Entergalactic

I saw the trailer and the animation looked pretty good. So I figured I'd endure a tired little story just to see the animation. I did not expect the story, the characters, the music, and the overall vibe of the show to be so good. This animated movie was more real and had more feeling than most of the live-action movies out there. All positive characters. The animation enabled them to put that extra element into the movie that gave the scenes and the moods more clarity. The situations were 100 percent on point. The animation is fantastic - its sharp, smooth, and unique...it's art. It was a nice surprised to find that I could actually recognize some of the actors by their voices. This movie hit just right and I'll probably watch it again.

Kid Cudi's Entergalactic paints a dreamlike Manhattan with a gorgeous color palette. The film is about some ordinary events happening in this city. It is a work of art and beauty. Every frame feels like a painting, some even tell their own stories.

This Netflix special is a visual companion to Cudi's recent album (which I am unfamiliar with). The album is classified as a concept album, so it's only fair to describe this film a "concept movie." It tells simple stories using simple words, but there are emotions beneath the surface. Cudi voices Jabari, a street artist who just got a huge apartment in Manhattan. I assume Jabari is some sort of a fictionalized version of Cudi himself (personality-wise anyway). The story involves his relationship with his next door neighbor (Jessica Williams), a photographer. The similarity here is that they are both artistic people, which is only fitting since the movie has great artistic value. I fell in love with the bright and unique color scheme-rarely has Manhattan been illustrated more beautifully. And do I need to tell you that it has a killer soundtrack?

There are side characters, even some cameos. The voice work is greatly done, and I think the reason it works that well is that the characters resemble their voice actors. Many scenes here are just people hanging out and chilling, having conversations you would have with a good friend. To my surprise, they bring me comfort, instead of boredom. I guess it's because the flow is balanced well enough. This movie and Richard Linklater's Apollo 10 ½ have similarity in tones and how scenes play out. I love them both. They're great comfort movies. It's sad that neither gets enough attention.

I actually listened to the album before I knew there was a movie and was very underwhelmed and disappointed. I usually love Kid Cudi. But when I saw there was a movie I watched it right away. Yeah, it's a rom-com so it's a bit predictable and follows the same basic formula of EVERY rom-com but it still works. I love that the animation matches the actual cast members. This movie has some really cool visuals and the music is completely made better when paired with them. Some good laughs in there too. I'll have to give the album another try after having seen the film to see if it makes more sense now. Definitely worth a watch. It's cool to see creative people branch out into new mediums.

Despite its creators' insistence that it isn't, 'Entergalactic (2022)' is a movie; it's a feature length affair with character arcs and a defined structure. That's sort of besides the point, I suppose, but I just don't see how else you could classify this and think that rumblings of a so-called 'second season' are preposterous simply because there's no first season to begin with. It's all due to the confusion surrounding its production, of course. At one point, this was to be an anthology series, then it was to be short film, then it was expanded into its current form... there's very little this project hasn't been somewhere in its lifecycle. Anyway, the film is an animated romantic comedy that charts the beginnings of a relationship between its central couple. With its Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018) aesthetic and its penchant for visual surrealism, the flick takes an energetic and effective approach to its material. Its grounded story is presented in a very stylised way, which makes it more compelling to watch than it otherwise may have been. Though the animation isn't as refined as that of its most obvious inspiration, it's still as distinct, lively and enjoyable as you'd hope. It has moments of alternate stylisation which work surprisingly well to differentiate its stories within its story from the wider story itself. There's a lot to like here, including realistic and likeable characters who interact in believable ways. On top of that, there are several montages that could play as music videos to the plethora of new Kid Cudi tracks that populate the score, something which is sure to please fans of the musician. It's a solid effort that's inarguably one of the most visually appealing in its genre.

The story, the soundtrack, the dialogue, and most importantly the visuals - all come at you from different directions pleasantly triggering your senses. The frames per second are lower than 24, yet the movements seem so natural. Facial expressions so real. Emotional reactions so relatable. Lights so beautiful. Moments so memorable.

Kid Cudi's soundtracks really elevate the scenes with emotions and work as excellent transitions from one mood to the next. The art direction and coherency of visuals stitched together is remarkable, and very unique.

I put on the film with zero expectations, and here I am writing an 8* review for one of my favorites of the year.