays in. Despite being on screen for a matter of minutes, both leave a lasting impression. Crucial to the story, the hotel itself runs as a safe haven for assassins with strict rules. Anyone who breaks the rules suffers heavy consequences.

The eccentric soundtrack features a musical score by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard. Expected dance tracks with a heavy bass line are also there alongside the action, compliments of Le Castle Vania. During John’s shootout at a club sauna we hear KALEIDA’s Think, a light synth pop tune that initially seems to go against what we’re seeing. Yet when John locks eyes with his nemesis with this track playing in the background, the scene is elevated into something truly majestic, highlighting John’s sheer determination.

While John Wick walks a predictable path, Stahelski’s directorial debut injects the typical revenge scenario with an insane premise and inventive action sequences, executed with real passion. Slick, gritty and gloriously entertaining, it’s up there with Kingsman: The Secret Service as one of the coolest action films of the year. It’s no surprise that a sequel is already in the works.

John Wick opens in UK cinemas on 10 April 2015.

Japanese company develop Pokeball themed carry cases for your pets.

April 1, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment News

Thats right you did read that last line correctly! Following the success of carry cases that allow you to take your pets any where with you. A Japanese company has come up with a new line based around Pokemon.

The cases are designed to mimic Pokeballs and much in the same way as they do in the anime, they open at the touch of the button on the front. At the moment the company has only released the images for the Hamster and Gerbil versions, the later is even called the, “Gerball,” however they have confirmed that they are versions in the works that will work with other pets such as birds and even fish!

Designed by the Japanese company エイプリルフール the cases although initially met with some resistance from animal rights group, they have now been welcomed with open arms following the news that each ball has an air vent in the bottom, is padded and also concealed inside is a water and food mechanism. But perhaps the most elaborate part is that inside the ball there is a small screen that shows an image of a normal cage that makers say will make the animal feel right at home.

Priced at just £20 per unit, they come in the form of either a Pokeball, Ultraball or Master Ball and so far Initial pre-orders have topped 20,000 units!
What do you think of this unique pet item? Let us know in the comments below

*Update* In case you hadn’t guessed it yet, this is an April Fool. Thank you for reading*

J-rock band SCANDAL send a message to the European fans

March 25, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Music News

As part of their, “Hello World,” world tour, Haruna Ono, Mami Sasazaki, Tomomi Ogawa and Rina Suzuki of SCANDAL have taken to YouTube to give a special message to their fans ahead of the European leg of the tour, which begins in April.

The message that can be seen below, features the group promoting the upcoming tour and even promising to bring new songs to their fans.

The band will be playing three dates, one in Paris, France at the Le Bataclan on April 25th, one in London, England on April 26th at the 02 Academy Islington, and the final one in Essen, Germany at the Weststadthalle venue on April 30th. Tickets for the London leg can be bought here or from the venue here (costing about £37). However, be warned that they are likely to sell quickly as this is a rare chance to see this talented foursome in action. So get booking!

You can read our interview with SCANDAL by clicking here.

WWE Tables, Ladders, Chairs…and Stairs 2014 Blu-ray & DVD review

March 23, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

TLC is still a relatively young pay-per-view event, but it has solidified its place as one of the ones to watch every year for the dangerous array of weapons that it brings to the table. It’s also played host to some great matches, such as the merging of the two world titles into the WWE World Heavyweight championship, and CM Punk defending the belt against the Miz and Del Rio in a TLC match. It’s the kind of night that gets the wrestler’s blood boiling, and the fans cheering for more. This year’s entry into the series sees some upstart superstars fighting for their place in the limelight. Seth Rollins takes on the legendary John Cena to prove himself as the future face of the WWE. Erick Rowan goes toe to toe with the giant Big Show. Rusev continues his path of destruction, taking on Jack Swagger again. Dean Ambrose takes his feud with Bray Wyatt to the next level with a full TLC match.

2014 is the year the next generation of superstars got to really make their mark, so why not put an exclamation point on the end of a fantastic run with the final major outing of the year. Get ready for some high octane action as a card full of fan favourites, and newer, eager faces ready to make their mark go head-to-head, and they’re bringing all the dangerous toys, except maybe the kitchen sink.

Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship – Luke Harper vs Dolph Ziggler

Kickstarting the night is Dolph Ziggler facing off against Luke Harper, and true to the show’s form they’re doing so with ladders. The two underrated performers put on an amazing bout to open the show. Ziggler’s quick offence combined with Harper’s explosive brutality basically guarantees an interesting match-up, but throw a pile of ladders into the mix and you know it’s going to be great. Both men really go the distance, and have the crowd chanting and screaming with excitement from the get-go. A classic match between two talented wrestlers with plenty of action and surprise.

Tag Team Championship match – The Miz & Damien Mizdow vs The Usos

Another jewel on Damien Mizdow’s rise to stardom as the Miz’ stunt double sees the Usos re-challenging the Moneymaker and his stunt double for the tag team titles that they lost at Survivor Series. This match really sets the foundation for the coming feud between Miz and Mizdow, and shows the fan support for the ever-humorous Mizdow character.

The Usos bring everything to the table, from high-flying offence, to comedic spots, and some brilliant tag-team capers. Add in Mizdow’s copycat-stunt-double antics, and you can be sure of entertainment from start to finish. Maybe not the most important match of the night, but one you want to see nonetheless, even if it’s just to get a bit Uso crazy.

Stairs match – The Big Show vs Erick Rowan

A curious addition the line-up was the stipulation of a stairs match, giving this year’s TLC a little extra added S. Big Show, representing the Authority, is looking to dish out some pain, but Erick Rowan won’t go down lightly. These two bald behemoths have clashed before, but never in an environment like this. Both men are easily capable of throwing the steel stair sets around like they were cardboard and make for an excellent choice to bring this gimmick match to fruition.

This match seemed to lack the heat of some of the other marquee match-ups of the night, but Rown and Show put on a fairly impressive fight. Big Show tosses Rowan around like his 300lb weight is nothing, and Erick Rowan pulls out some surprise offence as he tries to take out the Giant.

Tables match – John Cena vs Seth Rollins

One of the biggest matches of the night sees an arrogant challenger take on a legend. Seth Rollins steps up against one of the most popular WWE superstars of all time in a devastating tables match, with the added stipulation that if John Cena doesn’t beat the upstart challenger, then he will lose his #1 contender status for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and his match against current champion; Brock Lesnar.

Both men take a beating in this tables match, which has the makings of a match of the year candidate. Rollins proves again and again that he is ready for more main event spots with big stars such as John Cena with his talented in-ring ability, and John Cena puts on a stellar showing against the Money in the Bank contract holder.

Seth Rollins has shown lightning offence combined with high-flying, high-risk maneuvers, and powerful finishers, making for a deadly opponent in the ring. John Cena’s legacy of overcoming all odds is not to be taken lightly, especially when it’s all on the line. One man has everything to prove, whilst the other has everything to lose. Be sure of tension, and some amazing spots throughout.

Divas Championship match – Nikki Bella vs AJ Lee

Another rematch sees AJ Lee looking to take back the Divas Championship from Nikki Bella. The Bella Twins have been on a bit of a roll as of late, with Brie’s surprise heel turn helping Nikki capture and keep the Diva’s Championship over the last month. Brie watches Nikki from ringside, but you know that the devious sisters have a few tricks up their sleeves.

AJ is one of the best competitors in the divas division, and after her embarassment at Survivor Series, she wants revenge on the twins. Pulling out some brilliant offence to compliment Nikki’s mat-focused assault, AJ really shows off how talented and capable she is.

Chairs match – Ryback vs Kane

Rounding out the Authority’s feud against Ziggler, Rowan, and Ryback is the Big Guy’s confrontation with corporate Kane. Both lifelong and new fans of wrestling should be familiar with Kane’s streak of brutality over the WWE locker room, and Ryback’s reputation as the human Wrecking Ball bodes well for this match-up. Throwing chairs into the mix means we’re sure to see some devastating spots.

I expect to see a bit of violence at TLC every year, and this is the match-up that delivers. Ryback’s speed and strength pair well with Kane’s seemingly endless appetite for destruction. Slow at times, but sure and steady even when they both seem like they’ve got nothing left, these two men persevere to put on an exciting match.

United States Championship match – Rusev vs Jack Swagger

Rusev’s first pay-per-view title defence pits him against the Real American, Jack Swagger. Fighting not just for patriotism, but to take back the United States Championship from the tyrannical clutches of Rusev and Lana, Jack Swagger is set to once again face the Bulgarian Brute.

Rusev’s undefeated streak has become even more impressive since acquiring the United States Championship, and made it much more important that he remains undefeated. Swagger makes for a great challenger, after putting on some fantastic matches in their patriotic feud earlier in the year. Running roughshod over everyone else in the locker room, Rusev has certainly deterred his fair share of challengers as well as destroy them. The Accolade looks to claim another victim.

Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match – Bray Wyatt vs Dean Ambrose

I’m gonna admit, I was looking forward to this match the most. Dean Ambrose quickly built a following and became a fan favourite almost overnight after the Shield broke up. His insane antics proved entertaining week after week, and his berserker fury at Bray Wyatt could only end in the most fitting of ways; a TLC match. Best yet, it’s a chance for both men to prove that they’re worthy of main event status without their prior respective stables.

Both men had an electric entrance, from the eerie sea of ‘fireflies’ that accompany Bray, to the shrieks of support for Dean. The Lunatic Fringe breaks out some astonishing offence early on, and maintains an advantage over the maniacal Wyatt patriarch, but Bray has plenty of tricks up his sleeves (well, glove) and truly puts Ambrose to the test in this savage match.

The no disqualification nature of a TLC match means that both these crazed fanatics get a chance to annihilate one another in the cruelest of manners, and be sure that they do. The crowd watching were in awe, and you probably will be as well.

All in all, TLC was a good pay-per-view. It’s got ups and downs, but even at its worst, you’ll still be excited by the best it’s got to offer. Everything from brutal showdowns, to match of the year candidates made up for any slow parts of the night, and just about every match had something surprising that got the fans on their feet. The younger stars definitely impressed a lot of people, and this pay-per-view could go down in history as one of the stepping stones that leads to an entirely new generation of superstars. If nothing else, the main event alone should be exciting enough for any fan of wrestling or WWE.

Blu Ray Exclusives:

Monday Night Raw – November 24, 2014

Daniel Bryan returns

Monday Night Raw – December 1, 2014

The Anonymous General Manager sets the main event match for TLC

SmackDown – December 5, 2014

Wyatt and Ambrose’s feud escalates as Wyatt decimates the Lunatic Fringe

Monday Night Raw – December 8, 2014

Dean Ambrose returns with a vengeance, and Paul Heyman calls out Seth Rollins

DVD Special Features:

TLC 2014 Kickoff

The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) vs Gold & Stardust

Post Match Interview with Dolph Ziggler

Post Match Interview with The Bella Twins

The Tale of The Princess Kaguya review

March 16, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

“What a bore,” says Princess Kaguya after being told by her adoptive father that she cannot invite any of her friends from their village to a banquet. He also scolds her for spending time in the kitchen with her adoptive mother. It’s a strangely bittersweet moment where we see that the life of a princess isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Directed by Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata and co-written by Riko Sakaguchi, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya is an adaptation of the 10th century Japanese folktale, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. An old bamboo cutter (James Caan) and his wife (Mary Steenburgen) discover a tiny girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) inside a shining stalk of bamboo. She’s so small that the wife mistakes her for a doll. It’s not long before she ‘turns’ into a baby. She quickly makes friends who refer to her as ‘Little Bamboo’, though she is later named Kaguya. The bamboo cutter believes Kaguya to be a princess, so he and his wife raise her as one. They later move to the capital city and employ Lady Sagami (Lucy Liu) to train Kaguya to become more “lady-like”. As word travels of Kaguya’s beauty, she is soon inundated with attention from a number of potential suitors.

There are only so many times you can describe a Studio Ghibli film as beautiful. It generally goes without saying. Even with Takahata’s minimalist approach, there is no denying that a single frame from the Oscar nominated The Tale of The Princess Kaguya looks gorgeous enough to hang up on your wall.

Art director Kazuo Oga and storyboard artist Osamu Tanabe lead with hand-drawn watercolours and rough charcoal strokes which are less about filling the space and instead appreciating the elegant details in simple things. Be it when Kaguya lifts a rock and finds insects crawling around, or dancing amid cherry blossoms. At one point Kaguya takes the time to appreciate the simple things herself when she tells her adoptive mother to look at their garden from the floor, remarking how it looks like their former home. While the stark animation may look incomplete, Joe Hisaishi’s wondrous musical score is strong enough to help fill in any blanks.

Studio Canal UK are distributing both the Japanese and English versions of the film. Having viewed the English dub, it takes a while to get used to the accents, but the American voice cast actually sound well suited to their roles. Caan exhibits an occasional gruffness that seems fitting for the bamboo cutter, while Moretz manages to be both solemn and cheerful as Kaguya. A particular standout is Lucy Liu, in a brief role voicing Lady Sagami, who sounds like she’s having fun as a stern tutor for Kaguya.

Moments of humour arise when we see Kaguya being taught how to behave like a noble princess, as well as during many of the scenes involving a number of princes hoping to take Kaguya for a wife. Even though the princes have never seen her, they literally race to meet Kaguya, compare her to impossible treasures and later try their hardest to impress her with some too.

Essentially focusing on Kaguya’s birth and growth to a young woman, at nearly two and a half hours it’s t Tale of the Princess Kaguya (41) he longest Studio Ghibli film to date with a few scenes running longer than necessary (like catching a pheasant). Nevertheless it is engrossing, as we see Kaguya’s views when it comes to the expectations placed upon her, like etiquette and appearance, sometimes reluctantly going along, other times defying them. There is also the secret behind Kaguya herself. For someone found inside a bamboo, it’s pretty obvious that something is not quite right about Kaguya, and the film constantly reminds us, be it the comments on her increased growth or her knowledge of a certain song.

Themes such as vanity, materialism and in particular the loss of happiness are shown throughout. Kaguya’s adoptive father declares how he is doing everything to make her happy, yet he slowly turns to using her to attain a higher social status. Even Lady Sagami offers a thin view on happiness, explaining that it is achieved by marrying a gentleman as quickly as possible (interestingly she has no husband herself). By imparting what they believe is good for someone, they never consider if what they’re doing is actually right. For a princess, Kaguya’s own personal freedom is limited and she soon realises how people behave differently around her because of who she is. Without going into spoilers, in a rather telling moment, someone profusely apologises to Kaguya, even though she accidentally does something in which she knows she’s responsible.

Equally joyful and sad, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya has a unique visual style that makes for a mesmerising experience. Even though it is a tale that is centuries old, Isao Takahata’s adaptation proves that the strength of a good story will always resonate with people.

The Tale of The Princess Kaguya opens in the UK on 20 March 2015 and Ireland on 27 March 2015.

Good Luck Girl! Binbogami ga! DVD review – When fortune becomes misfortune

March 16, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

Dozens of new anime series premiere every year, and it’s easy to get lost in the sheer volume of them. Plenty of shows get swept away with the flow and don’t get the kind of attention they deserve, ending up as those hidden gems you come across only so often.

Good Luck Girl! is one of those gems.

Self-centred schoolgirl Ichiko Sakura has everything good going for her: looks, popularity, money, and literally anything else she might ever want. It doesn’t seem at all strange to her, but as it turns out, for her whole life she’s been sucking the good fortune out of everyone around her, leading to her perfection as she has an overwhelming excess of so-called ‘happiness energy’ that she can’t get rid of.

Here enters Momiji, a god of misfortune, who seems to be, unsurprisingly, the very embodiment of misery. She comes down with one purpose: to stick Ichiko with a giant needle and suck out her extra happiness energy, so that the world can be in balance again and Ichiko made into a normal girl. Naturally, Ichiko doesn’t take too kindly to this, asking why she should give up her own happiness so that others can have it. This doesn’t exactly make for a great start to their relationship, and they develop into fast rivals, finding every opportunity they can to insult each other, all during their cat-and-mouse game around Ichiko’s glut of happiness energy.

After Momiji’s entrance, a small host of major and recurring characters enter the fray over the course of the anime; Good Luck Girl! banks its success on its characters before anything else.

Ranging from Bobby, a perverted, homeless monk, to Ranmaru, an adrenaline-fuelled tomboy, the funniest moments in Good Luck Girl! come from its unique and fun characters. Without the supporting cast rounding out the main pair of Ichiko and Momiji, this series wouldn’t be half of what it already is.

Thankfully, these likeable characters turn the humour from groan-worthy to worth a good laugh, each and every episode. The jokes range from one-liners to sight gags and perversion, and at times this range can be really hit-or-miss, with some moments meant to be funny but just falling flat. Luckily, when it does get a good line in or a clever pop culture reference – done with loving expertise all over the place here – it makes everything worth it.

In that light, it’s definitely true that Good Luck Girl! is a comedy through-and-through, and it does this well, but if it were only a comedy, then it wouldn’t exactly stand out. It’s funny, sure, and the characters are great and well-developed, but that only goes so far. Momiji can’t chase Ichiko around through increasingly bizarre strategies and antics for a full thirteen episodes without something getting stale, and that’s where Good Luck Girl! shows its deeper, more engaging side.

Believe or not, beneath all the fun and zaniness, there are threads of a serious story, running through every episode, occasionally surfacing – and to good effect.

From the outset of the anime, when all the comedy is established, serious moments arise to show that Ichiko isn’t entirely the selfish, ignorant girl she appears to be. Living alone at home with her butler, Suwano, she’s not shown to have any friends. Despite good fortune pouring out of her ears, Ichiko doesn’t have anything to truly be happy about, no matter how good her life looks to people seeing it from the outside.

At school, other girls shun her because of her easy popularity with guys, and when Momiji arrives, her life actively begins to worsen with all the trouble the god gets her into. Past her rich, haughty exterior, Ichiko doesn’t have much going for her.

As the series progresses, more emphasis is placed on Ichiko’s developing personality and perspective of the world around her. Most episodes come with a sort of moral lesson for her, sometimes intentional and sometimes not, all integrating the whole cast in diverse and unique ways. No character feels left out or underdeveloped, and they all have their own roles to play in Ichiko’s story of personal improvement.

Now, that doesn’t mean the comedy gets killed off in favour of drama; some of the best, most hilarious moments in the show come in later episodes, and thankfully – unlike so many of its peers – Good Luck Girl! avoids a permanent shift into a dark, dramatic tone, instead remaining playful even as it ponders important questions about selfishness and friendship, and what really matters in life.

With characters that get more attention than just one-note gags, and drama that doesn’t completely overwhelm the show, Good Luck Girl! presents a uniquely entertaining dramedy, a rare feat, and worth watching just for that alone.

All of this is underscored by a dub cast that, while shaky at times, manages to make the jokes hit home, and the emotional lines come across as genuine.

The worst part about Good Luck Girl! is that it hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. Based just on the premise, it doesn’t seem promising, but it’s worth watching at least one episode. If only one or two don’t manage to catch your interest, then the series – being, again, hit or miss at times – might not be for you, but definitely don’t judge it by its cover. There’s so much bad, generic, time-wasting comedy anime out there that Good Luck Girl! might not particularly stand out amidst them all, but once you start watching, it’s easy to get hooked.

Good Luck Girl! is nothing if not unique, a refreshing watch that keeps its various elements of comedy and drama in a harmonious balance with each other. Is it the best thing to come out of Japan in recent memory? No. Does it have the prettiest animation, or the smartest dubbing? No. But is it worth watching? Without a doubt, yes. Whatever you do, don’t pass Good Luck Girl! up – it really can (and hopefully will) surprise you, in a very good way.

Good Luck Girl! is out March 16th on DVD in the UK, released by Manga Entertainment.

Ben-To Complete Series Collection review

March 15, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

No matter where I begin, this is going to sound ridiculous. So here goes nothing. Ben-To is an anime that can’t be expanded on much further than the title itself. It’s an anime about bento. It’s an anime about lunch. That’s literally it. But for a premise so stupidly simple, it was a thoroughly entertaining watch.

The series starts with our protagonist, Yo Sato, innocently minding his own business as he enters a supermarket with the nonchalant aim to buy some bento. However he ends up battered and bruised as he’s left beaten up on the supermarket floor and can’t remember what happened. After retracing his steps the next day and succumbing to the same fate, he changes tactics and instead ends up witnessing what goes on when the supermarket bento goes half-priced. An all-out war is waged between a plethora of hungry customers, all brawling to obtain the discounted bento. After this, Yo Sato is invited to join the Half Price Food Lovers club and is trained in the art of Bento Brawling. And that’s how the story goes.

Yes, you could say the series is overall lacking a storyline but that’s beside the point because the plot is not and was not intended to be the focus of the anime. Although as a mere watcher I can’t say what the intended focus of the series was, the clear charm comes from how absurd it is, which is what makes Ben-To worth watching. That being said, you could live without it. It’s far from a must-see series, particularly when you look at the grand scheme of anime and the kind of shows that deserve their recognition. However there’s definitely a wide target audience for this kind of thing. It’s something you can sit and watch with friends, not pay entire attention to and still get a damn good laugh out of it. It’s pure nonsensical comedy. It’ll have you classically questioning ‘What the hell did I just watch?’ but even without an answer, you’ll probably still want to continue watching it for the pure stupidity.

Now the point is, Ben-To is utterly pointless. Story and development are non-existent but it’s all in the name of fun and simplicity. That being said, when it comes to picking out the main details of the series, it becomes easier to criticise. Although many of the following points aren’t necessarily criticisms, given the genre of the anime, they are still areas that could have been improved upon. The main one being the characters and their roles in the series. When you have an anime that focuses heavily on one aspect or drama from beginning to end, it’s very easy for it to become stale. However, this is where the characters come in and are expected to carry the series and keep it fresh and interesting. Unfortunately, Ben-To had a lot of very pointless characters. Throughout the first half of the anime, each character introduced was a new rival and served a purpose; to create a new fight scene. As the series progressed, it seemed that more and more random characters were popping in for absolutely no reason. Even Ume, considered one of the more relevant characters, didn’t add much to the overall value. Also due to the lack of character development, the series left me longing for something a bit more when the end rolled around. Even Sato himself doesn’t seem to change significantly throughout. Now that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when you have a series filled with flat character archetypes, there was definitely room for some development and transformations that could’ve changed the perception of the entire series.

Another big problem was the pacing. Ben-To boasted its comedy, action and ecchi themes, however they were all executed in a very poor way. It was pretty much split into two halves, action during the first half of the series and ecchi during the latter. Given the theme and focus it could have been very interesting to weave some ecchi themes into the action scenes (I can’t believe I’m saying that either), yet it just felt very stagnant and try-hard watching the countless hugging scenes during the second half, where the fights seemed to dwindle into the background. Although the comedy was well integrated from beginning to end, it would have been nice to see more merging between the other main factors. It basically felt as if the makers got halfway through the anime and suddenly remembered that it was supposed to be ecchi too and decided to cram as many pointless scenes into the last section.

One area that definitely deserves kudos though is the animation and style. Despite the fight scenes being quite short most of the time, the animation was fluid and intense. It was great to see supermarket themed items included in the fights as well, which was original and amusing. The characters had nice designs, although the females did have very typical designs that fit various ‘types’, such as the big chested blonde, a mysterious white haired girl and so on. But they were all very distinct designs. The scenery and surroundings detail was pretty minimal. Most frames captured the same supermarket area, the club room and a bedroom. So there was a lack of diversity when it came to that.

Overall Ben-To is a pretty marmite series. It’s easy to love and yet very, very easy to criticise, depending on what you’re watching it for. All that can be said in the end is that if you’re looking for depth and a well-thought out plot, you won’t find even a morsel of that here. It’s a show about fighting over half priced food for people, like me, who tend to have a very immature sense of humour. And there really isn’t much else to it.

Ben-To Complete Series Collection is released on DVD by Manga Entertainment on 16 March.

The Road Is Jericho: Epic Stories and Rare Matches From Y2J

March 13, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

Y2J fans rejoice: the ‘Highlight’ is back with an all new DVD/Blu-ray, The Road Is Jericho: Epic Stories and Rare Matches From Y2J, set for release on March 16th.

This release is a little different from the classic “where they grew up, how they broke into the business and where they are now” documentary-style release the WWE usually put out, and that’s a good thing.

In The Road is Jericho, we join Y2J in his limo on route to a Fozzy gig, as he looks back at the matches that have, in his opinion, defined his career, his character and his love for the business – matches that he loves, matches that he hates and even (in the cast of one against Stone Cold), matches that he has no memory of.

Jericho not only introduces each match, with his reasons for making the choice, the story behind the match itself and even some insights into the build-up and his personal relationships with his opponents, but also shares a number of previously unheard stories. The stories begin from as far back as his days as Lion Heart Chris Jericho in Stampede Wrestling, moving onto his time in Mexico and Japan, and his brief but successful stint in ECW, before turning to his growth and eventual heel-turn in WCW and of course his infamous arrival in WWE, all the way up to his final (for now) match against Randy Orton.

Jericho also talks about his input into the business, how frustrations, storylines and fellow superstars helped shape his career and how he manages to balance his multiple jobs. Even when he is away from the ring, he is always working, be it on tour with his band Fozzy, writing (he has a journalism degree), or talking about his fantastic podcast, Talk Is Jericho.

One of the most interesting stories concerns how European dates, especially in the UK, were difficult: arriving on the day of the show and only catching a couple of hours’ sleep at the venue before going out to perform, and then often travelling back the same night. He tells of how the Undertaker once tore his ear, but he didn’t have time to get it stitched up in case they missed their flight.

In another fascinating revelation, Jericho explains how, when he initially came to the WWE, Vince McMahon paired him with X-Pac to help come to terms with the “WWE style”. At that point, Jericho had to run all his match ideas past X-Pac before each match.

Unlike many of WWE’s previous releases, the matches that Jericho has chosen tend to be rare and forgotten matches, or pay-per-view undercards, rather than the same old main events that already appear on multiple other releases. Matches against Ultimo Dragon, Pitbull #2 (for the ECW TV Championship), Dean Malenko and X-Pac, as well as a wonderful ladder match with Shawn Michaels are just a few of the electrifying battles hand-picked by the Ayatollah of Rock-n-Rolla.

The Road Is Jericho is a fantastic release, packed with great stories, wonderful memories and a whole bunch of incredible battles, all put together in a completely new format that will hopefully mark a new direction in WWE DVD/Blu-ray releases that is sure to thrill Jericho and wrestling fans alike.

If you’re looking for a biography for the star, check out Chris Jericho: Breaking The Code, but if you’re interested after a collection of outstanding matches and behind-the-scenes stories, then The Road Is Jericho: Epic Stories and Rare Matches from Y2J is definitely for you.