Chuck's Movie Breakdown

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, it's now Christmas Eve, which means it's the last day of 12 Reviews of Christmas . Much like last year, we'll be taking a look at an adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol . This year, we'll be taking a look at the first version of A Christmas Carol  I've ever seen: Mickey's Christmas Carol . Now, I'm not going to go into discussing the story, as I've already done so last year with the Patrick Stewart version of A Christmas Carol . However, I'd like to discuss a few things with this animated holiday classic.          So, let's start off with who's who in this version of A Christmas Carol . Scrooge McDuck takes on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, with Donald Duck as Scrooge's nephew Fred. Mickey Mouse is Bob Crachit, with Minnie as Mrs. Crachit. The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future are portrayed respectively by Jiminy Cricket, Willie the Giant and Pete the Cat. Daisy Duck...

        Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, as promised, today for 12 Reviews of Christmas , we'll be taking a look at the greatest Christmas movie of all time. Such a great Christmas movie, in fact, that there have been countless debates among fans, non-fans, and so forth about whether it really is a Christmas movie. Yet, the film's writer and director have both declared that it is, in fact, a Christmas movie, in spite of what the film's lead actor, Bruce Willis, said during his own Comedy Central Roast . However, after recent words from director John McTiernan, along with what was said previously by writer Steven E. DeSouza, So, here it is. The greatest Christmas movie ever made: Die Hard .            The movie opens with NYPD officer John McClane, whose Christmas Eve flight lands of Los Angeles. Noticing his nerves, a fellow passenger gives him advice: once he gets where he's going, take off his shoes and socks and walk around on th...

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, we're getting close to the end of 12 Reviews of Christmas . So, as we wind down to the last review of the year, which will be this Thursday's review of Mickey's Christmas Carol , let's take a look at another Disney holiday classic: The Santa Clause  starring Tim Allen.           The movie focuses on businessman and toy mogul Scott Calvin, who has to rush home from an office party in order to spend Christmas Eve with his son, Charlie, who is dropped off by Scott's ex-wife Laura, and her new husband Neil. After a bit of back and forth between Scott and Laura, and some smartass remarks by Scott, Laura heads off with Neil to spend Christmas Eve with Neil's parents. Scott, after failing to properly cook a turkey and burning the thing, takes Charlie out to a local Denny's for Christmas Eve dinner. After returning home from Denny's, Scott reads Charlie "The Night Before Christmas," and heads off t...

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Today for 12 Reviews of Christmas , we're jumping back into the well of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man 3 . Okay, I know what you're all thinking. What the hell does Iron Man 3 have to do with Christmas? Well, there's a lot of Christmas decorations, some Christmas music, and verbal references to Christmas peppered throughout the movie. This is mostly due to the fact that the film's director, Shane Black, has a tendency to set films he directs at Christmas time. So, with that in mind, let's kick off Phase Two of the MCU a few months ahead of next year's Marvel May with Iron Man 3 .           So, the movie opens with a flashback to New Year's Eve in 1999, where Tony Stark is partying when he meets Maya Hansen, who introduces him to her project for recovering from crippling injuries: Extremis. Scientist Aldrich Killian offers them a place working with him at his think tank: Advanced Ide...

 Hey guys, Chuck here. Today for 12 Reviews of Christmas , we'll be discussing a film based on a ballet that many people make a tradition of seeing around the holidays. I am, of course, referring to The Nutcracker . This is one ballet that everyone has seen at least once. Heck, the San Francisco Ballet production of it is a holiday tradition here in the Bay Area, where I live. So, of course I've seen The Nutcracker  on stage. However, when it was announced that a film adaptation was being made by Disney, I got a little excited. So, here's my review of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms .           So, we open on Christmas Eve in Victorian London at the home of the Stahlbaum family. It is here where the father, Benjamin Stahlbaum, gives presents to his three children, Louise, Clara, and Fritz. The presents were set aside for them by their mother, Marie, before she died. Clara receives an egg-shaped box that she is unable to unlock, with a note that...

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Last year for 12 Reviews of Christmas , I reviewed the timeless holiday classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas , and while I still contend that that's the best adaptation of Dr. Seuss's story, most everyone I talk to is more familiar with the live-action remake with Jim Carrey in the title role. So, since it's the twentieth anniversary of that film this year, we'll be taking a look at it. This is the live-action version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.         We open in Whoville, the home of the Who's. We meet Cindy Lou, along with her father, as they're getting ready for Christmas. Cindy Lou, however, is having a case of the holiday blues, as she can't seem to find the true meaning of Christmas. Meanwhile, Cindy Lou's two older brothers, Drew and Stu, are running up to the top of Mt. Crumpit. In an attempt to impress the two Who girls that are with them, they try knocking on the Grinch's door, only to be sca...

         Hey guys, Chuck here. Last month, I reviewed the first Tim Burton Batman movie, and I gave that film high levels of praise. Well, today as part of 12 Reviews of Christmas , I'm taking a look at the first sequel to that film, which is 1992's Batman Returns . Actor Michael Keaton and director Tim Burton are both back, and are joined this time by Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. So, let's take a look at Tim Burton's Batman Returns .           The movie opens around Christmas time at Cobblepot mansion in Gotham, where the Cobblepots are horrified by the deformed nature of their newborn son, Oswald. Fearing how society will treat him, the Cobblepots take young Oswald to the local park, and toss him into the sewers, where he grows up being raised by Penguins underneath the abandoned zoo. 33 years later, and it's Christmas time once more in Gotham. While the city is celebrating the holiday seaso...