James' Movie Blog

  We all have been teenagers at one point in our lives. But we could never unleash our full potential. Luckily, through the power of animation, DreamWorks proves that teenage power in their latest feature, “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken”. And while it doesn't fit a three act structure, it does make up for good performances, interesting characters, and good morals in the end. “Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken” is a decent portrayal of being an outcast in the water; pun intended. The plot involves Ruby Gillman (Lana Condor), a teenager who just so happens to be a descendant from the monstrous kraken that everyone fears. Along with her parents Agatha and Arthur (Toni Collette and Colman Domingo respectively), and her younger brother Sam (Blue Chapman), Ruby must blend in with the humans and try not to go into the water. That is until her crush sends Ruby into the ocean, and transforms her entire body into a giant kraken. Under the tutelage of her grandmother (Jane Fonda), Ruby must protec...

  The idea surrounding this movie should not work, but it does. With 2008's “Kung Fu Panda” from DreamWorks, we get a very well executed animated feature, with some outstanding action. The film excels in providing some great animation, wonderful characters, and marvelous set pieces that make for a brilliant viewing experience. While there are only a couple of problems with the movie, they do not contrast the amazing factor that this product gives us. “Kung Fu Panda” is a marvelous production that should at least fail, but it doesn't as it works in its charm within its 90 minute run time. The story centers around a panda named Po (Jack Black), who works at his father's noodle shop, and is a big fan of kung fu. So much so, that Po has dedicated a section in his room to the masters of kung fu: the Furious Five. Great masters of the ancient art who include Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Crane (David Cross). Everything...

  A perfect example on how to do a stop-motion animated film, “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” succeeds in every way possible. It has an interesting story, it's tremendously funny, the cast does an excellent job at lending their voices to this animated film, and this movie brings together a lot of genres into one whole production. This film is wonderful and full of great entertainment. Whenever an animated movie comes along, it tries to break the barriers on how to define a cartoon; this movie proves that point beyond all expectations. We have two of the most recognized characters in animation history making their feature film debut, and they triumph boldly. “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” is an ambitious project that brings two popular clay figures to the big screen. The plot is that England is holding its annual Giant Vegetable Competition and unfortunately there's a rabbit infestation in the area that's causing a real problem. ...

  The sword and sandals genre of action movies is rarely seen today. But right at the turn of the 21 st Century, the genre was revived in the most unlikeliest of ways. And the film that started this new revival was the 2000 film “Gladiator”, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russel Crowe. When it was released, it got rave reviews and even won the Oscar for Best Picture. Now that the film has seen the passage of time, we can clearly see that the movie has aged by just a little bit. While not absolutely perfect, “Gladiator” is one of those movies that definitely takes its time, but revels in its own visual style. The story follows a Roman soldier by the name of Maximus (Crowe), who just won an impressive battle for the current emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). All Maximus wants to do now is go home to see his wife and son. Unfortunately, Marcus Aurelius wants to appoint Maximus as the next successor to Rome; this displeases his son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), who procee...

By using animation to tell a story, there is practically no limit to what could be shown for audiences of all ages. However, animation is mostly considered for children/families, as everyone can enjoy the artistic form of animation. However, that's where the film “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Adventure” breaks all the boundaries of animation. Based off the book series by Dav Pilkey, one might assume that because of the title, there will be toilet humor strewn throughout the film. Yes, there are the occasional gross-out joke, but (no pun intended) this is actually a clever comedic movie that is surprisingly entertaining. There is also one other thing that is kind of a distraction, but it is a nitpick nonetheless. “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Adventure” is a clever comedy that translates the books almost perfectly into animation, thanks to DreamWorks. The plot consists of two creative friends: George Beard (Kevin Hart) and Harold Hutchins (Thomas Middleditch) wh...