Thubanstar Reviews

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Maybe you have to be a nerd, or former nerd

[8/10 · 12 March 2005]

I've noticed this film either gets almost all ten stars or almost zero. I am making a big confession here, but perhaps you need to be... a nerd, or formerly a nerd, to get how funny this film is. If you can identify with the characters at all, it's hysterical, if you were perhaps the head cheerleader, you're probably not gonna get it.

Also, I hate to admit this as well, but this film has a lot more to do with growing up in the US and typical high school kids than many "teen" movies which have been produced in the past ten years.

To sum it up, it's a sweet film something along the lines of "American Graffiti, showing "typical teens" in a small town, with much more character study going on than a strong plot.... except the kids in "Graffiti" were not such... "ahem" nerds.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

My favorite movie as a kid

[1 March 2005]

This was Disney's last animated film made when "Uncle Walt" was still alive and in good health. First off, I love the way the story actually tried to stay true to the source material, unlike, unfortunately, many later Disney films.

Just a side note here and a pet peeve. If you have a child that loves this movie, get them the original book by Dodie Smith, NOT the books Disney makes. If it's one thing Disney does that I cannot stand, it's taking real works of literature and making not only an animated version, but their own "book version". Ick.

As for the artistic style... some people on this board are way too young to remember, but the cartoon style of the late 1950's early 1960's took a sharp turn toward the abstract, and realism was frowned upon for years. It's no wonder 101 Dalmations looks different from most other "old school" Disney films. Honestly, they got away with as much realism as was accepted at the time in the graphic design and art community.

This film is very well paced, with lots of wit and style and well written characters. Cruella is one of the great villains, and the puppies are adorable. I loved this as a kid, but even as an adult I can see that it works on many different levels.

The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

EXTREMELY Over rated!!!

[1/10 · 27 January 2005]

Wow, People To all the folks on this board who think Disney is the only animation out there and this lame bit of fluff is some sort of cure....

You really need to watch some of the very innovative animation on US TV like South Park and some of the better Cartoon Network offerings. Go rent some Japanese animation such as "Spirited Away" (THAT was TRULY a magic experience).

I'm sure if we hunted around in other places on the globe we could find other entertaining animation, but believe me, this ain't one of them.

I had heard so much good stuff about this film, I was expecting to at LEAST see some good animation. OK, nice style, but as for the plot, characters, and yes, the very out of place and ugly stereotypes, I was either insulted or bored.

So, we have at the start Three French women who sing, and then a kid who wants to ride bikes. That's sweet, and for the first 15 minutes the film was watchable.

Then they launch into this stupid plot about Americans who have to go, yes, ALL THE WAY TO France (because even though Lance Armstrong wins the Tour year after year we're all too greedy and fat to have our own bike riders...? Huh? What?) and kidnap some poor, unsuspecting French bicyclists to be used as "race horses" in some sort of betting scheme. They drag the bicyclists over to what seems to be New York City (Belleville). This is a place with nothing but mean, fat people in it except for the triplets who are (of course) from France.

The unintentionally funny part to me about the American slams was the fact that they were so... lame.

I mean, c'mon, some stale stereotypes about fat, greedy Americans? If you're a clever satirist, you can make another person or country laugh at themselves and get some sort of communication going even while you make fun... but this? This was like something a five year old would write.

Put the shoe on the other foot and try to find something actually entertaining to say next time, OK people? Stop and think about it, I really doubt if Disney made a film featuring France as a place populated only by bigoted snobs and women who don't shave their armpit hair that the French would find it a laugh riot to show the kids.

So, the young man is kidnapped, the grandma goes across the Atlantic to save him (pulled by their trusty dog) and the Triplets of Belleville help grandma save the grandson from the oh-so-evil Americans. Uh, the end.

Aside from quirky little side elements such as the dog pulling the boat and the house in France leaning way back to accommodate a train track, there is nothing much else to this movie. The story is boring and the characters are either repulsive or dull.

In other words, it's a lot of trying-so-hard-to-be-charming little moments surrounded by hot air and not much else. Really, don't waste your time like I did.

The Wicker Man (1973)

Strange reaction

[8/10 · 30 December 2004]

I don't know exactly why, but every time I see this movie, it cheers me up! Maybe it's just because the plot is so fresh and unexpected... anyway, you will enjoy it if you watch it (unless you're a very devout Christian with no sense of humor).

Not to be anti-Christian, but some films take the western Christian value completely for granted, as if it were some universal law. Not this film! It takes values I think most people don't think about and stands them on their head. When I first saw it back in the 1980's, It gave me a lot of food for thought, not just about the plot and characters, but about ideas about life.

Earthsea (2004–2005)

A MESS!!!!

[15 December 2004]

What is it with the tangled Victorian-era mess of melodrama superimposed by the SciFi Channel on such a crystal clear, beautifully written bunch of books?

I'm sorry, but the only part I liked in the show was the first quarter when they stuck most closely to the book. This is not because I'm such a fanatic, really, I understand that TV and books are two different things that have to suit different needs.

BUT, LeGuin's writing is so great, and more importantly, so devoid of all the fake drama SciFi decided to chuck into the story. Her story did not need all the silly sub-plots I guess SciFi thought they had to have to "keep things interesting".

Maybe SciFi Channel is under new management. That may explain getting rid of Lexx and Farscape, and almost completely messing up a great story like Earthsea.

Doc Hollywood (1991)

I have to laugh!

[8/10 · 8 December 2004]

I have to laugh at all the comments on this board which say this movie's plot or the characters are not "plausible".

I live near the town this movie was shot in, (I was an extra for one day, and a "stand in" for two days on this film. It was neat!) and believe me, the characters are not only believable, you can meet versions of them in small towns all through the south.

There is a big difference between city and deep country life. Maybe people in very urban areas and countries tend to forget that. Quite honestly, I know several people down here in the boonies who make the folk of "Grady" look downright sophisticated.

That criticism shot down, I just have to say it's a really sweet film. It has a lot of atmosphere and some good character development, even in the minor roles. It portrays small, small town America pretty accurately and with a great deal of charm.