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Digimon Tri 2 Review
Okay I'm just gonna get stuck in. The character focus is a lot stronger in Digimon tri 2, with Joe and Mimi carrying the heavy weight. Their characters grow throughout the story reinforcing various parts of their personalities while also showing new dimensions of themselves. Joe was never my favourite digidestined and that still remains after this movie but seeing his struggles as he approaches adulthood makes him very relatable to me. Mimi on the other hand has a more positive role during the movie but when shit goes down it seems really real. It does a good job of showing her ... in a real emotional funk, causing her to lash out at those she loves and question who she is as a person. In both cases it's really affective and works to build the characters. I hope each movie keeps building on the other digidestined and that we'll continue to see more evolution in these characters.
The plot grows steadily the more I watch through Digimon tri which I find impressive. At the end of Digimon tri 2 there are plenty of questions left unanswered and a wide range of places the story can go so I'm definitely looking forward to Digimon tri 3. The cliffhanger at the end in particular should keep you guessing. For the first time during my Digimon experience I'm actually asking questions about what's going to happen and the stakes feel a bit higher than usual.
My only critisisms are nitpicks. The 3D cars bug me, some characters still feel like tag alongs, the wacky digimon sequences kinda break the movie up but honestly none of that ruins it. This is a noticeable improvement from Digimon tri 1 and feels like a platform for some potentially great stories to come.
4/5
-he
(I think I know who the villain is, maybe I'm right maybe I'm wrong)

An "Okay" Review for Digimon tri pt.1
I leave Digimon tri feeling disappointed but relieved. At the halfway point I wanted to shut it off, play some XCOM instead because I was really unmoved by it all. It felt slow, it felt like the characters had gotten bland after years away and I was pulling it apart more. The soundtrack was bugging the shit out of me I kept picking out moments were the music would ruin moments and seemed really out of place. I wasn't amazed by the animation either, it's not by any stretch of the imagination bad but it never amazed me and ... I was just waiting for something to remind me of why I liked Digimon in the first place. Why I watched the show as a kid with eyes glued to the tv in amazement or later as a teen still finding enjoyment in it. I was geared up to really dislike Digimon tri.
Due to the sheer number of characters I feel like rating all their overall performances would pointless, especially as this movie mostly focuses on Tai and Matt. Starting with them it feels like the writers are trying to make Tai deeper by showing how Tai realises just how real the damage caused by the battles can be but I don't understand most of his actions throughout the movie. Matt's always been an emotional little shit and in this movie it shows however he does come across as the more herioc and proactive of the two. I feel like the writers are stepping on old group with the two meaning that it all feels a bit familiar, and I'm more than happy to bet $5 that in the next movies they're gonna have a punchup. Everyone else is just there for the sake of it and I hope they build on them more later because I feel like they've grown up but that haven't actually grown as characters.
As I said I very nearly disliked this movie so obviously it does some things right. Despite some bad comments on animation earlier it does have some nice moments towards the end of the movie and overall the whole thing has a nice colour pallet. The soundtrack is awful but I really liked the opening, I like how it matches the movie and is pretty catchy as well. I felt invested in the characters instantly because of my connection with the series but I feel it adds some things that could add to the series in later movies. Like the introduction of Meiko who feels important to the plot and shows the signs of being an okay character. Despite my rant about Tai and Matt the fight they have in this movie feels more adult (probably because they nearly are adults) and it seems like the two boys are beginning to realise just how far apart they're drifting. I also get the impression they're going to build certain characters and maybe get some of them together but a nerd can only hope.
I'm not entirely pleased but I'm looking forward to next movie. Most of all it feels like Digimon tri 1 suffers from being the first movie, having to get the materials for greatness together as apposed to actually buidling something.
-he
3/5 it's okay

A Good Review for The Wind Rises
I had only seen one Studio Ghibli movie before watching The Wind Rises, and it's definately given me a bigger interest in their films. Not to say that I wasn't interested in Studio Ghibli in the first place their track record for amazing films is well established. This is the legendary director Hayao Miyazaki's last work so it holds a special place in Studio Ghibli's gallery. But is it really good?
Yes of course it is and that puts me in an interesting position where i can't really think of a funny quip or joke about it, so this could ... technically be my first proper review of something. Wow.
The Wind Rises is gorgeous in it's animation, while I watch something I tend to take countless snapchots of it to use as an image to put with any piece of writing I do. But with The Wind Rises I've taken about 20+ screenshots because this film is so stunningly crafted. The amount of movement in the animation is at times mind blowing and the backgrounds are so full of life they feel like artworks on their own.
I can imagine some people with slightly less patience getting bored while watching The Wind Rises because it's too slow, and in a sense I could agree with them. This movie is long (about two hours) and for the most part concerntrates on the making of planes, creating a believable of image of the early twentieth century and on basic character interaction. However all the above were so interesting I didn't notice how slow the movie might've been and scenes involving real heartache are dispersed through the movie to keep you invested. There are some stunning scenes of planes flying which create tension because you wonder whether Jiro's planes are going to work, and it's interesting you begin to follow along with the science of it. You begin to root for him through every success and every failure.
Jiro is a very well rounded character, his caring and quietly determined nature make him very likeable, and he comes across as someone with a passion for what he does. To him they aren't warplanes, they're beautiful pieces of engineering and he treats them as such.
The real meat of the movie appears at the halfway point as Jiro begins a relationship with Naoko and as his planes get closer and closer to completion. This is where the movie starts tugging at your heartstrings, and despite not affecting me I understand how it could affect others (accuse me of being a soleless bastard in the comments below). The relationship between Jiro and Naoko is built up believably and their actions speak for their love for each other. It's really touching and gets you invested in the two of them. The movie ends on a rather sombre tone but ties the whole movie together really nicely. This ending will stick with me as it's the emotional climax to an already very emotionally charged movie, and beyond that it all feels so geniune and real.
I could go on the days about the soundtrack and the sound design, about the animation, the voice cast but I won't.
What I really want to say is that this is the kind of movie you leave feeling just that little better about life, the kind of movie that will stick with you. So sit down and give it a watch.
-he
(Really loved writing this one any comments whether good or bad would be greatly appreciated.)
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