Mark Thomson

Something of a rarity in the recent batch of animated children's films, this ones actually pretty good. The visuals are stunning, but the stories good too. Usually you only see this with Pixar films. That's not to say that Dreamworks animated features aren't any good, it's just that movies like Shrek or Madagascar are lower down the ladder than The Incredibles or Bugs Life. Gone are the usual plethora of pop-culture references, and for once there are actual characters with motivations. I'd recommend this for the kids (and it's adult friendly too). Check it out.

Plot Synopsis:

Young penguin Cody is the subject of a surfing documentary charting his rise to fame in the Big Z Classic. Cody idolised a famous Surfer, Big Z, as a replacement for his father who was eaten by an orca. Big Z is presumed killed after surfing into an area of jagged rocks during a competition.

Cody manages to join the Big Z Classic tour, and after a serious accident in the first leg of the competition due to the local jock penguin, Cody is taken to a reclusive hermit penguin to recover. During their time together they improve each other's outlook on life - and Cody discovers this hermit is Big Z.

Cody is trained by Big Z, and re-enters the competition. He fails to win the competition by saves his chicken friend, and learns to find greater value in things than competition and trophies.

I didn't really go into this with high-hopes. Let's face it, anything with something versus something else as the title isn't going to be gold. So low expectations aside, how is it? Not too bad, but not great - could have been better. The effects are awesome, the actions good, the Alien Queen's never looked better, but there's plot holes you could drive a truck through, and dialog that occasionally makes you cringe. I had hoped the Extended Cut would redeem itself by adding back some R-rated goodness, but sadly it wasn't to be. You get a couple of minutes of the whaling station 100 years before the actual story, and a little bit more alien gore. Sadly the blood is still missing. Plot wise, the temple and alien rite-of-passage rituals weren't a stupid idea, but setting it in the ice was just stupid. The Predator's come for warmth, god knows how they survived in the snow - not a pair of mittens or a bobble-hat in sight! Still if you don't think too hard, it's fun, and nice to look at and listen too. Hopefully the next installment in the AVP franchise will return to it's adult roots, and give us something really frightening again.

Plot Synopsis:

Weyland Corporation uncovers an ancient temple under the ice on Bogatoya Island. Charles Weyland takes an expedition to explore it. They inadvertently awaken the Alien Queen stored in stasis in the temple, and some of their member's incubate aliens. The Predators arrive, and begin clashing with the aliens and the team, who have taken their shoulder cannons from the temple. The last human survivor is forced to team up with the last surviving Predator to defeat the aliens. They fight the Alien Queen on the ice, and the Predator is killed, but the Queen is defeated. The Predator's return home with the body of their fallen comrade. On the way back, an alien/predator hybrid bursts out of the predator's corpse.

I saw this film at the movies when I was much younger. Still a lot of fun, and a hell of a lot funnier than some of the spoof movie's that come out these days. I watched this with my daughter and she still found it funny. Leslie Nielsen is hilarious.It's amazing how deadpan and straight faced he remains no matter what's going on. The other supporting characters are equally as funny - who knew Priscilla Presley was funny? Although in hindsight, you almost find yourself hoping that the horrible things that happen to OJ Simpson's character were really occuring given the whole 'thing' with his wife. Some scenes worth mentioning: assault with a concrete willy, Drebin at the press conference, saving the Queen, practicing safe sex, Nordberg's various accidents, car chase with a learner driver, and Drebin's various acts of destruction in Ludwig's office.

Plot Synopsis:

Incompetent Police Detective Drebin of Police Squad is assigned to find who injured Officer Nordberg. Along the way he stumbles into a plot to assassinate the Queen (Manchurian Candidate-style) who is visiting America. Drebin stumbles along causing mayhem and destruction, but ultimately manages to save the Queen, and defeat the evil Ludwig.

Finally got the last wisdom tooth out today. Glad it's finally over. Just one more appointment left now and the entire dental treatment plan is completed, and with it the last of the $2,500 it's cost me. Still I haven't had any dental work done in 15 years, so I suppose if you average it out over that period it's not too bad. Rob's got another $2,500 on her teeth, and Micky apparently needs braces now (although I don't think she needs anything). I think we should just about qualify for a discount considering the amount of money we've put down at the dentist lately. It's disappointing that the Government doesn't include dental subsidies as part of it's medical cover.