The Prophecy 3: The Ascent (2000)

I can't discuss the film until addressing the numbering. If a second movie uses Roman numerals in it's title, like Prophecy II (1998) did, then the third one should, too. it should be Prophecy III, not 3. You can't just switch to Arabic numerals and hope no one notices. What's next? Prophecy fourth? Prophecy Δ?
Okay, the movie: it continues the story of what came before but it's half-baked. Gabriel features but does little to justify his presence. The coroner is there simply to remind us what happened in parts I and II and then he's completely forgotten about. The excessive smash cuts are infuriating.
Overall, if not for the presence of Walken and Dourif it'd be indistinguishable from many of the second-rate supernatural/fantasy TV series from the 90s.

1½ times born out of 5

The Prophecy II (1998)

A direct-to-video sequel that nevertheless managed to lure Walken back into the role of Gabriel. We met just a few of the heavenly host previously, so we also get to meet more of those guys, with varying degrees of success.
It's a more action-driven experience than before, and at just 75 minutes in length (excluding credits) it feels more punchy too. But the semi-successful introspection of before has been lessened, resulting in a flick that's more comic-booky, more throwaway and altogether less ambitious.
I should probably give it points for the limited amount of philosophising about notions of love and free will that it did include, though.
I liked Brittany Murphy's character. She was slotted into an existing space, but the black comedy somehow worked better with her.

2½ hearts in hand out of 5

The Prophecy (1995)

Stories about war in heaven and angels using Earth as a battleground were less common when The Prophecy was released than they are now, so it's useful to view it with that in mind. Directed by the writer of Highlander (1986), i.e. Gregory Widen, it attempts a similar balance of fantastical and human story. As such, it's less action-packed than some of the other works I alluded to above. It's slowly paced in the first half, but more rewarding in the second.
On one side there's a cop with a religious background who's hunting for answers, and on the other is an angel played by Walken who's hunting for something entirely different, but the two things are connected.
The black comedy misfires about 99% of the time, but there's enough conflict and drama to keep the core subject matter interesting to the end.

3 perched arguments out of 5

Princess Raccoon (2005)

Dir. Seijun Suzuki's final film is a vibrant and bonkers spin on a well-known Japanese folktale about a human male and a beautiful shape-shifting tanuki princess. The human (Joe Odagiri) is the son of a Lord, banished from his home on account of being more handsome than his jealous father.
Like the titular princess (Zhang Ziyi) the film isn't fixed in any one particular form. It's varied, a traditional film one minute, a kabuki-esque production the next, or even something resembling a picture book brought to life with the unreality of chroma key occasionally working in its favour! A number of differing musical styles add further strangeness and character.
The trailer should be enough to either intrigue or repel you, so it's perhaps a good idea to check it out before diving into Suzuki's madness feet first.

3½ jewelled tears out of 5

Hannie Caulder (1971)

Raquel Welch plays the titular Hannie, a woman on a mission to exact revenge upon a trio of men who stormed into her life and left it in ruins.
There's a scene early in the film that's harrowing to watch, given additional wallop by a powerful musical accompaniment. It's the reason the story goes in the direction it does, but a subsequent turn of events weakens the set-up. It's as if the makers feared they'd gone too far and attempted to alleviate the criticism they might receive. I feel that was a mistake, and is likely the reason the film is remembered more for its beginning than for its entirety.
Welch's character works best when silent. Thankfully, Robert Culp is on hand to pick up the slack there, doubling as tutor and mentor in both practicalities and the more meaningful soul-searching aspects of the story.

3 cold nights out of 5

The Bat (1959)

A murder mystery author rents a mansion for the summer, an event that's nothing to write home about in itself, but around the same time a very large sum is embezzled from the local bank and the mansion's owner disappears. Thereafter the mansion gets a lot busier and more dangerous.
It's a standard Sunday afternoon whodunit that gets a little silly at times, but the inclusion of Agnes Moorehead as the author and Vincent Price as a somewhat secretive doctor is too good to pass up. There are some real bats, but the title refers to a 'faceless' killer with the moniker of 'The Bat'.

3 clawed-fingers out of 5

The Ten Commandments (1956)

Luckily for Charlton 'Thou Shall Not Wear False Beards' wasn't one of God's laws, because the actor's face fur wouldn't fool a goat, much less a deity. But trappings aside, DeMille's epic is memorable for other reasons. Its scope is such that it feels like an event, a thing to behold as much as to enjoy.
It's a lavish production in which Heston dominates even when he's attempting to be humble; Brynner oozes a venomous charm as Moses' ambitiously jealous sibling; while the ladies captivate whether they be decked in finery or rags.
It rarely feels like it isn't staged every step of the way, even the on location scenes feel overly-managed, but it makes up for that with the large amount of sheer drama that it brings to the table. Only the last half hour lets the side down, wherein it rushes to deliver its concluding message.

4½ binding ties out of 5

Kakera: A Piece of Our Life (2010)

Many of the scenes in Kakera are pure perfection, especially in the first half. I wanted it all to be that way, but it reflects life and life is never that way, so the film had to follow suit. In truth, such contrasts are important to our understanding and appreciation of each particular feeling, which is a topic that the film itself explores. It's the story of two women, one a college undergraduate with an unfaithful partner who uses her mostly for sex, and the other a prosthetist who sculpts lifelike body parts for people who require them to feel whole again. In a sense, one is an unfulfilled student, while the other is an artist who gives a sense of peace to those in need and like every true artist she understands the salient beauty of imperfection.

3½ X chromosomes out of 5

A Most Violent Year (2014)

Set in a wintry New York in 1981, it has the look and feel of an older gangster film, but the main protagonist, an ambitious businessman by the name of Abel (Oscar Isaac), is doing his best to avoid that particular lifestyle or even to be beholden to anyone who's already a part of it. His primary focus is on his heating-oil business, a profitable venture that's been targeted by an unknown rival force, leaving Abel in a dire straits situation.
It's a well-made film with a solid foundation and actors that are mostly believable in their roles. The few action scenes that add colour are dramatic and equally well-shot. To be fair, the script isn't bad either, but it wasn't as captivating as it needed to be in order to be more than the sum of its parts.

3 hijacked rigs out of 5

Wyatt Earp (1994)

If you love a good Western, like I do, then you might want to leave Wyatt Earp on the shelf and consider picking something else to watch tonight. Costner attempts to give the lawman a sensitive, pained characteristic but fails becuase he has all the charisma of a wet flannel. Quaid is slightly better as Doc Holliday but still thoroughly awful. By comparison, Hackman is excellent, a solid rock in a dead ocean of wastefulness, but he's hardly in the film.
The motivations of some cast members are in place but they're buried in blandness. The score takes no chances; it's mostly generic, rarely breaking free from the chains of romanticised melodrama that its tethered to. The most memorable thing about the film is the cinematography during daylight hours.

2½ cups of coffee (needed to endure the damn thing) out of 5

The Game to Movie Collection: Part Two

Adapting a video game to animation should be an easier process than adapting one to live action. The transition is smoothed by not having to realise the game's visual style in real world terms; it can be recreated exactly. But, like before, the fact that games are plotted so very differently to other mediums proves to be a hurdle. I've a lot of sympathy for writers that at least try their best. There are even a significant number of success stories, some of which you'll find linked below. Like Part One it's a list that'll likely be added to in the future. Click the coloured text below to see the full collection: