Veteran Reviews: Ace Attorney (2012)

Hey, folks. Bob here, and Al asked me to weigh in on the Ace Attorney movie as well, as I'm a pretty big fan of the game series. Just a note that I will be using the English names for characters here, as those are the ones I'm more familiar with.

Al hit the basics, but to review: Phoenix Wright is a young defense attorney who is just getting started in his career. After defending a friend, Larry Butz, on a charge of murder, he finds himself getting pulled into other cases that strike close to home - involving both his old friends and the family of his mentor, Mia Fey. He's aided in his efforts by Maya Fey, spirit channeler and little sister of Mia. The film revolves around his desperate attempts to get his friends through the cases safely, repair his friendship with an old friend, Miles Edgeworth, and find the truth about not only present cases, but an old case from years long past.

And make no mistake, Phoenix is desperate. One of the best elements of the film here is the portrayal of Phoenix by Narimiya Hiroki. He does an exceptional job capturing Phoenix's general demeanor. Phoenix in the games is particularly lovable hero, with an admirable attitude towards truth and justice balanced by an ever-present palpable sense of panic. He seemingly exists in a near-constant state of tension, and if you go more than a few minutes in a game without seeing him break into a cold sweat or bury his head in his hands after something turns his case on its head, you...probably set the game down and went to get lunch or something. Narimiya's portrayal is perfect - I really got the sense of all of Phoenix's characteristics coming from him, and it always seemed to fit the tone of the film. He's determined when he needs to be, desperate when he needs to be, and manages some wonderful befuddled, confused, and outright panicking moments that could easily have been goofy but actually come off really well.

(Unfortunately - and maybe this is part of why there's not been another film - I understand Narimiya's since retired as an actor for reasons I won't get into here.)

Others are quite strong as well: Ishibashi Ryō's Von Karma, in particular, is portrayed very well and comes off as an intimidating presence on the screen. He seems to be in command of every last detail and just feels powerful. And Dan Rei doesn't get much screen time as Mia Fey, but for the time she's there, she feels like a capable attorney who has things quite a bit more together than Phoenix - you can tell why he looks up to her and why her brief hints throughout the film are enough to help him get back on his feet.

Others don't fare quite as well, through honestly no fault of the actors and actresses. I don't think the film gives Mia's younger sister Maya Fey enough room to work, really, owing to a factor I'll get to later, and Edgeworth suffers a bit for similar reasons. We just don't get to spend enough time with those characters outside of The Most Dramatic Moments of Their Lives to really understand who exactly they are, and for me, it hurt the film a little. I wanted to like Maya - she's probably my single favorite character from the games - but she felt really underutilized and just didn't seem to have her complete personality here. The Maya of the games is full of funny quips and little asides, and those are pretty much absent from this Maya. And Edgeworth...he just doesn't get an arc that's quite fully developed. He gets the start and the finish of it, but the middle felt lacking to me. Maybe, again, it's because I've seen the game's version, but I think Al actually got into the film's version more than I did...I felt like it didn't get enough time. More on that in a bit.

Otherwise...Gumshoe was nice enough but again isn't much in the film (and I really felt like they should've got a taller guy to play him - maybe it's just me, but I always got the feeling Gumshoe would be physically imposing except that he slouches a lot. I guess looking at wiki information he's not supposed to be that much taller than Phoenix, but still...just didn't give me the same "big" feeling he does in the games). I didn't get to see much of the lovable, somewhat oafish detective as I would've hoped. Larry Butz was as weird and generally hopeless as expected, and while his hair looks particularly ridiculous in real life even compared to the odd hairstyles of Phoenix and Edgeworth, I felt like his use in the film was pretty great - I really got a sense of "oh no, what now" any time he opened his mouth, and that's Larry in a nutshell. The Judge...the Judge just kind of made me sad. In the games, he's a huge part of the humor as a wonderfully befuddled old man who somehow still ends up coming to the right conclusions (eventually), and here it just felt like...well, he was a judge. He's not a character, really, just a prop they have to have there because it's a courtroom.

I know, I'm talking a lot about how the film was compared to the games, but I'm pretty sure that's why Al asked me to watch along, after all!

So, to continue on that...here's what I really missed as part of the film: the third case from the first Ace Attorney game.

I'll explain.

In the game, you've got five cases - four in the original release, and one more added on when it got remade for DS (and we first got it over here). The four original cases together make a good story - you get Phoenix's beginning and the establishment of his friendship with Larry, the murder of Mia and the establishment of Phoenix and Maya's partnership and their rivalry with Edgeworth, the development of that rivalry and the hints that perhaps Edgeworth isn't lost forever, and then the biggest threat to Edgeworth and Phoenix getting the chance to step up as a friend and try to save his old friend's life and soul.

That third act - the development of the rivalry and the hints that Edgeworth might not be fully gone - feels like it is either underdeveloped or in fact completely absent here. We go from game case 2 to game case 4, skipping game case 3 (except we use a clip of it, sans Phoenix's involvement, in the intro sequence establishing Edgeworth at all, and reference the Steel Samurai show involved in that case numerous times in the film). For me, this really cut out a valuable part of Edgeworth's arc - it's in case 3 that we really saw that he still cared about the truth and wasn't just out to judge criminals guilty at any cost like we thought. It doesn't fully remove our worries about him, but it gives us some hope.

In this film, on the other hand, we see Edgeworth solidly as Phoenix's nemesis...and then right away as Phoenix's next client. There's no transition, and it feels jarring. Maybe that's just because I've seen the slower-paced version, but I felt like there was a big chunk missing from the middle that made it a lot smoother.

So...how do you solve that in one movie? I honestly don't think you can. If they were intent on doing just one Ace Attorney film, then I think they went about it the right way. But ideally...I would've done two films. The first would do cases 1, 2, and 3, and the second would do case 4. Keep Cases 1 and 2 about how they're done here - they're simplified vs. the games, but it feels fine. Then do case 3, finish it up well, and give us a little spark of hope for Edgeworth. Then end the film on him being accused of murder - big old cliffhanger. Not as big as another movie I may have watched recently that ripped my heart out and refuses to let me put it in until sometime next year, perhaps, but still, a nice big cliffhanger. Then, the next film would be case 4, with plenty of room to breathe.

This would also give Maya time to transition - in case 2, she's understandably quiet, having just lost someone important to her and being accused of murder, to boot, and in case 4's movie version, things need to be reaching their most dramatic so there's not as much time for her to be her energetic self. Case 3 in the game gives her a valuable period of time to be established anew as her real, lively personality, and without that as a transition period for her, it doesn't feel like she ever makes the leap...she kind of remains more quiet and almost shy through a lot of the film, and while she gets some moments speaking out, there just aren't that many times we get to see Maya Fey rather than Phoenix's quiet assistant who dresses kinda funny.

I don't want it to sound like I disliked every difference from the games, though! For one thing, I thought the truth of the DL-6 case was far superior in the film's version - no need for extraneous earthquakes and elevators, the reason for the fight was better and more understandable, Yanni Yogi comes off much more sympathetic, and it makes perfect sense why everyone involved is in the same place. The game's version makes several elements of the crime more happenstance, and while it still comes off well, the film's version just makes some more sense. (It does also cut out the explanation for Miles Edgeworth having claustrophobia, but that only matters if they do some of the later cases and could probably be written around.)

Similarly, while cases have been streamlined, they've generally been streamlined pretty well. A lot of the added detail to the game cases is there because...well...they're from a game, and there have to be things there to challenge the players. Some details or misdirections aren't as necessary in film format and would just add to runtime or slow the story down. I do feel like things maybe move a little too quickly at times - thus why I'd rather this be two films, or, say, an anime series that I'll probably review in a bit - but it is easy to understand the choice and most of the time - "why is Phoenix interviewing a bird on the witness stand" aside - we don't lose the most important details.

I love that moment, by the way, and it comes off hilariously in the film (before leading into one of the more powerful emotional moments in the film, wonderfully enough) - I just feel like he has a clearer reason for doing it in the game.

I'm a little more torn on the change in how the Fey family's Kurain channeling technique operates, but again, that doesn't matter to this film. I just worry about it because it would quickly matter if they had decided to make a sequel, as the most important cases revolve around the technique. In the games, to make this clear, a Kurain channeler actually physically transforms into the appearance of the spirit they summon. In the film, it varies a bit, but it seems clear that's not happening - Maya's mother is shown in a much more standard sort of medium ritual early in the film, and though Phoenix sees Maya overlaid by the spirit she's summoning a couple times, it seems likely that's just him - and it is pretty obviously a spirit, glowing and all, which would preclude it being used like it is in other cases in the game series even if everyone saw her that way.

One more comment, and this is something I kind of wish they weren't as faithful to the game on: costumes and appearances. Ace Attorney is very faithful to the game's character designs...often, to a fault. While it's fun to see the costumes and weird hair replicated in live action, it makes it a bit harder to take the story seriously sometimes. What looks good in animated form often looks weird in real life. Larry's hair is nuts, Lotta Hart's hair is insane, and Edgeworth's looks like he got far too enthusiastic in a visit to Colonial Williamsburg or something. Phoenix's is weird too, but I got used to it pretty fast since he's pretty much always on camera. Particularly hilarious was the flashback scene to Phoenix's youth with Edgeworth and Larry, and those poor kids having to wear those bizarre haircuts...oh, man, I about died. In any case, it's hardly bad and it's an attempt to be nice and faithful, but I think the film might have been better off hitting the important points (Phoenix's blue suit, Gumshoe's shabby coat, Edgeworth's cravat) and not trying to get the appearances one-hundred percent perfect.

The over-the-top witness breakdowns were something I could do without in live action, too...they're great in animated form, but a guy suddenly whipping out a megaphone in a live action film takes me out of things a bit. I don't know - I guess I want my animation animated and my live action, uh...boring. Not really, but you get what I mean. Sometimes what works really well for a game or anime is just kind of weird in a movie.

I also appreciate a number of little nods they made to the game series, though they're moments you'll only get if you actually played the game - like brief appearances by the Blue Badger mascot (though one was a little out there), the confetti that falls down at the end of trials (particularly the underwhelming first representation of that), and several glimpses of characters from other cases not covered by the movie. Less thrilling was the brief nod to the investigation segments in the late film, with Phoenix just kind of holding up weird items and making faces rather than engaging in any witty banter like you'd get in the games. Again. Maya. Criminally underused.

Overall, though...Ace Attorney is pretty great. I was a little down on it after watching it initially, but that was because - as my review above makes it seem like I'm still doing - I was really heavily comparing it to the game. I know it doesn't sound like it above, but with a little time past it and after hearing Al's view on it, where he - despite not having played the game - was able to "get it" for the most part and enjoy the film...I'm pretty happy with it. There's things I would have had them do differently, and make no mistake, there will be moments where you will have to reaaaaaaally suspend disbelief about everything from basic court proceedings to where the heck someone just pulled a large object from in a court of law, but Ace Attorney ends up quite a respectable little courtroom story that tells a good, personal tale mixed in with a nice and surprisingly deep mystery with a lot of twists and turns. It was definitely fun to watch, and while I'll prefer the game's version of the story, the movie version is perfectly acceptable and makes for a good watch.

It may play fast and loose with the rules of a court of law, and I dearly hope no one ever actually designs a legal system that works the way the courts do in the film or game series (wait, you can just declare a verdict whenever the prosecutor says, "hey, judge, you wanna get on that verdict thing?" unless the defense attorney is all, "uh, no, wait, please"), but Ace Attorney is a fun ride that mixes some genuine mystery and drama with a quirky atmosphere and some good comedy. It's well worth your time.

Neophyte Reviews: Ace Attorney (2012)

I hope you have no Objection to me doing this.  So that was the easy one out of the way.  Today's Film is Ace Attorney, the 2012 Film Adaptation of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (just the first Game).  It is a long-running Series from Japan that has a cult status here in America.  It is the game where you yell 'Objection!' and that guy in the suit from Marvel vs. Capcom Games.  A few years back, it got a Film Adaptation in Japan, but there seems to be no rush to follow up on it.  I don't know if it underperformed, if Capcom wasn't happy or if there is a third reason for it.  Here's the important thing: I've never played a Phoenix Wright Game.  I know about it by reputation and by Bob talking about it.  I know that it is a quirky Court Room Game, but that's about it.  So does the Film make any sense for me?  You'll later see how Bob felt about it- as someone who has played all of the Games.  The basic Story- Phoenix is a young, up-and-coming Attorney.  A couple of interconnected Cases strike close to him for him and he has to solve them all!  This was Directed by Takashi Miike, a man who makes more Films than most of us make balanced Breakfasts.  When does he sleep?!?!?  So does this work as a simple, stand-alone Film or do I need to play at least one Game to get it?  To find out, read on...

Phoenix (often called Nick- which was distracting) is a young, rising Attorney in a Japan that is so overrun with crime that all cases are Bench Trials and usually only last a day or two.

Miles Edgeworth is a strong, reliable Prosecutor who will run into conflict with our Hero.

When a friend/co-worker is killed, Phoenix faces off with Edgeworth to defend the client- her Sister!

The Film is full of strange, quirky people and this guy is no exception.  Who dressed Werner Herzog up like Joey Ramone?!?

Things take a big turn later when Edgeworth is accused of murder and won't defend himself!

As we see, the pair- plus their friend Larry- have known each other for a long time.  Will this help or hurt the case?

Phoenix has to both try the case and also look for evidence in this expedited process of Law.  Can he find the clues he needs?

How does this all connect back to a Spirit Medium we see at the beginning pointing out an accused man 15 years earlier?

To save the day (and his client), Phoenix will do anything.  Will it be enough?

To find out, watch the Film.

A fun, but bizarre experience.  To be fair, that's my default response to *most* Takashi Miike Films.  Izo was an exception, of course, and Yakuza Apocalypse tended to skew more towards the bizarre than the fun.  For all of the silliness involved, I could follow Terra Formars.  It was a weird Film about Mutant Super Cockroaches on Mars- granted.  In this case (pun not intended), he keeps the balance just right.  The Story is *mostly* grounded, but features some supernatural elements that are never quite explored enough.  All of the Characters manage to both look ridiculous and still feel like Characters.  Everything tied together nicely and the whole thing mostly worked for me.  There is definitely some random stuff that I didn't get- like The Blue Badger-, but thankfully it was more of a minor distraction than anything else.  All of the Acting was good and the Film was engaging.  If they worked out the mix of straight-forward Film and fan service, I think that it could make for some other interesting Films.  I'm not sure if knowing the Series hurts or helps the experience here.  I guess that is for the combined opinion of an expert and a neophyte to decide.  Before you get the former, let me just point out how what this Film inexplicably reminded me of...

Next time, I resume my normal insanity.  As always, its a crapshoot what I'll do next.  Stay tuned...

Quick Reviews: Terra Formars (2016)

Takashi Miike can't help but make 5 Films a year.  Since I can't get enough Anime-to-Live-Action Films, here we go...

In a dark, Blade Runner time, we have terraformed Mars to deal with overpopulation.  The problem?

The Planet is overrun with Cockroaches (sent to test the Atmosphere).  The solution?  A team of people who need the money.

Did I mention that the Roaches are actually super-strong, Scott Steiner-looking mutants?  Oops.

Their benefactor explains that they have a secret weapon to fight the Roaches- Insect DNA Injections to give them Super Powers, of course!

Will their Insect Powers allow them to defeat the super-powerful and evolved Roaches?

Or will they just have to say 'screw it' and leave?  To find out, watch the Film!

Damn Japan- you crazy!  Leave it to the Director of Izo and Visitor Q to make a Film about people with Insect Powers that fight Martian Mutant Cockroaches.  Leave it to Japan to make the Story that said Film is based on.  You never cease to amaze me, you crazy bastards!  The Story here is chock full of crazy, Action, Horror and bizarre visuals.  The human-insect hybrids look appropriately-freaky and the Cockroaches look the right side of intimidating.  They are supposed to be both goofy and scary- they nail it.  The Anime is famous for being censored in a few Countries like Germany, so I was curious to see how they handled it.  To be honest, it is pretty blood-free.  The most 'gore' in the Film is white goop, which is what comes from the Roaches.  That's not to say that the Film isn't violent- it sure as hell is!  The Sci-Fi Setting is well-used here, giving us Space Armor, Ships and other high-tech stuff.  All in all, Terra Formars is a bizarre, action-packed Sci-Fi spectacle.  If you know the Anime, tell me if it is accurate and all that.  Otherwise, just watch it for the crazy Action and Special Effects- as a bonus, double Subtitles!

Like Attack on Titan, I can't tell you if this one is accurate to the source material.  I can tell you that it is crazy as hell!

Quick Reviews: Imprint (Masters of Horror)

My last trip to Japan as part of the Show was less than impressive, so how will this one go?

At long last, I cover the one Masters of Horror Episode so shocking that Showtime wouldn't air it!

In 17th Century Japan, a strange man (Billy Drago) goes to a creepy Island on a mission.

The Island is a den of depravity, sickness and prostitution.  It is slightly worse than Branson.

He is there to find his lost love, but only finds a different, deformed prostitute.  The woman proceeds to tell him the Story of what happened to her.

He doesn't exactly get the kind of news he was hoping for, but suspects that there is more to the Story.

He presses her hard for the truth and gets it.  It is not pretty and it sure as hell isn't good!

When he finds the real, unadulterated truth, can Drago handle it?  I wouldn't dare SPOIL this bizarre tale, so watch it for yourself....if you dare.

Yeesh!  It is funny to watch the 'Making Of' Featurette on the Disc and see Miike talk about how he was picked because he did Audition and Ichi the Killer.  He doesn't think of himself as a Horror Director (he does do alot of styles, to be fair), but he made one damn creepy Horror Film here!  The credit for this goes more to the Author of the tale for giving us something so creepy.  The imagery and depravity on the display is pretty disturbing.  One of the interesting things they cover in the Making Of is the fact that the Film was done entirely in English with a mostly-Japanese Cast.  I sure as hell couldn't do a Film in Japanese, so kudos to them!  The Story is one that works in a shortened TV Format.  It features freaky people, torture, dark imagery and abuse towards women.  It is NOT for the faint of heart!  The way the Narrative unfolds is interesting as you see events told a few different ways, each one freakier and darker than the last.  By the end, you can't look at the original Version of the Story the same way again.  This is a dark, but solid Film that will please fans of Japanese Horror Films and show why Miike belongs on this Show.  Hey kids, brush your teeth.

Damn- this one is dark, creepy and dramatic.  I still don't think that Showtime should have pulled it...but I at least see what their reason was.

Rare Import Flix: Zebraman 2- Attack on Zebra City

At long last, the Zebra returns!  I suppose that sentence needs some context, huh?  Today's Film is Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City, the Sequel to a Film that didn't exactly translate big in America.  I found a copy online- as a U.S. DVD is hard to find- and burned it many months ago.  I said to myself 'It is on a DVD now, so there is no way that you can put it off for long.'  I sure showed...me.  With that needless back-story all done, let me get to the Film.  The original Zebraman- also by Takashi Miike- told the tale of a Teacher who could secretly become the famous Superhero.  He was famous...from a TV Show made about him in the 1970s.  Now we're getting weird.  He managed to save the day in that one, but things go awry here.  I won't SPOIL the whole thing for some of you, but I'll give the gist of it all.  This one is really, really weird.  All ready for the crazy?  Too late to back out now...

In the wake of saving the City, Zebraman- with no secret identity- is overwhelmed by the Press and his Family has left him due to the strain.

Something strange happens and now we are in 2025, a fifteen-year jump from before.  The City is now Zebra City and overseen by a crazy lady in all black who wants to be Lady Gaga.

Our hero has no memories of the ensuing years and hides away with some victims of 'Zebra Time'- a sort of mass amnesia in the City.

While recovering, he starts watching a more recent version of the Zebraman Show (made after his fame in 2010) and his Counselor just happens to have been the Star!

He befriend a mute girl who is the key to the whole situation- no SPOILERS as to why- and he feels invigored with a mission of sorts.

He eventually learns the strange reason for his time-loss, amnesia and problem with his powers.  Again- no SPOILERS.  I couldn't make this shit up if I tried though!

When the truth comes out, all sorts of shit goes down.  Hopefully this WASN'T what the Villain had in mind...

Why is this lady dressed like our hero, but in all black?  Why is he in all white?  To find out, watch the Movie.  The End.

Wow.  Just...wow.  I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I expected a Takashi Miike Film to NOT be weird.  The day he makes a Film that plays straight, somber and serious- like The Straight Story- will be the day that Sun burns out.  With that in mind, this was still a pretty damn strange and disorienting Film.  It takes about halfway through for them to really explain everything- as crazy as it is- so you're left wondering for a bit.  Throw in all sorts of events, Characters and the fact that they have to explain something called 'Zebra Time' to you and this all gets to be pretty odd.  Thankfully, there are good, likable Characters there to take the journey with, so you never quite get too lost.  With a Film like this, it is a must.  I'll definitely say that the Film walks a fine line between being a Film and just talking about its own Mythos.  Some of you will like it more for that, while others will like it less.  The CG Effects look good enough when they are supposed, but nothing more.  Given the oddball nature of the Film, you can forgive some of them for being a bit esoteric.  The Practical Effects- like the Suits- looks quite nice and definitely don't disappoint.  Overall, good stuff.  Weird as hell- yes.  It does, however, contain a very good message...

Next up, one of the many Alien knock-off Films.  Will it be good, bad or fun bad?  Stay tuned...

Miike and Ike: Visitor Q

I'll be quite clear from the get-go: I was not sure what to expect from this movie.  Even Netflix's description really tells you nothing about what to expect.  All I knew was that it was going to be disturbing and controversial.  In that regards, the movie is a big success.  In terms of being an actual movie, I'm still a bit on the fence about the whole thing.  At first, it appears to be a series of unrelated vignettes.  However, it does turn into a sort of narrative about a family.  Incidentally, if you ever wanted to feel good about your own family, watch this movie!  For everyone else, read my review of...

The film begins with a long scene involving a man having a tryst with a prostitute.  It's a bit hard to follow, since it alternates between a steady-cam shot and a hand-held one.  If you want to be an art film director, Miike, you're on the right track!  I say it's long because it runs for about five to ten minutes long.  After this, we see him boarding a train.  For no apparent reason, a man picks up a rock and bashes him in the back of the head with it.  Um, what?

We cut to a kid coming home and beating the crap out of his mother for buying the wrong toothbrush.  He actually has a whole collection of sticks to beat her with.  You have issues, kid!

Our narrative cuts to the man walking home at night and looking paranoid.  He also has his head wrapped up in gauze, implying that he went to the hospital at some point.  He's very paranoid, but eventually calms down.  Mere seconds later, the same man from before clubs him in the head again!  Why?!?  Back at home, the kid goes to his room, puts on a gas mask and tries to sleep.  Before that can happen, a bunch of kids throw fireworks at his windows until they run out.  Why?!?

Finally, the narrative ties together as the man arrives at home...with the man from before.  After showing the mom trying to cover her bruises, the family sits down for dinner.  The kid beats up the mom again, which is something that the two men seem to ignore.  They don't even flinch when she is thrown through a door and merely ask for more ice.  Why movie, why?!?

More weird randomness occurs at the woman puts green make-up all over her face to cover up...the beating, I guess.  What is that shit exactly?  We get an awkward scene involving the mysterious attacker hugging the shirtless boy and asking him about his sister.  The movie eventually explains- sort of- that the young prostitute from earlier was actually the missing sister!  Did the dad know this?

The last straw for me involves a scene where the guy watches the news.  A reporter goes to talk to some youths.  Instead of talking, they beat him up and violate him in a way that was only legalized a few years ago in Texas!  Why, dear God, why?  Yeah, I'm done here.

That's right- I didn't finish this movie.  I would normally not do two reviews like this within a week, let alone at all.  In this film's case, I really did try.  I even fast-forwarded to later parts to see if it was more bearable.  All I know is that the mom becomes a prostitute- so, no.  The film is just so damn confusing and just so damn random.  Mind you, this is the same director who made Izo, so I shouldn't be that surprised.  That said, Miike has done some films with a simple...ish narrative (The Happiness of the Katakuris, Zebraman and The Great Yokai War).  Hell, Full Metal Yakuza feels like one of those 'Idiot's Guide To...' books by comparison!  This movie just feels like a series of bizarre ideas thrown into a giant pile and then filmed.  I get it, Miike- you're weird and experimental.  Next time, try making a story and I'll see how that goes!

Up next, Blockbuster Trash returns from hiatus with one of the two made-for-DVD sequels to Return of the Living Dead.  Has the series rotted or come up fresh?  Stay tuned...