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Reviews
Peter Pan Live! (2014)
Quite a surprise!
After the somewhat 'lukewarm' success of "The Sound Of Music Live!" last year, I had high hopes for this production of the Broadway classic about the boy who won't grow up to be an improvement, and what I got here was nothing short of surprising.
First and foremost, let me just say that the cast did an outstanding job. Allison Williams totally LOOKED the part and SOUNDED the part of Peter! Christopher Walken, on the other hand, was sort of a mixed bag for me as Captain Hook. He did indeed look the part, but his acting seemed a bit... not-so-entirely-into-it. Of course, I do appreciate him attempting his own take on the wicked pirate.
Secondly, I think the crew totally went out of their way to make the set as colorful and elaborate as possible. It really makes you feel like you wanna be in it!
Third, I was surprised about the new songs they had written specially for this version, and honestly, they worked quite well. Smart move on their part altering some of the more racially- sensitive lyrics.
In conclusion, despite Walken's somewhat flawed performance, I do recommend this production to anyone who was disappointed by last year's Sound Of Music "fiasco". On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this an 8.
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)
Certainly fares better than most Disney sequels
I'm sure we all agree that a lot of Disney sequels, be they theatrical or direct-to-video, have a bad rep for failing in charm, good plot, decent dialogue, and memorable songs as the originals (one particularly major exception being "The Rescuers Down Under", of course). However, I honestly think that "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" does manage to hold a candle to its predecessor, to a degree.
PLOT: Whereas the first Lion King movie is loosely based off Shakespeare's "Hamlet", this movie sorta continues the tradition by following a "Romeo And Juliet" storyline which involves Simba's daughter Kiara and Kovu, the latter of whom was raised by lions known as the Outsiders who were banished from the Pride Lands for being loyal to Scar. Kovu's mother Zira trains Kovu to usurp Simba, but Kovu strays away from it when he and Kiara fall in love with each other. Fairly well done with an equally good moral which I'll soon address.
CAST/CHARACTERS: Like "Beauty And The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas", it's nice to hear most of the cast members from the first movie reprising their roles here (though one has to wonder why Zazu's voice was replaced in this movie). All of the original characters perfectly in character, and the newer characters are exceptionally good. While Zira is definitely no Scar, she still makes an excellent villainess all her own. The star couple Kiara and Kovu are very likable, too, and perfect for each other. (Kovu's voice actor Jason Marsden sounds hot!)
MUSIC/SONGS: While not widely-recognized as the music and songs from the first movie, they do have a charm all their own. On the other hand, I just don't see why "Upendi" receives some flack, since like the other songs, I think it does serve its purpose rather well.
SCRIPT: Though clunky in a few places, I think the writers actually knew what they were doing.
ANIMATION: Definitely superior to other Disney sequels (except perhaps "The Rescuers Down Under") and a close second to the first film.
MORAL: Whereas the first movie's moral was deep in itself, this movie's moral I think is an even deeper one which I think we can all relate to.
Overall, even though this Disney sequel does have its share of flaws (especially Timon and Pumbaa ruining a few dramatic moments), I find "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" to be just as good and enjoyable as the first movie. Highly recommended.
P.S. I know some people on here have complained about the distinction about the cub at the end of the first movie and the beginning of this one, but if the cub at the end of the former was male, then there's a chance he was killed at some point, which could also be part of Simba's over-protectiveness over Kiara.
A Christmas Carol (1984)
Probably the most ACCURATE adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" I have yet seen
As is typical with every Christmas season, you'd expect to see a different screen adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". Understandably, I've seen plenty of versions of "A Christmas Carol" throughout my lifetime ("The Muppet Christmas Carol" being a close favorite of mine), all of them trying to be as accurate and faithful to the book as possible. Recently, I have seen this one, and it's got to be the most accurate version that I've seen in ages (a close second being the CGI version with Jim Carrey). Almost everything, from beginning to end, sounds like it's coming right out of the original novel. A grade A+ effort.
With all accuracy to the novel aside, I do have to say a word about George C. Scott's portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge. In a sense, I consider his portrayal of the old miser to be somewhat... unique. I know at times he seems like he's having too much fun with the whole thing and lacks some of the emotional depth that you'd expect to see in the character, but the way he delivers his lines is fairly natural and makes it seem like he's giving it all he's got. On another note, he takes some things in the story which are unintentionally funny and turns them into things that sound like they're supposed to be funny, which works in some parts of the story and some not too well in some parts. Of course, in comparison to the accuracy of the story, I give George C. Scott's portrayal of Scrooge an A for a fairly good, if not perfect, effort.
In conclusion, this is one adaptation of the Charles Dickens Christmas classic that I recommend checking out. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give an 8, of course.
Babes in Toyland (1997)
Probably the BEST Babes In Toyland!
Some people probably know about the several Babes in Toyland movies made throughout the years: the original 1934 Laurel and Hardy version (which I haven't seen in its entirety yet), the absolutely HORRIBLE 1961 Disney version, the just okay 1986 TV version with Drew Barrymore, and this 1997 animated version. To me, it is probably the BEST Babes In Toyland movie that anybody will ever see! Moving right along, I saw both the 1961 Disney version and this version at a young age and looking back now, I feel that this version is far superior to the atrocity made by Disney. I'll be happy to explain why and how. (And just to prepare you, I will be comparing these two versions through this review.) One review on here pointed out how this movie exceeds the Disney movie in character development, music, songs, dialogue, etc., and I have to agree with them. But I'm not gonna copy what they said. I'm just gonna put it in my own words.
First off, whereas the Disney version lacks a certain charm that makes it all around believable, this version adds a charm all its own which makes it entertaining, fairly believable, and enjoyable to watch.
Secondly, the characters in this film are more what you might say well-rounded in interaction and personality, meaning that they keep it all well-balanced as they provide some crucial contribution to the plot. The Disney film, on the other hand, has its characters more, um... monotone and straight-to-the-point in a bad kind of way.
Third, there's the romantic subplot of Tom and Mary. Now this is more a of a neutral comparison. In the Disney one, their romance is dead-straight on, while in this one, their romance is developed from secretive to clear. No comment there.
Fourth, Barnaby. The Barnaby in the Disney film played by Ray Bolger (The Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz"!) comes across as just plain annoying with no sinister seriousness. The Barnaby in this film voiced by Christopher Plummer (Captain Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music"!) is fairly more sinister and serious with his motives, though I gotta admit, he does his share of annoyance, too.
Fifth, comparing the songs in both versions, this version has songs which are all all-around worth listening to, while in the Disney version, some songs are better than others.
Lastly, those who have seen all the Babes In Toyland movies probably know that all the movies' plots are different, but with that being said, I don't wanna spoil it for those who haven't seen this one. Forget all the other versions, ESPECIALLY the Disney one (!!!!!), get this version and watch it! It is, in my honest opinion, the most perfect Babes In Toyland film you'll ever see as long as you're living on this earth!
Mosura tai Gojira (1964)
A good, if not great, Godzilla movie
This one is considered one of the best Godzilla movies out there, but with that aside, I've been wanting to see this movie, and after finally getting around to watching it, it's actually pretty good. I mean, it's not extraordinary, but it's still worth watching.
But now on with the plot: long story short, Mothra's egg washes on the beach and some corporate businessman wants to buy the egg just so he can put it up as an attraction in his amusement park. Two twin faeries show up and warn him to have the egg returned, but he ignores them and even tries to capture them. In the meantime, a news reporter, news photographer, and professor also find out about it and are determined to help the faeries and Mothra before anything bad happens to the egg. Later, Godzilla naturally comes along and interferes, leading to a serious grudge war between the two title monsters.
My thoughts/defenses on this movie: okay, so the monster battles aren't great, but they're certainly not disappointing at all. In fact, the idea of Mothra against Godzilla apparently did sound like a step in the right direction for Toho, in my opinion. Yes, I know Godzilla is such a klutz in this movie, aside from the fact that his mouth is kinda wobbly in this one, but we certainly can't blame him 'cause the guy in the Godzilla costume can't see a thing. Okay, so the ending isn't very climactic, but it still leaves you with a good feeling.
In conclusion, this is one Godzilla movie that I think that all Godzilla fans should give a try/give a chance.
P.S. To all those who think this movie is bad or overrated, I strongly disagree.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Whale of a Birthday/Karate Island (2006)
Why does everybody hate this episode?!
It appears that a certain number of fans out there hate this episode because its "crappiness". Well, I hardly find anything wrong with this episode. It has no crappiness at all. It's an episode that actually makes sense for a change, and it's actually very thought out. In "Whale of a Birthday", Mr. Krabs wants to make sure that Pearl has a "coral" birthday party, so he uses Spongebob to buy Pearl a present using his credit card. In "Karate Island", Spongebob and Sandy go to Karate Island where Spongebob is hailed as "king of karate" but not without knowing that there's a scam behind it. I think one of the reasons some fans hate this episode is because it's not very humorous, but that's alright because most of the humor on this show is completely immature and childish. This is one of the very few episodes that strays from it and uses drama to actually make it good. I don't care what anybody says, I still say that this is one of the actually good episodes. And I'm glad it was voted #1. For those of you who can't stand the immature humor of this show, I highly recommend this one.
Pinky and the Brain: A Pinky and the Brain Christmas (1995)
A Funny, Cute, Heartwarming, Touching, and Heartfelt Holiday Tradition!
It's Christmas Eve, and Brain tries to put his latest plan into action: create mind-control dolls of himself, sneak them into Santa's workshop, and have them delivered to families around the world so that the dolls can work their magic and turn all the human beings into his obedient slaves. However, upon reading Pinky's unsent letter to Santa which states that Brain only wants what's best for the world and never gives up on trying, he is suddenly very touched and purposely succumbs to sentiment. Yes, once he has actually taken over the world, the Christmas Spirit takes hold of him and he gives it all back. Abiding to Pinky's wish on the letter, Santa does, in a way, give Brain the world.
I'm afraid I must disagree with planktonrules. The only reason anybody may think that Brain being full of holiday "gooey" goodness is because they don't know good character development when they see it. Again, right when the Brain has the world in the palms of his hands, he gives it up in the spirit of Christmas. I know for a fact that that concept there is decent character development and it shows that Brain does indeed have a softer, sweeter side. This episode deservedly won an Emmy! Forget "It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special"! Don't miss this Christmas special! It will really bring you into the Christmas spirit!
Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle (1987)
A fairly good adaption of the great American classic
Ignore all the negative reviews. This adaption of "Rip Van Winkle" may just as well be considered the "black sheep" of Faerie Tale Theatre, but I digress. Having watched this at a younger age, I thought it was fun, but looking back now, I understand how much more low-budget it was compared to the rest of the series. True, the visual effects are relatively cheaper in this production, but pretty much everything else makes up for it. Harry Dean Stanton is a perfect Rip Van Winkle, and Talia Shire makes a Wilma Van Winkle we all love to hate. All the other actors in this version are a very good choice for their roles (Ed Begley, Jr. as Brom Dutcher, Roy Dotrice as Peter Van Derdonk, Tim Conway as the Mayor, etc.). Of course, the sets are where this version really shines, particularly the forest and the hollow where Rip meets the ghostly sailors and falls asleep for 20 years. As zigzagging between cheap and more elaborate as they may be, they're definitely eye-catching. In conclusion, this is definitely an adaption of "Rip Van Winkle" you might want to check out.
Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School (1988)
Fangtastic!
If you're looking for a good Scooby Doo movie to wet your appetite, then this one's for you! Shaggy, Scooby, and even Scrappy go to a Grimwood School for Ghouls where they are made the official coaches so that the ghoul girls can square off in a volleyball game against the Calloway Military School for boys. Elsewhere is the evil witch Revolta, who has plans of her own to kidnap to ghoul girls and put them under her control. Later on, the Calloway boys show some loyalty and respect for the ghoul girls when they rescue them from Revolta's clutches. Overall, this movie's pretty good, and probably the main reason I watch this movie is Cybella. She's HOT! Watch this movie! You won't be sorry! It's fangtastic!
The Stupids (1996)
In The Name Of The Lloyd!/I'm My Own Grandpaw!
I absolutely find this movie to be very entertaining, funny, and full of great lines! Due to the mixed reviews and somewhat low ratings, I'd definitely consider this film to be a cult classic. Winning the Razzie Award for Worst Actor must have been a dream come true for Tom Arnold and he's sure at his best in this very movie! Possibly the best part in this movie is the song "I'm My Own Grandpaw", sung by Tom Arnold! The song is very nostalgic and funny! I don't care if this film wasn't well-received or if it grossed a reasonably small amount of money. I still love this movie, and for all those who are giving this film negative reviews, return your negative reviews to Sender! This film is one of the cult best!
The Wiz (1978)
Wonderful!
This musical is a must-see for any fans of "The Wizard of Oz"! The African-American cast is excellent and Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Richard Pryor do excellent jobs! So what if it isn't like the original? Nothing has to be perfect! Nobody in this movie is gay! I really don't see what's wrong with this movie. I watched the whole thing through and I liked it a lot! The songs are great and the acting is superb! It's "The Wizard of Oz" with attitude! Any of those who thinks this is a bad movie has got to be a jerk! Can't we all just get along? This musical ranks up there, along with "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", as one of the best musicals ever! Ignore all the negative reviews, folks! This musical is a must-see!