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Reviews
Transformers (2007)
Pales in Comparison to the Earlier Movie
During many points of this film, I found myself sitting there shaking my head in disbelief that I was watching it. A lot of the plot elements (especially where the government is involved) seem ridiculous and unbelievable, even for a movie about giant robots. The robots themselves looked very cool and realistic, though I sometimes missed the cleaner designs of their animated counterparts. I find it a bit odd that the filmmakers would go to such trouble to make the robots look real, and place them into such epic battle scenes, yet try so hard not to take things too seriously. It might've been more effective had they gone for straight drama. I wasn't even trying to compare this to the animated _Transformers: The Movie_, however, until this film lifted a quote directly from its predecessor. If they're gonna invite the comparison, they should at least make sure they measure up well. I would probably buy this when it comes out on DVD just 'cause the visuals are so cool, but I definitely feel the animated version was better and will continue to hold up better over time.
Dragonslayer (1981)
A True Cult Classic
I'd forgotten what a good movie this is until I re-watched my old video a couple of nights ago! It's fun to see Peter MacNichol so young, and I think he played the part of the cocky apprentice sorcerer very well. He had just the right balance of awkwardness and youthful arrogance to pull it off. The one thing he didn't portray well was the romance with Valerian. Friends, maybe, but I couldn't see them marrying and having a family or anything.
Caitlin Clarke was a lovely lady (and "man" as well), and I largely enjoyed her portrayal of Valerian. I thought her distant personality was authentic to a girl who's lived her whole life having to hide her identity, and likewise her awkwardness once she finally appeared in a dress. She didn't portray the romance well, either, but I can excuse that from a woman who spent her life as a man. Somehow she seemed to get a little less brave as a woman, however, and I'm not sure why.
I also liked the character of Princess Elspeth-- not only was she beautiful, but intelligent and assertive in a time women wouldn't usually have been so. I liked that she was the one royal with integrity in the movie, and though it would've been nice had she survived and created a better kingdom, you've got to respect how well she faced her end.
Unfortunately, two of the characters I liked best, Ulrich and Hodge, got little screen time. They were both interesting old fellows (if a bit kooky). It would've been interesting to see more of their relationship.
The dragon effects were pretty cool, especially the way she moved while crawling through the cave. The babies were pretty cute, too, as monsters go. I'm glad the dragon wasn't the star of the movie, the way monsters tend to be now. It's much more frightening when a creature is lurking around, largely unseen, than starring out front in every scene.
Cube Zero (2004)
Pretty good
The original is still better, but at least this one is worthy of the _Cube_ name. I enjoyed getting to peek in on the lives of the office grunts who look after the experiment, although some things (weird little food pills being sent up by elevator, for example) were a bit silly. I liked the people in this cube pretty well, most notably the unfortunate chunky guy. Where I think the movie went wrong, though, was in the introduction of the fellow with the weird eye and his minions. I guess they were meant to be scary, but just come off as cheesy and unintentionally funny instead. More effective villains would've definitely helped. This movie, I think, is for the people who liked the original movie, but thought it needed more creative trap deaths.
Cube 2: Hypercube (2002)
Even Ger can't save this one
I loved the original _Cube_, and this one had Geraint Wyn-Davies in it, so I thought it should be great. Erm, no. For starters, I'm useless at physics, so I still don't really understand what a hypercube is, though it's been explained to me more than once :-( . I'm not sure whether the people who made this movie understand, either, as they seem to use the space-time aspect of the hypercube as just an excuse to kill people off as many times as possible, in as many ways as possible. I didn't like the glaring white of the sets, which makes this cube feel like some sort of alien space station rather than the man-made horror of the original. I found the characters and their dramas much less compelling this time, and found I didn't care about their deaths when they happened so often. The ending just seemed silly. This is the only _Cube_ movie I don't want to own.
Cube (1997)
Brilliant
I just watched this again today, and it still ranks as one of my all-time faves. It doesn't have as many cool traps and creative deaths as the other _Cube_ movies, but what it lacks in gore, it more than makes up for with its good acting and characters. It's fascinating to watch the charas' relationships evolve, from initial paranoia (who are these people and where do they come from?) to a spirit of camaraderie as they feel determined to solve the puzzle, deteriorating back to paranoia, fear, and hatred as the cube proves harder to solve than anyone expected. If you want to see a big, scary, trap-filled cube kill a lot of people in new and interesting ways, watch the other movies, though; this one is about the people.
Debiruman (2004)
A Very Inexperienced POV
Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about the original series, and watched this movie only because the trailer was really cool. Thus, I went into it not knowing what to expect. I guess going in blind is an advantage in some cases. I actually liked this movie pretty well, though I didn't always understand who everyone was and what was going on. In some ways, this reminded me of a Romero zombie movie, and not only because it's kinda cheesy and involves evil dead things that attack people. It seemed to contain similar themes of social commentary, in this case mostly about man's cruelty and inhumanity towards other man, and the way fear can spark violence and paranoia. Based on that impression of the movie, the special-effects fight scenes seemed out of place, to me, almost like a distraction. I had the feeling the whole time I might understand more of what was going on had I been a fan of the original, but since they're said to be completely different, I doubt it would've helped much. As weird as it sounds, I'd have to suggest not seeing the original before this. It seems it's an easier movie to like that way.
Supesharu purezento: Ami-chan no hatsukoi: Bishôjo senshi Sêrâ Mûn SuperS Gaiden (1995)
Can you tell I'm an Ami-chan fangirl?
This adorable short film was shown in theaters with the SuperS movie. The plot was based on a manga story in which super-genius Ami suddenly finds there's someone who can match her test scores, and becomes obsessed with finding his identity. But the idea of having a rival also thrills her, as she's never met anyone as smart as she is, so she spends the movie alternately acting in love, or frighteningly competitive with her unseen rival. When an evil spirit attacks her in her bed, she's sure it must be her academic rival, and fights it off alone! So much for all the haters who say she's weak! The animation in this movie is pretty nice, with a lot of attention to detail (even down to the hint of airbrushed purple tint in Ami's glasses), and the story is fun, though some might argue it clashes with the continuity of the anime. (I dispute that, however, as Urawa from the anime only matched her scores because he cheated, showing both his inferior intellect and dishonesty, thus I think she would have better morals than to seriously date someone like that even if he had stuck around!) Taiki+Ami shippers like me can use this movie to really strengthen our case that they should be together, because 1) Ami says she wants to date the Einstein type, 2) it shows Ami associates love with academic competition, and 3) she goes starry-eyed over that guy in the magazine who resembles Taiki! This is a great movie all around, for many reasons. I'm sure even those who aren't Ami's fans will learn to love her after seeing it!
Bishôjo senshi Sêrâ Mûn (1992)
Please See the Original!
The original (Japanese) version of this show is hands-down, no comparison, superior in all ways over the dub! Not only did the dub assign silly names and even sillier voices, but they changed the plot, characters' personalities and relationships to one another, and in some cases, even gender! Dub-only viewers may never know Usagi and Rei are actually best friends, Kunzite and Zoisite (who is male in the original) are gay lovers, that the Senshi die tragically in the end of this series. . . and that's just the beginning (literally, as this reviews only of the first series. . . got a lot of work ahead of me :-P )! Dub rant over for now, my review of the original: The animation is a bit more primitive here than in future series, probably due to age and budget, but still looks pretty good. The pacing is a bit slow, but on the upside, we get to see more of the characters' home and school lives that way. Umino and Naru rock, so enjoy them now before they're phased out! But what stands out most in my mind is Kunzite and Zoisite's relationship, which is truly beautiful despite their evil nature. In the manga that inspired the series, Kunzite was only his mentor, but I think the relationship is a great addition, as it really makes you care about these two villains in a way you might never have done otherwise.
Gekijô-ban - Bishôjo senshi Sêrâ Mûn R (1993)
My first exposure to real Sailormoon!
I was lucky enough to be given a fansub of this movie many years ago, before I really knew anything about the original version of BSSM. It might sound corny, but this movie changed my life. I knew the dub playing on television wasn't the real version, but I didn't know how much had been changed, or how much better the original was, until this! The "R" in the title stands for "romance, but the theme of this movie is definitely loneliness. Mamoru was lonely when he lost his parents as a child, Fiore was lonely when he had to leave his only friend, the Senshi were lonely before they met Usagi. . . the only thing I would have to disagree with is that Usagi is the answer to all loneliness. But then, Usagi is the answer to just about every problem in BSSM, so I shouldn't be surprised :-P . What surprised me about this movie when I first saw it was that this wasn't some dumbed-down little girls' show like the television dub made it out to be. The characters were much less one-dimensional, the plot darker, the voices infinitely less annoying, and it was my first exposure to the recurring theme of homosexuality in BSSM. Fiore is like an obsessed ex-lover of Mamoru's rather than an estranged friend. This is good not only for the comic relief of the girls' speculations on Mamoru's sexuality, but also that Fiore is a very sympathetic character-- even those uncomfortable with homosexuality (as I was when I first saw this) can't help feeling sorry for him, knowing Mamoru will never return his affections the way he wants. The crew interview compares the movie to _Romeo and Juliet_, which may be a bit much, but their Shakespearean influence definitely shows, as this is by far the most beautiful and dramatic of the BSSM movies.
Bishôjo senshi Sêrâ Mûn (1992)
Please See the Original!
The original (Japanese) version of this show is hands-down, no comparison, superior in all ways over the dub! Not only did the dub assign silly names and even sillier voices, but they changed the plot, characters' personalities and relationships to one another, and in some cases, even gender! Dub-only viewers may never know Usagi and Rei are actually best friends, Kunzite and Zoisite (who is male in the original) are gay lovers, that the Senshi die tragically in the end of this series. . . and that's just the beginning (literally, as this reviews only of the first series. . . got a lot of work ahead of me :-P )! Dub rant over for now, my review of the original: The animation is a bit more primitive here than in future series, probably due to age and budget, but still looks pretty good. The pacing is a bit slow, but on the upside, we get to see more of the characters' home and school lives that way. Umino and Naru rock, so enjoy them now before they're phased out! But what stands out most in my mind is Kunzite and Zoisite's relationship, which is truly beautiful despite their evil nature. In the manga that inspired the series, Kunzite was only his mentor, but I think the relationship is a great addition, as it really makes you care about these two villains in a way you might never have done otherwise.
The Proud Family (2001)
*shrugs* I watch it sometimes. . .
It's an okay show, the kind I'll watch if nothing else is on and it's not an ep I've seen ten times before. There aren't really any characters I especially like, but I like the heavy use of in-jokes and pop-culture references. For some reason, the one thing that stands out the most to me is. . . can't remember his name. . . but I mean the old guy who looks like Cesar Romero in full Joker make-up! Suga Mama always comes onto him, and he always says really insulting things to and about her in subtitled Spanish! But then, there's also the way Suga Mama always says horrible and insulting things to and about Penny's dad, which I also like. . . maybe I just enjoy the antics of sassy old people?
Arthur (1996)
Fewer Reruns, Please!
I'm some 20 years older than the show's target audience, but I like to watch it sometimes, just because the characters are cute and some of the stories are so much fun! I loved the ep done completely from the POV of Pal the dog and baby Kate! It's such a novel idea that, to them, we seem like babbling simpletons, while they're all enlightened and intellectual! The only thing that bothers me about the show is that there are so many reruns. I know small children like to see the same things over and over, but this show appeals to a lot of older people as well, as the message boards here will attest, and we are more easily bored by all the repeats. If there were more new episodes, I know for sure we'd watch it more in this house, and likely others would, too.
Roman Holiday (1953)
An adorable movie
The plot of this movie has been reused so often it's become a stereotype; a prince or princess tired of the stuffy royal routine sneaks off to see what life is like outside the palace walls. Usually the result is an obnoxious royal whining about housework or expecting to still be waited on hand and foot by others, but this is the exception. Audrey Hepburn's princess is charming and innocent. She takes delight in trying for the first time simple things others take for granted, like eating ice-cream, dining at a quaint open-air cafe, going sightseeing, even just getting to choose her own haircut (which is completely adorable!), and it's that childlike wonder of experiencing life for the first time that draws us into her character. I'm sure that's also what draws Gregory Peck's reporter in. He sees nothing wrong, at first, with selling out the young princess for the sake of a bet and a news scoop, but through the course of the day's events, he finds himself genuinely falling for her. In the end, love wins out, and though he really could use the money, he finds he can't betray her. In a more modern movie, we would expect the two to run off together, but in a way I think it's better as it is. She knows it would be selfish to abandon her family and countrymen that way, and that's not who she is. But even good responsible princesses could use a holiday once in a while.
Cybersix (1999)
What makes us human?
Cybersix is smart, beautiful, strong, sexy, brave-- the perfect woman. . . but she also happens to be a genetically-engineered experiment created in a mad scientist's lab. Because of this, she spends the whole series questioning her own humanity, while making us all think about what makes one human. This is a great show that simply never found its niche. It was a children's show animated in Japan, for Canada, based on an adult's Argentenian comic. It seemed to have been marketed to young boys, for some reason, though I think it would've been nice to bill it as an empowerment tool for young girls. . . or more profitable to make it more mature, marketed to a teen and adult audience. . . but it's a nice show with a lot of potential (and a small but loyal cult following) as it is. Way too late to hope for season 2, but could someone maybe throw us a movie, sequel/spin off series, video game, merchandise, anything? Animated or live, I'm not picky. *angelic smile*
Bishôjo Senshi Sailor Moon (2003)
Not as Good as the Anime
It's based more on the manga, which is a minus, since I like the anime better. But if they were following the manga, and had Takeuchi-san involved, why couldn't she write a new story with new villains rather than using the same ones again? It seems they opted to change the characters' personalities rather than the story, so we get things like an ice-queen Rei and a depressed, neurotic Ami (who doesn't even look remotely Ami-like). I like how their Usagi is less of a crybaby, though-- she's cute and funny, and has great scenes with Mamoru! Not a bad show. . . kind of cute. . . but not as good as the anime, and though I adore anime Ami, I hate what passes for an Ami in this show.