Toy Story 3 (2010) Rated G Running Time: 103 Minutes Genre: Adventure, Family, Animation
Short & Sweet is how this review, excuse me, rave, of this friendship-testing, tear-jerking, terrifying (yes!) third installation of a cult family hit is going to be. You'd had to have hidden under a rock NOT to have seen at least one of the Toy Story Sagas as many comrades of mine swear their most prized possessions by this adventurous bunch. Woody & Buzz Lightyear have been the crux of what we know to be fun, funny and touching. You don't need to ask but what is it about these characters, what is it about the story, that keeps bringing us back and keep us talking? We ALL have something from our childhood that is precious and that marks a pivotal period in our lives. Whether is a stuffed bunny (that's me!), a G.I. Joe or a barbie - there is a inanimate object that brings back the summers of freedom, companionship while hiding from crazy family members or friends, a token of the hours and hours spent in another world where you can be whoever you want. Toy Story 3 doesn't fail to touch on a truth that then eventually hits all of us; we have to grow up! This though, doesn't take away from the memories created in your adolescence. In addition, we are just one cycle - there are new generations to behold the wonder of a world with no boundaries (all in your bedroom or backyard).
The story continues off as their beloved owner Andy is getting ready to head off to college and has to clean out! His toys end up at a rough and tumble daycare and thoughts of new, loving hands are quashed. They must work together, despite a surprising toy brigade hoping to keep them from escaping. We meet some new (and some scary) characters such as Big Baby, Ken & a strawberry-scented teddy bear called Lots-o'-Huggin'.
There is nothing that could've been added to make this any more fulfilling and well rounded. I give this a five out of five frames!!
Here's the trailer for your eyes only ;)
Despite the obvious label of being a kid's film, you'd be missing out on some reminiscent excitment if you don't go and see this! Once you've given in to my pursuasive ways, shoot me an email or go to the forum to admit that you did indeed tear up!
So last time I gave you a taste of some of the shows coming up that I feel could be promising. That people should give a chance. Well these next shows are ones that you should run and hide from. These are just a few of the shows that when I saw the descriptions for them I raised my eyebrow. Take a gander at these. Form your own opinion but I’m sure you will find that I am correct as usual.
“Outsourced”- NBC Thursdays 9:30pm The general premise of this show is a white man goes to work for his company’s call center which is located in India. Basically this looks like it’s trying to be kind of like “the Office” but in India. I think they are trying to bank on the supposedly hilarity of the difference in cultures and languages. But from what I have seen it just seems like they are making stereotypical jokes and they are almost slightly insulting. They have jokes about how the Indian people’s names sound funny and being hard to pronounce. I’m sure they feel the same way about our names. There are jokes concerning their culture, the ones being most obvious at the moment dealing with how women are viewed and should act. In the one clip it shows the American guy trying to push his culture on to them. Now I love an inappropriate racial joke just as much as the next person, but a whole show based off of stereotypes and common misconceptions is just too much for me. As it stands now, I’m uninterested in this show.
“Nikita”- CW Thursdays 9pm Oh for the love of everything holey they are bringing back the whole “Le Femme Nikita” franchise…again. This started as a French film which was adapted into a horrible American remake which was then adapted into a cable television series in the 90’s. Now it is another television series on the CW of all networks. The premise and plot of this franchise has changed over adaptations. If you want Nikita as someone who was plucked out of prison by some government agency and forced to be an assassin. She has now escaped their grasp is being hunted down. While I have no problem with the plot per se, I’m just over remaking this whole franchise. This will never be as good as the first television series. From the promos I have seen this show is poorly acted. I don’t see how even a guy would want to sit here and watch this even though it has the staples of all male driven programming (i.e. action, fighting, & scantily clad women). If they are marketing this at all for females the best part for them is Shane West. But even he cannot sustain me enough to watch a show. I’m passing on this.
“No Ordinary Family”- ABC Tuesdays 8pm So what if I told you there was a new show about a family who was going on vacation and they survive a plane crash on the way and then they find out that they have these super powers. Wouldn’t you think the next logical sentence would be, and hilarity ensues? Well you’d be wrong. This show is actually a drama. Yes, a drama. You see, the whole point for this family vacation is so that the family can reconnect since they have grown apart. Once they all figure out that they have these powers the show then tries to follow them and show how they deal with this extraordinary change. While there may be a few funny quips and all that the main point is how they deal with these powers and grow as people and blah blah blah. When I posed the question that I started this with to my mother she first guessed a kid’s show. Then she guessed a comedy. When I told her it was a drama she was baffled. She could not for life of her figure why they would make this premise serious. I, too, cannot understand it. It seems to be well acted. Hell, they have Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz. Amazing actors! I don’t know about this. It just seems like they are trying to mix “Heroes” and any family based drama on television. It’s like the movie “RV” without the comedy, the road trip, and they have super powers. Okay so maybe it isn’t like “RV” but it still seems like they are reaching for something unnecessary. Make it a comedy and call it a day.
So head on over to the forum on j1studios.com and discuss these trailers. Let me know if you think I'm wrong. If you think these shows are the best thing around.
Prince of Persia (2010) Rated: PG-13 Running Time: Approximately 116 minutes Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy Director: Mike Newell
Based on the popular video game series, the movie, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was highly anticipated. There has certainly been an audience for the video game-turned-feature film genre, (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li; Max Payne; Resident Evil; Silent Hill) yet with one too many having concluded in disappointment. I have not played any of the games, although appealing, so I had my handy sidekick relate what was consistent within the film and the game. The look of Dastan (Jake Gyllenhal) seems to mesh with the game character yet some people have a bone to pick with the choice of actor (see below). Naturally he had the ability to turn back time which didn't deviate from the game but we shouldn't expect any different. The gist of the story is this: As a child, in a shocking maneuver, Dastan gets adopted by King Sharaman of Persia and grows up as royalty. He is a unique warrior with a penchant for rushing into everything head first. Amidst the celebration of a hasty overthrow of the Holy City of Alamut, he gets framed for his father's death and has both brothers searching for him to make sure he is brought to justice. Having fled with the princess of Alamut, Tamina, he embarks on a journey to reveal the true source of his father's death and to stop the abuse of a powerful weapon, controlling time itself and threatening the past, present and future.
The basics are satisfactory - Dastan is the rogue brother who is more Achilles then Hector. He exchanges words (and dodges attempts at his life) with the princess yet we know that their stubbornness is temporary as we anticipate their destiny with one another. Dastan's tricks and sidesteps, his jumps from rooftop to rooftop, seemingly second nature as he flies over people, as if they simply weren't there, are quite amazing. You can't look away as he pulls a Mario move - hopping/climbing up walls, and then ducking punches, deflecting swords. The sequences are thrilling yet in the day and age of an action movie released 2 to 3 times a month, every sequence is expected to be crazier and more daring - with all this, it's possible that I am marred and numbed - it takes much more to impress me. I was impressed by all that transpired yet I felt the film as a whole compared more to say, The Mummy, more so than say Ironman. The Mummy was a great film with amazing effects yet destined to be a TBS or ABCFamily film premier, to run every holiday yet less dvd-worthy and more watching it on the tube-worthy. Ironman is the film you get on Blu-Ray ;)
In addition, with this having taken place in Persia, with a story about a Persian empire, I can fathom how certain groups are disappointed and confused about the choice of actor for the main character. While Jake Gyllenhaal did a commendable job, (and those in charge of wardrobe), he is clearly NOT Persian. He is a fairly well known actor and this is an influential decision when trying to bring in an audience, for a film that could push someone of Persian-descent (or even bearing more of a resemblance) would've been honorable and speak louder as an encouragement and a break from the norm with regards to our very white-centered film industry.
All in all, this gets a 3 out of 5 frames.
A la trailer:
Tell me if you want to go see this or couldn't care less if it washed away with the sands of time *giggle giggle*. Get on the J1studios.com forum, blog page or shoot me an email!
Yes I must. What is an upfront you ask? Well they are previews of what networks will be giving us in the season to come. They combed through thousands of shows and these are the ones they thought were worth our time. So I sat through a good number of what all of the major networks has to offer. There was some good and there was some bad. This installment I'm giving you some of the good. The next go round are the ones that weren't so lucky.
Hawaii Five-O(CBS) Mondays 10pm Does anyone remember the original Hawaii Five-O? Cause I don’t. It was before my time. If you know nothing about this show it is about this elite team of cops that answers only to the Governor. They are like all of the Law & Order franchises rolled into one. They get to work on all the sensational crimes. Well CBS has decided they want to bring it back! I know you may not think this is all big and important. It’s just another cop show. This show though has nostalgia appeal and it has some very strong actors in there to help carry the show. You have Scott Caan, Alex O’Loughlin, and Daniel Dae Kim. From what I have seen it looks like it will be Hawaii Five-O on speed. There is more action and you get to know the characters a little bit more. All I have to say about this reboot is, “Book ‘em Dano!” That means you should give it a looksey when it starts up this fall.
Lonestar(FOX) Mondays 9pm Remember the show, or more aptly described as an evening soap, Dallas? Did you ever want to see Jon Voight in Dallas? Well now you kind of can. This show is set in Texas and about a con man who is leading two lives. One is boyfriend to a sweet, down home girl. The second is married to a big oil man’s daughter. Con man and his partner are trying to steal money from the rich family. This con man’s heart grows three sizes at some point though and he wants out. It’s not fully explained but he starts stealing money from the rich family to pay off old scams. That, I’m sure, will be fleshed out in the actual show. I can’t really get into any more of it except that con man starts to really love one of the women and that may be the catalyst for his change of heart. I can’t get into more because not all of it is explained. I’m anticipating many soap opera like twists and turns in this show. And I have been begging for an evening soap for some time now. So you know I will be watching and hoping that I’m not disappointed.
The Event(NBC) Mondays 9pm What is the event you ask? That is the question of the hour. Rather, the question of the season, or series. Who knows? From what I gather this show has a whole “what is going on?” vibe to it. There are apparently prisoners that a section of the CIA has been hiding for years and years now and presidents have had no clue they existed. Well the new president, in what I think is a nod to President Obama, played by sexy Blair Underwood somehow finds out about this prison and demands to be in on it. On the other end of this show we have Jason Ritter looking for his new fiancée who suspiciously disappears. I guess it is somehow connected to these prisoners. The gist of the show is that there is some hush-hush, sneaky, off the grid stuff happening run by the government and it is all in an attempt to stop this “event” from happening. I’m intrigued. I will be giving this new show a look.
Looks like my Mondays will be pretty busy. Now I'm reserving my picture frames for the fall season. I want to see the whole thing and not just the trailer. I wouldn't want to prejudge a show based off of three minutes of spliced together scenes. Oh wait, that's what I do all the time. That was the whole basis of this post. Anywho, stay tuned for some of the shows I thought should have been prejudged and never chosen for the light of day.
With the first Ironman movie's success (aka power) comes great responsibility (your welcome Peter Parkers all over the world). It is, as it should be, the second installation's responsibility to a) not suck and b) if possible, be as good as, if not better than, the first. The latter is not an easy feat yet is what we hope for; even a smidget of a Dark Knight-esque achievement - the continuation of a good story with the heart of what we enjoyed in the first film. Did Ironman 2 live up to its oh-so-high expectations? The knowledge that we will be seeing War Machine and Black Widow brings much excitement and we all wanted to confirm that this was going to be the movie of 2010. The things we loved in Ironman did roll over into the second; Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) cleverly narcissistic quips and maneuvers, Pepper's (Gwyneth Paltrow) firmness all the while still remaining compromising in her relationship with Tony Stark, the beauty in all of Ironman's advanced technology and James Rhodes' (now played by Don Cheadle) firm beliefs and bravery are just plain ol' cool. We have too the addition of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) (even I will admit she's hot in this), Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) and Hammer, the weapon's company whose goal is to take Ironman's technology and use it for military use (what's new).
Jon Favreau (who starred in the first and second Ironman as Happy Hogan) did a great job directing the movie;. I don't need to tell you back story or even this film's basis, as most of you have seen the first one yet even if not, the basics are straight forward and very easy to google ;). In reality, your not really going to see this on the basis of this being a life-changing epic. Ironman is a Marvel superhero and we to be wow'ed, pumped up, thrilled, laugh, see lots and lots of action and for those who have read the comic book, want to see the pages come to life. The action was great - when you FINALLY get to see War Machine and Ironman fight together, you are amped and yearn for complete destruction. Yet their combined combat is too short-lived; it was quality but not quantity - I wanted to see more! This is an action movie and although I do indeed think that the story is quite important, there had to be a way to have at least 20 more minutes of action. Another bothersome note: a few parts were a bit slow: some interactions between Tony Stark and Pepper, while true to the story, didn't seem necessary or even the need to be longer than a minute or two. Some of the scene transitions were a bit rough around the edges. Yet there were some quite satisfying features: Mickey Rourke as Whiplash was convincing and I personally think he is an amazing actor. (Unfortunately the way the story was written though left me a bit dissatisfied as I believe we should've seen more of him and his past). Overall I have more positive thoughts coming from this film than not and the positives far outweigh the negatives. Tony Stark is a character I would LOVE to see again soon and done up in the same sort of manner: strong, powerful, crazy and ready to take on anyone!
All in all, this is worth getting off your couch and paying, yes I said paying, to see it. Not quite the same impact as the first but a definitive yes for your dvd/Blu-Ray collection.
I give this a 3.5 out of 5 frames!
See the trailer here:
Tell me if you agree with my conclusion or not via the J1studios.com forum, blog page or email.
Who loves a good train wreck? I do! I do! Thank goodness or I wouldn’t be able to sit through the final season of “The Hills.” Can you believe it? They are closing it out after only five seasons. I guess all good things must come to an end. Oh how they are ending though. As time has passed in “The Hills” we have seen friendships made and ripped apart in a matter of episodes, passing from one relationship to the next, pointless bickering, and the creation of (cue scary music: Dun dun duh) Speidi. That is possibly the single most irritating creation that will eventually bring down civilization as we know it.
So as this final season starts we are brought right back into it with the snarky bickering we love so much. It seems though that all of the usual pointless banter and silent prolonged gazes are a little less poignant this season. I feel that everything that will happen this season is going to be overshadowed by the horrible crushing transformations of Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (Speidi). Before the season started it was revealed that Heidi had undergone 10 elective plastic surgeries at once. When all was said and done she came out looking like a different person. Only a trace of the original Heidi is left in her cold blank eyes. But I’ll get more into that later. Spencer also goes through; I guess you can only call it, a spiritual transformation. Or, as spiritual as Spencer will ever get.
I hope you all don’t mind that I’m not really going to address all of the rumors about Kristin’s supposed drug use and Stephanie and Lo being behind it. I won’t even get into the ridiculous relationship that is Audrina and Ryan Cabrera (P.S. sweetie, Ryan, what have you done to yourself? You use to be attractive). The biggest thing of all, and it can no longer be disregarded as them playing to the media for attention, is the soul crushing relationship between Heidi and Spencer. While it’s no secret that Spencer is controlling and wants to have Heidi all to himself, he seems to now be to trying to seclude the both of them from family and friends. He is so stuck in his own little world and he doesn’t care who he hurts along the way.
Spencer, this season, has morphed into a “spiritual,” crystal loving, guru shaman sort of guy. His oddly bushy flesh toned beard is no longer the creepiest thing about him. He constantly walks around with either hippie inspired shirts or grandpa-esque cardigans and covered practically from head to toe in different crystals. He claimed that he is “vibrationally tuned in” now because of them. I think the only things they are tuning him into are the permanent crazy eyes he’s been sporting and the unnecessary, hurtful flip outs. While if you have ever seen even just one episode of “The Hills” you can guess that Spencer doesn’t care for his sister Stephanie and doesn’t like Heidi’s whole family. Probably because they don’t like him and at any turn have tried to get Heidi away from him. Spencer use to be able to be in the same room with these people before. True, he would probably start a fight or storm off in a huff, but one thing was always certain. He would stick around long enough to give that smug little smirk of his and say something completely ridiculous that would make everyone groan. He has now evolved into some super monster that doesn’t have a soul or a heart or any other human feelings or emotions. The season is only two episodes in and Spencer has already reduced Stephanie to tears in a matter of seconds. And if the previews for the rest of this season are spot on, then it seems like everyone is going to be genuinely frightened by him.
When it comes to Heidi, I can’t help but feel bad for her now. It’s so obvious that this girl is suffering from such self-esteem issues that she thinks she has to change her entire appearance so she can look like Barbie. Yes that is who she wants to look like. That was confirmed in the first episode when she goes home to Colorado to show her family her new face. The show made a huge deal about the big reveal of her changed appearance. MTV created this aura of mystery around it even though it was unnecessary since we all have seen her new self on the cover of People magazine about a month ago. The whole part of the first episode where Heidi is home and having to deal with her family’s feelings about her change is heart breaking. It was really tough watching her mother come down on her for having become a whole new person that she doesn’t even recognize anymore. Her mother called her out on her changed outlook on life since moving to Los Angeles and ventured to wonder what Heidi would have been like if she hadn’t moved. While I don’t necessarily agree with how harsh her mother was, she made sense. Heidi, you are a completely different person than you were in the first season. That girl wouldn’t have cared and would have walked around the world with her same old face that God gave her. Somewhere down the road in these past almost 5 years she has gone off the deep end herself. She has lost control in her marriage to Spencer and has a huge disconnect with her family because of it. It makes sense that she would turn to something that she can control. Some girls will go to anorexia or bulimia or even cutting, to have something to control in their lives. Heidi took her minor dislikes for things about her body, that all of us have, and tried to fix them with plastic surgery. Unfortunately for Heidi, she doesn’t know that doing things to supplement the pain is only exacerbating the problem. The fixes and changes and a new “3.0” (as she put it) self will never make her feel 100% better. It will just move her on to the next thing she feels she can’t control and send her spiraling into another black hole.
Personally this relationship is kind of scary. I don’t know where this whole thing is going with Spencer. We are led to believe that everyone else on the show is frightened by his actions and are concerned for themselves and Heidi. The show makes it seem like the two may get a divorce. This doesn’t seem likely since they are currently still together. I think this may be the smartest thing Heidi could do and it may help her get back part of herself. Unfortunately for her, she can’t go back and reverse what she has had done to her body. But she can go and learn to be more comfortable in the skin she now has and become a better person.
I'm giving the first two episodes of the final season 3 1/2 frames. It hasn't reached it's crazy potential just quite yet.
Check out the extended trailer for the final season
So head on over the forum and discuss the beauty that is "The Hills." Do you hate it? Do you love it? Do you loathe that you love it? Tell me all about it.
Until next time kids, this has been Hava.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Rated: PG Directors: Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders Genre: Animation, Adventure Running Time: 98 minutes
Hiccup, born into a family, or rather a community, of Vikings, is the oddball. He desires to join in the mayhem of the continuous collective battle against the island's predators, Dragons, yet he doesn't quite fit the bill. Lanky and clumsy yet stubborn as the life he was born into, he uses what he has to impress his family and capture a dragon, his brain. He invents and builds contraptions in hopes of increasing the likelihood of catching one to prove himself. To everyone. He succeeds, yet not according to plan, as all that he imagined shatters upon his first encounter. Simply named Toothless, this feared and renowned Dragon teaches him about a world he thought he knew.
The usual lessons learned are there: going against the grain to do what's right, bumping heads with family yet discovering what truly matters, finding friends by breaking through presumptions etc.. They are expected and are truly good lessons to exhibit - not new but appreciated. In addition, the film is not as goofy as many Dreamworks productions before it, (Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar), with an amusing but somewhat sedate air to enough of the film. Hiccup's awkwardness with, well everything, is endearing.
Visually, it's quite a viewing pleasure. Please, please see in 3D!! Simply admiring the texture in each Viking's leather vest or even furry beard; clear and real enough to flashback to the feeling of your fathers scratchy beard as he hugged you good night as a child. Amazing.
Loved the ending as it was not the picture perfect conclusion that is so commonplace with movies. Hiccup & Toothless' friendship is so much so codependent that it provides a true definition of what it means to rely on a friend.
