TheHonestCritic

"The Pink Panther" (1963), a lot of you may know this already. But, if you don't, "The Pink Panther" movie series is one of my top ten favorite film franchises of all-time. So, I thought it was only fair to review the very first one of these movies. Now, it may not be the first one of these films I've seen when I first got into them. But that being said, it's the epitome of a true comedy classic! When I first watched "The Pink Panther" on DVD, I was looking forward to seeing it again, even during my first viewing! Yep, that's how good and funny this movie is. "The Pink Panther" has a perfect story, perfect acting, perfect sets/locations, perfect special effects, and of course a perfect soundtrack to tie it all together. The plot is, a bumbling detective named Jacques Clouseau is assigned to protect the Pink Panther diamond before it's stolen by a thief known only as, The Phantom. Right off the bat, the synopsis reveals that it's clearly a simple storyline which is warranted for a comedy, as it allows extra room for jokes and humor. But, saying that this film is funny is an understatement. When I first watched this movie, there were parts where I was laughing so hard, that I actually had to pause it for a minute to catch my breath! It's not very often I come across a film that funny. If a movie makes you laugh like that, then you know it's a winner! Although, to be honest, the more I see this film, the funnier it gets. It truly is timeless! Plus, the plot is engaging and it keeps you hooked all the way from beginning to end. Even though it's 113 minutes in length, it goes by in a snap. Usually, a comedy movie should never exceed 120 minutes at the risk of becoming forced and tired. But, "The Pink Panther" utilizes every second flawlessly and not one minute is wasted at all. I won't go into any extra details about the story at the risk of spoiling anything. However, I can guarantee you that it's every bit as funny as it is entertaining. As for the acting, it's nothing short of sublime from the whole cast. Of course the shining star is Peter Sellers, he is one of my top ten all-time favorite comedy actors and his performance here is no different. The rest of the cast is just as strong, and they all have such impeccable chemistry on the screen! All of the sets/locations are perfect and really give this film a great atmosphere. You can't go wrong with filming your movie in Europe! As for the special effects, they are all very well-done and still hold up to this day. Some look a little cheesy, but they just add to the charm. Like I always say, practical effects beat CGI any day! Finally, the soundtrack composed by Henry Mancini is nothing short of exceptional. Henry Mancini is one of my top ten all-time favorite film score composers, and his work here further exploits his talent. Plus, "The Pink Panther" theme is one of my top ten all-time favorite movie theme songs. The whole soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal. Props to you, Henry Mancini! "The Pink Panther" is nothing short of a fantastic comedy that keeps you invested and laughing all the way through from beginning to end. I could watch it over and over on repeat and not get bored of it! Of course, I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars on my scale, which equates to 10 out of 10 IMDB stars. If you haven't seen "The Pink Panther" yet, and you enjoy comedy films, what are you waiting for? Go and check it out today. If not, then beware of The Phantom!

"Last Action Hero" (2013), I remember when I first watched this movie. Whenever I see an Arnold Schwarzenegger film for the first time, I'm always excited and have high expectations. Sadly, when I saw this movie, I just sat there scratching my head the whole time, thinking: "what am I watching? Did I put in the correct DVD?" Really, this film has way more complexities than it does exciting action! "Last Action Hero" has a boring and confusing story, and the acting is an overall joke. The plot is, a movie fan gets a magic ticket that transports him into the fictional world of his favorite character. Now, that sounds like a pretty interesting premise! Right? The only problem is, that it somehow got roped into an Arnold Schwarzenegger film. A concept like that works better on it's own, not in a big action movie. On it's own, maybe it could work as a standalone film. However, trying to mix it with otherworldly action and fighting just turns it into a mangled mess. To tell you the truth, it felt more like a satire than an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. Granted, I like satire films, they can be a lot of fun to watch. That being said, throwing Arnold Schwarzenegger into the spectrum just makes it laughably bad. Another big issue is the writing. One thing I say, is that if you notice the editing, then you know there's an issue. Well, in this case, I notice the writing. One of the writers of this movie, is Shane Black. Who later went on to direct the letdown known as "Iron Man 3" (2013). You can see early elements of that pile of filth in this film. If this and "Iron Man 3" is the best he can do, then that really tells me a lot about his talent. Any way, "Last Action Hero" is just another run-of-the-mill action movie, and nothing else. Do I even need to mention that it's rated PG-13? Yep, that also amounts to disappointing action and fight scenes, because there's only so much you can do in that case. 9 out of 10 Arnold Schwarzenegger films are rated R, as they all should be. But even if this movie was R rated, it would still be a huge letdown. Bottom line, half the concept belongs and the other half does not. As for the acting, it's just a joke. The only one who seemed to be trying with what he had to work with here, was Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. The rest of the cast is standard to just plain abysmal! One thing that was kind of cool, was the cameo appearances from other actors and actresses. To tell you the truth, that was probably the most salvageable part of the film. Wow, that's pretty bad when the cameos do better than the main cast of characters! Now, let's get to the positive elements in this trash heap. The sets/locations are interesting and give the film a unique atmosphere. All of the special effects are very well-done and still hold up to this day. Finally, the soundtrack composed by Michael Kamen is cool and sets an interesting tone. To be honest, his film score is probably the most memorable part of the movie! Seriously, the music is trying harder than the plot! The best song in the soundtrack, is "Big Gun" by AC/DC. We may not have had a great film, but at least we got that song though! "Last Action Hero" is nothing short of an embarrassment to the action movie genre. Poor Arnold Schwarzenegger, he's certainly been involved in his fair share of bad films hasn't he? The most positive thing I can say about this movie, is that he has made much worse than this one. I give this film a 3 out of 5 star rating, which equates to 6 out of 10 stars. A 3 out of 5 star rating is dividing mark where I differentiate a movie being good or bad. "Last Action Hero" is a very marginal 3 out of 5/6 out of 10 and I consider it, by my standards, to be a bad movie. Do I really have to tell you to stay away from this film? No, I think that's pretty obvious. But, should you choose an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, just make sure that it's R rated!

"An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" (1991), this movie has an interesting backstory, for me. One day, during inside recess in first grade, we watched this film. Now, of course, we didn't watch the whole entire thing at once. We finished the movie the next day. I remember really enjoying it a lot! Although, to be honest, I completely forgot about this film until just a couple of days ago. I was just browsing through YouTube, and a clip from this movie popped up. As soon as I saw the video thumbnail, I recognized it right away. I said to myself: "wait, this looks familiar. I might have seen this before!" So, I watched the clip, and then all of a sudden it felt like I was in first grade again. Surprisingly, it really holds up well to this day! "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" has a fun yet emotional storyline, stellar voice acting, great animation and also a phenomenal soundtrack to tie it all together. The plot is, Fievel's family move west, unaware that they're being tricked into a trap. Before I go into any extra details, here's a funny story. When I was looking up the spoiler-free synopsis for this film, I realized that it was a sequel. I had thought it was the original movie in this franchise! Well, I have no idea why our teacher skipped the first one and just went straight into this one. Turns out that there are four films in this series. How about that? It's unlikely I'll be watching the other three movies, before you all say anything. Because, it'd be weird as an adult to voluntarily watch them! Any way, let's get back to this review. The whole plot of a family seeking a better life has been done multiple times in the world of cinema. But, the way it's handled in this film is unique. Our main character, Fievel, winds up separated from his family as they approach their destination. From there, he goes out on his own adventure while seeking out his family. I won't go into any extra details about the story, but I assure you, it's one of those storylines that'll stick with you for years. Especially if you see it as a child! Although, being that it's a family movie, I still think anyone at any age can enjoy it and be satisfied. As for the voice acting, it's nothing short of stellar from the whole entire voice cast. All of them fire on all cylinders with their performances! However, the biggest standouts are: Phillip Glasser as Fievel, Cathy Cavadini as Tanya and Dom DeLuise as Tiger. Those three steal the show! But, one performance that I really remember, is where Cathy Cavadini sings "Dreams to Dream" as the voice of Tanya. For some reason, that's the most memorable part of this film. I'll go into more details about that song in just a moment. Any way, the voice work in this movie is exceptional and the cast really helps bring their respectable characters to life! The animation in this movie is nothing short of stunning. One thing that I always say is, 2D animation beats 3D animation any day! Finally, the soundtrack composed by James Horner is phenomenal. His film score sets the perfect tone for the story! Usually, if James Horner is the one composing the soundtrack for a movie, you're in for a treat and this film is no exception. But, like I said earlier, the song "Dreams to Dream", performed by Cathy Cavadini as Tanya is easily the biggest standout song of the movie. It's easily one of the top ten most emotional songs I've ever heard in any animated film. Cathy Cavadini really knocks it out of the park. What a fantastic singing voice! Just typing about that song is getting me emotional. Had someone else sung that song, it may not have had the same impact. Props to you, Cathy Cavadini! All of the songs are incredible, well-done, James Horner! "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" is a charming family movie. I'm surprised that I forgot about it until just a couple of days ago! To tell you the truth, it still holds up to this day and it's a real classic. Of course, I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars on my scale, which equates to 10 out of 10 IMDB stars. If you haven't seen "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" yet, what are you waiting for? Go and check it out! Although, I feel compelled to remind you all that it's a sequel and not the original film. As I mentioned, I may check out the other three movies. But, for now, I am happy to have done a review for this film. Go watch it today, or else you may fall into the evil cats' sinister traps!