Top Ten Pretty Animated Shots Vol.02

It is time for another set of animated pictures that is easy on the eyes.  Making this top ten is a little like trying to become an actor.  Many try, but few make the cut.

We liked the visually hard edged rendering of the Enchantress Amora in Hulk Vs Thor.

While this painting featured in the credits looks nothing like that hard edged version, it is still pretty.

Chun Li remains a crowd favorite – if the crowd hangs out huddled around an arcade Street Fighter machine.    Here she is from Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind.

How does she keep that face so pretty after all those nose-crushing, lip-bashing fights?

Princess Aurora from Disney’s true classic Sleeping Beauty has time-tested stylized good looks.  Below she is dressed as the forest maiden “Briar Rose”.  We like that edged style.

Naruto Shippuuden went downhill faster than Balloon Boy’s ill-fated, non-existent flight to nowhere.  Never-the-less, while it is no longer worth a take, it did have a purdy enemy ninja.

What is her deadly secret? Uhh, you do not want to see her without make-up...

Our takes on Winx Club remain top hitters.  The latest is season 4 part 1.  In honor of that popularity we could not pass up including a picture of Flora. If you do not know who Flora is, step back from the Street Fighter machine for a minute or give Naruto Shippuuden a rest for a half hour.

Jerrica Benton…  How we would like to see your Jem & The Holograms storyline with your deceived but true boyfriend Rio resolved.  We have been waiting since 1988…, so it is overdue.

At least Jerrica and Rio reaffirmed their love in this final season trip to Greece. Hmm Jerrica, do you dress native like this for every destination? We want to travel with you!

Ariel, the little mermaid’s mother was Queen Athena.  A lot of people seem to be searching for her online.  She was quite pretty as seen depicted here from The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning.

Mom's everywhere, let Queen Athena be an inspiration to you to keep in shape.

Huntik: Secrets and Seekers is pleasantly surprising most who watch it – including us!  So enough with the sad face Huntik Star Sophie Casterwill, you made the cut for this Top Ten.

Did all of Sophie's training include how to look good scuba diving? Ahh, we think it must have.

Zhalia from Huntik is not giving us a long face below, that is her usual stern expression.  But inside she had a soft heart.  Awww.

Bonus Poll Picture:

There was a singer in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman who caught out eye.  She seemed to get a disproportionally large amount of close ups and screen time for a nameless background character.

Is this supposed to be somebody in particular? If so comment who please.

Huntik: Secrets & Seekers [2009] Season 1. 26 Episodes

Huntik: Secrets and Seekers is a show directed and produced by Ignio Straffi, the creator of Winx Club.  Huntik is a radical departure from Winx in that it is an action packed adventure with mature themes.  Its first season is of the finer non-Japanese animated series we have seen in some time.

Huntik co-stars the supremely competent Dante Vale. Here he strikes quite the action hero pose.

Now the patented (and challenging) one sentence synopsis:  In a world of secret societies and creatures summoned from ancient amulets called titans enters young Lok, a boy searching for his father lost years before on a mission to find legendary amulets against the wishes of the evil “Professor” who was bent on stopping him and now sets his sights on Lok who fortunately has the help of three formidable characters who will aid him in his battle against the Professor and along the way learn about his father, himself, and the power of deep affection.

Lok grows to become quite the seeker. Here he summons a mighty titan by hoisting -- the Jetix logo?

Freelancer is one of the more likable go-to titans. (They get cool backgrounds; it's in their contract.)

Is Lok clueless regarding female affection? No comment.

Even our one sentence synopsis cannot do justice to the the fun complexities of the Huntik plot.  Each episode is structured like a chapter in a book, and like a good book you want very much to go on to the next.  That is hard to maintain but Huntik did an amazing job keeping the quality, drama and action up for 26 episodes.

Okay Dante Vale, we get it. You're a bass a$$.

In some good ways Huntik was formulaic in that you expected and got an intense action scene at the end of each episode.  However it was also constantly evolving and ever more powerful bad guys and titans kept entering the stage.   The plot did not wander like some shows plagued with filler stories, rather nearly every episode somehow pointed to the main arc.

Which of these two creepizoids is a villain? The evil monocle-wearing German accented freak, or the eerie eastern European colorless weirdo? Ha, a trick question. They are both appalling.

The summons got huge. The government could not write this one off as a "weather balloon".

The complexities of the characters also grew more intense and stayed fresh.  What motivates powerful Dante Vale?  What secrets is mysterious Zhalia Moon hiding?  Will potent Sophie Casterwill come to like Lok?  And will Lok find his long lost father?

Zhalia Moon. Does this look like a girl who is hiding something?

Do not let Sophie Casterwill's appearance dissuade you from her "world's most dangerous teen" moniker. It is indeed true.

The artwork was consistent and well done.  The characters designs had -well, character.  The titans were quite varied, and if not designed exactly to our tastes they were true to the universe.  The painted backgrounds were high quality and sometimes nearly spectacular.

There was a certain unique stylishness to the whole production.  From the cool outfits the characters wore to the opening title scrolls for each episode.  Additionally computer graphics were pleasingly incorporated when – - their portable computer devices displayed things.  Shocking!

How much longer must mankind wait for holographic displays?

Sophie Casterwill has a thing about uneven stockings. Really.

On the rare occasions Sophie was not wearing stockings she could make uneven, she was sure to wear something else asymmetrical. I.E. this skirt. (Yes Dante, you are cool in your long coat. Shut up.)

Huntik succeeds in bringing to life a believable world filled with unique nomenclature.  Phrases like “boltflare”, “hyperstride”, and even the rare “double spell” are those to which you soon get accustomed.  You will get that good feeling of travel as you tag along on visits to far flung locations and ancient ruins.

Count the Professor's bad guy clues in this picture. Uneven eyes. Check. Horrid skin discolorations. Check. Evil reddish background. Check. Fat wide face with meanie grimace. Obvious.

The Huntik recipe?

1. 2 parts Indiana Jones
2. 1 part Yu-Gi-Oh!
3. 1 part Harry Potter
4. Stir in ample diced loyalty.
5. Mix together with liberal pinches of style and a little romance for 26 episodes.
6. Add intense spices that may cause flavor explosions and a little tearing.

It was fun having a weak sidekick, Cherit, that occasionally kicked serious butt. "Not on my watch!"

"Holy liability! Didn't anyone think to put a railing here!?"

It was a season that was not afraid to leave you with unresolved problems at the end of an episode.  It even sometimes set the characters back with defeats.  In fact many plot issues were handled in a realistic way.  In the end some problems will still not be fixed, and while there will be victory and some comeuppance, there will be a little sadness too.

If Sophie's lone stand against the Professor does not make you a little sad, cut your arm open to see if you are an android.

Complex plots and mature themes bolster this exemplary series.  It is for those seeking quality and something a little different.  Check it out of you like deeper plots and tire of anime stereotypes.  If that sounds at all appealing, it is unlikely that Huntik will disappoint.

Zhalia says: "Watch it or I will kick you in the face."

Check out the Huntik opening once described to us as a “rock anthem”!

See more pics of the Huntik girls in Top Ten Animated Pictures Vol 2.

Green Lantern: First Flight [2009]

Is not Hal Jordan supposed to be likable?  We assume that is the intent of the makers of this direct-to-video film.  However, his opening scene antics do nothing to aid in this point.  We know nothing of this guy’s natural strengths, and all we see is him giving hard working people a lot of attitude and trouble.

Becoming a Green Lantern is not for the average Joe... or is it? One thing is for sure, it is not for the even slightly overweight.

Tricia Helfer did a good job voicing Boodikka. (There are no unattractive female lanterns.)

Is not Hal Jordan supposed to be some sort of special guy with an amazing ability to use the Green Lantern ring?  A ring that takes mental strength, imagination and will power.  Well, we know it takes that.  However watching this film as a total Green Lantern neophyte one might think the ring was pretty much akin to magic and more or less did whatever the user wanted.  This movie never explained to the viewer why Jordan’s mastery with the ring was special.

It was good to see a classic Hal Jordan Green Lantern standby return: The Giant Shield

Also seen here way back in 1985's Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians.

Here is the patented one sentence synopsis:  After a dying member of the elite Green Lantern corps of space guardians crashes on Earth he asks his mighty power ring to find someone worthy to take it up which it does in finding wise cracking slightly bitter Hal Jordan who in no time is wielding the supposedly difficult ring in moments and soon after travels to the Green Lantern headquarters in deep space where he amazingly outperforms experienced lanterns, uncovers a nefarious plot to destroy the corps, and has a huge contrived one-man battle against a large inanimate battery.

Behold, the ultimate enemy! ...A large yellow battery?

Is this pose indicative of someone looking to betray the Corps and seize power for himself? Not to the Guardians. Sharp those guys...

We give props to DC.  Their direct-to-video movies have on the whole been better than Marvel’s similar outings.  That said, Green Lantern: First Flight may be one of the weakest of the DC lot.  It lacks definition.  How does a power ring work?  What are its weaknesses and strengths.  Can it be overpowered through force?  How does the state of the user affect the ring’s power?

We know Hal Jordan can use the ring's power as a spring to the amazement of other lanterns. There seems to be a serious lack of imagination on their part.

Jordan did a lot of battling during the film, but it was hard to tell why he was winning or losing.  Many of the fights turned into plain old slug-fests with a green glow.  This was especially true in the climatic battle versus his future arch enemy, Green Lantern gone bad Sinestro and his pet… yellow battery.

Iron Man wanna-be? The climatic slugfest was ended when Hal gathered a bunch of power together and fired it like Iron Man's unibeam. It came out of nowhere and appeared too effective compared to what came before. Hey, Iron Man does not use rings, so...

Are not origin stories supposed to be some of the most powerful?  How about the first Harry Potter movie, or the first Spiderman movie.  There is only one shot at an origin story, and in this movie it lasted about 17 seconds.  “Put on this ring.”  “Wow, look I am transformed into a spandex wearing super hero!”  It was a waste.  Where was the wonderment of a whole new world opening up?

This goofball plot may have been just as powerful...

Well, let it never be said that being a lantern kept Hal Jordan from flirtin' with the ladies.

On the good side, DC once again assembled a top notch group of voice talent including a number of celebs you would likely recognize.  We will shout out to Victor Garber voicing Sinestro “coolly diabolical” -er, well not exactly.  It was more like “determinedly misguided”.  It is not Garber’s fault, that is how Sinestro was written.

Guardians: "Sinestro, you are not a megalomaniac bent on destroying us are you?" Sinestro: "No, of course not." Guardians: "Okay. We're convinced."

Our other shout out goes to veteran actor Malachi Throne.  That guy was acting in the 1950’s!  He was False Face in the 60’s Batman and Commodore Mendez in the original Star Trek for you whose memories go back that far.  Here he voiced one of the snobby, elitist out-of-touch council members who invented the Green Lantern corps, Ranakar.

Malachi Throne as Commodore Mendez: "I told you Kirk. First you make the buttons red, THEN you look into the goofy ball."

Hal Jordan gets judged by the Guardians. That is different... or is it the most overused plot in Green Lantern history?

The universe depicted in this movie was a strange cold one.  The Lantern Corps seemed little more than background props and its members either a megalomaniac, turncoat, insular brute, snob or weakling fodder for a variety of deaths.  Green Lantern: First Flight is sometimes fun, but also flawed and disappointing.

See what happens when DC Comics and Warner Bros. are under the same roof?

The Librarian [2004-2008] (movie-series)

Do you feel like raiding Indiana’s high road to the doomed temple like Jack Hunter?  Or do you jones to crusade to King Solomon’s mines with Allan Quatermain where you will quest for national treasures discovered from secret books?  Possibly your star leads to a gate in Egypt where while searching for the Michelangelo Code an emperor’s mummy awaits.  Afterward, perhaps you and Lara Croft will bring back alive relics hunted in ancient tombs filled with lost golden monkeys.

"Ah, how do we get down?"

Noah, which of the Librarian movies is this?

If any of this sounds like a fun adventure to you, then you have what it takes to enjoy “The Librarian” series of made-for-TV movies.  They are Quest for the Spear [2004], Return to King Solomon’s Mines [2006], The Curse of the Judas Chalice [2008].  The sometimes likable, often hapless and almost always bumbling hero Flynn Carsen is played by ER alumni Noah Wyle.

Trying to blend in at New Orleans, can you spot the doofus in this picture?

Here Flynn Carsen shows Nicole how adept he is to woodland travel.

Synopsis of a movie series in a sentence?  The “library” is a secret facility that hides for safe keeping the most powerful mythic objects in history (like the Ark of the Covenant or Fountain of Youth) which are obtained by the current librarian, the newbie Flynn in this case, who globe trots into trouble on a regular basis successfully retrieving the objects, avenging his father’s murder and totally striking out with the ladies.

Oh, and did we mention light saber fights? He kind of has one of those too.

Just another day at the office.. -er, library. And you thought cubicle farms were big.

The first movie paired the loner up with a tough but pretty woman, Nicole.  She acted as his guardian and shared the secret of the library.  However she surprisingly disappeared off the face of the Librarian universe (and into numerous recurring roles on half a dozen TV shows).  At least he retrieved the Spear of Destiny.

It would be sweet if all our entrances included dramatic curtain sweeps, overexposure and and an awesomely convenient back light. Nice job Nicole.

Paul Atriedes -er, I mean Kyle MacLachlan is so evil. Just look at his hair! (AND he is wearing leather.) You know that spear is in the wrong hands.

The second move got him romantically involved with a pretty archeologist (aren’t they all pretty?) who was not impressed with his 22 degrees considering she had 25.  (Do not these types have hobbies?)  However in the end she goes off to another dig (and onto a co-starring role in Burn Notice).  At least he avenged his father’s murder.

Gabrielle Anwar plays your typical archeologist - assuming your typical archeologist is fabulously good looking and survives on a diet that would starve a rabbit.

Attention all bad guys, must we remind you again? If there is lava anywhere around your final showdown... well, do we need to say it?

The third move was his most tragic love affair yet.  I do not need to tell you the dangers of falling in love with a vampire.  Sure it is great for a little while and she has all these powers and such, but in the end it just turns to dust (literally in this case).  But a least he recovered the chalice and stopped a very bad guy.

Ahh, there is nothing more romantic than sharing a sunrise ...with a vampire? That idea seems flawed in some small way.

Vampires have some pretty fearsome powers in the Librarian universe.

Jack Hunter seems more directly inspired by Indiana Jones and has all the love affairs in which he feels like engaging.  Flynn Carsen on the other hand is an over-educated goofball whose lucklessness with the ladies seems destined to keep this loner -er, alone.

However romantic troubles did not keep Flynn from dancing his way though ancient traps. Why didn't Indiana Jones think of that? The ancients foiled again!

At least Flynn has a best friend, the enchanted sword Excalibur. (No we are not kidding.)

The visual effects are pretty good overall, though occasionally glaringly cheap.  (There were some nifty ones involving the vampires in the third installment.)  The music is adequate, sometimes dramatic, if not John Williams.  The director for the last two efforts is Jonathan Frakes (“Make it so number 1!”) and his skills are certainly up to the task.

Bob Newhart plays the mysterious library curator Judson, who may be a thousand years old and the first most powerful librarian ever.  It is a plot arc they barely touch each installment.  However this strong supporting cast ties the series together; a crucial function when entries are separated by years.  Other supporting cast are Jane Curtain as the annoying secretary with a heart of gold stereotype, and Olympia Dukakis as the mother who wants to marry off her son stereotype.

Yes, that is the Fountain of Youth glowing behind Bob Newhart's Judson. Makes you wonder why Ponce de León had such a hard time finding it.

Kelly Hu, you are in this series too? Why does such a nice looking girl end up playing so many heavies? PS- Nice choker.

These movies are not Casablanca, but they are good fun on a TV budget if you are inclined to enjoy the adventure genre.

Okay, bad guy checklist: Black gloves? Check. Slightly strange items of clothing? Check. Facial hair/unshaven? Oh yeah. Sneers, cold stares and goofy expressions? Double check.

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman [2003]

"Are there no other flying mammals for these newbs to pick?"

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (B:MotB) feels like a long well done episode more than a movie.  It would be unfair to compare it to the highly regarded Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.  That was a very special film from a different era.  This film does not delve into Bat’s psyche that way.  Rather it focuses on, unsurprisingly, him figuring out the identity of the formidable and entertaining Batwoman.

Summing the plot in a sentence:  When a mysterious female bat-themed vigilante starts wreaking havoc on Gotham’s gangland with a little too much abandon it is up to Batman to get to the bottom of who it is while along the way meeting a bevy of pretty women and even going on a few dates -as Bruce Wayne of course.

Pretty, and pretty clumsy scientist Dr. Roxanne 'Rocky' Ballantine. Voiced entertainingly by Kelly Ripa. Regis Philbin voiced Bane...

Not all bats are created equal. Here is something you will never see Batman do. (Besides, there is no way THAT could fit in a utility belt.)

The animation quality was good.  There were plenty of dark shadows and contrast.  New locations in Gotham like a nightclub where Bruce Wayne and a certain female go on a date were interesting.  Of course, the date is interrupted by heroes and villains duking it out.  Bruce Wayne’s social life is …complicated.

The are enough pretty suspects in B:MotB to make both Catwoman and Batgirl jealous.  In the case of the latter, it did!  Barbara Gordon AKA Batgirl, definitely going through her crushing on Bruce Wayne phase, was smarty and conveniently kept away at college.  Oh, it would have been fun to see the sparks fly between Batwoman and Batgirl though.

Pretty, and pretty much fully crushing on Bruce Wayne/Batman. A rendition of Barbara Gordon that clearly shows the art direction of this movie. BTW, is black lipstick the rage on campus?

2003 is about 4 years after the last Batman: The Animated Series spin-off ended.  It was good to hear the voice actors from that era reunited for this production.  Including Bob Hastings as Commissioner Gordon, and of course Efrem Zimbalist Jr. delivering Alfred’s well written cracks with awesome dryness.

Your going to have to train a lot earlier in the morning to catch the Batman with a hit like this. BTW men, be careful how you compliment a woman's outfit...

Pretty, and pretty rich. Keep your eyes on the road or you will be paying for reconstructive surgery.

Hector Elizondo performed a new and menacing voice for Bane, who was treated well and quite powerfully.  He got sufficient comeuppance for satisfaction, but the bosses who hired him, Thorne and the Penguin were never shown to have fully gotten theirs.

Pretty and - wait. Sheesh. Even female police detectives are pretty? Are there any non-good-looking and in-shape women in all of Gotham City?

While the story was not a big one, it was decent and filled with some witty moments.  Like when a henchman that Bats had previously given a black eye finds the detective snooping around in a room.  They stare at each other for a moment.  Batman gives him the narrow eyes.  Then the henchman quietly closes the door and walks away like he never saw a thing.  Heh.

Batman does not even have to turn his head to clobber run-of-the-mill henchmen.

Is Batwoman a flop at syncronized dancing? Does she dance like Elaine from Seinfeld? How many captions can you write for a goofy looking screen cap?

The admirable art direction’s efforts to make the production stylish was not missed.  2003 being in the middle of the Justice League era, Batman was long-eared and in an even more monochromatic outfit than usual.  The Batwoman and all the female characters were drawn well.  The attractiveness came from the well drawn female form rather than any overt sexiness.  Although, they were all in amazingly remarkable shape…

Someone needs to open up a "24 Hour Fitness" in Gotham. They'd make a killing! Who is the real Batwoman? How much lipstick is sold in Gotham City? Watch to get at least one of these answers.

B:MotB is really more detective story than super hero film.  Oh there are plenty of fight scenes, but it is mostly Batman or the Batwoman (and occasionally both) beating up henchman.    It is not a movie about heavy hitters.  Bane only comes in as muscle in the end.  So the lack of focus on a real villain is a drawback.

"Helicopter? I don't need no stinking helicopter!"

A design borrowed from Miyazaki's never completed "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 2000".

On the plus side the secret of the Batwoman was held back for most of the feature.  Most viewers will be kept guessing, and the plot provided enough half leads and mis-leads to keep it interesting.

Can you find Batman in this picture? (If you guessed 'inside the spotlight' you are correct!)

B:MotB does not add anything permanent nor give us any new insights into the Batman universe.  However, if you like Batman and the pleasingly stylized female form (kicking butt), this is a good choice for your hour and fourteen minutes.

We would enjoy seeing more of this version of the Batwoman. BTW, nice "Kung Fu" pose there girlie.