Titanic

***SPOILER ALERT***

In 1997, James Cameron brought us what I feel is the last "event movie" since the ease and accessibility of the internet.  I remember droves of people waiting in long lines for months on end to see this film.  I even remember people saying they were going to see it multiple times.  After all, why not?  "Titanic" is one of the finest films cinema has delivered to us in the past quarter century.

The story was told by one Rose Calvert (Dawson, Dewitt-Bukater, or any other last name she couldn't decide to keep) as she reminisced on her voyage on Titanic in her youth.  Now over 100 years old, she finally feels she can tell her story.  Considering she'd been married and had a family I'm surprised she never told her husband about Jack.  Even telling her husband about Cal Hockley would lead to Jack.  As one of the people listening to Rose's story said, "She's a very old God damned liar."  As the only way she could omit Jack's story is by lying to her husband.  But that's all technical information we're supposed to ignore.

The first half of the film does an amazing job at developing Rose and Jack's "Romeo and Juliet" style romance.  Rose from the upper class, Jack from the lower case.  Of course add the pending disaster to it and all you can think about is how this romance is doomed for disaster.  As well as many tears from the audience watching.

Despite it's error in story telling, "Titanic" is an amazing cinematic achievement that I can't help but revisit at least once annually.  I've learned that the heart of this film puts people into one of two categories, those who love "Titanic" and those who are in denial about loving "Titanic."

I turn to mush every time I watch this film pretty much due to the ending sequence when the old lady dies and you see through pictures that she lived a long and happy life.  Then when she passes away and there's a montage of her meeting Jack at the clock on the "Titanic," I can't help but become an emotional sap.

In many ways I can sit here telling you the rights and wrongs of "Titanic" but that doesn't keep this film from being a complete masterpiece.  There's no way this film could get a recommendation other than that of the Essential Collection.

The Avengers

***SPOILER ALERT***

Let's be honest here, there was a lot of hype surrounding the release of "The Avengers."  A LOT of hype.  In my opinion, last summer's release of "Thor" and "Captain America" were done in anticipation of this film.  The question, does "The Avengers" live up to the hype?  The answer, yes and no.

There are a lot of action sequences in this movie.  Three main ones.  The film pretty much has a large scale action scene at the beginning, middle and end of the film.  My main problem is with the last scene in New York City.  For the simple reason that it was extremely similar to the climax of last summer's "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."  The advantage "The Avengers" has is that they did it better.  It was eye candy at it's finest and even though the whole "portal to an alien world that releases a whole bunch of aliens from another world into New York City via a device on top of a real tall building" is not a new concept, it was incredibly effective here.

The villian of this story, Loki, is a familiar villain to those who saw him give Thor a hard time last year.  He stands as the villain this time around where all the Avengers need to assemble to stop his madness.  I think he was a lot more effective this time around.  When I first heard that Loki was taking the mantle I was a little apprehensive at first but was pleasantly surprised at how conniving he was.

I was really impressed with the Hulk this time around.  Even though I would have preferred Edward Norton for continuity's sake, Mark Ruffalo did a really good job.  I think a lot of the humor that the Hulk presented really balanced this film and gave it a lot of the lighter moments it needed.  I also have to say, Hulk is a beast.  Man, that guy is strong.

When it comes to my recommendation, "The Avengers" could very easily be the greatest comic book movie ever.  This film is easily an addition to the Essential Collection.

Battleship

***SPOILER ALERT***

"Boom."

That was the sound made when "Battleship" bombed at the box office back in May.  Since then I anticipated seeing this film hoping that I would be one of the people who didn't hate this movie.  Of course I didn't hate it, but I didn't really like it either.

I believe there are a lot of people that could be at fault for the failure of this movie.  First are the writers for their failure at writing a cohesive plot that made any sense.  There was an awkward time jump after the title sequence that left out material I felt would have helped the story had it stayed in.  In fact, my biggest complaint was the very beginning.  I think they should have cut that out and stuck to the story of Alex Hooper after he joined the Navy.  I was totally confused when we jumped from this guy, with long hair, and no regard for the law, trying to impress a girl and not wanting to be in the Navy.  Then the film just jumped to Alex being deep in a romance with said girl, a high and tight haircut and being an Officer in the Navy.  It didn't sit well.

I blame the director for the poor comedic timing.  Most of the humor, especially toward the beginning was out of place and just fell flat on me.  There was a blonde kid, played by Jesse Plemons, that had some really awkward comedic moments with Rihanna.  He just came across as a punk.

Lastly, I blame Universal Studios for sheer lack of time to make this movie.  I felt if more time was spent on this film that it could have been a much better film.  I saw a lot of potential in this movie, but just like Alex Hooper, the studio was unaware of it's potential and just slacked off.  If this film was released a year later, I felt it could have been a great film.  After all, most of the world's greatest films took a long time to make.  At several points I felt like this film strived to be something deeper and I wish that it had obtained that depth because it would have been great.  I can't help but feel this was a film that would've been held better in the hands of Jerry Bruckheimer or Michael Bay.

"Battleship" wasn't all bad though.  The special effects were really good.  In ways I feel that if as much time and money that were spent on the special effects had been spent on the plot we could have had a really good film.  It's just such a shame thinking of how good "Battleship" could have been if only it would have come together a little better.  If you're in a social situation and want to show off some really good high definition, this film is a great option and you can watch it without having to pay too much attention to it.  If it's depth you're looking for my recommendation is to skip it because Universal Studios, you sunk your "Battleship." 

Pokemon - Arceus and the Jewel of Life

***SPOILER ALERT***

During Generation IV, Pokemon released their films in what is commonly known as the Time and Space Trilogy.  The first was "The Rise of Darkrai" and the second was "Giratina and the Sky Warrior."  "Arceus and the Jewel of Life" is the final film in that trilogy.  Released at the time when Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver were on the horizon the film included a lot of the new Sinnoh Pokemon as well as those seen in the Johto region.

I do have to admit that I feel this film is the weakest of the three in it's trilogy.  Arceus is a beast though.  To this day it's still a Pokemon that can hold it's own extremely well and is banned in most competitions do it's brute strength.  Arceus is pretty much the Pokemon equivalent to God.  He created all Pokemon and the world in which they roam.  In this film, Arceus makes a deal with Damos to help restore a dying land.  He lends Damos part of his being to help regain the land to it's former beauty.  But when Damos fails to return the Jewel of Life it causes Arceus to explode in a rage.  The creator of all Pokemon is not one you want to mess around with.

Seen briefly in this film as well is the legendary Pokemon Heatran.  A favorite amongst many Pokemon trainers.  Although I've never really found great use for it I can't deny that it is a Pokemon that can definitely hold it's own as long as you don't stomp your feet too hard.  Due to it's double weakness to ground, if the ground moves in the slightest way Heatran will fall victim to it.

When compared to the other "Pokemon" films, I find this one to fit in with the other ones somewhere in the middle.  It's not a great film, but it is alright.

Supernatural Season 6

***SPOILER ALERT***

 "Supernatural" has come a long way since the days of the yellow-eyed demon.  Sam and Dean have slain said demon and even averted the apocalypse.  Their latest endeavor, keeping the door to purgatory closed.  In a move that can only be described as retconning, it is discovered that when demons die they don't go to hell, they go to purgatory.

The season started with Sam returning, sans soul, from hell where he was trapped with Michael and Lucifer.  Also returning with him are various members of the Campbell clan.  Sam returning from hell without his soul has caused him to become different in many ways.  It seems a conscience is something that is part of the soul because Sam was quite the reckless person without it.

About halfway through the season Dean makes a deal with Death to get Sam's soul back.  This was my favorite episode of the season as it had Dean play the role of Death for twenty-four hours.  Alas, Death returns Sam's soul but builds a 'wall' to keep him from remembering his time in hell.

The second half of the season ditched the Campbell storyline in favor of a story with Castiel and Crowley trying to open up purgatory with the 'Mother of All' getting in the way.  The season ends with Castiel becoming God.

The 'cliffhanger' at the end of the season wasn't as intense as some of the past seasons, in fact it felt kind of awkward.  I miss the early days of "Supernatural" when the show wasn't as silly as it is now.  I think the whole apocalypse story of seasons four and five has left a void in the story because it was such a big deal.  Anything else is nowhere near as dire. 

Every season a couple of episodes are made as satire episodes.  This season had an "X-Files" themed episode and one that had Sam and Dean entering the lives of Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, the actors portraying Sam and Dean, where "Supernatural" is a TV show.  The "X-Files" themed episode was alright but I really didn't like the Jensen and Jared one.  I thought it was self-serving and it felt real cheap.

Even though the days of "Supernatural" at it's best are long gone, it's still a great show more often than not.  My recommendation is to own it.

Captain America: The First Avenger

***SPOILER ALERT***

Everytime I watch "Captain America" I gain a greater appreciation for it.  As the last film released before the much anticipated "The Avengers" this film did a lot to get the audience ready for the film that would follow a year later, although the cost would be having this film stray from it's mythology.

Out of the all the characters that form the Avengers, I find Steven Rogers to be my favorite.  He's humble and brave, everything Captain America should be.  Watching him grow from this little guy to the rough Captain America was an amazing transformation.  I find the use of special effects to "shrink" Chris Evans to be astounding.  For those who don't know, Chris Evan is at his true height and weight after the experiment.  They combined his acting as well as the use of someone who is not a "fit" to make Steven Rogers prior to the said experiment and the result is remarkable.

The greatest caveat with this film however is that you very much need to be in the mood to watch this movie.  It is a period piece with a superhero thrown into the mix.  When the plotline moves into the future it does cause a lot of major issues with the story arc of the series being that the Captain America comics all take place circa World War II.  If a sequel should transpire, the powers that be are going to have to come up with a solution.  Although I'm willing to bet that it'll be the same stories told in the present, which could be a great thing for this franchise.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had films that haven't been up to par as I believe "Captain America: The First Avenger" is.  For those in the mood for both a period piece and superhero film you definitely have to Own it. You definitely have to be in the mood for Nazis too.

Thor

***SPOILER ALERT***

A year before "The Avengers" was to hit theatres, Marvel released "Thor."  A film that not only raised the anticipation for the movie but far surpassed it as a movie.  When I compare all the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Thor" always comes out on top.

What makes "Thor" such a great movie to me is that it possesses a successful blend of key ingredients in story telling.  The comedy doesn't make it cheap, the visual effects and action don't take away from the story and the story stands on it's own two feet. 

Thor, in many ways, is different than your average superhero in that he really isn't one at all.  He comes from another realm and is pretty much a prince of that realm, Asgaard.  He comes to earth after he is banished on the basis of his pride getting in the way and causing a war behind the Asgaardians and the Frost Giants.  The villain of the story, Loki, is my favorite kind of villain.  One that you are unaware of in the beginning.  As the film progresses his greed grow to suit his own needs thus fulfilling his villainous journey.

The CGI produced to illustrate Asgaard as well as the Frost Giants planet was incredible.  When watching this film I find myself satisfied just looking at the eye candy.  As a rare Hollywood treat, this eye candy is backed up by an incredible story that is worthy of the Essential Collection.

The Rescuers Down Under

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

Comparing this film to it's original 1977 predecessor is like Christmas morning for kids.  "The Rescuers" represents gifts that are clothes while "The Rescuers Down Under" represents all the toys that the child asked for.  You need the clothes because they are necessary but while opening all the clothes all you do is look forward to opening up the toys.  "The Rescuers" was boring but important as it introduced us to Bianca, Bernard and Wibur.  However, the characters were put into full effect with this sequel.

The first five minutes of this film were better than the whole preceding film.  I genuinely loved every minute of this film.  Even the resident villain, McLeach, was a much better villain than Madame Medusa ever was.  I'm also going to take a moment out and mention the scenery, it was stunning.  Which leads me to the importance of this film to the Disney Animated Feature canon.  Not only is it the first fully-animated sequel in the canon, the only other 2 are "Fantasia 2000" and "Winnie the Pooh," but it was the first Disney animated feature to make use of the new digital technology.  For those of you who are unaware of the digital process in animation the process takes the hand drawn characters and background and scans them into the computer.  When in the computer the animators add color.  That is why every animated film since this one, has crisper, brighter colors.

This being the first time I have watched this film, I feel as though it's a welcome addition to my Disney collection and I look forward to seeing it again sometime in the future.  Although Joanna annoyed me at times, it still highly deserves my recommendation to own it.

The Rescuers

***SPOILER ALERT***

In an age where animated mouse movies where a dime a dozen, along comes "The Rescuers."  It may be the first animated mouse film, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was the best of the onslaught of an over done idea. 

Disney brought us "The Rescuers" in 1977.  A time where Disney wasn't at it's peak.  We were still over ten years away from the Disney Renaissance and the popular days of old featuring "Bambi," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Cinderella" were long gone.  There was this awkward period in Disney animation that brought us this film as well as many medieval themed films.  None of which were all that great.  Most of them, including this one, were boring.  The four-minute opening sequence was a bit much in my opinion.  The plot was alright, but I never really understood why Madame Medusa had kidnapped Penny.  It was clear she was after the Devil's Eye Diamond, but what did some random orphan that lived in an orphanage half the country away have to do with it.

I also felt that Bianca and Bernard's relationship was a little awkward.  I understand the character's but they never really 'clicked' together.  I would say it was a chemistry thing.

"The Rescuers" wasn't all bad though.  It brought Disney a mini-action series.  It brought us a sequel released during the Disney Renaissance that I am actually looking forward to watching.  I did like watching them go down to Devil's Bayou and I did route for them.  The movie just lacked from being drawn out.  Of course this was a time when people had a lot more patience.

Disney has been more successful in my opinion but I believe the best recommendation for this film is to Rent It.

The Great Mouse Detective

***SPOILER ALERT***

During the 80's a lot of studios were cashing in on cartoon rodents and I have no idea why.  From "Secrets of Nimh" to "An American Tail" and "The Rescuers" and also with Disney's "The Great Mouse Detective."  A story based on Sherlock Holmes.

Disney has released a lot of animated films that have been stunning and some that have been down right terrible.  In "The Great Mouse Detective" it finds it's place in the middle of the pack.  It's not bad, but it's not great either.  This film was one of the last two films released before Disney's Renaissance, the other being "Oliver and Company" released right before "The Little Mermaid."

The film pretty much follows Basil and Dawson as they track down Ratigan, an evil rat who prefers to be called a mouse.  Ratigan attempts to infiltrate the Queen and become ruler of the mouse London.  Of course Basil and his witty instinct thwart his plan and return power to the Queen.

"The Great Mouse Detective" is a fun watch and in by no means terrible.  My recommendation is that you Rent It.

Deliberation, August 2012

After putting "The Hunger Games" into my  'Elite Collection,' I looked into the films, TV series and film series I have nominated and there are several that I feel that I'm going to call 2012 winners from today.  I'm going to explain why each is a winner below.

Film Series

Paranormal Activity-  I wasn't really fond of the first "Paranormal" film but as the series progressed I have appreciated the series more and more.  Above all else I admire both it's uniqueness and ability to use scare tactics without resorting to gore but using plain terror.

Jurassic Park-  I grew up on "Jurassic Park" and it's insanely awesome.  Even though the last one was a dud the other two stake a serious claim and definitely define elite.

TV Series

Teen Wolf- A great series in many ways and a welcome addition to my Elite Collection.  I was taken by the first season and the second season is one I'm eagerly awaiting for the DVD so I can delve right into it.

Being Human-  This is a winner because it has stuck with me since I watched it in January.  It's what I would call the post-pubescent "Teen Wolf" and I love it.

Film

Frozen- There are three films that have really stuck with me this year and "Frozen" is one of those.  The idea of trapping three people on a ski lift with wolves below was terrifying and I appreciated every second of it.

Chronicle- An unexpected success for me.  Found footage films have become really cliche but this one pulled out all the stops and made a real story about real power and I believed in how they treated their new-found powers.

In Time- A truly original concept that had me lost in thought thinking about the three.  Of the three, this film has really stuck with me the most.

Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World

***SPOILER ALERT***

"Pocahontas" was a very powerful film when it was originally released in the mid 90's.  The film achieved a lot of critical praise and kept the steamroller that was the Disney Renaissance rolling.  After a lot of boredom, Disney pushed out many direct-to-video 'cheapquels.'  "Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World" is one of those unfortunate disasters.

Whereas it's not as bad as some of the others it's just down right boring.  That's my major problem.  I spent most of the film watching the time code on my Blu-Ray player tick as I waited for it to hit 1:13:00, the length of the movie.

The movie also felt weird.  It brought Pocahontas to London to meet King James.  Unbeknownst to her at the time, the king was launching an armada to reclaim Jamestown and scare the 'savages' away.  After refusing to meet Pocahontas, the king agreed that if she can present herself in a civilized manner at an upcoming dinner, he would call off the armada.  Let's be real here.  What kind of king would make a military decision based on how someone acts at a dinner?  In the end he calls of the armada because Governor Ratcliffe was a liar.  Weak.

The film has some dignity but not too much.  If the film could have kept my attention it could have been good.  To be honest with you, I'd watch this again before the horrible film that was "Home On the Range."  In the end, I'm just going to recommend that you Skip It.

The Hunger Games

***SPOILER ALERT***

As of late it seems that a new franchise comes around as another ends in the world of fantasy.  From "The Lord of the Rings" to "Harry Potter."  From "Harry Potter" to "Twilight."  Now it's going from "Twilight" to "The Hunger Games."  What makes it amazing is that all of these franchises are awesome and "The Hunger Games" is no exception.  I was looking for a franchise that would soon fill the void that "Twilight" would leave behind when it concludes later this year.  Luckily, "The Hunger Games" has come around to take over that much needed role.

The first in a series of four films begins amazingly.  I had different expectations coming into this movie and I'm glad that they were wrong.  My original expectation was that the whole series would be about a single Hunger Games tournament.  I was wrong of course as the end of this film also saw the end of the 74th annual Hunger Games with two winners.  When it was first announced that two people could win, with the caveat that they would have to be from the same district, I was annoyed because I hate when exceptions are made.  If the rule is one winner than it should stay one winner under any circumstance.  Of course the result of two winners was shown to be quite an annoyance as the end of the film proved that the two winners would result in some serious consequences.  Thus the film took a more political turn.

Even though this film did remind me of "Death Race 2000," I've learned that there are very little original plots in Hollywood and I've learned to formulate my opinion based on how a film differs from a preconceived notion that the plot usually entails.  I feel "The Hunger Games" had many twists and turns and I feel that this film is the crown jewel for this kind of plot. 

I'm not one that goes on emotional roller coaster rides when watching movies anymore.  Partly due to the fact that I've become desensitized from seeing too many.  When a rare film comes along, such is the case here, that I really get involved in and get scared for the character it really says something to me.

I look forward to the future of this series and hate that I have to wait until late next year until the next installment is released.  Until then I can add "The Hunger Games" to the Essential Collection and spend the many months ahead rewatching this film anticipating what is to come next.

For those following my top film choices.  Because of how strongly I feel for this film, "The Hunger Games" has been added to the winner section under film series.  At the end of the year I will choose another film series.  Having to choose between this and another series would be unfair competition as it easily joins the likes of "Harry Potter," "Twilight" and "The Lord of the Rings."

Pocahontas

***SPOILER ALERT***

In the 90's Disney was going through a period of film-making that is now referred to as the 'Disney Renaissance,' which is pretty much all the films between "The Little Mermaid" and "Tarzan."  During this period Disney returned to making films based on well-known stories and the quality of these films created a lot of critical praise for the studio.

Pocahontas is one of the films that came out during that time period.  One of the aspects of the 'Renaissance films' is their timelessness.  Even though most of them are pushing twenty they are still as enjoyable today as they were when they were initially released.  I think it's safe to say that these films will stay popular further down the line joining the classics from Disney's beginning days like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Bambi" which are now almost seventy and there is still interest in those films.

Pocahontas is a commonly known story.  The British come to the New World in search of gold.  When they arrive they encounter the Native Americans who try to defend their land.  With not only gold on their mind, the British want to build up this New World but the cost would be the homes of the Native American.  Alas, a love story between Pocahontas and John Smith ensues.

The music is amazing in this film.  "Colors of the Wind" has always been one of my favorite Disney songs and a lot of the music is very catchy.  "Just Around the Riverbend" gets stuck in my head a lot.

When compared to the other Disney villains I don't think Governor Ratcliffe is as great a villain.  I just think he falls in the middle somewhere.  The love story is what really enraptured me into this story.  Not to mention the stellar animation on Disney's part.

Even though this isn't as good as some of the earlier 'Renaissance films' it is still an excellent, excellent film.  If you're one of the very few people who haven't seen it I think you need  to get moving and watch this film.  In matter of fact, I'm going to suggest you own it.

Bambi II

***SPOILER ALERT***

Disney has become known for it's crappy direct-to-video sequels.  "Bambi II" was one of the sequels released during that time, however it is nowhere near as crappy as the others.  In matter of fact, I would venture to say this one far surpasses the original.

I was never a big "Bambi" fan.  Having grown-up many decades after it's release it's emotional range was a lot softer than other films I grew up with.  It bothered me that the film had skipped over Bambi's emotions toward his mother's death.  Enter "Bambi II."  This film takes place right after Bambi's mom dies and continues through to Spring. 

I appreciate that the film is really a story about how Bambi grieved and what was to become of him.  At first his father was reluctant to look after him being the Prince and all.  He felt that a Prince doesn't take care of children.  However, he agreed to take care of Bambi for the winter.  The movie turned into one about both a father mentoring his son and a Prince mentoring his heir.

Several times during the film Bambi asked his father about his mother to which his dad replied that a prince leaves the past behind him.  I felt that really made way for the first movie when his mother wasn't mentioned much after her death.

The musical score and scenery were beautiful. I felt a lot of effort was put into making this film and I was really impressed.  Even though this film isn't as great as the Disney Renaissance films of the 90's I really felt this film was in league with some of Disney's other great films and therefore recommend you own it.

Jaws: The Revenge

***SPOILER ALERT***

Well, here's a real winner for you.  Let's take a shark, hellbent on revenge (for a reason we will never know), have it visit Amity to kill Sean Brody and then have it travel to the Bahamas (a place where sharks never go).  The kicker is that the shark not only finds out that Ellen Brody has travel plans to go to the Bahamas but beats her airplane there.  There are so many flaws with this movie, it's just flat out ridiculous.  If "Jaws" is the crown jewel of film-making, "Jaws: The Revenge" is it's polar opposite.

I did find the first twelve minutes interesting as the shark ascended on Amity on Christmas Eve to kill Sean Brody.  Even though I didn't like that they killed the little boy from the first movie.  It was terrifying.  However, the mood was killed as Ellen had the strangest mood swings going from laughing and having a good time to immediately traumatized.  It didn't work. 

A few days later, Ellen goes to the Bahamas with her eldest son, Michael.  Ironically, it's Christmas Eve there.  I didn't know that the Bahamas were in a time zone that put their Christmas Eve almost a week behind ours.  Weird.

The shark came back and was willing to spit out anybody that wasn't a Brody, including fake Jamaican Jake, who found himself right in the shark's mouth only to have the shark say yuck.

Universal Studios should have reexamined the franchise after "Jaws 3."  The scientific accuracy was totally lost in this film.  Shark's don't take revenge, they're instinctual animals.  Secondly, they don't go to the Bahamas.  Most importantly, next time I need to go overseas, I'm just going to rope a shark because if one of them can beat an airplane from New England to the Bahamas then this is definitely the way to travel.  Unfortunately, the only place this film is going is in the trash can.

Jaws 3

***SPOILER ALERT***

The "Jaws" film series is known for getting progressively worse and boy did the studio step in it with "Jaws 3."  Originally released as a 3D film, it was clear to me that the film was made to setup gimmicks to utilize the effects.  However, with home media not able to carry the 3D transfer, the film went from "Jaws 3D" to just "Jaws 3."  The special effects definitely show signs of the failed technology and as such we have a failed movie.

The plot alone is pathetic.  How on earth did the idea of bringing a great white shark into Sea World ever come to fruition from Universal Studios.  The idea is silly and full of propaganda.  Advertising Sea World is the only reason why I think the film brought this idea forth.  Of course I don't know why Sea World would want a film about a killer shark terrorizing their theme park because it would do nothing to help the park.

This film also brought about a baby shark that was held in captivity.  If there was anything I appreciated about this film it was it's scientific accuracy.  Sharks are afraid of dolphins and the reason there are no great white's in captivity is because they die when traumatized.

The special effects are just outright wrong.  I can't imagine what was going through the director's head.  The ending had a still shark (AKA not moving) approaching the control room and fake glass shattering around it.  It was sad, really sad.  The special effects people need to go back to film school.

Even though this isn't, surprising, the worst of the "Jaws" films, it definitely is a far cry from the awesomeness of the first one.  My recommendation is to simply Skip It.  I'm also going to advise you to quit while you're ahead because this film's successor is a doozy.

Jaws 2

***SPOILER ALERT***

I'm going to flat out say it, there's no way a sequel could live up to the legend that is "Jaws."  I went into this film expecting that and didn't come out disappointed.  But is "Jaws 2" bad? No.  It may not hold a candle to the original but it is still very entertaining.

"Jaws 2" takes place a couple of years after the events of the first "Jaws" film.  Martin Brody is still Chief of Police of the Amity PD and the 'islanders' have since grown past the event that took place and are very much sea-bound.  But alas, enter another great white shark in the waters of Amity.  Several attacks take place even a killer whale is munched on.

The biggest irritant for me was the willful ignorance of the mayor and the others in charge of Amity when Brody pretty much shows them incontrovertible evidence.  The killer whale attack should have been proof enough to set the alert, but then an unclear picture shows up off a camera from missing divers who were killed by the shark earlier in the film.  I just find it hard to believe that the mayor could remain so ignorant and not try to investigate, but instead shrugs Brody off as crazy.

The climax in this film surrounds a group of teens who are sailing to a place called Cable Junction.  On the way there the shark starts it's feeding fenzy until Officer Brody saves the day giving the shark quite a shock.

Although it is nowhere near as good as it's predecessor it's still miles better than the films that follows it.  My recommendation is that you rent it.  It's good entertainment for a movie night and pays homage to the original instead of trying to recreate it.

Glee Season Three

***SPOILER ALERT***

Season three of "Glee" is a time for change for a lot of the kids at McKinley High.  As literally half of the Glee club prepares to graduate at the end of the year the focus of the season follows Santana, Finn, Quinn, Puck, Kurt, Mercedes and Rachel as they prepare for their futures with a lot of the time spent on Rachel's future on Broadway as both her and Kurt apply for NYADA, the New York Academy for the Dramatic Arts.

As with seasons past, season 3 introduces some new faces in the form of Sugar Motta; a mob daughter that can't sing, Rory Flanagan; and Irish exchange student, and Joe Hart; a tattoo-clad Christian with dreadlocks.  The problem with most of the new characters is they are reduced to background swayers as the graduates are front and center.  A problem I think could become an issue as the graduates filter out.  I really wish this season would have spent more time on the people who weren't graduating for the simple reason that after this season the Glee club will have the students who haven't graduated.

One of the key elements to "Glee's" success in my opinion is it's eclectic use of music.  It mixes Broadway music, classics and today's hits to attract a large amount of viewers.  As is tradition with the series, this season has several tribute episodes that pay homage to the likes of Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and even "Saturday Night Fever."

One of the most important moments to me was Nationals.  After losing for two years I felt it was important for the Glee club to win this season before the original crew was separated.  Seeing the New Directions victorious at both Nationals and taking their first win over Vocal Adrenaline was extremely satisfying and left me wondering where the show could go now.  It's going to be vital that the show takes the right steps now because it will be the difference between success and failure as new students are recruited to the Glee club.

It was very interesting for me to watch Rachel choke at her NYADA audition.  It was a controversial moment as she got accepted at NYADA even though she forget the lyrics.  Her persistence at chasing down Carmen Tibideaux, I believe, is what got her into the school, convincing the recruiter to sit in on Nationals.  The controversy was only worsened when Kurt, who blew his audition out of the water, was denied admittance to the school.

I found the humor brought to us by Roz Washington, Brittany and Sue Sylvester as my favorite part of the show and this season is no different.  Brittany's clueless knowledge often leaves me laughing well after the episodes end.

With all it's flaws and many continuity issues, "Glee" season three keeps the momentum that the show has had in the past for me and is easily part of the Essential Collection.

Jaws

***SPOILER ALERT***

A lot of films are made in Hollywood today and as time progresses creating a 'perfect' film becomes fewer and further between.  However, if we were to hop in a time machine and travel back to the year 1975 we would come across the original theatrical release of a gem called "Jaws."

"Jaws" not only holds up over time, now pushing nearly forty years, but retains it's perfection.  A film that seemed nearly impossible to make in it's day still creates the horror that it held when it was originally released.  This film still causes people to fear going into the water.  An effect only a true horror film can create.

Almost everyone I know is familiar with the story of "Jaws."  A great white shark arrives in Amity, a small town on the coast of Martha's Vineyard.  Whilst there, the shark begins terrorizing the residents and creates panic on the fourth of July, an essential time of the year for Amity's tourism.  After the shark attacks on the holiday the mayor and Chief of Police Martin Brody hire the help of Quint, a tried and true shark hunter, to kill the great white.

The legacy of "Jaws" is one that causes the film's most hardcore fans to pilgrimage to Martha's Vineyard for various conventions and to meet the locals who took part in the film's production.  Even the film's score is still widely used today and instills the horror that it did nearly forty years ago.

To recommend this film as anything less than part of the Essential Collection would be down right ludicrous.  After all, anyone who owns movies whether it be casually or as a collector needs to have a copy of "Jaws."

American Reunion

***SPOILER ALERT***

"American Reunion" is a movie that has a very tight niche.  In matter of fact, there is little room in welcoming new people to the franchise.  It's what I call a 'novelty film.'  Done with the intent of bringing back the old fan base to see how the characters they knew and loved are doing now.  It even pays homage to the original films in slightly different and commonly opposite ways.


Even though it's a novelty film it's not necessarily a bad one.  It's just cut from a certain cloth.  If that particular fabric isn't your sort of thing this film is not for you.  It's your average teen sex comedy without the teenagers.  Now they are older and more reminiscent of the past.  The film even hints a sequel which would be equivalent to beating a dead horse.  I can see the novelty with one film but rebooting is not a good idea unless you go back to a younger base.  Everyone's married and has careers now so the whole "sexual exploration" idea is a bit inappropriate.  In matter of fact, it felt weird.  There comes a time when you have a family and a life and it's time to settle down.  I wish this film would have dealt more with their chosen lifestyles and finding happiness over reliving the "glory days" of old.

I've never been fond of high school reunions.  I've never been to one and never plan on going to any.  They seem pointless and irrelevant.  All the people I care about from high school I have on facebook so if I want to update I could do it that way.  I get tired of the superficiality of reunions and how people seem interested and make excuses for their lack of contact.  They even go so far as to promise contact in the future but that never seems to see fruition.  As is the case with this movie.  They promise to see more of each other.  I give them a week before they're all entwined back up in their own lives.

As far as the future with these characters, I hope there isn't any more films.  "American Pie" has done spin-off films that seem more appropriate because it deals with characters in the age range where "sexual exploration" is more appropriate.  It was nice seeing the characters again and catching up and therefore think it was good for one film.  I just fear sequels.  If you're not into the whole "American Pie" thing I wouldn't watch this film but if you were part of the original audience I would recommend you own it.  It's a great novelty film, although never funny.  Unless of course you consider rehashing old jokes with new twists funny.  The language was also quite fowl.  The humor is obviously sex related humor.

Batman Begins

***SPOILER ALERT***

Batman is a franchise that has been around for a long time and has seen many different incarnations.  Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" series is the current depiction of the legendary Batman and without a doubt, the best depiction.

Although "Batman Begins" is weaker than it's successor, "The Dark Knight," this film is by no means a bad film.  It's far from it.  I really appreciate the way Nolan set up Bruce Wayne's descent into Batman as a form of tragedy after the death of his parents.  I'd never heard of the villain Ra's al Ghul until this film but I really appreciated the use of the character as an aide to Bruce Wayne's journey into Batman.  Scarecrow is a villain that I was familiar with but he'd never been used in a live-action Batman before, at least to the best of my knowledge.

The main focus of this film was Ra's al Ghul teaming with Scarecrow to take over Gotham by using a gas that caused the residents to become crazy.  I think this could have been done a little better than it was because I think the Scarecrow could have played a bigger part because I felt that he was just one of Ra's al Ghul's henchmen as opposed to his own villain.

A majority of this film was spent telling the story of how Bruce became Batman.  I definitely appreciated that storytelling but I do believe it left the last third of the film a little weak.  However it is nice to see a movie that favors storytelling over action for a change.

Out of all the greats to come from this film my favorite is the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox.  Of course Morgan Freeman definitely added to that in his infinite awesomeness.  The way the relationship was written so that we knew that Fox knew that Bruce was Batman was masterful.  It was even written in a way that was comical.  That relationship is writing at it's best, in my opinion.  It makes me look forward to the sequel so that I can see more of their "innuendos," if you will.

Beside the stupid title, "Batman Begins" is a great and incredibly darker direction for the Batman franchise that is worthy of it's name.  I recommend you own it.

Pokemon Movies Update

I have nine Pokemon movies left to review.  I am notifying you because I am going to be working at a slower pace of about one a week.  I watched a lot recently anticipating my trip to the Nintendo World Store in New York City and I am going to watch the other nine in the ten remaining weeks until Pokemon Black and White 2 release on October 7.  As such I am going to be reviewing some other films in the mean time.  When I do review a Pokemon film it will use the same rating style as the other Pokemon movies have and the other films I review will use the default rating system which can be found at the top of the page.

Pokemon - Giratina and the Sky Warrior

***SPOILER ALERT***

I've always enjoyed when a Pokemon movie tries to tie the video game into it's plot.  Thus is the case with "Giratina and the Sky Warrior," the second in generation four's time and space trilogy.


Although called the Distortion World in Pokemon Platinum, this film follows Ash and friends into the Reverse World where they encounter Giratina in it's origin forme.  I definitely  feel that the whole "Pokemon Platinum Version The Movie" idea was a great idea for this film.  The distortion world is awesome as is Giratina.  Shaymin is another legendary Pokemon introduced in this film.  The main con to this movie is that Shaymin was quite cocky at the beginning.  Regigigas even made a brief appearance toward the end of the film.

The villain of this film, Zero, tries to take control of the Reverse World but is challenged when Giratina is troubled.  A matter that even causes Giratina to bring Dialga into the Reverse World at the beginning of the film.  As is to be expected, the Reverse World is saved thanks to Shaymin and it's super awesome sky-forme, known by fans of the game as Skymin.

When measured up against the other Pokemon films, "Giratina and the Sky Warrior" is definitely an awesome addition to the series.

Competitive Moment

I've never trained a Giratina before in either of it's formes.  It's dragon- and ghost-typing seems really awesome.   I don't see it too often so it's definitely not a popular pick amongst competitive battlers but I'm sure it can hold it's own.


I covered Dialga in my review for "The Rise of Darkrai" so I'll skip right to Shaymin.  Shaymin's real threat is its sky forme.  If not  for any other reason than it's dangerous in even a novice trainer's hands.  It does have a 4x weakness to ice which totally sucks because it'll die if you even throw an ice cube at it but not before it gets a hit in.  Of course ice shard can put an end to that strategy.

Regigigas sucks.  I'm not going to waste too much time on it.  It's stupid ability Slow Start halves it's power and speed for the first five turns so unless you can suppress it's ability or make it a special attacker or wall don't waste your time.  Even if you succeed at making it work good luck dealing with it's speed.

Pokemon - The Rise of Darkrai

***SPOILER ALERT***

"The Rise of Darkrai" is an important film to me because it was the first film released after I started collecting the Pokemon movies.  This film really laid the roots that not only got me back into the movies but into the games as well.

This film was the first released for generation four.  It is the first of what has become commonly known as Pokemon's time and space trilogy.  There is little thread between them but enough to merit them as a trilogy.

This film's plot is real simple.  Darkrai is feared by the town's people but ends up just being the middle guy trying to quell the fighting between Dialga, the Pokemon of time and Palkia, the Pokemon of space.  Both of which are considered to be deities.

This film is one that I commonly rewatch.  It's fun and I enjoy the action after a hard day when I'm in the mood for Pokemon.  When I compare it to the other film's in the franchise it's pretty good.

Competitive Moment

Darkrai is definitely the quintessential Pokemon that could take Mewtwo down.  In matter of fact, if you don't get rid of it right away it's going to become quite the headache.  It puts you to sleep and takes damage from you while you are sleeping through both it's ability and dream eater.

Dialga is one of my favorite legendary Pokemon.  It is a great dragon-type Pokemon because it is not weak to either dragon or ice-type Pokemon.  It is definitely a special attacker and can be great when utilized correctly.

I don't know too much about Palkia.  I've never trained one and I've always seen it to be inferior to Dialga.  I've never really battled a Palkia.  It isn't weak to ice which is great, but it is weak to dragon so that definitely gives Dialga the edge over it.

Pokemon 4Ever - Celebi: Voice of the Forest

***SPOILER ALERT***

"Pokemon 4Ever" came around when the Pokemon phenomenon of the 90's was calming.  It was the first to be released in a limited theatrical capacity.  Generation two was in full swing so it came time to introduce the world to Celebi, a Pokemon that was unannounced at that point in time.  Celebi remains to be one of the rarest Pokemon to date being available only twice since it was first announced making it rarer than Mew.

"Pokemon 4Ever" is a much more subtle Pokemon movie as it stars a higher-up in Team Rocket trying to catch and control Celebi so he can take over Team Rocket.  The deeper storyline was Professor Oak's back story.  Although unknown until the end of the movie; Professor Oak, known as Sammy, traveled through time with Celebi and befriended Ash while trying to save Celebi with the help of Suicune.

As I said earlier, this film is subtle and therefore falls somewhere in the middle for me.  I'd say it was alright when compared to the other Pokemon films.  There have been better, there have also been worse.

Competitive Moment

Celebi is exceedingly rare.  Since the current games are only compatible with games in generations three, four and five Celebi has only been available in early 2011.  It was released once before when gold, silver and crystal were out, but that Celebi cannot be forwarded to the games of today.

Suicune was the mascot of Pokemon Crystal, the third generation two game.  He had a more important role in the story of the game and that story carried over to the remakes Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver.

Pokemon the Movie Black - Victini and Reshiram

***SPOILER ALERT***

Shortly after the start of generation five it was time to get moving on a new movie to show off the new Pokemon.  The result was actually two movies.  I like to call this movie, along with it's partner movie, "Pokemon the Movie White - Victini and Zekrom" mirror movies.  They're basically the same thing with a few tweaks.  I'll get to that when I review White.

This film is probably the closest the anime has ever gotten to the plot of the video games with the two stones that resurrect themselves when a trainer worthy of them discovers them.  Inside the dark stone is Zekrom, Pokemon of ideals and Reshiram, Pokemon of truth.  In this movie, Ash controls Reshiram while Damon controls Zekrom.  A lot mirrors the video games here even so much as the floating castle that the battle commences on.

Victini is generation five's resident "fairy" legendary, meant to be both cute and strong.  Victini had been trapped in Eindoak Town for 1,000 years and the plot pretty much covered trying to free Victini from Eindoak Town.  Of course there is success.

I enjoyed this film more the second time around and when compared to the other Pokemon films, it's quite good.  Besides, I've always enjoyed when these films add a fantasy element to the mix and this one definitely covered that.

Competitive Moment

Being that Reshiram is the starring legend in this film I'm going to save Zekrom for my White review.  In many ways Reshiram is Zekrom's opposite.  Reshiram is a great special attacker.  A Pokemon that definitely can hold it's own in competitive battling.  As much as I love Zekrom I feel Reshiram definitely deserves it's place as mascot of Pokemon Black Version.

As for Victini, it's meant for double and triple battles, neither of which I am particularly fond of.  I prefer to go with either singles or rotations.  Of course Victini is pretty good there too thanks to it's unique typing and good move pool.  Victini can be a complete headache if you're not ready for it, of course it can die real easy too.

Pokemon - Zoroark: Master of Illusions

***SPOILER ALERT***

About a month before Pokemon Black and White were released in the United States, Cartoon Network aired the final generation four movie, "Zoroark: Master of Illusions."  As is tradition with Pokemon, this film introduced the first generation five Pokemon, Zoroark and Zorua.

A lot of people assume that because Zoroark is the the title Pokemon that it is a legendary.  This is not true.  Both Zoroark and Zorua are hard to come by but are by no means legendary and both can be bred.

The film takes place in Crown City where Ash and his friends had come to watch the Pokemon Baccer World Cup.  Competing in this tournament was Kodai and his "Nimbasa Legends" team.  Kodai interrupted the tournament by capturing Zoroark and making it create an illusion that Crown City was under attack.  Zorua spent the movie with Ash trying to get back to it's mother, Zoroark.  Celebi and the shiny Crown Beasts; Suicine, Entei and Raikou helped chase Kodai out of Crown City.  In the end, Ash and his friends were successful and Kodai failed at his plan and Zorua was reunited with Zoroark.

The Pokemon film franchise had it's ups and downs.  With this film it's clear that it was made to generate hype for generation five.  It successfully did so.  I found it entertaining and when compared to the other ones, it's quite good.

Competitive Moment

There are quite a few Pokemon to talk about this time.  The first is Zoroark who is quite a good Pokemon if you know how to use it.  It has an ability that has it come out disguised as the last Pokemon in your party and will revert to it's original form when hit.  I found myself confused once or twice when I would choose Zoroark and it would come out disguised as another one but when utilized correctly it could be a great form of deception to help you get the edge in battle.

Celebi is a good Pokemon in my opinion.  However, it suffers because a lot of the Pokemon on it's level and above it are Pokemon that Celebi is weak to.  If it didn't have this obstacle Celebi could be a great Pokemon.  In many ways it still is, if I could ever find a way to utilize it.

Suicune is probably the best of it's trio.  It is a good support Pokemon that can be quite the headache when used properly.  Entei and Raikou are, unfortunately, just alright. 

Pokemon the First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back

***SPOILER ALERT***

Back in 1999, Kid's WB brought 'Pokemon' to the big screen for the first time with "Pokemon the First Movie."  The movie brought a lot to the table for the then ravenous crown of kids who loved Pokemon.  This movie featured Mewtwo.  In 1999 Mewtwo was the king of all Pokemon.  Everyone wanted to get their hands on one this ultra rare Pokemon.  Therefore there was no better option to base a film.

The movie starts with Mewtwo being created by scientists in a laboratory.  As he gains consciousness, Mewtwo begins to question his purpose.  Thus beginning a reign of terror on New Island and the world that would bring the greatest Pokemon trainers to battle it out to stop Mewtwo before it was too late.

Although thoroughly predictable, "Mewtwo Strikes Back" was an incredible story for a children's anime series.  The film brought Pokemon to the screen that made even teenagers salivate.  The elusive Mew, still as rare today as it was back then, brought a shroud of mystery to the film.

I can't compare "Mewtwo Strikes Back" to most films released to today's standard because it has a very specific fan base.  When stacked up to the other films in it's franchise "Mewtwo Strikes Back" is really awesome although not the best the franchise has delivered.

Competitive Moment

Mewtwo is a Pokemon that was in a league of it's own when generation one was at it's peak.  However that was short lived as generation two brought dark-type Pokemon into the mix.  Not only is Mewtwo frail but it needs to be pretty fast to be the special sweeper that it needs to be.

Mew is another story.  He has one thing major going for him, he can learn any move.  Although he isn't invincible he can definitely hold his own in competitive play, the problem would be trying to get your hands on one.  Nintendo doesn't spend a lot of time offering this rare gem on the table. 

Pokemon Movies

In anticipation for the release of Pokemon Black and White 2, I am going to be rating all fifteen Pokemon movies between now and October.  I am going to be using a slightly different format for these movies.  Because none of them are what I call blockbuster films and are very much niche films, I am going to rate them on the following scale.  Terrible, Bad, Alright, Good and Awesome.  When I choose where it's going to rate it's going to be in comparison to other films in the series.  I am also going to take a moment at the end of each review, which I will call the "competitive moment" where I will go through some of the Pokemon in the film and how they fare in competitive play and, for the older films, how they have held up through the generations.  The films that are included are the following:

1. Pokemon the First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back (featuring Mew and Mewtwo)
2. Pokemon the Movie 2000 - The Power of One (featuring Lugia, Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres)
3. Pokemon 3: The Movie - Spell of the Unown (featuring Unown and Entei)
4. Pokemon 4Ever - Celebi: Voice of the Forest (Featuring Suicune and Celebi)
5. Pokemon Heroes (Featuring Latias and Latios)
6. Pokemon - Jirachi: Wish Maker (Featuring Jirachi and Groudon)
7. Pokemon - Destiny Deoxys (Featuring Deoxys and Rayquaza)
8. Pokemon - Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (featuring Lucario, Mew, Regice, Registeel and Regirock)
9. Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea (Featuring Manaphy and Kyogre)
10. Pokemon - The Rise of Darkrai (Featuring Darkrai, Dialga and Palkia)
11. Pokemon - Giratina and the Sky Warrior (Featuring Giratina, Dialga, Regigigas and Shaymin)
12. Pokemon - Arceus and the Jewel of Life (Featuring Arceus, Heatran, Dialga, Palkia and Giratina)
13. Pokemon - Zoroark: Master of Illusions (Featuring Zoroark, Celebi, Entei, Suicune and Raikou)
14. Pokemon the Movie Black - Victini and Reshiram (Featuring Victini, Reshiram and Zekrom)
15. Pokemon the Movie White - Victini and Zekrom (Featuring Victini, Zekrom and Reshiram)

Spider-Man 3

***SPOILER ALERT***

"Spider-Man 3" gets a lot of negative criticism from fans of the series.  However, every time I watch it I gain a higher appreciation for it.  Even though no films have succeeded this one besides a reboot, I don't think it was half the train wreck people make it out to be.

The only thing I would change about this film is Venom.  I would have kept the whole black Spider-Man idea and played it out just as it was.  I would have even introduce Eddie Brock.  The gothic feel of the black Spider-Man was the strongest attribute of this film in my mind.

I would have ended the film with the conclusion of Harry Osborn's story as well as the defeat of Sandman.  However, I would have the last scene in the film being Venom latching onto Eddie Brock.  I grew up loving the character and I think he would've been a great villain for a fourth "Spider-Man" film.  Of course it's not going to happen that way.

I still didn't like Mary Jane in this film but I do like how her personal conflicts were opposing Peter's.  I think the character development was far superior than the other two films.  My only issue is Peter's friendship with Harry.  Harry had become vindictive and deceptive, and although he did receive redemption, there's no way I would have allowed my friendship with him to continue if he tried to kill me.

Eddie Brock was a character I felt that did this film a great justice.  It gave Peter Parker a nemesis.  We have seen Spider-Man have nemeses, but not Peter.  The competition for the staff position at the Daily Bugle was probably the most I felt for Peter in the three films.  I believe he was right in exposing Eddie, even though he was "possessed" by Venom at that point.

After watching this film again I need to retract saying that "Spider-Man 2" was the best in the series.  I now believe this film is the superior one and I proudly induct it into the Essential Collection.  Although something tells me I'm going to get a lot of flack for it.  You should watch it and make your own opinion, but I loved it.  Very much so.

Beetlejuice

***SPOILER ALERT***

Tim Burton is known for cranking out movies that are bizarre.  "Beetlejuice" is no exception.  In matter of fact, I found myself questioning what kind of drugs Burton was on when he created this film.  It was macabre, strange, weird and not even an ounce funny.

"Beetlejuice" follows the story of a young couple that dies on a bridge.  Their house is inhabited by a family of humans that they want to see leave.  Therefore they hire the help of bio-exorcist Betelgeuse to help get rid of the humans.

Even though the film aimed at humor, I didn't see it.  Most of the sets looked fake and unbelievable.  I think this story could have really benefited from a darker storyline that wasn't based around humor.  In ways it felt like it was supposed to be a family film, but there's no way I would let my kids watch this if I had any.

Winona Ryder's character, Lydia, was a really awkward character for me.  For some reason she could see the ghosts.  I get the whole "goth child who wants to die" thing.  I just see it all as a form of attention seeking and teen angst.  I didn't care for her character and wish they could have utilized her story to explain why she could see the ghosts.

I didn't realize how old this film was.  It used stop-motion instead of CGI so my guess is that it was made right around the beginning of the 1990s.  I only wonder if the special effects weren't supposed to be corny.  In ways it felt like Burton was going for a cornier feel.

Tim Burton has made a lot of films that I believe are great ones.  I can't help but feel that "Beetlejuice" isn't one of them.  I can't even figure out why the film spells Beetlejuice and Beetle Juice as the title, but in the film spells his name as Betelgeuse.  My advice, skip it.

Corpse Bride

***SPOILER ALERT***

Whenever I put a Tim Burton film into my player I know to expect something a little different.  Such is the case with "Corpse Bride."  Made as a spiritual sequel to "The Nightmare Before Christmas," "Corpse Bride" uses a lot of the same themes and plot devices.  The film may be inferior to "Nightmare," but I still found it to be a good film, albeit incredibly short running a shy hour and seventeen minutes including end credits.

The film takes place in an incredibly subdued Victorian London.  We first see Victor Van Dort on his way to a rehearsal for an arranged marriage with a woman named Victoria.  The rehearsal doesn't go well and Victor stumbles over his vows.  The priest tells him  to practice his vows and he leaves the church going through them in his head.  Thus, he accidentally marries the corpse bride.  The film then goes to the much livelier underworld where this corpse bride lives as the two struggle with their marriage and it's many complications.

My favorite part of the movie is the way Burton illustrated the two worlds.  The world of the living is very drab, dark and, in a way, dead.  Whereas the world of the dead is exciting, colorful and lively.  It's an interesting oxymoron that really brought a lot of thought in this film for me.  Having gone through death, the dead are no longer held down to fear.

I didn't really like that rich guy that married Victoria toward the end of the film.  I didn't feel like he fit into the plot too much.  He did have an interesting death scene though and he did further the corpse bride's story.  I just didn't feel like he fit at the beginning half of the film and I think the writer's could have done something to make him seem more foreboding and giving him a nature that would make us think that he was the one responsible for the corpse bride's death.

"Corpse Bride" is a very casual movie that works well for the casual viewer.  When compared to Tim Burton's other films, it falls in the middle somewhere.  I recommend you rent it.

Spider-Man 2

***SPOILER ALERT***

After the success of the first film, a sequel to "Spider-Man" was in very high demand.  The internet was buzzing on plot details and all.  The villain of choice, Doctor Octopus, one of Spider-Man's biggest adversaries, created an even bigger anticipation and raised expectation high, but not high enough as audiences all across the country watched and were amazed at what is now described as a 'perfect comic book movie.'  I both agree and disagree with that title.

'Spider-Man 2' finds Peter Parker two years after the events of the first film, his life is in ruins.  He's failing classes, missing rent payments and even getting fired from his job.  All the while, Oscorp and Dr. Otto Octavius are creating a fusion reactor that would eventually turn Otto into Dr. Octopus.

I found this film to be incredibly deep and it created a new emotional demand for movies of it's genre.  Popcorn action wasn't enough anymore.  Going through the struggle with Peter as he tried to straighten his life out really got me involved in his welfare and I cared about him and wanted him to get his life back on track.

The strongest element of this film, in my opinion, are Doctor Octopus's arms.  The writer's crafted the arms as their own entity.  They thought on their own accord and, at a certain point, began controlling Otto.

With all the praise  'Spider-Man 2' received I had two major issues with it.  The first was the cameo appearances.  The cameos were too many and they were all corny.  All those cameo appearances also greatly affected my second issue which was the humor.  It all fell flat on me.  There was a lengthy talk between Spider-Man and Hal Sparks in an elevator that just seemed overkill.  The only character that I felt needed to be eccentric was J. Jonah Jameson.  All the other cameos even interrupted the flow for me.

If you're in the mood to see a movie that revolutionized it's genre and help make comic book movies what they are today, "Spider-Man 2" is a must see.  For me, the humor distracted me so much that I'm on the border with my recommendation.  But I will say own it even though I want to give it a lesser recommendation.  After all, it is better than the first.

The Importance of Character Development, "One Tree Hill"

***SPOILER ALERT***

 

Beginning with this column, I'm going to be starting a bi-weekly essay entitled "The Importance Of Character Development" The idea of this column is to focus on television and the importance of creating loveable characters.  My first essay is going to be about the importance of character development in the CW's "One Tree Hill."

I've always felt that the most important aspect of a television series is it's character development.  Earlier today, I laid in my room and was thinking about the characters in different shows and how they affected how I felt about those shows.  Those close to me know that I hold "One Tree Hill" near and dear to my heart.  The main contributing reason is the characters.

For those unfamiliar, "One Tree Hill" ran for nine seasons beginning on the WB network in 2003.  After the WB and UPN merged to form the CW, beginning with the series' fourth season, it ran for an additional six seasons airing it's series finale in 2012.

The story of "One Tree Hill" starts with two brothers, Lucas and Nathan Scott, living two very different lives.  Lucas lives with his mother, Karen, while Nathan lives with their father, Dan, and his mother.  The two clash in many different ways living two completely opposite lives.  Of course that changes through the course of the series.

The characters that the two brothers interact with in their hometown of Tree Hill, North Carolina send the plot soaring from the first moment until the last second.  Whenever I really involve myself in a show the most important question I ask myself is, "What relationship do I consider to be the heart and soul of this show?"  Most commonly it's a romantic relationship, as is the case in "One Tree Hill."

From the very first season Nathan Scott and Haley James began an unorthodox relationship.  Haley was a bookworm as well as close friends with Nathan's arch nemesis, Lucas.  Nathan began going after Haley as a way of tormenting Lucas but the feelings grew to be real.  As the series progressed, Nathan and Haley developed a relationship that withstood many tests.  The two of them never cheated on each other and through better or worse, always believed in the other.  Their relationship grew into a teenage marriage which, over the years, grew into a family when they welcomed their children Jamie Lucas and Lydia Bob into the family.

Jamie became a character beginning in the show's fifth season.  He was approximately 5 years old at that point and was developing his own childhood being guided by his parents.  Jamie was never really a character I grew to appreciate but saw his importance as a staple holding Nathan and Haley together.  There were times when the two argued to a point where I didn't know they would make it, but they stuck it out for their love of Jamie.

Another relationship that grew from the beginning was the relationship between Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer.  Although Lucas had been in a love triangle with Brooke Davis, his feelings for Peyton won out and the two eventually got married.

Peyton was the show's 'troubled teen.' She lived in a parentless house in her infamous red bedroom.  She had an extreme interest in music.  She would often turn to her favorite bands when she was having emotional times.  In season five she grew to own her own her own music label, Red Bedroom Records.  The label's office was located right behind Tric, the club Peyton grew very fond of and invested a lot of herself into.  After having daughter Sawyer in season six, Peyton and Lucas left the show.

Enter Clay Evans and Quinn James.  Quinn was Haley's sister, reunited when their mother, Lydia, passed away in the show's seventh season.  Quinn was very fond of photography, a hobby that united her with Clay.  Clay was Nathan's agent when he was in the NBA.  Clay had a rather unique story for a teen drama.  He had come from a previous marriage that ended in his wife's death.  His wife had died a few years earlier of a brain aneurism.  He became traumatized over the events and created a wall in his mind that caused him to forget a lot of the events that happened in his previous marriage.  With Quinn at his side he began to unlock what had happened in his marriage and even led him back to his child.

Perhaps one of the shows most energetic characters is Brooke Davis.  During the high school years, Brooke really got around with the guys of Tree Hill.  Even going so hard as to enter Clean Teens, a group where teens pledge abstinence, to get a guy she wanted to be with.  Her part in the love triangle with Lucas created a lot of friction in another one of my favorite Tree Hill relationships, the friendship between Brooke and Peyton.  The two went through so many trials and tribulations together, most of which ended up with Peyton getting the guy and Brooke ending up alone.  I found Brooke's quest for both love and children to be the most endearing story lines for her character.  At first, Brooke always dreamed of her wedding day.  With every failed date, that day seemed to be further and further off.  Enter Julian Baker, filmmaker from Los Angeles.  At first he came into the show as Peyton's ex-boyfriend but soon fell head over heels for Brooke.  He often said in the series that the moment he fell in love with Brooke was when he walked in on her dancing to "Don't You Forget About Me" in her clothing store "Clothes Over Bros."

One of the stronger elements to "One Tree Hill" was it's resident villain, Dan Scott.  A character who was so well developed in the series that you felt emotions going from cringing every time he came on screen to wishing him dead to rolling your eyes at his redemption attempts to actually believing those redemption attempts to wanting to see him redeemed to crying at his death after he gets his redemption.  To see a character go from being hated so much to being an unsung hero is the most poignant storytelling device in "One Tree Hill," in my opinion.  If you were to ask who I believe was the greatest fictitious villain of all-time, I would answer with Dan Scott.  Boy, was he a good villain.  In the end, he was a really good hero too.  From the moment he killed his brother in cold blood to the moment he breathed his last breath after taking a bullet for his son, Nathan, Dan was a character that made "One Tree Hill" the show it was.

Along with an ensemble cast that each had their own storyline, "One Tree Hill" was a show that grew into it's own and was steered by it's characters.  Love them or hate them one thing remains true, there is only one Tree Hill.