REVIEW: Hawaiian Vacation [2011]

“I just zip and unzip. I don’t fly.” Upon seeing Buzz and Woody onscreen for the Pixar short playing before Cars 2, my first feeling was disappointment. These abbreviated tales are sometimes the highlight of going to a family friendly animated film, generally heartfelt and funny in a minimal span of time to get audiences in the mood for the feature following. Instead of some new carefully constructed character—Presto and Geri’s Game—or a well-conceived, dialogue-free vignette—Lifted and the brilliant Day & Night—all we were to be given was Toy Story…

Read More

REVIEW: Transformers: Dark of the Moon [2011]

“You all read ‘Humpty Dumpty’” When Transformers came out in 2007, it was all the rage. Nostalgia, explosions, over-the-top summer blockbuster laughs, and even a smidgeon of heart were thrown into Michael Bay’s ultimate orgasm of action, sex, and metal. It was fun despite its corniness and therefore left a desire for a sequel, one where we knew all the major players and could watch their continuing saga. But 2009 came and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen underwhelmed. I still maintain that if liking one means liking the other because…

Read More

REVIEW: 小島 多恵 [Trigun: Badlands Rumble] [2010]

“He must be doing cosplay. He’s dressed like the wanted poster.” And like most anime/manga I have the pleasure of seeing in film form, I’m still scratching my head over 小島 多恵 [Trigun: Badlands Rumble]. A new iteration on characters created in the mid-90s and brought to television in 1998, it’s over a decade later and studios Eleven Arts and FUNimation say everything has been reworked so audiences can come into the tale without prior knowledge of Tasuhiro Nightow’s world. While I agree the film is a standalone, I can’t…

Read More