Change Your Image
UnicornMaiden
Reviews
Futurama: Lethal Inspection (2010)
The first really strong episode of the new Futurama
I agree with the previous reviewer that since Futurama returned to TV it has been floundering a little. This episode however, has everything that has made the show great- the laugh-out-loud jokes and the deep, character-affirming emotion.
Due to a critical defect, Bender finds that he has no back-up copy and is therefore mortal. With Hermes' help, he sets out to search the Central Bureaucracy for any trace of the robot inspector who missed the defect in order to get revenge.
Few episodes explore Bender's relationship with humans other than Fry, but "Lethal Inspection" shows him developing a very real friendship with Hermes. It also shows Bender learning to deal with mortality and to treasure the time he has... more than he would have if he still thought he was immortal. This episode will hold its own and stand alongside episodes like "Jurassic Bark," "Luck of the Fryrish," and "Leela's Homeworld."
Black Beauty (1971)
Decent film but not great
This is a movie that can be looked at one of two ways. You can look at it as an adaptation of Anna Sewell's classic novel, or you can look at it as a story about a bunch of people who all happen to own the same horse. I'll do both.
As an adaptation of the novel this movie disappoints terribly. The plot bears almost no relation to the original story. Classic characters like John Manly, Reuben Smith, and Jerry Barker are cut out completely. New characters are often shallow and one-dimensional. Ginger, one of the most important horses in the story, acting as a foil for Black Beauty and with her own heart-wrenching story is turned into a gelding, given about three seconds of screen time and has no involvement in the actual story. The plot, particularly the ways in which Beauty passes from owner to owner, often seems contrived. On more than one occasion Beauty is simply standing around in the middle of nowhere and someone comes along and finds him. Other times he performs some heroic deed which would merit his owners deciding to keep him forever and the next thing we know he's being sold again. While the novel deeply explores the society of the time and the effects of that society (for better or for worse) on both the humans and the animals this movie disregards that aspect entirely. It portrays some rather stereotypical views. Worse, some of the bad guys are just that: bad guys with no depth or personality. Take for instance the young squire who is cruel for no reason and loves to hurt horses just for the fun of it.
As a movie with complete disregard to the book it isn't half bad. The story as it is presented here is not about the horse; it is about all the different people who own the horse. Beauty isn't a character so much as he is a plot device. If you don't mind the focus shifting from animal to human it is an enjoyable sequence of stories. I stand by what I said earlier about many of the characters being one-dimensional, but when the entire cast is reviewed as a whole it displays a wide range of personalities and backgrounds. There is a good balance between kind and cruel owners. Pacing was fairly good. The movie had a nice balance with enough action but not too much. Cinematography was very nice. Many of the shots of the countryside were beautifully done (if occasionally somewhat overdone). Most of the stories were fairly standard plots (a decent farmer at the mercy of a heartless bank, young lovers forbidden from meeting) but some, such as the circus family were rather creative and even the recycled plots were well done. Acting was good overall.
My conclusion: A good animal and people story, but if you want something closer to the source watch the 1994 version.
Futurama: The Sting (2003)
Possibly the best episode in the entire series
No matter how funny a comedy show is, its best moments are always defined by it serious episodes. Along with "Godfellas" this is my favorite episode in the series. Bender, Fry, and Leela are sent on the same mission which killed Professor Farnsworth's previous crew: collecting honey from killer space wasps. Although Fry does not want to go, Leela forces him. As they are completing their mission, Fry jumps in front of Leela, taking the wasp sting that was meant for her. Following Fry's funeral, Leela suffers terrible guilt.
"The Sting" is a pivotal episode as it shows the deep emotional bond that Fry and Leela share. Although it does have moments of classic Futurama comedy (including the main cast breaking into a rousing rendition of "Don't Worry, Be Happy"), this is a really deep, serious episode, which will likely bring viewer to tears.
Eragon (2006)
The dragon was the best part
Eragon essentially took a good book and made a bad movie. Speleers and Irons both gave good performances, but the characters were all flat and shallow, as opposed to the strong, well-rounded characters developed in the book. Arya went from butt-kicking warrior to prissy little princess. Angela went from mystical old sorceress to fortune-telling hooker. Durza went from a guy who would rip out your throat and smile to the king's cowering minion. Brom went from wise and mysterious to crabby old guy who should be yelling at kids to get off his lawn.
Most of the back story was cut, some of it very important to the plot. It seemed as though they couldn't be bothered to tell viewers the history and details. They were too busy jumping from one fight scene to the next.
Speaking of fight scenes, they were all sub-par. No matter how many bad guys the sword slashes, it never seems to get any blood on it. The characters spend quite a bit of dialogue on how fierce and deadly the enemies are, but when they actually fight the bad guys have all the combat skills of steamed broccoli.
The only truly spectacular part of the movie was Saphira, the dragon. The character was virtually unchanged from the book, and Rachel Weisz gave a superb voice performance. The visual effects creating Saphira were excellent, and the flying scenes were enough to take your breath away.
My advice? See it for the dragon.
Bambi II (2006)
A midquel which tells the story of how Bambi meets and gets to know his father
I grew up watching the old Disney movies, and Bambi has always been one of my favorites. When I first saw that they were making a new Bambi movie, I was really torn. I hoped that it would be a good follow-up, but was afraid that it would ruin the whole Bambi experience.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the movie, though not as good as the original is far surpassing many Disney sequels.
The animation quality is good. Not only is it much better than most of Disney's recent sequels, it is is actually up to, and at some points even surpassing, the animation in the original. The songs were beautiful, and to my immense relief, they are all sung in the background in the style of the original. There is only one point at which any of the animals sing. It was extremely cheesy, but mercifully short.
The only real failing of this movie is that it lacks the fresh, genuine feeling of the original. While Bambi I felt unique and novel, Bambi II often feels cliché and it seems like they are recycling some material from The Lion King. The addition of Ronno as an antagonist adds nothing to the story but goofiness and low-quality humor. The Great Prince's character seems to be the caricature "single dad" struggling to understand his kid. And while Bambi's character has always been humanized (as are all animals in Disney movies) he seems far more "human" and much less "animal" than he did in the original.
Overall, I liked this movie, and was able to get a few nostalgic moments. Although it does not quite live up to the original, it is nevertheless a sweet and enjoyable movie.