Tag Archives: Family

Hugo (2011)

07 Monday Apr 2014

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The Montparnasse station in Paris is home
To a lonely young fellow named Hugo Cabret.
He lives by himself and is quite free to roam
Through the walls and the clockwork he maintains each day.
 
Before Hugo’s father was killed in a fire,
He found an automaton up in an attic,
And Hugo’s continued to work and desire
The day it will function and be automatic.
 
Avoiding the vigilant Station Inspector,
He takes what he needs from the various stores.
One shop owner, Georges, acts like he’s seen a specter
When he views a notebook that Hugo adores.
 
The toymaker takes it and calls Hugo thief,
But Hugo then follows him back to his house.
The man seems unusually smitten by grief
And weeps with his knowing, compassionate spouse.
 
But Hugo meets Isabelle, Georges’s goddaughter,
Who uses fine speech that she learns when she reads.
A small, heart-shaped key that her godmother brought her
Turns out to be what the automaton needs.
 
The wound-up machine draws a scene Hugo knows
Of a ship in the eye of the man in the moon,
A shot from an old film that makes them suppose
That Georges used to be a filmmaking tycoon.
 
An expert on film says that Georges Melies
Produced hundreds of films ere the world war arrived.
Though sad for the end of his filmmaking days,
He’s gladdened by seeing one film that’s survived.
 
When Hugo learns that his mechanical man
Was built by Melies, the boy runs to bring back
The artist’s creation; the Inspector’s ban
On orphans, however, takes Hugo off track.
 
The automaton falls, but Melies doesn’t care;
He is touched by the boy and the efforts he’s made.
Adopting the lad who can fix and repair,
Melies finds renown as his films are displayed.
____________________
 

Hugo is an absolute feast for the eyes, especially for those who like gears. An oddity among the films of famed director Martin Scorsese, Hugo has none of the violence, profanity, and problematic content of his other films, such as Raging Bull, Gangs of New York, and the recent despicable The Wolf of Wall Street. Instead, he has replaced anything objectionable with an astounding sense of wonder and artistry, racking up at least as many Oscar nominations and wins as in the past. From the long, continuous opening shot to the similarly flowing final one, every scene has something interesting to absorb, and the whole film has a unique visually-enhanced look to it.

The acting is good for the most part, though, except for the always wonderful Asa Butterfield as young Hugo, I could have seen several other actors in each role. Sacha Baron Cohen brings some depth to the character of the Station Inspector Gustave, with his injured leg and hesitant romance with a flower shop girl, but his mannerisms are a tad distracting, if rather funny. Likewise, Ben Kingsley gives his usual nuance to the role of Georges Melies, but I found him unnecessarily mean-spirited at the beginning, making his mid-film declaration that Hugo was cruel frustratingly feeble.

My main issue with the film as a whole and the reason it is this low on my list is the pacing. I suppose Scorsese did the best he could, spicing up a relatively simple story with all the visual interest he could muster to drag it out to two hours, but I found it somewhat slow. I know I grew up when explosions and action became the norm in popular entertainment, but there are a number of slow movies on my list, so I don’t know if the fact that this one left me bored at times is my own fault or Scorsese’s. Considering that Hugo’s content is appropriate for children, I can’t help but think many kids would lose interest along the way too.

Part of this pacing problem is the fact that I thought the film was leading somewhere unexpected. With all the fantastic imagery with the automaton and Melies’s sketches flying around, I thought there might be some mystical secret to be revealed, but no, it was all just a metaphor for the magic of movies. Perhaps Hugo has some hidden power that can redirect trains?! No, it was just a cool effect in a dream. Perhaps Hugo is really an automaton himself?! No, it was just a dream within a dream. Did Scorsese see Inception? When the big “reveal” finally comes to explain Melies’s behavior, it’s because…people stopped liking his films. It’s understandable, I suppose, but, ultimately, as the explanation for this whole mystery and his bitter behavior, it’s a bit anticlimactic.

Nevertheless, Hugo is one of the most visually fascinating films out there, an homage to the original directors, like the real Georges Melies, who never could have imagined their work turning into billion-dollar blockbusters and special-effects extravaganzas. The end can’t help but make every viewer smile, and it’s enjoyable to see that a director like Scorsese can do something without constant shootings and F-words. If only he’d try it more often…

Best line: (Hugo) “Maybe that’s why a broken machine always makes me a little sad, because it isn’t able to do what it was meant to do… Maybe it’s the same with people. If you lose your purpose… it’s like you’re broken.”

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 6
Entertainment: 6
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 6
Watchability: 5
Other (aforementioned pacing issues): -9
 
TOTAL: 34 out of 60
 

Next: #273: Bambi

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

06 Sunday Apr 2014

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Next: #274: Hugo

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

The Jungle Book (1967)

04 Friday Apr 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next: #276: Dave

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

The Muppets (2011)

02 Wednesday Apr 2014

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Walter and his brother Gary,
Who is dating best friend Mary,
Loved the Muppets growing up,
And Walter is a big fan, very.
 
On vacation in L.A.,
The three decide to gladly pay
A visit to the studio
The Muppets had back in the day.
 
Walter hides within a room,
While rich Tex Richman deals out gloom.
He wants to tear the studio down
To drill for oil very soon.
 
Walter, who is quite agog,
Seeks his hero, Kermit the Frog.
They need to raise ten million bucks
To foil the villain’s monologue.
 
Driving ‘cross the vast U.S.,
They gather friends with eagerness.
They get them all, except Miss Piggy,
Who prevents their full success.
 
The Muppets barely reach TV
On primetime network CDE.
And yet they cannot seem to find
A needed host celebrity.
 
Once Piggy finally arrives,
Tex Richman says the deal deprives
The Muppets of their studio
And all their names to wreck their lives.
 
While Piggy makes a sneak attack
To kidnap for a host Jack Black,
Poor Mary’s feeling overlooked,
So Gary tries to win her back.
 
The telethon begins all right,
But it improves throughout the night,
And, though it seemed impossible
To raise the money, they just might.
 
Richman, blinded by his greed,
Tries to make them not succeed.
Though Walter’s whistling act inspires,
The Muppets don’t get what they need.
 
Though sad, they won’t admit defeat
And are surprised out on the street
To find a crowd of Muppet fans,
Who prove they are not obsolete.
 
One more song can’t help but wow,
They get their studio back somehow,
And Gary asks to marry Mary
Because Walt’s a Muppet now.
___________________
 

Amid the current melee of reboots, from The Amazing Spider-Man to Star Trek, it’s nice to see a franchise that isn’t afraid to look back on its past with nostalgia rather than an impulsive need to outdo what came before. I’m too young to remember the original “Muppet Show”, but the film knows that, casting doubt in the Muppets’ minds whether they’re relevant anymore. While many tell them they are old hat, the Muppets’ Blues Brothers-like quest to get the gang back together, filled withhumor, characterization, and song-and-dance numbers, managed to make them popular once more, in both the movie’s world and the real world.

Jason Segel and Amy Adams (in an innocent part reminiscent of her role in Enchanted) are charming as Gary and Mary, respectively, as is Gary’s Muppet-y brother Walter. Even more charming are the timeless characters that everyone ought to know: Kermit and Miss Piggy, Fozzie and Gonzo, Animal and the Swedish Chef, Beaker and that guy who likes to blow things up. The myriad cameos of famous faces, past and present, from Selena Gomez to Mickey Rooney, are also…well, charming.

The whole movie can be summed up by that one word. Despite the bitterness of Chris Cooper as Tex Richman, who’s given one of the most unexpectedly funny songs, The Muppets has a uniquely sincere earnestness that makes it stand out among all the typically cynical Hollywood fare to become a well-deserved success. Not many movies nowadays have entire towns breaking into a song-and-dance number like something out of The Music Man.

While the less joke-filled slow scenes aid in characterization, I felt that they slowed down the film as a whole, making it seem longer than it was. I much preferred the songs, such as “Life’s a Happy Song” and the Oscar-winning “Man or Muppet,” not to mention the well-utilized rock songs, like Starship’s “We Built This City.” (While good, “Man or Muppet” doesn’t really seem like an Oscar-worthy song to me, though there wasn’t much competition that year.) All in all, if you’re in the mood for a pure, comedic remembrance of the good old days with Kermit and the gang, complete with some fourth-wall-breaking and Jack Black being tortured, The Muppets is right up your alley.

Best line: (Miss Piggy’s receptionist, played by The Devil Wears Prada’s Emily Blunt) “She has an opening in early September.”
(Walter) “Early September? But that’s in six months!”
(Fozzie) “That’s nothing. I once waited a whole year for September.”

 

Artistry: 5
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 5
Watchability: 6
Other (slow parts): -2
 
TOTAL: 33 out of 60
 

Next: #278 – Innerspace

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

#280: A Bug’s Life (1998)

01 Tuesday Apr 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next: #279 – The Muppets

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Fireproof (2008)

31 Monday Mar 2014

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Caleb Holt’s a firefighter
Choosing work and overnighters
Over Catherine, his own wife,
Who seems to him a cross backbiter.
Quick to nag him and berate,
She seems to not appreciate
That every day he risks his life.
He’s sick of having still to fight her.
 
She in turn believes him rude,
Quick to scorn her and exclude.
Plus, he has a porn addiction
And a surly attitude.
Every time they both are present,
Both can’t help but be unpleasant.
Marriage offers naught but friction
And a never-ending feud.
 
Both agree that their best course
Would be to file for divorce,
But Caleb’s father tells his son
To wait, or there will be remorse.
He hawks a forty-day affair,
The marriage-salvaging Love Dare.
He says to follow it till done,
And it may be a changing force.
 
Caleb does it, day by day,
Resisting nasty things to say,
Buying flowers, doing chores,
And hating it in every way.
His sudden change may be too late.
Again, she can’t appreciate
His “loving” work, which she ignores,
Assuming it’s a greedy play.
 
Caleb’s soon prepared to quit,
Not seeing any point to it.
He’s simply going through the motions,
Which his dad helps him admit.
His father’s counsel brings him toward
A closer friendship with the Lord,
Which changes Caleb’s selfish notions,
Helping him to now commit.
 
Still fighting every risky blaze,
He tries for real for several days.
He kicks his nightly porn obsession,
Proving this is not a phase.
He tells off Catherine’s friend at work,
A suitor and potential jerk.
As kindness comes in quick succession,
Catherine’s floored by Caleb’s ways.
 
When she learns he paid a price
To offer her a sacrifice,
She chooses not to push divorce.
Instead, she hugs and seeks advice.
They both affirm fidelity,
Renewing vows for all to see.
They’ve learned that God is love’s true source,
Who helped them fall in love now twice.
____________________
 

I said at the beginning of this blog that, despite my faith, my list would not be full of usual Christian fare, and Fireproof is the first film so far that could be considered a strictly Christian movie, though A Walk to Remember featured a young girl unashamed of her faith who helped bring a troubled lad closer to God. Still, while that film was more romance with some language to spice it up for secular audiences, Fireproof is a movie made by Christians for Christians, with a soundtrack of current Christian songs and a clear evangelistic message. Those who cannot stand such films may not enjoy Fireproof, but it remains one of the best independent Christian films to date, with some powerful themes and lessons that even non-Christians should be able to appreciate.

I’ll be honest: the acting is not the best. The everyday interactions with people, particularly on the part of Erin Bethea as Catherine Holt, just seem stilted, like they’re all reading a script. On the other hand, the moments between Catherine and Caleb (played by Christian all-star Kirk Cameron) are the most compelling scenes, whether for good or bad. Their arguments sound like real marital strife with both at fault to some extent, and their reconciliation is believably slow to develop, with the final scenes admittedly touching (my parents couldn’t help but tear up). The best character development involves Caleb’s true change, from trashing his porn habit by massacring his computer (I hope there weren’t any important files on there) to admitting he’s on day 43 of his 40-day challenge.

One thing that makes Fireproof impressive is the intense firefighter scenes, including a train barreling toward a crushed car and a close shave in a burning house. The production values are quite high, considering this film was made predominately by volunteers of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. Because it is church-sponsored, it has the typical evangelical message that some don’t like, but it’s handled pretty well and doesn’t take up a lot of screen time. Also, considering how many marriages fail each year, the film offers some important messages: a relationship with Jesus can help other relationships too, never leave your partner behind, pornography is destructive, and love is not about feeling but commitment. Thus, even if people out there are wary of overtly Christian films, Fireproof is well-worth seeing.

Best line: (Caleb) “Marriage isn’t fireproof.” (Caleb’s friend Michael) “Fireproof doesn’t mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it.”

 
Artistry: 4
Characters/Actors: 4
Entertainment: 5
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 7
Watchability: 5
Other (moral value): +3
 
TOTAL: 33 out of 60
 

Next: #281: We Are Marshall

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Puss in Boots (2011)

30 Sunday Mar 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next: #282: Fireproof

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Stuart Little 2 (2002)

27 Thursday Mar 2014

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The Little family’s doing fine
With everything they’ve ever wished,
But Mrs. Little always worries
Stuart somehow might be squished.
 
As a mouse, he can’t relate
To children many times his size.
He wrecks his brother’s model plane
But still stays positive, or tries.
 
But one day, driving home from school,
A bird named Margalo drops in.
They narrowly escape a falcon,
Though it broke her mother’s pin.
 
Her wing is hurt so Stuart says
That she should stay with them, not roam.
He finds and fixes her small pin
And makes the bird feel quite at home.
 
But Mrs. Little’s diamond ring
Is inexplicably just gone.
They don’t suspect that Margalo
Works for the falcon as a con.
 
When she goes missing too, the mouse
Decides the falcon took her back.
He blackmails family cat Snowbell
To join the search and help him track.
 
They reach the Pishkin Building’s top,
Where Falcon lives with Margalo.
When Stuart learns the tricky truth,
He’s dropped and lands far down below.
 
Though he survives, he ends up on
A garbage barge, to his dismay,
But then he finds his brother’s plane
And fixes it to fly away.
 
Poor Snowbell’s having some close calls,
While Margalo defies her boss.
She’s saved by Stuart in his plane,
Who leaves the falcon fiercely cross.
 
While all the Littles watch below,
The falcon tries to kill the pair.
Their faceoff ends with Stuart’s plane
Colliding with him in midair.
 
With everybody safe and sound,
Freed Margalo returns the ring.
She finally can migrate south,
But she’ll be welcomed back next spring.
____________________
 

Following E. B. White’s beloved novel somewhat more closely than its predecessor, Stuart Little 2 is a purely enjoyable sequel to 1999’s Stuart Little, and I fondly recall seeing it in the theater with my grandmother when it first came out. While it doesn’t have as many good quotes and is at times more cutesy than quirky, it creates some more wonderful characters to join the returning cast from the first film. Melanie Griffith as Margalo is a great counterpart to Michael J. Fox’s Stuart, and James Woods gives one of his trademark villainous voiceovers as the evil Falcon, who is a much stronger and more malevolent bad guy than the first film’s Smokey.

The film also has a marvelous soundtrack, mostly made up of uplifting pop songs that fit well for the target audience, including Celine Dion’s “I’m Alive,” which deserves a spot in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame. With a good mix of humor, excitement, and fine voice acting, Stuart Little 2 is one of those perfect family films that anyone can enjoy.

Best line: (Snowbell, after he believes Stuart was killed) “I wish I were the one that was dead!” (Margalo) “Really?” (Snowbell) “No. But I am very unhappy!”

 
Artistry: 4
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 6
Watchability: 6
Other (nothing objectionable; I just like other films more) -5
 
TOTAL: 32 out of 60
 

Next: #284: Raising Arizona

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

25 Tuesday Mar 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

© 2014 S. G. Liput

 

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

23 Sunday Mar 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

© 2014 S. G. Liput