Tag Archives: Comedy

#76: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

09 Sunday Nov 2014

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No highschooler could be cooler
Than beloved Ferris Bueller.
Everywhere he cannot err,
Which sister Jeanie thinks unfair.
One day, ol’ “Slick” pretends he’s sick,
Employing every clever trick.
Fortune-kissed, he can’t resist
Coercing Cameron to assist.
 
With crafty phone, they pick up Sloan,
Who’s Bueller’s girlfriend, as is known.
In Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari rad,
They cruise Chicago; what a lad!
They carpe diem from museum
To parade, and kin don’t see ‘em.
 
Toward the end, what they can’t mend
Becomes rebirth for Bueller’s friend.
Back home he flees with agile ease;
No principal can stop the tease.
He makes it there, no trice to spare–
The greatest days to those who dare.
________________
 

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of the most beloved single comedies ever made, a John Hughes classic of the highest order. It’s one of those endlessly watchable films with countless devotees who can spout the dialogue along with the film. Breaking the fourth wall has become more common nowadays, but no film can match the sheer classicness of Matthew Broderick’s conversations with the camera.

Every bit of characterization is spot-on, from Cameron’s meltdown over his father’s car’s mileage to Jeanie’s brief rendezvous with Charlie Sheen to Principal Rooney’s fruitless efforts to catch the titular delinquent in the act. Ben Stein’s memorably boring performance as an economics teacher even jump-started his acting career and typecast him with the most monotonous of personas. Yet no one steals the show like Broderick, whose character’s charming frankness, crafty connivances, and youthful vitality endeared him to audiences everywhere. His lip-syncing solo of the Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” aboard a parade float is the high point of the loosely-plotted shenanigans, the kind of stunning audacity that everyone wishes they could get away with.

Indeed, Ferris envy could very well be the reason for the film’s popularity. Who doesn’t want to get away with every risk and be universally liked at the same time? More people probably see themselves in Cameron (Alan Ruck), too worried about placating the oppressive and merely getting by to step out of the box. This one day in which Cameron only wanted to stay in bed, this one glorious day of ball games and art museums and eating pancreas, turns out to be the best day of his life and the day of his personal awakening. It’s the kind of day we all wish we could have.

John Hughes’s direction, at once quirky and natural, allowed the actors to grow into their roles so thoroughly that most of them are probably best known for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. When Alan Ruck took command of the Enterprise in Star Trek: Generations, I said, “Look, it’s Cameron.” When Jeffrey Jones enjoyed Mozart’s music in Amadeus, I said, “Look, it’s Principal Rooney.” It’s still influential too; Candace’s eagerness to “bust” her brothers on Disney’s Phineas and Ferb is actively reminiscent of Jennifer Grey’s attempts against Ferris, and a recent Super Bowl ad proved that Broderick’s slacker role continues to be popular. Heck, the film pioneered the after-credits scene. Few films aspire to this level of unforgettable charisma, but Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is 1980s teen comedy at its most appealing.

Best line: (Ferris Bueller) “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

 
Rank: 55 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

243 Followers and Counting

 

#82: Aladdin (1992)

02 Sunday Nov 2014

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(Best sung to “Arabian Nights”)
 
In a kingdom long past, in the great Agrabah,
The vizier has a villainous plan.
In the rarest of caves,
There’s a lamp that he craves,
But Jafar first requires a young man.
 
This Aladdin is poor, but he meets the princess;
Jasmine’s drawn to his freedom and charm.
He is tricked by Jafar
To dare where wonders are,
And one slip nearly brings him to harm.
 
Though trapped in the cave,
The agreeable tramp
Obtains wishes three
From a joking Genie
When he brushes his lamp.
 
Becoming a prince,
Al deceives everyone.
He wins Jasmine’s heart
And reveals Jafar’s art
Of deception he’s spun.
 
When Jafar gets the lamp
And indulges his greed,
He is tricked into jail,
Al and Jasmine prevail,
And the Genie is freed.
_______________
 

Created during the upswing of Disney’s animation Renaissance, Aladdin continued the high quality of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. For a while, I considered it rather overrated, but recent viewings have proven that it is indeed a diamond in Disney’s collection. Much of the film’s success goes to the late, great Robin Williams as the frenetic Genie. For my generation, Aladdin was the first introduction to Williams’s delirious brand of humor, so fast-paced and jammed with impressions, puns, and comedic asides that re-watches are a must. The animation complements his frenzied personality, allowing the character to transform and dart around with abandon. His “all-powerful” status also allows for countless anachronisms, including Middle Eastern cliché revisions (“Wake up and smell the hummus”) and references to The Little Mermaid and Pinocchio. (Interestingly, some locations that Aladdin and Jasmine visit during “A Whole New World” foreshadowed upcoming Disney releases, like Hercules and Mulan.)

Of course, the soundtrack was also very well-received, earning Aladdin two Oscars for Best Score and Best Song for ”A Whole New World,” one of Disney’s best romantic duets. The Genie’s frenzied appeal highlights “A Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali,” and “Arabian Nights” lived on as the theme song of the Aladdin TV series. While not my favorite of the Disney soundtracks, it is nevertheless fun and engaging.

Though none of the characters are as colorful as Genie, most are well-drawn and complex. As a male protagonist, Aladdin himself changes up Disney’s usual princess model, and Jasmine is a worthy addition to the roster of strong princesses. Sounding not unlike Vincent Price, Jonathan Freeman’s Jafar is also a formidable villain, able to make the word “boo boo” into something sinister. Aladdin also boasts one of the greatest number of individual sidekicks that I’ve counted: besides Genie, there’s Abu and the magic carpet for Aladdin, Raja the tiger for Jasmine, and Iago (a priceless Gilbert Gottfried) for Jafar.

Between the music, character dynamics, and brisk comedy, Aladdin deserves its reputation as one of Disney’s great successes; even this year, it spawned a Broadway musical. Oh, that Disney could return to these glory days!

Best line: (Genie, when first awakened) “Oy! Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck!”

 
Rank: 54 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

237 Followers and Counting

 

#86: Hook (1991)

29 Wednesday Oct 2014

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When Peter Pan grows up at last,
Forgetting all about the past,
Of Neverland, Lost Boys, and fairies,
He just settles down and marries
Wendy’s daughter Moira and
Becomes a father, dull and bland.
 
A businessman now, Peter spares
No time for Jack and Maggie’s cares,
Until they’re nabbed by Captain Hook.
The Pan has no clue where to look,
But Tinker Bell with pixie dust
Arrives, despite his lack of trust.
 
She spirits him to Neverland,
Where Hook has his kids close at hand,
But Peter’s weak and scared of heights
And not prepared for fights or flights.
So Tink compels old Hook to grant
Three days to sharpen this transplant.
 
The Lost Boys, led by Rufio,
Are quick to ambush those that grow;
They doubt this codfish is the Pan,
Yet Peter’s face persuades the clan.
His training yields no vindication
Till he finds imagination.
 
In the meantime, Hook ensnares
Young Jack by putting on such airs
To make the boy loyal to Hook,
The famous pirate chief and crook.
Though Peter’s shaken by this fact,
He finds his happy thought intact.
 
His love and hope of fatherhood
Bring back old Peter Pan for good.
He plays, he fights, he crows once more
And takes the battle to Hook’s door.
Pan rescues Maggie from her cell
And proves himself to Jack as well.
 
He duels with Hook and bests the fop
Before Hook’s swallowed by a prop.
Then Peter names his new right hand
And, with his kids, leaves Neverland.
Distractions will no longer be
A thorn for Peter’s family.
________________
 

Steven Spielberg’s contribution to the Peter Pan mythos wasn’t especially well-received in 1991, but it has become a family favorite since. The late Robin Williams is perfectly cast as the grown-up Peter, combining his proven dramatic ability with the comedic juvenility of his man-child persona. Likewise, Dustin Hoffman owns the title role, utterly unrecognizable under the elaborate wig and pirate costume, and embodies both Hook’s villainy and his preening arrogance. Other excellent performances come from Bob Hoskins as the bearded Smee and Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell, whose “pixie” cut (J) and perkiness hid well her engagement turmoil at the time of the film’s production.

What many criticized was the film’s supposedly halfhearted re-creation of Neverland, but while it’s not the most memorable of wonderlands, Spielberg’s Neverland has a charm of its own. The sets are obviously sets, yet they somehow fit the story, as if recalling Peter Pan’s stage origins. The pirate village is a particularly impressive mise en scène, with all the theatricality of an elaborate play, which I sometimes prefer to the overly wrought CGI dream worlds that have become routine nowadays. The games the Lost Boys play feel like genuine activities such unsupervised youngsters would invent in a magical world, and they’re given more unique personalities than the Disney version, which essentially differentiated most of them simply by their costumes. There is silliness on both sides, as well as some pirate-y violence, but even when the film’s tone shifts, it retains a giddy adventurousness that is continually entertaining.

One aspect that raises Hook above other Peter Pan films is the message of fatherhood. The idea of Peter Pan growing up might seem unimaginable, but his desire for a family, to be a daddy, is an admirable reason for the end of a legend. While his focus on work at the expense of his family is practically tragic at the beginning, his fully-realized love for his kids creates a satisfying return to priorities by the end. In the interim is a fanciful tale of Peter rediscovering the joy of both being a child and becoming a father.

Best line (just the way Williams says it): (Peter) “I do not believe in fairies.”
(Tinker Bell) “Every time someone says ‘I do not believe in fairies,’ somewhere there’s a fairy that falls down dead.”
(Peter) “I do not believe in fairies!”
[Tink feigns an overly dramatic death scene]
(Peter) “Oh my God, I think I’ve killed it.”
 
Rank: 53 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

235 Followers and Counting

 

#87: Young Frankenstein (1974)

28 Tuesday Oct 2014

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When Victor Frankenstein—I mean,
When Dr. Victor Fronkensteen
Is told he has an old estate
From great-granddad (who is dead bait),
He leaves his fussy fiancée
To see this castle, old and gray,
And meets the humpbacked help Igor
(Pronounced Eye-gor to underscore)
And adjunct Inga, who both bring
The doctor to his castle wing,
Where he explores the secret rooms,
Becomes the man the world assumes
And, gripped by mania, begins
To resurrect old bones and skins
To bring to life a creature, his,
But “abby normal” its brain is,
And to his horror it’s released,
The monstrous, strong, dim-witted beast,
To terrorize the neighborhood
Until he lures it back for good
And gives the brute a second chance
To be his own and sing and dance,
Yet villagers are not impressed
And plan to kill the giant pest,
Who flees and has a fling that day
With Victor’s willing fiancée,
Until he’s gently drawn once more
By Victor, Inga, and Igor
And given part of Victor’s brain
To make him cultured and urbane,
At which point everything works out
And neither has to do without,
For both have love and seem benign,
Both monster/man and Frankenstein.
________________
 

Often ranked among the funniest films of all time, Young Frankenstein is Mel Brooks’s finest film. With its haunting score and black-and-white cinematography, it brilliantly feigns solemnity while piling on absurdities both familiar and new. It indulges in Brooks’s penchant for sexual humor without wallowing in it and reminds everyone just how funny Gene Wilder could be. The script by Brooks and Wilder has a screwy charm, with lines like “Walk this way” being turned into opportunities for unforeseen silliness that reward multiple viewings. (That line even inspired the lyrics of Aerosmith’s single “Walk This Way.”)

All the actors are at the top of their comedic game. Wilder has a unique talent for acting maniacally crazed, while Marty Feldman’s bug eyes make him an ideal Eye-gor, shifting hump and all. The comedians are at their best when they themselves struggle to keep their composure, such as when Wilder and Feldman discuss the “abby normal” brain. Madeline Khan and Kenneth Mars reunite from What’s Up, Doc?, and Mars’s capacity for inscrutable accents continues to be hilarious. Cloris Leachman is especially memorable as the frigid Frau Blücher [horse neighs in fright]. Lastly, Peter Boyle as Frankenstein’s monster, perhaps the straightest role, combines lumbering pathos, a short temper, and some self-aware glances at the audience. Plus, one can’t forget Gene Hackman’s cameo as an espresso-making blind man.

The best parodies have a comedic voice of their own besides just pointing out their similarities with other films. On one level, Young Frankenstein works as an homage to Universal’s old Frankenstein movies, even employing the same mad-scientist equipment from the 1930s; on the other hand, it spoofs them with abandon, delivering endless original laughs with spinning bookcases, aimless dart games, and mute pleas for “sedagive.” Even now, forty years later, this is Mel Brooks at his best.

Best line (out of too many): (Igor, poking his head out the door as a test) “Blücher!” [horses whinny]

 
Rank: 53 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

234 Followers and Counting

 

#98: The Santa Clause (1994)

15 Wednesday Oct 2014

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Scott Calvin says that Santa’s real
And gives the chronic Christmas spiel
When his son Charlie visits Scott.
Though Charlie has faith, Scott does not.
 
Their Christmas Eve is pitiful,
But Charlie’s still excitable.
He hears a noise upon the roof
And knows it’s many a reindeer hoof.
 
Scott’s yelling startles someone there,
Who falls before the dumbstruck pair.
At Charlie’s urging, Scott agrees
To wear the suit the man empties.
 
They find indeed a reindeer sleigh,
With which Scott flies, to his dismay,
Delivering the toys with scorn
To every house before the morn.
 
The reindeer taking full control,
They end up at the real North Pole,
Where child-like elves greet him because
Scott Calvin’s their new Santa Claus.
 
The Santa Clause (observe the E)
Makes Scott the big man rapidly.
Though he refuses to believe,
He can’t escape that Christmas Eve.
 
As Charlie tells both Mom and Neal
That Scott is Santa Claus for real,
Scott finds that he is gaining weight,
Perhaps from all the sweets he ate.
 
His beard is growing magically;
He’s Santa-fied for all to see,
And Laura comes to the conclusion
This is some harmful delusion.
 
She takes Charlie from his dad,
Who only wants to please the lad.
When Christmas Eve arrives once more,
Both Scott and Charlie flee and soar.
 
This puts Scott on the wanted list,
And he’s arrested in the midst
Of Christmas duties, though some elves
Release him, flying off themselves.
 
Returning Charlie to his mom,
Scott tries to keep the youngster calm.
As Laura’s disbelieving thaws,
Scott proves himself as Santa Claus
And flies away with all his toys
For all the world’s good girls and boys.
___________________
 

Certain films thoroughly capture and capitalize on a comedian’s unique voice; Bill Murray had Groundhog Day, Dudley Moore had Arthur, Steve Martin had The Jerk, and Tim Allen had The Santa Clause. Full of all the deprecatory wit of his hit TV series Home Improvement (which director John Pasquin had previously produced), Tim Allen is at his comedic best in this modern Christmas classic. It’s unfortunate that the humor seems to normalize Charlie’s dysfunctional broken family, but some later scenes showing the impact of a judge’s court order lends some reality to the pain of divorce and the nuclear family’s disintegration. The filmmakers couple this comedy and heart with some Christmas spirit that is at once revisionist and faithful, creating a film that remains as entertainingly original today as it was in 1994.

Tim Allen steals every scene, from his abortive turkey meltdown early on to his constant disparagement of Neal’s snazzy sweaters, which my VC actually admires. Allen’s fat suit for gradually transforming into St. Nick never looks fake, and if the likes of The Nutty Professor and Norbit can earn Best Makeup Oscar nominations, The Santa Clause certainly should have. Wendy Crewson of Air Force One and gentle-voiced Judge Reinhold of Beverly Hills Cop provide sympathetic foils for Allen’s drollery, and their disbelief and concern for Charlie’s well-being are entirely understandable. Indeed, though Allen releases a number of snide remarks, the film’s strength is its lack of negativity. No character possesses any ill will, and everything hinges on discovering belief rather than some good/evil conflict, much like The Polar Express.

Though the sequels featured a major Lost alert in casting Elizabeth Mitchell as Mrs. Claus, they fell short of the original Christmas favorite. With clever effects and a wondrous vision of the North Pole, The Santa Clause ranks among the best Santa movies, reinforcing everyone’s inner child.

Best line: (Scott, flying into the sunrise after his first night of toy deliveries) “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! When I get home, I’m getting a CAT scan!”

 
Rank: 53 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

229 Followers and Counting

 

Brother Bear (2003)

10 Friday Oct 2014

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(Best sung to Phil Collins’s “On My Way”)
 
When Kenai’s totem is named as love,
The thing that will make him a man.
He thinks that the spirits who shine above
Are messing up his life’s future plan.
 
One small mistake gets his brother killed,
And he’s quick to blame a hostile bear.
His thirsting for vengeance is soon fulfilled,
And the spirits lift him in the air.
 
He is given a chance to discover anew
The life that he took through its eyes.
As a bear now, Kenai must
Team with a cub,
Who is vocal for his size.
 
As they are headed for the spirits’ mount,
His other brother hunts the pair.
As they journey, he and Koda make the miles count,
And they bond on the trip that they share.
 
Kenai’s soon shocked to learn the bear he slew
Was Koda’s missing mother, long gone.
Though the heartache they’re both feeling splits them up,
They need each other;
They’re now brothers worth relying on.
 
Upon the mountain, his human bro
Attacks to have revenge as well.
As Kenai is nearing a mortal blow,
The spirits abolish their spell.
 
They reunite as the changes fade,
Assisted by their brother above.
Kenai stays as a bear yet a man is made,
Through the totem that he’s now proud of,
A brother’s love.
______________
 

Whereas my opinions of WALL-E agreed with the critical consensus, Brother Bear performed poorly among critics and audiences, but I consider it one of Disney’s most underrated successes. From the mountainous vistas in a painterly art style to “all that cuddly bear stuff” which is both heckled and embraced, Brother Bear is a beautiful film that stands as Disney’s last great use of traditional animation.

Phil Collins may have declined in popularity since then, but his music for Brother Bear added so much to an already great film. As with Tarzan, his songs play over various montages, such as the opening scenes of brotherhood with Tina Turner singing the lovely and catchy “Great Spirits.” “On My Way” during the cross-country journey and “Welcome” during the salmon run are also unsung masterpieces, so to speak.

The pagan spirituality is taken more seriously than, say, the comedic ghostly ancestors of Mulan, but unlike the New Age crystals of Atlantis: The Lost Empire, the spirits of Brother Bear have some cultural basis in real Native American tradition. I found their incorporation in the story to be a respectful nod to a unique people, as Disney had previously done with Lilo and Stitch.

The animation is among Disney’s best, and I love the character designs, particularly Kenai’s bear form, which matches Joaquin Phoenix’s voice better than his human form. Young Jeremy Suarez as Koda has the same garrulous, road-tripping insistence as Shrek’s Donkey while embodying all that is cute about a teddy bear. As for comic relief, Disney couldn’t have done better for this Arctic film than Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as a moose version of their McKenzie Brothers comedy act (gotta love their game of “I Spy”).

In addition to the animation, comedy, and music, Brother Bear packs a powerful emotional punch that left me crying in the theater the first time I saw it. The entire message of the film is to see life from a different perspective, through another’s eyes, literally. Kenai misses this point throughout most of the film, only caring about his own loss, but when he realizes the far-reaching consequences of his actions, the sorrow is palpable, punctuated by Collins’s song “No Way Out.” While this tune is utterly depressing, sitting through the end credits is rewarded with an uplifting rewording of the song, which deserves a place in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame, along with the single “Look Through My Eyes.”

In addition to the much worse Home on the Range the next year, it’s a shame that Brother Bear’s poor reception spelled the end of Disney’s traditionally animated excellence. It’s exciting, moving, amusing, and able to bring my VC to tears every time. It’s an underprized gem about the value of love and brotherhood which deserved much better, eh.

Best line: (Koda, drowsily, when Kenai is waking him up) “Two more months, Mom….”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 7
Watchability: 10
 
TOTAL: 52 out of 60
 

Next: #102 – On Golden Pond

© 2014 S. G. Liput

221 Followers and Counting

 

Shrek 2 (2004)

03 Friday Oct 2014

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Fiona and Shrek, ever since true love’s kiss,
Are living the good life in marital bliss,
But soon they’re invited to Far Far Away
To meet with her parents, in spite of Shrek’s nay.
 
The journey is long and the company grates,
And when they arrive, the whole welcome deflates.
The king is disgusted by Shrek’s ogre ways,
And Shrek gives an equally ornery gaze.
 
A Fairy Godmother then visits Fiona
And isn’t much thrilled with her ogre persona.
The Godmother planned all along for her son
Prince Charming to wed her, till Shrek jumped the gun.
 
She urges the King, who is under her thumb,
To get rid of Shrek, so her own prince can come.
The King hesitantly obeys and recruits
A famed mercenary known as Puss in Boots.
 
The cat doesn’t win but befriends the main pair
And guides them to Godmother’s potion-filled lair.
One potion that guarantees beauty and joy
Transforms the two ogres to a real girl and boy.
 
The Godmother sees this as her perfect chance
For Charming to woo the princess at a dance,
But Shrek, with the help of his fairy tale friends,
Attacks the King’s castle before the night ends.
 
Redeeming himself, the King sticks up for Shrek
And thwarts the corrupt fairy pain-in-the-neck.
Both parents and son-in-law now get along,
And Donkey and Puss sing a toe-tapping song.
__________________
 

Shrek 2 ranks on my list as DreamWorks Animation’s best CGI film, as well as their most successful.  It also holds a special place in my heart thanks to my mom.  I was only 10 when my mom picked me up from school one day, but instead of driving home, I suddenly realized we were entering the parking lot of our local movie theater to see what else but Shrek 2.  The unexpected surprise (and enjoyable film) became one of those indelible childhood memories, even if she herself barely remembers it.

The film itself was a joy to watch, bringing back all the lovable players from the first film and introducing new classic characters.  It builds on the original story and doesn’t repeat itself.  Nearly every joke hits its target, and there are so many details and parodies that repeated viewings are definitely rewarded.  At the very beginning during the Oscar-nominated song “Accidentally in Love,” there are references to From Here to Eternity, Spider-Man, and The Fellowship of the Ring, and countless others follow, including spoofs of Alien, E.T., Beverly Hills Cop, Frankenstein, The Mask of Zorro, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii 5-0, and even the O. J. Simpson chase footage.  The Zorro resonances are especially ingenious since Antonio Banderas plays his feline counterpart Puss in Boots with enough gusto to give Donkey a run for his money as best animal sidekick.  (I’m a sucker for those big dark eyes.)  Yet, in addition to all these parodies, the film retains its own brand of humor:  Donkey’s annoying are-we-there-yets, the clever exchanges that both Shrek & Fiona and King Harold & Queen Lillian share before their rendezvous, the glimpses of the villains’ pub and the red carpet night.  As with the first film, a soundtrack of contemporary songs complements several thrilling action scenes; Jennifer Saunders’s rendition of “Holding Out for a Hero” as Shrek storms the castle is easily the best sequence of the whole film and my favorite version of the song.

Shrek 2 was a high point for DreamWorks that was quickly lowered by the likes of Madagascar and Shrek the Third.  The third Shrek film was an uninspired, unfunny mess focusing on all the wrong things and was only partially redeemed by the decent Shrek Forever After.  Perhaps it would have been better if Shrek and the gang had been left singing “Livin’ La Vida Loca.”  As far as satirical comedies with a romantic heart of gold go, DreamWorks has yet to do better.

Best line: (Fiona, unsure what Shrek’s new form looks like, questioning Puss) “Shrek?”  (Puss, eyeing her) “For you, baby, I could be.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 9
Watchability: 10
Other (I like other films more): -5
 
TOTAL: 51 out of 60
 

Next: #107 – Captain America: The First Avenger

© 2014 S. G. Liput

215 Followers and Counting

 

Ghostbusters II (1989)

28 Sunday Sep 2014

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Dana Barrett has a baby,
But out on the street one day,
Oscar in his baby carriage
Very nearly rolls away.
 
Though the former Ghostbusters
Were forced to locate other work,
Dana asks them to inspect
To see if any dangers lurk.
 
Working at an art museum,
Dana feels uneasy toward
Vigo the Carpathian,
Whose portrait is to be restored.
 
Peter Venkman and his cohorts
Dig into First Avenue,
Where Ray finds a ghastly river
Full of pink slime flowing through.
 
Once the ‘Busters prove they’re sane
By vanquishing two apparitions,
They begin to find more business,
Fueling slime-induced suspicions.
 
When the slime tries grabbing Oscar,
Dana flees to Venkman’s flat,
While the others check the sewers,
Where the moody slime is at.
 
Egon, Winston, Ray, and Peter
Are arrested once again,
And poor Oscar soon is kidnapped
To the art house, Vigo’s den.
 
Once he starts his reign of terror,
All the Ghostbusters are freed,
And they use a certain giant
Statue in their time of need.
 
Crashing evil Vigo’s party,
They destroy his floating head.
Having rescued Dana’s baby,
Peter fills her ex’s stead,
And the Ghostbusters are honored
As defeaters of the dead.
___________________
 

Most probably disagree, but yes, I like the second Ghostbusters more than its predecessor. Perhaps it’s because I saw it first for some reason.  (Similarly, my VC saw Superman II first and prefers it to the original).  Ghostbusters is always hailed as being full of hilarious lines and incidents, but to me, Ghostbusters II is even more so. The pathetic birthday scene seems to indicate the franchise’s fall from grace early on, but it just keeps getting better and better. From Venkman’s side-splitting looks on his psychic TV show to the courtroom scene with Louis Tully’s awkward reappearance to the inversely scary and funny effects of the pink slime (long before the whole ground beef controversy), the hilarity just keeps coming.

Some critics complained that the sequel didn’t add anything to the franchise. Though it doesn’t try to exceed its predecessor, it continues its clever script with even more potent quotables.  For example: “Doe, Ray, Egon.”  In addition, Venkman’s baby banter makes him much more likable than in the first film, and while the villain Vigo is just as soberly menacing as Gozer was, he has a welcome addition in Peter MacNicol as Dr. Janosz Poha, whose Eastern European accent inevitably elicits crack-ups. Plus, while the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was a fictional character, the climax with the Statue of Liberty not only looks more realistic but has the desired uplifting effect on the audience as well as the characters.

I may be in the minority, but I feel that Ghostbusters II was an improvement on the first film, with a similarly absurd plot and lovable characters spouting lines worthy of repetition. There may not ever be a third film with the original cast, but Ghostbusters II is an outstanding swan song for the franchise. Though it may soon return from the dead…with women….

Best lines (so many): (the mayor) “Being miserable and treating other people like dirt is every New Yorker’s God-given right.”
 
(Venkman, upon being asked why they drilled a hole in the middle of the street) “Well, there are so many holes in First Avenue, we really didn’t think anyone would notice.”
 
(Egon, analyzing Oscar’s nursery) “Cozy. My parents didn’t believe in toys.”
(Ray, later on) “You mean you never even had a Slinky?”
(Egon) “We had part of a Slinky. But I straightened it.”

 

Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 8
Watchability: 10
Other (language): -1
 
TOTAL: 51 out of 60
 

Next: #111 – The Matrix

© 2014 S. G. Liput

213 Followers and Counting

 

Shrek (2001)

15 Monday Sep 2014

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Within his swamp, the ogre Shrek
Desires just to be alone,
Content to occupy his wreck
And scare invaders of his zone.
 
But then a Donkey who can talk
Annoys him with his friendliness,
And later, to the ogre’s shock,
He’s forced to share his home address.
 
A bunch of fairy tale rejects
Are dropped outside his home’s facade,
So Donkey eagerly directs
The way to Duloc’s Lord Farquaad.
 
Farquaad has plans to be a king
But needs a princess far away,
So he commissions Shrek to bring
Fiona back without delay.
 
To get his swamp back, Shrek relents,
And Donkey joins him on his quest.
The task before them is immense;
A dragon keeps out every guest.
 
They find and rescue their princess
And narrowly escape the beast.
She’s startled by Shrek’s ugliness
As well as glad to be released.
 
Along the way back to Duloc,
She seems disheartened by the night,
Yet she makes Shrek and Donkey gawk
At how this girl can burp and fight.
 
Unlikely romance starts to brew,
And late that evening Donkey learns
Fiona’s made an ogre too
Until the bright sunlight returns.
 
Next morning, Shrek delivers her,
Misunderstanding a remark,
While, eager for her curse’s cure,
Fiona wants to wed ere dark.
 
Since nobody is pleased at this,
It’s Donkey who convinces Shrek
To dare to be her true love’s kiss
And fight for her, ‘cause what the heck?
 
When Farquaad’s less than sympathetic,
Donkey’s new date makes him chow.
Fiona’s ugly curse poetic
Keeps her ogreish somehow,
And she and Shrek live less ascetic,
Happy ever after now.
____________________
 

Shrek is DreamWorks Animation’s golden boy, having won his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The un-jolly green giant launched their new wave of computer-generated comedies and initiated their unique brand of irreverent, pop-culture-laced humor. An instant classic, the film eclipsed Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. to win the very first Best Animated Feature Academy Award. Will Smith’s recitation of a whole scene from Shrek in I Am Legend illustrates the film’s impact on young and old moviegoers alike.

Mike Myers found his most iconic role as the Scottish-accented ogre, as did Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona. The rest of the voice actors are perfectly cast, from Eddie Murphy’s frenetic, amiable Donkey to John Lithgow’s hilariously narcissistic and overcompensating Lord Farquaad. It was the lovable cast that kept the franchise going for four films, even when it perhaps should have stopped while it was ahead.

“Fractured fairy tales” were nothing new, but Shrek’s mish-mashing of known Disney properties and original characters gave it a mocking edge that was well-tempered by the strangely engaging romance and the don’t-judge-a-book-by-its-cover lesson. The rousing score by Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell is instantly recognizable, and the film also boasts a rocking soundtrack of contemporary pop songs. Both songs and score complement the action and romance beautifully, particularly in the case of the slow-motion castle escape scene and John Cale’s cover of “Hallelujah” during a dramatic montage.

Despite some mild language that set it apart from Disney’s films, Shrek remains one of the high points for DreamWorks Animation. It’s an original fairy tale that offers a fresh take on familiar material.

Best line: (Donkey, complimenting Shrek’s swamp with a line I’ve used countless times since) “I like that boulder. That’s a nice boulder.”

VC’s best line: (Donkey, crashing the wedding) “All right, nobody move! I’ve got a dragon, and I’m not afraid to use it! I’m a donkey on the edge!”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 9
Watchability: 9
Other (I like other films more): -4
 
TOTAL: 50 out of 60
 

Next: #120 – Jesus Christ Superstar

© 2014 S. G. Liput

207 Followers and Counting

 

Men in Black Trilogy (1997, 2002, 2012)

10 Wednesday Sep 2014

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(Spoilers ahead)
 
The Men in Black are men with knacks
For stopping alien attacks.
Unknown to all, unseen, unheeded,
Wiping memories when needed,
They guard the earth from cosmic slime,
Quite often in the nick of time.
 
When Agent K hears tell one day
How one cop kept up with his prey,
He gives this James a valued chance
To prove his monster-fighting stance.
Though James is different from the rest,
He outshines all the best of the best.
 
A bug from space then steals a face
To blend in with the human race.
He seeks a galaxy to spoil
And kills an otherworldly royal.
 
The new recruit, who wants to shoot,
Investigates this “Edgar suit.”
A visit to the morgue presents
A corpse’s worrying contents.
 
Then, tit for tat, they all learn that
The galaxy is on a cat.
The bug takes it with hostage too
And plans to bid the earth adieu.
 
But J and K force him to stay
And make him angry, by the way.
K has to dig down deep inside
To leave the insect liquefied.
 
They’ve saved the earth, for what it’s worth,
But no one knows to offer mirth.
J now can face this world so vast,
And K can now retire at last.
_______________
 
The Men in Black are back in black
To stop another space attack.
A worm in supermodel guise
Desires a Light that’s cloaked in lies.
 
When Agent J is told that K
Alone knows details few can say,
He jogs K’s memory with haste,
Which earlier had been erased.
 
Serleena, who a young K knew,
Ensnares the MIB HQ,
And J and K must follow clues
To find the Light that she pursues.
 
It is opined a girl they find
Is not in fact of humankind.
The two must fight Serleena’s might
To rescue Laura, who’s the Light.
 
She must depart but waits to start,
And her migration breaks J’s heart.
They blow Serleena from the air
And get back to Earth’s watchful care.
__________________
 
The Men in Black again are back
To keep the timeline on its track.
When Boris gets some help to break
From lunar jail (don’t trust the cake),
He tries to kill K in the past,
Which changes history quite fast.
 
Since somehow J remembers K
And Boglodites are on their way,
J time-leaps with a strange device
Which proves surprisingly precise.
The ‘60s K considers him,
Although J’s evidence is slim.
 
They’re soon aware of when and where
Their foe will strike before he’s there.
They meet one Griffin, who can see
Each future possibility.
 
From him they get the prized ArcNet
To save Earth from invasion’s threat,
But now it must get into space
To activate and save our race.
 
The moon launch grants the perfect chance;
To Cape Canaveral they advance.
Both past and future Boris try
To stop the duo once they’re high.
 
The black-clad men from now and then
Succeed in saving Earth again;
The Borises and Boglodites
Fortuitously lose their fights.
 
A tragedy J gets to see
Confirms K’s latent sympathy.
Returning home, J’s glad to find
The friend with whom he saved mankind.
_________________
 

What can I say about the Men in Black films? They’re funny, weird, frequently gross, action-packed, mind-blowing, occasionally touching, and overall the best sci-fi/comedy/buddy movie mash-up I’ve seen. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith make a perfect straight-man/funny-man team, and their differing reactions to all the bizarreness they encounter are priceless.

The first film was a huge success, both critically and commercially. Contributing a lighter tone to the Marvel/Malibu-published comic book on which it was based, the film lets its two leads bounce off each other effortlessly, fueled by a golden script. Their odd-couple chemistry is matched only by the amazing special effects and Oscar-winning make-up from Rick Baker. The first Men in Black is the most difficult to critique because it’s the closest to being downright perfect. The performances are infectiously fun, the villain (Vincent D’Onofrio) is brilliantly wicked and disgusting, the comic one-liners and hilarious situations are now classics (that rocket car scene with Elvis especially), and the whole film is simply inspired, from the way Siobhan Hogan pronounces “Eggar suit” to the straightforward method K uses to retrieve his swallowed gun. It’s also intermittently shocking in its gooey violence, particularly with Tony Shalhoub’s head-shooting scenes. (By the way, minor Lost alert: Fredric Lehne, the INS agent whom Mikey the alien charges at the beginning, played U.S. Marshall Edward Mars on my favorite show.)

The second film, released on the heels of the animated television show’s cancellation, is sorely lacking in several regards. The villainess is an alien-turned-lingerie model, whose gross scenes are more squirm-inducing than intimidating, and K’s supposed happy ending is dissolved by the lazy explanation that his wife left him. Likewise, there is more of a focus on the worm guys and Frank the pug, potentially irritating characters that are better taken in small doses, as the first film did. Beyond that, many of K’s clues to himself seem rather arbitrary, and by the end, when the fate of the world depends on Laura launching away, both J and K can do nothing but stare regretfully at her. All that’s not to say that the second one is without redeeming value. I loved the scenes with Jeff the giant subway worm and Agent M’s cameo, and Rosario Dawson is naively beautiful as Laura, though it’s unclear what her ultimate fate is when she returns to the home planet she’s never visited. Overall, Men in Black II felt like a direct-to-video-quality effort that didn’t need to be made.

Still, without MIIB, we would never have gotten MIB3, which breathed some new life into the franchise, though whether it paved the way for another sequel or served as an agreeable conclusion is still undecided. I’ve made no secret about my love for time travel, and throwing this device into the plot was genius. Though I once thought that no one could fill the shoes of Smith or Jones, Josh Brolin is incredible as a younger version of K and smoothly inhabits the stoic persona Jones wore so well. It’s not quite as funny as the first film, but Jemaine Clement’s Boris the Animal is a worthily nasty MIB villain, and the finale that works in the 1969 moon launch is outstanding, as is the emotional twist absent from the other two films. As with any time travel story, there are details to quibble over, but that’s for another post maybe. (Though I do wonder why they needed to use Apollo 11 to get the ArcNet into space. With all the aliens already on Earth, did the MIB really not have access to a spaceship of some kind? Also, the question of what made K “this way” is never fully answered, but it seems obvious from the second film. He became grumpy and emotionless most likely because Serleena killed the alien monarch he loved, but maybe that’s too obvious.)

Men in Black didn’t need to be a trilogy, but despite the weaknesses of the second, I’m glad it was, if only for the timey-wimey third film. The original movie remains a high point in modern science fiction, and a lesser staple of pop culture.

Best line from MIB: (Beatrice, Edgar’s wife, when two FBI agents come calling) “You here to make fun of me too?”
(deadpan K) “No, ma’am. We at the FBI do not have a sense of humor we’re aware of. May we come in?”
 
Best line from MIIB: (Laura, after a fight) “Half the time you were on your back!”
(J) “That’s how I fight.”
 
Best line from MIB3: (Griffin, played by Michael Stuhlbarg) “A miracle is something that seems impossible but happens anyway.”

 

Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 9
Watchability: 10
Other (language, violence, sexual dialogue): -5
 
TOTAL: 50 out of 60
 

Next: #124 – Ghost

© 2014 S. G. Liput

203 Followers and Counting!