"ParaNorman" is one of the summer movies you don't want to miss!

March 2, 2012 / Christopher Lee / Leave a comment

The next few months are going to be crazy times in the theaters for geeks, nerds, dweebs and spaz’s, but let’s not let all the blockbusters take our focus away from some of the “smaller” films that might otherwise slip under the radar, like “ParaNorman” which comes out on August 17th, 2012 from Laika Entertainment, the studio that brought us “Coraline” and “The Corpse Bride”.

“ParaNorman” tells the tale of young Norman Babcock who is your stereotypical “Weird Kid” who gets put down by his family and picked on at school. The difference here lies in the odd ability young Norman has for communicating with the dead.

This of course leads him to all sorts of issues that a kid his age shouldn’t have to deal with, but nothing like the sort of problem that’s coming when an evil witch spirit casts a spell to raise the dead and rule the world. Her plan might come to fruition if not for the heroic efforts of the reluctant little hero.

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit. The plot is/seems a bit “done”, cliche’d, and contrived. It really seems like the studio just wanted to make another “creepy kid’s movie” and having run out of ideas and not wanting to deliberately rip off Edward Gorey, instead ripped off Peter Jackson. Really, this movie looks like the “Frighteners” for kids (and Hot Topic patrons). Not to mention all the obvious stereotypes. C’mon, haven’t we had enough of the “friend of the misfit hero is a dopey fat kid”? I’m sure that if it wasn’t that, it’d probably be a ginger. I mean, everyone knows the only hero dork in pop-culture who has a best friend that’s not an idiot, socially inept, or of obvious physical difference than the norm, is Spider-Man (I refer to Harry Osbourne if you didn’t get that), though, granted, as much as I love the new series, “Ultimate Spider-Man”s Miles Morales’ best friend is a chubby asian nerd…stereotype much? Okay, okay, that’s a different article all together.

All that being said, none of it means that I don’t want to see “ParaNorman”, mind you. It still looks fun, and I honestly think going into it with lower expectations will let me enjoy it a bit more than if I expected something great and new. Your thoughts?

-Chris

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Don't knock it til you've tried it!

February 27, 2012 / Christopher Lee / Leave a comment

If you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ve been in heated discussions not only about the movies, original or prequel, but of aspect of all the other medium as well.
Many I’ve spoken to have dismissed the “Clone Wars” tv series as a kids show to be put on the backburner indefinitely, no doubt, in large part, to the fact that it’s based in the environment of the almost universally reviled prequel films.

I say now, as I’ve said for some time, don’t do that to yourself.

The “Clone Wars” is a treat. It’s a well made and planned out series that caters to the fans. It has a linear story format that, at times, seems above the age for which it seems targeted. Characters die. I don’t mean just faceless clones and robots, I mean real storyline characters that you grow an attachment to are killed off in this series. It’s relatively violent, more than you’d expect. Not simply lightsaber battles either. It’s well acted as well. Oddly, the computer generated characters seem to have more life than they did in the actual movies.

“Sorry I am, young Skywalker. Directing, one of Lucas’ strong points, is not.”

There’s quite a bit of fan service to be had as well. Nods and appearances to locales and characters you might not expect are given aplenty. There is a two part episode in season three that is a tribute to King Kong and Godzilla respectively. There is, as well, a tribute episode to the “Seven Samurai” that was rather well done, giving a wonderful nod to what is generally well known as the samurai films of Akira Kurosawa that Lucas claims formed the base of Star Wars itself.

BEHOLD!!! The Zillo Beast!! (Yes, that’s what it was actually called, just in case anyone didn’t know it was a Godzilla nod already…and LOOK AT THOSE TANKS!)

I could go on about how much I enjoy this series, but instead, I think you should check it out and form your own opinion. Don’t just dismiss something without giving it due chance. If you’re a Star Wars fan, you owe it to yourself to discover some good that has come out of the prequels.

Oh…and did I mention, Darth Maul is BACK!! Watch the trailer and be excited!

-Chris

IMPORTANT ADVENTURE TIME NEWS!!!

February 16, 2012 / Christopher Lee / Leave a comment

Pendleton Ward, creator of the wonderful CN show, “Adventure Time” answers a question we’ve all been asking. (from Newsrama)

Nrama: Jenny (Klein, who works on the WB’s “Supernatural”) also asks, “Why does Finn’s hat have little ears on the top of it?”

P.Ward: When he was a baby, Finn went out into the woods and skinned a bear.

This is a great interview. I rather love “A.T.” and think you should too! I know, from the look of it, it’s easy to dismiss as just another “kid’s show”, but honestly, it’s very much in the vein of the Muppets. There’s a lot of humor there for the kids, it’s presented in a bright and colorful manner, but here and there, you’ll catch these little snippets and jokes that shoot right over most children’s heads and catch you right in the funny bone. Give it a shot!

-Capt. Chris