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Reviews
Defendor (2009)
Very Different and Unique
When I first went to rent this movie, I was expecting a dumb comedy aimed towards mocking superheroes. But I was so wrong. This film, although it does have some aspects of a comedy, is not truly in that genre at all, in my opinion.
It certainly wasn't a regular hero movie, I can say that much strongly. If you were expecting lasers, explosions, crazy villains, and X-ray vision, than you might be disappointed. Instead of some unrealistically muscular man in a tight suit, we have a overweight, not-too-attractive older man who is clumsy and unorthodox. He's a laugh to everybody; he never actually ends up winning his fights against crime and always makes a fool of himself. In fact, he ends up dying in the final battle, in a honestly shocking, saddening twist. So then why is it that this movie is any good? Because although 'The Defendor' may end up losing, in the end, he stands up for what he believes is right and has the courage to do something nobody else will do, even if he knows it may be hopeless. In a way, I found this moral far more touching than if he would have won and become famous.
The only problem with this movie though is that it is hard to follow what's going on and who the characters are. But I loved the moral of this movie, even if it was hard to watch because of the very bittersweet ending.
High School Musical (2006)
Very Sad....
I just want to start off by saying how this movie makes me sad beyond belief. Why, you ask? Because, growing up with Disney classics such as The Lion King, Pinocchio, The Little Mermaid, Bambi, etc., I have come to realize how much the world has changed. Seriously, this movie is what you can really call brainwashing garbage.
The whole plot revolves around two teens, Troy and Gabriella, who meet at a New-Years Eve party. Neither of them want to be at the party to begin with, and when they are both forced to go up and sing to the crowd, they are freaked, to say the least. But oddly enough (or not, you could see what was coming from a mile away), they both sing exceptionally, and end up hitting it off with both the crowd and each other. They leave the party, and don't plan to see each other again. Then in another not-so-surprising plot twist which comes later on, we see that Gabriella has just transferred to Troy's school. She's a geek, he's a jock, and they aren't supposed to mix. But they both end up trying for the school's musical together, which causes turmoil in the school, and eventually leads to the movie's climax.
I have two main problems with the movie. For one, it was just too predictable. The whole movie fell completely apart for me the minute they mentioned clichés. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the moral 'be true to you' within the first 20 minutes of the movie.
But the bigger problem I have with this movie is how unrealistically cheerful everything is. Don't get me wrong, this is a Disney movie, I know. But looking at the classic Disney films, they dealt with topics far beyond just preppy teens in preppy clothing singing about love and clichés. They dealt with actual hardships such as death, friendship, goals, and love (and I don't mean fake, pop-teen love). And don't even get me started on the way these characters are presented. Everyone in the whole school is presented as trendy, preppy, and stunningly cute/beautiful. It just seemed really fake.
All in all, I don't like this movie in the least. The only reason I give it three stars is because the songs, although not the best, were decent and somewhat catchy. Otherwise, this movie gets a solid 1 from me.
The Lion King (1994)
One of, if not THE best animated film ever!
I have seen a lot of animated films and cartoons in my day, and I can sincerely, without a doubt say that this is one of, if not THE best ever. Where do I even start?
For one thing, the characters. Not only do they have good depth, but what makes them really stand out to me is the way that they all grow as the story goes on. For example, when the movie starts, Simba is arrogant and adventurous, and seems to think being a king is the best thing on earth. By the end, he realizes the responsibility and pain in being a king, which symbolizes growing up in general.
The music was another high point. All the songs are catchy and lovable. I especially fell in love with the 'Circle of Life', which is so classic and honest, and 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight', which is romantic without being cheesy or inappropriate.The character voices are good too; as they all fit the characters well I have no complaints here.
The plot, although it is the classic good vs. evil struggle, does not seem old or clichéd in this movie. And although it is a excellent, extremely family-friendly movie, there are deep morals to be observed for all ages. The fact that this movie touches up on adult-orientated themes, while making it appealing for children, makes it all the more amazing.