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dhein09
Reviews
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (2008)
As a Banjo game, it's OK. As a game itself, it's fantastic!
Put it this way - Banjo-Kazooie:Nuts And Bolts does not feel like a real Banjo-Kazooie game. You've probably figured that out by now, though. The focus has been shifted from completing tasks around a magical world to vehicle challenges and mousetrap style problem solving. The world has been enlarged to fit the need for speed. That does not really sound like a Banjo game to me.
However, what it lacks in spirit to the franchise, it more than makes up for with it's ability to entertain you in every way. The graphics in the game are sublime. It really feels like you're actually there and not watching it on your TV. Nearly everything has sound to it. I highly recommend hooking the TV up to speakers and putting it at 3/4 max volume. Multiplayer really sounds good here. You can take whatever you design and put it on Xbox Live. Unfortunately, I have yet to try it, so don't ask me how it is.
There's a lot of fun in Nuts And Bolts. I highly recommend it even to the die=hard fans of the bear and bird, like myself. If you're new to the series, you'll instantly love this game. But if you really don't want the vehicle-type gameplay, there's always the 2 classics downloadable on Xbox Live.
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law (2000)
If there's ever a way to make Hanna-Barbera better, it's this!
Well, I just got into watching this show a few months ago after watching the episode with Top Cat being sued for bookmaking/illegal gambling. I was hooked after that. I'm watching the series on On Demand from Comcast, and the next episode for me to see is the final one. I know what happens, though (spoiler) - Harvey gets through all his cases again, and then gets run over by Phil Ken Sebben and dies. (spoiler ends here) After seeing the beginning of the Flinstones episode, I immediately began watching the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons again. I saw some Flinstones, a few Jetsons, some Quick Draw McGraw, some Magilla Gorilla, some Scooby-Doo and, my personal favorite, Tom and Jerry, who unexpectedly don't appear in the series. It would make perfect sense to have Jerry sue Tom for assault.
Anyway, there's some characters in there I have yet to see in the cartoons, like Ricohet Rabbit, Grape Ape, and Jabberjaw, to name a few.
If I had to choose between my favorite episode, it would have to be the one with Atom Ant. He gets sued for having high levels of radiation in his home. The verdict wasn't shown, though.
So yeah, if you happen to see this On Demand or anywhere else, I say watch it. It's a funny series, I'd recommend it to all the Hanna-Barbera fans.
The Incredibles (2004)
How good is this movie? Why, it's INCREDIBLE!
Anyone ready for another kid-based, non-violent movie by Pixar? Well, sorry-we have a teen-based, violent movie by Pixar. Oh well-it's still a fantastic movie.
I didn't see this in theaters(unfortunately, my little brother, who was 6 at the time, didn't want to see it, so we didn't go), but when it came out On Demand(yeah, I have Comcast), I saw it and was immediately HOOKED! The plot was well put out, and imaginative-you can never guess what will happen. Even if it's close, the unexpected will happen.
(SPOILER WARNING-Do not go on if you have not seen the movie)
So what's the downside? Two letters-P and G. I have nothing against PG movies-it's just the fact of a Pixar PG movie that kinda worries me. It is violent, as you'll see in the parental guide. One thing that surprised me was the use of blood in the movie, when the giant robot sliced Mr. Incredible's arm(but that's not a major complaint-there was some blood in Finding Nemo, a G rated Pixar movie).
But other than that, it's a great film to watch with your family. I wouldn't recommend this to kids under 4-there are some explosions and scary, shall we say, "pop-ups", plus the already mentioned "scene"-but everyone else will love this movie. Too bad the later superhero movies turn out to be not as great. I seriously can't think of a better way to kill an afternoon.
The Mr. Men Show (2008)
it's good...but with few problems
Honestly, I don't understand the bad reviews this series is given. These guys have been here for a long time, and I think they need more respect. I'm not saying this show is fabulous, but still, it's good. I do like the ideas on character development. There's a different personality for each character.
I'm a little ticked off by some accents on some characters(Mr. Rude-French Mr. Stubborn-German Miss Calamity-Britian), as are some other people. The dances make no sense and are unnecessary. And one thing I'm wondering...why'd they put this show on Cartoon Network? I would add some points if it was on Nickelodeon instead.
So put it this way-if you're looking for a show that you know you'll love every second of it, this won't be it...but it's not a bad choice for a runner-up. There's something for everyone to enjoy, and if you loved the original series, you'll love this.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
A Truly Fanstastic Film, To Be Enjoyed By All
When I first heard about this film somewhere in 2001, I thought that, after the failure from Toy Story 2, Pixar wouldn't redeem themselves. But in early 2002, when I saw this in theaters, I was shocked! The movie was fantastic! I laughed at everything to be laughed at, and the beautiful animation and wonderful voice cast just made it better.
The Plot: (may contain spoilers) The movie starts out with an introductory to all the main characters and scenes. Mike Wasoski(Billy Crystal) and James P. Sullivan(John Goodman) are getting the day started when the new TV commercial for Monsters Inc. premiers. Mike is so anxious to see himself on TV, but when he's on the screen, the Monster's Inc. logo covers most of his body. Mike doesn't realize this however and starts shouting with joy.
After the morning is started, Mike and Sully head off to work. Mike wants to drive his new car, but Sully says that there's a scream shortage(screams are used to power the city) and that they must walk. Along the way, they encounter some friends and neighbors.
When they arrive, Mike walks up to the counter to see Celia(Jennifer Tilly), who he refers to as "Googly Bear". It's her birthday and Mike has reservations from a restaurant known for its almost impossibility to get a reservation. After that, he and Sully walk to the locker room to get ready.
Mike leaves the locker room early to get his flies from Roz, the secretary who wants it her way and her way only. Mike tries to make it romantic, but fails to put her in a good mood. He still pretends to like her as he walks away, but then snaps out of it soon.
Mike and the other scare assistants get the work station ready. They take they're scare card out and slide it in. A door comes by and locks into the station. The door leads to a child's room. It is the scarer's duty to scare the child to produce screams.
After setup, the scarers come out. The attendant prepares the monitor and scare records. The assistants prepare the scarer while the attendant prepares the countdown. Then the monsters run into the room and scare the child. Some aren't so lucky, but it turns out to be a good day.
But then a scarer, George Sanderson, comes out with a sock on his back. This is considered toxic(the code is 23-19) and the CDA(Child Detection Agency) charges in. A child or anything owned or touched by the child is considered dangerous to monsters. George is decontaminated and has all his fur shaved off.
The scare floor is shut down for 30 minutes. The day then goes on as usual. Henry J. Waternoose(James Coburn) asks Sully to come by and give some trainee scares a demonstration. Sully agrees, and eventually the quitting bell rings.
Mike and Sully walk into Roz again. Mike says he has a fun-filled evening planned, but after Roz reminds him about paperwork e was supposed to file, he immediately panics. Sully says he'll get the paperwork just as Celia arrives to get Mike. Mike tells Sully what to do and leaves with his date.
Sully goes back to the scare floor to get the report. he notices a door was left behind, which is considered carelessness, because all doors must be return by the end of the day. Sully explores the door to see if anyone is left behind. Then he notices a child is play with his tail. He screams in terror and runs off.
I'd like to say more, but because of the character limit, I should leave it to you to find out what happens next.
The Voices: This movies features a variety of great voice talent. It stars talent like John Goodman(TV's Rosanne), Billy Crystal(Deconstructing Harry), Steve Buscemi(King Of New York), and even a cameo by Frank Oz(Star Wars). All of them worked hard and it paid off.
The Verdict: This is a wonderful movie and it's a great way to help younger kids understand that monsters aren't always scary. Plus the great humor, brilliant animation, and wonderful voice cast don't even begin to say how great this movie is.
10/10
Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
one word:AWESOME!
This is obviously the best Sonic title yet. And that's saying something, considering his latest adventures have been nails in his coffin. Which means they sucked. But this game rocks! It introduced the revolution of the 16-bit era. Yet sometimes, it felt challenging. But this game makes up for it with incredible replay. You'll play this for hours to get everything. The only game with Sonic in it that was great was probably Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I can't imagine a better way to relive classic side scrolling action besides Super Mario Bros. So sit back, relax and enjoy the 16-bit era's domination. Sonic lives on forever!
Surf's Up (2007)
like Chicken Joe says, "Radical!"
Let's face it. Penguin movies have been denied in the last few years. But now there's a penguin movie that's BIG(Z)! Like most animated films, this is well cast which includes stars such as Shia LeBouf, Jeff Bridges, and Jon Heder. The humor is awesome, and it's easy to tell when something's gonna happen. You'll just never know how.
But like every movie, this is not perfect. Just close to perfect. What I think is bad is that this contains too much language. There's 2 craps, 1 damn, an unfinished "Tastes like sh*t", 1 suck and many references to poop.
But that doesn't mean this movie is bad. It's actually purely "radical"!
Bee Movie (2007)
a great family movie
I just saw this a few weeks ago, and I was entertained throughout. The great voice talent, which includes Jerry Seinfield and Chris Rock, and the great animation don't begin to state how great this is. This has got to be the best Dreamworks movie EVER!
The movie is split up into 3 parts. The first part is an easy-going slow-paced story about Barry Benson and his friend Adam and their adventures(and sometimes misadventures...). The middle is the courtroom scene. This is where the action starts to heat up. The end...well, I'm not telling that part.
This was a great movie. My only complaint is that the courtroom scene was dragged on too long. But overall, a great movie for kids and adults alike. Great scripting and great casting make this great.