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‘Captain Underpants’ Review: Poop Happens

Philip Brown — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 19:00:23 +0000

Can a movie exist primarily around the hilarity of seeing a middle-aged cartoon man wearing underoos? Yes, apparently it can. It’s called ‘Captain Underpants’. It comes from a successful series of children’s books, so presumably the film will appeal to tikes who love them and older kids who were raised on them. Despite the relentless...

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‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ Review: Third Time’s Fine

Philip Brown — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 20:00:10 +0000

The ‘Kung Fu Panda’ series has always been far better than it had any right to be. Hinged on a simple cartoon premise (cute animal who has no business learning martial arts becomes master, d’awww…), it’s filled with such wit, heart and visual invention that each chapter managed to easily surpass expectations. The third entry,...

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‘Home’ Review: Meemo & Blitch

Philip Brown — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 19:00:10 +0000

‘Home’ is the latest candy-colored, family-friendly CGI babysitter and there really isn’t much more to say about it beyond that. Sure, it starts out with a pretty clever premise (taken from a popular children’s book), but quickly devolves into a collection of very familiar clichés. The film is inoffensive and dull. It offers nothing older...

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‘Penguins of Madagascar’ Review: Spin-off into Stupidity

Philip Brown — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 20:00:36 +0000

While it might be frustrating when Pixar releases unnecessary sequels, no animation studio dips back into the well more than DreamWorks. ‘Shrek’ established the company model: Keep making sequels until all the good will is drained from a franchise and then toss in a spin-off to really kill it. With the ‘Madagascar’ series having finally...

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‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ Review: How to Make a Decent Sequel

Philip Brown — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 19:00:36 +0000

‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ might not have the advantage of being a pleasant surprise like the original film, but it recaptures almost all of the charms of its predecessor with ease. The action is intense, the animation beautiful, the story heartwarming, and the central dragon absolutely adorable. If it’s not quite as impressive...

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Now Playing: A Most Un-Wanted Sequel

Luke Hickman — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:00:50 +0000

How is it that DreamWorks Animation can pump out gems like ‘Kung Fu Panda’ and ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, yet utterly fail over and over again with the ‘Madagascar’ franchise? Don’t believe those ads that claim that, “The third time’s a charm.” This false advertising couldn’t be farther from the truth. With ‘Europe’s Most...

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The Trailer Park: More Animated Mischief

M. Enois Duarte — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:00:30 +0000

Two more animated films, one from DreamWorks and one from Fox, are expected to light up cinema screens this year. A franchise favorite is sure to draw in audiences, while an adaptation to a still fairly new series of children’s books takes a chance during the holidays. ‘Rise of the Guardians’ Visually, this CG-animated adaptation...

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A Purr-fect Time for a Contest – Win ‘Puss in Boots’ on Blu-ray!

Josh Zyber — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:00:49 +0000

Any week that starts off with a free Blu-ray giveaway is a good week. Let’s kick things off today by giving you a chance to win a copy of ‘Puss in Boots’ on Blu-ray. That sounds good, doesn’t it? Follow after the break for all the details on how you can win. The animated ‘Shrek’...

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The Trailer Park: An Animated Summer

M. Enois Duarte — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:00:09 +0000

Beyond the usual live-action blockbusters, this summer will also bring us a couple of animated family features that look promising. First comes the next adventure for the zoo animals trying to make their way back home to New York. After that is the latest from Pixar Studios. I’m pretty certain to enjoy one, while I’m...

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Now Playing: ‘Puss in Boots’ Is the Cat’s Meow

Luke Hickman — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:00:11 +0000

I’m an odd fan of the movies set in the ‘Shrek‘ universe. The way I see it, the original ‘Shrek’ is a mediocre family flick. The best of the series, ‘Shrek 2’ is absolutely hilarious. ‘Shrek the Third’ is downright awful, completely unwatchable. And ‘Shrek Forever After’ is on the same level as the original,...

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Panasonic Blames Hollywood for Poor 3D Sales – Ignores Own Culpability

Josh Zyber — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:00:55 +0000

With 3D TV sales for the year falling short of expectations, the consumer electronics industry has already begun playing the blame game. Analysts typically cite the high prices and viewers’ reluctance to wear 3D glasses as major obstacles to consumer acceptance. Meanwhile, 3D hardware manufacturer Panasonic claims that Hollywood is primarily at fault for not...

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Is Even Hollywood Getting Tired of 3D?

Luke Hickman — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:00:21 +0000

Numbers don’t lie. When given the option of both 3D and 2D, more and more moviegoers are opting for the standard 2D experience. Last week, we discussed the declining number of 3D moviegoers in the United States. Now Hollywood itself is starting to voice its opinion on the matter. While 3D enthusiasts like James Cameron...

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