Movie Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Movie Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)                                                                            7-22-19

New York has been through rough times lately: People throughout the city have been burglarized by teenage boys known as the Foot Clan, and news reporter April O’Neil (Judith Hoag) has trouble getting her boss to believe her. After almost getting robbed by the Foot, April gets rescued by four human-sized turtles: Leonardo (Brian Tochi), Michelangelo (Robbie Rist), Donatello (Corey Feldman), and Raphael (Josh Pais). These turtles live in the sewers, love pizza, and have been practicing ninjitsu for 15 years. When Splinter (Kevin Clash), a rat who serves as the turtles’ mentor, gets kidnapped by Shredder (David McCharen), leader of the Foot, the turtles, April, and hockey player Casey Jones (Elias Koteas) head to a farm in the country, but soon, the turtles have to return to New York to rescue Splinter and defeat Shredder.

The strengths in this underrated flick lie in its gorgeous sets, a memorable score from John de Prez, an intriguing albeit corny story that sticks faithfully to its original source material, and incredible animatronics from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop that bring the turtles to life that, in my eyes, still hold up very well.

Jim Henson with the Turtles themselves.

I also like how they gave Raphael (the turtle with the red bandana) a more developed personality. In the original 80s cartoon, Raphael was a prankster, even though Mikey was their resident class clown. In this film, Raphael was changed to a turtle who was anti-social, ill-tempered, and cynical. This is a trait that defined Raph in later incarnations of TMNT.

Raph picking his teeth with his sai (weapon of choice).

Casey Jones is also an interesting character: He’s a hockey player who became a vigilante after his career ended because of an injury. He is also a bit stubborn like Raphael.

Casey about to teach Raph 'a lesson' after he accidently let some thieves escape.

In conclusion, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a movie that probably won’t please everyone, but it makes me smile whenever I watch it. It’s also a favorite of internet sensation James Rolf.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.

However, I do have a warning for the parents reading this review if they end up watching this movie with their kids: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) has some strong language, violent moments, and alcohol use.

Movie Review: Toy Story 4

Movie Review: Toy Story 4                                                                                                               6-22-19

During her first day at Kindergarten, Bonnie makes a new toy out of a spork, Forky. Bonnie loves Forky, but the plastic utensil thinks he's trash. While on a road trip, Forky jumps out the window, and Woody pursues. Now he and Forky have to find a way back to Bonnie while encountering some new faces, including Canadian stunt racer Duke Kaboom, carnival plushes Ducky and Bunny, and a creepy 50s doll named Gabby Gabby, as well as a familiar face from when he was Andy's toy.

When I first heard that there was going to be a Toy Story 4, I was concerned it would be either disappointing like Shrek Forever After or disposable like Ice Age 4: Continental Drift. Then, when the Teaser Trailer was leaked in November 2018, I was afraid of one of the new characters, Forky.

However, after waiting many months, I finally saw Toy Story 4, and I actually think it's on par with 'Dragons 3'! Toy Story 4 concludes the franchise with groundbreaking animation, an emotionally moving story, some really funny jokes from the new characters, and a smartly (but partially) recycled score from Randy Newman.

Ducky and Bunny trying to tease Buzz.

There was one thing that Toy Story fans have been asking since the release of Toy Story 3: Whatever happened to Bo Peep? Well, between the events of Toy Stories 2 and 3, Bo Peep was donated to an antique shop, but after spending a couple years in there, Bo and her sheep Billy, Goat, and Gruff decided to travel the park, where there's an annual carnival each summer, dedicating their lives to saving lost toys and giving them new owners.

Bo Peep with her new partner Giggles McDimples.

If I were to nitpick about one thing, I think that Buzz acted a smidgen out of character: There's a running gag in the movie in which Buzz has to listen to his inner voice, and he decides to get advice from his voice box. This comes as a surprise as Buzz in the past was able to walk more than 20 blocks to Al's Toy Barn, jump on Sid's vicious dog Scud, and escape Poultry Palace  through the air vents, all of which he did with almost no help!

Buzz triumphantly swinging to the window of the Caterpillar Room in Toy Story 3.

Regardless, Toy Story 4 is a surprising sequel that will probably be the best summer movie of the year, since other summer movies this year may not be as good or promising.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

PS. If you're wondering if I liked How To Train Your Dragon 3 or TS4 more, I'll let you know some time in August.

Movie Review: Bridge to Terabithia

Movie Review: Bridge to Terabithia                                                                                                   5-31-19

Warning! This review contains spoilers for Disney's Bridge to Terabithia!

Jess Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) has a tough life: He has four sisters with varying ages, an outdated greenhouse, bullies at school, and a new female student who's better than him at everything. Eventually, Jess makes friends with the new girl Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb) and together, they create an imaginary world in the forest called Terabithia, a magical place filled with fantastic creatures like dragonfly warriors, squirrel/ogre hybrids, ugly bloodthirsty birds, and a female troll. As their imagination soars and their friendship deepens, Jess and Leslie learn how to rule their kingdoms as king and queen, fight the forces of darkness, and change their lives forever.

At first glance, Bridge to Terabithia looks like your typical run-off-the-mill fantasy movie like Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia. However, upon further inspection, it's closer to Middle School: Worst Years of My Life than, say, A Wrinkle in Time or Harry Potter. Terabithia is not a real place: It's basically the woods in their own town, but the characters and plots are all made from Jess and Leslie's vivid imagination and personal lives. The troll, for example, is based upon local bully Janice Avery.

Janice ordering Leslie to 'pay to pee'.

Much like The Lion King, Old Yeller, and Big Hero 6, there's an unfortunate character death that breaks the hearts of both the characters and the audience: While Jess and his teacher Ms. Edmunds went to a museum one weekend, Leslie drowned in the creek while trying to swing to Terabithia. It's a heartbreaking moment that makes me cry each time I see it.

A small boat built by Jess in memory of Leslie

In conclusion, Bridge to Terabithia is a perfect underrated family film with life-like cinematography, a story that sticks faithfully to its original source material, relatable characters, and a deep message about friendship. It's a movie that, in my opinion, sits perfectly alongside classic live-action Disney movies from Walt's era like Old Yeller, Mary Poppins, and The Parent Trap (the 1961 film). However, if you do end up watching it, make sure you have a box of tissues or a handkerchief by your side.

Rating: The perfect rating of 5 stars

Movie Review: Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero

Movie Review: Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero                                                                        5-27-19

During Autumn 1917, a stray pit-bull wanders into a WW1 training sight. At first, only the Sergeant seems to be fond of him, but he slowly becomes an official war dog. Young soldier Robert Conroy befriends the pit-bull, names him Stubby, and the both of them participate in a war in West Germany.

Sgt. Stubby is a rare Indie gem with clean animation, likable characters, and an engaging story that sticks faithfully to the real-life legend.

One thing that makes Sgt. Stubby unique is that it stars an animal, but he doesn't talk. In the last couple decades, whenever there's an animated movie starring an animal, chances are they're going to make him or her talk. It feels like a breath of fresh air to have an animal protagonist who doesn't talk.

In conclusion, Sgt. Stubby is a perfect movie to watch on Memorial Day and sits comfortably on the shelf with other big animated movies from last year. I, myself, personally wish that I saw it in theaters.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Animated Movies Throughout the Years: 2018

Animated Movies Throughout the Years: 2018 Note: DreamWorks nor Blue Sky didn’t release a single film this year.

In January, from new Japanese animation studio Studio Ponoc came the US release of Mary and the Witch’s Flower.

In February in the US, Aaardman released their seventh feature film Early Man. It was about a family of caveman training to play soccer to save their home from gladiators.

In March, from the creators of Gnomeo and Juliet came Sherlock Gnomes. However, the film got very negative reviews, with a 28% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Also in March, Wes Anderson made his return to stop-motion with Isle of Dogs. However, unlike Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs was a bit more mature. It was about a tribe of Japanese dogs in a Dystopian future who are forced to be put on an island of trash. A boy named Atari hijacks a plane to the Isle of Dogs to find his missing dog Spots. Isle of Dogs received great reviews, but didn’t meet box-office expectations, but it did get the Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.

In April, from smaller animation studio Fun Academy Studio came Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero. It told the story of a stray dog who joins his new master on the battlefields of the First World War.

In May, from the creators of The Wild Life came the US release of Bigfoot Junior, retitled The Son of Bigfoot. It got better reviews than ‘Wild Life’, but was overshadowed by Avengers: Infinity War at the box-office. However, the film managed to greenlight a sequel, Bigfoot Super Star, which will be released in Summer 2020.

In June, the supers made a triumphant return with Pixar’s 20th feature film Incredibles 2. The film kicked butt at the box-office, earning a billion dollars worldwide, pleased fans of the original, and got the Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.

In July, Dracula, Mavis, Johnny, Denis, and the rest of the monster gang returned for a third time with Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. The film has the best reviews of the trilogy, with a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. You didn't hear this from me, but there's going to be ANOTHER Hotel T. movie in 2021.

Also released in July was another Flash-animated feature film, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.It got better reviews than the TV series and promised fans a long-awaited treasure: Not a sixth season to the original Teen Titans, but a third season to Young Justice. However, as I'm typing this, it can only be viewed on the DC Universe digital streaming service.

In September, from Warner Animation Group, the people behind The LEGO Movie and Storks, and cult filmmaker Karey Kirkpatrick came Smallfoot. In a similar fashion to Monsters Inc, it told the story of a yet who was convinced that humans, which he calls Smallfoot, exist. What surprised many was that Smallfoot was actually a musical, and what surprised people even more was that this was the only animated film released in 2018 to win the Heartland Award for Truly Moving Picture.

There were two animated movies released in November. The first, from Illumination Entertainment came their second attempt at adapting a Dr. Seuss book into a feature film, simply called The Grinch. The film got mixed reviews, but as usual, managed to rake in over 500 million dollars at the box-office.

The second was Disney’s 57th animated film Ralph Breaks the Internet, the sequel to the 2012 animated film Wreck-it Ralph. While it didn’t get as good reviews as previous animated Disney movies like Big Hero 6, Zootopia, and Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet did very well at the box-office, got good reviews, and got the Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.

And finally, in December, from Sony Pictures Animation and Marvel Entertainment came Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. It was one of the most experimental CGI movies in a long time, with a limited frame rate, no motion blurs on the characters, and a 2.5D look only imagined previously in short films. ‘Spider-Verse’ got great reviews, earned more than 300 million dollars worldwide, and won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. If any of you are wondering if I'll do more Animated Movies Throughout the Years articles, no. I won't. However, I do plan on writing reviews of Sgt. Stubby, Bridge to Terabithia, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the 1990 live-action film), and maybe Toy Story 4 in the next two months. I have also updated Animated Movies Throughout the Years: 1989-1991 and added films from 1988. Here's the link below.

https://asateriale.blogspot.com/2018/12/animated-movies-throughout-years-1989.html

Born to be Wild Alternate Opening

As Tangled and Zootopia director Byron Howard once said 'The story that you start with isn't always the one you end up with'. That's no exception with Born to be Wild, which had to go through many revisions as new episodes of Craig of the Creek aired. What you are about to read is an alternate opening for the story, in which the Forest Scouts find Wildernessa in the woods and tell her that she's a human. However, she refuses to accept the fact that she's a human, and instead states that she's a bear, since she wears a teddy bear as a mask. Jason challenges Wildernessa to climb a tree to retrieve a beehive to eat honey from, but breaks her leg in the process.
It was a typical day in the Creek. Craig, Kelsey, JP, and Mortimer were exploring the Creek, The Horse Girls were galloping in the tall grass, Kit was bartering with the other kids, and the 10 Speeds were burning rubber. Jason and his flunkies Tony and Boris were patrolling the Creek until they saw a rabbit chewing on a flower.
"Looks like we got ourselves lunch, Jason." Said Boris.
"I don't know." Said Tony, flipping through his Forest Scout manual. "It says in the book that you're not allowed to kill animals here except for mosquitoes."
"I think I should agree with Tony on this one, Boris." Said Jason. "I don't want to be a disgrace to the Forest Scouts."
"Well, this animal is in our way." Said Boris, getting out a slingshot. "Either we go or it goes."
"Don't even think about it!" Said a female voice. A girl riding a Tibetan Mastiff wearing a teddy bear for a mask jumped out of the thicket and grabbed the rabbit just before the slingshot hit the animal. "You better think twice before messing with me!"
"Exactly who are you?" Asked Jason.
"I am Wildernessa," The girl answered triumphantly. "Guardian of the animals! Every year, thousands of innocent animals like turtles, tigers, deer, and wolves lose their homes because you humans build unnecessary houses, hotels, and restaurants for your selfish needs." She then jumped off her dog, Cheesesticks. "My job is to rescue wild animals in peril until all humans die and nature wins back the land that rightfully belongs to the animals." When Wildernessa finished her introduction, the three boys started laughing hysterically.
"Last time I checked," Said Jason. "Tigers lived in Asia. You won't find any of them here except in zoos."
"Aren't you aware that you're human, yourself?" Asked Tony, still recovering from laughing.
"I'M NOT A HUMAN!" Shouted Wildernessa. "I hate humans!"
"Really?" Asked Boris. "Then what are you?"
"I'm....a bear!" Answered the girl.
"Then prove it!" Commanded Jason, pointing to a beehive in a tree. "If you can climb up that tree to retrieve that beehive, then you're a bear. If not, you're just a human girl wearing a teddy bear as a fake mask!" As Jason laughed, Wildernessa felt her anger boil inside: The only way to shut this kid up without getting in trouble is to climb that tree.
"Could you give me a lift, Cheesesticks?" Wildernessa asked her large dog.
"Ah, ah, ah." Said Jason. "You have to do this independently. Real bears get their food without help. I guess you have to find another way up." Wildernessa looked at the tree, and it was tall. Thankfully, there was a branch short enough to reach, and Wildernessa grabbed the branch and started climbing. After 10 minutes, Wildernessa finally got to the beehive.
"I have the beehive!" Said Wildernessa, grabbing the hive. "Am I a bear, now?"
"Not yet!" Said Jason. "You still have to bring it down, open the hive, and eat the honey from inside. That's what real bears do."
'I am a real bear.' Wildernessa thought to herself. She was about to step on the next branch, but it snapped. She fell to the ground, knocked herself unconscious, and the beehive broke. The bees flew out of their hive and started chasing Boris and Tony.
"Come back, you cowards!" Said Jason. "Guess I have to bring this girl to the hospital, huh?" Cheesesticks barked in agreement and leaned down, letting Jason get on.
"Alright." Said Jason. "It is part of the Forest Scout code." Jason picked up Wildernessa and placed her on the large dog's back. As soon as Jason got on, Cheesesticks started running towards the hospital.
What followed would be Wildernessa being sent to the hospital, encountering JP's older sister Laura, having her leg in a cast for four weeks, and encountering Stacks for the first time. Throughout the first treatment of the story, Wildernessa had to get around using crutches. However, it all changed on February 25th, 2019, when the episode 'The Great Fossil Rush' aired. In that episode, JP discovers a trilobite fossil in the Creek, and all the kids try digging up fossils for themselves. Jason and his flunkies Tony and Boris build a dam that dries up the Creek. Wildernessa tells Craig, Kelsey, and JP that if they don't bring the Creek back, the food chain would have to reestablish itself. In the end, the trio turns the Creek back to normal, Jason decides to be nicer, and the trilobite fossil that JP found turned out to be fake; It was a souvenir from a museum.
This had me thinking. 'What would Wildernessa do if she actually encountered the person who built the dam?' That wound up being the opening of the story we end up with, with Wildernessa punching, biting, and scratching Jason.
Well, that was my fanfic Born to be Wild! On May 27th, in honor of Memorial Day, I will review an independent CGI movie from last year, Sgt. Stubby!

Born to be Wild Chapter 16

After another long hour of walking, Kelsey collapsed on the ground. Mortimer woke her up to show her something.

"Dad," She said. "I don't want to go to school. I'll miss all the action at the Creek." Kelsey soon woke up and saw something: A small house with a small airplane next to it, and a sign that said 'cheap flights'!

"This must be it, Mortimer!" Said Kelsey. She took a drink from her water bottle and ran towards the house. When she knocked on the door, she saw a skinny man in his mid 30s with the same complexion of Craig. Perhaps this was Joel Kendrick!

"Welcome to Kendrick's Cheap Flights, the best flights on this side of Congo!" He said. "My name is Joel Kendrick. May I help you, today?"

"My name is Kelsey Pokoly." She said. "I have come all the way from Herkleston, Maryland, and I am looking for a flight home." She then handed Joel 15,000 Congolese francs.

"Sorry, kid." He said. "But that isn't enough. You need at least 50,000 francs if you want a flight." This made Kelsey mad.

"Listen, buddy!" She said, pulling out her 'sword' and facing it towards his face. "I had to travel thousands of miles from home fighting someone older than me, having vaccines, walking under the scorching sun, and fending off a dragon! If you don't accept my money, I'll have no choice but to fight you."

"Alright!" He said. "Alright! I don't want you to cause a scene. I'll take your money, but you'll have to release your parakeet."

"He's a falcon." Said Kelsey. "And he's my pet. He already had to fly from Maryland to Guyana."

"Alright!" Said Joel. "He can come on the plane. Gosh, I never worked for so little. Get on the plane please." Kelsey and Mortimer got on the small plane, about the size of two go-karts, and Joel got in the driver's seat.

"Please keep your arms, legs, wings, and tails in the plane until we reach our destination." Said Joel. "We are leaving in five, four, three, two, one!" He turned the key next to the steering wheel around, and the plane took off. While in the air, Kelsey decided to write an email to her dad on her phone.

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Back in Herkleston, it was dinner time, and Neil Pokoly was eating soup all by himself. He kept a photo of Kelsey by his side at the table so he wouldn't feel as lonely. Just then, his phone gave an alert. He opened it up and saw something he couldn't believe: An email from Kelsey!

Dear dad,

I am now on a plane back to Maryland, and I'll likely be back by 7 or 8 PM. Meet me at the St. Mary's Parking Lot in St. Mary's City, Maryland. If you want, you can ground me for eternity! I can just read the books in my room and have Craig and JP come over each day. I love you!

Sincerely, Kelsey Pokoly

When Neil finished reading the email, he decided that, after dinner, he would drive to St. Mary's City so he could see his beloved Kelsey again.

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After an hour or so of driving, Neil arrived at the parking lot of St. Mary's College. His heart was going a mile a minute, unsure of what would become of his daughter. Suddenly, he saw something in the sky. It was a small plane, maybe the one Kelsey boarded! Neil got out two flashlights and started waving them as a signal.
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Back in the plane, Joel was looking at his GPS.
"It says here that we're right above St. Mary's City, Maryland." He said. Now we just have to wait for a signal!" Kelsey then spotted two bright lights near the college going up and down.
"Is that it?" Asked Kelsey.
"Yes!" Shouted Joel. "Hang on tight, everyone! We're gonna make a nosedive!"
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After ten minutes, the plane finally landed in the parking lot. Kelsey, Mortimer, and Joel got out of the plane, and Neil started running towards Kelsey and gave her a big hug.

"I'm so happy you're safe," He said. "But I'm also mad. Don't you know you could've been stricken by Malaria?"

"It's fine, dad." Said Kelsey. "I got six vaccines during the long boat trip." She then showed Neil three stickers on both of her arms, six in total.

"Was the doctor experienced?" He asked.

"I think so." Answered Kelsey. "Am I going to get punished?"

"Yes." Answered Neil. "For a whole week, you'll return home from the Creek at 3 PM. Got it?"

"Yes, dad!" Said Kelsey, bowing down to her father. Neil then walked over to the stranger and asked for his name.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"My name is Joel Kendrick." Said the stranger. "I come all the way from Africa, in which I schedule cheap flights, and I returned your daughter. Do I get paid?" Neil then searched through his purse.

"As a reward for returning my beloved daughter home," He said. "I will give you $50." Neil then handed Joel five 10-dollar-bills.

"Wow!" Said Joel. "That's enough money to pay my bill for another month!"

"Bye, Mr. Kendrick!" Said Kelsey, as she, Neil, and Mortimer went in the car and headed back to Herkleston.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Craig, Kelsey, JP, and Mortimer finally reunited with one another after a whole week. Kelsey looked around the Creek and noticed how clean it looked.

"What happened while I was gone?" She asked.

"My grandmother held a speech that encouraged everyone to make Herkleston more environmentally friendly." Answered Craig. "They just ordered a wind turbine, and once it arrives, they'll start building it."

"Too bad Wildernessa can't be with us." Said JP. "She is still grounded for another week."

"That's alright." Said Kelsey. "I got grounded, too! For the next week, I have to return home at 3 PM. Could you pretend to be a dragon so I could train to be a better warrior?"

"How about a dinosaur?" Asked JP.

"That'll work!" Said Kelsey, getting out her 'sword'. She started chasing JP, who was walking on all fours, while Craig sat down on a rock to check his email. He saw a new email from Buddy in Montana.

Dear Craig,

After five days, the badger you broke out of the Maryland Zoo has finally adapted to life on the prairie. She is living happily in a burrow that once belonged to a fox, and has successfully caught some mice. Thank you so much for caring about the prairie.

Your friend, Buddy

After Craig finished reading the email, JP started wailing 'in pain' from being 'slain' by Kelsey.

"Oh, the pain!" He said. "And I was the last of my kind!"

"Kelsey! JP!" Said Craig. "Let's go to Sun Rock to see if we can communicate with Helen again! But we should get a blanket in case it's cold."
"But what about King of the Hill Hill?" Asked JP.
"That can always wait for another day." Replied Craig. "Besides, it's finally been a month! Maybe Helen has returned! And we could tell her about the adventures we had!"
"Kelsey never turns down a challenge." Said Kelsey. "I'm joining you!" The three friends and bird then grabbed a blanket from the stump and headed over to Sun Rock to write another letter to Helen. However, none of them were aware that Wildernessa was watching from her bedroom window.

"Thank you, Craig." She said.

THE END
Author's Note: I was originally going to have the gang visit the Ninja Kids, but after the events of 'Jacob of the Creek', they'd probably be mad at him.
The Sun Rock was a location in the Craig of the Creek episode 'Doorway to Helen' that Helen (whom the other kids think is from another dimension) liked to sit at. She thinks it's warm, but Craig, Kelsey, JP, and Mortimer thought it was freezing.

If you're wondering what happened to Blink, he's back at Craig's house. Stacks leant Craig a book on how to take care of a pet gecko. Duane and Nicole take care of Blink when Craig's out of the house.
Well, that's my fanfic Born to be Wild! As I promised, the Alternate Opening for Born to be Wild will be posted tomorrow, and I'll explain why it had to be changed.