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Jungle Book 2016 Movie Review | Chamorros Watchin Movies
Hafa Adai and Welcome to Chamorro Cinema! I'm Island Boy Manuel and I have just spent the last two nights of my life watching Disney's live action Jungle Book remake. Was it good? Bad? Maybe a little of both? Let's sit down by the fire and curl up with a good (jungle) book and take a look at the latest cash grab...I mean movie.
I want to start off by saying I am not a Jungle Book purist, but I am a fan of the book and I don't feel that any adaptation has been THE ONE yet. That said I loved this movie! It was fun, the world was vibrant and lush and it felt alive and ancient, the voice acting was phenomenal, Neel Sethi did a great job as Mowgli (Even if he did shout his lines worse than Dora and Diego combined), and I loved the edginess they added to the film.
But this is the internet and I am a critic so it can't be all sunshine and rainbows. The few things that don't work are Scarlett Johansson's Kaa and Giancarlo Esposito's Akela. Both of these characters feel underdeveloped. Also the message of the film is muddled.
Kaa is only there to provide flashback exposition. In the books Kaa is all over the place assisting Mowgli and friends (and trying to eat him) Heck even the Jason Scott Lee version had him as a fearsome foe, in this she appears gives some exposition and then fight Baloo off screen. Seems like a waste of an A-list actress.
Akela, likewise doesn't have a lot of screen time. In the books he is Mowgli's great defender, Shere Kahn needs a whole pack of young wolves to try to depose him and his connection to Mowgli is so strong that when he eventually dies it is the driving force for Mowgli to leave the jungle for good. In the film he isn't given enough interactions with Mowgli to form a strong connection,and thus the audience as an extension of Mowgli, we miss out on what could've been a strong paternal character.
Lastly the message of the film seems to warn of the dangers of man's use of fire and the animals fear of it's destructive power...but like in the 1967 version it is used and the destruction is kinda glossed over and there is no consequence to Mowgli for using it. I feel like his use of the Red Flower is the final litchpin in seperating him from his jungle brethren and transitioning him to humanity...but in this it is a means to an end and really nothing is learned from it. Also there is one throw away line by Lupita Nyong'o's Raksha that seems to hint at Shere Khan breaking the law of the jungle by Killing for pleasure but this is not really fleshed out.
The bottom line is this is a fun movie with lots of heart. The CGI is incredible, the actors are amazing, and the world is teeming with life. It's not a perfect adaptation but it's a helluva tale to spin.
Thanks for reading. Be sure to leave me a comment telling me what you thought of the film. As always you can follow me on twitter @manuelmendiola and be sure to subscribe to Chamorro Cinema on YouTube! Check back often for all your NERDTASTIC NEWS WITH AN ISLAND VIEW!
I want to start off by saying I am not a Jungle Book purist, but I am a fan of the book and I don't feel that any adaptation has been THE ONE yet. That said I loved this movie! It was fun, the world was vibrant and lush and it felt alive and ancient, the voice acting was phenomenal, Neel Sethi did a great job as Mowgli (Even if he did shout his lines worse than Dora and Diego combined), and I loved the edginess they added to the film.
But this is the internet and I am a critic so it can't be all sunshine and rainbows. The few things that don't work are Scarlett Johansson's Kaa and Giancarlo Esposito's Akela. Both of these characters feel underdeveloped. Also the message of the film is muddled.
Kaa is only there to provide flashback exposition. In the books Kaa is all over the place assisting Mowgli and friends (and trying to eat him) Heck even the Jason Scott Lee version had him as a fearsome foe, in this she appears gives some exposition and then fight Baloo off screen. Seems like a waste of an A-list actress.
Akela, likewise doesn't have a lot of screen time. In the books he is Mowgli's great defender, Shere Kahn needs a whole pack of young wolves to try to depose him and his connection to Mowgli is so strong that when he eventually dies it is the driving force for Mowgli to leave the jungle for good. In the film he isn't given enough interactions with Mowgli to form a strong connection,and thus the audience as an extension of Mowgli, we miss out on what could've been a strong paternal character.
Lastly the message of the film seems to warn of the dangers of man's use of fire and the animals fear of it's destructive power...but like in the 1967 version it is used and the destruction is kinda glossed over and there is no consequence to Mowgli for using it. I feel like his use of the Red Flower is the final litchpin in seperating him from his jungle brethren and transitioning him to humanity...but in this it is a means to an end and really nothing is learned from it. Also there is one throw away line by Lupita Nyong'o's Raksha that seems to hint at Shere Khan breaking the law of the jungle by Killing for pleasure but this is not really fleshed out.
The bottom line is this is a fun movie with lots of heart. The CGI is incredible, the actors are amazing, and the world is teeming with life. It's not a perfect adaptation but it's a helluva tale to spin.
Thanks for reading. Be sure to leave me a comment telling me what you thought of the film. As always you can follow me on twitter @manuelmendiola and be sure to subscribe to Chamorro Cinema on YouTube! Check back often for all your NERDTASTIC NEWS WITH AN ISLAND VIEW!
Review of Fifine PC Microphone (F-F1M) Tech Review
PC Microphone Fifine 3.5mm Plug Recording Microphone Built In Reverb chip for Computer-Recording/Singing/Podcast-K028
Hafa Adai! Welcome to Chamorro Cinema, I'm your neighborhood Friendly Island Boy Manuel here to review the Fifine Technology PC Microphone. I was sent this microphone free of charge to review, but as with anything we review on Chamorro Cinema this will be an unbiased HONEST review.Unboxing and Setup:
The product ships in a beautiful, simple white box with a simple black logo. Inside we have an instruction manual that has been translated to English with varying degrees of success. The microphone itself is protected by foam and the cord and USB adapter are individually wrapped in a separate compartment. Everything looks like it was packaged with care and the modern look of the packaging makes it seem like this mic is worth far more than the $40 dollars you dropped on Amazon to get it. Setup is easy the only part that might confuse people is needing to remove a cap on the clip in order to thread it onto the tripod. The XLR connector snaps into the base of the microphone then you simple hook the USB connector to a port on your computer and the little remaining plug goes into your microphone jack (IF YOU HAVE A COMBINED HEADPHONE/AUDIO INPUT JACK ON YOUR DEVICE YOU WILL NEED TO USE THE INCLUDED USB SPLITTER ADAPTER)
Construction/Feel:
The design of this microphone is very neat and clean. It has a sexy matte black finish with golden steel mesh on top. The mic is made of an aluminum alloy and the whole thing just feels heavy, so I'm sure there are lots of do-dads and afew do-hickeys are featured under it's "Hood". The two dials on the mic control the volume and the echo and they take a little more oomf to turn. the damper is the same cheap foam dampers everyone uses but it works so...you know...if ain't broke, don't fix it. The adapter is a bit bulky so if you only have two USB Ports on your computer, and they are side by side good luck plugging in both. I had a tough time on my laptop but I ended up plugging it in to my cell phone charger. It is a little strange that it uses an XLR connector but it only works with the small jack and USB... but such are all of life's little mysteries.
Quality:
I ran a few sound tests and to be honest it was pretty impressive. My one gripe is the dials aren't gradual enough it seems like the volume when adjusting between 25% and 75% is the same level all throughout then it goes straight to full volume; and the Echo control works really well but the echoes go from no echo to a lot of echo to fast. The whole device is rather sturdy and well built. The stand does occasionally droop and the lack of any adjustment to height takes away a point from me.The Verdict:
This mic is deceptively priced. The quality of sound and the well built construction make the mic worth more than it's $30 price point. I strongly recommend this mic for novice podcasters and vocalists. As a Youtuber myself I look forward to using this mic to bring you more NERDTASTIC NEWS WITH AN ISLAND VIEW!Thanks for reading and if you liked this review be sure to check back regularly for more Tech Reviews, Nerd Culture Discussions and Movie News.
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The Brothers Grimsby Review - Chamorro's Watchin' Movies
Hafa Adai and welcome to Chamorro Cinema! It's just me your neighborhood friendly Island Boy Manuel here with another review of a Sacha Baron Cohen movie. This time it's The Brothers Grimsby, released in 2016. So, was it good? Bad? Maybe a little of both? Let's find out as I dig into the The Brothers Grimsby.
The trailer looked promising, the basic setup is that Nobby (Sacha Baron Cohen) is a dimwitted English slob and his long lost brother Sebastian (Mark Strong) is a secret agent. They find each other after nearly 30 years and hi jinx ensue...I'll admit I thought this looked funny, but I was wrong...very wrong.
Let me start by saying that inside (deep inside) this movie there is a decent spy movie that examines in fine dramatic prose, the relationship between two brothers torn apart by circumstance and reconnect against a thrilling tale of intrigue. All of the flashback sequences of their childhood are engrossing and the child actors do a great job. The spy tech and an awesome first person sequence early in the film are smart and very well executed.
The problems come from Cohen and his once edgy humor. Nearly every joke fell flat to me, they seemed desperate for laughs, grasping at every gross out scenario. Nobby is at times so dumb it actually takes you out of the movie and although Sebastian is much easier to take there are times when the film jumps the proverbial shark or in this case F***s the proverbial elephant.
It's a shame because there are gripping scenes that are suddenly undermined by Cohen with a firework up his butt, or Strong covered in semen. Every ounce of good the movie has is suddenly sucked away like poison from a testicle. What's worse is the non physical jokes are way behind the times (Daniel Ratcliff and Vin Diesel jokes anyone?).
The actors seem like they are all doing this film because they owe someone a favor, with the exception of Baron Cohen who seems like the kid sitting under the playground eating worms to try to impress people. This is made all the sadder because there is a crazy amount of talent in this film. Isla Fisher, Rebel Wilson, Penélope Cruz, Gabourey Sidibe and Ian McShane all have roles in this clunker!
The bottom line is don't see this film. It was bad even by Borat standards.
Thanks for reading. Be sure to check us out on YouTube, like us on Facebook and you can follow me on Twitter. Peace!
The trailer looked promising, the basic setup is that Nobby (Sacha Baron Cohen) is a dimwitted English slob and his long lost brother Sebastian (Mark Strong) is a secret agent. They find each other after nearly 30 years and hi jinx ensue...I'll admit I thought this looked funny, but I was wrong...very wrong.Let me start by saying that inside (deep inside) this movie there is a decent spy movie that examines in fine dramatic prose, the relationship between two brothers torn apart by circumstance and reconnect against a thrilling tale of intrigue. All of the flashback sequences of their childhood are engrossing and the child actors do a great job. The spy tech and an awesome first person sequence early in the film are smart and very well executed.
The problems come from Cohen and his once edgy humor. Nearly every joke fell flat to me, they seemed desperate for laughs, grasping at every gross out scenario. Nobby is at times so dumb it actually takes you out of the movie and although Sebastian is much easier to take there are times when the film jumps the proverbial shark or in this case F***s the proverbial elephant.
It's a shame because there are gripping scenes that are suddenly undermined by Cohen with a firework up his butt, or Strong covered in semen. Every ounce of good the movie has is suddenly sucked away like poison from a testicle. What's worse is the non physical jokes are way behind the times (Daniel Ratcliff and Vin Diesel jokes anyone?).
The actors seem like they are all doing this film because they owe someone a favor, with the exception of Baron Cohen who seems like the kid sitting under the playground eating worms to try to impress people. This is made all the sadder because there is a crazy amount of talent in this film. Isla Fisher, Rebel Wilson, Penélope Cruz, Gabourey Sidibe and Ian McShane all have roles in this clunker!
The bottom line is don't see this film. It was bad even by Borat standards.
Thanks for reading. Be sure to check us out on YouTube, like us on Facebook and you can follow me on Twitter. Peace!
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