Wreck-it Ralph - 8.8/10
Is this Toy Story with video games? Well...yes and no. The
concept is the same, in that it's about video game characters who come
to life when the people who play with them go away, but the similarities
end there. The first act of this movie is very simple. In fact, I found
myself scoffing at just how simple it was. Ralph is unhappy with his
lot, there's a thing he can get that will make things better, he tries
to get that thing and it's very important...etc. etc.. Looking
back though, I can actually appreciate this. Ralph's game is of an era
when that was how things worked. There's a goal, it means everything,
and you will do what it takes to reach that goal. End of story. It was
also a nice way to contrast the rest of the film, once Ralph realizes
that things are sometimes more complex than just getting that one shiny
thing and making everything great.
There are a lot of cameos from real game characters past and present,
and while they were funny, they were also kind of distracting and so I'm
kind of glad they too were relegated to the first act of the film for
the most part. A lot of video game-based jokes were also sprinkled all
over the place, which anyone familiar with gaming history and/or culture
would appreciate.
Most of the rest of the film was a friendship piece. Kind of like Bolt,
only more of a big bro/little sis kind of way. In any case, it was
actually really sweet, despite what the trailers would have you believe.
Naturally, Ralph's epiphany comes as a result of this relationship, but
not exactly in the way you'd expect, and again it was really sweet.
There was a surprise near the climax that really shouldn't have been a
surprise if I'd been paying close attention, but I count that as a point
in the movie's favor. It means I was so invested with what was going on
that I wasn't trying to figure out all the plot twists ahead of time.
That doesn't happen to me very often and it's always fun when it does.
I'm glad they didn't just make this a straight comedy. The jokes were
good, as I said, but the emotional and relationship aspects were the
best part of the film. It wouldn't be nearly as good without them.
God, I'm such a sap.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
DAC 51: Winnie the Pooh
Winnie the Pooh - 7.0/10
To be honest, there isn't a whole lot I can say about this film that I didn't already say about the first one. They're pretty much exactly the same in tone and theme: very low-key and relaxed. There was humor in this one - some of it genuinely funny, but not over the top. The medium awareness thing was still in effect, and the characters' interactions with the narrator and the book itself were entertaining.
A couple of key differences caught my attention, the first of which being the voice cast. Obviously they're all replacements, and the problem with that is that they're imitating the performances of others instead of creating their own characters, and so at times the performances seemed rather forced. The only one who seemed natural the entire time was Pooh himself, and I think that's because he's such an iconic character that he's easy to do.
There was also some CGI, which was honestly quite jarring. This is probably the only time you'll ever hear me express a preferences for the old "sketchy" style. It just works with this setting, and the animation for much of this film, even the non-CG, was too clean.
Maybe these criticisms are based solely on a "they changed it now it sucks" mentality, but to be honest I was never really all that invested in Pooh to begin with so it doesn't bother me all that much.
All in all, a pleasant film and not a bad way to spend an hour, but kind of an anticlimactic one to go out on.
To be honest, there isn't a whole lot I can say about this film that I didn't already say about the first one. They're pretty much exactly the same in tone and theme: very low-key and relaxed. There was humor in this one - some of it genuinely funny, but not over the top. The medium awareness thing was still in effect, and the characters' interactions with the narrator and the book itself were entertaining.
A couple of key differences caught my attention, the first of which being the voice cast. Obviously they're all replacements, and the problem with that is that they're imitating the performances of others instead of creating their own characters, and so at times the performances seemed rather forced. The only one who seemed natural the entire time was Pooh himself, and I think that's because he's such an iconic character that he's easy to do.
There was also some CGI, which was honestly quite jarring. This is probably the only time you'll ever hear me express a preferences for the old "sketchy" style. It just works with this setting, and the animation for much of this film, even the non-CG, was too clean.
Maybe these criticisms are based solely on a "they changed it now it sucks" mentality, but to be honest I was never really all that invested in Pooh to begin with so it doesn't bother me all that much.
All in all, a pleasant film and not a bad way to spend an hour, but kind of an anticlimactic one to go out on.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
DAC 50: Tangled
Tangled - 8.7/10
I've seen this before, of course. I saw it in theaters when it first came out (I was really excited about it), and I've seen it a few times since. I am quite fond of it for several reasons.
If Tiana was the most admirable of the Disney princesses, then Rapunzel is the most badass. I mean seriously, she saves the day more than anyone else in this film: swinging on her hair like a rope, getting an entire bad guy bar to burst into song, stopping a rampaging horse on a mission...it's awesome. And really, everyone in this film is badass in their own way. The male lead fights off a whole band of palace guards with a frying pan, and then proceeds to sword fight the horse with it (which is hilarious). And the horse - my god, the horse. He is perhaps the most badass of them all. It was a pretty badass movie for a fairy tale, that's all I'm sayin'.
And what an interesting take. Besides the whole stolen at birth, locked in a tower, long hair thing, most of this story was pretty much original on Disney's part. I like that; it sets it apart from their other classic fairy tale movies which were, let's face it, kind of similar. The computer animation was on a whole new level as well and while part of me will always prefer the hand-drawn style, I gotta admit it was some of the most impressive I've ever seen in Western animation. The hair alone was simply spectacular.
Despite my gushing, there were a few aspects of the film that were in the "good, not great" territory and thus caused it to fall just a *bit* short of other modern fairy tale pictures like Beauty and the Beast and The Princess and the Frog. The songs were good and I liked them all, but nothing spectacular like "Almost There" or "Be Our Guest". Certainly nowhere near "Under the Sea". Also, while Mandy Moore has a great singing voice, I'm not sure Zach Levi can quite measure up to her. Again, he wasn't bad by any means, but when paired with a former pop star the contrast in their ability is kind of noticeable. Finally, there weren't any anachronisms or anything, but there were one or two instances of modern-style speech. But at this point I'm really just nit-picking.
One more thing I'd like to touch on: the villain. She is very similar to Lady Tremaine in that her villainy mostly involves taking complete control over another person's life, but unlike the former she chooses to do it with prolonged emotional manipulation. She warns Rapunzel about the selfishness and cruelty of the world, while we the viewers know (and Rapunzel eventually learns) that she herself exemplifies these traits far more than anyone else in the film. What's more, while it is made quite clear that what she cares about most is Rapunzel's magic hair, it is left ambiguous if any of the affection she shows towards Rapunzel is genuine or all just an act. I really like that - especially because if it is real, that makes her actions so much more heinous since she is essentially putting herself before someone she loves rather than just manipulating a naive girl for her own benefit. Kind of like if Long John Silver in Treasure Planet had gone the other way.
In short then, the story was great, the characters were great, the animation was great, and everything else was pretty darn good. Disney magic, plain and simple.
P.S. After watching all 50, I watched this, which was awesome.
I've seen this before, of course. I saw it in theaters when it first came out (I was really excited about it), and I've seen it a few times since. I am quite fond of it for several reasons.
If Tiana was the most admirable of the Disney princesses, then Rapunzel is the most badass. I mean seriously, she saves the day more than anyone else in this film: swinging on her hair like a rope, getting an entire bad guy bar to burst into song, stopping a rampaging horse on a mission...it's awesome. And really, everyone in this film is badass in their own way. The male lead fights off a whole band of palace guards with a frying pan, and then proceeds to sword fight the horse with it (which is hilarious). And the horse - my god, the horse. He is perhaps the most badass of them all. It was a pretty badass movie for a fairy tale, that's all I'm sayin'.
And what an interesting take. Besides the whole stolen at birth, locked in a tower, long hair thing, most of this story was pretty much original on Disney's part. I like that; it sets it apart from their other classic fairy tale movies which were, let's face it, kind of similar. The computer animation was on a whole new level as well and while part of me will always prefer the hand-drawn style, I gotta admit it was some of the most impressive I've ever seen in Western animation. The hair alone was simply spectacular.
Despite my gushing, there were a few aspects of the film that were in the "good, not great" territory and thus caused it to fall just a *bit* short of other modern fairy tale pictures like Beauty and the Beast and The Princess and the Frog. The songs were good and I liked them all, but nothing spectacular like "Almost There" or "Be Our Guest". Certainly nowhere near "Under the Sea". Also, while Mandy Moore has a great singing voice, I'm not sure Zach Levi can quite measure up to her. Again, he wasn't bad by any means, but when paired with a former pop star the contrast in their ability is kind of noticeable. Finally, there weren't any anachronisms or anything, but there were one or two instances of modern-style speech. But at this point I'm really just nit-picking.
One more thing I'd like to touch on: the villain. She is very similar to Lady Tremaine in that her villainy mostly involves taking complete control over another person's life, but unlike the former she chooses to do it with prolonged emotional manipulation. She warns Rapunzel about the selfishness and cruelty of the world, while we the viewers know (and Rapunzel eventually learns) that she herself exemplifies these traits far more than anyone else in the film. What's more, while it is made quite clear that what she cares about most is Rapunzel's magic hair, it is left ambiguous if any of the affection she shows towards Rapunzel is genuine or all just an act. I really like that - especially because if it is real, that makes her actions so much more heinous since she is essentially putting herself before someone she loves rather than just manipulating a naive girl for her own benefit. Kind of like if Long John Silver in Treasure Planet had gone the other way.
In short then, the story was great, the characters were great, the animation was great, and everything else was pretty darn good. Disney magic, plain and simple.
P.S. After watching all 50, I watched this, which was awesome.
Monday, April 30, 2012
DAC 49: The Princess and the Frog
The Princess and the Frog - 9.0/10
A fairy tale musical from Disney? Yes, please. This is what they do best, and they've nailed it again this time. I also truly enjoyed the return to 2D animation; it gives the whole thing a much more timeless feel.
What did I like about this movie? Well, where to start? I love the music. It was jazzy, it was catchy, it was fun...it was New Orleans. And that's another thing: the setting itself was beautiful and set a great tone. The art on the city was really elaborate and I loved the colors.
The characters. Well, I'll get to Tiana in a second, but let's start with the support. Louis and Ray, the gator and firefly, were lots of fun. Among other things, I just loved hearing them talk - Ray in particular with his Cajun twang was a ton of fun. Mama Odie was fun too, and had a really good song to boot. Tiana's friend Charlotte is sweet, funny, caring, and absolutely crazy - in a good way. The villain, Dr. Facilier, was creepy and spooky but not very well-defined. And of course he just wants money and power. If the movie has a weakness, I'd say that was it, though he's still menacing and effective. And to be honest he's also really cool (and has a great song) so I don't mind those weaknesses too much at all.
The prince, Naveen, was fun too. Like the sidekicks, I enjoyed hearing him talk. And of all the characters in the film, he definitely grows the most. He goes from being a lazy, entitled, spoiled rich boy to a man who is willing to work two jobs to give the woman he loves what she wants. Now that's growth.
Okay, Tiana. I love this character. I really, really do. Remember when I said I admired Cinderella for her ability to endure, even though she didn't do much to better her situation? Well Tiana is pretty much the opposite of that. In fact, the whole "wish on a star and your dreams come true" philosophy of Cinderella and Pinocchio is quite literally deconstructed in the first ten minutes of the film. There is nothing wrong with wishing, we learn, but "It'll only get you halfway." You need to make the rest of it happen yourself, and that is exactly what Tiana does. She works hard for what she wants and doesn't lose sight of her goal. At the same time, she is able to recognize (again, through character growth) that there are other things that are important, and there are certain means by which it is unacceptable to achieve a goal. I definitely admire her more than any other Disney character.
The plot actually worked well, too. There are more than a couple of moments that seem pretty predictable before they are turned on their heads, and just when you start thinking that was predictable too, it'll surprise you again. It was nice.
My absolute favorite thing about this movie, as I mentioned briefly above, is its timelessness. Quite aside from the standard computer 3D, there are a lot of conventions that are showing up in all the animated movies made these days, and very few if any of them appear here. In another thirty years or so, if you didn't know when this movie was made, you probably couldn't guess.
A fairy tale musical from Disney? Yes, please. This is what they do best, and they've nailed it again this time. I also truly enjoyed the return to 2D animation; it gives the whole thing a much more timeless feel.
What did I like about this movie? Well, where to start? I love the music. It was jazzy, it was catchy, it was fun...it was New Orleans. And that's another thing: the setting itself was beautiful and set a great tone. The art on the city was really elaborate and I loved the colors.
The characters. Well, I'll get to Tiana in a second, but let's start with the support. Louis and Ray, the gator and firefly, were lots of fun. Among other things, I just loved hearing them talk - Ray in particular with his Cajun twang was a ton of fun. Mama Odie was fun too, and had a really good song to boot. Tiana's friend Charlotte is sweet, funny, caring, and absolutely crazy - in a good way. The villain, Dr. Facilier, was creepy and spooky but not very well-defined. And of course he just wants money and power. If the movie has a weakness, I'd say that was it, though he's still menacing and effective. And to be honest he's also really cool (and has a great song) so I don't mind those weaknesses too much at all.
The prince, Naveen, was fun too. Like the sidekicks, I enjoyed hearing him talk. And of all the characters in the film, he definitely grows the most. He goes from being a lazy, entitled, spoiled rich boy to a man who is willing to work two jobs to give the woman he loves what she wants. Now that's growth.
Okay, Tiana. I love this character. I really, really do. Remember when I said I admired Cinderella for her ability to endure, even though she didn't do much to better her situation? Well Tiana is pretty much the opposite of that. In fact, the whole "wish on a star and your dreams come true" philosophy of Cinderella and Pinocchio is quite literally deconstructed in the first ten minutes of the film. There is nothing wrong with wishing, we learn, but "It'll only get you halfway." You need to make the rest of it happen yourself, and that is exactly what Tiana does. She works hard for what she wants and doesn't lose sight of her goal. At the same time, she is able to recognize (again, through character growth) that there are other things that are important, and there are certain means by which it is unacceptable to achieve a goal. I definitely admire her more than any other Disney character.
The plot actually worked well, too. There are more than a couple of moments that seem pretty predictable before they are turned on their heads, and just when you start thinking that was predictable too, it'll surprise you again. It was nice.
My absolute favorite thing about this movie, as I mentioned briefly above, is its timelessness. Quite aside from the standard computer 3D, there are a lot of conventions that are showing up in all the animated movies made these days, and very few if any of them appear here. In another thirty years or so, if you didn't know when this movie was made, you probably couldn't guess.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
DAC 48: Bolt
Bolt - 8.6/10
Another hit, and the first Disney film I actually saw in theaters since Dinosaur and The Emperor's New Groove. In 3D, too! This is the first time I've watched it since, and I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time.
First off, the animation is as much improved over Meet the Robinsons as that film was over Chicken Little. They're really getting good at this. The focus this time is on a dog who thinks he's a superhero because that's what the production crew of his television show want him to think. Apparently they feel the dog's performance is more authentic if he thinks everything in the show is real, including the danger posed to his young human girl companion. If you can get past the absurdity of this, and the impracticality (in order to rig special effects to mimic the dog's powers, they would have to accurately predict the dog's every move and reaction in every scenario 100% of the time), it actually makes for a neat premise. And it leads to a lot of moments reminiscent of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story which were, let's face it, the best part of that film.
Unfortunately, all this forced realism comes back to bite them in the ass when an episode wraps with the girl still in jeopardy and Bolt is unallowed to save her. Despite the girl telling them the dog is going to freak out, they just put him away for the night, and predictably - he freaks out. And runs away, of course. What follows is basically a road movie wherein he picks up a pair of companions - a world-weary, jaded alley cat and a fanboy hamster in a ball - and inevitably learns the truth about himself and learns how to be a real dog. There is a travel montage set to some really nice music as all of this is happening, and the friendships he develops - particularly with the cat - are Disney magic at work.
In the end he is reunited with his girl and has to save her from a burning building after his replacement actor dog freaked out at a stunt and accidentally set everything on fire. You've seen it before: he is not a hero because of his powers, but because of his character. And it's done really well here and his relationship with his owner is very touching. It's also quite satisfying when the whole family quits the show and throws the annoying agent out the back of an ambulance.
There weren't many major side characters, though there was a running gag of the gang running into groups of pigeons wherever they went, each of which reacted to Bolt differently based on regional stereotypes. These pigeons were usually pretty funny and they weren't onscreen long enough for me to get tired of them. All told a nice source of humor in an otherwise more emotionally-themed adventure.
Another hit, and the first Disney film I actually saw in theaters since Dinosaur and The Emperor's New Groove. In 3D, too! This is the first time I've watched it since, and I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time.
First off, the animation is as much improved over Meet the Robinsons as that film was over Chicken Little. They're really getting good at this. The focus this time is on a dog who thinks he's a superhero because that's what the production crew of his television show want him to think. Apparently they feel the dog's performance is more authentic if he thinks everything in the show is real, including the danger posed to his young human girl companion. If you can get past the absurdity of this, and the impracticality (in order to rig special effects to mimic the dog's powers, they would have to accurately predict the dog's every move and reaction in every scenario 100% of the time), it actually makes for a neat premise. And it leads to a lot of moments reminiscent of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story which were, let's face it, the best part of that film.
Unfortunately, all this forced realism comes back to bite them in the ass when an episode wraps with the girl still in jeopardy and Bolt is unallowed to save her. Despite the girl telling them the dog is going to freak out, they just put him away for the night, and predictably - he freaks out. And runs away, of course. What follows is basically a road movie wherein he picks up a pair of companions - a world-weary, jaded alley cat and a fanboy hamster in a ball - and inevitably learns the truth about himself and learns how to be a real dog. There is a travel montage set to some really nice music as all of this is happening, and the friendships he develops - particularly with the cat - are Disney magic at work.
In the end he is reunited with his girl and has to save her from a burning building after his replacement actor dog freaked out at a stunt and accidentally set everything on fire. You've seen it before: he is not a hero because of his powers, but because of his character. And it's done really well here and his relationship with his owner is very touching. It's also quite satisfying when the whole family quits the show and throws the annoying agent out the back of an ambulance.
There weren't many major side characters, though there was a running gag of the gang running into groups of pigeons wherever they went, each of which reacted to Bolt differently based on regional stereotypes. These pigeons were usually pretty funny and they weren't onscreen long enough for me to get tired of them. All told a nice source of humor in an otherwise more emotionally-themed adventure.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
DAC 47: Meet the Robinsons
Meet The Robinsons - 8.8/10
Wow. Okay, if there's one thing I've learned, it's that I need to stop making assumptions. Like Chicken Little, I had never seen this one, nor had I any interest in seeing it. I assumed it was gimmicky, pandering, marketable mediocrity - in other words, another sell-out. Since I was pretty much right about the previous film, my hopes were not high. And damn, was I ever wrong.
This film was so much fun. That's the best word I can think of to describe it. The basic premise was familiar but what they did with it was fresh and entertaining. The cast of characters were all quirky and hilarious and I loved them all. There was so much randomness, but unlike so many other films, none of it felt forced and it was so easy to just settle in and go along for the ride. It didn't hurt that the main character was also really likable. Five minutes in and I already knew I was going to love him, and I was right. And that helps so much when he gets his hard-earned happy ending, because when he's happy, we're happy.
The villain was a hoot, too. Completely incompetent, out of his mind, and comically evil in a Snidely Whiplash sort of way. And in truth it's a villain duo, with the true mastermind behind everything being his hat. I know, right? Madness. And I love it.
Another thing I spotted right off was the improved animation. This film is to Chicken Little what Pinocchio was to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In the first film they were trying something new, working out the kinks and just sort of testing the water. In the second they knew what they were doing and really got a chance to stretch their legs and flex their muscles, so to speak. The style and quality were on par with some of the things I've seen Pixar do. Not surprising, considering it was a lot of the same people, but considering their previous debacle, it was still nice to see.
The plot twist, if you can call it that, I saw coming a mile away. I don't count that against them though, as the foreshadowing was done well and wasn't too blatant. I'm never good at gauging how well other people pick up on these things, but to me it was just enough to figure it out and then grin smugly when the reveal happens. I always enjoy that.
I have a feeling I'll be watching this one again in the not-too-distant future.
Wow. Okay, if there's one thing I've learned, it's that I need to stop making assumptions. Like Chicken Little, I had never seen this one, nor had I any interest in seeing it. I assumed it was gimmicky, pandering, marketable mediocrity - in other words, another sell-out. Since I was pretty much right about the previous film, my hopes were not high. And damn, was I ever wrong.
This film was so much fun. That's the best word I can think of to describe it. The basic premise was familiar but what they did with it was fresh and entertaining. The cast of characters were all quirky and hilarious and I loved them all. There was so much randomness, but unlike so many other films, none of it felt forced and it was so easy to just settle in and go along for the ride. It didn't hurt that the main character was also really likable. Five minutes in and I already knew I was going to love him, and I was right. And that helps so much when he gets his hard-earned happy ending, because when he's happy, we're happy.
The villain was a hoot, too. Completely incompetent, out of his mind, and comically evil in a Snidely Whiplash sort of way. And in truth it's a villain duo, with the true mastermind behind everything being his hat. I know, right? Madness. And I love it.
Another thing I spotted right off was the improved animation. This film is to Chicken Little what Pinocchio was to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In the first film they were trying something new, working out the kinks and just sort of testing the water. In the second they knew what they were doing and really got a chance to stretch their legs and flex their muscles, so to speak. The style and quality were on par with some of the things I've seen Pixar do. Not surprising, considering it was a lot of the same people, but considering their previous debacle, it was still nice to see.
The plot twist, if you can call it that, I saw coming a mile away. I don't count that against them though, as the foreshadowing was done well and wasn't too blatant. I'm never good at gauging how well other people pick up on these things, but to me it was just enough to figure it out and then grin smugly when the reveal happens. I always enjoy that.
I have a feeling I'll be watching this one again in the not-too-distant future.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
DAC 46: Chicken Little
Chicken Little - 6.9/10
Okay, what was this movie? One minute it's a story of a kid trying to fit in at school, then it's a story of a dysfunctional relationship with his father, then there's aliens, and wtf is happening? I'm not saying all these elements cannot all go together in a movie, but here it was very clunky. In addition, the animation did not impress me at all. I've seen better stuff in weekly TV cartoons.
So what else was wrong with this movie? Well, aside from the annoying characters (I thought I liked Chicken Little himself until about 3/4 through), it's a complete wash in terms of originality. It wasn't completely phoned in likeThe Aristocats, but it was almost as bad. Judging by this and Home on the Range, Disney seems to have completely sold out. Where's the magic? Where's the creativity? Where's the assurance that audiences don't need to be pandered to? I mean, Spice Girls songs? Really?
To be fair, there would a handful of jokes that were really funny. Unfortunately most of them were either in the background or quick, momentary things. I did laugh my ass off at the finale, but that was mostly due to Adam West and the whole absurdity of it all, which I'm sure is what they were going for so I have to at least give them points for that. All in all though, I rate this as a failure of a movie, especially by Disney standards.
Okay, what was this movie? One minute it's a story of a kid trying to fit in at school, then it's a story of a dysfunctional relationship with his father, then there's aliens, and wtf is happening? I'm not saying all these elements cannot all go together in a movie, but here it was very clunky. In addition, the animation did not impress me at all. I've seen better stuff in weekly TV cartoons.
So what else was wrong with this movie? Well, aside from the annoying characters (I thought I liked Chicken Little himself until about 3/4 through), it's a complete wash in terms of originality. It wasn't completely phoned in likeThe Aristocats, but it was almost as bad. Judging by this and Home on the Range, Disney seems to have completely sold out. Where's the magic? Where's the creativity? Where's the assurance that audiences don't need to be pandered to? I mean, Spice Girls songs? Really?
To be fair, there would a handful of jokes that were really funny. Unfortunately most of them were either in the background or quick, momentary things. I did laugh my ass off at the finale, but that was mostly due to Adam West and the whole absurdity of it all, which I'm sure is what they were going for so I have to at least give them points for that. All in all though, I rate this as a failure of a movie, especially by Disney standards.
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