sparkletasticcookiedough Reviews

Alien (1979)

Love it, but severe flash warning

[9/10 · 16 November 2021]

This is a great syfy horror film, worthy of the praise that it has received. It's got intriguing characters, and some excellent special effects. It's managed to become a classic.

However, I would advise skipping this film to anyone with photosensitivity. A large section of the film is full of near constant strobe lights.

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: Mystery Solvers Club State Finals (2011) Season 1, Episode 14

An excellent throwback for hardcore Scooby fans.

[9/10 · 15 November 2021]

In a dream sequence episode, Scooby manages to have a side plot that is creative and engaging. Much like a few other Mystery Incorporated episodes, this references old Scooby episodes that hardcore fans can appreciate (specifically the Wacky Racers series). There are tons of small changes to the Mystery Incorporated formula: a slightly different animation style is the most prominent. Even for fans not familiar with Captain Caveman or Jabberjaw, this manages to be a fun watch.

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated: Escape from Mystery Manor (2011) Season 1, Episode 17

Like, legitimately a little scary!

[9/10 · 15 November 2021]

This episode of Mystery Incorporated manages to be perfectly spooky. Although the plot twist at the end feels a bit odd, the villain from this episode manages to be a perfect balance of drama, plot, and spookiness. It's not an episode you can watch by itself, you need to have seen some previous episodes to have the general plot. For viewers that are binge watching, this episode is a thrilling rise to the climax.

The Snow Queen 2 (2014)

Not as good as the first one...

[4/10 · 7 November 2021]

Plot wise, this one was a mess. It's difficult to tell what's going on, and the lore contradicts what was established in the first movie. It's quite annoying.

The charm of the first film seemed to be missing in this one. The Snow Queen 2 manages to be disappointing.

However, the character animation was better than the first movie.

The Snow Queen (2012)

Gorgeous visuals, not as good everywhere else

[7/10 · 7 November 2021]

For a movie with a lower budget (compared to other animated movies), The Snow Queen is really beautiful. Some of the animation is really impressive. The setting is really vivid and creative. It's got a cast of pretty neat characters, and a weasel side kick that steals the show. The character design on the Snow Queen is really interesting.

As for the bad stuff...

The audio for the film was less than stellar. I watched the English dub, so it might be better in the original version. It's just that some of the vocal performances aren't great. Some of the character designs are a bit ugly. Also, the plot isn't great. It feels like things move incredibly quickly, and the beginning feels slow. The ending felt confusing and rushed, and some of the plot points aren't explained very well.

Overall, I recommend this movie, especially for a younger audience. It's really creative, and the visuals are spectacular. It might not be the best movie in the world, but it is certainly entertaining.

Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! (2017)

A fascinating and funny documentary

[10/10 · 24 September 2021]

It's quite rare that a sequel is better than the first movie. However, I'd argue that Super Size Me 2 is better than the first.

Spurlock goes on an engaging journey centered around creating a chicken fast food restaurant. This journey goes from Spurlock calling out the problematic chicken farming business, to working with dieticians and marketing teams, to the tactics that fast food companies employ to show that their food is "healthy". There's clever comedy, creative animations, and extra crispy chicken. Over the course of this fascinating film, Spurlock depicts an ugly truth that's hard to swallow- showing us the raw truth about chicken sandwiches.

Super Size Me (2004)

A documentary classic.

[9/10 · 24 September 2021]

An engaging documentary, centered around the experiment of eating McDonalds for a month. While it is a bit outdated, (the Super Size no longer exists, the bit with Jared from Subway is weird to watch nowadays, and there's calorie listings next to the foods now) but the message still holds truth. I would recommend this to anyone looking to watch a documentary. There are a few annoying sound designs included, but overall it's a great film.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

BORING

[1/10 · 16 September 2021]

I am not a connoisseur of films. Not in the slightest. I'm just a basic audience member. I don't know who the director is and I don't really care. I'm giving my honest opinion here:

This movie is boring. Honestly, I'm not certain how people can stand it. The plot is a bunch of loosely cobbled-together scenes. The child character is obnoxious. Also, for a movie that centers around a singer, you'd think they'd get someone good at singing. This film is overrated and quite terrible.

The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It (2007 Video)

A slow plot, but where it shines it's great.

[6/10 · 31 July 2021]

There are parts of this movie that are really slow. The child acting is cheesy and bad, there's a teen drama romance thing going on. But the main female is likeable. I can't say the same for her younger brother, who is incredibly annoying. The movie insists on being very clear that the younger brother is quite a coward, to the extent that it messes with the viewers experience. Overall, if you're a fan of these types of movies, go for it. If not, you can skip this.

Barbie as the Island Princess (2007 Video)

Really good music

[10/10 · 22 July 2021]

I'd highly recommend this movie to anyone interested in the Barbie franchise. The villain is interesting, the relationships between the characters are compelling, and the music is amazing.

Barbie: The Princess & the Popstar (2012)

Obnoxious

[2/10 · 22 July 2021]

The characters are annoying, the dogs are useless, and the plot is stupid. I think the villain might be the worst character in the film, but it's a tough call.

Barbie and the Three Musketeers (2008 Video)

Unbelievable!

[9/10 · 22 July 2021]

This is a really good movie. It's got well choreographed action, a good story, and likeable characters. Although some of the characters don't have tons of time on screen, they all manage to be memorable. This is definitely worth a watch if you're a fan of these kinds of movies.

Barbie: Spy Squad (2016 Video)

Do I spy a good movie here? NO.

[2/10 · 22 July 2021]

This movie is bland, boring, and bad. The design of the cat is really ugly. The villain isn't very compelling- the plot twist at the end doesn't do them any favors. It really sucks that this movie is so mindless. For a movie about spies, shouldn't there have been a more engaging plot?

Barbie Diaries (2006 Video)

Genuinely funny, engaging plot, what's not to love?

[8/10 · 20 July 2021]

Unlike other Barbie movies, I didn't watch this one when I was a kid. I was really surprised when I watched this. It was really good: a lot of neat jokes, a pretty good plot.

It's a bit cheesy, and the animation isn't that great, plus the songs aren't the best, but this movie is really enjoyable.

Barbie Mariposa and The Fairy Princess (2013)

A pretty good plot

[7/10 · 20 July 2021]

I honestly found the plot of this movie to be very engaging. I dare say that this movie is better than the first Mariposa. The villain is less engaging, but plays a smaller role. The animation is much better than the previous Mariposa movie.

The characters are all likeable. Outside of the two puffballs, who I don't like very much, the designs are quite pretty. It's worth a watch if you're a fan of these types of movies.

Barbie & Chelsea: The Lost Birthday (2021 Video)

Yes, this is a children's movie.

[5/10 · 20 July 2021]

I could definitely see a child enjoying this movie. As an older viewer, I really liked a few of the smaller animation details. The characters were funny enough and I managed to laugh a few times. It's an average kid film: not too obnoxious. I wish the music were a bit better, but I think the animation makes up for that. The characters were all cute and pleasant to look at.

Overall, it was a bit forgettable.

Barbie & Her Sisters in a Puppy Chase (2016 Video)

Falls below the bar.

[4/10 · 2 July 2021]

I'm definitely not the target audience for a Barbie movie, but I can enjoy them. And I am aware that these movies usually aren't made with a big budget, and they're usually just made to sell toys. What I'm trying to say is that for these movies, the bar is pretty low.

The plot of this is frustrating. I found myself wondering "how much longer is this movie?" more than once. The puppy subplot is boring. For a movie about chasing after puppies, the pups don't move around very much. It's mostly just Barbie failing to go where she needs to. Barbie would've been fine had she made better decisions. The stakes are really low- everyone hardly faces consequences.

The characters are boring. Even Barbie and her sisters are bland. Two of the Barbie sisters had so little impact on the plot that they could've been removed without any consequences. The puppies are badly voice-acted. They sound robotic.

Ultimately, this is not a great movie. Probably fine for the kids.