Tivanboven Reviews

Mulan (2020)

Absolute trash, enabling crimes on humanity in the process

[1/10 · 23 February 2021]

The Disney live action remakes haven't been great, but this is the worst yet. The original animated Mulan movie told an amazing story, spiced up with some comic relief and great musical numbers. This one is boring, the special effects look cheap and, worst of all, Disney worked with and thus sponsored officials who are committing crimes on humanity. If you don't know what I'm talking about here, Google "Mulan Uighurs" and you'll be shocked yourself.

Disney, start using your platform better. Oh and stop doing live action reboots please.

Over the Moon (2020)

Hit all the right notes

[8/10 · 14 November 2020]

(minor abstract spoilers)

A movie like this is easy to mess up. The parts that are supposed to make you feel might leave you cold, the switch between realistic and magical might feel forced, the challenges and the methods of overcoming them may seem random, the music may be bad and the touchy endings can be cringy. But over three moon did all of it amazingly!

Having lived in China for a while myself, I found it beautiful to recognize so many things from there, showing that it was created together with people from China, rather than just westerners who read about the culture. I bawled my eyes out near the end and loved the resolve, even though it could be considered predictable or cliche, it's an important life lesson to everyone, young and old.

I wish more studios would take on Disney to create beautiful animated musicals like this - the medium truly allows for wondrous settings and heartfelt moments with fantastical creatures. I might prefer drawings over 3d animation, but if movies like Moana and this keep coming out, sign me up.

Deadly Class (2018–2019)

Bit too angsty tweeny for my taste

[6/10 · 5 November 2020]

It's not offensively bad, but the goody two shoes lead and a script fluffed up with 'hip' language are not exactly my cup of tea. Feels vaguely reminiscent of a less relevant version of umbrella academy. I haven't checked it, but I'm willing to put money on a beer that the source material is better.

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Cruel reality meets light-hearted comedy

[9/10 · 10 June 2020]

I went to see a free showing of this film the other night, in light of recent events. Where a younger version of myself would have maybe shrugged and thought 'Well, this is an extreme depiction of reality', I now realize that it is not.

Do the Right Thing is a beautiful mix of comedy, great narration (what movie introduces an entire block of characters and makes you care about each of them?), intense dialogue and a very dark, grueling reality we live in, today. Not just in the United States, but everywhere in the world.

Unfortunately it cannot be fully called a historical drama yet. But hopefully, some day in the future we can watch this, have a chuckle and weep tears of sadness for the past in which racism, prejudice, bigotry and police brutality was commonplace. Until then: let's spread this movie out like a virus. It's been 30 years with hardly any change, the previous generations haven't been able to eradicate the evil that is racism. Let's do our best to make a difference.

Blinded by the Light (2019)

Is this a fever dream?

[5/10 · 22 May 2020]

The plot is predictable and the music and dance numbers are an absolute cringefest. But it's sweet and as feelgood as it can be.

If anything, the musical numbers give you a great chance to get something to drink.

Enter the Anime (2019)

Longest ad I've seen in a while

[1/10 · 22 August 2019]

Nothing more than advertising for Netflix' own shows.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

All I ever wanted

[10/10 · 22 December 2018]

In the midst of all the raving reviews, I almost feel like a fraud giving this film such a high score. However, for me personally, this does what it needs to do and more. Let it be known that I used to watch the Spider-Man cartoon in the 90s nearly every day so yes, I am influenced by nostalgia.

Animation I don't think that a lot of people can deny that this is the most interesting, dynamic and artistic animation which stays true to the original medium yet. When I first saw the comic book text and thought bubbles in the trailer, it kind of put me off a little bit, but it wasn't used throughout the film, only to depict Miles' newly developed awareness. I can see how the neon colours can induce headaches for some, but to me it was perfect. Maybe take an aspirin before going in if you're probe to headaches!

Story There are so many things to love! Granted, I'm not a comic book reader (contemplating to get into that thanks to this though) so all of the stories were fresh to me. I loved that (big spoilers ahead!) Miles' universe's Peter Parker actually dies in the first act. This gives great motivation to an otherwise uninterested Miles, shows the need for a vigilante, stars Miles' dad's character arc, shows the danger that Kingpin poses, allows for aunt May to show her strong side (nice change of pace from the classic worried old lady) among others. Even Kingpin's motivation can be sympathised with. I agree that the other henchmen, who are normally fully fledged bad guys, could get some more backstory though. However, for veterans of the series, the fanservice is gold. (Did anyone else get excited when doctor Olivia revealed her last name?)

All in all I'd say that this is a masterpiece. But does it still the hunger for any other rendition of Spider-Man? No, so -1 point there.

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

The third Marvel movie in a row to make me root for the villain

[6/10 · 15 October 2018]

What makes Spider-Man, Captain America, heck even Iron Man and Batman who they are? If you ask me, it's an interest in helping others. Is the execution always perfect? No. Is helping others always their number one priority over fixing their own problems? Well.. No, not really. But at least it's still somewhere in the back of their heads.

Is Ant-Man supposed to be an Antihero? I don't think so. So is he supposed to be a hero then? My answer would be "I guess?" Or has the Marvel Cinematic universe made way for JUST superpowered guys, with no incentive of going against the greater good or for it?

Over the years Marvel Disney has created blockbuster upon blockbuster and I for one have been a huge fan since I found out about the first Iron-Man movie. Now, I am not a comics reader myself but ever since the cartoons in the 90s I have been hooked to everything Marvel. The MCU has brought so many great movies, and yes, a lot of flaws have to be overlooked if you want to be able to call the protagonists of said movies 'superheroes', or 'heroes'... or even 'the good guys'. But these last couple MCU movies are pushing it a bit too far for my taste.

BLACK PANTHER RANT Marvel's Black Panther was a movie about a country which had both superior technology and materials compared to the rest of the world and were too greedy to share it with anyone. Cue the 'bad guy' who wants Wakanda to share their knowledge. Obviously, this guy was right, no person or country should think they are God and keep knowledge for themselves.

INFINITY WAR RANT Next up: Avengers Infinity War. Thanos is the protagonist of the universe in my opinion. Were his ways a bit wicked at first? Yes. Did he murder millions and millions of organisms? Supposedly. Did he kill enough? As a matter of fact, no, I don't think so. Thanos saw that living beings are destroying the universe and the only way to postpone said destruction, was by eradicating half of them and therefore slowing down the inevitable end. Since population growth is exponential however, taking away 50% of the population will probably not be enough (it took us 46 years to double from 3.7 to 7.4 billion humans). Anyway, I digress.

BACK TO ANT-MAN & THE WASP Ant-Man and the Wasp has a likable 'bad guy', Ghost. She has had a miserable childhood and is trying to find a way to stop being in physical agony every second of her life (small note: is she constantly in pain? She doesn't seem to be hurting but that could just be me) on top of being a mental train wreck. Yes, she could have just gone to the person most likely able to help her and ask politely, but she decided to take the rogue path. I guess, after seeing him as the villain for all your life, you don't expect he will be the person worth reasoning with. After finding out about her, her pain and that they can probably help her, Hank and the gang decide to basically say "Well, your problem isn't as big as ours, we just figured out that maybe we can get someone dear to us back who we thought had died yeaarrsss ago." Hopefully, they were thinking that after that, if they felt like it, they might look into her case. But this is unfortunately never said. And luckily enough, miracles apparently come around to save the girl. Good going guys.

What makes this movie way worse than the other two movies I mentioned, is that it lacks ambition. Now as I said, I never read the comics and I don't know if this is simply staying true to those. But for example, a girl with quantum phasing as an ability and the only gimmicky power she has is going through objects? What about being in several places at the same time, entanglement with her other selves, even a joke about being alive and dead at the same time would have been nice. The sleezy bad guy salesman has no added value if you ask me. I actually kind of forgot that he was in the movie until I read about him somewhere else. What was he doing? Was he comic relief? Was his reason to go after the lab, because he thought they were making some quantum computer, like he said when we first met him? If so, why did he not get scared when he saw people, cars and building shrinking and growing all the time and figure out that they were in a business that he should not want to have anything to do with?

In conclusion, Ant-Man and the Wasp is a movie about a dumb guy who doesn't care about others. Oh wait Hank too, oh and the sleezy guy. And Hope too I guess. So it's about three guys and a girl who don't care about others and just want to help themselves while others are quite obviously in more need of help.

Please, Thanos almighty, let Captain Marvel be good again.