Mermaids (1990) Review:

There’s a lot of factors that go into what attracts a viewer to a movie. It could be the visuals, it could be the premise and the cast. Sometimes within the cast it’s just a single person that makes people want to see it. For this particular movie it seems at the time of its release, the main attraction to this feature was Cher. Although she was not unknown at the time and had been in several productions before, she still hadn’t headlined too many movies. And being that Cher has been looked up to by so many for her ambitions and beauty, seeing her name and the title of the movie looks like it would be some kind of a unique fantasy any young girl would look at, thinking it would be for them. Cher and mermaids sound like they would go hand in hand.

The premise for this film is about Mrs. Flax (Cher) and her two daughters Charlotte (Winona Ryder) and Kate (Christine Ricci) finding a town they can call their home. The problem is, Mrs. Flax is not one to stay too long for commitment reasons. That it is until she meets Lou Landsky (Bob Hoskins) who happens to show Mrs. Flax that he’s not like other men she has met. Meanwhile Charlotte is trying to find love among strangers and wants to be a good daughter. The original story came from a novel by Patty Dann of which this is her only work that’s been adapted to film. Adapting this novel was done by June Roberts who had only wrote for one film almost a decade before. Directing this feature came under Richard Benjamin, a veteran of the classic Hollywood era who acted in Westworld (1973) and even directed other films like City Heat (1984).

When it comes to the plot, the execution makes sense. However, if one is expecting some type of fantasy element revolving around mermaids, viewers will be sadly mistaken. Other than a visual reference to the title during a New Year’s Eve party, nothing else really is said about the title. Maybe the meaning behind it is about how mermaids are eternally single? As they are typically creatures that lure men to their deaths as oppose to the family friendly version presented by Disney. But this is never made clear though, so it can definitely confuse some viewers. Other than that, everything about the story is okay. The characters are written where the viewer can understand their opinions on things. Charlotte wants to be nothing like her mother, who is clever, sassy and attractive for all the wrong reasons.

She also wants to remain celibate before getting married, which her mother thinks is preposterous. The one person Charlotte has her sights set on is Joe (Michael Schoeffling), a simple town guy who everyone respects, likes and works with nuns, mainly mother superior (Jan Miner). The only thing that can get on some viewer’s nerves is that Charlotte is always in her head monologuing, which can be a bit tiresome to hear her thoughts. Cher as Mrs. Flax plays her role almost like one would expect her to play as described before. She is her own woman, ain’t no man is going to tell her what she has to do, and she can get any man she desires. There are a few interactions that she has with Lou and her daughter Charlotte that show how her attitude impacts others. Bob Hoskins plays Lou like the guy who would ground Mrs. Flax, although he does look a little too old for her.

Christina Ricci as the youngest daughter is cute in her own way. This was her first theatrical debut and really seems like she was given permission to do whatever she liked. When it came to the camerawork, Howard Atherton was the designated cinematographer. For this picture much of what shot looks okay, but nothing that stands out either. Atherton would later shoot for Bad Boys (1995) and Deep Rising (1998). Lastly the film score behind the music was composer Jack Nitzsche. Probably best known for his work on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and Starman (1984), the work behind here feels a little underwhelming. The main theme sounds like what could’ve been the start of The Entertainer song but then quickly moves to other notes. There doesn’t seem to be an album available either so maybe it wasn’t a very notable effort on his part.

The story and acting are all fine. It’s just the confusing title along with average camerawork and music that makes this Cher film rather uneventful.

Points Earned --> 5:10

Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan (1993) Review:

As it has been quoted by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, the power level gimmick used in the Dragon Ball Z series was never meant to become a mainstay for the franchise. However, because of how it made fans latch onto the story, it was something he had to continue going with. The unfortunate thing is, because every new villain had to one up the previous, the ability to quantify the topic at hand just loses all of its heft. With every successive antagonist Toriyama’s hero Goku (Kakarot) was able to knock down, there’s always someone else that needed to fill that void. Although becoming a Super Saiyan was supposed to be it in terms of power limits, many forms came after. However, this particular entry was to bring in the real original.

The plot is about another Saiyan prodigy who was forgotten just like Goku (Sean Schemmel). This one was named Broly (Vic Mignogna) of which his father Paragus (Dameon Clarke) did his best to convince his king that Broly would become the legendary super saiyan. His efforts fell on deaf ears. As time passed, Paragus would find his way to Earth where in order for Broly to claim his right as the only title, Goku would need to be defeated. Written by Takao Koyama who has been penning the script since the first Dragon Ball Z film and directed by first timer to the franchise Shigeyasu Yamauchi, this duo makes this feature interesting for its contextual background. It seems as though that is one of the stronger traits to this franchise despite how good the action is.

Whenever it comes to giving background to certain characters, there’s always something new a fan didn’t know about. Similar to how Goku’s father encountered Frieza, and Cooler could have almost intercepted Goku’s pod flying to Earth. This time, Broly was the one who missed being decimated. This just gives the character of Goku far more depth than any character introduced before and the scope of his impact continues to increase. As usual though, timelines do not fall into place for when this entry takes place in the shows chronology. It’s just a big mess. Trunks is still around, and again Goku is alive as well. So, did this all happen before the androids even made their appearances? But that’s the whole reason why Trunks came to Goku’s timezone. Seems like there’s a lot of things going on before the meat and potatoes of the cell saga even starts.

When it comes to the voice cast, everyone on board now is pretty much solidified their parts where nothing is questioned. If there was anything to callout on it, there would be something said about it, but that’s not the case for this entry. Dameon Clarke as Paragus is no stranger to the series and plays Paragus fine. For Vic Mignogna as another first timer to the franchise, he would also cement his place as Broly with a fairly intimidating voice. Everyone else still has a voice cameo here and there. The main voices to be prominent in this feature though are Sean Schemmel, Eric Vale, Chris Sabat, Dameon Clarke, Vic Mignogna and Stephanie Nadolny. For the action, the fights between the heroes and Broly is pretty intense. As the original super Saiyan, Broly has no cares on how low he goes.

The fights are well staged and choreographed fluidly. This goes hand in hand with the animation which continues to have the well detailed drawings of the characters and backgrounds. Credit to animation director Tadayoshi Yamamuro for keeping things looking good. Sadly, for the musical end, the original American release of this feature has the dated mix of new instrumentals from Mark Menza and Bruce Falconer along with inserted tracks from Pointy Shoe Factory, Tendril, Pantera and others. For those whole love heavy metal, have at it. But Dragon Ball Z properties are not the right avenue to have this kind of music overlaid in the scenes. They just don’t match and only further date the production of what studio producer said would be the “in” thing to have at the time.

Aside from the story not finding any real place where it falls within the timing between the show’s episodes, this is a fair entry. The story gives another interesting aspect of the main protagonist, with entertaining animation and voice acting. The contemporary music again used is less than to be desired.

Points Earned --> 6:10

The Great Muppet Caper (1981) Review:

Jim Henson is probably the most widely recognized puppeteer in recent memory. He’s the initiator of franchises like Sesame Street and The Muppets which has led to countless episodes featuring all kinds of celebrities and characters. Even without him, the concepts have lived on extending further and further into the next generation. Of course this would not have happened if it weren’t for Henson’s creative spirit and fortitude. Despite the success of The Muppet Show and The Muppet Movie (1979), not everything was on the up and up. Specifically, this movie did not perform financially as well as the other film. Surprisingly, there seemed to be a number of parts to this feature that didn’t exactly land as well as the first movie. It’s also hard to say why this is the case.

Especially when the person heading the execution is the creator himself, Jim Henson. The story is about Kermit, Fozzie Bear and Gonzo looking to make a movie where they investigate a mystery of a stolen jewel. Along the way, they run into their usual cast of goofy side characters as well as a few familiar faces. The person who owns the jewel is Lady Holiday (Diana Rigg) and her brother Nicky Holiday (Charles Grodin). The thing is, it’s made very clear from the start that this is to be a movie so all characters know their role…sort of. The script was written by Jerry Juhl, who worked on the first film and show, along with Tom Patchett, Jay Tarses and Jack Rose who were writers to various comedian shows. The unfortunate thing is, a story doesn’t feel like it exists here.

The plot is explained at the beginning but then after that the engagement just seems to end. Unlike the first movie where it was about how Kermit found his way to Hollywood meeting all the characters fans came to love and know. Which was good origin story of sorts. There’s no indication if this movie is a continuation of the first or if it’s just some offshoot of a story. That’s also because it comes down to the movie’s tone feeling too meta. The Muppet series was known for breaking the fourth wall with its audience, but here it’s done to the point where it’s hard to tell if the characters are actually in any danger. This also tends to make the comedic scenes less funny because the audience isn’t as invested as they should be.

The acting from all muppet formers is still good though. Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Steve Whitmire and the rest all perform flawlessly with their roles. Among the main cast there’s also the random appearances of cameos of a young John Cleese, Robert Morley, Peter Ustinov and Jack Warden. As for the main live action cast, Charles Grodin and Diana Rigg are not that interesting. They can act, but their characters are quite dull compared to the rest of individuals, despite them taking more importance. Diana Rigg has had multiple credits but this is probably her most mainstream credit. Charles Grodin on the other hand has a role in King Kong (1976) and would later play a role Beethoven (1992) and Beethoven’s 2^nd (1993). The visuals are on the plus side though. Firstly, the special and practical effects are all handled nicely. What was depicted in the first movie, is done here as well competently.

The next step in was shown where the crew films the puppets under water which obviously sounds quite challenging. Shooting behind the camera was Oswald Morris, the same guy who has credits to Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and The Wiz (1978). This was actually his second to last film credit but it still holds up. The shots capture the right things and conceals the effects for complete realism. Lastly the music was a sad misstep too. Instead of Paul Williams or Kenny Ascher, the team had Joe Raposo step in, which is actually not a bad choice. But for whatever reason, Raposo’s compositions just didn’t hook right. Having worked with Henson for many years it would seem like the proper pick. There is an album to hear all this and instrumental score sounds fine, but the songs don’t quite make it.

It is strange how steep the entertainment factor drops on the second movie. The camerawork, acting and effects all remain up there but the music, comedy and most importantly story seems to miss the mark.

Points Earned --> 5:10

Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks (1993) Review:

With all the set of films to come out of the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z TV shows, very few of the features completely lined up with the show. Whether that be by release date or chronologically based where the feature took place compared to the other stories, there was always one or two parts that separated the features from the show. There’s only a couple of movies that actually make sense which are Bardock: The Father of Goku (1990) and Dead Zone (1989). The reason is that one fit between a show change and the other served as context to how the whole franchise began. As for this feature, it happens to have this to its advantage but in a different sort of way, even if it is still because of timing lining up correctly.

This story focuses on exactly what the title states. Trunks (Eric Vale) the son of Bulma (Tiffany Vollmer) and Vegeta (Chris Sabat) is in a future where he grew up in fear as Dr. Gero’s Androids 17 (Chuck Huber) and 18 (Meredith McCoy) caused chaos in destruction across Earth. Learning to fight by his mentor Gohan (Dameon Clarke) all grown up, he learns that perhaps he can fix his future in another way. Directed once again by the usual Daisuke Nishio and now with Yoshihiro Ueda, this feature at least can be seen as exactly as what it is in terms of story lineup. The screenplay was written by Hiroshi Toda who also worked on the show and adapted by Neil Bligh who worked on the previous features.

The reason why this movie works within the shows episodes, is that it’s described here like in the show itself. Trunks came from another parallel timeline to warn his loved ones that if they didn’t try to prevent Goku from dying, their future would be like his own. With that said, this basically serves as another background story which expands the universe of this franchise. There is not one character out of place that shouldn’t be displayed here. It is a little sad though as for those who know the franchise, Trunks going to another timeline only sets off another sequence of events that causes even more chaos and destruction. Why can’t more of the specials and features made in this franchise be more like this? It just makes the stories that much more connected.

Voice performances from the cast are as great as always. Another change in pace for this feature is that Sean Schemmel is not the main lead here like he always is. This time, Eric Vale as Trunks takes center stage. Vale who got his start as the world martial arts tournament announcer now takes a first lead as Vegeta’s son. Voicing alongside him is Dameon Clarke as older Gohan, which is ironic being that Clarke would be better known Cell, Dr. Gero’s ultimate creation, which young Gohan would end up fighting in the other timeline. There’s also Chuck Huber as Android 17 and Meredith McCoy as Android 18 respectively making those characters their own. McCoy actually got her start in the series as Launch. And lastly one of the voice actresses who was at the beginning was Tiffany Vollmer as Bulma, now just playing an older version of herself set in the future.

The visual look of this anime feature is about the same as the others. Since it was release in the 1990s, it has a very distinct style many would recognize. Surprisingly this time there was no cinematographer which is fine. The music on the other hand is another weird dated mix of music from the time that doesn’t belong. Instead of Shunsuke Kikuchi’s score, the background music has songs from mainly Dream Theater, Triprocket, Neck Down, Slaughter and even Bootsy Collins teaming up with Buckethead. The main title was composed by Andy Baylor but none of these tracks really sound right. Whoever thought these were even remotely decent choices made a fairly large miscalculation. Thankfully a later release of this did contain the original musical score, but it shouldn’t take a re-release for that to happen.

Really the music is the only component that is improperly utilized in this film. The array of artists can’t substitute for the original composer. The animation, voice acting and even continuity are well put in place.

Points Earned --> 8:10

Bartok the Magnificent (1999) Review:

Continuations or further explorations of stories whether fictional or non-fictional can be a thought provoking concept. Normally, when this involves a side character becoming a main character it can be a high risk low reward effort. Side characters are meant for support or to be somewhat of a foil to either the protagonist or antagonist. They’re the ones that might be commenting on, asking or just plain making fun of decisions other characters make. For the movie of Anastasia (1997), this was more or less the role of Bartok the bat who hung alongside Rasputin. Weirdly though, after that film was released it was confirmed that Bartok was a popular enough character where they gave him his own movie. It is not bad but definitely doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Written by Jay Lacopo which was his first major film credit, tells the story of how Bartok got his full moniker. At a time before the Bolshevik revolution, Bartok the bat (Hank Azaria) was just an ordinary traveling street performer. Accompanied by Zozi (Kelsey Grammer), an anthropomorphic well-educated bear, the two are making ends meet by giving the townsfolk some entertainment, but this was just a stop for him. One night after the prince (Phillip Van Dyke) is kidnapped by the mystical witch Baba Yaga (Andrea Martin), the prince’s right hand royal advisor Ludmilla (Catherine O'Hara) asks Bartok to help rescue the prince. Topping it off, director’s Don Bluth and Gary Goldman return to direct their very own story continuation to the original Anastasia (1997). So it would seem like the pieces are aligned right? Not really.

Lacopo’s writing is probably the weakest element here and not so much of timelines making sense. The story is more like a backstory of Bartok’s origins, but it’s at a very surface level context. It’s one thing to introduce new characters but there should be a reason as to where they end up later. For example, Zozi the bear is funny to watch but there’s nothing showing where the character ends up or where they went in Anastasia (1997). The same could be said for others like Baba Yaga or Piloff (Jennifer Tilly), the witch’s companion. There not even a real understanding how Bartok even found his way to Rasputin where he’s introduced in Anastasia (1997). It just a bit of an odd side story that doesn’t make a full connection to the main story.

One plus side to this feature is that the run time is only one-hour long. This makes sense because it can be difficult to make a full length feature film on a side character having an all-out adventure of their own. So in case the viewer wants to finish watching but worries about the story reaching blockbuster runtimes of two and a half hours. The voice acting is also a commendable part of this film. Hank Azaria returning as Bartok is certainly needed as it would be odd having this spinoff film without him. It’s kind of weird to see Andrea Martin and Kelsey Grammer return to the franchise they belong to but as other characters. It is also fun to hear other voice actors like Diedrich Bader, Jennifer Tilly and even Tim Curry who is surprisingly not the villain.

Catherine O’Hara is also an interesting choice seeing that she doesn’t do that many voice roles. She was in Pippi Longstocking (1997) prior and went on to play voice roles in Chicken Little (2005) and Monster House (2006). Visually for a direct-to-video animated movie, the look is still very good compared to some of Disney’s early outsourced direct-to-video sequels. However, there are still some blatant animation issues in some scenes where movements are either choppy or almost completely static and it doesn’t look good. Lastly the musical score was composed by Stephen Flaherty. Mainly known for coming up with the songs to Anastasia, he was given full control over the instrumental side too which sounds very much like it belongs to the score composed by David Newman. No score exists sadly but it’s interesting to know that Flaherty was also the person behind Disney’s first two High School Musical films.

This isn’t a bad film by any means but the product doesn’t show a reason why it should exist other than if the viewer loves Bartok no holds bar. The music, voice acting and run time are decent but there’s some animation issues and the story doesn’t make total sense.

Points Earned --> 5:10

Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13 (1992) Review:

Expanding ideas and developing them further can give a storyteller quite an advantage for their audiences. Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z franchise alone had given the main character Goku way more depth than the original Dragon Ball anime was able to provide. From originally just being a random super strong martial artist, to an alien race that had ties to intergalactic space lords is one heck of an extension. However, this wasn’t the end of how much impact this protagonist had on his universe. When the Saiyan/Namek/Frieza sagas had finished, the next layer to come about was the indestructible androids built by the late Dr. Gero. Little did anyone realize the doctor had ties to a piece of Goku’s past once thought was eradicated; the Red Ribbon Army. Now a whole new dimension of evil was being revealed to fans of the franchise.

Written by Takao Koyama who also penned for other Dragon Ball Z films, the story shows the mad scientist’s Androids 13, 14 and 15 take on the job of killing Goku. Leave it to Goku and his friends to be hanging out, only to be dragged into fending off the killer robots when they appear. The premise builds on the concept that Dr. Gero had built many androids in his time to finish off Goku but did not get the chance to activate them until much later. This indeed was true as in the Dragon Ball anime, Goku’s first encounter with Gero’s creations was Android 8. However, in the Dragon Ball Z anime, the only androids to appear first was 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20. The other three were never mentioned, which is okay if the placement in timeline worked. But alas, it doesn’t again here either.

Not even with the English workover from Neil Bligh or execution from the regular Daisuke Nishio could really make this fit in any way and it’s for the usual reasons. In this particular film entry, Dr. Gero is sent off the same way as told in the anime however who witnessed it is totally different from each other. Additionally, Goku and Vegeta are taking part in this story. In the anime Goku suffered from a fatal heart condition while fighting Android 19. So if this story lined up, it would fit sometime in between if Goku had recovered. At the same time though, it doesn’t fit in with the way the sendoff of Dr. Gero is depicted. It is really baffling why these stories always have one or two things off about them that do not allow them to fit in perfectly.

This doesn’t take away the quality of the voice acting though. Again as always the English Funimation dub consisting mainly of Sean Schemmel, Chris Sabat, Stelphanie Nadolny and Sonny Strait all do great. The new additional voices for Trunks (Eric Vale), Android 14 (Chris Rager), Android 15 (Josh Martin) and Android 13 (Phillip Wilburn) also do a great job. Chris Rager’s first major role was in Dragon Ball as Major Metallitron, a knockoff look of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Josh Martin’s first role was also in Dragon Ball as Commander Red, head of the Red Ribbon Army. Phillip Wilburn’s first role is from this film and as his first work, it sounds fine. Eric Vale who also started in Dragon Ball plays his first major role as Vegeta’s son his performance is appreciated too.

The one surprising thing is that this is the first Dragon Ball Z film that can be heard where the villain says they would kick someone’s ash*. Where did that come from? Cursing was never a thing in this franchise. The animation looks good too, as usual it has that classic 90s anime style most fans love. There was also cinematography credit to Toshiharu Takei but again that’s not totally clear why. Lastly for the musical score, Mark Menza was contracted to rescore the entire film instead of using the available music composition from Shunsuke Kikuchi. It seems producers felt a new musical touch was needed when clearly this was not needed. Menza’s music continues to suffice for an overlay composition but Kikuchi’s will remain the best no matter the case. Menza’s music though is much better than placing an outdated soundtrack on the movie instead.

Weirdly enough, some cursing was permitted in this feature and continuity as to where the story lines up still doesn’t fit. The animation, voice acting, music and deepening layers of the protagonist’s impact on others still make the story entertaining to watch.

Points Earned -->6:10

Miracle on 34th Street (1993) Review:

The concept of Santa Claus or Kriss Kringle is a lot like other holiday mascots. While there is historical information that an individual existed, it was the everlasting impact left behind that mattered. Adults convince children people like this exist so they have something to believe in. It is what the icon represents that should matter to the child when they grow up as an adult. It is what keeps the whole mythos alive and passes it down from generation to generation. If Santa were to exist though, it would certainly catch almost all grown adults off guard. And that’s exactly the premise for this story, which originally was filmed back in 1947, but was remade a few times more in TV releases and finally in the mid-90s.

The story is about Kriss Kringle (Richard Attenborough) living among the rest of us in day to day life. When the Christmas season comes along, the big man gets entangled in a legal matter forcing him to prove himself. Siding as his attorney is Bryan Bedford (Dylan McDermott), hoping to make a case a prove he is the real deal. Meanwhile, Ed Collins (J.T. Walsh) is hoping to disprove the whole thing playing the straight man to what seems like an absurd claim. Directing this feature was Les Mayfield in his second feature film debut. His first was Encino Man (1992). For tackling an oldie story and remaking it for a new era is not always easy but for Mayfield it seemed like things worked out well. Writing the screenplay for this remake goes to George Seaton, the original creator of the story and John Hughes the writer to The Breakfast Club (1985), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) and Home Alone (1990).

The premise itself is a wholesome one that again puts the entire concept of Kriss Kringle to the test. Court cases are always seen or thought of as boring. Yet Hollywood does a darn good job at making them look entertaining. Adding to that is the subplot about Bryan Bedford hoping to make a move on a crush of his Dorey Walker (Elizabeth Perkins) and her daughter Susan (Mara Wilson). In terms of execution, it is fairly apparent as to what the final conclusion will be but despite this, the viewing experience is fun and charming. While Richard Attenborough had been acting for decades, his best role to date had been from Jurassic Park (1993). Elizabeth Perkins and Dylan McDermott made a good couple and genuinely show good chemistry together.

Perkins was in the live-action Flintstones (1994) film the same year, while McDermott had been in the sci-fi horror Hardware (1990). J.T. Walsh as the prosecutor was again cast as a bad character like he usually is, just not as downright dirty. There’s even appearances from James Remar, Jane Leeves and even Robert Prosky as Judge Harper who oversees the court case. He also doesn’t believe in Santa. Then there’s Mara Wilson who won over several castings in her time with her beaming smile and upbeat attitude. Since her start in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Wilson had continued success even after this film with the release of Matilda (1996) and would take a long hiatus after Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000). Her performance here is cute as usual and doesn’t come across too annoyingly so.

The cinematography to this picture was decently shot too. Handled by Julio Macat, the production is well angled and lit correctly. Macat had also worked on Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), The Nutty Professor (1996), A Walk to Remember (2002) and even Winnie the Pooh (2011). Finally, the musical score for this production was composed by Bruce Broughton. Known more for his western musical scores, seeing Broughton branch out into something a little more contemporary is a nice change in pace. Right from the beginning Broughton brings on the holiday feeling with bells and whimsical sounding strings. Coming off of cowboy themed movies like Silverado (1985) and Tombstone (1993), this album shows he is more than capable of creating music for other genres. 

As a remake of the original, the 90s version of this film can certainly holds its own. The cast are all credible actors, the cinematography is nice to look at and the music is commendable. The execution itself though is fairly predictable so there should be no surprises to be had.

Points Earned --> 8:10

Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler (1992) Review:

Recurring villains can work well if done right or if they are memorable in their own way. Sometimes the antagonist is better off just showing up once. For Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z franchise, the show has spawned countless villains who have come and gone. Some more iconic than others. However, the first big baddy to be showcased was lord Frieza. A ruler who ended up sharing a history with the main protagonist on a coincidental account. Once the bout had concluded, many did not consider that perhaps the character of Frieza was just a one off individual, but actually had a few family members undisclosed at the time. The first to be revealed was Cooler in Cooler’s Revenge (1991). And while the character was not the same as Frieza, it was not that big of a difference either. Despite that, the character makes a return here.

Written again by Takao Koyama who adapted many of Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z Mangas to film, this movie continues the story of Cooler going after Goku and his friends again but indirectly. After the Namekian clan started rebuilding on their new home planet, a giant alien mass known as the big geti star engulfs the planet and enslaves the people all over again. Fearing the worst Dende sends Goku (Sean Schemmel), Krillin (Sonny Strait) and Gohan (Stephanie Nadolny) to help find out what’s going on. To their shock, they find out that Cooler (Andrew Chandler) returned this time in a metal form, infused by the big geti star. The direction was also headed by the usual Daisuke Nishio who handled multiple projects from before. However, the issues pointed out before still remain for this entry too.

The idea of Cooler coming back again to exact his revenge (which technically was his first outing in the first movie) is an interesting part two. Just when the Namekian’s seemed like they could be left alone for one stinking moment, they get attacked all over again. Their race just can’t cut a break. Seeing Cooler return in a more intimidating way is also more interesting to see how Goku and friends will be able to defeat him this time. As for timeline continuity, it still takes place sometime in season four of the show but doesn’t make sense with Goku still in the picture seeing he didn’t return until later in season four. There’s always one part that throws the whole line up off for these features.

The voice acting remains spot on for those who partook in the English dub. Sean Schemmel as Goku, Sonny Strait as Krillin and Stephanie Nadolny as Gohan all play their parts well. Chris Sabat even has some roles to play in the movie. Lastly Andrew Chandler returns again as Meta Cooler with more hate in his voice because of how badly he original lost against Goku. The fight sequences are again fun to watch as martial arts always capture the viewers’ attention fairly easily. There’s even some minor comedic bits thrown in that help balance the more serious tone of the entire feature. This goes hand in hand with the animation headed by Minoru Maeda as the animation director. Maeda who also served in this role for every other film prior keeps the scenes well-choreographed.

As for camerawork, believe it or not there was no cinematographer credit to this feature. This is surprising seeing that many of the other features had a credited cinematographer. Maybe this was missed here. Lastly for the musical score, again while Shunsuke Kikuchi was the original composer, Mark Menza was the chosen composer for this feature. And although Menza is not as memorable as Kikuchi, the background music is far more appropriate than the past few films with a mix of hard grunge rock bands. Menza’s music as mentioned before does sound like a precursor to the more popular Bruce Falconer musical score. Either way it’s far better than what was heard before in Cooler’s Revenge (1991). However, Kikuchi’s musical composition should’ve been used from the beginning.

Storyline continuity fits within the setup of the first movie but still doesn’t fit within the series. And while the return of the main villain is cool as is the setup, there’s really not that much difference how things are handled. Still, the animation looks great. The voice acting is on point as always and even the music although not the original score is better than the previous film.

Points Earned --> 6:10

Zodiac (2007) Review:

While in history there have been plenty of documented sickos and psychos out in the world, the United States seems to do the best job sensationalizing these crazed people. It’s understandable that these individuals have either inspired countless renditions of pop culture icons in cinema and TV, as well as real life incarnations looking to copy their “idols”. Most of these insane weirdos unfortunately were products of their environments which were not conducive to their overall health and in the end were caught at one point or another. There are a number of cases though where the perpetrator was never apprehended. For this film, the focus is on the illusive Zodiac killer in California. By far one of the strangest and hardest to figure out mysteries recorded in criminal history.

The story is about how the Zodiac killer entered the fray and became the topic of conversation for a long period of time, only to disappear and reappear. Originally headed by a group consisting of journalist Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) and investigators David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo), William Armstrong (Anthony Edwards) and Sgt. Jack Mulanax (Elias Koteas), the bunch are tasked with trying to understand who’s behind the heinous crimes. Tagging along is cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) who finds the letters and cryptic letters left behind by the killer to be rather intriguing. The story was apparently lifted from the real life Graysmith himself and adapted by James Vanderbilt, the same person who wrote for notable films later on like The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), Murder Mystery (2019) and Scream V (2022).

Directing the feature was David Fincher, who had his start in music videos to all kinds of artists. His moment of breaking ground was in Alien 3 (1992) and then went on to head Se7en (1995) and Fight Club (1999). When it came to the production, Fincher was very focused on reproducing every incident that happened involving the mysterious person at large, as well as gathering as many facts as possible before proceeding with filming. Although there were still some various liberties taken with the execution like Graysmith never working with Avery, from what has been confirmed, much of how things occur is accurate. So for writing, that’s pretty top tier because Fincher basically put together a documentary in the form of a movie. It’s almost at the level of homework James Cameron had to do before going ahead with making the movie of the Titanic (1997).

The only part of the movie that may have some viewers at a bit of a crossroads is the run time. Clocking in at basically a summer blockbuster of two and a half hours, the pacing can feel a little long at times. It is by no means the slog of wait time when watching Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) where nothing happens, but it is also not a movie that many people may feel needed this much time put into a story where no one is captured. As long as the viewer knows that ahead of time, this isn’t a shocker. Again though, Fincher put in the time to gather all this information, so it’s also not surprising it took this long to get the timeline straight. The acting is good too, also featuring appearances from Brian Cox who plays someone who actually interviews the Zodiac over the phone and even Charles Fleischer.

The camerawork handled by Harris Savides was accomplished very professionally too. The shots filmed throughout the movie look like meticulous attention went into them just as much as Fincher researched the topic. Not that it’s hard to do, but not once does the crew give the audience an idea as to who could be the Zodiac. There’s never enough light on the killer’s face or hear the voice for too long a period or clearly enough. Finally, the film score composed by David Shire was on point with the music provided to this feature. Despite the album being only forty minutes long, the tracks definitely convey an uneasy tone for an unknown murderer on the loose. It actually sounds very close to something Ennio Morricone could have composed like his work from John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). The continuously running strings make the dissonant sound very foreboding.

The runtime can rear its ugly head every now and then if audiences feel the story’s taking too long. In actuality though, it is a lengthy narrative and the film crew did what they could to make this a proper retelling, facts and all. Acting, camerawork and music all add to that, making a fairly captivating watch.

Points Earned --> 8:10

Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge (1991) Review:

During the anime run of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z series was running in the late 80s to early 90s, the show was very popular among viewers and fans. At the same time, in between every year the studio would release a film special. A tradition that doesn’t just apply to this franchise, but also the predecessor Dragon Ball and even other anime properties. However what made things eye popping is when the animation and finale was finally of the main protagonist Goku going “Super Saiyan”. Something that had only been illustrated in Toriyama’s manga years before. This was the small screen though. Low and behold, when that particular season had concluded another film came out featuring this spectacular transformation on the big screen with this feature.

The story to this feature is about the brother of Frieza (Linda Young), Cooler (Andrew Chandler) happening to hear of his brother’s death once Goku had destroyed him. Meanwhile, Goku (Sean Schemmel), Krillin (Sonny Strait) and Gohan (Stephanie Nadolny) are out minding their own business on Earth when Cooler shows up looking to take it upon himself to get rid of Goku. The screenplay was adapted by Takao Koyama who had worked on almost all the other annual features that were released between the seasons of the anime. Most of which were middling to okay at best. Directing this feature was also Mitsuo Hashimoto who also lead the production to a few of the previous features made in between the anime seasons. While the film is a great continuation of the Super Saiyan lore, the continuity as usual is not lined up correctly.

While the film’s release was in 1991, season three in which takes place after did not finish. So the additionally, after season three had ended, Goku did not return back to Earth until some time into season four. It’s almost in the right place but not exactly. What makes it even more surprising is that in the start of season four, the anime introduces Garlic Jr. back as if he never got locked away in the Dead Zone as portrayed in the feature of 1989. Explain that one! The storyline though is captivating as it reveals that Cooler himself witnessed Goku’s father, Bardock dying at the hands of Frieza as well as seeing Goku being sent off to Earth. Seeing the total impact and consequences of certain characters is interesting to watch play out.

When it came to the acting, performances were appreciated as usual from the official funimation crew. Sean Schemmel is the definitive English voice of Goku, as is Stephanie Nadolny as Gohan, and Sonny Strait as Krillin. There’s also appearances from Chris Sabat, Linda Young and Kyle Herbert. Andrew Chandler as Cooler sounded fairly imposing too. Prior to Cooler, Chandler had only voiced a couple other Dragon Ball characters that didn’t stick around too long. However since then, he has remained the voice of these characters. The other thing to be thankful for is the fact the voices selected for the English dub are now set in their place. There’s no longer strange mismatching or odd choice selections for character voices. The action on film is fun to watch as well, the fight sequences are energetic and pack the punch to keep the attention of the viewer.

This also follows with the animation. The animation is also much more polished and scenes move much smoother than the TV episode counterparts. As to why camerawork is necessary, that’s another thing to be debated. Masatoshi Fukui is credited as the cinematographer to this feature but it’s unclear as to why. This was his first Dragon Ball Z film though as his prior work consisted of a credit to The Transformers: The Movie (1986). Lastly for the music, Shunsuke Kikuchi’s original music was apparently used but again ignored when it came to the English dub. It would only later contain Kikuchi’s music in a rerelease. But for the original, various hard rock bands like Drowning Pool, Breaking Point, Finger Eleven and Deftones were placed instead. The concept kind of works but they really don’t belong at all.

While the ability for this feature to correctly fit into the timeline between seasons still doesn’t work, the storyline makes for that with the way it expands connections between protagonist and antagonists. The original release also contains music that mix well with the final product either. However voice acting, and animation also remain strong components to the viewing experience.

Points Earned --> 6:10

8 Mile (2002) Review:

The story of Eminem, originally known as Marshal Mathers is a unique one at that. Coming from a world where he had nothing and with no support system is a crazy origin. Of course, the sad thing is his beginnings are very much like several others in today’s world. Considered to be one of the artists that is well respected in the rapping community, Eminem rose from a place where the streets was where the business was and a career that had a short life span. Although several people found him to be crass and vulgar with his words, it was his only outlet to express his frustrations. Additionally, the individuals judging him for his actions were the ones who didn’t have the context at the start. This film though should be able to shed the light on that.

Now while the film reflects Eminem’s early life, it has been clarified that the movie was not intended to be a biopic. Not sure how just changing the names of certain characters and specific things done in the story changes the fact that it still speaks to Eminem’s personal struggles though. Essentially the plot covers how the main character Jimmy “Rabbit” (Eminem in character and persona) is a down on his luck individual struggling and juggling many issues. His drug abusing mom (Kim Basinger) and her on-off drunk of a boyfriend Greg (Michael Shannon) are of no support to him. Jimmy can’t keep a stable job nor can he keep himself out of trouble with the law. The only thing he knows he can do is rap and rhyme lyrics really well; he just doesn’t have a platform to get himself out there.

Written by Scott Silver who would later pen The Fighter (2010) and Joker (2019), the story covers what most believe is an accurate retelling of Eminem’s struggle and discovery of his true self. The thing is, if viewers or fans alike are looking for a movie that shows Eminem’s rise to universal fame, that will not happen here. This may also be a misconception of the scope of Eminem’s life will the movie cover. Directing this feature was Curtis Hanson, who prior to this directed L.A. Confidential (1997). Seeing the struggles of what Jimmy had to endure is difficult to watch. Audiences love a good underdog story and Eminem’s history fits that journey. Either way, seeing what was needed to overcome is hard to watch because of how unsupportive society was to him.

What makes this as effective as possible is the acting from all cast members. Eminem as Jimmy, essentially embodying himself represents himself well. Kim Basinger as Jimmy’s mother plays her part well in showing that he was all on his own despite that she was always around. There were also supporting characters like Future (Mekhi Phifer), Cheddar Bob (Evan Jones) and Sol George (Omar Miller). These three were basically the small glue that kept Jimmy on some kind of track, giving him hope to make it big. Phifer was in Honey (2003) and Dawn of the Dead (2004). Also, one person that Jimmy has to prove he can be someone is his rap opponent Papa Doc (Anthony Mackie, his first movie credit too). Lastly, there’s Alex (Brittany Murphy) who Jimmy has an interest in but isn’t sure how to get her attention naturally.

For cinematography, the operator behind the camera was Rodrigo Prieto. Having worked on Frida (2002), another biopic the same year seems only coincidental that he was credited here too. Prieto naturally captures the environment surrounding Jimmy and the depressing nature of the matter. Whether that be out in the open or in the secluded warehouses, the scenes demonstrate just how low Jimmy was in his life. Prieto also worked on Original Sin (2001) and would later work on Alexander (2004). Finally, the music to this feature was provided by Eminem himself. No score was composed but original songs were produced which also got Eminem one of his biggest awards. The songs definitely help give the audience Eminem’s perspective on life at the time and the album is not hard to get ahold of.

If a viewer is expecting the movie to be a biopic or for it to cover the progression of the artist’s rise to popularity, this movie will not show that. However, the premise focuses on the main character’s realization of talent with solid music, camerawork and acting.

Points Earned --> 8:10

Megumi no Daigo (1999) Review:

Fires exist everywhere in the world. In is inescapable. And of course to counter these hazards, humans created fire departments to respond. The interesting thing is, although fire departments are universal, each department does things slightly differently even within the same country. Being that much of Hollywood has depicted American fire departments, it is always unique to get a different perspective around the world. For Japan, the most recent manga and anime related to this topic is the fiction fantasy based Fire Force. This has some aspects that resemble these entities but not in a realistic way. Prior to this, a different manga and anime that came out went by this name. This although still fiction and of course made to entertain can be seen as much more realistic in what it depicts.

Written originally by Masahito Soda which this is likely his best known work, writes the story about Daigo Asahina (Wataru Takagi), a boy who was rescued one day in a fire by an unknown fireman. As he got older, he made it his mission to become a great fireman too, but with his own way of doing things. With this mentality though, Asahina-san will learn from his mistakes. The anime was adapted by Susumu Nishizawa and Akihiko Inari who had also worked on Cowboy Bebop. From the premise side, the story has the right idea. Like what could be said for other firemen around the world, sometimes it just takes one person to inspire a whole new generation of people to do the same. That is always a good way to start a story.

However, the execution of that story is where it loses its grip. While the idea behind the main character is a noble concept, the meat of the story seems to be lacking. Other than Asahina trying to be the best fire fighter he can be, there’s not much else going on. There are two subplots going on. One regarding some of the actions Asahina has took in his career that causes some friction with his higher ups. The other is Asahina’s relationship with an old teacher of his. Shizuka Ochiai (Kikuko Inoue) who seems to like she doesn’t want Asahina being reckless in his work or to continue his firefighting career. This makes sense since there are real life situations where things like this can happen. However, the characters themselves are little bland. They just aren’t the most charismatic or interesting to listen to.

The acting is good from the small cast that lends their voices. Wataru Takagi as Asahina is okay. One of his earliest roles was in The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor and one of his main roles he has played throughout the years is Genta Kojima from Detective Conan. Kikuko Inoue as Asahina’s teacher does good too. She has held many roles in her time throughout all kinds of franchises. Even Unshô Ishizuka the narrator from Pokémon has a role here. It’s interesting when you get to hear actors from more recurring roles in less prevalent ones. The cast itself is actually quite small considering this is a feature film. Being that this is a more realistic firefighting film, the scenes depicted look to be on the believable side. The animation is okay for this feature but not great.

Normally anime’s from the 1990s or 2000s have a certain look to them that’s very nostalgic. This film though doesn’t quite seem to hit that area despite coming from this era. Unfortunately, the imdb page for this does not list the lead animator so finding who deserves credit is a little difficult. The music sounds decent for the production though. Composed by Shiro Hamaguchi, there’s a march theme heard through the film which alludes to the whole paramilitary aspect of the fire industry. The music also helps give the main character a more heroic sound behind him too. Shiro Hamaguchi has composed other music as well, most notable for the One Piece anime. Lastly there was a Japanese exclusive album with 40 minutes of sound to hear. As far as what’s available, it seems hard to find and hear.

While the music, acting and premise are solid, the story fizzles out pretty early, especially with the plot being light on characters and conflict. The animation is also rather underwhelming.

Points Earned --> 5:10

The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (1989) Review:

For low budget shlock movies, director Lloyd Kaufman was able to produce film that not only successfully hit that mark but also gained a following. While The Toxic Avenger (1984) was not his first venture, it was the one movie that put him on the map for viewers. The Toxic Avenger (1984) was astonishingly goofy and unrealistic but the story was a basic good over evil story with some charm in its effects. But like all franchises, it comes with what most would expect from its sequels. The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989) was disjointed in its direction and seriously lagged in its pacing. The only thing it still had going for it was its over the top violence. However similar to other first sequels, the second sequel was shot simultaneously to wrap up the whole trilogy.

With that said, the story picks up very much where the last film left off. Since the evil corporation Apocalypse Inc. was not able to keep Toxie (John Altamura) in Japan like they had hoped, the chairman (Rick Collins) takes it upon his team to have the city of Tromaville turn on their once beloved hero. Other than his girlfriend Claire (Phoebe Legere), Toxie has to find a way to win back the hearts of the now upset locals. Directed again by Kaufman and Michael Herz and written by Kaufman and Gay Partington Terry, this second entry in continuing the super powered radioactive creature is still less than desirable. Much of this sequel feels like the creatives behind the feature wasn’t sure what to do with Toxie anymore other than pad things out at excessive lengths.

The title is obviously a play on The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) but that’s more or less the entire story. Toxie doesn’t feel great after removing all the evil from his town as he no longer feels he has purpose. The acting was not great in the original but again it all added up to something in the end. Part II was a lot of the original with aspects that felt like were exaggerated further. This film only feels very much the same of Part II. All the characters except Toxie himself make some of the most ridiculous facial expressions and say really weird lines. All the actors that were in Part II are mostly here for this finishing entry as well. Rick Collins is probably the hammiest of them all.

Unfortunately, a lot of the over acting is slow in its delivery. This only makes each scene more and more boring to watch. The pacing is already bad but this makes it worse. When the finale of the film starts at basically the last third of the run time, it might not be the greatest of signs. There are action sequences throughout the film but again they feel very sluggish. The effects on the other hand are a decent aspect to the film. This was always an area of the franchise viewers tended to like. While by today’s standards they’re still probably seen as low quality or uninspired, compared to the entire movie, it is a highlight. There’s a scene that involves a bus and even a character melting. These particular parts look the best.

The camerawork itself is hit and miss. James A. Lebovitz who worked on the previous two films in the franchise had okay shots in certain places and others not so much. There are times where his camera uses the wide angle lens or gets right under an actor’s nose. Pretty sure most viewers don’t need to see what’s up their nose. Lastly what was probably the most surprising is that this feature received a score album. Why this one, who knows. Unlike the first which had no composer, the second which had Barry Guard, this entry had Christopher De Marco. Although the album barely passes thirty minutes, De Marco is able to create a theme for Toxie and uses it throughout his tracks which is respectable. Would’ve been nice if the other entries received this kind of treatment too.

This entry is about as entertaining as the Part II but for different reasons. The acting here is ratcheted up even further, the pacing is still slower than ever and the camerawork is annoying at times. The effects are still credible and music for once has something going for it. That doesn’t make it a good sequel though.

Points Earned --> 4:10

Addams Family Reunion (1998) Review:

The 1990s was a resounding welcome for Charles’ Addams Addams Family adaptation. While there was a small resurgence with the franchise during the 1970s with the animated cartoon of 1973 and the special Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977), the 1990s was where it took off. With the strong push for advertising, The Addams Family (1991) got all kinds of merchandise made after the movie like toys, video games and its own animated spinoff. Then came the sequel Addams Family Values (1993) which went onward with the same cast. Unfortunately, with Raul Julia passing shortly after, any adaptation made after would either run the risk of continuing with a different lead or starting over entirely. For this particular entry, it’s possible that the latter was what was chosen. It’s not as good but not as awful as some say it is.

The story here is about Gomez Addams (Tim Curry) inviting his parents Grandpa Addams (Kevin McCarthy) and Grandma Addams (Estelle Harris) over one night. However, the Addams’ realize that the grandparents have forgotten their bizarre antics that the current generation finds to be normal. So in order to get them more familiar with others Gomez decides to have a family reunion. Unbeknownst to them, the reunion they’re having is with a family tree spelt Adams, with one “d”. The story was written by Rob Kerchner who would later pen Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying (1999) and Scott Sandin. Directing this feature is David Payne, someone who probably takes this feature as their best known credit and has also worked with the previously mentioned writers on a few occasions. Payne has other credits but likely not well known.

Despite this feature not being a direct sequel to the previous two films, it does standalone pretty average for better or worse. The story is definitely a nice change in focus as the last two films for some reason had very strong attention put on Uncle Fester. This time the narrative just involves the family in general. It’s fun for once to see the family interacting as a group as opposed to a select couple of characters being swindled by some antagonist who thinks they’re above the rest. Together the spooky family is introduced to Phillip Adams (Ed Begley Jr.) and Melinda Adams (Heidi Lenhart) who are looking to take their father’s fortune Walter Adams (Ray Walston). All around, the Adams family is very stuck up wants nothing to do with the kooky Addams family. The aspect that doesn’t work with the story is the acting.

Normally the Addams family are the ones who are eccentric and look crazy to everyone else. But for some reason the Adams family members are the ones who are over the top and chewing up the scenery around them. There’s Dolores Adams (Diane Delano) who has a movement and expression for every situation which feels like too much is going on. Meanwhile the Addams family actors look expressionless by comparison. Unfortunately, while Tim Curry is an excellent actor he’s not the best choice for Gomez Addams since his voice is so iconic. Daryl Hannah as Morticia doesn’t have the same charisma as the previous actresses before her even if she ended up playing in both Kill Bill films. Apparently the only actors to return from the last two films were Carel Struycken as Lurch and Christopher Hart as Thing.

Jerry Messing as Pugsley and Patrick Thomas as the new Uncle Fester didn’t go on to do much after this either. As for Nicole Fugere, she plays the new Wednesday but would only go on to continue her role in the spinoff show and end there. Visually speaking even for a TV movie sequel the effects aren’t that bad. Thing as a severed hand still blends in pretty well and the practical creature effects look fine. The camerawork though could’ve been better with Christian Sebaldt taking credit. There’s a lot of close up wide angle shots which become obnoxious. The music however was okay despite not getting any kind of release. Scored by Amotz Plessner, the sound of the movie sounds similar in style to that of Marc Shaiman’s score to the previous two films. 

This is probably the least appreciated Addams Family movie but it’s not awful. The acting is somewhat reversed between main and supporting characters and the cinematography isn’t the best. However, the story is different, effects aren’t bad and the music sounds appropriate for the franchise.

Points Earned --> 6:10

Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (1991) Review:

As it has been raised many times over, the Dragon Ball Z franchise has largely been unorganized in it’s way of film release and the chronology of its stories. In order to make them actually fit within the episode seasons, there would have had to be some serious down time between stories. The only film that actually fit in was The Dead Zone (1989). Other than this, all other entries have some aspect about them that don’t allow them to fit into the shows chronology. Why were there these difference between the films and show? Hard to say if it was creative differences or just misalignment. Either way, the order films now have completely detached themselves at this point where maybe each film follows a different timeline. It’s a bit hard to determine.

This entry is about another Earth invasion, this time by the villain name of Lord Slug (Brice Armstrong). Slug carries a secret trait no one from the Z fighter’s side has ever heard about which is what makes him so strong. For whatever reason, Slug now finds planet Earth his choice for the taking and it’s up to Goku (Sean Schemmel) and friends to stop him. This entry was originally directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto, who had directed episodes of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, as well as Bardock – The Father of Goku (1990). The screenplay was penned by Takao Koyama who also worked on the same credits as well as the Dead Zone (1989), The World’s Strongest (1990) and The Tree of Might (1990). Perhaps Koyama is just making his own separate storyline.

Arguably, this particular entry is a little worse than the past few. One, despite Slug having the secret trait that gets revealed later on, he’s not that smart of a villain nor is he taken down with much effort either. It’s sad being that the only other villain similar to him was King Piccolo. Lord Slug’s appearance is literally for random reasons. And as discussed, timeline information doesn’t go together here with the show. The other characters like Piccolo (Chris Sabat), Gohan (Stephanie Nadolny), Krillin (Sonny Strait) and various smaller supporting characters show up too. Yet with Piccolo involved, means it would fall sometime before season one, if it were to be there. Either way, with certain characters around, it just throws off the whole fitting in part. The English dub writers Neil Bligh and John Burgmeier weren’t able to modify much of the story either.

And these were the guys who had dubbed plenty of the previous films too. The voice acting is one thing that can’t be denied. All the voice actors from the English dub who have partaken in the anime are on point with their delivery. And at minimum, this is definitely a trait that is needed for the feature to even be remotely watchable. Brice Armstrong as Lord Slug fits in pretty well too. Fans of the show could probably figure out that he was actually the narrator for all the original Dragon Ball anime before Kyle Herbert took over as the Dragon Ball Z narrator. The animation is solid as well for the feature as usual. The way every scene is colored and moved looks great and gives the nostalgic feel to it.

The same could be said for the action sequences that were animated. The fight scenes are well choreographed and are fun to watch playout. For whatever reason, this film also needed two cinematographers, Masaru Sakanishi and Motoi Takahashi respectively. For Sakanishi, this was their first Dragon Ball Z film, as was Takahashi. However, Takahashi had worked on all three original Sailor Moon features. Still it did not feel necessary, as the music too. The English dub to this feature is awful in its soundtrack selection. Instead of sticking with Shunsuke Kikuchi’s musical score, the team felt having thirteen heavy metal songs layered throughout by various groups like Dust for Life, Disturbed, Breaking Point and so on were better. Heavy metal is fine if used the right way, but this franchise never needed that. It just sounds like garbage.

Acting and animation are the features that thankfully remain unchanged, but the rest is hard to accept. The villain had potential but goes nowhere, the continuity is still all over the place and the music is terrible in terms of placement.

Points Earned --> 4:!0

Osmosis Jones (2001) Review:

The body is a funny and interesting masterpiece of nature. The fact that mankind has still not been able to crack every single secret that there is to know about the human body is insane. Bodies themselves have been the focus of movies forever. From films like John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) to Robin Williams in Bicentennial Man (1999), various life forms including our own want a piece of the human body. Whether that be for good or bad reasons. Bodily humor has also been the focus of many comedies too, but not one that can be thought of that goes about it in this manner. The weird thing is, one would have thought perhaps this would have gotten a sequel film, but it literally showed up and left as quickly as it arrived.

The narrative is about Frank (Bill Murray), a single down on his luck father to his daughter Shane (Elena Franklin). He tries to make good on being a decent father but fails because of his poor habits. Adding to that is Bob (Chris Elliot) who only enables his behavior. One day though, after eating food that fell on the ground applying the “ten second rule” does he begin to find out it’s not a great rule. Regrouping down inside the “city” of Frank, audiences find Frank’s underappreciated white blood cell cop Osmosis Jones (Chris Rock) under orders by the lazy Mayor Phlegmming (William Shatner). Arriving in Frank’s system is the deadly Thrax (Laurence Fishburne) who looks to make a new record killing. Thinking his ailments is just a cold, Frank takes a pill containing Drixonol where Osmosis meets his temporary partner Drix (David Hyde Pierce).

Conceptually, the story is very creative. Because Frank’s body is essentially a government run entity by its own sentient organisms, it makes sense that it would operate like a country, state and/or city. White blood cells are the cops and bacteria are seen as illegal immigrants because they technically are foreign. It all makes logical sense. Blood vessels are the travel highways while power lines represent the nervous system. Writing the script was Marc Hyman who would later pen Meet the Fockers (2004). Not sure if he was the one who came up with the inventive puns and thoughts on it, but it’s clever. Directing the feature was Bobby and Peter Farrelly, the same duo who headed Dumb and Dumber (1994), Kingpin (1996) and Shallow Hal (2001). Surely they had some input as well.

The voice acting is all commendable. Chris Rock as Osmosis Jones is a fun lead, he doesn’t come across annoying. Just loud and enthusiastic. David Hyde Pierce as Drix plays a good foil to Osmosis Jones since he is very scientific and literal. Brandy Norwood plays Leah, the secretary to Mayor Phlegmming of which Jones has a crush for. Even William Shatner is pretty entertaining as the Mayor. The most surprising and entertaining talent though is Laurence Fishburne as Thrax. Normally Fishburne doesn’t play bad characters, so to hear him voice one is different and fun. Sadly, that’s kind of where the fun ends. For whatever reason, the live-action segments on the outside focusing on the human cast just isn’t that interesting. It’s not that the actors aren’t good but they just don’t have much to do and it kind just comes off as boring. Seeing Bill Murray just be a bum the whole time isn’t much to look at.

The same could be said for the live-action camerawork shot by Mark Irwin. This is also a shame because Irwin has worked on good films too like Scanners (1981), The Fly (1986), The Blob (1988) and RoboCop 2 (1990). Jumping back though, the animation is colorful and zippy. The characters are all very expressive and fluid in their movements making them far more fun to watch move about. Not to mention again the way the environment is set up to resemble the real world but in a human body. Finally, the film score composed by Randy Edelman wasn’t too bad either despite no official score has been released which is sad. There doesn’t seem to be main title but the music is appropriate for the settings put to screen and they do have emotional substance when required.

The overall story is cool to watch while being creative as it gets inside the body. For some reason though the real world just isn’t as entertaining to watch. All acting is fine, the animated parts grab your attention and the music works too.

Points Earned --> 7:10

Matilda (1996) Review:

Danny DeVito is one of those unique individuals that has made a name for himself in Hollywood despite how he looks. He’s by no means an action star or to be listed on People’s Magazine under the top whatever count of attractive people. For guys in general, being under five foot five is already a problem and he stands a whopping two inches below five feet. Yet somehow, this thespian has managed his way into being a very well known, talented and likable actor. Despite having acting credits going back to 1970, he would not be better known for directing until the late 80s to mid-90s. This film is what many early millennials would remember him for. Even though he also had other popular credits to films like Disney’s Hercules (1997), Space Jam (1996) and Batman Returns (1992).

The story to this feature is about a small sweet hearted girl named Matilda (Mara Wilson) who lives under her guardians Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman respectively. The Wormwood adults are dismissive and think of Matilda as a nuisance. However, for whatever reason they feel their son Michael (Brian Levinson) is God’s gift to the world. The Wormwood family in general are not good people either, they steal and are scheming people who look only for their own benefit. That is why when Matilda learns she has special telekinetic powers, they send her to a school where its run by the mean Agatha Trunchbull (Pam Ferris) and sympathetic Miss Honey (Embeth Davidtz). The screenplay was penned by Nicholas Kazan (Bicentennial Man (1999)) and Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)).

The origin of this material came from Roald Dahl, the same mind behind Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), The Witches (1990) and James and the Giant Peach (1996). In a way, this film plays off as a more wholesome version to that of Stephen King’s Carrie (1976); both of which involve telekinetic powers but one uses their abilities for good while the other is a ticking time bomb. Conceptually, the story is cute and harmless. Underdog films are the kinds of stories public audiences love because everyone wants the small and disregarded to become successful. There’s only two aspects to the movie that don’t quite make sense. The first being that it is never explained just how Matilda develops or acquires her powers. Where did it come from? Never explained.

However, the stranger aspect is that the story is narrated by Danny DeVito himself. So is Mr. Wormwood recounting his memories? Or is DeVito playing a completely different independent character? It’s a little confusing. Aside from these parts, the story works in its little world. Acting performed by all actors is fun to watch. The comedic moments where Matilda stuns or surprises various characters provides some decent chuckles. Especially for Danny DeVito as Mr. Wormwood seeing that he had it coming from the beginning. The same could be said for Mrs. Wormwood and Agatha Trunchbull who all feel they have ultimate power over all who are under them. Rhea Perlman had worked with DeVito before and would also have a role in The Sessions (2012). Before this movie, Embeth Davidtz would be in the critically acclaimed Schindler’s List (1993) and later in Bicentennial Man (1999).

The camerawork provided by Stefan Czapsky was a little disorienting though. Which is quite frankly surprising seeing that Czapsky had worked on other adequately shot films like Child’s Play 2 (1990), Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Batman Returns (1992). Here though, the camerawork is okay in some places and in others, wide and dutch angles are utilized which just gets annoying to look at. The musical score composed by David Newman however is on the better side of things. Having scored for plenty of other family oriented movies, this fits his type of genre. There’s plenty of kooky sounding cues as well as more sentimental ones needed for those softer scenes. Having worked on films like The Brave Little Toaster (1987), Coneheads (1993), The Air Up There (1994) as well as The Phantom (1996), The Nutty Professor (1996) and Anastasia (1997), it’s no surprise Newman felt right at home here too.

Even though Matilda’s powers never really get an explanation and the camera shots can be a little disorienting, it’s still a decent movie to watch for the family. The cast are goofy in their own ways, good or bad, the music is appropriate and the story is innocent.

Points Earned --> 6:10

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003) Review:

By the early 2000s, Warner Brothers Studios had made quite a name for themselves regarding their animated comic book television properties. Starting out with Batman: The Animated Series, then to the New Batman Adventures along with the side running Superman: The Animated Series, fans of the characters couldn’t get enough. Not to mention Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) and Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero (1998) all received positive reviews too. On the side there was also Batman Beyond and its related film, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Then of course there was Justice League which expanded the roster of various fan favorites and lastly Justice League Unlimited. In the middle of the final show, the studio went ahead and produced another exclusive Batman film. They were just on a roll.

Being that Batman was shown to work with Robin and Batgirl, the last major character to not be shown was Batwoman. After a series of heists being thwarted by Batwoman, Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) sets his goal of figuring out just who is the woman behind the mask. The story was written by Michael Reaves and Sheldon Moldoff both of which who helped work on the other two Batman films separately. Together they come together to pen a story that is roughly equal to the other entries in this particular realm of animated features. Directing this production was Curt Geda, another familiar to the list of television productions mentioned earlier. Adding to that is his credit to the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker movie which also was well put together.

The only aspect of the film that doesn’t really do well is the predictability of the story. In short, there are some new characters that pop up through the run time that make it very easy for audiences to figure out the mystery. It’s just not that hard to pick out. It’s a little disappointing being that every other character that returns from the regular show episodes make it so obvious. First, if the name is Batwoman – then of course audiences will be paying attention to the female characters, simple as that. Unlike the villain from Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) which could have been anyone. This is the only real callout though. The voice acting itself is on point with lots of actors some may not even be aware were cast in this specific movie.

Other than iconic Kevin Conroy as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred, Bob Hastings as Commissioner Gordon and Robert Costanzo as Detective Bullock the rest are all fresh voices to hear. Kevin Michael Richardson is perfectly cast as gangster Carlton Duquesne, Hector Elizondo voices Bane in a very awesome way and David Ogden Stiers voices Penguin. There’s also appearances from Tara Strong as Barbara Gordon, Eli Marienthal as Robin, Kimberly Brooks, Elisa Gabrielli, Kelly Ripa and even Kyra Sedgwick. All of which have performed in various productions and have proven to be adequate for the roles they took on. Even though Penguin and Bane had been voiced by other actors in previous viewings, Paul Williams and Henry Silva respectively, they both sound convincing in their own right.

Visually, the animation looks great here. It also doesn’t seem to contain any computer generated imagery, but if so it isn’t noticeable. Past films have included such effects and they look a little out of date now mixed in with their two dimensional animated counterparts. There’s also plenty of action to be had which makes this adventure mystery movie that much more entertaining to watch. Finally, the musical score was composed by Lolita Ritmanis who is quite familiar with the other properties referred to before. As like the show itself Ritmanis keeps the familiar Batman theme everyone enjoys so much while keeping the other tracks just as interesting to listen to. The fact that she also got an album release with an hour of material is also an accomplishment being that her name isn’t as well known.

Despite it not being a big question as to who actually is the Batwoman, the overall story works just fine. The animation, action, voice acting and music suite the film well in another successful outing in the caped crusader franchise.

Points Earned -->8:10

Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (1990) Review:

The Dragon Ball Z franchise is starting to show some very similar trends in how the Dragon Ball franchise has released their movies. The Dragon Ball saga had what looked like a retelling of various stories from the series into feature length films. Initially it seemed as though it was going for a summary like telling for a few seasons at a time. But by the time the series had ended, it was just random selections sampled from various episodes. As for Dragon Ball Z, the first film lined up fairly well with how the sequel series was starting. Though not long after the subsequent films to come after are starting to make less sense in terms of chronology. Unfortunately for this next entry, the time line placement is just as off. It just weird.

This story is about an evil Saiyan by the name Turles (Chris Patton) who seeks to finish the job Kakarot (Goku, Sean Schemmel) didn’t complete as a child, which was destroying Earth. Instead of blasting the planet to kingdom come with some kind of energy ball, Turles’ plan is planting what is called the Tree of Might, a megasized sequoia that will produce a fruit with incredible power if eaten. The only catch is that it sucks the entire life out of the planet as a host. However, Goku and friends do not plan on letting that happen and thus viewers have their plot. The production was headed by the usual Nishio, Koyama duo with Eric Vale this time handling the English dub. Even with a different English dub writer the story still lacks in continuity.

The biggest issue here with that is the movie includes Goku’s friends like Chiaotzu (Monika Antonelli), Tien (John Burgmeier), Piccolo and Yamcha (Chris Sabat). All of which were killed after season one of Dragon Ball Z and would not be resurrected until after season three. This was the same issue as with the previous movie. On top of that, Goku again uses his Kaoken and Spirit Bomb skills in this feature, things he only would have learned while his other friends were in the afterlife. It just makes no sense to include characters who wouldn’t be around. Turles as a villain isn’t even that bad as there can always be a way to introduce an antagonist that has ties to the protagonist. It’s just how it doesn’t fit into the series timeline.

Acting is fine though as the main English dub group from Funimation is in full force. Even though very few characters participate in the main plot, it is interesting to see just how many voices they’re able to pack in. Turles and his henchmen voiced by Chris Patton, Robert McCollum, Jeff Johnson, J. Paul Slavens and Mark Lancaster respectively do a good job too. All of these actors have taken part in many other popular animes as well. As always though, the feature has plenty of action which is cool to watch. Martial arts are special skills and the way it’s animated here is entertaining. Especially because the animation is from the 1990s, which gives it a much more nostalgic look to it. It is unavoidable to say the least.

The cinematography though is still up in the air to understand. With Motoaki Ikegami credited as the cinematographer, it is hard to comprehend just what camerawork is exactly being used here if it is not live action. Ikegami is the same cinematographer credited throughout the last several Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z films. Lastly, while Shunsuke Kikuchi composed the original score to this feature, the English dub again thought it was better to have it rescored by Nathan M. Johnson. There’s no need for this as all the Dragon Ball films kept Kikuchi’s music. It’s just the Dragon Ball Z films the music has been recomposed by various talents. The new music heard here does work in its place but knowing that the sound of the film would be much better in tone and style is what makes it subpar.

While the animation, action and acting is all in the right place, it is still middling at best. The cinematography is unclear, the music isn’t original and the timeline placement of this particular entry again makes no logical sense based on the show.

Points Earned --> 5:10

Addams Family Values (1993) Review:

The beginning of the 1990s was a fresh start for Charles Addams’ the Addams Family franchise. After lying dormant for a couple decades, Paramount Pictures managed to get the reboot released in 1991 and with a resounding approval. Even better was the fact that it put director Barry Sonnenfeld on the map as he would go on to direct the popular Men In Black franchise. Usually being considered a Tim Burton film for its gothic style, Sonnenfeld was the head of it and he was gifted the opportunity again to direct the sequel. The fact is much of this sequel is consistent with the first, which is good but also to its issues. And this is weird because the writing changed hands. Not really sure how that happened but this will be gone into shortly.

The sequel’s narrative focuses on the Addams’ trying to find a nanny, after Morticia (Anjelica Huston) becomes pregnant and gives birth to Pubert (Kristen & Kaitlyn Hooper respectively). Finally, the family lands on Debbie Jellinsky (Joan Cusack), a gold digger who finds convenient ways of getting rich without her past partners. With that said, she sets her sights on Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd) who is easily swayed by her beauty. Meanwhile, because Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) can see right through Debbie as to who she is, she has them sent to day camp where other hijinks ensue. This time the script was penned by Paul Rudnick who first wrote Sister Act (1992) and the sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). Again with Sonnenfeld heading the execution.

What makes it so surprising is that both Caroline Thompson nor Larry Wilson worked on this feature, yet again there’s more focus than usual put on Uncle Fester. Is Uncle Fester this unsung character everyone enjoys more than the two main love birds? It’s bewildering that for the second time in this franchise that he’s the individual given the attention more than the others. There is a little more balance though as the rest of the cast seems to get in even screen time with each other. The comedic aspects are all there too as the rather eccentric and morbid interests of the Addams confuses basically anyone they come across. Much of this is highlighted in the scenes where Pugsley and Wednesday have to deal the camp counselors Becky Martin-Granger (Christine Baranski) and Gary Granger (Peter MacNicol) for being overly happy for annoying reasons.

While also at camp, Wednesday begins having feelings for Joel Glicker (David Krumholtz) another camper who has no interest in partaking in any of the activities. There’s also other small appearances from Nathan Lane, David Hyde Pierce, Peter Graves, and Tony Shalhoub. For the rest of the cast Carole Kane as Grandmama (replacing Judith Malina from the first) does fine. Carel Struycken as Lurch is as good as he was before, as was Christopher Hart as Thing and John Franklin as Cousin It. And of course Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia thankfully return to have the same energy and charisma as the last film too. As for Joan Cusack, she’s definitely good at portraying herself as a scheming no do-gooder. It’s interesting how she would go on to become the voice of Jessie from Pixar’s Toy Story franchise.

Visually speaking the cinematography which was handled by Owen Roizman in the first is now credited to Donald Peterman. Very masterfully, Peterman kept the look that Roizman shot with just as well as if hands had never changed. Everything from the dance sequence to comedic scenes are filmed competently. Peterman would also shoot for Men In Black (1997) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). Lastly, the score was composed again by Marc Shaiman who worked on the first. Despite not receiving a longer album release like the original, Shaiman keeps the tone and theme motifs the same as the original which is highly welcomed. When it comes to franchises, recurring main titles should remain unchanged unless further developed. Not completely changed. The score to this sequel just serves as an extension to the original album which is fine.

The sequel proves it self to be a little better than the first as it keeps much of what made the original so likable. The actors all do a great job, music is just as fun and camerawork all remain on point. The story is a little more balanced between characters, except for the fact that out of all of them it focuses on Uncle Fester again, which was the first film’s issue.

Points Earned --> 8:10

Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest (1990) Review:

When it comes to main franchises, keeping stories in order can be tricky. For the sequel series to Dragonball, Dragon Ball Z has started out with its episodes and feature films coming out fairly in line with each other. Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989) was right in line with the start of the Saiyan saga that was about to begin as the first season. It’s a nice bridge between the last season of Dragon Ball and the beginning of Dragon Ball Z. As to what it looks like, when the Saiyan saga or first season ended, another feature was released under this title. At this point, things are working out okay, somewhat.

This story follows Earth’s heroes caught in the way of Dr. Kochin (Troy Baker) and his master Dr. Wheelo (R. Bruce Elliott) looking to take over the world. However, in order to do that Dr. Kochin needs to capture the body of the world’s strongest fighter. With that, they capture Master Roshi (Mike McFarland) and Bulma (Tiffany Vollmer) with their bio-engineered fighters. The thing they don’t know is that Goku (Sean Schemmel) is now the strongest fighter and no longer Roshi. With that, Goku is about to face his next biggest enemy. Written by Takao Koyama and directed by Daisuke Nishio who have been the familiar duo for the last few films, this movie remains in line with how the others have been produced. Sort of. There does seem to be some issues though.

As stated before, there are important parts about this film that show that the narrative to this entry is somewhere after season one. Reason for this being Goku is able to perform the Kaoken and spirit bomb techniques. Those moves only existed after the first season. On top of that, Gohan (Stephanie Nadolny) now has a stronger relationship with Piccolo (Chris Sabat). The problem is that in this film Piccolo is alive, and was resurrected in season two. The only time there would be a break was inbetween Namek and Earth that’s after season three and that wouldn’t be until 1992. Everything would have lined up perfectly if Piccolo was not featured in this entry or he was shown to be gone. The introduction of Dr. Wheelo and Kochin is okay though. It’s the same kind of context like the previous film with Garlic Jr.

Although Dr. Wheelo and Kochin were never shown in the Dragonball series, them being written in works despite it not being the best. It is interesting to know that even for the supporting characters like Bulma have villains tied to them and not just Goku. The voice acting for this feature now has all the current actors behind the characters. Stephanie Nadolny as Gohan, Sonny Strait as Krillin, Cynthia Cranz as Chi-Chi and Bradford Jackson as Oolong all reprise their roles as their respective characters. Nothing can replace those voices as they are the most iconic of the English dub of the anime. Troy Baker as Dr. Kochin and R. Bruce Elliot as Dr. Wheelo have gone on to voice for various other animes but start off here sounding convincing too.

The animation style to this feature is as what one would expect it to be from this era of 1990s. Anime during this time had a certain charm about it only true fans can appreciate even with its flaws. While it still doesn’t make sense as to why cinematography is needed by Motoaki Ikegami, doesn’t go explained or is seen very clearly. Surprisingly again, the musical score to this entry was rewritten as well. Composing the new score this time was Nathan M. Johnson which fits the scenes shown. For a lot of the scientific aspects for Dr. Wheelo and Kochin, Johnson relies on creepy sounding synthesizers. Again, it fits but if Shunsuke Kikuchi      had originally scored the feature, so why change it? Kikuchi’s music needed no changes at any point for any aspect of the franchise. It makes no sense to do such things.

This feature almost fits perfectly from a timeline perspective but it doesn’t because of Piccolo. Cinematography and the new score is unnecessary too. The animation, voice acting and new batch of villains make it still interesting to watch.

Points Earned --> 5:10

The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989) Review:

Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz are not directors of Oscar awards caliber due to their version what they consider entertainment. The kinds of movies they make lean on the edge of soft core pornography with the amount of gratuitous sex involved. This however only amplifies those who enjoy movies in this kind of raunchy genre. Considered among their best work though was The Toxic Avenger (1984). Not because it was deep in any aspect, but because of the pure spectacle the movie created with its limited budget, gory practical effects and simple story of seeing good triumph over evil. It was their way of doing a superhero story in the style they knew best. With that success in viewership, the two felt it was time for a sequel five years down the road. Maybe sticking with one was enough.

The story continues a little time after the events of the first. Melvin Junko now known as Toxi (John Altamura) has rid his home of all the evil from Tromaville. That is until another evil entity enters the picture under the name Apocalypse Inc. headed by the chairman (Rick Collins). In order for the company to take control the last place they need to conquer is Tromaville and they need Toxi out of the way. With that, they trick him into traveling to Japan to find his estranged father. This time, this sequel was penned by Kaufman and now Gay Partington Terry who helped provide additional material to the first film. The second entry isn’t far worse than the first but it is not easy to get through a lot of the time. Continuity is a bit of an issue here.

For one, Toxi’s original love interest Sara (Andree Maranda) doesn’t appear here. Instead, his new interest is Claire (Phoebe Legere), who also happens to be blind. So what was the point of renaming the character? The continuity seems to be unchecked here. Additionally, the story is lacking being that the original film had a basic idea which was understandable and got to the point. This particular entry has less of a story as the main characters are boiled down to one dimensional individuals with no real depth. The Apocalypse Inc. company is just an idea. It has no real weight in the story as the people behind it have no significance either. Again though, this is probably what Kaufman found to work in the original and just amplified it more. Worser still, the run time is unnecessary as the extra twenty minutes pads out the experience.

Scene after scene it feels like things carry on for far too long. Fight sequences drag, dialogs feel like they go nowhere, while car chases go on and on. Either the pacing needed to be sped up or the run time needed to be cut. The acting from the main cast is as campy as one would expect after seeing the original film, which at this point is okay and expected. John Altamura as Toxi looks very much like Mitch Cohen of the first movie. Phoebe Legere as Toxi’s new girlfriend is fine too. Rick Collins as the chairman bares his teeth for almost every scene he’s in. Rikiya Yasuoka who plays Toxi’s father does the same thing by over exaggerating his facial expressions. Helping Toxi find his father in Japan is Masami (Mayako Katsuragi) who is played okay for an actress with broken English.

Believe it or not, this was also the film debut for Michael Jai White who would later play in Spawn (1997). Visually speaking Kaufman kept the over the top gore and practical effects which come into play for this film. It is still quite grotesque and disgusting but that is what gave the first film its charm too, so credit is due there. The camerawork fits in line with keeping the effects realistic but that’s about it. James A. Lebovitz who did an okay job on the first seemed to have missed the mark here. While the some of the settings take place on the streets of Japan, there’s nothing that exciting to see or watch when it comes to the action. Even more interesting is that the music improved a little with the help of composer Barrie Guard actually creating a recurring theme for Toxi but overall, since there is no official score it is still not that noticeable.

While acting and practical effects remain the strongest attributes of the franchise in terms of likability, the rest of the feature is hard to get to the end. Music and cinematography aren’t that special with really bare bones storytelling. Plus, the runtime and pacing make it painfully slow to watch.

Points Earned -->4:10