quoozlefreak Reviews

The Wind Rises (2013)

Beautiful

[10/10 · 2 March 2014]

This movie was simply amazing. The reality of wars, dreams, romance... Some parts of it are rather surreal, though - it's definitely more "artistic" than any of Miyazaki's other films, a lot of the messages being rather implicit and thought provoking. But that's precisely why I loved it so much. Really, this move is an incredibly fitting end to Miyazaki's career, epitomizing nearly all the themes he's included in his work throughout his over sixty years in the field in this one mature, beautifully crafted film.

I can't really find anything else about it to say without going off on a tangent about the whole movie. Suffice it to say, it's not a movie for everyone. I went to see it with a friend who was fairly confused by the time we got out and didn't really understand why I was crying so much.

Tangled (2010)

An AMAZING movie

[10/10 · 5 December 2010]

I grew up on Disney. I am a typical Disney child. At the same time, I'm a hardcore traditional 2-dimensional animation type of gal. For a while, I've been of the belief that Disney's 3D movies weren't quite as good or had the soul of their 2D classics. Not to say their 3d movies aren't bad... just not the same. So I went in expecting a good movie, but not something spectacular.

Tangled blew me away. It blew right eff out there. I loved this movie. It is my newest favorite Disney movie, and possibly right up there in my top ten favorite movies ever.

From the first moment it started, I was drawn in. The first two minutes, I'll admit to crying. Because the storytelling and the gorgeous animation in this movie is soooo amazing. It takes a different and more elaborate twist on the tale of Rapunzel, but in the best of ways. Still, this movie had me crying a good chunk of the time. Especially in the lantern scene, between the king and queen.

Now a lot of people say Pascal and Max stole the show, but I disagree. Yes, they were funny, especially with the Max and Flynn interaction. Pascal I honestly didn't care for too much. To me, I viewed them as sidekicks that were... well, sidekicks. They didn't overshadow their heroes.

And Gothel. Ah Gothel. I am naturally biased not to like Gothel because she looks eerily like my English professor. Come to think of it... they're both control freaks too... Ehm, but that's digressing, because I despite disliking her, I like Gothel more than my professor. And as far as Disney villains go... I find her to be the most confusing. Yes, at the beginning of the movie, we are presented with her true intentions for Rapunzel but I can't help but wonder if somewhere along the way, she truly did come to love Rapunzel as her own? It's very difficult to say, and I have found myself extremely confused as to whether she is truly really evil or not. I can say, though, that she is highly unpleasant.

The ending is also one of my favorite parts... mostly because it concerns my own hair color, and it makes me feel better about myself.

My only regret about this movie is that I didn't see it in 3D. For the lantern scene alone, it would be worth it.

I don't know how many times I can say it: This is an amazing movie. It is worth your time, it is worth your money, and it... it is truly Disney at its best.

Tales from Earthsea (2006)

A great start for Goro

[8/10 · 18 September 2010]

Given the choice, I would have done a 7.5 rather than an eight, but I'm rounding to the highest number here.

First off, it's unfair to compare this movie to his father's works. Goro's standing in a huge shadow and has a lot to live up to. This movie, I feel was pretty darn good... if you don't compare it to the elder Miyazaki's material. Also, if you've read the books, don't expect this to BE the books, but rather a different retelling of them (much as, despite what I said about comparisons, Howl's Moving Castle was a different retelling of the original book).

It was a visually stunning movie, with Goro following closely to his dad's style there, and the music was also excellent. The character designs I have mixed feelings about. LeGuin, writer of the Earthsea books, was rather well-known for the majority of her characters in Earthsea being people of color, with the exception of Tenar and the other Kargish people. While Ged very obviously had the red-brown color we expected, everybody else felt rather whitewashed. For Cob, it was oddly fitting since it enhanced his very creepy demeanor (something which I give major kudos for). But it made Tenar, who was supposed to be the only major white person in the story, seem not foreign at all. The only thing that constituted her "foreign-ness" was her blond hair... and she wasn't blond in the books. And Therru's scar, which was supposed to be a major deformity that blinded her on one side of her face, was also really not that bad. Hardly noticeable, in fact.

The writing was a bit... lacking, I suppose. There really should have been more background information. Example, the drug Hazia, in the books, was mentioned to turn people's lips black. In the movie, Hazia was mentioned but its side-effects (aside from euphoria) were not mentioned, so when Arren is tricked into drinking something with Hazia in it, a person who hasn't read the books wouldn't know that and feel that Hazia was something mentioned simply for the sake of being mentioned. Arren's backstory was a bit complicated as well. I didn't quite understand it, and when I do try to it seems... well, unnecessary. Tenar's past also could've been more in depth, perhaps with them mentioning that she was a priestess of the Nameless Ones, the darkness that is so often alluded to in the movie but never really named. Therru's dormant magical powers also could've been alluded to more often too, as her change into a dragon at the end seemed rather forced since she showed no signs of being 'special' magically, except for the one moment when Ged mentions something but never elaborates.

Aside from that, the plot was really something, even if the writing was a bit sloppy. Cob's personification in the movie was downright nasty, and really did give the impression of being a BAD guy. I'll be honest and say he gave me the heebie-jeebies, ridiculous as it may sound. Hare was a completely different character than in the books, but I don't mind and found that he actually made quite an evil side-kick. You definitely want to kick him in the balls, that's for sure. And again, the movie is visually stunning with great music.

So while it lacks in writing and isn't terribly faithful to the original character designs, it's still enjoyable and fun to watch, and generally rather faithful to its source material. But again, you can;t expect it to be the books.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)

A fun movie

[8/10 · 18 July 2010]

Overall, I enjoyed this movie quite a bit. It was fun to watch, with some decent effects and an interesting story. Sure, some parts of the story were a little cliché, but come on - it's Disney.

My main complaint was the performance of Nicholas Cage. For a man who claimed he put a lot into this movie, I expected more. The times he was on screen (which is a good deal of time) he seemed rather dull and boring, with Baruchel being the one bringing more life to the scenes. Which is weird, because you'd think that Baruchel being the younger actor, it would be the other way around.

And aside from that, any hardcore Disney fan will see a lot of things that will make them giggle, since there are quite a few things in the background that are from, or reference, previous Disney movies.

The Last Airbender (2010)

This movie insults your intelligence

[1/10 · 7 July 2010]

I am not a huge fan of Shyamalan's movies; the only reason I watched this was because I am a fan of the original show. I didn't expect the movie and the show to be the same and I was hoping I would be pleasantly surprised. I still knew this movie would be terrible. I just wasn't prepared for how BAD it would be.

The cast, the acting, the writing, the storytelling; just about everything was AWFUL. All the elements that made the series charming and fun are completely gone in this movie adaption. It's so busy trying to be an "epic" that it doesn't capture the actual epic element that was in the show, nor does it capture the quirks that made the characters so memorable, whether you liked them or not.

And most of all, this movie does not have COMMON SENSE. Example, the Firebenders in this movie, in contrast with the show, need a source fire to bend. It never once seems to occur to non-Firebenders that putting out the source of their bending would put the Firenation at a disadvantage. Especially the scene with the imprisoned Earthbenders. There's earth all around them they significantly outnumber the Fire Nation soldiers, and earth DOES put out fire... and they don't... they can't... It just... This movie lacks so much common sense, it insults the viewer. Several times, I wanted to scream because I felt so insulted. And I probably would have felt that way regardless if I'd seen the show or not.

The movie, however, does get some props for excellent musical scores (which retain some of the original score from the show) and stunning visual settings and design. That wasn't enough to make watching this annoying movie any better of an experience. I still wanted to get up and walk out several times.

I could go on and on about all the things I didn't like, but I think I've done more than enough.

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

A Beautiful Movie!

[10/10 · 29 April 2010]

And I mean that in every way, not just the visuals.

When I saw the first commercial for HTTYD, I was completely uninterested. I looked it and thought, "Oh, a silly kid movie about dragons." And though I love the mythical creature of the dragon, I had absolutely no interest in seeing it. But I kept on hearing that it was such a good movie. Eventually, I wanted to see why it was so good.

So I did.

And I loved it. I loved it so much that I went and watched it two more times. Sure it has the occasional goof, and looking on it now the story isn't original... but this is a movie that really speaks to you - no matter what age you are. It can entertain a small child and an adult, and someone like me who is in that awkward stage of not wanting to grow up yet has already grown up.

Jay Baruchel did an awesome job as Hiccup. I loved that the character was snarky, and Baruchel caught it well. And while vikings aren't Scottish, Gerard Butler plays Stoick just... just great. One of my favorite lines of the movie is actually the scene where Hiccup does an impression of Stoick (and a very good one I might add).

The artwork and designs are just fantastic. So much so that I've actually ordered the art book. We have a colorful range of both different kinds of dragons and different vikings, some of which are downright funny looking to eye-popping. And the music... the music is just plain wonderful! I love listening to the soundtrack. While the soundtrack isn't "epic movie" scale, it's terribly enjoyable to listen to.

I can keep talk about great this movie is, but I think I'll end this long review now. I just have to say one more thing: Toothless is the coolest dragon since Draco of Dragon Heart.

Alice (2009)

Really Cool

[9/10 · 8 December 2009]

The first thing that must be said is that this is not the original Alice in Wonderland. Honestly, anybody who thinks it is... They said it in the very first commercials that this was "different" so from the get go you shouldn't expect Carrol's book.

This is a completely different take on Wonderland and Looking Glass - and it's good! It presents us with a headstrong and kind of reckless Alice who is capable of taking care of herself. And Hatter is just awesome, he really is. The Queen makes me want to punchasize her face (which is a good thing, it means Bates played her role well) and the White Knight... Ah, what can I say about the White Knight besides, "Most awesome old guy ever?" Some people have complained about the CGI but honestly... I expected it from Sci-fi (or Syfy, whatever). But that doesn't stop this from being a good miniseries. It was well acted, well written, and fun! I must reiterate: This wasn't meant to be the children's story, it was meant to be a different take on the story and aim it towards a different audience! A good miniseries and well worth watching if you can accept that this really is "a different kind of Alice."

2012 (I) (2009)

Not as bad as everyone's saying

[7/10 · 15 November 2009]

Most of the reviews I've seen for this movie label it as a terrible film. it's really not.

While the CG effects could've been better in some areas it was still really well done and the script could've used a bit more work. There was too much talking in some scenes where there should've been more action. The acting wasn't bad either. A lot of people seem to think that the actor's weren't really trying. I didn't notice that, I felt they did an okay job at least.

Overall, if you really think about this movie it makes you think. How would humanity handle the end of the world. Honestly, I think if we knew the end of the world was near, something very similar to what happened in the movie would happen in real life. Questions pertaining morality, the government, our relationships with everyone around us would really be put to the test. The film had me almost crying in some places.

Overall, not a bad film. It certainly IS a rush and will have you going "WHAT THE -" a lot with all of the disasters going on. And believe it or not, trying to anticipate how things could get worse is actually kind of fun in this.

Dragonball Evolution (2009)

Absolutely terrible...

[7/10 · 18 April 2009]

So why did I give it a seven? Because it was terrible in a GOOD way, but I really wasn't willing to make the vote any higher either.

I went into the movie theater expected an absolutely horrible movie that would make my eyes BLEED. And I got that. I love DragonBall and DBZ, even though the shows really made no sense... I was willing to laugh at that. I was not insulted at all by this movie and I actually enjoyed it, not in a serious way of course. Of course, it's nothing at all like DragonBall... Maybe very loosely but nothing like it at all.

I knew it was going to be terrible, and terrible it was. The acting, especially by Yamcha's actor, was horrible. The only exception was for Piccolo's actor - he actually did a pretty good job. Also, the women, all of them, all have very nice views of their boobs, especially ChiChi. I labeled her mostly as Talking Boobs. The whole movie was ridiculous and made no sense at all, and that's saying a lot given how little sense the show made.

If you're the type of DragonBall fan who's willing to laugh at your fandom or you hate DragonBall, it's the perfect movie.

But take note, if you are DragonBall fan... Do have some DVDs of the actual show waiting for you. You'll need it for healing. I may have enjoyed it, but I still needed to redeem the show in my eyes.