DVD Voice

Tonight I watched Appleseed. This is the 2004 version of the film, which is apparently another version (1988) of this comic book based movie.

I must say! The animation and computer graphics in here are eye-popping! At times I felt like I was watching the The Matrix it was that well done. It is about a post World War III world where a single city has developed into a Utopia of half-human population and half mechanized bioroids (biotic androids I think). There is animosity between the humans and the bioroids, but for the most part it is peaceful. Until “things” start to happen and parties begin to try to manipulate the giant computer the controls their society.

The bioroids have an artificial limit on life, they cannot reproduce naturally, they must be built and they also must get treatments every so often to extend their life – miss that and they’ll die very soon afterwards. This is spelled out quite plainly and you just know that one of the main characters will succumb or fall into peril because of this. A couple of other plot points are explicitly described to you beforehand. Enough so that you can almost take notes and wait for something along those lines to happen.

The main protagonist is quite cute and deadly both at the same time, as she does flips and turns in slow motion fighting sequences with her short shorts or skirt. And of course when given the opportunity cleavage is showcased (they don’t go out of their way to do so, however).

This was a fun little action animation adventure. I enjoyed it and it far exceeded my low expectations before the evening began.

Rated R. 105 minutes (1 hour 45 minutes) Cartoon violence.

Planet 51 is a Pixar-like animated movie. It is about a planet full of “aliens” living an idyllic 1950s-like life when a NASA astronaut sets down and plants Old Glory in one of their front lawns. The inhabitants are full of pop culture (like our 1950s space movies) of aliens coming to eat their brains, and naturally are scared of the astronaut who really wants to just get home.

A band of local kids, led by the jr assistant manager of the planetarium (when he’s not in school) help reunite him with his spacecraft so he can return to Earth.

It’s fun, and funny – though arguably not as funny as Finding Nemo, or Toy Story. This one stars Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), Justin Long, Jessica Biel, John Cleese, and Gary Oldman. Highly well done graphics, fun to watch, you’ll enjoy the evening just like you were one of the kids.

Watch for references to other pop-culture stuff, such as Back to the Future, 2001, E.T., etc. Look for the intresting things like floating food, well everything pretty much floats!

Good time to be had by anyone who lets themselves be taking away by this film.

Rated PG. 91 minutes (1 hour 31 minutes). Violence – cartoon violence with army weapons and threats of brains being eaten.

Tonight I needed a break, and Ponyo fit the bill very well! This is a Japanese cartoon, it is distributed here in the US by Walt Disney, but it is a animation by Hayao Miyazaki (of Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, etc). The drawings were top-notch. Very beautiful to see and the story was simple and pleasing.

Great for kids – and since I’m not really much of a grown-up (I’m a waste of age) I enjoyed it! The voice cast for the English dubbed version was very good, easy to listen to. Tina Fey played one of the main characters and her husband was voiced by Matt Damon – even though he wasn’t in much of the movie.

The movie is about the underwater keeper of the seas. His daughter escapes and sees a little boy and she decides that she wants to be human. Because she uses a little bit of magic to turn herself human and escape the ocean, it messes up the balance and the world is on the verge of being destroyed. Unless they can pass the test.

If you are a kid, or just a kid at heart, this is an enjoyable evening. Just throw out any ideas before you watch, and don’t make yourself think you have to only watch grown-up movies. Get some popcorn and live a little!

Rated G. 101 minutes (1 hour 41 minutes).