Super Mario Bros + The Sixth Sense
Nov. 28th, 2024 07:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynlingI’ve been trying to watch more movies recently. I’m starting off easy.
The Sixth Sense
I remember this movie’s portrayal of Philadelphia making me never want to have anything to do with the city. Now that I live here, I realize that Shyamalan only shot in the super nice neighborhoods, generally around Old City. Which is fair. The interiors of those old townhouses really do have a lot of creepy elements, but the outdoor cityscape is lovely. Also, I now realize that what Shyamalan was aiming for was an ethnographic study of Philadelphia Irish Catholics, and his observations are immaculate. Even knowing the Bruce Willis twist, I really enjoyed this movie. It was originally released in 1999 but holds up remarkably well.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
I put off watching this movie because I read a handful of very smart essays decrying it as soulless. Having now watched it myself, I understand where the essayists were coming from, but I don’t agree. This is a very commercial movie, and it’s obviously for young children, but I thought it was a lot of fun. It’s meant to be big and bright and flashy, and I enjoyed the spectacle. There was a lot of discourse around Chris Pratt voicing Mario, but he does an okay job actually! Meanwhile, every scene with Jack Black is a gift and a blessing. I was afraid that it was going to be a chore to watch this movie, but I had a great time. There’s also a scene between Bowser and Luigi that was… a special treat for the sickos in the audience, let’s say.
The Sixth Sense
I remember this movie’s portrayal of Philadelphia making me never want to have anything to do with the city. Now that I live here, I realize that Shyamalan only shot in the super nice neighborhoods, generally around Old City. Which is fair. The interiors of those old townhouses really do have a lot of creepy elements, but the outdoor cityscape is lovely. Also, I now realize that what Shyamalan was aiming for was an ethnographic study of Philadelphia Irish Catholics, and his observations are immaculate. Even knowing the Bruce Willis twist, I really enjoyed this movie. It was originally released in 1999 but holds up remarkably well.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
I put off watching this movie because I read a handful of very smart essays decrying it as soulless. Having now watched it myself, I understand where the essayists were coming from, but I don’t agree. This is a very commercial movie, and it’s obviously for young children, but I thought it was a lot of fun. It’s meant to be big and bright and flashy, and I enjoyed the spectacle. There was a lot of discourse around Chris Pratt voicing Mario, but he does an okay job actually! Meanwhile, every scene with Jack Black is a gift and a blessing. I was afraid that it was going to be a chore to watch this movie, but I had a great time. There’s also a scene between Bowser and Luigi that was… a special treat for the sickos in the audience, let’s say.
