Tag Archives: Drama

Up (2009)

30 Wednesday Jul 2014

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When Carl Fredricksen was young,
Self-conscious with a timid tongue,
He heard his hero’s praises sung,
The fearless Charles Muntz.
A skeleton Muntz found with zeal
Sparked doubts on whether it was real.
Muntz vowed to catch one and appeal,
The greatest of his hunts.
 
For Carl, this did not deter
His zeal as an adventurer,
Nor Ellie’s. Carl promised her
That they would fly some day
To Paradise Falls and do stuff.
They wed, and plans seemed like enough.
But plans were changed as times grew rough,
And life got in the way.
 
They still both lived in happiness
At their beloved home address,
Till Ellie’s death served to depress
Her aging husband’s heart.
Though builders offered quite a fee,
He guarded their house jealously.
Evicted by a court decree,
He planned a whole new start.
 
He chooses not to gripe and grouse
But blows balloons to lift his house
And fill his promise to his spouse
To take this thrilling trip.
To Paradise Falls he intends
To fly, but as his house ascends,
A wilderness explorer lends
His help to this airship.
 
To South America, they float
But fall out in this land remote,
Where Carl is dismayed to note
They have a ways to walk.
Connected to the house o’erhead,
They journey through the jungle, led
By Carl, who is stopped instead
By birds, and dogs that talk.
 
He meets the ancient Charles Muntz,
Still on that greatest of his hunts,
Who first seems nice but then confronts
The duo with suspicion.
A giant bird that Russell found
Is what Muntz wants to still impound.
His blimp and many a talking hound
Have not achieved his mission.
 
When Carl and Russell flee the nut,
With help from bird and friendly mutt,
The pair are shocked and scared somewhat
But aid the injured bird.
Muntz still sneaks up and apprehends
The bird, with whom the boy’s made friends,
And Carl will not make amends,
But Russell’s undeterred.
 
Though Carl makes it to the falls,
With Ellie’s help he then recalls
That their life meant more than four walls,
And he assists the scout.
He follows Russell in the air
To get the bird from Muntz’s lair.
The good and bad guys face off there
Till gravity wins out.
 
Though Carl bids his house goodbye,
They take the bird back home nearby.
He uses Muntz’s blimp to fly
Young Russell to his home.
Since Russell’s dad won’t show his face
To grant him patches and embrace,
Old Carl comes to take his place
And share an ice cream cone.
______________________
 

From the very beginning, Up has all the promise of a masterpiece. The first eleven minutes, detailing Carl and Ellie’s life together, have been rightfully hailed as a high point in animation history. The rest of the film is similarly brilliant, just in a very different way from most of Pixar’s canon, contrasting the beautiful opening with utter cartoonish wackiness.

Like WALL-E, Up is rather controversial for me. I consider it another Pixar classic, worthy of its Oscar nomination for Best Picture, while my VC was left cold. She certainly enjoyed everything pertaining to Ellie but felt the random inclusion of a giant “snipe” (my dad once fell for that same snipe joke) and talking dogs was just too silly to swallow. She also has poked holes in the plot, such as the fact that Muntz was still alive, since he must have been in his nineties; maybe he found the fountain of youth down in South America, or the Holy Grail. While the film was unique for featuring an elderly protagonist, even I have to admit that Carl’s and Muntz’s athleticism toward the end did strain credulity. While these issues sadly spoiled the film for her, I can overlook them with the help of Coleridge’s famous concept, the suspension of disbelief. Some people got it; some don’t.

I have more of an issue with Russell’s thin attachment to the giant bird he names “Kevin.” The relationship doesn’t seem to be any deeper than that of an owner and pet, yet Russell is willing to risk his life for the pet he found days before. What’s more, he blames Carl for “giving her away” when he did no such thing. Considering the situation, Muntz would have captured the bird regardless of Carl’s actions, so Russell’s guilt trip seemed unjustified and unfair.

All right, now that I got that out of my system, I’ll mention the gorgeous animation, the excellent voice acting (led by Ed Asner as Carl, Christopher Plummer as Muntz, and Bob Peterson as the squirrel-distracted dog Dug), the high-flying action sure to give someone acrophobia, and Michael Giacchino’s buoyant score. The main idea of a mobile dwelling that ends up damaged and abandoned may have been borrowed from Howl’s Moving Castle, of which director Pete Docter directed the English translation as well, but the plot is otherwise wholly original and frequently inspired.

Up isn’t quite on par with Pixar’s greatest work, but it’s an animated gem that earns both laughs and tears and has a timely message about life’s real adventures that tugs my heartstrings every time.

Best line: (Russell, after describing a simple pleasure he had with his dad) “That might sound boring, but I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 9
Watchability: 7
Other (aforementioned issues): -3
 
TOTAL: 46 out of 60
 

Next: #163 – Enchanted

© 2014 S. G. Liput

166 Followers and Counting

 

200th Post! The Dark Knight Trilogy

27 Sunday Jul 2014

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(This one is long and detailed; major spoiler alert)
 
When Bruce Wayne was a child, he fell down a chilly well,
And bats flew all around him, sparking panic and nightmares.
His father came to rescue him, explaining why he fell,
To learn to rise again as one of Gotham’s billionaires.
 
An opera they attended scared him, prompting them outside,
Where Chill, a desperate thug, shot both his parents but was caught.
Years later, one Falcone, a crime boss whom Chill defied
Had Chill killed, beating Bruce, who wanted justice done (he thought).
 
Bruce spoke with smug Falcone, who said Wayne did not “get” crime,
So Bruce departed secretly and lived like felons do.
But now Ducard gives Bruce a better outlet for his time,
To train with Ra’s al Ghul and battle fears he must subdue.
 
Bruce conquers guilt and fear of bats thanks to Ducard’s routine,
Excelling as a ninja on the Eastern mountainside,
But when he learns this League of Shadows wishes Gotham clean,
To purify by killing, he resists his former guide.
 
He fights the master Ra’s al Ghul, who’s killed within a fire,
But Bruce saves Ducard’s life and leaves him with a man to stay.
Then Wayne returns to Gotham, for his training helped inspire
A plan to battle evil in a much less lethal way.
 
He finds beneath his parents’ mansion bat-infested caves,
Which he at once remodels as his base of operations,
And Lucius Fox provides, in case some sinner misbehaves,
A hard, protective suit, as well as more high-tech donations.
 
At last, the Batman’s ready to contend with Gotham’s scum
And captures smuggled drugs, as well as old mob boss Falcone.
But there’s one Dr. Jonathan Crane who frequently has come
To court to plead insanity for every gangster crony.
 
He does this through a gas that makes the men hallucinate
And brings to life horrific fears that turn them all insane.
When Batman gets a breath of it, it almost is too late,
But Lucius and the faithful butler Alfred rescue Wayne.
 
With Fox’s antidote, Bruce tries to figure Crane’s designs,
But his old girlfriend Rachel beats him to it, though unwise.
She sees fear poison’s being dumped in Gotham’s water lines,
And Rachel gets some gas herself and nears her own demise.
 
But Batman gets her out of there with Sergeant Gordon’s aid
And drives a bit destructively to save her life in time.
He gives her extra antidote so that more can be made,
But Alfred’s getting troubled at how Bruce is fighting crime.
 
At Bruce’s birthday party, he comes quickly face to face
With old Ducard, who wants revenge, for he is Ra’s al Ghul.
Al Ghul burns down the house and has a city to erase,
Which he intends to do with his most recent stolen tool.
 
A microwave emitter taken from Wayne Enterprises
Ra’s uses to evaporate the city’s water store,
Releasing all the gas so when the populace arises,
Their terror will destroy each other in an inner war.
 
As chaos reigns and convicts run amok out on the street,
The Batman chases Ra’s upon an elevated train.
While Gordon takes the Batmobile and blasts the train’s supports,*
Bruce battles with his mentor, whom he saved before in vain.
 
Yet Batman flies away this time and leaves al Ghul to crash,
Averting more destruction had the train continued on.
The city’s saved (to some extent), but still there’s human trash,
For many criminals, like Crane, escaped and now are gone.
 
As Bruce rebuilds his mansion, fortifying the foundation,
Where no one knows his secret, save his butler and girlfriend,
A Joker has arisen, product of an escalation
That threatens Gotham City, but the Batman will defend.
______________________
 
The Joker’s on the rampage, stealing money from the mob,
A homicidal maniac who’s letting chaos reign,
But DA Harvey Dent is Gotham’s white knight for the job.
He’s fighting crime in ways that are respected by Bruce Wayne.
 
For Batman’s done his service, but he’d rather allow Dent
To prosecute the legal way with no need for a mask.
Dent’s also drawn in Rachel, causing Bruce to still lament,
But he and Gordon let Dent join them in their secret task.
 
A Chinese businessman named Lau is working with mob bosses,
Protecting all their money by escaping to Hong Kong,
But Batman has no jurisdiction and recoups his losses
By spiriting Lau back to Gotham, where he’ll play along.
 
The mob is desperate for some help and turns then to the Joker
To rid the town of Batman lest more obstacles occur.
The Joker then fills his new role as Gotham’s power broker,
By killing both a judge and the police commissioner.
 
He tries to take out Dent as well and Rachel by extension,
But Batman saves them both but lets the Joker get away.
When Gotham’s mayor’s targeted, the center of attention,
Lieutenant Gordon saves him but is killed to Dent’s dismay.
 
The Joker says that more will die if Batman doesn’t act,
Revealing who he really is, and Bruce is tempted to,
But Dent comes out and claims that he’s the hooded man in fact
And gets himself arrested, even though it isn’t true.
 
When Dent is off to prison, Joker follows for the kill,
But Batman saves the DA (though the Batmobile is toast).
He stops the Joker cold, and Gordon comes back for a thrill
To catch the laughing nutcase as a very living ghost.
 
They’re glad that he’s in custody, but he seems self-composed.
It seems that Dent and Rachel Dawes have somehow disappeared.
The Batman pounds the Joker for their place to be disclosed,
But Joker poses him a choice, the worst that he has feared.
 
For he can rescue only one before they blow sky high
And tries to go for Rachel, but he ends up saving Dent.
Police are too late saving her, and she’s the one to die,
And half of Harvey’s face is burned, which he comes to resent.
 
The Joker also got away with Lau in his possession.
When one of Wayne’s employees claims he knows who Batman is,
The Joker threatens hospitals to stimulate aggression
And get the town to kill this man and this secret of his.
 
When Bruce and Gordon save his life, a hospital is blown,
But not before the Joker frees a crazed and vengeful Dent.
The DA targets crooked cops and gangsters to atone
And lets a coin toss choose their fates to punish and torment.
 
The Joker next takes aim at ferries and the people’s will.
With criminals on one and all civilians on the other,
He gives them each a detonator for the other’s kill
And plans to kill them both if they do not blow up their brother.
 
The Batman fights his henchmen, who are not quite what they seem,
Confronting Joker high above the scene of anxious stress.
The people on the ferry don’t give in to Joker’s scheme,
And Batman hangs him up to dry but will not kill the pest.
 
He next goes after Harvey, who has Gordon’s wife and son
And plans to take revenge on those who didn’t kill his love.
They try to reason with him, but his mind is too far gone,
And Batman tackles Two-Face, who then falls from high above.
 
With Dent, the city’s shining hope, now made a villain, dead,
The Batman says he’ll bear his crimes to let the city cope.
As Gordon praises Harvey, lying as the Batman said,
Bruce Wayne retires cape and cowl, preserving Gotham’s hope.
______________________
 
Eight years have passed since Harvey Dent met his untimely end,
And in his name, the city’s cleaned itself from filth and crime.
Yet evil still is brewing, though the city’s on the mend,
And masked guerilla Bane waits underground to bide his time.
 
The Batman’s still retired, since he took the rap for Dent,
And Bruce Wayne is less agile, not the man he was before.
He meets a fair cat burglar, robbing him at an event,
But this Selina Kyle seems to covet something more.
 
She sells Wayne’s fingerprints in hopes of getting a device
To wipe her from all databases, granting a clean slate.
The deal turns sour when the buyer will not pay her price,
And when police come, Gordon’s caught by Bane, who lies in wait.
 
Though Gordon flees and is discovered by policeman Blake,
Bane finds a note revealing Gordon’s Dent-exalting lie.
The fiend attacks the stock market to wipe out Bruce’s stake,
And Batman un-retires to arrest a lone bad guy.
 
Bruce lets Miranda Tate, a lovely woman on his board,
Take over his whole company before a rival does.
This rival’s worked with Bane, who doesn’t act nice when deplored
And plans to be more lethal than the Joker ever was.
 
Though Alfred won’t approve of Bruce’s comeback with the cape,
Wayne listens to Miss Kyle to unearth Bane and attack.
Still hoping for that clean slate, she traps him with no escape,
And Bane confronts the Batman and breaks both his will and back.
 
Bane takes him to a foreign prison, deep within a pit,
To let him watch as Gotham is destroyed (or will be soon).
Then Bane takes over Gotham with a bomb to threaten it,
Employing Batman’s weapons to enforce a foul commune.
 
He corners all policemen underground and traps them there,
While forcing quarantine of Gotham City or else BOOM.
Meanwhile, in his prison, Bruce receives some painful care
And learns that Ra’s al Ghul’s offspring escaped this pit of doom.
 
He heals and trains for several months to climb out of the jail,
And somehow gets to Gotham, where the bomb will detonate.
He teams with Blake and Gordon, who have been on that bomb’s trail,
And frees the trapped police to battle Bane, who’s captured Tate.
 
Police and convicts clash as Bruce again confronts his foe
And bests Bane and demands to know who holds the hidden trigger.
Then Tate reveals that she in fact is Talia al Ghul so
She is the mastermind who climbed out of that prison’s rigor.
 
She leaves to detonate the bomb, which Gordon barely blocked.
Selina Kyle helps Batman and brings an end to Bane.
To their dismay, the bomb’s own timer has mere minutes clocked,
And ere she passes, Talia’s sure their efforts will be vain.
 
Since Batman knows what he must do, he uses his new plane
To haul the bomb across the bay, where it explodes apart.
The city’s saved, and Gordon sees the Batman was Bruce Wayne,
Who finally is honored as a hero from the start.
 
Though Lucius Fox believed the autopilot had been broken,
He learns that Bruce had fixed it ere his solemn sacrifice.
When Alfred is abroad, he sees a wish he once had spoken,
That Bruce would be there happy (with Selina), void of vice,
And Blake (or also Robin) gains the Batcave, free of price.
_______________________
 

When Christopher Nolan began to reboot the Batman film franchise, no one knew how audacious the end result would be, a trilogy of dark, deeply layered superhero stories that transcended the camp and silliness of the original incarnations. Unlike many of the underrated films on my list, The Dark Knight trilogy had no trouble garnering effusive praise and is considered to consist of three of the best superhero films ever made. Rather than going for the humor and colorful characters (and entertainment value) of Iron Man or Spider-Man, Nolan and company created a weighty, brooding three-part storyline that takes itself wholly seriously, with the requisite glimpses of light and hope and victorious good to make it all worthwhile.

Batman Begins is quite the successful origin story, cementing all the main characters, Bruce’s reason for fighting crime, his relationship with villain Ra’s al Ghul, and the inception (insert Nolan joke) of the Batcave, Batmobile, and Bat-everything else. Unlike the obvious cramming of villains seen in Spider-Man 3, it pulls off the adroit introduction of Falcone, the Scarecrow, and Ra’s al Ghul as simply extra layers in Nolan’s trademark complex brand of filmmaking.

I can envision someone else playing Batman (I don’t know about Ben Affleck, though), but Christian Bale is the best of all of the actors so far. Gary Oldman isn’t particularly developed as Gordon other than being one of the few trustworthy cops, but he plays important roles in all three films, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox brought some much-needed humor and scientific experience to the proceedings. Liam Neeson goes against type as the villain Ra’s al Ghul and pulls it off better than I would have expected. Katie Holmes is the least successful of the actors, but she fills the role of Rachel well enough.

After hearing about the death of Heath Ledger and the extreme evil of his character the Joker, everyone seemed to be eager to see The Dark Knight, except me. Despite the exceptional reviews, it took me awhile to finally see the film, and, to be honest, it was good but not top 10 quality, as so many have said. Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance rivals the depravity of Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs, but I’m not in the habit of watching such evil for fun. I found the moral dilemmas he poses to the people of Gotham to be thought-provoking, as were the ethical ramifications of Bruce’s utilization of NSA-style spy equipment to protect the city. While Ledger made the role his own, just as Jack Nicholson did in the original 1989 Batman, I’ll always consider the best Joker to be Mark Hamill in Batman: The Animated Series, whose voice had the right balance of humor and villainous insanity. Aaron Eckhart was a much better Two-Face, though, than Tommy Lee Jones, and while his death was a tad anti-climactic, the statement about heroes living long enough to become villains was thoughtfully played out in his character. While it has its good points, The Dark Knight is the least emotionally involving (despite Rachel’s death) and my least favorite of the three films, due to its oppressively dark tone and the head-scratching ending, with Batman’s acceptance of Dent’s crimes for the sake of “hope” making little sense to me. (I will expound on that in a later post.)

Strangely, unlike the critical majority, The Dark Knight Rises is my favorite. Rather than the chaos of the Joker’s anarchic “plot,” we’re back to Batman preventing the more straightforward destruction of Gotham City, while retaining the intricacy and twists and turns of Nolan’s past films. Tom Hardy is chillingly menacing in a very different way than the Joker, again creating a much better version of the character Bane than the one in Batman and Robin. Unlike the constant shadowy cityscapes of The Dark Knight, this one also has a better balance of environments, including a daytime football stadium and a foreign prison (The Dark Knight never even visited the Batcave). Anne Hathaway is an outstanding Catwoman, and her moral ambiguity is better handled than similarly conflicted characters.

Though I’ve failed to mention him thus far, the best actor of the whole cast is Nolan favorite Michael Caine as butler Alfred Pennyworth, whose scenes hold more emotional weight than everyone else’s put together. His few scenes in The Dark Knight Rises are testaments to that. Also, (Lost alert) Nestor Carbonell, who played Richard Alpert on my favorite show, plays Gotham’s mayor, and Brett Cullen (Lost’s Goodwin) has a bit role in the third film as a kidnapped congressman.

Ignoring the dark tone of the films, the visual effects are truly impressive. From the train finale in Batman Begins to the overturned truck scene in The Dark Knight, the filmmakers created some great action sequences and explosions, while mostly avoiding the bombast of the Marvel films.

My VC had set ideas about what to expect from a Batman movie and did not care for Bruce’s aimless wandering and his ninja training that took up the beginning of Batman Begins. The first two films weren’t her cup of tea, but she at least liked the third film as well. Though she couldn’t get into Nolan’s impressive work, I admire many of his artistic touches as well, such as the pit-like prison in the third film being analogous to the well Bruce fell into as a child. Overall, The Dark Knight trilogy does not include my favorite superhero films, just as Batman isn’t my favorite superhero, but it’s a praiseworthy achievement that will be hard to top, even if further Batman films arise.

Best line: (Alfred, after young Bruce falls in the well) “Took quite a fall, didn’t we, Master Bruce?”  (Thomas Wayne) “And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.”

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 8
Watchability: 6
Other (dark tone, violence, language): -5
 
TOTAL: 46 out of 60
 

Next: #165 – What’s Up, Doc?

© 2014 S. G. Liput

165 Followers and Counting

 

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

27 Sunday Jul 2014

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The young Oskar Schell, a peculiar, smart lad,
Enjoyed all the puzzles made up by his dad,
Unique expeditions, inventive and witty,
That forced him to question and search New York City.
 
He loved his dad dearly but came home one day
To find Dad’s phone messages trying to say
That something had happened, unknown to his son,
September 11 in 2001.
 
He hid those six messages Mom couldn’t hear,
And kept them in secret for nearly a year.
He can’t understand why his father is dead,
And drifts from his mom after cruel things he said.
 
He finds in a closet a blue vase that breaks,
Revealing a key which sets up the stakes.
He thinks the name “Black” is a dubious clue
To something his dad wanted him to pursue.
 
He sets up a system, obsessive and thorough,
To find every person named Black in each borough.
The first, Abby Black, doesn’t know of the key,
And every Black after can’t help Oskar’s plea.
 
At one point, he meets his old grandmother’s Renter,
Who can’t seem to speak but lets Oskar be venter.
He offers through notes to assist Oskar’s quest
And joins him on trips as a reticent guest.
 
The quiet old man’s both a blessing and bother,
And Oskar believes he must be his grandfather.
They meet many Blacks, but no progress is made,
And both have their doubts about this whole crusade.
 
When Oskar tries playing the answering machine,
The Renter can’t take it and stops their routine.
He’s simply enabling Oskar’s obsession
And chooses to leave, sparking Oskar’s aggression.
 
A circled phone number leads Oskar right back
To where it all started, to sad Abby Black.
Late one night, she takes Oskar over to see
Her unseen ex-husband, who knows of the key.
 
This William Black says that the vase he gave Schell
Was a gift from his father, who’s dead now as well.
He too made a search for the key that he had,
Which holds no great secrets from Oskar’s own dad.
 
The boy then admits that, the day Dad did die,
He could have picked up but was too scared to try.
He flees for a tantrum from all of these shocks,
Unwilling to see what the Black key unlocks.
 
His mother calms him by assuring her son
She followed his efforts since when he’d begun.
She too met the Blacks while preparing his way
And knew where he’d be on his every search day.
 
He starts to find closure and not feel as bad
When he solves the last puzzle left by his dad.
His grandfather comes back, and woefulness clears
As Oskar at last learns to conquer his fears.
____________________
 

I wasn’t sure at first if I could consider Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close a “meet ‘em and move on” movie, but this latest viewing confirmed it to me. It features a journey, a driving relationship, a revisiting of many of those encountered toward the end, and perhaps the most literal portrayal of the words “meet ‘em and move on,” since Oskar allows only six minutes for every Black on his list and then tries to move on. Based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, the film’s powerful story lends itself to this often emotional sub-genre.

The film’s reception truly bewildered me since several critics insisted it was terrible and decried its Oscar nomination for Best Picture. It remains one of the only Best Picture nominees with a “rotten” score on Rotten Tomatoes (46%). What they saw as syrupy and sentimental, I saw as heartfelt and heart-breaking. Its plot is also presented in a unique way through insightful voiceovers and frequent flashbacks. I tend to think it somehow became the “in” thing to criticize the film, just as American Hustle earned overrated accolades it didn’t necessarily deserve.

Most still agreed, though, on the impressive performance of young Thomas Horn, who earned the role after being noticed when he won Kids “Jeopardy!” Though he is sometimes rather irritating, Horn gives Oskar both his precociousness and vulnerability, and it’s hard not to feel sorry for him as he tries to make sense of something that doesn’t. True to its tagline, the film isn’t about 9/11 but every day after, and Oskar and his mother embody all the pain and confusion left in the wake of the “worst day.”

Sandra Bullock evokes the grief of Oskar’s mother even better than in Gravity, and though much of the film leads you to believe she is a neglectful parent to let her son wander New York in search of strangers every Saturday, her love and involvement are made clear by the end. While this makes her more admirable, I still think she should have gone with him.

Max von Sydow gives an Oscar-nominated performance as the Renter without speaking a single word. His notes are a unique form of communication but are often difficult to read. Tom Hanks is skillfully likable as usual as Oskar’s dead father, who tows the line between potential puzzle-making genius and concerned parent trying to keep his son active and unafraid. Viola Davis (The Help, Won’t Back Down) and Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) also prove their acting chops as the estranged Blacks who hold the answers that disappoint Oskar, though their roles aren’t completely fleshed out, and there are still questions left unanswered about the key.

Unlike the book, the film explains some of Oskar’s odd behavior as the result of potential Asperger’s syndrome, a point which, combined with the trauma of 9/11, also clarifies why he becomes so focused on his key quest. Though all the other Blacks he meets don’t hold the answers for which he is searching and are seen too quickly to have much development as characters, they offer snapshots of life that make them seem like real and diverse people. In addition, many (certainly not all) offer thoughtful little touches—hugs, drawings, prayers—that aren’t what Oskar wants but in some ways may be what he needs.

In the end, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a very serious movie about a serious subject, death and grief and learning to move on. It’s a film that is at once sad and hopeful and one deserving of much more appreciation than it received.

Best line (there are a lot of good ones, but this one helps to sum up some of what I love about “meet ‘em and move on” films): (Oskar Schell, monologuing) “I started with a simple problem… a key with no lock… and I designed a system I thought fit the problem. I broke everything down in the smallest parts… and tried to think of each person as a number… in a gigantic equation.  [next monologue] But it wasn’t working… because people aren’t like numbers. They’re more like letters… and those letters want to become stories… and Dad said that stories need to be shared.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 8
Watchability: 6
Other (language): -2
 
TOTAL: 46 out of 60
 

Next: #166 – The Dark Knight trilogy

© 2014 S. G. Liput

164 Followers and Counting

 

Cars (2006)

25 Friday Jul 2014

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(Can be sung to “Life Is a Highway”)
 
A world of anthropomorphic cars
Is home to a cadre of racing stars.
Lightning McQueen is a young hotshot,
Who loves himself more than he ought.
 
For the Piston Cup, there’s a three-way tie,
And a rematch sends McQueen’s hopes awry.
A new west coast race will next week begin
For the world to see, of the three, who’ll win.
 
On his trip out west, McQueen somehow strays
Off the interstate to less traveled ways.
He ends up locked up in a town offbeat
For the damage done to the downtown street.
 
He is sentenced by the eccentric folk
To repair the road that he clearly broke,
And he cannot leave this abandoned place,
Though his whole career depends on that race.
 
Though he thinks it’s hell, he begins to grow
A few friendships here in this town so slow,
From Sally, a Porsche, who left speed behind,
To a sweet tow truck, who is unrefined.
 
There’s a car in town with a secret past;
Doc Hudson once was a racer fast.
When he crashed, he broke from the shallow sport
And has since been here in this dead resort.
 
In a race, he proves to the proud McQueen
That the young upstart is still plenty green.
On a trip nearby, Sally tells him too
Of Route 66 and the highway new.
 
Though the Interstate was a helpful deed,
All the tourists left for the sake of speed.
The forgotten town Radiator Springs
Just became one more of those bygone things.
 
When McQueen is done with the rebuilt road,
He feels more at home in this quaint abode,
But the paparazzi find him at last,
And he’s back to living his life so fast.
 
For the Piston Cup, the three racers race,
But his heart and mind’s in another place.
When his friends show up as his new pit crew,
They encourage him to know what to do.
 
An opponent races a bit too rough,
And McQueen then sees winning’s not enough.
With a sacrifice he’d have passed before,
He impresses all and earns so much more.
 
Though he did not win the desired crown,
More exposure helps to revive the town.
As a humbler, kinder, and wiser car,
It is clear McQueen’s happier by far.
_____________________
 

I hate to say it, but Cars is a rip-off. It plagiarizes the plot of Doc Hollywood so obviously that it’s a wonder lawsuits weren’t begun. (There actually was a lawsuit against the Cars franchise, but it had nothing to do with Doc Hollywood and was dismissed.) The story of a cool guy in the fast lane, who is stranded in a backwards town full of kooky characters, including a city girl who prefers the slower life, and who ends up choosing rural happiness over urban success, is undeniably familiar. Yet Cars has enough original ideas, such as its core concept of living vehicles, to still be worthy of the Pixar name, and with its great animation and lack of anything objectionable, I actually like it a little better than Doc Hollywood.

However retreaded the plot may be, it’s still an excellent one. After all, who doesn’t like to see an arrogant jerk shown the error of his ways? Owen Wilson is perfectly cast as the cool-and-he-knows-it Lightning McQueen, and Larry the Cable Guy is Mater. More than any other character, Mater has become the Cars franchise, for better or worse, and because his later appearances have been less than stellar, it’s easy to forget how entertaining his country bumpkin persona was in the original film. Paul Newman brings some very real experience to both the cast and the film overall, and Bonnie Hunt as Sally again proves that she has a voice meant for voice acting. All of the other citizens of Radiator Springs have just the right amount of characterization, from George Carlin as the hippie VW bus Fillmore to Tony Shalhoub as the Ferrari-loving Fiat Luigi. The rest of the voice cast includes Michael Keaton, Paul Dooley, Cheech Marin, and NASCAR champ Richard Petty. Plus, you’ve got to love the cameo from Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers.

In addition to the ever-outstanding animation, the film also has that trademark Pixar heart. As intended from the start by director John Lasseter, Cars is like a love letter to the nostalgia of Route 66 and to all of the small towns that indeed were overlooked by the public’s desire for speed and convenience. Considering that it made me care for anthropomorphic automobiles, I’d say the film got its point across beautifully. While I continue to think that Lightning could have easily won the race and then gone back to help the King (he was only inches away after all), the lesson about winning isn’t everything is taught here better than any other film I’ve seen.

Cars may not be Pixar’s most popular film, and it spawned their only bad film to date, but it’s got enjoyable characters, a great soundtrack, plenty of car and animation in-jokes, and all the humor and heart of a classic.

Best line: (Sally, describing Route 66) “Well, the road didn’t cut through the land like that Interstate. It moved with the land, it rose, it fell, it curved. Cars didn’t drive on it to make great time. They drove on it to have a great time.”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 4
Watchability: 8
 
TOTAL: 46 out of 60
 

Next: #167 – Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

© 2014 S. G. Liput

164 Followers and Counting

 

Pocahontas (1995)

22 Tuesday Jul 2014

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(Can be sung to “Colors of the Wind”)
 
A voyage starts in 1600s England
To journey to the New World for its gold,
But John Smith only searches for adventure
And knows that there’s one waiting to unfold.
 
This New World boasts the lovely Pocahontas,
The daughter of the reigning Indian chief.
He offers sober Kokoum for marriage,
But the maiden seeks a spirit for relief.
 
The path for her is hidden and uncertain,
But then the ship appears against the sky.
As greedy Ratcliffe starts his people digging,
Smith departs to scout the countryside nearby.
 
The Indian and Englishman make contact,
And neither’s like the other thought they’d be.
He tells her of his homeland, and the maiden
Shows the sailor things he’d never tried to see.
 
A skirmish sows distrust in both the factions,
And both believe the worst of their new foe.
They will not hear John Smith or Pocahontas,
But both unite, and love begins to grow.
 
When Kokoum decides to tail the couple,
His jealous rage just gets the warrior shot.
The tribe imprisons Smith to his friends’ horror
And plans to execute the man they’ve caught.
 
Since Ratcliffe thinks the foe is hoarding treasure,
And they think whites are savages as well,
Both sides prepare for battle at the sunrise,
Till Pocahontas chooses to rebel.
 
She saves the life of Smith at the last second
And turns her father’s warring mind to peace.
These “savages” are better than they’d reckoned,
And both sides (save for Ratcliffe) choose to cease.
 
Though Smith is saved, he still is sadly wounded,
So he departs for home to convalesce.
He bids goodbye to lovely Pocahontas,
Who will be with him forever nonetheless.
____________________
 

Don’t worry; I won’t exhaust the Disney Renaissance this low on the list, but like Mulan, Pocahontas is just not quite as absolutely stellar as the rest of those ‘90s classics. It still is a marvelous film, beautifully animated and drawing inspiration not from fairy tales or legends but from real American history. It bothers me a little that Disney rewrote history in adding much to the story of Pocahontas and John Smith while leaving out other elements, such as the Indian maiden’s conversion to Christianity. Still, it’s laudable that the filmmakers endeavored to bring history to family audiences in such an entertaining package, even if only some main events are retained from the true account (the saving of Smith’s life, his changed injury and return to England).

Mel Gibson makes John Smith quite the dreamboat, and David Ogden Stiers proves he can play a greedy Englishman with the same panache as he can a clock. As far as cute animal sidekicks go, Meeko the raccoon and Flit the hummingbird are two of the funniest and lend the otherwise serious tale some lighthearted comic relief.

One thing I’ve noticed after repeated viewings is that Pocahontas more than any other recent Disney film depends on its music for its success. All of the other Disney classics have memorable standout sequences independent of their music (the wildebeest stampede, the Cave of Wonders, Shan-Yu’s mountain charge, etc.), while Pocahontas doesn’t. Take away Alan Menken’s soundtrack, and you’ve got the familiar “noble savage” and “follow your heart” clichés and a romance that’s a tad rushed and a much less entertaining story.

Luckily, though, we do have Menken’s songs, and they are perfect. From the history-laced “The Virginia Company” to the exhilarating “Just around the Riverbend,” his music continues to amaze. Stephen Schwartz’s lyrics are also fantastic and eminently satisfying to me as a poet. “Colors of the Wind” is especially classic and earned an Academy Award for Best Song. Ratcliffe’s songs are also great, particularly the Broadway-quality “Mine, Mine, Mine.” Despite accusations of racist lyrics, I also love “Savages” and can step away enough to see that the hatred is that of the characters and not the filmmakers. I actually think the way that both sides accuse the other of being “savages” is the most nuanced element of the whole film.

Pocahontas may have turned a platonic historical account into a Romeo-and-Juliet story of warring factions, but its soundtrack makes it yet another Disney classic. I wonder if they’ll ever tackle another historical drama again.

Best line: (Powhatan, at the end) “My daughter speaks with the wisdom beyond her years. We’ve all come here with anger in our hearts, but she comes with courage and understanding. From this day forward, if there is to be more killing, it will not start with me.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 6
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 5
Watchability: 9
Other (music): +2
 
TOTAL: 45 out of 60
 

Next: #170 – Foul Play

© 2014 S. G. Liput

159 Followers and Counting

 

Rudy (1993)

20 Sunday Jul 2014

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When Rudy was young, he had one simple dream,
To play on the great Notre Dame football team,
But small as he was, people doubted his scheme
And thought the lad unrealistic.
He works at a steel mill to save for tuition,
Encouraged by one friend to scorn opposition.
When tragedy strikes, he appeals for admission,
Perhaps a bit too optimistic.
 
With help from a priest, he attends Holy Cross,
A close junior college, and gathers no moss.
He maintains the football field with his kind boss
And makes his ambitions well-known.
Befriending a tutor, his course grades get better,
And through three long years, he remains a go-getter
Until he receives that improbable letter
And transfers as Notre Dame’s own.
 
He tries out for football and shows little skill
But makes up for it with his heart and his will.
Each time he is tackled, he rises up still,
And merits the coach’s respect.
He gets on the prep team but can’t play a bit.
He can’t even dress for the sidelines and sit.
When Coach is replaced, Rudy’s tempted to quit,
But sage advice helps him reflect.
 
He doesn’t give up, and the players proclaim
That Rudy should dress for the season’s last game.
So with family there cheering for Notre Dame,
He runs on the field with the team.
As they play Georgia Tech, Rudy’s friends gain a lead,
But Rudy sits out till their chants intercede.
At last, Rudy plays and is lauded indeed
For chasing his difficult dream.
______________________
 

Rudy is the ultimate underdog story. With its determined and likable hero, real-life drama, stirring Jerry Goldsmith score, and excellent acting, it reaches heights of inspiration most films only dream about. Just as Rudy was born to wear that Notre Dame jacket, Sean Astin was born to play Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger. His understated but tenacious performance gives Rudy the necessary appeal to make the audience share both his grief over setbacks and his excitement for successes. It’s a role that, I think, deserved an Oscar nomination.

So many other inspirational sports films are about whipping a team into shape to win a big game or a championship at the last moment. Here, though, it’s all about one character, the titular Rudy. He’s not an underachieving athlete who needs to grasp his own potential or a troubled all-star who must overcome a debilitating trauma; rather, it’s about a simple dreamer, someone who knows his limitations but isn’t afraid to chase his goals despite them. He admirably jumps up after being tackled repeatedly, devotes constant time and effort, and exhibits such an earnest hunger for his Notre Dame aspirations that the final realization of his dream is eminently satisfying and brought my VC to tears.

Ned Beatty plays Rudy’s Fighting Irish-loving father, whose pride at the end is palpable, and Jon Favreau has an amiable debut as Rudy’s tutor friend, who unfortunately spews the majority of the film’s profanity. Charles S. Dutton also brings some benevolent experience as the stadium groundskeeper Fortune, who gives an extra punch of tear fodder in the finale.

The film was AFI’s 54th most inspiring movie on their 2006 Cheers list, but I believe it should have been much higher. How can you not smile when someone’s efforts are rewarded so stirringly? Yet it’s also realistic; Rudy doesn’t turn into a professional quarterback and is only played because Notre Dame had nothing to lose, but it’s the dream to which his whole life was leading. Some might say that Rudy’s behavior borders on obsessive or that his brief moment of glory wasn’t worth it, but for anyone who has had a dream, Rudy serves as the culmination of hopes and hard work, a cheer-worthy crowd-pleaser that reminds us that dreams can come true.

Best line: (Father Cavanaugh, when Rudy asks him for further help) “Son, in thirty-five years of religious study, I have only come up with two hard, incontrovertible facts: there is a God, and I’m not Him.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 8
Watchability: 9
Other (language): -1
 
TOTAL: 45 out of 60
 

Next: #172 – Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

© 2014 S. G. Liput

159 Followers and Counting

 

Mulan (1998)

19 Saturday Jul 2014

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(Best sung to the tune of “A Girl Worth Fighting For”)
 
When the Huns invade and China is in peril
From the dark Shan-Yu who’s merciless and feral,
The threat’s appraised; an army’s raised
And every man must serve,
But a lone girl reports and proves her nerve.
 
Though Fa Mulan is quite the awkward beauty,
She won’t let her father lose his life for duty.
She impersonates the manly traits
And gallops off to war,
Hoping to save the man she’s fighting for.
 
Her ancestors send out a guarding spirit,
But who she gets is frankly nowhere near it:
The small Mushu, a dragon who
Just wants his honored shelf
And has arrived to help her prove herself.
 
The Captain Shang is tough on all the rookies
And teaches things unknown in fortune cookies.
He trains them hard as China’s guard,
And when he’s satisfied,
Mushu ensures they’ll fight to turn the tide.
 
While marching through a mountain pass while singing,
The army sees the death the Huns are bringing.
They are ambushed and nearly pushed
Right off the mountainside,
But by Mulan the victory’s supplied.
 
An avalanche destroys the Huns while riding,
But Shang soon learns the truth that Mulan’s hiding.
The laws apply, and she must die,
But Shang won’t kill Mulan.
They leave her there, her family honor gone.
 
She sees Shan-Yu and others are still living
And warns her friends, but Shang is not forgiving.
The Huns attack and plan payback
Upon the Emperor.
When Mulan calls him, Shang then follows her.
 
With female charm, they fight into the palace
And save the Emperor from Shan-Yu’s malice.
Up on the roof, the fiend goes POOF
When Mushu’s rockets shoot,
And fireworks eliminate the brute.
 
With China saved and Shan-Yu now a goner,
The Emperor grants Fa Mulan much honor.
Back home they ride with newfound pride,
And Dad and Shang agree
This lovely girl is just as she should be.
______________________
 

Ignoring the earlier-reviewed Hercules, here begins the Disney Renaissance on my list in earnest. Mulan was yet another feather in the cap of Disney’s animation department, with memorable characters, enjoyable music, and impressive animation. Inspired by the ancient Chinese poem Hua Mulan, who fought in the army in her father’s stead, the animation style emulates aspects of Chinese art, much like Hercules reflected Greek art. The filmmakers also pioneered some CGI elements to produce huge crowd scenes, such as the amazing mountain charge of the Huns.

Of the voice cast, Ming Na Wen as Mulan and Eddie Murphy as Mushu are the standouts, and James Hong and Harvey Fierstein also lend their distinctive voices to the film. (I still think of Donkey from Shrek when I hear Murphy’s voice, even though Mulan came first.) The songs are not as plentiful as in other Disney films, but they’re still outstanding. “Reflection” is beautiful (and helped start Christina Aguilera’s career), and “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” is just perfect, ranking among the best of Disney’s musical numbers.

Though the film wasn’t as successful in China, Mulan is a marvelous Disney classic that exceeds the silliness of Kung Fu Panda. With a strong female role model and humor and fun to spare, Mulan may not be my favorite of the Disney Renaissance, but it easily surpasses most of today’s animated films.

Best line: (Mushu, after roasting the Huns’ falcon) “Now, that’s what I call Mongolian barbeque.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 7
Watchability: 8
 
TOTAL: 45 out of 60
 

Next: #173 – Rudy

© 2014 S. G. Liput

158 Followers and Counting

 

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

17 Thursday Jul 2014

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The Sundance Kid can shoot;
Butch Cassidy’s a hoot.
Between the two, they head a crew
Who rob banks for the loot.
 
When they hold up a train,
First once and then again,
They’re followed by a gang, who try
To hound them ‘cross the plain.
 
They run both night and day
And barely get away.
They both decide to simply hide
And leave the USA.
 
Bolivia’s their chance.
With Etta for romance,
The three depart for their new start
As dubious transplants.
 
With heists they have success,
With worries nonetheless.
Despite their plans, blood’s on their hands,
And Etta leaves the stress.
 
While eating lunch in town,
These outlaws of renown
Both shoot their piece against police,
But both men are shot down.
_________________
 

A classic outlaw western, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid succeeds wholly because of its two stars. Butch and Sundance are thieving cowards who rob banks and meet a bloody end, but, unlike the very similar Bonnie and Clyde, the film makes them so likable that one can almost overlook their faults. Paul Newman brings great humor to Butch, the brains of the operation, and, as my VC says, “Robert Redford never looked so good” with that mustache. It’s easy to see why both of them are appealing to Etta, played by Katharine Ross from Shenandoah and The Graduate.

The Oscar-winning screenplay boasts stellar dialogue, perfected by the spot-on chemistry of Newman and Redford. Some say the film has jarring mood swings, but I appreciate how the filmmakers presented both the carefree moments of romance (the famous bicycle scene) and moments in which their lawless deeds come back to haunt them. The scenery is also stunning, as Butch and Sundance flee across it from the team of lawmen.

The mostly clean film also won Oscars for Best Song (“Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head”), Best Score, Best Cinematography, and the aforementioned Best Original Screenplay. It certainly deserved them, and my VC would have it even higher on her list. Still, I’m not a fan of antihero movies, even when the characters are so likable. That doesn’t change the fact that they’re criminals, who deserved the hounding and the violent end they met. Even so, the final scene of the two rushing outside to their deaths, guns ablaze, taps into the romantic, adventurous spirit that makes “cops and robbers” so much fun. I’d just hate to be the robbers.

Best line: (Butch) “Well, that ought to do it.” [whole train car blows up] (Sundance) “Think ya used enough dynamite there, Butch?”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 6
Watchability: 7
 
TOTAL: 45 out of 60
 

Next: #175 – How to Train Your Dragon

© 2014 S. G. Liput

158 Followers and Counting

 

The Terminal (2004)

15 Tuesday Jul 2014

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Poor Viktor Navorski is nationless,
No visa, no passport, no funds.
His country Krakozhia suffered a coup,
Abandoning traveling sons.
 
Frank Dixon, the customs official,
Tells Viktor his country’s deposed.
He can’t let him into New York with no visa;
The U.S., for Viktor, is closed.
 
His only choice now is to wait there,
To wait with no ending in sight,
Surviving off crackers and bathing in sinks
And sleeping on benches at night.
 
He teaches himself better English
To fit in where he will reside.
Yet Dixon just wants Viktor out of his hair
And goads him to just sneak outside.
 
But Viktor is clever and honest.
He figures out ways to buy food,
But Dixon endeavors to sabotage him
As part of a one-sided feud.
 
Navorski runs into Amelia,
A flight attendant passing through.
She’s dating a married man but deserts him
In favor of Viktor, who’s true.
 
He also befriends those who work in the airport,
And finds his own job in construction.
When one of his confidants wants to propose,
He helps with long-distance seduction.
 
When Dixon reveals to Amelia the truth
That Viktor lives in the airport,
She asks Viktor why, and he pulls out a can
Of papers he’s there to escort.
 
His father got signatures of the jazz greats,
Except Benny Golson on sax.
He came there fulfilling a promise he made
Until he then fell through the cracks.
 
The war in Krakozhia soon comes to an end.
Amelia gives Viktor a pass
To leave for one day, which she got from her beau
For coming back to him with class.
 
Yet Dixon then blackmails Navorski
To get him to just fly away
Till one of his comrades delays Viktor’s flight,
And gives him his requisite day.
 
So Viktor Navorski departs for the doors,
With all the employees’ support,
And even security won’t arrest him
When he at last leaves the airport.
 
He goes to the hotel where Golson is playing
And gets him to sign when he’s asked.
His promise fulfilled, Viktor gets in a taxi
To leave for Krakozhia at last.
___________________
 

It’s hard to believe that someone could live like this in an airport, but The Terminal is reportedly based off Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian refugee who lived in a Paris airport for seventeen years. I didn’t much care for The Terminal the first time I saw it. I thought it was entertaining enough, but that the whole reason behind Viktor’s stay at the airport was weak. For him to go through so much inconvenience for the sake of a jazz musician’s autograph just didn’t seem worth it to me and was somewhat underwhelming, especially since his relationship with Amelia didn’t endure for long either.

But, mainly due to my VC’s further viewing, I gave it another shot and recognized many things to appreciate, despite the lackluster ending. Tom Hanks turns in yet another masterful acting job, speaking Bulgarian and displaying the same innocence and unlikely luck as Forrest Gump. His pathetic scenes early on, such as making a sandwich out of saltines and ketchup, instill sympathy for the character and his plight, and the clever ways he deals with the situation may be improbable but make him even more likable. Stanley Tucci is also skillful as the by-the-book jerk who tries to both get Viktor out and keep him in, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is lovely as Amelia, though her character’s arc isn’t really satisfying.

Viktor’s daily interactions with the airport employees make it reminiscent of a “meet ‘em and move on” film, and Zoe Saldana plays an unrealistically wedded Trekkie, unintentionally foreshadowing her involvement in the Star Trek reboot. Steven Spielberg lets the story flow effortlessly, and John Williams’s score is one of his under-appreciated gems. Borders may have gone out of business, but its signs and the plentitude of other product placement make the airport feel quite realistic.

The film may have several scenes that don’t quite pull off the drama they’re attempting (the “goat” medicine standoff, Gupta’s sacrifice), but it skillfully exhibits some of the ridiculous regulations of bureaucracy. Also, even if the signatures in the can may seem trivial to me, the promise to his father certainly meant a lot to Viktor so I’d say the end is more effective than I had first thought. Overall, The Terminal is a lesser Tom Hanks treasure that excels in its characterization and makes living in an airport an admirable thing.

Best line: (Viktor, to Enrique, after being unable to pronounce the word “cheat”) “She’s a nice… nice girl; she won’t take your chitting.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 9
Watchability: 9
 
TOTAL: 44 out of 60
 

Next: #177 – Castle in the Sky

© 2014 S. G. Liput

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) and The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

14 Monday Jul 2014

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(This poem is more detailed than others; spoiler alert.)
 
Erebor was a mighty kingdom, built by dwarves with gems and gold;
Men of Dale and forest Elves bowed down before their kings of old,
But the dragon Smaug arrived to claim their treasures and their throne,
And the dwarves were scattered, dreaming of their vengeance and their home.
 
Bilbo Baggins is a Hobbit, living in his cozy hole,
Happy to avoid adventures other than a Sunday stroll.
Smoking on his doorstep one day, Bilbo has a sudden meeting
With the roaming wizard Gandalf, who discusses Bilbo’s greeting.
Bilbo soon retreats inside Bag End, not knowing what’s in store;
Soon there is a fateful knock upon the hobbit’s rounded door.
 
There upon his threshold is a large and pushy dwarf named Dwalin;
Once he shows himself inside, he’s followed by his brother Balin;
Then come Fili, brother Kili, and more dwarves, in all thirteen.
Gandalf then explains he brought them with the promise of cuisine.
Lastly, Thorin Oakenshield arrives to finalize the band;
Bilbo is displeased at this reunion, sudden and unplanned.
 
After feasting on his food, the dwarves discuss why they are there;
They plan taking back their homeland, though they’re cautioned to beware.
Gandalf promised them a burglar, and he chose Bilbo as such,
But the hobbit’s overwhelmed and not pleased with adventures much.
Bilbo claims he cannot go, so they depart to start their quest,
But he soon decides to leave and join with Thorin and the rest.
 
Not far into their adventure, they run into three large trolls
And are caught before Bilbo outsmarts their culinary goals.
Gandalf saves the company, but Radagast, a wizard brown,
Then arrives reporting there’s an evil of bygone renown.
He has been to Dol Guldur, where ancient wickedness yet grows.
Who this reborn foe could be is too disturbing to suppose.
 
Orcs attack astride their wargs, and Thorin’s band is forced to flee
To Rivendell at Gandalf’s urge, though Thorin does so grudgingly.
Lord Elrond still welcomes them and offers food to every chap
And reads the hidden moon-lit letters on a valued Dwarvish map.
This provides a deadline to attain the Lonely Mountain’s height.
Gandalf meets with fellow leaders to discuss things in the night.
 
After Thorin leaves the Elven city, lest their fortunes change,
Thirteen dwarves and one small hobbit climb the Misty Mountain range.
Thunders rumble, mountains crumble, as stone giants fight and toss,
Yet the team locates a cave without a single member’s loss.
Bilbo then is tempted to return back home, for he’s no aid,
But then goblins catch the party, threatening their escapade.
Bilbo manages to flee but falls into a cavern, where
He perceives a golden ring, as well as Gollum’s lightless lair.
With his glowing dagger, Bilbo is too deadly to be harmed;
Therefore, Gollum plays a game of riddles with the hobbit armed.
After teasers back and forth, the hobbit meets with sly success
When he gives his twisted foe a question Gollum cannot guess.
 
In the meantime, Thorin’s being taunted by the goblin king,
Who intends to seal their doom, most likely with much suffering.
Gandalf suddenly appears to free them all and find a route;
Massive combat then ensues as they all battle their way out.
Bilbo finds the ring makes him invisible, but mercy shines
When he spares poor Gollum’s life and joins the dwarves outside the mines.
 
He explains why he came back because he’ll help howe’er he can,
But then they are chased into some cliff-side trees without a plan.
Thorin’s foe, a large pale orc called Azog, wants his blood at last,
And he nearly claims his life till Bilbo saves the dwarf outcast.
Gandalf calls the eagles for a rescue in the nick of time,
Thorin thanks the hobbit for his stand against the goblin slime,
And a distant dragon waits to guard his hoarded gold sublime.
___________________________
 
Trekking through the wilderness are Thorin, Bilbo, and the rest,
Fleeing from that ugly orc, who’s proving to be quite the pest.
Gandalf leads them to a house as they are hunted by a bear,
Which protects them from the goblins after giving them a scare.
Waking up, they meet their host, who was the bear, the sequent morn
And get some wary new assistance from the skin-changer Beorn.
 
Next, it’s further on to Mirkwood, site of dark affairs of late.
Gandalf says that he must leave and bids them walk the path, not straight.
As they journey through the forest, it exerts a strange effect,
And they act as if they’re drugged and soon are lost through their neglect.
After Bilbo climbs a tree and sees the Lonely Mountain near,
Giant spiders capture them and wrap them in a web of fear.
 
Bilbo frees himself in time and saves his allies with his ring,
And his dagger proves its sharpness and is christened by him Sting.
As the spiders close around them, elves appear and slay them all,
Taking all the dwarves as prisoners back to their King Thranduil’s hall.
Legolas then cages them since Thorin does not bargain well;
Kili, though, can’t help but flirt with lovely wood-elf Tauriel.
 
Bilbo, still invisible, discovers how to get them out,
Freeing them and placing them in barrels, though they have some doubt.
Soon they’re floating down a river, but before the elves step in,
They’re attacked by hordes of orcs, led by that one with pale skin.
Legolas and Tauriel assist in slaughtering a lot
As the dwarves escape through carnage, but young Kili still is shot.
 
After landing near the lake, the group encounter bargeman Bard,
Who agrees to smuggle them to Laketown for a price that’s hard.
He is less than popular among the village government,
Who consider him a rebel, sowing protest and dissent.
Though he helps the dwarves inside, their need for weapons makes them rash,
And they raid the armory but are arrested in a flash.
 
Thorin then reveals his name and earns the village’s support;
Bard, however, fears the dragon his ancestor could not thwart.
No one listens to his doubts but revel in the king’s return,
And they see the questers off without the tiniest concern.
Bofur, Oin, and Fili stay to care for Kili’s injury
And are ambushed in Bard’s house by orcs that just won’t let them be.
 
Bilbo finds the hidden keyhole in the rocky mountainside
And must go within alone to find the jewel of Erebor’s pride:
Burglaring the Arkenstone is why they brought him on this quest,
So he wanders through the giant halls, an uninvited guest.
Smaug, the great and powerful, can smell him, even with the Ring,
And speaks to him in mocking tones to learn why he is visiting.
 
Back in Laketown, Tauriel and Legolas arrive to save
Everybody from the orcs, as well as Kili from his grave.
Gandalf, meanwhile, has been busy, looking into Dol Guldur,
Where he now suspects an evil so severe he must be sure.
He stands up to Azog’s orcs but is brought low by one dark lord:
Sauron has returned in force and with a massive goblin horde.
 
In the mountain, Smaug decides to burn the burglar, guaranteed,
And though Bilbo tries the exit, he is stopped by Thorin’s greed.
All the dwarves then scatter through the lofty vaults of their king’s house,
And the dragon chases them in one huge game of cat-and-mouse.
Thorin will not die like this and chooses to have vengeance still.
Thus the dwarves light up the forge, for they’ve a dragon yet to kill.
 
After many close escapes, they fill a giant, ancient mold,
Using Smaug’s own dragon fire to produce their molten gold.
With no time for it to set, the statue that the crafters make
Melts away to gild the dragon, all (they think) for vengeance sake.
Yet this only angers Smaug, and he flies off to show his ire.
He will take revenge on Laketown, and his visit will be dire.
Bilbo watches as the dragon plans to scorch the town with fire.
_____________________
 

The Hobbit is admittedly an overblown story, at least as told by Peter Jackson. Tolkien’s story is so much simpler than The Lord of the Rings, but Jackson ratcheted up the epicness of the classic children’s story to spread over another trilogy. This is both a benefit and a liability.

On the plus side, Martin Freeman wonderfully steps into the role of Bilbo Baggins, originally played by British thespian Ian Holm. His awkward mannerisms are perfect for the role, and his moment of mercy toward Gollum rang true, something that will end up saving the world by the time of Return of the King.He is a laudable hero to follow through the adventure. Ian McKellan reprises his lovable role as Gandalf, and it is certainly enjoyable to reunite with the lovely tranquility of Hobbiton and with characters like Elrond and Galadriel, even if some have no place in this story. The action scenes are also the highlights of the films. In the first film An Unexpected Journey, there’s the gargantuan stone giant battle, the over-the-top goblin free-for-all, and the harrowing domino-tree escape, and The Desolation of Smaug has the cringe-worthy spider scene, the amusement-ride-style barrel chase, and the slam-bang confrontation with Smaug himself. These scenes exceed those in the Lord of the Rings for bombacity but sometimes threaten to take over the films.

On the negative side are mainly the characters. When I first heard that The Hobbit would be a twosome and then a trilogy, I thought Peter Jackson would use that extra time to build on each of the dwarves, get to know them, and make the audience care for them since some don’t survive the end (I’m purposefully not reminding myself who). Yet with only one more film to go, I’d say he’s failed at that. I like the handsome Fili and Kili for their bravery and daring, kindly old Balin for his prudence and affection for Bilbo, and Bofur for his comic side and for the fact I recognize James Nesbitt. Indeed, these four get the bulk of the dialogue and screen time. The others are just along for the ride, tagging along, distinguished more by the styling of their hair and beards than anything else. Heck, Bombur hasn’t spoken once through two long movies; he’s just the fat one. Repeat viewings have allowed me to notice little details and nuances that help define each character, but those do not a personality make. Also, the fact that I know everyone survives until the last movie saps the action scenes of much of their danger. As for Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, he fills the character with grim determination, but Thorin is too serious and ultimately greedy to be truly likable. (Nonetheless, (major Lost alert!) Evangeline Lilly seems well-suited to play the wood-elf Tauriel after playing main heroine Kate on my favorite show. The love triangle is another point that’s weak, I’m afraid.)

The film also suffers from its over-packed plot. It’s almost as if Peter Jackson forgot how to edit unnecessary scenes, for there are several. The entire Council of Rivendell slows things down too much and adds hardly anything to the plot. Other little scenes, like moments with Radagast the Brown or Legolas’s overly eager orc slaughtering, could easily have been snipped down.

Still, the visual effects are outstanding, as are the sweeping views of the New Zealand countryside. While the goblins in the first film had a strange look to them that made them more cartoonish and less real, the other creature effects are seamless, most especially Smaug, the great wyrm of the Lonely Mountain. Benedict Cumberbatch’s voice makes him so immensely menacing to match the awesome CGI, creating perhaps the best dragon on film to date. I also very much like Howard Shore’s score, and the songs from the ends of both films (Neil Finn’s “Song of the Lonely Mountain” and Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire”) are both in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame.

The Hobbit films as a whole are a mixed bag with moments of brilliance recalling The Lord of the Rings and over-indulgent sequences of mayhem with underdeveloped dwarves. I’m glad that Jackson made The Hobbit, even if most fans of the book are not, but I do wish he had made them more streamlined and character-driven. Either way, I eagerly await The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies later this year.

Best lines: (An Unexpected Journey; Gandalf, to Galadriel) “Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I’ve found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay… small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I am afraid… and he gives me courage.”

(The Desolation of Smaug; Tauriel, to Legolas) “Are we not part of this world? Tell me, Mellon, when did we let evil become stronger than us?”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 7
Watchability: 8
Other (violence): -4
 
TOTAL: 44 out of 60
 

Next: #178 – The Terminal

© 2014 S. G. Liput

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