A “QUICK!” Review of “Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018)”

Maquia is a magically wonderful movie. The relationship between a mother who could live for 100s of years and a normal mortal living child makes for an engaging story. There was definitely some worries that the story might go in “that” direction. Thankfully the movie sticks to the mother and son theme and it is all the better for it. Even though you know how this film is going to end from the get go, it still manages to tug on your emotional strings.

The art style is gorgeous with beautiful backgrounds and stylish character designs. There are some CGI incorporated which is especially noticeable for the dragons but it’s never that off-putting. The music score is phenomenal as well, having been composed by the legendary Kenji Kawai or IP Man and Ghost in the Shell fame. The main characters, Maquia and Ariel, are great with a strong supporting cast as well.

The only issues I had is with some slow pacing and the fact that some subplots don’t have as strong of a resolution as the main characters. This results in some lingering questions by the end concerning Leilia subplot and the whole Red eye disease having no explanation.

Nevertheless, Maquia is one of the most memorable original anime movies in a long time. The story will stick with me for a long time.

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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 “Monkey Man (2024)”

Dev Patel is an actor I admire so of course I was interested in his directorial debut. There is a lot of great stuff here but there are some issues too. The first act has a great build-up with its sprinkle of backstory and world of crime. The action scene is fun albeit it is overly edited and has a lot of shaky cams. The movie’s pacing then goes to a complete stall with its boring second act that goes on for too long. Nothing of importance occurs apart from explaining something the audience already knows and a pointless side quest. The final act is a full-on action set piece that doesn’t use shaky cam but is incredibly predictable. Monkey Man has an interesting spin with the added Indian mythology but it is just an overstuffed and over-explained revenge story. It is a great start for Dev Patel and I will look at his director career with great interest.

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