Change Your Image
BlueLeopard
Reviews
Tin Man (2007)
Not so bad but could have been better
The miniseries was entertaining, but it needed a serious rewrite to make it truly great, not to mention the title implied the Tin Man (in his current incarnation) was the main character. It also missed a lot of background story. The steampunk imagery was quite convincing, and the underground city also deserved more exploration.
The casting also left something to be desired. Zooey Deschanel wasn't the best choice as leading actress to begin with. Neal McDonough is a little too emotional for a guy with supposedly no heart. Raoul Trujillo as Raw needed more screen time as well as development to show for it, but Alan Cumming was quite touching as the Man with Half a Brain. Surprisingly agile, too. Methinks he studied some capoeira for that part (if you've seen it you know what I'm talking about.) The supporting cast was hit and miss. Richard Dreyfus as the Mystic Man also deserved more screen time.
All in all, this concept would probably make for a great video game. I'd certainly play it over WoW any day.
Porky's II: The Next Day (1983)
Duel of words and "swords" *may contain a spoiler or two)
I'm a bit sad that so many people hate this film... it's entertainment, guys, not social commentary. C'mon people, this is one of those films where you check PC at the door!
While it *is* crude, it has some truly great funny moments in it, such as the duel of Shakespeare/Bible quotes (I shamelessly admit I love it when the principal says "Get the fluck outta here!"), the duel on the stage replacing a sword with a female mannequin leg (the death moment is priceless), and Wendy's besequined tart role-play humiliating the handsome jerk politician at a high-profile restaurant ("It tastes much better going down...!" EEEEW!!!)
Another thing I love about the Porky's films is the male nudity. Female nudity not integral to the plot is rampant in most films, and while part of the story here, it's delightful to see more naked men than in any other non-"adult" film I know. Even The Full Monty doesn't show all *this*! Equality at last! And in the '80s to boot!
Nagagutsu o haita neko (1969)
They sentenced me to death because I wouldn't eat a mouse...
"I've got you and you've got me and that's between the two of us..."
I saw this version of the Puss in Boots tale some 20 years ago. Still can't get the damn song out of my head!
For some reason I still find this version the best of them all. Beats the hell out of anything I can imagine The House the Mouse Built doing...
Anybody have a DVD copy for region 4 available??
Rurôni Kenshin: Meiji kenkaku romantan (1996)
Great story, lovely music, amazing animation. Need I say more?
This story of a ronin samurai slasher-turned-defender of the weak is truly one of the best animated series ever to come out of Japan. Kenshin's struggles to protect his friends from those who would bring back the days of feudal violence have an almost lyrical quality to them. The characterization is excellent, making you like the bad guys almost as much as the good guys.
The animation is stunning, putting most American shows (and several Japanese ones!) to shame. And did I mention the music? The opening theme of the first two seasons aren't my cuppa java (pun intended) but the opening theme of season three and the closing themes, especially season one's "TACTICS" and season three's "It's Gonna Rain" are J-Pop at it's absolute best.