Animation Review:

3D Animation Review: Toy Story

Toy Story was produced by Pixar’s Animation Studio in 1995. It was the first ever full-length 3D animated film to be created using computer.
Toy Story is about the life of the toys in a little boy’s (Andy) room. Andy loves to play with his toys, especially Woody. But when Andy is not in the room, all toy come to life! Woody believes he has a good owner and will have a wonderful life. Until one day, Andy got a new toy for his birthday, Buzz Lightyear, which replace Woody’s to be the favourite toy of Andy.
Woody got jealous and tries to get rid of Buzz, but its turned out they both lost. They must find a way to get back to Andy before he moves house without them, but they will have to pass through a very dangerous place, the house of a ruthless toy killer, Sid. They caught into all kind of troubles of getting back to Andy. But they finally fought their way back to the truck, where Andy’s family is moving their stuffs. At the end, Woody and Buzz became best friend, while Andy loves his toys, both Woody and Buzz, even more after the lost of them.

Toy Story is one of my favourite 3D animations, and it is what inspired me to become a Computer Animator. Toy story makes every people childhood’s dream come true by generating them 3D in film! As every child ‘s is want their toy can come to life and play with them. Also the consequences when you don’t treasure your toys.

Japanese Animation Review:

鉄コン筋クリート (Tekkon Kinkreet, means reinforced concrete)

Director: Michael Ariaa

Writers: Taiyo Matsumoto (Comics),

Anthony Weintraub (writer)

Tekkon Kinkreet is the first time an American director has ever gone and directed an entire piece of animation in Japan, at the studio. While the anime industry is no stranger to creating animated works under American creative staff, no American has ever gone over and gotten a film produced, financed and made completely within the Japanese system.

Black and White are two street urchins. They have no home, no parents… only each other. They steal, mug, beat people… It's not the yakuza that owns Treasure town, it's Black (the smart, bitter one) and White (the dumb, innocent one). But when a developer wants to turn the dark, ugly streets into an amusement park, he brings about challengers that even Black will have trouble against! The only real bad point comes from some supernatural elements that get introduced near the end of the movie, most importantly the final bad guy. Their symbolic value is huge, but I would have liked to see a bit more development in this department, as it feels a bit strange and out-of-place.

Overall, I can imagine that not a lot of people are going to be picking this up by just looking at the promo-art, but beyond waits a gem of a movie. Studio 4C are really one of the best movie-producers out there, and their unique style and originality proves to be a true delight. These guys know what it takes to make a good movie.

Short Animation Review: Sebastian's Voodoo

Directed & Animated by Joaquin Baldwin

The animation opens in a dark and mysterious cellar, with a voodoo doll hanging from a hook struggling to escape. Just then, a voodoo priest enters the room and grasps the doll, jabbing it with pins, perhaps to inflict pain upon others, but quite possibly just for the sole purpose of wreaking pain upon the doll. Growing tired of the repeated poking, the priest finally coldly drives a needle through the heart of the doll, killing it.

After watching this, two of the other voodoo dolls quickly plan their escapes. The first one manages to break free of its hook and to find protection hiding in the room, but just seconds before the priest could find him. However, the second doll isn’t as lucky. The voodoo priest begins sticking needles into 2^nd doll. However, the doll in hiding realizes that stabbing itself through the hand, it brings pain to the priest’s hand; stabbing itself through the leg, it brings the priest to the ground. But these only serve to create short delay to the priest’s repeated attacks and the doll soon realizes that the only way to save its friends, is sticking a needle through its heart to make the self-sacrifice

The film is set within the tradition of voodoo spiritual religions that believe sticking pins in voodoo dolls is a method of cursing an individual. But Sebastian’s Voodoo served as a powerful metaphor about obligations that are set in our family relationships. At this level, the film’s story represents a challenge for us to find in our own natures the capacity to protect others from coming dangers, as well as the critical question of how far we would actually go to save our friends.

Films Review: Seven Pounds

Director: Gabriele Muccino

Writer: Grant Nieporte

Seven pounds is about life of Tim Thomas (Will Smith) an aerospace engineer. One day, while using his mobile phone when driving and he became responsible for the deaths of 7 peoples, including his wife. Then he unable to forgive himself, so he sets out to give "pounds of flesh" that will give new life to seven deserving individuals to make up for the seven lives he destroyed. His brother Ben (Michael Ealy), who works for the IRS, is deeply concerned about his state of mind. Tim steals his brother's IRS ID to access the IRS database and to find and meet people who he believes worthy of his gifts which includes body organs and material possessions. Holly Apelgren (Judyann Elder), Ezra Turner (Woody Harrelson), Connie Tepos (Elpidia Carrillo) and Emily Posa (Rosario Dawson) are among those whom he identifies to help. Furthermore, Tim assumes his brother's identity of "Ben Thomas" to personally investigate these people and verify that they are indeed the right people he should help. He has a plan for when he identifies his 7 beneficiaries that requires his best friend Dan (Barry Pepper) to see that his wishes are carried out after he is dead. Tim's plan threatens to unravel when he begins to fall in love with one of the people he is trying to help.