Reviews

It has been ten years since we saw our Sub-Zero Heros for the first time, and as a long-term Ice Age fan, I have experienced some ups and downs with the series. The first two movies I have really adored, especially the second one for its relaxed story and beautiful animation. But by the time they jumped the shark with the dumb addition of dinosaurs in the third film and the incoherent Christmas special (in which Christmas didn't exist), this made me loose faith in the series. Despite low expectations for this latest addition, I did opt to attend a 3D screening and I was quite surprised about how much fun I had. While Ice Age 4: Continental Drift is quiet enjoyable, its heavily flawed too.

This episode of the highly successful series see's Manny, Diego and Sid separated from the others on a sheet of ice after Scrat the saber-tooth squirrel accidentally causes Pangaea to break up with his acorn (which you've probably seen earlier in Scrat's Continental Crack-up). On the way, they find Sid's granny as a stowaway, discover a new land and come across a bunch of pirates in which Diego falls in love with one of them; a female saber-tooth called Shira. Meanwhile back at home Manny's teenage daughter Peaches finds herself in a relationship conflict with a mammoth named Ethan and a mole hog called Louis, while at the same time having to avoid the disaster caused by Scrat.

Phew! At first impression, this seems like a lot of story to get through in a 94 minute movie. However, the storytelling is all played smoothly, if predictably, but also suffers from a number of unexplained story elements like where did the pirates come from and why they became pirates in the first place. The biggest plot hole has to be the fact that the Pangaea continent Scrat splits up is entirely out of continuity with the Ice Age period since this was meant to happen millions of years prior. Did they makers even do research on this? Couldn't it have just been an simpler approach instead? I found many parts of the film to feel borrowed or rehashed from other animated films, including previous Ice Age films, and with the large amount of story, a few elements aren't focused deep enough including Diego and Shira's relationship.

Despite these issues however, here is a lot to like in this entry. As you would expect from Blue Sky, the animation is very colourful and fluid, the most impressive elements having to be the sea storms as they are well-detailed and thrilling to watch, but it has a been-there-done-that feeling since we are all familiar with the characters and setting. Plus the movie has good use of 3D which isn't too distracting or barely noticeable and I soon forgot that I was wearing the glasses. The humor in this one is pretty hit-and-miss, but when it hits, its quite funny. With the old characters retaining their personalities (which is faithful to them), there's a lot of new characters to freshen things up. While I found Sid's granny a bit annoying at times, I did particularly enjoy Peter Dinklage's evil performance as Captain Gutt as with the other pirates. However my two person favorites were Peaches and Louis because of their character development and nice (if slightly clichéd) friendship, which is something I could relate to, and I thought Josh Gad was a good choice for Louis' sweet and caring personality.

So overall, I'd have to say that Ice Age 4 was a pretty fun ride for me and was much better than I expected despite its problems. Is it great? Well I can't say its as amazing as the first two, but at least its a bit better than the third. I'm glad that I saw it, but I think the series just doesn't feel the same as it was back in 2002. It seems to be missing the nostalgia and charm that the first movie had. And with that said, I suggest its best for Fox to end this saga here instead of continuing to milk and worsen the beloved series. A fifth film is just unnecessary.

I was only one year old when Balto got released in theaters, but I didn't even hear about its existence until recently. I love animation, I love dogs and I felt sorry to hear that this film wasn't very popular when it was released, so I decided to watch it on DVD. What I got was an amazing, inspiring and heart warming animated film which turned out to be one of the best I've ever seen.

I was surprised about how much I was connected to the main character Balto. Because he is portrayed as a husky-wolf hybrid, the people of Nome fear of him for being part-wolf, the wolf packs reject him for being part-husky and the other dogs make fun of him for it. As a result, he is an outcast who doesn't know where he belongs, and only relying on Boris, a goose who is afraid of heights to take care of him. I showed a lot of sympathy towards Balto because I've been in similar situations and seeing him being left out was very emotive.

The story is loosely based on the true 1925 serum run in Alaska. A disease spreads onto the children of Nome and a snow storm cuts all transport from delivering medicine, so a team sled dogs are sent to pick it up. But poor Balto isn't allowed to help out because of his wolf heritage. When the team is reported missing, Balto sets off on a daring quest to rescue them and get them home safely. This shows how courageous and determined he is to get the medicine to the sick children. That said, he is a very caring character and thats another reason why I really liked him.

There's a bit of peril and emotional moments in this film, but plenty of comic relief is present to ease them, mostly involving Boris and Muk and Luk (the two polar bears). I personally liked the recurring gag when Kaltag hits Star in the head for saying something random. It gave me a smile each time. And the romantic moments of Balto and his girlfriend Jenna are extremely sweet indeed. Again, I found it sympathetic when Steele (the films ruthless antagonist) tries to spoil things for Balto by bullying him and trying to take Jenna from him.

I found the animation to be very well done. With nice character designs and detailed Alaskan backdrops, all of which are well-drawn and gently animated, it allows to show how much work and effort Amblimation put into this traditionally animated masterpiece. James Horner's music is very atmospheric and dramatic and I liked how there were no random musical numbers to interrupt its flow.

The voice acting is just as great. Bob Hoskins (as Boris) and Bridget Fonda (as Jenna) do a good job while Phil Collins voices Muk and Luk adorably and Jim Cummings is great as evil Steele. However, I would have to commend Kevin Bacon's performance for Balto. He voiced Balto sensibly. Not overacting, bland or hip, but he gave the character a more of a calm, humble, shy and likable personality similar to mine. Its another similarity me and Balto have.

In conclusion, I would have to say that I absolutely adored Balto, and thats because of its great animation, story, casting and a protagonist who I could really relate to. I'm glad that I found out about this underrated classic and its a good thing others have too. If you like animation or dogs and you haven't seen it already, then I believe that Balto well deserves your attention. You will fall in love with it just like I did.

Grade: "A"

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a very smart teen comedy. While being a romantic comedy, it also makes jabs on video game culture at the same time to create unique storytelling and cinematography. Thanks to its fast-paced action, eye-popping visuals and spot-on references on recto gaming, Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright successfully turns this simple comic book adaption into a funny, innovative and very awesome epic comedy flick that sets itself apart from the crowd.

This is a film based on Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novel with the same name. While I didn't read any Scott Pilgrim novels, I still got engaged in the films fast paced story. Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is the basest of his garage rock band Sex Bob-omb who one day, befriends with Ramona Flowers (Elizabeth Mary Winstead) who turns out to be the girl of his dreams. But in order to win her, Scott must stand up and destroy Ramona's seven exes.

The acting in this treat of a film is very witty and well-directed. Michael Cera is very fitting for the title character Scott Pilgrim, delivering his speedy lines in a stable, geeky and enthusiastic way which to me, made him very likable. The same goes with the rest of the cast members including Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona and Kieran Culkin as Scott's gay roommate Wallace. Even the seven axes are spot-on, each one being unique and distinctive from each other. While I was a little annoyed with the lack of character development, the characters themselves were still fun and believable.

In addition to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World's witty dialogue, references of old school video games are scatted throughout the film. Not only are they done in such a humorous way and give the film personality, but they also act an important storytelling device. This is no game of "spot-the-reference" like in those "Movie" movies. In Scott Pilgrim, these references help the story keep its flow and pace and gives you the feel of being in a video game. Whether it's Scott's bands name that's taken from the Mario villain or the boss battles that humorously mimic classic fighting games like Street Fighter and Mortal Combat, they are all excellent and retro gamers will easily pick them up.

It's not just the video game jabs that make this movie so cool. There are amazingly flashy special effects which dominate the films cinematography. What I found special about them is that they are very unique, not clichéd fireballs or gunfire like in other action movies. But instead of those, we are provided with effects varying from classic 8-bit pop-ins and dazzling and colourful light clash effects during the battle scenes. As a bonus, enemy remainings are coins instead of blood. Score!

I had a blast watching, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. It's dazzling, wittily written and filled with nostalgia, but it's such a shame it failed at the Box Office. To finish off, this is a cult film that I highly recommend, especially for fans of the novel, video games and Wright's other works. "B+"

I'm 17 and I am a fan of animated films. Today, I decided to watch We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story just for fun. I wasn't expecting much from this, but I enjoyed it.

Four dinosaurs named Rex, Elsa, Dweeb and Woog are taken inside a time machine where they are feed Brain Cereal. This turns these ferocious reptiles into friendly, cuddly chaps and gives them the ability to talk. The time machine operator Captain Neweyes (wisely voiced by Walter Cronkite) informs the dinos that he has chosen them to be sent to the present day to fulfill kids wishes. Thats when they are dropped off in New York City.

Yes, I found this plot a bit strange (it's based on a children's book) but it was fun enough to enjoy. This film has nicely done animation, the character drawings are good and James Horner's score is pleasant to listen to. I also liked the voices in the film. The dinosaurs were well casted with likings of John Goodman (Rex), Charles Fleischer (Dweeb), Rene LeVant (Woog) and Felicity Kendal (Elsa). They weren't too annoying either, which is a good thing.

Still, I have to report a few negatives for We're Back!. About half way through the film, the theme suddenly changes from happy and colorful to a scary, dark perspective. I think kids might get a fright or two from this. Another minor problem is that I found it somewhat too short (72 minutes at most). It should have been a bit longer, but it's appropriate enough for a kids flick.

With all that said, We're Back! is colorful, silly and has friendly dinosaurs, things children like. It may not be a masterpiece, but kids are going to enjoy this movie a lot if they can forgive the few scary scenes. "B-"

Alvin and the Chipmunks is another of those CGI/live-action family films based on a cartoon. This film did look cute and appealing, but beyond that, it had little to offer for me.

The overall premise is about three singing chipmunks named Alvin (Justin Long), Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Theodore (Jesse McCartney) who lose their tree home and are sent to Los Angeles, California. The three come upon a struggling songwriter named Dave (Jason Lee) who decides to hire them to sing his songs for him. It's cute at first but later becomes troublesome.

Sadly, I couldn't really stick my teeth into this kids flick. It was dull and too predictable mainly because of its dry humor. The gags primarily consist handfuls of toilet jokes and destructive mayhem. It isn't such a bad thing for a children's film, but these gags are clichéd and recycled from other family movies that have already overused these techniques (i.e. farting, making a mess, breaking stuff, getting somebody fired from work). These predictable jokes were used a lot by Alvin and co which bored me and made me find the trio very annoying and unlikeable.

Alvin and the Chipmunks is not a disaster, but it's forgettable for grownups alike. I was 16 when I first watched this on TV so maybe I was a bit too old for this stuff. I wouldn't recommend this as your sort of movie if you're over the age of 11, but it's strictly aimed for kids so they will surely enjoy it more. If you have some, give this a rental to keep them busy. "C-"

When I started to watch Twelve Rounds, I thought it was going to be a fun ride. It begins with a promising premise, but sadly, it careers downhill thanks to derivative action, bland scripting, stupid acting from John Cena and minimal character development. This movie was no good at all.

Professional WWE wrestler John Cena plays as detective Danny Fisher in Twelve Rounds. When Fisher's ex-con Miles Jackson escape from prison and kidnaps his girlfriend, he is forced to complete "12 Rounds" of near-impossible tasks in order to save his loved one.

To begin with, some stunts in the movie are interesting but most others were probably rehashed or borrowed from past action films. Heck. It even borrows carjacking and wreckless driving from Grand Theft Auto. Movies like this aren't much fun if they don't offer anything new or unique.

The acting doesn't fare much better. Much of the dialogue in Twelve Rounds consists Fisher shouting out for his girlfriend and for the right of way. With this and all the environmental destruction he causes, it makes John Cena look like a complete idiot.

I would have to say that Twelve Rounds would have been alright as a video game or a Grand Theft Auto side-mission, but as a movie, it's a highly borrowed mess and a waste of John Cena's career. I suggest you skip this one because there are plenty of better (and more original) action movies available. "D+"

Since 2001, Shrek has touched our hearts with humor and charm and has become a major icon in the animation industry. The first two Shrek films were great fun delivering amusing fairy tale satire and memorable characters. Shrek the Third however, never got my attention and I herd it was pretty bad so I decided to skip it.

Now we have Shrek Forever After (aka, The Final Chapter), the four and final film in the series. I didn't get interested in this one either. But when I saw that this movie was playing on a Qantas flight I was on to Sydney, I decided to give it a chance.

The plot in the final installment is fairly interesting. Shrek has grown tired of being a father and a celebrity and wishes to live the days of an ogre again. He is later scammed into a deal with Rumpelstiltskin to become "ogre for a day" and finds himself in twisted version of Far Far Away where Rumpelstiltskin is King and Shrek is known to nobody (not even Fiona who is now an hunting ogre). Shrek must stop Rumpelstiltskin's evil deed before it's too late. It's a decent presentation.

DreamWorks gives out plenty of action in this entry (which the second one lacked) and this does bring the memories of the first film. Speaking of previous films, Forever After has a good number of connections with past events in the series. There aren't as many laughs as there were in the previous films, but it does deliver it's funny bits quite well such as break dancing witches.

Visuals are a big treat in this installment as they have improved a lot over the years. They're fantastic. All the main cast are back and they deliver a reasonable performance for their characters. Walt Dohrn however, does a great job providing the voice for the antagonist Rumpelstiltskin showing a great expression of wit and evilness.

Overall, it's a fun entry for the series. But is The Final Chapter the best of the four Shrek films? Not exactly, but it doesn't have to be. Shrek 4 may not have the magic from the first two films but what it does do is improve over it's poor predecessor and end the once doomed series with charm and dignity. "B"

I have really enjoyed the Ice Age series so far (with The Meltdown being my favorite). I was hoping Ice Age 3 would continue it's charm with it's colorful setting and characters. Unfortunately, I got put off watching it in theaters due to the negative reviews so this was only a DVD rental for me. This second sequel left me disappointed thanks to the atrocious dinosaur setting and a lame story.

In this third entry, Manny and his new partner Ellie are expecting their first child and Diego gets tired of being treated like a house cat. Sid however, gets jealous with Manny and Ellie and adopts three unhatched eggs which turn out to be baby dinosaurs. When the angry mother comes to take her children (and Sid too), the pack go on an adventure to rescue him in a underground "dinosaur" world with the help of one-eyed weasel Buck. Scrat the saber tooth squirrel is still after his acorn but can't choose between it and his love interest Scratte.

What made this movie such a letdown to me was the addition of dinosaurs. Kids really like dinosaurs and I don't understand why, but why did they add them to an Ice Age movie? Even though the movie is called "Ice Age", most of the movie is spent in the dinosaur world and thats a pretty bad thing to do if the first movie was committed on the Ice Age period. It seemed like Fox wanted to get greedy and grab money from dino-loving kids. The movie is also filled with references and adult jokes (such as Sid milking a male ox) which is very inappropriate for a kids movie. It's a shame how Blue Sky could waste a sequel on such an abominating dinosaur world and a paper-thin plot.

Despite this dinosaur setting, the movie was still enjoyable to watch. In addition to the impressive animation, the dinosaurs looked pretty good (despite size inaccuracies) and they sound authentic too. Crash and Eddie, the twin possums provided me most of the laughs with their witty one-liners and Buck's back story was quite interesting. I thought Scratte was a nice addition too but I would prefer Scrat chasing the acorn on his own.

Finishing off, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs isn't a terrible movie. It just takes the franchise in the wrong direction. Being a movie that you can either love or hate, it has the characters you love and the thrilling action sequences, but it all goes down with an appalling dinosaur concept.

I am hoping they fix these problems for the fourth installment and make it the last. "C+"

I haven't been a big fan of Pixar films, mainly because I think they receive too much praise and put other CGI films to shame. I still find them entertaining and fun to watch, but when I watched Ratatouille, I was amazed with how well this movie was cooked to perfection. It's a rare treat to come across a movie like this.

With Pixar films containing a fresh, original story, Ratatouille is yet another one of those. Remy is a young rat who dreams of becoming a chef. However, he gets separated from his pack during an evacuation and ends up being in the streets of Paris, France. After realizing that his favorite chef had died recently and the restaurant he owned is loosing it's reputation, Remy decides to follow his idol's steps and shows off his cooking skills by working with clumsy cook Linguini and staying out of trouble too. It's a very nice plot to write for a children's book, but as a movie, it's fantastic!

Ratatouille creates a bright atmosphere thanks to it's flawless animation and generally light-hearted comedy. The story was really engaging and was presented in a skilled way. The music fits the setting quite well, with a good mix of fine French tunes and a score that does a good job recreating the feel of a cat-and-mouse-like scene.

Probably what I found most impressive about the movie is the main character Remy, because he portrays differently from other cartoon rodents. Unlike those other rodents that like to trick cats and create major havoc, Remy shows true characteristic and expression as he wants to discover and create like a human rather than just surviving like other rats. His cuteness, bold voice (done by Patton Oswalt) and fun personality show him to be a very likable protagonist.

Ratatouille is a outstanding movie that really does bring fun into cooking. With a golden plot, enjoyable mayhem and a lovable main character, it's a movie well worth sticking your teeth into. "A-"

Most movies give their promise through it's title. Beyond it's promising title, the movie should be able to deliver and entertain. This movie however, doesn't. Funny Games has got to be the most boring, tired movie I ever saw. So boring, it's impossible to sit through from beginning to end.

It's a movie called "Funny Games" but there are absolutely no games and no humor throughout the movie. This is what partly made this movie a disappointment to me. But from what I have herd about, this is a self-remake of a 1997 thriller. I haven't seen yet, but I think it looks better.

Lets forget about the unfunny and move onto the film. The plot revolves around two men who take a family hostage in their cabin. Sounds interesting, right? Too bad you have to sit through the non-thriller screenplay and boring dialogue. The acting in "Funny Games" isn't bad, but it seemed like the cast were bored when they performed (maybe because of the boring dialogue they had to deliver). To add to the boredom, there isn't any music to speak of, apart from the few opera and rock songs at the beginning of the film which sound very unpleasant.

There is not a single redeeming thing I can think of for "Funny Games". It felt like I was wasting my life watching this movie. Don't let the mildly amusing title suck you into this boring dud. "F"