International Theme Parks - 1 star out of 10

International Theme Parks - 1 star out of 10

"International Theme Parks" is a very amateur version of the "Disney Parks" documentary series on the Walt Disney World Resort.  Actually, that was too kind.  It's like watching somebody else's home movies.  The home movies of a person who does not know how to handle a camera.  The home movies of a person who just got a new lens for his camera that manages to distort half of his shots.  Ugh.  When they mention that they weren't allowed to tape during the preshow, that's a pretty good indication that a film company wasn't hired to make this videos - it's just a couple of yuppies trying to make a few bucks.  Rather than give a "greatest hits" overview with a narrator explaining what each ride is, this documentary spoils every surprise of every ride by providing full POV footage of every ride.  Without any dialogue... It's 3 hours of raw footage without direction or purpose.  This thing was supposed to help me plan my day at the park and tell me about the rides.  I get a much more interesting (and just as comprehensive) look of amusement parks at http://themeparkreview.com.  If I wanted to watch POV videos of each ride, I would've just gone on youtube.  In fact, I've seen higher quality videos of these rides on youtube where you can actually see what's going on, instead of them writing "High Speed Acceleration" on the screen as it is blacked out.  And using dim lighting as an excuse for low-quality video.  There's nothing like watching a 10-minute sequence where everything is so dark that you can't distinguish anything.  Why would they leave this in the video?  This amateurish look at Disneyland Paris and Tokyo DisneySea somehow manages to make these Disney parks look boring (which I previously thought to be impossible).  Don't waste your time or give these crooks any more money than they've already earned with their home movies.

Captain America: The First Avenger - 8 stars out of 10

Captain America: The First Avenger - 8 stars out of 10

"Captain America: The First Avenger" is just plain awesome.  The superhero movie trend of the past 10 years has often suffered from a lack of proper character development [*cough*ironically Fantastic Four*cough*].  I think that the writers often think that they need to get to the action as soon as possible so that there are enough special effects to please the viewers.  Occasionally, the writers come to the realization that if they take the time to develop the character in a way that the audience will empathize, people will actually want to see the sequel(s).  This story is perfect because everybody can relate to being the bullied little guy (whether physically or figuratively).  The special effects artists deserve an award for turning Chris Evans into a 90-pound pipsqueak.  I cannot even conceptualize the meticulous time that it took to pull off that effect (and the risk of it looking ridiculous), but the entire theme of the movies lies in that incredible instantaneous transformation: It doesn't matter how big you are, but instead how much heart you have inside.  While Hayley Atwell and Chris Evans put forth great performances, and Hugo Weaving is always an excellent villain.  He is particularly evil in this film.  However, my vote for the most impressive performance goes to Stanley Tucci, who I did not even recognize!  His accent and make-up as Dr. Erskine are incredibly impressive and will become just another chapter in his future autobiography: "A Day in the Life of one of Hollywood's Greatest Actors!"  Perhaps the most unique element of this story is... the story!  This film is totally different from the other Marvel films because it takes place in the WWII era, which works perfectly for the Captain America character.  It also allows for an incredible ending that will have everybody itching to see "The Avengers" on its opening weekend.  Bump this one to the top of your list - it's the best superhero movie since "Iron Man!"

Alice's Wonderland (1923) - 8 stars out of 10

Alice's Wonderland (1923) - 8 stars out of 10

“Alice’s Wonderland” absolutely amazes me.  To me, this is one of the greatest testaments to Walt Disney’s vision and imagination.  In 1923 where the simplest of silent films were lauded by audiences, Walt was putting cartoon characters into live-action shots, and transporting live actors into animated atmospheres.  Although this film was never theatrically released, it is proof of the Disney Company’s ability to think outside of the box and stay three steps ahead of the competition.  In this short film, Alice (played by Virginia Davis) visits an animation studio and discovers a group of animators observing their characters as they interact on the pages in front of them.  When Alice falls asleep that night, she is transported to Cartoonland and is surrounded by a cartoon world and the characters that inhabit it.  I really encourage you to watch this 8-minute long piece of history (youtube link below) – its complexity is far beyond its time and would serve as inspiration for Walt many years later as he continued to infuse animation into his live action films (and vice versa).  This is just plain awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H58meqbp5Ps

Across the Universe - 9 stars out of 10

Across the Universe - 9 stars out of 10

With the amazing music of The Beatles, well-developed characters, and an amazing plot to weave these two things together, "Across the Universe" continues to be one of the most creative films of our generation.  It is truly a snapshot (or several snapshots) that preserves the tribulation of 1960's America.  Julie Taymor has fantastic vision for this story and has really created something special.  Although you'd expect the music to be the foundation of this film, the entire thing actually hinges on its characters.  Not only do these characters add significance to the music of the film, but they bring new meanings to many of the songs (in a completely sensical way).  If the characters were not properly written in the script and developed by the actors, we would be left with a bunch of Beatles songs... that aren't performed by the Beatles.  I can understand how someone might take issue with the individual arrangements of some of these songs, but when woven into context they all make perfect sense.  Personally, I found many of the arrangements to be rather ingenius.  I especially love the moment when Helter Skelter is mashed together with Across the Universe and the sad background music slowly overtakes the hectic music.  There are a few moments where it seems like the writers are trying to squeeze in as many Beatles songs as possible (particularly during the tripped up, psychedelic Mr. Kite section in the middle that does not add a single thing to the plot or character development).  Regardless, this is everything that "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" aspired to be.  Jim Sturgess brings so much incredible raw emotion to Jude, and Evan Rachel Wood is great as that all-American girl, Lucy.  Both of these characters make a great journey from start to finish, particularly Lucy who transforms from innocent child to strong-willed anti-war activist.  In addition to amazing leading roles, the acting talents of Martin Luther McCoy (whose voice is plain incredible), Dana Fuchs, and Joe Anderson further bring this great story to life.  The choregraphy is to die for (particularly in "She's So Heavy" which is in my top 5 scenes of all time), the artistic vision really sets the doped up 1960's atmosphere, and the music creates 133 minutes of heaven for your ears.  This movie really is THAT good!

The Three Caballeros - 3 stars out of 10

The Three Caballeros - 3 stars out of 10

"The Three Caballeros" is a fun, classic Disney cartoon... once you survive the first 1/2-hour.  As is the case with "Saludos Amigos," much of this geography lesson feels very disjointed as the writers try to string together several segments about South America.  The biggest problem with this film is that the main characters barely appear in the first 30 minutes... but are then the focus for the remainder of the film (which coincidentally is the entertaining part).  It still can't compare with the cohesive stories of Disney's other feature-length animated films (except for the dreaded "Black Cauldron") but, unlike "Saludos Amigos," this one is definitely worth watching because of its excellent mixes of live-action and animation.  In fact, it is worth watching just for its most famous sequence in which Aurora Miranda sings and dances with Donald and Jose Carioca.  I also really love the sequence where Donald is running around the beach with all of the live-action girls - Walt Disney always had a great vision and his creativity is very obvious in the second half of this movie.  My favorite caballero (and one of the coolest Disney characters ever) doesn't come in until the final section of the film (Mexico), but Panchito Pistolas is worth the wait!  The film jumps up 10 points in the "fun" category once he enters.  This film is worth watching as preparation for the Mexico pavilion at EPCOT in Disney World, but the next time that I watch this I plan on beginning half-way through.  The first half is so unrelated that the film will make perfect sense and then I'll be able to enjoy the film's creativity without being forced into a 1/2-hour nap beforehand.

[Pictured: Donald Duck, Panchito Pistolas, and Jose Carioca]

Kung Fu Panda 2 - 6 stars out of 10

Kung Fu Panda 2 - 6 stars out of 10

"Kung Fu Panda 2" takes the same characters but uses them in a very different way.  Instead of Po trying to master the art of Kung Fu, the film goes in an entirely different direction as he battles internal conflict throughout his journey to discover where he came from.  The other characters take a back seat as "The Po Show" takes center stage.  Jack Black's voice acting is fantastic, which is no surprise since his live-action films reveal that he should've been born as a cartoon character.  Angelina Jolie takes on a larger role in this edition as Tigress and creates a few nice, emotional moments.  Gary Oldman was PERFECTLY cast as the villain and who can resist Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu.  All of the voice acting is wonderful, as is the animation style which embraces a cartoony look while providing the vivid details available through modern computer technology.  I thought that the use of a comic book style during the flashbacks was a creative way to distinguish between past and present, though it felt a bit like a "Kill Bill" rip-off to me.  I also dislike the overuse of slow motion for comedic effect, as this film is one that can easily entertain adults and children at the same time without needing cheep, cheesy visuals to get giggles from the kids.  My last complaint is a major glitch in the overall theme of the movie: They go out of their way to paint Kung Fu and inner peace as these things that takes many, many years to develop... but then they let the main character discover his overnight.  The script very effectively takes Po on his journey, develops his character, and delivers him to the perfect conclusion (which admittedly got some tears out of me), but it really irked me to see them give up on the other theme in lieu of a quick resolution.  "Kung Fu Panda 2" is an entertaining family film but cannot attain the same status as "Toy Story 3" because of its cheesy gags and thematic oversights.

The Adventures of Tintin - 6 stars out of 10

The Adventures of Tintin - 6 stars out of 10

When Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson's names are mentioned in the same sentence, you cannot help but pay attention.  "The Adventures of Tintin" is something entirely different for these two movie legends.  It is Spielberg's first venture into the world of animation but makes complete sense, as the motion capture method is the perfect medium to bring this story to life.  And leave it to Jackson to take this technology to a new level.  The motion capture is absolutely stunning, often indistinguishable from real life.  The adventure feels like Indiana Jones, but the story is not nearly as strong.  That believable aspect simply is not there, especially as the characters transfer from European city to ocean to desert  to Morocco and back to Europe again.  Everything felt very disjointed to me and, though I liked all of the characters in the film (especially adorable little Snowy), it fell short of my expectations for a film 28 years in the making.  All of the acting is great and the Thompson Twins were particularly hilarious (and oblivious).  John Williams' Oscar-nominated score is absolutely stunning, bringing energy to this adventure.  It is the driving force behind this film and develops some of the most beautiful themes that I've heard in a long time.  From its jazzy beginning to its heroic themes.  Between the music and visual beauty, "Tintin" provides a good watch but will never become the next Indiana Jones.