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Aljusc
Reviews
Abelhinhas (2007)
Video Brinquedo-what'd you expect
Unlike VB's other movies, I had not seen a review for this film before I saw it. As soon as heard that the protagonist's name was Beenard, I knew I was in for a treat. As usual, the animation is unacceptable for this time and the subject matter is unoriginal. While all of VB's films have a coherent story, that means nothing. The one-time voice actress for Ash Ketchum voices Beenard, who wants to be a cook instead of a soldier, but his friend Beeauty wants to be a soldier- like we've never seen insect colonies as a metaphor for conformity before. Of course, the big problem with insect movies is that insects have to be humanized in impossible ways. There are 2 big-lipped alligator moments in the middle, and some characters barely have a reason to "bee" (pardon me) in this movie. That said, I kind of liked a scene at the end, after Beenard saves the hive with his cooking but is put on trial for abandoning his post as a soldier. Beenard argues that he defended the hive with his honey, so he didn't abandon his post. This does provide a good message and tell it well, but that doesn't stop me from giving it a 1-star review pretty much just for existing, though I think that Ratatoing is even worse .
What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? (2004)
A lot like Kirk Cameron's "Saving Christmas"
I watched the first half or so of this movie in class to learn the basics of quantum physics. I objected because I had heard it called pseudoscientific, but I moved on. My fellow students were quite bewildered by what they saw, not because they didn't believe it but because they were confused. There is definitely real quantum mechanics in this film, such as the fact that particles behave randomly until they interact with something. However, the presentation is not very interesting (no narrator, "experts" giving interviews that have nothing to do with the "story" that ties the narrative together) and is ultimately deceptive as it connects strange mysticism somehow to quantum mechanics. These ideas, misguided as they may be, could be better explained (someone saying "This means that observing the world around you could alter your perception, for instance). The reason I am comparing this to Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas (which I haven't actually seen) is that while both do feature some factual information (St. Nicholas did allegedly beat up Arias, the Christmas tree is connected to the cross and the Tree of Knowledge, et al.), the presentation is confusing and cheap (the weird techno dance number, the coffee-cup dubbing), and the leaps in judgment made by Cameron will throw most viewers off (God created the winter solstice, so there). I'm never disgusted by movies, but I think this deserves the same rating as Saving Christmas.