Coraline

Directed by Henry Selink, who also directed The Nightmare before Christmas. Laika produced the film and was distributed by Focus Features. Henry Selink not only directed the film but wrote it as well. It was based on the book that was written in 2002 by the same name. It came out in the US theaters in February 2009 and had its world premiere at the Portland International Film Festival. In the opening weekend, it made close to $17 million, which made it third in the box office. As of September of the same year in made $120 million worldwide.

It starts out with a doll of a little black girl coming through a window and being caught by needle hands. The hands then start changing the doll into Coraline, the main character. After it is finished the doll is sent out the window again. Coraline Jones a eleven year old girl, and her parents, Mel and Charlie have just moved into The Pink Palace Apartments. Their neighbors come to see who is moving in. Mr. Bobinsky is the one that lives above them and is a retired Russian acrobat is watching from the roof. The two that live in the basement are nutty actresses, Miss Spink and Miss Forcible. Miss Spink is the one on the steps that is watching what is going on outside. After the moving men get everything in, they leave. Coraline goes out the back door to go explore the grounds. Before she leaves the yard, she picks up a branch and uses it as a dousing rod. She walks down a cliff path that you can see the house from and a rock fall from a cluster of big rocks up above her. Coraline asks who is there, but no one answers. She then throws a rock at the sound and hears a cat yowl. Coraline runs down the path until she gets to a tree stump and a ring of mushrooms. The cat jumps on the stump behind her and yowls at her, she jumps and screams. Coraline tells it you scared me you mangy thing, it just looks at her. She then asks it if it knows of a well, it nods, but she says not talking huh? It thunders and she sees at the top of the hill is a boy on a bike with a skull tri-scope mask on a bike. She screams again as he descends the hill with a battle cry and takes her stick. He stop in front of the stump the cat is on and lifts the mask. He looks at the stick and says I have heard of water witching, but they are from Texas or somewhere like that. Coraline frowns at him and says if I am a water witch then where is the well? In addition, stomps her foot. Well if you stomp too hard you will fall in it, he tells her. She goes O and jumps back off the cover for the well. The boy helps her get the dirt off to show her where it is. He then tells her his name is Wybourne but he is called “Wybie”, and then asks her what she was saddled with. I was not saddled with anything, my name is Coraline. Well, he says, it’s not scientific but I heard a plain name has great expectations. It’s C-O-Raline, Coraline Jones. He is not paying her any mind and is petting the feral cat, that he says is not his but brings him little dead things. She stops, hearing something; it’s his grandma calling him. I think someone is calling you Wybourne. I don’t think so he tells her. Oh, I definitely hear someone calling you “Why Were You Born”. WYBOURNE! He jumps and the cat falls. Well I got to go he tells her, but next time I would wear gloves. Why, she asks. Because your dousing rod is poison oak. Akk she says and drops the stick.
The movie is wonderful for all ages and gives a lesson as well. You will not be disappointed by this film. With the many well known names, such as Dakota Fanning as Coraline. Keith David as The Cat also voiced Goliath on Gargoyles. Get the DVD to find out what happens next.

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Howl's Moving Castle

This film is based off a novel that was written by Diana Wynne Jones in 1986, by the same name. The Director of Digimon’s first two movies and the first season was Mamoru Hosoda and was originally supposed to direct Howl‘s Moving Castle, but up and left leaving it to then-retired Hayao Miyazaki. It was first released in Japan in September 2004 premiering at the Venice Film Festival. It then went to theaters in November the same year in Japan. It grossed over 230,000,000 making it one of the most successful Japanese films in history worldwide. Paxar’s Peter Docter dubbed Howl’s Moving Castle into English. Walt Disney Pictures is the one that distributed in the USA. In June 2005 it had a limited release in the US and Canada, but was released nationwide in Australia in September and in the UK the following year.

The main character an eighteen-year-old girl named Sophie is finishing work on a hat. Her mother, she and co-workers run the hat shop. Her late father started it. Sophie thinks she is a plain looking girl, but she in reality has a very beautiful soul, works too much, and has no fun. She does not think herself pretty or special in anyway. One of the women co-workers asks if she wants to go out, Sophie tells her no that she needs to finish her work. After the woman and the girls leave, she gets up to leave too. Sophie locks up behind her and goes to find where the bakery in which her sister works. She is busy looking at a directions to the bakery, when she almost runs in to some soldiers. They ask if a little mouse is lost, she tells them no, to let her pass, but they do not leave her alone. Out of nowhere Howl, a very handsome wizard, comes up behind her, “Oh there you are sweetie” she looks startled. The soldiers tell him to buzz off and leave them alone. He says no that they were leaving, he points his finger and they leave.

He tells her that he will be her escort to where she is going. They start to walk and he tells her that do not be alarmed that they were being followed. After a couple of steps she looks back finally, she sees the black blob men that are after him. They are cornered and the handsome wizard tells her to hold on. They shoot up and in to the sky, then they start walking in the air. “You’re a natural,” he tells her. He takes her to the bakery and sets her down on the balcony. She stands there stunned. Sophie’s sister is told that she has just floated onto the balcony with Howl. She comes running to greet her and to see if she is ok. The rumor of Howl taking pretty girls and eating their hearts is why she is worried she is hurt. (This is not true.) They go down stairs and to talk in the storage room. The two women are not there long before one of the co-workers tells her sister that something is done. Sophie’s sister tells her to be careful when she leaves, she says that she will be fine and goes.

She arrives back at the hat shop and locks the door behind her. Sophie then goes to the counter and turns on the light. The door chime goes off behind her know that someone just walked in. She turns and says sorry we are closed. It is none other than the Witch of The Waste, but Sophie does not know this yet. The Witch tells her I do not know what Howl sees in you, you are not pretty. Sophie goes past her and says here is the door miss please leave. The Witch says that is no way to talk to The Witch of the Waste. She gasps and the witch flies threw her and says I am cursing you to old age and you cannot tell anyone about it. She leaves Sophie alone to discover her hag of a look in the mirror.

The movie goes on with a couple more characters like the scarecrow that she names Turnip Head. Cacifer the demon that made a deal with Howl and is now linked to him to where if ether of them dies so does the other. They are also Markl the apprentice that keeps an eye on the magic four-way door. An all-star cast voices the characters. Billy Crystal as Cacifer, Jean Simmons as Old Sophie, Christian Bale as Howl, Lauren Bacall as The Witch of the Waste. Also Emily Mortimer as Young Sophie, and Josh Hutcherson as Markl. This movie is necessary buy and watch repeatedly.

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Monsters Inc

Every so often, a company comes along and changes the face of entertainment. In the past, big names like Disney and Dreamworks have paved the way for advances in animation that many in the past probably never dreamed possible. But long passed are the days when flipping through a paper booklet has defined the pinnacle of animation technology. Not until Toy Story premiered in 1995 had America seen such a drastic jump into unknown three-dimensional waters that a little outfit called Pixar was brave enough to tread. Disney, known for taking risks that turn out well for them, has combined forces with Pixar again to create, quite literally, a monster. As the fourth film from the now-well-known 3D studio, Monsters Inc. didn’t quite have a lot to live up to. Back in 2002 when it premiered, Monsters followed Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, and Toy Story 2 with just as much, if not more, gusto than its predecessors. Over the past seven years, it has had to stand the test of time. Where does it fit, really? It’s not the flagship of Pixar - everyone knows that title is held by the Toy Story films. Movies like WALL-E and Ratatouille have the advantage of being fresh on kids’ minds, having been released in the last couple of years. And let’s not forget Cars - a film so flashy that wresting little boys away from the TV has become a legalized sport in probably about 37 states. However, Monsters Inc. is, without a doubt, the most underrated of all the Pixar films, and arguably the best. It tells the story about an all-monster society that relies on children’s screams to power the city, and the hilarity that ensues when things don’t quite go to plan. It doesn’t try too heard to teach a lesson or resort to bright lights and action to teach its viewers about life, but it succeeds at doing this anyway. It possesses the charm of classic 2D Disney films, while using its 3D capabilities as an enhancement instead of a crutch. Sometime it’s tough to recreate this charm, what with kids being shielded so closely - which isn’t necessarily a bad thing - but don’t you remember when you’d go back and watch movies you’d seen as a kid and finally get the mild adult humor the writers threw in? As far as a cute kids’ storyline goes, Monsters shines - but rest assured it doesn’t skimp on jokes that those of us over the age of 10 will enjoy enough to not only carry us through the film, but allow us to cherish it. As if a fresh, original storyline wasn‘t enough, the casting is perfect. Billy Crystal and John Goodman are spot-on as the fast-talking, lovable Mike and beastly optimist Sulley, respectively. Steve Buscemi couldn’t have been replaced with anyone more effective as the villain Randall - he redefines sliminess and brings even more humor into the film. Jennifer Tilly, who is known for her voice, makes a welcome cameo as Mike’s girlfriend Celia. Viewers will fall in love with the little girl, Boo, whom Sulley becomes emotionally attached to, teaching kids (and adults) that nothing is stronger than love and laughter. 4.5/5 stars.

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Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

One of the most well known and loved games, made in 1997, Final Fantasy 7 has spawned into a sequel movie that takes place two years after the game. Being CG it makes it well worth viewing. Fans and non-fans that don’t know about the game will love its action and well written plot. Midgar has fallen, as we know from the game, and has made a new city Midgul. Children across the city have a sickness called Geostigma and is blamed on Shinra for polluting the life stream by using it for energy. Denzel also has this sickness. He is an orphan that has lost his parents in the destruction of Midgar was found by Cloud and lives with him, Tifa, and Marlene who is also staying at the 7th Heaven bar. Cloud is yet again called to take his sword and save the world. Tifa gets a call from Reno and asking her for Cloud’s help with an important matter. She calls him and tells him that they want help with the very guys he encountered after the call. It is not his sanity he has to fight this time but three brothers, Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo that keep calling him “Big Brother”; for the Jenova cells that linked them together. They keep asking where “Mother” is, they find that he does not have her and split. Cloud responds to the voicemail left by Tifa. He arrives at the location to find out that Rufus Shinra is still alive and has the sickness as well. Rufus wants Cloud to take out the three brothers. He refuses and walks out. After he leaves, Kadaj comes in and again asks where “Mother” is. Rufus says ‘ Oh we dropped it out of the ‘copter when we were getting away’. Rufus reveals that “Mother” is actually the remains of Jenova. Kadaj starts telling him his plans about the Geostigma. It’s a invitation for a reunion and when everyone gets together it will clog up the life stream. It then goes to a scene in Aerith’s church where Cloud has been staying. Tifa and Marlene are looking for Cloud there. And finds that he has been staying there, blankets are on the floor and a box of Materia. Loz shows up and asks them where “Mother” is. Obviously they don’t know what he is talking about. Tifa ends up fighting him and at first wins, then they hear a phone ring. Loz answers it to get orders to take the girl and says ‘Yeah I know and I am not crying’. He takes the girl and box of Materia after she beams him with one. Kadaj starts rounding up the kids that have the sickness including Denzel. And takes everyone to the Forgotten City. Cloud attempts to rescue them but fails and is rescued by Vincent Valentine. They get in a safe spot and Vincent tells Cloud what they are up to and it’s all because of Sephiroth. I am not going to give away the end you’ll have to find out what happens by watching the movie. There is a lot of twists and turns at the end that you don’t want to miss.

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