Grave of the Fireflies - I’m a lot different from most minds on this one. I found it a very straightforward tale about how the weakest suffer the most in war and how truly awful a place Japan was to live. I didn’t find it depressing (well, no more depressing than Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, We Were Soldiers, or any other movie that acknowledged that war is hell), just melancholy and thought-provoking, and I even found hope in the principals being able to have some semblance of life together in the end. Needless to say, the discussions I had about this haven’t been particularly amicable, and I’m downright bewildered that the consensus now seems to be that this is about The Horrible Naughty Lazy Worthless Ingrate Who Gets What He Deserves And Has His Sister’s Blood On His Hands Forever And Ever. Story’s simple enough that I don’t need to see it again; discussion’s warped enough that I don’t want to say another word about it. Ever.
South Park: Bigger Longer And Uncut - The dialogue’s snappy, the story’s pretty funny when it actually making an effort (almost nobody gets into Heaven, hard-de-har-har), and it has a satisfying conclusion, pretty much the best anyone could’ve hoped for at this point. This neatly marks the end of South Park’s second phase, where Eric Cartman was firmly established as the invincible almighty emperor of the universe but Parker and Stone were still somewhat committed to making entertaining stories. The show was all downhill from here, so I’m glad to have left on this relatively high note.
Raiders of the Lost Ark - This is an excellent, excellent adventure movie which hits all the buttons perfectly: action, suspense, emotion, drama, danger, comedy, color, tension, treachery. There’s just one big problem with repeat viewings: once you know that the Ark of the Covenant is worthless as a weapon of war, this really takes away from the hero’s involvement. As has been stated numerous times, if Indy never knew about the Ark at all, the end result would’ve been exactly the same: Belloq gets blown up, the Ark never makes it to Germany, Hitler still on pace for epic fail. The puzzle’s solved; time to move forward.
Malcolm X - A revelatory and surprisingly even-handed portrayal of a contentious figure from recent history. All the credit in the world to Spike Lee for really bringing out what the man stood for and why he felt so passionately about what he did without glossing over any of his flaws. Only problem…it’s long. Really, really long. And honestly, a second viewing isn’t going to tell me what I don’t already know. It’s pretty heavy subject matter too; a great film for a racial studies class but absolutely not casual entertainment.
Thelma and Louise - A moving story about two perfectly ordinary women who have one horrendous night and struggle to regain control of their lives. Excellent, intelligent characterizations, and I didn’t pick up any “militant feminist” vibe at all. I really, really enjoyed watching this when it came out on video, and even the ridiculous scene with the Jamaican cyclist couldn’t spoil it. Looking back now, though, it didn’t really make any bold stand. It’s messages only SEEMED bold under the lens of ignorant vanilla one-size-fits-all mainstream culture; if you’ve ever had any exposure to actual feminist works, it’s about as radical as 3+3=6. I’d probably find it boring as hell today.
The Fast And The Furious - If you were any kind of Initial D fan in the early aughts, there was no avoiding this one. It was a nice thrill ride when it first came out, but the story is a bit hackneyed, and honestly, the racing action doesn’t stand up to repeat viewings. Like it or not, going in a straight line, no matter how fast, isn’t all that thrilling. I actually found the truck hijack scenes more entertaining than any of the races. Glad I found out what the hoopla was about, but it only confirmed that I don’t need to see this again.