Tag Archives: Animation

Hercules (1997)

14 Monday Apr 2014

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When Zeus and Hera have a boy,
They love their little pride and joy,
But Zeus’s brother Hades aims
To rule the heavens and destroy
His brother and the son he claims.
 
The evil god sends Panic and Pain,
His fearful minions, to obtain
The boy and give him every drop
Of a drink to let his godhood drain,
But just too soon they’re forced to stop.
 
Young Hercules is mortal now
But still has godlike strength somehow.
He’s raised by a human dad and mum.
His friendlessness spurs him to vow
To find out where he’s really from.
 
Zeus tells him that he is a god,
And Hercules is rather awed.
For Mount Olympus to be his,
He must be worthy of great laud
And find out what a hero is.
 
He seeks out Philoctetes (Phil),
A trainer who has gone downhill.
This satyr coaches Hercules
To master every hero skill
Until his ace can fight with ease.
 
While journeying to stop some hell,
He saves a girl named Meg as well.
He falls for her like any man,
But Hades owns this mademoiselle
And plots to use her in his plan.
 
In Thebes, Herc’s fandom is increased
When he destroys a Hydra beast.
Though Hades sends out fiends galore,
Though every monster is released,
Herc beats them, still prepared for more.
 
Then Hades shifts his strategy:
By offering to set Meg free,
He says to date Herc and infer
Whatever weakness there may be;
Herc’s only weakness, though, is her.
 
So Hades makes a deal with Herc:
If, for a single day, he’ll shirk
His hero duties, Meg goes free.
His diabolic plan does work
And leaves Herc one weak wannabe.
 
This day is part of Hades’ design,
For all the planets will align.
He frees the Titans from their jail
To strike his enemies divine,
And he is eager to prevail.
 
Though Hercules is badly thrashed,
He still leaves adversaries trashed.
His superhuman strength returns
When Meg saves him and ends up smashed.
The fire of vengeance in him burns.
 
When he arrives, the Titans flee,
And he defeats them easily.
He follows Hades to his pit
Once Zeus and all the gods are free,
And Herc is not afraid one bit.
 
He says he’ll stay there in Meg’s place.
While reaching for her cold embrace,
Herc’s heroism proves divine.
He punches Hades in the face
And leaves him in his ghastly brine.
 
Olympus’s gates are open wide;
Both Zeus and Phil are filled with pride.
The stars acclaim him overhead,
But lovely Meg makes him decide
To stay on earth with her instead.
_____________________
 

The first film on my list from Disney’s Renaissance of the 1990s, Hercules combines many of the elements that made The Little Mermaid and Aladdin such hits, just less successfully. It has a young protagonist trying to prove himself, a soundtrack from the great Alan Menken, funny sidekicks, and voice-acting star power; on the other hand, it has some obvious plot holes and less memorable characters and songs than other Disney classics.

My mom never cared for the animation, which has a Greek swirly aspect to it, so I didn’t watch Hercules much growing up. Seeing it more recently, I see that the film has both strong and weak points. Because it thankfully strays from the often less-than-savory Greek myth, the writers basically turned Hercules into a Superman story (separated from parents and raised by a human couple, grows up feeling different because of his powers, and leaves home to find his otherworldly origin), but whereas Jor-El was dead (Man of Steel blurred that point), Zeus knew exactly where his son was but didn’t help him one bit or tell him the truth until Hercules was “old enough.” For the king of the gods, he seems pretty powerless, making his declarations of love for his son rather unconvincing. Also, Zeus’s lightning bolts had no effect on the invading Titans at first; after Hercules frees him but before he really joins the fight, the Titans suddenly run for the hills from…Zeus and his lightning bolts? Not to mention, Hercules makes a deal with Hades to stay in the underworld in Meg’s place, but after he saves her and becomes a god, he just walks out, not holding up his end of the supposedly binding bargain.

On the positive side, I like most of the animation and the intentionally anachronistic humor, which ranges from hilarious (“Zeus-y, I’m home!”) to rather out of place, such as several Yiddish words like schlemiel and furshlugginer. The voice acting is a mixed bag: James Woods is at his villainous best as the wisecracking Hades, as is Danny DeVito as Louie De Palma—I mean Phil. However, Susan Egan is unnecessarily sultry as Meg and Tate Donovan’s boyish voice fits the young Hercules but not so much his buffed-up hero persona.

I’m likewise conflicted about the songs. Though Danny DeVito’s song is the only really forgettable one, the soulful vocalizing and gospel influences in most of the soundtrack seem more at home on an Aretha Franklin album than in ancient Greece. I do still love Meg’s song “I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)” and the Muses’ funny musical narration, and “Zero to Hero” is a toe-tapping showstopper and the best of the bunch. As for the mostly cartoonish action, the battle with the CGI hydra midway through is a most thrilling scene, though the head-slicing seemed unusually violent for a studio that typically leaves such gruesome things off-screen.

Hercules may be the weakest of 1990s Disney films, especially coming between greater films like The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Mulan, but it’s still an entertaining musical tale of true heroism. It may not be divinity, but Hercules at least earns a spot on my list.

Best line: (Pain or Panic, disguised as trapped little boys) “Somebody call IX-I-I!”

 
Artistry: 4
Characters/Actors: 6
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 5
Watchability: 8
Other (aforementioned problems): -3
 
TOTAL: 35 out of 60
 

Next: #266 – The Hunt for Red October

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

13 Sunday Apr 2014

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Thirteen-year-old Kiki’s a young novice witch
Who eagerly begs both her parents for trust.
It’s time that she left to go find her own niche
By herself for a year, as all young witches must.
 
With her black cat named Jiji, she flies on her broom
Over beautiful country to find a new town.
She locates a fine seaside city quite soon
And startles the citizens as she floats down.
 
At first she cannot find a good place to stay
Until bakery owner Osono permits
The girl to stay with her for some work each day
And helps her to find a profession that fits.
 
Her one skill is flying so she makes a job
Out of flying deliveries for a small fee.
Delivering loads for both sweetheart and snob,
She flies high above this large town by the sea.
 
Though some people seem rather cold to the lass,
That’s untrue for Tombo, a boy who’s impressed.
At first she dislikes him and gives only sass
But warms up to him at Osono’s behest.
 
When Kiki begins to just feel out of place
Around Tombo’s rich friends, she feels sad and dejected.
She turns down a blimp tour and leaves in disgrace
But finds that her magic’s no longer connected.
 
She doesn’t know why, but she simply can’t fly
And can’t understand Jiji’s cat conversation.
A woman who paints has the sense to imply
That this block may mean Kiki must find inspiration.
 
When Kiki is shocked to see Tombo in danger,
Hanging down from the blimp, which is out of control,
She grabs up a broom from a neighboring stranger
And finally flies, drawing deep from her soul.
 
The blimp crashes into a nearby clock tower,
And she seizes Tombo at just the last minute.
Her business “takes off” since she has back her power;
She likes this new town and her newfound place in it.
_______________________
 

I have very mixed feelings about Kiki’s Delivery Service, another lovely film from animation master Hayao Miyazaki. Witchcraft is not something I am fond of in movies, and I will say right now that there are no Harry Potter films on my list. I don’t mind films in which witchcraft is seen as evil, such as Hocus Pocus or Sleeping Beauty, but any attempt at normalizing or promoting it seems wrong to me. That being said, Kiki’s Delivery Service has much to like, and its good points outweigh the problematic foundation.

While there are references to other witches making potions or fortunetelling, Kiki’s only skill is flying on her broomstick, and this being her one talent makes her pretty innocuous, like Glinda the Good Witch or Wendy the Good Little Witch. On top of that, she is kind, friendly, helpful, and respectful of her elders, in sharp contrast to a thankless teenage girl to whom she delivers a grandmother’s gift. Plus, upon seeing this witch flying overhead, most people are more awe-struck than fearful, and witches are spoken of in a universally positive light, as if this is an alternate world where witches are on the level of fairies.

Kiki’s Delivery Service was Disney’s first dub of a Studio Ghibli film, and though some dialogue was added or changed, I think they did a good job providing the characters with distinct voices, with Kirsten Dunst as Kiki, Matthew Lawrence as Tombo, Tress MacNeille as Osono, and Phil Hartman in one of his last roles as Jiji. The animation is lovely, especially the expansive vistas seen from Kiki’s birds-eye view. The climax is also exciting, making this the third film this past week to feature a balloon-related finale. The story is light on plot but has enough charm and likable characters to make it entertaining, and it boasts a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

While Kiki’s ”inspiration” isn’t really made clear, her discussion with Ursula, the painter, about figuring out your unique reason for doing something can apply to any young person finding their place in the world. Kiki’s loss of her flight ability may even have influenced Peter Parker’s similar lack of inspiration in Spider-Man 2, which again is only resolved when he has someone to rescue.

While I have tried to downplay the magical elements of the film, the fact remains that I do not approve of this witchcraft subtext. Nevertheless, Kiki’s Delivery Service is just one of those movies that I can’t help but enjoy.

Best line: (Ursula to Kiki) “We each need to find our own inspiration, Kiki. Sometimes it’s not easy.”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 6
Watchability: 6
Other (witchcraft element): -5
 
TOTAL: 35 out of 60
 

Next: #267: Hercules

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

#270: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

11 Friday Apr 2014

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In 1914, Milo Thatch
Has got a hare-brained scheme to hatch,
A trip to find an ancient book
To reach Atlantis, but the hook
Is none will pay him to dispatch
A team to reach this awesome catch.
 
But, led by one Helga Sinclair,
Thatch meets a quirky millionaire,
Who lost a very costly bet
To his granddad. To pay the debt,
He’s funded Milo’s whole affair
To find Atlantis deep somewhere.
 
Aboard the great sub (quite a feat),
The linguist has a chance to meet
Commander Rourke, who heads the mission;
Vinny, who likes demolition;
Mole, a burrower; and Sweet,
The kindly doctor for the fleet.
 
Deep underwater, soon they find
A monster that comes from behind.
This huge Leviathan attacks;
The sub is wrecked, but they make tracks
And reach a cave that is designed
To reach Atlantis, once it’s mined.
 
Once more is said of those with names,
Strange fireflies burst into flames.
The fire spreads; to flee from it,
They find an old volcano’s pit.
From there, within a couple frames,
They reach the truth of Milo’s claims.
 
They’re welcomed to Atlantis by
The Princess Kida, who’s not shy.
Impressed at what Milo can read,
She takes him to a sunken screed
That notes a crystal power supply,
But Rourke butts in as our bad guy.
 
He and the crew start acting rash;
They’ll sell the crystal just for cash.
Once Rourke has hurt Atlantis’ king,
He still locates that crystal thing.
It bonds with Kida in a flash,
And giant stones fall with a splash.
 
They pack up Kida to depart,
But Milo’s pleas to have a heart
Create misgivings in the many;
Rourke and Sinclair haven’t any.
Before the city falls apart,
They must bring Kida back, to start.
 
Thatch leads a team of those who stayed
On flying fish ships, unafraid.
They battle Rourke, who’ll get out soon
If he escapes in his balloon.
When Thatch flies in to Kida’s aid,
Rourke’s killed by his propeller blade.
 
That same volcano starts to wake,
So all our heroes make a break.
When Kida’s back, she forms a shield,
And soon the lava has congealed.
The crystal, which can give and take,
Lets Kida go for Milo’s sake.
 
Though most died in this enterprise,
We still have all the named good guys.
While Milo stays, his friends return,
Concealing what their group did learn.
The crystal on which life relies
Now floats above Atlantis’ skies.
­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_____________________
 

Atlantis: The Lost Empire is an outlier among Disney movies. It has no princesses, no musical numbers, and no cute and funny animal sidekicks. Mole doesn’t count. It also has a different kind of animation, more angular and intentionally reminiscent of old pulp magazine tales. While there’s much humor throughout, Atlantis is more mature than most Disney films, with hundreds of people dying, albeit off-screen. This large number of redshirts makes it almost funny that only the good characters with names end up living.

The characters are actually what attracted the most criticism when Atlantis was released. The film is like Indiana Jones crossed with a caper film, and the latter’s habit of collecting a team of uniquely skilled individuals for the mission is well utilized. While I personally like all the characters, it’s true that most of their backstories, if any, are glossed over so quickly that any development is relegated to humorous character moments, like Cookie’s grease-based cooking or Dr. Sweet’s chiropractic assistance for Milo’s neck. The voice acting, though, is spot-on, with Michael J. Fox as Milo, James Garner as Rourke, Don Novello (“Fr. Guido Sarducci”) as Vinny, Phil Morris as Sweet (Disney’s first animated African American character), and Corey Burton as Mole being the stand-outs.

Watching it again, I was reminded of other films, particularly Prometheus. The scene in which Milo gives a presentation about their mission’s goal to the unimpressed crew, which was commissioned by an eccentric millionaire, is suspiciously similar to the same scene in the much later Ridley Scott film. As for the action scenes, they are extremely well-done, if implausible at times, and critic Roger Ebert wrote that the finale “stands by itself as one of the great animated action sequences.”

The main issue for me is the whole “explanation” for Atlantis itself. The advanced power source Milo seeks turns out to be a sentient New Age-y crystal thing that protected Atlantis against the flood, which its misuse supposedly caused. Using this New Age crystal as the film’s MacGuffin is just not as successful as, say, the Biblical ones of the first and third Indiana Jones movies.

There are many unanswered questions. Where did it come from? If it’s sentient, why would it allow itself to be misused so terribly? Why did it give Kida back but not her mother? On top of these questions, there are others. The crystal was under Atlantis, which was underground, so what provided daylight? Even if Atlantean was the root of every language, how could they speak perfect English, having not been exposed to its modern development? If Atlantis sank 10,000 years ago, how did Plato know about it?

Despite these problems, Atlantis: The Lost Empire was an entertaining new direction for Disney that sadly didn’t deliver as executives had hoped. It remains a cult classic and a worthy addition to my list.

Best line: (Packard, over the intercom, like something from MASH) “Attention: Tonight’s supper will be baked beans. Musical program to follow.”

 
Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 6
Watchability: 8
Other (New Age themes) -8
 
TOTAL: 34 out of 60
 

Next: #269 – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Bambi (1942)

08 Tuesday Apr 2014

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(Because of Bambi’s naturalistic simplicity and personal time constraints, I have opted to try a different style for today’s poem, a series of haiku.)

 
Deep in the forest,
A fawn prince enters the world
With eyes of wonder.
 
All is new to him,
The flowers and butterflies,
Bright and exciting.
 
Young rabbit Thumper
Befriends the newborn, as does
Bashful skunk Flower.
 
The young trio plays
Together, and Bambi meets
Female fawn Faline.
 
The seasons march on.
Winter offers newfound joys,
But sorrow awaits.
 
As gunshots ring out,
Bambi flees the deadly sound,
But Mother is gone.
 
Bambi’s cries echo
Through the snow-shod trees until
His father helps him.
 
Years flow ever on,
And Bambi becomes a stag,
Grown but still naïve.
 
He and his old friends
Scoff at romance until it
Captures their young hearts.
 
Faline, now a doe,
Has more than one suitor, but
Bambi proves himself.
 
Man threatens the woods,
But Bambi defends his love
From the vicious dogs.
 
Careless Man’s fire spreads
To drive creatures from their homes.
All flee before it.
 
A strong, daring leap
Lets Bambi escape from death
To create new life.
 
Like Father, Bambi,
The new Prince of the Forest,
Watches o’er his fawns.
_______________
 

Who here saw Bambi as a child and didn’t cry? Anyone? I doubt it. Bambi starts out as one of the gentlest children’s films ever made with adorable woodland creatures but turns into one of the most traumatic as well. Every well-loved child’s worst fear is the loss of a parent, and Bambi’s pitiful search for his mother taps into that potential loneliness to make it one of the ultimate tearjerkers. Those who have seen it several times, like me, may not burst into tears anymore, but it’s still undeniably sad.

As for the rest of the film, the hand-drawn animation is gorgeous, possibly the artistic height of Disney’s original films; the characters are memorable (Any deer can be called Bambi, and any rabbit Thumper to this day.); and the climax is actually pretty exciting. Yet, as with other films like The Secret World of Arrietty, Bambi is so gentle and innocent at times that it becomes rather boring, especially during his saccharinely slow initial exploration of the forest.

Still, Disney managed a surprising balance to this pacing issue by including some almost shockingly realistic events, like Bambi’s aforementioned search for his mother and a scene in which a panicked pheasant flees from her hiding place only to be shot down. Seriously, this movie has probably turned off more people from hunting than any ASPCA ad ever could. Bambi is a naturalistic masterpiece, one of those skillfully made films that work well as both kiddie entertainment and an early introduction to the big, bad, but beautiful world in which we live.

Best line: (Friend Owl, to the grown Bambi) “I was talking to myself about you the other day; we were wondering what became of you.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 5
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 7
Watchability: 4
Other (slow pacing): -8
 
TOTAL: 34 out of 60
 

Next: #272: U. S. Marshals

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

06 Sunday Apr 2014

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Kuzco is a pompous brat
Who sings and talks about himself.
He isn’t popular for that,
But he’s the one with power and pelf,
And niceness he is clueless at.
 
Kuzco calls a village man
Named Pacha, who is big on heart,
To tell him of his birthday plan
To have his village torn apart
And build a mansion, since he can.
 
Kuzco next goes on to fire
Yzma, his advisor old.
She and henchman Kronk conspire
To steal the throne she’s craved to hold
Once they dispatch their selfish sire.
 
Kuzco drinks yet doesn’t die
But turns into a talking llama.
Kronk, since things have gone awry,
Then gives the emperor head trauma.
So Kronk is told to kill the guy.
 
Kuzco ends up in a cart
Which Pacha takes back to his town.
The peasant says his help will start
When Kuzco will not tear it down,
But he refuses, and they part.
 
Kuzco finds a panther pack,
But Pacha helps him from his bind.
The llama thinks he’s sharp as a tack
And lies that he has changed his mind,
So Pacha swears to take him back.
 
Kuzco, though, reveals his lie,
Before they both fall from a bridge.
They work together, or they try,
To climb back up onto a ridge,
And each assists the other guy.
 
Kuzco, who is hunger-prone,
And Pacha stop for lunch. Unfed,
The llama hears Yzma the crone
Announce she wanted Kuzco dead.
Depressed, he wanders off alone.
 
Kuzco’s cheered by Pacha’s aid,
And both depart for Yzma’s lair.
Though Yzma is by Kronk betrayed,
She tries to stop the motley pair
And hides the human brew she made.
 
Kuzco, Pacha, and the witch
Face off high up in comic style,
But, overcoming every hitch,
Our heroes get the potion vial.
Kuzco drinks the brew to switch.
 
Kuzco’s changed and shows goodwill
By not destroying Pacha’s town.
He finds he can enjoy life still,
And everybody parties down
With Kuzco on another hill.
__________________
 

Ending Disney’s streak of traditionally animated musicals in the 1990s, The Emperor’s New Groove was a completely different animal from previous classics like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Mulan. It was straight-up buddy comedy with just the right amount of pathos. Possibly Disney’s funniest movie, The Emperor’s New Groove has more jokes, both visual and verbal, than you can shake a stick at. From Kronk’s ineptitude and his arguments with his shoulder angels to the continual comments about Yzma’s age, the laugh-out-loud moments just keep on coming throughout the 78-minute runtime. By the end, the filmmakers even throw in plot holes and serendipity just to point them out for a laugh.

The voice acting is also some of the best I’ve heard. David Spade is appropriately unlikable yet still funny as Kuzco the talking emperor llama (whose character change is quite satisfying), John Goodman is warm-heartedly sympathetic as Pacha, Eartha Kitt fills Yzma’s every line with scratchy-voiced charisma, and Patrick Warburton is an absolute hoot as Kronk, so much so that he got his own funny but not-as-good sequel in Kronk’s New Groove.

While it would have been nice to see the originally planned film, a typical Disney musical with songs by Sting, The Emperor’s New Groove nonetheless deserves a spot on my list just for the unceasing humor. I remember that Yzma’s transformation at the end left me in stitches the first few times I saw it. It may not be the instant classic that so many other Disney films were, but it’s entertaining from start to finish.

Best line: (Pacha, with Kuzco the llama dressed as a woman in a diner) “It’s our honeymoon.” (monotone waitress) “Bless you for coming out in public.”
 
VC’s best line: (Pacha) “What’d they look like?”
(Townsman #1) “Well, there was this big guy, and this older woman who was… well, how would you describe her?”
(Townsman #2) “Ah, scary beyond all reason?”
(Townsman #1) “Yeah, that’s it.”

 

Artistry: 3
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 7
Watchability: 7
Other (I just like other films better): -6
 
TOTAL: 34 out of 60
 

Next: #274: Hugo

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

The Jungle Book (1967)

04 Friday Apr 2014

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Bagheera the panther is prowling around
The jungle when suddenly he hears a sound,
A helpless man-cub that has need to be found,
And he can’t bring himself to forsake him.
 
He then has a thought of who might raise the child,
A family of wolves that at first may seem wild,
But, with all their cubs, they’re surprisingly mild,
And Bagheera’s relieved when they take him.
 
They name the boy Mowgli, but, after some years,
The threat of Shere Kahn, a great tiger, brings fears
That Mowgli must leave; the black cat volunteers
To take him where more humans dwell.
 
But Mowgli insists that he’d much rather stay;
The jungle’s his home and he can’t run away.
Though dangers like Kaa the snake threaten each day,
The boy’s quick to fight and rebel.
 
Bagheera gives up on the man-cub, annoyed.
Baloo the bear sees a chance he can’t avoid;
He tells Mowgli life should be simply enjoyed,
And both of them get very close.
 
Then monkeys take him to their coolest of kings,
But Mowgli’s friends save him while everyone sings,
When the bear tells him he ought to leave, the truth stings,
And Mowgli flees, sad and morose.
 
Though many tell Mowgli that he need not leave,
Repeated deceit makes him loath to believe.
He’s joined by some vultures, who help him not grieve,
But soon he is met by Shere Khan.
 
The tiger attacks, but Baloo holds his tail,
But, as the cat strikes, Baloo cannot prevail.
Yet Mowgli wields fire to make Shere Khan wail,
And soon the great tiger’s withdrawn.
 
Though hurt, Baloo rises, still quite the wise guy.
Bagheera and he then observe from nearby
As a beautiful girl catches young Mowgli’s eye,
And he follows her home and is gone.
_______________________
 

As the last film that Walt Disney worked on before his death, The Jungle Book is a true classic, and both my VC and I remembered it fondly from our childhoods. It has a number of enjoyable songs from the Sherman Brothers, such as King Louie’s “I Wanna Be Like You” and the vultures’ “That’s What Friends Are For,” but the most memorable tune, “The Bare Necessities,” was actually done by a previously involved songwriter, Terry Gilkyson. The Jungle Book was also one of Disney’s first films to employ several well-known voices, such as radio comedian Phil Harris as Baloo, George Sanders (Rebecca, All About Eve) as Shere Khan, Sebastian Cabot (Family Affair) as Bagheera, musical great Louis Prima as King Louis, and Sterling Holloway (Winnie the Pooh) as Kaa.

While there is no denying The Jungle Book’s status as a classic, I will say that it seemed much slower than my VC or I recalled. The best scenes are the musical numbers and the action scenes with King Louis and Shere Khan; most of what is between these scenes is a tad boring, to be honest. Also, while the film has inspired several fine animators, such as Brad Bird, the thick-lined animation just doesn’t seem to be on the same level as many Disney films that came before, such as Peter Pan or Lady and the Tramp.

Still, where the film most excels is in the characters. Every character with his distinctive voice is indelible in the memory: Baloo, with his original “Hakuna Matata” worldview; Bagheera, who doesn’t get enough credit for essentially saving Mowgli’s life; King Louie, whose monkeying around can’t help but entertain; Shere Khan, with his deep, seductive voice; and Kaa, who gets some of the most visually interesting scenes. The film’s plot is quite loose overall, and it is Mowgli’s interactions with these immortal characters that really make it the classic that it is. While it’s very different in tone from Rudyard Kipling’s original story and it is a clear product of its time (those mop-topped vultures were originally going to be played by the Beatles, if Disney had had his way), Disney’s take on The Jungle Book was the last really good animated film for over fifteen years.

Best line: (Bagheera) “This will take brains, not brawn.” (Baloo) “You better believe it, and I’m loaded with both.”

 
Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 5
Watchability: 5
Other (slow parts): -2
 
TOTAL: 33 out of 60
 

Next: #276: Dave

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

#280: A Bug’s Life (1998)

01 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Flik is an ant on an island of ants
With a tree rising over each head.
They spend their days harvesting grain from the plants
To keep hungry grasshoppers fed.
Considered a fool, poor Flik just wants a chance
To prove that he’s helpful instead.
 
When Flik inadvertently ruins the food,
The grasshoppers’ chief, who’s named Hopper,
Demands they pick double to keep them subdued,
Which he says for an ant is quite proper.
But Flik has the chutzpah to swiftly conclude
They need warriors or a crime stopper.
 
While Atta, the princess, is dubious still,
It’s a way to get rid of Flik fast.
So while they start picking, Flik leaves the anthill
To prove himself useful at last.
A nearby bug city yields little until
A “warrior” posse rolls past.
 
Flik begs them to come, for he thinks that they’re tough,
But they’re really a lame circus show.
Back home, Flik tells all that these bugs have the stuff
To make Hopper finally go.
Yet all the bugs balk when it’s made plain enough
They’re expected to battle a foe.
 
They all want to leave, but a bird intervenes,
And their actions impress the ant crowd.
Flik has an idea that’s approved by the queens,
And the warriors speak it aloud.
They all build a bird in a montage of scenes,
And, once finished, everyone’s proud.
 
They plan to scare Hopper away with the bird,
And they celebrate into the night,
But soon the shocked ant colony gets the word
That clowns are assisting their plight.
They banish both Flik and the bugs he referred,
As they lose their conviction to fight.
 
The food they collect doesn’t please Hopper’s crew,
So the grasshoppers lock down the ants,
But young Princess Dot flies to Flik, who withdrew,
And he makes a plan in advance.
The circus bugs help to distract Hopper’s view
While Flik gets their “bird” to advance.
 
The “bird” scares the foe, but Flik’s scheme is revealed,
And Hopper’s enraged at this cretin.
Yet, seeing their numbers, the ants take the field
And the grasshopper hordes are soon beaten.
In seeking revenge, Hopper’s own fate is sealed
When he finds a real bird and is eaten.
 
With the grasshoppers gone and their freedom restored,
The ants honor Flik and his friends.
The circus bugs wave, and, with extras aboard,
They leave as their wagon ascends.
And Flik at last gets a true hero’s reward,
Romance and the gladdest of ends.
_____________________
 

All of Pixar’s films are wonderful to varying degrees, and the fact that A Bug’s Life (or any film) is this low on the list doesn’t mean it’s a poor film, just one I like less than others. This insect fable is the lowest Pixar movie on my list (I’ll admit that Cars 2 wasn’t good enough to make the cut, and I haven’t yet seen Monsters University), but it remains a funny and endearing classic. While the main plot is clearly drawn from Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai and the concept is quite similar to DreamWorks’s Antz, released just a month earlier, A Bug’s Life has enough lovable characters and subtle humor to be original enough to blow Antz out of the water, though Woody Allen’s film still has its good points.

One amazing aspect of the film is its many diverse characters. There are a ladybug, a walking stick, a caterpillar, a butterfly, a praying mantis, a rhinoceros beetle, a spider, two pill bugs, a flea, two main grasshoppers, and at least seven named ants, and every one is given a distinct personality and great character moments. As many times as I’ve seen A Bug’s Life, there continue to be little details I hadn’t noticed; for instance, my VC pointed out that the awesome score would have fit well in a western, leading to observations of similarities to westerns, such as good guys being called in to stop outlaws, the desert location of Hopper’s vacation spot, and the flea’s stagecoach-like circus wagon.

The large cast of uniquely developed individuals has become typical of Pixar’s films, started by Toy Story and continued by the likes of Cars and Finding Nemo. A Bug’s Life also sticks out in my mind for the unusually gruesome death of the villain. Hopper is actually devoured alive, setting a precedent, followed by other cartoons like The Incredibles and Up, that animated bad guys can meet almost any horrific end as long as it is offscreen.

A Bug’s Life may be Pixar’s least original film and one of its least memorable, but it is still a fun adventure with lovely, though still developing CGI animation, countless laugh-out-loud insect-themed jokes, and a hilarious voice cast.

Best line: (a fly at the circus) “I only got twenty-four hours to live, and I ain’t gonna waste it here.”

VC’s best line: (waitress) “Who ordered the poo poo platter?” (Flies swarm all over it.)

 
Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 4
Watchability: 7
Other (I just like other films better): -4
 
TOTAL: 33 out of 60
 

Next: #279 – The Muppets

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Puss in Boots (2011)

30 Sunday Mar 2014

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This legend of the Puss in Boots,
Who some may know from Shrek,
Is of a lover and outlaw
Who’s on a lengthy trek.
 
He hears the tale of magic beans
That Jack and Jill will use
To grow and climb the famed beanstalk
And steal the Golden Goose.
 
He tries to steal them from the pair
Of outlaws. Nonetheless,
Another skillful cat with boots
Prevents him from success.
 
They fight with dancing and with swords,
But Puss is shocked to find
He fought one Kitty Softpaws, who
Can swiftly steal him blind.
 
He learns she works for Humpty Dumpty,
Quite a crooked egg,
Who wants his help to steal the beans
And isn’t shy to beg.
 
Puss then tells Kitty of his past:
The egg and he were pals,
Two orphans seeking magic beans
To boost their low morales.
 
Puss was the toast of San Ricardo,
Future looking bright,
But Humpty tricked him into helping
Rob the bank one night.
 
So Puss abandoned him to jail
And has been running since.
The two get Puss to help their plan,
Though he’s hard to convince.
 
They snatch the beans from Jack and Jill
And fly where Humpty knows
They’ll sprout into the tall beanstalk
And up, up, up it grows.
 
They find a golden gosling, plus
A giant unseen beast,
And take the goose back down to earth,
Their fortunes now increased.
 
But Jack and Jill attack that night
And leave Puss all alone.
He follows them to San Ricardo,
Where the truth’s made known.
 
It all so far was Humpty’s plan
For vengeance on his friend,
And everyone from Jack and Jill
To Kitty helped pretend.
 
While Puss in Boots is locked away,
The city celebrates,
For Humpty’s bought it with the gold
The giant goose creates.
 
The goose’s even bigger mom
Attacks, as Humpty’d planned,
But Puss convinces his old friend
To help him save the land.
 
Reuniting mom and child,
Humpty’s death’s implied.
He plummets from the city bridge,
Revealing gold inside.
 
Once San Ricardo’s safe and sound,
Puss gains respect once more.
Though wanted still, both he and Kitty
Seek their next big score.
__________________
 

The Shrek universe got a welcome addition in 2011’s Puss in Boots. It already had a number of memorable characters, such as Donkey, Fiona, Gingy, Prince Charming, and so on, but none deserved their own film like the big-eyed feline that stole the show in Shrek 2. Puss in Boots is an imaginative origin story that plays up the similarity between Puss and Antonio Banderas’s role as Zorro. The Hispanic tone makes the setting feel a little more like the real world, even though no one is surprised at talking feline outlaws or anthropomorphic eggs.

Several more interesting characters are introduced, from the conflicted Humpty Dumpty to the sultry love interest Kitty Softpaws, played by Zach Galifianakis and Salma Hayek, respectively. Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris are also memorable as the pig-loving ruthless killers Jack and Jill. The animation is also marvelous, and the story itself is much more original, intricate, and entertaining than the awful Shrek the Third. Plus, it’s very funny with a number of jokes intended for adults, including a Fight Club reference and even a drug joke.

While there’s nothing really objectionable, I can’t help but feel that the story gets a bit too weird in its imagination. The filmmakers at times fracture the fairytale to the breaking point, so to speak, turning the giant’s castle into a humongous lost world, the Golden Goose into Godzilla, Little Boy Blue into a literal blue-skinned boy, and Jack and Jill into evil hillbillies. Sometimes, the action becomes so frenetic that a blink can cause you to miss something. Still, combining Humpty Dumpty with the Goose that lays the golden eggs was inspired, even if his ultimate fate is rather open-ended.

Also, the ending is good for this film, but it’s unclear how it ties into Shrek 2. In some ways, Puss in Boots is akin to Prometheus, offering a prequel of sorts that can stand alone but doesn’t connect with the next installment quite the way we would expect. What happened to Kitty Softpaws? How did Puss end up in Far Far Away where the king found him? Perhaps DreamWorks is planning a Puss in Boots 2 to answer questions like these.

Best line: (Puss in Boots, leaving his latest conquest) “I will never forget you… Margherita.” (annoyed cat meows) “I mean, Rosa.”

 
Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 7
Watchability: 6
Other (some weirdness and unanswered questions): -7
 
TOTAL: 33 out of 60
 

Next: #282: Fireproof

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

25 Tuesday Mar 2014

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Within a brief prologue, a proud peacock prince
Turns to the dark side and kills pandas since
A goat has foretold one will bring down this Shen.
Though banished, Shen plots to return once again.
 
The fat panda Po and the Furious Five
Are doing quite well till a wolf pack arrives.
They’re gathering metal and quickly escape
While Po is distracted by some random shape.
 
The band of kung fu-ers soon learn a large town
Was captured with weapons that brought masters down.
They find there that Shen and his wolves have moved in;
A firework cannon has helped them to win.
 
They’re captured at once when the wolves all step in
But break free, destroying the peacock’s weapon.
Yet Shen has built many and shows off their power
By toppling down his own ancestral tower.
 
Our heroes get out by all working together,
But Po is disturbed by the shapes on Shen’s feather.
Small flashbacks suggest that when Shen turned bad
Was the last time that Po saw his real mom or dad.
 
His friends want him safe so they leave behind Po,
Who needs to know what happened so long ago.
When Po confronts Shen, disobeying his team,
He’s shot by Shen’s cannon and falls in a stream.
 
Surviving, he’s helped by the goat to recall
That night when so many poor pandas did fall.
His mother hid him but was murdered by Shen;
His goose “father” found and adopted him then.
 
Thus coming to terms with his turbulent past,
Po goes to stop Shen, whose strength’s growing fast.
Po battles Shen’s ships and releases the Five,
And Shen doesn’t care if his own troops survive.
 
He launches the cannon, and none can deflect it,
But Po’s inner peace helps him redirect it.
He offers this peace to his foe, standing tall,
But Shen’s thirst for vengeance begets his downfall.
 
When Po and his friends return home once they’ve won,
He tells his goose dad he’ll always be his son.
But far, far away from both Po and the Five,
The panda’s real father can sense he’s alive.
_______________________
 

Not all of DreamWorks’s films have deserved sequels. Shark Tale, Bee Movie, Monsters vs. Aliens, and Megamind certainly did not, and I personally don’t think Madagascar warranted a trilogy, plus an upcoming movie centered on the Penguins. Yet Kung Fu Panda held promise and untapped questions that could be further explored in future films, the most obvious being “Why is Po’s father a goose?”

The tragic answer to that question, which Kung Fu Panda 2 provides, gives the film much more heart than its predecessor. While the first movie had some minor awww-worthy character development surrounding Shifu’s relationship with Tai Lung and Tigress, the pathos was relegated to pretty much one scene, with the rest of the film busy with humor, action, training, worrying, lesson learning, and the like. In Kung Fu Panda 2, the emotions take center stage as an integral part of the plot and the history of both Po and Shen. I like how the Furious Five have clearly warmed up to the chubby panda, even if they remain underdeveloped as characters. Yet the scene in which Po’s mother leaves him and lures away the wolves blows away anything in the first film, and the poignant exchanges between Po and his goose father should touch anyone, whether they have a connection with adoption or not.

All that is to say that this sequel has pretty much all the same ingredients as the first one: an all-star cast, a mix of animation styles, some funny lines, awkward moments, thrilling action set pieces (I particularly love the collapse of the giant pagoda), and another great villain (gleefully voiced by Gary Oldman). But the moments of sentiment are what make it a better film, in my opinion. Here’s looking forward to Kung Fu Panda 3 (and the much closer How to Train Your Dragon 2).

Best line: (the goat soothsayer, speaking to Po and anyone with a less-than-ideal childhood) “Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn’t make you who you are. It is the rest of your story, who you choose to be.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 6
Watchability: 6
Other (I just like other films better): -7
 
TOTAL: 32 out of 60
 

Next: #287: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

23 Sunday Mar 2014

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A corpulent panda named Po likes to dream
Of joining the fabulous martial arts team,
The Furious Five, who include Crane and Monkey,
Viper and Mantis and Tigress. But chunky
Young Po knows that they are way out of his league:
A noodle shop job is enough to fatigue.
 
His “father,” a goose, doesn’t know Po’s desire,
And so he is shocked when he sees Po conspire
To see the foretold Dragon Warrior named.
They’re all thunderstruck when it’s Po who’s proclaimed.
Great Master Shifu is not happy one bit
And does all he can to convince Po to quit.
 
But Po endures lots of ferocious abuse
And takes it in stride as the pain is let loose.
But Tai Lung, a pupil that Shifu did fail,
Who’s greedy for power, has broken from jail,
So Shifu then follows his master’s advice
And trains Po much better by using his vice.
 
With dumplings and soup, Po improves his kung fu,
And Shifu’s impressed at what pandas can do.
Po’s heroes run off ere their foe can arrive,
But Tai Lung defeats the famed Furious Five.
Po doubts he can win; Tai Lung’s out of control,
And Po gets little help from the blank Dragon Scroll.
 
When Tai Lung arrives, he beats Shifu to pulp,
But Po calls him out with an uneasy gulp.
Their fight gives Tai Lung the best part of abuse,
And Po puts his overweight flab to good use.
Defeating Tai Lung with a move few can do,
The new Dragon Warrior proves his kung fu.
______________________
 

Kung Fu Panda is an exciting homage to the Chinese wuxia genre with lots of fighting and humor and one big panda. When the film first came out, I wasn’t interested in the least, as has been the case with several CGI movies of late, but, once I gave it a chance when it came on television, I was favorably impressed. Quite a few famous actors lend their voices to DreamWorks’s characters, and, though most aren’t given much to say, Jack Black as Po, Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu, and Ian McShane as Tai Lung are certainly the most well-cast roles. Jack Black’s fanboy enthusiasm alternates between hilarious and annoying, but he makes Po endearing overall. The film also has some lovely animation, though I don’t care for some of the character designs and did not find the animation as stunning as many critics hailed.

The main draw for me, though, is the action. I haven’t seen many martial arts films, but some of the choreographed fights in this movie took my breath away. It all gets a bit repetitive by the end, particularly with the overuse of slow-motion shots, but Tai Lung’s rope bridge fight with the Furious Five and especially the villain’s jailbreak are among the best animated action sequences, in my opinion.

While there’s some “kung fu-ey” mysticism and the end has a hackneyed “believe in yourself” lesson, Po’s zealous perseverance in the midst of difficulty is admirable, and Shifu’s relationship with Tai Lung manages to evoke some pathos as well. Kung Fu Panda succeeds in combining laughs and thrills in an entertaining way that has made it one of DreamWorks Animation’s most successful franchises.

Best line: (Shifu, as Po is doing this) “Panda, we do not wash our pits in the Pool of Sacred Tears.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 6
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 4
Watchability: 6
Other (some awkward, less-than-funny scenes): -4
 
TOTAL: 32 out of 60
 

Next: #288: Kung Fu Panda 2 (yep)

© 2014 S. G. Liput