Author: matthewmoorcroft

  • Film Review: Ballerina

    Film Review: Ballerina

    By Matthew Moorcroft Solid Recommendation What is the real appeal of the John Wick films? Is it the action sequences, which are meticulously crafted by franchise overseerer and director Chad Stahelski? Is Keanu himself, his unique screen presence giving the franchise it’s own interesting energy? Or is it the mythology, which feels like a living…

  • Phineas and Ferb Is Back, and It’s Basically Perfect

    Phineas and Ferb Is Back, and It’s Basically Perfect

    By Matthew Moorcroft I was 9 years old when Phineas and Ferb first premiered in 2007, and I was one of the lucky many (10.8 million, if the numbers are to be believed) who managed to catch it’s premiere episode right after High School Musical 2. As somebody who was in Grade 5 at the…

  • Film Review: Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye

    Film Review: Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye

    By Matthew Moorcroft Strong Recommendation Led by phenomenally creative animation and a wildly creative – if raunchy – setup, Dan Da Dan was the anime to beat in 2024. Coming at a time of seeming stagnation in the shonen sphere, it was a breath of fresh air whose B-movie influences mixed in with wacky, surrealist…

  • Film Review: Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing

    Film Review: Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing

    By Matthew Moorcroft Weak Recommendation Colorful Stage! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing is, just like it’s long-winded title implies, a movie. It has three acts, it has characters with some semblance of personality, a clear thesis statement about it’s themes and ideas, and it even has something of a character arc for it’s…

  • Film Review: Thunderbolts*

    Film Review: Thunderbolts*

    By Matthew Moorcroft Strong Recommendation At this point, it’s becoming more common to view each MCU installment as a self-reflexive, meta-textual comment on it’s own existence rather then a standalone picture in it’s own right. As frustrating as it is that these can’t just be their own right, Thunderbolts* (yes the asterisk is part of…

  • Film Review: Sinners

    Film Review: Sinners

    By Matthew Moorcroft Highest Recommendation Laced with immediate texture in it’s 65mm frames and gorgeous southern locales, Sinners – the first non-franchise film from Ryan Coogler since his stellar debut in 2013 – is the rare film that makes it’s first impressions strong and stays strong throughout it’s entire runtime. Just like the blues that…

  • Anime Review: To Be Hero X, Episode 1

    Anime Review: To Be Hero X, Episode 1

    By Matthew Moorcroft Strong Recommendation All images are courtesy of Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures. Won’t mince words here, I’ve been heavily anticipating To Be Hero X for some time, mainly thanks to it’s widely impressive trailers that have come out for over a year before it’s release. Chinese animation in general has seen a massive…

  • Anime Review: Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers, Episode 1

    Anime Review: Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers, Episode 1

    By Matthew Moorcroft Solid Recommendation All images of courtesy of Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures. My knowledge on Guilty Gear is, admittedly, very casual. Anybody who knows me knows that fighting games, while I enjoy them, are not my personal area of expertise. I could tell you the ins and outs of something like Starcraft II…

  • Anime Review: The Beginning After the End, Episode 1

    Anime Review: The Beginning After the End, Episode 1

    By Matthew Moorcroft No Recommendation All images are courtesy of Crunchyroll. Fantasy anime has a dire problem. For every Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End or Delicious in Dungeon, fantasy anime for the past decade have seemingly been made on autopilot, existing for the sole purpose of filling out a seasonal block or some kind of adaptation…

  • Film Review: Mickey 17

    Film Review: Mickey 17

    By Matthew Moorcroft Strong Recommendation Finally arriving after several lengthy delays, Mickey 17 could not have been more timely. I don’t know how much it predicted much of the current political climate – likely none of intentionally, as it was written and shot long before the 2024 US elections as well as much of the…