Hello Readers,
Over the weekend, an opportunity to see two movies presented itself and so two movies it was ... Dream Work's - Shrek the Third and Sony Pictures Animation - Surf's Up.
* First Movie - C+
I thought Shrek the First was new and refreshing. I did not see Shrek the Second. I saw Shrek The Third but I did not especially like it. I know this remark is almost "unamerican" given the popularity of the green ogre. But through the whole movie, I only heard the kids in the audience laugh (and barely) a couple of times. Then when leaving the movie, I heard a boy sum up the laugh factor by saying "That wasn't as funny as I thought it was going to be." There were so many characters (not memorable) in the story line, keeping track of everyone during the movie is a full time occupation. I liked the little newborn Shreks, the tiny cross dino/donkey babies flying around, and the whole underlying being a father thing going on with Shrek. However I did notice outside of the animals and the ogres, all human "cgi" are white, rather stupid, and very predictable. Everyone seems to be enthralled with using the words poop, barfing, and farting which are in nearly every scene. Like I said the audience looked and acted bored - maybe when we are stuck in Shrek land, this is all we have available. I give the movie a "c+" for the parts played by Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas. I understand a new Shrek is already underway so I guess a good many people really love the series, especially the kid set, whatever their ages. Maybe the next one will measure up to the first. To get all the details on Shrek The Third go to the web site - http://www.shrek.com/ for all things Shrek.
* Second Movie - B+
In a pre-screening last Saturday, I saw Surf's Up - I really thought the animation beautifully done: the blue colors of the ocean, the penguin surfers, the bright flowers and a sky with puffy white clouds. I think kids and adults will love this movie. The music is great and carries through the surfing ambiance while star Cody the penguin learns the thrills and the dangers of riding the waves. Voice overs for characters; Cody, Tank, Lani, Geek and Chicken Joe are wonderful with a full flavor of the hip, beach, lingo. Having lived on the beach for eight years here in Southern California where surfing is a way of life, I thought the writers and animators did an excellent job of showing non-beach goers what this life in the sun is really like. The story line is also great fun as someone thought to be lost and gone turns up alive. To see how this surf-off plays out, treat yourself and your family to two hours of summer delight. For a look at movie clips go to http://www.surfsup.com/. This is one movie everyone will want to see more than once and I give it a B+ except for those little penguins, I give them an A.
Over the weekend, an opportunity to see two movies presented itself and so two movies it was ... Dream Work's - Shrek the Third and Sony Pictures Animation - Surf's Up.
* First Movie - C+
I thought Shrek the First was new and refreshing. I did not see Shrek the Second. I saw Shrek The Third but I did not especially like it. I know this remark is almost "unamerican" given the popularity of the green ogre. But through the whole movie, I only heard the kids in the audience laugh (and barely) a couple of times. Then when leaving the movie, I heard a boy sum up the laugh factor by saying "That wasn't as funny as I thought it was going to be." There were so many characters (not memorable) in the story line, keeping track of everyone during the movie is a full time occupation. I liked the little newborn Shreks, the tiny cross dino/donkey babies flying around, and the whole underlying being a father thing going on with Shrek. However I did notice outside of the animals and the ogres, all human "cgi" are white, rather stupid, and very predictable. Everyone seems to be enthralled with using the words poop, barfing, and farting which are in nearly every scene. Like I said the audience looked and acted bored - maybe when we are stuck in Shrek land, this is all we have available. I give the movie a "c+" for the parts played by Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas. I understand a new Shrek is already underway so I guess a good many people really love the series, especially the kid set, whatever their ages. Maybe the next one will measure up to the first. To get all the details on Shrek The Third go to the web site - http://www.shrek.com/ for all things Shrek.
* Second Movie - B+
In a pre-screening last Saturday, I saw Surf's Up - I really thought the animation beautifully done: the blue colors of the ocean, the penguin surfers, the bright flowers and a sky with puffy white clouds. I think kids and adults will love this movie. The music is great and carries through the surfing ambiance while star Cody the penguin learns the thrills and the dangers of riding the waves. Voice overs for characters; Cody, Tank, Lani, Geek and Chicken Joe are wonderful with a full flavor of the hip, beach, lingo. Having lived on the beach for eight years here in Southern California where surfing is a way of life, I thought the writers and animators did an excellent job of showing non-beach goers what this life in the sun is really like. The story line is also great fun as someone thought to be lost and gone turns up alive. To see how this surf-off plays out, treat yourself and your family to two hours of summer delight. For a look at movie clips go to http://www.surfsup.com/. This is one movie everyone will want to see more than once and I give it a B+ except for those little penguins, I give them an A.
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