Change Your Image
ramon-rodriguez31
Reviews
Baby Shark's Big Show! (2020)
An insulting cash grab
When I learned that a TV series based on a highly popular children's song was going to air, I was sorta looking forward to it. But upon seeing the ads and reading some news article, I was disappointed that this show goes against tradition. I wish the studio picked a boy instead of a drag king for the title protagonist. While I have fandom for animated shows, I'll never in my life watch this insulting cash grab.
Blue's Clues & You! (2019)
How come only Blue and Magenta appear in CGI?
I remember watching a few episodes of the original Blue's Clues of the 1990s. That show was decent.
Many years later, I was a bit surprise Nickalodeon was releasing Blue's Clues and You which is a reboot of the 1990s series. What I appreciate most in this reboot are the catchy new theme song, and that Blue and Magenta are now in CGI.
But months later, I started to wonder. How come Blue and Magenta are the only animated characters in CGI? Why the other animated characters, such as the orange kitten and the purple joey, still have their old-fashioned visual look of the previous series? I do kinda like this reboot, but I wish they also upgrade the appearance of the other animated characters.
Rusty Rivets (2016)
A Spiritual Successor To Jimmy Neutron
Many years ago, Nickelodeon released a feature film featuring a young tech wizard named Jimmy Neutron. The film was a modest success that it spawned a TV series. I used to like that TV series until I became very less interested in boy characters played by non-boys. The show seemed destined to have a long run until the studio producing the series as well as some early Nick shows closed due to bankruptcy.
Fast forward to the 2010s, we come across this show named Rusty Rivets. The title character Rusty is a lad who has a passion for building devices which he uses in his adventures. Joining him is his sidekick Ruby. He also has pets who are robots created by him. Some of these robot pets include a T-rex, and a dog. Seeing that tech-savvy Rusty and that dog certainly brought back memories of Jimmy Neutron who also has a pet robot dog. I guess who ever made this series has a bit of liking to that earlier aforementioned show.
As a series, Rusty Rivets is decent. The characters designs and the sci-fi themes are cool. But if there's anything that prevents me from coming to it regularly, it's the lack of cuteness.
Hasbro's Ricky Zoom (2019)
A decent show of anthropomorphic bikes
When I saw an ad of the show on Nick Jr., I thought the character was Rory the Race Car. But as I continue watching the ad, it turns out the character is a new one.
The show Ricky Zoom centers on the eponymous character Ricky who is an anthropomorphic motorcycle as with most the show's characters. Because his parents specialize in rescuing troubled bikes, Ricky looks up to them and hopes he too can be a great rescuer. Ricky has three friends whom he would have fun and do stuff with.
As to what I can say about the series, it's decent when it comes to looks, sounds, and story. And unlike Rory the Race Car where the title character sounds so artificial, the characters here sound natural.
HobbyKids Adventures (2019)
Another show from Hartman
Butch Hartman is a cartoonist who is well-known for his shows like Tuff Puppy, Danny Phantom, and The Fairly Odd Parents. Although The Fairly Odd Parents had a long run, it was always in the shadow of Spongebob Squarepants. When his long-running series finally ended, Hartman, for some reason, decided to create this short series called HobbyKids Adventures. I must admit that this show looks kinda cute. But this series would have been decent if that blue teddy thing didn't sound so synthetique. I wish the studio took a more natural approach.
Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind (1993)
A challenging but fun game
Following the successes of Mario and Sonic in the platform genre, other companies decide create their own character to compete in the field. One of them is Accolade who created a bobcat named Bubsy.
If you were to ask me why I enjoy playing this game, I'd say the game features catchy melodies, bright and detailed visuals, various ways of which Bubsy can lose a life, and the game was one of the earliest to use voice acting.
Detractors, who have been bashing the character for years, like to repeatedly say what they think is wrong with the game. One of which is the fact that Bubsy dies after being hit once which could make the game quite challenging for some gamers. But come to think of it, this is nothing uncommon for games of the time. In the 1994 run and gun game Contra Hard Corps, the playable characters also die after being hit once, and I can't believe no one is complaining about that. In the SNES version of Animaniacs, the controlled character also loses a life after being attacked once, but again, no one seems to be complaining. Anyway, if the one-hit-death rule really is a problem, then no one would have completed this game which so many gamers (including me) did. Because most enemies don't move too fast, this should make things less difficult.
Another thing detractors cite is that Bubsy takes up a considerable percentage of the screen, and that the player will have to repeated tap the d-button to avoid the risk of running into an enemy or hazard. This noticeable in the first level where Bubsy passes by a group of houses. Well here's a secret, instead of running under the houses, jump on top of them. With regards to the character size in relation to the screen, this is also nothing uncommon. In Aero the Acrobat, there are also times where I have to repeatedly tap the d-button to avoid bumping into things.
Detractors also like to point out that when Bubsy lands on the ground after falling from a high platform, he'll become flat like a pancake and therefore lose a life. I think an early PC version of The Prince of Persia also has this aspect. Anyway, If you fall from up high, do the glide move to avoid such damage.
As a conclusion, I would say that despite the limitations or things that some gamers may regard as inconvenient, Bubsy is still a fun game. Yes, losing a life and being struck once or getting flat after falling from above can be bothersome at times. But after some practice and keeping a positive mind, you'll be playing fluidly without think much of the bothersome things.
Sheriff Callie's Wild West (2013)
A colorful show set in the Old West
When I saw ads of this show four years ago, I thought this series would only appeal to a girl demographic. But I was wrong. I find it decent and fairly enjoyable.
In the show, we have the title character Sheriff Callie, a cat who can do amazing things with that rope in her hangs. Other characters include Deputy Peck who's a stickler for rules, and Toby who is a cheerful walking cactus.
It's been four years since the show first aired, and I'm a bit surprised that there's not a single review here prior to this one. Well now there is.
Unikitty! (2017)
Meh
After being a supporting character in the Lego Movie, it seems that Unikitty has garnered enough fans to warrant a media centering on her. What can I say about this series? The characters and graphics are cute and colorful. The gags are okay. The voice acting, however, is a mixed bag. Whoever selected the cast did made good choices for characters, particularly Unikitty. But one bad choice is Puppykorn as his voice is utterly unauthentic and does not fit his character.
As a conclusion, things like graphics and gags are okay. But the cast could use some change.
Superman (1999)
Classifying The Worst Is Not A Good Idea
When people engage in making something, it is crucial that they should work together and agree on one set of things. But what happens if those involved in the project have differing opinions in making things and therefore have no or little agreements? That's what happened to Superman 64.
While developer Titus already had a plan to make a Superman game, their licensors Warner Bros. and DC came up with irrational restrictions. I guess the restrictions made things very difficult for Titus which is why the game was unfinished despite two years of work.
Titus wasn't a bad game developer. In fact, they released a much better received N64 game called Automobili Lamborghini two years earlier. Therefore the blame is entirely on the licensors.
When it comes to video games, we should only classify the best among them. We should also document them based on their qualities or importance.
When it comes to what's wrong with some games, we can write about their problems. That way, what we write can serve as lessons to those who consider making games. However, I do not recommend the idea of classifying some games as the worst. For me, classifying the worst is nothing but a way to destroy the image of creators. Game makers want nothing more than to make the people they serve happy. However, certain things can get in the way, thus affecting a game's development. Creating a 3D video game back then wasn't very easy as the technology was new and far more sophisticated than making 2D games. If a game's qualities fall below expectations, we should at least commend the developers for their efforts.
In Titus' case, I bear no cynicism toward them. Instead I feel sorry for them. Superman 64 could have been a great game had it not been for the unreasonable rules dictated by WB and DC.
Banjo-Kazooie (1998)
The Rise Of Rare's True Cash Cows
Rare was once a promising video game developer, particularly during their days with Nintendo. Their first big seller game was Diddy Kong Racing where the characters Banjo and Kazooie made their debut.
Following the release of that racing game, Banjo and Kazooie became star characters in their own right when they appeared in the game Banjo-Kazooie. Lucky for them, that game too was a big seller. Banjo-Kazooie would have sequel in Banjo-Tooie, and that one made even a bigger sale.
After getting booted by Nintendo years later, Rare saw new life after teaming with Microsoft. Banjo and Kazooie then appeared in a new game called Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. Although it did not sell as many copies as the two previous games, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts was able to achieve platinum hit status, a title achieve by Xbox or Xbox 360 games that sold 400,000+ copies within 9 months of release.
Because of showing such marketability, Banjo and Kazooie are absolutely Rare's true cash cows. Conker the Squirrel could have been a cash cow too but Rare destroyed that character.
Conker's Bad Fur Day (2001)
Young Conker Fans Might Have Been Greatly Disappointed
Young gamers probably adored that squirrel when he debuted in Diddy Kong Racing, and appearing in his first solo game in Conker's Pocket Tales. When it was announced that Conker would appear again in what could have been Conker 64, the young gamers were perhaps looking forward to it. But when Rare suddenly came up with the bizarre decision of changing Conker 64 into the unspeakably crude Conker's Bad Fur Day, those gaming kids were probably quite disappointed either because of the replacement game's obscenities, or their parents discouraged them from playing or even looking at it. To make matter's worse, Rare never again bothered to make a Conker game that's family friendly, thus alienating the young gamers who make up much of the character's fan base.
Why did Rare turned a nice child's character into such a demented fellow indulged in vices? A convincing answer has yet to be given. But what Rare did to poor Conky is like turning a sweet kid into a hideous and vicious monster. If they need a character for audiences who enjoy such crudities, it's best to make another one.
One may claim that crude game is one of the greatest Nintendo games. I guess that maybe true, although I don't see the game's name on the list of great Nintendo games in Wikipedia.
Peter Rabbit (2012)
What's With The Shoeless Peter?
I've been knowing Peter Rabbit for 19 years. However, my interest in the character regained only a few years earlier. When I learned that Nick Jr. has a series featuring Peter and other characters from Beatrix Potter's books, I went on the web to know more. But when I saw an ad of the series online, I was a bit surprised that Peter is missing shoes. Why is Peter missing shoes? Could this indicate that whoever made the series read Potter's books in such a fast pace and didn't look at the illustrations hard enough. If I was the one supervising the creation of the series, I'd make sure Peter will have some dainty footwear. Peter wears shoes in the original books as well as in other adaptations that are more faithful. Portrayiing a character wearing something shouldn't be too difficult. Anyway, despite the discrepancy, I do enjoy the show a bit. I just can't say that I'm impressed.
The Bill Poster (1933)
Mystery Film With Foreign Title
I saw a video of this film two days ago. The print shown there was probably shown in France because it has a French title of Zizi, Colleur D'Affiches. Despite this, the dialog is still in English. I also immediately learned the film's original American title, thanks to the uploader who mentioned it at the video's info text.
The cartoon shows Krazy whose job is to put posters in town. He later visits his sweetheart's home where a neighbor kid runs away with his horse. I could tell the print I watched may be incomplete because it shows Krazy already at the house without showing him go there.
The film is as entertaining as any Krazy short. Like a few good characters at the time, Krazy is a complete package of being cute and funny.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
A Horror Film With Original Themes
Not so long ago, I wasn't a horror film fan. But my interest in those films started after I read a news on the internet about an incident that happened in the United Kingdom. There, a cinema was jam-packed by mainly children who came in to watch Madagascar 3. However, a mistake occurred. Instead of putting Madagascar 3, the projectionist put in Paranormal Activity 4. This triggered a large scream coming from the cinema, causing some shocked kids to go home immediately, although some remained to finally watched the film they came for. Some time later, a woman, who was watching with her kids, describes the films in the Paranormal Activity series as the scariest of horror films. Because of that, it made me wonder just how scary those films are.
Days after that, I purchase a VCD of the first Paranormal Activity film and watched it. Although it is a homemade film, what perhaps made it score well in the box office is that it has original themes. In the film, each night is counted and monitored. And as the movie progresses, the things that happen at night get more and more bizarre. This is definitely one of the best films in the horror genre.
The Gallopin' Gaucho (1928)
A Girl Tries To Fit In Her Mom's Shoes
This cartoon is one of the shorts Walt Disney produced after his contract in the Oswald business concluded. It also among the earliest cartoons to feature Mickey Mouse.
One thing that intrigues me is the girl mouse who wears pumps that are too big for her (She probably borrowed them from her mom.). When she dances with Mickey, her heels would often slip out. And when the villainous cat captures her, the shoes fell off. I think it would be more interesting if we get to see the shoes actually come off (We can't see it because she was swung past the edge of the screen.).
Anyway, the cartoon is quite fun to watch. Mickey will come to the rescue.
Yanky Clippers (1929)
Funniest Winkler Oswald
While most of the Oswald shorts released during the Winkler era have been lost, this one is among the few that survived. Seeing this before at a video sharing site, Yanky Clippers has no music track, and some of the sequences near the end are mixed up. But the story itself is entertaining.
One of the comical things in the short is every time Oswald shaves a dog, its furs keep growing. Oswald then realizes the dog has been drinking a bottle of hair-growing formula.
Perhaps the most hilarious scenes occur after Oswald disguises himself as a girl to charm a bear customer who came for a manicure. When they decided to go out on a car ride, the madly in-loved bear picks up Oswald and starts kissing him. Oswald was able to get out of the bear's arms but gets chased in the remainder of the film. Anyway, the rabbit was able to get the pursuer away him.
Definitely the funniest Winkler Oswald.
Thor (2011)
Marvel's Own Superman Soars
If there's a Marvel superhero whose qualities compare to those of Superman, it's Thor. I mean both heroes are beings from different worlds but have been sent to Earth. Also, both can fly and have significant attack power.
As of today, Thor may not be near the popularity level of other Marvel heroes like Spiderman, Captain America, or the Incredible Hulk. But with his new film which did very well in the box office, I could tell this could be his time to shine.
The film itself is as good as any quality superhero film. What I really like in it are the strong emotion and the dramatic events.
The Busy Barber (1932)
Oswald Has Reached His Full Potential.
It doesn't get better than this. After some improvements a year earlier, Oswald's image has reached its peak. During his early days on screen, the rabbit wore nothing other than his trademark shorts. But overtime, Walter Lantz made Oswald more decent by putting on more outfit. It should be noted that the inclusion of things like gloves and shoes are a Disney influence, considering Mickey was among the first characters to wear such stuff.
As for the film, the gags are adequately humorous. Also, the soundtrack composed by James Dietrich is pretty catchy. Although the big predator loses something in the beginning, things still ended up good for both Oswald and that huge animal.
Disney may have left Oswald in 1928 but his influence on the character would live on for the next seven years.
Toy Story (1995)
Goodbye Traditional Animation and Hello Computer Animation
When I saw clips of this film in advertisements, I thought this was a film featuring real life toys moving in stop-motion. It was not until I watched the film in VHS that I found out that the film uses CGI. Although traditionally animated movies were still popular upon Toy Story's release, moviegoers slowly began shifting to computer animated media. A few years after the year 2000 is when the general public began favoring CGI films a lot more.
Personally, I still like traditional animated films because they provide a more storybook-like picture. Computer animated films are indeed more complex although they make film look more like video game rather than a movie.
As for the film here, the acting is well done and the plot is as good as any high class film.
Sleepy Holler (1929)
Interesting Story and Some Catchy Tunes
In this chapter, we mark the end of Krazy Kat's silent days. As with most characters who started with silent films, 1929 was definitely the time where most studios made the transition to audio.
Here, we have Krazy who has been hired to watch three kittens. Under the authority of an overweight and bossy lady, he has to watch them every minute and therefore has little time relax. When he had enough of the lady's nagging and the kittens' annoying antics, Krazy decides to say goodbye to the house and have some peace in the outside.
Three tunes are used in this film. All of which are catchy and empathic. I kinda feel sorry for Krazy on how the story goes in the later parts. But at the same time, I couldn't deny the quality of the music.
After being shown in comic strips for three years, Krazy was shown in more than 200 films. It's quite a pity all those weren't enough to gather him considerable fame.
Wolf! Wolf! (1934)
A Remake Of A Famous Fable But In A More Comical Fashion
The story is obviously a remake of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, a tale attributed to Aesop. But instead of a boy who makes false alarms, it's a pair of sheep. Oswald tells them if they see a wolf, all they have to do is call. However, they would call out just for fun even when nothing is going wrong. They do so, twice.
In one of his few attempts to spice up the character he won in a poker game, Lantz created this musical film which is a rarity in the series. The catchy music in the film is the work of James Dietrich who has been providing sound to the cartoons since 1931. Also, some cuteness and decent humor really make up the score.
Snow Time (1932)
Surreal Winter Comedy
I watched this short film a few times on YouTube. Different from the original version, the cartoon shown there was presented in its alternate title Alaska Daze. The real title to this was hinted to me by a user of the website who commented on it. After that, I made a brief research on the web, and I figured that user was right.
The animators of this cartoon certainly made good choices of what music to use. Also what's shown there gives a good message that a lot of fun things can be done in the snow. The story features Krazy and his girlfriend (I just wonder what animal is she) do some ice skating on an outdoor rink.
Jungle Jingles (1929)
Black-and-Yellow, and Watched All Over
This cartoon is among the Oswald shorts created by the Winkler staff. Like most of those that were released in 1929, the short was intended to use audio. Too bad, only the film survive. Because of that, a musical track was added as a substitute. Upon seeing it at a video site, one thing that makes this one unique from those of its period is that the picture is black-and-yellow. Before colored pictures became standard, shooting movies this way was meant to express a certain climate (for example: summer). As to how the story goes, we have Oswald who explores the jungle, riding on an ostrich. He would then confront two large creatures in his exploration.
Alpine Antics (1929)
A Missing Film Comes Out of the Cabinet
Alpine Antics is one of the few Winkler Oswalds that are known to be existing. It was thought to be lost but it somehow came out. Sources indicate that this cartoon is a sound film. For some reason, the soundtrack, which was probably recorded onto an LP record just like those of early talkies, ended up in oblivion. I saw this film in a video-sharing site. Although the musical track used isn't the original soundtrack, it was suitable.
The story features Oswald and his dog who went up the mountains to rescue a cat from certain danger, a common theme in a number of children's stories. Humor and pleasantness are adequate.
The Butcher Boy (1932)
Cute characters and smart use of music
About as much as I have interest in Oswald the Rabbit, I also developed some for Pooch the Pup. Both these characters have been featured in Walter Lantz shorts.
Pooch here is in his initial design, although he would change in the last three films. In the story, he delivers a piece of meat but the feline of the place runs off with it. The cat then puts a rope around his leg and pulls him around the house. But how Pooch ends up in that ride, the same would also happen to the cat.
The catchy musical score here was made by James Dietrich, who happens to be the same person who provided sound to those 1927 Disney Oswald shorts which were originally silent.
If there's anything that makes heroes popular, it's that they can win in the end but should have some mishaps in the middle.