DVD Collectors Online

Barnyard, a review by Rich

Barnyard



What really happens on the farm when the farmer isn't looking? In director Steve Oedekerk's (KUNG POW: ENTER THE FIST, ACE VENTURA: WHEN NATURE CALLS) computer-generated animation feature, the farm animals can do everything humans do. They talk, walk upright, buy human contraband from a 'grey market' run by the gophers, and even turn the barn into a nightclub. Of course, they do all of this in secret. The biggest party animal is Otis (voiced by Kevin James), a happy-go-lucky cow who's always up for a crazy stunt or practical joke (bizarrely, the movie is full of male cows with udders). But Otis' carefree attitude doesn't sit too well with his father, Ben (Sam Neill), the barnyard patriarch and protector. While he loves his slacker son, Ben thinks that Otis needs to learn some responsibility if he is to continue his legacy. When the dangerous coyote season arrives and Ben is no longer able to serve as barnyard security, mayhem ensues and the farm starts to resemble an amusement park. Alas, Otis is still too immature to take the lead, preferring instead to woo bovine beauty Daisy (Courtney Cox) and party with his friends. But when push comes to shove, will Otis stand up to the coyotes and protect the barnyard, or will he turn the udder cheek? This coming-of-age tale is bolstered by the human antics of the animals and genuine laugh-out-loud moments for all ages. Wanda Sykes voices Bessy, Daisy's cynical cow friend, and Danny Glover voices Miles the Mule, a sage elder on the farm. Songs by Tom Petty and Peter Gabriel, as well as other artists, elevate the soundtrack above typical children's fare.

Certainly not the best animated film of this ilk, but by no means the worst. Many of the characters were very amusing, but the storyline would be banal even for a small child watching this. The number of laugh out loud moments are too few, and there is nothing groundbreaking in the animation or technique.
Just couldn't work out why the male cows had udders - is it a special breed??? Courteney Cox charater is unremarkable and pretty boring, the best was definately Freddy the Ferret (voiced by Cam Clarke).
 

** Courteney Cox mini-marathon


(From Riches Random Reviews on August 3rd, 2009)

Sole Survivor, a review by Jimmy

Title : Sole Survivor (1982)

Overview
Before there was FINAL DESTINATION, there was SOLE SURVIVOR, directed by Thom Eberhardt (NIGHT OF THE COMET), this chilling tale tells of a young woman who is the sole survivor of an airplane crash. Disregarding the warnings of a psychic friend. Denise tries to get on with her life, but she has somehow cheated Death, and the Grim Reaper sends his minions to bring her to him.

My Impression
The story in this one is interesting, this is about how you can't cheat death : sooner or later it will catch you. Except for that there is no real connection with Final Destination, but I understand easilly why Code Red play it strong on the cover and their publicity. I like the idea that the death use freshly dead peoples to try to take the survivor and not some over the top way to kill her. This movie is slow moving so don't expect an action festival, but if you want something original and not fill with tv actors of the month you will like this movie.
 
Rating :

Number of film watch : 13

(From My October Horror Marathon on October 5th, 2008)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Kira and Bashir find a ship where a fire has broken out. Aboard this ship are a dying prisoner, a dead and a living guard. The prisoner dies, too and Dr. Bashir can do nothing about it. But the guard isn't convinced that this prisoner is really dead. After their return to DS9 it is seems that she has been right and now a dangerous man is loose on the station.

My Opinion: Sometimes they overdo it with technology. We've seen mind transfers more than once in Star Trek and you often need to do a "leap of faith". Often they need - even in Star TrekSynopsis: A new species from the Gamma Quadrant arrives on DS9, but they aren't interested in establishing any diplomatic contacts. They just want to play and what better place than the "Quark's"? But when Quark cheats them they force him to play one of their games and the game counters are very, very real.

My Opinion: I always liked that episode; to see the two planes: Quark, Odo and the Wadi looking at the abstract game board and Sisko, Dax, Bashir and Kira as the pawns who try to find their way out of the mace. But I have to admit that it was not logical that Odo didn't force the Wadi to release the officers. Many people didn't like this episode but I thought it had a nice surrealistic touch.

Synopsis: The Grand Nagus - leader of the Ferengi Alliance - Zek comes to the station to discuss with his fellow "entrepreneurs" the new business opportunities that have opened with the wormhole. But then Zek announces his retirement and names Quark to be his successor because he had the "ears" to open a bar directly at the gateway to the Gamma Quadrant. But soon Quark realizes that being the Grand Nagus is a very dangerous position to be in.

My Opinion:TNG. This was also the first time that the "Rules of Acquisition" have been mentioned, which can be acquired here - every Ferengi must have at least one copy!
This episode was OK, but I like later Ferengi episodes better. That's one thing I also like about the DS9, many species get a much more deeper profile than TNG has given them. If TNG was about discovering new planets then DS9 was about unfolding the characteristics of the species of these planets.

Synopsis: Quark is doing illegal businesses again but this time someone gets killed and the murderer is a newcomer from the Gamma Quadrant. The planet he comes from wants him back to punish him for crimes he's done there, the brother of the murdered wants to see him dead, too and Odo wants to find out if he really knows something about "changelings" as he claims to do.

My Opinion: We've known since the pilot that Odo doesn't know where he's from and that he's trying to find out. I've never noticed before that the story the prisoner told actually sounds similar to that Odo's folk will tell later. But I doubt that it was consciously "planted" here to be used later. Star Trek is - after all - neither Babylon 5 nor Buffy, they just make it up as they go along.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on September 21st, 2008)