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The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, a review by Critter

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time



Anime Type: Movie

Year: 2006

Director: Hosoda, Mamoru

Plot:The power to travel through time... It can be used for the good of humanity, or just selfishly abused. While many may fantasize about obtaining such a power, it has become nothing less than reality for otherwise-normal schoolgirl Konno Makoto.

After a fated event, her life takes a turn for the extraordinary. Though she initially uses her power to literally "leap" into the past and change little things in order to make her life easier, she soon has to face the fact that changing the past can have drastic consequences.

My Thoughts:
This was a very entertaining and enjoyable film. I loved the contrast within the storyline of quite dark and gritty scenes as well as many light-hearted and often quite funny scenes. The clean and simple character animation worked well with the fantastic and largely detailed backgrounds which gave the film a strong atmosphere, and indeed, some scenes (one in particular) were eerily beautiful. The storyline of this film was one of many twisting paths and was quite complex, for that matter I feel it is a film I will have to watch more than once to really understand it fully. The Japanese voice acting in the film was very relaxed and suited all the characters well which gave them all believable personalities.

My Rating



(From Critter's Animated Film/Anime Marathon on January 14th, 2010)

S1m0ne, a review by Rich

S1m0ne





Intriguing concept exposing the fickleness of Hollywood and stardom, sharply written with the right dose of satire. It is clever and fairly original, but sadly after a bright start it becomes monotonous as it drags for 2 hours. It is too one-paced and never bites, staying in 2nd gear for the last 90 minutes. Pacino is not at his best in an unsuitable role, and the support seem a little resigned to playing second fiddle.
This is a light-hearted distraction, of course far-fetched and fantastical, and will not insult your intelligence
 

**Catherine Keener mini-marathon


(From Riches Random Reviews on August 30th, 2009)

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Buffy and her mom have just moved to Sunnydale, California. She was thrown out of her old school in Los Angeles because she burned down the gym (it was full of Vampires). But she hopes that this part of her life lays behind her - how wrong she was. A very old Vampire - the Master - tries to free himself from the Hellmouth that is directly under the town. And she can't even keep it a secret that she is the Slayer. Everyone seems to know: The librarian Giles, her classmate Xander and even some mysterious guy in the dark alleys.

My Opinion: I've seen this pilot for the first time on DVD on November 22th, 2007. And I have watched it 10 times in the past 16 months. I know all the lines by heart by now. "It's dated?" - "It's carbon-dated!" I have to say I liked it that the whole gang knew from the beginning. It separates it from other superhero shows (*cough* Smallville *cough*). That makes for a great foundation of their friendship even though each and every one will have secrets of their own over the years.

Shortly before Buffy killed her first Vampire on the show she made a remark that rang a bell - I had heard a similar remark spoken in a similar tone elsewhere.

Buffy: Now, we can do this the hard way, or ... well, actually, there's just the hard way.
Darla: That's fine with me.
Buffy: Are you sure? Now this is not gonna be pretty. We're talking violence, strong language, adult content ...

Jack O'Neill: Assuming - of course - you are the Tok'ra.
Cordesh: And if we're not?
Jack O'Neill: Well, I guess we all start shooting. There's blood, death, hard feelings. It'd suck.


Synopsis: She may have saved Willow and Xander, but she has lost trace of Jesse. But she won't give up that easily and she has help: Giles is her new Watcher and Willow is a computer nerd who can find anything as long as it's on the net. And she will need that help because the time of the Harvest is close and then the Master will rise if she can't prevent it. Unfortunately there's nothing they can do for Jesse: He's already worse than dead: A Vampire.

My Opinion: I know that life had to go on, but I found the end a little bit cheap. All these victims at the Bronze should have been in terror and should be screaming instead of simply getting slaughtered one by one. And then the aftermath where everyone chose to ignore what had happened. But I don't know a better solution either. And I loved how she outwitted Luke / the Vessel and then dusted him.

Synopsis: Buffy decides to try out for the cheerleading team. She has been a cheerleader back in LA and she wants to live a normal life here, too - as far as this is possible. But mysterious accidents seem to happen to the cheerleaders of this school and soon there's no doubt that witchcraft is behind it.

My Opinion: The story of that episode wasn't that interesting, but I liked certain aspects of it. For example Buffy singing "Macho Man" or her cheerleading tryouts. I also liked that they made their first magic potion with bio and chem class equipment (scalpel, test tube, ...).

Synopsis: After their biology teacher had been found dead in a refrigerator, Buffy, Xander and Willow get a new substitute teacher - and she's hot. Xander and all other guys totally fall for her and she obviously likes it. But what kind of woman is she really when even a Vampire is scared by her?

My Opinion: This is one of these episodes with the obvious storylines. There's a new teacher when the old one was killed onscreen. You automatically know that she's somehow involved. She's insulted when someone calls an insect "ugly". You automatically know she's one, too. All the guys instantly fall for her? You automatically know pheromones or some other stuff is involved. Didn't like it very much.

(From "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Marathon on March 14th, 2009)