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Day Watch, best sequel of the summer so far?

2007 has been called the summer of Sequels, with Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Pirates 3, Spiderman 3, Shrek 3, 28 Weeks Later, Ocean’s Thirteen, Evan Almighty, and so forth. There are more sequels than you can shake a stick at, and few of which have faired as well as the originals did critically. Considering all of this one would be discouraged, right?

Well last week a Russian fantasy movie based on a series of books, somewhat akin to The Lord of the Ring novels, was released. The second movie in the series, Day Watch(or Dnevnoi Dozor in it’s native Russian), continues a year or so after the first movie(Night Watch). While Pirates required you to remember much of the second movie, Day Watch does no such thing. Sure, watching Night Watch will help you understand a bit, but going directly to the theater and seeing Day Watch won’t leave you in the dark completely.

The movie itself is solid, and quite an epic. The story is nicely laid out, not too confusing that you made more sense of Pirates 3, and there wasn’t so much in the movie that it made Spidey 3 seems small. Much of the movie, despite not delving much into the abilities of the Dark and Light ones, shows off a unique look at magic within the movie’s universe. All of this ties greatly with the surprisingly well done visual effects used in the movie.

Each visual effect blends beautifully from faux to real nearly flawlessly without looking fake. Things like a Parrot turning into a human being in a cheesy 80s suit, or a flying crow shifting into a sword wielding magical warrior midflight seem of the norm. While high paced action scenes like a sports car driving along the side of a building, or a rain of small children’s aluminum balls destroying much of Moscow seem to out shine even the biggest budget titles. Surprisingly enough as well the usage of subtitles in the movie is one of the most dynamic additions to the movie. While they can often be a bore with other movies, Fox has used the addition of subtitles to interact with the movie’s actions and scenes in an entertaining easter egg hunt.

Sequels come and go, while some leave a sour aftertaste, but Day Watch just further sweetens the movie franchise. However, as entertaining as the movie is, you might have trouble finding it in theaters. Fox gave it a very limited release, with a mere 2 theaters in my native SoCal showing it. It might be best to wait for the wider release later this month, or even the DVD release.

Wayside School the TV show

[Update 8/21/08: Click here for our review of Wayside School Season 1]

For those of you who read and have a good memory, I’ve got some interesting news! Remember the Wayside series? Neither do I, but the only book that I vaguely remember is the one about the school falling down… Anyway it’s being turned into a TV series on Nickelodeon.

Before:

Wayside Book

After:

Wayside

Welcome to Wayside, a wacky 30-story grade school where off-the-wall events are an everyday occurrence. The new half-hour animated series that takes school to new heights debuts on Nickelodeon on Monday, June 25 at 12:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The 26-episode series will air regularly on weekdays at 12:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Based on the best-selling Wayside School book series by Louis Sachar (“Sideways Stories from Wayside School,” “Holes”) and produced by Nelvana, Wayside chronicles the adventures of Mrs. Jewls’ class on the 30th floor as they navigate their way through the ups, ups and ups of grade school. The series is seen through the eyes of Todd, an average “Joe” who is new to Wayside, as he befriends Maurecia, the tough girl who finds it easier to express herself with physical actions rather than words, Dana, the over-emotional over-achiever and Myron, the ineptly ambitious politician in a school that, due to a “slight” miscalculation, was built 30 classrooms on top one another rather than the one floor planned. Their peers include the boy who wears his Halloween elf costume every day, a boy who spends his days upside down and a girl who’s always asleep, in addition to the eccentric faculty and the cows that randomly roam the school.

“Generations of readers have enjoyed Wayside tales from Louis Sachar, and now fans can watch their favorite stories come to life as its first-ever TV series joins Nickelodeon’s hit animation line-up,” said Tom Ascheim, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Nickelodeon Television. “The stories are absurdly funny interpretations of how kids perceive the world around them and the issues they face in their daily lives.”

In the first part of the premiere episode, “Oh, Great Leader,” the students try to throw Wayside’s principal a surprise birthday party. But when Principal Kidswatter mistakenly assumes they are attempting to “overthrow” him, he recruits “new kid” Todd (a.k.a. Agent 344) to spy for him. Todd, feeling a little insecure about his place in Mrs. Jewls’ class, questions his new friends and their wacky ways.

In “Meet the Pets,” the second half of the premiere episode, everyone brings their pet to class and leaves Todd, the only kid in class who doesn’t have one, to watch their animals while they go out for recess. Chaos ensues when the pets escape, but Todd is able to learn a lesson in responsibility – and about himself – when a visit from the past encourages him to take control.

Louis Sachar’s first book, “Sideways Stories >From Wayside School,” was written in 1976. He has since written more than twenty books for young people, including four more in the Wayside School Series, as well as the Newbery award-winning book “Holes.” His books have sold more than 15 million copies world-wide and have been translated into more than 30 languages. He also wrote the screenplay for the movie, Holes. He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Carla.

Watch Naruto, Play Naruto

To coincide with the theatrical release of Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash In The Land Of Snow, Namco Bandai announced today that a sneak-peak of Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 and Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2, both for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, will be unveiled at select theaters across the country on June 6.

Gamers and fans of the video game franchise in the top 10 media markets will have the exclusive opportunity to experience first hand Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 and Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 before their much anticipated North American release. Theaters participating in the exclusive engagement on June 6, 2007 are:

* Downtown Disney 12 – Anaheim, CA
* Bay Street 16 – Emeryville, CA
* Horton Plaza – San Diego, CA
* Pavillions 15 – Denver, CO
* Atlantic station – Atlanta, GA
* River East 21 – Chicago, IL
* Brooklyn Center 20 – Minneapolis, MN
* Empire 25 – Times Square, NY
* Willowbrook 24 – Houston, TX
* Fredericksburg 15 – Fredericksburg, VA

Naruto The Movie: Ninja Clash In The Land Of Snow is a theatrical side story based on the continuity of the popular animated TV series and was a box office hit upon its initial release in Japan. In the movie, Naruto and his team are sent on a mission to guard Yukie Fujikaze, a popular actress starring in the hit movie “The Adventures of Princess Gale.” The crew is heading toward the Land of Snow, a land forever covered in snow, to shoot the final scenes of the film. When Yukie refuses to go and escapes from the set, she is brought back by force by Naruto and his teammates. But little do they know there are three rogue Snow Ninja lying in wait with a sinister purpose that forces Yukie to make a crucial decision and face her hidden past.

In Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2, Naruto returns with relentless dedication to become Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. Fans will experience hours of intense combat with the ability to play as one of more than 30 popular ninja from the series including Kakashi, Sasuke, Rock Lee, Gaara, Third Hokage and with over 60 challenging missions to complete. Participate in the series’ most pivotal moments such as Naruto’s showdown against Gaara, or unlock an original storyline, The Gedo Mark, in Ultimate Road mode. Customize characters’ strength, chakra, and special abilities to unleash powerful attacks during head-to-head battles, and sharpen fighting techniques in Iruka’s Training mode. Players will be able to unlock new characters, movies, music, and more as they rise in rank on their quest to become the ultimate ninja. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and will be available on June 12.

Boasting an exciting new storyline, extensive multi-player cooperative game play, multi-player versus battles, and a largely expanded array of playable characters, Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 builds upon the success of its prequel to deliver an original adventure with much more advanced action adventure gameplay. Naruto and his allies will face different challenges as they try to unravel the mystery of the Shirogane Clan and their nefarious army of “puppet walkers.” Players can expect action-packed ninjutsu missions as well as explore intriguing locations beautifully rendered in 3D anime style. Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 is set to be released in September 2007

For more information on Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 and Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 please visit: http://Naruto.namcobandaigames.com

Battlestar Galactica Ends

[Update 1/18/09: Click here for information on Battlestar Galactica Season 4]

Battlestar Galactica

Sci Fi’s amazing Battlestar Galactica is finally ending after next season. This news is kind of good, 22 more episodes of hopefully non-filler stories. The writers will have plenty of time to plot out the end of the series. But what will life be without this series? Well there won’t be any new science fiction show worth watching. Knowing Sci Fi though they could spin-off the series and create something completely different…

Pirates of the Caribbean 3: Review

Pirates

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is the latest installment in the famed pirate series that we all know and love. In this installment, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swan (Keira Knightley), and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) must scour the Earth for the end of the world and the entrance to the “weird and haunted shores” of Davy Jones’ Locker in order to rescue the famed pirate, Jack *cough* Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) from the depths of the underworld. All the while, the East India Trading Company, with the tragic Davy Jones at their disposal, is bringing about an end to piracy on a massive scale and attempting to unlock the mystery of the mystical pirate fetishes, the Nine Pieces of Eight. Davy Jones himself faces drama as he is forced into submission by the East India Trading Company and he comes face to face with the woman he literally cut his heart out for, Calyspo, the goddess of the seas. After numerous story twists, subplots, and backstabbings, the nine pirate nations of the world unite together in one final, dramatic struggle for survival.

I have been very impressed with the past installments in this series, in fact I rate them as some of the best movies I have seen. This movie, though maybe not as good as the last, is no exception. There’s plenty of drama, action, plot, and humor to go around and it is all done very well. Laughs were heard throughout the theater along with “Whoa”s and gasps. Every clash of the sword and explosion of the cannon just made you want to be a pirate. The depth of the story is actually quite astounding as well. But what really sets this movie apart from the rest is the strong sense of ambiance. Every scene has been meticulously designed to create the most dramatic emotional affect and intense sense of beauty. The rain swept decks of the Flying Dutchman, the dripping candles of the pirate meeting place on Shipwreck Island, and the exotic shores of Singapore are all beautifully done. Any still from this movie could be framed and put in a museum. The movie is 168 minutes long (almost 3 hours), but it will seem like mere moments.

On the downside, this isn’t the best installment in the series. The most notable flaw is the convoluted plot. Though still comprehendable, it was so confusing that many viewers thought they were watching Lost. One guy betrays that guy, that guy betrays the other guy, they all compromise and decide to betray some other guy who is planning for them all to betray him, which is all part of the plan of the first guy which goes horribly wrong when the other guy gets stabbed through the heart. It’s kind of like that except with magic! There are also many things that are not satisfactorily explained, like the magic coins and the Davy Jones love plot, among other things. The movie also relies too heavily upon the other two movies for comic material. For instance, the undead monkey is in almost every scene and turtles are continuously referenced for some reason and it really makes for some lame jokes, though these are certainly made up for. Another thing that I personally did not like is that I felt that some of the nuances kind of ruined some of the things that were cool in the last movie. The portrayal of Tia Dalma as a tragic character, for instance, really ruined what we loved about her in Dead Man’s Chest.

Despite these downsides, Pirates is definitely worth watching. If you’re not a pirates fan, go ahead and wait for it to come out on video. Otherwise, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. ARRRRRR!!!!!

+ Awesome ambiance
+ Well preformed action sequences
+ Hilarious
+ Good drama

– Too many references to past movies
– Convoluted plot
– Plot holes

➡ What’s really strange is that Johnny is never seen in this constume in the movie. 😯 Is it a reference to the next movie?
Johnny Depp