I remember this being one of my favorite Easter specials as a kid. Until recently, the last time I remember watching it was when I was in third grade. Then one day, I rediscovered it, and I got nostalgic chills and remembered why I loved it so much! I love the animals on this special. Lollichop is my favorite of the four; she's just so cute that I want to hug her! It's a shame they didn't appear in other sources of media other than still being represented as the mascots of Paas Easter Egg dye still to this very day, which I guess counts as something. Looking back on it today, there are some parts in it that might be considered politically incorrect by today's standards, but they're not bad enough to distract you from the heart it delivers. I used to have this recorded on a VHS tape along with some other animated Easter specials, but now I have it on DVD, and now I can share it with my nephew every Easter and re-live my childhood! If you haven't seen this special, I recommend checking it out. It's truly an underrated Easter special!
Reviews
22 Reviews
Foodfight!
(2012)
Now I know!
6 January 2019
When I first heard about this movie, I thought it sounded like an interesting concept. However, I've been constantly hearing time and again that people are dubbing it one of the worst animated films ever made. At first, I thought they were just being harsh critics by just saying, "Pfft! It sucks!" Though, out of curiosity, I decided to check it out for myself just to see how bad it really is, and...it was not at all what I was expecting! I can now see why people are dubbing it the worst of the worst! The animation is just pure nightmare fuel! Half the time, I have no idea what I'm even looking at! Not to mention the story is all over the place, and the characters are just so annoying and forgettable! Not to mention the food mascots hardly get any screen time whatsoever! (Heck, half of the mascots on the poster don't even appear in the movie at all!) It saddens me even more how many big name celebrities they got to work on this movie! There goes their reputation! Seriously, I thought this movie was just going to be a so-bad-it's-great guilty pleasure, but I was wrong! I was not expecting this movie to actually traumatize me! I should have listened to all those reviewers and just took their word for it! Curse my curiosity, and curse my gullibility! Thank God there isn't a sequel!
Where the Dead Go to Die
(2012)
The Queen Mother of All Bad Animated Films!
6 January 2019
If you're an animation fan, and you've been on a search for the worst animated movie ever made, then your search has ended! If you were to ask a casual animation fan what the worst animated film ever made was, what would they most likely say? The Emoji Movie? The animated Titanic movies? The Tom & Jerry movie? Norm of the North? Doogal? Mars Needs Moms? Maybe Disney's direct-to-video sequels? Or perhaps one of those knock-off films like Ratatoing? Ha! Those are child's play compared to this movie! Nothing can hold a candle to the horrors that await you in Where the Dead Go to Die! Not even Foodfight! Yes, I have seen Foodfight! And at the time, I thought I had seen it all. I thought for sure that was the worst animated film ever made, but Where the Dead Go to Die really takes the cake! Seriously, if you thought Foodfight was a horrible atrocity, look again! This movie makes Foodfight look like Zootopia! It's a horrifying story with the worst animation ever put to film, and showing so much content that I am shocked that they even got away with even showing it! Even South Park is tame compared to the material shown here! What's even worse is that this movie has somehow managed to gain a cult following! Yes, there are people out there who actually like this movie! Now, I'm usually one to respect other people's opinions even if I don't agree with them, but how can anyone actually possibly like watching something so dark, so badly-made and so graphic??? The most common argument I get about stuff like this is "It's an art form." No! This is NOT art! This is just OBSESSION! Words cannot even describe how horrible this movie is! To all you animation fans out there, if you haven't seen this movie, then avoid it at all costs! No matter how curious you may be, just stay away from this movie by all means! This is an animation fan's worst nightmare, and it will forever haunt you in your sleep! I mean, if you want to see Foodfight just to see how bad it is, then be my guest, but Where the Dead Go to Die must not be viewed my ANYONE! This is not a recommendation! This is a WARNING! I am warning you for your own safety! If you set eyes on this film, trust me, you will be traumatized for life!
The Star
(2017)
Surprisingly good!
5 December 2018
When I first heard about this movie, I had mixed emotions towards it. It's a movie about the most important Christmas story ever told but told in the perspective of the animals. It sounded cute and fascinating at first, until I heard it was made by Sony Pictures Animation, a studio that has a reputation of making some of the worst animated films of modern times. I know Sony does have it's share of fans with franchises like "Hotel Transylvania", but they totally hurt their reputation with "The Emoji Movie"! That being said, I was hoping they wouldn't screw this one up, but when I saw the first trailer, I was immediately turned away from it! Then, I saw the second trailer, and I grew a bit more curious. I chose not to see it theatrically and just wait for the DVD.
Now, after seeing this movie for the first time, I was actually very surprised. This movie isn't bad at all. In fact, I might go as far to say this is probably by far the best movie ever made by the studio by far! I mean, sure there are some things that could be worked on. A bit of the humor could be viewed as a disrespect to the story of Jesus Christ, but thankfully, there isn't an overbearing amount of jokes like that. In fact, most of the humor is very toned down and entertaining compared to previous Sony movies. The animal characters are very lovable (with the exception of maybe Dave). I especially love the camels, but sadly, they don't get very much screen-time; I know the main focus is on Bo as well as Mary and Joseph, and I understand their stories are more important while the camels are supposed to be supporting characters who act as comic relief characters, but they still could have gotten a little more screen-time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie, and even though I had my doubts at first, after seeing it for myself, I might like it enough to add it to my collection of traditionally-viewed Christmas movies I watch every year! Sony may not be the best animation studio out there (I personally would pick Disney, Pixar, Illumination or even Dreamworks over them any day), but at least they managed to make one good film that won my heart over.
Now, after seeing this movie for the first time, I was actually very surprised. This movie isn't bad at all. In fact, I might go as far to say this is probably by far the best movie ever made by the studio by far! I mean, sure there are some things that could be worked on. A bit of the humor could be viewed as a disrespect to the story of Jesus Christ, but thankfully, there isn't an overbearing amount of jokes like that. In fact, most of the humor is very toned down and entertaining compared to previous Sony movies. The animal characters are very lovable (with the exception of maybe Dave). I especially love the camels, but sadly, they don't get very much screen-time; I know the main focus is on Bo as well as Mary and Joseph, and I understand their stories are more important while the camels are supposed to be supporting characters who act as comic relief characters, but they still could have gotten a little more screen-time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie, and even though I had my doubts at first, after seeing it for myself, I might like it enough to add it to my collection of traditionally-viewed Christmas movies I watch every year! Sony may not be the best animation studio out there (I personally would pick Disney, Pixar, Illumination or even Dreamworks over them any day), but at least they managed to make one good film that won my heart over.
Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation
(1992 Video)
A great summer vacation flick!
18 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I remember getting this movie on video when it first came out. I was in first grade, and I was a huge Tiny Toons fan at the time. I watched it over a hundred times! Looking back, it still holds up today, and I highly recommend it to any fan of Tiny Toon Adventures!
It's really hard to do this movie justice because there are multiple stories going on at once, and they cycle around them throughout the entire video, but I'll do my best. There are two main stories and three minor stories:
The first main story involves Plucky as he tags along with Hampton and his family as they go on a road trip to Happy World Land, a theme park that Plucky has always wanted to go to. The road trip is a long and tedious trip, which ends up becoming a nightmare for Plucky as he learns that Hampton's parents are horrible people. They play car games that make no sense, bring their own food to restaurants, ignore Plucky's needs, and even pick up a dangerous hitchhiker who happens to be a wanted serial killer! This is easily the funniest story in the movie.
The second main story involves Buster and Babs who get into a water fight, but it ends up going to far, and they end up getting stranded on a river and drift away to the southern region of the country. While there, they encounter some dangerous inhabitants including a family of hillbilly possums who want to eat Babs, and a trio of alligator sisters who all want to marry Buster.
For the three minor stories, we have one where Elmyra wants to play with a cat, and she winds up going to the zoo and torturing all the innocent animals there (pretty much what you'd expect from her). Then we have one where Shirley the Loon reluctantly goes on a date with Fowlmouth to the movies, which ends up becoming a disaster. Finally, we have a story centered around Fifi (That's right; Fifi has her own story in this movie!) as she makes an attempt to meet her favorite movie star, Johnny Pew, and get his autograph; Johnny winds up taking Fifi under his wing but really winds up making her his slave.
I won't give away any of the outcomes of the stories, but they're very well-made, and once you see them, it'll give you some comfort knowing that your summer vacations were much better than the ones these kids had to some extent.
If you're a Tiny Toons fan, and you're looking for a fun movie to put on for your kids while they're on their summer vacation, then I highly recommend this one!
It's really hard to do this movie justice because there are multiple stories going on at once, and they cycle around them throughout the entire video, but I'll do my best. There are two main stories and three minor stories:
The first main story involves Plucky as he tags along with Hampton and his family as they go on a road trip to Happy World Land, a theme park that Plucky has always wanted to go to. The road trip is a long and tedious trip, which ends up becoming a nightmare for Plucky as he learns that Hampton's parents are horrible people. They play car games that make no sense, bring their own food to restaurants, ignore Plucky's needs, and even pick up a dangerous hitchhiker who happens to be a wanted serial killer! This is easily the funniest story in the movie.
The second main story involves Buster and Babs who get into a water fight, but it ends up going to far, and they end up getting stranded on a river and drift away to the southern region of the country. While there, they encounter some dangerous inhabitants including a family of hillbilly possums who want to eat Babs, and a trio of alligator sisters who all want to marry Buster.
For the three minor stories, we have one where Elmyra wants to play with a cat, and she winds up going to the zoo and torturing all the innocent animals there (pretty much what you'd expect from her). Then we have one where Shirley the Loon reluctantly goes on a date with Fowlmouth to the movies, which ends up becoming a disaster. Finally, we have a story centered around Fifi (That's right; Fifi has her own story in this movie!) as she makes an attempt to meet her favorite movie star, Johnny Pew, and get his autograph; Johnny winds up taking Fifi under his wing but really winds up making her his slave.
I won't give away any of the outcomes of the stories, but they're very well-made, and once you see them, it'll give you some comfort knowing that your summer vacations were much better than the ones these kids had to some extent.
If you're a Tiny Toons fan, and you're looking for a fun movie to put on for your kids while they're on their summer vacation, then I highly recommend this one!
Spooky Buddies
(2011 Video)
The worst of the bunch!
7 March 2012
Being a huge fan of the Buddies movies, I was really excited about this movie when I heard it was coming out. The gap between this one and "Santa Buddies" was nearly two years. ("The Search for Santa Paws" doesn't count.) For a while, this movie has been rumored, but I've found no info of it either on IMDb, Wikipedia, or even the official Buddies website. But now it's here. But enough about that, let's move on to the review...
Sadly, I'd have to say that this movie was not worth the wait. Compared to it's predecessors, "Spooky Buddies" was a huge letdown. Nobody I recognized worked on the movie (with the exception of Michael Bolton, who was the production manager for some reason), the story is unoriginal, the characters are uninspiring, the Buddies are not shown very much despite the fact that they are the titular characters, the CG effects badly rip off "Casper", and there's a lot of logic in the movie that makes so little sense that I'm sure the Nostalgia Critic will have a fit about!
I never thought I'd say this, but this was easily the worst of the Buddies movies. At first I thought Disney would never disappoint me with this franchise. (I'm still not sure why so many people hate these movies.) "Space Buddies" did come pretty close, but "Spooky Buddies takes the cake. On a positive note, "Treasure Buddies" was a considerable improvement. I'll just hope that Disney will continue to make these Buddies movies and make them the way they should be made.
Sadly, I'd have to say that this movie was not worth the wait. Compared to it's predecessors, "Spooky Buddies" was a huge letdown. Nobody I recognized worked on the movie (with the exception of Michael Bolton, who was the production manager for some reason), the story is unoriginal, the characters are uninspiring, the Buddies are not shown very much despite the fact that they are the titular characters, the CG effects badly rip off "Casper", and there's a lot of logic in the movie that makes so little sense that I'm sure the Nostalgia Critic will have a fit about!
I never thought I'd say this, but this was easily the worst of the Buddies movies. At first I thought Disney would never disappoint me with this franchise. (I'm still not sure why so many people hate these movies.) "Space Buddies" did come pretty close, but "Spooky Buddies takes the cake. On a positive note, "Treasure Buddies" was a considerable improvement. I'll just hope that Disney will continue to make these Buddies movies and make them the way they should be made.
Dot and the Kangaroo
(1977)
Where do I begin?
22 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Okay, for me, this movie has a lot of back-story. One of my personal childhood movies was "Dot and the Whale", an incredible animated movie that I fondly remember watching on the Disney Channel and a couple times in school. I knew that movie was part of a series of movies, and so I was tempted to see the movie that started it all, which was this one.
"Dot and the Kangaroo" is an animated feature film from the 1970's based on an 1899 novel written by Ethel Pedley. I do find it kind of strange that this movie spawned off a line of sequels that really had nothing to do with Pedley's novel, but that's far from a criticism.
Here are the good points: Overall, I should say that it's a pretty good movie. It has likable characters, and the animators seemed to do a nice job mixing in animation with live action. I'm sure that children will enjoy it.
Here are the bad points: These are all just minor flaws, but the movie is full of a lot of pointless musical numbers that seem to pop up out of nowhere and serve no purpose to the film, but that's not to say they are bad songs. Also, the ending seems kind of anti-climatic. That's a bad thing because the movie doesn't really end; it just stops. It's also a good thing, because it sets the stage for a sequel and gives you the impression that this is the beginning of a saga.
There were a ton of movies in the Dot series that followed this, but today, they're really hard to find. Sadly, "Dot and the Kangaroo" is, to the best of my knowledge, the only Dot movie to have a DVD release. The others were released on VHS but never DVD; I don't know why.
Despite the minor flaws I mentioned, "Dot and the Kangaroo" is a real heart-warming film, and I recommend checking it out. Netflix it today.
"Dot and the Kangaroo" is an animated feature film from the 1970's based on an 1899 novel written by Ethel Pedley. I do find it kind of strange that this movie spawned off a line of sequels that really had nothing to do with Pedley's novel, but that's far from a criticism.
Here are the good points: Overall, I should say that it's a pretty good movie. It has likable characters, and the animators seemed to do a nice job mixing in animation with live action. I'm sure that children will enjoy it.
Here are the bad points: These are all just minor flaws, but the movie is full of a lot of pointless musical numbers that seem to pop up out of nowhere and serve no purpose to the film, but that's not to say they are bad songs. Also, the ending seems kind of anti-climatic. That's a bad thing because the movie doesn't really end; it just stops. It's also a good thing, because it sets the stage for a sequel and gives you the impression that this is the beginning of a saga.
There were a ton of movies in the Dot series that followed this, but today, they're really hard to find. Sadly, "Dot and the Kangaroo" is, to the best of my knowledge, the only Dot movie to have a DVD release. The others were released on VHS but never DVD; I don't know why.
Despite the minor flaws I mentioned, "Dot and the Kangaroo" is a real heart-warming film, and I recommend checking it out. Netflix it today.
Alice in Wonderland
(I) (2010)
Flawed...but harmless
29 March 2010
Well, well, well. To start things off, I've been looking forward to seeing this movie ever since I first heard about it in 2007. I mean, seeing a Tim Burton adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland" sounded like a really cool idea, and having Johnny Depp, Alan Rickman and Christopher Lee in the cast? How can you go wrong? Well, after seeing it for the first time, it was quite a let down. First of all, this is a Disney movie, and it's kind of weird knowing that this is a remake of a movie that was made by the same company. Well, it's actually not a remake. This is actually a sequel that just so happens to have the same title. However, unlike Disney's line of direct-to-DVD sequels, for this one, they attempted to do something very different. A couple positives I can point out is that we get to know more about the characters such as Alice's last name as well as her sister's name, plus I did catch a lot of references to the original classic. The beginning was interesting, but once Alice came into Wonderland, things went downhill. It's like everything was just shoved into my face. I didn't care much for the story; it was a little untraditional. The characters were OK. The Mad Hatter was good, so was the caterpillar, the Red Queen was consistent, the Cheshire Cat was amusing, but the rest of the characters were just all over the place. It's like, What happened? What's going on? What's this? What's that? What's everything? The whole movie was so confusing. It seemed like the creators were putting special effects before story. The 1951 classic has a lot of charm and warmth, and it makes you look forward to watching it again, but this new one doesn't have the same warmth. Overall, this was not a terrible movie, nor was it a cinematic masterpiece; it's a good movie that has a lot of flaws. If you're wanting to see a good movie that'll live in your heart, then don't watch this movie; it's not worth your time, unless you're a huge fan of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. If you are a fan of them, then I'm sure you'll rank this as an A+ film, 10 out of 10, 5 stars out of 5, whatever. I'd really hate to see Disney do this to other classics they've done. (Oh, wait, I think they already did.) So, yeah, in conclusion, I highly recommend this film to Tim Burton fans and Johnny Depp fans, but not to fans of the original Disney classic.
A Very Different Experience for Any Film-goer
28 December 2009
This is a movie that was recommended to me by a friend of mine, who happens to be a huge Jim Carrey fan. Now, I am familiar with Jim Carrey, and I know the kinds of characters he plays in his movies. There are times when he is funny ("Bruce Almighty" and "Liar Liar"), and there are times when he is annoying ("Batman Forever" and "Cable Guy"), but this movie shows a completely different side of Jim that I've never known him to be. In this movie, he is not being Jim Carrey; he is playing an actual character, and his lines are all totally scripted, but still, his nature can still be spotted pretty easily. I was a little surprised to know that he actually played the villain in this movie. This isn't the first time Jim Carrey played a villain in a movie, but this was a pretty intense character for an actor like him. Now, I have nothing against Jim Carrey, but the character he plays just really disturbs me. There are a lot of movies where I can understand the motivations of both the protagonist and the antagonist, and in these films, I like to route for both sides. There are some villains like Cruella De Vil that I love to hate. I don't love to hate Count Olaf; I just hate him. This was a film where I seriously felt the antagonist deserved to die. He was that horrible. I had the same feelings towards the Green Goblin in the first Spider-Man movie. For all you Jim Carrey fans out there, before you start sending me any hate mail, let me just clarify this for you. I don't hate Jim Carrey, I hate Count Olaf. I gotta say, this movie was really, in my opinion, quite dark for a children's movie, let alone a Nickelodeon movie! I was practically freaked out by this movie the moment I popped the DVD into my DVD player and witnessed the creepiest looking DVD menu I've ever seen: a Tim Burton type of animated menu playing some very unfitting music. Please don't ask why I have these opinions; I just do, and it's really too difficult for me to analyze. So, anyway, if you're a hardcore fan of Jim Carrey, then I probably don't recommend this film for a viewing, but if you want to see a different side of him, then by all means, check it out.
Santa Buddies
(2009 Video)
An Awesome Christmas Movie!
29 November 2009
I absolutely love the "Buddies" movies. When I heard of this one coming out, I just desperately wanted to see it! I gotta be honest, this is one of the best Christmas movies I have ever seen in my entire life! While the previous three had some ups and downs, I didn't really see anything bad with this one. Unlike the previous three, "Santa Buddies" helped me learn more about the Buddies than I've ever known before. I always imagined B-Dawg as the possible leader of the Buddies, but I wasn't sure if there really was a leader amongst the five, and while Rosebud did seem to show some good leadership skills compared to her brothers, I believe this movie truly revealed to me that B-Dawg really is the leader. If you watch the film, you'll probably see what I mean. While this is the fourth installment in the "Buddies" series, this was actually the first one to have a song in it, which wasn't necessary but good to have in the film. Also, I might add that compared to other Christmas movies and specials I have seen, the plot to this one is actually very original. Most Christmas specials have one of five plots: 1. A kid has one wish for Christmas that he really wants, 2. Santa Claus has a problem of some kind and wants it resolved, 3. Somebody tries to take over Christmas from Santa, 4. A parody on "A Christmas Carol", or 5. A parody on "It's a Wonderful Life". This movie is not one of those plots. The plot to this movie involves Santa and his helpers trying to get everyone to believe in the Spirit of Christmas. This is a completely original plot that has never been used in any other Holiday movie or special. At least none that I can think of. Overall, this was by far the best of the "Buddies" movies, and it left me looking forward to seeing the next one. Although, I do have kind of a bad feeling that this is probably going to be the last movie of the series. I hope it isn't, but if it is, then I really hope they make a TV series. The Buddies are all great characters that I always look forward to seeing, because each one has a great personality, and I simply adore their chemistry. On a whole, "Santa Buddies" is a wonderful movie that should be in everybody's collection of Christmas movies for years to come.
The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue
(1998 Video)
Nobody messes around with this!
1 February 2007
It can be hard to do a sequel. Sequels are supposed to be continuations to popular movies to please fans of the movie. Some sequels can be just as good or even better than the original (like "Shrek 2" and "101 Dalmatians 2"), or be good but feel unnecessary (like "Pokemon 2000" or "Airplane 2"), but mostly, it could be bad altogether (I'm sure nobody liked "The Land Before Time 2" or "Scary Movie 2").
With that said, I'm sure that making a sequel to what is undeniably one of the best animated movies ever would be hard to do. I was aware that success would be a problem here, and I was right.
First of all, Don Bluth had no involvement with this movie, and this movie was made without his permission. Many fans, such as myself, were dismayed by the musical numbers that were put into this movie (Nobody likes songs in movies anyway.). Also, I don't like the movie's subtitle. Timmy was supposed to be the character who was sick and had to stay in bed. But now, all of a sudden, he's the hero?
Of course, since this movie came out in 1998 while the original came out in 1982, there was no excuse. It would have been hard to get the original cast back together, especially since five of the original actors died shortly after the original was released (two of which voiced characters who died in the original). Arthur Malet is back as Mr. Ages, and Dom DeLuise is back as Jeremy, and hey, they got Eric Idle into this movie too.
I don't have anything more to say about this awful movie. Stay away from this movie. You'd rather watch the original movie twice or three times a day then watch this movie.
With that said, I'm sure that making a sequel to what is undeniably one of the best animated movies ever would be hard to do. I was aware that success would be a problem here, and I was right.
First of all, Don Bluth had no involvement with this movie, and this movie was made without his permission. Many fans, such as myself, were dismayed by the musical numbers that were put into this movie (Nobody likes songs in movies anyway.). Also, I don't like the movie's subtitle. Timmy was supposed to be the character who was sick and had to stay in bed. But now, all of a sudden, he's the hero?
Of course, since this movie came out in 1998 while the original came out in 1982, there was no excuse. It would have been hard to get the original cast back together, especially since five of the original actors died shortly after the original was released (two of which voiced characters who died in the original). Arthur Malet is back as Mr. Ages, and Dom DeLuise is back as Jeremy, and hey, they got Eric Idle into this movie too.
I don't have anything more to say about this awful movie. Stay away from this movie. You'd rather watch the original movie twice or three times a day then watch this movie.
The Chipmunk Adventure
(1987)
Very well-written
24 September 2006
"The Chipmunk Adventure" is one of the greatest animated movies of the 1980's. Alvin and the Chipmunks have always been of some interest to me, since they were what really got me into rock and roll. Neither one of the Chipmunks has any bad traits. Alvin's really the star and has all the cool looks. Theodore is the lovable sensitive one. Then there's Simon (my personal favorite), the smart one who is often a party pooper. I also like the Chipettes a lot. There's Brittany, who, like Alvin, is one who is always trying to be so popular. Then there's Eleanor, who, like Theodore, is sweet, sensitive, and loves food. Janette is the only Chipette who is not much like her counterpart; she's very naive and really clumsy.
In the Chipmunks' very first full-length movie, David Seville is going on a business trip to Europe, and he's leaving the boys with Miss Miller while he's gone. While playing an arcade game, Alvin loses against Brittany and then says that if he had the money, he'd race Brittany around the world for real. Unbeknownest to the kids, a man named Klaus Furschtien and his sister, Claudia, who have been trying to come up with a sneaky way to deliver diamonds around the world in exchange for cash, overheard this conversation and said that they'd let them race around the world for $100,000. Alvin and Brittany accept it and go on the race.
This adventurous movie has a lot of great songs. "Off to See the World" made for an appropriate theme song for the movie. Then there is "Getting Lucky", one of my favorite songs in the movie. "My Mother" is most likely the sappiest song in the movie, but it always makes me cry. "Wooly Bully" is the only cover song used in the movie (the rest were completely original). Then, of course, there's "The Boys and Girls of Rock and Roll", which, in my opinion, has to be one of the greatest musical numbers in movie history.
I used to watch this movie very often, until my recorded tape of it died. I still watch the movie, though. This is actually a fun movie for people who are about to go on a vacation to a foreign country for the first time. It'll give you an idea of what kind of stuff you'd expect out of world travel. Definitely one of my childhood movies, and one that I'd recommend to 80's fans and Alvin & the Chipmunks fans.
In the Chipmunks' very first full-length movie, David Seville is going on a business trip to Europe, and he's leaving the boys with Miss Miller while he's gone. While playing an arcade game, Alvin loses against Brittany and then says that if he had the money, he'd race Brittany around the world for real. Unbeknownest to the kids, a man named Klaus Furschtien and his sister, Claudia, who have been trying to come up with a sneaky way to deliver diamonds around the world in exchange for cash, overheard this conversation and said that they'd let them race around the world for $100,000. Alvin and Brittany accept it and go on the race.
This adventurous movie has a lot of great songs. "Off to See the World" made for an appropriate theme song for the movie. Then there is "Getting Lucky", one of my favorite songs in the movie. "My Mother" is most likely the sappiest song in the movie, but it always makes me cry. "Wooly Bully" is the only cover song used in the movie (the rest were completely original). Then, of course, there's "The Boys and Girls of Rock and Roll", which, in my opinion, has to be one of the greatest musical numbers in movie history.
I used to watch this movie very often, until my recorded tape of it died. I still watch the movie, though. This is actually a fun movie for people who are about to go on a vacation to a foreign country for the first time. It'll give you an idea of what kind of stuff you'd expect out of world travel. Definitely one of my childhood movies, and one that I'd recommend to 80's fans and Alvin & the Chipmunks fans.
The Brave Little Toaster
(1987)
Very strange...
25 March 2006
If I could choose just one word to describe this entire movie, it would have to be "weird". "The Brave Little Toaster" is probably not the best recommendation for viewers of any age. Once you've watched it for the first time and you are at a very mature stage, you will be ready for years of therapy! It's not all bad, though. The only weird part about it is just seeing appliances come to life and have personalities of their own. The story mainly focuses on six specific appliances left behind at a country house (who all happen to be guys; not one female). They decide to go on a journey to find their owners. One of them, an air conditioner, didn't go with them since he was attached to a wall. The team consisted of a bright (yet easily annoyed) lamp, a comical and annoying radio, a short-tempered vacuum cleaner who's oblivious to reality, a cuddly blanket (probably the best representation of a youngster), and their leader, a courageous toaster. The strong points and weak points of these characters are both equal in a lot of ways. Now for the things I liked about this movie. Now that I look back at it, a lot of great actors worked on this movie. Many could probably easily recognize the voices of Jon Lovitz, Phil Hartman, and of course, Thurl Ravenscoft. I also enjoyed the songs on this movie. You gotta admit, the songs on this movie are really cool songs; well, this movie came out in the 80's, so one would very likely expect it to have songs with very high-tech styles. It kinda sucks that I'm not able to find those songs anywhere. Despite the cast and the songs, the movie is still overall weird; then again, the movie did come out in the 80's, and I guess a lot of people were drunk around that time. Yeah, that may have something to do with it. My suggestion, if you ever get an urge to watch this movie, watch it for the songs; those are really the best part of the movie. That's pretty much all I gotta say about it.
The Care Bears Movie
(1985)
I love the 80's!
10 March 2006
The 80's were really the decade to live in! I have to admit, for someone my age, I honestly believe that the Care Bears movie is a very well-made movie. It came out the year I was born, and I'm reasonably sure that it is also the very first movie I ever saw in my entire life.
Now, where should I begin? Ah, yes. It makes me enjoy the movie a lot more now that I know that some famous people were involved in it. The story is narrated by Mickey Rooney, someone with a very kid-friendly voice. There was also Cree Summer, who did voices in various different cartoon series', and of course, Billie Mae Richards (Rudolph).
This is a great children's movie, and some adults can enjoy it too. I don't recommend this movie to the 7 to 18 range. It's pretty enjoyable, but it also has a lot of frightening parts. I was always scared to death of the dark spirit. To help lighten the mood, there are also some catchy songs in this movie as well, which are all done by famous pop artists such as Carol King and John Sebastian. Today, the only thing I really love about this movie is the finale song, "It's Great to Be in the Care Bear Family". For some odd reason, I'm such a sucker for all those "Kids of the Kingdom"-types of songs.
This movie was followed by two sequels. The first of the three was really good and really dark and dramatic, the second one was just as good but seemed more like a comedy than a drama, and the third one was just plain weird. Right now, I just wish I could watch this movie again and see how much stuff I can remember from it. I'm sure it will bring back to me some very fond memories.
Now, where should I begin? Ah, yes. It makes me enjoy the movie a lot more now that I know that some famous people were involved in it. The story is narrated by Mickey Rooney, someone with a very kid-friendly voice. There was also Cree Summer, who did voices in various different cartoon series', and of course, Billie Mae Richards (Rudolph).
This is a great children's movie, and some adults can enjoy it too. I don't recommend this movie to the 7 to 18 range. It's pretty enjoyable, but it also has a lot of frightening parts. I was always scared to death of the dark spirit. To help lighten the mood, there are also some catchy songs in this movie as well, which are all done by famous pop artists such as Carol King and John Sebastian. Today, the only thing I really love about this movie is the finale song, "It's Great to Be in the Care Bear Family". For some odd reason, I'm such a sucker for all those "Kids of the Kingdom"-types of songs.
This movie was followed by two sequels. The first of the three was really good and really dark and dramatic, the second one was just as good but seemed more like a comedy than a drama, and the third one was just plain weird. Right now, I just wish I could watch this movie again and see how much stuff I can remember from it. I'm sure it will bring back to me some very fond memories.
Casper: A Spirited Beginning
(1997 Video)
Garbage!
21 November 2005
This movie is just plain horrible! It may have been a good idea to make a new live-action Casper movie in the mid 1990's being based on a famous animated character, which wasn't too bad, but to make more of them? That's just an overkill there! Why do I think this movie is horrible? Well, to start things off, the opening credits are extremely nauseating. When I start up a movie and see something like that, I automatically want to shut it off! This isn't really considered a sequel to "Casper", but more of a prequel. It basically tells the story of how Casper's afterlife began. Overall, the movie has terrible acting and poorly done CG effects. Avoid this movie at all costs!
Very well made! Recommended for all!
8 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is definitely one of the greatest Disney movies ever made. It's a real pleaser to anyone. It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry, and it'll put you into suspense.
Basically, what Homeward Bound is about is three household pets who are sent to live on a farm while their owners go on vacation. They don't know what is going on, and desperately wanting to go home, they escape from the farm and try to find their way home through the wilderness.
This is one of the last movies that Don Ameche starred in. He provided the voice of Shadow, the old, wise and friendly golden retriever. Also starring in this movie was Sally Field providing the voice of Sassy, the Himalayan cat. But seriously, what this movie is all about is Chance! Voiced by Michael J. Fox (my all-time favorite actor), Chance is basically all you'd expect from a dog, lovable, playful, energetic and goofy, and every time I crack up when watching this movie, it's because of Chance; it's like the comedy never ends!
This movie is also very sad at times. It sometimes reminds people of the times they've been alone or when they lose their pets.
One scene that always puts me in suspense is the scene where the trio is trying to escape from the pound; I especially feel shocked at the part where Chance gets his collar caught in the fence and almost doesn't make it. The movie had other suspenseful moments, but none to me seem more suspenseful than that one.
Overall, it's a wonderful family movie. If you enjoyed this movie, you'll probably enjoy the sequel too. I give this movie a solid 9 out of 10!
Basically, what Homeward Bound is about is three household pets who are sent to live on a farm while their owners go on vacation. They don't know what is going on, and desperately wanting to go home, they escape from the farm and try to find their way home through the wilderness.
This is one of the last movies that Don Ameche starred in. He provided the voice of Shadow, the old, wise and friendly golden retriever. Also starring in this movie was Sally Field providing the voice of Sassy, the Himalayan cat. But seriously, what this movie is all about is Chance! Voiced by Michael J. Fox (my all-time favorite actor), Chance is basically all you'd expect from a dog, lovable, playful, energetic and goofy, and every time I crack up when watching this movie, it's because of Chance; it's like the comedy never ends!
This movie is also very sad at times. It sometimes reminds people of the times they've been alone or when they lose their pets.
One scene that always puts me in suspense is the scene where the trio is trying to escape from the pound; I especially feel shocked at the part where Chance gets his collar caught in the fence and almost doesn't make it. The movie had other suspenseful moments, but none to me seem more suspenseful than that one.
Overall, it's a wonderful family movie. If you enjoyed this movie, you'll probably enjoy the sequel too. I give this movie a solid 9 out of 10!
It's unbelievable! It's a miracle! It's Wonka-Vision!
16 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This comment contains spoilers, so if you don't want anything spoiled, than just read the second paragraph below. I have just seen this movie, and I was completely speechless! Tim Burton, Danny Elfman and Johnny Depp have collaborated once again. This remake of the classic "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is very well done. The special effects are astonishing (effects that could not be done back in 1971), there were a lot of funny lines, and it was also scary at some parts (what else would you expect from Tim Burton). The intro during the opening credits was a little scary, because it didn't give much of a feeling like we were looking at a chocolate factory, but it was kind of cool that we got to see Wonka placing the five golden tickets on five completely random Wonka bars. The Oompa Loompas were also well developed as well as the songs they did. In the original, they sang their song with different lyrics for each rotten little kid, but in this movie, each kid got a completely different song! The way the other four kids were developed was a little disturbing to me. Verucca was sort of the same as she was in the original, but I think she scared me a lot more in the original than she did in this one. In the original, Augustus was dressed formerly, but in this movie, he's dressed like a typical chubby kid; his personality is still the same, though. Violet's a blonde in this movie, and she's also a martial arts champion; in the original, there was no real exploration to what Violet did for a living. Also in the original, Mike was obsessed with TV, but in this one, he's obsessed with video games; also in this movie, Mike is a lot ruder, and he doesn't really talk much about what he's into. Another thing that made this movie different from the original are the parts where Wonka thinks back to his childhood, which kind of made me feel a little sorry for the character. At first, I thought nobody could do Willy Wonka like Gene Wilder, but Johnny Depp did a wonderful job! As for the ending, unlike the original version, we actually get to see what happens to the other kids. Adding on, Tim Burton said that this version was going to follow the book more, so I was kind of fearing that this movie was going to end the way the book ended with Grandpa Joe just saying, "Yippee!" Fortunately, it had an all new ending different from the book and the original movie.
For those of you who haven't seen this movie yet and want to see it but don't want anything spoiled for you, all I'm going to say is, be prepared for an amazing movie!
For those of you who haven't seen this movie yet and want to see it but don't want anything spoiled for you, all I'm going to say is, be prepared for an amazing movie!
The Land Before Time
(1988)
The emotional force of a classic!
24 March 2005
There are many movie directors that I cannot argue with at all, and Don Bluth is a genius! All of his animated films are dramatic, lovable and unforgettable. "The Land Before Time" is not only a classic, but it is also a masterpiece! This movie has been a childhood movie for many since it's release in the late 1980's; I was one of those many; I've watched it hundreds of times, and I know the whole thing like the back of my hand!
Bluth managed to cast this movie perfectly. Gabriel Damon brought the character of Littlefoot to life. Will Ryan gave us some good laughs as Petrie. No one can do Ducky like Judith Barsi; I was really hurt when I heard about her assassination (may she rest in peace). James Horner was the perfect composer for this movie, and what a great composer he is!
I never saw this movie when it was in theaters, but I wish I did.
The movie itself is a true classic, but it was completely ruined by a seemingly endless chain of straight-to-video-released sequels. When I heard about the first sequel, I thought, "Oh, cool!" Then I heard about part 3, and I thought, "Alright! A trilogy!" Then I saw the fourth one, and that's when I decided, "Okay, I'm starting to get tired of this." The original is hands down the best! I don't understand why the company made so many sequels instead of just making it into a TV series.
Sadly, I got rid of every "LBT" movie I've ever owned. I now feel regretful for getting rid of the original. I really wish that I could watch it again and re-live my childhood.
Bluth managed to cast this movie perfectly. Gabriel Damon brought the character of Littlefoot to life. Will Ryan gave us some good laughs as Petrie. No one can do Ducky like Judith Barsi; I was really hurt when I heard about her assassination (may she rest in peace). James Horner was the perfect composer for this movie, and what a great composer he is!
I never saw this movie when it was in theaters, but I wish I did.
The movie itself is a true classic, but it was completely ruined by a seemingly endless chain of straight-to-video-released sequels. When I heard about the first sequel, I thought, "Oh, cool!" Then I heard about part 3, and I thought, "Alright! A trilogy!" Then I saw the fourth one, and that's when I decided, "Okay, I'm starting to get tired of this." The original is hands down the best! I don't understand why the company made so many sequels instead of just making it into a TV series.
Sadly, I got rid of every "LBT" movie I've ever owned. I now feel regretful for getting rid of the original. I really wish that I could watch it again and re-live my childhood.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
(1964 TV Movie)
A True Christmas Family Classic!
7 December 2004
I've seen a lot (I think maybe even all) of Rankin and Bass's stop motion features. A majority of them are just extremely weird. This one, however, is different. Of all of Rankin's and Bass's films, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is the best one! The entire age group will enjoy it; kids, adults, seniors, and even teens! This new DVD version of "Rudolph" has a couple of differences from the version I've always watched my entire life. For one thing, the "We Are Santa's Elves" segment is extended. Also, the segment of the "Fame and Fortune" song (now a special feature on the DVD), is replaced with what was the original segment, "We're a Couple of Misfits". I don't know why that was changed, I kind of liked the "Misfits" segment better. Finally, towards the end of the movie, there's this scene where Yukon Cornelius discovers the peppermint mine that he's been searching for. I think this new version was shown on TV once in 1998, but I don't think they showed the peppermint scene. Overall, the movie has classic animation, wacky sounds, lovable characters, and the story follows the song perfectly (with a few add-ons). A definite recommendation for every household!
The Powerpuff Girls
(1998–2004)
McCracken has done it again!
25 October 2004
"The Powerpuff Girls" is just a pure genius TV show. Craig McCracken, the director of "Dexter's Laboratory", has given us another huge cartoon success. This is not a girly show, as most boys think, but it's a well-made cartoon comedy. I've loved this show ever since I saw the pilot in 1995. I watched the pilot along with my brother and my uncle when it first aired, and we were just rolling on the floor laughing. It was really funny and really well done. I try not to be too positive about these kinds of things, so now I should point out the negatives. For one thing, it's the wide variety of villains; not that that's a bad thing, but most of the villains on this show are very annoying, such as Mojo Jojo, Princess Morebucks, the Amoeba Boys, Fuzzy Lumpkins, and above all, the Gang Green Gang. Sometimes, the show seems to be showing us the same thing over and over again. Most episodes are usually: "The city of Townsville is under attack by a villain or monster, the Powerpuff Girls go to save the day, one of the girls has a problem, the problem gets solved at the end of the episode." That basically does it for the negatives. Now I'd like to talk about the core characters. I'll start with Blossom. Blossom does not belong on this show. From what I heard, she's the least favorite Powerpuff Girl, and I can see why. She's a showoff, she's bossy, and she is often unaware of what's going to happen next. Still, I find her to be important to the show mainly because she's the leader of the Powerpuffs. Then we have Buttercup, the short-tempered member of the team, kind of quiet, but she packs a mighty punch. Her cool attitude has made her a very likable character. Bubbles is the favorite of most PPG fans; she's a lovable individual, cute and cuddly, and always loves to be cheery. She also brings a good blend of comedy into the show; I would think that this show would be very boring if it didn't have Bubbles. There's really nothing else I can say. I probably could say something else, but it may spoil it for some people, so this is where my review ends.
Make Mine Music
(1946)
They've Made Mine Music!
11 October 2004
Most Disney fans are not too familiar with some of the Disney Animated Classics such as this one. I am not one of those. "Make Mine Music" just shows us more of what the master himself, Walt Disney, has created. I have heard from a few people that the "Martins and the Coys" segment has been removed from the newly released DVD version. Why that segment was removed, I don't know (probably because of the amount of violence). Other than that, the other segments are very memorable. Segments like "Peter and the Wolf", "Casey at the Bat" and "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met" are amusing, catchy, and fun to watch. My favorite segment of the movie would have to be "Johnny Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet", which I had completely forgotten was part of this movie. All segments of "Make Mine Music" have been shown on various Disney videos and Disney TV specials. This is just a great movie; it's just as good as all the other Disney Animated Classics. I'm sure that kids of all ages will enjoy it.
A semi-spoiler about a great movie based on a Disney TV series.
29 August 2004
Warning: Spoilers
"Duck Tales: The Movie" is a great movie. I've always loved it. It's basically a 74-minute episode of "Duck Tales" with some classic Disney magic mixed in. If you haven't seen the movie, I recommend you do; I find it to be suitable for kids and adults equally. If you haven't watched the movie before, then (as Strong Bad would say) I recommend the faint of heart and the faint of butt to stop reading this review, for it might spoil the magic for those who want to be surprised. The movie starts with Scrooge McDuck and his nephews along with Launchpad and Webby out in Egypt looking for the treasure of Collie Baba, a famous thieve. When they find it, they find out that their guide, Dijon, turned out to be the little sidekick of an evil sorcerer named Merlock who steals the treasure from Scrooge leaving him empty-handed. Little did Scrooge know, Webby managed to keep from the treasure a lamp, which she had mistaken for a teapot. While polishing it, she and Huey, Dewey and Louie unveiled the genie of the lamp that they become friends with, as well as his new masters. The four kids each got three wishes; Webby makes all these crazy wishes, which causes one of the boys to waste one of their wishes to wish them back. After the kids use up all their wishes, Scrooge finds out about the genie and becomes his new master. What the family didn't know much about was that the genie's meanest master was still out looking for him. Even though, it has been centuries, he's still out there looking for him due to his wish for immortality. The genie accidentally stumbles onto Dijon, who becomes his new master and wishes to take over Scrooge's money bin. Unluckily for Dijon, Scrooge knew exactly how to trigger all the alarms in his bin, so he planned to invade it with the kids. However, Merlock manages to sneak in too, and he beats Scrooge to the lamp and wishes for his money bin to transform into a sky fortress. Scrooge manages to steal the lamp back and makes his last two wishes. This was just a very well made movie. Rip Taylor did an unbelievable job as the voice of the genie. The same thing goes for Christopher Lloyd as Merlock. This film is highly recommended by me for Duck Tales fans and even Duck Tales haters! If there was a special edition DVD of this movie, I'd get it!
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