Bo Peep meant more to
Woody than the toy crew knew.
A spork will speak truth.
Tom Hanks, Tim Allen,
Tony Hale, and Key & Peele,
Keanu outshines
Category: Animated
READY PLAYER ONE (2018) movie review
Strap in for a throwback bonanza via VR gateway.
It’s an 80’s lovers paradise from Atari and Iron Giant to Rubix cube (called fondly a Zemeckis cube) and the Delorean.
RPO is fast-paced but classic Spielberg. Fight glowing dinos, air dance through The Shining hotel, take a van ride ala inception, but don’t forget your crew.
The message isn’t to log off, but to appreciate reality, at least in moderation.
ISLE OF DOGS (2018) movie review
Wes Anderson rides again in his purest puppy parade to date.
While he famously kills a dog in each of his symmetrical dollhouse menagerie films, here in Isle of Dogs he attempts a mass rescue of dog-kind. Only one little hero pilot willingly risks his life to save his best pal Spot.
Wes puts his diorama-prone filmmaking to the test in this puppeted art film including every ounce of classic Andersonism fans have come to expect, though the tone is perhaps even more dry and stoic and the narrative arc less pronounced than his usual fare. Immersing in Japanese culture, Anderson allows for half or more than half of this film’s dialogue to be in Japanese without subtitles. It’s an adjustment at first, but we’ve come to expect nothing less from Wes.
And though he worked remotely on this project, he still filmed himself acting out the dog roles, controlled each element of visual story, and offered what can only be called his style to the production. He in his classic tweed suit lends even the mangey dogs living on “Trash Island” a level of posh austerity, a demure grace.
At times watching this felt like watching a Miyazaki film. Perhaps it’s the slower, continuous flow-through pacing or the neutral-toned setting. As it turns out, Miyazaki is just one of the artist influences that Anderson nods to. Also in the list are renowned filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and Charles Schultz of Peanuts cartoon fame.
Edward Norton, Scarlett Johansson, Jeff Goldblume, Greta Gerwig, Bryan Cranston, Tilda Swinton, and of course Bill Murray are only a few of the voice talents behind the hand-painted hand-designed stop-motion characters.
Each one took around 16 weeks to make, with around a thousand interchangeable faces to pinpoint specific expressions within each of the 12 frames per second. It took 670 artists years to create this hour & 41 minute long film. An excellent interview with some of the Isle of Dogs animators can be read here.
Two scenes still stand out days later as potential for pop genius and eccentricity unmatched: the sushi scene in which audiences gain point of view from the eyes of a sushi chef as he slices and creates a box lunch, and the kidney transplant scene with a realistic overhead view within an operating room as a surgeon slices, removes, stiches up, and replaces a kidney. It’s surprising and yet fitting in the world as presented by Anderson.
Loving Vincent (2017) movie review
One of, if not THE most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. No work like it exists. It’s an experience.
125 artists over 6 years animated 65,000 oil painted frames. An unbelievable task to translate oil to big screen, but it’s an experience not to be missed.
It’s Van Gogh’s story in Van Gogh’s style. Each moment a painted canvas, a memoir, a token to his art.
Loving Vincent investigates the mysterious events and characters surrounding Van Gogh’s death, presuming based on his many existing letters that he was perhaps murdered though it was called a suicide.
Beautifully acted first, then painted, then animated. Audiences play detective as they follow the trail across the French countryside into the very canvases for paintings that made Van Gogh’s short life and career legendary.
The film has been widely approved by artists worldwide and by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and by the Musee d’ Orsay in Paris where you can visit many of his great works today.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (2017) movie review
Mixed feelings about Disney’s newest live action adaptation of an original cartoon: masterpiece in scenic beauty and storytelling, but a beast of a chop job in sound and CGI.
It’s iconically beautiful, scenes of my childhood unveil in perfect cake-topper symmetry. Emma Watson’s eyes sparkle as she sings through the little town. In her quiet pastel village, she’s the odd duck as the independent bookish type in bright blue. She’s a Hermione amongst so many muggles.
And the ancient story goes that her father offered to bring her a gift and she asked only for a single rose. I loved the incorporation of the original fairy tale. 
When he is captured, she sacrificially takes her father’s place as a prisoner at the enchanted castle where famous voices fill the gorgeous household items: Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, Sir Ian Mckellan as Cogsworth, Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, and sweet Stanley Tucci as Maestro the piano.
Gaston truly stole the show. He and LeFou, French for “the fool,” perfectly capture their cartoons and embody the enemy and comrade just back from the war now looking to settle down. Rumors regarding LeFou’s identity seem forced since he is more admirer side-kick than love interest.
The tragedy of auto tune is ever-present. Even as Belle makes her sweeping Julie Andrews run up the hill in her opening scene, she’s almost at the note when it magically jumps to the next one. 
Not since Wall-E has a Disney flick seen the need to bend each voice so electronically. Poor Emma seemed almost upset about it sometimes, almost as much as she seemed mostly happy during the Be Our Guest scene (in which she never eats) or the library scene – always almost excited. She was most certainly asked to play Belle almost expressionlessly, especially opposite the oddly shifting CGI-bodied Beast. Emma’s stalemate facials perhaps made the beast more lifelike until he became Matthew from Downton Abbey – a truly unexpected transformation.
It’s absolutely worth the watch, worth the price of the ticket. It is not ruined in any way by the tension of tech vocals or animated Beast feet. These make for decent friendly post-film chat fodder while the magic of Disney pulses forward successfully turning cartoons into live-action remakes.
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (2016) movie review
The first cast, Johnny Depp included, reunites to bring peace and stability back to Wonderland and to help the Hatter find his lost family despite the tricks and ploys of the wicked Queen of Hearts. 
Only Alice, the outsider with faith, teachability, and insight can muster the time-space travel, beg Mr. Time for help, and fix the past that threatens to ruin the future.
Story-wise, it works. Visually, it’s an artistic masterpiece. The actors who play Lewis Carroll’s magical literary characters personify whimsy. 
Bringing cartoon graphics to life, this film honors the imagination of the original author while inventing new lovable characters and rescuing old favorites. Alice admits to being older on this visit. They almost expect it as time is the incessant motif. 
The film moves like a clock, an almost obnoxious pace and overload of visual imagery unless viewers enter aware of and expecting it. 
The Narnian quest becomes more like a hero’s journey in that she works to save the wonder world she loves, and in the process she discovers her own value and freedom from grief.
THE JUNGLE BOOK (2016) movie review
I’m feel like I’m five years old. I’m scrunching down into the seat like it will swallow me, then I sit up fast so I can see over the heads in front of me. When the screen lights up, I am transported into the jungle full of life, of furry friends and foes, of survival. Everywhere, the joy-filled sounds of jungle conversations mingle with crunching popcorn bags and awestruck children.
Mowgli is just a little boy who must learn, as all others do, how to survive in his world: jumping over giant tree limbs, swinging from vines like an orangutan, singing with bears and monkeys, running from Shere Kahn, howling as the adopted son of the wolf pack.
The screen goes dark after the final, gorgeous, framable shot of this art film closes with the unique credit sequence. The lights come up in the theater and the audience exits reluctantly, as sad to leave the jungle as Mowgli was when he realized he had to rejoin the man village. Director Jon Favreau, who also brought us Elf and Iron Man, made a masterpiece with this live action re-make of the 1967 Disney favorite. It stays true to the characters, the music, the art of the original. 
The classic Jungle Book comes to life in glorious widescreen with the unmistakable voices and cadence of favorite actors like Bill Murray and Christopher Walken. May the wonders of this kind of movie making never cease. It’s amazing to think that it was all made on a sound stage in Hollywood. 
Everyone old enough to appreciate the original MUST watch this film. It’s rare that I say I loved everything about a film, but I wish I had the ability to stop blinking and never miss a single frame of this perfect picture. See it, and live the beauty of the original film. Sit up close. Baloo, Bagheera, Mowgli, and every jungle friend will be your friend for life.
INSIDE OUT (2015) movie review
Far from simple, this talking heads cartoon allows an x-ray view into the psychology of emotion. It’s honest and sweet. …of course I cried.
Change can be difficult and jarring. Ever wonder why? Pixar let’s you eat popcorn as you tour the brain on a fascinating and emotional journey of self-discovery.
Don’t miss this literal mind trip. There are no better tour guides through the imagination than Amy Poehler as Joy and Phyllis from The Office as Sadness.
SONG OF THE SEA (2014) movie review
Moving in Mystery
Mounting in Myth
Wild with Wonder
This Sea Song a gift
Gasp at the color
Sigh with delight
Sob for the story
A motherless plight
The parallel stories
Of two frozen men
Whose hearts are stone-hardened
When love has to end
GrandMamas well-meaning,
Imprisoned themselves
In cages without feelings
So their hearts will not melt
A boy and his sister
The saviors reluctant
Head off on a journey
of purpose, importance
The selkies, the fairy men,
A magical robe,
The music, the bubbles,
The search for true home
Sorrow and laughter,
Color and grey,
The story seems simple,
The landscapes homemade.
Both screenplay and screenwork
Surpassed this year’s films
The heartbreak and artwork
Almost overwhelm
Director Tomm Moore
Deserves accolades
For this musical fairytale
So perfectly made.
Delve deeply in heritage
For the beauty you’ll weep
At this legend in masterpiece
Song of the Sea
BIG HERO 6 (2015) movie review
Capitalizing on anthropomorphism is not a new story for Disney. In conjunction with Pixar, they introduced a small trash compactor with big heart in Wall-e. They keep reviving the Toys of our childhoods giving them lives and attitudes. Now Big Hero 6 gives the State Puff a huge heart and one prime directive: to protect and keep young Hiro after he experiences a tragic loss.
Grief counseling never looked so appealing. Big Hero 6 achieved what no other A.I. could. Where films like iRobot, Prometheus, Robot & Frank, and Transformers fail to make huggable machines, this film succeeds. With his program downloaded to help and heal, Baymax brings together the team of six super friends who challenge the lurking evil madman currently threatening the city. Instead of taking out the masked man in a death-match, however, like true heroes they seek restoration and willingly sacrifice in an Interstellar scenario to bring ultimate justice and harmony back to the world. I laughed out loud. I understood Hiro and felt the Baymax hug.
Splatter: on FILM 