mcshermansmithy

The Prince of Egypt was a film that I loved watching over and over as a kid and now that I'm grown up, I'm still blown away by it.

I like how this film tells the story of Moses from a different point of view than other stories. It focuses more on the drama and relationship of Moses and Ramses, who don't want to be enemies but Moses wants Ramses to let the Jewish people go, leaving Ramses to choose between family and legacy. The animation is just great, everything feels huge and epic. The songs are fantastic, each one feels right at home with the tone of the film. You have the songwriter of Wicked to thank for that.

Surprisingly, people who watch Prince of Egypt think it's made by Disney when in reality it made by Dreamworks. I'm actually glad it wasn't made by Disney, and don't get me wrong, I do love Disney films, but there's always that part of the film that was just made for little kids and laughs that is totally different from the tone of the film. Luckily, the Prince of Egypt is serious and epic, but kids and adults can still watch it. I love this movie so much, I actually think this movie would beat Frozen for Best Animated Movie at the Oscars, but that's my opinion.

I definitely recommend Prince of Egypt as a masterpiece. I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Bridge to Teribithia, is an overrated movie.

Upsides:I do give credit for the ideas for the film and the death scene of Leslie is handled appropriately.

Downsides: I found the two main characters bland and annoyingly perfect. They just don't seem like normal kids. Also, I found the tone of the movie to be off balanced at some points. Sometimes it wants to be like Narnia and sometimes it wants to be like Breakfast Club. It just feels overly whimsical. Last but not least, the dialog is very dated, it needs to be updated.

Verdict: While I am not a fan of this movie, I guess if someone wanted to watch it, it's harmless enough. Plus, I didn't read the book so I don't know how loyal it was to it. So I recommend a watch to see if you like it or not.

I believe that Noah is a sign signifying the return of biblical epics.

Upsides: I thought the cast was great especially Russell Crowe as Noah and Anthony Hopkins as Noah's grandfather. The effects were pretty good, and I like the designs of the Ark. The plot is very thrilling and tense which is what you would expect from Darren Afronsky. Last but not least, I liked the themes put into Noah to make different than from average bible story.

Downsides: I felt that the villain was kind of cartoonish, and the Watchers just feel like Rocky Transformers, but I got used to them.

Verdict: Noah is really good, but it's not a film you would expect to be 100 percent like the story you learned in Sunday School. It is very intense and it is very moving, so don't bring any children to it (What you would expect from the director of Black Swan). But I still recommend as a film that is epic as it seems.

I remember when I first watched the Jim Carrey comedy The Mask, and I enjoyed it. But here's the thing. I actually didn't know that Son of the Mask actually existed until a friend mentioned it to me, so I decided to watch it just to kill time.

DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE. IT IS EVIL!!!!

Upside: Nothing worth mentioning.

Downsides: Where do I start? Besides from the awkward acting, uninteresting characters, poor story, lame comedy, and horrible effects, it is scary. The visuals are so disturbing and so terrifying, you'd swear this was meant to be a horror film. It's like the movie is possessed and wants to jump out of the screen and eat you!

Verdict: If a sequel to a Jim Carrey movie doesn't have Jim Carrey in it, you know it's going to suck. For me, SKIP THIS MOVIE.

Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of the best Disney animated movies ever. It's also one of the darkest. And that's why love it.

Best parts: The animation is fantastic. Everything feels grand, huge, and epic. The characters are great, especially the villain, Frollo. He's very intimidating and very complex. The darkest parts, especially Hellfire, make this film unique and very special. I forgot to mention that the choir is AWESOME! It makes everything epic and dark like something from Lord of the Rings.

Parts that don't work: The comedy in this movie is hit and miss, and the gargoyles are annoying as heck.

If you're a fan of the original Victor Hugo novel, you're probably not going to like it. But I didn't really mind the changes they made, especially the ending where Quasimodo and Esmeralda lives. It's dark, epic, and very unique for a Disney film. I highly recommend Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

When I was a little kid, this was one of my favorite films that I loved to watch, and I am still amazed by how much it holds up today. I love everything about it, especially the world it creates and the puppets used as characters. In fact I think the characters have more emotion than some actual real life actors (I'm looking at you Kristen Stewart). The designs of the Skeksis are probably the best, seeing how cruel and vulture like they are. Sure, it's probably Jim Henson's darkest film, but I never thought it went too far. I'm glad it's getting a growing fanbase because I don't think it was a big hit when it came out. But if you want to see awesome puppets, a creative world, and a unique story, this is the film for you. I've see it a million times before and I am bound to see it a million times more.

While I'll admit that Frozen is much better than Tangled and Brave, I do find it a little overrated than everyone else does. Let me explain why? My biggest problem with this movie is the villain. Hans wasn't horrible but I felt he would've been a better villain sidekick than the main villain. Another problem is that the story relied too much on the "true love saves the day" cliché at the end of the movie.

But there are still some good parts of the movie. The other characters are funny and very interesting, the animation was pretty good, and the music was great (except for that one song sung by the trolls, which I found to be pretty pointless). I especially liked the character of Elsa and Anna and their relationship together.

All in all, I found the movie good, but not great as everyone says it is. What it lacks is a feeling of grand-scale epic-ness that other Disney films had like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame had. But I still recommend Frozen as a great musical, because that part worked very well in this story.

Superman was considered to be a groundbreaking film in the superhero genre back when it was released, but does it still hold up to this day?

Special Upsides: Christopher Reeve is still a great and iconic Superman. Everyone else is good in their roles. The story is still pretty well-written, credits to Godfather writer Mario Puzo, and the film does have a good uplifting feeling to it. Plus, it has that awesome theme song by John Williams.

Special Downsides: While Margot Kidder is still a very good Lois Lane, I didn't like how she could never figure out that Clark Kent was Superman. Next, while the film does try to fully express the themes of power and immortality, I feel that corny scenes with Lex Luthor and his stupid henchman just get in the way of those themes. Finally, that stupid ending where Superman spins the Earth around to turn back time!

Verdict: While some elements don't hold up today, Superman is still a superhero classic and is recommended for any superhero fan.

Somehow, this movie, in less time and lesser budget, showed a good Green Lantern story than the live-action one. Green Lantern: First Flight has every that fans of the comics would want. Action, character development, a decent villain, and an awesome hero to root for. I'm not going to spoil anything here, but if I had to pick between Green Lantern: First Flight and the live-action Green Lantern I would pick Green Lantern: First Flight in a heartbeat.

My only complaints are that while I know that the regular running time for DC Universe Original Animated Movies is 77 minutes, but I wish that this was longer or there would be a very strong indication that Hal Jordan's adventures would continue. Sadly, I guess Green Lantern: First Flight wasn't that successful enough to warrant a sequel. But still, I recommend Green Lantern: First Flight to anyone who either loves Green Lantern or DC Comics. I promise you'll love it.

Guillermo Del Toro has done it again with Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Even though I prefer the first one, this one was its merits: Special Praise: The cast is still great, especially Ron Perlman as Hellboy. The story is very creative and is well-paced. And the designs for the creatures looked awesome, but what was more impressive is that 98% of the creatures in this movie are not CGI. There either puppets or makeup, and they are extremely well detailed and designed.

Downsides: Some moments don't make sense in the movie, particularly when a crowd of civilians starts to gang up on Hellboy after they save him, and its never mentioned again!

But all in all, Hellboy 2 is awesome and is recommended for anyone who is a big fan of the comics, Guillermo Del Toro, or fantasy.

Despicable Me 2 was a sure box-office success in 2013 along with Iron Man 3 and Catching Fire. Here are my ups and downs with this movie.

Upsides: The Minions are hilarious. I think this is one of the reasons Despicable Me 2 succeeded. I also liked the mix of spy fiction and comedy here. The characters are pretty likable and interesting, even though Agent Lucy Wilde started off a little annoying.

Downsides: Some of the plot points involving the characters feel sporadic, like Dr. Nefario turning from evil to good and just able to make an antidote to the monster serum. Also, it was a little weird how Antonio, the son of El Macho, just disappeared from the film near the end.

Verdict: While not as strong as the first movie, Despicable Me 2 is still fun for the family and will continue to entertain fans of the first movie.

Captain America: The First Avenger is a film that is not horrible, but it just kills time before the Avengers.

Here are the upsides: Chris Evans is pretty good as Captain America and Hugo Weaving does a stellar Red Skull. The rest of the cast is good, but not really spectacular. The action does keep the movie going at a good pace, so your never bored. It even has a few good comedic one-liners.

Here are the downsides: The story can feel really un-realistic, especially near the ending. I also thought that the romance between Captain America and Agent Carter was forced.

But all in all, Captain America: The First Avenger is entertaining and decent as far as comic book movies go.

Before I start this review, I would like to say that I have not seen the original Wicker Man.

This is unexpectedly hilarious even for a film starring Nicholas Cage playing a detective going to an island populated entirely by woman who use men as slaves trying to solve the disappearance of a little girl that's suppose to be his step-daughter. I was confused and bored multiple times throughout the film.

But the ending really annoyed me. They sacrificed Nicholas Cage in a giant wicker man statue (that they somehow built without Cage's character knowing about it) and set it on fire. That makes no sense, seeing how he was detective in the police force and the islanders didn't think that anyone from the police force might investigate Cage's disappearance.

But there were some hilarious moments, like when Cage dressed up like a bear and punches a woman, and of course, the bees scene.

But all in all, this film is not worth your time and money. I'm sure the original had better pacing and the ending had a better payoff, but I am not interested in anything with a Wicker Man at the moment.

DC and Marvel seem to dominate the superhero film industry nowadays. But they better watch out from another comic book company called Dark Horse Comics. Their movies include 300, Sin City, and Hellboy. In my opinion, Hellboy is their best project yet.

What I love about this film is Guillermo Del Toro's direction with the story, the characters, the cast, and the visuals. Hellboy, played by Ron Perlman, is very likable hero. He's got a tough sense of charisma to him but you can always see his soft side as well. The main villain, Rapsutin, is very despicable and is very cunning as a mastermind bad guy. Out of all the supporting characters in this movie, my favorite one is Liz, Hellboy's girlfriend, probably because of her very interesting background.

The story is very good in this movie. I'm not going to spoil it, but I will say that it is a good mix of action, horror, fantasy, and themes like identity, choice, and what it means to be human.

Even if you know very little about the source material, I think you'll still enjoy it. Hellboy is a fantastic film thanks to its actors and its very talented director, Guillermo Del Toro.

10/10

If anyone can remake a classic movie that revolutionized visual effects and the movie business, it's Peter Jackson. Jackson's King Kong is as fantastic as the original 1933 film.

Let's go over the highlights of the film. The visual effects were amazing! I especially love Kong's battle with the T-Rex. Speaking of which, King Kong is awesome in this version. He doesn't speak at all and that works. You can know what he feels through his expressions and features. I like this version's Anne than the first King Kong. She's just more tough and doesn't scream 90% of the time. Their relationship is fantastic and by the time Kong dies, you feel very sorry for him.

Now here are the downsides. The film is three hours long and some scenes do drag on. Also, Adrien Brody's character was a little boring.

But all in all, the rest of the cast is great, the creatures on the island are cool but very creepy. So, with a very good cast, great effects, and a powerful story makes King Kong one of the best remakes.

Disney can create some great animated films. Unfortanutly, Tangled isn't one of them. Why? Because of its many plot holes and clichés that are really obvious. Lets begin with the question of how nobody can find Rapunzel in the tower where the evil lady took her? I know they said that they tried to find her, but if I was the king, I would tear the kingdom apart until I found my daughter. Plus, towers aren't like huts or hobbit holes where it can blend in with the environment. I'm surprised that it took eighteen years for someone to even stumble upon it. But all of this wouldn't have happened if there were any guards to protect baby Rapunzel from getting kidnapped. You have to be someone from Assassin's Creed to accomplish that. Last of the plot holes that I will discuss is that when grownup Rapunzel looks at the painting of herself, why doesn't she get curious about it. I'm surprised that nobody noticed and thought "The teenager looks an awful lot like the royal baby who was kidnapped eighteen years ago."

Moving from that, the characters in Tangled are decent, just not really special. The songs are actually pretty creative and can be a little fun. The animation is very smooth and very detailed.

But all in all, Tangled is not that great. Sure it has its moments and some decent animation, but the story is very weak and the rest of the movie suffers for it. I hope the Frozen is as good as everybody says it is and not a repeat of what I had to go through with Tangled.

Kung Fu Panda is one of the best animated films of all time. Everything about from its characters to its animation to its story was great. When they announced a sequel, I didn't know how it can top the first one. But to my surprise, it did.

Kung Fu Panda 2 has doubled the action, doubled the comedy, and even doubled the drama. The animation really makes the film powerful with its drama and action. Po's journey as a hero and his inner struggles are great. The villain, played by Gary Oldman, is very sinister and you can see that this peacock is no joke.

Not only is Kung Fu Panda 2 one of the best animated films I have ever seen, but it is one of the best sequels ever made. My only downside was that the movie was released the same weekend as The Hangover Part 2, in which everybody went to go see and everybody hated it. Also, Kung Fu Panda 2 is a much better film than Cars 2, because unlike the Hangover Part 2 and Cars 2, Kung Fu Panda 2 isn't a repeat of the first film. It continues on with the story and I can't wait for Kung Fu Panda 3.

How the Grinch stole Christmas isn't great, but it's still enjoyable. Most of it comes from Jim Carrey, who steals every scene he's in as THE GRINCH! The girl who plays Cindy Lou is actually pretty decent, as with all of the actors in this film. The sets are pretty creative, so are the costumes, and the Grinch's makeup is pretty cool.

Here are the downsides of this film: While the Grinch's makeup is spectacular, the Who's makeup are more creepy than cute. Also, some of the characters like Martha May and the Mayor of Whoville seem a little uninteresting and a little forced. Plus, some of the cinematography in this film is poorly handled. It's constantly moving and so you don't get to enjoy the sets as much as you want to. Finally, when the Grinch is stealing the presents, it feels like it's fast forwarding towards the end. That whole scene should have been a little slower and should've had played the "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch." song in it.

But all in all, the movie is still enjoyable even if it has problems. While the original cartoon is better than the live-action film, I still recommend it to people who love Jim Carrey, because he has a ton of fun in this film. Is it good? No, but it's not bad. It's a guilty pleasure.

I would like to begin my review saying that I was never a big Superman fan. Yes I enjoyed the Christopher Reeve films but I never really loved Superman because I thought that he was too invincible and too much like a boy scout. Even with the animated series (which I really love), my favorite episodes were the ones where Superman teams up with another hero like Batman and Green Lantern. Heck the only reason why I wanted Man of Steel to succeed was to make a Justice League film so I can see my favorite heroes - Batman and Green Lantern. But then Man of Steel blew me away with its dark tone, awesome action scenes, great acting, and its more relatable Superman. I don't know why a lot of people hate it. I know it's not as great as The Dark Knight trilogy and The Avengers, but its a lot better than Iron Man 3.

Some of the complaints about this movie make no sense to me. "It's too dark"! It's directed by Zack Snyder and written by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer of course it's going to be dark! "Superman kills Zod"! This happened in Superman 2 and nobody seemed to complain about that! "Superman destroys Metropolis"! It was General Zod's world engine that destroyed a good portion of Metropolis and I believe that almost all fight scenes in superhero movies take place in an urban area.

I'm glad that Man of Steel got rid of some of the superman clichés. Lois Lane finally knows who Superman is, there's no kryptonite, no Lex Luthor, and no Jimmy Olsen. Thank God! Henry Cavill was an awesome Superman and nearly as good as Christopher Reeve. Krypton looked awesome and very creative. Zod was very menacing but you do feel a little sorry for him because all he wants to do is save his race.

My only downside with this film was the location of the final fight scene. Superman vs. Zod was awesome and well shot, but I wished that they had their brawl somewhere else far away from a lot of people.

Aside from that, Man of Steel is the best blockbuster of the year of 2013 and I can't wait for what comes next!