Mr. Peabody and Sherman

It's never easy translating classic 60s shows to today's standards, especially when it comes to just how much people were willing to accept in the old days compared to today. A good example of this is the segment of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends known as Peabody's Improbable History, featuring an astonishingly intelligent dog who invents a time machine and travels back in time, the constant joke being that history had been completely out of place and that the dog, Peabody, was the one to put it in its rightful place. The cartoon is amusing and has a classic element, but it existed in an era when people were easily willing to buy into just about anything as long as it was entertaining, but these days, even in the realms of family animation, it would take a little more effort to entertain audiences. Luckily, I'm here to tell you that Dreamworks' re-interpretation of the show repairs some of the faults the show would have by today's standards while still maintaining a lot of what made the original show amusing.

The film follows Mr. Peabody, played here by Ty Burrell, who goes over his backstory; he's a uniquely intelligent dog who never got adopted and instead sought out his own ambitions, taking interests in athletics, culture, and many other studies. Upon finishing graduate school, he adopts a boy whom he calls Sherman, played by Max Charles, and creates many unique inventions, including his time machine, titled the Wayback. Cut to Sherman's first day of school, where he has a hard time fitting in, having particular conflicts with a young girl named Penny, played by Ariel Winter. After a fight ensues, Peabody is about to have his parental rights taken away, but he insists that he gets another chance and invites the principal of the school to do an inspection, as well as invites Penny and her parents to dinner, to prove himself worthy. However, Sherman eventually finds that the only way to make amends with Penny is to show her the Wayback and take her time traveling. From here, many events of turmoil ensue that take Peabody and Sherman to Ancient Egypt, the Renaissance era, and the era of the Roman Empire.

Unlike the show, which just threw in constant mishaps in world history just for comedic reasons, this flick has a little more consistency to it. Peabody and Sherman mainly just use the Wayback to visit the time periods and call it a day, but whatever mishaps occur mainly occur due to Sherman's actions (and occasionally Penny's actions as well), and it's up to Peabody to pull them out of the scenarios. It's a classic formula that's been done to death, but it works mostly because of how astonishing it is to see just how quickly Peabody can formulate his solution. Granted, it's a little odd how obvious of cartoon characters these historical figures have become, but that's more on the level of what people are willing to accept these days for the sake of entertainment compared to the 60s.

The animation accurately converts the classic drawing style of 60s animation to the standard CG animation of today. The shapes and movements of the actors are smooth and curvy, while the color palette is bright and colorful, but it still looks like a 3D model. Speaking of which, the 3D is very well-rendered as well, though with the exception of the time travel scenes, which look phenomenal, there's really nothing that separates it from just about every other 3D animated movie these days.

One thing that keeps this film amusing is the voice performances. Ty Burrell is so good in this role that I had to double check just to make sure that Bill Scott didn't rise from the grave and put this together. Many of the supporting actors, including Patrick Warburton, Tom McGrath, and Mel Brooks get many laughs as well. Even Ariel Winter is amusingly tough and ambitious in her role as Penny. The only problem I have is with Max Charles as Sherman. He's a kid, so I shouldn't be too hard on him, but if Walter Tetley can pull together what seems like a boy's voice in the original show, so can a lot of other adult voice actors in this era too.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman is not a perfect movie; some might not be able to adjust to the changes made to the story, and child actors are.... well, child actors.... but it makes just the right changes to work in today's era while staying true to what made the original cartoon work. The film's been out for a week already, but if you haven't checked it out, definitely do so.

This movie is worth $14.

C.M. Waters' Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2013

If 2012 was meant to be the end of the world, 2013, evidently, is the start of a new generation. 2013 has been quite the year for controversies, and this is the first time since at least 2007 that I have chosen to take the positive side on many of said controversies, which is my way of saying that you may not like some of the choices on this list. I will try everything that I can to elaborate on my choices, but in the long run, you either agree with my opinion or you don't. Life is like that sometimes. I must also point out that, even though I admittedly delayed this list just to catch up on some highly recommended picks, I still may have not seen every choice there is (including World War Z and Dallas Buyers Club). With all that said, let's take a peek at my Top 10 favorite movies of 2013.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) Review

Martin Scorsese is one of those directors that's often times dubbed as a gem in American cinema. He's made it clear before that he has a strong, passionate connection with filmmaking. For me personally, though, most of his work falls under the "good, but not great" category, with the only exceptions off the top of my head being Hugo, Taxi Driver, and Aviator (and Shutter Island, but let's stick to talking about GOOD movies). His most recent release, The Wolf of Wall Street, is probably his most ambitious project yet, which is unfortunately where the problem lies, as it takes the shock factor of ambition for granted, forgetting to hold up on focus as well as development of fully fleshed out characters. With that said, though, does it still hold up on that ambition (and the power of its stellar cast) alone?

Elysium (2013) Review

The biggest mistake any filmmaker can make is trying to recapture the success of a surprise hit without fully understanding what made it such a hit to begin with. Thus is the case with Neill Blomkamp, a relatively new director whose 2009 sci-fi release, District 9, became a hit with both audiences and critics. Therefore, it's only fair that he should get full range and a bigger budget on his next contender for audiences, Elysium. Unfortunately, this film fails to recapture the depth and compelling drama of District 9, holding so much flat and uninspiring material that it comes off as an entire cardboard cutout of a movie.

Pacific Rim (2013) Review

Pacific Rim is a case where even a simplistic idea as giant robots versus giant monsters can bring plenty to the table for all to enjoy. The very fact that this is the first blog I've written in months should be enough of an indication of that. In a generation where many blockbusters tend to throw in complex messages, excessive exposition, and "invincible" combating protagonists, Pacific Rim pushes all that aside, resulting in a fresh and exhilarating monster mash.

The story takes place in the near future, where the world is constantly being overrun by giant monsters from another dimension called the Kaiju, destroying several of the Earth's nations. Because of this, said nations ban together and put their resources into creating giant combat robots called the Jaegars. However, before too long, the Kaiju became more and more powerful with each encounter, demolishing each and every Jaegar along with its two pilots. Soon, the program stops receiving government sponsor. However, Commander Stacker Pentecost, played by Idris Elba, creates a resistance group that plans to blow up the bridge between the dimensions to prevent any more encounters. For this, he re-recruits an old pilot of his, Raleigh Becket, played by Charlie Hunnam, to choose a co-pilot and fight the Kaiju while his two comedic relief scientists (Charlie Day and Burn Gorman) figure out specifications for their plan to blow up the bridge.

Many critics have said that this movie is a case of style over substance. For me, this is more along the lines of the style creating the substance. In a fashion similar to Tim Burton's Batman, Pacific Rim tells most of its story visually rather than relying on explanations and exposition. There are a few lines of disclosure, but they're mostly there to tell us what visuals couldn't tell us. Other objectives (such as developing or giving personalities to the characters) are told through visual means (such as the actions or facial expressions of the characters). One reason I prefer this style is because it utilizes the elements of film much more. The main reason, though, is that this allows for more quotable, memorable dialogue, because the writers don't have to cram in so much needless explanation.

However, no giant monster movie is complete without some brawls, and to say this movie delivers in that department would be an understatement. The biggest mistake Hollywood producers tend to make with films like Man of Steel and Transformers: Dark of the Moon is thinking that we'll be alongside an "invincible" figure who cannot be stopped and therefore can just keep defeating bad guy after bad guy. Aside from the fact that the action scenes are often times bloated in such cases, the main problem with this is that there's never any suspense because we already know these fighters are unstoppable. Pacific Rim  takes its action in a new direction by making both the strengths and the weaknesses of the Kaiju and the Jaegars clear, allowing the audience to have a better idea of what's going on and how much longer the action will go on, while still throwing in several surprises to keep audiences on their toes. Not only that, but it also has an incredible attention to detail, utilizing close-ups, the occasional slow-motion, and some of the best sound mixing of our generation to show how and why one or the other is triumphant.

Some might consider this movie too simplistic, but I feel like that is part of its advantage. It doesn't rely on heavy messages or social commentary. The goal that this resistance has is abundantly clear; kill giant monsters and protect planet Earth. The only conflicts that go on throughout the film are within the characters themselves, but even those are resolved quickly because there's bigger things going on than holding on to anger, fear, and the lust for revenge. When you get right down to it, that's the message of the film; sometimes, you have to push aside the past and do what it takes to set things right in the world.

Whether you consider it a brilliant piece of storytelling or just a dumbed-down, simplistic thrill ride, Pacific Rim is a must-see. It's a fresh, ambitious blockbuster with its unique style of visual storytelling and attention-oriented action scenes that uses its simplistic concept to its full advantage. Don't even wait for it on Blu-Ray; it's too big to not be seen in theaters.

This movie is worth $20.

Frankenweenie (2012) Review

There was once a point where Tim Burton was considered a genius. His surreal Gothic style combined with his ability to visually tell his stories made many films such as Edward Scissorhands and his interpretation of Batman landmarks in cinema. However, in recent years, he's been losing his storytelling abilities and instead resorted to just showing off his style, even pushing the envelope with his style a few times. Many have called out Frankenweenie, the recent 3D stop-motion animation flick released under his name, to be a return of form for him. Sadly, I felt that this was just another load for the scrap pile.

Based off of a 1984 short under the same name, the movie follows Victor Frankenstein, a kid who lives with his parents and his dog, Sparky. His school's science fair is just around the corner, and he tries to get his parents to sign a permission slip for him to enter. However, his dad persuades him to push aside science and take up baseball. Through chasing after a home run Victor hits, Sparky ends up getting run over by a car and dies. However, Victor takes on the Frankenstein routine and brings his dog back to life by electrifying him. Once word of this gets out, many of the other kids in the neighborhood attempt to bring their pets back to life as well.

I'll start off by saying I did enjoy the first twenty minutes or so of this movie. Victor and Sparky have excellent chemistry together, and you can feel Victor's loneliness when Sparky is gone. I also like how the whole abstract, stand-alone kid plot point is established. A movie like Paranorman would usually try to make the protagonist surreal, but this movie makes Victor the only normal kid in his class, whereas all the other kids are surreal. I also like the suitably creepy animation style, even though it goes overboard to a point where it seems less like a Tim Burton film and more like satire of Tim Burton films.

However, once you get past the point where Victor brings the dog back to life.... Nothing really happens. Victor goes to school, Sparky ends up escaping the attic and starts roaming through the neighborhood, and the whole movie just turns into a montage of random events that have no relevance or meaning. The movie literally has no purpose of existence other than to show off cutesy images, and I really don't like it when a movie treats kids like that's all they ever want to see.

However, the biggest killer for me has to be the ending. I'll have to put up a SPOILER WARNING for this....

Through a pretty dull and forgettable climax, Sparky rescues the neighbor girl from a fire in a windmill, but fails to survive the building crashing down himself. Victor pulls him out of the ashes and hugs him once more. He's convinced that he's supposed to stay dead, and it seems like he finally has an understanding of the meaning of life and death. This seems like the end of a very well-made character arc. Then, the movie throws in one of the worst lines anyone could possibly throw into this situation; "Sometimes, grown-ups don't know what they're talking about." YEAH, CRAM THAT INTO YOUR KIDS' HEADS! So, the neighborhood gathers together a whole bunch of cars, hooks up a few jumper cables, and attempts to bring some electricity back into Sparky. They succeed, and the movie ends on a shot of Sparky's nose touching the nose of the neighbor dog.

Frankenweenie is just another example of why Tim Burton's not working out at this point. There's style, but there's no substance. The animation is well-made in its suitably creepy style, but the movie as a whole feels padded. It feels like the movie is having a hard time deciding on what it wants to do. The fact that this is the most appreciation Tim Burton's gotten in years just doesn't add up for me.

This movie is worth $3.

I'm back, followers!

I'm back and ready to return to my old game! To kick things off, I'll begin by writing some quick reviews of the movies I managed to see during some of my days off in my military training. This will be in the order in which I saw the movies, so don't get confused with that.

The Avengers - Brilliant movie that manages to live up to its hype. The script manages to capture the personalities of all the characters established in the previous movies, and the way they intertwine, for better or for worse, could not have been any better of an establishment. It was especially interesting for me to see this movie after my basic combat training, because at that point, I was afraid that my platoon was constantly falling apart as a team, but this movie made me realize what a team has to go through. One minute, Iron Man and Captain America are arguing about who's the better hero, but at the snap of a finger, trouble comes about and everyone works together to get things done, because they're smart enough to realize that their differences aren't as important as saving the world. I love the dialogue, I love Joss Whedon's slick directorial style, and I especially love Alan Silvestri's score. It's one of the best movies of the year, and one of the best superhero movies of all time. $20

The Dark Knight Rises - Not quite as good as The Dark Knight, but still a brilliant conclusion to the series. The way they incorporate Bane into Chris Nolan's realm of semi-reality (not to mention, obviously replacing the Joker in the role he was supposed to have before Ledger died) is really clever, and Tom Hardy's performance is surprisingly strong. Usually, he plays a charismatic jerk, but here, he pulls off the psychotic villain role really well. I also loved Anne Hathaway's charismatic performance as Selina Kyle, as well as the witty dialogue she's given. The plot is simultaneously dramatic and thrilling, dwelling into what Bruce Wayne should do with his life while also going through a plot that might ruin his legacy one way or another. Considering how bad third movies can get, this movie is a fantastic conclusion to a fantastic trilogy, even if it doesn't live up to some of Nolan's other work. $20

The Amazing Spider-Man - Probably the biggest surprise of this year since The Grey. It fails entirely as an adaptation, dwelling unbelievably far away from the source material to a point where it seems like an entirely different movie. However, at one point, I accepted the fact that it was something entirely different, because I find that, for the most part, it does work on its own merits. Andrew Garfield delivers a strong performance as Peter Parker, capturing the awkward, nerdy side of his character while also making him a believable hero. He's given this gift, and he manages to use it the right way. The build-up of his chemistry with Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey is also a lot of fun to watch, and I especially like how he's able to capture her heart before he reveals that he's a superhero. The CGI isn't the most impressive-looking effects in the world, but the visual style itself is slick and colorful. The only thing I would really complain about is that Dr. Connors' motivation for being evil makes no sense. In the comics, he didn't have a choice on when he turned into the Lizard or what he did when he transformed, and that made sense. Here, he's given the choice, and at first, he chooses to transform because he believes that humans are weak and that they can become stronger through his method, but without giving too much away, he just decides to come back to good for some unexplained reason. But aside from that, in the end, I did enjoy the movie, and I look forward to what they manage to do with their future sequels. $14

Act of Valor - Someone at my AIT bought this and kept playing it during our lock-downs, so I figured "Why not?" and immediately had my question answered. This movie is a mess of cliched writing, dull performances, and a sluggish and forced directorial style. What really ticks me off about this movie is that it was marketed as a realistic take on military life, utilizing real equipment, real weapons, and real situations. That's fantastic, except for one thing: We already have several interpretations just like that. What makes this movie so special? $1

Ted - You may not know this about me, but I hate Seth MacFarlane. Shows like Family Guy and American Dad are extravagant in style but rely too much on random, illogical pop culture references. This movie suffers from the same problem, except they also manage to take advantage of every clever joke that the admittedly intriguing premise suggests. For that reason, I did enjoy the movie. If MacFarlane utilized the personalities of his characters in more of his work like he did in this movie, I would give him a lot more credit. $12

Brave - In any other case, I would say something along the lines of "Come on, man, it's Pixar! You know it's pure genius!", but after Cars 2 last year, I've accepted the fact that no studio is perfect. With that said, Brave is a great movie; not quite on par with some of Pixar's other masterpieces, but still a great addition to their library. The morals concerning one's ability to dwell away from the common norm of society and make his (or her) own decisions are very well-established. Merida is not the most complex of the strong and independent Disney princesses, but an independent woman is an independent woman, and people who have read my reviews know that I LOOOOVE independent women. But at the same time, the movie's not just about women's rights either. It explores the whole idea of princes marrying princesses, getting towards the idea that essentially, men and women should be allowed to make their own decisions rather than being forced into the common system. The animation is very stylish, the score is breathtaking, and the creativity implemented throughout the movie is.... Well, creative. Pixar got back onto their feet in a heartbeat, and I look forward to their future work as usual. Wait, what's that? A sequel to Monsters Inc? F**k........ $16

The Expendables 2 - The only thing I can say about this movie is that if you like the idea of Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis, Norris, and all these other big action stars fighting in the same battle, this movie will live up to the hype. It has an energetic style to it and a lot of well-constructed and creative action scenes. Some might look at it as just repetitive shoot-em-ups, but while the actual deaths aren't all that creative, the things these people do while killing are a lot of fun to watch, like when they're riding a golf cart to shoot down some bad guys. Also, this movie pulls off the 2nd biggest cinematic accomplishment of the year (1st being superhero continuity) by bringing the Chuck Norris joke back to life. It's by no means a masterpiece, but it's a fun little action flick. Nothing more, nothing less. $13

Those are all the movies I managed to see over my military training. Now, I'll talk about some of the movies I saw after training.

Paranorman - Loved it. It's unpredictable, it's thrilling, the characters are a lot of fun, and the morals behind it are surprisingly deep. Throughout the movie, everyone's guilty of the same thing; doing and saying things that are wrong because they're scared; and the only way to fix that is if they all stop and think before they continue to act. Norman is a likable and relatable character in that he has this weird gift, but no one believes him about it because it's out of the common norm as well as scary. The animation captures a film noir style while also not being afraid to get weird, making it suitable for an animated horror flick. It ranks up as my favorite animated film of the year thus far, though to be fair, its only real competition so far has been Brave. $20

Lawless - There's not much to say about this movie. I can't say that I had any problems with it, but at the same time, there's nothing terribly interesting or memorable about it. I liked Tom Hardy in his role, but at the same time, it's a good example of the "charismatic jerk" role I was talking about before. Shia Labeouf also delivers a solid performance, but I feel that he's been getting too many action roles. I feel that he would be more suitable for comedy, but that's just me. The gritty western style is pretty generic, but well constructed nevertheless. $8

Premium Rush - Given the subject matter of a bike messenger trying to make a delivery, the only way this movie could be any more over-the-top is if it involved aliens. A bike messenger being entrusted with a ticket to make an illegal money transfer? I wouldn't even trust those guys with flowers for my mom! Not to mention, said messenger gets way too attached to that delivery. If I was told that it's against the law to make such a transfer, I would've handed that thing back in a heartbeat. Don't get me wrong, though; despite the movie being silly as hell, I still enjoyed it. The performances in this movie are likable (and as everybody knows, I cannot get enough of Gordon-Levitt), but the performance I enjoyed the most is Michael Shannon, only because he's so over-the-top. The energetic directorial style is what sells this movie. I haven't seen a style this lively since Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Overall, I had a lot of fun with the movie, and if it's still playing, I highly recommend it. $12

Films I still haven't seen but want to see:
Men in Black 3
Prometheus
Rock of Ages

That about sums it up. Stay tuned for my next line of reviews, and have a wonderful day!

Farewell Followers!

For the next 18 weeks or so, I will be in training with the National Guard. Until then, chances are I won't be seeing any movies, let alone being online to write any reviews. However, once I get back, I will most likely do reviews of movies I should have reviewed during my training; The Avengers, for instance.

Wish me luck, and farewell until then!

Titanic (1997) Review

One of the most well-known disasters in human history is the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. It was said to be an unsinkable ship, but it hit an iceberg and began to sink. Not everyone was able to get off of the ship, and over 1,500 people lost their lives because of it. It seemed pretty unlikely at first that the director known for action-packed sci-fi flicks such as Terminator 2 and True Lies would be the one to not only adapt this disaster, but also tie in a melodramatic love story. Regardless, in 1997, James Cameron released his pricey, hyped-up epic, Titanic, now being re-released in 3D to coincide with his "OMG 3D IS SO FREAKIN AWESOME" gimmick that gave him even more "credibility" than he already had before Avatar. I had the pleasure of seeing this re-release, and I can honestly say that it's worth another look.

Wrath of the Titans (2012) Review

Wrath of the Titans has been called out as the sequel that nobody wanted. The 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans was one of those remakes that seemed suitable for Hollywood, considering that stop-motion effects were considered outdated, but while the movie was a tremendous hit at the box office, everyone forgot about it a year later at the latest. Now, the studio wants to soak up any extra cash they can get with a follow-up, and I'm hoping that people will follow through with their plan to pass on it, as Wrath is a tremendous mess.

The Hunger Games (2012) Review

In 2008, author Suzanne Collins released The Hunger Games, a dystopian novel that has since become widely popular, having nearly 200,000 prints in 26 languages and expanding into a trilogy over the following two years. The novel is based off of Collins' channel surfing, watching people competing on a reality show on one channel and people fighting in Iraq on another and seeing a bit of a connection. It's actually one of the few books I read before ever knowing that there would be a movie adaptation, and I found it to be incredibly thrilling in how detail-oriented it was. So, as you could imagine, I was hyped for the movie, and I can honestly say the movie doesn't disappoint.

John Carter (2012) Review

For crying out loud, Disney, can't you come up with a better font than that? First, Prince of Persia, now this!

Many people have constantly called out on John Carter for looking cliche, but what they don't realize is that the series the movie is based on basically inspired all those cliches. The character was created by Edgar Rice Burroughs and made his debut literally 100 years ago in 1912. Hollywood has been wanting to make a movie out of John Carter for a long time, but has only been able to do so now thanks to our advances in technology. With a star-studded cast and animation director Andrew Stanton making his live-action debut, Disney put a lot of confidence in this movie at first, but has recently been lowering their expectations. Will they be surprised by the numbers? Maybe, but I'm personally indifferent about whether or not it succeeds, as the movie itself is pretty underwhelming.

The Lorax (2012) Review

Hollywood has become very infamous for taking pieces of classic children's material and watering them down with their "modernization. Sometimes, it works, and most of the time, Hollywood tends to take the easy way out by just sticking to "whatever kids like." One of the most infamous examples of this is their constant attempts at adapting Dr. Seuss material.

The Secret World of Arrietty (2010) Review

And don't correct me on the release year.

In 1984, a Japanese animated film (an ANIME film, if you will) titled Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind was released, and it became such a success that the writer/director, Hayao Miyazaki, became one of the three founders of Studio Ghibli. Since then, the studio has sent out some of the most famous anime movies of the past few decades, including one of my personal favorite movies, Spirited Away. In 2010, director Hiromasa Yonebayashi, youngest director to work with Ghibli, released his adaptation of Mary Norton's 1952 novel The Borrowers, released under the title The Borrower Arrietty. This weekend, the film is being released in America as The Secret World of Arrietty, and while it's not on par with the studio's other work, it's still highly recommended.

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

I have been waiting for this day for a long time. Today, I'm going to vent out the much needed anger against a disappointing entry into one of my all-time favorite franchises, explaining why it sucks just as much in 2D as it probably does in 3D. The Star Wars legacy is masterful in just about every way. The original 1977 movie (which I will most likely review sometime next year) was a technical astonishment when it was first released and continues to be regarded as a masterpiece of cinema thanks to its well-developed and fun characters and its imaginative universe, and the sequels were, for the most part, basically given the same appreciation. A series of prequels to the classic movies seemed pretty ideal. Dwelling into the development of the anger within Darth Vader in his young state as Anakin Skywalker seemed pretty interesting. Unfortunately, all we get from The Phantom Menace is a borefest of one-dimensional characters, a padded story, and visuals that, in all honesty, have lost their lust these days.

Top 10 Least Favorite Movies of 2011

The way I see it, the term "least favorite" could refer to something that's still a favorite, but just the LEAST favorite. This is not the case here. You've seen the 20 movies I've picked as my favorites of 2011, and now, we're going to look at the worst I've seen. Some of these I was hyped for and disappointed by, and some of these I knew were going to be bad but saw anyway for the sake of this blog. Now, I know many people enjoyed a lot of these movies, so I'll try my best to give my reasons as to why I did not like them. With that said, let's take a look at my Top 10 least favorite movies of 2011!

Chronicle (2012) Review

Superhero movies are all the rage these days, mostly being adapted from well-known comic books like Spider-Man or even less appreciated comic books like Captain America. Lately, however, there have been a few movies that have tried to have a unique take on the genre. In 2008, there were two movies that attempted this, both of which were box office hits but both of which had poor critical reception. The first was Jumper, where the unexplained powers are given to a kid and he utilizes them to do whatever the hell he wants to do. Oh, it's a mess; the character never gets his comeuppance in the end, the cinematography is awful, and Hayden Christensen is more wooden than a pine tree; but it was interesting to finally get a realistic take on what a kid like that would do with such powers. The second was Hancock, where the hero is stubborn and has to pay for the consequences of his actions. That one, despite the poor critical reception, I really enjoyed. Chronicle attempts to combine the morals of those two movies, and the result is a surprisingly unique and dramatic take on the superhero genre.

Top 20 Favorite Movies of 2011

Well, 2011 has been a fun year for movies. There have been good times, there have been bad times, and I'm here to discuss them both, starting with the good times. I have seen a total of 59 movies, so don't be lost if one of your favorites didn't make it onto this list. Some of these I reviewed, and some of them I haven't, so I'll try to be as elaborate as needed. So, let's not waste any time and jump right into the list.

The Grey (2012) Review

The Grey follows a man named Ottway, played by Liam Neeson. He's a gunman who shoots wolves with a sniper to protect oil diggers at a refinery in cold regions. On his trip back home, his plane crashes due to weather conditions. Only seven men survive the crash, and they all have to work together to survive. They attempt to move as far as they can across the snowy landscape while also attempting to survive constant wolf attacks.

Hey everyone, I'm back!

I don't know how many people were reading my blogs before, but for those of you who were, I'm back for more! Let me give a little explanation of what had happened. I attempted to get into video reviews, expanding my horizons onto Youtube. However, after three reviews on Hugo (amazing movie), Sherlock Holmes 2 (even better than the first movie), and Mission Impossible 4 (damn good action movie), I found that I was putting too much work into what was ultimately a non-profit project. After I dropped the ball on that, I continued to watch some new releases and have been wanting to get back into written reviews, but I found that I didn't have enough to say about the movies I watched to span out to full reviews. However, today, I watched one amazing movie that I will be able to write into a full review, which should be on here soon enough.


So, I will be writing reviews again, but this is a slow time of the year for movies and I'm running a little low on funds, so don't expect a review of a new release every weekend. I will try to fill in the gaps with reviews of older releases.

The Muppets (2011) Review

The Muppets need no introduction. They're a phenomenon that has touched the hearts of one generation (back in the mid-70s) to the next (in their 90s theatrical releases). They're a representation of how artistic integrity and memorable characterization can create comedic gold. Once Disney bought out the Muppets in 2004, they were given the ultimate challenge.... What to do with them. Whether or not the Muppets were still popular enough to warrant a big-name project was debatable. Then, in 2008, long-time Muppets fan Jason Segel came in and pitched them an idea, cleverly enough involving bringing the Muppets back together and trying to get them popular again. Thus, Disney greenlit a reboot of the classic felt-and-cotton phenomenon, and I'm happy to report that it does not disappoint.

Tower Heist (2011) Review

Let's see, what's the biggest franchise film coming out this weekend.... Breaking Dawn? F**k that!


Let's go down the film chain, shall we? There are films out there that are so incredible that they change the way we look at reality, and thus have a special place in our hearts. There are films that don't quite have the same effect, but are still memorable due to stellar performances, a riveting directorial style, and witty dialogue. Then, there are films that are ultimately forgettable, but still entertaining set-ups for the time that they last. Tower Heist can't even work on that level.

The Hunger Games Trailer

I've been glued to this movie ever since Gary Ross was announced as the director. The books were very thrilling and dramatic, and the movie looks pretty spectacular so far. The production value is incredible, especially by Lionsgate standards, and it follows the story very well. Can't wait to see the outcome!

Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace in 3D trailer

Well, we've been hearing about it for years, but much to our dismay, Lucas is finally moving forward with his 3D Star Wars project.

Much like everyone else, I'm getting tired of Lucas milking the Star Wars franchise. That's not to say Star Wars isn't worth anything these days, but it would be nice to see him do something different for once, which is mostly why I'm looking forward to Red Tails. Will I be seeing any of these re-releases? Perhaps, but not this one. This isn't like The Lion King where the film is brilliant and the 3D sounds like a bad idea. To this day, I cannot stand Phantom Menace. I might write a review of Phantom Menace if there's nothing else coming out that weekend.

J. Edgar (2011) Review

Why is it that I prefer biopics and adaptations of historical events over documentaries on said events? I understand the significance of those events, and to an extent, I do enjoy learning about such events. However, documentaries (and textbooks) have been known to bluntly deliver the facts, and while it is important information to know, it's not what I would call "interesting". However, when someone makes an adaptation on such a historical event and/or figure, this usually raises the opportunity to present the emotional side of said events through more dramatic techniques. Sadly, that is the one thing that J. Edgar lacks.

A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas (2011) Review

Well, it's that time of the year again. The weather's getting colder, the colorful decorations are flooding the mall (shoppers likewise), and shops without discount prices are just unthinkable. Okay, so it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but that doesn't stop Hollywood from taking advantage of the commercialism known as Christmas! To be honest, it's been a long time since I've seen a halfway decent Christmas-themed movie. Like many things in Hollywood, Christmas movies are often times half-assed at an attempt to cash in on the season. They're usually reduced to stale slapstick jokes, bland performances, and sappy attempts at bringing in heart. So, what's the result when a highly commercialized holiday becomes the theme of a highly commercialized franchise? (Not to mention, with a highly commercialized cinematic gimmick like 3D.) A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, undoubtedly the funniest Christmas movie I've seen since 2003's Elf.

Puss in Boots (2011) Review

Ah yes, Dreamworks..... I'm not going to go as far as to say their work is half-assed or thrown together. They have been known to send out some groundbreaking material like Shrek or How to Train Your Dragon. On the other hand, they do tend to send out a lot more material than most big animation studios. Half of it is decent (some of it is great, actually), and the other half is bland and forgettable. Does anybody even remember Bee Movie or Shark Tale? Despite turning eighteen this year, I have chosen not to pass up on Dreamworks if they manage to get the fresh mark on Rotten Tomatoes. Because of that, I chose to watch and review their latest Shrek spin-off, Puss in Boots, and I'm happy to say that this is on the fresh side.

Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) Review

I suppose the best way to start off a review of the third film in a series is to share my thoughts on the first two entries. I only just recently rented both Paranormal Activity movies, and I have to admit, I was somewhat surprised. The first film was a very well-established thriller. It was well-paced and very detail-oriented (I'll explain later), and for at least the first hour or so, its home video style and disregard of horror cliches almost made it seem real. The second film moved away from that sense of realism, but it nevertheless managed to stay thrilling by sticking to a lot of what made the first film work. As you could imagine, because I liked the first two films so much, I was pumped to see this third film. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but find Paranormal Activity 3 to be pretty underwhelming.

More details revealed on Taken sequel

The villain of the film has been cast, and some details of the plot have been revealed. See here.


Now, I loved the first Taken. Yeah, it was highly derivative, but it was executed and established so well, and Liam Neeson was fantastic in his role. The premise to this sequel, however, sounds pretty ridiculous. I somewhat expected it to completely rehash the first film, but they've managed to go even lower than that. Apparently, the parents are the ones who will be kidnapped, and it'll be up to the daughter to rescue them.


I mean, come on! You're seriously telling me that Neeson's character can't defend himself or his wife after all the badass stuff he did in the first film, and their daughter, the one who was clearly defenseless in the first film, is the person that gets sent to rescue them? What is this, Spy Kids?!

Green Lantern (2011) Review

Nothing coming out in theaters this week caught my interest, so I thought I'd write a DVD review instead. Although to be perfectly fair, neither The Thing nor Footloose could be nearly as bad as what I have for you today.

There was once a time when Hollywood relied on the most recognizable of comic book heroes, such as Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and X-Men, to bring in their big bucks. After Marvel made such recognizable franchises into movies, they figured that their names were big enough to release just about any hero in big-budget films. Thus, we were given the series of films building up to the Avengers series; Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, etc. Meanwhile, DC and Warner Bros. had been relying solely on the Batman franchise, but with that coming to an end next year, they wanted to see if they could pull off the same tactic that Marvel pulled off. I would easily have followed this hype, except the advertising for Green Lantern wasn't all that spectacular. Trust me when I say that this film is a lot worse than it was advertised to be.

The Avengers (2012) trailer

We've been hearing about it since 2008..... We've been following Marvel's thread of superhero films, seeing them take all sorts of risks and make them work.... And next year, they'll be bringing all four Avengers together for the epic battle to save the Earth.....

My initial reaction:

HEY KIDS!

HEY KIDS, YOU TOO CAN SKIP SUMMER SCHOOL TO HELP SAVE THE DOLPHINS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU GOT ALL F'S AND HAVE TO ATTEND SUMMER SCHOOL!


Yeah, Dolphin Tale is a cheeseball, but it's not nearly as derivative as the premise might suggest. I was expecting Free Willy with a dolphin, but it took a few risks and managed to stand on its own, at least in terms of films about sea mammals. Because of that, the film is actually somewhat entertaining; forgettable, but entertaining.


And let's be honest here; would you deny anything with Morgan Freeman, the guy who actually had the balls to play God in a film?

Two points everyone should be aware of

1.I understand that my views on the political parties in the first paragraph of my Ides of March review were entirely false. I admit that I am still catching up to how politics work, but I did understand enough about them to know what was going on throughout the film.


2.Along with my recommendation of Ides of March, I also recommend Real Steel. It's a fun sci-fi boxing film that, despite having a little too much exposition, still manages to keep the moralistic passion of its highly familiar story. Hugh Jackman is awesome in his role, Dakota Goyo is a surprisingly tolerable child actor, and the effects and action scenes are stellar to say the least. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a lot of fun nonetheless.