Movie Review: A Kid in King Arthur's Court

Movie Review: A Kid in King Arthur's Court                                                                                           8-17-19

Based on the book ‘A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court’ by Mark Twain, 14-year-old baseball player Calvin Fuller gets sucked back in time and ends up in King Arthur’s court. But all is not well with the realm; An aging King Arthur is in danger of losing control to the evil Lord Belasco, and now, it’s up to Calvin to save the kingdom. But before he can find a way to vanquish Belasco, he must first find a way to conquer his own fears.

I didn’t know this movie even existed until more than a year ago, and I have to say, this is a rather underrated flick. ‘King Arthur’ may not have big celebrities from this time (with the exception of Kate Winslet) or the strongest of stories, but it has impressive sets and props for a small budget, a memorable score from JAC Redford, and tougher-than-she-looks Princess Katey.

However, the film does have its flaws: The story can be a bit dull and drag on on more than necessary, and most of the characters are one-dimensional.

I can see why this movie was originally a box-office failure; Everyone wanted to see Babe instead of this. However, it doesn’t mean that ‘King Arthur’ is bad. There are still some qualities to appreciate about this movie, though I guess it varies from reviewer to reviewer.

I also recommend the Mickey Mouse cartoon that originally accompanied this movie in theaters, Runaway Brain. It’s quite entertaining, and it even got the Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short Subject. Here’s a link below.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyo55m

Rating: 2.6 stars out of 5.

PS. As I promised in my review of Toy Story 4, I will now determine if it or ‘Dragons 3’ was better: Both films are really close, but I liked How To Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World just a little more.

Movie Review: Dora and the Lost City of Gold Part 2

Movie Review: Dora and the Lost City of Gold Part 2                                                               8-10-19

In Part 1 of this review, I talked about how Nickelodeon tried taking old characters and putting them in more grown-up stories and situations. Here's the link below.
https://asateriale.blogspot.com/2019/08/movie-review-dora-and-lost-city-of-gold.html
However, both shows talked about, All Grown Up and The Legend of Korra, have divisive fanbases. However, taking something like Dora the Explorer, making it live-action, aging up Dora (and Diego) to their late teens, and putting them in a National Treasure-esque adventure story is more fitting, since double-digit moviegoers wouldn't want to watch a preschool movie that encourages the audience to interact with one another, even though it would definitely ruin the experience for other people in the movie theater. The only good preschool movie, in my opinion, is the 1985 Sesame Street movie Follow That Bird, which I'll review this November.
Enough of that said. Let's get into Dora and the Lost City of Gold!

Dora (Isabela Moner) is an energetic and cheerful Brazilian girl who loves exploring with her wild monkey friend Boots. However, her parents believe that she’s safer in the city, so they send her to a Californian high school with her cousin Diego (Jeff Wahlberg). While on a trip to a museum, Dora accidentally gets shipped back to South America along with Diego, awkward boy Randy (Nicholas Coombe), and popular girl Samantha (Madeleine Madden). Guided by veteran explorer Alejandro (Eugenio Derbez), the unlikely quartet embark on a journey to find the Incan civilization known as Parapata, hidden in the dangerous jungles of South America.

Has it finally happened? Has there finally been a good live-action movie based on a cartoon since 1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? I'm surprised to say this, but yes. Dora and the Lost City of Gold is best described as a cross between Disney's Enchanted, Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie, and The Goonies; The film has some of the charm and self-effectionet parody of Enchanted, the adventure of The Goonies, and the twists and perils of The Jungle Movie. Dora, herself, is like Giselle from Enchanted: She likes to sing, has an animal sidekick that other people find revolting, can be oblivious about her new surroundings, and always focuses on the positive side.

Also, with many live-action movies that I've seen, the sets and backgrounds make me feel that I'm really in California/South America.

For those parents out there who are concerned about having overly cute animals and objects talk and sing, no need to worry! None of the animal characters talk except for Swiper, the fox antagonist from the original cartoon. In this film, he works for the antagonist, helping to steal his share of the treasure of Parapata.

In conclusion, Dora and the Lost City of Gold may not be as good as 'Dragons 3' or Toy Story 4, but's it's definitely much better than 2010's The Last Airbender. Think of this film as a Plan B for Toy Story 4. I would also choose it over most of the live-action Disney remakes any day!

Rating: 3.46 stars out of 5.

Speaking of Disney remakes, I'm going to give an updated synopsis and opinion of every live-action Disney remake leading up to Aladdin in October.

Movie Review: Dora and the Lost City of Gold Part 1

Movie Review: Dora and the Lost City of Gold Part 1
As most of you know, Dora and the Lost City of Gold isn’t Nickelodeon’s first attempt at making a live-action adaption of a pre-existing Nicktoon: In 2010, they teamed up with M Night Shyamalan to create a movie based on the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Today, however, I won’t be talking about that movie. Instead, I will talk about Nick's two previous attempts at making more grown-up stories with classic characters: All Grown Up and The Legend of Korra. First, let's take a look back at the Rugrats spinoff All Grown Up.

All Grown Up started as a half-hour TV special in 2001 to accommodate the 10th anniversary of The Rugrats. Titled 'All Growed Up', the special was about the babies and Angelica imagining what their life would be like ten years in the future, and it depicted the characters as 10-to-13-year-olds. The TV special was hugely successful, raking in millions of viewers, and Nickelodeon commissioned creators Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo to create a spinoff series called All Grown Up, as well as cancel the original Rugrats. Anyway, the series revolved around Tommy and the gang ten years older than they were on The Rugrats: Tommy, Phil, Lil, and Kimi were now 11, Dil was now 10, Chuckie was now 12, and Angelica and Susie were now both 13. The characters are now drastically different than how they were in The Rugrats, such as Tommy wanting to be a film director, Phil being a talented cook, Chuckie becoming a lady's man, Angelica becoming nicer, and the strangest of all, Dil having a connection with aliens. The series would focus on the characters going through problems that tweens would have, such as puberty, being bullied, and trying to be cool. Some fans loved the new series and thought it gave the characters more depth and had more interesting plots, while others think it ruined the original series and drained the magic of the original source material. I personally feel that it was unnecessary because Nickelodeon already had another series with a similar premise: As Told By Ginger. I never seen it, but I heard it was actually pretty good. Too bad this show was never released on DVD as a complete set. The Legend of Korra was originally conceived as a miniseries (but eventually made into a full-fledged TV series with 52 episodes), taking place 70 years after 'Avatar'. Aang has passed away, and now a new Avatar has been chosen: A 17-year-old Water-Bender named Korra. She has mastered all of the major elements but Air. Joined by her polar bear dog Naga, Earth-Bending and Fire-Bending brothers Bolin and Mako, and mechanic Asami Sato, they fight for and protect Republic City from villains like Bender-hating Amon, Dark Avatar spirit Vaatu, and evil Earth Queen Kuvira. Since a lot of people already talked about the flaws of The Legend of Korra, even going as far as ranting about it, I'm going to sum it up: No over-arching plots, underdeveloped characters, clumsy writing, and few returning characters that didn't do much. Not to mention that some of the new technology in 'Korra' was too advanced for the Avatar world, even going as far as having radios and movies with sound!
Seriously? A telephone during the Imperial Ages? As for what viewers thought of 'Korra', it mostly got positive reviews. However, it is rather divisive among the Avatar fanbase: Some love it and think it's better than the original, while some hate it because it isn't like The Last Airbender. To be continued in Part 2, in which I will talk about the actual Dora movie.

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