The Simpsons Movie - Homer Hits the Big Screen

5 out of 5 Stars

The animated television series The Simpsons is the longest running television show.  It became very popular from the time it began to air in 1989 on FOX.  The characters appeared on all kinds of merchandise, games, and comic books.  It was years later before I started to watch the show because I didn’t have FOX in 1989.  I quickly got hooked on the show and have been watching it ever since.  I have all the DVD sets that have been released and I went to see The Simpsons Movie on opening day in 2007.  I just watched the movie again. 

Springfield is facing a dangerous situation.  Lisa convinces everyone to do something to fix the situation.  Things start to get better until the day that Homer gets distracted by free donuts and does something that dooms the town.  He then has to try to find a way to redeem himself and possibly save the town. 

The Simpsons Movie begins showing many of the characters in a movie theater watching an Itchy & Scratchy movie.  During the credits, there are a few little bits of animation, including Maggie’s first word, but there really aren’t any actual extra scenes during or after the credits.  There wasn’t an animated short before the movie, unless you count the few minutes of Itchy & Scratchy. 

While the plot for the movie does build on things from the series, it is self contained.  There really haven’t been any continuing storylines in the series, so there wasn’t anything like that to carry into the movie.  Everything is resolved by the end of the movie.  Some things that happened in the movie have been referenced in the series since then once or twice.  When the new season started in the fall of 2007, something is shown that connects to the ending of the movie.  People who haven’t seen the series could enjoy the movie though they probably won’t know all the characters or get why certain things happen.  The movie is really aimed at fans of the show.  

Subplots turn up in many episodes of the series, some of which end up not being connected to the main plot of the episode in any way.  The Simpsons Movie has a few subplots that do end up tying back into the main plot.  For a few of the subplots, it only becomes clear late in the movie how they connect to the main plot.  Things remain true to the series and what has been established in it and no one acts out of character.  The things that happen are believable for the world of the series.     

The movie uses the same type of humor that the series uses and I think the movie is funny.  That does mean that some jokes are silly and there is some gross humor as well.  This type of humor doesn’t appeal to everyone, but I think it works for the movie just like it works for the series.  Anyone that has had a problem with the humor in the show will probably have a problem with it in the movie too.  Some of the humor relies on things that Homer says or does, again like the show.  It just wouldn’t seem right to me if Homer didn’t bumble into something and cause some sort of problem.  It would have been weird if the movie changed the humor too much from what is used in the series.   From what I remember, the trailers and previews didn’t show the funniest moments.  There are a few pop culture references without the movie being loaded down with too many of them like has happened with other movies.  Homer gets a pig at one point that he calls Spider Pig and later calls Harry Plopper, in what seem to be references to Spider-Man and Harry Potter.  Homer even makes up a Spider Pig song.

The Simpsons Movie is rated PG-13, so it is able to get away with a little more than an episode of the series is.  At one point, Homer makes an obscene gesture with each hand and there is a little bit of swearing.  The word that rhymes with luck isn’t used.  There is some animated nudity at one point that did shock me when I first saw the movie.  I hadn’t expected it to go as far as it did.  Parents should definitely check out the movie before letting their kids see it, even if their kids regularly watch the series.  Things are a little more suggestive in a few other scenes.  The movie isn’t good for all children just because it is animated. 

The animation for the movie has the same basic look as the series.  All the characters and locations look the same, though it is slightly different from how the series looked up to the point of the movie being released.  The series is now in high definition, something that started with season twenty in 2009.  The animation for the movie is done very well though it isn’t on the same level as what Pixar does. 

By the time this movie came out, the series had aired for eighteen years.   That gave it the time to have richly developed main characters and a large, fairly strong cast of supporting characters.  There isn’t much in the way of character development in the movie, but that didn’t bother me since I was already familiar with the characters.  Anyone who hasn’t watched the show may feel differently.  The movie, like the series, is mainly focused on the five members of the Simpsons family, so they end up with the most to do.   

While several supporting characters are around, none of them do as much which is a little disappointing even though it is understandable.  There are a few scenes that include large crowds, which is the only time some of the various characters are actually seen.  Some of the characters only get a line or two while others don’t have any.   Several locations, like the church, Krusty Burger, and the comic book store, turn up as well.  Comic Book Guy shows up in a few scenes and is actually attempting to help Marge figure something out at one point.  Apu, Moe, Millhouse, Chief Wiggum, and Mr. Burns briefly stand out in short scenes.  There are a few new characters, with Russ Cargill having the most to do since he is involved in the main plot.  The voices of the characters are all done by the voice actors who have done them for the series for years.  It would have just been strange if the voices had been different.  Albert Brooks, credited as A. Brooks, does a good job with the voice of Russ.  One very famous actor basically does a cameo as himself at one point. 

DVD INFORMATION

The Simpsons Movie is available on DVD and Blu-ray.  I have the DVD.  The picture quality looks beautiful on my HDTV.  There are a few commentaries that I haven’t taken the time to listen to yet.  There are five or six short deleted scenes, including a slightly alternate ending, that really don’t add much, though they would have given a few other characters some screen time.  The different trailers are included as well.  Special stuff includes little extra bits, like Homer introducing American Idol and Homer, Marge, and Lisa acting as the American Idol judges while Simon Cowell auditions.  None of them are very long, though they are cute.  Since I don’t have the Blu-ray, I don’t know what sort of extras are included with that version.

The Simpsons Movie is a very fun, entertaining movie.  I really enjoyed it and think it is true to the series.  It is definitely worth checking out for fans of the series.  People who don’t like the series should probably just skip this movie.

This review is part of Elvisdo’s 7th Annual Funny Pages Write Off because of Comic Book Guy, the reference to Spider-Man, and the fact that there are Simpsons comic books.

I posted a review of this movie on Epinions on July 27, 2007 - after seeing the movie in the theater - as dragonfire88.  When I watched the movie again recently, I decided to write a new review.

Independence Day - Will Smith Battles Aliens

4 out of 5 Stars

Eighteen years ago in 1996, Independence Day was the big blockbuster of the summer.  I did see the movie two or three times in the theater and I got the movie on VHS before eventually picking up the DVD.  I have no idea how many times I’ve seen this movie.  I ended up leaving the movie on when I found it on one of the Encore channels on the 4th of July. 

On July 2, satellites start having issues and a huge space ship is discovered orbiting Earth.  Smaller ships break off the big ship and move above major cities all around the world.  A few groups of people around the country, including the President and his wife, are shown dealing with the initial situation and then the aftermath of horrible attacks on the various major cities.  Not everyone that is introduced survives.  Eventually the different groups of people end up at Area 51.  David, who works for a cable company, plays a big part in developing a plan of attack that is launched on July 4th.   

At first, it might seem like Independence Day is a complicated movie.  A lot is going on, but it is all tied to the spaceships and the attempts to deal with that.  The plot ends up being rather simple and predictable, but it does work overall as an entertaining movie.  Things start off a little slower as all the various characters are introduced.  The movie jumps around among all the characters throughout the movie, showing little bits of what is going on with them before jumping to the next group of characters.  All the jumping around does get a little old and things don’t flow as well as they probably could.  The story itself of aliens showing up has a lot of potential.  It just isn’t as developed as it could have been.

There is a lot of action throughout Independence Day in the form of various fights and some explosions.  All the characters are in danger at some point, some more than once.  Air Force One barely takes off ahead of a massive fireball from the attack.  Another character, Jasmine, somehow finds the one spot that will withstand a similar fireball in Los Angeles with seconds to spare.  There are a few air fights with smaller attack type ships that deploy from the larger ships hovering over the cities.  The action is a bit over the top at times, but those scenes are entertaining.  The aliens are seen and look suitably creepy.  One or two scenes featuring an alien is a bit gross.  Some scenes have a bit of violence, but there really isn’t that much violence overall considering how much action there is.  The movie is rated PG-13, so parents should probably check the movie out before letting children see it.  There is an attempt to add humor to what is going on, usually through what some characters say.  That happens even during action scenes at times which can mess with the flow of the scene.  Some of the lines are more cheesy and some of the other dialogue that isn’t trying to be funny isn’t that great.

I’m sure that a lot of things were created with special effects throughout the movie.  The effects are done well and have held up well for the most part without looking really dated.  When I watched again this time I did notice a few things with the effects that I didn’t before.  It was mainly that the edges around people or objects - like when the fireballs were approaching -  looked a little off in scenes that must have used green screen.  I may have noticed this time because I was watching on an HDTV.  I think the last time I watched a few years ago was on an older tv.  The Encore channel was HD as well.  I have no idea if Encore was using a high definition copy of the movie or not though.  The overall picture quality was good and it didn’t look like grainy or anything like that.    

Since making Independence Day, director Roland Emmerich has made two more disaster movies, 2012 and The Day After Tomorrow.  He also made the 1998 Godzilla, which is kind of a combination of monster and disaster movie.  Those movies have followed the same basic formula, with different disasters for the characters to face.  There is even a plane taking off barely ahead of a fireball in 2012 along with a limo that somehow manages to outrun fire, explosions, and massive falling debris.  I think there was more than one escape just barely ahead of a fireball in that movie, but I don’t remember for sure.  I think I have blocked a lot of that out.  I’ve seen all four of these movies and I notice a lot of similarities in them.  It really seems like Emmerich has used this movie as a template for others because the structure of the other three movies is so similar.  There are groups of characters that the movies jump between, showing how they all are dealing with the disaster.  None of the characters are that developed and they mostly just fill a certain type of role.  There is one scientist type character who figures out what is going on that no one will listen to until it is too late.  Someone will give a rousing speech just when things seem to be the worst that inspires everyone.  There tend to be one couple that is estranged for some reason who realize they still love each other by the end.  Most of these movies have also had another couple who start out happy, somehow survive everything, and end up eve closer.  The story and the set up of everything works all right for this movie, but it would be nice if he would try more originality.  He has done other things that were very different, but he seems to keep returning to this formula time after time.

I didn’t notice it when I first saw the movie, but the alien ships look a lot like the ships from V, a television mini series about aliens that come to Earth that aired in the 80s.  There was a new version of the series on a few years ago that I also watched.  When the new series started to air, there was some criticism that the show was just copying things from Independence Day.  Evidently the people that claimed that never saw or knew about the original V, which came out well before this movie.  It was around that time that I realized how much the ships look like the ones from V.  I watched V when it originally aired, but enough time had passed before this movie came out that I didn’t pick up on the similar look. 

There is such a large group of characters in Independence Day that really none of them are that developed.  They just sort of fill certain characteristics without any depth being added to them.  Several of the characters are nice enough, but they are very flat.  David works for a cable company is very intelligent.  He discovers something early on tied to the aliens, but of course, no one will listen to him at that point.  He is still in love in with ex-wife and still wears his wedding ring.  Jeff Goldblum does fine with the part.  Julius is David’s father who ends up going along.  Judd Hirsch is wonderful in the role and has some of the best lines even though he doesn’t get much to do overall.

Constance is David’s ex-wife who works for the president.  She doesn’t listen at first, but she starts acting differently and seems to still love David.  From what was said in a few scenes, it seemed like she had put her job first.  It also didn’t help that David had some trust issues and even punched Thomas at some point.  Margaret Colin is fine in the part.  Thomas Whitmore is the president.  He fought in the Gulf War which seems to have been a big reason why people elected him.  When things begin, people aren’t happy with how he has been doing his job.  David and Thomas still have issues.  Bull Pullman is fine in the part.  Marilyn is Thomas’s wife.  She is in Los Angeles when the attack happens.  Mary McDonnell does well with what she has to work with.  Albert Nimzicki works with the president and has his own ideas about how to deal with the situation.  He is a former CIA agent who may know than he admits at first.  James Rebhorn does fine with the part.

Steve is somewhat cocky, but he is a talented pilot.  He wants to be an astronaut, but he keeps getting turning down.  Will Smith does well with the part.  Jasmine is Steve’s girlfriend.  She is an exotic dancer.  At one point she mentions doing it because she makes good money and her son is worth it.  Jasmine is nice enough.  Vivica A. Fox is fine in the part, though nothing special.  Harry Connick Jr. is in a few scenes as Jimmy Wilder, a pilot and friend of Steve’s. 

Russell is a crop duster who tends to be drunk most of the time.  He is sort of considered a local crackpot because of how he acts and the fact that he talks about being abducted by aliens just about every chance he gets.  Randy Quaid is a bit over the top with his performance, though that does sort of fit the character.  Miguel, Alicia, and Troy are Russell’s children.  Miguel is really fed up with Russell.  Robert Loggia is in several scenes as William Grey, a general who is involved in the situation.  Adam Baldwin has a small part as Major Mitchell, someone stationed at Area 51.  Harvey Fierstein and Brent Spinner also have small parts and only turn up in a few scenes.

DVD Information

I have seen a few different DVD versions of Independence Day.  I have a two disc version that has several extras tied to the making of the movie on the second disc.  I’m not sure what sort of extras are on the other DVD versions.  The movie is available on Blu-ray, though since I don’t have that version, I don’t know what sort of extras it has.  The movie does air on various cable channels at times, especially near or on the fourth of July.  Depending on which channel it is on, it could be edited.  When commercial breaks are added on some channels, it makes the movie almost unbearably long, especially with how often the commercials are.  It is better to watch it from the DVD, Blu-ray, or a channel that doesn’t have commercials.  The movie is long enough by itself.  One of the Encore movie channels aired the movie all day on the 4th of July this year (2014).  I don’t know exactly what time the marathon started, but I’m guessing that it lasted twenty four hours.

Independence Day has some flaws, but it is an entertaining movie overall that has held up fairly well and is still worth watching.  Fans of the cast or people who like disaster movies will probably find something to like about the movie.  Anyone who doesn’t care for disaster movies or mindless action movies will want to skip this one.  It is one of the few movies I own or have seen that is set around the fourth of July.

I originally posted this review on Epinions on July 4, 2010 as dragonfire88.  I made changes to the review before posting it here.

The End of My Movie Drought

I love movies and I enjoy going to the theater to see new movies, even when I get annoyed by rude people sitting near me.  For the first several months of this year, I wasn’t able to make it to the theater.  Work was crazy for a while but the extremely bad winter here also played a part.  There were a few times when I had a day off that I wanted to go see a movie.  Then the winter weather struck again, dumping more snow, ice, freezing rain, or a combination of all three.  When the weather was better, I either didn’t have days off or there were no movies that I wanted to see.

At the end of March, I was finally able to end my movie drought when I went to see Muppets Most Wanted.  I have loved the Muppets since I was a child and there was no way I was going to miss seeing that movie in the theater.  Since then I have managed to see a few more.  I have been meaning to write about them, but that hasn’t happened so far.  Hopefully I will get motivated to write again and fix that.  I have a fairly large movie collection as well as a lot of tv shows on DVD.  In the past, I would at least take the time to watch some of those even when I wasn’t able to get to the theater.  I didn’t watch many of those in the last several months either, but I have started to fix that as well.

Blades of Glory

I first saw Blades of Glory in the theater when it originally came out.  I picked up the DVD when it was released and I’ve watched the movie a few more times since then and still enjoy it.  I recently watched the movie again for the first time in a while. 

Ice skating is about the only sport that I do like, so the fact that ice skating plays a huge part in the plot of Blades of Glory is a big reason why I wanted to see the movie to begin with.  I also like Will Ferrell and tend to watch his new movies at least once.

The plot for Blades of Glory is pretty simple and rather silly.  I do think it is an interesting idea for two men to skate as a pair.  Things would have to be done differently with two men skating together instead of a man and a woman.  Different things related to ice skating are shown during the movie.  Some of it seems realistic and other things are exaggerated.  Some of the exaggeration does add humor.  Much of the humor is silly in some way.  A few things done to add humor are more gross and may turn some people off.  I could have done without seeing a few things.  The humor isn’t going to appeal to everyone, but I do think the movie is funny and entertaining.

The characters in Blades of Glory are interesting.  The development could have been stronger for most of them, but they are still interesting characters.  Chaz is very unique and a bit wild.  That does make him entertaining, but some people may not care for him.  Jimmy is a calmer character and more likable in some ways.  He has his own issues.  I do like how Chaz and Jimmy interact for the most part.  The other characters are also interesting, though exaggerated.

The DVD for Blades of Glory has deleted scenes, a gag reel, and a behind the scenes featurette that are entertaining.  The movie is available on Blu-ray, though I don't know what kind of extras are on it.

I do enjoy Blades of Glory, though I know it isn’t a movie for everyone.  Fans of the cast should definitely check it out.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions after I first saw the movie in the theater.

Blades of Glory

Down Periscope

I first saw Down Periscope in the theater years ago.  I’ve seen it several more times over the years and I still enjoy it.

The plot for Down Periscope is rather simple and definitely silly.  This isn’t a movie to take seriously in any way.  A few complications do pop up over the course of the movie, but that still doesn’t make the movie complicated.  The plot probably isn’t that realistic, but it does end up being entertaining overall. 

I find Down Periscope funny, but the humor may not appeal to some viewers.  Most of what is done for humor, along with the plot in general, is more silly than anything.  I enjoy the movie when I’m in the mood for a silly movie.  Things are probably too silly for some people.  I can understand some people not liking the movie, but I don’t think it is as bad as some people have thought it was over the years.  I think it works as an entertaining comedy and is worth seeing for people in the mood for a funny movie.

There is a somewhat large group of different or even odd characters in Down Periscope.  Just about all of the characters have some sort of quirk that makes them different in some way.  Those quirks help to make the movie more entertaining.  The cast all does well with their parts.  I’m fairly sure that this movie was intended to help Kelsey Grammer start a movie career, but things didn’t work out that way.  He hasn’t had much luck with most of the projects he’s tried that haven’t involved Frasier. 

Down Periscope is available on DVD.  I picked it up for about $5 and I’m glad I did.  There aren’t any extras on the DVD. 

Down Periscope is an entertaining comedy that I think is worth watching.  It may be too silly for some viewers.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Down Periscope

True Grit (1969)

I can’t remember for sure now, but I think I saw the 1969 version of True Grit years ago.  After seeing and enjoying the new version of the movie, I ended up watching the 1969 version again.

The plot for True Grit is fairly simple even though a few complications pop up.  There is a tiny bit of mystery tied to what is going on.  Some suspense does turn up in a few scenes without making the movie suspenseful overall.  Action is in a couple of scenes, mostly from some shootings that happen.  Those parts do add a bit of violence to what is going on.  The violence is slightly more extreme in one scene, though it isn’t that graphic overall.  I could have done without the snake that turns up later in the movie.

True Grit (1969) is based on the book of the same name by Charles Portis.  The 2010 version of the movie is based on the same book.  Both movies tell the same main story, though there are a few minor changes here and there.  Mattie, while still important to what is going on, ends up having a slightly smaller part in this version. 

The characters are still very entertaining, though they are slightly different.  Rooster is still more likely to shoot someone than arrest them and he likes to drink a lot.  His drunken antics do add some humor to a few scenes.  Those humorous moments do help to lighten the mood a bit.  I do like John Wayne in the part.  Mattie is still very determined to get things done, though I like her better in the 2010 version of the movie.  La Boeuf and Rooster still have issues and conflicts.   The cast is very good in their parts. 

True Grit (1969) has been released on DVD a few times and was recently released on Blu-ray.  I know there are some new special features on the Blu-ray since I looked at it in the store, but I can’t remember what those features are.  The DVD that I watched doesn’t have any extras.

True Grit (1969) is an entertaining movie that has held up well.  Fans of westerns or who enjoyed the new version of the movie should check it out.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

True Grit (1969)

Sherlock - Season One

Sherlock Holmes is a very popular character.  In the last few years, I have started to pick up more movies featuring the character.  I have also picked up a collection of the stories.  When I heard about Sherlock, a new show from England featuring the character in modern times, I was intrigued.  I eventually decided to pick up the first season on Blu-ray.

Sherlock is based on the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, though they are updated to work in modern times.  I think that does add an interesting element to the series.  The first episode of the series does seem to be based on the one story featuring Sherlock that I’ve read.  Sherlock still relies on his observation skills and deduction ability, but he also uses modern things like computers, cell phones, and the internet.  John Watson is also around, helping on the cases.  He does end up doing some odd jobs for Sherlock, but he isn’t a bumbling idiot like the character has been portrayed in other movies.  John is writing about the cases on a blog. 

The episodes in Sherlock each feature a different case that he works on.  By the last episode - there are only three in the first season - things from the first case are mentioned again.  The mysteries are interesting and done well.  Suspense does turn up in various scenes, including the final scene of the last episode of the season.  I have read that a second season is planned.  I’m sure I’ll add it to my collection once it is released to own since I enjoyed the first season so much.

Sherlock originally aired on BBC.  I knew it was a BBC show when I ordered it, so I did expect the season to be short.  I just didn’t expect it to only be three episodes.  They are 90 minutes long though.  While it would be nice if there were more episodes in the season, they are all very interesting and entertaining.  The characters are a lot like they have been in movies, though they are each tweaked a bit.  I like that John is more of a partner than comic relief. 

Sherlock - Season One is available on DVD and Blu-ray.  Since it was only a few dollars more than the DVD, I decided to get the Blu-ray.  The first two episodes are on one disc and the last episode as well as a few extras are on the second disc.  The extras, which are focused on the making of the show, are interesting and worth watching.

Sherlock is a great show that deserves to be seen.  Fans of the character should definitely give it a chance.  Sherlock - Season One is a good choice for fans of the show.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Sherlock - Season One

Kiss the Girls

I have seen Kiss the Girls several times since it first came out to rent.  I had it on VHS and I now have it on DVD.  I have also read the book by James Patterson that the movie is based on.  I really enjoy the movie and think it is worth watching.

Police detective and psychologist Alex Cross travels to Durham, North Carolina after he niece goes missing.  It turns out that several young women have vanished in the area and the local cops are basically clueless.  Soon after Alex arrives, Kate, a young doctor, is taken from her home by a man who calls himself Casanova.  Kate is able to escape and she ends up working with Alex to find the other women and stop Casanova. 

I did read the book before seeing the movie originally.  It has been a long time since I last read the book, but from what I remember, the movie stays fairly close to the book.  The book is actually the second to feature the character of Alex.  The first book, Along Came a Spider, has also been turned into a movie, but it was done after this one.  I have lost track of how many Alex Cross books there are.  I gave up reading them several years ago.

I do think that Kiss the Girls has a decent mystery.  There is some suspense to several scenes.  The subject, dealing with women being abducted and held against their will, is a bit upsetting.  The book goes into way more details about what is done to the women.  Some of the things are just hinted at in the movie.  Violence does turn up in some scenes, like when Kate is attacked and taken.  Some of what happens may be disturbing to some viewers. 

The characters in Kiss the Girls are interesting, though several of them aren’t that developed.  Alex is likable and Morgan Freeman does well with the part, though I did picture Alex younger when I read the book.  Kate is a very strong, determined woman and I did think that Ashley Judd did well with the part.  If I remember right, this was one of her first big parts.  Casanova is just seen in shadows and wearing a mask for much of the movie.  He is heard speaking, and he has a creepy voice.

The DVD that I have of Kiss the Girls doesn’t have any extras.  I don’t know if there is another version with extras.  I also don’t know if the movie has been released on Blu-ray.

Kiss the Girls has a few issues, but it works well overall as a decent suspense thriller.  Fans of Morgan Freeman should check it out.

I did get a review posted on Epinions.

Kiss the Girls

Veronica Mars - The Complete Second Season

I first heard about the television series Veronica Mars several years ago when it was still airing. I didn’t pay much attention to what I heard about the show at that point and I didn’t watch at that time. Since then, I’ve read and heard more about the show and I decided to pick up the DVD sets when I found them on sale. I recently finished watching Veronica Mars - The Complete Second Season.

The second season of Veronica Mars picks up a little while after the end of the first one. Some things from the first season do carry over into this season, so it is best to watch the episodes in order.

Once again, Veronica deals with several mysteries in these episodes. Some are rather simple and easy for her to resolve and others are more complex.  Just about all of them are entertaining in some way. There is one that runs through the entire season and is dealt with in some way in several of the episodes. That is resolved by the last episode in the set.

The same main group of characters in back. The characters are more complex and all of them have flaws. That makes them more believable, but it is also harder to like some of them at times, including Veronica.  I continue to think that Kristen Bell does a good job with the part.

There are only a few extras on the DVD set. Despite that, I still think the set is worth getting, especially for fans of the show. The second season is very entertaining and definitely worth watching for people who liked the first season.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Veronica Mars - The Complete Second Season

Sherlock Holmes - DVD Release

I first saw Sherlock Holmes in the theater.  I loved the movie so I decided to pick up the movie on DVD when it came out. I picked up the Blu-ray that also has a DVD copy of the movie.

I think I've seen some other movies featuring Sherlock Holmes, but I can't remember much of anything from them.  I think the story for this version is original, though I don't know for sure that it wasn't in one of the short stories or books.  I think the story works very well and is interesting and entertaining.  There is a decent amount of action throughout the movie without things getting too violent.  There is some comedy too, usually in how Sherlock and Watson interact or react to certain things.  The cast, especially Robert Downey Jr. is wonderful.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Sherlock Holmes

Facts of Life - The Complete Third Season

I loved The Facts of Life when it originally aired.  Unfortunately, the reruns haven't aired that much over the years.  I've found it on a few different stations over the years, but it was never on that long.  I picked up the DVD sets that were out last year.  One DVD set has the first two seasons and the second set has the third set.

The main group of characters is firmly established in the third season.  The girls have issues dealing with each other, but the dynamic works better than when there were more girls during the first season I think.  Some things tied to school are brought up, though the girls usually aren't shown in class.  They each have to deal with different things over the course of the season, and their friendship is tested a few times.  The plots are mostly self contained and resolved by the end of the episodes, though there are a few two part episodes.

I'm glad that I have the third season on DVD even though there are no extras for the set.  That is disappointing.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Facts of Life - The Complete Third Season

Veronica Mars - The Complete First Season

Veronica Mars is a television show that I've heard about for years before finally watching it.  I had read a few positive reviews of the seasons on Epinions.  In the last few years, I've heard more about how good the show is on a movie board I joined.  Earlier this year, I tracked down some episodes online.  I really enjoyed them and decided that I wanted the DVD sets.  I tracked down a sale and got all three seasons.

Veronica Mars is a wonderful show about a teenager, Veronica Mars, who works with her father Keith in his detective agency.  Even though the main character is a teenager and much of what happens is tied to high school in some way, this show isn't just for teenagers.  I actually think it is more for adults than teenagers because of the different subject matters that pop up every so often.  The show is set in Neptune, a fictional southern California town.

Most of the episodes have a mystery of some sort that Veronica works on and solves by the end of the episode.  The season also has a few season long mysteries that Veronica is trying to solve.  The main one involves the murder of her best friend, Lilly Kane.  Keith was the sheriff at the time of the murder.  People in Neptune, especially the Kane family, weren't happy with how he handled the investigation and it wasn't long before he was recalled.  After that, Veronica lost her popular friends at school, they had to move to a small apartment, and Keith's wife left.  Someone was arrested, but Veronica doesn't believe he is the killer, so she does her own investigating.  She is also trying to find her mother during the season.  The mystery elements work very well to the make episodes entertaining.  Time is also taken to deal with other issues Veronica has, like with her friends and love life.

The characters are all interesting, though not all likable.  A few of them are jerks, but that works for what is going on.  None of the characters are all good or all bad, which makes them more believable.  Even Veronica has some flaws.  Kristen Bell is wonderful in the part.  The rest of the cast does well with their parts too.

I'm very glad that I decided to start watching Veronica Mars.  I loved the first season and will probably start on the second season before long.  It is too bad that such a good show was canceled after only three seasons, though it is probably lucky that the show had the chance to last that long.  I have a feeling if it had been on a different network, it may not have lasted as long as it did.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Veronica Mars - The Complete First Season

The Princess Bride

I don't remember now when I first saw The Princess Bride.  I do remember wanting to see the movie after seeing the trailers when the movie first came out.  I'm not sure when I first saw the movie, but I have seen it many times and I love it.

The plot is very entertaining, telling what I consider a fairytale story.  It has things set up like a grandfather is reading the story to his sick grandson.  They pop up every so often throughout the movie.  That works for what is going on.  The characters and situations are interesting and make for an interesting movie. The cast all fit their parts really well.  Some parts of the story are predictable, but that doesn't keep the movie from being very entertaining overall.  The movie is definitely worth watching.

I got the movie on DVD several years ago.  Since then, one or two new DVD versions have been released with new extras.  My version does have a few extras on it that are entertaining. 

I recently got a longer review posted on Epinions.

The Princess Bride

The Sound of Music

I really like musicals, though I didn't like them as much when I was younger.  I avoided watching The Sound of Music for years before I had to watch it during choir in 8th grade.  I loved the movie and have watched it many times since then.

The movie is based on the true story of the Von Trapp family.  From what I have read, things were changed for the movie.  Sometimes that did add a bit more drama to what was happening.  Even with the things that were fictionalized, the movie is very entertaining.  It works well as a family friendly movie, though it could be a bit long for children.  The movie does deal with serious things, like the lead up to World War II.

The music is wonderful and even though it had been a few years since I last saw the movie, I still remembered the words to most of the songs.  Having characters break out in songs works a little better with this movie since it is shown that Maria loves music.  She uses music and songs as a way to teach the children things, so it flows a bit better when they start singing.  Julie Andrews is wonderful as Maria and I did like Christopher Plummer as Captain Von Trapp.  The children are all fine, though some of them don't act as well as others.

There have been a few different DVD versions of the movie released. Unfortunately, the one I have doesn't have any extras.

I did post a review of the movie at Epinions.

The Sound of Music

DVD Releases 3/23/10 - The Blind Side

I'm know I'm a bit behind with this, but I still wanted to post about.

I saw The Blind Side while it was still in the theater, before there was all the Oscar hype about Sandra Bullock.  I really enjoyed the movie, including Sandra's performance.  I don't really like sports, but I was interested in seeing this movie from the first time I saw a trailer.  Some scenes are a slightly sappy, and some liberties were taken with the true story, but overall it works as a very entertaining movie.  It is definitely worth seeing, especially for fans of Bullock.

I thought that Sandra gave an amazing performance in this movie.  Every year I watch some of the award shows, mainly the Golden Globes and Oscars.  This year, I was very happy to see Sandra win several awards for her wonderful performance.

So far, I haven't added the movie to my DVD collection, though I probably will at some point since I did enjoy it so much.

I did post a review of the movie on Epinions after I saw it in the theater, giving the movie five stars.

The Blind Side

Shutter Island

I went to see Shutter Island recently.  I was intrigued by the trailers I saw, though I wasn't completely sure I wanted to see the movie.  I'm glad I ultimately decided to see it.  I do think it is a very good movie and it may end up being one of the best movies released in 2010.

The movie is based on the book by Dennis Lehane.  I haven't read the book, though I am thinking about it now.  I don't know first hand how close the movie stays to the book, but I have heard that it is very close.  I know of at least one person that thinks the movie is too much like the book.  Even without having read the book, I still thought a few things were a bit predictable and I did figure out something very early.  Despite that, I still really enjoyed the movie.  I may even pick up the DVD once it is released.

Shutter Island has a very creepy atmosphere and vibe.  That comes across in the previews I've seen and I even thought that the movie might be more of a scary movie from the previews.  There is suspense to what is going on, but I don't think the movie is scary.  The pace is a bit slower, but that allows for enough time to properly introduce the characters and situations while also slowing building the tension.  There is some mystery to what is going that helps to make the movie more interesting and entertaining.  I think the cast does a wonderful job with the parts, especially Leonardo DiCaprio.

I do think a few things could have been handled a little better, but Shutter Island is very well done and a wonderful movie that is worth seeing.

I did post a longer review of Shutter Island on Epinions.  I would have rated the movie 4.5 stars there if I had the option.  Since I didn't, I decided to round to 5.

Alice in Wonderland

Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors.  I have seen and enjoyed most of the movies that he has made with Tim Burton.  When I heard that they were making a new version of Alice in Wonderland, I was interested even before seeing any trailers.  I headed out on opening day to see the 3D version of the movie.

I loved the movie and will more than likely see it again in the theater and I'll add the DVD to my collection.  I really liked that there is more of a plot to this movie than there was to the Disney animated version.  In that movie, Alice just sort of wonders around and meets a few odd characters.  With Burton's version, Alice still interacts with odd characters, but there is more purpose to what is going on.  I also liked how it is set up like Alice had been there as a child, forgotten things, and was back as a young woman.  I know that some people aren't happy with the fact that the plot isn't more like the Carroll books featuring Alice.  I think the plot works wonderfully and makes for an entertaining movie.  The visuals are amazing and give the movie a unique look.

Johnny Depp is great as Mad Hatter.  This version of the character is still a bit wacky, but he also has moments of sanity and clarity.  He is much more than a loon who drinks tea and that makes the character much more interesting.  He does have a bizarre look, but that manages to work for the movie.  The Red Queen is in control, and she is not nice to anyone.  Helena Bonham Carter is great in the part.  The White Queen is the sister of the Red Queen.  The White Queen is much nicer than her sister, though she is missing a marble or two herself.  Anne Hathaway does well with the part.  White Rabbit, March Hare, Cheshire Cat and Tweedledee and Tweedledum also turn up.  I really like how Cheshire Cat is done.

I did post a longer review on Epinions.

Alice in Wonderland