Perfect (Or As Good As We'll Get) Works of Fiction

[Relish in Chaos]

Since you already mentioned Watchmen, I?ll say the Toy Story trilogy. Never before have I seen such a perfect trilogy that is so richly entertaining for kids and adults alike.

For a game example (I might be a bit biased here, as it?s my favourite game ever and I have more than a small share of nostalgia for it), Donkey Kong Country 2. It improves upon the original in every single way, has brilliant presentation, and is just a blast to play. I genuinely can?t think of any flaws to it.

 

[JagermanXcell]

Persona 4 comes close to near perfect for me. Where Persona 3 lacked Persona 4 came in and not only toned things down but managed to do such in a beautifully well crafted and balanced manner. Well paced original story, engaging gameplay, a score that even the saddest man on the planet can get up and dance to, and characters lacking the stereotypes you'd expect are full of life, charisma, and real human flaws. I can't stress enough how real the themes in the game are, its baffling that this is even a video game.

Pixar's UP I consider to be near perfect as well. By just watching the movie you can see that its a film for everyone, not to mention visually its drop dead gorgeous especially around the second act.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

You seem to have omitted Music from your choices. What about albums or songs that follow a story? Because if that's the case, then nothing will ever top Pink Floyd's The Wall. It's an hour and a half descent into madness and isolation, all told through mastercraft songwriting that runs the gauntlet from hard rock to orchestral works.

Well, if we're doing this, I'm submitting Mastodon's Crack The Skye. The story is nuts- A paraplegic that astral travels, becomes disconnected with his body, drifts through time and meets up with Rasputin and some funky times with the Devil trying to steal their souls ensues- but it's still very touching and affecting. The title is a reference to Brann Dailor's sister (who committed suicide at 14) and much of the ideas in the story come from his fantasies of trying to save her. What I really, really love about the album is that it doesn't do what lots of prog (like bloody Dream Theater) does and becomes a bit of a technical wank. It's still got crushing riffs and lots of technicality and interesting songwriting, but I never feel like they're showing off. Pretty much everything I love about music is in a part of this album, if I had perhaps one, tiny, complaint, it's that none of them have particularly good singing voices (although can all hold a note better than the lead singers of lots of other bands).

Spoiler

Just awesome.

 

[Fractral]

The Neutronium Alchemist, by Peter F. Hamilton was pretty much perfect in my eyes. Odd that the middle book of the trilogy was the best. It had the best climax, compared to the Deus Ex Machina ending of the third book.
Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks was also pretty near perfect. Maybe it would have been better without that weird Quietus Agent's parts. They didn't make up a huge amount of the story anyway.
...and now I'm running out of ideas. The first wheel of time novel? The rest of the series lets it down somewhat.

 

[Diddy_Mao]

The first "Powers" story arc "Who killed Retro Girl" is maybe one of the best bits of comic book fiction I've seen. I love the entire premise of a police drama set in a world full of Super/Costumed Heroes and this comic pulled it off brilliantly.

The content gets a bit graphic so it may not be to everykne's liking but the art is clean, the dialogue is fun and the story itself is damn good.

 

[Dr. Cakey]

Puella Magi Madoka Magica. It's so tightly crafted. Every scene and interaction exists for a reason and there's no filler. I guess some of the animaiton in parts is spotty, but only that and a few other nitpicks exist. Hell, the fact that I enjoy it more after every rewatching is some proof of it's quality.

Aw, I thought I'd get to be the one to post this...

Madoka Magica is a model for storytelling. It has a three episode Act I, a six episode Act II, and a three episode Act III, which are the ideal proportions. The music, the cinematography, the gorgeous VA performances, the music, the art for the witches, and did I mention the music? Oh, and the plot, that was pretty alright, too.

 

[Arslan Aladeen]

For me nothing is perfect, because once it becomes perfect, it's no longer perfect. Sounds stupid, I know, but that's kinda my thinking. Perfect in every way character will only end up looking like a twat, because he is so perfect. Character's flaws and how he overcomes them or learns to live with them is what defines him.

I don't think it sounds stupid. I was thinking about it recently. A lot of my favorite stuff usually has a lot flaws to them. I kinda feel that maybe some of those flaws are there to get you to appreciate the other stuff that much more, and sorta like life, the rewards are that much sweeter if you have to endure to get to them.

 

[Nouw]

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The only nitpick I have -and it's a pretty damn small nitpick- is that the anti-war messages sometimes come off too strongly or out of place. Don't get me wrong, the songs are great but when I first listened through it kinda threw me off. Ironically Vera is now one of my favourite songs on the entire album.

snip

I may be a bit of a fanboy but fuck it I'll say it anyway, Cloud Atlas is one of the best films I've ever seen. I whole-heartedly agree with you Azahul and I'm glad you like it as much as I do.

 

[Salus]

I believe perfection is subjective, but I can say what works of art I wouldn't dare change anything about.

THE MATRIX: Huge props for not being based on a book. Yes, Simulacra and Simulacrum and most of the world religions (along with the Hero's Journey) went into the brewing of the script but I am absolutely blown away that something like that was a script FIRST, pitched, financed and directed. Talk about a leap of faith. Few great movies can claim that sort of originality. The movie itself is one of the few I wouldn't change anything about. To me it's just, perfection. It's a 10/10 in every category, story, action sequences, themes, costumes, set design, casting, special FX, sound design, acting, social relevance... It's got it all.

THE PIANIST: Makes Schindler's List look like a soap opera. Where Spielberg was trying to tug every heartstring with John Williams' score at the ready, Roman Polanski views the Holocaust through the survivor's detachment. In reality, there is no soundtrack to inform you that a particular moment is sad or triumphant. Life simply goes on, whatever you think or don't think about it. It's probably the most "mature" piece of filmmaking I've watched, even though that word can be misleading. What can I say? If the average Hollywood movie is a tangy cup of Welch's grape juice, The Pianist is a glass of clear water. It's simply amazing.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Well, Berserk is probably the best thing I ever read, and even that has flaws. The fact that it's still continuing is one of them.

Where would you have the series end? After the golden age arc? I'm curious.

Also, seconding Berserk for being awesome. I'm not really a medieval fantasy guy, but this series is fucking excellent.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Well, Berserk is probably the best thing I ever read, and even that has flaws. The fact that it's still continuing is one of them.

Where would you have the series end? After the golden age arc? I'm curious.

Also, seconding Berserk for being awesome. I'm not really a medieval fantasy guy, but this series is fucking excellent.

Berserk is kinda a catch-22 in that it's too epic to end yet, but it's going on for so long that it's really losing momentum. Miura is getting older too, and probably getting more disinterested in working on it as time goes by.

For me the series started to lose me after volume 22. And now I hardly even care whether it continues at all. Though that's still 22 volumes worth of the best damn story I've ever experienced.

 

[Azahul]

snip

I may be a bit of a fanboy but fuck it I'll say it anyway, Cloud Atlas is one of the best films I've ever seen. I whole-heartedly agree with you Azahul and I'm glad you like it as much as I do.

From womb to tomb we (Cloud Atlas fans) are bound to others (other Cloud Atlas fans).

Ok, that was tortured. I'll stop trying to do that.

Yeah, my favourite film of all time. It's as close to perfect as anything I've ever seen, and if anything has to compete with it then that thing, by virtue of not being Cloud Atlas, is not "as good as we'll get".

 

[CrazyGirl17]

I'm going with The Avengers (2012). The writing and action is solid, the music is awesome, and there's plenty of humor and fun banter throughout. IMHO, this is the best comic book movie ever.

 

[Nouw]

snip

I may be a bit of a fanboy but fuck it I'll say it anyway, Cloud Atlas is one of the best films I've ever seen. I whole-heartedly agree with you Azahul and I'm glad you like it as much as I do.

From womb to tomb we (Cloud Atlas fans) are bound to others (other Cloud Atlas fans).

Ok, that was tortured. I'll stop trying to do that.

Yeah, my favourite film of all time. It's as close to perfect as anything I've ever seen, and if anything has to compete with it then that thing, by virtue of not being Cloud Atlas, is not "as good as we'll get".

Not at all haha, Cloud Atlas references need to be dropped more often I reckon.

Cloud Atlas is a franchise where I'd welcome rabid fans that never shut up about it a-la Breaking Bad. For now, slowly converting each of my friends is enough x3.

 

[Azahul]

Not at all haha, Cloud Atlas references need to be dropped more often I reckon.

Cloud Atlas is a franchise where I'd welcome rabid fans that never shut up about it a-la Breaking Bad. For now, slowly converting each of my friends is enough x3.

Me in a nutshell. Every time I've seen it, I've tried to make sure I've done it with some friends that hadn't seen it before. Then I start badgering them to watch it a second time, because you notice so much more about the film and how perfectly it's been put together on the second run through. Then I start nagging them to share it with their own friends and family. If everyone's within six degrees of separation from everyone else, then it shouldn't be too hard for one person to make sure everyone on the planet sees Cloud Atlas. Right?

Referencing it can be hard though. It's tricky to slip something like "In your revelations you spoke of the consequences of an individual's life rippling throughout eternity," into everyday conversation. "I will not be subjected to criminal abuse" has its place here and there, I guess, but you have to work at it.

 

[Nouw]

Me in a nutshell. Every time I've seen it, I've tried to make sure I've done it with some friends that hadn't seen it before. Then I start badgering them to watch it a second time, because you notice so much more about the film and how perfectly it's been put together on the second run through. Then I start nagging them to share it with their own friends and family. If everyone's within six degrees of separation from everyone else, then it shouldn't be too hard for one person to make sure everyone on the planet sees Cloud Atlas. Right?

Referencing it can be hard though. It's tricky to slip something like "In your revelations you spoke of the consequences of an individual's life rippling throughout eternity," into everyday conversation. "I will not be subjected to criminal abuse" has its place here and there, I guess, but you have to work at it.

Damn right. I even made my parents watch it and afterwards they immediately said 'it's the kind of film you need to watch over and over again.' Cloud Atlas is what I'd call the epitome of a film you need to watch more than once to properly appreciate, especially because it can be pretty confusing upon the first viewing. I had it pretty easy because I already read the book but even so, man oh man was the film a treat. I was pretty miffed though when I realized New Zealand wasn't playing it in theatres. Bad ticket sales were to blame, apparently, which is just a shame because this film and everyone who worked on deserves all the praise.

We'll have to keep watching and pick apart the most quote-worth lines!

 

[Azahul]

Me in a nutshell. Every time I've seen it, I've tried to make sure I've done it with some friends that hadn't seen it before. Then I start badgering them to watch it a second time, because you notice so much more about the film and how perfectly it's been put together on the second run through. Then I start nagging them to share it with their own friends and family. If everyone's within six degrees of separation from everyone else, then it shouldn't be too hard for one person to make sure everyone on the planet sees Cloud Atlas. Right?

Referencing it can be hard though. It's tricky to slip something like "In your revelations you spoke of the consequences of an individual's life rippling throughout eternity," into everyday conversation. "I will not be subjected to criminal abuse" has its place here and there, I guess, but you have to work at it.

Damn right. I even made my parents watch it and afterwards they immediately said 'it's the kind of film you need to watch over and over again.' Cloud Atlas is what I'd call the epitome of a film you need to watch more than once to properly appreciate, especially because it can be pretty confusing upon the first viewing. I had it pretty easy because I already read the book but even so, man oh man was the film a treat. I was pretty miffed though when I realized New Zealand wasn't playing it in theatres. Bad ticket sales were to blame, apparently, which is just a shame because this film and everyone who worked on deserves all the praise.

We'll have to keep watching and pick apart the most quote-worth lines!

Right, that's it. I'm watching it again tomorrow.

I hadn't read the book the first time I saw it, so the second was undoubtedly much better. Helped me to follow the events much more easily. I did get to see it in cinemas the first time though, although I just about missed its appearance here in Australia. It had virtually no advertising at all. ~

Still, I've done my best to make up for that through word of mouth. I have friends both here and in other countries that have watched it due to my nagging, and many of them have gone on to show it to their own families. In one case, a friend of mine still in high school started referencing it so many times in his English assignments that his English teacher went and watched it, and it immediately became her favourite movie of all time and now her entire family has seen the film. It's spreading!

 

[Nouw]

Right, that's it. I'm watching it again tomorrow.

I hadn't read the book the first time I saw it, so the second was undoubtedly much better. Helped me to follow the events much more easily. I did get to see it in cinemas the first time though, although I just about missed its appearance here in Australia. It had virtually no advertising at all. ~

Still, I've done my best to make up for that through word of mouth. I have friends both here and in other countries that have watched it due to my nagging, and many of them have gone on to show it to their own families. In one case, a friend of mine still in high school started referencing it so many times in his English assignments that his English teacher went and watched it, and it immediately became her favourite movie of all time and now her entire family has seen the film. It's spreading!

You lucky bastard v_v. I don't even mind that I wasn't able to experience it on the big screen, it's the fact that I wasn't able to directly suppourt the movie and help its box-office. It's so bizarre considering this is the kind of film you'd expect to be gushed about and gain universal approval from critics.

Hmm that's an excellent idea and even better I have two classes to rant off about it. If there's a movie we need to see in Media Studies, it's this one.