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South Park: The Stick of Truth
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Role-Playing
Following several delays after the collapse of THQ, Obsidianโ€™s South Park: The Stick of Truth has been released to critical acclaim. Not only is the game the best adaptation of the hit animated series to date for gamers, the one could argue that it is the best videogame based on an animated series to ever be released. This is a pretty bold statement but the game backs it up time and time again with its engaging story, considerable gameplay length, and an abundance of laughs many of which are cringe worthy.

Playing is a new kid in town was tasked by his parents to go out and make friends, you quickly find yourself in the company of Cartman and his cronies who are busy playing a fantasy game involving the legendary Stick of Truth. Despite the fact that the stick is nothing more than a piece of wood, all manner of importance is placed upon it and when a rival faction steals it, it falls to the players to retrieve the stick and save the day.

Players will be accompanied by various characters in the game ranging from Butters to Stan, Kyle, Kenny, Jimmy, and Cartman he to whom have their own special abilities and combat technique. At various points in the game players may have to call upon a player in order to use their unique ability in order to solve one of the gameโ€™s many puzzles. The entire map of South Park is highly detailed and loaded with countless references to the show. Players are free to explore the town, interact with various characters, and embark on side quests that have no bearing on the story and are not required to complete the main part of the game.

The key is exploration as obtaining items which can be sold as a vital part of the game as health power ups in the form of snack foods and other supplements are essential to surviving the numerous combat opportunities in the game.

At first it took a little getting used to but being able to equip your characters in costumes and weapons in order to complete the quests and solve various puzzles is an essential part of the game.

While it is basically role-playing game at its heart, The Stick of Truth is essentially like being in a season of the show that happens to have a connected and continuous plot. There are numerous twists and turns and surprises in the game ranging from alien abductions, government conspiracies, venturing to Canada, and so much more.
Combat in the game usually involves two players and players who alternate between powering up attacking defensive abilities, using super moves which players can select and customize, and attacking with your primary or secondary weapons.

The game has a very elaborate social network is various characters who you friend along the way will offer hints and suggestions to you and being able to obtain items to power up your weapons is a hysterical and vital part of the game.

I have put in over 17 hours of gameplay into completing the main story the game and a few of the side quests but I have not completed all of the options that are available in the game. This gives you an idea of the scope of the game and thankfully the designers allow a rapid transit system courtesy of Timmy to help you traverse the map. The abundance of characters both featured in supporting from the series show up the game and there are countless nods to numerous other episodes including the classic Sexual Harassment Panda theme that brought a smile to my face when I heard blaring over the and offices PA system while I was exploring.

There are puzzles to solve the game most of which involve thinking outside the box although some are very straightforward. It is important to remember that when you are dealing with the town of South Park expecting the unexpected is par for the course so any game that would have you battle the Underpants Gnomes in a shrunken state while your parents graphically consummate their marriage above you should give you an idea about humor in the game.

The game is not in any way politically correct, for children, or for those easily offended, but if youโ€™re a fan of the series you know what to expect and the game delivers it in droves. The laughs are numerous and hysterical as abs constantly shocked just how far certain sequences would be taken but delighted nonetheless.
There were a few minor glitches now and then but nothing that severely hampered my gameplay experience other than a few graphical drops and legs now and then on the PC version of the game. For me this was a small price to pay as the PC version is completely uncensored and does not have any of the cards that were required for the console version of the game.

The mouse and keyboard while effective are not the intended control system for the game so I would suggest that players may want to consider using a game pad or at the least, prepare themselves for certain scenes that are going to involve button mashing and other console standards.

The graphics, sound, and music, of the game are on par with the best the show has offered and as I indicated earlier, the storyline is one of the best that has ever been done for South Park episode and is not to be missed.

Not only is the game one of the best surprises of the year but I can honestly say that it is an early contender for some game of the year awards which is surprising as one announced, I think people had interest but yet modest expectations for what the finished product would be like. It is been a long time since Iโ€™ve had this many laughs in a movie, television show, or game, as well as this much enjoyment.

South Park: The Stick of Truth is one of the best gaming releases the year and is not to be missed.


http://sknr.net/2014/03/31/south-park-the-stick-of-truth/
  
What Once Was Mine
What Once Was Mine
Liz Braswell | 2021 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
๐‘พ๐’‰๐’‚๐’• ๐’Š๐’‡ ๐‘น๐’‚๐’‘๐’–๐’๐’›๐’†๐’โ€™๐’” ๐’Ž๐’๐’•๐’‰๐’†๐’“ ๐’…๐’“๐’‚๐’๐’Œ ๐’‚ ๐’‘๐’๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ ๐’‡๐’“๐’๐’Ž ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’˜๐’“๐’๐’๐’ˆ ๐’‡๐’๐’๐’˜๐’†๐’“?

As you will all know by now, I am in love with the Twisted Tales series and have to read each installment as they are released. What Once was Mine is the 12th Twisted Tale book and the 7th written by Liz Braswell so to say I was excited would be an understatement.

As always, TT books come with a tag line to lure you in and this one is โ€œWhat if Rapunzelโ€™s mother drank a potion from the wrong flower?โ€ Yes, instead of the golden Sundrop flower, the ailing pregnant queen is mistakenly given a potion using the Moondrop flower, resulting in a silver-haired princess whose power kills rather than heals!

Of course, that casts the whole locking the princess in a tower concept into an entirely new light! However, many of the other elements remain the same as Disneyโ€™s โ€˜Tangledโ€™ movie: Gothel is Rapunzelโ€™s captor and โ€œmotherโ€, Flynn steals a crown and is on the run from the Stabbington brothers and Rapunzel is desperate to see the floating lights.

What Liz Braswell manages to do (very well, in my opinion) is to maintain all these similarities, keeping her readers rooted to the original story but also to bend the original fairytale into something a bit more mature, a bit darker and, in some cases, a bit more real.


โ€œ๐™๐™๐™š ๐™ฉ๐™ง๐™ช๐™ฉ๐™ ๐™–๐™—๐™ค๐™ช๐™ฉ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™ž๐™จ ๐™–๐™ก๐™ก ๐™ฉ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™œ๐™ก๐™š๐™™, ๐™ก๐™ž๐™ ๐™š ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™—๐™ง๐™–๐™ž๐™™๐™จ, ๐™๐™–๐™ฅ๐™ช๐™ฃ๐™ฏ๐™š๐™กโ€

What Once was Mine is written from Rapunzelโ€™s perspective. Now, this may be an obvious choice, but it also gives Braswell the opportunity to show her protagonist in a slightly more mature light than we are used to. Yes, Rapunzel is scatty, enthusiastic and teeth-grittingly cheerful about everything but she also believes she is dangerous and that she belongs in the tower for the safety of others.

Rapunzel has always been told that her hair killed her parents and that Gothel has been charged with her care and protection. However, what I really enjoyed about Braswellโ€™s Rapunzel is that, although she begins with the same blind faith in Gothel as she has in the movie, she soon develops an inner turmoil of emotions with regards to her captor, questioning where she spends her days and recognising the little digs often made at the daughterโ€™s expense.

As her journey continues, Rapunzel observes other mother-daughter relationships and her doubt and distrust of Gothel begins to build as a result. Lords, ladies and bandits alike are hunting for Rapunzel in order to claim her as their prize but this couldnโ€™t be orchestrated by her mother, the only family she has ever known, could it?

โ€œ๐˜ฝ๐™š๐™œ๐™ž๐™ฃ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™ฃ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™š๐™ฉ๐™š๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฉ๐™ ๐™ฎ๐™š๐™–๐™ง ๐™—๐™ฎ ๐™›๐™ค๐™ง๐™œ๐™ž๐™ซ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง๐™จ๐™š๐™ก๐™›, ๐™๐™–๐™ฅ๐™ช๐™ฃ๐™ฏ๐™š๐™ก. ๐™๐™๐™–๐™ฉโ€™๐™จ ๐™– ๐™›๐™–๐™ง ๐™—๐™š๐™ฉ๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ง ๐™œ๐™ž๐™›๐™ฉ ๐™ฉ๐™๐™–๐™ฃ ๐™›๐™ก๐™ค๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ก๐™–๐™ฃ๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ง๐™ฃ๐™จ.โ€

I have conflicting feelings when it comes to the darker elements of What Once Was Mine. The inclusion of the very real Countess Bathory took me by surprise and was quite gruesome in places: not a problem for a grown-up Disney nerd but Iโ€™m not sure whether I will be passing this one along to the Mini Bookworm any time soon.

There is also the narrator of the story: a brother making up an alternative Rapunzel story for his sister while she is undergoing chemo. I understand this is an emotive topic for the author and I almost got it as a tool for the story-telling, enabling the use of quite modern, colloquial terms such as โ€œmurderhairโ€ and enabling the creative inclusion of characters such as Maximus.

I really wanted this technique to be profound and make the story mean more, such as fairytales having an important place in the modern world for example. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me: it was an interesting tweak but it didnโ€™t make me feel as much as I wanted it to.

It is not all doom and gloom though, Rapunzelโ€™s perspective of the world provides comic moments: her (limited) knowledge of the world comes from the 37 books that she owns, leading to a moose that is definitely a squirrel and a cat which acts suspiciously like a fox. We are also not deprived of the regulars of The Snuggly Duckling, indeed all of your favourites from the film turn up for this novel.

Braswellโ€™s characterisation when it came to Flynn was spot on in my opinion. The observation by Rapunzel that there is the โ€œrealโ€ Flynn and then there is the charming, roguish mask he uses was perfect! Gina was also a great addition, desperately trying to be an adventurer/criminal and not being taken seriously just because she is a girl. The relationship between her and Flynn was adorable and, of course, Ginaโ€™s mother is just legendary.

โ€œ๐™Ž๐™๐™š ๐™ฌ๐™–๐™จ๐™ฃโ€™๐™ฉ ๐™˜๐™๐™–๐™จ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™™๐™ž๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™ฉ ๐™ก๐™ž๐™œ๐™๐™ฉ๐™จ; ๐™จ๐™๐™š ๐™ฌ๐™–๐™จ ๐™ฅ๐™ช๐™ง๐™จ๐™ช๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™–๐™ฃ ๐™ช๐™ฃ๐™ง๐™š๐™–๐™ก๐™ž๐™ฏ๐™š๐™™ ๐™™๐™ง๐™š๐™–๐™ข ๐™ค๐™› ๐™ฃ๐™ค๐™ง๐™ข๐™–๐™ก๐™˜๐™ฎโ€

The writing style isnโ€™t for everyone and, I must admit, this is the twisted tale which I have probably put down and walked away from the most. However, if you can stick it through the slow sections the story is really worth it and provides a much-admired evolution of the Disney Princess.

Donโ€™t get me wrong - in the animated movie Rapunzel is great and all but by the end she is a princess with a haircut and a smouldering husband. Braswellโ€™s Rapunzel has magic that she needs to study, understand and control, she is a future Queen in the making and simply has more of a purpose than her animated counterpart.

โ€œ๐™Ž๐™๐™š ๐™๐™–๐™™ ๐™ฅ๐™ค๐™ฌ๐™š๐™ง ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™ฌ๐™ž๐™ก๐™ก ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™– ๐™จ๐™ฉ๐™ช๐™—๐™—๐™ค๐™ง๐™ฃ ๐™™๐™ž๐™จ๐™ฅ๐™ค๐™จ๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃโ€


What Once Was Mine brings a whole new depth to the characters of Disneyโ€™s Tangled. It gives us a new (frankly, disgusting) villain alongside all our favourite characters and definitely presents a creative twist on the traditional story. Donโ€™t worry, Rapunzel still gets her Happily Ever After, but she fought a little harder for it this time around!
  
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Beatriz (17 KP) rated Coraline (2009) in Movies

Feb 21, 2019  
Coraline (2009)
Coraline (2009)
2009 | Animation, Fantasy, Horror
Coraline
Contains spoilers, click to show
Coraline is a stop-motion film that took almost 4 years to be done. It was released in 2009 and produced by Henry Selick also knows by producing The Nightmare Before Christmas.


Coraline was considered a childrens horror and ,in my opinion, that is the ONLY wrong thing about the film. I watched it as a child and it caused me nightmares for years. Its no children film. Its a genious animated horror film for sure, but not for + 6 years olds (the age that the cinemas said it was okay for people to watch)

Long story short Coraline is the story about a girl that doesnt have a close relationship with her parents that moves into the Pink Palace. Where she finds a door to a world where she has another mother and another father that are absolutely everything she ever wished for......until they are not. Until the Other Mother starts doing everything to sew buttons into Coralines eyes in order to trap her in the Other World with her.

This is by far on my top 3 favourite films and a 10 is unfair.

I loved the film so much I ended up researching for every fact and theories I could find. Here are one of the most interesting ones I've found ...


1 - The Ranft Brothers moving truck shows up at the Pink Palace towards the beginning of the film. A hidden detail appears on their truck in the form of
 spray paint, which is a shout-out for stop-motion animation.

The two brothers are also a shout-out, though, specifically to Joe and Jerome Ranft, two brothers who were famous for their animation work, specifically
 through Pixar.

2 - Two big reasons Selick pushed for stop-motion animation over live-action was that he felt a talking cat was too much of a gimmick in that context and the
 film itself might end up being too scary.

3 - It is never specified in the film whether the real Bobinsky actually has a mouse circus. Selick believes he does not actually have one.

4 - Up to thirty animators worked on the film at any one time.

5 - The hat Coraline wears in several parts of the film is a Japanese school boyโ€™s hat that she finds. While promoting a film in Japan, Selick had picked up one of
 these for his son as a souvenir, but the boy never wore it. He figured he could at least make Coraline wear it.

Theories

1 - Wibie says that the well is so deep that some people say they "can see a sky full of stars in it" and The Other World is always night so the well could be another portal as in the end we see the cat disappearing in another portal so there are more portals than the small door.

So ... in the end of the film, did Coraline accidentally just returned the key to Beldam ?

2 - The Taffees that the actresses give Coraline have 3 dates in them that match the years that new people moved in the Pink Palace, which would match the 3 ghost children.
  
Minions (2015)
Minions (2015)
2015 | Animation, Comedy, Family
8
6.5 (30 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Bright, smart and hilarious
Theyโ€™re everywhere! Minions have become a worldwide phenomenon since their unveiling in 2010โ€™s smash-hit Despicable Me and for their return in its sequel.

It was only a matter of time before Universal gave their most successful animated franchise a prequel, and allowing it to focus on the cute yellow creatures was a masterstroke by the people behind the scenes. No matter where you go there is something minion related to buy.

But the question is, does a film based on them truly work? After all, itโ€™s their evil master Gru who is the main focus of the previous features.

Minions follows the history of the loveable race from humble beginnings serving an unlucky Tyrannosaurus right up to the moment they meet their aforementioned boss in a film packed full of colour and imagination.

After a history lesson narrated by the wonderful Geoffrey Rush, we find three plucky minions โ€“ Kevin, Stuart and the adorable Bob (accompanied by teddy Tim) as they are about to embark on a mission to find the most evil boss in the world.

Stumbling across the wicked Scarlet Overkill (voiced beautifully by Sandra Bullock) along the way, the trio think they have found everything they ever wanted right here in England.

Seeing London realised in animation as excellent as that in Minions is a joy. The city is a hive of activity with every frame being filled to the brim with tiny details like stained-glass windows, bees, rats, telephone boxes and fluttering flags. Itโ€™s just a shame we donโ€™t get to see it more.

Naturally the English stereotypes come out in full force with tea-drinking newsreaders and policemen, but theyโ€™re done in such good taste you canโ€™t help but laugh.

This is where Minions excels. Its humour is sublime. The kids will be rolling around in the aisles one moment, with adults finding something equally as hilarious the next โ€“ this is how a family film should be. There are pop culture references abound and even some nods to previous US presidents.

Kevin, Bob and Stuart are the perfect trio to spend 90 minutes with. Each of them have rich personalities that feel like theyโ€™ve been cleverly crafted to ensure you find a bit of yourself in each โ€“ I know, it sounds ridiculous.

Unfortunately, the story runs a little out of puff towards the filmโ€™s climax. It delves into unnecessarily silly territory when it really doesnโ€™t need to and itโ€™s a shame that a smart kidโ€™s movie like this feels the need to dumb it all down.

Thankfully, it picks up again in the last 15 minutes and makes for a truly memorable ending.

Overall, Minions is a funny, charming and well-paced film that confirms what we all feared โ€“ Britain is obsessed by minions. The animation and humour are both sublime with only an exhausted plot stopping it from achieving greatness.

One thingโ€™s for sure though, that obsession your child has with the pill-shaped creatures, it wonโ€™t be going away any time soon. Minions โ€“ me ti amo (I love you in Minionese).

https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/06/28/bright-smart-and-hilarious-minions-review/
  
Inside Out (2015)
Inside Out (2015)
2015 | Animation, Comedy, Drama
A delightful treat
If thereโ€™s one thing Pixar knows how to do, itโ€™s create memorable films. Long after youโ€™ve walked out the cinema, the likes of Wall.E and Finding Nemo stay with you.

2015 marks the first time the studio will release two films in the same year, with The Good Dinosaur coming to cinemas in December and the subject of this review, Inside Out, in this yearโ€™s busy summer season.

But has this increased workload for Pixarโ€™s animators resulted in a poorer quality movie?

Inside Out follows the story of young Riley, an eleven-year-old girl coming to terms with growing up in a new home away from her friends and the neighbourhood she knows and loves.

Deep inside her head, however, we find a whole host of colourful characters controlling Rileyโ€™s emotions. Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust all play a part in keeping her level-headed. Unfortunately, after a near disaster it falls on upbeat Joy and ever-blue Sadness to bring Riley back to who she once was.

Inside Out continues Pixarโ€™s trend of creating beautifully animated films that really strike a chord with audiences. The sheer amount of colour is absolutely breath-taking and children will find much to enjoy in both the central characters and the numerous environments inside Rileyโ€™s head, while adults will love the stunning recreation of San Francisco in all its bustling glory.

The cast, which includes voice work by Bill Hader (Monsters University), Kyle MacLachlan (Desperate Housewives) and Diane Lane (Man of Steel) all do sterling jobs in bringing their characters to life but it is in Phyllis Smith, who plays Sadness, that we find the best portrayal.

A relatively unknown actress with few film credits to her name, Smith is truly wonderful as the little blue lady who keeps a check on the more upsetting moments in Rileyโ€™s life.

Elsewhere, Pixar has once again created a story that really focuses on the themes of growth, family bonding and what it means to grow up in todayโ€™s society with numerous cultural references that children and adults alike will enjoy.

However, itโ€™s important to note that Inside Out is one of the more emotional films Pixar has created. At numerous points throughout the movie there were a couple of children in the cinema wiping away the tears โ€“ though this shows how heavily invested in the characters they became.

Unfortunately, despite being 94 minutes in length, Inside Out does feel a little drawn out in places and lacks the deeper storytelling elements that has made some of the studios other films so charming. This isnโ€™t to say it lacks charm, but itโ€™s in slightly shorter supply here.

Overall, Pixar has added another cracking film to its ever-increasing roster. Whilst not hitting the heights of Wall.E or Toy Story, it makes for a memorable and sensible film for the whole family to enjoy.

Itโ€™s the perfect start to the summer holidays. Roll on The Good Dinosaur.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/07/26/a-delightful-treat-inside-out-review/
  
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
2015 | Animation
Is it as good as Inside Out?
2015 has been a great year for film. From long-awaited sequels to the conclusion of epic franchises, itโ€™s been one of the best and most successful movie seasons in recent memory, and with Star Wars: the Force Awakens out in December, it can only finish on a high.

It also marks the first time that Pixar has released two films in the same year. Summer saw the release of instant-classic Inside Out and now animation fans get to enjoy another movie from the studio, The Good Dinosaur, but has Pixar bitten of more than it can chew?

The Good Dinosaur follows the story of a young Apatosaurus named Arlo, voiced beautifully by Raymond Ochoa, as he comes to terms with growing up in an ever-changing world where dinosaurs never met their well-documented fates.

He, alongside human child Spot suddenly find themselves embroiled in a dangerous journey after getting lost a long way from their homes.

If this all sounds a little formulaic to you, then thatโ€™s because it is. The Good Dinosaur has a plot more akin to Paramount animation, rather than the exceptional storytelling we have come to expect from Pixar. Thereโ€™s nothing particularly special or unique about the plot and this is a real shame.


Thankfully, Pixarโ€™s usual gut-punches are out in full force and The Good Dinosaur is among one of the emotional films in the studioโ€™s roster. Personal tragedy is never an easy thing to convey in a movie meant to be enjoyed by the whole family, but here it is dealt with in a beautiful and tasteful manner.

Scenes in which Arlo and Spot share their circumstances with each other hit home hard and are deeply saddening to watch.

The cinematography too is absolutely exceptional. The breath-taking prehistoric landscapes are rendered in such stunning animation, they almost feel real. From raging white-water to beautiful sun-flooded forests, everything is a joy to behold and this is where The Good Dinosaur excels โ€“ a firefly swarm in particular is spectacular and propels the film into How to Train Your Dragon territory for sheer spectacle.

However, the entire film feels like a show reel, albeit a mesmerising one, for the talents at Pixar. Each shot of scenery is lingered on for a little too long and agoraphobic Arloโ€™s plight can sometimes take a backseat to this beauty.

Nevertheless, there are some wonderful characters here. A trio of T-Rex, who turn out to be cowboys โ€“ or should that be cowdinos, provide The Good Dinosaur with some of its more standout moments and itโ€™s the lack of these sequences where the film is found wanting.

Overall, Pixar has created another excellent piece of animation with The Good Dinosaur. Though not quite at their โ€˜gold standard,โ€™ the film is a wonder to behold and shows just how gorgeous animated features can be.

Unfortunately, the lack of an original story ensures itโ€™ll prove second best to Inside Out in this yearโ€™s battle despite its deeper emotional resonance.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/11/29/is-it-as-good-as-inside-out-the-good-dinosaur-review/
  
Krampus (2015)
Krampus (2015)
2015 | Comedy, Horror
Full of festive chills and thrills
Itโ€™s the most wonderful time of the year, or in the case of one typical US family, itโ€™s not, as they face off against a whole host of festive monsters and ghouls, all serving their evil overlord, Krampus.

This horror comedy takes the genre to a whole new level, throwing in a nice dose of cheesy festive calamity for good measure. But will you be wishing for it on this yearโ€™s Christmas list?

Krampus follows the story of a family, who after getting together for the holiday; forget the spirit of Christmas and what it means to hope for a better future and for the well-being of those around you.

Unfortunately, there arenโ€™t any visits from Santa on the cards for this unlucky group, as their continuous bickering summons Krampus, St. Nicholasโ€™ shadow. Krampus is a popular piece of German folklore, a hooded anthropomorphic figure who punishes naughty children in the run up to Christmas.

Naturally, the legend of Krampus gets an American makeover but surprisingly the end result is one of the best horror comedy films in years with some well-time scares and just the right amount of laughs. The family, known only by their first names, is a well-acted group featuring talent like Toni Collette, Adam Scott and the ever-popular David Koechner.

The family unit has just the right amount of chemistry to make their relationships feel believable with Krista Stadler providing an eerie performance as the filmโ€™s eldest character.

What sets Krampus apart from its peers is the ingenious plot and fascinating story, with one particular scene featuring some crazed gingerbread men and demonic toys proving to be the filmโ€™s highlight. The constant shifts in tone ensure it never settles into a rut, and unusually for the genre, Krampus manages to steamroll itself to a genuinely pleasing climax thatโ€™ll have you talking long after youโ€™ve walked out of the cinema.

Thereโ€™s also a beautifully animated backstory explaining the origins of our antagonist that just proves how above average this film truly is. Only Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 managed to do such a tasteful cut to animation and it works fantastically well here too.

The titular character is a menacing figure in a long cloak, with dangling chains and large hooves, and despite his lack of screen time, he makes his presence felt. Thereโ€™ll be no chance of bickering around the Christmas dinner table if thereโ€™s the possibility of Krampus showing up.

If thereโ€™s one criticism to be directed towards Krampus, itโ€™s the lack of actual horror. Yes, there are scares but the majority of them are of the jump variety and thereโ€™s only so much terror that can be inflicted by maniacal biscuits.

Overall, Krampus is a highly entertaining romp with one of the best endings ever seen in the horror comedy genre. This frighteningly funny festive treat should most definitely be on your must watch list โ€“ itโ€™s a delight.

Just remember, he knows when youโ€™ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake! Krampus is coming to town.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/12/06/full-of-festive-thrills-and-chills-krampus-review/
  
Big Hero 6 (2014)
Big Hero 6 (2014)
2014 | Animation, Family
Phenomenal
Big Hero 6 sits on top for me as probably the best under-the-radar film of all-time. No one talks about it or really brings it up. Anytime I mention its greatness, I get the typical response: โ€œWell, yeah, I guess it was kind of awesome.โ€ Not only is it one of the best under-the-radar films, but itโ€™s the best film I have reviewed so far. Disagree all you want, but hear me out on my argument.

Set in the swanky, futuristic city of San Fransokyo, Big Hero 6 is the story of how young Hiro Hamada develops an unlikely friendship with his brotherโ€™s marshmallow-esque robot Baymax and they form an unlikely superhero team.

Acting: 10
Each voice actor does an excellent job capturing the essence of their character. Strong, emotional moments suck you into the film and keep you invested. As in most Disney films, there are no weaknesses from an acting standpoint. Damon Wayans Jr. was my personal favorite playing the role of Wasabi one of Hiroโ€™s friends. He doesnโ€™t dominate the scenes that he stars in, but definitely manages to make the most of his lines.

Beginning: 10

Characters: 10

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The animations are beautiful and crisp. The opening scene provides a breathtaking view of the city of San Fransokyo. Building lights pop against the night sky. Bay waters glimmer. Attention to detail is exquisite. There is one scene where Hiro and Baymax are falling through an open window in slow-motion. Bushes below rustle while glass flies past them. It only lasts for a couple of seconds, but itโ€™s a testament to the solid work that went into the animation of this film.

The powers the team displayed added to the filmโ€™s visual prowess. I loved watching Fred breathe fire in his awful (and also hilarious) superhero costume. Their powers and team-ups made for some stunning battles against a unique villain.

Conflict: 10
I am amazed at the balance of story and action as a film typically has to sacrifice one over the other. Even during their earlier training phases, the action is both consistent and non-stop. It fills the entire landscape of the screen. From battles to car chases to harrowing escapes, Big Hero 6 establishes and maintains a high level of intensity.

Genre: 10
Not only does this film establish itself as one of the best animated films ever done, but itโ€™s also one of the best superhero films ever made. The fact that it excels in both genres just speaks of the filmโ€™s overall greatness. I expected to like it, but I never expected to love it. Big Hero 6 is easily in the same class as The Incredibles.

Memorability: 10

Pace: 10

Plot: 10

Resolution: 10
The ending is perfect. Sappy, yet believable. Great wrap-up of a great movie.

Overall: 100
A great family film with solid superhero action and a fun, meaningful story you can get behind. What more do you need? Loved this movie.
  
Seoul Station (2016)
Seoul Station (2016)
2016 | Animation, Horror, International
8
6.2 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: Seoul Station starts as we see a homeless man injured and ignored around the station, we move off to see Hye-Sun who along with her boyfriend Ki-woong have been struggling for rent, forcing him into attempting to pimp her out, when her father Suk-gyu discovers this, he heads to Seoul to save his daughter.

Soon the homeless dies, but he doesnโ€™t stay dead, turning into a zombie, it isnโ€™t long before the zombie plague hits Seoul and Suk-gyu must work with Ki-woong to locate his missing daughter and escape the city before it is too late.

 

Thoughts on Seoul Station

 

Characters โ€“ Suk-gyu is the father searching for his lost daughter, he knew she ran away and now he gets the chance to come and save her from the seedy underworld her boyfriend wants to put her in, only to become the real saviour against the zombies. Hye-Sun is the runaway daughter, she struggles to keep the rent coming and after her argument with her boyfriend wanders the streets alone just as the zombie outbreak starts. Ki-woong is the boyfriend who seems to be a slacker spending more time in the internet cafes over supporting his girlfriend, he is forced to work with Suk-gyu to find Hye-Sun.

Story โ€“ The story here follows three main characters who are trying to survive a zombie outbreak in the big city of Seoul, this is a prequel to Train to Busan and shows us how the outbreak started to spread. The story keeps the attempts of a father trying to save his daughter the focal point in this film, this gives us two main characters to support and hope see get reconnected after she had run away from home at a young age. We also get to see a father and new boyfriend interact with the tension you would expect from this. This isnโ€™t anything ground breaking for the zombie genre and by being animated we get to increase the scale of everything which does help show how a big city would cope with the panic of a sudden outbreak.

Horror โ€“ The horror in the film comes from the zombie outbreak, the zombie behaviour will always work for horror and the idea that nowhere is as safe as it should be only adds to the horror in the film.

Settings โ€“ The film is set in Seoul which is one of the locations the train goes through in Train to Busan, the scale of the city shows us just how a big population would react to an outbreak.

Animation โ€“ The animation used in the film is great to see, we get to see each bloody wound suffered through the outbreak.


Scene of the Movie โ€“ Third act twist is shocking.

That Moment That Annoyed Me โ€“ Shut the bloody doors.

Final Thoughts โ€“ This is a great prequel to put us in the world of Train to Busan, we get to see just how conflicted people can become and just follow one small story in the bigger picture makes us interested to learn more.

 

Overall: Great fun animation.

https://moviesreview101.com/2019/06/19/abc-film-challenge-world-cinema-s-seoul-station-2016/
  
Pokรฉmon: Detective Pikachu  (2019)
Pokรฉmon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
2019 | Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
Detective Pikachu is the long awaited live action movie of the beloved video game and animated tv show franchise. The video game has sold over 1.31 billion units, so this movie has a very established fan base that is excited for new content, but also critical when new product doesnโ€™t meet their expectations.

Video game movies in general are typically VERY bad. So bad that any time I hear they are making a movie out of a video game I immediately cringe out of reflex. Iโ€™ve been permanently scarred by the likes of Tekken, Super Mario Bros and Mortal Kombat. When Tomb Raider is your benchmark for the best of the best you have reason to be afraid when they say that Detective Pikachu is coming to theaters.

But fear not! This movie is not perfect but it does entertain!

Detective Pikachu is played by the voice of Ryan Reynolds, which in case you didnโ€™t know Pokemon typically do not talk, so this is unusual right off the bat. Pokemon basically just repeat their name over and over again with different voice inflections in order to convey mood or urgency. Itโ€™s not as annoying as it sounds; itโ€™s typically adorable actually. Reynolds does an excellent PG impersonation of Deadpool as Pikachu in a comedic role as detective Pikachu and it works surprisingly well. His comic timing is so perfect and the jokes donโ€™t come off as childish or boorish, it really flows and works perfectly in the movie.

Justice Smith plays the lead character role of Tim Goodman who is trying to solve the murder of his estranged father. Justice Smith is very likable and you root for him to beat the bad guy and get the girl (played by Kathryn Newton), which is all you really need in a summer action movie; you need to want the hero or heroine to win. Justice Smith does a great job and I could see them building a franchise around his character going forward.

The visuals are fantastic! Its great seeing the characters from the video game walking around full size like that on the big screen and they did not just do a few, the movie is crawling with them and I loved that.

The story is fairly standard and does follow a formula but it moves along at a good pace and at 1 hour and 44 minutes long it feels like itโ€™s not too long or too short. There are jokes that only the adults will get, there are game characters that only hardcore fans will recognize, but this movie was made for as wide an audience as a video game movie could be. They were trying to make it accessible to all, and I think they accomplished that.

Itโ€™s a big budget buddy cop popcorn movie with a lot of action, some laughs, a very light and fluffy kid friendly side love story and great special effects. There was a plot hole or two but it was forgivable and too entertaining to ruin it. I highly recommend turning off your brain, grabbing some popcorn and just enjoying this movie. Not perfect, but very good and fun!