Ace Attorney: The Movie (2012) review
Thanks to the ever omniscient Internet, I was able to finish the Ace Attorney movie that was released earlier this year. So here's some quick thoughts on it before I go to bed and thus forget everything.
Firstly I have to say I enjoyed it a lot! So much more than I expected to, considering this is an adaptations, and you know how adaptations in general suck. So yes, of course there were flaws, and events were changed switched around to accommodate the time and the medium, but with an eye to how Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is an experience impossible to recreate anywhere else other than on the game console, I'd be quite lenient.
Well that said, even despite all those precautions, I had to say this was nigh a perfect adaptation as could be *__* I LOVE LOVE LOVE so many things about this one: Phoenix was spot on from the ridiculous hair to the ridiculous mannerisms to the suit the look the EVERYTHING was so good and as close as a real-life Phoenix could be. This is perhaps not quite evident from the screencaps I guess so I was quite wary at first but I was quickly sold. I love also the way they didn't overdo the channelling thing, the afterlife was able to retain its mysteriousness unlike in the game where dying is like moving somewhere halfway around the world and all you could do is make a phone call and they'll be there (it's not as if I didn't love that aspect of the game, it's just saying I appreciate the way the film approach this matter). The universe was rebuilt with an almost surreal quality, honestly many of the scenes I felt as if was taken straight out of the game itself! The same care was similarly applied to the cast: You simply cannot fault them about the characters' clothing and make-up: They were made to resemble their game's counterparts as closely as possible without being outrageously unrealistic to the point of not being able to accept the universe. I admit I have some quaints with some of the character's appearance (Miles and von Karma come to mind, maybe Maya as well, especially Miles, but I have to admit 1. his full frontal portrait does resemble a bit of Miles, I realized this in the court scene where he was confessing 2. his mannerism was if not perfect then at least great - although I'd like his dorky side to come out a bit as well, but time is ever the pressing matter), but Larry and Lotta Hart was so perfect for me it's redemption enough.
The best, best, most perfect part about this film however was that it deliver the RIDICULOUSNESS straight from the game itself! The humour was completely intact, from all the theatrical courtroom battle to the searching for evidence (CANNOT get over 'France') to POLLY. God, Polly, that was Perfect with a capital P. I could sing praises for that scene all day without end. OH AND THE BLUE BADGER I CANNOT, I mean, what, it's like this film at first tried to establish a halfway decent and respectable courtroom atmosphere but then towards the end said 'fuck it' and threw a random Blue Badger in......................And the 'fluttering', the CONFETTI HOW CAN I FORGET???? Fuck this just remembering already made me basically 'fell down and cannot get up, help'.
I can list all the way the film recreates the game perfectly and this night will not end. That alone, for me, is enough to overlook some of the things I was rather miffed about like the way they just obliterated Miles's fear for elevators, Miles's obsession with Steel Samurai, well I'm sure there were more but never say I'm not a hardcore Miles Edgeworth fan. I also felt Maya was underdeveloped quite a bit, would've appreciated her getting more screentime....but well one cannot ask for everything. And I would've complained about the lack of the very sorely missed 'unnecessary feelings' and all those entail, but well I did get a handshake and a smile and the film was technically about Phoenix + Miles, so I wouldn't say anything.
Right I feel like what I've done is just singing it praises now..................I'll remember/come up with some of the criticism when I've had a good night sleep and not under constant threat of my parents waking up and finding out about me staying up late, thus complicating things up. Damn it but I swear I'm 20.
(Originally posted at Dreamwidth)
Firstly I have to say I enjoyed it a lot! So much more than I expected to, considering this is an adaptations, and you know how adaptations in general suck. So yes, of course there were flaws, and events were changed switched around to accommodate the time and the medium, but with an eye to how Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is an experience impossible to recreate anywhere else other than on the game console, I'd be quite lenient.
Well that said, even despite all those precautions, I had to say this was nigh a perfect adaptation as could be *__* I LOVE LOVE LOVE so many things about this one: Phoenix was spot on from the ridiculous hair to the ridiculous mannerisms to the suit the look the EVERYTHING was so good and as close as a real-life Phoenix could be. This is perhaps not quite evident from the screencaps I guess so I was quite wary at first but I was quickly sold. I love also the way they didn't overdo the channelling thing, the afterlife was able to retain its mysteriousness unlike in the game where dying is like moving somewhere halfway around the world and all you could do is make a phone call and they'll be there (it's not as if I didn't love that aspect of the game, it's just saying I appreciate the way the film approach this matter). The universe was rebuilt with an almost surreal quality, honestly many of the scenes I felt as if was taken straight out of the game itself! The same care was similarly applied to the cast: You simply cannot fault them about the characters' clothing and make-up: They were made to resemble their game's counterparts as closely as possible without being outrageously unrealistic to the point of not being able to accept the universe. I admit I have some quaints with some of the character's appearance (Miles and von Karma come to mind, maybe Maya as well, especially Miles, but I have to admit 1. his full frontal portrait does resemble a bit of Miles, I realized this in the court scene where he was confessing 2. his mannerism was if not perfect then at least great - although I'd like his dorky side to come out a bit as well, but time is ever the pressing matter), but Larry and Lotta Hart was so perfect for me it's redemption enough.
The best, best, most perfect part about this film however was that it deliver the RIDICULOUSNESS straight from the game itself! The humour was completely intact, from all the theatrical courtroom battle to the searching for evidence (CANNOT get over 'France') to POLLY. God, Polly, that was Perfect with a capital P. I could sing praises for that scene all day without end. OH AND THE BLUE BADGER I CANNOT, I mean, what, it's like this film at first tried to establish a halfway decent and respectable courtroom atmosphere but then towards the end said 'fuck it' and threw a random Blue Badger in......................And the 'fluttering', the CONFETTI HOW CAN I FORGET???? Fuck this just remembering already made me basically 'fell down and cannot get up, help'.
I can list all the way the film recreates the game perfectly and this night will not end. That alone, for me, is enough to overlook some of the things I was rather miffed about like the way they just obliterated Miles's fear for elevators, Miles's obsession with Steel Samurai, well I'm sure there were more but never say I'm not a hardcore Miles Edgeworth fan. I also felt Maya was underdeveloped quite a bit, would've appreciated her getting more screentime....but well one cannot ask for everything. And I would've complained about the lack of the very sorely missed 'unnecessary feelings' and all those entail, but well I did get a handshake and a smile and the film was technically about Phoenix + Miles, so I wouldn't say anything.
Right I feel like what I've done is just singing it praises now..................I'll remember/come up with some of the criticism when I've had a good night sleep and not under constant threat of my parents waking up and finding out about me staying up late, thus complicating things up. Damn it but I swear I'm 20.
(Originally posted at Dreamwidth)