March of the Wooden Soldiers Review

I'm not a real big eater on Thanksgiving, but if there is one thing I like to consume each year, it's a fantasy filmed produced by Hal Roach Studios in 1934, a very underrated one at that. This oldie but goodie, starring two of the greatest bumbling idiots of all time, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy has gone down as not only one of my favorite fantasy films, but one of my favorite films as a whole, probably because I watched it as a young boy and instantly became intrigued by it. Don't know what film I am talking about, it's March of the Wooden Soldiers of course, and if you have never seen this film before and want to see it for the first time, you are in for a real treat, and I mean a real vivid, mind captivating treat! And hey, this very well might go down as one of your favorite films as well, for it is surely a wonderful little film to be observed by a pair human eyes! But in order to indulge ourselves deeper into the March of the Wooden Soldiers realm, we must enter our time machine and go back several years to have a look at a little backstory. This film was based upon an operetta composed by Victor Herbert in the early 1900s called Babes in Toyland and like many films that are based upon a book, a musical or another film, it strays far from the original groundwork, however, it carries on a heart and meaning of it's own. This film's plot is very different than that of the original operetta, and several of the original plotpoints that were prominent in the original operetta are either rerendered tremendously or eliminated all together. For example, in the original operetta, the story didn't take place entirely in Toyland, and the characters of Stannie Dumb and Ollie Dee (obviously Laurel and Hardy's characters in the film) were completely absent from the original stage production. However, these major differences do not get in the way of the film's overall glory. In my humble opinion, this is surely one of the greatest motion pictures ever made and it holds up prominently by today's standards. And who can't look at this visually stunning film for its time and think that many film making opportunities opened up because of the hard work and dedication that went into this motion picture. Okay, so that's just my perspective.



Just a few short years before fantasy masterpieces like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and of course, The Wizard of Oz jumped into the spotlight to get maximum praise, this was the fantasy film to watch. Sure there were other great films around that time that mixed in many fantasy elements and wizardry, but if you needed a film that your kids would enjoy just as much as you do, this was a film you would greatly consider taking them to see. And this film still holds up in this day in age for many prudent reasons that I will explain in greater detail. It may be very hard to believe if you are a newcomer to this film but this film was originally released in black and white, for the coloring technology used in later films wasn't quite perfected by that point.Big thanks to the good folks at The Samuel Goldwyn Company for colorizing the film in all of it's simplistic coloring book glory. There is just something about the coloring of March of the Wooden Soldiers. It's very different than the coloring technology used in films like The Wizard of Oz and Gone With The Wind, but it has an appeal that catches your eye right off the bat, and seeing all the characters and places of Toyland in fully rendered color, it really makes the film even more of an immortal pot of gold.

The characters of this film are what make the film most memorable for me. Laurel and Hardy are pee pants funny playing the doofbrains Stannie Dumb and Ollie Dee, for when you see them on the screen, getting into all kinds of mischief and tomfoolery, you can't help but give a chuckle or two. Throughout the film, Stannie and Ollie get into all types of hilarious trouble. Ollie gets dunked on a ducking stool, Stannie dresses like a female bride (I DON'T LOVE HIM!),Ollie gets an onslaught of sharp darts launched upon him, the two even spill paint upon their miserable toy making boss. And even if this is a fantasy film straying far from the continuity of the mainstream Laurel and Hardy shorts, it still has that trademark Laurel and Hardy goodness most known throughout those early years. The opening credits even have the main Laurel and Hardy theme playing just before the epic Victor Herbert score, and Laurel and Hardy can be seen arguing with one another and contradicting one another just as they do in the mainstream shorts.

The other actors are incredible as well. Felix Knight, who portrays Tom Tom Piper in the film, is kind and gentle, and a gallant hero in his own right, although Stannie and Ollie can be proclaimed the true protagonists of the film. Knight is powerful in his singing voice, and throughout the hour and a half long film, he sings several of Herbert's original songs from the classic operetta. There is really a heart warming and proper flow in Knight's singing voice, and I am aware that he was in a few of the Laurel and Hardy shorts, but his singing ability is at it's most finest in this film, for he delivers some of the best opera singing I have ever heard, further making this film a full on musical trophy. Other stars include Florence Roberts as Mother Peep aka The Little Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe, who desperately needs to pay the mortgage or she looses her shoe dwelling, as well as Charlotte Henry as Little Bo Peep, who is fine in her acting ability, but the character is in short the familiar damsel in distress character seen in many films, even The Wizard of Oz. That's right folks, Dorothy was made to be the damsel in distress character in The Wizard of Oz, as she is captured by vicious flying monkeys and the three male protagonists have to come and rescue her.

But the character that stands out the most to me is Henry Brandon as the tyrannical Silas Barnaby, the main antagonist of the film. Would you believe he was just 21 years old when he portrayed the old man character. But hey, if Joaquin Phoenix could do it, so could Henry Brandon. He is hands down the most terrifying factor out of this motion picture, from the very moment he comes bitterly walking up to the screen in the opening credits to the moment he unleashes chaos upon the streets of Toyland. He is a mad man, and one look into those eyes could have you hiding under your bed with a teddy bear by your side. He's basically the mean old crone that wants to marry the main female character, but he ultimately becomes the emperor of treachery towards the end of the film, and he travels into the depths of hell itself to summon the most terrifying of demons to spread horror and misery upon the innocent and insecure citizens of Toyland.



Okay, so maybe he doesn't go into hell, but he does go into the underground caves of Bogeyland, a slimy and desolate place where the Bogeymen crawl about. Back in 1934, it was pretty hard core to feature such terrifying creatures upon a movie screen, for the Bogeymen were quite ghastly to look at with their long hair, eery eyes and sharp fangs. By today, and I have to admit, they look a little silly and cheesy. They even move and squirm about in a funny way. I rather watch the goblin creatures move about in the 1980s remake of Babes in Toyland. One look at those beastly things and you will know exactly what I am talking about. Anyway, Barnaby unleashes terror on Toyland, as the Bogeyman vandalize and set fire to many of Toyland's buildings. Luckily, Stannie and Ollie have 100 wooden soldiers stored away at the toy workshop, 100 wooden soldiers that are 6 feet high. And with the simple push of a button, the soldiers march about, gathering together and rallying out the front door of the toy making workshop like cadets ready to go out into the battlefield to fight. The wooden soldiers in their marching glory were stop motion animated by Roy Seawright, and what a sight it is to see all the soldiers march out of the factory. It's quite impressive how they were able to combine the stop motion effects with the living actors, but the effect had been done before, several times, in the blockbuster released just a year prior, King Kong, one of my all time favorites.

The stop motion effects in that film are quite superior to the stop motion effects in March of the Wooden Soldiers, but the effects in Wooden Soldiers are quite dazzling to the eye as well, and deliver that great fantasy and imagination that took people off guard back in 1934 and still take people off guard to this very day. Of course when the soldiers enter Toyland, they are actually living people in wooden soldier costumes, however, they sure do know how to kick Bogeyman toosh. They fight Bogeymen in water, Bogeyman inside people's houses, and the scene I will always remember from the all out war is where a wooden soldier wards and Bogeyman off and looses his head in the process. If you have seen the film, you know exactly what I am talking about, how can you not remember something like that! It's so incredibly humorous! Now as I mentioned before, this film combines imagination along with horror and comedy, but this film is a all out fantasy flick. Don't believe me, well, IT'S GOT SANTA CLAUS IN IT! HE LAUGHS A LOT! And if that doesn't make a fantasy film go down in history, then I don't know what does. The fantasy elements of course lie in the overall look and design of Toyland. It's such a whimsical, playful little place to be, and with all those wonderful buildings shaped like books and houses that are reminiscent of doll houses, it brings new meaning to the name Toyland. It's also got some familiar faces from some of our favorite nursery rhymes and fairy tales. You got your Cat and the Fiddle,who was obviously a guy in a cat costume, The Three Little Pigs (Elmer, Willy, and Jiggs), Little Red Riding Hood, Mother Goose, Little Jack Horner, Miss Muffet, and of course, that cute little mouse that was nothing more than a monkey in a Mickey Mouse costume. There is also a baby on a tree top like in the song "Rock A Bye Baby" and cute little transparent gnomes that come out every once in a while in the dreaded Bogeyland. Only Tom Tom Piper's singing could summon them, and oh, how it looked like they were captivated by his singing in the film. It was certainly one of the more cutesy wutesy aspects of the film, for we needed somewhat of a cutesy wutesy aspect before the big battle between the Wooden Soldiers and the Bogeyman.

So as you can tell, I hold this film at high regards, and I knew that I am not the only one on this rock that has such feelings for the film. It is certainly a masterpiece on ever level that I could possibly imagine, and as I explained, it has that great clash of the genres we know and love, like fantasy, horror, comedy, and romance. Every time I watch this film, every Thanksgiving, I become a child all over again, watching this at my old home while the Thanksgiving dinner was being prepared in the kitchen nearby, and as I watch this film year after year, I notice new elements I never got a glimpse of before, I see things I never layed  eyes on before. And for that main reason, this film is cemented on my list of all time greatest films. We all have our favorite films, whether they'd be gangster films or comic book films, but I love any kind of fantasy film the world has to offer, and one of my all time favorite fantasy films, one of my all time favorite films in general is March of the Wooden Soldiers, for it's captivity and innovation will live on hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years from now. Whether you watch in color or the vintage black and white, you are in for a real sensational treat. You will not be sorry watching this film one bit, and the kids, your kids if you have any, will love it so much, they will want to watch it relentlessly over and over and over again each day of each week of each month. Whether you watch it at Thanksgiving or Christmas or Arbor Day, you will have...QUITE AN EXPERIENCE with this fun, high flying motion picture landmark, one of the very few fantasy/horror/comedy films of it's kind. Laurel and Hardy, you're the best!

The Star Trek Superman Crossover, Star Trek: Quest For Krypton

Lately, I have been quite perplexed by the worlds of both Star Trek and DC. I have said many times before that I grew up in more of a Star Wars Marvel shrine, but the dimensions of DC and Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek are also very vivid and imaginative places that are pleasing to the eyes. Batman is hands down my favorite hero of the DC universe, for his backstory and character development is the best of any superhero to date, and Spock, although a favorite to many, stands out to me the most from other Star Trek characters like Kirk and Picard. So let's take what makes both DC and Star Trek great and throw them into a blender....AND TURN IT ON!!! Enter Star Trek: Quest For Krypton, originally entitled, The Star Trek Superman Crossover. It's a film that I have been working on for quite some time now, and to be fairly honest, it't far from finished. There are several scenes in need of reshoots, several scenes that need a bit of editing, and some of the sound quality in a majority of the film is a bit off. However, I have some very, shall we say, "AWESOME-RIFIC" things in store for all the film's viewers, and I will try to deliver some very "out of the box" ideas and concepts that will make DC purists and die hard Trekkies jump with glee. I mean, come on, it's a STAR TREK SUPERMAN CROSSOVER!!!! You can't go wrong with that!

Some of the original test scenes that I made earlier in the year are viewable on my Youtube channel, Warp 8 Productions, more commonly known as Yoda2245. The original plot of the film is that Superman teams up with the crew of the USS Enterprise to stop the klingons from building a massive space vessel, the Vrimitrix, which they will use to eliminate Federation territories (it's somewhat of the Death Star for the Star Trek universe). However, I have altered the plot quite a bit, and the film is now significantly different from that of the original cuts. As a matter of fact, some of the events of the DC universe are nicely spliced together with the events of the Star Trek universe, making the two seem like one whole universe, although this is a non canon film when it comes to mainstream DC and Star Trek continuity. The relationships of each character will also be worked on quite a bit throughout the film. Kirk and Spock's relationship will be the cream of the crop in this film, as will the strained relationship between Spock and Mccoy (YOU POINTY EARRED BASTARD!), but I mainly want to focus on the relationship between Superman and the crew of the Enterprise, particularly Superman's relationship with Kirk. The two are very prominent symbols in pop culture and have two completely different personalities and trademarks. When Superman uses his laser vision to wipe out enemies, Kirk uses his trusty phaser set for stun, so I think it will be quite interesting and humorous to see how the two duke it out in this film, a film that I intend to be my biggest film production yet.

Whatever lies in store for this awesome clash of two great franchises, I guarantee you that it will be...FASCINATING, in the words of Mr. Spock himself. When I was a kid, I would combine the action figures of two different franchises all the time and play with them in the most unique ways possible, having battles between Spider-Man and the Power Rangers and even putting the Rugrats up against Tarzan, King of the Apes. So as you can tell, combining something like Star Trek and Superman, the Last Son of Krypton isn't any indifferent to me, for I probably envisioned something like that in my complex mind way back in the early days of my toddler years.

Radical Whimsical Odd Poetry From My Early Writing Days

Oh I got a real treat for you today, I got something to blow the socks right off your feet. I got something to blow the brains right out of your skulls, the eyes from your head, the tongues from your mouths. I GOT...SOME OF MY OLD POETRY..... OH THE HORRORS! Yeh, this is probably some of the weirdest works of literature I have ever written, but to be perfectly honest, my poetry work has improved rapidly throughout the years, for I have written several poems all throughout my junior year on just about anything I felt like writing about or things that were on my mind. In fact, it's gotten to the point where I actually wrote a poem about "Death" and how we are all going to confront "Death" one day, one way or another. But it's good to look back and observe these horribly awesome poems that I have conceived many years ago and it's these poems that make me realize how far I have come in my poetry and story telling.

WHAT IS TO COME?

At last, thy night has come
The winds sound like a drum
The pitch black of the sky
What is to come?


For tomorrow is inevitable
And the snow is not edible
For if you eat it
The feeling of irritation is incredible


So what is to come of tomorrow
A day of misery and sorrow
It’s not quite clear what is coming
But maybe it’s a day to borrow


I assure it will be alright
The sun will be shining bright
And with the good lord looking over you
There is no feeling of fright

THE COLD COLD COLD

It was a cold day
A very cold day
And much to my dismay
I felt a wrath of gray


For there was nothing to do
And with one red shoe
I went to visit you


We were bored, the day was dumb
I sat upon the chair like a plum
And you sat there like a bum
As we staired at the nearest thumb


Now it is all over
For we will all bend over
And move on with our lives
Life’s full of challenges

Larry and Sid, A Film Series

I have been quite preoccupied lately, preoccupied to the point where I didn't feel like writing on this blogspot for sometime. However, I have finally regained my ambition and passion for writing and have quite an interesing talk for everyone today. As you all know, I am a film maker and have been working on several film projects throughout the months. I am most fond of making tributes to some of my favorite movies, video games and comic books but I have been hooked to a mighty program called GoAnimate ever since I discovered in March. My intention is to make a Star Trek Superman Crossover film and release it in the early months of 2012, because the things you can do with the GoAnimate program open up a wide range of opportunites for some nifty things you can pull off. But for now, I have indulged myself in making the ultimate film series of my dreams, a film series that not only pays homage to the classic cartoons of the golden age, but the science fiction genre and the overall "cartoony" supernatural, if you get my grip.

The series is called Larry and Sid and ever since their debut in March, they have become an internet sensation and have spawned several quarky, oddball films that really stand out from other whimsical Youtube videos. The series tells the tales and adventures of Larry Portchester and Sid Holloway, two best friends that live within the same house and always get in a herd of trouble. Sid is your average ordinary common businessman that is logical and collective, always doing what he feels is right and standing up for his own beliefs. Larry on the other hand is just a plain out goofball, always starting mischief and uprising within the cartoon city and always getting Sid into things he wishes he never got into. It has been done several times before, but I am trying to do new things with this concept and make it fresh and new, because who doesn't like films with lots of adventure and excitement. Every since I could remember, I have always wanted to make a film series with all these fittings, and at last, my dream has become reality. Larry and Sid has gone on beyond anything I could possibly imagine and I am very excited to make even more cartoons in the near future for all Larry and Sid fans out there to enjoy.

What makes the series great, in my opinion, is the outlandish and exotic characters. Of course, there are the main characters, Larry and Sid, but there are also other characters that often appear in the cartoons. There is Gunther Heavens, Larry and Sid's good friend who lives a few blocks away from them and is often seen working at places like the local dollar store and restaurant. Then there is his wife, Jill, who I plan to develop more as the series progresses. She really hasn't had a moment of joyous rapture yet, but I plan to make her a trademark in the near future that will distinquish her from the other characters. And the main female of the series is Sid's girlfriend, Ms. Wilson who lives right next door to Larry and Sid. Sid and Ms. Wilson are often seen having some very intimate moments together, often going on dates and visiting each other in their houses. But it's quite obvious that Larry has a bit of a crush on Ms. Wilson, and tries desperately to win the woman's effections. It's quite horrific though, for Ms. Wilson despises Larry with the utter most passion of living, and if you watch the series, you will know exactly why. There are also several villainous characters seen throughout the series. There's the manniacle Chef Francois, who didn't give Larry his deep dish pizza when he asked for it. There's G5, Larry's invention that went terribly wrong and reigned havoc throughout the city. There's the dreaded Disco Monkey, who tried to rob a bank, and he most likely would have succeeded if Mega Larry didn't come to the rescue. And then there is the dreaded, the cold hearted, the apathetic Hooser Adams, Larry's old junior high bully who has come back to pick on Larry and his minions once more. Throughout the Hooser Adams saga that just recently wrapped up, Hooser Adams has been killed off, but he always finds a way to come back to life and attack Larry and Sid once more. In the recent catostrophy, he created a clone of Larry that would act as Larry's long lost twin brother and eventually assassinate both Larry and Sid. With Larry and Sid out of the way, Hooser would go on to conquer the world with his army of evil monkeys. Fortunately though, the clone of Larry was redeemed, and he saved Larry and Sid from Hooser's wrath, although he was mortally wounded in the process and died from his injuries (OR DID HE....)

Overall, I am very proud of the Larry and Sid films I have accomplised. Starting with the very first cartoon and working my way up, you can really see the progression and the improvement of my film making and animating skills, and I hope that you can come to enjoy these films I have worked so hard to incept. Larry and Sid, although it is quite comical and humorous most of the time, is also very dark, edgy and contemporary at certain points and really focuses on the struggles and conflicts heroes of epic stories often face on their journeys through life. I love to display the art of storytelling through these films and I hope that I can progress on the mythology and mythos of the Larry and Sid universe in the near future to make it something.....one of a kind.

Top 20 Cereals List From 2009

Cereal, it is perhaps the greatest food ever to hit the face of the Earth. It is a food that is so popular, you can get into a bloody cat fight with your sister at a grocery store when picking a cereal to eat during the week. So what are the best cereals in the entire world. It has taken me a very long time to prepare this list, but I have narrowed it down to 20. So, sit back, pour a bowl of cereal for yourself, and enjoy my Top 20 Cereals of All Time.

20. Cocoa Crispies



I guess those cereal makers thought that Rice Crispies tasted too dull, so they through in a chocolately burst. Similar to Cocoa Pebbles, Cocoa Crispies turn the milk chocolatey like any chocolate cereal and shuts any kid up who wants a doughnut for breakfast. I guess it makes sense for them to make a chocolate doppleganger, for they do make chocolate rice crispy treats in the stores nowadays.

19. The Captain Crunch Cereals



This is a series of cereals so exotic, that they use what looks to be a Revolutionary War Captain to promote their cereal. I mean, there must be nearly a thousand kinds of this cereal, Peanut Butter Crunch, Crunch Berries, they even made a cereal that was in the shape of little tiny doughnuts. I mean, it’s unique how no other cereal in existence could make their cereal into balls or bars, or doughnuts. But no matter, the Captain Crunch Cereals are pretty darn good, even when the commercials make the cereal look like some kind of drugged joyride.

18. Golden Crisps



The mascot is a anthropomorphic bear. Does it get more rad then that. The cereal is as good as a cereal can get. You plung that spoon into that sweet brown pool of great sugary goodness, it’s like that sugary rush you need to be alert. And to be fair, the brand from Kellogg’s entitled Honey Smacks is pretty good as well, given a good serving of honey for you blood glucose statis. Which ones better, well, they are both the same in my opinion, but Golden Crisps might just be a little bit sweeter. I guess it’s because of all that darn sugar they put in it.

17. The Flintstones Cereals



Way back in the day, the Flintstones were used to promote Winston Cigarettes, the cigarettes that’s good like a cigarette should. Then, in the late 60s, they began to promote cereals like Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles. Now, to be honest, I don’t like this cereal as much as my brother does, he probably could go through an entire box or 2. But the cereal is pretty good, given either a taste of fruitiness or a blast of chocolatey goodness. There are also other Pebbles Cereals like Dino Pebbles, Marshmallow Mania Pebbles, even Cinna-Crunch Pebbles. But no matter how you like your Pebbles, even if they are deeped fried or boiled, they are a great cereal to eat if you want to raise your Hanna Barbera spirit.

16. Life


The first thing I ask myself, why is it called Life? Is it a cereal that is supposed to give a person a life, or make someone feel lifeless. But it’s a good cereal, no matter how the cookie crumbles. With a sugary coating, this cereal kills all cravings, and kids love it. As a matter of fact, they used to put the kids’ faces on the cereal boxes. I would have loved to have my face on one of those boxes, but these days, I think to myself. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? Anyway, great cereal for kids and adults alike.

15. Cocoa Puffs



I’m cuckoo for cocoa puffs! Cuckoo for cocoa puffs! Remember that annoying ostrich or whatever it was? The one that use loud mouthed shrieking to promote the cereal? Well, I surely do, and the cereal is pretty good. I guess you can say that any corn puffed cereal with chocolate flavor is gonna be good, but this one is the emperor over the kingdom. With a big crunch and a rich chocolaty taste, Cocoa Puffs kills the chocolate cravings, and sure gets kids on the war pad after eating it.

14. Alphabits



We all know our alphabets, but whoever came up with the idea to make them into cereal was a GENIUS! I mean, whole grain cereal in the shape of our alphabets frosted in a light sugary coating, come on! And it’s a great way to teach your young ones your alphabets. Now if only they could do the same thing with roman numerals. I wonder what they would call it? Numeral Crunch maybe?

13. Frosted Cheerios



Are you tired of eating the so called bland taste of regular Cheerios? Do you wish they had a little more flavor to them? Well you are in luck. Frosted Cheerios give you that epic Cheerio taste, only with a frosted coating on top. Now, I have been eating this cereal for a very long time, and I just could not leave this cereal out. After all, they did have some bright and flashy commercials for it way back in the day. I mean, what little child is not attracted by bright and luminous commercials for cereals. And believe or not, I still enjoy this cereal to this day, though in some cases it is very rare and hard to find.

12. Honey Nut Cheerios



I love honey, I love nuts, and I love Cheerios. Put them together and you got a cereal that is not only delectable but good for your body. Plus, there is a small, cute little bee that is used to advertise the cereal, spewing the famous catchphrase, “Be happy, be healthy”. I just love that. This cereal is more then a cereal, it is a food for a better life. If you want a cereal that is full of taste, then pick up a box of the bee’s famous cereal. Also, pick up those fruits and veggies as well, because those a good for you too.

11. Golden Grahams



Do you love graham crackers as much as I do? Well, there is a cereal out there called Golden Grahams, packing a great taste of cinnamon and others spices. Did you ever have it? If you did, could you ever stop eating it. It’s kinda like the enchanted turkish delight from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, you will eat it until you die. Okay, maybe that isn’t the case, but Golden Grahams was a pretty good cereal, very tasting a great for every breakfast meal. And I keep a special vault full of the cereal down in my subterranean layer. Just kidding, I don’t have a vault. I don’t even have a subterranean layer.

10. The Monster Cereals



Now, your probably thinking, what the heck are the Monster Cereals? Well, just to clear it up a bit, there is Count Chocula, Franken Berry and my favorite, Boo Berry. Everytime I think of these cereals, the first thing that comes to mind is Halloween, and the only time to find Franken Berry and Boo Berry is around Halloween, but Count Chocula is pretty easy to find in your local cereal isle. Also, at a time, there was other cereals like Yummy Mummy and Fruit Brute. But no matter, these cereals are the best, and I consider them the haunted, distorted and foiled versions of Lucky Charms, with their sugary cereal pieces and dried out marshmallows.

9. Apple Jacks



At a time, Apple Jacks had no mascot, but as time went by, they got an apple and a stick of cinnamon with a Jamaican accent to do the job (I wonder how much they’re paid). The cereal is top dog though. The only thing that I must complement on is at Halloween time, they would add in these pumpkin shaped pieces that tasted like pieces of dried out corn cereal with orange dye that were left in the Sahara Desert for several years. But anyway, the cereal is pretty darn good, and even though they don’t taste like apples, they still can give us a great cereal taste.

8. Fruit Loops



Fruit Loops are GOD! Just kidding, but I just couldn’t live with myself knowing that Fruit Loops were not on the final ten list. Introduced in the 1960s, this cereal didn’t have it’s classic blue loops until the 90s. They also choose to promote the cereal with a group of toucans, lead by the great cereal mascot, Toucan Sam. And I love this cereal. I mean, how many cereals of the time have a great fruity flavor and a sugary burst? Anyway, Fruit Loops are the best, and reside on the number 9 spot on my list.

7. Corn Pops



Remember way back in the 90s, when everyone was saying, I gotta have my pops? Well, I was one of them people. Though I was a little kid at the time, I deeply enjoyed this cereal, because it was both sweet, crunchy, and satisfied all cravings. Today, we get these freaky commercials with some human mouth running around town, eating running pops. It’s just odd. And what’s with the peanut butter cereal they once made, was it supposed to compete with Reese’s Puffs (I’ll get to those later)? Anyway, Pops is a very tasty cereal, taking a lot of publicity these past few years. I just hope that the giant mouth doesn’t chase after me!

6. Lucky Charms


Okay, where do I start? Surely there is a lot to nit pick about this one. First of all, there are these children chasing a Irish leprechaun down a hill in order to get his cereal. Kinda like Trix, ah? Also, the cereal contains dry, sugary pieces they have the guts to call marshmallows. I call them 30 year old Halloween candy. But the cereal itself not that bad. As a matter of fact, I prefer the chocolate Lucky Charms to the original ones for some particular reason. Anyway, that’s all I can say about Lucky Charms. I was kinda odd seeing Warwick Davis wolf some of the cereal down in the horror film, Leprechaun.

5. Cinnamon Toast Crunch



What the heck happened to the other chefs? This question has been looming in the midst for decades. Did the one chef kill them? I really don’t know, but this is a cereal I couldn’t get enough of as a child. I begged my mom ignorantly for the cereal when we went to the store, and through a tantrum when I didn’t get it, but I have grown up, and have gotten out of that “crybaby” stage. I guess there is some sort of magical fairy dust they put in the cereal that makes kids want to eat it over and over again. But however the wall comes down, Cinnamon Toast Crunch is very good, and very sugary. Give your kid a bowl of it and he will be jumping all over the walls like a Phidippus audax.

4. Frosted Flake



Frosted Flakes is one of the greatest cereals of all time. One of Kellogg’s first cereals, Frosted Flakes became very successful, and is still beloved by many people today. Now, would you believe at a time they had made Chocolate Frosted Flakes? I am not joking! And they were pretty darn good too. I guess the cereal still has a great touch after many years, even thought it’s advertised by an tiger who keeps shouting “their great”.

3. Corn Flakes



Now it’s time to scrape the sugary coating off the flakes, and we have corn flakes. Distributed by many cereal companies all over the world, Corn Flakes is a great cereal, and taste a lot better than tasteless Puff Rice. Just call them Cardboard Chippings and I’ll be happy. Anyway, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes are advertised by a green chicken who doesn’t really do anything, he just stands, and is my favorite brand of the cereal. And if you are not satisfyed with the bland and vacant taste, just sprinkle a little sugar on them and they’ll be fine. I have been mentioning a lot about sugar, haven’t I? SUGAR, SUGAR SUGAR!

2. Cheerios



After all of this lollygagging on Cheerios, you’d think we’d never get to original pot that started it all. No matter how you put it, this is one of the greatest cereals of all time. Not only does it taste good, by it helps prevent heart disease and helps lower cholesterol. I mean, how can you not help loving it. All children and adults love this cereal, and I someday hope to pass it down to my children, and they will pass it to their children and so on and so on. Cheerios rock, and lie at my number 2 spot.

And the number one cereal is…..

1. Rice Crispies



This cereal is legendary, how could you not like this cereal. I mean, sure some people think it’s bad, but when you chop it down, it’s one of the greatest foods to hit the market. And that legendary trio, Snap, Crackle, and Pop, always packing in laughs that we can enjoy. I love this cereal, and no matter where you live, or where you go, it will always be there. So folks, bring back Snap, Crackle and Pop, and get rid of all those passionate commercials that belong in a Hallmark store. Now we have started and ended with crispies, no pun intended.

So, there you have it, the long awaited Top 20 Cereals List. My next entry will be the surprise that I all hope you will enjoy, and then some interesting things after that. Take care.

A Review of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 2 From 2010

It seems like Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 2 has been going on for an eternity. I mean, it’s been nearly 8 months since it’s debut and ever since then, we have had plenty of kick ass episodes, filled with killer spider droids, shapeshifting aliens, Jon Favreau, killer bounty hunters, and not to mention a Godzilla like creature causing havoc on Coruscant. But this upcoming Friday, all the Clone Wars craze will come to a close in an epic two-part season finale, featuring the deadly bounty hunter in adolescence, Boba Fett.


Even though the Star Wars story has rapped up many years earlier, and we know what is to come of most of the characters in the Clone Wars, there is still a feeling of hard core suspense and action within the Clone Wars TV show, and I find it to be one of the most cultural and photo realistic TV shows I have ever seen, on par with other classic shows like Batman: The Animated Series as well as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers, shows that popularized the media in the late 80s.

I feel like Star Wars will never die, as long as a show like this comes along to further bring it to a hype. The Clone Wars has such a good story and such good character development, it’s even better than the prequel films. Sure, the prequels are still remarkable in my book and they surely did make Star Wars what it is today. but The Clone Wars has the edge, and I feel bad for any hard core Star Wars fan not watching it. Surely the film that started the show was met with mixed reviews, but the show that followed brought it to the hype it deserved.And with season 2, it brings the story to an even darker premise. I feel like season 1 was like A New Hope, establishing many things that will come to importance in later seasons. I feel like season 2 is like The Empire Strikes Back, taking what made the first good and surpassing the story even further. They also have brought in many other interesting characters into season 2, bringing in a lot of hard core suspense and drama with them. When you bring in new characters, there must be good story and character development to go along with them, and the Clone Wars covered that. I was shocked to see what some of the characters did in this season.

I was expecting more General Grievous in this season rather than just two episodes. Heck, Count Dooku had 1 episode and Asajj Ventress had none. But hey, in order to bring in more interesting characters, I guess they have to limit the amount of appearances of others. Overall, season 2 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars was spectacular, and I found it to be a milestone in television. All I can say is that I can’t wait for season 3, and I can wait to see how this will all tie in with the first Clone Wars series, as well as Revenge of the Sith.

Iron Man 2 Speculations From 2010

I have to admit, I’m not an expert on the Iron Man comics, but I do got it where it counts. I’m quite fascinated by the whimsical technology that is present in the comics, such as Tony Stark’s computer butler, Jarvis. Iron Man’s many different suits are also a treat. My favorite is the Stealth Operations suit because it can use the power of invisibility. I don’t know why the action figure of the SO suit that came out with the first movie looks like War Machine. But Tony Stark has a crap load of money, and keeps getting new suits in just about every comic, even one called the Hulkbuster suit.Now you probably wonder why I would bring this up. Well the other day, I was looking across the internet and came across a new Iron Man 2 trailer. For what I saw, it looks to be one kick ass film, especially that War Machine is making his film debut, but at the very end of the trailer, Tony Stark slips on an odd suit of armor that forms from a suitcase. When I first saw it, I was blown away. It’s awesome that they are digging into the comics’ archives and taking out such iconic elements.



The film is also having a new villain, Whiplash, played by Mickey Rourke. From what I can understand, he is to be a combination of two villains from the comics, Blacklash and the Crimson Dynamo. But I can help but wonder, why couldn’t they just make him the Crimson Dynamo. I mean, he looks to be a badass villain, but I was really craving the Crimson Dynamo or Titanium Man from the comics. Whiplash is pretty cool though, and looks to be a villain similar to the Joker. I’m also very excited to see Samuel L. Jackson as Nicky Fury, after all, he is one of my personal favorites from the comics. It will definitely be cool to see all the different armors that Iron Man uses in the film, and I hope that they can incorporate as many elements from the comics into the film, and make it one of the best superhero films of all time.

All I can say is I’m very excited. Iron Man 2 is sure to be a pleasure, and will definitely be one of the highlights of the summer.

The Superman Story I Plan on Making in the Future

Just a few months ago, I become interesting in making my own version of the Last Son of Krypton, Superman. As I mentioned many times before, I am not the biggest buff when it comes to The Man of Steel, but I do like the character a lot and I am certainly looking forward to The Man of Steel movie by Zach Snyder in 2013. But I have always invisioned a version of Superman far different than any other. This Superman is darker, edgier, and much more contemporary compared to the other versions of Superman out there, which were a bit dark and moody to their own extent. My version of Kal-El from Krypton does not bare the classic, oversized red cape with the yellow S on the back of it, instead wearing a red coat that is much more modern and sophisticated in my opinion. However, the jacket does carry the yellow S on the back of it just as the original cape did, and the red, blue and yellow costume that makes Superman Superman is also intact, although I have given it a more technological appeal. This new suit is like a mini suit of armor, although we all know Superman really doesn't need armor, unless he is bombarded by an incoming kryptonite shower, and Superman has no more bare hands, a thick pair of red gloves covering them up like the gloves of both Batman and Spider-Man.

And the most unique thing I have done to my version of Superman is that he sports red eyes, obviously due to his laser vision. I envision Superman's eyes bursting into flames as he shoots laserbeams from his eyes, giving the character a much more menacing and supernatural look. It's also very different and makes this version of Superman stick out from all the rest. The city of Metropolis and the planet Krypton before it's destruction I also envision being a lot shadier, a lot more gray and somber looking, similar to what Gotham City looked like in Tim Burton's Batman films. But I am really looking forward to working on this story in the near future, and as I increase production of my upcoming film, Star Trek: Quest For Krypton, I will definately be looking into this and making a version of Superman's tale like no other. I envision it as somewhat of a Close Encounters of the Third Kind like story, with Superman nearly loosing his mind over the thoughts of the aliens, the kryptonians, and once he finds out who he really is, it is a groundbreaking moment, and you can really feel the shock and wonder within the character, something clearly displayed in Richard Donner's 1978 film.

I am not exactly sure what I will call this Superman story, maybe Ape Crazy Supes or something like that, but whatever it is, it will entitle a great story, a story that I have always wanted to do. After all, I have been writing stories all my life and it will be interesting how I tackle such a powerful icon like the guy in the blue spandex.

Check Out ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.Com

For quite a few years now, I have been observing a website that is perhaps one of the greatest, if not the funniest websites I have ever seen. ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com is a pleasure to watch each week as new videos arrive from just about every user of the site, and the website is the home base for the most iconic of these users, the Nostalgia Critic. Along with AVGN, Doug Walker is a genius when it comes to humor and ridiculously funny sequences, always knowing how to make even the serious scenes in the movies he reviews hilarious as heck. I think it's amazing what exactly Walker can pull off in his reviews of some of the best worst movies, whether making references to other films and also coming up with something new and creative of his own. He also is gifted in voice acting, always lampooning some of the cheesy characters in the films he reviews and pointing out things that are either completely random or uncalled for. And in just about everyone of Walker's reviews, even his early reviews where he wasn't quite at the status he is today, I always find something to chuckle over, for some of the bits in his reviews are some of the funniest I have ever seen or heard of. Talk about a person with real talent and humor, for no other web celebrity is like him, and he has that style only he can bring before the audience.



And the Nostalgia Critic isn't the only bit he does at ThatGuyWithTheGlasses. He is also known for portraying That Guy With The Glasses, the character that the site obviously got it's name from. That Guy gives advice to people who ask him questions, and he always has some sort of corny, yet hostile response, always looking so casual and confident in the process. And Walker's Chester A. Bum often gives positive, yet incredibly funny movie reviews, ingeniusly named Bum Reviews With Chester A. Bum. And don't worry, the Bum always thinks the movie he sees is the greatest movie he has ever seen in his life, always interpreting the film himself and ridiculating on some of the things other critics might have found wrong with the film. And I think it's great that Doug Walker has recently decided to start making side reviews for the films he reviews as the bum, giving his straight up perspective of what he thought of the film and talking about the things he thought were either great or could have been done better. Some of my favorite Nostalgia Critic episodes are the Super Mario Bros movie review, the TMNT Trilogy review, The Top 11 Greast Batman TAS Episodes (Because he likes to go one step beyond), he even does reviews of old nostalgia commercials. I don't know about you, but I think that his Nostalgia Commercials Part 2 video is one of the best videos I have ever seen on the web, and clearly shows how the Nostalgia Critic's reviews can not only be laughable, but fun and innovative as well.

And the Nostalgia Critic isn't the only reviewer/film maker at ThatGuyWithTheGlasses. There are tons of other web users that dominate the website, and they are all equally as good in my opinion. Another reviewer I hold most dear is Lewis Lovhaug, also known as Linkara, who is one of the very few Internet reviewers I have come across that reviews comic books. Unlike the Nostalgia Critic, his reviews actually have a story to them and the comic crusader always finds himself fighting against Intergalactic cyborgs or getting sucked into another dimension. He is also a big fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, which is one of my all time favorite shows. And he certainly is someone who knows a lot about comic books, everything from DC to Marvel, even Dark Horse and Image Comics and all their interpretations of classic heroes. He also has had a video where he has a look at some old advertisments in comic books and it was pretty cool for what it was, for it went deeper into what campy, outlandish commercial products were advertised within the pages of the comics. And since he is such a devoted Comic Guru, he often points out a lot of random factors and things that make you laugh as he flips through the pages of those horrid comics, usually ending each episode with "THIS COMIC SUCKS". In short, Linkara is up there with the critic when it comes to hard core analysis on the many elements of popular culture. After all, he is a huge Star Trek and Power Rangers fan. Did you see his History of Power Rangers videos? If you didn't and you are a die hard Power Rangers fan, you might want to check them out. You won't be disappointed.

So if you are in the mood for some plain out "funnies", head over to ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.Com for some high quality entertainment and fun reviews that movie goers will surely come to cherish. You can really see the hard work put into these videos and you can see that the reviewers have quite a passion for what they do, especially Doug Walker, the man that started it all. By the way, he is the guy that invented The Movie In 5 Seconds. That alone makes ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.Com completely worth wild and worth giving a go!

What I Think Of The Star Wars Blue-Ray Changes

I never cared that much that the Star Wars films suffered tremendous changes throughout the years. I never cared that Greedo shot first, or that Han Solo stepped on Jabba the Hutt's tail, or that Boba Fett's voice in The Empire Strikes Back was dubbed by Temuera Morrison. Those things never really took away the essence of the story George Lucas was trying to tell for me, and like the newly added effects in the original films or not, that is how George Lucas would have made the films from the start if he had the technology and the money back in the 70s. Sure, it was a bit funny to hear a gungan yell WESE FREE at the end of the restored Return of the Jedi or that Han Solo quickly moves his head to dodge Greedo's blast, but I love Star Wars so much, I can look past this and accept it in all it's glory. I think George Lucas is trying to distinquish each re-release of Star Wars from one another. I think he is just trying to make changes to the films so he can have a variety of Star Wars films for the fans to choose from, each with the definative special effects of the time they were made. But as Lucas continuously tampers with the material the fans hold dear, the fans attack him like raviting wolves and bash his hard work and dedication for all it's worth. It's quite sad that just about all the people I have discovered on the web despise the prequel trilogy and that they continuously nit pick about how George Lucas changed the original films to tie in with those films. Seriously, if I had a dollar bill for all the people who hated the prequel films and the special editions, I'd be up there ranking with Bill Gates. But I certaintly don't hate the newer trilogy nor do I hate all the special editions George Lucas has put out throughout the years. It's just George Lucas' way of making the Star Wars universe diverse and unique and the changes made to the original films show how each film compliments the other, makes the stories seem more whole.



There is no prequel trilogy or original trilogy, there is only Star Wars, a prominent concoction of elements spanning mythology, religion, folklore, theology, and just about every movie of every movie genre you could think of. It's a blend of all the things we love about movies, all the things we love about life, and we can relate to the characters of Star Wars, for their stories can be somewhat heroic and also tragic at the same time. Who cares if Lucas inserts a CGI Jawa into the Hoth battle in The Empire Strikes Back? Who cares if he has Luke Skywalker team up with a dancing rubber chicken in A New Hope? I don't, and that's not going to take away the Star Wars feel for me, because Star Wars is the very thing that got me into films and making films and Star Wars gives me the confidence, the pride, and strength to go out and do things despite the risks. Star Wars teaches us, well, many things in general, but if I was to pick one thing that it taught me, it was to never give up. When something terrible occurs, keep moving forward, look on the bright side of things, and eventually, it will pay off. Star Wars taught me to believe in myself, taught me to use the force to get the power to do just about anything. And most importantly, Star Wars taught me about redemption, how we can become angry, tyrannical beings out for power and blood, but we could still have that one spark of good within out souls that ultimately makes use do the right thing in the end. It's a story for one man's redemption, one man's quest to return to normal life. That man's name is Anakin Skywalker, and in my opinion, he is one of the most tragic figures ever to walk the silver screen, Vader or not.

Who cares if the force ghost at the end of Return of the Jedi is the "whiny" Hayden Christensen instead of Sebastian Shaw? It's still Star Wars. It's still the same epic story I have known years beforehand. And people can rant all they want about how Anakin's turn to the dark side was "anti-climatic" or how Jar Jar Binks made them throw up into their laps, but it's doesn't really bother me one bit, nor does the changes Lucas makes to Star Wars, because it's still the Star Wars I know and love, just presented in a different shell, a different form. Star Wars is Star Wars, and the saga shouldn't be discriminated for what it's supposed to be, it should be appreciated for what it is. The prequels had flaws, I will admit that, but so did the originals, and in it's own weird way, that's what makes Star Wars great. There shouldn't be no entitlement of the two saga halves, the Star Wars saga should be treated like one film, one epic telling of a character's rise and fall. And because Star Wars has changed my life in so many ways, I can't help but compare it to some of my other favorite films like King Kong, The Day The Earth Stood Still, and the series that is considered to many to be Star Wars' mortal nemesis, Star Trek. Am I the only one that sees Chewbacca in Lt. Worf's character?

So, yeh, I don't care that Vader shouts NOOOO just as he throws the Emperor to his doom, or that the krayt dragon noise sounds like someone taking a dump the size of New Hampshire, or that the Ewoks blink (hey, all creatures blink!), it's still Star Wars in all it's glory, and no matter how much these films get crapped upon by the media, they will still be golden for many years to come, the ENTIRE saga and it's mixture of all the things the world has to offer. Why else would people be drooling over the release of the next film in the series! And to be honest, I will not be purchasing The Complete Saga on Blu-Ray because of one key element. I DON'T HAVE A BLU-RAY PLAYER nor do I intend to buy one anytime soon. I don't think seeing the films in HIGH RESOLUTION is going to change my overall view of the films and I don't think I will see anything I didn't see before. I'm just going to stick to my DVDs and VHS tapes for like Star Wars, they have a sedimental value to me.

An Old Tribute To Nintendo I Wrote A Few Years Ago

I love Nintendo. It’s perhaps one of the greatest video game companies in the entire world. But can you believe that it started out as a playing card company. It wasn’t until the late 70s and early 80s that Nintendo was on the ball. With classics like Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and of course Super Mario Bros, Nintendo really made us have fun and enjoy ourselves, such as on days when it was rainy outside and we couldn’t play outdoors. It will surely entertain the whole world many years from now, when our great great great great great grandchildren are around.



If it’s any man we should be thanking for the famed games, it’s japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, who was responsible for the origins of Mario, Luigi, Link, Wario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, and many more. As a matter of fact, he is the reason why Nintendo is still in this world. After releasing the game Radarscope in the U.S. in 1978, it became one of the most unsuccessful games of the time. But young Miyamoto came up with Donkey Kong, based upon Popeye the Sailor Man and King Kong (kong means large in Japan). Not only was it the first game to introduce Mario (then called Jumpman) and Donkey Kong, it would also influence game designers in the years to come to create game that would be popularized all over the world.

Since then, Nintendo games were popularized all over the world. With very few cliched ideas, they released different games, obviously contrasted from the others. When the Nintendo Entertainment System arrived in 1985, it was the first to have Super Mario Bros. perhaps becoming the most successful game of all time. Today, SMB remains one of the most sold out games of all time. When the Super Nintendo arrived in 1991, we were introduced to new games, such as Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario World, the best sellers of the system.



And me, growing up with the SNES has inspired me with the stories I write and the designs I create. But without Nintendo, the world would not be the same. We would not have experienced what we have experienced with the Nintendo systems. All I can say is that Nintendo will come out with many more beloved games in the near future. Thank you Nintendo, for charming us and entertaining us for many decades. Your games may be mundane, but they are masterpieces and classics that will never forgotten.

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Review

As a massive fan of Batman: The Animated Series, I am also a huge fan of Batman Beyond. Although some look at the series as just one big advertisement for toys and video games, I look at it as an epic retelling of the caped crusader within a futuristic metropolitan city, corrupted with even more crime and treachery than ever before. The series is also a huge factor in the DC Animated Universe, also known as the Timmverse, named for Bruce Timm, who created a lot of the prime elements featured in shows like Batman, Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, and of course, The Justice League. Without the addition of Batman Beyond, we wouldn't know where Bruce Wayne ends up after dumping the Bat disguise, or who takes on the Bat suit after Wayne retires. It's also pivotal that we observe the relationship between the new Batman, Terry McGinnis and the elderly Bruce Wayne, because we later realize, in the Justice League: Unlimited episode entitled "Epilogue" that Terry is in fact the son of Wayne, conceived during a lab experiment involving Wayne and Terry's parents. I thought it was nice how they flawlessly tied this show into the continuity of the original Batman cartoon, giving a few nods to that masterpiece of a show in several episodes and even bringing back some of our favorite characters, like Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, who has taking her father's place as Police Commissioner by that point, Bane, who is now on life support because of his constant use of venom in the past, as well as Tim Drake, the second Boy Wonder Robin, who's fate is finally realized in the Batman Beyond feature, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Considered to many to be the show that launched Batman's most lethal and deadly villain, the Joker back into his glory, Return of the Joker answers a lot of the questions we had asked ourselves while watching the Batman Beyond television show and digs deeper into the mysterious events that follow Batman: The Animated Series, exploring Bruce's live scarring confrontations with the Joker as well as a complex character development and psychology that only Batman and anything to do with Batman can bring to the party. Because, within such a vivid, imaginative animated dimension like the DC Animated Universe, there is no greater hero, no greater individual that makes us show so much compassion, so much sympathy than Batman, for his story, and the horrid things he must observe before his eyes, is hands down the most tragic tale ever to be told in both cartoons and comic books. And his tragic story is progressed further in this wonder of an animated flick, which I think is up there with Mask of the Phantasm and many of the great Batman: The Animated Series and Batman: Beyond episodes Kids WB and Fox had to offer. It is surely dark, comtemporary, and displays Batman in a different picture frame, a picture frame of many different colors, themes, and character arcs.



As you would guess by the title, the Joker is back, and even more compelling than ever. And Mark Hamill is once again the king of voicing the Joker, the man who was once Luke Skywalker giving the Joker that funny, humorous tone of voice that cracks you up and makes your bones shake all at the same time. And the Joker does a lot of strange things in this film, then again, doesn't he always do things that are strange and outlandish. For craps sake, THE MAN HAS PET HYENAS! If that isn't a bit odd, than I don't know what is. But there was one scene in this film that cemented the Joker for me entirely. It's a scene that is very reminiscent of the Joker's torture scene in The Dark Knight, you know, where he tortures the Batman impersonator on live television? In the film, the Joker has paired up with some of Terry Batman's most powerful villains, the Jokerz, becoming their leader and talking them into taking part of his evil doings. However, one member of the Jokerz becomes furious with the Joker, demanding that he can leave the group at once. Then the Joker does the unexpected, he pulls out a gun and holds it up to the guy's head. As the guy pleads for mercy, the Joker pulls the trigger, and if you know the Joker, you know that he has a few BANG guns lying around his hideout, so a long BANG flag comes flapping out. The guy is relieved that the Joker is letting him live, and just as he turns around, WHAMMO! The Joker shoots him right in the chest, sending him flying upon the dining table in front of all of his companions. WOW! I mean, just WOW! Never before have I seen a scene that was so gruesome and horrifying, and after seeing that scene for the first time, my jaw literally dropped to the floor. I never really understood what exactly goes through the Joker's mind until that point, and what goes through his mind isn't exactly pretty. He's a cold, calculating menace that will eliminate anyone who stands up to him, and when he doesn't get what he wants. He can do one of two things. He can wine and scream like an infant or he can beat up and take his anger out on others. Just look at how he treats Harley! I love that scene though, even though it is blood freezing as all heck, and if you have seen some of my videos at Warp 8 Productions, you know that I liked to use that scene at the end of my videos when the Warp 8 logo would appear.

I think the relationship between Terry and Bruce is at it's greatest in this film. Of course the two have had quite a few great moments throughout the Batman: Beyond television series, but the pillars of their friendship are at their highest in Return of the Joker, the two shocked and unclear as to what to do about the Joker's reemergence. Bruce forbids Terry from going after the Joker, and tells him to hand over the Batsuit, Terry not doing so, creating quite a controversy between the two that lasts throughout most of the film. Still angry at Bruce, Terry has a talk with Commissioner Gordon, who, as I mentioned earlier is Barbara Gordon, Gordon revealing some of the secrets we have long wondered about in previous years. And what follows is my favorite scene out of the entire Batman Animated Universe, and while we're at it, my favorite scene out of the DC Animated Universe in general. It is through this scene that we learn the ghastly truth, the truth about Tim Drake and what really happened to the Joker all those years ago. It is truly a disturbing scene that shocks me everytime I watch it, but I will surely think positive as I describe the scene for you all. The Joker kidnaps Tim Drake, and through terrible torment and experimenting, turns Drake into his one miniature self, a Joker Junior as he entitles him in the film. For several weeks after, Batman and Batgirl search for Robin, and one night, the Joker invites them to his hideout to see what has become of their Boy Wonder, Joker Drake revealing himself for the first time to Bruce and Barbara.

While Batgirl takes on Harley Quinn, and sends her down the shadowy abyss where she is grievously injured, Batman goes to confront the Joker, as the Joker shows him the "home movies" he made showing Drake getting experimented on and turned into the monster he is now. The Joker also reveals that Drake revealed some secrets to him, the Joker now knowing of Batman's true alter ego, Bruce Wayne. And then, as the Joker taunts Batman about his parents' death and says that he is nothing more than a "little boy in a play suit crying for mommy and daddy", the Joker gives off his greatest line ever.

"It'd be funny it weren't so pathetic....nah what the heck, I'll laugh anyway. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Than, out of the shadows, Batman swoops in through a glass windows and starts beating the living lights out of the Joker, the Joker taking the upper hand shortly after and evening stabbing Batman with a small knife. As he pulls out his gun, he thinks for a moment, tossing the gun over to Joker Drake to finish Batman once and for all. As Joker Drake points the gun at Batman, the Joker yells for him to "DO IT!" kinda like Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars, however, Tim Drake's allegiance resurfaces, and he instead turns the gun on the Joker, killing him upon impact. Drake than breaks down crying, scarred by the horrific events that he had been apart of, as Batgirl rushes to his side, comforting him and telling him everything is going to be alright. It's a very emotional scene towards the end, and you can really sense what is going through each and every character's mind. When a character was shocked or infuriated, you could really feel it and see it upon their face, really showing how cartoon characters can carry a lot of emotion on their faces and postures. And when Drake breaks down crying, you can really feel his pain and his grief knowing that he will never live the same life again. The villains also carry a lot of emotion as well, both the Joker and Harley Quinn desperate to ruin Batman's life and threaten the ones he cares about, even his sidekicks. When the Joker taunts Batman about his parents' death and that fact that Tim Drake is now his, you see how selfish and cold hearted he really is, not caring one bit as to how much pain, suffering, agony a person must go through to become one of his allies. You see, that's what makes the Joker so cynical. He knows how Batman operates, he knows what Batman is up against, he knows that Batman often works with others to lock up criminals within the walls of Arkam Asylum. And most importantly, he knows of Batman's many weaknesses, and as any great villain would, he takes advantage of them, grabs them by the throat, flips them upside down and shakes them until the important elements come through. And that's exactly what he does here, he takes advantage of one of Batman's pupils to make Batman vulnerable, to make Bruce Wayne vulnerable and anything to do with Bruce Wayne vulnerable, although it would be his greatest mistake, for he dies shortly after and anything he was planning to do dies with him. That my friends solidifies the whole movie for me. If this entire film was focused upon this scene and this scene only, I would love it just as much and maybe even a little more, for it allows us to travel deeper into the minds of some of our favorite characters, to feel sorry for some of the characters, and in a way, wish that we were one of the characters to either ruin the reign of an enemy or help a friend in peril. That's one of the many things I observe in these kind of films, character development that goes far beyond the characters themselves.

Anyone who has seen this film knows that there was a considerable amount of violence and gore featured in the film's original cut, particularly in the scene I just talked about. A censored version of the film was released in it's place, many fans enraged over this version and even going as far as to starting a petition for the original cut to see release. Eventually it did, and it received a PG-13 rating, making it the first animated Batman movie ever to receive that rating. And I for one think the rating is quite suitable, for young children might be a little disturbed by some of the scenes and might run in fright over some of the scenes. Then again, a lot of the scenes from the original Batman films were scary, the scenes with Jack Nicholson's Joker, the scenes with Danny Devito's Penguin, the scene where the Penguin bites the guy's nose, the scene where the fake penguins dump the dead Penguin's body into the water, the scene where Batman pulls out his credit card, the original Batman films were surely filled with a lot of AHHHHHHHHH moments. And this film is certainly filled to the brim with shocking animated scenes that will make kids run into their bedrooms and hide under the covers with Mr. Snuggles. The voice acting in this film is at it's best, but that's common in all DC Animated productions. Kevin Conroy's voice of Bruce Wayne is still very fitting, even though he is voicing an elderly Bruce as opposed to the young, troubled Bruce we saw in The Animated Series and movies. Will Friedle, who you all know as Eric Matthews from Boy Meets World and Lion-O from the Thundercats reboot, does a pretty swell job providing the voice of Terry McGinnis, making both Terry and Batman cunning and swift in their own right, although they are just one person. As I said before, the voice of a character can really add depth to that character, make the character much more realistic and likeable. Even the villains can be likeable, for even though they are so evil and cunning, they each have their own certain trademarks, trademarks that make them the villain they are. What would the Penguin be without his many dangerous umbrellas or Mr. Freeze without his giant oversized freezing gun?

Now the music is very fitting for each scene, and as the voices do to the characters, the music adds depth, dimension and layer to each scene's surroundings, each scene's color and mood, helping build up for the climatic events that are yet to come. And I couldn't go without mentioning that the music for both Batman: The Animated Series and Batman: Beyond are some of my favorite scores from television shows, each very fitting for the characters and the events caused by the characters and their decisions. In the final scenes of the film, Terry Batman is able to track down the Joker, and it is revealed that the Joker is in fact Tim Drake, Drake transforming into the Joker right in front of Terry Batman. The Joker explains that he implanted a micro chip within Tim in the experimenting all those years ago, a microchip containing all of the Joker's memories and personality. It's a pretty shocking twist, and perfectly ties in with the scene I described earlier, further progressing on the Joker's relationship with Tim Drake and his ambitions to keep his crime spree going. Angered over what the Joker has done to Tim, Terry Batman attacks the Joker, and a climatic final battle unfolds. The final battle between Terry Batman and the Joker is just as good as all the other scenes I had mentioned throughout the film, and I thought the relationship between the two couldn't be any better. The Joker hates Batman and Batman hates the Joker, and they would be willing to do anything to bring one another to a deadly end, for better or for worse. And Terry Batman even goes as far as to taunt the Joker himself, laughing and mocking his laughable catchphrases, just before the Joker becomes enrages and starts torturing Terry Batman. Eventually, Terry Batman shocks the Joker, destroying the microchip and returning Tim back to his old self. In the final scene of the film, Tim is in a hospital bed, and he is joined by Bruce and Barbara. As Terry walks out, Bruce gives him some helpful advice, saying that it's not Batman that makes his life worthwhile, but the other way around. And with that extra push, Terry fully understands his duties as Batman and will do anything to purify them, keep them at their prime, use them to better what terror might unfold within Neo-Gotham. And as many Batman films end, this one ends with Terry Batman flying through the city, confident and ready to take out some of Gotham's most terrifying adversaries. And it took him the entire film to build that confidence, that inner strength to go just about anything.

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is a feast fit for any life long Batman fan. If you are a fan of Batman: Beyond, you will love every nook and cranny of this film, and if you are a fan of the original Batman animated series, I still say this film is worthy to watch. It is filled with many homages to the original cartoon and adds in many glorious things to help tie up loose ends. The character development is what makes this film this film, and each character is solid, not wooden, each with a different backstory and different view of aspects. When characters were upset, you could feel upset, and when a person was angry, you could really feel the anger building up within their insides, a feeling of hatred and vengeance. But I think the moral of this entire film is to let go, let go of the past, move forward to accomplish no things, and let me be the first to say, that isn't easy. It was hard for Tim Drake to let go of the past, especially when he had a microchip containing the Joker's memories within him, and it was hard for Bruce Wayne to move on from those horrible events as well. And with the Joker's rise to power, it all came back to them, the pain and the despair, however, in order for them to overcome the Joker in the end, they had to let go, they had to let go of the past and move on into the future, building an inner strength that can only be accomplished by doing so, building an inner strength that will allow them to discover things that will lead to the Joker's downfall. Terry McGinnis also learns to let go in this film, for at times, he was often filled with hatred and fury, particularly aimed at the Joker and Bruce, however, he had to come to a realization and throw that hatred and fury down the toilet, discovering who he really was and what he must accomplish in the process. Terry became a lot stronger by the end of the film, and would use his powers as Batman like he never used them before, to defend Neo-Gotham from crime and treachery, to prevent criminals and adversaries from making the city crumble to pieces. And even if he has a huge responsibility on his shoulders, he can still be Terry McGinnis at all times, even with the Bat suit upon his body. He can still be the person he wants to be and do the things he wants to do, as with all superheroes who take on an alter ego, an ego of an average ordinary citizen among the Earth, an average ordinary citizen who is trying to find his place in the world. I compare Terry McGinnis to myself in a lot of ways, for at times, I often feel like I will never amount to anything or that everything I do will backfire on me one way or the other. But no matter how stormy the weather is, we can always get back onto our feet and keep moving forward, keep striving for what we want, and as long as we strive for our dreams with pride and self-confidence,  saying NEVER GIVE UP to ourselves, anything is reachable. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker helped me realize that in a way, and helped me realize that the world of superheroes is, in many ways, not too different from our very own, even if there are many glorious things that one may think is impossible to bring into the real world. This film helped me realize that we will always have people who care for us, people who want to help us, people like Batman, who will always be there to defend us from what troubles stand in our path.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Review

There is no denying that I am a huge fan of Batman: The Animated Series. Along with the original X-Men and Spider-Man cartoons, it has gone down as one of the greatest animated television shows ever made, praised for it's unique storytelling, dark and linear atmosphere and of course, the character development that was off the charts. This is the show that introduced us to a lot of factors that would become prominent in later Batman media and helped get Batman to the level we all know him at today. The show also introduced us to Harley Quinn, a character who has become so popular throughout the years, that she even has her own comic book series and has been a recurring character in shows like the Justice League and the live action Birds of Prey series. So, yeh, as you would have guessed, the Batman cartoon has left a powerful impact on not only pop culture, but the comic book universe and the world of Batman in general, showing Batman like we have never seen him before and making him more of a sympathetic hero rather than a ticked off lunatic who runs around beating the crap out of random criminals. And with a great animated series, there also comes a motion picture based upon the animated series. That is no surprise for me, for popular shows like Rugrats and Animaniacs have gotten movies based upon them, progressing the story we all know and love further and making it more in depth. And Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is one of the greatest motion pictures based upon an animated television show, giving us things not even the show could top and giving us material very appropriate for a motion picture. In my opinion, it's one of the best Batman films ever made, and it is certainly up there with Tim Burton's 1989 take on Batsy as well as The Dark Knight, fit with a dark story, dark character progression and things that just plain out "freak you out". And I think everyone is on par with me when I say that all Batman films have their "freak out" moments, either making your skin crawl or making you laugh in bafflement.



Batman: Mask of the Phantasm marks one of the first times we have ever seen the backstory of Batman on the big screen. Of course we have seen his parents getting shot in the first Tim Burton film, but Mask of the Phantasm takes this concept to a whole new level. The film explains as to why, how, and when Bruce Wayne donned the Batman mask for the first time, Wayne searching for who he really is and trying to live a normal life, developing a relationship with a woman named Andrea Beaumont, who becomes much more of a solid character as the film progresses. When Andrea leaves Bruce, soon after Burce engages to her, Batman believes that he has lost his only chance of having a normal life and continues his plans of becoming a crime fighter, becoming the Caped Crusader for the first time. And when he becomes the Caped Crusader for the first time, you are really shocked and pleased at the same time, for you feel kinda bad for Bruce and wish you could help him, however, you are glad you finally know the truth, the truth of why Batman is Batman and why he wants to defend the city from crime and treachery. It's something that goes back to the early days of the comics, the days when Batman was new, and you see his training, his ambition, his quest to defend people from suffering the same fate of his parents as well as why he wishes to take on the form of a Bat. Of course Batman's backstory has been altered drastically throughout the years, each version of the Black Savior of Gotham doing something different and fresh for a new set of eyes. And this version of Batman's backstory is certainly different from the others, though quite satisfying, for it gave us the backstory we wished and prayed for when we watched The Animated Series on our television set. Bruce Wayne wants to be a normal person, move on from the events of that one tragic night, although it is a hard, rocky journey without reward, and you can really feel his pain, relate to him in a sense.










Now let's talk about the villains. Mark Hamill's Joker. Do I even need to go into any detail? He has solidified himself has one of the best interpretations of the character, coming out funny and cooky, yet terrifying and sadistic at the same time. And what's Mark Hamill's Joker without his sinister yet funny Joker laugh. The Joker does laugh a lot in this film, particularly in the action scenes and the scenes where he is associating with another person, although Mark Hamill's Joker is at his finest in his film. Some of the things he does in this film, as I said before, can "freak you out", make you just as sick to your stomach as when the Joker shoves a guy's head onto a pencil in The Dark Knight. For example, there is a scene where he makes a guy laugh himself to the point where he has to be taken to a hospital where he is pinned to a table by the doctors. The Joker's hideout is also kinda creepy, it's somewhat of a amusement park attraction that Bruce and Andrea visit earlier in the film, and the Joker does some pretty funny, yet demented things with the animatronic dummies present in the attraction. And I do love Batman's final confrontation with the Joker, the Joker taunting Batman as he always does during their fights. But then, our next villain, which I'll simply call the Phantom, takes on the Joker, the two disappearing in a cloud of thick smoke. The Phantom, as we see throughout the film, causes trouble by killing of gangsters and tracking down some of Gotham's most scheeming crimelords. And the Phantom has quite a few great scenes with Batman, who it often frames for the mass murders of the gangsters and fights in a few brief action sequences.Later, as the film reaches it's climax, we find out that the Phantom is in fact Andrea, who is tracking down the criminal who are responsible for her father' s death. When I first saw the film, I was very surprised at that revelation, and I'm sure a lot of were surprised as well, for we never expected such a bulky villain like the Phantom to be a girl. But the whole thing works flawlessly, for Andrea was a very well developed character by the point when she reveals herself to be the Phantom and we can see her pain and quest for vengeance against those who ruined her life, Batman telling her to let go of her hatred and move on as he has. And in the end, Batman and Andrea the Phantom get even with one another, going their seperate ways in the journey to find where they belong. And that my friends isn't something seen a lot in super hero films, for heroes and villains often end up hating one another or wanting to kill one another's loved ones.

The animation of the film is what you would expect from Batman: The Animated Series, fit with that shady, black colored scenary, along with some highly fitting 3-D elements as well. It is through this stellar animation that we really see the hard work and dedication put into it, each animated scene complimenting the story and making it more vivid, more in depth. The animated series is also known for this art, and it can really make things fun to look at, particularly in the background and in action scenes where the heroes and villains and moving around a lot or causing a lot of motion. And animation isn't an easy process, let me tell you, for one single scene can take up to 100 drawings to create, each drawing making the animation fluent, consistent. The shadowy, gritty take on some of the scenes is really stunning, some of the scenes very reminiscent to some of the scenes from the show as well as the show's opening, which were obviously inspired by the Fleischer Superman cartoons from the 1940s. One of my favorite scenes from the entire film is the scene where Batman is sitting in the shadowy depths of his Bat fortress, clutching his Batman mask as he prepares to put it upon his face for the first time. That alone symbolizes Batman, his internal conflict and the ghastly decisions he must make throughout his journey. He probably still has doubts as to if he wants to become Batman or not by that point, but he makes the prudent decision one way or the other, realizing that even know he may run into many struggles donning the ego of Batman, he can still help people, defend the city, prevent the deaths of many people and make sure those who wish to spread death throughout the city are brought to justice. It's a pivotal element in a superhero's character arc, for what would a superhero be without a backstory that explains how and why he became the superhero in the first place? And Batman has one of the most vivid, most highly developed backstories that truly makes him different from other heroes like Superman and Spider-Man.

 I really like the designs of Batman, the Joker and even the Phantom in this film. Batman and the Joker look similar to the way they did in the animated show, with a few minor changes here and there, and the cartoony, yet fitting build on the characters makes them fun to look at, fun to analyze and compare to their comic book interpretations. The design of the Phantom is very appropriate for the character, looking somewhat like a Grim Reaper or hooded menace bend on revenge. Like I said before, that really can trick you into thinking there is a guy under there, when in fact it is a girl, doing her best to hide her true form and hide within the shadows. The Phantom is surely one of my favorite villains out of the DC animated universe, for she is surely unique and has many trademarks that makes her the oddball out of all the other villains we have seen throughout Static Shock, Superman: The Animated Series and the Justice League. And the fact that ever character blends in with their surroundings flawlessly makes me like them even more, for the way a character looks in a certain enviroment can have a pivotal impact on how we look at the picture's entirety, the way the picture sticks out in our minds. The voice actors also compliment on the animation profoundly, the voices of each character fitting for the character's personality and trademarks. I really like Kevin Conroy as the voice of Bruce Wayne/Batman, for he can add an edge to the character in ways no one else can. Dana Delany is also quite good as the voice of Andrea and she may very well sound familiar to some of you DC animated universe gurus. That's because Delany also voices Lois Lane on Superman: The Animated Series, another one of my all time favorites and another grand slam in 90s animated television series. The other voices actors are also at their finest, even Sal Tessio himself, Abe Vigoda voices the character of Velestra, a character perfectly mirroring Vigoda's role of Tessio in the first Godfather film. Hey, at least he's not voicing a talking penguin!

I highly recommend this film to any Batman fanatic, and I'm sure just about all Batman fanatics have seen this film and the awesome animated series it was based upon. Just about everything in this film fits Batman like a hat on a cat's head, making Batman a character that touches us rather than an average run of the mill hero. In just about all interpretations of Batman, even the campy, bat burger eating Adam West Batman, we can see the character's struggle and ambition to take action, go an extra mile to put an end to any horrid crimes or goings on in Gotham City, making sure the city remains safe and secure for the people who live in it. And Batman can be a little intimidating at times, but, hey, it's Batman, and Batman's gotta go a little "bat crazy" in order to get information from his enemies. But this is certainly one of the those films where we feel for him, and hope that he makes the right choices in his crime fighting career, making decisions that will not only benefit himself, but the other people he defends, the people he loves and cares for. The animation is intriguing and down right dazzling to look at, distinguishing it from all other Batman adaptations with it's animated appropriate style and depth. And the voice actors really know what they are doing, putting a tremendous amount of effort into the characters they are bringing life too and making them as realistic as they can. And the music, the music in all of it's high pitched glory is fitting in such a edgy world, a world far different than our world in many ways and if I were to some up the classy, yet timeless music that still sounds great to this very day in one word, it would be very, well, "Danny Elfmanish", although I am aware that Elfman did work on some of the scores for Batman: The Animated Series.

So how do you wrap up such a powerful animated flick. With a powerful animated ending, an ending that somewhat parallels the ending of Tim Burton's first Batman film. No Batman film is complete without a shot of Batman standing on the top of a building and looking out at the Bat Signal, you know what I talking about, don't you? With crime building up once again in Gotham, Batman flies out into the distance, ready to take on whatever it is that terrorizes the city. And that scene alone solidifies this film for me, makes it a masterpiece, for it embodies all that Batman is known for and makes it much, much better to observe, to love and share with family and friends. I know I love what this film has going for it and it is one of the many reasons why Batman is one of my all time favorites. The film shows that Batman is different, and that superheroes CAN be taken seriously, no matter what their powers are or what goofy costumes they put upon their bodies. This film proves that these heroes can be just as character driven and motivated as the citizens of reality and that you are not a lifetime away from fulfilling something groundbreaking, something that will change the world and the lives of others. And Batman has changed the world, changed the lives of others, all because he believed in himself and what he could accomplish, something clearly displayed within this masterpiece of a blockbuster.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes Review

In 1968, a movie was released based upon the 1963 novel entitled La planete des singes by Pierre Boulle. The film, starring, Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall was a critical and commercial success upon it's release, critics praising the acting, the scenary, and most importantly, the makeup used on some of the actors to make them look more animal like. The film became a prominent symbol in pop culture during the Swinging 60s, eventually launching a franchise of films, a short lived television series, a ghastly remake by Tim Burton, and just recently, a reboot, a reboot intended to start the series up again for a new set of eyes to behold. Of course I am talking about the science fiction film Planet of the Apes in all of it's "APE-TASTIC" glory. I have to admit, I never really watched this film that much in my youth, I was much more fascinated by films like King Kong and the Godzilla series. But there was one channel on the television that really intrigued me and captivated my mind for the past few years now. Turner Classic Movies. It was through Turner Classic Movie that I saw a whole herd of films I had never layed eyes on before, films that would make movies and filmography one of my many passions in life. And Planet of the Apes was one of those movies that sizzled my skull, and even though I found the monkey makeup somewhat hilarious, I soon came to realize that this was a film that was taken seriously, a film with a lot of great, exciting things going for it. And even though the monkey makeup was quite laughable, it was coming from a time period where rubber aliens with plastic heads, flying saucers made of tin foil and sound effects that sound like a toilet being flushed were the normalcy in science fiction thrillers. Just look at the original Star Trek and you will know exactly what I am talking about. Of course I would spot the film and it's sequels on other channels like Sci-Fi and AMC throughout the years, but it was on Turner Classic Movie that I saw the film in the best quality, with the best sound and the greatest enhancements in color and pitch. And sure, I will say that the films that would follow just got more and more ridiculous overtime, but that only increased my love for them even more, because even the most ridiculous films with the most ridiculous acting and the most ridiculous special effects can still be enjoyable flicks that any sci-fi lover at heart will find some room for. Oh, and by the way, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is my personal favorite, please don't hammer me into a pulp!



So what looms within my noggin regarding the latest reboot in the Planet of the Apes series, Rise of the Planet of the Apes? Was the film a four star opera with a great story and visual effects that will make your eyes pop out of your skull, or was it just another CGI slopfest that makes the Burton remake look like Star Wars. Well, before I saw this film, I didn't know what motion picture would be placed in front of me, would I get a film that would bring back many fond memories of watching the original Planet of the Apes on TCM or a film that would make me wanna jump out the nearest window? I know I have given just about all of this summer's major blockbusters positive reviews, but I had very reasonable expectations for each film, and this film was no exception. I enjoyed Rise of the Planet of the Apes, it wasn't my favorite film of this summer's movie reign, but it was incredible for what it was, and I will be looking forward to seeing this film once more in the near future. The action was nothing out of the ordinary, but it did have a few things to make a cake over, and this film displays a unique style of computer animation, both on the apes and on some other aspects that fit in quite well with the film's enviroment. And the acting was some of the best acting of the entire summer, James Franco delivering one of the greatest roles yet, although I will always remember him as Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man film series.

Franco plays a determined young man named Will, who is on the brick of creating a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a disease that has stricken his father, played by John Lithgow. He tests his discovers on apes, causing the apes to grow an extraordinary amount of intelligence, though at the same time, and extraordinary amount of rage. Overtime, Will befriends one of the apes, who he names Caesar, and the relationship between the human and the monkey is one of the many highlights of the film. It was interesting to see how much of a loyal companion Caesar was to Will and his father, who he defends from an angry neighbor after one of his Alzheimer's spells. But things suddenly go down the drain pipe soon after, and Caesar is taken away for his treachery and stored within a special facility where other apes are being kept. There, the apes are treated quite coldly by one of the guards, played by Tom Felton, and Caesar has a hard time fitting in with the other apes, the other apes treating him like vermin. Luckily, Caesar makes a friend, an ape named Buck, and they are able to escape the facility shortly after. And it all goes down the crapper from there. We are talking about a serious monkey uprising, a controversy that will put all humanity to shame, the biggest monkey revolution since Donkey Kong Country. And when that happens, the humans are vulnerable, they don't know what to do to stop the crazy Magilla Gorillas of Death, and it would only be a short time after that the Earth would be dominated by the apes, and the humans are on the edge of extinction. Fellas, break out the banana creme pies, these apes are going to cause some supreme ruckus.

Andy Serkis, who you all know as the Gollem from The Lord of the Rings, does a stellar job of bringing Caesar to life, giving him that animalistic nature you would expect in an ape, but at the same time, giving him a brief touch of humanity. And it's not the first time Serkis has played a vicious killer monkey of destruction on the big screen. He has had experience playing Kong himself in Peter Jackson's remake of his favorite movie, King Kong, so as you would imagine, Serkis brings a lot from that role into this role, particularing in scenes where Caesar is seen fighting off other monkeys or jumping in thin air. And instead of beating up on dinosaurs and climbing the Empire State Building, Caesar takes his frustration out on the humans, making sure they do not get in the way of his deleterious planning. The effects done on the monkeys as top notch and at times, looked like they had used real monkeys in the film rather than CGI animated monkeys. It's quite obvious that the film makers and producers used real apes and drawings of apes to get the posture, the overall feeling of an ape down to the teeth, making the apes of this film as realistic and crazed as possible. They did just about everything you would imagine an ape to do, and when you were least expecting it, they would do something drastic, cause chaos and panic, and that can leave quite a funny feeling within, for it adds to the suspense and the wonder of how the film will commense. Breaking out of the facility, beating up all those who get in their way, rallying on the Golden Gate Bridge, the apes of this film were very menacing and bone chilling, for they were determined to bring all humans to their knees and to get revenge on the humans for what they have done to them. It's a perfect example of how one's creations can lead to a villainous uprising, a life changing event that will change the way humans exist on the Earth forever. It's like in the Terminator when the machines dominate the globe and bring humans to the point of nonexistence, only in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, it is apes instead of robots, apes with feelings, apes with a heart and soul, apes that are getting more and more human as each and every minute passes by. The apes, in conclusion, were some of the most compelling creatures I have ever seen on film, proving that something can be cute, and also threatening at the same time, and I mean threatening to the point where your heart races everytime they appear on the silver screen.

The music was hands down one of the best scores of this summer's onslaught of blockbusters. It was composed by Patrick Doyle, who also composed the scores for films like Thor and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and as he did with those films, he brought something harmonious, something that made the hairs on the back of your neck jump to the audio levels of the film. The score that played when the apes were on the move was very breathtaking, and just as fitting as Captain America's patriotic theme in Captain America: The First Avenger or the prehistoric theme for the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. I also couldn't help compare this score with the score of the original Planet of the Apes film, composed by Jerry Goldsmith, who is probably most notably for composing the scores for films like Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Gremlins, and Poltergeist. Some of the chords and pitches with the instruments really reminded me of the music from the original film, especially in the action scenes and when the apes were going to do something life-threatening. And boy, by the end of this film, you really don't know what is to come next, nicely setting it up for possible sequels and revamps to come in the near future. Seeing Caesar turn against his master was quite heartbreaking if you think about it, and I was very surprised when Caesar spoke for the first time, taking his rank among the other apes who will soon turn the human race into their pets and start a "Monkeypire" as displayed in the earlier films and the dreadful Burton remake. Will and Caesar have been friends for such a long time, and seeing Caesar turn against Will to join his monkey companions really makes your heart jump, showing exactly what is going through Caesar's head and what he wants to accomplish now that he carries several humans. It's like when Charles Xavier and Eric Lenscherr parted seperate ways in X-Men: First Class, only in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, we are dealing with a monkey and a human rather than two mutants who were just trying to make their way within society. And Will is left wit the terrible guilt of what he has created, a pack of power hungry apes that will turn the world upside down and morph it into the enviroment we all know it as in the previous films. And he did this all because he wanted to help people, he wanted to help cure such a horrible illness that not only plagued is father, but many other humans as well. He is like Miles Dyson in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The two of them just wanted to discover new, revolutionary things that would change the world, not knowing of the havoc that would slowly unfold and take effect because of their discoveries, turning the world as we know it into desolate wasteland and bringing the forces they inadvertently created to the point of an autocracy. It's a clever method of story telling and helps in making a good science fiction thriller that will make us ponder, make us say to ourselves "WOW, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT HAPPENED". It's interesting if you think about it, how the good guys, the characters we get attracted too and follow throughout most of the film become the bad guys, doing something that can not be undone so simply.

When it comes to prequels or reboots, most just sit back and roll their eyes in disgust. But I think Rise of the Planet of the Apes has it where it counts. It was just as clever and charming and suspenseful as the golden original, and brought in a lot of new factors, a lot of elements that fit in quite well, made the series fresh again and appropriate for today's reign of movie goers and critics, who would most likely bash the movie if it didn't have a good story or action that made them fly off the handle. I thought it was good for what it had going for it, and was one of the best films of the summer, and if I can stretch my mind even further, into the depths of outer space, I will even say that it was one of the best science fiction films of the year! Spit the Tim Burton remake out of your mouth like a wad of flem, because this film blew my mind on so many levels, and I will definately recommend to any ape lovers or science fictioners at heart, something this film carries a lot of. The action was fitting for the film's overall mood and atmosphere, the story was quite sensational and unforgettable, and the apes, well, they weren't your average ordinary apes you would see at the zoo. These apes had attitude, and Caesar, as chilling as he appeared in some scenes, makes Mighty Joe Young look like Diddy Kong. The effects were also quite realistic and a perfect example of how far we have come with special effects in this past decade. Now, we can add a great amount of detail, realism, and dimension to our computer animated creations and make them look as vivid as possible, or as I like to call it "Candy for the eyes". Just imagine how those effects would have looked in 3-D or IMAX! The character development was also a prominent factor, and you can really feel for the characters, feel their pain, their ambitions, and what exactly is running through their heads. It something you don't get a lot in today's films, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes gets the job done and done properly, making the characters unforgettable and legendary.

I have know doubts that this film will spawn a series, or if you wanna think in a different shade, you can throw away the Apes sequels and remakes and make this a direct prequel to the original 1968 film. But it would surely be something worth $7.50 to see the sequels, the revamps, and the character arcs to come in the newly awakened Planet of the Apes franchise, which will suck a new generation of monkey monks under its realm and give them new stories and perils to enjoy that many ape lovers didn't get in the old days. I will surely be looking forward to seeing how this series progressing throughout the years, and maybe 100 years from now, the Planet of the Apes franchise will be remade once more, delivering new and improved things not even the original could catch up too. Roddy McDowall would be proud!

OH YES, WE HAVE PLENTY OF BANANAS!!!!!