Stanislaus

I had a solid ride on the Japanese wave last week: After watching the latest Godzilla, I ventured into the world of ghost detectives, yokai, and the "dude with the pacifier," and even though I'm not exactly the target audience, it wasn't until Netflix's menu that I first encountered this series. Yu yu Hakusho, it was a brisk series with a good dose of action and a nice running time. I thoroughly enjoyed it despite the unmistakable anime atmosphere and the overabundance of typically Japanese acting. The first prize for the most annoying (and almost impossible to remove) character goes to Elder Toguro, on whom the lack of CGI budget also had a lot to do, while Genkai was probably the best character for me.

After the original Godzilla from 1954, this is my second encounter with a purely Japanese production within the kaiju films, and it's incredible that the most famous movie monster has built on a tradition that spans seven decades. The current outing does not deny its predecessors, but at the same time it tries to technically elevate the film to the level of today's effects-hungry audience, and the final product is a solid example of how a decent spectacle can be made on a truly modest budget - the first contact with the monster was what got me the most, but the other action sequences had their charm as well. But Godzilla -1.0 is not only about the devastating natural destruction embodied by the gigantic monster, but also a solidly written social drama about the effects of war on individuals, about coping with (post-)war trauma, and about finding new hope and meaning in a society destroyed by war and now destroyed by Godzilla. The relationship between Koichi and Noriko, who together with the girl Akiko have formed a kind of "patchwork" family, created from the wreckage of the war, intrigued me – and even moved me at the end – and it's a bit of a pity that (not only) this social level was a bit brought down by the expressive Japanese acting and emotions. The actual plan to deal with Godzilla was crazy, but cute ... crazy, but cute – which I guess is the way of the genre. A strong four stars!

I approached the second Aquaman with sober expectations, based on the not-so-appealing trailers, and in the end I left the cinema satisfied. Underwater worlds are a rewarding theme in movies, and this one offers different corners of them that had their own charm despite the strong CGI (I couldn't help but think of Jabba the Hutt in one scene). The brotherly chemistry between Jason Momoa and Patrick Wilson didn't quite work, but this lack was thankfully made up for by the abundance of action and fights with enemies. The scenes from the dead city reminded me a lot of the Warcraft game (and movie) and it's perhaps a shame that they weren't given more space, while the sequences with the metal "octopuses" made Chicken Little pop into my head. I found the main villain rather bland – about as bland as Nicole Kidman's facial expressions. On the other hand, I did enjoy the scenes with the enhanced octopus, easily the biggest hero of the whole film. In the end, it's a one-view film that won't stay in your head for long after the screening.

I found Milady a little weaker than D'Artagnan in the end, yet I left the cinema satisfied. I originally thought that Three Musketeers would be split into two films, but the ending of the second part left the door open for another sequel. In addition to the plotting and intrigue, they did not forget the dynamic action scenes, of which I would single out the attack on La Rochelle and the confrontation between D'Artagnan and Milady. I also liked the plastic portrayal of the character of Milady herself, played by the demonic femme fatale Eva Green. I had counted on the death of one of the main characters, yet I was quite surprised by the ending. A weaker four stars!

2023 was a strong year for quality dramas in Czech cinema: after Exhale, the hermaphroditic We Have Never Been Modern and the black-humored She Came at Night, we have another solid piece, this time from the field of Alzheimer's disease, which is perhaps the one that audiences are most familiar with (after an unexpected visit of the mother-in-law). The film is mainly based on the strong performances of Karel Roden, Antonio Šoposki and especially Regina Rázlová, whose acting gives rise to a believable story that may one day befall any of us. In addition to depicting the typical symptoms and manifestations of Alzheimer's, the film equally addresses the consequences and effects of the disease on loved ones who are faced with a difficult ordeal. Slavík's film is another in a series that confirms that old age can be truly cruel.

I quite like Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Mel Stuart's Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is still in my drawer of unwatched films, and I haven't yet had my hands on Roald Dahl's book. So I've approached the latest film about Willy Wonka with some caution because of the somewhat unrewarding and often difficult function of prequels - whether they are based on the source material or are purely the imagination of the screenwriters. I was all the more surprised watching Wonka in the cinema: it is a endearing film with a universally likeable cast (perhaps the only thing I didn't like was the trio of "chocolate barons"), from which, apart from the Timothée Chalamet, I would single out the umpa-lumpa Hugh Grant, the piously venal Rowan Atkinson and the villainous duo Olivia Colman - Tom Davis. Wonka has appealing visuals that are not just about CGI but also about nice sets, offers great musical numbers and is heartwarming at the end thanks to its family-oriented story. I certainly wouldn't be opposed to seeing a (preferably qualitatively similar) sequel in three or four years.

I haven't seen the original film from the 1930s, but it certainly doesn't has as many bizarre characters as this early millennium adaptation. Mr. Deeds both stands and falls on those characters and the situations they get themselves into. Most of the inhabitants of Deeds's little town – except perhaps for Conchata Ferrell's spunky and buxom pizzeria helper – were more or less out of place; the New York cast wasn't much better – though I enjoyed John Turturro's "master of appearing and disappearing" Emilio. The main character's good-naturedness with the universally tolerable Adam Sandler seemed shoddy in places, perhaps similar to Winona Ryder's confused meanness, but their relationship felt quite endearing nonetheless. Either way, this obscure vibe that Brill's film is brimming with is the main reason I return to Mr. Deeds every once in a while.

Perhaps the most damaging aspect Wish is the label "Disney centennial film", both from the side of the audience's expectations and from the side of the filmmakers, who have unwittingly tried to put the centennial history of this famous studio into a film. As for the visuals, I liked the blending of 3D animation with cartoon elements. I also praise the locations (the forest scenes evoked films from the 1930s to the 1950s). While I enjoy pop culture references in some films, in the case of Wish I found them too forcefully and artlessly incorporated (e.g. Bambi or Peter Pan), though I liked the final peek at Sleeping Beauty. The story itself wasn't bad, but it didn't have any downright memorable or powerful scenes. Aside from that, I was bothered at times by the excessive goofiness of the main characters, detracting from the experience of the film. The songs were generally good and unlike the film itself, I will certainly return to them. Average three stars!

Adam Sandler, who co-wrote the screenplay, plays the lead role of the cantankerous prickly lizard and (surely) contributed to the casting of his two daughters, certainly has nothing to be ashamed of in this enjoyable animated film. After the considerably wacky Hotel Transylvania films, Leo is a refreshing change of pace, captivating both in its animation and its story, which will appeal to young and adult audiences alike. Leo – a therapeutic counsellor for children's problems – thinks his life is coming to an end and, although he would like to escape to freedom, he decides to capitalise on his years of experience and pass it on. Although the film deals with more or less serious problems in the lives of children and adults alike, it does not forget to entertain with its unforgivingly sweet lessons, and has many humorous scenes, especially provided by Leo and his equally funny turtle friend from the terrarium. A pleasant surprise from Netflix!

For the first time in more than two decades, Ridley Scott and (one Oscar heavier) Joaquin Phoenix meet behind and in front of the camera to take us from the year 180 to the early 1800s to tell the story of one of the most famous warlords and rulers in European history. The fact that a shorter, but still solidly expansive, version of nearly two hours went into theaters was most noticeable in the film's opening ten minutes, which felt a little too cut up for me. Napoleon's relationship with Josephine was – apart from the animalistic, disappointing sounds – portrayed believably; from the tentative beginning to the bittersweet end. As for the action, I'm at a loss for words: on this field, Scott did not disappoint, offering spectacularly shot and raw (but not overly raw) scenes from famous battles, of which Austerlitz was clearly the one that most captivated me in the cinema. Although two and a half hours long and there is a lot of talking, I was not bored at all and I thoroughly enjoyed the screening – which was certainly due to the fact that I am not an outright historical nitpicker.