Rafael Motamayor

2 days ago | vulture.com | Rafael Motamayor

Loss, heartbreak, pain — a roundup for when the tears must flow. Clockwise from top left: Grave of the Fireflies, Your Lie in April, Monster, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and One Piece. One of the best magic tricks animation can pull off is making you weep over the fate of a two-dimensional character. The fight scenes in One Piece may be cool, but they are not nearly as memorable as, say, watching its characters’ beloved ship sink into the sea.

2 days ago | slashfilm.com | Rafael Motamayor

"Karate Kid: Legends" really likes to tell its audience that it's about two branches of the same tree. In-universe, this refers to the kung-fu that Jackie Chan's Mr. Han teaches and the karate that Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi used to practice. In reality, however, this can also apply to "Karate Kid: Legends" being a tale of two movies at odds with each other.

3 days ago | slashfilm.com | Rafael Motamayor

Superhero movies are on the brink. What was recently the dominant form of cinematic output, the boon and bane of every studio in Hollywood, has become the source of endless disappointment, with a few remaining exceptions. We have argued in the past that superhero movies should take a break, but while Hollywood doesn't seem to care as long as they continue to have hope that the next "Avengers: Endgame" is right around the corner, the situation in the world of video games is different.

4 days ago | slashfilm.com | Rafael Motamayor

"The Black Phone" was a phenomenal surprise. Director Scott Derrickson and writer C. Robert Cargill have collaborated on some killer projects in the past, including their breakout hit "Sinister," and "The Black Phone" is another win for them. The big screen take on Joe Hill's story of the same name is the best adaptation of Hill's work yet — yes, much better than Netflix's "Locke & Key" show.

5 days ago | slashfilm.com | Rafael Motamayor

The Crunchyroll Anime Awards are a pretty big deal. They're one of the biggest awards events dedicated entirely to anime and the rare one that rewards different aspects of production, as opposed to simply best show and best movie. It's also an event that gives me hope for the future of animation as a medium, which seems to be constantly battling existential threats on multiple fronts (whether it's crunch, AI, or a shortage of animators).