A “QUICK!” Review of “Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018)”

Maquia is a magically wonderful movie. The relationship between a mother who could live for 100s of years and a normal mortal living child makes for an engaging story. There was definitely some worries that the story might go in “that” direction. Thankfully the movie sticks to the mother and son theme and it is all the better for it. Even though you know how this film is going to end from the get go, it still manages to tug on your emotional strings.

The art style is gorgeous with beautiful backgrounds and stylish character designs. There are some CGI incorporated which is especially noticeable for the dragons but it’s never that off-putting. The music score is phenomenal as well, having been composed by the legendary Kenji Kawai or IP Man and Ghost in the Shell fame. The main characters, Maquia and Ariel, are great with a strong supporting cast as well.

The only issues I had is with some slow pacing and the fact that some subplots don’t have as strong of a resolution as the main characters. This results in some lingering questions by the end concerning Leilia subplot and the whole Red eye disease having no explanation.

Nevertheless, Maquia is one of the most memorable original anime movies in a long time. The story will stick with me for a long time.

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A “QUICK!” Review of “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024)”

When I found out after watching, that this was based on a Manhua (Chinese Comic book), it started to make sense. Characters that feel straightforward, the action scenes that defy physics in every way, the power of friendship, straight-up superpowered abilities, and countless flashbacks. The film suffers from juggling too many things. We have this fish out of water, self-discovery story with our main character. We have this gang conflict between those in the Walled City and the Triads. We have a revenge plot. We have a man dealing with his past—the growing of bonds. Unfortunately, the story is all incredibly predictable and lacks real depth. The constant talk about the past conflict sounded more interesting than the main plot. The ending is lacklustre and the final fight is so weird with the unexplained superpowers. However, if you like martial arts movies then there is certainly fun to be had here.

A “QUICK!” Review of “Rebel Ridge (2024)”

Netflix marketed Rebel Ridge as a cool action movie. If you came in expecting that, you are going to be disappointed. Rebel Ridge is not an action movie. It has just one proper action set piece near the end. What Rebel Ridge really is, is a slow-burn thriller mystery. Aaron Pierre absolutely delivers as the main lead. He is calm, collected and incredibly charismatic. He totally sells on a character that is secretly a badass. I like the twist in that the character doesn’t kill, even if they are corrupt cops. This gives the very few action set pieces a unique element to it. The mystery itself is a little convoluted and the movie does go on for 10-15 minutes too long. The ending is quite rushed and unsatisfying as well. Still, this is a pretty interesting film and I do recommend people give it a chance.

A “QUICK!” Review of “The Prosecutor (2024)”

The Prosecutor is an interesting film, as it’s actually a legal-focused thriller first and foremost, with the martial arts action coming second. I found this blend of genres to work surprisingly well, and I give Donnie props for trying something different. The movie features a phenomenal opening action sequence and an incredible climactic one too. When it comes to the action scenes, you definitely won’t be disappointed. However, the legal aspect—which makes up the majority of the film—is unfortunately a bit lacklustre and predictable. I wish the courtroom scenes had explored more of the complexities of the justice system and delivered more intense drama. It didn’t help that the villain was incredibly one-dimensional. Still, it’s an entertaining action movie overall, and this film does show that Donnie knows how to handle action.

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