This doesn't make any sense! You're stuck in a magical fantasy world where you can 
 have anything you've ever wanted, and all you want to do is LEAVE?!
This, I don't understand... But THIS is "Movie Night"!
*theme song plays*
Hello, and welcome to “Movie Night.” I'm your host, Jonathan Paula. 
On today's episode, we'll be reviewing two fantasy films, the first 
 of which is brand-new to DVD and Bluray this week...
the 2010 re-telling of Jonathan Swift's classic 1726 novel, "Gulliver's Travels."
Jack Black stars as Gulliver, a hapless Jack Black-esque character who works 
 in the lowly mail room at a New York newspaper. 
During a foolish attempt to impress his crush, Darcy, played by Amanda Peet...
Gulliver inadvertently signs himself up for a one-man journey 
 into the Bermuda Triangle for a story.
As is tradition with these types of fantasy films, Gulliver encounters a storm, blacks-out, and 
 wakes up to discover he is a giant on the island of Lilliput. 
Besides the names and height-differences between the characters, this latest adaptation of 
 the classic 18th-Century novel isn't particularly faithful to the original.
The effects used to accomplish Gulliver's towering size over 
 his Lilliputian friends aren't very impressive, either...
at times resembling old episodes of “Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers,” just 
 a regular dude walking around a model city. 
The humor is what you'd expect from Jack Black, crude and incredibly 
 sophomoric. At one point, in order to save a burning building...
Gulliver just pulls down his pants in front of the 
 entire village, and pisses all over the fire. 
Luckily, to off-set this crude humor, the film is littered with clever pop-culture references...
referencing everything from “Titanic,” to “Star Wars,” and “Rock Band,” to name a few.
And, although they feel very out of place in this environment, 
 many of them are funny, so it is forgivable.
The supporting cast includes Emily Blunt, Jason Segel, Billy Connolly, and Chris 
 O'Dowd, all of whom honestly do a much better job... 
than Jack Black, even if all of them combined don't really 
 have as much screen-time. The movie plays it safe, however...
sticking closely to formula and the most popular portion of Swift's original work, which is 
 perhaps why the 85-minute film grossed over $200 million at the box office.
It's a familiar and comfortable movie for all ages. Nothing spectacular here- just Jack Black 
 bouncing around, being his goofy self with a bunch of tiny people. 
And, honestly, for a lot of people, that might be an entertaining movie. 
 For me, though, this film was far from engaging or impressive. 
The only saving grace is Gulliver's relationship with Darcy, which bookends the movie. 
Their scenes together are definitely the strongest in the 
 movie, and provide its emotional center. 
But sadly, this plotline receives very little time to develop. 
  “Gulliver's Travels”- "Unoriginal and childish, but fun." 
Well, that's what I thought of the film. Now, let's see what 
 you had to say about it in the YouTube comments.
Here's the Rate-o-Matic now, to show us how we both scored "Gulliver's Travels."
A “5” and a “6”! This movie was entertaining and a passable way 
 to spend an hour-and-a-half, but the movie isn't anything special. 
I thought it was "alright." Mostly agreeing with me, the majority of you really enjoyed Jack Black's 
 goofy humor, while others didn't find the film that memorable. You scored it a "good.” 
Our second fantasy film tonight is the cult-classic from 1986, Jim Henson's "Labyrinth."
Starring a young 16-year-old Jennifer Connelly and a curiously cast 
 David Bowie, who spends nearly the entire movie... 
wearing a large codpiece, “Labyrinth” is the story of a girl 
 who accidentally vanishes her baby brother to the Goblin Kingdom...
and must spend the rest of the movie solving the riddles and 
 illusions of its mysterious maze to get him back. 
Borrowing from stories like “Alice in Wonderland,” “Where the Wild Things Are,” 
 and “The Wizard of Oz,” "Labyrinth" starts off innocently enough...
with our protagonist, Sarah, played by Connelly, enjoying life in the real world. This 
 is until a series of frustration-fueled mistakes lands her inside the Labyrinth...
where she's desperate to get back her brother from 
 the Goblin King, Jareth, played by David Bowie...
who honestly spends most of his time on screen singing 
 his own music and looking downright creepy. 
The remainder of the 101-minute runtime is spent following 
 Sarah on her quest through this otherworldly maze...
as she meets friendly creatures along the way, and attempts to solve 
 all of the clues and puzzles laid out before her. 
Although it follows an incredibly simple premise, "Labyrinth" is anything 
 but, featuring extremely imaginative visuals, creatures, and effects. 
While some of those effects aren't executed very well (for instance, an entire 
 scene is poorly shot in front of a chroma-wall for some reason)...
the Muppeteering work is easily some of Jim Henson's finest, bringing to 
 life hundreds of beasts and trolls brimming with emotion and character.
It makes you wonder why, 25 years later, that Hollywood has abandoned Muppet technology. 
 The creatures rendered out in CGI today don't look half as good.
Bowie wrote five original songs for this film, several 
 of which even get their own musical scene...
complete with the actors and Muppets dancing and jumping up and 
 down to the awesome sounds of vintage Bowie. 
As exciting and as upbeat as these scenes are, however, they feel out of 
 place in a film that is otherwise not really a musical. 
These days, “Labyrinth” remains a cult favorite with people my age, those who 
 grew up watching this film as a child in the 1980s. 
And although it bares little resemblance to the types of Disney and 
 Nickelodeon movies that kids watch these days, it certainly holds up.
It's an energetic, colorful, and hopeful tale about making friends and sticking up for yourself, 
 and definitely the sort of film more youngsters ought to be watching. 
While some of the acting may be bad, and the glitter effects 
 terribly overused, this film remains surprisingly fresh 25 years... 
after its release, and a worthwhile trip for anyone hoping 
 to get lost in its maze of fun. 
"Labyrinth,” an "extravagantly delightful journey for kids." 
Well, that's what I thought about the movie. Now, let's see 
 what you had to say in the YouTube comments.
Once again, the Rate-o-Matic, to show us how we scored "Labyrinth.” 
A double “8”! At times, this film is really cheesy, but it remains consistently adorable, and you really 
 can't slight a kids’ film for being goofy at times. I thought it was “great.” 
You completely agreed, with many of you actually citing this film as one 
 of your childhood favorites. You also gave it a “great.” 
But that does it for tonight's films. So, now, let's take a look 
 at what's currently playing in theaters, with some Tweet Critiques. 
Remember, if you're going to the movies this weekend, make sure to submit your Twitter 
 review, using the #JPMN hashtag, to have it featured on an upcoming episode. 
Next week, we'll be taking a look at two classic 
 war movies, "Apocalypse Now," the 1979 epic... 
from director Francis Ford Coppola, and "Saving Private Ryan," the World 
 War II film from 1998 starring Tom Hanks. 
As always, I encourage you to buy, rent, or download these films, and then let me know what you 
 think about them by voting in the polls below, or by leaving me a comment review. 
Also, in two weeks, for the season two finale of “Movie Night,” we'll 
 be once again examining the best films of all time. 
Last year, I shared with you ten of my personal favorites, and on May 6th, I'll be 
 sharing 10 more, but I'd also like to re-highlight some of your favorites, as well. 
So, in addition to your reviews about "Saving Private Ryan" and "Apocalypse Now," please comment 
 below with a list of your top-5 favorite movies of all time. 
Once again, my name is Jonathan Paula. Thank you for watching “Movie 
 Night.” I hope to see you right back here next Friday!
*end credits play*
*Check out the new microwave episode to see drunk 
 Rapunzel get even more wasted with a hookah!*
