I guess I could play the game of trying to post this at twenty two past ten tonight, right on the twenty-second second. But enough of that silliness, because there is no twenty second month and this will only truly work in another two hundred years time. By then, will we still even have the Gregorian Calendar?…If only it was possible to get a computer or app to read this in Rod Serling’s voice. That would be awesome.
So this week has been an opportunity to truly get the year’s wheel rolling. Spring is around the corner, and despite the portfolio already being submitted and the wait is on – I’m still learning how to animate on the side. On top of this, I will have to develop an adaptable style, and let us be honest – Disney and Anime are good influences for that kind of thing. I’ve been studying the Nine Old Men, as well as several anime directors and Mangaka I enjoy, and hopefully I’ll be able to find “the style” that somehow gets recognised. We’ll see. Until then, here’s a sketch I did using a frame in Fantastia as reference. In particular, Mickey Mouse in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
For this review, I will be addressing Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance as ‘3D’ (to separate it from Kingdom Hearts 3), Kingdom Hearts 0.8: Birth By Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage as ‘0.2’, and lastly, Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover as just ‘Back Cover’ or ‘BC’. Let us begin.
Would I recommend Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue? If you are playing the Kingdom Hearts games, they are essential to help figure out what is happening – especially if you want Kingdom Hearts 3 to make sense. ‘This doesn’t mean that everything was world-class.
The graphics in 0.2 are the best, as they were a demo for Kingdom Hearts 3, scheduled a year later when this came out. The textures belong on the PS4, and it shows. 3D was originally a Nintendo 3DS game, so the graphics are an HD upscale from that game. It looks good and appears as good as or better than Kingdom Hearts 2. Back Cover is a great looking 3D movie that replicates the graphical style of Kingdom Hearts 3.
The Art style in all three stays within the character of the franchise, with 3D being the most colourful, 0.2 being the darkest and Back Cover being a change in direction in terms of design. The multi-coloured Dreamcatchers in 3D would catch players off-guard at first, but gradually you will come to enjoy them.
The level design can only apply to 3D and 0.2. 3D could be subjected to the reality that there are not as many worlds as Kingdom Hearts 2, but it is still well put together. Also, the areas in that game feel huge. 0.2 was a demo, but the level design, though linear, gave us great beauty and a sense of exploration. ‘Especially in puzzle solving and item collecting to advance.
0.2 feels complete in its gameplay experience, but 3D very much experimented with what we could call Guardian Force or Pokemon mechanics. I grew particularly fond of the cat and penguin Dreamcatchers throughout my playthrough.
The characters in 3D and 0.2 are established while Back Cover gives us new characters. I’m already giving 3D and 0.2 high scores, but it is hard to get into Back Cover’s characters the same way – the fact that they all wear masks and hoods doesn’t help (which, if you are fan of Lucha Libre, is a terrible thing to say). The character known simply as The Master Of Masters is a hoot though.
The story in all of the adventures are a step back from Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2, but this doesn’t stop them from being essential. 3D is the bridge that Sora and Riku take to get to 3. 0.2 is the road that Aqua takes to get to 3. And Back Cover will feel the most alien, as it is a prologue before Birth By Sleep and chronicles how the Keyblade War began. Also, every main character is wearing an animal mask or a black hood. However, one thing it does have is a lot of humour. Humour enjoyed in Kingdom Hearts 3.
The voice acting, like usual, can be a little hammy outside of the Disney character voices. But still characterised and enjoyable.
Lastly, Yoko Shimomura’s music remains magical and characteristic – and the featuring of the music from Fantasia immediately gives 3D an extra star.
2.8 as a whole is a lot shorter than 1.5 and 2.5, as 3D can clock in at 25 hours long and 0.2 in 3 hours. Back Cover is a one-hour movie and is best experienced when you also play Kingdom Hearts χ as a free game on IOS and Android devices. If you are looking to play Kingdom Hearts 3, as I said, this is needed.
Today I’m beginning a more refined format towards giving reviews. Let us begin.
Would I recommend Cruella? Yes, if you have seen 101 Dalmatians and enjoyed it. And yes if you keep in mind that this is a central character rather than a protagonist. Meaning, even though she is the main character, she is still a villain in an overall larger narrative. What makes us route for her though, is the fact that she is the lesser of two evils (the other being Baroness von Hellman, played by Emma Thompson), and allows herself to be on equal ground around her family until her plans become too exciting and the others can’t keep up. Her family being Jasper and Horace, played by Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser respectively, and their dogs.
The acting is excellent, especially from the two Emmas, Stone and Thompson, who have great chemistry on screen when they try to out-do each other as the ultimate, unloving narcissist. Jasper and Horace are presented as being a lot less bumbling and evil when compared to their animated counterparts. But we keep in mind, a lot possibly happens to the trio between these two films that turn them into who we know today.
The characters are charismatic and likeable, even in their antagonising and evidently human moments. Cruella herself is intriguing because we do wonder which side of her is real: Estella the ambitious survivalist or Cruella the giant killer (metaphorically speaking). We know later what kind of character she becomes in the animated feature, but it is good to see what can be described as a “more innocent time” in her story. Throughout the movie, we also see Roger and Anita Radcliffe, the owners of what would eventually be the one hundred and one dalmatians. Roger’s surname is Dearly, while Anita’s is Darling. Roger is the Baroness’s lawyer while Anita is Cruella’s childhood friend from primary school, who becomes the columnist that elevates Cruella’s exposure within the press. Roger’s role is small, but Anita’s is pivotal to the plot. I can’t say much about Kayvan Novak as Roger as I barely remember him on screen, but Kirby Howell-Baptiste was great as Anita.
The story is a tale of revenge with a heist plot or two mixed in. We see a lot of scenes that could be inspired by Oceans Eleven or One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty. In its pacing, it hits all of the marks. At times we can feel like we have gone off-track, and some of the quieter moments have more telling than showing. But this doesn’t take away that it is a good journey.
The Artistic depiction of 1970s London is excellent, with fabulous costume and interior design and pinch of post-modernism to keep it fresh. At times the CGI can be a bit off and obvious. Especially in any scenes involving the ocean. The dogs are also a mixture of real and CGI, and it can be clear which ones are which, but they are still well done. The Cinematography is absolutely fantastic, with the swooping single shots going through the scenes like a fairy with a smartphone. It is wonderfully presented this way.
The music is among the best soundtracks you could ever ask for, with each scene more or less having it own song. Look at the full list sometime: Nancy Sinatra’s These Boots are Made for Walking (with what looks like a brief throwback to Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket), Time Of The Season by The Zombies, Queen, Blondie, The Clash, Ike & Tina Turner, Black Sabbath, the list goes on. It is a fantastic playlist.
This was my first time seeing a film in the cinema since before the Pandemic began – and you know what? It was a good starting point.
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