Entry Eighteen

Tales of Earthsea: Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro, takes the helm for this adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's fantasy novel. It's not as disastrous as I'd been first led to believe, and while it may not be in the same class as his father's work, it still demonstrates the considerable skill of studio Ghibli in its ability to render realistic characters and environments, despite working in the oft-overlooked fantasy genre. The big downside for me was a rather horrible drawn out ending and the underwhelming nemesis that accompanied it.

Pom Poko: Also known as the Raccoon War. Another studio ghibli film, a bizarre, yet frequently delightful and alternately sober look at a group of raccoons' attempts to stop human encroachment into their forest. It's wonderful, accomplishing humour, pathos, and wonder in all the same movie. It's the sort of thing Disney would screw up completely and ham-handedly, but Ghibli excels in.

Dead or Alive: Final: The last film in Miike's loosely connected trilogy is his weakest, but isn't a bad film by any means, it just doesn't match the absurd delights of its predecessors. Your opinion of Miike's films may depend on whether you can stand his blatant weirdness and sometimes shocking gratuity, but I admit to frequently loving his work.

Million Dollar Duck: A routine Disney live action movie, enlightened by the charming presence of Sandy Duncan (too young to play opposite Dean Jones, though), who reminds me a little of Amy Adams in the wide-eyed innocence she can bring to the screen. The movie's a little tiresome and becomes downright boring towards the "wacky" end chase sequence.

Soldier Girls: A brilliant Nick Broomfield documentary, looking at a group of women undergoing basic training for the US army in 1980. Surprisingly candid, and shot through with great characters, it's a real eye opener on how "normal" people prepare to become killers. The DVD also features a couple of "where are they now" interviews, and give much needed happy endings to the troubled character of the Staff Seargeant, who's eloquence at the end of the movie dispels the myth of the glory of battle.

Tarzan and the Leopard Woman: Not actually featuring a Leopard Woman (but plenty of men dressed in leopard skins) this banal Tarzan movie is enough to turn anyone off the popular 40s franchise. A pity, then, that this is my first.