Change Your Image
SaxxoneGirly
Reviews
Spacecats (1991)
great fun
I haven't seen this show for years, but I remember how much fun it was! The Space Cats were led by Captain Tom, and his two sidekicks were Scratch, and Sniff. The disembodied head really freaked me out, but he was quite funny.
They were always going round solving mysteries or crimes, from "a base so secret even they don't know where they are". A weird mix of animation and puppets, but I really loved it.
A lot of the humour was physical and slapstick but it's a kid's cartoon so what do you expect? It was almost Laurel-and-Hardyesque, as Captain Tom keeps trying to be professional and solve things properly and the other two just mucked around or got into trouble.
A great show though, I wish they'd bring it back!
Da dada da da daaaa... SPACE CATS!
The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Let Disney be good to you!
I saw and loved this film as a child, I still love it as an adult. Me and my parents have sat down and watched this film on wet winter afternoons, it's so good. It's an old-fashioned mystery story, the fact that it's animated and about mice is a bonus! It's quite a sinister tale, but no scarier than Doctor Who. Not all the characters are pretty and clean like later Disney films, the villains actually look rough and mean. There are elements that adults will enjoy, like some of Basil's fastpaced dialogue, and the inimitable Vincent Price as the voice, and inspiration for the movements, of Ratigan.
As many people have commented, the lack of songs in this film is really to it's credit. The musical score is excellent as it is, and the songs that do feature are brilliant. Ratigan's "goodbye" song is genius, and as a child I wanted to be the mouse girl who sings "let me be good to you". The whole bar scene is spot on, and another section that adults may appreciate more than the children.
The animation has always been good enough for me, although there are a couple of syncing issues. The drawing style adds to the period feel of the film, after all, it is set in Victorian London.
Overall this film is a little gem, and more films (animated or not) should be like this. It's witty, dramatic, and brilliantly directed. If only animators would still make films like this, that actually have some bite and aren't afraid to be rough with their characters. You'd never be able to get away with the song lyric "worse than those widows and orphans you've drowned?" nowadays.
This is a much better film in my opinion than some later Disney films, or children's films of any kind. It's not about "coming-of-age" or "being yourself", it's a straightforward good vs evil tale of a rat who wants to take over the world and the mice trying to stop him. And it's fantastic.
Take the Lead (2006)
Feel-good fandango!
I went to see this film last night with my mother, on the basis that it contained Antonio Banderas and dancing - a lethal combination ;-). The extra plotting of inner city kids all ghetto and proud learning to express themselves and be "nice" was incidental. I was expecting the characterisation to be a bit stereotypical to be honest.
It wasn't as bad as I'd expected. There were the usual suspects though - the white kid who thinks he's black, the snooty rich girl who thinks they're trash, the moody one who eventually comes around etc. But that's what you get if you want a film with broad audience appeal. This, regardless of it being inspired by true events, is a film for pure entertainment. Audiences know what they expect when they go to see a film of this type, so the odd 2D character is a comfort. In a broad sense, the majority of people don't want to see anything new. The main narrative of this film could be followed by someone who slept right through it (although the amount of toe tapping music would make this impossible!). This isn't a bad thing. It's entertainment, not cutting edge drama.
The addition of Alfre Woodward to the cast was a surprise, but she plays the school principal pretty much exactly as she plays Betty Applewhite in Desperate Housewives, only a bit more street. It was odd to see Betty getting all indignant up on the screen, and this spoilt my viewing a little, but if you haven't seen her in Housewives it's a minor point.
The music in this film is amazing. Hip hop/street music is not my favourite type of music but I could barely stop myself dancing to it in my seat. It's infectious. The rhythm of this film is carried by the mix of music. There's some good ol' fashioned swing music (like Fly me to the Moon, and They Can't Take That Away From Me) and some sizzling tango and Latin sequences.
The combination of the music and the dancing together is knockout. There's some real sexy steps going on there, especially in Sasha's threeway-tango. There's a mix of ballroom styles with the waltz and foxtrot as well as the rumba and tango, and the choreography was pretty near spot on.
This film is also pretty funny in places. There's the usual confused looks and contemptuous expressions from the schoolkids but they're not heavy handed. There's also some pretty good oneliners and running jokes I don't want to spoil. But one I must mention is that (in true ghetto style) Pierre's bicycle gets stripped of wheels, saddle and handlebars as he has left it chained up outside the school at the beginning of the film. Once the kids have turned around and respect him, he comes out one day to find his bike repaired with a chopper seat and handlebars and some nice new wheels. It was a nice touch.
As we were leaving, my mum piped up "can we see it again?" I think, after all, that was all that needed to be said. If you want a fun night out go see this film. I can guarantee you'll be boogie-ing out of the cinema, whether you want to or not.
Vlad (2003)
well worth watching
I'm not usually a fan of horror/gore films, or scary films in general, but I bought this on impulse from Amazon and I'm glad I did. The four students do a good job of portraying their different characters and motivations, and the progression of Justin's character from a somewhat caddish Englishman (as a Brit I was highly amused) into a protective, sensitive and undoubtedly more courageous soul was well done. I'm not sure yet whether Justin and Ilona's meeting in her own time was a clever nod to fate, destiny and re-incarnation (the two of them felt they were always meant to be together) or whether it was an unnecessary 'happy ending' for the two of them.
As I own the DVD, I have only seen the open ending where it is implied that Alexa is still possessed/under the influence of Vlad and that was a fitting twist, if not an entirely unpredictable one.
I think allowing arguably one of the more well-known actors (Billy Zane) to play a lesser role (and die!) was a wise move, and he linked the story well, although his occasional random bouts of "Da..." (Yes, or agreement) to prove he can be Eastern European were unnecessary.
This is a film that combines history with myth and it is an extremely good mix. The flashbacks and history of Vlad's family and his own problems give him a human edge, and Francesco Quinn is amazing in the role. Perfectly judged. The use of subtitles to translate Ilona's middle English speech was also inspired, as technically it's not a 'foreign' language, only an old one.
No film could ever be perfect, but this is a very good addition to the Dracula saga. It is easy to see how the legends of vampires spread from stories like this one. It's also more intelligent than the usual blood-fest. In fact, there are only odd moments of violence in it. This is a film that lets characterisation, dialogue and implications tell the story and its all the better for a lack of excess gore every five minutes.
Give it a look, I doubt you'll be disappointed.
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Captivating in style and characterisation
I have never seen the "Colin Firth version" (I was nine at the time) which I would see as an advantage. Matthew MacFadyen is an excellent Darcy, and the chemistry between him and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet worked well.
I agree that Darcy's painful attempts at small-talk with Elizabeth in Mr Collins' house is one of the best in the film. I was captivated by MacFadyen's performance, and although there is only so much you can do with the two hours worth of film, I think he showed the change in Darcy's character very well. And, on a shallower note, I think he looks best in the film during his dishevelled, coat-billowing walk through the dawn mists.
Knightley is charming as Elizabeth, which honestly surprised me. She sort of sparkled in places, and came across as intelligent, if a little too sharp for her own good. At times she was the personification of feisty, and the way she showed Elizabeth's changes in mood were done subtly, there was no huge flash of emotion, which fit well with the character's independent and self-contained streak.
Kelly Reilly (Bingley's sister) and Judi Dench also add weight to this film, with great sense of character in quite small roles. The other Bennets in this film are not really given much development, apart from Jane, and I think this is a waste.
There were some dazzling scenes in this film that would not come across anywhere near as powerfully on the small screen. The scale of the story itself is also one that benefits the full cinema treatment. The locations chosen for the main houses in the film were very good, and as a general fan of ball scenes there were enough to delight me.
Overall, I really enjoyed this film. I suppose it helps that I'm a hopeless romantic. A very very good adaptation, although die-hard fans will probably find enough to pick at. And move over Colin Firth - there's a new master of Pemberley.