Monthly Archives: March 2015

Dracula Untold Review

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It’s time to check out a film with vampires in it! That’s typically a bad sign for me to be honest since vampires = blood sucking which = instant loss. Luckily, that doesn’t really happen much until the end of the film, which is a big plus. It’s still filled with enough negatives to fill a bowl of mashed potatoes, but it’s a start and a franchise with this film at the center could be pretty decent. It should also be noted that the poster for this film is pretty incredible!

Dracula grew up as a nice guy until he was sold to the villains. He helped them destroy hundreds/thousands of opponents and then left to rule his homeland. Well, the villains are back and they want most of the youth along with Dracula’s son. Dracula quickly slays the minions who report this and prepares for war. If he is to beat an army, he will need some extra power! (Especially since Dracula’s allies are extremely weak) Dracula heads to a mountain where an old vampire gives him vampire abilities. This is how the legend of Dracula begins! The change will not be permanent if Dracula can resist the urge of blood for 3 days. Can he really win the war in that time? Let’s hope so!

Considering that this film is about Dracula, I think it’s safe to say that we know the answer to that last question. Still, he tries pretty hard not to give in to the temptation and he certainly had the potential to win the war in 3 days. His strength and speed were greatly enhanced and this could be one of the strongest incarnations of Dracula that we have seen. He can manipulate the weather and his super speed allows him to take down dozens of opponents in an instant. That is certainly a feat that one can respect.

All right, let’s go into the negatives before we look at the rest of the film. It was teetering on the edge between 3-4 stars, but one area ended up plunging it down. I nearly forgot about it at first, but the film has quite a few romance scenes that do not age well. The film isn’t that old, but the writers may already realize the problem here. There’s no point to the scenes with Dracula and his wife as they don’t impact the plot. It’s also not a good or developed romance as they just make out with each other for no reason. That’s the kind of romance that will hurt any film and this one is no exception.

The next negative would be the classic animal violence part. A dog is attacked in the background. Again…there is no reason for this! We also watch as a spider catches his prey and there’s no need for this as well. Unfortunately, this is where we get to the blood sucking part and it’s no better than usual. It’s pretty gross to see Dracula drink the blood from a cup from the get go, but it’s even worse once he starts to bite his opponents and steal their strength. Dracula even goes as far as to bite someone who was already dying for his extra bit of power. His excessive biting eventually backfires on him, but he really over did it.

The fight scenes were better than anticipated at first. Dracula was finishing everyone off, but it wasn’t in an unnecessarily gritty/violent way. That changed for the climax as it went all Lord of the Rings/Prince Caspian on us. The heroes were biting all of the villains that they could find and then we remembered that there were no more heroes. They were all gone or corrupted by this point. The film definitely lost steam by the end.

Still, the film does end on a great note. Not just a good note, but a great one as we see the true potential of this new universe. The ending involves a certain character in the modern world. A necessary step if we are to have a shared universe after all and then we see the big villain. Presumably, he shall be the big threat in the first crossover film. He states that the games will now begin and you can’t help but feel excited for what may come next. There appears to be a war between two immortal figures. We know that one of them is the old vampire and he has already recruited Dracula to his side. (Dracula has no choice in the matter) I’m speculating that Imhotep is the other one and maybe he’ll recruit a Werewolf or Frankenstein. Then we’ll have the biggest fight on our hands since Batman vs Superman! Of course, we need the shared universe to really start if that’s to happen so they’re going to need to hurry with that. If they back off now, that’ll be sad for the fans!

There’s not much of a soundtrack to be found here I’m afraid. The effects are decently good and it’s fun to see Dracula in his bat form. How likable is Dracula as a character? He’s actually good for a while and I can sympathize with his desire to protect his people at any price. That being said, he should have easily ended the war right away. When it was night time, he should have headed straight for the opposing king after messing up the enemies. He also could have done a better job commanding the troops and letting them know of his abilities so that others could not spoil the opportunity for him. It’s pretty terrible that the people were so scared of him when they found out, but that’s the casual observers for you. They simply were not ready. Dracula was also very powerful before he became a vampire, which was certainly a welcome twist. He made the right decision when he didn’t hand over his son.

The final battle between Dracula and the human is riddled with plot hax all around, but the important thing is that he still won. The film had to make the clash dramatic somehow, but they should have simply thought of another way. I’m sure they could have made it a little more believable if they really put their mind to it. It was interesting to see the main villain because he looks a lot like Howard Stark from Agent Carter. I couldn’t help but think of the guy whenever the villain appeared so it was always humorous to see him. The characters are stark contrasts of each other after all.

There’s not much of a cast here though since almost all of the other characters don’t actually get any personality. They’re just here to talk big or to lose dramatically. The ending proves that none of them have any strength of will and most of the heroes are traitors anyway. The only one Dracula can count on is himself. There’s an odd guy who follows Dracula around and wants to be his servant. The guy just didn’t make any sense as he wanted to help Dracula one moment and destroy him the next. He seriously needed to make up his mind!

I give the film some props for its mention of Heaven considering how much Hell is discussed. Dracula says something along the lines of “Now that I know Hell is real, I know Heaven exists as well” when a certain someone dies. The Cross also continues to have power over the vampires once they have consumed human blood. It’s always good to see those influences here since horror films tend to only show you half of the equation. It’s not much, but it’s a start!

Overall, Dracula Untold suffered from the negatives that follow just about any vampire film, but it did have some enjoyable moments. The ending really leaves it with a lot of potential for a good sequel and the film did a good job of making Dracula more likable and sympathetic than usual. Unfortunately, the romance, animal violence, and blood sucking ensure that I cannot recommend this film. If you want to see a good horror film that doesn’t even try to take itself seriously, go check out Scooby Doo Frankencreepy. If you want to see something with Dracula in it, I recommend waiting for the (possible) sequel or maybe checking out The Batman vs Dracula if you’re feeling bold. Finally, I know you have one more question. Could Dracula defeat the Avengers? The sad answer is…yes…yes he could. At least, the movie versions, but we’ll see if I still think this once Age of Ultron comes out!!!

Overall 3/10

Scooby Doo Frankencreepy Review

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I saw this Scooby Doo film a while ago, but I have to admit that it was a mixed bag. That’s why writing about it was so difficult as I had a bit of writer’s block. It wasn’t one of the worst Scooby Doo films, but at the same time, it was nowhere near the top. It just lacked a certain depth to it, which made the film feel really…fillery. All of the films are mostly stand alone stories so it’s hard to call one filler, but this one just went by so quickly.

The gang is having fun when Velma’s lawyer tells them to head to a mansion because it is now hers. The heroes don’t really take this seriously and Velma doesn’t even want to go, but someone blows up the Mystery Van. This is now very personal for the heroes so they head to the building to find out what monster resides inside. It must be a guy in a mask right?……let’s hope so! The danger is very real here and there are some actual fatalities.

This film used an interesting technique as we would get a flurry of sound effects as the film would fast forward through some scenes. It was fun the first few times, but I got tired of it by the end. Most jokes lose their humorous edge once they are overused and this was no exception. I’m hoping that this does not make a return in future films.

One new aspect that was pretty cool was the clips of the past adventures. They do serve a purpose so it seems like it’ll be a one time thing, but it would be fun to remember the good ole days. The animation was also pretty good back then and it holds up well. Does it beat the current animation? In some ways it certainly does, but the animation in this film isn’t bad. Everyone looks as they should and their designs are pretty modern. The colors are vibrant and I have no qualms with it. Again, the animation just back then seemed to have some more depth to it.

I liked the car subplot with Fred and he definitely continues to prove why he is my favorite member of the mystery gang. Unfortunately, they do overdo it at times when showing how close he is to his van. Beyond that, I liked his portrayal here and he doesn’t back down from a fight except for when he does. Scooby and Shaggy still haven’t attained any real character development, but they’re decent as far as comic relief goes. I don’t buy the way that they lost their appetite and it will stretch your imagination. Daphne’s trick is even more of a stretch to be honest. She looks decent, but definitely not very good. Velma probably looks the worst as she is easily hypnotized and led astray. This now makes the second time where she has been the big villain and I’m sure that it may have happened even more if we count the TV shows. After all her tough talk about not liking the Franken legend…she didn’t do a good job of resisting.

The writing has definitely become pretty good in the Scooby Doo series as the writers are having more fun with it. A classic example of this is when Velma is telling the heroes their backstory, but they just ignore her and look it up on Wikipedia. The heroes are modernized and they aren’t afraid to show it! It may seem a little mean, but the heroes love to mess with each other nowadays. Again, they’ve kept up with the times, for better or worse. There are many other examples that you will find throughout the film so I give the writing a passing grade.

I must give major credit to the film for its opening as well. Not the opening scene, but the opening credits. The film actually takes itself seriously here and the theme wouldn’t be out of place in an Alien or Terminator film. The horror vibe really gets you in the mood for the film and it’s easily the best opening credits theme for a Scooby Doo film. It would probably rank up there as one of my favorite intros of all time as well. Specifically for the theme as it really makes the intro. The images are decent and fit the tone, but the music deserves all of the credit.

You also have to appreciate the fact that the stakes are a lot higher here than normal. There’s actually a scene where you can argue that a lot of people actually died. The heroes are on a train and the villain starts to blow up the cars and send them crashing into the abyss. He does this to about 2-4 cars before the Mystery Gang decides to uncouple the links to save the first one. They quickly push all of the passengers into the first car. What you need to recognize is the fact that there was a passenger in every single car. This makes it extremely unlikely that the other cars had nobody in it..meaning that this film probably had the largest death count in any Scooby Doo film. (At least in the present setting. Past stories within the film don’t count) I felt bad for the innocent bystanders though and hopefully they found a parachute in time.

So, the film certainly had its pros. At the same time, the main plot wasn’t all that engaging. The monster is actually pretty generic and I’ll never fully buy into Velma’s big plot twist about her last name. We got a lot of backstory for her and this development will certainly change the way that we look at her, but it seems to just be there to push the film along. They almost should have brought in a new character so this twist could have happened to him/her instead. Still, it’ll be interesting to see if this is ever mentioned again. (Not that it necessarily needs too)

I wouldn’t have minded the town appearing a little more though as that part was a little more interesting. The people were fairly unreasonable though and a little exaggerated, but they could have been nice if given the chance. If not for Shaggy and Scooby being full for a change, they had nearly become friends with the townsfolk. Seeing as how Fred was traumatized, playing nice with the people for a while was in their best interest.

Overall, This Scooby Doo film was decent. It’s not going to be remembered as one of the all time greats, but the film experimented with several new techniques and it’ll be interesting to see if they decide to keep any of them. I hope we get another really cool intro and Fred’s side plot of being traumatized was a lot of fun. If the van were to get blown up in every film as a new running gag, that could work. Of course, Fred would need to care less and less each time to really make the gag work. I recommend this to Scooby Doo fans who have enjoyed the previous films and to anyone who wants to watch a funny film. As a comedy with a little adventure in it, this still holds up. Scooby Doo will always adhere to a certain level of quality and it’s a franchise that you can trust through the years. (At least in animated land. It lost its way for a while with the puppets and musicals, but I think it’s back on track) I’m certainly looking forward to their next film as we get to see what an outer space mystery will be like. Pizza is on the cover and that is a terrific sign!

Overall 6/10

The Amazing Spider Man Ends of The Earth Review

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All right, it’s time to check out a relatively modern Spider Man comic once again. Things didn’t go too well last time, but this is a big event so I’m sure that they would be more careful here. It’s pretty fun and while there are many weak aspects to be found, this volume succeeds in being fun. I can’t ask for much more than that and it was actually good. Not bad, not decent, but an actually good Spider Man comic. I count that as a success in my book.

Well, Doctor Octopus is finally making his big move on the world. He claims that he is actually doing it for the good of society though as he constructs a bit array around the planet. Essentially, it will protect us from global warming. Everyone on Earth has to give it some consideration and even the Avengers start to think that he could be on the up and up. Spider Man won’t have this and he bursts into the Avengers mansion declaring “Avengers Assemble!” Doc Ock wants millions of dollars for each of his men and to have their criminal records wiped out. He also decides to put a large bounty on Spider Man and makes him a legal criminal as well. The Avengers are on his side, but the rest of the world wants to take him out so Peter Parker is in for the fight of his life!

Spiderman fans should be pleased since he gets a lot of hype here. Not only is he more resourceful than the Avengers, but he is portrayed to be much smarter as well. You might let a small chuckle out as he walks into the Avengers planning room and basically chews them all out. He even tells them to “deal with it” at one point and the Avengers just take it. Trust me…it’s all pretty surreal. Avenger fans probably won’t be pleased to say the very least, but Spiderman fans should love every moment of this. He makes them all look like B level heroes when he’s in the room. I liked him here and this was back when he was more no nonsense. He’s not constantly flirting or making jokes when things are serious. He makes a controversial decision, but I’ll get into that later on.

The main thing that can be dicey is how bad the Avengers look. Keep in mind that this is a Spider Man comic of course. Still, the event begins with Spider Man and the Avengers attacking the Sinister 6…and getting crushed. Thor loses in one hit to the Rhino and likewise, Doc Ock beats Iron Man in the same fashion. Red Hulk is taken out by a random robot and the others are felled rather quickly. I suppose that it’s just how it goes, but watching the Sinister 6 actually win will likely make fans wince. The heroes don’t even really look out of character. They are perhaps a little gullible when they consider Doc Ock’s offer, but that’s about it. That being said, I still don’t buy that Thor can be mind controlled. That’s not how things went back in the day and it’s a change that I don’t agree with. It’s pretty sad to see them all become pawns in this grand scheme. They’re basically unified in their decision to attack the villains without a real plan. They shouldn’t need one in theory, but we still need to consider the fact that Electro and Sandman are legitimate threats even if the other villains are too weak to be worried about.

Naturally, this wouldn’t be a big event without some kind of controversial decision by the hero right? At one point, Rhino pins Silver Sable to the ground and declares that he shall not move an inch. The room is beginning to flood so Silver Sable definitely won’t survive this without Spiderman’s help. Spiderman will have to choose between stopping and saving her or continuing to where Doctor Octopus is. Time is ticking so he decides to go stop Ock since he needs to save the world. I believe that this was the wrong call. It should be noted that Silver Sable seems to have lived through this. It is a comic after all. I am going to assume that she used some kind of gadget or the Rhino was bluffing about staying there. There is also the decent chance that Silver Sable can hold her breath significantly longer than the Rhino and escaped after he fainted.

Nonetheless, Spiderman should not have deserted her during such an experience. Drowning is one of the more unpleasant ways to die and at least Ock’s strategy would destroy a lot of people in an instant. Also, Spiderman would have been able to get Rhino to move pretty quickly so he still could have stopped Ock in time. That’s why the Avengers were in space buying time right? Spiderman should have just trusted them to handle the situation for a few more minutes. The writer tried to show that the Rhino was simply too strong, but Spiderman definitely could have found a way to knock him over and free Silver Sable. Calling one of the Avengers would have also been good if he was able too. Just leaving Silver Sable to die made the victory hollow.

Since all of the big heroes are away or mind controlled, Spiderman has to seek help from others. Big Hero 6 and a UK hero arrive to help along with a Kangeroo guy. Big Hero 6 has the most enjoyable side plot and especially since I recently saw the film. All of the characters seem more likable than their movie counterparts and certainly more skilled. I don’t see them beating any big threats, but they can certainly help out a lot against the minions. It was fun to have these guest stars arrive.

Now, this is the part where I would typically mention how good the art is. Unfortunately, it was not very good despite the cover being incredible. The art style looks good sometimes, particularly in scenes without any movement. After that, things go downhill. The character models are really the biggest problem as the artist seems unclear on how to draw a body in motion without it becoming disproportionate in various areas. A big example is the face where the artist has the most trouble. The faces will stretch at times as if the characters are trying to be Mr Fantastic. The action scenes still look very flashy, but the quality certainly isn’t as high as you would hope. This is no Superman Unchained!

The writing is at a good level here so I don’t need to bash it. The “Deal with it” line is something I probably won’t forget, but in a way, it is cool to see Spiderman exercise his authority. If the heroes won’t give him his respect, then he shall take it. Not that respect is a problem here though. Seriously, the heroes are basically praising him from start to finish. Silver Sable is apparently a fan now as she realizes his true power and wit.

Speaking of which, there is a bonus story at the end where we see a time where Spiderman and Silver Sable teamed up with Doctor Strange to defeat Dr Doom. The actual plot is pretty lackluster as Dr Doom wants to marry someone for her magical powers, but at least this gives us an opportunity for some fights. You can argue that Dr Strange looks a little too under powered, but you can’t win every battle right? Spiderman gets his props though and he holds his own. The action kept the issue afloat, but the actual plot was bad enough to make it very sub par. We didn’t need romance here!

As for the Sinister Six, most of the members were decent or unlikable. I liked the Electro and this was a good interpretation of his character. Now that he is in control of his abilities, he’s certainly more than a match for just about any fighter. I’m glad that he didn’t back down from the Avengers. I still don’t like Doctor Octopus and shall never be able to take him seriously at this point. The Rhino looks very petty and the writers over hyped him. Spiderman certainly should have defeated him. The Sandman looks good and I do think that he would have done the right thing if he had been asked to help. Mysterio also helped when the going got tough and he’s not bad for an illusionist. I typically don’t care for those characters, but he seems pretty witty and he actually was pretty helpful. That wraps up most of the members. We also had some guest villains who helped out in the abroad battles and I would have certainly liked some spinoff issues to go more in depth over there. Some of the matchups looked like a lot of fun.

Overall, Ends of The Earth was actually a good Spiderman comic. Spiderman’s portrayal was solid as he stayed loyal to Mary Jane and he made for a good leader. His decision to leave Sable certainly wasn’t a good one as well as his decision to let Sable go through with her acid attack for as long as he did. At least Sandman can’t really feel pain when in his sand state, but it was still a bit much. The Avengers don’t look as professional as usual and they are very under powered, but you have to remember that this is a Spiderman comic. The art is pretty lack luster though and the backup comic isn’t very good. I recommend checking this out for a quick read, but keep in mind that it’s not going to be winning any awards for you. On the bright side, you can compare the Big Hero 6 team from the comics to the movie counterparts. Also, this leads up to Superior Spider Man so now you can see why that event even happened in the first place.

Overall 7/10

My Little Pony Pony Tales Volume 1 Review

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It’s time to look at one of the My Little Pony spinoff comics. It’s been a while since I read a comic for this franchise and you may remember that I wasn’t thrilled with the first one. It had some animal violence and that wasn’t cool. Luckily, this one holds true to the show and it feels like it’s higher quality than the last trade paperback. Each story is a stand alone for a different pony, which is typically not my favorite format. It can work though as long as each story is interesting. Let’s see if the stories worked!

One story is about Applejack and her family is preparing for a nice feast. A holiday is coming up so now they can enjoy their food and bond as a family. The problem is that a monster is stealing their food. Applejack decides that she must stop him and she wants to do it by herself so that her family won’t need to worry. Can she really handle this task on her own?

The moral for this story is about letting others help out because sometimes it is for the best. It’s never good to deal with every task by yourself since everyone needs help once in a while. It’s a pretty fun story although it’s certainly weaker than the other stories. Applejack seems like a nice pony and her goal was pretty noble so I don’t necessarily disagree with her decision. Of course, accepting help was the right thing to do, but she wasn’t mean to the others when declining their help either, which is a nice change of pace from what would have typically happened in this situation.

Rainbow Dash’s story saw her go up against some mysterious beings who feed on negative energy. Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Boom seems to have no effect on their fortress of wind and they damage her wing. Her confidence is shaken and the villagers are starting to get riled up. A sense of dread and sadness fills the village and Rainbow Dash is the only one who can stop the villains. Can she get over her fear to do this?

The moral is a classic one about facing your fears and not getting too overconfident. That’s not even the exact moral as it was a little more complex than that. This was a fun story and we actually got some new villains, which was pretty neat. Rainbow Dash may be nervous for most of the comic, but it doesn’t feel too out of character since it’s handled pretty well. I think that the other ponies could have certainly been a little nicer about the whole thing, but not every pony in Equestria is nice. Only the ones who really count. It can be frustrating to see the villains crushing Rainbow Dash’s attempts, but the stakes are certainly higher than usual. This was a fun story.

Next up, we have Twilight Sparkle as she is sent to help out at a library/book place. Unfortunately, her temporary boss is pretty grouchy. Twilight Sparkle does her best to still remain very polite and do her work. The icy feelings between these two ponies start to thaw a little, but then Twilight Sparkle finds out a secret that could change everything. What has she done!?

I admit that it was probably a little out of character for Twilight Sparkle to look through the door into the lady’s secret room after being told not too. Sparkle doesn’t seem like the type of pony who can’t control her curiosity after all. I can’t say that with 100% certainty though so maybe I’m slightly off the mark here. This was a fun comic though and it reminds me why Twilight Sparkle is my second favorite pony. She is certainly very reasonable and a lot nicer than the other members of the Mane 6 beyond Pinkie Pie. (Pinkie Pie is always the best at everything after all) This may have been the best story in the collection.

Pinkie Pie may be my favorite pony, but she doesn’t get my favorite story. A clown has been helping many ponies laugh and smile through the years, but he is now retiring. Pinkie Pie must get him to see why being a clown was so much fun again, but is it really right to try and stop him from retiring?

In the end, Pinkie Pie see that it is a little selfish to try to stop someone from leaving their work when they have finally had enough. That being said, she also helps the clown realize that he can always help the industry out in other ways and Pinkie Pie gets better at being a clown through this experience. She is certainly good at cheering people up already so you may wonder just how much cooler she can get from here right? She didn’t act quite as crazy/insane as usual, but she doesn’t need to always be like that to be a fun character. She still has a lot of personality.

Rarity’s story naturally revolves around a fashion show that she is setting up. Her friends decide that she can use a little rest so they send her to a new spa that has opened up. Rarity is thrilled to go there until she finds out that it isn’t much of a spa. The mud baths are pretty literal and the food is all healthy to the point where it is barely edible. Can she really make the best of this?

I felt pretty bad for Rarity here since this is a case where she is really the victim of the moral. The moral is naturally to give things a chance and trying out new experiences isn’t bad, but…the spa went pretty far. The owners do have a good reason for this though and there are many emotional plot twists. It’s good that Rarity was able to help out, but it still would have been nice if she had gotten an actual vacation. This story certainly didn’t help her pass the other ponies, but she has her moments I suppose. Deep down, she’s as nice as the others.

Finally, we have Fluttershy’s story. It’s really a coincidence that she was last as I was mainly writing down the summaries from memory and hers I happened to remember last. (I had to double check for Rarity’s so at least Fluttershy’s was more memorable) Fluttershy has made a painting, but she is nervous and believes that it didn’t look very good. So, she enters it in an art exhibit, but she makes sure to be in disguise. Will the officials like this?

First of all, I have to say that this is where it comes in handy to be friends with Celestia’s protoge and with an expert in the form of Rarity. The officials naturally say that they can’t stand the painting and try to make Fluttershy feel bad (Along with all of the other painters) but then Rarity walks in and announces that it is quite good. The rest of the Mane 6 agree and they even managed to bring in Princess Celestia who announces that it is amazing. It all works out and Fluttershy decides to be more confident in herself. Her lack of confidence is why she isn’t one of my favorite ponies, but I do like the fact that she has a strong bond with animals so that helps to balance it out a little. You will definitely feel bad for her here. This was another good story and it’s probably second behind Twilight Sparkle’s.

The art is very good here even if the cover isn’t great. Yes…I think the cover could hurt sales and I seriously wonder why it was chosen! Well, mistakes happen I suppose. Still, the artwork inside of the graphic novel is consistent and all of the characters look accurate. This helps you fast blast through the comics pretty quickly even if the text can be a bit on the small side.

Overall, This was the My Little Pony comic that I had been expecting when I read the first graphic novel a while back. The short stories were all pretty good or interesting and this was a nice way to see if each of the ponies could hold their own story without relying on the others. I’d say that they succeeded in that area and the comic is a lot of fun to read from start to finish. It certainly never drags on or gets boring. There may not be a lot of action, but the writing is very good so that doesn’t end up being a problem. If you are on the fence about starting the franchise, this is a good way to get into it. I also recommend it for fans of the TV show as it isn’t a quick money grab. They did put in a good amount of effort here and I look forward to reading the next volume. It may be a while, but I do have another one of the spinoffs to review coming soon….

Overall 7/10

My Little Pony: The Elements of Harmony: Friendship is Magic Review

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That’s a mouthful isn’t it? I probably could have used a shorter version of the title, but this is the way that Barnes & Nobles titled the book so I may as well do it as well. I am a pretty big My Little Pony fan, but I have yet to see the TV show. What better way to really get into the universe than with a guide book right? This one is pretty detailed and a must read for all MLP fans out there. Pinkie Pie gets the respect that she deserves!

Even for a guide book, Elements of Harmony is very well organized. There are 10 chapters and each one corresponds to a different section. Some are much longer than others of course so you should still be prepared to be reading it for a while. It took me 3 batches to finish it, but you can probably shorten that depending on how much time you have.

The opening sections are really about the layout of the land and all of the Ponies/other characters who appear in the series. Seriously, if a pony appears for part of an episode or for a few minutes, she shall be there. I don’t think that all of the Apple family members made it in, but they really could have. The Mane 6 naturally get bigger write ups than the other characters and it is certainly deserved. This book really cements the fact that Pinkie Pie is my favorite member of the Mane 6. It’s not even close to be honest because she is just so awesome. As it stands, 2nd = Twilight Sparkle 3rd = Rainbow Dash 4th = Applejack 5th = Rarity and 6th = Fluttershy. I’ll admit that Fluttershy being in 6th is a bit of a sad coincidence….but someone has to be there right? We also can’t forget the epicness of Derpy or the mysterious Nightmare Moon. The series certainly has a pretty great cast and the only area that is probably lacking is the villains section. There just aren’t many of them by the end of season 3 and the few that are left aren’t much of a threat.

Aside from the characters section, we get an in depth look at the episodes for the first three seasons. Have you ever looked up an episode for a show on Wikipedia or on the individual wikis? It’s like that as the section will cover each episode from start to finish. It’s almost like watching the actual episodes, which is why I say that this is a good way to catch up to the series very quickly. (Although it would probably be more fun to just marathon them online) The book stops after the final episode of season 3, but that’s still a lot of data and it’s easily the longest chapter in the book as it takes up almost half of it. That’s pretty impressive eh? It’s certainly the most enjoyable part to read.

After that, we also get a chapter that contains every song that was ever sung in the episodes. To fans who have already seen the episodes, you’ll likely remember the tunes. For new fans, you’ll just have to guess and it’s best to just read them all with the MLP theme song stuck in your head. The songs were pleasant enough. After that, the book basically just ends with talking about how MLP has redefined the current world and a short afterword. There aren’t really any big mentions of bronies or the ponies influence on the video game industry, but I suppose it’s good not to get too off topic.

It sounds like the main writer was leaving after these three seasons as we get a big farewell interview. I wonder if the series can manage to stay true to its high level of quality with new writers on board. Only time will tell and so far it seems like the show has held its own since the next season has already aired by now. Soon we’ll be in season 5, which is very impressive. Even if it does not get a 6th season, it’ll be a show that will have cracked 100 episodes and it shall not be forgotten anytime soon.

The book is hardcover, which is great since it won’t wrinkle very easily. The font size is reader friendly and it really hits all the notes for how a guide book should be. There’s not a whole lot more to say about it since I have already discussed what is inside. I definitely hope that they release a new guidebook once season 5 or 6 is done to help fans who haven’t seen the show stay caught up with the franchise. Of course, there won’t be many of those, but it’s also a good thing to read for fans who have seen the show. You’ll get to read about insider information that you may not even be aware of.

Overall, The Elements of Harmony is the perfect guide book to start you off on the franchise. I think all franchises could use a guide book like this one. It’s clear, concise, and to the point while still being very detailed. None of the sections drag on and every part of the book is interesting. I highly recommend checking it out. I probably won’t be watching the show in its entirety anytime soon, but I’ll be keeping up with the franchise through its other outlets. Speaking of which, I have another pony related review coming up later today. So, stick around to see if it holds up a little better than my very first pony review.

Overall 8/10

Batman The Animated Series Update

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I now own the complete Batman TV show! This ties in well with the Superman series and I’m even farther along in this one. Both reviews will likely be coming in soon once I’m done with them. This is certainly a very good Batman series and it does have a theatrical feel that the others simply don’t have. This is certainly a keeper!

Superman The Animated Series Update

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I now own the complete series! You know what that means? I’ll be writing a review for this title once I have seen all of the episodes. I’m currently in the middle of season 2 I believe so I’m certainly getting there. This is still the definitive Superman series and it’s incredible.

Slayers Return Review

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Slayers has returned once again and we’re back to the retro cast from before Gourry’s time. It’s certainly an improvement from the last OVA that had been pretty dicey although we’re not quite up to the level of the first two shows yet. The film works on the negatives from the OVA without totally eliminating them, but slow and steady wins the race right?

Lina and Naga are on their usual travels when a girl asks them to come to her village. It has been taken over by a mysterious villain and his army of henchmen. Saleena promises to pay Lina and Naga whatever she can although the village is pretty poor. The heroes go along, but only because Lina suspects that she can get rich from the stone that is in the village. Of course, the villain seems to have the same idea! Can Lina liberate the place and collect her reward?

This story is pretty straightforward and that’s probably a good thing. The heroes just have to defeat the villains, but that will be a little tougher than expected. The villains aren’t great at using magic, but there are a lot of them. The main villain ends up to be weaker than most of the minions though as he is really just trying to trick everyone. Most of his spells are really just smoke and mirrors. Galav (The main villain) certainly isn’t a great villain and that’s mainly because the series still loves to make the villains comic relief from time to time. This is especially prevalent in the films/OVAs. I think that Slayers can go a little far with this sometimes, but it’s mix of action and comedy are what have made it so unique in the past. The series is just naturally better at blending the two genres together.

Galav’s minions are also mad at him because of his portrayal so the whole ordeal turns into a bit of infighting for the villains. The heroes quickly take advantage of this. Lina and Naga barely even need to help, but they arrive anyway and it’s probably a good thing that they did. Although, Naga’s statue only makes the situation worse after she summons it. I guess you gotta take the help with the extra problems that it creates.

Lina still looks pretty strong and cunning. At this point, she basically does outrank all of the other characters who are present. This seems to still be a little before the time where she learned to really love food as jewels is at the top of her mind. While I may have been skeptical of the accent at first, I have now decided that it was a very good idea to add it in. It really helps to distinguish the Lina Inverse from the prequels compared to the normal one. I also feel like it really works for her so that’s a plus. She’s still a likable heroine for the film.

Naga is still not a great ally. If she wasn’t used for fanservice at times, I would like her so much more. I like the fact that she is constantly laughing and making a mockery of anyone who dares to approach her. Naga also does have some magical abilities of her own so it’s not like she’s just around to hold Lina back. That being said, we can’t ignore the fanservice that is around and she can be tricked rather easily. She won’t match up to some of Lina’s other allies, but she could be worse.

Saleena is the main ally who was made up for this film and she isn’t bad. The problem is that she’s just a human with a sword that isn’t made of light so she really can’t help much here. She tries to fight some of the demons, but she just ends up getting in the way. It’s good to have enthusiasm, but you also have to know when your efforts are just not helping. She’s much better than the rest of the new characters though and that includes the villain group. They appear towards the end and in a twist, they want revenge on the main villain. Unfortunately, this means that they are also very unimpressive when it comes down to a fight.

The animation is good. It’s certainly not at the same level as Index or Railgun, but this did come out quite a while ago. Also, there isn’t a ton of action and spells to be found here so the animators couldn’t show off all that much. There’s nothing bad about the animation and it’s consistent from start to finish. That’s certainly an important attribute so it’s good that the movie was able to keep up. The soundtrack is rather peaceful. There are no serious fights here so I’ll let it slide. The themes are fun to listen too while the scenes are playing, but you shall forget them very quickly.

One of the negatives that holds the film down a little is the fanservice. It didn’t get out of control like in the OVA, but it is still present. If you can get past Naga’s attire, then you’ll be okay. It doesn’t really get any worse than that, but I would be happy if the film could place a little less emphasis on her. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t miss her when the other characters show up instead. Gourry and pals have their own set of issues, but they’re typically not as bad.

I also think that the films do have a bit more of an issue trying to separate the serious moments from the light ones. It really wouldn’t hurt to have a serious villain here…or it shouldn’t hurt. I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry, but you still can’t help, but feel a little disappointed when the main villain turns out to be a fraud. Despite myself, I had been waiting for him to put up a fight. If it helps, his “lair” has a cool twist to it and that was genuinely humorous.

Overall, Slayers Return was a fun film. It doesn’t totally feel like a film as this could have just been your average episode, but I’m okay with that as long as it inflates the film count. Having episodic movies also works as a nostalgia boost sort of like what DBZ did with his OVA. (Goku and friends return) This is a little early for that of course, but it still works. It could have been better and Slayers will have to continue to work to make sure that they get rid of all the fanservice, but I believe that it is possible. It’ll be difficult for sure though. You should watch this movie as a comedy rather than as an action because the film acts more like the former. The shows are where things get a little serious and the films are for the laughs. It’s a balance that actually works pretty well as long as you go in with the proper frame of mind. I recommend this to Slayers fans and if you’re looking for a fun adventure film, this fits the bill. You can also compare Lina to other female protagonists and see if she really is the strongest one!

Overall 6/10

Big Hero 6 Review

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Disney is back with another Marvel film! The Big Hero 6 cast is pretty obscure compared to most other teams, but that’s okay since it means that the film can have a little fun with this adaption right? The fact that it’s animated and in theaters was pretty cool. It may not be quite as comic book aimed as it would have otherwise been, but since the odds of the team getting a film at all are slim, we’re more than content to have this version. It’s a fun film to check out and while it’s not quite the next Frozen, you’ll be glad that you saw it.

The plot involves an unmotivated genius named Hiro. He had fun engaging in bot fights for a while. Things changed when his brother was destroyed in a large explosion. Hiro inherited a bot named Baymax from him and then he finds out that someone has stolen Hiro’s old nanobot invention. He likely wouldn’t care about this too much, but the person who stole them was responsible for the brother’s death. Hiro isn’t going to stand for this and he decides to take this guy out…permanently. Together with some friends, the heroes set off for their ultimate battle!

Hero 6’s animation is pretty solid. The film really goes all out when you see the city for the first time. I don’t think it does quite as good a job on the character models, which look a little stiff, but it’s also just that I don’t quite care for the style all that much. The action scenes are definitely fun to watch and having nanomites as a weapon can really work well. It’s like using sand or another similar element so you can do just about anything with it. You are only limited by your imagination after all. I can’t say that there’s much of a soundtrack to be found though, but typically a film can only have one or the other anyway so it’s not a huge loss.

Hiro is a decent main character although I wouldn’t call him great by any means. He can be a little bland, but it’s nice to have a genius lead the charge so that’s a good thing. He tries to cross the line towards the beginning, but he is shown the error of his ways and things are looking up for him now. With Baymax at his side, he doesn’t need to fear anything. His other allies weren’t quite as impressive.

Before I get into them, let’s talk about Baymax. He’s the big mascot of the film and the guy that you are supposed to find really likable. I’m afraid that it didn’t work this time and it’s because Baymax just isn’t that smart. He can’t really take a hint and when it’s time for a fight, he looked terrible the first time. Even without combat knowledge downloaded, you’d think that he would do better. He almost caused Hiro to die in round 1 because he could barely even move. He does better in future rounds, but he’s just not my kind of character. Being naive is one thing, but lacking common sense is another. I really wish his design had been a little more similar to the comics, now that was an epic design! The Marshmallow look could grow on me someday though…maybe.

My least favorite member is Wasabi. He’s really used for all of the classic (overused) jokes and they get old very quickly. He screams in a really high pitched manner and he’s constantly reminding everyone why their current situation is scary. It’s sad since he has energy blades and he should use them properly. Next up, I didn’t care for Honey Lemon. Her “powers” are pretty terrible here as she is basically given gum to make the enemy get stuck. I’m guessing that Hiro was rushing a bit there. She didn’t add anything to the story and you could easily forget that she was even around as the climax approached.

Not all of the members were bad though. I liked Fred as he took this a little more seriously than the others as he tried to figure out who the culprit was. His Godzilla suit was also pretty epic and he put up a better fight than most of the other members. GoGo also did a good job here as she speedblitzed the villain at one point and really did most of the work in the first battle. Her high speed rollerskates make her a formidable threat and it’s something that can actually be taken seriously in a fight. Together, all of these members make up the Big Hero 6 so villains better beware. I like to think that the team will get more likable in future films, but the odds of this one getting a sequel isn’t terribly high.

The main villain is pretty intense. Once they say who he really is…he’s not quite as hardcore. Still, this villain is a threat when it comes down to a fight and he certainly holds nothing back. Whether his opponent is a kid or an adult, he plays for keeps. It’s all because of the nanites of course, but every villain needs a gimmick. I also liked the costume that he used since it evoked a sense of fear.

At most, I would just say that the beginning of the film is a little slow. Things don’t really start top pick up until the heroes meet the villain for the first time. Of course, that’s coming from me as an action fan. If I didn’t know that fight scenes were going to show up later, this may have been something that I would have not even noticed. The writing is solid here and that’s part of what makes the film fun. This kind of film really depends on how good the writing is since it could be a little tricky otherwise.

Also, is it just me or would anyone else have liked to have seen more of the Botfighting aspect of the film? That had a lot of potential and it would have been like watching Mega Man or LBX. I really hope that returns in a possible sequel, but with the fights being a little more equal and high tier. It’s no fair if Hiro’s genius just lets him win every time you know? As I mentioned, this one loses to Frozen, but beyond that, it could very well be the best Disney animated film. I can’t think of any that beat this one at the moment, which is actually pretty incredible. Good for Hero 6!

Overall, Big Hero 6 was a fun film to watch and I would totally be open to a sequel. The characters need a little more development, but that’s what sequels are for right? The action scenes were exciting and the animation certainly showed a lot of promise. I’m not sure where they’ll go from here as the world is fairly realistic so far, but I’m sure that they can think of something. I definitely recommend this for any film watcher who wants to watch something quick and fun. The film will be done before you know it and it won’t have dragged on at all. There aren’t many concrete negatives to worry about either so you can just watch the title without a worry. It certainly lived up to my expectations and beat most of the other modern animation films. On a side note, this film reminded me why owning a cafe would be pretty epic. I would definitely be snacking on the leftovers each night since there would be so many to choose from. Man, that would be the life….

Overall 7/10

Watership Down Review

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It’s time to look at another animated film, but this is really the opposite of Naruto. It’s one of those movies that will make you want to leave pretty early on and there’s no way that this deserves a PG. I had a feeling that a film about talking rabbits could be tricky considering the animal violence issue, but I didn’t think that it would be this serious. Needless to say, this was no Battleship!

A high above being created everything and life was peaceful for a while. Unfortunately, the Rabbits believed themselves to be superior to their “god” and all of the other animals as well. This angered the being and he made the other animal races as well as humans. Now, the goal of every creature is to destroy the Rabbits. Back in the present, the Rabbits’ home is about to be destroyed…according to the main character anyway. So, they set out and try to survive in the brutal environments that they pass. It shall be difficult for them!

First off, let’s make sure it’s clear why this film was doomed to fail. The animal violence is off the charts! They suffer many casualties and the heroes definitely don’t come out of this unscathed. I usually get sad when we have just one scene of animal violence so you can imagine what having an entire film of it will do to the overall rating. It was the film’s greatest weakness since it makes the title not fun to watch. You simply can’t get past such a negative and again, this film easily deserved a PG 13 at the very least. They should officially re rate the film or at least release a big article stating why it is now PG 13 worthy. Until then, kids may watch this and it’ll be a sad experience.

The animation isn’t bad. I can’t say that it’s very impressive, but this was back in the 70’s so I have to cut it some slack. It’s still easy to see who all of the characters are after all. Nothing about it will stand out, but it shouldn’t really hurt the experience for you. There isn’t much of a soundtrack though so you can forget about listening to good tunes during this experience.

The film drags on a little at some parts and I did feel a little sleepy, but I’d attribute some of that to the animal violence. It can definitely take you out of a film a little. I’m glad that the dog didn’t really get injured though so he was spared from this. All right, it’s time to quickly mention some of the characters.

Bigwig is easily the best member of the rabbits as he knows how to fight and he doesn’t back down from the enemies. He’s always ready with a plan and even if he is sometimes willing to leave the weaker members behind, he is the gruff commander who makes it all possible. Without him, the heroes would likely have been doomed several times. Most of the other heroes are pretty uneventful though. The main character can see the future, but he isn’t all that brave. Again, he just feels a little on the generic side.

Woundwort is the big villain by the end, but he’s certainly not a likable villain. He’s pretty tough considering that he should be out of shape by now. He very well could be the strongest rabbit alive. He ends up facing another creature who is a little stronger than a Rabbit though. One character that I was a big fan of was the bird who helped the rabbits out when they were in a pinch. The way that he spoke was pretty intense and he wasn’t subtle about how he was feeling. He didn’t mind admitting to the rabbits that he was simply stronger than them and that he wouldn’t back down. He eventually leaves since this wasn’t his fight and that was good since I didn’t want to see him get injured either.

If the film had strayed away from the animal violence, it certainly could have had some potential. It would have been a fun adventure as they met many other creatures and eventually overthrew some kind of dictator who learned to work with them. Then I certainly could have seen how it would become a big classic and be liked by many. The writing isn’t bad and the scene where the heroes enter into another rabbit’s lair is pretty spooky. They certainly could have held out well on their own.

Still, this film definitely doesn’t deserve the legendary status that it has reached. I consider Battleship to be more of a masterpiece and that’s saying something. As scary as this comparison could be for many, I think that this film could have learned a lot from things like My Little Pony and Clifford. Even Legend of the Guardians or Pokemon. They are all tales with creatures who get caught up in adventures and meet many dangers, but they are typically careful about the animal violence problem. It’s something that must be handled very carefully or you risk overdoing it.

Overall, Watership Down is certainly one of the more unlikable films that I’ve watched as of late. The score for it ends up being almost as low as you can possibly go. It’s just a sign of how important it is to avoid having animals in your film at all since it can critically injure a film. Even an all star like DBZ or Avengers risks a big chunk of likability points being dropped if they manage to make this kind of mistake. If you’re planning on watching this classic, then I would recommend the first Pokemon film instead. The action scenes are better and the journey is more intense without needing to resort to animal violence. It should also be noted that we won’t get any Submarines or literal Waterships here, but I’m sure that we weren’t expecting one anyway. That would have been pretty odd (but neat) to have seen. I think the TV show of this has some slight potential, but I don’t plan on seeing it anytime soon.

Overall 1/10