Monthly Archives: July 2016

Zootopia (2016)

10 Sunday Jul 2016

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To stay in good graces,
Most stay in their places,
Their happy, expected, and preordained spaces
Among their preferred and familiarized faces.
It’s fine, and it’s true,
But in some special cases,

We aren’t just contented
With life as presented
But strive to be more and to live reinvented.
Such paths can be ridiculed, feared, or resented
But that’s nothing new
When you’re unprecedented.
_________________

MPAA rating: PG
Disney has certainly been on a roll lately. Rising from the lameness of Chicken Little and The Wild, it’s been delivering consistently original CGI gems, films like Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6, and now Zootopia (also called Zootropolis in Europe, supposedly to avoid confusion with an actual zoo over there). A box-office hit on par with Frozen’s success, Zootopia takes the idea of a world of anthropomorphic mammals and fills it with a winning blend of colorful characters, outstanding animation, and a universal moral message, three prime ingredients at which Disney excels.

Judy Hopps (chipper Ginnifer Goodwin) dares to be the first bunny cop, against her family’s worry and conventional wisdom, since most police officers are rhinos or elephants or something big enough to combat crime. When she actually realizes that dream and joins the force in the multi-species metropolis of Zootopia, her naïve idealism clashes with her chief (Idris Elba) and with the con artist fox Nick Wilde (smug Jason Bateman). Soon, Judy and Nick must form an uneasy alliance to solve a slew of missing mammal cases with unseen repercussions.

Right from the start, as Judy sees the city for the first time through a train’s observation deck, there’s enough visual detail and creative imagination to rival the world-building of Pixar. There are boroughs designed as habitats, from the lush rain forest to the frigid tundra, and a plethora of animalized modern conveniences: hamster-tunnel hallways, drink elevators for giraffes, sloths at the DMV (okay, that’s an inconvenience). So many scenes are full of varied pedestrians and fast-paced activity that the backgrounds alone are worth watching. Luckily, the script never lets its humorous potential go to waste, making Zootopia the funniest Disney movie in recent memory. I especially love how Alan Tudyk has become the John Ratzenberger of Disney, to the point that he’s now getting his own gags in reference to past roles (specifically, the Duke of Weselton in Frozen).

Aside from the vibrant animation and consistent jokes, there’s a layered message to Zootopia, a familiar one of tolerance and embracing differences over prejudice, in this case between prey and predator. Some may consider it preachy or heavy-handed, and I can understand why; one misunderstanding in particular seemed overly sensitive, like many perceived offenses nowadays that aren’t really that bad when you think about it. After all, unintended “insults” are often less offensive than people’s reactions to them. Despite this, Zootopia takes its lesson seriously. The finger isn’t just wagged at insensitivity; it’s also aimed at anyone stuck in complacency or those seeking to create problems where there were none. It isn’t all negative either; Judy herself is a wholly admirable female role model, not content to live under others’ expectations but rising to her dream and urging others to do the same. Now that’s a message worth lauding!

All in all, Zootopia is a fun buddy-cop mystery that plays to Disney’s non-musical strengths, even with a few weaknesses. I could have done without an awkward scene at a nudist spa, and it’s still a bit unusual to see modernized animated animals playing with cell phone apps. There are also a few unanswered questions, such as what exactly do predators eat if they’ve evolved past their carnivorous tendencies. Ice cream? I also couldn’t help wondering where all the non-mammals were, fish, birds, reptiles, and such. “Try Everything,” the catchy theme song sung by Shakira, even mentions birds but I never saw any. Have they not become sentient, or are they perhaps enslaved by their mammal overlords? My VC says I’m overthinking this, and I hope so. (She loved the movie too, as did my parents.)

Regardless, ever since John Lasseter was put in charge, Disney Animation continues to impress and entertain with a consistency only Pixar has shown thus far. Talking animals are nothing new, but Zootopia gives them a fresh spin that hits its intended message without ever forgetting to stay amusing. Like Big Hero 6, it’s also a film for which I can easily envision sequels, and based on the talent that created this original, my hopes are high.

Best line: (Judy, calculating Nick’s income to blackmail him) “Two hundred dollars a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year since you were twelve; that’s two decades, so times twenty which is… one million four hundred sixty thousand – I think, I mean I am just a dumb bunny, but we are good at multiplying.”

 

Rank: List-Worthy

 

© 2016 S. G. Liput
393 Followers and Counting

 

Version Variations: Of Mice and Men (1939, 1992)

07 Thursday Jul 2016

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

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Image result for of mice and men 1939

Image result for of mice and men 1992

 

A man’s secure within his plans,
Within his mind and strength of hands.
The world he’s in, though, makes demands
That cast his hopes in doubt,
That turn his rock to shifting sands,
His promised lands to drought.

A plan is never set in stone,
And though the future is unknown,
Both good and ill are all our own,
As it has always been.
When sown and grown and maybe blown,
New plans must then begin.
________________

MPAA rating of 1992 version: PG-13
MPAA rating of 1939 version: Approved (should be PG)

I’m one of the few people for whom John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men was not required reading in high school. Thus, even though I had a vague notion of the plot due to its general fame, I was able to watch Gary Sinise’s 1992 adaptation without knowing how the story would actually play out. Only after that did I also investigate the original adaptation with Burgess Meredith and Lon Chaney, Jr., one of the famous 1939 classics. In order to review both with one stone, this will be the first of a new feature called Version Variations, where I’ll be contrasting two versions of the same story. (Of course, if one happens to be animated, that will still fall under Cartoon Comparisons. Can you tell I like alliteration?)

I’ll start with the remake, the personal passion project of Gary Sinise, who directed and starred as George, the Depression-era migrant worker who travels with the large but simpleminded Lenny Small (John Malkovich). George watches out for Lenny, shielding him from trouble when possible and encouraging him with promises of a ranch of their own, complete with rabbits to pet and feed. While they both work hard and make progress toward their goals, most people probably know theirs is a tragic story; circumstances are the real enemy, and sometimes the slightest of mistakes can send things spiraling out of control.

Image result for of mice and men 1992

Sinise is just as talented a director as he is an actor, displaying a steady hand for the gut-wrenching moments and an eye for detail during the lovingly recreated harvesting scenes. As well as Sinise translates the novella to the screen, most of the credit goes to Steinbeck. As works like Lifeboat and Cannery Row illustrate, he was a master at creating distinct and sympathetic characters, like the dog-loving old man Candy (Ray Walston, aka Boothby from Star Trek: The Next Generation) and the bitter black cripple Crooks (Joe Morton). In addition to swiftly developed characters, the structure of the story is perfection, with poignant foreshadowing that only becomes clear by the end. And of course, at the heart of the film are Sinise and Malkovich, giving some of the best performances of their careers, with Malkovich in particular nailing the childlike innocence that makes Lenny all the more pitiful.

As for the 1939 adaptation, which included Steinbeck’s personal involvement and approval, it’s almost identical, testifying to the faithfulness of both versions to the book. Directed by Lewis Milestone and scored by Aaron Copland, this black-and-white version features Burgess Meredith as George and the hulking Lon Chaney, Jr., of Wolf Man fame as Lenny. One thing I liked from the outset was a clear reference to the title’s source, since “of mice and men” comes from the Robert Burns poem “To a Mouse.” Much of the characterization and dialogue are the same, with one difference being the slightly altered countenance of the only female character Mae (Betty Field in the original, Sherilyn Fenn in the remake), the bored and rebellious wife of the boss’s arrogant son Curley. The 1939 Mae is more vocal and antagonistic than the 1992 version of the character, who is known only as Curley’s wife as in the book. In addition, the 1939 film lacks the frequent profanity that Sinise included, though due to the book’s reputation for censorship I suspect Sinise was a bit more faithful in that regard.

Image result for of mice and men 1939

The quality of the performances is certainly admirable, though some of the acting feels dated and overplayed. While Chaney can’t compare with Malkovich, Meredith and Sinise are equally excellent as gruff but caring George. The one role that I found even better in the original was that of Candy (Roman Bohnen), the old farmhand urged to kill his aging dog. As good as Ray Walston is in the remake, Bohnen steals his scenes with tearjerking effect, making me wonder why he wasn’t even nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

Both versions are powerful examples of adapting a classic book. Both have their strengths, yet Sinise’s version sidesteps the original’s weaknesses and wins my preference, despite the needless profanity. Perhaps it was simply because I saw the 1992 adaptation first, but it had a much greater emotional impact for me, aided by how the eventual climax wasn’t given away as quickly as in the 1939 version. Still, the original has enough dramatic power and artistry to recommend it too, such as a scene that slowly zooms backward as George walks across the barn toward the end. Neither earned any Oscars, though the 1939 version was nominated for Best Picture, Sound Recording, Musical Scoring, and Original Score. I may or may not ever read Steinbeck’s novel, but these two adaptations do his work proud.

Best line (same in both versions): (Slim, speaking of Lenny) “A guy don’t need no sense to be a nice fella.”

 

Rank for 1992 version: List-Worthy
Rank for 1939 version: List Runner-Up

 

© 2016 S. G. Liput
393 Followers and Counting

 

Genre Grandeur – Warm Bodies (2013) – Rhyme and Reason

06 Wednesday Jul 2016

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Here’s my second review for MovieRob’s June Genre Grandeur of Derivative movies, this time the zombie romance Warm Bodies. I’m sure Shakespeare never saw this coming when he wrote Romeo and Juliet.

movierob's avatarMovieRob

deriviativeFor this month’s first review for Genre Grandeur – Derivative Work Films, here’s a review of Warm Bodies (2013) by SG of Rhyme and Reason.

Thanks again to Summer of Serendipitous Anachronisms for choosing this month’s very unique genre.

Here’s Summer to explain her choice:

Basically it is anything based or inspired by pre-existing source

for example:

Amelie takes its relationships from the Luncheon of the Boating Party

The Magnificent Seven is borrowed from the Seven Samurai

Sunday in the Park with George is based on painting by George Seurat

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is loosely based on Hamlet

My Own Private Idaho borrows from Henry the IV

Cosi is about a director directing the musical Cosi Fan Tutti

Pride Prejudice and Zombies borrows from Pride and Prejudice

Clueless borrows from the novel Emma

Monty Python and the Holy Grail borrows from the Arthurian Legend

Basically a film that…

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Opinion Battles Round 13 – Favourite Alien Based Film

04 Monday Jul 2016

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In honor of Independence Day (both the holiday and the movie), be sure to vote for your favorite alien-related film in Round 13 of Opinion Battles. I picked James Cameron’s Aliens, but there’s a fair number of great choices this round.

Unknown's avatarMovie Reviews 101

Opinion Battles Round 13

Favourite Alien Based Film

Over the years we have had so many films revolving aliens, be it them invading Earth, visiting or just whacky space sagas. The alien characters have become iconic in cinema because of the mystery surrounding outer space so today we are going to look at our favourite film with alien(s) as the main part of the film. We are selecting this to celebrate the release of Independence Day: Resurgence.

If you want to enter the next round of Opinion Battles we will be looking at our favourite Leonardo DiCaprio roles, if you want to enter send your choice to moviereviews101@yahoo.co.ukwith closing date being Sunday the 10th July 2016.

Darren – Movie Reviews 101

Independence Dayind

I have chosen Independence Day because it is easily the film I have seen the most, the idea that aliens have come to destroy the…

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My Top Twelve Rain Scenes in Movies

03 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by in Movies, Writing

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Image result for my neighbor totoro rain

 

Rain – the soothing sound that lulls us to sleep or the raging downpour that frightens cats and children. Except for the desert, rain is a world-washing constant everywhere, especially England and Seattle, and thus makes for popular movie weather. It can be a symbol of rebirth, a mere annoyance, a passionate setting for a wet kiss, or a dramatic backdrop for a climactic fight. With so many examples of precipitation to choose from and because it’s rained a lot lately where I live, I’ve made up my own list of twelve favorite moments caught in the rain.

(These are only for movies I’ve actually seen all the way through, so apologies to anyone missing famous scenes from Road to Perdition, Say Anything, Magnolia, Garden State, Unforgiven, and Blade Runner. Feel free to suggest any others I missed.) Here goes….

 

  1. The Truman Show (1998)

 

Have you ever felt like there’s a rain cloud hovering over your head, raining only on you? Probably not as literally as Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), who experiences such a technical malfunction in his reality show life.

 

  1. Cast Away (2000)

 

The waterworks don’t just come from the sky when Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) finally escapes his island and finds his girlfriend (Helen Hunt) remarried. They reunite in the driving rain, yet both know that the past is as unchangeable as the weather.

 

  1. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

 

For all the flak that the Star Wars prequels get, they do boast some of the best action sequences around. For instance, when Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) visits a water-covered storm planet in search of a certain bounty hunter, he finds the perp as well as a thrilling scuffle on the landing platform.

 

  1. The Garden of Words (2013)

 

Rain plays a prominent role in Makoto Shinkai’s slow but exquisitely animated The Garden of Words. A high school student and an older woman meet by chance during rainy mornings, and since both are lonely and in need of support, they begin hoping for rain to again bring them together.

 

  1. Holes (2003)

 

Spoiler warning, I suppose. After being sent to Camp Green Lake, “a magical place where it never rains,” Stanley (Shia LaBeouf) endures manual labor and uncovers his own past and that of the lake, leading to a climactic curse reversal.

 

  1. Jurassic Park (1993)

 

How many times have you seen someone eaten off a toilet in the rain? At least once, I’d bet. Our first introduction to the T. Rex is made all the more memorable by the pouring rain that makes its entrance even scarier. Not to mention, the Dilophosaurus attack on Wayne Knight happens in the same rainstorm.

 

  1. Seven Samurai (1954)

 

Akira Kurosawa definitely loved rain in his movies. There’s the beginning and end of Rashomon, for instance, and it’s never just a shower but a full-on atmospheric assault. Speaking of assault, the final battle between his seven samurai and the attacking bandits occurs in a raging storm, distinguishing it as an even more impressive feat of classic cinematic warfare.

Image result for seven samurai battle

  1. The Notebook (2004)

 

Sure, Nicholas Sparks movies tend to be sappy and formulaic, but romance is romance. The Notebook is certainly a flawed story, but that passionate kiss in the rain is among the most iconic scenes of modern romance.

 

  1. Spider-Man (2001)

 

Speaking of iconic passionate kisses in the rain, Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson share a uniquely inverted smooch after he saves her from some thugs. I’ve heard Tobey Macguire could hardly breath while filming, but the end result was worth it (says this uninvolved viewer). The Andrew Garfield movies never had anything this good.

 

  1. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

 

Of all the battles in the rain (and there are many), none is as awesomely epic as the siege of Helm’s Deep in the second Lord of the Rings movie. With their trapped forces hopelessly outnumbered by the approaching Uruk-hai, Aragorn and the men of Rohan just can’t catch a break, and it starts raining even without someone saying “It can’t get any worse, can it?” It pours through the entire night, a wet and messy melee of good against evil.

 

  1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

 

After crawling through a sewage pipe to escape Shawshank Prison, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) could use a good shower, and the rain that aided his escape acts as a symbolic cleansing from all the dirty deeds he did and saw behind bars. Such a powerful scene!

 

  1. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

 

When it comes to famous scenes in the rain, nothing can compare with Gene Kelly’s marvelous musical number to the title song. Even though he was sick with a fever at the time, Kelly joyously splashes through puddles and revels in the sheer joy of wet contentment. Who needs an umbrella when you have love, right?

 

Runners-Up (as you can see, it was tough narrowing the list to twelve):

 

A Bug’s Life – The rainy season can be a big problem when you’re as small as an insect.

Aliens – It’s pouring when Ripley and the Marines land on LV-426.

Back to the Future Part II – It’s pouring when Marty gets a 70-year-old telegram from Doc and actually tries to read it as it gets soaked.

Bee Movie – Rain and insects again – you get the picture.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s – It’s pouring during the touching final scene. Animal cruelty is rarely this romantic.

Beauty and the Beast – It’s pouring during Gaston’s confrontation with the Beast.

The Day after Tomorrow – It’s pouring (and I mean pouring!) when New York is swallowed by a massive tidal wave.

Forrest Gump – “One day, it started raining, and it didn’t quit for four months. We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin’ rain… and big ol’ fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. Shoot, it even rained at night.”

The Goodbye Girl – It’s pouring when Richard Dreyfuss is in the phone booth.

The Hunger Games – It’s pouring when Peeta throws some bread to a starving Katniss.

Inception – It’s pouring when Cobb and his team first enter Fischer’s dream world.

Jumanji – It’s pouring even inside houses, thanks to that board game.

Les Miserables (2012) – It’s pouring at the beginning when Valjean and the other prisoners are hauling in a ship.

The Matrix Revolutions – It’s pouring during Neo’s climactic fight with Smith.

Midnight in Paris – Gil prefers women who don’t mind getting wet since after all, “Paris is the most beautiful in the rain.”

My Neighbor Totoro – Not the biggest fan of this movie, but I do love certain scenes, like the picture at the top.

Noah – Forty days and forty nights – that’s a lot of rain.

The Outsiders – It’s pouring when the Greasers and the Socs have their big rumble.

The Perfect Storm – It’s in the name.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – It’s pouring during the huge whirlpool battle.

Poltergeist – It’s pouring when corpses appear in the swimming pool. Seriously scary.

The Quiet Man – It’s pouring when John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara share a kiss in the cemetery.

Raising Arizona – It’s pouring when the Snoats brothers dig out of prison, pre-Shawshank. AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Rashomon – It’s pouring during the entire frame story.

Shadowlands – It’s pouring when C.S. Lewis and Joy visit the Golden Valley, which is more wet than golden.

Tarzan – It’s pouring during yet another Disney villain fight.

Thor – It’s pouring during Thor’s free-for-all with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Time of Eve – It’s pouring during a silent example of robot prejudice.

Wolf Children – It’s pouring both at the end and during the traumatic moment when Hana realizes she’s on her own.

Wuthering Heights – It’s pouring when Heathcliff departs and Cathy runs out on the moor after him.

 

I can’t tell you how much this Raising Arizona scene in reverse made me laugh. You’re welcome. 😀

Genre Grandeur – Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964) – Rhyme and Reason

01 Friday Jul 2016

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Here’s my first review for MovieRob’s June Genre Grandeur of Derivative movies based on some other source: Robinson Crusoe on Mars, a surprisingly good piece of classic science fiction.

movierob's avatarMovieRob

deriviativeFor this month’s first review for Genre Grandeur – Derivative Work Films, here’s a review of Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964) by SG of Rhyme and Reason.

Thanks again to Summer of Serendipitous Anachronisms for choosing this month’s very unique genre.

Here’s Summer to explain her choice:

Basically it is anything based or inspired by pre-existing source

for example:

Amelie takes its relationships from the Luncheon of the Boating Party

The Magnificent Seven is borrowed from the Seven Samurai

Sunday in the Park with George is based on painting by George Seurat

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is loosely based on Hamlet

My Own Private Idaho borrows from Henry the IV

Cosi is about a director directing the musical Cosi Fan Tutti

Pride Prejudice and Zombies borrows from Pride and Prejudice

Clueless borrows from the novel Emma

Monty Python and the Holy Grail borrows from the Arthurian Legend

Basically a…

View original post 822 more words