FilmFreak94 Reviews

The Evil Dead (1981)

A Brilliantly Made Gore-Fest

[9/10 · 27 November 2013]

The Evil Dead follows five college students driving out to a secluded cabin in an even more secluded forest. At first the five young adults have a fun time with one another until they explore the cellar in the cabin and find the Necronomicon Ex- Mortis, The Book of the Dead. They play a tape recording of the previous tenant of the cabin, Professor Knowby, who recites the incantation described in the book to unleash ancient Candarian demons from their slumber. Afterwards strange things begin to happen around them until a dark force begins to possess them one by one. Will any of them survive the night?

When I first saw The Evil Dead I liked it but didn't really give it much thought afterwards. However upon reevaluation and thinking of just how much work went into making it I've come to really appreciate it for its natural horror and have recognized it as one of my favorite horror films. The brilliant use of natural effects like fake blood, stop motion, realistic props really blend together masterfully and make this a truly disturbing experience.

The cast deserves major recognition for their work. Of course the one everyone remembers is Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams who in this movie isn't the snarky, one-liner spouting walking bag of awesome he becomes in the later movies but is still a great character here as he has to gain courage through the night and take charge against the Deadites that are trying their hardest to kill him. Another stand out cast member is Ellen Sandweiss as Cheryl, Ash's sister, who at first is the common scared girl we see in most horror films. But when she becomes possessed she turns into an entirely different character. She threatens them all in a dark booming voice and spouts a few lines that are almost comedic in a dark way. It's a chilling performance and without it the movie wouldn't be half as effective.

The rest of the cast do a great job too. Betsy Baker plays Linda, Ash's girlfriend, who really shines as a Deadite. Her creepy smile combined with the brilliant makeup make her one of the scariest looking characters in any horror film. And then we have Richard DeManicor as Scotty and Theresa Tilly as his girlfriend Shelly, who were both credited with different names as the Screen Actors Guild wouldn't allow them to star in such a film as this. What's interesting is that Scotty is set up to be the hero for the first half of the film but by the halfway point we switch perspectives to Ash who is forced to watch all his friends suffer and die one by one.

Where this movie shines is in its effects. This movie was made on a very little budget by people with little to no experience filming professionally and yet they managed to pull it off exceedingly well. From the cuts and bruises the characters endure to the demonically possessed students almost nothing in this film looks fake. Although there are some noticeable instances where an obvious dummy was used and the stop motion might be considered dated by this time but still in a time where CGI was barely used if at all it's amazing to see this kind of practicality in a movie made by a bunch of college kids.

The Evil Dead series gets progressively campier as each film goes on but make no mistake, this film is straight up horror. There are a few unintentional humorous moments to be found in the dialog or a few visual gags here and there but if you're expecting the same kind of humor as its sequels you certainly won't find it here. And what's great about the horror in this movie is it's constantly building you up. You know something is going to happen. You know the movie is just biding its time leading up to the next scare and just when you think you know something is going to happen it doesn't, only to happen about a second later when you've let your guard down. There's a real atmosphere to the cabin and surrounding woods and you feel just as trapped and paranoid as Ash does.

The film lives on a diet of blood and gore so if you've got a weak constitution for that kind of stuff you may want to think twice before seeing this film. The standout scene that really scared me though comes in the first half hour where Cheryl goes to investigate mysterious voices coming from the woods and starts getting attacked by tree branches that proceed to rip her clothes to shreds, spread her legs apart and for the coup de grace a tree branch launches in between her legs. This happens for a good 2 to 3 minutes and you're forced to watch the entire thing play out. She manages to escape sure but it's still a terrifying scene and probably the only one that really disturbed me afterwards.

However as I said there is a lot to appreciate in terms of how this movie was crafted. This is the first theatrically released film of Sam Raimi, who would later go on to direct the Spider-Man Trilogy and the recently released Oz: The Great and Powerful. And after seeing this movie and looking back on those I can see just how much Evil Dead still influences his style.

All in all The Evil Dead is a classic horror film that will leave you guessing what's going to happen every minute. It may start out slow but once it gets going with the horror it doesn't stop until the credits roll. It's a great movie for horror enthusiasts, aspiring filmmakers, and anyone else looking for a good old fashioned gore flick. I definitely recommend it.

The Great Gatsby (1974)

When Faithfulness Forgoes Enjoyability

[3/10 · 29 May 2013]

The Great Gatsby is one of the most famous American novels ever written and my personal favorite book. The success of the book has led to several adaptions on screen such as this one made in 1974 with a screenplay by Roman Polanski and starring such great talents as Robert Redford as the titular character and Mia Farrow as Daisy Fay Buchanan. With this creative force you would think the film would be a decent if not very well done adaption of F. Scott Fitzgerald's greatest work. Well...

I am one of those people who believes you should be as faithful as you can to the source material when adapting a book to screen, but there is such a thing as being too faithful. What works well in a book won't work for a film and vice versa. They are each their own language and when you try to adapt almost every word and action in a book without knowing the deeper meaning of these themes than you end up with a confused and overall boring film like this one.

At the start I was pleased with how most of the dialog was taken from the book and felt that I was in for a decent adaption while not really expecting it to be better than the book. This idea died quickly after about twenty minutes in. As the scenes from the book that you could easily read through in about twenty minutes seemed to take an hour to run their course here. The pacing and editing of this film damages it intensely. Scenes and shots seem to drag longer than they should and a good 3/4 of the film seems to overstay its welcome. They also move around the dialog that belonged in one chapter or a bit of narration and place in scenes that make it feel out of place and forced. Such as the scenes in the middle of the film when Gatsby and Daisy begin their love affair anew. The middle of the film in particular seems to be the most glaring example of how poor the films pacing is. Scenes with Gatsby and Daisy that should feel intimate happen unrealistically and brings the film to an almost stand-still. There are three scenes, one after the other, of Gatsby and Daisy talking about their relationship past and present and telling Daisy's husband Tom that she's leaving him before the film finally moves on in the plot.

The acting talent varies from actor to actor. Robert Redford was a decent enough Gatsby, but either because of bad direction or poor acting choices he never really stands out and makes the role his own. You can tell he's trying to emulate the character but he never steps out of his own skin and completely becomes Jay Gatsby. Sam Waterston is overall bland as Nick Carraway, the film's narrator. He's not bad by any means but he doesn't provide any of the character traits that the Nick from the book does and seems to fade into the background even when a scene pertains to him. Bruce Dern as Tom Buchanan I found to be just awful. He either had terrible direction or had no idea about Tom's character from the book. His voice barely goes higher than a whisper and his voice seems more like he's whining than demanding. The complete opposite of Tom from the book. The supporting cast don't really stand out either or bring a lot of life to their characters. The one true positive in the entire cast I found was Mia Farrow as Daisy Fay. She seemed to understand everything Fitzgerald was going for with her character. Portraying her with some hidden depths but overall being just as conceited and frivolous as any other girl from that era. Exactly what I imagined while reading the book.

The set design overall didn't really impress me. It felt more like a 70s film trying to be in the 1920s more than anything else. The costumes, while extravagant at times, don't really stand out either as they barely seem to take advantage of the more absurd style of clothing from the Roaring 20s.

Overall this version left me wanting immensely by the end and bored me throughout. If I'm wondering how much time is left before the first hour is through then you probably haven't done the best of jobs. It's a shame because you can tell they were going for a faithful representation of Fitzgerald's work but that same faithfulness winds up being a crutch more than an asset in the end. If you're looking for a truly great adaption of The Great Gatsby, this film just isn't it.

The Last Unicorn (1982)

Plenty of Interesting Concepts But Only A Decent Execution

[7/10 · 15 May 2013]

The Last Unicorn tells the story of a Unicorn who is unaware until recently that she is the last of her kind on earth. She learns that a Red Bull drove most of the unicorns from their respective forests and ventures from her own to find out more about what happened to them. Along the way she encounters a magician named Schmendrick who accompanies her on her quest and a careworn woman named Molly. The three travel to the castle of King Haggard who owns the Red Bull. When the Bull attacks the trio and tries to lure the unicorn into the sea Schmendrick turns her into a human in desperation. The three approach the castle and the unicorn, under the name Amalthea, and meet King Haggard himself along with his son Prince Lír. Amalthea is horrified at becoming human at first but soon becomes more used to it as she begins to fall in love with Lír. Haggard suspects that she is a unicorn and reveals that he keeps them all captive because they are the only things that make him happy. The trio must free the unicorns and find a way to turn Amalthea back into one before she remains human forever.

This film has a lot going for it. The animation is pretty good, especially on the unicorn and Red Bull. And the all star voice cast seem to fit perfectly with their respective roles. This cast includes Mia Farrow as the titular unicorn, Alan Arkin as Schmendrick, and Tammy Grimes as Molly. In supporting roles are Jeff Bridges as Prince Lír, Angela Lansbury as Mommy Fortuna, Christopher Lee as King Haggard and many famous voice actors like Paul Frees, Don Messick, Brother Theodore and more. These talents really give the characters a sense of weight and relateability.

One thing more that I liked is that there is no real villain in the story. There are plenty of people who act on selfish notions but none of them are deemed as outright evil. Even the Red Bull is only doing its job herding the unicorns and isn't classified as just an evil being on its own.

However there are certain parts of the film that seem to drag on a bit long. Like when they arrive at Haggard's castle it seems like it takes awhile before the plot becomes interesting again. It more or less sidetracks into a love subplot between Amalthea and Lír which is fine but it seems more like a forced romance because it happens so fast.

The parts that are most interesting to me is just seeing the Unicorn wandering down the road. Those parts really fill you with the right atmosphere that the world is ancient and vast and the Unicorn is really alone.

So while I did like this movie I will admit it's a movie that you may or may not end up liking. It has a great cast, animation and atmosphere but it lags a lot in timing and even with all the fantastical elements like magic, and mythical creatures some of those elements aren't really built upon or explored further. The Last Unicorn is a different kind of fantasy film. It relies more on characterization then action scenes involving evil creatures and a driven good vs. evil plot. If that sounds like your sort of film, I recommend this one to you. If not, give it a miss.

The Lorax (2012)

Not the Best Dr. Seuss Adaptation, But It Is An Enjoyable One

[7/10 · 2 March 2013]

The Lorax was released as a tribute to the legacy of Dr. Seuss on his birthday, March 2nd. With that said you would be forgiven for assuming this film would be something really thoughtful, really moving and really creative. Well... it's really creative.

First things first; the story takes place in the city of Thneedville run by a rather short man named O'Hare. O'Hare has made a successful industry by selling air to people because the air outside the city is too polluted. Our hero is a boy named Ted (voiced by Zac Efron) who has a major crush on a girl named Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift). One day Audrey shares her aspirations that the one thing she wants more than anything is to see a real Truffula Tree which barely anyone remembers grew around the area. Ted gets advice from his Granny Norma (voiced by Betty White) to go see The Once-ler and ask him what happened to the trees. The Once-ler begins his story of how he came to the land to make a revolutionary product called a Thneed which could morph into anything you desired. The only thing is he need the fur of the Truffula Trees in order to make it, which required chopping them down. This awakens the legendary Lorax (voiced by Danny DeVito) who speaks for the trees and warns the Once-ler that chopping down too many trees will lead to unforeseen consequences. Once-ler is reluctant to chop down any more trees but when his overbearing family arrive to help production The Once-ler gives into the pressure and begins chopping down trees until they're all gone. When he has finished his story he gives the very last Truffula seed to Ted and asks him to plant it in the town for all to see. But will greedy executive O'Hara allow this tree to be planted?

This movie has a lot of creative and funny talent behind it. However there are a few noticeable holes in the plot. For one thing, if the air outside the town is too polluted for inhabiting, then where does O'Hare get the clean air? Does he filter it? And is Thneedville the only inhabited area on the earth? The Once-ler and his family clearly came from another part of the world so what happened to everyone else? These nitpicks may not upset children or even those viewing it a first time but they are confusing to say the least.

However I will say that the parts with The Lorax and The Once-ler are the best parts of the film. Their relationship is fleshed out a little more from The Lorax being a preachy, well Lorax into something of a best friend to The Once-ler who in turn has been changed into a well-meaning inventor who initially promises not to cut down any more trees after the first one. Their relationship makes the scene where the last tree is cut down and The Lorax leaves a little more dramatic which was a good choice on their part.

The parts with Ted and his family and Audrey aren't terrible but they're considerably less interesting than the parts with The Lorax and Once- ler. And the villain O'Hare seemed like a real waste. He doesn't want any trees growing because they produce clean air and that will ruin his business. Which honestly makes him out to be nothing more than a Captain Planet villain. This sort of film didn't really need an antagonist in order to get its message across.

The film also boasts a few music numbers. And while they're not Oscar worthy by any means they're all incredibly catchy and fit the mood of the story. However there is one that I think is just perfect. Near the middle of the film the scene from the book where The Once-ler begins to recklessly chop down all the trees in order to increase his business is portrayed through the song "How Bad Can I Be." This scene is awesome. I mean it; the song is catchy, the visuals are akin to the book, and it sums up the scene in the book amazingly. It's the best scene in the whole movie and is worth waiting the first hour for.

So while the movie has problems does that mean it's terrible? No. I actually really enjoyed this film. The all star voice cast was cleverly chosen (even if Taylor Swift and Zac Efron surprisingly didn't take part in the musical numbers) the animation seems like it came right out of the pages of Dr. Seuss, and while the story isn't perfect it at least keeps you invested. This movie is at least worth one chance. Ignoring all the plot holes it's a decent tribute to Dr. Seuss and a decent movie to spend an hour and a half watching.

Hotel Transylvania (2012)

Fast-Paced, Witty and Just Plain Fun

[7/10 · 26 February 2013]

Hotel Transylvania is basically a love letter to the classic horror movies and clichés that surround them. Dracula is the owner of a huge castle in Transylvania where he invites other monsters to come and spend their time without fear of being judged or hunted by humans. Aptly calling it "Hotel Transylvania." The plot kicks off the night before his daughter Maven's 118th birthday. She wants nothing more than to go outside and explore the world but Dracula is reluctant about this because he thinks that humans would kill her without a second thought due to her being a vampire. Things are shaken up though when a human named Johnathan unexpectedly arrives in Hotel Transylvania. Now Dracula has to keep Johnathan's humanity a secret from his fellow monsters and try to stop Maven from developing any feelings for him.

Hotel Transylvania is a very fast-paced movie. The humor often flies in your face a mile a minute and each joke will last just long enough for it to resonate in your mind before moving on to the next one. And most of the jokes are actually pretty funny. Granted there's a few obvious puns in there but they're handled pretty well. And the film knows when to slow down in order to let the plot tell itself. Like the scenes with Dracula and Maven. You can tell that Dracula has a deep love for his daughter and only wants to protect her, and that she loves him too but also wants a little independence. Their relationship is actually handled a lot differently than the stereotypical relationship a father and daughter have in animated movies. They hardly ever fight, except for a scene near the middle, and obviously have a mutual respect and love for one another. That was a heartwarming touch that's a real refresher when compared to other animated films like The Little Mermaid.

The animation itself has a nice blend of CGI and Cartoon physics. The characters move very flexibly and often make faces straight out of a Tex Avery cartoon which is a style not often seen in CGI. Each of the characters stand out, there's a Frankenstein (complete with wife), a Wolfman, a Mummy even the Invisible Man shows up. There's also one shot gags and side characters that manage to leave an impression even if they only show up on screen for a few seconds, like a hydra, a fish-man, or even Bigfoot. No character seems to overstay their welcome.

Granted having the movie in such a fast-pace is gonna damage a few things. While the parts that are meant to make you feel for the characters are handled pretty well they often move too fast to really leave that much of an effect on you. Without giving anything away there's a scene in the end which plays with how humans react to actual monsters that felt a little too rushed and too forced.

But overall this film has a lot to keep you invested. Funny jokes, good looking animation and a lot of likable and hilarious characters. The voice acting is pretty good too with an all star cast like Adam Sandler, Andy Sandburg, Selena Gomez and more. I'm glad I saw this movie and it just put me in a good mood by the time the credits rolled. I say give it a chance. Kids are definitely gonna enjoy it's cartoon humor while adults can appreciate the relationship Dracula has with his daughter, friends and even Johnathan. All in all there's something everyone can enjoy in it and that's a real rarity nowadays.

Shadow of the Colossus (2005 Video Game)

One of the Best Games I've Ever Played

[10/10 · 26 February 2013]

From the moment the game begins you can tell Shadow of the Colossus isn't going to be like most games you've played. A sweeping orchestra playing a beautiful theme as a lonely figure of a young man carrying something on a horse through a stormy mountainside serves as the prologue. When he finally reaches his destination, a large stone gate, you get to see the area where the game takes place. A large open space; filled with deserts, forests, hillsides and many other strange and wonderful landscapes and ruins. In the middle lies a large temple, stretching higher than the tallest building you can think of. And that's just the opening cutscene.

The story of Shadow of the Colossus is shrouded in mystery. A young man named Wander has come to this area that has been described as a holy place by his elders and thus forbidden. The reason he enters this sacred land is because he has heard rumors that a God lives there that can revive the dead. The person in question is a young woman around Wander's age named Mono. Upon entering the temple he meets the God Dormin who has been sealed in the temple as a shapeless spirit. He tells Wander that while he cannot bring the girl back there is a way it could be done. But it requires slaying 16 giants called Colossi, and at a terrible price to Wander himself.

The rest of the story is simple from there. You merely seek out each of the Colossi one by one and eliminate them. However, this seemingly simple task gets progressively harder as the game goes on and Wander himself goes through a noticeable physical change for the worse as each fight concludes.

The gameplay is fairly simple. Shadow of the Colossus is equal parts an exploration and puzzle game. The exploration comes between battles with the Colossi, where you are free to explore the vast open world before you track down a Colossus. You can do this by riding on your horse named Agro. Agro is the fastest way to get around the map and is critical in some of the battles with the Colossi. When you encounter the Colossus itself it merely comes down to finding out how to climb it and find its weakspot. You are armed with a bow and arrow (which cannot kill the Colossi and is mainly used as a tool to gain there attention and gather fruit from the trees in the land) and an ancient sword which is the only thing that can kill the Colossi.

Each of the Colossi themselves are all different from each other in terms of how to defeat them. They can range from aggressive to peaceful and they all take quick thinking and action to defeat them. They are also the only enemies you encounter in the game, leaving the rest of the world largely uninhabited save for lizards scattered around the area. This makes the traveling to the Colossi all the more intimidating and foreboding for the battle to come.

The soundtrack in the game is one of the best soundtracks ever composed. It perfectly accompanies every part and emotion of the game. For peaceful moments, gentle harps or flutes are played and gives you a sense of wonder for the world created around you. For the battles of the Colossi you have large sounding drums and fast paced instruments that give you a sense of intensity as you fight the Colossi. However for each end of the battle, what you would normally expect as triumphant music is replaced by soft violins and a choir. Bringing up the question if killing these creatures is really the right thing to do. The music used for the final Colossus stands as the most memorable final boss music I've ever heard and I won't dare spoil it here. Neither will I spoil the appearance of the final Colossi itself, which is arguably the most frightening of them all.

Shortly put, this game is amazing. Every little detail in this game is just gorgeous. The graphics are spectacular from the characters to the setting to even the little creatures that inhabit the world. This game is just too good for words. It's really a game that must be experienced rather than told about. If you haven't played this game or have just found out about its existence I strongly recommend you purchasing it (it's available along with its predecessor Ico on the PS3 as a collection). It not only stands as one of the best games ever made but also one of the greatest stories ever told. This game is a magnificent piece of art that should never be forgotten.

The Polar Express (2004)

Some Parts Work While Others Don't

[7/10 · 16 January 2013]

The Polar Express has the difficult task of trying to take a book that's no longer than about twenty pages and turning it into a feature length film. For the most part some of the stuff they added, like the extra characters and settings, work but there are still some things that feel unnecessary.

The story is on Christmas Eve a young boy hears a noise outside his house and goes outside to see a train named "The Polar Express" has just rolled up to his house. He's invited by its strange yet friendly conductor to come with them to the North Pole where Santa will choose a kid to give the first gift of Christmas to. On the trip the boy befriends a girl who has trouble leading others and a younger boy who is incredibly shy. He also encounters a strange Hobo who lives atop the train who turns out to be a ghost. The boy, who remains nameless throughout the film, must learn to believe in things that seem impossible while their journey takes place and even gets a special gift because of it.

Some of the things that work for Polar Express are the characters which are all pretty fun and the settings which are gorgeous. However the film isn't without its problems. One major complaint some might have is the animation itself. A common criticism is that the characters all have blank emotionless eyes which personally I never thought. I will say the way they animated the Elves is pretty uncanny though. There's also the strange choice of having Tom Hanks perform and voice several characters, like the Conductor, the Hobo and even Santa himself. They look a little different from each other but you can tell it's the same person even with slight voice difference. There's also the sometimes jarring adding of some scenarios to lengthen the film. There's a scene where they have to move caribou from the train tracks that seems to add nothing and a scene which explores Santa's workshop which is creative but after they rejoin the crowd it's never really brought up again and there's nothing really new that we haven't seen from other films that have portrayed the workshop.

But the film is enjoyable nevertheless. It's not the best Christmas film but it gives you a warm feeling by the end that every good holiday flick should provide. And that song at the end credits to me is one of the best representations of Christmas in any film.

Trick 'r Treat (2007)

An Interesting Anthology

[7/10 · 31 October 2012]

Trick 'r Treat is four stories woven together one Halloween night. It follows a murdering principal, a group of young women going to a party, some kids visiting the site of a terrible accident, and an old shut in who hates Halloween and has a dark secret. The tales are not told chronologically and are connected by a small boy in a strange pumpkin costume with a burlap sack for a mask.

The first tale is that of principal Steven, who murders as a hobby. His most recent one is incredibly difficult to hide as he must keep his son quiet and avoid suspicion from his neighbor, Mr. Kreeg. But when his son finally gets on his last nerve, will he be his father's next victim?

The second tale follows a group of kids supposedly collecting pumpkins for Unicef. Their real intent is to visit the site where a school bus containing special needs children crashed into a rock quarry. A slightly different girl named Rhonda joins them and when they arrive the ringleader of the gang, Macy, retells the tale of how the bus crashed there. The bus driver was payed by the children's parents to get rid of them by driving the bus into the quarry. They are warned not to disturb the water in the quarry as it might unleash the spirits of the dead children. As it turns out this might be more true than they hoped.

The third tale is of a group of young women from out of town who are going to a party. They coax several local boys to be their dates for the evening. The youngest of the group, Laurie, is a self conscience virgin who awkwardly tries to find a date around town but has no luck. She is unaware that someone has already taken a shine to her, and is now following her waiting for the right moment.

The last story is that of Mr. Kreeg. A grumpy old man who despises Halloween. He scares children from his house and refuses to give out any of the candy he has. But when he gets a surprise visit from a boy in a strange costume and burlap sack he learns what happens when you don't obey the rules of All Hallow's Eve.

Each of the stories are told in a brilliant fashion. They mislead you cleverly with how the story will end and present an entirely different, and sometimes terrifying, conclusion. The film is rife with plenty of scares, dark humor, and suspense that makes the film a fun watch for the Halloween spirit.

Rock-A-Doodle (1991)

Probably Makes More Sense If You're High

[5/10 · 30 October 2012]

Coming after such great movies like The Secret of Nimh, American Tail and The Land Before Time it's baffling how Don Bluth could make something like Rock-A-Doodle. The film has things going for it, like some of the voice cast is pretty good, and the animation is nice but the story... most of the songs...

Well the story is there's a rooster named Chanticleer (voiced and sung by country singer Glen Campbell) who's job is to crow every morning to bring the sun up. One morning he gets involved in a fight with some other bird sent by his nemesis The Grand Duke (voiced by the great Christopher Plummer) and he forgets to crow. He's cast out as a charlatan by his fellow farm animals and leaves for the nearby city.

It turns out this was a story that was being read to a small boy named Edmund. He lives on a farm that is currently undergoing a terrible storm. Since he just read about Chanticleer leaving he assumes that's the reason the storm is happening and calls out for him. Okay but what about the rest of the day? Was it just raining all day or something? Anyway, The Grand Duke shows up and turns Edmund into an animated cat with his magic breath (don't ask) and tries to eat him. One of Chanticleer's old friends, Patou the dog (voiced by the late Phil Harris) saves Edmund and is joined by other animals from the farm. They resolve to go to the city and bring Chanticleer back so he can crow and bring back the sun.

There's already a lot of holes in the story from the first ten or so minutes. Like if Chanticleer was really responsible for raising the sun, why did it come up that one time? Or why does Edmund assume the sun just isn't coming up, I mean he's a kid but he's not stupid. When they get to the city it gets a little more confusing when all the inhabitants are animals. Did they just show up when all the humans evacuated the city? Did the humans evacuate the city, are they all dead?

Anyway, it turns out Chanticleer is now making a living as an Elvis impersonator named 'The King.' He's incredibly depressed and only feels good when he's on stage singing. His manager, Pinky, is in contact with The Grand Duke and is told to keep Chanticleer from meeting his old friends by distracting him with a chorus girl named Goldie. The two fall in love and Pinky manages to capture Edmund and the gang. Goldie tells Chanticleer his friends are here and they save them and after a lengthy chase return to the farm. While this is going on, The Duke sends his nephew, Hunch to try and kill Edmund but he keeps failing miserably.

This all comes to a head when Chanticleer can't crow and The Duke hurts Edmund. This causes the animals to try and boost Chanticleer's confidence until he finally crows and brings up the sun, sending the owls flying and turning the Duke into a midget for whatever reason. Edmund turns back into a boy and then it turns out the whole thing was a dream, Wizard of Oz style. Or maybe it wasn't cause Chanticleer pops out of the book, and Edmund is now on their farm and... what?

I'm not ashamed to admit I watched this movie a lot as a kid, but watching it now... what's going on? The animation is nice and some of the songs are decent but there's too much going on. I didn't mention the other two animals who accompany Edmund, a magpie named Snipes (voiced by Eddie Deezen of Dexter's Lab fame) and a mouse named Peepers. None of the characters get a lot of development and most of the story is told through narration from Phil Harris. Narration is good sometimes, but not to tell the audience everything that's going on at the moment. We're not stupid we can figure this out by ourselves.

The songs also range from OK to just plain unnecessary. The Duke and his cronies don't get any good songs which is a shame since Christopher Plummer is a talented singer. Some toad bouncers get a song about bouncing people, make of that what you will, and most of Chanticleer's songs are talked over. Wasn't the whole purpose of getting someone like Glen Campbell to sing for the character to use his voice to attract an audience? Why talk over most of his numbers?

This film is a mess, through and through. Is there anything here offensive for kids? Not entirely, I remember liking it when I was young but there isn't really much to offer them in return. Apart from some good animation and a decent cast this film isn't really for those looking for the high quality of Don Bluth's other movies.

Dr. No (1962)

Good Ol' Fashioned Spy Thriller Fun

[9/10 · 23 October 2012]

Being the first James Bond film, Dr. No has several aspects that are dated or cliché in comparison to the other movies. But ignoring all that it is still a fun experience and a good introduction to 007.

After a fellow agent is killed, British Intelligence agency MI6, sends one of its top agents, James Bond to investigate his disappearance. Upon landing he is immediately tailed by two men and avoids being photographed by a mysterious journalist. With help from the Jamaican government he learns that the CIA were involved with the fallen agent and they too are searching for clues on his disappearance.

With help from a native boatman named Quarrel, Bond learns that a man named Dr. No might be involved with the disappearance and tries to gather information on him. But James is being hounded by several of No's henchmen and each try to kill him before he learns too much. It doesn't stop Bond from investigating No's island, Crab Key, where he meets the beautiful Honey Ryder. But Dr. No is not a man to be trifled with as Bond learns of a higher source of power than even the Soviet Union. Bond has to stop Dr. No's plans and save the girl while he's at it.

This film is a great introduction to the classic 007 character and the rest of the film series. Sean Connery is the ideal Bond, mixing morbid one liners and a charming disposition. Of course his constant womanizing might be off-putting to some but his charm might make up for it. Might.

The rest of the cast provide excellent performances even for those characters that are killed off or only show up once. Dr. No himself is a good start of the Bond Villain list but his character left me wanting a little more. He only showed up for a few scenes and is killed off in a semi-unspectacular fashion, at least to me. But Joseph Wiseman's performance is a perfect fit to the character.

The film isn't perfect but it's a fun film to start off the series and worth the rental or buy.

Spider-Man (2002)

Some Parts Don't Hold Up Today But Still A Good Introduction to Spider-Man

[8/10 · 9 October 2012]

Geeky science-wiz and High School student, Peter Parker, was bitten by a radioactive spider while on a field trip and developed spider like powers which allows him to climb up walls, shoot a web and swing on it and super strength. At first he uses these powers for his own gain but when his Uncle Ben is murdered in cold blood by a thief Peter decides to use his powers for the benefit of New York City. As his Uncle Ben said, "With great power comes great responsibility."

While this is going on, Norman Osborn the head of OsCorp has taken a super serum and has gained super strength and a twisted alter ego. He dons a glider and body armor to become The Green Goblin and begins terrorizing the city. He has made it his personal goal to get Spider-Man to join him on his personal crusade against order. Spider-Man has to balance being fresh out of High School, his relationships with his friends and Aunt, and stop Goblin from hurting innocent people.

The plot is what you'd come to expect for an origin story but some parts of the film when looked at today are considerably dated. Most of the CGI while impressive for its time looks very fake when compared to the effects we're used to today. Even back then they looked a tad off. For instance scenes where the Goblin is flying on his glider or when Spider- Man is climbing a wall or jumping off something are pretty obviously CGI. It doesn't take you out of the feel for the movie per se but it looks a little jarring.

What might take you out of the moment is some of the dialog. Comics in their day had some pretty corny dialog but recently movies have been averting the corny dialog. And even though this movie was one of the first superhero films to revive the genre some of the dialog feels very forced. The scenes with Peter and Mary Jane (his love interest) are sometimes good but other times they feel awkward and that's probably what they're going for since Peter is supposed to be awkward but when he's Spider-Man it still feels a bit awkward. The Goblin's dialog is like it was taken out of the Adam West Batman TV Show. That isn't terrible in fact it's actually really enjoyable but if we're trying to take him seriously as a threat his dialog has to have a little more threatening tone to it.

But the film still holds up on the emotional side of Spider-Man. The scene where Uncle Ben is killed is still sad and the relationship Peter has with his friends and Aunt May are performed very well. It's just the dialog that makes it feel a little forced. And the fight scenes are still engaging and filled with energy.

The cast pull their characters off as if they were made for the parts. Tobey Maquire does a good balancing act as Spidey and Peter Parker keeping Spidey's sarcastic sense of humor and Peter's nerdy behavior. Kirsten Dunst plays a decent Mary Jane, James Franco pulls Harry Osborn's relationship with his father very realistically, and Willem Dafoe is in my opinion the best actor they could've picked for Goblin and Norman. The one that stands out as the best though is J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jamerson. There is no doubt about it he is the perfect Jamerson. His quick humor and motor mouth fit the character to a t, and I can't think of anything bad to say about his performance.

So while the film has a lot of flaws it's still a fun movie to watch. It's a nice introduction to Spider-Man if you've never heard of the character(surprisingly enough) and a good film on its own.

I give Spider-Man a 7.5 leaning to an 8.

The Final Conflict (1981)

Not The Best of Endings But A Decent Conclusion Nonetheless

[7/10 · 3 September 2012]

Damien Thorn is a full grown man and recently appointed Ambassador to Great Britain (the same position his father had years ago). And he is fully aware of his unholy destiny as the Antichrist, the false prophet. He has carefully been studying the signs for Jesus Christ's return to Earth and has decided the time is near. He sends his disciples all across Great Britain when an alignment of stars signifies his birth to kill any baby boy born on the morning of March 24, between the hours of midnight and six o'clock. Even one of Damien's closest assistants son is not exempt from this decree.

But Damien's human side is getting the better of him as he starts seeing the popular journalist Kate Reynolds and they begin a relationship. He also forms an attachment to her son Peter, whom Damien takes under his wing and manipulates for his own evil.

While this is going on the seven daggers of Megiddo have been rediscovered from the rubble of the old Thorn Museum which was burnt down in the last film. They are bought out of an auction and are sent to the Monastery that Damien's father visited when he was investigating the truth behind his son. Seven priests led by Father DeCarlo go to Britain and resolve to finish what Robert Thorn and his brother Richard started by killing Damien and reassuring the second coming of the Messiah.

The plot for Omen 3 has a lot going for it but there's a lot of things that could've been done that weren't even touched upon. The relationship between Kate and Damien could've been an emotional struggle to the story, since it could allude that Damien might achieve redemption due to their relationship. Even one of his associates say that Reynolds is dangerous to be around but Damien is resolute in his path and not even 'love' can affect him. The priests are underdeveloped as well. Six are killed off rather quickly and DeCarlo isn't as strong a protagonist as Robert or Richard Thorn.

The once brilliant supernatural death scenes that The Omen series is famous for are sort of replaced by intentional murders and accidents. Some are still impressive but they lose the sense of demonic intervention that the other two films had. Instead it is either Damien showing off his power, or one of his disciples that commits a murder. There's not a lot of speculation in them in that they all don't look like they could be common accidents.

However, the film does have its fair share of disturbing scenes. There's a scene where a woman sees a vision of her baby burnt. She then takes an iron and approaches the baby and the rest is left to our imagination. Another scene involves Damien on a hunt with a group of Beagles. Two priests ambush him and while he kill one of them off himself, he tells the pack to kill the other and they proceed to tear him apart.

The acting in the film is also quite good. Sam Neill as Damien provides a dark and rather frightening performance for the now adult Antichrist and he does an excellent job throughout the movie. The rest of the cast perform their roles well but there's nothing that really stands out in the ensemble.

Jerry Goldsmith provides us with another excellent score that builds up suspense and makes it clear that evil is at work. For all three movies his score remains as one of the best in the Horror genre.

Overall The Final Conflict has a lot of problems but the film isn't entirely bad. It's worth watching to bring a conclusion to The Omen series but will probably leave a few fans wanting a better ending.

Batman & Robin (1997)

God Help Us All

[2/10 · 15 August 2012]

After Batman Forever was a financial success it seemed only logical for Joel Schumacher to direct a sequel. Yeah why not? Sure Forever had a campy attitude and the visuals had more personality than some of the characters but it wasn't terrible. So we probably can't expect much going into this but it's got Mr. Freeze and he's a good villain. So are Poison Ivy and Bane they're all pretty good. Yeah this movie might actually be... oh dear Lord.

All right enough beating around the bush, Batman and Robin is a pitiful excuse of a superhero movie, even a movie in general. The characters are campy cardboard cut outs of their comic counterparts, the visuals are even more forced than the last movie to the point where they become ridiculous and the dialogue is about as cheesy as a Saturday morning cartoon PSA.

Well the main plot is that Mr. Freeze('brilliantly' cast as Arnold Schwarzenegger) is trying to make a giant ice laser to hold Gotham ransom so he can get enough money to find the cure for his wife Nora whom he has kept in a cryogenic container. While this is going on, a scientist named Pamela Isley has discovered her associate has been using plants to experiment on a new drug called Venom which he uses to create Bane. The scientist kills her but the chemicals fuse into her body and she becomes Poison Ivy. She and Bane go to Gotham and eventually help Mr. Freeze with his plans to secretly work on her own schemes.

On top of that, Alfred's niece Barbara has come to Gotham and Alfred is sick with the same disease Freeze's wife has. Robin is feeling put down by Batman and wants to be more independent and Barbara soon dons the cape and cowl of Batgirl to help them take down Freeze and them.

And this is the first problem the movie has. There's too much plot. How are we supposed to keep track and care about everything if there's too much going on in one movie? That's really the problem when more than two villains are in the mix. Batman Returns and Batman Forever had a similar problem but this one is much worse. Even the Alfred subplot which should be really emotional gets lost in the mix of all this mess they call the main story.

On top of that the characters in this movie are just wrong. Batman has little to no personality in the film, Robin acts like a brat, and Barbara does little to nothing to add any emotional value to the whole "Alfred's dying" thing. I have to give credit to Michael Gough and Pat Hingle as Alfred and Commissioner Gordon respectively. They've been doing this for four movies and at least know how their characters should work in the franchise.

And the villains. What a joke. Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze is about as good a match as water to electricity. All he does is spout one- liners and puns relating to ice. In the comics and the animated series the interpretation of the character draws from, he's a sympathetic villain who wasn't above making a pun but didn't do it every five minutes he was on camera. Uma Thurman isn't terrible or bad looking but she wasn't a good fit for Poison Ivy. When I imagine Ivy I imagine a bombshell stereotypical model who uses her looks to get what she wants but is also competent and a deadly threat. Here she isn't that attractive to me and all her evil plan consists of in the long run is to kill everyone with a kiss. And don't even get me started on Bane. This is the guy who organized a mass breakout and broke the Batman's back? All he does in this movie is make guttural sounds and repeat whatever word was just said to him. He's pathetic and it makes you wonder why they even included him if they were gonna stray so far from what made his character so great in the comics.

The visuals are somewhat appealing but the bright neon blue, green and red are even more gaudy than the last movie and almost made me want to hurl.

Overall this movie is one of the worst films I have ever seen in my life. But I'm giving it two stars out of ten because I watch it whenever it's on TV and always get some laughs out of it. I guess that could classify it as a guilty pleasure but honestly, as a Batman film it's horrible, as a film in general... what were they thinking?

The Return of Captain Invincible (1983)

A Comedic Take On Superheroes That For the Most Part Works

[7/10 · 14 August 2012]

This is a movie I've been looking for for over a year now but it's impossible to find almost anywhere. Thankfully I got my chance just recently. Reading some of the reviews I was worried that it wouldn't appeal to me at all, but when I finally got around to watching it I thought it was pretty good.

The plot centers around a washed up superhero from World War II times named Captain Invincible. In the peak of his career he's accused of being a communist by the American govt. and disappears off the face of the Earth. Unbeknownst to him he flies all the way to Australia where he spends a good thirty years drinking away his sorrows. But when a hypno- ray is stolen from the Australian govt. and the President of the U.S.A. is called in he suggests they call upon Captain Invincible. Eventually a policewoman named Patty finds him and convinces him to put on the cape, clean up his act, and save the world. So basically think something along the lines of Watchmen and Hitchcock but a lot less serious.

The source of the trouble is the Captain's old enemy Mr. Midnight. And he's got something big planned for the minorities of the world.

The plot isn't much but it's not trying to be groundbreaking so it's not too cheesy. The film takes a more satirical look on the Superhero genre and is kind of ahead of its time. It was released two or three years before Watchmen and long before The Incredibles. If it were released today it might have been a success. But I can see why people aren't that big on the film. The pacing is a little slow and the plot sort of resolves itself without any real conflict and there are a few stereotypical jokes in there but nothing outright racist or hateful.

But the jokes that work really do work. Granted the movie never reached 'laugh out loud, fall out of my chair hilarious' status but I was chuckling for a good eighty percent of the film. Two scenes that stand out are a scene where the Cap and Patty go investigate a Vacuum shop. No joke, the vacuums come alive and start trying to kill them. It's hilarious seeing them fight the things and even the obvious "this sucks" joke is pulled off pretty well. Another is when they're at the Deli and the patron literally takes a fish and starts shooting bullets out of it. The following duel is glorious to behold.

Unusual for the genre this movie is one of the only Superhero-Musical films. And the songs are pretty good. While some of them are too short to be really memorable they're all pretty catchy and have a nice tune to them. The best is probably a song sung by the main villain titled "Name Your Poison." Really... that song is what made me watch this movie. It is that epic. Alcohol jokes and visual gags galore in this spectacle of a number. Really if nothing else watch the movie for that one scene.

The two main actors, Alan Arkin and Sir Christopher Lee each give a respectable performance as Captain Invincible and Mr. Midnight respectively. They're both very talented singers and each bring charm into the movie. To me Christopher Lee is epic in whatever he does but his performance in this movie is reminiscent to a James Bond villain (and he did play one actually). Alan Arkin also does a good job portraying a guy at the end of his rope trying hard to believe in old fashioned American values. And the supporting cast are all pretty good too.

Overall this film won't please everyone. If you're into tongue-in-cheek movies then this film will probably appeal to you but if not you should probably skip it. But after searching for it for a good year and more I can honestly say it wasn't a disappointment for me. It's not the best film ever made but its catchy songs, cheesy gags and Christopher Lee will keep me watching again for a good while.

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (2010–2020)

Yeah, I'm A Fan.

[10/10 · 21 April 2012]

When most guys think My Little Pony they think overly cutesy ponies meant as a marketing tool for little girls to make their parents waste all their money on toys and such. I was no exception. I've never been a fan of any of the My Little Pony shows and I was content to never be one. Even when I heard this show was gaining a huge fanbase I made it a point to never watch it. Then I finally did and the rest is history.

Of all the shows to surprise me on how cleverly written and animated they are this one surprised me the most. For one thing this show doesn't just cater to the target audience(meaning young girls) it appeals to everyone. Dads can watch the show with their daughters and be entertained and that goes for their brothers or just guys in general.

One of the things that makes this show different from the other versions is that there's actual character development. Each of the cast(supporting or main) have defining traits and each learn new things as the show goes on. In terms of the main cast; Twilight Sparkle starts off as a workaholic bookworm who is socially awkward. As time goes on she learns more about friendship and learns to rely on her friends. Applejack is extremely loyal to her friends but is a little too stubborn for her own good at times. Rainbow Dash is even more headstrong than Applejack and is reluctant to show her true feelings if she's scared or nervous. But she is extremely kind to her friends and won't desert them anytime soon. Pinkie Pie is definitely the most unique of the ponies. Her random, spunky attitude will often leave you scratching your head but her fun loving attitude will keep a smile on your face. Rarity may seem spoiled and vain at first, but she actually averts the stereotypical diva. She's generally kind and generous to everyone and isn't afraid to get her hooves dirty(at least when it's critically important). Fluttershy is the sweetest and shyest of them all. She is perfect with animals and is easily the most compassionate of the main cast. But that doesn't mean she's a total pushover, even when she's scared she'll put her hoof down to protect her friends.

On top of the characters the animation is pretty good. It looks simple on the surface but there's a lot of interesting camera angles and subtle uses in the art that surprise me every time.

Mostly the songs in the other MLP shows had me gouging my ears out, but the songs in this show aren't only clever they're catchy. No song seems too long or too annoying. The music and singing is one my favorite parts of the show.

I haven't mentioned all the mythological creatures and pop culture references that will appeal to older audiences or some of the guest voice actors they have on the show(like a certain guy from Star Trek: The Next Generation). This show was obviously a labor of love from everyone on the cast and crew. I commend Lauren Faust for making a show that once had a reputation for only appealing to little girls appeal to everyone. I say give the show a chance, you might be surprised with what you find.

The Legend of the Titanic (1999)

Hey Kids! Wanna See Creative License Gone Horribly Wrong? No... No You Don't

[1/10 · 11 April 2012]

100 years ago the RMS Titanic disembarked on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. The ship was considered unsinkable and faster than any other ship by the crew and by the passengers. But the Titanic met her demise on the morning of April 15, 1912, costing over a thousand people their lives. Titanic to this day is considered one of the most devastating disasters in history.

Why am I going through all this? Because, what we didn't know was that the whole reason the ship sunk was because of a whaling scheme that involved sinking the Titanic by making talking sharks convince a talking giant octopus to unknowingly throw an iceberg in the direction of the ship just to cover their tracks. And there were talking mice on board and talking dolphins to try and help the ship. WHAT?!

Yes according to The Legend of the Titanic(released two years after the multi-billion dollar grossing blockbuster) that is the reason the Titanic went under. Perhaps I'd better go over the details.

Well an old mouse is telling his grand-kids his adventure aboard the Titanic(and no it's nothing like An American Tail)and explains that a rich girl named Elizabeth and her family were boarding the Titanic and the girl's father was a giant in the whaling business. She's engaged to a man named Maltravers who she clearly dislikes and passes by a group of gypsies. She meets eyes with one gypsy named Don Juan and the two instantly fall in love.

Somewhere along the line Elizabeth gets the power to talk to animals(long pointless explanation)and learns of Maltraver's true intent to force her father to give him some whaling rights. It turns out Maltraver's can communicate with a group of sharks and they get a giant octopus to move an iceberg in the direction of the Titanic.

From the there the film seems predictable; the ship sinks, people die, huge tragedy. But no, the octopus holds the ship together long enough to make sure every passenger gets in a lifeboat(despite the fact there weren't enough lifeboats) and even saves the captain who famously went down with the ship. In the end nobody dies. Let me say that again. NONE OF THE PASSENGERS ON THE TITANIC DIED! That's right kids, did you have a great granddad who boarded the Titanic? Oh he didn't die, he's just hiding.

From my summation of the movie it doesn't sound so ungodly awful. Let me assure you it is. It takes the tragedy of Titanic and sprinkles it with its anti-whaling message and talking animals and happy ending where no one dies. Don't get me wrong whaling is bad but what does it have to do with the hundreds of people who lost their lives in what could've been an easily avoided tragedy. And you know what? That's what this movie is, a potentially easily avoided travesty.

This film is so bad if it weren't for the fact that there is no 0 star rating I wouldn't even rate it with 1 star. It's an insult to the lost souls of Titanic and to the target audience the movie was going for and to audiences in general. If you can just avoid it.

Batman Forever (1995)

Not Terrible But Not the Batman Film I'm Looking For

[6/10 · 27 March 2012]

After Batman Returns got mixed reviews and complaints for being too dark Burton left making a third movie due to Warner Bros. wanting a more family friendly image for Batman. Enter Joel Schumacher who did a whole 180 to look, characters, and overall appeal to the series.

The story starts with Batman(now played by Val Kilmer) foiling a bank heist planned by former District Attorney Harvey Dent(now played by Tommy Lee Jones) who, after a recent accident involving acid thrown in his face, has renamed himself Two-Face.

Along with Two-Face, former Wayne Enterprises employee, Edward Nigma(played by Jim Carrey) has turned to crime and given himself the identity of The Riddler.

But Batman is joined by a new partner himself. After Two-Face killed his family, Dick Grayson(Chris O'Donnell) joins the caped crusader as Robin. Together they must stop Riddler and Two-Face's plans to take over the minds of Gotham.

And now let's cut to the chase. While the visual look of the film is interesting sometimes it seems like whoever was in charge of lighting got a little carried away with the red and green. Plus the camera is sometimes shot at an angle and those shots can be good sometimes but when it's overused it's jarring.

The acting for the most part is good. I liked Val Kilmer as Batman and Bruce Wayne well enough and his love interest Chase Meridian(Nicole Kidman) is all right. But the ones that seemed to either overact or underact were Tommy Lee Jones and Chris O'Donnell. Jones is a good actor usually but with this it felt like he was trying to copy Jack Nicholson's Joker and Two-Face is as far from Joker as you can get. He's tortured and has to deal with two personalities that are the polar opposites of each other. I didn't get that from his performance. Chris O'Donnell for the first part of the film just whined constantly and didn't do much to the plot. He got better by the climax but the first part almost ruined the character for me.

Jim Carrey was an up and coming star by this point and acted more like Jim Carrey playing the Riddler than the actual Riddler. He seemed to be more emulating Frank Gorshin's performance from the old series but there were times when I thought it would've been better if he went in a different direction.

But overall the film isn't terrible and is at least worth a watch. There's some interesting scenes involving Bruce Wayne's back story and there's a pretty funny reference to the Adam West TV show near the end. Not a bad movie but not the best Batman movie.

6.5/10

Babe (1995)

One of the Best Family Movies Out There

[9/10 · 20 February 2012]

I recently rediscovered Babe awhile ago and vaguely remembered it from my childhood. I decided to re-watch it and was amazed at how great it really is.

The story follows a young pig who is simply named Babe by his original mother. He is taken away from his family to take part in the fair. He's put in a measuring contest where an eccentric farmer named Arthur Hoggett weighs him correctly and wins him. He takes him to his farm where Babe befriends a trouble-making duck named Ferdinand, an old ewe named Maa, and is adopted by one of the sheepdogs, Fly.

Babe's good relationship with the sheep makes them listen to him without being forced to which the farmer soon takes notice of. Babe is soon entered in the sheepdog trials and has to convince others things aren't always as they seem.

I don't want to give much away since Babe is a movie better experienced not told. It's a movie with talking animals but it's handled in a very mature matter that doesn't talk down to its younger audience. It's also not boring or childish for older audiences which is a rare mix nowadays. This movie is just a great family film. It's good for kids since there aren't too many things they won't understand and it's good for adults since it doesn't rely on a lot of childish humor and treats its story with respect. I definitely give Babe a recommendation to anyone, young or old.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Honestly, My Least Favorite Star Wars Film

[6/10 · 17 February 2012]

The Phantom Menace is usually the one Star Wars film that most fans can agree as the worst. Why exactly? Well I'll get to that.

The plot takes place years before the original Star Wars and follows a young Obi Wan Kenobi(Ewan McGregor) and his Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn(Liam Neeson). They are sent to the planet of Naboo to negotiate peace terms between Naboo and the Trade Federation. The Federation does not want peace and conquers the planet holding the Queen at hostage. The two land on the planet and meet a Gungan native named Jar Jar Binks. He leads them to the capital city where they rescue the Queen and several others and retreat to another planet.

They stop on the planet of Tatooine to find another fuel source and meet a young Anakin Skywalker(Jake Lloyd). Qui-Gon senses the force is strong with him and takes him with them to Coruscant to have trained to become a Jedi.

But a new threat is rising and the shadow of the Sith is returning to the galaxy. The mysterious Darth Maul is sent to assassinate the Jedi and the Trade Federation is not going to give up Naboo anytime soon. The battle to start it all is about to begin.

The plot sounds like a Star Wars movie but there's something about Phantom Menace that seems off to me. For one thing, most of the actors are all pretty good for their own right. But either a bad script or bad direction makes most of the dialog feel unnatural. Sure Star Wars has never been one for normal conversation between characters but the older movies seemed to do it more casually.

And here's the big thing that most people thought was wrong about this movie. The comic relief. No I don't mean C3PO or R2D2 they're as good as ever, I mean Jar Jar Binks. His character is the definition of pandering to the kids. He doesn't do much of anything except lead them to his home and then just sticks around for the rest of the movie not doing anything but looking like an idiot. His character could've been handled a lot better.

And another big factor is the performance of Jake Lloyd as Anakin Skywalker. He's too normal. He has a happy life, a good relationship with his mother and all around likes everything. So how is there supposed to be darkness in his heart or whatever? He's the chosen one sure but you're not gonna expect us to think the whole Darth Vader thing just came out of nowhere are you? On top of that the way he delivers his lines are just wrong. He seems to just have one personality. Obnoxiousness. It's really off-putting.

Another nitpick is Yoda. He's supposed to be younger here but he looks a thousand years older. Whoever designed the puppet for this movie really didn't do their homework. Frank Oz is still great but I'm wondering why he looked so off.

But still the movie does deliver on its action scenes. While the first battle with Darth Maul and the space battle feel rushed and not as epic as they could've been, the fight with Maul near the end of the film is spectacular. And the Pod-Race at the middle is pretty intense too.

So yeah this movie isn't my favorite of the Saga but I don't think it's horrible. Maybe the hype was too much. Maybe the film just couldn't live up to the expectations. Maybe it wasn't entirely Jake Lloyd's fault that Anakin was so annoying and more bad direction or script. Any way you look at it the film just doesn't really deliver(at least for me).

But even though this movie is my least favorite, I can always watch it whenever I have a Star Wars marathon. And more than likely I'll go see it in 3D. It's still Star Wars, and worth at least one watch.

The Amazing World of Gumball (2011–2019)

So Far It's Pretty Good

[8/10 · 5 February 2012]

The Amazing World of Gumball is one of those shows I looked at and said, "How can anyone like that?" But like other shows on Cartoon Network it surprised me to see it was actually a well written show.

The show takes place in the fictional city of Elmore inhabited by talking animals, animate objects, tyrannosaur, talking peanuts, and other weird things you wouldn't even expect to live together. The show follows the Watterson family, mainly Gumball and his adopted brother Darwin, and their misadventures.

You got Richard, a lazy stay at home dad with good intentions but small intellect. Nicole who is a typical workaholic mom with a short fuse but deeply loves her family. Gumball and Darwin are your average pre-teen boys who have all sorts of weird interests and misconceptions on girls, adults and life in general. And their sister Anais who is a child prodigy at four years old. Together they get into all sorts of unbelievable situations around their house, school, or city in general.

What I find really appealing about this show are the characters. Each character has a different animation style. One character can be traditionally animated but another can be done in CGI. And another could be a puppet. And another could be an 8-bit video game character. They all have individual character traits and it's really interesting to see all these animation styles really blend together.

The family is pretty close to real life too. I can remember as a kid actually getting into some of the fads Gumball and Darwin do.

This show is still pretty new and obviously has a lot more to offer, but from what I've seen it's worth watching a few episodes. I don't really see anything that bad for younger kids like I do in shows like Regular Show and the adult humor is subtle enough for kids to not know what they're missing. I'm looking forward to seeing more of this unique style in the future.

So far I give The Amazing World of Gumball an 8.5

Fantasia (1940)

Walt Disney's Magnum Opus

[10/10 · 24 January 2012]

Fantasia is not the kind of movie that has a coherent plot or features a battle of good versus evil. It's an experience movie. It's a movie that reacts to classical music and changes it's tone to fit it.

The film is basically The Philadelphia Orchestra performing various classical pieces(The Rite of Spring, The Pastoral Symphony etc.). But the pieces are set to animation from the Walt Disney Company. The animation is some of the best Disney has ever done.

There are some pieces like Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor and The Nutcracker Suite that are just random events happening one after the other. While others like The Rite of Spring or Dance of the Hours have a sort of plot. There never is a main character or real plot in any of the stories. Except one.

Possibly the most famous bit of the film is The Sorcerer's Apprentice starring Mickey Mouse. He takes his master's hat and starts enchanting the brooms to do his work for him. This... doesn't end well. This is the only original music composed for the film and it is by far one of the best appearances of Mickey Mouse.

But by far my favorite scene is the end. Night on Bald Mountain depicts a demon on top of a mountain summoning the dead and damned to dance and party around him atop his mountain. He casts a few into the pit, transforms them into beasts and demons and does it only for laughs. But he is eventually driven back into slumber by the church bells and the film closes on a procession of priests through a forest. All mixed with Ave Maria. This ending is one of the strongest endings to a film I've ever seen, animated or otherwise.

Fantasia isn't just a film, it's an art. The visuals are magnificent, the score is beautiful and it is really one of the best animated films to ever be conceived. If you haven't seen this amazing movie I definitely recommend it. While you may not come out of it with the same feelings I have, it is a must see for any fan of Disney or animation.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)

Everything You Want In A Kid's Show And More

[10/10 · 18 January 2012]

While I'm sure we'd all like to forget the terrible movie "The Last Airbender", Avatar: The Last Airbender is a show that should never be forgotten in the sands of time and should be looked upon as one of the best animated series of all time.

The story takes place in a world quite different from our own. The world is separated into four nations; Water, Earth, Fire and Air. The divine entity that possesses the ability to master all four elements and keep in touch to the spirit world is called the Avatar. The Avatar is born into one of the four nations and is taught the other three bending techniques during his/her life and is basically the peace keeper of the world. The basic story begins 100 years after the Fire Nation attacks the other nations and begins a world war. To make matters worse the Avatar vanishes without a trace. That's where Aang comes in.

Aang is a young Air nomad who has been trapped in an iceberg for 100 years and is found by two teens from the Water Tribe, Katara and Sokka. Aang soon realizes he and his flying bison, Appa, have been in stasis for over 100 years and the world has been flung into a near hopeless state. And to add more insult to injury, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation has made it his obsession to tracking down the Avatar and bringing him before Fire Lord Ozai(his father) and restoring his honor. He is accompanied by his seemingly lazy uncle Iroh, who has more secrets than he leads to believe.

This is the basic premise behind the show and I have one word for it as a whole... amazing. It is really rare when a show that's aimed for children nowadays can be so mature yet not take itself too seriously at the same time. Everything about this show is magnificent. The characters are all likable, the animation is beautiful, and the Asian influences are all exceptionally done. And the show only gets better as it goes on.

Near the middle of Season 1, Aang realizes his true destiny is to stop the Fire Lord from drawing immense fire bending power from a comet that will arrive in the summer of the next year and has to travel the world searching for masters to teach him the bending skills. This leads to a thrilling climax at the end of Season 1 where the Fire Nation leads an attack on a huge Waterbending city which leads to some of the best action in the whole season.

Season 2 introduces a new main character, Toph. Toph is a blind young girl who learned the art of seeing through Earthbending and joins the gang as Aang's teacher. We're also introduced to Zuko's sister Azula and her friends Ty Lee and Mai. Azula is one of the darkest villains I have ever seen in a TV show, animated or otherwise. We get a lot of character development out of the characters too. Most of all Zuko. We learn about his past, his relationship with his family and just why he wants to capture Aang so much.

Season 3 is probably the most epic of the bunch(and probably the darkest). More character development fleshes out the characters and makes them more human and relateable. The series finale is one epic battle against Aang and Ozai while others fight against the Fire Nation for their freedom. The ending is very satisfying and the battle scenes have some of the best animation out of the whole series.

I haven't even covered most of what makes this show so great but if you're really intrigued I definitely recommend looking it up. With a great voice cast, a great plot, and beautiful animation this is without a doubt the best show to come out of Nickelodeon.

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

A Tale As Old As Time But Never Gets Old

[9/10 · 11 January 2012]

Much like Lion King, Disney is releasing another of their traditionally animated films to the 3D big screen. Three guesses which one. Anyway, I figured this was as good a time as any to give this a review.

Beauty and the Beast is a tale of a beautiful woman who meets a horrible beast and changes his attitude for the better. Simple, but Disney takes this tale to new heights. First of all, Belle(the beauty) is a very pretty young woman but is seen as an outcast in her village because she doesn't put out like the other girls and rather prefers to spend her time reading books. The most popular man in the village, Gaston, wants to marry Belle because he considers himself the most beautiful creature to ever enter the Earth and Belle to be as beautiful as him. But Belle can't stand him and keeps refusing his attempts at courtship.

The plot really kicks off when Belle's eccentric father, Maurice, travels to a fair to show off his new invention. He get's lost along the way and is chased by a pack of wolves to a mysterious castle. There he finds that the household objects are all enchanted. There's Cogsworth(a clock), Lumiere(a candlestick), Mrs. Potts(A teapot) you get the gist. The master of the castle however, is a beast with a serious attitude problem. He locks Maurice in his dungeon and a few days later Belle finds the castle while looking for him. Belle opts to take Maurice's place as Beast's prisoner.

What follows is the typical romance formula of two people who can't stand each other at first but slowly come to care and love for one another. Only this is one of those times where it's done perfectly. First of all they don't start really building a relationship until Belle chews Beast out on his temper and Beast saves Belle from a pack of wolves when she tries to leave. You start to see Beast's attitude really change for the better. He starts wearing better clothes, his voice becomes softer even his animation seems a little lighter.

Near the end of the film Belle leaves to attend her sick father and Gaston finds out about the Beast and Belle's feelings toward him. He leads an assault on his castle which leads to an entertaining climax with the enchanted objects and a pretty intense fight between Beast and Gaston.

This movie is great. The animation is great, the characters are well written, everything is great. And I don't think I have to mention the songs. I'm sure we're all familiar with "Be Our Guest" or "Beauty and the Beast" and they're great every time I hear them. Much like Lion King the only bad thing about the movie comes from an edit in the special edition. "Human Again" was designed for the original release but was cut probably for time purposes. It saw the light of day on Broadway and was added to the ten year anniversary edition in 2002. Well it's not a terrible song but it does interrupt the flow of the film.

I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone of all ages. I'll probably go see it when it hits the big screen and I suggest you do the same.

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)

I Don't Know What To Think With This One

[6/10 · 11 January 2012]

When you think Romeo and Juliet you probably think of Renaissance Italy, beautiful landscapes, or maybe your mind goes to the last movie or play you saw depicting the story. Nearly all have the same basic premise. Boy meets girl, boy and girl's family have been in a feud for centuries and it doesn't end well for either of them. Well Gnomeo and Juliet is basically the same story... except it's lawn gnomes... and Elton John music.

Let's just go over the plot for now; you have the same premise as the play, except the lawn gnomes are actually in two gardens in the back yards of two elderly people with the last names Montague and Capulet(and ironically enough they hate each other too). When the humans are gone they come to life and start feuding over which family, or color gnomes, are better. So basically what I got from this is it's Toy Story mixed with Romeo and Juliet. Huh?

To make things weirder we get unexpected songs from Elton John that just show up and seem to interrupt the flow of the film. Some of the songs are new while some are old one's like "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" or "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting." Those are classic songs but in a movie based off a classic play by no less than William Shakespeare, they come off as a tad bit out of place.

But the movie isn't all bad. The voice acting is pretty good with classic actors and actresses like Michael Cain or Maggie Smith. The main couple are pretty well voiced and the chemistry is pretty convincing(as far as gnomes go). You have Patrick Stewart as a statue of William Shakespeare at one point and he get's a good line. My favorite performance was Stephen Merchant as Paris(Juliet's potential suitor) who made me crack up despite his very short screen time.

Overall I'm pretty mixed with this movie. On the one hand it's a nice way to introduce the kids to the story and they even state at one point the ending of the original so it's not completely lying to them about that. But on the other hand it seems like they were too aware that they were a parody. There's numerous references to Shakespeare's other works and maybe it would've worked out better if they just made it so that there wasn't an original Romeo and Juliet in this universe. And then the songs by Elton John. We could've really done without those. Sure they're catchy but they interrupt the flow of the movie, at least for me.

I don't know if you have kids maybe this is worth a rental but other than that I don't really recommend it.

Portal 2 (2011 Video Game)

Tops Its Predecessor In Every Way

[10/10 · 2 January 2012]

Portal was an already excellent puzzle game. Portal 2 however expands everything from the first game and makes it eleven times better. The puzzles are bigger, the stakes are bigger, the Enrichment Center is bigger. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Chell has been kept in stasis for a long time since the first game ended and is awoken when a tiny personality core named Wheatley tries to break them out of the facility. Chell and Wheatley pass through a few test chambers before accidentally reawakening GLaDOS, who has many more tests for you. You have to get out of the facility and finally escape GLaDOS and Aperture Laboratories... at least at first.

Portal 2 is one of the most fun games I've played all year. The puzzles have the same basic formula of portal shooting as the last game but there's a lot other stuff thrown in as well. New gels that propel you and increase your speed and a lot harder puzzles that will keep you guessing.

Not only does Portal 2 increase the puzzles, it also goes deep into character development. When you go deeper into the facility you find out the truth about Aperture's origins and also the origins of GLaDOS.

Portal 2 is one of the best games of the year. If you haven't played it, I strongly suggest it. You'll laugh, you'll get frustrated, and you will be heavily engrossed in this amazing game.