The MLK Critic Corner

[WildSimba]

Okay, as promised, I am now going to review...

ROSEANNE

Well, this has got to be hands down, my favorite Television sitcom. It's just got everything going for it. It's hilarious, it's got a very good amount of moving moments, and there's often a lot of Drama, mainly evolving around the connor family.

In season one your introduced to Roseanne Connor, her husband dan, her sister Jackie, and her 3 chilren, Beki, Darlene, and DJ. It starts off promising, Roseanne has to take off an hour early from work, to meet with Darlene's teacher, because Darlene is making Barking noises in class. Also includes one of George Clooney's early break-through roles as Roseannes supervisor, Booker.

Through a lot of the first season, a lot of a plot points are introduced. Roseanne was an Aspiring writter, who gave all of it up for her husband and three kids. She's been forced to work a dead-end job for 15 years at a plastic factory, with her sister and a few friends. Roseanne and Dan's relationship is slowly falling apart. At the end of the season, she finally has enough and quits her job at the factory, along with her sister and her friends.

From that point, Roseanne was an emotional, and hilarious roller-coaster all the way through. One of the things I like most about the series, is how strong of a character Roseanne really is. Back at that time, there weren't often female leads who didn't just fit in with everything their husbands said. Though Roseanne definately shows some obediant house-wife qualitys, she's also her own independant woman.

Another thing I like, is Dan and Roseanne's relationship, and the big shift it goes through. Through the 10 years worth of relationship you see between the two, there's a lot. At first the relationship seems to be great, but slowly falling apart, with Roseanne working almost everyday with no break, and the fact that they never had a real honeymoon. Throughout the series, I was quite surprised to find that Roseanne and Dan stay pretty faithful... until the end of Season 8, when Dan has a heartattack, and gets landed in the hospital. Roseanne see's that he's still following his bad eating habits upon leaving the hospital, and kicks him out.

As well, as one of the most perfectly executed TV Sitcom endings ever. I know a lot of people don't like it, but I think it really finished off everything that was still missing from the plot, and brought it all together for a perfect conclusion. Though it is sad after NINE seasons, and 10 years worth of being on TV, it just left so bluntly. It was really refreshing for me, though, to hear Roseanne reflecting on her life throughout the series, and finally admitting to her own personal griefs, and how much she really loved Dan.

So overall, good series. I'm currently going through the whole thing in order on Netflix. I plan on getting the first 2 seasons, COMPLETELY UNCENSORED when they get released on DVD in september. :3

[TheLionQueen]

The Nanny

Okay when I was little I used to watch this show like any time it was on even if the series ended before I was even old enough to watch TV and understand it. It's a funny family comedy for any age I still watch it now, it has potty humor but no one under the age of 13 can really comprehend what they are saying about sex. There are some really cool guest appearances too, Jay Leno, Elizabeth Taylor, and a bunch of other people. Here are the main characters:

Fran Fine: The mainest character and has a really high and funny accent, she is a Jew and was started off in a bridal shop where she worked for her boy friend until he dumped her. She left and tried to sell make up to people. Soon she became the nanny. Fran is obsessed with men and wants to get married since she is about 30.

Mr. Maxwell Shefield: the boss, a handsome English man with a grey streak on the front of his hair that progressively gets lighter through the
series, he is a broadway producer and has 3 children he is also a widower to his wife Sara and he always wears his wedding ring he eventually gets married to ms. Fine and they have twins

It's a really funny sitcom with lots of cute things going on.

[Lauren]

Rio

This is my absolute 2nd favorite movie ever! It was released into theaters on April 15th, 2011. Rio tells the story about a blue macaw bird name Blu who is taken to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to mate with a female of his kind in order to save their species. Blu starts to fall in love with Jewel and together, they have an adventure while trying to escape from the smugglers and meet new friends along the way. Blu is trying to return to his human owner, Linda, who is also spending her time with an ornithologist name Túlio trying to find him. Blu and Jewel make new friends such as Rafael, Pedro, Nico, and Luiz. Throughout the movie, Blu can't fly but finally does at the very end.

The cast of Rio:

Jesse Eisenberg - Blu
Anne Hathaway - Jewel
George Lopez - Rafael
Jemaine Clement - Nigel
Tracy Morgan - Luiz
will.i.am -Pedro
Jamie Foxx - Nico
Lesie Mann - Linda
Jake T. Austin - Fernando
Rodrigo Santoro - Túlio
Carlos Ponce - Marcel
Brian Baumgartner - Mauro
Wanda Sykes - Chloe
Jane Lynch - Alice

Overall, Blu is my favorite character. He is just so sweet, sincere, cute, friendly personality, and awesome. I'm like him in many ways. I am tied with Jewel and Rafael as my 2nd favorite character. I find Nigel to be a cool villain and entertaining at the same time. At the end of the movie, when Blu fell out of the plane to save Jewel (since Nigel breaks her wing), he holds onto her and they kiss. The second they kiss, Blu finds his instinct to fly and does. I love that part because they're perfect for each other and it's so sweet! <3

I recommend people of all ages to see this movie because there are loveable characters, hilarious scenes, and a great storyline. How can you NOT love this sweet, adorable bird?


Blu (left) and Jewel (right).