Of the 15 animation features fighting for the three precious spots for best animation Oscar feature, I predict my own top animation picks which all received 4.5 starfish: Toy Story 3 (Pixar/Disney) , How to Train Your Dragon (DreamWorks), and Tangled (Disney) will be chosen tomorrow (Jan 25, 2011) when Oscar nominations are revealed.
I know a lot of my friends and fans have been waiting for my best list of 2010 films for a while. The year 2010 has been a “Perrific!” year for G/PG-rated films, especially animation and thought-provoking documentary. Mom (Zhu Shen) & I saw not only impressive major studio releases, but also amazing indie films at film festivals.
Continued from previous Narnia movies, Lucy and her brother Edmund, embark on an adventure in “The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” the third film in the series opening on December 10, 2010. The journey takes them on beyond Narnia itself. Lucy and Edmond seem like ordinary kids, but they are King and Queen in the imaginary land of Narnia. Today, however, they are going to visit their cranky young cousin Eustace, who doesn’t believe fairly tales and imaginary things until he sees them come alive.
Tangled is a spectacular film filled with rich and colorful characters, each with different personality. The movie is full of action, comedy, and romance. Even though the film uses one punch line after another, it is the kind of “appropriate humor” that is character and situation based, not potty humor. It is also easy to understand for younger kids and appreciated by adults as well.
Is love a bitch? Apparently so for British author J. R. Ackerley. He was always looking for an elusive companion to come to his life, yet this companion never materialized … until Tulip, a mischievous female German Shepherd came to his life and became inseparable. Together, they started many misadventures, including searching for the ideal vet and mate for Tulip, and other ordeals which turned out to be much harder than it seemed.
Which type of films do you like better, animation or live action? If you are an adult, you’ll probably say live action, but “Animation: The Illusion of Life” aims to change that! It has much of the same themes as live action films, except with more humor, clever storyline, imagination, and fantastic music to match.
Did you notice that in most stories, good defeats evil, and the good guy always gets the girl? Armed with his brilliant evil mind and his fishy minion, Megamind, an alien from the Glaopunk quadrant, attempts a different fate.
Have you ever fallen in love with someone you know you couldn’t have? Just ask Humphrey. In Lion Gate’s new 3-D animation “Alpha and Omega,” Humphrey is a lowly Omega wolf in his pack, and he falls in love with Kate, the stunning and skilled Alpha female of the pack...
Many people battle for world dominance, but what about villains? Gru is the anti-hero with a long, pointy nose and a grey and black scarf that he wears all seasons, in Universal’s first animation feature premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival. I rate this movie 4 starfish, it’s “Perrific.”
Toy Story 3 is the best of the series with few flaws. It is about the connection between toys, their owners, and each other. It is also about friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and moving on with one’s life. One lesson learned is that the past can affect the future in a major way. The film is rated G. I urge everyone to see this “Perrific” movie!
Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest, an animated short, is about Ms. Ingrid Pitt, a young Jewish girl and Holocaust survivor. When she was 8 years old, Ms. Pitt miraculously escaped the Stutthof concentration camp with her mother, surviving in the forest until the end of the War. I have the great honor to be invited by Beyond the Forest director and producer Mr. Kevin Sean Michaels and two-time Academy Award nominee Mr. Bill Plympton to be the sole animator for this film.
Tim Burton’s new film adds a unique twist to the classic story. It is about love, courage, sacrifice, dreams, and reality. The June 2, 2010 release of the triple DVD set includes blu-ray, regular DVD and a digital DVD for the computer. It is a real treat!
I was invited to the red carpet premiere of MARMADUKE at the annual surf dog beach party held at San Diego’s Imperial Beach on May 22, 2010, and interviewed director Tom Dey and voice talents Owen Wilson (Marmaduke) and George Lopez (Carlos the cat). I give Marmaduke 3.5 starfish. It is packed with humor, romance, and action.
Everyone loves Shrek and I can see why. There is drama, action, and comedy packed into an hour and half long film, that it seems to leave little room for flaws. But the flaws are major ones in my view.
Chinese film industry observers expect that How to Train Your Dragon’s opening will kick IMAX movie viewing into high gear. From the advanced press reviews from China, and response from the first day of screenings in China, the critics and audience absolutely LOVED this movie.
“The Secret of Kells” is an “illuminating” tale about friendship, wisdom, overcoming fear, and discovering your own creativity. It has splendid visual, haunting music, and amazing storyline built upon historical facts.
Ten-year-old Perry Chen of San Diego is making a name for himself as a film critic. Listen in below on NPR's Liane Hansen's interview as they discuss How To Train Your Dragon.
“How to Train Your Dragons” is an epic tale packed with adventure, action, humor, stunning 3D visuals and beautiful music. I give it 4.5 starfish, it is as good as Up! It is a film that I think every child and parent will love to experience. The movie is about friendship, connection, redemption, and the hidden power of “being different.”
