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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Justice League: War (2014) in Movies
Aug 16, 2019
February 4th saw the release of another Warner Bros. Animation film in the
Justice League franchise titled ‘War.’ DC Comics is continuing to bolster
its brand with regular animated releases, and they are doing a great job.
The film opens as an obvious origin story. Fans of the previous animated
films or TV series will notice some overt departures from the standard fare
of the last few years.
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and Batman lead off the film with their first
meeting in Gotham City, working quickly to solve a strange spree of
criminal abductions. As the two broker a tenuous peace and learn to work
together, they realize the Mother Box they found is linked to others like
it, and they head to Metropolis.
Wonder Woman, on her way to meet the President of the United States,
encounters winged beasts similar to ones fought by Green Lantern, Batman,
and Superman. What’s unusual is that this time she uses a sword to
dispatch her enemies. It’s something I’ve rarely seen in previous comics
or animated works.
The Flash, Shazam, and Cyborg all make appearances, and the team’s
structure gradually comes together. Meanwhile, the villain reveals himself:
Darkseid (who is one of my favorite DC villains).
This story is told wonderfully, with great action sequences and voice
acting (Sean Astin and Alan Tudyk – notable names). Overall, I was pleased
and entertained.
That said, there are a few major oddities within the film that stuck out as
strong deviations from the norm.
First, Superman kills someone. Despite the circumstances, I was still
shocked to see his character taken in that direction.
Second, somebody drops the S-bomb. I’ve never seen swearing in a “young
adult” film before, and though it was only used once, I was still taken
aback.
Third, the portrayal of Darkseid. He’s a great villain because of his
physical prowess, omega beams, and intellect. The first two were
represented in fine fashion, but the last was woefully lacking. Nothing
about this film showcased his intellect at all.
Fourth, Shazam seems to favor his lightening powers over his physical
assaults, which again, is in contradiction to most other comics and
animations.
While I found all of these examples strange and uncharacteristic with
respect to the usual formula, none of them were significant enough to be
considered a problem. I’m curious to see where this new trend goes. Will
DC use this as a platform to start a new chain of films or TV shows? Will
the language and body count continue to escalate? These are questions for
the ages.
Bottom line: if you are a fan of the genre, please watch it. You won’t be
disappointed.
Justice League franchise titled ‘War.’ DC Comics is continuing to bolster
its brand with regular animated releases, and they are doing a great job.
The film opens as an obvious origin story. Fans of the previous animated
films or TV series will notice some overt departures from the standard fare
of the last few years.
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and Batman lead off the film with their first
meeting in Gotham City, working quickly to solve a strange spree of
criminal abductions. As the two broker a tenuous peace and learn to work
together, they realize the Mother Box they found is linked to others like
it, and they head to Metropolis.
Wonder Woman, on her way to meet the President of the United States,
encounters winged beasts similar to ones fought by Green Lantern, Batman,
and Superman. What’s unusual is that this time she uses a sword to
dispatch her enemies. It’s something I’ve rarely seen in previous comics
or animated works.
The Flash, Shazam, and Cyborg all make appearances, and the team’s
structure gradually comes together. Meanwhile, the villain reveals himself:
Darkseid (who is one of my favorite DC villains).
This story is told wonderfully, with great action sequences and voice
acting (Sean Astin and Alan Tudyk – notable names). Overall, I was pleased
and entertained.
That said, there are a few major oddities within the film that stuck out as
strong deviations from the norm.
First, Superman kills someone. Despite the circumstances, I was still
shocked to see his character taken in that direction.
Second, somebody drops the S-bomb. I’ve never seen swearing in a “young
adult” film before, and though it was only used once, I was still taken
aback.
Third, the portrayal of Darkseid. He’s a great villain because of his
physical prowess, omega beams, and intellect. The first two were
represented in fine fashion, but the last was woefully lacking. Nothing
about this film showcased his intellect at all.
Fourth, Shazam seems to favor his lightening powers over his physical
assaults, which again, is in contradiction to most other comics and
animations.
While I found all of these examples strange and uncharacteristic with
respect to the usual formula, none of them were significant enough to be
considered a problem. I’m curious to see where this new trend goes. Will
DC use this as a platform to start a new chain of films or TV shows? Will
the language and body count continue to escalate? These are questions for
the ages.
Bottom line: if you are a fan of the genre, please watch it. You won’t be
disappointed.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) in Movies
Jan 15, 2019
Very Satisfying
When Miles Morales gets bit by a radioactive spider he assumes the role of Spider-Man. Except there’s more than one Spider-Man from separate dimensions crashing into one. The superheroes have to get to the bottom of what put them together and figure out how to right those wrongs for the sake of the universe.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 8
Characters: 10
Easily one of the shining moments of this movie is learning about each spider character. Their differing personalities make the team-ups and dialogue scenes hilarious. Peter B. Parker shows us what kind of man a hero becomes when his life completely falls apart. He’s nonchalant and sloppy, but not because he doesn’t care anymore. Meanwhile, Spider-Ham was just perfect in every single way. I won’t spoil any of his moments like trailers have already done, but his featured scenes don’t disappoint in the least.
Villains are solid as well. Kingpin is a coldhearted badass who intimidates everyone in his path. As the story progresses, you understand what helped to make him who he becomes. This movie did an excellent job of fleshing out each character and giving them purpose.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Conflict: 10
Genre: 8
Animated film or not, this movie is as good as it gets. Though not in my upper echelon of superhero films, it still ranks right up there with some of the best. Incredibles 2 gets the nod for best animated superhero film this year, but Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is not too far behind.
Memorability: 9The animation style alone is enough to make this movie one that sticks around in your head long after you’ve watched it. The action sequences are long and satisfying, really popping off the screen. A positive message puts a nice little bow on top of everything.
Pace: 10
Entertaining from beginning to end, Into the Spider-Verse sets a swift pace and doesn’t slow down. Even scenes between the action have something important or funny happening that keeps the audience involved in the story. No slow-downs or lulls, the movie remains fresh deep into its runtime.
Plot: 10
Resolution: 5
Ending was meh. Wasn’t bad, but it didn’t give me that Cherry On Top feel that I typically look for in an ending. It left me feeling a little…empty.
Overall: 88
When I first put Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on my radar, I had no idea what to expect. I saw it as more of Sony trying to cash in on their one main Marvel character. After seeing it, I’m happy to report that I was dead wrong. I really enjoyed the movie and I can’t wait to check it out again at home in 4K!
Acting: 10
Beginning: 8
Characters: 10
Easily one of the shining moments of this movie is learning about each spider character. Their differing personalities make the team-ups and dialogue scenes hilarious. Peter B. Parker shows us what kind of man a hero becomes when his life completely falls apart. He’s nonchalant and sloppy, but not because he doesn’t care anymore. Meanwhile, Spider-Ham was just perfect in every single way. I won’t spoil any of his moments like trailers have already done, but his featured scenes don’t disappoint in the least.
Villains are solid as well. Kingpin is a coldhearted badass who intimidates everyone in his path. As the story progresses, you understand what helped to make him who he becomes. This movie did an excellent job of fleshing out each character and giving them purpose.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Conflict: 10
Genre: 8
Animated film or not, this movie is as good as it gets. Though not in my upper echelon of superhero films, it still ranks right up there with some of the best. Incredibles 2 gets the nod for best animated superhero film this year, but Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is not too far behind.
Memorability: 9The animation style alone is enough to make this movie one that sticks around in your head long after you’ve watched it. The action sequences are long and satisfying, really popping off the screen. A positive message puts a nice little bow on top of everything.
Pace: 10
Entertaining from beginning to end, Into the Spider-Verse sets a swift pace and doesn’t slow down. Even scenes between the action have something important or funny happening that keeps the audience involved in the story. No slow-downs or lulls, the movie remains fresh deep into its runtime.
Plot: 10
Resolution: 5
Ending was meh. Wasn’t bad, but it didn’t give me that Cherry On Top feel that I typically look for in an ending. It left me feeling a little…empty.
Overall: 88
When I first put Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on my radar, I had no idea what to expect. I saw it as more of Sony trying to cash in on their one main Marvel character. After seeing it, I’m happy to report that I was dead wrong. I really enjoyed the movie and I can’t wait to check it out again at home in 4K!
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Ronyell (38 KP) rated Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night (1987) in Movies
Jul 24, 2020
That Creepy Version of Pinocchio
This movie is basically a sequel to the original “Pinocchio” and the movie starts off with Gepetto giving Pinocchio a jewel box to take to the Mayor. As Pinocchio goes to town to deliver the jewel box, he meets up with Igor and Scalawag, two con artists who eventually convince Pinocchio to give them the jewel box, which ends up getting Pinocchio into trouble with Gepetto. Pinocchio was so upset about disappointing his father that he decided to run away and get the jewel box back. It was then that Pinocchio ended up getting into all kinds of strange and frightening situations such as meeting the frightening Puppetino at the circus and eventually meeting up with the Emperor of the Night!
Now, when I heard that Filmation was making a sequel to the famous Italian classic "Pinocchio," I was quite surprised and satisfied with the results! I loved the fact that there was a sequel to "Pinocchio" to begin with since I did wonder what Pinocchio's adventures would be like after he was transformed into a real boy and we managed to get one in this movie! I honestly like the dark and edgy feel of this film as it really grabbed my interest and some scenes (like the infamous puppet transformation scene) had really stayed with me ever since I was little! The voice acting was fantastic in this film as all the voice actors really gave everything they got for this film. Probably my favorite voice acting was from James Earl Jones as the Emperor of the Night as he made the character extremely scary and mysterious and I was really interested in the character! The animation is surprisingly better than what we usually get with Filmation as the characters move much fluidly and the action sequences were quite well done!
The only problem with this film was that it seemed like the plot was a rehash of the original Pinocchio story as we still get a storyline about Pinocchio trying to figure out what is right and wrong, having a conscience who would guide him and having two con artists scam him and get him into more trouble. The only thing that was actually different in this story was the Emperor of the Night as he proved to be scarier than the previous villains in "Pinocchio."
Overall, "Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night" is a great film for anyone who is a huge fan of Filmation's works and who wants to see how the story of "Pinocchio" would continue.
Originally posted on: http://surrealmoviesandtvblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/movie-review-pinocchio-and-emperor-of.html
Now, when I heard that Filmation was making a sequel to the famous Italian classic "Pinocchio," I was quite surprised and satisfied with the results! I loved the fact that there was a sequel to "Pinocchio" to begin with since I did wonder what Pinocchio's adventures would be like after he was transformed into a real boy and we managed to get one in this movie! I honestly like the dark and edgy feel of this film as it really grabbed my interest and some scenes (like the infamous puppet transformation scene) had really stayed with me ever since I was little! The voice acting was fantastic in this film as all the voice actors really gave everything they got for this film. Probably my favorite voice acting was from James Earl Jones as the Emperor of the Night as he made the character extremely scary and mysterious and I was really interested in the character! The animation is surprisingly better than what we usually get with Filmation as the characters move much fluidly and the action sequences were quite well done!
The only problem with this film was that it seemed like the plot was a rehash of the original Pinocchio story as we still get a storyline about Pinocchio trying to figure out what is right and wrong, having a conscience who would guide him and having two con artists scam him and get him into more trouble. The only thing that was actually different in this story was the Emperor of the Night as he proved to be scarier than the previous villains in "Pinocchio."
Overall, "Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night" is a great film for anyone who is a huge fan of Filmation's works and who wants to see how the story of "Pinocchio" would continue.
Originally posted on: http://surrealmoviesandtvblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/movie-review-pinocchio-and-emperor-of.html
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Mary Poppins Returns (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
I'm not going to lie, the trailer for this worried me greatly. Despite Emily Blunt's roots her accent sounds like someone's stereotypical idea of a prim and proper British nanny, it stuck out like a sore thumb from the trailer.
Right from the outset you can see that spark from the original film in the animation, the character traits and style. Everything is very familiar and yet different.
I have to say though that the songs were not memorable. If fact I left the cinema thinking about the original more and ended up having a little Mary Poppin medley on my journey back. When you didn't think it could get any worse she actually converts to cockney for one of the songs and I'm left enjoying some of the uninspiring dance routines while wishing I had a remote control to mute the sound.
I'm struggling to remember if the chimney sweep dance routine and the lamp lighter routine in the new film have a lot of similarities. What I can say about it is that there were some very odd camera shots in there. It felt very much like they wanted you to only focus on Miranda and so we got lots of creepy close ups. The sequence really didn't work for me, and honestly I can't even remember the song.
There were some very touching moments in the latter half of the film. Whishaw wasn't really working for me early on but he has a very powerful moment in the middle that kicks off some much better pieces. I can't say that any of the acting particularly thrilled me, the best was probably in the animated characters.
I was genuinely thrilled to see Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins Returns though. I smiled from ear to ear when he started dancing, that moment alone is the main reason for the stars this film earned. But even after the dance routine I wasn't keen on his part in it.
The real question about MP films is if every second Wednesday Topsy's world goes upside-down... what happens to Mary Poppins on every second Tuesday? (Do we know the answer to this? Have I just missed it somewhere?)
What you should do
In my opinion this remake was made on the basis of "if it ain't broke don't fix it", except in the process of making it look like a sequel... they broke it. But, I seem to be in a minority on this one. If you want the nostalgic feeling but don't want to replace the amazing songs from the original then you should be alright seeing this.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Some of whatever Mary Poppins is smoking?
Right from the outset you can see that spark from the original film in the animation, the character traits and style. Everything is very familiar and yet different.
I have to say though that the songs were not memorable. If fact I left the cinema thinking about the original more and ended up having a little Mary Poppin medley on my journey back. When you didn't think it could get any worse she actually converts to cockney for one of the songs and I'm left enjoying some of the uninspiring dance routines while wishing I had a remote control to mute the sound.
I'm struggling to remember if the chimney sweep dance routine and the lamp lighter routine in the new film have a lot of similarities. What I can say about it is that there were some very odd camera shots in there. It felt very much like they wanted you to only focus on Miranda and so we got lots of creepy close ups. The sequence really didn't work for me, and honestly I can't even remember the song.
There were some very touching moments in the latter half of the film. Whishaw wasn't really working for me early on but he has a very powerful moment in the middle that kicks off some much better pieces. I can't say that any of the acting particularly thrilled me, the best was probably in the animated characters.
I was genuinely thrilled to see Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins Returns though. I smiled from ear to ear when he started dancing, that moment alone is the main reason for the stars this film earned. But even after the dance routine I wasn't keen on his part in it.
The real question about MP films is if every second Wednesday Topsy's world goes upside-down... what happens to Mary Poppins on every second Tuesday? (Do we know the answer to this? Have I just missed it somewhere?)
What you should do
In my opinion this remake was made on the basis of "if it ain't broke don't fix it", except in the process of making it look like a sequel... they broke it. But, I seem to be in a minority on this one. If you want the nostalgic feeling but don't want to replace the amazing songs from the original then you should be alright seeing this.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Some of whatever Mary Poppins is smoking?
Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Gate (1987) in Movies
Sep 29, 2019
Gremlins meets Explorers in some good 80's fun!
After a lightning storm, a major tree get uprooted in the suburban back yard of Glen and his sometimes nice big sister, Al. Glen and his best friend Terry proceed to investigate and discover some cool geode stones. At the same time, Glen and Al's parents are going away and leaving the teen and pre-teens home alone (doesn't this always happen in 80's movies).
All seems well enough until the boys split the geode and it spurts out some ancient writing that Glen reads aloud. Al decides to have a party while her parents are away (go figure) where Glen is levitated during a mini seance. Terry discovers during one of his headbanging sessions some of these events coincidentally are said to open a demonic gate where strange creatures can emerge, torment those they find and ravage the Earth.
The three protagonists decide to try and close the "gate" by reading ancient text and Bible verses. This proves successful and small, feisty demons begin to appear and creep into their house. After several run ins, more unusual things start happening within the home, possibly as a precursor for something even bigger on the horizon.
The teens must formulate a plan to dispose of their new house-guests before it is too late!
Funny that Glen is played by a very young Stephen Dorff in his very first role. He reminds me of a young Ethan Hawke in Explorers as his nerd friend Terry reminds me of River Phoenix in the same film.
The movie is cheesy with dated special and optical effects that modern audiences might get annoyed by or find lame and of poor quality. The small demons are more funny than they are scary, but I still enjoyed seeing them on screen. I actually thought it was stop motion animation similar to a Ray Harryhausen film like Clash of the Titans, but they were actually actors in demon costumes and then shot in forced perspective to make them seem smaller.
The movie is only 85 minutes and the plot does take a little while to get going. The first half of the movie is more like every 80's movie you have ever seen with dated hairstyles, clothing and dialogue, but once the demon stuff manifests it becomes more interesting.
Even though PG-13 with some semi scary moments, the movie does seem the style of Gremlins meaning maybe aiming more for a younger audience rather than being excessively disgusting or graphic.
Hopefully you can put aside the elements I mentioned that aren't up to today's standards and enjoy the cute, interesting story this film inhabits. I surely did.
All seems well enough until the boys split the geode and it spurts out some ancient writing that Glen reads aloud. Al decides to have a party while her parents are away (go figure) where Glen is levitated during a mini seance. Terry discovers during one of his headbanging sessions some of these events coincidentally are said to open a demonic gate where strange creatures can emerge, torment those they find and ravage the Earth.
The three protagonists decide to try and close the "gate" by reading ancient text and Bible verses. This proves successful and small, feisty demons begin to appear and creep into their house. After several run ins, more unusual things start happening within the home, possibly as a precursor for something even bigger on the horizon.
The teens must formulate a plan to dispose of their new house-guests before it is too late!
Funny that Glen is played by a very young Stephen Dorff in his very first role. He reminds me of a young Ethan Hawke in Explorers as his nerd friend Terry reminds me of River Phoenix in the same film.
The movie is cheesy with dated special and optical effects that modern audiences might get annoyed by or find lame and of poor quality. The small demons are more funny than they are scary, but I still enjoyed seeing them on screen. I actually thought it was stop motion animation similar to a Ray Harryhausen film like Clash of the Titans, but they were actually actors in demon costumes and then shot in forced perspective to make them seem smaller.
The movie is only 85 minutes and the plot does take a little while to get going. The first half of the movie is more like every 80's movie you have ever seen with dated hairstyles, clothing and dialogue, but once the demon stuff manifests it becomes more interesting.
Even though PG-13 with some semi scary moments, the movie does seem the style of Gremlins meaning maybe aiming more for a younger audience rather than being excessively disgusting or graphic.
Hopefully you can put aside the elements I mentioned that aren't up to today's standards and enjoy the cute, interesting story this film inhabits. I surely did.