My Wall-E review

My Wall-E review 

Intro: Why am I not surprised that the Human race is this lazy? 

Wall-E: This movie is centered on a robot called Wall-E whose program is to clear the earth so humans can live on it again after centuries of it being a wasteland. One day another robot called EVE shows up to see if Earth is habitable. After learning that it can be she returns to the mothership where the rest of the humans live to inform the captain of what she knows. That becomes difficult due to the ship malfunctioning, so Wall-E and EVE have to regain control of the ship before things get worse. 

This movie is a good example of how to tell a familiar story differently. I like how the movie tells two different stories in a way where they complement each other, I don't get why people have a problem with the second act. I appreciate that the robot characters are not doing all the work to achieve their goal because this story involves humans. The movie has a social commentary about relying on technology for everything and the path of least resistance is not always the best solution. I'm fond of how this movie uses its visuals to tell the story instead of dialogue. I'm impressed that this movie has conflict without a villain kind of.  

Wall-E is curious despite his programming he does want more out of his existence. The movie does a good job of humanizing him to the point where you feel sorry for him. The only issue I have with him is the fish out of water cliche wasn't that funny. 

EVE may be goal-oriented she does have a fun side to her, when she's around Wall-E we see more of that from her. I wish she was the main character because she's the one who develops. 

AUTO is the mothership's A.I. AUTO serves as the villain because the A.I. gets in the way of EVE and Wall-E's mission. 

Due to this movie having little to no dialogue, it can be hard to tell what's going on at times. You'll find it hard to believe that the human race would accept their situation without a fuss. All in all, this is a good sci-fi film I would recommend this if you like silent films. 

Rating = Treasure Chest 

My review of Who Framed Roger Rabbit

 My review of Who Framed Roger Rabbit 

 

Intro: Let me get this straight Hollywood can get us a movie with Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny but they can't make a good Batman/Superman movie. What the fudge? 

Who framed Roger Rabbit: The movie is about a P.I. name Eddie Valiant who was hired to see if there was more going on between Jessica Rabbit (the wife or Roger Rabbit) and Marvin Acme. He gets more than what he bargained for when Marvin Acme is murdered, Roger Rabbit is the prime suspect and Dr. Doom wants him dead. After getting caught up in this he reluctantly helps Roger and learns that there's more to the murder. So, Eddie has to figure out this case before Doom can find Roger. 

This is one of the most creative movies of its time! It combines film noir with the comedy of a cartoon. Don't let that fool you this movie has elements that kids shouldn't be exposed to. To be fair cartoons at the time has that type of humor. This movie takes place in a world where toons and real people work with each other, but they are two different classes. I enjoy watching the Loony Tunes and Disney cartoons interact with each other. My favorite scene in the movie is where Donald Duck and Daffy Duck trying to one-up each other. The mystery in the film is also good due to the pacing of the film and throwing us curve balls. The film blends animation with live action well to the point where it's hard to relocate even to this day. The director tells us things about characters with visuals.  

Eddie Valiant is a down-on-his-luck P.I. who is prejudiced toward toons because of an ordeal he had with them. 

Roger Rabbit is a friendly, funny and hyperactive cartoon. He enjoys putting a smile on people's faces. A minor complaint I have with him is what he considers cheating. I mean if he and Jessica were a Muslim couple, I would buy him making a big deal out of what Jessica did.  

Speaking of Jessica Rabbit, she's compassionate and kind of seductive. We see how much she loves Roger by how far she's willing to go to prove he's innocent. What bugs me about her is she's a human cartoon married to a cartoon rabbit. Do I need to say more? 

Dr. Doom is Judge, Jury and Executioner for the toons. There isn't much to say about him without spoiling the direction the movie takes with this character.  It's hard to take his disdain for cartoons seriously considering he had them working for them.      

Besides plot holes and editing, there aren't a lot of problems I have with this movie. Overall, this is one of the best films of the 80's. I would recommend this if you like mystery and animation. 

Rating = Worth Seeing  

My Thoughts on Superman video games

My Thoughts on Superman video games

Since this is Superman’s 80^th anniversary, I decided to talk about why it’s hard to make a good Superman video game? Before I give my two cents on the subject, we need to know what do you need in order for a game to function. First, you need a character for the player to control, second, an objective that the player can complete, and make that task hard for him or her to complete just enough for the player to feel satisfied. You don’t want the player to rage quit and throw the controller at the TV. This may sound simple, but it can be hard to execute because what is or isn’t hard in video games can be subjective. Just because I consider the Mega Man games hard, that doesn’t mean everyone else will feel that way.

This is where the Superman is overpowered argument has some value. How can you make a Superman game challenging if almost nothing can stop him? When you play a Batman or Spider-Man game, getting shot won’t kill you, but it can; that's not the case for Superman. The developers feel like if they give the player all of Superman’s powers, it would make the game too easy and boring. Well, it’s possible to create a game without giving us all of Superman’s powers, I mean, no one complained that Superman didn’t have his ice breath in the animated series, as far as I know, but I digress. 

The only way around this issue that I can think of is if the Superman game took place in space, and the only allies he’ll have are Kara and Dr. Hamilton. Also, the creators can design a game around his powers to make things difficult. Like have Superman search for a bomb in Metropolis, but that'll be hard for him because it's covered in lead and he can't see through lead. The Superman Returns video game did something like this, as far as if you fail to save the city, you lose. Since were on the Subject of Metropolis, it needs to be an open world or sandbox where you feel like you're flying around it.   

They kind of did that with the Superman Returns video game, but the game feels empty. I wish game developers would apply how they did the Arkham games to Superman without making the same game, as far as making the player feel like Superman. The only way I can see a Superman game can work is if it’s an RPG, you start off as Superman in a weak state, then you build up your powers as you progress through the game. That’s another downside to making a Superman game. How can you make them better than the last one without making Superman stronger than he already is? 

Another thing that can hurt making a Superman game is the story, and how it will affect the gameplay? What kind of story can you tell with a character that represents the best of humanity? Going back to the RPG idea, tell a story of Superman trying to gain experience by working to gain the people of Metropolis trust and doing reporter work as Clark Kent. Doing that would justify you playing as Clark Kent. I don’t see how to make the gameplay work beyond if you fail, you start over, or game over. Another way you can do this is Telltales where combat and gameplay don't matter that much, then again your producing an interactive movie. I like how Superman was handled in Lego Batman 2 because it captured what Superman is without going in-depth with it.   

Heck Developers can make a Superman game similar to this, as far as having Lex Luthor work with the Army to take down Superman. However, this game will feel like a beat em up. 

Finally, how will this game sell the villains? Another reason why the Arkham games are popular is because it introduce us to Batman’s rogues gallery in a way that makes sense. A lot of people are not going to know Superman villains like Metallo, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Toyman, etc. ( Unless they grew up watching the animated series and Smallville.) The game should introduce these characters in a way that feels like world-building and have the baddies challenge Superman in different ways. These are my reasons why making a Superman game is hard. Do you think it's possible to make a good Superman game?  

My Mulan review

My Mulan review 

 

Intro: It’s a shame that we can’t get more female-led movies like this from Disney.

Mulan: This movie is centered on a girl name Mulan who is struggling to find her place in a patriarchal regime. Things became difficult when her ailing father is drafted to fight a war. In order to protect him she goes in his place impersonating a boy. So, she has to get through training and hopefully survive the war.

This is the best Disney movie of the renaissance era! What makes this movie different from other underdog stories is that the stakes are high for the main character and it’s inspiring. The movie knows when to transition from being fun to serious. (Take notes MCU) I appreciate the movie for not shying away from how serious war is without being graphic. This film does what good musicals do that use the song to express what the characters think and feel. The animation is stylish and the Chinese wisdom or metaphors are used in a way that you can understand. Both kids and adults will find the comedy in this movie amusing. The theme of this movie is earning your stripes, everyone has something to prove. You argue that this movie is a social commentary on gender roles and traditionalism.   

Mulan is another good example of how to write a strong female character! Despite being rough around the edges with living up to traditional standers, she’s a smart and caring person. She’s not going against traditional norms for the heck of it she does it to save her father and figure out what she wants to do with her life. Going against the norms does create tension between her and her father. The only complaint I have with her is the writers tried to set up a romance between her and Capt. Shang but it was pointless. 

Speaking of Capt. Shang, he's the weakest character in this movie! I say that because he doesn't have much characterization beyond trying to prove that he can lead his army because he didn't earn it. He may be hard on his man, but he does show compassion. We also see that puts his honor above the rules. 

Mushu is Mulan's guardian who helps her through her struggles. Mushu is like Starscream but funnier. Mushu is trying to redeem himself with Mulan's ancestors. 

The rest of the characters are comic relief. 

Shan Yu is the most sadistic Disney villain we have so far. He may come off as a flat character but he's not. He's trying to prove to China that he is as dangerous as they label him as. You can argue that he represents toxic masculinity. (Yes! That's a real thing.) 

Chi-Fu (the emperor's assistant) Is not a bad guy, but he does serve as a foil for everyone else. He's the type of slimeball that you want to pound. 

One of the problems with this movie is the comedy can feel like a slipstick at times. Because of the time period, this movie takes place in the jokes and dialogue feel out of place. The sprites of Mulan's ancestors make us question what is possible or not. This movie would have been better if it addresses the ups and downs of traditionalism from both the male and female perspectives.  

Overall, this is one of those movies that didn't get enough attention. I would recommend giving this a second viewing. 

Rating = Worth Seeing