"Stuff That I've Watched, Read, Or Done": Vol. 2

Hello everybody! Kaleb the Critic has returned, and this time he's bringing an entire legion of different stuff for your reading pleasure. Fortuantely, I had alot of things that I had forgotten to review from my last entry, so I'll hit upon them here. Please enjoy, and if you don't agree with any of these insights, please give me a ton of rantful comments. :) I love comments.

Borat (A Film in Review)

I like a you! I like a this film! It's a very nice!

OMG: This is the funniest movie I've seen in a very long time! No matter which way I look at it, I really can't find anything I didn't like. I literally laughed until tears came streaming down my eyes. It was a that nice!

Classic Moment in Comedy: Two very naked men fighting through a hotel. It was perhaps one of the most disgusting/funniest scenes in any movie to date. Pure genius running wild!

Rating: A (Nice!)


He Is My Master (An Anime in Review)

Super kawaii!

Things That I Hated: This show hasn't a single shred of dignity or class. All of the characters are basically one dimensional archetypes, and the situations are even more generic. When your show relies almost entirely on the sex appeal of it's fourteen year old cast to sell every joke, you know you've got issues. Big issues!

But Yet...: At it's best, this show is a guility pleasure. There are alot of things to laugh at here, but you'll soon find yourself wondering how many times they'll end up reusing the same gag instead of using something fresh. While Anna-chan's constant infatuation with Izumi was downright hysterical for a few episodes, it all gets very ho-hum after the tenth "I would love to do this and that to Izumi-san!" statement. Come on, guys! Being perverted doesn't make up for creative!

Speaking of Perversion: I'm not going to lie to you and say that I don't like fan-service (a term that basically means "anime sex appeal"), but this show really does take it too far. I was nearly insulted on a few occasions, which is something that very rarely happens withe me and comedies. Maybe it was the fact that the girls are only fourteen, or the fact that thier "master" is a complete and utter lecher.. this show really rubbed me the wrong way. They're just too young! It's creepy!

Rating: C (it's sorta funny, but lacks a real heart)


Grave of the Fireflies (A Film/Anime in Review)

If you don't feel like being depressed, stay FAR FAR AWAY FROM THIS MOVIE! It's like seeing a cute little puppy dog get run over by a truck.. but in a good way.

What I Loved About This Movie: This goes up their with Pan's Labyrinth as one of the most depressing movies I've seen this year, but in a good way. The animation isn't quite as good as more recent efforts such as "Spirted Away" or "Howl's Moving Castle", but it's still a very pretty film to look at. You'll forget this is anime the moment the bombs begin dropping. The overall story is excellent, if a tad bit dissapointing. You really want these kids to be happy.. but unfortuantely, no matter how hard they try, everything just shoots straight for hell.

When Dubbing Attacks: I didn't manage to watch the orginal Japanese dialouge for "Grave of the Fireflies", but I can say that the English dub of the film was lacking a certain zest. It really took the emotinal power out of the movie's more dramatic scenes. When I'm watching a World War 2 animated drama, I really don't want the voices to sound like Speed Racer (which they don't, but you know what I'm saying).

Rating: B+ (would have been an A- if the dubbing was better)

Batman Begins (A Film in Review)

I must be emo.

Things That I Loved About This Movie: This is by far, the smartest superhero movie ever made. The plot is what we in the geek business like to call "freaking genius!" Trust me, this makes pretty much every other superhero film feel like child's play. This is a really deep, dramatic, fun movie! That's right, I did actually use the words "deep and dramatic" in the same sentence as "fun". It is possible! Batman Begins proves that there is still alot of life in the superhero genre, if directors would only treat their source matieral as seriously as this one does. A must see, even if you aren't a fan of The Dark Knight.

Don't Believe Me?: Take a look at http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_begins/ See! The majority of critics loved it too. Which means... you should watch it. I'm lookin at you, Christine.

Rating: A- (a great movie! Watch it now!!)