TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you are given product reviews about dvds. The goal is to classify the review as "POS" if the overall sentiment of the review is positive(the reviewer is satisfied) or as "NEG" if the overall sentiment of the review is negative(the reviewer is not satisfied).
PROBLEM: Stick with the original . When Hollywood decided that the classic Christmas cartoon How the Grinch Stole Christmas needed updating, I experienced a quaver of fear. How, I wondered, could anyone bring the classic Dr. Seuss tale and its gnarly green villain to life as vividly as the 1966 animation? I can give a mixed report. Jim Carrey, in the title role, does a marvelous job recreating the nasty antithesis of Yuletide joy. His actions and facial contortions are near-perfect (although his voice, I must admit, pales in comparison to the cartoon version's Boris Karloff). He dominates the entire film with energy and antics only slightly overshadowed by his prodigious makeup and costume. Anthony Hopkins also did good work as the narrator. But director Ron Howard didn't do the Seuss story complete justice. Instead of reimagining the original through a new lens, he gave us a completely different story. The Whos of Who-ville are the primary victims here -- where once they were beatific inhabitants of a remote and pastoral village, they've become greedy, materialistic, hard-partying gluttons in a town based solely on marketing and capitalism. Cindy Lou Who, the innocent tot who discovers the Grinch at his nefarious thievery, is now an older child (Taylor Momsen) bent on redeeming the famous hermit, who boldly braves his mountain fastness to spread her version of holiday cheer. Even the Grinch's pseudo-Santa sleigh has been reinvented, now boasting rocket boosters. And the new back-story, which attempts to explain the Grinch's Christmas loathing, doesn't make a lot of sense. While the cartoon gave us a villain who was evil, rotten to his core and filled with inexplicable rage at the world, this Grinch is simply misunderstood and overly mischievous. Also, should the Grinch's big redemption scene really involve so much heart-thumping pain? I feel sorry for the children who will grow up associating this movie with Dr. Seuss' marvelous story, rather than the animated feature which still holds up so well after 35 years. A favorite Christmas tradition has been replaced with typical Hollywood glitz and glitter, and the season is poorer for it. Please, if you have children (or a childlike fascination for Christmas), stick with the original. by Tom Knapp, Rambles edito

SOLUTION: NEG

PROBLEM: "Rocky" meets "An Officer and a Gentleman" earns a split decision . 2 1/2 Stars. There is nothing original in this story about a young man who is a disappointment to his father, has a problem with authority figures, and has yet to find his place in the world. The plot is predictable from beginning to end and so cliche-ridden it will make your teeth ache. James Franco has good screen presence and he can act, although he is limited. Tyrese Gibson on the other hand is totally unbelievable in his role as Franco's antagonist. He simply always looks like he's acting the entire time. His character isn't even defined well and his reasons for going after Franco's character lacks sincerity and believability. The direction and writing is just all over the place in this film that isn't sure what it want to be, so it tries very hard to be everything. It wants to be a basic training kind of film a la "G.I. Jane" while also trying to be a sports film with its boxing substory. It wants to introduce us to the world of a first class naval academy while also trying to tell us how naval vessels are built. It throws in everything else from race relations to father and son psycho-babble. I was waiting for the kitchen sink to be thrown in for good measure. The film was okay overall when all was said and done. I had some fun with it and Franco is fun to watch. It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, but it was glaringly not as good as it could have been. While viewing this film one is liable to keep saying, "if they only did this" or "if they had only done that." That leaves a bad taste in one's mouth

SOLUTION: NEG

PROBLEM: it had potential . With great music and a setting that reminds you of "Vampire Hunter D" it sucks you into watching the series. The plot turns out to be terrible and the idea of where the wolves came from and where they are going is underdeveloped and disappointing. The animation is good, which is a must have for me, but it wasn't enough to redeem the series

SOLUTION:
NEG