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PrincessTarah
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Olaf's Frozen Adventure (2017)
Just because it's in front of Coco doesn't make it bad...
A lot of people are overreacting about this short. It was actually quite good, and if it would have aired on ABC as originally planned, I think it would have received marvelous reviews.
The length did not bother me at all, as I was thoroughly entertained the entire time. The music and animation were both beautiful. Additionally, I liked Olaf a lot more in this short than I did in the original movie. He was actually hilarious, (and if you need a preview, just look up the clip of "That Time of Year"). Finally, the story was great. It had a nice holiday message, but it did not beat you over the head with it.
As for the people who complain about this movie being in front of Coco, I honestly am not sure why they do it. Theme-wise, they go well together, as they both center around family and holiday traditions.
If people think this short was Disney's attempt at making people interested in a non-white film, that is simply ridiculous. Contrary to what the witch-hunting media might tell you, Disney has actually made a huge effort, especially in recent years, to include stories from many different cultures. (Look at Mulan, Pocahontas, Princess and the Frog, Moana...I could go on for days.) In fact, the entire Frozen short is one big representation of holiday traditions from around the world. So I reiterate: Coco and Olaf's Frozen Adventure were put together because they have similar themes, not because Disney was trying to whitewash the move-going experience.
Finally, to the people who complain that Olaf's Frozen Adventure is too long, I say this: You knew what you were in for. The length of the short was widely publicized. If you didn't want to watch it, you could have come to the theater 20 minutes late. It's not like anyone tied you to a chair and forced you to sit through the short film - even though you should avidly want to watch it, because it is spectacular.
Akame ga Kill! (2014)
Few Things Are Better
Akame ga Kill is absolutely fantastic, especially the characters. In this anime, we are granted a very realistic immersion into their war. There are heroes on both sides, and everyone has their own reasons for fighting - justice, revenge, money, power, love. It becomes difficult to see some of the capitol soldiers as "bad guys", because their motives are so relatable. However, this show is not lacking in its representation of sick, twisted villains that we wish only existed on TV. Nothing is sugarcoated, (don't watch this anime if you have an aversion to blood and gore), allowing us to suspend disbelief all the more and form strong emotional connections to these fictional characters. Be warned, to pick a favorite is to live dangerously. This show is a must-see for any anime fan. 9/10 stars.
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
This makes me sad - and not in a good way.
It is with great sadness that I write this post. After seeing "The Good Dinosaur", I must admit that, for the first time ever, I am disappointed with a Pixar film. From start to finish, all I could think was:
"Is this really a Disney movie?"
*SPOILER ALERT*
Today, I went on a journey. I left class early, rushed to get home, booked it to the theater, then drove to a different theater because the first one was having technical difficulties, all in a valiant effort to see the first possible showing of "The Good Dinosaur". I finally sat down in my comfy theater seat, and it all went downhill from there.
Of course, the film has a lot of classic Disney elements: an unlikely friendship, heart-rending moments, inspirational quotes, and a parental death that will probably scar a lot of young children for life. However, many elements are definitely not in the normal Disney fashion. These included a scene where the main characters accidentally get high off of poison berries, the cutest animal on earth being viciously ripped apart ten seconds after it was introduced, and several more violent moments throughout the film.
Now, let's get one thing straight: I am, by no means, squeamish. I routinely watch the violence and gore of "Game of Thrones" without issue. I am also a college student, and as such I have seen people gain the effects of poison berries via much less innocent means. The reason I take issue with it here is because "The Good Dinosaur" is a Disney movie, plain and simple. While these films can and should be enjoyed by people of all ages, they are principally made for children, for families. And anyone who has seen a Disney film can agree that the scenes I just listed above are out of place for the genre. Even if you only consider this film on its own, completely isolated from all other Disney/Pixar movies, those moments mess up the flow and take away from the overall story.
Speaking of things that are out of place, it seems rather odd that a human family just happens to find Spot, and that they just happen to want to take him in, all within the span of five minutes. Even weirder is the fact that Arlo is completely on board with these strangers taking Spot away, without any knowledge of whether or not their intentions are good. You would think that Arlo would be a bit more cautious at this point, because throughout the entire film, he has been misjudging people's intentions. But hey, why stop now? (She said with heavy sarcasm.) As my mock trial coach would say, #decisionmaking.
Of course, we all know that these humans are the nicest people on the planet and will treat Spot very well. It's obvious, because it's a Disney movie. The problem is that we never see that develop. These people just show up, out of the blue, at the very end of the film, to claim Spot. While the familial sentiment is good, it is also totally random.
Another thing I will mention simply because I found it hilarious: the majestic Tyrannosaurus Rex, running through the fields at sunset while maintaining a posture that would put princesses to shame.
Overall, this film is just okay, which is why I'm so disappointed. I'm used to Pixar producing these life-changing films that melt even my ice-cold heart. But "The Good Dinosaur" just didn't. I didn't feel a connection, to the story or the characters. While the film is visually stunning, it lacks the essential element that Disney (normally) creates so beautifully: substance, depth, life. It was a good idea, and it has a good message (which it repeatedly beats the audience over the head with), but the execution is flawed.
I didn't want to write this post. I didn't want to dislike a Disney movie. I tried so hard to enjoy it, to find the beauty, the depth, the emotion. But I just couldn't. I hope that this film makes a lot of people, both young and old, happy. As for me, I'll continue watching "Inside Out" until the release of "Finding Dory" in 2016. And I'll keep my fingers crossed that Disney/Pixar will melt my frozen heart once again.
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
This should have been so much better
The first half of the movie could have been really good. They had everything from the beginning of the book in there, but it was all out of order. This, combined with the fact that they didn't explain anything (Downworlders, Accords, Valentine, the Circle, etc.), made the movie confusing, especially for those who have not read the books. It also jumbled up the development of Jace and Clary's relationship, to the point where it didn't even really develop, it just kind of happened.
I feel as though they had a basic understanding of the end of the book, so they discarded it for the latter half of the movie and just did their own thing. My biggest problem is that Jocelyn being hidden inside the institute the whole time is just way too far-fetched.
Many important elements of the book were either a) left out completely, or b) needlessly replaced with something stupid. They put things in the movie that weren't supposed to come to light until City of Ashes, which I could have forgiven if they would have put everything from City of Bones in the CITY OF BONES MOVIE.
They had a demon walk outside in the middle of the day, when in the books demons are killed by sunlight. That right there was just plain negligence. Speaking of negligence, I would like to know why the vampires wanted the mortal cup. Don't they know Valentine wants to use it to wipe out downworlders? Oh, wait....they apparently don't know that, because the movie didn't say anything about it.
Finally, the thing I was most displeased with was that they revealed one of the biggest, if not the biggest, twists of the series, which was not supposed to be revealed until City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3): the fact that Jace and Clary are not actually related. Apparently, we're putting the spoilers in the movies themselves now.
However, they did do some things right with this movie. First and foremost, the casting. It was perfect, except they really should have dyed Valentine's hair blonde, like it is in the books. But I can let that go, because Myers did such an amazing job portraying him. Also, the score was wonderful. And, I must admit, the shadowhunter-vampire fight scene was very cool. Lastly, I did like the Midnight Flower scene. It was my favorite chapter of the book and it was great to see they got it right.
All in all, this movie is not a good representation of the book. While some shortenings and tweakings are necessary for all book-to-movie adaptations, they can still be portrayed well, and this film was not. If you saw the movie, whether you liked it or no, please please please READ THE BOOKS. They are amazing. Cassandra Clare created an awesome world, and everyone should see it the way it was meant to be.
~A Shadowhunter & Book-lover
The Tree of Life (2011)
What...
This movie ruined my day. It was the absolute worst movie I have ever had the displeasure of seeing. Now, before you go thinking "She didn't understand it", well, I did. It is possible to understand something and still not like it. Take gravity for example: most people understand what it is, but do they love it? Anyone who has ever fallen would most likely say no. There was absolutely no storyline and zero character development in this "movie". For those of you who have not seen it, here's a tip: save your money and use that 2 hours of your life to go watch something that actually has a plot. However, if you want to see lots of pretty pictures and scenes that don't make a story, then by all means, go watch it. My friends and I joked about how it probably took one day to film and five days to google all the pretty pictures. Sincerely~dragonflytarah
X: First Class (2011)
Wow, what a movie.
I definitely was not expecting this. After all the other X-Men movies being, well, what they were, I never thought that First Class would be this good. It did create some plot holes with the other movies, but they were minor, and I don't really care. The storyline was superb. It goes very deep and reveals the back stories of even the more mysterious characters. I was hooked about five minutes in. This is perhaps the best superhero movie I have ever seen. The acting was sensational. I especially liked Michael Fassbender as Eric/Magneto. He really made his character believable. I'm anxious to see more of his work. And I didn't just like the acting, but I liked the character as well. It was interesting to watch him develop and change throughout the movie. Kevin Bacon also did a fantastic job portraying Sebastian Shaw, the villain who, as it happens, was responsible for the Cuban Missile Crisis and the almost start of World War 3. Better add that one to the history books:p -Funny thing, I didn't recognize him as Kevin Bacon until the end of the movie. (That was my blonde moment of the day.)- Folks, honestly, I could go on for a very long time about how good this movie was, but I like to keep things short, so this is all I'll write. I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please comment. Sincerely ~Dragonfly