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REVIEW: WRECK-IT RALPH

  Disney Animation Studios releases it's 52nd film, Wreck-It Ralph, a tribute to videogames, telling the story of a bad guy who wants to prove he can be a good guy.

  The amount of visual styles seen throughout the film is simply amazing, from the more jerky movements of the 8-bit characters, to the more cartoony movements of "Sugar Rush" this film is a treat to watch. Disney clearly must have pushed the animators to their hardest, the accomplishments of the animation is simply astounding. The world of "Sugar Rush", a candy kart racer, is the most appealing to look at, mostly because everything looks as delicious as possible. "Hero's Duty", a shooter game within the film, is no slouch in the animation department either, the dark world feels perfect for a modern day shooter, it's almost too perfect in conveying how shooter games look like. Going back to the movement of the film, the animators really show that their videogame studies worked, the characters move exactly as one would expect they would in high definition graphics, the nicelanders (characters of the game Ralph works in) move very stiff, in contrast to the inhabitants of either "Sugar Rush" and "Hero's Duty", while Ralph and Felix both move somewhere in between because they are the major characters of the game their in, making them have more movement animation, compared to the background characters of their game.

     The main draw to the film was of course it's cameos, there are plentiful for gamers, but thankfully it never takes away from the fantastic story the film has. The film is at it's core a story of learning what a true hero is, rather than what in videogame terms (earning medals) has it being, Ralph isn't a hero for getting a medal like his coworker, he's a hero for learning to help those with bigger issues than his own. In the film Ralph undergoes a change of heart when he meets Vanellope, a character facing a similar predicament of not being appreciated by the characters of her world. The heart of the film is that, a pair of misfits trying to find acceptance from their peers, it's touching, in fact it's one of the most touching seen from the studio in a long time. One of the other great things of the film's story is how well information is revealed to the audience, keeping to it a sense of mystery for the viewer. "Ralph" finds its way of incorporating the game feeling well in the movie, right down to even having a big boss-esque final fight.

   Wreck-It Ralph, it's easily the best animated film of the year, as well as the best film centering videogames ever made, the characters are great, the animation is great, the actors, story, settings, everything is great. Watch it in theaters.

BONUS REVIEW

 The film opened to a short film titled Paperman

  It's a beautiful short, combining Drawn and computerized animation, creating for a great, and interesting film to look at. The film focuses on a man who meets a woman, he falls in love and tries to use paper planes to get her attention, keyword TRIES. It's great how well it's told visually and deserves a nomination in the least for the studio at the Oscars. This is something one will definitely not want to miss out on.

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REVIEW: The Adventures of Prince Achmed

Having the distinction of being the first animated feature, "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" has a lot to offer for film history. The fact that it has quality to it to back it up is in itself, impressive. Silhouette animation, the film is comprised of it all throughout. It's an impressive technique to look at, especially for those who truly love animation, though it is noticeable that it is one that is hard to work with. The filmmakers behind this clearly knew how to use it in a way that made it stunning to look at, there is a high amount of detail in the settings, the people making it, must have gone crazy throughout it, it is that impressive. The character designs are well done enough to differentiate the characters enough to know who is who most of the time, unfortunately, there are certain sequences where it goes so quick, or gets to crowded that it becomes confusing, though it never gets beyond a minor issue. "Achmed's" pacing never goes bad, but it does at times feel like ten more minutes would have helped it. It has a simple story, evil magician messes with prince prince must save day, prince falls in love, and finally prince wins, it is pretty predictable, but it is still good for a fun time, as well as just to look at this rarely used animation technique. "The Adventures of Prince Achmed" is a fun little piece of film and animation history, though it may not be too interesting for those who are not a fan of animation.

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REVIEW:FRANKENWEENIE

    Tim Burton, returns to stop motion, and a classic short, in this full length film remake, Frankenweenie,  proving his talent is not gone.

     Stop motion has always been an interesting piece of animation, there is just a simple charm that can be found with seeing something move, that is from the real world, and not just drawn, or computerized. Burton, went for some really interesting choices for the character models, practically every character is reminiscent of something from the horror films of yesteryear, the most standout models though, are the monsters that appear in the second half of the film, without ruining too much, children may get frightened at the delightfully entertaining, but of course creative monsters. The movement is perfectly done, making for a very fluid appearance in the characters.

    This film presents a great cast of voice actors, most noticeably is Martin Short, He provides the voice for three characters (Mr. Frankenstein, Mr Burgemeister, and Nassor) yet he is only noticeable as one, a great way of showing talent. Catherine O'Hara, also voices three characters (Mrs. Frankenstein, Weird Girl, and the Gym Teacher) she is more noticeable in each of her roles, but she still provides enough of a contrast in each to have a fun take with each character. Martin Landau, is incredibly fun in the film as Mr. Rzykruski, the science teacher who looks a lot like Vincent Price, he provides an interesting, if not humorous take on education, as well as how people view the education system. Leading the film is Charlie Tahan, as Victor Frankenstein, As a child actor, he does show talent, and does seem to understand how to get the right emotions, especially with the more emotional scenes in this film, it really does come through well.

    Simply put, this is Tim's finest film in years, perhaps it was the lack of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter (not bad actors, but they tend to be in Tim's weaker films), perhaps because it was based on one of his earlier shorts, making this a more personal film, whatever the case, it works. The story moves at a slow, yet fast pace, it never really feels like it ever skips any story beat, as well as provides just enough to understand what happens. It has a charm to it's simplicity in the story department, it's just a story of a kid who brings his dog back, and thats all it needs to be, what follows is a series of events, linked almost like a chain reaction of normal everyday (though strange) events, it finds it's own way of working as a feature film while not ruining what made the short fun.

    Frankenweenie, is good, sometimes horrific, fun, watch it.

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REVIEW:THE MUPPETS

"It's time to meet the Muppets" 

 In a time whenso many family films (especially the live action ones) have become a boring annoying waste comes "The Muppets" to save the day.

 As is a staple to the "Muppets" franchise this film features musical numbers. The songs here will be remembered by the children new to the characters as well as longtime fans, some, specifically "Pictures in My Head" and the redone "Rainbow Connection" and "Muppet Show Theme"  will even bring very emotional, tearful even, reactions from longtime fans. Of course there are the hilarious ones, "Let's Talk about me" sung by villain Tex Richman will have you rolling and surprised the second it appears.

 The puppetry is spectacularly done and hopefully will lead to more people using puppets again. The film is nicely shot and will make you believe this characters are truly alive rather than just puppets. It's look will instantly remind fans of the first three movies which is perfect.

 The characters here are all great as they should be, these are the Muppets you grew up watching, just as lovable as ever. New Muppet Walter will entertain you in every scene he's in (even if he's likely to appear rarely in the future but who knows) he's funny and charming. Jason Segal plays he's brother Gary, with Amy Adams as Mary, Gary's girlfriend, they're fun and are probably the best humans to have ever appeared in any Muppet film. The cameos are fun to spot as always, though the one that may stand out the most is Jack Black as himself in a hilarious parody of himself. Chris Cooper is great as the villain and will have you laughing "maniacal laugh" you'd love him as much as you'll hate him.

 The worlds biggest Muppet fan must help "The Muppets" save their old stage from a greedy oil baron. It's plot is silly and the characters even more so but what else would one want from these characters. It's great for everyone and it's story never stops the audience from smiling.

 "The Muppets" are back, they've been missed but it's time to show other family films (mainly the live action ones)  how it's done. This is a must see.

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REVIEW: THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN

The Adventures of Tintin, originally a comic that began in the late 1920's, created by Herge, had multiple  film adaptations in the past, all of which the creator did not like. 1981 comes around and Steven Spielberg  releases the huge hit Raiders of The Lost Ark, a movie that some compared to Tintin's adventures which would lead to Spielberg becoming a huge fan of the comics, seeing it as Indiana Jones, but for kids. At around the same time as Spielberg's fascination grew, so did Herge's, who was in turn becoming a huge fan of Spielberg feeling he was the only man who could do his character any justice. Sometime after Herge had passed away in 1983, his wife gave Spielberg rights for the film as he had intended, so it was time for the film to get made. Sadly the film would become a struggle to make as it underwent script problems, the films rights left Spielberg, later returned and so on. Nearly thirty years after, it finally has appeared on the big screen so it's time to see how Spielberg did with help from the likes of Peter Jackson(director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Edgar Wright(director and writer of Shaun of the Dead) to name a few.

  To start with, the motion capture is great in this film, many have had their problems with it in the past, but without a doubt this film features the best that has been put out so far. The characters do not look dead eyed and better yet, look like good representations of their comic counterparts. The design of the world, brought to life by Weta Digital, is very realistic without losing it's CGI look, which adds more interest for the world. The way the film is edited also provides some interesting effects, at times adding a sense of wonder to the story. The best in the film's visuals though is in fact the action, featuring what can easily be considered the years best action sequences, always leaving surprises as it escalades int he violence and tension.

  The film stars Jamie Bell as the titular character Tintin, an optimistic reporter always hot on the tracks of an interesting story, Bell is fun as the character, capturing what made him lovable in the original comics so well. Andy Serkis as the fun but alcoholic Captain Haddock, he steals nearly every scene he's in with his great quotes and even greater personality that makes him stand out without taking all interest for the lead, in fact he makes Tintin that much greater when paired up. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are hilarious as the bumbling Thomson and Thompson, detectives that are nearly identical, so much so it's hard to tell them apart,  they provide fun lines, but even funnier slapstick that just adds to the lovable cast.Daniel Craig is great as the films antagonist Sakharine, he's a real monster to the heroes and it's hard not to love him in the role as much as hate him for what he's doing. Snowy rounds out the last of the lead characters, Tintin's faithful and cute dog that always will provide a smile to the faces of the audience.

  The film's writing is very well done, providing a lot of great lines, be they comedic or uplifting or menacing. Borrowing from three comics(The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn, and Red Rackham's Treasure) the film finds it's way in telling the stories so well that it becomes it's own story and is all the more interesting for the choice. It's pacing is fast, but it's perfect for the story considering it wants to be a fun adventure film which it succeeds in doing so. Some elements in the story may get a little dark for the younger viewers but it will not go too  far that it becomes a problem for them to follow.

 The Adventures of Tintin harkens back to Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark in a great way, fun and serious without ever losing it's audience in either one. It's a must see for fans of Spielberg, adventure fans, and for the kid in everyone.

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REVIEW: THE LAND BEFORE TIME

A classic Don Bluth film from the 80's, one that many would say was far superior and more like a Walt Disney film, than the Disney animated film it went up against, Oliver & Company, with that much in mind this film has to be a great animated film. Along with that reception, both Steven Spielberg  and George Lucas produced this, something that for most people would sound like an instant classic, unfortunately a lot of scenes were cut with their involvement to tone it down and make the film "kid" friendly, resulting in what was originally an 80 minute plus film to be a mere 69 minutes. Knowing all this, the film probably won't hold up much like it once did.   First up, this animation is amazing, granted the coloring is not too amazing when compared to the rival animated film of it's year, but this still holds up really well. The character models are great, possibly the best animated designs for dinosaurs in any film, the movement is perfect, it really captures a dinosaur like feel so well. The film really provides some nice contrasts in the animation, coming off cute at times, moving to beautiful, and finally bringing some really tense moments. It really brings out the effort Bluth's animators put behind this.

Cute ain't he?    Considering a majority of the main cast here were children during the production, most would believe that the voice acting would be terrible. Littlefoot the films lead, is voiced by Gabriel Damon, he voices the character in a way that comes off like a child, but without being bland, there's some enjoyment in hearing him without ever coming off as unrealistic. Candace Hutson plays Cera, the stubborn child of the bunch, which thanks to the voice actress still comes off likable. Judith Barsi, is sweet as the cute Ducky, while Spike(not voiced by anyone) is hilarious when paired with her. Will Ryan (the only actor who was an adult at the time of voicing his character amongst the main cast) voices the strange but fun Petrie who probably steals every scene he's in. There's many dinosaurs here, but regardless of the amount of different types really doesn't matter much because of how fun it is to watch them. A happy little gang that is each memorable and fun to watch.   The film's story is a really simple, yet very emotional, it's hard not to tear up at least once throughout the film. After a cataclysmic event, five young dinosaurs must find their families with only the aid of each other. It is a very simple story, but the amount of obstacles the kids must go through, racial undertones, there is a lot more complexity here when one thinks, but it will never get too far that it will become hard to watch for a kid. It certainly shows an understanding that the film wasn't meant for kids it was meant for everyone. People get your tissues   The Land Before Time not only aged well but it probably got far better with time even if it was cut short, definitely a must watch.

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REVIEW:UNFORGIVEN

     Clint Eastwood, director of Unforgiven (1992) was born May 31st 1930, his acting career began in 1955 in B-films. Nearly giving up the career for only receiving uncredited bit parts, he finally got his big break with the series Rawhide(1959), shortly after he began getting more success with Spaghetti-Westerns, most noticeably “The Man with No Name” Trilogy. In 1971, Eastwood took another major step in becoming who he is today. Eastwood directed his first film Play Misty For Me(1971) which started a long career for the man; his potential was fully realized with Unforgiven, which had garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Actor (for Eastwood) as well as winning Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture (both went to Eastwood) showing the respect for the masterpiece he crafted. His career continues to this day with ups and downs, but nonetheless he still shows why he's such a beloved and huge star, as well as still showcasing his strengths as a director.

Scott- Msa0510@mail.ecu.edu. "Clint Eastwood - Biography." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000142/bio>.

       Unforgiven is a very notable film for critics and audiences alike for bringing a classic feel from the Western genre, while still breaking some of the traits of it. According to Andrew & Gina Macdonald, who wrote an article for the film in the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers what made the film stand out was having it return to the Western genre's “moral and thematic roots...” while adding some twists in terms of actions or reactions, or even personality’s to make it fresh and possible to continue with the aged genre for future generations. Cliches are repeated, but with fresh takes to it, adding a realistic feel to the fiction expected from the genre, as well as changing audiences perceptions on these character types. Eastwood himself even portrays this by showing the audience how much has past for his character's glory days as he appears as a man domesticated and no longer much of the gun-shooter as he once was.

Macdonald, Andrew and Gina. "Unforgiven." International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. 4th ed. Vol. 1: Films. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000. 1261-1263. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 30 Nov. 2011.

   Unforgiven is a true classic to it's genre and film in general, deserving all the praise it gets if not more. The film truly stands out because of everything it gets right, from the design of the sets, the way the film is shot and above all else the performances. It's a film that stood out upon release nearly two decades ago, and stands out today.

    The film looks like an authentic Western, Unforgiven provides a look to the film that feels almost like the film was actually shot in the time period presented within the film. The way the towns and farmhouses are built look very authentic, it's amazing to look at the amount of effort put into making the film appear as the old west. Everything in the film showcases a masterwork of visual appearance to make it feel like a society that can go from calm and peaceful to violent within a second, giving a feel of intensity being around even when little appears to be going on. What makes the design of the sets work so well, is how much attention to detail was placed on the environments and the locals to make a believable world.

    The impressive features of Unforgiven are also showcased by the way it was film, having subtle tidbits placed to let the audience know about the characters without flat out saying it. Clint Eastwood shows he's a beaten down man way past his old ways without having to say it, the imagery of him struggling to shoot perfectly or struggling to even get on his horse are enough to show he's not the man he once was, he's retired and long past those better days. Characters reactions in fear of seeing Eastwood throughout the film are enough to tell you who he once was. Even right down to other characters movements in these scenes, or various others that don't even feature Eastwood tell you much more about them, by showing how cowardly they react to having him or Gene Hackman around, both appearing as threats by the way they act.

The performances are probably where Unforgiven shines the most. The film uses it's cast in a very wise manner to tell the story, but what makes them truly stand out is how much effort the lead actors put into bringing their characters to life. No actor squanders their performance and each showcase why the film is considered to be a classic.

      Clint Eastwood himself leads, he not only shows his strengths as an actor but also portrays the character Will Munny so will. Watching his performance not only feels like watching all his previous Western performances, but also Western protagonists all rolled into this one character who is so interesting to watch, even a little heartbreaking to see him in what is pretty much a weakened state. What really makes him likable is how much is shown to make the audience care for him, even if he's done wrong in the past, it's hard to hate the character no matter how much is known about his past. Eastwood also shows an interesting amount of characterization by how Will reacts upon hearing sad news of his friend Ned Logan (played by Morgan Freeman very well), his reaction and non-verbal response shows how well a performance can be while also illustrating an interesting choice writing for the film.

  On the other side, Gene Hackman portrays antagonist Little Bill Daggett providing an interesting, yet menacing performance. What makes the character great is that when taking a step back, one thing that comes to mind is that although he may be an antagonist, he illustrates a character that in realistic terms, would probably be the person the audience would support. Gene plays the part in way that is likeable, and someone who'd be great to have a conversation with, though once something steps out of line he becomes a harsh menace who could very well beat someone to death, though surprisingly through his performance, and the way his character is written it's hard to truly hate him. Little Bill is a lawman who's just trying to do his job, and the law he upholds the most isn't even a bad one, though because of sometimes getting too assertive with it is what makes him a monster, he's not an evil man, just one written so well it almost feels hard to say otherwise without thought.

   Unforgiven shines with it's performances from the lead actors, the writing, the story, the sets, everything, it almost feels impossible to find an area where it fails. It's understandable why it was praised upon it's release, and why it's still held in high regard nearly two decades after. Clint Eastwood truly shows his skills as an actor and a director.

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REVIEW: STAR WARS THE CLONE WARS

    In this animated film the audience learns of the start of adventures in that took place between Episode II and III. With no one surprised, this film was hated amongst many fans, even including the ones that didn't hate the prequels as much as everyone else. This obviously won't be a good one, then again some audience members can be picky.     The animation here is amazing... if compared to a Television production... unfortunately this was placed in the big screen. When looked at films on the big screen this barely passes as okay, which is a major problem considering that if intended for a big screen release the people should have put as much effort as possible. The film is presented almost as if the people in charge just said, "well it's Star Wars, it will sell, lets just leave it as barely passable and nothing more. Admittedly Star Wars: The Clone Wars does in fact have some nice uses of angles for certain action scenes but it won't give much for the audience to like. Lastly on the animation, the animation on the action is less than amazing, less than great, less than good, the action is a huge step backward from previous films, sure the angles are nice at times as previously mentioned but the fights themselves are just unmemorable.

     There is no bigger weakness in here than the story, sure the dialogue is terrible, but it is nowhere near as bad as the story in this film. The story is all over, plot lines are resolved so quickly it almost feels like separate episodes strung together. In fact given the length, the quality and so on, it'd be no surprise if this was originally intended to be a T.V. pilot movie for the show that was placed on the big screen to further fund the show. The plot is nothing satisfying, just a bunch of ideas put together to tease a show.    It's a terrible film, when Star Wars: The Clone Wars was announced for the big screen most were not interested, the expectations were fully met, skip this garbage. Watch this instead.

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REVIEW: HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA

    SONY PICTURES ANIMATION PRESENTS HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA. IS THIS A FAILED FILM, OR IS THIS HOTEL TRULY WORTH THE PRICE?

   Hotel Transylvania, marks the first feature film to be directed by animator Genndy Tartakovsky, prior to this Tartakovsky, has been responsible for the creation of critically acclaimed Cartoon Network shows  (Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Sym-Bionic Titan). In his feature debut, Genndy, once again proves his understanding of making entertaining animation for both children and adults.

  The animation is great, comical, and quite possibly one of the best to date for a CG animated film, this film really captures the zany antics of short features from yesteryear, the stretchiness, the fast pace of the characters, everything is captured really well. The animation feels like a true recreation of Tex Avery/classic Looney Tunes shorts, this sets a standard for future CG films attempting to capture a 2D look. The character designs are also worth mentioning, every one of the film's characters have a simplistic look, yet provides some of the most adorable, and stand out designs for the monsters in years; even The Invisible Man (played by David Spade) who mostly appears with only sunglasses on, stands out by simply employing the Tartakovsky trademarked "glasses change to reflect mood" style.

  The cast in this film may seem like a turn off, yet surprisingly upon watching the film becomes another one of it's strong points, one would expect this to never be a case with The Sandler regulars, yet any other voices for these characters might've killed the quality. Adam Sandler leads the ensemble as Dracula, providing his best performance in years, as the film goes on, one forgets that fact and moves along with the lovable host of the hotel, who here is desperate to keep his daughter Mavis (voiced by Selena Gomez, also her best performance, though possibly just that) from interacting with humans. The monsters show up of course in this hotel/haven to get away from humans, most noticeably the Invisible Man, Frankenstein (voice of Kevin James) his bride (voice of Fran Drescher), Werewolves, Wayne (voice Steve Buscemi) and Wanda (voice of Molly Shannon), and finally, Murray the Mummy (voice of Cee Lo Green), but their very nature comes to a cataclysmic danger (well Dracula seems to think so) when a human, Jonathan (voice of Andy Samberg) finds this elusive hotel.

   What makes this film work from a story standpoint is just how much it's willing to embrace the simplicity, while also embracing it's characters and overall silly tone. As the director put it "not all animated films need to be like Pixar"; this film opted for a classic cartoon approach and fully commits to it, providing what feels like a fresh experience due to the lack of animated films that have used the Tex Avery/ Looney Tunes approach in films as of late. It's the standard tale of a father needing to accept his daughter growing up and finding love, yet manages to throw a lot of old cliches out the window, or freshen them up enough to create a very entertaining comedy, the old school comedic style feels new once more. Genndy Tartakovsky proves he has talent for full length films, making his upcoming Popeye,even more intriguing to wait for.

  Hotel Transylvania, may not be the deepest, most complex film in animation, but it is definitely one of the most fun all year, watch it.

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Student film

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13, still an unlucky number. "Brave" Disney, Pixar's 13th film proves to be the studio's weakest film to date, filled with moments that one can see coming from a mile away, while also providing a film that seriously needed rewrites. As always, Pixar creates a beautifully animated film, providing an area new for the studio, yet old to some of it's rivals, a medieval setting. The studio manages to find ways to make the scenery look so fresh it can make one forget about other animated films that have used forests, castles, and such, it truly is that amazing to look at. The character designs also deserve praise, in fact if there's one reason why the main character will be hard to forget is because of her hair which truly stands out, it's mentioned that to create this the animators at Pixar had to create two new animation software, whatever was spent was truly worth it. "Brave" has a great cast that further prove that the Oscars really need to create categories for voice acting performances. The film's lead, Merida is voiced by Kelly Macdonald, and while the character is admittedly a weak lead considering her main goal is avoiding marriage, nothing new and at times she comes off as a bit of whiner; it's hard to truly hate her because Kelly is just that wonderful in here. Opposite to her is Queen Elinor her mother, voiced by the likable Emma Thompson, who in here is meant to start off unlikable as she controls every aspect of Merida's life, yet oddly enough she still comes off very likable from start to finish with her attitude that ironically, goes against tradition (while still supporting it) since she tends to have more control over the people of the kingdom than Merida's own father. Billy Connolly steals the show as King Fergus, providing a fresh take on kings who are in films where the princess doesn't want to get married to some man she never met, he actually seems to support his daughter on avoiding marriage and even allows the use of weapons; the man is as fun as a father can be as well as a character can be. Merida isn't an only child, adorable triplet brothers join in on the fun, though sadly there are multiple times where they provide little reason to have gone past the films first draft. This is a fairytale film that oddly enough, feels like was originally a story that went through a lazy Disneyfication, not bad, just lazy with potential. The film at times tries to go for a Miyazaki like approach to the story, but sadly reverts to lazy mess. While the first 30-40 minutes provide interesting story elements, the film slowly starts to have pacing issues as certain lessons and moments either come to early, late or just drag. Unlike previous Pixar films, this is filled with moments that just have the viewer asking why certain scenes weren't switched around to provide bigger obstacles or depth, someone at Pixar really should have looked closer at this script, rewrites were definitely lacking. "Brave" is a tough sell for many people, some kids may like it, some adults may like it, but without a doubt there are too many bits of storytelling that will seem of lesser, or lazier quality.

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(OLD) CARS 2 REVIEW

Cars 2 now the infamous first rotten Pixar film, but is it truly? The film has a wonderful score provided by Michael Giacchino, who once again proves he is the best composer for Pixar with this film's spy like score. It meshes so well with the film it almost feels like the movie was made for it rather than the music made for the movie. The score is easily one of the finest if not the finest for the year, and really deserves a lot of recognition when awards season comes. As far as Pixar animation goes the animation here is great and better than most animated films to this date. Any and every thing that can reflect does, and it does greatly. The action is animated greatly as well , the explosions look great and almost makes one wish that most live action explosions looked as good these. The attention to detail on the scenery here is great, the roads look like real roads, and it's always fun to see settings changed to look more like a vehicle. The other vehicles in this film (a major difference from the original, a lot more varying vehicles like planes and boats) all have a lot of detail that shows that the animators focused on more than just the cars details. Larry the Cable Guy takes lead this time as Mater an innocent though idiotic tow truck, It's hard to imagine another voicing the lovable character, so it's hard to hate him, unless one can't stand Larry enough to a point that anything he's in is automatically bad; if one is open minded and can put aside their hate for him here you might enjoy him, especially since Mater is Pixar's Goofy (make Goofy a truck and and give him a redneck accent and try to say otherwise) so there is a lot that works here. Owen Wilson star of the original returns as Lightning McQueen, he does a great job and provides a lot of what will keep the plot moving, and provide reason for the films message of friendship and accepting oneself for who they are. Finn McMissile is the films main spy and steals the show; it's almost like watching a James Bond car mixed with a Batmobile brought to life, voiced by film spy veteran and current Alfred for the Caped Crusader Michael Caine brilliantly. Emily Mortimer plays the female spy, who is new to being a field agent Holly Shiftwell, she plays the part well enough but is not given enough to make her one of the most standout characters, aside from having some great scenes where the character uses her gadgets. Comedian Eddie Izzard plays former oil baron and electric car Sir Miles Axlerod, the part is played well and does have it's fun moments, but again not much is given to be great. The films antagonist Professor Zundapp is awesome, it's almost like they ripped a Bond villain from one of the films and made him into a tiny but menacing car, voiced by Thomas Kretschmann greatly, almost every line and scene with this character makes one wonder how this film still passed with a G rating especially after every time he mentions killing another character and such. The rest of the supporting cast from Radiator Springs in the original returns except for Doc Hudson voiced by the Legendary Paul Newman, who's honored in this film by having a moment of silence for his death during this films production, George Carlin who also died during the films production, but unlike Doc, his character returns the hippie Fillmore now voiced well enough by Lloyd Sherr. The supporting cast works and there is a lot of fun to be had with John Turturro as Francesco Bernoulli and Bruce Campbell's cameo as the American spy among others. Mater just wants some time with his extremely busy best friend Lightning McQueen, he's a true friend through and through but that works against Lightning when Mater starts an argument with another racecar, leading the two to go around the world with Lightning being in a race that will take place in Tokyo, Porto Corsa, and London; all might seem safe, that is until Mater gets involved in a conspiracy involving the race after being mistaken for a spy. While the original was not terrible, it's major flaw was having about 20 minutes of useless moments, here the film uses every moment to it's advantage so it never feels like it's as long as it predecessor, speeding through it's plot without ever feeling like much is missing. There's a lot to gain interest for here, it is a family movie that feels like a classic spy film (albeit a more comical one), something that hasn't been done for many family films much recently (Spy Kids and it's sequels hardly look and feel like spy films) it's not an emotional film for Pixar but that's not bad it's fun and worth watching, besides it's not like all past Pixar films were incredibly emotional, "A Bugs Life" comes to mind. As it's own it's definitely a fun spy film, that deserves more recognition to set a standard for future spy family films, and at times even spy films in general. Cars 2 may not be emotional, but thats not the point, so sit back with a fun action spy family film in mind and you'll more than likely enjoy.

[saicamfilms-blog1]

(old) Review of Batman:Mask of the Phantasm

Batman The Theatrical animated movie Based on the classic animated series.Originally meant for a straight to video release, this film became a theatrical feature in hopes of huge success, only to become a bomb, question is, was it a great one deserving of better. While not as beautiful as many Disney films, the film certainly has a style to it that looks great. It looks like an improved version of the show's animation without straying to far from the shows look and feel. The action is fun to look at, as well as puts action sequences from some of the live action films to shame. It's dark, it's grim, it truly is Batman. "Mask of the Phantasm", much like the show it's based on, has a fantastic score provided by Shirley Walker. It sounds dark, and even evangelic at times, so perfect for the Dark Knight. It's hard to find superhero films with scores like this one. Batman is played here by Kevin Conroy, who is a perfect match for Gotham's hero. Joker is at his best thanks the animators and the wonderful voice provided to him here by Mark Hamill. Andrea Beaumont is one of the best if not best love interests for Bruce Wayne, having a tough yet kind exterior, voiced by Dana Delany. The Phantasm is a great antagonist to the Bat, who is a vigilante as well(the identity will remain secret for those who haven't seen it of course) only the Phantasm goes much farther in bringing justice. The other cast of characters are great, whether they're from the show or not. Batman is being framed for murder and must clear his name while going deep into his past. The film runs at a short 76 minutes, yet does more with those minutes then any of the other films could ever do. It's dark, it features the best romance in any Batman film, it has great action, pacing, scenes, it truly is underrated. None of the movies have ever come as close as being this great, and they might not ever will. "Batman:Mask of the Phantasm" isn't just a great theatrical Batman film, it's the best.

[saicamfilms-blog1]

The Wrong Games Get the Movies

A well known fact among film buffs and gamers, is that VIDEO GAME MOVIES SUCK! Well to be fair, some are ok, but mostly because of the sheer fun of how campy, say, Mortal Kombat is. Truth be told though none of the movies based on video games have ever been anything beyond decent, perhaps it's the directors, perhaps the studios ruin it, or maybe just maybe the wrong games are getting made into movies.

Look at which games have gotten big budget films, chances are most of them are FIGHTING GAMES, GAMES THAT HAVE LITTLE TO NO STORY! Yes some of them are decent, but how can one expect a great film from something that has little to no story? Even the ones that are not based on fighting games are based on things with not so great stories (looking at you Super Mario Bros.)  so of course there hasn't been many great video game films. Sure one may argue that even not so great stories could lead to great films, BUT it'd be much better to get into those that are great to inspire filmmakers to try harder on the lesser quality stories.

So to finally get to the point of this, Movie studios, why don't you try to adapt games with great, or even good stories built in? It'd be easier than constantly trying games with little to no story, Imagine it, Chrono Trigger, the first great video game movie. Imagine it, Bioshock, Portal, Legend Of Zelda, Metroid, Kirby, even the Mario & Luigi games as films because studios realize all of those have either a lot of story, or enough mythos to create, charming, adorable stories (Kirby and Mario & Luigi), deep, thought provoking stories (Portal and Bioshock), or amazing adventures in strange new worlds (Legend of Zelda and Metroid) instead Hollywood opts to go for games that have never had much of story or mythos to the characters that it becomes no surprise that video game movies have not gone far.

Now certainly a great source material doesn't ensure a great movie, but be honest what has the higher chance of being great? Chrono Trigger? or Street Fighter? How about some cartoon examples?  Samurai Jack? or Dragon Ball Z? The story with an actual plot, or just some random beat em up with a vague sense of story? It should be obvious. 

Hollywood, various other studios, let movies based on video games be based on games with stories, more are needed.

[saicamfilms-blog1]

A goofy horror short shot on the 3ds

[saicamfilms-blog1]

Was the quality ever there?

Let's be honest here, within every medium of entertainment, quality has always been lacking, ALL OF THEM. True their are always masterpieces in each genre, but in how many of them can one honestly say that there is more good than bad? No matter what, every form of art has been filled with lousy knockoffs, or just lousy qualities, it's how it is, it won't be changed now, because it never changed then.

It's easy for someone to say that the past had quality in it because truth is, we only remember the quality of the past, sure some bad stuff comes to mind, but only those with quality to it will be remembered in the long run by most people. Crap "talent" is abundant, always has been, but is it fair to punish it all just because there's more bad? NO! There will always be some good, even if it's harder to find in books, music, etc. the great is there if people would take more time looking for that rather than complaining about what sucks, or what they think is the problem. Now in all honesty, no one can help but complain about what sucks, but, that shouldn't cloud one's judgement of what works or doesn't. The common blame for all terrible work is lack of originality, but there's just one thing, NOTHING FOR AS LONG AS HUMANITY REMEMBERS EVER WAS! sequels, adaptations, remakes, reboots, hell even ripoffs aren't the problem (though the last one can commonly present a problem) the problem can be simply put as IT SUCKS! Now to further explain using the simplest logic around, there have been great sequels, great adaptations, great remakes/reboots, and yes at times even great ripoffs (Deadpool anyone?); yet in many cases there are also "original" pieces of work that are just plain bad, Plan 9 From Outer Space , everyone is looking at you. 

So why do these things suck? lack of attention, money, care, or all around because it is only meant to make money from what the execs believe will help keep their business afloat. The world works based on money, as such studios will commonly put out works that may not be good but will sell to today's demographic just to stay in business. Is this a bad thing? yes and shockingly no, yes because it infuriates the masses, or at least some of them, to see poorly done pieces of work, no because it helps keep businesses in business, resulting in the quality works to get out there, so as much as one hates to admit, the crap does in ways help the good to appear, so as much as one can complain (and this writer does from time to time) it is necessary for the good to continue. Another way to view this lack of quality, is that it makes the good appear that much better.

The next time a crappy remake, or sequel, or etc. pops out just stop and think, "does it suck because it is just that? or because the quality isn't there?" chances are one will come to realize it's not so bad, not by one bit, unless it is bad, in which case all of this will be forgotten.

[saicamfilms-blog1]

My first student film, dealing with what else? the world ending.