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Searching for a commission artist (please read)
General | Posted 14 years agoRecently, I've been thinking about having character sheets developed for myself, Charlene, Melissa, Hope, and Eva. Normally, I'd probably ask Kit for something like this since he's the most familiar with them considering how many commissions I've asked from him, but since's he's busy right now that really isn't an option.
Instead, what I am looking for is an artist who can help me out with this and create character reference sheets so that I can have them as references for future commissions/etc. I would be willing to spend money on this, but I don't want to go overboard with it either (anything more than $30/each would be too much for my taste), of course if I could get them done for free that would be even better. However, I would also like the pictures to be of decent quality as well, so I'd like to see samples of the artist's work before I decide to do anything about it.
Anyway, if you guys could help me out and point me in the direction of an artist that could help me out, or if you are an artist and are willing to help me, please let me know.
Instead, what I am looking for is an artist who can help me out with this and create character reference sheets so that I can have them as references for future commissions/etc. I would be willing to spend money on this, but I don't want to go overboard with it either (anything more than $30/each would be too much for my taste), of course if I could get them done for free that would be even better. However, I would also like the pictures to be of decent quality as well, so I'd like to see samples of the artist's work before I decide to do anything about it.
Anyway, if you guys could help me out and point me in the direction of an artist that could help me out, or if you are an artist and are willing to help me, please let me know.
*begins packing bags*
General | Posted 14 years agoWell, seeing how I just had two of my stories removed from FA, I figured that it was about that time to start going through my gallery and brought some of my stories over to my Inkbunny account, so over the next several days I will be doing just that. Not all of the stories are going to be affected and I currently have no intention on leaving FA (for now at least).
Some of you are already following me on Inkbunny, and for that I appreciate you continuing to do so, but if you haven't already discovered me there yet, please know that I've posted stories there that haven't been put on FA and that more will be on the way, so if you'd like to see them, you know where to find me.
Some of you are already following me on Inkbunny, and for that I appreciate you continuing to do so, but if you haven't already discovered me there yet, please know that I've posted stories there that haven't been put on FA and that more will be on the way, so if you'd like to see them, you know where to find me.
C-PRIME's Movie Reviews #15: Return of the Jedi
General | Posted 14 years agoIt's finally here...I promised that I'd get to the Return of the Jedi review, and now I have...so here it is.
Star Wars (Episode VI): Return of the Jedi
Released in: 1983 (re-released in 1997)
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 78%/B+
NOTE: For this review, I watched the re-released version (since this is the only version that I have), so my review will be based on this.
Personal History
To be perfectly honest, I had never even watched this movie in part or in its entirety until I was a teenager...and that was during a Star Wars marathon on the Sci-Fi channel (and no, I'm not going to call it by what it's currently known as because I think it's current name is extremely stupid...though most of their original movies are equally as stupid to begin with). Anyway, when I first watched this I liked what I saw. I felt it was more entertaining than Empire Strikes Back but not as entertaining as the original. Keep in mind, this was back when I was 14 or 15, back when I was still interested in Beavis and Butthead and Ren and Stimpy. My opinion about the movie has changed a bit now that I'm older and wiser.
Also, something I thought I should bring up that I've heard many people whine about regarding this movie and that is the whole "The ewoks defeated the Empire" bullshit. I've watched through the movie and I can say that this is definitely NOT the case. Sure, the ewoks were a contributing factor to destroying the shield generator and ultimately leading to the destruction of the second Death Star, but it's not like the little furballs actually took on Darth Vader or Palpatine directly. It was Luke who did that and it was Luke's determination that brought his father to turn on Palpatine and remember who he was deep down. In regards to which individual factor was responsible for the destruction of the Empire, there was none...it was a team effort amongst both rebels and ewoks alike. To suggest that the ewoks defeated the empire is totally false. Of course some people probably think because of their size (being roughly half the size of a normal adult human) that they would be incapable of fighting for themselves. Well, I find this to be inaccurate since there are many cases where size doesn't really matter. The ewoks came across as a tightly knit family group that worked together and were skilled fighters. Granted, they were seriously out-classed in terms of firepower, but they made up for this with intelligence and skill. There would be no way in hell that an army of these things could successfully take on someone like Vader or Palpatine, but I believe that they are capable of fighting when they have to.
Anyway, enough ranting about the ewoks, it's time to get to the more serious part of the review...
Basic Storyline
The movie picks up where Empire ends, with Luke, Leia, etc. leading a mission to recover Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt to start the movie. Later, after Han had been freed, Luke returns to Yoda to fulfill his promise only to learn that his training is complete as Yoda becomes one with the force. While on Dagobah, the spirit of Obi-Wan tells Luke he must confront his father in order to return balance to the force, which will also result in Luke confronting Palpatine. Also, the Empire is constructing a second Death Star in which the rebel forces attack and ultimately destroy after Han and Leia take out the shield generator that protects it (see the ewok rant above).
What works with this movie
+: The acting (Much like in the original two movies, the acting remains solid in this one for the most part...although there are a few more hiccups along the way)
+: Yoda's Death scene (admittedly, it's really hard to see him go like this after seeing what kind of a bad ass he can be. Still, the scene where he tells Luke about Vader is very compelling)
+: The plot (The story itself, or the basic premise of it, is well-written for the most part...particularly in the aforementioned scene with Yoda and towards the end of the movie where Luke and Vader face-off)
+: The humor (while it's a bit more slapsticky in nature here than in the first two...seriously, someone as bad ass as Boba Fett deserves to go out in a more dignified manner than he does, there are still some genuine laughs)
+: Lando (This is where he redeems himself from Empire...leading the attack on the second Death Star and destroying it)
What didn't work in this movie
(NOTE: Some of these are only present in the re-release version)
-: The story's pacing (there were a number of times, mainly towards the beginning, where the story seemed to keep dragging on for far too long. Although the story itself was good, the pacing of it kinda sucked)
-: Prequel Anakin (George Lucas, WTF were you on when you decided to replace older Anakin with whiny Anakin?!! Luke is a grown man now, several years have passed since the events of Episode III, wouldn't it make more sense to leave the older Anakin at the end as it was in the original release?!!)
-: The added features for the re-release (much like in the original Star Wars, it's obvious when something has been changed...and usually it's not for the better)
-: The changed musical score (the original release had a more organic and realistic feel to its music...particularly in Jabba's palace and at the very end with the ewok celebration. Here, it's painfully obvious that they changed things around to make the music sound "better")
-: Boba Fett's death (as I mentioned before, he deserved a more honorable death than what he got)
-: C-3PO's story to the ewoks (granted, it does explain to the ewoks what happened to them, but it also sounds really stupid in the way he does it...even imitating the sound effects. Seriously, was THAT really necessary?!!)
Things that have me asking questions in this movie
?: Are those pig things in Jabba's palace related to Moblins or Ganon himself? (because I took one look at them and I couldn't help thinking about Zelda while doing so)
?: Something that I just thought of tonight...if Darth Vader is dependent on his mask and helmet for survival...how the fuck does he eat or drink?
?: Call me crazy, but I still think there is more of a relationship between Luke and Leia than what Lucas wants us to believe (think about it...this is the man who brought us "Duck Tits" and Jar-Jar Binks...it sounds like something that he'd probably do. Although to be fair, much like all of the weird ass fetishes in Caligula, the incest would be the most normal of the things that I mentioned)
CONCLUSION: While this movie is the weakest link of the original trilogy, mainly due to its pacing and a few other issues, it's still light years ahead of any of the prequels. The movie is still entertaining, but not as much as the earlier movies and it still has a good story.
Story Grade: B (good story, but poorly paced)
Entertainment Grade: B+ (There are several very strong and engaging scenes in this movie that got my attention, along with the action scattered throughout. Though there are scenes that drag on for far too long as well, which holds this grade down a bit. This is supposed to be the epic finale to an epic series, it deserves to have a lot of high-stakes drama and action in it, and while it does have it's fair share, it takes a while to get to the truly good parts.)
OVERALL GRADE (Story/Entertainment average): B+
(Definitely worth watching if you're into Star Wars...while it's not as good as Episode IV or V, it's still good overall.)
Next Review: Batman Begins
Star Wars (Episode VI): Return of the Jedi
Released in: 1983 (re-released in 1997)
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 78%/B+
NOTE: For this review, I watched the re-released version (since this is the only version that I have), so my review will be based on this.
Personal History
To be perfectly honest, I had never even watched this movie in part or in its entirety until I was a teenager...and that was during a Star Wars marathon on the Sci-Fi channel (and no, I'm not going to call it by what it's currently known as because I think it's current name is extremely stupid...though most of their original movies are equally as stupid to begin with). Anyway, when I first watched this I liked what I saw. I felt it was more entertaining than Empire Strikes Back but not as entertaining as the original. Keep in mind, this was back when I was 14 or 15, back when I was still interested in Beavis and Butthead and Ren and Stimpy. My opinion about the movie has changed a bit now that I'm older and wiser.
Also, something I thought I should bring up that I've heard many people whine about regarding this movie and that is the whole "The ewoks defeated the Empire" bullshit. I've watched through the movie and I can say that this is definitely NOT the case. Sure, the ewoks were a contributing factor to destroying the shield generator and ultimately leading to the destruction of the second Death Star, but it's not like the little furballs actually took on Darth Vader or Palpatine directly. It was Luke who did that and it was Luke's determination that brought his father to turn on Palpatine and remember who he was deep down. In regards to which individual factor was responsible for the destruction of the Empire, there was none...it was a team effort amongst both rebels and ewoks alike. To suggest that the ewoks defeated the empire is totally false. Of course some people probably think because of their size (being roughly half the size of a normal adult human) that they would be incapable of fighting for themselves. Well, I find this to be inaccurate since there are many cases where size doesn't really matter. The ewoks came across as a tightly knit family group that worked together and were skilled fighters. Granted, they were seriously out-classed in terms of firepower, but they made up for this with intelligence and skill. There would be no way in hell that an army of these things could successfully take on someone like Vader or Palpatine, but I believe that they are capable of fighting when they have to.
Anyway, enough ranting about the ewoks, it's time to get to the more serious part of the review...
Basic Storyline
The movie picks up where Empire ends, with Luke, Leia, etc. leading a mission to recover Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt to start the movie. Later, after Han had been freed, Luke returns to Yoda to fulfill his promise only to learn that his training is complete as Yoda becomes one with the force. While on Dagobah, the spirit of Obi-Wan tells Luke he must confront his father in order to return balance to the force, which will also result in Luke confronting Palpatine. Also, the Empire is constructing a second Death Star in which the rebel forces attack and ultimately destroy after Han and Leia take out the shield generator that protects it (see the ewok rant above).
What works with this movie
+: The acting (Much like in the original two movies, the acting remains solid in this one for the most part...although there are a few more hiccups along the way)
+: Yoda's Death scene (admittedly, it's really hard to see him go like this after seeing what kind of a bad ass he can be. Still, the scene where he tells Luke about Vader is very compelling)
+: The plot (The story itself, or the basic premise of it, is well-written for the most part...particularly in the aforementioned scene with Yoda and towards the end of the movie where Luke and Vader face-off)
+: The humor (while it's a bit more slapsticky in nature here than in the first two...seriously, someone as bad ass as Boba Fett deserves to go out in a more dignified manner than he does, there are still some genuine laughs)
+: Lando (This is where he redeems himself from Empire...leading the attack on the second Death Star and destroying it)
What didn't work in this movie
(NOTE: Some of these are only present in the re-release version)
-: The story's pacing (there were a number of times, mainly towards the beginning, where the story seemed to keep dragging on for far too long. Although the story itself was good, the pacing of it kinda sucked)
-: Prequel Anakin (George Lucas, WTF were you on when you decided to replace older Anakin with whiny Anakin?!! Luke is a grown man now, several years have passed since the events of Episode III, wouldn't it make more sense to leave the older Anakin at the end as it was in the original release?!!)
-: The added features for the re-release (much like in the original Star Wars, it's obvious when something has been changed...and usually it's not for the better)
-: The changed musical score (the original release had a more organic and realistic feel to its music...particularly in Jabba's palace and at the very end with the ewok celebration. Here, it's painfully obvious that they changed things around to make the music sound "better")
-: Boba Fett's death (as I mentioned before, he deserved a more honorable death than what he got)
-: C-3PO's story to the ewoks (granted, it does explain to the ewoks what happened to them, but it also sounds really stupid in the way he does it...even imitating the sound effects. Seriously, was THAT really necessary?!!)
Things that have me asking questions in this movie
?: Are those pig things in Jabba's palace related to Moblins or Ganon himself? (because I took one look at them and I couldn't help thinking about Zelda while doing so)
?: Something that I just thought of tonight...if Darth Vader is dependent on his mask and helmet for survival...how the fuck does he eat or drink?
?: Call me crazy, but I still think there is more of a relationship between Luke and Leia than what Lucas wants us to believe (think about it...this is the man who brought us "Duck Tits" and Jar-Jar Binks...it sounds like something that he'd probably do. Although to be fair, much like all of the weird ass fetishes in Caligula, the incest would be the most normal of the things that I mentioned)
CONCLUSION: While this movie is the weakest link of the original trilogy, mainly due to its pacing and a few other issues, it's still light years ahead of any of the prequels. The movie is still entertaining, but not as much as the earlier movies and it still has a good story.
Story Grade: B (good story, but poorly paced)
Entertainment Grade: B+ (There are several very strong and engaging scenes in this movie that got my attention, along with the action scattered throughout. Though there are scenes that drag on for far too long as well, which holds this grade down a bit. This is supposed to be the epic finale to an epic series, it deserves to have a lot of high-stakes drama and action in it, and while it does have it's fair share, it takes a while to get to the truly good parts.)
OVERALL GRADE (Story/Entertainment average): B+
(Definitely worth watching if you're into Star Wars...while it's not as good as Episode IV or V, it's still good overall.)
Next Review: Batman Begins
C-PRIME's Movie Reviews SPECIAL #1: Captain America (2011)
General | Posted 14 years agoYeah I know that I was supposed to review Return of the Jedi this weekend, but I was away from home for a couple of days and didn't have a chance to watch it. However, I did see another movie that I can review to tide you over until I get to the Return of the Jedi review.
Captain America: The First Avenger (or as I'd like to call it, Captain America (2011))
Released in: 2011 (Currently in theaters as of 8/1/2011)
Produced by: Paramount
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 78%/B+
NOTE: I watched the 2D version of the film (I'm not shelling out an extra $3.50 for 3D...I don't need no stinkin' 3D)
Personal History
Up until a couple years ago, I didn't really know a whole lot about Captain America. All I knew about him was that he was a superhero with a round shield which he threw at bad guys. However, as soon as I discovered thatguywiththeglasses.com and more specifically the Nostalgia Critic's review of the 1990 Captain America movie, I began to learn more about the character.
It should be noted that with a lot of these superhero movies, I have read very few (if any) comics based on the characters. Some of what I know is based on stuff I've seen on TV, other websites or read off of Wikipedia. That being said, I do enjoy a good action movie whenever I see one that's worth seeing and I do know enough about Captain America to make me want to see. That, plus the fact that I wanted to see the movie to see if they screwed it up just like this godforsaken version.
Basic Storyline
The movie's story is basically an origin story for the character, set during World War II when scrawny ass Steve Rogers attempts to join the army only to get "4F'd" each time he applies. The first part of the movie portrays him as a wimp more or less but with intelligence and nobility, making him the prime candidate for an experiment to create super soldiers. The procedure works and shrimpy Steve Rogers becomes the bad ass known as Captain America, fighting against Red Skull and the evil known as HYDRA (or Nazism more or less).
What works with this movie
+: The production quality (This movie is a HUGE step up in quality compared to the 1990 effort, actually appearing as if the makers of the film gave a damn about the movie they were making)
+: The acting (for the most part the acting was good and believable, unlike the previous movie that I've mentioned several times already)
+: There were several moments sprinkled throughout the movie that got me to chuckle or laugh
+: The action (Where the 1990 film mostly showed Captain America getting his ass handed to him, this movie portrays him as more of a bad ass and a better fighter. A much more believable super hero in this movie than the other)
+: Tommy Lee Jones (Ever since Men In Black, I've liked Tommy Lee Jones and he didn't disappoint here either)
+: Samuel L. Jackson (even though he was only in the film for a few moments near the end, he has to be mentioned here just because he's that much of a bad ass)
+: Being faithful to the source material (for the most part)
What didn't work in this movie
(NOTE: Most of these might be considered as "nitpicky", but I feel as if they detracted a bit from the overall experience)
-: Stan Lee's cameo in the movie (Really Stan, do you have to be in EVERY Marvel movie? I know that you're "Mr. Marvel" and all, but whenever I see you I instantly know it's you and not whatever character you're trying to portray).
-: The beginning of the story when it portrayed Steve Rogers as a "98-pound weakling" reminded me a bit about how the first Spider-Man movie started (I know this is somewhat accurate to the character's backstory, but it still seems a bit too cliched to me).
-: The scene where he swims after a submarine and is able to catch up to it (I call bullshit on this...even if he's supposed to be super strong. I don't even think Michael Phelps would be able to catch up to a submarine underwater...much less hold his breath for that long)
Things that have me asking questions in this movie
Well, I was going to ask the question about whether or not Howard Stark was related to Tony Stark (AKA: Iron Man), but thanks to Wikipedia, I don't have to. Otherwise, I don't have any other major questions to ask in regards to this movie.
CONCLUSION: This movie is WAY...WAY better than the 1990 version. While the 1990 version was low-budget, poorly made, and portrayed Captain America as a bit of a wimp, this film redeems the character in a huge way and gives him the respect that he deserves (except for when the film is deliberately berating him to add to the humor, where in this case it actually works favorably). If you're going to see a Captain America movie, see this one and only watch the 1990 version through the eyes of the Nostalgia Critic.
Story Grade: C+ (A mostly faithful origin story, but a bit cliched which is why I penalized it a little bit)
Entertainment Grade: B+ (Very entertaining with a good amount of action, scattered moments of humor, and a decent level of intelligence)
OVERALL GRADE (Story/Entertainment average): B
(If you want to go see this in the movie theaters, I'd definitely recommend it. It's not the best superhero movie I've ever seen, but it's still quite entertaining)
Next Review: Return of the Jedi (I promise)
Captain America: The First Avenger (or as I'd like to call it, Captain America (2011))
Released in: 2011 (Currently in theaters as of 8/1/2011)
Produced by: Paramount
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 78%/B+
NOTE: I watched the 2D version of the film (I'm not shelling out an extra $3.50 for 3D...I don't need no stinkin' 3D)
Personal History
Up until a couple years ago, I didn't really know a whole lot about Captain America. All I knew about him was that he was a superhero with a round shield which he threw at bad guys. However, as soon as I discovered thatguywiththeglasses.com and more specifically the Nostalgia Critic's review of the 1990 Captain America movie, I began to learn more about the character.
It should be noted that with a lot of these superhero movies, I have read very few (if any) comics based on the characters. Some of what I know is based on stuff I've seen on TV, other websites or read off of Wikipedia. That being said, I do enjoy a good action movie whenever I see one that's worth seeing and I do know enough about Captain America to make me want to see. That, plus the fact that I wanted to see the movie to see if they screwed it up just like this godforsaken version.
Basic Storyline
The movie's story is basically an origin story for the character, set during World War II when scrawny ass Steve Rogers attempts to join the army only to get "4F'd" each time he applies. The first part of the movie portrays him as a wimp more or less but with intelligence and nobility, making him the prime candidate for an experiment to create super soldiers. The procedure works and shrimpy Steve Rogers becomes the bad ass known as Captain America, fighting against Red Skull and the evil known as HYDRA (or Nazism more or less).
What works with this movie
+: The production quality (This movie is a HUGE step up in quality compared to the 1990 effort, actually appearing as if the makers of the film gave a damn about the movie they were making)
+: The acting (for the most part the acting was good and believable, unlike the previous movie that I've mentioned several times already)
+: There were several moments sprinkled throughout the movie that got me to chuckle or laugh
+: The action (Where the 1990 film mostly showed Captain America getting his ass handed to him, this movie portrays him as more of a bad ass and a better fighter. A much more believable super hero in this movie than the other)
+: Tommy Lee Jones (Ever since Men In Black, I've liked Tommy Lee Jones and he didn't disappoint here either)
+: Samuel L. Jackson (even though he was only in the film for a few moments near the end, he has to be mentioned here just because he's that much of a bad ass)
+: Being faithful to the source material (for the most part)
What didn't work in this movie
(NOTE: Most of these might be considered as "nitpicky", but I feel as if they detracted a bit from the overall experience)
-: Stan Lee's cameo in the movie (Really Stan, do you have to be in EVERY Marvel movie? I know that you're "Mr. Marvel" and all, but whenever I see you I instantly know it's you and not whatever character you're trying to portray).
-: The beginning of the story when it portrayed Steve Rogers as a "98-pound weakling" reminded me a bit about how the first Spider-Man movie started (I know this is somewhat accurate to the character's backstory, but it still seems a bit too cliched to me).
-: The scene where he swims after a submarine and is able to catch up to it (I call bullshit on this...even if he's supposed to be super strong. I don't even think Michael Phelps would be able to catch up to a submarine underwater...much less hold his breath for that long)
Things that have me asking questions in this movie
Well, I was going to ask the question about whether or not Howard Stark was related to Tony Stark (AKA: Iron Man), but thanks to Wikipedia, I don't have to. Otherwise, I don't have any other major questions to ask in regards to this movie.
CONCLUSION: This movie is WAY...WAY better than the 1990 version. While the 1990 version was low-budget, poorly made, and portrayed Captain America as a bit of a wimp, this film redeems the character in a huge way and gives him the respect that he deserves (except for when the film is deliberately berating him to add to the humor, where in this case it actually works favorably). If you're going to see a Captain America movie, see this one and only watch the 1990 version through the eyes of the Nostalgia Critic.
Story Grade: C+ (A mostly faithful origin story, but a bit cliched which is why I penalized it a little bit)
Entertainment Grade: B+ (Very entertaining with a good amount of action, scattered moments of humor, and a decent level of intelligence)
OVERALL GRADE (Story/Entertainment average): B
(If you want to go see this in the movie theaters, I'd definitely recommend it. It's not the best superhero movie I've ever seen, but it's still quite entertaining)
Next Review: Return of the Jedi (I promise)
Independent Thoughts #1: The Raposa Species
General | Posted 14 years agoEpisode 1: The Raposa Species
Anyone who watches me will already know that I'm a fan of the DS Drawn to Life games and a huge fan of the raposa species. However, I feel that there is still some things that need to be discussed about the raposa species in general as well as some other raposa-related elements. So, let's get started with the first question...
"What the heck is a raposa anyway?" - Mike from the first Drawn to Life
According to Wikipedia, a raposa is an anthropomorphic fox-like being. However, based on their appearance there are some doubts about this...especially considering the fact that some of the earliest conceptual artwork has them looking more rabbit-like in appearance, with rabbit-like tails in addition to their ears. (I tried to find the image to support this, but the site where it was at appears to be gone) So, let's take a look at them more in depth.
First of all, in regards to their height, from what I can determine from the games the mannequin that is used for the creation hero appears to be the size of a lifesize adult human (approximately 6 feet tall). Considering that adult raposa are smaller than this, I would guess that the average adult raposa is probably around 4 feet tall.
> BUT WAIT...Mike is human, so what about him?!!
This is true and there are raposa characters that mention how it's "unusual" for a "full-grown" raposa to have such small ears, but the thing about that is Mike is NOT a full-grown human. Based on the ending of the second game, Mike would likely be about 10 or 11-years old and would roughly fit into the same height as an adult raposa (OK, probably a few inches taller, but still close enough that the difference would be negligible from an overhead view). Anyway, back to the raposa themselves, there are some arguments that can be made over what they are exactly.
Arguments for them being foxes...
> The term "raposa" is portugese for fox
> The males of the species have more fluff around their faces and ears than their female counterparts
> The generic raposa faces (on their rapocoins and various other elements gives a more canine look to them)
> Their omnivorous diet (as suggested in select dialouge throughout the first game)
Arguments for them being rabbits...
> The conceptual art (which I cannot find as I mentioned before)
> Their ears (particularly amongst the females)
> Their appearance (it's entirely possible that the raposa species may have been inspired by the mimiga series from Cave Story, which I might add is a species of anthropomorphic RABBIT-like creatures)
MY CONCLUSION: Based largely on their appearance and their conceptual art, it's hard for me to consider them to be based on foxes entirely. That being said, I also think that calling them rabbits would be inaccurate as well, based on how the males look and the fact that they are omnivorous. Therefore, my best guess would be that they are likely a fox/rabbit hybrid, with the males likely being more fox-like than the females
Next, we'll talk about the two most popular and well-known raposa...
Mari and Jowee
To begin with it's quite obvious that these two have known each other for quite some time and that Jowee is in love with Mari. Whether or not Mari feels the same way about him is not 100% clear from what I can tell in the games...though it is quite probable that this is true. From what I can determine, Mari and Jowee were indeed meant to be a couple and I would like to believe that they would've eventually gotten married and had rapokids of their own if they had the chance to do so.
Another question regarding these two would be their ages...Both Mari and Jowee appear to be the same (or similar) ages and based on their size they seem to be of adult raposa height. However, the way they behave and sometimes speak shows some evidence to the contrary. Both of them still exhibit a childish attitude at times in the first game (and a little bit in the second in the case of Jowee) and they both seem to have a playful and more carefree attitude in the first game (though it appears that Mari "grows up" to fill in for her father in the second). Finally, during the town festival in the first game, when Mari makes her speech to the crowd, she seems uncertain about what exactly to say, as if she had never gone up before a large crowd before in her life, which would likely indicate a lack of experience with communicating to large crowds. Based on all of this, my best guess is that Mari and Jowee are definitely not rapokids, since they appear to be adult height. However, they don't seem to be adults either (or at least not mature adults). My best guess for these two is that they're roughly around high-school age (probably in their mid-to-late teens...assuming they have similar lifespans to human beings.)
Now, we'll discuss one of the other well-known raposa of the game and the major focus of the second game...
Heather
(Personal note: I happen to have an aunt that is named Heather)
From the moment you resuce her from Frostwind, you can tell right away that Heather is an adorably sweet rapogirl with a cheerful and playful personality, she also seems to have a bond with Jowee (as suggested in the first game). However, it is clear that Jowee's romantic intentions are for Mari, so it's unlikely that he'd have a true romantic bond with her (especially since she appears to be about half his estimated age)...though it's not totally impossible. As for Heather, she ends up staying with Jowee in his house at the start of the second game, which would suggest that the two of them do have some sort of emotional bond to each other, and it is entirely possible that Heather could have romantic feelings towards Jowee as well. From what I can see, I would assume that the relationship would be most similar to a brother/sister relationship...though it's unlikely that the two of them would be biologically linked (as if it were possible).
As far as Mari's relationship to Heather, I have no idea exactly how that works. It's possible that Heather could see Mari as an older sister, but there doesn't seem to be any hard evidence to support this. Heather doesn't seem to see Mari as a rival for Jowee's affection since Heather seems to be friendly towards her, which is unlikely for a jealous lover to behave like towards a potential rival. Most likely, they're probably just friends, though it's not out of the question that Heather sees Mari as an older sister.
> Does Heather have any connection with Wilfre?
Outside of the fact that the "sword" she picks up at the start of the second game causes him to re-appear and take control over Heather much like Venom does with Eddie Brock, I can't really determine this conclusively either. Although for almost the entire course of the two games Heather's face is half-covered in dried shadow goo, it's uncertain how this happened in the universe of the games, though it's clear symbolism of the human Heather's bandaged face in the ending of the second game (*insert Film Brain's "SYMBOLISM!!!" gag here*). It has been suggested by some that it's possible that Wilfre could be Heather's father, but that theory would be debunked by the second game considering the fact that Mike and Heather are related and if this were true in the raposa world, then why would Wilfre want to harm his own children?
Speaking of the circumstances of the end of the second game...
The End of the second game
When the "real" Mike awakens from his coma, it is revealed that Mari and Jowee are merely dolls in the hospital room whereas he and Heather are real-life human beings (by the way, if those were the quality of the dolls that were available at a real carnival, I'd call Shenanigans!). As a result of the awakening, the raposa world and the raposa themselves disappear. However, are they really gone for good? My thinking is that it's no coincidence that the Mari and Jowee dolls would manifest into "living beings", it's likely a result of the subconscious. It's entirely possible that when Mike awakened, these subconscious thoughts would remain behind and therefore the raposa world as it is known in the games isn't truly gone forever. It's also entirely possible that it could return as a part of a dream or something like that, so my guess is that the world wasn't destroyed in the second game, it just went into "hibernation".
Finally, it's time to talk about the one rapofem you all probably knew I was going to get to sooner or later...
Mari
OK, you all knew this was coming at some point given how I feel about her, so let's get this out of the way right now so I can get to some other things in regards to Mari...
> Why are you so obsessive over her?!!
I'd have a smart ass reply to that remark that involves "My Little Pony", but I've decided to be nice and spare you that (for now at least). Anyway, in seriousness, there are several reasons why I have affection towards her. One of which is obvious by her appearance. Not only is she cute, she's huggably cute. Secondly would be her apparent intelligence level, she seems like a fairly intelligent rapofem (particularly in the second game after she has to take over for her father). Next would be her attitude...Mari seems to display two separate sides to her. One of those sides appears to be of a sweet and caring rapofem with a bit of a playful side and would very likely make a loving rapomom to her kids. The other side would be that of Ellen Ripley if she were a raposa (OK, I don't expect Mari to be fighting off hordes of xenomorphs). What I mean by this is that Mari is strong-willed and determined, wanting to do what she feels is best for her village. She tends to care about others before herself most of the time, unless the conditions warrant thinking about herself first (I.E.: her relationship with Jowee). Mari is a lot different from a lot of the female lead characters in video games, such as Princess Peach for example, being simply a "token female". She actually has an independent spirit and isn't exactly supposed to be seen as mere fapping material (anyone who points out the obvious gets BLOCKED...yes, some of my feelings towards her are sexually related, but they aren't ONLY motivated by sex, which is why I'm taking this time to discuss how I feel about her). Even some of the other bad ass females that I like (I.E.: Chun Li) are seen more as something to merely get off to rather than an actual human being with thoughts, emotions, and desires. Granted, these females are also human and Mari is not (but as the saying goes..."let's not nitpick, a mammal is a mammal", plus Mari has humanoid characteristics in being able to walk on two legs, communicate in human languages, etc.)
> You know that Jowee has a rapoboner for her right?!!
Yes, I know that Jowee is in love with Mari and I'm perfectly fine with that. Jowee is a good match for her and he obviously cares about her. Plus, I am perfectly aware that these two AREN'T REAL BEINGS. If for some reason they were, my opinion would still not change. It's possible that I might still have an attachement towards Mari, but not to the point where I'd do something stupid. Finally, I like Jowee (not in the same way I like Mari mind you...unless perhaps he was rule 63'd), he could be like a little brother to me if I could have the chance.
OK...now that I've gotten THAT out of the way, let's discuss a couple of things about her that actually pertain to the games...
> Does Wilfre have a rapoboner for Mari?
Is there any doubt about it? I see how reacts around her and how he speaks to her in the first game, sounding even more obsessive towards her than I am (at least I wouldn't do anything creepy like stalk her or some shit like that). It's clear to me that Wilfre wants Mari...exactly how he sees her is uncertain. It is possible that his intentions with her may not be as sinister as some of his actions may suggest, particularly based on what I know from the second game. Still, it is highly unlikely that Mari would want to have anything to do with him from a romantic/sexual standpoint.
> *imitates Douchey McNitpick* BUT WAIT A MINUTE...IN THE SECOND GAME SHE ACTUALLY JOINS UP WITH HIM WHEN SHE LEARNS ABOUT "THE TRUTH"!!!
Yes it is true that it does happen, but it is clear that Mari isn't doing for her own existence...her thoughts are more about the species as a whole. Someone once mentioned to me that Wilfre was the one who didn't want the raposa to disappear...well, I call BULLSHIT on that since his actions from BOTH games are more self-oriented. It's MARI who's the one who is thinking more selflessly, she cares about her village, the raposa in her village and likely their species as a whole. Deep down, she probably doesn't want to die anymore than Wilfre does (even though it's likely that they wouldn't be gone for good given the circumstances). However, Mari's motivation for joining him is crystal clear. She seems like a reluctant participant...she probably doesn't want to help him deep down (especially after, y'know...he killed her father), but she's also aware of what will happen if she didn't. Later on, she comes to the realization that she must do what is right and what is best for the real-life Mike, and sees the error of her ways...much like our good buddy Lando Calrissian (though Mari never did anything like, y'know...blow up the second Death Star). She probably knows that if Mike doesn't wake up from his coma that he'll die and since they're likely a part of his subconscious would die with him. At least by him awakening from his coma, there's always the possibility that they could come back whenever he dreams.
Anyway, that's all I have to say for this time...there probably are a few other raposa-related questions that need answers, but they're not as significant as these. Still if you can think of any, post them in the comments and if I'm able to answer them I will. Also, if you'd like to suggest future topics for episodes, send them to my via note. I'll post more information on that in a future journal.
Anyone who watches me will already know that I'm a fan of the DS Drawn to Life games and a huge fan of the raposa species. However, I feel that there is still some things that need to be discussed about the raposa species in general as well as some other raposa-related elements. So, let's get started with the first question...
"What the heck is a raposa anyway?" - Mike from the first Drawn to Life
According to Wikipedia, a raposa is an anthropomorphic fox-like being. However, based on their appearance there are some doubts about this...especially considering the fact that some of the earliest conceptual artwork has them looking more rabbit-like in appearance, with rabbit-like tails in addition to their ears. (I tried to find the image to support this, but the site where it was at appears to be gone) So, let's take a look at them more in depth.
First of all, in regards to their height, from what I can determine from the games the mannequin that is used for the creation hero appears to be the size of a lifesize adult human (approximately 6 feet tall). Considering that adult raposa are smaller than this, I would guess that the average adult raposa is probably around 4 feet tall.
> BUT WAIT...Mike is human, so what about him?!!
This is true and there are raposa characters that mention how it's "unusual" for a "full-grown" raposa to have such small ears, but the thing about that is Mike is NOT a full-grown human. Based on the ending of the second game, Mike would likely be about 10 or 11-years old and would roughly fit into the same height as an adult raposa (OK, probably a few inches taller, but still close enough that the difference would be negligible from an overhead view). Anyway, back to the raposa themselves, there are some arguments that can be made over what they are exactly.
Arguments for them being foxes...
> The term "raposa" is portugese for fox
> The males of the species have more fluff around their faces and ears than their female counterparts
> The generic raposa faces (on their rapocoins and various other elements gives a more canine look to them)
> Their omnivorous diet (as suggested in select dialouge throughout the first game)
Arguments for them being rabbits...
> The conceptual art (which I cannot find as I mentioned before)
> Their ears (particularly amongst the females)
> Their appearance (it's entirely possible that the raposa species may have been inspired by the mimiga series from Cave Story, which I might add is a species of anthropomorphic RABBIT-like creatures)
MY CONCLUSION: Based largely on their appearance and their conceptual art, it's hard for me to consider them to be based on foxes entirely. That being said, I also think that calling them rabbits would be inaccurate as well, based on how the males look and the fact that they are omnivorous. Therefore, my best guess would be that they are likely a fox/rabbit hybrid, with the males likely being more fox-like than the females
Next, we'll talk about the two most popular and well-known raposa...
Mari and Jowee
To begin with it's quite obvious that these two have known each other for quite some time and that Jowee is in love with Mari. Whether or not Mari feels the same way about him is not 100% clear from what I can tell in the games...though it is quite probable that this is true. From what I can determine, Mari and Jowee were indeed meant to be a couple and I would like to believe that they would've eventually gotten married and had rapokids of their own if they had the chance to do so.
Another question regarding these two would be their ages...Both Mari and Jowee appear to be the same (or similar) ages and based on their size they seem to be of adult raposa height. However, the way they behave and sometimes speak shows some evidence to the contrary. Both of them still exhibit a childish attitude at times in the first game (and a little bit in the second in the case of Jowee) and they both seem to have a playful and more carefree attitude in the first game (though it appears that Mari "grows up" to fill in for her father in the second). Finally, during the town festival in the first game, when Mari makes her speech to the crowd, she seems uncertain about what exactly to say, as if she had never gone up before a large crowd before in her life, which would likely indicate a lack of experience with communicating to large crowds. Based on all of this, my best guess is that Mari and Jowee are definitely not rapokids, since they appear to be adult height. However, they don't seem to be adults either (or at least not mature adults). My best guess for these two is that they're roughly around high-school age (probably in their mid-to-late teens...assuming they have similar lifespans to human beings.)
Now, we'll discuss one of the other well-known raposa of the game and the major focus of the second game...
Heather
(Personal note: I happen to have an aunt that is named Heather)
From the moment you resuce her from Frostwind, you can tell right away that Heather is an adorably sweet rapogirl with a cheerful and playful personality, she also seems to have a bond with Jowee (as suggested in the first game). However, it is clear that Jowee's romantic intentions are for Mari, so it's unlikely that he'd have a true romantic bond with her (especially since she appears to be about half his estimated age)...though it's not totally impossible. As for Heather, she ends up staying with Jowee in his house at the start of the second game, which would suggest that the two of them do have some sort of emotional bond to each other, and it is entirely possible that Heather could have romantic feelings towards Jowee as well. From what I can see, I would assume that the relationship would be most similar to a brother/sister relationship...though it's unlikely that the two of them would be biologically linked (as if it were possible).
As far as Mari's relationship to Heather, I have no idea exactly how that works. It's possible that Heather could see Mari as an older sister, but there doesn't seem to be any hard evidence to support this. Heather doesn't seem to see Mari as a rival for Jowee's affection since Heather seems to be friendly towards her, which is unlikely for a jealous lover to behave like towards a potential rival. Most likely, they're probably just friends, though it's not out of the question that Heather sees Mari as an older sister.
> Does Heather have any connection with Wilfre?
Outside of the fact that the "sword" she picks up at the start of the second game causes him to re-appear and take control over Heather much like Venom does with Eddie Brock, I can't really determine this conclusively either. Although for almost the entire course of the two games Heather's face is half-covered in dried shadow goo, it's uncertain how this happened in the universe of the games, though it's clear symbolism of the human Heather's bandaged face in the ending of the second game (*insert Film Brain's "SYMBOLISM!!!" gag here*). It has been suggested by some that it's possible that Wilfre could be Heather's father, but that theory would be debunked by the second game considering the fact that Mike and Heather are related and if this were true in the raposa world, then why would Wilfre want to harm his own children?
Speaking of the circumstances of the end of the second game...
The End of the second game
When the "real" Mike awakens from his coma, it is revealed that Mari and Jowee are merely dolls in the hospital room whereas he and Heather are real-life human beings (by the way, if those were the quality of the dolls that were available at a real carnival, I'd call Shenanigans!). As a result of the awakening, the raposa world and the raposa themselves disappear. However, are they really gone for good? My thinking is that it's no coincidence that the Mari and Jowee dolls would manifest into "living beings", it's likely a result of the subconscious. It's entirely possible that when Mike awakened, these subconscious thoughts would remain behind and therefore the raposa world as it is known in the games isn't truly gone forever. It's also entirely possible that it could return as a part of a dream or something like that, so my guess is that the world wasn't destroyed in the second game, it just went into "hibernation".
Finally, it's time to talk about the one rapofem you all probably knew I was going to get to sooner or later...
Mari
OK, you all knew this was coming at some point given how I feel about her, so let's get this out of the way right now so I can get to some other things in regards to Mari...
> Why are you so obsessive over her?!!
I'd have a smart ass reply to that remark that involves "My Little Pony", but I've decided to be nice and spare you that (for now at least). Anyway, in seriousness, there are several reasons why I have affection towards her. One of which is obvious by her appearance. Not only is she cute, she's huggably cute. Secondly would be her apparent intelligence level, she seems like a fairly intelligent rapofem (particularly in the second game after she has to take over for her father). Next would be her attitude...Mari seems to display two separate sides to her. One of those sides appears to be of a sweet and caring rapofem with a bit of a playful side and would very likely make a loving rapomom to her kids. The other side would be that of Ellen Ripley if she were a raposa (OK, I don't expect Mari to be fighting off hordes of xenomorphs). What I mean by this is that Mari is strong-willed and determined, wanting to do what she feels is best for her village. She tends to care about others before herself most of the time, unless the conditions warrant thinking about herself first (I.E.: her relationship with Jowee). Mari is a lot different from a lot of the female lead characters in video games, such as Princess Peach for example, being simply a "token female". She actually has an independent spirit and isn't exactly supposed to be seen as mere fapping material (anyone who points out the obvious gets BLOCKED...yes, some of my feelings towards her are sexually related, but they aren't ONLY motivated by sex, which is why I'm taking this time to discuss how I feel about her). Even some of the other bad ass females that I like (I.E.: Chun Li) are seen more as something to merely get off to rather than an actual human being with thoughts, emotions, and desires. Granted, these females are also human and Mari is not (but as the saying goes..."let's not nitpick, a mammal is a mammal", plus Mari has humanoid characteristics in being able to walk on two legs, communicate in human languages, etc.)
> You know that Jowee has a rapoboner for her right?!!
Yes, I know that Jowee is in love with Mari and I'm perfectly fine with that. Jowee is a good match for her and he obviously cares about her. Plus, I am perfectly aware that these two AREN'T REAL BEINGS. If for some reason they were, my opinion would still not change. It's possible that I might still have an attachement towards Mari, but not to the point where I'd do something stupid. Finally, I like Jowee (not in the same way I like Mari mind you...unless perhaps he was rule 63'd), he could be like a little brother to me if I could have the chance.
OK...now that I've gotten THAT out of the way, let's discuss a couple of things about her that actually pertain to the games...
> Does Wilfre have a rapoboner for Mari?
Is there any doubt about it? I see how reacts around her and how he speaks to her in the first game, sounding even more obsessive towards her than I am (at least I wouldn't do anything creepy like stalk her or some shit like that). It's clear to me that Wilfre wants Mari...exactly how he sees her is uncertain. It is possible that his intentions with her may not be as sinister as some of his actions may suggest, particularly based on what I know from the second game. Still, it is highly unlikely that Mari would want to have anything to do with him from a romantic/sexual standpoint.
> *imitates Douchey McNitpick* BUT WAIT A MINUTE...IN THE SECOND GAME SHE ACTUALLY JOINS UP WITH HIM WHEN SHE LEARNS ABOUT "THE TRUTH"!!!
Yes it is true that it does happen, but it is clear that Mari isn't doing for her own existence...her thoughts are more about the species as a whole. Someone once mentioned to me that Wilfre was the one who didn't want the raposa to disappear...well, I call BULLSHIT on that since his actions from BOTH games are more self-oriented. It's MARI who's the one who is thinking more selflessly, she cares about her village, the raposa in her village and likely their species as a whole. Deep down, she probably doesn't want to die anymore than Wilfre does (even though it's likely that they wouldn't be gone for good given the circumstances). However, Mari's motivation for joining him is crystal clear. She seems like a reluctant participant...she probably doesn't want to help him deep down (especially after, y'know...he killed her father), but she's also aware of what will happen if she didn't. Later on, she comes to the realization that she must do what is right and what is best for the real-life Mike, and sees the error of her ways...much like our good buddy Lando Calrissian (though Mari never did anything like, y'know...blow up the second Death Star). She probably knows that if Mike doesn't wake up from his coma that he'll die and since they're likely a part of his subconscious would die with him. At least by him awakening from his coma, there's always the possibility that they could come back whenever he dreams.
Anyway, that's all I have to say for this time...there probably are a few other raposa-related questions that need answers, but they're not as significant as these. Still if you can think of any, post them in the comments and if I'm able to answer them I will. Also, if you'd like to suggest future topics for episodes, send them to my via note. I'll post more information on that in a future journal.
C-PRIME's Movie Reviews #14: Empire Strikes Back
General | Posted 14 years agoStar Wars: Episode V (The Empire Strikes Back)
Released in: 1980 (re-released in 1997)
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 97%/A
NOTE: For this review I watched the 1997 re-release of the film since I do not have a copy of the original release.
NOTE 2: I'm also trying out a new format to these reviews, you'll see some changes from past ones.
Personal History
While many people regard Empire Strikes Back as the best Star Wars movie of all-time, when I first watched it growing up, I didn't care much for it. Back then, when I thought of a movie that had "Star Wars" in it, I expected, y'know fighting in space. Granted, this was at a time when I was a lot more gullible when it came towards movies and didn't pay as much attention to story as I do now.
As the years passed and I grew up, I slowly began to grow an appreciation for this film and I could start to see why it is so highly regarded. Now, some 20+ years after I first watched it, I have a much better opinion on the movie, although personally I still prefer the Original Star Wars.
Basic Storyline
After the destruction of the first Death Star, the Empire chases the rebels to the ice planet Hoth and invades the base that was set up there. However, the rebel forces manage to escape as Han and Leia try to evade capture while Luke seeks out the wisdom of Yoda to complete his Jedi training. Later in the movie, Han and Leia travel to Cloud City where they meet up with Lando Calrissian who initially leads them into an imperial trap, but will later redeem himself after he realizes what he has done. Finally, Luke confronts Darth Vader for the first time directly and after having his arm cut off discovers that Vader is actually his father. In the end, Luke and Leia reunite along with Lando as they prepare to go recover Han.
What works with this movie
+: The story (complex and intense, full of many surprises that one who had never seen this movie before would not expect, # "I am your father")
+: The Humor (there are several points in the movie that invoked laughter from me, mostly revolving around the relationship between Han and Leia, and of course the robotic Laurel and Hardy of C-3PO and R2D2)
+: The confrontation between Darth Vader and Luke (What else can I mention here that I already haven't?)
+: Wise Ass Yoda (In the prequel trilogy we got bad ass Yoda, here we get to see the other side of the character as the wise mentor full of experience as he attempts to teach Luke in the ways of the Jedi)
+: Lando (He's a wise ass and he seems to care about the citizens of Cloud City to the point where he's willing to sacrifice one of his friends to keep it safe, until Lando discovers that he's being screwed over and makes up for the error of his ways, even though it appeared he had "good intentions". In fact, Lando reminds me of someone else I like, who was put in a very similar position not too long ago. Who am I talking about you may ask, you'll find out soon enough)
What didn't work in this movie
(NOTE: Most of what's listed here is based on the re-release, as these issues weren't present in the original release)
-: Some of the scenes look a bit fake to me (mainly in the beginning with the tauntauns...though it's nowhere near as bad as it was in the re-release of the original Star Wars)
Things that have me asking questions in this movie
?: There's a bit of an incestuous relationship between Luke and Leia isn't there? (Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with that...as you all know by the majority of the stories I've released, but it seems to me that the two of them might have a relationship stronger than the traditional brother/sister relationship)
?: How is Luke able to escape certain death so much at the end of the movie? (Yeah, I get it, he's the main hero, but it seems to me that with one of your arms chopped off and hanging from some sort of antenna thousands of feet above the ground would be a recipe to end up on the show "1,000 ways to die". It just seems a bit far-fetched to me that he'd be able to hang on as long as he did)
CONCLUSION: This film had to grow on me over the course of 20 years, but once it did, I could appreciate it for what it was. It has a strong and compelling story, high entertainment value, and strong character development. Though the original Star Wars will always be my favorite of the series, I can definitely see why this movie is so highly regarded
Story Grade: A+ (Rock Solid)
Entertainment Grade: A (A couple of dull moments here and there, but otherwise very entertaining)
OVERALL GRADE (Story/Entertainment average): A
(Like the original Star Wars, this is a classic in every sense of the word. If you haven't already watched this film, track it down and watch it.)
Next Review: Return of the Jedi
COMING NEXT WEEKEND A NEW SERIES WILL DEBUT HERE, STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS!
Released in: 1980 (re-released in 1997)
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 97%/A
NOTE: For this review I watched the 1997 re-release of the film since I do not have a copy of the original release.
NOTE 2: I'm also trying out a new format to these reviews, you'll see some changes from past ones.
Personal History
While many people regard Empire Strikes Back as the best Star Wars movie of all-time, when I first watched it growing up, I didn't care much for it. Back then, when I thought of a movie that had "Star Wars" in it, I expected, y'know fighting in space. Granted, this was at a time when I was a lot more gullible when it came towards movies and didn't pay as much attention to story as I do now.
As the years passed and I grew up, I slowly began to grow an appreciation for this film and I could start to see why it is so highly regarded. Now, some 20+ years after I first watched it, I have a much better opinion on the movie, although personally I still prefer the Original Star Wars.
Basic Storyline
After the destruction of the first Death Star, the Empire chases the rebels to the ice planet Hoth and invades the base that was set up there. However, the rebel forces manage to escape as Han and Leia try to evade capture while Luke seeks out the wisdom of Yoda to complete his Jedi training. Later in the movie, Han and Leia travel to Cloud City where they meet up with Lando Calrissian who initially leads them into an imperial trap, but will later redeem himself after he realizes what he has done. Finally, Luke confronts Darth Vader for the first time directly and after having his arm cut off discovers that Vader is actually his father. In the end, Luke and Leia reunite along with Lando as they prepare to go recover Han.
What works with this movie
+: The story (complex and intense, full of many surprises that one who had never seen this movie before would not expect, # "I am your father")
+: The Humor (there are several points in the movie that invoked laughter from me, mostly revolving around the relationship between Han and Leia, and of course the robotic Laurel and Hardy of C-3PO and R2D2)
+: The confrontation between Darth Vader and Luke (What else can I mention here that I already haven't?)
+: Wise Ass Yoda (In the prequel trilogy we got bad ass Yoda, here we get to see the other side of the character as the wise mentor full of experience as he attempts to teach Luke in the ways of the Jedi)
+: Lando (He's a wise ass and he seems to care about the citizens of Cloud City to the point where he's willing to sacrifice one of his friends to keep it safe, until Lando discovers that he's being screwed over and makes up for the error of his ways, even though it appeared he had "good intentions". In fact, Lando reminds me of someone else I like, who was put in a very similar position not too long ago. Who am I talking about you may ask, you'll find out soon enough)
What didn't work in this movie
(NOTE: Most of what's listed here is based on the re-release, as these issues weren't present in the original release)
-: Some of the scenes look a bit fake to me (mainly in the beginning with the tauntauns...though it's nowhere near as bad as it was in the re-release of the original Star Wars)
Things that have me asking questions in this movie
?: There's a bit of an incestuous relationship between Luke and Leia isn't there? (Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with that...as you all know by the majority of the stories I've released, but it seems to me that the two of them might have a relationship stronger than the traditional brother/sister relationship)
?: How is Luke able to escape certain death so much at the end of the movie? (Yeah, I get it, he's the main hero, but it seems to me that with one of your arms chopped off and hanging from some sort of antenna thousands of feet above the ground would be a recipe to end up on the show "1,000 ways to die". It just seems a bit far-fetched to me that he'd be able to hang on as long as he did)
CONCLUSION: This film had to grow on me over the course of 20 years, but once it did, I could appreciate it for what it was. It has a strong and compelling story, high entertainment value, and strong character development. Though the original Star Wars will always be my favorite of the series, I can definitely see why this movie is so highly regarded
Story Grade: A+ (Rock Solid)
Entertainment Grade: A (A couple of dull moments here and there, but otherwise very entertaining)
OVERALL GRADE (Story/Entertainment average): A
(Like the original Star Wars, this is a classic in every sense of the word. If you haven't already watched this film, track it down and watch it.)
Next Review: Return of the Jedi
COMING NEXT WEEKEND A NEW SERIES WILL DEBUT HERE, STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS!
World Traveler (Female Version) Winner + Additional Stuff
General | Posted 14 years agoFirst of all, I can't believe I haven't gotten to this sooner, but now that I have it's time to announce the winner of the Female World Traveler contest. After conducting the drawing several times (the drawing consisting of rolling three die until I got a matching pair), I have declared the winner to be 
shaiyla.
The winner will be contacted by me via note soon to go over some of the details of the series and fill in some of the blanks.
Secondly, as I mentioned last week, I'm gonna post an updated review schedule for the rest of this cycle, and it will be as follows...
Next Weekend: Empire Strikes Back
7/31: Return of the Jedi (Notice that this has changed since the original schedule came out, this was originally scheduled to be a non-review weekend)
8/14: Batman Begins
Following the Batman Begins review, there will be a break through the remainder of the baseball season without any video game or movie reviews, though the suggestion box will reopen after Labor Day weekend. With the next cycle, Video Game reviews will resume and will once again alternate between movie and video game reviews through the off-season. Also, it should be noted that my work schedule has changed since the start of the season. In addition to working mornings, I just recently started a Tuesday-Saturday work schedule, which will mainly be in effect during the off-season, though it technically has already started. As such, the reviews will now (more than likely) take place on Sundays instead of Saturdays.
Finally, to wrap this up, I've decided to do a Top 10 list.
Top 10 List #27: Best Power Rangers
Before I get into the list, a little backstory first. When Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers came out, I was in middle school and going into high school towards the latter half of its run. Although I did find it a bit cheesy at that time, I still enjoyed watching it back then. However, as I got older I lost interest in the series and watched very little of it after season 3...in fact, I had no clue it was even still going after Time Force until I discovered it on my own a few years back.
Anyway, thanks to Linkara's History of Power Rangers series, I've developed a curiosity towards the series once again and as such I've come up with a list of the 10 best power rangers in my opinion. Keep in mind that this is my own opinion based on what I've seen between what I watched growing up, various videos I've seen on Youtube, and Linkara's videos. Because of this, I've only included series that Linkara has already covered (which as of this time is through Ninja Storm), it will not include anything after that (including Samurai)...even though I have watched a couple episodes of it out of curiosity.
10. Kendrix (Lost Galaxy Pink): In addition to her personality, she's also quite intelligent and is a pleasant change from the typical pink ranger. She's not the best pink ranger I've ever seen (that will be discussed later in the countdown), but she's definitely an improvement from Kimberly, Kat, and Cassie.
9. Cole (Wild Force Red): His character fits in well with the series...he starts out as the "wild man" and then meets up with the rest of the team, becoming the typical fearless leader. Although I have to admit Cole would not be my first choice for the leader of the Wild Force team, but I'll explain more about that later in the countdown.
8. T.J. (Turbo Red...second 1/2, Space Blue): I definitely got the impression of a leader in T.J. from what I learned about him (even if he did get baked into a giant pizza), though much like the rest of the replacement rangers in Turbo, his entrance was a bit rushed.
7. Zack (Mighty Morhpin' Black...season 1 and the first 1/2 or so of season 2): Despite the obvious fact that it's an african-american actor in a black power ranger costume (and no, I don't give a shit what the producers said about it...it's still a poor decision even if it wasn't intentional), I always liked Zack, He was a smart-ass and a good fighter. Perhaps if they would've switched costumes between Zack and Billy, this wouldn't be such an issue. As I see it though, the decision to put Zack in the black costume was stupid (if not racist), but Zack himself was a decent character.
6. Adam (Mighty Morphin' Black...1/2 of season 2 and all of season 3, Zeo & Turbo (first 1/2) Green): Though admittedly I didn't have a strong feeling from Adam during the Mighty Morphin' era (aside from when he bitches about getting the frog zord), things did improve in latter episodes and it was in fact that he was involved in two later episodes (one during "In Space" and the other during Operation Overdrive) that cemented his place here. Also, being the voice for Zero in Marvel v. Capcom 3 also gets him bonus points.
5. Taylor (Wild Force Yellow): A graduate of what I would like to call the "Ellen Ripley school of bad-ass women"*. She's definitely got a fighter's spirit (being a member of the Air Force and all) and doesn't take shit from no one.
4. Jen (Time Force Pink): Another graduate of the Ellen Ripley school of totally bad-ass women. Jen is strong willed and determined, having very strong qualities for a leader. In fact, she probably deserves to be the Time Force Red ranger (typically the leader of the group) than Wes or Alex does.
3. Eric (Time Force Quantum): Eric comes off as both a smart-ass and a bad-ass to me. A fighter who works for what he believes in and rose to became what he was. His character also had elements of the original Green ranger in the beginning, where he wasn't exactly an ally to the rest of the team right away, but later became one.
2. Carter (Lightspeed Red): In addition to being a firefighter, Carter's got a lot of guts, rushing into battles and even taking on giant monsters with just his regular blasters despite the fact that the monster could easily...y'know, squash him like a cockroach. As such, he's definitely a risk-taker, but that's also what makes him such a bad ass.
1. Tommy (Mighty Morphin' Green/White, Zeo & Turbo (first 1/2) Red): The original sixth ranger and one of the most recognizable in the entire series (if not the most). In my honest opinion, Tommy felt more like a leader than Jason or Rocky did in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, which is probably why they made him the red ranger in Zeo and the first half of Turbo, even though it turns out that Tommy is native american (though had it not been for Linkara I never would've made that assumption to begin with seeing how I never watched Zeo to discover this). Nonetheless, Tommy is a true bad-ass and deserves to be at the top of the list.
STAY TUNED FOR A PREVIEW OF A NEW SERIES THAT WILL BE COMING SOON TO MY FA PAGE...IT WILL ARRIVE SOMETIME AFTER THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK REVIEW!!!
*: Other featured graduates of this school include...Samus Aran, Chun Li, Lara Croft, Jill Valentine, Sonya Blade, and Mari (yes...I consider Mari as a part of this as well, because of her determination and intelligence. It has nothing to do with the fact that...well, you all should know by now how I feel about her personally).
shaiyla.The winner will be contacted by me via note soon to go over some of the details of the series and fill in some of the blanks.
Secondly, as I mentioned last week, I'm gonna post an updated review schedule for the rest of this cycle, and it will be as follows...
Next Weekend: Empire Strikes Back
7/31: Return of the Jedi (Notice that this has changed since the original schedule came out, this was originally scheduled to be a non-review weekend)
8/14: Batman Begins
Following the Batman Begins review, there will be a break through the remainder of the baseball season without any video game or movie reviews, though the suggestion box will reopen after Labor Day weekend. With the next cycle, Video Game reviews will resume and will once again alternate between movie and video game reviews through the off-season. Also, it should be noted that my work schedule has changed since the start of the season. In addition to working mornings, I just recently started a Tuesday-Saturday work schedule, which will mainly be in effect during the off-season, though it technically has already started. As such, the reviews will now (more than likely) take place on Sundays instead of Saturdays.
Finally, to wrap this up, I've decided to do a Top 10 list.
Top 10 List #27: Best Power Rangers
Before I get into the list, a little backstory first. When Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers came out, I was in middle school and going into high school towards the latter half of its run. Although I did find it a bit cheesy at that time, I still enjoyed watching it back then. However, as I got older I lost interest in the series and watched very little of it after season 3...in fact, I had no clue it was even still going after Time Force until I discovered it on my own a few years back.
Anyway, thanks to Linkara's History of Power Rangers series, I've developed a curiosity towards the series once again and as such I've come up with a list of the 10 best power rangers in my opinion. Keep in mind that this is my own opinion based on what I've seen between what I watched growing up, various videos I've seen on Youtube, and Linkara's videos. Because of this, I've only included series that Linkara has already covered (which as of this time is through Ninja Storm), it will not include anything after that (including Samurai)...even though I have watched a couple episodes of it out of curiosity.
10. Kendrix (Lost Galaxy Pink): In addition to her personality, she's also quite intelligent and is a pleasant change from the typical pink ranger. She's not the best pink ranger I've ever seen (that will be discussed later in the countdown), but she's definitely an improvement from Kimberly, Kat, and Cassie.
9. Cole (Wild Force Red): His character fits in well with the series...he starts out as the "wild man" and then meets up with the rest of the team, becoming the typical fearless leader. Although I have to admit Cole would not be my first choice for the leader of the Wild Force team, but I'll explain more about that later in the countdown.
8. T.J. (Turbo Red...second 1/2, Space Blue): I definitely got the impression of a leader in T.J. from what I learned about him (even if he did get baked into a giant pizza), though much like the rest of the replacement rangers in Turbo, his entrance was a bit rushed.
7. Zack (Mighty Morhpin' Black...season 1 and the first 1/2 or so of season 2): Despite the obvious fact that it's an african-american actor in a black power ranger costume (and no, I don't give a shit what the producers said about it...it's still a poor decision even if it wasn't intentional), I always liked Zack, He was a smart-ass and a good fighter. Perhaps if they would've switched costumes between Zack and Billy, this wouldn't be such an issue. As I see it though, the decision to put Zack in the black costume was stupid (if not racist), but Zack himself was a decent character.
6. Adam (Mighty Morphin' Black...1/2 of season 2 and all of season 3, Zeo & Turbo (first 1/2) Green): Though admittedly I didn't have a strong feeling from Adam during the Mighty Morphin' era (aside from when he bitches about getting the frog zord), things did improve in latter episodes and it was in fact that he was involved in two later episodes (one during "In Space" and the other during Operation Overdrive) that cemented his place here. Also, being the voice for Zero in Marvel v. Capcom 3 also gets him bonus points.
5. Taylor (Wild Force Yellow): A graduate of what I would like to call the "Ellen Ripley school of bad-ass women"*. She's definitely got a fighter's spirit (being a member of the Air Force and all) and doesn't take shit from no one.
4. Jen (Time Force Pink): Another graduate of the Ellen Ripley school of totally bad-ass women. Jen is strong willed and determined, having very strong qualities for a leader. In fact, she probably deserves to be the Time Force Red ranger (typically the leader of the group) than Wes or Alex does.
3. Eric (Time Force Quantum): Eric comes off as both a smart-ass and a bad-ass to me. A fighter who works for what he believes in and rose to became what he was. His character also had elements of the original Green ranger in the beginning, where he wasn't exactly an ally to the rest of the team right away, but later became one.
2. Carter (Lightspeed Red): In addition to being a firefighter, Carter's got a lot of guts, rushing into battles and even taking on giant monsters with just his regular blasters despite the fact that the monster could easily...y'know, squash him like a cockroach. As such, he's definitely a risk-taker, but that's also what makes him such a bad ass.
1. Tommy (Mighty Morphin' Green/White, Zeo & Turbo (first 1/2) Red): The original sixth ranger and one of the most recognizable in the entire series (if not the most). In my honest opinion, Tommy felt more like a leader than Jason or Rocky did in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, which is probably why they made him the red ranger in Zeo and the first half of Turbo, even though it turns out that Tommy is native american (though had it not been for Linkara I never would've made that assumption to begin with seeing how I never watched Zeo to discover this). Nonetheless, Tommy is a true bad-ass and deserves to be at the top of the list.
STAY TUNED FOR A PREVIEW OF A NEW SERIES THAT WILL BE COMING SOON TO MY FA PAGE...IT WILL ARRIVE SOMETIME AFTER THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK REVIEW!!!
*: Other featured graduates of this school include...Samus Aran, Chun Li, Lara Croft, Jill Valentine, Sonya Blade, and Mari (yes...I consider Mari as a part of this as well, because of her determination and intelligence. It has nothing to do with the fact that...well, you all should know by now how I feel about her personally).
C-PRIME's Movie Reviews #13: Star Wars (the original)
General | Posted 14 years agoStar Wars: Episode IV (A New Hope)
Released in: 1977 (re-released in 1997)
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 94%/A
NOTE: For this review I watched the 1997 re-release of the film since I do not have a copy of the original release.
When people talk about Star Wars, this is most likely the first thing that comes into mind. The original movie that came out in 1977 that many of us grew up on and is almost every bit as classic as something like the Wizard of Oz or Snow White. The original Star Wars was and still is a major catalyst for many space/sci-fi based shows, movies and whatnot (with the exception of Star Trek of course, which preceded Star Wars by several years).
While I'm on the topic of Star Wars and Star Trek, let me mention this straightaway...I like BOTH franchises and I always will. I'm not a overly obsessed fanboy towards either one...I don't go running around looking like Chewbacca, nor do I go around pretending to be a Klingon. Besides, there's something else that I'm obsessed with (and if you all don't know what that is, then clearly you haven't been paying enough attention to some of the stories I've put up in the last few months) XD
Anyway, I'm just kidding about that...what I'm getting at, I feel that there's enough room in pop culture for both Star Wars and Star Trek to coexist peacefully. Star Wars is a more fantasy-driven franchise, combining technology with more medieval ways (lightsaber duels) as well as the mystical element (the force). Star Trek on the other hand is more of a realistic series, relying heavily on technology and science, though it does periodically venture into the unknown and perhaps even the supernatural. As such, you could still have a preference for one series or another, but the way I see, both franchises are generally solid and I enjoy them both about the same (it mainly depends on what type of mood I'm in).
What I liked about this movie
+: NO JAR JAR BINKS! =D (Sorry, but I had to mention it after watching three movies featuring that obnoxious gungan)
+: The story (no matter what George Lucas does to this film to make it 'better', the story remains solid and engaging as well as entertaining.)
+: James Earl Jones (provides a menacing and strong voice for Darth Vader)
+: Wise Man Obi-Wan (Yes, I prefer the Alec Guinness Obi-Wan to those of the prequels...particularly the version in Episode I)
+: The protagonists in general (particularly Luke and Han...Han is a bad ass through and through, which can be seen in several scenes, and Luke is the hero-in-training, starting to become a true adult and learning about the ways of the Jedi. Leia has some bad ass moments in the movie as well, she's certainly more bad ass than her mother...but not nearly as bad ass as Ripley)
+: The acting in general (it shows that the actors truly gave a damn about their performance. Then again, with actors such as James Earl Jones, Alec Guinness, and Harrison Ford among others, you'd expect that).
What pissed me off about this movie
(NOTE: Most of what's listed here is based on the re-release, as these issues weren't present in the original release)
-: George Lucas, why the fuck did you have to go around and try to make things look more detailed? (I mean, you were able to invoke the atmosphere of the movie just fine without all the un-needed special effects and shit of the re-released version. Yes, there were a few cases in the original release where it looked a bit fake (mostly referring to the space fight scenes) and in those cases the improvements that were made work just fine. However, there are other parts of the movie (mostly in the first half) where his so-called 'improvements' make the scene seem even more fake than it was in the original. It's especially noticeable in the scene in the desert with the Storm Troopers searching for C3PO and R2D2. Also, most of the added scenes contribute little to the overall story and seem to drag on longer than they need to.)
-: That idiotic scene where Han moves his head to avoid Greedo's shot (not only does it look fake and stupid, but also HAN SHOT FIRST! Don't believe me, check this out if you want proof!)
Things that made me go WTF about this movie
?: How tall is Darth Vader exactly? (In the beginning of the movie when Darth Vader boards Leia's ship, he looks significantly taller than she does. Yeah, I know that as a general rule males are taller than females, but it kind of looks like if you were to compare Yao Ming to Mari...height-wise anyway*)
?: Why does Luke's lightsaber change color (when he gets it from Obi-Wan it's blue, then on the ship it starts off as green as he's practicing with the probe and then changes to a whitish-green a few scenes later)
?: Why doesn't the Death Star destroy the planet in front of the moon with the rebel base instead of just orbiting it (if it has the power to destroy a planet, why doesn't it use it to get to the rebel base faster. It's obvious that they wouldn't give a damn about destroying innocent lives. Does it take time for the Death Star to recharge it's main weapon after firing it or something?)
CONCLUSION: As I mentioned before, this movie is a classic. It's still enjoyable today as it was when it came out. Granted, it has lost a bit of its luster since it was first released, mainly due to George Lucas' attempts to 'improve' his movies, but also due to time itself. Then again, you also have to consider what it's done to pop culture since it's release and it's profound impact on society for years to come. Regardless of which version you watch, the movie is still excellent (though I would much rather watch the original release)
OVERALL GRADE (Original Release): A+
OVERALL GRADE (re-release): A-
(Go out and see this movie if you haven't already, though I'm sure most of you already have. I marked the re-release down slightly because of the stupidity and fakeness of a few scenes as well as because it didn't quite invoke the same feeling of grandiose as the original release did. Nevertheless, the story is exactly the same and still as strong and entertaining as it ever was.)
Next Review: Empire Strikes Back (NOTE: A revised review schedule for the remainder of this cycle will be posted in the coming days)
*: In regards to Mari's height...this is based on a couple of things. 1. The mannequin used in both games looks larger in size than the raposa are (so I'm guessing it's the size of an average adult human), 2. Considering that Mike in the game is roughly the same size as the raposa and smaller than the mannequin, I came up with the assumption that the raposa species is generally smaller than an average adult human and probably comparable to that of a elementary-school kid (roughly 4 feet tall for full-grown raposa, which Mari is, but that may be a discussion for another time). It should be noted that this is definitely debatable and is by no means conclusive, it's merely a hypothetical guess based on what I know.
Released in: 1977 (re-released in 1997)
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 94%/A
NOTE: For this review I watched the 1997 re-release of the film since I do not have a copy of the original release.
When people talk about Star Wars, this is most likely the first thing that comes into mind. The original movie that came out in 1977 that many of us grew up on and is almost every bit as classic as something like the Wizard of Oz or Snow White. The original Star Wars was and still is a major catalyst for many space/sci-fi based shows, movies and whatnot (with the exception of Star Trek of course, which preceded Star Wars by several years).
While I'm on the topic of Star Wars and Star Trek, let me mention this straightaway...I like BOTH franchises and I always will. I'm not a overly obsessed fanboy towards either one...I don't go running around looking like Chewbacca, nor do I go around pretending to be a Klingon. Besides, there's something else that I'm obsessed with (and if you all don't know what that is, then clearly you haven't been paying enough attention to some of the stories I've put up in the last few months) XD
Anyway, I'm just kidding about that...what I'm getting at, I feel that there's enough room in pop culture for both Star Wars and Star Trek to coexist peacefully. Star Wars is a more fantasy-driven franchise, combining technology with more medieval ways (lightsaber duels) as well as the mystical element (the force). Star Trek on the other hand is more of a realistic series, relying heavily on technology and science, though it does periodically venture into the unknown and perhaps even the supernatural. As such, you could still have a preference for one series or another, but the way I see, both franchises are generally solid and I enjoy them both about the same (it mainly depends on what type of mood I'm in).
What I liked about this movie
+: NO JAR JAR BINKS! =D (Sorry, but I had to mention it after watching three movies featuring that obnoxious gungan)
+: The story (no matter what George Lucas does to this film to make it 'better', the story remains solid and engaging as well as entertaining.)
+: James Earl Jones (provides a menacing and strong voice for Darth Vader)
+: Wise Man Obi-Wan (Yes, I prefer the Alec Guinness Obi-Wan to those of the prequels...particularly the version in Episode I)
+: The protagonists in general (particularly Luke and Han...Han is a bad ass through and through, which can be seen in several scenes, and Luke is the hero-in-training, starting to become a true adult and learning about the ways of the Jedi. Leia has some bad ass moments in the movie as well, she's certainly more bad ass than her mother...but not nearly as bad ass as Ripley)
+: The acting in general (it shows that the actors truly gave a damn about their performance. Then again, with actors such as James Earl Jones, Alec Guinness, and Harrison Ford among others, you'd expect that).
What pissed me off about this movie
(NOTE: Most of what's listed here is based on the re-release, as these issues weren't present in the original release)
-: George Lucas, why the fuck did you have to go around and try to make things look more detailed? (I mean, you were able to invoke the atmosphere of the movie just fine without all the un-needed special effects and shit of the re-released version. Yes, there were a few cases in the original release where it looked a bit fake (mostly referring to the space fight scenes) and in those cases the improvements that were made work just fine. However, there are other parts of the movie (mostly in the first half) where his so-called 'improvements' make the scene seem even more fake than it was in the original. It's especially noticeable in the scene in the desert with the Storm Troopers searching for C3PO and R2D2. Also, most of the added scenes contribute little to the overall story and seem to drag on longer than they need to.)
-: That idiotic scene where Han moves his head to avoid Greedo's shot (not only does it look fake and stupid, but also HAN SHOT FIRST! Don't believe me, check this out if you want proof!)
Things that made me go WTF about this movie
?: How tall is Darth Vader exactly? (In the beginning of the movie when Darth Vader boards Leia's ship, he looks significantly taller than she does. Yeah, I know that as a general rule males are taller than females, but it kind of looks like if you were to compare Yao Ming to Mari...height-wise anyway*)
?: Why does Luke's lightsaber change color (when he gets it from Obi-Wan it's blue, then on the ship it starts off as green as he's practicing with the probe and then changes to a whitish-green a few scenes later)
?: Why doesn't the Death Star destroy the planet in front of the moon with the rebel base instead of just orbiting it (if it has the power to destroy a planet, why doesn't it use it to get to the rebel base faster. It's obvious that they wouldn't give a damn about destroying innocent lives. Does it take time for the Death Star to recharge it's main weapon after firing it or something?)
CONCLUSION: As I mentioned before, this movie is a classic. It's still enjoyable today as it was when it came out. Granted, it has lost a bit of its luster since it was first released, mainly due to George Lucas' attempts to 'improve' his movies, but also due to time itself. Then again, you also have to consider what it's done to pop culture since it's release and it's profound impact on society for years to come. Regardless of which version you watch, the movie is still excellent (though I would much rather watch the original release)
OVERALL GRADE (Original Release): A+
OVERALL GRADE (re-release): A-
(Go out and see this movie if you haven't already, though I'm sure most of you already have. I marked the re-release down slightly because of the stupidity and fakeness of a few scenes as well as because it didn't quite invoke the same feeling of grandiose as the original release did. Nevertheless, the story is exactly the same and still as strong and entertaining as it ever was.)
Next Review: Empire Strikes Back (NOTE: A revised review schedule for the remainder of this cycle will be posted in the coming days)
*: In regards to Mari's height...this is based on a couple of things. 1. The mannequin used in both games looks larger in size than the raposa are (so I'm guessing it's the size of an average adult human), 2. Considering that Mike in the game is roughly the same size as the raposa and smaller than the mannequin, I came up with the assumption that the raposa species is generally smaller than an average adult human and probably comparable to that of a elementary-school kid (roughly 4 feet tall for full-grown raposa, which Mari is, but that may be a discussion for another time). It should be noted that this is definitely debatable and is by no means conclusive, it's merely a hypothetical guess based on what I know.
World Traveler (Female version) LAST CHANCE + Rant
General | Posted 14 years agoThis is your last chance to get in on the World Traveler contest...if you want in, please see one of the previous journals for more information on it and get it in ASAP. You may have an extra couple of days than originally planned to get it in, since the drawing for this will not take place until Monday...if I receive it by then, I'll include it as a valid entry.
Entries so far
> shaiyla
>
lonewolfsega
>
rhazzydragon
Anyway...now to the REAL reason why I created this journal...to rip Cars 2 a new exhaust pipe!
Anyone who has read my Summer Movie journal that I posted a few weeks ago already knows what I thought about Cars 2 in a nutshell, but now let me elaborate on it a little more. The idea of having a movie about talking cars and have it essentially be a spy-themed movie is one of the most asinine, ridiculous, and unimaginative ideas for a movie I've ever heard of. While the movie doesn't look terrible and I'm sure it has at least some entertainment value, the fact that the story is just plain STUPID makes me wonder why the fuck was this movie made...oh wait, I know exactly why, because Disney was seeing these---> $$$ (just like with the rest of their idiotic sequels to movies that didn't necessarily need them*). But this isn't what pisses me off the most.
The reason why I made this journal, instead of posting an updated review schedule is when I read Roger Ebert's review. Here is a guy who has been reviewing movies for 30+ years and has had a strong reputation at being amongst the best reviewers in the history of movie reviews, and he gives this movie 3.5 out of 4. This movie does not deserve 3.5 out of 4 stars...it probably doesn't even deserve 2 out of 4 stars (which, incidentally, is what he gave a certain movie that came out last year that I constantly bitched about that will remain nameless). As much as I hate to say this about one of the most beloved critics in history, it has to be done. Roger Ebert...it's time for you to retire. I'm sorry, but when you give a fuckdiculous** movie like THIS 2 out of 4 stars when it deserved half as many at best and then give Cars 2 three and a half stars when it deserves half as many, it seriously undermines whether or not I think that you're effective at your job anymore.
Anyway, now that I've gotten that out of me...let me summarize my feelings. In my honest opinion, I think Cars 2 is the WORST idea for anything involving cars since POWER RANGERS TURBO and even THAT atrocity had a better overall storyline than Cars 2 does. At least in Turbo, the cars weren't fucking spies and served the one and only purpose that cars should have. If you don't believe me, watch Linkara's review of Power Rangers Turbo and decide for yourself. Finally, I would also like to mention that I saw the original Cars in theaters and I liked that movie. I didn't find the idea of talking cars to be absurd in the slightest...especially considering the fact that Tex Avery is one of my favorite animation directors of all time (there's at least one cartoon of his that features talking cars). My dislike for the movie is based on how stupid I feel the premise for it is as well as the simple fact that this was a movie that did not have to be made. Cars =/= Toy Story in where Toy Story's sequels were completely validated and well thought out.
*chugs on a bottle of Jack Daniels to calm down*
OK...I'm done bitching about Cars 2 now. Now I'm gonna go watch a movie that DOESN'T have a stupid premise behind it, just a director who think he's "improving" upon a movie by updating it. Of course, I'm talking about the original Star Wars...which will be reviewed tomorrow (I promise).
*: this excludes Return of Jafar and Lion King 2 since both of those movies I felt had a valid reason for sequels and that in these cases, at least they were released on VHS (at the time anyway) instead of in theaters. It also excludes Rescuers Down Under since that movie had its own story to it while also maintaining some elements of the original.
**: Fucking Ridiculous, in case you're wondering what I said there.
Entries so far
>
shaiyla>
lonewolfsega>
rhazzydragonAnyway...now to the REAL reason why I created this journal...to rip Cars 2 a new exhaust pipe!
Anyone who has read my Summer Movie journal that I posted a few weeks ago already knows what I thought about Cars 2 in a nutshell, but now let me elaborate on it a little more. The idea of having a movie about talking cars and have it essentially be a spy-themed movie is one of the most asinine, ridiculous, and unimaginative ideas for a movie I've ever heard of. While the movie doesn't look terrible and I'm sure it has at least some entertainment value, the fact that the story is just plain STUPID makes me wonder why the fuck was this movie made...oh wait, I know exactly why, because Disney was seeing these---> $$$ (just like with the rest of their idiotic sequels to movies that didn't necessarily need them*). But this isn't what pisses me off the most.
The reason why I made this journal, instead of posting an updated review schedule is when I read Roger Ebert's review. Here is a guy who has been reviewing movies for 30+ years and has had a strong reputation at being amongst the best reviewers in the history of movie reviews, and he gives this movie 3.5 out of 4. This movie does not deserve 3.5 out of 4 stars...it probably doesn't even deserve 2 out of 4 stars (which, incidentally, is what he gave a certain movie that came out last year that I constantly bitched about that will remain nameless). As much as I hate to say this about one of the most beloved critics in history, it has to be done. Roger Ebert...it's time for you to retire. I'm sorry, but when you give a fuckdiculous** movie like THIS 2 out of 4 stars when it deserved half as many at best and then give Cars 2 three and a half stars when it deserves half as many, it seriously undermines whether or not I think that you're effective at your job anymore.
Anyway, now that I've gotten that out of me...let me summarize my feelings. In my honest opinion, I think Cars 2 is the WORST idea for anything involving cars since POWER RANGERS TURBO and even THAT atrocity had a better overall storyline than Cars 2 does. At least in Turbo, the cars weren't fucking spies and served the one and only purpose that cars should have. If you don't believe me, watch Linkara's review of Power Rangers Turbo and decide for yourself. Finally, I would also like to mention that I saw the original Cars in theaters and I liked that movie. I didn't find the idea of talking cars to be absurd in the slightest...especially considering the fact that Tex Avery is one of my favorite animation directors of all time (there's at least one cartoon of his that features talking cars). My dislike for the movie is based on how stupid I feel the premise for it is as well as the simple fact that this was a movie that did not have to be made. Cars =/= Toy Story in where Toy Story's sequels were completely validated and well thought out.
*chugs on a bottle of Jack Daniels to calm down*
OK...I'm done bitching about Cars 2 now. Now I'm gonna go watch a movie that DOESN'T have a stupid premise behind it, just a director who think he's "improving" upon a movie by updating it. Of course, I'm talking about the original Star Wars...which will be reviewed tomorrow (I promise).
*: this excludes Return of Jafar and Lion King 2 since both of those movies I felt had a valid reason for sequels and that in these cases, at least they were released on VHS (at the time anyway) instead of in theaters. It also excludes Rescuers Down Under since that movie had its own story to it while also maintaining some elements of the original.
**: Fucking Ridiculous, in case you're wondering what I said there.
Some Announcements + World Traveler (Female version) info
General | Posted 14 years agoFirst of all, in case you're wondering where the review for the original Star Wars is, the answer is that I have not had a chance to watch it again yet, and until I do I will not review it. However, I may have a chance to watch it on Sunday or next Monday and if this is the case, I'll review it then...otherwise it'll get pushed back to the next scheduled review date (which would also push all the other reviews back as well).
Secondly, I finally got pissed off enough at Vista that I went out and bought a new desktop computer over this past weekend (with Windows 7) and as a result, I'm going to try creating my own movies at some point. I don't know what exactly I'll do, but in all likelihood, some of the movies will involve reviews (if I'm able to convert certain things to a workable format).
Finally, it's been a few weeks since I first mentioned this, but I thought I'd put it up as a reminder. Ladies, if you'd like to be a part of the World Traveler (Female version), please read the following below and post a reply here. Remember, F/F and M/F/F couples will be allowed for this series, so please keep this in mind as you read below.
Here's what I would need to know
> A description of your character (including age and species). Please include as much detail as possible but also try not to write me an essay either.
> Is your character straight, bi, or lesbian (very important as it'll help me determine if I need to change pairings from what is already listed here)
> What species do you prefer
> The type of sexual positions you most prefer
> Whether or not your character would like to have offspring during this trip (and with what species if you do)
> Where your character's hometown is (this is important since it'll serve as a starting and ending point for the series)
> What places your character would like to visit (please note the list of pre-determined places below and try not to select any from the list. Please give me at least 3 suggestions, but no more than 6)
Current list of pre-determined places (List is subject to change if I think of more ideas)
NOTE: All pairings listed are negotiable if you'd prefer a female over a male)
North America
> Los Angeles (TBD based on the winner's preferences)
> Denver (Stallion)
> Minneapolis, MN (Me, Charlene, or both...winner's choice)
> Dallas (Longhorn Bull)
> Fort Lauderdale, FL (M Dolphin)
> New York City (TBD by me)
South America/Carribean
> Virgin Islands (TBD based on the winner's preferences)
> Amazon Rainforest (M Jaguar)
> Rio De Janiero (TBD by me)
Europe
> London (M Rabbit)
> Paris (M Skunk* or M Domestic Dog...winner's choice)
> Venice (TBD based on the winner's preference)
> Madrid (M Fox)
Africa
> Zimbabwe (M Lion)
> Tanzania (Zebra Stallion)
> Madagascar (TBD based on the winner's preferences)
Asia
> India (M Bengal Tiger)
> Interior China (M Dragon)
> Western Japan (It's a surprise that will only be told to the winner) ;3
> Tokyo (M three-tailed fox or M Mouse...winner's choice)
Australia
> Outback (M Kangaroo)
> Sydney (TBD by me)
> Brisbane (TBD based on the winner's preference)
Antarctica
> South Pole (M Arctic Fox, M Polar Bear, or both...winner's choice)
*: Don't bother asking for Pepe Le Pew or some other famous male skunk, because I'll say "no" to it
Entries so far
> shaiyla
> lonewolfsega
The deadline to submit entries for this will be 6/25/2011, so if you'd like to enter, please submit your entry here.
Secondly, I finally got pissed off enough at Vista that I went out and bought a new desktop computer over this past weekend (with Windows 7) and as a result, I'm going to try creating my own movies at some point. I don't know what exactly I'll do, but in all likelihood, some of the movies will involve reviews (if I'm able to convert certain things to a workable format).
Finally, it's been a few weeks since I first mentioned this, but I thought I'd put it up as a reminder. Ladies, if you'd like to be a part of the World Traveler (Female version), please read the following below and post a reply here. Remember, F/F and M/F/F couples will be allowed for this series, so please keep this in mind as you read below.
Here's what I would need to know
> A description of your character (including age and species). Please include as much detail as possible but also try not to write me an essay either.
> Is your character straight, bi, or lesbian (very important as it'll help me determine if I need to change pairings from what is already listed here)
> What species do you prefer
> The type of sexual positions you most prefer
> Whether or not your character would like to have offspring during this trip (and with what species if you do)
> Where your character's hometown is (this is important since it'll serve as a starting and ending point for the series)
> What places your character would like to visit (please note the list of pre-determined places below and try not to select any from the list. Please give me at least 3 suggestions, but no more than 6)
Current list of pre-determined places (List is subject to change if I think of more ideas)
NOTE: All pairings listed are negotiable if you'd prefer a female over a male)
North America
> Los Angeles (TBD based on the winner's preferences)
> Denver (Stallion)
> Minneapolis, MN (Me, Charlene, or both...winner's choice)
> Dallas (Longhorn Bull)
> Fort Lauderdale, FL (M Dolphin)
> New York City (TBD by me)
South America/Carribean
> Virgin Islands (TBD based on the winner's preferences)
> Amazon Rainforest (M Jaguar)
> Rio De Janiero (TBD by me)
Europe
> London (M Rabbit)
> Paris (M Skunk* or M Domestic Dog...winner's choice)
> Venice (TBD based on the winner's preference)
> Madrid (M Fox)
Africa
> Zimbabwe (M Lion)
> Tanzania (Zebra Stallion)
> Madagascar (TBD based on the winner's preferences)
Asia
> India (M Bengal Tiger)
> Interior China (M Dragon)
> Western Japan (It's a surprise that will only be told to the winner) ;3
> Tokyo (M three-tailed fox or M Mouse...winner's choice)
Australia
> Outback (M Kangaroo)
> Sydney (TBD by me)
> Brisbane (TBD based on the winner's preference)
Antarctica
> South Pole (M Arctic Fox, M Polar Bear, or both...winner's choice)
*: Don't bother asking for Pepe Le Pew or some other famous male skunk, because I'll say "no" to it
Entries so far
>
shaiyla>
lonewolfsegaThe deadline to submit entries for this will be 6/25/2011, so if you'd like to enter, please submit your entry here.
C-PRIME's Movie Reviews #12: Star Wars (Episode III)
General | Posted 14 years agoStar Wars: Episode III (Revenge of the Sith)
Released in: 2005
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 80%/A-
This is the only one of the three prequels that I actually saw in the movie theater when it came out and back then I didn't feel disappointed by it. I felt it was a decent movie (not as good as the original trilogy) but still good enough to satisfy my tastes. In watching it again on DVD prior to the review, I felt pretty much the same way as I did back then, it still feels like a decent movie and a step up from the first two prequels.
Does this mean that I'm saying the movie is "good", well...not quite, I do think that the movie is a bit over-rated and does have a few problems with it, but overall I can forgive some of it because it does have a decent amount of action and entertainment value. Plus, it's nowhere near as boring as the first two prequels.
What I liked about this movie
+: More Bad Ass Yoda (though I would've liked to see more from the battle between him and Palpatine)
+: This movie does not feel boring (which is more than can be said about the first two prequels...especially Episode I)
+: No obnoxious dialogue from Jar Jar Binks (Thank you George Lucas for finally shutting him the fuck up in this movie)
+: This movie actually feels like it has a place in the Star Wars mythology (it explains how the empire was formed, how Anakin became Darth Vader...albeit a bit half-assed, and what happened to the Jedi)
+: The opening space battle (now THIS is how a Star Wars movie should start, diving straight into the action...much like the original and in Empire Strikes Back, though a little more delayed in the latter of the two)
+: Samuel L. Jackson (again, because he's Samuel L. Jackson...when he tells you to do something, you better make damn sure that you do it...or else this may happen)
What pissed me off about this movie
-: Jar Jar Binks (Yeah, I know I said Lucas did us all a favor by shutting him up, but that doesn't make up for the fact that he's still in this movie. I might not hate him as much in this because he doesn't open that obnoxious mouth of his in this, but I still hate him overall for being an obnoxious and unnecessary character. Oh yeah, and did I mention...HE'S PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR GIVING PALPATINE HIS POWER!!!)
-: The "romance" between Anakin and Padme is still awkward at times (especially at the beginning and end of the movie...it still seems like he's too obsessive over her. Yeah, I know they're a married couple in this and it's only natural for a husband to care about his wife, but it still comes off at being a bit odd to me at times the way he acts to her)
-: Um, who's General Grievous (seriously...who the fuck is he, we're never given very good character development for him in this other than he's been trained by Count Dooku. They should've done a better job fleshing out his character in this movie)
-: Anakin's responsible for killing off Samuel L. Jackson (Thanks Anakin, thanks a lot, you just helped kill off the best actor in the entire series of prequels...jackass)
-: The way Padme dies (I call bullshit on this...if she's supposedly "completely healthy", then how come she dies after giving birth?!! I also call bullshit on this being the reason for Anakin turning towards the Dark Side. Now, the quest for power part I can believe, but the explanation of him wanting to become a Sith to save his wife is unacceptable.)
Things that made me go WTF about this movie
?: Why does Padme still have a preggy belly after she's given birth? (wouldn't have flattened out somewhat after Luke and Leia were born?)
?: Why is Anakin so slow to realize that Palpatine is a Sith lord? (As soon as he started talking about the Dark Side for the first time, Anakin should've known that something wasn't right)
?: Why is it that Jedi Knights/Masters/etc. can't marry/have kids? (Just curious...is it a religious thing or what?)
CONCLUSION: Of the three prequels, this is the best of the bunch and it truly feels like a Star Wars movie. Still, it does have some story issues in it that are either unexplained or explained poorly, but the entertainment value does make up for its shortcomings to some extent. In general, the movie isn't bad, but it's not terrific either.
OVERALL GRADE: B- (This movie would've been a much better start to the prequels than either of the first two. What Lucas should've done was make THIS Episode I and then went from there and totally given the first two prequels that were actually made the flaming "fuck you" middle finger. This is the only one of the prequel movies that I'll actually watch again, the other two aren't really of interest to me any longer.)
I've now watched through all three of the Star Wars prequels...including Episode I, which I had sworn that I would never watch prior to reviewing it. Overall, the prequel trilogy is mostly boring and half-assed as far as storytelling goes (except for Episode III), with Phantom Menace being the worst. Phantom Menace didn't feel much like a Star Wars movie at all, Attack of the Clones kinda felt like a Star Wars movie...but even that had me scratching my head a bit on how it fit in with the original trilogy. Revenge of the Sith does succeed where those two movies failed, truly feeling like a Star Wars movie and adding important elements to the mythology (even if some of those were a bit half-assed). However, now we get to the original trilogy...the one that most of us grew up upon and love.
Next Review: Star Wars (the original movie) NOTE: I'm going to be going on a mini-vacation this week from Thursday thru Saturday and will be away from home (though I should still have internet access). It's possible that the review for the original Star Wars movie may get pushed back to a later date, but I haven't decided yet
Released in: 2005
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 80%/A-
This is the only one of the three prequels that I actually saw in the movie theater when it came out and back then I didn't feel disappointed by it. I felt it was a decent movie (not as good as the original trilogy) but still good enough to satisfy my tastes. In watching it again on DVD prior to the review, I felt pretty much the same way as I did back then, it still feels like a decent movie and a step up from the first two prequels.
Does this mean that I'm saying the movie is "good", well...not quite, I do think that the movie is a bit over-rated and does have a few problems with it, but overall I can forgive some of it because it does have a decent amount of action and entertainment value. Plus, it's nowhere near as boring as the first two prequels.
What I liked about this movie
+: More Bad Ass Yoda (though I would've liked to see more from the battle between him and Palpatine)
+: This movie does not feel boring (which is more than can be said about the first two prequels...especially Episode I)
+: No obnoxious dialogue from Jar Jar Binks (Thank you George Lucas for finally shutting him the fuck up in this movie)
+: This movie actually feels like it has a place in the Star Wars mythology (it explains how the empire was formed, how Anakin became Darth Vader...albeit a bit half-assed, and what happened to the Jedi)
+: The opening space battle (now THIS is how a Star Wars movie should start, diving straight into the action...much like the original and in Empire Strikes Back, though a little more delayed in the latter of the two)
+: Samuel L. Jackson (again, because he's Samuel L. Jackson...when he tells you to do something, you better make damn sure that you do it...or else this may happen)
What pissed me off about this movie
-: Jar Jar Binks (Yeah, I know I said Lucas did us all a favor by shutting him up, but that doesn't make up for the fact that he's still in this movie. I might not hate him as much in this because he doesn't open that obnoxious mouth of his in this, but I still hate him overall for being an obnoxious and unnecessary character. Oh yeah, and did I mention...HE'S PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR GIVING PALPATINE HIS POWER!!!)
-: The "romance" between Anakin and Padme is still awkward at times (especially at the beginning and end of the movie...it still seems like he's too obsessive over her. Yeah, I know they're a married couple in this and it's only natural for a husband to care about his wife, but it still comes off at being a bit odd to me at times the way he acts to her)
-: Um, who's General Grievous (seriously...who the fuck is he, we're never given very good character development for him in this other than he's been trained by Count Dooku. They should've done a better job fleshing out his character in this movie)
-: Anakin's responsible for killing off Samuel L. Jackson (Thanks Anakin, thanks a lot, you just helped kill off the best actor in the entire series of prequels...jackass)
-: The way Padme dies (I call bullshit on this...if she's supposedly "completely healthy", then how come she dies after giving birth?!! I also call bullshit on this being the reason for Anakin turning towards the Dark Side. Now, the quest for power part I can believe, but the explanation of him wanting to become a Sith to save his wife is unacceptable.)
Things that made me go WTF about this movie
?: Why does Padme still have a preggy belly after she's given birth? (wouldn't have flattened out somewhat after Luke and Leia were born?)
?: Why is Anakin so slow to realize that Palpatine is a Sith lord? (As soon as he started talking about the Dark Side for the first time, Anakin should've known that something wasn't right)
?: Why is it that Jedi Knights/Masters/etc. can't marry/have kids? (Just curious...is it a religious thing or what?)
CONCLUSION: Of the three prequels, this is the best of the bunch and it truly feels like a Star Wars movie. Still, it does have some story issues in it that are either unexplained or explained poorly, but the entertainment value does make up for its shortcomings to some extent. In general, the movie isn't bad, but it's not terrific either.
OVERALL GRADE: B- (This movie would've been a much better start to the prequels than either of the first two. What Lucas should've done was make THIS Episode I and then went from there and totally given the first two prequels that were actually made the flaming "fuck you" middle finger. This is the only one of the prequel movies that I'll actually watch again, the other two aren't really of interest to me any longer.)
I've now watched through all three of the Star Wars prequels...including Episode I, which I had sworn that I would never watch prior to reviewing it. Overall, the prequel trilogy is mostly boring and half-assed as far as storytelling goes (except for Episode III), with Phantom Menace being the worst. Phantom Menace didn't feel much like a Star Wars movie at all, Attack of the Clones kinda felt like a Star Wars movie...but even that had me scratching my head a bit on how it fit in with the original trilogy. Revenge of the Sith does succeed where those two movies failed, truly feeling like a Star Wars movie and adding important elements to the mythology (even if some of those were a bit half-assed). However, now we get to the original trilogy...the one that most of us grew up upon and love.
Next Review: Star Wars (the original movie) NOTE: I'm going to be going on a mini-vacation this week from Thursday thru Saturday and will be away from home (though I should still have internet access). It's possible that the review for the original Star Wars movie may get pushed back to a later date, but I haven't decided yet
WTF Mother Nature?
General | Posted 14 years agoWasn't last winters fuckton of s*censored* punishment enough...did you really have to send a tornado through North Minneapolis and Fridley?
Anyway, some of you may have heard about the tornado that I'm talking about. Well, it didn't affect me directly...though it was a close call to say the least. After it occured, I was able to determine that the area of damage was as close to me as 1/2 to 1 mile away, and I live inside a trailer park, so when I hear of a tornado coming towards here I have no choice but to get the fuck out.
Also, while I'm on the subject, what the hell is up with all these tornadoes chewing through cities this year? First it was Raleigh, then Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, and yesterday it was our turn (along with La Crosse).
Anyway, some of you may have heard about the tornado that I'm talking about. Well, it didn't affect me directly...though it was a close call to say the least. After it occured, I was able to determine that the area of damage was as close to me as 1/2 to 1 mile away, and I live inside a trailer park, so when I hear of a tornado coming towards here I have no choice but to get the fuck out.
Also, while I'm on the subject, what the hell is up with all these tornadoes chewing through cities this year? First it was Raleigh, then Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, and yesterday it was our turn (along with La Crosse).
C-PRIME's Movie Reviews #11: Star Wars (Episode II)
General | Posted 14 years agoNOTE: I had originally planned on releasing this review last night, but severe weather prevented me from doing so.
Star Wars: Episode II (Attack of the Clones)
Released in: 2002
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 67%/B
The first time I watched this movie was in 2002, when the movie came out on DVD. I had originally planned on trying to see it in the movies, but it never happened. When I did watch the movie the first time, I felt that it was a major league disappointment and it was rather boring...although to be fair, part of that was likely because I was used to the action and excitement that the original trilogy brought to the table.
I re-watched this movie for the first time in about 9 years yesterday and my opinion about it now has changed a bit from when I watched it the first time. I will come out and say this right now, this movie is definitely an improvement from Phantom Menace.
What I liked about this movie
+: Bad Ass Yoda (this is one instance where replacing him with a CGI version actually made for good action...it's a pity that we only see a little bit of his bad ass-ness in the movie)
+: Some of the scenery in this film is definitely eye-catching
+: The death of Padme's decoy (Thank you movie...thank you for getting rid of that monotone sounding voice that makes Droopy look like Poochie)
+: Jango & Boba Fett (though you don't get much of Boba's bad ass-ness in this movie, there's plenty of it from his father until Mace Windu slices his head off.
+: Not quite as boring as Phantom Menace (though see below for more information)
+: The acting is considerably better in this than in Phantom Menace
What pissed me off about this movie
-: JAR JAR BINKS! (On the plus side, he's not nearly as obnoxious in this movie as he was in Phantom Menace, mainly because there's far less of him in this movie than in that. However, the reason why he tops the list is because HE'S the one responsible for giving Palpatine absolute power. Thanks Jar Jar, you just doomed millions of people on Alderan and the deaths of almost all of the Jedi, good job...asshole!)
-: The "romance" between Anakin and Padme (at times it seems touching and legitimate, but at others it seems beyond creepy. For example, when Anakin slaughters the sand people village, Padme seems to take his ranting and raging rather well. Also, there are times where I could swear that Anakin acts like Glen Quagmire towards Padme in this movie)
-: Teenage Anakin (at times he seems too whiny and at other times his acting could've been better...still, he is an improvement from pipsqueak Anakin)
-: This movie is still pretty boring (at least at times...it's more interesting than Phantom Menace, but it has a lot of drawn out scenes that are dull and not very interesting)
-: The music cues (yes movie, we know...Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader, anyone who's seen the original trilogy knows this already)
Things that made me go WTF about this movie
?: Why does Padme's hairstyle keep changing constantly from scene to scene? (though at least in this movie it looks more normal (mostly) than it did in Phantom Menace)
?: Um...Padme, if you were a queen, then how the hell could you be ELECTED to fill the role?!! (Monarchy =/= Democracy)
CONCLUSION: This movie is a definite improvement from Phantom Menace with a better and less boring story, better acting, and a few moments of genuine humor scattered throughout. Plus, it also feels more like a Star Wars movie than Phantom Menace ever did. Still, there were dull moments and some parts of this movie made me go WTF. Overall, I'd say this movie is "passable", but just barely.
OVERALL GRADE: C- (If a few things were improved, this could be a decent movie, but as of right now it's only average at best.)
Next Review: Star Wars (Episode III)
Star Wars: Episode II (Attack of the Clones)
Released in: 2002
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 67%/B
The first time I watched this movie was in 2002, when the movie came out on DVD. I had originally planned on trying to see it in the movies, but it never happened. When I did watch the movie the first time, I felt that it was a major league disappointment and it was rather boring...although to be fair, part of that was likely because I was used to the action and excitement that the original trilogy brought to the table.
I re-watched this movie for the first time in about 9 years yesterday and my opinion about it now has changed a bit from when I watched it the first time. I will come out and say this right now, this movie is definitely an improvement from Phantom Menace.
What I liked about this movie
+: Bad Ass Yoda (this is one instance where replacing him with a CGI version actually made for good action...it's a pity that we only see a little bit of his bad ass-ness in the movie)
+: Some of the scenery in this film is definitely eye-catching
+: The death of Padme's decoy (Thank you movie...thank you for getting rid of that monotone sounding voice that makes Droopy look like Poochie)
+: Jango & Boba Fett (though you don't get much of Boba's bad ass-ness in this movie, there's plenty of it from his father until Mace Windu slices his head off.
+: Not quite as boring as Phantom Menace (though see below for more information)
+: The acting is considerably better in this than in Phantom Menace
What pissed me off about this movie
-: JAR JAR BINKS! (On the plus side, he's not nearly as obnoxious in this movie as he was in Phantom Menace, mainly because there's far less of him in this movie than in that. However, the reason why he tops the list is because HE'S the one responsible for giving Palpatine absolute power. Thanks Jar Jar, you just doomed millions of people on Alderan and the deaths of almost all of the Jedi, good job...asshole!)
-: The "romance" between Anakin and Padme (at times it seems touching and legitimate, but at others it seems beyond creepy. For example, when Anakin slaughters the sand people village, Padme seems to take his ranting and raging rather well. Also, there are times where I could swear that Anakin acts like Glen Quagmire towards Padme in this movie)
-: Teenage Anakin (at times he seems too whiny and at other times his acting could've been better...still, he is an improvement from pipsqueak Anakin)
-: This movie is still pretty boring (at least at times...it's more interesting than Phantom Menace, but it has a lot of drawn out scenes that are dull and not very interesting)
-: The music cues (yes movie, we know...Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader, anyone who's seen the original trilogy knows this already)
Things that made me go WTF about this movie
?: Why does Padme's hairstyle keep changing constantly from scene to scene? (though at least in this movie it looks more normal (mostly) than it did in Phantom Menace)
?: Um...Padme, if you were a queen, then how the hell could you be ELECTED to fill the role?!! (Monarchy =/= Democracy)
CONCLUSION: This movie is a definite improvement from Phantom Menace with a better and less boring story, better acting, and a few moments of genuine humor scattered throughout. Plus, it also feels more like a Star Wars movie than Phantom Menace ever did. Still, there were dull moments and some parts of this movie made me go WTF. Overall, I'd say this movie is "passable", but just barely.
OVERALL GRADE: C- (If a few things were improved, this could be a decent movie, but as of right now it's only average at best.)
Next Review: Star Wars (Episode III)
"Summer Vacation" + Summer Movie Time
General | Posted 14 years agoI've decided that I'm going to take an extended break from my story production list and work on the stories that I feel like working on the most for the summer. Hopefully, this will increase the amount of new stories that will be added here over the next few months. To those of you who I still owe stories to, you don't need to panic...I'll still try to get to work on those since I want to make sure I get those done for you. It's been difficult at times thinking of how I've wanted to do certain stories, but I will still get to them.
Anyway, in addition to that, I've decided to take a look at some of the Summer Movies that are coming out this year and from what I've seen, it seems like it's going to be a rather ho-hum summer. U.U First of all, this list will not include all of the movies that are coming out, only focusing on the bigger ones and the ones that invoke a response from me. It also does not include Thor or Priest since they've already been released (I probably will see Thor, but I'm staying far away from Priest).
Pirates of the Caribbean 4
Personal Opinion based on what I know: This movie series doesn't interest me all that much, I'm not really into pirates unless you're talking about Peter Pan. Does this mean that I think the movie is bad, not necessarily, it just means I don't give a damn about it.
Chances that I'll go see it: Nope...not gonna happen
The Hangover II
Personal Opinion based on what I know: You all should know my opinions about comedy movies released after the mid-90's by now and that applies here. Granted, compared to other comedy movies this one doesn't look stupid, but I still would rather not go see it.
Chances that I'll go see it: Nope...not gonna happen
Kung Fu Panda 2
Personal Opinion based on what I know: I do not like Jack Black, although my opinion about him is at least better than my opinions about Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell. The movie itself looks like it's made well, but it also seems to have its fair share of stupidity in it. Although I'll give it this, at least it doesn't look as stupid as Hop.
Chances that I'll go see it: Nope...not gonna happen
X-Men: First Class
Personal Opinion based on what I know: I don't know much about the movie itself, but I have watched some of the other X-Men movies. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the X-Men and I never have been (with the possible exceptions of Wolverine, Storm, and Cyclops). I'd want to wait until I know more about this movie before I pass judgment on it and right now I'm leaning towards "no", but at least this movie has some chance of being watched by me.
Chances that I'll go see it: Outside chance (less than 10%)
Super 8
Personal Opinion based on what I know: Um...all I know about this is that J.J. Abrams is a part of the team who made it (and I did enjoy his Star Trek movie), still since I don't know shit about this film, I can't accurately say if I truly want to see it.
Chances that I'll go see it: Insufficient Data...need more information before I can decide
Green Lantern
Personal Opinion based on what I know: I don't know a whole lot about the Green Lantern outside of a few episodes of various cartoon series as well as what I've learned about him via Linkara. Although I do like the character and of the movies I've listed so far, this is probably the most interesting one I've seen. Still, I'm not totally convinced that this is a 'must-see' movie
Chances that I'll go see it: Will see it if the reviews for it are decent and it's not in 3D
Cars II
Personal Opinion based on what I know: Really?!! You had to bring espionage into this movie?!! WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THAT PIXAR?!! I actually LIKED the first Cars movie because NASCAR does interest me and I thought the idea of a movie with talking cars in it wasn't a bad idea as long as the story was appropriate for the characters, in which it was in that case. But this idea is just fucking stupid.
Chances that I'll go see it: HELL NO...FUCK YOU PIXAR, FUCK YOU DISNEY...FUCK YOU PIXAR AND DISNEY!!! >:(
Bad Teacher
Personal Opinion based on what I know: See my reasoning for the Hangover II, only unlike that movie (which may actually contain some halfway decent and halfway intelligent humor), this movie just looks really stupid with really tasteless humor.
Chances that I'll go see it: FUCK NO!
Transformers 3
Personal Opinion based on what I know: As much as I like the Transformers, after what I've heard about the last sequel to this movie, I don't have much hope for this one. I still have to re-watch the movie that came out in 2007 to get a more analytical view of it, though I did like it when I saw it in theaters...for the most part. Perhaps this, and the second movie will be a subject for future movie reviews, but until then I still prefer the 1986 Animated movie.
Chances that I'll go see it: Probably not (unless the reviews are really good)...though I may watch it on DVD when it comes out if someone I know has it
Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows (Part 2)
Personal Opinion based on what I know: First of all, I don't care for Harry Potter at all...never have, never will. Secondly, why in the hell would they break the final film into two separate parts separated by several months. Are they that fucking desperate to make money off of these films knowing that this is based on the last book?!!
Chances that I'll go see it: Nope...not gonna happen
Winnie the Pooh
Personal Opinion based on what I know: I liked Winnie the Pooh growing up and I still have a fondness for the character. Plus, it's nice to see a animated Disney film with TRADITIONAL animation for once. Until I know more about what it's about though, I'm not 100% sure if I'll see it, but it's a definite possibility if nothing else but for nostalgia.
Chances that I'll go see it: I might see this movie...but I need more info about it first.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Personal Opinion based on what I know: I do like Captain America and I do have hopes that this movie will be entertaining, but this is another movie that I'd like to wait on until the reviews start coming in. But as long as it's not like THIS Captain America movie, it'll be a step in the right direction.
Chances that I'll go see it: Will see it if the reviews for it are decent
Cowboys and Aliens
Personal Opinion based on what I know: This is probably one of the more original ideas coming out this summer, but that being said it still sounds more like the fantasy of a grade-schooler than a legitimate summertime blockbuster.
Chances that I'll go see it: Uh...no thanks, I'd rather stick my movies about bad ass Aliens (such as the first two Alien movies and the Predator movies...but not the AVP movies)
The Smurfs
Personal Opinion based on what I know: There are two words that should scare anyone away from this movie..."George Lopez", last time I learned of a movie that had him in it, I nearly lost my temper (yes...I'm talking about THAT movie again). If this isn't enough of a deterrent for you, it's a movie about the friggin' Smurfs...IN 3D. Unless this was a movie made for kids in traditional animation, I see no reason for this movie to exist other than for greedy ass movie makers to try and cash in on nostalgia.
Chances that I'll go see it: SMURF NO...SMURF THIS SMURFIN' MOVIE STRAIGHT TO SMURF WHERE IT CAN BURN IN ETERNAL SMURFNATION (I had to do it...I apologize for using "smurf", but at least my comment is more dignified to the Smurfs than this movie will be)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Personal Opinion based on what I know: To be honest, I don't really care about any of the Planet of the Apes movies...none of them really interested me, but if I did want to see any of them, I'd stick to the original with Charlton Hesston.
Chances that I'll go see it: Read what I just said above and you'll have your answer.
Conan the Barbarian (the reboot)
Personal Opinion based on what I know: No Arnold, No chance in hell that I give a damn about it...besides, I have the Nostalgia Critic to tell me all about the original Conan movies
Chances that I'll go see it: Again, all you need to know is what I listed above
Spy Kids 4
Personal Opinion based on what I know: Even though there is a better chance that I'll see the Smurfs than there is that I'll see this, I had to mention this. WHY IN THE LOVE OF GOD WOULD YOU MAKE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE...HELL, CARS II MAKES MORE SENSE THAN THIS FUCKING SEQUEL, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE LAST MOVIE WAS A STEAMING TURD. NO MORE OF THESE...IN FACT, NO MORE POINTLESS SEQUELS PERIOD!
Chances that I'll go see it: My comments for the makers of this movie would be the same as those made famous by Cee Lo Green...in other words "FUCK YOU!"
Anyway, these are my opinions about the movies coming out this summer...or at least some of the bigger ones that I see on the list. There are others also coming out, but I felt that I shouldn't mention them because none of those appealed to me in the slightest (granted there are some on this list that don't interest me either, but I had to mention them just for the sake of the movie being popular enough to warrant it).
By the way, be sure to be on the lookout for my review of Star Wars: Episode II next weekend.
Anyway, in addition to that, I've decided to take a look at some of the Summer Movies that are coming out this year and from what I've seen, it seems like it's going to be a rather ho-hum summer. U.U First of all, this list will not include all of the movies that are coming out, only focusing on the bigger ones and the ones that invoke a response from me. It also does not include Thor or Priest since they've already been released (I probably will see Thor, but I'm staying far away from Priest).
Pirates of the Caribbean 4
Personal Opinion based on what I know: This movie series doesn't interest me all that much, I'm not really into pirates unless you're talking about Peter Pan. Does this mean that I think the movie is bad, not necessarily, it just means I don't give a damn about it.
Chances that I'll go see it: Nope...not gonna happen
The Hangover II
Personal Opinion based on what I know: You all should know my opinions about comedy movies released after the mid-90's by now and that applies here. Granted, compared to other comedy movies this one doesn't look stupid, but I still would rather not go see it.
Chances that I'll go see it: Nope...not gonna happen
Kung Fu Panda 2
Personal Opinion based on what I know: I do not like Jack Black, although my opinion about him is at least better than my opinions about Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell. The movie itself looks like it's made well, but it also seems to have its fair share of stupidity in it. Although I'll give it this, at least it doesn't look as stupid as Hop.
Chances that I'll go see it: Nope...not gonna happen
X-Men: First Class
Personal Opinion based on what I know: I don't know much about the movie itself, but I have watched some of the other X-Men movies. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the X-Men and I never have been (with the possible exceptions of Wolverine, Storm, and Cyclops). I'd want to wait until I know more about this movie before I pass judgment on it and right now I'm leaning towards "no", but at least this movie has some chance of being watched by me.
Chances that I'll go see it: Outside chance (less than 10%)
Super 8
Personal Opinion based on what I know: Um...all I know about this is that J.J. Abrams is a part of the team who made it (and I did enjoy his Star Trek movie), still since I don't know shit about this film, I can't accurately say if I truly want to see it.
Chances that I'll go see it: Insufficient Data...need more information before I can decide
Green Lantern
Personal Opinion based on what I know: I don't know a whole lot about the Green Lantern outside of a few episodes of various cartoon series as well as what I've learned about him via Linkara. Although I do like the character and of the movies I've listed so far, this is probably the most interesting one I've seen. Still, I'm not totally convinced that this is a 'must-see' movie
Chances that I'll go see it: Will see it if the reviews for it are decent and it's not in 3D
Cars II
Personal Opinion based on what I know: Really?!! You had to bring espionage into this movie?!! WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THAT PIXAR?!! I actually LIKED the first Cars movie because NASCAR does interest me and I thought the idea of a movie with talking cars in it wasn't a bad idea as long as the story was appropriate for the characters, in which it was in that case. But this idea is just fucking stupid.
Chances that I'll go see it: HELL NO...FUCK YOU PIXAR, FUCK YOU DISNEY...FUCK YOU PIXAR AND DISNEY!!! >:(
Bad Teacher
Personal Opinion based on what I know: See my reasoning for the Hangover II, only unlike that movie (which may actually contain some halfway decent and halfway intelligent humor), this movie just looks really stupid with really tasteless humor.
Chances that I'll go see it: FUCK NO!
Transformers 3
Personal Opinion based on what I know: As much as I like the Transformers, after what I've heard about the last sequel to this movie, I don't have much hope for this one. I still have to re-watch the movie that came out in 2007 to get a more analytical view of it, though I did like it when I saw it in theaters...for the most part. Perhaps this, and the second movie will be a subject for future movie reviews, but until then I still prefer the 1986 Animated movie.
Chances that I'll go see it: Probably not (unless the reviews are really good)...though I may watch it on DVD when it comes out if someone I know has it
Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows (Part 2)
Personal Opinion based on what I know: First of all, I don't care for Harry Potter at all...never have, never will. Secondly, why in the hell would they break the final film into two separate parts separated by several months. Are they that fucking desperate to make money off of these films knowing that this is based on the last book?!!
Chances that I'll go see it: Nope...not gonna happen
Winnie the Pooh
Personal Opinion based on what I know: I liked Winnie the Pooh growing up and I still have a fondness for the character. Plus, it's nice to see a animated Disney film with TRADITIONAL animation for once. Until I know more about what it's about though, I'm not 100% sure if I'll see it, but it's a definite possibility if nothing else but for nostalgia.
Chances that I'll go see it: I might see this movie...but I need more info about it first.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Personal Opinion based on what I know: I do like Captain America and I do have hopes that this movie will be entertaining, but this is another movie that I'd like to wait on until the reviews start coming in. But as long as it's not like THIS Captain America movie, it'll be a step in the right direction.
Chances that I'll go see it: Will see it if the reviews for it are decent
Cowboys and Aliens
Personal Opinion based on what I know: This is probably one of the more original ideas coming out this summer, but that being said it still sounds more like the fantasy of a grade-schooler than a legitimate summertime blockbuster.
Chances that I'll go see it: Uh...no thanks, I'd rather stick my movies about bad ass Aliens (such as the first two Alien movies and the Predator movies...but not the AVP movies)
The Smurfs
Personal Opinion based on what I know: There are two words that should scare anyone away from this movie..."George Lopez", last time I learned of a movie that had him in it, I nearly lost my temper (yes...I'm talking about THAT movie again). If this isn't enough of a deterrent for you, it's a movie about the friggin' Smurfs...IN 3D. Unless this was a movie made for kids in traditional animation, I see no reason for this movie to exist other than for greedy ass movie makers to try and cash in on nostalgia.
Chances that I'll go see it: SMURF NO...SMURF THIS SMURFIN' MOVIE STRAIGHT TO SMURF WHERE IT CAN BURN IN ETERNAL SMURFNATION (I had to do it...I apologize for using "smurf", but at least my comment is more dignified to the Smurfs than this movie will be)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Personal Opinion based on what I know: To be honest, I don't really care about any of the Planet of the Apes movies...none of them really interested me, but if I did want to see any of them, I'd stick to the original with Charlton Hesston.
Chances that I'll go see it: Read what I just said above and you'll have your answer.
Conan the Barbarian (the reboot)
Personal Opinion based on what I know: No Arnold, No chance in hell that I give a damn about it...besides, I have the Nostalgia Critic to tell me all about the original Conan movies
Chances that I'll go see it: Again, all you need to know is what I listed above
Spy Kids 4
Personal Opinion based on what I know: Even though there is a better chance that I'll see the Smurfs than there is that I'll see this, I had to mention this. WHY IN THE LOVE OF GOD WOULD YOU MAKE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE...HELL, CARS II MAKES MORE SENSE THAN THIS FUCKING SEQUEL, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE LAST MOVIE WAS A STEAMING TURD. NO MORE OF THESE...IN FACT, NO MORE POINTLESS SEQUELS PERIOD!
Chances that I'll go see it: My comments for the makers of this movie would be the same as those made famous by Cee Lo Green...in other words "FUCK YOU!"
Anyway, these are my opinions about the movies coming out this summer...or at least some of the bigger ones that I see on the list. There are others also coming out, but I felt that I shouldn't mention them because none of those appealed to me in the slightest (granted there are some on this list that don't interest me either, but I had to mention them just for the sake of the movie being popular enough to warrant it).
By the way, be sure to be on the lookout for my review of Star Wars: Episode II next weekend.
C-PRIME's Movie Reviews #10: Star Wars (Episode I)
General | Posted 14 years agoStar Wars: Episode I (The Phantom Menace)
Released in: 1999
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 62%/B-
NOTE: The DVD version that I watched had some scratches on it and it skipped a couple of times as I was watching it, which caused me to have to skip a few scenes...though I doubt it would've had any effect on the review
First of all, let me make this perfectly clear. I am not an obsessed Star Wars fan (I'm an obsessed Drawn to Life fan) XD. Seriously though, I do enjoy the original trilogy and have been a fan of it since I first watched it. But that doesn't mean that I would go to a Star Wars convention or dress up like Chewbacca or something like that. Anyway, on with the review...
Prior to last night, this is the only one of the six Star Wars movies that I had never watched and prior to doing my own reviews I had never intended on watching this movie...ever. However, I wanted to review this along with all the other Star Wars movies and I tried to give it a fair chance. How does this movie stand up? Well...let's look at the pros and cons and find out.
What I liked about this movie
+: The Pod Race (even though I felt that it doesn't belong in a Star Wars movie, it was still one of the more entertaining parts of the movie)
+: The lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon+Obi-Wan v. Darth Maul (again, one of the more entertaining parts of the movie)
+: Samuel L. Jackson (because he's Samuel L. Jackson...and arguably the best actor in the entire movie)
+: The return of familiar voices (Frank Oz and Anthony Daniels in particular)
What pissed me off about this movie
-: JAR JAR BINKS! (Believe me, if I could make this text drip with blood or burst into flames I would...that's how much hatred I have for this character. First of all, I can definitely see how many people feel this character is a racist stereotype. Secondly, he isn't fucking funny (the Cinema Snob's theory about how the Tramps are the inspiration for Jar Jar Binks seems pretty accurate to me). However, Jar Jar's biggest sin is the fact that he's OBNOXIOUS AS HELL! I'm serious, if you were to be put in a house where you're next door neighbors are Steve Urkel, Spongebob Squarepants, and Screech from Saved by the Bell...these three combined would be LESS annoying than Jar Jar Binks is)
-: The acting...except for Samuel L. Jackson and the other people I named in the plus category (Queen Amidala is the worst of the bunch, when she's wearing that makeup she talks in a monotone voice. Even BEN STEIN shows more emotion than Queen Amidala. When she's not in that ridiculous get-up, her acting is better though. Aside from that though, there were several other actors that failed to keep my interest. Aside from Amidala, Qui-Gon Jinn was also terrible in this, and don't get me started on that obnoxious rugrat Jake Lloyd)
-: The story's pacing...particularly in the first 1/2 (The movie seemed like it either went too fast or too slow. It seemed as if it couldn't figure out what the correct pace should be)
-: The raping of the original Star Wars' story (one word...Metachlorians. If this were all true, then what was the point of Obi-Wan saying that the Force is derived from all living beings back in the original movie?)
-: Anakin's mother giving him up so easily (I call bullshit on this...NO MOTHER who truly loves and cares about their child would willingly give up her only child to a bunch of people who she hardly knows)
-: The fight scene with all the fighters in space attacking the Droid Command ship (not only was this a letdown, but I also call bullshit on how pipsqueak Anakin could blow it up all by himself. Yeah, I know that he's supposed to be an ace pilot, but I would like to believe that he would have to LEARN IT FROM YEARS OF EXPERIENCE before he could take out such an important target on his own.
-: There's a fart joke...in a "Star Wars" movie?!! (BOOOOOOO!!! NOT FUCKING FUNNY!!!)
Things that made me go WTF about this movie
?: What was the deal with Queen Amidala's hair...it seemed like every time the scene changed so did her hairstyle
?: WHAT THE FUCK DOES ANYTHING IN THIS MOVIE HAVE TO DO WITH STAR WARS?!!
CONCLUSION: This movie has about as much to do with Star Wars as the Star Wars Holiday Special did...sure it introduces some of the main characters, but it does a shitty job of it with it's poorly paced story and raping of the original trilogy...plus the addition of Jar Jar Binks doesn't help either. As a Star Wars movie...IT FAILS! However, it does have a few entertaining moments in it...even though the lion's share of the movie is as dull as dirt and as such, as much as I'd like to...I can't flunk it because at least it did give me some entertainment. Though I will say that it doesn't deserve nearly as high of a score as Rotten Tomatoes has given it
OVERALL GRADE: D- (If it wasn't for the lightsaber duel and the Pod race, this would be an "F" or perhaps even a "SUPER F", but because of these two parts, I can't flunk this. Still, STAY AWAY FROM THIS FUCKING MOVIE!)
Released in: 1999
Produced by: 20th Century Fox
Type of Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes score/my equivalent: 62%/B-
NOTE: The DVD version that I watched had some scratches on it and it skipped a couple of times as I was watching it, which caused me to have to skip a few scenes...though I doubt it would've had any effect on the review
First of all, let me make this perfectly clear. I am not an obsessed Star Wars fan (I'm an obsessed Drawn to Life fan) XD. Seriously though, I do enjoy the original trilogy and have been a fan of it since I first watched it. But that doesn't mean that I would go to a Star Wars convention or dress up like Chewbacca or something like that. Anyway, on with the review...
Prior to last night, this is the only one of the six Star Wars movies that I had never watched and prior to doing my own reviews I had never intended on watching this movie...ever. However, I wanted to review this along with all the other Star Wars movies and I tried to give it a fair chance. How does this movie stand up? Well...let's look at the pros and cons and find out.
What I liked about this movie
+: The Pod Race (even though I felt that it doesn't belong in a Star Wars movie, it was still one of the more entertaining parts of the movie)
+: The lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon+Obi-Wan v. Darth Maul (again, one of the more entertaining parts of the movie)
+: Samuel L. Jackson (because he's Samuel L. Jackson...and arguably the best actor in the entire movie)
+: The return of familiar voices (Frank Oz and Anthony Daniels in particular)
What pissed me off about this movie
-: JAR JAR BINKS! (Believe me, if I could make this text drip with blood or burst into flames I would...that's how much hatred I have for this character. First of all, I can definitely see how many people feel this character is a racist stereotype. Secondly, he isn't fucking funny (the Cinema Snob's theory about how the Tramps are the inspiration for Jar Jar Binks seems pretty accurate to me). However, Jar Jar's biggest sin is the fact that he's OBNOXIOUS AS HELL! I'm serious, if you were to be put in a house where you're next door neighbors are Steve Urkel, Spongebob Squarepants, and Screech from Saved by the Bell...these three combined would be LESS annoying than Jar Jar Binks is)
-: The acting...except for Samuel L. Jackson and the other people I named in the plus category (Queen Amidala is the worst of the bunch, when she's wearing that makeup she talks in a monotone voice. Even BEN STEIN shows more emotion than Queen Amidala. When she's not in that ridiculous get-up, her acting is better though. Aside from that though, there were several other actors that failed to keep my interest. Aside from Amidala, Qui-Gon Jinn was also terrible in this, and don't get me started on that obnoxious rugrat Jake Lloyd)
-: The story's pacing...particularly in the first 1/2 (The movie seemed like it either went too fast or too slow. It seemed as if it couldn't figure out what the correct pace should be)
-: The raping of the original Star Wars' story (one word...Metachlorians. If this were all true, then what was the point of Obi-Wan saying that the Force is derived from all living beings back in the original movie?)
-: Anakin's mother giving him up so easily (I call bullshit on this...NO MOTHER who truly loves and cares about their child would willingly give up her only child to a bunch of people who she hardly knows)
-: The fight scene with all the fighters in space attacking the Droid Command ship (not only was this a letdown, but I also call bullshit on how pipsqueak Anakin could blow it up all by himself. Yeah, I know that he's supposed to be an ace pilot, but I would like to believe that he would have to LEARN IT FROM YEARS OF EXPERIENCE before he could take out such an important target on his own.
-: There's a fart joke...in a "Star Wars" movie?!! (BOOOOOOO!!! NOT FUCKING FUNNY!!!)
Things that made me go WTF about this movie
?: What was the deal with Queen Amidala's hair...it seemed like every time the scene changed so did her hairstyle
?: WHAT THE FUCK DOES ANYTHING IN THIS MOVIE HAVE TO DO WITH STAR WARS?!!
CONCLUSION: This movie has about as much to do with Star Wars as the Star Wars Holiday Special did...sure it introduces some of the main characters, but it does a shitty job of it with it's poorly paced story and raping of the original trilogy...plus the addition of Jar Jar Binks doesn't help either. As a Star Wars movie...IT FAILS! However, it does have a few entertaining moments in it...even though the lion's share of the movie is as dull as dirt and as such, as much as I'd like to...I can't flunk it because at least it did give me some entertainment. Though I will say that it doesn't deserve nearly as high of a score as Rotten Tomatoes has given it
OVERALL GRADE: D- (If it wasn't for the lightsaber duel and the Pod race, this would be an "F" or perhaps even a "SUPER F", but because of these two parts, I can't flunk this. Still, STAY AWAY FROM THIS FUCKING MOVIE!)
Attention all females + Top 10 list #26
General | Posted 14 years agoRemember a few weeks ago when I held the first one of these and I mentioned that the ladies would get their chance at their own contest eventually...well, now it's your turn. The same rules from the male contest will apply here with one exception. Since I do write stories about yuri, I will allow F/F pairings for this or M/F/F pairings. Also, most of the stops on this tour will be different from the ones on the Male winner's tour, though some of them will be the same.
Here's what I would need to know
> A description of your character (including age and species). Please include as much detail as possible but also try not to write me an essay either.
> Is your character straight, bi, or lesbian (very important as it'll help me determine if I need to change pairings from what is already listed here)
> What species do you prefer
> The type of sexual positions you most prefer
> Whether or not your character would like to have offspring during this trip (and with what species if you do)
> Where your character's hometown is (this is important since it'll serve as a starting and ending point for the series)
> What places your character would like to visit (please note the list of pre-determined places below and try not to select any from the list. Please give me at least 3 suggestions, but no more than 6)
Current list of pre-determined places (List is subject to change if I think of more ideas)
NOTE: All pairings listed are negotiable if you'd prefer a female over a male)
North America
> Los Angeles (TBD based on the winner's preferences)
> Denver (Stallion)
> Minneapolis, MN (Me, Charlene, or both...winner's choice)
> Dallas (Longhorn Bull)
> Fort Lauderdale, FL (M Dolphin)
> New York City (TBD by me)
South America/Carribean
> Virgin Islands (TBD based on the winner's preferences)
> Amazon Rainforest (M Jaguar)
> Rio De Janiero (TBD by me)
Europe
> London (M Rabbit)
> Paris (M Skunk* or M Domestic Dog...winner's choice)
> Venice (TBD based on the winner's preference)
> Madrid (M Fox)
Africa
> Zimbabwe (M Lion)
> Tanzania (Zebra Stallion)
> Madagascar (TBD based on the winner's preferences)
Asia
> India (M Bengal Tiger)
> Interior China (M Dragon)
> Western Japan (It's a surprise that will only be told to the winner) ;3
> Tokyo (M three-tailed fox or M Mouse...winner's choice)
Australia
> Outback (M Kangaroo)
> Sydney (TBD by me)
> Brisbane (TBD based on the winner's preference)
Antarctica
> South Pole (M Arctic Fox, M Polar Bear, or both...winner's choice)
*: Don't bother asking for Pepe Le Pew or some other famous male skunk, because I'll say "no" to it
The deadline to submit entries for this will be 6/25/2011, so if you'd like to enter, please submit your entry here.
Top 10 List #26: Personal Favorite Soft Drinks
NOTE: Includes those that are no longer available in stores
10: Sierra Mist (old formula): Whenever I needed something that would effectively crush my thirst, Sierra Mist did the job nicely...plus it had a sweeter flavor to it than 7up or Sprite. However, when they changed the formula to all natural ingredients, I did not like the change at all. It tasted like Mendota Springs water...only with a bit more flavor to it. Although I will say this about the natural Sierra Mist...at least that is "drinkable".
9: Wild Cherry Pepsi: While I think regular Pepsi is "OK", Pepsi + Cherry is pretty good. As you'll find out in this list, I happen to like a lot of drinks with cherry flavors to them.
8: Orange Crush: Of all of the orange flavored drinks, this is probably the best one I've had so far...although I haven't done as much "exploring" as Brad Jones has done.
7: Pepsi Throwback: It's like Pepsi, but sweeter and more mellow than the original Pepsi.
6: A&W Cream Soda: I love the mellow vanilla taste to it and how it quenches my thirst almost as effectively as Sierra Mist did.
5: Surge: Back when I was in college, this was my drink of choice...I couldn't get enough of the citrusy taste, plus the contest where 1 out of 4 caps won a free surge...naturally, I got a lot of those.
4: Coca-Cola Classic: What more can be said other than I love the sweet and mellow taste of Coca-Cola...though I wish Coke would do what Pepsi has done and produce Coca-Cola throwback.
3: Black Cherry Vanilla Coke: Back before I started drinking Dr. Pepper again, this was what I couldn't get enough of. The taste reminded me a lot of Dr. Pepper in several ways and I always looked for it whenever I went to the store. Of course, I was upset when they discontinued it. >:(
2: Dr. Pepper (Original): Ever since I was about 5 or 6, I've LOVED the taste of Dr. Pepper...it almost has a bit of a "chocolatey" flavor to me at times. This would be #1 on the list, if it wasn't for a certain variation of the drink that's even better.
1: Dr. Pepper Cherry: This is a flavor that I only got into a few months ago, but I absolutely love the taste. It is exactly as they advertise...Dr. Pepper with a kiss of cherry flavor. I knew Gene Simmons wouldn't lead me wrong =3
Also, stay tuned for my review of Star Wars: Episode I, which will be coming later tonight or tomorrow...as soon as I have the chance to watch the movie.
Here's what I would need to know
> A description of your character (including age and species). Please include as much detail as possible but also try not to write me an essay either.
> Is your character straight, bi, or lesbian (very important as it'll help me determine if I need to change pairings from what is already listed here)
> What species do you prefer
> The type of sexual positions you most prefer
> Whether or not your character would like to have offspring during this trip (and with what species if you do)
> Where your character's hometown is (this is important since it'll serve as a starting and ending point for the series)
> What places your character would like to visit (please note the list of pre-determined places below and try not to select any from the list. Please give me at least 3 suggestions, but no more than 6)
Current list of pre-determined places (List is subject to change if I think of more ideas)
NOTE: All pairings listed are negotiable if you'd prefer a female over a male)
North America
> Los Angeles (TBD based on the winner's preferences)
> Denver (Stallion)
> Minneapolis, MN (Me, Charlene, or both...winner's choice)
> Dallas (Longhorn Bull)
> Fort Lauderdale, FL (M Dolphin)
> New York City (TBD by me)
South America/Carribean
> Virgin Islands (TBD based on the winner's preferences)
> Amazon Rainforest (M Jaguar)
> Rio De Janiero (TBD by me)
Europe
> London (M Rabbit)
> Paris (M Skunk* or M Domestic Dog...winner's choice)
> Venice (TBD based on the winner's preference)
> Madrid (M Fox)
Africa
> Zimbabwe (M Lion)
> Tanzania (Zebra Stallion)
> Madagascar (TBD based on the winner's preferences)
Asia
> India (M Bengal Tiger)
> Interior China (M Dragon)
> Western Japan (It's a surprise that will only be told to the winner) ;3
> Tokyo (M three-tailed fox or M Mouse...winner's choice)
Australia
> Outback (M Kangaroo)
> Sydney (TBD by me)
> Brisbane (TBD based on the winner's preference)
Antarctica
> South Pole (M Arctic Fox, M Polar Bear, or both...winner's choice)
*: Don't bother asking for Pepe Le Pew or some other famous male skunk, because I'll say "no" to it
The deadline to submit entries for this will be 6/25/2011, so if you'd like to enter, please submit your entry here.
Top 10 List #26: Personal Favorite Soft Drinks
NOTE: Includes those that are no longer available in stores
10: Sierra Mist (old formula): Whenever I needed something that would effectively crush my thirst, Sierra Mist did the job nicely...plus it had a sweeter flavor to it than 7up or Sprite. However, when they changed the formula to all natural ingredients, I did not like the change at all. It tasted like Mendota Springs water...only with a bit more flavor to it. Although I will say this about the natural Sierra Mist...at least that is "drinkable".
9: Wild Cherry Pepsi: While I think regular Pepsi is "OK", Pepsi + Cherry is pretty good. As you'll find out in this list, I happen to like a lot of drinks with cherry flavors to them.
8: Orange Crush: Of all of the orange flavored drinks, this is probably the best one I've had so far...although I haven't done as much "exploring" as Brad Jones has done.
7: Pepsi Throwback: It's like Pepsi, but sweeter and more mellow than the original Pepsi.
6: A&W Cream Soda: I love the mellow vanilla taste to it and how it quenches my thirst almost as effectively as Sierra Mist did.
5: Surge: Back when I was in college, this was my drink of choice...I couldn't get enough of the citrusy taste, plus the contest where 1 out of 4 caps won a free surge...naturally, I got a lot of those.
4: Coca-Cola Classic: What more can be said other than I love the sweet and mellow taste of Coca-Cola...though I wish Coke would do what Pepsi has done and produce Coca-Cola throwback.
3: Black Cherry Vanilla Coke: Back before I started drinking Dr. Pepper again, this was what I couldn't get enough of. The taste reminded me a lot of Dr. Pepper in several ways and I always looked for it whenever I went to the store. Of course, I was upset when they discontinued it. >:(
2: Dr. Pepper (Original): Ever since I was about 5 or 6, I've LOVED the taste of Dr. Pepper...it almost has a bit of a "chocolatey" flavor to me at times. This would be #1 on the list, if it wasn't for a certain variation of the drink that's even better.
1: Dr. Pepper Cherry: This is a flavor that I only got into a few months ago, but I absolutely love the taste. It is exactly as they advertise...Dr. Pepper with a kiss of cherry flavor. I knew Gene Simmons wouldn't lead me wrong =3
Also, stay tuned for my review of Star Wars: Episode I, which will be coming later tonight or tomorrow...as soon as I have the chance to watch the movie.
World Travel Contest Winner + Movie Review Schedule
General | Posted 14 years agoAlright, I know I'm a day late...but I've been busy over the last day or so doin' some shoppin' and practicing with my movie-making skills (yes, I'm getting into the habit of trying to make my own movies). Plus, I finally found the music from the Transformers (1986) movie and I'm happy to now have it on my MP3 player =D
Anyway...onto the results of the contest. The winner was determined based on a dice roll with 3 separate 6-sided dice. Since there were a total of 5 entrants, six wasn't used...and the first one to match at least 2 out of 3 dice would be the winner. In all, I probably ended up rolling the dice about 25-30 times before I finally got a match.
The winner is:
makojin
To all the others who entered, I appreciate the effort you put in and while you may not have been selected this time, there's no need to worry...you might have another chance at getting in on a series of your own in the future.
For the winner...this is the current list of places I have your character going and the pairings at each stop. This list may be adjusted as I see fit or if you have suggestions of your own for certain spots. Please note that the stops on this list are in no particular order and it will be determined based on your character's hometown as I try to figure out the best path to take.
North America
> New York City (Mousette)
> Las Vegas (F Squirrel)
> Winnipeg, MB (F Mink)*
> Minneapolis, MN (Melissa or Charlene...winner's choice)**
> Alaska (Arctic Vixen or F Polar Bear...winner's choice)**
> Mexico City (F Chihuahua...full fur coat)
South America (includes Caribbean islands)
> Bahamas (F Dolphin)
> Jamaica (F Domestic Cat)
> Amazon Rainforest (F Jaguar)
> Rio De Janiero (pink vixen)
Europe
> London (Red Vixen)
> Paris (F Poodle or Skunkette...winner's choice)**
> Rome (White-tailed Doe)
Africa
> Kenya (Lioness)
> Tanzania (Zebra Mare or F Meerkat...winner's choice)**
> Johannesburg (Mousette)
Asia
> Beijing (F Panda)
> Osaka (3-tailed vixen)*
> Tokyo (F Red Squirrel)
> Moscow (F Brown Bear)
Australia
> Outback (F Kangaroo or F Dingo...winner's choice)**
> Sydney (F Rabbit)
> Melbourne (F Koala)
Antarctica
> South Pole (F Penguin)
*: Chosen from the list of places you gave me...subject to change if you'd like
**: Please choose one of the two from each of these
Now...for the movie review schedule. Please note that all of the dates are TENTATIVE due to the baseball season and are subject to change if necessary
EDIT: Schedule has been updated (as of 4/22/2011)...please see the changes below
4/30: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (oh god...I'm gonna have to put up with Jar Jar Binks!) >:(
5/7: NO REVIEW...I might be going out of town this weekend) UPDATED
5/21: Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
5/30 (Memorial Day): Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith TENTATIVE...subject to change
6/4: Star Wars (The original movie)
6/25: Empire Strikes Back TENTATIVE...subject to change
7/9: Return of the Jedi
7/30: NO REVIEW...I may possibly go somewhere for the whole day and not come back until the next day. However, even if I don't there will still be no review here so I can take a break, since I'll definitely need it by this point.)
8/13: Batman Begins
Anyway...onto the results of the contest. The winner was determined based on a dice roll with 3 separate 6-sided dice. Since there were a total of 5 entrants, six wasn't used...and the first one to match at least 2 out of 3 dice would be the winner. In all, I probably ended up rolling the dice about 25-30 times before I finally got a match.
The winner is:
makojinTo all the others who entered, I appreciate the effort you put in and while you may not have been selected this time, there's no need to worry...you might have another chance at getting in on a series of your own in the future.
For the winner...this is the current list of places I have your character going and the pairings at each stop. This list may be adjusted as I see fit or if you have suggestions of your own for certain spots. Please note that the stops on this list are in no particular order and it will be determined based on your character's hometown as I try to figure out the best path to take.
North America
> New York City (Mousette)
> Las Vegas (F Squirrel)
> Winnipeg, MB (F Mink)*
> Minneapolis, MN (Melissa or Charlene...winner's choice)**
> Alaska (Arctic Vixen or F Polar Bear...winner's choice)**
> Mexico City (F Chihuahua...full fur coat)
South America (includes Caribbean islands)
> Bahamas (F Dolphin)
> Jamaica (F Domestic Cat)
> Amazon Rainforest (F Jaguar)
> Rio De Janiero (pink vixen)
Europe
> London (Red Vixen)
> Paris (F Poodle or Skunkette...winner's choice)**
> Rome (White-tailed Doe)
Africa
> Kenya (Lioness)
> Tanzania (Zebra Mare or F Meerkat...winner's choice)**
> Johannesburg (Mousette)
Asia
> Beijing (F Panda)
> Osaka (3-tailed vixen)*
> Tokyo (F Red Squirrel)
> Moscow (F Brown Bear)
Australia
> Outback (F Kangaroo or F Dingo...winner's choice)**
> Sydney (F Rabbit)
> Melbourne (F Koala)
Antarctica
> South Pole (F Penguin)
*: Chosen from the list of places you gave me...subject to change if you'd like
**: Please choose one of the two from each of these
Now...for the movie review schedule. Please note that all of the dates are TENTATIVE due to the baseball season and are subject to change if necessary
EDIT: Schedule has been updated (as of 4/22/2011)...please see the changes below
4/30: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (oh god...I'm gonna have to put up with Jar Jar Binks!) >:(
5/7: NO REVIEW...I might be going out of town this weekend) UPDATED
5/21: Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
5/30 (Memorial Day): Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith TENTATIVE...subject to change
6/4: Star Wars (The original movie)
6/25: Empire Strikes Back TENTATIVE...subject to change
7/9: Return of the Jedi
7/30: NO REVIEW...I may possibly go somewhere for the whole day and not come back until the next day. However, even if I don't there will still be no review here so I can take a break, since I'll definitely need it by this point.)
8/13: Batman Begins
20,000 views + Reminders
General | Posted 14 years agoWell, 20,000 views has come and gone and a winner has been selected. It was much easier than the last two times, where I've gotten several people claiming that they hit a milestone and had to figure out who got it first. This time only one claimed it with a screenshot and that person will win the prize.
WINNER:
kodandude
To claim your prize, send me a note as well as whether you want 3 sex fantasy stories or 1 mini-series. (You have until October 14 to do so)
Also, there's only about 48 hours left to get involved in the movie review suggestion drive or the World Travel series contest. If you still have interest and haven't done so already, please see the links below and get them in ASAP.
To submit movie suggestions: see this journal here and place a comment there
To enter the contest: see this journal for the rules and other information and either post your entry in this journal or in that one.
WINNER:
kodandudeTo claim your prize, send me a note as well as whether you want 3 sex fantasy stories or 1 mini-series. (You have until October 14 to do so)
Also, there's only about 48 hours left to get involved in the movie review suggestion drive or the World Travel series contest. If you still have interest and haven't done so already, please see the links below and get them in ASAP.
To submit movie suggestions: see this journal here and place a comment there
To enter the contest: see this journal for the rules and other information and either post your entry in this journal or in that one.
Approaching 20,000 views (contest)
General | Posted 14 years agoSince I'm getting close to 20,000 views, I figured it's time to do this before it's too late. Anyway, once again...at least for one more time, I'm holding a contest to see which one of you is viewer #20,000. If you are #20,000...take a screenshot of it and send it to me at primefactor01@gmail.com. (BE SURE TO INCLUDE SOMETHING IN THE SUBJECT LINE RELATED TO THIS CONTEST OTHERWISE I MAY MISTAKE IT FOR SPAM!).
Anyway, because I have such a backlog of other things I need to do and since no-one has actually claimed the last two major prizes, I'm only going to award a prize to the first to send me a screenshot of view #20,000, and that prize is this.
> 1 fully developed character backstory
> 3 Sex Fantasy stories containing the character from above plus three characters of the winner's choice...one for each story (as long as they are not on my "Top 10 list of things I'll never do")...OR
> 1 three-part mini-series featuring the character from above along with up to two characters of the winner's choice (again, subject to the "Top 10 that I won't do" list)
The winner of the contest will have 6 months from the day I receive the winning e-mail to claim their prize...otherwise it will go unclaimed. In addition, if this prize goes unclaimed, I will no longer do these milestone contests...if it is, then I will keep going for a little longer
Anyway, because I have such a backlog of other things I need to do and since no-one has actually claimed the last two major prizes, I'm only going to award a prize to the first to send me a screenshot of view #20,000, and that prize is this.
> 1 fully developed character backstory
> 3 Sex Fantasy stories containing the character from above plus three characters of the winner's choice...one for each story (as long as they are not on my "Top 10 list of things I'll never do")...OR
> 1 three-part mini-series featuring the character from above along with up to two characters of the winner's choice (again, subject to the "Top 10 that I won't do" list)
The winner of the contest will have 6 months from the day I receive the winning e-mail to claim their prize...otherwise it will go unclaimed. In addition, if this prize goes unclaimed, I will no longer do these milestone contests...if it is, then I will keep going for a little longer
Reminders + Approaching 20,000 views
General | Posted 14 years agoThis is a reminder that the Movie review suggestion drive and the World Travel series contests will end next Saturday. If you'd like to get involved in either of these, you have one week left to do so if you haven't already...just follow the links I've provided below.
To submit movie suggestions: see this journal here and place a comment there
To enter the contest: see this journal for the rules and other information and either post your entry in this journal or in that one.
Also, I'm less than 200 views away from 20,000 and once I get closer to the mark, I'll be posting more information about it. The 10,000 view prize went unclaimed, so I'll try once more when I get to 20,000...if that goes unclaimed then I probably won't do this after 20,000.
To submit movie suggestions: see this journal here and place a comment there
To enter the contest: see this journal for the rules and other information and either post your entry in this journal or in that one.
Also, I'm less than 200 views away from 20,000 and once I get closer to the mark, I'll be posting more information about it. The 10,000 view prize went unclaimed, so I'll try once more when I get to 20,000...if that goes unclaimed then I probably won't do this after 20,000.
Movie Suggestion Drive + World Travel Contest (2 weeks left)
General | Posted 14 years agoThere are now 2 weeks remaining for you to submit any movie review ideas for the next cycle or for you to get in on the contest to see which character will be put in a story series where they get to have sex with females from around the world.
To submit movie suggestions: see this journal here and place a comment there
To enter the contest: see this journal for the rules and other information and either post your entry in this journal or in that one.
Also, baseball season mode will begin after this weekend, so my schedule will be changing to fit the Twins schedule. Fortunately, April and May do not appear to be too bad schedule-wise, but the easy start is made up for after the All-Star break where I'll have to work a stretch of five out of seven weekends before the schedule eases up again in September.
To submit movie suggestions: see this journal here and place a comment there
To enter the contest: see this journal for the rules and other information and either post your entry in this journal or in that one.
Also, baseball season mode will begin after this weekend, so my schedule will be changing to fit the Twins schedule. Fortunately, April and May do not appear to be too bad schedule-wise, but the easy start is made up for after the All-Star break where I'll have to work a stretch of five out of seven weekends before the schedule eases up again in September.
Attention all males (PLEASE READ)
General | Posted 14 years agoI just thought of a new idea for a major story series and I would like to give one lucky male a chance to be a part of it (please note: all stories within the series will be M/F with possibly an isolated M/F/F story in there, just in case you're thinking otherwise). Anyway, the story will be about a male who goes around the world to various countries and continents throughout the world, having sex with various females in each place he visits. Some of these places will be pre-determined by me and will be listed below. However, I will include at least 2 places suggested by the winner at some point in the series.
Anyway, here's how to enter if you're interested. Please fill out the following information in a comment and I will review it. The only requirements is that your character MUST be a male and your character MUST be willing to have sex with females. Mammalian species are most preferred for consideration although other species will also be considered if I feel confident enough I can write about them (dragons have the best chance of the non-mammalian species).
Here's what I would need to know
> A description of your character (including age and species). Please include as much detail as possible but also try not to write me an essay either.
> What kind of females your character most prefers (as in species)
> The type of sexual positions you most prefer
> Where your character's hometown is (this is important since it'll serve as a starting and ending point for the series)
> What places your character would like to visit (please note the list of pre-determined places below and try not to select any from the list. Please give me at least 3 suggestions, but no more than 6)
List of pre-determined stops and the females you'll meet there (if determined)...NOTE: Order of stops will be determined by me once a winner is chosen, so these are in no particular order other than being arranged by continent.
North America
> New York City (Female TBD based on the results of the winner's entry)
> Las Vegas (F Squirrel)
> Minneapolis, MN (Melissa or Charlene...winner's choice)
> Alaska (Arctic Vixen* or F Polar Bear...winner's choice)
> Mexico City (F Chihuahua...full fur coat) New addition
South America (includes Caribbean islands)
> Bahamas (F Dolphin)
> Jamaica (F Domestic Cat)
> Amazon Rainforest (F Jaguar) New addition
> Rio De Janiero (Female TBD based on the results of the winner's entry)
Europe
> London (Red Vixen)
> Paris (F Poodle or Skunkette*...winner's choice)
> Rome (Female TBD by me)
Africa
> Kenya (Lioness*)
> Tanzania (Zebra Mare or F Meerkat...winner's choice)
> Johannesburg (Mousette)
Asia
> Beijing (F Panda)
> Tokyo (Female TBD based on the results of the winner's entry)
> Moscow (F Brown Bear)
Australia
> Outback (F Kangaroo* or F Dingo...winner's choice)
> Sydney (Female TBD by me)
> Melbourne (F Koala)
Antarctica
> South Pole (F Penguin)
*: In case you get any ideas, famous characters will not be done as a part of this series.
The deadline to submit your entries will be 4/16/2011, which is the same as the movie suggestion drive deadline.
# For the ladies, in case they are reading this...don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you. I'll more than likely do one of these for you as well at some point.
Anyway, here's how to enter if you're interested. Please fill out the following information in a comment and I will review it. The only requirements is that your character MUST be a male and your character MUST be willing to have sex with females. Mammalian species are most preferred for consideration although other species will also be considered if I feel confident enough I can write about them (dragons have the best chance of the non-mammalian species).
Here's what I would need to know
> A description of your character (including age and species). Please include as much detail as possible but also try not to write me an essay either.
> What kind of females your character most prefers (as in species)
> The type of sexual positions you most prefer
> Where your character's hometown is (this is important since it'll serve as a starting and ending point for the series)
> What places your character would like to visit (please note the list of pre-determined places below and try not to select any from the list. Please give me at least 3 suggestions, but no more than 6)
List of pre-determined stops and the females you'll meet there (if determined)...NOTE: Order of stops will be determined by me once a winner is chosen, so these are in no particular order other than being arranged by continent.
North America
> New York City (Female TBD based on the results of the winner's entry)
> Las Vegas (F Squirrel)
> Minneapolis, MN (Melissa or Charlene...winner's choice)
> Alaska (Arctic Vixen* or F Polar Bear...winner's choice)
> Mexico City (F Chihuahua...full fur coat) New addition
South America (includes Caribbean islands)
> Bahamas (F Dolphin)
> Jamaica (F Domestic Cat)
> Amazon Rainforest (F Jaguar) New addition
> Rio De Janiero (Female TBD based on the results of the winner's entry)
Europe
> London (Red Vixen)
> Paris (F Poodle or Skunkette*...winner's choice)
> Rome (Female TBD by me)
Africa
> Kenya (Lioness*)
> Tanzania (Zebra Mare or F Meerkat...winner's choice)
> Johannesburg (Mousette)
Asia
> Beijing (F Panda)
> Tokyo (Female TBD based on the results of the winner's entry)
> Moscow (F Brown Bear)
Australia
> Outback (F Kangaroo* or F Dingo...winner's choice)
> Sydney (Female TBD by me)
> Melbourne (F Koala)
Antarctica
> South Pole (F Penguin)
*: In case you get any ideas, famous characters will not be done as a part of this series.
The deadline to submit your entries will be 4/16/2011, which is the same as the movie suggestion drive deadline.
# For the ladies, in case they are reading this...don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you. I'll more than likely do one of these for you as well at some point.
Movie Suggestion Drive #3 + TMNT II Review Update
General | Posted 14 years agoIt's time once again for another Movie review suggestion drive, where I ask everyone which movies they would like me to review in the coming weeks. Please note that when the movie reviews do resume, they will resume in Baseball Season mode. This means reviews will be done on weekends where I don't have to work (or roughly 2 weeks between reviews...with some exceptions). Also, because I only have a limited amount of free time to spend during baseball season it also means that I will be suspending regular video game reviews during the summer, though a few special reviews may appear from time-to-time. Regular video game reviews will return either in September (I think) or whenever the next movie review cycle is over, depending on which is later. Anyway, in case you forgot them, here are the rules for suggesting movies
> You may suggest as many movies as you wish until I approve one of your suggestions...but there is a limit of five suggestions per comment and you must wait until I respond before you can suggest any more.
> There is a limit of one APPROVED suggestion per drive per person (I do not have as much time to watch movies as I do to play video games...plus, I don't want to get swamped with requests)
> Movie suggestions can be either on current movies or about movies that are already released on DVD.
> Made for TV movies are allowed, but I will only seriously consider them # I have an interest in seeing the movie and B: I've already seen the movie.
> All movies must be easily accessible to me (in case I haven't already seen it). I do not have the same resources as someone like the Cinema Snob or the Nostalgia Critic does, so I can't do really obscure movies all that much
> There are restrictions to what can and cannot be suggested (there are some movies that I don't want to even touch for one reason or another...see below for more information).
BLACK LIST...Yeah, I know it's red (Don't bother asking me for any of the following)
> Anything with Will Ferrell (I do not like him)
> Anything that has already been reviewed by the Cinema Snob (A: I do not have the same access to the kinds of movies he does and B: I'd much rather watch his reviews than review said movies if I did)
> Anything by Uwe Boll (Damn you Uwe Boll!)
> Any Jackass Movie
> Any of the Twilight Movies (No...just no...DO NOT WANT!)
> Any romantic comedy (I'm a dude...these types of movies do not interest me in the slightest)
> Anything Foreign (exceptions: If it's dubbed in English or has English sub-titles AND I can easily find it, I may consider it)
> The Room (for a reason why this is on the black list...Watch this and you'll know why)
> Anything in 3D (FUCK 3D!*...Exception: if there is a 2D version of it, I may review it) NEW!
GRAY LIST...er, Yellow (You CAN ask for movies in these categories, but don't be surprised if I say no to most of these).
> Anything with Adam Sandler (I'm not exactly fond of him...but my opinion of him is slightly better than that of Will Ferrell).
> Anything that has (or will be) reviewed by the Nostalgia Critic (A: I want to try and avoid movies that he's already done...unless I've seen them too and have a strong enough opinion about it and B: Like the Cinema Snob, it's much more entertaining to watch his movies than to write a review about the same movie...most of the time).
> Anything that has CGI Animals of any kind (*gives the flaming "fuck you" middle finger to a certain movie in this category that will remain nameless*)
> Any sequel to a Disney Animated movie (most of them suck balls and are nothing more than feeble attempts to cash-in on a more known and more beloved feature film)
> Any comedy movie made after the mid-1990's (I'm not very fond of comedies released in the last 15 years or so)
> Any "Family" movie that has people in it who SHOULDN'T be in family movies (I.E.: The Rock, Jackie Chan...WTF has happened to you two?!! You used to be bad asses, now you're just a joke.)
> Any movie based on a video game (most of these suck balls)
> Any movie based on a TV show or Cartoon (unlike the VG-based movies, there do exist decent ones in this category...though most of them are mediocre at best).
NOTE: Because you can only have one approved movie suggestion per drive, movie suggestions are worth 2 points.
Accepted Ideas (so far)
> Batman Begins (jade_styx)
DEADLINE TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS: 4/16/2011
Suggestion Points (3 pts = 1 free $5 story commission or sex fantasy story...10 points = 1 free mini-series commission if you choose to save your points for this instead)
thewanderingpikachu (2 points)
ihatethathedgehog (1 point)
jewelwriter (2 points)
jade_styx (4 points)
*: With the possible exception of the 3DS, but as I've stated before I want to see it in action first before I pass judgment on it.
By the way, as for the movies that I've selected for review on my own next time, I've decided since I did the Alien Quadrilogy, I'd do another major movie series...this time it'll be Star Wars. Including the beloved classic trilogy =3, and of course the godawful clASSic prequel trilogy >:(.
Finally, in regards to the TMNT II (NES) review, I have decided that this review will be postponed indefinitely, but it will still take place at a later time...possibly as a special review or possibly as a part of a series of reviews regarding the NES TMNT games.
> You may suggest as many movies as you wish until I approve one of your suggestions...but there is a limit of five suggestions per comment and you must wait until I respond before you can suggest any more.
> There is a limit of one APPROVED suggestion per drive per person (I do not have as much time to watch movies as I do to play video games...plus, I don't want to get swamped with requests)
> Movie suggestions can be either on current movies or about movies that are already released on DVD.
> Made for TV movies are allowed, but I will only seriously consider them # I have an interest in seeing the movie and B: I've already seen the movie.
> All movies must be easily accessible to me (in case I haven't already seen it). I do not have the same resources as someone like the Cinema Snob or the Nostalgia Critic does, so I can't do really obscure movies all that much
> There are restrictions to what can and cannot be suggested (there are some movies that I don't want to even touch for one reason or another...see below for more information).
BLACK LIST...Yeah, I know it's red (Don't bother asking me for any of the following)
> Anything with Will Ferrell (I do not like him)
> Anything that has already been reviewed by the Cinema Snob (A: I do not have the same access to the kinds of movies he does and B: I'd much rather watch his reviews than review said movies if I did)
> Anything by Uwe Boll (Damn you Uwe Boll!)
> Any Jackass Movie
> Any of the Twilight Movies (No...just no...DO NOT WANT!)
> Any romantic comedy (I'm a dude...these types of movies do not interest me in the slightest)
> Anything Foreign (exceptions: If it's dubbed in English or has English sub-titles AND I can easily find it, I may consider it)
> The Room (for a reason why this is on the black list...Watch this and you'll know why)
> Anything in 3D (FUCK 3D!*...Exception: if there is a 2D version of it, I may review it) NEW!
GRAY LIST...er, Yellow (You CAN ask for movies in these categories, but don't be surprised if I say no to most of these).
> Anything with Adam Sandler (I'm not exactly fond of him...but my opinion of him is slightly better than that of Will Ferrell).
> Anything that has (or will be) reviewed by the Nostalgia Critic (A: I want to try and avoid movies that he's already done...unless I've seen them too and have a strong enough opinion about it and B: Like the Cinema Snob, it's much more entertaining to watch his movies than to write a review about the same movie...most of the time).
> Anything that has CGI Animals of any kind (*gives the flaming "fuck you" middle finger to a certain movie in this category that will remain nameless*)
> Any sequel to a Disney Animated movie (most of them suck balls and are nothing more than feeble attempts to cash-in on a more known and more beloved feature film)
> Any comedy movie made after the mid-1990's (I'm not very fond of comedies released in the last 15 years or so)
> Any "Family" movie that has people in it who SHOULDN'T be in family movies (I.E.: The Rock, Jackie Chan...WTF has happened to you two?!! You used to be bad asses, now you're just a joke.)
> Any movie based on a video game (most of these suck balls)
> Any movie based on a TV show or Cartoon (unlike the VG-based movies, there do exist decent ones in this category...though most of them are mediocre at best).
NOTE: Because you can only have one approved movie suggestion per drive, movie suggestions are worth 2 points.
Accepted Ideas (so far)
> Batman Begins (jade_styx)
DEADLINE TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS: 4/16/2011
Suggestion Points (3 pts = 1 free $5 story commission or sex fantasy story...10 points = 1 free mini-series commission if you choose to save your points for this instead)
thewanderingpikachu (2 points)
ihatethathedgehog (1 point)
jewelwriter (2 points)jade_styx (4 points)
*: With the possible exception of the 3DS, but as I've stated before I want to see it in action first before I pass judgment on it.
By the way, as for the movies that I've selected for review on my own next time, I've decided since I did the Alien Quadrilogy, I'd do another major movie series...this time it'll be Star Wars. Including the beloved classic trilogy =3, and of course the godawful clASSic prequel trilogy >:(.
Finally, in regards to the TMNT II (NES) review, I have decided that this review will be postponed indefinitely, but it will still take place at a later time...possibly as a special review or possibly as a part of a series of reviews regarding the NES TMNT games.
RE: TMNT II review + Inkbunny update
General | Posted 15 years agoGoddammit! I hate when this happens to me!
I had the TMNT 2 review done and ready to post on FA and what does the site do, it crashes on me so there was no way to recover what I had written...and there's not enough time to rewrite it before I have to go to bed. So, for that reason, the TMNT 2 review which was supposed to be done this weekend will have to be postponed. At this time, I'm not sure for how long...possibly until next weekend or possibly even longer than that...I haven't decided as of yet.
Anyway, with that out of the way, I also think it's about time that I posted the link to my Inkbunny page for those of you who may not have found me yet. Are you ready...'cause HERE IT IS!. Right now I'm still getting settled in there, but soon I'll start posting more stories there made for Inkbunny.
Finally, I'm likely going to begin work on the Sex Fantasy stories for the people who took the chance to reserve them soon, so keep looking for them.
I had the TMNT 2 review done and ready to post on FA and what does the site do, it crashes on me so there was no way to recover what I had written...and there's not enough time to rewrite it before I have to go to bed. So, for that reason, the TMNT 2 review which was supposed to be done this weekend will have to be postponed. At this time, I'm not sure for how long...possibly until next weekend or possibly even longer than that...I haven't decided as of yet.
Anyway, with that out of the way, I also think it's about time that I posted the link to my Inkbunny page for those of you who may not have found me yet. Are you ready...'cause HERE IT IS!. Right now I'm still getting settled in there, but soon I'll start posting more stories there made for Inkbunny.
Finally, I'm likely going to begin work on the Sex Fantasy stories for the people who took the chance to reserve them soon, so keep looking for them.
C-PRIME's Movie Reviews #9: Alien Resurrection
General | Posted 15 years agoAlien Resurrection
Year Released: 1997
Produced By: 20th Century Fox
Type of Original Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes Score/My Grade Equivalent*: 54%/C
Personal Experience: Following Alien 3 I didn't really expect there to be another movie in the franchise, much less one featuring Ripley in it. However, to my surprise, they did come out with another one at the end of 1997. When I saw the previews for this, I didn't care for it all that much to be honest and I wasn't in any real hurry to go out and see it. Besides I had watched Alien and Aliens several dozen times by now and those were the movies I enjoyed the most of the franchise.
Still, when I received a VHS copy of Alien Resurrection as a gift, I did give it a chance and watched it. The first time I watched it I thought it was "OK"...but this was approximately 10 years ago, long before I had developed a more analytical view towards movies. I just watched it again on my DVD copy as a part of the Alien Quadrilogy and well...it has me scratching my head quite a bit to say the least.
What I liked about the movie
+: The intelligence displayed by the xenomorphs (further proves that they are definitely a formidable opponent to anyone who comes across them)
+: Glimpses of Bad Ass Ripley (like when she rips out a xenomorph's tongue and gives it to Call. Though there's not as much of her bad ass-ness in this movie as there is in earlier movies, particularly Aliens)
What pissed me off about this movie
(OK...here we go, you may want to go grab a sandwich or a beer, this may take a while)
-: HOW THE HELL ARE THEY ABLE TO CLONE RIPLEY WITH THE XENOMORPH QUEEN INSIDE HER?!! (In the movie they 'explain' that they collected blood samples from her while she was in the penal colony back in Alien 3. Well, while this not out of the question, wouldn't it also require getting a sample of the xenomorph queen's DNA as well...after all these are two SEPARATE beings. It's not like it was inside her womb and was attached to a placenta, it was in her fucking chest. Furthermore, if Ripley did have xenomorph DNA inside her in addition to her own, don't you think there would be signs of it back in Alien 3...much like what is shown in this movie?!! *facepalms then sighs* Time for the Nostalgia Critic again)
-: HOW IS A CLONE OF RIPLEY ABLE TO HAVE SOME OF HER MEMORIES?!! (It is a fucking CLONE. DNA does not retain memories of past events, it only retains the information on how to build a living creature. Now, if she were to learn of her past on her own, that's one thing...but she has some of these memories from the very beginning of the movie, which would suggest that she somehow inherited them.)
-: The xenomorphs don't look as impressive to me than they did in the earlier movies (they appear to be too dark and too slimy. Yeah, I know that they're supposed to be dark and slimy, but I think they overdid it in this movie)
-: There wasn't really anything that impressed me a whole lot about this movie. (Each of the other movies had something in it that caught my attention...this one really didn't.)
-: The human/xenomorph hybrid looks ridiculous (Hell, some of the failed Ripley clones made better hybrids than this thing did)
-: There really wasn't any suspense in the movie either (granted, part of that could be because I had gotten used to the first two movies by the time I saw this one and knew some of what to expect.)
-: Some of the dialogue in the movie seems rather weird and clunky (Definitely not as good as prior Alien movies)
Things that I am questioning after this movie
?: Again, much like in Alien 3...how is a xenomorph queen able to produce eggs without being inseminated first?
?: If the Auriga was supposed to be in deep space, how the hell could it get back to Earth in just 3 hours?!! Hell...even if it had a warp drive similar to that you'd find on Star Trek capable of going warp 9 or 10, it more than likely would take much longer to travel through billions of miles of space to get back to Earth.
CONCLUSION: This movie is rather bland in comparison to the first three and the story behind it is even more plothole-ridden than Alien 3. However, unlike Alien 3, where the plotholes weren't totally implausible, the plotholes in this story seem more detrimental to the overall product. Sure, there are some moments in the movie which did get a chuckle out of me and it's not a total piece of garbage...still, in my mind it fails to carry on the story left behind by Alien 3. It would've been a better idea to go in a different route from what they did here.
FINAL GRADE: D- (The worst of the original franchise...if the story was better it may have been passable, but as it is right now the story is what does it in. Still, I can't find it in my heart to fail it altogether since it has a few entertaining moments, plus there's one movie out there that has xenomorphs in it that's even WORSE than this one. I'm looking at # REQUIEM!!!)
This is the final movie review of this review cycle...there will be a new movie review suggestion drive coming in a couple of weeks. There is still next week's review of TMNT II for the NES to come however.
*: Grade equivalent is based on my video game review score system (a 100% fresh rating on RT = a 10.0 score on my system, basically it takes the percentage score and divides by 10)
Year Released: 1997
Produced By: 20th Century Fox
Type of Original Release: Theatrical
Rotten Tomatoes Score/My Grade Equivalent*: 54%/C
Personal Experience: Following Alien 3 I didn't really expect there to be another movie in the franchise, much less one featuring Ripley in it. However, to my surprise, they did come out with another one at the end of 1997. When I saw the previews for this, I didn't care for it all that much to be honest and I wasn't in any real hurry to go out and see it. Besides I had watched Alien and Aliens several dozen times by now and those were the movies I enjoyed the most of the franchise.
Still, when I received a VHS copy of Alien Resurrection as a gift, I did give it a chance and watched it. The first time I watched it I thought it was "OK"...but this was approximately 10 years ago, long before I had developed a more analytical view towards movies. I just watched it again on my DVD copy as a part of the Alien Quadrilogy and well...it has me scratching my head quite a bit to say the least.
What I liked about the movie
+: The intelligence displayed by the xenomorphs (further proves that they are definitely a formidable opponent to anyone who comes across them)
+: Glimpses of Bad Ass Ripley (like when she rips out a xenomorph's tongue and gives it to Call. Though there's not as much of her bad ass-ness in this movie as there is in earlier movies, particularly Aliens)
What pissed me off about this movie
(OK...here we go, you may want to go grab a sandwich or a beer, this may take a while)
-: HOW THE HELL ARE THEY ABLE TO CLONE RIPLEY WITH THE XENOMORPH QUEEN INSIDE HER?!! (In the movie they 'explain' that they collected blood samples from her while she was in the penal colony back in Alien 3. Well, while this not out of the question, wouldn't it also require getting a sample of the xenomorph queen's DNA as well...after all these are two SEPARATE beings. It's not like it was inside her womb and was attached to a placenta, it was in her fucking chest. Furthermore, if Ripley did have xenomorph DNA inside her in addition to her own, don't you think there would be signs of it back in Alien 3...much like what is shown in this movie?!! *facepalms then sighs* Time for the Nostalgia Critic again)
-: HOW IS A CLONE OF RIPLEY ABLE TO HAVE SOME OF HER MEMORIES?!! (It is a fucking CLONE. DNA does not retain memories of past events, it only retains the information on how to build a living creature. Now, if she were to learn of her past on her own, that's one thing...but she has some of these memories from the very beginning of the movie, which would suggest that she somehow inherited them.)
-: The xenomorphs don't look as impressive to me than they did in the earlier movies (they appear to be too dark and too slimy. Yeah, I know that they're supposed to be dark and slimy, but I think they overdid it in this movie)
-: There wasn't really anything that impressed me a whole lot about this movie. (Each of the other movies had something in it that caught my attention...this one really didn't.)
-: The human/xenomorph hybrid looks ridiculous (Hell, some of the failed Ripley clones made better hybrids than this thing did)
-: There really wasn't any suspense in the movie either (granted, part of that could be because I had gotten used to the first two movies by the time I saw this one and knew some of what to expect.)
-: Some of the dialogue in the movie seems rather weird and clunky (Definitely not as good as prior Alien movies)
Things that I am questioning after this movie
?: Again, much like in Alien 3...how is a xenomorph queen able to produce eggs without being inseminated first?
?: If the Auriga was supposed to be in deep space, how the hell could it get back to Earth in just 3 hours?!! Hell...even if it had a warp drive similar to that you'd find on Star Trek capable of going warp 9 or 10, it more than likely would take much longer to travel through billions of miles of space to get back to Earth.
CONCLUSION: This movie is rather bland in comparison to the first three and the story behind it is even more plothole-ridden than Alien 3. However, unlike Alien 3, where the plotholes weren't totally implausible, the plotholes in this story seem more detrimental to the overall product. Sure, there are some moments in the movie which did get a chuckle out of me and it's not a total piece of garbage...still, in my mind it fails to carry on the story left behind by Alien 3. It would've been a better idea to go in a different route from what they did here.
FINAL GRADE: D- (The worst of the original franchise...if the story was better it may have been passable, but as it is right now the story is what does it in. Still, I can't find it in my heart to fail it altogether since it has a few entertaining moments, plus there's one movie out there that has xenomorphs in it that's even WORSE than this one. I'm looking at # REQUIEM!!!)
This is the final movie review of this review cycle...there will be a new movie review suggestion drive coming in a couple of weeks. There is still next week's review of TMNT II for the NES to come however.
*: Grade equivalent is based on my video game review score system (a 100% fresh rating on RT = a 10.0 score on my system, basically it takes the percentage score and divides by 10)
