Castle in the Sky (1986)

Rating: 80%
Now I saw this before My Neighbor Totoro, but it was the kind of movie that you have to see twice just like Howl's Moving Castle. Anyway, here's my review for Castle in the Sky.

Plot: Sheeta lives alone in her farm after her parents died until these men lead by Colonel Muska took her away. They send her on an airship until a family of pirates attack the ship in attempt to steal Sheeta's crystal necklace. When Sheeta tries to escape, she accidentally falls off the ship, but then he crystal necklace magically slows her fall until she is rescued by a boy named Pazu. Sheeta and Pazu continue to try to escape the pirates and Muska as they continue to chase her as they end up also looking for the mysterious castle in the sky called Laputa.
  

I thought this was a very interesting movie. The whole mystery about Laputa and Sheeta's necklace and so on did keep me very interested when I first watched this film. The characters are also very fun to watch. What I also really enjoy personally are some of the choices of voice actors. I mean we have Debi Derryberry (known as the voice of Jimmy Neutron) as young Sheeta, and then we have some of my favorite voice actors like Corey Burton who voiced for various characters, Jim Cummings as the General, and most of all, Mark Hamil (yes I do mean Luke Skywalker) as Colonel Muska.

Characters:
Sheeta: Sheeta was a nice character. I mean most of the time she was this kind of innocent caring about people kind of person that you probably expect out of what she secretly turns out to be.
Colonel Muska: I really liked him the best. He was just this cunning, determined, evil man and Mark Hamill did a really good job at displaying that through his voice acting.   

Music: The music was pretty good, though I must say that the ending song sounds really similar to the one at the end of Kiki's Delivery Service.

And that's my review for Castle in the Sky. It's a nice film with some darn good voice actors, an interesting story and some characters that are just ether cool or fun to watch.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Rating: 75%
So my friends Meg and Candra have been suggesting that I take a look at more Miyazaki films. And just the other night, Candra even found and sent a link for me to watch this particular film in no time flat. So here's my review of My Neighbor Totoro.

Plot: Satsuki and Mei are two sisters who move into a house in the countryside of Japan to live closer to where their mother is in the hospital. But while Mei is playing one day while Satsuki is in school, she finds these two magical creatures who she chases through a briar patch and into the hallow of a large camphor tree where she meets a large spirit called Totoro.

Well so far of all that Miyazaki films, this one I think is the one that's for kids the most. I mean it just has that more kiddish feeling with seeing these spirits and with the two main characters not being very old. (Satsuki is 10 and Mei is 4.) Plus, the story is very, very, simple, but that's hardly a bad thing cause the story is very nice. The animation is very well done as is highly expected of a Miyazaki film. Altogether, it may not me the most creative or complex of Miyazaki's films, but we still get a very nice movie that we can enjoy. *WARNING SPOILERS* However, I have to point out - and Candra has my back on this - I think it's really creepy that Satsuki and Mei where having that bath together with their dad. I mean with their mom that's fine but their dad...just...no. *END OF SPOILERS*

Characters:
Satsuki and Mei: It goes without saying that they especially were what makes this movie so much more for kids Miyazaki's films. Because unlike his other films like Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky, and even Kiki's Delivery service and Spirited Away a little bit, the main characters of this film are stupid young. Now on a whole I find them to be fun characters considering how they are fun and their personalities are very believable considering their ages.
Totoro and Catbus: Now how I easily like both of these characters is simply how they have one thing in common; they were voiced by my favorite voice actor, Frank Welker. Now unfortunately, I do find it a down that Totoro wasn't in the movie as much as I would've liked to have seen him, but considering what he is and how he set up, it does make a little bit of sense. But both of these characters were nice and you do have to like Catbus for just how creative that creature is.

Music: I didn't pay attention to too much of the score, but I did like the actual song "My Neighbor Totoro" I mean I didn't listen to the whole song, but the chorus does tend to get stuck in my head.

And that's my review for My Neighbor Totoro. It's a nice, more for kids film with a couple of minor issues but on a whole a good movie to enjoy.      

Grease (1978)

Rating: 40%
Now shortly after I went to see Rock of Ages with Megan and while we were waiting for her mom to pick her up before I went to work, she found out that I had yet to ever see this movie. So she suggested that I finally see it so I picked it up from the library a couple of days ago and saw it yesterday and here's how it turned out.

Plot: Over the summer, Danny falls in love with this Australian girl named Sandy at the beach. When summer ends, Danny assures Sandy that they will meet again someday even though she will be going back to Australia. But in the beginning of school, it turns out that Sandy ends up staying and going to Danny's school. They meet again with their friends, but Danny tries to stick to his bad boy attitude for his friends during the reuniting and their relationship gets jeopardized.   

Eh, to put it bluntly, this was good really just for the music in terms of finding how where they originate. I don't really care for the story is just that it isn't all that appealing to me. Mostly on how the story was just too darn similar to High School Musical. In fact, according to Meg, I'm not that far, she actually described this movie as the ORIGINAL High School Musical only difference is there's more sex, smoking and stuff like that. Maybe if I never knew anything about HSM, I would care for this movie (well who wouldn't if you've never seen HSM) but I have so...yeah it's not that big of a deal as a movie or as a musical to me.

Actors/Characters:
John Travolta/Danny Zuko: Since I view him as the original Troy Bolton, I really didn't care for him. Because much like Troy, he was being a moron at plenty of points that result in his love interest's feelings getting hurt, and he and his friends have some rivalry against another gang like how Troy and his team kind of have a rivalry against the team where they're trying to win the championship. I will give him points for being a more believable character then Troy, and that he's being remembered longer than him, but that's it.
Olivia Newton-John/Sandy: At first, I really liked her character. She was smart, reasonable and did kind of stand out from the crowd, but I really didn't like what she did at the very end. I won't say what happened, but in a morale sense, she lost most of my respect.

Music: Really good music. I'm glad to know how the songs, "You're the one I want" and "We Go Together" came from.

And that's my review for Grease. It's not horrible, but I guess I delayed watching this movie long enough, plus saw HSM first that kept me from finding it appealing in any way outside of the music.

Rock of Ages (2012)

Rating: 60%
So this afternoon I saw this with my friend Megan before going to work, and this is pretty much how it turned out.

Plot: Sheerie travels to Los Angeles to become a singer, and barback Drew helps her get a job at the The Bourbon Room where the owner Denny and his right-hand man Lonny arrange for Stacee Jaxx to appear at their bar. Meanwhile the mayor's wife who is a religious conservative wife is trying to shut down The Bourbon Room and right L.A. of Rock and Roll.

On a whole, this was completely what I expected. The music is awesome, the choreography was well done and even clever at some really nice points, some of the characters were either interesting or just a lot of fun to watch. And to the movie's credit, the one good that was unexpected was that the comedy was actually really good for the most part. But what really makes the movie falls pretty flat is how the story is just so freaking cheesy. I mean on a whole, the story make the movie basically just Hairspray, Glee and High School Musical put together, but with awesome, classic rock n' roll. 

Actors/Characters:
Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta/Sherrie and Drew: Yeah to summarize them, they were just the Troy & Gabrielle/ Finn and Rachel of the movie. Honestly, their part in the film may be the main reason why this film fell flat in terms of story. I won't say what happens but it just didn't work.
Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand/Denny and Lonny: Now separate they were just themselves. Russell Brand was being Russell Brand, and Alec Baldwin was roughly being like he is as Jack Donaghy. But together they were pretty awesome. I won't say anything else except there is a scene with them that was probably one of the best parts of the movie.    
Tom Cruise/Stacee Jaxx: Now on a whole, I'm not very big on Tom Cruise in general. But when I saw him in the trailers for this movie, he got my attention. For the most part, I wasn't disappointed. He did a really good job with being this rock star that pretty much has it all, and as far has pretty much singing and dancing like one, he was pretty cool.

Music: Pfff. Do I have to say anything? The music is just plain awesome. I mean "Dead or Alive", "Pour Some Sugar on Me", "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", "We Built This City", it's just a whole classic collection of excellent Rock 'n' Roll music. My only issue is "Don't Stop Believing", *WARNING SPOILER* I mean it is a nice song and the first time it was played ended as one of the funniest parts of the film, but it's just that the movie ended with it, which made it way too much like Glee. True, this is based on a Broadway musical that started a couple of years before Glee...but honestly, which one are we going to think of more during the end of the movie, Glee, which most of us know about whether we watch it or not, or the Broadway version of Rock of Ages which most of us probably hardly know about outside of this film. *END OF SPOILER*

Editing: Most of the editing was pretty good except for during the second time Sherrie and Drew are at the Hollywood sign when there was a bad cut where Drew has his mouth partly open and his arms are more spread but then it automatically cuts to his having his mouth closed and his harms down. Just bad cut over the sake of continuity.

And that's my review for Rock of Ages. If you like a movie with Rock 'n' Roll songs, really nice choreography, and maybe even a plot that's way to similar to Hairspray, High School Musical and Glee, chances are you are going to get what you paid for and enjoy it. Otherwise...it's probably just the music and some of the comedy that would make it worth your while in anyway.


and here's the link to my video review for the film:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNpccQcrm5c&feature=g-all-u

The Shining (1980)

Rating: 95%
So the other night, my parents to me and my siblings and my brother's girlfriend and my sister's boyfriend to the night tour of the Stanley Hotel, the hotel where Stephen King came up with the book, The Shining. Now I waited until the next day to watch the movie since it was past midnight by the time we came home. So here's my review for The Shining.

Plot: Jack Torrence is a former school teacher who gets the job as the winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel. He brings his wife, Wendy and his son Danny with him. At first, they all seem to really enjoy being at the hotel, but then mysterious things begin to happens and Jack is starting to act strangely.

What can I say? It's a very good movie. It's mysterious, it's suspenseful, it has one of the most famous movie quotes known to man, the cinematography is good, the acting is extremely well done, it just doesn't it's just very well as a horror film. I mean the only issue I would definitely say is how it is based on the novel loosely. I mean I haven't read the book, but there are a couple of things that are different that I thought where a little lame, mostly that they changes the number of that mysterious room to 237 instead of 217. But nonetheless, it's still a very well done movie that so many film geeks are very familiar with.

Actors/Characters:
Jack Nicholson/Jack Torrence: I really liked his character. He was crazy and sinister, which may have made me think a little too much of his performance as The Joker in Batman, but was different enough that I could enjoy watching him without imagining him with green hair and a white face.  
Shelley Duvall/Wendy Torrence: She did a very good job with her character too. She really displayed what was happening to this character really well with how she was being scared or just plain worried for her family. I understand that apparently she's something of a different character in the book, I wonder how different I would find her if I ever read it.  
Danny Lloyd/Danny Torrence: I though he also did a really good job as a child actor. With how he portrayed Danny and "Tony", and his expression when he got really scared or found out something bad through his 'shining' powers.

Music: Really suspenseful. Best parts of the score would have to be the music for the beginning and the climax, they just really gave you this suspenseful and dark feeling.

Editing: I liked a lot of the editing, but I thought they gave away a little too much with showing the blood from the elevator so many times before Wendy sees it and how it seemed off that Jack would just about be heading to the ghost party, and then all of the sudden it cuts to Dick calling that friend of his.

And that's my review for The Shining. It's an excellent horror film where the only problems are how it's not too loyal to the book and with some of the disagreements I have with the editing.

The Secret of NIMH (1982)

Rating: 100%
Ah yes. Here we have another Don Bluth film that was easily one of my favorite non-Disney movies to watch growing up. A movie that was rightfully praised by the critics but sadly didn't go too far in the box office. The one and only The Secret of NIMH.

Plot: Mrs. Brisby is a widowed mouse who lives with only her four children after her husband Johnathan was killed. One day, her second youngest child, Timmy gets sick and is revealed to have Pneumonia, so he cannot go outside for at least three weeks. But the farmer that the family lives close to is planning to plow the field thereby destroying their house so they have to move. So the great owl tells Mrs. Brisby to go to the rats to find a way to move without Timmy getting out of him bed and dying.
 
This is a spectacular movie. The story is original, animation is very well done, the characters are very well developed, it's dark, it's edgy and suspenseful, yet fun and exciting. Would it be a little too dark for younger children?...eh...maybe. I mean in my case, my siblings and I have known this movie long before I was in kindergarten (I'm the oldest mind you) and we didn't have a problem with the dark setting to this movie, but then again, not all young children will view it the same as we and maybe plenty of other people who grew up with this at a very young age did. But even then it's still an excellent animated film that I think should be remembered for just as long of a time as all the Disney and Pixar films that will be remembered for years to come. 


Characters:
Mrs. Brisby: This was an excellent character. She wasn't heroic all that much but still had this sense of bravery and willingness to do what she must to save her family. She was just an extremely good character.
Jeremy: Jeremy I easily liked. Unlike Mrs. Brisby he was more the heroic one who was being this wise guy who was always doing things for good. I mean it's not like I liked this guy so much that I had a toy of him or something growing up, but still.

Music: the music is fantastic. The score is touching and the song "Flying Dreams Lullaby" is a moving song. Especially with how it's played during the end credits.

And that's my review for The Secret of NIMH. It's a wonderful animated with an excellent story, characters, music, animation and so on that it should be remembered for a long time and passed down to be loved by generations to come. 

The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)

Rating: 60%
Yeah here's a movie I remember not owning but seeing a couple of times when I was a kid. So after seeing it again for the first time in years right after seeing All Dogs Go To Heaven, here's my review for The Pebble and the Penguin.

Plot: Hubie is a shy penguin in Antarctica who is in love with this female penguin named Marina. But this big, strong cruel penguin named Drake wants her too. in order for Hubie to propose to Marina, he has to find a pebble so that he can. He wishes on a star that he would find the perfect pebble, and one falls out of the sky for him to use. But along the way, Drake pushes him into the water where he gets separated from the penguins by a leopard seal. He is then captured by human where he meets another penguin named Rocko who he helps to escape and is tricked by Hubie to take him back to Antarctica to try to stop Drake from forcing Mariana to marry him.

 Like All Dogs Go to Heaven, it wasn't a horrible movie, only at least with this movie we don't get anything really weird. But also like All Dogs Go To Heaven the story isn't very original. I mean there's plenty of movies where the main guy is shy or has trouble talking to girls and they really made the fact that this is a Disney knock-off a little too obviously considering there being this bully who's the main villain who wants the girl for her looks like Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. Other than that, it just has a couple of other issues like most of the songs aren't that good and there's a bunch of stuff that is unrealistic and has a couple of plot holes, yet it's...okay...ish enough to enjoy.

Characters:
Hubie: If there's one thing that I found to be really weird kind of right away, it's that Martin Short was voice as Hubie the whole time I knew this movie existed. I didn't even knew the guys name whenever I saw the movie as a kid, so it wasn't until right as I was watching the intro to this film that I found out. Which I found to be messed up in the sense that it's him being the lead and all that, even if it's the lead in an animated film. But I have to admit, for a guy that's a wimp I did enjoy how Rocko helped him stand up for himself which I kind of liked how it went in the end.
Rocko: He was an okay character. I mean he has his smart and energetic spirit who looks after himself which is likable for a supporting character like him. But then there's the cheesy stuff like what's his goal and everything so all in all, he's just so-so.


Music: I thought "Sometime I Wonder" and "Now and Forever" and kind of "The Good Ship Misery" were alright songs. But I was hardly a fan of "Don't Make Me Laugh" as a villain song and "Looks Like I Got Me A Friend" (even if the jokes in that one where nice)

And that's my review for The Pebble and the Penguin. It doesn't have an original plot and it has it's issues from some of its characters to some of the music. But it can be entertaining regardless for the most part.