Marvel Anime

(Don't mind the annoying advertisement before this video.)

Have you ever wondered if the difference between American cartoons and Japanese animation is only skin deep? Here's your chance to find out. 

It's 2011--two years since Marvel Comics announced the production of four new television series featuring Wolverine, the X-Men, Blade and Iron Man. (In order, of importance to me.)

The shows, developed by Madhouse Studios, were released in October 2010 to Japanese audiences. And are scheduled for release in the US around the same time this year. A concrete date has not been announced.

Judging from past experience with Marvel it will either be released yesterday or in 2013.

Ahvahtahr Ahng, we need you!

Viewer,

You don't have to go far to read a poor review of The Last Airbender.

As the first live-action adaptation of the popular Nickelodeon series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, many people had high hopes for this film. However, it seems that fans and critics alike have slammed the movie for poor casting, poor acting, rushed plot and blatant racism.

Die-hard fans of the series are furious at the absence of key characters and background story. M. Night's groupies are sure the fault lies anywhere but on an egotistical director/writer.

Reviewing the movie as it stands....most of the complaints are still valid. (To save time, I'm just going to discuss the script.)
 
This movie has a lot to convey. In 103 minutes, we're covering the entire first season. At 20 minutes a show, and 20 episodes total, that's 400 minutes of plot. Even if you cut out time for filler and non-essential asides you still have several hours of information. The script of this movie simply does not do justice to the amount of source material.

The areas of plot which require the most explanation are eerily silent. Explanations of interesting concepts are cut short, as if the movie were trying to reach an even younger demographic than the original Nick crowd.

The dialogue is stilted and unbelievable. The characters speak as if they didn't live in their world. ("Yes we have a very spiritual place", "we could be friends you know", "may I introduce you to the mysterious ocean and moon spirits?")

The conversations between characters do little to convey a sense of the social hierarchy or cultural traditions that brought the show to life. Adults speak to children as if they were on equal ground. The lord of the fire nation speaks to his generals casually during times of war and turmoil. Honestly, what boss spends that much time listening to an employee complain before thinking "I hired you to take care of stuff....why can't you do it?" Not mine!

As a movie on its own, The Last Airbender it's AWFUL....as a live-action representation of an animated show it's worse than my humble vocabulary can hope to express.

M. Night must be the Ahvahtahr himself. I certainly feel subdued by all the elements....

-Sylvia

P.S. This movie is a stick of gum. SKIP IT. Or get it on DVD and stage your own Mystery Science Theater special from the couch.


In case you still aren't sure whether you should watch this movie, I listed a few other complaints....
1.    There is no main character. You don't care about anyone because you don't know who they are or where they are coming from. There is no emotional connection.
2.    There's no comic relief. (Unless you count the people coming out of the ground with drill bits on their heads...it was funny that we were supposed to take that seriously.)
3.    The race criticisms are legit. Eastern-looking characters are evil. The good guys are Caucasian. M. Night's explanation doesn't show a relation to the show or social commentary. The original show was pretty clear about the physical attributes of each nation. They were all identifiable races.
4.    None of the kids act like kids. Aang doesn't act like Aang did in the first season.
5.    Zuko has no noticeable scar tissue. A little odd for a character whose scar tissue is one of his defining physical and psychological traits.
6.    The characters lack interest in their own story. How about the scene where we all stand still and watch someone kill the spirit of the moon? Why didn't anyone do anything?
7.    "He's making fire out of nothing!?" Why would other firebenders fail to understand the concept of personal body heat in its relation to fire? It is clearly stated in the show that this is a fundamental lesson in the world of firebending.
8.    "Show them the power of one"? Why would the Avatar guide be on a power trip? Sounds a little unbalanced...
9.    The monks NEVER tell him he can't have a FAMILY in the show. Why would this be added to the script? At best it sounds like a misinterpretation of the GURU episode. At worst it is a harmful revision that will alter the entire process of becoming the Avatar.
10.    Most of the movie reflected the activity of the first and last two episodes. But the content of these scenes is lost in the movie representation. The humor and confusion of Aang's awakening and the fear and anger of that final battle in the North is nowhere to be found.....

Come on...Why not save yourself the trouble and watch the real AVATAR at work. Check YouTube.com or Nickelodeon.com for some great clips and episodes. Or buy it today on Amazon.com.
 

Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian

Are you still a Stiller fan?

Then buckle up and get ready for a wild ride! The second movie in the Night at the Museum series makes its way to DVD December 2009! (Okay, so I'm a little late. Even the professionals let one slip every once in a while.)

Having stopped the theft of the golden tablet and rescued the living exhibits, Larry leaves his post at the Museum of Natural History to pursue his dreams of inventing. From the un-losable keys to the glow-in-the-dark flashlight, Larry gives the late Billy Mays a run for his money.

But with success comes sacrifice, and he looses touch with his friends.

Distracted by an upcoming corporate mergers and sales projections, Larry swings by the museum to find everyone is prepped and packed, ready for transport to the National Archives in Washington D.C.!

With ANOTHER bad guy trying to steal the golden tablet and even cornier jokes, this movie is at best watchable. Unlike the first movie, Battle of the Smithsonian has no plot and no familiarity. Even the whole "exhibits coming to life" bit seems old hat.

Night at the Museum 1, like a number of my favorites (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, and Home Alone 2), was a movie about New Yahwk.

It was about the museum we remember visiting as kids, and intending to visit as adults. The exhibits that are duplicated a million times on Facebook. (EVERYONE thinking they've got the best shot of the hanging whale or the fossils.)

All things considered Night at the Museum 2 does not live up to expectations. The effects were neat and Hank Azaria's lisp will make you giggle, but you will probably be able to live without wasting the time.

I deem this a.......Box of Candy!

-S

G-Force, GO! (Seriously...)

If you're in the mood for an action-packed, espionage featuring small rodents, G-Force is the movie to see!

Perfect for families this movie has a little bit of something for everyone.This Disney flick received a very warm welcome July 09, the latest in a series of somewhat experimental 3-D films, G-Force often feels like a theme park ride. With extended chase scenes and large explosions, viewers are sure to be entertained even if the 88 minutes of one-liners fall flat.

The movie follows the story of the leader of the team, Darwin (voiced by Sam Rockwell), as he struggles to prove the validity of using animals as FBI agents. Darwin is accompanied by a Hispanic guinea pig, Juarez (Penelope Cruz) and a painfully Black rodent, Blaster (Tracy Morgan). After having their funding pulled by the FBI, the team crawls their way to the top, facing every danger known to rodent kind, from pet stores to stray cats. There is little depth to the characters, as most of the screen-time is taken dumbing down an already simple plot for pint-sized audiences. But remember there will be explosions! (And a couple of chase scenes that are sure to tweak your interest)

There is of course, a neat Disney bow on the ending, with the mission's success and closure for each character.

I found G-Force vaguely reminiscent of Small Soldiers (1998) and The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1986). The CGI was pretty cool, the micro-technology was surprisingly believable, but the movie lacked the substance and heart of a true classic.

So, expect a few laughs, a guffaw or two, but don't get your hopes up.

And remember...

"We are the Commando Elite. Everything else is just a toy!" (Chip Hazard, Small Soldiers)