A mix of this, a dash of that, a drop of cool and hopefully the results are a tasteful dish for the palate.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Movie Review: Watchman
This is a very difficult show to review. Why? Because it depends on the viewer. If you've never had an interest in superheroes or comics or manga, I would highly recommend that you skip this show, it's just not for you.
However, if you like comics then you probably already watched this movie. The director was very true to the 1980's comic book story and it is a very good story for a comic/graphic novel especially since it was written in the 1980's.
The show is a little long, and don't expect a rip roaring action packed movie like Ironman. This is a cerebral comic book, for the intelligent geek. Personally, I liked it enough to give it a 8.5/10.
PS. It is rated R because of the violence and nudity. There's actually a lot of nudity. Specifically of one person. Who is blue. But does fit the story :)
Movie Review: The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Ahhh another installment of the Chronicles Of Narnia. If you didn't know it by now, the film is based on the books by C S Lewis, and this is book 2 of 7. However, Disney who holds the rights to the series will only be making one more film based on the series and unless both do exceptionally well, we can forget about anymore films based on the books.
I liked the first movie, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Note that I said liked, not loved. A main problem with trying to make the books into an epic fantasy is that it wasn't written to be epic. If you read the books, it was obviously written for children and in many cases lacking the epic battles scenes or deep emotions that books like Lord of the Rings series had.
Earlier this week, I got the audio version of Prince Caspian from www.audible.com and the whole book was read in about 4 1/2 hours. That should give you an idea of how long the original book was. When I watched the movie, there were some significant changes made to the books, however it was done in the spirit of the books and in my opinion, made the movie much better. I loved the changes, the screenwriters for this show should definitely be given an award. They turned a children's fantasy story into an epic fantasy movie with emotions.
I won't go into detail on all the changes, but making Prince Caspian a major character and older as well as the rivalry between him and High King Peter was a stroke of genius.
Overall I say that this 2nd installment outshined the first movie. In part because we now have a history with the 4 children who have grown and are definitely show their movie chops. Much the same way that the kids in Harry Potter have developed in the later films.
Oh and of course the special effects were top notch. But isn't that mostly a given these days?
I strongly recommend this movie if you liked the first one and if you were so so on the first movie, then this is definitely better. If you've never seen the first movie, the skip this one, there's too much reference to past events to would simply not make sense to you.
I rate The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian a 4.5/5.
Interesting note: Ben Barnes (See the pic above) who plays Price Caspian speaks with a Spanish accent in the show but he's 100% British.
Also, I prefer the movie poster below with the 4 kids, instead of the one being shown everywhere with only Caspian in it.
OK, its no surprise that I'm a comic book geek and love superheroes. But truth be told, Ironman is not one of my favorite superheroes and while I admit that Robert Downey Jr can act, his druggie habits turn me off (ie. I'm not a Downey fan).
But I still went to watch Ironman because of all the positive reviews I've heard about. And I LOVE IT!!! This is hands down the best Superhero Origin movie that I've seen. In some respects I would even say that its better than "The Dark Knight" (aka Batman). But only because The Dark Knight is so dark and serious, while Ironman is simply rip roaring fun! You'll laugh through out the show while going Ohhhh and Ahhhh as he becomes Ironman.
Now if you're not a superhero movie person and are forced to watch a superhero movie, this would be the one to watch. Its not too geeky, its funny, it has a good plot and I hate to say it but the acting is very good.
Synopsis: An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself traveling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King.
I was so hyped for this show, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, lot of Kung Fu. The movie delivered on the Kung Fu, and the plot and story is actually quite good, especially the way they melded in the current time line and introduced an American boy as the "hero".
Most of the show is in English but some sections are mandarin with subtitles, not many though. This is definitely to cater to the American audience. And sadly this was a failing of the show for me. Jackie's english has has improved a lot but Jet Li has a longggg way to go. Still, the really bad part is all this fortune cookie dialog that they spout, what's that about? Cheng Yu or Chinese Idioms are 4 words in chinese that tell a story or have a hidden meaning, but the shit they were spouting made me cringe.
This is not another Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Its more of a Last Action Hero movie. Popcorn movie if you will. Fun if you can over look the bad fortune cookie speeches they spout.
I also wonder what the American Audience think about the Monkey King and the Jade Emperor. To those familiar with chinese mythology their use of "magical powers" is familiar but to the uninitiated, it might seem very Harry Potter like.
Oh and there is a fight scene between Jet Li and Jackie Chan, It was good. In fact all the Kung Fu in the movie is excellent, kinna expected though.
I rate this movie a 7/10. 8.5 if you like Kung Fu movies.
Synopsis: Nim (Breslin) is a young girl who imagines an island to be magical, basing its mystic nature on the experiences of her favorite fictional character, Alex Rover (Butler). When Nim's father (also played by Butler) goes missing on the island, Nim teams up with Alexandra (Foster), the author of the Alex Rover books and Rover himself, to save her father.[1]
I was pretty excited about Nim's Island, it looked like a fun show and had 2 of my fave actors, Jodie Foster and Gerald Butler.
I'm very happy to report that the show lived up to my expectations. There's a lot to like about the movie. A lot of my problems with the show had to do with some "unbelievable" story arcs like the ... very smart pelican. But when you consider that this movie was written for a younger audience, its forgivable.
I truly think that this is an excellent family movie and I think both my niece and nephew will love it. I highly recommend it for those looking for a fun whimsical adventure movie.
Last Night was the finale of season 1 of The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Because of the writers strike, season 1 is only 9 episodes, but I loved every one of them.
If you're looking for a big loud shoot them up with tons of explosions then you're gonna be disappointed. This series is less about explosions (although there are many) and more focused on story/plot.
I loved the series and especially the episode where we got a glimpse of what the future was like. Human living in sewers praying that Skynet would not find them, rebels engaging the cyborgs. I also love that we don't know if Cameron will eventually be the start of skynet. There are some hints of darker things to come but nothing concrete yet.
Everyone of the cast is superb, I had reservations about Brian Austin Green (of 90210 fame) initially but he's turning out to be a strong character. The only person I dislike is the FBI agent James Ellison. I'm still not sure about his motivation and where he stands in the whole battle, but if the finale doesn't put him on Sarah's side, then he's a lost cause.
I highly recommend The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and I hope they will somehow tie this series into the upcoming Movie Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins due out in 2009 and starring Christian Bale as the grown up John Conner. But for right now, Terminator is alive and well.
I watched 2 DVDs this past weekend. Miss Potter and Becoming Jane. Both about female authors who did not have perfect lives. Miss Potter starring Renée Zellweger as Beatrix Potter, author of the highly successfully Peter Rabbit books, and Jane Austen, the highly acliamed author of English Literature with books like Pride and Prejudice.
Of the 2 movies, Becoming Jane was definately more tragic and heart wrenching. It was also a perfect role for Anne Hathaway and you also see similarities between her life and the main characters in Pride and Prejudice. Miss Potter was slightly more whimsical, Beatrix Potter played to perfection by Renée Zellweger and coupled with Ewan McGregor was fun to watch.
I highly recommend both films, they are fairly light and informative about both author's lives and also highlight the hardships women faced in those days. Entertainment with a dash of knowledge, what could be better.
Here's the Synopsis for both movies: Miss Potter
Thirty years old and single, Beatrix Potter lives in London with her social-climbing parents, who are exasperated that she has turned down any number of eligible young men. Her only real friends are the animals which since childhood she has lovingly drawn and made up stories about. She finally succeeds in selling a book of the stories, and it becomes Norman Warne's first project. He quickly falls in love with both the book and Beatrix and together they carefully arrange publication. This proves the first of many successes, offering her the possibility of escaping from both her parents' way of life and London.
Becoming Jane
Jane Austen (Hathaway) is a young girl who wishes to be a writer while her mother (Walters) thinks otherwise. Although she is offered many marriage proposals she accepts none until the mischievous Thomas Lefroy (McAvoy) shows up and turns her world around. At first she finds him ignorant and self centered but as she gets to know him, they start to flirt and eventually fall in love. Lefroy became the inspiration for Mr. Darcy in one of Austen's most beloved novels, Pride and Prejudice. Lefroy's relatives disagree with the match and threaten to disinherit him if he marries her. Austen's mother also disagrees with the match for he will not be able to provide well for the family. As a result of this, Lefroy tries to convince his love to runaway with him. Instead, Jane stays with her family and ends her affair with Lefroy and begins to write some of her greatest works of all time.
Oh I had such high hopes for this movie. SUCH HIGH HOPES! The premise is that some people are born with the power to teleport. They come into their power at 5 years old and discover they can teleport to any place as long as they have seen the place before. And there are also a group of religious fanatics called Paladins who beleive that only God should have such power and make it their sole duty to track and kill all jumpers.
The story focuses on one boy David (Hayden Christenson) who discovers his ability to jump when he falls thru the ice into a lake. He takes this chance to leave his unhappy home and to finance his new life robs a bank. Fast forward about 8+ years and he's now living the high live in a New York Penshouse jumping to Australia for surfing, Egypt for lunch, and London for some romancing.
Then the paladins come and he has a rude awaking. Here's where I have major issues withthe plot line. A Paladin breaks into his home and almost kills him, he escapes. But instead of trying to find out more about the Paladins or protect himself from them this dumb son of bitch looks up his old flame and romances her to Europe.
I won't list out the rest of the plot, but like I said I had such high hopes for this movie and I can easily see this movie having the potential for sequels or even a TV series with Jumpers vs the Paladins. But no, David has got to be a person with sub-par intelligence. All he cares about is finding his true love and living his life out happily, blind to the danger of the Paladins. Its noted in the movie that the Paladins are a very well organized, run, and funded group that span the world and have very high tech toys to track and kill jumpers and they've been doing it for centuries. Instead of protecting himself, or looking for other jumpers, or trying to organize the Jumpers, this dumb-ass leaves the only other jumper he knows to potential death and makes nice with his lady love. Shallow, dumb, idiotic writing. If there is a sequel or TV Series, they would do well to forget about the Character of David the dumb and go with a Jumper with some intelligence.
After all my ranting you might think I hate the show, but that's untrue. Its just that this show could have been so much more. It could have gotten a cult following like Highlander or Stargate or Matrix, instead its simply a pop-corn show with a bad character development. All that said it was still a fun movie to watch but I would definitely get it on DVD instead of shelling out $10. Boy am I glad I got discounted tickets.
Ryan Reynolds stars as Will Hayes, a 30-something Manhattan dad in the midst of a divorce when his 10-year-old daughter, Maya (Abigail Breslin), starts to question him about his life before marriage. Maya wants to know absolutely everything about how her parents met and fell in love. Will's story begins in 1992, as a young, starry-eyed aspiring politician who moves to New York from Wisconsin in order to work on the presidential campaign. For Maya, Will relives his past as an idealistic young man learning the ins and outs of big city politics, and recounts the history of his romantic relationships with three very different women. Will hopelessly attempts a "gentler" version of his story for his daughter and changes the names so Maya has to guess who is the woman her father finally married. Is her mother Will's college sweetheart, the dependable girl next door Emily (Elizabeth Banks)? Is she his longtime best friend and confidante, the apolitical April (Isla Fisher)? Or is she the free-spirited but ambitious journalist Summer (Rachel Weisz)? As Maya puts together the pieces of her dad's romantic puzzle, she begins to understand that love is not so simple or easy. And as Will tells her his tale, Maya helps him to understand that it's definitely never too late to go back...and maybe even possible to find a happy ending
Another Valentine's Day and another romantic love story. I'm a HUGE Ryan Reynolds fan and have been since I first saw him in Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place. In this movies Ryan really starts to flex his acting muscles. Mark my words, he's gonna be big.
Definately, Maybe is not your typical romantic comedy, in fact I would classify it as a romantic movie and leave the comedy part out. That's not to say there aren't light moments in the movie, but overall the tone of the movie is tracking a man's romantic entanglements across 16 years.
This movie isn't fast paced or flashy and a lot is owed to the writer Adam Brooks who also gave us Wimbledon and Practical Magic. If you liked either of those movies then this one's gonna be a hit with you.
Personally I liked the movie, however I can easily see how others (especially those not into romantic movies) would find it a bore. Its an intelligent take on the romantic movie angle and Abigail Breslin appearances and flash backs to the present keep the story moving and from getting too stale.
Personally, I think 2008 is a super year for movies. In almost every month there's at least 1 movie which I am highly anticipating, and this is only the Hollywood list, it doesn't include Asian films or international movies. Maybe the movie industry is finally getting the idea, content is king. February Jumper Highly Anticipated This is a kind of superhero movie. About a boy who discovers the ability to teleport and then discovers a cult that is bent on killing people with such abilities.
Definately, Maybe MUST SEE If you read my blog, you know I love romantic comedies. The trailers for this one looks so good and let's face it Ryan Reynolds is a major part of the anticipation. This once can't come soon enough.
The Spiderwick Chronicles So So I'm wary about this show because there are so many kiddy inclined fantasy adventure movies now and most of them disappoint. So we'll see
March 10,000 BC Anticipated Another very hyped movie. I first heard about it almost 3 years ago. So we'll see if it becomes an epic like 300.
Horton Hears a Who! Highly Anticipated An animated movie based on Dr. Who? Saw the trailer and I'm instantly hooked.
21 So So This is termed a Teen Ocean's 11. Could prove to be very entertaining
April Never Back Down MUST SEE OK, this is SO a guilty pleasure. Its billed as a teen version of fight clyb but the reason I want to wacth this movie is for the very eye candy worthy Sean Ferris. Like I said, a guilty pleasure. Helps that the two main leads are HOT!
Nim's Island Anticipated I don't know much about this movie, but after seeing the trailer and with stars like Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler and being billed as an Indiana Jones for girls, I'm very hopeful. Besides with Gerard Butler in the movie, how bad can it be :)
May Made of Honor So So Patrick Dempsey seems to be the new romantic lead guy. He might succeed Hugh Grant for the title.
Iron Man Highly Anticipated I'm a superhero geek, so just sign me up for Ironman. Additionally, the buzz on this one is quite good.
Speed Racer Anticipated Failure Speed Racer was originally a 70's or 80's anime and some one thinks it'll make a good live action movie? I predict it will crash and burn but it might be very fun to see how badly it crashes and burns
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian MUST SEE I never read the rest of the Narnia books, but from the trailer this one looks just as good (in fact better) than the original. The young kids are more grown up and it looks more action packed
Sex and the City: The Movie So So It was a fun TV series and while not super high on my list, it is registering on my movie list. Personally, I think most of us have moved beyond Sex and the City.
June Kung Fu Panda Highly Anticipated Watch the trailer and you'll know why I consider it a must see.
WALL·E MUST SEE This is a pixar movie, and the trailer is amazing!!! I haven't even see the movie and already I want a WALL.E plush toy. He's soooo cute.
The Incredible Hulk So so Edward Norton and Liv Tyler remaking Hulk. Bah, can't suck as much as the Ang Lee version can it?
Get Smart Anticipated Looks quite fun. I was a fan of the TV series so this is on my list to watch.
This is a pure pop-corn movie. If you didn't watch the original movie National Treasure, then you should watch that first. This film is like The Da Vinci Code, clues upon clues that leads to fantastic secrets. However, while Da Vinci Code was dark, National Treasure (and National Treasure 2) is more action packed, some slight comedy moments and the secrets lead to treasures.
As far as pop-corn movies go, National Treasure and National Treasure: Book of Secrets are top-notch. It follows the exploits of Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) who is descended from a long line of treasure hunters looking for a war chest hidden by the Founding Fathers after the Revolutionary War. The chase leads them to breaking into and stealing the Declaration of Independence (because there's a secret map on the back of it) and the fun goes on from there.
In National Treasure: Book of Secrets, the goal is actually to clear the gates family name when Ben's great great grandfather is accused of being one of the conspirators in the assassination of Lincoln. The search leads them to break into Buckingham place and the oval office, and finally to the lost city of gold. My only complaint is with the pacing of the movie as 3/4 way through, it seems to lose some steam before the final conclusion. Fantastic, crazy and most of all fun.
Remember Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride ? She was the bride in multiple weddings but never actually married, in 27 dresses, Katherine Heigl plays a soft hearted girl who has been a bridesmaid 27 times. But don't worry, while Runaway Bride stank to high heaven, 27 Dresses is a breath of fresh air.
I loved the show. Its simply a good old fashioned love story with comedy thrown in and the result is wonderful. Katherine Heigl is refreshing and when she smiles the screen simply loves her (a lot like Julia Roberts), and James Marsden is finally in a movie where he's the male hero and finally get's the girl. Both of them have great chemistry on screen.
While I liked the movie, I should also warn you that there's nothing new here. The movie follows the usual path of romantic comedies, boy meets girl, they don't like each other, they fall in love, boy marries girl. As long as you like the romantic comedy plotline, go for it, I'm sure you'll love the movie.
I watched this about a month back but just didn't get around to writing a review.
If you like Gerald Butler and don't mind sappy movies then, go ahead and watch this movie with no reservations. Notice that I said sappy movies and not romance. P.S. I Love You is not a love story, its about getting over the love of your life after he/she passes on. Don't worry this isn't giving the plot or anything away because you'll discover this about 15mins into the film.
Again its a problem with trailers selling the show as a romance when it is not. Still there are strong performances from Gerald Butler and even Hilary Swank whom I had doubts about. I did like the show, there are some very touching moments and almost all of them are when Gerald's involved in it.
I give this one a 3 / 5 (Slightly higher if you like Gerald Butler)
A friend of mine first introduced me to this series a few months ago and I borrowed the first season and enjoyed it very very much. Its about a small sleepy town in England that get's a female vicar. The humor is very British but also quite x-rated, the good part is that it'll probably go over the heads of most kids.
I discovered recently that this series was set in a time (1994) when female vicars were not allowed and this series played a part in making the concept publicly acceptable. If you notice the picture above, it shows a picture of "A Vicar of Dibley : A Holy wholly Happy Ending" is actually a new DVD release. They recently did 2 final episodes of this wonderful series giving the vicar a happy ending and I must say I have never enjoyed a DVD more.
I strongly encourage you to try out this series for yourself if you
Ohh Ohh and a pleasant out come of this DVD is me finding another handsome gentleman to obsess over. Richard Armitage is simply dark and debonair. Here's a scene of him in North and South. Man he makes the kiss simply amazing. *** SPOILER ALERT *** This is the final 4 mins of the movie and might kill the show for you if you plan to watch it.
Ahhhh.... Pixar does it yet again. The only Pixar movie that I've missed has been Cars, Aside from that I own every other Pixar movie released. Ratatouille is yet another diamond in their already gem laden crown.
Ratatouille follows the antics of a Rat who unlike his peers, has a love and talent for food. Good food. Gourmet food. He ends up hooking with a kitchen challenged boy and together they produce masterpiece after masterpiece and elivate the restaurant to 5 star status. Of course no Pixar movie can be complete without the villan, and here we have the ultimate food critic who's out to destroy the restaurant.
Ratatouille might be more suitable for older children and adults because I'm not so sure how younger kids relate to Gourmet food. In my experience, kids HATE Gourmet food, have you tried getting a kid (who is not Japanese) to try sushi? or frog's leg?
Still there are many moments where the show will win over the younger audience and being a foodie myself, I absolutely loved the show. It also occured to me that for the younger generation, Pixar is to them what Disney is to many of us older folk. After all who released all the most popular cartoon/animations in the past 10 years?
Ah well, if you want a fun light hearted show, I highly recommend Ratatouille. I give this show a 4.5/5.
Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I'll post a spoiler free semi review of Harry Potter. For a full review of the show, I highly recommend the Geeks of Doom review. They summed up my opinions almost to a T, so I won't go over it again.
I watched the IMAX 3D version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Aside from the HUGE screen at the IMAX, the 3D part of the experience came at the last 20 mins of the movie. If you've read the books then you know what part was put into 3D.
I loved it. David Yates, the new director is a genius!!!! The story is faithful to the book but because of time constraints changes parts of the book and sequences of events. There's a very noticible improvement in acting from Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and especially Daniel Radcliffe in this movie. The movie also conveys Harry's anger and resentment much better than the book did I think. Also after you watch the movie, go back and reread the last 100 pages of the book. I found the movie was much clearer about what happened between He who must not be named and Harry.
Bottomline, if you've been following the series (books or movies) this is a must see. My only complaint is that so many parts were cut out to concentrate on the main plot.
PS. Kudos to Imelda Staunton who plays Dolores Umbridge. She's perfect for the role and such an evil villan that you just want to smack her!
PPS. Doesn't it seem like just about every english actor of note is in this movie? Hmmm.... think there's a part for Hugh Grant?
Three stories - one each from the past, present, and future - about men in pursuit of eternal life. A conquistador in Mayan country searches for the tree of life to free his captive queen; a medical researcher, working with tree sap, looks for a cure that will save his dying wife; a space traveler, traveling with an aged tree within a bubble, moves toward a dying star that's wrapped in a nebula; he's seeks enlightenment. The stories intersect; the quests fail and succeed.
If you're unsure about renting this movie, I don't blame you. Reviews for it were either super amazing or simply terrible. The reason for this is the director Darren Aronofsky. If the name is unfamiliar to you, don't worry he's not 'that' famous. But he did direct a film called PI. The less said about that movie the better, at least in my opinion. Simply put, he's an arty kind of director. One of those non-mainstream people who makes critically acclaimed movies that us mere mortals sometimes just don't get.
The Fountain is actually a beautiful tale. I'll admit that I like the 2 main actors Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz which is why I like the movie. But in all fairness, the 3 storylines are told at the same time and weave themselves into each other. This is the arty part. It challenges the viewer to stretch their imaginations and take in the movie and to think, you can't take what you see at face value, hence the difference in opinions about the show.
Personally, I liked the movie but its not one which I would place in my DVD collection. And I'll be honest and say that my liking the 2 main actors, significantly increased my enjoyment of the movie.
After years of no contact with his Uncle Henry, London banker and bond trader Max Skinner learns that Henry has died intestate, so Max inherits a château and vineyard in Provence. Max spent part of his childhood there, learning maxims and how to win and lose, and honing his killer instinct (at chess, which serves him well in finance). Max goes to France intent on selling the property. He spends a few days there, getting the property ready to show. Memories, a beautiful woman, and a young American who says she's Henry's illegitimate daughter interrupt his plans. Did Max the boy know things that Max the man has forgotten?
I'll be very to the point on this. Unless you absolutely love Russell Crowe, skip this show. As a romantic comedy it fails, the pacing of the show is very uneven, the comedic timing is way off, Russell's character make me want to whack him with a cast iron skillet until his skull is obliterated. Yep, not good when you want to whack the male lead in a romantic comedy. He's arrogant, egotistical and I feel absolutely zero attachment to this jerk except that ... he should be shot dead and forgotten.
That said, this show rates a 2/5. Possibly a 1/5 but that personal prejudice.
When strange anomalies in time start to appear all over England, Professor Cutter and his team have to help track down and capture all sorts of dangerous prehistoric creatures from Earth's distant past.
There are only 2 ways I know off to watch this movie. Either buy the Season 1 DVD from www.amazon.co.uk or watch it online at www.tv-links.co.uk I did the latter and loved it.
First off this the show's summary does not do it justice. The premise is that weird portals are opening up randomly in England, they are only temporary portals so they do disappear. But if you go through the portals you get transported to another time. Now it has yet to be proven that the portal links only to the past and in episode 6 its hinted that the portal also links to the future. Perhaps even an alternate reality. The bottom line is that where the portals lead to, dinosaurs exist, bugs of gigantic natures live and creatures that we've never encountered before spawn. The Professor leads a team to investigate and try to find out where and when these portals will appear and if it can be stopped all the whole the British Government (Home Office) is trying to hush everything up as much as possible and causing the Professor a lot of grief.
One thing to note, there will be a season 2 as BBC has picked up the series, But season 1 is only 6 episodes long, must be a British thing, American TV seasons tend to be 22-24 episodes long. Still with only 6 episodes, each episode is jam packed with action and character development which advance the main storyline, there are no filler episodes.
I would rate this as better than Lost but not as good as Heroes. Definitely worth a watch.
Got a slew of DVD reviews today so I'll try to keep them to the point. "Pan's Labyrinth" is the story of a young girl who travels with her pregnant mother to live with her mother's new husband in a rural area up North in Spain, 1944, after Franco's victory. The girl lives in an imaginary world of her own creation and faces the real world with much chagrin. Fascist repression during the first years of Franco's dictatorship is at its height in rural Spain and the girl must come to terms with that through a fable of her own.
*** Minor Spoilers within **** First off this is a Spanish film so if you hate reading subtitles, don't bother watching this film. This film won rave and numerous reviews for being ground breaking and etc. To be honest, it is good. Its not what I was expecting at all. The show is touted to be a fantasy and it is to an extent. The fantasy aspect and creations is equal to anything that Jim Henson and George Lukas have come up with and is beautiful. But the fantasy portion of the movie is only about 40% of the story, the rest of the story is set in 1944 and is pretty depressing. Now don't let that turn you off the show because although its depressing, its also exceptionally well done and the show draws you in.
Its one of those thought provoking movies that will spark vigorous debate, At the end, (I won't tell you what happens but its not happy), essentially the entire fantasy portion of the movie could easily have been one little girl's imagination, which is very intriguing because then the story becomes about how the girl created the entire fantasy to escape her reality.
All in all its a great movie although I hesitate to label it as fantasy just because its got some fantasy aspects to it. I don't recommend this for children under 13 because there is blood, violence, and torture. I'm also not sure I'd buy a copy for my collection because its too depressing to watch over and over. Get it as a rental.
Burning Crusade
Age of Conan
Jade Empire