And the 'Toy Story' Continues With No Disappointment

Toy Story 3 - 9.0/10
"See-it-again" Value - 4



I was born in '93. Disney/Pixar's first film together, as well as the first full length CGI movie in history, Toy Story, hit theatres in '95. Needless to say, as a young kid I fell in love with the film. So 4 years past and the sequel, aptly named Toy Story 2, releases. Again, riots among toddlers break out...just kidding. But no doubt it was a hit among all ages. Now, I'm a teenager and in two years I'm going to be graduating high school and the legacy of Toy Story continues.

The third installment of the most groundbreaking fully-CGI series in history involves all your favorite toys plus more. Woody, Buzz, Bullseye, Jessie, Bullseye, Hamm, Rex, the Potato Heads and more are concerned that Andy will never play with them again, considering he is now off to college. So after a series of misunderstandings and accidents, the toys end up at Sunnyside Daycare. It seems like paradise. They will get played with everyday for eternity, a beautiful place to live, and they will always be together. That is until the reluctant Woody leaves, seeing as he was supposed to be going to college with Andy. Woody escapes and the rest of the gang soon finds out that daycare isn't as nice as they'd hoped.

Having grown up with these films, my largest concern was that the movie would be disappointing. With the first two films being outstanding, was there anything left for a third installment? Well, it turns out that there was.

The movie was up there with the previous two movies. The story was not at all lacking. The characters were just as fun and loveable as before. The family comedy was great. It was just a fantastic family film altogether and I never wanted it to end. I wanted to bask in what I believe will be the final installment of the series.

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return to voice possibly two of the most recognized characters in any movie ever made. Tom Hanks reprising his vocals as Woody the Cowboy and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear the Space Ranger. Though not on camera at any point in the movie, it's strange how the connection between not just these characters but all of the characters is so strong. They create such strong chemistry with excellent voice acting.

But I think there's a fact that was proven with this movie that needs to be addressed. Toy Story 3 truly proves the beauty of the Disney/Pixar relationship. Having made 11 films together, all have been a hit. I have loved every minute of every film, and most would say they've enjoyed them just as much or more. Disney/Pixar is the perfect duo and is truly the king of the hill for CGI films and I doubt they'll be dethroned anytime soon.

There's a lot of twists in the movie also. Not plot twists per say, but twists with the characters. For instance, in an escape attempt from Sunnyside, Mr. Potato Head must ditch his potato body and substitute it for a tortilla. He ends up looking more like a Picasso painting than a Potato Head toy. Buzz has to be reset as some point and thanks to the commonly clumsy dinosaur, Rex, he is set into Spanish-mode, providing some great laughs in the movie.

I found myself a bit teary-eyed by the time the credits began to roll. Yes, I was sad that Shrek was officially over, but I think I've always had more of a connection with Toy Story. I think it was just strange to see a saga that I have grown up and had such a strong connection with. But I'm sure that Disney/Pixar is feeling the same way. They broke ground and planted the seed for CGI movies with the first Toy Story over ten years ago. And suddenly its over.

But even then, this movie went beyond expectations. It went to infinity and beyond!

Sequel to Highest Grossing Movie Ever Brings a New Meaning to 'Original Screenplay'

'Rebirth' to Give New Life to a Broken Franchise?

So here's our first piece of movie news in history on Filmosopher!

A 7-minute 49-second trailer for a new Mortal Kombat film, entitled Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, was leaked on YouTube Tuesday. It's dark, it's demented, it's everything that a Mortal Kombat film should be! But I must admit I am skeptical. After being Rick Rolled too many times and having my hopes up for a Legend of Zelda movie that turned out to be a prank by IGN, it's hard to trust this kind of stuff.

The trailer features several of the favorites including Baraka, Jacks, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage, and, my personal favorite, Scorpion. The casting looks fantastic and so does the make-up and fight scenes. If the trailer is real, then we are in for a treat!

I want so bad for this to be real!




P.S. I apologize that a portion of the video on the right side is cut off. If you want to the view the whole video, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_MqZn7E-mk.

America's Sweethearts Kutcher and Heigl: Killing Audiences One Laugh at a Time

Killers - 7.8/10
"See-it-again" Value - 3





Ashton Kutcher has long been one of my favorite entertainers. From Dude, Where's My Car? to his days on That 70's Show, I've found his ability to play the classic stoner bonehead hilarious. But as an actor, the last thing you want is to be stereotyped into a role. Kutcher seemed to have risen from the dead with his excellent hosting jobs on SNL. Now, his vital signs seem a bit clearer with his performance in the comedy Killers.

Killers is a story of a young woman named Jen (Heigl), afraid to live life on the edge. She is coming off of a split with her boyfriend and is on vacation with her parents in Nice, France. She meets a handsome, cut young man named Spencer (Kutcher) in an elevator. What she doesn't know is that he is a spy and government assassin. Despite this, they instantly click and soon find themselves married.
Three years married, the couple is happy. Spencer has quit his assassin contracts with the government. He is offered yet another job, but refuses it. He wants to live a normal life with Jen, free from danger. He soon finds that he has a $20 million bounty is on his head and his wife, Jen, gets dragged into the predicament. Hired assassins are after the both of them and they must find who is after them and why.

I went to view this movie as a last resort. I had nothing to do so we decided to go see a movie. With not very many age appropriate movies out, Killers seemed the best choice. I was skeptical to say the least. I love Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher but I expected any combination of the following: terrible story, lacking action sequences, too much/little drama, or trying to be too much of either a romance, comedy, or action flick.

I found none of these expected attributes of the film to be true.

Kutcher and Heigl had amazing chemistry, creating this very real entity of their relationship to radiate towards the audience. With each loving kiss, touch, and/or look they gave each other, I felt in love with their love for each other. It was such a unique viewing experience for me, but one that was most pleasant.

The comedy did not disappoint. Katherine Heigl has proven to be great in such comedies as Knocked Up and The Ugly Truth. The insecurity of her character was well displayed through her mannerisms while wielding a gun or even when being shot at. Kutcher threw in a comedy that I have never seen from him. Generally, he's a frat boy, stoner, idiot kind of character. But here, the true attractive man that he is showed. He played a ladies man. The classic sort of spy (a.k.a. An American James Bond). His part was played well and it shows a little bit more range for the young actor.

Last but certainly not least, the action was that of a full-fledged action flick. Car chases, fight scenes, and shootouts were all throughout the movie, but each had a purpose. This is something that many action movies lack. Sometimes it feels as if the characters are fighting because they can. They are fighting because they know some sort of martial arts or fighting style that keeps them cut like a Greek god or goddess. But Killers truly came into its own with such scenes.

Robert Luketic, director of Killers, is slowly rising on my list of favorite directors. He's not being recognized as he should, but, in my book, he's doing well. He's directed films such as Legally Blonde, 21 (a film that I thought was great), and The Ugly Truth.

Killers is well worth a view. It's a great comedy, romance, or action flick, essentially saying it's a movie for any mood. The comedy is hilarious, the action is intense, the romance is real and beautiful. So far, this snags the title of the best "Sleeper" film I've seen all year.

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Shrek

Shrek Forever After - 8.2/10
"See-it-again" Value - 3





I'll never forget that the first movie that I ever saw multiple times while still in theaters was the first Shrek. Dreamworks has hit home with this franchise and has been able to expand and build upon this loveable green guy's story to give us three movies that people young and old have come to enjoy. That's why when the credits began to roll after the fourth installment of the series, I felt my stomach sink. I know that sounds cheesy but I've grown up with Shrek, Donkey, Fiona, and the gang.

Shrek Forever After takes place close to where Shrek the Third left off. Shrek is enjoying life as a father with the ogre of his dreams, Fiona, by his side. But, he soon finds everyday to be a monotonous routine and grows tired and irritated. People no longer fear him as an ogre, but rather as a tourist attraction...literally.
Shrek finds himself making a deal with the mischievious Rumpelstiltskin. He signs a magical contract that says if Shrek gives up a day, he can have a day to feel like an ogre again. He can pillage, destroy, scare, eat, and fart all he wants. Once the contract is signed, everything goes downhill. Shrek finds himself in a very different world where, essentially, all of the major plot happenings from the last three movies never occurred. Shrek soon finds that he was cheated and lied to. Rumpelstiltskin had found some loopholes and now its up to Shrek to fix everything and get his life back before its too late.

Let me start by saying that I still enjoy the first movie the most out of all them. Shrek 2 has always run a close second. But Shrek Forever After has joined the ranks of the second film, tying it for my second favorite of the four movies.

As we all know, the Shrek films have never been strictly about child audiences. Dreamworks' ability to intertwine clever and hidden adult humor into a world of innocence and "Happily-ever-afters" has never failed; this includes Shrek Forever After.

But what I found that was the most impressive about the film was that it taught a very important lesson, something that I believe films are lacking now days. I mean, sure, not every movie has to have a moral, but more of the children's movies should. We need to instill this sense of morality and right vs. wrong early; what better way to do so than to teach while the kids are enjoying themselves.


Shrek Forever After impressed me on every level. It had the great innocent jokes, as well as the ones that only an adult would catch. It had the return of all the characters we love. It was classic Shrek. Seeing as how the third film, Shrek the Third, seemed to have lost its touch a bit, the fourth movie comes and goes with a roar to end the quadrilogy.

Bruckheimer-Disney Team Pick Up Where They Left Off With 'Prince of Persia'

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - 8.7/10
"See-it-again" Value - 4





Walking into the theater with my PIC (Partner In Crime), I was fairly excited for the new Bruckheimer-Disney film, Prince of Persia. Of course, this duo proudly produced a series that has been one of my favorites, Pirates of the Caribbean. I couldn't help but ponder over whether this would be as good. Would it bring the same intensity? Would the great action sequences fuse again with comedy to produce an experience of equal or greater value than Pirates?

Then I found myself pondering further over whether this was fair. Should this series be compared to Pirates? Should I expect the same experience or just be open to embrace a new one?

Yes and answer choice number 2.

The movie follows the story of a young man known as Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal), a young urchin boy in the capital of the Persian empire who, due to an act of great courage, is taken in as a son by the very King of Persia, Sharaman, making Dastan a prince.
We find Dastan and his two brothers, Tus and Garsiv, raiding a holy city, where they meet the beautiful Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) who is the keeper of a mystical dagger known as the Dagger of Time. It holds a substance known as the sands of time and when released from the dagger by a button its hilt, time is rewound, unbeknownst to all except the keeper of the dagger itself. Through deceit and treachery, Dastan is turned away and united with Tamina, the true keeper of the dagger. Together they must protect the dagger from bands of thieves and those who betrayed him.

Bruckheimer and Disney do it again! Turns out that my choice to prepare myself for a new experience was only half needed. Successfully, the film takes on a very similar approach to the Pirates trilogy. It uses parkour techniques during its action sequences, allowing Dastan show off his agility and ability to make his enemies look like fools!

The comic relief throughout the film is very well executed. A character known as Sheik Amar (Alfred Molina) seems to be the center of such moments. But Gyllenhaal and Tamina's classic "man vs. woman" bickering is hilarious, so don't take it for granted! I found myself laughing quite often throughout the entirety of the film; something that I did not expect to do.

So the fact of the matter is, Prince of Persia is not as good as the Pirates of the Caribbean. But I would not at all be disappointed if they made a sequel, possibly presenting a conflict from another one of the video games. I must say that I openly welcome Gemma Arterton to Hollywood because she is hotter than Keira. :D

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time does a decent job at staying true to the video game (a series that I am a fan of). The stunts and action sequences are great and creative. The comic relief was surprisingly frequent but not too frequent.

Bruckheimer and Disney...I congratulate you for the repeat of success!

And so it begins....

Hello all! The name is Wulff the Beast a.k.a. The Filmosopher. With the help of bloggers that I know, I will be starting this regular update of movie news and reviews as I get it. But, I plan to shake it up a bit with news and reviews that deal with the other sections of entertainment (music, video games, etc.).

If you're a movie geek, this is the place for you! All my life I have been in love with film and the magic of Hollywood. I have recently begun stage acting and love it!

While this blog will be about reviews and news, it will be highly opinionated. I will pull no punches and will write with as much emotion and heart as I feel for the movie. If later I feel that I must correct myself, I will.

I also plan to set up a separate email account so that readers can email me their views on subjects we talk about, reviews on movies that I mention, or anything else they feel that they need to write about. I don't want to completely run the show here! I feel like a blog such as this should embrace its readers and this is exactly what I will do!

Well, thanks for reading! More will come very soon. I plan on posting a couple reviews to movies that I have seen recently in theaters and on DVD. Happy viewing, film geeks!