Review Day

There are no spoilers in these reviews.

Tiger Suit by KT Tunstall:
KT's third major album is a very different flavour from her previous ones -- there's more emphasis on synthesized effects and repetitive rhythms and less focus on acoustics. This CD didn't grab me on the first few listens, but it's grown on me over the past few weeks. It's a pretty mellow offering without any big hits, perfect for background music.

Final Grade: B

Despicable Me:
This non-Pixar animated film is no Toy Story, but it's light enjoyable fare about a has-been villain who tries to steal the moon but gets sidetracked by fatherhood. I found his yellow minions to be more derivative than funny, but the voice acting is solid, and this is a pleasant way to spend 90 minutes.

Final Grade: B

The Social Network:
Apparently, the studio believed that no one would watch this movie without accolades plastered all over the cover, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Facebook's origin. Facebook itself is almost secondary to the web of social relationships formed around Mark Zuckerberg, and Jesse Eisenberg does a solid job of portraying his social awkwardness without making him completely unlikeable. The account is also reasonably well balanced too -- although it has some Hollywood flair, it's not just a completely one-sided mudslinging job.

Final Grade: B+

The Guild, Season Three:
In the third season, the online guild is falling apart because of real-life interference from a rival guild just as the new expansion pack arrives in stores. The production values have definitely gone up since Season One, although the bulk of the jokes will still make more sense to gamers than non-gamers. I felt that this season was as good as the previous one. (Note: as a web show, an entire season is only about 80 minutes long).

Final Grade: B