Disney’s Incredible Animation: Part 1 - Once Upon A Time…

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Batman Begins

Right click on the title of this entry and select save link as to download and listen to this podcast. Alternatively, you may read the written review by clicking HERE. You may receive all new podcasts as they become available by downloading iPodder and subscribing to http://thepopcornjournal.blogspot.com.

Review: “The Adventures Of Sharkboy & Lavagirl In 3-D”

Two years ago, Robert Rodriguez brought back the novelty 3-D format for his hit sequel Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. Now, he's back at the eye-popping action again with The Adventures Of Sharkboy & Lavagirl In 3-D (PG). The story centers around a boy that has a wild imagination and dreams up a couple of superheroes. When those superheroes comes to life one day they need the boy's help to save their home planet. The key to it all is the boy's dreams. The message of the flick is you should never give up on your dreams, which is a very nice theme. (Walt Disney once said that if you can dream it, it can come true. Lavagirl says that everything good started with a dream. Those are some nice rules to live by.) Sadly, the story is so childlike that it ends up being lost on everyone and there are several puns that are nothing short of wretched. The actor that plays Sharkboy is unlikely to succeed in the field of acting but the actress that plays Lavagirl and the actor that plays Linus/Minus are some nice finds. The real question here is do the special effects work and the answer is in most cases they do. The dreamy landscapes of electricity, cookies, and ice are stunning and provide a few surprises of awe. This is nothing more than a gimmick flick that kids will absolutely love and everyone else will get a kick out of for the most part. It is a slight disappointment but it does have plenty of heart, action, and depth (both thematically and visually).

Review: “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie star as married spies in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (PG-13). The trick is, neither know the other is a competing agent. When they discover the truth, action ensues. But that is the problem - for the first hour of the flick, there is very little exploit leaving a huge pile of stale dialogue and bad acting. Jolie isn't bad at all but Pitt is awful. He is the definition of a one character kind of actor and even if the script gave him some good lines, he would still deliver them with the same old mold. When the action hits, it is great (even while it is far-fetched). The pace is uneasy, the running time is a little too long, and the ending is truly pathetic. Still, given all of its flaws, for a summer popcorn flick Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a moderately fun ride. However, I recommend you stay home and rent the Antonio Banderas / Lucy Liu action thriller Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever instead. It has a semi-similar plot and is far more entertaining.

Review: "Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants"

Based on the original novel by the same name, Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants (PG) tells the coming-of-age stories of four girls during one summer. It starts with the girls finding a pair of jeans that inexplicably fits all four of them perfectly. Going their separate ways for the summer, they take turns wearing the pants for a week, claiming that the pants will tie them together and magically make things happen. Lena (Alexis Bledel) looks for her culture in Greece and ends up finding herself, Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) stays home, makes a new friend, and discovers the meaning of life, Bridgette (Blake Lively) goes away to soccer camp and deals with her mother�s death in her own way, and Carmen (America Ferrera) visits her father and learns of his pending remarriage. This is the surprise feature of the summer. There is something for every age group and gender to enjoy. In a way, this flick reminded me of The Notebook because it is sappy, intelligent, a little too perfect, and simply special. This one is sure to tug on your emotions and leave you smiling. Rumor has it, two sequels are ready to be green-lighted. Don't miss this must-see film of the summer.

Review: "Cinderella Man"

Ron Howard's latest feature film is Cinderella Man (R), which has a pretty strong hold on next year�s Academy Award celebration right now. Of course, we still have six months to go and there will be a lot of competition by the end of December. Still, it is nice to see a golden flick amongst the typical big-budget summer fare (think Seabiscuit). The movie, set during the Great Depression, tells the true story of boxer James J. Braddock (Russell Crowe), who was known for his rags-to-riches fairy-tale life. Crowe gives a strong performance as does Renee Zellweger as Braddock's wife. Paul Giamatti steals the movie with his role as Braddock's manager. It is an uplifting film that is guaranteed to pull at your heartstrings and make you root for the underdog. At the same time, the pacing isn't always steady making the movie feel long. It is a stellar picture but far from perfect.

Review: "Madagascar"

The most recent feature to come out of the Dreamworks studio is Madagascar (PG). The computer animated movie about a group of animals that escape from Central Park Zoo and end up in the wild is a laugh riot. The voices behind the characters include Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, and Jada Pinkett Smith. Many of the best jokes will either go over kids' heads or be entirely inappropriate but teens and adults, especially those up on pop culture, will go wild for this flick. The penguins and lemurs are hands-down the hippest characters in the film. I love this movie!

Review: "The Longest Yard"

Adam Sandler's newest flick is The Longest Yard (PG-13), a remake of a 1974 Burt Reynolds film by the same name. Reynolds returns in a new role for this one and Chris Rock also joins the cast. It is all about a former football star who ends up in prison and is ordered to develop and train a football team of cons. It is a satisfying movie but there is nothing special about it. It is worth a watch if you need a quick sports-flick fix.

Review: "Kicking & Screaming"

Will Ferrell's latest flick is Kicking & Screaming (PG), a family comedy. The movie uses a child�s soccer season to focus on a grown son�s relationship with his competitive father (Robert Duvall). The funniest scenes come from Mike Ditka but the movie overall is moderately humorous. Ferrell becomes excruciatingly annoying in the final stretch of the movie, but the rest of the flick makes up for it.