baronsambdi Reviews

Iron Man Three (2013)

Bad movie, Great Fun! :D

[8/10 · 27 April 2013]

This movie is extremely bad in terms of plot and consistency, yet it's a blast of fun!

Iron Man 3 plays much with the audience expectations by contrasting the trailers and promotional material while delivering instead a non-dramatic, electrifying and plain fun movie.

Sadly, these 'twists' by not following an established formula, actually go nowhere. There are deceiving characters, that doesn't add anything substantial to the plot, and does not have a closure.

As a piece of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 2, this movie adds really nothing. Nonetheless, the acting is great, funny and charming, with good dialogues and jokes that keep you fun and entertained.

Iron Man 3 has tons of plot holes, at the point the movie is not believable at all in terms of plot, and it looks like anything could happen. But still, you will get accustomed and enjoy the movie for what it is: A fun, action-packed flick with great visuals and nice actings :D

As a good movie: 6/10 As a fun movie: 10/10 In a balance: 8/10

Go watch it :D

C-Bear and Jamal (1996–1997)

It's certainly Funky

[7/10 · 23 April 2013]

This animated show I'd say was not the average one by the time. One could find parallels between this and other cartoons like Hey Arnold, but I see them as completely different animals.

C Bear and Jamal was an effort of a sort of educational (what kids cartoon is not, at certain level) yet 'edgy' TV show, in the sense it didn't take itself too seriously.

I don't know that much about American culture, but I think this was aimed towards an African American sort of 'ghetto' public. The kids from the show are not stupid, they're ambitious, smart and practical, the skills they need to survive in a harsh environment. C Bear is a kind of 'uncle' guide giving a few good advices.

The whole show plays more like aimed to show the public some example, instead of sticking with actual characters having a story. Kind of giving a 'warning' to kids already mature enough to understand it, with very few fantasy elements on it. It's just the way the characters were actors on a set for an E/I schoolplay. Or a funky educational sketch to prevent of drugs or something.

It's certainly a Funky approach to transmit lessons. But it also made the cartoon less engaging than one with clear narrative limits. Also, show would be dated for now, for sure, in the slang and stuff.

I give it a 7 for trying a different approach, but it's not a "Great" show.

Fuchsia the Mini-Witch (2010)

Pretty straightforward

[7/10 · 19 September 2012]

Foeksia de miniheks is a pretty straightforward kids movie, and I have nothing wrong about that.

Actually, the movie is -although linear and predictable-, watchable for anyone.

There's nothing wrong with this movie, the acting is OK, there's a good effort in the costumes and stages, the use of colour is attractive and the characters are likable. What I liked the most is that the movie doesn't recur to bad slapstick or toilet humour, like other -cofcofAmericancofcof- do, and I appreciate that since I found that dumbed down resources very irritating.

I wouldn't recommend strongly the movie to anyone, but it's fun to watch when you are bored and/or with your family.

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010–2012)

Avengers: EMH falls too short compared to other recent shows

[7/10 · 13 June 2012]

Since the trailer comparisons with Justice League Unlimited couldn't be avoided. It basically looked like "a poor man's Justice League Unlimited" in almost every aspect.

The character designs are horrendous, overly simplified and in many cases don't make justice to their comic book incarnations. I can't see a point of making Thor's face look like a moai and giving him square fingers, Hawkeye's head just can't be described, and Tony's stark looks nothing like in the comics or the movies. Some of the villains look like Robot Masters for Mega Man rather than American superhero foils. Character designs just can't be defended. Colors of the show are, again, very basic and simplified and animation isn't sharp or anything. Maybe that was a move to appeal to the little children eyes with simpler lines, but I don't think it had to look THIS cheap. Because certainly everything looks cheap in this series, compared with superior quality animation like the WB productions for DC.

I already said this look like a kiddie show, well, the story lines are also very simple and lack of depth. There are some very basic dilemmas (for example, the Molecular Man loss of humanity, or Antman's thoughts on villain rehabilitation), but then they extend them through every episodes until they get too old, making the characters motivations look just plain and unidimensional.

What can be said on favour of this series is that they develop some storyline in steps along all the season, and season finale solutions are kind of exciting, but again, it doesn't give any depth, only evil villains trying to take over the world. No interesting character relationships, memorable dialogues (Damn, cardboard dialogues are plain bad!) or intelligent story lines. This series is very swallow, too little thoughtful of heartful. Simply kid stuff.

If I wanted to watch something kiddie, I would watch Superhero Squad.

Disney/Marvel studios simply didn't want to invest money and talent developing what could have been breakthrough show. Compared to the superior Warner shows, with better character designs, fairly decent budgets, intelligent story lines and great character development, this Avengers series just falls too short, and doesn't honor its source material like the DC series do.

Remember when Marvel made excellent series, like X-Men? Well, I feel a little bad for the fans who will miss this series, but I'm looking forward to Avengers Assemble. I hope Marvel delivers something satisfying with its next series, but I'm not entirely optimistic about that, specially with Loeb comparing it to Ultimate Spider-Man.

Grendel (2007 TV Movie)

Better than "Clash of the Titans (2010)"

[9/10 · 10 April 2011]

Well, first, I'll say I haven't read Beowulf's original poem, but my approach to the movie was watching it as a movie, not as a loyal adaptation. Actually, I was zapping the channels, then I watched an scene from what appeared a sword & sorcery movie, then I grew interested.

Well, I gotta say this being a "low-budget-movie" is despicable, since it really caught my attention. It has very decent costuming, locations, music, good pacing, convincing acting, good scripts, dialogues, characters are congruent and good storytelling... I don't need head-flashing CGI effects to enjoy this movie, because I look forward to the stories, the characters, the messages. I prefer the sensitive and intelligent way they told this tale than stupid movies like the recent version of Clash of the Titans, that only care about special effects and the acting, script and dialogues are totally idiot.

Well, I give this movie a good review, since I found on it good drama, great acting and realistic storytelling. Congrats to all people involved on it, you really got my respects =D

The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019)

Not as good as everybody think

[1/10 · 28 July 2010]

TBBT is not a great show, it's actually silly and ridiculous, they stick to the idea that being a physicist is being perfectionist, dumb, extremely shy or naive. The characters are like 25 years old and they act like kids, they don't seem to understand social rules or even behave like normal non-nerd people. The topics and motivations on the series are stupid too; most times about sex and romance (the "funny" part is that the "nerds" don't know much about that... not funny at all in my opinion).

The show is not greatly intelligent; the star of the show is Sheldon, an "intelligent" guy whose only intelligent attributes consists in quoting theories and indicating paradoxes or logical failures of his partners. It seems his personality works to impress people by making them think "Wow, if I'd be intelligent, I'd be able to make people shut up by winning the discussions and saying bazzinga in the end". Kinda banal, in my opinion. But it works for people who watch the show and think "yeah, that's me, I'm that socially awkward and potentially intelligent and sarcastic".

Come on, this is not an intelligent show; my redneck sister-in-law loves the show because its sense of humour is actually kiddish, even those intrincate "quantum-theories" often referred by some characters. OK, it sometimes adds some good-thought jokes about science, but they're not the core of the series; the plots are more like "wow, Raj has to date a girl and he's femophobe, let's make fun of it". Come on, there's no more people like that; physicists are cultivated, clever people, not buffoons like in this series.

This show works for people who don't want to think much, it's a teenager show; maybe if was back to my 12's I'd love the show, but for an adult person it's a ridiculous program, not really worth to watch.

Kick-Ass (2010)

An OK, but too mainstream adaptation - that actually declines by the last quarter of the movie

[8/10 · 5 July 2010]

After I read the comic book, I was convinced it was almost impossible to create a mainstream film based on it. The only way such brilliant comic could work as a movie would be by selling it only on underground markets.

I don't want to pose like a comic book purist, but I got to say that the original comic book idea was OK: Trying to be a vigilante is a dirty, damn hard job, and almost not fun. The comic book itself starts in the toughest part of the work, with KA being beaten to pulp by the mafia guys... I don't like much the extreme graphic violence, but in the comic book the idea is way right transmitted, since the violence is that extreme that disgust you until you want to vomit.

No; being a kid trying to be a vigilante is a suicide; being a hero equals being crazy.

In the movie the idea is a little less realistic; being a superhero works way cool, and you can even learn to use backpacks and bazookas in five minutes. The first half of the movie is kinda truth to the comic plot and most of the ambient, excluding -of course- the tough parts.

In the comic book, the final fight is a gore fest, literally, portrayed with realism and graphic violence; you can almost feel the terror and pain of the guys being killed; just like in the real life would be. In the film, the final fight is a Hollywood action video clip, with almost no "victims" and no actual pain.

I'd say the film picks up the idea of trying to bring justice, I mean, the original and innocent idea of the Kick-ass character, but it fails to portray the actual consequences: being beaten to pulp, your testicles crushed and electrified, more and more pain.

Of course, Hollywood would never be able to expose crude reality or portray kids (in the comic book, they're way younger than in the movies) as being victims -and now, protagonists- of the violence that impregnates society and entertainment, as school massacres in the USA had demonstrated lately. Having it turned into an X-Rated movie wouldn't have work either, since adults don't watch movies "with kids on it", while teenagers are the main consumers of entertaining violence. Kinda hypocrite, I think.

The movie is OK if you want to enjoy some action and funny plot (the movie plot works good for the first half, since it's almost totally ripped-off from the comic book), but at the point Kick-ass flies (literally) it goes stupid and totally unbelievable, it lose its point. Watching the movie is not, either, the best way to introduce people into the Kick-Ass actual message; they'd watch the movie and forget it soon, while the comic book gives you more to think about.

In conclusion, according to the movie, being a superhero is cool and easy; according to the comic book, being a superhero is hard and dangerous and you're nuts if you want to be one (just like in real life).

I recommend this movie for fun, but the comic book's original idea is way more thrilling.

Chrono Crusade (2003–2004)

A Complete Stupidity

[1/10 · 15 December 2007]

This is one of the worst anime series I have ever seen. When I watched the manga review in a magazine, I thought it was maybe interesting, but when I got the chapters I realized it was a complete stupidity.

OK, the first 2 or 3 chapters are OK, and the series have an standard. But as the plot advances, it becomes totally incoherent. The series tries to show some mystical based upon the Christian mythologies, but it's a total stupidity. It features some demons and stigmata scenes... Totally nonsense. It seems the series tries to seem deeply-thought, complex or mythologically reviewed, but a watcher with a bit of brain and cultural references, will realize soon all those elements used don't have a real sense: THEY ARE PUT THERE ONLY TO IMPRESS THE IGNORANT WATCHERS!!

The final chapters are full of totally nonsense elements: battles with cat-eared demons, references to a supposed fight between demons, and demons who controls time (with no apparent reason). The final is totally nonsense; an ignorant watcher will see on it a floating final that gives them a place to meditate; but the truth is this: THE FINAL AND THE COMPLETE SERIES IS A TOTAL INCOHERENT AND INCONGRUENT NONSENSE.