Planet 51 (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

Delightful!  “Planet 51″ is a fun sci-fi animated film for the entire family that looks vibrant and sounds great on Blu-ray!

© 2009 Ilion Animation Studios, HandMade Films International, Antenna 3 Films, Lem Films Limited and Chuck & Lem, S.L. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Planet 51

DURATION: 91 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:35:1), English, German 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English – Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital, Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish, German, Turkish

COMPANY: Tri Star/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: PG (For Mild Sci-Fi Action and Some Suggestive Humor)

RELEASE DATE: March 9, 2010

Directed by Jorge Blanco, Javier Abad, Marcos Martinez

Written by Joe Stillman

Executive Producer: Mercedes Gamero, Ricardo Garcia Arrojo, Peter D. Graves, Albie Hecht, Stephen Margolis, Albert Martinez Martin, Patrick Meehan, Javier Perez Dolset, Juan Antonio Perez Ramirez, Mercedes Rey Jose A. Rodriguez, Michael Ryan

Produced by Guy Collins, Ignacio Perez Dolset

Associate Producer: Thomas D. Adelman

Music by James Seymour Brett

Edited by Alex Rodriguez

Casting by Ruth Lambert, Karen Lindsay-Stewart, Robert McGee

Production Design by Julian Munoz Romero

Art Direction by Fernando Juarez

Featuring the voices of:

Dwayne Johnson as Captain Charles T. Baker

Justin Long as Lem

Jessica Biel as Neera

Gary Oldman as General Grawl

Seann William Scott as Skiff

John Cleese as Professor Kipple

Freddie Benedict as Eckle

Alan Mariott as Glar

When Chuck the astronaut (Dwayne Johnson) lands on a distant planet filled with little green people, he is surprised to discover that we are not alone in the galaxy. But he gets the shock of his life when the residents of Planet 51 mistakenly believe that his presence is the start of an alien invasion of the human kind! Luckily, Lem (Justin Long) quickly realizes that Chuck is friendly and makes it his personal mission to help him return safely to his ship.

In Nov. 2009, the most expensive movie produced in Spain titled “Planet 51″ created by Ilion Animation Studios and HandMade Films with a screenplay by Joe Stillman (“Shrek” films) was released in the US.  With a budget of $70 million, despite heavy competition from Hollywood blockbusters “New Moon” and “2012″, “Planet 51″ earned $94 million worldwide.

“Planet 51″ revolves around a world with a society of green aliens similar to the USA in the 1950′s and at the local theater, the popular sci-fi film “Humaniac” is being screened.  Lem (Voiced by Justin Long) is an alien who gets a job at the Planetarium.  Lem has a big crush on Neera (voiced by Jessica Biel) but each time he wants to get close to her, her hippie friend Glar is nearby and it seems that he may be trying to get close to her as well.

Meanwhile, a mysterious spacecraft which was orbiting Planet 51 is detected by “Base 9″, a hidden army base which has artifacts from planet Earth.  One of the artifact, which is a rover wakes up when a signal is picked up and begins its mission to look for an astronaut and collect rocks.

The mysterious aircraft lands in Lem’s back yard and an astronaut from NASA, Charles “Chuck” Baker (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) comes out and plants the US flag on the planet.  But when he looks around the planet, what was supposed to be uninhabited has homes and building where green people live and this freaks out Chuck who immediately goes into hiding.

With many people on the planet fearing aliens (due to the sci-fi films of the time such as “humaniac”, the people of Planet 51 think there is going to be an alien invasion.  Immediately, General Grawl (voiced by Gary Oldman) along with Professor Kipple (voiced by John Cleese) try to gain more research studying the alien spacecraft and quarantines the area to prevent its citizens to become “zombies”.

As for Lem, while cleaning up at the planetarium, he finds Chuck in hiding and immediately the two realize they speak the same language and that Chuck is no threat.  Chuck then lets Lem know that he has 74 hours to get back into his spacecraft or else the spacecraft will leave without him. Meanwhile, the NASA rover continues to look for the astronaut while evading the General’s forces and hostile citizens but yet  finds a friend in Lem’s comic book geek friend Skiff (voiced by Seann William Scott) who looks at Rover as his newfound pet.

So, Chuck depends on Lem (and his friends) in hiding him temporarily and help find a way to get him back into his well-guarded spacecraft.  But is it possible?  Especially with General Grawl and his men ready to kill anyone who may be deemed as helping the alien (Chuck) and those who are helping him?

VIDEO:

“Planet 51″ looks very good when it comes to details. Presented in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1),  I enjoyed the overall atmosphere created by Ilion Animation Studios.  From the creation of the homes, the gates, the plants, the skies…the whole ’50s feel of the town looks quite vibrant and beautiful.   But when it comes to the green citizens, there is much less detail.  Although green, even Shrek is green but you can still see the spots within its skin.  Not so much for the aliens of “Planet 51″, although a lot of detail can be seen in the astronaut uniform of Chuck.   But overall, the animation was well-done from Ilion Animation Studios and the presentation is absolutely vibrant in HD.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Planet 51″ features audio in English and German 5.1 DTS-HD MA.  Also, an English audio description track in 5.1 Dolby Digital is included.  Because the film incorporates many action scenes, from the sound of the vehicles zipping through the air, Chuck’s spacecraft with its engine roaring or the hidden base opening up, there is good use of the surround channels and LFE.  Dialogue and music are also clear and understandable through the center and front channels.  But overall, a pretty solid lossless soundtrack!

Subtitles are in English, English SDH, Spanish, German and Turkish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Planet 51″ comes with the following special features in High Definition with English Stereo and English with German subtitles:

• Target 51 Game - Play as Charles “Chuck” Baker in galaxy mode or survival mode.   The game also comes with an optional iPhone controller App download from iTunes!
  
• Extended Scenes – A total of three extended scenes: A Total Disaster, When Aliens Invade, What Do Zombies Say?
  
• The World of Planet 51 – (2:52) Featuring the CG clips of the locations and key areas featured in the world of Planet 51.
  
• Life on Planet 51 – (12:04) The making of “Planet 51″ plus a look at how ILION Animation Studios in Madrid, Spain created the film.
  
• Planetarium – The Voice Stars of Planet 51 – (3:18) A featurette with interviews with the voice talent of “Planet 51″ including Justin Long, Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Gary Oldman and Sean William Scott.
  
• Planet 51 Music Video Montage – (2:10) A video montage of scenes from “Planet 51″ along with a song “Aliens Exist” by Blink 182.
  
• Animation Progression Reels – (15:53) Featuring six animated progression reels.  Featuring four split screens with a pre-rendered CG clip, storyboards, and more.
  
• Previews – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment trailers
  

EXTRAS:

“Planet 51″ comes with a DVD version of the film and also a Digital Copy included on the DVD.

“Planet 51″ is a fun and entertaining sci-fi film.  Although, the cold war reference, especially dealing with the fear of aliens may go over the heads of children, “Planet 51″ manages to be a film similar to E.T. but in this case, the human is the alien and for the most part, the green aliens speak perfect English. Also, the film does a good job for paying homage to various sci-fi films such as “Alien”, “2001: A Space Odyssey”, “Star Wars”, “Terminator”, etc.  If anything, the humor of the cold war, especially classic and current sci-fi films will easily make fans of the genre quite appreciate of the film.

While, the human “Chuck” is more of a guy that is all talk and makes himself out as a guy who has “the right stuff”, Lem has been the alien guy who really never stood for himself and has had his share of low self-esteem.  Through helping Chuck and overcoming a variety of obstacles, we see how Lem begins to feel more comfortable with himself and eventually, using his new-found self-esteem to get closer to his dream girl Neera.

Despite the film not receiving the greatest reviews, “Planet 51″ is a CG-animated film that may not have any deep overtones but there is really cool CG animation when it comes to the actual living areas.  The detail is quite beautiful on Blu-ray and the lossless soundtrack is quite awesome as well.  The Blu-ray has a good number of special features as well.  And if you are a parent looking for a fun and safe film for the kids while going on a trip, the Blu-ray release does include a DVD and also a digital copy as well.

Overall, “Planet 51″ is a good movie and I think those who are able to pick up on the jokes of the film will enjoy some of its slapstick humor.  The film has enough gags to please the children (as my seven year old who watched it in the theater and once again with me on Blu-ray was giggling throughout) but anyone expecting anything more or anything deep may be disappointed. But in the end, I was quite satisfied with the film overall.

 

Heroic Age: The Complete Series (a J!-ENT Anime Blu-ray Disc Review)

For those who have been wanting sci-fi/mecha action on Blu-ray will definitely enjoy “Heroic Age: The Complete Series”.  Definitely one of the top three anime series available on Blu-ray in the US and a series that his definitely recommended!

Image courtesy of © XEBEC/Argonaut Crew. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Heroic Age – The Complete Series

DURATION: 26 Episodes (635 minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition 16×9, Dolby True HD English 5.1 Dolby Digital Japanese 2.0

COMPANY: FUNimation Entertainment

RATED: TV PG

Originally created by Tow Ubukata

Directed by Toshimasa Suzuki

Series Composition by Tow Ubukata

Character Design by Hisashi Hirai

Art Director by Toshihiro Konama

Music by Naoki Sato

Mechanical Design by Ken Ootsuka, Naohiro Washio, Yoshiki Kuga

Anime Production by XEBEC

Featuring the following voice talent:

Hiroshi Yazaki/J. Michael Tatum as Age

Yui Ishikawa/Caitlin Glass as Deianeira (Dhianeila)

Kaori Shimizu/Luci Christian as Aneesha

Rie Kugimiya/Monica Rial as Mail

Satomi Arai/Brina Palencia as Bee

Takashi Kondo/Joel McDonald as Iolaus

Takashi Matsuyama/R. Bruce Elliott as Mobead

Yukari Tamura/Monica Rial as Tail

Ami Koshimizu/Cherami Leigh as Utila Ra (Yuty La)

Chihiro Suzuki/Greg Ayres as Mehitaka Bore (Mehitak Pore)

Daisuke Kishio as Meleaguros

Hiroki Yasumoto as Kilis

Hiroshi Okamoto as Takius

Hiroyuki Yoshino as Atlantis

Masayuki Katou/Christopher R. Sabat as Karkinos Lucan (Rucan)

Miyuki Sawashiro/Stephanie Young as Rekti Rekuu (Lecty Leque)

Rina Satou/Lydia Mackay as Prome Ou

Saori Seto as Hestia

Shiho Hisajima as Iouda

Susumu Chiba as Rom Rou

Yoshinori Fujita as Paeto Ou

Yukana as Nilval

Akira Ishida as Zaki

Ayako Kawasumi/Wendy Powell as Elena

Cho as Ermita

Long ago, the advanced Tribe of Gold vanished from the vast universe. In the void left by their departure, the tyrannical Tribe of Silver ascended to rule, forcing mankind – the Iron Tribe – to the brink of extinction.

Now humanity wanders the cosmos in search of a savior. Prophecy has foretold of one who will labor for their freedoms, and on a planet of ruin a champion is found. A feral boy named Age holds the destiny of their species in his hands and the untold power of the Tribe of Hero within.

In April 2007, the sci-fi anime series “Heroic Age” produced by XEBEC (“Steam Detectives”, “To Love-Ru”, “D.N.Angel”) and directed by Toshimasa Suzuki (who worked on “MoonPhase”, “Rozen Maiden: Traumend”, “Silent Mobius” TV) began airing on TV Tokyo and TV Osaka.  While the anime series was ongoing, in July 2007, mangaka Tow Ubukata (“Chevalier D’Eon”, “Sokyuu no Fafner”, “Pilgrim Jager”) began work on the manga series “Heroic Age” which was serialized in Kodansha’s Magazine Z.

The 26-episode animated television series featured Ubukata who would be involved with series composition, character designs by Hisashi Hirai (“Mobile Suit Gundam Seed”, “Infinity Ryvius”, “Fafner”, “S-CRY-ed”), mechanical design directed by Ken Ootsuka (“Banner of the Stars”, “Brave King GaoGaiGAr Final”, “Gurren Lagann”) and music by Naoki Sato (“Sword of the Stranger”, “X”, “Eureka Seven”).

The story parallels Greek mythology and takes place in the distant future in which humanity is in dire trouble.  Known as “The Iron Tribe”, they are looked at as an inferior race by the Silver Tribe, a race who looks at themselves as not only the most superior and powerful but also the guardians of space and then there is the Bronze tribe, an insect species who takes direction from the Silver Tribe to hunt down any members of the Iron Tribe.

Thus the Iron Tribe under the direction of the young princess Dhianeila (a psychic and telepath) in search of a person as told in an old prophecy of a person who will protect humanity and bring peace to the world.

While the Iron Tribe were searching a deserted planet known as Oron, the only living person appeared to be someone named Age who looks like a teenager but is actually 120-years-old (due to being in stasis for over a hundred years).  Why is this young man living by himself in a deserted planet?  No one knows why but as the Iron Tribe search the planet, they are immediately attacked by the Bronze Tribe who destroy the home of the young man who immediately transforms into Bellcross, large destructive mecha.

It is then learned that Age is a Nodos, a vessel that contains the essence of a Heroic Tribesman and can transform into a member of the Heroic Tribe.  These Nodos have superhuman abilities, can breathe in space and unaffected by the space vacuum.

While Age spends time with the humans (The Iron Tribe), he learns about humanity and defends them from any attacks and danger.  Immediately, the princess feels that Age is the prophecy who will help save humanity from its oppressors.  Meanwhile, the other Nodos in the world are not to thrilled that Age is spending time with the lesser beings – the humans and thus ask him to join them or else, be their enemy and he will be destroyed.

This sets up events in which Age, a Nodos who has now dedicated his life in protecting the humans from those of his own kind and from those who want to oppress humanity.

“Heroic Age: The Complete Series” features a total of 26-episodes on three Blu-ray discs.

VIDEO:

“Heroic Age: The Complete Series” is a series that looks very good on Blu-ray and compared to recent FUNimation Entertainment releases, the good news is that I didn’t see the discoloration problems that were evident on “Witchblade”, “Samurai Champloo” and “Basilisk”.  Many times through the series, it made me wonder if “Heroic Age” was an upconvert or not because there were scenes that looked absolutely beautiful but then there were some scenes that I felt, were not as sharp and vibrant.

Part of the problem when it comes to animated television series is that there is a shorter time schedule to get an episode for airing and for the most part, budget is quite tight as opposed to a film or an OVA. Also, I’ve been told that if we want the better looking series on Blu-ray, look for series after 2008. “Heroic Age: The Complete Series” was released in 2007 but by no means does this series look bad.  Blacks are nice and deep, action/battle sequences look very good and I find less aliasing (it’s there if you really look) and compression artifacts this time around.  So, picture quality is not absolutely pristine.  Personally, if this is an upconvert, then the good news is that “Heroic Age: The Complete Series” definitely looks better than the majority of the anime TV series upconverts that I have seen on Blu-ray thus far.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Heroic Age: The Complete Series” features a lossless English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack.  Special effects are used to good effect with the surround channels, audio and music is nice and clear coming from the front and center channels and for the most part, from spacecraft motioning to the hear the battles between the Nodos and using their weaponry, you get a good amount of  action from your surround channels and good utilization of LFE for the multiple attacks and explosions.  A good immersive lossless soundtrack for the English dub track.

And like previous FUNimation Entertainment releases, Japanese soundtrack is in Dolby Digital 2.0.  Granted, you can easily have you receiver set with stereo on all channels but for the most part, for those expecting a lossless Japanese soundtrack, you are not going to find it in “Heroic Age: The Complete Series”.  But overall, voice talent is solid for both English and Japanese soundtracks. English dub fans should enjoy the lossless soundtrack.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

With the recent “Claymore – The Complete Series” filled with special features content and a booklet, unfortunately “Heroic Age: The Complete Series” is not given any major special features treatment for its Blu-ray release but the textless opening and ending themes.

There are no Japanese commercials or promotional videos for the series.  With such a strong Japanese and English dub cast, it would have been cool to see any Japanese featurette including commentary by the ADR Director and voice talent for the English dub track.

“Heroic Age: The Complete Series” was a pretty solid series from beginning to end.  A lot of action sequences that reminded me a little of “Super Robot Wars OG”, “Aquarion” and event”Battlestar Galactica”, the series has a lot going for it as it brings together sci-fi action, mecha battles but also a deep storyline about humans trying to escape those who want to destroy them and finding a hero who fights on the side of humanity.

To see human kind as the underdogs is this battle in the cosmos was rather enjoyable and in a way, I was very happy because I have been wanting a sci-fi/action anime series on Blu-ray and I have to admit that “Heroic Age: The Complete Series” is probably one of the most satisfying anime TV series that I have seen on Blu-ray thus far.

As for the Blu-ray release, it’s hard to recommend the series if one already owns it on DVD based on the fact that there are no special features included and there is no lossless Japanese soundtrack.   But for those who do not own the series on DVD, will enjoy the marginal upgrade for the video compared to its DVD counterpart and a pretty solid English lossless soundtrack.

“Heroic Age: The Complete Series” is not a perfect release but it’s one of the top three series out there available on Blu-ray in the U.S. at this time.  An enjoyable series from beginning to end that is definitely recommended!

 

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

A film based on a true story, “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” is an enjoyable and entertaining film about the love and loyalty of a dog to its owner.  A film that will make you laugh and cry, “Hacki: A Dog’s Tale” is a film worth watching!

© 2008 Hachiko, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: Hachi: A Dog’s Tale

DURATION: 93 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (1:85:1),  English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Subtitles: English, English SDH

COMPANY: Sony Wonder/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: G

RELEASE DATE: March 9, 2010

Directed by Lasse Hallstrom

Screenplay by Sephen P. Lindsey

Executive Producer: Jim Sebel, Paul Mason, Jeff Abberly, Julia Blackman

Co-Executive Producer: Tom Luse

Produced by Vicki Shigekuni Wong, Bill Johnson, Richard Gere

Co-Producer: Dean Schnider

Cinematography by Ron Fortunato

Music by Liz Gallacher

Edited by Kristina Boden

Casting by Rick Montgomery

Production Design by Chad Detwiller

Art Direction by Ross Dempster, Kendelle Elliott, Dan Hermansen, Don Macaulay

Costume Design by  Deborah Newhall

Starring:

Richard Gere as Parker Wilson

Joan Allen as Cate Wilson

Sarah Roemer as Andy Wilson

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Ken

Erick Avari asJess

Jason Alexander as Carl

Favenia McFadden as Mary Anne

Forest as Hachi

Kevin DeCoste as Ronnie

Robbie Sublett as Michael

From Academy Award®-nominated director Lasse Hallström (2000, The Cider House Rules) comes HACHI: A DOG’S TALE, a film based on one of the most treasured and heartwarming true stories ever told. Golden Globe winner Richard Gere (2002, Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, Chicago) stars as Professor Parker Wilson, a distinguished scholar who discovers a lost Akita puppy on his way home from work. Despite initial objections from Wilson’s wife, Cate (Academy Award® nominee Joan Allen – 2000, Best Actress, The Contender), Hachi endears himself into the Wilson family and grows to be Parker’s loyal companion. As their bond grows deeper, a beautiful relationship unfolds embodying the true spirit of family and loyalty, while inspiring the hearts of an entire town.

When I first visited Tokyo, Japan, one of the stories that intrigued me before my trip was the story of Hachiko, a dog who would wait outside Shibuya Station back in the 1930′s.  Everyday, for ten years since the passing of his master, Hachiko would wait for his master’s return.  A popular story of a loyalty between a dog and its owner, a bronze statue of Hachiko is featured at the dog’s waiting spot and has become a popular tourist attraction and has become a national symbol in Japan for loyalty.

The story of Hachiko touched producer Vicki Shikeguni Wong during her trip to Tokyo and inspired to make a film titled “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” based on the true Japanese story for American audiences.  Directed by Oscar-nominated director Lasse Hallström (“Chocolat”, “Cider House Rules”, “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”) and a screenplay by Stephen P. Lindsey (“When they Could Fly”, “The Secret of Fireflies”), the film would feature cinematography by Ron Fortunato (“Gossip Girl”, “Catch a Fire”, “Brotherhood”) and music composed by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (“Get Low”, “Horsemen”, “Unfaithful”).

The film revolves around college professor Parker Wilson (played by Richard Gere, “Pretty Woman”, “Chicago”, “Unfaithful”, “Primal Fear”) who was coming home from a trip and a small Akita who was accidentally left behind walks up to Parker who then takes the dog back home.

Unfortunately, his wife Cate (played by Joan Allen, “The Bourne Identity” films, “Face/Off”, “The Contender”) is not thrilled to see a dog in the house, even when their daughter Andy (played by Sarah Roemer, “Disturbia”, “Fired Up!”, “The Grudge”) pleads with the mother to keep it.

Parker then learns from his friend Ken (played by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, “The Art of War”, “Planet of the Apes”, “Memoirs of a Geisha”) that the dog’s name is “Hachi” and is an Akita that were popular in feudal Japan. But as Parker tries to find its owner and tries to give the dog away, he finds himself loving the dog and Cate just notices how he is really loving his company with the dog and thus, allows him to keep it.

Fast forward year(s) later and Hachi is a grown dog who is loyal to his owner.  He goes home when Parker tells him to and when he hears the incoming train whistling, Hachi knows that his master is coming home and runs to the station and greets him near the station exit.  Among the people who are familiar with Hachi’s routine is Carl (played by Jason Alexander, “Pretty Woman”, “Seinfeld”) who works at the station, Jess (played by Erick Avari, “Heroes”, “Dragnet”) who runs a hot dog concessions stand outside of the station and often gives food to Hachi and a few other business owners around the area.

And throughout the seasons, Hachi has repeated his routine of waiting for his master through warm and cold, heavy snow days and has always been loyal to Parker by waiting for him when he returns to the station.  But one day, Parker has a stroke at the University while teaching and dies.  With Parker’s death, Cate moves out of their home, while Sarah and her husband Michael then take in Hachi to their home but no matter how far they live, Hachi manages to find his way back to the station when he hears the train whistling, waiting for his master to come back from the station.

Despite knowing that Parker will never come back, Sarah and those who work around the station continue to support Hachi everyday (for ten years) while he waits for his master’s return.

VIDEO:

“Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:85:1).  The film looks beautiful on Blu-ray as it manages to capture the seasons as Hachi waits for his master.  Blacks are nice and deep, detail from the fur of Hachi to detail on Parker’s wool suits.  Skin tones are natural and again, the detail from the various seasons of trees with leaves and without, snowy conditions, everything looks beautiful in this film. Interesting use of muted colors when the film shifts to Hachi’s perspective, as the filmmaker tries to show things through Hachi’s eyes.  Overall, very good picture quality for this film.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” is features an English 5.1 DTS-HD MA lossless audio track.  The majority of the film is dialogue driven and thus front and center channel driven but there are a few moments in the film such as a cold windstorm in which you hear rickety noises and wood and object clanging in the background that utilizes the surround channels.  Also, scenes that feature the train running through the train tracks by Hachi is also captured quite well through the surround channels.  Overall, a satisfactory lossless soundtrack for this type of film.

Subtitles are in English and English SDH.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Hachi” comes with the following special features in High Definition with English Stereo:

• A Bondy of Loyalty – The Making of Hachi: A Dog’s Tale - (17:50) A featurette on the making of the film.  Interviews with the talents and why Richard Gere took the role, working with the dogs that played Hachi and more.
• Previews – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment trailers
  
• BD-Live Enabled
  

“Hachi” definitely caught my attention when I first saw the trailer.  I’ve always been interested in the story of Hachiko and it was definitely one of my priorities during my first trip to Tokyo and wanting to see the actual bronze statue of the dog.  Needless to say, when I first heard an American adaptation to the Hachiko tale, especially when there was the film”Hachiko Monogatari” in 1987 which was a very good film, I was not sure what to expect from “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale”.

But after watching the film, I was very touched and I have to say that they captured that bond between an owner and a dog, the love for a dog by its owner and most of all, that touching loyalty of the original Hachiko story in this film.

It’s quite interesting to see Richard Gere in such a film, because you don’t expect him in this type of film.  You expect him to take on romantic lead roles or authoritative figures but to see him as a dog lover/owner definitely shows a new light for him as an actor and also, I found it quite intriguing to see the reunion of Gere and Jason Alexander since their pairing back in the 1990 film “Pretty Woman”.  But the film also features star talents such as Joan Allen, Erick Avari, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and you have a talented director with Lasse Hallström.  But more surprising to me that Sony gave this film a very limited release despite having a well-known director and talent behind the film and pretty much made “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” a direct-to-video release.   I wish they would have given this film a chance because it’s a very good film with a solid performance by Richard Gere especially with his interaction with Hachi (you’re not going to see many films with Richard Gere with a tennis ball in his mouth, while trying to teach a dog how to play fetch).

Granted, when it comes to canine films especially with a well-known story about Hachiko the dog, I can understand if people are hesitant after seeing tearjerkers such as “Quill” or even “Marley & Me”.  It’s a very touching film and pays its respect quite well to the original Japanese story based on the real story about Professor Hidesaburo Ueno and his Akita, Hachiko.

Overall, “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” is an enjoyable and touching film that will make you laugh and cry and a film definitely worth watching!

 

Marie Osmond’s son commits suicide

Marie Osmond’s son Michael Blosil has died after leaping to his death from his apartment on Friday night. According to Entertainment Tonight, Osmond’s son left a suicide note stating that he had life long depression. Donnie Osmond told Entertainment Tonight, “Please pray for my sister and her family.”

This is the second suicide relating to a child of a celebrity this past week.  Last week, actor Walter Koenig’s son, Andrew was found dead in Canada.

UPDATE: Marie Osmond’s family issued the following statement on Saturday:

“My family and I are devastated and in deep shock by the tragic loss of our dear Michael and ask that everyone respect our privacy during this difficult time.”

 

BILLBOARD HOT 100 (Top 10 Songs in the USA): The Black Eyed Peas – “Imma Be” takes the #1 position (Issue Date: March 6, 2010)

The following are the top 10 songs in the United States from the Billboard Hot 100 Music Charts:

NOTE: The Black Eyed Peas takes the #1 position whil Ke$ha drops to the #2 spot, Trey Songz feat. Fabolous break into the top 10.

BUY THESE SINGLES:

1. The Black Eyed Peas – Imma Be
2. Ke$ha – TiK ToK
3. Young Money featuring Lloyd – BedRock
4. Lady Gaga – Bad Romance
5. Lady Antebellum – Need You Now
6. Artists for Haiti – We Are the World 25: For Haiti
7. Train – Hey, Soul Sister
8. Ludacris – How Low
9. Jason Derulo – In My Head
10. Trey Songz feat. Fabolous – Say Aah

 

BILLBOARD 200 (Top 10 Albums-USA): Sade’s “Soldier of Love” continues to take the #1 spot (Issue Date: March 6, 2010)

The following are the top 10 albums in America from the Billboard 200 Album Charts:

NOTE: Sade continues at the #1 position and Lady Antebellum stays strong at #2.  The Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga surge to the #3 and #4 spots.

Purchase the #1 Album in the USA:

1. Sade – Soldier of Love
2. Lady Antebellum – Need You Now
3. The Black Eyed Peas – The E.N.D.
4. Lady Gaga – The Fame
5. Lil Wayne – Rebirth
6. Susan Boyle – I Dreamed a Dream
7. Alicia Keys – The Element of Freedom
8. Jaheim – Another Round
9. Josh Turner – Haywire
10. Taylor Swift – Fearles

 

Tinsley Mortimer at the USA Network and Vanity Fair celebrates Character Approved 2010 honorees

Feb. 25, 2010 – New York, New York, United States – USA Network and Vanity Fair celebrate Character Approved 2010 Honorees.IAC Building, NYC 02-25-2010.Photos by , Photos Inc 2010.TINSLEY MORTIMER.K63701SMO. © Red Carpet Pictures. Content © 2010 ZumaPress All rights reserved.

 

My Neighbor Totoro (a J!-ENT Anime DVD Review)

A magnificent Hayao Miyazaki film with gorgeous animation and painted backgrounds and an enjoyable film for the entire family.  If you have never seen this classic animated film, this special edition of “My Neighbor Totoro” features a ton of special features and is definitely worth owning!  A magnificent DVD release!

Image courtesy of © 1998 Nibariki/Disney. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: My Neighbor Totoro

DURATION: 88 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Widescren (1:85:1) – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions, English Dolby Digital Sound, Japanese and French Language Tracks, Subtitles: English and French

COMPANY: Studio Ghibli/Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

RATED: G

Release Date: March 2, 2010

Created, Written and Directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Storyboards by Hayao Miyazaki

Music by Joe Hisaishi

Art Director: Kazuo Iga

Animation Director: Yoshiharu  Sato

Director of Photography: Hisao Shirai

Executive Producer: Yasuyoshi Tokuma

Producer: Toru Hara

Anime Production by Studio Ghibli

Featuring the following voice talent:

Chika Sakamoto/Dakota Fanning as Mei Kusakabe

Hitoshi Takagi/Frank Welker as Dai-Totoro

Noriko Hidaka/Elle Fanning as Satsuki Kusakabe

Shigesato Itoi/Timothy Daly as Tatsuo Kusakabe (Mei & Satsuki’s father)

Tanie Kitabayashi/Pat Carroll as Granny

Toshiyuki Amagasa as Kanta

Visionary and Academy-Award®-winning* director Hayao Miyazaki has created a heartwarming, music filled and wonderful world in My Neighbor Totoro: Special Edition, a delightfully animated family adventure. And now—exclusively in this 2-Disc Special Edition DVD—never-before-seen bonus features reveal even more of Totoro’s fantastic world! Follow the adventures of Satsuki and her fouryear- old sister Mei when they move into a new home in the countryside. To their delight, they discover that their new neighbor is a mysterious forest spirit called Totoro—who can be seen only through the eyes of a child. Totoro introduces them to extraordinary characters—including a cat that doubles as a bus!—and takes them on an incredible journey. Bring home My Neighbor Totoro: Special Edition for your family’s DVD library and experience the timeless classic film critic Roger Ebert calls “one of the very few that come along that are magical for all ages.”

Hayao Miyazaki, the most prominent Japanese filmmaker who has created animated films that not only broke Japanese box office records but has created animated films that reflect upon nature, technology, family and more.  Compared to the accomplishments of Walt Disney, Miyazaki is a filmmaker who has amassed a respect from his fans worldwide and his animations studio, Studio Ghibli, continues to be one of the most appreciated and respected animation and production studios in the world.

In 1988, wrote and directed the animated classic “My Neighbor Totoro” (Tonari no Totoro) which won the Animage Grand Prix Award in 1988 and was brought over to the United States from Fox Video/Streamline on VHS in the ’90s and on DVD in 2002.  When their rights expired, Disney picked up the rights to the many of the Studio Ghibli films and redubbed the film featuring major Hollywood talent and re-released the film on DVD in 2006 but this time with both an English and Japanese audio track.

Here we are in 2010 and with Miyazaki’s latest film “Ponyo” being released on Blu-ray and DVD on March 2nd, Disney will also re-release Studio Ghibli classics such as “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, “Castle in the Sky” and “My Neighbor Totoro” special editions on DVD.

“My Neighbor Totoro” is a film that takes place in 1958 and is about the Kusakabe family which include university professor Tatsuo Kusakabe  (voiced by Shigesato Itoi/Timothy Daly) and his daughters, 10-year-old Satsuki (voiced by Noriko Hidaka/Dakota Fanning) and 4-year-old daughter Mei (voiced by Chika Sakamoto/Elle Fanning).  The family has moved to a rural area in Japan to be closer to a hospital where their mother Yasuko (voiced by Sumi Shimamoto/Lea Salonga) is trying to recover from her illness.

When the daughters check out the house, they discover the home is filled with susuwatari (dust bunnies/creatures) and try to move to dark places of the house.   They are greeted by Granny (voiced by Tanie Kitabayashi/Pat Carroll), the landlord of the house and grandmother of a young boy named Kanta (voiced by Toshiyuki Amagasa/Paul Butcher), a boy who is a neighbor and soon-to-be classmate of Satsuki.

The family carries on life in the country but for young Mei, one day while playing outside, she sees two rabbit like creatures in the grass.  When she goes to follow them, she ends up finding this very large creature which she names “Totoro” (voiced by Hitoshi Takagi/Frank Welker) and falls asleep on him.  When Satsuki finds her, she is alone but Mei tells her about this big creature she saw.  Of course, Satsuki doesn’t quite believe her at first but their father tells them that Totoro is a keeper of the forest.

One rainy night as the daughters wait for their father to return by bus and doesn’t arrive, while Mei is fast asleep on Satsuki’s back, Totoro shows up and Satsuki sees the creature for the first time as he is protecting himself with a leaf from the rain.  She offers him her father’s umbrella and happy about the umbrella, he gives her some nuts and seeds.  Meanwhile, we see what Totoro is waiting for as a big bus-shaped giant cat (voiced by Naoki Tatsuta/Frank Welker) comes to pick up Totoro.

While Satsuki and Mei are overjoyed by seeing Totoro and other creatures, they are struck by bad news when they find out their mother will not be coming home from the hospital and both girls now worry that she may die and take the possibility of that happening very hard.

But on one day, young Mei is missing and it prompts Satsuki and the entire village to search for Mei.  What has happened to her?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“My Neighbor Totoro” is just an amazing animated film which I first watched back in 1993 (in Japanese, no subtitles) and at the time, although I didn’t know what was going on, I was simply in awe with the animation.  Of how beautiful the artistic backgrounds were.  The village and its lush green, to the painted detail on the trunk of the trees to even the ground during rainy weather, I was impressed. Now, the film is 22-years-old and watching it again, the film still holds up remarkably well today.

The film is presented in widescreen (1:85:1) – enhanced for 16×9 televisions.  Colors are vibrant and one can only hope that Disney releases the film via HD on Blu-ray.

As for the audio, audio is clear and understandable.  The film is presented in English Dolby Digital Sound and also includes the Japanese and French language tracks.  It’s important to note that fans of the film have heard two different English dubs of “My Neighbor Totoro”, the FOX Streamline dub and the current Disney dub.  Both are well-done but the difference is that in the Fox dub, the characters of Mei and even Kanta sound much older.  While in the Disney dub, Kanta sounds a bit more younger.  It’s a matter of preference as both English dubs are done very well but its important to note that the Fox/Streamline version is out of print long ago and the DVD never came with the Japanese track or special features.  Nevertheless, for those new to “My Neighbor Totoro”, I’m sure they will enjoy the voice acting by the Fanning sisters.

Subtitles are in English and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“My Neighbor Totoro” comes with the following special features on a second DVD disc.  Included are:

• Original Japanese Storyboards - (1:26:16) – Watch the entire film but this time with the video showcasing the original storyboards.
• Creating My Neighbor Totoro – (2:59) Hayao Miyazaki talks about how he came up with the concept of “My Neighbor Totoro”.
• Creating the Characters - (4:22) Producer Toshio Suzuki talks about the characters of “My Neighbor Totoro” and how “E.T. was an influence.
• The Totoro Experiencing – (2:00) Producer Toshio Suzuki talks about how the film didn’t do well in the box office but when it aired on television, it did remarkably well.
• Producer’s Perspective: Creating Ghibli – (1:22) Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki talks about how the named “Ghibli” came about.
• The Locations of Totoro – (28:34) An excerpt from a Japanese documentary on “My Neighbor Totoro” and visiting the areas that inspired Miyazaki to create the village of Totoro.
• Scoring Miyazaki – (7:17) A featurette about Joe Hisaishi’s scoring Miyazaki films and more.
• Original Japanese Trailer – (1:50) The original Japanese theatrical trailer.
• Behind the Microphone – (5:41) Featuring the English dub voice talents talking about their role, their appreciation for Miyazaki and his films.  Also, behind-the-scenes of the talent recording their voices.
• Ponyo – Creating Ponyo – (3:56) Hayao Miyazaki talks about the creation of “Ponyo” and wanting to create a film for young children.
• Kiki’s Delivery Service – Creating Kiki’s Delivery Service -  (2:27) Hayao Miyazaki discussing the creation of “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and what inspired Miyazaki for the creation of the city in the film.
• Castle in the Sky: Character Sketches – (2:37) Miyazaki talks about the characters of “Castle in the Sky” and discussing how his audiences are loyal to his films over time.
• Enter the Lands – Visit the land featuring various small animated Studio Ghibli characters (from all films).  Click on a character from that film (note: only “Ponyo”, “My Neighbor Totoro”, “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and “Castle in the Sky” are available) to get a Q&A or a small video info. of that film and its characters.

EXTRAS:

Also, included is a postcard featuring Satsuki and Totoro at the bus stop.

I absolutely love “My Neighbor Totoro”.  From when I first saw it in Japanese (which I didn’t understand at the time) at a Japanese animation club screening back in 1993 and now watching it over 15-years-later and watching it alongside with my son.  There is this captivating quality with Miyazaki’s characters, his enjoyable to sometimes serious screenplays and Studio Ghibli always delivering when it comes to quality.

And when you consider how a lot of animated films today are 100% CG animated, when you see a Miyazaki film, you know that he doesn’t follow the mainstream.  He makes the kind of films that he wants and for the most part, every film that I have seen from Studio Ghibli, I’ve been more than satisfied.

I remember watching “My Neighbor Totoro” and enjoying the lively moments from the beginning but having seen his animated films “Nausicaa”, “Laputa: Castle in the Sky” and even “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, as his films are happy and humorous, by the final half of the film, the story definitely shifts to a serious tone and in this film, it does get a bit serious when both Satsuki and Mei facing the probability of their mother dying in the hospital.  These are genuine emotions that these two young girls feel but at the same time, what transpires afterward was captivating and how the film ends, Miyazaki definitely knows how to wrap up a film and make you feel content and satisfied with overall story.

“My Neighbor Totoro” is a wonderful family film and by no means is it scary.  For the parents, this film is among the more lighter-toned Miyazaki films out there.  Miyazaki has mentioned in interviews that he created “My Neighbor Totoro” for the children while his latest film “Ponyo” was more of him wanting to create a film for even younger children.  But for the most part, if you want to introduce a Miyazaki film to your children, “My Neighbor Totoro” is a great place to start.

But the big question for many people is if “My Neighbor Totoro” is worth the investment, especially if you own the 2002 and 2006 DVD releases.  If you own the 2006 Disney DVD, there are a large number of special features on this 2010 release that are not included in the 2006 DVD but if you are not into special features, then its probably not worth buying it again.  But for those who have never owned the DVD, let alone only have that old Fox/Streamline VHS or DVD, then yes its definitely worth it!  I know there are some fans who prefer the original dub from the old Fox/Streamline years but that release was pretty much barebones.  Yes, I still have my old copy of “My Neighbor Totoro” and I did enjoy the original dub a lot but personally, with this newer release, you get the Japanese audio track and plenty of special features that were not included in the 2006 DVD release as well.

Overall, this 2010 “My Neighbor Totoro” DVD release is fantastic.  A great film with a lot of new bonus content.  Highly recommended!

 

Hannah Montana – Miley Says Goodbye? (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

For “Hannah Montana” fans, “Miley Says Goodbye?” could easily have been a fitting series finale but with the announcement of a fourth and final season, fans of the series can enjoy more episodes featuring the Stewart family and friends as the kids are now grown up and having to make important decisions.

Images courtesy of © WDSHE. All Rights Reserved

DVD TITLE: HANNAH MONTANA – Miley Says Goodbye?

DURATION: 135 minutes (six episodes)

DVD INFORMATION: Dolby Digital, NTSC, Color, Dolby Digital Stereo Sound, French and Spanish Language Tracks and Subtitles, Full Screen (1:33:1)

COMPANY: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

RATED: G

RELEASE DATE: March 9, 2010

Created by Richard Correll, Barry O’Brien, Michael Poryes

Starring:

Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana

Emily Osment as Lilly Truscott

Jason Earles as Jackson Stewart

Billy Ray Cyrus as Robbie Stewart

Mitchell Musso as Oliver Oken

Moises Arias as Rico

Never before has Miley Stewart faced such a crucial decision! Now, DVD viewers will be the FIRST to see the season finale with Miley’s pivotal decision-making moment about staying in Hollywood or returning home to Tennessee, only on DVD before it airs on Disney Channel! Get ready for Hannah Montana: Miley Says Goodbye?, with six episodes, including the Season 3 finale episode, exciting bonus features and a bonus episode.

In the latest volume of the popular Disney television series, a total of five hilarious and fun “Hannah Montana” episodes to satisfy the Miley fans and the entire family!

Having a child that is a big fan of various Disney series, “HANNAH MONTANA” has been part of our household family viewing for years. So, suffice to say that I have watched a good share of the episodes of “HANNAH MONTANA” to get a good feel of what the series is about.  As for the DVD releases tend to revolve around a certain theme than episodic episodes in order. Thus here comes a new “HANNAH MONTANA” DVD titled “Miley Says Goodbye” and features Miley, Jackson and friends who are older and now having to make important life decisions.

Also, with each of the talent of the show going to do their own thing in their personal careers, especially Miley Cyrus, it was not known if the third season would be her last and thus the season ended with what could be seen as a fitting series finale.  But a fourth and final season has been ordered by the Disney Channel and thus, the final conclusion to the series will be in 2011.

For those not familiar with the television show that launched the career of pop star, Miley Cyrus, “HANNAH MONTANA” is a popular Disney Channel television series which started back in 2006 and revolves around a family of three.

Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) is a normal teenage girl but when she goes on stage and records an album, she dons a blond wig and is known as the popular pop idol Hannah Montana.

Her father/manager Robbie (real life father, Billie Ray Cyrus) has given her the dual identity so she can live a normal teenage life. She lives with her brother Jackson (played by Jason Earles) who is a bit of goof off who tends to get himself into some sort of predicament at home or at work at the hot dog stand owned by young entrepreneur Rico (played by Moises Arias).  For Miley/Hannah, she is fortunate to have her best friend Lilly Truscott (played by Emily Osment) and Oliver Oken (played by Mitchel Musso) around at times to be her voice of reason and to help bail her out of trouble.

But in this third season, the six episodes featured on this DVD feature the kids who are now older.  Miley having made a successful movie, her career is doing well but getting a taste of her old life in Tennessee, she questions if California or Tennessee should be her true home. Jackson is dealing with decisions about college (and not going to college) and living on his own.  Oliver has done well in a music talent show and sees his music career starting to blossom while Lilly is now living with Miley and figuring out where she fits in with the success of her best friends.

The “Hannah Montana – Miley Says Goodbye?” DVD features a total of six episodes. Included are:

1. EPISODE 59: You Never Give Me My Money - With Miley’s father managing her money, Miley wants to show that she is financial responsible (after her credit card debacle many episodes ago).  So, her father is allowing her to have a checking account with $5,000 and to see if she can be responsible and not spend it all.
2. EPISODE 64: Papa’s Got a New Friend – With Miley accidentally injuring her choreographer (played by “Dancing with the Stars” Carrie Inaba), she hires a new choreographer who instantly becomes her father’s best friend.  But her new choreographer is all about him and very strict to Miley and her dancers.
3. EPISODE 69: Promma Mia - With Oliver and Lilly going to the prom, Miley doesn’t have a date.  (special guest star: “American Idol” star David Archuleta)
4. EPISODE 73: He Could Be the One - An old boyfriend tries to come back to Miley but with her father still sore from how the boyfriend treated Miley back then, Miley tries to hide the fact that she is dating him again from her father.
5. EPISODE 84: Miley Says Goodbye? Part 1 – Miley reunites with her horse Blue Jeans by bringing him to California.  So, now she is considering moving back to Tennessee.  Meanwhile, Jackson deals with living in his own apartment.
6. EPISODE 85: Miley Says Goodbye? Part 2 - Miley wants to move back to Tennessee, Oliver is offered to open and tour with a band for six months but both are worried about how Lilly will deal with their departure.

VIDEO, AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Hannah Montana – Miley Says Goodbye?” is presented in Full Screen (1:33:1) and is featured in Dolby Digital Stereo Sound with also a French and Spanish audio track available.  Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The DVD comes with two major special features:

• “He Could Be the One” Alternate Ending – (3:13) An alternate ending for the episode “He Could Be the One”.
• Sister Secrets – (8:05) Brandi Cyrus shows us backstage of the “Hannah Montana” set and also interviews the cast.
• Hannah’s Highlights: “You Never Give Me My Money” – While watching the episode “You Never Give Me Money”, pop ups with information will be displayed on the screen with fun facts and interesting information.

EXTRA:

Included with the DVD is a “Hannah Montana – Mile Says goodbye” photo holder where fans can display their picture next to Hannah Montana.

For “Hannah Montana – Miley Says Goodbye?”, the episodes focus on the kids growing up and now having to make decisions about life, love and career.   It was not known if this would be the final season of “Hannah Montana”, so it was quite interesting to see this one hour episode season finale and for the most part, it would have been a fitting ending if Disney chose not to renew the series.  Personally, it’s quite interesting to see how much has changed with the characters and to see them grow from these young kids to now young adults within the last four years but with one final season to go, it will be interesting to see how the series concludes.

But for the most part, for “Hannah Montana” fans, you get a total of six fun episodes instead of the usual 4-5 and more special features included on the DVD, especially to see how backstage, the set of “Hannah Montana” is a family affair with older sister Brandi Cyrus working in props and Miley’s grandmother going through the fan mail.

Overall, as a father of a child who enjoys the series, the show definitely has its share of hilarious moments and for six episodes for a low price, you really can’t go wrong with it. Fans of Miley Cyrus and “Hannah Montana” won’t be disappointed.

 

Regina King and Sandra Bullock pose backstage during the 41st NAACP Image awards

Actresses Regina King (L) and Sandra Bullock pose backstage during the 41st NAACP Image awards held at The Shrine Auditorium on February 26, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images for NAACP). Content © 2010 Getty Images All rights reserved.

 

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