Ponyo

 
Ponyo distributed by Disney.

Plot: After she manages to escape from her overbearing father, a little goldfish girl finds herself rescued by a four-year-old boy. The boy, named Soske, is enchanted by the little red fish with a girl's face, and names her Ponyo. Promising to love her, Soske and Ponyo seem like perfect friends...until the sea reclaims Ponyo. Determined to return to the little boy, Ponyo taps into depths of magic her father never dreamed of. She manages to find Soske and transforms into a girl to stay with him and his mother, but her determination tears the fabric of reality. She and Soske must conquer the sea goddess's challenge to return the world's balance and stay with each other.

Genre: Animation, Movie, Fantasy, Anime

Reading Level: Rated G

Similar Titles: Charlotte's Web, My Neighbor Totoro

Personal Thoughts: While the movie is based on Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid, it has a much lighter feel and sweeter ending than the original. While the movie does hint at deeper meaning beyond the plot, it uses the hints to maintain a feeling of mystery coupled with a desire to explore, much like My Neighbor Totoro. Also, the animators attempted to avoid relying on computer graphics, allowing the simplicity of the character design to give the movie a story-book quality often missing in animation. A good movie for a lazy day.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Robot Monster

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Robot Monster produced by Best Brains.


Plot: Two mad scientists seek to conquer the world by exposing the population to terrible movies. They hope to discover the ultimate bad movie capable of rendering the viewers comatose, preventing any form of resistance. To test their movies, the scientists subject their former janitor, Joel, and his two robotic creations to weekly viewings. Joel and the robots must use their wit and sarcasm to keep themselves sane by "riffing" (mocking) the films. This particular episode features a science fiction soap opera as a short and a post-apocalyptic as a feature film. The main movie relates the story of the last family on earth as they struggle against the evil Ro-Man, a faceless creature in a gorilla suit and a fishbowl helmet. Also, the film features fights with dinosaurs, lizards, and a baby alligator with a sail strapped to its back.

Genre: Campy Movies, Cult Classic, Humor

Reading Level: Use caution due to language

Similar Titles: Mystery Science Theater: The Movie, The Rifftrax series

Personal Thoughts: A delightful mocking of a truly awful film. The monster is not scary, the editing is terrible, the story is stupid, and the lizard fight is random. Still, the 'bots and Joel manage to make it enjoyable by shamelessly tearing every bad aspect of the film with jokes, pop culture references, and visual gags. This particular episode was filmed fairly early in the series' history, so some of the characters are still developing. Also, some of the voices, particularly Tom Servo's, change dramatically after a few seasons. Still, the film provides a solid source of entertainment after the MST3K's treatment.

Side note: It is sad when Jerome looks more monstrous and realistic than the titular creature.

Dragon's World: A Fantasy Made Real

Dragon's World: A Fantasy Made Real produced by Animal Planet.


Plot: The film follows two stories. In the first, a disgraced paleontologist seeks redemption following a fall from grace. His rocket to scientific fame was eclipsed when he dared to suggest an important find was attacked by something that breathed fire. Despite his fall from legitimate research, he gains a chance for redemption when a truly strange discovery is found in the mountains of Romania. The second story follows the history of the find. The creature of the mountains is not recognized by conventional science. It is the remains of a fantastic creature known only in myth. The Romanians have found the frozen corpse of a dragon. The two stories collide as the scientist studies the body, discovering the truth of a quadruped capable of flight and breathing fire. The story develops further as old myths are broached.

Genre: Realistic, Fantasy, Movie

Reading Level: Rated PG

Similar Titles: Prehistoric Park, Future World

Personal Thoughts: I think I once mentioned I love items capable of making the entirely ludicrous seem entire possible. Dragon's World, also known as The Last Dragon, uses CGI, paleontology, biology, drama, and history to make a mythical animal appear completely logical. Unfortunately, it does not meet the degree of success as some other shows, such as Prehistoric Park. The scientist's monotone distracts the audience and some of his conclusions are not as well-supported as they could be. Also, the film makes the destruction of dragons into an eco-lecture. Such accusations are common in documentaries in extinct animals. They are also annoying. Chiding from real life is guilt-causing enough without adding pressure from non-existent creatures as well. Still, the film does allow viewers to understand how a myth could work in "real life."

Apparently, film was meant to pilot a series. No further episodes have emerged since the television debut in 2004, though.

Side Note: DreamWorks Dragon delights in the movie's subject matter.

Monsters, Inc.

Monsters, Inc. produced by Disney.


Plot: Despite the efforts of world-famous scarers, Monsteropolis finds itself in an energy crisis.  One of the most effective monster teams, Sully and Mike, attempt to allivate pressures on the city by attempting to break the all-time scare record. However, children are no longer as scared of the monsters in their closets, leading to a shortage of screams, the power source of the city. Still, life continues as usual, until the ultimate horror occurs. A child enters the monsters' world. Thrust in a media frenzy, conspiracy plot, and national crisis, the monsters and girl must reach the maze of closet doors to return the runaway back to her home. Old rivalries and new desperations prove stronger and more malicious than originally anticipated, though.

Genre: Animation, Movie

Reading Level: Rated G

Similar Titles: Toy Story, Finding Nemo

Personal Thoughts: My family watches this movie every Halloween. It delightfully pokes fun at childhood fears in a creative, colorful manner. The characters are memorable, imaginative, and, strangely, believable. Boo, the little girl, is especially well voiced and animated. In addition, the monsters look like children's drawings brought to life. Also, unlike many children's movies, it focuses on the friendship between two male leads as the subplot. For whatever reason, many children's films focus on romantic themes which, while not problematic in its own right, becomes overdone.

While the film did not lead to sequels, it did inspire Mike's New Car, a short, and a series of Pixar's famous outtakes.

Side Note: DreamWorks Dragon does not approve of your film choice.

Batman: The Movie

Batman: The Movie produced by 20th Century Fox.

Plot: Following the Adam West-style of the 1960's Batman show, the movie offers cheezy lines, gimmicky situations, and uncomfortable costumes. Batman and Robin seek to stop an alliance of the Penguin, the Joker, the Riddler, and (no the) Catwoman. While the dynamic duo attempt to locate the dastardly villains, they find themselves at the mercy of multiple traps, a megalomaniac plot, and an exploding shark.

Genre: Movie, Batman, Humor

Reading Level: Rated PG.

Similar Titles: In the world of serious and pseudo-serious Batman movies, this one stands alone. Fans may want to track down episodes of the television series, though.

Personal Thoughts: A delightfully campy movie. The costumes are ridiculous, the logic is insane, the characters are archetypes, and the script is corny. It still manages to be a fun show, though.