Magic Mike's Last Dance (2023) Review:

When Channing Tatum’s Magic Mike (2012) came out, it was very much the hit it was meant to be. After landing other acting roles in films that were considered less than notable to critics, Tatum had finally found a spot where he could revisit his past life prior to Hollywood as well as showcasing it in Hollywood. It was the perfect blend for him. While the first entry was mildly entertaining, the second entry Magic Mike XXL (2015) upped that a little more. So when it was finally announced Tatum’s third installment in his franchise was coming out, it was likely the same people who enjoyed his first two entries would enjoy this third one. Shockingly though, what turned out being in this final exit of his character wasn’t the sendoff many people were expecting.

Returning to the director’s chair is Steven Soderbergh who headlined the first one. The story is about Magic Mike (Channing Tatum) being brought out of retirement by Maxandra Mendoza (Salma Hayek) after he’s identified by her and gives her a private dance of her own. Mendoza is a high end business woman whose separated from her husband Roger (Alan Cox) and has an estranged daughter Zadie (Jemelia George). She wants Mike to head the direction of a new theatre program she’s implementing just for him. The plan is to bring back the theatre to a point where everyone wants to come see. The story itself is written once again by Reid Carolin, who also wrote for the other two entries. Weirdly enough, if a writer does a good job with handling franchise material, it’s difficult to think as to why this particular one wasn’t more finely tuned.

Despite Channing Tatum returning to “star” in this trilogy of films, he’s really not of main focus here as much as fans would think. A lot of the plot circles around Maxandra and her problems. Whether that be her finances, her commitment issues or how she’s maintaining the theatre. Her butler Victor (Ayub Khan-Din) doesn’t even like her. The rest is Mike just trying to understand all of this. The focus on cast members has also diminished greatly. As opposed to the XXL where it was stated some extra characters hanging around weren’t necessary, the total opposite may not have been the best choice either. Now there’s too little of a cast and there’s not much in terms of comedy here. There just isn’t as much to laugh at like before.

The main reason for this is that all of Magic Mike’s supporting characters are out except for a brief scene. Rich (Joe Manganiello), Tarzan (Kevin Nash), Ken (Matt Bomer) and Tito (Adam Rodriguez) all show up, but for a single digital video call. There’s no other exchange between this crew that fans watched and enjoyed from the first two. On top of that, Mike is now in charge of a whole new dance crew at this theatre under Maxandra. And although there are a couple scenes that show Mike working with and coaching them how to work, there’s no real introduction to them. This makes them very forgettable even with their names credited at the end. Despite this the actors are credible. Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek’s characters interact naturally with each other. It’s just that’s mainly who the audience will see or recognize, no one else.

From a camerawork and choreography perspective, the work is competent but there also seems to be not as much dance shows either. If this movie was to send off Mike looking like a star, it only accomplished part of that. It’s just not clear as to why there’s such a lack of enthusiasm here as to the other entries. Lastly, for music there’s no musical score as expected. By now if someone who loves movies goes into this expecting a musical score, then they are the fool. There are appropriate songs played throughout the feature though. As far as what was heard, there might have been only one call back to the first movie. Other than that, it seemed like much of the music played was whatever was popular at the time. That really doesn’t mean a whole lot though since the actual amount of effort in this entry felt less than the rest.

Acting, cinematography and music are okay. But this was no way to close the Magic Mike story. The scope of the plot has been shrunken down, the main supporting cast was not in this leaving the story void of the previous humor and the new cast of dancers are largely unimportant. 

Points Earned --> 5:10

Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon (1995) Review:

When it comes to the entirety of the Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z franchise and its set of subsequent films to come out, the array of features has been mostly uninspired with little to no connection to the anime. Only have there been a few times where a story served a different purpose by providing context or further layering of a character’s impact on other characters. Those were the times where things made sense and made the show even deeper than before. All other stories either didn’t line up in continuity or counter the previous storylines with missing or different aspects. As the final Dragon Ball Z film to come out, this one fits more naturally into the shows timeline as there’s nothing that can counter it.

The story to this feature about the main dragon ball z characters running into an old goblin character named Hoy (Troy Baker) who says he has come to Earth to protect it from an oncoming evil and the only way to do this is by opening up a sealed music box. Once open a warrior by the name of Tapion (Jason Liebrecht) is released. Little do the main characters know that Tapion has more to him than meets the eye. The story was written by Takao Koyama who again basically wrote all the other features to the list of films. The same goes for Mitsuo Hashimoto who directed a few of those films as well. For what it’s worth this story is interesting to watch mainly because it actually gives a challenge to almost all of the heroes.

The beast Hoy is referencing is massive and also quite quick which are too things normally not associated with each other. Neither Goku (Sean Schemmel), Vegeta (Chris Sabat), Gohan (Kyle Hebert), Krillin (Sonny Strait) or Videl (Kara Edwards) can keep up with this creature. More intriguing though is seeing the friendship that develops between Trunks (Laura Bailey) and Tapion. As explained, since Trunks is an only child and Goten has two brothers, Trunks essentially is looking for anyone he can call a sibling. The dialog and actions shared between the two is nice and wholesome. If anything it also explains some other key aspects about Trunks that would make sense as he got older. It’s these kinds of tidbit easter eggs that make the film fun to watch because it provides further explanation to why characters are the way they are.

One other thing that’s great to see is that although the creature is the powerful one, it’s not the main focus. If anything, the struggle that means the most is the conflict with Tapion and his problems. It’s much better than trying to define a one shot villain like Bojack who only appears once. The voice acting is on point for the movie shown. All the actors in their roles are who they are this point for their well-known characters. Troy Baker as Hoy is good in his role. This was actually his first role in the Dragon Ball Z franchise but would later have roles in Lupin III films, Bleach and Call of Duty. Jason Liebrecht as Tapion is good in character, sounding like and sort of resembling what Trunks would look like later on. This was also Liebrecht’s first Dragon Ball Z credit, but he would later voice characters in Full Metal Alchemist, One Piece and Monster Hunter.

The animation style is appreciated. Like usual, it was the mid 90s so the look is very much nostalgic here. There’s a credit as well to cinematographer Masao Shimizu, but that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Mainly because its animation, so how would a camera be involved with animation unless it was 3D layering, which has been done before. The music is also flawed because the production didn’t stick with Shunsuke Kikuchi musical score. Instead Nathan Johnson who is more or less a branch from Bruce Falconer scores the US release of this. And while it is miles better than using outdated rock music from a band, the fact that the music is rescored doesn’t allow the movie to fully shine through with the original crew behind it. There really is no need to swap Kikuchi’s music with anyone else’s.

Aside from the original musical score being replaced and having a cinematography credit, this final Dragon Ball Z entry fits in nicely with the show and expands a little bit on kid trunks with good voice acting and great animation.

Points Earned --> 6:10

Magic (1978) Review:

Ventriloquism is a very special talent few have been able to master. Topping that off is that it is truly a dying art because there aren’t many that do it anymore. There’s a couple reasons for that too. For one, it was used for kids and nowadays, no kid likes dolls anymore. Second, it’s just not a form of entertainment people are into anymore. However, when this film came out it was still very much a part of the entertainment industry at the time. What some people don’t realize though, is that with most entertainers, they are the ones who need the most help, even though many people see them as people who help others. For this movie, that’s exactly what is depicted here in a very realistic way.

Anthony Hopkins plays Corky, a struggling performer who specialized in magic tricks. But because nobody found him entertaining and old fashioned, he figured out a new way to get people’s attention. This new way comes in the form of Fats, a dummy in Corky’s likeness. In a way, like a precursor to Jeff Dunham, Corky has Fats through insults at him and others to get a laugh out of the audience. Corky does it so well, Ben Greene (Burgess Meredith) a producer with many connections is looking to make him a star. There’s one catch though no one knows about, Corky fully believes in Fats existence despite Fats being a doll. To avoid having to take mental cognitive test, Corky runs away to where his crush Peggy (Ann-Margret) runs an inn with her current husband Duke (Ed Lauter).

The story was original written by William Goldman in a novel, of which Goldman would then pen the screenplay. Goldman was also the writer for other films later like Misery (1990), Chaplin (1992) and Maverick (1994). Directing the feature was Richard Attenborough, better known later on for playing Kriss Kringle in the Miracle on 34^th Street (1994) remake and Dr. Hammond from Jurassic Park (1993). For what it’s worth, Goldman provides a unique perspective into a troubled man who has good intentions to be great, but his psyche is what keeps him from becoming great. The fact that no matter what, Fats is a part of Corky’s life whether he likes it or not. There’s an effective scene where Corky is tested to not let Fats speak on his behalf for just five minutes, and the wait for him is unbearable.

The acting is convincing from all actors. Anthony Hopkins known for playing iconic roles plays this role straightforward here. Even though Corky is not the greatest person, he’s essentially a tragic character that doesn’t understand his own faults and if he does, he’s in denial about getting help. Ann-Margret as Corky’s crush plays it sweet and she too shows him compassion. Even Burgess Meredith as Ben Greene has Corky’s interests in the best way, which today people would probably think most talent agents don’t care at all. Of course Meredith is known for many roles, but his came from the Stallone’s Rocky (1976) franchise a couple years before. Ed Lauter as Duke is convincing as well as someone who knows that Corky has problems. There’s even a brief seen with a very young David Ogden Stiers.

For the camera, Victor J. Kemper worked as the cinematographer. While there’s not a whole lot of color to this film, the scenes are pretty efficient in showing just how much Fats has control over Corky. There are several times where it looks like Fats could actually be more than just a dummy. Kemper would later work on Clue (1985). Finally, the musical score composed by Jerry Goldsmith was iconic in its own way. Although not as memorable as some of his other horror scores, Goldsmith does create a theme for Corky and Fats using a harmonica. There are other cues as well that emphasize Corky’s instability as well as some very pretty ones for Peggy. There is an album for it and it is worth a listen.

 Aside from not knowing if the doll is really alive or not, there’s not much to dislike here. The acting is good, music is on point and the camerawork is proficient. 

Points Earned --> 8:10

Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn (1995) Review:

There’s nothing more interesting than finding out something new that wasn’t seen before. In Akira Toriyama’s Dragonball Z franchise, transformations had been a staple for many story arcs. However, when the Buu saga began, a new kind of change came about which was in the form of fusion. Fans seeing their favorite main characters come together to become an even more powerful fighter blew many minds. This happened twice with the creation of Gotenks and Vegito. This was in the TV show though. What fans didn’t know was that in this release, the new fusion character of Gogeta was going to appear. So to many, this probably caught many people by surprise but in a good way. But this wasn’t the only thing they would see. This feature is a tad better than a lot of the other features that came before it.

Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi who headed the first two Broly films, this feature seems to have more going for it than some others have had. The script was written by the usual Takao Koyama who basically penned almost all of the prior features. The story for this is about a new enemy coming into the fray looking to cause problems. However, this enemy is not coming for Earth. While Goku’s (Sean Schemmel) taking his training to new heights fighting all kinds of super fighters in the afterlife, King Yemma’s workers are processing all the souls coming through. Unfortunately, one of the workers was careless and let out all the evil energy being stored away. With that the new danger Janemba (Kent Williams) comes to life. What no one knows is that the rest of the evil has been released onto Earth, which includes past enemies.

What works in this feature is mainly the dialogue between the main characters. Goku is joined by Vegeta (Chris Sabat) and Pikkon (Kyle Herbert) to fight Janemba. Seeing Vegeta try to take on Janemba and watching him squirm at having to work with Goku is quite comical. Even Pikkon who is a pretty serious character has trouble trying to help as he doesn’t know what’ll stop Janemba either. That’s not all though. The other funny thing is watching Gogeta come to be in this feature. There are mistakes made along the way which only frustrate Janemba and is hilarious to watch. Janemba as character also makes sense because he is made up of evil souls so there is no need to purposefully go after Goku other than him just being in the way.

Seeing him being caught off guard by Goku and Vegeta’s moves are interesting to watch. There’s also intentional comedic moments between these characters that make the story feel not so overly serious. This is a good thing. The voice acting in general is good too. The cast of Sean Schemmel, Kyle Herbert, Kara Edwards, Chris Sabat, Laura Bailey, Chris Rager and Kent Williams all perform well. Although Janemba’s a new character and doesn’t have a lot to say, his voice actor definitely has the credits. Kent Williams has voiced Dr. Gero, Supreme Kai and even Mercenary Tao from the original Dragonball series. The only part of the story that wasn’t really needed was including other side characters like Goten, Trunks, Videl and Gohan. At one point these characters confront Frieza (Linda Young) but it is so short lived.

The animation to this movie is good. There’s an ability that Janemba can perform where he breaks apart into small pieces and then reforms back. It is very unique and the move is very smooth. This probably took quite a bit to animate to credits to that. This doesn’t explain why Toshiharu Takei was credited for cinematography if it’s an animated movie. Finally, the music for this feature was again rescored by composer Nathan Johnson. A move that was completely unnecessary since Shunsuke Kikuchi’s musical score did just fine the way it was. It is definitely better than using outdated contemporary rock music from some band but this is just a similar work to that of Bruce Falconer’s work on the show. It is always better to stick with an original if worked fine.

Aside from the usual music being replaced and having supporting characters take part in a story that didn’t really need them, this feature feels better than the past few. There’s a nice blend of action and comedy, thanks to the dialog shared between the voice actors and how they perform. Animation looks decent too.

Points Earned --> 5:10

Aliens (1986) Review:

When Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) hit theaters, it was like the answer to Steve Spielberg’s Jaws (1975). What’s more terrifying than what’s below in the depths of the water? Not knowing what’s out in space is a similarly scary concept. While the violence depicted on screen are by no means the same or as intense as today’s films, the dread and downright unnerving thought of an Xenomorph being a real thing would make anyone shake in their boots. At the same time, it was probably considered many times from both angles whether a sequel could be made or not. The more surprising thing looking back at the decision made then, was to take a chance on a director named James Cameron. Although he had come up with the idea of The Terminator (1984), which was very successful, he also directed Piranha II: The Spawning (1982) which was not well received.
 
The story for this sequel is after several years in hyper sleep from the original events of Alien (1979), Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is recued and awakened by Burke (Paul Reiser). There she learns that despite her accounts of what happened to her and the crew she was with; no one believes her. Until she’s informed by Burke and Lt. Gorman (William Hope) that there’s been a distress call on the same planet Ripley and her crew were on. Hoping it’s not another Xenomorph, she joins a small group of space marines to find out. There she meets Corporal Hicks (Michael Biehn), robot Bishop (Lance Henriksen), Pt. Hudson (Bill Paxton), Pt. Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein), Sgt. Apone (Al Matthews) and some others who will help her with this. In terms of writing, the title sticks to exactly what it says. Alien (1979) was only about one, Aliens (1986) has more than one, but there’s obviously more to it than that.
 
When the team lands and performs their search, they also discovery Newt (Carrie Henn) a lone survivor left on the planet. Co-written by Cameron but also David Giler (Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)) and Walter Hill (48 Hrs. (1982)), this sequel shows just how ignorance from the top can lead to déjà vu. However, this doesn’t mean the story is the same. If anything, Ripley does develop as a character here, as does her foe the Xenomorph. This is important if a sequel is to outshine its predecessor as so many people say this film does. The characters themselves are interesting to watch. Sigourney Weaver as Ripley changing as time goes on, shows how her character is growing. Carrie Henn as the orphan child is sweet and innocent despite the odds she’s pit against. Surprisingly, she did not go on to have much of an acting career. Paul Reiser known for his roles Beverly Hills Cop (1984) franchise plays exactly what his corporate job role is supposed to be.
 
Michael Biehn who was in Cameron’s The Terminator (1984) plays a good match to Weaver’s role. William Hope would go on to play in Clive Barker’s Hellraiser II: Hellbound (1988) and weirdly later on Edward from Thomas & Friends. The late Bill Paxton as Hudson is the talkative goofy soldier who can’t keep his mouth shut. Jenette Goldstein plays a convincing Latina soldier. She was also the foster mother in Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991). Finally, Lance Henriksen is one of the cooler characters because he plays a robot and is the character that helps Ripley learn a lesson. Visually, this film is just a significantly impressive as to its original. Knowing Cameron and how meticulous he is with how he wants things to look, nothing looks fake or cheap even with miniatures being used. The science fiction mechanical equipment, vehicles and layouts are all cool looking.
 
The same goes for the Xenomorphs which look the same and more refined from before. Credit also to Adrian Biddle as the camerawork is great to look at too. As their first cinematography credit, it’s a high mark to start on. Biddle also shot for Judge Dredd (1995), The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001). One thing though that sort of remains the same that horror fans may not like is that the gore still isn’t really there. That too is about as the equal to that of the original. Lastly, the composer for this entry was the late James Horner, another Cameron collaborator. Having worked in the genre already with the Star Trek series, it turned about being a decent fit. Reason being that although Jerry Goldsmith scored the first, Horner makes his score very similar to that, recycling some of Goldsmith’s cues while adding other parts like drums for the marine characters. Horner who also doesn’t score too many horror films also does a good job at laying on that as well.
 
The violence aspect of this sequel is probably the only thing that might let horror fans down. Other than that, the music despite being composed by someone else, feels very much like an extension of the original, as does the camerawork and special effects. Acting is commendable too.

Points Earned --> 8:10

Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly (1994) Review:

How many times can villains come back from being dead? Apparently many times. This isn’t uncommon at all. Look at all the famous horror icons throughout the years where they were declared officially gone, only to come back for another round. Well it seems as though, this isn’t just for American cinema as it also happens in the anime industry too. Broly as a misunderstood and brainwashed villain from his first introduction gave an interesting depth and more lore exploration for the ever growing universe that Akira Toriyama had created. Obviously he was popular enough where he was brought back for another entry, although with less than impressive explanations. From what it looks like, that wasn’t enough for fans or producers either and decided to make one more entry for this enormous roided out Saiyan.

The story for this entry is after Mr. Satan (Chris Rager) “wins” his world martial arts tournament on a technicality with Android 18 (Meredith McCoy), Mr. Satan is confronted by an old rival named Lord Jaguar (Bill Townsley). In order to show Mr. Satan how much better he is now, he used science to create bio-engineered warriors. What isn’t know is that one of the townsfolk from the prior film had joined forces with Lord Jaguar with a DNA sample of Broly’s dead body to recreate Broly as a biowarrior. Goten (Kara Edwards) and Trunks (Laura Bailey) who also tagged along catch wind of this and help 18 and Mr. Satan keeping the biowarriors from taking over. The script for this entry was written by Takao Koyama who has been the go to person for these films.

For director Yoshihiro Ueda, although he hasn’t directed too many of the features, they still have worked on the series. There’s one glaring issue with this feature and that is the story. There really isn’t one, this is just another reason to get the original legendary super saiyan back in another film. Viewers aren’t going to care why Lord Jaguar doesn’t like Mr. Satan. That’s just the way it is, mostly. Surprisingly, the one thing writing does accomplish here is much better continuity from the show and the prior weaker film entry. For one, the townsfolk who felt pointless in the past movie now have a connection to this one and for a reason. The other is, one could practically place this film’s events right in between when Mr. Satan wins against 18 before the real terror Majin Buu appears.

Normally, these movies have either a character that doesn’t belong or takes place at a time where it would disrupt the shows current set of events that are unfolding. Now why the others couldn’t accomplish this, who knows. The acting is well performed as usual. Chris Rager as Mr. Satan is possibly the best part of the film due to the level of slapstick comedy he generates. Mr. Satan is just a completely wholesome and silly buffoon and that’s why a lot of people (viewers and animated fans alike) enjoy his presence. Meredith McCoy, Kara Edwards and Laura Bailey all voice their characters well too. Even Sonny Strait has a few lines in there, as well as Vic Mignogna, although technically he says no actual words.

Bill Townsley is also good as Lord Jaguar, however his role in the show has been for more notable characters. The animation still looks good for its time, and has the same classic 90s anime feel to it. The same goes for the action, which there is plenty of too. Lastly for music, the score was still meddled with by Mark Menza, but thankfully with no dated contemporary rock music. That doesn’t mean Menza’s score is great though, because the original music from Shunsuke Kikuchi should have been left alone. It really makes no sense why music should be rescored if it works as it does. It’s just very unnecessary.

Believe it or not, despite it not having any kind of remarkable story and with slightly better music although not great, this feature is better than Broly – Second Coming. This entry has better continuity, a different focus of characters which makes it fun, good voice acting and animation.

Points Earned --> 7:10

Original Sin (2001) Review:

Lust and love are two very similar four letter “L” words that get confused quite often when emotions are running high. Love can involve lust but normally it doesn’t exist the other way around if the partners come back to reality. Lust is a more of fleeting moment feeling that exists under intense desire for the sake of simply pleasing ones’ senses. However, many people in relationships have trouble distinguishing what they’re feeling when confronted with questioning themselves. Love is more sacrificial where one will do something for their partner even if it may not be what they want. Unfortunately, love and lust can make people do very stupid and even dangerous things to each other. That is essentially what happens here in this film based on a novel from Cornell Woolrich.

Adapted to the screen and directed by Michael Cristofer, the story follows a wealthy Cuban Luis Antonio Vargas (Antonio Banderas) who has been writing letters to an American woman he is looking to meet in person. The woman he is meeting is Julia Russell (Angelina Jolie). At first, there is hesitation between the two but they slowly gravitate towards each other. Initially, the attraction is lust and develops more into love. The road to getting to that point is not straight forward at all. This makes the development between Luis and Julia feel natural as no relationship happens purely overnight. There is more to the story though that can’t be disclosed as it would be spoiling how events play out. There’s also Billy (Thomas Jane), a private investigator who comes to seek Luis’ help as he is looking for a woman with the same name as Julia’s.

The way Cristofer handled the characters throughout the story gives the viewer an interesting idea as to how both emotions can drive people to various limits. The script isn’t the most edge of your seat intensity but there are a number surprises that viewers may not see coming. From an acting perspective, everyone does a decent job at their roles. Both Banderas and Jolie show their emotions properly, as does Thomas Jane. Prior to this, Banderas was in Desperado (1995) and The Mask of Zorro (1998). Jolie had been in Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). Jane had been in Thursday (1998), The Thin Red Line (1998) and Deep Blue Sea (1999). There’s even appearances from Jack Thompson and Gregory Itzin.

There’s no one that really sticks out with their performance, but they are all competent performances. The one infamous scene this film is best known for is the love making scene between Banderas and Jolie. Despite it being heavily cut down, it is still pretty graphic but that’s not the only time. There are other scenes as well where things get pretty sexual. It’s just surprising seeing how much this occurred throughout the film. The premise definitely lives up to the nature of the film though. There’s even a few scenes where if it weren’t for acting, it would look like domestic violence. It’s actually quite surprising to see how much Jolie went through here. Some viewers nowadays may not be comfortable with it either.

Visually speaking, the filming locations look great. Shot by Rodrigo Prieto, the majority of sets are actual locations which makes the scope feel that much bigger. Since the time setting also took place far in the past, a lot of the technology used throughout the movie are unique too. Even if it’s just riding a horse instead of a car. Prieto would later go on to film for Frida (2002) and 8 Mile (2002). Lastly, the score composed by Terence Blanchard is appropriate for the movie. There’s a lot of tracks throughout the listening experience that reflect the Latin background this story place in. The album itself is about an hour and it is decent to listen to as well.

The story itself isn’t the most captivating and the content can sometimes be quite much to take in. The acting though is still very much believable, as are the completely real set pieces and authentic musical score.

Points Earned --> 6:10

Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming (1994) Review:

The Dragonball Z franchise and its subsequent set of films have never had a high success rate in fitting in with themselves. The stories and villains are iconic but how they actually fit in timeline wise have never been that good. The Super Saiyan element was always a big deal in the lore and when the character of Broly came around, it seemed as though the true myth had been revealed. However, with the character’s defeat, the idea had felt like it came and went. But like many other unique characters, Broly had left a lasting impact on viewers and there was demand for another appearance. Just how that made sense though was for the production team to come up with. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it was well thought through.
 
The title to this entry is exactly what it’s about. Taking place in the future far after the events of Cell, Broly (Vic Mignogna) finds himself in cryostasis in some random tundra. Somewhere in that same area Videl, Goten (Kara Edwards), Trunks (Laura Bailey) find themselves looking for the Dragon balls. It just so happens that in the midst of their search, there’s a disagreement between them which makes Goten cry. This wailing ends up awakening Broly as it reminds him of his original encounter with Goku when they were babies. This sends him off again looking destroy everything in his path. Not long after Gohan (Kyle Hebert) hears the commotion, he jumps in to help out too. This feature was directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi, who also directed the previous Broly focused movie, which makes sense.
 
For writing, Takao Koyama handled this like they have for the previous entries. However, the continuity again lacks little connection with the show or even with its predecessor. In the original film that introduced Broly, Goku had defeated him indefinitely with an ending no one would think could survive. But then here he is in this entry like nothing ever happened and with no explanation how he got there or survived. It really doesn’t make any sense. There’s also other characters from some local community that interact with the main characters. However, they don’t have any real purpose or impact on the story. It’s basically Broly wakes up and the protagonists have to fend him off. There’s no real in-depth narrative here. It actually might be an even weaker in character development than in Bojack Unbound.
 
The voice cast is still nice to hear though. Vic Mignogna is still fairly crazy sounding as the newly awakened Broly. However, it is kind of sad to see him fight toe to toe with two children with the likes of Goten and Trunks, no matter how powerful they are claimed to be. Kyle Hebert, better known as the narrator to the Dragon Ball Z franchise is now voicing adult Gohan which is the definitive version. Kara Edwards and Laura Bailey are both fun to hear as the Saiyan kids. Both have their own quirks about their voices that make them, them. Edwards as Videl is also fun to hear. There’s also voice cameos from Sean Schemmel as Goku and Sonny Strait as Krillin. All of these voice actors together have proven themselves to be the required voices for the English dub.
 
Visually, the animation to this feature feels touched up which is good. As a feature film, animation budgets should be increased to try and maximize the quality of the look. It still has that very classic 90s anime look to it. The action is also fun to watch as the fight sequences are always interesting and energetic. As for music, the film still suffers from contemporary interference. For whatever reason, background music was composed by Nathan Johnson with exclusive songs sung by I.O.N. That particular genre just isn’t used in this franchise. Shunsuke Kikuchi as the original composer should have had his music left in the film. It is the only music that fits the scenes depicted. Some things are just not meant to mix, plus if contemporary music is used, it becomes outdated later.
 

Continuity as usual is a problem with this film, like many others before it. Plus, explanations for things go unexplained along with no real development. The animation and voice acting remain fine. Music is still a bad mix of rescored and outdated music.

Points Earned --> 4:10

Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo (2006) Review:

Among the DC comic properties to be adapted to the TV or movies, there was only one that got a different kind of look. The animation styles used for kids shows during the 2000s for this particular era was pretty standard. Of the Saturday morning cartoons to be shown, Static shock, Justice League, Batman, Superman and even The Zeta Project were all drawn similarly because they all existed in the same animated universe. Of these properties though, Teen Titans was a special cartoon as it was animated with aspects of both western and eastern influences. It has the look of an American made program but had traits of Japanese anime. Despite it only lasting five seasons, the show was very popular and ended up getting one film after its five season run.

The plot is about a foreign enemy attacking the Titans on their home turf, only for them to be led to Japan. The script was written by David Slack, the same writer behind Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, Jackie Chan Adventures and Totally Spies! The feature in itself serves similarly to other TV show specials where it feels like an extended episode. This is fine, because if anything the script is written so that it further develops the relationship between Starfire and Robin. An emotional struggle that many fans have wanted to see come to a full close. Directing this feature is Michael Chang, Ben Jones and Matt Youngberg. Two of which Chang and Jones have directed the same TV shows. The consistency is important otherwise the team behind making the film would not have a solid footing.

The viewing experience is very much a standard affair with how the story plays out. There’s just more the characters to get involved with since the runtime is longer. Beast Boy is all for taking a vacation despite the trip not being intended for one. Cyborg is all for touring around the country. Raven who apparently understands many languages looks to find something that she’ll understand in Japan. And lastly Robin and Starfire talk about whether being a hero is important one hundred percent of the time or not. At least one of these aspects can be familiar to a viewer as almost each Titan represents something a tourist feels while in another country. Also, since Japan is country known for its devoted fans of the culture.

The voice acting is all respectable to say the least. Greg Cipes as Beast Boy does his best to get as much of Japan as possible as well as singing his own Karaoke of the Teen Titans theme song.  Before he was Beast Boy, Cipes played Atlas in the latest Astro Boy TV show reincarnation. Scott Menville as Robin plays his character like he always has. Before Robin, he also voiced Red Herring in a Pup Named Scooby-doo. Khary Payton as Cyborg plays his role well, which he basically is best known for now. Tara Strong as Raven who has voiced many female and male characters does her best as always with the drab sounding heroine. Lastly Hynden Walch as Starfire shows the team a new trick or two they weren’t aware of.

From a visual perspective, the look of is not so much a negative but more of misunderstanding. Although the animation and action all look good, it’s a little weird how the show can get a feature film, one would think the production quality would be somewhat higher end. Instead what is shown on the screen looks very much like it was produced as an extended episode with no production upgrade. Musically speaking though, the film did receive an album composed by Lolita Ritmanis, Michael McCuistion and Kristopher Carter. The three began their careers with Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series who have produced many musical cues. The album itself contains almost thirty tracks of music and sounds very much the same to what is in the show. It’s nice when lesser known composers get album treatments.

Other than the animation looking relatively unchanged, which it could have been for feature film, the viewing experience is serviceable. The voice acting is great, the music is given a notable release and the story itself works in further developing its beloved characters.

Points Earned --> 8:10

Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound (1993) Review:

There’s nothing ever wrong with expanding a roster of characters or expanding the realm of a particular universe. This kind of world building goes back decades and not just at the start of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. The way it is done though should be gradual and over time. Having new characters inserted into a story with no particular background or context is usually a bad idea. For the Dragon Ball Z world, Akira Toriyama did a fairly decent job of doing this kind of foundation laying so that there was a real solid base behind the story being told. However, that doesn’t mean it was always on point. A good example of this is this feature film entry. Out of all other entries to be released, this one perhaps has the most disappointing of stories.

The plot to this entry is about Mr. Satan (Chris Rager), the supposed world champ holding another fighter tournament where whoever wins will go up against him. Little does the man know that Goku’s son Gohan (Stephanie Nadolny) and friends consisting of Krillin (Sonny Strait), Trunks (Eric Vale) and Tien (John Burgmeier) have all entered too. Midway through the tournament, the Z fighters are interrupted by Bojack (Bob Carter) and his goons looking to destroy earth. Why? Because apparently King Kai (Sean Schemmel) and the other Kais had banished this villain long ago. The only reason why Bojack has returned is due to Goku (Schemmel) blowing up King Kai’s planet, which is what kept Bojack locked away. Convenience! That is literally why this film exists and for no other reason.

The writer behind the screenplay was again Takao Koyama, the same for all previous film entries. Yoshihiro Ueda served as the director to this feature who surprisingly headed the History of Trunks film which was much better. What doesn’t work here is the blatant blank slate backstory used to explain who Bojack is. Unlike Dead Zone (1989) or many other stories, the villains there at least got some kind of visual throwback to their run-in with the protagonist who knows them. Instead viewers will just get an exposition dump from King Kai with no further explanation to anything else. The character of Bojack is the laziest form of “new villain, insert here” writing. But this isn’t the most surprising aspect of this feature. It’s actually one thing that has been pointed out for almost every other entry.

Believe it or not, the writing decides to acknowledge the TV shows continuity. Why now of all times? It never seemed to matter before, but now the movie’s acknowledging timelines? This time, the characters properly refer to events like the end of the Cell games and all relevant characters are properly available? Shocker! When it comes to lineup of between the shows seasons it seems to work well as a one off story that happened in between major events. So this proves it can be done, but for whatever reason this is not preferred. The voice acting to this feature is always good to hear though with the funimation voice cast. For Bob Carter, this was his first time working a major film villain role and he sounds good. Although Bojack is not a well-developed character, his voice sounds cool.

The action and animation work well together. Having Tadayoshi Yamamuro as the animation director helped, seeing that they’ve helped animate the franchise going years back to the beginning. Much of the movements are fluid and the character designs are much more detailed. The action is also well mixed. The music for this entry was a little better but still not by a long shot. Returning to compose the new film score to this feature was Mark Menza. The tracks heard throughout work better than just random dated hard metal band music tracks, but nothing will beat the original score from Shunsuke Kikuchi. Much of Menza’s score sounds anonymous with no real signature. It’s weird because Mark Menza isn’t even credited on imdb but is in the film version release that he worked on.

Aside from the standard top notch voice acting, animation and surprisingly accurate continuity this entry is average. There’s no plot and there’s no development for Bojack as a stock rando villain. The US musical score still doesn’t come close to the JP original music either, despite not including outdated tracks.

Points Earned --> 5:10

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