Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Pacific Rim review (or Godzilla on steroids)

I just watched this movie last night and thought I should review it.


So Pacific Rim, I'm a little torn about this movie. On the one hand this movie is pretty awesome, I mean giant Mechs fighting giant monsters, that's pretty cool. On the other hand once your done watching it you say: "Hey, that movie was the best." But then after thinking about it for hours you say, "It was fun to watch but its not the best I've ever seen, it's just a summer blockbuster." That pretty much sums up this whole movie.


Now I could just give you a score and end here, but that would be boring. So I guess I'm going to continue this review. *sigh.* Okay.

The story is somewhat simple, but it works. Beneath the Pacific ocean there is a portal to another dimension that giant monsters live in. Around the year 2013 a giant monster comes out and blows up some major cities. After a few years and four or five giant monster attacks later, the governments of the world decide to do something about it. They decide to play Rock 'Em Sock 'Em robots with the monsters.

I want to just stop briefly here tell what I think of this story line... Sadly this is hardly an original story, you can see this story replayed over and over in a five or six year old's room. But it still fun to watch so I guess it's okay.

Anyway...

After several years have passed, and several pilots of these Mechs have died the world decides to STOP MAKING THE ROBOTS!

What the heck!? What's wrong with these people!? When giant monsters attack you don't dismantle your first line of defense!

Anyway, they then decide to build these walls around the beaches to keep the monsters out, which I must add doesn't work. So they then send their last Mechs on a suicide mission to blow up the portal.

Now that that's over with lets talk about acting or something, please?


The acting is only okay, this is not a movie made to go to the Oscars. The only really stand out performances are probably both the scientists and Ron Perlman.

I really like the way the Mechs and Monsters look, I think their two of the things with the most detail in this movie. I think they look so good that I'm going to show a few of pictures now.



I like this movie a lot, but it's not the best. I was very fun to watch, and I will want to see it again. So I'm going to give it seven out of ten stars, it is "Fun to watch once or twice."

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Summer Wars review

Well, I think it's time to start reviewing movies. So I'm going to start with an award winner: Summer wars.


Summer wars is Japanese anime film released in 2009. The film focuses on the family reunion of the Jinnouchi family, and of the online world of OZ.


Kenji is a super math-wiz who works for in the tech support branch of OZ. OZ is basically the internet, only you have to have an account. Almost everything is connected to OZ, Almost all of the companies in the world have OZ branches, and all of your real life data is stored in your OZ account. If it were to ever to get stolen, the thief would have all of the authority that your job gives.

One day, Kenji gets a part time job working for the girl of his dreams Natsuki. All Kenji has to do is come to Natsuki's family reunion celebrating her grandma Sakae's 90th birthday. Kenji quickly discovers that he was brought there in order to be Natsuki's fake fiance.


After a crazy night in the Jinnouchi house, Kenji awakes to a mysterious email on his phone. The message contains a super complex math equation and two words: solve me. Being the math nerd that he is, Kenji spends the rest of the night solving the problem. The next morning Kenji discovers that the problem he solved was the OZ main security lockouts. Kenji now a wanted criminal, discovers that a computer virus has taken over his account, and is using it wreak havoc in OZ.


 Soon after, the virus begins taking over millions of other accounts around the world and using them to control systems in the real world. Now Kenji, the Jinnouchi clan, and the rest of the world must band together in order to stop the apocalypse.


I just going to say right now that I love this movie. It perfectly blends the craziness of family reunions, and the science fiction world of virtual reality.


The characters in this movie really seem like real people, some of whom I know. There are the crazy uncles who have the wackiest stories, The children who run around and cause tons of trouble, and the great grandma who keeps everyone together. Also there is so many of them, so to an outsider it can be hard to keep track of them. It feels like a real family, with real problems. I think that is one of the reasons this movie can be so appealing.


I feel as though this movie is a bit of a cautionary tale, because OZ mirror the real world internet could be headed someday. It's really creepy if you think about it.

The music and voice actors were excellent, and the animation is beautiful.

One of the things I like most about this film is the sense of unity, and that every one of the characters helps out in some way in the end. Some of the most important ones are, Kazuma a thirteen year old boy who's avatar is King Kazma, a fighter and champion of most of the games in OZ. Kazuma helps out by fighting the virus in the virtual world.




Wabisuke who was the creator of the virus, helps by trying to dismantle it.


There is so many more I could mention but then we would be here all day.


Summer wars has won several awards including the "Japan Academy Prize" for best animated feature. I don't think I have to say anything else, but I will. Go out and see this movie, it is amazing. I am giving Summer wars nine out of ten stars! It is a "Must Watch!" movie if you like these kinds of movies.