daves_train Reviews

Alice in Wonderland (I) (2010)

What I expected and more

[8/10 · 10 March 2010]

I went to see this film and I felt worried that Johnny Depp was going to be the main focus of the film and the trailer made me worry that the March Hare was going to be just some one liner machine. I was very surprised when I found out that this was a good movie. I read reviews on this site and from Roger Ebert and so on but it is a follow up to the books. The CGI was very good and it sucked me into the story. Now I love Tim Burton and Alice in Wonderland and you could easily screw up on Alice in Wonderland if you don't do it right but I got a happy mix. There was only one during the film that made me cringe in embarrassment.

During the end, after the Jaberwocky is killed and the Queen taken away. The Mad Hatter does a really goofy dance but it only lasts a few seconds.

Alice is fairly balanced and wanted to see her adventures in this screwed up place. I have to warn parents though you might want to take their kids. This movie is not afraid to get gruesome because there is three eye gouging, one hand stab and a lot of decapitated heads. I say this because I took my little brother and I was worried that he was going to have adverse effects.

I think this movie is great, the CG compliments the story and the characters are all developed.

Dude, What Would Happen (2009–2011)

Why?

[1/10 · 28 February 2010]

You know, I was raised during Cartoon Network's golden age and I remember them saying "Cartoons all the time" or something like "Cartoons 24/7". Apparently someone forget this rule and now we are seeing a slew of some of the worst shows I have ever seen. Even if these shows weren't on Cartoon Network they would be terrible. Now before I wrote a review of this show I watched like 2 episodes and I wanted to just crumble into a little ball and remember the good times.

I checked on Wikipedia for some research and found that not only is this show for the 9-17 year old age but it is a huge commercial success. First of all, I know not one person who watches this show. I watched it with my 11 year old brother and found it as dull as I did. I also want to know how this is a commercial success? It is like Mythbusters but really stupid. With Mythbusters it is fun to see Jamie and Adam due this stuff, but with this show they seem to take the fun out of it and go for the EXTREME thing that all teenagers like(by the way, I am 17 so don't assume that I'm a parent.). I also checked that one season only has six episodes so that when they say that they were on for 5 seasons it is really like 3 and a half or something.

The "experiments" are really dull and are something a drunk frat boy would think of. I even saw these guys host a block which really got me irritated when I had to watch them after Ed, Edd, and Eddy and Courage the Cowardly Dog. I could go into detail about the kids but they are all the same to me and they scream at everything.

I would never recommend this show to anybody, this is Cartoon Network freaking out and try to be like Nickolodeon and the Disney Channel. It's sad to say that I can't tell the differences in the channels except in the names only.

Johnny Test (2005–2014)

A loud and unorganized mess.

[3/10 · 26 February 2010]

As you can guess by my rating and my title of this review that I don't like Johnny Test. Now I think I know what people are going to say, " How do you know how bad it is? Have you ever watched it?", I did watch this show a couple times because I am studying film and animation and this just doesn't hold a candle to my standards.

I want to first talk about the animation because it is one of the most confusing things I have ever seen. Like the first two seasons or only first season had hand drawn animation. I thought it was a nice show to look at when it was hand drawn but then it switched to flash animation and the quality went down by a huge amount.

So that is one strike in my eyes but lets look at the story of the show. It tries way too hard to be like Dexter's lab but there are differences because instead of one red headed scientist there is two and they are both female. There is a talking dog(why?), and the parents attitudes are switched somewhat. I have others but I don't think I can write them here ( I don't mean cursing but I mean I don't know if there is a limit for words.). Everything else though is spot on, even a DeeDee character Johnny himself. It just tries so hard to be Dexter but it just seems to me like a heartless knockoff.

Lastly I want to talk about the jokes. Remember in Dexters lab some of the jokes involved yelling? Yes, yelling can be good for a joke or two but Dexter's lab also had sly remarks that made me have to go back and check to get the joke. Johnny Test just forgets all that and just yells 50% of the time and stops the music whenever a stupid joke or one liner appears. That isn't comedy, thats stupid comedy (I know what some people are thinking. Isn't three stooges stupid comedy? Watch that and Johnny Test back to back and you laugh more at the first option.). Sometimes the jokes are based on bizarre situations which, like Chowder, makes me mad. I have a rule for cartoons and comedies all together: To much bizarre doesn't equal comedy, it makes you just think "what am I watching?".

So it strikes out on all accounts. Don't watch this show if you have any respect for comedy in anyway, shape, or form.

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (2008 Video)

Not really really worth it.

[2/10 · 1 February 2010]

This is terrible and it follows in line of terrible Disney sequels and prequels. Don't get me wrong, I maybe a guy but I like the old movie with likable characters, catchy music, and an actually complex villain but did they really need to do this? The only good part I would say about it is the beginning when they show the mermaids having fun when suddenly pirates attack (Captain Hook?). And it shows how Ariel's mom was killed {at least they keep the whole killing mom thing that Disney likes to do} and why Triton banned music but when the movie starts it is all over.

I won't bore you with details so I will just show you the things that tick me off about it. First of all the new villain seems really boring and just seems whiny and annoying and not really threatening. This next complain doesn't tick me off but it's just weird, why does Ariel ask why they don't have music and Triton throws a temper tantrum, wouldn't Ariel kind of guess because of the fact that her mother died? (in case anyone tries to fight against that, wouldn't Trition tell her because of the mother dying? It just doesn't make sense to me.).

The villain doesn't even appear in the next film so why is she in this film? I hate that when they think that we don't catch that. What happens in jail? Does she become a good person, die, what? Now for the moment that angered me the most, when near the end...(Spoilers!!! just in case you didn't see it before.) When Ariel "dies" and it turns out she was just knocked out for a little bit. Was this supposed to be tension? Why would you do that if we know that in the next movie she's all better and singing with fish(and sleeping with the fish?). They do this once in a while in prequels and it irritates me to no end because they think that they are being clever by adding unneeded tension.

So in conclusion this movie is a bomb, granted the voice work is solid and the animation looks nice but the predictable ending and boring plot don't make it worth it. Again I am not feeding the troll because I liked the first film but skip this one and watch the first one.

Spirited Away (2001)

Completely blown away

[9/10 · 27 December 2009]

When I first saw this movie I was thinking "This is going to suck, Spirted Away is a stupid title" and now I have to say that I really like it. I saw it like 3 years ago and was blown away and I think that it was one of my influences that made me appreciate anime outside of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!. I would give a higher rating if it wasn't for the ending which was that...(like hell I would give away the ending here). I have to say that the story was okay but the characters, creatures, art, animation and everything else kicked my notion of the movie in the teeth. I think that they got good actors for the dub and that it was haunting in a few parts.

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

One of my personal favorites.

[9/10 · 24 December 2009]

I don't really know why but I love this movie. Overall I like Alice in Wonderland and Through the looking glass but this movie got me reading these books. I can see by what the British meant when they "Americanized" it, it was kind of like the Thomas movie that the states made but thats for another time. Alice was kind of boring and wasn't interesting to watch but that was the polar opposite for the citizens of Wonderland. Sterling Holloway does an excellent job as the Cheshire Cat and Ed Wynn is hysterical as the Mad Hatter. I remember seeing this as a kid and it blew me away. I always loved the song " A Very Merry Unbirthday" and I like the deleted song "I'm Odd". I hope that Tim Burtons, what am I saying. OF COURSE, Tim Burtons vision of the story is going to blow me away like this movie did.

Shining Time Station (1989–1993)

A fond memory from my childhood.

[10/10 · 24 December 2009]

I loved this show (no kidding right) but it was extra special to me because I was and still am very picky about what I watch. Sure the characters got hammy once in a while but this show was great. Didi Conn, Brian O'Conner, Ringo Starr and Georger Carlin (R.I.P) were excellent. Stacy's nice but worried attitude, Schemer's jerk and childish attitude and Mr. Conductors funny and wise attitudes were real great. I don't know why but my favorite episode was the one with the Good Conductor and the Evil Conductor because of the hilarity that ensued. Overall I think that if you ever find a tape that you should definitely watch it, I own two myself.

Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins (1991)

A steaming pile of crap, but I absolutely love it :)

[7/10 · 23 December 2009]

I just watched the unofficial Dragon Ball movie and I have to say that it is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Don't get me wrong it sucks but I would watch it a thousand times over. I am not a Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or Dragon Ball GT but I think of this movie as a way to introduce myself to the series and to point it out to my friend how is a fan of it. I liked all the main supporting characters except of Goku (Monkey boy? Is he going to be king of the pirates?) and that girl whose village died and was brought back to life. I love these types of movies because I can sit back and laugh.

By the way: Dancing Roshi = WIN!

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! (1989)

Super Mario Bros Super Show. Crap, but very enjoyable

[8/10 · 21 December 2009]

I picked up the first DVD box set of this show (are there a second box set?) and I have to say that it is one of the cheapest and ridiculous shows I have ever seen. And yet I really love it, it puts me in a good mood and I love when Lou Albano is fooling around dressed as Mario. I have to say that compared to todays shows that this show is a real treat to watch. Its one of shows that I can relax and laugh at. It doesn't want to make me pull out my hair like shows on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. I don't know if I want to watch the Legend of Zelda show though, that would be pushing it. And if anyone wants to complain about this then, Excuse me Princess.