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Post by Belchic on Jul 31, 2022 0:11:32 GMT -5
Hey guys! I just got back from seeing "DC League of Super Pets!" What did I think of it? Well, look out, everyone, cuz here comes my review of it!
DC League of Super Pets (2022)
DC League of Super Pets. Let me start off by saying I'm not a huge hardcore fan of superhero movies whether it be from the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the DC Universe. This is also the case for any of the TV shows like "Superman", "Batman: The Animated Series", "Teen Titans" or even "Krypto the Super Dog" even though I know those shows do have a massive fan base. However, when I heard about this movie, something about it kind of caught my attention. The first teaser trailer really caught my eye and made me do some research on the DC Super Pets, and then I kinda got excited about it and was eager to check it out. As I saw more trailers, I was starting to get more mixed emotions about it, and it also didn't help much that the film's release date was delayed two months making my wait even longer! But now, the wait is finally over, and I finally got my chance to see Krypto and all the other pets of the Justice League make their big theatrical debut. Now the big question is will this be the start of a new beginning for the DC Universe, or will this movie end up being Warner Bros.' Kryptonite? Let's find out...
The Story For starters, the story starts out pretty good. It starts off with a backstory on how Superman and Krypto first came to Earth and how they were established as best buddies. However, things go south when Superman gets engaged to Lois Lane and Krypto gets jealous thinking Superman is out to replace him. At the same time, there's this other group of animals who want to be adopted that somehow get superpowers and break loose. This includes a guinea pig named Lulu who gains powers of her own and is more set on taking over the world. She winds up kidnapping the Justice League alongside Lex Luthor, starting her own army of hamsters with superpowers, and ridding Krypto of his superpowers. Eventually, Krypto unites with the other pets who must learn to control their powers so that they could save the Justice League and ultimately the world. Phew! That sure is a lot to take in! That's probably my main problem with the story is that there's way too many subplots to follow, but thankfully, they are all tied together rather nicely so that they all make sense. Another problem that I have is that there's way too much mood whiplash throughout the film, but whenever the mood changes, it gives you just enough time to get in the proper mood you should be in. Another thing that a lot of people might have a problem with considering they've seen a lot of animated films in the past two decades is how unoriginal it is. It seems to borrow a lot of elements we've seen in previous animated films. I'm sure most people will compare it to "The Secret Life of Pets" being that it's an animal about pets in New York City...with Kevin Hart as one of the characters. Others may compare it to "The Incredibles" because of it's superhero aspect, only it's not as serious and depressing. There's also some similarities to "Madagascar" where it's about this group of caged animals with one of them having a dream of being free. There's also one particular joke that might remind some people of a certain unapologetic joke that was done in "Norm of the North"; I won't say what it is, but if you've seen the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about. Though despite all these flaws, all the story's elements actually work out...pretty nice. The different story elements all tie together perfectly without too much confusion, and the humor is not very low-brow at all. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a good chuckle out of some of the jokes in this film, and it wouldn't be fair of me to put this movie down just because of all those flaws I stated. Not to mention, fans of the DC Superhero universe will certainly get a kick out of all the references to the comics.
The Animation I will say, or all the major animated studios out there, Warner Bros. is easily the most forgettable one, so I don't really have much to say to compare it to in terms of its animation. That being said, the animation in this movie...is visually not the best I've seen. It's pretty obvious that this was very low-budget animation compared to a lot of the other animation studios. This is especially evident in the character animation with the characters having big eyes and designs that don't look very realistic at all. However, I can look beyond that when taking a look at some of the other elements such as the world-building. The animators really worked their hearts out on the scenery giving us a very large and detailed world of what we see around us. However, probably the best thing about the animation are the action scenes. These are really the highlight of the movie! You can tell that all the time and money went into the action more than anything. It almost feels as if you're watching a live action DC Superhero movie! Like I said, the characters may not look the best, but it's what's on the inside that counts, and what they do in the film certainly pays off!
The Characters Okay! We got a long roster of characters here! I won't talk much about the characters everyone already knows from the comics. We do have Superman, his love interest, Lois Lane, and his arch nemesis, Lex Luthor. For the rest of the Justice League, we have Wonder Woman, Batman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aqua Man and Cyborg. Quite an interesting lineup, I must say, though they're only meant to be plot devices here since the real focus of the film are the pets themselves. Let's start off with our main dog, Krypto, Superman's loyal pet and best friend. At first, he starts off egotistical, but once he gets his real slice of life, he starts to become more relatable. Regardless of how you look at him, he always talks in a way you would expect Dwayne Johnson to talk, and I gotta say, Dwayne Johnson really delivered an incredible performance as Krypto making the character as believable as possible! Next, we got Ace, the Bat Hound, a semi-insecure dog who gains an indestructable body who sort of is an anti-second-in-command to Krypto. He's voiced by Kevin Hart, but his part is much more toned down than he usually is, but that's actually what I like about him; he's actually a lot more tollerable here compared to his role in "The Secret Life of Pets" where he always stole the show whenever his character was on screen. Merton is a near-sighted turtle who gains super speed who is sort of like a comic relief in a lot of ways. Chip is an insecure squirrel who gains electric powers, but he doesn't really get as much spotlight as the other pets. Then there's PB, a giddy and bubbly pig with the power to change her size who seems to know more about the Justice League than any of the other pets other than Krypto himself. This is where my biggest disappointment comes in. One particular DC Super Pet who is missing from this roster is Jumpa the Kanga, a character who has appeared frequently in the comics and several DC Superhero cartoons, but in this movie, she is nowhere to be found. I was really looking forward to seeing Jumpa, but apparently, she's been replaced by PB, but that's more of a nitpick. And last but lot least, let's talk about the villain of the movie, Lulu. Appropriately, she's Lex Luthor's pet, so naturally, that would make her the villain of the movie. I will say, it is nice to have an animated film where we have a straightforward villain for once rather than a surprise twist villain! But anyway, she's exactly what you'd expect of a villain in a superhero film: she's crafty, intelligent, powerful, unstoppable, and above all, unpredictable. Who would've thought that the world's most powerful villain would be a little guinea pig? Well, I guess if in "Dexter's Lab", if the world's mightiest hero can be a monkey, then I guess anything goes. Overall, I could have asked for more out of this roster of characters, but the writers really made the best out of what they had.
I was excited for this film and had some doubts, but overall, I was satisfied with this flick. DC League of Super Pets is a fun film for all ages to enjoy. Kids will certainly get a good kick out of it, and I definitely recommend it to fans of the DC Superhero comics! This is certainly a well-balanced movie with a complex yet easy-to-follow story, characters that are a lot of fun, and tons of action that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat! Sure, it could have been better on so many levels, but it is not by any means a horrible movie. I highly recommend you check it out. It's worth the ticket price.
Story: 7/10 Animation: 8/10 Characters: 9/10
Overall: 8/10 = 80%
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Post by Trey_Vore on Jul 31, 2022 0:40:44 GMT -5
You got props for giving it a chance man. I did enjoy the movie myself so yes, I will agree.
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Post by fergusfox on Aug 4, 2022 18:50:36 GMT -5
i've not heard good things about it, but i might give it chance once it comes out on streaming or dvd
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Post by Belchic on Aug 6, 2022 22:43:38 GMT -5
I was going to do a review on the Care Bears movie, but since I already did, I'm doing this one instead. I figured I'd might as well get this one in while we're still in the middle of summer:
The Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (1986)
The Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation. In the mid 1980's, the Care Bears were really popular. I guess you can say they're like were like what Pokemon was back in 1999 and 2000. When their first theatrical movie came out in 1985, it did surprisingly well even out-grossing Disney's The Black Cauldron! Apparently, the people at Nelvana had full confidence in that movie, because a sequel came out quite literally a year later! Though, this one gives us a much different story of the Care Bears, so different that the title itself is very misleading! Looking back on it today, is this movie considerably a shot of 80's nostalgia, or should it be a movie that we just shouldn't care about? Let's find out...
The Story This movie is sort of an origin story of the Care Bears. It follows the adventures of True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse raising the newborn Care Bears into what they will eventually become while at the same time keep them protected from the evil forces of Dark Heart. While this is going on, there are three kids at a summer camp who feel like losers and need help, one of them gets manipulated by Dark Heart, and now it's up to the Care Bears to save the day with everyone else playing a part. Now, I think the first thing we need to do is address the elephant in the room, and I don't mean Lotsa Heart. This plot contradicts the first movie on so many levels. If you saw the first movie, then I'm sure you will notice how misleading its title is. This movie is not a sequel, nor is it a new generation! It acts like a totally different movie altogether. It's as if two different people told their own story of the Care Bears' origins. I guess I can't argue that much since this movie was clearly made for toddlers, and they're not really going to care too much about that as long as the movie keeps them entertained, and this movie does not fail in that department. Much like the first movie, this movie has its share of cute moments, fun moments, funny moments, heartwarming moments, meaningful life lessons, and also dark moments. Yeah, it does get corny sometimes, but it's forgivable. This movie is clearly not made for linierists but probably more for splitists. This is one of those movies that is so bad that it's great. It's a guilty pleasure.
The Animation Considering this is a (ahem) "sequel" to the first Care Bears movie, the animation is for the most part on the same level as its predecessor. Usually when it comes to sequels to movies like this, the animation gets a downgrade, but since this is a theatrical release, that's not necessarily the case. While the animation is for the most part the same as the first movie, there are times when it actually feels slightly edgier than the first one. Still, the movie remains bright and colorful when it needs to be and dark and edgey when it needs to be, just like all 80's cartoons should be. If you're a fan of 80's cartoons, then this is really the movie for you.
The Characters Considering this is a Care Bears movie, there are a lot of characters in this movie. The Care Bears themselves don't really play a major part in the plot; they're for the most part just there. There are some that get some moments like Tender Heart, Brave Heart, Grumpy, Friend Bear and Secret Bear, but for the most part, they're mostly just bypassers. For the characters who do get focus, we have True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse, the two mentors of the Care Bears who sort of act as their parents. What makes them so great is that they both have their own individual strengths and weaknesses and both seem to play their own role in the film. True Heart spends more time helping the kids on Earth, while Noble Heart acts more like a parental figure to the Care Bears. But the one thing they both have in common is they are both determined to protect the world from Dark Heart. As for the main kids, Christie is your typical annoying little girl who is either arrogant or whiny, and honestly, while she can be relatable in a lot of ways, she's not very likable. Her friends, John and Dawn are kids who are looking for something they're good at, which True Heart helps them find, but more importantly, they're there to support Christie and remind her of how important their friendship are. Finally, we have the villain of the picture, Dark Heart. Villains are supposed to be awesome and intimidating, but honestly, Dark Heart is neither of those. Everyone keeps saying that he's evil and should be avoided at all costs, but it's really not clear what his motivations are, and a lot of times, it's hard to take him seriously, especially when he's in his boy form. Sure he may sound scary at times, and his shape-shifting ability is kind of cool, but for the most part, he's a pretty forgettable villain. So yeah, overall, this is a movie with a cast that clearly puts quantity over quality, and there's really not much to say about them.
The Songs After hearing the songs in the first movie, you would expect the songs in the second movie to be somewhat similar, and in this movie's case, they are in some ways. While the songs in the first movie have more of an 80's synth pop and soft rock style, with this movie, they have more of an 80's workout and power ballad style. The movie's opening song, "Our Beginning", plays during the opening credits and feels like a prelude track to the movie's true opening song, "Flying My Colors", which is a bouncy upbeat song made to introduce us to some of the characters and really puts you in a good mood. "I Care For You" and "Growing Up" are more like easy-going songs made to put you in a more calming mood, but they're a little too cutesy for some older viewers. Then there's "The Fight Song" which is just as bouncy and upbeat as "Flying My Colors". Then there's the song that plays during the end credits, "Forever Young", which feels like a perfect finale song as it's like one of those sing-along power ballads where if played at a concert, you just have to hold up your lighters for. However you look at it, the songs are still a lot of fun and leave you with a happy feeling when you listen to them, and most importantly, they truly showed what the 80's were all about.
The Care Bears Movie II is kind of a mixed bag. Sure it does contradict the first movie, and it may go for quantity over quality with its characters, but it makes up for it with it's fun songs, edgey animation that's pretty good for a movie like this, and it's a fun guilty pleasure to put on once in a while. It's not as good as the first one, but it's not as horrible, and it's harmless for little kids. It's definitely butch compared to films like The Emoji Movie and Foodfight! I only recommend this movie to children under 7 and hardcore Care Bears fans. As for the rest of the demographics...it's there.
Story: 6/10 Animation: 7/10 Characters: 4/10 Songs: 8/10
Overall: 6/10 = 63%
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Post by Trey_Vore on Aug 6, 2022 23:11:23 GMT -5
I was wondering when this was going to make your hit list. Good one.
Looking forward to the next one.
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Post by Belchic on Jan 31, 2023 1:32:16 GMT -5
I'm back with another review, and this is on a movie I just recently revisited.
The Last Unicorn (1982)
The Last Unicorn. When people think of Rankin/Bass Productions, usually the first thing that pops into peoples' heads are the stop-motion holiday specials they did back in the 60's and 70's like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "The Year Without a Santa Claus". However, most people don't realize that they've also done some hand-drawn feature length animated films like The Hobbit and would later move on to create the popular TV series, ThunderCats. In between those projects, Rankin and Bass put together this animated fantasy film based on the Peter S. Beagle novel of the same name along with an all-star cast. While it did fade off into obscurity for quite a long time after its release, it has managed to gain a cult following. But now, 40 years after its release, and since we just recently lost Jules Bass, does this movie still deserve to hold all the magical it's held all these years, or does it deserve to vanish into the hooves of the Red Bull? Let's find out...
The Story The film is about a female unicorn who learns that she is the last of her kind after hearing that the Red Bull had herded the rest of the unicorns to the ends of the earth. Now, she is going on a quest to find the rest of her kind and befriends an incompetent magician named Schmendrick and a girl named Molly Grue who join her on her journey. On paper, the story is a classic idea that works very well for this genre. It also serves as a strong vehicle for all the characters as they grow some strong bonding with one another, and it winds up becoming a coming of age story for each one of them. There is a little bit of humor thrown in to lighten the mood at times, but for the most part, it's a very serious film with a lot of dark moments. Also, this is clearly not a movie for kids since in addition to the dark tone, there's also a bit of slight nudity, some instances where we hear profanity, and a scene where a tree-WHAT THE HELL AM I LOOKING AT??? Regardless of all these flaws, the movie has a very strong and powerful story that works perfectly for the fantasy genre, and it really engages you.
The Animation Rankin and Bass have never been well-known for having the most high-quality animation in their projects, but there have been some rare moments where they actually tried to put some effort into the animation, and this was one of those instances. This movie has a style that is on the level of their adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's novels. The backgrounds are very beautiful and pleasing to look at, some of the natural elements like the wind and the water are solid, and there's even some use of the Multi-Pane Camera on some scenes. Then there's the character animation, which for the most part looks a little goofy especially on the faces of the human characters, but there are some creatures that are meant to be ugly, so it works for them. However, their greatest achievement in this film as far as animation goes is the unicorn herself; the animators really worked their heart out to make her look as gorgeous as possible! She just makes you wish you were there by her side with her, and I'm sure she'll accept your friendship as long as she sees how nice you are. Overall, the character animation can be a bit flawed, but the unicorn was really made to stand out among the rest, and add that in with the rest of the animation, which makes up for it. However you look at it, it's truly eye candy.
The Characters Like I said, there were a lot of big named actors in this film, so you would think that they would make the most out of having this talent, and for the most part, they do. Let's start with the titular character, the unicorn herself, voiced by Mia Farrow. She is very kind and gentle and has a soothing motherly voice, but you can always tell deep down inside that she's worried and fearsome as she wants to see the rest of her kind and is worried about what might happen to her if she encounters the Red Bull. Schmendrik, voiced by Alan Arkin, is a magician who used to work for a witch named Mommy Fortuna (voiced by Angela Lansbury), but he joins the unicorn on her journey as he sees her true form unlike anyone else in the world, but his one problem is that he can never seem to get his magic right but never stops trying. He later turns the unicorn into a human to save her from the Red Bull and gives her the name Lady Amalthea. That's one thing that disappointed me about her is that she's in her human form for half of the movie, so we don't get to admire her beauty that much. Hmm, does this sound familiar? (Sisu) Then we have Molly Grue, voiced by Tammy Grimes, a love interest to a bandit who joins Amalthea and Schmendrick on their quest and tries to help both of them. Prince Lir, voiced by Jeff Bridges, is a hero who falls in love with Amalthea and will do anything to be hers, but because of him, Amalthea learns about love and regret. Then we have the villain of the picture, King Haggard, voiced by Christopher Lee, an unhappy ruler of a dreary kingdom who is holding hostage of all the unicorns in the world because seeing them is the only thing that makes him happy, and based on what I read, Lee actually read the book and understood the character well enough to do the part justice, which he truly does here. There are other big name actors in here like Robert Klein, Keenan Wynn, Rene Auberjonois, and what Rankin/Bass production would be complete without Paul Frees? These characters only get one scene each, but like all the main characters, they make the most out of their roles. Having an all-star cast doesn't necessarily make the movie an instant hit, but if the actors make the most out of their roles and pull it off correctly and give us some memorable characters that we can actually feel for and relate to, then you've got yourself a winning cast!
The Songs All the songs in this movie were written by songwriter, Jimmy Webb, who is probably most known for writing that one infamous song from the 60's that shall not be named. Most of the songs are performed by the 70's folk rock group, America made to reflect on what's going on as we watch the scene. The title song, "The Last Unicorn", is such a beautiful song, which alone makes the movie worth it. The other two songs, "Man's Road" and "In the Sea", feel more like they're just saying what's literally happening, but if you close your eyes while listening to them, they play with your imagination. Amalthea gets her own song called "Now That I'm a Woman", which is a very emotional tune, almost too emotional. She also gets a duet with Prince Lir called "That's All I've Got to Say", which is a very unique love song, and it's also impressive to hear Jeff Bridges singing. I would say the songs in this movie are above average. The title song is a masterpiece, while the rest of the songs are not perfect, but forgivable. I really don't think this movie should have been a musical; the songs performed by America was really all it needed. It could have been a lot worse though.
The Last Unicorn is truly an underrated gem in the world of animated films. I do love a lot of the stuff that Rankin and Bass have done in the past, but I would have to say that this movie is their masterpiece. With a strong story, likable characters that we could easily relate to, a soundtrack of underrated songs, and the most gorgeous animation that Rankin/Bass has ever done, it easily deserves to be one of the Top 100 best animated films of all time! If you love animated fantasy films or are one of those types who are obsessed with unicorns, then this is a must watch! Even Peter S. Beagle, who also wrote on the screenplay was satisfied enough to give this adaptation of his book a standing ovation, and you know that's gotta be a good sign for something! Well, if Beagle approves of it, then so do I, and that is why I am giving this film Belchic's Seal of Approval! Here's hoping for many more unicorn films for years to come! And now, I present to you a fanfare that will appropriately fit the theme of this movie...
Story: 10/10 Animation: 9/10 Characters: 9/10 Songs: 8/10
Overall: 9/10 = 90%
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Post by Belchic on Apr 8, 2023 18:18:51 GMT -5
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie. What can be said about Mario that hasn’t already been said? He’s the most famous video game character of all time! Even if you are not a gamer, you probably still recognize Mario. He’s the second most recognized fictional character in the world just under Mickey Mouse! As Nintendo’s mascot, and with all that fame in mind, you would think he would have a plethora of movies and TV shows, but surprisingly, he hasn’t. In the world of TV, he did have a few one season wonder series’ in the late 80’s and early 90’s, which all got mixed feedback. As far as movies go, there is that rare Anime movie from the 80’s, and of course the live action film from 1993, which we will not get into. For many years, Nintendo has been trying to give Mario a true movie to appeal to all his fans, and now, finally, after almost a whole decade of development, the famous Italian plumber has finally made his way onto the big screen courtesy of the love-em-or-hate-em animated studio, Illumination. I have been waiting for so many years to see Mario make his way back to the big or small screen, and now that he finally has, and now that I’ve finally gotten a chance to see it after all the rave reviews I’ve been hearing, will this movie been worth all the patience like finding the princess in the right castle, or should we consider it a Game Over like the live action movie? Let’s find out…
The Story Now I know what we’re all thinking here: “The Mario games don’t have much of a plot! This can’t work!” Well, actually here, it does! For starters, this feels more like an origin story as to how the Mario Bros. were first brought to the Mushroom Kingdom and how Mario became the hero of the kingdom. The writers did a very solid job taking elements from the games and writing an original plot basically turning nothing into something! Also, fans of the games will definitely recognize references to the games from the characters, to the items, to the music. It’s basically every Mario game we’ve grown to love mixed together with a plot that feels like it came out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! They even managed to reference “The Super Mario Bros. Super Show” too! Not to mention, Shigeru Miyamoto himself even had involvement in this movie, so that’s definitely a plus! Overall, while not quite perfect, it’s still a very well-crafted story.
The Animation As one who grew up playing the Mario games pretty much from the beginning, I definitely see a lot of effort went into the animation of this movie giving it more of a cinematic quality while still looking like the franchise we all know and love. Though what they truly nailed to perfection with the animation is the world-building. They really went all out to make this feel like the most epic Mario adventure ever and multiply it by 100! They really did their homework to make this feel less like a video game and more like a movie so that we won’t have to use our imaginations so much and now actually believe it! That’s one accomplishment I never thought I’d see happen in this kind of movie!
The Characters All of us who grew up with the Mario games are certainly familiar with all the characters. However, this movie takes these characters to a whole new level! Seriously, it takes all these one-dimensional characters and turns them into three-dimensional characters! (No pun intended.) Mario seems to be a more relatable character with all his flaws and feels a lot less like a Gary Stu than he does in the games, and Chris Pratt does an incredible job voicing him. Princess Peach is basically what I would expect an independent princess to be and not as girly as she is in the games. Luigi is pretty strong too, but just like in the games, he’s still a coward and is all but ignored. Toad is still the most annoying character, but he’s a different kind of annoying. Donkey Kong is a nice edition who is more full of himself just for laughs. Then, there’s Bowser, which I will say Jack Black gave an incredible performance to making him sound sinister yet humorous at the same time; he doesn’t even sound like Jack Black, but he has some moments where you can tell it’s still his personality. Overall, this is a fresh new look at the characters. It’s like they took the characters we know and loved and made them better! There are some characters I wish we would have seen like Yoshi and Birdo, but something tells me that’s all the more reason to make a sequel.
It took them many many years to make a Mario movie done right, and after this movie, it was well worth the wait! I always said a Mario movie could be done right if put into the right hands, and Illumination was certainly the right studio for the job! The Super Mario Bros. Movie is not at all like the live action atrocity! This movie is an absolute blast! If you’re a gamer, especially if you’re a fan of the Mario games, then this is a must watch! It is an action-packed popcorn flick with a believable story, characters improved on a great level, massive world-building, and lots of noticeable references to the games! I certainly had a blast watching it just as much as all the other people who loved it, and I can’t wait to see what other Nintendo game adaptations Illumination makes, and that is why I am honored to give it Belchic’s Seal of Approval! That means everyone is required by law to love it!…Nah, I’m just pulling your legs! You’re allowed to have your own opinion on it, but I’m a fan of it for sure! Now to end this review with a very fitting fanfare!
Story: 9/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 10/10
Overal: 10/10 = 97.5%
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Post by Two-Tone on Apr 8, 2023 23:39:00 GMT -5
I was going to do a review on the Care Bears movie, but since I already did, I'm doing this one instead. I figured I'd might as well get this one in while we're still in the middle of summer: The Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation (1986) The Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation. In the mid 1980's, the Care Bears were really popular. I guess you can say they're like were like what Pokemon was back in 1999 and 2000. When their first theatrical movie came out in 1985, it did surprisingly well even out-grossing Disney's The Black Cauldron! Apparently, the people at Nelvana had full confidence in that movie, because a sequel came out quite literally a year later! Though, this one gives us a much different story of the Care Bears, so different that the title itself is very misleading! Looking back on it today, is this movie considerably a shot of 80's nostalgia, or should it be a movie that we just shouldn't care about? Let's find out... The StoryThis movie is sort of an origin story of the Care Bears. It follows the adventures of True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse raising the newborn Care Bears into what they will eventually become while at the same time keep them protected from the evil forces of Dark Heart. While this is going on, there are three kids at a summer camp who feel like losers and need help, one of them gets manipulated by Dark Heart, and now it's up to the Care Bears to save the day with everyone else playing a part. Now, I think the first thing we need to do is address the elephant in the room, and I don't mean Lotsa Heart. This plot contradicts the first movie on so many levels. If you saw the first movie, then I'm sure you will notice how misleading its title is. This movie is not a sequel, nor is it a new generation! It acts like a totally different movie altogether. It's as if two different people told their own story of the Care Bears' origins. I guess I can't argue that much since this movie was clearly made for toddlers, and they're not really going to care too much about that as long as the movie keeps them entertained, and this movie does not fail in that department. Much like the first movie, this movie has its share of cute moments, fun moments, funny moments, heartwarming moments, meaningful life lessons, and also dark moments. Yeah, it does get corny sometimes, but it's forgivable. This movie is clearly not made for linierists but probably more for splitists. This is one of those movies that is so bad that it's great. It's a guilty pleasure. The AnimationConsidering this is a (ahem) "sequel" to the first Care Bears movie, the animation is for the most part on the same level as its predecessor. Usually when it comes to sequels to movies like this, the animation gets a downgrade, but since this is a theatrical release, that's not necessarily the case. While the animation is for the most part the same as the first movie, there are times when it actually feels slightly edgier than the first one. Still, the movie remains bright and colorful when it needs to be and dark and edgey when it needs to be, just like all 80's cartoons should be. If you're a fan of 80's cartoons, then this is really the movie for you. The CharactersConsidering this is a Care Bears movie, there are a lot of characters in this movie. The Care Bears themselves don't really play a major part in the plot; they're for the most part just there. There are some that get some moments like Tender Heart, Brave Heart, Grumpy, Friend Bear and Secret Bear, but for the most part, they're mostly just bypassers. For the characters who do get focus, we have True Heart Bear and Noble Heart Horse, the two mentors of the Care Bears who sort of act as their parents. What makes them so great is that they both have their own individual strengths and weaknesses and both seem to play their own role in the film. True Heart spends more time helping the kids on Earth, while Noble Heart acts more like a parental figure to the Care Bears. But the one thing they both have in common is they are both determined to protect the world from Dark Heart. As for the main kids, Christie is your typical annoying little girl who is either arrogant or whiny, and honestly, while she can be relatable in a lot of ways, she's not very likable. Her friends, John and Dawn are kids who are looking for something they're good at, which True Heart helps them find, but more importantly, they're there to support Christie and remind her of how important their friendship are. Finally, we have the villain of the picture, Dark Heart. Villains are supposed to be awesome and intimidating, but honestly, Dark Heart is neither of those. Everyone keeps saying that he's evil and should be avoided at all costs, but it's really not clear what his motivations are, and a lot of times, it's hard to take him seriously, especially when he's in his boy form. Sure he may sound scary at times, and his shape-shifting ability is kind of cool, but for the most part, he's a pretty forgettable villain. So yeah, overall, this is a movie with a cast that clearly puts quantity over quality, and there's really not much to say about them. The SongsAfter hearing the songs in the first movie, you would expect the songs in the second movie to be somewhat similar, and in this movie's case, they are in some ways. While the songs in the first movie have more of an 80's synth pop and soft rock style, with this movie, they have more of an 80's workout and power ballad style. The movie's opening song, "Our Beginning", plays during the opening credits and feels like a prelude track to the movie's true opening song, "Flying My Colors", which is a bouncy upbeat song made to introduce us to some of the characters and really puts you in a good mood. "I Care For You" and "Growing Up" are more like easy-going songs made to put you in a more calming mood, but they're a little too cutesy for some older viewers. Then there's "The Fight Song" which is just as bouncy and upbeat as "Flying My Colors". Then there's the song that plays during the end credits, "Forever Young", which feels like a perfect finale song as it's like one of those sing-along power ballads where if played at a concert, you just have to hold up your lighters for. However you look at it, the songs are still a lot of fun and leave you with a happy feeling when you listen to them, and most importantly, they truly showed what the 80's were all about. The Care Bears Movie II is kind of a mixed bag. Sure it does contradict the first movie, and it may go for quantity over quality with its characters, but it makes up for it with it's fun songs, edgey animation that's pretty good for a movie like this, and it's a fun guilty pleasure to put on once in a while. It's not as good as the first one, but it's not as horrible, and it's harmless for little kids. It's definitely butch compared to films like The Emoji Movie and Foodfight! I only recommend this movie to children under 7 and hardcore Care Bears fans. As for the rest of the demographics...it's there. Story: 6/10 Animation: 7/10 Characters: 4/10 Songs: 8/10 Overall: 6/10 = 63% Well to be a bit frank, I usually see this movie as Nelvana's soft reboot of the series since after this movie was when Nelvana's Care Bears series started (the one with No Heart, Mr. Beastly, and Shreeky were the main villains), before hand DiC was doing the Care Bears series (the one with Professor Coldheart, Frostbite, and Auntie Freeze).
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Post by Belchic on Jun 17, 2023 16:48:14 GMT -5
I just got back from seeing Elemental! Now, here's my review of it!
Elemental (2023)
Elemental. Well, here we go again. Another summer, another blockbuster from Pixar. You probably know Pixar best as Disney's secondary animation company who during the 2000 decade seemed to be invulnerable with constant hit after hit. Though after they released their magnum opus, Toy Story 3, in 2010, they've kind of been on a roller coaster ride with their movies being sort of hit an miss with audiences. They still managed to deliver some masterpieces, while others left audiences a little confused. Now, we've got this movie, which upon its announcement got some mixed reactions from the public. Some people were uninterested thinking that Pixar was becoming too predictable by delivering yet another movie with a formula they've done a dozen times before, while others got super hyped about it. Now that the movie is out, will it keep the fire burning like Ember for Pixar, or will it leave them washed up like Wade? Let's find out...
The Story
At a glance from the trailers, this movie looked like in most people's eyes like Inside Out meets Zootopia with it's concept and world-building and even the main characters. The actual story is about Ember, who is destined to take over her father's business as he gets ready to retire and fulfill his dream. The only problem is, she's the element of fire, which is the one element that seems to be exiled from the rest of Elemental City since the other elements of earth, air and water view them as too dangerous to be around. Along the way, she meets a guy who is of the element of water who wants to help her with everything she wants to do, and the two of them slowly develop a romantic relationship. Only problem is they are different elements and cannot mix. Gee, does this sound familiar? Of course it does! It's the classic overused "Romeo & Juliet" story we've seen a million times already! Though does that automatically make the movie bad? Not at all! In this case, the story works very well when combined with all the sub-plots that Ember and Wade are going through, and they all tie together so perfectly that it makes the story very easy to follow making it a perfect flick for both kids and adults to enjoy at the same time! I won't give away any spoilers, but when you watch the movie, you'll have a perfect understanding of the message it's trying to deliver. Oh, and be prepared to cry a lot, because this is Pixar after all. Mix that in with incredible and immersive world-building, and you've got a pretty epic feature!
The Animation
Like Disney, Pixar always tries to go above and beyond with their animation, and this film is no exception. With the astounding world-building and the way all the elements work together from the way the characters move and react to other elements to the littlest details like rocks and sand, everything is just so amazingly put together! This especially comes into play when they show how elements react with one another when they mix, whether it be for good and bad. Pixar has certainly come a long way since the first Toy Story movie! If there's one particular audience who will certainly have a blast watching this movie, it's science nerds, and it's definitely intriguing enough to catch the attention of all other audiences allowing them to learn new things while at the still time be entertained. Once again, Pixar gets an A++ for animation!
The Characters
With a concept like this, you would expect to see a lot of characters with a lot of interesting complexity to them, but honestly, there really isn't that much that we get to explore. Don't get me wrong, the characters are not in any way bad, but it could use a little more. Let's start off with our main character, Ember. She's a relatable character who is destined to take over her father's business as he gets ready to retire, but she's stuck between other life choices and can't decide what she wants to do or determine what she thinks is the right thing to do, and plus she has the issue with her hot temper that she can't control. Wade is a city inspector who is sort of a "go with the flow" kind of guy. In a ways, he's sort of in the same boat as Ember as he has trouble deciding what he wants to do in life, except he's more emotionally-scarred as opposed to Ember's hot temper. That's what makes the chemistry between these two work. Then, we have Ember's parents, Burny and Cynder. Burny is the ready for retirement dad who wants to turn his business over to Ember but doesn't think she's ready yet because of all the disasters she tends to make. Meanwhile, Cynder gets the suspicion over Ember being in love with Wade, and at first she's against the idea because of how elements can't mix, but when she's proven wrong, she becomes more supportive. And really, that's about it as far as characters go. There are a ton of other characters too, but they each only get like a couple minutes of screentime without giving us time to learn about their backstories or motivations. The only other character who might come close to getting a good amount of screentime is Wade's boss, Gale Cumulus, since she plays a key role in the plot as she works with Wade on fixing all the damage that he and Ember unintentionally did to the city. Overall, while not a large cast of characters, they are still very three-dimensional (no pun intended), and we get enough out of the minor characters to get a basic idea of what they are like. Overall, it's a great cast of characters that we can have a lot of fun with.
I was hyped about this movie when it was first announced over a year ago, and now that I finally got a chance to see it, it was well worth the wait as it far exceeded my expectations. Elemental, though somewhat predictable, is still in my opinion one of Pixar's best movies. I'd definitely rank it up there with The Incredibles, Inside Out and Coco. Pixar may be a hit and miss studio nowadays with most of their more recent films getting mixed reactions from audiences, but I'd say they hit a homerun with this one! If you're a Pixar fan, then this is a must watch! Elemental shows a fine example of what Pixar does best, and that is good enough for me to consider this movie a masterpiece, which is why I am giving it Belchic's Seal of Approval! We're halfway through the year already and have been off to a great start in animation with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and now this, but the ultimate question is can Disney top that with their upcoming masterpiece, Wish? Well, we'll have to wait until November to find out, but either way, it looks like there's going to be some tough competition at all the awards shows when this year is over!
Story: 10/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 8/10
Overall: 9/10 = 93%
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Post by Trey_Vore on Jun 19, 2023 23:05:45 GMT -5
Not a bad review man.
What was your opinion on Carl's Date?
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Post by Belchic on Oct 2, 2023 21:39:46 GMT -5
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (2023)
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. That’s right, folks! The PAW Patrol is back on the big screen with another new movie just two years after their first one, and just in time for their tenth anniversary too. As a fan of the show, I went and saw it despite being a childless millennial and the fact that my niece and nephew both outgrew the show. Now that Ryder and his team of pups are back on the big screen, will this movie be as mighty as its predecessor, or is it about as useless as being the runt of the litter without a power crystal? Let’s find out…
The Story Much like the first movie, this movie is about the PAW Patrol going to Adventure City with Liberty at their side. Only difference is this movie is set entirely in Adventure City with the PAW Patrol using the Sea Patroller as their main base. Much like the first movie, this movie’s story is primarily focused on one of the pups, plus Liberty, plus the villains of the picture. Only difference is while the first one was focused on Chase overcoming his fears of returning to Adventure City, this one is focused on Skye who is fed up with being the littlest pup on the team and is trying to overcome the challenges of her physical shortcomings. Meanwhile, an evil scientist named Victoria Vance brought meteors down from space landing her in jail and causing her to team up with Mayor Humdinger, and as you may expect, the meteors contain crystals that give superpowers to anyone who holds them. One major problem I have with the story is its pretty much recycling the premise of the first movie, except the central focus character is Skye rather than Chase. Liberty also gets her own B story where she’s trying to figure out what her superpower is while at the same time try to train the Junior Patrol pups, but that B story doesn’t get much focus compared to the stories surrounding Skye and the villains. Another issue I have with the story is that the pups are acting like their superpowers are new to them, but they have become the Mighty Pups already before in several previous episodes, so that raises a strong continuity issue. Not to mention, there really isn’t much emphasis on the Mighty Pups in the movie since they have their powers for less than a quarter of the movie, even though this is called “The MIGHTY Movie”, yet the villains actually have the powers for a majority of the picture! Also, there are times when the movie feels very rushed. However, one good thing I will say about the story is how we get to go deeper inside the mind of Skye and learn how she really feels about her status as a pup, and of course, it includes something that fans have been wanting to see for years, and that’s Skye’s backstory and how Ryder adopted her. So yeah, while the story is tremendously flawed, it’s still somewhat forgivable.
The Animation One good thing about this movie that they certainly brought back for the sequel is the animation. Just like the original, the animation is a cinematic quality that is a vast improvement over the low-budget CGI the series has. The world-building of Adventure City is so immersive, the character animation is so well detailed (and I think the pups look even more like real dogs here than they did in the first movie), but the real selling point of the animation are the action scenes, and they certainly go above and beyond with them that half the time I feel like I’m watching something from the Marvel Cinematic Universe! You can tell that this is no ordinary kid’s flick that’s just trying to sell toys! Oh, no! The animators really showed that they mean business in trying to make this appeal to all ages and give them truly astounding eye candy!
The Characters If you’re a fan of PAW Patrol, then there’s not too much to say about the cast. These are all the characters we know and love from the show. Though like I said, the movie is heavily focused on Skye trying to overcome her physical shortcomings. Ryder, in this movie, acts more like a supportive parental figure to Skye showing more sympathy towards her similar to what he did with Chase in the first movie. Liberty, as I said, has her own B story, but it doesn’t get as much focus as it should. The rest of the pups don’t do a whole lot. They’re just there. Rubble does get some one liners here and there, but Chase, Marshall, Rocky and Zuma feel like they’re just there to do their jobs, and that’s it. Also, the Junior Patrol pups were completely useless and served no purpose other than to be cutesy comic reliefs. Mayor Humdinger and his cats are still the same as they always were. Then, of course, we got the main villain of the picture: Victoria Vance. While I will give them credit for coming up with an original villain for this film, her motivations are quite clear, and she is quite intimidating, it seems like there’s way too much focus on her and not enough on the rest of the characters other than Skye. I don’t think I have ever seen a movie that had so many characters with so much potential, and yet they wasted all the focus on just two of them! It seems like a colossal waste.
I hate to be hard on the PAW Patrol, but this movie was a bit of a disappointment. PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie had a lot of potential to be a great follow-up, but they blew it by giving us a re-hashed storyline of the first movie just with a different central focus, a misleading title, and a lack of enough focus on the characters, but it makes up for it with some great animation and taking the spirit of the show to another level. Don’t get me wrong; this isn’t a bad movie by any means, but it’s not a great movie either. It’s just a mediocre follow-up that could have been better, but I don’t consider it to be a waste of time either. My advice, if you’re not a PAW Patrol fan, then I advise you skip this movie, but if you are a fan, then I’m sure you’ll accept it. After seeing both the PAW Patrol movies, this gives potential to see what more they can do with this cinematic universe. If Spin Master makes a third PAW Patrol movie, then I’m hoping it will exceed my expectations, but we’ll have to wait until the announcement is made before we start counting our Chickalettas before they hatch.
Story: 4/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 5/10
Overall: 6/10 = 63%
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