Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 26th, 2007
Written by Evan Braun
Space Ghost & Dino Boy is the kind of show that seems as though it would carry with it a great deal of nostalgia. Its characters are memorable and its animation is characteristic of an era of cartooning long since gone. Unfortunately, since I missed the show’s heyday by a good 20 years, it’s impossible for me to join in on these fond memories.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on July 26th, 2007
Written by Evan Braun
Space Ghost & Dino Boy is the kind of show that seems as though it would carry with it a great deal of nostalgia. Its characters are memorable and its animation is characteristic of an era of cartooning long since gone. Unfortunately, since I missed the show’s heyday by a good 20 years, it’s impossible for me to join in on these fond memories.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on June 20th, 2007
I’m not sure exactly what I expected going into this film, but whatever it was, the film I saw could not have been farther from it. What Bridge to Terabithia is, is a little hard to explain. It’s certainly a children’s fantasy, but not in the style most popular today with franchises like Harry Potter and Narnia. This film is actually wonderfully understated. It centers on two children who are misfits of a sort. Like many kids they feel alien in the world around them. They are at that awkward age where they are gett...ng too old for childishness but are still too young for the adult world. The only option left to them is to create a world where not only do they fit in but rule with confidence. Terabithia is indeed populated with the traditional fantasy elements, but here these things blend in with the real world around them. It is a place firmly imbedded in their imaginations, a world let out only in snippets at a time. The film is never overwhelmed with an f/x laden image that fails to satisfy on any complete level. They immerse themselves in the battle of good and evil in Terabithia, but everything there is strongly connected with the lives they are actually living in the mundane world of reality. The film also goes down a path that will be unexpected, and that I will not spoil for you now. Like all classic Disney, Bridge To Terabithia is loaded with the obligatory life lessons. Concepts like friendship and standing up for yourself abound. Disney understands that less can often be more, and that understanding makes this a far more rewarding film to watch. There are moments when the film does bog itself down and move somewhat slowly. If I think so, I’m sure the kiddies will be even more aware. The film dips its toe into Christianity a bit. Most of this is directly from the Katherine Paterson novel. Fantasy and reality can often be so intertwined here that you will never quite know where one ends and the other begins until you are already fully there.
Another fine Disney tradition is the performances they have consistently gotten from child actors. Bridge To Terabithia is no exception. Jess, played by Josh Hutcherson, is the understated character. Hutcherson does a fine job of portraying the changes that come over his character. When we first meet Josh, he is shy and turned well within himself. He gets picked on at school, and his Dad seems to favor his younger sister. Once he warms up to new student Leslie, he begins to open up and finally finds things to get excited about. AnnaSophia Robb is equally good as Leslie. Leslie’s character doesn’t change quite so much. Still, it is Leslie who must bring out Jess. It is her imagination that first gives birth to Terabithia. Robb plays her with a tremendous amount of energy.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on April 4th, 2007
Perhaps in an all too unsubtle move, the MGM/Fox contingent has released The Pebble and the Penguin on the same day as the recently released Happy Feet. The film chronicles the quest of Hubie (Martin Short, Innerspace), a penguin who is trying to win the love of Marina (Annie Golden, Twelve Monkeys) as a mate. But Marina is also eyed by Drake (Tim Curry, Clue), and knows that Hubie must not have her, so he throws Hubie into the ocean. Hubie meets Rocko (Jim Belushi, Return to Me), who helps him stand up to Drake while winning the love of Marina.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 16th, 2007
I can't say I'm too familiar with The Last Unicorn, I mean overall, animated children's films were in the midst of a decline in the '80s. However my wife was more than familiar with it and enjoyed it a lot growing up. And Lion's Gate has presumably cleaned up the film and thrown some extras on it just in time for the film's 25th anniversary.
Based on a novel by Peter Beagle and directed by the animation team of Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin (who helped produced such shows as the stop motion of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Hobbit animated version back in the '60s and '70s), the unicorn in question is named, well, Unicorn (voiced by Mia Farrow, The Omen), who walks around rather peacefully in the countryside. She is captured by a witch and is released by her assistant named Schmendrick (Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine). So when Schmendrick and Unicorn are threatened by an ominous red bull, he turns her into a mortal named Amalthea, who finds love by Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges, Tron) and finds out why she was the last unicorn from King Haggard (Christopher Lee, The Lord of the Rings).
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 15th, 2007
The zaniness continues in Bikini Bottom, and the series shows no sign of losing its appeal or its lunatic creativity. Wonderful little example: “Whale of a Birthday” is about Mr. Krabbs’ daughter’s sixteenth birthday. The highlight: a performance by “Boys Who Cry” singing “It’s All About You.” Perfect. There are twenty episodes here to keep your funny and whimsy bones tickled. (What, you don’t think you have a whimsy bone? Of course you do.)
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006
If there's something that bothers me about the wave of digital films for children's entertainment nowadays, it's that anyone who has a Mac and good enough software feels compelled to make a movie, no matter how much it sucks. And Disney (or Dreamworks) or another studio will put enough marketing money behind it to make anyone want to watch it.
How can you tell how good or bad it will be? Well, if it's not a Pixar film, you can generally tell by the cast that is brought in to do voice work for it. In the case of The Wild, Samson the Lion (Kiefer Sutherland, 24) lives in the New York zoo with his son Ryan (hey, that's me! But really it's Greg Cipes, John Tucker Must Die). Ryan is a little bit shy because he hasn't gotten his roar yet, and Samson is a legend among his zoo friends for the stories he tells. His friends include a giraffe named Bridget (Janeane Garofalo, The Truth About Cats and Dogs), a squirrel named Benny (Jim Belushi, According to Jim) and a snake named Larry (Richard Kind, Spin City). And Ryan leaves the zoo and accidentally gets on a ship bound for Africa, so Samson and friends follow the ship that lands'in the wild!
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 16th, 2006
Well as far as girl groups go, I suppose one could do worse than the Cheetah Girls. Something that is a pretty clear production of the Disney network, the only recognizable thing about the group itself is the appearance of the big-boned Raven Symone, otherwise known as the youngest Cosby kid.
And it appears that several different plot devices occur through the film. You've got the Help! or other delirious fans of young groups. Then the girls travel to what appears to be Spain after maxing out their success in the US, so they decide to go without really going, using enough exterior shots to match up with the sound stage scenes. Then you've got the whole thing about them wanting to make it big, and I think at one point one of the girls falls in love, but I could be mistaken on this.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on October 22nd, 2006
Synopsis
As if the urge to capitalize on the spirits and success of the Pokemon children’s franchise weren’t enough, someone decided it would be best to create an American version loosely based on the addictive game, or hobby, or whatever the hell it is that makes Pokemon so popular, and at least as of this writing, heading into it’s fourth season of episodes.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on June 1st, 2006
Follow Doogal and friends as they try to save their lush green world from the clutches of the evil jack-in-the-box Zeebad (Jon Stewart) in this CGI family film that completely misses the mark. Though G-Rated - and obviously of inferior intellect - the film tries to be witty and smart with a ton of stale pop culture references its target audience will not come close to grasping. Sure, the adults will get them, but once they do, the question becomes, what do we do with them? Another "Can't Touch This" MC Hammer referen...e? "Wax-on, wax-off" - Karate Kid anyone? "My name is Neo" - did we need another reference to a trilogy where only one of the films was even remotely worth watching? This tripe is the kind of family fare that makes adults cringe in their boots at the thought of having to sit even 77 torturous minutes with these bloated celebrities trying to be funny under the guise of silly looking animals that aren't even that cute.
If I had to find a strong point, I would say Judi Dench's narration is about all the film has going for it. Back to the bad - Kevin Smith's moose character hardly says anything throughout the course of the film, but he does offer up the number of expected fart jokes with his overenthusiastic gastro-intestinal behavior. While Doogal, the long-haired puppy dog intent on saving his master Florence (Kylie Monogue) from the ice block prison created by Zeebad, is a cute little creation, the child star providing his vocals completely ruins any endearing qualities by the mere movement of his lips. This film is truly abysmal. I can't imagine anyone liking it for two reasons: 1) It tries to outsmart its target audience. 2) It does so by antiquated pop culture references, which will completely turn off the only demographic it has left to please. Avoid at all costs.
