This Song Has Me Buggin': Macross Frontier: The False Songstress (2009) Review

Director: Shoji Kawamori

Notable Cast: Jun Fukuyama, Aya Endo, Megumi Nakajima, Yuichi Nakamura, Aya Hirano, Kikuko Inoue, Megumi Toyoguchi, Hiroshi Kamiya, Kenta Miyake

 

The entire release strategy for Macross and/or Robotech in the United States is a fascinating endeavor to unravel. Although that history is fairly well researched and written about in a variety of places by incredibly knowledgeable fans and cultural writers, it remains one of the cornerstones of understanding the relationship between Japan and the United States through the lens of anime. It’s complicated and the two industries often mistranslated the appeal of these kinds of shows. Yet, with anime now being one of the biggest industries in the world due to more avenues of access, the time is ripe to re-evaluate the relationship as the tides rise. 

 

Although I am hardly an expert, only recently starting my journey through the anime landscape, the release of the Macross sequel series and its film, under the banner Macross Frontier, piqued my interest. Although the series and films had been obscure for western audiences since its debut in 2008 (with the final film dropping in 2011), the two films were finally getting theatrical releases in the US in 2022. For Macross fans in the US, what a time to be alive, right?

 

Yet, as I walked out with my family from seeing the first of the two films, Macross Frontier: The False Songstress (great title, might I add - considering the themes of music within the Macross series), a thought crossed my mind. Perhaps the release of Macross Frontier was influenced by the fact that this film is a messy barrage of self-praising referential moments, a combative combination of traditional animation and computer-generated material, roughly 200 thinly drawn themes, and main characters that waver between the traditional Macross love triangle and cringe worthy teen horniness. Compared to the other Macross films, which already have their highs and lows, The False Songstress is a wildly uneven and problematic ride. 

 

Ne Zha (2019)

Director: Jiao Zi

Notable Cast: Lyu Yanting, Cao Yalong, Wang Zheng, Chen Hao, Zeng Hongru, Yang Wei, Zhang Jiaming

One of the more fascinating pieces about the rise of the Chinese film industry over the last five to ten years is how incredibly unpredictable the entire thing is as a whole. Films that would seem to check off all of the boxes to soar in the box office flounder and yet other films come out as massive surprises. Of the latter category, Ne Zha might be one of the most astounding. China has been slowly putting together an animation film plan over the last few years to build an audience there and recent foreign box office successes like Disney’s Coco and a re-release of Spirited Away have laid the groundwork for a domestic giant to arise. As it turns out, that film is Ne Zha. Ne Zha took China by storm, generating astronomical box office numbers and becoming something of a legend seemingly overnight, enough so that international distribution label Well Go USA took notice and quickly generated a theatrical release for the film in the US. A surprising move since, well, it’s a foreign language animated family film. Still, now that the film his been unleashed on the unsuspecting US market, it’s safe to say that, yes, Ne Zha is a blast. The animation is fun and tight, balancing traditional cartoon choices with lush CGI detailing, and the story and narrative find a strong balance between the family-friendly moments and key fantasy action set pieces. This landmark animated film takes the best of the blockbuster formulas that China has learned from Hollywood and given it a delightful and distinctly Chinese spin. The results are a rip-roaring ride of laughs, action, and bigger than life fantasy morals.

Zombiology: Enjoy Yourself Tonight (2018)

Director: Alan Lo

Notable Cast: Michael Ning, Louis Cheung, Alex Man, Carrie Ng, Cherry Ngan, Venus Wong, Chu Pak-Him, Chu Pak-Houg, Rosa Maria Velasco, Eco Tang, J. Arie, Terry Zou, Angie Shum, Anita Chui

To give this review a bit of context, I certainly went into Zombiology with tempered expectations. Most of the people I had previously spoken to about the film thought the film was just rehash of other zombie movie tropes and, outside of the truly insane horror films of decades past, Hong Kong isn’t a place known for producing great horror films – even if it’s mixed with comedy. What makes Zombiology: Enjoy Yourself Tonight such a strange and somewhat refreshing experience is that it has no qualms with using its tropes in abrasive parallels with one another. This film is an energetic shotgun blast of zombie cinema. It’s scattered, perplexing, and forceful with some of its heavy-handed themes. Yet, like its subtitle weirdly promised, I thoroughly enjoyed myself while watching it. It’s definitely a film that I can see rubbing its audience the wrong way in how it approaches some of its subject matter, but for those perhaps more versed in Asian and zombie cinema it might just be one of those overlooked gems worth digging.

In this Corner of the World (2017)

Director: Sunao Katabuchi

Notable Cast: Non, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Natsuki Inaba, Minori Omi, Daisuke Ono, Megumi Han, Shigeru Ushiyama, Mayumi Shintani, Nanase Iwai, Tengai Shibuya III

Residing in the seaside town of Eba, a young girl named Suzu, who loves to draw and paint, works with her mother making nori (seaweed in an edible form). Some years pass, and she finds herself in in Kube, a quite large city that sports a Naval port base. There she meets a young man named Shusaku, whom she agrees to marry in an arrangement prepared by his family. Once the two are wed, she moves to Kube and starts to live her life and finds happiness in her new location, but the threat of the Pacific war looms over the city as her and the surrounding citizens find themselves dreading the days the inevitable attacks will come. An absolutely beautiful and poignant tale, In this Corner of the World is easily the finest animated film of the year, and deserves to be seen by as many people as humanly possible.

One thing that I love right from the get go about this movie is that it really draws you into the world and lives of these people that inhabit the few towns and cities set throughout. Even the smallest of characters are very well fleshed out and you get to know them all in and out. It truly feels as if you are a local citizen living in this world with them. It has a true sense of family and humanism that is represented with romance, drama, and just day to day life that goes by, through the ups and downs, naturally and with great ease. It feels as if an entire anime series is condensed down in to a two hour film, and while it may feel a bit long at times, the weight of what is to come is made all the more heavier by the beautifully written characters that you've come to love. More so, knowing the history and the tragedy that unfolded only adds to the drama and heartbreak. Without spoiling, there is a scene that is very bold and would've been cut from a film of this nature typically, at least going for a lighter rating for release, if the film were made elsewhere or perhaps by a different studio. It's haunting and will be ingrained in my mind for years to come.

Visually speaking, the film is absolutely breathtaking. There is a water-painted aesthetic to the film as a whole, but as we see through the eyes of Suzu and her artistic mind, the world unfolds around her like a painting. There are small scenes of her creating these paintings and drawings, and seeing her character paint these out feels surreal but realistic simultaneously. It is awesome to see stroke by stroke these paintings being created in real time as the scenes carry out. Animation within animation, truly a thing of beauty and something to behold. Certain key moments of the war itself coupled with her vivid imagination make for a unique cinematic experience filled with memorable sequences.

My one complaint, is that the film seemed to drag on a bit at times. I get that it was trying to make the world feel lived in and showcase the lives of Suzu and the people and family that surrounded her, and it mostly succeeds. Certain scenes felt bloated and dragged out to the point of exhaustion to the pacing and rhythm, like a missed note in a song, but it never entirely disengages the viewer. It is all worth it in the end though as it truly adds emotional depth to everything that plays out. That isn't to write off the scenes prior to the war unfolding, as there are a lot of truly wonderful moments, but certain scenes felt unnecessary to the plot or character developments.

In this Corner of the World is a film that will resonate and leave a deep impression in its viewers' hearts and minds. It's subtle and humanistic whilst also being rich and vibrant in its vivid imagery. It's a lighthearted film that dares to go into the darkest moments of tragedy and does so boldly with great success. This is one that should do quite well internationally and will surely get further award nods outside of Japan. It may be flawed at times, but is most certainly one of the standout cinematic pieces of 2017. Here's to hoping this makes to as many screens as it can. It needs to be scene and experienced by everyone. A lovely animated feature.

Seoul Station (2016)

Director: Yeon Sang-ho

Notable Cast: Sim Eun-kyeong, Ryoo Seung-ryeong, Lee Joon, Kim Jae-rok

Yeon Sang-ho made an animated zombie feature, alongside his live-action Train to Busan, whose only real connecting factors are the walking dead and a brief return of a character from this animated piece. I really didn't want to spend a lot of time comparing Seoul Station to its speeding train infested companion piece, but alas, it is practically impossible to.

Top 20: Action Films of 2014

It’s the end of 2014. While there were will be ton of ‘best of’ lists that litter the internet and consume some of our lives for a good two to three weeks, here at Blood Brothers we aim to look less at the ‘best of the year’ and more at the ‘most awesome of the year.’ Here we have the coveted Top 20 Action Films of 2014. This is a comprehensive list looking at films released in 2014 that have taken us for a wild ride with fist to fist combat, explosions, monster battles, and more. You can read official reviews of the films by clicking FULL REVIEW after the blurb.

Keep in mind that we don’t have time for every film during the course of the year, so if we missed something or overlooked a film – you should let us know in the comments below.

Without further ado, here is Blood Brothers’ Top 20 Action Films of 2014:

20. Batman: Assault on Arkham

            Being the only animated feature to make the list, Assault on Arkham is less of a Batman flick and more of a Suicide Squad flick. Don’t let the ‘animated’ status fool you, this is a pretty adult kind of film with plenty of sexual innuendos, violence, and heavy moments that may not be children safe. It also has a pretty solid story to go with it, snazzy voice acting, and some fun, solid twists. Yahtzee!

19. The Purge: Anarchy

            While the first Purge grated on my nerves with its rather watered down home invasion approach to its grindhouse concept, Anarchy gets it right. With John Carpenter inspiration throughout, a sense of claustrophobia in a big city, and a great anti-hero in Frank Grillo, this sequel is less of a horror flick and more of a B-grade action thriller…in all the right ways. Color me stoked for the third film.

FULL REVIEW

18. The Wrath of Vajra

            In a way, this is a terrible movie. The characters are broad strokes, the story is silly at best, and the penchant for style over substance doesn’t help. It is however, gloriously bad and succeeds in packing a ridiculous amount of martial arts action punch. If anything, this film made the list out of sheer entertainment…and for one of the best kung fu action sequences of the year right smack dab in the middle of the film.

FULL REVIEW

17. The November Man

            More of a thriller than a true action flick, The November Man does pull back a lot of old school thriller elements to work for us. Pierce Brosnan is delightfully dark and cold in the film and the fast pacing of the flick works for its own benefit. Not a film for everyone, this one does rely that one really buys into the film first. If you do though, it’s an edge of your seat ride.

FULL REVIEW

16. Edge of Tomorrow

            Tom Cruise seemingly knows a good science fiction film to jump into. His track record is damn near immaculate and Edge of Tomorrow is another fine entry. The humor is surprisingly dark and often awkward, the combination of war action and science fiction mumbo-jumbo shockingly works, and the film is utterly slathered in charm. If anything, all I wanted for Christmas was a helicopter blade sword to swing around because of this film.

FULL REVIEW

15. Raze

            Not often does a ‘women in prison’ flick make a best of the year list, but Raze does a remarkable thing with the exploitation genre – it takes it very seriously and runs with it. The concept is simple, the execution even more so, but the resulting (and realistic) beat downs and stripped humanity expressed in the film works for any self-respecting vulgar auteur. Zoe Bell needs more movies.

FULL REVIEW

14. Fists of Legend

            One part inspiration sports movie, one part martial arts film, one part harsh critique of MMA and the reality show aspect of it, Fists of Legend is the first of many South Korean films to make the list this year. It’s a remarkable drama at its heart, but the rather continuous ability to punctuate it with strong fight sequences makes this one of the big underground cuts for this year.

13. Commitment

            With the almost ceaseless flood of North Korea news on social media and in the US film market right now, it’s probably fitting that a Korean spy flick makes the list. This one tends to be a bit more thriller than true ‘action,’ but the strong character work and a clever use of a beer can in disarming an assassin shoots this one onto the year end list.

FULL REVIEW

12. The Suspect

            Third South Korean feature in a row! The Suspect with South Korea’s answer to the Bourne franchise and what a call-and-response it is. It does feature a bit too much of the ridiculous Bourne patented shaky cam for my tastes (otherwise it might have made the top five for the year), but the combination of realistic stunts, high octane action chases, and a strong spy plot makes this one a must see anyway.

FULL REVIEW

11. X-Men: Days of Future Past
            I might still fight for how awesome I thought The Wolverine was, but Days of Future Past is truly a return to form for the X-Men franchise. Returning director Bryan Singer takes one of the most iconic stories from the comic and blends it into an action packed espionage thriller with enough strong character work and gimmicky X-Men action pieces to please any one of the fan bases. Sure, it’s full of plot holes, but the awesome spectacle of it all makes up for a lot of it.

FULL REVIEW

10. Godzilla (2014)

            This one might not fall directly into the action film category, but as a long time Godzilla fan I loved it. Bitch all you want about the lack of Godzilla in the run time of the film, but I felt the film was highly overlooked by detractors and critics alike. Perhaps it was all the Spielbergian talk in the hype for the film, but for a Godzilla flick the human element worked, the special effects worked, and the final act truly encompasses why he is still ‘King of the Monsters.’ 

FULL REVIEW

09. The Equalizer

            This would have been one hell of a Charles Bronson vehicle back in the early 80s. Sure the gimmick of the set up for this franchise seemed a little too obvious, but the combination of thriller spy elements and utter badassness of Washington had me grinning from beginning to end. Here’s to hoping that franchise really kicks it into gear with the second flick though.

08. Lone Survivor

            It’s not often that a war film would make this list let alone one that features both Taylor Kitsch and Mark Wahlberg, but Lone Survivor really caked on a nice sense of tension to go with its realistic gun battles and relentless pacing in the second half. I was utterly shocked by how much I enjoyed this film, particularly after I thought Peter Berg’s career sunk with Battleship.

07. Kundo: Age of the Rampant

            As a big martial arts fan, 2014 was generally a let down as many of the bigger flicks tended to deviate away from strong action and the genre’s roots in lay of fantasy elements and shoddy CGI. However, Kundo was a film that harkened back to its wuxia foundations and focused on epic story telling, a fantastic lead, and strong stylish battle set pieces. This was perhaps the biggest surprise of the year.

FULL REVIEW

06. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

            If you told me that one of my least favorite Avengers in Captain America would be in one of the most thoughtful and relevant action films in decades, I would have laughed. Isn’t he a gimmick? Captain America 2 does just that though with its weird conspiracy theories and political undertones about information gathering. It does however, also feature some epic action set pieces and some fun banter. Which is what I came for to begin with…

FULL REVIEW

05. Snowpiercer

            If you would have told me that TWO Chris Evans films would be in my Top 10 action movies of the year last year, I would have laughed you off the planet. For this Terry Gilliam inspired science fiction action thriller romp though, he earns his stripes. The idea might be ludicrous and buying into the sheer silly science fiction concept is a lot to chew, but the combination of brutal action, thoughtful social analysis, and quirky humor makes Snowpiercer a must see for cult film fans. It sure as hell isn’t for everyone though.

FULL REVIEW

04. The Raid 2

            I expected The Raid 2 to be my number one film of the year, so in a way it’s drop to four is rather disappointing. The film is, however, one epic piece of modern martial arts awesomeness. It’s like the Godfather with Sammo Hung inspired fight choreography. It’s a viciously complex film, slathered in atmospheric tension, but the final act features some of the greatest action set pieces ever put to film. It has a few plot holes that do take it down a few notches, but kung fu fans will have to see it no matter what.

FULL REVIEW

03. Guardians of the Galaxy

            In a weird way, James Gunn might have earned himself even more street cred in the cult film world (considering his films like Slither and Super…that’s a big statement in itself) with Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel has been riding on the success of The Avengers thus far, but the hilarious banter and action of these rag tag group of heroic space scavengers hits all the right notes. It’s action focused and heart warming at the same time…and did I mention hilarious?

FULL REVIEW

02. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

            Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a perfect reboot for this cult science fiction franchise. Dawn, however, takes that foundation and runs with it in all the right ways as a thoughtful critique on human behavior that features some of the most impressive mo cap acting that has ever graced the screen. The action is a bit light in the first two thirds, but the final act more than makes up for it with style AND substance.

FULL REVIEW

01. John Wick

            Keanu Reeves has had one hell of a come back in his career. First it was his directorial debut in the martial arts flick Man of Tai Chi and now its his performance in the utterly fantastic and effective John Wick. On one hand, this film is utterly simple and to the point. On the other hand, it’s so utterly steeped with homages and style action film past (the John Woo inspired gun fu is phenomenal) that it knows exactly what it is and just stays with it. It’s that kind of dedication to the genre that really makes this film work.

FULL REVIEW

Ninja Scroll (1993)

You need a shave my friend?

I am back!!! It has been awhile my friends and I am sorry for the delay.

I have decided on my latest adventure to go back to the past, visiting a classic title that I have never had the chance to experience. So without further delay I bring you my review of "NINJA SCROLL!!!"

By now, I am probably one the few 30 something anime fans to have never seen this movie or the TV series for that matter. There is something about these older titles that really make my heart smile. Understanding that every generation will look back and say things like "they don't make em' like that anymore," I really think that with anime this truly is the case. "Ninja Scroll" is another example of this thought. While this film has been a staple in the genre for 20 years now , as a first time viewer I found it rather entertaining. It's a violent, bloody, hard hitting gore fest, mix in some female exploitation and you a have a 90's era anime title not suitable for children.

The story follows Jubei, the Lone Ranger of feudal Japan. Minus the sidekick, mask, and the back story. Who am I kidding, he is nothing like the Lone Ranger. Jubei is a sword for hire, unless of course he feels you have a noble cause after which he might help you for free. While out on a stroll one sunny day our hero comes across a big gross looking monster about to have his way with a young lady. After intervening and saving the woman's life Jubei is in thrown into a battle between Japanese government, a criminal overlord, the 8 Demons, and the locals. So the adventure and bloodshed begins.

While I feel that this film is for adults only I can't help but think about the 90's and my own childhood. I was 16 when this movie came out and I would have loved it then. I can see my teenage self sitting around a TV with my buddies in anticipation of what was about to unfold. I had those same feelings as I was sitting down to watch "Ninja Scroll" as an adult. "Ninja Scroll" is still just as awesome today as it most likely was 20 years ago. The fluid fight scenes are cinematic gold. The animation is beautifully done regardless of the era. The film looks great all around. The story is a good one that has since been copied time and time again. If you have not seen this film yet, do yourself a favor and get to it.

I will wrap this puppy up and say "Ninja Scroll" gets: 

 Written By John Price

ABCs Of Death, The (2013)

Directors: Nacho Vigalondo, Adrian Garcia Bogliano, Ernesto Diaz Espinoza, Marcel Sarmiento, Angela Bettis, Noboru Iguchi, Andrew Traucki, Thomas Malling, Jorge Michel Grau, Yudai Yamaguchi, Anders Morgenthaler, Timo Tjahjanto, Ti West, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Bruno Forzani & Helene Cattet, Simon Rumley, Adam Wingard & Simon Barrett, Srdjan Spasojevic, Jake West, Lee Hardcastle, Ben Wheatley, Kaare Andrews,  Jon Schnepp, Xavier Gens, Jason Eisener, Yoshihiro Nishimura

What makes a film like "The ABCs Of Death" so damn hard to review is the fact that it is 26 short films. If anthologies were already hard to address due to a variety of styles and quality between shorts, this film is the mother fucker of them all. With 26 short films, the variety is massive and so is the quality between segments. "The ABCs Of Death" has a little bit of everything in a scatter-shot sort of way and there will be something that everyone loves...and something everyone hates. So even though I'm going to attempt to digest it down for you below, I would just suggest taking a gander at the film to see if you love more than you hate.

CONCEPT: 26 up and coming horror film directors are given a small amount of money and a letter of the alphabet and told to make a short film that has a death sequence in it. "The ABCs Of Death" is that compilation.

The idea for "The ABCs Of Death" is awesome. In a way, its worth the purchase just to support the support that a film like this gives these young filmmakers. So already I have to say that you should probably just watch it and buy it even if a few of them are worth your time. In the cult film world, we are all about supporting the artist and despite some quality issues I do suggest at least giving this film a chance.

As for "The ABCs Of Death" itself, the film tends to be more miss than hit. The quality of each short ranges from high end science fiction grade action (for the letter 'V') to $5 and no thought whatsoever on a house hold camera (for the letter 'M'). Granted, the style of each short can be impressive at times even if it makes little sense like the abstract short for 'O' or the narrative heavy and high impact of subtlety for the letter 'I.' To be honest, the diversity here is so massive that its hard to even cohesively describe the film as a whole without leaving out someone. The hard thing to swallow is generally how mediocre most of these are. Going into the film I felt like I would love a third of them, be apathetic toward a third of them, and dislike a third of them. I would say that ratio is not correct. I tended to be apathetic towards almost all of them with a few hated ones and only a handful of them I genuinely enjoyed. The slow motion twist of 'D' and the gross intensity of 'L' had me riveted, while the almost arthouse/grindhouse style of Eisener's 'Y' segment certainly catered to my tastes. Beyond that, I was massively disappointed. With some of the talent that was involved in this, I would have expected a little better overall. I mean, Ti West is one of my favorite horror directors in the scene with his ability to craft tension and atmosphere with so little and his segment was one of the worst, if not, the worst. In many ways, it's hard not to judge by the names attached to this and by doing so I had much higher expectations then what this film delivered.

Needless to say, if you are a fan of horror there is (more than likely) something here for you to enjoy.  There is some charming pieces, some funny pieces - including 'Q' which ranked up as one of my favorites, some bat shit crazy pieces, and even some animated ones. Horror fans are destined to find something. Unfortunately, overall, the film lacks 'oomph' and too many of them disappoint in cleverness, impact, and execution. With the group of people already attached to the announced sequel, let's hope the overall quality only goes up from here.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Hotel Transylvania (2012)

Howloooo!!!! Ghouls and Goblins. There is a chill in the air as I write this review, which can only mean that All Hallows Eve is just around the corner. Like most review writers I follow, this month of reviews will have a horror theme to them. While my first review of the month may not qualify as true anime it is animated so I get a pass here. I took it upon myself to trek out and see this movie solely based on the title. I honestly had no idea it was an Adam Sandler and friends movie. Based on the movie poster I thought this looked promising, so grab your weapon of choice as we battle the monsters together.

This tale centers around the all famous Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) and his daughter Mavis (voiced by Selena Gomez). Now this is not the Dracula that we grew up with, no no this version is more the businessman type.

Dracula owns "Hotel Transylvania" which is essentially a safe haven for all things that go bump in the night. All the big names are in this film from Frankenstein's little creation (voiced by Kevin James) to the invisible man (voiced by David Spade) and they have all gathered at Drac's 5 stake hotel to celebrate the above mentioned daughter's 118 birthday(equivalent to humans turning 18). So this version of Dracula is a single dad and has been for many years. Which makes for a touching story to go along with the main storyline of this film which is a coming of age father/daughter story.

Dracula has spent all of Mavis' life sheltering her from the human world. That is the reason why after all that he created the giant hotel du monster so that all monsters can be themselves without fear of the outside world. So imagine the shock when his grand hotel is suddenly breached by an unsuspecting human child who just so happens to be about the same age as his birthday girl. That is when the fun begins. Poor Drac trying to hide this human from all his friends and daughter which he has lead to believe that humans are the most evil thing in the world.

Add in several supporting cast members such as Steve Buscemi as Wayne the Wolfman and SNL star Andy Samberg voicing the human boy-child Jonathan and you got yourself a pretty funny cast. Now with this sort of all-star cast one could expect lots of adult themed humor. This however was not the case. I found the lack of adult humor rather refreshing to be honest. This film had a Saturday morning cartoon feel to it which I appreciated and enjoyed. The animation was well directed and appealing. It was bright and crisp with colors that were spot on for the tone of the film. The facial expressions were again well directed and believable.

So overall I did enjoy the film, it had its ups and downs but it knew what it was. This one was certainly for the kiddos. I felt like the movie really slowed down once the story turned serious. With that in mind as a parent I am glad we didn't take our toddler along and would recommend this film for an 8 + age group. So if you are looking for a fright filled evening this is not your answer. However if you want to go out and have some innocent fun with family with no fear of what your child might pick up on then by all means check this movie out. Until next time keep watching anime!

Written By John Price

Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (1993)

Directors: Eric Radomski, Bruce Timm

With the rampant success of the Batman films to this point of time (that would be the two Tim Burton ones for those curious) and the massive success of the animated series that was playing on Fox, it only made sense for the box office to get a taste of what the 90s animated series was pumping out. That endeavor of love and fan worship would be "Mask Of The Phantasm", a stellar version of Batman that would come to actually out perform almost all of the live action films to come later in quality. It's the best of all elements one would want from a Batman film, regardless of its animation, and to this day remains one of the finest Batman feature length films released.

Batman/Bruce Wayne has been helping out local law enforcement for a while now in Gotham City and despite some naysayers towards his vigilante justice that he utilizes, it has been a rather smooth collaboration. That is until a new masked avenger shows up and begins killing off a series of individuals with criminal histories. Batman is ultimately blamed and without the help of the citizens of Gotham he must find this 'phantasm' before the rest of mob turns to crazier paths to survive...aka The Joker.

Born in the shadows...or at least that's where he gets dressed.

As a kid, I was enamored with this film and now looking back after almost 20 years (yipes!!) the damn thing still holds up. In fact, I would argue that "Mask Of The Phantasm" is one of the best versions of Batman to ever grace the silver screen. This animated feature may have been directed at kids, but it certainly carries a very serious and dark tone to it and its this adult oriented tale of forlorn love and a sense of purpose that really carries the heart of Batman with it.

The key to any good entrance is smoke. Definitely smoke.

Plot wise, the film is pretty complex for a kid's feature. It has a leaping structure that flashes back to Batman's integral years when he was first learning the curve and about his first (and perhaps only true) love. "Mask Of The Phantasm" focuses down a strong story and really deep character development for Bruce Wayne which is one of the reasons it works so effectively. It also builds on Batman's detective work and a rather twisty tale of mob betrayals that lead our "villain" to a murderous spree. By the time they decide to include a Batman regular, The Joker so awesomely voiced by Mark Hamill, one is already so hooked into where the story is going that it's just like icing on the cake for a wickedly slick finale.

The finale of the film goes to new heights...via a jet pack.

Really, my only complaint about the film is some of its animation. They literally ported the style and look of the television series straight over into a more epic format, but didn't upgrade. Yeah you get some clunky early 90s CGI that's new, but the animation still looks like that of a TV program and I would have wished they could have upped the ante on that a little bit. It gets the job done and still stays true to the style of "The Animated Series", but as a long time fan I would have liked to see it kicked even further (like the small upgrades they did on "Subzero").

As is, there are a few films on par with the great quality of "Mask Of The Phantasm" in the Batman universe and that says something about how awesome this film is. Even almost 20 years later (yipes!!) it holds up as a deep and fulfilling viewing experience that adds a lot of mystery and intrigue to the already kick ass nature of Batman.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) - 3/5

Well if it isn't our favorite fist and feet wielding Panda? Back for seconds, I see. Can a second portion of animated kung fu madness keep us full as the first portion did? Truthfully, the answer is no. There are a few reasons that "Kung Fu Panda 2" doesn't quite make the cut to match its predecessor, but that doesn't stop it from being a fun and vibrant watch. This inevitable sequel is brighter, faster, and more epic and it does play on a few great concepts.

Po (Black) and the Furious Five have been hard at work with their kung fu when word from across China comes to them that Lord Shen (Oldman) has killed Master Thundering Rhino and taken over Gongmen City with the use of a newly developed weapon...the cannon. Now Po and the Furious Five must travel to the massive city and restore justice, but Po might have to face some demons of his unknown past to do so.

As with the original "Kung Fu Panda", this sequel does work on the two levels. Just not quite as well. Yes, the visuals are once again stunning with the luxurious colors, high end animation, and Chinese style of the film that are utilized to their full advantage. The epic battle sequences are vivid with spectacle (including massive explosions, toppling buildings, and larger kung fu moments - even if the 'choreography' for the kung fu seems to be placed on hold for the sake of the visuals) and in these parts - "Kung Fu Panda 2" is an entertaining watch.

As for being another homage to kung fu films, the obvious pulled story lines of Po's almost revenge like quest in the latter half and the kung fu vs. guns portion that is taken from "Once Upon A Time In China" make for some great moments. Unfortunately, the flow of the film doesn't combine the two aspects as well. Some of Po's character growth seems rushed and forced and the humor is massively hit or miss. The film also fails to fully use some of its potential with its characters (most notably the lack of Master Croc and Master Storming Ox to give us some new kung fu combatants to use against our bladed villain) and it leaves it feeling a bit too epic for its own good to fit it all in.

Don't misunderstand this review though, "Kung Fu Panda 2" is still a blast to watch. The characters (that are used) are still a riot to follow and villain of the picture is just as strong as the villain in the first film. It's epic and has gloriously animated sequences. The sequel just doesn't contain the same flow of its epic story that made the first film just a surprisingly solid feature. Still a great film for the whole family and I, for one, will be anxiously awaiting the hinted at third entry.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Kung Fu Panda (2008) - 4/5

There is something magical when a film can exist at two different levels for different people. "Kung Fu Panda" does just that. It exists on the surface as a cartoon with goofy animals for characters that have to learn the moral lessons to defeat the foe and be heroes. This is fine and dandy, but the true treat in this film is that it also exists as an homage to classic martial arts (specifically kung fu) films that fans of the genre will catch. Thusly, as a fan of both, I was completely enamored with "Kung Fu Panda". Yeah, it can be cliche at times, but it works on these two levels with relative ease.

Po (Black) is the panda son of a simple noodle maker and despite ambitions of being a great kung fu master, his awkwardness and general clumsiness prevents him from being the hero he wants to be. That is until the evil Tai Lung (McShane) escapes his massive prison to come take the Dragon Scroll from his old teacher. Now Po must fulfill a prophecy to become the Dragon Warrior and defeat the evil kung fu master. Can he use the lessons of his master and the Furious Five to train in time or is the prophecy simply a fluke?

As an animated feature film, "Kung Fu Panda" succeeds. It's funny, the colors are vibrant and bright with excellent animation, and its script is meticulously crafted with finesse that allows kids to enjoy its basic "good vs evil" concept. Our lead Po is fun and Jack Black delivers the lines with relative ease (the guy is basically a cartoon character in real life) and its fun and streamlined characters are a blast to watch on screen.

That's not really why "Kung Fu Panda" is being reviewed here on Blood Brothers though. It's because of how well it homages classic kung fu movies. Combining elements of Kar Lau Leung's now distinct training motifs he used in his Shaw Brothers films and obvious influences within the animation style and its plot details (the animals are all styles of kung fu - tiger, snake, crane, etc) this film is a perfect homage. Director Stevenson obviously had all the right intentions when he decided to make it an homage instead of a spoof and it works brilliantly for an animated film. Even the action sequences are well "choreographed" martial arts fights that blend the epic settings and action with some great kung fu. The bridge battle highlights the film for sure.

"Kung Fu Panda" just works in some many of its elements so well. It's a beautiful film that pulls on animation styles from Chinese culture and its an insanely fun romp that boils down the martial arts film into its basics yet still retains the heart of why the genre is so influential. It's a duel blade sword that is sharp on both ends and is a must see for kung fu fanatics. A great way to introduce the whole family into the style.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Batman: Year One (2011) - 3.5/5

DC animated films have seriously been far better than their live action counterparts. No offense to Christopher Nolan and the very awesome directions he has taken Batman in his films, but these animated features that focus on our favorite Dark Knight are beyond well done. Even though "Batman: Year One" takes the character into some very interesting directions (it is based on the graphic novel co-written by Frank Miller of "Sin City" fame), this latest adventure of Batman doesn't quite touch on the previous one "Under The Red Hood". Doesn't mean this noir take on Batman's first year of kicking ass isn't a blast to watch for fans though...

Bruce Wayne has just returned to Gotham after a stint of training. He has decided to fight against the scum of the city with his own skills. At the same time, an idealistic Gordon has just been transferred to the police force with his newly pregnant wife. These two men are about to find out what it takes to do what is right when it comes to fighting the corruption in Gotham...one will take justice in his own hands as the other fights to make the people of this city want the justice for themselves.

There are some very unique aspects about "Batman: Year One". Firstly, the film takes a very dark and noir style to how it tells its story. The obvious Frank Miller style of writing is up front in this animated feature with a ton of voice overs for the characters and the very adult oriented themes. The film touches on prostitution, bribery, adultery, police corruption, violence, adult language....the list goes on. The PG-13 rating might be a little light (I know...CRAZY!) and the dark themes and concepts leave Batman in the dark storytelling that makes him my favorite superhero. This part of "Year One" is very well executed.

Secondly, the film does an interesting twist and makes Gordon one of the main characters. In many of the animated features he is left as a supporting character, "Year One" places him up front as a collaborator and comparison to the Batman origin story that we all know too well now. This is a hit or miss aspect of the film though as it takes away from the mysteriousness of Wayne/Batman and takes away from some of his screen time. It's an interesting take on mythos of Gotham and one that fans will enjoy, but it does take away from our favorite hero.

On top of that, the film does have a rather intriguing animation style. An odd combination of Anime and old school American, it gives the feature a rather mixed look too. At times it works, but some of the computer generated moments seem forced and make for awkward sequences. It does give the right feel for the script and general feel for the feature and that works for it.

"Batman: Year One" might not be the expertly executed and fantastic "Under The Red Hood", but its such a unique take on the Batman mythos that its hard for fans not to enjoy it even if the action is minimized and the the screen time shared with Gordon. It might be as hit or miss as "Gotham Knight", but its hard for the Batfan in me not to be stoked with this film. Mostly for fans only though...definitely not for kids.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Thor: Tales Of Asgard (2011) - 2/5

With the superhero film craze that has been dominating theaters for the last decade, its been Marvel for the win all the way. Their films have just simply been better (sans Batman - which seems to be the exception). When it comes the animated side projects being released to home video...well DC Comics has edged out Marvel far far and beyond. The latest Marvel production, a back in time look at Thor in his teen years called "Thor: Tales Of Asgard" is not an exception. It's an animated fantasy film that can't even touch the live action "Thor" film in any way that just slightly rises itself above a He-Man episode. Not quite what I wanted in quality.

Thor tires of being trained by the warriors in Asgard. He thirsts to prove his worth as an adventurer and warrior, but his father Odin forbids he leave the sanctity of home. Thusly, the teenage Thor decides to high tail it to frozen lands in search for the lost sword of Surtur - a vile demon that his father once slayed in battle. His quest may not be easy and even though he has the support of his magician brother Loki and The Warriors Three, his thirst for respect just may start a new war and bring out a hidden villain in the wake.

Having just watched the relative fun and quirky film "Thor", I felt it necessary to see this unnecessary companion piece about a quest for a magical sword from Thor's teen years. Did I mention this was an unnecessary release? It is. It really adds nothing new to piece together with the feature length film sans a rather oddly built backstory between Thor and Sif, his warrior lady friend, and never climbs above feeling like a really long and drawn out Saturday morning cartoon. The story is fun and basic, not pushing into more adult territory like the DC animated films do, and would be great family entertainment as the kids can watch it with little explanation. Beyond that though, "Thor: Tales Of Asgard" really did nothing but tell a basic fantasy tale.

The animation is decent, the voice acting better, but the true disappointing feature of the film is its lacking creative vision. What made the "Thor" film such a cheesy but fun watch was how it seemingly blended fantasy, myth, and science fiction. This animated feature simply grounds itself in fantasy. Unwilling to move away from the basics and certainly shying away from the science fiction portions. Not the fun artistic direction that I wanted it to take.

It's not all that surprising that "Thor: Tales Of Asgard" is a rather bland watch - most of the Marvel cartoons have seemingly gone that direction. Even though the feature length "Thor" live action film wasn't great, this companion piece never even touches the fun and creative pizzazz it catered. Leaving a family oriented and fun cartoon, but rarely anything beyond that. Certainly worth only a rental.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse - 2/5

After the lackluster "Crisis Of Two Earths" and the stunningly good "Batman: Under The Red Hood", its getting hard to predict how these DC animated films are going to pan out. Normally, they are still pretty solid but "Superman/Batman: Apocalypse" comes off as one of the worst ones yet seemingly unable to find its focus on its plot lines. It has a few moments hear and there, but "Apocalypse" comes across as unsure of its footing and it hurts its overall presentation.

When a meteor hits in Gotham Bay, Batman discovers that there is one more survivor from the planet Krypton. Kara, aka Supergirl, is a young Kryptonian unsure of her powers and cousin to Superman. As Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman (wait...she isn't in the title?!) try to craft Kara and get her to control her powers, they stumble upon a plot by Darkseid to kidnap the new hero and use her for his own army. Now its 3 members of the Justice League that have to head to Darkseid's planet and get her back.

This film would have been 10 times better had they focused on the character aspect of Kara's coming of age tale instead of floundering it with the rather tacked on subplot of Darkseid and his new army. What starts off as an interesting plot about the guidance and heroics of being a super being and how to use your powers slowly degrades into some what childish games of just blowing things up and shooting lasers for the sake of it.

Granted, that plot line does add in some solid action sequences (more or less of a "wtf" quality) to keep the pace moving forward, but it feels like that was just added for that benefit. Except for the final battle and the throw down with the Furies, these action scenes aren't all that spectacular either. The balance of the actual story and the action just never clicks and it grows into a boring 'been there, seen that' kind of film.

DC animated films have been a usual solid choice, but "Apocalypse" just never gets the balance or vision of itself right. It had its moments, but it never fully grasps its potential. Could have been awesome, comes off as mediocre.

BONUS RANT: Why does Superman seem to be wearing eye liner in this animation? I wasn't huge on the animation to begin with, but the entire time I kept staring at his 'eye liner' eyes and thinking about how that was a big mistake. 

Written By Matt Reifschneider