Review: Due Date

Due Date was a film coming from the same producer of the Hangover (whatever that means).  It has one of my most favorite actors Robert Downy Jr. and Zach Galifianakis is always entertaining.  A great recipe for a good time.

Due Date is a film about Peter Highman, an highly successful architect who is traveling home to LA to be with his wife.  She is having their first child and Peter is on a mission to be with her during the birth.  After having an unfortunate encounter with Ethan, he has been added to the No-Fly list.  He is forced to drive cross country with the same man who forced him into this predicament.  It is a modern and hilarious odd couple pairing.  

Likes - I enjoyed this film. It has its LOL moments but I think there was a bit more dry and subtle then 'The Hangover', which I can appreciate. The plot progressed pretty nicely and didn't drag or feel belabored at any point.  There wasn't a huge cast of colorful characters, though Danny McBride's appearance is a definite and wonderful exception.  Galifianakis is enough of a strange and lost character to carry the film.  Downey was in classic form here, playing a non-hero version of Tony Stark, with a major mean streak.  It felt good watching him lay into people.  Personally, it made up for all the times in my life I tried being decent and informing people how they need to stop being themselves and to read a book. 

Dislikes - There was nothing overt that I disliked.  I had high hopes for this film based on the crew and behind the scenes team involved.  The film did deliver but lacked that extra 'omph' I was hoping for.  Again, the plot was executed well, which is a major point for me in any story, be it film, TV, or book.  

Overall - Good film.  Maybe even great film but I think that would be shown over time.  I needed something light, funny and heartfelt. I got it with Due Date.  An added note, I think this is great date film. 4.5 out of 5 stars from this guy.  GO WATCH IT! 

Review: Wristcutters

I had heard through the grapevine that Wristcutters was a good indie film.  It was centered around suicide and death, so it was a natural pick for me.

Wristcutters centers around Zia.  Zia, overwhelmed by the breakup of his girlfriend Desiree, cuts his wrists and ends his life.  What he comes to find on the other side, is not pearly white gates or even fire and brimstone.  Instead, he is left in a world much like the world he left, only slightly worse.  Soon, he discovers a new resident in the limbo of suicide has arrived.  Zia and his new found friends go on a seemingly endless journey, looking for someone.  In time, they each discover what they are really needing.

Likes - I really liked the subtle sensibilities of this movie.  This movie wasn't over the top, which was what I was looking for.  It had a good message and enough charm to make it stick.

Dislikes - There wasn't anything in particular I didn't like about this movie.  

Overall - I enjoyed this film.  It was a light affair into dark humor.  It fit my mood perfectly.  I recommend this to anyone looking for the lighter side on death. 3.5 out of 5 stars.  

Review: Soul Eater (Anime)

I was looking for a good anime to watch.  I then came across Soul Eater.  It had a cute girl swinging a huge scythe around and goes to a school founded by the Grim Reaper.  This was made just for me!

Soul Eater focuses on a band for 7 students, all of whom attend the DWMA.  The DWMA was founded by Death to train weapons (beings who can change into actual weapons) and their meisters.  Weapons and Meisters main purpose is to keep dead souls in check and prevent a Kishin from being created.  A Kishin is a creature so full of fear, it falls into a contagious madness.  The main duo is Makka and Soul.  The story begins with Soul on the verge to becoming a Death Scythe, a prestigious level for a weapon.  Unfortunately, things go awry.  The 51 episode series also adds Black Star and Tsubaki, and Death the Kid and twins Liz and Patti.  Enemies come out from the shadows attacking the Academy and its students, all in the hope of awakening a Kishin.

Likes: I enjoyed the overall themes of this anime.  The animation style gave me the impression this would be a fluffy series but I was sorely mistaken.  Almost right away, stories involving how to react and handle emotions come up very quickly.  The series also addresses concepts of teamwork and family.  I also enjoyed the depth the series had in regards to the characters.  Despite having a large central cast, there was enough developments to keep things fresh.  I was concerned there would be some loose ends but they managed to tie just about all of them up by the last episode.  

Dislikes:  The animation style can throw you off.  At first, it didn't seem to mesh at all with the story content and characters.  Pretty quickly though, I grew fond of it.  There were some major story arcs that seem to happen out of nowhere.  Mainly, in the middle of the series a new rival group appears out of nowhere, with seemingly no connections to the previous set of villains.  Also, the last episode seemed rushed and lacked some cohesiveness to the overall series and themes.  Another annoyance was the overall series length.  51 episodes is a bit much in my book.  They did mange to make it a fun ride though.  In a way, 51 episodes was perfect.

Overall: I highly recommend this anime.  I feel this is one series worth watching again, despite is long spread.  I really enjoyed the themes of handling emotion, teamwork, and family.  I found myself rushing home just so I could get my next episode in.  If you're looking for a good new series with action, depth and some bright, flashy animation, Soul Eater is for you.