Software Announcements Movie Reviews

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Family movie reviews for "Software Announcements" sorted by average review score:
Loser's Club
Released in DVD by Cpm/Software Sculptors (09 October, 2001)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Average review score:

Hilarious
One of the funiest things that I've ever seen. It was a little shocking at first because with its incredibly filthy and risque humor, but after I got use to it, it was incredibly funny. I must see for anyone who ever liked humor that is daring.

Pioneers In Aviation
Released in DVD by Ent. Software (04 November, 2003)
MPAA Rating: G (General Audience)
Average review score:

GREAT!
I have it, and it gives a great description of the history of aviation. EXCELLENT DVD!

Revolutionary Girl Utena - The Rose Collection Vol. 1
Released in DVD by Cpm/Software Sculptors (22 July, 1999)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Starring: Revolutionary Girl Utena
A logical step for the young fan of anime is this series from the creator of the popular crossover hit Sailor Moon. The story line skews slightly older, not for its violence but for its complexity. The theme is modern mythology, not intergalactic warfare, so it's more interesting and less violent than in Sailor Moon. And less bubble-headed. Our heroine, Utena, is admired by classmates who share Sailor Moon's giddy hysterics, but Utena herself is solid, noble, and strong. Saved by a prince as a child, Utena dresses in the men's uniform of the expansive Ohtori Academy. Her goal is to be prince, and in this introductory disc (seven episodes, nearly three hours of material), she shows signs of becoming one. The scheming student council allows her into the mysterious forest arena, where she wins a sword duel (not played for blood) and wins the devoted loyalty of Anthy, the mysterious Rose Bride. They become a team, discovering the riddles of the arena forest and fending off challengers (while excelling in classes to boot). While some Westerners may read far too much into the sexual politics of the series, it's very old-fashioned at its core: Utena's affections are girded toward a duelist who just may be the prince who saved her years before. Some mild domestic violence and oddly subtitled songs ("Absolute Destroy Apocalyptic," "Paleozoic Era in the Flies") will ruffle some parents, but for ages 9 and up it's engaging entertainment. Utena delivers for girls what Star Wars did for boys: a never-ending series of adventures that one can imagine themselves in, whether daydreaming or playing in the backyard. The DVD comes in both subtitled and dubbed formats. --Doug Thomas
Average review score:

Amazingly deep
When I first picked up this series at a local video store, I expected it to be some cheesy, melodramatic shojo (girls') anime. Was I ever wrong.

Utena, superficially, is the story of a determined young girl who goes through many trials for the sake of her friend, the Rose Bride, Anthy Himemiya. Underneath all that it is a heavily symbolic story about the balance between masculinity and femininity and humanity's struggle against its own flaws.

Utena is directed by Ikuhara, who also did Sailor Moon - but be warned, Utena is nothing like Sailor Moon. While the anime is still lighter than the original manga, it deals with controversial subjects such as incest, rape, and lesbianism. Young children can watch Utena without fear, as it contains no nudity or violence whatsoever, but a ten-year-old simply won't get the complexity of plot in Utena, which was written for teenagers.

Ikuhara's handling of Utena is superb: the music, the animation and the voices are great - but the English pronounciations are still awful (Utena TenjOH, people, not Tenjoo). Utena is a geart watch even for guys; you can't call yourself an otaku if you don't see it!

Incredibly Intriguing
When I saw the first episode I was more than a bit confused, I thought, 'hey, maybe the next one will clear things up', but it just got more and more complicated.
What I like about this serie is that it's original, I mean, which other serie can you name that has an unwilling heroine looking for a mysterious prince from her past ending up in a strange academy where people are fighting to possesss the equally mysterious 'Rose Bride'?
Initially I only watched the first load, the Rose Collection, it was left me by my cousin, and afterwards I was just like...man, why didn't he have the REST?!!! It's truly an original masterpiece, just what I'd expect from the director of Sailor Moon.

To tell you the truth..
I had heard about this show alot, especially about the movie version and it was precicely that fact that made me stear clear from it for a while. I am a huge fan of Sailor Moon, and it was the beauty and purity in my mind of that show and that world that I didn't want to pollute with something that was supposedly more "edgy" but just dirty and gratuitous. Luckly, when I got sick in Japan this winter and had to stay home in bed, my boyfriend and I went to get videos at the video store. One piece and Inuyasha were being rented, so we went with the DVD's of Utena. They were GOOD! Way better than I thought they would be! The setting (kind of a bizarre non existant place highly influenced by gothic french architecture) is gorgeous and kinda makes you wish you were there, and the characters are memorable. The only one I can say kindof annoys me is Anthy but I think that's kind of supposed to be the intention of the author.

Anyway, I was really impressed though I thought I would dislike this show.

Revolutionary Girl Utena - The Rose Collection Vol. 2
Released in DVD by Cpm/Software Sculptors (21 March, 2000)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Starring: Revolutionary Girl Utena
The mysteries of Ohtori Academy unravel a bit more in this second collection of episodes. Our noble heroine, Utena, is drawn into a series of bloodless fencing duels, the winner receiving the loyalty of Anthy, the mysterious Rose Bride. Being the first winning female Duelist, Utena has some peculiarities to resolve, sometimes quite comically. Nevertheless, she wants to free Anthy of her obligation and allow her to be a regular student, much to the chagrin of the shadowy student council who dub themselves "End of the World." Director Kunihiko Ikuhara (the inferior Sailor Moon) adopts a variety of tones in this series. "Curried High Trip" is played for laughs while the next episode, "Castle Where Eternity Dwells," deals ominously with Utena's past when her parents died (offscreen) and she is brought hope by way of a prince's gift--a ring, the symbol of a Duelist at Ohtori. Several duels take place in these episodes as we see the sides more cleanly defined: Utena will have to face down the student council at some point. The final episode recaps the first 12 episodes and tantalizes us with a key development for future episodes (there's 39 in all). Some mild domestic violence and oddly subtitled songs ("Absolute Destroy Apocalyptic," "Paleozoic Era in the Flies") will ruffle some parents, but girls ages 9 and up accustomed to anime will find this engaging entertainment. --Doug Thomas
Average review score:

Great Series
I bought the Utena DVDs on a whim, after hearing good reviews on the many anime sites that I frequent, and I was not disappointed. This is a cute anime that also makes you think. Its become one of my favorites! I recommend this series to any anime lover! However, there are some SLIGHT lesbian undertones, although not as many as in the movie, so homophobs should beware.

revolutionary anime
utena rocks! i rented the rose collection 1 on netflicks and was hooked by the first episode. what's nice about the rose collection 1 or 2 is that it has 7 episodes on it, so you can really get into the characters and the story. the character designs are great and the story is very mysterious. this is a very character driven show. i have seen a lot of anime and this is one of the best. other anime i love: evangelion, mobile suit gundam, gunbuster, macross.

An essential adult anime series
Don't be fooled by that "shoujo" or all the pretty flowers; Utena, followed all the way through, is a very disturbing series full of captivating imagery and memorable characters. Beware this show if you can't handle: incest, stabbings, betrayal, malice, abstract theatre, and some of the strangest scenes ever to come off a DVD.

The Slayers - DVD Collection (Episodes 1-26)
Released in DVD by Cpm/Software Sculptors (19 September, 2000)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
These four discs constitute the first broadcast season of the well-liked Dungeons and Dragons-style farce The Slayers. Red-haired Lina Inverse has a typical anime heroine's hot temper and insatiable appetite for food but also a rare talent for swordplay and casting powerful spells. As she roams from town to town, she acquires a cadre of able but quarrelsome companions: Gourry, a big, blond, dumb knight; Zelgadis, a once-human chimera who practices shamanic magic; sorceress-in-training Amelia, who makes Gourry look bright and Lina appear graceful; and the shrine maiden Sylphiel. Together they make short work of the hordes of bandits, golems, werewolves, trolls, mercenaries, and evil spirits their enemies send after them. They also have to face some more formidable foes, including the wizard Vrumugun, ace swordsman Zangulus, and archsorceress Eris. But the greatest threats come from the exceedingly powerful Rezo the Red Priest and the Dark Lord, Shabranigdo. All Lina's adventures involve a lot of slapstick humor, but these episodes have a more carefree tone than the later feature and the OAVs that paired her with the overendowed Naga. The convoluted plot lurches and stumbles along, much the way Lina fumbles around after getting clobbered. Although the fate of the world is supposed to hang on the outcome of these adventures, the broad comedy prevents the various episode directors from creating much suspense or a sense of menace. The Slayers is featherweight entertainment, but one that has won many fans in both Japan and the United States. Some viewers may object to the jokes about a mincing gay dragon, Lina losing her power at "that time of the month," and the many wisecracks about her being flat-chested. Japanese filmmakers and audiences clearly have different standards of what qualifies as PC humor. "Suggested 13 Up" for violence, profanity, brief nudity, and sexual humor. --Charles Solomon
Average review score:

Not your typical Heroine.
Lina Inverse kills bandets, raids their pockets & forts, only works for money & treasure, is greedy with food, sassy, loud-mouthed, screams alot, lies, cheats, beats up her own friends, & she's the heroine! Imagine just how bad the villians must be to make her look good! This is the perfect Fantasy story for people looking beyond what's normal to find something great^__^

Great anime
This has to be the funniest anime I have seen yet!

Slap down hillarious
If you are an anime fan, Slayers is a must have. It is slap down hard core comedy, fantasy, and action. The animation is not as good as it could be, yet it fits the plot.

The story revovles around a 15-year-old expert sorceress Lina Inverse, the Dragon Spooker (according to my sub). Yet Lina isn't the typical, slutty, thin, sweet tempered, naive herione. Insteade she is short, has a crappy attitude, and is very down to Earth. As you follow Lina's travels, you will come across the cute, blonde, yet dumb as a rock swordsmen Gourry. Personaly I think Gourry puts new meaning to the term, "dumb blonde". Together they are traveling to Atlas City, yet they don't get there as planned.

When Lina robbs a mob of Bandits known as the Dragon Fangs, she and Gourry stumble upon an artifact that can change the way of the future. Yet Lina is not aware of the power of what she finds. Enter Zelgadis. A half human, half Chimera. He is also after the artifact, but not to rule the world.

Soon the team meets up the the exentric little princess name Amelia, who tags along with the Slayers team. Amelia is my favorite character. At first she only joins the group because she wants to learn Lina's most power spell, The Dragon Slave. But soon alterior motives keep Amelia from going back home.

To add with all the chaos going on, the team has another group of followers, only they are trying to draw the group to the city of Sairag. What is the angle of the mysterious and not too smart persuers of the Slayers gang? And what is the secret of Rezo? Also what mysterious powers dose Gourry possess? Finally, how will Lina be able to survive all the madness of multiple people trying to kill her?

This seris is non-stop, you just can't stop watching it. Not to mention, it is just too hillarious. Although I do advise you to be mature when veiwing. Some of the humor has a sexual sence to it. For example all the jokes about Lina being underdevoloped, and Lina losing her powers at 'that time of the month'.

The voices of both versions are really good. The dubbing of this seris isn't as bad as some of the other English jobs I have seen. In the orginal version, the talant of Megumi Ayashibara portrays Lina Inverse, and sings the opening and ending theme song.

Every otaku should veiw this seris, you will not be disspointed

Ping Pong Club Rots in Hell
Released in DVD by Cpm/Software Sculptors (11 December, 2001)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Oddly, the first release in the U.S. of this 1995 TV series contains the final episodes (which last only 12 minutes apiece). The Ping Pong Club chronicles the gross-out antics of the boys' table tennis sports club at Inachu Junior High. The membership includes the handsome players, Kinoshita and Takeda; Takeda's volatile girlfriend, Kyoko; and the four losers at the core of the show: smelly American exchange student Tanabe, diminutive Tanaka, lecherous Izawa, and Maeno, the school windbag. Although Ping Pong Club has been compared to Beavis and Butt-Head and South Park, the crude quartet is neither as mean-spirited as the former nor as foul-mouthed as the latter. But with endless and often explicit gags about flatulence, voyeurism, sex, and urination, this series is not for the easily offended. Unrated; suitable for ages 18 and up: Explicit nudity, sexual situations, bodily function jokes, violence, alcohol use. --Charles Solomon
Average review score:

Don't judge a book by its cover...
Hahaha!! This anime DOES keep its sickness like the true and wonderful South Park, but... it's too bazaar for any human to handle... but if you happen to run upon this... Be prepared for the worst... because your going to laugh your ass off of this crazy anime, and after watching it once... you know your hooked... if not... well... use it as a freesbie for your dog!!

Ja'

A shocking anime to come to the US - Oh my!
When I saw this DVD at a local electronics store, I was shocked! Why? It's because this anime is very perverted. No, it's not hentai (adult anime) and it's not anything like those type of anime.

Think of it as mixing "South Park" with the perverted jokes that you hear in the locker room. Juvenile humor at it's best with plenty of fart jokes, mooning and an extra load of perverted humor. That's what "The Ping Pong Club" is about. So, if you don't like this type of humor...stay away!

For those familiar with Japanese television shows, think of it as a live version of "Giragameshu".

I first heard about this series a few years ago through my friends and a female friend from Japan collected the manga and I just remembered how interesting the character designs were for the anime. I also remembered how interesting this anime after watching the episode, so once I saw this DVD for sale, I asked myself this question: "Is America ready for The Ping Pong Club"? I guess this remains to be seen.

The story is about a group of interesting individuals who are members of a Ping Pong Club. The stories feature the lecherous duo Maeno and Izawa who are perverted but have an ability disguising themselves. These guys are truly off the wall. Then the other members. One is a guy who has a problem with body odor and a belly button with an extreme outtie, the president is your normal guy who likes the beautiful but overly tough girl of the club, then there is the short member with a big head who likes to get his thrills from animals and the playboy of the group. Each make up the "Ping Pong Club".

This series really is off-the-scale perverted humor and what do you know, it's available in the US and on DVD but the weird thing is, Software Sculptors released this DVD not from episode 1 but starting at TV episode 23 through episode 34.

Yes, television episodes and most likely shown late night.

Well, don't worry...the show doesn't necessarily have a typical anime series plot. Each episode is different.

The episodes are similar to the "Urusei Yatsura" and "Crayon Shin Chan" series. Each half hour episode contains a total of two 15-minute episodes.

So, what kind of humor will you find in these episodes?

One episode has Maeno and Izawa helping an elderly ventriloquist after they busted his doll. So, Maeno is forced to disguise himself as a doll and together with the ventriloquist performs at a local school of young kids. Unfortunately, Maeno's perverted mind kicks in.

Another episode features the group trying to find their missing membership dues. Someone in the club took the money but what this member is using the stolen money for is shocking.

Again, this anime is not hentai. There is quite a bit of nudity and fart jokes, so you know where this anime is going.

As for the DVD, it features a trailer, title free OP credits and Software Sculptors trailers.

It's actually quite entertaining and if you are in a mood to watch something unusual, funnier, raunchier and more entertaining than "South Park", this anime is definitely for you!

Freakin Hilarous
This DVD is hilarious. Think anime South Park. Definitely a little odd though.

Maze
Released in DVD by Cpm/Software Sculptors (19 September, 2000)
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Starring: Maze and Katsumi Hasegawa
This two-part OAV (original animation video) attempts to mix a sword-and-sorcery adventure with slapstick sexual comedy, but the elements fail to gel into a coherent story or tone. The title character is a voluptuous woman by day, but a lecherous male by night--a premise no stranger than Ranma 1/2, but the filmmakers fail to use it as effectively. The battles orchestrated by the villainous Gorgeous and his sinister brother are too violent for the broad comedy that follows and vice versa. Lina and Nahga jiggle their way through fights, but they don't shed blood or kill people. Much of the supposed comedy reflects the disparity between attitudes toward sex in America and Japan. When Maze in her male form attempts to rape Mix, the Princess of Babylon, it may play as comic in Japan, but American viewers will find it off-putting. Similarly, having Randy, the wee fairy, take up residence in Maze's cleavage presents a little too much gratuitous nudity. In the bonus Maze TV series episode, the title character is a modern college student who is somehow transported to the Forest of Panon. Her house falls on the demi-human pursuing Mill, like Dorothy landing on the Wicked Witch. The ensuing adventures are a lot tamer, but not appreciably more coherent. "Parental discretion advised." Episodes include: 1. "Bold and Wonderful Challenger," 2. "Bold and Radical Adventure," 3. "A Stranger Lost in Random Space." Suitable for ages 18 up: nudity, attempted rape, sexual humor, sexual situations, suggestions of lesbianism, profanity, violence. --Charles Solomon
Average review score:

A damn good reason to fear Japan...
Don't get me wrong, I love anime. I love most of Japanese culture...but DVDs like the MAZE OAV make me glad that I'm as far away from there as possible, assuming the creators live there as opposed to living with Jimmy Hoffa and the aliens on the planet Zarkon. I had seen (and reviewed) the original Maze TV series, but one good thing about TV; you have to have standards. ..., Maze tries to mix a D&D type fantasy with a sexual comedy. Let me expound upon that by saying that the results are at best tragic, and at worst horrific. I don't care about things like "cultural differences", scenes like where man Maze decides to pointlessly rape this princess named Mix, only to turn out that, yes, she enjoyed it, should not even exist, yet alone being presented for my viewing enjoyment. Pretty much, this is the version of "Maze" that takes the gloves off of the series, showing what I'm sure the ... creator originally had in mind, but couldn't show, even on Japanese TV. Delightfully flat characters and pointless scenes ahoy! Would recommend as an alternative to "cruel and unusual punishment", or for use as a frisbee for a REALLY small dog. Avoid this if you ever want to "like" anything again.

Just awful!
Could only watch the first few minutes before going into 8x fast forward and it still was moving too slow! This one looks like it targets an audience of about the 3rd to 5th grade level in Japan. Animation is very poor (very little movement, very choppy), the dialog is incredibly simple, the situations and story are very standard, and the dub is awful! Very young children may not know better and may enjoy it, but there are some deliberate overtones of sexuality and pre-pubescent female emfatuation that might make this not a dvd to recommend to parents. Enjoy Slayers for better execution of the magic and fantasy theme on an adult level or Escaflowne for serious entertainment for adults or teens.

It was rather....OK.
I wasn't expecting too much from this anime, so I came in with an open mind. For the Maze series, the OAV's came before the TV series and thus with the OAV, you see situations that are more for adults and the TV series, things are toned down for the children who come home in the afternoons in Japan.

With that out of the way, the series was interesting and it did keep my interest. It's not a superb anime but it was entertaining. The anime though is not as sharp as other OAV's that came out during the mid or late 90's. It seemed like TV quality OAV's.

As for the DVD, special features include the first episode of the series (is this a special feature?) and a "meet the cast" which is nothing and the trailers which are from Hasegawa Katsumi's (screenwriter) other works.

Perhaps if I had a DVD-Rom, I would say more positive things but at this time, if you can rent it...rent it. It is a good anime but again...nothing great.

America's National Parks and Forests
Released in DVD by Analytical Software (21 October, 2002)
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Average review score:
No reviews found.
The Battleship USS Missouri
Released in DVD by Ent. Software (30 July, 2002)
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Average review score:
No reviews found.
The Best of Red Skelton
Released in DVD by Ent. Software (17 July, 2001)
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Average review score:
No reviews found.

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