A “QUICK!” Review of “Belle (2021)”

Belle is a modern Japanese take on the classic Beauty and the Beast story. The director Mamoru Hosoda made some wonderful anime movies such as Summer Wars, Wolf Children and Mirai which I absolutely loved. So I was no doubt going to watch Belle.

I love the contrast in art and animation style between the real world and the virtual world. The real-world uses 2D fluid and dynamic animation while the virtual world uses this 3D dazzling and beautiful aesthetic. Both are amazing to look at. One of the biggest highlights though is the music which is just wonderful. The final performance is just absolutely stunning!

I also enjoyed how Mamoru put a new spin on the classic tale through the use of a virtual world. It made the story feel fresh even though it goes through a lot of the same beat for beat story you have seen before. The characters are also quite lovable in their personality and I adored the character development that our main lead Suzu goes through. The story does juggle a lot of plot points and doesn’t give a completely satisfying resolution to everything. However, the story has a lot of heart and soul in it that it comes out as very sweet and touching by the end.

I had a blast with the 2 hours watching Belle and I do not doubt that you will too.

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A “QUICK!” Review of “Boy Kills World (2024)”

Bill Skarsgard in an action movie? Yes Please! The story is a generic revenge flick with an interesting concept of a mute and deaf protagonist. The main character has an inner voice which is voiced by H. Jon Benjamin of Archer and Bob’s Burger fame. This sounds interesting on paper but the problem is that the lines are so obnoxious and there are too many. It is always some kind of stupid quip or stating an obvious. It has a lot of comedy but most didn’t land for me. However, you are here for the action and it delivers on those. It has a lot of gore, gunplay, martial arts and over-the-top set pieces. It really shines in the 3rd act in both the story and the action. The final fight is a top-tier choreographed fight. In the end, Boy Kills World knows what it is and gives you exactly that. A bloody, fun action comedy!

A “QUICK!” Review of “Badland Hunters (2024)“

Ma Dong-Seok is one of the coolest dudes in Korean cinema. I do think the film is a little disappointing as the post-apocalyptic setting isn’t used in an exciting way. The plot is also nothing special. It is incredibly dumb and predictable while also having minimal explanation about anything. The characters are also very bland. There is barely any exploration of any of the characters including the main character. Due to this, they all come off as one-dimensional and this makes it very difficult to care about anyone. However, it has some incredibly well-choreographed and fun action sequences. Who doesn’t want to see Ma Dong-seok kick ass!

A “QUICK!” Review of “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024)”

When I found out after watching, that this was based on a Manhua (Chinese Comic book), it started to make sense. Characters that feel straightforward, the action scenes that defy physics in every way, the power of friendship, straight-up superpowered abilities, and countless flashbacks. The film suffers from juggling too many things. We have this fish out of water, self-discovery story with our main character. We have this gang conflict between those in the Walled City and the Triads. We have a revenge plot. We have a man dealing with his past—the growing of bonds. Unfortunately, the story is all incredibly predictable and lacks real depth. The constant talk about the past conflict sounded more interesting than the main plot. The ending is lacklustre and the final fight is so weird with the unexplained superpowers. However, if you like martial arts movies then there is certainly fun to be had here.

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