cameratracker Reviews

The Simpsons Movie (2007)

It certainly delivers

[9/10 · 13 September 2007]

Well they pulled it off! After literally a decade of waiting a Simpsons movie finally gets made! And it's absolutely everything you could hope for. It crams as much of the frantic humor of its best episodes into a big screen epic story. It works for both fans like me and the casual watcher. The writers were very smart with this one. They could have missed the mark and gotten too off track of what makes the Simpsons what it is, or they could have just made it an extended episode. But they found a nice balance. And we finally get a little blue with this one. Eat your heart out Family Guy, The Simpsons Movie is edgier, funnier, and more heartfelt. A complete no-brainer. See it!

Battle for Terra (I) (2007)

Good SF is hard to come by

[8/10 · 13 September 2007]

I'm in the special effects field and jumped at the chance to see this film at the festival. I love SF but have to say I was a little wary going in because I've been burned in the past by high and low budget SF films. Big budget SF is usually so dumbed down it betrays the genre while low budget SF usually consists of cheesy low-rent imitations of great films. But I still get excited hoping that the next one will 'be the one'. I find great SF in books, but great SF films are a rare breed. I was happy to discover that this film is different in a good way. It's a good SF film and a great animated movie. I was surprised to see a film this thought-provoking get made. The animation style is really eye-popping. There were times when I wasn't sure whether I was watching real footage or CG. The performances were generally great, but there was some stiff acting now and then, especially with the humans. The aliens however moved beautifully. The story begins as a fantasy but soon transforms into a mature look at environmentalism and war. It's an odd transition, but overall a nice surprise. In terms of SF, it's a mixed bag of genuinely inspired ideas in the form of a completely original alien world, and some familiar ideas from the humans. The film's tone and style make it special. There are more than a few scenes that are emotionally engaging. I was fearing Sci-Fi channel movie-of-the-week but got Spielberg instead. I'm not sure what the film cost but it seams to have had a decent enough budget behind it. The film is not perfect, but it gets enough right to make me a fan.

Shrek 2 (2004)

This one made me a fan

[7/10 · 13 September 2007]

Yes this sequel isn't exactly the most original idea they could have gone with.

Well actually its almost the same story as the first. But they tooj the humor to another level.

Being a cat lover, i natural loved Puss N Boots. His cat-specific character traits are brilliant.

I also loved the look of the film. The rendering and skin treatment is excellent.

Overall I just had a great time in the cinema. The laughs kept coming and the quality is the best Dreamworks has output yet.