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Post by Belchic on Aug 20, 2016 16:10:43 GMT -5
Hey, what's up, dudes?
I recently came up with the idea to start this topic. What I am going to do is review animated films AniMatt style. Only difference is I am going based on my opinion, and not his or the universal opinion. I am also going to grade the film based on Story, Animation, Characters, and if applicable, Songs, and then reveal my overall rating of the film. Of course the highest rated films will receive my Seal of Approval, and the lowest rated films will receive my Seal of Garbage.
I have a few in mind that I plan to do, but I will leave this topic open for requests, so if there's an animated film you want to see me do, just suggest it here or send me a PM.
I guess I'll start off by reviewing this film...
The Lion King (1994)
The Story We all know the story. It's about a young cub named Simba who is about to become the king of Pride Rock and be ready to take his father's place after he passes on. After his father dies, he runs away having a breakdown while his uncle takes the throne, but he soon gets some sense knocked into him and returns claiming his rights as the true king of Pride Rock. Yeah, I know a lot of people have said the plot was similar to Hamlet, and there may be some parts that could confuse a lot of people, but strangely, it works in this movie. Disney was intending to have this movie be a completely original idea and not have it be based on any direct story. I'd say they did a tremendous job putting together a story with a solid 3-act structure. It's just amazing how it all works!
The Animation This has got to be one of the most beautifully-animated films that disney has ever done! Everything is colorful, the lighting is always set appropriately to the mood the film is supposed to be in, and there is so much detail put into not only the character animation, but the backgrounds too, and even the inanimate objects. The animators really did a lot of extensive research when animating this film, and they totally worked their hearts out! And to think that this movie was only intended to be filler with no expectations from the crew that it was going to be a hit!
The Characters I'd say the amount of characters in this film is just right. There aren't too many nor too few. I will say the characters do have a strong chemistry in the entire film, even though they are the classic stereotypes we see in a lot of other films. Simba is the classic hero, Nala is the classic love interest, Mufasa is the classic supportive parent figure, Timon and Pumbaa are the classic comic reliefs, and Scar is the classic villain. But what makes the characters so memorable are the voice actors. Simba as a cub is voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who was most likely casted just because "Home Improvement" was the #1 sitcom on TV at the time, but he did a tremendous job voicing the character, so he was a perfect match. Simba as an adult was voiced by Matthew Broderick, making this his only other good movie next to Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Mufasa is voiced by the legendary James Earl Jones, who seems to show a side that we have never seen before, I guess since we're so used to him being Darth Vader. Mufasa's right hand bird, Zazu, is voiced by Rowan Atkinson, who again felt like a perfect match; Zazu needed to have a voice like that. Timon and Pumbaa are voiced by comedians, Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella, and I don't think they could have picked a much better duo than them. Scar's minions, the hyenas...well, three of them at least, also are comedic on a lot of levels, but they can get annoying since a majority of their jokes are associated with food; still, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin and Jim Cummings do an awesome job giving these characters the personalities we know and love. Then finally, we have Jeremy Irons, giving the most sinister-sounding voice he can to one of the greatest Disney villains of all time, Scar. Man, there are a lot of big name celebrities in this movie! No wonder it's so memorable!
The Songs No successful Disney movie would be complete unless it were a musical, and this movie is no exception! Rock legend, Sir Elton John, and songwriter, Tim Rice, collaborated to make the songs and film score for this movie, and the end result is just incredible! "Circle of Life", the movie's theme song perfectly sets the mood for the film making it probably the most epic opening to a movie ever! "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is a fun musical number that you can get up and dance to. "Be Prepared" is amongst the most powerful villain songs in Disney's library. "Hakuna Matata" is a catchy tune that every kid knows by heart. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a tear-jerking love song that became a huge hit and a standard for Elton John. Though when the film was released on DVD in 2003, they added a new song to the film called "Morning Report", which is a song I can easily do without, but thankfully, they give you the option to watch either version of the film. Overall, the songs in this film are easily the most powerful songs Disney has ever done! Heck, even the background music can be powerful at times! It's just something I can never get tired of listening to.
It's really hard to believe that a film that Disney was planning as a side project would result in becoming one of the greatest animated films of all time! With it's strong story, memorable characters, astounding animation and incredible soundtrack, The Lion King should be considered one of the greatest films of all time period! It shouldn't just be reduced to Disney films, animated films or 90's pop culture; it is one of the greats, and I can easily put it up there with Gone With the Wind, Casablanca and The Godfather! It's no wonder many people praise this film so much, and with that said, The Lion King without question has earned Belchic's Seal of Approval!
Story: 10/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 10/10 Songs: 10/10
Overall: 10/10 = 100%
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Post by Trey_Vore on Aug 22, 2016 21:58:22 GMT -5
"I'm Trey-Vore, and I approve this review."
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Post by Belchic on Aug 24, 2016 17:08:26 GMT -5
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
South Park, an animated series that pushed the boundaries of what we see on television today. It was strictly made for adults, but kids everywhere still watched it. I watched it. In fact, it was the first adult cartoon that I watched regularly for some time.
In the summer of 1999, at the peak of the show's popularity came its first theatrical movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. Will this movie live up to the series, or will it suck so bad that it will lead to the show's decline? Let's find out...
The Story How do you make a South Park movie? Well, the movie begins with the four main kids going to see a Terrance and Phillip movie in the theaters, but since their parents won't let them watch the show, they of course lie to their parents about what they're doing. The theater won't let them in since it is an R rated movie, so the kids decide to drag a bum in to watch it with them so they'll have adult supervision. Something tells me this was made to satirize what real kids might have done to get in to see this movie. But anyway, the movie left a bad influence on the kids since they're now using language that they don't usually use. Outraged by this, Kyle's mom declares war on Canada and declares that Terrance and Phillip shall be executed. Now, it's a tradition for Kenny to face some kind of death in every episode; he dies either towards the end of the episode, or at the episode's halfway point, but here, Kenny dies when the movie is not even half over, and he winds up going to Hell, and this is after he wakes up in a hospital just to hear a doctor say to him, "You only have 3 seconds to live." Yeah, that's really going to leave a good impression on kids with a fear of death! This leads to another subplot where Satan is in a relationship with...Saddam Hussain??? I have three major problems with this: 1) Saddam was still living at the time. 2) This was pre-9/11. 3) This feels offensive on so many levels! Anyway, Satan is planning to invade earth with his army if innocent Canadian blood hits U.S. grounds. This movie's pieces just don't fit together! It's like they took South Park and mixed it in a blender with the musicals of the Disney Renaissance, Saving Private Ryan, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Electricity Magic, every curse word ever invented, and everything infamous about Canada! It's just a total mess! Apparently a lot of people love it, but I for one think this story is trying too hard!
The Animation South Park has not always been the strongest in the animation department. I understand, that is the humor of the show, but if they're going to make a movie, you would think they would improve a little on the animation, but it doesn't look like they've changed at all. It's all the same crude animation we know from the show, and a lot of the time, it's just not pleasing to look at. I've also found the way the Canadians are animated to be extremely racist; they even joke about their looks in the movie, but even that doesn't save it. While I do enjoy South Park, I can't bring myself down to admit that the animation is just horrendous!
The Characters I'm sure South Park fans who watch this are already familiar with all the characters we know and love from the show, and they're really not much different here. Each character seems to get an equal amount of spotlight and are very two-dimensional. However, the new characters feel very unnecessary. I mean, Satan has appeared on the show before, but Saddam? Really? Then there's Terrance and Phillip, who I swear I thought were supposed to be cartoon characters until I saw this movie when I realized they were real people! Actually, now that I think of it, with the way the characters play out in this movie, it feels like they were just recycling plots to previous South Park episodes and mixing them together! So that's another point off for the story's lack of originality! While I will say, even though the characters are the movie's strongest attribute, it still doesn't make the movie any better.
The Songs Oh boy! Who's idea was it to make the South Park movie a musical? The songs are just awful! They have no consistency, and really, I think most of them were made just so the writers could abuse their rights to have the characters constantly drop F bombs throughout the whole film! Though I'm sure if Family Guy got a theatrical film, it probably would have been the same thing. I understand they were supposed to be parodying musicals like Les Miserables or the films from the Disney Renaissance, and I should give them credit for creativity there, but there's no balance in the songs. Every song sounds like it belongs in a totally different movie! It just makes no sense to make a movie based on a cartoon with a TV-MA rating that isn't known for being music-driven, and just make it into a musical! You just don't do that! What were they thinking?
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is one of the worst animated films I have ever had the honor of watching! I'm surprised that so many people love this film, even though movies based on animated TV shows are mostly not that great. I guess in a sense, you could say this movie is to those kinds of films as Toy Story 3 is to second sequels. Even though I am a South Park fan, and this movie does have a lot of fans, that doesn't excuse the fact that I hate it! With its confusing plot, crude animation, lack of character development, horrible songs, overuse of the F word, racist humor, inappropriate messages to people, and misleading title, I have no choice but to give this movie Belchic's Seal of Garbage! Let's just hope Hasbro's upcoming My Little Pony film doesn't lean it's way toward earning that.
Story: 2/10 Animation: 1/10 Characters: 5/10 Songs: 2/10
Overall: 2.5/10 = 25%
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Post by Belchic on Nov 8, 2016 19:01:40 GMT -5
The Land Before Time (1988)
The Land Before Time is Don Bluth's third theatrical feature film under his direction. It was one of the attributes that started the whole dinosaur craze of the early 90's, and later on launched a record-breaking line of direct-to-video sequels, which helped bring the franchise into the mainstream. But does the original still hold up today, or is it just a worn out fad that is on its way to extinction? Let's find out...
The Story Let's face it. This is a story that has been done hundreds of times in movies before. It's about this baby Brontosaurus named Littlefoot who is on a journey to find the Great Valley. Along the way, his mother dies, and he makes some new friends along the way who join him on his journey. While this plot was done in a lot of films before, there are a lot of movies that came after this that ripped off its plot like Dinosaur and Walking With Dinosaurs. However, if you were to compare it to films that predate it, it seems to have the circle of life aspects of Bambi and the traveling aspects of Watership Down with a little bit of alliance aspects from The Wizard of Oz, and surprisingly, it seems to work very well here. Everything was well-crafted with the mood swings at the most appropriate parts without giving any whiplash, and the interactions between the characters being well-scripted. The writers did an excellent job structuring the story so that it has a beginning, a middle and an end, even though it is a tad unoriginal. Also, considering the stuff that was edited from the film, the end result turned out to be the best result.
The Animation While I won't say the animation is top notch per se, it still is very nice to look at. Take into consideration this film was released in the late 80's when computer animation was just starting to become a thing. However, this film is fully-hand-drawn giving it a more authentic and natural feel, and everything looks so well-detailed. The background animation gives a sense of wonder feeling like you're actually there. Then, there's the lighting like when it transitions to day and night, or when it tries to show what kind of a mood you should be in for a certain part of the movie. Then, there's the character animation. The main characters are bright and colorful, which allows you to fall in love with them. Though I don't think the shapes of these dinosaurs are biologically accurate, the mechanics on how they move is just so spot on that it's as if they're still alive today! However you may look at it, this film is just pure eye candy.
The Characters If there is one thing that anyone will truly remember from this movie, it's the characters. There aren't very many, but in this case, less is more. The main five dinosaurs are all very lovable, and kids can easily find them relatable. There's Littlefoot: the brave leader, Cera: the bossy tomboy, Ducky: the cute and innocent one, Petrie: the nervous comic relief, and Spike: the mute glutton. Then there's the adult characters. Littlefoot's mother is very kind and caring with a very soothing voice, and the words of wisdom she offers Littlefoot during the first third of the film are just so memorable. Cera's father is pretty much your typical overprotective father figure who does what's best for his daughter and is above all against others that are not his kind. Littlefoot's grandparents don't get much development; they're just there with no lines or any way to feel useful, but they do get more screentime in the sequels. Then finally, there's the villain, Sharp Tooth. All I can say is, he is one frightening beast! Overall, this was a perfect batch of characters for this film.
Overall, The Land Before Time is an animated film that still holds up today. With its well-written story, lovable characters, and gorgeous animation, this is a film that should be passed down to every generation of kids. So with that being said, I have the honor of giving The Land Before Time Belchic's Seal of Approval!
Story: 9/10 Animation: 9/10 Characters: 10/10
Overall: 9/10 = 93%
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Post by Trey_Vore on Nov 9, 2016 18:12:04 GMT -5
Nice one my man.
Looking forward to more.
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Post by Belchic on Mar 3, 2017 18:08:47 GMT -5
Since AniMatt is not reviewing this one, I have chosen to review it for him:
Rock Dog (2017)
Rock Dog, a rare foreign animated film, which found its way to US. Though, it is hated by critics and got low expectations from many viewers of the trailers. The question is, will this animated film not associated with any of the major film studios surprise moviegoers, or will it just remain in obscurity where it belongs? Let's find out...
The Story At a glance, this movie may come off to some people as another Zootopia wannabe with a little bit of Kung Fu Panda mixed in, because let's face it, ever since Zootopia's huge success, it seems like everyone was jumping on the bandwagon to try to make films that would appeal to the furries! If you look beyond that, though, the story of Rock Dog is actually pretty well-crafted. The main plot is about Bodi who wants to follow his dream of being a rock star, even though his father wants him to protect their home from wolves who are threatening their village. The story revolving around Bodi's home isn't very interesting, though it makes up for it with the plot involving Bodi himself as he tries to achieve his goal. It seems to perfectly nail what wannabe rock stars go through to try to achieve their goal, while at the same time nails the struggles that current rock stars go through in their career. Sure it is a mess when juggling between the two plots, but this is a rare instance where the more interesting of the two outshines the other one.
The Animation When looking at a 3D-animated film, the animation is usually a hard thing to judge unless it's by Disney or Pixar, then it's usually easy to praise. That being said, the animation on Rock Dog, all I can say is...it's average. The character animation is not really the best I've seen, and the backgrounds and scenery are just uninteresting. Then again, this was made by an independent film company and not one of the giants, so there's not much to fulfill expectations with.
The Characters This movie has a lot to offer in terms of characters. The main character, Bodi, is your typical insecure hero with a dream. Bodi's father is just your average overprotective father figure whom we've already seen a dozen times in these kinds of films. Then there's Angus, the big rock star voiced by Eddie Izzard, who is a perfect stereotype for the big British rock stars. The friends that Bodi meets, Darma and Germer, who eventually become his backup band are probably the most interesting characters in the whole movie, but sadly, they don't get much screentime. Trey, Bodi's rival gets even less screentime, but he's your typical bully, so he'd probably get annoying pretty fast if he had more screentime. Then there's the wolves, who can be intimidating, but there are times when they act comedic. The sheep in Bodi's village act like comic relief characters, but the problem is they get way more screentime than they should especially considering they tend to upstage the more interesting characters. Then finally, there's the narrator, Fleetwood Yak, and Sam Elliot gives an outstanding performance voicing this character almost as if to recreate Alan A'Dale from Robin Hood. Overall, there are some characters who are a bit annoying, but they are balanced out with the number of more interesting characters.
Rock Dog is in no way a theatrical masterpiece, but it's still a fun little flick that I'm sure will gain a cult following of some kind. I recommend this movie to Animation fans, rock and roll enthusiasts, and of course, furries. Though considering it's not made by one of the major studios, lower your expectations a bit.
Story: 8/10 Animation: 6/10 Characters: 8/10
Overall: 7/10 = 73%
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Post by Belchic on Jul 26, 2017 21:11:38 GMT -5
Beauty and the Beast (1991) Beauty and the Beast, a Disney classic often considered by many as the quintessential animated feature from Disney. It broke many grounds and opened up many opportunities for other animation studios. It even made the greatest achievement for an animated film at the time: getting an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. However, does this film still hold up today? Is it still a tale as old as time, or is it just a wilted rose gone to waste? Let's find out... The StoryTo put it in a nutshell, the story is about a selfish prince who because of his cold heart is put under a spell along with his servants. He gets turned into a beast and has to learn to love and be loved in order to break the spell. Meanwhile, there is a girl named Belle who is sick of her credential life because the other townsfolk think she and her father are crazy. Belle stumbles upon the beast's castle, she sees the inner beauty in him, and the two learn to become friends. On paper, the idea sounds great, and it works very well. I'm not sure how much this version of the story follows the book, but most Disney movies don't, and either way you look at it, it's a very strong story, and it's inspirational to the romance genre. The AnimationConsidering this movie came out in the early 90's, this was when traditional animation was still around, and computer animation was just starting to become a thing. For its time, the animation in this movie is just a mind-blowing accomplishment! The hand-drawn stuff is true eye candy, and the CG effects are unlike anything that has ever been seen in the public's eye before! The character animation can be a little cartoony sometimes, but the animation on Belle and the Beast is where it is at. This could overall be described as perfect animation! The CharactersWhat Disney movie is complete without memorable characters? This movie delivers this perfectly! Belle is the main heroine who has a strong heart and puts others' needs in front of her own. The Beast is a character who is just a massive creature who delivers just the right amount of mood swing. There's Maurice who is the protective father who has just as caring a heart as Belle. Then there's the Beast's servants, which there are a lot of, but the ones we get to know the most are Lumierre, the show-stealing entertainer, Cogsworth, the down-to-earth one whom you love to hate, Mrs. Pots, the motherly figure, and Chip, the innocent kid. Then we've got the villain, Gaston. He's the most popular guy in town who is very egotistical and has just one goal in life: to marry Belle. Even at times when he's in doubt, his goofy, yet vertically-challenged, sidekick, Lefou, is always there to be optimistic for him. Together, this makes up a perfect cast of characters who are well-balanced in terms of personality, and none of them are annoying. With all that said, the characters are also a strong attribute. The SongsNo discussion of this movie would be complete without talking about the songs! After all, they are what made the movie! I can't really compare any of the songs from one another. They're all very powerful and deliver a feeling as if you are watching something on Broadway. Each song is memorable and easy to sing along to. The movie would not be the same without these songs, and we have Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman to thank for these magnificent songs! Beauty and the Beast is certainly an animated film that holds up to this very day. With its strong writing, groundbreaking animation, lovable characters, and highly-acclaimed soundtrack, it's no wonder people brand this as the quintessential Disney Animated Feature. It certainly gets Belchic's Seal of Approval; that's for sure! It deserves its success, and it should always be one of the great animated films that other animated films strive to be! It truly is a tale as old as time! Story: 10/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 10/10 Songs: 10/10 Overall: 10/10 = 100% --- Hey, guys! Just wanted to say I'm going to try to do these animated film reviews more often. Like I said, I'm going to take requests for this series, so Trey_Vore, babclayman, Flowgli, Sweeney Terrier, Lucky, Two-Tone, anybody, if you have an animated movie you want me to review, let me know, send me a PM, or post something here, and I'll add it to my list of upcoming reviews. So with that being said, let's go to the animation hat and see what my next review is going to be. By the way, from now on, I'm going to end my reviews by giving a hint as to what my next review will be. So, my next review shall be...Oh! This one should be interesting! My next review is on a beloved film from Dreamworks that is possibly the reason why we have the Best Animated Feature category in the Oscars. What film is it? Well, let's just say it's if Soilent Green meets The Great Escape...and possibly a fast food chain.
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Post by Trey_Vore on Jul 28, 2017 7:54:14 GMT -5
Might that be Chicken Run Belchic?
That should be good.
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Post by Belchic on Jul 29, 2017 0:37:55 GMT -5
Chicken Run (2000)
Chicken Run. The first feature-length animated film from Ardman Animation. A film that would get a lot of massive praise and raise the studio's popularity to new heights. Of course, the studio was already well known for their Wallace & Gromit featurettes, but this was their first attempt at making something for the big screen, and it was a critical and financial success. But how does this movie hold up today? Is it really what it's all clucked up to be, or is it just a clucking piece of crap? Let's find out...
The Story The film is about these chickens who live on a farm but are trying to escape from it when they hear that their owners are going to start a business of making and selling chicken pot pies. During their attempts at escaping, they get help from a rooster named Rocky who is a runaway circus performer. On paper, the story sounds pretty dark, but it makes up for it by delivering the studio's trademark humor. Also, some movie critics might find the plot a bit unoriginal. It seems to have the escaping elements of The Great Escape and the dark elements of films like Soilent Green. Overall, the film may be unoriginal and a bit dark for kids, but it still has the charm we know and love from Ardman.
The Animation If there is one thing that has never changed about Ardman other than its humor, it's their animation. Considering today, it's one of the very few studios that is still using stop motion animation, it certainly pays off here, especially considering it's a full-length feature film, and that's no easy task! Though if there is one thing I'd have to give a criticism about, it would have to be the character animation. For one thing, the characters' heads are designed in that recognizable Ardman style: round, flat, eye sockets that are too big for the eyes, you get the picture. Also, I'm not pleased with the designs of the chickens. They all look too fat, and there's too much brownish red making it a little dull. So yeah, there are some flaws in the animation, but it's not all bad. It is classic Ardman.
The Characters There's really not much to say about the characters in this movie as there really aren't too many main ones to focus on. There's the main heroine, Ginger, who is the stereotypical schemer of the group. Rocky is the circus stowaway who tries to help the hens escape but only so he can win over Ginger's heart; its kind of an odd character for Mel Gibson to be voicing. There's Babs, Bunty and Mac, Ginger's three best friends who seem to show off some comic relief with their mixed personalities. Nick and Fetcher are two rats who don't seem to serve any purpose in the film whatsoever other than to start dance parties. Then there's the villains, Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy. The husband isn't all that intimidating, but Mrs. Tweedy...by God is she a sick woman! Someone who just wants to kill her own livestock to live? I can't decide if I want to root for her or go against her! Overall, a nice blend of characters, but could use some improvement.
Chicken Run may be a very popular animated film, but I personally find it a bit overrated. I don't view it as the masterpiece everyone claims it to be, but it's an above average film that's fun to put on when you're bored. I highly recommend this film to fans of Ardman Animation, but if you're not a big fan of dark plots and unoriginal ideas, then this probably isn't the film for you.
Story: 6/10 Animation: 8/10 Characters: 7/10
Overall: 7/10 = 70%
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Hey guys. Hope you enjoyed my review of Chicken Run. Sorry if I didn't give it the praise you've been hoping for, but it's just my opinion. I haven't gotten any requests yet, so I made a hit list of films I wanted to review until I get something.
Now, let's go to the Animation Hat and see what my next review shall be! The next animated review of mine shall be...Oh! Now, here's a movie I bet most of you have never heard of! This is kind of a bizarre collaboration. It's a movie that was made in Japan, but its soundtrack was made in France. How does that work? Stay tuned to find out!
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Post by Belchic on Aug 2, 2017 22:44:10 GMT -5
Interstella 5555 (2003)
Interstella 5555, a rare movie that started out as a few music videos to songs by Daft Punk from their 2001 album, Discovery, and since the videos are from the first four songs on the album and connect with each other to tell a story, why not do it for the rest of the album? Well, that's just what they did! The question is, was doing this a good idea, or was it just a colossal waste of money? Let's find out...
The Story This movie does tell a story but uses no dialogue and very minimal sound effects making the music do most of the talking. The story is about an intergalactic rock band from I think Uranus who have this hit song. A man on earth named Earl de Darkword hears about them and sends military troops out to capture them and send them to Earth where he has their memories erased turning them into zombies and selling them to a record company. Meanwhile, a space pilot named Shep receives a distress call about the band's capture and sets off to rescue them, mainly because he has a crush on Stella, the band's bass player. The band who soon becomes known as the Crescendolls go on a conquest to retrieve back their memories and return home. While it is a bit hard to follow a story without dialogue, here, it is told solely through the visuals, and it is done rather nicely as if we are watching Fantasia or something like that.
The Animation Considering the movie is an anime, the animation should come as no big surprise to anyone who is familiar with the genre. Of all the anime I have seen, this is by far one of the best! Everything is so detailed and lifelike, with breathtaking visual effects! There also are hardly any comical moments, and if there are any, they're just mild bits that usually come from Baryl. Regardless, if you're new to anime, this is what good animation from Japan should look like! I'm surprised this movie didn't get nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars!
The Characters As I've said before, since the movie has no dialogue, we aren't really given a chance to know the characters and really feel for them. But still, we do get some info out of them. Starting with the main band themselves: the Crescendolls. Octave, the keyboardist/lead singer is sort of the leader and straight man of the group. Arpegius, the guitarist, is pretty similar to Octave but is more active and skillful. Baryl, the drummer, acts as sort of the comic relief as he's more of the stereotypical Tagalong kid we see in so many Animes. Then finally, there's Stella, who seems to act as the central focus character of the movie, but most of the time, she just looks like she's totally out of it, and is mainly just there to be eye candy. Shep is more of a side character who is supposed to be the hero that we want to root for, but unfortunately, we don't see much of him. Then there's the villain, Earl de Darkwood, who seems like your typical evil captor, but later in the film, he is revealed to have an intriguing backstory. So yeah, the characters are flawed and cliche, but they're forgivable. After all, when you make a movie with no dialogue, your options are limited.
The Songs All the music of this movie is from Daft Punk's album Discovery. Well, the album is practically the soundtrack to the movie! Though it wouldn't seem fair to talk about all the pieces since songs contain lyrics, and most of Daft Punk's music is the same techno beat being played on repeat with an occasional indistinguishable phrase being uttered over and over again. That's not to say there aren't songs though. The opening song, "One More Time", is a song you can get on your feet to. "Digital Love" is a nice love song. "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" is more of a workout song. "Something About Us" is a darker, moodier love song that's interesting to listen to, but it's sadder if you watch the part of the movie when it plays. "Face to Face" is...eh...okay. The closing song, "Too Long", is a lengthy piece that puts you in suspense as you listen to it. All I can say is if you're a Daft Punk song, you'll surely get a kick out of these songs! It's almost like an early 2000's equivalent to Pink Floyd's The Wall!
Interstella 5555 is a well-made film. I recommend it to anime fans and especially fans of Daft Punk. I think I might even go as far to give this movie Belchic's Seal of Approval!
Story: 8/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 7/10 Songs: 9/10
Overall: 8.5/10 = 85%
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Hey guys. I hope you liked my review of Interstella 5555. I'm sure I stumped a lot of you since it is a rare and obscure film. But enough about that. Let's go straight to the Animation Hat and see if maybe you can guess my next review. My next review shall be...Oh! OHHHH! Well, it looks like I'm going to be going back to Disney now, but this time, we are going way, way back to the Golden Age of Disney when Walt was in his early stage of making animated movies. This movie is from that time period, and many people consider it one of the most important Disney films, and when I say this is a good film...I'm not lying!
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Post by Belchic on Aug 9, 2017 21:28:39 GMT -5
Pinocchio (1940)
Pinocchio, Walt Disney's second feature-length animated film and his follow-up to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A film that is highly regarded as one of Disney's most important films for various reasons. The question is, are those reasons a matter of fact, or does it not hold up to this day as much as people say it does? Let's find out...
The Story Being that this is a Disney movie based on a fairy tale, I'm sure the story is pretty much in black and white. It's the story of an old toy maker named Gepetto who longs for a son. One night, he makes a marionette and names him Pinocchio, and he makes a wish that Pinocchio will be a real boy. The Blue Fairy grants his wish by bringing Pinocchio to life and tells him that he must learn how to be a real boy in order to earn his right to be one. Pinocchio gets himself into mischief and learns many life lessons along with his conscious, Jimminy Cricket. Like most Disney movies based on books and fairy tales, this movie does not quite follow the original book exactly, but this version could be more enjoyable since the original book was much darker and not very kid-friendly. That aside, the movie is still fun to watch and easy to follow despite all the mood whiplash and random encounters.
The Animation Being that this was only the second time Walt and his animators made a feature length animated film, the animation for its time is just downright incredible. There was so much detail put into the characters and their movements, plus there seems to be so much stuff going on at a time. I can't believe they were able to pull all this off in the 1930's! This isn't just eye candy! This is like a whole eye candy factory! There's just way too much to talk about for the animation; I just can't do it justice! You'll just have to see it for yourself!
The Characters This movie has a good variety of characters who are all well-crafted. Starting with the title character, Pinocchio is the mischievous puppet who's always curious and learning about life has he tries to become a real boy. Gepetto is a kind old man who is a great role model for fathers. Gepetto's pets, Figaro and Cleo, are very lovable in their own way. The Blue Fairy serves as a mentor to Pinocchio, but she doesn't get a lot of screentime, though understandably, she probably was very difficult to animate at the time. The main antagonists, Foulfellow and Gideon, are very sly, crafty and comical villains. Then there's Jimminy Cricket, easily the most entertaining character in the movie, while also quite possibly the most sane character in the movie. There are other characters like Stromboli, Lampwick and Monstro who only appear in one chapter each, but are still strong characters for what they are. They make every moment they're on count. Stromboli is hysterical, Lampwick is an example of someone you should be careful around, and Monstro is just simply terrifying. All these characters are three-dimensional and memorable making this a flawless roster of characters.
The Songs Like every good Disney movie, Pinocchio has a fine lineup of memorable songs. There's "Little Wooden Head", which emphasizes Gepetto's love for his son. "Give a Little Whistle" has a very catchy beat. "Hi Diddle Dee Dee" would become a recurring Disney theme. "I Got No Strings" is an exciting number that touches on different musical genres from around the world. And of course, there is Disney's anthem, "When You Wish Upon a Star", which I think needs no introduction. As great as the songs are, my only criticism is that they all are played in the first third of the film making this more of a semi-musical. It's weird to see a movie that starts off as a musical in the first half and then becomes a non-musical in the second half. It would have been nice if the songs were spread out more, or if they had a couple more songs to play in the second half. Other than that, the songs are great Disney classics.
Even after all these decades, Pinocchio is definitely a film that still holds up to this very day. Considering the time it was made, and it was only Disney's sophomore film, it delivers perfectly with a fun story, catchy songs, memorable characters, and indescribable animation. With all that said, I have the honor to give this movie Belchic's Seal of Approval!
Story: 9/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 10/10 Songs: 9/10
Overall: 9.5/10 = 95%
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Wow! What a movie I reviewed! I'm surprised how I responded to this movie! Well, this has me excited for my next review, so let's go to the Animation Hat! So my next review shall be...OH! Oh! Ohhhhhhhhh..............I...I wasn't expecting this. I honestly don't know what to say to the person who requested this one. Well, let me warn you all, this next review is not going to be a pretty one. I'm sure most of you have heard of this movie, but those of you who haven't...once you see it...you'll be too scared to ever go into a grocery store again!
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Post by Belchic on Aug 11, 2017 21:40:41 GMT -5
Foodfight! (2012)
Foodfight! This is a movie that will forever remain in infamy. A movie that went through a major production hell in hopes of its studio becoming the next Pixar. Instead, what we got out of it was an animated atrocity. This movie has been highly regarded as one of the worst, if not the worst animated film of all time. It has been reviewed by just about every movie critic on the Internet from the Nostalgia Critic to AniMatt. And now, it's my turn...
The Story For starters, it seems like the story doesn't know what kind of movie it wants to be. I suppose it's supposed to be a detective story, but it's also supposed to have the aspect of a grocery store coming to life when it's closed, damsels in distress, and an invasion of an army taking over the world. Mix that in with a bunch of horrible food puns and sexual innuendos, and you've got an absolute mess! The story's pieces just don't all fit together! It's bad enough that's there's so much terrible stuff getting thrown at you when you're trying to wrap your head around the story! It's like when you're trying to study for an exam, and your annoying younger sibling keeps distracting you! That's what trying to follow this story is equivalent to! It gets you absolutely nowhere!
The Animation I think we can all agree that this is not good animation. Not only is it bad, but it is the ugliest, most embarrassing, most unwatchable, nightmare-inducing animation ever put to film! This doesn't even look like movie-quality CG! It looks more like it belongs as a cutscene to a video game, but even those look better than this! It is just garbage! And to think that this was a film with a $65 million budget! I've seen Disney films with budgets more than TEN TIMES lower than that, and those were masterpieces! Granted, that was decades ago, so that was a lot more money back in those days, but still, they had $65 million to work with, and this is what they give us??? The backgrounds look disoriented, the characters look like sh*t, and the movements are just unbearable to watch! This movie is a guaranteed eyesore!
The Characters As if the animation isn't bad enough, they really messed up with the characters! Even though some of them do serve a point to the plot, there is nothing redeemable about any of them! The lead character, Dex, looks like he has potential to be a good character, but the things he says if you listen to them carefully is just downright disturbing. Dan is supposed to be the comic relief but fails horribly. Sunshine Goodness is nothing more than a ditzy damsel in distress. Lady X is just downright disturbing. The rest of the characters are just...well, just look at them! Also, this movie was meant to focus on product mascots, but all they get really are small cameos! Talk about false advertising considering they are prominently featured on the movie poster! Maybe that's their scheme to get people to buy the blu-ray. What disturbs me even more are the voice actors they got to voice the characters: Charlie Sheen, Hilary Duff, Wayne Brady, Larry Miller, Chris Katttan, Cloris Leachman, Tim Curry, even Christopher Lloyd! Were these actors really that desperate for money that they agreed to be in this movie! This could badly hurt their reputation! Even their performances don't make the characters any better! There is nothing good to say about any of these characters!
OH MY GOD! I am so traumatized at how bad this movie is! Now that I have seen Foodfight! for what it is, I can see why people are dubbing it the worst animated film ever made! There are no redeeming factors about this movie! The story is messed up, the characters are psycho, the animation is traumatizing, and it's an absolute nightmare! I can't believe these people had such a big budget to work with on this movie in hopes of becoming the next Pixar! How did this even get passed the radar? Yes, this movie obviously gets Belchic's Seal of Garbage! That's a no-brainer! I'd rather watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Norm of the North or even The Emoji Movie over this! If you haven't seen this movie, just do me a favor and don't! Just take my word for it, and avoid it at all costs! This movie deserves to burn in the fires of Hell! I repeat: DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE!!!
Story: 0/10 Animation: 0/10 Characters: 0/10
Overall: 0/10 = 0%
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Phew! Glad to get that review out of the way! I must say, it's all uphill from here. ANYTHING would be better than Foodfight! So...let's go to the Animation Hat! My next review shall be...OHHHHHH!!! HAHAHAHAHA! Well, whoever requested this to me is awfully generous, especially after my last review! This is certainly going to be a mighty leap! In the next review, we'll be looking at a Disney film that a lot of fans tend to overlook, even though it was a very successful film and played an important role in the studio's history. I'm sure you'll all be happy about it to because this board probably won't exist if it weren't for this movie, and as you know, it is my all-time favorite animated movie!
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Post by Belchic on Aug 24, 2017 16:58:48 GMT -5
101 Dalmatians (1961)
101 Dalmatians, a very underrated Disney movie that is often overlooked, even though it played a very important role in the studio's history. It still has its own fan base proving that it has gained a cult following. Though, is this movie really an underrated gem in the Disney vaults that deserves better recognition, or does it just deserve to be skinned alive and turned into a fur coat? Let's find out...
The Story The movie starts out feeling like your generic love story, but then it becomes more adorable and breathtaking when we get introduced to new characters. It delivers lots of mood swing with great atmosphere, and it makes you want to root for the good guys especially seeing how much they go out of their way to be the heroes of the film, while at the same time, the villains are a lot of fun to laugh with. I know the movie is drastically different from the book, but unlike most authors who hate film adaptations of their books because of how different they are, Dodie Smith actually approved of this film; in fact, she even liked the movie better than her own book, and you know Walt Disney made one hell of an accomplishment if he gained that kind of reaction! The best thing about the story is that it makes every minute count. Nothing in the movie feels pointless, like filler, or like something that drags the movie out for too long. Every scene feels important, and one can be easily entertained at just about every moment. I think I gotta agree with Dixie Smith: Walt did improve her story!
The Animation This was definitely a step in a different direction for Disney. After Sleeping Beauty bombed, the company was given a very low budget for this film. It has its place in history to be the first animated feature to use xerography, and this was made to cut costs. Despite being a downgrade from their big-budget films of the past, it surprisingly works. Even though it may look sketchy compared to Disney's past films, it's still 101% eye candy! The backgrounds look very artistic and detailed, the color and lighting is very tasteful, and the character animation is just magnificent! It is truly an astonishing accomplishment for Disney! Despite its troubled low-budget animation, it certainly paid off since this film was a huge success.
The Characters We've got a lot of characters to talk about here, and they're all very well-crafted. For the main dogs, Pongo is a determined hero and a strong father figure, and Perdita is a worried mother who's always willing to step out of her comfort zone, especially when it means keeping her children safe. The best thing about Pongo and Perdita is their chemistry; they make a great team, and they're always together and never apart, which makes for a perfect Disney couple! Roger may come off as a musical goofball, but he always knows when it's appropriate to be serious. Anita is your typical wife who has the classic mixed emotions about her husband. Nanny is caring and worrisome. The puppies are just adorable especially with their mixed personalities and how well they actually act like children. The animals who help Pongo and Perdita and their puppies are very generous, but a lot of them don't get a lot of screentime, with the exception of Sgt. Tibbs who is always determined to step out of his comfort zone to help the Dalmatians. Horace and Jasper are complete idiots, which makes them hilarious to watch, but they could also be sinister at times. Then, of course, there is Cruella De Vil; with her raging personality and determination to turn those puppies into evening wear, it's no wonder she's often regarded as one of the top Disney villains of all time! Overall, this is a perfect cast of characters who are lovable, comical, relatable, reliable and intimidating all at once!
101 Dalmatians is definitely one of Disney's best! Everything about it is just so perfect! Despite Walt's reaction to it, it still will always be my favorite of the Disney Animated Features! I recommend this movie to everyone, especially Disney fans, fans of classic movies, fans of animation, fans of films set in England, and of course, dog lovers! I guess I don't need to say it, but I'm sure you all know that this movie obviously gets Belchic's Seal of Approval!
Story: 10/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 10/10
Overall: 10/10 = 100%
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Well, that concludes this review. I'm sure a lot of you saw what was coming with this one. Now, it's time to move on to the Animation Hat! My next review shall be...Oh! OH! I think I'm starting to see a pattern here! This movie is kind of in the same genre as my last review. It's a movie that was released last year, and while it wasn't a very critically-acclaimed film like other titles that came out that same year, it was a very financially-successful film, and has gained quite a cult following. I guess you might say it's Oliver & Company meets Toy Story.
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Post by Trey_Vore on Aug 25, 2017 9:47:22 GMT -5
Okay not a bad review.
Once I start a YouTube channel I can give a review of this film and...
...well it will be a REAL eye-opener.
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Post by Belchic on Aug 25, 2017 14:51:49 GMT -5
Okay not a bad review. Once I start a YouTube channel I can give a review of this film and... ...well it will be a REAL eye-opener. What's stopping you, Trey?
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