Brave

Starring the voice talents of Kelly MacDonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Craig Ferguson, and John Ratzenburger

Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman

Release Date: June 22nd, 2012

Princess Merida: Expert Marksman, adventurous, running free in the wild...betrothed to whom?! The young princess of Clan DunBroch wants to defy a local custom where the first born of each clan ( Macintosh, Dingwall, and MacGuffin) compete to win her hand in marriage. Merida's parents, King Fergus and Queen Elinor, only want what is best for their daughter but Elinor and Merida continue to butt heads over everything. Soon, Merida runs off into the forest, meeting a strange old woman who claims she can change Merida's fate. Will this encounter be for the best?

Pixar's thirteen feature film is the first to feature a female protagonist and the first period piece for the power house animation studio. Personally, I love Pixar and they do amazing work (for the record, I haven't seen Cars 2 and I probably won't after how dull Cars was) that delight children and adults like parent company Walt Disney Studios have done for years. So, I was really looking forward to Brave once I saw the trailers, heard about the premise, etc. How is the film?

On a technical/visual note, Brave is absolutely stunning. The environments of the story are breath taking and I really took note of how intricate the detail was in the castle interiors; top notch work from the animators. Also, I have to note how great the clothing and hair styles look. Just take note of how seamless (no pun intended) the clothing look, or how life-like Merida's hair gets, from how it blows in the wind to how wild and uncontrollable it can get. For kids, they'll just see the pretty colors and notice how good the film looks. As an adult, I am marveled at how stunning the CGI can become and I am floored at what Pixar can do.

The characters are a lot of fun, particularly Merida's family. Billy Connolly gets a lot of funny lines as King Fergus and I really understood how confused he can be when his wife and daughter are having a problem and he's just dumbstruck. Connolly also does a great job of making Fergus into a goofy man who'd rather sing, drink, and hunt rather than act like a proper king. Then there's Merida's triplet brothers, who are unvoiced. The triplets are really funny; they act like little troublemakers, but they obviously love their sister and parents, and they act like real kids. Finally, there's the relationship between Merida and Elinore, her mother. This was really stunning, as the characters are forced to work together and better understand each other due to a misunderstanding. Yes, I know it's formulaic, two mismatched people work together for a common goal, but the characters work really well together and it pays off very well in the finale.

Rating: 4 out 5 

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

Starring the voice talents of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cedric the Entertainer, Sasha Baron Cohen, Andy Richter, Bryan Cranston, Jessica Chastain, Martin Short, and Frances McDormand

Directed by Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, and Conrad Vernon

Release Date(s)

Cannes Film Festival....May 18th, 2012

World Premiere............June 8th, 2012

The Animals are back...under the big tent. This installment, Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, Melman the giraffe, and Marty the zebra are on the loose in Europe and must hide out against the notorious Animal Control officer Captain Chantel DuBois. To do this, they work with a struggling circus on its way through Europe on their way to New York, the foursome's home and zoo. Are they back on their way to their old glory days? Could Alex be a trophy on Dubois's wall?

I've always liked the Madagascar films. I thought the first was decent (at best) and the sequel had its moments, but wasn't truly memorable. The best thing about those films were the interactions between the main cast and the Penguin characters. So, when the trailer for movie three came out, I was mildly amused, but not very interested. Therefore, I got invited to a screening and was certainly changed my tune. The film is very funny, and could be the best of the series. Not only does the film have an impressive cast of new voice actors and characters, it boasts several impressive sequences that are visual treats. In the beginning of the first act, there's an exhilarating car chase that zooms through Monte Carlo, making great use of 3D visuals, and having some great jokes along the way. But what's a great film without a good story? In Madagascar 3, the main plot revolves around the four animals trying to get back to their old lives in New York, they meet Vitaly the tiger, a circus animal who lives in the past due to his struggles with the present. It's a good story that works well with a family audience that can entertain both kids and adults. Then, there's the crowning moment of awesome: The day-glow majesty of the FUR POWER circus. One minute there's trapeze tumbling, then there's dancing and music; it's a great treat and definitely makes the film memorable.

The only con? At times, the film uses a few jokes that don't make sense, but that's a minor complaint.

Final Thought: Madagascar 3 is a fun movie for families.

Rating: 4 out of  5

Castle in the Sky

Original Title Tenkū no Shiro Rapyut:  (Laputa: Castle in the Sky)

Starring the voice talents of James Van Der Beek, Anna Paquin, Mark Hamill, Cloris Leachman, Jim Cummings, and Mandy Patinkin

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Release Date(s):

Japan.....August 2nd, 1986
US.......... 1998 (Disney)

One day, a young man named Pazu sees a young girl fall out of the sky. Soon, he gets to know Sheeta, and the two of them discover they are connected to a legendary kingdom known as Laputa, a grand location many doubt truly exists. Pazu and Sheeta find that they are not the only ones looking for Laputa; others such as Captain Dola and her unruly songs, ruthless government agent Colonel Muska and the army are after the secrets hidden in the sky. What awaits our young heroes: fame, glory, or danger?

If you are a fan of animation, the names of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki should be very familiar to you. If this is your first exposure to those names, you may have picked one of the best films in Ghibli's libraries for new audiences. Castle in the Sky is a rousing action adventure film that has likable protagonists, sweeping visuals, and a fairly standard plot. You may be asking yourself: "Why would an average plot be a good thing?" Well, because normally Studio Ghibli films have plots that, while adhering to traditional storytelling devices, don't normally have such solid stances on where each characters' loyalties lie. Sure, Dola starts out as an antagonist chasing after Pazu and Sheeta in act one, but you never truly doubt that she's a crusty motherly figure with a good heart, or that Muska is a deceitful bad guy who's after more than he says. Still, this allows for the audiences to root for the good guys and not worry about more than "we're after a floating castle" in terms of the plot.

That said, there are a lot of great pros for the film, such as the great action sequences, the goofy humor, and the English voice cast. First, I have to say that many of the action set pieces in the film are fluid, fun and very memorable. As the majority of the film takes place in the air (Miyazaki is a huge fan of aviation), there are a couple of great moments with flight such as the DOLA gang fighting the military in insect-like air-bikes or Sheeta and Pazu in a struggling whirlwind in tiny glider. Next, the humor is great for children and adults; for instance, there's a memorable sequence shared between Pazu's boss and one of Dola's sons on who is manlier which involves exploding their shirts by FLEXING THEIR MUSCLES. Last, the Disney English dub is pretty good, with a few exceptions. I liked James Van Der Beek as Pazu (he gives the character a likability while also expressing a need to prove himself), Mark Hamill as Colonel Muska (come on, it's Mark Hamill as a villian....he's just awesome) and Cloris Leachman as Dola (she's cranky,  feisty, but can also be fierce, confident, and a dependable person). The only voice actors that don't work for me are Anna Paquin as Sheeta and Andy Dick as Henri, another of Dola's sons. Paquin is fine for the most part, but she keeps slipping between using an normal speaking voice and a strange European accent at times; it's just off-putting and does take you out of  the movie at times. Andy Dick.....he's just dull. He's playing himself and doesn't really do anything to make the character his own.

Final Thoughts: A great animated film by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki. FULL RECOMMENDATION.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 

Rio

Starring the voice talents of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, will.i.am, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santorio, and Jermaine Clement

Directed by Carlos Saldanha

Release Date: March 22, 2011 (World Premiere)

Blu (Eisenber) is a blue macaw living in Minnesota with his owner Linda (Mann). He wants nothing more out of life than to hang out in Linda's bookstore, drink cocoa, and ride his skateboard; Blu has never even learned how to fly! Then, one fateful winter, a Brazilian ornithologist wants to bring the pair to Rio so that Blu can meet with a female macaw named Jewel (Hathaway) to possibly save the macaws from extinction. Will the pair hit it off? Will Linda lose her childhood friend?

In my opinion, Blue Sky animation had previously made one good film, an adaptation of Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who; I think the Ice Age trilogy is hit-or-miss and Robots was really bland. However, I can honestly say that Rio is a fun, colorful adventure that families will certainly enjoy.

First, let's talk about the good parts of the film: the visuals, the music, and the antagonist played by Jermaine Clement. Since the film is mostly set in Rio de Janiero (during the festival known as Carnival), the visuals pop and shine so that the film has a loving care put into every color, even the muted ones. I love how much energy comes from the scenes set during the Carnival parade, as elaborate floats are set against a crazy chase during the third act. The music is mostly samba, obviously, but I also was enjoying the original songs written for the film. Then, there's Nigel, the evil cockatoo played by Jermaine Clement. The character is so over-the-top, an ego-maniacal actor that you can tell Clement was enjoying this role in the studio booth.

Now, we have to discuss the film's flaws: cliched characters and an all-too familiar plot. As much as I enjoyed Nigel, many of the other main characters are archetypes we've seen before: the bohemian love interest, the orphan who wants a home, etc. There's a character, Tulio, who I really enjoyed for his goofy behavior while helping Linda look for Blu. Sadly, he's stuck in the b-plot which means we only get to see him once in a while. Also, the plot is all too familiar: mismatched pair who initially don't like each other but must work together (see The Emperor's New Groove). Sure, this is bound to happen in animated movies aimed for kids, but why is it that Pixar is the only company who wants to take risks with their stories? It's just disappointing that the writer's couldn't take a risk, because they do write a lot of humorous dialogue.

Rio is a good family film that, while offering few surprises, is still a visual treat with goofy humor.

Rating: * * * 1/2 of 5

Kung Fu Panda 2

Starring the Voice Talents of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Lucy Liu, David Cross, and Dustin Hoffman

Directed by Jennifer Yuh

Release Date: May 26th, 2011


As charming and energetic as the first movie.

Set after the events of the first movie, Po (Black) and the Furious Five learn of a new weapon that is poised to take over China, but powerful enough to defeat KUNG FU! The villainous peacock Shen (Oldman) is building Iron Weapons using powerful fireworks to take out Kung Fu warriors. Will the Dragon Warrior be able to stop them?

So Dreamworks may not be as layered and developed as Pixar, but that doesn't mean they're laying down on the job. If their animation studio continues to make films like How to Train Your Dragon or the Kung Fu Panda films, they may find themselves more praise from the critics than with continuous Shrek sequels and ineffectual star-driven projects. Like the first movie, Kung Fu panda 2 makes great use of the kung fu genre with quick, entertaining and quite humorous fight scenes. Many times during the film, I was stunned and then laughing in the same breath.

If I had to criticize the film for anything, it would have to be a quick visual reference to Pac-Man. Don't get me wrong, it's a funny gag, but the first film did without any modern pop culture jokes and was still a great movie. I'm just wondering why they felt the need to make a video game reference for a film set in feudal China.

Rating: * * * * 1/2 of 5

Rango

Starring the voice talents of Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, and Bill Nighy

Directed by Gore Verbinski

Release Date: March 4th, 2011

ILM....once the leader in special  effects have demonstrated their ability in creating a feature-length, CGI animated film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring the voice talents of Johnny Depp, Abigail Breslin, and Bill Nighy.

A chamoleon (Depp) lost in the desert is in a bit of a crisis: he's lost, in need of an identity, and water in order to survive. Soon, he's found a home in the town of Dirt, taken up the name of Rango, and discovered that the town is in need of a sheriff. The once lonely lizard is now friends with the townspeople, including Beans (Fisher) and Priscilla (Breslin), who look toward their new sheriff to find the town's water supply before they all die.

Okay,it is true that this film is a tad too dark for younger kids. If you think that this would be good for toddlers, think again. That isn't to say that the film is unwatchable, far from it. If I had to place it, Rango would be best for kids age 8 and up. Moving on, the animation of this film is fantastic; the look of the film is certain to give Pixar a run for their money; especially if ILM can make all their characters as fanscinatingly detailed as the townspeople of Dirt. Also, there is a great deal of homages in Rango, from the "Dollars" trilogy to High Noon, to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Rating: * * * * of 5

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Rango Vinyl Figure
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Summer Wars

Summer Wars


Original title: Samā Wōzu

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

Release Dates:

August 1st, 2009 Japan

December 3rd, 2010 U.S.

What do you get when you mix Facebook, Tron, and familiar elements of a rom-com? You get Summer Wars, the award winning anime from Madhouse Animation and the director of The Girl who Leapt through time.

In the near future, social networks have evolved into a system known as “OZ”, where everyone is online and everything is done through “OZ”; the system is so popular that users are known through their cartoonish avatars rather than by name. An “OZ” systems operator, Kenji Kioso, is a brilliant mathematician but would rather spent all his time through his online avatar. Kenji’s plans soon change as Natsuki Shinohara makes him a proposal to come with him to her great-grandmother’s 90th birthday in Nagano, Japan. What turns out to be a simple request spirals into a mess as it turns out Natsuki has claimed Kenji as her fiancé. At the same time, a mysterious AI program known as Love Machine is wreaking havoc on OZ and it may be up to Kenji and Natsuki’s eccentric family to save the online world!

Summer Wars is a fun, engaging comedy with some great moments peppered through that speak about the importance of family and finding one’s inner strength. I have to applaud the animation team for making each Jinnouchi clan member visually different from one another and to make all the aunts, uncles, and cousins vibrant and unique characters that the audience can fully enjoy. On to the story: it’s not for everyone, but it definitely applies to the current popular culture devoted to how much convenience and ease technology has on our lives. For example, the film cuts between moments in the real world and OZ with relative ease, as if both worlds coexist without much deliberation. Some may find the film’s frantic pace between a comedy of misunderstandings and a technological adventure strange, but I found the story to be very rewarding and that the balance between OZ and the real world adventures to be entertaining and rewarding to anime fans. Speaking of Oz, I genuinely must commend the animation staff for their innovative, mystifying design of the computer world. The cartoonish, exaggerated world of OZ is so beautiful to look at, it’s no wonder the whole world loves to log on.

Rating: * * * * ½ of 5

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Summer Wars

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Afro Samurai: Resurrection

Starring the voice talents of Samuel L. Jackson, Lucy Liu, Mark Hamill and Yuri Lowenthal

Directed by : Fuminori Kizaki and Takashi Okazaki

Release Date: January 25th, 2009

The sequel to the 5 episode anime, Afro Samurai: Resurrection is a tale of honor, vengeance, and betrayal.

Set after the events of the series, Afro has tried to live a life of peace, solitude and redemption: yet his past sins fail to die as a new foe comes to make him pay for his crimes. This deadly and seductive villainess Sio (voiced by Lucy Liu) has taken the number one head band and stolen the remain's of Afro's father. She taunts him into finding the number two head band so he can challenge her and reclaim his father's body.

For fans of the series, this is a great addition to enjoy; for new comers, it's a very violent anime dealing with charater driven drama about a man who tries to forgo the path of blood but cannot seem to shake his violent ways. Visually the film is energetic and stunnning; the blending of Feudal Japan and Futuristic technology works well together so as to give the setting a "timeless" appearance so that a samurai protagonist who fights cyborgs and rocket launchers makes sense to the audience. Also, the music by RZA gives the soundtrack a fresh mood that works with the movie instead of distracting the audience with its presence.

Rating: For fans of Afro Samurai, * * * * * of 5/ For everyone else, * * * 1/2 of 5

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Afro Samurai: The Complete Murder Sessions [Blu-ray]
Afro Samurai: Resurrection - Director's Cut

Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter and Under the Hood

Release Date: March 24th, 2009

From the pages of Watchmen come two books: the comic book story Tales of the Black Freighter and Hollis Mason's' Autobiography Under the Hood. Cut from the Watchmen 2009 Feature Film, the animated comic and a "Documentary" on Hollis Mason and his novel.


Tales of the Black Freighter
Starring the Voice talents of Gerard Butler
Directed by Daniel DelPurgatorio and Mike Smith
Tales of the Black Freighter: Combined into one singular animated film, the pirate story read by one of the characters is presented here voiced by Gerard Bulter and the adaptation co-written by Zack Snyder. ON the positive side, the animation looks great; the coloring influences the mood, matching the plot of the story very well without having to be copying the original art by Dave Gibbons. Unfortunately, for how good the movie looks and sounds, at the end it just feels hollow. Maybe the Black Freighter story should have been included in the theatrical cut of Watchmen, but that's my opinion. The animated adaptation isn't bad, just not as good as it could have been.
Rating: 3 of 5



Under the Hood
Starring Carla Gugino, Jeffery Dean Morgan, and Stephen McHattie
Directed by Eric Matthies
Under the Hood: Knowing that adapting perfectly the "excerpts" of Hollis Mason's Autobiography wouldn't make a movie, the filmmakers turned these back-up stories became a documentary. When talking about these two spin-offs, I found Under the Hood to be a more perfected adaptation and to be a fascinating film that captured the tone and spirit of the Watchmen movie. Also, it gives more character development to minor characters such as Mason, Silk Spectre I a.k.a. Sally Jupiter, or Big Figure.
Rating: 4 of 5

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Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Starring the voice talents of Steven Blum, Wendee Lee, Beau Billingslea, and Melissa Fahn

Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe

Release Date(s):

September 1st, 2001 (Japan)

August 11th, 2002 (USA)

Adapted from the hit anime series, CB: Knockin' on Heaven's Door brings the ecclectic bounty crew of the stars to the big screen.
On Mars 2071 A.D., a madman has caused enough chaos to leave hundreds infected with a strange virus and the Martian government to declare his capture worth 200 million woolongs (this universe's currency). While tracking down the elusive terrorist, aloof bounty hunter Spike Spiegel and short-tempered Faye Valentine uncover a sinister plot that set this man down his path. Will our Bebop crew stop his devilish plan? Maybe, since the bounty  is good......

I like the original Japanese subtitle rather than our translated, generic "the movie" that gets slapped on every movie adapted from a tv show. I'd like more TV movies to get a little creative when titling their movies, but whatcha gonna do? Still, the movie is great for Bebop fans, even for those new to Bebop. It's good that the movie gives you a fun, action-packed adventure that fans don't have to worry about where it fits into the chronology of the series; while newbies get a fun story without getting lost. The best thing about the movie is how great the animation looks: it is very similar to the show while being more cleaned up and detailed for a big screen presentation. Finally, the voice cast is back from the series, both Japanese and English cast, that brings that energy and fun into bringing the characters to life. It's always awesome to hear Steven Blum's Spike Spiegel; Blum's Spike is one of my favorite anime characters and his charming bounty hunter is a perfect introductory character to non-fans of anime.  Finally, there's the mysterious Vincent, clearly modeled after Bob Dylan. Vincent is a great addition to the Bebop Universe and quite the complex antagonist.
 
Rating: * * * * 1/2 of 5

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Evangelion 2.0 US Screenings

Hey Everyone!

Just thought I'd let everyone know about the US schedule for EVANGELION 2.0: You can (not) advance. It will be in limited release theaters from January to February 2011 with the blu-ray release March 29th, 2011. If you're an Evangelion fan, I highly recommend finding the closest theater near you to see it. For everyone else, just be patient until the blu-ray release in March (which I will do my best to review the video, audio, and special features of the blu-ray).

Finally, here is my review of Evangelion 2.0: You can (not) advance

Later!

The Princess and The Frog

Starring the voice talents of Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Jim Cummings, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jennifer Cody,Oprah Winfrey, and Terence Howard

Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker

Release Date: December 11th, 2009

A lively and colorful film from Disney Animation.
Tianna had a dream in her heart since she was a little girl to open her own restaurant in New Orleans. However, in 1920's New Orleans, life as a single African-American woman is hard enough since she has to work 3 full-time jobs just to make her dream come true. While Tia slaves in the kitchen, a dashing prince from the country of Maldonia has come to the grand city during Mardi Gras to find a wealthy, beautiful woman to marry so that he can regain his riches from his parents. Faster than you can say "Happily Ever After", an evil voodoo doctor known as the Shadow Man has cursed Prince Naveen (Campos) to turn into a frog, and can only become human again by kissing a beautiful princess. But, fairy tales aren't always how we expect them to turn out...
After the disasterous "Home on the Range", Disney has gone to the master of Pixar Animation, John Lassater, to executive produce their new animated films from now on. Thankfully, Lassater has given his magic touch not only to 2008's Bolt (starring John Travolta) but also to this 2009 Jazzy animated adaption of the classic fairly tale, "The Frog Prince". "TP&TF" is a magificently produced animated film with bright, dazzling visuals and some amazing songs such as "Friends on the Other Side" and "Ma Belle Evangeline". I thoroughly enjoyed how fun and engaging the film is, especially with the voice casting of Anika Noni Rose as Tianna and Jim Cummings as Ray-Ray. My only real complaint with the voice casting has to do with Oprah Winnfrey as Tianna's mother; it's a good part, but why spring for such an A-list celebrity for a vastly minor part? Personnally, I would have cast a lesser-known actress in need of a comeback (but that's just me). Also, I really enjoyed the sinister Shadow Man, and would have loved to have seen a bit more of the character than what we're given in the film itself.
The Princess and the Frog is a return to greatness with Disney animation, thanks in part to the colorful animation style and the fantastic soundtrack.
 
Rating: * * * * of 5

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Megamind

Starring the voice talents of Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, David Cross, Jonah Hill, and Brad Pitt

Directed by Tom McGrath, Cameron Hood, and Kyle Jefferson

Release Date: November 5th, 2010

What if the superhero were finally beaten by the supervilliain? What if the supervillain wasn't all that bad? Those two questions create the premise for Dreamworks' Megamind, starring Will Ferrell as the titular supervillain.

 Long ago, two orphans from two different planets crash landed on earth: one child was brought up by the priviledge of wealth while the other was raised in a prison. Soon, one child grew up to be praised for his heroic exploits while the other became a villain: they were Metro Man (Pitt) and Mega Mind (Ferrell). Eventually, the two battled each other in Metro City with Metro Man always winning and Mega Mind being defeated and sent back to prison. Until one day, Mega Mind defeats the hero, to the shock of such civilans as Metro Man's girlfriend Roxanne Ritchie (Fey). With the hero gone and the city at his mercy, Mega Mind is remorseful at the loss of his adversary......



Leave it to an animated movie to allow Will Ferrell's over-the-top comedic talents to really shine. As the protanistic villain, Ferrell is truly hilarious as the wacky Megamind and he is equally successful at making the audience both relate to the warped psycho and care for him. It takes a particular brand of wacky to make a villain who uses death rays and evil monologues a funny and likable character for children. Second, the side kick character of Minion, voiced by David Cross, is a humorous and silly side character whom sci-fi fans will notice that  the creators based on the appearance of the monster in Robot Monster, Also of note is the spectacular supporting cast, from Tina Fey to Brad Pitt. Tina Fey gets in a funny sequence involving the cliches of supervillain threats, and Pitt is hamming it up in a good way as Metro Man. Jonah Hill.......really needs to try harder, as it seems he has one style of acting and it's getting real old, old fast.

Rating: * * * * of 5

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Family Guy Presents: It's A Trap!

If the creative staff admit in the text crawl the didn't want to make this movie, why should we, the audience, watch this movie? Should I applaud their honesty? I think that if this declaration were ironic, THAT would be funny. But no, this movie is a dud. For every one funny joke, such as a reference to Planes, Trains and Automobiles, there's 20 unfunny jokes, like Emperor Palpatine murdering two annoying kids in a public pool. Avoid "It's a Trap!".

Rating: * 1/2 of 5

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Family Guy: It's A Trap!

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Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs

 Starring the Voice talents of Bill Hader, James Caan, Anna Farris, Mr. T, Bruce Campbell, Andy Samberg, Al Roker, and Neil Patrick Harris.

Directed by Chris Miller and Paul Lord

Release Date: September 18, 2009

Absolutely entertaining and an appetizing feature, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a delightful adaptation of Judi and Ron Barrett's beloved book.

All his life, Flint (Hader) has wanted to be a world famous inventor and to make his parents (Graham and Caan) proud of him. Unfortunately, inventions such as the Monkey Translator, Spray-on Shoes, and Ratbirds always seem to blow up in Flint's face. But, Flint's hometown of Swallows Island is in trouble: their #1 export of sardines is hated by the world and bankrupting the town. Will Flint's newest invention, Flint Lockwood's Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator (or the FLDSMDFR), be enough to save the town and make Flint's dad proud?

The movie is a delightful comedy that is exaggeratedly goofy and silly, but does have genuine moments of warmth and tenderness for Flint's predicaments with his dad. Sure, there's a lot of obvious jokes like the gigantic food and all the food related puns, but the true comedy can be found in the film's cast of actors. Bill Hader is enormously entertaining as Flint, bringing the madcap scientist to life with a silly zest to prove himself as an inventor to the town and new gal in town, Sally Sparks (Anna Faris). Then there's Flint's best friend Steve, a monkey who is voiced by Neil Patrick Harris to only say 1-2 words at a time, and you'll be giggling each time you hear him scream "Helping!". Other supporting talent includes such actors as James Caan, Andy Samberg, and Mr. T, but no one can do awesome like the actor who plays the gluttonous mayor, Bruce Campbell.

Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs is a funny and entertaining animated film that will make you bust a gut laughing while you ooh and ah at the yummy food on screen.

Rating: * * * * * of 5


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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Single-Disc Edition)

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9

Starring the voice talents of Elijah Wood, John C. Reily, Martin Landau, Jennifer Connely, and Christopher Plumber

Directed by Shane Acker

Release Date: September 9, 2009 (9-9-09)

After mankind has gone it will be up to 9 voodoo dolls to save the earth from deadly machines. In the tradition of such memorable dystopian tales like The terminator or Wall-E comes 9, a tale about heroism even when our main character is made of cogs and cloth. The story is good, although the backstory/set up is a tad vague so i wish there had been more explaination about where and when this takes place; but then again that could be better left unsaid (maybe this is an alternate 1946 or maybe 9 takes place hundreds of years in the future). Two key aspects of this film are the amazing CGI animation that would make Pixar envious and the action sequences that are thrillng and spectacular to view. If you're going to take little ones, I'd just like point out there are a few deaths implied and shown on screen.

Rating: * * * * of 5

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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Toki o kakeru shôjo (original title)

Starring the voice talents of Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Ayami Kakiuchi, Sachie Hara, Mitsutaka Itakuru, Mitsuki Tanimura , Yuki Sekido , Fumihiko Tachiki , Kaitou , Andou Midori , Uesugi Moriko , Sekimi Nowake , Katsura Utawaka , Mitsutaka Itakura

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

Release Date: July 15, 2006

At one point in our lives, we have all wanted to correct a mistake we made, or do something different. That is one of the reasons Time Travel fiction is so popular; people wonder about the path not taken, or how to make our lives better by correcting the past. 'The Girl who Leapt through time' explores both the popularity of time travel fiction and the concept of changing your life for the better.

Makoto Konno (Riisa Naka/Emily Hirst), a high school junior at Tokyo's shitamachi, has recently discovered that she has the power to "time leap" to return back in time by taking off in a sprint and then leaping in to the air. How did she discover this power? By narrowly avoiding a fatal accident at the train tracks by her school. Soon, Makoto is using her newfound abilities for everything from getting to school early to singing karaoke for ten hours. But, does that mean Makoto's journeys back through time are without consequences?

"The Girl who Leapt Through Time" is a fascinating story about the relationships between friends and the fears of how our actions affect others. Finally, the heroine of our story, Makoto Konno, is a highly entertaining character who is treated like a real person who makes mistakes, suffers heartache, and panics at the suggestion of romance between her friends.

Rating: * * * * 1/2 of 5

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Whisper of the Heart

Mimi wo sumaseba (original title)

Starring the voice talents of Cary Elwes, Courtney Thorne-Smith, David Gallagher, Brittany Snow, Harold Gould, and Naohisa Inoue

Directed by: Yoshifumi Kondo

Screenplay written by Hayao Miyazaki

Release Date: July 15, 1995


A sweet love story about a junior high girl lost in her own world of fairy tales until she meets a young violin maker who prompts young Shizuku to follow her own dreams of becoming a talented writer. Leave it to Studio Ghibli to make the most formulaic genre of young love into an engaging and heartwarming tale of love, teen angst, and beliving in one's self.

This is absolutely one of my favorite films of all time and I highly encourage all fans of animation, romance, and fairy tales to check this movie out for themselves. Whisper of the Heart is a joy to behold and the characters in it are engaging, fun, and their US adaptations are enjoyable to listen to again and again.

Rating: * * * * 1/2 of 5

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The Cat Returns

Neko no ongaeshi (original title)

Starring the voice talents of Anne Hatheway and Cary Elwes

Directed by: Hiroyuki Morita

Release Date: Jul 19, 2002

More a spinoff than a sequel, The Cat Returns brings back two characters from 1996's Whisper of the Heart, Muta (or if you prefer "Moon") and the Baron from Shizuku's story. Here, the story involves a 15 year old girl named Haru who through an act of kindness, is introduced to a world run by cats and through a series of unforseen circumstances has been betrothed to Prince Loon. So, our young protagonist is told to seek out the Cat Bureau run by the mysterious, proper and heroic Baron Humbert von Gikkingen (but i prefer to just rememeber him as Baron Humbert). Compared to Whisper of the Heart, The Cat Returns is a shorter story with a change in animation, but that necessarily isn't bad. TCR has a more exaggerted style of animaton where the characters have more "cartoonish" physicality which is a tribute to the fluid style of the animation and adds to the nature of the story's fantasy-like nature. Finally, i'd like to compliment two of the voice actors for the English language adaption: Anne Hatheway and Cary Elwes. Hatheway brings a nervous, teenage like vocal range in order to make her portrayal of an insecure 15 year old girl more authentic. Elwes is just perfect, returning from Whisper of the Heart to bring The Baron (so to speak) to life once again.

Rating: * * * * of 5

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My Neighbor Totoro

Tonari no Totoro (original title)

Starring the Voices of Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, and Tim Daly

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Release Date: April 16, 1988 (Japan) May 7, 1993 (United States)

Another adorable film from Japan's answer to Walt Disney, Hayao Miyazaki. Set in 1940s Japan, the story centers on two young girls, Satsuki and her younger sister Mei, who have moved to the country with their father so they can be closer to their mother who is recuperating in a hospital. During their exploits into the forrest they come across the gigantic Cat-like being they name Totoro. This is a good entertaining movie that leaves you with a sense of delight and happiness, as it is near impossible not to crack a smile when Satsuki act like sisters or playfully tease one another. A solid film from one of the greatest men to impact animation as we know it.

Rating: * * * * of 5

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