Nexus Reviews

“The first rule is: you do not talk about Fight Club.”

Fight Club is a 1999 American film directed by David Fincher based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The film starred Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter. The film centers around the unnamed Narrator (Norton), who struggles with his bleak life until he meets Tyler Durden (Pitt), whom he befriends. The Narrator finds himself in constant awe as he gets to know Tyler further and eventually creates the titular Fight Club with him, leading to unimaginable consequences.

The story is structured in a first-person point of view, with the narrator constantly telling the audience of his thoughts. It was effective in establishing the character of the Narrator as well as limiting the perspective available to the audience, which served a greater purpose later on in the film. What the audiences and the film’s fans would agree upon that the film executed well was how it handled its plot twist. Because what seemed to be a man vs. man type of conflict evolved unexpectedly (or expectedly) to man vs. himself. The film transformed from an action thriller to a psychological thriller, an approach uncommon in movies.

Some might argue that the seeds for the plot twist were planted and foreshadowed early in the film, but those were only observable if: one, the audience is really immersed in the film, and two, it is a rewatch. First-time audiences would not be too keen on the blink-and-miss-it details, and therefore they would really be scratching their heads trying to make sense of the plot and how it went from the start to a certain point.

What draws the audience is not the story alone, but the complexity of the characters, which the actors justified in their performances. Norton is a well-known actor for his perfectionist approach to his roles, and this one, where he played the Narrator, was no exception. Arguably, one could say that he carried a lot of weight in the film. Pitt, on the other hand, delivered a performance worthy of praise. He had matched the energy Norton had, and it is no joke that he brought Tyler Durden to life only as he can. Bonham Carter was not to be dismissed either. She has exuded a different kind of aura in her role in the film that wouldn’t work if it was played by a different actress.

The cinematography did the film a lot of favors because it set up the tone for it. The color grading fit the dry and sometimes bleak atmosphere of the film. The camera angle and editing also served the film well. Had they not been executed that well, the film would no doubt fall in on itself because it was important that tiny details be kept hidden until they are ripe for presentation.

As for its detriments, the film has a considerable number of detractors that question the aim of the story. And these are also valid talking points. As much as the plot twist was great, this also came with the question of how it was possible for the Narrator to be a person both capable and incapable of acting the way he did in the film. And most importantly, was there really a sense in the ending? What happens next?

In any case, Fight Club is a film fit for those who want to watch something unique. Even by today’s standards, not many were as good as Fight Club. Like it or hate it, it is one of the films made that left a huge mark in Hollywood because even now, even when it is against the rules, many people, including you, are talking about Fight Club.

Final Rating 8/10

Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions is a 2016 animated film directed by Satoshi Kuwabara and written by Kazuki Takahashi, the author of the original manga. The film has been billed as the epilogue to the manga, and to promote it, a short manga was made by Kazuki Takahashi titled Yu-Gi-Oh! Transcend Game, which bridges the original manga to the film. The voice actors from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters animated series reprised their roles for the film, making it considerably also a sequel to the said animé series.

The film takes place six months after the events of the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga wherein Atem, otherwise known as Yami Yugi, has proceeded to the afterlife for his hard-earned rest. Yugi and his friends prepare for their high school graduation and plan for the next part of their lives. Kaiba, on the other hand, is still determined to have his victory against Atem by recovering the Millennium Puzzle. Another character by the name of Aigami (Diva) arrives at Domini City to stop the resurrection of Atem’s soul and to get his revenge against Yami Bakura. These characters ultimately face each other in a chaotic three-way duel with the souls of everyone on Earth at stake.

The film acts as an added epilogue to the manga, where it shows what happened to the characters after the ceremonial battle between Atem and Yugi. Since this film was released more than a decade after the manga and the Duel Monsters anime ended, it felt like meeting old friends back and catching up with them. There were changes that are noticeable with the characters, from some of their hairstyles, mature-looking faces, and their behavior. But one thing that did not change was the bond they have, and in Kaiba’s case, he was still the aloof and arrogant person who can do it all with money. It’s nice that many things changed while some still remained the same.

The film had good pacing because it basically covered an entire arc on its own. It was able to pull up callbacks from the previous arcs while also pushing up its own storyline. The introduction of the new characters was serviceable to the story. There was intrigue involved, especially in the powers exhibited by the villain Aigami using the Quantum Cube and Plana Dimension, which added depth to the plot.

There was also a new rule of dueling introduced called Dimension Summoning, which affects the power of the monster summoned based on the user’s spiritual power. It was a little confusing at first, though, because it bypasses the familiar way of summoning monsters in a duel. But that in itself is quite a callback to how games go in the original manga.

The main story revolves around Yugi, Kaiba, and Aigami as they clash over whether to summon back Atem in the modern world. Each of them had their reasons for wanting and not wanting Atem back. The buildup to it was good for Kaiba and Yugi, but not for Aigami. As the main antagonist in the movie, Aigami was quite a weak one, literally and figuratively. He was like Yami Marik in that he has these threatening powers, but his dueling skills were actually subpar, as made evident by his first duel against Kaiba. His goals, while understandable, were also similar to Marik’s. It can actually be argued that the true antagonist in the film was the Millennium Ring, which still contains Yami Bakura’s influence, hence making Yami Bakura another pain in the ass that they have to deal with even after his defeat in the manga.

But for all the flaws in the antagonist, the protagonists made it up. Yugi and Kaiba were the heart of this film. They carried the emotional conflict in the film, that having almost none of Atem in it worked (Atem only had a brief appearance in the film: a simulation and a “fan service,” if you will). Yugi’s character growth in the manga was given justice in this film, whereas Kaiba’s lack of growth in the manga actually served him well.

The film’s ending, seeing where they all went, was nothing short of satisfying. There were no more plot threads hanging... well, except for that head-scraping ending where Kaiba went to the afterlife using his seemingly unlimited money and technology to finally have his duel against Atem.

The movie is the best-looking Yu-Gi-Oh! animated production ever. Obviously, because it is a movie, by default it would look good. But compared to other Yu-Gi-Oh! films from before, it was a feast for the eyes. The use of CGI in the film was done well; it did not look awkward compared to other animated features mixing traditional 2D and 3D in the same scene. The animation itself was smooth. And most importantly, it still has the same exaggerated moves of the duelist as they play the card game, giving the impression that they were in an actual high-stakes battle. The artwork also retained the classic Kazuki Takahashi feel.

The music had this sense of grandiosity. It was just a missed opportunity to feature Passionate Duelist more; it would have been great if it was also in the climax, but the original music score gave a sense of epic scope to the film.

The voice acting was also on point. Yugi’s voice actor, Shunsuke Kazama, made Yugi mature not just on his looks but also on his demeanor. Yugi had indeed grown into a man, far from the shy and timid kid he started out as. But definitely the best voice actor should go to Kenjiro Tsuda. He delivered Kaiba’s lines with energy and emphasis. His “BURU AIS WAYTO DURAGON!!!” It was perfect! It was perfect! Down to the last minute detail.

This film is a love letter of the author to the fans who supported the manga and anime through the years that have gone by. It may not be the best sequel film to an animé, but it was certainly a way for the fans to relive much of their childhood. They have grown, just as Yugi and his friends have. And even if Kazuki Takahashi is no longer with us, he left behind a legacy that would forever go on as long as people are still playing games.

Final Rating 8/10