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TechCrunch

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:13:00 +0000

TechCrunch.com is dedicated to profiling and reviewing the latest Internet products and companies. It also covers existing companies that are making an impact (commercial and/or cultural) on the web space.

ShoeMoney

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:49:00 +0000

ProBlogger

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:42:00 +0000

Mashable

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:35:00 +0000

Engadget

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:17:00 +0000

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily review and coverage of everything new in technology, gadgets and consumer electronics. It is updated regularly and one of the top gadget blog in the blogosphere.

Astro Boy

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:33:00 +0000

Movie Review: Astro Boy

Astro Boy is a movie for children, but has a story that all ages can appreciate and enjoy. There are messages on scientific and social morality, told with imaginative characters and colorful animation.

The movie does bring up the moral issue of advanced intelligent robots and the how they should be treated. Since they are programmed and made of metal instead of flesh, should they be treated any better than a metal can on the ground? In this movie, robots are widely treated as expendable, no matter how intelligent or human-like their programming. In one scene, an intelligent robot is being used as a test dummy for a car. The robot waves goodbye to the humans and the humans wave back, aware that the robot has human-like intelligence, but has no problem destroying it a moment later. There are many scenes of disregard of robots throughout the film.

The main character of Toby, later nicknamed Astro Boy, was also victim of poor treatment of robots. Once a real boy, now a robot with human memories, his father abandoned him soon after making the robot version of his real son who died from an invention gone wrong. Even though the robot boy pleaded to who he considered to be his father, the father flatly told him that he did not want him around and ordered him to leave. There was no consideration for feelings at all, just a cold banishment because of the fact that Toby was a robot.

Although there are some dark themes in this movie, there are still imaginative characters and storytelling that will appeal to younger viewers. The struggle with being equal to humans is also fun and exciting, meeting new characters like Cora who is among a group of kids without parents. There are also amusing robot characters who help that help him along in his journey.

The animation is certainly different from the original televison program and comics, this time in entirely three-dimensional cgi. This will brings a different aspect to the characters, making them a little more lifelike. Children may enjoy the impressive action sequences and the humorous scenes. The humor is not all throughout, focusing more on a good imaginative story than making children laugh. There are positive message about doing what is right, even if it society does not punish us for doing wrong.

The heavy focus on scientific and social morality may be distracting for some just looking for a straightforward fun kids movie. A movie like this might even be better suited for live action to better relate the serious themes. But for anyone, kids and adults, who do not mind message heavy sci-fi tales will have fun with the story and impressive animation.

Precious

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:44:00 +0000

Movie Review: Precious

Great acting performances can sometimes make a film jump from good to great, and this is the case for the movie Precious from director Lee Daniels. The story itself is a drama about a dysfunctional mother and daughter unit, the daughter struggling in school and life.

There is great character development throughout the film. Each of the characters and the actors playing them are what made this movie so rich and interesting. The main character Precious, played by Gabourey Sidibe, does fantastic at playing an uneducated teenager in pain, relying on her fantasies as a method of coping. Throughout the film we get to see her struggle in finding some form of happiness as well as her exponentially worsening feelings towards her mother. The journey is saddening to watch, played naturally and fearlessly. Sidibe's very realistic reactions to all the terrible events and dialogue make the overall story and character that much more real and therefore more intense.

The cast is not a common one people would expect for a serious drama, a mixture of several comedians and singers, including Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, and Sherri Shepherd. However, the director clearly wanted to show them in a different light, placing them in roles different from their previous and even their appearance less glamorous than their fans would expect. The acting itself was very strong among all of them. Actress Paula Patton does well in the positive role of Ms. Rain, reaching out selflessly to a girl in need. Mariah Carey has a similar role with Ms. Weiss, another helpful ladder of hope Precious uses to reach where she wants to be. Mo'Nique stands out the most as a bitter and cruel single mother, using her own twisted logic as reason to verbally and physically abuse her daughter. It is fascinating to see such an cruel character express themselves as passionately as Mo'Nique was able to do. Her performance is certainly worth considering for the next award season.

Anyone who does not mind watching dark dramas will likely be affected by this movie, will relate to Precious's depressing situation, and will hope for a better tomorrow as the character does. The message of hope evens out the dark tone a little bit, but like real life, even if there is hope at the end of the tunnel, the past will always haunt. And after viewing this movie, the dark and realistic tone will linger as well, but there is hope that even in the darkest of situations that life brings us, there is still some good out there that be found and achieved.