Peninsula Film Review: Too bad the dramatization was forced

 With the corona pandemic, we don't have many films to enjoy. Even so, 2020 is the year for Korean cinema after Parasite won the Oscar. This time Popculture.id will review the latest Korean film titled Peninsula

For those of you who haven't, Peninsula is a continuation of the 2016 film, Train to Busan . We are lucky enough, in this 'virus' year, there is a zombie-themed film that is shown through streaming channels. In contrast to Train to Busan, which received a lot of praise, this time the Peninsula film review might be a little 'spicy'. Anyone who has watched it will know why.

Plot

Before discussing further, the film Peninsula itself tells the story of a group of refugees from Korea who settle in Hong Kong and return to their original place which has changed its name to Peninsula. This group of people is tasked with retrieving some of the money left on a zombie-infested Peninsula.

Hoping for the task to be completed quickly, they are stuck for a few days on the Peninsula because of the actions of the natives. In addition to having to avoid zombies, the main character in this film also has to deal with a group of people who have been good at and adapted to zombies. War broke out and a struggle for money ensued. Who would have thought that the people on the Peninsula who had adapted would actually want to get out of this hell.

Entertaining Movies

Even though you have read this review, you should watch this film with a positive mind. Although Peninsula received poor marks on some critical channels, it's actually quite a fun movie to watch. Just like other action films, Peninsula has succeeded in building the atmosphere of battle and fierce conflict between its characters.

These include the post apocalyptic technologies of the Peninsula dwellers and the human vs zombie entertainment provided by the militarists of the Peninsula. While watching, you will be reminded of the cars in the Mad Max movie or the zombie fighting arena in The Walking Dead series . The issue of racism raised in this film also has a sufficient portion. Affirming that Peninsula is not made just for entertainment.

Annoying Dialogue

When it comes to shortcomings, the thing that is lacking in this film is the dialogue. This film presents a mixed dialogue of three languages. First Korean, then Chinese (Hong Kong) and English.

I don't have a problem when some characters are in Chinese. But when they use English, my comfort is disturbed. Not demeaning the actors who play, in fact the use of language can be uniform if it feels difficult. If you don't believe me you can watch the film and listen to the actors talk using English dialogue that sounds like Google Translate.

Pretentious Dramatization

I understand very well that Peninsula is a continuation of the movie Train To Busan . Because it considers the formula in the first film to be successful, this film again uses a variety of dramatizations in every scene. The climax of all the dramatization is at the end of the story, when the main characters are about to leave the Peninsula.

The formula for dramatization a la Train to Busan clearly fails in this film. Why? Because the characters in this film are not helpless people like in the movie Train to Busan . Almost all of the characters in this film have strong survival instincts, skills to use firearms to god-level driving skills.

As a result, the dramatization at the end of the story becomes bland and pretentious. How can we feel emotion and sadness if previously we saw the main characters driving cars like Vin Diesel and shooting guns like John Wick?

Wonder Woman 1984 Film Review: Not Just Disappointing

 Since two weeks ago, cinemas throughout Indonesia have been full of Gal Gadot fans . Because today the movie Wonder Woman 1984 is being shown. So for those of you who haven't watched it, Popculture.id will review the Wonder Woman 1984 film so you have a little idea.

Unfortunately today's review of Wonder Woman 1984 will be a little spicy. As a fanboy I feel very disappointed. Even more disappointed than you can imagine. There are many odd things and 'what the fuck' moments that made me shake my head and swear throughout this film. Had it not been out of curiosity, I might have gone outside the cinema in the 45th minute.

Story Plot

Film Wonder Woman 1984 is the sequel that actually do not taste the sequel of the first movie was released in 2017 ago. As the title suggests, Wonder Woman 1984 tells the life of Princess Diana in 1984. At that time Diana became a hero who helped the people of the city of DC who were in trouble. The princess also often takes over the duties of the police to eradicate crime.

The story continues on Diana's meeting with the two main villains in this film. They are Cheetah and Maxwell Lord. In this film, Diana does not act alone. He is helped by his dead ex-girlfriend, Steve Trevor. The conflict in this film is quite simple, namely the world is getting more chaotic because Maxwell Lord who grants all people's requests.

More Than Just Disappointing

When viewed from the plot, the movie Wonder Woman 1984 sounds interesting, right? But actually Wonder Woman 1984 is not really worth watching. Many things are disappointing. Starting from a bad script, monotonous cinematography and a background that is not optimal. I'm confused, how can a script and story as bad as this be accepted by a producer.

My disappointment is not without reason. Because the first Wonder Woman film was very, very good. The story is dense with a variety of actions and conflicts that make a dramatic streak at the end of the film. But Wonder Woman 1984 doesn't have that. One of the good things in this film is just the figure of Gal Gadot. How ironic.

Why Wonder Woman 1984 Is Ugly

What are the things that make this film bad? Ok, we will discuss them one by one. The first is about the plot and plot of the story. Unlike the previous film, this film has a long enough duration of 2 hours 30 minutes. Unfortunately the long duration is not maximized. Many plot holes and stories are wasted without any correlation. If anything, the story was hit and miss with the audience.

Wonder Woman 1984 is also pretty devastating for Steve Trevor's character. Steve, who is an American war hero, is the object of jokes in this film. It's not that you can't, it's just that Steve's character has his own inner bond with Wonder Woman fans.

In addition, Wonder Woman 1984 is also filled with a lot of filler. The scenes of Diana flying in the sky to the scene of Maxwell Lord that are repeated at the end of the film really make me tired myself. Moreover, the climax of this film is not a fight, but so wise words about honesty and the world as it is. Not interesting at all!

In addition, the film Wonder Woman 1984 did not succeed in representing the situation that occurred in 1984. There were no elements that stood out at all except the anti-nuclear demonstration. This setting can actually be explored further by highlighting fashion, pop culture and a deeper political situation.

There are also many things that are not clear and require further explanation. Imagine, with a duration of 2 hours and a half there are still many things that are not finished. Like Barbara's transformation into a Cheetah and the power she gains. Apart from that the fight scene between Cheetah and Wonder Woman is quite a treat, even though it ends with a ridiculous and ridiculous ending.

For those of you who want to watch this film, first make sure you are ready to accept anything. Don't expect too much because this film is only special because of Gal Gadot's charm.

Love And Monsters Film Review: Potential To Be Explored

 Today we are back with movie review content. If yesterday Popculture.id wrote a review of the Wonder Woman 1984 film , now we will review the film titled Love And Monsters directed by Michael Matthews, which first aired in October 2020.

Love and Monsters is a fantasy adventure film. Quite different from similar films, Love and Monsters uses a light comedy approach with a touch of romance that is quite thick.

This film stars some big names such as Dylan O'Brien, Jessica Henwick, Michael Rooker, Daniel Ewing and child actress Ariana Greenblatt who looks stunning throughout this film. For some reason I was amazed and very, very entertained after watching this film. I feel much happier than after watching The Devil All The Time or The Trial of the Chicago 7 even though these three films can't actually be compared.

Common Plot With Brilliant Execution

To be honest, the plot of the story carried by the film Love And Monsters is very common. This film is about the adventures of a man who wants to meet his old lover after being separated for 7 years. They are separated because the world is experiencing destruction caused by insects that mutate to become large and threaten humanity.

After the insect mutation, humans are no longer at the top of the food chain. The human population is threatened and drastically reduced. Those who survived survived and lived in underground bunkers, sheltering from the possibility of falling prey to monsters.

After 7 years of hiding humans, a depressed young man named Joel Dawson (Dylan O'Brien) decides to go outside the bunker to meet his old lover. With desperation and love, the young man walks on an earth that has been infested with monsters.

It is undeniable that post-apocalyptic plots like this are commonly used in films and even television series. So, what makes Love and Monsters so amazing?

The short answer I can give is: the execution of the story is solid and not long-winded. This film feels very fitting in many ways. Even the comedy scenes and dialogues really help the main character building. One of my favorite scenes and dialogues in this film is when Joel kills Queen and screams “ I Feel Like Tom Cruise!”

The Importance of Archives for Human Civilization

Congested. Maybe that's the right word to describe the film Love and Monsters . The writing of this film is very detailed and neat, using the view of the cowardly and traumatic main character to further explore the post-apocalypse world and the dangerous creatures that live in it.

This film also uses the hobby of drawing the main character as meaning, triggers conflict and twists throughout the film. From what I have seen, the film Love and Monsters tries to tell us that archiving is very important for human civilization.

It is said that Joel often draws and writes information on various monsters and plants and their characteristics in his small notes. It was this little note that ultimately helped him explore a world that was in ruins. With this note, Joel also helps many people who are still in hiding to dare to get out of the bunker and start a new civilization and defeat the fear of threatening monsters.

Potential To Explore

At the end of the film, we see that everyone who was hiding finally goes outside and goes on a journey to explore a world that has been destroyed. Armed with Joel's notes, each group tries to survive and adapt to the new world.

This final scene also makes me think that the world in Love and Monsters is very wide and has the potential to be explored. There are still many places, creatures and conflicts that can be explored more deeply. It seems like it would be fun to see the humans shoulder to shoulder or even fighting each other to rebuild a civilization that had been destroyed.

Personally, I hope to be able to watch the continuation of Joel's story in Love and Monsters with a note that the production must be consistent and at least have the same quality as the first film. Yes, I hope that the success of this film does not make filmmakers big heads and make film sequels that are haphazard.

So that's the review of the film Love and Monsters . I can honestly say that this film is worthy of being watched by fantasy film fans or film fans in general.

Raya And The Last Dragon Film Review: Successfully Delivering a Message

 Today Disney fans in Indonesia are highlighting a new princess character from Southeast Asia named Raya. With the concept of Southeast Asian culture, many viewers as well as critics gave positive values ​​in the review of the film Raya and the Last Dragon, which has been airing since March 3, 2021.

After being disappointed with Mulan , had the opportunity to watch it and was happy to write a review of the film Raya and the Last Dragon . Honestly, the film Raya and the Last Dragon is so solid and very entertaining for the audience. This film features a variety of elements executed to perfection; visuals, fight scenes to the comedy treats.

Plot

Raya and the Last Dragon is a film that tells about the legend of a dragon that has disappeared from the face of the earth for 500 years. Humans lost their dragons after an evil creature named Drunn attacked and turned humans and dragons into piles of stone. But human life was saved by the last legendary dragon named Sisu who bequeathed a dragon jewel to humans.

500 years after the incident, humans separated from each other and made the land of the dragon which was formerly known as Kumandra separated and created 5 new countries, namely; Heart, Fang, Talon, Spine and Tail. The five regions fought each other to get the magic gem. Our main character, Raya is a princess and the guardian of the gem.

The incident began when Father Raya who aspired to reunite the land of Kumandra invited 5 state representatives to gather. Betrayal occurs and ends with the gem breaking into 5 pieces. The splitting of the dragon's magic makes Drunn's seal broken and again repeats the events 500 years ago, humans are turned to stone again. In the midst of this destruction, Raya travels to 5 countries in hopes of meeting the last dragon Sisu and once again saving the world from the threat of Drunn.

Detailed Visuals, Entertaining Story and Spectacular Comedy

Raya and the Last Dragon is a solid and very entertaining film. After the last disappointment with the live-action film Mulan , many viewers were satisfied with this film. Carrying the theme of Southeast Asia, Raya and the Last Dragon managed to stir local references including from Indonesia; Culture, culinary, buildings and geographical landscapes although there are some things that are adapted for the sake of the diversity of stories.

Raya and the Last Dragon also presents beautiful visuals with super detailed animations. Without a doubt, Disney wants to impress the audience, especially the people of Southeast Asia and are proud to be a part of the Disney universe. In addition to visuals, the story also feels flowing thanks to the neat scriptwriting. So exciting, the duration of 1 hour 40 feels less.

There are two interesting things in the film Raya and the Last Dragon . First, the fight scene that uses Southeast Asian native martial arts. We can see Namaari figures who use muay thai techniques from Thailand and Raya who uses pencak silat from Indonesia. We can also see that Raya's weapon looks like a dagger if we look at its shape.

Apart from that, another spectacular thing about this film is the comedy element. The interaction between Raya and Sisu, as the two main characters with the supporting characters, was very warm and funny. Awkwafina succeeded in playing the character of Sisu, a water dragon who is not only powerful but has a great sense of humor. Apart from the dialogue, the behavior of the baby and the three monkeys as well as captain Boun and Tuk Tuk are no less interesting. The comedy element in this film is also presented in a variety of unique ways aimed at making the audience laugh out loud.

Strong Message About 'Trust' Well Sent

It's not Disney if they don't convey a positive message in their animated films. If in the film Mulan they raised the theme of feminism and honor, then in Raya and the Last Dragon we were presented with the theme; trust or trust.

Yup. Basically this film is about betrayal where humans no longer trust each other. This happens in our social life these days. Society is very easily divided and pitted against each other because of a lack of trust in one another.

Throughout the film, the audience is exposed to various incidents of betrayal, which make the chest feel tight. The audience is led to believe that we can never again trust humans or other people. At the end of the story everything turns out to be wrong. In the end it is the belief in fellow human beings that saves the world and makes it a better place. This message of trust was successfully conveyed with a very touching and memorable happy ending .

Finally, the film Raya and the Last Dragon may be very entertaining with its action, story, visuals and comedy. In addition, the audience also received a message about trust between humans after watching this film.

So that's the end of the review for the film Raya and The Last Dragon from Popculture.id. For those of you who haven't had the chance to watch, Raya and The Last Dragon is still showing in cinemas and on the Disney+ streaming site. Come on, hurry up and watch!

Free Guy Movie Review: Suitable for Watching Real Gamers!

 Film fans in Indonesia are happy today. After being closed for a long time due to the Covid-19 case that did not improve, now cinemas in the country have begun to operate slowly. There are many films that are then shown in theaters. From superhero films to action films and dramas. Now, this time Popculture.id will write a review of the film Free Guy, which is still showing in theaters.

Free Guy is a film directed by Shawn Levy. The film, which tells the story of an alternative world, brought the famous actor Ryan Reynolds as the main star. It is not surprising that this film itself has strong references and attachments to Marvel superhero films. Apart from that, is this film worth watching? Is this film good enough and interesting? So, instead of lingering, let's take a look at the Popculture.id review below!

Neat Story

Free Guy itself tells the story of a banker in a city called Free City. The banker has a monotonous life every day. One time, he changed when he saw a woman who passed in front of him. From there, the story of a banker named Guy begins.

The story of this film is very unique and neat. Because, we get 2 different stories from different backgrounds. The figure of Guy, played by Ryan Reynold himself, exists in a game world called Free City . But there is another story beyond this, namely the players who play the game and also two independent game developers who are looking for evidence for the copyright theft case they are facing. The story sounds very complicated and complicated, but when you watch you will be amazed because this film can tell it very simply.

Because this film has two conflicts in different settings, the duration of 2 hours of this film feels very fast. There are no fillers or empty scenes made to fill the duration. Everything is related and conflict comes continuously until it reaches a climax at the end of the film. In short, this film is very good storytelling. Log Horizon or Sword Art Online anime fans will probably relate to this film. If I'm honest, this film is like the two anime in the live-action version .

Unique Game System Description

One of the interesting things offered by the Free Guy movie is the depiction of the game that is the background of the film. Yup, this film is very, very good at describing the game system in very detail, interesting and relatable to gamers. In short, this film accurately describes the atmosphere of an online game and the behaviors of the players who play it. A small child player who often speaks harshly, an unemployed person who is great at playing games to a gaming YouTuber. Everything is complete. Free Guy really pulls all the elements of online games in the real world and builds interesting stories from there. Wonderful!

In addition to discussing the game system, Free Guy also touched on the life and working climate of online game developers. We see how the workers are trying to keep the server stable. Workers who try to solve bugs and glitches to game masters who have to step in to deal with players who are destroying the game. It doesn't stop there, there are also conflicts from the lives of the game makers themselves. In short, the game as the main element is really put to good use.

The Visuals are Very Cool and Support the Story

The two points that we have discussed next are certainly very good advantages. Interestingly, these two things are supported by excellent visual execution and cinematography. Although it looks very much like a popcorn movie , but still the visuals are very good and look very, very realistic. Interestingly, the perspective of the player playing the game also gets a description where the game also has a different visual.

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This visual execution, of course, we need to appreciate. It's not an easy thing to make a movie with a game setting. Maybe Free Guy is one of the films set in online games that has interesting visuals. The rest, online game themes are usually more familiar on anime platforms. The fact that visuals really support the story and depiction of online games makes Free Guy really worth watching. Moreover, there are many pop culture easter eggs that appear in this film. For example, Captain America's shield , Hulk's hand to Light Saber! Hahaha, so much fun!

So that's the review of the film Free Guy from Popculture.id. What do you think Popins? Are you interested in watching this Ryan Reynolds film? You can watch this film in theaters or buy it on the Amazon Prime site.

Army of The Thieves (2021) Film Review: Mediocre But Not Boring!

 Zack Snyder's Army of The Dead has become a topic of conversation among pop culture fans on social media. In this film, Zack tries to present a different zombie action film. Who would have thought, the film universe was expanding. After reviewing the first film, Popculture.id now has the opportunity to watch the spin-off film Army of The Thieves which will be released in 2021.

Army of The Thieves is a film directed and starring Matthias Schweighöfer. He returns to play the character of Ludwig Dieter, who is an expert safe-breaker. Briefly, this film tells the story of Ludwig's past and how he can go to the United States and join the army of death to break into the legendary vault of Götterdämmerung in zombie-infested Las Vegas. Is Army of The Thieves worth watching? Is the film good? Check out the Popculture.id version of the Army of The Thieves film review !

A Mediocre But Quite Interesting Robbery Story

When the release of the film Army of the Dead , many viewers and critics gave it a bad rating. According to critics, Zack Snyder's film is too long and boring. The only thing that is interesting is the zombie universe and the appearance of various unique zombies that you have never seen before in any zombie movie.

Unlike its predecessor film, this time Army of The Thieves presents a story that makes much more sense and is very interesting. As a spin-off film  , of course there are still zombie elements in this film, even if only a little. This film focuses more on the life of the character Ludwig Dieter aka Sebastian who is a safe breaker with extraordinary abilities. In this film, Ludwig joins a team of international robbers and plans to break into 3 legendary safes made by Hans Wagner.

In the process of breaking into the legendary and tight safe, of course there are many very exciting events. Starting from love drama, comedy and also a depiction of how the life of a safe burglar. With a duration of approximately two hours, this film densely provides the story of a robber that is very exciting, tense, funny and romantic. This film is far from boring because the story is indeed interesting.

Visual Details, Properties and Costumes are Total

Besides the story which is very interesting because it discusses the impossible robbery, the visuals in this film are also very supportive. The cinematography and the details of the pictures are so fluid and easy for us to follow. The editing and coloring are also very in line with the mood of the scene that this film wants to build itself. In addition, the costumes and makeup in this film are so total, especially for the character Gwendoline, played by Nathalie Emmanuel.

But of all that we have mentioned above, the thing that stands out the most from the film Army of The Thieves is the detailed depiction of the safe during the break-in process. We can see the lock mechanism in the safe in detail. When the main character Sebastian tries to break into a safe, it feels like we can feel how the safe works. These details are also more interesting with the story and history of each safe. Anyway, these three safes are a plus in itself. Moreover, the design of the safe is different and has its own uniqueness.

Less Explorative Character Background

Finally, we will discuss the shortcomings in this film. Actually this film would be very good if only the character development and background of the 5 robbers in “Army of the Thieves” were more exploratory. So in this film Ludwig is not the only person who took part in carrying out the robbery. Ludwig is the main character in charge and has the ability to break into safes. Then there is the character Gwendoline who is an expert in planning, undercover and direct theft ( pickpocketing) . Then the character of Rolph who is an expert in driving cars, Brad Cage who is an expert in fighting and finally Korina the legendary hacker.

Actually, these 5 characters can get enough of their respective stories. But somehow the director or scriptwriter only focuses on the story of Ludwig's character. Although there is a background for the other characters but it is minimal. If only this character development was maximized, maybe "Army of The Thieves" could be the best robbery film and different from similar films.

So that's the review of the Popculture.id version of the Army of The Thieves film. What do you think Popins? Are you interested in watching this film from Zack Snyder's "Army of The Dead" universe? If you're curious, you can watch it on Netflix right away !

Interview With the Vampire Review: The Story of a Vampire with a Human Spirit

 Louis is a vampire who has an interesting perspective and character development as a vampire.

Vampire-themed films in general often present the theme of dramatic romance and fantasy action. Starting from the “Twilight” saga which is the idol of every young millennial girl, to classic collections such as “Bram Stoker's Dracula” (1992). While in the 2000s and above, there were more adaptations of the sucker theme from this as an action thriller universe such as "Underworld" (2003), "Van Helsing" (2004), and many more.

It is quite difficult to find a vampire-themed film that is not only about love or the hunt between Dracula and Van Helsing, except “Interview with the Vampire” (1994).

Adapted from Anne Rice's novel of the same name in 1976, this film is more nuanced with gothic drama, with Louis (Brad Pitt) as the protagonist. In the modern era, a journalist is interested in interviewing Louis. Without knowing his real identity, it didn't take long for the journalist to realize that he was talking to an unusual source.

Louis the Vampire Who Has an Interesting Story as a Resource Person

Without bringing up fictional characters in the classic vampire theme that is always the same (Dracula, Van Helsing), Neil Jordan creates a new modern vampire universe through this film adaptation. Where in this story, we will listen to the story of the protagonist named Louis.

More than just a human being turned into a vampire, He has an interesting characterization, then develops into a progressive story. Without understanding the consequences of surrendering himself to the 'darkness', Louis is a vampire with a human soul. He is more willing to drink the blood of mice than to kill innocent humans. This will be his biggest struggle throughout the film. Unbeknownst to him, this point is what makes him different from other undignified vampires.

The film is narratively presented by the protagonist himself, in keeping with the theme that the whole story is an interview. For those of us who enjoy films with dense narrative and dialogue, “Interview with the Vampire” can be a quality entertainment. Not only dense narrative, there is a balance between the content of violence and gore that we can see in certain scenes.

Witness Kirsten Dunst's Acting Debut, See Another Side of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt

“Interview with the Vampire” is the acting debut film for actress Kirsten Dunst, and she managed to give her best performance. Starting from an innocent girl who only thirsts for blood by instinct, then turns into a greedy vampire with big ambitions if she wants something.

Considering that she was 11 years old at the time, Kirsten was able to appear confident, expressive, as an adult woman trapped in the body of a child vampire. It can be an interesting reference to see Kirsten's development as an actress who still exists today.

We also have the opportunity to see different appearances from Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, who are now appearing more in action drama films. The acting direction for this film is very thick with dramatic theatrical nuances, it may seem excessive for those of us who don't like this style of acting execution. However, according to our expectations when the film is set in the past. Where women still wear lace dresses and parasols, so do men in capes and tall hats.

Exciting Movies for Loyal Fans of the Vampire Theme

There is a wide spectrum of vibes that can be executed with a vampire theme, it can be classic, romantic, action, horror, even in a futuristic setting. For true vampire fans who love exploring the backgrounds of these immortals, “Interview with the Vampire” is guaranteed to keep you entertained.

Although there have been many modern influences, there are still many characteristics, characteristics, to the dignity of vampires that are preserved in this film script.

Vampires are synonymous with immortality, their charm in terms of appearance, charismatic, and of course their thirst for blood. Louis as the protagonist is probably one of the best vampire characters in Hollywood.

Although there is no touch of romance, his loyalty to his wife is indirectly reflected, enough with the fact that he doesn't think about finding a life partner throughout the film. In the end, the excellent character development will amaze us with this character. How can He read what everyone is looking for, then refuse to make it happen.

“Interview with the Vampire” is even more interesting than the more popular “Bram Stoker's Dracula”.