Review: Sword Art Online: The Movie: Ordinal Scale’ Gives People More Of What They Miss

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SPOILER ALERT

Sword Art Online is a mixed bag of a franchise. The series starts strong with one of the most powerful stories of any anime with characters fans fell in love with and connected to. Unfortunately, it seems the original author Reki Kawahara should have stopped when he was ahead. Many didn’t bother returning for the second season as they felt the series had hit a zenith. Why bother coming back if the first season ended so definitively?

What the franchise needed was an over the top display of excellence to win back everyone. A way to remind them why they enjoyed Sword Art Online in the first place. Does the movie, Ordinal Scale succeed in this feat? For the most part but not without taking a few steps back.

Story

A new system, the Augma, which utilizes AR (augmented reality) is sweeping the nation. Asuna, Silica, and Lisbeth are all onboard but Kirito isn’t one to jump on the bandwagon as he prefers previous games.The group continues to play the new game Ordinal Scale they soon find themselves wrapped up in a conspiracy which dates back to their time in Sword Art Online and the return of an old friend who wants revenge for being forgotten.

The movie banks on the idea more people enjoyed the first arc of the story than the ones which followed. It starts slow by making references to the arc for story purposes but by the end goes full force and even finds a way to duplicate the “people may die from playing the game” circumstances. This is the big negative against it as it really feels like it relying too much on what has already been done in an effort to tell a good story.

The film does have a lot to offer though and is very entertaining. There is an impressive amount of action scenes scattered through the film. Not enough to make things too overwhelming but not too little to make things dull. Also, despite the cop out of repeating previously mentioned circumstances, it is incredible to see the characters return to their Sword Art Online personas. Applause and cheers erupted from the theater audience when this moment occurred. It was here many forgot the same peril had to be used to arrive at this point and became swept up in the action scenes again.

Another entertaining factor is the attention to the relationship between Kirito and Asuna. The film doesn’t forget their relationship is what helped get their audience in the first place. Kirito once again has to fight against all odds to save Asuna or risk their relationship falling apart. Kinda like he did in the second half of the first season but it’s absent a creepy guy trying to marry her. Above all their adorable and seeing them trying to work towards being together is always a treat.

Art

The art design doesn’t slack off in the movie. Yes, previous designs from the show are utilized but a lot of new characters and creatures are introduced to balance this out. The film goes as far as to ensure each of the cast members has a new costume for the Ordinal Scale Game. There also are a few new characters introduced which find a way to slide into the mythology behind the series without being distracted or retconning too much of the existing story. Ordinal Scale’s mascot character Yuna resembles Hatsune Miku and even go as far as to explore the popularity such a character possesses.

Music

Series composer Yuki Kaijiura makes a return and finds a way to work her magic in the series soundtrack. The five songs in the film song by Yuna (song by Sayaka Kanda) are varied so much they don’t get overplayed or obnoxious. A hazard which can come from having a character which is a singer. The songs are catchy and the fim’s theme song (by LiSA) really helps to wind the story down as the credits play and fans enjoy some post movie images which serve as an epilogue.

Conclusion

The movie is good, entertaining, and makes you want more Sword Art Online. In these ways it’s a winner. Which is good because the end of the film does tease there will be more of the series in future. Yet, moving forward, how many more of these stories will feature the cast in danger playing games? You won the audience back Sword Art Online: The Movie: Ordinal Scale, but how much more will fans stomach before the underlying burning question of “Why don’t they just play a board game? It would be safer.” becomes too powerful to ignore.

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Marvel’s Iron Fist Receives Mixed Reviews From Critics

By

Jonathan Bruce

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March 13, 2017

Marvel’s Iron Fist isn’t even out yet, but it’s getting a lot of buzz.

The series’ first six episodes have mixed reviews from critics.

Maureen Ryan of Variety has harsh words for the show. She calls it “Deadly- in all the wrong ways.”

“Iron Fist is the most frustrating and ferociously boring example of Netflix Drift in some time”, Ryan writes. She also lists “uninspired production design, unexceptional cinematography, and painful dialogue” as detractors. The review ends with these harsh words: “Getting through two episodes was a challenge.”

The Hollywood Reporter‘s Daniel Fienberg has a similar opinion. He calls Iron Fist “a step backward on every level and a major disappointment.” Among these include not much authenticity, the lack of subtext, and a strong villain.

Iron Fist‘s main enemy is The Hand, who have a major role in Daredevil Season 2. “An interesting bad guy with objectives central to the individual show feels important to the crafting of the hero,” says Fienberg. “Danny suffers from the absence of exactly that.”

In contrast, Miles Surrey of .Mic gives a mixed review of Iron Fist, which he calls “a flawed, cliche series.” He cites the show’s similarities to Batman Begins as a problem, such as Danny’s billionaire backstory and training. Surrey feels the Hand is “little on exposition” and more on action.

That being said, Surrey lists the stunt-work and fight scenes as a highlight of the show. He praises the choreography as “a ton of fun” and “some of the best you’ll see on TV”. Fans can expect a hallway scene which harkens to a famous Daredevil scene.

On a positive note, Josh Wilding of Comicbookmovie.com loves the show for “Strong action, a compelling story, and a compelling performance from Finn Jones.” He praises the choice of Jones in the role of Danny. “His naivety never becomes frustrating; instead, he’s a massively likeable character clearly setting out to try and do the right thing.”

Regarding the alleged whitewashing, Wilding states Danny has always been Caucasian in the comic books. “While Marvel decided against casting Jackie Chan as the lead”, he says, “the show does feature a kickass Asian lead in the form of Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing.”

Keep in mind, the mixed reviews don’t mean the series is bad, though. If anything, many want a show on par with Daredevil, and for some, this may not be to their liking.

Marvel’s Iron Fist comes out March 17.

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REVIEW: ‘The Walking Dead’ S7 Ep 13 “Bury Me Here” [SPOILERS]

By

Jon Barr - TV Editor

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The Walking Dead has allowed Morgan to become incredibly stagnant. His morality has been the sole subject of his character. Every episode that focuses on him tends to rehash the same conundrum. How can Morgan survive without killing? Can anyone stay righteous in a walker-filled world? “Bury Me Here” tells an okay story, and helps to make Ezekiel ready for war. But it doesn’t disguise the fact that nothing all that new happens here.

Morgan’s dilemma around killing takes an odd turn in “Bury Me Here.” When we last saw Morgan, he wanted to avoid war so no allies would die. But this week, The Walking Dead threw Morgan a curveball with the death of Ben. While it seems obvious in hindsight, the death of Ben seems very sensible and wasn’t too obvious. The fact that suddenly, Ben had “a girl,” should’ve been a tip-off, but nevertheless, it worked. It gave Morgan just the right amount of motivation to rework his ideas. He doesn’t exactly change his entire persona, mind you. He’ll be back on the path of morality soon enough, the same way he reverted last season.

The more shocking twist is Morgan killing Richard. Richard was the Kingdom guard obsessed with taking out the Saviors. He’s been plotting several attacks on the Saviors – one which included sacrificing Carol. So the fact Richard seems so torn up about Ben dying in his place isn’t super convincing. Likewise, the character of Gavin seems a bit inconsistent. How much does he care about The Kingdom, and how much does he care solely about resources? Most importantly – how did NO ONE stop Morgan from killing Richard? I don’t care how long Morgan has been in The Kingdom, nor how much Ezekiel relates to Morgan. The fact that nobody stopped Morgan defies logic.

At its core, “Bury Me Here” is more filler, teasing the eventual war. It’s unclear just how much The Walking Dead intends to lead viewers on before the conflict begins. It seems like Morgan has been put on the right path, stepping away from The Kingdom. He may have ratted out Richard to Gavin, but he’s still willing to kill. Ezekiel and Carol have each been pushed forward as well. The deaths of loved ones is a common motivator for The Walking Dead, and it works. It’ll be interesting to see if these characters really embrace this war fully.

On a more technical note, the editing on The Walking Dead is pretty abysmal. It’s a category that has been added to these reviews, specifically to call it out. The pre-credit scene is about twenty seconds too short, and the lead in to the second day of trade is poorly paced. There’s also a clear lack of coverage for “Bury Me Here,” as many lines are spoken off-camera (particularly by Savior). And I understand the reasoning for Morgan’s freak-out montage. Yes, it’s meant to disturb the audience, and make the chaos in Morgan’s mind clear. But it’s too jumbled here, and it’s about as annoying as shaky-cam action shots.

It’s hard to feel immersed in a show that’s so repetitive. So many episodes this season are rooted in build-up over payoff. With such a large cast, it makes sense that The Walking Dead wants to give each character their due. Morgan is on roughly the same path, but at least there’s effort. Likewise, it seems Ezekiel and Carol may be ready to become relevant again. The payoff will determine whether or not these exposition episodes will be worth it. But for now, all we can hope for is that next episode will bring us the action we crave.

Be sure to check out last week’s review of “Say Yes” if you haven’t!

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Matthew Vaughn In Talks To Direct ‘Man of Steel 2’

By

Kieran McLean

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March 13, 2017

Superman might finally get his chance to shine again in the DC Extended Universe. According to Collider Kick-Ass, and X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn is in talks with Warner Bros. to direct Man of Steel 2.

Sources have reportedly told Collider that Vaughn is the studio’s first choice to direct the Superman sequel. While the deal is in the early stages, the report states that discussions between Warner Bros. and Matthew Vaughn have already happened. Vaughn could still decide not to direct the film but he’s the guy Warner Bros. wants.

Matthew Vaughn has previously discussed the idea of directing a Superman movie. Before Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, Vaughn talked about Superman with Warner Bros. but never got the chance to show his version of the character. The directed did end up offering what he thought a Superman movie should look like. See what Vaughn said below:

“I think that’s the one thing not to do with Superman, trying to do the serious The Dark Knight version. Superman is about color and fun, or it should be, for me.”

it certainly sounds like Vaughn has a cool vision for what Superman should be. If he does end up directing the solo Superman sequel I would expect the character to shift to a more colorful and optimistic tone.

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REVIEW: ‘Santa Y Andres’ History, Drama, And The Cinematic Middle Finger.

By

Ruben Diaz

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History and drama collide on screen in the second feature from Cuban Director Carlos Lechuga (literal translation: lettuce). Santa Y Andres is a film about the great divides between people caused by politics. But more importantly, the film is about the similarities we all share as humans. Santa Y Andres is a movie that works powerfully on some levels but misses the mark on others. Overall, it’s an entertaining two hours set in a time and place few rarely get to see.

A picture like this, though, relies on two crucial things:
writing and performance.

Santa Y Andres tells the story of an unlikely pair forced together by circumstances greater than the both of them. Andres (Eduardo Martinez) is an author living in exile. Andres is at odds with the Cuban government of 1983 and as a counter-revolutionary is no longer allowed a life, much less his own as someone who spreads the “wrong” ideas. Santa (Lola Amores) is a young woman, longing for companionship and finding it only in serving the oppressive government led by Dictator Fidel Castro. Santa is ordered to keep watch over Andres while a political meeting takes place. The government wants to make sure Andres and his banned ideas stay hidden.

Director Lechuga deftly moves the camera throughout the film, focusing attention on what viewers need to see. The choices for music in Santa Y Andres are fantastic too. A picture like this, though, relies on two crucial things: writing and performance. Both Martinez and Amores deliver powerful performances, embodying their characters flawlessly. However, the script leaves both characters a little short of being truly compelling. Andres is hardened by having his life stolen from him, Martinez portrays this perfectly throughout, but Andres ends the film at nearly the same point. The lack of development for Andres has the effect of rendering the character a little flat. On the flip side, Santa is rich and fascinating, she’s a woman torn between powerful forces. But some of the more interesting nuances of her character come too late.

Martinez and Amores shared the Best Actor prize at the Miami International Film Festival for their performances. The dynamic between Santa and Andres is what drives this film forward. Andres spends nights secretly working on a book while Santa believes she can free herself from government and into the arms of her lover. However, betrayal is also an important part of this story. Andres was betrayed by his country, and Santa soon learns the feeling all too well herself. The world forced these two together, and perhaps it’s fate, as they need each other more than they ever realized.

Santa Y Andres doesn’t always come together as it could have but is very much worth a watch. The film’s narrative is a unique blend of history and drama in a severely isolated country. Both lead performers and Lechuga’s direction carry the film, keeping it moving, and never letting it become a heavy-handed critique of the Cuban government. However, with that said, the Cuban government still went ahead and banned the film away. So, maybe this isn’t the kind of movie you look for, but it’s an excellent way to flip the cinematic bird at a ruthlessly oppressive regime.

Santa Y Andres TRAILER

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REVIEW: ‘Are We Not Cats’ And The Horrible Horror Of Reality

By

Ruben Diaz

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One of the beautiful things about any great film festival is the celebration of diversity. Film is a language with nearly infinite possibilities for expression. At the Miami International Film Festival, such diversity is a treasured hallmark. Documentaries, drama, action, adventure, and all genres in-between find a place on screens all around South Florida. One of the oldest and most immortal of all genres — horror — didn’t weigh heavily at MIFF this year, but it’s not about quantity, it’s quality and Are We Not Cats is one top-notch, grade-a quality horror film, though, maybe not for all horror fans.

A good horror should give you characters you care about
or even care enough about to hate.

Are We Not Cats tells the story of Eli (Michael Patrick Nicholson), a thirty-something suffering from a severe case of wanderlust. Eli also has issues with trichotillomania and trichophagia, the conditions where a person pulls out their hair and sometimes eats it, but we’ll get to that a little later. “When it rains, it pours” becomes an understatement for Eli. In a matter of days, Eli’s girlfriend dumps him, his future-less job drops him, and his parents leave him behind without a place to live.

Eli soon meets Kyle (Michael Godere), a man forever locked in party mode. Along with Kyle, Eli also meets Anya (Chelsea LJ Lopez), Kyle’s eccentric, Elvin-cute girlfriend. Anya’s free spirit attitude enraptures Eli. As the trio spends more time together, Eli’s relationship with Anya grows more intimate since they share the same obsessive condition. Eli and Anya’s connection ultimately becomes the thrust of the film, becoming more dangerous and gross with every scene.

A good horror should give you characters you care about or even care enough about to hate. This way, threatening or killing a liked character causes an unease in the audience while killing a douchebag causes elation. Second, the film should soak you in tension, but that can take many forms. Most horror movies do this with tons of blood, jump scares, and loud, sudden sounds. That’s the easy way. But Writer/Director Xander Robin used a uniquely different approach.

So, where do the scares come from in Are We Not Cats? The scariest place of all — reality. The rom-com portions of the movie work great. Edgar Wright-inspired whip-pans and cuts play well with the type of dark humor going on in the script. Those rom-com portions, while sometimes falling into eye-rolling tropes, also serve to make the horror bits all the more squirm-inducing. Eli and Anya both feast upon themselves and it gets ugly fast. Eli, in particular, also has a bad habit of scratching at his back until it’s raw. The film’s minimalist approach serves a much greater payoff for the viewer. Particularly during other scenes where the gore feels suddenly turned up to 11.

If you’re the kind of horror movie fan who likes heads and limbs being hacked off then Are We Not Cats won’t satiate your bloodlust. But if you love to squirm, to feel your skin crawl, to connect with broken people and watch them fall deeper into their cracks, then Are We Not Cats is must-watch horror.

ARE WE NOT CATS TRAILER

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REVIEW: ‘Citizen Jane: Battle For The City,’An Engaging Documentary About Real Estate!

By

Ruben Diaz

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Documentaries are a dime a dozen, especially if you spend even two minutes on Netflix. Documentaries, like movies, have genres. So, if you’re not into science or math, documentaries on those subjects aren’t likely to make much of an impact on you. Of course, there are those rare documentary filmmakers who can make just about anything interesting. Here we arrive at Citizen Jane: Battle For the City, a documentary about real estate. Sound exciting? Probably not, but filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer, is one of those rare types of filmmakers.

Journalist Matt Tyrnauer first tackled a documentary film with Valentino: The Last Emperor. In it, Tyrnauer told the story of Italian businessman Valentino Garavani. But at the heart of The Last Emperor is a relationship. Citizen Jane is no different, presenting a larger picture but then scaling it down to the humans mixed into the paint. In this case, the relationship isn’t one of mutual support and progress.Instead, Tyrnauer presents a classic hero in Jane Jacobs, author of “The Death And Life of Great American Cities” (1961). Jacobs thinks cities are magical places with a unique connection to the people who live there. If Jacobs is Superman, her Lex Luthor is Robert Moses, a Trump-like businessman who speaks of progress while laying the foundation of this growth on the backs of people he cares little about.

Jane Jacobs talks of neighborhoods as naturally forming organisms that create something larger than intended. Neighborhoods breed stories, seemingly born from the surrounding Earth. On a more pragmatic level, Jacobs argues that smaller areas with business sprinkled in are safer than a city of 100 times the amount of people living in rows of skyscrapers. For Moses, it’s all about the money. Moses’ vision is to turn New York into an even larger sea of concrete, with people living in small caves tucked into massive, box-like buildings.

Citizen Jane handles the material with surprising vibrancy. Let’s face it, the thought of a doc about the battle for real estate isn’t very exciting. But Tyrnauer’s use of old photos and footage makes New York come to life.

Showcased at the Miami International Film Festival, Citizen Jane’s battle for the city between Jacobs and Moses began in earnest when Moses wanted to stretch New York’s Fifth Avenue right on through Washington Square Park. Jacobs, a relative unknown journalist at the time took up the fight against the builder. Jacobs was dismissed by opponents, lead a campaign which ultimately shut the project down. Jane won, but it would be the first of many battles against Moses.

Later, the fight would grow truly personal when Moses set his sights on wrecking Greenwich Village. Jane lived in Greenwich and had formed a lot of her concepts, like “social capital” living there. To Jacobs, Greenwich, much like Washington Square Park, Lower Manhattan and SoHo (two more areas Jacobs saved), she saw it as a symbiotic organism that was as much vital to the people or the city as it is the profit motive for people like Robert Moses.

Tyrnauer weaves the Citizen Jane like a tapestry of natural progress versus perceived progress. The model of creating cities of skyscrapers is more the norm now than Jacobs would’ve liked. But Jacob’s inspiration continues to fuel modern-day activists to continue the fight to preserve the spirit of humanity woven into great American cities.

CITIZEN JANE TRAILER

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Brianna Hildebrand On Negasonic Teenage Warhead In ‘Deadpool’ Sequel

By

Aric Sweeny

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March 13, 2017

Brianna Hildebrand talked to Screen Rant as SXSW, and commented on Negasonic Teenage Warehead’s character in Deadpool 2.

“I’ve not yet actually read the script, but I do think she will be a lot cooler, based on the wardrobe ideas and stuff. I’m very excited.”

Hildebrand then explained that, although she hasn’t read the script, she did see some character concept art.

“Just some ideas, nothing that’s concrete or anything. But I think it’s cool that she’s grown and matured and she still has so much of this essence of a punk kid.”

Are you looking forward to Deadpool 2? Why or why not? Comment below!

The film is slated for a theater release in 2018.

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DC on CW: Week in Review – ‘Flash’ and ‘Supergirl’ Get Gritty

By

Jon Barr - TV Editor

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March 13, 2017

This series will be a brief, semi-comedic review of the CW superhero shows. You can check out last week’s review post here, or see the tally of winners below. The only shows discussed will be ‘Arrow’, ‘Flash’, and ‘Supergirl’. There WILL be some spoilers discussed, so only look at the reviews you’re up to date on!

Supergirl, “Exodus” (Mar 6)

While the two CW shows got dark this week, Supergirl doesn’t lean too hard into its angst. Therefore, “Exodus” works as a dramatic conclusion (of sorts) to the CADMUS plot line. Kara’s dark turn mostly involves independent journalism, but putting her double-life in conflict works well for side plots. Alex’s “bad cop” turn, on the other hand, is legitimately dark and exciting. J’onn’s Dad-Test may have been unnecessary, but the way it motivated Alex was incredible. Jeremiah’s true loyalties still aren’t clear, but perhaps his capture – or demise – will clear it up. Winn falling too madly in love is actually pretty sweet. It’s also exciting to see Kevin Sorbo and Teri Hatcher show up. James has mostly disappeared from Supergirl, which is a shame, as he’s more interesting than Mon-El. But the work “Exodus” does with the other Supergirl stars is phenomenal.

SCORE: 8.5/10 Flash Grenade Things

The Flash, “The Wrath of Savitar” (Mar 7)

Holy Gosh Darn, this episode is DARK. It’s a confusing choice, coming from a show often praised for its levity. While it’s commendable that CW took a risk on this darkness, it did not pay off. Barry is barely visible this episode, as if the CW knew he couldn’t be convincingly brooding. The proposal twist is interesting, but under-done. It would’ve been intriguing to see Barry sit more on the decision before it gets tossed out like that. Instead, it comes out of the blue to make Wally leave, and Iris calling off the engagement feels unearned. Savitar’s speech becomes far more casual, and makes him feel more like the human evil speedsters of seasons past. The Julian/Caitlin relationship falls more into melodrama, making it hard to watch them onscreen together. But Wally’s an interesting character, and the transformation he MAY be going through is exciting to watch unfurl.

SCORE: 5/10 Acolytes

Arrow did not have an episode this week. Seems like all its dark mojo & rejected proposals got absorbed by The Flash. So perhaps someone in Starling City is gonna get married for real? Maybe Quentin and Felicity’s mom? Talia and Arsenal, perhaps? It doesn’t look like Oliver and Susan will stay together for long.

WEEKLY WIN TALLY:

Arrow: 6 Weeks

Supergirl: 5.5 Weeks

The Flash: 3.5 Week

What show did you think won the week? Does Legends of Tomorrow take your vote? Do you think A.o.S. or Gotham outshines all the CW shows? Let us know in the comments below!

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This Trailer for Edgar Wright’s ‘Baby Driver’ Will Make Action Fans Salivate

By

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

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March 13, 2017

Edgar Wright is back, and he’s ready to attack the action genre head on with Baby Driver.

Wright, whose given us one of the greatest comedy trilogies of all time with Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End, strays from his Simon Pegg/Nick Frost comfort zone to tell another familiar story with what looks to be terrific flair. Check out this trailer:

After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.

There are echoes of a dozen different films here, most obviously Drive from 2011. It’s certainly a familiar story, but Wright’s confidence with the action/comedy genre mashup is on full display.

And how about that cast?! Baby Driver stars Ansel Elgort as the titular driver, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Jaime Foxx, Jon Bernthal, and Kevin Spacey, who seems to have aged a decade the last year or so.

Baby Driver will hit theaters August 11. Let’s hope it’s not another American Ultra.

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