scarlet478

SaiKano is a sad, sad series. And yet somehow uplifting by the end. The message of the series really sticks with you afterwards- it's that moving.

I love the characters the most- they're all so admirable in their own ways, and they each make their own sacrifices for the sake of someone special to them. That's what it's about; loving and trying to receive love, getting hurt in a confusing and quickly changing world but still struggling to go on despite these difficulties. I'll never forget a moment near the end that made me realize that the series started off in a vastly different world. It really brings home the irreversible effects of war, and the changes that the main characters have experienced.

This series is a good mix of pathos and cute moments (mostly courtesy of Chise) not to be missed. I haven't read the manga, but as a series alone, it is quite excellent.

Thunderpants is an...interesting movie, to put it mildly. I think if I was about ten years younger, I might have found it very entertaining. The key to this movie to just sit back and accept everything you see. The weird green theme (green for noxious gas, I'm thinking?), the fact that Patrick Smash could actually find some real-life applications to his unusual talents, etc...stopping to actually think about this movie will just make it a terrible experience. There really isn't some sort of hidden code to decipher or deep symbolism for the meaning of life. This is a children's movie. It's meant to just be enjoyed. And it has some good messages about believing in yourself, overcoming adversity and the power of friendship. Kudos to them.

But even as kids' movies go, it could have been better. I've seen worse, so in perspective it's not so horrible...just mediocre. The acting was okay, but sometimes the actors could have tried harder. The cinematography was decent; nothing earthshakingly brilliant. I don't even remember noticing the music. The costuming, though all rather greenish, was spiffy. The inventions were funny and cool, I must say that. And there were some funny visual gags in it. So this movie does have a few redeeming qualities, I guess.

I will admit that the only reason why I decided to watch this movie was because of Sean Biggerstaff. I was curious about what kind of real talent he had (his part in the Harry Potter movies was way too shallow to let anything show). Well, on that front, I was not disappointed. He, along with the rest of the cast, gave excellent performances. I felt that they were all very natural. And that's great, since the backbone of the film is more or less a series of character sketches. Without good acting, this film would have fallen flat on its face.

As far as plot and storyline goes, there really isn't any. But that doesn't bother me- sometimes instead of focusing on a story, I like to focus on moments. The Winter Guest is full of moments; many were melancholy, but there were a few amusing ones too, thanks to Tom and Sam. I came away from this film wanting to see it a second time.

There is something extremely magical and poignant about this movie...initially, I thought this might be a sort of boring movie (I mean, the general plot is a 20-something taking a vacation in the country...eh?) but I quickly had not trouble understanding the main character Taeko. By the end of the movie, I was cheering her on as she- well, you'll just have to see for yourself what she does.

The characters are portrayed in such a realistic fashion, and the art is wonderful. The colors of the countryside are rich. The characters look just like live-action actors; no blue hair or giant samurai swords. It's a real testament to the huge range anime is capable of.

If you ever come across this movie, watch it. It's well worth your time. I was surprise to find out that this movie was so long- 118 minutes. To me, it flew by in an instant.

Seems like there are already two camps forming around this movie; the people who like the changes, and the ones who end up missing Columbus. I, for one, do not approve of all of the things Alfonso Cuaron has done but I still think it's a good movie.

Well, good if you are familiar with the book. Some of the nuances in the script are likely to be lost to people who haven't read it. There are a number of things left out, so I ended up using what I knew to fill in the holes. Also, some transitions were really awkward. The one that got me the most was a sudden switching to the Hagrid/Buckbeak storyline in the lake. I was a little disoriented.

Visually, this movie tops the other two. The redesigned sets are wonderful, just like what I imagine when I read the books. The placement of Gryffindor tower is bothersome, along with the placement of the house tables. However, the castle as a whole is great. While I felt the castle from the first two had a but of a...plastic...vibe to it, this one didn't. You can really get a sense of the kids growing up-different hairstyles, for one thing. It underscores the time theme running through the movie.

I've always had problems with the casting choices in the Harry Potter movies, and this one is no different. Perhaps they'll eventually come to grow on me, perhaps they won't and I'll just grudgingly accept them. I can't decide whether I like Micheal Gambon as the new Dumbledore, but I'm glad he put his own spin on the character. Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawny, however, was brilliant. Quite dead-on.

Dan, Emma and Rupert get more and more comfortable being the trio with every movie, I think. Their acting is loads better, and it's easy to see the compatibility of the three. They way they interact is very cute and natural. They share lots of really good friendship-type moments, but they are noticeably split into Harry and Hermione or Ron and Hermione...it makes a love triangle easy to realize with the later movies.

The ending left something to be desired. It was so...unresolved. The final scene was cheesy beyond words, as if they suddenly ran out of ideas and just put something together to meet the deadline.

Favorite line: "My way, I'm Head Boy!" Haha...such a Percy moment.

Biggest peeve: The patronus, also Harry practicing magic in his room, only to have it made quite clear ten minutes later that it's not allowed.

I think this movie might have been good if it was just more involving. During the final scene when Hamlet and Laertes were fencing, I found myself thinking, "Is this movie already over?" For some reason the events just kinda passed before my eyes and the words went through my ears and none if it really seemed to soak in. It was bland, that's all I have to say. This movie seemed to have so much potential, but it fell short of the mark.

However, there are a few bright spots. Laertes was one of them. Gertrude was also interesting to watch. The moment when Polonius picks up Ophelia's foot to tie her shoe while he lectures her is the strongest memory I have from the whole film. I found it funny.

some spoilers

Yes, this show is a lot of fun. It is a lot of fun, that is, if you don't hate it. And from my experience, it seems like people either hate it or love it. But don't let that stop you. FLCL is a real spectacle, a real feast for the sight, sound and heart.

That's right, a crazy anime with heart. Tons of heart. It seems like Gainax is throwing its characters around willy-nilly into so many different scenarios. What, Naota got hit in the head *again*? What, Naota's father was stashed under the sink (was it?) like a dried shiitake mushroom? What, Haruko and Mamimi actually had to hold their breaths during the slow-mo scene?

But underneath it all, there's something else that reaches out to touch the audience. These are age-old scenarios-- Naota as the distant and angsty tween, Eri as the arrogant class president with a painful private life, Amarao as the guy who feels totally inadequate, and Mamimi, loneliest of them all, as the social outcast with no direction. But the feelings that are conveyed through the series are perfect. It's about people who are hopelessly stuck in their situations finding ways out, finding ways to grow up and move on. Naota and Mamimi especially are tied to the past in such ways that hinder them from living their lives.

Thank goodness for Haruko, who severs those ties with a few whacks of her guitar. She wonderfully balances out the sentimentality, and she's the one that makes this series more like comedy/action. But the heart is there, waiting to be picked up the second time around. Watch it once for Haruko, watch it twice (and possibly thrice) for the nuances.

There are some things out there that are beyond belief, reason, and most of all, sanity. Excel Saga is one of these things. The continuous stream of visual/verbal gags, inside jokes that are also funny from the outside, and such wonderful and irreplaceable characters such as Ilpalazzo, Nabeshin, and (most of all) the Puchuus make Excel Saga one very interesting trip.

There is so much to laugh about in this series, and so much of it is so nonsensical that it makes sense. I watch and I watch, and though I know what's going on, does anyone *really* know what's going on in the series? Hrm...but it doesn't matter. It's all about the jokes and giggles, not some answer to the Deep Philosophical Question of Life. Go watch Eva or something if you want that.

However, Excel Saga is still smart and funny, which is much more preferable than brainless funny anime like DiGi Charat. I firmly believe that watching DiGi Charat likely kills brain cells.

The only bad thing I have to say about this anime is I did not like the English dub at all. Jessica Calvello wasn't so great as Excel...to put it mildly. What can I say? I'm not a fan of the "nails on chalkboard" effect.

Other than that, watch. Watch Excel Saga.

There are a number of things that make this movie worth watching, such as neat interpretations of certain scenes (the most creative was the "to be" speech), the general eye-candyness of the sets and costumes, the great acting from most of the cast and the cool cameos. I particularly enjoyed Kate Winslet's performance. Ophelia is one of my favorite characters, and Winslet's take on her is so different from Helena Bonham-Carter's interpretation in the Zefirelli version, but I think both presentations of Ophelia are valid and just shows how versatile Shakespeare can be.

However, cool as this movie is, I do have a couple of gripes about it. I didn't like Kenneth Branagh's performance. There was something a little bit...un-Hamlet about him. It's most likely just me, since I have very limited exposure to his work and the role I most associate him with is Prof. Lockhart in the second Harry Potter movie. A most un-Hamlet role. Anyway, the general sense that he seemed un-Hamlet was enough to throw me off for much of the movie. I spent a lot of energy trying to figure out what was wrong with his performance instead of actually paying attention.

The movie was much too long. Actually, it's not the length that bothers me, since long movies can be cool. But sometimes this movie would be good for pointing out why Shakespeare should be cut. Some of the scenes were much too long and much too boring. I dozed off so many times, and I didn't mean to, since I really was interested in this movie. I hear there's a short version...perhaps I should have watched that instead.

I by no means want to discourage anyone from watching this movie; it still has its merits and is a somewhere between good and great interpretation of the play. I think this movie is not for everyone, but everyone should at least give it a try.

Here I am, fresh from a preview screening of Troy...um, what can I say? I feel pretty apathetic about the movie as a whole. In a couple of days I'll probably forget it; it was rather unremarkable.

Why? Well, from the start, I was pretty disappointed in the lack of gods. I have not read the Iliad, but what I do know of the story is through my interest in Greek mythology. Taking the myth out of the story took some of my interest out of the movie. Besides, the location of Achille's...hrm, painful wound...has no significance if the myth is left out. My friend, who wasn't familiar with the story, didn't understand until I explained it to her after we'd watched the movie.

The movie didn't do much to suck me into the storyline. I didn't feel that involved for a long time, perhaps until after they started fighting. Then as things started to really happen, I guess I got a little more interested. I couldn't pick out all the departures from the Iliad, but the end felt a little wrong. Not exactly sure why, but it did.

Brad Pitt, by the way, was pretty hot. This movie sure is full of eye candy. That is probably its only redeeming quality. An all-around good-looking cast, nice battle armor, beautiful costuming, nice blood effects, pretty Trojan city (though it was so perfect that I had trouble believing it was a real city) and some relatively sweet battle scenes. Well, the ones with the armies weren't all that impressive. I think someone said it already, but yeah, after Lord of Rings, my standards have been raised. Troy sadly did not meet those standards. But the battles between individuals were a little better. The one with Paris in it might have intended to be serious but it turned out to be the most comic scene in the whole movie. The one between Achilles and Hector kinda made me want to go back to my dorm and play Soul Calibur II. I'm not entirely sure if that says something good about that scene.

Oh yes, the worst thing the director did with Orlando Bloom was hand him a bow and arrow. I think Bloom will forever be associated with Legolas and having him shoot more arrows in the same Legolas way is really not helping him shake that association.

I said at the beginning of this review that I'd probably forget this movie in a couple of days. Well, it's been almost two hours since I've seen it and it is already slipping from my mind as I try to think of more things to say about it. So, I'll end by saying that I wouldn't recommend watching this if you are expecting to see a piece of wonderful cinema. However, if it's a rainy afternoon with nothing to do and someone else is offering to buy a ticket for you, go for it.