Review #61 | Kubo and the Two Strings

“If you must blink, do it now!” says Kubo, our young hero, in the beginning of the movie and that moment I knew it was well worth the wait. Kubo and the Two Strings is the latest stop-motion animated film created by LAIKA (Coraline, ParaNorman & The Boxtrolls). 

Kubo and the Two Strings, 2016

It is directed by Travis Knight who has also produced all of LAIKA’s previous films.
I have been very unfortunate little being to be dwelling on the other side of the world trying to avoid spoilers for over 2 months since the release of Kubo in the U.S. And since I live in Korea, I’ve been waiting for this movie for more than you can imagine. I finally got to watch it today, and yes, it was well worth the wait for two reasons: 1. There were literally no one in the theater besides me and one other person, which gave me the freedom of over exposure and 2. Because the movie was a visually stunning film, a breakthrough in stop-motion history.

Kubo and the Two Strings follows our hero Kubo on his quest to find the magical suit of armor once wore by his father to defeat the spirits from the past who try to murder him and his mother for betrayal. Kubo has to locate the suit of armor with a help of the monkey and the beetle in order to face his enemy.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the movie but if I was to nitpick this movie, I would say I was a little bit disappointed of how the movie ended. I mean, it could have had a better ending. Nevertheless, what was awe inspiring the most was the visuals. I have never seen a stop-motion animated film that was beautiful and as action packed as Kubo. The movie strives above them all. LAIKA really out did itself in this part.

Now, for the story, I was into it all throughout the movie thanks to the great scary sequences, that actually caught me off guard. After all, this is what LAIKA does best. Although the movie seems to take it seriously, it is actually very funny at times because of the great characters who truly feel alive (aka “animated”). It is hard not like any of them!

While journeying throughout the land and sea, Kubo has to locate the magical suit of armor and fight monsters. Those moments were the very high points of this movie. It was so intense and exciting, that the final battle between the enemy and Kubo felt a little disappointing. The enemy fell into a trap that most villains in super hero movies did: he kept on monologuing until his defeat!

My final thoughts. With a blend of an amazing score, Kubo and the Two Strings strives to be one of the best animated films of this year. I can’t say it’s the best effort LAIKA has delivered to us but it does stand close to Coraline and ParaNorman or even better, only time will tell.

Animation Magic Theater Rating: 88%

Los Angeles Times Review | 'Norm of the North' ploddingly follows in footsteps of 'Happy Feet'

By Michael Rechtshaffen

Treading blatantly on "Happy Feet" terrain, "Norm of the North" is a blandly uninspired animated adventure about a gentle polar bear who rises to the occasion when his frozen habitat is threatened by a greedy land developer.

Preferring to entertain tourists with his dance moves over hunting seals, Norm (voiced by Rob Schneider) would be the first to admit he's "softer than frozen yogurt," but when the megalomaniacal Mr. Greene (Ken Jeong) shows up intending to colonize the Arctic with luxury housing, he finds his true calling.

Norm of the North, 2016

Joined by a trio of lemmings, Norm travels to Manhattan with a plan to sabotage Greene's not-so-green agenda and in the process is embraced by New Yorkers who assume he's just another actor in a polar bear suit.

Given the small-screen feel of the visuals and the generic plotting, it's no surprise that director Trevor Wall comes from the world of television animation, but it's a shame the capable voice cast (also including Heather Graham, Bill Nighy and Colm Meany) didn't have more engaging characters at their disposal.

While the film, with its preponderance of potty jokes, might placate the very young already primed by boisterous singing chipmunks, older viewers will likely find it all harder to, uh, bear.

Read the full review at Los Angeles Times official site.

The New York Times Review | Spilling a Love Potion on a Fairy Princess

Gary Rydstrom’s ‘Strange Magic,’ From a George Lucas Story

By Ben Kenigsberg, January 22, 2015

Strange Magic, 2015

“Strange Magic,” directed by the Oscar-winning sound designer Gary Rydstrom from a story by George Lucas, is set in a world of fairies, elves and goblins. The fluid digital animation tickles the eye with a sea of periwinkle, pockmarked creatures and diaphanous, detailed wings.

Whether the movie dazzles the ear is another matter. “Strange Magic” employs a parade of pop-music covers to do its screenplay’s heavy lifting. Said to be inspired by “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the film plays more like “Avatar” scored to a karaoke competition.

When the feisty fairy-princess heroine, Marianne (the voice of Evan Rachel Wood), catches her betrothed, Roland (Sam Palladio), cheating on her, she vows, to the strains of Burt Bacharach, that she will never fall in love again.

The song choices, which collapse periods and are credited to the “Moulin Rouge!” music director Marius de Vries, are mostly distractions. Marianne’s confrontation with Roland merges the Four Seasons’ “C’mon Marianne” with Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).” Sunny (Elijah Kelley), an elf, obtains a love potion from the Sugar Plum Fairy (Kristin Chenoweth). Doused with the potion, Marianne’s sister (Meredith Anne Bull) belts “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” for the Bog King (Alan Cumming).

Viewers may relate to the ersatz emotion. At once disarming and calculated, “Strange Magic” is a film of commodified feelings, evoking memories of other experiences — whether of Shakespeare, the original songs or authentic enchantment.

Read the full review at The New York Times official site.

Review #60 | WALL-E

After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL-E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet's future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL-E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most exciting and imaginative comedy adventures ever brought to the big screen. Joining WALL-E on his fantastic journey across a universe of never-before-imagined visions of the future, is a hilarious cast of characters including a pet cockroach, and a heroic team of malfunctioning misfit robots.

WALL-E, 2008

Story | WALL-E starts afresh, unique in design and story. With almost no dialogue, WALL-E accomplishes something rare, the movie magic. With realistic settings WALL-E conquered new grounds in computer animation. A love story about a lonely robot seemed to far-fetched but Pixar does it again. If rats can cook then robots can fall in love.

The story of a robot in love was totally worth telling. It gives us an emotional punch into our hearts. A rusty robot, WALL-E becomes so lovely and we get to care a lot about him. That’s the power of great story telling.

Art | The production design for WALL-E is one of the most realistic for Pixar. You can see every detail. Making Earth filled with trash and junk makes it more real. The characters designs of robots and humans, on contrary, look less real but they are more or less attractive.

Characters | To make some rusty old robot lovable is something. It proves that appearance don’t matter much than to the heart. The reason why EVE fell in love is because of WALL-E's pure affections for her. Human characters however seemed to lack the brains. They were pictured as dumb and naïve human beings.

Music | The soundtrack for this movie is something to pay attention to. It has its own theme. I really enjoyed listening to it.

Creativity | WALL-E is probably one of the most creative animated movies of all time.

Entertainment | The only downfall of WALL-E is that it fell show of being fun. If I would watch it again I’d probably doze off.

Pixar Animation Studios | Andrew Stanton | 98 minutes

Animation Magic Theater Rating: 96%

Review #59 | Home

When Oh, a loveable misfit from another planet, lands on Earth and finds himself on the run from his own people, he forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl named Tip who is on a quest of her own. Through a series of comic adventures with Tip, Oh comes to understand that being different and making mistakes is all part of being human. And while he changes her planet and she changes his world, they discover the true meaning of the word HOME.

Home, 2015

Story | It starts very quickly and ‘the world invasion’ proceeds really quickly unlike other films. For Boov, invading a planet is a piece of cake but to arrest a Boov named ‘Oh’ seems to be very hard. The story seems to fly by the unimportant stuff (world invasion) to come to an important plot line where ‘Oh’ meet a teenage girl ‘Tip’ who wants to find her mother. They get together to go on an adventure and thus, they get to know each other.

They compromise with each other to get what they want. ‘Tip’ wants find her mom, and ‘Oh’ just wants to justify his mistakes. I was surprised to see that the story was not that simple but it had some twists in the end. I am glad to say that I wasn’t disappointed with this movie after some negative reviews on the internet. I was not sure if I would like the character ‘Oh’ but despite his unattractive design, he was loveable. Home is a fun family movie magic.

Art | The art of this movie is just marvelous, the only defect was the character design of Boov, for me, it was too simple and unattractive. Paris looks so imaginative and that fantastical hovering car of Tip’s is magical.

Characters | To be honest, most characters from ‘Home’ were simple and stupid. Captain Smek was annoying, and the other Boovs and Humans alike were dumb and naïve.

Music | What saved ‘Home’ from being completely boring because of the character's simplistic features was the music. The music from ‘Home’ served as the energy of the movie. It made you feel what the character feels through the music more than from character’s actions.

Creativity | ‘Home’ is creative with full of imagination. It lacks credence but the Boov’s ‘gravity manipulation system’ was beautiful to see.

Animation Magic Theater Rating: 78%

Shorts Review #2 | Toy Story That Time Forgot

Toy Story That Time Forgot is an another spectacular addition to the Toy Story franchise. This is the second television special to air on ABC after Toy Story of Terror!

Toy Story That Time Forgot, 2014

During a post-Christmas play date, the Toy Story gang find themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. It's all up to Trixie, the triceratops, if the gang hopes to return to Bonnie's room in this Toy Story That Time Forgot.

Toy Story That Time Forgot is full of character and beautiful to look at. Hilarious in speech and action.

We are introduced to new toys; the 'Battlesaurs'. They remind us of Buzz Lightyear when he was a deluded in being a space ranger.

Every scene is a delight to watch and has that Toy Story vibe in it. What cracked me up was when unexpectedly the battlesaurs sang their theme song. It was then when I realized that Pixar had the potential to do a musical.

Toy Story That Time Forgot is not a must-see short but it does feel delightful and pleasing. For anyone who is a Toy Story fan like me should go and see it.

Inside Outside Rating: 4/5

Review #58 | My Neighbor Totoro

It is so good to write again, I feel like I have come back from a deep sleep. Hey guys! I won't be writing for a year. I won't be writing much on 2015 but I do promise to write when I have time. So thank you for those who read and love animation.

My Neighbor Totoro, 1988

Two young girls, Mei and Satsuki, move into a new home that is close to the hospital that their mother is in. In their yard is an extremely large tree which is home to three Totoros, gods of the forest. Soon after, news from the hospital comes up that their mother can't come home as promised, so Mei (the younger daughter) runs away from home to visit her mom. Satsuki then needs to turn to Totoro for help in finding her sister.

The story of a beloved movie My Neighbor Totoro is not your typical story where you have a villain and you have to overcome it. It is a simple story with conflicts that we can face in reality. The characters, however, show cuteness and great personalities.

While story seems to lack big conflicts, characters like Mei and Satsuki’s enthusiasm make the movie fun and make you feel for those characters. They show their kind and gentle personalities through their time in their new home and find creatures like Totoro and Catbus more interesting rather than scary.

The animation looks beautiful and organic. Little bits of small details were added to the movie  that was something that made it more believable like the small scars on the little sister Mei’s leg when she fell or dirty feet when Satsuki ran bare feet looking for her sister.

Inside Outside Rating: 75%

Review #57 | The Pirates! Band of Misfits

I wish Aardman would make more films but with better story. This unique style of animation struggles to find the fitting story that will make the film soar.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits, 2012

In The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Hugh Grant stars in his first animated role as the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain - a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award. It's a quest that takes our heroes from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London. Along the way they battle a diabolical queen (Imelda Staunton) and team up with a haplessly smitten young scientist (David Tennant), but never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: adventure!

The stop motion picture that Aardman team has done in this film is amazing and makes you wonder how they do it. It gets better and much cleaner than their previous attempts. In contrast, I think their losing their touch in great story telling because the jokes and plots are exaggerated beyond repair.

It gives enough humor to entertain little kids but never does entertain those who want to see some real heart. It may not have a great story, but it does have its strong points. The characters are not strong or unique.

If there is one thing I would want to compliment, it would be the magical animated beauty. Those clay-made characters seem to have found life through the hands of great creators. If only they could find a great story that fits this medium, Aardman will have found the way to go into the big leagues.

Inside Outside Rating: 66%

Review #56 | Corpse Bride

This spooky tale will take you  to a place you will never have imagined it existed. The place where dead people go.

Corpse Bride, 2005

Tim Burton returns to the dark but fanciful animated style of The Nightmare Before Christmas with this stop-motion black comedy. Victor (voice of Johnny Depp) lives in a small European village in the 19th century, where he is pledged to marry Victoria (voice of Emily Watson), a partnership arranged by their parents. The two only meet the day before their scheduled nuptials, and Victor performs disastrously in the wedding rehearsal. Later that evening, while he is walking through the woods and hopelessly practicing his vows, he puts Victoria's wedding band on what looks like a branch. Victor quickly discovers this was a big mistake; as it happens, he has put the ring on the skeletal finger of the enchanted Corpse Bride (voice of Helena Bonham Carter), who then whisks him off to a dark and mysterious netherworld where they are now married. Victor is frightened in the land of the dead, and even realizes that he has fallen in love with his true fiancée, Victoria, so he searches for a way back to his own world. Directed by Tim Burton in collaboration with animator Mike Johnson, Corpse Bride features a stellar voice cast, including Albert Finney, Christopher Lee, Richard E. Grant, Joanna Lumley, and Danny Elfman (who also composed the film's musical score).

Tim Burton presents a spooky stop motion animated film that will blow your mind. In this world, dead people are not actually dead; they just go “downstairs”, which seems more joyful than the world of living.

Tim Burton cleverly depicts the reality of the living dullness. The people upstairs live like they have no soul and the people downstairs sing and dance are pretty passionate in everything they do. The plot of this story goes around Victor in trouble because of the unwanted vow he made to a corpse bride.

It is interesting to see how Victor chooses his ways and how things turned out to be. Corpse Bride delivers a great message of showing compassion and keeping promises. There were some great puns in this movie with some unique character designs. Just watching some character designs you can see how much further you can go with squashing and stretching human characters. Those characters don’t look like humans but they do resemble real ones.

Inside Outside Rating: 78%

Review #55 | Tarzan

It has come time to review the one and only, Tarzan. With music from Phil Collins and animation from Disney, what more do you want?

Tarzan, 1999

Walt Disney Pictures' animated adventure Tarzan is an innovative and entertaining exploration of the classic tale by Edgar Rice Burroughs. With music by Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Phil Collins, Tarzan is an adventure that traces the story of a human baby who is orphaned in the African jungle and lovingly raised by a family of apes. Tarzan's peaceful and sheltered world is turned upside down by the arrival of a human expedition and the revelation that he is one of them. As he struggles to decide which "family" he belongs with, his dilemma is further complicated by his feelings for a beautiful young woman named Jane and the discovery that a trusted member of his new human "family" is plotting to harm the apes. With an inspired cast of vocal talents and new technological breakthroughs that bring added depth and dimensionality to the jungle settings, Disney's animated version of Tarzan captures the fantasy, excitement, and imagination of this literary favorite as never before.

Music, animation, character design, story, and the movie itself are stunning and spectacular! This movie made me cry. With touching moments and great action sequences Tarzan is never fails to entertain. So, let’s talk about Tarzan.

The first thing I want to say is the music. Phil Collins has done a great job, and without his performance it would not made the film great as it is. It breathes life to this animated feature. This is a movie where music has much influence in the movies mood and feel.

The animation is stunning and spectacular. From the authentic moves of Tarzan to clumsy but graceful moves of Jane, the animators have done A+ grade job! The jungle is beautiful and wild. The expressions with perfect music make it more emotional.

The story of Tarzan is relatable and it makes you want Tarzan to be happy just like his ape mother wants him to be happy. You want the best for him. After all, he lost his parents and lost everything that comes out of it. Love.

Inside Outside Rating: 90%

Review #54 | Monsters vs. Aliens

What a joy it is to sit back in relief and watch a movie that has great comedy and style. And Monsters vs. Aliens delivers that.

Monsters vs. Aliens, 2009

When California girl Susan Murphy is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall. The military jumps into action and Susan is captured and secreted away to a covert government compound. There, she is renamed Ginormica and placed in confinement with a ragtag group of Monsters: the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.; the macho half-ape, half-fish The Missing Link; the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B.; and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement is cut short, however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country. In a moment of desperation, the President is persuaded to enlist the motley crew of Monsters to combat the Alien Robot and save the world from imminent destruction.

Monsters vs. Aliens is a comedic relief that really works but by doing that the creators sacrifice a sane story. I couldn't believe the rapid decision Susan made to suddenly give up her human life and go for the ‘monster’ life just because her crush turned away from her. I don't buy that.

It fails to explain itself and it becomes lazy in being able to make us believe in this world. The bright side is the comedy. It is one of the funniest animated movies out there. They make up over the shallow script.

If you love animation or not, this will make you laugh a lot, but if you are looking for a good decent movie, this movie might not be a good choice.

Inside Outside Rating: 72%

Review #53 | Princess Mononoke

It has come time to review the epic Ghibli film, Princess Mononoke. With exotic location and mythical creatures, Princess Mononoke is indeed something unique for the animation world.

Princess Mononoke, 1997

This $20 million animated adventure/fantasy quickly became the highest grossing Japanese film in Japanese film history (making $150 million in Japan during its first seven months). Set in the 14th century, the ecology-themed epic was directed by Hayao Miyazaki whose previous films were acquired by Disney for U.S. distribution plus other territories. Princess Mononoke depicts a mystical battle between Animal Gods of the forest and humans during Japan's Muromachi Period. Young Ashitaka receives a fatal infection after a demonic wild boar attacks his northern village. Seeking a cure, he sets out to locate the deer-like god Shishigami. Along the way, he sees the rape of the Earth by a mining village. The constant plundering by the village has brought the wrath of the Wolf God, Moro, who attacks the village along with San, a human who was raised by the wolf god. She communicates with the nature spirits -- which is why she is called Princess Mononoke ("spirits of things"). Ashitaka wants these opposing forces to co-exist, and he hopes to bring peace between San and the ironworks owner, Lady Eboshi. However, he is thwarted as higher powers, intent on killing the Shishigama, intrude, and a battle erupts over the future of all nature.

Studio Ghibli introduces us the new kind of animation that has some seriousness into it. Princess Mononoke is an epic film that deals with war and conflict between nature and humans and because it deals with big themes it might lack some human love and affection.

I've enjoyed the film but I thought it took so much time for an animated film. It is long. The movie is so creative and imaginative. This is the movies strong side. Some of the effects animation is stunning.

What I didn't find satisfying was the ending. It ended somewhat warm. It did not have a strong ending or a satisfying one. It is an epic film but I doubt I’ll watch it again at my own will.

Inside Outside Rating: 70%

Review #52 | How to Train Your Dragon

Since everyone in the U.S. have been enjoying watching How to Train Your Dragon 2, I thought it would be nice to watch How to Train Your Dragon again and write my thoughts about this film.

How to Train Your Dragon, 2010

Long ago up North on the Island of Berk, the young Viking, Hiccup, wants to join his town's fight against the dragons that continually raid their town. However, his macho father and village leader, Stoik the Vast, will not allow his small, clumsy, but inventive son to do so. Regardless, Hiccup ventures out into battle and downs a mysterious Night Fury dragon with his invention, but can't bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup and the dragon, whom he dubs Toothless, begin a friendship that would open up both their worlds as the observant boy learns that his people have misjudged the species. But even as the two each take flight in their own way, they find that they must fight the destructive ignorance plaguing their world.

From the title ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ to its wonderful storytelling through visuals, this movie is something special and worth talking about. This movie stands on its own. It has its good points and bad points. First let me talk about the good.

The animation used here is beautiful. From the flying scenes to the organic feel of the atmosphere, it feels like a real world of Vikings. The next good thing was the telling of a relationship with boy and a dragon visually was stunning. Even though Hiccup and Toothless don’t say much we can see how deep their relationship becomes to be.

There are more things to praise about this movie but I’ll leave that to you. One or two things that bothered me were the opening/closing narrative and the lack of good humor. It could have been more entertaining in some ways but I don’t complain how the movie turned out to be. It really has something special.

Inside Outside Rating: 88%

Review #51 | Robin Hood

That time you watch a classic movie from your childhood. Robin Hood is just that movie I watched all the time in my early years.

Robin Hood, 1973

Robin Hood is one of the first animated films produced by the Walt Disney Company after Walt Disney's death in 1967. For the film, the studio's animators took the Disney tradition of adding human-like animal sidekicks to established tales (Cinderella, Pinnochio) a step further by making Robin Hood's legendary characters creatures themselves. Robin Hood (Brian Bedford) is a wily fox; Maid Marian (Monica Evans) is a beautiful vixen; Little John (Phil Harris) is a burly bear; Friar Tuck (Andy Devine) is a soft-spoken badger; the Sheriff of Nottingham (Pat Buttram) is a greedy wolf; and the scheming Prince John (Peter Ustinov) is a sniveling, groveling, thumb-sucking undersized lion with a serpent sidekick named Sir Hiss (Terry Thomas). The film begins after Prince John and Sir Hiss have tricked the true King into leaving the country on a phony crusade. With the help of the Sheriff of Nottingham, they tax the life out of Nottingham's peasants, leaving them all penniless but with the courageous Robin Hood as their only hope.

Robin Hood is fun and entertaining, and as for me, this was one of the movies I watched as a kid over and over again. Seeing it again as a young adult, it still had the fun and the comedy all the way. I love how this movie has a special place in my life.

So, first the appeal, the characters are definitely one of the standing points of this movie. Each character is well designed. One of my favorite characters is Robin Hood and Maid Marian. The other standing point is the music in it. It is classic in my opinion.

I took the story somewhat differently as other people say. I really enjoyed the story. It actually has a well written story. It didn't feel forced but felt natural and flowed like in real life. This film makes the audience just feel sympathy for the characters and makes us cheer for Robin Hood.

Inside Outside Rating: 80%

Review #50 | The Rescuers Down Under

It has its own charms but it will always be compared with the previous film and therefore loved less.

The Rescuers Down Under, 1990

Bernard (voice of Bob Newhart) and Miss Bianca (voice of Eva Gabor), the intrepid mouse squad from the International Rescue Society of The Rescuers, return to help a little boy from the Australian outback named Cody (voice of Adam Ryen), who has been kidnapped by an evil poacher named McLeach (voice of George C. Scott). Enlisting the air services of Wilbur the Albatross (voice of John Candy), the two mice travel to the wasteland of Australia. McLeach is a dark complexioned exploiter who scours the Outback in a giant hovercraft, intent on capturing endangered species and selling them for a hefty profit. Bernard and Miss Bianca befriend a Paul Hogan-type mouse named Jake (Tristan Rogers), but to battle against the evil McLeach, Bernard's wisdom is required in order to save the day. Disney got its feet wet in computer animation with several impressive flight sequences, which bracket the film.

I will start of by saying that they have named the title right, instead of just saying ‘2’ in the title, I am glad they did something different. This is an experimental feature that used computers for animation.

The animation in my point lacked the rich colors the first movie used. What bugged me was that the character didn't look the same as before. The Rescuers Down Under kind of lost its magic. The characters seem more lightly handled and weak in their purposes.

The villain McLeach for instance is a weak character although he gives the impression of scariness. Other characters like Miss Bianca and the ‘new’ mouse, Jake. The background animation was descent and beautiful at times.

A few good moments does not justify the overall story being a flop. The thing about sequel is that it will always be compared with the previous films, so that is ways it has be handled with care. What disappointed me was that it did not feel as authentic as the previous one. I believe it could have been handled better with people who loved the first movie.

Inside Outside Rating: 55%

Review #49 | All Dogs Go to Heaven

If only they have done some major changes, including a change in title, it would've be impressive.

All Dogs Go to Heaven, 1989

One of the most expensive of Don Bluth's animated cartoon features, All Dogs Go to Heaven was also among the most successful. Set in late-'30s New Orleans, the story centers upon a roguish German shepherd named Charlie B. Barkin (voice of Burt Reynolds), who is killed early in the proceedings by his business partner, Carface (voice of Vic Tayback). Charlie travels to Heaven, and is promptly warned that if he heads back to Earth, he can never return; he does decide to go back to Earth, however, to exact revenge on Carface, who has kidnapped Anne-Marie, a little orphan girl who can talk to Animals. The film also includes the vocal skills of Dom DeLuise, Charles Nelson Reilly, Vic Tayback, Melba Moore, Loni Anderson, and a host of others. All Dogs Go to Heaven was the first production of the Dublin-based Sullivan Bluth Studios.

Very unstable animated feature film which lacks appeal and entertainment. The animation is not the best out there and the story that is based on a weak and unstable theme. It fails to have a great story with side stories being unhelpful.

The music is not really helping the story move forward. The story is pretty dark and does not serve its purpose. All Dogs Go to Heaven lacks something special that is crucial to an animated film.

Inside Outside Rating: 32%

Review #48 | Tangled

Yeah...It is so satisfactory when you watch a fine animated film. Tangled is one those films.

Tangled, 2010

When the kingdom's most wanted-and most charming-bandit Flynn Rider hides out in a mysterious tower, he's taken hostage by Rapunzel, a beautiful and feisty tower-bound teen with 70 feet of magical, golden hair. Flynn's curious captor, who's looking for her ticket out of the tower where she's been locked away for years, strikes a deal with the handsome thief and the unlikely duo sets off on an action-packed escapade, complete with a super-cop horse, an over-protective chameleon and a gruff gang of pub thugs.

This is how you make an animated film. Or at least this is how the Disney makes an animated film when they put their heart and soul into their work. I cannot say that it is has everything it needs to be perfect but it is truly delightful.

Tangled has some of the best animated scenes. ‘Kingdom Dance’ scene is very authentic and beautiful. The tear healing scene is one of the best climaxes Disney has ever done. It made me cry.

It is a best animated musical I have ever seen. What makes Tangled shine beautifully is the free character of Rapunzel. She finds the true enemy and she is not afraid to fight for freedom. When she finds out that Flynn dying, she decides even to give up her freedom to save him.

My only complaint would be the too human like animal characters, and in comparison too lighthearted human characters.

Good Quote: (Rapunzel) I will keep fighting you, but if you just let me heal him…

Inside Outside Rating: 87%

Review #47 | The Iron Giant

"I am now the coolest kid in America". I am glad the kid found the iron giant.

The Iron Giant, 1999

A boy's best friend is his robot in this animated adventure from Brad Bird, best known for his TV work on such series as The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and The Critic. Set in 1957, The Iron Giant focuses on Hogarth (voice of Eli Marienthal), an imaginative nine-year-old boy who daydreams of alien invasions and doing battle with Communist agents. One day, Hogarth hears a local fisherman talk about something that surpasses anything he could dream up: a fifty-foot robot that fell from the sky into a nearby lake. Needless to say, Hogarth's mom, Annie (voice of Jennifer Aniston) finds this a little hard to swallow, but when Hogarth finds the robot (voice of Vin Diesel) and fishes him out of the water, his pal Dean (voice of Harry Connick Jr.), a beatnik sculptor who also runs a junkyard, offers to help by hiding the robot with his salvage. A government agent named Kent Mansley (voice of Christopher McDonald) soon gets wind that there's a mechanical invader of unknown origins in the neighborhood and wants to wipe out the potential threat. However, the robot (which loves to eat metal and is learning to talk) turns out to be friendly, and the boy in turn tries to teach his new pal the ways of humans. The Iron Giant is loosely based on the book The Iron Man by late British poet Ted Hughes, previously adapted for the stage by rock musician Pete Townshend, who executive produced the film.

The Iron Giant is a movie that really captures the good humor with some great character animation satisfies the general audience. I really loved those funny moments the movie captures. Although the animation is not very smooth at times, wow, what a great job creating facial expressions on Hogarth’s mother.

As for the story, it was good and it didn't seem absurd. They really made it believable and understandable. At the end it is fun and great!

Inside Outside Rating: 86%

Review #46 | Up

This is an another level of Pixar's masterpiece that has everything you.., Squirrel!

UP, 2009

A feisty septuagenarian teams with a fearless wilderness ranger to do battle with a vicious band of beasts and villains in this computer-animated adventure scripted by Pixar veteran Bob Peterson and co-directed by Peterson and Monsters, Inc. director Peter Docter. Carl Fredricksen is a 78-year-old balloon salesman. His entire life, Carl has longed to wander the wilds of South America. Then, one day, the irascible senior citizen shocks his neighbors by tying thousands of balloons to his home and finally taking flight. But Carl isn't alone on his once-in-a-lifetime journey, because stowed away on his front porch is an excitable eight-year-old wilderness explorer named Russell. Later, as the house touches down on the world's second largest continent, Carl and his unlikely traveling companion step outside to discover that not only is their new front lawn considerably larger, but that the predators therein are much more ferocious than anything they ever faced back home.

This is why Pixar has a high up standard expectations. You can’t think about Pixar the same way after this movie. One of the most comedic and heartfelt movies Pixar has ever done. Pixar has proved that heartfelt movies can be funny and sweet at the same time.

This is one of the best works of Pixar so far. Along with Toy Story 3, UP has something really special that teaches us to let go of the past because it does not matter now. It really draws us to the characters and makes us care for what happens to them.

Although the designs for the characters are simple the emotions each character has is something deep.  The animation is beautiful from beginning to end. The music is also top notched. Really works well with the emotions and the feel of the movie. It wouldn't be the same without the music.

From a small grandfather to Paradise Falls, this movie has everything you want to see in a movie.

Inside Outside Rating: 96%

Review #45 | Mary and Max

Mary and Max was not great experience for my case but it does have its own colors. This will be a short review of the movie. (I'm so lazy!)

Mary and Max, 2009

Academy Award-winning Harvie Krumpet director Adam Elliot returns to the world of clay animation with this simple tale of the innocent correspondence between a portly eight year old girl from the suburbs of Melbourne and a morbidly obese, middle-aged Jewish New Yorker suffering from Asperger's Syndrome. On the surface it would seem that Mary (Toni Collette) and Max (Philip Seymour Hoffman) would have little in common, but over the course of twenty years, the unlikely pen pals exchange letters discussing everything from taxidermy, trust, pets, religion, obesity, autism, agoraphobia, alcoholism, and just about any other topic that comes to mind as they sit down and put pen to paper. Barry Humphries and Eric Bana provide additional voices.

It is a very mature artistic film but has no place for kids. It had lots of comedy and humor and at one point it goes too far. Mary and Max is a well-crafted film that has a wonderful screenplay and does great to picture the films color.

I wouldn't recommend it to kids for they won’t find this fun.

Inside Outside Rating: 74%