Tag Archives: Fantasy

#36: The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2004)

20 Saturday Dec 2014

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Eddie worked at Ruby Pier,
Fixing rides year after year,
But Eddie is no longer here;
It seems he died today.
‘Twas on his birthday that he died
From some malfunction in a ride.
A final sacrifice he tried
Has left him with dismay.
 
In that big theme park in the sky,
He learns that, when all humans die,
Five people from their lives supply
The answers that they sought.
He learns the histories of those
Who shine a light upon his woes,
Mistakes, heartaches that they expose,
And lessons they’ve been taught.
 
He feels his life did not transcend,
A failure to the very end,
Till they help Eddie comprehend
The truth of good and ill.
In heaven, Eddie is aghast,
But makes amends for what is past,
And sees that, to the very last,
His life had purpose still.
________________
 

Here we go from Doctor Zhivago, one of the highest-grossing films ever made, to a Hallmark film that doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page. When I first saw this television movie, I had little idea how much it would touch me, and I soon read the same-titled novel for a school book report. Written by Mitch Albom (whose adapted work appeared previously on the list with Have a Little Faith), The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a “meet-‘em-and-move-on” film but in reverse, beginning with Eddie’s death and revealing his life story through flashbacks. The transitions are a bit sudden but deftly handled, often passing between timelines as if through doors. The three main periods differ primarily in their color palette: Eddie’s youthful past tends to have warm, full colors, while the present day before and after his passing is marked by gray bleakness.

The acting is of consistently higher quality than most television productions, particularly the Golden Globe-worthy lead performance by John Voight as Eddie. Playing different ages, he successfully navigates the full spectrum of emotions—despair, anger, confusion, grief, contentment—as his eyes are opened to how lives interconnect and sorrows become clear from a different perspective. Also excellent are Ellen Burstyn as the namesake of Ruby Pier, Michael Imperioli as his WWII army captain, and Jeff Daniels as a blue-skinned freak at the amusement park.

As that last credit would imply, there are some strange moments that border on surreal, and the scenes where Eddie moves on to his next person are somewhat confusing until they are explained. Still, the film doesn’t go overboard with bizarreness in its stabs at transcendence, like The Tree of Life or The Fountain. The Five People You Meet in Heaven remains grounded in human emotion and shouldn’t leave viewers scratching their heads by the end. On the contrary, the final scene exemplifies the power of the “meet ‘em and move on” genre, bringing every character to peace and fulfillment in a manner that, to my surprise, brought me and my VC both to tears upon this latest viewing, proving it can still happen.

As moving as it is, it’s a fantastical glimpse of what heaven could be like, such as What Dreams May Come, with little Christian or otherwise religious overtones. There’s some very brief talk of God but nothing on which to base one’s eschatological beliefs. In fact, I disagree with some points made, such as how those in heaven supposedly cannot view what happens on Earth, but there’s nothing anti-religious or morally objectionable.

For a television film, it’s a convoluted storyline but one that reveals the secrets of Eddie and his five people gradually with astutely depicted growth. Ruby Pier itself progresses from a prison to a heaven, at times a deathtrap, at others a place of ultimate fulfillment. Despite its religious liberties, I believe Mitch Albom was inspired when he wrote the book, as well as the screenplay. Full of wisdom and solace, The Five People You Meet in Heaven is my favorite television film, Hallmark or otherwise, one of the best and closest book adaptations, and a beautiful addition to the “meet-‘em-and-move-on” genre.

Best lines: (the Blue Man, to Eddie) “Strangers are family you have yet to come to know.”

(Marguerite, Eddie’s wife) “Life has to end, Eddie. Love doesn’t.”

 
Rank: 58 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

270 Followers and Counting

#54: Life of Pi (2012)

30 Sunday Nov 2014

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A story seeker finds a tale,
An enigmatic holy grail,
The life and times of Pi Patel
Whose father’s zoo and he set sail.
 
In Canada, they planned to dwell;
To India, they bade farewell.
The ship was sunk by storm and sea,
And Pi was tossed upon the swell.
 
Upon a lonely lifeboat, he
Was trapped with animals set free.
Soon Richard Parker was the last,
A tiger he could barely flee.
 
The two of them alone were cast
Upon the varied ocean vast.
Pi trained the tiger through the days,
Which helped the floaters to hold fast.
 
When hunger, thirst, and brutal rays
Reduced them both to spent malaise,
God brought relief to weary Pi
And showed him wonders to amaze.
 
Through taxing trials, he did not die,
And yet their closure made him cry.
Though other tales he could supply,
This story no one could deny.
________________
 

After listening to Dev Patel’s life story in Slumdog Millionaire, Irrfan Khan obviously wanted to tell one of his own. He plays the grown Pi Patel in Ang Lee’s visually resplendent Life of Pi, one of the best films of 2012 (there’s one higher on my list). I and many others enjoyed Yann Martel’s bestselling novel, but few believed it could be adapted to film, much less adapted so faithfully. Combining seafaring drama and cutting-edge effects with transcendent questions about faith and truth, Life of Pi is a masterpiece on multiple levels.

In addition to Best Director, Best Score, and Best Cinematography (all well-deserved), Life of Pi won the Best Visual Effects Academy Award. CGI-heavy films are a mixed bag. Sometimes the effects are awesome to behold or else complement the overall fun (i.e., Gravity, Jurassic Park, most superhero films), while other films lose the heart and intelligence amid the eye candy (i.e., the Transformers films). The visuals in Life of Pi are jaw-droppingly beautiful and the CGI seamless, yet even with so many effects creating the animals, the storm, and the boundless horizon, they never supplant the film’s emotional center. In fact, the effects artists created a main character with their art; Richard Parker retains a realistic presence throughout the film, surpassing other amazing CGI creatures like King Kong, Smaug, and Aslan (whose first appearance in 2005 shared the same effects studio as Richard Parker).

Unlike most effects spectacles, though, the acting is Oscar-worthy across the board. Suraj Sharma found his first role as the 16-year-old Pi, and it is a crime that he did not even receive a Best Actor nomination. Like Tom Hanks in Cast Away or Robert Redford in All Is Lost, Sharma carries the bulk of the film alone, playing off of creatures that aren’t there and displaying great range, from giddy foolishness during the storm to tremendous grief over his loss and hopeless situation. Irrfan Khan does the same, particularly during his conversation with Rafe Spall at the end.

Faith plays a key role in the film, and I appreciate the way it is frequently discussed without the least bit of derision from the filmmakers. Movies like Contact can confuse the filmmakers’ spiritual message, while Life of Pi offers a positive presentation of multiple religions while upholding a general faith in God. Though I personally agree with Pi’s father that “believing in everything at once is the same thing as believing in nothing,” a clear and compelling promotion of faith is rare enough in Hollywood nowadays that I can’t find too much fault with the film, despite Pi’s cafeteria theology.

The film possesses a highly ambiguous ending, deserving as much debate as that of Inception. Upon my VC’s first viewing, she accepted Pi’s alternate story as the “true” one and felt the film’s visual mastery was made moot by an unreliable narrator. However, I, like the characters, preferred the story of the film and considered Pi’s response “And so it goes with God” to be an affirmation that God favored that telling as well and indeed had it happen that way. It’s one of those “you choose what you believe” conclusions that leave some awestruck and others frustrated.

Had I seen it years ago, Life of Pi surely would have left me in tears (in a good way). My VC still doesn’t enjoy watching it due to the deaths of multiple animals, but I still find it captivating. Perhaps part of my fondness is that the early quirky anecdotes are reminiscent of a “Meet ‘em and Move On” film, though the movie overall doesn’t reflect that genre. Life of Pi excels both visually and emotionally, a book adaptation that matches its source material in every respect.

Best line: (the older Pi) “I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.”

 
Rank: 57 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

260 Followers and Counting

#55: Mary Poppins (1964)

29 Saturday Nov 2014

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(Best sung to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”)
 
Since nannies are commodities that rarely stick around,
George Banks decides to advertise, and ugly ones abound,
But then comes Mary Poppins, floating gently to the ground,
Poppins proves prodigiously the proper one’s been found.
 
She shows the kids to make a game
From every daily chore,
To jump into a chalky frame
For holidays galore,
 
To laugh their way into the air
With jubilant come-uppance
And note the woman in the square
Who sells bird seed for tuppance.
 
A visit to their father’s bank creates a sudden run,
And Mr. Banks’s temper scares his daughter and his son.
They flee to Bert the chimney sweep for roof-cavorting fun.
He suggests their father needs some help like everyone.
 
Mr. Banks is overwhelmed by miseries of late,
As if dear Mary Poppins came his life to desecrate,
But then he sees the comedy and joy most underrate,
And Mary Poppins leaves them in a more-than-happy state.
__________________
 

The height of Disney-esque whimsy, Mary Poppins is one of the most beloved family musicals of all time and lies within my VC’s top 20 films. Though she loves it a tad more than I, there’s no denying the fanciful joy of this adaptation of P. L. Travers’ literary nanny.

Julie Andrews won a Best Actress Oscar for her no-nonsense charm as Mary Poppins herself, and Dick Van Dyke matches her with his usual vigorous charisma, despite his affected British accent. The entire cast is wonderful, though if I had to find fault, I’d say that Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber as Jane and Michael Banks don’t have much character aside from generic cuteness, though I suppose that allows for ease in audiences placing themselves in their shoes. (Trivia note: Most of those nannies gathered at the Banks home before Mary Poppins arrives were actually male stuntmen. No wonder they were ugly.)

The film’s greatest strength is its music, provided by the unrivalled Sherman Brothers, whose jolly tunes and clever lyrics are instant classics. Not every one is hummable, but “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” and the Oscar-winning “Chim Chim Cheree” continue to reside in the mind of countless viewers. “I Love to Laugh” and Poppins’ bipolar Uncle Albert always earn a smile from my family, though my favorites would have to be “Jolly Holiday” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” thanks to the expertly composited animation sequences that Travers herself so despised. “Step in Time” is one of the film’s many high points too, though more due to the rigorous choreography than the comparatively simple lyrics. Despite the film’s overall joyous appeal, “Feed the Birds” (with or without the words) somehow brings tears to my VC’s eyes every time.

After having seen Saving Mr. Banks, there were certain scenes on this latest viewing that I couldn’t help but recall that making-of drama, such as Mr. Banks’s lament over Mary Poppins’ frustrating influence, which supposedly mirrored the annoyance caused by Travers and her nitpicking. The 2013 film also deepened the sorrows of Mr. Banks, which I never fully understood as a kid. While Saving Mr. Banks surpasses Mary Poppins as far as dramatic narrative, there’s no replacing the sheer fun and inventiveness of the original.

Mary Poppins is not only Uncle Walt’s best live action film, but arguably his best during his lifetime. Possessing a childish delightfulness that nullifies criticism, it’s a film of true magic (and not just the cleverly creative effects), a magic every child should experience.

Best line: (Mary Poppins, reading her self-descriptive tape measure) “As I expected. ‘Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way.’”

VC’s best line: (Bert) “Speakin’ o’ names, I know a man with a wooden leg named Smith.”  (Uncle Albert) “What’s the name of his other leg?”

 
Rank: 57 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

260 Followers and Counting

#66: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

18 Tuesday Nov 2014

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(Best sung to “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket”)
 
Charlie has little reason to
Hope for a bit of luck anew,
But then golden tickets, just a few,
Make their abrupt debut.
 
He dreams of a golden ticket,
Even as four other dreams come true.
 
Suddenly golden hopes arise;
Charlie receives a chance to see
Old Willy Wonka’s big surprise,
His chocolate factory.
 
Along with four other winners,
Charlie is shown wonders one can chew.
 
As they are led from room to room,
Four rotten brats near meet their doom,
And Charlie is the last one.
Even though Wonka tries him still,
Charlie’s sweet heart imparts goodwill,
And suddenly, the testing is done.
He finds that he’s won!
 
Though all the other children fell,
Charlie has proven he is right
For Wonka’s secrets him to tell,
To everyone’s delight.
 
Because of that golden ticket,
Charlie is fulfilled and flying high,
And Willy Wonka’s found the apple of his eye.
_____________
 

My earlier review of Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory essentially stated that Burton gets nearly everything right, except Willy Wonka; the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory gets nearly everything right, including Willy Wonka. The classic children’s musical doesn’t have the visuals or the polished look of Burton’s remake, but it has the same wonky, daftly absurd combination of humor and heart that made Roald Dahl’s book such a success.

Though I actually prefer now Freddie Highmore’s Charlie, Peter Ostrum is still admirable as the lone good apple of the bunch, and his relationship with Jack Albertson’s Grandpa Joe is more familial and evident than in the remake, possibly due to the absence of Mr. Bucket. All of the children are appropriately detestable in different ways, with Julie Dawn Cole as Veruca Salt being the most insufferable, and their comeuppances are all the more satisfying for their impudence. Of course, the star of the picture (aside from Charlie) is Willy Wonka himself, and Gene Wilder is perfect as the titular candy maker, even though Dahl had preferred Spike Milligan for the role. Whereas Johnny Depp’s Wonka displayed peculiarities more disturbing than endearing, Wilder spouts classical quotations and jumps between languages effortlessly, playing the candy man as eccentric and only occasionally trending toward insane. Granted, that boat ride is downright creepy (a chicken’s head being cut off? really?), but the rest of Wonka’s antics have a fun weirdness which, as Charlie says, is not necessarily bad. Wilder captures that ideal gray area between sanity and insanity that a character like Willy Wonka requires (and that Johnny Depp couldn’t quite attain), though I would have liked some indication that the bratty kids were indeed all right, as the book and remake did.

Roald Dahl himself despised the film’s changes to his book, and though I agree that the “fizzy lifting drinks” part was unnecessary and detracted from Charlie’s natural goodness, I think that Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory still does his work justice (of course, purely from a reader’s standpoint). Various annoying habits are properly skewered, such as gum-chewing, gluttony, and television addictions, while Charlie’s decency is allowed to shine and be rewarded. The sheer imagination of Dahl’s book is brought to colorful life in the chocolate room sequence; who wouldn’t want to cavort through those edible fields? Though Dahl’s own songs from the book are omitted (and later utilized in Burton’s remake), Willy Wonka’s Oscar-nominated soundtrack is full of memorable ditties that live on from childhood, reaching high points with “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” and “I Want It Now.”

Other films may have appealed to Dahl’s odd sensibilities more, such as Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, or Burton’s take on the Chocolate Factory, but none are quite as delectably appealing as this first Dahl film adaptation. Willy Wonka has only grown in popularity over the years, becoming somewhat of a cult film, and continues to be a scrumdiddlyumptious delight for young and old.

Best line: (Mr. Salt, boarding the Wonkatania) “Ladies first, and that means Veruca.”   (Grandpa Joe, to Charlie) “If she’s a lady, I’m a Vermicious Knid.”

 
Rank: 56 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

249 Followers and Counting

#70: Big (1988)

14 Friday Nov 2014

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When 12-year-old Josh wishes he could be big,
At some wishing booth called Zoltar,
He wakes up as Tom Hanks, no longer a twig,
But a 30-year-old. How bizarre!
 
He’s kicked from his home for his strange adult mug
But gets help from Billy, his friend.
Josh moves to the city, in need of a hug,
And wants this whole nightmare to end.
 
Yet since he is big, he must get a job now
And be an adult, more or less.
Becoming a cubicle worker somehow,
He and Billy find fun in distress.
 
A tuneful encounter with one of his bosses
Propels him ease by next morn.
He’s paid to test toys, and forgetting his losses,
Enjoys a girlfriend and small corn.
 
But Josh is a kid, Billy has to remind him;
This life is not where kids belong.
In searching for Zoltar, they finally find him,
And Josh sees that he’s in the wrong.
 
As home he returns, he has time still to bid
Goodbye to his girlfriend once more.
His second small wish sends him back to a kid;
His life as a grown-up is o’er.
_________________
 

Among a slew of age-changing films in and around 1988, Big was certainly the greatest, largely due to the skill and watchability of Tom Hanks. Many actors have inhabited more child-life roles, typically for comedic effect, but Hanks expertly balances boyish exuberance with youthful anxieties. The scene in which he cries alone in a seedy hotel is the best example of why he deserved his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

To complement Hanks’s star power, there’s also Elizabeth Perkins as his girlfriend Susan, who is oddly attracted to how different Josh is from other men, and John Heard as his immature rival for her affections, who at times makes one wonder “Who’s the kid again?” Mercedes Ruehl evokes the loss of Josh’s grieving mother, and I love how Josh tries to comfort her with his hasty rendition of “The Way We Were.” (“Scattered pic-tures…”)

Though Josh’s rise to success is unrealistically easy (though an enchanted wish-granting carnival booth isn’t exactly realistic anyway), and I have no idea how he was hired with a fake social security number by a major company, Tom Hanks is so winsome and delightful as he leaps on trampolines and gnaws at baby corn that most flaws fall by the wayside. There was some disagreement on how to end the film, namely whether Susan should join Josh in becoming a child. While such a leap of love would have borne a continued hope of romance, I tend to side with how the original film concludes. Susan’s refusal is not only more realistic, but it also avoids further unanswered questions like who her guardian would be and how she as an adult would function as a little girl again. It’s one of those matters that seems right to the heart but not the head.

Replete with classic moments of humor, like the piano duet at FAO Schwarz or Josh’s reaction to caviar, Big remains director Penny Marshall’s best comedic film. 13 Going on 30, a female remake starring Jennifer Garner, captured some of the spirit of Big but could not compare with the original’s charm. Thanks to Tom Hanks’s equal facility with comedy and drama, Big was and is a big success.

Best line: (Josh’s mother, over the phone, thinking Josh is his own kidnapper) “You have my son?”
(Josh) “Yes.”
(His mother) “Look, if you touch one hair on his head, I swear I will spend the rest of my life making sure you suffer.”
(Josh) “Wow, thanks.”
 
Rank: 55 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

245 Followers and Counting

#71: Jumanji (1995)

13 Thursday Nov 2014

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Son of a shoe mogul, young Alan Parrish
Finds a board game
With the power to maim,
Jumanji its name.
Sucked into jungles with no one to cherish,
He disappears
And meets his worst fears
For twenty-six years.
 
Peter and Judy, two modern-day youths,
Start playing as well,
And the game raises hell
They cannot dispel.
Alan is freed and must face the hard truths:
His family did fade;
The town has decayed,
But the game must be played.
 
Finding his old playmate Sarah, they try
To finish the game,
And dangers untame
Distract from their aim.
Perils abound, which they cannot defy,
Hunters, stampedes,
And overgrown weeds,
But no one concedes.
 
Nearing the end, Alan rolls the last dice.
He wins as a man,
And according to plan,
All is as it began.
Jumanji must go, that unbearable vice,
But Alan’s set right,
And his future is bright,
Yet the game’s not done quite.
_________________
 

Jumanji was one of my favorite family films while growing up. Based on Chris Van Allsburg’s picture book with a much simpler story, it succeeds in summoning the same magic that highlights Van Allsburg’s books, namely the “what if” quality of fantasy. What if a giant locomotive stops in the middle of the street outside one’s door on Christmas Eve? What if one’s house were transported into outer space? What if monkeys and stampedes were to suddenly appear in one’s home? Yet Jumanji also boasts an entertaining story to accompany the images, with much more enjoyable characters than its science fiction follow-up Zathura.

Of course, in light of his recent death, all Robin Williams films now hold a touch of sadness, but Jumanji allowed him a (mostly) serious role that was still accessible to the child audience. Though the idea of being sucked into a board game has a silly quality that is touched on, Williams depicts the realistic loss and loneliness which someone in that position would necessarily endure. Bonnie Hunt is also endearing as his traumatized friend Sarah, while a young Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce play Judy and Peter, the only players from the original book. Just as Hans Conried voiced both Mr. Darling and Captain Hook in Disney’s Peter Pan, Jonathan Hyde plays both Alan’s father and his confrontational hunter Van Pelt, with a much more obvious parental parallel between the two. David Alan Grier is also hilarious as Officer Carl, whose reactions to the ever-increasing damage to his car are priceless.

The computer-generated imagery was still cutting-edge for 1995 but sadly hasn’t completely aged well. Though the jungle mayhem is still impressive and entertaining, it’s all clearly effects, particularly the monkeys and the giant spider puppets. Even so, children are more forgiving of such things; as a kid and adult, I still enjoyed every minute of this film (except that spider part—ugghhh).

Offering excitement, humor, and a bearded Robin Williams for all ages, Jumanji is a rollicking good time. As the chaos piles up, so does the danger, as well as the fun for those of us not experiencing it. And aside from the endorsement of child/parent harmony, the film also teaches an important moral: never play with strange items found buried and locked in an ancient chest. Lesson learned.

Best line: (gun store owner, when the pith-helmeted Van Pelt is eagerly purchasing a replacement weapon) “You’re not a postal worker, are you?”

 
Rank: 55 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

245 Followers and Counting

#72: Somewhere in Time (1980)

12 Wednesday Nov 2014

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The playwright Richard Collier
On the eve of his success,
Is met by an old woman
In emotional distress.
 
She gifts him with a watch
And an entreaty to return,
Then disappears to die that night,
And why he can’t discern.
 
Years later, Richard takes a drive
And finds the Grand Hotel,
An antique venue lost in time
With friendly personnel.
 
He notices a photograph
Of beauty unsurpassed:
Elise McKenna, actress,
And the woman he saw last.
 
Obsessed with her expression,
He does research on a dime
And is convinced that, with his mind,
He’ll travel back in time.
 
He does so with some effort;
With more, he wins her heart,
But Miss McKenna’s manager
Tries keeping them apart.
 
Their love grows ever stronger
And cannot be suppressed,
Until time’s rules divide them,
Leaving both of them depressed.
 
The broken hearts of Richard
And his sweet of decades past
End up uniting both of them
In timeless love at last.
________________
 

Yes, Somewhere in Time made me cry the first time. Time travel always has great potential as a story device, and allowing it to create tragic romance is a natural result. The film wasn’t particularly well-received at first, but over time has garnered a collection of avid fans, known officially as INSITE, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts, half of whom happen to be men. Thus, I’m not ashamed in the least to be touched by such a potentially sappy tearjerker.

Shedding his Superman persona from his previous film, Christopher Reeve plays hopeless romantic Richard Collier in possibly the most moving performance of his career. It may sound corny, but fate seems to guide him to his true love’s photo, driving him to zealously search for information about her and how he may connect with her. Some might consider this obsessive, but the all-consuming promise of romance excuses such complaints. When he finally reaches 1912, love grows naturally but quickly as he makes himself irresistibly charming to Miss McKenna, played by Jane Seymour, as always the epitome of feminine elegance. Christopher Plummer portrays her possessive manager, whose intentions are more benign and complex than a typical villain, though no less domineering. At times, the rather simple script could have fallen flat in the hands of lesser actors, but all three leads are distinguished.

As far as time travel goes, there are no time machines, police boxes, or DeLoreans; Richard leaps through decades with… hypnosis, which is not the most convincing of methods but still carries the requisite paradoxes and unforeseen complications. In addition to the dripping romanticism, it manages some quiet humor while avoiding the typical fish-out-of-water scenarios. Shot predominately on Michigan’s Mackinac Island, the cinematography is also lovely, often reminiscent of a faded watercolor painting. Then there’s the haunting music that sticks in one’s head long after the credits roll. Somewhere in Time did for Rachmaninoff what Ghost did for “Unchained Melody”; the flowing strains of Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini immediately conjure up the film’s emotions.

I am always deeply touched by reunions, by friends and loved ones meeting again after heartache on both sides. It is these homecomings that often enhance the endings of “Meet ‘em and Move On” films; they’re what make difficult films like Slumdog Millionaire and The Color Purple worth watching. The “together forever” kind of conclusion particularly has a special power that reinforces the tearjerker status of stories like Wuthering Heights, Grave of the Fireflies, and Titanic. Somewhere in Time’s final scene is just so depressingly romantic that it still brings my VC to tears. Simply beautiful.

Best line: (Richard, with a mock pick-up line that I must try sometime) “Young woman, if you do not walk with me, I shall go mad! Positively insane, and do crazed things to myself!”

 
Rank: 55 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

245 Followers and Counting

#82: Aladdin (1992)

02 Sunday Nov 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

 
Rank: 54 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

237 Followers and Counting

 

#86: Hook (1991)

29 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Movies, Poetry, Reviews, Writing

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

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

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

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

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

© 2014 S. G. Liput

235 Followers and Counting

 

#98: The Santa Clause (1994)

15 Wednesday Oct 2014

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

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

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

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

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

 
Rank: 53 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

229 Followers and Counting