Review: American Teen (2008) [Reviewed By Kelsey Zukowski]

Starring: Hannah Bailey, Collin Clemens, Megan Krizmanich, Jake Tusing, Mitch Reinholt
Directed By: Nanette Bernstein
Released: 2008
Grade: B+

In Nanette Bernstein’s documentary, American Teen, she follows a group of high school students throughout their senior year in the small town of Warsaw, Indiana. Each person represents a different stereotype in high school. We have the jocks: Collin Clemens and Mitch Reinholt, the popular princess: Megan Krizmanich, the artsy outcast: Hannah Bailey, and the band geek: Jake Tusing. These people are treated as much more than just stereoypes and we see the struggles that each of them go through even those that seem to be at the top. There is someone everyone can relate to and most people should see a bit of themselves or someone they knew in high school in every person in the film.

Collin Clemens being the star of the basketball team in this conservative town is treated like a walking god. Collin loves the game, but he was trained to love the game by his Elvis impersonating father since he was little. He has been put under constant pressure by him by his father to score a certain number of hoops each game to impress the scouts. Their relationship reminded me of a much less severe version of the Nathan and Dan Scott relationship on One Tree Hill. If Collin can’t be this player and get a scholarship he won’t be going to college at all and will most likely be taking up his father’s other dream for him, an Elvis impersonator. Megan Krizmanich is under a lot of pressure from her father too. Her father as well as just about every member in her family went to Notre Dame. She does very well in school and is in just about every club, organization, and sport possible. Still, she questions whether she is good enough to get in.

Collin and Megan pretty much rule the school. Collin is a bit more likeable though. Megan has this image of being perfect, but her prevailing side seems to be a much nastier one. She is extremely controlling and goes out of her way to make others feel insignificant. Even something as small as the theme of the prom makes her vandalize property with anti-homosexual graffiti. Megan treats her own friends poorly. When someone else is interested in her friend that she claims is just a friend she goes out of her way to sabotage it. She holds grudges against her best friend over a small argument and when her friend is the bigger person and is able to apologize Megan still puts all of the blame on her.

At the other side of the social circle we have Jake Tusing and Hannah Bailey. Jake is in the band. He is viewed merely as a geek and even in the band circle he isn’t very popular. Jake spends most of his time playing video games and is lacking in the relationship department. He desperately wants a girlfriend and sets out to do so. He ends up dating a freshman who is in the band, but just ends up getting treated badly by her. Hannah is thought of by others as the weird loner. She was by far my favorite storyline in the film though. She is a free spirit and is unique rather than trying to blend in like everybody else. She is very much in love with her boyfriend. They have everything in common and do everything together. One night he dumps her and her whole word comes crashing down. She can’t face him and stops going to school. After awhile, it becomes less about him and more about social anxiety. She feels all alone and that she is physically and mentally incapable of walking in to her school again. After three weeks she is told that if she misses another day that she won’t be able to graduate in the spring.

What really made me admire Hannah was her strength in acting on her desires. She is very artistic and dreams of going to film school in California. Her father and grandmother are against this and don’t believe she can make it. Hannah talks about her ambitions in life and how she wants to do something important with her time and to be remembered when she is dead. I found myself relating to Hannah on so many levels as at times it seemed that she was taking words right from my mouth. This being a documentary it is all the more satisfying as it not just a character I am relating to, but a person like myself getting through high school and attempting to embrace life, adding this universal quality to it.

There was a lot of cartoon animation during the transitions in the film. For Hannah this was very fitting as she is artistic and has the imagination that would create things like this. Through these animations we are able to see inside her mind a bit more. This worked well for Jake too as his world is inside a video game, having his real world and this fantasy world collide is what he dreams of. The animations put his dream world to life in front of us.

American Teen is my favorite brand of documentary. As someone who prefers fiction over documentaries, I enjoyed the simple story telling motives behind the film. It didn’t have an agenda, try to persuade, or look down upon anything. It simply tells the story of these teens and the type of things everyone goes through. They really touch on each person in the film even Megan who is shown in a bad light for most of the film. We learn about her struggles, especially the disability and suicide in her family. She is not simply a villain, she is only human. I felt for Jake who is viewed as a dork. I don’t share his interests, but I was able to understand them and what it means to him. Really if he had a bit more self confidence he would be a great boyfriend for the right girl. I really appreciated that the film showed aspects of high school aside from just social circles and dating. It hits on school itself, pressures to get in to college, and each person questioning what the future will hold; which are all crucial parts of being a high school senior just moments away from building the life you want to have. There is nothing spectacular or even all that new about American Teen. I think they could have focused less on Hannah’s second boyfriend in the film, since Collin is the stronger character type in the role of the popular guy and focused more on Hannah’s openly gay best friend. In a conservative town like Warsaw there are definitely issues there and a great story that went untold. Still, American Teen is a very human film and a chance for us to see aspects of vastly different teens who have similar hardships. They are at the time in life that puts them at a crossroads, even shedding light on the differences between high school and college.

TCWreviews' Presents: Best of 2008

As the Editor in Chief of TCWreviews.com I feel that it’s necessary of me to give a full detailed selection of the top 10 films that I deemed worthy of being called the top 10 astonishing films of 2008. So without further ado, I present to you TCWreviews' top 10 films of 2008.

[NOTE: the opinions expressed below are not the opinions of the whole TCW staff but are the sole opinions of the site’s Editor in Chief, Clifford Kiyabu.]


Rambo (2008)
Rating –9/10
Quick thoughts; Sylvester Stallone proved to the moviegoer community that he is as much the same man he was over 20 years ago with the fourth installment to the Rambo franchise, the film proved to be just as action packed as its predecessors but also carries a big heart and a plot that is more to the actual reality of the horror that is going down in Burma. Rambo was a real treat and I was very impress with Stallone’s performance. Rambo is number ten on my top ten list of 2008.





Juno (2008)
Rating –9/10
Quick thoughts; Juno was probably one of the most enjoyed Comedy/Drama’s of the year, it was smart and cleverly funny, Ellen Page is one heck of witty and sassy girl, I enjoyed her performance a great deal. Juno proved to be a delightful film that ended up being batter then I had originally expected, and deserve to be number nine on my top ten list of 2008.








Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Rating –9/10
Quick thoughts; the fourth installment to the Indiana Jones’s franchise was a hug success in my book, though it did get a somewhat mixed reception the film in “My Opinion” was a win to my standards. I think the real problem many fans as well critics alike hated it was due to the theme the movie had, where as the three previous films took a spiritual take as its overall theme with Nazis taking the lead as main villains, with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull the main villains are now the KGB and its theme takes a Sci-Fi tone this time around with a anti-communist overall feel, which I thought suited perfectly since the timeline of the film took place in the 1950’s McCarthy area. Though good, it sure will never be as great as its previous predecessors. But still it managed to be as good enough as to number eight on my top ten list of 2008.


Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Rating – 9/10
Quick thoughts; Hellboy II was a stylish and fantastic sequel to the 2004 Hellboy, not only was it good, but it turned out to be greater than the first Hellboy, the film gave a much deeper look into our red horned hero now dealing with having to go public with who he is and dealing with the racism that comes with the territory of being different then everyone else, we see our hero go through fighting a new villain as well as taking a few more wounds that go much deeper than flesh, ultimately The Golden Army still manages to hold that dark yet stylish comedy the first Hellboy had, making this number seven on my top ten list of 2008.



Wanted (2008)
Rating –9/10
Quick thoughts; Wanted is probably one of the biggest surprises of 2008, for one thing the film was juristically different from the graphic novel it was based on, loosely based on Mark Millar’s graphic novel by the same name, Wanted was considered on the bottom of my list of film wanting to see in summer of 2008. However, despite the hug changes done to the movie from the book, it still manages to come out a winner in a very big way, making it deserving to be number six on my top ten list of 2008.





Tropic Thunder (2008)
Rating – 9/10
Quick thoughts; I had long anticipated the realest of Tropic Thunder, and after waiting close to a year from when I first heard of it being made I was more than thrilled by the film overall. Tropic Thunder is considered to be the parody film fans have been waiting years for. This film contained stars up the wazoo, from having big time comedians actors like Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Steve Coogan. To big name actors like Nick Nolte, Tom Cruise, and Matthew McConaughey. Tropic Thunder turned out to be a winner in a hug way for me and is a must see for those who enjoy a real spoof film. Tropic Thunder is number five on my top ten list of 2008.



Iron Man (2008)
Rating –9/10
Quick thoughts; Iron Man is a film that lives up to its hype and the expectations for both comic readers and moviegoers alike, Robert Downey Jr. showed us in 2008 that he hasn’t faded away like so many proclaimed him to have, but starring and co-starring in two, count em! Two blockbuster smash hits! Making 2008 the year of the Downey Jr, and making Iron Man number four on my top ten of 2008.






The Wrestler (2008)
Rating –9/10
Quick thoughts; The Wrestler is probably one of the most heart wrenchingly beautiful dramas I had seen in 08. The plot which I don’t have to tell if you’ve already read my review on it, is remarkable, when seeing someone who has fallen so low that they cannot fall anymore lose that last little flicker of light left in their lives, it will make even some of the strongest all teary. Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei come back in a hug way with The Wrestler, their performances along with actress Evan Rachel Wood is purely fantastic, director Darren Aronofsky has done it again with another mind-blowing film. Making The Wrestler number 3 on my top ten of 2008.



WALL•E (2008)
Rating – 10/10
Quick thoughts; Pixar Animation Studios has been responsible for making some of the biggest and the greatest 3D animated films ever, and now they have outdone themselves with WALL•E, never before have I been so inclined as to re-watch this film over and over again, and no matter how many times I have always seen it, the effects of its emotions still get me as it did the first time I had seen it. The plot, though lacking it words, this film says more than what could ever be said through words. Making WALL•E number two on my top ten list of 2008.




The Dark Knight (2008)
Rating – 10/10
Quick thoughts; I don’t think I need to tell you why The Dark Knight is number one, but I will anyway, [Laughs] in 2005 we were astounded by the Batman Begins, for old batman fans it was a new begging for us into the world of the Batman, for new fans, it truly was a new beginning. However to quote Heath Ledger’s Joker “You've changed things... forever” is basically what this film has done for Batman fan new and old alike, how we perceive Batman has been changed forever, all due to director Christopher Nolan gave us a glimpse into the world of a Batman who is much closer to our reality than any other is past films. The only thing that this film continues to do to me every time I see it is make me a little sad knowing that this will forever be the very last completed work we see by actor Heath Ledger, such a brilliant actor taken from us far before his time, and he shell truly be missed. The Dark Knight is number one on my top ten list of 2008.

And now for the honorable mentions that almost made the list.

Cloverfield (2008) The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) The Incredible Hulk (2008). Kung Fu Panda (2008) Hancock (2008) Penelope (2008) The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) Max Payne (2008) New York Lately (2009)

Review: The Wrestler (2008) [Reviewed By Clifford Kiyabu]

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Written by: Robert D. Siegel
Genre: Drama / Sport
MPAA: Rated R for violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use.
Released: 17 December 2008(limited)
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Mark Margolis, Todd Barry, Wass Stevens, Judah Friedlander, Ernest Miller.Plot: A drama centered on retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson as he makes his way through the independent circuit, trying to get back in the game for one final showdown with his former rival.

Plot: A drama centered on retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson as he makes his way through the independent circuit

Review: 9/10

My Thoughts: In many stories told, the main character who starts from nothing rises up becomes the person we know and loves, he’ll save the day, get the girl, and rides out into the sunset having his own happily ever after, simple as that right. But, what about what happens after the story ends, what happens to our hero when his light has faded and his sun has set, what becomes of him when he is obsolete and no longer useful.

The Wrestler is a fictional story about wrestling superstar Randy 'The Ram' Robinson (Mickey Rourke) a man who at one point during the 80’s was one the biggest wrestlers in the business, his fame was beyond that of any other typical wrestler and was consider a legend in the wrestling industry. He had it all, a wife, kid, money, fame, and all the women he could ever want begging to be with him, he had everything a wrestling superstar could ever want and then some, but the one thing he did not have and proved to be his ultimate flaw was that he never had the strength to be there for those who cared for him and needed him most and instead took the easy rout out and left, and in doing so began his slow dwindle out of superstardom and into being forgotten by all those around him. The wrestler proves to be a heart touching story about a man who’s fighting a losing battle with father time and refuses to give into the failures of his past, but when he suffers a sudden heart attack he then turns to redemption and wants to try and pick up where he left off and fix the broken piece of his life. Director Darren Aronofsky, the man behind such phenomenal films like; Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and The Fountain. Does it again by bringing us a coming of age film about life within the ring and how for some, the love of the fans is all they have left in life. The plot proves to be much much greater than I had originally anticipated. I went into this film with a medium level of anticipation but was suddenly blown away by a masterpiece of storytelling; emotions run high for The wrestler with almost no stopping to catch ones breath. Every scene for scene will either have you feeling great sadness, anger, and or pure enjoyment, I being at one point a fan of the art of ringside wrestling was brought back to the wonder years of the sport when it was purely for the entertainment and not always money, the film runs on a nice and steady peace, with an outstanding soundtrack of some of the best 80’s classic rock bands, and if you have lived through the 80’s or was born during it’s time then you’ll very much appreciate this film.

The most memorable part of The Wrestler would have to be its take on the main character among all things, because despite his choices and his outcomes you can’t help but relate to him in so many ways. Who hasn’t made mistakes in their lives, who doesn’t wish they could undo the wrong of their past mistakes. So despite the main character sounding like a dead beat you feel for him because he lives in regret. The best part of the film in my opinion would have to be the ending because of the past outcomes leading up to the big finally of the film it had me all teary eyed, yep I said it! I fell made me tear up damn it! [Laughs] but I won’t dare spill the beans to you on how it end because that it up to the viewers to find out for themselves, but I will tell you this; it will have you running high with emotions, I guarantee it! The cinematography is simply fantastic, it gives the film this biopic like setting that makes it feel very much real and ever so believable, you’d swear this film was based on a true story after watching it. But the part that makes The Wrestler truly great is the fact that this film is what you’d call out of Director Darren Aronofsky’s normal settings; I mean after looking at his past track record this film seems hardly the type of film he’d direct, which doesn’t mean it’s bad. No no no, hardly the case, in fact it proves that he is a batter director then one has thought of, because being able to leave ones cul-de-sac, or safety harness, and still succeed in telling a fantastically compelling story is very rare and admirable indeed and I commend him for doing such a thing because many in his case has done so and failed. 2008 was a year of many surprises, many horrible disappointments and many outstanding and surprising works, and Aronofsky’s The wrestler is now one film among them, I hope it’s nominated for an Oscar because there is no doubt in my mind that it deserves to be a contender for the Oscars. Overall it was well worth the watch, I will say it won’t be for everyone, that’s a guarantee, and it is for most part a love it or hate it type of film, for me I loved it and can’t wait to see it again someday.

The story is about; Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a 1980s-era pro wrestler, has become a burnt-out shell of his former self. After he has a heart attack during a small-time match, a doctor tells him he could die if he fights again. In an effort to build a new life, Robinson takes a job at a deli and rebuilds the relationship with his daughter. But the prospect of a rematch with his old nemesis, the Ayatollah, proves too tempting to resist, even if it means risking his life.

As for the acting; so rarely do actors make a comeback for a failing career, actor Mickey Rourke who has had a somewhat downhill career over the years went from being a hotshot to a nobody, the 90’s sure was not kind to him I will say, but his performance in The Wrestler proved to be powerful and a breakthrough, I will say if any films is to be his comeback film this would be it. He puts so much emotion and himself into the role of Randy "The Ram" Robinson that it’s more than just a role, it’s a part of him. Marisa Tomei is in my opinion a much underused actress in the business, she is a great actress who I will admit was not at all fond of her in the beginning, but over the years I have slowly began to like her acting, perhaps it’s due to age, but I found that as she gets older her acting has gotten better than ever, much like Rourke. She too puts a lot of emotion and herself into her performance which was a joy for my end. Evan Rachel Wood was spot on in her performance, I must say, I’ve been watching her career closely and I have to say; she has really blossomed in the last couple of years, being in such great films like; “Down in the Valley” “King of California” and the 2007 musical hit “Across the Universe”. I can tell you now, she is going places. The rest of the cast is built up on B and C-list actors and actresses who prove to be less than any real significant to plot, but still does a spot on job in doing their part in making this film as best it could be.

Final Say: The Wrestler has got to be one of the best films of 2008; it had an atmosphere that consumed me from start to finish, I enjoyed it a lot, and despite the style of wrestling being overall fake the film does teach it’s viewers one very important lesson, that as fake as it is, as scripted as it may be, you don’t work that kind of profession without make sacrifices and losing something dear to you. It is a sport that will work the individual down to the bone until they’re merely a shell of the person they once was. I highly recommend it!

Copyright 2008 TCWreviews.com
All Rights Reserved

Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) [Reviewed By Clifford Kiyabu]

Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Written by: David Scarpa (screenplay) Edmund H. North (1951 screenplay)
Genre: Drama / Sci-Fi / Thriller
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some sci-fi disaster images and violence.
Released: 12 December 2008 (USA)
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, John Cleese, Jon Hamm, Kyle Chandler, Robert Knepper, James Hong, John Rothman, Sunita Prasad, Juan Riedinger.

Plot: A remake of the 1951 classic sci-fi film about an alien visitor and his giant robot counterpart who visit Earth.

Review: 6/10

My Thoughts: American science fiction editor and writer Harry Bates wrote a short story called "Farewell to the Master" which later became the bases to the hit 1951 black and white film “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, which is known till this day by Sci-Fi fans as one of the groundbreaking films of its genre, much like the phenomena that was “The War of the Worlds” it was both entertaining and very terrifying, it was a coming of age cinematic sensation, and now after over 50 long years since its release a remake by the same name has finally arrived, but can this new millennium remake live up to the integrity might of the original? Well you’re about to find out.

The 2008 remake has style, flash, and a dazzling amount of special effects that is a spectacle wonder, however, the film lacks a great deal of substance, where the 1951 original hit it big with a quality storytelling, this sad attempt of a remake fails on a hug scale, what was an amazingly fantastic plot has been modernized into a travesty of mind numbing action, the only thing that seems to remain the same is a small handful of scenes and elements which are pretty much re-done scene for scene, other than that the film feels as though the filmmakers as well as the studio only used the title so that they could cash in on the successes of the original, this film in its own theme is much like the remake of War of the Worlds, where everything that made the film great is replaced with obnoxiously bad product placement and, lousy dialogue that proves to be a serious nuisance, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg, the real problem lies within the plot of all things which I cannot stress enough was a great disappointment, the original’s plot was fantastic, which had the bases of terror embedded into its mysterious yet entertaining plot warning humanity of its ways and gives us the choice to abandon all forms of warfare and join the universe of peaceful alien races or suffer the consequences, this however was shot down in the remake with a more environmental approach, which proves to be a disappointing lackluster among other things, and to make things even more worse they even tried to add a few humorous moments into the film which proved to be more uncomfortable to watch than anything else, and some of the more serious moments (which felt more humorous than anything else) felt more like gap fillers for the films major action scenes which it’s basically just building up to and from, and when you think about it, this is not what sci-fi fans paid for, they paid for a film with style, excitement, mystery, and a rollercoaster rid of chills and thrills with a decent plot, but this unfortunately had none of that, but that just the beginning, please read on and see why the film WASN’T all that it could have been.

I’ll be blunt with you, this film started off very interesting and had me intrigued to continue watching it, and for a brief moment it had the chance of being a really great film, but that was flushed down the toilet after about 30 minutes into the film, it felt more like a chore than a pleasure, I was beginning to look at my watch continuously throughout the performance counting down the time remaining wondering when the ending would be approaching, and let me tell you, for a film that was only an Hour and forty three minutes long it felt like three hours, most of the film was predictable to the point I was able to call it long before it happened and it seemed as though the cast phoned in their performances the whole way, and if things where bad, it gets even worse when the filmmakers decided to make gort godzilla size! which the very first thing to come to mind was are you kidding me? this is most definitely NOT! The day the earth stood still, but rather the day the earth stopped due to a lack of good story telling, one of the biggest problems I found would have to be the lack of fear among the characters in this film, let’s be honest here; who wouldn’t be terrified at the idea of an alien bean invading the planet with an armada of mini ships all over the world? The fact that people were divided between accepting the current the situation or just going about their normal lively routine only further proved my point that it was a very cheese film, I don’t know about all of you, but if the planet suddenly got invaded by a hug alien sphere fallowed by an army of mini spheres I’d be already heading for the hills! The only ones acting out aggressively and being in a state of fear was the military. The point I’m trying to make here is that; remakes have and always will be nothing compared to the original, revamps, remakes and re-imaginings are all the same to the extent that they are and always will be second string, and never be able to live up to the full potential, in short this is a prime example that not all films (especially classics), should be modernized, something’s are best left alone.

The Story is about; renowned scientist Dr. Helen Benson finds herself face to face with an alien called Klaatu, who travels across the universe to warn of an impending global crisis. When forces beyond Helen’s control treat the extraterrestrial as a hostile and deny his request to address the world’s leaders, she and her estranged stepson Jacob quickly discover the deadly ramifications of Klaatu’s claim that he is a friend to the Earth. Now Helen must find a way to convince the entity who was sent to destroy us that mankind is worth saving--but it may be too late. The process has begun.

As for the acting; the acting was poorly done, despite the incredible cast put together for this film, I found myself in a real yawn-fest, I seriously thought that with a cast such as this the acting would at least be s sure thing for entertainment, but even that proved to be wrong; Keanu Reeves, who I’ve always enjoyed watching on the big screen turned out to be a real disappointment, I’ve always looked forward to watching his films, and even when the film in general would be a downer his acting would always save it for me, however he could not do the same for this film, perhaps this is a sigh that even he knew this film was beyond saving. The lovely Jennifer Connelly did okay, despite I calling the cast’s overall performance a bore-fest, but I do however feel that she could have done a heck of a lot better than she did, it felt as though she just phoned in her performance for a paycheck. Kathy Bates who I just adore her acting was, well, subpar; her performance did not measure up to traditional standards of her previous performances. Jaden Smith was, well, as much as I like seeing the offspring of big name celebrities picking up the mantel of their parents, Smith did not live up to his father’s name, and as I found his performance to be rather annoying above all things to do with this film, I know some will feel I’m over criticizing a child’s performance but, he is no Will Smith, or as I like to say; the acorn does fall far from the tree. Whoever decided to cast Robert Knepper as a military colonel must have done it as either a favor to the actor or lost a bet, but Knepper does not match the role he was put into. James Hong has a small part in this, and gave lest bad performance which I must say was appreciated on my end. John Cleese is yet another fantastic actor that suffers the fate of a lacking performance, it seems to me that there’s a pattern here, could it be a bad script, or bad directing, you decide. Both actors Jon Hamm and Kyle Chandler did an equal amount of ok acting, but for the life of me it sure was hard telling them apart! It’s not that they look alike or anything, but their characters are so much alike that half the time I confused them for each other which shouldn’t happen in a film.

Final Say: The Day The Earth Stood Still could have been so much more, this film did not come out as gratifying as the 1951 original, it had promised so much to the viewers and yet it lacked in all the places needed, if the earth stood still it would have been because of this lackluster, watch at your own risk.

Copyright 2008 TCWreviews.com
All Rights Reserved

Review: Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007) [Reviewed By Clifford Kiyabu]

Directed by: Tim Hill
Written by: Jon Vitti (screenplay) Will McRobb (screenplay) And Chris Viscardi (screenplay)
Genre: Comedy / Family / Fantasy / Music
MPAA: Rated PG for some mild rude humor.
Released: 14 December 2007 (USA)
Starring: Jason Lee, David Cross, Cameron Richardson, Jane Lynch, Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney.

Plot: A struggling songwriter named Dave Seville finds success when he comes across a trio of singing chipmunks: mischievous leader Alvin, brainy Simon, and chubby, impressionable Theodore.

Review: 8/10

My Thoughts: Alvin and the Chipmunks – A group of fun loving critters that has been a household name since the 1958 Christmas classic; “Christmas Don’t Be Late.” With many singles and albums to follow throughout the 1960’s to the 1990’s, and a cartoon hitting TV networks in the late 60’s, with a revamp cartoon in the 80’s for a newer generation including a hit theatrical film called The Chipmunk Adventure (1987), but as the 90’s rolled in and the times began to change, so did their fan base due to the generation the show was revamped for had grown up, the cartoon began to die as well as the sales in the music, soon the show was canceled and they started to only release a new album every few years or so, with an occasional direct to Video/DVD movies which were very miner success, it was clear that the world had forgotten about our cute little friends and slowly by slowly they slipped away into a mere memory of the past. That is until in 2007 when they had been brought back to the spotlight, revamped and modernized for a brand new generation of viewers to appreciate their cute little voices, and of course to welcome back the older generation, which is a known fact is one of the main reasons why the movie was such a success at the Box-Office pulling in 356 + million worldwide for a budget of only 60 million, some could say it made a ridicules amount of money, and there is no doubt in my mind that a large amount of their audience was made up of the “baby-boomer” generation taking their children and grand children to see this film. Now let me tell you, I am a really big fan of Alvin and the Chipmunks, heck I grow up watching the re-runs of both shows as a child including the animated movie on VHS which I watched so many times that I literally ran the tape down [Laughs].

They after all were before my time, heck the animated movie itself came out in theaters only one year after I was born. But that didn’t stop me from watching it, you could say I’ve always had this passion for old films (80’s classic films) and old music (from classical music to 80’s cool rock) because they have this certain quality that films today don’t have, it’s hard to explain really, it’s more of a feeling from appreciation of the classics, you know? So with that said I wasn’t too happy to hear about this being made into a live action film at first because after witnessing the catastrophe that was Scooby-Doo (2002) and its sequel which fallowed two years later Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), and if that wasn’t bad enough I was even more so disappointed with Garfield (2004) and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006) which was so mind numbingly stupid I felt incredibly embarrass just watching it by myself which was on DVD of course (you couldn’t pay me to see it in theaters), so after having to endure these bad experiences with adaptations of classic cartoons turned live action film you can see why I had lost faith in the genre, so I avoided this film at all cost while it was in theaters because after all I felt it just wasn’t worth nether my time nor money.

So after giving it a chance, I must admit; it wasn’t at all bad, it was nothing that I expected it to be, I thought it was going to be as bad as the other films I mentioned above so naturally I had low expectations for the film, but instead I got something that was quite enjoyable and worth giving a chance on, if you are a fan of the genre or a downright Chipmunks fan. As I watched Alvin and the Chipmunks I was flooded with memories brought back to me, the very moment I heard Justin Long voicing as Alvin singing “Bad day” I was quickly overwhelmed with emotions from my childhood, something I honestly wasn’t expecting, as you know I grow up to these little critters singing and dancing around, not to mention the albums which I listen to like crazy, if you saw me listing to music at that time it was a good chance I was probably listing to one of the Chipmunks albums. Now there was a few things that had been changed for the very original concept, one of which was the fact they made Alvin, Simon and Theodore into life size chipmunks, unlike the cartoon and their original image which had always made them out as over grown chipmunks that where as big as small children, I normally wouldn’t like this sort of idea because anytime a film studio tampers with the original concept it never ends well, but this time it does, and does so in a very good way, also I liked how they introduce Alvin Simon, and Theodore into the plot, on their own like real wild animals and then finding themselves in the company of straggling song writer Dave Seville who together they form a unlikely family bond, and I must say the one chipmunk who was made 100% accrete was Theodore which I must point out if you like the chipmunks as much I do then; there is no way you are going to be able to make it through seeing little Theodore without tearing up a little, I know I did. Also I like the fine CGI work done on the little guys, although I will say there was one or two scenes where I thought it could have been worked on a little better, and also the fact there was one montage way too many (about 3) in the film’s second and third act which showed a bit of a weakness in the story, however it saves itself by backing up into full gear around the third act for a finishing wonderful fourth act.

The story is about; in a tree farm, three musically inclined chipmunks, Alvin, Simon and Theodore, find their tree cut down and sent to Los Angeles. Once there, they meet the frustrated songwriter David Seville, they impress him with their singing talent. Seeing the opportunity for success, both human and chipmunks make a pact for them to sing his songs. While that ambition proves a frustrating struggle with the difficult trio, the dream does come true after all. However, that success presents its own trials as their unscrupulous record executive, Ian Hawke, plans to break up this family to exploit the boys. Can Dave and the Chipmunks discover what they really value amid the superficial glamour around them?

As for the acting: Jason Lee is a very talented actor whom I’ve come to enjoy watching over the years, however, playing the part of Dave Seville is not one of them, it’s not that he did a bad performance or anything, no far from it, it’s just he didn’t quite match the role, no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t see him as Dave, all I could see was the character from his TV show "My Name Is Earl” and believe me when I say I really tried!, however this little bump doesn’t kill the film, after all he isn’t exactly the film’s main attraction, so in a way it balances out. David Cross did a great job playing the villain of the story, though I tend to find him a little annoying at times, I have to say isn’t that the who point of being the villain in this story, so in this case I say; mission accomplish Mr. Cross! Cameron Richardson was a sweet heart in this, but I felt at times she was being sidetracked a little from being the love interest and just forgotten during the film. Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Jesse McCartney were spot on as Alvin, Simon and Theodore, I really didn’t think the three had it in them to do the parts justice; however I was wrong and they did a great job, perhaps this is a sign that movies such as these can be made in a manner that will be loved, oh well here’s to hoping it’s sequel lives up to this one.

Finale Say: Alvin and the Chipmunks was an incredible film to watch, I really didn’t think I’d have this much fun watching it, but I did and I’m glad I did at that too. If you have children and at least free spirited enough to enjoy movies like this, then this is without a doubt for you and I recommend it!

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