Janseon

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is one of my favorite superhero movies ever. The animation is absolutely mind-blowing, creative, and original—it's everything I love about animation and hopefully propels the medium forward. The soundtrack slaps; props to Daniel Pemberton. The story is solid and quite heartfelt. The climactic scene is a masterpiece and genuinely had me tearing up. It's been a while since I've been captivated by a superhero movie.

I enjoyed the concept of Big Hero 6 more than the execution. I found it hard to empathize with the main character, Hiro, whose character arc felt forced and cliche. The other characters were quite two-dimensional and lacked any sort of development.

Blade Runner 2049 left me with the hardest-hitting post-movie depression that I have not felt in a long time. The film follows Officer K, a replicant (artificially created being), whose purpose is to "retire" (kill) rogue replicants. Throughout the movie, we gain insights into K's underlying feelings and emotions, as he struggles with identity and purpose. K is one of the best representations of real modern societal issues of loneliness, polarization, and depression. The film questions what it means to be human. Is being human of biological origin? Or is humanity the quality of self-awareness and the ability to experience emotions and form relationships? The film is incredibly immersive (or maybe I just love the aesthetic) and creates a visually and emotionally stunning atmosphere, one that appears so alien yet feels so human, one that is permeated by a sense of melancholy that I could bask in forever. The movie is not for everyone; it's slow and lacks actions, but if you don't mind a slow burn, Blade Runner 2049 is incredible.

The Truman Show is an existential film that leaves you questioning your own reality. Truman's character arc is well-written as he pushes beyond the boundaries of his own reality. Despite being released over two decades ago, the themes remain quite relevant in modern-day mass media.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is one of MCU's most mature and emotional movies. The film excels in its exploration of Rocket's heart-wrenching backstory, and the other protagonists truly shine as well. The villains were rather uninspired and underdeveloped, and the ending felt a bit too safe, but regardless, I'm satisfied with this conclusion to the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.

Suzume is a story about finding closure and national trauma, specifically referencing Japan's 3/11 earthquake. The animation and soundtrack are absolutely stunning. I loved the style and feel of Shinkai's previous movies and Suzume did not disappoint. However, the narrative felt convoluted, the characters bland, and somehow the main character develops romantic feelings for a chair.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is enjoyable, fun, and capitalizes on childhood nostalgia. However, the story felt bland, poorly written, and clearly targeted towards a younger audience. Besides Mario Kart, I was never super involved in the franchise, but if you're a fan of the Mario games, you'll probably find more enjoyment than I did.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is ambitious and wildly imaginative—the film truly lives up to its name in terms of what it accomplishes. There is so much to unpack, and I don't know where to start. The movie combines many genres and themes, to say the least: it intertwines drama, comedy, action, adventure, and science fiction while exploring themes of family, intergenerational trauma, depression, queer identity, neurodivergence, as well as more philosophical ideas such as nihilism and absurdism. Despite its chaotic nature, the film never loses sight of what it intends to accomplish. The theme that resonated most with me was the idea of our interconnectedness, explored through the (very Asian) mother-daughter relationship strained by intergenerational trauma, but also how, through our interconnectedness, we can create meaning by making the conscious choice to treat each other with compassion and empathy. I also couldn't help but smile at the language and dialect switches between English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Blade Runner has undeniably made great contributions to the science fiction genre. However, I found the plot to be rather uninteresting, and the film's deeper philosophical meaning was unimpactful—maybe I missed a lot of the subtleties throughout the film. Perhaps, as a younger person, I have been spoiled by modern-day visual effects, which make it difficult for me to appreciate how ground-breaking this film must've been in the 80s.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever offers a more emotionally driven narrative compared to its prequel as the movie centers around Shuri and her struggle with grief. I enjoyed Shuri's character arc although it felt mildly cliché and the resolution, in regards to her conflict with Namor, was rather predictable. The movie's pitfall, however, was the plot. The introduction of new characters—Namor and Riri Williams—and an entirely new civilization (as well as their conflict with Wakanda and the rest of the world) was an obvious attempt to advance the overall MCU timeline in a somewhat forceful manner. All of this detracted from the originality of the film itself, and I believe there was much greater potential in a more character-driven movie. Still, I will applaud Marvel for handling Chadwick Boseman's death honorably.

I can somewhat sympathize with what Marvel was attempting to accomplish with She-Hulk by highlighting Jennifer Walters's struggles to balance her regular and superhero identities in an unfiltered and unsensational style. However, it resulted in a rather mind-numbing series. The show attempts to follow a sitcom format but I would not describe She-Hulk as a comedy unless you find it funny how bland the show was. I didn't mind the fourth-wall break in the finale but it didn't resolve the show's other problems.

Arcane is incredible. I was initially skeptical of the positive reviews until I watched episode three (which I thought was an especially well-executed episode) and was immersed for the rest of the season. The storytelling is bold and creative. The characters (and their complex relationships with each other) are diverse, nuanced, and well-fleshed out. The technical aspects—animation, score, and voice-acting—are visually and auditorily impressive. I love the animation style: I'm always happy to see a mainstream Western animation successfully challenge the Disney/Pixar standard and push the medium forward.

I love that Marvel is diversifying their productions. The story of a Pakistani-American Muslim character's experience, which rarely appears in mainstream American media, is presented authentically, and I enjoyed the exploration of South Asian culture and history. While a singular character cannot fully represent such a large demographic, Kamala represents one family's story in a genuine way. The show also creates its unique identity through visuals and aesthetics to distinguish itself from other MCU productions. Everything else, however, is pretty average for a post-Endgame MCU production. The story itself fails to stand out; I found it to be generic and unengaging. The teenage elements were excessive and difficult to watch.

If you enjoyed the TV series, the movie sequels are definitely worth watching. From the series to the movies, Violet Evergarden is an emotional masterpiece; I have yet to watch any TV show or movie that has explored emotions on such an intimate level. Violet Evergarden is one of the few series that has ever struck me so profoundly. While the slow pacing and emotional intensity are not everyone's cup of tea, there is just something magical about watching a character reclaim their humanity by learning to be human. If you want something fun to watch, I would look elsewhere. However, if you want to experience the beauty in a human experience, Violet Evergarden does it best.

Sub-Ratings
Violet Evergarden (TV Series): 8
Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll: 6
Violet Evergarden: The Movie: 10

Overall: 9

This show is centered around Violet's character development as she struggles with trauma and grief. Her journey of self-discovery was genuine, relatable, and struck deep in my heart. The animation is beautiful. The story is heart-aching. The show hits every emotional chord at the right time. However, the action scenes felt awkward, and I wish Violet's backstory were more realistic.

Thor: Ragnarok was one of my favorite MCU films. I was looking forward to watching Thor: Love and Thunder, but unfortunately, I ended up feeling disappointed. I was generally apathetic toward the characters, notably Thor, who I found hard to root for. The villain, Gorr, felt shallow, and his character arc was cliché. I did enjoy the drama, but it felt undermined by the film's attempt to be humorous: most of the jokes fell flat.

I have never cried so much. This movie is a near-perfect conclusion to the Violet Evergarden series. Violet's emotional maturity that she developed throughout the TV series was prominent in this movie as she began to explore her own deeper feelings. This was noticeable in the side story with Ulysse, which was well executed. I have mixed feelings about the relationship between Violet and Gilbert but I believe it plays well into the series's idea of unconditional love that unifies and transcends our more-constricting "types" of love (e.g. romance, parental, friendship).

This movie is a side story to the Violet Evergarden TV series and fits nicely into Violet's character arc by following a similar formula as the series. The animation is beautiful. The story is emotional but doesn't stand out compared to the other stories in the series. To be fair, it was only intended to be a side story; thus, if you enjoyed the series, it's worth watching.

This film was, at times, enjoyable to watch, but overall, it wasn't great. The story was weak and superficial; I could not find anything meaningful to take away from the film. I was disappointed by the lack of creativity and boldness because the concept of the multiverse remained largely unexplored.

This film tells a coming-of-age story about Segundo's relationship with his father, highlighting the harmful effects of homophobia and toxic masculinity. I loved the use of the Quechua language and the various Peruvian cultural references... although I am not Peruvian so I am not qualified to speak in depth on this.

I enjoyed Marvel's exploration of Egyptian mythology and mental health illnesses, especially in Steven's and Marc's confrontations of their past. Unfortunately, this didn't help the overall lackluster story. Additionally, the CGI, lighting, and cinematography were occasionally jarring or difficult to follow. The series felt dull and messy, and the story lacks a deeper meaning.

A disturbing documentary about the power of large technology companies in a capitalist system. I highly recommend this documentary to the general public, who tend to be less aware of how external influences affect their lives. I felt, however, that the documentary's presentation was somewhat sensationalist and didn't acknowledge the more intricate nuances of the issues discussed.

This film was visually stunning. Nolan's ability to capture feelings of expanse and loneliness in interstellar travel was perfection. The plot felt messy toward the end, and the conclusion was underwhelming. In my opinion, the fact that Cooper escaped the tesseract lessened the emotional impact. Nevertheless, this movie was thought-provoking and emotionally driven. The soundtrack is a masterpiece.

This film was a humorous but heart-aching coming-of-age story. I enjoyed the comedy and satirical approach toward issues of war and the influence of societal norms. Although I appreciated the humor in the film, I couldn't help but feel that it detracted from the emotional impact.

This movie was undeniably fun to watch, and it certainly was an emotional rollercoaster. I was, however, mildly irritated by the plot conveniences, and I was not a fan of the ending. To be fair, I never watched Sony's Spider-Man movies, so the nostalgia factor was absent.

This was a relatively exciting show to watch... until I finished it and immediately forgot about its existence. I enjoyed the relationship dynamic between Clint and Kate (who was the perfect character foil). The series felt shallow because there wasn't anything particularly unique or memorable.

This movie was a refreshing break from the generic and formulaic MCU productions. I enjoyed the film's melancholic tone and thought-provoking questions. However, the film lacked an emotional impact, possibly because there were just too many characters. While this wasn't the greatest film, I appreciated the change of pace.

I'm glad that Marvel is authentically increasing the diversity of their main characters. The landscape shots and the fight choreography were satisfying to watch. However, the story wasn't very compelling, which made it difficult to empathize with the characters. As an Asian American myself, I'm excited to see how Shang-Chi will fit into future MCU productions.

This movie was a heart-aching film centered around a mother-son relationship. The story was sometimes inconsistent, but I don't think it detracts from its emotional impact. The story has the potential to reach your heart; it indeed reached mine.

This was one of the better MCU productions in the post-Endgame era. The series successfully created a story that captured Loki's character while fitting into the broader MCU storyline. However, I was never captivated by the story and felt a lack of connection to the characters.