As you all certainly know by now, I am a huge fan of the DC Animated films because I feel they have the edge on Marvel in that department. Plus, there are only 15 days left (including today) and I’ve been wanting to see today’s film Justice League: Throne Of Atlantis because I am an Aquaman fan. Arthur Curry (Matt Lanter) has always been in search of answers to certain questions his whole life, but when his surface father is killed in a mysterious attack, it sends him into a downward spiral. After certain unrest in Atlantis, Queen Atlanna (Sirena Irwin) wants Mera (Sumalee Montano) to find her son Arthur in hopes that he can be the link between both worlds, but she is killed by her devious other son and now Arthur will have to avenge her and save both worlds from colliding. The film also stars Sean Astin (Justice League: War) as Shazam, Rosario Dawson (Death Proof) as Wonder Woman, Nathan Fillion (Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox) as The Flash, Shemar Moore (The Brothers) as Cyborg, Jerry O’Connell (Stand By Me) as Superman, Jason O’Mara (Son Of Batman) as Batman, Sam Witwer (Crank) as Orm, Harry Lennix (Man Of Steel) as Black Manta, Juliet Landau (Ed Wood) as Lois Lane, and the film was directed by Ethan Spaulding (Son Of Batman).
I feel like every DC character story starts with them either being a drifter trying to figure out their place in life or an alcoholic trying to find their place in life. That was definitely the case in this film as Arthur Curry is a drunkard trying to figure out exactly who he is after the death of his father. I thought that the film was definitely a cool origin story for Aquaman that gives you some insight into who he is and what he can do. The film also introduced us to new scenarios like Wonder Woman and Superman dating which was a little different for me. One of my favorite things about the film is when he actually learns to use his powers especially the one where he summons the aquatic life like the shark that eats a certain villain in the film. The battle scene between the Justice League and the hydra/squid creatures was pretty cool and the overall battle scene at the end was good as well. Shazam is really starting to become one of my favorite characters as well because he looks like an adult, but he’s really just a kid so he acts like one in a way (his humor at least). My only criticism of the film is the little love story angles that you get, but I do understand why they did it (for subplots of course). I thought the voice acting was good and the story was well written. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.
For today’s film, I was in the mood for some superheroes and there are some films that I haven’t seen yet. Also, with the announcement of Justice League Dark, I figured there was some Justice League films out there I haven’t seen which is why I chose Justice League: War for today. A strange alien lifeform is planting some sort of bomb or device in Gotham, Central City, Metropolis, etc. This raises alarms for the Green Lantern (Justin Kirk) as he travels to Gotham to investigate with Batman (Jason O’Mara). With the help of Cyborg (
I do want to make something clear about the film and that the Justice League isn’t official in this film. They all begin to meet each other as they are forced to band together to fight Darkseid. Darkseid for those who don’t know is basically Marvel’s Apocalypse, but he is an alien life form who can shoot lasers out of his eyes just like Superman. The film had me excited to see that he was the villain of the film because I am a huge fan of Darkseid, but I was also excited to see Shazam in a film as well. I definitely like how they introduced him in the film and even though he looks like an adult, he still acts childish. We also get to see Cyborg’s origin in the film as he is created right before our very eyes. One of the things I enjoyed about the film was the story itself because it was a take on how they came together, but it showed how people were still afraid of them before they could rescue everyone. The film also features some language in it so I would be careful showing it to the kids (or at least use some caution) and there is definitely some violence in the film as well. This definitely isn’t my favorite DC Animated film, but it’s up there. You have to check out Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, but if you want an origin story then check this one out. I am going to give the film an B for a final grade.
The early 1980’s seemed like the time and place to release rock and roll animated cartoon films like 
Rock & Rule is one of those films that seemed to try and build off the success of Heavy Metal, but doesn’t fully succeed. The best thing about this film is quite frankly the soundtrack which features songs from Cheap Trick, Deborah Harry, and even Lou Reed. The film kind of moves a little fast through the story for my liking, but what can you do when the film is only one hour and seventeen minutes long. The animation is real old school and if you’ve seen Heavy Metal, it’s almost the same style except there is something wrong with the inhabitants of post-apocalyptic Earth. The sequences with Mok were pretty cool because he made it like he was performing magic all the time which can be trippy even in that time. The thing about this film is that the story was cool, but it jumps quick into the conclusion without any real turning point. I mean is Mok throwing away Zip’s doll the turning point that sets up the conclusion? Or is it the fact that Omar’s friends tell him to open his eyes that sets it up? That was really my only problem with the film, but that is only one factor. The music is great and the voice acting was great. Check it out on Youtube or just about anywhere on the Internet I can imagine. I am going to give the film an B- for a final grade.
The choice for today was a totally conscious one because I am huge fan of Justin Timberlake (Alpha Dog) and Anna Kendrick (Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates). So, it was only natural that I would go and check out their latest film that just hit theaters in Dreamworks Trolls. At one time, the Trolls would openly sing and dance because they were so happy until a big and evil Bergen showed up. The Bergen was a depressed being that when it ate a Troll it became happy. The Bergen’s would continue to do this once a year until the Troll King Peppy (
This is one of those films that if you were trippin this would be the film to see because of the content and the colors. The film is just so out there, but it’s honestly one of the funniest kids movies of the year by far. I’m sure there is someone out there that is going to say that the film is a hidden message for some sort of social inequality or a representation of war or something like it, but not me. The film is almost fairy take like in it’s nature as it talks of these creatures that eat you because they think it brings them happiness, but it really comes from inside you. Dreamworks is one of those companies that has done a fantastic job in the past with their films (e.g. Shrek, How To Train Your Dragon, Home, etc.). I have to be honest in saying that I thought the idea of the film was stupid because I doubted they could come up with a good story, but to my surprise they did. The soundtrack to this film is one of it’s strong suits because it features great original music plus some cool covers in it. One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Timberlake and Kendrick’s characters meet this weird cloud (voiced by Walt Dohrn) because of the interaction they have with each other. It’s genuinely a very funny scene in the film. This was a very fun movie to watch so check it out for yourselves. I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade.
Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I am doing an entry for the blog because I can’t believe that I have been committed for 250 straight days now. So for the 250TH day, I wanted to watch something special and I chose to watch Casper which was based off of one my favorite cartoons as a child. Carrigan Crittenden (Cathy Moriarty) is money hungry so when she finds out her neurotic father has passed away she goes and finds out that she has inherited an old house with secret treasure inside. When she goes to the house, she discovers that there’s a ghost inside and she decides to hire a ghost shrink named Dr. James Harvey (Bill Pullman). Harvey takes the job and he takes his daughter Kat (Christina Ricci) who befriends the friendly ghost named Casper (Malachi Pearson) while her dad tries to deal with the other three unruly ghosts. The film also stars Eric Idle (Monty Python And The Holy Grail) as Dibbs, Joe Nipote (Viper) as Stretch, Joe Alaskey (Duck Dodgers) as Stinkie, Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond) as Fatso, Amy Brenneman (Heat) as Amelia Harvey, Devon Sawa (Final Destination) as Casper in Human Form, Chauncey Leopardi (The Sandlot) as Nicky, Jessica Wesson (Milk Money) as Amber, and the film was directed by Brad Silberling (City Of Angels).
Believe it or not, it has taken me 21 years to see this film and to be perfectly honest with all of you I have no idea why. The one thing that I can say about the film adaptation of Casper is that it was fun to watch. You can’t expect an Oscar winning film out of it, but a film that you just have fun watching. This was the type of film that really relied on slapstick comedy to drive the laughs especially with the ghostly trio or the unruly three (whatever you want to call them) and Eric Idle who is a master of it. The one thing I liked about the film that I don’t remember happening with the cartoon was Casper crossing back over to be a human. I thought that it was a very cool move to imagine what he would have looked like as a human being or a fleshy as they call us. I loved seeing Christina Ricci in the film although every time I see her I just think that she is Wednesday Adams all grown up. I don’t know if I have a favorite scene from the film because it was just so enjoyable to watch. The scene where he makes breakfast is pretty good and I even enjoyed the sequence with Carrigan as a ghost as well. The film is currently available on HBOGO as long as you have a subscription to that, but I’m sure you can find it just about anywhere. I am going to recommend this film especially if you were a fan of the cartoon. I am going to give the film an B for a final grade.
I have been doing this for 248 days before today and I realized that I have watched all sorts of films like horror, comedy action, martial arts, animated films, but I have never watched a Japanese Anime film. That is why for today, I chose to watch the film Akira which was released in 1988. In 1988, Tokyo as we know it was destroyed by a psychic by the name of Akira. 30 years later in Neo-Tokyo, scientists are still trying to figure out the psychics and what gives them their power. Meanwhile, Neo-Tokyo is in ever growing distress and people are becoming restless. One revolutionary group tries to break out one of the psychics, but it backfires when he transfers powers to a bike gang kid who goes a little violent when the powers start to manifest. Now three psychic children and one of the biker gang kids friends will have to stop him before it’s too late. The film stars Mitsuo Iwata (Golden Boy) as Kaneda, Nozomu Sasaki (Bubblegum Crisis) as Tetsuo, Mami Koyama (The Wonderful Adventures of Nils) as Kei, Tesshô Genda (Ghost In The Shell) as Ryu, Hiroshi Ôtake (Speed Racer) as Nezu, Yuriko Fuchizaki (Oh My Goddess!) as Kaori, and the film was written and directed by 
I am not going to lie and say that I love Japanese Anime because I never really paid much attention to them. I am however going to say that I really enjoyed watching the film even though I was trying to figure out what Akira is exactly. All I know is when that dude shows up, nothing good comes from it, but total destruction which is why I can see why people want to prevent it. One of the things I loved about this film the most is the fact that it’s a very well written story and it’s executed on your screen. Here is this kid whose been picked on or he may not be the most popular member of the gang who finally gets some powers that allows him to mess people up. What would you do with them? Yeah, you would mess some people up because you can. One of my favorite scenes in the film is when Tetsuo is in his room and he is visited by the three little psychic kids, but they came in the form of giant stuffed animal toys to try and freak him out. They know exactly how dangerous he is and they want to prevent him from harnessing the powers. The animation is not like what we typically see from Japanese anime because this one is very similar to that of Heavy Metal, but improved. You could even compare it to Titan A.E. if you really wanted to as far as what the animation looks like. I really did enjoy watching this film and I’m glad I took the time to watch it. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.
In the war between DC and Marvel Comics, I would go as far as saying that DC had the upper hand in the animated film market. That is why for today’s film, I decided to check out the animated film Son Of Batman which came out in 2014. Ra’s al Ghul (Giancarlo Esposito), the leader of the League of Assassins, is training his heir to the league when the compound comes under attack by an old disciple by the name of Deathstroke (Thomas Gibson). After escaping the attack, Talia al Ghul ( Morena Baccarin) brings her son to Gotham and reveals to Batman (Jason O’Mara) that Damian (Stuart Allen) is their son. Batman quickly learns that Damien is an unruly and violent teen with a thirst for vengeance. No matter, he will try his best to mold him to become the new Robin while they try and track down Deathstroke. The film also stars Dee Bradley Baker (Legends Of The Hidden Temple) as Man-Bat, Xander Berkeley (Terminator 2: Judgement Day) as Dr. Kirk Langstrom, Sean Maher (Much Ado About Nothing) as Dick Grayson, David McCallum (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Michelle (Happy Feet) as Francine Langstrom, Fred Tatasciore (Avengers Assemble) as Killer Croc, Bruce Thomas (Kyle XY) as James Gordon, and the film was directed by Ethan Spaulding (Batman: Assault On Arkham).
The one thing I really enjoyed about this film is that there was a different enemy for the film than the usual suspects that we are always given. First you get Killer Croc with Batman and then Deathstroke towards the end. I had been waiting a long time for something to feature Deathstroke a.k.a. Slade Wilson and we got it with this one. The only thing that bothers me a little is that he gets his ass kicked by a teenager with anger and control issues. For the whole entire film, he is an unruly teenager, but at one precise moment in the film he changes his tune and clearly wants to learn from his dad. That was the only issue I had with that, but for the most part this was an enjoyable film to watch. The thing that gets me about DC Animated films is that you don’t realize how much realistic violence is placed into their films. There is a scene where Deathstroke literally has Damien Wayne crucified with a sword through one arm and a knife through another I believe. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that, but I enjoyed it. So as I was saying, I think that is why DC dominates the animated game because their films are not cheesy. This probably isn’t going to be the last animated film from DC that will be featured on here because there is a whole lot more to see. I am going to give Son Of Batman an B+ for a final grade.
If there was ever a concept for a movie that sounded absolutely ridiculous then today’s film would definitely be that. The film that I chose for today is none other than the new animated film Sausage Party. All a piece of food, beverage, or product at a supermarket ever dreams about is being chosen so that they can go to the other side with the customers. What they don’t realize is the horrors that await them and one sausage by the name of Frank (Seth Rogen) tries to warn them as he too looks for the truth about his existence. The film also stars Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street) as Carl, Kristen Wiig (Despicable Me 2) as Brenda, Paul Rudd (Ant-Man) as Darren, Edward Norton (Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)) as Sammy, Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down) as Honey Mustard, Craig Robinson (Hot Tub Time Machine) as Grits, Nick Kroll (The League) as Douche, Bill Hader (Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs) as Firewater, James Franco (This Is The End) as Druggie, Selma Hayek (Desperado) as Teresa, Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim Vs The World) as Barry, David Krumholtz (Slums Of Beverly Hills) as Lavash, and the film was directed by Greg Tiernan (Thomas And Friends) and Conrad Vernon (Monsters Vs Aliens).
Spoiler Alert: There may be information contained in this Article that could potentially spoil the plot of the film so continue with caution or do not read any further if you do not want to know.While Sausage Party could either be the stupidest idea in the world that is just funny as hell or it could be the dumbest idea and movie. While I thought that it was definitely one of the funniest movies of the year, it definitely was a propaganda film for Seth Rogen and Co. The film is propaganda for Rogen and co to basically say FU to religion, sexual stereotypes, and more. The whole film, they believe that the God is allowing them to be chosen to go to the other side which is supposed to be glorious, but Frank ends up discovering that it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be and that there isn’t a God after all in his opinion. He treats the rest of the food like their all cattle because they refuse to go against their beliefs. Then there’s the innuendos like Sammy the Jewish bagel trying to get along with Lavash who is obviously middle eastern because he believes that Heaven contains 72 bottles of virgin oil. Then there is something special at the end that is his FU to people that are tolerant to people who choose to live a different lifestyle sexually. One of my favorite characters in the film by far is Douche who tells you like it is and drinks other products to get “juiced” up. One of my favorite scenes with him is when we see a pic of a women’s camel toe and he is describing to everybody how awesome it’s going to be to be inside her. Yes the film is VERY SEXUAL so be prepared for that and NO this is not a film you bring your young child to. Besides all the propaganda, I really loved the film and that is why I am going to give it an A- for a final grade. The propaganda and politically incorrect jokes is actually makes it funny in my opinion.
In the battle between DC Comics and Marvel, DC has always had Marvel beat on the animated movie front with the superior titles. One of the most anticpated films based off one of the all time best selling graphic novels in Batman: The Killing Joke came out and I didn’t hesitate to make it today’s film. In the setting of the film, Batgirl (Tara Strong) a.k.a. Barbara Gordon has been working with Batman (Kevin Conroy), but after a case almost went too far, she quit the crime fighting business. In the meantime, the diabolical Joker (Mark Hamill) has escaped from Arkham to prove the ultimate point. He wants to prove that with enough tragedy, he can drive a man to insanity the same way he was years before by attacking the Gordon family. The film also stars Ray Wise (Jeepers Creepers 2) as commissioner Gordon, John DiMaggio (Adventure Time) as Francesco, Robin Atkin Downes (Suicide Squad) as Detective Bullock, Brian George (Hotel Transylvania) as Alfred, Maury Sterling (Kung Fu Panda 2) as Paris, JP Karliak (Sanjay And Craig) as Reese, Nolan North (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Mitch, Anna Vocino (Free Radio) as Jeannie, Rick D. Wasserman (Planet Hulk) as Maroni, and the film was directed by Sam Liu (Batman: Year One).
Now you are probably wondering what I am thinking about when it comes to Batman: The Killing Joke. Well, first I want to give all of you out there a Spoiler Alert just in case there is any info that is said that you didn’t want to know. So, Proceed with caution or turn away right this instance (just in case). The film just about everything you would expect especially if you had read the graphic novel. I thought it was a little daring for them to have the sex scene between Batgirl and Batman (you don’t see anything so don’t worry). I know the film got an R rating, but other than some language, some violence, there really wasn’t much to it that in my opinion suggested an R rating. Nevertheless, I am not saying that it was a bad film cause it’s up there with some of my favorites and it was great to see Mark Hamill return as The Joker because he is the ony voice I enjoy. The thing I really enjoyed were the flashback scenes that The Joker had explaining his origins. He’s a failing comedian who just needs one job to save his new family from poverty, but when tragedy strikes it drives him to the brink of insanity. Thus explaining why he became The Joker to satisfy our need to know who he is. The one thing that you’ll find in the film that is very interesting is the end of the film. There is one final scene between Batman and The Joker that you have to see for yourself because it’s just poetic justice in my opinion. I loved the action in the film, it was very well written, and truly a film everyone should check out. Suicide Squad comes out this week hence the reason I chose to watch this now. I am going to give Batman: The Killing Joke an A for a final grade.
Haven’t you ever wondered if there was life in other planets or galaxies? What if I was to tell you that 1000 plus years into the future that Earth has mastered the art of deep space travel and that we have interacted with several different species. Your mind would be blown and that is the case for the film Titan A.E.. For Cale (Matt Damon) life is a little different because his father had been working on a project called Project Titan. When a certain alien race known as the Drej caught wind of this, they destroyed the planet Earth. Fast forward fifteen years into the future, Cale is working on a scavenger ship when he is told that he may hold the key to finding Project Titan which could potentially save the human race from the evil Drej. So, he takes on the mission which will prove to be far from easy. The film also stars Bill Pullman (Independence Day) as Captain Joseph Korso, Drew Barrymore (E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial) as Akima, John Leguizamo (Ice Age) as Gune, Nathan Lane (The Birdcage) as Preed, Janeane Garofalo (Mystery Men) as Stith, Tone Loc (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective) as Tek, Ron Pearlman (Hellboy) as Professor Sam Tucker, and the film was directed by Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, and Art Vitello.
Spoiler Alert: Before you continue to read on, please be advised that this paragraph may contain spoilers. Proceed with caution. I love these kinds of animated films because it reminds me a lot of Heavy Metal and many others like it. While it could be predictable at times, Titan A.E. was actually a very fun film to watch with a very good story. That was my favorite part of the whole film was the fact that I loved the story. Imagine that the key to saving the human race is in a ring that some kid has been carrying for a while and had no idea his father put it on his finger. The only reason why I said that the film could be predictable at times was because you could tell right from the start that Cale and Akima were going to be a thing in the film. You knew that they were going to be double crossed at some point in the film and that happened twice. Like I said, that didn’t deter me from continuing on. The key to great acting in an animated film is making sure that they convey the proper emotions and you do it right. I would like to think that all of them did a great job throughout the film especially comedian Jim Breuer who plays a cook in the film (I didn’t know he did). I did love the enemy alien race who are made of energy. The one thing that kind of caught my attention about them was the fact that they are treated like they are the enemy, but I believe someone int he film mentioned something vital. They mentioned that they destroyed Earth because they were afraid that the humans were creating something dangerous. That doesn’t make what they did OK, but fear is the mind killer. If you’re a fan of science fiction based action adventure animated films, then I would definitely suggest checking this one out. I am going to give the film an A- for final grade.
365moviesin365dayschallenge 