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Raging Pencils Comic
The Texas State Board of Education.

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Who Dat Say Dey Gonna Beat Dem Owls?

owls of ga'hooleSometimes I hammer out these little screeds just to create a sort of online diary about my tedious little life, so that years from now I can look back and wonder why I, for instance, ever appreciated Van Camps Pork N' Beans well enough to write a bawdy limerick about them.

As such, this weekend Beloved Girlfriend and I took in an IMAX-powered showing of Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. I knew nothing about the many books this movie is based on, all I know is that the film springs from the same talented people who created Happy Feet, one of the relative handful of DVD's I keep in The Collection.

So what did I get for my $14 American?

Pros: Simply the most gorgeous computer-animated film yet. Beloved Girlfriend and I were stunned by the level of detail, bordering on the magical. The animators must be some kinds of OCD prodigies as there were too many "hero" feathers to count. We spent a lot of time nudging each other, pointing out some detail that must have been pure Hell to animate.

Cons: Conventional plot. These were just people in owl costumes, the author having woven multiple layers of human technology (music, art, metallurgy.. yes, metallurgy!) into the life of normal owls. There's conflict to be sure but they reach resolution through the time-worn technique of pitched battle. Seriously. Picture owls with swords.

I'm not sure who this film is aimed at. The animation's far too sophisticated for just a kids film, the plot too simplistic for adults, and there's no romance to sweeten the pot. Granted, a love story doesn't have to be crammed into every movie but it's almost entirely what separates this film from Happy Feet.

Big Picture: The positives far outweigh the negatives, so if you enjoy deftly-handled animation, go see this one while it's still in theatres.

=Lefty=



end rant


Raging Pencils salutes the Mystery Readers of
Xalapa, Mexico
Whoever you are, thanks for reading my historical little 'toon.


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Today's mystery web comic is:
TOOTHEPASTE FOR DINNER

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Raging Pencils is an historical conceit of:

Mike Stanfill, Private Hand
Mike Stanfill, Private Hand
IllustrationFlash AnimationWeb Design

www.privatehand.com


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Can't make sense of the news? Try our selection of progressive nosh:
DailykosCrooks and LiarsThink ProgressTalking Points Memo

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Today's Google Chow.

Texas State Board of Education:

Okay, let's see what we've got... George Bush failed to protect the country on 9-11, started an illegal war, ordered the torture of combatants, undermined the education system, and left the economy in tattered ruins. Which meeeeans... the revised history books should say it's all Barack Obama's fault.