[Weekly Update] Sept. 11, 2022

I watched RRR over the course of 3 days because I have to constantly pay close attention, pause, and take notes.

It has been a week and I'm still exhausted from this movie.Phew.

CHANNEL UPDATE

Hope you enjoyed our video on RRR. It was the most requested video on this channel, ever. People certainly have a lot of reaction to it.

Admittedly, I didn't go all that deep with the film. I kept the review and criticism to a minimal, because I assume most people aren't here for my personal opinions on things. There are other political controversies and racial biases hidden in the film that I tried to cover. That didn't pan out due to my lack of knowledge on the subject matter.

The result is a film that only says a small portion of what can be said about the film. Still, I hope the video is interesting and unique. There are so many great videos out there on the film already, not sure if I managed to bring something new to the table.

In any case, our journey to catch up with our schedule continues. Our next video will be able how to get into foreign cinema, and why it's important to watch foreign film. It'll be a small celebration video for our channel's 4 years on YouTube.

My journey through Jackie Chan's recent bad movies is on going. So far, not enjoying it. Although I didn't hate it as much as I thought. The clinginess is... a lot to take in, though.

Finally, stay tuned for the next few days, as we'll host a new poll to decide which action stars career we'll cover next!

MEDIA TALK

While comments on our video on RRR is actually really positive, comments on the film itself is rather diverse and divisive.

I don't mean people bringing up the film's various controversy, either. Those are perfectly legitimate concerns to have. I have done the same thing with Shin Godzilla, and my concern with that movie is a lot more trivial.

There are also people who think the movie is average at best, which I also understand. I did the same thing when the first Avengers came out. Looking back, I still think it is an average movie. But I can't deny the cultural impact it has on the world at large.

But then there are the comments that do not criticize the movie for anything specific, but merely tossing insults. Comments that rain on people's parade, if you will. I don't want to be too specific about this, and please do not go and look for these comments.

I bring that up because that's kinda how I feel about the landscape of media criticism lately. Everything I (and many critics) like, there are always very vocal people out there to makes fun of it and the people who enjoy it. It was the case for Everything Everywhere All at Once. It was like this for Xenoblade 3. And RRR is also this way.

I guess it's just cool to be cynical?

That's not to say there aren't also fanatical militant supporters who defend these movies and games. I'll be honest, they also scare me.

</rant> So, to counter this negativity I've been feeling lately: Let's be the minority for once, and talk about movies that people dislike, but you actually enjoyed.

Yes, from the thumbnail, I'm sure you know what I'm going to say: I actually really enjoy Terminator Dark Fate. I think it's the third best Terminator movie. Granted, that's really not saying much.

After reading some reviews online, I realize what bothers people the most simply don't bother me: I don't mind that John Conner gets killed in the opening scene, invalidating the 2nd movie. Terminator 3 already invalidated everything. At least this movie has balls.

I also don't mind that it yet again reused the same time-travel idea. I feel like it at least did something unique with the Terminator this time, that it managed to accomplished its mission, and lost its identity in life.

I really enjoy Arnold's performance in this one. And I think McKenzie Davis and her biceps are excellent. The movie feels like it's one step away from something really good. It could've explore topics like does a Terminator count as a living being. But ultimately, it feels, at worst, like a wasted potential.

Another movie I really like that no one else did: Mortal Kombat, the new one. Granted, I absolutely do not think this is a good movie. The main character is as interesting as a wet cardboard. The tone and plot is all over the place. It starts super artsy and serious, and then gets really cheesy and dumb.

And for a movie with such a high budget, it feels straight-to-video. But that's exactly why I love it. I love it because it reminds me of those days, where I pick up a dumb movie from Blockbusters. The movie's action sequences are actually really well done. The editing is below average but not THAT bad. With the right expectation, you can find a lot of good stuff hiding underneath a bad presentation.

One more. This one isn't hated by the general public, but dislike by the hardcore fans: Star Trek Beyond. Trekies just don't like the new movies in general, as they are action focus, rather than the old intellectual sci-fi.

But I can't help but love the new films, especially Beyond, for its characters. The original series cast is, of course, irreplaceable. But the new cast, with Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana is just so perfect. 

There is this really fascinating chemistry between these actors that I feel like transcends their characters. As if the actors themselves are good friends and have been traveling through space.  You can tell many of them are Star Trek fans in real life, or have great respect for the series. And their passion definitely shows.

By the way, Zoe Saldana plays a Trekie in The Terminal, iirc. Fun.

But that's the update for this week. A bit of a long rant, but I hope it's a fun read. What are some movies that you like but people hate? Let me know!

I'll see if I can get the video out this week!