tails-13 Reviews

Face Like a Frog (1987)

Spectacular Film

[10/10 · 9 December 2006]

The plot essentially follows a frog-man who enters a "hexed" house in order to lift the curse.

The incoherent, if existent, plot may remind some people of Forbbben Zone. The animation is beautiful, and full of rich colors; in addition, the music is eerie and well-fitting to the story. The song Don't Go in the Basement, performed by Danny Elfman who also scored this piece, was just as fun and strange as the movie itself

It is an enjoyable, outlandish piece of animation, and is worth taking five minutes to appreciate.

I would recommend it to every Danny or Richard Elfman fan as well as those who love anything bizarre.

Invader ZIM (2001–2006)

Was Nick's Best Show

[10/10 · 8 June 2006]

Invader Zim was perhaps Nick's strangest, most original show. The plot is simply a wannabe Irken Invader, Zim, appears, uninvited at the assigning for Operation Impending Doom 2 after banished to Foodcourtia for single handedly destroying Impending Doom 1. To relieve themselves of Zim, the Almigty Tallest give him a "secret mission". Zim, determined to regain his lost honor, comes across Earth. There, he and his malfunctioning SIR unit named GIR, disguise themselves as humans and the only one who can see through the disguise is an abnormally large-headed paranormal investigator named Dib.

This show is very refreshing in the world of anime. (both Japanese and Americain) The humor of the show is more reminiscent of Ren & Stimpy and Rocko's Modern Life. What I admire most about the show is that it has the familiar plot of an alien landing on Earth, but Zim is not cuddly or kind like E.T. or Stitch. Invader Zim is much more like the 1950's scifi flicks or even Mars Attacks!. And if you are looking for heart-warming life lessons about being good to others this is definitely not the right show. Zim is action mixed with comedy and comments on society. I would recommend everyone to at least watch an episode. It is a love it or hate it cult show.

Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959)

One of My Favorites

[9/10 · 21 February 2006]

I watched this movie every St. Patrick's Day when I was a kid. Even now I still love this movie. The plot has always fascinated me. It is about an elderly man obsessed with capturing a leprechaun. This is a very good film for the whole family. It was even better for me when got a little older and started watching The Hunt for Red October and the early James Bond films knowing that Sean Connery was in one of my favorite Disney movies. This movie is definitely worth paying a few bucks to see this movie with your kids. It is a continuous tradition. Your children will be able to show this to their children and talk about how they had so much fun watching it with their parents. It is a movie from when Disney was good.

The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

Disney's Finest

[10/10 · 21 February 2006]

Growing up, I watched a lot of Disney films, as most of us did. Though, even as a child, none of their movies really satisfied me. I thought the story was creative but that was all there was to push the movie along. I thought the music was so-so and the characters the same in each film. (With the exception of Scar.) Then while I was flipping through channels one day, I caught a glimpse of The Great Mouse Detective. I originally thought "Oh no, not another stupid Disney movie." I will admit the only reason I saw this movie at all was because of Vincent Price and Henry Mancini. Well one night I sat down and watched it and discovered this was the best Disney movie I had seen.

The plot is simple enough for children to understand, yet an adult could easily sit through it. The music and acting is the best I've seen a in Disney film since Pirates of the Caribbean. Basil is the most human Disney hero I have ever seen because of his almost tepid behavior and yet can spring into action at the sound of Ratigan's name. It is also a milestone in film making being the first to use C.G. in an animated film. The villain is, for once, interesting. Vincent Price really brought this character to life and I rate Ratigan as one of the greatest villains in film history. And the lack of songs helps the flow of the movie. I rate it a 10 out of 10.