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Reviews3
BrotherReed's rating
I just saw Expelled, and it exceeded my expectations.
From the trailers I was afraid it would be mere fluff, Ben Stein parading around in Terminator garb pretending to be a modern hero while erecting straw man arguments and ceremoniously destroying them. I am happy to report that this is not the case; that the creators have allowed those of opposing views to speak and explain themselves as well as giving their own interpretations.
The result is certainly not totally balanced - it is a persuasive documentary, after all, and the fact that Michael Moore and Al Gore never even tried not to be one-sided didn't seem to detract from most people's perceptions of their works. There are a couple of (mostly funny) cheap shots that make it more fun to watch. In addition, there is one segment that goes on too long and offers to little in the way of opposing information. However, generally it's very straight-forward and follows the claims and inquiries where they lead.
The conversation with Richard Dawkins is a particularly enjoyable segment.
Everyone is going to hate this film. That was clear from the outset. It's early yet, but Rotten Tomatoes currently has it at 9%. Even "This Film Is Not Yet Rated," the worst doc I've ever seen, managed to get 84% support. People hate Expelled not because it is a poor documentary or because it commits any sins that its genre brothers have not. They hate it because it goes against beliefs they hold viciously dear. What would you expect? That a film of this nature would suffer the same fate as the articles and papers by scientists who likewise tried to give us something that goes against mainstream ideologies? Seems almost too fitting.
In short: expelled is the junk and I think everyone ought to see it.
From the trailers I was afraid it would be mere fluff, Ben Stein parading around in Terminator garb pretending to be a modern hero while erecting straw man arguments and ceremoniously destroying them. I am happy to report that this is not the case; that the creators have allowed those of opposing views to speak and explain themselves as well as giving their own interpretations.
The result is certainly not totally balanced - it is a persuasive documentary, after all, and the fact that Michael Moore and Al Gore never even tried not to be one-sided didn't seem to detract from most people's perceptions of their works. There are a couple of (mostly funny) cheap shots that make it more fun to watch. In addition, there is one segment that goes on too long and offers to little in the way of opposing information. However, generally it's very straight-forward and follows the claims and inquiries where they lead.
The conversation with Richard Dawkins is a particularly enjoyable segment.
Everyone is going to hate this film. That was clear from the outset. It's early yet, but Rotten Tomatoes currently has it at 9%. Even "This Film Is Not Yet Rated," the worst doc I've ever seen, managed to get 84% support. People hate Expelled not because it is a poor documentary or because it commits any sins that its genre brothers have not. They hate it because it goes against beliefs they hold viciously dear. What would you expect? That a film of this nature would suffer the same fate as the articles and papers by scientists who likewise tried to give us something that goes against mainstream ideologies? Seems almost too fitting.
In short: expelled is the junk and I think everyone ought to see it.
When I discovered that Pinky and the Brain had spun off from Animaniacs and received their own show (the first step towards world domination, no doubt), I was thrilled. The show quickly became a favorite of mine. Now that I have it on DVD many years later, I realize just what a spectacular piece of work it really is.
Children can watch this show, sure. They'll think Pinky's ridiculous remarks, physical humor, and nonsensical catch phrases like "poit!" and "narf" are hilarious. Sometimes they are. Yet I am amazed that so much of the humor is for adults. There are multiple references in every episode to pop culture (I just watched an episode with a sly Pulp Fiction allusion), politics (the same episode included caricatures of Bill and Hilary Clinton), and general observations about the world that will definitely go over kids' heads. It just makes the show all that much funnier to me now. It's definitely an experience with multiple layers. Not to mention the people writing Brain's dialog have done some research. His vocabulary is years beyond what grade school children comprehend, let alone use. Sure, there's lots of fuzzy science just for the sake of making him sound smart, but many times there are legitimate uses of math, physics, chemistry, astronomy, anatomy, etc. Heck, there's even a song that tells you the parts of the human brain. The show's downright educational.
Don't let that scare you, though. It's also consistently zany. There's plenty of the comic falling and maiming that comes standard in most cartoons. Of course a good portion of the humor comes from the concept of Pinky's stupidity as a foil for Brain's genius, and Pinky's unwittingly stumbling on the best ideas. Yet, for me, the comedy in this show comes mostly from Brain. I love the way he vents his frustration with his dense but loyal accomplice, and the way he flatly tells people his mission knowing they will never believe him. "Actually I am lab mouse involved in an elaborate scheme to take over the world" is usually greeted with laughter from the unsuspecting buffoons that populate his universe.
Well animated and superbly voiced, Pinky and The Brain entertains with the fearless abandon of the classic toons and the sharp wit of a modern satire. I highly recommend this for kids, but even more so for older teens and young adults.
Children can watch this show, sure. They'll think Pinky's ridiculous remarks, physical humor, and nonsensical catch phrases like "poit!" and "narf" are hilarious. Sometimes they are. Yet I am amazed that so much of the humor is for adults. There are multiple references in every episode to pop culture (I just watched an episode with a sly Pulp Fiction allusion), politics (the same episode included caricatures of Bill and Hilary Clinton), and general observations about the world that will definitely go over kids' heads. It just makes the show all that much funnier to me now. It's definitely an experience with multiple layers. Not to mention the people writing Brain's dialog have done some research. His vocabulary is years beyond what grade school children comprehend, let alone use. Sure, there's lots of fuzzy science just for the sake of making him sound smart, but many times there are legitimate uses of math, physics, chemistry, astronomy, anatomy, etc. Heck, there's even a song that tells you the parts of the human brain. The show's downright educational.
Don't let that scare you, though. It's also consistently zany. There's plenty of the comic falling and maiming that comes standard in most cartoons. Of course a good portion of the humor comes from the concept of Pinky's stupidity as a foil for Brain's genius, and Pinky's unwittingly stumbling on the best ideas. Yet, for me, the comedy in this show comes mostly from Brain. I love the way he vents his frustration with his dense but loyal accomplice, and the way he flatly tells people his mission knowing they will never believe him. "Actually I am lab mouse involved in an elaborate scheme to take over the world" is usually greeted with laughter from the unsuspecting buffoons that populate his universe.
Well animated and superbly voiced, Pinky and The Brain entertains with the fearless abandon of the classic toons and the sharp wit of a modern satire. I highly recommend this for kids, but even more so for older teens and young adults.
The only reason this movie is not in the bottom 100 is because not enough people have seen it. Given time and exposure, I am certain Goldy: The Last of the Golden Bears would make its way onto the hall of shame.
You have to understand, I am a person who will watch almost anything. The television set commands my attention with an almost unearthly magnetism. I will watch it no matter how boring, stupid, or repugnant just because the set is blaring. News, sports, soaps... if someone is watching it, I can't seem to pull myself away. This movie magically broke that spell. When we borrowed Goldy from our local library and tried to watch it as a family, I just got up and left less than halfway through. It was that bad.
The movie suffers from three primary shortcomings. 1. None of the "actors" can act, 2. The story is terribly weak, and 3. The pacing could put a garden snail in a coma. The overall effect seems to have been carefully crafted to produce a film that is as uninteresting as statistically possible.
If you can convince your friends to see this you might get a good laugh out of it, but I wouldn't wish it on my family members. They're blood, after all, and this movie is a slow and painful waste of a piece of their lives.
You have to understand, I am a person who will watch almost anything. The television set commands my attention with an almost unearthly magnetism. I will watch it no matter how boring, stupid, or repugnant just because the set is blaring. News, sports, soaps... if someone is watching it, I can't seem to pull myself away. This movie magically broke that spell. When we borrowed Goldy from our local library and tried to watch it as a family, I just got up and left less than halfway through. It was that bad.
The movie suffers from three primary shortcomings. 1. None of the "actors" can act, 2. The story is terribly weak, and 3. The pacing could put a garden snail in a coma. The overall effect seems to have been carefully crafted to produce a film that is as uninteresting as statistically possible.
If you can convince your friends to see this you might get a good laugh out of it, but I wouldn't wish it on my family members. They're blood, after all, and this movie is a slow and painful waste of a piece of their lives.