Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

South Park Still as Relevant and Irreverent as Ever

Posted in Reviews, Television, tagged , , , , on April 5, 2012| Leave a Comment »

They are truly one of the few programs on air that can get away with blatant racism...I love it.

South Park season 16 is about 4 episodes in.  A while back in the midseason finale for their 15th season, creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker hinted through Randy and Sharon’s marriage failure when it came to their ability to shake things up instead of hitting the refresh button was getting more and more problematic when it came to their marriage.  This was probably over analyzed as people saw it as a foreshadowing of how the South Park series was turning out, and people came to a panic that the beloved social satire program would come to an end.  And with Stone and Parker’s new broadway hit, The Book of Mormon firing on all cylinders, it seemed almost plausible.  But of course they said they’re still planning on continuing for at least 2 more seasons.  And that being said, season 16 premiered 4 weeks ago as I just said.  And it’s been an excellent premiere that’s got both my head tilting in thought and side splitting in laughter.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Game of Thrones Review: The North Remembers

Posted in Reviews, Television, tagged , , , , on April 3, 2012| Leave a Comment »

HBO’s Game of Thrones Season 2 premiered a couple of nights ago, and in true fashion, I was there to watch.  Expect a review every week of my take on each episode.  I will write these articles with no intentions of spoiling events from the book.  However, I will use my knowledge of the book to possibly clarify plot holes that the series might be leaving out to compensate for the 700 page turner.

There are obvious spoilers for those who aren’t caught up with the show, but seeing as HBO released a public image of Sean Bean’s Ned Stark’s head on a pike, I guess, all bets are off when it comes to not spoiling season one.  The 2-5 minute catch up seemed to me to be a good way to waste 2-5 minutes because it could not being to encapsulate the amount of things that escalated from season 1.  All it served was a purpose to take out 2-5 minutes of additional actual show time.  Hopefully, we won’t be seeing recaps anymore.  More show less recaps.

But I suppose I’ll start with a recap for you all right now before I start getting into the show’s meat and bones.  Ned Stark was beheaded for finding a scandal between the Queen and her incestuous relationship with her brother.  In turn, the land Ned Stark ruled is up in arms for the unjust murder and his eldest son is bringing 20,000 soldiers to the capital to kill the the man responsible for his father’s death.  Meanwhile the other Stark children are scattered across the country each facing their own difficulties, one disguising herself as a boy, one being crippled, the other North in the wilderness, etc.  Meanwhile, everyone’s favorite character Tyrion Lannister, the non incestuous brother to the queen, returns to the capital to clean up the mess the Queen and her son, who is now King, has made.  That’s probably the best I can do without writing another novel about it.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are British Comedic Geniuses

Posted in Articles, Reviews, Television on March 6, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Blessed be HBO for giving Ricky Gervais’s comedies a shot here in America.  The show that made him famous, Extras, was given this blessing, and now his current show, Life’s Too Short, has also been given this blessing.  Despite one being over 5 years old and the other in the middle of its American release, I’ve been given and taken the opportunity to watch both of these shows in their entirity, and can say despite his relatively negative stereotype here in America, Gervais has had a rather large influence in comedy today and can still deliver a comedic punch in true dry, British humor fashion.  Hear about my adventures into these two BBC telecasts below.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

The State of Winter/Spring TV

Posted in Reviews, Television on March 5, 2012| 3 Comments »

I’ve given winter/spring television a good month or two to settle in with what it has to offer.  In this case, that means the returns of several 22-24 episode runs like Parks and Recreation and Happy Endings.  Obviously some shows have gone, like It’s Always Sunny and Dexter, but there definitely worthy replacements like Archer and Justified.  And there’s an always welcome newcomer or two like NBC’s Awake.  New or old, that means judgement must be laid upon all of these and I’m just the man to do it.  Read below for what I’m watching this season and my opinions on the directions they’re going in.  Also read below to see what television shows have dug themselves into my television grave.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

The True Modern Day Marshall: FX’s Justified

Posted in Reviews, Television, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

When I first tried to get into this show, I actually had to Google the difference between the US Marshall Services and the difference between the FBI, State, and Local Police.  You’d think at first glance they’d solve crimes like the people on Dexter, CSI, Law and Order, generic crime show.  But the US Marshalls deal specifically with tracking down federal fugitives and escorting government-important personnel.  So here I am, all caught up with the shenanigans of US Deputy Marshall Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) and criminal mastermind Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins).  Givens is a wise cracking, cowboy hat wearing, southern twang talking, Han Solo-esque men of men who tracks down the baddies while protecting the ones he cares for with his favorite pistol by his side and a conflicted sense of morality.  Crowder is a spiritually conflicted man who has used his wit to slither his way through the crime rings of Harlan County, Kentucky, as he tries to take back the town his family once owned. Combined with cultural insight to southern lifestyles, an amazing cast, and a surprisingly central and amazing storyline, Raylan Givens and company give us one of the most badass shows on air.

Raylan Givens has recently been transferred from the US Deputy Marshall service in Miami back to his hometown in Kentucky for seemingly gunning down a drug lord in plain sight in the light of day.  The chief is hesitant to add him to his team for Givens’s unorthodox and trigger happy methods, but can’t deny that Givens brings results when it comes to tracking down Kentucky’s most wanted.  As Givens returns home, he encounters his criminally estranged father, the step mother who raised him, a sour ex-wife, an old crush, and his old friend from his coal mine who has turned into one of Kentucky’s most dangerous terrorists, Boyd Crowder.  Raylan deals with himself, these people, and Kentucky’s most wanted as he gunslings everywhere from Lexington to Frankfurt to Harlan County.  Minor spoilers ahead, keep reading for more detail.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Coping with the Rise of the Talkies: The Artist Review

Posted in Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 16, 2012| 3 Comments »

Saying this only makes me look wet behind the ears and a greenhorn of a movie watcher: The Artist is the first silent film I’ve ever seen. Slap me on the hands, unsubscribe, believe me to lose any credibility I had, but I think admitting this is important to the impact this movie has had on me. For the longest time, I’ve put most movies made before the 1950s on the back burner because I’ve believed them to be ‘inferior’ and ‘a chore’ to watch compared to the colored, talking, and contemporary films that are being released today. And if the Artist is ANYTHING like the films made in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, then I’ve been wasting my time watching and reviewing movies like Real Steel and Happy Feet 2.

George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is an arrogant and proud silent film star. After he helps a charming Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) get a job in acting, he’s suddenly faced with changing times as the talkies begin to change the industry. When he gets left in the dust and watches Peppy on the road to stardom, George begins to take to drink and walks on a road to self-destruction.

[MAINTENANCE NOTE: I’ve added one more movie to the five movies to watch on certain days of the year. Check it out here for the mystery movie I shamefully forgot.]

(more…)

Read Full Post »

The Setting Isn’t the Only Cold Thing Here: Happy Feet 2 Review

Posted in Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Musicals with animated animals have always been absolutely adorable.  So when the original Happy Feet opened, there was something even more adorable when we had an unlikely animal such as the penguin singing beats ranging from the 70s to now.  Throw in a likable penguin who can’t sing like the rest of the community but would rather dance and you don’t even stand a chance.  Maybe this is why it beat out Pixar’s Cars.  So how does the sequel stand up?

Mumble (Elijah Wood) is back with some kids of his own with his loved one Gloria (now played by P!nk due to the late Brittany Snow).  This time the community has embraced dancing and tries to teach it to its younger generation.  Throw in some elephant seals, some semi-likable Krill, a Puffin, a toned down Robin Williams,  and another global issue and you get a seemingly rushed and scrapped together film they call Happy Feet 2.  Despite all these issues, it still inspires some of the magic it once had through its spine tingling musical numbers and fantastic visuals.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Keeping Up with the Greatest Spy in the World: F/X’s Archer

Posted in Reviews, Television, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 10, 2012| 1 Comment »

With numerous people constantly smacking me on the hands for not watching one of the greatest TV shows ever, I finally got into watching F/X’s Archer.  Once again, I’m kicking myself in the ass for not finding this comedic gem sooner.  I have said this about many shows, but I’ll gladly stand behind saying Archer is one of the best things on television.  The quick witted, often self-referring jokes, the stellar cast, and one of the most lovable douche bags on TV, Archer has every element to be a casual comedy to keep up with.  It doesn’t matter if you’re alone in a room or in circled by friends, Archer will surely bring you the laughs every Thursday night.

Sterling Archer (brilliantly voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) is feared by all governments for being the most dangerous field agent out there.  He’s got all the best qualities of James Bond: deadly with a pistol, a taste for fancy drinks, and a tendency to flirt with all sorts of women.  The difference?  He’s completely aware of how awesome he is and selfishly rubs it in everyone’s face.  Working for the government agency ISIS, with his alcoholic mother (Jessica Walter) at the helm, Archer engages in different missions each episode.  With the help (or without in most cases) of his co-workers, he always manages to finish the mission.  Or at least, comes out of it alive.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Banana Unpeeled DVD Review: Our Idiot Brother

Posted in Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , on January 30, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Paul Rudd adds another goof to his resume of likable leads as he stars in Our Idiot Brother.  I’d consider this one of his more dramatic roles that holds more emotional weight than any of his others.  Overall Our Idiot Brother has a very charming and talented cast and while it succeeds as a comedic drama, it doesn’t meet the expectations I had hoped.

Ned (Rudd) is a laid back, kind-hearted, goof who sells marijuana to a police officer who’s incarcerated for his good intentions.  When he’s released from jail, he has to give up his old home, girlfriend, and dog and must resort to living with his three sisters (Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, and Elizabeth Banks) and their seemingly perfect lives.  He slowly turns their worlds upside down and is kicked out one-by-one.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Banana Unpeeled DVD Review: Cowboys & Aliens

Posted in Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , on January 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Getting Harrison Ford out of bed to do a movie isn’t an easy task.  You either have to be George Lucas/Steven Spielberg or he must owe you a favor.  So when rumors were out that he was doing a cowboy movie, the industry was fairly intrigued in what he was signing up for.  There was a large number of things that made Cowboys & Aliens look like a promising project: news released that he would costar with Daniel Craig, and Iron Man director Jon Favreau would be helming the project, and source material from a beloved graphic novel.

Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the middle of a desert with a wound on his side, mysterious piece of swag attached to his arm, and an inability to recollect anything that happened to him.  When he finally makes his way back into town, he finds out that he’s a wanted criminal and is prepared to be shipped off to jail by the bad-ass Indian fighter warhero, Woodrow Dolarhyde.  All of a sudden the town they’re in is attacked my mysterious flying spaceships that abduct some of the townsfolk.  After all the rubble settles, the remaining settlers, including a mysteriously beautiful Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde), accompany the two of them on a journey to recover their townsfolk as they travel the dangerous west where they encounter bandits, Indians, and more aliens.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Banana Unpeeled DVD Review: The Help

Posted in Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , on January 20, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The idea of a period drama about a repressed ethnic group is usually the first sign of Oscar bait.  I find that most period dramas distinguish themselves with others through the strength of the cast.  Mainly because with period dramas, one can usually determine the outcome of the stories with relative ease and there’s only so many ways a director can make a period drama stylish.  There are only so many endings to stories about an African American woman in the 1950s.  The same can be said about most period dramas, given because they’re based on historical fact.  In The Help, the incredibly strong cast and a touching script drove it home and may be one of the more emotional movies I’ve seen this year.

Aibileene Clark  (Viola Davis) and Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer) are one of the dozens of African American maids working in Jackson, Alabama for white families in 1950s America during the peak of the Civil Rights movement.  Being in the south, new ideas and racial equality haven’t necessarily reached them, so much to the point ‘The Help’ are even punished if they use the same toilets as their employers.  When Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone), an ambitious young journalist, wants to write their story, Aibileene and Minny are reluctant at first, but the increasing tensions of the Civil Rights movements slowly change their minds.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Banana Unpeeled DVD Review: The Hangover, Part 2

Posted in Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 16, 2012| 1 Comment »

Todd Phillips follows up his 100 million  dollar R-rated comedy hit in 2009 with a sequel set in Bangkok.  As with most sequels, there lies the difficulty in making it bigger, badder, and better than the first one and simultaneously maintaining a sense or originality.  Here in the Hangover Part 2, it doesn’t even look like Todd Phillips tried to make this second movie more original, as it’s a copy and cut paste from scene to scene.  And while the funny Alan jokes are still there and the slapstick is a bit more disgusting than the first one, the movie loses the general shock and awe that made us fall in love with the wolf pack in the first place in favor of shedding light on the dangers of Bangkok.  And with no change or twist to distinguish itself from the first one, it’s difficult to call Hangover Part 2 nothing more than a good reason to send these guys to a tropical paradise for a couple of weeks to reshoot a movie they already did.

When Stu (Ed Helms) is getting married [again], he sends himself and the wolfpack [Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper] to Thailand for the ceremony and to meet his fiancé’s family.  The trio have one beer next to a calm bonfire on the beach with their fiancé’s brother and next thing they know they wake up in a motel somewhere in the middle of Bangkok, with new slew of slapstick shticks: a tattooed face, a shaved head, and a highly trained monkey.  They find out that Stu’s fiancé’s brother is missing and set out onto Thailand in an attempt to regain their memory and find him

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Banana Unpeeled DVD Review: Kung Fu Panda 2

Posted in Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 12, 2012| 3 Comments »

With Cars 2 pretty much out of the way for the best animated picture of the year, Dreamworks has a pretty good chance at nabbing the spot with their two blockbusters this year: Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots.  I’ve finally gotten a chance to see Kung Fu Panda 2, the sequel to the very enjoyable original Kung Fu Panda released in 2008.  As with most sequels [once again as exemplified in Cars 2], it’s risky to come up with both an engaging and original story.  But with a strong emotional story and fleshing out its likable supporting players in balance with its lead, Kung Fu Panda 2 exceeds my expectations and is, in my opinion, the best shot of best animated picture of the year.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Banana Unpeeled DVD Review: 30 Minutes or Less

Posted in Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 25, 2011| 1 Comment »

How does a lazy pizza boy and his small Indian school-teacher friend react when they’re forced to rob a bank?  Why, they simply go to the closest dollar tree, get some spray paint, some toy guns, ski masks, and go the closest bank that’s how.  Forget the hesitation, paranoia, and other basic human emotion and let’s just have them be able to outrun the cops, deal with guns pointed in their faces, and bombs strapped to their chests.  That’s where 30 Minutes or Less does wrong, while it provides decent comedy in its leads, it’s not irreverent enough to qualify as the good kind of absurd nor is it believable enough carry the heart it tries to convey.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

My Journey with a Band of Brothers

Posted in Articles, Reviews, Television on November 23, 2011| 4 Comments »

I just recently watched the series Band of Brothers not too long ago and am still recovering from the emotional roller coaster ride it has taken me on.  Over 10 episodes, each lasting about an hour long, I’ve witnessed the true life stories of Easy Company’s journey from the Georgia Mountains to the front line in France to hills of Austria where Hitler lived.  Each story diversely tells the tale of how the platoon survived, battles were fought, and their effects on a soldier’s psyche.  Brilliantly made and full of gut wrenching moments, I highly recommend you watch this HBO series if you haven’t already.

This is not the story of one man, but a company that has dozens of soldiers.  Spanning over 10 episodes, each one takes a different narrative and point of view ranging from a transfer soldier to a medic to a Major.  In the beginning there are almost too many guys to remember anyone’s names, but as you progress, faces become familiar the more and more they interact with each other.  One man in particular to pay attention to was Lieutenant Richard ‘Dick’ Winters who narrates 3 or 4 of the 10 episodes and his journey as a company leader to a battle field officer.  But among him are a crew of interesting and memorable soldiers that carry their own personalities that you slowly come to appreciate and care for as they take on Germany.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Breaking Bad Season 4 Wrap Up

Posted in Articles, Reviews, Television, tagged , , , , , , on November 21, 2011| 1 Comment »

I’ve finally caught up with breaking bad after season 4 ended at the end of the summer and I have to say that this was probably my favorite season.  I probably understand that not many of my readers are viewers of this show because it’s fairly under the radar.  So to those who haven’t broken bad [a slang term to define those who have turned to making crystal meth to make money], this is a story about a genius high school chemistry teacher who has teamed up with a white trash punk to make methamphetamine to pay off his cancer bills.  As similar to Weeds [a show I tried, but couldn’t finish watching], this tale is far more darker and all around badass.  And as you could imagine after 4 seasons, shit has really hit the fan where our leads get mixed up with the DEA, Mexican Drug Cartel, and the biggest meth dealers in the southern United States.  And as season 4 wrapped up, we’re finally given the closure we’ve been wanting [that is, until Breaking Bad’s fifth and final season comes out next year].  Read below for my take on season 4 as a whole.  Major spoilers beware!

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Banana Unpeeled DVD Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Posted in Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 8, 2011| Leave a Comment »

I finally got around to watching this latest installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series.  There’s a number of different things about this last one.  1) The dropping of the series main couple, Will and Elizabeth Turner, 2) The shift away from the Davy Jones plot for the fountain of youth story, and 3) A slew of new characters.  For better or for worse?  Does this movie recapture the magic from the first one?  Unfortunately, as Captain Jack Sparrow’s legacy battling zombies, Spaniards, and Blackbeard grows, his mannerisms, sword fights, and dramatic escapes have stayed relatively the same.  So just because some new faces were slapped on, Pirates round 4 doesn’t offer anything substantially new, it does however provide itself as a fairly decent action flick involving one of the most iconic characters in movie history.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Banana Unpeeled DVD Review: Cars 2

Posted in Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 24, 2011| 2 Comments »

My first post ever to this site was the ranking of Pixar throughout the years.  The first Cars was in last place, with the main points suggesting a lack in innovation or imagination, despite having top notch animation.  So when I watched Cars 2, the first sequel to a Pixar movie after the beloved Toy Story franchise, I was ultimately disappointed for the same general reasons.  And even though I used the word disappointment, I can’t say in itself that Cars 2 was a bad movie, because in all reality it wasn’t bad for an animated movie.  In all honesty, it quite frankly beats most other animated movies in terms of story and animation itself.  For a Pixar movie however, it lacks the magic and storytelling that usually transcends me to a new world where I never want to let go.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Banana Unpeeled DVD Review: Midnight In Paris

Posted in Movies, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , on October 21, 2011| 3 Comments »

The only Woody Allen movie I have ever seen before this was Antz.  As a film enthusiast, one could label that as embarrassing or a sham.  One thing I’ve been recently trying to do is to follow every recommendation I get, so when a good friend recommended this movie to me, there wasn’t much I could do.  And being a Woody Allen amateur, I didn’t actually know where it would go because I didn’t know his style, trademarks, or storylines.  So there I sat, hesitant about the hour and half before me, expecting some sort of romantic comedy with some minor twist of some sort.  But instead, I was taken on a journey I will never forget, with quite possibly might be one of the best movies of the year.  And that being said, it is now my life goal to watch as many Woody Allen movies as I can if they are anything close to this one.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Banana Unpeeled DVD Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love

Posted in Reviews, tagged , , , , , , on October 20, 2011| 1 Comment »

Oh the romantic comedy.  Cliched, formulaic, and sappy.  It’s a staple of film to please the needs of the susceptible hearts and provides a means to fill our heads with ideas of true love and happiness.  So how is Crazy, Stupid, Love any different?  Simple answer: it isn’t.  It runs through the cliche moments, ends up exactly how I pictured it from the beginning and it’s as sappy as a maple wood tree.  But there lies the best aspects of this film.  While the film fires on all these seemingly tired cylinders, it’s charming and likable leads, a well written script, and plenty of heart transcends this the normal ‘Rom-Com’ that not only has me huddled in my sheets and pillows, but has enough twists to keep me interested as more than the traditional romantic comedy.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »