The Princess and the Pilot – Mini Review

A Pleasant Enough Film

For the eighth season of #AniTwitWatches, I decided to host a movie night and the winner of the public vote to decide what to watch happened to be The Princess and the Pilot. Didn’t know much about this film going in, so wasn’t sure what to expect from this film. As you might imagine, the 2011 feature follows a princess as she is transported by a lone pilot in hostile territory during a time of war. It’s a quiet film peppered with moments of action. While not bad, it’s a bit plain.

Really, that’s the long short of things here. The Princess and the Pilot isn’t a film I regret watching, nor is it something I’d recommend you give a pass to, but I find it hard to just outright recommend. It does just enough to be spared feeling totally average, while simultaneously being so obviously constructed that it doesn’t bring much of its own flavor to the table.

The one exception to this is the dogfight sequences, or really any time the plane is utilized in the film. These kind of anime are more rare, so it’s nice to see them. However, the action sequences, though brief as they are, do deliver. The tension is there and the right amount of emphasis is placed on each moment.

As a result, the slower, more intimate parts of the film where our pilot and princess talk to each other feels appropriate. The two characters don’t really part from the “two different worlds” story, which is further contrived with the shared history between the pair, but their interactions are earned with growth felt between both of them. Still, I can’t help but feel there was more opportunity here that went ignored.

There isn’t much else to say about this one. I know I haven’t exactly painted The Princess and the Pilot as the most exciting film, but if you have a free afternoon and are looking for something fairly straightforward to watch, this’ll fit the bill just fine. Likely, you’ll enjoy yourself but find that the film is underwhelming despite the premise. Final verdict, worth the one-time watch on a rainy day.

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That’ll do it for this review of The Princess and the Pilot. What did you think of the film? Share your thoughts in the comments below and consider joining me on Twitter @JS_Reviews for the next watch. If you enjoy my writing please check out my Patreon or make a one-time donation via Ko-fi utilizing the buttons below. Until next time, thanks for stopping by!

‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’ Film Review

Grade: A

If there is one thing that makes Charlie Kaufman such an interesting writer, it is his exploration of the human psyche and what makes the mind tick. Whether it be the fulfillment of desire/longing to live another life (Being John Malkovich), what we decide to do with our memories both good and bad (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), the dedication of achieving an ambition (Synechdoche, New York, Kaufman’s directorial feature), or finding meaning in a life filled with monotony (Anomalisa, which Kaufman also directed). The films which Kaufman has written for may be quirky, existentialist fantasies, yet somehow, they feel as real as can be. The characters Kaufman creates are just ordinary people, though it takes a certain fantastical situation to help dig in to the recesses of their minds as to make them relatable, whether they achieve their goals or not.

The same could be said for Kaufman’s newest feature I’m Thinking of Ending Things, based on Iain Reid’s debut novel, which hit Netflix on September 4th. Like Kaufman’s earlier works, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is yet another mind-bender about the human psyche that deals with existentialism, identity, and how we perceive relationships told through the inner monologues of a young woman (Jessie Buckley) as she goes off to meet her boyfriend Jake’s (Jesse Plemons) parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis) during a snowstorm. As expected from a Charlie Kaufman film, things take a turn for the psychologically bizarre.

How else can I describe I’m Thinking of Ending Things without spoiling anything? It is a film that requires you to accept the eerie bizarre reality of its protagonist’s mental state, where one event twists into a completely different outcome in the strangest of ways, until we find ourselves pulled into its deteriorating state of psychosis. I cannot guarantee that I’m Thinking of Ending Things will go down easy with the average viewer, especially with scenes that feel as if they could halt the movie in its tracks, but it will give fans of Charlie Kaufman the satisfaction of questioning everything they have seen.

‘Da 5 Bloods’ Film Review

Grade: B-

 When it comes to political and social issues, no one is less afraid to speak his mind than Spike Lee. As controversial as his viewpoints may be for some, it is clear that the messages he is trying to send resonate with most people, making him one of the most influential living directors. ‘Da 5 Bloods’ is his newest effort in making a statement about race in the form of four elderly war veterans who return to the jungles of Vietnam to work on some unfinished business left behind by one of their own as their journey threatens to tear them apart.

‘Artemis Fowl’ Film Review

Grade: F

 I have never seen a book-to-film adaptation so flimsy, chaotic, and silly in its execution such as Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Artemis Fowl’. Keep in mind! This is coming from someone who has never read the books by Eoin Colfer, let alone even aware of its mythology. All I knew about it was that it was centered on a child thief named Artemis Fowl and the secrets he has to unlock. I am sure that it was one of the books I have wanted to read in my childhood, but never had a chance to. A feature film was inevitable and was in development since 2001, but never saw the light of day until its first teaser hit in 2018. Though, it had been pushed back from August 2019 to August of this year, only to be released just yesterday on Disney+ due to the Coronavirus.

 

‘The Willoughbys’ Film Review

Grade: B-

   Like ‘The Addams Family’, ‘The Willoughbys’ is quirky both in style and sense of humor; taken straight from other dysfunctional families that have come before them, blended into a colorful, candy-coated, yarn-filled family-comedy-adventure that may be a bit predictable, but fun once you buy into its characters. Tim (Voice of Will Forte) is neurotic and wants the best for his family. His sister, Jane (Voice of singer Alessia Cara) is always singing the same melody and always asking the what-ifs of their situations, while both the Barnabys (Voice of Seán Cullen) are monotonously similar that it is hard to tell them apart, prompting their nanny (Voice of Maya Rudolph) to label one A and the other B. Though, what makes them all similar are their red-heads which come from a generation of Willoughbys before them.

‘Galaxy Quest’ Classic Film Review

Grade: B+

   With quarantine still in effect, it has been hard to write movie reviews lately, especially since movie theaters have been shut down and there have not been many movies to talk about. Yet, one movie that has come to mind as of late is the 1999 science-fiction spoof ‘Galaxy Quest’, which I vaguely remember from my childhood other than seeing ads for it, and watching it with my family in a motel when I was but a child. Recently, I decided to give it a much-needed re-watch for the experience, being that my mother-in-law had the film in her collection. I have to say that ‘Galaxy Quest’ holds up as a comedy as well as a love letter to the science-fiction genre, conventions, and more importantly ‘Star Trek’ (which it spoofs for the most part).

Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl – An Overindulgent Conclusion

Well I Watched It…

You may remember back when I reviewed the Bunny Girl Senpai series that things started strong but ultimately went out on a whimper for me. There were a few reasons, most of which are discussed in that review, but one thing I didn’t dive into too deeply was in regards to where I expected the show to ultimately see its end. Well here we have it, the conclusion of the series in Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl, and the story of Shouko.

‘Onward’ Film Review

  Grade: B+

   With the Coronavirus epidemic hitting the United States as of late, and movie theaters closing up shop as a result. Films that have been released in the past few weeks have made the move from big screens to smaller, digital formats. Pixar’s newest feature, ‘Onward’ is one of those films. However, it is streaming on Disney+ as of Friday, April 3rd, which means if you have a subscription, you do not have to purchase it on your phone. Families can sit around the TV and watch the tale of two elf brothers as they go on a quest to bring back their father for a day.

‘Horse Girl’ Film Review

Grade: C-

  After watching ‘Horse Girl’, there is no doubt that you will be filled with so many questions. What happened? What did it all mean? What did I get out of it? Then, you end up going on Youtube to find some analysis’s to see if anything made sense. It is clear that this is one of those independent features that makes you think in frustration, all while admiring its technique and an unhinged performance by Alison Brie.

Ad Astra: an average review

Per ardua ad astra

(Through adversity to the stars)

– Motto of the British Royal Air Force

Ad Astra is a movie that I believe would be perfect to start with for a new reviewer of cinema. It is very well shot with many gorgeous vistas, serviceable dialogue that got the point of the movie across, and it was a good reminder that it doesn’t need to be a sequel in a long, drawn out franchise in order to be an excellent film. If I were to sum up the movie with two words, it would be these: beautifully boring. Allow me to elaborate with a spoiler filled review.