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Alpha and Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure (2013)
An unnecessary and really bad sequel.
When Alpha and Omega was released back in 2010, its reception wasn't very positive. Both critics and movie-goers alike blasted the film, criticizing it's story, animation, and just being an overall bad film. It managed to find some fans, but it's still a film many people just simply forgot... or wanted to forget.
Admittedly, it's a guilty pleasure of mine. Yeah, it's bad, and it's not something I'd recommend to anyone... but I can find some enjoyment out of it, and I don't think it's as bad as many claim (close, but not quite). With that said, in no way did I ever wish for it to receive a sequel. Honestly, it's just not necessary, and again, not too many people even liked the first film. It's fan base, if one even exists, is quite small, so who's the targeted audience? Why even bother making a sequel, knowing it probably won't sell?
Well, they made one anyway, and because I somewhat enjoy the first film, I decided to give it a shot.
...And what a mistake that turned out to be. Any charm the first film might have had is completely absent here, and there's many reasons why. The story is predictable (even more so than the first), the characters (both old and new) are terrible and useless, the script is lousy, the jokes are lame, the animation is often very sloppy and unpolished (amateurish mistakes that would make any newbie and up-and-coming animators blush with embarrassment), among numerous other examples. For that matter, any and all wolf sound effects (Howling, growling, etc.) all sound like poor-quality stock sound effects, as if they found them off some free sound effects website. The amount of effort they put into this film is... practically non-existent.
The worst offender is how short the movie is. It's not even a full- length film... no, it's only 45 minutes. And considering how the finale goes down, there's so much evidence for me to believe the film was cut short and left unfinished... as if they ran out of budget or lost the motivation to complete it (I'm leaning towards the latter).
Everything about this movie screams "Lack of effort". It's an abomination to viewers and fans of the original film. Even after renting this for $4 off of Amazon Instant Video, I still feel cheated and want my money back. Avoid this movie like the plague... trust me, you won't regret it.
Don gato y su pandilla (2011)
Should have stayed in the past...
Despite not being a huge hit as it is in Mexico, Top Cat still has plenty of fans over here in the US as well. When I first heard about this film, I was quite excited to see one of my favorite childhood characters brought back into the mainstream. I was a little worried that I wouldn't get a chance to watch it, but to my surprise, an English dub actually exists.
After watching the film for myself though... I have to say, I am severely, severely disappointed. Almost everything about this film ranges from mediocre, to really bad, to just flat-out poor.
The idea around using 2D character in a CGi-generated environment is nothing new to animation, as it was something that was starting in the 80's by the likes of Disney and the sort. Unfortunately, unlike Disney and Don Bluth films, where the combination of CGi and Traditional animation was either near perfect or pretty darn close, it sticks out like a sore thumb in this film. The style of the 2D characters don't match up one bit with the CGi backgrounds, resulting in some pretty awkward scenes. Not to mention, the 2D animation has plenty of errors, making me believe that while they did put in some effort, it just simply wasn't enough. Top that off with some clunky CGi effects, 2D characters in the wrong placements, a new art style that looks like something that fell right out of kindergarten, among other things, and you've got what can only be considered a very mediocre-looking film.
The humor in the film doesn't fare well either. Maybe this is just me, but when I think of Top Cat, the first things that come to mind isn't a guy getting hit in the nuts, the cats mentioning the word "Pee" a couple of times, ridiculous futuristic technology in what appears to be a modern-day world, etc. Many jokes are also just repeats of what you'd find in the 60's cartoon, showing an obvious lack of effort from the guys who made this film. There's also plenty of random jokes that, of course, go nowhere and provide absolutely nothing for the film (like the solar eclipse joke). Whoever wrote and/or directed this, completely and obviously missed the point of the 60's cartoon series, and why said series was so well beloved in the first place.
The story is also a huge mess. This film is just riddled with plot holes, plots that go nowhere, characters that are introduced, only to be forgotten minutes after appearing in the movie, and the list goes on. All the characters feel like insults to their 60's counterparts, and the main antagonist is just horrible. There's literally not one good or memorable character in this film, which makes me wonder, again, if they were even trying.
Overall, it's a really bad film. While I appreciate the effort to reintroduce an old character to a new generation, not enough effort and love was put into it to make it a LASTING impression. Too much of this film just screams the word "Lazy", that it must make even Joseph Hanna and William Barbera roll in their graves. Here's the lesson we must learn from this; Just because something's low budget, as the Hanna-Barbera cartoons were back then, does't mean it's bad. The thing about the old Hanna- Barbera cartoons is that even though they weren't as well written or sophisticated as the Looney Tunes or Disney cartoons were, they still had their own charm... and that's what people remember and cherish about those old cartoons. This movie removes that charm from Top Cat, tries to turn it into something the old cartoons weren't, and just turns the whole thing into something else... and that "Something else", quite frankly, just isn't Top Cat. Almost nothing about this films feels related to Top Cat, and if it weren't for a somewhat similar character design, it wouldn't even be Top Cat. This is just another poor attempt to "Modernize" a character for a new generation, skewering and ruining his good name in the process.
This film will undoubtedly find its fans, as anything and everything always does, but I advice those who are curious to watch this film, heed my warning; If you love and cherish the cartoon of old, and you hate when they throw in jokes that would normally only appeal to five-year old children, this is not the film for you... and I advice you stay far away from it.
2/10
Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs & a Baby (2008)
Pretty good.
When most people think of companies that make animations, they'll most likely think of those like Pixar, DreamWorks, Sony, Blue Skies, or the sort. Unfortunately, because of this, most companies such as the ones that made this film won't get a chance in edgewise because most people will see it's some company they don't recognize and simply pass it by. Their movies are shot down before they can leave their mark. Sadly, this film is one of those films that, while it's not a masterpiece, is still a fun little movie that can be quite fun to watch.
====== Story~ ======
It is based on the story of the Three Little Pigs of course, albeit with a modern-day tone. The story also takes some elements from the Little Red Riding hood story, but only by mentioning some things from that story. Otherwise, it starts out like the typical story; the Big Bad Wolf is blowing the house of straw and house of sticks down, and cannot blow down the house of Bricks. After a failed attempt to get into the house (by going into the chimney when the fire was going... resulting in his death... I'm not kidding), the Wolves decide to try another plan. This plan involves leaving a baby Wolf on the pigs doorsteps (they are now living under the same roof until their houses are rebuilt), having it be raised by the pigs, then when the time come have the grown up Wolf betray the pigs so they can finally get to them inside the brick house.
The story isn't really anything spectacular, but for me it worked. Granted, it was predictable (as most kids flicks are), and I didn't particularly like the ending (it's the type where "Everyone gets along in the end and we all live happily ever after). Still, it was fun to watch, and perhaps an interesting twist on the Three Little Pigs story.
============= CG and Style~ =============
Surprisingly, it was better than what I expected. Everything was pretty well detailed, Wolves actually had fur detail, expressions were nice, and most everything was good. My only complaint was when they tried to animate liquid, which most companies always do seem to have trouble with. Still, it didn't really bother me that badly since we don't see it all that often.
The only bad thing is though is the style of the characters. For me, I sort of liked it, though even I will admit it was odd (especially the Wolves). This will turn off a lot of people unfortunately, as most will pass it off as "dumb" or "distracting". If you can get past it though, you'll probably be able to enjoy the film.
Overall, I'd say that unlike most of your other CG animated films by many unknown companies, this one was actually done with care and patience. It didn't seemed rushed, nor does it really disappoint. It's not something that'll blow away the big-name companies, but can still hold its own in my opinion.
====== Humor~ ======
Sadly, a lot of stuff is a hit and miss, though while I watched the film I was never really bored. Some jokes did hit a cord for me though, like when they frequently broke the fourth wall a couple of times (like when the Boss Wolf himself bashing the film, stating that "we don't have the budget to MAKE IT A MUSICAL!!!"). Other than that, there's a lot of jokes where they tried too hard, and they often fell flat. Again, you'll find it a hit and a miss.
=========== Conclusion~ ===========
Overall, it depends on your own preferences whether or not you will like this film or not. For those that can get past the odd style of the film, you'll find a diamond in the rough that you will probably enjoy. Others, will hate it for trying to be too different. If you can rent it, do that first to see if you like it or not, because it'll definitely be a mixed bag by one person's standards or another. Just remember to not take the film too seriously (because it doesn't really either), and enjoy it for what it is.
Injun Trouble (1969)
Sad...
I've been checking out a lot of the older cartoons here recently, and I ran across a character I haven't seen since the beginning of my childhood. I find that not only was this the last episode to involve Cool Cat, but also the last theatrically released cartoon short. Surely, they would go out with a bang, something that would be remembered in the future as their grand finale.
...I was wrong.
Instead, I got this. How can I possibly describe it? While I do think Cool Cat is... well, cool... The execution of the episode was just so poor and flimsy that it is just embarrassing really. It takes anything that could be a pun and turn it into a really bad joke. The Horse (hanging from a ledge) asks for a hand, and Cool Cat claps. The Indian asks him to throw him a rope, and he throws him a rope (without it tied to anything). While these weren't anything terrible, it's not really funny either.
Some more of the low-point was when, for no good reason at all, we cut to this Indian painting his house. Why is he painting his house? Is it really that important? Nope, but we're going to see it anyway, just for a "laugh". Anyway, apparently he is trying to paint a red line all around his house, but misses the start of where he painted and gets furious... that was the joke? He gets mad and tosses the paint can in the air, and of course it lands on his head. Then, the next joke is the same Indian (I'm not sure about that though) is painting a face on this bucket. He then puts the bucket over his head and says "Me pail face!" and the screen fades.
...Seriously? Me pail face? That's just... stupid. It didn't even have any point at all, the Indian wasn't important in any way, and it was just a dumb time-waster meant for a really cheap laugh.
I'm not going to type out all the jokes in the cartoon, but expect more of the same; just thrown in for a cheap laugh and have no point to the overall plot of the cartoon. Plus, you'd be amazed at how many "jokes" (I use that term lightly) involve some random Indian stopping Cool Cat in the middle of the road (when we change angles, the road is gone... so yes, there's also lazy animation). Regarding the plot though, while I will admit that most seven minute cartoons never do have much plot to them, but this cartoon just takes the cake as to how low some people's standards can go.
But to be fair, there two two jokes that made me... break a smile (perhaps even chuckle a bit). One was when one of the Indians gave Cool Cat his wife, and Cool Cat screamed back "INDIAN GIVER!!". The other was this one involving an "Indian Type Write" (though it lead to a confusing joke as to how all the Indians know who Cool Cat is, and why they want him to go home).
Some of the words that come to mind about this cartoon is shameful, cheap, terrible, among other words. Never mind that many people might consider it offensive (so offensive that it was never shown on television, or so I hear), it's just a bad cartoon no matter how you look at it. Not only did this probably utterly murder the could-have-been-cool Cool Cat and any popularity he could have achieved, but this was probably the whole reason why they stopped creating theatrical cartoons (but don't quote me on that).
Just don't bother. You are better off watching actual good cartoons (go watch What's Opera Doc, which was named best short cartoon).
Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special (1977)
Shameful...
My folks told me that this was on TV, so I decided to watch it. I love a good Halloween special, and I love Looney Tunes, so I thought that I would surely love this. It turned out to be a very disappointing special, with no real effort put into it.
This cartoon takes many of the older Looney Tunes shows and mixes it in with new elements freshly drawn for the special. Unfortunately, the new footage barely resembles the older footage, and it is too obvious to tell what was created for the special, and what is original. The voices were also poorly done, never really sounding like the original voice actors. The plot of the special is about as thin as a wafer cookie and makes just as much sense too. Character cameo's were poorly included as well.
The only "Good" parts of this special were the original footage from the cartoons. Unfortunately, they only used bits and pieces, often ruining the moments we all know and love. Combine that with splicing other cartoons into it, and new footage with voices that don't match, and it just ruins the experience.
Overall, just skip this special. The only parts you'll laugh at are the original clips, and you'll grown at the new stuff. I don't believe they put very much effort into it, and it feels more like an insult to the original classics. Just pass.
The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound (1988)
Awesome straight-to-TV movie!
Like I've said in other reviews, I'm a fan of the HB cartoons, so I decided to give this movie a shot... okay, I'll be honest; the only reason I found this film and decided to give it a chance, because it had a certain character in it that is my favorite, so I wanted to see him (it isn't the title character). Still, I'm glad I gave it a chance, because it has become probably one of my favorite HB movies that they have made.
What I like about this film is that the story, while maybe not that original, is still funny and entertaining. The characters all have good lines, which makes the trip even more better. Most of the cast here are the ones that we are all familiar with (Yogi, Snagglepuss, Huck, etc), but I am glad they included Hokey as one of the main cast. They never use him that much, and I feel he's an under-appreciated character, so I was very happy to see him as a part of the main cast (yes, he's the character that lead me to see this film... sue me XD).
The animation was also great, and I thought that the more detailed character designs (aka-them wearing more pieces of clothing for once) really worked great as well. It was all so well fleshed out, that it is really pleasant to look at. Most of the jokes are great, but I felt that some jokes were a bit strange (like the Modern-day technology in what is suppose to be the old west) and out of place, but the movie is enjoyable enough for me to ignore the bad. The chapter setting also works well for the story.
I do have one other complaint though, but I cannot take this against the film. I wish it was released in 16:9 widescreen format; I have always felt that a widescreen format gives a film a more theatrical effect, making the film all the better. Unfortunately, this film is only available via widescreen, but that's fine... I can't win them all -lol-.
I won't spoil much (I only spoil things when I don't like the movie), but if you are a Hanna Barbera fan, or even if you are not one, I suggest you check out this movie. Great fan service, great animation, great story and jokes... great everything!
Yogi's Great Escape (1987)
What were they thinking with this one?
I am a big fan of all the Hanna Barbera stuff, and a fan of Yogi Bear (though there are others I like way more). A friend told me about this film, and seeing as how it had some appearances from other HB characters and it looked somewhat interesting, I decided to give it a watching... I now regret watching it.
Basically, this is the story; Yogi finds three baby cubs (who were dropped of by "Anonymous"), so Yogi and Boo Boo take care of them. They soon find out that the park is being closed down, so Yogi, Boo Boo, and the three cubs who appeared out of nowhere with non-existent parents try to get out of there. Mr. Ranger hires a bounty hunter (who's entrance is just... dumb, and feels like it was stolen directly from the Tasmanian Devil from the Looney Tunes show) to get them back.
Most of the film is just Yogi and the others running away from Ranger Smith and the Bounty Hunter and his dog... that's basically it. They try to make it fresh during the middle by adding in some cameo's of other HB characters (Quickdraw, Wally Gator, and Snagglepuss), but their brief scenes are so tasteless, quick, and felt like they were a last minute decision to please some fans... which just made me more disappointed... and they turned Quickdraw into a bad guy (I guess friendship means nothing...). There aren't really any memorable dialog, no memorable scenes... and the three cubs seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth after this film ended (along with their parents, I guess).
If you are a die-hard Hanna Barbera fan, then go ahead and give it a shot. If not, I don't think anyone else would really enjoy this film, as it does no justice to any of the characters
Operation Repo (2007)
One of the worst shows I have ever seen.
I happen to come upon this show a while back while flipping through the channels, and decided to give it a chance.
...Wow...
It's amazing, because just about every episode is exactly the same thing; The Repo team comes to take away someone's vehicle, things always go well at first, then the owner(s) come out screaming like wild banshees and everyone gets into a huge fight. There have been some episodes that are just beyond unbelievable, like the one where Matt wrecks one of the cars that they were repossessing because he turned the corner too fast. Why did he turn the corner so fast? Because he had to go to the bathroom, so he decided to go faster than the speed limit, ignore stop signs, etc. Nobody in their right mind is going to do something so stupid like that. Another episode involved them repossessing this car from these construction workers; the construction worker got so mad that he told his buddy to take their Excavator and destroy the car... not the repo's car, but their OWN CAR... and he's going "YEAH! TAKE THAT!" after it was totally destroyed... seriously? And these were episode highlights...
From what I understand, the shows are BASED on actual events, but reenacted, made to be dramatic, and everything is scripted. The show can barely be taken serious, and I find myself laughing at the show most of the time because it is so ridiculous.
Stay away... stay far away from this repo show.
Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009)
The thought was nice, but they missed the mark.
I'm not really sure what to say about this film other than the fact that it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, but it wasn't that good either. I thought that the cast was pretty good, though Scooby's voice actor could have been better. The CG in the film wasn't that great either, and after what the other live-action films gave us, it was somewhat distracting and sometimes silly. The story wasn't that great either, and I hated the ending and the motivation for the man in the mask and why he did all of this. The Ghosts in the film were pointless to include, and shouldn't have been included in the first place. There's even a seen in the last ten minutes of the film that involves multiple ghosts, and it only lasts about fifteen seconds but it was incredibly pointless... just something to get the kiddies to laugh, but it makes everyone else cringe in pain.
Still, it was... okay to watch. I only laughed once, and the rest was either "Okay, whatever" to "...". It was interesting to see the characters in another man's point of view, and for the most part, it was acceptable... though I wish it had a better plot. I'm sure I'll check out the sequels that are to come, but my expectations at the moment are very low.