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A Tree of Palme

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  • Title: Parumu no Ki
  • IMDB: link

A Tree of Palme is basically a futuristic Pinocchio tale.  Just like the Disney movie, a small wooden puppet with the name of Palme ventures out into the world to become more humanly.

Palme was originally created to care for the creator’s ailing wife Xian.  When a mysterious woman named Koram, who turns out to be a ghost, gives him the Egg of Touto he vows to protect it.  Koram entrusts little Palme with a big mission to deliver the egg to Tama, the world below.

After attempting to pay attention for 30 minutes I ended up shutting it off.  It moved too slow for me, and it was just too weird.  I was hoping when I picked this one out that it would be good, but I couldn’t even watch it.  The story may have been too slow and too dry for me, but the animation is beautiful.  So sorry for the insanely short review this time, hopefully next week I’ll pick out a good movie or series that I will actually pay attention to.  The one star is for the sheer beauty in the animation by the way.

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Porco Rosso

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Porco Rosso
  • IMDB: link

Who said pigs can’t fly?  Porco Rosso is about a guy who was once a WWI ace fighter pilot that is now cursed to have the face of a pig for the rest of his life.  Porco, also known as Marco, began his life as a handsome fighter pilot for the Italian Air Force.

When he and his comrades were flying through enemy territory, they found themselves in the midst of a battle.  Fighter planes flying everywhere, shooting left and right and everyone except Porco was gunned down.  Porco was struck down but when he awoke, he found his plane flying by itself.  The plane rose up through the clouds to reveal a white band of planes overhead.  The planes were fallen seaplane pilots on their way to heaven.  When Porco looked to the side of him, he noticed his good friend Bellini and he called out to him but was unheard.  Bellini had just married a girl named Gina before they left for the war, and when he was flying up towards the band of pilots Porco told him that he can’t leave her alone.  After that point, he began flying for himself.  He took his seaplane and left.

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National Treasure 2 on DVD

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  • Title: National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
  • IMDB: link

“Gates, people don’t believe that stuff anymore.”
“They want to believe it.”

The arrival of a mysterious man (Ed Harris) with proof that their ancestor Thomas Gates (Joel Gretsch) was a member of the group which assassinated President Lincoln leads Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage), Patrick Gates (Jon Voigt), Abigail Chase (Diane Krueger), and Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) on the chase to prove the existence of another treasure and clear Thomas Gates’ name.

Although not as good as the first film (read that review), there’s still quite a bit of fun to be had in this sequel which involves trips to Paris, London, Mount Vernon, and secrets buried deep inside of Mount Rushmore.  Like the first film this one includes plots and conspiracies, rival treasure hunters, and clues and secrets which must be found and deciphered.  Plus we get the gang once again breaking into places they shouldn’t including the Oval Office, Buckingham Palace, and even kidnapping the President of the United States (Bruce Greenwood) to ask him about a President’s Book of Secrets which just might hold the answer’s Gates is searching for.

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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

/ / Home Video, Theme Week
  • Title: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
  • IMDB: link

“Don’t call me Junior!”

indiana-jones-and-the-last-crusade-posterHarrison Ford returns as Indiana Jones, though he’s not the first one we see in the role in this third installment of the franchise.

The movie starts with a young Indy (River Phoenix) taking on grave robbers near his home.  This short glimpse into his past gives us clues to his fear of snakes, his love of archeology, and where he picked up that trademark hat and whip.  This sequence would also be the catalyst for The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles television series.

Following this opening we jump to the present where Indy is told his father (Sean Connery) has disappeared while searching for the location of the Holy Grail.  With the help of his father’s assistant (Alison Doddy), Indy travels to Venice to continue the search and find his father.

The search reunites the Jones famly for the first time in years and puts them up against Nazi’s, a secret cult desperate to keep the resting place of the Grail secret, and mysteries and clues which must be solved.

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The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, Vol. 3

/ / Home Video, Theme Week
  • Title: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – Volume Three
  • tv.com: link

Travel around the world and be an undercover and on the inside with Indiana Jones in this glorious collection of DVD’s. Just like the first two releases the third installment has us going on one adventure after another and running into some of the most famous people who shaped our world today. Season 3 slows down a bit and gives Indy plenty of time for the ladies. Interesting how every episode he finds time amongst his secret agent status and historical events to woo many a girl and even get engaged or have planned to be engaged to all of them.

Sadly the TV series had to end sometime and it is quite obvious that the producers were running out of steam by the end. A couple of lack luster editions between The Scandal of 1920 and The Hollywood Follies pretty well stopped the train. Yes, the two are entertaining additions, but not nearly as adventurous or cunning as the others. Well maybe there is one other that stood out like a sore thumb, which would be his little tryst with Vlad, the Impaler himself. I watch thinking, okay where’s the hoax, just like with the Scooby Gang I was waiting for the mask to be pulled off and the string found. I certainly must say Masks of Evil was quite interesting and odd.

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