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Reviews
Psycho-Pass 3: First Inspector (2020)
One yawn too many
Great animation. Premise borrowed from "Minority Report" but I figured, that's OK if the rest works. But it didn't, not for me. Apparently, it was supposed to be an innovative trait of the main character to be constantly yawning or, in fact, falling asleep. Once I had noticed this, I couldn't unsee it. I just knew that from this moment on, it would bother me every time this by-the-numbers character trait would reappear. And reappear it did, again and again. So, I never made it past episode one. Great animation, though, I really must say. However, it's really hard to find a well-written and truly fascinating new anime these days.
Kimitachi wa dô ikiru ka (2023)
Double trauma processed in a precise psychological fairytale
When I heard about the new Ghibli movie, I consciously lowered my expectations given a few mixed reviews. However, I ended up leaving the theatre in awe of Miyazaki's last masterpiece. It's easy to join the bandwagon of those few shouting that the aged filmmaker's best days are over and that he should have retired before making "The Boy and the Heron". I am very glad he did no such thing, and I'm going to go out on a limb in adding two claims: Those who call this story a jumbled mess do so because they haven't, for the time being, understood what they are looking at, just as I didn't quite understand what was really going on in "Spirited Away" when I first watched it. I still remember being almost angry at the seeming randomness of the proceedings back then. I also believe that many of the viewers who felt confused after watching this last Ghibli installment for the first time will come to love it in the future and rank it among Miyazaki's best. This is a precise psychological fairytale following the logic of fairytales and of dreams. Like in a Franz Kafka novel, the hero is suddenly thrown into an unknown world with a set of intricate rules that he doesn't understand. This strikes us at a very deep level because it's the way we've all experienced our world at that early point in our lives when we were new to it. Like it was for us as infants, several helpers are there to guide the protagonist through the maze of this strange universe, among which the old women in the house who act as protective and nurturing spirits the way grandmothers often do.
Like in "Spirited Away", the hero is an adolescent having to face traumatic changes in his life and having to work hard to overcome increasingly higher obstacles, cope with all those changes, and come of age. In the first act of "The Boy and the Heron", the most traumatic change is the loss of the protagonist's mother rapidly followed by the task of accepting her younger sister as replacement. The second act leads the hero down a rabbit hole and into a dreamlike realm where different species of birds are in charge. Mahito ventures into this underworld, not unlike Orpheus in the Greek myth, trying to find and retrieve his dead mother, only to learn that his attempt must remain futile. His real task, as it turns out, is to mature and reach a higher stage in order to deal with the realities that wait for him when he returns to the world he actually inhabits.
Like many Japanese, the protagonist, who's clearly a representative of the ruling class, suffers a double trauma in the war not only losing a relative but also the country he knew. Once again, Miyazaki confronts his childhood trauma of growing up in a Japan destroyed and deeply changed by WWII. During his journey, Mahito encounters several incarnations of the older Japanese generation, such as the Heron itself, which at first resembles a proud Japanese fighter pilot attacking from the sun, only to be later revealed as an old and broken man not unlike those returning from a lost war. Another representative of this older Japanese generation is the great-uncle Mahito meets towards the end of the film. The rules that this generation has set up for Japan don't apply anymore in the new world that follows the Great War. Mahito and the younger generation will have to make up their own rules trying to restore harmony and balance to their country while still relying on the same elementary building blocks for its survival and character. Encountering a younger incarnation of his mother, Mahito himself turns into a little child again, if only for a moment, being fed an enormous breakfast. However, it is at this precise moment that Mahito has to leave his childhood behind for good. Like for many children confronted with a surrogate parent, Mahito's first instinct is to assume that his stepmother must hate him and that he hates her as well. The heroic deed in front of him is not to retrieve his dead mother but to find a way to his new mother. When he discovers his love for her, he also discovers a new love for life.
At the end of the story, Mahito has grown up, and the war is over. The invading army of elephant-devouring parakeets is suddenly transformed into a flock of pleasant new companions. A new life can begin for those whose old life was destroyed by the most devastating military confrontation in history.
"The Boy and the Heron" made me laugh and it made me cry as it poses the all-important question to the viewer expressed by the original Japanese title: Kimitachi wa Do Ikiru ka - "How Do You Live?" The characters and visuals are absolutely stunning, and I recommend catching it while it still plays on the big screen.
Hayo Miyazaki has the astounding power to create the caliber of fairytales that usually only dozens of generations of folkloric tradition can produce. The process often seems to be a painful one for him but I am deeply grateful that he was willing to endure it over and over while creating films that have the power to enrich our lives. Whether this will be his farewell and last masterpiece or not: Arigato gozaimasu, Miyazaki-Sama, for helping us remember the dreams that we had when we were new to this world. Closing with another admittedly bold claim, I would say that Hayao Miyazaki could be the single most important factor uniting East and West in search of a more poetic and peaceful life. In Japan, they might incorporate him one day into the list of Living Human Treasures. I call him a treasure of the world.
The Creator (2023)
Stunning visuals - and nothing else
This movie can't claim to deal with potential conflicts between AI and humanity because there is no AI present: The simulants lack all the elements of computer intelligence and have all the qualities of humans instead. Basically, they're just a bunch of people with holes in their heads so we can tell they're from the other side. It's easy to promote peace between the human and the computer race if the latter is exactly like us only better: more loyal, more honest, more caring, wiser etc. It's kind of silly to see a bunch of Asian kids cry their eyes out because some "computer uncle" was shot and the metal remains are carried off. Who says that the only form that AI can and will take is the spitting image of us humans - walking on two legs, having single individualities, eating, drinking, laughing etc? Perhaps people a hundred years ago had the right to nourish such childish ideas in respect to what robots will be like but we already live in the age of AI and know better.
The Creator is trying hard to be a dozen things all at once: It starts out as a commentary on 9/11 with the simulants resembling Arabian terrorists (however, the nuclear attack on LA that left behind a new Ground Zero and set the whole plot in motion was, as it later turns out, just a big misunderstanding). In other moments, the simulants take on the role of suppressed parts of the American society like Afro Americans, Native Americans, or other victims of colonialism. Then there are scenes where the mood and look become somber, philosophical and avantgarde like in Blade Runner. Then there's are fight scenes or what I would call "robot humor" where the whole thing turns into Star Wars, and so on and so forth until in the end there's not much original substance left to speak of.
The four stars I'm giving The Creator are strictly for the visuals.
Macross Plus (1994)
Better with sound off
Animation absolutely beautiful even after all those years. In contrast, protagonist Isamu Dyson is a pretty one-dimensional, annoying grandstander making it painful to watch the show with sound on. I prefer using it as soundless projection when we're having a party. It's a bit of a shame, of course, but Isamu reminded me a lot of Yusuke from YU YU HAKUSHO, you know that guy who looks like Elvis Presley but is also the strongest guy ever and not shy to brag about it. Compare those two to a truly epic character like Vash the Stampede from Trigun who is funny and humble and has a real inner conflict. Not as well animated but well enough for my taste - and you can leave the sound on with that one. Actually, if you ever get around to watching Trigun you absolutely should leave the sound on.
Sankuchuari -seiiki- (2023)
Protagonist unbearable
I really tried to like this series, like everyone else seems to, and I learned a lot about Sumo wrestling in just a few episodes. However, I gave up after four episodes unable to take the arrogant brat at the center of it for another second - the way he bulldozes over everyone trying to teach him anything, be his friend or point out any sort of limits. I know that we're supposed to cheer for Enno as the underdog and regard his actions as a fresh wind in the atrophied world of Sumo. We're supposed to admire his chuzpe or even find his shenanigans charming. Unfortunately, no matter how touching the guy's backstory may be, I can't seem to develop any of these emotions towards someone who insults or head-butts other people for fun every five minutes, stays in a terrible mood even when he wins, and only cheers up briefly when leering at the cleavage of a girl he's sort of seeing. I don't need to see the rest of it, already guessing that he will keep winning, after he's already been hailed a million times as the biggest talent ever in the first couple of episodes, and probably he will then develop some sort of wisdom and warmth towards his fellow citizens. Or he'll keep kicking and insulting them - at this point I really don't care anymore. Oh, and the plot point that the intelligent and beautiful young journalist is supposed to feel attracted to him? Ludicrously unrealistic, get real, guys.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive (2019)
Great show, arrogant teams
I loved this show, I can finally understand, what Formula1 is all about!
I found it interesting though, how proud many of the drivers and team principals seemed to be to abuse the Netflix teams and their reporters - which doesn't seem to be particularly daring because I doubt that Netflix employee is at liberty to say something back or come out behind the camera to have an even clearer word with you. The way I see it, these journalists are just doing their jobs and I'm sure that Netflix is paying good money to the teams and contributes to paying their salaries. You don't want Netflix there? Fine. But if you agree to let them document your sport treat them with some decency.
Strip the Cosmos (2014)
German Scientist
I enjoyed the show. The only akward part was how that one German scientist tried to deliver soundbites which were supposed to sound as exciting as those of his American colleagues and just ended up speaking in this dramatically contrived fashion. I guess German scientists are just not made for television. I cringe whenever he comes on.