Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 10th, 2005
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 3rd, 2005
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on March 2nd, 2005
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Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 18th, 2004
Apparently inspired by Three Godfathers, the over-sentimental John Ford western from 1948, the "godfathers" here are three homeless Tokyo-ites -- Gin, a former professional bicycle racer; Hana, a transvestite; and Miyuki, a young runaway girl -- living together in Shinjuku, Tokyo. On Christmas Eve, they find a baby, and embark on a journey that takes them all across the city in order to reunite the baby with its parents, while at the same time bringing their own lives closer to their ultimate destinies. Fun, fast-pac...d, and cleverly laced with well-timed humor, the wacky events that ensue have a deep element of humanity that craftily puts into context their entire journey.
From his jump-cuts from extreme facial gestures, to the hilarious "Homo of Tokyo" run cycles of the strong-willed comic-relief Hana, director Satoshi Kon certainly knows how to entertain an audience. But the depth of the characters and the poignancy of the ultimate storyline are what separate Godfathers from the usual Anime fare. A wonderful achievement.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 18th, 2004
Wizards is a Ralph Bakshi production that is a lot more family friendly than some of his other better known works aka Fritz the Cat and the less said about his adaptation of The Lord of The Rings, the better. Wizards does borrow a lot from the Tolkein classic however, in it’s themes of industrialism versus nature as played out in the classic good versus evil story.
The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where an ancient prophet foretells the coming of twins who will battle and the outcome of the con...lict will determine the fate of the new Earth. As predicted, twin sons are born to the Queen of the Fairies. One son is of human appearance and if full of good (Avatar), where his twin is a mutant and quite evil (Blackwolf). Blackwolf’s misdeeds have him banished from the Fairydom where he swears to get his revenge as he departs. He plans on accomplishing his task by reviving the war machines of old. Avatar is a pacifist and wants nothing to do with war but as his evil brother’s machinations draw Avatar directly into the conflict via assassination attempts, he begins to realize that he cannot escape his destiny.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 13th, 2004
Cyborg 009 (pronounced zero zero nine, not double oh nine) is a show about a group of people who are half-human and half-robot – a.k.a. cyborgs. Abducted and experimented on against their will, these cyborgs are revolting against the person who made them, the evil Black Ghost.
This show has the look of an old fashion anime program. Based on a manga strip that started in 1969, the character designs are from that era, with exaggerated facial features (most evidently big noses), sleek lines and big feet. B...t that’s not all this show owes to classic anime, it also has the feel of an old show. This program harkens back to a simpler day, when everything was black and white. Black Ghost is evil. He’s not misguided and doing what he thinks is right or trying to punish the world or anything like that. He’s just evil, he even admits it. The good guys don’t kill people, even if they are bad. They always manage to let the pawns of Black Ghost jump out of their tanks before it’s destroyed. That gives the show an old-time feel, and that’s not bad.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 13th, 2004
Cyborg 009 (pronounced zero zero nine, not double oh nine) is a show about a group of people who are half-human and half-robot – a.k.a. cyborgs. Abducted and experimented on against their will, these cyborgs are revolting against the person who made them, the evil Black Ghost.
This show has the look of an old fashion anime program. Based on a manga strip that started in 1969, the character designs are from that era, with exaggerated facial features (most evidently big noses), sleek lines and big feet. B...t that’s not all this show owes to classic anime, it also has the feel of an old show. This program harkens back to a simpler day, when everything was black and white. Black Ghost is evil. He’s not misguided and doing what he thinks is right or trying to punish the world or anything like that. He’s just evil, he even admits it. The good guys don’t kill people, even if they are bad. They always manage to let the pawns of Black Ghost jump out of their tanks before it’s destroyed. That gives the show an old-time feel, and that’s not bad.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 3rd, 2003
Synopsis
Chihiro is a ten-year-old girl moving to a new home. On the way there, her father takes awrong turn, and they find themselves in an abandoned amusement park. I really don’t want tosay too much, as this is a film whose wonders should be discovered without too muchforeknowledge. Suffice to say that Chihiro soon finds herself in a magical world of spirits,striving to free herself, her parents, and a new friend. Spirited Away is a stunning film, worthyof comparison to Alice in Wonderla...d and other children’s classics, and I don’t mean just otherfilms, either. The witch queen looks like something out of a John Tenniel illustration. The filmmight be too frightening for very young children (especially in the first half-hour), but everyoneelse is in for an unforgettable treat. This is a masterpiece.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 28th, 2002
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