Console Wars

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Console Wars!

Original image located here. Accessed 25th February 2022

Anyone heard of this? It's a documentary chronicling the rise of Sega and how it challenged Nintendo and the changes it brought about into the console/video gaming market.
The titles indicates that this is about both Sega and Nintendo but this is really the former's story all the way. Sure Nintendo get a decent hearing but this is all about how one small company decided to take on a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut.
And this is how the various men and women made it happen, telling what they did and the repercussions the effects had.

If you know the story, then all the familiar beats are here: the crucial hiring of Tom Kalinske, the godsend that was Sonic the Hedgehog, the ingenious marketing strategies, appeals to a teenage market, the serious threat posed to Nintendo, the gulf between Sega of Japan and Sega of America, the flop that was the Saturn and the subsequent rise of Sony and it's PlayStation.
This certainly does present a fascinating snapshot of the era but it ends with Sony - who, of course, don't get a say. And I would've liked that they did - particularly Steve Race (whose story i would most be interested to hear) who remains frustratingly elusive.
Still this documentary made for a compelling story and one I am grateful is told

Belle

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Belle!

Original image located here. Accessed 18th February 2022

Yep, it's another trip down the anime well. And this time we are taking a look at the latest offering from auteur Mamoru Hosoda.
I have been saying glowing things about this guy and his work (Summer Wars, the Girl who leapt Through Time, Wolf Children) and with this latest effort he does not disappoint.

At this point I have seen enough of Hosoda's repertoire to recognise some familiar themes: The search for connection, the use of online personas, the importance of family, and the act of being true to one's self. And all of which are put to work in Belle in an effective manner.
I like the artwork, i like the music and I like the ideas presented about having an online persona and how one utilizes it to interact with the world.

Much has been made how this movie owes a sizable debt to Disney's Beauty and the Beast. i certainly won't deny it but for me it remains an odd aesthetic choice. Because for me, Disney's Beauty and the Beast is all about how one wants to change themselves for the people around them. In belle however, it is all about the pursuit of understanding and empathy. Not a bad idea but it does make the sequences in the Beast's castle somewhat jarring. Indeed it is telling to me that the sequences in the real world leave a greater impression - especially the part focusing on the webcam conversation and the subsequent climax.
Still, i will not fault Hosoda: He has some great ideas, an eye for the visual and he certainly knows how to pull the heartstrings. Has he delivered another winner? I think he has.

License to Kill

And this week's Friday night movie has been... License to Kill!

Original image located here. Accessed 11th February 2022

Last year I was watching one James Bond movie per month. But this one slipped through the net - so consider this the one that was originally intended for October (before I remembered that that particular month is reserved for horror movies).
Anywho, this was Dalton's second and final stab at the role. I know this movie isn't recognized as one of the best in the franchise - indeed it is often regarded as one of the most dour efforts - but I have to admit: I found a lot to admire here.

As mentioned previously, as the James Bond franchise has a reputation for being formulaic, I will welcome any effort that makes the effort to break it. So we have Bond going on a personal mission, a Bond girl who's packing, Q as a field agent and a second Bond girl who doesn't get killed off. Also special mention just go to the tanker chase - apparently it was the most dangerous stunt the series has ever filmed and i don't doubt it.
So is this as dour as it's reputation suggests? Well again, I welcome the break from formula. But if anything, this is closest we will ever get to what Dalton had in mind for the character - compared to Living Daylights which is more a remnant from the Moore era. So it's a shame he didn't do more

The Muppet Movie

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Muppet Movie!

Original image located here. Accessed 2nd February 2022

It's a been a childhood favourite for many people but I have never, in my thirty nine years of existence, gotten around to seeing it. Well, time to rectify this I would think!
Time has certainly been kind to this movie. Over forty years later and this is still very entertaining with the jokes on point, the technical and practical effects being impressive and the heart. It's pretty much the Muppets doing their shtick and proving that what they do on TV can translate to the big screen with ease (and thus justifying the numerous movies that followed in it's wake).
I mean hey, it's the Muppets: You can't go wrong, right?
And it says a lot that I can still enjoy this movie even when I'm on the wrong end of my thirties XD

Oh and new friendship goal: Learn the words to Moving Right Along so i can sing it in the car with some other like-minded people.