Animation

The Adventures of Tintin

1/3/2012
Robert Kirchgassner

Like many in the U.S., I never heard of the comic book character Tintin prior to Steven Spielberg’s recent film The Adventures of Tintin.

The good news is that this is an enjoyable film which Tintin fans will embrace and prompt those who never heard of the character to begin reading the comics by Belgian artist Herge.

Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown

4/28/2011
Robert Kirchgassner

March saw the release of the first Peanuts special in five years on DVD, without premiering on television first.

Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown involves Linus attempting (without success) to ditch his security blanket before his grandmother arrives in town. Like many of the Peanuts specials, there are several moments here which are lifted from the classic comic strip itself.

Gnomeo and Juliet

2/13/2011
Tiffany Lew
The cutest and funniest version of 'Romeo and Juliet' yet.

Who knew that kitschy garden gnomes could be so darn delightful?

Kelly Asbury's computer-animated film, Gnomeo and Juliet, brings a gnome-centric twist on William Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet. The film, featuring the voices of British talent James McAvoy and Emily Blunt, does a "Toy Story take" on garden gnomes: When humans aren't watching, garden gnomes have a life of their own and thus star-crossed garden gnomes fall in love. However, this film differs from films like the Toy Story trilogy in one major way: there isn't much heart.

Tangled: Movie Review

1/16/2011
Tiffany Lew
Catch this Disney animated film before it leaves the theater!

For those who have lost faith in Disney and have yet to watch Tangled, the Disney animated film is a must watch.

The fantasy film, featuring the voices of Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, is much more than a princess movie -- it's filled with action, humor, and yes, romance. It's easy to forget that one is viewing pixels because the images are so real and the chemistry between Rapunzel and the mysterious and charismatic Flynn Rider is such a genuine delight.

Tangled

12/18/2010
Ellen Stodola
Disney produces yet another magical adventure.

For anyone who thinks that animated movies are just for children, Tangled proves them wrong in many ways. This new Disney film tells a variation of the story of Rapunzel. However, trying to appeal to a wider audience, it also incorporates the character of the thief, Flynn Rider. Together, they weave a magical adventure that’s fun for both genders and all ages.

‘Megamind’

12/3/2010
My Nguyen

The superhero formula has been exhausted to the point where it has become just another cliché. So familiar is the storyline that the very notion of another superhero movie produces a gag-reflex in the minds of many viewers. Hero meets villain, villain gets under hero’s skin and produces a few obstacles that will prolong the hero’s advantage over the villain. But in the end, hero is for the greater good of humanity, defeats the villain and saves the day. This is usually the case; the champion of mankind is not at a disadvantage for long.

'Despicable Me' Review

8/19/2010
Cynthia A. Almanzar
A simple movie full of laughs and a lot of heart

Gru (Steve Carell) is a villain and make no mistake about it. He freezes up people in front of him in the line in Starbucks and genuinely enjoys popping children’s’ balloons. As it turns out, Gru is kind of a lower-level super villain. He stole the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty — the small ones from Vegas.

Reviewer Rating: 
3.00Stars

'Toy Story 3' Proves Some Sequels are Successful

8/16/2010
Sandie Young
The 3D movie continues to bring movie goers to the theaters

This might seem like a children's movie, but people of all ages are excited about Toy Story 3. The same characters are back from the original Toy Story and it' sequel to take on more challenges and evil toys. According to the Washington Post, this film earned a sky-high amount of revenue at the box office. It has become one of the most popular Disney films to date.

Despicable Me

7/14/2010
Tiffany Lew
The quality of this animated film ranks with the Pixar films

Walking in to Despicable Me, I was already filled with excitement. The film's advertising campaign heavily featured the minions and rightly so -- the yellow, capsule-like figures are too adorable for audiences to resist.

However, before watching the animated film, I was also worried that the film was overexposed and would fall short of expectations. There was ultimately no need for those worries.

Toy Story 3 Is Pixar At Its Best

6/20/2010
Joanna Fantozzi

Even after reading the overwhelmingly positive reviews of the sequel I was cautiously skeptical as I bought my ticket to see Toy Story 3. I grew up with the characters of Woody, Buzz and Jessie, and I was afraid that Pixar might have caught a bad case of “milk it for all its worth” sequelitis. However, after 11 years of waiting for this movie, I was awed with the results. The movie was a perfect blend of humor, action, adventure and heart-warming moments.

Reviewer Rating: 
4.00Stars
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