Happy Mutation Day! (+My Thoughts on the TMNT Movie)

One question: Why have I not updated this blog since August 13? One answer: I have no idea. Quick update: I started college on September 3 and am going strong! There are a lot of things I love about college vs high school, though I miss the latter sometimes.

I have also started watching Doctor Who regularly. The last episode I watched was S04E13-14 "The Stolen Earth" and "Journey's End." Let's just say I cried...a lot. If all goes well, I will be all caught up by the end of the year. I am totally in love with this show. I can't believe I never watched it before. (I'll elaborate on this more in another post.)

All of that aside, it's time to tell you what this post is about: TMNT 2012's Mutation Day! That's right! Two years ago today, TMNT 2012 aired on Nickelodeon, and I have been swept up in the tidal wave of fandom ever since. I can't tell you how much I love these guys. (Also, has anyone noticed that they are now sixteen in the show? They never celebrated on screen, but it happened.)

The Season 2 finale was AMAZING. Holy crap. There was so much about it that I loved - and I'll admit, my favorite part was when Leo was thrown through the window. Not because he was hurt and unconscious, mind you, but because it paid homage to my favorite version of the Turtles, when Leo fought off hordes of the Foot Clan before being tossed through a window. After that, the Turtles fled from the city, just like they did in the Season 2 finale. I just...I can't even...the feels!!

I need to get this out there, too: Remember way back when I first heard Dominic Catrambone as Leo and I freaked out because it wasn't Jason Biggs? Well...I changed my mind. I really grew to love his voice and I wish Nick would have kept him, but alas, Leo will be voiced by Seth Green from here on out. I am anxious to see how he does. HE'S the one who will have three episodes to impress me, because quite frankly, Dominic impressed me after his second episode. XD

All that being said, I am SUPER excited for the Season 3 premiere on Friday. What happens to Leo? Will Donnie admit his feelings for April? How will the guys reunite with Splinter? And what about Karai? I NEED ANSWERS!!

All right. One last thing. You all are probably like, "Dude, didn't you see the new TMNT movie? You said you were going to do a review!" And my answer would be yes, I did see it, and yes, I was going to do a review...but I changed my mind. Writing a real review would take too long, and I just don't have time anymore to do it. Instead, I will enlighten you with my thoughts about the film.

Above all else, know this: I LOVED THIS MOVIE. Holy crap, did I love this movie. I saw it in theaters four times. It was just so good. I had a lot of doubts going into it, but coming out, all of those doubts were erased. Despite all of the bad press surrounding this film, Michael Bay did a good job keeping the Turtles in character. And surprisingly, Megan Fox did a decent job as April. I still can't think "That's April O'Neil" when I look at her, but at least she didn't totally butcher the character. Fun fact: Megan was pregnant while filming this movie. Isn't that crazy? I could never do all of that action stuff if I was pregnant. (Well, maybe I could, so long as the Turtles were involved.)

The Good: The Turtles were in character, the story was new while still keeping some elements of previous story lines, the action scenes were good (I mean, come on; that snow chase scene was awesome), the music was epic, and it was funny. I love that Raph was in character. (SPOILERS: I also really love that he pretty much laid out all of the reasons why I love him in his goodbye speech at the end. I cry every time.)

The Bad: Holy plot holes, Batman! There is so much left open or unresolved in this movie. If you are part of the Turtles universe, you can fill in some holes, but not all of them. Second, why the heck was Eric Sacks in this movie? What purpose did he serve? Third, Shredder's armor was WAY over the top. Too many blades. (Though I have to admit, the Shredder vs Splinter scene was EPIC.)

Overall, it was so worth the $30+ I probably spent going to see this movie multiple times. First, I went to the premiere showing on August 8 with my dad. The very next day, I went to see it again. About a week later, I saw it again. Another week later, my whole family went. I can't express how much I love this film. That moment when we first see the Turtles' faces in the movie is the COOLEST MOMENT EVER!! :D

Right. I think I've gone all-out nerd long enough for one day. To celebrate TMNT 2012's Mutation Day, I will be watching S01E01-2 "Rise of the Turtles" and S02E25-26 "The Invasion" to see how far the Turtles have come in two years. It will be epic.

COWABUNGA!!

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Movie Review by Guest Blogger, Marie Gilbert

Remember how I said that my grandmom and I went to see the newest "Planet of the Apes" movie in theaters a couple of weeks ago? We decided to each review it and then post on each other's blogs because we loved it so much. Last week you saw my review, and although I had intended for hers to come out after my review of the newest TMNT movie, I decided that it would make more sense to post this first. (That, and I need some extra time to think about things before I write my TMNT review.)

So without further ado, please welcome my guest blogger, Marie Gilbert (aka Grandmom)!

Planet of the Apes

If you’re my age, you’ve probably seen the original 1968 film, Planet of the Apes, starring Charlton Heston as George Taylor the American astronaut who with his crew crash landed on a strange planet after spending thousands of years in hibernation. The film which is based on Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel, La Planete des Singes, introduced moviegoers to intelligent gorillas and speechless, animalistic humans.

The film’s ending, along with Taylor’s shocking realization of his true location, is seared forever in my mind and I became an instant fan. Unfortunately, I found most of the sequels to Planet of the Apes a big disappointment, but at the time I wasn’t sure why. It was only after watching the 2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes and this year’s blockbuster, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes that I understood what was missing from the earlier films.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

To give my thoughts on The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, I do need to mention the 2011 film The Rise of the Planet of the Apes which was directed by Rupert Wyatt and starred James Franco as Will Rodman and Andy Serkis as Caesar. The 2011 film did what all the previous films in the franchise did not do. It allowed the movie audience to become one with an intelligent species that is endangered in the real world.  Will Rodman (Franco) a scientist from the Sen-Sys Biotech Company is working on a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, a disease that his father is victim to…but we all know that the plans of mice and men often go astray.

The company does its research on chimpanzee subjects and the drug ALZ-112 makes one of the chimps, Bright Eyes, extremely intelligent, but she goes on a rampage. Due to this mishap, Will is forced to take her infant and raise it. Infant Caesar grows more intelligent each day, but he still has animal tendencies that Will Rodman must deal with. The drug may be a blessing for the primate characters of the film, but its side effect on humans is catastrophic. While the airborne disease becomes a pandemic nightmare for mankind, Caesar and his fellow intelligent chimpanzee friends escape to Muir Woods; their new home. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes changed the game plan on the franchise by telling the story from a new perspective. We began to identify with Caesar. He was the hero of the film; the survivor against man’s cruelty towards non-humans.

 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

The 2014 film directed by Matt Reeves and starring Andy Serkis as Caesar, Jason Clarke as Malcolm, Gary Oldman as Drefus and Toby Kibbell a bonobo and Caesar’s second in command, focused on the lives of the primates living in Muir Woods.  Have you’ve ever truly looked into a primate’s eyes. I do whenever I am at the zoo or when watching all the National Geographic documentaries about the dire conditions of a species, be they Chimpanzee, Bonobo or Gorilla. There is intelligence in those eyes and before we split off from our cousins millions of years ago, we were just like them and we have the DNA to prove it ranging between a 95 to 99% similarity.

In the 2014 film we see Caesar in charge of his troop of fellow primates.  They’ve not only built shelter for themselves, but they successfully hunt for food. When Drefus (Oldman) the leader of a small band of human survivors living in a section of San Francesco sends Malcolm and his team to check for a source of water power to keep their city running, they encounter Caesar’s son, Blue Eyes (Nick Thurston) and Rocket’s son, Ash (Doc Shaw). Ash is injured.

The film deals with Caesar and Malcolm trying to keep peace between the two species, but mistakes are made by both sides and it’s not only the humans who thirst for supremacy; stupid choices are made by both men and beast alike.

Conclusion

Humans have this false illusion that we are above nature. It is because of this mistaken belief that our oceans are polluted; our air dirty and species around the globe go extinct at an alarming rate. We forget that the havoc we cause to nature will eventually come back to kick us in the butt. If we don’t respect nature and the other life forms that share this planet with us, then we are doomed.

When you look into the eyes of any animal, you see a comrade that has survived, like us, the evolutionary trip through time. They deserve our respect. See the movie. We are witness to an old story told through new eyes and it feels right.

~

You can find Marie Gilbert on Google + and on her blog, Gilbert Curiosities. :-)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Movie Review

Here's a back-story for you: when I was visiting my grandparents on the East Coast these past couple of weeks, we went to see the new Planet of the Apes movie in the theater (which had really nice recliner seats, by the way). When it was over, my grandmom and I were so impressed with the film that we agreed to review it and then post each other's thoughts on our blogs. My grandmom has already posted her review on her site, mine will be making an appearance there next week, and vice-versa.

That being said, here is my review of the movie.

I am among the new generation of fans for the Planet of the Apes movies. I know that there were movies made in the 1960's, but I only ever saw one of them (I have no clue which one it was). Honestly, I didn't care for it. The story wasn't really interesting, the characters were kind of bland, and the ending was unsatisfactory. That, and being a teenager with today's technology, I am used to better animation and effects than they had back then. Perhaps that was also part of the reason I disliked the older movies.

However, when the 2011 version of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was released, I really enjoyed it. I had no idea they would make a sequel, though in retrospect that was kind of obvious. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is basically the origin story of Caesar and how he came to be the character we know today. The 2011 film focuses on a human scientist named Will Rodman and a tragic accident in an experimental laboratory that leads him to adopt a baby chimp, which he names Caesar. From there the story follows Caesar's life in the lap of luxury until the day his animal instincts take over, he is introduced to other chimps for the first time, and must quickly learn his place in the animal kingdom. Ultimately, he leads a "prison break" of sorts and leads his fellow primates into the Muir Woods. When his human caretaker comes after him, he refuses to return to the life he knew and instead takes on a new future.

2014's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" takes place about 10 years after the first movie, when the Simian Flu has wiped out millions of people worldwide, leaving only a handful of survivors left. Most remaining humans are afraid of the apes and want nothing to do with them, but necessity for power drives them to face their fears. The main human in this film is a man named Malcolm. He is willing to do whatever it takes to help the people around him as long as it means having peace with the apes. Caesar feels the same way. When the humans realize their only hope for survival lies beyond the apes' home, Malcolm and Caesar form a truce that, unfortunately, doesn't last long. Koba, one of Caesar's followers, is not too happy with the idea of having humans around all the time. He, unlike his leader, was treated terribly by the human race, and he has not forgotten. Koba challenges Caesar's authority many times before finally making a drastic move that will change the course of history on Earth forever. (No spoilers here!)

In conclusion, I only have this to say: I am easy to please when it comes to movies, but it takes a lot to really, truly impress me with one. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" wasn't one of those films where I walked out of the theater thinking it was okay and shrugging it off as something I'd watch again with my family on DVD. This movie really got the gears in my brain churning. For days after seeing it I couldn't stop thinking about the characters, the story, the animation and effects. The entire film was mind-blowing. I give it a 9/10 rating and definitely recommend that you watch it before it leaves theaters. It's one of those movies that is just better on the big screen.

~

Marie Gilbert's review of "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" will be posted here on my blog next week, after my review of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

Sonic Prologue: Film Review (+TMNT Coming Soon!)

Today is August 5. Sonic Prologue was released three days ago.

And I forgot. #worstmobianever

That being said, I am going to redeem myself by doing a full-on movie-style review of this 25 minute fan film, which is now available on YouTube and the Sonic Prologue Film Blog. Go watch it!

First I just have to say this: Sonic Prologue was a million times better than "Sonic," the fan film featuring Jaleel White. It was accurate, had good voice acting and animation, the story was one we are familiar with, and great voice casting. I mean, TheDragonSuperman as Robotnik? That had me on board from the moment it was announced.

This movie is about - wouldn't you know it? - Sonic and Tails. Specifically, it's about the day they met and the day Sonic faced his metal counterpart again before the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. All Mobians know this story. Tails spots Sonic running around, thinks he's the coolest person ever (because he is), and starts following him everywhere. Of course, Sonic notices him pretty quickly, and the rest is history. That was the basis for this film, but it went more in depth than that. For instance, when Tails was following Sonic around, it wasn't really stalker-ish creepy. It was more of a young kid longing to be like his hero and thus taking a closer look to see what he was all about and what made Sonic who he was.

The story itself is actually a flashback. At the very beginning we see modern Sonic and Tails hanging out in the Green Hill Zone and talking about how that's where they met. From there the rest of the movie is simply retelling the story, with twp more brief modern scenes thrown in before the end.

I thought this movie was really well done, considering that it was fan-made. Many fan-made things are just "eh" instead of amazing. But I think Doryan Nelson did a good job in creating this movie. He really captured the essence and humor of Sonic as well as providing good action sequences. (The Sonic vs Metal Sonic scene was extremely well done. I have watched that part so many times; it's just so good.) The soundtrack for this film is a healthy mix of tunes we are familiar with and new, original pieces. While at first it is odd to hear someone else's voice coming out of Classic Sonic (rather than the usual Jaleel White), you get used to it quickly and find it was a perfect fit for him. And of course, TheDragonSuperman does a great job as Robotnik.

Excited yet? Watch the movie here on YouTube and be sure to download the soundtrack here for FREE! And that's a wrap for my Sonic Prologue review.

But wait! There's more! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hits theaters in JUST THREE DAYS!! Finally! And um...I may have reliable intel that there's a slight chance I will see it a day early...in 3D...because that's how I roll. Haha! In either case, whether I see it Thursday or Friday, I will be posting a movie review shortly afterwards with all of my thoughts. Just a heads up: there will most likely be spoilers. Don't say I didn't warn you! Until next time, COWABUNGA!! :D

Has this month been busy or what?

Answer: yes. Crazy busy. But that's okay, because I get to spend some time in the city with my grandmom and grandpop and cousin Nathan. (You should have seen the look on their faces when I asked them what a hoagie was. In Wyoming we just call them subs. Haha)

Anyway, it's July 30 and I just realized I haven't posted a blog at ALL this month, and I decided to give a brief update while my crazy family watches Sharknado 2 upstairs.

First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my younger brother Kadin, who is now officially 14! Woo! :D

Second: the TMNT movie premieres in nine days! I'm excited! Along with that, the Season 2 finale of the TV show will air this September, and it looks SO AWESOME!! So many references! Like...Leo fighting the Foot and Shredder by himself and then crashing through a window...sound familiar?? :D

Third, for those of you who read Roof Oasis by my grandmom, Marie Gilbert, I can promise that the sequel will be even better! I've had the opportunity to read the first six chapters, and I couldn't put it down. It will be worth the wait, I promise.

Fourth, my family and I went to see Planet of the Apes in theaters the other day, and the verdict? It was AMAZING. It usually takes a lot to really, truly impress me with a movie, and this one did it. It was easily 10 times better than the first. I can't wait for more Planet of the Apes movies in the future. A full review will be on its way once I get back home (and probably just in time for the TMNT movie review).

Finally, the biggest news yet: have you heard the new, official theme for the TMNT movie, called "Shell Shocked?" No?! Then what the heck are you waiting for?? Here it is!

Hope you all are enjoying your July! I promise I will post more stuff in August. I've just been busy this month with this trip to Philidelphea and everything. For now, maybe this awesome TMNT pic will tide you over:

Roof Oasis: Book Review

I FINALLY finished this book! I literally started it when I first got the copy back in May. I just have had so much other stuff going on, I never had a chance to sit down and read it like I have had this week. Before I go into my review, I want to say congrats to my grandmom on being officially published! How exciting is that? Also, I am going to be completely, 100% honest about what I think. (I liked the book, so don't worry, grandmom!)

Roof Oasis is a sci-fi / dystopian / horror novella set in the year 2051 (if I did my math correctly). It follows the lives of Michael and Lucy, 28-year-old twins, as they attempt to survive the zombie apocalypse and reunite with their alien friend from their childhood. As the plot moves along, the twins are separated, living on two different worlds as war rages on Earth. I won't give any spoilers here, but that is a basic idea of the story.

First, I want to say that while this is not a book I would normally read, I did enjoy it. The characters were interesting - not just your typical protagonists. They each had their own lives to live and challenges they had to face. The setting was familiar, the descriptions were easy to picture in your mind's eye, and the plot was constantly moving along and keeping things interesting - not a moment was wasted in this 64-page novella.

Some things I especially liked about this book are as follows: The character Razhep was unique and interesting. I always liked it when he was in a scene. I knew the locations fairly well, having visited some of them before. The logic behind the apocalypse was sound and also a bit scary, since I remember hearing about the Antarctic life discovery in my aquatic bio class last year. The Leader, as he is known, has my interest. I want to know who he is, exactly, and more about the powerful demons who work for him. (I also want to know how the protagonists are going to kick his butt later on.)

Some things I didn't prefer about this book: I don't like language in any books, no matter who wrote them, so that's one thing. Second, there was a particular scene which described children being eaten by zombies, and that grossed me out a little. I know that if something like this were to happen, it would be accurate, but that doesn't make me like it any more. Finally, while I did like the fast-moving pace of the story, there were three or four brief sections that moved along a little too fast, I think.

Overall, I would give this book 3/5 stars for a great storyline, interesting characters, and fast-moving action. If you are interested in a zombie apocalypse tale but don't have much time to read, Roof Oasis is a good place to go. Even if you do have time to read, it's a good place to go. Congrats again to my grandmom and I anxiously await Book 2! :-)

New Ninja Turtles Design & Toy Review

So on Sunday I was walking through Walmart with my mom, and we had just left the toy section (after I found a pair of sweet Raphael earbuds) when I saw it: an entire display of the new Ninja Turtles, along with the new toys! Finally! An up-close look at what Michael Bay has done to our heroes in the half-shell.

I took a long time to really look at each of the Turtles up close, and I pulled out the toys to take a look at them, too. My mom actually continued on without me; I was taking so long. But this movie has been under wraps for so many months now...it was awesome to finally get a good look at them.

Well..."good" may not be the right word. The following paragraphs detail the four Turtles - along with some supporting characters - and give my opinion on each. Keep in mind that these are just my thoughts. I can't claim to speak for every Shellhead out there.

And we're off. First up, Leonardo. Personally, I think Leo looks the best out of the four of them. If the turtles HAVE to wear something, I think they did a good job with him. It's a simple samurai outfit. I also think that his face looks the best of the four; usually he wears a serious expression, but his eyes are calm, which really reflects who he is as a leader. Forget about the rest of him - when I look in his eyes I can see it's really Leo in there. At least they got that right.

Second, Raphael. OK, now, I know that Raph is the big, tough guy. But I think they took that to a bit of an extreme. His facial expression in almost every photo you see is anger. His eyes scream "I'm going to kill someone," and that's kind of scary, actually. I've never really been scared of Raphael (my favorite turtle), but this version of him radiates power and anger. It's kind of creepy. Plus, he's huge compared to the other turtles. Exaggerated muscles, much? Something I did notice upon closer inspection was something between a gash and a scar on his lower left cheek. Bet you can't guess where he may have gotten that. *sarcasm*

Gonna be honest...I really don't like how Donatello looks. At all. At first I thought that I was just thinking he looked bad because of the trailer and some preview pics, but when I saw him close up for the first time, I was like, "Um...no." Because it's just not him! Yes, he's the geek of the bunch, but having him wear a bunch of tech gear on his shell and carry a metal bo staff and wear nerdy glasses...that's too much. I love nerds as much as the next person, but it's way too much for Donnie. Plus his legs look way too skinny in proportion to the rest of him. It's like he's a hulk of a turtle from the waist up, but from the waist down, he's a stick person. It just looks wrong. One good thing I do have to say for him is this: I really like the Japanese writing on his bandanna. That's pretty cool.

Finally, Michelangelo. Right after Leo, he's the best looking Turtle. He wears the most of the four of them, with jeans and shoes and necklaces and sunglasses...the whole bit. It's crazy. But you know, as crazy as it is, it really does reflect him. Mikey's always been the most outgoing. It makes sense that he would wear the most human stuff and try to fit in more than the others. But again, it seems a bit much. It seems like they got his personality right, though, based on the trailer. "It's just a mask, don't freak out." *takes it off* "Right?" (And then April O'Neil faints. Way to go, Mikey.)

Now for Splinter. Holy cow. Actually, I agree with my dad on this one: he looks the least messed up of all of the redesigned characters. Yeah, the mustache is new, but everything else looks about the same. Fine, he's wearing blue instead of red or brown, but really, that's about it. He's still a rat. He looks like a shorter version of the 2012 Master Splinter. (To me, anyway.)

Shredder is a white guy. Sorry, I just can't get over that. Shredder is not Oroku Saki. He's Eric Sachs. Really? What the heck happened there? Where's Tang Shen? Did Shredder adopt Karai in this movie? Cause he's white but she's Asian, so...yeah. (I promise, I am not racist.) And where does the rivalry between him and Splinter come from now? Is there a rivalry at all? Oh, boy, we're in trouble.

It's weird to see Foot Soldiers carrying guns instead of katanas or nunchucks, but I suppose in all fairness, the original Krang never carried around alien guns with him and the 2012 Kraang do. So...just something I'll have to get used to.

I have nothing to say about April O'Neil.

Overall: ...eh. I don't know. It could be a lot worse, but it really could be a lot better, too. I don't think the Turtles are 15 in this movie. I'm convinced they have to be at least 17, probably more like 18 or 19. Honestly, they look like young adults (which is the route Michael Bay wanted in the first place), but the title says they're still teens, so...yeah...probably older teens, though. There are some smaller details I like about the redesigns, but mostly I wish they had just stuck with the Turtles we're familiar with. I don't like the idea of a white Shredder. That just seems wrong. (Again, I'm not racist.) The Foot with guns? Weird. Megan Fox as April O'Neil? Seriously, when I see her, I can't think of her as April. I can only think of her as Megan Fox. I still don't like that casting choice, but as I've said before:

I reserve judgement until August 8.

In summary: even after everything I've seen concerning this movie, I am optimistic. It won't be a perfect Ninja Turtles movie by any means, but maybe they will at least do a decent job. I am expecting to walk out of the theater with mixed feelings, probably liking some aspects of it and hating others.

Here's a fun fact for you: when I was inspecting the Turtles in the middle of Walmart, some younger kids passed by (the new generation of Turtles fans). One was a girl, probably about seven, who said she didn't like the new look at all. Two others were boys, maybe five and eight, who liked the look and were excited to see the movie. There are mixed feelings among the newest generation as well. We're not alone.

I did purchase a movie Leonardo action figure on Sunday. I was in debate for a while about whether I should get one, but when we got to the checkout line I decided to go back and grab it. After all, what kind of a Shellhead would I be if I didn't at least give this movie a chance? They're still our Turtles. They look different, yes, but they are Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo.

Here's hoping Michael Bay doesn't ruin them.