Despicable Me - 2010

Category: Animation

Genre: Comedy

Director: Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud

Writer:Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio

Producer: Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment

Cast: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Kate Fisher

Tagline: Some call him bad, "they" call him dad.

A trio of orphan girls are being used by a criminal mastermind Gru, as pawns for a grand scheme and can be the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. But then, an innocent and pure love from the three girls is profoundly changing Gru for the better. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little orphan girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes. 

This film was recommended to me by a friend who really enjoys Gru, and so I can relate to a bully-like Gru... I watched the film. :)

Its dark humor, villainy stuff was muffled down by the appearance of the  three little girls. Fun and heartwarming, oftentimes cute and fuzzy. I enjoyed watching the film, and how it shows a side of villains that is never often showed. Villains got heart too! :)And it's good that this also portrays the "single dad" role which is often rare in cartoons or in movies. :)

Photo Source: GreatFun4Kids

Howl's Moving Castle - 2004

Original Title:  Hauru no ugoku shiro

Category: Anime

Genre: Fantasy

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Writer: Hayao Miyazaki, Diana Wynne Jones

Producer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment, DENTSU Music and Entertainment, Mitsubishi

Cast: Chieko Baisho, Takuya Kimura, Akihiro Miwa, Tatsuya Gashun and more.

Tagline:

When Sophie, a young 18-year old girl, was cursed with an old body by a witch, her only chance to break the spell lies with a young insecure wizard, named Howl, who lives in a "moving castle".


From the makers of Spirited Away comes this amazing tale of wizardry and love with a dash of a funny bone.  It has a unique storyline, that when it ended I found myself going... "ahhhh.." I enjoyed it albeit it's often weirdness and  unpredictability.. it keeps you guessing till the end. It's a film, where you would still mull over what happened, and it leaves you with something..... maybe something magical. Highly creative and most imaginative film yet. His storytelling is outside the common way of how westerners would tell stories.

Miyazaki, you are the best!!

Quotes:

Sophie: They say that the best blaze burns brightest, when circumstances are at their worst.

Photo Source: Cartoon Online

The Rise of the Guardians - 2012

Category: Movie

Genre: Animation / Adventure / Family

Director: Peter Ramsey

Writer: David Lindsay-Abaire, William Joyce

Producer: Dreamworks Animation

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Isla Fisher, Chris Pine, Jude Law, Dakota Goyo, Khamani Griffin, Kamil McFadden, Georgie Grieve and more.

Tagline: Naughty, nice. You better believe.

Pitch, the evil spirit wants to assault and take over the Earth, and the Immortal Guardians (Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman) once again team up to protect the innocence of children all over the globe. (Based on a Children's Book Series by William Joyce).


This is a Christmas film that is not entirely about Santa Claus but of Jack Frost.  IT WAS GREAT! (although, I  didn't like the cinema we were in this time, it made the picture look old school) Either way, it was a good film... heartwarming. And even if it is simple, it makes way for its deep and profound message. I like the Russian doll with Santa Claus reminding Jack Frost of his "center".  It reminds me of our spiritual journey with Ikepono. :)This also reminds you to keep the "child" in you alive......

Photo Source: Collider

The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole - 2010

Category: Movie

Genre: Adventure / Fantasy / Cartoon

Director: Zack Snyder

Writer: John Orloff

Producter: Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, Animal Logic

Cast: Jim Sturgees, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, Emily Barclay, Joel Edgerton, Ryan Kwanten, Helen Mirren, Angus Sampson and more.

Tagline: On his way to finding a legend...he will become one.

Soren, a young barn owl, is abducted by an evil Owl Army, where owlets are brainwashed into becoming soldiers. He and his new friends escape to the island of Ga'Hoole, to look for the legendary Guardians to stop the menace.

Watched this with mom at Balanga, Bataan. We had a fun time watching it.

I love how the story goes. Inspiring and very good movie for a "team". A dose of inspiration, it is. It is quiet dark at the beginning and got a lot of fight scenes, but ain't adventure like that?Although, I don't think the youngsters would uhmmm benefit this much. I think this is for extra mature audience.  It is also a wonderful visual masterpiece with a story boot. What a hoot indeed! :) I enjoyed the musical score and the soundtrack: "To the Sky" by none other than Owl City! Haha. Lovely.

Photo Source: Imp Awards

 

How To Train Your Dragon - 2010

Category: Movie / Animation

Genre: Fantasy / Adventure

Writer: William Davis and Dean Deblois

Director: Dean Deblois, Chris Sanders

Producer: DreamWorks Animation, Mad Hatter Entertainment, Mad Hatter Films

Cast: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Christopher Mintz Plasse, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wig, Robin Atkin Downes, and more.

Tagline:


A young Viking, named Hiccup on the Island of Berk, wants to join the fight and hunt dragons that continually raid their town. But, being clumsy and small, he was always discouraged by his father, Stoik the Vast who is a village leader. Despite his being clumsy and small, his attribute goes to his creativity/inventiveness. While out doing his best to prove that he is worthy to be a Viking,he was set to kill, but could not bring himself to do it. Out of curiosity, he befriends the dragon whom he calls Toothless. 

Oooh yeahhh!! Dragons! and Taming them? Well you are right!!! I had a fun time watching the film. It was exciting and heart warming too! :) I enjoyed the relationship of Hiccup and Toothless, they gave enough time for the characters to develop which actually gives depth to the movie.

Great animation, but what matters a lot is the story and the journey of Hiccup and Toothless. Both, young and old would enjoy this dragon and viking tale! :)

Funny Lines:

Hiccup: And when he does, it's always with this... disappointed scowl, like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich.
[imitating]
Hiccup: "Excuse me, barmaid! I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring! I ordered an extra-large boy with beefy arms, extra guts and glory on the side. This here, this is a talking fish-bone!"

Fishlegs: [to Tuffnut] Your mom let you get a tattoo?
Tuffnut: It's not a tattoo, it's a birth mark!
Ruffnut: Okay, I've been stuck with you since birth and that was never there before.
Tuffnut: Yes it was! You've just never seen me from the left side until now. 

Emo Lines:

Hiccup: Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods? Would've been better, for everyone...
Astrid: Yep. The rest of us would have done it. So why didn't you?  Why didn't you?
H: I don't know... I couldn't.
A: That's not an answer.
H: "Why" is this so important to you all of a sudden?
A: Because I want to remember what you say, right now.
H: Oh, for the love of... I was a coward! I was weak! I wouldn't kill a dragon!
A: You said "wouldn't", that time.
H: Agh, whatever... I "wouldn't"! Three hundred years, and I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon!
A: First to ride one, though. So...?
Hiccup: I wouldn't kill him, because he looked as frightened as *I* was. I looked at him... and I saw myself.

Photo Source: HowtoTrainYourDragon.Blogspot

Shrek Forever After - 2010

Category: Animation

Genre: Fantasy

Director: Mike Mitchell

Writer: Josh Klausner, Darren Lemke

Producer: DreamWorks Animation, Pacific Data Images

Cast: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Jon Hamm, John Cleese, Craig Robinson, Walt Dohrn, Jane Lynch, Lake Bell and Kathy Griffin and more

Taglines: What the Shrek just happened?

Shrek is bored and domesticated, and feels like he wants to feel like a "real ogre" again. And so, he made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin. Knowing Rumpelstiltskin being the cunning deal maker that he was - he twisted the deal and went back to the time where ogres are hunted and he and Fiona have never met.

So, Shrek will have to set out on this quest to restore his world and reclaim Fiona as his one true love.

Well, not as funny as the first few installments, and not as magical as them. But, I still enjoyed it... because I miss Donkey!! oh and Puss! hehehe. Great for kids.


Quotes:

Shrek: Fiona, I know everything about you, I know you sing so beautifully that birds explode. I know that when you sign your name, you put a heart over the i. I know that when you see a shooting star you cross your fingers on both hands, squinch up your nose, and you make a wish, I know that you don't like the covers wrapped around your feet, and I know that you sleep by candlelight because every time you close your eyes, you're afraid you're going to wake up back in that tower, But most importantly Fiona, I know that the reason that you turn human every day is because you've never been kissed, well, by me.


 

Tangled - 2010

Category: Animation

Genre: Comedy / Family

Director: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard

Writer: Jacob Grimm, Wilhem Grimm

Producer: Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures

Cast: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Periman, M.C. Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett, Paul Tompkins, Richard Kiel and more

Tagline: They're taking adventure to new lengths.

The beautiful magically 70 feet long haired "Princess" Rapunzel spent her whole life in a tower and she is very curious of the outside world. specially aout the floating lights which happens once a year during her birthday. She feels the connection and dreams to see it up close and personal one day. She was taken captive by Gothel whom she thinks of as her mother and she loves her dearly and innocently and she believes that Gothel is only after her best interest. One day she decided to go out and explore while Gothel was away and stumbled upon a runaway thief and off to set in a world filled with places waiting to be discovered...

A remake of the famous Rapunzel.  I like the lanterns, floating lights. It's a fantabulous thing. I enjoyed the whole film. Specially the musical scores. There are lots of fun, silly moments with Rapunzel as she discovers things that are new for her. Its a wonderful film for the family and a great mix for both boys and girls to enjoy. :)

 FUnny Quotes:

Rapunzel: So mother, earlier I was saying tomorrow is a really big day, and you didn't really respond, so I'm just gonna tell you: IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! Tada!
Mother Gothel: No no no, can't be. I distinctly remember, your birthday was last year.
Rapunzel: That's the funny thing about birthdays, they're kind of an annual thing.

Rapunzel: [Sung] I could go running/ and racing/ and dancing/ and chasing/ and leaping/ and bounding/ hair flying/ heart pounding/ and splashing/ and reeling/ and finally feeling/ now's when my life begins!


Quotes I Like:

Rapunzel: I've been looking out of a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?
Flynn Rider: It will be.
Rapunzel: And what if it is? What do I do then?
Flynn Rider: Well,that's the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream.

 Rapunzel: [singing] Flower gleam and glow. Let your powers shine. Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt. Change the fates' design. Save what has been lost. Bring back what once was mine, What once was mine...

 

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel - 2009

Category: Animation / Movie

Genre: Children / Cartoon / Comedy

Director: Betty Thomas

Writer: Jon Vitti, Jonathan Aibel

Tagline:

Producer: Bagdasarian Productions, Fox 2000 Pictures, Regency Enterprises

Cast: Zachary Levi, David Cross, Jason Lee, Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse Mccartney, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris, Christina Applegate, Wendie Malick, Charice Pempengco

Overview and Review of the animation Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.

Pop sensations, "Chipmunks" Alvin, Simon and Theodore end up in the care of Dave Seville's twenty year old nephew Toby. The boys were asked to return to school, and was tasked with saving the school's music program by winning the $25,000 prize in a battle of the bands. But the Chipmunks unexpectedly met their match known as The Chipettes -– Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette.

I had a wonderful time watching this movie. Got me to giggle and laugh. I absolutely love Theodore!! So cute. And was delighted to see Charise Pempengco in the scene. :)

Happily N'ever After 2 - 2009

Category: Movie / Cartoon

Genre: Animation / Fairy Tale

Director: Steven E. Gordon, Boyd Kirkland

Writer: Chris Denk

Tagline: Another Bite @ the Apple.

Review and Overview of Happily N`ever After 2 directed by Steven E. Gordon and Boyd Kirkland.

In the Fairytale Land, King Cole is married with his beloved Queen Grace, who is loved by everyone in the kingdom due to her altruism and goodness. When Queen Grace falls seriously ill and finally dies, the widower King Cole raises Snow White alone.

Meanwhile, Mambo and Munk tipped the scales of good and evil. The spoiled Snow White becomes a selfish and snobbish teenager for the disappointment of her father. She'd rather have fun with friends Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and Little Bo Peep than help peasants.

Snow White’s father is matched up with Lady Vain - a scheming witch brewing to rule the kingdom. Snow White becomes a thorn in Lady Vain’s side. She will do everything to keep Snow White away.

Now, I dont think i need to spoil what other characters might be there right?

At first, I wasn't all too thrilled but then later on I enjoyed the whole thing. I like the moral of the story and it was a good remake (although, of course nothing would always beat the original story). I had fun identifying the characters before the movie gets to tell their names. Hehe. Meaning I am really a fairy tale buff. Yay!

Some quotes I like:

"Just remember that a job gets harder of you only think about yourself."

"Just remember the mirror only tells you half the story, true beauty comes from helping others."

Kung Fu Panda - 2008

Category: Movie

Genre: Animation

Director: Mark Osborne and John Stevenson

Voices: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian Mcshane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross and more.

Tagline: Prepare for awesomeness. Summertime is Pandatime.

Overview and Review of Kung Fu Panda Directed by Mark Osborne and John Stevenson.


Po is the name, a sweet and clumsy Panda one of the biggest fan of Kung Fu dreams of being a Kung Fu Master and adores the Furious Five - Tigress(Angelina Jolie), Crane(David Cross), Mantis(Seth Rogen), Viper(Lucy Liu) and Monkey(Jackie Chan). But with all his wildest dreams of being a Kung Fu Master, he is stuck with his father in a Noodle shop and expected to follow after him.

To Shi Fu(Dusin Hoffman) it was an accident to Oogway(Randall Duk Kim), there are no accidents. To fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become a reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five -- Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey -- under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu.

There's also the vengeful and double-crossing snow leopard Tai Lung(Ian Mclane) who is headed their way from escaping at a prison, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat.

It's actually a great animation. Aside from all the funny antics and Po's big butt it has a moral lesson. And a deep one at that. It's a lesson about a Master-Student Relationship. You would learn about the "Secret Ingredient" which proves to be the most significant lesson in the whole movie. Also, it is "soo real life" or "sooo true" with people.

ooh and I like Panda's by the way! =)

Shrek 3 / Shrek The Third - 2007

Overview, Review, and Plot of Shrek the Third or Shrek 3

Category - Movie

Genre: Cartoon

Directed by: Chris Miller and Raman Hui

Tagline: Who’s ready for THIRDS?

Rated PG for some crude humor, suggestive content and swashbuckling action.

Shrek’s(Mike Myers) father-in law falls ill and Shrek was expected to take his place as king of Far Far Away. When his father-in law, King Harold(John Cleese) dies, the need to be crowned king fell upon him, but Shrek don’t like the high life of the King and insists others can do it. On his father-in law’s death lily (*he was a magical frog… soo it’s death lily for him.*) he managed to say that there was another heir to the throne and that would be Arthur. When he died, Shrek, Donkey(Eddie Murphy) and Puss(Antonia Banderas) went about in search for Arthur at a high school.

On the other side Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), saw the chance to retake the castle while Shrek is away. He managed to encourage the other villains to have their own “Happily Every After”.

The movie is almost jam packed with famous characters and their very own counterpart villains as well. You’d loveee Donkey and Puss. It was fun… on most part.. really. I had a nice time. Others may see this like another Spiderman 3 movie gone haywire because there was just too much character in the movie and the character development was not there…. but it’s ok. *too much of an optimist*

I love the lesson behind it and almost cried at the end part when Arthur “Arty” Pendragon(Justin Timberlake) *yes, yes HIM! and Lancelot, Guinevere “Gwen”, and Merlin(Eric Sidle)was there as well* made his speech in the end to the villains.

Not the exact same words.. but…

“A friend taught me a wonderful lesson, just because people see you as a loser or a bad person doesn’t mean you have to be one. You can always choose to be who you are.”

Like, in most Shrek movies it focuses more on friendship as well… and some could say that most humor are for the older audiences.

The original Shrek cast was there: Three Little Pigs, Pinocchio(Cody Cameron) Three Blind Mice, Big Bad Wolf, and the Gingerbread Man.

Donkey even have his own children there… or dragon-donkey-dren like kids. Whatever.

I really like the additional fairy tale characters, like Captain Hook, the Evil Queen of Snow White, the Ugly StepSisters (one good and one bad), Rumplestilskin(Conrad Vernon), and Rapunzel(Maya Rudolph).

I like the part with the Fairy Tale Princesses.

Snow White(Amy Poehler), Cinderella(Amy Sedaris) and Sleeping Beauty(Cheri Oteri) with the Queen. Shows them their funny side… and they would be different there because they were not dainty… or regal at all. I like the part when they( Queen Lilian (Julie Andrews) and the Princesses with Fiona) charged the castle. Pretty funny.

A lot might say, the story was predictable and all that *although at one part I thought Shrek would really want to take the post as King but did not* but the voices, the humor and the animation of course was superb.

And of course three SURPRISEs would be there IN THE END. Ahihihi. Who’s ready for THIRDS? Fits the tagline.

TRIVIA courtesy of Wikipedia.

• When Donkey takes the body of Puss in Boots, he uses his sword to carve a “D” in some wood. The character of Zorro, twice played by Antonio Banderas, is known for carving a “Z” with his sword.
• After smashing the second wall, the dazed Queen can be heard humming “My Favorite Things”. Julie Andrews, who plays the queen, sang the same song in The Sound of Music.
• In the beginning of the film, in Prince Charming’s dinner theater, coconuts are used for horse’s hoofbeats. This same technique was used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which also starred John Cleese and Eric Idle.