Change Your Fate.

Film: Brave
Year: 2012
Director: Brenda Chapman, Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell
Written by: Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Mark Andrews, Irene Mecchi
Voiced by: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson.
Running time: 100 min.

Whenever I watch an animated film, the little kid always comes out in me. When the Disney introdutction came on, with all the fireworks bursting behind this huge fantastical castle, I saw a kid, maybe five years old, sitting in front of me jumping around in his seat in excitement. While I wasn't exhibiting the excitement in my heart in the same way, I felt exactly like him. And from the first moment I saw Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), the new Pixar heroine from their latest, Brave, with her beautifully curled red hair, I retreated to being the little kid that still lingers within my heart. That little kid that exists beyond the little film snob that I've become. Over the years (and the most recent years at that, since I wasn't a huge movie watcher as a really young child), I've laughed with animated movies, I've cried with animated movies, I've sat with big googly eyes in front of animated movies. Most of which have been Pixar movies. In fact, Toy Story 3 held the record for being the movie that made me cry the most until I saw Requiem for a Dream. Pixar has set the bar consistently high, even garnering themselves a spot in the Best Picture for two years in a row, before caving in with their misfire (but honestly not that terrible) Cars 2. Aiming to salvage the so-called 'mess' it created (OH NO! Pixar made a not so great film! The world ended for about two weeks!), Pixar is back with a new original effort. One that got the little kid inside of me to come out and show itself to the world, regardless of whether this will reserve Pixar a spot with the big-wigs in the Best Picture race next year.

A Conversation with Puss in Boots

Forgive me if this one seems a little slight - I saw the film way back when I was coming home on the plane from Melbourne. I've decided to 'interview' it now since it is out on DVD this week. I had planned to see it again, but it didn't arrive until it's actual release date, meaning I couldn't take it home and give it a watch the night before. So I'm relying on my memory, which will be slightly distorted since I was quite sad to be leaving Melbourne behind...and the fact that the movie wasn't so memorable in the first place.

(A little backstory that may be useful - Christopher is named after a ginger cat that I never got. And imagine Puss in Boots' voice to be like Antonio Banderas', since the whole interview is with Puss in Boots, the character. You'll get the full experience, that way.)

CHRISTOPHER: I've spent all week with Real Steel running through a list of possible reboot ideas - I'm exhausted. Hopefully Puss in Boots won't have so many ideas for reboots. After all, it is only a spin-off of a series that has done its dash.
PUSS IN BOOTS: You say your name is Christopher?

C: One would assume so.
PIB: You say that you were named after a ginger cat, yes?

C: I've been told that is the case...
PIB: Where's your accent?

C: My accent? Uh...I have an accent, it just isn't the same as...
PIB: You have a Mariachi band?

C: No, I've never really felt the need...
PIB: Where's your boots?

C: Are my sneakers not good enough?
PIB: Come on, if an actual ginger cat can wear boots, then someone named after a fake ginger cat can at least wear the boots!

C: I'm sorry.
PIB: No no, it's okay. Just know that you'll never be one of us. Now, you were going to ask me questions, yes?

C: What do you mean, 'one of us'?
PIB: I guess I should say, a movie about fairytale characters, but you know that the coolest character in Shrek was me. Therefore, you'll never be like me - you're just not cool enough.

C: Oh wow, thank you.
PIB: Now get on with your questions!

C: What's your story?
PIB: I'm one of those origin movies. You know those origin movies? Like that X-Men: First Class one. With that man in it, the shark...what's his name?

C: Michael Fassbender.
PIB: Yes, him. He's one fish I would not like to eat. No matter how big he is.

C: I'm hoping that you are not insinuating something that goes far over the heads of your target audience...
PIB: I was meaning that a shark would be too big for me to personally eat. What do you think I was saying?

C: Oh, nothing. Speaking of suitability, do you think you're good for the kids?
PIB: Well, I am animated, and kids like animation. I come from Shrek, and kids like Shrek. Why do you not think I am 'suitable' for the kids? Is it because I like to spend my time with the lovely looking female felines?

C: You're very forward with them...
PIB: It is just part of my nature! No kid can tie me down!

C: B...
PIB: I don't see any kids with cats who wear boots!

C: Well, no...
PIB: You have made the cat angry. You do not want to make the cat angry!

C: I'm sorry.
PIB: I forgive you...for now.

C: At least you reference Fight Club.
PIB: Well, Humpty does. 

C: There's nothing wrong with a Fight Club reference, even in a kids movie.
PIB: I thought that one would be enough, but then I saw Rango. How dare I lose an Oscar to that chameleon! What's nothing wrong with me?! I bet it was your doing! I challenge you to a duel!

C: If you want me to be a Greek God, I was told by Immortals that I was too pale...
PIB: You are too pale. No, I want to duel you to see who can look the cutest!

C: Ummmm...okay...
PIB: ME FIRST!

Now your turn!

CHRISTOPHER:

PIB:....You keep your sneakers, you'll never be worthy of the boots!

What I got:

Underrated Showcase Sundays - Chico & Rita

Underrated Showcase Sundays is a pretty straight-forward: every Sunday I'll shed some light on a film which I think doesn't get enough love. The showcase will be largely unstructured (well, compared to my other reviews) and will often just be random thoughts. It doesn't matter if I've seen it before or not. Tonight's instalment, though, is one that I hadn't seen before, and decided to post now as we near the home stretch for the Oscars.

In amongst the chameleon antics of Rango and the big franchise players Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots is the Spanish film Chico & Rita, which was lucky enough to get a place in the Best Animated Feature category at the Oscars. It may not be in 3D, nor does it employ the almost 'realistic' looking animation that Rango did, but there is no denying that Chico & Rita is a beautiful, moving tale that could actually serve as a great companion piece to The Artist (I'm guessing). It is a simple tale of two people in love: Chico, a young piano player and Rita, a beautiful singer. Just as soon as they've fallen in love they are torn apart by the allure of fame. Rita is discovered by an impresario named Ron, and takes her to New York where she has a lot of success, and while Chico follows her there, he doesn't take as much as she does. As her star rises, his talent goes ignored, and there's no way that the two could remain together.

No Pixar, No Problem: I Talk Out the Animated Oscar Race.

This was posted this morning at the LAMB for their 'LAMB Devours the Oscars' series. You can check it out there, or check it out here...do as you please...

I actually wrote a post about the animated film category a LONG time ago, and I was predicting that should The Adventures of Tintin be eligible, it would sweep this category. I received confirmation that it was indeed eligible, but once it came for nomination time, no dice. If that didn’t win, I was gunning for Winnie the Pooh to take the prize, just because it was so awesome, but nothing happened there, either. So now, we have an extremely weird and incredibly ‘meh’ line-up for this year’s animated Oscar...without any PIXAR (suck on that, Cars 2). Let’s get into it, shall we?

A Cat in Paris

This one was the only animated feature I didn’t get to catch in time for writing this post, even though it is out on DVD here (it just continues to elude me). I’d always had a feeling that this would get in, but only if they took five nominees, which in other words means it has no chance of winning. But you can see just how much the Academy loves cats – this is the first of two movies to feature a cat. Maybe if Snowy out of Tintin was a cat, it would have been nominated?
The Drawcard: Generally positive consensus. Cats.
The Drawback: Not seen by a wide enough audience, and there are better films nominated.
Chance of Winning: 25%

Chico & Rita

Let it be said that this is not animation for kids, this is animation for adults. In a lot of ways, I felt like this one would have been better as a live action film rather than an animated film, mainly because its story is so beautiful, but also so overdone. As for the film’s chances, they’re about next to none. While being a perfectly good film, A Cat in Paris definitely beats it to the punch for being the ‘better’ foreign animation, and this one still remains to be seen by a lot of people. However, whilst watching it I was remembering The Princess & the Frog...this is a very Disney style animation, just a bit more adult. That could work in its favour.
The Drawcard: Being an animation for adults.
The Drawback: Has anyone besides me actually seen it? It stands virtually no chance.
Chance of Winning: 10%

Kung Fu Panda 2

This one came as a bit or a surprise to me, as I knew it had been quite positively received but I didn’t think that it would be enough to get it in. However, I just watched this one and its predecessor the other day and I was quite impressed. Being a long time since I’ve seen Rango (which I loved), I’m very much in the Kung Fu Panda 2 camp at the moment, and see it as the only one that could possibly beat Rango. Because, of course, it has twice the awesomeness.
The Drawcard: Generally positive consensus, good box-office take, original also got nominated in this category back in 2009.
The Drawback: Rango.
Chance of Winning: 50%

Puss in Boots

I caught this one on the plane, so forgive me if I didn’t think it was so spectacular on a 10” low-def screen. But no, this was quite a good movie, bringing light to one of my favourite characters from the Shrek franchise. However, since Puss was in the whole movie, I could tell how insanely creepy he was. Like, seriously, should he even be fronting a movie for kids? He is...well...quite seedy. Anyway, does this have any Oscar chances? Well, for me it was a bit of a surprise nomination, and I can’t see it beating Rango at all. It was pretty run-of-the-mill, but an improvement of the last two Shreks.
The Drawcard: Spanning from a popular franchise, being genuinely beautiful to look at. Cats.
The Drawback: The lead cat being largely inappropriate for target audience. Rango.
Chance of Winning: 40%

Rango

It is pretty darn obvious that this is going to win. Despite the fact that it came out literally ages ago, it has held up this entire time and people seemed to like all of the Western references it has going on in it. Rango is a really cool movie, there’s no doubting that, but I’ve yet to physically meet someone who actually liked it – I either mix with really bad people who don’t have taste or they’re seeing something that I don’t. Perhaps it is one for us people who like our movie references and chameleons...and hopefully the voters are one of us, too. I won’t be grumbling if this takes the prize.
The Drawcard: Everything, from the references to the impeccable animation to Johnny Depp.
The Drawback: Slightly hesitant response from the people of Dannevirke, New Zealand. That should hurt its chances badly.
Chance of Winning: 95%

And this is what a year looks like without PIXAR...how many more of these years are we going to see in our lifetime?

"How's your thirst for adventure, Captain?"

Film: The Adventures of Tintin
Year: 2011
Director: Steven Spielberg
Written by: Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish
Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Daniel Mays, Gad Elmaleh, Toby Jones, Joe Starr, Cary Elwes.
Running time: 107 min.

I was quite sceptical about going to see The Adventures of Tintin since I had no background knowledge on the ginger-haired journalist. Sure, I may have flicked through a couple of Tintin books at my school library as a kid, but I can't say I was ever that interested. So like The Muppets, which I saw less than an hour before this one, I was in for a completely new ride in what is quite an old adventure. And just like The Muppets, I enjoyed it quite a lot. Right from the moment when we were introduced to Tintin (who is voiced/played by Jamie Bell), getting his painting done (and the painting looks just like Hergé's original drawings, which would have been quite cool for many fans) while his cute dog Snowy investigates a wallet-thief, I already felt quite entertained. It was like a warm fuzzy feeling as Spielberg pulled me into his beautiful cinematic arms and didn't let me go until the credits started rolling.

What About the 'Animated Feature' Category at the Oscars?

It may be only October. But let's face it, we're getting some glimpses of the films which are sure to be nominated at the Oscars, and awards season will kick off in less than two months. So, it's never too early to start predicting...or get excited. Personally, awards season is my favourite part of the year.

Now everybody has been predicting the Best Pictures and Actors and Actresses, particularly because there have been some really good films coming through the several film festivals. But what about the animated feature category? Naturally, we'd expect a PIXAR flick to take it out, but they will probably be having a break this year since Cars 2 didn't exactly fare too well with the critics. In fact, there haven't been any real 'stand-out' animated features this year...just some good ones, and quite a few terrible ones. Then again, not every year can have a Toy Story 3.

Let's look at our possibilities:

The ones that definitely deserve a chance:

The Adventures of Tintin - Now, for some reason, I keep thinking that this movie isn't going to be eligible for the category. I don't really know why this is, and there's this sneaking feeling that I really can't lock this film in as the winner. I mean, what if this movie isn't really that great? What if, for whatever reason, the film isn't eligible? Gosh...I don't know. I still can't see this movie in that particular category, but it doesn't seem to have that much competition keeping it out. You're probably thinking now that I wrote this post for no reason at all, considering that, y'know, this one seems like 'the one', but I'm not convinced. And even if I were convinced, there isn't really the 'competition' to back it up, like we had last year with How to Train Your Dragon and The Illusionist. I'm not crazy...yet.

Rango - This film seems to be loved by most film bloggers, mainly because of the many references to pop culture and Western films. Rango was a cool film, but I haven't really heard a lot of love from people outside 'film world'. I think it's a film that has a very specific audience: the kids will find it funny because of how ridiculous it is (in a good way) and some adults who know their stuff will get a lot of the jokes. This might hurt it's chances, but come on. The technical side of the movie is almost flawless, since the vocal acting was done so realistically and the attention to detail in the animation was so good. If Tintin doesn't get a look in, then this will probably be the one that wins.

Rio - While this film performed well critically and financially, I still feel like this movie just 'slipped by'. It was a cool movie, very colourful and funky, but perhaps it was a little too simple. There was this feeling that everything about this movie was 'just there'. It was good, but not excellent. Perfectly adequate, really. A couple of impressive musical numbers, nice vocal acting and an excessive amount of colour should pull this movie in. I just hope that voters haven't forgotten about it by the time awards season really gets going.

Winnie the Pooh - There are unfortunately so many things riding against this otherwise excellent little film that may see it not get a nomination. The film failed to earn it's (exceptionally high) budget back in America, so it didn't perform as well as it should have. It got brilliant reviews (a 91% Tomatometer), but the reviews weren't amazingly raving. The fact that it's only 52 minutes long (excluding the credits) makes it a lot shorter than your average film. But hey, this movie is nostalgic, simple and whimsical...it's truly old-fashioned Disney at it's best. If, for anything, the voters choose this film, then it should be for the glorious hand-drawn work. 3D is so over-rated.

Kung Fu Panda 2 - The first was nominated in this category back in 2009, and this one is apparently just as good. But I'd probably put this one behind the other four, so I doubt that it will get a nomination unless they open the category up to five nominations. Yet, I wouldn't dismiss it, because it's sheer popularity could see it coming out over Winnie the Pooh or Rio.

They haven't been released yet, but they may have a chance:

Puss in Boots - Considering the last couple of Shrek's weren't that fantastic, dear old Puss in Boots may have lost a bit of traction and this movie could totally flop. But I doubt it, since Puss in Boots was definitely the awesomest character in the Shrek series after Donkey. I just don't see it getting a nomination. I'm sure the box office won't be a problem for it, but the critics might. We don't have long to find out, though!

Happy Feet Two - Well, my cat is named after Mumble, so this will have to get nominated! Haha. The first won the award in this category, but the movie itself received mixed reactions from what I can remember. I doubt this will get a nomination...and I doubt that it will be that great. Mind you, I was one of the ones who absolutely loved the first one. It must be just my shaky attitude towards sequels.

Arthur Christmas - Jeez, didn't the trailer for this come out last Christmas? I don't know how well Christmas movies fare at the Oscars. And for that, I'm willing to leave this out of my predictions. Unless, of course, there's some miracle and it gets rave reviews. Even then, I doubt it has enough pull to get nominated.

The Wildcard:

Cars 2 - Yes, it didn't get the best reviews. But I'm sensing that there will be some sort of sympathy towards PIXAR's only failure. And hey, Cars got nominated back in 2007, even though it wasn't the best of films. I wouldn't completely dismiss the film. Oscar is known for being unpredictable. Maybe that's a bit too unpredictable, but not too out of the ordinary.

They're never gonna get a nomination:

There has been a surprising amount of bad animated movies coming out this year. At the very start of the year, there was Gnomeo & Juliet. Shakespeare wasn't always meant to be adapted into an animated flick with garden gnomes playing his famed star-crossed lovers. Mars Needs Moms was a huge flop, despite it's cool motion-capture animation style. But come on, after it was made for $120 million, and it only earned just over $21 million at the USA box office, can you really expect it to get nominated? Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil is unlikely to get a nomination, as the first one wasn't even that great and the animation looks scarily cheap. Plus, Anne Hathaway didn't even wanna come back for it.

My final prediction, as of 09/10/11:

If Tintin is eligible/good, then I'd be inclined to pick that, Rango and Rio. Excluding Tintin, I'd go for Winnie the Pooh to take the final spot. I think Rango is a definite lock, and I'd be surprised if it didn't get nominated.

So what do you think will get nominated? And what have you thought of 2011's animated feature selection?

A Conversation with Rango

As you can see, this is my second post of the night...I have a huge backlog of reviews to catch up on, and while it's the holidays, I'll probably be doing two posts a day until I've caught up. I'm sure you're all looking forward to double Stevee every day! (That was a joke, by the way).

Anyway, it's time for a fan-favourite...old Christopher is interviewing the very awesome Rango this week, so it looks like he's back in the middle of nowhere. (NEWBIES: This series probably peaked with the 'Conversation with Whomever Voted at the MTV Movie Awards'. But that isn't the best example of what I'm trying to do here, as when a movie is 'interviewed', I transform myself into the movie and I'm interviewed by a fake interviewer Christopher. Again, this Christopher fella isn't based on anyone living or dead...I just want a ginger cat called Christopher - yes, named after Christ Nolan)

CHRISTOPHER: Well, this is new. I've never interviewed an animated feature.
RANGO: I guess those PIXAR movies are just too high-shelf for ya, huh?

C: Well, I have interviewed such films as There Will Be Blood and L.A. Confidential...
R: And The Room.

C: Yes, and The Room. But I'd say other than that I only interview the best.
R: Get your dirty, webbed phalanges off of my boots!

C: I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going...anyway. Tell me a bit about yourself.
R: The name's Rango. *in the distance there's a dramatic gasp for extra effect*

C: Oh really? I wasn't aware of that.
R: Don't you sass me, sir.

C: What I meant was, tell me some plot points...
R: You're funny looking.

C: Well? You're funny looking too.
R: That's a funny looking shirt.

C: That's a funny looking animation style.
R: You got funny looking eyes.

C: You got a funny looking face!
R: You're a stranger. Stranger's don't last long here. *turns to walk away*

C: Oi! Would you just stay here?! I wanna finish this interview!
R: I'm going to slice your face off and use it to wipe my unmentionables!

C: Would you just remember for once that you're a kids movie?!
R: I know I am a kids movie. I'm a fun kids movie. I'm the kids movie that every kids movie wants to be. Because, you know, most of them don't have Johnny Depp, do they?

C: No, they don't. Let's try rephrasing this question: what's so special about you that would make Johnny Depp lend his voice?
R: He was begging for forgiveness after The Tourist, obviously.

C: That's true. He succeeded there.
R: Okay okay. I have an awesome story and I am an awesome throwback to some great movies, with all of my pop culture references. Anyway, I follow the story of an ordinary chameleon, Rango, who is thrown out of his car and left on the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere. What can this poor little chameleon do? He walks a while and manages to find a little village called Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West. It's actually great that he turned up, because now he is the new sheriff of this town. Even though he ain't ever had any experience as a sheriff in his life.

C: Sounds interesting. So being set in the Wild West, does this mean you're a bit of a western?
R: Yeah, I have a few western in-jokes. I have a really good western feel, which is inevitable considering I'm stuck in the Wild West. Let's just say, there's plenty of horse riding and other stuff of the sort. Oh yeah, and I should mention that the 'Spirit of the West' looks a lot like Clint Eastwood. I guess he's begging for forgiveness after Hereafter, too.

C: Considering you're an animated film, I can't really talk to you about your acting. But I did notice that everything sounded very authentic.

R: You know, when the actors were doing all the voice work, they were actually given space to act everything out. I thought that gave me a more authentic sound. Plus, the actors are all good at what they do. Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Alfred Molina, Ray Winstone...all good citizens, aren't they?

C: Yes, you have a very impressive vocal cast. In fact, you're a pretty impressive movie, probably one of the best of 2011 so far.
R: Yeah well, Gore Verbinski did the right thing, didn't he? He left the latest Pirates of the Caribbean to someone else to make me. Ain't no shame in that.

C: I certainly hope that Verbinski tries some more animation in the future...his style here and choice not to go with 3D was brilliant. Anyway, got any last words for our readers?
R: Stay in school, eat your veggies and burn all the books that ain't Shakespeare.

And my rating for Rango:

DVD - Megamind

or: Anti-heroes saving the day.

One word to sum it up: Delightful.

Along with Jennifer Aniston romantic comedies, films about artificial insemination, Iraq war dramas and claustrophobically-themed thrillers, movies which have the anti-hero becoming the hero have been a particular trend-setter in Hollywood these days. We saw it in The Social Network. We saw it in Despicable Me. The next movie to adopt an unlikeable character as the lead is Megamind, one of the lesser animated movies from 2010. In a year filled with such amazing animated efforts like Toy Story 3, How to Train Your Dragon and Tangled, Megamind was somewhat forgotten, and it was no where near as good as those three, but it's still another example of why animated movies rule the roost.

Super-villain Megamind (Will Ferrell) has defeated his good-guy nemesis Metro Man (Brad Pitt), and has found that life is tedious since he no longer has anyone to fight. So instead, Megamind creates a new foe, in the form of Titan (Jonah Hill). Titan has a different idea, though. He uses his new powers to destroy the world instead of be a hero like Metro Man was. So Megamind, now faced with the wrath of this powerful new villain, he has to save the world himself instead of destroy it, and get the girl (Tina Fey), who thinks that he is someone else.

There is absolutely nothing new about Megamind. If I were to compare this to anything else, I would say that this is exactly like Despicable Me without the cute kids and with a love interest. It even has a 'minion', so that comparison is hard to avoid. That's not to say that this is a bad movie. Like most other animated movies, this movie has a delightful cast, wonderful visuals and a few great laughs. The vocal cast is brilliant. I love Will Ferrell when he is voicing animated characters more than I enjoy his actual acting, as his over-the-top dramatic vocal work is actually quite funny and well suited to this. Tina Fey, the funny woman she is, also does beautiful voice work as the heroine. Brad Pitt's role was surprisingly small, but I did quite enjoy his performance. His character was a stand-out, too.

Being originally made in 3D, the visuals were of course great. I did feel that the visuals were similar to those in Monsters vs. Aliens, which highlights further that this movie has regurgitated a lot of material from it's far better predecessors. As would be expected of a kid's movie, the laughs were particularly large, even though many could be restricted to an older audience. If one has seen a lot of animated movies, especially those from Pixar, they might feel a little underwhelmed by the result of this film. It is forgettable, but it's quite an enjoyable watch, and one that should by no means be ignored. If you've seen Despicable Me, chances are you'll enjoy watching an exact copy of that one.

THE VERDICT: Megamind is much like any other animated film, in the way that it doesn't add anything unique and it's still extremely enjoyable.

What I hoped for:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
What I got: (just)

DVD--Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

or: Zack Snyder's kids film.

One word to sum it up: Pretty.

Back when Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole came out, I got a little confused. Since when was Zack Snyder, director of 300 and Watchmen, making a kids animated film with a whole lot of Australian actors providing the vocals? I didn't even know Zack Snyder would want to make a kids movie. But interesting things happen, and Guardians (ridiculously long title) was actually pretty choice. Well, the visuals, more than anything.

The film follows Soren, a young owl enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga' Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owlkind from the evil Pure Ones. While Soren dreams of someday joining his heroes, his older brother, Kludd, scoffs at the notion, and yearns to hunt, fly and steal his father's favor from his younger sibling. But Kludd's jealousy has terrible consequences--causing both owlets to fall from their treetop home and right into the talons of the Pure Ones. Now it is up to Soren to make a daring escape with the help of other brave young owls. Together they soar across the sea and through the mist to find the Great Tree, home of the legendary Guardians--Soren's only hope of defeating the Pure Ones and saving the owl kingdoms.

Guardians doesn't really seem to have a target demographic. It's dark theme is surprising, but may come off as a little scary to the under 7's. However, the film has one of those stories which seems to have enough tension and whatnot for only the young, as it doesn't really go anywhere, like it should. With those two notions in mind, Guardians is a visually stunning movie, which is exactly what one could expect from Zack Snyder. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like in 3D, but even watching it on my trusty laptop screen I was blown away by it's attention to detail. Literally, every feather was perfect. Snyder's use of slow-mo also helped this movie become the visual spectacle that it is. If anything, this movie is definitely a case of style over substance, but I didn't really mind.

The vocal cast in the film is amazing. I guess it took until now for me to realize how many great Aussie actors there are. Abbie Cornish, Emily Barclay, Joel Edgerton, Geoffrey Rush, Ryan Kwanten, Anthony LaPaglia, Sam Neill (well, technically, he is a New Zealander, but like most of our other famous stuff, the Aussies jacked him off us), Richard Roxburgh, Essie Davis, Hugo Weaving and David Wenham all provide their Aussie accents to the movie, and to be honest, that is a pretty great lineup. Helen Mirren also makes an appearance. However, the role of Soren is voiced by Jim Sturgess, a British actor, who puts on a pretty damn good Aussie accent for the film. While the visuals and the vocals are brilliant, the premise and script doesn't really live up to them, even though there are some good laughs here and there. But I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, though I don't know how much the younger kids would get out of it.


THE VERDICT: As visually spectacular as it is, Guardians script doesn't quite cut it, but that doesn't really matter when it is so nice to look at.

7/10

Cinema--Tangled

or: Rapunzel! Let down your hair!

One word to sum it up: Charming.

I have to wonder why not many people were wowed by Tangled. I went to go and see it with my eight year old niece and her friend, and I think I enjoyed it much more than they did. Sure, it isn't really Disney's best work, but it serves as a great reminder that Disney films have some masterful storytelling. Its a great movie to mark the 50th film from the studio, so why all the hate? People these days...

After receiving the healing powers from a magical flower, the baby Princess Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is kidnapped from the palace in the middle of the night by Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy). Mother Gothel knows that the flower's magical powers are now growing within the golden hair of Rapunzel, and to stay young, she must lock Rapunzel in her hidden tower. Rapunzel is now a teenager and her hair has grown to a length of 70-feet. The beautiful Rapunzel has been in the tower her entire life, and she is curious of the outside world. One day, the bandit Flynn Ryder (Zachary Levi) scales the tower and is taken captive by Rapunzel. Rapunzel strikes a deal with the charming thief to act as her guide to travel to the place where the floating lights come from that she has seen every year on her birthday. Rapunzel is about to have the most exciting and magnificent journey of her life.

Its quite surprising that the Academy decided to go for only three nominations in the 'Best Animated Feature' category, meaning that this and Despicable Me missed out on a spot. However, Tangled managed to receive a well deserved Oscar nomination for Best Original Song-'I See the Light'. Last year, The Princess and the Frog served as a 2D animated musical spectacular, but this year, Tangled steps it up a notch by being a 3D animated musical spectacular. I never saw it in 3D, but the visuals were pretty amazing. Really, its the vocal talents of Mandy Moore and a surprising Zachary Levi which steal the show here. They're never too overreactive with their vocal acting, and their voices suit the songs perfectly, making this not become one of those phony-star-studded-animated-flicks.

The songs, written by Alan Menken, are spellbinding, even if some of them are particularly uninspired. They fit well with the story, which is masterfully told through several interesting characters. Of course, we see the usual suspect animal sidekick, but times two, with the cute chameleon Pascal and the scene stealing horse Maverick. Like I do in most animated films, I found myself in tears at the end, but that only came after lots of decent laughs. In short, I loved Tangled. It was a beautiful ode to the story of Rapunzel.


THE VERDICT: Tangled is a stunning example of why Disney animated films still rule, with great vocal talents to boot.

8/10

DVD--Despicable Me

or: Another animated classic.

One word to sum it up: Super.

Why is it that animated movies are the best form of entertainment? I think it has something to do with the fact that adults are so hard to entertain, so the filmmakers try way too hard, with bad results; whereas children are easy to entertain, and it just comes so effortlessly...and bam! The whole family is entertained. But at the end of Despicable Me, I had to ask myself a question: why do I always find myself in tears and touched by these movies? Maybe that's because they're just happy films, which are truly a breath of fresh air from the other violent live action stuff we are seeing these days.

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru (voiced by Steve Carrell), planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. (Yes, the moon!) Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.

Despicable Me isn't the best animated film ever, and doesn't stand a chance against Toy Story 3 in winning the Oscar this year. However, it takes a very different turn: making the lead character a super villain. In which point, you may think, how could this movie possibly be so likeable, with a genuinely unlikeable lead? That's where the famous kid-movie moral comes in. And, as admittedly cheesy at it sounds on paper, the moral is as heartwarming as any other. Cynics need not apply here: this is a fun, fantastical ride that isn't anything short of entertaining.

Steve Carrell does some fantastic work at voicing Gru with an over the top accent, which sounds very evil indeed. It is hard to imagine the giant pointy nosed villain as a good father, and I guess that's what the beauty of it is. The girls he adopts are so sweet, and very funny--especially Agnes, who has an obsession with unicorns. However, what steals the show here is a large of group of small yellow creatures named the 'Minions'. Even though you can't understand a word they are saying, they are easily the funniest things about this movie, and definitely one of the highlights in cinema in the past year. As I said, Despicable Me certainly isn't the best animated movie out there, but it's entertaining nonetheless. It's perfect entertainment for the whole family though, with enough belly laughs from start to finish. Even though I'm not part of the films intended target audience, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel in 2013.


THE VERDICT: A film with a big heart and big ambitions, Despicable Me is a really entertaining family film that is both funny and touching.

8/10

DVD--Shrek Forever After

or: It's ogre...finally.

One word to sum it up: So-so.

Shrek was probably the best movie from my childhood. When we all first got a glimpse of it in 2001 it was a movie that we watched over and over. It was also probably the first movie I knew all the words to as well. Shrek 2 was pretty awesome too, seeing as it was made by the same director: New Zealander Andrew Adamson. Come 2007 when Shrek the Third came out, without Adamson directing, the series lost a lot of momentum. So when news was spread that there would be a Shrek Forever After, I couldn't help but feel a little skeptical about this project going ahead. While it was better than I expected, no one seems to be able to capture the magic like Adamson did, and the last two films in the series have nothing on the first two.

A bored and domesticated Shrek (Mike Myers) pacts with deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) to get back to feeling like a real ogre again, but when he's duped and sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away--where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) have never met--he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love.

Dreamworks is no Pixar. The studio can't seem to be able to capture the essence of what a child wants in their animated movie. They like to hire stars to sell their movie instead of getting more experienced voices who are better at doing the job. Also, their movies are a little too dark and violent, instead of being light entertainment which truly touches the heart. Shrek Forever After is trying way too hard to make up for the losses of Shrek the Third and strive for the excellence that was in the first two. In doing that, it tries to copy It's a Wonderful Life, a movie which the young ones have probably never heard of. It fails in trying to be heartwarming, and passes off as generic stuff which isn't easy to care about. Let's just say, this ain't no Toy Story 3.

On the flip side, Shrek Forever After is still pretty enjoyable. Shrek, Fiona and Donkey have been characters which I have grown up with, and despite the mishap during Shrek the Third, I'm still not ready to part with them. They still remain as charming as ever, and the fact that they don't know each other in this one allows the viewer to see some of the magic that we can remember from the first one. Dreamworks is also all about the funny, and Shrek Forever After delivers hilarity often that it's impossible not to like. It's a hard goodbye to our favourite ogre, but then again the series didn't really go out with a bang. However, the kids will love it, and that's all you could ask for.


THE VERDICT: So much better than the last one, but still not as good as the first two. Shrek Forever After is an adequate final chapter with plenty of laughs, but it really could have been better.

6/10

DVD--Toy Story 3

or: The best animated film ever made?

One word to sum it up: Heart breaking.

It's all over?

I may have once been skeptical about the making of Toy Story 3. To be honest, I thought it was just made to be a cash cow and one of those movies which tries to revamp the whole series by being 3D. Being made 10 years after the last one? That was an odd move, too. But after watching the first two the nights before watching this one, I really, really, did not want the series to end. I enjoy the small things in life, and the Toy Story franchise is something which I enjoy much more than a younger kid probably would. Seriously, anyone who doesn't feel some kind of emotion at the end of watching this is a clearly a very cynical person. Toy Story 3 is the best (and you know there are a lot of good ones) movie to be made by Disney Pixar, end of story.

Andy is now 17 years old, and is off to college to start his new independent life, leaving Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang to ponder their future. When they discover they are moving to Sunnyside Daycare, they are happy that they will be played with again. Unfortunately, they find there are two awful horrors that they experience while living at Sunnyside: the kids aren't as nice or gentle as their former owners and the other toys at Sunnyside are setting out to make life miserable for the gang. The toys must plot an escape plan so they can get out of Sunnyside, which proves to be no easy task.

Toy Story was great. Toy Story 2, to me, was still good but lacked the charm that the first one had. However, Toy Story 3 blows them both out of the water. There's always that feeling that a third movie will be the worst of them all, but this one seems to be the extremely rare exception. We are introduced to new characters, and we also have some real villains this time, which helps make the movie more exciting. I mean, Lotso, the strawberry scented bear, and the slightly mishandled baby doll were enough to give me nightmares. I actually got really frightened in some of the scenes in this, but that's what makes this movie so great.

2010 has been a seemingly bad year for movies. However, this, Inception and The Social Network are three movies which have gone down in history for their service to their genres: animated features, sci-fi actioners and biographical dramas respectively. Over the years, we have seen so many great animated features, particularly coming out of the amazing dreamworld that is Pixar. Toy Story 3 definitely tops them all. It has that edge over them: taking something ordinary like a toy and making them extraordinary; amazing computer generated animation that isn't bogged down by the fact it was made in 3D; a hilarious script which both young and old will have a laugh at; but most of all, it has that emotional edge that comes from the fact that we genuinely care about these characters. We've all had a toy which has become our best friend. We all wished so much that they would come to life. Call me a little kid, but I actually felt sorry for the toys I have locked away in my closet after watching this. And the end of this movie made me feel so sorry for them that it just brought out the little kid in me.

In the last five minutes of this movie, I couldn't help but bawl my eyes out. There were so many emotions: nostalgia, moving on, happiness, sadness, optimism...but most of all, I hated that it had to end. Any fan of the series will probably feel the same as I did. My recommendation is that you watch the first two reasonably close to watching this one. It's one of the best cinematic experiences I have ever had. Look at it this way: Toy Story 3 is perfect for any age. It's just an all-round perfect movie. I don't mean to overhype it for you, but there it is. Toy Story 3 will win Best Animated Picture at the Oscars next year, will even get a nomination for Best Picture, and will go down in history as the greatest animated feature ever made. It really is as great as everyone says it is.

Woody, Buzz, Jessie, the rest of the gang: I will miss you loads!


THE VERDICT: I LOVED this movie. Doesn't matter how old you are, Toy Story 3 is a classic and a must watch for fans of the trilogy.

10/10

Classic--Toy Story 2

or: The fantastic dud of the trilogy.

One word to sum it up: (still) Memor-iffic

Why do I hail Toy Story 2 as the fantastic 'dud' of the trilogy? Well, while it is still very, very good, I didn't find it as charming as the first one, or as (insert amazing description here) as the third one. But don't worry, there was no way I was going to hate Toy Story 2, as it makes up what may be the greatest trilogy of all time. It still has everything the first one has, but suffers from the sometimes inescapable second-movie syndrome.

While Andy is away at summer camp Woody (Tom Hanks) has been toynapped by Al McWiggin (Wayne Knight), a greedy collector and proprietor of Al's Toy Barn. In this all-out rescue mission, Buzz (Tim Allen) and his friends Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Slinky Dog (Jim Varney), Rex (Wallace Shawn) and Hamm (John Ratzenberger) springs into action to rescue Woody from winding up as a museum piece. They must find a way to save him before he gets sold in Japan forever and they'll never see him again!

I was so happy when I found that Toy Story 2 has the same formula as it's predecessor, and uses all the tricks in the bag to make us really root for these characters. In most sequels, they will always try to overblow the franchise and get more than they did for the first one. It's like reinvesting money just to get some more interest, but most of the time that investment gets lost in the mail or the finance company goes bankrupt. That's not the case with Toy Story 2. It's a wonderous sequel, and really holds its own in the trilogy. Come to think of it, the trilogy really holds it's own among every other film. They all have that warmth and honest emotion we never see in a kids movie; also a message which isn't thrusted in front of our faces, but is put in there with such subtlety that we can't help but love the movie.

Again, the computer graphics are amazing, and this is really the benchmark of animated cinema. Sure, the 2D sketch animations by Disney were great, but Toy Story 2 ensures that we all like Pixar's computer generated animation. And we do. Film doesn't really get much better than this. However, if I have one thing to say about this fluffy sequel, it's that this get's a bit too melodramatic, and doesn't have the same happy/emotional edge that the first one had. But given that minor issue, the rest of the film is enjoyable, well composed, and definitely one of the best examples of why Pixar makes the best movies. Yes, they're even better then the live action ones.

THE VERDICT: A great sequel, with all the charms that one could expect from a Toy Story movie.

8/10

Classic--Toy Story

or: One of the scariest movies I have ever seen.

One word to sum it up: Memor-iffic (in other words, brings back the memories).

Since Toy Story 3 is making it's way to the DVD shelves this week, I thought I would run through the series in sequence, just to bring out the little kid in me. I still tend to believe that you are never too old to watch animated films by Pixar or Dreamworks, because they have something for everything. They have that heart, pure comedy and that all-round enjoyment that you don't get from today's live action films. The unfortunate thing about the 1995 release of Toy Story is that we started to see a lot of computer generated animated features instead of the 2D classics that I so love. Anyway, every movie that comes out of Pixar proves to be amazing, and we have Toy Story to thank for that.

A little boy named Andy loves to be in his room, playing with his toys, especially his doll named Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks). But when Andy is not with the toys, they come to life. Woody believes that he has life (as a toy) good. However, he is worrying about Andy's family moving, and he also does not realize that Andy's mother gave him an action figure known as Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), who does not believe that he is a toy, and quickly becomes Andy's new favorite toy. Woody, who is now consumed with jealousy, tries to get rid of Buzz. Then, both Woody and Buzz manage to get lost. They must find a way to get back to Andy before he moves without them, but they will have to pass through a ruthless toy killer, Sid Phillips

I still think that Toy Story is one of the scariest movies I have ever seen. Why? Because Sid Phillips is one demented kid, and I genuinely prayed for the safe return of Woody and Buzz to Andy. This just proves that Toy Story reminds me that I'm still a kid at heart. I could watch a proper horror movie that's R18 and not be scared, whereas I watch this G-rated animated flick and I still get really scared. Pixar made the most perfect kids film, but it's one that the adults can watch and still feel completely fulfilled by everything it achieves. That could be because the story takes something ordinary and makes it extraordinary: toys coming to life. Forget animals talking, that had been done before. Once the toys started talking, it kinda made me reflect back to my younger days when I had boxes filled with Barbies and play ponies. I used to try and make them come to life. But did they ever do that? Every kid used to think that, and that's why this movie works. Andy would do anything for his toys, but his toys would do more for him. Sometimes I have to wonder how my toys feel now that they have been locked up in the darkness of my closet for eternity.

I believe that Toy Story set the bar for future Pixar creations. They all seem to have this sort of formula: a strong message, taking ordinary things and making them extraordinary, a very low reliance on slapstick comedy, and they always have something for young and old. That formula works, and each time they come back at it, it never gets old. It's amazing that Pixar had improved on Toy Story, but then again, this movie will forever be one of the best. Toy Story truly is beyond great, and serves as the best reminder of my childhood (even if I was born the year it came out).


THE VERDICT: The most fun I could have in 77 minutes.

10/10

DVD--How to Train Your Dragon

or: Animated movies do it again.

One word to sum it up: Delightful.

Sometimes I wonder why animated films are so sucessful with both critics and audiences. I'm fairly certain that animated films do better than the actual live action ones. However, when I look at the evidence (i.e. every movie ever made by PIXAR), it's easy to see why these animated movies are such a hit. They can be as imaginative as they want to be, if they entertain the kids then they can entertain just about anyone, and most of these films are cleverly scripted. Even though I am a little skeptical about animated movies which aren't made by PIXAR, Dreamwork's didn't do a bad job on How to Train Your Dragon, a film which provides futher evidence that animated films are the best entertainment around at the moment.

Long ago up North on the Island of Berk, the young Viking, Hiccup (voiced by Jay Bauchel), wants to join his town's fight against the dragons that continually raid their town. However, his macho father and village leader, Stoik the Vast (Gerard Butler) , will not allow his small, clumsy, but inventive son to do so. Regardless, Hiccup ventures out into battle and downs a mysterious Night Fury dragon with his invention, but can't bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup and the dragon, whom he names Toothless, begin a friendship that would open up both their worlds as the observant boy learns that his people have misjudged dragons. But even as the two each take flight in their own way, they find that they must fight the destruction which is coming for their world.

To be perfectly honest, I was disappointed with How to Train Your Dragon, but I guess that was because this movie was given heaps of hype in it's cinema release, and failed to reach my high expectations. Despite my disappointment, I still absolutely adored the movie, as I do with any other animated flick. From the beginning it is cleverly funny; it seems to use it's intelligence as it's sense of humour, and I really admired that. Because of that trait, the film will obviously be a hit with the older generations too, making this a great watch for the whole family. How to Train Your Dragon follows a very basic formula to a successful childrens film: dazzling action sequences, a great ensemble of funny characters and a message. That formula, like always, works to its advantage.

In the way of voices, How to Train Your Dragon has a lot of charming people making up the wide variety of characters. Sometimes these voices seem a little stiff (particularly Jay Baruchel's), but this barely matters when all the films flaws are covered up by it's instant entertainment and happiness. Seriously, the movie won't fail to make you laugh lots, grin from ear to ear, and keep you entertained for 90 minutes, no matter your age.

THE VERDICT: How to Train Your Dragon is a sweet and ultimately entertaining family film, which is more than capable to give those PIXAR movies a run for their money.

7/10

The Princess and the Frog

What can I say? Disney, you have really done it this time. So maybe I am still young enough to enjoy animated films. But honestly, I feel in love with The Princess and the Frog. I felt like a six year old obsessed with finding Prince Charming again. Which isn't really a bad thing, because now I'm back to my fourteen year old self (oh yeah, I'm looking for Prince Charming, but I have lowered my standards a bit).

Set in the Jazz-era in New Orleans, there is a young woman Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) who is working to reach her dream of owning a flash restaurant. One night her life changes when she kisses a frog who is actually Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), and then turns into a frog herself. Together the pair work to become human again, realising that true love is right before their eyes.

It so reminded me of films like Snow White and Cinderella, which is probably the biggest reason as to why I liked it. It took me right back to my childhood so rather than being just a kids movie it was actually a nostalgic piece of cinema. Amazingly, I found myself thinking that it had elements of films like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Colour Purple in it, but that's probably just because it's set in the South of America (that's just my weird way of making connections).

Let me just say this: The Princess and the Frog is a fantastic film from Disney which should hopefully earn it's place next to the more famed Disney fairy tales, because it deserves that kind of recognition. I think the critics underrate it because it was made in a year where it had to compete with such animated delights as Up, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It's a bit of a shame, but audiences will adore it. Adults, you don't have to use kids as an excuse to watch it.

A Disney delight, but y'all knew that, didn't you?

8/10

Fantastic Mr. Fox

If anything, 2009 was the year for the animated film. The genre really demanded our attention, with such movies as the Best Picture nominated Up; the major animated blockbuster that was still well-recieved Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs; and then the stop-motion spectacular Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). Even a guy who has never directed an animated film before, Wes Anderson, is extremely talented at it and sometimes you don't believe it is entirely animated--you may think it is an entirely eccentric film with furry creatures instead of people.
Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney) is now a responsible father to his brood of little foxes and a devoted husband to Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep). But he never used to be like that. He liked to raids farms, taking turkeys and hen heckling. And now he wants to lead one more raid or three nasty farmers, which proves his true colours.
I must admit, I was a little disappointed with Fantastic Mr. Fox. But this is probably due to the fact that it was so well recieved and I was expecting too much from it. However, my disappointment didn't make it really dreadful for me. It was enjoyable, and had the dry humour which I love. Not to mention the amazing directorial work from Wes Anderson, who makes this movie a totally unique and an all-round great watch.
To be perfectly honest, the really young children may not enjoy this as it does get a little boring in parts. This is really an animation for seven years up, and adults don't have to use kids as an excuse to watch it.
7/10

Planet 51

To be perfectly honest, animated movies that are not made by Disney or PIXAR really worry me. I mean, none of the ones I have seen, with the exception of Shrek 1 & 2 (NOT including Shrek the Third) and Mary and Max, have been particularly good. Planet 51 (2009) is no exception. Just shows you have to be the pros to make the best children's entertainment.
An American astronaut Captain Charles 'Chuck' Baker (voiced by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) lands on a weird planet, thinking he is the first person to discover it. But to his surprise, there is life on this planet--green alien-looking species who think the human is the alien in that situation. The aliens fear that the humans will take over their livelihood, but found out they aren't such a threat after all.
Well, I don't know why, but this film was a combination of boring cliches and offensive crude jokes. Not usually the recipe to create a good kids film. I'm not sure what the age group was here; sometimes it felt like a silly little comedy for teenagers, then it felt like it was for the little toddlers, and then it just got confused and started throwing offensive and poxy jokes all over the place hoping to please the viewers. To be honest, some kids might like it, but this is probably one of those movies an adult should watch while they are under the influence of something strong. In other words, you don't need to watch it.
4/10

The Secret of Kells

I don't really know what to say about The Secret of Kells (2009). In some ways, I loved it for it's creativity and genuine loveliness, but then again it lacked a bit of spark that most animated films have. It's pretty commendable though that this film got an Academy Award nomination.
A young boy, Brendan, is sent on an endearing adventure to complete the famed 'Book of Kells'. Yet, on his journey he finds danger, and struggles to keep on a straight path to his freedom. He meets a fairy Aisling, who guides him along and eventually allows him to complete his task.
Okay, so I just think the reason me and The Secret of Kells didn't click was because...well, I'm not sure. It's like a half and half for me. On one side, I loved it because it was quite different, and dipped out of dark moments into seemingly happy ones, while remaining totally balanced. But on the other is this unknown side, that just wants to be loved but failed to grab my attention. Which was a shame, because I felt it didn't have the same spark as the Pixar films have. However, this is a great animated effort to come out of Ireland, a country which clearly needs to make more films.
6/10