The Kid Movie Review(ACE)

The opening title reads: "A comedy with a smile--and perhaps a tear". As she leaves the charity hospital and passes a church wedding, Edna deposits her new baby with a pleading note in a limousine and goes off to commit suicide. The limo is stolen by thieves who dump the baby by a garbage can. Charlie the Tramp finds the baby and makes a home for him. Five years later Edna has become an opera star but does charity work for slum youngsters in hope of finding her boy. A doctor called by Edna discovers the note with the truth about the Kid and reports it to the authorities who come to take him away from Charlie. Before he arrives at the Orphan Asylum Charlie steals him back and takes him to a flophouse. The proprietor reads of a reward for the Kid and takes him to Edna. Charlie is later awakened by a kind policeman who reunites him with the Kid at Edna's mansion.

The Kid is a 1921 American silent dramedy film written by, produced by, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, it features Jackie Coogan as his adopted son and sidekick. It was a huge success, and was the second-highest grossing film in 1921, behind The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

The Little Tramp finds an abandoned baby in an alley and takes care of him. As the child gets older, he becomes the Tramp's partner in crime, scamming people in order to survive. Eventually, however, welfare services attempt to take the boy away, resulting in a desperate search and an emotional reunion.

This was Charlie Chaplin's first full-length movie.

The film stars:

• Charlie Chaplin ...The Tramp
• Edna Purviance ... Mother
• Jackie Coogan ... The Kid ("John")
• Carl Miller... The Man
• Tom Wilson ... Cop
• Jack Coogan Sr... Pickpocket / Guest / Devil
• Henry Bergman ... Empresario
• Lita Grey ... Angel of Temptation

The Kid was originally made on an estimated budget of $250,000 and it reaped a gross profit of $2,500,000. Critics at the time praised the film for its effortless combination of comedy and pathos, which is not as easy as it looks.

I recommend this movie to people of all age groups as it is a pretty heart-warming story with a great storyline.

Forest Grump Movie Review(ACE)

The film begins with a feather falling to the feet of Forrest Gump who is sitting at a bus stop in Savannah, Georgia. Forrest picks up the feather and puts it in the book Curious George, then tells the story of his life to a woman seated next to him.

Forrest, Forrest Gump is a simple man with little brain activity but good intentions. He struggles through childhood with his best and only friend Jenny. His 'mama' teaches him the ways of life and leaves him to choose his destiny. Forrest joins the army for service in Vietnam, finding new friends called Dan and Bubba, he wins medals, starts a table tennis craze, creates a famous shrimp fishing fleet, inspires people to jog, create the smiley, write bumper stickers and songs, donating to people and meeting the president several times. However this is all irrelevant to Forrest who can only think of his childhood sweetheart Jenny. Who has messed up her life. Although in the end all he wants to prove is that anyone can love anyone.

A low-intelligence man tells his life's tale to people waiting at a small town bus stop. He has captured fame, fortune and glory, but his one true love has continuously eluded him.

A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events - in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. Yet, despite all the things he has attained, his one true love eludes him. "Forrest Gump" is the story of a man who rose above his challenges, and who proved that determination, courage, and love are more important than ability.

Forrest Gump is a 1994 American comedy-drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and Gary Sinise. The story depicts several decades in the life of Forrest Gump, a simple Alabama man who travels across the world, sometimes meeting historical figures, influencing popular culture, and experiencing firsthand historic events of the late 20th century.

Released in the United States on July 6, 1994, Forrest Gump was well received by critics and became a commercial success as the top grossing film in North America released that year. The film earned over $677 million worldwide during its theatrical run. The film garnered multiple awards and nominations, including Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, People's Choice Awards, and Young Artist Awards, among others. Since the film's release, varying interpretations have been made of the film's protagonist and its political symbolism. In 1996, a themed restaurant opened based on the film, and has since expanded to multiple locations worldwide. The scene of Gump running across the country is often referred to when real life people attempt the feat.

The movie stars:

· Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump

· Robin Wright as Jenny Curran

· Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan Taylor

· Mykelti Williamson as Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue

· Sally Field as Mrs. Gump

· Haley Joel Osment as Forrest Gump, Jr.: Forrest and Jenny's son

· Peter Dobson as Elvis Presley

· Dick Cavett as himself

· Sam Anderson as Principal Hancock

· Richard D'Alessandro as Abbie Hoffman

· Geoffrey Blake as Wesley

· Siobhan Fallon Hogan as Dorothy Harris

· Sonny Shroyer as Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant

· Grand L. Bush, Conor Kennelly, and Teddy Lane Jr. as the Black Panthers

· Bill Roberson as Fat Man on Bench

One key moment in the film was the part when Grump ran across the country, his will and determination in completing the runs serves as a reminder to us not to give up, no matter how high the odds are stacked against us.

The film has received mostly positive reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 70% of critics gave the film a positive review based on a sample of 53 reviews, with an average score of 6.9/10. At the website Metacritic, which utilizes a normalized rating system, the film earned a favorable rating of 82/100 based on 19 reviews by mainstream critics.

The story was commended by several critics. Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "I've never met anyone like Forrest Gump in a movie before, and for that matter I've never seen a movie quite like Forrest Gump. Any attempt to describe him will risk making the movie seem more conventional than it is, but let me try. It's a comedy, I guess. Or maybe a drama. Or a dream...The screenplay by Eric Roth has the complexity of modern fiction...[Hanks'] performance is a breathtaking balancing act between comedy and sadness, in a story rich in big laughs and quiet truths....what a magical movie." Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote that the film "...has been very well worked out on all levels, and manages the difficult feat of being an intimate, even delicate tale played with an appealingly light touch against an epic backdrop." In addition, the film received notable pans from several major reviewers. Anthony Lane of The New Yorker called the film "Warm, wise, and wearisome as hell." Owen Gordinier of Entertainment Weekly said that the film "...reduces the tumult of the last few decades to a virtual-reality theme park: a baby-boomer version of Disney's America."

Critics had mixed views on the main character. Gump has been compared to various characters and people including Huckleberry Finn, Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan, among others. Peter Chomo writes that Gump acts as a "...social mediator and as an agent of redemption in divided times".Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called Gump "...everything we admire in the American character — honest, brave, loyal...". The New York Times reviewer Janet Maslin called Gump a "...hollow man..." who is "...self-congratulatory in his blissful ignorance, warmly embraced as the embodiment of absolutely nothing." Marc Vincenti of Palo Alto Weekly called the character "...a pitiful stooge taking the pie of life in the face, thoughtfully licking his fingers."

The film is commonly seen as a polarizing one for audiences, with Entertainment Weekly writing in 2004, "Nearly a decade after it earned gazillions and swept the Oscars, Robert Zemeckis's ode to 20th-century America still represents one of cinema's most clearly drawn lines in the sand. One half of folks see it as an artificial piece of pop melodrama, while everyone else raves that it's sweet as a box of chocolates."

Produced on a budget of $55 million, Forrest Gump opened in 1,595 theaters in its first weekend of domestic release, earning $24,450,602. Motion picture business consultant and screenwriter Jeffrey Hilton suggested to producer Wendy Finerman to double the P&A (film marketing budget) based on his viewing of an early print of the film. The budget was immediately upped, per his advice. The film placed first in the weekend's box office, narrowly beating The Lion King, which was in its fourth week of release. For the first ten weeks of its release, the film held the number one position at the box office. The film remained in theaters for 42 weeks, earning $329.7 million in the United States and Canada, making it the fourth-highest grossing film at that time (behind only E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars IV: A New Hope, and Jurassic Park). As of September 2010, the film is ranked as the 23rd highest grossing domestic film and 43rd worldwide.

The film took 66 days to surpass $250 million and was the fastest grossing Paramount film to pass $100 million, $200 million, and $300 million in box office receipts (at the time of its release). The film had gross receipts of $329,694,499 in the U.S. and Canada and $347,693,217 in international markets for a total of $677,387,716 worldwide.

I would recommend this movie to everybody, especially children as this movie instils the positive values in a child, determination, willpower and the ‘never give up’ attitude that every child should have in their spirit.

Clueless Movie Review (ACE)

Clueless is a 1995 American comedy film loosely based on Jane Austen's 1815 novel, Emma. It is set in Beverly Hills and a nearby high school. It was written and directed by Amy Heckerling and produced by Scott Rudin. The film was released in the United States on July 19, 1995. The film stars Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, and Brittany Murphy.

The film spun off a television show and a series of books.

Cher, a high school student in Beverly Hills, must survive the ups and downs of adolescent life. Her external demeanor at first seems superficial, but rather it hides her wit, charm, and intelligence which help her to deal with relationships, friends, family, school, and the all-important teenage social life.

Cher is rich, pretty, blonde, popular and knows how to talk anyone into doing just about anything. When she can't get a teacher to give her a better grade, she and her friend Dion match him up with another teacher to make him happier... and maybe a but laxer on his expectations. When a girl named Tai transfers to Cher's school, she and Dion give her a makeover and attempt to find her a boyfriend. Cher soon realizes that she wants a boyfriend herself, but no one seems right. She goes through a spiritual makeover and realizes that there's more to life than clothes and popularity before she finds the boy of her dreams.

Cher Horowitz and her friend Dionne, two of the most popular sophomores in school, play matchmakers for two teachers. Inspired by their success, Cher takes under her wing Tai, a "clueless" transfer student. While trying to make an advantageous match for Tai, Cher attempts to find a boyfriend of her own. Several misfires take place, due to poor communication, before she finds the Baldwin of her dreams.

Cher and Dionne are best friends who live in Beverly Hills. They are popular, rich, pretty, and charming. One day, they spot a new girl at school, Tai, and decides to do a makeover on her. They are very successful, but Cher realizes that she needed a makeover herself in a spiritual way. With this makeover, she learns about caring for others, going through pain, and love.

The film stars:

· Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz (Emma Woodhouse)

· Stacey Dash as Dionne Davenport (Mrs. Weston)

· Brittany Murphy as Tai Fraiser (Harriet Smith)

· Paul Rudd as Josh Lucas (George Knightley)

· Dan Hedaya as Mel Horowitz (Henry Woodhouse)

· Elisa Donovan as Amber Mariens (Augusta Elton)

· Justin Walker as Christian Stovitz (Frank Churchill)

• Wallace Shawn as Mr. Wendell Hall (Mr. Weston)
• Twink Caplan as Ms. Geist (Anne Taylor)
• Julie Brown as Coach Millie Stoeger
• Breckin Meyer as Travis Birkenstock (Robert Martin)
• Jeremy Sisto as Elton Tiscia (Philip Elton)
• Nicole Bilderback as Summer

The film became a surprise sleeper hit of 1995, grossing well over $11 million on its opening weekend #2 behind Apollo 13, and it eventually grossed $55 million during its theatrical run. It was the 32nd highest-grossing film of 1995 and brought the then-largely unknown actress Alicia Silverstone to national and international attention.

In 2008, Entertainment Weekly selected Clueless as one of the "New Classics", a list of 100 released between 1983 and 2008, Clueless was ranked 42nd. In 2008 Entertainment Weekly named it the 19th best comedy of the past 25 years.

The following year, the producers decided to create a spinoff television series which followed the continuing adventures of Cher and her friends. Several cast members from the film went on to star in the TV program, with the notable exception of Alicia Silverstone (who went on to sign a film deal with Columbia-TriStar worth $10 million). Silverstone was replaced in the series with actress Rachel Blanchard.

• Stacey Dash reprised her role of Dionne.
• Donald Faison reprised his role of Murray.
• Elisa Donovan reprised as Amber.
• Michael Lerner (1st season) and Doug Sheehan replaced Dan Hedaya as Mel.
• David Lascher replaced Paul Rudd as Josh.
• Heather Gottlieb replaced Brittany Murphy as Tai.
• Teachers Mr. Hall, Ms. Geist, and Coach Stoeger (played by their respective actors) appeared in the series, but Coach Stoeger's last name is changed to "Diemer".

A key moment was when Cher discovered that Christian, her love interest, was actually gay, after trying to seduce him at a movie one night. She only found out the next day that he was gay, and the look on her face was too comical for words, it was a perfect example of a facial expression saying “What the hell!”

I recommend this movie to everybody, especially unmarried couples, this is suitable for young children as there are no sex scenes, violence and stuff like that.

Ranger's apprentice(The Icebound Land) Book Review (ACE)

The Icebound Land is the third book in the Ranger's Apprentice series.
In the previous two book, Will, an orphan, was taken in to be Halt's , a Ranger, apprentice. As the days progressed, Will learnt a lot from Halt, but there was danger on the horizon. Morgarth, the Lord of Rain and Night, having been previously defeated by the Kingdom and banished, have gathered an army of Wargals, and is planning another attack. Will , Horace and Evanlyn discover a major part of Morgarth's plan that could prove fatal to the Kingdom. As they has no time to alert the Kingdom, they decided to sabotage the plan, but Will and Evanlyn were captured by Skandians in the process.
In the third book, Will and Evanlyn were brought to Skandia in the Skandians' wolfship, where they waited for a big storm to subside. Meanwhile, Halt had received news of Will's capture and vowed to rescue him, but King Ducan refused to grant him permission. Halt had no choice but to devise a plan and was banished from all the Kingdom's lands for a period of one year as a result, which was exactly what he wanted. Will had, at that time, found out that Evanlyn was actually Princess Cassandra, the daughter of King Ducan of the Kingdom. On the way to rescue Will, Halt was joined by Horace, seeing the determination in his eyes, Halt agreed.
Will,meanwhile had found out that the leader of the Skandians, Ragnak, had swore a vow of Vallasvow against King Duncan and his family for the loss of his son, who had fought with Morgarth against the Kingdom. Will realised that he and Evanlyn was in more danger than they thought, and his resolve to escape became more determined. That very night, they tried to escape on a skiff, but they failed as the skiff began to leak water, they had no choice but to row back to shore, where Jarl Erak was waiting for them, angrily. Will was devasted to learn that their plan had failed all because thay had forgotten to place a cock to plug the hole at the bottom of the skiff.
Halt and Horace had landed in the port city of La Rivage, where tha King of that city was weak the the officials corrupted. They got stopped by a knight on a bridge, demanding them to pay him a tribute to corss the bridge. Horace challenged him to knightly combat and won, knocking the other knight unconscious. The knight's belongings, under the rules of chilvary, now belonged to Horace. Since that first encounter, Halt and Horace had been stopped by half a dozen other knights for 'tribute' and all were defeated by Horace.
Will and Evanlyn had reached the home of the Skandians and were given to the master of Ragnak's kitchen as slaves. Will realised that being a yard slave was not just uncomfortable, it was downright dangerous. On his third day there, Will had stopped a slave from whipping another slave. That slave, Egon, promised to 'remember his name'. Egon then got another slave to get Will addicted on warmweed, on the pretext that it will get him warm. Erak, having seen the state of Will addiction, felt a wave of sadness, and decided to help Will and Evanlyn escape.
Horace, meanwhile, had gained a reputation as a knight that this brought him to the attention of the local lord, Deparnieux, who used trickery to capture them. Halt and Horace were disgusted at the way Deparnieux treated those who dared disobeyed him or caused him displeasure.
Erak met Evanlyn and gave her some silver coins and a dagger to help her in helping Will to escape. Evanlyn managed to help Will escape and for some reason, Erak followed them. It was made clear later in the book, when Erak made for the harbour and untied a small skiff and set it adrift, probably so as to help them escape by sea.
Deparnieux had, at first thought that Halt, with his uncanny ability with the bow and his ablity to 'blend in' with the surroundings, was a sorcerer, and it would not do to anger him, but at the same time, he wondered if Halt had any powers or not, thus he set a number of tests, each one more revolting and disgusting than the previous one, just to test Halt's reactions.
Halt and Horace, however, had seen that Deparnieux ruled by fear, and he would not reject any challenge to him in fear of losing the fear he had instilled in his men. Halt and Horace manipulated Deparnieux into engaging in mortal combat with Halt in front of all the people and his men. Needless to say, Halt won.
While one day, Evanlyn went hunting, aftering trying to wean Will of the drug from his system, she saw a man riding on a horse, Will's horse. Meanwhile, Will , back at the cabin, was back to normal.