Kung-Fu Panda 2 - better than the first one.

Hey People,

I've been quite busy the last few weeks... but now, I'm back !
First of all, i'd like to remind everybody that I'm not a film review specialist and I have no pretentions while writing things. I just want to share what I think about the films I watch. Contructive feedback is welcome because I'd love to improve my film analysis skills.

About Kung-Fu Panda 2, it's very much action-comedy style which reminds you of usual martial art films but the Dreamworks way. The story is modest but works fine.The hero Po is facing an identity crisis who prevents him from defeating the bad guy. So you guessed it, the film is very Po-centered and the humor fits better Jack Black's usual acting. Consequently, the character is a lot more credible. The film keeps a good rythm and does not suffer from KFP1 long boring scenes.

The graphical style of the film is obviously very Chinese-influenced and makes good use of warm colours. I loved seeing that some flashback sequences were traditionnal animation. I'm still impressed by some of the special effects animation which emphasize really well some of the fight or quick action scenes.

They probably could have gone further in the development of the story, in a way that would have included bigger roles for the numerous secondary characters. The film ends on a clumsy cliffhanger which seems to announce a KFP3 but without giving a good reason to wait for it.

I laughed and enjoyed amazing animation. I really think this film deserves to be seen. 



My mark : 14/20

The Hangover Part II

Hello dear cinema fellows,

I have been invited by a friend to go and see The Hangover - Part II. Such as the first one, this film targets people who are very open-minded and who likes dirty jokes about sex, alcohol and drugs. The main storylines are similar to the two films. Part II is nastier and the humor is mainly based on surprise... Unlike the first one, I think it will be a lot less funny to watch a second time !

The sexual aspect of the film is very important in this sequel. I can't recommend it to young people. It is for adults. They might have gone too far sometimes so... Expect the worse in that kind of comedy, especially in a sequel. I will only say I enjoyed it

My mark : 13/20

THOR - First review and welcome message

Tonight I went to the cinema and I enjoyed watching Thor, a new Marvel  film which gave me a pretty good impression.

HELLO WORLD...

I noticed this is harder and harder to find good films nowadays and realized that medias and cinema websites can be very confusing when telling you whether if the film is good or not.

This is simply because as a popular art form, film-making adapts the general decline of knowledge and culture of its customers and audience. People are satisfied by overloads of C.G.I.-based unrealistic images which lack of structure and rely on a weak storyline. Everything tends to look the same. Films are remade. Stories are extended with prequels and sequels.

I do love films, film-making, cinema, and everything linked to it. For this reason, I decided to share with everyone what I think about the films I watched. I will try to be as precise and honest as I can. This way, you cinema fan mate will not feel lonely anymore.

Thor, a Marvel success

As I said Thor was a happy surprise. I was not expecting a Marvel film to propose so well-structured. There is an actual script ! Even if they still use a lot of CGI for environments, giant creatures and special effects, the film does not look too artificial. I noticed some traditionnal effects technique like real explosion, real smoke and dust. The colourful costumes preserved the iconic image of the comic which sets the audience half-way between dream-like world and daily-life realism.

I did not know British actor Kenneth Branagh could make such a good job as a director. I really appreciated the mise-en-scene. I thought that some of the shots were very interesting. The camera is often using canted angles and sometimes, even keep tilting the shot. It's not very obvious but very much appreciated when some characters get into emotional tensions or before a fight.

I was happy to see Jamie Alexander in this secondary role of a female warrior, which maked a huge difference with her first TV roles (such as Kyle XY). Natalie Portman is very good as usually and I can't say more with spoiling the film.

Thor is not much more than a super-hero film, but it has this fairy-tale dimension which can please the ladies. A good adaptation of the comic book. 

There is blood and violence : young children should not see this film.

My mark for this film : 15/20