snarkyphilo

This is an American Horror film written by Eric Heisserer about a family haunted by a supernatural being. The film was based on the original 2013 short film of the same name created by the director and pretty much took the same premise from the short and applied it to a feature length running time.

So how does Sandberg's debut stack up? The cinematography was decent, with some great little transitions between shots and scenes here and there, and the lighting, with some particularly clever attention to detail with shadows to highlight the tension and sinisterisim of the darkness (even if it wasn't the big baddie) was particularly clever.

The acting gets a bit of a nod for a few, such as Gabriel Bateman as Martin who pulled off what he could for his character with his child stoicism and terrified out of his little gourd combo without being annoying. And there was also Maria Bello as Sophie, who did a decent job of coming across as pitiable and mildly creepy at the same time.

Then of course there is the strongest element of the film, the scare.

Practically every 5 minutes there was a jump-scare (escalating in the end), and unlike many other movies or television shows out there, they weren't all predominantly fake-outs. In fact, there was perhaps only one fake-out out in the entire film.

Each scare fulfilled on its promise of something outright scary or occasionally mildly creepy. It was its complete and utter focus on jump scare and lighting combination that carried the film, and made it surprisingly fun to watch.

This movie does unfortunately have a bushel of weak points that stick out regardless of the fun experience, weak points that popular sites like Rotten Tomatoes dubs as strong attributes: The Characters and the Story.

First are the characters: This is not exactly a strong pool of dynamic personalities. Most of the small pool of characters isn't given enough of an identity, interaction or development in this film that you actually forget the name of most of them from time to time.

They rely on a few handful of moments in the film that could be attributed to the action or mood of a particular scene as needed, such as the boyfriend's entertaining confrontation with the creature, the opening scene with minor characters Ester (Lotta Losten, who was from the original short) flicking the light switch, and Paul (Billy Burke) trying (and failing) to not be killed, and Martin's apropos responses to Diane.

Speaking of Diane, she was creepy (when not under a blue light) and her movements were just the right amount tension building, but the antagonist suffers as a weak point as well as her backstory was half-arsed, a little implausible in parts even for a horror film, and the connection between her and Sophie was not given enough development. The story itself was of course the other major weak point.

There was no overarching mystery or any other narrative hook to keep you gripped, with everything about the creature was summed up early on and floating undeveloped relationships such as the mother and daughter falling out never being expanded upon, and there was hardly enough chances for breath in the film for the necessary character developments.

When there were attempts at the actual story it read like the amateur writing found in the dollar digital bin at your local Amazon site.

What could have helped the story was a better written history between Sophie and Diane. In fact, it might have gone stronger if Diane was actually a mental projection of Sophie's depression, or perhaps something she created to deal with the death of her friend, or a combination of both. The possibility to utilize this example was there in the vaguely explained connection between them.

You can tell the film's origins from its short counterpart, as the elements that worked here were what made the short strong, and pretty much was the entirety of the short. But unfortunately, the attempt to translate the short into a feature, you do need a decent combination of story and characters outside of the scare element.

Though this could be read as utilizing the formula of the slasher film, which in the case of those films was very much about the present experience of the audience, appealing to the squirm, blood thirst, and gross-out with a lack of much story and purposeful blank slate characters to better facilitate the audience overlaying themselves into the experience.

In this case, if you replace the element of "Slasher" with jump scare, you would have something very similar, though whether this was the purpose of the film's construction it's hard to say.

Overall this was a movie that you watch in the dark with your friends once or twice and enjoy it for the scare and not much else.

Much of this film hinges on a combination of cute animal slapstick primarily and character interactions a close second, worked through a premise established in films such as Toy Story (which did it better), and the typical animation style and characteristics common to the latest fare from Illumination.

The combination works in overall conceptualization as the animation style and the character designs provide perfect vehicles of reactions and bodies for the humour which was balanced for a decent amount of the film, particularly through the secondary characters.

The stand out character was Gidgit (Jenny Slate) and her…vigorous search for Max, particularly as a counterpart in her reactions with the apathetic cat Chloe (Lake Bell) who retains a fair amount of her stereotypical cat indifference, though shows a bit of care here and their enough to not leave her completely static. Both characters entertaining personalities and physical presence int he film- Gidgit as the leader/ass-kicker and Chloe who brought a lot of the slapstick- brought an energy to the film (though in different ways).

The only fault for either is the tacked on romantic drive and conclusion between Gidgit and Max at the end does feel unneeded, and Chloe wasn't given enough screen time with the other characters to form any solid dynamic except with Max and peripherally with others.

The film also felt like it didn't take advantage of all the possibilities it could that the premise combined with the setting of the entirety of Manhattan and the variety of characters presented.

In fact, it likely would have probably benefited from a more slice of life style sticking perhaps within the apartment building itself, which held even more potential which was only touched upon in part in the film, there was a lot of untapped narrative and plot potential there.

A little over the first half of the film in particular is where the most entertainment is found, though once you get into the later end, it begins to unravel somewhat. Transitions between moments become a bit less fluid and bit more jarring without what felt like a few small necessary moments to make the conclusion flow more solidly. the second half, or to be generous, the last third, feels like a rushed and somewhat half-assed need to wrap it all up.

Overall the film has some decent comedy and characters, but it suffers from only taking a shallow approach to the depths that its premise combined with some of the setting and characters presented. The secondary characters were good, but sharing space with the main characters left the main characters little time to establish their own engaging and believable dynamic. It leaves spectators somewhat entertained but not overly invested in the film as a whole.

This is a film that centres exactly on what the title says: a Big Friendly Giant.

The strength of this movie lies in this simplicity. By maintaining the focus primarily on the relationship of BFG (Mark Rylance) with the other main character Sophie (Ruby Barnhill), the side characters and the antagonists, you get a very solid and somewhat focused film, and the character interactions, especially the dynamic between BFG and Sophie was the strongest yet so far in this year's family film fair, which is particularly impressive when you consider the fact that Barnhill is interacting with a green screen figment of digital animation imagination.

Kudos goes to the voice acting of Rylance who really brought this character to life and was the perfect choice for BFG with his Shakespearean theatrical chops shining thorough especially well here.

The computer animation (through motion capture) done on BFG and the other giants was particularly good. He looked younger in the face then his cover art from the Dahl book and his depiction in the 1989 animated version, but it oddly works here when combined with the balding greyness as it somewhat helps pull across that sort of ageless quality inherent in the character (and remarked upon in the film).

Weta Digital did a good job with the the film's special effects, particularly with the dream tree scene.

The plot meanwhile was fairly faithful to the book, if not quite capturing some of the couched darker tones of Dahl, with a pace that worked surprisingly swiftly for its run time in part carried by the relativity fluid transitions from one moment to the next carried on the back of the character byplay.

The only drawback to the film is that the less darker tone from the source material took away from the unique experience that comes from a Dahl work, and if your a Dahl fan, this will likely annoy you.

That being said it is a Disney film under the control of Spielberg which means that the "Family film" aspect will remain strictly traditional. Though its worth pointing out that with the increasing maturity of family television out there, the traditional notion is going to find a harder branch to perch on with young audiences.

Overall, while it isn't exactly an epic film, it is a good film nonetheless that delivers on the promise of its premise with stellar acting, character designs on part of the giants, and visual effects and worth watching for all age groups.

This is not the kind of animated feature that you would stick the kiddies in front of unless they have a great deal of maturity to understand graphic (violent) imagery. This is a story that takes talking animals to a whole different, nitty-gritty level.

The first thing to note is the differences between the original German voice acting and the English dub later developed. You can tell right off when doing a comparison between the two, that the voice acting and the lines is definitely better in the German one, the voice actors matching their characters personalities quite well, with Ulrich Tukar as the voice of Francis and Mario Adorf as Blaubart. The English version cleaned up a lot of the language which actually felt part in setting the tone, particularly of Blaubart, and did have some noticeable differences to wording outside of that which was not to the film's advantage.

So like with anything else that is done in a language different from your own, if your English, stick to the subtitled version if you want the full effect of the film.

The animation was a rather fascinating mix of the standard, though good, quality of animation during that period, but then you get these moments where it takes a step above itself, particularly in Francis' dream sequences, and one in particular whose contents won't be given away, but its style works well with the disturbing and potent imagery you're not likely to forget.

There is also a sense of environment with this, an idea of the sort of old run down once lofty urban district which is established through the movements of the cats, done particularly well through a really well animated and detailed chase scene between Francis and the cult followers.

The story itself is another highlight, appropriate given the popularity of the books, the narrative flows from one sequence to another well enough, though there are moments that do feel a little rushed, it does weave its mystery in a very engaging way with equally engaging characters, Blaubart being a nice humorously crass counterpoint when it gets a little too heavy at the right times. It actually reads almost like a film noir, with some of the tropes of the genre, but not dominantly so.

One of the things going against it is that there are certain things that do make it dated, and a product of its times, such as a scene or two of less than PC use of homosexuality in a negative connotation, particularly exemplified in the scene between Kong and his crew and Francis and Blaubart in the first half, but that is very brief thankfully, and doesn't impact with the rest of the film, so it can be skipped.

The other negative perhaps is that while the climatic ending was really well done, the "bad humans and there corruption" message did feel a little forced here, almost shoe horned in with those last words of the antagonist, and then Francis before he passes out. It felt already established and stated by the antagonist's back story already, but then again, it is a product of its time, and it didn't take away from the overall enjoyment of the film.

This was a great film that has a really compelling narrative and tone that sucks you in, a great set of characters in Francis and Blaubart, great animation, particularly in the dream sequences, and a gripping action-filled ending, if a little preachy here and there. Definitely a recommended watch for those who enjoy a good horror/mystery, are not squeamish, and like good quality adult animation.

This is a Pixar-Disney animated "boy and his dog" coming of age, feel good animated film but with dinosaurs and cave boys. Arlo (Raymond Ochoa), the youngest of a farming Apatosaurus family, loses his father to Disney's Death-of-parent(s) syndrome while chasing a pesky caveboy varmint. Another encounter between the two causes Arlo to become lost with the cave boy far away from home, and the two have to work together to get Arlo home.

From the technical end of things, we have an interesting juxtaposition of a very cartoonily designed protagonist with some rather realistic blend of scenery and texture and moments of very real moments of physical pain. When Arlo gets hit in the head with a rock, you can almost feel it. The sense of physical presence is always appreciated in a film, if a bit surreal.

The music was refreshingly subdued for a movie from something associated with Disney. If there was any character song numbers in this it likely would have hindered this film, especially given the choice in visuals and a strong technical choice.

Moving on to the character end of things, we have Arlo the main protagonist, who is a bit of a adorkable scardy-dino, yet tries so hard to "make his mark" in his small corner of the world (subtle guys, really *rolls eyes*). His personal journey was interesting to watch, a well done progression of struggle and personal growth worked well through-out his journey back, and Arlo himself is somewhat likable, with Ocha doing a good job with Arlo's voice, which well wit the main character's personality, a professional job for his breakout into a big main character role such as this.

Spot the faithful caveboy (Jack Bright) definitely wins the best expressions in this film. We aren't given much to go on in terms of what his story is, but then again, this is more focused on Arlo, and Spot is the "dog" in this relationship, and not much is expected in terms of character depth for the "dog." His efforts in keeping Arlo alive was fun to watch, and his design blended better in the rocky outback environment then the dinosaurs' that inhabited it.

The side characters were fun here and there with the rancher tyrannosaurs family (Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, and A.J Buckley) especially engaging, and the choice to make the antagonists the storm chaser gang of pterodactyls lead by Thunderclap, who was hilarious by the way, more side characters then main protagonist foils was a good choice in this instance. It was very much about Arlo conquering an aspect of himself and that's where the main conflict should reside, with the storm cult being merely there as incentive for Arlo to overcome himself.

Finally, we move onto the story.

This is perhaps where the movie was somewhat weaker. It wasn't a bad story, they utilized the overused boy and his dog journey formula well, but it doesn't take away from the fact that it is a cliché. The premise was promising; the devastating meteorite that many postulate was the reason behind the extinction of the Dinosaurs misses the planet in this reality. Unfortunately the follow through was…well, not bad, but more safe then anything. There was no envelope pushing here, something odd for a Pixar, which at least tries in most of its films whether the execution was good or bad. Here there was nothing overly memorable about the story. It felt like they didn't really know how to handle the possibilities of the premise, as if they had decided on the relatively safe formula first and the premise second.

The only other nitpick would be that the fact that the caveboy was displaying obvious moments of intelligence and communication with Arlo that should have been reacted to with a great deal more shock or at least some level of surprise, given the fact that the dinosaurs look at these beings as critters worth for killing, eating, or making pets of, in general how humans treat beings with non-sentience. This isn't the first time that films have done it though, so let's just throw our hands up in the air on this one and shrug.

Overall, the movie is a decent watch. There is some good animation, some funny and touching moments that really give you the feels, and some decent characters. It is a generally safe film that most ages can watch, if not entirely ground breaking or uniquely memorable, but nevertheless entertaining for an afternoon at the movies.

Oh yes, the glorious slashy goodness was to be had this episode, filled with so much collateral blood spray you can practically smell the stocks rising in Towelette Wipes. Poor Pablo gets splashed so much by blood that one could play a drinking game for every time he's hit and get properly sloshed before the end credits.

The camera work had some creativity this episode, some nice angle shots and some sort of gun mounted camera shot that added a nice effect to the off kilter atmosphere that this show is saturated in, and the over the top almost 80's/early 90's slasher special effects that we also saw in the first episode was continued with a nice creative moment of slashery as Ash gives final notice to his boss.

Pablo also grew on viewers a bit this episode, the character dynamic that is evolving between him and Ash was great to watch, filled with good balance of humour and hero worship, and Pablo armed with his broken bottle beside Ash as they readied for battle was just to precious to behold.

Overall an enjoyable episode with some good Campbelling, perhaps not overly plot rich or character developing, but an enjoyably violent romp nonetheless.

Sorry no Lawless sightings this episode folks.

This episode was a spectacular starter to the new season! From the technical end of things the design of the interior of the hotel was a nice mix of The Shinning, a retro apartment building, and general grandeur going to seed with a flare of pop art thrown in for flavor, the perfect setting for the unfolding story. The music utilized both mimetically and non-mimetically, does a good job of helping to enhance the tone of the story, and from the camera end of things we got some good angle shots, distorted lens shots and tracking shots that were well utilized in presenting the scope and slightly off kilter atmosphere.

Meanwhile the story is inhabited by our lead straight man in all the madness, John Lowe (Wes Bentley) a murder investigator that moves into the hotel at the end of the show. He seems alright as a character, though it's hard to pin him down as either good or bad this early into the show.

The Countess (Lady GaGa) is an interesting figure with just the right amount of snazzy mystery and bloody pizazz. Lady GaGa definitely owns the part of the uniquely creepy bloodsucking head honcho, and it will be interesting to see how her character progresses throughout the show, particularly in concert with the other characters.

Kathy Bates also returned this season and is engaging from moment one as Iris, the curmudgeon manager of the Cortez. Bates delivers her usual dry wit and brilliant work as an actress in making the character her own; watching her character as the meet and greet face/enforcer of the hotel will be an interesting and enjoyable element of the show.

Speaking of story, It was hard at first to figure out how all the deaths were interconnected, but then they brought in Miss Evers who was the realtor of the haunted house from the first season, and you realize that she alludes to her previous position as a realtor in season one with the new hotel owner and combine that with the later revelation of characters dyeing in the past and yet are still walking around in the present and we potentially got another setting similar in its ghostly rules from season 1, except in a hotel. You can find other elements of the first season being utilized such as a demonic rapist in full body material though this time possibly latex and all white with a phallic device, so there are likely not to be any more anti-christs conceived on premises.

This was a creative and engaging start to the season that set the characters and tone for what is to come beautifully, being acted by returning cast members from previous seasons and newer cast applying their talents to this engrossing material which shows some excellent promise for a strong season ahead.

The episodes just keep getting better and better as this first season progresses, and has easily been one of the highlights of the fall season, and certainly one of the better shows to first premiere this season.

For this episode there was actually a pretty decent moral in this episode about friendship, honesty, and support worked through the best character duo for the job, Kermit and Fozzy, who've had the best of friendship pretty much throughout the entire Muppet franchise (even playing twin brothers in The Muppet Caper). The moral in no way felt forced, and the narrative to support it flowed well from both Kermit and Fozzy's unique pre-established identities and relationship.

The two played off each other well, never deviating from their core character values, with great dialogue and dynamic that was both funny and engaging, easily the strongest part of the episode.

The use of two other side stories through Miss Piggy's revenge on Christina Applegate and Gonzo's dating woes were a bit undeveloped, but not bad given the time they had allotted. Chip the creepy IT guy was amusing as he lurks in the background-ish, that blinking of his, especially amongst a cast of non-blinkers, was a nice touch.

Overall this is yet another winner of an episode with its decent plot-progression keeping a good clip with the brevity. The character dynamic between Fozzy and Kermit was solid, and the side characters and even the guest stars were fun to watch, topping everything off with a well done moral that people of all ages can relate to.

I look forward to the next episode.

The series contains an amazing density of characters, reaction, emotion, and a sophisticated understanding awareness of how to precisely work the strings of audience sympathy.

Most of the characters contain a rich set of outlooks, motivations, and faults that are put paces through the plot with a sense of almost will it or will it not realism. Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux), as one of the main protagonists, is one of the better of this breed currently on television. He is an authority figure as the police chief, father, and mediator, but at the same time his faults make him very vulnerable, and he is not always a good man, he has hate and disgust like everyone else, he is nakedly fearful and stubbornly obstinate and the occasional asshole, an excellently constructed flawed figure character, with Theoroux doing a stellar job making this character real.

The side characters are also interesting and strong with Matt Jameson (Christopher Ecceleston), a former reverend in the show, who is a fascinating depiction of a man of faith who at the same time is vociferously skeptical of the Sudden Departure being the rapture, often pointing out that departed (the term for those who disappeared) contained some rather despicable be in their ranks as well as innocent and decent ones. His particular character arc that was focused on in "Two Boats and a Helicopter," one of the arguably best episodes of the series, showed the struggles, sheer determination, and even moments of startling but believable violence that this man goes through, and Eccelston does a great job of portraying this unassuming man who is anything but.

The weaker end of the character chain in the show though would have to be Jill Garvey (Margaret Qualley), Kevin's daughter. She's not a wholly bad teenaged character, she does have some moments, but they make her so bratty and emo that it's hard to really like her. She's had no real development, and comes across a little to cliché; It's more that she is there to be the cause of things to happen or to have things happen to her. Though to give Qually credit though, she does the best with what she has and is able to express those quiet moments of genuine emotion quite well, with perhaps her strongest episode being "Cairo." Now the part that really shines in this show and boy howdy does it! The story.

At first, there is a leery weariness prevalent when starting out that this is just another religious style doom and gloom, believe in the lord and ye shall be saved style of show, making it more about bible promotion then story, but this show was a pleasant surprise in that, while it does have religious themes couched in the plot, particularly the theme of faith, it's done intelligently and unobtrusively, not being the central focus of the story, more an element of the consequences that arise from major catastrophic events that effect people. This story's focus is more on characters in the setting of a post-event culture that sprung up.

It also shows an amazing sophistication in blurring the lines between "sides." Often in film and television, the main focal point that is shown within a movie or show, the protagonist traditionally, is often the one whom we as viewers want to see succeed, even if the focal character, or "side" shown can logically be said in hindsight to have values that work against our own. For example you could watch a film about an amoral drug dealing asshole who is the focal point of a film, but in the end, because you are made to watch from their perspective, you become invested and root for said asshole even though in real life you likely wouldn't hop the pro-drug dealing train (or asshole train if you're a drug dealer). It's mainly because movies and television induce an inside-looking-out perspective in viewers, always on one side of the line in the sand so to speak, an "Us vrs. Them" scenario. With that in mind, The Leftovers actually manages to effectively manipulate this empathy space relation so well that those you are meant to empathize with are unclear, the show utilizing different richly presented perspectives with a smarter use of moral ambiguity, moving the viewer around the space of the show, on the side of the "normal" towns folk of Mapleton one moment, suddenly on the side of a cult in another, turning on the Garvey family spoke, inducing a state of fluidic sympathy and empathy for pretty much all of them to the point where you are forced to face a narrative in which there is no side or person you are routing for, you are just experiencing like the characters themselves.

A show that can do that, is a very smart show indeed! The Leftovers is a prime example of quality television with a dense, compelling, and intelligently constructed story, with decent plot progression, a high ratio of relatively unique cast of well-acted and very real characters; a good series for those who enjoy rich drama with just the hint of supernatural mystery.

The show doesn't suffer in the visuals department. The camera work is solid standard fare for a show of this style, with nothing extraneous or lacking. The special effects support just the right amount of gore here and there, though the brains that she ate looked very much like shrimp or imitation crab meat half the time (when it wasn't slushy style), particularly in the first half of the season, though it did improve in special effects overall in the later quarter of the season especially.

Liv Moore (Rose McIver) is not a bad character for a lead, though there was nothing that made her stand apart from other heroines in this type of role. She had just the right amount of humour and drama to suite the story, but it was more the situations she was in that made her interesting, not so much the character. Rose McIver played the main character decently well, though nothing really stands out particularly. It was a very safe performance. She was able to inject just the right amount of what was needed for each episode.

Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti (Rahul Kohli) was one of the better supporting characters, with the some of the better humour, one-liners, and personality. As the main character's boss, yet clearly also the side-kick archetype was a good choice, giving him some authority and an identity outside of the shadow of the main character. His dynamic with Liv and other characters he interacts with is interesting to watch as well. Rahul Kohli played the character well, with great almost tongue in cheek quippish tone, but at the same time able to portray just the right amount of seriousness that's needed for times when his character has to pull back the main character down to Earth, though in the end his character seemed rather underutilized in the show.

Blaine DeBeers (Davis Anders) as an overarching antagonist was a delight to watch every time he was shown with a definite irreverence for the people and concerns of those around him. You can tell that Davis Anders seemed to be enjoying his role, though he also seemed a bit underutilized in the show.

The rest of the characters were overall too much their character archetypes, or not overly memorable enough to make them mention worthy. With perhaps the occasional recurring bad guy such as the CEO of Max Raver (fictional energy drink company and plot device) Vaughn Du Clark (Steven Weber) who comes across as a very smug laid back apathetic businessman with a bit of promise hinted at here and there, so we will see if he is fleshed out more in season 2.

The story meanwhile has its weak and strong points.

The premise is interesting, working functional zombism into a light-hearted crime show was not a bad idea, and there is potential in seeing where taking on various memories, personalities, and talents of various deceased victim in one person/zombie can take you is engaging. The show does this, but the way they do it is…well, a little to clean, a little too safe. They don't push the envelope of the potential of where this can take them. It improved in the later quarter as it began tightening up some of its free-floating overarching plot points, and ended well on a good climax (there was actually some decent action in the last episode) but that doesn't save it from feeling very much like a show targeted at very young teenagers or even mature tweens, the lack of boundary pushing makes it harder to connect with adults.

The show in the end is a fun little watch with a few engaging moments and dry humour here and there, some good characterizations and acting. Not a bad little ganter for a lazy evening on the couch with a bowl of popcorn.

Gotham is an American Crime Drama adaption of DC' Batman franchise developed by Bruno Heller (HBO's Rome, and CBS' Mentalist) that focuses on the timeline just after Bruce Wayne's parents are murdered, focusing on a younger James Gordon before his days as commissioner, Bruce Wayne, the origins of carious future supervillains, and the power plays of current ones.

This has to be the best DC adapted to television show anyone has had the pleasure to witness. It hit all the buttons right across the board, thus it is not a surprise that has quite a fan following and is well regarded by other critics.

The cinematography was brilliant; they knew how to utilize the camera for the optimum effect without going overboard, particularly with framing shots, long shots, and establishing shots. The special effects did a decent job in creating the gritty noir ambiance that is a titular trait of the fictional Gotham.

The music was exactly what you expect from something from the Batman-verse, despite the timeline, and helped to enhance the tone of an episode or character.

The utilization of the outfits was also effective in the visual enjoyment of the show, particularly the Penguin's slightly debonair creepy suit, the subtle nod to future Joker's outfit that Cicero wore during "The Blind Fortune Teller" (season 1 episode 16) and the gangster Fish Mooney's wacky-sexy outfits, portray the unique styles and looks of each character and also give subtle nods to the source material at the same time.

The characters meanwhile is where the show really shined, forming them by utilizing the source material, but making them separate enough entities in and of themselves to make them unique without diverging to harshly from who they were in the comics, building each character from the comic canon into what they will later be with a refreshingly gorgeous respect for character development.

The best of the characters would have to be Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) and the Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor), two antagonists that vie and clash for their own convoluted grasps for power.

Fish Mooney is a gangster with power in the leading crime family running Gotham, a femme fatale that takes her archetype to heart and uses it as just another tool to get what she wants from those around her. She is fearless, convoluted, and is willing to play with both criminals, victims, and the law alike. Jada Picket Smith owns this character, utilizing her body movement, her facial features, and her amazing voice to portray Fish with a professional attention to the detail and dedication to the show that comes out in her performance.

The Penguin, or Oswald Cobblepot, is a youthful underling who moves up in the ranks through guile and the occasional good old fashioned stabby-stab insanity from time to time. He has yet to develop his debonair aspect that Penguin from other Batman materials has, and he can come across as a little snively from time to time, but he utilizes his intelligence and combines it with his ambition in such a way, that as wormy as the guy is, you can't help but be fascinated by his progress into becoming the future Penguin with power we all know he was in Batman. Robin Lord Taylor like Smith for Mooney, utilizes his body movement, facial, expressions, and voice to project the character's personality well, merging with the penguin look and making it a part of himself as he portrays the character, adding just a touch of sinister naiveté at times.

Finally we look at the other great strength of the show, the story, and boy is it good! Using the Death of the Waynes, which in the comics was briefly explained catalyst for Bruce becoming Batman, and turning it into this primary story arc of conspiracy was a smart move on part of the show's writers. The conspiracy is well paced, just the right amount of mystery and twists, drawing in the various main characters in this domino effect of action and reaction. Which is what a main overarching story arc should be, particularly with this story's premise.

The other arcs that run through the season centering specific characters outside of the Wayne murders are also interesting, convoluted, and well-paced. Each character has well defined motives, and each is challenged in different ways, making or breaking the characters as the show progresses. For example, Gordon's challenge in morality and his definition of duty to the law, you can see the personal struggle of this central protagonist as he treads that personal and political edge, what you need for a main protagonist. With antagonists like Penguin, you see his rise, his failures and his victories to become the supervillain he is in the source material, yet still rough enough around the edges to leave plenty of room for more development. Fish Mooney's arc is the best of the lot watching how her maneuverings and manipulations both win for her and lose for her. Every episode that centers on her are always the most riveting to watch because you never really know what to expect.

The individual episode arcs (some running for 2-3 episodes), were fascinating little origin stories into characters from the Batman Rouges gallery primarily (Joker and the Scarecrow for example), as well as introducing themes such as vigilantism in its proto stages into Gotham, even details like Detective Bullock's keen antagonism towards to Batman in the source material explained through his experiences with The Spirit of the Goat (Episode 6) and The Red Hood Gang (episode 17).

Overall this was an enjoyable first season, a definite grade A start and then some, setting up the players, the plot for the following seasons, yet stands on its own in strength. It makes one excited to see what awaits them in the next season to come.

This is a movie about ambiance. Everything from the amazing cinematography, the rife symbolic imagery, to the character portrayals is about the experience of hallucinating. Even though you know early on the secret surrounding the two boys. Its not about revelation of the secret surrounding them, so much as watching the fallout of that realization, and some of the extremes it can go to.

The child actors were natural with just a hint of something off, without being to much one thing or the other, the mother was a bit…off as a mother figure, but that could be considered as the key part of the plot, or in general a portrayed faulty person being interpreted through a skewed lens.

A great deal of obvious film making talent went into this Austrian masterpiece, a bit laid back here and there, not an overly jump scare kind of film, which is perfect for the story being portrayed, adding yet another layer to the definition of Horror.

From Technical perspective, the found footage style worked well with the film and the filmmakers were fierily consistent in maintaining the style throughout. It added an extra layer of experience for the viewers of the children, and combined with a good use of environment (tight confining crawl spaces, sprawling fog shrouded farm land), enhancing the horror and humour elements, the technical were pretty solid.

The Characters worked well, each actor pulling of a stellar performance, particularly Deanna Dunagan as Doris; you can tell she was having a blast playing her role. The older girl was the least enjoyable, coming across as perhaps a bit to pretentious, but that could be purposeful, possibly a mild self-parody at some filmmakers in general.

Narrative wise this was perhaps one of M. Night. Shyamalan's tighter stories; there was the absence of the inexplicable plot holes that existed in some of his other films (Signs for example) or a weak climax (The Village for another example); the plot progression flowed well enough, and though it took a bit of a slow start in the beginning, it did use that slow start to establish the two protagonists well.

The manipulation of tension was one of the stronger parts of the film. A sense of "will it or wont it" sinisterism that purveys some of the scenes, like the one where the protagonists are playing under the porch when they are suddenly beset upon by their rather creepily scuttling grandma only to have her pop out after them from under the porch after them and proclaim in an amused manner that she was just playing. It turned the moment of tension and jump scare into a moment of playful eccentricity, making it more a "what the Fay Dunaway was that?!" type of scene, but in a good way. This sentiment is carried out throughout the film, and keeps the sense of slightly skewed tension well.

while the film does have its flaws here and there, it's an enjoyable watch with some good tension, great acting, and decent cinematography. One of Shyamalan's better films as of late.

From the technical end of things, standard fair for the most part in cinematography, nothing that really stands out overall in that quarter, unlike the show's prelude. The point of contention would have to be the computer animation for Miko in the video game parts. While they weren't heinous, with the budget that the production company has to make this show, they were still pretty sub-par and you would think they would fork over money for better CGI for such a big time production, even as a miniseries for television. Miko's part is supposed to reflect an actual present day video game, video games now-a-days have way better graphics.

The characters were… a mixed bag to say the least.

Noah Bennet (Jack Coleman reprising his role) and Quintin Frady (Henry Zebrowski) from Dark Matters were the most enjoyable for this premiere, their byplay with one another is fun to watch, and both show a promising character dynamic for future episodes as their motivations become further in sync with one another. The close second was Tommy Clarke (Robbie Kay) who shows some promise as an engaging character once they pull him away from the teenage melodrama. The weak parts would have to be Miko Otomo (Kiki Sukezane) so far; her character is…well, as one dimensional as her video game persona, and there is no clear way to define her except awkward to watch, though whatever her story is, or is going to be, will hopefully improve her in later episodes.

The story…whoo…now there is another mixed bag.

There is some solid mystery, particularly working off of the prelude Dark Matters that was released prior to the premiere. The looming threat in the horizon is well hinted at, and there are a couple of plot lines that show promising development. Despite all that, this has yet to show the promise that the premiere of the original Heroes possessed. There was also an odd character arc going on with Miko and her fanboy, possible red-shirt hopefully, Ren and the whole video game father needs rescue subplot going on. Frankly it was like these parts were written by an otaku working out some sort of amateurish fanfiction. It was just plain jarring compared to the rest of the narrative, what there is of one so far.

Overall there is some promising things here, such as the big mystery, some decent visuals here and there, a few good characters, but it has yet to really live up to the hype that this miniseries gained. Further future episode clip reveals hold some promise, something that will hopefully signal a gaining improvement as the show progresses, so we shall see.

The animation style was very much like the illustrations from a child's book with simple lines, yet unique characteristics as well as colourful and eye-catching. The use of gibberish dialogue forces the viewer to perceive the dynamic between the three characters strictly by action, which was well utilized in this short. The use of objects such as the hat and cleaning tools was a clever way to express the arguments and resolution.

This is more a story of the arguments of two generations (grandfather and father) trying to raise another generation, the son, in different ways that they both think to be the better, with the son eventually finding his own way of interpreting tradition. Working the theme of next generational contention though a child-like contemporary folktale worked well with the moral being expressed.

A great little animation that kids and adults can appreciate.

This was perhaps one of the most enjoyable premieres that have been viewed this week, perhaps this month even.

The cinematography is great, the use of cool tones and warm tones for the lighting and colour filter to indicate when the main character was on and off the drug was clever, the Sherlock-esque special effects to indicate his thought patterns were a nice edition, but not too overwhelming, and the characters engagement with different parts of the city, while high for the first time were well done. The music was also well chosen, fitting well with the tone and enhancing the light hearted action as well as the tenser scenes.

The characters are engaging with just the right amount of personability, and the beginnings of an instantly interesting dynamic between them. The main character is delightful, with the "average guy" sort of feel that the show was trying to get at, and his internal monologues throughout this experience are reminiscent of Spiderman without being too overwhelming or annoying. The FBI agent Rebecca Harris seems alright, but doesn't have much going for her yet other than the usual clichés of her character type (crime related tragic past the is the only motivation of the female FBI agent) The premise itself, while coming from a film, transfers over well onto television, and you get just the right amount of mystery, action, and interactions to pull it off. The plot progression for the episode moved at a good clip, presenting story and characters in exactly the right way to engage the viewers. The only thing that could be a complaint is that the story of a super-enhanced/powered average shmuck who ends up helping to solve crimes has been quite overused (Chuck, The Invisable Man, The Listener, etc.). But as long as they work with it in an engaging and entertaining way and not fall into the inherent clichés and tropes of this trope (ex. Sexy female partner becomes love interest), it shouldn't be too much of a problem. The mysterious bearded figure (a bit of a thing in shows this week) Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper, the original main character from the film) is just the right amount of politely sinister. Though you would need to watch the original film to get the fine-tunements of his character.

Overall the cinematography, characters, and plot were well executed for a pilot episode, and the story itself can be interesting provided they don't fall too hard into the cliché and tropes inherent in this type of story, then this show has a promising future.

The documentary/mockumentary style of the show was actually one of the enjoyable parts about this episode, and they paid attention to detail in keeping with the style of one, such as the odd moment of shaky cam, and framing shots designed to look like someone trying to film in tight corners (peeking in on a conversation between Kermit and Ms. Piggy). The design of the puppets remains the standard of what is expected from a contemporary muppets production, with a few new background muppets that were adequately designed. Denise's design was…awkwardly serviceable. There has been contention that she is depicted as a younger and skinnier replacement of Ms. Piggy, and I would agree there seems to be some truth to this, particularly with how her personality is portrayed so far. There is also similarities particularly to the earlier incarnations of Ms. Piggy from the original muppets from the 1980's in her design, She does stand separate just enough visually from Ms. Piggy to be her own character.

The characters themselves were for the most part good. Kermit (Steve Whitmire) plays a decent aggrieved boss man just getting over a relationship with a co-worker, Ms. Piggy (Eric Jacobson), with some long suffering moments akin to said awkward post-breakup, but there is also care and dry humour in him that balances out the negative moments, he is definitely the star of this episode. Fozzie (also Eric Jacobson) was himself as the unfunny but optimistic bear, even in a romantic relationship (despite its awkwardness here and there), and that static nature of him was enjoyable to see, particularly as he balances out Kermit's more serious inclinations.

Now for the, well, pig in the room, Denise.

Denise (Julianne Buescher) is…*deep sigh*. To begin with her voice was startling, and a little off putting, coming out of a muppet, though her walking innuendo tonality somewhat works with the type of character she plays, so after you get over that annoying factor you realize its reluctantly appropriate. Personality and story wise she seems to have nothing else going for her so far, nothing that makes her unique except to be there as Kermit's girlfriend, the young sexy office relation trope variety. Hopefully she will improve with later episodes, but right now she is the least enjoyable.

The story for the show was actually really enjoyable. The plot flows well with the mockumentary style, the fact that this is very similar to The Office (2005-2013) is likely no surprise to anyone, but the use of the muppets working through the show's premise with all the strong personalities (for the most part) and the wacky nostalgia that was the muppets wraps all together for an interesting viewing for the most part. The side arc of Fozzie and his relationship was the weakest of the plot, and felt a little forced, though was somewhat saved within the culmination of the arc in the conversation between Fozzie and his girlfriend, did illicit an amused snort.

Speaking of the humour, it is hit or miss, depending on the individual, with Kermit being the definite winner for the most amusement factor through his dead pan deliveries. The humour inherent in the set-up was adequately utilized with just the right amount of adult humour to remind you of why this show is prime-time. It is also the more adult themed humour and other content is likely to put some viewers up in arms, but to remind those that might have umbrage with it, the original Muppet Show from the 80's was actually originally geared towards an adult audiences.

Overall the show had a rather interesting start to the show with some good use of parody and mockumentary, Kermit the frog and his character's trials and his dry wit, and so on. A few things were forced here and there, and Denise was one dimensional, even for a puppet. Still what are wrong with it could be easily remedied further episodes in, so it's well worth the watch.

From the technical end the cinematography is decent, some good use of disjointed transitions here and there, off angle shots and close ups occasionally done in a shaky cam style, keeping with the off kilter situations in the story, enhancing tension or emotional moments competently.

The tattoos as a main plot device of the show was a good idea, and they are backed up with a decent enough design that works well with the actress' body, very much causing the eye to linger on her form as they are designed to do, but other than those, there is nothing that really stands out about the rest of the characters visually.

The opening had to be one of the best parts of the episode, perhaps one of the more interesting first grand entrance for a character this year on a television show so far. The symbolic imagery of birth is not lost on anyone, but it does work with the premise of the show, and the expression on that poor bomb diffuser's face was rather amusing, adding to the surreality of the scene.

Jane Doe herself displayed just the right amount of emotion and confusion given the situation she is in, and was perhaps the only character so far that has shown anything attempting real personality, though that is likely because she is the main character and thus the main focus of the show. Kurt so far is rather stiff and flavourless, like a lama bean, without much going on except his name on Jane's back, having yet to display anything original or interesting about him, though his character may improve further down the line, once the show uses some episodes to let the other characters into the personality pool.

As for the plot of the episode, the premise is interesting, the opening itself seemed intriguing, as did Mr. Mystery Beard as the token shadowy figure. It had a good pace, and took a few moments to allow emotions into play on part of Jane. The bombing of a US icon by a foreigner agent was somewhat old hat though, and was the least interesting part of the episode. Hopefully the future cases will be a bit more creative and not the rehash we get with these types of shows over and over again.

Overall the first episode is functional as a premiere, with decent narrative flow, good cinematography that helped to heighten or enhance emotions and tension in the episode, good acting on part of Jaimie Alexander, and the premise is somewhat interesting, but the rest of the characters need work, particularly Kurt, to be something more than the dangerous treading ground of character tropes. this is something to watch if your into crime procedural dramas that have an overarching mysterious plot.

The premise of the topic of homosexuality and Hollywood was very concisely articulated through the documentary style, and utilized a chronological overview that lays the ground work coherently and engagingly, with just the right particular attention to both the various stereotypes and tropes of homosexuality, censorship, and the utilization of purposeful, yet subtle, innuendo that many filmmakers throughout the years utilized in history to work around censorship.

The interviewees were a good selection of scholars, actors, and filmmakers. The Narrator, Lilly Tomlin, did a good job of narrating, expressing just the right tone and infliction for the subject matter. Despite there being a narrator, what was being said in the film did a good job of being expressed through the cinematic images being utilized, the narrator, and the interviewees such as Tony Curtis, Whoopi Goldberg, and Daniel Melnick to name a few of those whom contributed.

Overall it was an excellent basis for the topic, very engaging despite its traditional documentary format, and you can tell that a fair about of care and attention went into its production. Despite the fact that it might be a little dated by 2015's standards, it is still relevantly informative and fascinating, and is something that should still be watched even now if you are a cinema history buff or just plain love cinema.

This quite simply is a generic, not even trying to be original, sci-fi film about Jurassic Park being actually finished and a part of the regular entertainments available in a world some 20 years after the events of the first movie and things expectedly go wrong when scientists, trying to create a better attraction, work shenanigans with dinosaur DNA to create a mcguffin that, also expectedly, gets loose.

There are a few snicker worthy scenes, and a few pokes at some clichés, but it feels more like they are trying to distract from the one-dimensional characters and eyeball rollingly bland story.

The Special effects were…meh, with a side of irksome. Nothing overly spectacular with the hybrid boss dino, the big visual catch to draw audiences in (both to the park in the movie and the movie's seats) which considering what they say it is made from (t-rex, raptor, cuttlefish(!), and some sort of chameleon) could have at least been a bit more imaginative in looks then what they provided in this monstrosity lacking albino t-rex in need of a manicure with better reach and something that looks like tumours growing out of its back. You don't really see much of the the other dinosaurs in this film (despite the fact the freakin' movie is supposed to be about a park of dinosaurs) with the holograms more believable then the actual flesh and blood were supposed to be.

There were only two really noteworthy scenes in the entire movie: the flying dinosaurs terrorizing the park goers, carrying them off and dropping them, particularly the fish-eats-fish-gets-eaten-by-bigger-fish moment with the British assistant (yes that is primarily how the film defines this unvested red shirt in heels), and the boss battle between four of the deadliest dinosaurs was admittedly awesome to see, and a good climax for the action. It's also good that they kept some of the original score from the first film, and didn't fall into the popular song trap that seems to be a recurring trope with films nowadays, so it has that going for it, but it's not enough to save it from the bargain bin at Walmart in the next few years.

What really slaps my melon is that they could have used the two hours that this film was running to flesh out the plot, which meanders like a bored child waiting for the show to start at the circus, which doesn't really happen until roughly the (late) latter half of the film. They also used that forced romance element that Hollywood seems to think is mandatory in many films recently (Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy being a few of those prime examples from this year) between two characters that don't have any believable chemistry and a story that didn't even need it, with said pairing only sniping at each other occasionally, an awkward bit of flirting, and a kiss scene that was uncomfortable to watch (and be a part of, judging by the expression on the red head).

If you watch this, you will either be mildly amused at best or (most likely) bored and disappointed at worst.

This is an enjoyable show for the family.

From the technical end of things, the character style ( done by Kumiko Takahashi) is not completely faithful to the manga like other animes such as Inuyasha and Naruto for example, but it doesn't veer off to much style wise from their manga counterparts in character design, leaving them still relatively recognizable. The character style works with the bright upbeat tone of the show, even with the few moments of seriousness that pop up. The school itself as the pinkish opulent stage that much of the plot is set in is perfect for the exaggerated qualities of the rich lifestyles it is portraying.

The main character, particularly the main focus of the show Haruhi, is the shining light of this show. She breaks the usual mold of female characters in high school based anime, or even other teenage girls in television from the Western end is a delightful mix of straight-man, brutal honesty, caring, and Charlie Brown; a real step forward for female characterization.

The rest of the Host club characters themselves makes its business in the narrative on playing up qualities of tropes of the different types of teenage boy found primarily in shojo (manga typified in style and story content as geared towards female audiences) such as the Princely, Cool type, Mischievous/Forbidden love, Lolita, Quiet Type. You certainly get an introduction into what classifies these tropes are, even Haruhi is one of these male tropes as "the natural." Normally, highly trope based characters, especially main characters as the host club, run the risk of quickly becoming uninteresting if not handled right, but in this case, these characters are almost a parody of these tropes, with just enough personalities themselves that exist outside of those tropes to let you know that the characters are not solely defined by their type.

The character dynamics themselves work well, particularly between Haruhi and Tamaki, as Tamaki brings her out of her shell a bit more by livening things up and Haruhi, corralling Tamaki with her on the nose remarks. The dynamic between her and the rest of the host club is also good, though isn't quite as fun as her and Tamaki.

The voice acting for both the original Japanese release and the English dub (done through FUNimation), were great talents that conveyed each character exactly, particularly Haruhi (Caitlin Glass), with her believably closer to gender neutral voice. Tamaki in particular was a joy to hear, capturing his flamboyantly narcissistic gung-ho qualities well.

The story itself is great, each episode consisting of a great deal of hijinks, which are a good collection of zaniness using both expected and not so expected elements, with little quiet moments to appreciate the moral (for episodes with morals) they were trying to get across.

Overall this show presented the style, tone, characters and narrative premise beautifully, upping the natural ham that made it so enjoyable from the source material, even filling in and improving on some things from the first manga volume without it veering to far from its source material until somewhere in season 2 then it veers away drastically. While it could have done to run a bit longer, perhaps taken a break to correlate with the manga a bit, and the ending of the series felt a bit rushed, it is still an enjoyable watch for everyone.

The animation and style in this is phenomenal! A very promising start that utilizes an attention to detail, and texture, particularly with Frank, such as the individual hairs on this sheep's face and his wild wool, and in particular his eyes, which were well rendered in this great close up moment as he contemplates Victor's words. The colour in this pops at you in both setting of mood and a sense of the saturated trippy fantastical when Frank's ride arrives. Everything about this is a visual treat that keeps the eye riveted; you can tell the animators put a great deal of effort into this.

The sound in this was very well done. The music by Sebastien Krause was perfect; adding an extra touch of wow to the moment when the vortex descends and chases after Frank, with the backup of Frank's fellow sheep in chorus was a nice touch.

The premise of the story is intriguing, using a rather unique character, and the set up for what is to follow does well to incite interest, neatly starting Frank onto his journey and providing a good cliffhanger segway for the next instalment. The only problem I can see is that the sheep somehow inexplicably knew that the device would take him somewhere, but it never readily explained how the sheep knew that what Victor offered him would do anything at all and that he wasn't just some crazy person tying something to this neck. The dialogue between Frank and Victor could have been a bit more filled out. Otherwise, it doesn't overly take away from the enjoyment of it, and will perhaps be better handled in the next instalments.

The individual characters introduced so far are good, Victor comes across with just the right amount of intrigue, presented in a manner that explains what he is without outright stating it while his motivations appear to be yet to be realized. Frank being a suicidal sheep of all things combines a sense of depressive comic tragedy about him. Right off he is presented as a creature that struggles, and boy howdy does he! When he drags that broken branch he had tried to hang himself on, you practically feel this guy's determined effort as he pulls that heavy thing across the island to the cliffs, panting and struggling with everything in him. You just want to know what this guy's deal with wanting to die is, and hopefully one of the other contributors this project will take the time to flesh out Frank's motivation.

Overall this is an animation to look forward to with each progression, where it goes and how the other contributors will add to this wonderful project.

By https://screensquinty.wordpress.com/

This is an amazing animation that has a lot going for it.

From a technical aspect, the animation style reflects the premise of the show with character designs by cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt, a good combination of stylized cartoonish features to reflect the humour but at the same time, just enough realistic detail to make them just a little gritty like everyday real people, an appealing style to work a dramedy type show through.

The first half of the first season focuses more on the humour of what this unique world and colorful cast can offer and takes a bit to pick up into the sudden more serious dramatic overtones, but the evolution of the subtle overarching plot that begins to develop over time merges the serious and the silly into a riveting story.

Bojack as the lead expresses the heart and theme of the show, and is likable, in a drunken cynical sort of way, being voiced by Will Arnett who really captures the heart and identity of Bojack. The adventures of the side characters such as his roommate Todd (Aaron Paul), his manager Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris), his autobiographer and courtesy straight man Diane (Alison Brie) and Mr. Peanutbutters (Paul F. Tompkins) acts as both a great foil and reflection for Bojack, yet at the same time also well-established enough to stand on their own from time to time in subplots and also help to balance out Bojack's more depressive qualities.

The second season is where the show really shines, embracing its dramedy to the core, and not as episodic as its first season, with its overarching narrative structure being more prominent. The side characters are given even more space and identity separate from Bojack, particularly Diane. The characters are challenged more as individuals, with such a serious character growth and development, that they are made very real and very compelling to viewers, and some of the best characters to come out of an adult animation.

This is a surprisingly very moving television show that touches on some serious themes and life lessons, an ending that will surprise you. It embodies both the comedy and tragedy of life and the various personalities, each uniquely different from the other, living together in this world of ridiculousness and cynicism and for a time the spectator gladly lives this with them.

There is a frustrating trend in cinema now a days where you get some beautifully wrought films where you can tell that a great deal of care and attention is going into them, but only in one aspect of the film, leaving other aspects, necessary ones, like a flat tire that could have made for an otherwise smooth ride, and this movie is a prime example.

The focus, and thus the strength in this movie are the visuals. There is this almost too beautiful super-realism to it, a sense of texture that a spectator can almost feel with their eyeballs; the sheen, heave, and ripples of water, the grit of sand on the bodies of the two protagonists as they embrace on the beach, the deadly rough edges of a stone fish, the drips of water as one of the protagonists take an early morning dip in the cooling shallows. It adds a layer of visual experience to the movie that makes spectators almost feel the sand down their shorts.

The film also deserves credit for knowing how to use angle, close ups, and perspective shots in this film. There is also this trend in films from time to time where the creators get a little to enamoured of a particular type of shot and often it is used in a way that does not work well with the plot (for example a pointless pan across in M. Night Shyamalan's Signs, used where nothing of any great tension or obvious oddity is happening, which is one of the reason's filmmakers normally use the method, to heighten these moments), this is something that the movie fortunately doesn't do. The low angle first person shot of Harry as he looks up at the attacker who struck him with the gun, the use of in and out of focus, and the occasional over exposure give a sense of the surreal state of in and out of consciousness that Harry is experiencing.

It's not just camera though, the soundtrack highlights the sense of location while at the same time, winding the tension in the spectators more successfully than the narrative itself is in presenting the supernatural malevolence that haunts the island. It provides an auditory flavor that is beautiful and eerie at the same time without being intrusive. Sound in this film is properly used as a narrative aide, and not just there despite the narrative.

Despite these positive qualities, the weakness in this film lies in the narrative.

The transitions between these beautiful visuals to the actual plot happening (when it eventually does) gives a sense as if someone were filming an IMAX beach documentary and some semblance of a story wanders drunkenly onto set from time to time, reminding the viewer "oh yeah, I am watching a movie." The transitions between these moments are jarring and weaken the experience of the film.

Said drunken narrative itself is a lazily put together ghost story with the revelation of the reality of the ghost to the characters shoe horned in with an exceedingly weak-ass plot device. The two leads played by Geraldine Hakewell and Henry James, are portrayed well enough, particularly Hakewell as Beth, but all you really know about them is that they are in wuv and on vacation, with shallow dialogue that reveals practically nothing about themselves, except that one of them is a marine biologist, and that's it. There is nothing character-wise to hold on to in this film and it makes it hard for spectators to empathize with them as they have no internal conflict.

The ghost itself has an overused motivation of blind vengeance, and is just as two dimensional as the protagonists. There is no relationship between the ghost and her victims, other than the fact that one of them has a generalized trait, that there is a man on the island, which incites her actions. Her back story is too rushed and clichéd, and other then a brief moment where Beth feels a sympathy for the woman and how she died, there is nothing between the two women that fleshes out the ghost from the perspective of the victims, or vice versa. This is echoed in the conclusion of the narrative, as Beth's fate leaves a groan and eye roll at how freakin' unimaginative and nonsensical (in a bad, lazy way) it is within the established narrative – what there is of it.

This movie was frustrating to watch because of all this amazing visual detail and excellent use of sound, but the narrative in contrast was so bad, that it leaves one feeling unfulfilled against the promise that the technical side of things makes, but doesn't match with story-wise. It's a shame because if the narrative had even been half way better than it is, this would have been one of the better contemporary horror movies out there.

This is quite simply a brilliant masterpiece of animation. The combination of modern and ancient commingles in both the narrative and the animation style, topping it off with some gorgeous music, wrapping everything together in a solid and creative movie experience.

Ben as the protagonist was somewhat less enjoyable at first as he comes across as a bit to bratty, but it is an honest child-like bratty that eventually is shed as he comes into his own. He realizes he has done wrong and to make up for his attitude, a good character development throughout the film, and your opinion in him somewhat changes as he does.

The narrative itself flows well, and the two siblings relationship grows throughout the movie which was well paced. The layers of similarities between some of the mythological characters and the human characters, particularly Ben and the Mac Lier giant and the destructive nature of tragedy, and Ben's Grandmother and the immortal Macha as mothers who come across as bad due to their ultimately overprotective actions with their sons, with correlation further enhanced by near similarity in character style and the fact that they were both voiced by the same actress Fionnula Flanagan. These comparative relationships add just the right touch of thoughtful complexity to a contemporary fairy tale, and the theme of the relationships between stories and people.