Your story may not have such a happy beginning but that doesn't make you who you are, it is the rest of your story, who you choose to be.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

For some reason, maybe it was because it was a busy time of the month or maybe I just HAD to see another movie week after week but I never actually had the opportunity to go see the original Kung Fu Panda when it first came out. Still to this day I have yet to see it, which considering how much I loved Megamind (another Dreamworks Animation film I didn't see until much later) is kind of sad. But lo and behold the people at Dreamworks Animation must have heard my sighs of disappointment because before I knew it a sequel was announced. Now usually I don't like to see sequels before having watched the original but because of the publicity surrounding the film and because of my playing of the video game cash in I already knew most of the goings on in the original film. Needless to say I wasn't going to be totally lost.

It was a 10:00 AM $5 dollar show and the audience consisted mostly of 2 year olds and grandparents (I opted not to see it in 3D which is probably why that crowd was there). Despite being so early it was still pretty packed so I shoved myself into a corner and reclined my chair and waited for the film to start. I expected it was going to be your typical family friendly fare but with some nods to adults, nothing special but not a waste of time. Surprisingly I thought it was pretty darn good. And for people like me who missed the first one, this film stands on its own two feet and provides a great story, regardless of whether you've seen the original or not.

In Kung Fu Panda 2, the story focuses around Po (Jack Black) trying to save the world from Lord Shen (played by the delightfully evil Gary Oldman). Lord Shen is a peacock who many years ago tried to turn fireworks into weapons (cannons and the like) so that he could be the ultimate ruler over all of China. One day he went to the soothsayer to check and see what his future holds and he learns that one day he will be defeated by a warrior of black and white. Assuming that's pandas (then again that fits the description) he wipes out all the pandas in China (or at least within a reasonable distance) and because of his actions he is banished. He doesn't take too kindly to that and vows that he will have his revenge.

Fast forward many years and Po, the hero from the original (and a panda), is still learning what it means to be the Dragon Warrior. His lesson for today: Inner Peace. Of course Po thinks that's easy but it turns out to be harder then he thought. Not soon after a village is attacked by wolves and all the metal is stolen. Po and the Furious Five almost won but because of a symbol on the wolf leaders shirt, he has a Vietnam-esque flashback that causes him  to freeze (it happens to be of Lord Shen annihilating his village). Po and co. soon learn that Shen has returned to destroy kung fu and it's up to them to stop him.

First off, KFP2 is a beautiful movie. The art design is beautiful and even wide landscape shots are almost as breathtaking as their real life counterpart. I give some major props to the animation studio for that. Add in a great soundtrack and the whole feel of the movie is really quite good. But that's just the feel. What about the story? The story is pretty good, if not a bit generic. The film doesn't take too many risks (I can't really fault them because 2 year olds probably don't want Inception), the writing is generic and predictable and it's a pretty standard hero tale that we've seen before at least a couple of dozens of times (and done quite better), but the film is still fun to watch.  It's familiar but friendly enough that you want to go on that ride again.

The acting is good although I will say everyone gets swallowed up by Black and Oldman. They eat up the scenery in every scene and unless you're paying attention it's hard to even notice the other A and B list actors who have come on to the project. Now that does definitely bum me out, as looking at the IMDB for it shows SO much talent (including a small JCVD cameo) but it really IS their film. Black is in typical shape as the over the top, emotional goofball that he always is and at this point you either love that or you hate it. I love it but I know a ton of people that don't. Oldman on the other hand is SO deliciously evil that every scene he's in draws you closer and forces you to watch it slowly unfold. Oldman has great control over his voice and is a very talented voice actor. Even though he's the villain, you may find yourself inadvertently rooting for him from time to time, just because of how awesome he is.

Overall Kung Fu Panda 2 is a generically told hero's quest but it benefits from having great visuals, good acting from Black and Oldman (sometimes to the detriment of the rest) and lots of action. If you have kids they'll probably love this, I say it's worth seeing if you're interested at all in it.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

"Who are you, and how did you find me? " "I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you, but may I just say... Hi. How you doin'? "

 Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

You know what never gets old? The look on people's faces when I say I love the Disney Princess movies. It's a confused look mixed with a hint of concern. If you don't know me it's usually followed up with either "Are you gay" or "Were you forced to watch them" but those who do know me well enough are like "Okay." But it's funny whenever I pop that little trivia out because it seems if your a guy (at least in this day and age) you can't like the Princess movies without garnering some attention.

Why does that little factoid matter? Well it's the look I got from the guy at the box office when I got my tickets to Disney's latest animated film Tangled. Created by Disney legends Glen Keane, John Lasseter, and Byron Howard, Tangled is the re-imagining of the classic tale of Rapunzel and follows the Grimm version closer then any other version I've read. It stars Mandy Moore as the titular character, Zachary Levi as the dashing Flynn Rider and Donna Murphy as the evil Mother Gothel. One interesting note, besides this being Disney Animation Studios 50th film, is that this is the first CGI Disney Princess film. Maybe ol Lasseter is rubbing off on them.

 The plot is familiar to those who have read the tale but it does put it's own unique spin on things. A single drop of sunlight creates a magical healing flower that can make someone young forever if you sing a special song. Mother Gothel, an evil old hag, finds it and hides it from everyone. Meanwhile at the castle, the Queen about to have her baby but gets really sick. The only cure it seems is the flower and in a moment of clumsiness, Gothel knocks the cage hiding the flower over and the guards take the flower. The Queen gives birth to a girl, whose hair now has the powers of the flower. Soon after she is born Gothel steals her and uses her hair as a lifetime supply of youth, which the girl seems to not notice since Gothel puts on the ruse of being the girl's mother.

There is one hitch in Gothel's plan though: the kingdom releases lanterns into the sky and this fascinates Rapunzel to no end, so much so she's made it her mission in life to see them up close. Flashforward 18 or so years and Rapunzel is grown up and wants to leave. Gothel is against this obviously but with the help of a thief named Flynn Rider, who happens upon her tower after stealing a tiara, Rapunzel leaves and ventures with Flynn, who agrees to help on the basis that he gets said tiara back.

 The story and writing is probably one of the movies biggest triumphs. The story is something we've all heard to the point of punchline but it feels fresh and original enough that we never really get bored with the story. For one Rapunzel is no pushover. She is a spunky little thing who can use her hair as a multi-tool and really likes getting her way (to a point...I mean she's not rude about it). The character of Flynn is also a real character and not a caricature of a prince or hero type we've seen before. He's not that strong but what he lacks in strength he makes up for in charm, wit and street smarts. Imagine a animated Nathan Drake of sorts for those who know what I'm talking about. The only static characters it seems are the Royal Family (who never speak oddly) and Gothel. Although with her it's understandable since without an established villain, it wouldn't be a Disney Princess movie.

The writing is really brought out well thanks to the superb voice-work throughout. Mandy Moore is great as Rapunzel, mixing elements of classic Princesses as well as the modern teenage girl. She has the big singing voice and bright eyed perkiness we're used to, but it's grounded by her wit, wild mood swings (one of the biggest laughs for me) and her sass. She's also not pining over a man either with her eventual (come on did you really think otherwise) relationship actually feeling organic. Levi is great as well and further proves that he is someone to really look out for in the future, whether voice-work in this film or on television with Chuck. He has great comedic timing and charm but also a sensitivity that some comedic actors don't have. Murphy is good as well but she does feel a bit like all other Disney villains...well maybe a little more neurotic but still familiar.

The one problem I had with this movie was the music. I love musicals and some of the music was decent (the two highlights being a hilarious song in a dive bar and the obvious love song between the two) but for the most part it was meh. It's not that they sounded bad or were overly cheesy, but they just lacked that umph that other Disney musicals have. Best example: Gothel. Her re-occurring villain song is "Mother Knows Best" an I-can't-keep-a-consistent-time song that's mostly talk sing and honestly pretty dull. It overstays its welcome and puts a damper on the scene that led up to it. The rest aren't as bad but feel cookie cutter. It wasn't enough to make me hate the movie but enough to keep it from being a Disney classic.

Tangled is a well made, well written, well acted Disney Princess film and shows that Disney Animation Studios still has some life in them. It's not the best Disney Animated Studios film (not helped by meh music) but it's a great family film and definitely worth checking out.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

PS: I watched it in 2D but I've heard the 3D was good.

You will not cry, or sneeze or barf or fart! No annoying sounds.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Universal Studios and animation newcomers Illumination Entertainment have teamed up to create what they think will be the family hit film of the year. While Toy Story 3 has been a big hit both commercially and critically, Universal thinks, or must think, they got the edge with Despicable Me due to Universal's domination of the airwaves and the fact that it's a new series and not already an established series. Ever since Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Despicable Me has been everywhere. Posters, toys, video games, appearances on television shows, banners on tour buses, costumed characters at Universal Studios take your pick. Despicable Me has been in the hearts and minds of people for a long time and yet now the film is out. So does it stand out in the sea of animated films? Was the nonstop exposure for good reason? Well I can certainly tell you it was. Despicable Me is a refreshing, cute and entertaining animated film and a must see for kids and adults alike.

The plot of Despicable Me follows the exploits of Gru (Steve Carrel). Gru is a supervillian but apparently not a very good one. Every now and again his exploits work, but most of the time things seem to backfire on him. But his crack staff of an old, almost deaf scientist (Russel Brand) and army of minions keep building the weapons and gadgets, even if they don't work or are extremely impractical.

One day Gru gets the idea that he must steal the moon, which he considers to be the most evil thing anyone has ever done. He's also got a personal vendetta with the moon, since when he was young he had dreams of being an astronaut, but that never panned out. But the bank won't fund him, his fame is being overshadowed by a new villain Vector (Jason Segal) and he's now got three orphaned children to take care of (Granted it was his fault for not realizing three young children are a handfull). Needless to say things aren't easy for our hero(?) but he's doing all he can to meet deadline and become better than Vector.

The animation is really well done in this film. It's bright, colorful, the 3-D adds some nice depth and effects and it has the feeling of a Pixar film gone Looney Toons. Basically this was a fun film on the eyes. The writing is extremely solid although I feel a few filler scenes could have been cut out. What really helps the writing though is the fabulous acting, especially from Steve Carrell and Russel Brand. Carell is a great Ricardo Montoban/Bella Lugosi/James Bond Villain mix and he is very funny, intimidating, and heartwarming. Russel Brand is very subdued and proper, something I've never seen, and he provides a lot of great lines too. Jason Seagal and the rest of the cast are great, with most of the cast being established comedians.

If you want great family fun, comedy that both kids and adults will love and a heartwarming moral than give this a shot. It's better than you think it'll be...trust me on that one.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

We're busting out of here...tonight.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

As a child of the 90s I grew up with the Toy Story series. They weren't the deepest films like future Pixar films would end up being like but they were full of great action, adventure and plenty of imagination. It was a unique and original series and set up Pixar to be a great company.

Well it's been a while since we've seen the adventures of Woody and Buzz on the big screen. Buzz has had some popularity with a small screen tv series and cameo appearances in other Pixar films but Woody has been fairly absent. Woody appeared in countless Disney based video games and a Disneyland ride but has otherwise been pretty quiet compared to Buzz. Either way it wasn't until last year's re-release of the first two films as a 3-D double feature had we seen them on the big screen together. Now that the third one is here did it live up to the promise of the previous two? Is it as good or better than other Pixar movies? Well I can tell you Toy Story 3 DOES live up to the promise of the first two and IS on par with other Pixar films, if not on the deepest level.

Andy is going to college. That's right, the little boy is now an adult and is ready to move out. Most of the original toys have been sold or donated but there are a few toys left that Andy couldn't bring himself to get rid of. But the toys, despite being the chosen few, still feel left out and unused, like Andy doesn't care. They come to terms with going into "attic mode" but when Andy mistakingly puts all the toys except Woody in a garbage bag, the toys freak out and decide that they would rather be donated. Because of plot conveniences, all the toys, including Woody, all end up at Sunnyside Daycare Center.

Sunnyside seems like a great place where toys are never forgotten and treated greatly. It seems to be run by kind and caring people who put other toys needs before themselves. Well it all turns out to be a fallacy and a majority of the film ends up being Prison Break: Toy Edition.

It's written by the same guy who made Little Miss Sunshine and it tells. The film has that child-like wonder and imagination that the previous films had, but it's also much more mature in terms of themes and even when it comes to some of the stuff that happens in the film. I can definitely say there were a few times where I was wondering if this was really G rated. It's really well written, really well crafted and the ending is truly brilliant. If they make a Toy Story 4 I think I will truly be devastated. The ending was that strong and added a level of closure you don't see in a lot of series ends.

The acting is top notch as per usual with Pixar films. Tom Hanks is great as Woody and Tim Allen is amazing as Buzz. Hanks adds true emotional depth with Woody and it shows that Hanks really cares about his character. Tim Allen had a tough time since he goes through a lot of mood changes in the film but he is great as always, funny when he needs to be, serious when he needs to be, good job overall. All the other actors are great too and I can't pick one performance that lacked. Quality Pixar voice work.

The effects and animation are beautiful as always and the 3-D isn't revolutionary but it does add nice depth and doesn't detract from the film. A rare thing in most modern 3-D films.

Is it a great film? Yes. Is it the best of the year? Not sure yet. But it is definitely the best family film you will see all year.

MY VERDICT: TOP FILM

Also the short at the beginning was one of the best shorts ever...just saying

It was not by chance that for generations people have been searching for him, and now you have found him. You're destinies are tied, Zuko.

Hello I'm the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

I'm really at a loss for words right now. For the first time in a very long time I feel absolutely nothing about a film. Peg it as apathy or indifference but either way M. Night Shyamalan's new film "The Last Airbender" is probably my pick for worst movie of the year. Not because of quality or writing or any of that but because it didn't invoke anything within me. When a movie is great you feel all warm and fuzzy inside or you feel refreshed. When you see a bad movie your side hurts from laughing or you feel rage of some sort. As soon as the credits started rolling for this film I just stood up and walked out. I didn't say anything, I didn't do anything, I just walked out and went on with my life. I joke about it and I hear others joke about it but I seriously think I now know what wasting 103 minutes of your life means.

If it sounds like I'm being too harsh I'm not. Out of that 103 minutes I was probably interested for about 6-7. And that was a fight scene about midway through the film. In it, two characters fight a group of soldiers. There isn't any super special effects (besides a little bending and flying) and instead it took a page out of Zack Synder's handbook by using the slow-fast-slow motion fighting sequence. It was interesting, it was choreographed a lot better than the rest of the movie and it was interesting. But like every other time I almost got interested in this film it ended prematurely.

Well better get into the plot...but trust me I have more complaints.

The story is an adaptation of the first season of the Nickelodeon show Avatar: The Last Airbender. If you know the show, skip the next two paragraphs, if not I'll elaborate. There is a world. In that world there are benders. Benders are people who control and can manipulate the elements. Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Ruling over them and acting as a pope like connection between this world and the spirit world was the avatar. The avatar controls all of the elements as well as being that connection. Once the current avatar dies he is reincarnated and the process begins again.

The current avatar disappeared 100 years ago and in that time the Fire nation being the hotheads they are (ba dum pish) decided to take over. One day, two young kids from the water nation find something in the ice. As it turns out, it's the avatar who had been frozen in time for 100 years in a block of ice. The avatar's name is Aang and he has a pet Appa who is a flying bison. Together the three of them go on a journey to stop the fire nation and help Aang reach his true potential. While all this is happening, the Fire Lord is sending troops out to look for the avatar and his own son Zuko, who had been banished for insubordination, is looking for him as well.

That may sound interesting on paper but in execution it is yawn enducing and boring. The beginning stuff is a text scroll and the film pretty much plays out:

-Find kid

-Go back to village where kid gets captured only to casually break out

-Kid and other two travel stopping every 10 or so minutes to have a brief fight scene or a flashback heavy crying or sulking time

-Angry kid and uncle look and angry kid is brooding, mysterious and has his heart in the right place

-Evil man wants angry kid AND kid out of picture

-Mild fight scenes and exposition

-Set-up for sequel

It's so mundane, lazy and boring. The backgrounds look like sets or backdrops, the special effects are hit and miss and when they hit it looks like a minor annoyance rather than a punch of energy, and 99% of the fight scenes look like something out of Power Rangers. I'm serious...they had a 150,000,000 dollar budget and it looks like they used it all on two scenes and those only lasted 10.5 minutes. And while those are impressive, they don't really have any impact or force and mean nothing. I seriously went home and watched Power Rangers and it had better fights and effects.

The writing is dull and full of useless padding, the characters are unlikeable and you feel no emotion for any of them and when anything happens it's just meh. I yawned more times during this film then I have in years. The acting is stiff and wooden and everyone phoned it in. Dev Patel who played Zuko was okay acting wise...but lacked any heart or passion so he sucked too.

Honestly everything besides 1 fight scene and two special effects sucked...So that's 17.5 minutes. Minus the 10.5 since besides the effects I was bored and your back to 7 minutes of caring and even that's being generous.

I didn't hate this movie...I just didn't care. M. Night sure didn't care about the film so why should I. I will say it gets a new rating though...so maybe that's something good going for it. But seriously skip this movie.

MY VERDICT: APATHY/INDIFFERENCE

Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

You know what? I may be almost 19 but I still love watching animated movies, especially if they are good. You know what else I love? Viking movies? And would you believe I love dragons too? So basically this seems like it would be the best movie ever for me right? Well How to Train Your Dragon IS a pretty good movie but has a very uneven screenplay.

The story follows Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (Jay Baruchel), a young teenage viking who doesn't fit in. He has an offbeat sarcastic sense of humor and he is quite bright, something that all the other vikings can't stand. It doesn't help that they are also at constant war with evil dragons that are trying to kill them. Hiccup's father who is the chief (Gerard Butler) is disappointed in him but puts him in dragon training anyway thinking it will help him out. Gobber the Belch (Craig Ferguson) is the head of finding new recruits and along with Hiccup recruits a bunch of people, one named Astrid (America Fererra) whom Hiccup befriends. One day however Hiccup entangles one of these "evil" creatures and befriends it. He nicknames it Toothless and tries to train it to become his pet. This angers his father but Hiccup is determined to change his ways.

The writing is really odd for me. The screenplay is both really deep and really shallow at the same time. There are some really good character developments and really good twists and turns but for some reason it seems like it's been done before in other "Coming-of-age" films. The writing is hilarious at times and sometimes groan inducingly cheesy. HTTYD suffers from being a kids movie that wants to be more than that. It wants to take that edgy Shrek approach that bordered on adult and kid movie but the movie tends to teeter more on the kids side, leaving some of the writing to seem out of place. That being said the film is only 98 minutes so it's not like your sitting through an overly long film. The pacing is quite good and a good story is told. It just seems uneven at times.

The acting is great and its interesting to see such a huge star studded cast full of comedians. You have Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, TJ Miller, Craig Ferguson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and David (DOCTOR WHO) Tennant who are hilarious comedians and then you have America Fererra who is good but not great and Gerard Butler who actually sounds normal in a movie for once (aka not talking out of the side of his mouth).

Overall HTTYD is a good kids movie with great 3D effects and great acting that suffers from an uneven screenplay. Worth a look for kids and adults.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

Alice! You're terribly late, you know. Naughty.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

This is a really tough review to write. Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass" are two of my favorite books of all time. They are dark, witty, tongue in cheek and quite brilliant. I'm such a fan I even have Jabberwockey completely memorized (not easy!). The Disney version of Alice in Wonderland, the original that is, was one of my favorite Disney movies. It was dark, twisted, funny, charming, colorful and quite entertaining. It was trippy but a great kind of trippy. Since then I haven't been able to find a truly brilliant re-imagining of this wonderful series.

The only two close things were the highly underrated but amazing kids show Adventures in Wonderland:

God I miss 90s animation...sigh. That show, while totally kiddie and outrageous was amazing in it's own right. The characters were fun, well thought out and the stories were genuinely interesting. It wasn't the best show and it certainly had it's flaws but it was enjoyable for a young kid like me.

And the other was the recent Sci-Fi original miniseries known simply as Alice:

From the Brits who brought you Tin Man, Alice was a much darker, surrealistic and grim version of the famous story with the characters being more down to Earth and realistic which was quite brilliant when put to such a surreal backdrop. Everything about it was awesome and everyone should give it a look. Sadly though, as awesome as it was, it was NOT as good as the original Disney film.

Then one day I opened a magazine and saw Johnny Depp's mug plastered on a green backdrop. He was holding a teacup, had orange hair and looked like a mental patient. At the bottom it said Alice in Wonderland, Disney and Tim Burton. When I heard it was a direct sequel I became even more interested. With Disney on the reigns it couldn't possibly be bad right? Well Tim Burton wanted to prove me wrong I guess.

The story is this: Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is 19 now and it's ten years after the first movie. She constantly has these nightmares about two strange men, caterpillar's smoking hookah's and other disturbing thing. She is an independent girl but is being forced into a marriage with a guy she doesn't like. One day she sees a white rabbit, follows it and tumbles into Wonderland, I mean "Underland," and steps into an all out war between the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). She soon discovers that she is the chosen one and must slay the Jabberwockey and stop the Red Queen.

Burton and Disney completely take a dump on the original source material and take a leak on the original film. I hate to use such graphic terms but it's true. They have no respect for their predecessors and don't really care. Burton is totally predictable and boring now, with everything he does being scouted a mile away.

"Oh look! Dark characters, a pale but lovable Johnny Depp, his wife in a big role, dark environments, a dark and twisted undertone, disturbing and gothic visuals and all while being sarcastic, witty and tongue in cheek about everything so you can appeal to kids and adults! Like OMFG! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR THAT'S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE!" It borderline pisses me off about the visuals too. He put a lot of effort in yet no effort into them. The effects are cheaply done, the CGI is fake, the 3D is a gimmick, and it's kinda gross to watch.

The acting is the true saving grace of this film. Depp continues to be one of the most hard working and entertaining actors in the game and really brings a minor character like the Hatter to life. He is funny, energetic and a thrill to watch. Carter overshadows even Depp as the Red Queen giving one of her best performances ever. She is funny, quick witted, her delivery is great and her expression is amazing. Anne Hathaway is darkly funny and interesting to watch but gets overshadowed by the Depp/Carter duo. Alan Rickman, Crispin Glover, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Christopher Lee and Matt Lucas are all awesome in their supporting, but fun roles. The only REAL acting problem is with Mia as Alice. She never really engulfs that heroine persona and seems sleepy or bored most of the time. She lacks a driving force, a fire in her eyes, honestly anything to make her more interesting.

So is Alice in Wonderland a good movie? That's the bottom line. Well yes and no. While Burton is grating on the nerves and his visuals are cheap, cheesy and corny, I do applaud his casting (save Alice) and his desire to let them run with the film. The acting is entertaining for adults, the visuals (as bad as they are) will make the kids and tweens happy (they saw New Moon so they'll buy into anything) and overall it could have been much worse.

So that being said, if your a fan you'll eat it up, if you are a kid you will love it and the adults should be mildly amused. Still not the Alice I hoped for though...

MY VERDICT: RENT IT (Basically 2 stars. I mean it's not for everyone but it's at least worth a rent)

"Use this to defend yourself. It's a powerful weapon." "It's a PEN!"

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

When I heard they were making a film version of Percy Jackson I was a bit hesitant. As a pretty big fan of the book series I was hoping for a great and true to the book series movie. Some movies based on books have done that well but usually when geared towards kids the film tends to veer away from the original material. Well I can tell you that Percy Jackson changes DRASTICALLY from the original source material. There are SOME similarities and most of the characters are there but it IS really quite different. But unlike some films that totally veer away from the source material *cough* Eragon *cough* this one is actually pretty good. Not the greatest but still I was pleasantly surprised.

The plot (I might as well explain it because it's so different) is this: Zeus thinks that the son of Poseidon stole the master bolt and gives Poseidon 14 days to get the bolt back unless he wants total war to break out. Meanwhile Percy Jackson, a teenager and the son of Poseidon is at an art exhibit. After being attacked by a Fury and saved by his Latin teacher, him and his best friend go to a camp for demigods and there he meets new friends and, after his mom is kidnapped, takes on the task of finding the master bolt. The plot is actually quite good for what it is in my opinion. It moves along at a good pace, it doesn't FEEL like a kids movie and its pretty action packed (once again for what it is). I had a lot of fun watching this movie altogether.

The acting was pretty good in my opinion. Once again my inner fanboy wants me to cast a lot of other people in the characters roles but for who they got the roles were well acted. Logan Lerman plays a great Percy, Brandon T Jackson is a good Grover and Alexandra Daddario makes a good Annabeth. The supporting cast is good but I will say Uma Thurman felt way out of place. Overall I think Chris Columbus did a great job overall casting the film. Mostly I'm just glad to see Columbus. He has always been one of my favorite directors and so to see him come out with a new movie I'm always there. He puts a lot of effort into his films to make them visually stunning and entertaining films for the whole family.

Overall it was a good movie. Not great and certainly not like the book but still a good movie that is worth seeing.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

Does this tutu make my butt look big?

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

This is the kind of movie I wish I could unsee. I knew it would be a bad movie, the first time I saw the previews I was turned off just like that but for some strange reason I must love torturing myself because I went and saw this God awful film. Why? I don't know I had a free ticket and I was bored I guess is the best answer I could get. I was the only one there and so I thought I could just riff on it...but even with me mocking it almost the entire time it's so mind numbingly stupid that I wish I could get that hour and a half of my life back.

If you must know the story of The Tooth Fairy is that of a hockey player named Derek Thompson. He is pompous, arrogant and thinks he's all that even though he is just a MINOR league player. His nickname is the tooth fairy because he knocks out people's teeth during games. He doesn't believe in fairy tales and even steals the tooth money from his girlfriend's daughter....what a douchebag (and he is our hero ladies and gentlemen). Shortly after committing this act of extreme douchebaggery he is summoned by the realm of tooth fairies and sentenced to be a tooth fairy for two weeks. He thinks it's a dream, it's not yadda yadda yadda his heart grows three times it's size you get the picture.

It's unfunny, lacks any humor even FOR kids, is almost too brutally violent for kids, has horrible special effects and if it wasn't for Julie Andrews or the always funny Billy Crystal I probably would have left the theater it was that bad. Andrews and Crystal ARE pretty good but that screen waste Dwayne Johnson is terrible to not only watch but listen to. I swear he is trying to kill his career as slowly as possible and he's bringing us all down with him.

So even if you have small kids or you have no kids at all just please avoid this movie. It's a painful film to watch and you'll do good to stay away from it.

MY VERDICT: ABOMINATION TO CINEMA

Spying is easy...babysitting is hard

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

I'm not going to be mean to Jackie Chan. So many other critics whether professional or amateur love to take stabs at him. They say he is past his prime/too old. They say that he is no longer relevant or cool. They say that he can't act and is butchering the English Language. Well I'm not going to do that. Jackie has been one of my idols my whole life. His older films were badass. Even if they were comedies like Rush Hour Jackie always amazed me with his ability to endure as much pain and suffering doing his own stunts for our enjoyment. Sure nowadays he mostly does kids movies and comedies like Rush Hour 3 ect but can you blame him? He is in his 50s now and must be in pain all the time now. I'm surprised that he can act at all. He's got his health to think about. So with that said I must now review his latest film Spy Next Door.

The Spy Next Door is the new film by Brian Levant (Jingle all the Way) and is the story of Bob Ho (guess how many Bob Hope jokes there are?) a CIA agent who poses as a pen importer. He falls in love with Gillian and despite her three kids not liking Bob they get together. When Gillian's dad gets injured Bob has to take care of the kids, all while stopping an evil man trying to take over the world with oil.

It's True Lies with Jackie Chan and a bad script. Jackie does fine with what he is given (the problem with this movie) but all the other actors are abysmal. Billy Ray Cyrus is dull as ever, George Lopez lacks any real bite in this movie, the villain is boring, Lucas Till can not play a Russian spy and the kids are stereotypes of stereotypes. Basically everybody sucks. And the writing sucks, and the directing is bad. Basically its just a bad movie all around.

Bless his heart but Jackie can't save this picture. If you got young kids you will probably end up seeing it but unless you are 5 or have a kid who is 5 or younger than please stay away from this one.

MY VERDICT: ABOMINATION TO CINEMA

Carl Fredrickson, explorer. When I get big, I'm going where he's going,

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Pixar has a knack for making really good films. Ever since their start they have churned out good movie after good movie. And the interesting thing is that they keep getting better. Granted Cars was not THAT good but it was tolerable and entertaining to a lot of people. But greats like Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc, Wall-E and the Toy Story series have made Pixar the dominant animated studio out there and they are certainly hard to beat. Their latest movie Up however really showed me just how good animation can be not only in storytelling but in creating a vivid image that truly makes you feel like a child again, wide eyed and happy. That and it has probably the BEST opening scene ever. If anything else, that opening scene should show you how Pixar doesn't even have to use words to make you laugh and cry all within a five minute period.

The story of Up is that of Carl Fredrickson. Carl is a grumpy 80 year old who lives in a small house surrounded by big cities. He and his wife Ellie had dreamed of adventure but after she *small spoiler* passes away he decides to curl up in his house and do nothing. When Russell, a small Boy scoutish kid working for the Wilderness Explorers visits he gets blown off by Carl. Carl then, before he can be taken to the retirement home, fills his home with balloons and turns his house into a makeshift aircraft, with Russell hanging on for dear life. Together they must venture forth to South America where Carl has wanted to go his whole life.

It's a wonderfully written story that really builds on that buddy story idea. Its not your usual fare, an 80 year old and a small child, but they have great chemistry and work well together. All the acting is top notch with Ed Asner doing a phenomenal job with Carl. The characters are memorable, the set pieces are vivid and everything about this movie is a joy to watch.

Pixar has yet to disappoint (truly that is) and Up is the latest in a long line of great memorable films. Up will be in the hearts and minds of children and adults for years to come.

MY VERDICT: TOP FILM

"Hi, I'm Theodore. Hi, I'm Theodore. Hi, I'm Theodore" "Yes he is Theodore. I think they get it."

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

I was bored today and since I've been on a movie watching binge lately I decided to see another one..preferably one that came out today. Well I was geared up and ready to go see Up in The Air which will probably be one of the best movies of the year. Well I accidentally fell back to sleep and woke up an hour after Up in The Air had started. So I went to the theater and saw the first thing playing. I shuddered a little because the first thing playing was Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. I should have walked out of the theater then and there: seriously say the title out loud with a straight face. But in retrospect I am kinda glad I didn't.

The theater was packed to the brim with 3-10 year old's and so I really felt like the odd man out. I'm no stranger to the Chipmunks...in fact I was a huge fan growing up. I watched the cartoon religiously and saw every single mini movie as well. So when I heard they were making a live action film I was intrigued. Well I will review it eventually but the first one was garbage. I probably would have rather stuck a fork in my eye repeatedly while listening to Barney than watch it again. So needless to say I didn't have high hopes for this one. In fact I actually stood in front of the cinema for about ten minutes before going in. But eventually I did and the movie started.

The film begins with a concert where Alvin and the Chipmunks are playing Van Halen's You Really Got Me. After that extended music scene (granted it was pretty cool) the film actually begins when Dave gets injured during said concert and breaks what appears to be every bone in his body. So Dave decides the boys need a break and sends them to school. In Dave's place he gets Toby, his nephew (played by Chuck's Zachary Levi) to take care of them. He is a slacker gamer who does nothing except eat, sleep and play games. Toby takes the boys to school where they are instantly popular and hated by the jocks. When they are sent to the principals office the principal (Just Shoot Me's Wendie Malick) says that they won't be suspended if they perform in a charity event that will earn their dying music department enough money to survive.

Meanwhile Ian Hawke (David Cross) is in the gutter after losing his gig with the Chipmunks and decides to take revenge in the form of singing FEMALE chipmunks called the Chipettes.

Really that's about it plotwise but its actually a pretty well developed, albeit stereotypical, plot. The acting from the humans is TEN TIMES better than the first with most of them actually trying. Malick and Levi give great and actually believable performances while Cross remains silly as ever.

Essentially its a kids movie. Nothing more, nothing less. If you are over the age of ten you will probably hate this movie. Even if you grew up with the chipmunks you probably will hate it. Me? Honestly I have seen plenty worse and they actually tried this time around. I kinda liked it actually. Not a great or groundbreaking movie by any means but if you got young kids then this will provide some decent entertainment.

MY VERDICT: RENT IT

You're all fired, in the morning you'll all be on a bus back to Elfistan!

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

I should have liked this movie more. You have two actors whom I love: Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti and you have an interesting and unique story on the family of Santa Claus and what his family is like. You even got a kids movie that delves a little into the PG-13 humor a bit. But this isn't going to be a rant about how much I hated this movie. In fact it is actually a pretty good movie with a good story...but its not great.

Fred Claus is the story of Fred Claus, brother of Santa Claus. Fred is a bit of a slacker and a badboy and has always lived in the shadow of his brother. All his life he has had a deep seeded resentment of his brother because he was always the favorite. Every year around the holiday times Nick (Saint Nick get it) would always outdo Fred. The final straw came when Nick cut down Fred's favorite tree that had a family of birds in it along with a birdhouse Fred made. Because of that he hated his brother. Years and years later Nick is made a Saint and Nick and his family are frozen in time never to age. Nick becomes Santa and Fred becomes a repo man. Needing some cash because of trouble with the law Fred calls Nick and and Nick says that he will give him enough to bail him out but that he would have to work at the North Pole to earn the rest. There is only one problem: Clyde, an efficiency agent will close down the North Pole if they get three strikes..and Fred is a big hassle.

Its your typical family is important kids movie with a Christmas flair. Vince Vaughn does well enough in the movie and Paul Giamatti stands out as one of the better Santa's I have seen. Most of the other actors are decent enough. Elizabeth Banks, Ludacris and Kevin Spacey are good standouts as well but not too overwhelming.

Its a good Christmas movie but not great. It tries too hard to become a classic without ever succeeding. A decent Christmas movie all around but you can do better.

MY VERDICT: RENT IT

*200th review* A tip of the hat from Dr. Facilier. How ya'll doin?

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

5 months, 200 reviews. A member of LAMB, Blog Catalog, and Zimbio. Got a Facebook fan page and 60 (at the time) fans. Who knew that one man's dream could come true like this. I know I'm not a household name and I never planned on that. I just wanted to review all the movies I had ever seen and put them online. But I'm just so glad for all of you guy's continued support and here's to 400!

Well now that that's out of the way let's get to the movie today: The Princess and The Frog.

Princess and the Frog is the retelling of the old classic fairytale the Frog Prince. In that fairytale a princess wishes on a star for a prince and a frog appears. She kisses the frog and he turns into a prince. Well that's not what happens here. Instead it takes the formulaic Disney approach to movies and twists the story, the Disney approach, and a completely original tale and puts it all together. Not since Atlantis has there been a really good Disney movie that was given time and effort. Usually nowadays Disney falls back on Pixar for all of its animated movies while Disney itself chugs out PG family comedy after PG family comedy. Now don't get me wrong...Pixar has made some of the best animated films ever but I was wondering if regular hand drawn animation was dead. Princess and the Frog proved me wrong. So after a semi private screening here's the scoop.

It's the early 1920s in New Orleans. Tiana is waitress/maid who has dreams of saving up enough money to open her own restaurant. Her mom (Oprah) and her father, who passes away in World War 1 (Terrance Howard), support her in anything she does. One day a prince from a far away land comes to marry a rich man's daughter. Naveen (his name) is a playboy though and wants to goof off and flirt instead of settle down. But after bumping into the Shadowman (Keith David) he turns Naveen into a frog. Later that night at the masquerade ball, the frog Naveen kisses Tiana and she turns into a frog. They accidentally float into the bayou and get lost. From there they have a grand adventure to get back to New Orleans and break the spell.

First things first: the music is great. Its a Disney musical so I was expecting kind of hokey songs. But no...these songs had spice, flair and most importantly they were good and sung well.

Here's my personal favorite sung by Keith David:

Secondly the acting is wonderful and probably some of the best I have ever seen in an animated movie. Keith David is a classic villain, Tiana is believable and has some serious pipes. Howard and Oprah are great and all the side characters are spot on. The plot moves along nicely and barely feels like 97 minutes.

In my honest opinion its the best Disney film made this decade. It's similar without being predictable. Its refreshingly new, well acted, well written, the jokes are funny, and its a joy from start to finish. I recommend this to anyone of any age who has ever liked a Disney film.

MY VERDICT:TOP FILM

I knew this was gonna be the best Christmas ever

Screw it...you know Im the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it I will...but this is pathetic. Honestly I wish my catchphrase wasn't true. I wish I hadn't seen this abysmal piece of crap. But it came in my Home Alone collection so sadly, like the Next Karate Kid, I own this one.


What happened? I'll tell you what happened...John Hughes and Chris Columbus stopped helping out after the third movie. Chris Columbus helped with the third although he didn't direct it. John Hughes wrote and produced the third one and helped make it the second best in the series. But with Home Alone 4, two novice writers took over, slapping John Hughes name on it to make it look legit but it was just the "Characters inspired by" thing if you actually sat through this movie, if you wanna call it that. Then they got the director of Teen Wolf (AHHH!!) to take over as director for this movie. And, as if to slap fans in the face, they brought back Kevin but screwed up the story and replaced the original Kevin with some unknown, brought back Marv but with a different actor and brought in Missi Pyle. This is nothing but a Missi Pyle of crap.

The story focuses on greed this time. Yay messages! Kevin's parents are divorced and the house is totally empty (hello? other characters?) Kevin decides that since his Dad's new girlfriend is filthy rich that he would rather spend Christmas with her because Christmas is all about material things and however much money you have equals how much someone loves you RIGHT?! NO...well explain that to them. Oddly enough, for somewhere that's supposed to look suburbian, snowy and cold...IT WAS SHOT IN AFRICA!!!! What's next? The Sun People shot on Antarctica?

But basically that's the plot. All the acting is cheap, dull, phoned in, boring, lifeless and I almost couldn't even finish the movie. There is SOO much eye rolling going on you'd think I was possessed by teh satan.

And to top it all off this movie lacks any moral fiber and lacks any good family values. Its all about the shopping, the money and the spending in this one. Christmas is turned commercial in this one. I mean I didn't like Home Alone 2 much but at least it had good values. This one lacks any of that.

Please avoid watching this one. Even if you got suckered into buying this one because it was in a box set, just throw this one out...you'll thank me later.

MY VERDICT: ABOMINATION TO CINEMA

Hey, Alex, could you pass me the false alarms? I mean, the peas

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Usually if you are doing a series of movies and you completly switch the entire premise, characters, and everything else it gets booed for being a really bad movie. This one was pretty much booed too. But believe it or not, in my opinion, I think this was really good for the series. While the first Home Alone will always be the best, the second one felt like a total case of deja vu and almost totally ruined the experience for me. I mean its one thing to be simalar, another to be totally unoriginal. Well Home Alone 3 answered my problems and honestly is the Home Alone that I have seen the most times. It changes enough to make it fresh but keeps that Home Alone spirit alive.

The story follows that of Alex, a small boy living in a suburban neighborhood. He has a good family and a good life but things go awry when a group of terrorists go looking for a dangerous computer chip that they hid in a remote control car. A remote control car that was given to Alex. When Alex becomes sick with chicken pox and the thieves come after him, and with the police not believing a word he is saying, Alex takes matters into his own hands and unleashes booby traps onto the thieves.

The acting isn't as good as the original but they all do quite a good job with Alex D Linz doing a great job as Alex. Its a sweet movie with original traps, a cute story, good Christmas morals and an interesting plot that kept me interested for 102 minutes. I reccomend seeing this one.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

You can mess with a lot of things, but you can't mess with kids on Christmas.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Did I accidently pop in the deleted scenes for Home Alone? Seriously did they have like an alternate ending involving New York? Is this deja vu? Seriously I am really confused. Wait this is a sequel? Arent sequels supposed to be the same but at least a LITTLE different. Honestly I dont even need to explain the plot to this one. But as my duty as a small online film critic followed by a small cult following I must review this and I must try to discern the second movie from the first.

The plots the same. The idea "Second verse same as the first" comes to mind. Kevin McCallister is a young boy whose entire family consists of narcsisistic, nihilstic, superficial, greedy douchebags who could care less about their son. Honestly they treat him like the black sheep. Well this time they ACTUALLY remember to take Kevin to the airport (gee I guess they learned) but in a totally recycled scene from the first movie and rifled with "NOT AGAIN"s they are late to the airport and make a mad dash for their terminal leaving their unloved child to wander around until he accidently boards on a plane to New York. There he breaks into a hotel where Tim Curry runs it (THE ONLY REALLY GOOD PART) but its ruined once he's kicked out. And wouldnt you guess it...Marvin and Harry are released from prison and after Kevin.

The weird thing though is that everything is WAAY to cartoonish and has a real sadistic side to it. You would think that it was an PG-13 film where two guys were trying to destroy a child. But oh well everything works out and Christmas is saved and everyone learns a valuable lesson.

I guess I cant knock this movie too much but it IS more of just the same. I guess if you liked the original and since its the last movie to include the original cast its really not that bad but the first and third are MUCH MUCH better. Still its a decent entry and a good enough Christmas movie.
By the way....brick to the face...


MY VERDICT: RENT IT

Keep the change, you filthy animal.

Its the most wonderful time of the year. Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

When we think about Christmas classics its easy just to think about the ones Ive mentioned to death:the Bass/Renkin specials and Its A Wonderful Life. But, in my own personal opinion, one of my favorite movies to watch around Christmas time, and one I make an effort to watch once a year is Home Alone. Actually I tend to find myself watching all four of them every Christmas but this is the best out of all of them.

Iconic for Macaulay Culkin's smart assiness, clever traps, sharp wit and of course the face, Home Alone has not only become a major staple of Christmas movies but also a major staple of kids movies in general. Its ultimately heartwarming, charming in its innocence and forever beloved and ripped off by many filmmakers and critics alike.

The story (which is recycled for the next three movies) is about Kevin. He has it rough. His brother is a jerk to him and his parents really don't seem to give a crap about him. The other members of his family are nihilistic, narcissistic, superficial and could care less about little Kevin. He is the unexplained black sheep of the family. Well the family decides to take a trip out of state and in the rush to beat the Christmas rush they leave in a flurry and leave one thing behind: Kevin. By the time they realize this they are already in the air. Kevin, taking advantage of his newfound freedom thinks everything is hunky dory. He's a smart kid so he knows how to get what he wants. But when a two man group of robbers decides they want to rob the house and take them for all they got, its up to Kevin to stop them.

This ensues

Its physical comedy at its most innocent and quite honestly at its finest. All the characters, especially Marv and Harry are well thought out and provide good laughs. And of course in the end it has a great moral and good family values.

I have to applaud Chris Columbus and John Hughes (RIP) on their great colaboration together and definetly have to say that this is one of my favorite movies growing up. Sure, in my opinion, it stumbles in the sequel only to get up for the third and then get shot in the face by four, but the Home Alone series will always be a well known Christmas/Holiday tradition for years to come.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

Well, that didn't go the way I thought it would.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Do I really need to review this? I mean honestly...? While the first two Santa Clause movies were cute films that focused on love, magic, family and togetherness, with the second one ACTUALLY growing on me and becoming a good Christmas film for the whole family...this one...the third one...its by the guy who directed the Tooth Fairy and the Clique. I realize he directed the second one but by the time he directed this one the fame went to his head and he stopped giving a damn about plot, story, character development and instead focused on making people look stupid to make little kids laugh. This movie does have some redeemable qualities but they are totally overshadowed by the lackluster and lazy attempts by the writers and director. Its like they just wanted a paycheck..

Well the story is actually pretty paper thin this time. Its been 12 years since the original movie and Scott Calvin becoming Santa Claus. He is married and expecting his first child anytime now. So to make her feel comfortable (and to give cameo appearances for no reason) they invite every character back from the original movie. His ex wife, his ex wife's husband, his in laws, pretty much everyone except his son (who returns later in the movie). They decide, for Mrs. Claus in laws sake, to make the North Pole Canada. Meanwhile Jack Frost wants to become Santa so he gets Scott to invoke the Escape Claus by accident.

And so he becomes Santa, everyone's miserable, Scott realizes how much his life would suck if he hadn't become Santa and then he saves the day. Twenty minutes into this movie I could predict the ending already. The script is boring, dry, dull and lacks any humor whatsoever. Martin Short is pathetic in this movie, getting rid of any comedy he had left in him and turning into a pathetic, laughable shell of his former self. All the other actors (cept Tim Allen oddly enough) completly phone it in and don't really care about what they're saying. Tim Allen however does a solid job and really kind of redeems this movie.

It still has that warm and fuzziness to it and it still has the good morals with good triumphing over evil and Tim Allen DOES try so I guess that reedems this movie somewhat. But overall its boring, lackluster and a definition phone it in for a paycheck movie.

MY VERDICT: AVOID IT

Don't Listen to him! He's not the real Santa! He has a rubber face and a plastic tushie!

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it I will.

As mostly people know by now I am NOT a fan of Tim Allen. I did enjoy him in Galaxy Quest, Wild Hogs, and the Toy Story series but in his entire overall body of work I havent really liked his acting. He seems like a nice enough guy and he's not Christian Slater (Allen actually TRIES to act) but for the most part Allen usually comes off as egotistical or a little too aloof for my tastes, even when he's trying not to. But I will give credit where credit is due and he did actually make two good (I know he did more) Christmas movies.

When I had originally done my review for The Santa Clause I had warned people to only see the first one. That was because after watching the second one for the first time I thought it was childish and a little too immature. Then for writing my review I watched it again and then one more time with the whole series. Honestly...this one isn't bad. Usually I gripe about sequels not being as good as the original and while that's still true, this film does have a certain amount of magic too it.

Taking place YEARS after the original we see that Scott Calvin aka Santa Claus has taken over the North Pole and is running it better than ever before. But when the captain killjoy elf comes and says that there is another part to the santa clause-get a Mrs. Claus or the North Pole will shut down-this causes some serious problems. After meeting with the rest of the magic people (Tooth Fairy, Mother Earth ect) he sets off down for Earth in search of a Mrs Claus while a plastic toy Santa watches over the North Pole.

I will say one thing right now: this is a really creative story. I mean the first one was creative since it KILLED SANTA CLAUS but this one evolves the world quite a bit and it really has a rich story with a brightly colored world.

Tim Allen does pretty good actually. He is very heartwarming and really sells the idea that he IS Santa. Everyone else does really good and I actually laughed a few times.

Its good, family fun and honestly its not a bad sequel. Its heartwarming, filmed with care and its good for the whole family. While the first one is the best...I reccomend seeing the second one as well.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT