Jose Santino Santiago

Christopher Robin (2018) could make anyone cry. Nostalgia is all this movie is — but it was given perfectly.

One would assume the quality of this movie to be excellently crafted in all its aspect since the casts are renowned if not phenomenal, celebrities. Alas, the hope is nothing but a sham. This film got its large potential but it chose to bust; what a dismal failure, indeed.

Undeniably, the computer-generated imageries and suchlike is fantastic. The exhibition of Chinese culture is also excellent and commendable. The magical powers and odd-looking creatures are also incredible. However, the movie did fail to give consistent character development; some deaths felt so uninspiring or emotionless while characters like Boya and Shenle did not do so much as to be deemed important. Qingming, meanwhile, in his battle with Cimu, was very anticlimactic same with other fight scenes in the movie — deficiency in background music and the necessary sounds contributed to such impassivity. The Yinyang Master (2021), should be inspired to get some ideas from the Ip Man franchise and Kung Fu Hustle with regard to battle scenes. On the other hand, still, this film and other various Chinese movies show how the Chinese movie industry is catching up with its U.S.A. counterpart, Hollywood. Now I can see why Jackie Chan is in full support of Chinese films these days. It makes me, a Filipino, be proud of my Chinese neighbors and my Asian descent.

Victory ( a.k.a., Space Sweepers) is added to my list of disappointing South Korean series. With the recent inadequacy of Sweet Home, I thought I might revamp the lost excitement I once possess with watching South Korean movies/series. But, alas, it failed too. The South Korean movie gave hope of something interesting but it slowly declined to bore me out, per se. I have not yet intricate myself about film matters but there is certainly a lacking piece or, maybe yet, pieces. In times where music is needed to bolster enthusiasm, it was absent or unsettled. The setting is also another missed opportunity with it having felt as only mere "background" rather than a whole world; such a shame, I was mesmerized by its environs and in complete shock since Asian movies tend to fail at computer-generated-imageries, but this (the movie) was much fine, maybe due to their partnership with Netflix but it still is amazing although as the movie progressed, I grew to feel nothing. The protagonist actors are great and they did a good casting on that part but, I must say, Richard Armitage, is marvelously depressing. The same actor who did admirably in Pilgrimage and was chosen to play Thorin Oakenshield seems to have lost his grandeur; solely depending on his raspy voice to level his role as an antagonist. Not to mention, the extras who were also frustrating to view with their extraordinarily awkward and execrable amateurish acting. The latter issue can be ignored but how would you disregard it when their awfulness is so visible and there are literally a lot of them. Even the news anchors are as well as unsatisfactory; is it that hard to cast someone who can better accommodate the topic when the news is all about their success preventing the Earth from destruction? A bad movie example to lecture the public about harmful human activity affecting Earth. Its lacklusterness will not inspire the people to go out and take care of the environment---our home. Oppositely, we are dispirited. Only one commendable thing I found here. They have a good language diversity. The actors are freely speaking to their own English Accent and yes, of course, to their own language. Now that is what I can call diversity and not casting few minorities who also speak English in the U.S. accent.