Movie Review: 'Klaus' (2019)

Welcome to the jingle. (source)

Merry Christmas! I'm still allowed to say that, since Christmas is twelve days, not one. Speaking of, today I'd like to go over a Christmas movie that, had I seen this before 2020, I would have mentioned in my 2010s movie retrospective and would have hailed as a modern classic and the best movie of 2019 with Steven Universe the Movie as a close second. This is Klaus.

DVD Review: 'Steven Universe:' The Complete Collection

Merry Christmas, everyone! Christmas Day may be over, but the season isn't. As I wished for, I received the Steven Universe complete collection DVD set from my parents Santa Claus. And boy is it pure gorgeous eye candy! There's a lot to look at here, so sit back, relax, and read along with me.

The top image is of course the box cover, and it pops with the rainbows. The art is an image of the Gem Temple and beach house from the show.

The sides of the box also contain great art and rainbow effects.

The back shows the rest of Beach City and a description as well as the logos for the show, movie, and epilogue series.

'Steven Universe' Complete Collection on DVD!?

Hallelujah!

Over the weekend, one of my online friends brought this to my attention. Steven Universe is getting a complete series release on physical media for the first time! The complete collection includes the series, the movie, and the epilogue series Steven Universe Future as well as tons of special features.

As expected, some fans are frustrated that this is only on DVD when there should be a Blu-ray version as well. I understand their concern, as Blu-rays have much better picture and audio quality, but for me I don't really care. In fact, this is convenient since I can play this on my computer and take screenshots. Eventually I want to discuss this series and offer my personal take on it.

The collection is currently available for pre-order on the WBShop for $89.99 and on RightStuf for $80.99. The item releases on November 3rd, the day that the show aired its first episode back in 2013.

To end this post, here is the image of the back of the box. Let's hope and pray this collection doesn't disappoint!

ADDENDUM (10/5/2020): More details have come out about the release, which you can read here.

Video: "Netflix SHE-RA Was a Multi-Million Dollar FANFIC"

To follow up from my last post, I present this video. Kneon and Geeky Sparkles from Clownfish TV on YouTube discuss She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Turns out there were issues present in the series long before the finale. Let this be a lesson on how not to reboot existing IP.

Video: "Fuwa Fuwa Foof OP"

Today I present to you a YouTube video entitled "Fuwa Fuwa Foof OP," a theme song for a fake cartoon series of the same name. Based on an idea by ExtraordinaryCircus, this is a well-animated short about a cute rabbit named Foof who decides to leave her former occupation of gang leader. Her old subordinates Giri Giri and Kiri Kiri constantly try to lure her back to her old ways, but Foof resists and tries to be a good little bunny.

This is very impressive with a great song to boot. (Though, like many modern songs, it has a thumpin' beat but a bad message contained in the lyrics.) And I'm not the only one who loves it; as of this post the video has over 4 million views. I would like to see this fully realized as a real show; it looks like it has potential.

2010s Retrospective: TV Edition

 

Now we enter the next phase of the 2010s retrospective: television (or streaming). Similar to my last post, the shows will be listed in the order of their premiere dates.

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1. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (2010-2019)

Created by Lauren Faust, whose previous works include The Iron Giant, The Powerpuff Girls, and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic proved to be an unprecedented hit for Hasbro and was popular not only among little girls, but by adult men who called themselves "Bronies." The unicorn Twilight Sparkle and her friends are entrusted with the Elements of Harmony, and together they defend the land of Equestria from various evil forces. The show is very well made, from the characters to the animation done on Adobe Flash. The show is mostly slice-of-life, but the beginning and ending of seasons have some story arcs that last two episodes each. This show is the best version of My Little Pony that's ever been made, at least compared to the generation that came before it which I grew up on and loathed. For anyone who's itching to give this a watch, I would suggest watching the first seven seasons and then watching the 2017 movie and then stop there. As far as I'm concerned, the last two seasons didn't happen. (Season eight adds another "Mane 6" team for no good reason, and season nine adds shameless pandering to the Bronies.)
Official rating: TV-Y / My rating: 3+ (seasons 1-8), 7+ (season 9)

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2. Sym-Bionic Titan (2010-2011)

A show that truly deserved better and ended way too soon. Sym-Bionic Titan is the brainchild of Genndy Tartakovsky who also created Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack. A princess, a soldier, and a robot escape war on their home planet and take refuge on Earth where they disguise themselves as high school students. Unfortunately the show ended after only one season of 20 episodes. The reason was that the show wasn't able to sell toys. Yeah. Sounds like the 80s, doesn't it? Despite its short run, it still offers fun, action, and humor in a way only Tartakovsky can make it, and for that I recommend you check it out.
Official rating: TV-PG / My rating: 10+

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3. Gravity Falls (2012-2016)

Alex Hirsch, who previously worked on The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack on Cartoon Network, gives us a series that has a great balance between humor and mystery. Gravity Falls is about two fraternal twins, Dipper and Mabel Pines, who are forced to spend their summer break in, you guessed it, Gravity Falls, Oregon with their great uncle (grunkle for short) Stan who owns a gift shop called the Mystery Shack. The show slowly evolves from a slice-of-life comedy to a suspenseful mystery and a race against time to stop a powerful demon from another dimension from destroying the world. This show is one of the best shows from Disney Channel and was praised for its clever writing and lore. What's funny is that the show is only 2 seasons with 20 episodes each, yet was aired in four years. This is a must see for fans of animation and fans of mystery stories.
Official rating: TV-Y7-FV / My rating: 7+

2010s Retrospective: Movie Edition

 So begins the first 2010s retrospective post.

Before I begin this lookback, I will let you know that the following films are those that I have seen (though not all because that would take too long), so no, I will not be discussing Avengers: Endgame, Toy Story 4, or other such films simply because I have not seen them. Also, these movies will be listed alphabetically and by release date. So without further ado, let's begin.

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1. Alice in Wonderland (2010)

A surprise success for Disney's live-action branch, making a billion dollars worldwide, Alice in Wonderland is a sequel to the original story by Lewis Carrol and is directed by Tim Burton. Many people panned this film likely because they compared it to the animated Disney version. But when judging it on its own, it's actually pretty alright. I like the designs for the characters, and the world of Wonderland actually being called Underland is a very Tim Burton-y thing. Can't say much for the sequel released a few years later. That was a waste of time.
Official rating: PG / My rating: 10+

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2.  How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

DreamWorks Animation starts the decade off strong with How to Train Your Dragon, a film based on the book series of the same name. In a similar vein to Shrek, the film takes liberties from its original source material. The flying scenes are some of the best animated sequences ever put on screen in my opinion, and the film does not contain any pop culture references, something that is usually present in DreamWorks films. While nowhere near as grand as other DreamWorks classics like The Prince of Egypt and Shrek, it definitely soars above their other mediocre works (*cough* Boss Baby *cough*).
Official rating: PG / My rating: 7+

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3. Tangled (2010)

Disney's 50th animated film in their ever-expanding canon, Tangled is a great Disney princess film that draws inspiration from the fairy tale Rapunzel. The songs are great, the CGI is impressive, especially in regards to Rapunzel's hair, which I've heard was tough to animate, and the characters are endearing and worthy of Mickey Mouse's ears of approval. The film did so well that it even has its own TV series which is still ongoing as of this post.
Official rating: PG / My rating: 7+

"2010s Retrospective" Incoming!

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Welp, time to update this blog. Now that the 2010s is almost over, I thought it appropriate that I do a series of posts that goes over various staples of pop culture that have been released from 2010 to 2019, namely films and TV shows. So be on the lookout, because I should have the first one up soon!

Article: "What is CalArts Style?"

"What is CalArts Style?" by Joe Bursely

Joe Bursely of BallStateDaily.com offers an interesting and sensible take on the "issue" of the "CalArts style" that people pinpoint on Western cartoons of the 2010s such as Adventure Time, Steven Universe, The Amazing World of Gumball, and more.