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adamwankenobi
Reviews
Ben 10: Omniverse (2012)
As others have said, BIG step backwards.
Alien Force and Ultimate Alien are really good cartoons. I grew up in 80s when cartoons were good and I thought that quality had gone away until I found these shows by accident. SO GOOD. Excellent productions from the voices, story, animation, direction, everything -- really top notch.
But this ABORTION of a series (Omniverse) is just trash. Toss it away, forget it ever happened, and bring back the goodness that we all know and love. AF and UA is what we want. Don't waste your time on this particular series. And from the other reviews I see here, I'm not alone in this line of judgment.
A Christmas Carol (1999)
Best version by far, bar none. A+
Having read the book a couple times, and have watched every notable Hollywood production of the tale, this version is far and away the best and most faithful to the original book. Not ever detail is precisely from the book (but so what); the over-arching story is most accurate and captures the real essence of the story. (For those who don't know, Dickens continued to edit and re-write his one man stage performance for many years after publication of the book, so don't be so petty as to demand perfect adherence to the original novel if Dickens himself didn't.) Stewart nails Scrooge; head and shoulders above all other actors playing this role. My biggest complaint is that it was clearly edited for TV time constraints and I just wish they would release a "directors cut" with a few scenes being more fulled expressed. This version is a must-watch every Christmas. A+
Gosford Park (2001)
Yawn
Couldn't finish watching it. My wife and I both failed to be captured by this tediously slow film. Much ado about nothing. Endless yammering with no point. Producers/writers/directors need a lesson in those elusive concepts known as plot & pacing. Avoid this film, for your own sake.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
They did it right. Tolkien on screen.
With only a few minor and excusable exceptions, they captured Tolkien RIGHT with this movie. The look, feel, and sound of the book was represented properly on screen. I truly loved it. My new favorite fantasy movie ever, and the Best Picture of the year. If the Academy slights FOTR by denying an Oscar, it will be a tragedy. Hands down the best movie of the year. Go see it, you'll love it.
Battlefield Earth (2000)
Not The Book, but...
This movie wasn't the book "Battlefield Earth", but it wasn't as bad as people said. It is a decent sci-fi flick. My problem is that the book was a truly magnificent story, and if they had only stuck to the story that Hubbard told, this movie too would have been great. I also fear this movie suffered from the bias surrounding the Church of Scientology, of which this movie has no association (other than the author of the book being the founder of this religion).
Read the book for sure, and check out the movie if you like sci-fi.