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chellycat
I like web design, graphic design, video grames, reading and singing in choirs as well.
Reviews
Ratatouille (2007)
One tasty film!
***Spoiler warning*** This was a wonderful treat! The animation never failed to amaze me, and like many people, there were many moments where I forgot that I was watching an animated film. The plot was steady and flowed very well, and it was simple enough for the youngins yet sophisticated enough for the "oldies." That good ole Pixar magic at work! The only issue I had with this film is that some parts were a little over the top...such as the old woman shooting at the rats, and the chasing scene near the end...a tad too cartoonish. Also, while this film was funny, it didn't have any memorable laugh-out-loud, must-see-over-and-over again parts like Finding Nemo did. But given the merits of this film, these "faults" are probably just nit-pickiness on my part! I will definitely buy this movie when it comes out on DVD.
Destination: Infestation (2007)
An insult to viewers' intelligence
My mother and I are fans of Lifetime movies, and so when we saw that this was on, we got all excited and settled in to watch it. The beginning was promising, if not a bit predictable. Now, my mom and I are lenient when it comes to Lifetime movies...we don't expect a masterpiece. We're just looking for a good time. However, this movie consistently failed to satisfy even the lowest of our low expectations. Problems? First off, when the mutant super-ants attacked the first passenger and then went crawling about the plane, the flight attendants just stood by idly, cowering in fear. How the heck did they pass their training? Secondly, when the pilots contacted the Miami air traffic controllers about their situation, the controller on duty did not take them seriously and even cut them off, saying he would "get back to them." What kind of air traffic controller would do that? Finally, once they found out about the ants, no airport would allow the plane to land. Completely unrealistic. Most air traffic controllers would go out of their way to *save* a plane, not just let it fly around until it runs out of fuel and crashes. Never mind that some of the ants would surely survive the crash and infest the area anyway. Oops...we let all those people die for nothing. Doh!
Whoever made this movie must think we, the viewers, are stupid and can accept such an implausible plot. As I said earlier, I expect general stupidity and implausibility from Lifetime movies, but Destination: Infestation pushes my patience and makes Lifetime's other movies look like Academy Award winners.
An American Haunting (2005)
Not worth an $8.00 ticket
I went to this movie expecting to be frightened out of my wits and I left the theater very disappointed. The Exorcism of Emily Rose was 10 times better than this. The acting and dialogue were minimal. There was virtually no character development. Lots of repetition throughout the movie. My head was spinning around and around and I was just waiting for the whole thing to end. Speaking of the ending...well, don't even get me started on the absurdity of it all.
What I really hated was how we'd see all these "scary" sequences and, 9 times out of 10, they'd turn out to be just a bad dream. Geez, how cliché can you GET? The nature backdrops were over-exaggerated to the point where it made this film look unrealistic. A gigantic full moon, extremely loud thunderclaps...lightening every 5 seconds...yeah right. Whatever happened to subtlety? If you must see this, wait til it comes out at a cheap theater or on DVD...or even better, TV. Or save yourself some precious time and don't see it at all!
The Baby-Sitters Club (1995)
Not as good as the BSC video series
The BSC movie wasn't all bad, but it could have been better. I didn't like the casting choices at all. None of the actresses (and actors) in this movie match the description of their characters in the books. However, the cast of the video series is more faithful to the books.
The movie, while fun, is very stockish and predictable. There isn't much focus on the kids, either! Sure, we get a glimpse of a child here and there (Jackie Rodowsky is no where near a Walking Disaster in the film), but the primary plot centers on Kristy Thomas.
It's too bad that the character of Jessi was horribly underwritten. I'd hate to think that the screenwriter deliberately reduced her to token black person status, but that's pretty much the way Jessi comes across in the film. She only has a few lines to say, and most of them are pretty stupid.
The only performances I did enjoy were those of Elizabeth and Watson (Kristy's mother and stepfather).
All in all, viewers who are just looking for some mindless entertainment might get some enjoyment out of this film. However, fans of the BSC books and videos would probably be disappointed unless they aren't looking for a faithful adaptation.
The Incredibles (2004)
Another work of Pixar magic
Pixar has done it again! They managed to create a gem that kids and their parents can thoroughly enjoy, with neither age group getting too bored.
The film is about a pair of superheroes that have given up their glory days to raise a family and be as "normal" as possible. Of course that's about to change when the husband receives a message calling him to complete a secret mission, which leads to a secret revival of his superhero career...
While the movie was certainly enjoyable, it doesn't quite match up to its predecessors. The plot development was slow and a bit weak. I had a hard time finding a character to identify with. This wasn't the case with Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc, A Bug's Life and the Toy Story films. Those movies all had solid plots and well-developed characters.
In sum: while the Incredibles sports excellent animation, its poor character development and a weak plot hold it a notch lower than the earlier Pixar films. They probably didn't spend as much time perfecting the story this time around.
Shark Tale (2004)
Don't be fooled, it's not that good...
Sure, this movie got a lot of publicity, but overall, it was very disappointing, especially since Shrek 2 (made by the same people) was so good. I liked the animation, and for that I give it 3 points. Otherwise, it was horrible. The filmmakers spent so much time showcasing all the top Hollywood actors' voices and showing us how many equivalents the Underwater Times Square has to the real Times Square that they totally forgot to create a plot! Hardly anyone in the audience laughed, because no one got any of the so-called jokes. It would've been a far better movie had they followed Pixar's lead and focused on the STORY first and not the icing on the cake.
Meet the Fockers (2004)
A corny joke in comparison to its predecessor
(This review may contain some spoilers...) I LOVED "Meet The Parents." The humor felt very genuine and natural. "Meet The Fockers" on the other hand was just not as funny to me. Everything felt very forced. It was like they were trying too hard to make us laugh. It was nice to incorporate some of the funny things from the first movie into the sequel, but they overdid it. They should have taken the time to sit down and think about how to make this movie feel as natural as the first.
The plot is full of holes and elements that were thrown in that serve no general purpose for the story (eg. the whole deal with Greg Focker's so-called son) I didn't like the movie, bottom line. I will gladly buy Meet The Parents, but I refuse to waste any more money on this poorly executed, CORNY sequel.
Ray (2004)
I'm going to start listening to Ray Charles!
I just saw this movie last night (for free at the Student Union at my school) and it was excellent. At least a hundred people showed up! I was hooked from the start. It was a very real look at Ray Charles' struggles and his successes and setbacks. The movie was far from being cheesy, but I was very moved and yes, reduced to tears in numerous spots, especially in the flashback scenes of Ray's childhood.
A testimony to how good this film is -- halfway through our showing last night, the film got tangled and they announced that it would take them 10 minutes to untangle it. It ended up taking 25 minutes, and nearly everyone stayed! Only a small handful of people walked out.
I HIGHLY recommend this film, and the soundtrack.