nbutcher-69458

I would put this "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory" up there closely behind "The Wizard of Oz". There's a great story, a fantastic musical score, and a magical performance from Gene Wilder who really makes you believe in Willy Wonka, but not entirely trust the character - and as Wilder later revealed in an interview - that was entirely deliberate.

I would argue that the film actually improves on it's book source material by making a few changes to the story that actually enhance it's message and appeal. The film works thematically on many levels. As others have mentioned, there is something very primal or even spiritual about the story - even though the moral posturing within the story is very obvious.

I think it is because Wonka is like a deity inviting everyone to heaven. Although many are desperate to receive his invitation (and the film makes Wonka-mania very believable too) not everyone is chosen. Even then for those who are chosen, it's not too hard to get kicked out of Eden either for not following the rules - especially with all the forbidden fruit - or chocolate - in this case.

What can you say about Bluey that hasn't already been said? It's going to be an enduring Australian classic.

It's a show for the entire family. The kids will be endlessly entertained by Bluey and her sister Bingo's wild imagination. The parents who watch are going laugh at the situations their parents Bandit and Chilli get into. Everyone will relate to many of the common family situations represented by the show.

But this show has more: Kids who watch are being taught how to use their imaginations. Parents are being taught how to be better parents. Everyone is learning how to value the most precious time in most every family's life - the short years that children are children. The magic is that the show does all of this without being preachy or heavy handed. In fact it does all of these things with sensitivity, sound life lessons, and some pretty heavy emotional gut punches.

It doesn't stop there. Bluey may be a girl but she is androgynous and tomboy enough as a dog that she doesn't make boys watching feel unrepresented or that Bluey is a show for girls. That's genius.

If you don't get teary eyed from a few episodes of Bluey, you may want to see a doctor to see if you still have a functioning heart. Don't be surprised if you find yourself crying over cartoon dogs!

Without a doubt there will be children in 20-30 years that will watch Bluey again as adults with their own children. They will begin to see the show with a different set of eyes - remembering how they once used to be children, just like their own children. When that happens, Bluey will be waiting for them.

Let's not mince words here. This is a bad and stupid movie. The Street Fighter characters have been pulled from their video game lore and reassembled here into a film with a plot that barely makes sense, and not in a good way.

I would compare Street Fighter to "Big Trouble in Little China" - both being schlocky B-grade kung fu explotation films. However this film is wildly inferior. While the film is self-aware of it's stupidity, the tone is more puerile, cartoony, and childish. There are scenes which drag on while trying to be serious, but simply fail to convince. There are plot points that are needlessly tacked on, and plenty of jokes that don't land. The worst crime though, is that the fight and battle scenes are wildly unrealistic and contain plenty of cut shots.

With the exception of Raul Julia - who steals every scene he is in as a boilerplate cartoon villain - the acting is absolutely atrocious. Van Damme was rumored to be hooked on the Colombian marching powder during the filming of this film, and it shows. His attempt at a US colonel with a strong European accent is laughable.

Honestly if it weren't for Raul Julia - and this being his last movie role before dying from cancer - I would have rated this much worse. It is still something of a guilty pleasure for those who enjoy bad films - but goodness me.