my rating: One Totoro in a herd of Winnie the Poohs.

what possessed me: Pixar made another movie.

what i learned: This new outing for Woody and Buzz is pretty much everything I expected from a Toy Story flick. The humor is often as creepy as it is funny, especially when it involves Ken and Barbie. Despite the announcement of Cars 2, I’m glad Pixar hasn’t lost its touch. While I was told several times over that this was going to be a tearjerker, I didn’t find it any more sentimental than the other two, but the action was surprisingly grand in scale. Oh, and I’m conflicted about the necessity of Lego Toy Story toys. Okay, not really. They’re awesome.

you may also enjoy: Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Tonari no Totoro and plastic likenesses.

tangential thought: My most memorable toy loss was when I was playing at my mom’s old gallery and put a M.A.S.K. figure in the electrical panel, only to have him fall backwards and irretrievably down into the wall. I would later steal that same figure from my friend Casey Heinz. I was not a good kid, and I will atone for my past in hell.

my rating: Two variations on each of five moe character archetypes.

what possessed me: My favorite 2D lady hits the big screen. This is the kind of thing for which I can withstand the smell that accompanies a theater full of anime fans for over two hours.

what i learned: If I woke up one day in the land of questionably placed CG doorknobs, I would tear the place apart looking for my lost tsundere without a moment’s hesitation. It’s important to appreciate the ones who make life interesting, after all. Also, I like Nagato so much that I was able to enjoy a cappella.

you may also enjoy: Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu, Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo, Back to the Future and the company of odd, irreplaceable friends.

tangential thought: Because I’m against piracy of endeavors I deem creatively worthwhile, I waited until I’d already seen this movie twice before I read the fan-translated version of the novella and headed back to the box office. Yes, my Japanese remains woefully inadequate.

my rating: Three successful Cannon Spikes out of seven attempts.

what possessed me: A hi-def version of this 65 minute film came with my copy of the Collector’s Edition of Street Fighter IV for Xbox 360. Also, Koji Morimoto‘s name is in the credits.

what i learned: Koji Morimoto seems to have very little to do with this production, despite that credit. Also, Cammy is apparently a wuss when she’s not being mind-controlled. It’s fun to see what’s up with the characters, and marvel at the logic involved when the street fighters decide to wear their casual outfits, but the whole thing seems rushed and thrown together. Still, it’s a couple degrees of improvement over Street Fighter II: V, visually.

you may also enjoy: Street Fighter II: The Movie, playing Street Fighter IV.

tangential thought: If you check out images from the game, the character designs are a lot more interesting than they are in this film. However, they decided to bookend the game’s story mode with animated scenes in the same style as this production. I find it a little disjointed, but not as much as my inability to move my thumbs the way I did ten years ago.

my rating: Two worlds out of one.

what possessed me: It’s apparently Dakota Fanning week, I received a rare invitation, and there’s pretty much no way I’d miss this movie barring some catastrophic cerebral event.

what i learned: The line between appreciating what you have and not being willing to settle for too little is constantly blurred, and mind-blowing animation bridges cultural gaps. Also, I dress like an irritating dork.

you may also enjoy: The Brothers Quay, some early Tool videos, Jhonen Vasquez, MirrorMask, Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi, Tonari no Totoro, The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, and using your imagination.

tangential thought: I grudgingly admit that stop motion animation can still be better than CGI. But 3D technology allows me to maintain that progress and advancement is indispensable, you fucking hipster Luddites.