If I am going to review this show, I need to get some initial things out of the way. This post is to tell the readers that my next television show review will be on "Doctor Who" and I will post reviews by season and not episodes. Now, you may ask yourself, what is "Doctor Who"
"Doctor Who" is a British sci-fi show about a time traveling alien called The Doctor and his adventures through time and space. The Doctor is a time-lord, which is an alien species that control and protect the laws of time. He is the last time-lord due to his entire race dying in the last great time war between the them and the Daleks. The Doctor travels through time and space in his TARDIS. The TARDIS looks like a 1960s British phone booth on the outside, but on the inside, it is a futuristic environment of the best space ship in the universe. Not only does he have a ship that is bigger on the inside, but he himself has some tricks up his sleeve.
The Doctor, as a time-lord, has the ability to regenerate. Regeneration is when a time-lord is mortally wounded and is then able to survive by changing his entire body and dawning a new appearance and personality. This is a creative decision for the show since it allows actors to switch out as the main role. One minute your watching David Tennant on screen, then he starts to die and instead turns into Matt Smith. Each actor also brings their own personality to The Doctor. It also allows the show to last decades, as it has done already.
The Doctor has no weapons, but instead has a tool called the Sonic screwdriver. It is his multi-tool that uses sound waves to perform a large variety of functions and usually can get The Doctor out of a tight spot.
The Doctor has also had a plethora of companions over the years. This is usually when he comes across a friend or friends who travel with him in the TARDIS for a period of time until they leave, are left behind, or in rare cases... die.
The Doctor also battles enemies and saves civilizations during his travels. he often leans towards peace and nonviolence but is sometimes forced to do what is necessary to protect the Earth, and in some cases, the universe. His foes go from the Daleks who survived the time war, Cybermen who are humans who upgrade into evil robots, and any others who threaten to destroy innocent life.
If this sounds weird and crazy, that's because it is. if is sounds cool and awesome, that's because it is. I plan on reviewing all seasons of Doctor Who since it returned to television in 2005. Now you know a bit of background knowledge on "Doctor Who".
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
"Sherlock: A Study In Pink" Reviewed
This, is the best modern Sherlock Holmes adaptation yet. "Sherlock" is a British television series that was created in 2010 by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss who also write for the show. "Sherlock" stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes, Martin Freeman as John Watson, and Mark Gatiss as Mycroft Holmes. Even though I wouldn't usually classify Gatiss to be in a staring role, I still mention him because it is extremely cool that he was able to be the co-creator, writer, and actor for the show. "Sherlock" has a strange format were a season is made up of three episodes with all of them being an hour and a half long. The show is basically Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories in a modern setting and with a modern twist. I will review each episode on its own since they are rather long and have a lot to them. Here is my review of "Sherlock" season one episode one: "A Study in Pink".
"A Study in Pink" is a modern adaptation of the first Holmes story titled "A Study in Scarlet". I will not be comparing the show to the plot in the book as much because I would rather judge the episode's plot on its own and will probably stick more to analyzing the transition of characters from page to screen. It has also been adapted into a modern day setting, which means that they have cars instead of chariots and changes like that.
The story opens with John Watson who is a retired war doctor with a psychosomatic leg injury that leaves him needing a cane and a therapist. The need for cheaper housing leads him to Sherlock Holmes, who is a consulting detective who has incredible powers of observation and deduction and could tell almost everything about someone by just looking at them. They soon move into the famous 221b Baker St. and get caught up in a string of suicides that Sherlock suspects are murder.
I will not spoil anything important because it is a mystery and only sickos ruin a good mystery, which this is. The premise and clues leave you guessing the whole time as you follow Watson to try and understand Holmes's reasoning and deductions. The mystery grows more deadly and crazy as it goes on, and that is what the show is really good at creating cold and twisted enigmas for our heroes to unravel. Even in the final reveal and even the end of the episode, there are some questions raised which will be addressed later in the series. This ultimately hooks you into watching the next one.
Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are portrayed brilliantly by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Cumberbatch is one of my favorite actors just because of how much personality and determination he gives and has for his characters. You could tell him to play a bean and you will then watch the greatest bean ever on screen. He has a perfect blend of smart, cold, isolated, and determination to the character. He just does it well, and he makes his powers believable to shock not only the other characters, but the audience as well. He doesn't look like a person playing Sherlock Holmes on screen, he just is Sherlock Holmes on screen. Martin Freeman on the other hand, is a bit different. He has never had that much of an acting range and always seems to portray to same personality of an uptight person who has good means but always seems to get outside his comfort zone. This isn't bad, it just means that his range of roles are cut short. His personality fits Watson well and allows for some great chemistry and banter between Holmes and Watson.
In conclusion, this show is a great character driven mystery drama with a lot to it and is wicked creative and fun. It is a good beginning to an even greater adventure yet to come, and it leaves you wanting more.
Reviewed by Conner Wilson
"A Study in Pink" is a modern adaptation of the first Holmes story titled "A Study in Scarlet". I will not be comparing the show to the plot in the book as much because I would rather judge the episode's plot on its own and will probably stick more to analyzing the transition of characters from page to screen. It has also been adapted into a modern day setting, which means that they have cars instead of chariots and changes like that.
The story opens with John Watson who is a retired war doctor with a psychosomatic leg injury that leaves him needing a cane and a therapist. The need for cheaper housing leads him to Sherlock Holmes, who is a consulting detective who has incredible powers of observation and deduction and could tell almost everything about someone by just looking at them. They soon move into the famous 221b Baker St. and get caught up in a string of suicides that Sherlock suspects are murder.
I will not spoil anything important because it is a mystery and only sickos ruin a good mystery, which this is. The premise and clues leave you guessing the whole time as you follow Watson to try and understand Holmes's reasoning and deductions. The mystery grows more deadly and crazy as it goes on, and that is what the show is really good at creating cold and twisted enigmas for our heroes to unravel. Even in the final reveal and even the end of the episode, there are some questions raised which will be addressed later in the series. This ultimately hooks you into watching the next one.
Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are portrayed brilliantly by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Cumberbatch is one of my favorite actors just because of how much personality and determination he gives and has for his characters. You could tell him to play a bean and you will then watch the greatest bean ever on screen. He has a perfect blend of smart, cold, isolated, and determination to the character. He just does it well, and he makes his powers believable to shock not only the other characters, but the audience as well. He doesn't look like a person playing Sherlock Holmes on screen, he just is Sherlock Holmes on screen. Martin Freeman on the other hand, is a bit different. He has never had that much of an acting range and always seems to portray to same personality of an uptight person who has good means but always seems to get outside his comfort zone. This isn't bad, it just means that his range of roles are cut short. His personality fits Watson well and allows for some great chemistry and banter between Holmes and Watson.
In conclusion, this show is a great character driven mystery drama with a lot to it and is wicked creative and fun. It is a good beginning to an even greater adventure yet to come, and it leaves you wanting more.
Reviewed by Conner Wilson
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
The Importance of Good Media
I haven't made a post in a while, so I thought I would log on and talk to you about something that I feel very passionate about, and that is the importance of good media. I will mostly focus on art such as movies, television, and books. Most people never see the importance of these things and find this stuff to be simple things that don't have much to it. People can look at a peace of art such as a photograph, painting, or sculpture, and see a deeper meaning. This can be said for what is placed on screen also.
Movies and television is a visual medium for getting across emotions and ideas. Yet, there is still a confusion on what that means and most popular works today are just simple clichéd works that are nothing new. Movies are art, and art is a person expressing their view on life in their own unique way. This is not always life in general, but some movie do that, "Forest Gump" and "Big Fish" are examples of the study of life in general through a creative lens. Yet, most film makers focus on a single aspect of life, such as heartbreak, love, fear, self awareness and so on.
Film takes characters that have motives and challenges that audiences connect with, and shows how they play out in certain situations. What good movies do, is make people think. It can make them rethink their own life, relationships with people, or even just a punch line. Most fiction also has a sense of nonfiction in it or it models aspects of today. Fiction also tends to share a prediction on our future. An example would be the Galactic Empire from "Star Wars" mirroring the Nazi party of Germany, and "Terminator" conveying a dystopian concept to an audience and making them feel aware of how their choice can change the future. "The Matrix" makes you think about your own existence and "The Shining" makes you think about the paranormal and human sanity. Actors are paid millions of dollars to convey true emotion and characterization and to strive a story with thought provoking themes. "Les Miserables", one of my favorite stories, makes you think about love, life, freedom, and religion throughout a thought provoking series of events. If a story can keep me on the edge of my seat, it is good in my book.
Speaking of books, they are also a good, and arguably the best, medium of media. I want to write books and make films because they both have similar effects. I have a respect for film, because unlike books, they are a visual medium that is better at conveying an idea or emotion more specifically than books. I love books, but they can have descriptions and dialogue altered by the reader's imagination, and too specific detail can lead to what appears to be boring filler. Whenever a director makes a film adaptation of a book, he or she shows their view or version of the story and the themes they saw or thought were important from it.
Television is the most abundant visual medium since it is easier to make, and you have more freedom, and stories can be much longer. Everything said about movies can be applied here, but television is good at showing growth of a character or plot. It may start with a simple premise and then spiral out of control three seasons later. "Doctor Who" (which I plan on reviewing later) works so well because over its fifty year history, it has shown the change and growth of the main character and the show in general. The mood of the show and its main character, The Doctor, have seen many changes throughout the decades.
We must be surprised. Today, we see a movie that we like, so studios try milking as much out of what is liked that we cease to get new thought provoking ideas. Studios and production companies just keep showing what we liked and are too afraid to try something new or to shock us. Today, we have both good and bad movies, but good is mostly needed now. We need it now because today's generation is so distant from emotion and relationship, that they sometimes need to see life through a character's eyes. This is okay, if it also motivates audiences to experience life for themselves. If we narrow it down to the same old stuff, then we will just keep asking for the same old stuff, and nothing will change. Film can be a reflection of a generation, just as "The Breakfast Club" portrays the eighties. We need that today, and we need good people to share their thoughts. We need artists, opinions, ideas, and tolerance. These ideas in art must be approached with an open mind and we need to still respect ideas which contradict ours. With mediums such as YouTube, it seems like the people are now being put in charge of sharing ideas through art. This should encourage people with ideas to share them in their own artistic way. This is why I will review movies, TV, and such, because we need it, and we need it analyzed for what it is: art.
- Conner Wilson
Movies and television is a visual medium for getting across emotions and ideas. Yet, there is still a confusion on what that means and most popular works today are just simple clichéd works that are nothing new. Movies are art, and art is a person expressing their view on life in their own unique way. This is not always life in general, but some movie do that, "Forest Gump" and "Big Fish" are examples of the study of life in general through a creative lens. Yet, most film makers focus on a single aspect of life, such as heartbreak, love, fear, self awareness and so on.
Film takes characters that have motives and challenges that audiences connect with, and shows how they play out in certain situations. What good movies do, is make people think. It can make them rethink their own life, relationships with people, or even just a punch line. Most fiction also has a sense of nonfiction in it or it models aspects of today. Fiction also tends to share a prediction on our future. An example would be the Galactic Empire from "Star Wars" mirroring the Nazi party of Germany, and "Terminator" conveying a dystopian concept to an audience and making them feel aware of how their choice can change the future. "The Matrix" makes you think about your own existence and "The Shining" makes you think about the paranormal and human sanity. Actors are paid millions of dollars to convey true emotion and characterization and to strive a story with thought provoking themes. "Les Miserables", one of my favorite stories, makes you think about love, life, freedom, and religion throughout a thought provoking series of events. If a story can keep me on the edge of my seat, it is good in my book.
Speaking of books, they are also a good, and arguably the best, medium of media. I want to write books and make films because they both have similar effects. I have a respect for film, because unlike books, they are a visual medium that is better at conveying an idea or emotion more specifically than books. I love books, but they can have descriptions and dialogue altered by the reader's imagination, and too specific detail can lead to what appears to be boring filler. Whenever a director makes a film adaptation of a book, he or she shows their view or version of the story and the themes they saw or thought were important from it.
Television is the most abundant visual medium since it is easier to make, and you have more freedom, and stories can be much longer. Everything said about movies can be applied here, but television is good at showing growth of a character or plot. It may start with a simple premise and then spiral out of control three seasons later. "Doctor Who" (which I plan on reviewing later) works so well because over its fifty year history, it has shown the change and growth of the main character and the show in general. The mood of the show and its main character, The Doctor, have seen many changes throughout the decades.
We must be surprised. Today, we see a movie that we like, so studios try milking as much out of what is liked that we cease to get new thought provoking ideas. Studios and production companies just keep showing what we liked and are too afraid to try something new or to shock us. Today, we have both good and bad movies, but good is mostly needed now. We need it now because today's generation is so distant from emotion and relationship, that they sometimes need to see life through a character's eyes. This is okay, if it also motivates audiences to experience life for themselves. If we narrow it down to the same old stuff, then we will just keep asking for the same old stuff, and nothing will change. Film can be a reflection of a generation, just as "The Breakfast Club" portrays the eighties. We need that today, and we need good people to share their thoughts. We need artists, opinions, ideas, and tolerance. These ideas in art must be approached with an open mind and we need to still respect ideas which contradict ours. With mediums such as YouTube, it seems like the people are now being put in charge of sharing ideas through art. This should encourage people with ideas to share them in their own artistic way. This is why I will review movies, TV, and such, because we need it, and we need it analyzed for what it is: art.
- Conner Wilson
Saturday, October 19, 2013
"Tommy Boy" Reviewed
This movie is goofy, funny, and an all around good time. "Tommy Boy" is a movie released in 1995 and was directed by Peter Segal and stars Chris Farley as Tommy Callahan and David Spade as Richard. This film is not the most popular movie, but it is the highlight of the comedy legend, Chris Farley's, career. It shows the good chemistry between the two lead actors and the comedic potential of its main protagonist.
"Tommy Boy" is a movie about a man but boy at heart named Tommy. After Tommy is given a job at his father's auto industry factory, his father tells him that he is going to remarry and Tommy will gain a mother and brother. Then things go south when Tommy's dad dies after the wedding and his auto industry might die with him. Then, in order to save the town, Tommy and his friend Richard go on a road trip to sell their new brake pads and save the company. It's a comedy with some adult humor and language, but most of it is slapstick and fat jokes.
This movie is the ideal buddy road trip movie because -gasp- the two leads,Tommy and Richard, aren't friends at the beginning. Tommy is an idiotic but well meaning person who never seems to catch a break no matter how hard he tries. Richard on the other hand is a more strict and uptight smarty pants who can get the job done, but can't sell because he's not that good with people. The two of them work off of each other through witty banter and a lot of sarcasm. The two of them learn that they have to work together in order to get the job done and they become buddies along the way. The chemistry between Chris Farley and David Spade just works so well. No wonder they have been in so many other projects together, they are just fun to watch.
Chris Farley has always had the same kind of comedy and he uses it for most if not all of his characters. He is a very energetic and erratic person who can use his large body and loud voice to muster a laugh out of anyone watching. David Spade is funny due to his sarcastic and uptight attitude and his funny comments and comebacks to the craziness around him. They seem to work so well together because of each of them using their traits, this is usually when Spade would react to Farley's idiotic and erratic behavior. Farley is more outrageous and obvious when Spade is more subtle, this helps them to complement each other and their comedy. It becomes no question why they have so much screen time together.
The story also holds up pretty well too. This movie would've done great even if it was just Farley and Spade driving in a car for an hour and a half, but it has more to it. The story has you caring for the fate of the factory because you see in the beginning that everyone in town works there, and you get to see these people as nice people who don't deserve to get laid off. This makes you root for our heroes on their quest. The characters also grow a lot too. Tommy goes from being a spoiled kid who just relies on his dad to a man who has to cope with the death of a loved one and surpass many challenges in order to get his job done and save his home. Richard also learns to accept people and to not be as judgmental. He grows to like Tommy and even gives him advise and motivation to become a better salesman. there is also the crisis with the selling of the factory which turns out to be a danger that unravels more details throughout the story and shocks the characters and audience alike.
Overall, this movie does well to keep you interested and make you laugh. The supporting actors are good too, Dan Aykroyd plays a good selfish businessman and Rob Lowe plays a good villain. The movie is hilarious and has a lot of heart. I hope many others watch it to remember how funny Chris Farley was. And remember: chicken wings.
Reviewed by: Conner Wilson
"Tommy Boy" is a movie about a man but boy at heart named Tommy. After Tommy is given a job at his father's auto industry factory, his father tells him that he is going to remarry and Tommy will gain a mother and brother. Then things go south when Tommy's dad dies after the wedding and his auto industry might die with him. Then, in order to save the town, Tommy and his friend Richard go on a road trip to sell their new brake pads and save the company. It's a comedy with some adult humor and language, but most of it is slapstick and fat jokes.
This movie is the ideal buddy road trip movie because -gasp- the two leads,Tommy and Richard, aren't friends at the beginning. Tommy is an idiotic but well meaning person who never seems to catch a break no matter how hard he tries. Richard on the other hand is a more strict and uptight smarty pants who can get the job done, but can't sell because he's not that good with people. The two of them work off of each other through witty banter and a lot of sarcasm. The two of them learn that they have to work together in order to get the job done and they become buddies along the way. The chemistry between Chris Farley and David Spade just works so well. No wonder they have been in so many other projects together, they are just fun to watch.
Chris Farley has always had the same kind of comedy and he uses it for most if not all of his characters. He is a very energetic and erratic person who can use his large body and loud voice to muster a laugh out of anyone watching. David Spade is funny due to his sarcastic and uptight attitude and his funny comments and comebacks to the craziness around him. They seem to work so well together because of each of them using their traits, this is usually when Spade would react to Farley's idiotic and erratic behavior. Farley is more outrageous and obvious when Spade is more subtle, this helps them to complement each other and their comedy. It becomes no question why they have so much screen time together.
The story also holds up pretty well too. This movie would've done great even if it was just Farley and Spade driving in a car for an hour and a half, but it has more to it. The story has you caring for the fate of the factory because you see in the beginning that everyone in town works there, and you get to see these people as nice people who don't deserve to get laid off. This makes you root for our heroes on their quest. The characters also grow a lot too. Tommy goes from being a spoiled kid who just relies on his dad to a man who has to cope with the death of a loved one and surpass many challenges in order to get his job done and save his home. Richard also learns to accept people and to not be as judgmental. He grows to like Tommy and even gives him advise and motivation to become a better salesman. there is also the crisis with the selling of the factory which turns out to be a danger that unravels more details throughout the story and shocks the characters and audience alike.
Overall, this movie does well to keep you interested and make you laugh. The supporting actors are good too, Dan Aykroyd plays a good selfish businessman and Rob Lowe plays a good villain. The movie is hilarious and has a lot of heart. I hope many others watch it to remember how funny Chris Farley was. And remember: chicken wings.
Reviewed by: Conner Wilson
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
"Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" Reviewed
This movie is nothing short of weird, but, that's not a bad thing. "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" was directed by Mel Stuart and stars Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, Peter Ostrum as Charlie Bucket, and Jack Albertson as Grandpa Joe. It was originally released in 1971. The film has had survived the passage of time and is viewed as a success by critics and audiences alike. This is one of those movies that intrigues you and stays in your memory for a long time.
"Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" is based off the works of Roald Dahl in his children's book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". The story is about a poor boy named Charlie Bucket who dreams of finding a golden ticket and visiting Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. After a stroke of luck, he and his Grandpa Joe are invited to visit along with the four other winners and their guardians. They find the factory to be a wonderful and strange place full of mysterious workers, candy trees, and a possible hidden agenda. The story is an intriguing one because of the two main questions that are raised throughout the whole movie. One being “Who is and what is up with Willy Wonka?” and the second one being “Why did Wonka send out the golden tickets?”. These questions are very cleverly answered as the first one unravels slowly and the other has a big reveal at the end. The movie is also entertaining due to the creative environment and characters that continue to entertain the audience. The other children who enter the factory also start to disappear one by one by a string of unfortunate events that reflect on each child’s problem. Even the main protagonist almost gets a fan to the head by his curiosity, luckily, his cleverness gets him out of the situation.
The characters in this story are very obvious but very good children's book characters. There is the main protagonist that is the normal well meaning child that the audience likes because they too were once or are children with dreams, and they want his dreams to come true. There is also Grandpa Joe, who is the older and wiser nice adult that befriends or mentors the child. This is a repeating character type in a lot of Dahl's stories. There are also the four other kids who get to visit the factory who all have there own flaws and poor parents that lead them to learning a lesson by their flaws ending them up in unfortunate predicaments. The kids end up drowning in chocolate, shrinking, turning into blueberries, and being dropped down trash shouts (Ouch). Willy Wonka, on the other hand, is the most interesting, and in my opinion, the best character in the story. He is portrayed perfectly by Gene Wilder with an eccentric, mysterious, strange, kind, and sometimes insane portrayal of Willy Wonka. Wonka has layers and you can tell that behind the strange antics, he has a hidden agenda. There are subtle jokes and lines that can be picked up after later viewings of the film that clue at this.
The themes in this movie involve valuable morals and a strong emphasis on imagination. The story tells you that is you use your imagination, you can think up strange and wonderful things, and with the same childish determination, those visions can be accomplished. It shows you the importance of holding onto your childish side. The story also has elementary school morals sprinkled in for good measure from the audience learning not to go down the same paths as the kids who don't end up in the best condition. It would be the same teaching method if I told a kid to look both ways before crossing the street after a kid got hit by a car and a bunch of orange little people sing about it. That is also a cool thing with the movie: the Oompa Loompas. These guys are fun because they are orange little people with green hair that make chocolate and sing songs. In other words they are utterly awesome. The songs are also memorable and timeless. They are the type of musical numbers that pop in your head at random and mostly inconvenient times.
My final thoughts on the movie is that it is a great kids movie and movie in general. it has whimsical, funny, inspiring, sad , and even scary (who didn't get freaked out when the boat went down that tunnel) times in it. It is a fun film that will always be a classic and will always have a special place in the hearts of the imaginative. No wonder it still does well on television and has inspired other books, an uninspired remake (that we will get to later), and an actual candy company named after it. Roald Dahl's imagination transfers well from page to screen and this classic film shows it.
Reviewed by: Conner Wilson
"Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" is based off the works of Roald Dahl in his children's book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". The story is about a poor boy named Charlie Bucket who dreams of finding a golden ticket and visiting Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. After a stroke of luck, he and his Grandpa Joe are invited to visit along with the four other winners and their guardians. They find the factory to be a wonderful and strange place full of mysterious workers, candy trees, and a possible hidden agenda. The story is an intriguing one because of the two main questions that are raised throughout the whole movie. One being “Who is and what is up with Willy Wonka?” and the second one being “Why did Wonka send out the golden tickets?”. These questions are very cleverly answered as the first one unravels slowly and the other has a big reveal at the end. The movie is also entertaining due to the creative environment and characters that continue to entertain the audience. The other children who enter the factory also start to disappear one by one by a string of unfortunate events that reflect on each child’s problem. Even the main protagonist almost gets a fan to the head by his curiosity, luckily, his cleverness gets him out of the situation.
The characters in this story are very obvious but very good children's book characters. There is the main protagonist that is the normal well meaning child that the audience likes because they too were once or are children with dreams, and they want his dreams to come true. There is also Grandpa Joe, who is the older and wiser nice adult that befriends or mentors the child. This is a repeating character type in a lot of Dahl's stories. There are also the four other kids who get to visit the factory who all have there own flaws and poor parents that lead them to learning a lesson by their flaws ending them up in unfortunate predicaments. The kids end up drowning in chocolate, shrinking, turning into blueberries, and being dropped down trash shouts (Ouch). Willy Wonka, on the other hand, is the most interesting, and in my opinion, the best character in the story. He is portrayed perfectly by Gene Wilder with an eccentric, mysterious, strange, kind, and sometimes insane portrayal of Willy Wonka. Wonka has layers and you can tell that behind the strange antics, he has a hidden agenda. There are subtle jokes and lines that can be picked up after later viewings of the film that clue at this.
The themes in this movie involve valuable morals and a strong emphasis on imagination. The story tells you that is you use your imagination, you can think up strange and wonderful things, and with the same childish determination, those visions can be accomplished. It shows you the importance of holding onto your childish side. The story also has elementary school morals sprinkled in for good measure from the audience learning not to go down the same paths as the kids who don't end up in the best condition. It would be the same teaching method if I told a kid to look both ways before crossing the street after a kid got hit by a car and a bunch of orange little people sing about it. That is also a cool thing with the movie: the Oompa Loompas. These guys are fun because they are orange little people with green hair that make chocolate and sing songs. In other words they are utterly awesome. The songs are also memorable and timeless. They are the type of musical numbers that pop in your head at random and mostly inconvenient times.
My final thoughts on the movie is that it is a great kids movie and movie in general. it has whimsical, funny, inspiring, sad , and even scary (who didn't get freaked out when the boat went down that tunnel) times in it. It is a fun film that will always be a classic and will always have a special place in the hearts of the imaginative. No wonder it still does well on television and has inspired other books, an uninspired remake (that we will get to later), and an actual candy company named after it. Roald Dahl's imagination transfers well from page to screen and this classic film shows it.
Reviewed by: Conner Wilson
"The Wizard of Oz" Reviewed
Everyone knows about this movie and there are very few who dislike it. "The Wizard of Oz" is a movie by five directors( Norman Taurog, King Vider, Victor Fleming, Mervyn Leroy, and George Cukor) and stars Judy Garland as Dorothy, Ray Bolger as Scarecrow, Jack Hayley as the Tin-man, and Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion. Most of theses names may be unfamiliar, but they belong to the faces and characters that we have all grown to love. This movie was the first movie to use colored picture when it was originally released in 1939. This film went on to become one of the most popular, iconic, well known, and influential movies of all time, and for good reason.
"The Wizard of Oz" is based off L. Frank Baum's 1990 novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". The story revolves around a farm girl in Kansas named Dorothy who wishes for a different life, but when a different life is forced upon her, all she wants is to get back home. How does she leave her old life? A tornado sweeps up her whole house and carries it into a magical and whimsical world of witches, wizards, munchkins, and other oddities. Dorothy must then go on a quest to get home by going to see the Wizard of Oz via the yellow brick road. Several encounters lead her to find friends, dangers, and obstacles, along the way. It all leads up to Dorothy and company having to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West. If you felt I left out any key points in my summary, then too bad, because everyone has already seen this movie.
This movie works so well in almost everything it does, including the setting. It creates a vivid, beautiful, and vast world of Oz that was done by mere practical effects, attention to detail, and eccentric characters. It truly grasp's a child's sense of awe and an adult's sense of appreciation. The production of the sets and costumes were truly something to behold at the time. There was another creative choice that was done very well; when Dorothy goes to Oz, the picture goes from sepia to color. This is an amazing choice because it makes the transition to a magical world even more powerful, it makes the land of Oz even more vivid and extreme, and it is a purely amazing way to introduce the concept of colored film. It's almost like a before and after of filmmaking.
The characters in the movie are particularly well know and are still alive in pop culture today. All characters have their own three dimensional personalities that are delivered in a clever and subtle way. Dorothy is the character that the audiences connect with and root for since we all relate to her and she is the main protagonist. We connect with her because we often are forced upon tasks outside our comfort zone and most people don't see eye to eye with the struggles of a scarecrow, tin-man, or lion. She reacts to conflicts and events in a way that most people would and fights for the goal that most people want sometimes: just getting home. The other characters are good too. The Scarecrow, Tin-man, and Cowardly Lion are all very well animated and the actors do a good job of bringing life to their roles by having eccentric and individual personalities. Even though we don't connect with them for the most part, we connect with them in the fact that we look for our\]bilities and assets, just like how they look for their brains, heart, and courage, we look for things like that in ourselves. The munchkins are also cool for bringing popularity and attention to the abilities of little people and for just being super fun. The witches are okay, accept for the fact that the Wicked Witch is your cut and dry stereotypical witch. Yet, she did basically invent the stereotype so I guess it works.
The morals in this story are very memorable and important, for children and adults alike. "There is nothing wrong with wanting to go home" (insert Bon Jovi reference here), "Strive towards your goals", "A heart is not measured by how much you love others but on how much others love you", "We all must look inside ourselves for what we are looking for first", and last but not least "Don't pick apples off of talking trees". The themes are well meaning and stick with the viewers due to the movie's ability to make us care for the characters and their struggles. I also have to give a tip of the hat to all of the musical numbers for being well written, composed, performed, and for just being fun.
My final thoughts on the movie is that it is a must see and no wonder it has stayed relevant for over seventy years. Today, it has sparked many more books, movie prequels and sequels, plays, and even a Broadway musical. It is a timeless classic and I view it as a masterpiece.
Thank you for reading my first review and I look forward to making more content for you and other readers. Now if you don't mind, I'm off the see the Wizard! -skips away down the yellow brick road-
Review by: Conner Wilson
"The Wizard of Oz" is based off L. Frank Baum's 1990 novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". The story revolves around a farm girl in Kansas named Dorothy who wishes for a different life, but when a different life is forced upon her, all she wants is to get back home. How does she leave her old life? A tornado sweeps up her whole house and carries it into a magical and whimsical world of witches, wizards, munchkins, and other oddities. Dorothy must then go on a quest to get home by going to see the Wizard of Oz via the yellow brick road. Several encounters lead her to find friends, dangers, and obstacles, along the way. It all leads up to Dorothy and company having to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West. If you felt I left out any key points in my summary, then too bad, because everyone has already seen this movie.
This movie works so well in almost everything it does, including the setting. It creates a vivid, beautiful, and vast world of Oz that was done by mere practical effects, attention to detail, and eccentric characters. It truly grasp's a child's sense of awe and an adult's sense of appreciation. The production of the sets and costumes were truly something to behold at the time. There was another creative choice that was done very well; when Dorothy goes to Oz, the picture goes from sepia to color. This is an amazing choice because it makes the transition to a magical world even more powerful, it makes the land of Oz even more vivid and extreme, and it is a purely amazing way to introduce the concept of colored film. It's almost like a before and after of filmmaking.
The characters in the movie are particularly well know and are still alive in pop culture today. All characters have their own three dimensional personalities that are delivered in a clever and subtle way. Dorothy is the character that the audiences connect with and root for since we all relate to her and she is the main protagonist. We connect with her because we often are forced upon tasks outside our comfort zone and most people don't see eye to eye with the struggles of a scarecrow, tin-man, or lion. She reacts to conflicts and events in a way that most people would and fights for the goal that most people want sometimes: just getting home. The other characters are good too. The Scarecrow, Tin-man, and Cowardly Lion are all very well animated and the actors do a good job of bringing life to their roles by having eccentric and individual personalities. Even though we don't connect with them for the most part, we connect with them in the fact that we look for our\]bilities and assets, just like how they look for their brains, heart, and courage, we look for things like that in ourselves. The munchkins are also cool for bringing popularity and attention to the abilities of little people and for just being super fun. The witches are okay, accept for the fact that the Wicked Witch is your cut and dry stereotypical witch. Yet, she did basically invent the stereotype so I guess it works.
The morals in this story are very memorable and important, for children and adults alike. "There is nothing wrong with wanting to go home" (insert Bon Jovi reference here), "Strive towards your goals", "A heart is not measured by how much you love others but on how much others love you", "We all must look inside ourselves for what we are looking for first", and last but not least "Don't pick apples off of talking trees". The themes are well meaning and stick with the viewers due to the movie's ability to make us care for the characters and their struggles. I also have to give a tip of the hat to all of the musical numbers for being well written, composed, performed, and for just being fun.
My final thoughts on the movie is that it is a must see and no wonder it has stayed relevant for over seventy years. Today, it has sparked many more books, movie prequels and sequels, plays, and even a Broadway musical. It is a timeless classic and I view it as a masterpiece.
Thank you for reading my first review and I look forward to making more content for you and other readers. Now if you don't mind, I'm off the see the Wizard! -skips away down the yellow brick road-
Review by: Conner Wilson
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Intro to Cyborg Assassin Reviews
Hello fellow nerds! Welcome to my blog that I created to review movies, television, books, and my general thoughts on media. I will try my best to inform you with humorous and insightful looks on entertainment and a bunch of other stuff I feel like talking about. Have fun reading!
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