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  • JOtaku
  • Member Since Mar 27th, 2010

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Recent Comments:

The Best Video Game Bars in America {Asylum}

May 7th 2010 8:25PM I'm glad to see that there are other VG Bars around. It an't much, but I got to give a represent to Barcadia out here in Dallas. Nothing like drinking Jack and Coke and playing the games my Showbiz Pizza-going days.

Kids' Movies That Are Actually for Grown-Ups {Cinematical}

Mar 27th 2010 9:17AM Amen brother. Before I add or comment to the list, I would like to make the brief editorial over the nonscense I hear from "other adults" who make "comments" about adults who still watch animation or movies primarly targeted at kids or teens.

I'm sorry am I not successful enough at my job? (which I am). Did I not pay my electric bill early enough?

My point to all that for those media-types who like to make "snipe, editorial" comments about how movie A, B, or C may not appeal to them because they are "adults" I got news for you: I'm just as much of an adult as anyone else and responsiblities are just the same. I just prefer watching Dreamworks and Miyazaki movies than going to some bar/nightclub and acting like 30 year old high schooler. Yeah, it puts me at the bottom of the social latter with 99.9% of all women and to be honest, I really no longer care.

Now that I got that out of my system, here is my take on kid movies that would appeal to adults (and bonus):

I'm glad a fellow anime fan (amist what I take to be a fairweather fan) mentioned the Miyazaki films. Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke and Porco Rosso are by far the best ones for adults. That's not taking away from Ponyo or My Neighbor Totoro but anything Miyazaki is a great intro to any adult who either a. has a negative opinion towards anime (referring to hentai) or b. a silly opinion (they think it is all Pokemon and DragonBall Z).

On the American front, the Toy Story movies have enough adult humor to where if you saw it as a kid you can go back and watch it again when your older and relate to references you may have overlooked. But in all honesty, the same could be said for any Pixar movie.

I have yet to read all the comments but I'm surprised with all the 30-somethings (like myself) posting comments that no one has mentioned "The Hobbit" (The Rankin-Bass version). I watched it on CBS when I still in my single digits and rewatched it as an adult in my late 20s when Cartoon Network aired it that one time. It definately should be included in the list.

Since Time Bandits was included in the discussion, you might want to throw-in "The Neverending Story".

Also, I went to see "A Christmas Carol" (the CGI version with Jim Carrey as Scrooge). That movie quotes book and verse right off of Dicken's pen. That was really more for adults than children.

I am looking forward to seeing "Diary" having "survived" middle school in a past life but will probably see Dragons first since I've been waiting months for it to come out.

Finally, here are a couple of animated gems that I currently watch on Cartoon Network that has more adult appeal than kid appeal even though they are marketed for kids (aka the Bonus):

Star Wars: The Clone Wars:

What kids will see: Awesome light saber duels, cool battle scenes, awesome aliens and future tech.

What adults will see: Complex social and political drama that surrounds the warring fractions of the Seperatists and the Old Republic (not ALL the episodes revolve around Clone Troopers and Jedi blowing up stuff); witty dialogue, chemistry among characters, etc.

Also add to the list the 2-D animated Clone Wars adaptation that was made a couple of years before the current series was animated. The scene where Aniken uses the Force to pulls "a Dalton" (See Roadhouse) was enough to leave me in dead silence as my jaw hit the floor. Also the battle between Aniken vs. Q-Tip girl in the rain is up there as one of my favorite lightsaber duals.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold

What kids will see: A more light-hearted version of Justice League: Unlimited. (By far one of the greatest cartoon serials that ended to soon)

What adults will see: Constent references to the original Superfriends cartoons as well some pop-culture references that kids today will not get.

I also like to throw in a personal favorite and that of course is Avatar: The Last Airbender. It had enough adult humor to keep it interesting. I also liked how the show did not always centered around the kids but also had intelligent adult characters that were just as important to the storyline as anything else.