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Boris and Natasha (1992)
This movie is great, and I know why some don't like it.
I have to begin this review by saying this movie is classic Get Smart style humor. If you don't like Get Smart, this movie isn't for you.
The reason why this movie has mixed reviews is entirely and exclusively because people watch it thinking it's the cartoon. It's not. In fact, there's only one minor drawback, but it's a spoiler so I won't go into detail. Having said that, I'm still giving it 10 stars because I can't give 9 and 1/2.
What to expect when you watch this movie:
* Get Smart style humor, from the point of view of the bad guys. * Hogan's Heroes style humor where the bad people are sympathetic, but only so far you don't want them to die, but at the same time you don't want them to succeed. * Classic Humor. Basically, you will get slow parts. The slow parts exist for a reason. You can't have a point by point fast forward laugh track or it'd be too much. This kind of comedy, unfortunately, is lost on many in my generation. I find it to be perfect pacing, but I'm a big fan of classics, such as the "Road To" movies. * The Narrator breaks it up and adds some spice to the show. * Sight gags. If you have it on in the background you easily miss 60% of the jokes. * Puns that are gone as quick as they appear, so if you aren't paying attention, you're gonna miss the remaining 40% of the jokes.
Boris and Natasha rely on terrible jokes, ridiculous situations, and a plot that shouldn't exist - because that's a classic form of comedy. It's like Adam West's Batman and his Emergency Can of Tomato Soup, or his bad one liners like "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!"
You gotta be in the right mood, you gotta love this type of comedy. If you are neither, you won't enjoy it.
I actually kinda wish there was a live action series based off this. Kinda reminds me of that cartoon Kaput and Zosky - two aliens who travel the galaxy trying to conquer other worlds.
Speed Racer: The Next Generation (2008)
Speed Racer the Next Generation is Fun!
Contrary to what other reviewers may say, the sequel to the original cartoon/manga works out well.
The problem with sequels is that so many people hold the originals to such a high regard because the originals were usually executed at an early time in that viewer's life. It's hard for such viewers to admit that they weren't always as critical or as intelligent in their youth as they are today.
Going back, I re-watched some of the original Speed Racer cartoons, and having little previous memory of them I was able to watch them with a critical eye.
The original cartoon really was weak from a script, animation and direction standpoint. This isn't surprising since it was in an era where stock animated cells were used often in the industry (exactly how long are the hallways in Hanna-Barbara cartoons anyway?).
To say that the execution of the Next Generation is weaker than the original series really is like saying the special effects of original star trek were better than say in Next Generation, Deep Space Nine or Voyager.
I use the Star Trek comparison because I don't want people to think I'm bashing the original Speed. The original speed is unpolished, some scripts were fun, others weren't. Original Star Trek is unpolished, some scripts were fun, others were downright terrible. So, Maybe you don't like TNG for Speed or TNG for Star Trek, that's fine; but don't blame the script quality or the special effects for your dislike. Fact is Original Speed used quite a few stock scripts, generic stories of the time with no real originality. Same with original Trek (just take them out of space and put them on "Wagon Train", you'll see what I mean). SR:TNG mostly tried something new, same thing with ST:TNG.
One big plus to the series is unlike the movie, Speed Racer: TNG does NOT re-write speed racer history. It adds to it. Nothing changes a single episode of the original series.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Awful
This movie is one of the worst movies in science fiction history. Without giving any spoilers, the only things I can say are the following:
||extremely inconsistent storyline. ||very noticeable plot holes. ||Anakin's narration of what he is doing and when, during each scene of which he is apart, becomes extremely annoying. Even for 8 year olds, it doesn't look or feel right. ||Age problems -- Anakin is clearly too young. ||Special effects are stocky, blocky, and could not have been worse if Ed Wood directed them. ||Due to Lucas' intent on using blue screens everywhere, the direction looks staged, ridiculous and confined. In places which should be great grand halls, everyones huddling around center stage. ||Jar Jar Binks is a very racist and overt stereotype of a black Jamaican. I found it morally offensive. Anyone who has anyone else say "Massa" the way Jar Jar says it should take a clear look at themselves in a mirror.
This movie is absolutely unwatchable for anyone with a sense of good cinema. What's amazing is George Lucas managed to capitalize on these 7 or more bad points on this Episode 1 film, and found a way to make the subsequent films even WORSE!
How could it have been this bad while the original 3 were so great? Simple: a man named Joseph Campbell was on set throughout the filming of the other movies. Those with philosophy and anthropology degrees know him as a man who did the Power of Myth series for PBS. It is clear he kept George grounded. Unfortunately he died long before George did Episodes 1-3 and the absence of the man's mind is clearly demonstrated in these god awful prequels.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
Best adaptation of a children's book to movie!
Anyone who doesn't like this movie, and claims the original is true to form obviously never read the books. While the original movie was a fine production, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was a great improvement. The first such improvement lay in the title: "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" -- NOT "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". This movie is about Charlie first and foremost, not about a comedian from SNL. The rest lay in the scripting of the book to movie format. While all translations will undergo some changes (Lord of the Rings), this movie kept true to not only the attitude of each character (Violet and Mike make perfect sense), but presence of the gadgets (opening scene), the Oompa Loompa description (Deep Roy was amazing as opposed to candy colored midgets of the first movie), the songs (all written by Roald Dahl), down to Willy Wonka's view of the degradation of society. Roald Dahl's second wife has a producing credit on the film, forming a close tie between the family and this production (which, according to her in a recent newsweek interview, was lacking in the first film). I believe this made all the difference. The only major change in this book dealt with Willy Wonka, however, considering the character description in the book compared with last years "Series of Unfortunate Events", it would likely frighten any kid if Willy Wonka were put in makeup to resemble the book description. Having said that, Johnny Depp is Willy Wonka, as opposed to Gene Wilder being Gene Wilder. Charlie is always an innocent, without a single mean streak, rather than the first movie. The rest of the kids you absolutely hate -- like you should. I have seen it twice and wish to see it again.