Reviews
Go to Hell!! (1997)
An Interesting Animated Movie that pokes fun at the way that we have and are living as human beings.
I saw this film on SBS (australia's only free to air station that shows a lot of "arthouse" or international film). One of the best parts of this film is that I had not heard anything about this film at all, so there was no expectation, no pre-viewing conceptions of what it should or should not be. In fact I never even saw and advertisement for it on SBS... so watching this film (about 2 and a quarter hours) I was amazed to find that it was entirely animated by a single person. It looks as if it were made in Adobe Photoshop (and I think it was), but even though the animation is a little crude, this crudeness is not at all a bad thing...
The story follows the adventures of G.D. and his son Red who fly off to restart the human race... they find a few problems (to say the least). But not wanting to ruin the film for anyone, I won't tell you what happens... The film ends up talking about the way we have lived and are living as human beings. However, I found the ending a little to corny but it did not detract too much from an otherwise interesting and thought-provoking film.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Austin Powers 2 was better!
I am a 14 year old who saw all the three previous (or later depending on your perspective) movies many times and loved them all, especially Return of the Jedi. As such, it was not the nostalgic value of the new one that took me to it, just an interest to see if it was as good (or as bad) as everyone else said it was.
I was disappointed. The reliance on computer graphics annoyed me. When the original Star Wars were made the technology they used was new and even by today's standards, looks real. The computer graphic technology while very good (especially for creating landscapes and space ships) is still un realistic for fluid animal (human, alien etc) motion. On top of that I personally think it is cheating, when they can do better with other techniques.
But thats not the main problem I had with this movie. I will come to it later... Jar Jar Binks. He was just annoying and not funny. Lucas tried to use the EWOK trick on us again and this time it did not work. I loved the Ewoks and thought they were both touching and funny and cute. Jar Jar was just plain stupid as the rest of his race were serious and warlike, he was just a plain idiot. The whole Ewok race was small and primitive so their humourous 'tactics' were much more believable. As well, we see Ewoks die in return of the Jedi adding some element of realism. As for Jar Jar, being so clumsy and idiotic, in a war against super killing robots, he should have died. But Lucas tried to keep Jar Jar alive just for the littlies to have their laughs.
Anakin was acted badly and annoyingly... as well as much of the other characters were acted badly (understandable as they spent half the time reacting to blue and green screens).
But the main problem was the plot, so much more could have been explained and so much more could have be expressed, making a more coherent intelligent plot... but to explain all of this I'd have to write an analytical essay and aren't I boring you enough already?
But two good things for this film, Natalie Portman and John Williams. Natalie Portman was great (apart from obvious reasons stemming from the fact that I am 14 and an adolescent male...) she acted her roles especially as Queen Amidala (when we are certain she is her) with conviction. And that voice that she used for that role... :)
John Williams again wrote a wonderful score and it was very Star Wars in theme.
So you know you will HAVE to see it, but its just not as good as the other star wars. If you want to see another movie without an intelligent plot but with better usage of computer graphics check out Austin Powers 2, at least it is just trying to be a silly movie nothing more, nothing less...
So there is my long ranting rambling essay, just go out and watch it and decide for yourself coz you just HAVE to see it even though it is a disappointment.
And Yoda looks older with more hair (in my mind anyway...)
Mitt liv som hund (1985)
Great Movie!
This movie, intensely comical, but also sweet, sad and touching.
It shows the life of a young boy (apparently 12 years old) who is discovering life for the first time. He explores such issues as sex, with no understanding (or interest). But he is forced to grow up quickly.
This movie is a wonderful picture, full of wonderful scenes and subtleties. It centres on the innocence of childhood and the way in which life works.
It has been said that this film errs on the side of child pornography because a young girl exposes herself (just the torso) to the boy. I will just say two things in Europe, sex is taken in a more artistic light than in America, so such things are not digusting or obscene. They are not full of moral wowsers who can't see the art for the breasts...
It helps if you watch the movie for a second time, as everything is better and you notice the great subtitles placed in this wonderful movie.
SF Shinseiki Lensman (1984)
THE WORST ANIME I HAVE EVER SEEN
I assume the Japanese Version is a lot better than the English version. The animation isn't bad, but it has a poor storyline full of cheese and corn. The video's cover said FOLLOWS IN FOOTSTEPS OF AKIRA. I think Lensman got bogged along the way....