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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, a review by Dragonfire

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island



I went to see this one in the theater.  I saw the normal version, but it also played in 3D.  I noticed several things during the movie that would have really taken advantage of the 3D.  I think I should have seen this one in 3D instead of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

This one is a sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth, though it can stand alone fairly well.  Sean is the only returning character, and his uncle isn't even mentioned in this one.  That does seem a little odd since their relationship was so much stronger by the end of the first movie.  There was a new Loony Tunes cartoon featuring Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd before the movie that I really enjoyed.

Sean discovers a signal that he believes is a message from his missing grandfather.  His mother Liz and stepfather Hank don't believe it, but Hank has the idea to go on a trip with Sean to bond with him. They arrive on the island of Palau and charter a helicopter to go to where Sean believes the island is.  They run into a horrible storm and crash on the island, eventually finding Sean's grandfather Alexander. 

The movie is a bit silly, but I think that works for the movie.  It is a fun, family friendly adventure movie that doesn't resort to crude or gross jokes.  Things from Jules Verne's books are mentioned at different times in the movie.  I haven't read any of the books, so I have no idea if they were accurate or not.  There is a bit of suspense in a few scenes, but the movie isn't suspenseful overall.  It is just a fun, entertaining movie.  I really enjoyed it and I'll probably add it to my collection at some point.  The characters are likable for the most part, though Luiz Guzman does get a tad irritating at times.  I did really like Dwayne Johnson as Hank.  It seems like he was having fun with the movie.

This one could be too silly for some people, but it is fun and enjoyable.  It does set up another movie at the end and I would see it if it gets made. 



I did get a longer review posted at Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island


(From Journey 2: The Mysterious Island on June 11th, 2012)

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, a review by Dragonfire

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore

Top secret groups of cats and dogs must work together to stop the evil Kitty Galore from taking over the world.

My Thoughts

I really wasn't interested in seeing this one when I first saw the previews.  I saw the first Cats & Dogs movie years ago.  It was ok, but not a favorite.  Even though I wasn't wanting to see the movie, I ended up going.  It turned out to be better than I expected.

First, I was pleasantly surprised by a new Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoon that played before the movie.  I had no clue that one had been made.  I've loved the Looney Tunes characters for years, so seeing a new one, on the big screen, made it worth going to the movie for me.  The animation was CG instead of hand drawn, so that may turn some fans of the characters off.  They did look slightly off because of that, but it was still clearly Wile and Road Runner.  The cartoon is really cute and has Wile attempting again to catch Road Runner with a slightly modern method.  Of course things go wrong in hilarious ways.

The cartoon - and movie - were shown in 3D in some theaters.  I saw the normal 2D version.  I don't think I missed anything my not seeing the movie in 3D, though it would have been interesting to see the cartoon in 3D.

The plot is clearly influenced by the James Bond movies.  Children probably won't pick up on all those references like adults will.  The plot is fairly simple, but it still manages to be entertaining overall.  Yes it is rather silly, but it works.  Some of what happens is cute.  The animals can talk and if a human happens to be around, they will be able to hear them too.  There are funny moments, but there are too many gross jokes.  The humor definitely could have been better. 

The main characters are the animals, with humans having very limited roles.  None of the characters are developed much.  The voices are fine, though nothing special for the most part.

The movie is silly, but it ends up working overall as a fun, mostly cute movie.  It isn't going to appeal to a lot of people though.



I did get a review posted on Epinions.

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore

(From Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore on August 23rd, 2010)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

The Critic: The Complete Series (1994/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (United States) Length: 520 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

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Stars:
Jon Lovitz as Jay Prescott Sherman/Woody Allen/Himself (voice)
Nancy Cartwright as Margo Sherman (voice)
Christine Cavanaugh as Marty Sherman (voice)
Gerrit Graham as Franklin Sherman (voice)
Judith Ivey as Eleanor Sherman (voice)

Plot:
From the producers of "The Simpsons" comes this hilarious animated sitcom about Jay, a New York movie critic and cable television host.

Pudgy and balding, Jay is not a well-liked man. His unsympathetic boss makes his life miserable, his ex-wife hates him, his adoptive parents barely tolerate him, and even the makeup lady treats him with disgust.

Fortunately for Jay, he has his 11-year-old son Marty and one very unlikely friend, Jeremy Hawke, the Australian film hunk.

Jon Lovitz provides Jay's distinctive voice as a single father who searches for happiness while satirizing life and the movies in this irreverent comedy.

The Critic
1.01 Pilot
Not really funny. At least the pilot episode. I don't remember much about the rest, only that it was not memorable.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on April 2nd, 2011)