Movie Night: Flushed Away.

Review #166: Flushed Away.

Cast
Hugh Jackman (Roddy St. James), Kate Winslet (Rita Malone), Ian McKellen (The Toad), Jean Reno (Le Frog), Bill Nighy (Whitey), Andy Serkis (Spike), and Shane Richie (Sid) Directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell.

Review
I began this week with stop motion animation and we end with...computer generated animation. However the animation is meant to look like the traditional clay like figures, which it does. Jackman, Winslet, and McKellen are excellent in their roles (Jackman proving he can do more then just be Wolverine or...Van Helsing). The story is decent, with some good gags that are entertaining enough. This ends Dreamworks Animation Week. Overall, it was a decent week, but how does Dreamworks compare to Pixar, or...Disney? Dreamworks can do good films as I've heard from others, and it can do average to meh as well. But the point is that Dreamworks has good and the meh inside them, and that's all that matters. Thank you for reading this week. This ends Part VII.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Madagascar.

Review #165: Madagascar.

Cast
Ben Stiller (Alex), Chris Rock (Marty), David Schwimmer (Melman), Jada Pinkett Smith (Gloria), Sacha Baron Cohen (King Julien), Cedric the Entertainer (Maurice), Andy Richter (Mort) Directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath (#154 - Madagascar 2)

Review
Madagascar isn't a perfect film, but it is a good film. It is better then Shark Tale and Shrek the Third, but it isn't better then Shrek 2 or Chicken Run. The voice acting is good, especially from Stiller and Rock. The plot is decent, as this film entertains with bright animation, a decently catchy song, and some subtle jokes at points. The film is the start of a franchise (with the second film having already been reviewed). This ends Part VI of Dreamworks Animation Week. Stay tuned for Part VII...

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Shark Tale.

Review #164: Shark Tale.

Cast
Will Smith (Oscar), Robert De Niro (Don Lino), Renée Zellweger (Angie), Jack Black (Lenny), Angelina Jolie (Lola), Martin Scorsese (Sykes), Doug E. Doug (Bernie), and Ziggy Marley (Ernie) Directed by Vicky Jenson, Bibo Bergeron, and Rob Letterman.

Review
This film isn't really inspired, with animation that's decent but nothing special. The puns from Coral Cola to Katie Current get old fast with jokes that aren't as useful. The plot feels like something you find in a mobster film, but it isn't very useful in tone. Compared to Finding Nemo, this film isn't as fun or warming. This film has good voices from Smith, who like always makes any film worth something. This film is not as good as Shrek or...Kung Fu Panda, but at least it will entertain for 90 minutes (a running trend in animated films). This ends Part V of Dreamworks Animation Week. Stay tuned for Part VI...

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Shrek the Third.

Review #163: Shrek the Third.

Cast
Mike Myers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy (Donkey), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots), Justin Timberlake (Arthur Pendragon), Rupert Everett (Prince Charming), Eric Idle (Merlin), Julie Andrews (Queen Lillian), and John Cleese (King Harold) Directed by Chris Miller and Raman Hui.

Review
This film is indeed tone set from the second one, and..it isn't as good as the second. The jokes here just aren't as good as the second one or the first one. Timberlake just doesn't work in this film because you really don't care for him in the first place. The joke I don't find very interesting is in the beginning where (spoiler) Harold, the King from the second film dies. Before that, there'a line: "Somebody better be dying!" It doesn't feel ironic, it feels...downbeat. Eric Idle and Rupert Everett also just don't work (Everett was okay in the 2nd one), Idle doesn't have much to do with his lines. The film is overall disappointing that lacks motivation with a touch of what the second film had. I'll mention only this for the fourth given that I won't review it this week (not with me): Better, better then this film. This ends Part IV of Dreamworks Animation Week. Stay tuned for Part V...

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Shrek 2.

Review #162: Shrek 2.

Cast
Mike Myers (Shrek), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), Eddie Murphy (Donkey), Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots), Jennifer Saunders (Fairy Godmother), John Cleese (King Harold), Julie Andrews (Queen Lillian), and Rupert Everett (Prince Charming) Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon.

Review
This film is possibly better then the first (which I could not review due to not having the disk, though I have watched the film in the past), with more character introductions and more fun. the voices are good, especially from Banderas, who reminds me of Zorro (which he also has done in the past). The film is darker in tone, with people being forced in love, ogre-killers, and other things. My only question is a small possibly non relevant question: Near the end at the prison, how do Shrek's friends (Gingerbread Man, Wolf, the pigs) get to the prison that quickly? We see earlier that Far Far Away is indeed far away from the swamp. Perhaps the prison is not exactly in Far Far Away, but it's not a big flaw. This film sets the tone for the third film, which could be a good thing or a bad thing...This ends Part III of Dreamworks Animation Week. Stay tuned for Part IV...

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

Review #161: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

Cast
Matt Damon (Spirit), James Cromwell (The Colonel), Daniel Studi (Little Creek), Chopper Bernet (Sgt. Adams), Jeff LeBeau (Murphy and the Railroad Foreman), and Richard McGonagle (Bill) Directed by Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook.

Review
This film is beautifully animated with computers and tradition animation and it has a good story that feels like the old days of telling a fable (like that company did before they declined into whatever they call it now). The voice acting is few, but Damon and Cromwell are great, as this film feels special, it feels like a classic, and it is a classic. Dreamworks only made four traditionally animated films, with this likely being the best. This ends Part II of Dreamworks Animation Week. Stay tuned for Part III...

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Chicken Run.

Review #160: Chicken Run.

Cast
Julia Sawalha (Ginger), Mel Gibson (Rocky), Miranda Richardson (Melisha Tweedy), Tony Haygarth (Mr. Tweedy), Benjamin Whitrow (Fowler), Timothy Spall (Nick), Phil Daniels (Fetcher), Jane Horrocks (Babs), Imelda Staunton (Bunty), Lynn Ferguson (Mac) Directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park.

Review
This film is essentially The Great Escape but with good gags, beautiful looking stop motion animation, and more. The voice acting is good, you get the feeling that this is desperate time for the chickens, but it can be fun at times to. And yes, Mel Gibson does a good job here (playing a chicken isn't the strangest thing he has done after all). The action is good at times, making you feel at home in this wonderful film. By the way, I've got a surprise for you: It's Dreamworks Animation Week. This ends Part I of Dreamworks Anmation Week. Stay tuned for Part II...

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.