Paiol

Another inspirational reach into iconic sci-fi monsters, this time as origami of Japanese Tatarigami apocalyptic demons, virtual simulation, and the Predator (after all, its origins also trace back to legends of mythical creatures from the jungles of Southeast Asia). The atmosphere of the place is sufficiently created by the slowed-down sounds of a helicopter rotor and authentic footage of napalm drops, but once again, this overly long trailer lacks a bit more tightness, and when the mythology surrounding the River God is finally revealed, you wish it hadn’t happened. The trademark wide-open endings of Oats Studios shorts are starting to look like a cop-out. (29/09/2023)

It's a pity that this short doesn't actually end in any way. I have no problem with the open ending, I like those, but rather I'd like to know more about the origin of the (brilliant) monster. The make-up and all those bloody practical effects are, on the other hand, amazing. (22/01/2018)

Neill Blomkamp's handwriting is starting to seem somewhat similar in most of his films, and I'm starting to feel a bit like his shorts don't pack the same punch as his features. It's as if he simply can't create a sufficiently engaging and immersive atmosphere, and so the entire 20-minute film ultimately comes to naught, despite a pretty decent course in places... (04/10/2021)

Oats Studios has once again utilized Blomkamp’s experience and brought us another film that doesn’t have much in common with the "first one," but on the other hand, I liked it a bit more than its predecessor. At first, I didn’t quite understand the setting in Vietnam in the late sixties, but the connection between the ongoing war in the jungle and interesting Asian mythology, specifically the creation of the so-called River God, didn’t turn out so badly in the end. The special effects, for a short film, are at the top of the pyramid; you can see where every dollar went. The story isn’t bad either, although I would appreciate, and I mean this for future films as well, some kind of connection between the individual parts so that everything fits together and makes sense in the end. I’m looking forward to the third part, and I give it 83%. (10/07/2017)