You’ve never seen The Muppet Christmas Carol? I love the Muppets and I love the Dickens’ story. Michael Caine is really great as Scrooge in that film. I seriously can’t wait for the upcoming mo-cap film. I love The Polar Express, and Robert Zemeckis is one of my favorite directors. It will probably end up being one of my favorite films.
Has anyone seen the trailer for the film in theatres before G-Force or Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs? It looks really awesome in 3D.
Well, I saw Kung Fu Panda on TV today, out of curiosity more than anything, and I have to agree with the general consensus that it’s one of DreamWorks’ better films. The animation in particular was very beautiful, especially as I was watching it in HD, and the characters were quite endearing and the story was a bit different. I guess there were certain parts that were predictable, and as a whole it seemed very short and seemed to end suddenly after a lot of build-up, but I certainly prefer it over something like another Shrek sequel, at least, even if it isn’t anywhere near the same level as any Pixar film.
I also bought Watchmen on DVD, having enjoyed it thoroughly in the cinema. I’ll admit that the main attraction was Rorschach - what a character! - but aside from him, it was still entertaining to watch it again and catch some things that I’d missed the first time round (like the actual storyline, for example. 
)
Oh, and The Muppet Christmas Carol is my favourite version of the old classic, too.
Ooh, Watchmen’s out on DVD, lizardgirl? I wanted to watch it back when it was released in theatres, but I saw Push instead (which was okay, but not really as mind-blowing as I hoped it’d be).
My friends and I may watch G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra next week, I can’t wait! I’m also looking forward to District 9 at the moment. 
I’m definitely looking forward to Ponyo! Although, did it just move it’s release date in the US? I was reading an article about it in the D23 magazine and there it was, August 28th, whereas before I heard that it was coming out August 14th. Which really sucks if it does move, I was looking forward to seeing it before school starts again. I’m also looking forward to the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Blu-Ray release! I just pre-ordered it from the Disney Store! 
Here is the teaser trailer for Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones.
apple.com/trailers/paramount/thelovelybones
This marks the first collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Jackson. They will next collaborate on The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn. Spielberg is one of the films’ executive producers.
Bill - I watched that trailer yesterday morning, and it looks fantastic! I’m guessing there might be a Best Picture in the mix for this one. I, too, noticed that Spielberg is an exec. producer, which is also very cool.
I just noticed that I’m the first post on the 100th page! Woo-hoo!
Sorry for the double post. But did anyone else hear that John Hughes, director of such films as Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, has passed away at the age of 59? This is very sad news. This definitely warrants viewings of his great films in his honour. 
I’m watching All Dogs Go to Heaven made by Don Bluth. Haven’t seen this in ages and it’s rather nostalgic for me. I used to watch this all the time when I was younger.
thedriveintheatre- Yep, it is, definitely worth buying if you like the superhero genre but with a bit of a twist! I technically got it on Blu-ray, and it looks spectacular in that form, the visuals of the film are definitely one of its major plus points.
Aww, that’s sad about John Hughes, R2-D2. Planes, Trains and Automobiles has to be one of my favourite films of all times, because even though I’ve watched it a billion times it still makes me laugh. And he was only 59? Even more of a shame. But definitely an excuse to go watch the film again in his honour!
All Dogs Go to Heaven has to be one of the strangest animated kid’s films that I can remember from my childhood, but I did love it. I can barely remember what happens in it apart from there being a dog called Charlie (correct me if I’m wrong ) and a little girl being kidnapped…? Really need to see it again, might even buy it on eBay if I can find it cheap!
lizardgirl: Yes, All Dogs Go to Heaven is a pretty strange movie, but still pretty good. And you’re right.
“The film tells the story of two dogs, Charlie B. Barkin (voiced by Burt Reynolds) and his loyal best friend Itchy Itchiford (voiced by Dom DeLuise). Charlie, who is murdered by his gangster business partner Carface Carruthers, forsakes his place in Heaven to return and take revenge. On his return he frees a young orphan girl, Anne-Marie, who Carface was holding captive because of her ability to talk to and understand animals (giving Carface insider information about whom to bet on in races). At first Charlie and Itchy intend on exploiting Anne-Marie’s gift too, but they soon become attached to her and act as her protectors. Charlie learns that he will have to change his ways in order to get back into Heaven.”
Ooh, thanks for the synopsis, Hannahmation! I’m starting to actually remember it now. I didn’t realise Burt Reynolds was in it, though.
Oh, thanks for the plot, Hannahmation! I’ve heard of but never seen that movie before. I’ve got to check it out!
Speaking of All Dogs Go to Heaven, ‘Big lipped alligator moment’ has become part of my common movie vocabulary. Not quite as popular as ‘Jumping the shark’ but someday it may be.
urbandictionary.com/define.p … moment&r=f
Just got back from G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Was such a fun movie. It was exactly what I expected and wanted from a G.I. Joe movie. I haven’t seen the cartoon in ages but I would say they definitely retained the feeling of watching it. Cobra tries to take over the world. Good guys and bad guys shooting at each other with lasers. Stuff blows up. Ninjas kicking butt. No fart jokes. No ball jokes. In fact, there were very few ‘jokes’. There were funny parts but they were very well placed and didn’t at all detract from the action. They armor suits were just fine too. They were not as prevalent as the trailers made them seem.
One thing I don’t get is Snake Eyes’ lips. What the heck was with that?
I think I’ve watched the sequel to All Dogs (the one where they go to San Fran) and was scared witless by the ending (Carface being dragged to cat hell and all that), but I remember loving the car chase and the romantic number ‘I Will Always Be With You’ (still do! ). I may have watched the first, but it’s a deja-vu feeling, so I’m not 100% sure. What I would give for Don Bluth-style animation again, these days… and as most of you woulda known from my Ptaf sigs/avatars, I love that trope coined by The Nostalgia Critic.
RIP John Hughes. I’ve always wanted to watch Ferris, Planes, and Breakfast, but never got round to 'em. Maybe I should have a look…
Judging from your posts on other movies, I didn’t expect you to say that! 
But that’s good news, I guess!
Thank god. I sometimes laugh if I’m in the right mood, but scatological humour does get lame after a while.
Well, chalk one up for G.I. Joe, then. The Tomatometer sits somewhere around 30% last I checked, but I just don’t give a $%^& about cynical critics (note I said cynical, balanced ones I can tolerate) these days. 
If I wanna see a movie, I go and see the movie, end of story.
…
I just watched Meet the Robinsons on FTA. One of Disney’s best modern movies, and signaled its return to form after the dismal The Wild and Chicken Little. This movie marks a turning point in Disney’s story quality, and its adage, ‘Keep Moving Forward’ is made all the more convincing by its considerable improvements over its predecessors.
The plot is as intricate and thought-provoking as the great sci-fi flicks like The Terminator and Back to the Future (it may have even drawn some inspirations from there), and the use of foreshadowing in the earlier scenes (you have to really pay attention) is one of my favourite story aspects.
The family members of the Robinsons are a bit too far-out for my taste (and far too many for such little screentime), but the strong characterizations and wonderful animations for the main characters more than make up for the trivial cast members. Bowler Hat Guy and the adorable Doris literally steal the show as one of the best Disney villains in recent memory, with strong motivations for their dastardly scheme.
Brilliant storyline, lovable characters you care about (even the baddies are irresistible!), and the stellar visuals make this one of the most beautiful and empowering Disney films of the new millennium. Keep moving forward, indeed.
P.S. For the third time in a row, Up again was the main broadcast sponsor! I have never seen a movie being sponsored by the same company for three consecutive weeks on the same channel, and in the same timeslot! They showed two TV spots (And Coraline even ran one)! This is unprecedented! Go, Carl and Co.!
Rating: 4.5/5
…
I also watched Patriot Games on FTA after that. Harrison Ford is one of my ‘idol’ male actors, since I admire his characters in films like the Indiana Jones series, Air Force One, and Star Wars. In this film, he plays Tom Clancy’s greatest superspy, Jack Ryan, who is brought out of retirement to fight an IRA terrorist with a personal vendetta against him and his family. Ford delivers great acting as usual as the harassed and nervous-looking family man put in extremely dangerous situations, and Anne Archer and Patrick Bergin give good performances as his exasperated wife and bitter arch-nemesis respectively.
The music by James Horner is effective in getting the heart-racing during those tense action scenes. The action sequences, in particular, hark back to those old 90s thrillers where they succeed by keeping us in nail-biting suspense, compared to the overwhelming demolition extravaganzas of today. I loved the car chase and the final home invasion sequences in particular, though the opening kidnapping attempt was pretty good too. And the scene where he witnesses a massacre on-satellite in the War Room, while dated by today’s technological standards, remains as chilling as ever, as death is determined miles away from the battlefield.
Overall, an above-average political thriller which does get slow at some parts, but gets extremely nerve-wracking when the tension gets dialed up.
Rating - 3.5/5
TDIT: Yep, Ferris was a good movie. I give a hell of a good laugh of it.
Btw, what about Napoleon Dynamite? The best teen flick EVER (after Superbad)!
Hm… I’ve seen bits and pieces of Ferris. Don’t get the hype about Napoleon, but maybe I should give it a chance. I agree, Superbad was pretty good, though.
I watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off again Saturday night. I love that movie - it is very, very well made. I would suggest anyone who hasn’t seen it watch the whole thing.
On another note, we’ve seen the movie Adam and reviewed it now (see signature). It’s a pretty good film…
I actually ended up watching All Dogs Go to Heaven, mainly down to Hannahmation who reminded me of its existence, and it’s a much darker film than I remembered it being. There are some genuinely scary scenes and the themes of the film, like gambling and that sort of thing, are very adult. But it’s all part of the charm, and I loved watching it again. Really need to get it on DVD sometime.
Glad I could remind you of All Dogs Go to Heaven, lizardgirl! I, too, was surprised with how dark and adult the film is. I don’t remember that watching it has a kid. Have you seen the sequel? I watched it the other day when it was on TV. It follows the feel of the first very well.
Taken from IMDB:
“Charlie and Itchy have return to Earth to find Gabriel’s Horn, but along the way they meet up with a sweet young boy named David, who ran away from home. And a beautiful Irish setter named Sasha LaFleur set them straight. But time is running out, and if Charlie is going to secure the valuable horn, he will have to prove himself worthy of his wings by taking on two incredible villains in a hair-raising, breathtaking race to the finish”
Hannahmation - You know the bit where Charlie is dreaming that he’s going to Hell, and he’s on that horrible boat and there’s that massive winged skeleton thing and those little demons gnawing and biting him? That was the only part that I distinctly remembered from watching it as a kid and, seeing it again, I now understand why.
And no, I haven’t seen the sequel because I was a bit worried about whether they’d sort of soften it up…but it’s promising if you’re saying that they’ve managed to keep the feel of the film original, definitely. Thanks for the synopsis. It seems sort of random though, but I’m sure it makes more sense actually watching the film in context. I’ll keep an eye out for it if it shows on TV sometime.