Movie Review: La La Land, Dog x Police - Crucial Elements of Motivational Movies

Comparing two main characters from: Dog x Police, La La Land

     It is without a doubt that watching movies has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the 21^st century. With various types of themes and genres, movies not only help the audience to relieve stress but sometimes serve as a medium for people to set out on a self-discovery journey, such as Dog x Police and La La Land.

     Among the films that we have watched during this semester, I noticed that the plots of Dog x Police and La La Land have a very similar structure. Both of the stories begin with a protagonist with a great ambition in life. ‘Following your dreams’ is the most important message conveyed through both of the films. However, based on a few reasons, I suggest that the plot of Dog x Police is less effective in spreading the idea of being persistent in your passion than the story of La La Land. In the following paragraphs, I am going to compare the two movies to discover the secret elements of a great motivational film.

     A comprehensive description of a character’s personality is one of the most critical elements of an inspiring film. In La La Land, Mia’s ambition of becoming a successful actress is expressed throughout the story. The director cleverly demonstrates Mia’s dogged and enthusiastic personality by telling the story of her aunty and creating a situation where she has to make a decision between love and career. Without saying how much she wants to become an actress and how much effort she has put into it, it is easy for the audience to feel the emotion from different aspects.

     However, in the Japanese film, Dog x Police, the main character’s ambition of being a police detective is lack of supporting details. The desire to continue his father’s career as a police is the only reason given to explain his passion. Instead of an ambitious characteristic, the movie put way more effort in creating a heroic image of the main character, Hayakawa, which could make the audience think the story is unrealistic and find it difficult to engage in the movie. Therefore, I suggest that it is critical for a motivational movie to develop a thorough and appropriate description of a character’s personality. Besides, by portraying a character from various aspects, the audience will be able to connect to the story more easily and effectively.