Look at this list: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, and Jackie Chan. Pretty impressive huh? Those Hollywood stars all share their voiced in the Dreamworks' latest animated offering Kung Fu Panda.

It was the first movie I watched since arriving back from my stint in India and it was a good decision. Kung Fu Panda is a nice take on the Chinese Kung Fu genre with an animated twist. If you haven't watched the film, here are some things to look forward to: The opening dream sequence was something I really liked and the animation durring the fight scenes were superb. 

The story is fairly shares a vein with most of Asian action movies-- a seemingly incompetent character is thrust into a hard situation, then undergoes a physical and emotional transformation where he becomes someone of immense skill and great wisdom, then saves his community and his loved ones. From the way I describe it, it seems to be appropriate for the kiddie crowd, but Kung Fu Panda has enough depth and humor to keep the adults entertained.

The only thing I did not like is how everything just unravels so easily in the end-- the main villain was ferocious in the first 95% of the film but degenerates into a comic act in the last few minutes. But other than that Kung Fu Panda was a fun ride.


Rating: 4/5


Tags: Kung Fu Panda

Dr. Seuss would be proud with this adaptation of Horton Hears a Who, a whimsical animated feature highlighted by the comic talents of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell.

Horton the Elephant (Carrey) is a determined but kind elephant in the Jungle of Nool who teaches the community's children on various biology and life lessons. One day, he hears a voice from a little speck and he soon discovers that a world exists in that speck-- the city of Who-ville. The city is inhabited by a happy race called the Who's and they are being led by a city council and a Mayor (Carell). The Mayor soon interacts with Horton and asks him to protect their city and bring them to a safe location, which Horton obliges. Horton faces ridicule from the community and the anger of their leader, Kangaroo (voiced by Carol Burnett). Horton and the Who's must convince the community of the value of "a person is a person, no matter how small" before it's too late for Who-ville.

I haven't read the children's book that first appeared in 1954, but the movie was able to flesh out lovable characters and breathe life into the supporting characters. The story is good for kids with a good and clear moral-- the value of life, perseverance and trust on other people. The ridicule Horton and The Mayor faced in their respective domains is a nice touch. The animation is also fluid and colorful. It apparent that the creators learned a lot from animating Ice Age, where a similar pachyderm character figures heavily in the story.

What makes Horton Hears a Who truly enjoyable is the work of Carrey and Carell. They bring great energy to Horton and the Mayor and they work well for over-the-top characters. A must watch for the family this summer.


Rating: 4/5


Tags: Horton Hears a Who

A special edition DVD of Appleseed Ex Machina is up for grabs for the next Great DVD Giveaway.

Appleseed Ex Machina is the latest CG animated movie from Warner Video that combines the anime-style art and detail and grandeur of computer generated images seamlessly. The movie is produced by John Woo (Face/Off, Mission Impossible 2).

Three easy stems to join the DVD giveaway:

1. Answer this question: "Who are the two top members of the ESWAT's Special Ops in the animated movie Appleseed Ex Machina?"
2. Post a comment on this post with your answer, along with your name and email address. (Your email should be in the format xxx (at) xyz.com to protect you from spam.) Your comment with the correct answer will represent your entry in the electronic raffle. One comment per person will be allowed.
3. If you are a blogger, creating a link to this blog post with the link text "Appleseed DVD Giveaway" will earn you 5 electronic raffle entries (That's 5 entries per link). You can earn a maximum of 10 electronic raffle entries via this method. Note: Use the "Create a Link" link below to include posts from your blog.

The winners will be electronically drawn on April 30, 2008 (+800 GMT). All blog links will be checked and entries will be added on that day. The winner will be notified via email and must respond within 3 days to confirm the prize. There will be one winner for this DVD giveaway.

Here's an assist for you-- the answer to the question can be found from Warner Video's description of Appleseed Ex Machina:

In the year 2133, a war killed off half the population of Earth, plunging the world into chaos and despair. In OLYMPUS, a utopian city-state and the last true bastion of culture and civilization, the ESWAT police force holds the peace. The two star members of this Special Ops team are Deunan Knute and her cyborg partner Briareos. Their relationship is threatened when the government reveals a prototype combat clone, named Tereus, who is a clone of Briareos. However, a strange electronic virus begins turning citizens into violent zombies and the trio must team up to track down the terrorists behind this brutal attack before it tears the peaceful utopia apart.

Good luck and I'm looking forward to your entry to The Great Appleseed DVD Giveaway.


Tags: Appleseed Ex Mahina

March 11, 2008 should be a date animé and animation fans should be excited about.

That day is the launch of Appleseed: Ex Machina, the second movie from the Appleseed franchise. The cutting edge Appleseed CGI movies are based on the best-selling manga by Masamune Shirow. Appleseed: Ex Machina is produced by action genre auteur John Woo.

Like the first movie, Appleseed: Ex Machina is pushing the boundaries of CGI animation with its realistic rendition while maintaining the distinct animé style fans all over the world are crazy about. Here's a the trailer:

For the uninitiated with the Appleseed series, here's the synopsis for Appleseed: Ex Machina:

In the year 2133, a war killed off half the population of Earth, plunging the world into chaos and despair. In OLYMPUS, a utopian city-state and the last true bastion of culture and civilization, the ESWAT police force holds the peace. The two star members of this Special Ops team are Deunan Knute and her cyborg partner Briareos. Their relationship is threatened when the government reveals a prototype combat clone, named Tereus, who is a clone of Briareos. However, a strange electronic virus begins turning citizens into violent zombies and the trio must team up to track down the terrorists behind this brutal attack before it tears the peaceful utopia apart.

Tags: Appleseed Ex Machina

A new Justice League DVD is coming this February and it's definitely an epic! Justice League: The New Frontier is the new title from Warner Premiere and DC Universe that tells the origin of the justice league from a fresh perspective.

From the words of the producers:

Inspired by the best-selling graphic novel by Darwyn Cooke and produced by the multiple Emmy® award winning animation legend, Bruce Timm, The New Frontier is the epic tale of the founding of the Justice League. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are all here of course, and so are Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Flash - whose incredible origins will be told for the very first time. Strangers at first, these very different heroes must overcome fear and suspicion to forge an alliance against a monster so formidable, even the mighty Superman can not stop it. If they fail, our entire planet will be “cleansed” of humanity.

The animation of this movie has a distinct style which reminds me of the old Batman animated series, but with a more "old school" production design. Here's a look at the animation:

The series does look interesting, with the Justice League featuring throwback versions of the Green Lantern and the Flash.

Another thing to take note of is the special features included in the 2-disc edition of The Frontier. It contains three select episodes of Justice League Unlimited, a sneak peek of the anime-style series Batman: Gotham Knight, a documentary on the Golden Age to the Silver Age of the DC Universe and features on the Justice League and its rival, the Legion of Doom.

The DVD is obviously feature-rich and a nice addition to not just any DVD collection, but also a worthy collectible in your comic book keepers.


Tags: Justice League

George of the Jungle is back!

The vine-swinging character from the 1960's has been re-imagined and is will be debuting at the Cartoon Network this January 18, 2008. New episodes will be shown every Thursday, 7:30pm (ET/PT)

For those who do not know George of the Jungle, he's the protector of a jungle (a la Tarzan) who always seem to not look when he swings, thus the frequent tree-slamming. This new series brings back George's friends like Ape, Ursula, Shep and the Tookie Tookie Bird; the Cartoon Network version also adds a new character named Magnolia.

Here's a preview of the new series intro:

George Of The Jungle Tune In

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In 1997, a movie aptly titled George of the Jungle was released and it starred Brendan Frasier on the starring role and Leslie Mann as Ursula.



Tags: George of the Jungle

18 years after the TV Series creation, The Simpsons hit the big screen. And it shows why it still has the legs to run for more years to come.

There have been competition in the last few years (The Family Guy and American Dad) and while the new shows have been edgier and always pushing the envelope for irreverence, The Simpsons show retains its edge in keeping the formula of family comedy in good balance. The movie no different.

The plot is grander in scale compared to a TV episode, but the laughs are still there, focusing on the misadventures of Homer Simpson and having Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie tag along. The movie also has a socially relevant message to send, which focuses on the environment. Subplots on Bart and the Flanders, Lisa and a love interest, Marge and Homer's marriage are juggled in the movie.

While I can't help but feel The Simpson Movie acts like an extravagant TV special at times, the movie is worth seeing, especially the scenes you won't see on TV. Hint: Bart and Nudity.

Rating: 3.5/5

Tags: The Simpsons Movie

Is Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille proof that the CGI movie is maturing?

Ratatouille is a movie with solid story-telling, superb animation and a good balance of humor and values. However, Disney couldn't have chosen a setting and premise that does not really appeal to the kids-- the protagonist is a rat and the backdrop is Paris. (Not really kids material if you ask me). Also, the musical aspect of animated movies (a la Little Mermaid and Lion King) is now but a distant memory.

The movie focuses on Remy, a well-meaning rat who dreams of becoming a chef. Thanks to his rich imagination, he is inspired by renowned chef Gaustav. (You can say that Gaustav is to Remy as Genie is to Aladdin.) Remy gets his chance when a down and out garbage boy named Linguini benefits from Remy's expertise. The two develop a bond and their relationship shifts to a Frankenstein-like conflict in the movie, only to be strengthened in the end.

Ratatouille is a great family movie and is recommended to everyone. Make sure you bring food in the cinema, the animation of food and cooking may make you hungry.

Rating: 4/5

Tags: Ratatouille

What the heck happened to Shrek?!?

After a raising the bar with Shrek 2, Shrek 3 falls flat into the swamp where the ogre calls home. The humor is sparse and the story is nowhere the caliber of the previous two movies. This third episode is like watching the X-Files without Fox Mulder--you feel there is something missing.

The main story gets started when The King (John Cleese) gasps his last breath (literally) and appoints an apprehensive Shrek (Mike Myers) to the throne. To add to Shrek's pressures, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) is expecting the pitter-patter of little ogres. This prompts our hero to a journey with Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) to find the rightful heir. And to make matters worse, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) rounds up the fairy tale villains and wrecks havoc on Far, Far Away to get their own taste of a Happy Ending. That part of the story is very similar to, *gasp*, Happily N'ever After.

The animation has definitely improved. The textures of the CG characters are finer and the movement is much more fluid. It's very unfortunate that the improvements cannot mask the weak story and the lack of fresh ideas.

I really think the title should be Shrek 2.5 because I've always known Hollywood to punctuate trilogies with a strong closer.

Rating: 2.5/5

Tags: Shrek 3

Disclaimer: I was a big Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan growing up in the 90's.

The Turtles get the Batman Begins treatment. Is that a good thing? Well, depends on who you are asking.

TMNT is a gorgeous CG movie that packs a visual wallop but the soul(s) of the franchise-- Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Machaelangelo -- have diverged away from what made it appealing. Gone are the collective goofiness and silliness that made them such a hit.

The writers probably had too much of Grunge juice. Characterizations were too angst-y and too serious to the point that you will actually think the Turtles want to be taken seriously.

Worst of all, the plotting of the story was hard to follow. It was already one-third of the movie before I got sense of what was going on.

Oh, where have my beloved Turtles gone? I don't know. Perhaps they are in the sewers, avoiding the stink of TMNT.

Rating: 2/5

Tags: TMNT

CG movies have been pretty good as of late-- Shrek, Cars, Monster House-- so good in fact that the CG movie industry needed a bad apple to average things out. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you that bad apple: Happily N'ever After.

For a kids movie, the humor is too smart alec-y and too self-conscious. The narrator, Freddie Prinze, Jr.'s character Rick, thinks he's a funny guy and he's telling a funny story, but in fact, he's annoying the viewer to no end. While the movie's premise has a lot of comic potential, a la Shrek, it just misses the boat. The "twists" it incorporates on fairy tales are just bland.

One more thing I will point out is the animation. The movie suffers from trying to be realistic while trying to have a stylized art direction. The result? Awkward scenes. Monster House was able pull off what Happily N'ever After wants to achieve.

Is there a happy ending in the movie? Absolutely. Unfortunately, it's not for the viewer.

Rating: 1.5/5

Tags: Happily N'ever After