Tag Archives: Family

#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

 

#88: The Ten Commandments (1956)

27 Monday Oct 2014

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The land of Egypt built its wonders high
Upon the backs of Hebrew slaves of old,
Who prayed that God salvation would supply,
And so He did, His people to uphold.
A baby borne upon the Nile’s waves
To rescue him from edicts merciless
Proceeded from the desperate blood of slaves
But found a home in Pharaoh’s house to bless.
Though Moses prospered as a faithful prince,
He learned the truth, and crime forced banishment.
At last, with burning bush, God did convince
His chosen one to turn and represent.
Though Moses wielded power from the Lord,
His “brother” Rameses would not free his race.
The death of every firstborn by God’s sword
Allowed the Hebrews freedom from this place.
Through sundered sea and senseless sin, God led
His people with commandments all have read.
_________________
 

A TV favorite around Easter/Passover, Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments is undoubtedly dated but still retains the sense of grandeur that made it such an epic experience in 1956. While not his best role, Charlton Heston is a formidable Moses, exuding heroic dignity in every scene, even when he’s supposedly at the end of his rope. The eloquent voiceover narration and the jaw-dropping production values add to the overall grandiosity of the film.

Its biggest “flaw,” so to speak, is the overacting, with characters frequently looking off into the distance while spouting poetic dialogue about love, faith, or beauty. While this is at times unintentionally hammy, the melodramatic parlance has an archaic quality that is still somehow credible in the film’s antiquated setting. The story itself is well-formed, instituting simple yet complex character relationships among all the pomp and pageantry. The interplay among Moses, Rameses, and Nefretiri has a Shakespearean element that grounds the film in real, if exaggerated, emotion.

Anne Baxter as Nefretiri is the worst offender as far as magnified theatrics go, though her smug confidence about the power of her beauty adds to the interpersonal tension of the second act, even if Moses dismisses it. Likewise, Yul Brynner is stiffly arrogant at first, sharing with Baxter one of cinema’s truly awkward kisses, yet he grows into the role of Rameses until his lofty refusal to “let the people go” establishes him as a great Pharaoh in “de Nile.” (Get it?) The rest of the cast is large and adequate, with Edward G. Robinson as the standout naysayer Dathan, who’s the kind of guy everyone wants to punch now and then.

While The Ten Commandments is not completely accurate in the Biblical sense, it takes the source material seriously, applying it to an overall message of freedom and faith. It even transforms some Hollywood additions into clever speculations, such as a scorned lover causing the “hardening” of Pharaoh’s heart and his reversal after releasing the Hebrews. Above all, the film achieves scenes of visual vastness, from the labors of the slaves to their emancipation and immense leave-taking. The cast of thousands is stunning, and scenes like the parting of the Red Sea still hold an impressive power that can bring some, like my VC, to tears of awe. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore, not this long nor this extravagant, but The Ten Commandments stands as DeMille’s most successful accomplishment.

P.S. I don’t hold out much hope for Ridley Scott’s upcoming redux version Exodus: Gods and Kings, but we’ll see.

Best Biblical line: (Joshua) “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Best original line: (Moses) “There can be no freedom without the Law.”

 
Rank: 53 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

233 Followers and Counting

 

#92: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

22 Wednesday Oct 2014

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Before Mary Poppins
Met cinema screens,
The gruff P. L. Travers
Kept her by all means.
 
The magical nanny
Was family to her,
And Disney would never
Take her, she was sure.
 
But life’s money troubles
Convinced her at last
To see what the mouse king
Was planning so fast.
 
Disappointments built up,
And her fears were confirmed:
The script and song writers
Explained as she squirmed.
 
Their Poppins too frivolous,
Songs too carefree,
They just could not please her,
Nor could Walt Disney.
 
Their cruel Mr. Banks
Brought back pained memories
Of her drunken father
Who tried so to please.
 
Despite a stern aunt
Whipping all into shape,
The cares of this world
Travers could not escape.
 
It took some script changes
For her to begin
To see the film project
As more than a sin.
 
But when animation,
Which she could not stand,
Was still to be present,
She left for England.
 
When Disney himself
Made a sudden house call,
He calmly assured her
He would not appall;
 
He’d bring Mr. Banks
To life, a road paved
By all of her stories,
And he would be saved.
 
Her father was dead,
But there on the screen,
Both perfect and flawed,
His salvation was seen.
_______________
 

The most recent of my top 100 films, Saving Mr. Banks is not even a year old at the time of this post, yet its acting and insightful peek at a laborious creative process marked it as an instant classic. More and more films are resorting to the depiction of creating other films (think Hugo, The Artist, Hitchcock), yet such films continue to offer compelling stories and fascinating details that haven’t gotten old yet, and Saving Mr. Banks is no exception.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is known for infamous snubs, yet the fact that Saving Mr. Banks did not receive one acting nomination is unforgivable (Thomas Newman’s score was nominated—that’s it). Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson contribute astounding performances to their already distinguished careers; Walt Disney and P. L. Travers come to life in a powerful, character-driven way that spans every emotion, from joy to disgust to sorrow to utter frustration. Yet despite some weighty backstories for both, the entire film has the light, optimistic ambience of Disney World (the Disney World that kids see, minus all the lines and headaches). Thompson’s pomposity and rudeness don’t fit in this land where cartoons and songs are the norm, but every minute of her gradual easing into something like fulfillment (and I do mean gradual) is a pleasure to watch. Likewise, Hanks’s Disney is con man, big cheese, and lovable uncle all rolled into one familiar package, yet with astute glimpses into previously unseen aspects of the master entertainer.

I applaud films that bring little-known players to the fore, such as Mary Poppins co-scriptwriter Don DaGradi (Bradley Whitford) and the talented Sherman Brothers musical team (B. J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman), not to mention Paul Giamatti’s genial turn as Travers’s fictionalized chauffeur. Lovers of the Mary Poppins film are sure to enjoy the details that seem to be directly inspired by Travers and the development of a childhood classic. Like in Holes, flashbacks are woven through the narrative, revealing additional inspirations for the Mary Poppins characters and providing Colin Farrell a heart-breaking role as the author’s good-natured but alcoholic father.

Considering that Saving Mr. Banks was released at the height of the Christmas season, it was obvious Oscar fodder, and it deserved so many more accolades than it received. Was it because it was too clean? Was it because Tom Hanks’s performance, coupled with the one in Captain Phillips that year, was somehow overlooked in favor of non-Oscar winners? I don’t know, but Saving Mr. Banks is a worthy behind-the-scenes look at the beloved Mary Poppins, even if it Disney-fies proceedings that were even more problematic than the film depicts. Regardless of how much was fictionalized, it was one of the best films of 2013.

Best line: (Walt Disney, reassuring Travers toward the end) “George Banks and all he stands for will be saved. Maybe not in life, but in imagination. Because that’s what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again.”

 
Rank: 54 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

231 Followers and Counting

 

#93: Holes (2003)

20 Monday Oct 2014

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Stanley Yelnats is unlucky, always has been, always will be,
All because his great-great-granddad broke a promise long ago.
When a pair of famous shoes fall from the sky, he’s branded guilty
For their theft and sent away to pay the debt he’s said to owe.
 
Camp Green Lake is hardly green, a dried-up, dusty desert basin,
Full of juvenile delinquents boasting nicknames none can shake.
Everyone digs daily holes to “build their character” and chasten,
But they must beware of lizards, deadlier than any snake.
 
Mr. Sir and “Mom” Pendanski supervise the rowdy felons,
And when Stanley finds a trinket, Warden Walker joins the site.
Stanley also bonds with Zero, called the emptiest of melons,
And instructs the homeless boy on how to read and how to write.
 
In a moment of contention, Zero flees, to death most likely,
And soon after Stanley follows in the hopes of finding him.
They find refuge on a mountain, where the curse is broken rightly.
Feeling lucky, both sneak back to burrow further on a whim.
 
There, amid a swarm of lizards, they discover buried treasure,
Robbed from Stanley’s great-grandfather by a tortured femme fatale.
Though the warden hopes to claim it, Stanley clutches it with pleasure,
As his thriving family’s lawyer rescues him from this locale.
 
As he and Zero split the loot, with luck at last upon their side,
Camp Green Lake enjoys the change new management and rain provide.
___________________
 

Holes could easily have been another lame Disney Channel movie, but the filmmakers put surprising effort into adapting Louis Sachar’s award-winning novel into a mature and entertaining family film. Before Holes, Shia LaBeouf was only known as Louis Stevens on Disney Channel’s Even Stevens, for which he won an Emmy, but this film cemented him as an up-and-coming actor with real potential. Though The Greatest Game Ever Played is his best single performance, his quiet, agreeable role as Stanley Yelnats IV is the pillar upon which all the various plotlines of Holes are moored.

With disparate elements all converging with ingenious precision, Holes is storytelling at once intricate and coherent, like a kid-friendly Shawshank Redemption. Flashbacks range from Latvian curses to forbidden Old West love, and as long as viewers are paying attention, it never gets confusing. Aside from a few hasty transitions, this is how flashbacks should be done. So much is covered in just under two hours: poisonous lizards, kissing outlaws, hog growth, Eartha Kitt laughing, smelly shoes, peaches and onions, palindromic monikers, obsessed searches, punkish camaraderie, desert loneliness, false accusations, fate, love, destiny! Not many films touch on so many subjects and boast a similarly diverse and striking soundtrack.

While most of the young actors haven’t gone far in the movie biz, several notable thespians add star power, including Henry Winkler, Patricia Arquette, Tim Blake Nelson, a surly and hilarious Jon Voight as Mr. Sir, and an imposing Sigourney Weaver in the unusually shady role of Warden Walker. Her abrasive catchphrase is a small detail onto which my VC latched as a memorable character trait. As capable as the cast is, the true star is the story, which ends with a rewarding and smile-worthy conclusion that wraps up its sundry plot threads beautifully. Though not all of Shia LaBeouf’s film choices have been well-received, his first in Holes remains a high-point among book adaptations and family-friendly dramas.

Best line: (Sam, a kindly onion grower, as he woos a schoolteacher with his handiness) “I can fix that.”

VC’s best line: (the Warden, indignantly and repeatedly) “Excuse me?”

 
Rank: 54 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

229 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

 

WALL-E (2008)

08 Wednesday Oct 2014

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For seven long centuries, WALL-E’s been cleaning,
A robot with no other function but that,
Yet over the trash-crushing years intervening,
His own curiosity’s found some new meaning
In refuse he stockpiles just to look at.
 
One day on this Earth humans long ago fled,
A ship lands to drop off the cutting-edge EVE.
She searches the land, all but barren and dead,
But of vegetation she finds not a shred,
Though dear WALL-E wears his romance on his sleeve.
 
He shows her his treasures he’s gleaned from the trash,
Including a tape showing dancing and love.
When he shows a plant he has kept in his cache,
EVE seizes it, powering down in a flash,
And soon the ship takes them to space high above.
 
They rendezvous with an immense mother ship,
The Axiom, where humans float in their chairs.
Exploring the craft at a bustling clip,
They both meet the captain, but there was a slip;
The plant’s gone so they are removed for repairs.
 
The talk of returning to Earth again gives
The captain an interest that records can grant.
As he learns the joys of when one truly lives,
An accident makes the two bots fugitives,
And they see a drone has the coveted plant.
 
Retrieving the specimen (barely) from space,
They take it to where the good captain resides.
The ship’s Autopilot, with rules long in place,
Insists it still coddle the whole human race
And discards the sapling and WALL-E besides.
 
With poor WALL-E injured, the captain and EVE
Attempt to fight back, despite mankind’s wide girth.
Though WALL-E’s hurt further, which makes his love grieve,
They set a new course with the plant they retrieve,
And soon all arrive on the desolate Earth.
 
EVE rushes to reconstruct WALL-E in full,
But his personality’s lost in repair.
A simple reminder proves just the right pull,
And mankind will now be more responsible
To care for the Earth, thanks to one robot pair.
________________
 

WALL-E is one of those films on which my VC and I have widely disparate opinions. She considers it Pixar’s first let-down, while I side with the critical majority in naming it yet another triumph. What she sees is a slow-paced tale of how mankind let ourselves and the earth go downhill, an unengaging “romance” between two automatons with underdeveloped “personalities.” She doesn’t care for characters if they are too inhuman; she had the same problem with The Lego Movie and yet appreciated Cars and Brave Little Toaster.

Needless to say, I disagree with her assessment of this modern animated classic. Despite the potential pitfalls of casting an R2-D2 wannabe as the main character, WALL-E works. From the opening images of space set to “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” from Hello, Dolly! to the stunningly textured, photo-realistic cityscapes made out of trash, WALL-E is Pixar imagination in overdrive. I found WALL-E’s curious scavenging and his evocative noises provided by Ben Burtt ideally lovable for a robot, just as EVE’s sleek, vaguely feminine design made it clear why he was attracted. The characters’ laconic introduction before they enter space could have been an outstanding short film, but the fact that the filmmakers were able to follow up the winsome vignettes with an almost-as-successful main plot is a feat only Pixar’s artistry could achieve.

As stated, the film works as a simple love story and a tale of man’s return to Earth, but it features a number of mature themes that few animated films have tackled so effectively. For instance, critics have pointed out the Axiom’s similarity to Noah’s Ark: the ship bore mankind away amidst a flood (of trash) that destroyed the Earth, and a white forerunner was sent out to determine the planet’s viability, returning with a small green hope for future settlement. The film’s stabs at commercialism and over-dependence on technology are also timely social critiques; the way the human blobs chat with each other, completely oblivious of their surroundings, brought to mind the cell phone generation, similarly caught up in addictive games and distracting texts.

When I first saw WALL-E, I was expecting a heavy-handed admonition of how bad mankind is compared with the near-sacred vitality of the planet, a hackneyed rebuke seen in Avatar and countless other environmental sci-fi tales. Instead, the film emphasized responsibility. As the captain says to the plant, “Just needed someone to look after you,” his realization of how they have neglected their duties to care for nature and themselves is an environmental message that is subtle rather than banal. Whereas my VC found the end depressing since the humans have so much work and clean-up ahead of them, I saw optimism in the way the end credits depicted their competent resurrection of the planet’s former glory, using machines as assistants rather than caretakers. In addition, Peter Gabriel’s “Down to Earth” belongs in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame.

WALL-E boasts perhaps Pixar’s most astoundingly realistic animation, but I agree that it is neither their most entertaining movie, nor their funniest or most touching. Its robotic silliness has its limits (the “mice” that cover EVE in the Axiom’s dump are a bit too much), and there’s even the familiar he’s-dead-no-wait-never-mind cliché, which is enigmatically resolved. WALL-E and EVE may say each other’s names more often than Jack and Rose in Titanic, but as in that film, their romance manages to be touching and heartfelt, even if they’re just robots. Plus, any movie that reintroduces a classic musical like Hello, Dolly! to a new generation has my blessing. My VC can disagree, but WALL-E was another high point for Pixar.

Best line: (Captain McCrea) “Out there is our home. Home, Auto. And it’s in trouble. I can’t just sit here and do nothing. That’s all I’ve ever done! That’s all anyone on this blasted ship has ever done. Nothing!”
(AUTO) “On the Axiom, you will survive.”
(McCrea) “I don’t want to survive. I want to live!”

 

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

Next: #103 – Brother Bear

© 2014 S. G. Liput

220 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

 

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

18 Thursday Sep 2014

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When ten-year-old Elliot hears things behind
His house but his friends don’t believe,
He has an encounter (it’s of the third kind),
Which makes him stay up the next eve.
 
He welcomes an alien into his home,
Since it doesn’t seem dangerous,
And stays home from school to attend to the gnome,
Who’s hungry and quite curious.
 
Once Elliot’s siblings uneasily meet
The squat little creature from space,
They keep him a secret, and yet ‘cross the street
The government watches the place.
 
A croaker dissection debacle in class
Reveals Elliot and E.T.
Both share a connection, but E.T., alas,
Is rapidly growing sickly.
 
The extra-terrestrial makes a transmitter
They set up on Halloween night,
But when they next find the unfortunate critter,
He’s nearing his death, a pale white.
 
The government moves in to monitor him
But cannot save Elliot’s friend.
It’s not till his spaceship is close that his vim
And vigor return in the end.
 
A chase upon bicycles races and flies
From those scientists’ interfering,
And E.T. and Elliot say their goodbyes
Before his ship soars from the clearing.
________________
 

Often considered one of the finest science fiction movies ever made, I tend to think E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a little overrated. Nevertheless, it’s one of those timeless friendship stories that captured people’s hearts much more than another alien film The Thing, which was released the same month.

The majority of films in general feel like simply a paycheck for the filmmakers, but E.T. is one of those in which director Spielberg’s palpable affection for the material is obvious. Inspired by his own childhood imaginary friend, E.T. himself is a wonder of practical effects. Nowadays he would have been a CGI creation (and was for a few scenes of the 2002 re-release), but the use of puppetry gives him a more realistic presence, aided by the amalgamation of sounds and voices Ben Burtt used for his vocalizing.

There have been plenty of critical deconstructions of the film, with analysts comparing it to Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, and even the story of Jesus. I believe there’s a point where one can dig too deep, though some of these ideas are interesting, such as both E.T. and Elliot being “alienated” in different ways, E.T. by his abandonment and Elliot by the absence of his father. The film doesn’t actually say some familiar wildlife clichés, such as “He’s as scared of you as you are of him” and “He must be free to live,” but it obliquely applies them in an alien pet context. Along with these potentially deep themes, the film throws in a good deal of humor, such as some sly Star Wars references and Elliot’s drunken reaction when E.T. drinks a beer. Henry Thomas as Elliot and a young Drew Barrymore as Gertie got most of the praise, but I very much liked Robert MacNaughton as older brother Michael, who delivers some of the funniest lines.

It’s not quite perfect: Peter Coyote’s involvement is never fully explained, nor is why he went out to the forest at the beginning or why he began surveillance of Elliot’s house. Also, the space suit invasion scene has got to be one of the cheesiest sequences in an otherwise sterling film. Even so, with an iconic, high-flying John Williams score and a number of classic scenes (the moon scene even became Spielberg’s logo for Amblin Entertainment), E.T. is a time-honored heart-tugger that successfully pulled off the he’s-dead-no-wait-never-mind cliché and reminded audiences that not all visitors from space are unfriendly.

Best line: (Elliot) “He’s a man from outer space, and we’re taking him to his spaceship.”
(Greg, one of Michael’s friends) “Well, can’t he just beam up?”
(Elliot) “This is reality, Greg.”

 

Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 9
Watchability: 8
 
TOTAL: 50 out of 60
 

Next: #117 – The Mask of Zorro

© 2014 S. G. Liput

209 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