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Hachiko: A Dog's Story

I have never seen the original Japanese version of the movie but know the story well as I have been told by many people here in Japan. There is a statue of Hachiko that stands outside of Shibuya Station in Tokyo. Now the statue is the most popular place for Tokyoites to meet their friends before going out shopping or dining in Shibuya.

Unlike other Japanese remakes, this movie actually gives credit to the original story so that you don't get the sense that Hollywood wants to call it its own. All actors/actresses in the movie do a superb job in making you feel as if you were a part of the community embracing the dog. Compared to the original story, people were more accepting of Hachi rather than considering him a nuisance. Of course this is going to be released in the U.S. as a holiday movie so the goal is to make it uplifting.

Just a warning, do take many tissues. I am a grown man and can honestly say that I have never really cried during a movie. I think the score of the movie plus the dog being so adorable made me lose myself. When I looked around the theater though, every single person was crying and I saw a lot of red eyes as I left the Men's restroom. Any movie that can make me do that deserves a 10/10.

In Bruges

Martin McDonagh is a new name for me but it reeks of sounds and smells I recognize and love. Joe Ortonish if you know what I mean. A mishmash of blame and redemption in Bruges of all places. Colin Farrell is superb as the child killer devoured by his own conscience. His dialogue is brutally funny but if we follow his eyes he's stuck on the same place. The child, his death....Brendan Gleeson's interest in Bruges and what Bruges has to offer is hysterically funny and deeply moving. A monumental performance. Ralph Finnes in a totally new vest (if you forget Schindler's) comes to revolutionize the third act with a few aces up his sleeve. He is as much fun to watch as he is frightening. An unexpected treat. I highly recommend it.

District 9

Personally, I think this movie has a lot to say about the "human condition." Without giving anything away, the whole experience is a comment on how we as a species behave. I thought it was an excellent piece of science fiction and a very accurate view into life on earth. However, I know that many people will not like this movie. It can be very disturbing in some parts, and its message is something that not everyone will want to hear.

Judging this movie on its own merits, I evaluate it at a 10 out of 10. This movie is as good as it could possibly be and fulfills the highest standards of cinema (in my opinion, of course!).

The Dark Knight

An imperishable, spectacular and chaotically-brilliant movie. The Dark Knight possesses the essence that should always exist in the handover from comics to the big screen. Sequence after sequence, this is the absolute glory. A great movie that does not give a single frame to breathe. An ode to chaos and anarchy, while shares are confronted inevitably lead to a path dirty, black and hostile. A real Gotham City, dominated by fear.

This is the best film of the year. Simply, ladies and gentlemen, The Dark Knight belongs to a category where no comic adaptation could enter before.

Thanks Christopher Nolan. Simply, thank you for a film that's a lot more than the typical film based on comic books.

When in Rome

Well, you may laugh, you may roll your eyes--you may do both simultaneously. Yes, it's a little cheesy; yes, the acting was not brilliant; yes, some of the gags seemed to repeat themselves. BUT, did I enjoy myself? Absolutely.

The humor mostly relies on a lot of physical comedy (people making blunders and bumping into things...), very little real "wit". I can't say even that the dialogue or the chemistry between the main actors was very good. But if you already know you're a sucker for romantic comedies (particularly heavily humor-laden ones, whether brilliant humor or otherwise), you will probably enjoy yourself. If you're the kind that is only rather surprised when you actually do find a romantic comedy you like, I really don't think you'll be finding it in this one.

No need to repeat the plot; the trailer says it all. And, really, with as simple a plot as it has, the trailer truly does pretty much say it ALL.

In short, it was relaxing and amusing (sometimes not the sort of amusing the director was going for, perhaps), and I enjoyed getting out of the house to go sit and catch a corny smile. Don't go if your demands or expectations are much higher.

Kick Ass

You know that rare feeling... happens every year or so... when you pour out of the cinema SO excited at the film you've just watched, and every other word is "ohmygodilovedtwithbitwherethey"? Well 'Ding', Kick ass hits that sweet spot. Comprising teen comedy, kick-ass action (sorry) and a healthy dose of comic book style violence and gore, it rocks.

It's Superbad meets Kill Bill.

The film is a fairly faithful adaptation of the comic book, and where tweaks have been made, they make the plot more robust for the audience to empathise with.

Kick-ass is stylish, fun, daring, and the dark surprise of violence and gore kept the balance of comic teen angst fresh: a delicious perk me up when you were settling into comedy mode. There was never a dull moment in the pace of the film, never a flimsy plot point, and actually the audience guffawed their way through the film. Did I mention it has a cool soundtrack to boot? I've already got it on my Phone.

The Book of Eli

I am always hesitant when movies come out in January or February. The Oscar buzz is about last year's performances and the summer blockbusters are still five months away. So, when movies come out this time of the year there is a distinct possibility that the movie is going to have a weak story line and sub par acting. This is not the case with "The Book of Eli." For a January movie — it exceeded my expectations.

I have respect for both Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman and their choice of past roles. Gary's role in this film was that of the old bad guy running a small western front town 30 years after a nuclear war (I am assuming it was nuclear war, they only vaguely described what happened). He sends his traveling bandits out of town to find the last Bible on earth. He does this because with the last Bible on earth he can reestablish civilization under his reign. It does seem far-fetched but then again it is a January movie so I will cut it some slack. Gary did a great job, reminded me a little of his bad guy character in "The Professional," but he wasn't over the top with his acting, only when he needed to be.

On to Denzel, who did another great job. He reminded me of Clint Eastwood in his western movies where he didn't say much because he didn't have to. Denzel's actions spoke for him. That leads us into the action sequences. The Hughes Brothers delivered the action with a wallop and without a lot of blood and guts. The first fight scene looked like five silhouettes fighting a shadow of a man. There's also a shoot out scene where they used some pretty innovative camera shots to put the viewer into the action. The action was quick and to the point and just as important, it was memorable.

We covered the actors and the action, so what about the story? The story could have taken place in the Old West just as it could have taken place in an apocalyptic future. It was simple and didn't have many confusing elements to it. The premise was to get that Bible. Denzel's job was to head west to deliver the last copy of the Bible to someone. He does everything in his power to protect the book. Since the Bible is the main focus of the hunt there are some religious overtones but nothing too heavy. There is also a good use of humor, something totally unexpected considering the drabness of the film.

The camera helped in telling much of the story. Through much of the movie the camera and landscape was all that was needed to carry key elements in the story. In one scene Mila Kunis' character was attacked and instead of talking about it afterward, the camera took time to focus on her reaction to the situation. There are also several shots of Denzel walking in the desolation showing the audience the ruined landscape. Dialogue couldn't have added much more.

Should you see this movie? Yes. Even though it won't get Oscar nods or be the next big summer blockbuster, it will still keep most people entertained. The ending might make you want to see it a second time to see what you missed the first time. All I am saying is keep your eyes open.

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang is a 2010 family film. It is a sequel to the 2005 film Nanny McPhee. It was adapted by Emma Thompson from Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda books. Thompson reprises her role as Nanny McPhee, and the film also stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ralph Fiennes, Rhys Ifans, Maggie Smith, Asa Butterfield, Bill Bailey and Katy Brand.

Plot

On a farm in Britain during World War II, Mrs Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is driven to her wits end by her hectic life. Between trying to keep the family farm up and running and her job in the village shop, run by the slightly mad Mrs Doherty, she also has three boisterous children to look after, Norman (Asa Butterfield), Megsie (Lil Woods) and Vincent (Oscar Steer). All of this she has to do while her husband is away at war. So when her children's two spoiled cousins, Cyril (Eros Vlahos) and Celia (Rosie Taylor-Ritson) are sent to live on their farm and another war is being fought between the two sets of children, she is in need of a little magic. So Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson) arrives to take matters into her own hands. At first, the children do not listen and carry on fighting, but after a bang of Nanny McPhee's stick, they soon realise that they cannot go on fighting. Meanwhile, Mrs Green's brother in law, Uncle Phil (Rhys Ifans), has gambled away the farm, and is being chased down by two hit women. He desperately attempts to make Mrs Green sell her half of the farm, using many mean and spiteful schemes to make Mrs Green have no choice but to sell the farm. His plans include digging a hole so that the family piglets can escape. Mrs Green takes all the children on a picnic during which an ARP Warden, Mr Spolding (Sam Kelly), warns them all about bombs and how he imagines a pilot might accidentally release his bomb in the remote area in which the family lives. At the end of the picnic Uncle Phil delivers a telegram saying that Mr Green has been 'killed in action' in the war. Mrs Green believes the telegram, along with everybody else. But Norman says that he can "feel it in his bones" that his father is not dead. He tells this to Cyril, who at first says it is just because he is upset, but then agrees to support and help Norman to determin the truth. So the two boys decide to ask Nanny McPhee to take them to London to the war office where Cyril and Celia's father works. They travel to London with Nanny McPhee and ask Cyril's father Lord Grey (Ralph Fiennes), who is very important in the War Office, what has happened to Mr Green. At first he sneers at Norman when he tells him about his disbelief of his father's death, but after Cyril angrily blurts out that he knows that his parents are getting a divorce, Lord Grey goes to check what has happened. While he is gone, Cyril tells Norman that he and Celia have been sent away because their parents will be splitting up, and Norman asks where Cyril and Celia will live. When Cyril replies "with Mum I suppose, not that it makes much difference, she only ever really sees us when she wants to show us off", Norman tells Cyril that he and Celia are welcome to go and live on the farm with the Greens. Cyril's father returns and tells Norman that his father is not dead, but M.I.A. - missing in action and that there is no record of a telegram ever having been sent to Mrs Green. The boys then leave and Norman works out that the telegram brought to his mother by Uncle Phil was in fact a fraud, the meanest of all Uncle Phil's attempts to get Mrs Green to sell the farm. While the boys were at the War Office, Megsie, Celia and Vincent were trying to stop Mrs Green from signing the papers and selling the farm, Just as Mrs Green is about to sign the papers, a huge bomb is dropped, it shakes everything but does not explode and is sticking out of the barley field. When Nanny McPhee returns with Norman and Cyril, the children go out for watching Mr Spolding dismantle the bomb, but he falls from the ladder and Megsie takes over, and succeeds with the help of the other children and a bird. After Nanny McPhee helps to harvest the barley, with a little magic, it is revealed that old Mrs Doherty is in fact baby Aggie from the first film about the Brown children. Nanny McPhee lives by a rule 'when they need her but do not want her, Nanny McPhee must stay. But when they want her but no longer need her, Nanny McPhee must go.' As Nanny McPhee walks away from the now happy family, the children and Mrs Green chase after her determined to prove they still need her. However they doscover that they in fact do not, as they round a bend to see Nanny McPhee walking over the rise of the same hill from which their father is now decending. Mr Green (Ewan McGregor) in army uniform and with an injured arm, runs to the arms of his children and wife and rejoyces in the discovering that after leaving three children to go to war, he has returned to find five.

Clash of the Titans

Clash of the Titans is a 2010 fantasy film and remake of the 1981 film of the same name, as noted in the credits. As with the 1981 film, the story is very loosely based upon the Greek myth of Perseus. Directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Sam Worthington, the film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010. However, it was later announced that the film would be converted to 3D and was finally released on April 2, 2010.

Plot

The film begins with a narration by Io, explaining that there were originally three gods: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. The gods defeated their greatest enemies, the Titans, with the help of Hades's creation, the Kraken. After the Titans' defeat, Zeus created humans and ruled them while Poseidon ruled the sea, but Hades, having been deceived by his brother Zeus was forced to rule the Underworld, constantly plotting to take Zeus's throne for himself. A fisherman, Spyros, finds a coffin adrift in the sea, discovering a baby, Perseus, and his dead mother, Danaë, inside. Spyros decides to raise Perseus as his own. Years later, Perseus and his family are fishing when they witness a group of soldiers from Argos destroying a statue of Zeus and declaring war against the gods. Hades appears and commands harpies to massacre the soldiers. The harpies then destroy Perseus's family's fishing boat. Perseus tries to save his family but to no avail, the surviving soldiers take Perseus back to Argos. During a feast for the returning soldiers King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia of Argos compare themselves and their daughter, Andromeda, to the gods. Andromeda is against fighting the gods, and is protesting when Hades appears and kills the remaining soldiers. Perseus is unaffected however, and Hades realizes Perseus is a demigod and reveals Zeus is Perseus's father. Hades kills the queen, and threatens that if Princess Andromeda is not sacrificed to the Kraken, Argos will be destroyed in 10 days. The king seeks the help of Perseus. Perseus initially refuses, but decides to help when he meets Io, a woman who does not age as punishment for refusing to be seduced by a god. Io has watched over Perseus from the time he was born, and assures him he can have his revenge against Hades if he helps Argos in its time of need. Perseus and Io embark on a quest to find the Stygian Witches. Hades enlists Acrisius, the former king of Argos who was married to Danaë when Zeus impregnated Perseus. Acrisius was leading men to attack Olympus, and while other gods wanted to annihilate Acrisius, Zeus wanted to make an example of him. He snuck into Danaë's bed in the form of Acrisius and impregnated her. Acrisius declared that the baby could not be born, and set Danaë and the baby Perseus adrift in their coffin; for this act, Zeus struck Acrisius with lightning, leaving him hideously disfigured. Hades imbues him with powers to aid him in killing Perseus, and Acrisius takes the name of Calibos. While in the woods, Perseus and his men discover a sword forged in Olympus that will only display power if it is wielded by Perseus. Perseus also discovers a winged horse called Pegasus. Perseus refuses to use either of these gifts, as he does not wish to be a god. Calibos attacks the group led by Perseus. They severe the hand of Calibos, but Calibos' blood forms giant scorpions from the sand, and Perseus and his group are attacked. Though they slay several scorpions, most of the group are slain, and the survivors surrounded by more of the monsters. They are saved by the Djinn, sand-demons with magical powers who tame the scorpions. Perseus and the Djinn agree to cooperate, since the Djinn wish to see the gods defeated. At the Garden of Stygia, the Stygian Witches tell Perseus that the head of Medusa could kill the Kraken, but that Perseus will die in the process. After leaving the witches, Perseus is visited by Zeus who offers him asylum on Mount Olympus. He refuses. Zeus gives him instead a golden drachma. Perseus uses the coin to bribe Charon for passage into the Underworld and enters Medusa's lair. Although four of Perseus' remaining soldiers fight hard to stay alive, one by one they are turned to stone by her gaze. Draco, one of the soldiers with Perseus, allows himself to be turned to stone to give Perseus a clear shot at Medusa's head. The combined effort of Draco, and one of the Djinn's self destruct allows Perseus kills Medusa, but Calibos returns and kills Io. Perseus engages Calibos in combat and kills him, using the sword from Olympus to stab him in the heart and turn him back into Acrisius in human form. With his final breaths, Acrisius tells Perseus to never become a god. Perseus rides Pegasus back to Argos with Medusa's head to find the citizens of Argos planning to sacrifice Andromeda to the Kraken, who has been summoned by Hades. Hades reveals to Zeus the destruction of Argos will give him enough power to overthrow the other Olympians. Zeus attempts to banish Hades back to the Underworld, but Hades overpowers him. Zeus then reveals to Hades that Perseus is still alive and is in Argos. Hades leaves to oversee the Kraken's attack and ensure his victory. Perseus returns to Argos, but Hades sends harpies to kill him. Perseus defeats the creatures sent by Hades and uses the head of Medusa to turn the Kraken into stone. Hades arrives just in time to see his creation die. Perseus draws his sword, but Hades reminds him that he is a god, and therefore cannot be killed. Perseus replies that though Hades can live forever, it will not be in the world of men and throws his sword at Hades, charged with a bolt of lightning from Zeus that banishes Hades to the Underworld. After saving Argos from destruction, Andromeda suggests that Perseus become king and rule Argos at her side, but he declines. Zeus appears before Perseus again and offers to make him a god, but he refuses. Zeus warns Perseus that Hades will return to rule the world in darkness when mankind is fearful. Since Perseus is intent to stay on Earth, Zeus resurrects Io, and the two embrace while Pegasus flies above them.

DATE NIGHT

Plot

Phil and Claire Foster (Steve Carell and Tina Fey) are a married couple from New Jersey with two children whose domestic life has become routine. Phil is a tax advisor while Claire is a realtor. They have a weekly "date night" at a local steakhouse followed by a movie, but it is just as routine as everything else in their marriage. They learn that their best friends, Brad (Mark Ruffalo) and Haley (Kristen Wiig), are getting a divorce.In an effort to reignite romance, Phil takes Claire to a trendy Manhattan restaurant where they can't get a table. Phil decides to take a reservation from a no-show couple, the Tripplehorns, despite Claire's misgivings. Halfway through their meal, they are approached by two men named Collins (Common) and Armstrong (Jimmi Simpson), who question them about a flash drive they believe Phil and Claire stole from mobster boss Joe Miletto (Ray Liotta). Phil and Claire try to explain that they are not the Tripplehorns, but the two men threaten them at gunpoint. Not seeing any other way out, Phil decides to tell them it's in a boathouse in Central Park.At the boathouse, Claire pretends to search; while Collins' and Armstrong's backs are turned, Phil hits them with a paddle and escapes with Claire on a boat. At a police station, Phil and Claire talk with Detective Arroyo (Taraji P. Henson) but discover Collins and Armstrong are also detectives, presumably on Miletto's payroll. Realizing they can't trust the police, they decide to find the real "Tripplehorns". They go back to the restaurant and find their phone number.Claire remembers one of her former clients, Holbrooke Grant (Mark Wahlberg), is a security expert. At his apartment, Grant, whom Claire flirts with, traces the signal to an apartment owned by Tom Felton. Collins and Armstrong arrive but Phil and Claire escape in one of Grant's cars. In the car, they argue.They arrive at Felton's apartment and break in. They question Felton, nicknamed "Taste" (James Franco), and his girlfriend "Whippit" (Mila Kunis) about the flash drive and Joe Miletto. It turns out that they had gone to the restaurant but left when they spotted Collins. Realizing they are now in danger, the couple gives the flash drive to Phil and escape. When Phil and Claire get back in the car, Armstrong and Collins start shooting at them. Phil and Claire crash into a cab. Phil and the cab driver (J. B. Smoove) decide to drive off to get away. Phil climbs into the cab so he can navigate while Claire navigates the other car. Phil checks the flash drive on the driver's Amazon Kindle and finds pictures of district attorney Frank Crenshaw (William Fichtner) with prostitutes. After evading Collins and Armstrong and multiple squad cars, they are eventually hit and separated by another car. The cab falls into the river; Phil and the driver escape, but without the flash drive.In a subway, Claire determines that Felton obtained the flash drive to blackmail Crenshaw. They go back to Grant's apartment, and Grant is reluctant to help this time after becoming exhausted from their incompetence, but Phil begs him and he agrees. Phil and Claire go to the strip club that Crenshaw frequents, with Claire under the guise of a new prostitute and Phil her pimp. Claire changes outfits and the two go into the room where Crenshaw is. After doing a pole dance for him, they confront him and tell him they are the Tripplehorns. Collins and Armstrong come in and hold them at gunpoint and take them up to the roof with Crenshaw. Miletto arrives with henchmen and it is revealed that Crenshaw has been paid by Miletto to keep him out of jail. When Phil mentions the photos, a feud escalates between the mobsters and Crenshaw, Collins, and Armstrong. Phil then asks Claire to count to three and when she does, a helicopter appears and Arroyo and the police come onto the roof to arrest Miletto, Crenshaw, and everyone else. It is revealed that Phil was wearing a wire courtesy of Grant, who informed Arroyo of the situation.Phil and Claire enjoy breakfast at a local city diner afterward, where Phil admits that he would marry Claire and have their kids all over again if given the chance. When they arrive back home, they begin making out passionately on the front lawn for an extended period of time.An after credits scene shows alternate lines for talking to the waitress at Claw.

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Michael Sheen and Stephen Fry. It is an extension of Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The film uses a technique of combining live action and animation. In the film, Alice is now nineteen years old and accidentally returns to Underland (misheard by Alice and believed to be called Wonderland), a place she visited thirteen years previously. She is told that she is the only one who can slay the Jabberwocky, a dragon-like creature controlled by the Red Queen who terrorizes Underland's inhabitants. Burton said the original Wonderland story was always about a girl wandering around from one weird character to another and he never felt a connection emotionally, so he wanted to make it feel more like a story than a series of events. He does not see this as a sequel to previous films, nor as a re-imagining. It premiered in London at the Odeon Leicester Square on February 25, 2010, and was released in Australia on March 4, 2010, and the United States and the United Kingdom on March 5, 2010, through IMAX 3D and Disney Digital 3D, as well as in traditional theaters. It has become the highest grossing film of 2010 and the 28th highest grossing film of all time.

Plot

Troubled by a strange recurring dream, nineteen-year-old Alice Kingsleigh attends a party where she is faced with the expectations of marriage and of the society she lives in. Unsure of how to reply and increasingly confused, she runs away to chase after a rabbit in a waistcoat, and accidentally falls into a rabbit hole. She is transported to a world called Underland where she is greeted by the White Rabbit, the Dormouse, Uilleam[6] the Dodo, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, and several talking flowers. They argue over her identity as "the right Alice," who it is foretold will slay the Red Queen's Jabberwocky on the Frabjous Day and restore the White Queen to power. They consult Absolem[6] the Caterpillar, who decides that she is "not hardly Alice." The group is then ambushed by the Bandersnatch and a group of playing-card soldiers led by the Knave of Hearts. Alice escapes and flees into the woods. The Knave informs the Red Queen that Alice has returned to Underland and is a threat to her reign. The red army is ordered to find Alice immediately. Meanwhile, the wandering Alice encounters the Cheshire Cat, who takes her to the Mad Hatter and March Hare. On the way to the White Queen's castle, Hatter relates the terror of the Red Queen's reign, and comments that Alice is not the same as she once was. The Hatter helps Alice avoid capture only to be seized himself. Later, Alice is found by Bayard the Bloodhound, who wishes to take her to the White Queen, but Alice insists upon helping the Hatter, so they go to the Red Queen's castle. The Red Queen is unaware of Alice's identity and welcomes her as a guest instead. The Hatter persuades the Queen to let him serve as her personal milliner in an attempt to delay his execution. Alice learns that the Vorpal Sword is locked away in a case inside the Bandersnatch's den. Alice manages to retrieve the sword and befriend the beast. However, the Knave finds her with the sword and attempts to arrest her. Alice escapes with the aid of the Bandersnatch and delivers the sword to the White Queen. The Cheshire Cat saves the Hatter from execution, and the Hatter calls rebellion against the Red Queen. The resistance all flee to the White Queen's castle, and both armies prepare for battle. Alice remains unsure about the expectation for her to champion the White Queen, and meets once more with Absolem. He reminds her of past visit to Underland (which she mistakenly called "Wonderland" at the time) and helps give her the courage to fight the Jabberwocky. When the Frabjous Day arrives, both the White and Red Queens gather their armies on a chessboard-like battlefield and send forth their chosen champions (armor-clad Alice and the Jabberwocky respectively) to decide the fate of Underland. The White Queen offers her sister a chance for peace but is refused. Encouraging herself with words of her father, Alice manages to kill the Jabberwocky. Having regained control of the throne, the White Queen banishes the Red Queen and the Knave to the Outlands, and gives Alice a vial of the Jabberwocky’s blood, which will take her home. The Hatter suggests that she could stay in Underland, but she decides she must go back and promises that she will return. Alice drinks the blood and returns home, where she addresses all of the issues she faced at the beginning of the film and takes charge of her life. She then becomes an apprentice for Lord Ascot, with the idea of beginning trade routes in China.

Up

Up is a 2009 computer-animated adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and presented in Disney Digital 3-D. The film premiered on May 29, 2009 in North America and opened the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first animated or 3D film to do so. Up is director Pete Docter's second feature-length film, after Monsters, Inc., and features the voices of Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson, and Jordan Nagai. It is Pixar's tenth feature film and the studio's first to be presented in Disney Digital 3-D, and is accompanied in theaters by the short film Partly Cloudy. The film was also shown in Dolby 3D in selected theaters. The film centers around an elderly widower named Carl Fredricksen and an earnest young Wilderness Explorer named Russell who fly to South America in a house suspended by helium balloons. The film has received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with a rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes (the best reviewed film of 2009 on the site), and grossed over $731 million worldwide, making it Pixar's second-most commercially successful film, behind Finding Nemo. Up won Golden Globe Awards for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Score from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. More recently, the film received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, making Up only the second animated film in history to receive such a nomination, following Beauty and the Beast in 1991. It was awarded with two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score in 2010.

Plot

Carl Fredricksen (Jeremy Leary) is a shy and quiet boy who idolizes renowned explorer Charles F. Muntz (Christopher Plummer). He learns, however, that Muntz has been accused of fabricating the skeleton of a giant bird he had discovered in Paradise Falls, South America. Muntz vows to return there to capture one alive. One day, Carl befriends an energetic tomboy named Ellie (Elizabeth Docter), who is also a Muntz fan. Detailing her ambitions in her personal scrapbook, she tells Carl of her ambition to move her clubhouse to a cliff overlooking Paradise Falls, making him promise to help her. Carl and Ellie eventually get married and grow old together in the house where they first met, working as a toy balloon vendor and a zookeeper, respectively. Unable to have children, they repeatedly try to save up for a trip to Paradise Falls, but something always seems to come up that requires their savings. One day, Carl finally buys tickets to South America, but before he can tell Ellie, she becomes ill and dies. As the years pass, the city grows around Carl's (Edward Asner) house. A developer buys all the surrounding land, but Carl refuses to sell. When a construction worker accidentally damages his mailbox, Carl strikes him on the head with his walker. The developer seizes the opportunity to get a court order to force Carl into a retirement home. However, Carl comes up with a scheme to keep his promise to Ellie: he turns his house into a makeshift airship, using numerous helium balloons to lift it off its foundations. A young Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai), who had pestered Carl in an attempt to earn his final merit badge for "assisting the elderly", becomes an accidental passenger. After surviving a thunderstorm, the house lands near a large ravine facing Paradise Falls. Carl and Russell harness themselves to the still-buoyant house and begin to walk it around the ravine, hoping to reach the falls before the balloons deflate. Russell later befriends a tall, colorful flightless bird, who is trying to return to her chicks. Russell names the bird Kevin and makes Carl promise to help return her safely to her brood. The group then meets a dog named Dug (Bob Peterson), who wears a special collar that allows him to speak. Later, Carl and Russell are brought by a pack of dogs to Dug's master, an elderly Charles Muntz. Muntz explains that he has spent the years since his disgrace searching Paradise Falls for the giant bird. Muntz invites Carl and Russell aboard his dirigible for dinner. When Russell innocently reveals his friendship with Kevin, the obsessed Muntz becomes disturbingly hostile. Carl and Russell flee, chased by Muntz's army of dogs; Kevin is bitten on the leg in the escape. Muntz eventually catches up with them and ensnares Kevin. He then starts a fire beneath Carl's house, forcing Carl to choose between saving it or Kevin. Carl rushes to put out the fire, allowing Muntz to take the bird. Carl and Russell eventually reach the falls, but Russell is angry with Carl over his abandonment of Kevin. Settling into his home, Carl is sadly poring over Ellie's childhood scrapbook when, to his surprise, he discovers photos of their married life added in the formerly blank pages, and a final note from Ellie, thanking him for their adventure together and encouraging him to go on a new one. Reinvigorated, he goes to find Russell, only to see him using some balloons to go to Kevin's rescue. Carl refloats his house by dumping many of his possessions and gives chase. Russell gets captured, but Carl frees him and Kevin. Armed with a hunting rifle, Muntz pursues them around the airship, finally cornering Dug, Kevin, and Russell inside Carl's house. Carl then lures Kevin out through a window with a chocolate bar, with Dug and Russell clinging to her back, just as Muntz is about to break in. Muntz leaps after them, only to snag his foot on some balloon lines and fall to his death. Freed from its tether, the house descends below the clouds and out of sight. Carl reunites Kevin with her chicks, then flies the dirigible back to the city. When Russell's father misses the ceremony promoting his son to Senior Explorer, Carl takes over and proudly presents Russell with his final badge: the grape soda cap badge that Ellie gave to Carl when they first met. The house is shown to have landed perfectly on the cliff beside Paradise Falls.

How to Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 computer-animated fantasy film by DreamWorks Animation loosely based on the 2003 book of the same title. The film stars the voice talents of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Gerard Butler, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Ferguson, and David Tennant. The story takes place in a mythical Viking world where a young Viking teenager named "Hiccup" aspires to follow his tribe's tradition of becoming a dragon slayer. After finally capturing his first dragon, and with his chance at finally gaining the tribe's acceptance, he finds that he no longer has the desire to kill it and instead befriends it. The film was released March 26, 2010，to near universal acclaim.

Plot

Hiccup is the son of the Viking Chief, Stoick the Vast, on the island of Berk. Hiccup's village is periodically beset by dragons which raid their stock of sheep. Hiccup works as an apprentice to the blacksmith, Gobber the Belch. During a raid, Hiccup shoots down a rare dragon called a Night Fury with a bolas cannon that he made, but no one believes him. Attempting to get proof Hiccup goes to the woods and finds the downed dragon, but can not bring himself to kill it. He frees it and it flies off to a canyon. Stoick enrolls Hiccup in dragon training with the other village youths and leaves with a search party of Vikings to find the Dragon’s Nest, in order to wipe them out and finish the war. After being told that dragons are vicious, Hiccup returns in doubts to the forest. The Night Fury is still trapped in the canyon, and is missing a part of its tail from the previous crash landing, leaving it unable to fly properly. Hiccup decides to befriend the dragon, which he names Toothless, and eventually fashions an artificial tail wing and control harness. While helping Toothless fly again, Hiccup gains an extensive appreciation of dragons. With this knowledge, Hiccup is able to progress in dragon combat training to the amazement of his classmates and the jealousy of Astrid, who becomes strongly suspicious. Stoick and his army return battered and tired, without having found the nest. Stoick's spirits are lifted when Gobber and others begin congratulating him on Hiccup's rise as a formidable warrior. Feeling a chance to bond with his son, but Hiccup has since come to realize that the dragons are not as vicious as they are claimed to be and is now torn between two loyalties. When Hiccup earns the right to kill a dragon as a graduation rite, he decides to leave Berk with Toothless to avoid performing this. Astrid follows him to Toothless' hideout and discovers his friendship with the dragon. She tries to run back to the village, but Hiccup and Toothless stop her and Hiccup asks for a chance to explain, and they take her for a ride. In their flight, they get caught in a herd of dragons carrying food and follow them to their nest. There, they discover that the dragons steal food to feed a much larger parasitic dragon that eats them if they do not provide enough. After they leave, Astrid wants to tell the village of the nest's location, but Hiccup decides against it in order to protect Toothless. Astrid agrees to keep quiet for the night. Before leaving, she punches him on the arm for "kidnapping" her, then kisses him on the cheek for "everything else". The next day, during Hiccup's graduation battle, he throws down his weapons and tries to show everyone that dragons are not as bad as they seem. Stoick shouts at him to stop his cuddling, and the agitated dragon attacks Hiccup. Toothless hears Hiccup's screams and rushes to save him. He quickly drives away the dragon, but is quickly pinned by Vikings and chained. Stoick confronts his son angrily at learning about his son's friendship with a dragon. Hiccup accidentally tells him that he has been to the nest, and Stoick decides to use Toothless to lead them there, ignoring his son's desperate warnings about the nest's true danger. The Vikings set sail with Toothless aboard Stoick's ship. Hiccup decides to use the dragons that the Vikings use for dragon fighting practice to fly to the nest. Astrid gathers Tuffnut, Ruffnut, Fishlegs and Snotlout to help, and all mount the training dragons and set off after the Vikings. As the Vikings arrive at the nest, all the dragons flee the island and the giant dragon sets all the boats on fire, including the one on which Toothless is chained. Hiccup and the others arrive, and, while he goes to free Toothless, the others try to distract the giant dragon. As the boat is sinking, Hiccup tries to free the still-chained Toothless but nearly drowns; however, Stoick saves both his son and Toothless. After an aerial battle, Hiccup and Toothless kill the giant dragon; Hiccup is knocked out and falls into the explosion, and Toothless dives in to save him. Stoick searches the rubble for his son, but only finds Toothless. At first, everyone thinks Hiccup has died in the explosion, but Toothless reveals that he saved Hiccup by wrapping him in his wings. Hiccup reawakens in his home some days later to find Toothless by his bedside. As he is getting out of bed, he realizes that his left foot was lost in the battle and has been replaced with a prosthetic made by Gobber; outside, he sees that the Vikings have invited the dragons to live in the village. Hiccup is welcomed back as a hero and receives a kiss on the lips from Astrid. Hiccup and Astrid ride their dragons through the newly-reformed Berk, as the war between dragon and Viking ends.