Upping the Ante

Advantages: Strong script and characterisations, outstanding animation
Disadvantages: None

...Introduction Computer generated animation is a term synonymous with Pixar, despite the fact many other studios use the technique to great effect. Pixar are of course responsible for films which have quickly become modern classics, such as ?Toy Story?, ?Cars? and ?Ratatouille? and there is a reason for this ? quite simply they are in a league of their own when it comes to the quality of films they are producing. The level of animation is a cut above Sony or Dreamworks? attempts within the genre, and the scripts are never less than excellent either. ?Up? is the latest release from Pixar, and having skipped ?Wall-E? due to complete disinterest from my daughter, I was curious to see this one. I had also participated in an online survey about the film with her several months ago, so I had a rough idea what to expect, but the finished...

rosebud2001 10.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Up (DVD)

Up, up and away!

Advantages: Some funny moments
Disadvantages: Too long, unpleasant animation

... Film Only Cinema Review This is the latest Disney Pixar offering, I tried my best to avoid watching it, but the kids really wanted to see it and they doubled up on their chores to earn the money, so I couldn?t say no. Synopsis Carl Fredricksen is an elderly man who has dreamt of going to Paradise Falls since he was a young boy. As a youngster Carl watched his hero Charles Muntz go off on his adventures in a blimp and return to hero status. Until one day scientists doubted Charles and the skeleton he brought back from Paradise Falls and mocked him, Charles vowed to bring back a live specimen. And so with his trusty pack of hounds he set off to Paradise Falls. On his way home from the cinema after seeing Charles set off, Carl heard adverturing chatter coming from a rundown old house. Inside was Ellie, a fellow...

Fiver29 21.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Up (DVD)

Up Up and Away!

Advantages: Amazing characters, fabulous storyline, hillarious & Emotional at the same time!
Disadvantages: It's not out on DVD yet so I have to wait a few months before I can watch it again!

...Up! About Pixar Pixar is a branch of Disney which has been around since its first ?big? film, Toy Story in 1996, almost 14 years ago (certainly doesn?t feel that long ago!!!!!). Pixar since then has continued to make world class films which are now a common name in every child?s mind, and in most people?s homes. In fact Disney Pixar first came around in 1984 when John Lasseter left Disney to work with George Lucas? (Star Wars) animation group which was to later become Pixar. The very very first film by the Pixar group (even if they weren?t yet to be called that!) was a short, which Pixar are now famous for, called Andre and Wally B. It wasn?t until two years later in 1986, when Pixar got its famous name, although at this time there were only around 44 employees, a tiny percentage of the amount of people working for Pixar today...

stephbond89 16.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Up (DVD)

The Film Was 'Up'? But Made Me Feel Soooo Down

Advantages: Thought-provoking, fantastic animation, lovely story.
Disadvantages: A bit too sad at times.

...Director: Pete Docter & Bob Peterson Screenplay: Pete Docter & Bob Peterson Genre: Animation ? Family ? Adventure ? Comedy Country: USA Certification: PG Language: English MAIN CAST - VOICES: Carl Fredricksen [Edward Asner] Young Carl [Jeremy Leary] Young Ellie [Elie Docter] Russell [Jordan Nagai] Charles Muntz [Christopher Plummer] It all happened on a lazy summer day? Carl, just a child, meets Ellie, a boisterous little girl with shocking orange hair that sticks up like a porcupine. Ellie is everything that Carl is not, and he?s thoroughly fascinated? in fact, he?s so spellbound by the loud and excitable orange-haired girl, that he can?t seem to find his voice when she?s near him ? but that doesn?t matter because she speaks enough for the two of them! Although totally different, the two children share...

GoFigure 05.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of Up

Going Up!

Advantages: Orignal tracks
Disadvantages: A couple of less inspired moments

... Who is Shania Twain? Shania Twain, who was born Eileen Regina Edwards, is a five-time Grammy award winning Canadian singer-songwriter. Her music fits in the country pop category and has won her fame and success around the world. Throughout her career Shania has received 27 BMI songwriter awards and her third album, Come On Over, is the best-selling album by a female musician of all time. Her Albums Up to date Shania has released five studio albums: Shania Twain (1993), The Woman in Me (1995), Come on Over (1997), The Complete Limelight Sessions (2001), Up! (2002) and Greatest Hits (2004). Up Up was Shania?s fourth studio album and was released in November 2002. It is said that the material for the album was written and recorded across the world from Berlin and Vienna to the Bahamas and Mumbai. The album...

MI9to5 16.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Up - Shania Twain

These teens go fired up!

Advantages: easygoing comedy
Disadvantages: predictable

...I watched this film yesterday in the afternoon while my sons were sleeping. I laughed a lot and hoped that I won?t wake them up. It is a very easy comedy that is mostly for young audience. This film was directed by Will Gluck and is recommended from 12 years. It was released in the summer of this year (2009). It is 90 minutes long. The story is very simple and there is only one twist in it, the rest is very predictable. So you won?t think for days about this film. You just enjoy it, laugh a lot then forget it. The characters in this film are mostly students. They are presented as easygoing, partying boys and girls with no deep feelings and touching message. Characters There are a lot of people in the story but the main rolls are: Shawn Colfax ? Nicholas D?Agosto Nick Rady ? Eric Christian Olsen Carly ? Sarah Roemer Dr. Rick ? David...

D_i_a_n_e 23.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Fired Up!

Chins up!

Advantages: good story
Disadvantages: /

...When I was younger I always had my nose in a book. Being the huge animal lover I was (and still am), I often chose to read books about animals. The Animal Ark book series by Lucy Daniels was very popular with me, and one of the titles was Chinchilla Up the Chimney. Although you should never judge a book by its cover, I always do, so it is important that it looks good! This particular cover is weird. You can see an image of a rather unusual looking chinchilla. I find it to be quite eerie, but very eye catching and it definitely drew me in. The book itself is about Mandy Hope, whose parents are vets. A chinchilla has got on the loose and Mandy worries about it. She tries to track the chinchilla down and return it to its owner but can she find it before it gets hurt? This is a basic story with a simple structure. It is great, I feel...

Amy69 04.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of Chinchilla Up The Chimney - Lucy Daniels

Did Not Step Up to the Mark

Advantages: good dancing
Disadvantages: Average acting, weak and predictable storyline

...Tyler gage is a teenager who is from the rundown end of Baltimore. He lives in a foster home and makes a living steeling cars with his two close friends. Tyler and his friends love to dance and it is on one of the nights when they are thrown out of a party after Tyler danced with someone girlfriends that he lands himself in trouble. Tyler, Skinny and Mac end up breaking into the School for Performing Arts and wreaking havoc and as a result Tyler is given 200 hours community service which he must do working in the school. It is at this school doing his community service where he meets Nora, a very well to do girl who is a classical dancer and is working towards a showcase in the hope that she will be accepted by a Dance Company. Nora is stuck as she has lost her dance partner and it is not long before Tyler offers to step in. Nora...

sewbizzie 28.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Step Up (DVD)

Grown up nappies

Advantages: made my daughter feel more grown up
Disadvantages: expensive and still like a nappy

...My eldest was potty trained during the day before she was two and at night about a month after she was two. I had refused to get drawn into using pull ups or easy ups (not sure what they were called then). I thought that they would feel like nappies so it would confuse her so I stayed away from them and potty training was quite simple, in fact it was easy! My youngest was different there was no way she was ready to get rid of the nappies before she was two. As I was increasing my hours at work at the end of September I wanted her potty trained for nursery - not that it would be a problem for them, it was just how I felt she would be about 3 weeks off 2 and a half when she started. So as I had previously kept the nappy off to see how she found it I realised that it was not going to be quite so easy second time round. I still didn...

rojm 04.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Pampers Easy Up Pants

* Knocked Up *

Advantages: Funny , Great Characters , Different
Disadvantages: Couldn't Watch It Again

...My plan was actually to go and see Knocked Up in the cinema when it was released in 2007, however I did not get round to it , and therefore waited for it to come out on DVD. I wanted to see Knocked Up because I had heard so many good reviews about it , and had even read somewhere that it was THE film of 2007 , and this is what made me look for the DVD on play.com. I was delighted when I saw that this DVD was selling for £3.99 ; an excellent bargain I thought , considering the film was such a success and the DVD hadn't been out that long. So when I saw it on the site , into my basket it went , and my next stop was the checkout! As soon as the DVD arrived through my letter box , I was eager to watch it. So that evening I put aside time to watch this film. Knocked up is a 2007 comedy film , directed by Judd Apatow. Running time...

xdonzx 15.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of Knocked Up (DVD)