castostarlight-1

Whoa...that was really boring. The most interesting events happen in the first 30 minutes and the last 15 minutes. In between, it seems like it was desperate writing to fill the gap. Saying the same things over and over, repeating themes, no real action. It was all just corny dialogue. The movie just seemed to drag forever with nothing happening. The acting was decent, but the flaw is in the original script. This movie is very forgettable. It's only memorable trait is the fact that it's about 9/11. I like slow movies, but this was a flat out yawner. I had to tap my feet just to stay awake. It has about two emotional scenes, but the rest is just back and forth Hallmark card line. See it if you want, but have a back up movie to sneak into. (^_~)

Barnyard was surprisingly a great movie. Sure, there are male cows instead of bulls. So what? It's a cartoon. What made the movie so surprising is the fact that it actually had a good story. Sure it's parallel to "The Lion King", but there's no such thing as an original plot anymore. The acting was good, the jokes were funny, the emotions were all there. Barnyard let's you go from laughing your head off to the verge of tears in seconds of each other. Now that's saying something.

The downfalls were that the movie had way too much pop culture music. An fully classically-scored film with a few guest songs is ideal. Afterall, nothing can invoke emotion more than a full string section. The humor was original to Steve Oedekerk, so it's not the mainstream "Dreamworks Animation" shameless jokes. (I love you Dreamworks Animation, but it's true. Get some originality in your jokes.)

But the good far outweighs the bad. Touching moments, good animation, clever design, and one of the most evil villains I've seen in a while. (Dag the Cyote rivals Hannibal Lector in creepiness.) Though, I recommend seeing the movie more than once. The second time around was strangely a lot better. I think it's the fact that one has to adjust to Steve's meaning of funny.

By the way, if your kids are looking for a laugh, I wouldn't bring them. Most of the jokes are funniest in there simplicity. You won't find fart jokes and name calling in this one.

Overall, a great movie. Hope to see more like it in the future.

The shortest way to explain this story is the real world getting slapped in the face with fantasy. The elaborate mythology outlined by M. Night Shyamalan is wonderfully weaved. The funny and complex main character is given a sudden blast of responsibility when Story, a Narf from the Blue World, appears in the Pool. The film has deeply terrifying moments, scarier than any horror movie I've seen this summer. (much scarier than The Decent.) The film also has a lot of heart and deep emotion. I'd say that the only thing that keeps this film from a 10 is the fact that the ending seemed to stop short of where the film felt like it should have ended. It would be great if the end would've dragged out a bit longer. Otherwise, this whimsical film is top-notch. One of the best this summer.