Let me begin this post saying that I have seen a few episodes of the Nickelodeon animated series, but I don’t consider myself a ‘fan’. I think the animated show is mildly entertaining, and well animated with some great philosophical content to boot. That’s the end of that, now on to the movie.

The short review is this: the movie is nowhere near as bad as the critics have called it out to be. Could it have been better? Absolutely. And what ‘angers’ me is the fact that more time wasn’t devoted to the one element that we all know now as fact can make movies better: story. I understand that this movie is meant to be only Part 1 of this story, but not enough time was spent developing the characters and underlining the motivations as to why they do what they do. Then again, that is the danger of adapting TV shows into movies. The shows have the luxury of unraveling the story chapter-by-chapter over many episodes, giving you a lot of background story to appreciate the characters thoroughly. In movies, you have a limited span of time to explain to the audience the nuances of your story. Things that worked well, however, were the faithful representation of the characters with their animated counterparts. Here’s where there have been a lot of criticisms from the press involving “racism” issues.

Dev Patel as Prince Zuko

The simple answer is that the people who pull the racism card are people who haven’t seen the TV show and don’t know where the story is going. (Although part of this blame does go to M. Night Shyamalan for not taking the time in the movie to explain the motives clearly.) Firstly, if you scrutinize the movie well, you’ll notice that the entire cast is EXTREMELY diverse. There are whites, blacks, asians, indians and persians. If you listen to story closely, they speak of NATIONS. Just like in the real world, there are different ethnicities in different nations. Some prevail more than in others. Ang (whose proper asian pronunciation is “Ahng”–the movie got that right) is WHITE in the show. The reason why they picked the kid in the movie is because he’s a DAMN GOOD martial artist. Prince Zuko? Also white. I’m not entirely sure the reasons behind picking Dev Patel to play Zuko, but the main argument that critics have is that white casting was done for the “good roles” and dark-skinned toned casting was done for the “bad characters”. This is completely stupid because a). Zuko isn’t “bad” and b.) If they cast Patel as Zuko, then his entire family must also follow a particular ethnicity for it to be proper casting. (Also, if you look closely, the fire nation has a LOT of mixed races. Not to mention, Ang’s master was BLACK.) I don’t know what would motivate people to call this movie out on racism (perhaps something happened behind-the-scenes that I’m not aware of), but this movie is FAR from racist. In fact, it’s extremely well balanced.

Noah Ringer as Aang

The story, however, I’m not going to be so fair about. It needed to be ironed out a little more. Whether it’s the fault of the original show (which, again, isn’t anything to rave about) or poor adaptation, I can’t say for sure.

If you have kids, take ‘em to watch it. They’ll have fun. If you want to study what NOT to do on an action/summer flick, go watch it. Otherwise, rent the DVD.

3.5/5 ‘elements’

NO-SPOILER REVIEW

First things first. Toy Story was released in 1995. I was 12 years old. (I researched this earlier, and I’m still baffled that it came out so long ago!!) Subsequently, Toy Story 2 was released in 1999. Eleven years ago. Pixar’s first motion picture saga has come a long way since then, and here we are in 2010 with the 3rd (and final?) installment. I feel I have a special connection with these toys since, not unlike Andy, I also had toys that I had to part with when leaving for college. (And some that I took with me!) I grew up with Buzz, Woody, Slinky and the rest of the gang; and to see them come full circle over a period of 15 years is a wonderful and satisfying journey.

I walk into every Pixar movie with nothing but the highest expectations– full nitpicking mode turned on and switched to max. I give them no quarter, and if there is a slight mistake, I bring out the pitchforks and machetes! After all, Pixar is the reigning champ in quality story telling (not to mention delicious visuals!). It’s kinda like when you watch Brazil or Spain play soccer (….errr, football): they are the best and you expect nothing less from the players.

Needless to say, Toy Story 3 is a magnificent movie– completely blowing away any expectation that I had. Just when you think that they’re going to come up with an over the top story with some hollywood-ized plot designed to sell a quadrillion dollars in merchandise, Lee Unkrich and team deliver a solid, well-planned and satisying film. All other studios take note: If you have a talented team of filmmakers with a great story, let them be! Don’t meddle! They will deliver!

Funniest scene in the movie!!

Toy Story 3 feels like a natural continuation of the previous two films, and focuses on what works with the movies and gradually adding new elements to maintain the freshness. Come to think about it, with the exception of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, I can’t think of any other trilogy that has gotten subsequently better with each installment. Even my beloved Star Wars saga fails to accomplish this: Empire being the highpoint of the three.

I watched it in 3D and I don’t know if it was the movie theater that I was in, or if it was on purpose by the filmmakers, but the 3D didn’t jump out in any annoying fashion. I’m not a big supporter of 3D (yet, anyways), mainly because it gives me a headache (*ahem* Avatar *cough*). I feel that 3D is more of a marketing tactic than any actual innovation at this point, but we’ll have to wait and see.

If you have a family, go watch Toy Story 3.

If you have a girlfriend, take her to see Toy Story 3.

Hell, if you need to go alone (like I did) go see it anyways! It’s fun, fresh and charmingly nostalgic. Along with a lot of laughs, a tear or two are guaranteed.

–The Donz

5 out of 5 Space Aliens

Kinda like hippies…

Their marketing is brilliant: they want us to see the lives we ‘could be having’ and ‘could have’ upon purchasing their product…

We can go to these happy places where there are no problems and everything is just fun. Distilled, pure fun… — Indie music, ‘the man’ isn’t there.– Everyone dresses in terrific fashion, and there are no ‘ugly’ people…

Shit, I wanna go there! Good job, marketing-company-that-microsoft-hired.

I mean, look at Apple– their demo devices are filled with happy families traveling all over the world, youngsters in lush ‘mountainy’ locations– a place where a bad photography and terrible lighting are nary to be seen.

I remember in college I wrote an answer to a question in a creative writing test: “What do you picture heaven to be like?” I had just finished seeing one of the these utopian commercials, (can’t remember which one) but I wrote: “Like a commercial”

I think I still believe that today.

So filmmaker extraordinaire (and one of my favorite directors), Peter Jackson is hosting an awesome contest at Your-Big-Break.com. The contest is designed to cover the theme: “100% Pure New Zealand – The Youngest Country on Earth”.

In the contest, aspiring filmmakers are asked to write a 3-minute screenplay that covers the theme, and if chosen as a finalist, they will be flown to New Zealand to shoot the project and have it judged by Jackson himself!

There are 4 finalists that will be chosen by a judging panel (with notables like Barry Osborne, producer of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Matrix) and one final contestant that is chosen by popular vote.

I’ve decided to give it a go and have uploaded my entry to the site. (You can vote for me by clicking here and selecting “Vote for this Entry”)

Feel free to comment if you enjoyed it!!

–Carlos

Enjoy!

This theme is about death. More importantly, what it means to us if we live a life that’s full and complete. It symbolizes the life that we can reflect to our children. It is a summary of what an honorable person leaves behind and takes with him to the afterlife.

Being the central theme of the character Maximus, in Gladiator; this theme picks up towards the end when Maximus dies after avenging Marcus Aurelius’ death at the hands of the evil Commodus. He returns Rome to the hands of the Senate and the people;

“These were the wishes of Marcus Aurelius….”

Echoed by a beautiful voice, the lullaby of a mother’s embrace, her song as she cradles you sleep. Some of the first memories you have as a child are reprojected to you. You understand that you are safe, there is nothing to fear. The song carries your soul to a place that feels beautiful. There is no pain, the heavy anchors of this world have released you from the prison… Walk forward, feel the weightlessness… You smell the grass, vibrant, a fragrance that carries with it the satisfactions of this world. Eating, breathing, resting, you walk every step feels great, like a reintroductions of the senses… For me, it was the first time you remember something amazing… The leaves, the warm water, the ocean, the skin of a loved one. The taste of a warm brownie, freshly baked from grandma’s oven… The first lunar eclipse you saw with Dad…. The taste of chocolate milk….

Then as you walk towards the light you feel the warmth of the Universe. However you see it. You feel the full energy of the Universe, from which you are from. Understand the inner workings of this vast physical system that you’ve been a part of. A piece in the chain, of which every link is as important as the last. A brush stroke, on a canvas of beautiful art. A stitch on a piece of clothing. We are all unique, “the universes says”… We are all part of a tapestry that passess through time and space for all eternity… We are as bright as all the other lights on the christmas tree… All facing different directions to shine their light for all to see…

The warm song invites us further into this world were we are greeted by the most universal and powerful force to transcend the cosmos. Love. As cheesy and as corny as that sounds, how is it possible for us modern human beings to not understand the basic physical law of energy preservation. The universe, which is made up of pure energy, cannot be without this energy. The energy in it will never die, perpetuating for all eternity spread throughout the universe until time/space compress back upon itself and this existence repeats forever echoing in the cosmos. It is therefore by physical law, that all the particles of the world are inherently attracted to each other and cannot ever separate.

The love that humanity feels, and the reason why love feels good to us, is because it’s a poem of the universe. As we come close to those we love and they part from our lives, is simply a verse in the universal poem. Particles come together and they join towards each other and then explode, sending them back again through the journey of life. So to, are we born into this world, and at one point in our lives experience love in some form or another, and then we die, going back into the universe.

Everything in life is built around this rhythm, back and forth, light and dark, life and death. They are both sides of the same coin, and they flip for all eternity in a cycle.

This song triumphantly reminds us, that there is NOTHING to fear in regards to death. It is the great journey, the next side of the coin. Lead the life you live with honor, live your life with passion, love until every cell in your body can love no more. Dwell on these wonderful accomplishments as you grow old through life, and pass them on the next generation, the next process, the passing of your soul on to your children. And as the light of this world grows dim, and the sounds falter into the darkness; rejoice! For there is another light growing brighter; one that only you now can see. Rejoin those that went before you and are now standing here. Welcoming you in the next world, the next transformation of your matter into a new form of energy. Pass on knowing that what you do in this life, will echo in eternity.

Know that when you die, those that remain behind will also be your legacy. Your friends, your family, your children. Their souls have all been touched by yours at a certain time in your lifetime. That interaction will reverberate as they pass it on to the next person and so on. Your influence will have had a butterfly effect of whatever energy you choose to send out. (So make sure it is always something good).

That is why the stories of prophets, universal across our planet, all offer hope. They all preach love and forgiveness. The universe wants to share this poem with us, it wants us to promote it and spread it. To share the fact that we are all star stuff. We will continue on to existence forever connected and reunited in the next life. So I say, be good to your fellow neighbor in life, for it will echo on to the rest of the universe; forever.

I love this commercial, and all it’s nuances… It’s utterly amazing…(at least in my interpretation. Your mileage may vary.)

I love that a little boy is walking with his face down, almost as if he were tired of the burden of the world. You hear sirens in the background adding to the chaos as he desperately tries to find a song to ease his despair. (The soft music echoes a somber hope that the boy still may carry in his heart. The lyrics of a child’s innocence gently vocalized with grace.) He stops and encounters a dead bird; the boy’s expression, a curious calm, as if he understands –through wisdom beyond his apparent age— that death is universally common. Almost as if he were guided by a force beyond him, he instinctively reaches for his earphones and calmly places them on the bird’s chest. Then, in harmony with the flow of the cosmos, he patiently waits. You hear the music dissipate to but a whisper, then the sound of a beat; a metaphysical bump of energy, followed by the sound of human breath, so subtle but steady you can almost feel the warmth of it in your body. The bird, before stiff and cold suddenly stirs, jumps to its feet and flitters away. (The music now coming back to full splendor with a renewed sense of joy and hope lacing the vocals) The boy’s eyes gazing —knowing, look to wish the bird a confident new beginning as it realizes its miraculous return to life. Having a look that I can only interpret as the pure bliss, wonder, surprise and satisfaction in the act of creation –he gets up, and walks away fulfilled, enlightened and humble as the grateful song of the bird, echoing in the distance, embraces new LIFE.

All this from a commercial.

I feel like the writers of this commercial truly understood how to tap into that desperate need we all share…

To have new beginnings…

To sometimes feel the innocence of our childhood, when things were grand and there was a splendor to life and the future.

Or to that oftentimes desperate wish that we could go back to things unchanged, or take advantage of opportunities missed.

I feel the boy’s character epitomizes the arc of this unspoken story, buried deep in all our hearts; sometimes creeping into that part of our mind where reality and imagination come together.

It reminds us that sometimes, there are wonderful forces out there that are beyond our understanding –gifts for us to have, if we have the vision, the courage and the sense of awe, to pursue them.

That there can be joy, just around the corner –and that we should not be afraid to embrace it.

It finally proves to us that we can all have this power, and yet still hold true to ground; sometimes helping those in need, and understanding the humility, splendor and vastness of the universal power of love.

I haven’t written a review in quite a while, and as I’m writing this, frankly, I feel like no movie has deserved one up until now.

This review is going to be a little different. I’m not going to go into spoilers, so I’m not going to discuss plot details much. I would advise people who read this to not look at another trailer or commercial until after you see the movie, as enough is revealed in those already, and this movie is best enjoyed as ‘virgin’ as possible.

Love stories are as old as civilized humanity (and probably beyond that), and they are a tricky story subject to master. As evidenced by the bland selection of romantic movies (mainly in the form of ‘comedies’ and ‘chick flicks’) that we’ve seen recently, it seems that Hollywood has fallen into the all-too-familiar cookie-cutter-turn-profit movies when it comes to this genre. You know what I’m talking about, the whole “strong-willed-high-powered-woman-meets-quirky-sloppy-guy-who’s-still-kinda-funny-they-argue-then-make-up-then-discover-something-then-break-up-then-make-up-at-the-end movies. (You think that was exhausting, try watching Drew Barrymore, Lindsay Lohan and Anne Hathaway in the SAME CHARACTER EVERY TIME!)

Every once in a while, a fresh original story comes along that captivates all of the right elements of a good love story. If it’s lucky, it’ll find a talented producer who can pair it up with a talented screenwriter who can, in turn, make it into a decent film-able script, and so on and so forth.

In the Time Traveler’s Wife, a classic tale of love is given a terrific science-fiction spin and a great character development. The story, I would argue, is evenly divided between EricBana’s character, Henry and the absolutely gorgeous Rachel McAdams as Claire. (Wasn’t she a Claire in Wedding Crashers? Weird.)

The direction is very fresh, as the director, editor and cinematographer work to capture the moods of a heart-felt story, and the erratic disappearing act of the character as he travels through time.

The acting is absolutely phenomenal. Eric Bana is normally pretty bland as far as acting is concerned in most of his movies, but he really does a great job in this one. He captures the frustration of his condition, and you really feel it because he portrays himself as someone who is living on a constant edge and is expecting to be startled at any minute.

Rachel McAdams is a little more difficult to assess, mainly because she is so exquisitely beautiful that it kind of captures you for a minute before you are allowed to enjoy her well developed and amazing talent. She does a great job of covering the emotional range of someone who is caught in a situation where she is not in control of how her life is going (yet acknowledges that there is very little she can do about it).

The supporting cast is virtually non-existent, and they serve more as a frame for the story between Claire and Henry, (although some people may recognize a chubbier ‘Peter Gibbons’ from Office Space as Gomez). There is a surprising notable exception to the supporting cast, which I will remain quiet about, as the performance is quite good.

The score is very fitting, as it has a very spacey feel to it, kind of delving into the realm of mystical and distant. It does have some great themes that cover the emotions of the story, and enhance them without being too aggressive.

Overall, the story is superb with a satisfying conclusion, the performances are genuine and emotional not being trite, or canned for this type of movie, the direction and cinematography are very good, setting the right mood for a love story with sci-fi sprinkled about, and the score is subtle, recognizable but not overbearing.

Definitely go watch it.

4.5/5

P.S.: As a bonus, watch a couple of episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” before watching this and I challenge you to not hear Dr. Sheldon Cooper in your head arguing about string theory and how it’s impossible for Time Travel to exist.

I had the privilege of watching an early screening of JJ Abrams’ STAR TREK this week. (Courtesy of the fine folks at www.golivemiami.com, thanks Richard & Jeile!)

JJ Abrams

I’ve been of fan of “some” of JJ Abrams work in the past. (Loved Alias, thought Cloverfield was a great monster movie; haven’t caught on the LOST train. *long story*).

I’m just going to say that STAR TREK is in my top 3 favorite Sci-Fi movies of all time. It’s an amazing revival of the series, (whose last good movie for me was First Contact) and a fantastic treat for moviegoers this summer.

The crew of the USS Enterprise.

In short, the movie has a near-perfect mix of character development, plot, cinematography, writing, and performances. The ensemble cast that Abrams’ team put together, (almost) perfectly re-introduces the series to the new generation. Headstrong Chris Pine as James Kirk captures the gusto and bravado of the persona established by Shatner in the 60’s. Karl Urban is the PERFECT McCoy, and is easily for me the most entertaining character in the movie. Anton Yelchin has a small but entertaining role as Pavel Chekov, and John Cho from Harold & Kumar plays a minor role as Sulu. Zachary Quinto, known to many as the evil Sylar from NBC’s Heroes, is assuming the role of Spock in the re-imagining, and is the hardest actor for me to accept into the new cast. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m so used to seeing him as Sylar, or the fact that he plays a colder, more detached (if possible for a Vulcan) version of Spock. For some reason, even though the the species is supposed to be dictated by logic, I remember a profound warmness to Leonard Nimoy’s interpretation of Spock, (which I believe is very noticeable in his minor role in the new movie). Zoe Saldaña gives Uhura a modern sexiness and intelligence as the communications officer aboard the Enterprise, and is very likable. Finally, British comic star, Simon Pegg plays the always lovable Montgomery Scott in what are definitely some of the more hilarious scenes in the film.

I’m going to skip details of the story, since it’s pretty broad and is bound to satisfy fans of the series/movies. I will suggest, however, reading the excellent prequel comic book, STAR TREK: COUNTDOWN, since it explains the back story regarding the movie’s villain, Captain Nero (played by Eric Bana).

The movie has some excellent sequences, both visually and thematically, that will leave you very satisfied and in my opinion, showcase the ability of an able-minded team to breathe life back into series of old. The last sci-fi movie that gave me this amount of satisfaction when coming out of a theater was Joss Whedon’s masterpiece, Serenity. When wondering what to watch this weekend on your trip to the local cineplex, let yourself beam aboard with the crew of the Enterpise. They’ll boldly take you where where no movie experience has taken you before.

FINAL VERDICT:

5 out of 5 Vulcan Ears

]]> http://www.carlosdonze.com/2009/05/to-boldly-go/feed/ 0 http://www.carlosdonze.com/2009/04/monsters-vs-aliens-3d/ http://www.carlosdonze.com/2009/04/monsters-vs-aliens-3d/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:15:39 +0000 The Donz http://www.carlosdonze.com/?p=96

This movie is the perfect example of where the future of cinema is headed. I was reading an article earlier this month on CGW about how the producers of this movie see 3D as the next great step in movies, following color and the widescreen format. Now my only hope, is that filmmaker’s don’t forget the most crucial aspect of the artform: story. Story has been (and will always be) the single most immutable (and important) component of films. And just as when Jurassic Park ushered in the era of modern CG visual effects, there came a slew of mediocre films with high fx budgets, so I fear that 3D will repeat that.

Not that Monsters vs. Aliens had a bad story, I just think that if you look at the film without the 3D aspect of it, you won’t find it as entertaining.

Quirky Reese Witherspoon is spot-on as Ginormica

The movie opens with young Susan Murphy (voiced by Reese Witherspoon), who is about to get married to the local TV Weatherman Derek Dietl (voiced by Paul Rudd). It becomes apparent very quickly, that Derek’s career is the focus of their relationship, much to Susan’s dismay. While pondering what seems to be a future full of doubt for Susan, a meteorite lands on her, unwittingly transforming her into a giant with great strength. She gets captured by the military and locked up in a facility where monsters have been imprisoned by the government for decades.

It’s here where she meets up with the rest of the quirky cast of Monsters. There’s the tiny mastermind-like coackroach, Dr. Cockroach, P.h.D (voiced perfectly by House’s Hugh Laurie), the amphibious 50′s-looking water monster, The Missing Link (voiced by the awesome Will Arnett from Arrested Development) and B.O.B., the walking one-eyed Jell-O mold (voiced by Seth Rogen, and probably the funniest character in the movie).

Seth Rogen's funny laugh suits B.O.B. perfectly!

We also get introduced to the other part in the equation in the movie’s title: the Alien villain, Gallaxhar (voiced by the always entertaining Rainn Wilson; Dwight from The Office). His obvious plan of doom-and-gloom is revealed and he sends out a singular probe (granted, the size of Godzilla), to find the source of Susan’s (now dubbed Ginormica) inexplicable growth: Quantonium!

The only other "alien" in the movie.

Progressing through a pretty awesome bridge-rescue scene, we finally see Susan accepting that she is now Ginormica, and that she needs to stop worrying about herself, and concentrate on the task at hand: stopping Gallaxhar.

One of the problems I had with the movie’s story is that it says “Aliens” in the title, yet throughout the whole movie, the only alien is Gallaxhar! The filmmakers focused too much on the cast of Monsters, that I guess they forgot their title was filled with plurals! (And no, multiple Gallaxhar clones don’t count!!!)

Either way, this movie is a great step forward for 3D technology, but not something that will thrill you out of  your seat. Watch it if you’re a fan of animation, or if you have kids.

P.S.: Stephen Colbert was HILARIOUS as the President of the United States!

President Colbert

–The Donz

FINAL RATING:

3.5/5 Eyeballs

I woke up this morning, business as usual, and logged into my news sites and checked up on twitter, as I USUALLY do. Unlike other mornings, however, what I saw my friend @arnaldo42 post, blew the hell out of my mind. Simple ideas usually end up being the ones that change the world.

This week, the Game Developer’s Conference is ongoing full steam ahead in San Francisco, CA. (Here’s a Wikipedia Link for info on the Conference). During the conference yesterday, a new type of service was announced called OnLive.

What OnLive does (or rather, claims to do) is to enable games to play on TVs and PCs without depending on the hardware to render the content!! That is, the graphics and game content are generated on an ultra-powerful computer where the OnLive service originates. The service then streams the content over the Internet to a “dongle” on the gamer’s TV set or via small software to the PC and REAL-TIME with ‘virtually’ no latency, the user can play the game at high resolution!

If you don’t get how huge this is, then imagine for a moment, the MILLIONS of people who have TVs across the world, who ONLY need to buy a little “dongle” and subscribe to the service, and have IMMEDIATE access to these super-badass looking games! (I can imagine nVidia and ATI in scramble mode, no need for videocard upgrades? Preposterous!! )

Now, I know that my enthusiasm for this platform may seem a little premature, since nothing has really been proven, and a LOT depends on the infrastructure surrounding the player’s Internet connections. (OnLive requires full HD streams to be sent to the PC/TV and receive the input of the players commands almost instantaneously). But just the fact that someone out there had the VISION to think up a way to bring high quality gaming to the masses in what is hopefully an inexpensive way to the consumer, just really brings my hopes up for the next stage of gaming. (And I haven’t even started on the possibilities of this platform on mobile devices like iPhone and Android!)

Cloud-based content is the future. Just look at what the Aviary suite is doing for design!

I sincerely hope that this project succeds beyond our wildest dreams because this, my friends, IS the future of gaming.


The Donz


LINKS to OnLive news:

www.onlive.com
www.cnet.com
www.gamasutra.com
GameTrailers.com Interview