Okay, maybe everyone will at me, but I just watched a trilogy of Freddie Prinze Jr. movies -- Down to You, Summer Catch, and She's All That. I really don't care for any other of his movies -- although I really like I Know What You Did Last Summer -- but for some reason I enjoy those three; they are enjoyable, lighthearted and fun romps even though they are silly, slight, and a wee bit shallow. Guilty pleasures and all that. One of the best things about these movies is they really do surround Prinze Jr. with great supporting casts: Fred Ward, Brian Dennehy, Henry Winkler, Shawn Hatosy, Paul Walker, Anna Paquin, Kevin Pollak, Matthew Lillard (x2), Rosario Dawson, Selma Blair, Brittany Murphy, Bruce Davison, John C. McGinley -- if you can overlook that they also include people like Ashton Kutcher, Lil' Kim, and Usher... Won't rate the films, because they really don't deserve a high rating and yet I dig them.
Around 14 episodes were filmed, only half broadcast before it's quick cancellation. The ratings were just not good, thought it had the worst time slot. I was lukewarm about the series at first. However ABC is showing the rest of the episodes on demand and online.
The series has gotten a lot better. Stories are better, characters are developing. It's not trending new ground and it's never hilarious. (Well a little hilarious) But it's just so damn charming and fun. Puts me in my happy place. Sadly only a few episodes left and the series is history. If given a chance in another time slot this might have been a big hit.
The series has gotten a lot better. Stories are better, characters are developing. It's not trending new ground and it's never hilarious. (Well a little hilarious) But it's just so damn charming and fun. Puts me in my happy place. Sadly only a few episodes left and the series is history. If given a chance in another time slot this might have been a big hit.
I agree. I don't love either Gillan or Chu but they have great (and sometimes smoldering) chemistry here, and the initially one-note or boring supporting characters have (mostly) really starting coming into their own. Since it was cancelled I hope they give it a satisfactory resolution rather than leaving us hanging.
The series has gotten a lot better. Stories are better, characters are developing. It's not trending new ground and it's never hilarious. (Well a little hilarious) But it's just so damn charming and fun. Puts me in my happy place. Sadly only a few episodes left and the series is history. If given a chance in another time slot this might have been a big hit.
I agree. I don't love either Gillan or Chu but they have great (and sometimes smoldering) chemistry here, and the initially one-note or boring supporting characters have (mostly) really starting coming into their own. Since it was cancelled I hope they give it a satisfactory resolution rather than leaving us hanging.
Studios are so impatient and cutthroat, almost never giving a show a chance to grow. Think of all the hit series that would never have been, if they canceled things back then the way they do nowadays.
It is pretty emotionally uninvolving - vast stretches of CGI wastelands and nasty looking creatures, immense lengths of light grey, middle grey and a little darker grey, a strange unnatural skin pallor on all the actors, something to do with the digital work I guess. An exhausting and not very satisfying film. At least it is the shortest one, and the score is good.
Mika an underachiever having troubles with her studies is sent to her grandmothers horse farm for a lesson in seclusion, discipline and work ethic. Here she meets and befriends a neglected horse. There is an instant connection between two troubled souls.
Ostwind story wise was your typical familiar affair. A girl and her horse, a boy interest, a nemesis, and of course a life and death threat for the climax. There are no surprises here for adults, but I'm sure younger viewers would be more engaged with the drama.
That said this is a very delightful film. The locations and cinematography were nothing short of gorgeous. Characters were generally well developed for a film such as this. Though I do wish they spent more time with all of them. Even with its simplicity it's well executed and everyone seems natural and real. There are no stupid or annoying characters, or forced romantic subplots like you would find in most American films. But the real magic here was the connection the girl had with her horse, which is beautifully realized.
The score by Annette Focks was sweeping, tender, and beautiful. My only complaint was the inclusion of not one but four pop songs playing over the visual imagery in the middle of the film. (While this was a German film, the pop songs were ironically in English.)
I really wanted to see this film after I heard the score. Thankfully it is now available in a multiple region BluRay with English subtitles.
This really had the hallmarks of a movie made by committee. Was it a Looney Tunes comedy? Was it a sentimental family adventure? Was it a story about cavemen on Earth, or was it a story about primitive humans in a distant Avatar world?
It’s all of the above!
I could never get a handle on what they were trying to do here. First half was a Looney Tunes comedy, second have a life and death journey. They open up with what looks like a caveman family on Earth, but not to far into the film I realize this is some strange fantasy world with bizarre alien creatures. Thing is they never make this clear.
Personally I didn’t find any of the wacky comedy very funny, and the emotional moments are tacked on in a lazy attempt to pull at the heart strings.
What I found more interesting was the animation. The designs were less than attractive. Creatures and landscapes were garish and clashed with one another. Very typical of fantasy CGI work, it looks like the production designer(s) put everything into a virtual blender.
All that said the character animation was remarkably fluid and realistic. (So I wonder if the human characters were digitally rotoscoped?) Animation of rocks, earthquakes, smoke, lava and such were very well done. Sometimes to spectacular effect. So was fire and reflective light. There was some really nice scenes in the dark illuminated with fire or moonlight. It gave those moments depth and atmosphere. This is when the art really shinned.
The score was also surprisingly good. While it had its Mickey Mousey moments the music was often lush and sweeping especially in the second half of the film. Sound effects were very effective as well.
I can’t say I really enjoyed the story or cared for the characters. As someone who loves animation it was an interesting film to analyze. But what doesn’t work for me apparently works for the majority of the film going public, as the film was a huge success.
That's a great pic of Mrs Brisby. I love her design.
I find her absolutely adorable, and a wonderful character...despite all of the terror and self-doubt, she never stops fighting to save her home and family. What a crying shame that Elizabeth Hartman ended her life only five years after NIMH.
That's a great pic of Mrs Brisby. I love her design.
I find her absolutely adorable, and a wonderful character...despite all of the terror and self-doubt, she never stops fighting to save her home and family. What a crying shame that Elizabeth Hartman ended her life only five years after NIMH.
Yes her voice was so comforting. It was the perfect choice and an amazing performance. Her end was a tragedy along with young Judith Barsi.
Clash of the Titans (2010) I was curious about this film and grew up with the original & I just caught it on cable, it's not terrible but very dull and goes on and on. Most all of the actors are wasted in this film including Mads Mikkelsen (great on the t.v. show Hannibal), Gemma Arteton's character offered nothing and seems shoehorned into this film for no reason (not many good roles in this film for women), the gods & goddesses are only briefly seen except Neeson & Fiennes , and what the frak was the deal with the insect-man he stands around in the background with his arms folded (I kept waiting to get a back story or some character development....nope) & then he dies? This whole movie was a missed opportunity, glad I didn't pay to rent it. 3 out of 10.
at me, but I just watched a trilogy of Freddie Prinze Jr. movies -- Down to You, Summer Catch, and She's All That. I really don't care for any other of his movies -- although I really like I Know What You Did Last Summer -- but for some reason I enjoy those three; they are enjoyable, lighthearted and fun romps even though they are silly, slight, and a wee bit shallow. Guilty pleasures and all that. One of the best things about these movies is they really do surround Prinze Jr. with great supporting casts: Fred Ward, Brian Dennehy, Henry Winkler, Shawn Hatosy, Paul Walker, Anna Paquin, Kevin Pollak, Matthew Lillard (x2), Rosario Dawson, Selma Blair, Brittany Murphy, Bruce Davison, John C. McGinley -- if you can overlook that they also include people like Ashton Kutcher, Lil' Kim, and Usher... Won't rate the films, because they really don't deserve a high rating and yet I dig them. 
That's a great pic of Mrs Brisby. I love her design. I always thought her head shape was very Bambi like. 