quelindofilms Reviews

The Wackness (2008)

The Wackness > All The Real Girls

[9/10 · 4 July 2008]

This might get me into trouble with the film elite, but I found this film so much more real and absorbing than David Gordon Green's "All The Real Girls." They both deal with young men coming of age thanks to first love, but this film has such superior performances and writing. Expertly directed and stacked with some of the best hip hop of the nineties, it's a film that is hilarious, sad and moving, populated with great characters you'll enjoy spending a couple of hours with.

I really wish a film like this had found me in my teenage years, because it's so refreshing and honest. It's nice to watch a movie that celebrates the time honored art of owning and embracing the pain that makes you who you are.

People whine and bitch about the glut of hollow Hollywood formula flooding the marketplace, but a great little film like The Wackness with a strong voice is not getting the support it deserves.

The entire theater loved it, as did my friends I brought along who knew nothing about it.

Do yourself a favor and go see The Wackness. You won't be disappointed.

Ratatouille (2007)

Brad Bird delivers another masterpiece.

[10/10 · 23 November 2007]

Walking into a movie about a rat who wants to cook, my interests were low. How could Brad Bird reach the dizzying, ecstatic heights of his first two masterful films, Iron Giant & The Incredibles?

By going in a completely different direction.

Ratatouille is without a doubt one of the best movies of 2007, and the best animated feature since...well, The Incredibles. Bird's storytelling is flawless, combining charming, lovable characters with a multi-faceted plot that keeps going in sharp, new directions, concluding with an ending that will leave you in a state of cinematic afterglow.

No one should give much away, suffice to say, Ratatouille is a beautiful, heart-warming work of art that should be enjoyed before a great meal. Rarely has a film so perfectly captured the joy and artistry of cooking.

If you love food, film, and the passion behind art of any kind, or if you love films like Big Night, Ratatouille will knock your socks off and leave your mouth watering.

Perfect for the family, or an audience of any age. Ratatouille is Brad Bird's third masterpiece, and will be remembered fondly for years and years to come...

Superman/Doomsday (2007 Video)

A mediocre new Superman...

[6/10 · 2 October 2007]

Though I respect Bruce Timm and his team for attempting to bring The Death of Superman story to the screen, the result is an uneven affair.

Superman/Doomsday moves at a breakneck pace, refashioning the epic Death of Superman saga with only the core characters of Superman, Doomsday, Luthor, & Lois, and excising the entire Reign of The Supermen storyline.

With crisp animation and a strong plot, this darker, more violent Superman story suffers mightily from some weak vocal performances from it's key cast.

Adam Baldwin seems a natural for the title role of Superman, but he somehow manages to anchor the entirety of his vocal delivery into a monotone whisper that speaks nothing of the optimistic Clark Kent, or the heroic Superman.

The only character Baldwin seems able to bring to life in any fashion is the surprise character he portrays in the second & third act, but again, his flat, withered vocals seriously dampen this Superman's persona.

Fairing even worse is Anne Heche as Lois Lane. Her scant, flimsy vocals do absolutely nothing for the character, and her emoting feels forced and weak, failing to deliver to us a strong, hard-nosed woman pushed to the brink by the death of her hero.

Trust me, when the two of them are asked to play sexual innuendo back and forth, it's painful to watch.

Thankfully, James Marsters knocks it out of the park with his turn as the sneakiest, slimiest, most calculating Lex Luthor yet. Instead of Clancy Brown's version of Luthor as evil tycoon, we get Marster's take on a brainiac Luthor (no pun intended, JLU fans) watching over his city with a plotting, watchful eye.

Supporting cast members Tom Kenny, Adam Wylie, and Ray Wise are all fabulous. The violence is intense and kinetic, exhausting the viewer as well as it's titular opponents in unbelievable, super heroic displays of cataclysmic violence.

The second act suffers a bit from not having enough time to fully develop a world without a Superman, but at the end of the day, the biggest problem lies in the lead actor's failures to bring these iconic characters to life.

I applaud the filmmakers once again for going out on a limb and taking a chance with this film, but the results speak for themselves. This is not Superman, or Lois.

This is a mediocre, stand-alone film with a few bright spots of wit, surprises, and exciting turns.

Oh, and what's with Superman's face? I understand the edginess, but the designers went a little too far.

Somebody call Tim Daly and Dana Delany...

***By the way, it was refreshing to see Superman actually hit something again after witnessing him, GASP!, pickup a rock at the end of Bryan Singer's film. **

Ultimate Avengers: The Movie (2006 Video)

An underrated gem...

[8/10 · 2 October 2007]

I had heard in advance that this animated feature suffered from poor animation and stiff writing.

After finally catching it, I whole-heartedly DISAGREE.

This is a fantastic, adrenaline-pumping superhero story. It's a perfect standalone feature, which, for the uninitiated, serves as a perfect jumping-on point to meet some of Marvel Comics' classic characters (for a further immersive experience, I recognize JLU, which utilizes over a decade of continuity to enrich it's series stories.)

With wonderful vocal performances, a sharp screenplay, and fantastic characterization, Ultimate Avengers is a wonderful new entry in the recent field of animated superhero features.

Do yourself a favor and check it out. I'd even recommend it's crossover appeal for non- animation/superhero fans who are just looking for a kick-ass action flick.

Oh, and to comic snobs complaining about the adaptation, it's called Ultimate Avengers for a reason. It's the fresh-start continuity of The Ultimates with the brighter, more heroic personalities of the original Avengers, which makes it accessible for all ages (something tells me that The Hulk killing hundreds of innocent people and Hank Pym beating his wife would not have gone over so well in animated form.)

For a fresh, modern look at the superhero team, Ultimate Avengers is a spectacular film.