Arthur Christmas D movie review (2011)

Arthur Christmas [3D] (2011)

Brief review: Forget about the traditional Santa Claus and the old-fashioned way he delivers Christmas gifts to a billion kids all over the world in one night, because Sarah Smith's "Arthur Christmas" has a really cool and inventive contemporary spin to it, and will blow you away with its creativity, clever wittiness and fantastic CGI visuals. The script is original, funny, well-written and filled with smart jokes and tons of hilarious situations, but most importantly it has a heart, and that what makes the movie as touching as it's enjoyable. Smith successfully involves high-tech stuff such as computers, smart phones and other sort of cool gadgets used by Santa and his little helpers, but she also has respect for the traditional, throwing in the well-known vintage sledge and adorable deers, in order to honor the spirit of Christmas. The animation is crisp and clean, with vivid colors and some truly beautiful sequences, and the fantastic 3D effects give tremendous depth and detail at times. Each end every one of the characters is wonderfully-designed and full of life, and Santa's gloriously modern workshop, in particular, will leave you in awe. Sadly, I can't comment on the voice performances from the stellar cast involved, because I saw a dubbed version of the movie.

Overall summary: Witty, amusing, and splendidly-animated, "Arthur Christmas" is a modern take on Santa Claus and Christmas, that not only fascinates with its rich 3D visuals and colorful characters, but also delivers an emotional story and a powerful message for kids.

Blogfest: It's All Fun & Games!

My great friend Alex J. Cavanaugh is hosting yet another awesome blogfest, and this time, it's all about fun & games. Even though I'm not much of a video game junkie, I decided to list the three most favorite arcade video games from my childhood. Yes, from my childhood. :) Check them out below, and I hope they will bring back good memories to you.

*****

1. Street Fighter II

As a true martial arts geek, I've always liked fighting games, therefore "Street Fighter II" is my favorite video game of all time! I've played it hundreds, if not thousands, of times and each time was better than the last. Vega from Spain was my favorite fighter of them all, and I was literally obsessed with him.

*****

2. Mortal Kombat II

Another fighting video game? Hell, yeah! :) "Mortal Combat" was very fast-paced, a bit difficult to play, and way more violent than "Street Fighter", but what the hell.. it was fun! :) Raiden was my very favorite character, and I just loved playing with him.

*****

3. Tumblepop

"Tumblepop" had virtually everything you could ask for in a simple arcade video game - it was entertaining, exciting, catchy, colorful, vivid, and a true joy to play. I loved every bit of it, plus, I was UNBEATABLE! :)