Literary Terms & Movie Review

“THE ANT BULLY” is cartoon movie which features a young boy who happen to be a weakling but turned out to be a strong boy after his encounter with the Ants.  Obviously, this is a fiction movie which captured my attention and come up to write some review of this movie.  You see, I am watching the movie with my daughter and I am explaining too part of the movies which I think needs some elaboration.

Character and Characterization:

The main character is Lucas and he is usually called by mother “peanut” which he thinks is no longer appropriate for him.  Lucas, because he is small and a bit lousy in his physical appearance happen to be bullied by his boys at his age especially the big boy who always give emphasis that “he is big and peanut is small.”

The second character, of course, will be the ants which thought him to be strong due to some life threatening challenges he encountered while at the colony.  ZOC, the wizard of the colony who happen to hate him at first but became one his good friend and partner later.  Hova, the girlfriend Zoc has helped him to become an ant really while he stays at the colony.

The insects exterminator is the villain in the movie.  The man, according to him had made contract with Lucas father to spray insecticide on the grasses to terminate most especially the ants living there.  Since Lucas is stll young and don’t know about contracts, the man manages to let Lucas sign in in behalf of his father.  Father and mother had left for vacation that day, so by some convincing sales talk of the exterminator, Lucas signed the contract.

Overview of the story:

The story started in a scene where Lucas is being held by the big boy, carrying him above the ground and suddenly the big boy let him go which made him slammed his face on the ground.  The big boy and the other kids laugh at him and again he heard the term “I am big and you are small.”

While facing the ground, Lucas happen to attract his attention the Ants who are carrying food for the next season.  While the boys are leaving, Lucas grabbed the hose ans sprayed the ant colony while stating words ” I am big and you are small.”  While doing this, suddenly a man appeared at his back, talking about how he flooded also his first colony.  The ant, as being attack by huge downpour of water coming for the faucet don’t now how to run for their lives.

Meanwhile, Zoc, under the ground is trying to dig the last ingredient for his potion.  According to him, this poton will be the only solution to stop the human Lucas on destroying the colony.  Zoc was successful and finishing the potion and this night, they decided to have a visit to Lucas’ house for the final revenge.

The cut the story short, using the potion, Lucas shrink into a very small human with as small as the ant size.  He was carried by the ants to the colony to be judged on what he did on them.  The ants called Lucas as the “destroyer”.

At the ants’ court room, the queen ant, upon hearing such explanation from Lucas himself decided to let Lucas live with them to learn something about ants.  Luckily, Hova volunteered to teach Lucas of the ants ways of life.

Recommendation:

I might spend another hour if I will narrate all the events through writing.  lol  This is only a review of the movie and if you feel is intersting for you ids too, then I suggest you get a copy of the movie.  This is actually for male kids, but since I have only one child, I want her to learn some of the boys ways too.  I am hghly recommending this movie to be watched not only by male kida but also for female kids.

I have a copy of the first Madagascar. I admit the movie is entertaining not that I watched it with my daughter and answering all her question regarding the thing she doesn’t understand and I decided to watch it again to review some of the events in the movie.

Well. I don’t the copy of the next Madagascar yet but the “ship to Africa” scene was suppose to be done if not the penguins did something to control the ship.  The penguins are the responsible why they went to Madagascar instead of Africa.

The story started when Marty the zebra dreamed of going to the wild.  Marty had seen a realization of this dream when he happen to speak with the notorious penguin which are planning to escape from the zoo.

On the night of Marty’s birthday celebration, he escape the zoo and went to find out way going to the wild.  Melman the giraffe, after a while,  found out the Marty is no longer at his place.  Melman the giraffe, Gloria the hippopotamus and Alex the lion become worried on the idea that their friend zebra might have been lost on the way to the wild.

With out a second thought the three decided to search Marty.  They road a train and yes, I almost forgot that on their search people were amazed why their are animal scattered in the city.  Just an ad lib: my daughter laugh in the scene were Alex was kicked by an old lady when they reach the train station.

Well, I will buy the dvd copy of this movie again.  Cartoon movies are good movies to watch one in while and always if you have with your kids watching movies like this.  I also started to browse online movie review sites to have an overview of this aother “Madagascar” movie.

Now that some TV stations had reach the internet community, you can now watch your favorite movies and TV shows online.  The difference here is that some of these TV station require a subscription payment before you can view them online.

I have seen multiple websites offering movies to be downloaded for free, though other offers paid downloads and others also offer monthly membership fee.  This should be good because you do’t need to outside anymore just to bay a DVD, but the probem is that you are not sure if you really are buying the original movie itself.

Though there are pre-views presented in the website, it is hardto determine if that particular movie is pirated or not.  You will only noticed when you downloaded and watch the movie.  Anothe probem to consider is the license of these sites  selling movies.

I am not bragging these websites  who offers movie downloads, but you know there are lots of scams online and it will take you weeks or even months when you contest it to paypal about your payment.  If this is the case, I would rather go the to store and buy personaly the movie I want to watch.

“Cheaper By The Dozen” has caught my attention because of the effects this movie has to families and children within the family.  This is also the reason why I decided to write a review of this movie to express my opinion on some of the scene that caught my fiber sense.

“Cheaper By The Dozen” is movie that shows the life a a family composed of a father, a mother and 12 children.

The father is a professor in one of the Universities in the country, an old soccer player and he had been called by a colleague to coach one of he famous soccer team in the country.  At present, father is also a couch of the soccer team of the college.

The mother is a well verse writer whose writing career stopped when their family grows more.  For this, the mother decided to stay at home to attend to her siblings needs.

The parents met during their college days when the father was still a soccer player and mother was one of the members of the cheering squad of the team.  Both become attracted and decided to get married.  As their family grew, they transferred to a placed called Midland.  The place is totally far from the city.  Thus, the children grew of some behavior tide to that place.

The oldest among the siblings is a girl. At around 20 years old, she was already living with her future husband, who is presently building a career in the advertising industry as a model.  The setting of the relation ship of the two, thought this is already acceptable to some society like the American society, this is not totally acceptable to some other countries like some people in the Asian countries.

The second to the youngest is a boy at around 7 years old ans he is some kind of nerd.  He prefer to live and play alone together with his pet frog.  Because of his aloofness to his brother and sisters he often speaks with his pet frog. The youngest are twin boys who are very much attached to their father because they were both brought to the soccer ground while their father is couching the soccer team.

While the family is living peacefully at Midland, a big break arrive to father and mother.  Father received a call from a colleague that he will be coaching the soccer team which father was a member during his college life.  This break is actually father was dreaming, not to mention that the salary offer will be more than enough to what they will be needing financially.

Mother received also a call from her previous employment.  Mother continued writing while at home and she had written a book entitled “Cheaper By The Dozen” in which this is also the title of the movie.  The book had reach her previous employment and was impressed of the book.

Father and mother discussed the scenario and they come up that they will move to another place where father is closer to his soccer coaching job.  The children reacted vehemently, nobody wants to leave the place.  Of course, children really don’t like the idea of going to another place where all of them will stranger.  Not to mention that that they don’t have friend in that place, is another idea that hampers them move to the place.

To cut it short, the family move to New York and their colorful family life story begins.

Arriving at their new home, everyone was mazed on the size of the house.  Father announced that everybody could now choose their room.  None among the brother and sisters to want the second to the youngest and the nerd of the family to be a partner in the room and so, the poor boy look for another room.  Luckily he found out the attic an d he brought with him his favorite pet, the frog.

After a week or 2, mother received a letter from her previous employment for the promotion of her new book entitled “Cheaper By The Dozen.”  Again, after the deliberation, in agreement to mother, father decided to pursue her career too.  Father knew that this is also one of the mother’s  dream, and so he insisted mother to do the same.

Mother is required to stay for a week.  Father assured mother that he could handle all the house chores especially preparing the kid to go to school while he is also doing his coaching job.

At the first day mother was out, everyone appear to be more energstic which father find it hard to pacify and attend all the need of the kids.  And so, he called the help of the oldest sister to help him in taking care of the young ones.

Father even come up to bring all the soccer team at home so as to do the job while attending to the needs of the children.

Meanwhile, mother called and said to father that she needs to stay for another week to continue more on the promotionof the book.  Though mother sensed their is something fishy going on in the house that day, she ignored it because she really needs to promote her book.

Mother could no longer stand being apart form her kids and so she decided to bring home ger work.  Her employee arranged that an interview will be done at home while observing the situation of being a happy family.  Mother went home with a crew to arranged a set up in the house.

Mother arrived and the children show they really missed mother.  Busy of her fast approaching interview in the house, she did not have the chance to listen to the grievances of her chidren.  Thus, the crew, while capturing the quarreling scenario in were frustrated.  They thought this is not the picture of a hapy family.

That night, the mother learned that her boy is out of his room and later discovered that he really was no longer in the house.  Mother instructed everyone to search thier missing brother.  The oldest sister was also calle dto help finding their brother.

The oldest sister approached father and said: “He once mentioned his favorite place which was Midland.”  Since only the train is the only possible transportation to be utilized by the boy, father hurriedly went to the train station.  Liuckily, he found out his son was seating in one of the vacant seats adn he aproached the boy.

The cried in frustration and shaid to his father, “you did not fulfill your promise”.  Father once promised that in thier new home there will be ahapy family.  Father sat beside the boy and they rpoceed to Midland. Upon aproaching their house at Midland, father and son geard some noises.  As they looked back, they found out that the whole family followed also to Midland.

Father decided to leave his work after the final game.  The team won on that event.

The family went home.  Father hasd manage to get his teaching job at Midland University again.  Fortunately, mother’s book become also one of the best selling books.  One again, they become a happy family.

The END

Rapunzel is a Disney cartoon movie that talks about a lady who has been abducted and hailed by a witch since she was a baby.  The young lady, who was a daughter of a King doesn’t know anything about her past life, so all she knows now is that her mistress was the only person who took care of her since she was a baby.

This Disney cartoon movie is created sole to inspire and to motivate every young female at the age of 6 – 10 of age to become good if not great painters in the future.

Title: Rapunzel
Written by: Cliff Ruby and Elana Lesser
Produced by: Jesyca C. Durchin and Jennifer Twiner McCarron
Directed by: Owen Hurley

Character:
Protagonist: Rapunzel – a lady and a princess with long blond hair.
Antagonists: Garfield – a witch and Rapunzel’s mistress who owned the magic palace.

Supporting Characters:
Prince Stefan – future husband of Rapunzel and son of King Fredrick
King Fredrick - father of Prince Eric
King Whilhelm – father of Rapunzel
Penelope – a talking young female dragon and friend of Rapunzel
Hoby – a not-too-old male rabbit and friend of Rapunzel
Huego – a powerful dragon and father of Penelope
Otto – a cat-like animal and pet of Garfield.

Summary:
The story begins with a little girl at the age of 7 with her painting mentor.  Both were supposed to start painting, but the young girl doesn’t have any idea what to paint is hesitant to strike her brush on the canvas.

Her mentor insisted to paint whatever comes in her mind, but as young girl who doesn’t know anything about the real world really doesn’t know what to be painted.

The mentor equipped with such skills to motivate and stimulate the inner sense as the child to come beside her.  And the story begins……..

The palace owned by Garfield where Rapunzel was kept was concealed by magic.  This made the palace unknown to the nearby village and within the jurisdiction of the kingdom of King Fredrick.

One day, Rapunzel was painting together with her friend Penelope and Hoby.  Hoby the rabbit, with his ears served as an antenna detected that Garfield is arriving aboard her horse.  Rapunzel immediately took off her apron and hurriedly proceed to the door to greet her mistress.

Garfield, while walking the hallway noticed that Rapunzel was painting again.  She reminded Rapunzel that it is her duty to serve her. According the Garfield, she was served and taken care of ever since she was a child and she is required to repay it by doing all the household chores and keeping the house and proper order.  This means fixing all the things in the house that needs fixing.

After some traditional discussions with her mistress, Rapunzel went to the kitchen to prepare a tea for her mistress.  While preparing, she was distracted by her two friends hoby and Penelope which made all dishes to flew, but because of their abrupt reaction, they were able to catch all the things including the cookies.

Unknowingly, the spoon was hanged in one of the nose of an animal statue.  The three were amazed that it was a door-lock and the spoon made it open a secret underground door.

After serving the tea to her mistress upstairs, Rapunzel silently went back to the kitchen to the secret passage.  Unknowingly, the secret passage was a way though the village within the kingdom.  Rapunzel strolled the village until she arrive at a place where a two young girls and a boy.  The children were brother and sister of Prince Stefan.

While the young children were picking apples for their horse, the one young lady happen to fall on one of the traps.  Rapunzel seeing the seeing the incident immediate approached the girls and extended her help.

While helping the girl by pulling up from the hole, she unbalanced herself which made her supposed to fall, but Prince Stefan was already at her back and immediately the Prince grabbed her at the waist.

After a few minutes, the children went home, but the two, Rapunzel and Prince Stefan were left and had the chance to talk. Rapunzel had given her name to the Prince, but before the Prince had the chance to introduce himself, Rapunzel insisted him not to which made the prince become more curious about the lady.

Rapunzel insisted that they go to the village to ask someone who knew who made the magic paintbrush she is holding.  With the assistance of the Prince, they went through the smith of the village.  Luckily, the smith knew who made the paintbrush.  It was his brother.  The smith lamented that he could not brought her to him because they were long separated because of the war between the King Fredrick and King Whilhelm.

The two return to the place.  Prince Stefan still doesn’t have the chance to introduce himself to Rapunzel, invited her in a ball.  Rapunzel doesn’t know that the ball will be the celebration of Prince Stefan’s 18th birthday.

In the meantime at the magic palace, in the tower where Rapunzel was kept Hoby detected that Garfield is returning.  The two didn’t know what to do, but later agreed that Penelope will be the one to go and pass through the painting of the village to look for Rapunzel.

While the Prince Stefan and Rapunzel were talking about the ball, Penelope appeared.  Stefan, seeing a dragon, reacted vehemently to protect Rapunzel, but Rapunzel, stated that this dragon is her friend.

Penelope begged Rapunzel to return to the tower immediately, because if not, Huego, Penelope’s father, will be punished.  Luckily, with the magic paintbrush at hand, Rapunzel drew a tower which served as a portal for them to return immediately at the tower.

Before Garfield had reached the tower, the Rapunzel and Penelope were already there.  Garfield through the help of her pet Otto learned that Rapunzel had gone to the village and according to Otto, Rapunzel had met Price Stefan.  Garfield wanted to know it personally and so she ask Rapunzel the name of the person whom she’d met.  But since Rapunzel really do not know the name of Prince Stefan said, “I don’t know.”

While Rapunzel, Penelope and Hoby were choosing what dress Rapunzel will wear in the ball, Otto sneaked in the tower.  Otto learned about the ball and immediately reported to her mistress Garfield.

Garfield, remembering what had been done in the past about her acquaintance with the two Kings especially that of King Whilhelm, rage and anger flamed once again her sense.  She had been revenging to King Whilhem ever since.

Immediately, Garfiled called Huego.  Huego carried Garfield on his back and flew up the tower.  She entered the tower and before she extracted another magic, she angrily instructed the Penelope and Hoby to go out.

Once again, Garfield asked Rapunzel about the name of the man whom she’d met, but Rapunzel really don’t know the name of Prince Stefan.  In fact, she doesn’t even that Stefan is a Prince.

With rage and anger, using her magic Garfield cut Rapunzel’s long blonde hair and inflicted one of her powerful magic to imprison Rapunzel in the tower forever.  The magic imposed was to imprison a person with a “lying heart.”

Garfield till full of rage and anger turned her magic to Huego because according to the mistress, he did not discipline Penelope.  The mistress, using again her magic tide Huego with a magic cable connected to tower.

While on her way to the ball, Penelope tried speak with her father explaining everything about what had been done and the help Rapunzel extended to them.  Penelope begged her father to help Rapunzel because she was not lying even before and that she has a clean conscience.

This made Huego to determine that Rapunzel could escape the prison tower and she instructed Penelope to tell Rapunzel about it.  After a few minutes, Rapunzel had escaped and thank Huego for his help, but Huego insisted the he should be the one thanking Rapunzel.

At the ball, Garfield arrived and she let Stefan see her presence.  Wearing the long blonde hair that had been cut as her disguise, Prince Stefan, at first, thought that she is Rapunzel.  Garfield ran to the labyrinth and Stefan followed.

At the labyrinth, Garfield will have the chance to destroy Price Stefan.  But Price Stefan is a well-trained warrior, and so, he had managed not to be caught by of Garfield attacks.

Meanwhile, Penelope had managed to fly up the magic wall with Rapunzel and Hoby at her back.  They are rushing to the ball to stop the possible magical attacks of Garfield.

King Whilhelm had decided and planned an attack to King Fredrick’s kingdom.  According to him, this is now the time to settle their long dispute.  King Whilhelm wanted to revenge her daughter that had been kidnapped by the other King.  Both Kings didn’t know that Garfield was the one responsible from the kidnapping.  This was revealed when all of them meet at the ball.

During the confrontation, Rapunzel arrived and learned that she was kidnapped for Garfield to avenge her frustrations with King Whlhelm.

Rapunzel had managed to catch Garfield using the magic painted prison tower.

The dispute of the two Kings was settled after and Price Stefan and Rapunzel got married.

Ending:
The ending was given emphasis on the paintings which served as the key to solve all the problems.  It is emphasized that Rapunzel is painting through her heart.  The mentor emphasized to her young student that in order for her to paint good drawings, she had to paint also from her heart.

Recommendation:
I would like to recommend that every painter should review this “Rapunzel” cartoon movie.  It should not only be watched by young female aspiring to become good painters but also to all the young children so that they will also be motivated to paint not only by a stroke of the paintbrush but to strike it with all their hearts.

Authors or writers of narratives narrate their stories in a sequence of event by giving emphasis on some events that had happened in the past in relation to the present situation the main character is currently experiencing.  This to further convey the thoughts they want to express.

Chronology - is a technique used in narration to present the even in an orderly manner.  Chronology means the order of events from the beginning to the end.  You can actually number the sequence of event in which they occur to see exactly the chronological presentation of events.

Flashback - is a section of the literary work which interrupts the sequence of events to present a previous event in which it is closely related the to current event the main or any character in the narrative.  In movies, this is usually presented in a black and white picture to give emphasis that the event being shown was done in the past.

Juxtaposition - in narratives means recalling an event simultaneously with what is actually happening.  This is actually the combination of both chronology and flashback.

Main Characters:

Henry – an FBI agent.  He portrays his character as a tough FBI agent and a very protective son to his widowed mother that he really scrutinizes the personally of her mother’s suitor.

Tomy – an undercover CIA agent who infiltrated an international terrorist organization by joining the group who are engaging on some statue theft.  As Tomy pretends to be a bad guy, he happens to become a lover of Henry’s mother, in which later Henry learned that Tomy is on the watch list of the FBI.  The agency does not know that Tomy is an undercover.

Marthy – mother of Henry. Marthy was so reluctant on her life, but became very vibrant lady and “hot” lady/widow after three years of becoming unsensitive to her life, became one of the guys adorned lady because of her personality, not to mention that she become sexy and “hot” as Henry’s co-FBI agents termed it.

Summary:

Upon returning from training after three years, Henry is a full pledge FBI agent now, notice that her mother somehow is not around the house and when he approaches to the swimming pool at the back end of their house, he sees a blond lady wearing a sexy swimming suit laid down facing the pillow and listening to the music while her feet somehow go along with the rhythm of the music.

Henry approached the lady asking some queries, but the lady seems not to hear anybody coming from her because maybe of the loud music stuck on her earns via headphone.  Henry did not even thinking that this lady is her mother because when left home he knew that her mother was a fat lady and doesn’t like to wear such sexy swimming suits like the one he is seeing now.  Henry decided to touch the lady’s shoulder for him to get her attention.  Startled to his astonishment, Henry went off the pool.  The sexy lady is her mother.

One morning, Marthy, Henry with her girlfriend were strolling in the park, while walking, a guy, Tomy is playing with his remote control helicopter happen to bump Marthy’s face that made her fall down on the ground.  Everyone was shocked.  Tomy immediately approached the group and both guys helped Marthy to her feet.

While lying down, as Marthy opened her eyes she saw Tomy staring at him expressing sorry in his eyes in which Marthy reacted and say, “hi”.  Henry seems to get amazed on his mother’s reaction.  They ended up on a café and from then, started a good relationship with Tomy and Henry’s mother, Marthy.

Henry does not know any of Tomy’s personality until one day, in a conference with his sheriff, showed a list of persons who are lurking the town to be watched by the FBI.

Henry becoming paranoid of his mother’s situation reported to his superior that her mother is getting in touched with the bad guy named Tomy and one of the person being watched.  The bureau, while Henry is hesitant, agreed on the idea that they need to install some monitoring devices like tapping his mother’s telephone to monitor Tomy’s calls.

Henry as one of the leading operative in the operation had listened to one of his mother’s intimate conversation with Tomy decided to inform his mother about the situation.  At first, Marhty reacted vehemently, but because of Henry’s elaborative explanation, mother agreed to put on a remote microphone while she will be conversing with Tomy on a date.

From the conversation of Tomy and his mother, Henry and the other FBI agents learned that Tomy and his group will be doing another operation – to steal one of the famous statues in the museum.

On the hand, Tomy’s group is becoming suspicious to him because they learned that he is dating an FBI’s son.  The group is suspecting he is giving information to the FBI, but he is not.  One member mentioned that he, Tomy and his girlfriend will be put to danger if he is doing something fishy to the organization.  The group agreed to do the stealing of the statue the following day.

Tomy and his group, they are all three, manage to enter the museum undetected by maneuvering and later hold on to one the guards on duty.  They tied the security guard and put it on a safe place where the guard could not make for any help from the other guards.  The group got the chance to enter in the room where the prospect statue is installed.

The statue is surrounded with a laser detector that if somebody will touch it, the alarm will be triggered.  The group did not deactivate the alarm instead they hide in one of the exhausts installed in the room.  While in the exhaust, Tomy brought out his remote control helicopter and he drive it flying on the room touching the laser barricading the statue to trigger the alarm.

Since the FBI had installed a monitoring system, they will know any unnecessary event that will happen in the museum.  That night, the alarmed was triggered and Henry while sleeping at home was informed via phone call that the museum alarm is triggered and he was requested to go to the museum immediately.

To cut it short, the group manages to steal the statue, but Tomy was set up and he was left behind.  Henry as the first to arrive at the place caught Tomy escaping.  While Tomy is being instructed by Henry to put his hands up, Tomy explained that he is a CIA undercover and his mother will be put to danger if he will not listen.  Of course Henry, as a tough FBI agent did not believe Tomy’s pleading, but because of Henry’s girlfriend and also an FBI agent manages to comprehend things Tomy is claiming.

After some computer verification, Henry and his girlfriend learned that Tomy really is a CIA agent.  The three rushed to the house where Marthy is because Tomy knew that the bad guys have gone to the house to kill Marthy.

Tomy, Henry and her girlfriend arrived on time and prevented any unnecessary event to happen.

The end.

Characters in the movies or in books display unique performance. From the way they act, utter words, the traits they portray and the way they dress are just examples on how a character is made.

You can identify characters by:

1. Through direct description - it shows the physical attributes that best describe the character. You will notice this by way of another character describing the physical features of the main character. An example of words that could be noted here are: body built, which regards to being powerful by carrying such load which other cannot do it.

2. Through conversation to another characters - you will notice some word expressions being uttered most of the time. This character may have done excellent dialog to the other character which in return had made something favorable to the development of the movie.

3. The character’s thought and feeling - this will be seen provided there’s such event the character shows rage because of the things that triggered him or her to show rage. You can often see this type in movies where the main character has to be disregarded or maltreated in the development in the story. An example of scene that will reflect anger later on the main character is when a love one has been killed.

4. By letting other characters reveal what they think - mostly there are supporting characters that will narrate the heroism or heroic actions of the character being described. The supporting character(s) may tell stories about the character.

5. By showing the character in action - obviously, there are extra-ordinary stunts displayed in the movie. Though computer generated stunts, exaggerated actions will be seen in which serve as distinguishing mark for the character to be described.

Learning English as the Second Language has many sub topics. One of its subtopics is Literature. Though are also another subtopics of Literature itself, I decided to focus on Literary terms being used to evaluate and criticize movies.

Since I am watching movies regularly, I decided to launch this blog to record all the movies I’ll be watching including all the literary terms that could be extracted from a movie. I a going to include book review too if given the chance.