Kid Rivalry: Nickelodeon Vs. Disney Channel

There are rivalries between Batman and the Joker, James Bond and Blofeld, and countless others. One notable rivalry is between networks the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, the networks responsible for some of the famous shows your tweens are crazy about. I have a review of each network and some of their shhows.

Disney Channel

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
The show, which is about twins who live in a hotel, is funny enough, using slapstick as a key formula in the series. Dylan and Cole Sprouse (Cole played Ross's son on Friends) play Zack and Cody, respectively, who get into all sorts of shinannigans. Dylan is very swift and quick as a prankster who often falls by the wayside. It seems to come naturally, while Cole's geek Cody seems to be a tired formula. He tries way too hard to be nerdy. The real stars are the self absorbed rich London (Brenda Song) and Maddie (Ashley Tisdale). The two battle it out in every episode which earns the show's most laughs. Though, the self referencial jokes are tiring, mentioning Disney's sleeper sucess High School Musical and pretending that Maddie looks nothing like Ashley Tisdale, who co-starred in HSM.
Grade: B+

Hannah Montana
The show Hannah Montana chronicles the life of a pop superstar living each day as an ordinary tween and each night partying away at concerts. I've heard it all before. It's much like superheroes like Batman, Spider-Man, and Superman, all of whom lead seperate, normal lives in the real world. Miley Cyrus is peachy as Miley Stewart, and Cyrus's real father, Billy Ray, plays her on-screen father. The family colloquials get tiring after 5 times in one episode. The "Sweet Niblets!" are really annoying after a while. It is a question whether Ms. Cyrus has a good voice? Some may concur, while others may say she has an effect that most won't remember in coming years. I don't think it's all that.
Grade: B-

Nickelodeon
Spongebob Squarepants
Spongebob Squarepants is a cute, peppy little guy who goes to work at the Krusty Krab, home of the Krabby Patty, run by the greediest man since...well you think about that for a little bit. Even though parents may find the potty humor immature, it's probably the funniest, most well written, and smartest kid show in a long time. With many a luagh for the ones who get the humor, and a few giggles for the youg'ens, Spongebob is the show to go to when all else on television is impure and scadalous.
Grade: A

Drake & Josh
It's definately not the smartest show on TV, but it's okay. I'm talkin about Drake & Josh, the show about a slacker and a nerd who become brothers. Haven't we heard this before. The show is aimed at teens. It's repetative with bad sets and odd jokes.
Grade: C+

So you've just had a small taste of the networks. Who's better: Nick. Even though some shows are totally brainless, the little yellow sponge takes it home for the team.

Nick: B+
Disney: B

Sautee Mix: Review for "Ratatouille"

Pixar has been taking home rave reviews and awards since their first success, 1994's Toy Story. The animation since then has gotten more precise and intricate. The latest in the Pixar lineup is the story of a rat who can cook. Now, if this were not a talking, friendly rat, I imagine a movie about cooking would be a bit harder to sell than super heroes (The Incredibles), race cars (Cars), or fish (Finding Nemo). But what you will find may surprise you. Remy (voiced wonderfully by The King of Queen's Patton Oswald) is a misfit rat who enjoys the rich and tasty world of fine dining. His problem is that he can't really communicate well with humans. His idol is an Emeril-esque cook, Geustau (Brad Garret, Everybody Loves Raymond), who, now dead, accompanies Remy through his imagination. Linguini is Geustau's unknown son and he needs a job. So, while working at his father's restaurant, he becomes a mistaken celebrity chef, only helped by Remy. He gets "lessons" from Collette (Janine Garfalo). Like all Pixar films, this is mostly kid orientated. Brad Bird, who directed The Incredibles, writes and directs a great animated film. The animation is spectacular, every minute detail is stunning. Though not perfect, this film is a tasty dish.
Grade: B+

A Royal Ball: Review for "Enchanted"

Enchanted is the the cute story of Giselle (Amy Adams) who is about to marry Prince Edwards (James Marsden) in the animated land of Andalasia. She is lured by Narissa (Susan Sarandon), Edward's evil stepmother, and is pushed down a well and ends up in...New York City. She has help from Lawyer Robert "McDreamy" (Patrick Dempsey from Grey's Anatomy), and it is up to Prince Edward and his little chipmunk friend Pip to find the soon-to-be princess. Robert, meanwhile, is trying to convince that there's no such thing as true love, while she is still hoping the prince is still trying to rescue her. Having stayed with Robert and his daughter for two days, she falling in real love with him, not that fantasy stuff (which is somewhat controdictive to what Robert is saying). The ending, in which Narissa turns into a dragon, is exciting enough, but is unneeded. Amy Adams is really into her role. She really makes you feel for her character. The film is cute enough for kids and funny and romantic enough for adults. The sings are enjoyable, but one song in particualr, "That's How You Know", deserves an Oscar nod. Also an Oscar nomination for Adams, for she is Enchanting. This film is also filled with homages to old Disney classics.

Grade: A-

Adams: A++

"End" of the Line: Review for "Pirates: At World's End"

John Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley are back in this latest installment of the Pirates series. In a nutshell, the film is better than Dead Man's Chest, but still not a cinematic achievement. The film has too many subplots, for instance: Elizabeth Swann (Knightley) wants to avenge her father's death, Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) wants to get in touch with his soft side, Pirate lords are teaming up against the British, Will Turner (Bloom) wants to rescue his father from the Flying Dutchman, and countless others. The film jumps from one scene to another without explaining how it got there. Johnny Depp is, as usual, hilarious and hysterical as Captain Jack. The story is a bit too long for me to put into a synopsis (2 hrs. 47 min.). The special effects are a bit over done and there are quite a few scenes that were not needed in any way. Grade: C+ Stars: 2.5