LiteKoi

This is definitely my favourite Star Wars content period.

I haven't seen everything, just all live-action movies except for Solo and I've also seen the Mandalorian and part of Obi-Wan but I didn't see it entirely because I just didn't like it.

Given what we've been given in the live-action realm since The Force Awakens, my expectations for this were pretty darn low. Mandalorian had some really good things but it wasn't enough to make me forget the last Star Wars trilogy and it was also followed by two very unconvincing titles: The Book of Bobba Fett which I didn't even bother to watch and Obi-Wan, which I tried. I did really love Rogue One, definitely my favourite film since the original trilogy, but still, when Andor came out, my hopes were pretty low and I wasn't excited to watch it at all.

Then I watched the first 3 episodes and I immediately went like "Oh, so this is actually good, very solid start!". Then came episode 4, then 5 and that's when I got hooked. The Aldani arc totally captivated me with its impeccable cinematography, the acting, writing, dialogue, and that incredible tension that the show keeps building up as the story unfolds. It's the first time EVER, that I actually take the Empire seriously. It's the first time it truly feels like a proper empire of tyranny, oppression, facism and it does feel scary. I'm genuinely scared for the characters, many of them being minor characters. I've never been this involved and emotionally attached in the characters and story in a Star Wars film or series.

If you loved Rogue One, if you are into more grounded, mature and uncompromising storytelling, if you don't blindly believe that a Star Wars show needs to have Jedis, Siths, force wielders, flying bounty hunters, or a myriad of cameos from the Original Saga, if you think that it's ok for a Star Wars series to have its own identity, embracing a more brutal and deeper tone to finally show how real the stakes are and what it means to Rebel against the empire, then I think you should absolutely love this gem of a series.

It's not perfect but for a Star Wars show to do something so good and under the Disney umbrella...That's a 10/10 for me, give me more of the same stuff please!

I know it's purely subjective, my rating is just the manifestation of my appreciation of the show, the story it tells, its characters, its universe and I'm trying to give a fair rating as opposed to reacting to other ratings I don't align with. Sadly, my experience is that in all these aspects, Obi-Wan Kenobi was painfully lacking. I liked some effects and visual but action scenes, chases and choreography are downright awful. The acting is solid with some actors like Ewan but the script and characters are so badly written that it doesn't do much and make some of them really hard to take seriously. The plot and character's decision are full of inconsistencies that are hard to overlook, which is something I'm usually able to do, as long as what I'm watching is giving me compelling characters and story telling. Overall, the words that come to mind are "poor", "incoherent", "boring", "annoying" and "dumbed down". It's one of the many shows/movies that when I watch it, I really feel like the creators do not respect the audience intelligence.

My last experience with Star Wars was "The Mandalorian". I thouroughly enjoyed it even though I had no expectations or particular interest in it initially. Some episodes felt a bit uneven and I'm sure there also are a lot of inconsistencies in there, some I noticed but what really struck me in the Mandalorian is that I could tell, I could feel how much love, passion and care was put into this show. A love and respect for Star Wars in general but more importantly, for their own story and characters. This, and given how masterfully they executed some scenes/episodes, allowed me to overlook the many flaws of the show.

This show is utterly unable to do the same for me. Here, it seems that the decision makers at Disney wanted to take advantage of the popularity of Obi-Wan Kenobi to push hidden agendas and nefarious goals, sacrificing the hearts and souls of this show in the process, as well as making some money. I guess entertainment has always done that to a certain extent but gosh, that aspect has become disturbingly strong over the last few years. Honestly, you get a MUCH more compelling story, characters, action, interactions etc, in cutscenes from "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order"'s (yeah, a video game...). These companies know how to create proper content, or rather, to employ people who do, they just choose not to and this has to come to an end, the sooner the better.

I'm also certain that the overall rating for Obi-Wan Kenobi is a joke. Just take a look at the reviews and ratings and it will become painfully obivious. The actual rating is probably closer to 5/6 (and I'm being generous). At least it gave me a good laugh, which is more than this show did so far.

The film tells quite a unique story of cops joining forces with gangsters to go after a serial killer.

If you single out all these elements (cops, gangsters, a serial killer, a cop teaming up with a gangster), then I've seen and enjoyed them many times before and yet, I don't think I've ever seen them all come together like this.

So, a unique story that relies on well known archetypes. I thought it handled them well enough.

However, if you're looking for a very plausible story line and a masterful intricate plot, well that's just not what this is about. It's more of a fun, entertaining and somewhat gritty movie that mostly revolves around the dynamic between the cop and the gangster. As such, it was also my main source of enjoyment while watching it.

I also liked the cinematography, the acting (cop, gangster and serial killer), action sequences and fight choreographies. It also has a comedic aspect to it, which surprised me but was very welcome and appreciated. Ma Dong-seok's character was the one that stood out the most to me, then the cop. Like I said, the main strength of the film is the dynamic between them. At least that's how I experienced it.

One thing that frustrated me during this film is the dynamic between the cop and his superior. The dialogues were overly repetitive and I think that this is a good example of where the film is lacking. There isn't a lot of depth in this movie and it suffers from it. Especially when you start to stray away from the dynamic duo (cop and gangster).

That's about it. I had a good time watching it and I'd recommend it to those who enjoy these kinds of detective stories and want to have some fun but don't expect exceptional writting and depth.

I give it a 7.5

This review will be focusing on the first season.

This is an anthology series, meaning that each season has its own and unique story, setting, actors, characters etc.

With that out of the way, let's go! True Detective season one is my favourite TV show ever.

It tells a story revolving around a peculiar crime investigation and the two central characters in charge of the case: Rust Cohle and Martin Hart. Ultimately, though I found the investigation captivating, the character development of Rust and Martin is what truly drives the story in my eyes.

The investigation itself touches on something fairly rare in films and goes even deeper into something that most people believe to be fantasy of extremely isolated cases of completely insane people, which couldn't be further from the horrible truth. Fortunately, the shows manage to convey the level of atrocity that mankind is capable of without brutally throwing it in your face. It's much more subtle than that and it gets the job done. It's still dealing with a dark side of human psyche and thus, the show is pretty dark and brooding.

Most people are in awe of Rust Cohle's character and Matthew McConaughey's acting which I also found outstanding. However, I want to say that though Rust Cohle stands out more as a very peculiar individual full of unconventional ideas, philosophies and speeches, the writing and acting of Martin Hart is actually on par with him. He stands out less because Martin is more or less your typical cop, does his job, doesn't think to hard, comes home to his wife... But underneath every "regular guy" lies a story and a potential for good development which is fully exploited here. Everything that this guy goes through might seem a bit stereotyped at first but it's actually handled in a very coherent and meaningful way that gives much much depth to a seemingly basic character.

The relationship between the two of them, how it evolves around the case and what it becomes in the end was masterful to me.

The plot is not too complex but not too simple either. On the other hand, the way the story unfolds felt captivating to me, highly tense at times and the show consistently hit me with stunning cinematography and breath taking scenes.

At its core, this show is a true story about two broken men, why there are that way and how throughout this investigation, their relationship, they might be able to find something they that they need. All of that with a brilliant plot, top notch acting, character development, cinematography, writing, dialogues, you name it...

Final verdict: 10/10. This rating isn't an attempt to evaluate the actual objective value of the show but merely reflects my appreciation of it. Moreover, I'm not trying to say that True Detective is absolutely flawless, it does get the highest ranking because it is my favourite TV show ever so far.

Obviously after such a strong start, a lot of people had extremely high expectations for season two, but since it's an anthology series, you pretty much have to start from scratch and anything can happen.

I won't get into details but though I didn't enjoy the second season as much as I did the first, I honestly think that it's a remarkably solid crime fiction with, there again, great performances and a LOT of good things in it, I give it a 8,5/10. I would add that if you've never seen True Dective, I'd definitely recommend watching the second season first. As I said, it's an anthology so you can watch any season in any order you like but considering that the vast majority of people liked season one better than season two by a huge margin, you'd avoid the risk of being disappointed by the next season.

Banshee is a TV series that might look overly stupid and vain on paper but it has a lot of things to offer.

Of course the series has it flaws. It is often very violent at the detriment of realism, which sometimes lacks ridiculously and it contains a lot of unnecessary sex scenes.

And yet, somehow, it works! At least for me. As I said this show is quite violent, bloody, filled with tons of fights, brutal characters, killers etc. So if you can't handle all that then move along this is clearly not for you.

Now, is the show only about fights and sex? It's NOT. I'd say that this series revolves around strong, more or less well written characters whose interactions often yield extremely intense and satisfying scenes. Lucas Hood being the pivotal point that allows everyone else to shine when needed.

What personally got me hooked to Banshee, aside from outstanding performances from Antony Starr, Ulrich Thomsen(Kai Proctor), Trieste Kelly Dunn (Siobhan Kelly), Ivana Milicevic (Carrie Hopwell/Ana/Anastasia) and many more, is the general atmosphere and very unique aura of this show. Man, the tension is strong in that one! Banshee also managed to get me on an emotional level that I clearly did not expect from such a show. Though the series displays a very high level of violence and brutality, they surely put their soul into it. Most action sequences were truly impressive, even more so for a TV budget. The fact that it is a very adult and dark story gives this gripping and thrilling quality to the action. I was often at the edge of my seat during dangerous situations and genuinely scared for the characters involved.

Finally, Banshee surprised me by somehow being able to display truly contemplative, touching and powerful moments throughout the series as well as being able to deliver on most of its main characters's development which is quite a feat for a series that often rolls all over coherence. That was made possible by the acting, the writing, the music and directing that surprised me more than once. The emotional aspect might seem insignificant but ultimately; it's what allows me to overlook major flaws of a fiction with ease.

In a nuthsell, if you can't handle a high level of violence or if you can't relate to the characters and care about them this show probably isn't for you. Otherwise, if you like action-packed, gripping stories with strong, well written characters and a story that does not take itself too seriously but still manage to bring about powerful scenes, give it a go and you're in for one hell of a ride!

Final Verdict: 8.5/10. This rating is not an attempt to evaluate the actual value of the show but merely reflects my own appreciation of it.

Man, what a saga, I don't even know where to start.

This show is definitely not for everyone, if you're looking for constant cheap action, overly dramatic scenes or cheesy comedic relief, you're in the wrong alley.

This series is well established now and though it definitely doesn't benefit from the same renown as something like Breaking Bad, it is placed in very high regards by many viewers. As far as I'm concerned, it's definitely one of my favourite work of fiction.

The scope of the story it tells throughout five major points of view/aspects of the city of Baltimore is nothing short of stunning and brilliant. I will say however, that the major focus is directed towards Law Enforcement and Criminality. It took me about four episodes to really get into the universe because it is so vast but once I did I was captivated. On the other hand, it's not the kind of show that will try to hook you through cheap cliffhangers and artificial plot twists. It is a extremely ambitious, honest and realistic work of fiction that manages to tell the story it wanted to tell in a very masterful way and from beginning to end.

Now, if you don't have any interest for criminality related issues, drug dealing, drug use, law enforcement, justice, education, media, politics, the working class (docks of Baltimore) and how all those elements interact with one another, then move along this is not for you. If you do and are looking for a very plausible story, with intricate yet down to earth plot lines, intelligent character development, depth and strong characters with tangible issues, The Wire might be as good as it gets.

I won't say that it is the best show ever because that statement doesn't make any sense to me. What I can say is that for this kind of story, The Wire has reached an overall level of achievement, consistency and quality that is yet to be equaled in my eyes.

Final Verdict: 10/10. This rating is not an attempt to evaluate the actual value of the show but merely reflects my own appreciation of it. I gave the highest note as a sign of recognition to what this show has accomplished and not to imply that it is absolutely flawless.

My first introduction to Rurouni Kenshin, one of the first Japanese anime I've ever seen and oh boy, what an anime! It surely sparked something in me.

I probably watched this when I was about 12 or 13 years old with my older brother (around 14 or 15 at the time) and none of us really knew what we were watching, what was an anime or even a manga.

I instantly fell in love with this film and yes, if you put the 4 OVAs together what you get definitely qualifies as a film.

First off, I honestly think that this is a very strong film with an excellent plot, great character development, amazing animation and fighting sequences especially for that time, a lot of depth, great music, solid dialogues, themes, amazing tension, I could go on. You definitely don't have to be an anime fan to love this though I would say that the unique style, pace and tone of the film is not for every one.

It is a pretty dark, gripping, tragic and yet beautiful story that nails fighting scenes but is far from revolving around it. In fact, if you get into this expecting to see a lot of fighting you might be sorely disappointed, do not expect comedic relief, or tons of dialogues either.

I won't waste time fully comparing it to the original manga or anime series but will say that this story is much more realistic and definitely darker than its original medium. So I can say without a doubt that it offers something COMPLETELY different to the viewer.

The films gets a bit slow at some point because it establishes something important for the rest of the story and after seeing it I'm sow glad that it did.

I can't possibly write a proper review for this work of art because to this day, it is still my favourite anime film and one of my all time favourite film period. Thus, it holds a special place in my heart that might influence my review. However, putting all that aside, the fact remains that I still believe that this is Anime at its finest and that it delivers outstandingly in every aspects.

Final Verdict: 10/10. This rating is not an attempt to evaluate the actual value of the film but merely reflects my own appreciation of it. I gave the highest note because of important this anime is to me and not to say that it is absolutely flawless.

I was expecting something a little different from this film. More accurately, I wasn't expecting something in particular but I was still surprised by the movie.

What I liked : the art in general (drawings, colours, music, sound effects, voice acting). I truly found the movie to be visually stunning and I liked the general atmosphere that is very poetic, sometimes melancholic, sometimes light, sometimes vibrant or even tragic. For the most part I also enjoyed the dialogue, there was quite a few funny moments, not necessarily in a pure comedic sense but often more like something between funny and touching. It was also interesting to simply witness what these people's live looked like during that time. I didn't know or had forgotten that Japan had been the prey to this constant bombardment during the war and it was a good reminder that civilians pay a dear cost during a time of war.. There was a few scenes that managed to touch me on a deeper level, those felt strong made me more invested in the story.

What didn't work for me : the lack of a strong plot, its development and the shallowness of my emotional involvement in character(s). I get that it's not the kind of work that necessarily needs a thick plot, plot twists and stuff like that. Unfortunately, I didn't relate with the characters enough to overlook that aspect. Actually, the only character that I truly cared about was the main character Suzu, and even then, the feeling was not as consistent as I would have liked. I would have enjoyed seeing more of her childhood friend, Rin I believe, but it didn't happen. I'm not saying that I didn't care about what happened to other characters at all, but I wasn't as invested as I'd wish I was. Thus, at several points I felt that the movie was too long and I got a bit bored.

Overall I enjoyed the experience and I do not regret watching it at all. If you like slice of life genre, poetic stories with beautiful visuals carried by an endearing main character, this might very well be the film for you, maybe not, watch it and find out.

Verdict: 6.9/10. This rating isn't an attempt to evaluate the actual objective value of the film but merely reflects my own enjoyment of the work.

Los Hongos is an interesting, honest and positive movie revolving around two teenagers growing up in the streets of Cali in Colombia but you can read all that in the synopsis.

I had a good time watching it but it lacked a little something for me to really love it. The most important thing for me in a film is emotional impact and involvement which is not the strongest aspect of this work, not that it tries to be or pretend to deliver on it.

I said the film was honest because that's how it felt to me. I could truly believe that the characters of this story were real and that everything that happened to them really did happen but ultimately, the lack of really fulfilling events, or deeply emotional scenes that is brilliantly characteristic of what this kinda lost youth is experiencing, caused me to not be able to get into the film as much as I would have wanted to.

I think this film deserve a very high praise for its sincerity, its beautiful simplicity, its realistic and sometimes touching characters as well as its genuine rendition of a youth that I could totally relate to even though I live in a different continent. Even though I wasn't blown away by the film, I can say that I'm happy to have stumbled upon it and that I have a lot of respect for it.

Final verdict: 7.5/10. This rating is not an attempt to evaluate the actual value of the film but merely reflects my own appreciation of it.

Lou and the Siren Island piqued my interest as soon as i saw the trailer. I'm far from being an anime or animation expert but I can say that I've watched a fair amount of Japanese anime, films or series. The overall style of the anime is certainly quite different from what I'm used to and that felt refreshing.

What I liked - The music worked really well with the anime and different scenes. I'm actually a tiny bit disappointed that they didn't exploit that aspect a bit more. The character design was simple, a bit hazy at times but it worked very well with the animation style that I enjoyed very much. The film also dares to do interesting things with animation, colours, visuals in general and that is very welcome. There are good vibrations in this film and overall it made me feel good. They also manage to make Lou, the siren, a very likable character, at least that's how I experienced it. Finally the whole mystery/mythology/mystic aspect of the Siren felt captivating to me at times and certainly entertaining.

What I liked less - I once again have a problem with character development as I didn't relate enough to the main character. He still had his moments but I needed a bit more from him for this film to have a significant emotional impact on me. The second thing that kinda disturbed me is how random some parts of this movies felt to me. Like it lacked some kind adhesive substance to make it all stick together in a more coherent form. Finally, the way the the main stakes of the movie are handled and ultimately resolved didn't really feel satisfactory to me. That last issue may come from the fact that the audience targeted could be a very young one (I'm 30) but it felt a bit "easy" and oversimplified to me. The way people react to the Sirens was also not realistic at all given that it's taking place in a similar world than ours. Then again, if the movie was intended for a very young audience that could explain that problem.

In the end it was a good experience and I'd recommend it for young kids or if you want to watch a rather simple story with interesting elements and good vibrations!

Verdict : 7.4/10. This rating isn't an attempt to evaluate the actual objective value of the film but merely reflects my own enjoyment of the work.

An interesting and very different take on a well-known story. I'm not rating this on how it's faithful to the original story but as a story on its own.

I had a good time watching this, only two things preventing me from rating this significantly higher.

The unique style of Guy Ritchie is back once again and if you don't like his films, you should probably avoid that one too. Otherwise, it might be worth a shot.

The acting is damn good. Charlie Hunnam is excellent as usual. We also get a strong performance from Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Neil Maskell (playing Back Lack) as well as his son Blue portrayed by Bleu Landau (though they are both underused). Now Jude Law's acting was masterful in my eyes. One of the strongest performances I've seen in a couple of years. His character is well written, the acting is so good that just watching him in action, going through stuff, interacting with other characters, felt surprisingly and utterly satisfying. One of my favourite scene is the one when he meets adult Arthur face to face for the first time, brilliant!

As said earlier, Guy Ritchie also imposes a unique style that gives a unique aura to the film. Clever use of editing, fast pace rhythm, and dynamic camera work during action sequences all serve to show something very compelling and refreshing. The music and sound effects work extremely well, especially in that area, though I will say that I'm the kind that enjoys being able to truly see what's going on in action sequences which wasn't really the case here.

The story is very straightforward, simple and I mean that in a good way, I enjoyed its development.

The first issue I have with the film is something that I've been experiencing more and more in the past few years. I now watch a lot more of series than I do watch films. One of the main advantage of a series is that it usually has way more time to tell its story, develop its characters, plot, universe etc. Here, it felt to me that a single film is definitely not enough to cover all the things that it goes over in a way that is satisfactory. All of the arcs felt more or less rushed because the story needs to reach its conclusion but as a result, it lacks depth, feeling of achievement and ultimately gets a bit frustrating.

Finally, there is a lack of emotional impact which is the main reason I can't rate this higher. If the film had managed get me more involved on an emotional level, through character depth and interactions with one another, it would have made a significant difference when something important would happen. I loved the music and it helped to convey the necessary emotions a lot but it still fell a bit short of the mark as far as I'm concerned.

I definitely recommend this film if you like Guy Ritchie's style. If you don't know him at all, this may be kind of a gamble. I think the first trailer for the film gives a decent idea of what it looks like, you can watch it and see if it looks appealing to you.

Final verdict: 8,2/10. This rating isn't an attempt to evaluate the actual objective value of the film but merely reflects my appreciation of it.

The acting is one of the few things that I was okay with. I feel that Sofia Boutella has grown as an actress. Tom Cruise is good as usual, so is Russel Crowe but nothing outstanding from them either. My favourite performance comes from Anabelle Wallis whom I think is very good at displaying the range of emotions needed for her role.

'Tis not enough though. There's a limit to what I can swallow, even for this kind of films. The introduction sequence where Nick and Vail are shown going after treasures/spoils of war to sell on the black market while still on duty as military officers felt ludicrously incoherent. Worst part is probably when Vail calls in an airstrike.

Nick breaks the mechanism that was keeping the tomb engulfed in mercury. Feat that he accomplishes disturbingly easily, even considering the fact that firearms weren't really a thing in ancient Egypt. He then somehow becomes the chosen one, interacts with Ahmanet, getting access to flashes of her memory and she gains some control over him, but WHY ?

So now he's cursed and it means that experiencing a brutal plane crash on solid land will leave him absolutely unharmed (never explained). He wakes up in a morgue so I'm guessing he had no pulse when they found him (never explained and no follow up on that whatsoever). Oh and there's the part when Vail gets bit by a venom-free spider. The venom starts taking effect during the flight (yeah yeah I know it's not venom it's MAGIC), his health rapidly but gradually degrades to a point where it's alarming and obvious, yet no one notices and he himself never asks for assistance or at least tells someone he is not feeling well. He just lays down, decays and dies without once making any kind of connection between the bite he received earlier and the dreadful evolution of his condition.

But wait, now that Nick has survived the crash, he has visions of Vail who starts blaming him for shooting him even after being reminded that his reanimated brain dead corpse just killed their superior and tried to kill Nick and Jenny...REALLY ?

Nick can't escape the curse, so the plan is to do the ritual to kill Seth, but wait, he can actually break the malediction if he destroys the stone, because no stone no ritual, no ritual no curse... But isn't he cursed already even before the ritual ? Did he not just survived a plane crash because of said curse ? So, apart from preventing the ritual, what does destroying the gem actually do ? ? I honestly don't understand the mechanic of that curse and since I couldn't care less, I haven't tried to make sense of it. I also didn't care about characters in the story and what could happen to them. Oh Jenny died ? OK... She's alive again ? Great... Vail is also resurrected and they go on an adventure... SURE.

So let me get this straight, the hero completed a ritual to: gain immortality, revive the dead, suck out people's life force and give birth to evil incarnate by receiving Seth who is described as pure evil, God of Darkness, Satan etc. As heroes do right ? So where is Seth ? Isn't he supposed to posses him or something ? Did the hero managed to keep the darkness at bay because through a short and shallow relationship with a girl, he realized that deep down, he might be a decent human being ? Didn't he perform a supposedly unbreakable ancient ritual with legendary artefacts ? Does the writer give a damn about the coherence of his plot ?

Is it just normal now for the hero of such a story to make such a terrible decision over something so trivial ? I get it, death is sad, but guess what, everyone dies, it's the circle of life, and it's not like he just lost his wife or his kid right ? Not only did he accept to receive evil incarnate to revive a single a girl he barely knew, but he also revives Vail who casually comes back like nothing ever happened and more importantly, not a hint from the movie that reviving people should at least have some grave consequences. Jenny and Vail seem perfectly okay, whole and just as they were before. So it's just your typical resurrection from pure evil forces with no side effects then, classic.

I didn't see any point in Jekyll/Hide except setting up the "Dark Universe" franchise. Funny how Hide wanted to make a pact with the hero to work for him after he'd perform the ritual. Riiiight, and what exactly do you bring to the table ? You can what, punch slightly harder that a regular human being and have superior yet inconsistent strength ? Cool, cool cool cool... Even Ser Meryn fricking Trant would beat that guy in single combat !

The only time I laughed was when Jenny tells Nick that he's a good human being because he didn't hesitate to give her the only parachute. He silently looks at her with a conflicted expression and tells her he thought there was another one. Ironically enough, I don't think that the scene was meant to be funny, oh well.

I got the feeling that the movie is bad, knows it, but still tries to go for it hoping it will work somehow.

There a few bits I enjoyed here and there, the plane crashing was one of them. Obviously, and as I was reminded reading other reviews, the film will appeal to some folks out there, which is perfectly fine with me. I can't think of any reason why I would recommend that movie though, or what kind of public it would suit. Give it a go AT YOUR OWN RISKS (theatre is very costly nowadays).