Reviews

Last year, I saw the commercials for "Over the Garden Wall", and I thought, "Looks nice, maybe I'll check it out." One year later, Cartoon Network reran the show for Halloween, and after hearing so much praise for it, I recorded the entire series. And, holy cow, was it amazing! This is probably the darkest I've seen Cartoon Network get. The acting was spot on! Everyone does a fantastic job! I also like how they didn't use these big names as promotion for the show. They got Christopher Lloyd, John Cleese, and Tim Curry and I had no idea they were in this until after I did some research. The animation, spectacular! I think the best piece of animation in this is the Highwayman's song, so cool! I'm glad they didn't take the "Teen Titians GO!" approach and use Flash animation. If I did have one problem it'd have to be "the liar revealed" cliché. But that's just nit picking. Overall, if you want a new fall tradition, go buy this on DVD and watch it every Halloween or Thanksgiving.

When I was in 9th grade, we had to read "To Kill a Mockingbird" (I was in an advanced class), and I didn't like it much. I constantly got lost, and even got the title mixed up with "Hunger Games: Mockingjay" (I called it "To Kill a Mockingjay" by accident). So when I heard there was a movie, and how fantastic it was, I said, "Well, I'll check it out". Eventually, Netflix added it to stream, and I finally sat down and watched it. Why didn't we watch this in class? I was able to follow it, and even enjoy it! The court scene is my favorite part. Atticus is also my favorite character. Shocking, huh? Who doesn't watch this movie and pick Atticus as their favorite character? And why shouldn't they? He's a great character! You look up to this guy as much as Scout and Jem do. If you're reading this book in school like I was, take some time to watch this movie. If you're not reading the book, or never read the book, still give it a watch, it's fantastic!

When I first saw the commercials for this show, I thought, "Oh, hey, they're remaking one of my favorite childhood shows, I hope it'll be good." But I was severely disappointed, and insulted. Teen Titans was the perfect blend of comedy and drama. But this show takes everything you loved from the original, sets it on fire, extinguishes the flames with it's urine, and claims that its your new favorite show. I wouldn't care so much if they didn't insult the people who enjoy, what was, a pretty awesome show. If they did their own thing and ignored what everyone else thought, I wouldn't care. But since they flipped the bird at the people who criticized them, and say that its everyone's favorite show, that's where I get furious. I heard that the creators of the show never saw a single episode of the first Teen Titans, and, by God, I can believe that. If you want your Teen Titans fix, go watch the original show. And bring the kids who keep Teen Titans GO! going, so they can see how awesome the original show is, and how childish this new show is.

In 7th grade, I had to watch "Fern Gully" to learn about people destroying the environment. Well, I want to march up to the teacher who made me watch it, slam a copy of "Princess Mononoke" on her desk and tell her, "Get rid of that other movie and start showing your classes this!" Seriously, this is a fantastic environmental movie! Why? Because instead of saying, "People are evil, nature is good!" it says that people and nature can live in harmony. They never say which side is good, it's up for the audience to decide, while never shoving the message down your throat like other environmental films at the time. Granted, I wouldn't show it to younger audiences, there are multiple bloody scenes of people getting body parts ripped off, and I found the Spirit of the Forest to be really creepy. But, if your kids can handle it, seriously show them this movie, you won't regret it.

There was this odd trend in the 80's and 90's where if a movie was popular, it would get a cartoon series. Even if the movie was more for adults than kids (like "Spaceballs" and "RoboCop") it got a cartoon. And one of those movies was "Back to the Future". Now, I'm not saying all cartoons based on movies are awful, just look at "Real Ghostbusters", but this one isn't that good. I'm a hard core "Back to the Future" fan, but even I can't defend this as a great show. However, it is a guilty pleasure for me. I do find myself watching it every once in a while, and even chuckling at some of the jokes. I even try to watch the "Christmas Carol" episode around Christmas. If your looking for an animated show based on a movie that's just as good as the movie, this is not for you. But if you're a hard core "BTTF" fan and can enjoy anything with Doc and Marty in it no matter how silly it is, feel free to give this a shot.

This is the first adult cartoon I've consistently watched. Sure, I've seen a few episodes of "Family Guy" and "the Simpsons", but I never got into them, that and my parents wouldn't allow me to watch those. Now that I'm older, I decided to watch "Futurama" after hearing a ton of praise for the show. And it deserves every bit of it. The main purpose of shows like "South Park" and "Family Guy" is to make you laugh, "Futurama" does that but it also does so much more. This show makes you think about mortality, relationships, and religion. It can also makes you cry. Try watching "Jurassic Bark", "Luck of the Fryirsh", and "Lethal Inspection" without shedding a tear. I'm kind of sad the show got canceled yet again, because I've just recently started watching it, but at least it had the dignity to end. I'm looking' at you, "Simpsons". If you're old enough to watch adult cartoons (which if you're reading this, I assume you are), go check this show out, you won't regret it.

I remember when I first heard about this show back in 2007...on the "High School Musical 2" DVD...and when it aired, I really enjoyed it. Now, growing up, I wasn't dedicated to certain TV shows. Like it'll come on, I'd watch it, but I wouldn't consider myself a fan. However, this one I really enjoyed. I eventually stopped watching each new episode as it came out, I think I was around 8th or 9th grade, but I'd still watch it if nothing good was on. If you asked me what my favorite Disney show is...I'd say "Darkwing Duck". But if you asked me what my favorite original Disney show was I'd say "Phineas and Ferb". I enjoy it for its originality, its comedy, and its characters. (Oh yeah, this has nothing to do with the show itself, but I went to the Disney Store once and found a Perry the Platypus Whoopie Cushion. And I don't mean a whoopee cushion with Perry's face on it, no no no, I mean it's a Perry plush, with a whoopee cushion inside it, with the nozzle sticking out his butt. I bought it because it was so weird, and I made a joke that it was one of the things Phineas and Ferb did over summer vacation. "Hey, Ferb, I know what we're going to do today! Let's shove a whoopee cushion up Perry's butt!") If you're looking for an original TV show, look no further than "Phineas and Ferb"!

When I was little, my mom bought this movie on DVD for my dad. He turned it on one day and I brushed it off as "one of those weird old movies daddy likes". Eventually, I came out, sat down, and watched it. And the rest was history. I was so in love with this movie, that for 80's day at my school, I dressed up as Marty McFly. Nowadays, I love the movie more than ever. My favorite thing about this movie is the relationship between Doc and Marty. Most of the time, when a kid or teen hang out with an older person in movies and TV, people think they're more than friends. How many jokes have you heard involving Batman and Robin's relationship? However, Marty and Doc's relationship is pure friendship. I'm really good friends with one of my drama teachers, so I know how strong that type of friendship is. What else can I say? I love everything about this movie! If you haven't seen this movie, go see it now. Like...right now. Stop what your doing and go see it.

I was born in 1998, so I never watched Darkwing on TV. However, I recently started watching it and, holy cow, is it awesome! And this is coming from a 17 year old girl! I freaking adore Darkwing's self centered personality. I think we all dream about being praised as a hero at some point, but Darkwing is addicted to that feeling, and I freaking love it! I also adore the rest of the characters, I love Gosalyn's smart ass remarks, Bushroot is a sympathetic villain, and everyone is just awesome! Well except Commit Guy...I really don't like him...but he's only in two episodes (as far as I know) so it's all good. My favorite episode is probably "Darkly Dawns the Duck", it has the right amount of action-packed and heart-felt moments. If you love Disney, or Batman, seriously check this show out!

After I saw the Nostalgia Critic's "Top 11 Under Rated Nostalgic Movies", I decided I should give this movie a shot, and he was absolutely right! It's a very fun story, with memorable characters, and a few dated effects. The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout, and I was actually worried when the characters were in danger. The only problem I think is that, although the movie is called "the Rocketeer", he doesn't show up that much in the movie. It's like going to see a "Spider-Man" movie, but Peter Parker only puts on the costume two or three times. I don't really have a problem with that, because the few scenes he is in are really action packed and fun! If you love World War II movies or super hero films, definitely check this movie out.

I went into "Fantasia" with high respect. Everyone on the internet is calling this the greatest movie ever made and...I thought it was okay. Am I saying it was awful? No. It's just with my attention span, I got bored very quickly. Especially the segments with no real story. I mean, I understand what they were trying to do, but some of the segments just dragged on and on! However, I did love the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment. It was the segment I was looking forward to. However, it's the third segment out of eight. I did enjoy "Dance of the Hours" and "Night on Bald Mountain", but the other segments bored me. It's not the movie's fault, it's mine because I have a short attention span. I'm sure if I watch it a few more times, I'll grow to like the other segments more. But as it stands now, I understand what the film is trying to do, and it does deserve the praise, but it's just not for me.

I'll admit it, I'm a Disney nutball! My bathroom is covered in Mickey Mouse stuff, I've been to Disneyland a dozen times in my childhood, I have too many Disney plushes to count, and I have about 20 of the over 50 animated Disney films on tape! So, when I heard about Epic Mickey I was super excited! Only one problem...I didn't own a Wii. A few years past and I used my birthday money to buy a Wii, and one of my friends gave me their copy of Epic Mickey. It took me 24 hours to beat, and I loved every minute of it! One of my favorite things to do in the game was to spot characters, cartoons and items I've seen. For example, I remember watching the Mickey cartoon, "Thru the Mirror", on my "Alice in Wonderland" DVD as a kid, and I was so excited to see the cartoon as the Projector Screen to Ostown, the Telephone in Mickey's house, and the Radio in Bog Easy. Even the opening took bits from that cartoon! Another thing I love is the old cartoon characters. I'm now a hard core Oswald fan thanks to this game. I even have an Oswald plush! And it was awesome to see characters that I remember from my childhood, like the Lonesome Ghosts, Clarabelle, and Horace! If you love Disney, or you have some memory of Disney in your childhood, play this game! You won't regret it!

I'll be honest, finding a new anime to watch has always been hard for me. Starting a new anime is like getting into a hot tub, if you jump in too quickly, chances you'll sprint out as quickly as you hopped in. But if you slowly ease yourself in, you'll adjust to it and enjoy the experience. That's how it was when I started watching Blue Exorcist. As a fan of Soul Eater, I enjoy anime that can take themselves seriously, but know when to joke around, and are not heavy on nudity and swearing. And Blue Exorcist fits the bill. I like the characters, I like the set up. I only have two questions. 1: How can some exorcists summon demons when exorcists and demons are suppose to be enemies? And 2: Why do so many anime take place at schools? There's this one, Soul Eater, Kill la Kill, Ouran Host Club, etc. Anyway, I still enjoy this anime, and I highly recommend it if you loved Soul Eater.

As a theater nerd, and a Mel Brooks fan, I was intrigued when I saw this movie on Netflix streaming. I added it to my list and forgot about it. One night, I couldn't find anything to watch, so I decided to stop procrastinating and finally watch the movie. And I was not disappointed. It's not as outrageous as "Blazing Saddles" or "Spaceballs". It's more along the lines of "Young Frankenstein" or "the Producers" where the story is just as important as the jokes. To be honest, I didn't know this was a remake until I saw people saying it was one online. So, I won't compare it to that film. I'm actually shocked that people don't mention this movie when talking about World War II movies. They always focus on the ones about Jewish people, like "Boy in the Striped Pajamas" and "Diary of Anne Frank", not that that's a bad thing, I mean Jewish people were one of the bigger targets. But this one brings up the fact that it wasn't just Jewish people being hauled off to concentration camps. One character is homosexual, and Mel Brooks's character mentions gypsies being taken too. And I appreciate that. The comedy is brilliant. Some jokes are a hit and miss for the causal viewer, but if you know a little bit about theater or World War II, then you should get most of the jokes. In fact, I can see where Brooks got the idea for some of the songs in "the Producers" Broadway show, like "Heil Myself", "It's Bad Luck to Say Good Luck", and a few others. Also, I started laughing my butt off when Christopher Lloyd entered the film. "Back to the Future" is my favorite movie of all time, and Christopher Lloyd's character is one of my favorites. I didn't even know he was in this movie until I saw his name in the opening credits. But as soon as he entered, I was giggling like a maniac. Overall, if you enjoy Mel Brooks, theater, or World War II movies, definitely give this a watch.

Summer, 1975 Unknown director Steven Spielberg released a monster that changed the movie industry forever. Ever since it's release, people feared the ocean, and what lurks within it. I am of course talking about "Jaws". I first saw this movie when I found the DVD at my library (does anyone do that anymore?). Personally I wasn't scared of it. It's not the movie's fault, it's just EVERYONE talks about the major scares (I won't because I'm a nice person), so I already knew about the jump scares, and the disturbing images. It was fun to watch it with my mother, who was unaware of the scares. She screamed and jumped, and my sister, my dad, and I all laughed our butts off. It just goes to show that these effects are still scary to this day. Sure they look fake, but if they can make a person scream, then they're doing their job. Other than the scares, the characters are enjoyable too. By far, Quint is my favorite character. I love how he teases Brody and Hooper while they're on the Orca. It's like he's saying "I'm the king of this castle, I can do what I want." Hooper is also a fun character, and he probably has some of the funniest lines in the movie. Brody, even though he's the main character, is probably the stick in the mud out of the trio. I'm not saying he's bad, it's just Hooper and Quint steal the show. Overall, "Jaws" still holds up as a classic example of Steven Spielberg's genius directing. However, if you're curious about the source material, prepare for a group of unlikable assholes.

I'll admit it, I never watched the 1980's Ninja Turtles show. I was a child of the late 90's early 2000's, so I grew up on the 2003 Turtles. And when I heard of this new show, I face palmed. I think the only episode I watched was "Monkey Brains", and then I forgot about it. Then the season 2 finale came. I watched the season finale and took everything I said back. This isn't just a "hip" and "modern" remake of the Heroes in a Half-Shell, this is a love letter to everyone who grew up with the Turtles. There are references and homages to previous incarnations in every episode. It brings back fan favorite characters, and also characters people forgot about (I had no idea who Rahzar was until he came on the show). And it's not afraid to bring in some Japanese culture, the most Japanese previous shows had was just calling Master Splinter "sensei". The new characters are also really enjoyable. Tigerclaw, Fishface, even Ice Cream Kitty are just so fun and ridiculous. As for the returning characters, they are more developed than ever. Yes, each turtle has their original traits (Donnie does machines, Leo leads, Mikey is a party dude, and Raph is cool but rude), but they expand on that. Leo is a Trekkie (kinda), Donnie has a crush on April, Mikey names the bad guys, and Raph has serious anger management issues, so he talks to his pet turtle Spike. Each Turtle is not only unique in personality, but in appearance, too. For example, Mikey is the shortest out of the four, and has a bright green skin tone with freckles. Donnie is the tallest, has a light green skin tone, and has a gap in his teeth. Raph has the darkest skin tone, and his chest has more damage than the others. Leo has a normal green skin tone, and is the normal looking one (in other words, he has fewer physical flaws). The other returning characters, such as Splinter, Shredder, Karai, Baxter Stockman, and so on are all enjoyable. If you enjoyed anything Ninja Turtles when you were a kid, give this show a watch for a nuclear explosion of nostalgia. If your just looking for an entertaining show for your kids, try this one on for size. BOOYAKASHA!!!!