REVIEW: The Lost World: Jurassic Park

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Year: 1997
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn, Arliss Howard, Richard Attenborough
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

The Lost World: Jurassic Park came out roughly 4 years after the 1993 successful box office smash hit "Jurassic Park". It was highly anticipated not only because it was a sequel, but that Steven Spielberg was once again taking the director's chair. I had high doubts that this film was going to be better than the first film considering the first film was so imaginative, it would seem impossible to release a sequel to it yet Universal Pictures did. The film grossed over $618 million worldwide which is pretty amazing, but it failed to beat the first film's gross by almost $300 million. The film wasn't too well received by critics around the world because its simply a film that we didn't really need since the first film was so great. With this said, I still found it to be pretty entertaining.

Plot Outline:
John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) convinces the now ruined Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) to take another trip to an island filled with prehistoric reptiles. This isn't the same island as the first though, this is "Site B" sort of a nature reserve to the originals theme park where the dinosaurs roam free with no fences to hold them in and are allowed to thrive in their own right. Malcom goes to the island with a new team which consists of Dr. Harding (Julianne Moore), Nick (Vince Vaughn) and Eddie (Richard Schiff). They soon find things going wrong when a large group of evil poachers with no respect for the natural order of the island, arrive tooled up with all kinds of weaponry with the intention of capturing enough dinosaurs to start a new park in San Diego.

Plot:
The story of The Lost World: Jurassic Park isn't as well made as the first film. The story to me just doesn't feel too convincing. A sequel to a film that was almost perfect just seems like a waste of time never the less, the story is still engaging. The film has a very dark tone now with the blood and gore raised up a few notches. The film has many moments that in some way do live up to be a good sequel, but it also has moments where it disappoints. I guess going into this film, I shouldn't have expected the story to be any good since its a sequel to a dinosaur movie. Whats weird is that even though the story wasn't great, it was still entertaining. I mean at the end of the day the film is all about the dinosaurs and we do get alot of shots at many different dinosaurs in the film, but it would have helped if the story was alittle on pair with the creativeness of the first film.

Cast:
The cast of the film is kind of a mixed bag. While we don't get the entire cast back from the first film, we do get some. Jeff Goldblum reprises his role as Ian Malcolm and he does a great job in his role. Hes more alive and serious compared to the first film. We have Richard Attenborough also returning as John Hammond in a few, but brief scenes. The cast that's actually new to the series is Julianne Moore and Vince Vaughn. While Moore is alittle more goofy in the film, she does have a few moments where her character shines and that's what makes her part interesting. Vince Vaughn in my opinion wasn't needed. He doesn't have the same look and feel as the cast of the fist film had so it was kind of irritating to watch him on screen. Whats missing is Sam Neill and Laura Dern who I thought had great roles in the first film, but some how are absent in this film.

Picture:
I praised the first film for having amazing special effects for a film at the time and The Lost World: Jurassic Park easily ups that up. While I have to take into consideration that I'm reviewing the special effects as if I was in that time or else it wouldn't be fair because people at the time praised the CGI effects and called them amazing. The dinosaurs look much sharper, but also more darker. We get beautiful shots of the jungle that really pop out. There are many rainy scenes in the film that look really nice and wet. The film still keeps that same lonely atmosphere that the first film consisted of. As much as the first films special effects were amazing, the sequel easily kicks it out of the water with stunning CGI effects in the dinosaurs. We get many different dinosaurs that manage to look great in their areas.

Sound:
The first film had a truly amazing soundtrack that was composed by Oscar winner, John Williams. So it was very important for this film to compete with that and I'm happy to say it does. John Williams returns once again and composed a slightly different soundtrack for this film. While we still get the original masterpiece music sounding even better in this film, we also get many other new ones. There are many areas in the film were the sound keeps up with the action, its what makes this film entertaining. The music is very well made and very well executed. John Williams gets my praise yet again with this wonderful soundtrack he composed for The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

Conclusion:
The Lost World: Jurassic Park is a sequel that in my opinion shouldn't have happened, but it did so I cant do anything about it. As much as I was disappointed with the film compared to the first film, I still found the film entertaining to watch. I mean sure the story isn't has well made as the first film or if the cast of the first film isn't entirely back. Its still a movie that's worth watching in my opinion. The special effects look even better than the first film and the film boasts an even more powerful score composed by John Williams that's definitely worth hearing. I recommend this film to anybody who enjoyed the first Jurassic Park and is looking for some more Dino love, but be warned that you will be disappointed with the film if your trying to compare it to the first one.

Grade: C+

REVIEW: Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park

Year: 1993
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Samuel L. Jackson
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG-13

Jurassic Park was released in 1993 and was another highly anticipated film from director Steven Spielberg. After movies about sharks, an archaeologist adventurer, an extra-terrestrial, people were wondering whats next from the creative mind of Mr. Spielberg. In comes Jurassic Park, a film that has grossed over $914 million worldwide and considered one of Spielberg's hallmark films. To tell you the truth, people didn't expect the film to be good since its a dinosaur movie, but Spielberg proved them wrong. Jurassic Park was so successful that it spawned 2 more films from Universal Pictures. Jurassic Park was one of my first VHS tape and I have been a fan ever since.

Plot Outline:
John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) follows his dream to own the most spectacular theme park on the planet. Jurassic Park, a park filled with living, breathing dinosaurs, but after the death of a park worker, Hammond must convince his investors that the park is actually safe. To do this he invites three scientists, Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) to his Island to give their expert opinion and to convince the investors that the park is safe. When a double crossing computer expert, Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight) risks the life of the crew and invited guess of "Jurassic Park" by shutting down the power since he's payed to steal dinosaur DNA by a mysterious buyer, the prehistoric creatures break out to destroy anyone and anything in sight.

Plot:
The story is based on Michael Crichton's famous novel "Jurassic Park" so that's what we get here, a good film. The film has many suspenseful moments that make for one entertaining film. I didn't expect a film about dinosaurs to actually end up being good, but I was just as surprised as anyone else was in 1993 after seeing the film. The film has many wonderful characters that are fun to watch and listen too. There are many memorable moments in the film such as when the T-Rex makes his grand entrance or when we first get the glimpse of a baby velociraptor. Sure the film is missing some sections from the novel and some things/areas are changed in the film, but we do have to appreciate Spielberg for bringing a book about dinosaurs to life. This film would have seemed almost impossible to shoot at the time considering technology hasn't been as great as today.

Cast:
The cast of Jurassic Park is pretty good. Everyone seemed perfect for their roles and looked like they had a blast playing their characters. Sam Neill plays the paleontologist, Dr. Alan Grant and he looked great for the part. Laura Dern plays the paleobotanist, Dr. Ellie Sattler and even she has her moments in the film where she shines. Jeff Goldblum plays the enthusiastic theorist, Dr. Ian Malcolm and hes really fun to watch, but also keeps some laughter in the film without making the film too serious. Richard Attenborough plays the owner of the theme park, John Hammond and even he does a great job in his role. There were some parts of the film where I thought the cast could have been alittle better, but they were very minimal. I thought the cast was overall very good.

Picture:
The special effects for the film were considered phenomenal at the time of its release. The film even won an Academy Award for Best Special Effects so they were really top notch at the time. Now 15 years later, the special effects still manage to hold up. Sure the effects aren't has detailed as King Kong, but they still look damn good for a 15 year old film. This film looks even better than some movies produced in today's world. The dinosaurs are very well produced and shot on film. They move they way they should move with realistic eye movements. The environments look very lush and perfect for the films location. Its amazing this film was even made 15 years ago. I never knew they could pull off the special effects in this dinosaur movie, but they did. I give big props to the special effects crew and Stan Winston Studios for creating some great looking dinosaurs for this film.

Sound:
As much as the special effects for the film are great, the soundtrack is even better. John Williams who won an Academy Award for Best Music in the 1975 Spielberg directed film "Jaws" also composed the score for this film. The music is absolutely amazing with great sound effects. The dinosaurs live and breath and we can all hear them so wonderfully good. The film has its very own score that is perfect for the film and matches the films surrounding. I never knew how great this film really sounds. There are many moments where theirs suspense and the music helps us feel that tension. The film also consists of many bass that go extremely well with the T-Rex scenes. John Williams in my opinion is the best composer in the world, Jurassic Park sounds amazing.

Conclusion:
Jurassic Park is a film that was meant to thrill you, but also entertain and it did just that. This is a great film that people will remember Spielberg for. I was surprised on how the story actually worked. The cast is good with many of the stars playing great characters. The special effects for the film still manage to amaze me even to this day. The music is well made and has areas where your jumping out of your seat because of how well produced the score really is. Sure the story ain't 100% faithful to the novel, but its such an entertaining film that I don't care if it was based on the novel or not. Jurassic Park is recommended by me if your looking for an entertaining thrill ride of a movie. Its not perfect, but its definitely fun.

Grade: B

REVIEW: Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer

Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer

Year: 2007
Director: Tim Story
Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Laurence Fishburne
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
MPAA: Rated PG

Fantastic Four debut in 2005 and grossed about $330 million worldwide so it was only a matter of time on when a sequel will hit. Out comes Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer only 2 years after the first film. When the sequel hit, everyone was expecting it to be a great successor to the original and grossing about $288 million worldwide, it didn't really deliver. The sequel made less than the original and was knocked down from critics. So I had to see for myself. I didn't get the chance to see the film in theaters since I was very busy so I picked up the DVD version. After reviewing the first Fantastic Four, I wasn't expecting much from this sequel.

Plot Outline:
As Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) and Susan Storm (Jessica Alba) prepare for their wedding, several meteors slam into Earth creating anomalies such as frozen lakes and power outages. General Hager (Andre Brauger) asks Richards for help. Reed soon realizes that the Silver Surfer (Laurence Fishburne) is responsible and his team should find him and solve the mystery. The situation becomes worse when Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) has his powers disrupted by touching the Surfer. Then there is the matter of Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon) who tried to kill the Fantastic Four in the first film, but is willing to help them stop the Surfer this time. It is up to the Fantastic Four and Doom to stop the Surfer from destroying Earth.

Plot:
The story for Rise of the Silver Surfer isn't a very good one. Just like the first film, the plot isn't well explained. There are many questions I still do not have answers to after watching this film. The fact that the story isn't well compared to the comics ain't a good thing either. I'm glad that Silver Surfer was introduced into the film because the last film was lacking a good villain, but even the Surfer himself is mysterious and we don't get to know where did he come from. We get NO glimpse of Galactus even though it was probably one of the reasons why the fans went to go see the film. The story to me feels the same as the first film, still un-interesting and lacks a good plot. It may be better than the first film, but it still disappoints.

Cast:
The cast for Rise of the Silver Surfer is kind of a mixed bag. As with the first film, I didn't find the cast great. Just like the first film, I feel that Jessica Alba is not a good Sue Storm. She doesn't look the part and looks even worse in this film with a new blond hair due and blue eyes. As for the other cast, they still didn't show enough emotion. There wasn't any chemistry between the cast members. Laurence Fishburne voicing the Surfer is a bad choice in my opinion. His voice doesn't look right to voice the Surfer, its alittle too deep. Ioan Gruffudd did look alittle like he was more in control in this film compared to the first one. He looked like he was having a good time. I thought the cast was disappointing in the first film and its still not different here.

Picture:
The special effects in the film are much more cooler to watch in motion. After seeing the first 20 minutes of the film, I thought the visuals weren't that much improved from the last film, but as the film progressed so did the visual effects. I hate to admit it, but the last 25 minutes of the film were quite breath-taking. The locations of the scenes look very detailed and wonderful to just simply look at. The Silver Surfer looks great with his CGI and diverse look. He looks very shiny and well produced. The weather effects also look gorgeous with the clouds and winds boasting some of the best weather effects I have seen in a movie. The visuals are definitely a notch higher than they were in the first film.

Sound:
The soundtrack for the film isn't doesn't compare to the visuals. Just like the first film, the sequel just doesn't have that powerful score like feel in its music. Their are hardly any music in the film with most of the scenes being filled with either dialogue or heavy use of bass. This isn't a bad thing necessarily, but it would have been really nice if the film had some great music to go with the great visuals. The music we do have in the film is alright, but I guess I was expecting more. The bass is simply rocking and packs quite a punch. Its easily reference material and one that should please people with surround sounds.

Conclusion:
In the end, Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer feels like another missed out sequel that could have been so much better, but failed somewhere down the line. Although the film had a pretty bad story with an un-favorable cast, I found the film to be pretty entertaining. This film isn't perfect by all means, but its alot better than the first film. With great visual effects and thumping bass surround, the film makes a pretty decent popcorn flick. I wouldn't call it great or anything like that, but it is somewhat entertaining. I probably suggest you rent it or at least give it a look.

Grade: C

REVIEW: Ratatouille

Ratatouille

Year: 2007
Director: Brad Bird
Starring: Patton Oswalt, Lou Romano, Ian Holm, Brian Dennehy, Brad Garrett
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
MPAA: Rated G

When I first saw the trailer for Ratatouille, I thought it just just going to be another Disney movie that's going to be good for kids and gross alot of money worldwide. To no surprise, I was right. Grossing over $600 million worldwide and being well received by critics, Ratatouille was a success. Many people I talked to said it was one of the best animated movies ever. When someone says something like that, it always intrigues me. Having not seen it in theaters, I didn't know what to expect from this film on DVD.

Plot Outline:
Remy (Patton Oswalt) is a rat that has been graced with a powerful nose, which allows him to tell what kinds of food are good or bad based on the smell. During one of his expeditions looking for different types of ingredient's to add to his food, he is accidentally separated from his family. After traveling for awhile, he finds himself in the middle of Paris. He discovers that his favorite restaurant who he has seen on TV, has lost three of its five stars. Now the restaurant has a new boss, Skinner (Ian Holm) who is simply interested in business and doesn't care about the food's quality. Remy has taken Gusteau's motto "Anyone can cook" to heart and guides a clumsy, but good hearted person named Linguini (Lou Romano). Together they make a great team trying to restore the restaurant's reputation.

Plot:
The story of Ratatouille is very good. I never knew an animated film like this could have such a good story. The plot gets very enjoyable, but at the same time, alittle encouraging. The film has many ways to make the story very cinematic and lovable. I thought there were many moments in the film where I was just hooked by its cleaver story with very nice narration. What bugs me is that this is a Disney film, but to me, it feels like it could very much suit anyone at any age. While saying that, the story of Ratatouille might not be too much enjoyable for younger audiences. This film may be another Disney film with cartoon animated characters, but the story of it feels alittle better suited for more mature audiences. I don't think little kids will appreciate the witty, but smart dialogue.

Cast:
The cast of Ratatouille is just plain great. I was expecting a Disney animated flick like this to feature top named celebrities to voice these characters, but we don't get that. Instead we get a series of other low key characters that just happen to do the job very well. The cast displayed very clear voices that you can tell, time was spent on it. Patton Oswalt as Remy sounded very clear and precise. He sounded very suited for the role and I'm very glad Disney went with him instead of some other high paid actor because his voice just seems to match the characters body flow. Lou Romano also voiced a very nice, but clumsy Linguini. As for the other cast, I felt they were solid and very well voiced.

Picture:
The visual effects for Ratatouille is simply outstanding. I know that this film being another animated film from Disney, it was going to feature great visuals, but damn does Ratatouille look gorgeous. The film features amazing visuals that are displayed in high resolution with detail being very apparent through out the film. I never expected animated films to come this far in terms of technology, but I was proven wrong. Theirs no film grain and everything is as crystal clear as it is. Colors are bold and very vibrant. Everything is eye popping and just wonderful to look at. Detail is great and reveals many things about the movie. This is the best animated film I have ever seen.

Sound:
The soundtrack for the film is very much used through out the film. The music is very lively and goes with the flow. There are moments where theirs tension needed and the music certainly delivers. The film also makes use of alot of dialogue that younger audiences might not find entertaining, but even then the music is very good. While I thought in the beginning that the music kind of didn't belong with what was being shown, but it definitely picked up and sooner or later I didn't notice anything. The bass didn't impressive me as much as the visuals did, but its still good. Its mostly about the general music and not the bass.

Conclusion:
While Ratatouille might have been targeted towards younger audiences, it certainly can be viewed by anyone. I thought the story was very good with the music being very sweet and charming to listen to. I thought the visuals were amazing and the best I have seen of an animated title. If there is a bad thing about this movie its that younger audiences might not enjoy the story too much since theirs heavy use of dialogue and the overall feel of the movie feels better suited for more older people, but if your a fan of animated films or just looking for a great film then Ratatouille is obviously a great choice. This is another winner from Disney.

Grade: A-

REVIEW: Casablanca

Casablanca

Year: 1942
Director: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Dooley Wilson
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG

Casablanca is considered one of the best films ever made by many critics and people everywhere. I never really heard about this film until I saw someone over at the Teamxbox forums raving about it. The film is really old and came out way before my parents even met. There were many spoofs of the film on certain TV shows that caught my interest. I eventually rented it from my local Blockbuster just to see if everyone was telling the truth. Having just seen the movie, I am now making it one of my favorite films of all time.

Plot Outline:
Casablanca's most popular nightspot Rick's Cafe Americain which is run by Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a man who remains consistent at staying out of political affairs. One day he is given an order by police chief Louis Renault (Claude Rains) that a man wanted by the Reich is on his way to Casablanca and that Rick is to make sure that he stays in Casablanca. The man, Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid), escaped a concentration camp and is now a major figure in the French resistance and his transfer to Lisbon would cause a bit frustration to the Reich. What he doesn't know is that Lazlo is currently married to Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), a woman that left Rick standing alone on a rainy train platform a few years earlier with a John Dear letter soaking in his hand which resulted in Rick leaving for Casablanca.

Plot:
The story of Casablanca is marvelous. I wasn't expecting a 66 year old film like this to really get to me, but I was wrong. The film is well directed by Michael Curtiz with every shot meaning something. The plot is very fascinating and interesting. The moment that goes by, it makes you wonder whats the next step in this great plot. The film has a narrative story that's really a romantic piece of art. I was sucked into this films interesting plot that I just couldn't resist watching it again after my first play-through. The characters are all really wonderful and make you care for them. The ending is whats really going down as one of the greatest endings in film history. While I cant say I fully loved the ending, but I didn't think it was bad either. I guess I was expecting a more lovely ending since this romance led me to believe that. Although the ending wasn't really satisfying, I very much enjoyed the story of Casablanca. I can sit here all day telling you how magnificent the movie really is, but honestly its something you should see for yourself.

Cast:
The cast of Casablanca is really an amazement. Having not seen any Humphrey Bogart films prior to this film, I'm going to have to go with what I saw in this film. I thought Humphrey Bogart did an excellent job as Rick Blaine, he definitely pulled that confident, but interesting fellow that is Rick. Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund was a site to behold. She was very good and sexy in her role. Shes a very talented girl and this movie showed that. She has a wonderful chemistry with Bogarts character and the two of them look great together. I thought Paul Henreid was pretty good in his role. Even though he was mostly the guy caught in the middle of things, he did a good job in his character. I thought the cast overall was great. While I didn't really feel too sad for them as I should have been near the end, they were still well acted and really made the movie a whole lot better.

Picture:
Casablanca is shown in black and white coloring. While this film was made over 60 years ago where color was hardly invented, its hard imagining this film in color anyways. Just like the Universal Pictures film "Schindler's List", this film was made to be in black in white. I think color to this would have ruined the look and feel of Casablanca. The film has a great atmosphere with many shadows used on the cast that makes their faces very real and effective. The look of the movie is just plain perfect. There were moments where I got distracted from the story because of how good this film really looks. Casablanca has a rare and wonderful look to it that amazes me every time I see the film.

Sound:
The film has a great soundtrack that is used almost 95% of the time. While the film didn't really sound like it had a powerful score like Star Wars or Indiana Jones, it did have alot of music used in the film. A film doesn't need to have a powerful score if it has alot of music already being used and Casablanca certainly has alot of music being used in different scenes. The music gets very scene focused and trembles with every moment when theirs something big about to happen. I thought it made the experience more cinematic. I thought Casablanca had alot of music that was used frequently more than what today's movies use. The film doesn't consist of much bass, but what we have here is more than enough for a film like this. I enjoyed hearing every minute of it.

Conclusion:
In the end, I thought Casablanca was an amazing film. I seriously didn't expect a 66 year old film like this to impress me, but I was dead wrong. The film has a remarkable story that is still remembered even to this day with a very fine cast to back it up. Its got an amazing soundtrack that is used very effectively with an outstanding black and white look that makes the film seem almost too good to be true. While I enjoyed the story, I didn't however fully agree on the ending, but I guess I was just expecting alittle more from the film. Casablanca is a perfect movie in my opinion and one that you should definitely check out. Its now one of my favorite films of all time.

Grade: A+

REVIEW: Meet the Robinsons

Meet the Robinsons

Year: 2007
Director: Stephen J. Anderson
Starring: Jordan Fry, Daniel Hansen, Matthew Josten, Nicole Sullivan, Wesley Singerman
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
MPAA: Rated G

Meet the Robinsons wasn't a movie that I was ever planning on seeing. It just didn't look like something I would have spent $10 bucks on to watch it. Me and my friends were planning on watching a movie in 3D and unfortunately, this was the only film playing in 3D so we took a chance and went to it. After watching it and looking at the credits, I realized how much I liked the film. I thought it was a pretty good film. I would have never thought it to be a good flick, but I was proven wrong.

Plot Outline:
Lewis Robinson (Daniel Hansen) is an orphan that no one will adopt. He is also a science genius. On his 13th birthday, he builds a machine that will help read his mind back to the day his mother left him on his doorstep, so that he can see what she looked like and why she left him there. Unfortunately Lewis bumps into Wilbur (Wesley Singerman) at the science fair, who claims hes a "time cop" tracking an evil villain in a robot bowler hat. The bowler hat manages to damage his demonstration, making it look like his machine doesn't work. He then steals Lewis's machine and prepares to bring it to a meeting to pass it off as his invention changing the future as we know it.

Plot:
The story of Meet the Robinsons is pretty good and thoughtful. Its pretty easy to follow so the audiences shouldn't be confused or anything. I thought it had a caring story that went with this interesting, but fun plot. There were parts of the film where I felt the writers tried too hard to make the comedy aspects alittle too high which resulted in making some of the scenes being alittle un-needed. There were also parts of the film where smart mature adults might take notice of all of the back to the past/future events don't quite add up. With all this said, Meet the Robinsons still has an enjoyable, yet easy story to follow. The film can be entertaining to watch in almost anyway.

Cast:
The cast of the film was great. I was expecting a Disney movie like this is going to have an all star cast of famous celebrities, but I was wrong. The film consists mostly of low key actors and actresses which to me felt fine. I thought everyone had a clear voice that went with the characters body. I did however feel alittle annoyed by Daniel Hansen who's playing Lewis after awhile. He did a good job in his role, but to me his voice felt alittle too high pitched. Everyone else sounded pretty solid.

Picture:
The visual effects of the film are amazingly great. Typical of a Disney movie, the animation is pure and simple, but with a fluid transition. The future looked very colorful and eye popping. There were moments were I thought the film looked almost too good. The art direction and colors really blew me away. Seeing how I saw it in 3D made the visuals that much better. With all this said, the visuals later on get alittle dark and might not suit your children if there under 7. There were alot of people that complained about the dark tone of the second half saying "my children were afraid", but this didn't distract me from loving the look of the film.

Sound:
Meet the Robinsons has a wonderful soundtrack. It goes so well with the concept and story of the film. Its also used very well through out the entire film and really makes those amazing visuals that much more amazing. The soundtrack is very aggressive when it needs to be with the bass getting cranked up in certain moments. The movie has many moments that deliver great bass work and one that will easily satisfy your home theater. Its not really demo worthy, but it sure comes close enough.

Conclusion:
I was never expecting this film to be good since it was a cartoon flick and not an action packed film, but to my surprise, it is. Meet the Robinsons has a unique feel to it that makes it not your typical Disney film. Its got a good story with a good cast that makes the characters very entertaining, but very lovable. Its got an amazing visual look to it with a great soundtrack to back it up. While some of the younger children might not appreciate the dark second half of the film, they are still going to enjoy this film either way.

Grade: B-

REVIEW: Jaws

Jaws

Year: 1975
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton
Distributor: Universal Pictures
MPAA: Rated PG

Jaws was released in the summer of 1975 and kind of started the whole summer blockbuster movie releases. It became a box office smash hit, grossing over $470 million worldwide on a low budget of $7 million. It was such a big hit that Universal launched 3 more sequels to it even though they weren't as successful as the first. Its one of director Steven Spielberg's first movies to come out and it really launched his career to stardom. With all this said, I never really got the chance to see Jaws until today. Its been shown many times on TV, but I only saw parts of it. So I was expecting this film to really amaze me today after all this time of waiting and frankly, it does just that. Even to this day, Jaws is still considered a great thriller.

Plot Outline:
Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), is called in to solve a mysterious swimming accident that occurred a few days ago. They find the victim completely torn apart. Mayor Larry Vaughn, (Murray Hamilton) still not convinced that theirs a problem continues to allow swimming in his town until more victims are found, forcing him to call in Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), a shark specialist. After another shark attack, the Mayor finally decides to hire shark hunter Quint, (Robert Shaw) to track down and kill the shark. As the three men board the boat to get to the shark, they realize that it's much bigger than they first anticipated and find out that its going to be a tough battle between them and the killer beast.

Plot:
The story of Jaws holds up pretty well. Its starts off pretty slow and introduces the shark from the get go. We learn about these great characters that play an important role in the film. I thought the first half of the film wasn't engaging enough, but its the second half that really makes this film stand out. Steven Spielberg teases the audience by not showing the big shark until a good 45 minutes into the film. By doing this, he keeps the excitement up while keeping the suspense alive. The film is based on the hit novel "Jaws" by Peter Benchley. I haven't read the novel, but reading over what people thought about it on the Internet, made the novel sound pretty boring. So I was amazed on how Spielberg turned a boring novel into this thrilling cinematic movie about the great white shark.

Cast:
The cast felt pretty solid. Roy Scheider plays the main character in the film and he does a good job at it. He really felt like a police officer that just wants whats best for his people. He has great chemistry with everyone and you can tell this role was meant specifically for him. Richard Dreyfuss plays the happy shark specialist, Matt Hopper and he gives a pretty entertaining performance. Hes always excited or happy in almost every scene and its all too good. Robert Shaw plays the serious, but smart captain who wants the shark dead for a reward and he does a good job playing the character. He kind of reminds me of captain who lost his ship to a whale and wants revenge. I felt the cast was very solid overall and I wouldn't change a thing.

Picture:
The special effects in this film are alright. There nothing out of this world, but their pretty damn good for a 33 year old film. The scenery of the film is great and really immerses you into this film. While the film is based on a large shark, it was very important for the crew and filmmakers to give us a great looking shark and for the most part, it is. There are few moments in the film where the shark looks pretty fake, but when your not really looking too hard, the shark looks great. He looks and acts just like a real life shark would act. Detail is on the softer side, but also can tend to look pretty great from close up shots. I guess this is the best a film this old can look.

Sound:
What really makes Jaws truly remarkable is its music. John Williams who won an Oscar for best music in this film, gives a score that people will remember Jaws for. The soundtrack is an amazing achievement that makes this film that much better. We get many orchestral music that not only keeps us in suspense, but just really entertaining to listen too. Jaws really has a wonderful score, its pretty crazy that a shark movie can have such an impact-full music to listen too. I give my hand to John Williams for composing such an imaginative music that is very well worth that Oscar he got. The film also has a pretty good amount of bass, but it wont wow you much considering the age of the film.

Conclusion:
Jaws, even to this day is a great action thriller to watch. Its got a great story that although starts off pretty slow, gets very suspenseful and entertaining through out the film. Its got an amazing score that is really wonderful to listen too, but also very focused on the story. The cast is solid and the special effects are great to look at when your not focused too hard on it. I was expecting Jaws to not impress me after 33 years have gone by, but boy was I wrong. This is a great film that everyone should watch when your looking for an entertaining thrill ride.

Grade: B+