Comedic Storytelling: Despicable Me

Despicable Me is an animated family comedy that sets the tone as funny from the very first shot. The pyramid of Giza has been stolen and no one knows which of the world’s villains is responsible for this “despicable crime.” Gru, the world’s number one supervillain is being outsmarted by a younger opponent and he needs to pull a great heist to get back on top.

Gru (Steve Carell), the number one villain, or so he thought! He plans to steal the moon to get back on top.

This movie is a collection of very funny gags correctly ordered into a coherent story. It satisfies and you will want to see it again, especially if you have kids. They will probably drag you by your feet if you resist.    Read more »

Gallery: Despicable Me

Gru used to be the world’s number one supervillain. Now he is being outsmarted by a young opponent named Vector. He needs to pull a great coup to get back on top. Unfortunately for his wicked ways, he adopts 3 little girls who end up progressively changing his ways. Gru becomes a dad.

Gru at his girl's dance class. The villain is losing his grip, and it is only the beginning...

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Unstoppable Hero: Man on Fire

How do you give a protagonist a reason to be a juggernaut that can steamroll all enemies without fail and still give him a flawed human side? You start him up as a suicidal, drunk, out-of-shape ex-mercenary repent and looking for salvation, up against an entire corrupt organization merchandising perversion and death. In Man on Fire, John Creasy, played by Oscar winner Denzel Washington, comes to Mexico to visit his old friend Rayburn (Christopher Walken) and stays to try a new life as a bodyguard for an adorable Lupita Ramos (Dakota Fanning).

Big fish Victor Fuentes (Jesús Ochoa) provides information to Creasy (Denzel Washington) before his punishment.

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A Torture Scene in The Dark Knight?

I have repeated this complaint so many times it will surely start sounding like a rant by now. About half-way through the excellent movie The Dark Knight, Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) abandons the Joker (Heath Ledger) to Batman (Christian Bale) for questioning.

Batman’s first act is to slam the villain’s head on the table, really hard. Then he hits him on the hand; the Joker’s hand was lying flat on the table. Question: how is that necessary or even remotely useful to the story?

Batman (Christian Bale) roughs up the Joker (Heath Ledger) while in police holding.

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Consistent Storytelling: Kung Fu Panda

Consistent story and characters, very extensive use of foreshadowing and, above all, a comedy that never forgets why it is a comedy, Kung Fu Panda is an animated family movie that delivers a good dose of martial arts action and numerous laughs, with an appropriate theme in the background. What is one’s place in this universe? Can someone change his future? What is destiny? One’s origins can be an asset in the future.

Po, the pathetic panda (Jack Black), upset, is ransacking the kitchen. Does he look like a "Dragon Warrior" to you?

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Gallery: Kung Fu Panda

Imagine the most unlikely Kung Fu master. Can you picture him as a panda? Po dreams of becoming the greatest Kung Fu master in all China. But he can see how remote the possibility is, until he is “accidentally” chosen to become the Dragon Warrior.

Told you he loved food, right? Here, Po (Jack Black) is fighting his master (Dustin Hoffman) for a tasty dumpling.

Now Master Shifu, his unhappy instructor, must transform the food-loving-fat-and-sensitive-in-the-flabby-parts panda into the warrior that will defend the valley from Tai Lung, a powerful and vengeful snow leopard who escaped from a high-security prison.

This classic comedy delivers laughs in every scene is soon to be followed by a sequel.

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Movie Mistakes: Running Away From Something

Remember Chuck Jones’s Bugs Bunny or Tom & Jerry cartoons? When a character has something heavy coming right at him, he runs the other way. And we have a chase scene. That is a cartoon. Well it seems like also this happens in movies live action or animated. Here are a few examples below.

Jurassic Park

Alan and Tim (off screen) climbing down away from the tumbling car.

Alan (Sam Neill) and Tim (Joseph Mazzello) are coming down the tree, out of the car. Then, a few branches down the way, the car starts moving toward them.    Read more »

Memorable Movie Lines: Who Framed Roger Rabbit

In our first scene, Jessica Rabbit walks into Eddie Valiant’s office. That’s after he took the pictures that started the whole thing (her playing pattycake with Acme). Jessica is not happy about those photos; the first time she met Eddie, he received a resounding slap the from the cartoon vixen.

Jessica Rabbit, "I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."

This time she is trying to offer an explanation. Here we are right in the middle of the conversation.    Read more »

Gallery: The Dark Knight

Batman (Christian Bale), Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) risk everything to disable Gotham’s City’s new master criminal in The Dark Knight. A spectacular piece of pop culture expertly crafted by Jonathan and Chris Nolan, with an unforgettable performance by the late Heath Ledger (The Joker). The movie sports a high number of unexpected plot twists and strong characters with sparks flying out of their conflicts.

This Joker obliterates even the great performance by veteran Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton's Batman.

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A Million Plot Twists: The Dark Knight

“See, madness, as you know, is like gravity.
All it takes is a little push.”
-The Joker

The Dark Knight probably holds a record for the unusual number of twists and reversals in a two and a half hour narration. The proper word is roller coaster (and this time they mean it!) The filmmakers wield the continuous shift, twists and rebounds like true masters, offering the audience a rare masterpiece of storytelling virtuoso, a story that grabs hold of your brain from the first minutes until the final credits roll.

The Dark Knight (Christian Bale) keeps fighting on the cool-looking batpod, after the destruction of the batmobile.

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