Review of "PETER PAN" (Disney)

WALT DISNEY'S PETER PAN:

Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up and who can fly, takes Wendy, John and Michael, three of his admirers, to the second star to the right, Neverneverland.  There they enjoy adventures with American Indians, pirates, and mermaids. However, at the end, the three visitors decide to return to their mother and to grow up.

This movie enchanted me on my 12^th birthday and several times since then, but I haven't seen it for a few decades. To rent it as a workout movie was a bit of a risk; would it still hold the same magical allure? To my pleasant surprise, it did. The colors were a bit faded and the animation primitive by modern standards, but for a few minutes, I was almost a boy again, watching the adventures of an innocent satyr showing off in front of his pre-pubescent girlfriend. I even watched some parts twice.  And the music is enchanting.

Disney's version is bland in some ways. Peter lacks the exquisite conceit of the original, and the mermaids are far less sinister. Several of the characters (especially the crocodile) are just plain silly, and even Hook lacks the menace of other versions. Perhaps this is part of Disney's genius, the ability to take a fairytale and make it comfortable to children. I certainly enjoyed it then, and also now.

This specific film is not be a good workout video for everyone, but most people probably have some favorite movie or show from their childhood that can be rented and that would be a delight to watch again, and in that delight, that would stimulate the pulse. I plan to rent Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella.

For me, these childhood favorites deserve ++++. They get my pulse up to a run. Let me know what you think.

Review of "FARSCAPE"

FARSCAPE:

JOHN CRICHTON, an astronaut trying to fly at unprecedented speeds, accidently enters a wormhole and ends up on a sentient starcraft, MOYA, filled with unjustly imprisoned aliens. He also accidently kills the brother of a high-ranking official, CRAIS, of the government that has imprisoned the aliens. The aliens come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and personalities, some humanoid, some bizarre. Moya and her passengers fly from one planet to another trying to find a safe haven and to escape Crais, who wants revenge.

Of the three episodes I watched, each one after the first was separate and complete. The plots are bland and generally not credible. The characters are stereotyped and one dimensional, and include a blowhard, an aggressive soldier, a mystic and various others. I couldn't get interested in any of them, except the sexy blue woman, and she didn't see to be in any danger more serious than bad exhaustion.

The writers may be trying to copy Star Trek, but if so, they're failing. The series was nominated for a prime time Emmy, but I don't know why.

The music is forgettable.

So far, I've returned only two DVDs without finishing them. This was one.

I give it ++ - it will get your pulse up to a walk. If you see it, let me know what you think.

Review of "2012"

2012

This movie portrays the over-hyped Mayan prophecy of the destruction of the world coming true through overheating of the Earth's core causing continental plate movement leading to tsunamis which flood every inch of the Earth's surface, including Mount Everest.  The world's governments have built five giant arks to preserve humanity until the waters recede.  The lives of several people, most of whom manage to get on the arks, is shown in several subplots.

From a scientific standpoint, the movie is ridiculous.  For example, there was a statement about sunspots altering the fundamental properties of subatomic particles. The rapid movements of tectonic plates portrayed, and the picture of a tsunami covering half the Indian subcontinent in about fifteen seconds seem likewise absurd.  Also, arks are relatively low tech.  If governments know about the upcoming flooding, they'd build thousands, not just five.  And the shot of a giraffe being held in a sling and flown by helicopter over the Himalayas is laughable.   The end shot of the sun dawning on a new day is maudlin.

The characters are stereotyped extremes.  You have a self-sacrificing president who gives up his seat on an ark, a greedy Russian businessman and his fat, obnoxious kids, a noble scientist who risks his own welfare to carry forth the truth, and the like.

The music is stirring, and does help the exercise.

The scenes of panic, people running to get a place on the ark, worrying about themselves and their loved ones, trying to persuade officials to do what's right, etc all draw you into the story in spite of the basic plot weaknesses, and the subplots are well enough crafted to keep you from guessing all the outcomes. 

Rating: +++ gets your pulse up as much as a jog.  You could do worse to help your work out.