Titanic (RiffTrax version)

Who: Bill & Melanie, and Melanie's co-worker/friend Liesl
What: Titanic-- The RiffTrax version
Where: On DVD, with RiffTrax commentary via Liesl's computer
Why: Who thought "Titanic" could be funny?

It's a sure bet most everyone (including myself and Melanie) has seen Titanic, the story of Jack and Rose-- he's poor and happy, she's rich and unhappy. They fall in love aboard the ill-fated Titanic. The ship hits an iceberg and it sinks. Jack dies. Rose lives. A depressing movie. But a MAJOR hit that brought Director/Producer/Co-Writer/Co-Editor James Cameron 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture for 1997.

RiffTrax has its basis in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 series. RiffTrax's head commentator Michael J. Nelson was a host and writer on that show. With RiffTrax, you can download audio commentaries for selected movies from their website (for a fee) to your computer, and play them in sync with the movie. Such is the case with the recent addition with Titanic to their play list. Nelson, along with MST3K veterans Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, offer their "riffs" on everything from the characters (especially Jack, Rose and her snobbish fiance Caledon Nathan Hockley) to implausible situations, the ship's ultimate tragic fate, and the music as it concludes with an outrageously off-key rendition of Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On". We finished the movie full of tears-- from laughter. Hard to believe this could be done from such a melancholy movie such as Titanic, but somehow RiffTrax pulled it off. Some of the comments do fall flat but more often than not, they're on target.

Movie fans looking for a different "perspective" than the usual cast and crew commentary might want to check out RiffTrax.com.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Who:  Amber & Jonathan
What:  Star Wars:  The Clone Wars
Where:  @ home on DVD
Why:  It was Jonathan's b-day present

**Warning - I will be spelling every single Star Wars name incorrectly!**  Ever since we went to Disney's Star Wars Weekends and saw Ashley Eckstein (the voice of Asoka), we've been The Clone Wars fans.  Thanks to DirectTV, we recorded all of season 1 of the animated series.  But the movie preceded the animated series, and I've always been curious about where Asoka came from.

Unfortunately, this movie doesn't answer any of those questions.  Asoka just shows up because Obi Wan Kanobi wanted another padawan learner.  Since Anakin turned out awesome, he's ready to teach again.  Asoka shows up and says she's here to learn from Anakin, not Obi Wan.  Well, he has no interest in a padawan learner.  He's a free spirit, he's reckless, he can't teach somebody. Nice switcher-o Obi Wan!

The Clone Wars is in full swing.  Obi Wan, Anakin and Asoka go from one battle to another. When to Jedi's rest or even eat or sleep?

Then Jabba the Hutt calls.  His son is missing!  Even though he's not a friend of the Republic (the good guys), helping out Jabba will be a great ally for later.  The Jedi's find Jabba's son right away, but he's very sick.  They need to get him back to Jabba alive, or he'll kill the Jedi's.  Also, the Empire (the bad guys) are trying to kill the Jedi's as well.  Count Duko (the main bad guy) has Jabba convinced that the Jedi's have already killed his son, and they are coming to kill Jabba as well.  Of course, the opposite is true.  Count Duko is the one who has actually captured his son.

Holy cow - Jabba is ugly, but his little baby son is adorable!  It makes me wonder, where do little Jabba's come from?!?  Think about that for a moment.

In typical Star Wars fashion, many droids are killed.  Red and blue gun fire is everywhere.  The clone troopers also fall dead left and right.  It's not bloody or anything, but those are still people dying.  It's kind-of graphic for little kids.  Although, also in typical Star Wars fashion, the Jedi win, and the bad guys loose.

The movie doesn't really end per say … this part of the battle is over, but there are many, many other battles to be won.  Stay tuned to Comedy Central for the continuation of the story.  Star Wars just keeps going and going and going!

G Force

Who:  Amber & Jonathan
What:  G Force
Where:  AMC Pleasure Island
Why:  Jonathan picked it b/c it was his b-day

Welcome to the world of talking guinea pigs!

Fat Jesus from The Hangover (Zach somebody … you know, the guy with the beard) is in charge of a crazy animal experiment with the FBI.  He's trained guinea pigs, moles, roaches and flys to be full fledged agents.  They can even talk!

The FBI is tired of wasting money on training animals, so in the morning they are going to shut them down.   So the guinea pig and mole set out on their very first mission. If they are successful, then maybe they can prove that this section of the FBI is worthy, and they can all keep their jobs.  Otherwise, it's back to the pet store.

Well, thanks to a computer genius mole and 3 super charged guinea pigs, they break into Bill Niegy's (the bad guy) house during a huge party, download a file from his computer and escape. Success!

Unfortunately, the file they downloaded from the computer doesn't show the "world domination" that the guinea pigs thought, it just shows how to make a coffee maker.  Not a success.  They are shut down and shipped off to the pet store.

Silly pet owners and realistic (ha!) escape plans later, the 3 guinea pigs (plus 1 stray guinea pig they found at the pet store) are back together, and ready to prove that they didn't screw up their mission.  They know they downloaded the correct file.  Why couldn't the computer genius mole find it to show the head FBI guy?   Could it be because he's a "mole"!?!  Get my drift …

This movie was ok, but I don't need to see it again.  The guinea pigs were cute (and not super CGI looking), but the circumstances were way ridiculous.  The bad guy was trying to make all his home appliances come to life like transformers and take over the world. Riiiiiiight.

Up

Who:  Amber & Jonathan
What:  UP
Where:  AMC Pleasure Island
Why:  It's Pixar!

I had been seeing previews and photos for UP for about 8 months now.  Since it was Pixar, I knew it would be good, but I wasn't so sure about the story and if it would be as good as all the other Pixar movies.

And, as a friend mentioned to me today, if I told you the plot and the funny scenes of the movie, it would just seem ridiculous and lame.  But the movie is WONDERFUL.

Maybe because I'm such a sap for seeing movies with cute old couples who have been happily married for ever ... or maybe because my life is kind-of like Carl and Elle Fredrickson.  They are happy to be around each other, and they happily just live their lives.  They aren't really extravagant or noteworthy.  They just build a home for themselves and enjoy being married.

If you don't really want to see UP, or if you're embarrassed that you want to see UP, but your friends won't see it with you, I highly encourage you to at least watch the first 15 minutes.  After that, you're ok to leave.

Also, the classic Pixar short film before the the movie is adorable.  I think it might be my favorite yet!

Go see this movie immediately!!!  Adults will love the romance, kids will love the adventure.  It's a win/win!

MONSTERS VS ALIENS

Who: Kerri, Mitchel, & Emily
What: Monsters Vs Aliens
Where: Showplace 14
Why: Spring break, and the kids have been stuck inside with crappy weather!


After being struck by a meteor on her wedding day, Susan changes to "the attack of the 50 ft woman mode" She's taken to a secret government facility which houses some other monsters.

When the government discovers aliens have landed, their only defense is 'the monsters'

Chaos ensues, people learn lessons. A fun time for all.

The animation is well done, we didn't get to see it in 3-D because we live in Podunk Illinois and they don't do that 'fun' stuff I can see where some of the shots would have been great in 3D though.

There were LOTS of famous voices, Reece Witherspoon, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Hough Laurie, Will Arnet, Paul Rudd, Seth, Rogan, to name a few. I hardly recognized Keifer - he did a great job, and Rainn Wilson was hilarious as the alien. Seth Rogan as B.O.B was great fun too.

I took Mitchel, my 13 year old autistic son, he's STILL laughing over it. The kids in the audience loved it, and there was enough humor to keep the adults engrossed in it.

A Miser Brother's Christmas

Who:  Amber
What:  A Miser Brother's Christmas
Where:  @ home on ABC Family
Why:  I was curious

This new holiday special was ... just ok.  Everybody remembers the Heat Miser and Snow Miser from the '70s classic.  "I'm Mr. Snow Miser ... I'm Mr. 10 below ..."  I think it was "Santa Claus is Coming to Town?"

I was really excited b/c the original Misers were super cool.  I think they were super cool because they were so random, and only in the original Christmas special for about 10 minutes.  An entire hour devoted to them ... not so much.  And this was nominated for an Annie award!  Yowsers!

What was cool about it was the animation.  I'm assuming it was not clay-mation (like it was in the 70s), but CGI.  But they made the characters look just like the clay-mation.  Their mouth's had those lines around them, and they were a little herky jerky.

The story is a 'tale as old as time'.  Santa hurts his back (it was sabotage!) and the Miser Brothers must stop fighting to take over for him for this year.  Can they stop fighting, make some decent toys and get them delivered in time?  What about the Wind Miser-guy who sabotaged Santa's sleigh.  He's got a serious Santa complex.  Will he ruin Christmas??

Kung Fu Panda

Who:  Amber, Jonathan & Jonathan's family
What:  Kung Fu Panda
Where:  @ the in-law's house
Why:  Jonathan bought it on Black Friday

Jonathan normally has a semi prejudice for non-Disney/Pixar animated movies, so I'm surprised he bought this movie (granted, it was only $9) before we've even seen it!  I think the barrage of marketing finally pulled him in.  Plus that fact that is made tons of money this summer made me believe it was a "decent" movie.

This flick was 'ok'.  But it was your typical animated movie.  It was funny for the kids, and it tried to be funny for adults.  It had way to much childish chatter.  Plus all the A list celebrity voices ... totally unnecessary!  I mean, Angelina Jolie?  There were 2 female characters, and I knew she was a voice in the movie (b/c The Soup made fun of her), but I couldn't pick her out!  Why even pay her all that money to lend her voice.  I wish there were more oriental sounding voices.  This movie was supposed to be based in China.

Ok - on to the plot:  The Dragon Warrior is about to be picked for the first time in China's history.  Po, the fat, noodle-loving Panda (Jack Black) is too late to watch the ceremony.  He managed to light a chair on fire with a firecracker and blast himself right into the middle of the ceremony.  He gets picked on accident!  Oops - I didn't see that coming!

Of course, all the real kung-fu animals (who have been training all their lives to be the Dragon Warrior) are annoyed.  As Jonathan said, "and hilarity will ensue ..."

Did I mention an evil kung-fu warrior has escaped from prison?  This evil warrior wants to be the Dragon Warrior!  Oh no, Po, the fat Panda will have to fight him!  I can't imagine what will happen next ...

It was a cute movie.  I'm glad Jonathan bought it for only $9.  I kind-of hope he decides to sell it on ebay ... after I watch all the special features.

Bolt

Who:  Amber, Jonathan & Jonathan's entire family
What:  Bolt
Where:  Sullivan 6 - tiny theater in Missour-A
Why:  It's Disney!

I also saw Bolt over the Thanksgiving weekend, and I loved it!  I had heard other people say, "meh - it was ok", but I think it was better than ok.  I, on the other hand, highly recommend it!

I was afraid it would be a cheesy "we're traveling across the country" montage.  Thankfully, there was a montage, but it was insanely cute.

Ok, I'm getting off track.  Bolt is Penny's dog.  Although Penny is no ordinary kid, she's a TV star in an action-style TV show.  But Bolt is the REAL super hero of the show.  Thanks to TV magic, he can 'bend' metal, his eyes are lasers, he can jump super far and run super fast.  Bolt believes he can actually do these things - b/c he never EVER leaves the set.  He never gets to be a real dog.  He always honestly thinks Penny is in grave danger, and he relishes his opportunity to save her each week.

Well, when Bolt gets off the set for the first time, and ends up in NYC (long story), and a wise cracking ally cat has to set him straight.  After a while, Bolt does realize he has no super powers, but actually enjoys being a real dog.  Who knew sticking your face out of a car door was totally awesome!?!?

It's Disney, so you know Bolt will make it back to Penny in LA, but he has some wild and funny adventures along the way.

Best line (by the hamster), "I'll go get a ladder."

Madagascar Escape 2 Africa

Who:  Amber & Jonathan
What:  Madagascar Escape 2 Africa
Where:  AMC at Pleasure Island
Why:  It looked cute

I like to move it, move it!  You like to move it, move it.  We like to move it, move it.  You like to ... MOVE IT!

Most sequels (especially animated sequels) are so overdone and a little ridiculous, but this movie was pretty good!  I don't remember the first one much, but I'd say it's just as good at the first.

At the beginning of the movie, they give you a quick recap of the 1st movie, in case you forgot how they got from the NYC zoo to Madagascar (thank you - I didn't remember that at all).  Then the movie jumps right to the 4 animals boarding an airplane (one they obviously found in the middle of the jungle) and are planning to fly back to NYC.  Good thing the penguins know how to fly (irony!).

Of course the beat up plane doesn't make it very far.  The animals have crash landed in Africa.  They all have a sense of deja vu ... wait a minute ... the 4 animals were originally from Africa!  Ironically the plane has crashed where Alex the lion used to live.  And his parents still live there!

There's a back story about the penguins and some monkeys trying to fix the plane.  There's a back story about a group of people from NYC on a safari trip.  More back story about all the animals finding their nitch with all the wild animals.  Etc, etc ...

All in all, this was a great movie!  I highly recommend it.

The Pixar Story

Who:  Amber & Jonathan
What:  The Pixar Story
Where:  @ home - free Starz weekend
Why:  Pixar rules!

I love a documentary, but only if I'm interested in the subject.  The Pixar Story was a very enjoyable documentary!

I think a lot of people think Pixar was formed to make great movies.  Not ever close.  Pixar has been around for a while.  "Pixar" was actually the name of a computer they made, which had nothing to do with animation.  George Lucas used to own the company.  They were losing money every year, and Steve Jobs (the Apple guy) bought them.

They still lost money every year until they made Toy Story.  Even making Toy Story was a big challenge.  Besides the fact that a CGI animated movie had never been made before, they really struggled with the story and getting Disney to help them out.

Side note:  John Lassater, the director of Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Cars was a Disney animator, who was FIRED!  Smooth move Disney.

This documentary was great, because Pixar, and all the directors of various movies seemed to video tape their entire lives!  There was tons of old footage, and it was very entertaining and informative to watch.

Another side note:  This documentary was made by Leslie Iwerks.  Disney aficionados might recognize her name ... she is the grandaughter of Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney's right hand man.

I heard this documentary MIGHT be included in the upcoming Ratatouille 2-disc DVD, so stay tuned.

Tron

Who: Bill
What: Tron
Where: Rented DVD from Netflix
Why: Believe it or not, I’d never seen the whole movie!

I admit it-- it took me 26 years to watch Tron from start to finish. There were opportunities to see it before, but for one reason or another, I never got around to watching all of it until now. But I’m glad I finally did.

Tron is one of the first movies to make extensive use of computer-generated graphics. In the early 1980‘s, the emerging field of computer technology was taking hold in the workplace. Video games were capturing the imagination of people not only in dedicated arcades but in homes thanks to Atari. The timing could not have been better for a film such as Tron to take advantage of the fascination with computers and computer-based games. For Walt Disney Productions, Tron was a story well beyond the typical boundaries previously put forth by the studio. Just two years earlier for example, lackluster efforts such as Herbie Goes Bananas was standard fare when it came to Disney’s live-action product even though the studio was beginning to try out different concepts such as 1979’s The Black Hole.

Most of the action in Tron is set within the fantasy world of computer gaming. An ambitious programmer named Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has made numerous attempts to remotely hack into his former employer’s mainframe to prove the thievery of co-worker Ed Dillinger (David Warner), who stole ideas of Flynn’s in order to advance to an executive level. Dillinger has created a self-running Master Control Program or MCP and it is the MCP that prevents Flynn’s efforts to gain access. Meanwhile, Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) has developed a security program called TRON to watch over the MCP. But the MCP, which has evolved to nearly outsmart its human counterparts, doesn’t take kindly to being monitored by anyone or any program. After Flynn is brought back to the lab by Bradley and co-worker--and former girlfriend-- Lora Baines (Cindy Morgan), Flynn directly confronts the MCP and is transported into the gaming world where his program counterpart Clu is challenged to a series of games. Its up to Flynn/Clu to outsmart the MCP and stay alive to destroy it, or be erased forever. Characters in the real world have digital counterparts. Thus, Dillinger is the meanacing leader named Sark as well as the MCP’s voice, Lora is Yori, and Alan is Tron.

The visual effects make Tron stand out. It amazed audiences in 1982 and when seen from that perspective, it still looks impressive in 2008. For years, rumors of a sequel had come and gone. On July 24, 2008, guests at San Diego Comic Con were surprised when Disney presented test footage from what was termed “TR2N” or Tron 2. The projected release date is for 2011. Jeff Bridges is scheduled to return as Kevin Flynn. Director and co-writer Steven Lisberger will also be involved in the sequel as a co-producer. With the incredible advancements in CGI since Tron was released, antcipation should be high for another stunning visual achievement in how movies are made.

Monsters, Inc.

Who:  Amber & Jonathan
What:  Monsters, Inc.
Where: Fort Wilderness Campfire Movie
Why:  This was the scheduled movie of the evening

This might be my favorite Pixar movie.  It's so hard to choose, but this is top 3 for sure.

Monsters, Inc. has everything!  It's hilarious (Billy Crystal is fantastic).  It's adorable (how cute is Boo?!?  I mean, they found the most perfect 2 year old girl to babble into a microphone and it works).  It's a little adventurous, a little scary, and it's so different!

Most stupid movie studios would've made a movie about weird looking monsters, and it would've been about their wacky adventures.  But Pixar made a movie about weird looking monsters, and how they have feelings (along with their wacky adventures).  I'm hungry for a lemon snow cone all of a sudden ...

I think Jonathan said it best ... "This is the best ending of a Pixar movie ever.  Look how happy (Sully) is."  Amen to that!

Open Season

Who:  Amber & Jonathan
What:  Open Season
Where:  @ home - free Starz weekend
Why:  Jonathan picked it 

Normally non-Pixar movies are always 100% kid and kind-of lame.  But I really enjoyed this movie!

Boog is a bear.  A bear who lives in a garage of a forest ranger.  I guess she rescued him when he was a cub, and Boog is very happy living in a garage.  He's got a warm cozy bed, an adorable teddy bear, a toilet (how does a bear use a toilet and not break it?), and a great forest ranger mom who loves him very much.

Elliot is a deer.  A little teeny tiny weeny deer.  Elliot breaks into Boog's garage, introduces him to candy ... and then run into town to eat more candy at a 7-11 type store.  When the cops find the animals, they send Boog & Elliot into the wild to live.  Boog is just too big and potentially dangerous to live with people anymore.

Unfortunatly it's Open Season for hunters.  Plus Boog has no clue how to live in the wild!  The best part of his 'getting to know the wild' learning was going to the bathroom with out a toilet.  He asks Elliot where he goes to the bathroom and he replies, "you know, I never thought about it."  All the while, little deer turds are falling out his butt.  It sounds lame and gross, but it was just very realistic (and hilarious!) poop.

Hunters show up, so Boog and Elliot round up all the animals (crazy squirrels, cute beavers, war veteran ducks, etc...) to scare the hunters away.

Will Boog scare the hunters away and find his way back to down to his safe garage?  Stay tuned ...

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Who: Mitchel & Kerri
What: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Where: In the Theatre
Why: Mitchel wanted to see it

Like any Star Wars movie, they aren't rocket science, they are just for fun. This one is CGI animation and the story takes place between the live action movies Episodes II (The Clone Wars) and Episode III (Revenge of the Sith). And Anikin gets a padawan learner. There's tons of light sabre fighting, and stupid droid jokes. Anikin's dark side isn't present as a plot point just a mention of his anger while on Tatooine, it's mostly about him growing while having this padawan.

Plot is simple, Dooku working with Palpatine/Emperor to trick Jabba into siding with them against the Republic. Most of the original voices are not used, but matched well. Samuel Jackson, Christopher Lee and Anthony Daniels Do appear in this film though voicing their characters.

If you are a Star Wars fan it's entertaining, not necessarily a 'must see' or does it add to the overall story, but just gives you another chance to hear that theme song in the theatre again, which is always fun.

Monsters Inc.

Who: Monica
What: Monsters Inc.
Where: Home
Why: B/C I bought the 2 disc version a month ago and hadn't watched it yet.

Last night I pulled out my brand new 2 disc version of Monsters Inc. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the extras on these movies and couldn't wait to see what goodies I'd find in Monster world. I decided to watch the movie first, I think it's been a few years since I've seen it.

Every time I watch a Disney movie, I am always joyously surprised about how much I adore each and every one. I have favorites yes, but they are all amazing in their own way. Sulley (John Goodman) has to be one of the most lovable characters ever created by Disney, despite the fact he's.. well, a monster!! Mike (Billy Crystal) is a hoot and full of energy, just like Billy Crystal. Randy Newman songs and music run throughout, there is nothing greater in Disney films than music that sets the stage, tugs at your heart strings and sticks in your head for days!!

The detail in these movies are fascinating when you stop to notice!! I do love Pixar despite many "old school" Disney traditionalist who'd want to shoot me with that confession. There is something to be said for both kinds of animation I believe. The details in monster world are crazy: door knobs that are horns, paperwork and posters around that are designed for monsters, the props/characters that go into the "other worlds" when the monsters step out of monster world, the kids rooms and on and on and on... It's just one of the things that sets Disney movies out of the league with all the others!

The plot: Mike & Sulley are best friend monsters who work at the energy company in Monstropolis.. To get energy for Monster world, they must capture screams of children in our world, the monster in the closet. Then the worse thing to ever happen, happens .... a CHILD gets into Monster World!!! The monsters are terrified and much chaos follows. The child, Boo, is the cutest thing ever. Her unintelligible babbles (and singing when she's on the potty) are the sweetest sounds! There are things to make you laugh out loud, a plot to be solved and some touching moments as well.

If you haven't seen the "out takes" at the end of this movie, you have missed something incredible. I think this is my favorite part of Disney movies, when the characters have out takes. Are you kidding, who thinks of this stuff?? I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! It's in the details...

Then there is the bonus material. This may very well be my favorite bonus material of all time. It lets us look around the Pixar buildings where it all happens, the secret room (that even Roy Disney has visited) is just craziness. The monkey, what's with that? You get to see how much work goes from story boards and pencil drawings, to animation and character development, to adding color, details, shadows and lightning. It's a crazy process and I have no idea how people are so creative. I am thankful they are though! I loved each and every minute of the extras and watching the movie again with commentary on. So much to soak in.

If you haven't pulled out a favorite Disney animated movie lately, do it, you wont be sorry!!!!

Wall-E

Who:  Amber & Jonathan
What:  Wall-E
Where:  AMC Pleasure Island
Why:  It's Disney/Pixar!

I have seen a million previews for this movie (at work), so I still didn't really know what the story was going to be about.  Turns out it was really cute!  Who knew a robot love story would be so touching.

I kept hearing that there would not be any dialog (except for Wall-E's limited robot speak) for the first 30 minutes of the movie, and I was expecting to be bored - but surprisingly, I was not bored!

Questions I have for the writer:

1.  How did the humans go to the bathroom?

2.  Where did the babies on the spaceship come from?

3.  How was that plant live in the fridge?

4.  How did the plant live in outterspace?

But who cares about the answers to these questions!  The movie was great!  Normally after I see a Pixar movie, I start to compose a list of best Pixar movies (in order).  I can't decide where to rank this one.  I think I need to see it again.

And the Pixar short before the movie was REALLY funny.  I've been a little disappointed with the recent batch of shorts.

Shrek 3

Who: Monica with friend Misty & her 3 kids (ages: 6, 8, 14)
What: Shrek 3
Where: Hiram 278 FREE movie
Why: B/C it was FREE and I hadn't seen it

I am not big on animated sequels, most of the time I skip them. This one was super cute though. I was glad that there were the same characters and still story left to be told. I didn't feel like they were stretching and stretching for material for a 3rd.

I adore that Julie Andrews plays the Queen, who else would have a fantastic Queen voice like that? The King absolutely cracks me up. Every single scene with him is a hoot!! The Merlin character is great as well, love his "knobby knees"! The girlfriend gang to Fionna is priceless, love it!!!

I don't want to talk about the plot because it's hard to even mention what's happening without giving away spoilers. I'm guessing everyone that has interest has already saw it, but you never know. It's a great fairy tale and worth seeing!!

The Ant Bully

Who:  Amber
What:  The Ant Bully
Where:  flight from Houston to Honolulu
Why:  Nothing else on

This movie was pretty blah, and unrealistic.  I like my movies realistic - even if they aren't supposed to be realistic, I like them to have a sense of realism.

Well, there is a little nerdy kid who gets bullied around at school.  He comes home bummed all the time (from all the bullying), and he kind-of takes it out on the ants and the ant hills (w/ a magnifying glass and a water hose).

The ants manage to shrink the boy into the size of an ant (magic!), to show him how hard it is to be an ant.  Of course there is one nice lady ant who takes care of him, most of the man ants are annoyed by the boy.  The boy learns life lessons.  They all band together to fight the big bad exterminator (who to the boy called a couple days prior).

Typical un-Pixar kids movie.  This movie really didn't have anything to offer to the adult crowd, just cute little ants that would appeal to kids.

Bee Movie

Who: Bill & Melanie
What: Bee Movie
Where: Pay-Per-View
Why:Just wanted to see it.

There was plenty of “buzz” (sorry!) surrounding the computer animated Bee Movie, released in 2007 by DreamWorks Animation. Much of the attention was due to it being Jerry Seinfeld’s first major film project since Seinfeld ended in 1998. Was the over-hype worth it? Probably not.

However, Bee Movie is a cute, entertaining story about Barry B. Benson. When he temporarily leaves the hive to explore the human world, he encounters a series of near fatal accidents. However, Barry is bee-friended (ha!) by a human female named Vanessa Bloom, who owns a flower shop. While on a visit with Vanessa to a supermarket, Barry is horrified to learn that humans have been stealing and eating the bee’s honey for centuries. So what does Barry intend to do? Sue the humans, of course. You could say he becomes a “sue bee” (yes, another bad pun!). As for what happens next, you’ll just have to see. But I’ll take some of the sting away (boo!) and let you know that there is ultimately a happy ending for the bees AND the humans.

An all-star cast joins Seinfeld. Just some of the familiar voices heard are Renee Zellweger (Vanessa), Matthew Broderick (Barry’s best friend Adam), Chris Rock (Mooseblood the Mosquito), John Goodman (attorney L.T. Montgomery), Oprah Winfrey (Judge Bumbleden), Michael Richards (Bud Ditchwater), Patrick Warburton (Ken) and as themselves: Sting (yes, really), Ray Liotta, and Larry King as a bee version of himself.

Bee Movie is fun, though not necessarily full of outright laughs. The story is decent and the vocal talent is impressive. All in all, I’d say it fully lives up to its name as a Grade B---maybe a B- movie. Do as I did, and watch Bee Movie with your own honey.