How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a 2014 American 3D computer-animated fantasy-action film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox, loosely based on the British book series of the same name by Cressida Cowell. It is the sequel to the 2010 computer-animated film How to Train Your Dragon and the second in the trilogy. The film is written and directed by Dean DeBlois, and stars the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller and Kristen Wiig with the addition of Cate Blanchett, Djimon Hounsou and Kit Harington. The film takes place five years after the first film, featuring Hiccup and his friends as young adults as they meet Valka, Hiccup's long-lost mother, and Drago Bludvist, a madman who wants to conquer the world.

DeBlois, who co-directed the first film, agreed to return to direct the second film on the condition that he would be allowed to turn it into a trilogy. He cited The Empire Strikes Back and My Neighbor Totoro as his main inspirations, with the expanded scope of the The Empire Strikes Back being particularly influential. The entire voice cast from the first film returned, and Cate Blanchett and Djimon Hounsou signed on to voice Valka and Drago, respectively. DeBlois and his creative team visited Norway and Svalbard to give them ideas for the setting. Composer John Powell returned to score the film. How to Train Your Dragon 2 benefited from advances in animation technology and was DreamWorks' first film to use scalable multi-core processing and the studio's new animation and lighting software.

The film was released in the United States on June 13, 2014, and like its predecessor, received wide acclaim. Critics praised the film for its animation, voice acting, action scenes, emotional depth, and darker, more serious tone compared to its predecessor. The film grossed over $621 million worldwide, making it the twelfth highest-grossing film of 2014. It earned less than its predecessor at the US box office, but performed better internationally. The third installment in the trilogy, titled How to Train Your Dragon 3, is scheduled to be released on June 29, 2018.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 received the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The film won six Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature and Best Director.

Storyline

It's been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snotlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island's new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.

Plot

Five years after the Viking village of Berk made peace with the dragons, they now live among the villagers as helpful companions. Hiccup goes on adventures with his dragon, Toothless, as they discover and map unexplored lands. Now 20 years old, he is being pressed by his father, Stoick the Vast, to succeed him as chieftain, although Hiccup remains unsure if he is ready for this responsibility.

While investigating a burnt forest, Hiccup and Astrid discover the remains of a fort encased in ice and encounter a group of dragon trappers led by Eret, who blames them for his fort's destruction and attempts to capture their dragons for an insane conqueror named Drago Bludvist. The two dragon riders escape and return to Berk to warn Stoick about the dragon army that Drago is amassing. Stoick orders the villagers to fortify the island and prepare for battle. Hiccup, however, refuses to believe that war is inevitable. After Stoick interrupts Hiccup's plan to get Eret to take him to Drago, Stoick explains that he once met Drago at a gathering of chiefs, where Drago, mocked after offering the chiefs his service in return for their servitude, murdered them all, with Stoick as the only survivor. Undeterred, Hiccup flies off with Toothless in search of Drago to try to reason with him.

They are captured by a dragon rider named Valka, who is revealed to be Hiccup's long-lost mother. She explains that she, like her son, was unable to kill dragons. After being carried off during a dragon raid, she spent twenty years rescuing dragons from Drago's traps and bringing them to an island nest created out of ice by a gigantic Alpha dragon called a "Bewilderbeast", which controls smaller dragons. Stoick tracks Hiccup to the nest, where he discovers that his wife is still alive. Simultaneously, Astrid and the other riders kidnap Eret to find Drago, but Drago captures them and learns of Berk's dragons.

Drago and his army lay siege to the nest, where he reveals that he has his own Bewilderbeast to challenge the Alpha. A battle ensues between the two colossal dragons, which ends with Drago's Bewilderbeast killing the nest's Bewilderbeast and becoming the new Alpha. Drago's Bewilderbeast then seizes control of all the adult dragons, who hypnotically obey. Hiccup tries to persuade Drago to end the violence, but Drago orders him killed. Toothless, under the Bewilderbeast's influence, approaches Hiccup and launches a blast, but Stoick pushes Hiccup out of the way and is hit instead, killing him. The Bewilderbeast momentarily relinquishes control of Toothless, but Hiccup drives him away in a fit of despair. Drago maroons Hiccup and the others on the island and rides Toothless, again under the control of the Bewilderbeast, to lead his army to conquer Berk. Stoick is given a Viking funeral and Hiccup, now having lost both his father and dragon, is unsure what to do. Valka encourages him by telling him that he alone can unite humans and dragons, and inspired by her words and his father's, Hiccup decides to return to Berk to stop Drago.

The dragon riders fly baby dragons back to Berk, as they are immune to the Bewilderbeast's control. They find that Drago has already attacked the village and taken control of its dragons. Hiccup confronts Drago and a brainwashed Toothless while the other riders work to distract the Bewilderbeast. Hiccup succeeds in freeing Toothless from the Bewilderbeast's control, much to Drago's surprise. Hiccup and Toothless briefly separate Drago from the Bewilderbeast and confront Drago on the ground, but the Bewilderbeast attacks them, encasing them in ice. However, Toothless blasts away the ice, revealing that both he and Hiccup are unharmed. He then challenges the Bewilderbeast, firing at it repeatedly, which breaks its control over the other dragons, who now side with Toothless as the new Alpha dragon. All the dragons repeatedly fire at the Bewilderbeast until Toothless fires a final massive blast, breaking its left tusk. Defeated, the Bewilderbeast retreats under the sea with Drago on its back. The Vikings and dragons celebrate their victory and Hiccup is made chieftain of Berk.

Voice Cast

• Jay Baruchel as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, son of the Viking chief Stoick the Vast and Valka. His best friend and dragon is Toothless, a Night Fury.
• Cate Blanchett as Valka, Stoick's wife and Hiccup's long-lost mother.[6] She rides the dragon Cloudjumper, a Stormcutter, who carried her off during an earlier dragon attack on Berk.
• Gerard Butler as Stoick the Vast, the chieftain of the Viking tribe of Berk, Hiccup's father and Valka's husband. He rides the dragon Skullcrusher, a Rumblehorn.
• Craig Ferguson as Gobber the Belch, Stoick's closest friend and a seasoned warrior. He rides the dragon Grump, a Hotburple.
• America Ferrera as Astrid Hofferson, Hiccup's girlfriend.[7] She rides the dragon Stormfly, a Deadly Nadder.
• Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fishlegs Ingerman. He rides the dragon Meatlug, a Gronckle.
• Jonah Hill as Snotlout Jorgenson. He rides the dragon Hookfang, a Monstrous Nightmare.
• T.J. Miller and Kristen Wiig as Tuffnut and Ruffnut Thorston, fraternal twins. They share a two-headed Hideous Zippleback named Barf and Belch.
• Djimon Hounsou as Drago Bludvist, an evil warlord and dragon hunter who seeks to take over the world with a dragon army.[8] He has a prosthetic left arm, since he lost his real arm during an earlier encounter with dragons, and wears a dragon-hide cape immune to dragon fire attacks.
• Kit Harington as Eret, son of Eret, a dragon trapper who sells captured dragons to Drago, and Ruffnut's love interest.[9][10] He sports a scar on his chest given to him by Drago following the last time he showed up with no dragons.

User Review

In How To Train Your Dragon 2, it is a sequel to How To Train Your Dragon. It is directed by Dean DeBlois. The summary of the movie is fabulous. In the beginning, Hiccup and Toothless are experimenting their new attachments to their bodies by flying. Hiccup was testing out his new leg and his new suit that allows him to fly. Toothless was testing out his new tail. While they are flying they discover new land and add it to their map. On one of their journeys, they discover a secret cave. In this cave they find tons of wild dragons, along with a anonymous long-lost rider. After they sort things out, Hiccup finds himself in the middle of a battle to protect Berk against a warrior and his dragon army.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 is a great sequel to How To Train Your Dragon. This sequel ties up the questions that weren't fully answered in the first movie. This sequel tests Hiccup and Toothless' relationship, as rider and dragon, as well as friends. This sequel also ties up the hole in Hiccup's family, a surprise you'll have to see in the theaters. Finally, this sequel ties up Hiccup and Astrid's love story. Overall, this movie is a great sequel. If you liked the first movie, then you should definitely go and check out this sequel. On a scale from 1 to 10, this movie should get a 9. Thank you for reading this review on How To Train Your Dragon 2.

WALL·E (2008)

WALL·E (2008)

WALL-E (stylized with an interpunct as WALL·E) is a 2008 American computer-animated science-fiction comedy film produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton, the story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up an abandoned, waste-covered Earth far in the future. He falls in love with another robot named EVE, who also has a programmed task, and follows her into outer space on an adventure that changes the destiny of both his kind and humanity. Both robots exhibit an appearance of free will and emotions similar to humans, which develop further as the film progresses.

After directing Finding Nemo, Stanton felt Pixar had created believable simulations of underwater physics and was willing to direct a film set largely in space. WALL-E has minimal dialogue in its early sequences; many of the characters do not have voices, but instead communicate with body language and robotic sounds, which were designed by Ben Burtt. It is also Pixar's first animated feature with segments featuring live-action characters.

WALL-E was released in the United States and Canada on June 27, 2008. It grossed $23.2 million on its opening day, and $63.1 million during its opening weekend in 3,992 theaters, ranking number one at the box office. This ranks as the fifth highest-grossing opening weekend for a Pixar film. Following Pixar tradition, WALL-E was paired with a short film, Presto, for its theatrical release.

WALL-E was met with critical acclaim, scoring an approval rating of 96% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. It grossed $521.3 million worldwide, won the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film, the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form, the final Nebula Award for Best Script, the Saturn Award for Best Animated Film, and the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature as well as being nominated for five other Academy Awards at the 81st Academy Awards. WALL-E ranks first in TIME‍ '​s "Best Movies of the Decade". The film is seen as a critique on larger societal issues. It addresses consumerism, corporatism, nostalgia, environmental problems, waste management, human impact on the environment, and risks to human civilization and the planet Earth.

Storyline

In a distant, but not so unrealistic, future where mankind has abandoned earth because it has become covered with trash from products sold by the powerful multi-national Buy N Large corporation, WALL-E, a garbage collecting robot has been left to clean up the mess. Mesmerized with trinkets of Earth's history and show tunes, WALL-E is alone on Earth except for a sprightly pet cockroach. One day, EVE, a sleek (and dangerous) reconnaissance robot, is sent to Earth to find proof that life is once again sustainable. WALL-E falls in love with EVE. WALL-E rescues EVE from a dust storm and shows her a living plant he found amongst the rubble. Consistent with her "directive", EVE takes the plant and automatically enters a deactivated state except for a blinking green beacon. WALL-E, doesn't understand what has happened to his new friend, but, true to his love, he protects her from wind, rain, and lightning, even as she is unresponsive. One day a massive ship comes to reclaim EVE, but WALL-E, ...

Plot

In 2805, Earth is abandoned and covered in heaps of garbage left over from decades of mass consumerism facilitated by the megacorporation Buy 'n' Large (BnL). Seven hundred years earlier, BnL evacuated Earth's population in fully automated starliners, leaving behind WALL-E trash compactor robots to clean the planet for humanity's eventual return. The plan failed, however, and all WALL-E units are now inactive except one, which has developed sentience after so many years of life experience. He manages to remain in operation by repairing himself using parts from other inactive units.

One day, WALL-E discovers a growing seedling. Later, a spaceship lands and deploys EVE, an advanced robot probe sent from the BnL starliner Axiom to search for vegetation on Earth. WALL-E falls in love with the initially cold and hostile EVE, who gradually softens and befriends him. When WALL-E brings EVE to his home and shows her his collection, she sees the plant, automatically stores it inside herself, and goes into standby mode waiting for her ship to retrieve her. WALL-E, not understanding why EVE seems to have shut down, tries numerous methods to reactivate her. When EVE's automated ship returns and collects EVE, WALL-E clings to its hull and thus travels through space to the Axiom, which is hidden behind a nebula.

On the Axiom, the descendants of the ship's original passengers have become morbidly obese after centuries of microgravity effects and relying on the ship's automated systems for their every need. The ship's current captain, McCrea, leaves most of the ship's operations under the control of its robotic autopilot, AUTO.

WALL-E follows EVE to the bridge of the Axiom, where the captain learns that by putting the plant in the ship's holo-detector to verify Earth's habitability, the Axiom will make a hyperjump back to Earth so the passengers can recolonize it. However, AUTO orders McCrea's robotic assistant GO-4 to steal the plant as part of his own no-return directive A113, which was issued to BnL autopilots after the corporation concluded in 2110 that the planet could not be saved.

With the plant missing, EVE is considered defective and taken to the repair bay along with WALL-E for cleaning. WALL-E mistakes the cleaning procedure performed on EVE for torture and tries to save her, accidentally releasing a quarantined horde of malfunctioning robots. The on-board security systems then designate both WALL-E and EVE as "rogue robots". Fed up with WALL-E's disruptions, EVE takes him to the escape pod bay to send him home. There, they witness GO-4 disposing of the missing plant by placing it inside a pod which is set to self-destruct. WALL-E enters the pod to retrieve the plant, but GO-4 jettisons the pod into space. WALL-E escapes with the plant before the pod explodes and uses a fire extinguisher to propel himself back toward the Axiom, where he and EVE reconcile and celebrate with a dance in space.

When the plant is brought to the captain, EVE's recordings of Earth are analyzed and the captain concludes that mankind must return to restore the planet. However, AUTO reveals his directive and stages a mutiny. When WALL-E tries to protect the plant, AUTO electrocutes and severely damages him. EVE realizes the only parts available to repair WALL-E are in his truck back on Earth. She helps him bring the plant to the holo-detector to activate the ship's hyperjump. McCrea, fighting AUTO for control of the ship, manages to open the detector's access hatch. AUTO partially crushes WALL-E by closing the hatch before McCrea can finally disable the autopilot. EVE places the plant in the holo-detector, freeing WALL-E and instantly setting the Axiom to hyperjump to Earth.

Upon arrival, EVE rushes WALL-E back to his home where she repairs and reactivates him. However, his memory is erased and resumes his original programming as a waste compactor. Heartbroken, EVE gives WALL-E an electrical farewell kiss, which restores his memory and personality. WALL-E and EVE reunite as the humans and robots of the Axiom restore Earth and its environment.

User Review

WALL-E, Pixar's latest film, is about a robot named WALL-E (or 'Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth-Class'), who is the only thing left on earth with some sort of emotion. He meets another robot named EVE, and the trip begins.

It's hard to describe in words how incredible I personally find this film.

The animation is flawless. Absolutely flawless. Especially on earth and the robots. It looks real. Much of the time it's impossible to tell whether or not it is real. The few slightly-shaky styled shots that appear a few times in the film only makes the animation that much more amazing and realistic. The humans are really good, too, while not realistic in the sense of you seeing it right now in real life, but they do have a realistic feel to them. The thing with the humans, I believe, is that they were purposefully meant to have this slightly rounded, slightly unrealistic feeling.

I believe the reason is to take a satirical look at humans, and what our goals for a future, perfect utopia, is. It questions what we want, and shows you what is a very, very likely outcome of our desires for a 'better' world, showing both positive and negative effects. The animation for the humans, I believe, was made rounded and slightly more cartoonish to emphasize that that is how we will become. Fat, lazy, yet so perfect. At times, especially with that perspective on the humans, they actually do look very real.

The story is brilliant. There are many little things in the film that have so much meaning to them. There are things that will be nostalgic to older viewers, and things that younger viewers will love to look at. However, it does steer for the cheesy, cliché aspects of a child's film, yet still remaining a completely G-rated film.

I don't call this a child's film at all. Not because it has adult material, because it doesn't. I say this because the film is perfect for everyone. Literally, everyone. There are things in it every person can enjoy, no matter who they are. It has obvious homages to Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey", and any adult who remembers seeing that film will notice this.

WALL-E is such a lovable character. I've never felt so much emotion for one character. He will definitely go down in history as iconic as Darth Vader, or Indiana Jones. I was so close to crying at pivotal parts in the film, and although I didn't fully break out and cry, I have never felt so much emotion in my heart with any other film as I did with this one.

EVE is very fun and interesting. One scene in particular, with her, was so beautiful, that my eyes got teary. Her chemistry with WALL-E is so oddly perfect. They are so different in appearance and personality, yet they work so well together.

The other robots are all lovable, except for the "enemy" robots, who still add much depth to the film. In particular, M-O was the cutest, obviously not counting WALL-E.

Pixar has always made great animation films. But this, without a doubt, tops all of their own films, and most other films. It restores faith in the animation films. It captures the magic and wonder as past Disney films, which is something I have not seen in most modern animation films.

I would not be surprised at all if this won for best picture of the year. It deserves it more than anything.

This is one of greatest achievements in cinematic history, and I encourage everyone to see this.

Home (II) (2015)

Home (II) (2015)

Home is a 2015 American 3D computer-animated science-fiction buddy comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is loosely based on Adam Rex's 2007 children's book The True Meaning of Smekday and stars Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and Matt Jones. Tim Johnson is the director of the film, Chris Jenkins and Suzanne Buirgy are its producers, and the screenplay is by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember. The story takes place on planet Earth, where an alien race called the Boov invade the planet. However, a girl named Gratuity “Tip” Tucci manages to avoid capture, and goes on the run with Oh, a fugitive Boov (alien life).

The film was released in theaters on March 27, 2015 Home was promoted with the release of a four-minute short film titled Almost Home, which was shown in theaters before DreamWorks Animation's Mr. Peabody & Sherman and Blue Sky Studios' Rio 2 in 2014. It premiered at the Boulder International Film Festival on March 7, 2015. Besides lending her voice to the film, Rihanna also created a concept album of the same name. The soundtrack includes guest vocals from Jennifer Lopez, among others, was supported by two singles, "Towards the Sun" and "Feel the Light". Home has grossed $386 million worldwide.

Storyline

When Oh, a loveable misfit from another planet, lands on Earth and finds himself on the run from his own people, he forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl named Tip who is on a quest of her own. Through a series of comic adventures with Tip, Oh comes to understand that being different and making mistakes is all part of being human. And while he changes her planet and she changes his world, they discover the true meaning of the word HOME.

Plot

On the run from their enemy, the planet-destroying Gorg, the Boov find Earth a suitable place to call "Home". Led by Captain Smek (Steve Martin), they commence their "friendly" invasion of the planet, relocating the humans, whom the Boov deem as simple and backwards, to other parts of the planet while the Boov inhabit their homes in a quick and bloodless conquest. One of the Boov, named Oh (Jim Parsons), is a more excited, freethinking member of the species, who decides to invite the Boov to his apartment for a housewarming party, despite the race's antipathy towards him. Not far from Oh is a preteen girl named Tip (Rihanna), who drives away through her home city to find her mother Lucy (Jennifer Lopez) after being separated from her during the invasion, leaving her with only her calico cat Pig and fueling her hatred for the Boov.

Oh runs into the street to meet up with a Boov cop named Kyle (Matt Jones), who, like the rest of the Boov, refuse to befriend him. Oh invites him to the party and decides to send a mass invite to every Boov on Earth. However, the "send all" button he pressed actually sends the invite to absolutely every alien race in the entire galaxy including the Gorg. Everyone, aggravated with Oh for revealing their location to the enemy, starts chasing him down. Oh runs into a convenience store to hide just as Tip and Pig enter the same store to grab supplies. They come across each other, and after Tip's car fails to start, Oh transforms it into a fantastical, hovering craft that literally runs on slushies and names it Slushious. Oh hitches a ride with Tip when he promises to help her find Lucy, but unfortunately, they must to go to the Boov Command Center in Paris and locate her from there.

After reaching the Boov Command Center, which is in the now-floating Eiffel Tower, Oh manages to get into his account, and deletes the message just a second before it reaches the Gorg. He then plugs in Tip's brain to help her find Lucy. They eventually trace her location to Australia, where she is also looking for her daughter. The other Boov then find the two and try to "erase" Oh, while Tip grabs the gravity manipulation system and flips it over, causing the whole Tower to tilt upside down.

As Oh and Tip head off to Australia, they see other Boov riding by them in fear, and realize that a Gorg ship is close behind them. Tip and Oh manage to knock it down, but in the process a chunk of it hits them and they lose their slushie fuel. They come across the fallen Gorg ship and find out that it is actually a drone. Oh recovers a special chip and uses it to get their car up and running.

Tip and Oh make it to Australia and see the Boov evacuating to their mothership. When they land the car, Tip starts to run for her mother, but Oh insists on evacuating with the other Boov instead. Tip gets angry at him for trying to break the promise again, and she declares that they were never friends. Heartbroken, Oh returns to the ship. The Gorg mothership comes close to the Boov ship, but Oh pulls out the Gorg chip and uses it to fly the ship further away from the Gorg. The Boov become astonished at Oh's plan. Smek becomes upset and reminds everyone that he is the captain. Kyle grabs Smek's "shusher" (a scepter with a rock on top of it) and gives it to Oh, declaring him the new captain.

Tip rushes aimlessly around the city to find Lucy, but no one can help her. Oh returns to her side and helps her track down Lucy. The mother and daughter finally reunite and thank Oh. The Gorg mothership descends upon the planet, and Oh realizes that they want the rock on the shusher, since Smek had previously stolen it from them. Oh runs to the ship to try and get its attention, locking Tip and Lucy in the car for safety. Tip breaks out of the car and shines a light in the Gorg Commander's face to bring his attention to Oh as he holds the rock up. The Gorg Commander (Brian Stepanek) halts the ship as it crunches down on the ground, with Oh in its path. Tip rushes to rescue him, but Oh gets seemingly crushed beneath the machine. It backs up and Oh is revealed to be unharmed. The Gorg Commander emerges from his armor to show that he is actually a harmless starfish-like creature. Oh returns the rock to him, which turns out to contain millions of developing Gorg larvae; the next generation of Gorg, revealing that this Gorg is the last of his kind. He thanks Oh and eventually departs.

Two weeks later, the humans have returned to their original homes, and Oh finally gets to have his party at his apartment, with humans and Boov in attendance. Tip plays her music and gets the rest of the Boov to experience dancing for the first time, while other Boov, including a reformed Smek, party on the moon, and thousands of ships from other planets, including the Gorg, head to Earth for Oh's party upon receiving his invite.

Voice Cast

• Jim Parsons as Oh, a Boov.
• Rihanna as Gratuity "Tip" Tucci, a teenage girl who befriends Oh.
• Steve Martin as Captain Smek, the leader of the Boov race.
• Jennifer Lopez as Lucy Tucci, Tip's mother.
• Matt Jones as Kyle, a Boov police officer.
• Brian Stepanek as Gorg Commander, the leader of the Gorg.
• April Lawrence as Boov Announcer
• The Boovs are voiced by Stephen Kearin, Brian Stepanek, Lisa Stewart, and April Winchell.

User Review

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I'm surprised at how well "Home" as done at the box office. It's made a lot of money but this is not a picture everyone will like but if you keep an open mind it's really a cute and entertaining take on alien attack thrillers.

It's about a group of cowardly outer space blobs called Boov's who invade Earth and kick all humans to the curb. One of the Boov's, Oh (Jim Parsons), is a sweet natured but lonely fugitive who gets himself into accidental trouble when he attempts to send out an invitation via email for a party that alert their enemy, the Gorg, to their presence. Meanwhile, a little orphan girl, Tip (Rihanna) is desperately trying to find her mother, Lucy (Jennifer Lopez) who was taken by the Boov when they invaded earth. When Tip crosses paths with the hiding Boov, he attempts to help her find her mother and stop the impending doom from the Gorg.

The unfortunate fact is that we live in an age where cheap 3D glasses are a necessity to watch certain movies and this just happens to be one of them. The problem is that the 3D does absolutely nothing for the movie, instead it steals your extra dollars. I don't know how 3D has managed to last this long. People give into the cause and it fuels the need because we're made to feel like there is no alternative. If 3D were real that would be a different story. Instead the Boov's just look closer to your face as does the entire film.

At least some artists still draw and this film clearly shows that. The animation is some of the best I have seen in a long time. One of my favourite Disney films was 2002's "Lilo & Stitch" and this film reminder me a lot of that. The Boov was colourfully drawn and the animation gives them an edge: whenever their mod changes, the change different colours. Colourful animation shows their home planet and an animated-looking France when they have a humorous spill over the Eiffel tower.

Mind you some of the humour is to be expected for a kind picture such as this. There is a sequence where the Boov alien walks into a bathroom and out of curiosity, nibbles on a urinal cake to disgust. But the thing I found most humorous was when Oh rigs up Tip's damaged car with slushy machines to provide fuel and he turns it into a hoover car. One would think this is cute but kind of stupid at the same time since were thinking "slushy machines", however, this is a kids movie so suspend disbelief.

Now the problem I had with the picture was the enemy, the Gorg. They look like something out of a science-fiction horror movie and it seems a little too dark for kids. They have long spikes sticking of their metal bodies and roar loud noises. There is a surprise with the Gorg leader that is heartfelt but it doesn't change the fact that these monsters are out to destroy these cowardly aliens. We find out why but it kind of feels cheap because of a character's actions.

Kids will like this picture, parents might fall asleep but there is a theme to the film and that is family and friends. Oh I almost forgot about Tip's pet cat, Pig, this little dork sits in the background and meows for most of the movie but he is a funny sidekick that is sure to make a lot of kids smile.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011)

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011)

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked is a 2011 American live-action comedy film directed by Mike Mitchell. It is the third installment in the Alvin and the Chipmunks film series, the film stars Jason Lee, David Cross and Jenny Slate with the voices of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate. It was distributed by 20th Century Fox and produced by Fox 2000 Pictures, Regency Enterprises and Bagdasarian Company. The film is a sequel to the 2007 film Alvin and the Chipmunks and its 2009 sequel Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, and it was released on December 16, 2011.

Storyline

Playing around while aboard a cruise ship, the Chipmunks and Chipettes accidentally go overboard and end up marooned in a tropical paradise. They discover their new turf is not as deserted as it seems.

Plot

For a vacation, Dave (Jason Lee) and the Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon and Theodore) (Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney) and Chipettes (Brittany, Jeanette and Eleanor) (Christina Applegate, Anna Faris and Amy Poehler) go on a cruise ship. The Chipmunks and the Chipettes end up creating trouble. Dave notices that his old boss, Ian Hawke (David Cross) is working as the ship's safety monitor dressed as a pelican, and is out to inform the captain if the Chipmunks and Chipettes cause more problems. Alvin goes para-sailing on a kite but the kite flies away with him and the other Chipmunks. Dave goes on a hang-glider to find them but Ian stops him and they both end up in the Pacific Ocean.

Meanwhile, the Chipmunks find an island and they sleep for the night. Dave enlists Ian's help to find the same island and begin looking for the Chipmunks. The next morning, the Chipmunks go and find food and while doing so, an island castaway named Zoe (Jenny Slate) shows up and sees the Chipmunks and Chipettes for the first time. They then go to Zoe's tree house where Eleanor sprains her ankle and Simon gets bitten by a spider, the side effects including personality changes and loss of inhibition.

The morning after, everyone observes Simon's personality has changed and he has no memory of being Simon; he also thinks he is a French, adventurous chipmunk named Simone (Alan Tudyk). "Simone" becomes attracted to Jeanette but does not take as kindly to Alvin and Brittany. Later, Zoe takes Simone, Jeanette, Eleanor and Theodore to a lake with a waterfall and Simone finds a cave. He returns with a gold bracelet which he gives to Jeanette as a crown. Brittany and Alvin see an active volcano the next day and they decide that they have to leave the island with the others. Theodore and "Simone" find Dave and Ian and they go to meet with the other chipmunks. They all begin to prepare a raft to get them off the island and everyone is assigned a job. When Jeanette and "Simone" go and look for food, "Simone" is knocked unconscious and Jeanette is kidnapped; "Simone" reverts to Simon afterwards.

Everyone finds Simon awake and he cannot remember anything since the bite. They discover that Zoe has taken Jeanette and they head towards the waterfall. When they approached the tree log to cross, Dave and Alvin decide they'll go and find Jeanette. As Zoe forces Jeanette to get the treasure in the cave by tying her to a rope, Alvin and Dave come to her rescue. The island begins to rumble again and Zoe let go of the rope and Jeanette runs with Dave and Alvin back to the raft. When they reach the log to cross, Dave almost falls.

Alvin and Ian convince Zoe to help save Dave. They then run towards the raft and escape the eruption. While on the raft, Zoe apologizes to Jeanette for kidnapping her and forcing her to get the treasure. As a gift, Jeanette gives Zoe the gold bracelet that Simon had given to her. Alvin reconciles with Dave and they are rescued. The Chipmunks and Chipettes perform at the International Music Awards. Ian also starts a new career as a screenwriter by selling a screenplay about Zoe's story to Hollywood, earning him his wealth back.

In a post-credits scene, the Chipmunks, the Chipettes, and Dave are on a plane heading back home. Alvin is speaking on the pilot's microphone and tricks the passengers into thinking that the plane's destination is set for Timbuktu. He accidentally pushes the food cart, and it hits Dave, leading him to shouting his trademark yell, "ALLLLVINNN!!", once more.

Cast

• Jason Lee as David Seville
• David Cross as Ian Hawke
• Jenny Slate as Zoe
• Andy Buckley as Captain Correlli
• Voices
• Justin Long as Alvin Seville
• Matthew Gray Gubler as Simon Seville (Steve Vining as Simon's singing voice). He was also voiced by Alan Tudyk when he renamed himself as Simone.
• Jesse McCartney as Theodore Seville
• Christina Applegate as Brittany (Janice Karman as Brittany's singing voice).
• Anna Faris as Jeanette (Janice Karman as Jeanette's singing voice).
• Amy Poehler as Eleanor (Janice Karman as Eleanor's singing voice).

User Review

great amazing it is the best Chipmunks movie so far i can not wait for the forth one this movie was funny you will like it a lot if you are looking for a movie that you will laugh on this is the perfect movie this movie is a sweet movie i never thought this movie was going too be this good but it was amazing this movie is one of a kind this is one funny movie for the whole family this is a enjoyable movie for the whole family i liked this movie a lot so will you you have never seen a movie like this before i laughed so hard it as a one of a kind movie you will like it too you have never seen a movie like this before do you know the Chipmunks or not because this movie is like a true story it is a enjoyable movie you will say wow after you see it if you see this movie you will know why i am saying this have a great day

Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)

Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)

When I first heard this movie was announced I did not know what to think. The first one was entertaining, witty and brought a new spin the old story of a dad not thinking the "slacker dude" is good enough for his daughter. There have been many occasions where sequels either aren't as good as the original or wear out the original concept too much. This movie thankfully does neither of those things. From start to finish this movie feels fresh and unrestricted by the expectations set by the first.

If you've seen any of the previews you already know the plot. Johnathan, the human from the first movie, and Mavis, Dracula's own daughter, get married and have a child which they are raising in Dracula's hotel. Count Dracula, proud of his own heritage as a monster, wishes for his grandson becoming a vampire like himself and is concerned when he does not show signs of being a monster. He also wishes to raise him the traditional monster way. This of coarse begins to clash with the human teachings from the other half of his family and cause the conflict of the entire movie. Said conflict is whether or not young Dennis should be raised in the hotel or in the monster-less safe human world. Though this plot sounds like the first one remixed, I feel it is more of a continuation as good sequels should be.

The animation is on par if you've seen the first movie, which is not bad. The animation of the first movie was active and full of life and that same attention drawing quality animation is here again. Everything in this movie flows to an unseen rhythm and nothing feels stiff or artificial. That's not saying there aren't a few scenes that are more dynamic then the first movie, because there is, but as a whole if you liked the animation from the first movie you will like it here as well.

As far as the characters go everyone is as kooky as they were in the first movie. Adam Sandler's brilliant comedic version of Dracula taking center stage, leading the still funny renditions of classic movie monsters. As Dracula, Sandler is just the right amount of hammy without it being off-putting. Such a performance makes it seem as if the over the top way movie monsters acted in our films was just the "old way" of acting for them.

The mood and colors used in the movie are a great mix of themes. The moody backdrops with dank dark colors fit the horror movie style the characters in the movie originate from perfectly. Then add some bright colors to mimic the happy comedic tone of the movie. Combining this together you have a brilliant mix of happy and spooky that made both the first movie and this one enjoyable for everyone.

When it comes down to it Hotel Transylvania 2 is a heartwarming family movie full of comedy that everyone, whether you're big or small, can enjoy.

Hotel Transylvania (2012)

Hotel Transylvania (2012)

Everyone remembers that special movie they saw or that one that was the best for your mind, that one which really stuck. For me that movie was "Hotel Transylvania". I think it was one of the best children's movie ever made. It conveys humor, creativity, action and freedom.

Set in Transylvania in modern time, Dracula (Adam Sandler) hosts all the legendary monsters at his hotel to celebrate his daughter's one hundred and eighteenth birthday. But he works overtime to keep Mavis (Selena Gomez) from falling for a human boy named Johnny (Andy Samberg), who miraculously stumbles upon the hotel. All Mavis has ever wanted is to leave home and see the real world and see if humans are as bad as her father says they are. The main characters are Selena Gomez as Mavis, Andy Samberg as Johnny and Adam Sandler as Dracula. It is a brilliant cast for this movie.

Selena Gomez was perfect for the part of Mavis and did a great job while Andy Samberg was good but wasn't perfect for Johnny. I think he could've done a much better job. Adam Sandler was born to play the part of Dracula. He did a magnificent job and was extremely humorous. The other characters were great and they matched their roles perfectly!

I liked that we got to know the characters and what their goal was. For example Mavis wanted freedom and wanted to leave home. What I didn't like is that it was a bit confusing. For example, "Why was Johnny hiking in Transylvania at night?" or "Why didn't Mavis just turn in to a bat and fly away to see the real world?" These questions make you wonder but I still think it was a wonderful movie even for my age group.

I think the moral of the story was trust your children to make the right decisions no matter what you think about them and from the child point of view the moral was to know your parents are always just trying to protect you. And both are true and if you look at them from both sides you will get the full story. I think that this is a movie for age groups above five and below fifteen. Reason being because Dracula does a fang up where his face goes a bit creepy but other wise I'm sure parents will love it and children between the ages of five and fifteen will love it to.

Despicable Me 2 (2013)

Despicable Me 2 (2013)

He first Despicable Me was a wonderful film, so while there is the worry of whether a sequel would work you can't help wanting to see it anyway. Despicable Me 2 was just as good as the first one, maybe not as fresh in terms of plot but what worked so well in the first works equally well here. The animation, also having the advantage of staying true to the style and look that the first had, is bursting with vibrancy and colour without looking too over-saturated as well as having a lot of detail to it. 

The retro-futuristic designs and gadgets are inventive and very striking to look at, while the music has rousing energy and is also memorable. Despicable Me 2 in the writing and gags is peppered with humour, and this is of the laugh-out-loud hilarious kind, though because there's a lot and that you may be laughing so hard you may be at a risk of missing something. To counter-balance the hilarity, the film also incorporates a message, it is a heartfelt one and doesn't feel cloying and out-of-place. For what the story may lack slightly in freshness in correlation with the first, it more than makes up for it in wit, heart, excitement and how briskly it moves without feeling rushed. 

Having more of the minions- one of the best assets of the first film- was a masterstroke also, and their subplot also gave the story an increasing sense of jeopardy and threat(though theirs is a little more interesting than that of world domination). Gru is a lovable character, whether a villain like in the first or not, and adds a lot of charisma and energy to the film. The top-notch vocal talents of Steve Carrell, Steve Coogan, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt and even Russell Brand are a further advantage. All in all, like the first Despicable Me this sequel is fantastic family fun and equal to it

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)

Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman and the rest of their gang return in the third installment of the "Madagascar" series, and yes they are still trying to get back home to New York City. This film has them traveling with a group of circus animals all throughout Europe on the run from a French animal hunter who has killed every animal and has mounted their head on her wall, except for a lion.

This movie stars the voice talents of Ben Stiller (Tower Heist, Tropic Thunder), Chris Rock (Grown ups, The Longest Yard), David Schwimmer (Friends, John Carter), Jada Pinkett Smith (Ali, Collateral), Sasha Baron Cohen (Borat, Bruno), Cedric the Entertainer (Larry Crowne, Ice Age), and Bryan Cranston (Drive, Breaking Bad). Everyone did a great job with their characters and it was a blast to hear all these familiar voices in a film together again.

I have been a fan of the previous "Madagascar" films, and that still is the case, but I really didn't have any hype for this movie because from the trailers, it didn't really look that good. I am glad to say that it is the complete opposite of that. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed film from start to finish and thought that for certain audiences, the film is perfect. If you are a younger person (12 and under) the movie will entertain and make you laugh the entire time. Now for the other demographic (13 and up), the film is still a really fun experience having jokes that adults would get, as well as some really funny situations.

The "Madagascar" series has been known to be over the top, but "Madagascar 3″ takes the cake for being the most over the top one yet. You can not simply go into this movie expecting a toned down film featuring animals that can talk and doing anything that humans can. You have to go into this film with an open mind and just enjoy the ride. I found myself laughing constantly throughout the film and I couldn't help but have a smile on my face the entire time. This movie made me feel like I was a kid again and that is one of the best feelings there is.

This is easily the best movie in the series in my opinion. What really blew me away though was something that wasn't crucial to the movie, and that was the 3D. This is probably some of the best 3D I have seen in a film. I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to pop out next. If you see this film, please do yourself a favor and see the 3D version of it, you will not be disappointed. I highly recommend this film to all ages. Whether you are a kid or an adult, you will find enjoyment in this film.