Carmen-5 Reviews

The Brothers Grimm (2005)

Not what I expected and not in a good way

[2/10 · 6 September 2005]

I expected this plot of this movie would either be where the Brothers Grimm got their ideas for their fairy tales or the Brothers encounter their own creations.

The film doesn't really pick a direction. There are mere hints of fairy tales there. And some just seem tossed in there. Like suddenly, one child has glass slippers on. Huh? Some of the ways the children disappear are rather...um, freaky. The promo makes it seem like the violence would be more off screen. But...nope. Right there to see in twisted gory. Or glory, whatever.

The film just seemed tossed together with no real plot either. I was kinda bored when I wasn't wondering what was up with some of the things I was seeing.

Dark, weird, not my cup of tea.

Big Bucks: The Press Your Luck Scandal (2003 TV Movie)

One very quick 2 hours!

[9/10 · 17 March 2003]

I tuned into this documentary with a vague knowledge of the story. I remembered hearing about the guy who figured out the board when I was a kid. Then when I heard that Game Show Network decided to make a documentary about him, I figured I'd tune in.

The story gives some insight as to who Michael Larson was and then shifts its attention to an analyzed replay of the two episodes Michael was in. (Larson did so well, his turn could not fit into one 30 minute airing!) It was amazing to see just how this guy did it and got so much money from the board! I think that was the greatest part of this special.

Still, even knowing the pattern, Larson sure had to be quick.

Nice to see Peter hosting as well. He narrated the piece decently. Besides- he was a good choice to host this special since of course he hosted the original "Press Your Luck."

Friend or Foe (2002– )

It's not that bad

[11 January 2003]

It's not that good either. It doesn't hurt to watch it really. But it's nothing great. It passes for okay viewing. I can watch this show but I don't go out my way to see it. It's something I'd watch if there's nothing else on.

I noticed there is a way to tell who is going "foe." Oh yes, it's right in the contestant's eyes. They say. "I am trying to take all the money, ha ha!" rather easily. There are some contestants who do have good poker faces, but overall, these contestants should learn to better read their teammates' faces. Then the final decision wouldn't be so much of a shock.

It's rare when both members of a team vote "friend" though. Too many greedy people out there. I have seen it happen, but not that often at all.

Russian Roulette (I) (2002– )

It's a fun show to watch

[9/10 · 7 January 2003]

The show is a simple one, but a fun one nevertheless. The questions aren't too hard overall so it's pretty easy to play along. And, I gotta say, watching contestants fall through trapdoors is just fun to watch.

I read they fall about six feet to the padding below. Well, you'd have to figure it's got to be a descent drop since the contestant vanishes out of sight.

This is one of my favorite Game Show Network Originals. I have fun playing along and watching contestants take the fall. Mark makes a good host. He keeps the the show on pace and interacts well with the contestants.

Give this show a chance and just have some fun viewing!

Animaniacs: Wakko's Wish (1999 Video)

Fun but not as good as the series

[1 January 2003]

I happened to find Wakko's Wish at Sam's Club and I picked it up sight unseen because I enjoyed the "Animaniacs" series when it was on.

I watched it and was a tad disappointed. The story was cute and all, but the songs? Ouch. The songs really were pointless and seemed on par with any direct to video animated movie That's a shame because "Animaniacs" had some catchy tunes like 'Yakko's World' and 'I'm Cute' and such. The song writing here was flat and none of the 10 songs were memorable. Some in fact were painful.

There are some fun moments in this- the cave I found funny- and Pinky and the horse, for example.

Is it worth a look? As long as your hopes aren't too high, sure. Sadly, it's not as good as I hoped.

Politically Incorrect (1993–2002)

The show sure lives up to its name

[27 October 2001]

The show is called "Politically Incorrect" for a reason-- a simple reason, really that the opinions expressed on this show are not necessary over all "acceptable" ones. Nevertheless, Bill Maher and his guests should be allowed to express them.

Do you have to always agree with Bill to like this show? Well, no. I think if you always disagree, then you probably won't. If you sometimes agree, then you can enjoy it.

In fact, I find myself sometimes acting as the fifth panel member. Yes, I know the panel can't hear me, but it's much like a reaction to sporting events. You realize the players and the refs can't hear you, but you yell out your opinion anyway. And that's what I sometimes do. The show can get me thinking too and afterwards, I like to talk to people about what they think about the issues brought up on the show.

The show has taken a more discussion oriented format since returning to the airwaves after the September 11th attacks. Before, the guests used to comes on stage one at a time to be greeted by Bill before taking their seats. (The pretty ladies would be received with a kiss on the cheek while everyone else just shook Bill's hand.) Now, everyone is already seated and is introduced by Bill and the audience applauds for the panel after all the guests have been introduced.

During the breaks, there used to be a quick joke by Bill that would sometimes lead into the next segment's discussion. So far, those quick jokes have been taken out. Also, Bill used to announce at the end of each show who tomorrow/Monday's guests will be. (Also, they were announced during a break by announcer John Cramer). But now, the final segment is more a parting thought time.

And, the PI poll has disappeared. I noticed it returned to the website once again, but the results have not been shown during the show.

Whether any of these things once done by the show will return, I have no idea. Do I want them too? Well...I kinda miss those quick jokes...and besides, I'd like to see this show back to the way it was.

Now, as for my opinion of Bill himself...

I do like Bill enough to enjoy this show. No, I do not always agree with him. I do find his views at times to be out there. But, I also find some of the things he says to be very much on target. "Why are teachers with their crappy, crummy salaries out-of-pocket buying supplies for the students?!" Good question, Bill.

I have noticed he is rather stubborn though and it does seem like he doesn't consider other opinions. But, he does at times too...though rarely. :)

Overall, I do like this show for getting people to think and allowing them to express their viewpoints. ABC took a chance keeping this show on after major sponsors pulled out, which surprised me! But I'm glad they did. There needs to be a forum for open discussion. Why not this one?

BattleBots (2000–2002)

It's really fun to watch stuff get torn apart

[18 July 2001]

I mean it. Robots getting torn to pieces has some serious "wow factor" as well as being good for laughs. Heck, I laughed as Ziggo tore through one of those Scrap Daddy 'bots. There wasn't anything left of that 'bot after that! One match I'll never forget was between Spaz and Buddy Lee. Bil Dwyer really wanted Buddy Lee to lose. All I remember hearing throughout that whole fight wasn't any commentary, rather screams of "Get the dogs! Get those stupid dogs! Hit that STUPID DOLL!" etc. I don't know why, but I laughed the whole fight.

I do miss Sean Salisbury though. He played the straight man well to Bil. The new guy has yet to prove himself to me. But, there's only been 2 shows prior to the date of this posting. Who knows? Maybe I'll eventually like him too.

It's fun to watch just how creative these bot builders can be. This competition is growing quite a bit in popularity. As it does, more and more robots are about to be displayed. I noticed that this season, the crew has actually shown some more fights than in the past. The show is now an hour's length, for starters. Also, in addition to showing whole fights, they also recap some previous battles that did not make it to television for a full fight airing. At least this gives the audience a chance to see more sparks flying.

Hey, what else can I say? It's fun to watch. Enjoy it!

Oh yeah, and go Ziggo! :)

The Swan Princess (1994)

I liked the sidekicks the best

[18 July 2001]

To be honest, I did find this movie to be overall just "cute." The story needs some work for pacing purposes and such. The songs...um...well, nothing I found all that memorable. They did try to add to the story, but they were a tad on the grating side, so I only half watched during these scenes.

I enjoyed the sidekicks the best, really. Often, sidekicks take away too much from the leads, but I think the trio in this film (Speed, Puffin and Jean-Bob) could have used MORE airtime. Especially Speed. I love Steven Wright's comedy and he puts his deadpan humor into the turtle well. But, he gets only a handful of lines. 5 maybe?

The sidekicks seemed to be more thought out characters than Odette and Derek. Also, the movie seems to need a swift boost of pace before they make their debut on screen, in my opinion. From there, the story seems much more focused and much more fun to watch. Maybe Odette should have met these critters when she was a little kid. :)

Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997)

Once you start watching, you HAVE to finish!

[25 August 2000]

A friend of mine got me hooked on this series. Once I started viewing it, I couldn't stop! This series is a very modern fairy tale with a whole lot of mystery surrounding the characters. Who really is Anthy? And what of the mysterious "End of the World?" Well...you'll have to watch to see for not only the answers to these questions...but quite a few more that will come up!

Though there are mature themes in this series, everything is handled tastefully through metaphors and such.

If you get the chance to view this show, please do!

Tarzan (1999)

Wow...I was impressed!

[8/10 · 20 June 1999]

Ok, when I first heard Disney was doing "Tarzan," I was not too keen on the idea. But, I was very surprised by how this film came together!

The animation is wonderful, as is the storyline. The movie flies by! I loved the songs, but seeing I love Phil Collins' music anyway...I may be biased there. :)

I enjoyed the characters. Tarzan was much more than the "Me Tarzan. You Jane" type- he had a full existence. Jane was clever, not as much the damsel that the trailers pins her as. Tarzan's pals Terk and Tantor were amusing as well. I noticed there was some feeling the villain (Clayton) isn't much of anything. That's true- but I consider his presence more to further Tarzan's decision of where he belongs rather than be the main roadblock to him.

I highly recommend this film!

Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? (1994–1999)

One of the best animated shows!

[12 January 1999]

This show was wonderfully done. It contained a storyline that could be enjoyed by both children and adults. The stories were simple enough to be understood, yet they had some concepts that were aimed at the older audience.

One such theme was of true good and evil. At first, you saw Carmen as the villain of the series, but her character was developed so that she basically had shades of gray. She was a thief yes, but she was "a crook with class" as detective Zack called her. She never harmed anyone in her capers and even saved the lives of the detectives (Zack and Ivy) who pursued her.

Somehow, this series well mixed these interesting storylines with humor (mostly provided by the wacky Chief) and educational value. At times the education seemed a bit thrown in, but overall, the facts fit in with the dialogue and plot.

A tip of the hat to everyone at Dic Animation for this series!

Quest of the Delta Knights (1993 Video)

Now this was a joke, right?

[12 January 1999]

Oh boy, what a horrid movie. Now, where were they supposed to be again? They started in England, and...ended up in Greece? *shrug*

Now, I saw this movie on Mystery Science Theater as well, and I do agree, Mike and the 'bots made it hysterical!

And what was with that "I'm Coooominnnnng!" guy?