SEARCHING, RUINWORLD, THE WITCHER 3, & MORE quickies
(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
I watch, read, listen to, and play a lot of things I don't review immediately. In an attempt to at least share some of my thoughts on these pieces of media, I'd like to do a few quickies in one post for at least a few weeks. The hope is to expand on these down the road, but for now these should maybe whet your whistle.
DISTRIBUTOR: Sony | DIRECTOR: Aneesh Chaganty
ACTORS: John Cho, Debra Messing, Joseph Lee, Michelle La
GENRE: Crime thriller
Debuts in any medium are something that always interests me. Seeing a fresh new talent, no matter how bold, is a thing of beauty. But when that talent could very well be fully formed from the outset? That's magic. Searching is the kind of movie that could've been a disaster, were it not handled with such a deft hand that knows what it's doing. This is a phenomenal mystery thriller set near entirely on a computer screen, and does/says interesting things with this conceit without spilling over to Luddite territory as is so often the case. And it's a surprisingly uplifting film, in spite of its genre's conventions.
A fascinating watch. Everything you'd want from a film of this type.
9/10
Excellent
PUBLISHER: BOOM!/Kaboom! | WRITER/ARTIST: Derek Laufman | LETTERER: Jim Campbell
ISSUE COUNT: 4 | GENRE: Fantasy adventure
Ruinworld is, if nothing else, a beautiful comic you should seek out even if it's just to gawk at Laufman's vivid visuals. Thankfully, RW is an all around splendid read I could see growing in popularity as young audiences grow older. It's a fairly straightforward fantasy epic romp, and as far as those go it does a rock solid job with lots of cute jokes, backstabs, prophecies, and so on. If you've got a kid who's like a cat looking for a ball of yarn when it comes to comics, try this one. They'll probably dig it. And if you're an older reader who enjoys all-ages books for how wholesome they are, you'll enjoy this right alongside 'em.
8.5/10
Great
PUBLISHER: CD Projekt | DEVELOPER: CD Projekt Red
PLATFORMS: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 | GENRE: Fantasy Western action-RPG
(reviewed based on Xbox One version)
It appears just about everyone who was going to play The Witcher 3 has already done so, but I feel the need to gush taking over so I'll do it here anyway. This is an incredible game, deserving of all the accolades it received. The writing is superb, the quest variety and spontaneity is off the charts, the combat is satisfying and visceral, the overarching story is compelling but the side quests allow you to be Polish Magnum PI with a sword, and the music--god, the music. Triumphant, knee-thumping; the kind of tunes you don't hear so often in the States and are fascinating when you do (side-note: I hope Atomic Heart does this, but for Russian music. The trailer music has already sold me on the OST, I just hope the rest is as good). This is an open-world game that is the perfect remedy for the malady of slapped together open worlds (see: Watch_Dogs, Mafia 3), where every locale is unique, interesting to explore, and filled to the brim with worthwhile content.
Plus Gwent.
10/10
Masterpiece
DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros. | DIRECTOR: Jon M. Chu
ACTORS: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina
GENRE: Romantic comedy
Romantic comedy is an unfairly maligned genre in my book, oft criticized for the slapdash cracks of the whip--ignoring the potential for genuinely good stories in that type. CRA is one of those good ones, even if it never rises above The Princess Bride or The Big Sick. This is a compelling watch, which never overstretches or stumbles too much, so it sits in this constant state of being entertaining throughout without ever stepping up higher. What really sells it are the production values, the level of polish. This is a pretty movie where pretty people do pretty things in pretty places. If that's what you're looking for in a romcom, you'll enjoy this as it's a pretty good version of that. Personally, I do wish it had done a bit more to mention the lower classes since I always have an overwhelming desire to punt rich people when exposed to their bullshit for too long. If you were hoping a movie called Crazy Rich Asians would have something, anything to say about classism, maybe skip it.
8/10
Solid
PUBLISHER: BOOM! | WRITER: Justin Jordan | ARTIST: Raul Treviño
COLORIST: Juan Useche | LETTERER: Jim Campbell
ISSUE COUNT: 4 | GENRE: Crime drama
I've gone on the record before as saying that Justin Jordan is one of those writers who when he's on, he's one of my absolute favorites in the industry. Sombra is a good example of Jordan kicking ass, even if it's not his finest work. This is a fascinating, unnerving portrait of the failed War on Drugs and its side effects in Mexico. In the age of Trumpism and all too common idiocy over immigration, Sombra paints a painful picture of why someone would seek an out--even if that is not necessarily its MO. Okay, now that I've scared off the crowd that gets angry over anything even adjacent to social commentary, let me just say that the art team here kicks ass. There are some panels here that are grueling and genuinely stomach churning. It's an affecting read slightly undercut by not going that extra mile to be something masterful.
9/10
Excellent
Hope this was interesting. Thanks for reading, and sayonara!
I watch, read, listen to, and play a lot of things I don't review immediately. In an attempt to at least share some of my thoughts on these pieces of media, I'd like to do a few quickies in one post for at least a few weeks. The hope is to expand on these down the road, but for now these should maybe whet your whistle.
SEARCHING (2018)
DISTRIBUTOR: Sony | DIRECTOR: Aneesh Chaganty
ACTORS: John Cho, Debra Messing, Joseph Lee, Michelle La
GENRE: Crime thriller
Debuts in any medium are something that always interests me. Seeing a fresh new talent, no matter how bold, is a thing of beauty. But when that talent could very well be fully formed from the outset? That's magic. Searching is the kind of movie that could've been a disaster, were it not handled with such a deft hand that knows what it's doing. This is a phenomenal mystery thriller set near entirely on a computer screen, and does/says interesting things with this conceit without spilling over to Luddite territory as is so often the case. And it's a surprisingly uplifting film, in spite of its genre's conventions.
A fascinating watch. Everything you'd want from a film of this type.
9/10
Excellent
RUINWORLD (2018)
PUBLISHER: BOOM!/Kaboom! | WRITER/ARTIST: Derek Laufman | LETTERER: Jim Campbell
ISSUE COUNT: 4 | GENRE: Fantasy adventure
Ruinworld is, if nothing else, a beautiful comic you should seek out even if it's just to gawk at Laufman's vivid visuals. Thankfully, RW is an all around splendid read I could see growing in popularity as young audiences grow older. It's a fairly straightforward fantasy epic romp, and as far as those go it does a rock solid job with lots of cute jokes, backstabs, prophecies, and so on. If you've got a kid who's like a cat looking for a ball of yarn when it comes to comics, try this one. They'll probably dig it. And if you're an older reader who enjoys all-ages books for how wholesome they are, you'll enjoy this right alongside 'em.
8.5/10
Great
THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT (2015)
PUBLISHER: CD Projekt | DEVELOPER: CD Projekt Red
PLATFORMS: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 | GENRE: Fantasy Western action-RPG
(reviewed based on Xbox One version)
It appears just about everyone who was going to play The Witcher 3 has already done so, but I feel the need to gush taking over so I'll do it here anyway. This is an incredible game, deserving of all the accolades it received. The writing is superb, the quest variety and spontaneity is off the charts, the combat is satisfying and visceral, the overarching story is compelling but the side quests allow you to be Polish Magnum PI with a sword, and the music--god, the music. Triumphant, knee-thumping; the kind of tunes you don't hear so often in the States and are fascinating when you do (side-note: I hope Atomic Heart does this, but for Russian music. The trailer music has already sold me on the OST, I just hope the rest is as good). This is an open-world game that is the perfect remedy for the malady of slapped together open worlds (see: Watch_Dogs, Mafia 3), where every locale is unique, interesting to explore, and filled to the brim with worthwhile content.
Plus Gwent.
10/10
Masterpiece
CRAZY RICH ASIANS (2018)
DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros. | DIRECTOR: Jon M. Chu
ACTORS: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina
GENRE: Romantic comedy
Romantic comedy is an unfairly maligned genre in my book, oft criticized for the slapdash cracks of the whip--ignoring the potential for genuinely good stories in that type. CRA is one of those good ones, even if it never rises above The Princess Bride or The Big Sick. This is a compelling watch, which never overstretches or stumbles too much, so it sits in this constant state of being entertaining throughout without ever stepping up higher. What really sells it are the production values, the level of polish. This is a pretty movie where pretty people do pretty things in pretty places. If that's what you're looking for in a romcom, you'll enjoy this as it's a pretty good version of that. Personally, I do wish it had done a bit more to mention the lower classes since I always have an overwhelming desire to punt rich people when exposed to their bullshit for too long. If you were hoping a movie called Crazy Rich Asians would have something, anything to say about classism, maybe skip it.
8/10
Solid
SOMBRA (2016)
PUBLISHER: BOOM! | WRITER: Justin Jordan | ARTIST: Raul Treviño
COLORIST: Juan Useche | LETTERER: Jim Campbell
ISSUE COUNT: 4 | GENRE: Crime drama
I've gone on the record before as saying that Justin Jordan is one of those writers who when he's on, he's one of my absolute favorites in the industry. Sombra is a good example of Jordan kicking ass, even if it's not his finest work. This is a fascinating, unnerving portrait of the failed War on Drugs and its side effects in Mexico. In the age of Trumpism and all too common idiocy over immigration, Sombra paints a painful picture of why someone would seek an out--even if that is not necessarily its MO. Okay, now that I've scared off the crowd that gets angry over anything even adjacent to social commentary, let me just say that the art team here kicks ass. There are some panels here that are grueling and genuinely stomach churning. It's an affecting read slightly undercut by not going that extra mile to be something masterful.
9/10
Excellent
Hope this was interesting. Thanks for reading, and sayonara!
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