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BriarRos
Reviews
Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004)
Totally Engrossing: If you liked Sprited Away, you'll love this!
I drove for three hours to reach a theater that was playing this film, and it was worth it! The English cast was amazing, and I normally shun all dubbed films. It really seemed like they were the original voices. I never once wished I could hear the Japanese like I usually do, even on Spirited Away. Now that is settled!
This film deals mostly with the character of Sophie. I won't sum up the plot, you've seen that already. The heart of the film is at Sophie accepting herself, and accepting the affection of other people. That's pretty much the moral. The most winning character by far is Howl himself, at least for a girl like me. He is a really complex character, beautiful drawn, and voiced with precision by Christian Bale. He sounds really similar to his Batman voice in this, so get ready for that. Billy Crystal's Calcifer is refreshingly muted. I had worried about him being too flamboyant, but he is really a charming character. The entire cast of characters are so real, as is the world they inhabit, that it just draws you in. I smiled through the first half of the movie!
I saw the film with friends in their mid-twenties, one of which is not into anime, and we all enjoyed it. Many of the folks at the theatre brought children, but it seemed like the adults enjoyed it far more than the children. It is probably too dark for kids under 8, in my opinion. There is a lot of bombing in the second half, and it can be startling.
I all this is a really good film. The plot gets a little complicated in the second half, where it starts to greatly deviate from the book and become more Miyazaki, but there is plenty of action, comedy, romance, and fun to please every age group. I plan on taking my grandma to see it; I think older people would really get a kick out of "Grandma Sophie." Best Animated Film of the year, for sure!
The Man Who Cried (2000)
One of the worst movies I have ever seen
Great score, the rest of the movie felt like a pop quiz on the French involvement in WWII which I was not prepared for. The editing felt like highlights from a really great movie, I wish I had seen the rest! I had no idea what was going on most of the time, and I'm not a stupid person. The lack of dialogue was stifling, however, the awkwardness of the dialogue that did exist makes me question whether there should have been more or not! In short, one of the biggest wastes of movie watching time I have ever experienced. Christina Ricci was very lovely, Johnny Depp was lovely, yet, two lovely people do not a romance make. Thanks!
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
While not the scare you expect, it pleases in a childish way.(Might spoil a bit)
If you are a Burton buff, don't see this movie! It is,in my opinion, totally out of character for him. If you are looking for a pee your pants freak out film, don't see this movie! It didn't scare me in the least. If you are looking for depth and soul-searching, or tormented and deep characters, don't see this movie! Not quite as campy as Clue, this movie delighted that part of me who hates a complicated movie. It is a bit of a who-dun-it mystery, one that if you pay close attention to you can figure out, but you really have to watch, in the way of Mission Impossible. The characters are admittedly two diminsional and the humor admittedly juvenile. What makes it acceptable is that, with the exception of that misleading trailer we saw tagged to Blair Witch, the film doesn't take itself seriously. It has a cute little beginning, with jokes that made me roll my eyes, and a cute little end (is that a spoiler? I don't think so..), with blood and fainting jokes splattered(no pun intended!) through the middle. Johnny Depp's accent isn't that great; you can't tell if Christina Ricci is even supposed to have one (why would she?) or not. All in all, I loved it. I want to take my family back to see it. Not for the small though, bloooooddy. Hey, they knew it wasn't going to win an Oscar when they made it, so why expect it to be that kind of movie. If you want a trip to fantasy world, this is your show. Wasn't that why we started making movies in the first place?
The Mask of Zorro (1998)
Wonderfully witty, wholesome in it's humor and story
I consider myself I a budding critic, so I always pay close attention to the movies I watch. This movie seemed at first to be childish in it's humorous action, but as the story progressed, I began to see it wasn't childish, it was wholesome. Wholesome entertainment the whole family could go see, enjoy, and talk about afterwards. If you're into bangem up shoot outs, well, this isn't the movie for you. I've seen a lot of critics chastise this movie for being immature and unrealistic, but if you can't get away from the real world in a movie, what good is it?