Tag Archives: Family

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

03 Wednesday Sep 2014

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Benjamin Gates, the renowned treasure hunter,
Must rescue his family from shame.
One Mitch Wilkinson, who could not have been blunter,
Has soiled his ancestor’s name.
 
While solving some puzzles and locating clues,
Ben travels from nation to nation
Along with his girlfriend, who helps with a ruse,
And Riley, who seeks commendation.
 
But Mitch has his eye on an Indian treasure,
Which Ben feels he has to unearth,
A city of gold with a price beyond measure,
Yet Mitch believes fame has more worth.
 
Two Resolute desks contain planks, or they should,
Which hold the most vital of clues,
But since one is missing this requisite wood,
Ben now has a hard path to choose.
 
The crucial info’s in the President’s book,
Which none but the President knows,
So Ben kidnaps him to solicit a look
To see where the rabbit hole goes.
 
He gets what he needs to continue the quest,
And trickery gains Mitch the same.
They meet at Mount Rushmore, where nobody’s guessed
A treasure lies under its frame.
 
Through dark, ancient tunnels and booby-trapped halls,
They journey where few men have been
To find the gold city before waterfalls
Start flooding the chamber they’re in.
 
Not everyone makes it, but when they emerge
And Ben is then cleared of his crime,
The new treasure offers an artifact surge,
The second best find of all time.
_________________
 

I loved the first National Treasure, which is essentially a more history-focused, clean, and modern version of Indiana Jones, with Nicholas Cage in one of his best roles as living encyclopedia Benjamin Gates. I was eager to see the sequel, and, for all intents and purposes, it delivered everything I was hoping for: historical insight, conspiracy theories no one takes seriously, Bruckheimer-esque action sequences, plainspoken humor, and an all-around enjoyable film experience. Almost everything that made the first film great and immensely watchable is present in Book of Secrets…almost.

The one thing that National Treasure 2 lacks is a good reason for the treasure hunt. The filmmakers needed to have a cause for Ben to begin his risky profession again, and they made some unfortunate leaps in logic to make it all work. I understand Ben’s desire to clear his great-great-grandfather’s name, but how exactly does finding the treasure do that? Likewise, after he’s kidnapped the President, he is told that he must uncover the treasure to clear his own name, but, as stated by Sadusky (still a laid-back Harvey Keitel), how does that erase his federal crime? If the President could just wipe his slate clean with his revised story at the end, why didn’t he just do that to begin with instead of pinning everything on the treasure? The actual treasure hunt is educational and riveting, but the setup that keeps urging its importance is full of holes. Also, Ed Harris as Mitch is a lesser villain, compared with the first film’s Ian, played by Sean Bean; whereas Ian wanted the hoard itself and was actually smart enough to find clues and possibly the treasure on his own, Mitch lets Ben do all the work and desires merely the credit for finding the trove.

Like with Home Alone 2, it sounds like all I’m doing is criticizing this sequel, but I really do enjoy it. The familiar actors, including Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, and Jon Voight, plus new addition Helen Mirren, seem to be having fun right along with their characters, such as during a psych-out reminiscent of the electric fence scene in Jurassic Park. The action is expertly done, including a rather drawn-out car chase, another farewell-to-bumpers chase scene, and an astounding balancing set piece that reminded me of the Oscar-winning German animated short film Balance from 1989. I also enjoy the historical locations, including the Library of Congress and Mount Rushmore; I’ve visited the latter myself, as well as Sylvan Lake, and I always smile when the film indicates the lake is behind Mount Rushmore. (It’s nearby, but not that close.)

Overall, National Treasure 2 is another entertaining history lesson. Whether or not we ever find out what was on page 47 in a hoped-for third National Treasure, at least the existing two will continue to entertain history geeks like me.

Best line: (Ben, answering why the President should help him) “And because you’re the President of the United States, sir. Whether by innate character or the oath you took to defend the Constitution or the weight of history that falls upon you, I believe you to be an honorable man, sir.”
(The President, played by Bruce Greenwood) “Gates, people don’t believe that stuff anymore.”
(Ben) “They want to believe it.”

 

Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 7
Watchability: 10
 
TOTAL: 49 out of 60
 

Next: #130 – Alien

© 2014 S. G. Liput

195 Followers and Counting

 

The Polar Express (2004)

02 Tuesday Sep 2014

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On Christmas Eve, a boy must leave
Because he just will not believe
In Santa or the Christmas lore
He’s heard a million times before.
 
A polar train to ascertain
If he can overcome disdain
Appears outside, and as implied,
The boy accepts a sudden ride.
 
Within he meets on cushioned seats
Both girls and boys from other streets.
One girl around with faith profound
Proclaims their train is North Pole-bound.
 
As they commute upon their route,
Once they pick up one last recruit,
The perils flow, from ice and snow
To tunnel roofs that loom too low.
 
A friendly ghost who’s quick to boast
Assists the hero as his host.
Despite each scare and dire snare,
They reach the Pole with time to spare.
 
The elves and they know where to stay
To hear what Santa has to say,
But our main three are broken free
And tour the big man’s factory.
 
Arriving back in Santa’s sack,
The boy attains belief some lack.
A silver bell that slowly fell
Is granted him before farewell.
 
The bell slips out somewhere en route,
Which may have caused the boy some doubt,
But it appears, and through the years,
Grants music to believers’ ears.
__________________
 

The Polar Express endeavors to be an experience, a wild ride of wonder, rather than just another Christmas cartoon. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, who utilized the still-developing motion-capture technology to lend more realism to the characters’ movements and facial expressions, The Polar Express is beautiful to behold, much like the 2009 A Christmas Carol. Just as Jim Carrey filled multiple roles in that film, Tom Hanks owns several faces, including the Hero Boy (who is voiced by Spy Kids’ Daryl Sabara), his father, the Conductor, the Hobo, and ol’ Saint Nick himself.

The Polar Express is based off of Chris Van Allsburg’s popular children’s picture book, but it exceeds the already evocative images Allsburg produced. At times, the film becomes a literal roller coaster, almost like one of those virtual simulator rides without the cabin agitation, while other moments seem gloriously picturesque, such as the shot of the train winding its way up a spiraling mountain. There are frequent edge-of-your-seat sequences that are genuinely thrilling, from the train’s foray onto ice to a rooftop ski ride with some serious close calls. In addition to all this, the portrayal of the North Pole and Santa’s workshop is my personal favorite of any Christmas film, amazingly detailed and designed with both utility and fun in mind. As the three main kids explore, joyriding in pneumatic tubes and an awesome-looking funnel that always makes me jealous, I can’t help but wonder why this film was never used to create an actual theme park ride (as far as I know).

The characters are not especially deep: a lonely boy with no friends, a brave girl needing more confidence to be a leader, the main boy who has a problem believing what’s right in front of his eyes. Still, they remain relatable and likable enough as they encounter several mysterious grown-ups who never explain everything fully.

Many critics decried the film as being overly creepy, and indeed there are some rather unsettling parts (a walk through a maze of glassy-eyed marionettes, a skipping record in a deserted village). Even so, A Christmas Carol has some potentially disturbing imagery as well, which doesn’t detract from its yuletide message, and the message of The Polar Express is the importance of belief and wonder. Even on a secular level, Christmas is a time for cynicism to be cast aside to allow innocent hope and goodwill to reign, and the film encapsulates this lesson into a perfect gift: the bell. When I was growing up, we had a bell that my mom claimed she couldn’t hear; even if she could, this provided me with an exciting prospect, that belief could open doors imperceptible to others. The Polar Express may be a rather worldly Christmas film, but such a message of faith is rare nowadays.

Best line: (the Conductor) “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 7
Watchability: 8
 
TOTAL: 49 out of 60
 

Next: #131 – National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

© 2014 S. G. Liput

194 Followers and Counting

 

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

29 Friday Aug 2014

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Though Kevin McCallister once lost his family
When they left him home all alone,
He still cannot get along with all his siblings
And wishes to be on his own.
 
They leave on vacation with Kevin in tow,
But somehow he boards the wrong plane.
He ends up alone again, now in New York,
While both parents freak out in vain.
 
Since Kevin has credit cards, cash, and some sense,
He heads to the Plaza Hotel,
Intent on vacationing all by himself
With toys and room service as well.
 
But Harry and Marv, his escaped nemeses,
Are in town to rob a toy store
And plan to exact overdue sweet revenge,
Till Kevin evades them once more.
 
His stay at the Plaza Hotel is cut short
When Kevin is fingered for fraud
And flees to the dangerous big city streets,
Where one lady’s friendly, though odd.
 
Since Kevin knows Harry and Marv will be stealing
The toy money meant for the sick,
He transforms his uncle’s abandoned apartment
Into a funhouse (and quick).
 
By baiting the crooks to his booby-trapped lair,
He punishes them once again.
From bricks to tool boxes to minor explosions,
He grants them more lessons in pain.
 
When they almost have him, he’s saved from behind,
And prison awaits the two still.
Since Kevin is tired of being alone,
His mom helps that wish to fulfill,
And everyone has an enjoyable Christmas…
Until Kevin’s dad gets the bill.
_________________
 

Here we have the sequel to everyone’s favorite holiday torture fest, and, unlike the three other less-than-official sequels (which obviously had lower aims), Home Alone 2 was actually trying to match its predecessor. It doesn’t quite manage that feat, but it is still an entertaining return of all the original characters, including Macaulay Culkin, Catherine O’Hara, John Heard, and the dimwitted duo of Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. In many ways, the film follows the same beats as the first—a big family debacle turns Kevin against them, a hectic vacation rush leaves him behind, and Kevin lives it up by himself before tormenting two crooks in his own personal house of persecution. The characters themselves often realize the similarity of their circumstances, and, as Ian Malcolm said in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, they don’t make the same mistakes, but all new ones.

On the one hand, the recycled scene with the gangster movie is even funnier than the first film’s, and the events leading up to Kevin’s separation are much more plausible than the series of coincidences that left him alone in the first film, though no less irresponsible on the part of the parents. (It’s a good thing Kevin didn’t want to run away because if it’s this easy for him to evade his parents by accident, they would probably never find him if he didn’t want to be found.) The film ups the ante in several regards, including the potential danger of Kevin’s situation, the extravagance of his version of “the good life,” and the agony inflicted on Marv and Harry, who should have died many times over from his booby traps.

Yet, despite a moderately heartwarming subplot involving a pigeon lady in Central Park, Home Alone 2 lacks the heart and the Christian iconography of the first one. The bird lady’s fine and Tim Curry is hilarious as an ingratiating hotel concierge, but I missed the misunderstood Old Man Marley and John Candy the polka king. Also, the first film indicated that Kevin thought his family disappeared because his wish came true, but here he is fully aware of what happened and where his family probably is but makes no attempt to contact them, choosing instead to take advantage of his father’s credit card. Plus, the tortures he prepares for Marv and Harry elicit more severe winces, even if the two despicable thieves deserve it.

All this is to say that I prefer the first Home Alone, but the second is still a Christmas favorite that I can watch over and over. My VC would have this one much lower on her list, but Home Alone 2 is still good, painful fun.

Best line: (Mrs. McCallister, when she learns Kevin left the hotel) “What kind of idiots do you have working here?”  (the hotel’s desk clerk, proudly) “The finest in New York.”

 
Artistry: 6
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 5
Watchability: 10
Other (slapstick ingenuity): +3
 
TOTAL: 49 out of 60
 

Next: #134 – Rocky

© 2014 S. G. Liput

193 Followers and Counting

 

#140: A Christmas Carol

23 Saturday Aug 2014

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The old miser Scrooge was the worst of cheapskates,
The most feared and hated of men,
And even on Christmas, the gladdest of dates,
His “humbug” supplanted “Amen.”
 
He hectored Bob Cratchit, his tireless clerk,
Resented his kind nephew Fred,
And never would donate or take off from work,
But praised the workhouses instead.
 
One dark Christmas Eve, in his home all alone,
His dead partner Marley appeared,
With ponderous chains and lugubrious moan
For the conduct to which he’d adhered.
 
He warned Ebenezer he too had a chain
He’d forged from a lifetime of greed.
Three spirits that night would begin a campaign             
To change his behavior with speed.
 
The first spirit showed Christmases of the past,
Of childhood and his career,
Of how Scrooge’s greed branded him an outcast,
Devoid of all romance and cheer.
 
The second ghost offered a present-day view,
Completely uncharted by him,
Of Cratchit’s large family, humble but true,
And sweet crippled boy Tiny Tim.
 
He saw that his nephew was wholly sincere
In granting a meal invitation,
And that, if some kindness did not interfere,
Poor Tim would soon face expiration.
 
The final ghost showed him a future in doubt,
In which Tiny Tim was with God,
In which a rich man no one dared care about
Had died and been raided by fraud.
 
This man so forlorn, with no friend but his pelf,
Was buried with nothing but scorn,
And when Scrooge perceived that this man was himself…
He woke up upon Christmas morn.
 
So moved by the spirits was miserly Scrooge
That he had been changed overnight
And let out a joyous compassion deluge
That gave his charwoman a fright.
 
He bought Bob a goose and surprised with a raise
And called upon Fred and his wife
And cared for dear Tim in benevolent ways
And kept Christmas all of his life.
___________________
 

Though I’ve already written a post for Bill Murray’s Scrooged, that was a modern-day comedy; this post is for the original straight-faced version of Charles Dickens’ morality tale. Although there have been countless retellings of the Christmas novella, starting with a silent version by Thomas Edison back in 1908, they’re all pretty much the same, and my poem does not apply to any one in particular. Still, I am partial to two: specifically the classic 1951 Scrooge, featuring Alastair Sim in the title role, and (believe it or not) the 2009 Disney animated version with Jim Carrey. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and, as far as I’m concerned, both are classics.

Alastair Sim’s portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge is often cited as the best. He spits his bitter words out quickly and has a face well-suited for scowling. When that face is turned to grinning and laughing instead, the change seems entirely genuine and unforced. All the supporting actors are excellent, especially Mervyn Johns as Cratchit and the angel-faced Glyn Dearman as Tiny Tim, who honestly is much too big to be sitting on anyone’s shoulder.

What I enjoy most about this version is its additions to the familiar story. It includes all the recognizable quotes that we expect from these films, but it builds upon Scrooge’s character, particularly in his change as a younger man. Whereas most versions have him going straight from dancing at Fezziwig’s to breaking up with his sweetheart Belle (here called Alice for some reason), this film presents the death of his sister and his betrayal of Fezziwig, events that were not in the book but certainly could have been and add context to his change of heart. I also liked the moment between Scrooge and charwoman Mrs. Dilber; whereas the Disney version features Scrooge scaring her for laughs, Sim does the same but then gives her a heartfelt gift that will surely change the unfeeling future he witnessed. Where the film stumbles a bit is in its few overacted moments and the highly dated effects, though the transitions with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come are well-done.

As for my other favorite, the motion-capture Disney version is easily the most visually interesting telling. It utilizes the CGI animation with arresting dexterity, swooping throughout 19th-century London and viewing Scrooge’s world from a number of previously unseen angles. Jim Carrey portrays Scrooge and all three ghosts through both his voice and movements. Other actors such as Gary Oldman, Cary Elwes, Robin Wright Penn, Colin Firth, and (Lost alert!) Fionnula Flanagan also fill various roles, often more than one, but the detailed animation tends to overshadow their performances. The visuals, such as the Ghost of Christmas Present’s method of travel, are frequently spectacular, though the animators get too carried away with Christmas Yet to Come, shrinking Scrooge, launching him along rooftops, and making his voice unnecessarily squeaky. These additions for the sake of excitement or humor are impressive to watch but add nothing to the story. Even so, the film is surprisingly faithful to the source material and admirably doesn’t try to modernize the dialogue to make it more salable. Both films also feature a number of Christian hymns.

While most critics might claim the Alastair Sim film to be the definitive version of A Christmas Carol, it’s difficult for me to make that judgment. Each may have flaws, but no version of this beloved story is inherently bad. While I’m partial to these two, I also enjoyed Patrick Stewart’s portrayal of Scrooge and Disney’s previous edition of the tale featuring Scrooge McDuck and many of their most popular characters. Whichever version you prefer, there’s no question that A Christmas Carol is a holiday classic, preaching a message of goodwill to our fellow men that continues to be relevant today.

Best line: (Tiny Tim) “God bless us, every one!” (I know, it’s obvious)

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: varies
Originality: 8
Watchability: 9
Other (classicness): +2
 
TOTAL: 48 out of 60
 

Next: #139 – Secondhand Lions

© 2014 S. G. Liput

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The Little Mermaid (1989)

17 Sunday Aug 2014

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(Best sung to “Under the Sea”)
 
When King Triton’s youngest daughter,
The curious Ariel,
Is sick of her life in water
And dreams of where humans dwell,
She angers and worries Father,
Who thinks humans all are bad.
Her interests are such a bother
That she always gets him mad.
 
She misbehaves
Above the waves;
Flouting the norm, during a storm,
A human she saves.
Prince Eric hears her lovely voice,
And she would surely be his first choice,
But Triton hears,
And, fueled by his fears,
Her stuff he destroys.
 
A sea witch provides assistance,
And Ariel makes a deal.
She threatens her whole existence
For legs and three days to feel.
She sells off her voice as payment
And hooks Eric on the beach,
Although she is lacking raiment
And can’t seem to manage speech.
 
Two days of bliss
He can’t dismiss.
Ursula’s fear makes her interfere
To stop true love’s kiss.
She enthralls Eric with a spell,
Deeply upsetting Ariel.
Soon it’s too late,
And Ariel’s fate
Is gloomy as well.
 
The king won’t oppose,
And Ursula grows,
Threatening all with one giant squall
And malice that shows.
Eric then skewers with a mast,
And Triton’s prejudices fade fast,
He lets his daughter
Walk from the water,
Happy at last.
_________________
 

Here we have the film that kicked off the Renaissance and revived Disney to its former glory. Compared with prior efforts in The Black Cauldron and Oliver & Company, The Little Mermaid was a bolt from the blue, a musical triumph that “brought Broadway into cartoons.” The detailed underwater world also blew away previous films in the animation department and was the last Disney film to use hand-painted cel animation. The digital animation of later films allowed for smoother lines and motion, but The Little Mermaid is still stunning, especially during the musical numbers.

It’s not perfect: King Triton is a now-familiar cliché of an overbearing authoritarian father, and his turnaround at the end, even though the danger at the end was ultimately Ariel’s fault, is not as well-explained as it could have been. Though it seems odd that Ariel, as a 16-year-old, would get married at the end, the film luckily avoids any suggestive content from her near-nudity and remains enjoyable family entertainment.

Though not his first musical (that was Little Shop of Horrors), this was the first film fully scored by Alan Menken and just the first example of his symphonic genius. “Under the Sea” is a fun, Oscar-winning song if I ever heard one, and “Kiss the Girl” continued the catchy Jamaican flavor of the soundtrack. The golden-voiced Jodi Benson was perfectly cast as Ariel and truly owns her central song “Part of Your World.” Pat Carroll’s scratchy, resonant voice is ideal for Ursula, and her “Poor Unfortunate Souls” is a great example of a Disney villain song, complete with excellent lyrics from Menken and Howard Ashman.

Though I’m a big fan of the Renaissance films, The Little Mermaid is not as high on my list as others simply because I don’t have as much nostalgia for it. I watched it religiously as a young kid, but then didn’t see it for many years. Watching it again, I was thoroughly entertained, but it’s not quite as much of a personal classic as other Disney films of the ‘90s. Nonetheless, Disney reforged its winning princess brand with this marvelous fantasy that is a whole lot happier than the Hans Christian Anderson tale on which it is based.

Best line: (Buddy Hackett as Scuttle the seagull, mistakenly explaining what a pipe is) “You see the snarfblatt dates back to pre-hysterical times when humans would sit around and stare at each other all day. [he demonstrates]  Got very boring.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 8
Watchability: 9
Other (I just like other films better): -4
 
TOTAL: 48 out of 60
 

Next: #144 – Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

© 2014 S. G. Liput

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Cinderella (1950)

11 Monday Aug 2014

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(This one’s best sung to the tune of ”Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”)
 
A dad with bad taste
Re-wed and replaced
His dead wife with someone much worse.
When he too died, his own daughter was faced
With a stepmother and curse.
 
This sweet little lass
Endured all the sass
And cruelty from stepsisters too.
Poor Cinderella was now second class
With all the housework to do.
 
The king of the land
Then plotted and planned
To get his son smitten and wed,
So he decided to throw a ball grand
With a desirable spread.
 
Though Stepmother tried
To keep her hands tied
And have Cinderella not go,
Her mousy friends made her fair as a bride,
Ready to leave even so.
 
The stepsisters, sore,
Then ranted and tore
Her beautiful dress and then left,
Sure she would not be ideal anymore,
Crying, depressed, and bereft.
 
A fairy (no price)
Then fixed her up nice,
With beautiful carriage and dress,
Making the horses from regular mice,
Happy to favor and bless.
 
That night at the ball,
When she came to call,
The prince and she danced through the night,
But the spell ended when midnight did fall,
So she abruptly took flight.
 
Almost an impasse,
A slipper of glass
Was all the prince had to find her.
So they just tried it on every young lass,
Only one way to be sure.
 
Though Stepmother tried
To lock up and hide
The fair Cinderella from this,
Hers was the slipper that she could provide,
Hers was the wedding and bliss.
__________________
 

Here we have a Disney fairy tale at its most classic, complete with evil stepmother, fairy godmother, handsome prince, a midnight deadline, cute talking animal sidekicks, and storybook ending. Though Shrek and Enchanted would riff and parody these elements, Cinderella made them defining aspects of the genre, at least in film.

A staple for young audiences everywhere (and one of my VC’s childhood favorites), Cinderella is entirely sincere but doesn’t get overly saccharine. While it remained in the same mold, Cinderella was a huge improvement over Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, particularly in casting a female lead who could sing without breaking glass. The mice, who must have escaped from NIMH, are surprisingly helpful, and much of the film’s visual interest stems from seeing ordinary rooms and objects from a Borrower-like perspective, not to mention the Tom-and-Jerry-style antics with Lucifer. (Seriously, what kind of person would name their cat Lucifer?!) The rodents’ squeaky voices are more endearing than annoying and far less irritating than, say, the Minions from Despicable Me.

The animation never gets quite as impressive as some scenes in Pinocchio, but it’s still a lovely reminder of the beauty of hand-drawn animation. The music perhaps isn’t the type to get stuck in one’s head, but “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” recalls the wistfulness of “Someday My Prince Will Come,” as does the waltzing “So This Is Love.” The mice’s song “Cinderelly” and the bouncing ”Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” are the most memorable and fun, the kind to which kids (such as my VC in former years) love to sing along.

Writing this, I’ve found it difficult to not use “classic” for every other word, but that is the best term for the entire film. It’s more modern and entertaining than Snow White but would still never be made nowadays. (I’m waiting to see how Disney modernizes the live-action version next year.) It’s a snapshot of Disney earnestness, a cute, inspiring, ultimately satisfying fairy tale that adults can wax nostalgic for even as they introduce it to their own children.

Best line: (Cinderella, singing; sometimes we need a little of this to balance out contemporary cynicism) “A dream is a wish your heart makes when you’re fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams, and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 8
Watchability: 6
 
TOTAL: 47 out of 60
 

Next: #150 – The Nativity Story

© 2014 S. G. Liput

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The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971)

08 Friday Aug 2014

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Depression-time Virginia, on a snowy Christmas Eve:
The Walton children wish their daddy hadn’t had to leave.
He had to find some work, but as the sun begins to set,
His wife can’t help but worry since he hasn’t come home yet.
The eldest, John-Boy, helps to babysit each sis and brother
By having them crack walnuts and not argue with each other.
 
Though John-Boy helps bring in a tree, his mother worries more
When he is doing something, locked behind his bedroom door.
A turkey-thieving Robin Hood who goes by Charlie Snead
Drops off a gift for Livy and her many mouths to feed.
As she prepares their dinner, she finds out what John-Boy’s hiding:
A simple private journal and the dream of one day writing.
 
Encouraging her firstborn, Livy gives him hasty hope,
Then sends him after Daddy to allow herself to cope.
For transportation, John-Boy first tries Charlie Snead, who’s got
A car he’s glad to lend him, though the bandit has been caught.
When John-Boy then runs out of gas, he finds some welcome aid
From Hawthorne, a black preacher, and a social call is paid.
 
The whiskey-brewing Baldwin sisters may not be all there,
But after proper courtesy, they have a sleigh to share.
The journey sadly is cut short, and John-Boy comes back home,
With no new news of John for all the places he did roam.
His mother cannot take it, and her temper rears its head,
Yet there is nothing to be done but wait and go to bed.
 
But suddenly they hear a noise, and John is at the door
With loads of Santa’s presents they were hardly hoping for!
He hitch-hiked and then walked the rest to reach his home that night,
And though his paycheck’s nearly spent, he loves the kids’ delight.
He even lends his full support to John-Boy’s writing call,
And living off of love, the Waltons bid “Good night” to all.
____________________
 

Like It’s a Wonderful Life, The Homecoming is a Christmas tradition in my house. Since The Homecoming acted as a TV movie pilot for the classic show The Waltons, it shares much of the appeal of that series: old-fashioned values, cute and relatable kids, and an overall sense of nostalgia. Indeed, the whole film (and most of the series) possesses a unique wistfulness, like a fond childhood memory of days that are no more. Of course, that’s exactly what it is, an embellished chronicle of the younger years of Earl Hamner, Jr., the real John-Boy Walton (and Clayboy Spencer in the Fonda flick Spencer’s Mountain).

I and the majority of people nowadays are too young to remember these Depression days of “Roosevelt will save us” optimism, of reliance on neighborly goodwill but not charity (except when necessary and convenient), of trudging through the snow to retrieve a runaway cow, of trying to explain a stock market crash to children when one doesn’t understand it fully oneself, of throwing caution to the wind for the sake of some brief, carefree smiles. Still, the way in which they’re presented make them seem closer and more engaging than reading a history book. The Waltons feel like real people; Olivia, played by Roald Dahl’s wife Patricia Neal, realistically waits and watches for her far-flung husband; little Elizabeth sincerely explains how she plans to not grow up; older Mary Ellen considers herself smarter than the rest as she enters the growing pains of her “terrible teens”; John-Boy spends hours searching for his father on a wild goose chase that, for some, is surprisingly easy to relate to. John-Boy’s dream of being a writer is a particularly sympathetic touchstone for me, as I and countless others aspire to the same thing.

For those familiar with The Waltons, there are plenty of familiar faces. Richard Thomas originated the role of John-Boy and continued to play him for most of the television series and several TV movies. All the other children are the same as well (Judy Norton as sassy Mary Ellen, Jon Walmsley as musical Jason, Mary McDonough as the snitch Erin, Eric Scott as mischievous Ben, David Harper as shaggy-headed Jim-Bob, and Kami Cotler as adorable, freckle-faced Elizabeth), as is Ellen Corby as Grandma Esther Walton. All the other roles are different, from Andrew Duggan as John Walton to Edgar Bergen as Grandpa Ebenezer (not Zebulon?) Walton. Various other changed roles include storeowner Ike Godsey, the batty bootlegging Baldwin sisters, and the less familiar characters Hawthorne Dooley and Charlie Snead. Overall, though I enjoy the colorful cast of the film, I much prefer the actors in The Waltons (Miss Michael Learned, Ralph Waite, Joe Conley, etc.). In my opinion, the recasting only made the show better.

I haven’t always been, but I’m a Virginia lover of late, and part of my family’s attraction to Virginia was based in the lovely Appalachian scenery of The Waltons. (The show was filmed in California, but it looks like Appalachia. Likewise, The Homecoming was filmed in Wyoming’s Teton National Park, even though it’s also set in Virginia.) So the location of the film and show has special meaning to me too, since few movies mention familiar names like Charlottesville and my former city of residence Waynesboro.

The Homecoming (and The Waltons) is family entertainment at its purest, focusing on a tight-knit family overcoming problems of the day through love and togetherness. All the later Waltons TV movies are good and inspiring in their own ways, but The Homecoming effortlessly creates a bygone era and fills it with one of the most lovable and relatable cast of characters to grace the screen. Some might find it boring, but in this age of edgy and boundary-pushing television, it’s nice to retreat into the simpler world of the Walton family and remember that TV need not be shocking or provocative to be entertaining; it just has to be good.

Best line: (pompous, toy-bearing missionary) “This year, I said to the ladies of our society, ‘Why look to some foreign country for heathens, when the Blue Ridge Mountains are filled with them?’”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 8
Watchability: 9
Other (pure, rustic nostalgia): +5
 
TOTAL: 47 out of 60
 

Next: #153 – A League of Their Own

© 2014 S. G. Liput

177 Followers and Counting

 

Tangled (2010)

07 Thursday Aug 2014

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(This one is best sung to the tune of the tavern song “I’ve Got a Dream”)
 
A pregnant queen is dying; so as the kingdom’s sighing,
They seek a magic, sun-begotten flower.
They locate it, and it heals,
But one Mother Gothel steals
The newborn babe for her renewing power.
 
She raises fair Rapunzel as her child,
Keeping her locked up for her own good.
For eighteen years and counting,
Claustrophobia’s been mounting;
She dreams of going out, if she just could.
 
But then a crook
Invades her nook
With a highly valued crown that he just took.
With a frying pan he’s tackled,
And Rapunzel keeps him shackled
With tens of feet of hair, like in the book.
 
She just wants to see lights floating, which Mother’s not promoting,
But this Flynn Rider is her guide and ticket.
He agrees to take her out,
And she frolics all about.
Though guilt is there, she manages to kick it.
 
Flynn takes her to a thug-infested tavern,
Only for her charm to earn esteem.
They escape from those pursuing,
And there may be love a-brewing,
As she gets ever closer to her dream.
 
But Mom appears
To give her fears,
But Rapunzel doesn’t like the things she hears.
She is sure that Flynn does love her
As the lanterns float above her
Till Mother (with some bandits) interferes.
 
As she goes back home, her heart is broken,
But then she discerns her Mother’s lie.
Flynn is set to die, until his cohorts save the guy.
He returns to defend, just in time to meet his end;
Gothel will not let her scheming go awry.
 
But as Flynn is lying dying,
He is still not done defying;
He cuts Rapunzel’s hair and all its magic.
Mother Gothel turns to dust;
Happy endings are a must,
So magic tears don’t let things get too tragic.
 
Flynn (or Eugene)
Recovers clean,
And they reunite her with the king and queen.
As the kingdom’s happy, very,
Both Rapunzel and Flynn marry,
And “happy ever after” ends the scene.
__________________
 

With its past-participle title akin to Enchanted and Frozen, Tangled may not have returned to the good ol’ hand-drawn animation of the Disney Renaissance, like the so-so Princess and the Frog did, but it revitalized the princess genre Disney does so well, leading to the even more popular Frozen (and hopefully many more to come). It’s got all the right ingredients: a spunky young heroine, a dashing hero, a selfish villain, funny animal sidekicks, and catchy Alan Menken music. Is it as good as the Renaissance films? Perhaps not quite, but I still love it.

While past Disney films left most of the humor to the animal sidekicks, the humor in Tangled is much more prevalent, with running gags and knowing looks giving it a more modern sensibility than the somewhat more serious stories of Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Most of the humor is indeed funny (I love the frying pans), but it’s as if the filmmakers were trying too hard at times, such as with Flynn’s “smolder.” Still, Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi are undeniably likable as the two leads, though they reportedly weren’t satisfied with their voices.

Despite all the hilarity, there’s also a decent mix of heart. With her inward turmoil over disobeying her “mother,” Rapunzel is one of Disney’s most relatable princesses, and her romance with Flynn/Eugene recalls Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in its promotion of being yourself over attractive fakery. (There’s also a “bunny attack” joke that seems lifted directly from Ella Enchanted.) The brief scenes with Rapunzel’s parents instantly engender sympathy for their loss, and the final reunion is just plain heartwarming.

Upon first hearing the songs, I considered them rather unmemorable, but as I’ve re-watched the film, I’ve grown to love them just like those of Disney’s golden years. They can’t compare with Menken’s best, but I’ve hummed “When Will My Life Begin?” a time or two. As perhaps you can tell, my favorite is the show-stopping “I’ve Got a Dream,” which is hilarious, excellently rhymed, and (along with “Mother Knows Best”) the main song I can envision on the Broadway stage. The final song, Grace Potter’s “Something That I Want,” is catchy enough to earn a place in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame as well.

I followed Tangled’s progress during its production and had high expectations for its painterly animation, and the animators delivered. Almost everything—the solitary tower, the water in the dam scene, the equine details of Maximus, and especially Rapunzel’s seventy feet of luscious hair—is an astounding achievement in its combination of CGI and traditional animation. The floating marshmallow lantern visuals to “I See the Light” are particularly dazzling.

Exceptional animated films usually leave me immediately wanting to see them again, and Tangled was no exception. Though there are some departures from reality, such as how Rapunzel’s long hair never gets dirty and seems to weigh nothing, it possesses few of the Frozen-esque plot holes that people like me love to point out. With its exquisite animation, great characterization, quality music, and continual comedy, Tangled is a winning return to Disney excellence.

Best line: (Flynn, while sword fighting a horse with a frying pan) “You should know that this is the strangest thing I’ve ever done!”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 6
Watchability: 9
 
TOTAL: 47 out of 60
 

Next: #154 – The Homecoming: A Christmas Story

© 2014 S. G. Liput

177 Followers and Counting

 

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

05 Tuesday Aug 2014

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(Can be sung to Bryan Adams’s “Where I Belong”)
 
A horse was born so long ago,
Out in the West where free things grow,
An unfettered mustang, an ace in his prime,
Free to run, as they have for all time.
 
Leading his happy herd, defending each foal,
This Spirit’s unrestrained, till he falls under man’s control.
His homeland’s behind him; his future’s unknown,
Yet he keeps on fighting to live on his own.
 
He shows up his captors and earns their distaste,
But, helped by an Indian, he breaks out in haste.
Persistent young Little Creek tries riding in vain,
But he introduces his fair mare named Rain.
 
Though Spirit is shocked that the human and she
Display some connection that lets her run free,
He sees for himself that the Two-Legs possessed
More room for kindness than he had first guessed.
 
Though Spirit could run home, he opts to go back
And rescues the boy from a sudden attack.
Though poor Rain is injured, he still finds his hope
As he helps drag a train up a slope.
 
He halts all their efforts, escaping from flame,
Relieved loyal Little Creek thankfully came.
They flee from pursuers and leap for their lives;
Spirit’s glad when a healed Rain arrives.
 
Goodbyes are not easy when trust has been earned,
But they know it’s time that the mustang returned.
With Rain by his side, Spirit’s now free to roam
And at last he again embraces his home.
____________________
 

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron was one of my favorite movies growing up. As I’ve said, movies that have made me cry hold a special place in my heart, and Spirit is one such Childhood Tearjerker. DreamWorks knew from the start that most adults and kids alike love horses, and seeing such a wild and free creature dragged from his home was enough to get my waterworks going. It still touches me, though I don’t weep like I used to.

The animation is absolutely stunning. While some of the CGI from the opening is obvious, still lovely but paling in comparison to that of Dinosaur, the rest of the Western landscapes and the hand-drawn horses are gorgeous (especially the gorges). I’m no artist, but most agree that horses are among the most difficult creatures to draw: after all, Maurice Sendak illustrated Where the Wild Things Are with assorted beasts only because he realized he couldn’t draw horses. Not only are the horses arrestingly beautiful and convincing, but their facial features evoke the full spectrum of emotions without ever lapsing into anthropomorphic talking animal territory. Spirit himself has some inward monologues, provided by Matt Damon, who could have varied his voice more, but the rest of the animal interaction is done skillfully with emotion-filled neighs, whinnies, wickers, nickers, brays, and countless other equine ejaculations. So well is the wordless interplay handled that much of Damon’s voiceover, which ranges from stirring to funny, seemed unnecessary, though my VC felt it served to break up all the whinnying.

Then again, that is why Bryan Adams’s excellent anthems were included. Along with a rousing orchestral score that once again proves Hans Zimmer’s musical facility, Adams’s songs provide the melodious heart of the film. Though some critics decried the soundtrack as “whiny” or “insipid,” I felt they added so much to the film. It may not be on the level of what Phil Collins provided for Tarzan, but every song strikes the right chord of emotion, from free-wheeling liberty to depression to rekindled hope. “Don’t Let Go,” which features Sarah McLachlan with a haunting harmony, certainly deserves a place in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame.

Over the years, I have still seen some flaws: the intruding humans are uniformly bad because of their enslavement of horses, and I don’t usually like to feel guilty for wanting to ride a horse. Since all the Indians’ horses appear happy, the film seems to imply that only they built any relationship with their ponies. All the soldiers’ horses seem to hate their masters and frequently sabotage them, not allowing for the fact that I’m sure plenty of cowboys shared a connection with their steeds. After all, even broken horses can be happy.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is nonetheless a lovely, G-rated adventure with fantastic music and some genuinely exciting action sequences. It was DreamWorks Animation’s second-to-last hand-drawn film (before Sinbad) and causes me to miss the days before CGI became the only animation style successfully used in film.

Best line: (part of Spirit’s opening monologue) “I was born here, in this place that would come to be called the Old West. But, to my kind, the land was ageless. It had no beginning and no end, no boundary between earth and sky. Like the wind and the buffalo, we belonged here; we would always belong here. They say the mustang is the spirit of the West. Whether that west was won or lost in the end, you’ll have to decide for yourself….”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 7
Watchability: 8
Other (crying effect): +1
 
TOTAL: 47 out of 60
 

Next: #156 – As Good As It Gets

© 2014 S. G. Liput

172 Followers and Counting

 

Ella Enchanted (2004)

04 Monday Aug 2014

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When Ella of Frell was first born,
She’s given a gift that’s a thorn.
She’s forced to obey
Every word others say,
Which makes her the object of scorn.
 
She gets a new stepmother too
With two new stepsisters, who view
The girl with disdain;
When they notice her chain,
They tell her some bad things to do.
 
Once Ella encounters Prince Char,
Whom she thought was vain and subpar,
She chooses to leave
And to seek a reprieve
From Lucinda, a fairy afar.
 
A talking book off of a shelf,
As well as a law-leaning elf,
Assist Ella’s quest
To no longer be “blessed”
To obey with no choice for herself.
 
With help from Prince Char, the small band
Enjoy a stop in giant land,
Where Char is distressed
To see how they’re oppressed
By Edgar, his uncle who’s panned.
 
When Edgar learns Ella must do
Whatever someone tells her to,
He tells her to kill
Char, against her own will,
So he’ll keep the crown that he’s due.
 
Although she attempts to resist
And Lucinda won’t help her desist,
She nears the dark deed
Till, with firmness, she’s freed,
But Edgar makes sure she’s dismissed.
 
With help from her friends, Ella tries
To tell Char about Edgar’s lies.
At last, the truth’s out,
Leaving very small doubt,
And Edgar does something unwise.
 
Since Ella is freed from her curse,
Her stepsisters cannot coerce.
With charm and romance
And a song and a dance,
Both Ella and Char sing a verse.
______________________
 

As a kid, I attended a summer day camp at a church, and in addition to games both physical and electronic, there were plenty of movies to watch as well. One day, I was given the choice to join two groups; I could either go with the majority of boys and watch the classic that is The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie or I could side with the girls for some new film called Ella Enchanted. I decided to break out of the box and try something different, even if it did have that girl from The Princess Diaries. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was not just a girly fairy tale but a creative and enjoyable adventure perhaps most akin to Rob Reiner’s beloved The Princess Bride. In a world of elves that sing and ogres with familiarly deep voices, Ella Enchanted is not as subversive as the likes of Shrek, but it’s humorously aware of its own fairy tale conventions, such as Eric Idle’s rhyming narration.

Anne Hathaway was still relatively unknown when she played the spunky Ella of Frell, and though the film was less than a hit, it and The Princess Diaries films strengthened her appeal and gave her more exposure for future roles. Hugh Dancy is appropriately dreamy as Prince Char, one of the only recent movie princes to be both genuinely heroic and likable (compared with Shrek’s Prince Charming, Enchanted’s Prince Edward, and Frozen’s Prince Hans). Having previously starred with Hathaway in Studio Ghibli’s The Cat Returns, Cary Elwes gets in touch with his villainous side as evil Uncle Edgar, and does so with such wicked glee as to make the farmboy-formerly-known-as-Westley almost unrecognizable. The rest of the cast is uniformly funny, including Minnie Driver, Vivica A. Fox, and Aidan McArdle as the grouchy Slannen, who dreams of becoming a lawyer.

Much of the humor derives from Shrek-y anachronisms, such as a fairy’s FWI (Flying While Intoxicated), as well as classic songs that seemingly come out of nowhere. Long before Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables, Anne Hathaway proved her singing chops with her hilarious rendition of Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” The final song and dance number is also a hoot and ends the whole film on a high note.

While the whole idea of obedience being a curse has potential for being a less-than-ideal lesson for kids, Ella herself is a good role model, showing concern for the underprivileged of the kingdom and not seeking freedom from the curse for any particularly selfish or rebellious reason. Despite a bit of crude humor, Ella Enchanted is an appealing, kid-friendly fantasy that made me glad that I picked the “girly” choice. (P.S. It’s not all that girly.)

Best line: (Benny, who was accidentally turned into a book by his fairy girlfriend) “I would have left her ages ago, except I love her so darn much. Plus, I have no legs.”

 
Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 8
Watchability: 10
 
TOTAL: 47 out of 60
 

Next: #157 – Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

© 2014 S. G. Liput

172 Followers and Counting