Cartoon just have a special place in everyone’s hearts. Some of them were made for a specific audience such as babies for the educational programming, to the boy’s action shows, girly programs, and to the adult shows. Plus there are animation buffs that watch all the above. With that in mind, we have a good variety of shows that are made for that target audience, but there are others that you should know that deep down inside was made better for that same crowd. How do we say to tell others that this show isn’t very good when they know very well that they are meeting the viewer’s demands? Maybe it’s because they either are well accustomed to their comfort zone. Perhaps they refuse to acknowledge that their shows’ flaws are what keeps it from being an okay show to a great show for everyone. Or it might be the fact that everyone only remembers the good years of the show’s reign but neglects that the later seasons are in a creative or quality decline. Either way, these ten shows are both mistaken as a good show, as well as doesn’t deserve to have that much viewership. Prepare yourself for the godawful truth about these ten shows that are actually nowhere as good to what word of mouth says.
Tag Archives: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Top 10 Best Things of the 1980s
Why is the 1980s still one of the most beloved decades in the 20th century? Anyone can point out any of the nostalgia and appeal that it hold, but in this list, I am instead looking at the historical significance of of this decade. This was the tail-end of the Cold War and this was the moment in time where a long conflict had to come to its end. And towards to the geopolitical conflict’s end, we had a rise of capitalism, new business rises, and even trends that celebrated a time of being part of culture. Here are the ten of the most greatest things from 1980 – ’89, when we take off our nostalgia glasses.
Top 10 Cartoons of the 1980s
By the late 1970s, concern about advertising to kids had grown so strong that a Federal Trade Commission taskforce took on the question about whether to ban or regulate this onslaught of marketing. When the 80s rolled along, President Reagan has vetoed a measure overwhelmingly approved by Congress that would have reimposed restrictions on television programming aimed at children. Because of it, cartoon shows of the 1980s have been one of the most commercialized children’s programming in any era. Never has there been this many cartoons that given up storytelling & quality animation in exchange as being advertisement for toys & other merchandise. And to be quite frank, it was sickening to see these programs to potentially give us programs that are worth remembering only to take off our nostalgia goggles to realize that it’s just a commercial for products they were trying to sell at the time. It’s no wonder why Disney were at their darkest times while animated movies in theaters hardly were shown (until Who Framed Roger Rabbit saved it), thus animators suddenly became commercial advertisers. This was the only way to make the most money in this nearly-dead industry, but that still doesn’t excuse how badly it has aged. Well not all of it. So these ten animated shows were the ones that we as children got up for Saturday morning (or Disney afternoon) and noticed that notion of these commercials disguised as 30-min cartoons were actually animation with a good story to tell to its audience.
Top 10 Cartoons of the 1990s
The 90s will be remembered for a few things: Grunge, Michael Jordan, Bill Clinton’s extramarital hullabaloo, and perhaps the greatest generation of TV cartoons ever. Just like the 2000s had the emergence of great television dramas on HBO, Showtime, and AMC, the 1990s had the persistent excellence of Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and the Disney Channel. If this seems like an exaggeration, then you probably didn’t watch the shows. Hand-drawn animation was still the norm, and characterization took precedence over background and scenery. But even though the animation was great, these cartoons had great stories. You can have a bad TV show with good animation, but you can’t have a good TV show with uninteresting characters and narrative. This list is devoted to cartoons made specifically for kids, so no Dr. Katz, Daria, or The Simpsons. Also, this list is about cartoons that started in the 1990s, if they continued on into the 21st Century, that’s okay, as you can’t fault a series for its longevity. Some honorable mentions that just missed the cut: Courage the Cowardly Dog, Ren and Stimpy, Catdog, Cow and Chicken, and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. Every show that is on this list deserves to be remembered for its iconic characters, humor, and real emotional impact. So without further ado, here we go…
Number 10. – Garfield and Friends
This has got to be the best comic strip to television show of all time since Peanuts! It’s perfectly harmless and comforting to watch one of my favorite strips with new exclusive characters from Orchard’s Farm. This is one of those cartoons that has three shorts into one episode but it’s so worth watching it whenever it’s on television. I can’t imagine anyone never of heard of Garfield, but I’ won’t go too long with this show other than having our beloved cast to be in some of the funniest sitcom-style adventures. Those who only know Garfield as “that comic everyone likes to make fun of” might be surprised to hear how popular this series was and still is. In large part this is because of Lorenzo Music’s dead-on performance as Garfield; anyone who saw this cartoon as a kid will still hear his voice in their head if they read one of the comic strips. Also influencing things is the fact that Jim Davis had little to do with the series, besides putting his name on it (much like Steven Spielberg’s involvement with the 1990s Warner Bros. Animation revival); veteran TV and comics writer Mark Evanier was the showrunner, wrote most of the episodes and was responsible for a lot of the edgier humor.
Number 9. – Animaniacs
Never had I ever seen an original cartoon that somehow captured the style and atmosphere of Looney Tunes without using any of the characters in this very show! Amazingly well-written, unbelievably funny for all ages, able to get away with possibly more than any other kid’s show, Animaniacs redefined Warner Bros. for nearly a decade. The voice talent is wonderful. Jess, Tress, Frank Welker, Bernadette Peters and so many others helped breathe life into some of the funniest characters on television. The animation wanes over the course of five years, but the humor never gets old. The songs are some of the cleverest music ever, period. From “Yakko’s World” to “Wakko’s America” to “The Presidents” to the iconic theme song, Richard Stone’s music team made learning fun for so many children, which is why they are so fondly remembered today. (Paulsen still has “Yakko’s World” memorized, and sings it at all of his public appearances.) For five years, and now thanks to DV Ds and the Net, far longer, Animaniacs will always be remembered as a show that truly broke ground….mostly from the Warners jumping on it and going “Boingy! Boingy!”
Number 8. – The Powerpuff Girls
Sugar, Spice, and everything Nice these are the ingredients used to create the perfect little girls, but Professor Utonium added a nice dose of Chemical X and he got the Powerpuff Girls. Craig McCracken developed a classic, both boys (me included) and girls would tune in to the show not just for their favorite girls, but also for their favorite villains. Whether it was the fast talking Mojo Jojo, the Rowdyruff Boys or even the creepy ass Him, the Powerpuff Girls was never short on entertaining characters. I learned recently that The Powerpuff Girls is the only Cartoon Network show (so far) to have had its own theatrical release film and that just goes to show how passionate and strong its fanbase is. Good news that the Powerpuff Girls remake is made and will be airing some time in the future.
Number 7. – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
This is the show that made me the person that I am today! Though this franchise has been in everyone’s childhoods, it’s not as good as most fans claim it to be. A season was made every year, between 1987-1996. The number of episodes in each season varied drastically. From 5 episodes in one year, to 39 episodes in another. So, there was real hard work for the makers to get episodes finished in time, plus there was many different writers who undertook the writing for 1 whole episode. So not every episode was written by the same writer, even if 1 of them wrote the best episodes and some were weaker. To thank though, for the cartoon ever to have been made in the first place. Thank Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the creative minds behind both the comics and cartoon. The animation was never really the strongest attribute of the cartoon, I admit. There was some really bad mistakes or bloopers in the cartoon like unexplained voice-changing, voice swapping (happenend too much), colours on clothes changing etc. It wasn’t exactly the best animation of that era. If this list was the best cartoons of the 1980s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would have been higher on the list because the Turtles craze started to decline in the 1990s leaving room for other franchises like Pokemon to take its spot. Turtles in the 90’s had some of the goofiest episodes that made this show aged terribly (Easter Bunny is one of them) that made the 2003 more of preferable experience. The series picked itself back up from its useless and outdated comedy in favor for a more serious direction in the mid 90’s that’s called “The Red Sky” episodes from seasons 8-10. It’s pretty awkward to not have the show without Shredder, Craing, Bebop and Rocksteady in favor for Lord Dregg, but this was where shit got real! They even went as far as to wonder what life would be like without the mutation. Though the climax was a bit of a dud, at least towards the end of the show, it left us with a big bang! The Turtles has always been a crucial part of Generation Y’s childhood and we still can never forget how much they all meant to us!
Number 6. – Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic SatAM)
Whatever you do, don’t ever waste your precious time with The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon and use them on this Sonic The Hedgehog, or Sonic SatAM, cartoon instead. Adventures of Sonic had barely any plot, this one had a big story about subtle environmentalism and complex relationships with one character to another. I love this cartoon for giving us a video game character into a sci-fi setting with many of his friend, that never made it into the video games, to overthrow the evil Robotnick & his advisor Snively that already has taken over the world and “The Roboticized” innocent bystanders into his servant robots. There are so many of these characters that I grew so much love for like Sally Acorn, Rotor, Bunnie Rabot, Antoine, and many more that should have made it to the game series because they’re so much better than any cast in the video game series. Almost every battle against Robotnick always had consequences, suspense, and drama that you don’t get in children’s television. My blood always pumps up whenever I hear the show’s iconic opening that makes it a show like no other. The first season, which consisted of thirteen episodes, was a rather episodic affair, with not much continuity save for the constant battle to free Mobius. Even so, the series proved that it could be strong in drama, emotion, and moments that would make us care about the characters. For example, one episode had Sonic discover his Uncle Chuck, one of the roboticized Mobians, and used a power ring to restore his free will. Unfortunately, the effect did not last long, and following a mission in Robotropolis (Robotnik’s home city), the two of them had to part ways as Uncle Chuck reverted back to being under Robotnik’s control. Near the end of the episode, Sonic actually cried over losing his uncle again. It is moments like these that made the show more than just another series made to cash in on a licensed property. Rather, it contained powerful, heartfelt moments that would rival even those of animated films like Bambi or The Lion King. And the series continues to get better in the second season where they were able to go to another dimension called the “Void,” making Uncle Chuck a great supporting role, and even some of the best climatic endings that had Sonic and Sally confess their love for each other. Though the series left us in a huge cliffhanger, it’s a damn shame that so many others didn’t give this show a chance to give enough ratings for it to have a third season. The director of the show said that the third season would have Tails to be a prime character, a love triangle between Sonic and Sally, and so many missed opportunities that never made it on television but instead was continued in Archie’s Sonic the Hedgehog comic series. Fourteen years after its cancellation, Sonic SatAM continues to be loved by Sonic fans everywhere. The old episodes have been released on DVD and posted online so that they can be enjoyed for many years to come. Meanwhile, there have been petitions for a third season, and even some story ideas for that season have surfaced on the Internet. Fans still love the story lines, animation, and characters, all of which are unsurpassed by any Sonic cartoon series made before or since. It is a shame that Saturday Morning cartoons have taken a nosedive in quality since then, with the majority of them being educational or imported from Japan. More shows like Sonic SatAM should be made, and the series itself could use a comeback of some sort. As long as the original episodes are available for viewing, old fans can relive all the excitement and suspense, while new fans can view an example of what a great animated series should be.
Number 5. – X-Men
This show, along with Batman: The Animated Series, the made comic books to animated series to be possible in the 1990s. In my personal opinion, this show was a much better show because it was consistent from beginning to the very end of the show and did a much more successful job in representing the comic book medium. The art style is like the 1980’s comic book series and many of the story arcs and episodes were borrowed heavily from the comic book series. Rather than just praising how great the show did in promoting the comics it was based on, the whole show has EVERYTHING! Mutants, dinosaurs, time traveling, demons, giant robots, superheroes and villains, political statements, romance, drama, humor, puns… EVERYTHING! This was some of the most exciting television programming to watch as a kid because of its level of intensity, well written storytelling, and incredibly deep characters from both the heroes and villains. The X-Men cartoon does a great job for letting the audience see what each of these characters struggles in becoming a mutant that society fears. It’s political statements is reminiscent to the Civil Rights movement in the 60’s the teaches audiences of all age about evil of discrimination. At the same time, we get a chance to see some of the most badass adventures with the greatest superhero team of all time! It certainly took a while for action cartoons throughout the 1980’s to have deep characters and tell wonderful stories, but X-Men succeeded on what other ’80s action cartoons failed to do. Also, how can you argue with the best cast of characters ever seen in television? Each and every one of them has a backstory and unique character traits that the show carefully shows us what they were all about with the many episodes that they were able to televise. In a matter of fact, this is the cartoon that even made the live-action X-Men movie possible, and if we didn’t have that either we wouldn’t have so many Superhero movies that we now have today. Without them, these comic book franchises would still remain in comic books. But for some reason, X-Men still holds up better than most Comic book movies and television series. The moment you’re listening to that epic theme song, you’re totally grasped into tuning into the show and never changing the channel until the episode is over. It’s a show that does everything imaginable and executes them so intelligently. Never again has the X-Men franchise (excluding the comic books) has ever been as memorable or as iconic as X-Men. It is the finest comic book cartoon show ever made and it’s one of the greatest of the 1990s cartoons.
Number 4. – The Simpsons
No room for argument, so don’t even try. Twenty-three years down the line and the writing is sharp, the jokes are fresh, the themes are challenging and, well, everything having to do with artistic expression is riding higher than any other show on TV. This is the very cartoon that not only made adult animation a popular television programming, but it also changed our society! Everyone who seen the show remembers the episodes, take not of each trivia, and even the cameos and references that forever imbedded in our memories! Who knew that a cartoon about a dysfunctional family can had some of the wildest, most creative, and funniest adventures that any character can get. Everyone is always anticipated for the couch gag in the opening, the plots that somehow changes in the course of the episodes, the once-a-year special “Treehouse of Horrors,” the catchphrases, see favorite characters & the recurring gags, and so many more that makes us take the show very seriously and at the same time have the best laughs of our lives! For those who still believes that the Simpsons lost their magic, go ahead and rematch the entire series and see why The Simpsons has such a reputation! By almost any measurement, The Simpsons is the most influential television comedy ever created.
Number 3. – Reboot
This is actually the very first animated show that was entirely CGI beating Pixar by 3 years before Toy Story. Reboot is simply the most original cartoon that I’ve ever laid my eyes on and even though their graphics didn’t age as well, I’m still blown away with the idea of life and society within a computer program where data and viruses face each other in many battles. Thanks to the Canadian studio Mainframe Entertainment that given us later cartoons like Transformers: Beast Wars, Reboot delivered some of the most epic and fascinating adventures that cartoons has ever had. Bob is the guardian of Mainframe. (Guardian is Rebootian for “cop”, more or less.) Comes from the Super Computer (back in 1990 so it probably had as much power as your Mp3 player). Bob would have been deleted long ago if it wasn’t for Glitch, a tool that’s a cross between a swiss army knife and an iPhone. He is a clumsy, laid back teenager with the hots for Dot Matrix, who she along with her brother Enzo help maintain Mainframe from being destroyed from Megabyte. The show is filled with so many suspense, amazing 90’s computer animation, and many references whenever they play against “the user” in whatever video game they’re playing. The first two seasons is all expositions and many laughs in the world of Mainframe, showing how does the computer work and the many aspects of this world as a tiny data. There was even a part where going on the internet was some of most fascinating adventures that the show has ever had. Towards season 3, it makes a complete 180 where the storylines become series and characters developed into more serious characters than they ever were before! Never could I ever expect to see a kids program that has blew off the water and created something memorable, despite how forgotten the show has become over the years. Though the show has given us a cliff-hanger Season 4 (also known as the movies) fans everywhere are still craving for more Reboot! From Seasons 1 – 3 (just skip 4) it was some of the most epic and satisfying animated experiences that makes me wonder why aren’t there more cartoons could do any better than this show? A lot has changed since the finale of Season 4 and Mainframe Entertainment has now became Rainmaker Entertainment and we’re all hoping that we can have one more epic finale for this innovative show!
Number 2. – Batman: The Animated Series
This very cartoon earns all the praise for it’s effort, complexity, and well-written stories that other children’s programming has never offered before. This show is representation of the Batman universe, that it changed everyone elses interpretation of it since then. For example. Mr. Freeze was up until this series a joke villain – it was the episode “Heart of Ice” that gave Mr. Freeze back story and made Victor Freeze one of the first villains in the series to have more motivation than just another psychopath out to cause mayhem for money. Since this animated series, Victor Freeze and his tragic story of a lost wife and accident that has relegated him a cold suit has become cannon. Lastly, the animation style of this show was phenomenal. It’s easy to see that they took inspiration from the Tim Burton movies (very art deco in style), but incredibly dark and noir. A big change that this series took in their art direction was instead of starting with white paper, the animators used black paper and then had to draw in all the light, vs drawing in some shadows. The world of Gotham City and Bruce Wayne really is one of darkness and shadows. Not only that, but we were so many opportunities that were nailed with all of our favorite characters in Gotham City like Joker, Mr. Freeze, Riddler, Pinguin, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and many more that displayed perfect voice acting and great episodes that forever changed the way we look at storytelling. This still is my favorite incarnation of Batman and since then, everything after this cartoon regarding to Batman could never be as good as this very phenomenal series! Every episode has a great variety of tone, humor, drama, and emotion that still sticks with us many years after the series was over. Sure, season 4 is a dud when the animation quality decreased to be similar to the Superman: Animated series that was running at the same time, however the first three seasons will always be an iconic part of animation history!
Number 1. – King of the Hill
I always knew that King of the Hill is miles better than Mike Judge’s other show, Beevis and Butthead, and for many reasons! This underrated animated sitcom has told stories that incorporate hot button issues that takes mature themes and somehow make subtle humor out of this redneck town of Arlan. Such themes like going through puberty, alcoholism, family issues, religion, friendship issues, temptation, and many more that many adult cartoons has perhaps tackled, but not as intelligently and wildly as King of the Hill executed. Not everyone will “get” King of the Hill because it straddles the fence between good clean livin’ and hedonism in a very interesting way. Troubles are hashed out by the community in a comic manner, though it’s sometimes difficult to discern whether the moralistic views are real “American values” or a parody of them. This is where the conflict arises and the comedy comes through. Once you get the comedy of King of the Hill, all of their running gags and creative humor becomes a laugh riot and all the episodes that you though wasn’t funny at first, clicks with you. Keep in mind, however, that some mature topics might offend sensitive viewers (especially the period episode), others might not appreciate the way these topics are clumsily handled, since King of the Hill can hit pretty close to home. Many reasons why this cartoon is so great, and at times better than the Simpsons, is that they were able to make their characters realistic in proportions, backgrounds, and everything else that has been animated. People can argue all they want about this should have been live-action instead of animated, but there are a lot of episodes where there’s no way that they could make it live action (like Bill driving his tank). This show is so funny to me that any familiar scene or gag become iconic to me, like Hank, Bill, Dale, and Boomhaur drinking in the ally. I fell in love with all the characters, and they all give me a different sense of humor. It is definitely the most human cartoon ever created and there are more than enough stuff seen from this episode that made me relate to these southerners and still laugh at redneck humor time and time again! The most relatable aspects of the show for me is when Bobby Hill was growing up because I too faced the many issues of becoming a man at that age. All of these character traits that has been established in this series has always been comforting to watch. Few other shows would dare touch on topics like this and it always feels so well written to see how intuitive and creative they can take any matter into their own hands. And here I am still watching King of the Hill again and again, laughing forever with how honestly funny the show really is!
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Top 10 Comic Books of the 1990s
During the ’80s, no medium was more innovative and daring than comic books. Shedding the notion that they were exclusively for children, writers like Neil Gaimain, Frank Miller, and Alan Moore revolutionized the industry with titles such as Batman: Year One, The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, and Sandman. These books transcended the superhero genre and wound up appealing to fans with more sophisticated tastes. That decade of revolution simply couldn’t bleed over into the ’90s, however. Even though Miller, Moore, and Gaimain were still churning out great work during the ’90s, new trends started to overtake the industry. The superlative storytelling of the ’80s were replaced by flashy art and greedy publishers’ get-rich-quick schemes. The 1990’s was an era of tasteless, hyper-sexualized drawings and classic superheroes thrown haphazardly into mindless stories created purely for shock value was called the “Dark Ages” of comic books. But I not necessarily hate this era in comic books because we’ve had independent comics companies like Image comics that rose up against Marvel and DC to sell better than them to show finally have creative control instead of having no royalties and respect to the artists that has been around the industry for many generations. It’s too bad that they didn’t finish the job but there were plenty of great comic books that came out in the 1990’s and I’m here to show you that not everything from the 90’s were at all bad. Outside of the indie North American comics, there was also the rise of popularity for manga that was being translated into English. The rise of manga’s popularity is also responsible for the anime’s popularity outside of Japan. You can see that there were still artists and comic writers back then that were willing and able to make it a masterpiece and destroy the the norm back in the 90’s.
Top 10 Movies of 1990
Cinema in the 1990s was unlike any era of film. We’re talking about a decade of movie where accomplishments were achieved to never seen before boundaries that made movie to what they are today. Hollywood accomplished CGI special effects (Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, Toy Story, the Matrix), Ingenious Dialog that makes our character act like everyday people (Quentin Tarantino), new directors that make a new generation of movies (Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Richard Linklater), and the famous Disney Renaissance that made us proud to grow up in. At the same time, movie in the 1990’s are a bit of a lackluster for over doing CGI at the point where it aged terribly, stupid valley girl/teen pop flicks, and so many film makers that are obsessed with taking place in the 1960’s and 1970’s made this movie era inferior to the 1980’s movies (the best era of movies ever). No decade of movies are perfect, however I have a habit of trying to watch all the movies from the 1990s because I’m from this era and it still is just an experience that I can relive again. That’s the power of nostalgia and like how I did my Top 10 Video Games and Albums of each year of the 1990’s, I’m doing the same for movies. So let’s start with the year 1990.
Number 10. – Edward Scissorhands
A film this bizarre can only be conceived from the mind of Tim Burton. The character he creates, Edward(an invention that wasn’t finished and is left with scissors for hands), is original to a point, but it is still a character we have seen before. This is the Frankenstein, Pinocchio hybrid. Edward is a soft spoken young… whatever. He is kind as can be. He cuts the neighbors shrubs for them, and soon ends up cutting their pets hair and soon all of theirs. He’s a character that easily could find a place in some twisted slasher, but throwing a character like him into a film like this is what makes Tim Burton so interesting. Now, Edward Scissorhands is every bit the accomplishment I had heard it was. It’s got all the Burton staples. It has times of humor and sadness, and is grounded in fantasy, but the characters seem like they are from our world(Well, other than Edward). Then there’s the production value, which you always look for in a Burton film. Like usual, it’s off the charts. The shrubbery is amazing, and the way he twists the real world and Edwards world together is also very cool. There’s a great score from Danny Elfman, and a great performance from Johnny Depp; both of which are staples of a lot of Burton’s films. There are a lot of people out there that believe this is Burton’s finest film. I don’t believe that is true, but I can see where they are coming from. The film is really wonderful. It’s fantastic storytelling, combined with amazing filmmaking. The result is another terrific film from Burton. I would put Ed Wood, Beetlejuice, and Batman above it, but you still can’t go wrong with this one. It’s a beloved classic that will be loved by new generations for a long time to come. One of a kind.
Number 9. – Godfather Part III
After a break of more than 15 years, Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo reunited for this: the long overdue final chapter of the saga of the Corleone crime family. And yes, while I agree that this is the weakest of the trilogy, it’s not a bad movie, and not nearly as awful as everyone regards it as being. Do I wish it were better? Of course. Do I understand why this didn’t match the others? Maybe. I mean, so much time passed between films that maybe it was inevitable that they’d hit a pot hole and stumble eventually. Saying that it sucks because third films have a reputation of being isn’t a good excuse. I’m just happy that we finally got a conclusion, and that, despite the flaws, it wasn’t worse. The plot mixes together an aging and bitter Michael reflecting on his life, trying to finally go legitimate in the face of an oncoming mob war with fictionalized portrayals of the death of Pope John Paul I and the Vatican Banking Scandal of the early 80s. To call this ambitious is a major understatement. I do like that it tried to weave in real events, especially ones that are so fascinating. The soap operaish elements are good to, but also where the problems are, mainly the oft-mentioned casting of Coppola’s daughter Sofia (before she became a director) as Michael’s daughter, and the rather underwhelming way things pan out. I do think the ending is rather fitting given the big picture, though. Sofia herself admits she’s a terrible actress, and was only there because Winona Ryder was unavailable. The character, I think, was supposed to be awkward, and that Coppola’s performance just happened to be so wooden and uninspired because her dad and Puzo were in a rut and couldn’t think of a way to do it better. At least Keaton and Pacino elevate things. It’s also good seeing Garcia appear in an interesting call back to the first film. The production values, cinematography, etc are top notch. This is a grand epic on a grand scale. Yeah, the writing (in some areas) is troubled, but I applaud the ambitiousness. The film has problems, but I refuse to call it a bad film, because, in all honesty, it really could have been far worse.
Number 8. – Miller’s Crossroads
The plot, like a majority of films from the Coens is very complex and twisty, but it makes for some very rewarding multiple viewings. In fact, there’s so much detail and subtlety layered in this film that new stuff continues to creep out each time you watch it. It’s the sort of film that you don’t have to watch more than once to appreciate it, but you should, because you will appreciate it even more. Gabriel Byrne, JohnTurturro, John Polito, and Albert Finney all give superb performances. Carter Burwell’s score, and Barry Sonnenfeld’s camera work are brilliant. The Coens, always masters of the period piece, gangster, uninhibited violence types of films, have made a much more subtle, and more character driven film than they had previously attempted. Though there are many supporting characters with their own vendettas, political factions, and die hard approach to crime syndication, it’s the singular path of Tom Reagan (Gabriel Bryne) that interests the watcher of this film. It’s his actions that drive the rest of the film into fruition. The supporting cast is exceptional, beyond words or compare.To sum it all up: this is a brilliant film, and a nourish gangster masterpiece.
Number 7. – Home Alone
This has to be both one of my favorite Christmas movies and family movies to watch. This really is the last great John Hughes movie he ever released because like his earlier movies, Home Alone still connect the audience with young character that we really relate to and also blend it very well with light-hearted comedy. This sums up the entire Christmas experience as well as what it’s like to be a nine year old. While Kevin is by no means the nicest kid to ever live, he’s by far the most lovable one. He says everything and does everything you wanted to do at that age, including sledding off a flight of stairs and using a bee-bee gun. So what happens when his family mistakenly left him on a Christmas Vacation? You have all sorts of trouble when a child has a house all to himself and burglars who will try to rob family houses during the Christmas break. Heroically, Kevin fights off these pair of thieves out to steal Christmas with some of the most creative slap-sticks ever. I remember watching Harry and Marv getting some of the worst pain they’ve ever received that made me laugh so hard as kid. The movie is so re-watchable and well put together that I don’t see it ever becoming stale or old news. Macaulay Culkin’s child acting is unmatched, he’s both hilarious and genuine. No matter how gold you get, this movie still connect you with the christmas and child like spirit that makes life feel bigger than it really is.
Number 6. – Back to the Future Part III
For the longest time since I was a kid, I always thought that the third installment was certainly the worst because it wasn’t as imaginative as Part II being set in the west and Clara was my least favorite character of the whole series. Though the weakest one of the three, Back To The Future III is still a fun, adventurous ride with Marty McFly and Doc Brown. This third film is filled with an intriguing idea that has Marty and Doc Brown traveling to the Old West in 1885. After the events of part II, Marty McFly travels to a pioneering Hill Valley. For a third film, Back To The Future Part III is a good entry and there are things that could have been done better, but director Robert Zemeckis ends his time traveling saga on a high note. One thing that works well for the film is the change of pace and different atmosphere to the first two. The fact that the film is taking place during 1885 makes it very appealing now as an adult. You have brand new characters played by the same actors and it adds a lot more flavor to it’s story. The film has a good blend of comedy and action, everything you’d expect from a Back To The Future film is here, but it’s slightly toned down. The film is still a lot of fun and highly amusing, some people may not enjoy this third entry as much as I did, and it’s understandable. Like I’ve said many times while reviewing trilogies, by the third entry a film franchise can loose its fire. But thats definitely not the case with Back To The Future Part III. Robert Zemeckis has made a fine film thats very funny, action packed with all the usually wacky characters. A wonderful finish to one of the best trilogies in cinematic history.
Number 5. – Ghost
“Ghost” is one of those films that is filmmaking at its most effective: It is uncomplicated, entertaining and engrossing with surprisingly good performances. And while many may scoff at the film as pure fluff, their scoffs unfairly overlook “Ghost”‘s amazing balance of drama, comedy, thriller and romance – a feat that is very hard to achieve in films. It’s a very romantic fantasy movie that captivates the audience to boundaries that never been seen in the ghost genre. Ghost is smart enough to work off a very uncomplicated script. The plot is very basic and doesn’t try to fool you with too many twists and turns – keeping the twists to just one very effective one at the film’s climax. This allows the viewer to just engross themselves into the lives of the characters without having too much to figure out. You become invested in the central relationship of Molly and Sam as he tries to protect Molly in the afterlife without knowing how to be seen and how the rules of being a ghost really is like. What’s most surprising is that Whoopy Goldberg was in this film as a fortuneteller that Sam can communicate because of her psychic powers. But you can really see that the relationship between Sam and Molly is a real chemistry as he suffers not knowing how to control the physical world in order to reach that goal of stopping the ones plotting to kill Molly and also watch her suffer her loneliness. Those romantic aspects really is the best part of the whole film and if you’re a romantic buff like I am, this is just pure magic. Ghost is an underrated gem. Not the most substantive film, but so what? It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s romantic, it’s thrilling. Just what a pure Hollywood film needs to be. Nothing more, nothing less.
Number 4. – Total Recall
How on Earth can you top Robocop? Easy, make it big and more imaginative than the previous film. While not the classic that some have coined it, Total Recall is an entertaining and thought-provoking science fiction film with Paul Verhoeven’s signature gory style adding an element of surprise and distinction among the genre. The story twists and turns its way around until finally leaving you with an ambiguous ending (similar to Inception’s ending) that makes for a good conversation with someone when done viewing. The added element of the gory and creepy visuals that are a product of their time just add to the fun. These effects would not have been the same if CGI was used and would not have been as creepy, like seeing people’s eyes pop out of their heads on Mars. The acting is enjoyable and humorous at times, with the cheekiness usually prevalent in Arnold’s older films. A great story, solid action, and fantastic visuals add up to a film that any science fiction film can appreciate on different levels, whether it be the thought-provoking premise, or the masterful effects that still is wonderful to watch, still to this day.
Number 3. – Goodfellas
Career criminal Henry Hill reminisces upon his life of crime in this true life story based on an actual FBI case. It has the perfect blend of drama, gritty violence and humour as we see the dark side of the American dream played out over 25 years of a wise guy’s life. The people depicted here do not play by society’s rules and have their own set of laws and conventions revolving around the pure pursuit of profit in this, the logical conclusion of capitalism. The livelihoods and lives of others are commodities to be used up and tossed away and life is cheap to these mobsters whose stated obsession with loyalty and family is also soon forgotten for the “big score”, leading to total anarchy. The combination of DeNiro, Liotta and Pesci makes for a brilliant triple act and there are so many classic scenes it’s easy to lose count. The idea to tell the story in a “Wonder Years” format using one of the best soundtracks ever compiled was a stroke of genius and the post modern conclusion the perfect way to end the story. This is just brilliant cinema in general. The story is fully realized, the direction and camera work are flawless, there are some incredibly well done sequences, and it’s just an all around satisfying film to experience. I love all the attention to detail, and just all the details that are given about the ins and outs of the mob world. You really get a great sense of the world these people live in, the culture they’re apart of, and how it affects them. And not to mention the great casting and flawless performances. Nobody sticks out in a negative way here. They’re all at the top of their games, especially the scene stealing Joe Pesci who rightly earned an Oscar for his efforts.
Number 2. – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
This movie is some of the most impressive movies I’ve ever seen, and I’m not saying that because I’m still a Turtles fan, it’s because it has the best suits really felt like they are real, all of the characters are deep and relatable (it combines the story from the comics and cartoon) and action is still very entertaining. At the time, the Ninja Turtles were fucking everywhere and you couldn’t go outside without hearing of the franchise. As a kid, this was the world that I was living in and it was some of the happiest times of my life. The plot is an origins plot obviously, telling the story of how the Turtles come to meet ‘April’ and ‘Casey’, how they came into existence and their first battle with ‘Shredder’ and his Foot Clan. What is good about this film is the fact they incorporated elements from both the original comic book and the popular cartoon. At the same time the film was also quite dark in places and with a lot so called bad influential material such as kids being taught the ways of crime, stealing, lying, general delinquency and of course weapon based fighting. But really parents! what did you expect? This made possible in my opinion by a few factors. Firstly the entire film has a darkish gritty look about it, the picture quality isn’t polished and shiny like some big franchises, this could be down to the fact the film was an independent film. I don’t think this was intended, its just one of those happy/lucky mistakes, although the lighting is dim throughout. Secondly the Turtle suits are very good and very different from the later more kiddie friendly suits. The colour scheme is darker, the eyes are smaller, in general the faces/masks just looks slightly meaner. I was very surprised to see that the actors wearing the suits were able to do martial arts without ruining the suits, not even Michael Keaton’s Batman could do all of that. Lastly, there was a beautiful sense of magic to the film where it feels like Japanese film making, and the Shredder… he’s one of the best villains I ever seen in a movie. Most of all, it’s just the biblical dialog that stick with many of us who grew up with the movie like “All Fathers Care for their sons” and “You are here because the outside world rejects you” that gives me goosebumps every single time. Its hard to say but this film is a bit of a classic now, a cult classic. The first and easily the best Turtles film but also a film that played out well for adults too, a film with giant rubber ninja turtle suits!. It helps that Jim Henson was the creative team behind the suits. A great movie that almost perfectly captures the tone of the comics. It is way more dark than the cartoon series and has a better feel for the characters. The effects look amazing, even today. They really brought the turtles to life. It is a great story and a lot more in depth than one might expect. I really wish that there could be another movie out there that do the same like Ninja Turtles, but it’s a shame because we’re in a world where CGI is all the effect Hollywood offers and people don’t appreciate suits, puppeteering, and practical effects no more.
Number 1. – The Little Mermaid
Okay, I’m a little cheating here because this film did come out in 1989, but it was very late in that year that we spent more time with this film in 1990. This is the very film that started what is now called the Disney Renaissance that lasted throughout the 1990s. Sure there were big Disney hits before Little Mermaid like Oliver and Company and the Great Mouse Detective, but this is the film that changed Disney from the studio that made good films to the studio that made animated features that are as good, if not better than the original Disney classics! The stories and characters have been better than they’ve been in years that it made a substandard philosophy change to how are these films are approached, high animation quality, memorable songs, and even qualitative storytelling that can never be compared or match from any other animated movie. All of these qualities have changed to a much higher level, and it’s all thanks to The Little Mermaid! The protagonist is a teenage mermaid who wants to explore the world, not just the world that her father keeps her in. She wants to explore the world that her father exclude her from. Ariel is a good person with a good heart and she always see the good in the humans, who she’s been obsessed over, no matter how many times it’s been drilled into her that they are evil. Everyone tries so hard to keep her in the world under the sea though none of them know anything about the human world other than the dangers it poses. But Ariel has a mind of her own and as she collects objects from above the sea, it makes her more a part of it. The most amazing dilemma about Ariel is that it hits on something that everyone can relate to (especially children); she wants to be part of another world. You might think it ridiculous to see why a mermaid that can swim across under the sea would even consider to just walk on land, but we all been there and we can all feel what Ariel is going through. We all feel like we want to break free from the mundane and be part of something better. She would go far as to exchanging her own voice for a pair of legs and feet just to fall in love to the charming Prince Eric. She saved his life then disappeared back into the sea only to have him only recognize the sound of her voice. The experience was so profound that it convinced that he loved her and would do anything to find her. It’s a unique way to bring two characters together because it’s all very honest and pure. If you grew up with this film or loved it as long as it has been around, you probably have a fond association with it, but that’s part of growing up with Disney. All of the substance and animation qualities is what gives this film a soul. As stated, this is the film that kicked off the Disney Renaissance and if you’re trying to return your brand to a state of eminence, it helps to kick things off with a good film. But when beginning the Disney Renaissance, they’ve began with a masterpiece!
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Top 10 Super Nintendo Games (SNES)
Back in 1991, you had a gamble to either own a Sega Genesis or a Super Nintendo because either one of the consoles could have been the best console of all time. History speaks for itself that the SNES is better, objectively. Though it’s looked as a “kiddy console” (thanks to Sega’s bashing commercials), it had at least a game in each year during it’s reign that still captures anyone’s interest. Think of a genre and you’ll bet that the Super Nintendo has at some of the best in its library. Nintendo didn’t abandon any of their NES fans by delivering twice the experience that left an impression on their old fans and new fans alike. While the Sega Genesis had add-ons and peripherals to expand on their console (like Sega CD, Sega Channel, etc.), so did the Super Nintendo as offered an SNES mouse, superscope, and the Super Gameboy where you can play Gameboy games on your bigger and brighter screen television. Sure people would love to criticize the over-usage of the word “Super” as it is on almost everything on the Super Nintendo (like 64 in Nintendo 64), but “super” is a statement that’s taken to the next level. There are just things that the Super Nintendo did that no other console has done for their consumers like including two controllers and a copy of Super Mario World with the console, along with several launch titles that note even modern consoles could do any better. And remaining “Super” is what the SNES did as they pushed so far with graphics (Star Fox & Donkey Kong Country), created gameplay innovations, and top notch experiences. There are just so many games on the Super Nintendo that it was tough for me to only choose only 10, so count my video game rankings from 1991 to 1996 to be honorable mentions if they didn’t make it on the list. Nevertheless, from the beginning of the system’s life span, to the very end, this system gave us such a grand experience that no other console could even do the same. This has been the most passionate list that I’ve ever made so far and I’m more than proud to give you ten of my most favorite games from the very first gaming console I’ve ever to experience in this lifetime..
Top 10 Video Games of 1992
It’s really interesting to see that this year in gaming, since we already have Genesis and SNES competing against each other, there were so many remarkable titles released this year that not only continue to revolutionize the gaming industry but also started new genres that are still expanding to this very day; like Wolfenstien 3D started the FPS, Alone in the Dark for Survival Horror, and Dune II for Real-Time Strategy. It was a year of new beginnings and top tear franchise installments! See all of the best games released in 1992 and find out yourself why this is another great year in gaming!
The Top Lister 