Category Archives: Movies
“We either live happily ever after or we get killed by horrible curses.” – A quick glimpse of “The 10th Kingdom”
Mushrooms, swamp water, Wolf, and “A Whiter Shade of Pale†are some of the things that come to mind first whenever someone mentions “The 10th Kingdomâ€.
I’m not sure how I missed it when this miniseries first aired on television but I only ran into a couple of years ago on the recommendation of a friend. I put it on my Netflix queue, all three discs, and when the first one arrived I sat down expecting something rather cheesy. And for the first hour I have to admit that I found the plot, the acting and everything kinda corny. It wasn’t until after that first hour (out of nine) that I realized I was hooked on the story. I devoured the rest of the series and by the end I was wishing there was more to it!
The basic premise is that of two worlds: one is our own, normal as ever with Virginia who works as a waitress near central park and lives with her father (her mother left them when she was young) who is the “handyman†for their apartment building. She’s the type that feels like nothing exciting will happen in their lives and have resigned themselves to that.
Then we have the world of the Nine Kingdoms. These are divided up and based on what we call fairy tales but were about real people in that world. The focus is on Prince Wendell, who is soon to take the throne as king of the Fourth Kingdom, he is the grandson of Snow White and has to make a stop to overhear his evil stepmother’s parole request when things go terribly wrong.
From the beginning the two world collide and characters hop from one to the other and back again, dragging Virginia and her father, Tony, with them into danger and adventure while all they want is to find a way home. With characters such as the Troll King, his three children and the rather dashing and rakish Wolf, it’s hard to resist smiling and laughing as the action continues to draw you in.
At least, it drew me in. There were actually parts in the series where I found myself heartbroken and other moments where I was in tears. Toward the end I was biting my nails, unsure of what would actually happen. Believe me, I was surprised that a series that had started out so cheesy could suck me in so completely. Let’s top that off by saying that any time I hear “A Whiter Shade of Pale†I suddenly think of mushrooms. Singing mushrooms.
Watch it and you’ll see why.
Yes, it seems girly and cheesy and made for kids but trust me, there are many bits in it that are probably only understood by adults. And while I agree that it was hard for me to sit through the first bit, after that I didn’t want to press the stop button. Now when I rewatch it the beginning seems sweet and cute, not nearly as cheesy as I thought on that first watching.
If you need more to convince you, how about an amazing cast? Ed O’Neill as the Troll King (he’s hilarious!), Rutger Hauer as the Huntsman, Warwick Davis as Acorn the Dwarf, Dianne Wiest as the Evil Stepmother/Evil Queen, Scott Cohen as Wolf (if you’re female you’ll probably love him in this), and even John Larroquette as Tony, Virginia’s father. There are so many more amazing actors in it but those alone should be enough to convince you to put this on your Netflix queue and give it a try.
Let me know what you think if you watch it after reading this post. And if you’ve already seen it, did you like it at all? What were you favorite or least favorite parts? (I loved anything with Wolf in it. I just adore him!!)
“You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.” – Inception [spoiler alert!]
I finally had the chance to watch “Inception†last week at the theater…long after nearly everyone else I knew had seen it. Luckily now they can all talk about it around me finally. Thanks to a lack of television I’d managed to avoid any hints at what the movie was about so I went into it only knowing the actors involved. If you’ve yet to see it, I’d recommend skipping this particular post of mine. I’d hate to spoil the movie for you. I’m not sure if I’d have enjoyed it as much knowing any of the plot ahead of time.
And now…on to my thoughts on the film.
Let’s start with the actors themselves. I’m not the biggest Leonardo DiCaprio fan but I have to admit that I was rather impressed with him in this movie. His character, Cobb, was an excellent fit for his acting and I’m in the process of revising my opinion of him as an actor. Cillian Murphy was the big draw for me as I’ve been a fan of his for years. He was wonderful in this film as the unknowing victim of the inception attempt.
Two other actors that I’m growing to love more and more are Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. They play a “forger†and “point-man†respectively and the interactions between the two make me understand exactly why there’s so much slash fanfiction involving the two of them. Their characters are wonderfully fleshed out even to the point where the levels that are their own dream match their personalities so well.
The actor that was a surprise to me was Ken Watanabe. I had no idea he was in the movie and as such I had no idea that he would not only be the instigator of the inception job but was a part of the team as well.
From the start of the movie I was hooked into the action, always wondering what would happen next and even agreeing with certain things, such as how time moves much differently in our dreams. One part that still makes me go “wow†is the moment of the first “kick†with the van going over the side of the bridge. From that moment the characters know what has happened and on each level they realize how long they have until the next kicks have to happen. All of the kicks need to happen at the same time in order for them to wake up from each level.
Another scene that is visually amazing is the part where the van is thrown into a roll down an embankment. In the next dream level, Arthur’s dream, the hotel corridor is suddenly thrown into a spin while he is fighting one of the projections in the dream. They literally fight as the corridor spins and it looks like something that Spiderman only wishes he could do. Reading about how that scene was done I have some serious respect for Joseph Gordon-Levitt for actually being in that physically spinning set.
The climax of the movie hits all at once and I found myself holding my breath, wondering if everyone would make it out in time, if Fischer would see the false dream-version of his father and accept the idea that was being planted, if Cobb and Ariadne would make it out of limbo or not and so on. I admit to being somewhat teary during the suspense when Fischer pulled the pinwheel out of the safe. Even though I knew it was false, the emotion on Fischer’s face was heartwrenching.
And the end of the movie…how can I let that pass by? The happiness of seeing Cobb make his way through customs. The amusement at seeing Fischer’s confused face when Cobb walks past him. And then the tense moment when he sets the top to spinning, wanting to know if he’s still dreaming or not. Cobb walks away from it before he knows, unable to resist his children’s calls for their father. We see the top spin, spin, spin, almost wobble and then it cuts to black. In the theater when I saw it nearly everyone in the audience made a loud noise of protest. Apparently that’s the usual reaction.
With the completely ambiguous ending, the tense climax, the twisting dream sequences and so on the movie “Inception†can make you forget how long it really is…at least until you try to stand and walk after it’s over. I’ve only seen it once but I already want to see it again and I plan to pre-order the dvd as soon as I can. The more I sit and think about it, the more I realize I enjoy it.
I’m curious to know what you all thought about it. What was your take on the ending? Is he still in limbo? Is it real? Does it matter? Let me know!
Are you ready for Freddy? – Thoughts on the remake of Nightmare on Elm Street
One..two..Freddy’s coming for you…
Three…four…better lock your door…
Ah, “A Nightmare on Elm Streetâ€. A classic horror film made in 1984. It gave us one of our most memorable and beloved horror icons, Freddy Kreuger and caused us to laugh and cry in the sequels that were made.
I’ve been a huge Freddy fan since the first time a friend showed the original movie back in 2000. True, I got into the fandom late but I made up for it with obsession. I devoured the rest of the series that was out (which meant 2-New Nightmare) and quickly decided on my favorites (1 and 3) and the one I hated the most (2). Fanfiction writing immediately followed and I knew that I was now a fangirl of Freddy for life. Even “Freddy Vs. Jason†was brought in as one of my top three favorites.
Then I got wind of a remake of the first Nightmare on Elm Street movie.
Needless to say I wasn’t thrilled. I saw no reason to remake a classic that was already wonderful. Still, as Hollywood never listens to my opinions, they went ahead with the movie.
As it was released I caught wind of a few plot points that immediately caused me to hate the film with a passion though I had never seen it. I finally broke down and put it on my netflix, because it’s hard to truly bash a movie until you’ve at least watched it.
Less than a week ago I sat down and watched it, biting my tongue to keep from uttering any scathing remarks (that didn’t work as well as I had hoped). After it was over I realized that I had several things to say about it (Beware of spoilers!!):
First, Jackie Earl Haley does a really good Freddy. He’s no Robert Englund and as such I can’t ever think of him as Freddy, but he has the right build and movements for it. I wasn’t thrilled with his makeup though. It looked too….Voldemort-ish. I would have been happier with a look that was more of the 1984 version.
Second, they added back in the discarded plot idea of Fred Krueger being a child molester. This is something I hated. You see, I loved the original storyline where he was a child-killer instead and so this did not sit well with me at all. Combined with this is the flashback to Freddy’s memory of being chased and then burned alive. I cannot, for the life of me, ever see Fred Krueger cowering and swearing that he didn’t do what they were accusing him of. Instead I still picture him as the smarmy bastard who was proud of it and didn’t care if the townspeople knew.
Third, they used several of Freddy’s more amusing quips from the various movies in the series and combined them into this one remake. While that was a nice homage to the previous movies I think they should have stuck with Freddy being more visually morbid and frightening. In the 1984 version he didn’t speak much at all but instead displayed a sick sense of humor with stretching arms, cutting off his own fingers and even waggling his tongue. That version was much more frightening.
Related to that point is that there was a severe lack of tongue waggling and pelvic thrusting in this movie. And definitely not enough of the creepy “knives on metal†scraping noise that is such a part of the series.
There were a few good things about the movie, though. I liked the opening credit sequence. Done with cuts of children, chalk lettering and sidewalk drawings, it was extremely creepy and set the nightmareish tone for the rest of the movie. Also, kudos to the composer for remembering to bring in the original theme from the Nightmare movies in the right places. Without that they would have made the same mistake that Terminator Salvation made and left out one of the most important things that makes the movies identifiable.
And there is that first moment when we see Freddy’s glove. There’s something about the sight of just the right leg and then the glove opening with that familiar *snik* sound followed by each one of the fingers moving and clicking in turn that makes you shiver. That was very Freddy-like.
And let’s not forget…at least this one wasn’t done by Rob Zombie. Whew!!Â
Overall….I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would but I still don’t like it at all. I felt there were too many changes made to the backstory and plot of the movie and thanks to that it lost it’s “Nightmare†feel. I’d still suggest watching it, however, even if you are ambivalent as I was.
Did you really enjoy the remake? Really hate it? Care to counter with your own arguments? Drop me a line!
“You remind me of the babe…” – More to Labyrinth than David Bowie’s crotch
My friends and I watched the Jim Henson film “Labyrinth†earlier this week and I have to admit, I was suddenly inspired to blog about it.
If you’re looking for a timeless film, a fantastic example of Jim Henson’s work, a catchy soundtrack and a fun storyline, this is it.
If you’re looking for a film with David Bowie in tight grey pants complete with many gratuitous crotch shots, this is also it.
Even though most people will often state that the one thing that is best remembered from the film is David Bowie’s crotch (myself included) it has to be said that I constantly catch myself and other quoting lines from the movie or singing and dancing whenever we hear a song like “Magic Danceâ€.
The plot is a pretty basic one. A young girl, dissatisfied with her home life ends up in a predicament where she has to venture into a fantasy world with many dangers in order to get back that which she’d wished away. You also can’t forget the love interest, the evil prince/king/sorcerer that is the one who grants her wish, puts her on the path, tries to get her to love him back and yet fails when she defies him and returns to her home. It’s a classic example of the hero’s journey (complete with the hero returning with a better knowledge of the self) but even so it’s easy to fall in love and call this movie a favorite even as an adult.
The puppetry in this movie was brilliant with the detail in the costumes and how lifelike they looked, especially when they moved. The guards at the doors, the knockers, Sir Didymus and so on were so well done that you could forget they weren’t real. In today’s movie world where everything is done as CGI, this movie brings you back to things that you feel you can reach out and touch.
Elf as Jareth with Jessi as The Worm
And the music…oh the music. When I dressed as David Bowie’s character, Jareth, at Dragon*Con and then at GMX this year I can’t tell you how many times I heard people start the call and response before “Magic Dance†and then I’d be unable to resist actually breaking into song. It’s cute, it’s fun to sing and it totally gets stuck in your head.
While the character of Sarah tends to be whiny and not quite to my taste, she does grow during her time in the labyrinth, often with the help of friends that she meets along the way. Jareth, on the other hand, is a pleasure to watch and not just as eye candy. His frustration and sudden realization of sadness during the song “Within You†never fails to have me glued to the screen. The dull white flowing costume, showing his sadness and his animal personal (the white barn owl) at the very end is beautiful and is an excellent reflection of his mood during that scene. Yes, his hair is very 80’s and yes he looks like he rolled in glitter during many of the scenes but for some reason he’s able to make that appearance fit the character perfectly.
If you’ve never seen the movie, you’re missing out and I suggest you go and get it now. If you’ve seen it before, go ahead and rewatch it this weekend.
And if you’re like me and own 3 different copies of the dvd….grab a drink, settle down tonight and count the number of times David Bowie’s crotch seems to be the focus of a camera shot.
What to watch?
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Today with the level of access to TV, movies, and DLC. I still find myself flipping channels, scrolling endlessly through my Netflix instant queue, or trolling on Hulu for somthing compelling, interesting, or even heartfelt to watch. Thankfully due to the social prowess of Twitter, and the ever reliable information super highway. I was able to snag a couple of recommendations, so just thought I’d pass on the fruits of my labor.
“Eat lead you man-stealing slut!” – My sick love for “Meet the Feebles”
Sometimes you run across a movie that is so disgusting, so filthy, so utterly depraved that you end up actually liking it and recommending it to friends.
“Meet the Feebles†is my love/vomit movie.
If you’ve never seen it, I suggest that you do. First, it’s one of Peter Jackson’s early films and after you watch it you’ll suddenly realize where certain shots and bits in LOTR came from. Second, it’s got some catchy songs in it. One of the songs right near the end is probably one of my absolute favorites (though the title of it probably makes you wonder) and I tend to catch myself singing it in inappropriate places. Third, it’s got muppets! Okay, well…puppets but I call them muppets even so.
Those were the good reasons to watch it. Now for the bad.
Picture this: porn being filmed in a basement by a rat with a cow as the leading lady, a rabbit who loves orgies, a Siamese cat going down on a walrus, a panty-sniffing walrus, a fox obsessed with sodomy, and drugs everywhere.
I often sum it up as: X-rated muppets on acid.
There are so many things that are wrong with this movie that you’ll be torn between laughing, groaning and trying not to upchuck. Yet, for all of that….this movie is hilarious. When I first saw it I thought I’d have to bleach my brain after it ended. Instead, the movie grew on me like a disgusting fungus and of course I felt the need to spread it to other people. I managed to get an old vhs copy of the movie that was already on its last legs when it came into my possession. I watched it and showed it to more folks until the poor tape’s sound and video quality were shot.
There was one moment when I happened to catch it on dvd. It was at Dragon*Con six years ago. At the time I didn’t have a single cent to my name and had to walk past it rather sadly. About a month ago I was shopping for a birthday present for a friend in a used cd/dvd store and nearly shrieked when I saw it sitting on the shelf. I bought it without a second thought and immediately tweeted about finding it.
One of these days I need to make the girls at Stitch n Bitch watch it. Perhaps after there’s been alcohol.
Have you seen this crazy movie? I know most people either love it or hate it. I’m curious to know what you think of it. If you haven’t seen it I do believe that Netflix has it for rent. Check it out and drop me a line!
“Men should be like Kleenex: soft, strong, and disposable.” – Time to break out “Clue”
It’s getting closer to Halloween and that means it’s time to break out the horror flicks and murder mysteries. Now I tend to watch several of those types of films on a regular basis (I’m a huge Freddy Krueger fan) but is one that I try to watch around Halloween even if I’ve just watched it the week before. Yes, it’s that good.
Like many kids I grew up loving the board game, Clue. This was back when there was only one version of the game and not all the movie and television versions they have now. The pieces were basic and it was all about getting enough information to be the first one to try to guess “Who Done It?†I dragged that game everywhere and played it often. When the movie adaptation of the game came out on video I remember my mom watching it first and then deciding that it was light-hearted enough for me to watch as well.
The movie, “Clue†has many well known actors and actresses in it (it’s the first movie I saw and took note of Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn and Christopher Lloyd) and while it is a murder mystery, the setting is one that keeps you interested and often laughing. The movie itself has three different endings. I never saw it in the theater so I never had the fun/frustration of only seeing one ending that might be different if I saw it at another movie theater. The only way I knew the movie was to see all three endings in sequence and each one was better than the last.
Every character that you knew from the game is given a quick back story (that you learn more of through the movie) and is fleshed out enough that you find yourself loving all of them. The setting of a dinner party with guests (all given pseudonyms from the board game) who have one thing in common (being blackmailed) is a perfect setup for the rest of the film. When playing the game I never wondered why we were all searching a mansion for clues to a killer but the movie’s plot is the perfect setting.
Continuing to watch the movie from then until now I’ve caught bits of humor that went completely over my head as a kid. I do still want a mansion of my own where I can have secret passages like the movie. That hasn’t changed in 25 years. I also want most of the costumes that the characters wore in the movie, especially Miss Scarlet’s dress. I can’t hear “Life Could be a Dream†and “Shake, Rattle & Roll†without suddenly having the urge to run home and pop that movie in the dvd player.
Who doesn’t love Tim Curry as Wadsworth, the butler and his recap of the evening, running through the mansion with the guests frantically trying to keep up? How about Professor Plum’s attempts at flirting with the women at the dinner part? Or Mr. Green’s constant clumsiness and general awkwardness?
If you’ve never seen “Clue†(yes, I’ve run across many folks who haven’t), go and rent it or put it on your Netflix queue. Even if you’ve never played the game before the movie is hilarious.
And if you have seen it before, watch it again, just for me. I’ll be watching it sometime this week, probably while knitting Jayne hats, and I’ll probably marvel again at how a movie that I’ve watched since I was a kid only gets better with every viewing.
“It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them.” – My thoughts on the Star Wars prequels
I proudly call myself a fangirl. I’m known among certain circles as the Queen of Star Wars Trivial Pursuit and hold the title of “Unbeatableâ€. When the Special Edition versions of the Original Saga hit theaters I was there each time for opening night, right after school, in costume. So when Phantom Menace was ready to come out I spent all day in line just for tickets for myself and my sci-fi literature class. I stood in line opening night in costume, ready to experience what I thought would be the next great installment of a fandom that held an almost religious meaning for me.
I left the theater that night with my head down, lightsaber drooping and a feeling that I had been terrorized by a strange alien with a horrible way of speaking.
It’s true. I hated Episode 1 in so many ways. Jar Jar Binks, Padmé, Midi-chlorians and so on. They all made me shiver with loathing and I wondered what George Lucas could have been thinking. The only part that I enjoyed without question (and still do) was the duel between Darth Maul and Qui-Gon. That was amazing to watch and the music that was paired with it, “Duel of the Fates†had me shivering. Too bad they kept cutting back to Anakin in his spaceship which I really didn’t care about.
Even with this disappointment I help out hope for Episode 2: Attack of the Clones. Again, I went on opening night, this time not in costume. (that alone should indicate my disappointment with the series at that moment) I walked out of that movie not disappointed but angered! As you know, Attack of the Clones introduced Jango Fett, “father†of Boba who was a clone of Jango. If you’ve ever read his backstory, written before the prequels came out, you know that Boba Fett was originally a human (an ugly human) named Jaster Mereel from the world of Concord Dawn. It was a great backstory and many folks loved it! George Lucas even accepted it as canon….until this movie.
Yep. As you well know, Boba’s entire backstory was retconned in a horrible way. Not even the awesome visual of Yoda in a lightsaber battle could help me get past what had been done to my favorite character in the fandom.
After that I didn’t even see Revenge of the Sith in the theaters. As a matter of fact I avoided watching it at all until about 2 years ago. The only redeeming thing about the movie was Obi Wan’s emotion at the end of the film, screaming at Anakin. The rest of the time I was bored to tears by the wooden acting of the movie’s two lovebirds. I swear that Anakin only had one expression: emo. How he ever went from that to the totally badass Darth Vader in the Original Saga is beyond me and probably takes a leap of faith greater than the one that Indiana Jones took in “Last Crusadeâ€.
So…in a nutshell, the things that made me absolutely hate the prequels and still swear to this day that they don’t exist:
1. Midi-chlorians
2. The Great Boba Fett Retcon
3. The absolutely wooden acting of Anakin and Amidala
4. Jar Jar Binks
5. Jango Fett
I shudder even thinking about those things for a blog. I’m now going to have to watch Empire Strikes Back when I get home just to put my mind to rest.
I’d love to hear what things bothered you about the prequels. Even better if you happened to enjoy them and can explain to me why. 🙂
“‘I dwell in darkness without you’ and it *went away*?” – Rediscovering Willow
Last night while we were waiting for the rest of our RPG group to arrive, three of us decided to relax and watch “Willowâ€. I’m not sure why I had the sudden urge to watch this movie but I’m now glad that I carted it along with my Mage books and character sheet.
It’s been a few years since I actually sat down and watched the movie through from start to finish. Last night reminded me of why I fell in love with this movie when I was little. There are so many moments that still have me laughing, captivated or even drooling.
The basic synopsis is similar to many fantasy tales. A child is born that is prophesied to bring down the evil Queen. As she searches for the baby in order to kill it and save herself the child is hidden. She’s found by Willow, a farmer and apprentice sorcerer. The movie follows his quest to try to first pass the child to one of the “taller folk” since she’s one of theirs and then as he tries to bring the child to safety. Along the way he gains the help of two sarcastic Brownies and “the greatest swordsman that ever lived”, Madmartigan.
Now, on to the things that I love!
First, how could I have forgotten the Brownies? The pair that travel with Willow seriously had me with tears in my eyes from laughter. They are some of the most amusing characters in the movie. I’d love to see someone at a convention dress as them and claim that Willow screwed up a spell and made them large. These guys are not only comic relief but they also get to bring the cavalry at the essential moment in the film.
I also can’t forget to mention the snow ball. Such a perfect cartoon-ish moment!
The whole plot of the movie, the names of characters and places, and the trials that it takes to get through the journey are amazing. I will never fail to be amazed by the world that was created for this film. Last night I learned that several novels were written that helped expand the universe. I must now find and read them!
The score is done by James Horner (the man behind the music of Star Trek) and is appropriately epic. I actually had to comment several times on it while re-watching the movie and my sentiments were echoed by my friends. As we have to note, James Horner does love his strings!
And of course, who can resist Val Kilmer as the long haired Madmartigan? I might have to agree with my friend, Amanda, who expressed the sentiment that Val Kilmer in that role may have started her love of men with long hair. Seriously, the entire movie that man is not only one of my favorite characters with his sarcasm and wit but he’s somewhat of a badass as well, and extremely easy on the eyes. His encounter with Sorsha in her tent where he raves about love leads to some of the best moments later in the film (such as the line that is the subject of this post).
I guess my greatest joy about re-discovering this movie is that I love it even more now than I did when I was younger. Though the magic may be gone from the newer George Lucas films, it’s still alive and well in “Willowâ€.
Thoughts? Loved it? Hated it? Agree with Amanda and I that Val Kilmer is extremely drool-worthy? Drop me a line!
“My reunion…that you’re dying to see…” – Thoughts on Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
In the realm of amazing CGI movies to watch, I have to beg that you check out Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
Most folks have either played or at least watched someone play Final Fantasy VII but if you haven’t you may want to go borrow a copy and spend a day or two playing it through. Advent Children, while brilliant, has the major flaw of being very confusing to anyone who isn’t familiar with that well known game from the series. If you are familiar with the game then you’ll probably be quite happy with the storyline as presented in the film.
Advent Children is set 2 years after the events of the game. It opens with a recap of the events of the game, told from Marlene’s (Barrett’s daughter) point of view. She mentions a new disease that has started to spread with no rhyme or reason called Geostigma. It weakens its victims and causes them great pain as it spreads over their bodies. As far as they can tell it’s not contagious but they think it might be the planet’s way of expressing its own pain.
Tifa still runs a bar and looks after Marlene and another orphan named Denzel. She also handles the incoming jobs for Cloud’s messenger service. He doesn’t return to Midgar as often and we finally see him after Tifa accepts a job from the remaining Turks, Reno and Rude, and leaves Cloud a voicemail with a meeting place.
And that’s how the story begins.
Throughout the film we do get to see Cloud meet back up with and join forces with his old team, even having a bit of a thought provoking discussion with Vincent after a battle at the Temple of Ancients. Cloud is still consumed by guilt over the death of Aerith and even Zack and even when he finds himself confronted with Aerith’s spirit he cannot let go of the guilt and says that he wants to be forgiven. Aerith laughs and asks him “By who?†showing that she does not find him to blame for any of the events that occurred.
The antagonists of this movie are three “Remnantsâ€, also called the Silver Haired Men. Led by Kadaj they are on the search for “Mother†(Jenova). Kadaj is aware that some physical piece of Jenova still exists in the world and while he doesn’t seem sure what they’ll do with it when they find “herâ€, the compulsion to find it is strong. He also mentions Sephiroth in both a respectful and jealous way. (Who and what these men are is explained in a later animated tie-in.)
Aside from the plot, which I was sucked into from the beginning, the animation in this movie is mind-blowing. The attention to detail is so wonderful that you almost forget you are watching a CG animated movie. The action sequences are breathtaking and I’m glad that I own the movie as every time I re-watch it I see something else that I’ve missed in the past. Even if I watched it dubbed (which I haven’t and I’m terrified to) I would have to re-watch it to catch everything.
And the music. Oh the music. Fully orchestrated tracks that echo the themes from the original game with new twists. I ended up buying the two disc soundtrack because I couldn’t get it out of my head.
The interaction between Reno and Rude is hilarious and while I liked them in the game, I absolutely LOVE them after watching them in this movie. I have to break down and even say that I no longer thought Tifa was a whiny brat after watching her in this.
And I haven’t even gotten to Sephiroth. I don’t want to spoil things but let me say that if you liked his character even a little bit in the game you will be thrilled him in the movie. I go into a happy fangirl swoon every time I see him in Advent Children.
Ahhh.
Now I am aware that there are folks who didn’t really like this movie and if you’re one of them I’d love to hear why. If you haven’t seen it and you are a fan of the game, go watch it now and let me know what you think. Or if you love it like I do, what’s your favorite part?
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