Reviews by Joshua "LF"

I remember enjoying The Tigger Movie a lot when I was younger, so it was a thrill to view the film again many years later. I can say with great joy, that this film is just as good, if not better, than I remember it.

In fact, I think adults and older children may get more out of the film than youngsters, because a toddler is not going to appreciate Tigger's rambunctious grammatically incorrect/correct speech, like an adult might.

The songs enhance the film greatly. While some were made directly for the kids, there are plenty of tunes that will get the parents in the audience giggling too.

All the classic Winnie the Pooh characters are here, though Christopher Robin only appears at the end for a brief amount of time, and it was obvious that he was somewhat forced into this film, and has very little, if anything to do.

The actual story line is surprisingly emotional, and as much as I laughed during this film, there were times where I felt like getting up during the film to go to the bathroom (sob quietly).

Winnie the Pooh is a fond childhood memory of mine, and even today, I enjoy it as much as ever. Winnie the Pooh is not a kid's movie; it's a GOOD movie.

Brad Bird has directed two Pixar films; The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Both of these are big favorites of mine. Browsing through films, The Iron Giant caught my eye. I could only hope that I enjoyed this film as much as I did Ratatouille or The Incredibles. The verdict is that the film wasn't was good as either Pixar films, but is more than exceptional entertainment. In fact, this is one of the best non-Pixar animated films I've ever seen.

The film opens with a gorgeously animated sequence of a futuristic vehicle flying through space, until it lands in the middle of the ocean where a boat sails nearby. The captain of the boat stares curiously where he saw the flash of light...then a giant 50-foot robot emerges from the ocean.

The film only gets better from there. A young boy named Hogarth is at the diner where his Mom works long hours. Hogarth overhears a conversation about the Iron Giant, and wonders if it truly exists. His question is later answered when he sees the robot near a power plant, and ends up saving the giant's life.

The two become friends, though Hogarth has to hide the giant to avoid the government (and his Mom) from finding out (Think E.T.).

The film is quite funny, and it's filled with stunning animation and memorable characters. The story matches up to Pixar quality, in both heart and substance.

There are a lot of tricky issues that are discussed in this film; death namely. The Iron Giant is curious about Earth, and one of his experiences is a deer being shot by hunters. The Iron Giant is traumatized by the experience, and Hogarth explains death as well as he can.

"Death isn't a bad thing," Hogarth says, "Everyone dies."
"You die?" The Iron Giant asks.
"Well, yeah, someday." Hogarth says.
"...I die?" The Iron Giant ponders.
"I...don't know. Maybe..."

The film is very thought provoking, and in some of it's many humorous scenes, laugh provoking. It's even a little tear-jerking at times.

If you understand or appreciate anything about movies, this film should be viewed as a must-see. Something you have to experience at least once.

The fact that this was better than I thought it would be, but still only earns a 20% rating is really saying something. This short film, though offering great animation, is really nothing more than a money movie. Due to the sucess of How To Train Your Dragon, Dreamworks is milking it, there's already two sequels on the way, a planned television series, and of course this direct-to-DVD 22 minute "film."

This is nothing special, and it's not worth watching. Also, since you'lll most likely have to purchase this film, rather than rent it, it's not really worth it at all.

The "plot" revolves around a holiday that the vikings celebrate once every year (Christmas Viking Style), but all the dragons have left for unknown reasons. Hiccup's dragon also flies away later. Hiccup eventually goes in search of the dragons, whil Astrid tries to invent new holiday traditions to cheer the downcast vikings.

The film can be funny at times, but most of the "gags" are quite lame, and at times, it feels like a television program. A really low quality television program.

The film is often cheesy, extremely cliche, and there's very little to reccommend.

Okay, let me re-explain what you probably know; Cars 2 is widely being considered as Pixar's worst. This is true. It's also being widely considered as a bad film. This is not true. I personally believe this is another great film from Pixar, it just plunges a little more into the Dreamworks tub.

The story revolves around Mater, rather than Lightning McQueen, a mixed decision in my opinion. On one hand, Lightning McQueen is a bland character, with little personality. And Mater, while much more interesting and defined, is also extremely one dimensional, and that really shows when he becomes the star of the show.

Mater is mistaken as an American spy by two secret agents, Flinn McMissile and Holly Shiftwell. Mater then takes part in many missions, while the two secret agents have no idea he's just a regular tow truck. In the meantime, Lightning McQueen is on a World Grand Prix in hopes of beating the cocky, Francesco. There's a bit more to the plot than this, but that's the gist of it.

The film certainly looks like a Pixar film. The animation is easily Pixar's best; appearing more detailed than that of Toy Story 3, and the various race/spy scenes give the movie a chance to show what it can do. Some things look impeccably real (in the last 20 minutes of the film, take a look at the trees).

The film sounds like a Pixar movie too. The musical soundtrack is performed masterfully by Michael Giacchino. Also, the voice talents have been selected carefully, just as in all Pixar films. The original voice actors are back (though due to the death of two characters, Fillmore's voice has been replaced and Doc is deceased), though most of them get few appearances. Also, John Ratzenberger (who gets a role in every Pixar film) has an infestimal role in this film: only two lines.

So, the film sounds and looks like a Pixar, but it doesn't feel like one. Compared to the other Pixars, the story is weak and disappointing. Also, there is none of the heart and emotion that made the other Pixars so lovable.

There's little adult-kid balance, so most parents won't be watching with their kids, which is completely opposite of other Pixars, where parents may enjoy the film more than the kids.

I said earlier that this film is more like a Dreamworks movie. This is because of the lack of emotion, the shallow story, and the kid appeal. Even the humor is a little more Dreamworks oriented, a lot of it being roll-your-eyes kind of humor, and there's even some potty humor. That's not to say you won't laugh; there are plenty of amusing bits, but overall, it pales in comparison to Pixar's previous efforts.

Concluding, this is Pixar's worst film, hands down. However, it's still a great film, although flawed. It's certainly not a must see like the other Pixars, but it's good enough.

Just don't do this to us again, Pixar: I won't be quite as forgiving.

It's been years since I've seen Wall-E. I remember enjoying it, just like the rest of the Pixar bunch, so I got it via Netflix to see again. A wise choice. Wall-E is even better than I remember it.

Wall-E is an ingenious film that occurs thousands of years in the future. Humans no longer live on the Earth due to pollution, they instead live in a giant spaceship, called the Axim. The Wall-E robots are left at Earth to clean up the mess. All of the Wall-E's, however, have been wiped out over time. Only one remains. But when EVE, a robot from the Axim, comes to Earth to find life, Wall-E's life is flipped upside down.

The first half-hour of the film is performed with minimal dialogue, but still mananges to express all kinds of emotion: Laughter, loneliness, perhaps even sadness. I cried multiple times throughout the film.

The animation is gorgeous, even for today. And the musical score, composed by Thomas Newman, is excellent.

There really isn't any sort of flaw to this film. It's entertaining, it's funny, it has a lot of heart, there's amazing animation, and an impressive musical score.

Of course, I haven't even touched base on the best aspect of the film: the characters. Wall-E has, perhaps, some of the most memorable (and hilarious) characters in all Pixar history. From the quirky Wall-E, to the grumpy M-O, to the rotund captain of the Axim, there's an endless abundance of charming cast members.

Wall-E is not the crowing achievement of Pixar....but it's pretty close.

Super Paper Mario's predecessor, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, was (and is) my all time favorite game, so naturally, I was expecting quite a bit from this game. The verdict, was that it was not as good as Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, but still a superb game, and a solid addition to anyone's gaming library.

One of my favorite things about the Paper Mario series, was the consistently excellent stories, and this was no exception. Though not quite matching that of The Thousand-Year Door, it far surpasses almost any other game that Nintendo has produced. Bowser has another plot to take over Mushroom Kingdom, this time, he's in cahoots with a new villain: Count Bleck. There's a lot to cover, so to make a long story short, Count Bleck has a master plan, Mario has to stop him, there's various plot twists and such, etc. There are many characters that you'll meet on your journey, most of them hilarious. You won't want to skim through any of the text (and there's a lot of it).

The controls work well, with few exceptions. You use the Wii Remote sideways, using the control pad to move. Doors are opened by pressing "up" on the control pad, and talking/reading signs are performed in the same manner. Because opening doors (and the other actions) require using the control pad, you may end up opening a door or talking with one of the characters when all you wanted to do is run to the other side of the room. Also, some of the Wii remote uses (waggling the remote, etc.) are a bit gimmicky, you won't do this often. Overall, the controls are great, with only minor nitpicks.


The music is excellent (all done with video game instruments, not with orchestra), but not nearly as strong as the previous Paper Mario title, and it's not as strong as other Nintendo efforts either. Regardless, there are many pleasant tunes, some of which will stick in your head, others you'll instantly forget.

There's not too much to cover as far as graphics go. Everything is simple, yet clean, and there's lots of color. If you're searching for detailed-Zelda style graphics, you've come to the wrong place, but there's nothing ugly (or particularly stunning) to be seen.

With the exception of a slightly slow beginning (though not nearly as slow as The Thousand-Year Door's beginning), the game moves at a reasonable pace. Gameplay is simple, there are lots of puzzles to solve, etc. My main complaint is when you're fighting enemies.

Unlike in The Thousand-Year Door, enemies are defeated by jumping on them (or using items, etc.), rather than playing in turn based battles like The Thousand-Year Door. Some gamers may delight in this, but one will find that due to this, the game is considerably easier than it's predecessor. In fact, I never had any trouble with any of the bosses (including the final boss), all of them were disappointingly easy. The Thousand-Year Door was much more challenging, and I was terribly disappointed at the lack of difficulty in the enemies.

On the other hand, there are some objectives and puzzles that may stump you, which balances out the lack of difficulty with the enemies.

During the game, you will also utilize "Pixels" that provide various abilities. Also, instead of being limited to playing as Mario, you also unlock Peach, Bowser and Luigi as you progress.

Of course, the most radical change in gameplay is the ability to change from the classic 2-D perspective, to a 3-D perspective, allowing you to uncover secrets, items and enemies that you would have never seen before. To limit you from using this ability abusively, you have (roughly) 10 seconds in 3-D mode before Mario starts taking damage. You regain this damage by playing in 2-D mode. You will be using 3-D fairly often in this game, and I feel it was utilized well (but it does feel a little gimmicky).

You can collect "cards," discover secrets, play in three (yes, three) pits of 100 trials, and of course, there are lots of side-quests.

Though not as great as Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, it's great fun, and a lengthy adventure (around 20-30 hours). There are downsides; easy bosses namely, but overall, this is an excellent game, and I recommend it.

I can sum this up in one short phrase: "PG rated horror film." Let me make this clear, this is not a film for kids under 10, or really anyone that's easily frightened (or nauseated for that matter). I'm not saying it's a bad film, but this is not a film for small children.

This adaption of the Christmas Carol captures and fleshes out the creepy parts of the tale, leaving the warm and fuzzy parts a little under cooked. The creepy take on this classic is unique, and enjoyable. It's the kind of film that can be enjoyed by a wider audience than if this story had been left to the generic fuzzy ending that so many films have adopted.

The story sports more style than previous adaptions. More pizazz, more depth, and more scares. I won't lie, there were times when something startled me; this film is full of GOOD scares, not the silly excuse for jolts that are in so many kid's movies these days.

Even though this movie is over two years old, and motion capture has gotten significantly better (Tintin, anyone?), the animation looks great. Everything is well detailed, and everything feels real. However, there's still some stiffness in the moving, and there's one dance scene where gravity and physics are defied so many times, there's no doubt that even kids (kids that can take the scares) will point them out.

I mentioned earlier that this is like a PG rated horror film. I liked this unique aspect, but I thought you might like to know what's ahead of you: a pretty creepy scene where a talking corpse (in translucent ghost form) has a conversation with Scrooge, for one. The scene is surprisingly scary, and at one point, the corpse' jaw becomes disconnected when he screams. There's no gore, but it's pretty icky anyway. In addition to this, we see another corpse (it's played as a surprise for laughs), an old wrinkled head, a fat man who's skin blows off him like dust, and two vicious goblin creatures who are very reminiscent of Lord of the Rings.

The score is appropriately Christmasy, but it's not outstanding. It does a good job of setting the mood of each scene, though, but I've heard much better Christmas scores.

Jim Carrey does a hilarious job as Scrooge. He's grumpy and despicable, but because you recognize him as Carrey, you can't take him seriously. This isn't really a bad thing, but it might irritate die-hard Dickens fans.

There's also one boring, tedious, and completely unnecessary chase scene, that makes little sense, which was most likely added for the benefit of any kids in the audience (who, as I've made a point of mentioning, are brave enough to take the scares).

Also, the ending is incredibly corny (though we get the feeling that Carrey was overdoing it for his own entertainment), and little Timmy barely gets any mentioning.

Overall, this is an entertaining flick and even though flawed, is a fun and creepy delight. I recommend this film to anyone who likes Jim Carrey, The Christmas Carol, motion capture, or the creeps.

Jurassic Park is surprisingly good, and I say "surprisingly," because I didn't know how much more I really wanted to watch after the first hour. Roughly the first 60 minutes is contaminated with utter boredom. In fact, most of this first hour wasn't even necessary. If I could crop out the 5-10 minutes of the first hour that were important, I imagine that the audience would still understand what was happening. Maybe it was just my inner-boy speaking, but I wanted to see some dinosaurs for cryin' out loud!

But I digress.

(To the film's credit, though, we do see some dinos before they begin their reign of terror, but most are in the background, one we only get a glimpse of his claw and eye. Only one dino is fully exposed, and it doesn't really do anything. And before the dinos start attacking, we see two more; a baby, as well as a sick triceratops).

After you get past the first hour, the film quickly picks up. I won't say how many, but people do die (and we see two dismembered body parts before the film is over). To be honest, I've never seen a film that would truly qualify as "scary," but this certainly "freaked me out." I always thought dinos were terrifying creatures, but now that fear has been greatly multiplied. In addition to an excellent job on making the dinos appear so suddenly (you'll probably be startled by an un-expected reptile at least once), the dinos look incredibly real, despite the fact that this film is nearly 20 years old.

The characters in the film weren't quite one-dimensional, but they weren't very fleshed out either. The plot was slightly outrageous, but if you can force yourself to believe it, the film is much more enjoyable.

The score by legendary composer, John Williams, was something of a disappointment. This is by far the worst I've heard from him, though it's not that bad. It's servicable, and sometimes, that's all one can ask for. Though there are times when the music is a little irritating and repetitive.

The film is lots of fun, and it's truly scary. There are some comedy elements, but it's mostly for the fright and joy of seeing people chased by dinos. So, if that's what you came for, you won't be disappointed.

That is, if you can get past that first hour.

Note: I know nothing about Astro Boy apart from this movie.

I hereby accuse this movie of various villainies and crimes. Astro Boy rips off various other films, is filled with cliches, there's an abundance of plot holes, and enough cop-outs to go around. This movie is a blundered mess. My main problem; it's an enjoyable blundered mess.

Astro Boy is about a child named Toby Tenma (Freddie Highmore). He's a robot genius, like his father, Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage). During an unfortunate robot malfunction, Toby perishes in an explosion. Dr. Tenma is greatly saddened by this loss, so he uses his son's DNA to create an exact robot replica, and when the boy awakes, Dr. Tenma never tells Toby about his transformation. However, some critical changes have occured. In fact, this "Astro Boy," turns out to be even smarter than before (an impressive feat). But he doesn't just improve academically. Astro Boy slowly discovers his various new abilities. He can withstand serious damage and high falls, and has the ability to fly. But Astro Boy just isn't the same as Toby, and Dr. Tenma just can't find it in his heart to love the robot.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half hour of this film. The animation, though simple, is gorgeous and slick. The story line was going pretty well, too. There was a pretty generous amount of humor, even. I felt like I might actually enjoy myself, contradicting my thoughts about the flick before viewing.

Unfortunately, the film went downhill from there. It wasn't a significant drop at first. The next half hour held up pretty well, but it was bombarded with cliches and unsucessful attempts at plot twists. This second half hour was arguably funnier than the first, but there were also way more jokes that ended up being stale, and recycled. I also started noticing various rip-offs of other flicks here. I had already spotted a couple in the first half hour, but there were significantly more here.

Finally, we come to the grand finale, where we get countless cop outs, rip-offs, cheesy lines, dumb jokes, cliches, and guess-before-it-happens moments. This also includes a completely random and undeveloped change in Dr. Tenma's character, and a boring and utterly stupid climatic duel between Astro Boy and the Peace Keeper, an evil robot charged with negative energy (both literally and metaphorically). Worse, there were tons of scenes in this last half-hour that had the potential to turn the film around, and make into the grand piece of cinematic entertainment I wanted it to be, but never had the guts to try.

Plus, throughout the film, there are gaps in the story, dozens of characters with no personality that make stale jokes, and the movie just moves too fast. Even the score is relatively bland.

The film really isn't as bad as I'm making it sound. It's got a lot to love, and there's definitely a few things that make the film worth watching. I'm just disappointed with the final product. It could've been much better. It should've been much better. Astro Boy could've been a masterpiece, but in the end, it just settles for being mediocre.

A disappointing third film in the Pirates series. It suffers from all the problems of the first and second, and then some. Much of the appeal of the first two are gone, and what remains is a confusing, boring, and unfunny second sequel.

Problems abound from everywhere, so I'll be working hard to narrow it down.

For one, Johnny Depp's role as Jack Sparrow is once again shrunken into a smaller part.

Also there is absolutely no action that is even vaguely interesting (after the first half hour). In fact, the last hour is at least 45 minutes action, and it's surprisingly dull. In fact, it's tedious. It's just people killing each other, and nothing interesting about it. There's no variety, no interesting atmosphere. Just swords clashing.

There is a plot, which is more than what can be said for the second, but it's so confusing, with so many characters and sub plots and deceptions and people changing sides, that it's almost completely incomprehensible.

Most of the characters are obnoxious, and though that was apparent in the first two, it is even more so now.

There are too many flat gags, too many boring scenes, and too many characters for the film to flow well. There were times when I wondered what the purpose was for really anything going on during the movie.

There are some good things though. The first half hour is strong, just like the first two flicks, but after that, the movie is drop dead boring.

The score is another winner from composer Hanz Zimmer, albeit a tad familiar. The acting is dependable, and even admist a thousand bad jokes, there's at least a few laughs (or chuckles really).

There is one bizzare scene where godess of the sea, Calypso is turned back into her original form. This scene is so weird, stupid, and nonsensical, it's hard not to burst out laughing (I most certainly did). Let's just say that she grows about 1,000 feet high, talks like she has really bad congestion, looks like she's constipated, and eventually explodes into a million crabs. It's even more ridiculous on screen.

When the film closes, you will either be waiiting in great anticipation for the fourth (if you enjoyed it), or you'll be fast asleep or about ready to be (if you're me).