Movies Watched at the Cinema (April 2025)_03

◯Snow White

　Dubbed version. I watched the subtitled version before, so this is my second time. I really do love it. I started watching musical films properly this year, and they are interesting.

◯A Minecraft Movie

　This was also the dubbed version. Apparently, various YouTubers are doing the voice acting, and since I can't stand amateur voice acting, I wanted to watch the subtitled version, but due to scheduling, only the dubbed version was available. Well, as long as I can enjoy it as an entertainment film, anything is fine.

　The lead is Jason Momoa, the guy who played Aquaman in the comic book movies! I got excited because I recognized the actor. Generally, I can't match names to faces of actors and actresses, whether domestic or international... Jason Momoa has a rugged, tough-guy vibe that makes him easy to remember.

　When I actually watched it, it was a well-made film for families, full of laughs for kids and subtle humor for adults, making it a lively and fun movie throughout. Well, I am a single middle-aged person, though...

　I was worried about the voice quality in the dub, but it was decent enough that I didn't care who was playing the roles, which was a relief. Eiko Kano stood out a bit in a bad way, but I just let it slide, thinking, 'Well, that's the kind of character he is...'

　After going through the Minecraft world, the characters all look forward and start walking again, finding a place in the light; it's a happy ending that everyone wants, and I'm very satisfied. It would be a problem if they did a bad ending in Minecraft anyway. Since the target age group is set low, it doesn't betray expectations, which is what you'd expect. You can enjoy it with a calm heart.

　I also like Jason Momoa suddenly breaking into song and turning it into a musical style. Jason Momoa's gentle smile saves the world.

◯The Professional

　The trailer was about half lies; the elderly hitman protagonist gives off an atmosphere like The Equalizer, but the actual film was a human drama focused more on naive psychological depictions and inner conflict than action. I think people who went for the action must have been disappointed. Since I love both genres, I felt like I went to a soba shop and ate katsudon, so I was very satisfied.

　Because the film is filled with charms that make you grow attached to both the enemies and allies—charms that make them impossible to hate completely—the tension of the story rises sharply once the enemies and the protagonist start becoming aware of each other midway through. The momentum carries straight into the final battle, with thrilling, high-impact combat scenes! The lingering feeling at the end is a bit bittersweet. Dostoevsky's 'Crime and Punishment,' which appears as a prop, also adds a nice touch. It was a good work where everyone had their own burdens, and those were fully brought to the fore.

◯Joika

　I think what a movie needs is empathy. However, that alone is not enough.

　The protagonist of Joika is an American aspiring to be a prima ballerina. She fulfills her wish to study abroad at a prestigious ballet academy in Moscow, Russia, but encounters racial discrimination and sabotage from her rivals. If this were fiction rather than non-fiction, it would probably be more natural for the protagonist to get discouraged or give up, but this story seems to be based on true events. Truth is stranger than fiction. True to that adage, she overcomes hardships with a chilling intensity. She doesn't stop dancing even while her feet and body are bloody and battered. If Russian citizenship is required, she doesn't hesitate to marry a Russian. One can only be amazed by the protagonist's madness, which gradually accelerates from the beginning. Even after joining a troupe, her misfortunes continue. Still, I was captivated by the film, pulled along by the strength of her choice to keep dancing on stage.

　It's rare to find someone who can empathize with the protagonist of this film, and it doesn't necessarily become interesting just because you can empathize. Empathy is not a panacea for movies—or stories. I was stunned and my heart was shaken by the protagonist's tremendous obsession. I even felt fear. It's that type of story. She is carrying the world on her own. It makes you want to applaud involuntarily at the end.

　When I looked up the real-life ballet dancer, it seems she is the same age as me or a year younger. Are you serious... I thought she was someone from a long time ago. Just as the teacher says in the film—that pain is what helps people grow—the protagonist continues to dance even after receiving pain, and her dancing gains even more momentum.