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VincentVega89
Reviews
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
Two Good Stories Hampered By Four Bad Ones
Since these are separate cartoons I will review them individually.
Have I Got A Story For You
Clearly inspired by the classic Legends of the Dark Knight from Batman: The Animated Series, Have I A Story For You tackles the different perspectives one can have while witnessing Batman battle a foe. Unfortunately it lacks the humor from the original and has a very lackluster ending. The art style also proves quite disappointing unless you're enamored of low quality anime toons. 2 out of 10.
Crossfire
An improvement over the previous title, Crossfire is about two officers, one being Crispus Allen, reflecting over the change of Gotham city as a result of Batman's presence. Not bad, just not great. Neither the characters nor the setting of Arkham are properly explored, but the shootout is quite enjoyable. And I for one would have preferred them to use a much more well known supporting character like Harvey Bullock. 6 out of 10
Field Test
The most personally offensive chapter, Field Test has Batman receive a nifty gyroscopic device that can reflect pistol fire. I was very disappointed in this story for the simple reason that Batman is turned into a wuss: He cares not that his attacks can easily injure and possible kill a person, yet he cannot cope with the guilt of a bad guy falling victim to a ricocheting bullet. A properly portrayed Batman would never dispense with perfectly good technology over such an insignificant incident. Also, it's particularly ludicrous that Bruce Wayne is drawn in this cartoon as a young Japanese man, which (while I realize makes a certain amount of sense due to the anime production of these shorts) is a complete distraction given that the other characters are drawn ethnically accurate. 5 out of 10.
In Darkness Dwells
Batman encounters Scarecrow. The second of the best shorts - I fully enjoyed this one. This felt like a very good episode that can easily stand with Batman: The Animated Series. I don't want to spoil it anymore because it is quite good. 8 out of 10
Working Through Pain
Promising in the beginning yet quickly flat lines. Bruce Wayne learns spiritual meditations to subside pain. Overall I think this was well intentioned and perhaps would have made sense as a component of another cartoon, but it just didn't work out on its own. The ending especially confused me - WTF was with all the guns he picked up before getting rescued (ugh) by Alfred? 2 out of 10.
Deadshot Gotham Knights ends on a high note with Deadshot. Deadshot is certainly the best of these shorts artistically speaking, and the simplistic yet satisfying story delivers as well. Batman battles lesser known foe Dead Shot, who has been contracted by mobsters to eliminate their foes in Gotham. I enjoyed the brief reappearance of Allen and his partner, which provided a dose of continuity with the previous short. 9 out of 10.
While I was rather disappointed with this DVD, I would recommend renting it just for In Darkness Dwells and Deadshot. Special props go to voice actor Kevin Conroy who returned to his role as Batman once again. It was also satisfying to see blood shed in a Batman cartoon; unfortunately, the blood was a bit of a double edged sword - at points I felt it was overused and thus lost its effectiveness. If you are excited to see "The Dark Knight" and looked forward to "Gotham Knight," I strongly recommend as an alternative, "Batman: The Animated Series" from the 1990s, which has yet to be rivaled by any other Batman cartoon.
The Simpsons Movie (2007)
Prepare for Disappointment Unless You Like Seasons 10-18
For those of you who have hated the last several seasons of The Simpsons but were hoping that this film would be great due to the pedigree of talent that is found in its credits, I am sad to inform you that this film will disappoint you. To be fair, compared to the rubbish they have fed us in the last 8 seasons, the film was somewhat watchable. A few jokes in the beginning are very funny, and overall the opening to the film is solid. However, at the point of Homer meeting his beloved Spider Pig (which everyone in the theater loved except for me), the film transitions into a poorly crafted, overwrought melodrama that is mildly painful to sit through. You get a mixture of pathetic melancholy material and lackluster gags - it is awful, and I don't mean awful entertaining. The biggest problem with the film is that its creators forgot that The Simpsons is a comedy, not an animated soap opera.
I've been watching the show since I was born. Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire was aired on December 17, 1989, when I was nearly a month old. So this show basically grew up with me, and I consider Seasons 3-9 of the Simpsons to be the greatest works the television industry has ever created. Even though I can't stand watching the new episodes, I was still somewhat excited and mildly optimistic about this film. It could have been worse, but that's faint praise. If you're a long-time fan disillusioned with the show as I am, I recommend just watching the first 30 minutes of the movie and then hopping to something better. You won't be missing much. As Moleman said, "you cost me (86) minutes of my life and I want them back!"
Ratatouille (2007)
Just when I thought the Golden Age of Pixar Was Finished.
After the disappointment that was Cars, I thought that Pixar's creative magic had finally depleted. It's not that Cars was a bad film, it was good, but it wasn't up to par compared to the other Pixar classics. Now with Ratatouille I have to say that the magic of Pixar is alive and well.
The film plotwise is just terrific. The story is well done and the characters are all hilarious. The humor is smart, funny, and original. The humor is one of the reasons that sets Pixar apart from Dreamworks and it's competitors There are no fart jokes in Ratatouille, and some of the best jokes reside in the dialogue. I would give an example, but I wouldn't want to ruin one of the brilliant scenes in the film. The characters are all interesting and lovable.
Technically Ratatouille is amazing. While the characters are cartoonish the actual backgrounds are nearly photorealistic. This is truly a film to see on the big screen because the film has outstanding particle effects. The water looks like real water, and the fur on the rats look real. It is true eye candy and perfectly complements the story.
One of the major themes in Ratatouille is the combination of tastes. And with the juicy plot and sweet effects Ratatouille is a scrumptious treat. This is a work of art and is a true classic. To call this film Best Animated Feature would be an insult. For this film isn't the Best Animated Feature of 2007 but the Best film of 2007.
Pixar has always been the leader in CGI films, and Ratatouille just shows that Pixar is still the best.