Damn, I must come off as a sentimental fool with every cartoon feature review. I swoon over these chunky pieces of eye candy, and drool in amazement while viewing them. This movie is no different, actually it surpasses all other animated films I have seen in a long time.
You must see this film, and in IMAX like I did.
From the get go this movie commands you sit there wide eyed at the vivid and life like images. And then the music kicks in, and you know this will be a fun ride.
I actually sat up in my seat and said wow out loud during this film, I couldn t believe the sharp and polished look of this film. From the expansive glaciers, to the realistic seals and killer whales this movie has created a bench mark for other animated films. No other cartoon in recent memory has evoked such awe and affection.
The characters and plot are your average family fare, but the execution is truly original. Elijah Wood voices Mumbles the tap dancing penguin, that skips to his own beat. But you see, in this world emperor penguins use their singing voice to meet a mate.
From Queen , to Prince to disco hits, there are no original Randy Newman-esque tunes here, just good old fashion pop hits. Mumbles grows up without the talent like that of all of the other emperor penguins when they sing their heart songs to mate. His fancy foot tapping gets him in lots of trouble, and soon he is on an adventure to prove himself.
You would think that Robin Williams would make you cringe when hearing him do his voice over work, he has done this shtick so many times before. But, once again he delivers and delivers BIG. His narration does not take away from the images on screen.
He is perfect in another role as Lovelace the smaller penguins guru, who by the way wears a 6 pack ring around his neck as if it were jewelry. And he does a remarkable job as Ramon the smaller penguin who runs with a colorful gang of crack ups.
Director George Miller, the mind behind Mad Max Babe may win an animation award for best feature at next years Oscar s.
His script and remarkable vision is worthy of the prestige. I am still reeling from the magnitude and scope of the brilliant colors and details.
I think the eco-friendly message is subtle and honest enough that it helped drive the plot and gives kids a clear, real version of our actions as humans on earth.
Happy Feet is not heavy handed or preachy, it is what it is. It is a love story set in a ever changing world, with a hero that has more spunk than most action movie stars today. I have never been a huge fan of James Bond films.
I do love the Sean Connery films, and think he is the ultimate Bond. That said, Daniel Craig has really done a remarkable job as the new 007, he is so hot in this movie. I would even consider him my favorite Bond outside of Connery.
Daniel Craig exudes sex appeal, his pouty lips and hard as a rock body are drop dead gorgeous on the big screen. This movie is sleek and sexy, something the Pierce Brosnan films were not. This film reminded me of the spectacular Bourne Identity with it s fast pacing, complex storyline and endlessly entertaining action.
This movie is supposed to be a prequel and the rough edges of the Bond character offer some fun insights to the movies. Daniel Craig is so very believable as Bond, it s a right fit that he was chosen to start the new series of 007 films.
Casino Royale is rated PG-13, which left me scratching my head.
The MPAA must be smoking crack. The adult themes, sex scenes and violence were pretty hardcore. I enjoyed the grown up feel of this movie though, I am just shocked at it s rating.
The climax at the end is elaborate and worth the price of admission alone.
I loved the Bond villains this time around. They have a great balance of creepiness and humor that didn t come off cartoonish.
I loved the main bad guy Le Chiffre , his character was deliciously evil and his added bloody tear was the ultimate Bond movie touch.
I was impressed by the opening title sequence and following credits, although the Chris Cornell theme song didn t have much appeal. The one Bond girl, Vesper Lynd , was pretty sexy and a great balance to the cocky 007 agent.
Once again, Judi Dench gives a funny and tight performance as M .
The action sequences and writing are pretty flawless in this new 007 outing. I feel as if the series is starting off on the right foot with this new incarnation.
Pierce Brosnan made the franchise limp and droll in comparison. This new James Bond movie is gripping, taught and fast paced, I loved every minute of it! The story and set designs are impeccable.
This movie is a jewel in the crown of the 007 series, it is one of the best in decades! I look forward to a Christopher Guest movie like I do Halloween, with giddy child like anticipation. When I heard that the subject of this movie was the Oscar s, I could hardly wait to see what these comic madmen would come up with.
I would have to say this movie didn t have the same pizazz as Best In Show . Much like A Mighty Wind this movie relied on the concept and didn t utilize the wealth of material provided.
When I read about the making of For Your Consideration last spring, I was super stoked to see this movie cause the plot has so much potential.
The idea that a movie has clout just by having a potential buzz of an Oscar nomination is a perfect idea for Guest and company to send up. And for a movie about the making of a Southern Jewish Lesbian family drama, there should have been non-stop laughs.
I can say that there were a few shining moments in this film, one of the most memorable being Catherine O hara s performance.
Her turn as a washed up actress trying to gain Oscar cred is painfully true and comical. Her scenes in the last act are pretty remarkable, I would even say it is Oscar worthy. I enjoyed the premise and waited for the non-stop snappy dialog to pop out at me, but was let down by the slow pacing in the scenes without O hara.
I feel as if maybe this movie will get better with multiple viewings, this time around it lost my attention during the slow parts. Jane Lynch and Fred Willard give on the spot, biting performances as over the top Access Hollywood like reporters. The scenes with both of them are the most hilarious in the whole movie.
I laughed as loud as I did in Borat when the pair were on the screen.
The movie with-in a movie, Home For Purim is at first ripe with jokes, but the execution of the material is weak. Christopher Guest doesn t illicit much laughs as the director, which is a shame because he usually shines in his roles.
Harry Shearer and Eugene Levy have few memorable scenes, but Jennifer Coolidge is as funny as ever as the movies producer. But the part is very similar to her past roles in Guest s movies. Parker Posey isn t utilized as much as I would have liked either.
All in all, I was not impressed and a little let down by For Your Consideration . I hope after watching it again on DVD I will be able to get some more of the subtle humor. I was hoping for another miracle, but won t hold this movie against the usually brilliant cast and creators, I just wanted more.
I was mildly surprised by how much I liked this film. I love Aardman Studios who brought us Chicken Run and Wallace Gromit . Last year Wallace Gromit: Curse Of The Were-Rabbit won the Oscar for best animated film.
That was a much deserved prize if ever there was one. The studio made Flushed Away their first entirey computer animated feature film. Their signature look and feel is all over this computer animated little gem.
You get the visual look of clay-mation but the gloss and vibe of computer animation. This is a terrific kids film, as well as for big kids. The hidden jokes and adult subtext are all over this toon.
My absolute favorite part of this film are the slugs, they are so funny and even kinda cute. They pop up in and out of the film singing and adding more hilarious scenes than any of the main characters. The voice over work by Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman are superb.
Their characters are fully fleshed out funny originals. The snappy witty British dialog is crackling with subversive humor.
I really enjoyed the amount of details that are added to the backgrounds and the rat city in which the characters live.
All of the city buildings, vehicles and even the clothing are made up of everyday human items. The scenery and background are busy with calculated, imaginative details. The frogs and the toad are your average cartoon feature baddies, but the writing gives a fresh spin on the average mobster movie screenplay.
The jokes are fresh, the animation is flawless and the story is sweet. I liked this movie more than Cars , and that says a lot. It has been such a crazy great year for animated films, this movie will be looked over come nominations for Oscar s this January.
Which is a shame because this movie deserves some props for its fun and beautiful look and feel.
HERE S A LOOK AT AARDMAN S INSECTS TOON COMING SOON!
Stranger Than Fiction was a breezy, lighthearted fun little movie.
It was full of nifty visuals and graphics, nothing earth shattering, but subtle new techniques. The story plays like a fable or fairy tale, complete with the British narrator and lovable, goofy hero.
Will Farrell gives one of the most shrewdest comic performances of the year, and THE best acting job of his career in this movie.
Emma Thompson once again delights in a role just as non flattering as it hilariously over the top. Emma Thompson is a mess as author Kay Eiffel, and its fun to see her indulge in the quirks of this original character.
The screenplay reminded me of The Truman Show with it s sincerely smart writing and outstanding performances.
Much like Truman show was for Jim Carey, this movie shows us Farrell s softer more dramatic side. His Harold Crick is lovable and sweet, and his growing crush on Maggie Gyllenhaal in the film is tender and realistic. Maggie s Ana is funny and a fun love interest for Harold .
Queen Latifah even has a few choice lines and scenes in this movie, normally she is just o.k. in my book.
And as always, Dustin Hoffman gives a mellow performance in a funny role, and he has terrific chemistry with Farrell.
I think the screenwriting is brilliant in this film, the twists and plot roll out with ease. The flawless execution of the ending is the most poignant part of this film.
I was pleased with the answers that we given, and fell for the magical storyline. The acting and writing provide a realistic story with believable characters. This is a cute date movie, or even a nice rainy day flick, and perfect for this holiday season.
To say I was pleasantly surprised by this movie would be an understatement. This movie delivered on so many satisfying levels I could hardly wait to write this review. This is the best film of 2006, hands down.
Sorry Borat , but this movie completely stole the top spot from you with it s brilliant acting and screenplay.
I was not aware that this movie was partly a soft comedy, or that it was peppered with witty dialog and humor. I was fascinated by the portrayal of the monarchy and royal family.
The ridiculous nature of their existence is enough to make you shake your head in disbelief, and then laugh in amazement.
The premise of this movie documents the week Princess Diana died in Paris, and the royal families reaction. To many people in the UK and around the globe, the wait it took for The Queen to acknowledge her death was despicable.
The Queen makes decisions through a veil of protection and isolation, creating a mountain of problems for the royals. You see the values and institutions The Queen holds onto slowly fall apart in this movie, and it s painful to watch. For that moment in time she was seen as irrelevant and was demonized in the media, something she had never experienced.
These moments on screen humanize The Queen and give you the feeling this institution is more important than I would assume. You end of sympathizing with The Queen and realize that she is a human being just like us, riddled with faults and fear. We find out she is vulnerable and genuinely a flawed person.
It is her belief that she has been chosen by God to be a vessel for the people of Britain. This movie documents the turmoil of what is right and what is tradition.
I was blown away by Tony Blair s character, the actress who plays his wife and of course the brilliance of Hellen Miren s cold, calculating acting.
This movie is refreshing in an age of bloated expensive films like Superman Returns . Stephen Frears and Mirren will be Oscar favorites come nomination time, I will bet the farm on that! Is this the funniest movie ever?
Possibly! Is it the funniest movie of the year? YES!
I witnessed a mini miracle in movie comedies yesterday when I saw Borat . This movie was everything I was hoping for it to be. Borat has a classic buddy road trip movie feel to it.
We are treated to Borat experiencing many things for the first time like; a toilet, taxi s, t.v. and hotels.
The crowd reacted to every witty, shrewd site gag and enjoyed every nasty prank that was thrown at the unsuspecting people in this film.
From the opening scenes that take place in Borat s home town, to the scenes of Borat in middle America riding a mechanical bull, you can t stop the giggles and side splitting laughter. Most of the time people in the movie treat Borat as if he is a child, helping him learn how to go to the restroom, drive a car and learn manners not knowing it is all a farce.
But the joke is on them and the results are pretty hilarious.
I found myself laughing so hard that I was in pain. There are so many over the top, squirm inducing original moments of comic genius in this movie.
The many unsuspecting people that the film crew run across, seem to be clueless to the fact that Borat is a fraud, and setting them up for our amusement. It is much like one of those hidden camera shows on tv, where the prank goes too far and makes you feel uncomfortable. But most of the victims in this movie deserve the prank that is being played on them.
Many come off as ignorant, entitled greedy Americans. The movie is a great statement on our current situation with The Bush administration and how divided we are as Americans living within a culture war.
Borat in the end becomes an endearing and lovable character.
His racist tendencies and sexist out look on life may be un-PC in the real world, but the audience reacted with childlike abandonment. We end up seeing things as Borat does, and there are many contradicitons all over the country and within our traditions. The way the humor and serious material is melded together creates cinema comic gold.
The true nature of people is shown in a poignant, harsh way. And we are treated to see all of this through the eyes of the innocently naive fictitious imbecile named Borat . I think this movie will have a huge impact on comedy and cinema.
It is already one of the best films of 2006. The first Saw movie was a superb gore-fest. It utilized the shock ending perfectly, and brought in a new age in horror movies.
The main baddie Jigsaw has now earned ranks in the villain hall of fame along with Pinhead, Michael Meyers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger.
Unfortunately this movie doesn t bode well for the franchise. Saw 2 , although entertaining, hinted at the slow decline of these films.
There is already rumblings of a Saw 4 , which I am not looking forward to after viewing Saw 3 .
In the first two Saw films Jigsaw somehow escapes his own demise, yet he plows through innocent people with glee. In this movie his appearance and longevity in the film is implausible.
The whole premise of the movies wears thin after a while. We can only stand so much torture and rotting corpses with no plot to be seen.
The plot has more holes in it than Swiss cheese, stinky Swiss cheese.
you don t route for anyone to get out of the film alive, you pretty much give up like most of the victims in this turkey. Gross is one thing, silly and all over the map is something completely else. This movie is a mess, and not for the obvious gory reasons.
You know what, who says comedies need to have a script and a plot? Most of the ones churned out of Hollywood today are droll and misguided. Do we need another Scary Movie ?
Is Owen Wilson really that funny? The answer is a loud, NO!
This movie surprised me.
Of course it is not art, or fine cinema. It is pure escapist fun. The bawdy, nasty childish pranks have now been upgraded to dirty, filthy idiotic stunts.
There are more laughs in this movie than in any Ashton Kutcher movie, EVER!
Do you want to see Bam drink horse sperm? Or Johnny play puppeteer with his friends dick, waiting for a snake to bite the head?
Or how about the beard made of pubic hair, and one crab ..yes I said a crab.
The jokes are more ridiculous, dangerous and over the top than the first film, but you can t help but watch and cackle at the screen.
This movie is gross, silly, amateurish and I loved every minute of it. I laughed so hard, I had to catch my breath.
I was shocked and completely surprised by this movie. I can t help but feel that this movie was pretty gay, the pranks and sexual undertones are insane. Sure they are straight, but man that is some gay shit they do to eachother!
Is it worth the money? Hell yes, but you must see this with a group. I can t believe I am saying it, but this was the funniest movie I have seen all year.
Yep, I said it.
Some movies can stir up personal memories and feelings that you have long forgotten. The true test of a great movie is how you are able to relate to a character that is any many ways the polar opposite of yourself.
This movie created a wave of emotions I was not expecting.
This is a quiet, small, absorbing film with great performances. Mainly Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is sure to get some sort of nomination recognition come award season.
Her performance is so strong and intensly accurate, it is hard to see the Hollywood actress and not the struggling drug addict of a mother she plays.
Throughout the movie we see a portait of a selfish person, completely obsessed with what she wants, despite the destruction she has caused in her past. We believe she is on her way to recovery, but can also see she is not fit to get what she wants.
This struggle is painful to watch as Sherry makes mistake after mistake. You hold your head when she gives into the pressures of her own creation. The akward moments of weakness give you the viewer very little to sympathize with.
In the end you feel bad for everyone involved with Sherry and root for her to do right. We are left with the feeling that although the road ahead is full of mistakes, Sherry will heal and learn how to be a mother again. This struggle is the crux of the plot.
How do we know when to give in and not feel as if we are owed something? Sometimes maybe we make our happiness by making sacrifices.
I think this is one of the best films of the year and a great character study.
Although the subject matter is deep, it is a true gem and should not be missed.
I'm your average pop whore, star fucker and Burning Man douche bag. This is me in a nut shell.
.."help I 'm trapped in a nut shell, ahhhhh!
!!".
Really though, I have a high school education, but am sharp as a tack and smarter than your average gay dude. I come from a highly regarded carnie/hippy/white trash background raised in the ghetto suburb of Fremont (in the SF east bay). I have an unlimited, unchallenged supply of pop culture references, Oscar trivia and just plain useless information.
I love to debate politics and people's personal view's on movies I think are shit (any Romantic Comedy, especially if it stars Julia Roberts).
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