Ðysthymia – Google

My favorite Pokémon movie, which isn't saying all that much since I don't really enjoy most Pokémon movies. STILL, it does barely make it into my top 20 films of all time simply because Latios and Latias are the most adorable things I've ever seen on a screen. I grew up on Pokémon and to this day, I've never ventured past generation 3. I still have an ancient Pokémon Emerald cartridge for my Game Boy Advance SP, and I got a perfect IV timid Latias and a perfect IV modest Latios on the main team.

It was good. Not going to deny that, but I definitely had some issues with it. There were a lot of really silly moments that were obviously meant for children, and sometimes the film wallowed in that point for a little too long. Many of the characters really didn't have much to do. The show felt like it was obligated to give screen time to a lot of them instead of utilizing them organically. Anxiety could have been the only new member of the cast, and it wouldn't have been hard to adapt and keep a similar plot. I understand that anxiety is one of the more relevant emotions young people experience as they are figuring out the world, so I can't knock the film that hard for making her center-stage. And finally, I feel the film gets praised too hard for its ending. The payoff was huge, but I like to judge a film by the entirety of its parts, and if you removed the ending, the film would have only been good, not great. I definitely preferred the first film since its setting and characters were more creatively utilized, but this film didn't add enough to really stand out.

The best film I've ever seen. There, I said it. It did the unthinkable and took my #1 Favorite Movie spot away from Joker 2019 (something I didn't think was possible considering Joker resonates with me on a personal level). THIS is cinema. THIS is art. THIS is what moviegoers deserve. THIS is everything modern Hollywood doesn't understand. I saw this film five times in theaters, and each and every time I was left shaking and speechless. I pride myself in my ability to articulate my thoughts and feelings as a critic, but there is simply too much that was fricken fantastic about the film, so here's the cliff-notes version: Every single character was great. Not just the acting, but the character development, the roles, and how the film utilized them in every scene. The settings were stellar. Dune itself is mesmerizing, but having Geidi prime shot in infrared because they have a black sun? Genius, absolutely genius and unique. The action scenes! Hot damn, are there some intense scenes. Not only that, but those scenes are meaningful and deeply intertwined with the characters and their goals. Modern Hollywood often thinks a good action scene means won-ton destruction or a scary dinosaur chase, but Dune Part 2 makes those scenes meaningful! The music, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, Hans Zimmer knocked it out of the park with this one. There are only two other films that hooked me with the music as fiecly as this film and those are Titanic and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (also done Hans Zimmer). I really could go on and on and on, but this film simply has way too much for me to discuss. I learn more and more about the intricate details of this film from YouTubers who point out all kinds of things I missed. Again, I want to list it all out, but there is simply too much. I have never seen a film so masterfully crafted to the finest detail. I even had some glaring issues with other masterpieces like The Lord of the Rings. My only issue with this film was I wish it was 6 hours longer because I could tell they were trying to press so much rich lore into a measly 2 and half hours of film. Denis Villeneuve, you have opened my eyes to TRUE CINEMA, and my heart goes out to every poor unfortunate soul out there who didn't see this Magnum Opus in theaters.

To be completely honest, I went into this film with terribly low expectations. I thought it would be just another "robots smashing each other boom boom pow cablamo" CGI mess and I had my eyes primed and ready to roll. I was not at all prepared for the awesome epicness the film turned out to be. I ended up seeing it three times (as of making this review I might see it one more time) and then paid my friend who was on the ropes 20 bucks to see it and buy himself popcorn or whatever. The CGI is definitely there but it is really good and realistic, the story is fun and fast without a single boring moment, and the characters are all really interesting and unique. I am not a movie critic (thank god- most of them are bums) and I couldn't really find anything about the film I disliked. Even the really cheesy parts where Alita does or says something that, in most films would be cringey, it works here to show off how naive she is. The love interest was entertaining and also shows off how Alita knows very little about romance. Also I really appreciate how the film isn't afraid to pull some HOLY SH## cards in shocking moments I never saw coming. How they got away with making this film PG13, I have no idea. I understand critics like to pick movies apart instead of indulging in the story so that's why so many of them have trashed this gorgeous film. But to a movie-goer just looking for 2 hours of sincere enjoyment, this is the film for you. I really do hope the film gets a sequel since I am now thoroughly invested in the plot and it ends on a cliff-hanger.