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Ni no Kuni (2013)
The characters are uncontrollable
Studio Ghibli's animation and the soundtrack are of the highest quality, and the real-time combat does not require too much grinding. The battles, however, are chaotic, the allies unresponsive, the plot flat and the side quests reduced to repetitive fetch quests. It entertained me without offering a deep experience, and much could have been cut, but the Studio Ghibli cutscenes are untouchable.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Kubrick did something crazy
The camerawork is masterful and the soundtrack well chosen, but the plot is uninteresting and the writing utterly insane, with disconnected scenes and an excessively slow pace. For many it is a masterstroke; for me it is a stroke of madness.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Seeing politics everywhere, in the long run, gets tiring
The brilliant dialogue, excellent performances, careful direction and Nolan's usual multi-timeline editing are undeniable. For me, though, the omnipresence of politics makes three hours of back-and-forth heavy going, with a pace that falls apart at times. A very intellectual film that failed to entertain me.
Steelrising (2022)
Nice, but ruined by its maps and bugs
I am not fond of souls-likes, but here the RPG component and the assist mode make the genre accessible to everyone, and the music, the plot and a subplot featuring historical figures such as Robespierre and La Fayette give depth to the world. It is spoiled, though, by bugs, from items that cannot be picked up to enemy health bars that disappear, and by labyrinthine, repetitive maps in which you feel lost. A worthy game that deserved more care in its maps and structure.
DanDaDan (2024)
Relies too heavily on the fake dating trope
What works is the protagonists teaming up without unjustified power-ups, and the nods to nerd culture. Its main flaw is repetitiveness: every arc brings back the fake relationship and the love triangles, which make the series embarrassing and boring at times. An interesting show for fans of the genre that would have benefited from a good trim.
Dark (2017)
An incomprehensible time loop
Every disappearance has a reason and every detail, through the butterfly effect, can lead to catastrophe; from the second season the plots become so tangled that I had to print a timeline to follow them. The writers' extraordinary ability to close every loop makes it a beautiful, gripping series, but one that demands strong reasoning skills.
Super Mario Galaxy (2026)
It tries to offer a lot, but pushes the plot aside
The animation and music are top-level, with action scenes for younger viewers and plenty of references, from the original Super Mario Bros. to the previous film. The plot, unpretentious as it is, deserved more depth, starting with the family ties. Enjoyable, but suited only to those already immersed in this world.
12th CorriconGioia Half Marathon
Two laps are a bit too much
The Gioia del Colle Half Marathon of 28 April 2026 is a well-known race, though not exactly a beautiful one. The heat made it hard to aim for a personal best and the two-lap course complicated things, even though there was plenty of water and the elevation gain was modest. A final refreshment stop with cold beer and Gioia's typical mozzarella, and a race finished without any particular pain.
Alan Wake (2010)
Combines Stephen King with Nolan
Nolan-style flashbacks and flash-forwards, together with the manuscripts, piece together a Stephen King-like plot, while the maps, true to the horror genre, try to make you lose your bearings. To understand it fully you almost have to finish it twice, but it is a game with a very literate and intelligent plot that anyone who loves this kind of writing will appreciate.
Pluto (2023)
A captivating introspective thriller
It kept me glued to the screen because it asks whether a machine must necessarily serve humans or can think for itself, and it digs into the reasons behind every action. The antagonists, driven by revenge and manipulated by others, reveal a world made of shades of grey and fully rounded characters. I recommend it to everyone, especially science-fiction fans.
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