CinemaClown

A no-nonsense exercise in filmmaking craft that borrows its premise from the testimonies of the squadron involved in the real-life incident during the Iraq War and portrays their harrowing ordeal in real-time, Warfare is devoid of the spectacle & acts of heroism that goes into most examples of its genre and only concerns itself with recreating the mood, tension & horror that the platoon experienced that day.

Written & directed by Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza, there is hardly a narrative in here, plus the characters are also one-note & unworthy of any emotional investment. It's the neatly executed technical elements that make this ride worthwhile, especially the sound design aspect which is its real highlight. The film takes its time to setup things before all hell breaks loose but sustains its intensity from thereon until the end.

Still, with no characters to root for, much of the action rings hollow and it fails to bring emotions into play. The technical craftsmanship is evident in the skilful camerawork, stellar sound effects, authentic set pieces, regimental choreography & graphic violence but the bland pace, repetitive segments & propagandist appeal does the picture no favours, plus its intended target being the American audience robs it from having a universal quality.

Overall, Warfare is exactly the kind of war film one expects from an imperialist power like United States, one that started the Iraq war by bombing it to stone age, destroying entire infrastructure, looting all its resources and killing countless civilians, only to return a couple of decades later to preach an anti-war message by showing just how traumatic the whole thing was for their pawns. Worth a shot for the raw, visceral filmmaking on display but that's all the film has got going for it.

The highest-grossing animation film of all time and the first foreign-language film to gross over $2 billion at box-office, this direct sequel to Ne Zha is not only a welcome improvement over its predecessor but is an obliteration of the highest order that demolishes almost every Hollywood studio production with its ambition, imagination & craftsmanship. Establishing a new bar for its medium, Ne Zha 2 is breathtaking in every sense of the word.

Written & directed by Yang Yu, the story finds Ne Zha & Ao Bing embarking on a new adventure to regain their physical forms. Within the opening segment, this latest entry in the saga exhibits an enormous upgrade in animation & action choreography and then keeps raising the standard with every new set piece. The story is more engaging, the humour is much improved, the action destroys every other competition and the animation itself is groundbreaking.

The rich textures, neat renderings & aesthetically pleasing animation on display is so far ahead of almost every Hollywood animation studio that it makes them all look like production house of amateurs. Add to that, the fact that the storytelling comes equipped with proper setup, genuine stakes, full-fledged character arcs, emotional depth, earnest relationships, smart twists n turns & an immensely satisfying final showdown makes the ride all the more enjoyable & entertaining.

Overall, Ne Zha 2 is a powerful & pioneering example of its genre that effortlessly surpasses all hype & expectations to set a new benchmark for animation filmmaking. Accomplished in nearly all narrative & technical aspects, this epic fantasy action adventure is a jaw-dropping feat that marks a new high for Chinese animation, puts them ahead of every competition, unlocks whole new potential for its medium and is impressive enough to qualify as the first masterpiece of the year.

Borrowing its story & characters from a popular Chinese mythology and featuring a level of CG animation that's on par with the industry standard, Ne Zha is a competently crafted & expertly executed animation-fantasy that comes packed with a gripping story, compelling characters & thrilling action set pieces to deliver an amusing, entertaining & sufficiently satisfying spectacle for viewers of all ages.

Written & directed by Yang Yu in his feature film debut, the film chronicles the origin story of its titular character who's born with destructive powers but is recruited to fight demons and serve his community. Through his journey, the film navigates the themes of fate, destiny, friendship & labels with clarity and attempts to juggle the dramatic beats with slapstick humour & brilliantly choreographed scenes of action.

The mythology it narrates is surprisingly accessible but the witty scenes are a hit or miss. Still, for an animation studio entering the feature filmmaking scene for the first time, the meticulous detailing & rendering on display is undoubtedly impressive. It is rich, textured & spectacular to look at, and is accomplished enough to rival the best competition in the arena. And if that isn't enough, the story itself is emotionally resonant.

Overall, Ne Zha is a smartly directed, intelligently scripted & gorgeously animated epic fantasy that exhibits passion, imagination & first-rate craftsmanship on several fronts and is refreshing on more levels than one. While the script needed slightly more fine-tuning when it comes to wit, dialogues & build-up, the positives here still outweighs the negatives by a considerable margin. In short, this Chinese animation offering is a welcome delight.