The Powerpuff Girls

Even though this blog is entitled 'film', film is a broad word and it covers the entire art form of filmmaking. In this case, I will be including TV and cartoons in this blog as well.  I want to start it off by talking about something very near and dear to me that isn't Pokemon.  THE POWERPUFF GIRLS!  Created by Craig McCracken (who has the most awesome last name ever), they were originally to be called the Whup ass Girls, I assume that was deemed inappropriate by Cartoon Network Executives.  The main characters are: Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup (The Powerpuff Girls), The Professor (their creator/father figure), The Mayor, Ms. Bellum, and their colorful assortment of villains.  Their arch-enemy is the evil genius monkey Mojojojo, whose only goal is to destroy the Powerpuff Girls!  The Powerpuff Girls fight crime in the City of Townsville saving the world before bedtime.

Some may look down on this show as a kids show because it features three little girls as the protagonists and has cutesy animation.  That's what it is on the surface.  It swaps between being cutesy and being hardcore.  The Powerpuff Girls are 5 and thus are still growing up, learning to share, eat vegetables, etc.  Frankly this show is a wild card and that's what makes it so charming.  It's also one of the first cartoons to be self-aware and make 4th wall jokes.  It doesn't go out of its way to do that, in fact, that's what the Narrator is for.  The Narrator is the invisible voice in the sky that introduces and ends each episode.  He is the one that often makes 4th wall jokes making the cartoon very self-aware.  As proof of the cartoon being aware of its self-awareness, there was an episode in which the narrator was kidnapped by Mojojojo, and he told the Powerpuff Girls what to do.  It was very funny and well done.

Now I want to talk about my personal favorite episode called 'Speed Demons'.  It's an episode in which the Powerpuff Girls travel forward through time to an apocalyptic Townsville.  The premise is that they were going on a vacation for the weekend to get a break from fighting crime.  Buttercup decides that they should race home after school.  They do, and they move so fast that they break the time barrier.  The time barrier is a term I'm using loosely, it originated in old Flash comics.  It was explained that The Flash could move so fast that he could travel forward in time, breaking the time barrier so to speak.  In the apocalyptic Townsville, they find that their house and the Mayor's office are just about the only things left standing.  In their ruined house they find an old senile Professor attempting to recreate the Powerpuff Girls.  At the Mayor's office, they find Ms. Bellum clutching the mayor's had and sash, implying that he died in whatever befell Townsville.  The Powerpuff Girls then go to their ruined school where their teacher, Ms. Keane is standing there.  From her they find out that they're 50 years in the future.  Upon learning this, their most sinister, and kind of hilarious villain emerges.  HIM.

Him is on the left and the Pokemon Scizor is on the right.  I put Scizor there because I think they look similar (the claws?).  Him reveals that when the Powerpuff Girls left for the weekend, he took over.  The Powerpuff Girls beat the crap out of him and he transforms into his super freaky demon form.  The Powerpuff Girls scream and fly off into space.  They fly back down to Earth at a supersonic speed breaking the time barrier, returning them to Townsville.  The episode concludes with the girls reuniting with the professor and they don't go on their vacation after all.  This episode is my favorite because of the surreal creepy nature to it.  I saw this episode when I was like 9 and was interested in that topic ever sense.  It inspired me to read books like 1984, Brave New World, and Farenhiet 451 when I was older.
I might as well sign off in respect to the awesome narrator.
So once again the day is saved, thanks to The Powerpuff Girls!

Scott Pilgrim Versus the World

Every generation has a movie that truly defines them.  It was argued that Juno would be that movie.  In my opinion that was a very well done and comical movie showing the drama and dangers of teenage pregnancy.  My generation is not about getting high schoolers pregnant however.  My generation, which is anyone born from roughly 1985 to 1995, grew up with cartoons, tv sitcoms, video games, comic books, and indie rock.  A movie for my generation would capture all of those things into a little (poke') ball.  They all seem like polar opposites, is there a movie that possibly do that?

The answer is yes.  That movie is Scott Pilgrim Versus the World, I will straight up say that this is one of my favorite movies ever.  I have many reasons for it.  The main reason is that the chemistry between Scott and Ramona (the two main characters) is normal.  Their relationship is depicted in a normal non-hollywood way.  Michael Cera (Scott) acts very much like a normal person!  He is delightfully awkward and awesome at the same time.  Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Ramona) is the mysterious, cool, beautiful girl of Scott's dreams.  However if Scott and Ramona are to be together, Scott must defeat Ramona's seven evil exes.

What is it about this movie that captures my generation?  The first thing you will notice is that this movie is way different than most movies.  It is extremely stylized.  It's like a comic book and a video game had a baby.  What I mean by that is if Scott punches someone, you see the word POW!  Like a cartoon or comic book.  It's a little strange to get used to but it ultimately makes the movie really enjoyable.  Being a gamer, I am actually able to pick out most of the references within the movie.  There are musical references to Final Fantasy II and Legend of Zelda.  The band is named Sex Bob-Omb, a Bob-Omb is a walking bomb enemy found in Super Mario World.  The fight scenes imitate games such as Street Fighter III, Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct, and Soul Calibur.  If you've ever played any of those games (like I have), you will feel right at home.  Even more specifically the Soul Calibur reference is within the battle with Roxie Richter (Evil Ex number 4), she imitates the character Ivy using a living sword (a sword with an extendable blade, may or may not be fictional).  Ramona imitates the character Astaroth by using a war hammer.  Details, details...

The movie isn't without faults, there are several things I don't understand because I didn't read the comic books.  As a result, the movie seems to jump around at points.  At several points a door appears, I don't know what this door is, or where it leads.  This is apparently explained in the comic books.  Also not all of the characters get adequate development, the most significant character development happens within Scott, Ramona, and Knives Chau.  Knives is "Scott's fake high school girlfriend" from the beginning of the movie.  Characters that I would've liked to see more development in are Kim Pine (Played by Allison Pill), she is the drummer and is a very funny character because of her dry sense of humor.  Evidently in the comic books there is a sub plot with her.  I would have liked to see that!  It's these faults that make the movie fun to watch, even when the door appears and you don't understand what happens, it quickly jumps back to reality.

This movie is one of my favorites because it truly appeals to my gamer sensibilities.  People from an older generation, chances are you won't understand it.  Kids from the new generation won't understand it because you are growing up with your X-Boxes, and your PS3's and your online gaming.  This movie is completely and absolutely for my generation.  From a filmmaking standpoint: 8/10 (for trying something new and having pretty good success) From my stand point: 15/10.  From IMDB (Internet Movie Database): 7.6/10.
That's all for now.