The Shining

Announcement

I am officially canceling the video games,due to inconsistencies on a site I already do reviews for,which I get comments on,on a style I believe more efficient to the medium. I will however have a link to each review I do on The Video Game Critic under the name of N64Dude.

Anyway for my last review and my Halloween special,I'm going to review one the worlds favorite horror movies,based off one of horror writer Stephen King's first books it is called The Shining,which is famous for the lines "HEEEEERE's JONNY" and "Redrum"all of which were written by director Stanley Kubrick and had no bearing in the original source anyway.

The Shining (1980)

Presentation: 2/20 (Honestly,if I didn't know the premise of the movie from the start,I would've left the classroom I was forced to watch this in,the analyze for homework.It would've made an A harder but initially it would've been worth it. Its starts off with writer Jack Torrance getting a job to oversee a remote hotel for the winter and driving his family through the mountains,unfortunately they aren't all that exciting looking,just a bring green and what's worse the credits take over a good amount of the screen and the camera focuses on the road from a birds eye view.That's not impressive at all nor was the interview itself.I hate spoiling,but it gets better,if you stomach this part)

Plot: 20/20 (Stephen King may not be my favorite writer at execution or genre,but he knows how to make an exciting premise.Basically stuck writer Jack Torrance gets a job at a secluded hotel for the winter in order to overcome writers block.Only the hotel is possessed and slowly screws just about anyone over.However only Jack's little son Danny seems to be wary,thanks to his imaginary friend Tony described as "The Boy who lives inside his mouth".Eventually Torrance is entirely corrupted)

Characters: 12.5/20 (Okay I like Jack Torrance as character,his backstory as father facing drinking problems and writers block okay that's mediocre,but how he resolves to solve both is amazing and he even from the start you know he's going downhill.Still the development is amazing.Arguably I can say the same for Danny who seems to be a creepy child,but becomes a little bit more likable as time goes on.Besides the idea of an imaginary guide,that's novel.Too bad Wendy [Jack's wife] is a screamy unhelpful damsel of a character,she just didn't do anything but scream.Then you have the badass,cool guy Dick Hollaran with similar abilities to Danny,a weird way of talking,and a creepy afro fetish,too bad he dies and ends up being unimportant,what a shame to.Then you have Delbert Grady who is racist ghost at hotel,but its implied he's part of the cursed hotel rather than real.True he unlocks a door,but that's more to add to horror]

Nicholson's Role: 18/20 (Maybe this is because I watched Batman first,but I found this particular work to be a little underwhelming. It seemed a bit stiff,restrained. But that's mostly when Jack Torrance is still mostly there at the beginning.He gets better and better as the movie goes on,really breaking it with the lines "It's always about Danny isn't it! Well what ABOUT WHAT I WANT!",then later there's a part where Jack literally prepares to swing an axe into a door,oh those facial expressions were priceless.The real kicker however is after he sticks his face through the hole and yells "HEEEEEEERE'S JOHNNNNNYYYYY!!!!!" with the most menacing face possible.It's genuinely frightening and entertaining_

Duvall's Role: 10/20 (Wendy was really just a backdrop between Danny and Jack overall,and honestly her acting was terrible when she was trying to be serious and confronting.I did however like her facial expressions which were by far the best part of the movie. For every truly menacing line and face by Nicholson came an attempted "frightened" reaction from Shelley Duvall.Honestly I could not stop laughing every time she made a reaction to the ax or how she was holding the baseball bat. It's enough to give her credit,but not enough to save the otherwise bad acting)

Lloyd's Role: 20/20 (Haley Joel Osment,meet your predessecor. Osment was good as Cole Sear,but he did all that in 1999,Lloyd managed a similar creepy performance in 1980.Anyway he managed to well perform both the role of Danny the creepy child with an eerie monotone and Tony. Crowning line,REDRUM. He always managed to pull of the perfect straight face and startled face when needed.Unlike Duvall)

Set: 20/20 (Great location,beautiful cinematography and you wouldn't expect all the horrors in such a mundane looking place. Nice hotel,it's just flat out beautiful)

Execution: 20/20 (It was well paced,starting off with mundane events that don't seem to add to much,then a random creepy scene like blood flowing out of any elevator,then another random scene,than a connection,and it gets creepier and creepier,until someone dies.It gets to the point that old Jack Torrance is chasing his family with ax in hand through a hedge maze,and he dies.But while it does seem to take a while,it's well built and not thrown out,the acting is alright,and it has a nice anti-climax)

Final:12/20 (Well acting and mostly well executed,but the characters really don't stand out that much,it really could be any bad dad in the same situation but Jack Nicholson was great,however I think Danny Lloyd stole the show. The real downside is the sometimes dragging scenes,the gratuitous amount of blood,and Shelley Duvalls work as Wendy which save the hilarious expressions was really just flat. For a horror fan it's a must have if you have a long attention span.Everyone else it's just watchable)

Avatar The Last Airbender Part III

Alright on to the final stretch of the series in which Aang must end the Great war between the Fire Nation and the rest of the world. If this chapter in TLA was a movie,it would be the climax like Book 1 was the beginning and Book 2 was the eventful middle.

Okay here goes nothing (If you have not seen this and would like to be suprised do not read on,the spoilers are everywhere)

Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 3: Fire (2007)

Presentation: 20/20 (Once again,same great intro with Mae Whitman taking the helm of narration along with a great montage of the four elements which at this point will always get a 20 in my eyes. Now into the beginning of Chapter 1,Aang wakes up after being defeated at the end of last season to find himself on a Fire Nation ship and everyone in Fire Nation garments and he fains thinking it was a nightmare,when he wakes he finds out he has hair! That's right the bald guy has hair.I really think that was a genius way to start off a new season after those dark and edgy events prior)

Plot: 20/20 (Sokka has devised a plan to end the war,an invasion on the Fire Nation actually during an eclipse which would render all firebenders powerless but in the meantime he along with Katara, Aang and Toph must hide within the Fire Nation. Iroh is imprisoned but has not given hope and realizes that he is destined to conquer Ba Sing Se but no in the way he thought he would. Zuko is wondering if he did the right thing back in Ba Sing Se at the end of last season and starts to wonder if he will ever receive his father's love. Once again Zuko is the second focus after Aang and company and it all comes together so nicely mid-season in which the plot shifts to which Zuko must teach Aang how to firebend before Sozin's Comet arrives and lends too much power to all firebenders.)

Characters: 20/20 (Aang is becoming even more pro-active and more determined after what happened last season to right by everyone he cares about which is such an incredible change from what he was back in Book 1. Don't get me wrong he'll probably still enjoy penguin sledding when he can but he's become the prioritizer. Katara begins to show a much darker side never really examined before and also matures a lot. Sokka becomes a warrior and skilled leader and sheds all rashness from prior books but he still maintains some of the comic relief,but he also shows a tender side. Toph goes to new level in bad-ass in fighting and pushes Sokka out of the comic relief bubble and hogs it,however we finally get a real look into her past in this book as well. Zuko switches sides entirely after having an epiphany in Chapter 9 and becomes the good guy that must redeem himself after all the horrors committed in the preceding Books. Iroh is absent for most of the this section but he is still a mentor figure to Zuko. Azula is put on the side as the secondary antagonist and we see a human side to her at a few points even though she is still a cruel but darkly charismatic character. New to the crew is Fire Lord Ozai,the very demon who scarred and banished Prince Zuko and mentored Azula. He is the villain who like Azula is cunning and merciless but not as vulnerable either to being hurt. Mai becomes Zuko's love interest and plays a very pivotal role at one point,making her more than a goon with personality. Ty Lee however remains a goon. Regardless all characters undergo so much change and that is something you don't see everyday.)

Eisen's Role: 20/20 (Nothing new again,same awesome voice from before. I said his work as Aang at any point is extraordinary and I stand by tha)

Whitman's Role: 19.5/20 (She comes off as a little bit too angry at times when I don't think that was supposed to be the case,but that's barely noticeable and for the record,she's still got the perfect voice for the "motherly" character and still continues the incredible narration)

DeSena's Role: 20/20 (I've said it before and I'll say it again This guy might very well have the coolest and creepiest range of voice pitch,I mean seriously one minute Sokka has the gruffest,most boastful and gusto voice you'd expect from the macho guy he is, but then.....KAZAAM his voice cracks and he's got the most adorable voice when crying at the same time. Sometimes it's the perfect dull other times he's got the most exaggerated reaction to something as simple as "an elbow leach" lets say,this fits incredibly well with Sokka as a character. That can be attributed by a rumor that Jack DeSena actually improvised on the first episode and made him the melodramatic comic relief he his when originally he was going to be much more serious.And that fine print still stands)

Basco's Role: 20/20 (Still great voice,and that tone change I mentioned earlier is even more dramatic and really does wonders to balance out the loudness that is Sokka. I'll never forget how he said "that's rough buddy" to Sokka after they talk about lost girlfriends. No other person could've made that sound so cool and that's what I like about Basco's voice)

Baldwin's Role: 18/20 (He's impressive and really gets into character,but Mako's work in prior seasons is just too hard of an act to follow,for one he lacks the sweet voice Mako could generate when Iroh wanted to relax. However he's fantastic at the lecturing and angry side of Iroh. This switch reminds me of when Michael Gambon replaced Richard Harris as Dumbledore that while Harris was too hard to follow and certainly superior in acting,Gambon brought in a new interpretation. Well same with Greg Baldwin who gave Iroh a more aggressive edge.But Mako's work will always have a place in my heart,may he rest in peace)

Flower's Role: 20/20 (Once again,Flower never ceases to amaze in her work as Toph. Same perfect tough girl voice and now officially one of the coolest laughs too)

DeLisle's Role: 20/20 (Still got the perfect voice of evil that is Azula,but in this book Azula must also have a hard time at regular social life and have a breakdown. On both counts DeLisle is fantastic from the awkward laugh to how she sees everything as an act of war Ex: " Your so good-looking,....your looks could sink a Fire Navy battleship,....that's how sharp you look")

Leigh's Role: 20/20 (Now that Mai has become a more important character,I thought it best to mention her voice actor Cricket Leigh who did a great job at the emo girl that had a secret.Considering Mai has to have a monotone voice,she did a lot to make you feel sorry for her in a way not unlike how Dante Basco did Prince Zuko)

Hamill's Role: 20/20 (At last Luke Skywalker manifests himself unto this crew,except this time he ain't fightin' an emperor that shoots lightning,he is the emperor that shoots lightning.He still manages to capture the evil laughs he excelled at as The Joker and add a very spine-tingling voice as well.Mark Hamill as usual does not disappoint)

Pictures: 20/20 (Even farther improved in this season than before,everything is so well rendered like the colorful flames in Chapter 13, Aang's tattoos, and the stage effects in Chapter 17.But then just when you think it can't get any better,they really go all out in the finale. The battle is so good looking,the water effects are stunning. This show feeds the eyes well before the mind)

Execution: 20/20 (Every episode was perfectly placed. The direction is fantastic once again and the events unfold so well. For example the very end of the series has a well placed dose of deux es machina in which Aang does not kill Ozai after a magnificently done battle,but instead finds a way to strip him of his firebedning.Had Aang killed Ozai he would've compromised his principles. Before the grandiose finale is an episode that is incredibly campy episode in which the Gaang goes to a play based on their adventures but it's horribly potrayed. All in all it's done to prep for the end. Then end is a happy ending yes but's very well written and you've been waiting for it the whole time and it's not forced either which is something few shows are like. Most end because the network tells them to,these guys naturally had one ready)

Final:19/20 (First off all I preferred Book 2's darker premise and I miss Mako's work as Iroh and in both regards,this Book will never be as good as the previous Books. However it's still incredibly executed, the picture quality has increased,and the fun factor never wavers and the dialogue is extraordinary. This truly is the climax if all 3 seasons were a film)

Avatar The Last Airbender Part II

Now that I have the entire of Book 2 w/Book 1 and I have had a week to watch all 20 Chapters in this ever so exciting saga that just feels more like one long movie than your average run-of-the-mill cartoon. As such I have labeled it as a movie

For those who have either watched the "film" or show or have read the preceding review will know that Book 2 continues right where Book 1 left off in which Aang, Sokka, and Katara have left the North Pole from which a battle took place and are now headed to The Earth Kingdom to help Aang find a master to teach him Earthbending.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Book 2: Earth (2006)

Presentation: 20/20 (The season starts off with [minus the intro with Mae Whitman's great voice and bad-ass display of the bending arts] the gang leaving the North Pole into the Earth Kingdom with Aang and Katara receiving gifts and Sokka once again just getting the "treat them with respect lecture" which ya' know what,it made me micro chuckle. After that subtly humorous part,we see Aang have a nightmare in which he is against himself in the Avatar State which as anyone who watched book 1 would know is very terrifying. Anyway I think it's a very good way to start the new Book)

Plot: 20/20 (Our ever so powerful friend has learned Waterbending and has now set off to find a master to teach him Earthbending with faithful friends Katara and Sokka,once they do find an Earthbending teacher,the Gaang must get to Ba Sing Se,the Earth Kingdom capital in order to tell the Earth King of the one way to conquer the Fire Nation [who started the war] and end the war. Meanwhile Princess Azula [sister of our banished and tormented Prince Zuko] has been sent out on a mission to capture The Avatar along with Prince Zuko and Iroh [who are deemed by Fire Lord Ozai as failures for not capturing The Avatar]. Zuko and Iroh know this and as such are trying to hide within the Earth Kingdom during which Prince Zuko begins to question everything he was taught.)

Characters: 20/20 (There are now 4 new characters to the series,all of them female,but before I get to them,I'll start off with the familiar Gaang and the "villains". Aang is no longer quite as flighty as he used to be,he's much more proactive and willing to do what's necessary but he's still very adamant about not killing people,thankfully he's still the same lovable goofball from the iceberg just a little more matured. Katara is still the same strong-willed character from before but she shows a softer side a little more than last Book. Sokka is no longer the victim of snot monsters or heartbreak [though he does fall into a fissure one chapter] and he becomes the leader for the group and retains the comic relief. On that note comes a new character to the team who is blind. Her name is Toph and she just as brutal as the Earth she bends so well as such Aang picks her to teach him the ways of Earthbending [curiously enough she's also one of the few characters with a surname] and you know what? She can KICK ASSSSSSS while bringin' out the one-liners [somethin' Sokka just can't do. Next you have Prince Zuko who is considered a failure by the Fire Nation and thus is supposed to be rounded up by villainess Princess Azula and thus is forced into hiding which I argue forced him to start looking at things differently and ultimately decide for himself to act not be acted upon [Book 1] so he's an anti-Hero with a troubled past. Iroh reprises his role as the mentor/father figure but he to shows a level of bad-ass never seen before when he takes out a huge team of elite Earthbenders in a few seconds,but he's also a character you just want to give a hug as well. Now that Zuko and Iroh are no longer the antagonists, a new trio are introduced.First you have Princess Azula [I've mentioned her a few times now without much explanation for that I'm sorry] who is THE PERFECT VILLAIN she's inspirational,ruthless,cunning,and skilled and you can't sympathize with her,it's fantastic! Her sidekicks [also girls] are Ty Lee [who is a complete ditz in a way not too much unlike Numbuh 3 {Kids Next Door} or Daphne Blake {Scooby Doo}but incredibly acrobatic and nimble to the point that she can take out 6 people with a few jabs] and Mai [a skilled knife thrower with a very dull,cynical personality. She is like the "IMO/Goth" of the series] who are henchman are very complex despite being goons which is something I love seeing once in a while. Ever character just gets so much cooler and complex as time goes on.)

Eisen's Role: 20/20 (Nothing new here whatsoever,nor does there need to be.I've said what I've wanted to say about his work in the last review. Don't worry his work is still just as impressive and it's hard to follow an act like that let alone top it)

Whitman's Role: 20/20 (Nothing changes once again,she still continues with that incredible narration at the beginning that few can compete with. Still continues to embody Katara in all ways possible)

DeSena's Role: 20/20 (Same great voice change to fit all the great and terrible things that Sokka must undergo)

Basco's Role:20/20 (No longer are there any parts where Basco is to stiff when he shouldn't be. Now he has added another voice to Zuko which makes sense because Zuko himself is undergoing great morality changes throughout this section. He has a much more uplifting tone now but still has the tormented quietness from the first Book.)

Mako's Role: 20/20 (Once again still the great wise man voice that you could believe to be intimidating and at one point Iroh does berate Zuko and this guy pulls that part off well [watch Chapter 17 to see what I mean].Still just as amusing as it used to be. His voice for sad Iroh really makes you want to hug the character [that's alot comin' from a guy who hates being touched].It's so sad he died before Book 3)

Flower's Role: 20/20 (Jessie Flower did in fact voice a one chapter character before and she did great on it [watch Book 1,Chapter 14].Flower returns as the voice of newcomer Toph Bei Fong with her ever so sarcastic,jocky,and brutally honest character. I just love how she pulls off all those insults Toph throws. Make no mistake Toph does have her share of soft and embarrassing moments and Flower still excels at those. Because of the inclusion of Toph and her excellent voice-acting,Book 1 no longer feels complete to me)

DeLisle's Role: 20/20 (Legendary voice-actress Grey DeLisle joins the Avatar gang as the villainess Azula,and well she's got the perfect voice for someone that sadistic. I just love how she says "Zuzu" or how she can make you think Azula is actually being sincere for a split second only to then to do something horrible. Once again DeLisle nails a role)

Pictures: 20/20 (The animation is even better than before,some things were done that I thought I could never see in anime. Those artists really figured out how to make you believe Toph was blind before even saying she was. The green crystals and fire were spectacular)

Execution: 20/20 (Great direction once again,I just love how it actually got darker and edgier and how the ending was in fact a downer.I'm sorry but things have to get bad before they get good and besides you happy ending people got your ending last Book. There were great chase scenes this time around and the battle scenes were made even more epic. But once again it wasn't all action the tender,sad moments return like when Sokka looks at the moon or when Aang looses Appa for the first time.I'd spoil more but then you might not watch it/watch it again)

Final: 20/20 (The greatness continues only this time deeper and darker along with some new characters.This definitely feels like a 10 hour movie rather than a kids show but it still has great slapstick humor.)

Okay it's official I've found a place where I can watch M. Night Shymalayan's hack of a movie and adaptation without wasting my good money but first I must finish Psych Season 4, Start Psych season 5,and finish Avatar Book 3 so can I commence Part 3 in which Aang must prepare to face the Fire Lord and end the war that has plagued the world for 100 years.

Uber Psycho Tom is signing off.

Avatar The Last Airbender Part I

Alas I Uber Psycho Tom have returned because one of my favorite shows has been assaulted by one director named M. Night Shymalayan (I purposely misspelled it because he couldn't bother to correct the lead actor's pronunciations of the main characters and besides now it sounds cooler) who strangely actually directed The Sixth Sense (which I should put on my Top List along with Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho [Happy 50th birthday Psycho :).]) and Unbreakable and I even enjoyed little known B movie The Happening.

Now I have not in fact seen The Last Airbender at all but I've heard enough negative things about it to know it can't be good along with the fact that live action attempts before almost always fail with few exceptions.

As such I will review the first season of Avatar altogether as if it were a 10 hour film becuase it does at times feel that way and for those who might be reading this,they need to know that that film isn't what Avatar is about and it is bad representation,and for fans who might catch this to restore hope.

Since Shymalayan's attempt focuses on the first season,I will review the original source so hear goes nothing.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Book One: Water (2005)

Presentation: 20/20 (The very first 5 seconds have a montage of 4 people using martial arts to bend the four elements being Water,Earth,Fire, and Air and how they all lived peacefully until the Fire Nation decided to take over the world and that only guy called The Avatar who has the power to master all four of the elements can stop them. It then comes down to that this "Avatar" has returned after beliefs of having vanished but he is only 12 years old and only knows airbending. Also we don't meet him while a journey is happening or by any reqeust. it's just a teenage girl and her brother have an argument and her anger causes the iceberg he [The Avatar] is frozen in for 100 years to crack. This is a lot to take in in a block of text like this I know but I assure you the presentation is incredible and a long way away from all the cliches you'd think there would be)

Plot: 20/20 (So basically like I said above everyone lived in peace until the Fire Nation [specifically Fire Lord Sozin] used a comet which increases their bending power to start a war against all the other nations in hopes of controlling the world and in doing so killed off all of the Air Nomads except Aang the Avatar who ended up in an iceberg for 100 years thus escaping death. He is freed unintentionally by two Southern Water Tribes teenagers named Katara and Sokka. Aang is supposed to save the world with his mastery of the four elements and connections with the spirit world. Problem is he barely learned he was The Avatar before becoming frozen and thus only knows airbending. Katara is the only waterbender in the South Pole and she barely knows how to control what she knows. So Aang and Katara must journey to the otherside of the world where the Northern Water Tribe is so they can both learn how to waterbend. Sokka promised he would take care of Katara to his father as such he to has to come along on the trek to other side. On the other side of things Zuko the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation was banished by his father and the only allowed to return if he captures The Avatar thus he must follow them to North Pole)

Characters: 19.5/20 (I love all the characters all with such unique personalities. Katara is a strong-willed and courageous girl on a quest to get Aang to the North Pole and further perfect her waterbending skills,but she is tormented by grief and becomes the "mother figure" of the group which also extends to others she sees in trouble. But this leads her to be self-righteous at times. Unfortunately she can also comes off as bossy. Aang is slacking,fun-loving,peaceful,and at first innocent guy shouldered with greatest responsibility one could ever get.He does not resort to violence and will not kill anyone unless they do something incredibly grievious to those he cares about. The third contender to the Avatar Gang is Sokka, Katara's older brother who has no bending abilities at all. He instead relies on trying to be the greatest warrior he can be and as such is naturally adept at carrying out and planning important things and using important assets to the best they can. Ironically he doesn't end up in the heat of battle and gets captured. He also serves as the incredibly good comic relief with all the puns and complaints and how he handles the ladies [Ex: Suki in Chapter 4]. He's the one who will mostly likely end up in a monkey trap or covered in gruel. On the villains side of things you Zuko is tormented by his banishment and imprisoned by his desire to regain his honor by capturing the Avatar but he isn't purely just after the avatar he does care about his Uncle Iroh and is going through a lot of changes. He is a skilled fighter in both firebending and swords. Iroh acts like his mentor who has a slightly humorous edge but is mostly just wised and obsessed with tea and Pai-Sho.)

Eisen's Role: 20/20 (Great work,incredible. He's got the perfect tone for being the cute innocent kid,but he also can sound threatening which is just like what Aang is. Usually peaceful,devilish and innocent but intimidating when in The Avatar State)

Whitman's Role: 20/20 (The first voice you hear every epsiode watched,she did a fantastic job as a narrator and as a sensitive,empathetic but very ambitious character. Very good at being the "hell hath no fury" character and laid back character that makes Katara,Katara which from what I hear Nicola Peltz did not do.)

DeSena's Role: 20/20 (This guy might very well have the coolest and creepiest range of voice pitch,I mean seriously one minute Sokka has the gruffest,most boastful and gusto voice you'd expect from the macho guy he is, but then.....KAZAAM his voice cracks and he's got the most adorable voice when crying at the same time. Sometimes it's the perfect dull other times he's got the most exaggerated reaction to something as simple as "an elbow leach" lets say,this fits incredibly well with Sokka as a character. That can be attributed by a rumor that Jack DeSena actually improvised on the first episode and made him the melodramatic comic relief he his when originally he was going to be much more serious. Partially creating one of the coolest characters in all of cartoon-dom,I should give the guy a 21,but that's not fair now is it)

Basco's Role: 19.5/20 (There were a few spots where his voice was just too stiff that it came off as a bit wooden.Still for a guy with only one reason to live,for the most part Basco's dead serious tone definitely works well and certainly does wonders to balance out all the facepalm moments with Sokka,or when Aang gets to cutesy,or Katara feels to self-righteous. Also it adds humor to lines that would otherwise feel corny like say "Well,aren't you a big girl now")

Mako's Role: 20/20 (This is the guy who does Iroh. And,...he FANTASTIC at it. He's got the perfect voice for an old relaxed guy but also believably intimidating which Iroh is. In fact he was one of the greatest Fire Nation generals at one point and still has those skills [Alright I spoiled that part but you'll have to find out the rest]. His voice might be the most fun voice in the series to try to imitate[and fail terribly at] between all those "proverbs" with Zuko,or when he's talking about tea or being Zuko's father figure)

Pictures: 20/20 (I just love how everything is so well rendered from the suspended animation used for the iceberg to how all the fight scenes are so well done, Katara's hair "loopies" look great as they wave. All the locations are incredibly attractive and even the more tender parts aren't choppy. Zuko's scar is really creepy and the color choice for Aang's tattoos are just marvelous. I don't think I've seen a cartoon that's looked so good in so long [Batman Beyond comes to mind on that one and that was 6 years prior])

Execution 20/20 (Every episode was well directed and everything came to together so well and at the same time,there were pockets of laughs in between like the Cabbage Merchant who always gets his cart destroyed or when Sokka becomes a victim to the tiniest things. I just love how Katara always got so angry when someone wronged her and how the first time it actually caused Aang to be free or how Katara can always manage to keep everyone in an alright mood,especially Aang when he finds out his people were completely killed off and he goes into a horrible state destroying everything and yet she did it. That being my point of how well written the relationship between Aang and Katara really was. Also the conclusion is much like Romeo and Juliet in the sense that Sokka fell in love with someone who was to be married and then this person had to sacrifice her life to restore the natural balance of the world. On top of that was the most epic fight scene where Aang joins with The Ocean Spirit and wipes out an entire navy. There are plenty more great scenes in the series but that one scene is is like what we were waiting for for a long time.While there are 20 episodes,18 lead up to one massive battle with tender parts in a way not to different from how The Chronicles of Narnia was done. And what's more it's all clear and I really don't want to give away any more than I already have except there are no visually confusing parts and despite being about war that looks like one they can't lose,they still manage to have a good time. I wish I could do that)

Final: 20/20 (Great characters that work well for a cartoon and a movie,it was written in a way that it feels like the greatest 10 hour movie rather than a simple show with incredibly complex characters,great execution,attractive locations,great voice acting and deep thinking while maintaining slapstick humor to keep children entertained.I'm glad it managed to be as good at the last 5 seconds as it did with the very first 5 seconds with those clips displaying what air,earth,water,and firebending look like.)

I look forward to reviewing part II which covers their adventures in The Earth Kingdom in which Aang journeys to find an Earthbeding teacher

Batman and Dark Knight

Well since I got Dark Knight for my birthday I finally watched Batman89 and Dark Knight and rewatched Batman Begins [might go into detail a bit more now].Why did I wait? Mostly because both of them have Jokers,both were great phenomenon's for their time and both had dark themes.

So first off I think I'll do the innovative,slight misnomer,humorous,dark and slightly cheesy.......

Batman (1989)

Presentation: 20/20 (Now this is the kind of beginning a movie should have,ok ok the very first scene with a family trying to get around is a bit boring but you don't have to wait to long for Batman to arrive and kick butt in style)

Plot: 20/20 (Ok so basically Gotham is a hell on earth practically in the hands of Carl Grissom,his second-in command Jack Napier pisses Grissom off to the point that he sets up the poor guy.Batman gets in a fight with Jack and co. [after being set up] and it results in Jack falling into a vat of acid thus mutating into a white skinned green haired human. Seeing his reflection he loses his last bit of sanity and calls himself The Joker.Upon becoming Joker,he decides to massacre off the whole town with gas and defeat Batman. On a side story Bruce wayne is trying to get into a relationship but dual identities and torment makes things hard. I just love the sound of that for some odd reason,it's a bit sketchy I suppose but it's still really good)

Characters: 17/20 (All characters feel a little underdeveloped which is a problem.I mean really how did Batman become Batman? I did like the idea of a tormented hero who doesn't truly enjoy doing what he does.The villain is really good,good humor,and almost the perfect mix of killer and clown [The Joker is supposed to be about both but most are too much one or another]. The best chracter initially to me is the reporter guy who has a crush on the love interest,this character is the comic relief in a sense when The Joker gets too over-the top and when the others are too serious.The love interest was a real good character at the beginning but became a cliche damsel-in-distress. Harvey Dent was cool,but he was too underdeveloped)

Keaton's Role: 18/20 (He makes a great Batman,easily the best Batman you could've asked for,then came Batman Begins. Regardless I favor Keaton's voice which is intimidating and understandable,but he didn't have the best script which put a damper on things. As Bruce Wayne he was good at being assertive and good at the wise cracks but he didn't have the obnoxious aura Val Kilmer or Christian Bale would later portray plus he came off as a bit too sad at the same time)

Nicholson's Role: 20/20 (The first time I saw him I couldn't stop laughing,he put out his character greatly,how he delivered the lines,to me Jack Nicholson was and is THE JOKER.Plus he gave The Joker a random twist I mean how many villains would say something like "Did you ever dance with the devil in the pale of the moonlight?" or "Never rub another man's Rhubarb".Keaton was good but like most people out ther I am of the opinion that Nicholson stole the show)

Basinger's Role: 16/20 (At times I felt Basinger didn't deliver the lines right and came off as self-righteous but all the same she was supposed to play the average woman dealing witha boyfriend with some issues frankly I'm gonna have to cut her a little slack)

William's Role: 18/20 (So what if Harvey Dent is supposed to be white,I liked this potrayal of a naive DA just trying to what's right and not stir too much controversy. Considering he was hardly in any scenes his potrayal was good. They should've let him be Two Face in Batman Returns instead of adding that useless 3rd villain Max Schreck or kept him into the Schumacher series so we wouldn't be stuck with Tommy Lee Jone's sorry mistake)

Set: 14/20 (Could've been a bit better but it looked a lot like how I'd picture Gotham,still the shape of some of those building were ridiculuos namely Axis Chemicals plant. I loved the Wayne Manor and the art museum was beautiful)

Execution: 18/20 (Everything fell into place perfectly except 2 things. The first gripe, why the heck do we not get an idea of how Batman became Batman,all we see is one flashback in which we see Jack Napier as a young man kill Bruce's parents in cold blood.I'm all for the idea of using flashbacks to piece together these things but come on how can you piece together how Batman becmae Batman if you only have one short flashback? The other gripe is at the very end when Joker falls to his death? First of all there really wasn't a reason for him to die,next it made Batman a killer avenging his parents which in a way defeats the purpose of Batman.)

Final: 18/20 (Good film,great promise,a joy to watch but the character's could've been better developed.Some argue that the film is more interested in Joker but I'd say they were all a little bit too underdeveloped.Harvey Dent should've either had more to do or not have been in the film. Either way most watch this for Joker,Joker is hilarious and scray. If only we knew more about Batman that would make this film the best Batman.Before Batman Begins there wasn't a betterfilm in the series,sure Batman66 was ok but it wasn't the same)

19 years later we get a huge budget film,with lots of controversy,lots of explosions,and considered one of the best films of all time but is it truly?

The Dark Knight

Presentation: 20/20 (The film begins with a real bizarre bank robbery in which the perpetrators have clown masks and are tricked into killing each other off,then we have Batman taking out Scarecrow and 2 fake Batman's which I thought was intersting.These scenes set me up for an "Oh this is gonna be good" feeling)

Plot: 20/20 (Basically you have a tormented hero ready to give up the throne to a regular hard nosed DA called Harvey Dent who has become the "White Knight" of Gotham but then this robber called The Joker sets up shop in Gotham and starts to manipulate people's minds and scare them causing chaos [The mob included].Throughout the film Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and Harvey Dent make an alliance to clean up crime and stop the wily Joker.Ultimately this should make this a great film but did it?)

Characters: 12/20 (I didn't like any of the characters at all,but at least theyw ere well developed and worked well with the movie. Batman seemed more like a villain causing all the problems in the first place. Joker was more killer and blasphemous than clown sure he had some jokes but they were far and few. Two Face was too much like a cry baby but Harvey Dent was a really good character in this mold.The one love interest was a bit too spineless for my liking )

Bale's Role: 2/20 (He potrayed Batman more as a twisted vigilante destroying, spying, and beating the crap out of anything in the way just to kill Joker rather than that hero trying to be an ideal that can't be corrupted. It truly wasn't until the end with the ferries did I realize which side he was on. As Bruce Wayne Bale while not as good as his work in Batman Begins is still somewhat respectable.He came off as a bit of a wuss giving up when the going got too tough but oh well. Either way George Clooney's Batman was much more enjoyable than what Bale did in this film)

Ledger's Role: 14/20 (Everybody is like OMG! He so awesome,BEST JOKER ever! and all that good stuff.But really he wasn't that good. He did well with the horror,creepy,chaotic and manipulative side of Joker but he did too much talking and not enough action.He wasn't funny and honestly I really think Ledger could've done better {I don't care if he lived in isolaion to do this role,I don't care he still didn't cut it].He came off more as a blasphemous guy in make up playing destructive pranks rather than someone I can take seriously.But he delivered the lines really well.)

Eckhart's Role: 20/20 (I know Ledger was supposed to be the star of the show,but I was more impressed with Eckhart.His Harvey Dent was incredible,I didn't think when I looked on screen "OOOh look there's Aaron Eckhart" no,he fit into character really well.His Two Face came off a little bit too much like cry baby killing off anyone who knew his girlfriend with the flip of a coin)

Oldman's Role: 20/20 (This is what Comissioner Gordon should've been about back in 1989,instead he's a fat shlub who's completely incompetent and only actually does something in one scene.He is the perfect stressed policeman trying to keep things in order not only with joker's antics but inside the departent as well.I might add the score for him in my Begins review down the road. Either way his work was stunning)

Set: 15/20 (Really high budget set but waaaay too over the top for Gotham City,it was clearer than Begins,but I think Begins had the closest interpretation. The lack of Wayne Manor and Batcave were huge bothers)

Execution: 16/20 (Despite being great,it wasn't genious. Joker's plan was too unbelievable,I really think Batman should've sent the Batcycle at The Joker but got off thus making a " I'm not gonna kill you,but it's up to you to live or die" moment,instead of swirving around.Two Face didn't get enough screen time and it's hardly believable that Batman could survive a great fall but Two Face not.It reminds me a lot of Joker's death in Batman89. In truth I think the film should've ended at Harvey Dent getting his face burned thus making for a good 3rd film instead of making ways for it to be longer. With those minor problems everything else fell quite well into place)

Final: 15/20 (This should've been the best film like suggested but the director went in too many directions,overspent,and ruined Batman.If it wasn't for Christian bale this could've been the best movie. The execution was sketchy but not that bad.Overall I'd say in the end it was Aaron Eckhart that stolethe show rather than Heath Ledger)

The Other Batman Set : Batman Returns-Batman and Robin

About a year ago (and a few months) I reviewed Batman Begins which I loved (I gave it 19/20) but at the time I did not know of any other films [I vaguely knew of Batman and Robin after seeing bits of it]. Now I have seen all the Batman films from the very first Batman in 1966 to The Dark Knight [only saw a bits of Batman 66 off of Youtube so I won't give it a review]

To be honest Batman is the only superhero I could get into so these are the only superhero themed movie reviews you will see all the same I think I'll wait to review Batman89 til' I get The Dark Knight for my birthday because they are so alike and Batman66 when I get the thing on DVD (if that ever happens)

Aww but enough of this time start the New Year off with a review

Batman Returns (1992)

Presentation: 16/20 (I loved the dark beginning with a rich couple dropping their deformed baby into a creek,but at the same time it came off as unrealistic and dark just for being dark with no real 411)

Plot: 12/20 (This is one of the worst aspects of the film,basically that deformed baby I mentioned earlier has grown up into a monster everybody calls The Penguin and he is trying to at first figure out what he can do in Gotham City,steal everybody's babies in revenge for his own fate,then run for mayor as a diversion.I'm all for the first bit but the rest is hairbrained and makes little sense. Then you have a nice timid secretary named Selina Kyle working for a huge tycoon who reads the wrong file and gets pushed out a window to what should've been her death.Jealous of all the attention Batman gets she goes to Penguin for help but at the same time she wants vengeance on her boss for atempted murder.After that she's doing random stuff. The "3rd villain" is the big tycoon simply trying to build a plant that will make him rich while stealing from everyone else. Over all that Batman is simply trying to keep peace. My gripe with all this is,it's too much to follow and makes little sense but it's still intriging)

Characters: 17/20 (I liked the characters especially Catwoman/Selina Kyle. What all the plans weren't realistic the characters [other than Penguin] were.I liked the whole Selina Kyle + Bruce Wayne thing and how it quarreled with the Batman vs Catwoman thing.The Penguin was enjoyable anyway even if he wasn't believable. I didn't like Max Shreck at all though he's too much like a real world tycoon for my liking and he came off as lackluster)

Keaton's Role: 19/20 (He plays Batman,who continues the idea of a tormented vigilante doing what he does only because he feels guilty over his parents death.But in this film he is the voice of reason and still tormented but only this time between trying to start something with Selina Kyle and deal with Catwoman. Not quite as good as Bale in Batman Begins as Batman or Bruce Wayne I felt his Bruce was too assertive and calm but his Bruce was fun to watch anyway)

Pfeiffer's Role: 20/20 (She plays the madly in love Selina Kyle and the vindictive,fiery tempered and wild Catwoman.Some say she comes off as too sexual but honestly I liked how she did her role. She's good at switching emotions)

De Vitos Role: 14/20 (He was good at being the complete maniac Penguin is supposed to be,he seemed perfectly gruesome,but of course he's the star of the show.The real problem was he was a little bit too disgusting and he kept making annoying grunts.I get that he's deformed and raised by penguins but nonetheless)

Walken's Role: 11/20 (I didn't like Shreck to begin with and while I'm all for subtle villainy,I think went too subtle. He made Max Shreck look like a somewhat clueless oaf and didn't seem threatning more like a bother.He redeemed himself at the end when his character shot at Selina Kyle 4 times)

Set:12/20 (The set was horribly mediocre, Gotham looked really weird it didn't look like a city, it looked liked it was in a studio)

Execution: 20/20 (In spite of a few acting flaws and odd plots,everything fell into place perfectly and unlike Batman89,the main villains death made sense.)

Final: 16/20 (This could've been one of the best films ever unfortunatley the director went too far with the main villain and not far enough with another and the plot could've been less complex and hairbrained.If only this film focused a bit more on the whole Selina Kyle+Bruce Wayne and Batman vs Catwoman conflict and less of The Penguin)

After Batman Returns the director was dropped for someone who would make the next film a little bit more kid friendly and a little less grotesque and sexual. Unfortunately the later wasn't dropped. One thing that bothers me most about this one is the title I mean Batman Forever that's confusing and doesn't make an ounce of sense.

Batman Forever (1995)

Presentation: 8/20 (I was not impressed with the beginning one bit which starts off with Two Face taking over a bank the problem now I'd be fine with that if it wasn't for the lack of action and stupid dialogue that no kid would catch [ok fine I wouldn't ctach the important part at age 5 I'd just repeat "Why,Why,Why,WHY???? Luck blind, stupid, simple, doo-dah,clueless LUCK !!!!" without getting the important part] and I didn't like Batman's reaction much either.The tone changed from dark and gothic to campy and colorful. I easily prefer dark over campy but hey if the jokes are good and if well executed I'll be fine.Sadly this movie did not presen itself as the good kind of campy)

Plot: 5/20 (Unimpressed with the plot.Ok so basically 2 years after Harvey Dent became Two Face he robs a bank with Batman trying thwarting him.Meanwhile one employee at Bruce Wayne Industires is tampering with brain waves.So Two Face raids a circus killing off Dick Grayson's family which plants the seed for Dick Grayson to become Robin [their trapeeze ropes are cut and since they don't have safety net,they fall to their deaths] and inspiring this employee to become a villain who names himself The Riddler.After The Riddler becomes a villain he teams up with Two Face to take out Batman and get his brain wave invention into everybodies homes in order to become more and more intelligent. Not only is this waaay to complex,but it isn't intriging and doesn't show any promise plus the whole idea of a brain waave device as the most important item?)

Characters: 10/20 (I liked change in Bruce Wayne from being sort of mentally unstable without Batman to still assertive but a bit more emotional. The Riddler was a fun idea even if his plans were ridiculous.The idea of a tormented Dick Grayson really worked out,I think the new director took que from Batman89 and Batman Returns idea of Batman/Bruce Wayne.So far the roster looks promising but then comes this joke of a Two Face who doesn't look like he's been scarred more like he's a crazy lunatic wearing red make up.The final nail in the coffin is the love interest who is unbelievably inhuman who would fall for Batman over a man who isn't dressed. Most people would be intimidated by Batman rather than fall in love although if well executed it might be ok)

Kilmer's Role: 17/20 (He really improves a lot upon the Bruce Wayne persona like I said earlier.It really shows in one scene where he is talking to Dick Grayson about how he understand the pain Dick is going through.He's not the selfish obnoxious Bruce we see in Batman Begins and Dark Knight but he's a push in the right direction)

Jones' Role: 0/20 (His character he's supposed to play looks like he's wearing make up with a bad suit unfortunately he potrays Two Face just like the make up he wears,which is a gibberish speaking,idiotic,gun happy clown with a "burned" face. After the beginning he went from aperhaps threatning to a "WHAT THE HECK IS DOING?!?" character)

Carrey's Role: 14/20 (At times Jim Carrey sounded and acted just like what Edward Nygma and The Riddler would do which was great. But at other times he was walking goofy,referencing Ace Ventura,and pulling the crotch.Oh well the comic relief from this side is actually fun to watch [except the crotch pulling part of course] unlike Tommy Lee Jones' Two Face)

O'Donnell's Role: 9/20 (With the exception of 2 scenes he came off as whiny wuss who couldn't get a grip which gets on my nerves. Still in one scene in which he is Robin,he makes a nice campy character that is fun to watch when he says "HOLY RUSTED METAL BATMAN".The other scene is when he talks to Bruce about becoming a sidekick after discovering his guardians double life.A shame most of his scenes weren't so beautiful)

Kidman's Role: 0/20 (She came off more as creepy than beautiful.I already thought she had problems after seeing all those Batman posters in her office and her reaction to discovering Bruce's identity is what really drove me crazy)

Set: 12/20 (Unlike Returns,with the exception of a few skyscrapers and Nygma island the set used for Gotham looks more like a city but unfortunately the Wayne Manor looks hideous and most areas were unbelievably green.)

Execution: 4/20 (The plot was not well carried out at all,Two Face agreeing to do something so ridiculous with a coin flip? He should've decided between killing Riddler or beating the crap out of him sure it would be nice to know Batman's identity but it favors Riddler waaay to much. And there's no way Alfred would just let them in if they knocked,besides there's no way a small face cover would jide there identity. How the villains were defeated was the lamest part I mean really Two Face died looking for coin? REALLY? Plus the romance portion didn't work out either)

Final: 8/20 (The movie had promise once it got to the part where Two face raids the circus and kills the Graysons.I really liked Val Kilmer's work and Jim Carrey was good for laughs but everyone else falt out sucked.Chris O'Donnell could've been good if he changed his tone just a little bit and did more things as Robin. Nicole Kidman was useless and unecessary in this movie.It's a shame this movie depended more on the actors [who were half baked at their characters] than on the plot which horribly wrong.I know it was supposed to be a kids movie but there's no way a kid would even stand a villain that looks like Jone's Two Face.Two Face is too ridculous for anyone over 10 and too creepy for those under 10.I like the effort of moving from dark to campy but c'mon at least try to make some sense and not try and fail to make us laugh. The title really works with the plot though)

And then things got worse 2ears later when in another fiend was released......

Batman and Robin (1997)

Presentation: 0/20 (Lackluster doesn't begin to describe how the beginning of the movie went.Nor does stupid. At the beginning we see Batman summoning the now very ugly Batmobile and Robin then whine about wanting a car.After they leave the Batcave they go to the Art Museum where Mr. Freeze is stealing diamonds. Mr. Freeze has the ugliest suit known to man and he starts off his antics with a bad ice pun.While Mr. Freeze is making bad puns.Batman and Robin are fighting a stupid looking hockey team.This makes Batman Forever look kind of dark now.I thought that movie had a bad presentation now I've seen it all)

Plot: 16/20 (Believe it or not I actually liked the plot,it was the first real plot since Batman89 that wasn't going in too many directions.Basically Batman and co. are trying to find a cure for Alfred who is dying from a rare disease that only Mr. Freeze can cure but they also have to stop Mr. Freeze,Poison Ivy,and Bane from taking over Gotham City and turning it into a not-so winter wonderland with plants.That is exactly what a villain should do if they have that kind of power make a place that can enjoy. On top of that Robin is beginning to resent the attention Batman gets. But a plot like this needs good execution)

Characters: 0/20 (Except for Alfred,they are either undeveloped or stupid. Bruce Wayne has gone from being the assertive guy starting to develop a playboy edge with Val Kilmer last film to the bad comedian and the Batman side has gone from smart to dim-witted.Robin/Dick Grayson has lost any bit of humility and has amped up the bratty meter.Poison Ivy is creepy rather than convincing.Mr. Freeze only makes bad jokes. Batgirl is when we first meet her completely dull and undeveloped and we finish the film off and se her as still dull and undeveloped)

Clooney's Role: 1/20 (Ok while he did bomb at being Bruce Wayne he did slightly better at being Batman than Christian Bale in the latest outing. He really turned a once promsing character into a really preachy and/or bad comedian kind of character. Although I did like the 2 scenes in which he was with his girlfriend.Still if I were a Batman acting teacher I'd give him an F on his report card.But since I'm just a critic this all I can do)

O'Donnell's Role: 0/20 (He was only mostly irritating in Batman Forever but he had his moments,now he's completely irritating.He has made Robin a lot whinier than he used to be and he seems like he's about to betray Batman at any minute almost like villain in a way.I'm all for a little bit of animosity between sidekick and hero in fact I like that.It really can't always be a perfect relationship.But he didn't act out his side well at all)

Schwarzeneggar's Role: 0/20 (I never thought I'd be the one to say this but his potrayal of Mr. Freeze makes his work as Governor of California look good.His work as Mr. Freeze is completely embarrassing above all else with all those bad ice puns.I didn't think there were that many ice puns you could make.I liked the puns when I was 4 but now they look real bad.His suit is ugly and what he does eck!!!! He's not even remotely threatning. I was really hoping we'd never see a travesty like Tommy Lee Jones' Two Face again but alas we did)

Thurman's Role: 0/20 (She's more creepy than anything else. Her lines would be great if she could just get the correct facial expression.This kind of thing should be minor but in this case not so.The worst is when she is trying to flirt with somebody)

Silverstone's Role: 0/20 (The only way her potrayal could've possibly been worse was if she took lessons from Lauren Holly. She was about as dull as a character could get. The best line she said in the whole film was in fact "Suit me up Alfred" in the dull tone but nonetheless, it was still her best which is really sad.It's no wonder she got a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress)

Set: 2/20 (It looks fake and uncovincing and since when did Gotham City have so many high bridges or a huge hand? Why they didn't keep the set from Batman Forever is beyond me.On the bright side the Batcave entrance looks almost passable)

Execution: 0/20 (While there were plenty of twists none of them were for the better,when Poison Ivy entered that big crowd and everyone started fighting for her with her love toxins,Batman pulled out a credit card that there is just wrong.How the heck could any of the villains have survived the huge they made when in Batman Forever Edward Nygma killed his boss from a lower height or when in Batman89 Joker also died from a height about that high? The lamest part was how Batgirl became Batgirl. She just infiltrated the cave and Alfred just gave her a suit.Does that mean one of Alfred's old chaps could become a hero,does that mean Alfred's other niece had an equal chance to? How Robin made up with Batman felt like a bad dose of deux es machina simply to end the movie.How they even got away from the capsule that should've turned them to ice at the beginning is really ridiculous. The one well executed part was the dress up of Batgirl in which you got close ups of the butt,crotch,and boobs. But if you're gay or a straight girl that will count negatively and besides they did the same thing for the dress up Batman and Robin which has the opposite effect and they are 2 and Batgirl is one,it cancels out.The plot would've worked well had it been Christopher Nolan in charge or Tim Burton [except with Tim Burton Alfred would've died for certain].)

Final: 2/20 (This movie could've been good if the actors had better lines and the plot was better executed. Even if Schwarzneggar was dropped that would be good.Clearly you can see the director was certain all you needed to make a good Batman movie was good actors)

Other movies these actors have been in

Michael Keaton: First Daughter (2006),Beetlejuice (1988)
Michelle Pfeiffer: Hairspray (2007)
Danny DeVito: Matilda(1995)
Christopher Walken: Hairspray (2007)
Val Kilmer: Willow (1988),Prince of Egypt (1998)
Nicole Kidman: Nothing worth her performance
Chris O'Donnell: NCIS:Los Angeles
Alicia Silverstone: Clueless
Jim Carrey: Ace Ventura (1993), Liar,Liar(1997)
Tommy Lee Jones: None that I know of
Uma Thurman: See Tommy Lee Jones
Arnold Schwarzenneggar: Terminator(1980,1992, and 2003)


I'll get to Batman89 and The Dark Knight later

Newsies

I've decided to freeze all those promised ones from all those "Up Next" ones, I think I'm just gonna take requests {At least a week and see where that goes} and while I'll keep the "Up Next feature" it'll work by category rather than by what's in line

Now the one I'm doing right now is a request from Asm,this one is technically a musical but I didn't pay much attention to the songs so I honestly can't comment on that one. Like I said I watched that movie yesterday.And considering it had the dreaded D logo of cheesy fakeness it wasn't so bad.But since it based on real events I shall grade this from a movie perspective rather than as something from the actual thing

Ok enough nitty gritty and onto the real thing

Newsies

Year: 1992

Presentation: 16/20 (The movie actually started off pretty good and kept my attention,it wasn't perfect or near it,but to say it was superb would be an understatement all the same)

Plot: 12/20 (Basically Jack Kelleyleader of the newsie boys {these are the boys that sell newspapers to people and buy from the company for twice that and therefore have to sell a lot of papers to make a living,in this case they sell New York World newspapers} decides to organize a strike when the president of the paper company decides to raise the price for buying the paper to the newsies.While that's a good plot that shows promise it's just barely over modest. The plot is based on a real event and that real event lead to child labor laws so I can't be too critical however)

Characters: 20/20 (All of the characters are well developed,not one seems spineless or lacking,While David does leave some personality to be desired,he good enough besides he's supposed to be "The Brains" anyway. Little Les is a very convincing character,kind of cute {in a less hormonal way thankfully} but mostly innocent which is the real charm of this movie.The villain is just the kind of villain we need,a subtle,nastier,grim one simply putting profits before people.That's the problem with most villains,they're usually psychotic maniacs that set elaborate traps)

Bale's Role: 20/20 (Much more outstanding than his portrayal of Batman,nails his work on being the brawny smooth talker,and kept the charisma the real leader had though the real leader couldn't talk so good,but he was probably smarter)

Pullman's Role: 12/20 (He was really good at being the perfect president in Independence Day (whoops forgot to mention him),but well in this case he seems to portray his character Denton as fuity[the newspaper guy who covers the strike in an important rival paper,then helps Jack make a paper for all children],now I don't know about the real Denton but this guy seems a little to fair-weather and flaky for my likes (I'm not much for the real Denton if the real Denton was like that).But then again he also came off as helpful and willing to do the right thing)

Duvall's Role: 20/20 (He plays greedy,profits first newspaper owner Joseph Pulitzer who in the movie raised the price of the papers making it too difficult for the newsies to be able to feed themselves,he didn't actually make to much of an appearence but for what he did was great,I think he made a cameo in The Godfather as well)

Moscow's Role: 6/20 (He played "The Brains" of it all,but well he just doesn't seem much like the brains either,he seems more like that sidekick that gets in the way and never talks. He seemed to portray the quiet part of The Brains rather than of course The Brains)

Set: 12/20 (It looked old fashioned and sort of like old New York,but all the same it also looked like it could be Paris, Salzburg, or one of those cities on continental Europe.Well at least the old-fashioned part was done right)

Execution: 20/20 (Despite all the misgivings,it was still well executed,the right lines,just the right time to break out in song,all the follies were drowned out by something Kelley said)

Final: 14/20 (Not bad for a post-1970's Disney movie, not only was it well executed,but it also was close to the actual 1899 Newsboys strike.Still the acting left a few things to be be desired but hey when you need a good sleepover movie that leaves you laughing all night this my friends is a good movie.Don't expect too much if want something really boring though or if you want a movie with the most top-notch set.)

Ever After

I've seen this quite a few times with Ma' and if you think it's a regular romance chick flick,you've got it all wrong. In fact I remember one of my 7th grade teachers would always talk about this movie every last time.It didn't mean much learning of Math or anything but hey they're nice little anecdotes that lighten the dullness of class.

I apologize for my slowness,I had every intention of doing this earlier but last time I wasn't too busy or tired.Asm kicked me off to finish her stupid fanfic [alright fine I don't know if it's stupid or not but the point is it's delayed this review]

Alright enough of this ramblin' time to get to the point.

Ever After: A Cinderella Story

Year: 1998

Presentation: 18/20 (Really good presentation,albeit boring but hey few movies have really nailed the beginning)

Plot: 6/20 (The plot was completely unimpressive,but lets face it the whole Cinderella idea is the most unoriginal thing ever,more unoriginal than even fairy-tale spin-offs like Shrek or Hoodwinked)

Characters: 20/20 (The main character was extremely brave,cool,and smart and not the usual damsel in distress and the perfect wife, the prince was the perfect rebel and the perfect "hottie" and he's the clueless one but still lovable.The stepsisters are just like the regular ones well one is the other is simply next in line to slaughter.The stepmom is a much more subtle and secretive villain and quite a lot like the CEOS of Chrysler,Ford,and GM spending too much and blaming the workers and spending like she has it all.The dad we only saw for one scene but the relationship between the 2 was so strong it would make most 5 year old girls cry and captivate most others)

Barrymore's Role: 20/20 (That's right Drew Barrymore,the same Drew Barrymore who played the little Gertie in E.T. the ExtraTerrestrial and Sophie in Music and Lyrics and she totally nailed the role of this daring,intelligent,unfortunate maid who falls for the prince)

Set: 20/20 (They did a bang-up job [yes that's a good thing for those who don't what I'm saying] of filming what's supposed to be renessaince France.They did the best job with the work of the Baroness home though)

Execution: 20/20 (Fantastic,this movie has something for all people willing to look past the title and your treated to humor and romance throughout the film,but the best part was the very end wih the quote "The point gentlemen is not that they lived happily ever after,he point is they lived".Every word and actioon was well timed and nothing seemed slapped in)

Final:17/20 (There is more to it that meets the eye, a good mix of romance of humor get past the unoriginal plot and title and you're in for a treat and I really can't imagine anyone else other than Drew Barrymore playing this role)

Up Next

Chronologically: PlayStation 2,PlayStation Portable, and Atari 2600 (Consoles)
Movies: Time Bandits

Independence Day and Milk

I was originally going to post a dual-purpose review of Mozilla Firefox and Independence Day.However today I have changed my mind mostly because I saw one of the best movies ever.

I'll still do Independence Day(1996) but this time I'll add Milk(2008). No not the liquid that comes from mammary gland and boobs. Uh no,I'm talkin' about the politician who became the first openly gay politician in the entire U.S..His name Harvey Milk

Now this is the second time I'm typing this up,the first time it damn froze up on me so I had to reboot the computer.This time I'm gonna save drafts like heck to ensure that I don't have to type it all up again.Anyway onto

Independence Day

Presentation:20/20 (I love how everything starts off perfectly normal but then it intensifies with weird signals and it gets weirder and weirder til' aliens are everywhere with a plan to destroy all humankind)

Plot:20/20 (It's not really just one plot but 4 plots that converge.One plot being the President trying to boost reputation which of course happens with that speech to resist the aliens.Another is a cable guy with some social issues.Another is about a crop duster who claims to have been kidnapped by aliens 10 years ago[he was right they do exist!].Finally you have a plot about a Captain[Will Smith] who is to be married soon until those aliens land then he's forced to get back to El Toro to fight those aliens]

Characters:20/20 (I like the characters,I wish the politicians in reality were more like these ones,actually working for the people not themselves)

Smith's Role: 20/20 (He's got some of the best lines ever and this is his best,Smith is easily at his funniest,I didn't think I'd say this but this is like Smith's answer to Eddie Murphy's Beverly Hills Cop)

Set:20/20(Look at the spaceship,nuff said)

Execution:20/20 (This film would be extremely weak if poorly executed,not like some of those films that are completely cheesy but funny like Pink Panther,more like the kind that if executed just wrongly it'll be terrible such as Home Alone[I mean we all know what would happen if those booby traps didn't spring right away])

Final:20/20

At last onto the movie I finally saw and looked forward to.Oh great my foots fallen asleep,I'd better do this quick before the rest of me does.I saw this on a class field trip

MILK

Presentation:20/20 (Starts off with the arrests of gays,then Feinstein's announcement of the assassinations and then if this is a sandwhich you've basically gotten past the outer hard part of the bread and reached the inner chewiness of the bread.Then you start hitting the lettuce as it flashes back into 1970 with Milk[Sean Penn] meeting one of his partners Scott Smith[James Franco])

Plot: 20/20 (After meeting Scott Smith,they live a good life in San Francisco until Milk decides to run for Supervisor which strains there relationship.Then he runs again and he has no partner.Both times he fails,then he tries again and he suceeds.He inspired one notorious activist known as Cleve Jones and eventually became "The Mayor of Castro".After Smith leaves him he finds a new partner who eventually hangs himself after feeling ignored and mistreated. Ultimatley, he and mayor George Moscone ge shot and killed by former Supervisor Dan White. I need say no more I don't wanna give the whole thing away)

Characters:20/20 (Good characters,Jack Lira[the guy who hangs himself] was alright a bit crazy but uh whaeva', I'm a crazy guy meself.Milk was hilarious and even Dan White was alright[still shoulda' gone to jail for premeditated murder] I feel sympathy for him.This can only go as far as potrayals)

Penn's Role: 20/20 (Star of the show and obviously the right man for it,and I'm not much for him either but he managed to pull Milk of quite nicely by adding so much emotion)

Franco's Role:20/20 (Very good at being the supporting character,if only I didn't see his butt at at one point[that's probably why it's R rated])

Brolin's Role: 20/20 (He plays Dan White,I like his potrayal of White ,adds a more psycho touch to him that I didn't find when looking up Dan White on Google)

Gabreel's Role:20/20 (Though he plays dumb character Ryan in High School Musical,he also potrays Dan Nicoletta who was a young adult at this time and he worked with Milk and Smith at the Castro Camera and helped Milk with his campagin for Supervisor)

Set:20/20 (It's filmed right S.F. with one shop being redone to film the Castro Camera scenes[don't worry the gift shop is where Castro Camera was so it's appropriate])

Execution:20/20 (I love how the scenes were put together,all the lead actors did what they needed,the ending left you captive with hope despite the fact that Milk was shot at the end,you don't see him get the final wound but you see him instead looking at the opera picture then keeling over)

Final:20/20 (I prefer darker movies than this and usually a little less graphical but,without the graphical stuff you might forget Milk's sexual orientation and it's real in real life I don't like sad,gruesome endings and no one does except of course Satan.This is probably the only R rated movie I'd ever wanna watch again[ok ok Pan's Labyrinth as well))

I've seen 3 R-rated movies (My Life in Pink which was about a transgender person and was only R rated because of tha),(Pan's Labyrinth a bit violent and lotsa' cussing but fictitious so I don't care I could do without the cussing though) and now Milk.

Up Next

Chronologically: NES,SNES,and PSX (Consoles)
Movies: The Godfather (1975)

Batman Begins

I'm not a real fan of Batman,if DC Comics and Marvel comics are 2 evils,I'd pick MARVEL as the lesser.Marvel always made better comics(The Avengers suck though) but,however Marvel usually hasn't had good movie adaptation(with the exception of Spiderman that movie was good). DC has always usually had good adaptations of movies especially Batman. Eventually the Batman series of movies went down hill until it got so bad the only point to watch Batman and Robin was to hear Schwarzennegar(Better actor than governor times alot).Eventually it got so bad one director decided to change and recreate Batman into something good,the product.........


Batman Begins which was sooo good they made a sequel,THE Dark Knight.I,know,I know of the craze that's probably the first thing anyone who reads this would suggest me to review.One problem folks,I haven't seen The Dark Knight.Will this appease ya' Huh HUh,HUUUUUHHHHH?!?!?!

I came across this movie on the way up to a sledding activity in the mountains and uh yeah I liked it. WHY? Here's why

Batman Begins

Presentation: 20/20 (Good presentation,best presentation off all comic book based movies,sorry SPIDEY you out)

Plot:20/20 (Basically after going to an opera house,he sees bats and gets so scared the 2 parents decide to exit,unfortunatley they exit out into a dark ally where Joe Chill awaits to get they're money he demands they refuse,we all know who dies.Years later he gets a gun and is about to shoot and avenge his parents when a guy working for Crime Boss Carmine Falcone shoots Joe Chill.As he confronts Falcone,Falcone dismisses him. Sensing Falcone is right he seeks mentor ship in the mountains with a sinister mentor.After returning and a few events Ra's al Ghul shows up(Liam Neeson) and reveals a plot to destroy Gotham City in order to cleanse the rest of the Earth he claims to have been responsible for the London Fire and the Sacking of Rome.The plot to use crazy gas made by Dr.Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow which will go into the water supply wiping everybody out)

Characters: 18/20 ( I like the main character I just wish the real him was his non-superhero identity,his non superhero identity is a selfish, obnoxious,bratty,and spoiled jerk who has a benevolent side which is what most heroes start off as and most regular humans at that. His hero side is caring and goes out of the way to save lives.I like the villains they were excellent,Ra's al Ghul shoulda' lived longer.Rachel Dawes was good new character introduced as a childhood)

Bale's Role:20/20 (Beyond superb pretty good at being both the selfish side and the hero side,while I have to admit his Batman growl does get old,it's the dialogue that has my attention)

Neeson's Role:20/20 (Best at the part in the whole movie,seriously Bale is so overrated I'd say Neeson has a slight edge. His quiet,cold voice made my shiver like a good villain should)

Set: 20/20(Good set it looks extremely expensive,like more expensive than National Treasure expensive and National Treasure set was not cheap.The City was very much detailed and realistic)

Execution:15/20 (Leaves a bit to be desired but hey it's mostly pretty damn well executed)

Final:19/20(Good movie certainly a must watch until my eyes droop kind of movie but well it could've been executed a little better,not that I could do so)

Up Next

Movies: Independence Day(1996)
Chronologically: Wii vs Xbox 360 vs PlayStation 3 (Consoles)

The Legend of Zorro (2004)

This is of the most recent Legend of Zorro because I have not seen the others.If you like woman-knows-more-than-you-think role. Than this is the right movie.

Presentation:20/20(Excellent presentation,it showsthe Californian entrance to America as despreate and necessary)

Plot: 20/20(It is 1850 and at a voting booth a riot starts when Mr.McGivens steals the  voting box in order to prevent California from entering the union,why? Because if it does then Count Armand would have to destroy California as well because he alongs with his Knights of Aragon plan to destroy America through nitro-glycerin bottles which will go to the Southern states which want to secede the union.

Zorro gets caufght in this plot when his wife Elena divorces him and starts seeing Armand he gets suspicious and starts researching Armand thinking Elena no longer likes him,in truth Elena is double-agent working for the Pinkertons)

Bandera's Role:20/20(Basically he is supposed to play Zorro who is in a strained relationship between family and serving of the people.He's supposed to potray De la Vega as a stressed out,heroic,and fighter which he does)

Jones Role:20/20 (Best role in the whole,movie to be correct she is a double agent who must not let Zorro know she is undercover becuase their shared identity will be revealed,she is pretty good at being a woman of deception)

Sewell's Role: 12/20 (He's not good at being a French Count but certainly a worthy opponent of Zorro,he sometimes seems a little gullible and too nice much like Imelda Stuanton's potrayal of Umbridge in Harry Potter,still pretty good at looking nice but not really)

Set:19/20(Mostly perfect but  the Bear Point seen doesn't seem realistic nor does the fire when he fights Mr.McGivens's henchmen in the burning barn,but for the most part it's not to bad)

Execution:20/20 (Good execution of plot with some humor well placed,also the kid seemed a bit like his father. I liked it,the prophecy it seemed right,not to mention the smoking and drinking horse to add sprinkles to the sundae)

Final:19/20 (Mostly good movie,it's just that Sewell couldn't act out a French Count quite right)

Wild Wild West

So you think what you know what this movie is about,do you,do you?????

Most likely no,unless you've seen it like I have

Anyway basically it's about a freed-black(it takes place after the Civil War) who is a Captain named James West who while trying to hunt down his nemesis Bloodbath McGrath runs into a whore who is actually a man in digusie,a federal Marshal  name Artemus Gordon to be precise and after a few misunderstandings, President Grant assigns them to the same job putting them at odds.

Presentation:14/20(I'm sorry but the presentation seemed bizarre and out of place)

Plot:20/20 (Yes,yes by the title you'd think it was a Cowboy beat em' up,it's more like Western-meets-Sci-Fi because basically there is a lot of mechanical junk. Anyway like I said basically Capt. James West(Will Smith) is trying to hunt down Bloodbath McGrath and in the process runs into a marshal who is disguised as a whore[Artemus Gordon(Kevin Kline),after a few misunderstandings President Grant assign them the task of hunting down Arless Loveless(Kenneth Brannagh) who plots to destroy America,yet he has no legs.Among there travels they run into a prisoner trying to find her father(Salma Hayek) and uh that's about it)

Smith's Role:14/20(I've seen a few of Will Smith's movies,this is one the weakest ones,he's supposed to play a quick-hit and run-and shoot chracter,the execution is a bit off he sounds more like a gun happy,vindictive cowboy, no to mention the lack of humor,still it's not a total loss)

Kline's Role:19/20(I've seen A Fish Called Wanda and Fierce Creatures, where Kline tops it off.As a marshal of mechanical and espionage talent he plays Artemus Gordon and President Grant. Basically he's an inventor stuck with this black cowboy who uses what he sees as primitive and backwards and doesn't thnk things through.Unlike Smith he actually can be hilarious at times and he plays the part well,but it's not the top)

Brannagh's Role:20/20(Brannagh is at his best as legless,diabolical,racist Arless Loveless who plots to divide America by kidnapping the President and he is the funniest of them all I was laughing til' days end)

Hayek's Role:15/20( Fares better in my book than Smith,I haven't seen any of her other movies,she plays the damsel in distress with tricks up her sleeve and conning the 2 protagonists. But she seemed kinda useless to the plot and her haracter seemed to be an add-on)

Set:20/20(One word:Execllent)

Execution:17/20(I liked how the movie was executed,it was totally unpredictable,some of it was unpredictable for the worse,but most of I never saw coming)

Final:16/20(Recommendable I'd watch it over and over butI's missing something)

Matilda

This is post 3,the past 2 have been video game related and probably most posts will be hence the N64 part. However this blog is for reviewing all sortsa things. I think Ill review Matilda(no not the book,the movie)

So far I've reviewed:Copying Beethoven(14/20),WALLE(20/20), Mario Kart's(16-20/20) , and the Sonic ripoffs of Mario Kart(5-8/20)

Matilda the movie is of course based off of Roald Doahl's classic children's book Matilda, which is about a genius girl(played by Mara Wilson) with psychic"eye" powers who has an intrest in education and reading who is an extreme loner unapprieciated by her parents(Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman respectively) and finds her way into a school where the principal takes sadistic pleasure in abusing children(Pam Ferris as the principal) but leans how to punish those who desrve it.

Presentation:18/20
Plot:14/20(The plot coulda' been better,I prefer darker plots,but childhood sentiment wwon't let me give it lower)
Wilson's Role: 20/20(Totally nails the role as cute girl with more to her that meets the eye)
DeVito's Role: 18/20(Good and funny,but something just doesn't seem mean enough when he says his lines)
Perlman's Role:20/20(Very good at being a spoiled, rude,but imprisoned mother)
Ferris' Role:20/20(She did by far the best I wish I could give her 30/20 but I can't)
Set:11/20(It's fairly good but could be better)
Execution:20/20(They got the idea of the book perfectly)

Final:17/20