Movie Info:
Writer: Pete Docter, Jill Culton
Director: Pete Docter, David Silverman
Cast: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi, James Coburn, Jennifer Tilly, Bob Peterson, John Ratzenberger, Frank Oz
Rating: G
Studio: Pixar

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: November 2, 2001
DVD Release Date: November 10, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $21.49

It’s hard to ignore the power of a Pixar film. With eye-catching animation and stellar storylines, Pixar has been sweeping the field and gaining fans left and right ever since they hit the streets. I have been a fan since day one. Toy Story is still one of my favorites and the sequel was equally as endearing, even if it was a sequel. Monsters, Inc falls in line as the fourth Pixar movie. In the line of gross and distribution it was the highest grossing in comparison to the movies that came before it. However, in the complete Pixar library it ranks as the fifth top grossing behind blockbusters like UP, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Wall-E, and The Incredibles.

Like many other Pixar films, Monsters caters to both adults and kids. Kids will find the storyline funny and the monsters, adorable (for the most part). Adults will enjoy a storyline that is not dumbed down for kids and the voice acting of notable names like John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Bonnie Hunt, Jennifer Tilly, Steve Buscemi, and the Pixar staple as far as voice talent goes, John Ratzenberger.

Over the years, Monsters has served Pixar well. It has spawned a series of video games, mass merchandising, and more than one theme park ride in different countries. A movie couldn’t ask for a warmer embracement. Still, I have to admit that I had forgotten about this title. It was sent for review and I found myself having to watch it to be refreshed by the story, rather than the quality. I knew that it was cute and that both my son and I had liked it when it came out eight years ago, but I had honestly only seen it that one time.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writer: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Director: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Cast: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger, David Kaye, Elie Docter, Jeremy Leary, Mickie McGowan, Danny Mann
Rating: PG
Studio: Pixar

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: May 29, 2009
DVD Release Date: November 10, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

Seldom do I find that animated films make me actually feel a selection of emotions while watching. The majority of features, especially by Pixar, are happy, somewhat predictable stories that are bound to end with a happy, feel good ending. Well, UP has to be the most realistic of the Pixar films. UP made my emotions run the gamut from sadness to hope, happiness to frustration.

The realism in this beautifully rendered, animated feature is part of why I believe this is Pixar’s greatest release. The story deals with some heavy subjects that may go over the littlest Pixar fans’ heads, but the topics aren’t too boring that the youngsters won’t enjoy the story. Subjects like grief, accepting death, and growing old are told in ways that won’t overwhelm children, won’t bore adults, and will strike a chord in older audiences. I loved the story, which I felt was a little more sappy then I was expecting, but it was sappy in a good way.

One thing I really like about UP is how likable the characters are. Carl Fredricksen is the most awesome, hilarious, old man. He’s the grandfather you’d love to have, even if he is a little curmudgeon-y and cranky. This is understandable given the circumstances he has to endure. Russell could have become annoying, but instead he’s portrayed as a fun, inquisitive, delightful youth. You want Mr. Fredericksen to take Russell under his wing, especially when you hear about his absent father. Even Dug and Kevin do not get annoying, providing comic relief to a somewhat heavy story.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writer: The Brothers Grimm and various others
Director: David Hand
Cast: Adriana Caselotti, Lucille La Verne, Roy Atwell, Eddie Collins, Pinto Colvig, Billy Gilbert, Otis Harlan, Scotty Mattraw
Rating: G
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: February 4, 1938
DVD Release Date: October 6, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

I, like many other adults my age, have been able to take for granted the fact that Disney regularly makes decent animated features. When Snow White was being developed by Walt Disney and his company, the Disney company had never made a full length, animated, feature film. This was the first Disney feature, that has made way for many, other exceptional animated movies. Without Snow White we wouldn’t have had Bambi, Lady and the Tramp, The Fox and the Hound, and many, other classic Disney films that are a part of my (and probably your) Disney collection.

At the time it was released, Snow White was revolutionary. Most animated studios focused on cartoon shorts, so a full, animated feature was a lot more work, since animation was hand drawn at that time. You can see the care taken to make this film something spectacular. It’s a beautiful film that is even more enhanced by the HD capabilities today. Not to sound cliché, but the Blu-Ray presentation of this Disney classic is absolutely gorgeous.

It is hard to dispute the worth of a film like Snow White. The story had been around since the days of the Brothers Grimm, who first told the tale of the beautiful Snow White, her wicked stepmother, and the seven, friendly dwarfs. The Disney dwarfs have become a symbol of Walt Disney and the Disney Company. You’d have to be living under a rock to not know Dopey, Grumpy, Sleepy or the other dwarfs. Of course, this just adds to the timeless nature of the film, Disney’s legacy and our longstanding recognition of the characters within it.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writer: Alan Burnett
Director: Lauren Montgomery
Cast: Christopher Meloni, Victor Garber, Tricia Helfer, Michael Madsen, Juliet Landau, Olivia D’Abo, Richard McGonagle, John Larroquette, Kurtwood Smith, William Schallert, Larry Drake
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Warner

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: July 28, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

I’m a comic book geek. I wasn’t much of one as a kid, but I am now. I watched comic based superhero cartoons when I was younger, but I don’t think I ever correlated these heroes with the comic books in which they were originally formed and developed. I lived in a small town, and it didn’t have a comic book store, so I didn’t really get into comics until college.

I’ve been a huge fan of Batman since I was a kid. I also liked Superman. These days, I’m as into Marvel as I am DC, but it is the DC comics I grew up with, and with whom I am the most familiar. One of the DC comic book characters I knew the least about was Green Lantern. I’d heard of Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, but other than fighting crime with a glowing green ring, I knew just about nothing in relation to this DC superhero.

When Warner teamed up with DC to start releasing high-quality, direct to DVD animated features, I was like a kid in a candy store. Since the first release, I’ve had the chance to review Superman: Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier and Wonder Woman. All of these were pretty good though my favorite is still Superman Doomsday. Green Lantern appeared in Justice League: The New Frontier. In this movie, his origin story is explored. I was intrigued by this story, and was looking forward to a more expanded look on Hal Jordan’s life as the Green Lantern in First Flight.

Well, now that First Flight is here I can actually discuss my feelings on the Green Lantern. The character is interesting. However, I cannot say I am madly in love with the story behind Green Lantern: First Flight. Yes, the story was interesting, but the plot was a little too predictable, Sinestro was a little too annoying and I was expecting a little more of that darkness we’ve seen in previous DC Original Animated Movies. The previous titles, I felt, were more geared towards the adult and older teen audience these comics have, and Green Lantern: First Flight seemed a little more kid friendly, not that this is a bad thing. I was just expecting more.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.

Movie Info:
Writers: Seth MacFarlane
Director: Various
Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Danny Smith, John Viener, and numerous others
Rating: Uncensored
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: September 9, 2008
DVD Release Date: May 12, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $14.99

Seth MacFarlane is a funny guy. I like Family Guy a whole lot. I’m not too big on American Dad, but his other stuff is funny enough to make me watch what he does and look out for what he is doing in the future. That’s one of the reasons that I thought Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy would be funny. I thought it would be interesting and somewhere along the same vein as Family Guy. It’s actually a lot different.

First off, there are no set characters. There are celebrity caricatures ranging all the way from Dick Cheney to Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner, but steady characters aren’t happening here. Second, these are shorts. When I say short, I mean like generally 30 seconds or less short. One sentence short. Not enough to make anyone laugh short. Then there is the small issue of the humor itself. This feels like it was written by a prepubescent boy that is locked in his closet with a boner and his mom’s Sears catalogue.

There is no real nice way to say this. Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy is awful. I feel like I lost an hour of my life. Well, being fair I should say 54 minutes of my life. I can’t get those minutes back, but I wish I could. As I sat here watching, having learned what to expect after about one minute, I began counting the minutes in my head. Occasionally I would pause to laugh. It wasn’t often enough to mention really. It wasn’t often enough at all.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writers: Dan Fogelman, Chris Williams
Directors: Byron Howard, Chris Williams
Cast: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell, James Lipton, Greg Germann, Diedrich Bader, Nick Swardson
Rating: PG
Studio: Walt Disney Video

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: November 21, 2008
DVD Release Date: March 24, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $26.99

I hadn’t heard much about the movie Bolt prior to its release on Blu-ray and standard DVD. I guess that’s because I don’t watch the Disney Channel all that much. All I knew about this movie was that it was an animated film about a dog who thought he was a superhero, for real, and that Miley Cyrus voiced one of the characters for the movie. That’s the jist of what I knew, anyway.

I don’t like Miley Cyrus. I think she’s a poor excuse for an actress. Her singing leaves a lot to be desired. I don’t see the appeal in her stupid humor show, Hannah Montana. I can’t comprehend why my four year old nephew likes the show. So, needless to say, I didn’t know what part Miley had in this and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to finding out.

Come to find out, her part is pretty small. She was tolerable merely because she had so little screen time. The majority of the film focuses on John Travolta’s character, Bolt. He can easily carry this movie, and does so in a way that makes it wholly enjoyable. The story for Bolt is engaging, fun, family friendly, and has enough adult humor in it to make it worthwhile to watch for everyone in the family.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.

Movie Info:
Writer: Chris McKenna, John Hoffman
Director: Anthony Leondis
Cast: John Cusack, Myleene Klass, Robin Walsh, Matt McKenna, John Cleese, Steve Buscemi, Sean Hayes, Jess Harnell, Eddie Izzard, Jennifer Coolidge, Jay Leno, Molly Shannon
Rating: PG
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: September 19, 2008
DVD Release Date: January 20, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $25.99

I really had no desire to see the movie Igor. It wasn’t that I thought anything was wrong with this movie. I’d just never heard much about this release. Sure, I’d seen the occasional, brief trailer, but Fox didn’t advertise all that much for this animated feature. I’m not exactly sure why Fox put this animated feature on the back burner when it came to promotion, because MGM could have made a lot more money than it did, had the movie been given the royal treatment.

I knew about Igor merely because we had a chance to review the video game. Still, I didn’t actually play the game myself. That’s why I knew very little about whether the story for Igor was good or not. I had no idea about the plot, the casting or anything else. Coming into this movie I was completely blind to the details of Igor. I had no misconceptions, but I wasn’t prepared for anything either. The only true impression I had of this movie was the one I got from the DVD case. What I got from that was the mad scientist vibe. Of course, this didn’t give me any idea of what it was about.

When I was watching Igor I immediately started recognizing voices. I picked out John Cusack’s right away. I also knew Steve Buscemi had to be in this film. His voice is easy to recognize. I wasn’t so sure about Molly Shannon though I was pretty sure Jennifer Coolidge was voicing one of the few female characters. I went to IMDB to confirm the voices I knew and realized that Igor has a really great, if not diverse, cast.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writer: Etan Cohen, Eric Darnell
Director: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
Cast: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, Bernie Mac, Alec Baldwin, Sherri Shepherd, Will i Am
Rating: PG
Studio: Dreamworks

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: November 7, 2008
DVD Release Date: February 6, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

I was not entirely thrilled about the release of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa though I am not entirely sure why. I am normally a fan of Dreamworks pictures. I liked the first movie well enough, too. Still, when it came time to put this movie in I didn’t exactly rush over to the PS3. Sauntered is more like it. I even looked at my review list to see if anything else could go before it. However, the time came and Escape 2 Africa was put in the player.

I think the biggest problem I had when I went to watch this sequel is that, while I liked the first movie, I didn’t really remember anything about it. I remembered the basic premise but nothing stood out to me, especially now, that made me want to watch it a second time.

Madagascar had elements of any typical Dreamworks Animation project. It was a movie with funny, likable characters that both kids and adults could enjoy. The movie was filled with a voice cast that adults could appreciate with voices animated enough that kids would love. People like Bernie Mac, David Schwimmer, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, and Jada Pinkett Smith are in these movies. It was a cute movie then and I am sure if I saw it again, I would think the same thing. Still, as cute as it was, I only saw it that one time, so the sequel wasn’t of major importance to me. In fact, when I found out that the third movie in the franchise was greenlit prior to filming, I just couldn’t understand it.

I was pleased to discover that I was wrong about Escape 2 Africa. While it was cute in many ways, what I found out was that I actually liked it more than I did the first movie. I was surprised that I liked it as much as I did because I am not usually a big sequels fan. I suppose it had a lot to do with the comedic timing and the cute storyline.

Chris Rock was beyond amusing and hearing David Schwimmer voice the role of a hypochondriac giraffe witchdoctor was funnier than I could have imagined. Best of all, there was enough adult humor to keep adults happy, but the amount of kid humor was high, too. It ends up working for both audiences on completely different levels.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writer: Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon
Director: Andrew Stanton
Cast: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, MacInTalk, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver
Rating: G
Studio: Disney/Pixar

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: November 18, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.49

I have been a fan of Pixar movies from the beginning. Occasionally, there is one in the bunch that doesn’t do it for me, but the majority of films have been well worth watching and owning. I haven’t felt the same about the animated films carrying just the Disney name lately. I had a feeling I was going to like WALL-E, but there was one thing that really had me worried. I had been seeing promos, trailers, and marketing buzz on this for so long that it got to the point where I thought it could never ever live up to the hype that had been created. I experienced the same problem with a number of other movies and I was hoping that this would not happen with WALL-E.

Surprisingly enough, WALL-E managed to top all possible expectations. In fact, it is easily one of my favorite movies of the year. It’s not common that I pick an animated movie as one of my favorites of the year, but WALL-E has a way of making you love him. I am not sure what it is about him that I love so much. He’s cute. He’s funny. He’s perhaps one of the most adorable characters in a full length animated feature that I have ever encountered.

I think the most appealing thing (moms will love this) is the humanity in WALL-E. He’s just a little trash cleaning robot that wants to be loved. It’s completely amusing that he is obsessed with the musical Hello Dolly!. In fact, the opening scene begins with some music from the musical. If you’re not familiar with Dolly it might take you a while to figure out which musical is getting so much attention. Luckily, I have Dominick with me, who knows plenty about musicals thanks to time well spent in college. Without him, I would have had to Google it or would have lived without knowing what that special musical was.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writers: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
Directors: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
Cast: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan , Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim
Rating: PG
Studio: Dreamworks

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: June 6, 2008
DVD Release Date: November 8, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $15.49

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting!

It seems only natural to think of this great song from the 70s every time I hear about Kung Fu Panda. Of course, this movie has nothing to do with the song. The movie is about a panda bear named Po, who loves Kung Fu. I was told I had to see this by my four year old nephew. This was, of course, said as he kicked me in the knee, showing me the Kung Fu moves he’d learned from the movie. Parents beware! Your kids may try to play Kung Fu Panda, where they kick and karate chop various things. My nephew just happened to pick me, as his target.

I am picky about animated features these days. I want a nice story that’s heartwarming. I want to feel something, as I enjoy the story with those in my family. I want something the whole family is going to enjoy and appreciate. Commercials for Kung Fu Panda made the movie look goofy. I didn’t take the story seriously. Sure, a lot of big named players, most of whom I like, including Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, and Ian McShane had a part in making this animated feature, but I’ve grown tired of animated films. My expectations aren’t as high as they used to be. I grew up in the 1980s, so I had many beautiful, animated features I could enjoy. Animation these days seems to either be hit or miss. So, I had little hope for Jack Black and his panda. I was thrilled by how much I truly enjoyed Kung Fu Panda.

The American public has to agree, based on how much they’ve spent, that the second half of 2008 had far superior animated features released. I didn’t think Kung Fu Panda would be able to compete on the same playing field as the incredibly adorable Wall-E. I favor the latter a bit more, but the stories are so different that I can easily say these have to be the top two animated films released in 2008. With Christmas approaching, you’d be a fool not to pick this movie up.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.