Hello, hello! Welcome to WordPress! I’m your host, The Turbotastic Asian, with another Top 10 List! My first/last Top 10 List mostly consisted of movies that I hate but everyone else loves. This time though, the tables have turned: this is my Top 10 List of movies and series in general that I love but everyone else hates; those movies that I wouldn’t mind watching practically everyday. Now, most of you already know the rules: My plea for courtesy; spoiler warnings; yadda yadda yadda. Although, this time, some of these are going to be paired up because they are so similar (i.e. hated for the exact same reason) and I don’t have enough slots to touch on them separately. Also, some of the items on this list are going to be ones that I’ve already reviewed. If that’s the case, don’t worry; I’ll try to be brief. Lastly, I feel the need to say that even though I love these items, that’s not to say I don’t see why people hate them. Furthermore, I may even see a totally different reason to hate an item that most people may not catch. So, without any further delays or adieus, this is my Top 10 Things That I Love But Everyone Else Hates.
10)
Yes, my exact same #10 item as my last Top 10 List. Isn’t that strange? Well anyway, like I said in my last post, the reason why I placed it at the very bottom of the last list is because unlike all the other items on that list, this item is one that I was actually remotely crazy about (at least as a kid). The reason why it’s at the very bottom of this list is for the reason I mentioned in my post: Billy and Mandy make terrible role models for their children audience. Most people, even people who hate this series, do not catch this. A more obvious reason that most people, especially my fellow Christians, hate this show is because it features the Grim Reaper (the icon of Death and evil) at all, let alone in a children’s show. Even though I can see how this might upset certain people, my question is “Shouldn’t Christians be the people not getting upset by this”? Don’t believe me? Read the verse in 1 Corinthians 15:55 that asks, “Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting”? Therefore, I don’t think that Christians, of all people, should be offended by the portrayal of death in the media because they should know that death has no power on them thanks to Christ’s resurrection. If anything, we really should just laugh at this show and join it for the ride. It does a perfect job of poking fun of the power of death, or lack thereof. Also, each episode has a very simple plot, but it’s amped up by means of great voice-acting and even better comedy, with Billy and Mandy bossing Grim around, and Grim getting annoyed and thinking of ways to get free of their control. Therefore, just like the title promises, this show is certainly an adventure! So, if you take the characters of Billy and Mandy themselves out of the equation, this is a GOOD series!
9)
AND
So these ones are paired together because not only are they based on the same movie, but they are also hated for similar reasons. The former is hated for being a live-action remake and the latter is hated for being a sequel. Actually, even the original Claymation version is a pretty underrated movie itself, so I’ll give you the rundown: Santa feels under-appreciated, thinks not enough children believe in him, and decides to go on strike. Of course he is proven wrong and has a change of mind by the end, rendering the title of this film a complete and total lie! There is this scene right near the middle that everyone remembers more than any other part in the whole movie: the Miser Brothers, Heat and Snow. They sing two totally cool (or are they hot? ;)) songs about themselves and their powers and they end up helping Santa have his time off, bickering all the while. Now, the complaint that people have with the live-action version (besides the fact that it’s live-action) is that even though the songs are still in the film, they totally hate Heat Miser’s voice. To give you a hint, Heat Miser in this movie is played by the gravelly-voiced actor, Harvey Firestein. I actually like Heat Miser better in this than in the original. This is because, the original Heat Miser was kind of mean with an ironically cold personality. I think that while Firestein’s voice might not be the most musical in the world, it makes him seem warmer and friendlier than George Irving, who voiced Heat Miser in the original. Although, I will say that they could have done that scene without the scantily-clad women for the sake of the children audience. I think that scene was just pushing the PG-rating. Also, to be honest, I was a bit more disappointed with Snow Miser in this one than I was with his step-brother. Sure, he’s better looking in this one than in the Claymation version, but his voice is just a little too normal sounding for the character. Look up both versions of the song on YouTube; you’ll see what I mean. Aside from that, there are many other things that I particularly like about this movie: It actually goes into specifics of why Santa thinks and feels the way he does, why the Miser Brothers are always fighting, has a very good message, and has some at least semi-decent humor! There is even this quick gag that they do with Heat Miser and an icicle; it’s blink and you miss it, but it’s there! I’m not going to spoil it for you because it’s really funny!
As for the sequel, A Miser Brother Christmas, they go back to the Claymation style only more technical looking as this one came out in 2008 and the first one came out way back in the 70s. In this one, Santa suffers a back injury in a sleigh-ride accident, making him unable to deliver presents come Christmas Eve. Falsely accusing the Miser Brothers for causing the accident, their mom, Mother Nature, punishes them by making them set aside their differences in order to fill in for Santa. While trying to fill in, they continue to squabble and bicker; they also hold grudges against Santa for never giving them anything for Christmas. That is, until Mrs. Claus decides to tell them the truth about why they never got anything: They had always been on the naughty list for fighting with each other. After learning this, they decide to call a truce and even sing their signature songs, only this time, they change the wording slightly so that they’re singing about each other. After this, they go and deliver presents to the children of the world, but not before exposing the true culprit: Their older brother, North Wind, the favorite of Mother Nature, had devised a plan to assassinate Santa and sabotage Christmas, therefore, he was the one who caused the stormy weather to knock Santa out of his sleigh. So, the funny thing is that in the live-action version, people were bashing Heat Miser’s voice. In this one, it’s Snow Miser’s voice they can’t stand. If I had to guess, the only reason why they don’t like it is because they don’t think it sounds close enough to the original’s voice. I’m sure they don’t hate him as much as they hate Firestein’s Heat Miser. In my opinion, I actually think that Snow Miser’s voice sounds more like the original Snow Miser’s voice than Heat Miser’s voice sounds like his original voice, which is ironic as the same voice actor voices him in both movies. When I watched this for the first time, I really thought it was the same guy voicing Snow Miser. Another thing that people seem not to like is the fact that the Miser Brothers are now friends. They argue that they’re funnier when they’re fighting and calling each other names. My opinion? I agree, to a point. Perhaps if the producers were to make more movies, or even a whole television series centered on these two (which I doubt), they should have it so that they start out getting along, a small misunderstanding causes them to argue, but then they make up towards the end (think Drake and Josh or Bert and Ernie). Therefore, I do like how they decide to make peace with each other, but I also find it funny when they fight. Also, and this is small, but I feel like the sequel is the one that should have been entitled A Year Without A Santa Claus, as Santa is actually unable to work, whereas in the first movie, he ends up coming through. So, would I go so far as to say that these movies are better or even as good as the original? Of course not! I am, however, saying that they are both GOOD movies that get a lot more hate than they deserve.
(Ok, I know even before I type this that half of you are going to cheer me on and the other half of you is going to unfollow me when I tell you this one…) 8.
Remember what I said in my intro to these top ten lists? When I critique these movies, I am not criticizing or praising them based on the acting. Half the time, I don’t even pay attention to the acting outside of how hot I think the actors are. I’m always paying way more attention to the plot, the humor, and the action. There are two big complaints people have about this series. The first one is that the actress who plays Bella Swan is not expressive enough for the part. In my opinion, it is far better to be not expressive enough than to be expressive to the point of being overly dramatic and annoying. Yeah, Bella’s kind of boring but when it really matters, I think she can bring just the right amount of emotion, so I’m not bothered by that. Besides, I don’t really pay that much attention to Bella’s expressions, or lack there of. The reason why I like Twilight is because it contains my favorite mythological creatures: vampires! Which leads me to the second thing people have against this series: “Real vampires do not sparkle”! Edward Cullen sparkles in the sun, therefore people doubt his vampireism. Guys, think about it! If a buck-toothed, animated chocoholic (Count Chocula) and a purple, monocle-wearing mathematician on a children’s program (Count Von Count from Sesame Street) can be vampires, why can’t a sexy young man who sparkles be a vampire? Really, the only reason why I’m placing this as only #8 on the list is that it’s a little light on the jokes. There are some jokes to be had, it’s not a total bore, but it feels much more plot based than some of the other items that are higher on this list. Also, this series is the one that started the whole “so-and-so vs. so-and-so” type of romance series, giving way to others, such as the Hunger Games Trilogy (Not that I’m defending that one :P). So it’s on the fence, but I’m going to give it a GOOD rating, if only for the sake of the vampires.
(Nostalgia Critic, please don’t sue me…) 7.
This movie is about a slow-witted young man named Pistachio who needs to rescue his parents when they get kidnapped. What Pistachio doesn’t know is that his parents come from a long line of Disguiseys (Masters of disguise). His grandfather comes to his aid by training him in the art of disguise and setting him up with an assistant. This movie basically shows their adventures while on this mission. Now, I find this movie both very fun and very unnerving to watch at the same time. It’s cool how Pistachio can go from being himself to being someone totally different in a matter of moments. It makes me wonder how Dana Carvey, the actor who plays Pistachio, was able to pull it off. However, there are some awkward parts with Pistachio (the character, not the actor) not knowing what to say, what to do, etc. causing him to do/say something totally random. He just keeps you guessing and guessing throughout the whole film. You never know what he’s going to do or say at any given moment, which is what makes this movie sort of uncomfortable to watch. But on the positive side, at least you know that it’s not going to be totally predictable. The only dull moment I can think of is right at the beginning where Pistachio is shown interacting (or should I say trying to interact) with the people around him, getting laughed at, and while he does seem to be laughing with them, you can sense some hurt in his expression. Although, I will say that this serves as a perfect springboard into the story of how he becomes more than just the butt of other people’s jokes. Now, you could argue that Pistachio and Jennifer (his assistant) totally suck at this mission because every time they encounter the bad guy, they end up not getting anywhere with him. I say that while that’s true, this movie sort of moves like a road trip. You move to one scene, have a few laughs, move onto the next scene, etc. I mean, what fun would it be to just have them catch the kidnapper right from the beginning, go home, and call it a day? No fun at all, right? Also, this movie is really funny! It has slapstick and dialogue humor and a pretty decent plot. My personal favorite running gag is that every time the villain laughs, he laughs so hard he breaks wind. When I heard it for the first time, I thought it was just an audio glitch or something. But nope! It’s real, it’s happening, and it is downright hysterical! Yeah, Pistachio and his grandfather are sort of rude when they’re laughing at Jennifer’s measurements (This movie seems to make fun of petite people; I was actually kind of offended by this the first time I watched it, but the rest of the movie was just so darn funny that I could forgive it), and when Pistachio starts having feelings for Jennifer, he says some pretty weird things as a means of flirting. But it works because Jennifer acts just as weirded out and offended as the audience, therefore agreeing with the audience. One thing this the movie doesn’t do is claim not to be weird. It knows it’s weird, it just doesn’t care, which is what I like about these types of comedies. I like Jennifer because she’s the one voice of reason in a movie full of idiots. It’s not like Harry Potter, where Harry and Ron actually have some brains in them but Hermione is so much smarter that it’s annoying. Pistachio has next to no brains at all, his grandfather is only wiser by a hair or so, and Jennifer is the one with the normal IQ, to protect the movie from being any more annoying than it needed to be. Therefore, even though the rudeness of Pistachio and his grandfather and the crudeness of the running fart joke might not be for everyone, for those brave enough to try, they are sure to find that this movie has many great things to offer. Over all, it’s a GOOD film! The Nostalgia Critic may not get it, but I do!
6)
This film was a pretty fun one too! I know that I’ve already reviewed this one so feel free to open up a new tab, check it out, and come back to this post once you’re finished. The peculiar thing about this one though is that outside of the zero-to-hero plot, the hero in this one is totally opposite from his preceding movie’s hero. Pistachio is stupid and says and causes stupid things to happen in his movie, whereas Paul Blart is so much smarter and has stupid things done and said to him. That said, this is yet another GOOD film. Again, go back and read my review of it; it explains everything.
Stay tuned! Part 2 is coming soon! This is The Turbotastic Asian, and I’m signing out!
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