I started out thinking that Sandy Collora was a great up and coming director. And it's still possible that he could be. I first noticed him with Batman: Dead End. But after watching World's Finest and Archangel. I'm having some serious doubts.
Batman: Dead End I felt was done very well, with only a few crude moments I didn't particularly enjoy. But without getting too far into it. I very much enjoyed.
World's Finest I did not enjoy, I felt it was amateurish and unnecessary. Why make a trailer to show your directing skills? There is a difference between story and marketing.
Now I've checked out Archangel to see if it contains any redeeming qualities. And unfortunately I didn't enjoy this much more then World's Finest.
The title is exactly my point. Typical independent short films are films that make no sense whatsoever. Collora seems to be banking on that people will go "Whoa, cool! It looks so good and artsy!" the problem is that the film makes no sense. I can't even stretch this review very far because I can't find anything else to complain or praise. Because I don't know what happened, what the conflict was or how it was resolved. Sure it looks good, but who cares if there is no story. With this Collora hasn't proved that he can handle a story, only that he can take pretty pictures.
If he starts making shorts with a story AND a visual style, like the Batman short, then he could succeed. Pretty pictures don't make a good movie.