Reviews by TeamDaiGurren

Am I going to be the first one to state I absolutely hate this film? It's so obvious. It's bland and Michael Cera (yet again) plays the same character he always does.

Teen pregnancy is a legit subject to write a movie about but here lately I feel like it's all that is ever talked about when it comes to being a teenager. 'Oh, well since your a teenager now, make sure not to get pregnant!' I wish I had a dollar for everytime someone mentioned safe sex to me throughout my teenage years. What happened to being young, rebelious, and free?

I feel like Ellen Paige's character would be so much more appeling/ interesting if she wasn't pregnant. I also feel like her character could have grown in a so much more appeling way if she wasn't pregnant as well.

The only thing I liked about this film was Jason Bateman's character, which at the same time is weird because hes some sort of lover to younger girls. I am washing my hands clean of this film. The end.

This film...is the only film that has made me cry for 15 minutes straight. This is Grave Of The Fireflies.

To be honest, I watched this when I was on a Studio Ghibli marathon. Compared to the other SG films, I thought it would be just like the rest. Cute, happy, and magical. I never took the time to look into the story, or read any reviews about it. I felt like I didn't need to. That being said... I don't watch moves without at least knowing what they are about anymore.

I'm not saying Grave of The Fireflies is a bad film. It's actually one of the best films of all time (in my opinion). It's just the amount of emotion packed into this film is almost too much to bear. It's a film I can honestly only watch 1 time a year.

It doesn't matter how many time I watch it, I always end up just an absolute wreak. Even though I know the horrible things that happen, and I try to prepare myself, it just doesn't matter.

I never thought an animated movie could make me feel the way this movie does. I also feel like it has a lot to do with the fact that I have a sister close to the age of Setsuko. I can feel Seita's pain for his sister, and the events that occur with Setsuko just rip my heart in two. I can't help but think 'oh my god what if Lela (my sister) and me where in this situation'.

The portrail of the disgusting acts of war and violence is sickning. It just makes you want to stand up and say 'WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!'. The little bits of love between Setsuko and Seita makes it easier to digest, but there is always a dark and deep depressing feel no matter how hard you try to shake it off. The saddest thing about this film is they try SO HARD to have things be normal again. I also recently found out that it's loosely based off of a BOOK which means some aspects of this movie are real, which makes this movie 5X more depressing.

This film is good for anyone who wants a harsh look at how horrible the Japanese were treated during WWII, or a touching tale about 2 siblings and their fight for survival. Or if your feeling like watching the most depressing film ever on a cloudy day.

9.5/10

To start this off, normally I'm not into drama or romance movies. Regardless, this movie had a charm that flickered a little interest in me.

First thing I'll dive into is why I gave it 4 stars and not 10. Marianna's character (lets call her Marianna, because she is a nameless character) is such a horrid character. I understand she has social issues, and has a hard time accepting love from anyone, but there is a point where it just becomes flat out annoying. There were times when I just wanted to scream 'SHUT THE F@$% UP AND QUIT BEING SO INTO YOURSELF!' Alas I didn't because I didn't want my roommates to think I was insane. Secondly with Jason Ritter's character (let's call him Jason, because again, his character is nameless) he seems like such a weird stalker in the beginning. He ends up growing on you as a character, but for the first 30 minutes of the film your just like, 'oh my god Marianna don't let him in your house!' So overall the 2 main characters are not the best. Which is a HUGE factor in a film, I mean you are watching a movie about them.

The script was rubbish. You can tell the actors are forcing lines, and a lot of times the situations don't add up. For instance the scene between Marianna and Tom. First off I was like what the hell Tom Arnold, just coming out of nowhere in the end of the film, but the entire conversation between them makes you feel like you missed something. It took me half way into the scene between them to realize that Tom Arnold was Marianna's dad. I though he could be someone she's secretly seeing or something. It was never made clear until she blatantly said the word dad. It was also never determined exactly why she is the way she is. I mean I have my logical decisions but again, not even hardly explained on that issue which is a HUGE factor being that the movie revolves around this girl and her social/sexual problems.

Ok now for a good point. Even though the characters are not so awesome, their awkwardness is well balanced. These are the 2 most awkward people I've ever seen in my life. Therefore, of course they would make a cute couple. Yes, the Marianna and Jason couple were totally adorable. Which unfortunately, thanks to Marianna, is tainted with a lot of negativity and annoying bashes towards Jason. Even though Marianna tries so hard to keep Jason away, the relationship between them still lights a little glee into your heart.

I also loved Jason. His character starts off weird. Way weird. Alas, his character grows the most out of any other character in the film. You end up feeling sorry for the way Marianna treats him and you see the goodness his character brings by trying to get this girl her life back. The entire time I found myself rooting for him. One huge thing that caught my attention about him though, in the scene where him and his best friend are arguing about where he's living, his best friend asks if he's been 'using' again. Which shows me that his character could have a bigger story, and more background than we know.

Overall, it is a romance drama, which is not my cup of tea. I did enjoy the awkwardness of the couple. I also enjoyed the little bit of comedy sewed into this overall dark story. The script, again, is rubbish. I feel like Marianna Palka has a lot of potential and will eventually move on to be an awesome director.