This Is It: Jacksons Final Bow

One of the greatest entertainers of all time was taken from us earlier than expected. He was on his way back to the top after years of being out of the public eye and This Is It is the proof.

This Is It is a collection of rehearsal and behind the scenes footage for an upcoming tour. New footage was shot to accompany the live experience that even included 3D elements. The dancers were the best in the world and the live musicians were top notch. His main guitarists ripped on the guitar during a part to let them shine, but the solo for "Beat It" was made even more insane by lead guitarist Orianthi Panagaris. The new accompanying videos for "Thriller", "They Don't Care About Us", "Smooth Criminal" are also a wonder to watch. The footage shot of all of this was going to be a part of Michaels personal collection.

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Review: 9

I may be a bit forward, but this may be one of the best movies I've ever seen.

Ever since I saw the cast list for this movie, I was excited. I had not seen the short, but was excited for the story. Ever since the first trailer was released, the excitement kept building. After Comic-Con, I knew that this movie was something special. This film is one of a select few that don't need to be placed in a category other than, "good." It has elements of science fiction, action, drama and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Review: STAR TREK

I have good news for everybody. This is absolutely one of the best films of the year.

This reboot of the Star Trek franchise covers all of its bases without retconning anything that has already happened. In fact, it acknowledges it at one point. Everybody knows of Leonard Nemoy, the original Spock, appearing in the film. It is more than just a cameo. He actually plays an integral part to the plot.

Review: THE HANGOVER

The latest from Todd Phillips made me laugh and cringe, sometimes at the same time. The premise of the film is a simple one to follow. Four guys go to Vegas for a bachelor party with the groom. They wake up the next morning and don't remember anything about what happened the night before, including where they left the groom.

Mark's Top 5 For 2009

If everyone else is doing lists, I will too! 2009 is going to be a HUUUUUUGE year for film. It seems that when the films were going in a downward spiral, the studios actually listened and started upping the ante on their work. It was hard, but I've narrowed it down to five that I absolutely cannot wait for. (Watchmen isn't on the list because it may not come out in 2009)

5. Dragonball Evolution
So if you have been following The Movie Watch for a while, you'd know that I am quite intrigued by the idea of a live action movie based on the Dragonball series. Being a big fan, it doesn't look bad. I don't think it will be one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time, but it has appeal for both the fans and the mainstream media. If anything, it'll just be a good "B" martial arts movie.


4. Monsters Vs Aliens
This film has been on my radar for quite some time. Before I saw any renders or heard any dialogue, I saw that Stephen Colbert was going to play the president and that Hugh Laurie was going to play a mad scientist named Dr. Cockroach M.D.. Those two comedic talents are enough for a great flick *coughdependingonthescriptcough*, but they are joined by Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Keifer Sutherland, Paul Rudd and more. This looks to be another great Dreamworks venture.



3.Up
Pixar looks to wow us all again with the story of Carl Fredricksen. He sets out on a journey with a boyscout trying to get his "help the elderly badge" in order to fulfill his late wife's dream of exploring the mountains. Ed Asner is the voice of Carl and because of my love of Freakazoid!, I think this will be one of his best roles yet. It's a Pixar movie, you know you're going to see it. Also, what sort of teaser for Toy Story 3 do you think we'll get?


2. Star Trek XI
I was raised on Star Trek. I had seen all of the Next Generation movies in the theatre (except the last one, but who did see that in theatres?). I don't know as much about the original series except for what was in the films they made, so being able to see an origin story makes me a little excited. Also, they shot the academy scenes at Cal State University Northridge, where I am currently enrolled. It'll be funny to see the certain scenes and be like "Kirk went to Sky High!" It's gonna be great, so grab your phaser and set it to FUN! I couldn't help myself with the hokey line. Leave your complaints with Ezra.


1.Fanboys
What did you expect? Bride Wars? No sir! This film has been in hell for quite some time with fans just waiting to get any glimpse they can. I saw about ten to twenty minutes of the flick last year at Comic-Con and couldn't wait for it's release in 2008! It seems like this film is to us like what Phantom Menace is to the guys (and girl) in the flick. I know it won't disappoint. There is going to be more Star Wars jokes than Kevin Smith could ever dream of and more Star Trek knocking than ever. I can't wait to see what is in store and what they think of Phantom. Who's got two thumbs and already bought his tickets? THIS GUY!


HAVE A GOOD 2009! I know I will!

Review: MILK

My name is Mark Donica and I want to recruit you.

I want to recruit you to see this film. As a Californian, this movie hits close to home. As a human being, this movie will pull at your heartstrings.

Can America Understand Japanese Source Material?

There is no denying that Japan has had many exports from our childhood and the childhood of others being recreated onto the big screen for another shot at glory. The last example of this was Speed Racer and an upcoming example is the live action adventure, Dragonball Evolution.

These aren't the only things coming as Astro Boy and Gatchaman are also slated for release, among other rumored projects. One of the biggest concerns after the release of Speed Racer and the release of the trailer for Dragonball Evolution is that the American filmmakers are trying to hard to make something magic and mystical as real with digital effects. Needless to say, the Dragonball series is loosely based on the Chinese Story of Journey to the West and changes it up by adding aliens and fireballs.

My point is that I hope American directors don't take the great stories that the Japanese have made that are major building blocks of our childhood and adapt them into the "American Style". The great thing about these stories is how off the wall and original they are. By removing the style in which they are regularly presented, it becomes hokey and average. In the new Dragonball movie, they have removed the anthropomorphic animals to create a sense of realism. If you have an alien that comes from another planet to collect seven magical balls that grant any wish you want and the only way to fight him is by learning how to throw a stronger fireball, I think the idea of realism isn't that much of an issue anymore.
With Astro Boy, it is being animated by Imagi Animation Studios, who did the great TMNT, and thusly keeping it's overall visual style. The movie looks stunning and a teaser was being played with the earlier release of Bolt. The cast is rather stellar and is being led by Freddie Highmore, who is well known for his roles in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Finding Neverland, as Astro as well as Bill Nighy, Kristen Bell, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Scarlett Johanssen and many more. There haven't been any confirmations of who they are playing, but needless to say, Imagi is treating this fantastic future story with the respect it deserves.

As for Dragonball Evolution, it doesn't look too bad. I'm a big enough fan that I would love to give it a chance. I think you should too, but be open, as it's not going to fulfill any fans wildest desires. Let us look to the future of anime based films and hope that they are CGI or even hand drawn. In Japan, popular anime series' get feature films on a yearly basis. Thanks to the acceptance of anime in our society, those films are slowly being released in our theatres.

The future looks a little bright, let's hope that we're all just wearing sunglasses.

The Pixar Effect: IT WORKS!

The saga between Disney and Pixar has been settled as of late with the merger of the two companies. As a result, John Lasseter has been given the power of green lighting films from Roy Disney himself. This has led to a great increase in quality of Disney franchise as a whole. Not only did he eliminate the production of straight to DVD, but is a chief Imagineering executive.

In the theme parks, he is taking Disney's California Adventure park from a partial day experience to an all or even several day happening. The original Disneyland park is focusing less on budget and more on quality for the guests. It's showing, as Tomorrowland got a complete stylistic overhaul, the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through returning after seven years and, of course, the Finding Nemo Submarine.

As for films, the change is very noticeable. Meet the Robinsons was far enough into production to not qualify for any change, but Bolt, back then called American Dog, was substantially different in look and story. The original story was about a TV dog being stranded in Nevada with a one eyed cat and a radioactive rabbit that are trying to find new homes. Bolt was also a larger dog, more of a heroic looking collie like dog. As everyone saw from our review, Bolt is a fantastic movie. As an aside from me, it was reminiscent of the Disney movies of old and that makes me excited for future endeavors.

Pixar has definitely been the highlight of the Disney franchise in recent years, but now that they are working on the same level, let's hope the "Pixar Effect" has a longstanding results. Maybe Disney can enter it's second Renaissance.

Review: YOUTH IN REVOLT

Let me start off by stating my criteria for this review. I have NOT seen a movie with Michael Cera as the starring role. Also, I have NOT read the book Youth In Revolt. So needless to say I went into this film not expecting anything. After seeing the film and finding out things about the book, I want to tell those fans of the book that this is not a 100% faithful adaptation. There are many characters that are left out, as well as plot points. The story of Nick Twisp centers around one thing and one thing only, Sheeni Saunders.

What We Like: Mark's Favorites

Happy Sunday everyone! Hope everyone had a safe Halloween as well as changed their clocks. Today is the beginning of a new feature here at The Movie Watch. To give everyone a peek in at our scope of interest, we're going to be sharing with you some of our favorites.

Is Replacing Actors for Sequels a Good Idea?

It was reported last week that Terrence Howard would be replaced by Don Cheadle in the highly anticipated sequel to the summer blockbuster Iron Man. Reportedly, it was due to Howard's demand for higher pay for the role. Knowing how War Machine was teased in the film made it seem like there was going to be some more development in the Jim Rhodes character. It is unfortunate for a franchise that is destined to make a lot of money to not want to put out for a little bit of continuity in a film.

This goes for all sequels that get recast, and not just Iron Man. Several that come to mind immediately are Marvel, so that's convenient. As you may have heard, Thomas Jane is not returning for The Punisher: War Zone and Ed Norton doesn't want to reprise his role as the Incredible Hulk for a possible sequel or The Avengers. Jane didn't like waiting for the project to start shooting and Ed Norton hasn't given a reason, but it is most likely due to the changes he made to the script of The Incredible Hulk being edited out of the theatrical cut.

People making choices to compromise the quality/success of a film takes it away from the consumer and makes the imaginary world that a film creates a lot more realistic. When Iron Man II comes out and you see Tony Stark talking to Jim Rhodes, won't it be weird seeing him talk to a physically different person than the one he was talking to a day/week/month/year ago? Recasting makes the audience aware of the fourth wall and consequently, makes it easier for an audience to be taken out of a movie.

Also, don't get me wrong, the actors used to replace the leaving ones usually do a good enough job, but it's not the character from the previous films. A few months ago, Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was released without Rachel Weiss. They did something kind of smart in the film to address it. At the beginning of the film, one of Maria Bello's first lines, referencing a character based on her the she wrote in books titled "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns", was, "Honestly I can say that she's a completely different person." Now that seemed to be the studio telling the audience about the change, but that didn't change that the new Mummy film was bad.

To any Hollywood types reading this blog, please listen to my plea. If you go the extra mile in keeping the original talent used, not only will the profits grow, but it will be more likely to maintain a franchise.

-Mark

Review: TINKERBELL

Let me address your either vocal or mental, "No he didn't!" with a very real, yes. Yes I did.

Now don't get me wrong, everything leading up to this movie led it to look like a crappy Disney knockoff.

It wasn't. In fact, this film was more than just watchable, I actually enjoyed it. The music and the voice acting definitely helped with the sometimes hokey jokes. Tink has never talked before, so giving her a voice in general seems like a bad idea, but for you Avatar fans out there, it actually works for this film. Mae Whitman, voice of Katara in Avatar, voices Tinker Bell in the movie. Her fairy friends are played by familiar faces as Raven Simone voices Iridessa the light fairy, America Ferrera voices Fawn the animal fairy, Lucy Lui voices Silvermist the water fairy and Kristen Chenowith voices Rosetta the garden fairy. Each fairy has their own quirk that will probably be expanded upon further in the rest of the Disney Fairies series, and it doesn't look like they'll be uninteresting. Rob Paulsen of Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, etc. voices a fellow tinker named Bobble who is one of the fairies that Tink first becomes friends with. Anjelica Huston, Madame Morticia Adams, plays the Queen of all the fairies, whose entrance is very beautiful and showy, but not condescending in any way, it's just right.

The story was essentially a Tinker Bell finding her place in Fairy Glen and realizing that using what you have been given is more important than trying to be something you're not. There is a good character arc with Tink and even an appearance by someone from the main story at the end. It's pretty fast paced, clocking in at a whopping seventy minute running time, they had to get a lot in quick. The 3D animation in this film is very soft and fantastical, just what one would expect from a film about fairies. Disney definitely put a good chunk of time, money and effort into this film and it really shows. If more of Disney's direct-to-DVD offerings had calibur like this, they wouldn't be as kicked down as they have been.


The score was written by Joel McNeely, who has done other Disney films like Mulan II and Return to Neverland, but this score is possibly one of my favorites of any Disney Film. McNeely found a violinist named Mairead Nesbitt to play a classically styled, yet strong Celtic piece after seeing her on PBS (Thanks to viewers like you). In a word, beautiful. It portrays a sense of wonder and curiosity that one should have in a movie about self discovery. It did it's job of keeping me in the movie at points where I may or may not have cared less. If a CD of the score exists, I will buy it and won't be ashamed of it.

Overall, this film succeeds in furthering the amazement with Tinkerbell. With a new meet and greet coming to Disneyland and more, the folks down in Burbank are going to milk this thing for all they got. With that in mind, and despite John Lassetter's intervention, I actually want them to make a direct sequel to this movie. Now that we know how she came to be, a lot of questions start popping up. How did she lose her voice? How did she meet Peter? Anyway, I suggest finding a little cousin or sister that has this movie to give you a reason to watch it.

A Quick Summary Of Things...

Hello There,

There are a few new things on THE MOVIE WATCH... this is what they are...

1. We will now be taking submissions of GUEST POSTS from all you readers out there who also want to talk about movies. If you guys write up a critique of a movie, or things you like in film, or whatever pretty much as long as it fits the theme of this site, I will select a few a week and upload them so everyone can read your opinions. Send the Subject Line as - Guest Post to themoviewatch@gmail.com. Read more info in the Side Bar ----->

2. Also in the side bar if you haven't noticed is the new "Donica In a Box' where our contributor Mark Donica will write little blurbs about things in the film world that make big news but could be overshadowed in a small post on the main section of the page. Check that out! ----->

3. Suggestion box in the side bar! --->

That's it for now! Enjoy.

Check back later tonight or tomorrow for a review of ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO.



Also - Happy Birthday to Rachel McAdams.... for it is her birthday I suppose, and Wilder proclaims the whole world has to know.