What's Next On My List? Rise Of The Guardians

Let's have something less action packed and a bit more child friendly.

Rise Of The Guardians

The guardians take care of the children. They are the Tooth, North, Bunny, the Sandman and now a new addition has joined their team, someone who is reluctant in becoming a guardian: Jack Frost.

They need his help because the Boogeyman, Pitch, is set to return and the children are in danger. Jack seems hesitant, as not being believed to exist, he doesn't consider himself much of a guardian. He also has his own demons to fight. Not knowing who he is, where he came from; and not ever coping with who he is now, he never really has the ability to fit in. But the others know, that if he was chosen, then there is a very good reason for it. Pitch manages to ruin Easter, trap Tooth's helpers and put down the Sandman, and all seems to be lost, however one boy refuses to stop believing and he and his friends scare off Pitch.

The marketing for this movie was awful. Honestly the poster is very generic, and the trailer didn't reveal anything interesting - despite Hugh Jackman's awesome voice. That was probably the only reason I wanted to see it: the Easter Bunny. And boy oh boy, was I glad I saw it! This cartoon is awesome! There was a great story from finish to start; there was character development; beautiful imagery and the music was enchanting. Each and every character is to die for - even the bad guy had something charismatic and inviting about him.

Cartoons now move in two big groups: the one that grown-ups can enjoy as well and the ones for the little ones. The latest usually has really no story arc. The problem with these, is that although they use great animation (even if I will always prefer something drawn on paper), they still don't care to come up with something original. What I loved about this one is that although it had great cliches in front of it, it used none of them! Just to give you an example, Jack struggles with not knowing who he was before he became a mythical guardian.

Now, what is the easy way out? When he is presented with the answer, he doesn't take it, but says some bullshit about how it was in him all along and blablabla... NO! Here is where character development comes in, he does need to know who he was! We find out that he actually died in an accident where he saved his little brother. He understands that it was his love for others and having the will and ability to protect them that makes him a good guardian. He discovers that making others laugh is his center, the very thing that makes him who he is.

Another thing I applauded was using the already existing myths and shaping them in a way that is completely down to Earth. Two great examples, are the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. The first one has and Australian accent, as he lives on the Easter Islands. Also, he uses tunnels beneath the surface that allow him to travel at high speeds - this way explaining the ability to hide all those eggs in one night. He also becomes buff only if the children believe in him, otherwise he would be any other little bunny.

The latter on the other hand, Tooth uses little helpers. And of course she would! So many small ones lose their teeth when they grow up! It would be impossible for her to do it alone. And oh boy, her helpers are about the cutest thing you can imagine! They are literally to die for. Probably, my favorite myth that was pimped up was that of North: Santa Claus. Here, he is Russian, not fat, but strong and funny. They took a twist with his character, but it really worked! The funniest thing however was that his helpers the elves actually can't get anything done - they are really substituted by yetis. Basically, Bigfoot-like creatures, who nobody knows about, and there are several hundreds of them, all living on the North Pole and actually doing all the work - that including building the toys, but don't tell anyone, because North says that they like to make the elves believe they have a hand in them :)

In the end, even though it is all mythical and fantastic, there is just a subtle reality to it that makes it completely believable. It is filled with little jokes, action, really touching scenes that will stay with you forever. Trust me, you'll want this one on your shelf!

Until the next item on my list!

_ _ _ _ _ _ 

Jack Frost - Chris Pine

North - Alec Baldwin

Bunny - Hugh Jackman

Tooth Fairy - Isla Fisher

Pitch (Boogeyman) - Jude Law

FRESH FROM THE THEATRE: Man Of Steel

So, another Superman film came out, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the comics first release. Let me tell you that there was nothing 3D about it. And in Hungary there is a total amount of ONE cinema that plays it with the original sound - and they are not willing to play it in 2D... Thanks for nothing Budapest! Honestly! And I'm not willing to ruin a movie by hearing squeaky idiots dub over it! Either way, beware, spoilers up ahead!

Man Of Steel

The planet of Krypton is doomed, and one of its military generals decides to take matters into his own hands, General Zod. Zod is betrayed by one of his old friends, Jor-El, who sends his new born son Kal-El to planet Earth, where someday he will be able to use his genetic code to create a bridge between humans and kryptonians. On Earth, Kal-El struggles through all of his life, unable to find his true self. Almost thirty years pass and he finally finds a spaceship in Antarctica, left by his kind, when they wanted to colonize other planets. However, just when he is about to make peace with his destiny, Zod shows up. He was previously incarcerated for eternity, however the chambers let him free once their planet exploded. With the help of Clark, he means to turn Earth into a new Krypton - but this would bring about the death of billions, and Superman is not going to let that happen.

Where can I start?
Going into the movie, I didn't care for it. I feared that it will be incredibly depressing after the movie company's false belief that that is why people enjoyed the latest Batman trilogy. What I always loved about Superman is his positive attitude and I know that he has a dark side, but guess what? Don't care for it. Or, if we do want to show that, we need a couple of things to happen first! One of them being that he cannot really be with Lois, being an alien and all. Another one is despite all of his efforts Luthor seems to get the upper-hand politically. And lastly - he almost dies. (He is literally dark Superman after that!)

People say that Luthor and Doomsday are boring and I would agree if his encounter with Doomsday had ever been used as material for a movie. It hasn't. In the end the thing that really made me sick is that you can ask my 80 year old grandmother where Superman came from and even she can tell you! Do we really need another origin story? No. I firmly believe that the reason why people didn't like Superman Returns had NOTHING to do with it not being an origin story, but simply a supposed sequel. (click here to read my review!) Overall, do we need a depressed Superman? Fuck no. Guess what, every hero in these universes became a hero because they lost somebody or went through a trauma. I can't wait to see a Justice League movie built up on tragedies! Yippy!

In the end you know that I like every comic movie because I can see place for other directors and writers' interpretations of my heroes. And even here, despite the very dark interpretation, I thought, why not? Here is however the point where I draw a line - essentially there are only three things I need in a comic based movie. 1) Looks. They better fucking look like they do in the comic! Damn the person who wasn't capable of dying Amy Adams' hair brown! Lois has about two distinctive features, and I love Adams, but I don't care how many Oscars she was nominated for, DYE HER HAIR!

2) Traits. If you make a Clark Kent, he better fucking look like a retard when he puts those glasses on! So you can change the origin story as far as I am concerned; you can change the universe and the people, but other than looks, stay true to the character traits as well! Brandon Routh might have been a faulty Superman, but he was a great Clark Kent! That said, I have nothing against Henry Cavill, but I am yet to see him discover his dorky side!
3) This is simply a desire of mine - although knowing it will never come true (I had high hopes for the Green Lantern sequel, and Thor: The Dark World seems to be headed in that direction), move the story AWAY FROM EARTH! I don't care about Earth! I DON'T CARE ABOUT HOW MANY MORE SKYCRAPERS ONE CAN DESTROY! I don't care about neither New York or Los Angeles. I don't care about how aliens want to control us! I care about other planets, about other races, about - LITERALLY anything other than Earth! But DC actually has imaginary cities and towns, so for that reason I'll give them a pass on his matter.

That said, what did I think about the movie after seeing it?

I liked it. Big shocker, huh? I don't care if you didn't, that's your problem. Here is what was great, it did change a couple of things, but inside the movie they all work. So, Kal-El's real mom had a bit of a bigger role in this one, and that woman was awesome! Both of his parents knocked it out of the park for me! What else? I liked that we spent more time on Krypton. Seeing, as I mentioned above, I don't particularly care for Earth. Zod was finally terrifying. As the movie went along - even though I knew Superman would win - I was literally scared of the bad guys being victorious. And I liked that he was in the first movie, because otherwise the question of his whereabouts would always just hang there, never properly answered and perhaps even bothersome for some fans (like me!)

Once on Earth, I appreciated that Clark kind of struggled all of his life, unable to fit in, to find himself. That is way he was sort of depressed. (He did creepishly look like Wolverine at one point...). And his smile only came out once he had finally found answers to his questions - but it DID come back. He had the brain and the heart of Superman, and I liked that a lot. Martha Kent wasn't really important in this story, we obviously see that Clark loves her very much, but she unfortunately didn't add anything to the overall story - she was very cute though. "Nice suit, son."

I was somewhat surprised though by how much I liked Lois in the end. As I said before, the hair color still drives me insane. And well, another thing that bothered all my life is that with such investigative skills, I've always found it ridiculous that Lois can't figure out who Superman is. Here she knows, and I like that. I like the idea of them working together, I like the idea of her not constantly ignoring Clark, but showing him confidence. And either way, in the original second movie, Superman took away her memory of his secret identity - they can always play that card!

Mostly, the thing that I had most trouble with and the thing that I have found to be resolved the best way was: flashbacks. Yes, everybody does know where Superman came from, but they didn't tell you about his youth like they did in the first movie or the way it was done with Smallville. Every time you would've asked a question, it was already answered. Overall, they didn't just change things that weren't later on never properly explained. There was, however, one thing that made absolutely no sense to me. Lois takes a photo in the middle of the night of an iceberg, randomly zooms in and finds the silhouette of somebody walking there... How? What? Why? She follows Clark and well, the need for her to be there was never really explained. Yes, she then writes about meeting an alien, but the fact that a spaceship came out of the iceberg should be reason enough for her to write her article. Also I didn't get why Zod wanted her on his ship...

Next up, his suit. Every movie nowadays has to make jokes about the superheroes' suit. No wonder they downgraded Hawkeye's fancy purple-wear. Either way, the idea of it being a garment of the kryptonians actually did make it less silly. The 'S' was kinda stupid, but hey, we can't ask for everything, can we?
Finally, the thing that I NEVER got, is that kryptonians can be killed with kryptonite... erm, what? Who would name their planets after the very thing that can kill them? It made no sense. Here, they changed it a bit, making the differences in atmospheres the decisive downfall of Superman - not having ever adapted to Krypton. I actually applauded that explanation. (And I very much liked that huge oil truck that said 'Lexcorp'!)

Either way, next time you want to help Superman, don't. You practically left the city worse, than it was!

I don't know where the sequels are headed. Trust me, Superman has a lot more enemies than just Luthor, Zod and Doomsday. Not to mention that I would like a Batman (BUT NOT CHRISTIAN BALE'S VERSION!) to have a movie with his best friend. And overall I want more women: Kara, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl? Be creative movie makers! Amaze me, next time around.

Until the next item on my list!

_ _ _ _ _ 

Superman/Clark Kent - Henry Cavill

Lois Lane - Amy Adams

Zod - Michael Shannon

Jor-El - Russell Crowe
Lara Lor-van - Ayelet Zurer

Martha Kent - Diane Lane

Jonathan Kent - Kevin Kostner

Perry White - Laurence Fishburne

My Top 15 Favorite Anime

So, I'm not only fan of comics, but manga as well. However, the thing that got me to read manga was in fact the cartoon versions. I have watched several and I love each and every one of them, and here I would like to tell you about my top 15 favorites! Hope I'll get you to check them out :D

15) One Piece

This anime in particular has sunk down to last place because it has been going on for forever! I watched it in the beginning, I loved it a lot. Still do! I re-watch the beginnings over and over again - simply because I can't get enough of it. But after a while, I couldn't follow the story anymore. It was on at 14.30 every day and sometimes I couldn't get home in time from school to see it. However, I loved all the characters, I love the story, the idea, the colors behind it and finally the music - completely off the hook! (Click here to see the opening!)

14) Saiyuki

I used to watch this in secret really. I love the idea of it, seeing that martial arts and demons is one hack of a combination! And I love everything in it, again, the interactions, the characters, this universe is just one hell of a ride! Seeing that the stories are a bit more mature, and that it was on quite late on a weeknight, I ended up not seeing nearly as many episodes as I would've liked. And that is the only reason why it is so low on the list. (Click here to see the opening!)

13) Beyblade

I literally went crazy for this series. I didn't like the prequel and the sequels so much, but I did see all 70-something episodes of this one. I actually have my own beyblades to prove it! A small arena and the manga series on my shelf. I even have the yin-yang head banner! Anyway, loved every second of it. For me it was as huge as Pokémon was for others. (Click here to see the opening!)

12) Lupin III

I loved the characters, however, I never saw too many episodes. What I actually saw was the many movies that were made in the meanwhile. The key of the cartoon was staying true to the characters. We have the playboy Arséne Lupin, his best friend Daisuke Gigen - always with a gun and a cigarette - the quiet Goemon, who stays true to his samurai ancestry and finally Fujiko Mine, the one that got away. She is a perfect contrast for Lupin, as the two are equally smart, but have a soft spot when it comes to the other. I wanted to mention this series simply because I think a lot of people don't know about it, while they really should! Even if you just want to watch the movies, trust me, it is worth it! (Click here to see the opening!)

11) Cyborg Kuro-chan

I am almost 100% sure that you don't know this series. Not many do unfortunately. I first saw this, again, on TV during several other anime for kids. And again, this falls into the category of series whose manga is meant for a slightly older audience. Long story short, our hero Kuro-chan is a cat, who almost loses his life in a car accident, only to wake up half cyborg by the machinations of a slightly evil Professor Go. Kuro-chan, not particularly interested in serving him, goes back home to the elderly couple that raised him all of his life. The Professor of course wishes now to destroy him - something at which he fails miserably several times, seeing that he made Kuro-chan the strongest cyborg of all. The series is highly comical and just the whole idea of it is somewhat absurd. I loved every second of it. (Click here to see the opening!)

10) Cat's Eye

This is an old favorite - again. It was created by one of my favorite manga artists, Tsukasa Hojo. He has three major series, and I loved them all. However, as far as cartoon versions go, this is the best. The story is about three sisters who steal back their father's art works in order to be able to find him, seeing he has disappeared years ago, leaving clues behind. The only problem is, that one of the sisters is dating a policeman whose job is actually to capture them. I always loved the music and these kind of crime stories. Not to mention the drawing style - over the years it had achieved a very important spot in my heart. (Click here to hear the opening score!)

9) Slam Dunk

 

Takehiko Inoue, the creator of the series was actually a pupil of Hojo's. This is something I discovered only years later, however I did always see a kind of resemblance in the drawing style. The story is about a high school basketball team, whose members are all seniors and the coming season is their only chance of winning. For that, they need a couple of people who are not so eager to join in the beginning. All my life I have been a big fan of basketball and this series just knocked it out of the park for me. It reached number nine on my list because the ending of the cartoon was very different from the manga and I was a bit disappointed for that singular reason. Otherwise, awesome! (Click here to see the opening!)

8) Kareshi Kanojo No Jijyo

This was actually my brother's favorite, but after a while I decided to watch it myself. The title literally stands for "His and Her circumstances". Her, Yukino Miyazawa, is an over-competitive introverted girl who gave up on friends and love in her conquest to become the best at everything. Her position is however in jeopardy when a boy by the name of Soichiro Arima beats her in a test in school. Being completely unaware that this boy has no intention of beating her, and that he is in fact in love with her, she drives herself crazy into beating him by becoming his friend. She, however, doesn't realize that she had fallen in love with him. It is a very sweet story, as we see these two fight through everything to be able to stay together. It is really a beautiful story! (Click here to see the opening!)

7) Tokyo Mew Mew

This was sort of a Sailor Moon reboot, it is however the version I grew up with and I loved it very much. The story is about five special girls who were born with the mission of saving the earth one day from an alien invasion. The story is actually for a very young audience, but the last five episodes were really creepy! I remember crying, despite the absurdity of the beginning. Not to mention that the transformation sequences equally took up half of the running time - just like in Sailor Moon. But the colors and the overall story is really fantastic. And this is one of the few series where I NEVER skipped the opening sequence! (Click here to see the opening!)

6) Full Metal Panic

This is one of those series that I watched in one whole night. It was actually the first night I ever spent alone at home. The DVDs on the shelf have been staring at me for months before I took up the courage to see it. It is a thriller really. A secret military group is given the mission of protecting a young girl whose brain was injected with special information, before she was even born. The person who is sent to defend her is a young boy who knows nothing about life, as he grew up in war. He has no social skills whatsoever, but he learns from the girl. The story variates from comedy to drama. There was a second season that was actually very dramatic and another short series that simply concentrated on the comedic adventures of the two. All three are wonderful, but it is one of those 26 episode long series that you need to watch all together, so don't start if you can't finish! (Click here to see the opening!)

5) Detective Conan

I loved this series so much I wanted to become a detective myself! The story is about a young man - Shinici Kudo - who ends up butting into business that doesn't concern him. He is given a formula that turns him back into his seven year old self. Not knowing what to do and how to search for the men who did this to him, he manages to move in with his actual girlfriend Ran whose father is also a detective - except he is awful at it. Using him to solve cases and advance toward the organization that ruined his life. He is an exceptional and fantastic detective whose stories are very thrilling! (Click here to see the opening!)

4) Ranma 1/2

This was the very first cartoon I ever watched. It is what marked the beginning of my love for Japanese culture. The story is about Ranma who fell into a cursed stream in China, and now he becomes a girl when he touches cold water. He turns back when he touches hot water. All this is complicated when his father forces him to marry his best friend's daughter Akane. The two begin to hate each other, and even though they do fall in love - they are way to stubborn to admit it to each other and everyone else. The story complicates when we discover that Ranma isn't the only one who has been cursed. His father turns into a panda, his arch enemy into a little black piglet, a girl who fights for his affection turns into a cat, and at a certain point their whole life turns completely upside-down. It is one of the funniest series I ever watched and the love story between these two is literally beautiful. It ran for seven season, several specials and a couple of months. (Click here to see the opening!)

3) Marmalade Boy

This series has actually taught me about love. Although it officially came out a year after I was born, I was luck enough to catch re-runs almost a decade after it first aired in Japan. The story is really about finding your soul-mate and being in love. The thing I learned from it was really that we cannot choose who we fall for. And even if our love isn't returned, we will learn from the experience and it will make us stronger. Such feeling has to be embraced, no matter what. The cartoon ran for three years with 76 episodes. It has one of the best soundtracks I've ever listened to. (Click here to see the opening!)

2) Cowboy Bebop

Science-fiction at its best. Set in the future where two friends, Spike and Jet become bounty hunters after leaving behind a past that we discover over the run of 26 episodes. They are joined by a dog, Ein; a woman, Fay Valentine; and a real genius on the territory of modern technology, a little girl by the name of Ed. Everything from music, to the conflicts among characters, to the mystery behind every person and just generally the awesomeness that comes with a science fiction story that doesn't have aliens, but just humans. I cannot recall how many times I re-watched every single episode. It is literally top quality! (Click here to see the opening!)

1) Great Teacher Onizuka

 

What makes a good teacher? Certainly not Onizuka, let me tell you that, but I have asked myself that question several times.After being a student for what has now been 15 years, I can tell you that I've spotted those who are in fact good teachers. For some it is the ability to teach you a subject in a such a way that it stays with you - even if you don't care for it. For others is he ability to change your life. To listen, care and show to you the same respect that they expect of you. Onizuka is that kind of a teacher. If one day I do start to teach I hope that I'll be able to give my students memories that will stay with them forever and help them achieve - or at least figure out - their dreams. The story of this anime is that of a bandit, who once grown up, decides to become a teacher. He gets a job at a private school and sets right a bunch of bad kids whose intention in life up until that moment was that of destroying everyone who dared to educate them. Onizuka's unorthodox methods seem to do the trick in the end.
I could talk to you about why I love this anime for days to come. But if you need me to use one word to describe it, I would go with: special. Do try to watch it, trust me, you won't be disappointed!

Until the next item on my list!

Click here to read my top 5 favorite manga!

What's Next On My List? Doctor Who

So, it has been 50 years since this series first premiered and although I never watched the old series (I caught up on a couple of old episodes though, just to see the jest of it), so I am one of those who became a fan after the series rebooted in 2005. I also need to be honest about the fact that I didn't get into it right away - it was actually my brother who fell in love. And up to today there are still episodes that I haven't seen. Still, I have grown very fond of the series and I wanted to talk about it at least once on the blog - and the fiftieth anniversary seemed like a good time to do it :)

Doctor Who

In case you are not familiar, the story involves a man whose identity we don't know, he calls himself the Doctor. He has a humanoid form, an advanced brain and two hearts. He is the last survivor of the planet Gallifrey and he is able to travel through time and space with his spaceship: the Tardis. The Tardis has the shape of a British police box, but it is bigger on the inside. But he doesn't only have his spaceship, he always has a trusty sonic screwdriver in his pocket. But that is not it, the Doctor never travels alone, he always chooses a human companion to travel through the galaxy; discover new species and planets and, of course, save the universe. Last important thing you should know, is that the Gallifreyan's arch-nemesis are the Daleks. Their dispute goes back centuries, and every time the Doctor seems to have the upper hand, a whole new army of them arrives out of nowhere.

Favorite Doctor 
11th Doctor

All of the Doctors have a charm to them. While watching the series, I felt that my brother liked Eccleston more, my sister preferred Tennant and as soon as the character traits of Matt Smith's Doctor where finally outlined and were made clear - in the sense that a lot of questions the viewer posed during the previous seasons were answered - I grew to like him a lot more.

He is somewhat less patient then the others and I find his emotions and choices very close to my heart. Unfortunately, the writing has actually gotten worse in the sixth season and that is quite troublesome because everyone noticed that something is going bad... but they brought it back with the seventh season.This Doctor has no social skills at all, he is a mess, but he is very funny! And don't let his silliness fool you! If one of his friends is threatened, he releases hell just to save them. Smith will stop being the Doctor after this years Christmas special. The new Doctor has not been cast yet, so I am curious to see who will take on this role next.

Favorite Companion
Donna Noble

As I said before, the Doctor always has a companion. Even though this one was paired up with David Tennant, she was still my favorite. Her relationship with the Doctor was different from the others. In the end they always bring along a sort of relationship that goes over friendship.

And after a while, it gets annoying. In the case of Donna Noble - their relationship grew out of mutual respect and it stayed that way. She first appeared in the Christmas special "Runaway Bride", where the Doctor saved her and she decided to change her life style. She encounters the Doctor again while she is doing a bit of investigating on her own. He asks her to come along, but several adventures later he is forced to let her go. She was a funny and a very sensitive character who greatly complemented the Doctor's qualities. And in the end she even helped him save the universe! Something not all of his companions could say! She was truly special :)

Favorite Returning Character
River Song

River Song, played by Alex Kingston, is the child of two companions of the Doctor's - Amy and Rory - who was conceived on the Tardis. Because of this, she has the regenerating abilities of the Doctor, which she sacrifices in order to save him. When she was a baby, because of her abilities, she was stolen from her parents and was raised to attack and kill the Doctor - as the whole universe has started to fear him, afraid that he might be a bigger threat, instead of a savior.

However, they have the misfortune of meeting at different times - the first time the Doctor meets her, it's when she actually dies... It was one of my favorite episodes - creepiest, but still awesome, and eternally sad. Up to today I await the day when her story will be completed: she is given a screwdriver by one incarnation of the Doctor and that screwdriver hasn't yet appeared. I honestly hope that they remember it! The new season seems to go in a complete different direction, and well I'm worried that they will forget about it. She was the funniest character and for me, she is the only one for the Doctor (no matter which version)!

Favorite Villain 
Weeping Angels

Yes, the Daleks are the most feared vicious villains in the universe. But there is nothing creepier than a stone Angel moving at the speed of sound when you are not looking... They have appeared many times, my favorite was however in season 5, episode "Flesh And Stone". It was the first time River came back since we met her in the previous season. In the episode, she is trying to stop a ship that carries an angel, however the ship wrecks into an old temple that is inhabited with angels. It is funny that River's last episode (so far) has also starred Weeping Angels

Favorite Episode

The Stolen Earth And Journey's End

This was the first string of episodes that brought together all of the spin-offs and the previous companions of the Doctor. I really love every episode that had River in them, but as far as singular stories and season finales go, this completely kicked it out of the park for me.

It would be quite hard to explain the story, as every single element of it was built up over several seasons. However, to get the jest of it, the Daleks arrive, and they want to get the Earth finally away from the Doctor, knowing how much he cares for it. Rose, a companion who shifted to a parallel universe, Captain Jack, a good friend and head of a special division called Torchwood, Martha Jones, an actal doctor who was also his companion and finally Sarah Jane Smith, the companion of the Third and the Fourth Doctor - all reunite to find the him, the only one who can stop the Daleks. However, the key to victory actually lies in Donna's hands. I don't want to reveal more, even if you saw it, re-watch it! Trust me :)

Favorite Christmas Special

I actually have two. One I love for the story, the second actually had that Christmas feeling that for me has to be obvious if you make a holiday special! So the first stars Tennant, just before he gets Donna to be his companion, he lands by accident on the Titanic - but not the real one, instead one that is now sailing through space. The episode was titled "Voyage Of The Damned" and the Doctor finds a young woman, played by Kylie Minogue, who seeks a bit adventure in her life, a possible companion for his trips. But, wouldn't you know it, this Titanic is doomed for the same faith as the legendary one. The young girl sacrifices herself to save what is left of the ship.

The second one actually came out last Christmas, it was titled "The Snowmen", and in it an already retired Doctor hides away in Victorian England, where he encounters a girl he has met before. She was the voice and heart of and old Dalek he found on a prison planet. Not being able to understand how this is possible, he is tricked into investigating a couple of strange happenings around town. As he gets closer to the girl, he grows to like her more and more - only to lose her in the end. But he isn't willing to give up. She has once resurfaced out of nowhere, and the Doctor is more then ready to find her again.

Spin-Offs

The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood

Doctor Who is really for everyone, but with its growing success, they tried to start a couple of new series. One for a younger audience with the Doctor's companion Sarah Jane as the main character. In the first episode she saves a genetically engineered boy and adopts him. Their adventures begin and they are even visited by both incarnations of the Doctor. The series lasted for five seasons and ended because unfortunately actress Elizabeth Sladen passed away at the age of 65. She is still remembered as one of the most iconic characters in the fifty years running of the series.

The other spin-off was meant for an older audience. I have actually never seen one single episode so far. I do mean to, but when it came out my brother told me that I should wait with it, and I did. The members of the Torchwood Institute, a secret organization founded by the British Crown, fight to protect the Earth from extraterrestrial and supernatural threats. Their leader is Captain Jack Harkness, John Barrowman, an old friends of the Doctor's who stays behind to safeguard the Earth.Officially the series was never cancelled, because that is not how it works in England, however I doubt that there will be a continuation to it.


There is plenty more that can be said about the series and I wouldn't know where to begin. I wanted to tell you all about my favorites because this is a really great show. The British know something about making iconic characters and stories that stay with you forever. I hope that the stories keep getting better and that the fiftieth anniversary won't be the last one that is celebrated while the show is running. I look forward to seeing what they organized to celebrate this great event!

Until the next item on my list! Check out the fan video I made from River and the Doctor's story!

_ _ _ _ _ _

Rose Tyler - Billie Piper

Martha Jones - Freema Agyeman

Donna Noble - Catherine Tate

Amy Pond - Karen Gillan

Rory Williams - Arthur Darvill

Captain Jack - John Barrowman

Clara Oswin - Jenna Coleman

FRESH FROM THE THEATRE: Furious 6

Here we go. I'm sure you all saw my reviews on the first five movies of the franchise - if you didn't, check them out here! So let us now break down the sixth movie:

Furious 6

Where could I begin? I have loved each and everyone of these movies. I'm not blind, of course I can see faults in each - meaning that I can figure out what problems people might have had with them. But then again I am capable of just laying back and enjoy each movie for what it is: Good fun.

We pick up a couple of months after the ending of the previous film. Brian and Mia's baby is born, and their life finally begins without being chased or followed. One morning however, Agent Hobbs shows up, asking for Dom's help. He shows him something he is unable to say no to - evidence that Letty is still alive. Dom calls back the whole team, seeing that Brian negotiates a pardon for all of them, if they take down a team of highly trained mercenary drivers. We find out that Letty's supposed killer shot at her car, instead of her, and in the explosion she hit her head - causing her amnesia. It was Shaw, the leader of the mercenaries, who picked her up in the hospital and she has been running with him ever since. Upon meeting Dom, she finds out a lot about herself she didn't even know, but her allegiance ties her to Shaw.

It is only when Shaw is willing to sacrifice her for his cause, is that she finds hope in Dom, who in comparison is capable of sacrificing himself just to make sure she is OK. Shaw, unfortunately seems to be one step ahead of them all the way, and isn't until our team brings out their rough charm that they actually get a chance to defeat him. Hobbs gets them their pardon and one more thing - the Toretto's old house back in Los Angeles, where Brian and Mia can raise their son in peace.

Where to begin? AWESOME MOVIE! Why? This has a very simple reason, the writers used their heads! Their could've been oh so many logical bumpers when you make a movie that has a prequel and already a sequel - one that came out 7 years earlier none the less! So it was smart, very, very smart! This is one of the best examples of why the star of the movie should also be the producer - Vin Diesel - you can clearly see that he cares about the project.

That said, let's take a closer look. All throughout the movie I was ready to cry because I know that Gisele wasn't in the third movie and I knew that they were probably going to kill her off. And even though I felt it coming, I was hoping they would wait another movie with it - but then it would've just been a drag. I am glad that the movies are all tied together but I was very sad to see her die. You made me care movie, I really fell for their relationship and well, it was very sad. Also, reminding me that Han also dies at the end of the third movie was a bit harsh... I was however very happy to see that they didn't make take his death in vain. But, I won't spoil it for you here :D Go see the movie to understand what I mean!

Second off - Brian and Mia. Mia wasn't in this movie as much as I would've liked her too. She is however a mother in this movie, so it only makes sense that instead of racing around after criminals she stays home with her baby. Their relationship has evolved over the series, but I was always happy to see how much they care for each other. And their relationship was even more real to me because they didn't throw 'I love you' around like other movies do. However, Brian did say it to her here and it felt right and cute and honest - really, you know that these two love each other more than life.

Finally, Dom and Letty. Being a girl, you'll excuse me for caring a lot more for the personal relationships in the movie. What was fantastic to me was that they didn't play the cliche of her memory coming back to her just when it was appropriate for the movie! No, she doesn't remember and that is fine because she hasn't changed deep down. Dom sees exactly who she was and even if the surroundings have changed she is still the same girl. His only mission is to make her fall in love with him again and he does simply by being who he is. She is never forced into being with him, she is never given the great speech about how Shaw is bad and they are the good guys. She is free to make up her own mind and in the end she chooses Dom simply because she feels a sense of security with him that she didn't with Shaw. And I loved that!

Another thing was, that indeed in the fourth movie they left Letty's death a bit open. Meaning, that bringing her back to life wasn't completely off the hook. In the movie, supposedly Letty was shot at after her car was wrecked by a guy named Fenix. Dom killed him, but here we find out that he wasn't able to shoot her after she crawled out of her car. And here is the only mistake I have found - she has a jacket on, and then in the fourth movie she is shot at wearing only a top. Here, they kept the jacket on and it was OK, because she had it on when he started running, yet it bothered me because in the actual scene where she was shot at, she didn't have it on. I easily pick out these things, and well, if this is the only problem the movie has, you can trust me when I say that this is a great addition to the series!

The movie is witty and funny and it uses humor anywhere and everywhere it can. It isn't over the top or forced. You know these characters, you know what they are like and what to expect and they deliver. And Shaw? Oh man, was he a worthy adversary of what? No offense to Agent Hobbs, but he didn't really stand a chance in the previous movie, while Shaw really got to me. I didn't think that they would be able to take him down - or even if they did, at least for the price for more heads than just Gisele's. It was great however, the first time I saw Luke Evans was in Boy George's Taboo (click here to see him sing!) - and well, he came a long way from there. I almost shit my pants. He was definitely one of my favorite villains on the big screen.

So, we come down to the same question I ask myself every time. Worth seeing? Yes, for many reasons. First, I saw it with my best friend who has only seen the fifth movie and remembered nothing of it. He really liked it - it is for everyone, not just fans. Second, it finally ties together every story - "All roads lead to this". This movie had the biggest opening since the first came out twelve years ago. It is really great and the fans deserved something of this caliber. I am looking forward to the seventh!

Until the next item on my list!

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Dominic Toretto - Vin Diesel

Mia Toretto - Jordana Brewster

Brian O'Conner - Paul Walker

Letty - Michelle Rodriguez

Roman Pierce - Tyrese Gibson

Agent Hobbs - Dwayne Johnson

Tej - Ludacris

Han - Sung Kang

Gisele Harabo - Gal Gadot

Elena - Elsa Pataky
Shaw - Luke Evans