ArgentoSoma (2000) anime series review

Overall verdict: 7.5/10

The Good: well developed mystery element, realistic human drama, explores complex themes both personal and philosophical, awesome voice acting, believable emotional narrative, full bodied character development

The Bad: cliched premise, animation is mediocre for its time, art takes some getting used to

Current Availability Status:
In print on DVD from Bandai. Sadly No longer available in singapore

Used to have a VCD but (thankfully) its gone (along with the company that printed it)
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(NOTE: The title is in GREEK. It is not a spelling error)

In an alternate future world, a failed space exploration program led to a major invasion by towering golden titans from beyond the stars. Though the initial invasion was repelled, isolated incidents of alien incursions still crop up, all with a similar M.O: the alien titans seem intent on reaching a location in known as "Pilgrimage point". The world governments set up the organization known as FUNERAL to repel invasions and prevent any alien from reaching Pilgrimage point. At the same time, ongoing research into the aliens have provided earth with defensive technology known as the SARG mecha.

Enter Takuto Kaneshiro, a kind hearted and extremely brilliant young man who, along with his girlfriend Maki Agata, assists their mentor Dr Noguchi in his alien research. Tragedy strikes when an experiment to revive an alien, artificially reconstructed with parts of other dead aliens, goes awry. Takuto is the only survivor, scarred both physically and emotionally. Convinced that the awakening alien killed his girlfriend, Takuto's kind hearted nature gives way to grief, regret and pain. One day, Takuto is visited by the mysterious, Shakespere quoting "Mr X", who offers him a chance at revenge. The revived alien has been taken in by FUNERAL and renamed FRANK (as it was constructed from dead body parts similar to Frankenstein's monster) to be used as a last resort weapon against other aliens. In exchange for agreeing to work for Mr X as a double agent, Takuto begins his new identity as Ryu Soma; the stoic, cold ace pilot and latest recruit into the FUNERAL combat team. He is a man with a hidden agenda, that is to sabotage the FUNERAL operations and ultimately destroy Frank.


Boasting a rich, character driven narrative, the story takes on a very personal feel as we "get into the heads" of the FUNERAL team members; their motives, what drives them and what connects them to each other. Every character is fleshed out with sufficient depth.Take Ryu for example, whose obsession for vengeance has blinded him to new friendships, and slowly eats away at the kind man he used to be. Ryu's frustration soon turns to delusion as his two personalities, Ryu Soma and Takuto Kaneshiro, clash. To make matters worse is the introduction of young Hattie Bartholomew, a blond girl who shares an almost magical connection with the alien Frank, and also bears and uncanny resemblance to Takuto's dead girlfriend. Ryu's cold determination stands in perfect contrast to Hattie's childlike innocence; she adapted to her past trauma not with bitterness but with a kind of psychological regression into her own world of innocent fantasy to the point of referring to Frank as an elf.


The characters are all really easy to relate to and through them, the show slowly explores themes of psychological withdrawal in the face of trauma, military ethics, political conspiracies and, later in the series, the ontological question about human identity. More common themes of trust, love and loneliness play out along the unraveling mystery right up to the startling revelation about the true nature of the invaders. Adding to the very "human" experience is a fine cast of voice actors who play their parts with utmost professionalism. The English dub cast wins out as being more enjoyable only because most of the characters are Caucasian or non-Asian to begin with. The more subdued english delivery, as opposed to the sometimes overacted japanese voices, fit the tone of the show and lend more realism. Some of the actors also gave their characters believable accents to match their nationality.

Yes, already the more hardcore anime fans would be screaming at how similar the story premise is to the famous anime Evangelion. But rest assured, the resemblance is only superficial. Similar to the alien Frank, ArgentoSoma is composed of familiar parts of different anime series, combined and given new life. The premise is Evangelion, the relationship between Hattie and Frank is as heartwarming as in the movie "The Iron Giant" and the shady alien conspiracies within the higher powers takes its influence from X-files. It is in this almost bizarre combination that Argentosoma becomes its own creature. A lot of attention is paid to making the inner workings of the FUNERAL organization as believable as a real military branch. The combination of personal little character arcs with a grand scale invasion backdrop works well despite its slow pace at times.

For a lack of publicity or perhaps a lack of audience interest, ArgentoSoma can easily be considered a "second tier" production no doubt overshadowed by SUNRISE's more successful mecha franchises like Gundam. And with good reason too. As clever, complex and emotionally engaging as its story is, ArgentoSoma does not hold that same level of proficiency in its technical aspects. The animation is generally passable for a year 2000 series, but the artwork takes a while to get used too. Just take a look at the screenshots

The characters look fine. But when viewed from a face front angle, their noses seem to disappear, giving them a very flat and sometimes inhuman appearance. Earlier episodes do move at a slower pace, but in this case it works in the show's favor, allowing the mystery and tension to build.

Credit goes to the fact that Argentosoma is an original anime screenplay not based on any manga or light novel. If it were only given a higher production budget and more publicity it might have become a true anime legend that withstands the test of time. Alas, most fans may just be content to pick it apart and deride its influences and homages as being "unoriginal", never giving ArgentoSoma a chance to touch their hearts and minds.


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Go For it: if you are curious about one of the most underrated science fiction anime from the turn of the century which combines thought provoking themes with realistic human drama set against a mecha genre backdrop.
Avoid it: if you seek an original premise or if a generally depressing tone turns you off. Also if you have no patience for mystery plots.

Entertainment: B
Story: A-
Characters: A
Animation: B-
Art: C+
Voice work (japanese): B+
Voice work (english): A-
Replay Value: B+
"Brains": A-


Standing tall. Frank in all his disproportional glory.


The SARGs. Weapons born from alien tecnhology and used against their progenitors

Immortals (2011) movie review

Overall verdict: 7/10

The Good: refreshing new portrayal of greek gods, hearkens back to classic greek myth epics, hints at deeper themes exploring the concept of immortality, stylish action sequences, beautiful production design

The Bad: deviates from the traditional Theseus myth, slow moving first act, minimal character development, falls into typical trappings of a shallow action blockbuster.

Current Availability Status: in cinemas 17 november 2011

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What is Immortality? That is the question this movie "Immortals" seemingly sets out to explore from the film's opening quote about a man's immortal soul. Does one have to be a god to be immortal? Or can he live forever in the legacy he leaves behind? And with regards to that legacy, is the immortality gained from legacy of descendants any different from a legacy of great deeds kept alive through old tales? There is a gold mine of deep concepts and possible philosophical questions, both rare in today's high octane low brain blockbuster movie market. In that aspect, Immortals might seem a bit of a cop out; avoiding the interesting questions to thread familiar ground. Which is a huge pity since everything else about this movie had the potential to be something new and unique.

For starters, it is a unique take on the old Greek Myth of Theseus. Greek Mythology purists be warned, this is not faithful to the legends in any way except in name. This Theseus is a strong but skeptical young man who scoffs at the old tales of Gods and Titans. His peaceful life in his small cliffside town is one day shattered with the arrival of King Hyperion and his army. The king is seeking the legendary Epirius bow, hoping to free the Titans as vengeance against the Gods. As a captive, Theseus meets the thief Stravos and the beautiful oracle Phaedra who convinces him of the truth behind the old legends. After a daring escape, Theseus and his companions embark on a quest to stop Hyperion before he brings about the fall of man and god.

Immortals excels in how gives a new perspective to the mythologies we all know. For example, the Greek deities are merely people who can live forever and have special powers. Immortal magicians if you will. They are not "Gods" in the omnipotent sense. And rather than have them as aged beings in regal robes or a warrior race in elaborate armor, these gods are portrayed as lithe, beautiful and young; barely out of their 20s and dressed scantily in tiny gold loincloths. Similarly, mount Olympus is no heaven on a mythical mountain surrounded by clouds, merely a palace on a very high cliff overlooking the sea.

In the characters themselves arise more potential for such questions.
We see the concept of "Gods" being played around with, same with the concept of immortality. If Theseus, like the Gods, is remembered for superhuman deeds he performed, does that make you him god? You have Phaedra, the oracle who sees the future. Can one who knows the will of fate change fate? You have king Hyperion who's very act of castrating every male defector and killing all captive pregnant women brings us back to the very first question about immortality and leaving a legacy.

But alas these questions, philosophical or otherwise, are merely hinted at; touched upon like Socrates' quotes which bookend the movie. It is a fantasy action blockbuster after all. So out with the brains and in with the blood. Although the characters are pretty much one dimensional, the acting is spot on and the story picks up well after the slower first act.

The movie is very beautiful to look at from a production standpoint. Unlike the producers' previous greek legend film, 300, mostly physical sets are used here with CGI shots and backgrounds blended seamlessly. It seems intentional that the way physical foregrounds and CGI backgrounds merge mimic how a soundstage set would merge with a matte painting background in older greek myth movies. In fact story's pacing, the gritty yet stylised designs and the way the dialogue is written seem to be a homage to old fantasy epics like "Jason and the Argonauts".

Once again, instead of being truly unique, Immortals manages to only look fresh but feel like the same old thing that we are used to. It is definitely much more enjoyable than 2010's "Clash of the Titans" but lacks the energy and style of "300". Perhaps a long running time would have allowed the plot to breathe, the characters to develop a little and for the film to have a larger sense of scale. What could have been the most unique greek mythology movie is reduced to just another fun blockbuster.

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Go For it: if you'd like a fresh new take on old myths that raises some deep questions. Or if you liked the classic fantasy adventure movies like Jason and the Argonauts.
Avoid it: if you're a greek mythology purist or never liked the "swords and sandals" movie genre in the first place

Entertainment: B+
Story: B+
Acting: A-
Characters: B
Music: C+
Replay value: B
"Brains": B-

The Adventures of TinTin (2011) movie review

Overall verdict: 8/10

The Good: Sticks true to the look and feel of the original comic, exquisite 3D CGI, excellent acting, well played humor,

The Bad: deviates from the comics exact storyline, minimal character development, convenient plot twists, retains the flaws of the comic

Current Availability Status: In Cinemas 10 November 2011

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Come on, admit it, if your first English comic was not Archie or Asterix, it most likely was TINTIN. The world spanning adventures of an intrepid young reporter as he takes meets unique people, unearths ancient secrets, brings corrupt businessmen to justice, travels to exotic lands and do what imaginative children can only dream about. Each book was a whole new genre including some that touched on horror and science fiction. Steven Spielberg's computer animated "The Adventures of TinTin" combines two books' storylines, and throws in some minor tweaks for coherence, but manages to stay true to the spirit of what made the original stories such a good read.

Purists would no doubt condemn the condensing of two stories, "The Secret of The Unicorn" and "The Crab With the Golden Claws", into a single movie. Why go through the trouble and change the story? Because, to be honest, adapting only a single story would not do justice to TinTin as a whole. The Secret Of the Unicorn is essentially a mystery tale like something out of Sherlock Holmes. No big action pieces, no worldwide adventure, no exotic locales. While the condensation of stories is jarring for those familiar with the originals, it is done in such a coherant manner that it seems like a single proper story.

Famous reporter TinTin stumbles upon a mysterious model of an ancient ship, The Unicorn, which lands him in the biggest case of his life involving a long lost pirate's loot, a clandestine plot to steal a royal treasure and an unresolved family feud. Along the way he meets Captain Haddock, a washed up ship captain with a drinking problem, who might hold the key to the mystery. If only he could stay sober long enough to remember.

Everyone is exactly how one remembers them either from the comic or the classic cartoons. The bumbling Thomson/Thompson twins, Captain Haddock's comical rage, TinTin's inquisitive nature, it is all there. Nostalgia is the order of the day as the film takes us back to a simpler time of childhood. The character chemistry, adrenaline charged chases and light hearted dialogue call to mind swashbuckling pulp novel adventures in the vein of Indiana Jones. Sadly, the flaws of the original comic are all there too. The film is so plot driven that little attention is given to character development. Like the comic, there may be one too many convenient turn of events.

Before you are turned away by the seemingly simplistic narrative, it will be the animation itself that would grab you back. Final Fantasy is yesterday's news compared to the animation in The Adventures of TinTin. Yes, they may have "cheated" by using motion capture, but the results are magnificent. Everything moves like how they do in real life; vehicles have a sense of mass, there is visible inertia in moving objects, and characters move like actual people. The stunning level of detail, right down to the pores on characters' skin and individual hair follicles, is coupled with designs very similar to the cartoony art of the comics.


Try thinking of Spielberg's "The Adventures Of TinTin" less of an adaptation of the comics but more of a homage to the entire franchise. The whole movie is littered with dozens of allusions and shout outs to other stories in the series. Fans would have a field day recognising all the Easter eggs and cameos. After a slow start, the show really picks up and never lets up; well written dialogue, excellent cast chemistry and timely humor providing endless entertainment. Whether you are a child endlessly pouring through TinTin comics in the library, or an "ex-child" who followed the cartoon on weekday evenings, The Adventures of TinTin is pure fun and a great way to see your favorite characters come alive.


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Go For it: if you like adventure stories like Indiana Jones or have read/watched the classic Tintin comics/cartoons as a child
Avoid it: if even the slightest change from the original comic bothers you


Entertainment: A-
Story: B+
Characters: A
Animation: A
Art: A
Voice work: A
Replay Value: C
"Brains": C-

Real Steel (2011) movie review

Overall verdict: 9/10

The Good: Solid emotional core, great cast chemistry, top notch special effects, a touching pro-family story, gripping fight scenes, excellent acting, endearing main characters, energy of the fights draw you in, rousing soundtrack, clever themes of satire.

The Bad: a little too "fairy tale"-ish, suspension of disbelief required, underdog story may seem unoriginal.

Current Availability Status:

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"Real Steel". The title itself calls to mind loud, frenetic, bot-on-bot battles the likes of Michael Bay's "Transformers". Promotional material and trailers featuring quick cuts, bad ass one liners and humanoid machines beating the nuts out of each other only heightened that expectation for a souless, action heavy, gear grinding testosterone charged movie.

Take a look here

Surprisingly, Real Steel has real heart. It is less like Transformers and more like Rocky or Karate Kid. Simply put, it is an emotional tale about a down and out loser reconnecting with his estranged son over their passion for "robot boxing". You see, in the future, "Bot bouts" have replaced traditional fighting sports like boxing as a way to up the excitement factor. Robots can, after all, take a bigger pounding, and dish out more damage than any human can. Sadly for poor ex-boxer Charlie Kenton that means he's out of the job. Without a purpose He desperately tries to get into the Robot fights circles to relive his glory days but his bot is trashed, leaving him in debt and with shattered dreams. Charlie's stubborn dedication to a lost cause is broken when he is given custody of a son name Max whom he never knew he fathered. Things go from bad to worse but through a stroke of luck, Max discovers an old training Robot in a junk yard. Christening the robot "Atom" Max convinces his dad to retry for the robot fights.

This is where the movie throws its first surprise left hook: the robot fights are only secondary to the human story. The terrific chemistry of the cast, especially between Charlie (Hugh Jackman) and his son Max (Dakota Goyo), is full of old school charm. Jackman's Charlie is superbly developed; he starts off as a self centered and stubborn man who learns responsibility, patience and the value of family. In a way, he represents the common workaholic who aims too high and has lost sight of the little joys in life. Newcomer Dakota Goyo plays Max as the perfect foil to Charlie's thick headed immaturity; an endearing kid, full of spunk and energy which rubs off on his dad and gives him a new purpose to keep fighting for. They are a lovable pair, slowly opening up to one another.

But fear not fanboys, it is not all drama. There are the promised robot fights. And when they come, they come like glorious uppercut in slow motion. Shawn Levy's directing style is clear and even, yet energetic with none of the whiplash cuts and shaky cam; a welcome surprise seeing as how this is Levy's first time directing a sci/fi movie. Perhaps the most astounding aspect of the film is its special effects. The robots are a combination of computer generated images (CGI) and physical animatronics which give them a heightened sense of realism in both their look and the way they move. Furthermore, the fights were overseen by former boxing hall-of-famer "Sugar Ray" Leonard.

Real Steel is the tried and true underdog story set against a science fiction backdrop. Sure, it might seem unoriginal, but the writers weave in some clever themes to set it apart. Under the mechanical mayhem lies a clever jab at the commercialisation of modern sports. How the big money holders will constantly try to squash "the little guy" from reaching their dreams. It also advocates the old saying about how it is not the destination that matters but the journey. And lastly, it advocates a pro-family theme about how good old fashioned joy of sports bring people together.

This is a true family movie for everyone. Accompanied by Danny Elfman's rousing soundtrack, the atmosphere is so contagious, you just cannot help but cheer our lovable protagonists on. Action is exciting and the fights are intense with the outcome never clear. For fans of japanese anime, Real Steel incorporates some familiar stereotypes such as the immature adult/mature kid pairing and the designs of some of the robots. Plus, the whole gimmick of shouting out attacks for the robot to perform will remind any kid of something like Pokemon. Yes it is slightly unreal, it is wish fulfilment at its very best. What child would not want his very own fighting robot?

Like its protagonists' and their robot "Atom", Real Steel is "the little guy" when stacked against the year's big hitters like Transformers 3, Harry Potter 8 and Pirates of the Caribbean 4. It only has a fraction of their budget and no franchise power to flaunt. Yet Real Steel comes through with incredible action sequences that are only secondary to what matters most: characters who are easy to relate to, a heartfelt emotional narrative and compelling themes.

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Go For it: if you want to see a robot science fiction film that has heartfelt emotional drama or if you liked underdog sports stories like Rocky, Karate Kid, Mighty Ducks etc.
Avoid it: if you really dont believe a word of this review

Entertainment: A
Story: A-
Acting: A
Characters: A
Music: A-
Replay value: A
"Brains": B+

Batman Year One (2011) animated review

Overall verdict: 8.5/10

The Good: Cinema standard animation and artwork, seamless CGI, extremely faithful to the graphic novel, well rounded character development despite short running time.

The Bad: Some instances of stilted voice acting, over too soon, seems to be aimed solely at Batman comic fans.

Current Availability Status: On DVD and Blu Ray in most good Singapore video stores

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Named as one of IGN's 25 greatest Batman stories of all time and one of the books that any Batman fan would swear by, Frank Miller's 1987 classic Batman Year One finally comes to life as a full length animated movie. Besides inspiring elements in various Batman animated shows since the 1990s, Batman Year One is also the main inspiration for the blockbuster hit "Batman Begins". So with its influence seen in all incarnations of Batman in the last 15 years, the producers are hard pressed to come up with anything original. Instead of just retelling Batman's origins, drawing influence from Batman Year One, the creative team decided to stick as close as possible to the source material and literally transfer the book into animated form.

To date, Batman Year One is easily the movie that is most faithful to its source material. Barring a few lines tweaked to flow more naturally in dialogue, the script is almost exactly the same as in the book. Whole scenes are reproduced shot for shot, as if the comic panels themselves came to life. One could literally watch this movie and read the comic side by side. Sadly, the plot itself is weaker than what one would expect, mostly due to the limitations of the audio/visual media.

Batman Year One contains two parallel tales. One follows Bruce Wayne, a millionaire playboy with a tragic past who returns to Gotham City after many years. The other follows Lieutenant Jim Gordon, a cop transferred to Gotham Police Department. Crime and corruption run rampant through the city, driving both Gordon and Wayne to bring justice to this lawless town through their own means. Initially, they are powerless against against a world of vice and sin, a world that does not want their help and would instead seek to crush their bodies and spirits. But both men soldier on in their quest. Wayne decides to become a masked vigilante; striking from the shadows against those that the authorities are powerless to touch. Meanwhile Gordon, knee deep among crooked Cops, struggles to expose the corrupted powers that be.

When it first debuted in 1987, Batman Year One was meant to be a realistic reinterpretation of Batman's origins. No fancy gadgets, no Batmobile, no crazy freaks. Batman does not befriend the police, and is in fact wanted as a criminal at one point. Those expecting long drawn out Batman brawls might be disappointed by the lack of appearances by Batman. Remember, the story is less about the icon and more about the man behind the mask. Also, the voice cast is possibly one of the weaker ones from DC animation. None of the performances really stand out, especially Benjamin McKenzie's Batman who seems to be doing a bad Christian Bale impression.

In true comic book fashion, the story is the very definition of brevity. Despite running barely over 60 minutes, the movie does a wonderful job of getting to the point of how both Wayne and Gordon struggle to keep their beliefs in a world devoid of morality. The power of a comic's visuals in telling a story without words is reflected very well in the animation. Scenes are loaded with impact and potential interpretations. Sadly, in an animated medium, one cannot mull over a page or let the imagination "set" to fully appreciate a scene's impact. Perhaps some would feel that the movie is too "to the point"; giving the audience the story instead of letting it play out over time.

On the flip side, what the animated medium takes full advantage of is bringing motion to static artwork. The animation by Korean studio "Moi Animation" is so smooth and seamless, a standard usually only seen in big budget theatrical feature films along the lines of "Rebuild of Evangelion" and "Sky Crawlers". The fight scenes are definitely the highlight of the movie. Fully animated, without a single cost saving short cut, it is almost like live action combat sequences out of a blockbuster. The art is no pushover either. It is David Mazzucchelli's original comic designs and characters, combined with an asian anime flaire and aesthetics. This means small tweaks like giving characters more expressive eyes, sharper features and a less murky color palette. Purists would cry foul at the tweaks but they never detract from the original artwork's feel; it is still dark, gritty, and atmospheric as ever.

Being incredibly faithful to the source material means that one need not be familiar with the graphic novel to appreciate this show. If anything, this film allows those who would normally be averse to reading a comic book appreciate a timeless tale, integral to Batman lore. It is the same book, just a different way of reading it.

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Go For it: if you have heard about the great "Batman Year One" graphic novel and do not dare to pick up the comic book. If you want to see the definitive comic book origin of a more realistic Batman brought to life or if you just appreciate good animation in general.
Avoid it: if you are more inclined to "cosmic" superheroics involving aliens, alternate dimensions, angry evil gods and people in colorful tights flying about.


Entertainment: A
Story: A-
Characters: B+
Animation: A
Art: A
Voice work(english): B-
Replay Value: A-
"Brains": B-

Transformers: The Movie (1986) review

Overall verdict: 8.5/10

The Good: a truly status quo changing story, extremely smooth animation, high level of art detail, excellent voice acting, goes beyond anything seen in the TV series, likable characters, decent character development, brisk narrative, some well written comic relief.

The Bad: requires familiarity with the characters, some minor animation errors in the theatrical cut,

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The problem with so many anime movies that are spun off from a TV series is that the movie looks, feels and essentially IS, just an extra long episode of the TV series. Transformers: The Movie does none of that. Not content on just making a 84 minute long episode, the producers decided to up the show's ante and shatter the status quo, taking its action, animation, story and characters to new heights of excellence.

A word of caution: viewers unfamiliar with Transformers characters should go and watch the original TV series before watching this movie. If you cannot tell the difference between Starscream and Skywarp, go refresh your memory before watching this. There is little introduction to the characters as we jump straight into the thick of the action even before the opening credits flash across the screen.

Deep in the void of space, a monstrous machine planet is devouring world after world and is now making a beeline for the Transformers' home world of Cybertron. After years of stalemate, the evil Decepticons have taken over Cybertron and now launch a titanic offensive against the last Autobot city on earth. Although the Autobots manage to turn the tide of the battle, the death toll is catastrophic. Among them, the faction leaders, Optimus Prime and Megatron, lose their lives after what is easily the most brutal duel in Transformers animation history. As both factions try to bounce back from their loss, old foes return stronger than ever and ancient mysteries resurface. Amidst the end of one war the the start of another, a young Autobot named Hot Rod must come to terms with a destiny that he never desired.

In its time, Transformers: The Movie was both famous and infamous for its graphic portrayal of mass slaughter. A rarity among animated shows of the 80s was deaths of main characters. And in the tradition of this movie taking what "was" to a whole new level, the deaths are actually quite graphic and violent despite the characters being robots. There is one scene which could be the robotic equivalent of coughing up blood.

Shoots

Hits

HOLY CRAP!!

Know that prior to this, "injuries" were only temporary, no one ever died in the Tv series and if they were ever "deactivated" they were usually done so quickly and even off-screen. The deaths would hit harder if one were already familiar with the characters, hence why familiarity with the original TV series is recommended.

The story in the movie, however, is upgraded from the down to earth TV series style to an intense, action packed, sprawling space epic. The threat is larger than anything the Transformers have ever faced(literally). Sure it may share some elements of Star Wars but it is a huge notch up from the TV series it is based. One of the most epic stories in an animated movie based on a cartoon series.

As usual of Transformers, the characters are the main stars. The new characters introduced are extremely likable from their very first uttered line, thanks to a great mix of an engaging script and professional acting. A good measure of Character development, which usually takes at least a couple of episodes in the TV series, is present here and is very well handled with none of the characters coming across as bland or uninteresting. The script is as emotionally charged as ever, and its characters portrayed as humanly as possible, that its tragic climax would bring a tear to any one's eye.

The most obvious jump in quality would be in the art and animation department. Battle damage, metallic sheen, complex shadows, vivid colours and other little details make this movie very spectacular to look at.

Such art details stand the test of time and would even be able to measure up to the art standards of today's anime movies. Despite the sky high levels of the art detail, the animation does not suffer one bit. Every scene is fluid with hardly any short cuts used, characters are always in motion and so are some of the backgrounds; again a rarity among anime TV-series-to-movie films. The fight scenes are superbly storyboarded utilizing all the right shot angles, close-ups or wide pans, and lighting effects to add to the impact and cinematic feel of each battle. Unfortunately there are a number of animation goofs here and there; minor instances of wrong coloring in the background. Those mistakes however are not easily spotted until repeated viewings. They are not jarring and does not distract from the film at all.

To top it all off, there is the roaring electric guitar and rock soundtrack. It is a huge improvement over the bland musical cues of the original series and really complements each scene very well; truly the icing on a great tasting cake.The vocal soundtrack, however, is really up to personal preference, featuring a number of songs by Stan Bush, NRG and other big 80s names.

On a whole, this movie is a real treat for all transformers fans, and an entertaining watch for the casual anime fan as long as one is able to keep up with the various characters. The plot never slows down, yet never acts an excuse to tie on action scene to the next. Both a major turning point in the ongoing Transformers storyline, and an important milestone in animation, Transformers: The Movie is a timeless classic which introduced a new level of maturity into what was once solely a children's toy franchise.

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Go For it: if you want to see what many consider the highest point of excellent in over 25 years of Transformers animation history.

Avoid it: if you have absolutely no idea who Optimus Prime or Megatron is

Entertainment: A

Story: B+

Characters: A

Animation: A-

Art: A-

Voice work (English): A

Voice work (Japanese): A-

Voice work (chinese): C

Replay Value: A

"Brains": C+

Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon (2011) review

Overall verdict: 6.5/10

The Good: Flawless special effects, intense action, witty comedy, lovable main character, numerous sci/fi fan references, clearer than usual shot angles (for a Michael Bay Film),

The Bad: contradicts backstory established in previous 2 Transformers films, numerous plot holes, unlikable female lead, superficial thrills, bloated story,

Current Availability Status: in theaters 1 July

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Long, loud and proud of that fact, Transformers 3: Dark of The Moon is the ultimate testament to everything good and bad about a Michael Bay film. Superficial thrills, cheap spills and wham bam action abound in the supposed final chapter in the Transformers film franchise. Forget the coherent story, thought provoking themes or even any hint of human drama. Also forget the previous two films since this one tries to pretend they do not exist.

It is never a good thing to alienate one's core audience of devoted fans by literally screwing with both the continuity and the characters, but now Bay alienates even the fans of previous Transformers movies. The concept of two warring races of intelligent machines is kept but much has changed. The all powerful "allspark", the artifact of contention among the Autobot and Decepticon factions, is never mentioned and the war is now fought over a miraculous invention and its inventor stowed aboard a lost starship "The Ark". 

Where the first movie established that knowledge of the Transformers came from discovering a frozen Megatron in the arctic, this movie claims that Transformers were discovered on the moon by the Apollo 11 lunar landing. It also contradicts the second movie by revealing the lost inventor to be a "Prime" when it was established that all Primes other than Optimus died to defeat the Fallen.

So continuity be damned as the story opens with human protagonist Sam Witcicky, now hooked up with his rich new blond girlfriend Carly. Despite being recognised as a nation hero, Sam is down on his luck, unemployed and missing his days with the Autobots. But conflict soon comes a-calling when the Autobots discover the aforementioned lost spacecraft and its cargo. Cue the needlessly complex yet convenient series of events that includes human-decepticon collaborators, hidden conspiracies, illogical allegiance switching and more. What are the chances that Sam gets a job at the one place where his colleague is a target of assassination by the decepticons because he worked on the moon mission that first discovered the ark? What are the chances that Sam's girlfriend works for a dude who is working for the decepticons? The entire progression of events is way too convenient.

Then the story makes another critical error by not just failing to address unanswered questions from the previous films, but making new questions to be answered. This might not have been so bad with well written characters, but the main leads are as shallow as ever. The only highlight is the witty banter and jokes courtesy of Shia Le Beouf. Shia's timely lines and comedic nature makes for a rather endearing character. Yes the entire movie is funny, you will laugh, but no it is not "well written" from a character development standpoint. Characters are one dimensional and either intentionally or unintentionally funny, from the token muscular black dudes to the sneering haughty decepticon collaborator to the comic relief parents. In true Michael Bay fashion, the new female lead is less of a character and more of a boob and butt display whose only role is stand there posing and looking pretty.

Speaking of camera, here is the one improvement this film has and that is "less erratic camera movements". There are many scenes of Michael Bay's trademark jitter-cam and weird shot angles but thanks to the bulky stereoscopic 3D cameras used, such instances are reduced greatly from previous Bay movies. Bot on bot action could never have been any clearer. The many slow motion scenes allow the intricately designed robots and top notch special effects, possibly the strongest selling point of this film, to shine.

Long time transformers fans might sit on the fence with this one. On one hand, the whole movie combines elements from fan favorite episodes of the classic cartoon series (Ultimate Doom and Megatron's Master Plan) as well as plot points from 2008's "All Hail Megatron" comic story. Numerous shout outs to the cartoons, the comics and other science fiction shows like Star Trek are more than enough for the geeks to go gaga over. 

On the other hand, Autobots and decepticons get their characterisations screwed over again. The scheming backstabber Starscream is reduced to a snivelling lackey, the powerful and logic driven strategist Shockwave is reduced to a mere miniboss and the typically benevolent and peace loving Optimus Prime now has no qualms about massacring bots en masse and carrying out public executions.

By now, Transformers 3 would not be changing any one's opinion of the film franchise. The stuff that people hate about it are taken to whole new levels but so is the stuff that people love about it. It is shallow but fun, superficial but entertaining; The only intellectual talking point of the film would be the implications of a big metal planet entering into earth's orbit. Physics says that such an occurrence is supposed to cause widespread disaster and wanton destruction. But who needs a metal planet when you have Michael Bay's Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon.

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Go For it: if cheap comedy, visceral thrills and loud action is enough to make your day

Avoid it: if you have any appreciation for elements of films that actually matter (like a good story, well developed characters etc)

Entertainment: B+

Story: C+

Acting: A-

Characters: B-

Music: B-

Replay value: B+

"Brains": D+