Wolf Children

Wolf Children (Mamoru Hosoda, 2012)

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Rating: AQ=7, AP=10 / Meant to Be

Scale O=4, Scale P=3, Scale Q=4, Scale R=3, Scale S=3

Animation, Japan, Fantasy, Coming of Age, Identity

What a beautiful story about motherhood, identity, and growing up. Every frame of animation is beautiful, especially the gorgeous scenes of rural, mountainous Japan. And the symbolism of wolf children who have two "sides" their their identity, two sides that only conflict because of society is brilliant to reflect on. Who am I? How must I adapt? Who can I confide in? The mother, Hana, is so loveable and tries so hard. I cried multiple times. Great film.

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Clash of the Titans (1981 and 2010)

Clash of the Titans (Desmond Davis, 1981)

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Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Greek Mythology, Action, Fantasy, Epic

This classic myth told with the special effects of the legendary Ray Harryhausen is a fun film to watch, even at nearly 40 years old. Yes, the effects are crude compared to today's standards, but the story has that fantastic nostalgic atmosphere thanks to deliberate pacing and lingering moments. This one feels like an epic from another era. And it has an all-star cast with Laurence Olivier as Zeus. I enjoyed the escape.

Clash of the Titans (Louis Leterrier, 2010)

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Rating: Q=4, P=3 / Thanks But No Thanks

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=1, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=1

Greek Mythology, Action, Fantasy, Epic

This new version is a typical 21st century action film. Unfortunately. This blockbuster pales in comparison to the 1981 version of the myth, most notably because of the acting and writing. They are both just plain uninteresting. The special effects are impressive at times, but the story lacks charm. I never felt connected to Perseus's plight and didn't really understand what was going on or why things were happening most of the time. In my opinion, this can be skipped.

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Wrath of the Titans

Wrath of the Titans (Jonathan Liebesman 2012)

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Rating: Q=4, P=2 / Thanks But No Thanks

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=1, Scale 3=1, Scale 4=1

Greek mythology, Action, Fantasy, Epic

There is a reason I usually stay away from blockbuster action films: they aren't very good. But I do love Greek mythology and enjoy escaping into an adventure, so I watch them occasionally. Wrath of the Titans, to me, is a poorly executed story that relies WAY too heavily on special effects and CGI creatures. And it's too bad, really, because the Tartarus scenes are really impressive (and frightening) and there are great roles played by great actors...who of course didn't get even a decent script to work with. This film is full of troupes and cliches but it wasn't a complete waste of time--I did still enjoy entering the mythological universe.

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Samurai Champloo

Samurai Champloo (Mamoru Hosoda and Shin'ichirô Watanabe, 2004-2005)

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Rating as TV series: DSQ=11, SP=6 / Can't Get Enough

Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=3, Scale D=3, Scale E=3

Rating as Animation: AQ=10, AP=10 / Meant to Be

Scale O=4, Scale P=4, Scale Q=4, Scale R=4, Scale S=4

I adored this series and relished each episode. So much humor, mystery, stunning artistry, and great stories. The roller-coaster relationships between Jin, Mugen, and Fuu is fun to watch. And I loved feeling as though I was in Edo period Japan...and it was even more enjoyable when modern/futuristic moments found their way into the story. Beatboxing samurai? Baseball? Graffiti artists? So much fun.

Favorite episodes are probably: Akage ijin and Chimimôryô

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