Tag Archives: Fantasy

Brother Bear (2003)

10 Friday Oct 2014

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(Best sung to Phil Collins’s “On My Way”)
 
When Kenai’s totem is named as love,
The thing that will make him a man.
He thinks that the spirits who shine above
Are messing up his life’s future plan.
 
One small mistake gets his brother killed,
And he’s quick to blame a hostile bear.
His thirsting for vengeance is soon fulfilled,
And the spirits lift him in the air.
 
He is given a chance to discover anew
The life that he took through its eyes.
As a bear now, Kenai must
Team with a cub,
Who is vocal for his size.
 
As they are headed for the spirits’ mount,
His other brother hunts the pair.
As they journey, he and Koda make the miles count,
And they bond on the trip that they share.
 
Kenai’s soon shocked to learn the bear he slew
Was Koda’s missing mother, long gone.
Though the heartache they’re both feeling splits them up,
They need each other;
They’re now brothers worth relying on.
 
Upon the mountain, his human bro
Attacks to have revenge as well.
As Kenai is nearing a mortal blow,
The spirits abolish their spell.
 
They reunite as the changes fade,
Assisted by their brother above.
Kenai stays as a bear yet a man is made,
Through the totem that he’s now proud of,
A brother’s love.
______________
 

Whereas my opinions of WALL-E agreed with the critical consensus, Brother Bear performed poorly among critics and audiences, but I consider it one of Disney’s most underrated successes. From the mountainous vistas in a painterly art style to “all that cuddly bear stuff” which is both heckled and embraced, Brother Bear is a beautiful film that stands as Disney’s last great use of traditional animation.

Phil Collins may have declined in popularity since then, but his music for Brother Bear added so much to an already great film. As with Tarzan, his songs play over various montages, such as the opening scenes of brotherhood with Tina Turner singing the lovely and catchy “Great Spirits.” “On My Way” during the cross-country journey and “Welcome” during the salmon run are also unsung masterpieces, so to speak.

The pagan spirituality is taken more seriously than, say, the comedic ghostly ancestors of Mulan, but unlike the New Age crystals of Atlantis: The Lost Empire, the spirits of Brother Bear have some cultural basis in real Native American tradition. I found their incorporation in the story to be a respectful nod to a unique people, as Disney had previously done with Lilo and Stitch.

The animation is among Disney’s best, and I love the character designs, particularly Kenai’s bear form, which matches Joaquin Phoenix’s voice better than his human form. Young Jeremy Suarez as Koda has the same garrulous, road-tripping insistence as Shrek’s Donkey while embodying all that is cute about a teddy bear. As for comic relief, Disney couldn’t have done better for this Arctic film than Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as a moose version of their McKenzie Brothers comedy act (gotta love their game of “I Spy”).

In addition to the animation, comedy, and music, Brother Bear packs a powerful emotional punch that left me crying in the theater the first time I saw it. The entire message of the film is to see life from a different perspective, through another’s eyes, literally. Kenai misses this point throughout most of the film, only caring about his own loss, but when he realizes the far-reaching consequences of his actions, the sorrow is palpable, punctuated by Collins’s song “No Way Out.” While this tune is utterly depressing, sitting through the end credits is rewarded with an uplifting rewording of the song, which deserves a place in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame, along with the single “Look Through My Eyes.”

In addition to the much worse Home on the Range the next year, it’s a shame that Brother Bear’s poor reception spelled the end of Disney’s traditionally animated excellence. It’s exciting, moving, amusing, and able to bring my VC to tears every time. It’s an underprized gem about the value of love and brotherhood which deserved much better, eh.

Best line: (Koda, drowsily, when Kenai is waking him up) “Two more months, Mom….”

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

Next: #102 – On Golden Pond

© 2014 S. G. Liput

221 Followers and Counting

 

The Green Mile (1999)

07 Tuesday Oct 2014

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Paul Edgecomb was somehow scarred,
For he was once a prison guard
Upon the “mile” painted green.
The death row cells it ran between
Held prisoners awaiting there
The just and fair electric chair.
 
Upon this mile, he and his guys
Secured those sensing their demise:
An Indian with life’s regret,
A Cajun with a rodent pet,
And big John Coffey, dense but tame,
Who barely knows to spell his name.
 
One guard named Percy savored grief
And mocked the prisoners’ belief.
At every chance, with clear disdain,
He’d add unneeded extra pain,
But he was swiftly terrified
When “Wild Bill” disturbed his pride.
 
Though Billy’s antics were insane,
John Coffey proved much less profane.
He somehow healed a pain-filled Paul,
As well as Mr. Jingles small.
Both man and mouse were touched by John,
And their afflictions soon were gone.
 
Since Paul was freed of his torment,
He thought John might be innocent.
Although John seemed harmless throughout,
Nobody else held any doubt:
He killed two girls, or so they said.
He would be punished for the dead.
 
Paul’s friend and boss Hal wished that life
Would spare his cancer-stricken wife.
Paul’s guards agreed to transport John
To heal the tumor ere the dawn.
He did so and employed her trial
To punish sinners on the mile.
 
Paul saw that John was doing time
For Wild Bill’s appalling crime,
And though he wished to let John go,
He could not free him from death row.
Once John was dead with many tears,
Paul lived well past one hundred years.
Both he and Mr. Jingles wait
Upon the mile that is their fate.
_____________
 

Steven King’s preoccupation with horror and violence unfortunately detracts (for me) from most of his work, but in certain cases his talent for drama supersedes these aspects to create a truly memorable story. Misery and The Shawshank Redemption are such stories, and so is The Green Mile. As with Shawshank, The Green Mile deals with a prison of the past, but though there are fleeting glimpses of work details nearby, it depicts the even more somber area known as death row, or the Last Mile.

The main guards are uniformly either admirable or despicable, but all are well-cast. Tom Hanks as Paul Edgecomb yields a Gump-ish Southern drawl and even gets a brief reunion with Lieutenant Dan…I mean, Gary Sinise. David Morse, Jeffrey DeMunn, and Barry Pepper play Paul’s sensitive and respectful good ol’ boys, while (Lost alert!) Doug Hutchison convincingly portrays sadistic Percy Wetmore, who disregards life and hates mice, people, and not getting his way. Michael Clarke Duncan’s Oscar-nominated performance as John Coffey is the stand-out, that of an innocent soul too simple to defend itself and too oppressed by the world’s ill will to desire a protraction of this life. While his origins are ambiguous, scenes like the “flicker show,” in which the projector forms a halo around his head, confirm his innate goodness and miraculous legacy. The other prisoners are likewise skilled actors: Dancing with Wolves’s Graham Greene as the remorseful Arlen Bitterbuck, Michael Jeter as mouse-trainer Eduard Delacroix, and a frightening Sam Rockwell as the perverse Wild Bill Wharton. (Rockwell’s comedic role in Galaxy Quest that same year attests to his versatility as an actor.) Bonnie Hunt, Patricia Clarkson, and James Cromwell round out the surprisingly large cast.

Despite all the characters, the film’s plot progresses methodically, developing most characters gradually, such as the scope of Coffey’s mysterious powers and the extent of Percy’s and Wild Bill’s malice. Each subplot, with both drama and comic relief, is woven beautifully into the overall narrative: Paul’s urinary tract infection, Percy’s desire to work at a mental hospital, Hal’s dying wife, Coffey’s wrongful conviction, etc. Most of the credit goes to King, but director Frank Darabont, who also adapted Shawshank, deftly handles the various story threads with visual mastery. Aside from readers of the book, the viewer doesn’t know what will happen next, making scenes like the comeuppance of the two villains both shocking and brilliant.

With all this praise, The Green Mile could have made it into my top 100 if not for its many detractions. Profanity is plentiful, as is violence. Del’s botched execution scene in particular is as disturbing as the C-section in Prometheus and continues for far too long just to sicken the audience, as well as the characters. The family of his victim wanted him to suffer, but I doubt they intended for such an atrocity. Pair these issues with a preoccupation with urinating and an overall depressing atmosphere, and the film falls short of something truly uplifting.

Yet, while critics can nitpick and delve into the themes and details for social and spiritual meaning, the film works on the surface as a proficient supernatural tragedy. The death of gifted innocence is always sad, and The Green Mile achieves a poignancy that most films only dream of.

Best line: (John Coffey, speaking for all decent people nowadays) “Mostly I’m tired of people being ugly to each other. I’m tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world every day. There’s too much of it.”

 
Artistry: 10
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 9
Watchability: 8
Other (language, violence): -2
 
TOTAL: 51 out of 60
 

Next: #104 – WALL-E

© 2014 S. G. Liput

220 Followers and Counting

 

Shrek 2 (2004)

03 Friday Oct 2014

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Fiona and Shrek, ever since true love’s kiss,
Are living the good life in marital bliss,
But soon they’re invited to Far Far Away
To meet with her parents, in spite of Shrek’s nay.
 
The journey is long and the company grates,
And when they arrive, the whole welcome deflates.
The king is disgusted by Shrek’s ogre ways,
And Shrek gives an equally ornery gaze.
 
A Fairy Godmother then visits Fiona
And isn’t much thrilled with her ogre persona.
The Godmother planned all along for her son
Prince Charming to wed her, till Shrek jumped the gun.
 
She urges the King, who is under her thumb,
To get rid of Shrek, so her own prince can come.
The King hesitantly obeys and recruits
A famed mercenary known as Puss in Boots.
 
The cat doesn’t win but befriends the main pair
And guides them to Godmother’s potion-filled lair.
One potion that guarantees beauty and joy
Transforms the two ogres to a real girl and boy.
 
The Godmother sees this as her perfect chance
For Charming to woo the princess at a dance,
But Shrek, with the help of his fairy tale friends,
Attacks the King’s castle before the night ends.
 
Redeeming himself, the King sticks up for Shrek
And thwarts the corrupt fairy pain-in-the-neck.
Both parents and son-in-law now get along,
And Donkey and Puss sing a toe-tapping song.
__________________
 

Shrek 2 ranks on my list as DreamWorks Animation’s best CGI film, as well as their most successful.  It also holds a special place in my heart thanks to my mom.  I was only 10 when my mom picked me up from school one day, but instead of driving home, I suddenly realized we were entering the parking lot of our local movie theater to see what else but Shrek 2.  The unexpected surprise (and enjoyable film) became one of those indelible childhood memories, even if she herself barely remembers it.

The film itself was a joy to watch, bringing back all the lovable players from the first film and introducing new classic characters.  It builds on the original story and doesn’t repeat itself.  Nearly every joke hits its target, and there are so many details and parodies that repeated viewings are definitely rewarded.  At the very beginning during the Oscar-nominated song “Accidentally in Love,” there are references to From Here to Eternity, Spider-Man, and The Fellowship of the Ring, and countless others follow, including spoofs of Alien, E.T., Beverly Hills Cop, Frankenstein, The Mask of Zorro, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii 5-0, and even the O. J. Simpson chase footage.  The Zorro resonances are especially ingenious since Antonio Banderas plays his feline counterpart Puss in Boots with enough gusto to give Donkey a run for his money as best animal sidekick.  (I’m a sucker for those big dark eyes.)  Yet, in addition to all these parodies, the film retains its own brand of humor:  Donkey’s annoying are-we-there-yets, the clever exchanges that both Shrek & Fiona and King Harold & Queen Lillian share before their rendezvous, the glimpses of the villains’ pub and the red carpet night.  As with the first film, a soundtrack of contemporary songs complements several thrilling action scenes; Jennifer Saunders’s rendition of “Holding Out for a Hero” as Shrek storms the castle is easily the best sequence of the whole film and my favorite version of the song.

Shrek 2 was a high point for DreamWorks that was quickly lowered by the likes of Madagascar and Shrek the Third.  The third Shrek film was an uninspired, unfunny mess focusing on all the wrong things and was only partially redeemed by the decent Shrek Forever After.  Perhaps it would have been better if Shrek and the gang had been left singing “Livin’ La Vida Loca.”  As far as satirical comedies with a romantic heart of gold go, DreamWorks has yet to do better.

Best line: (Fiona, unsure what Shrek’s new form looks like, questioning Puss) “Shrek?”  (Puss, eyeing her) “For you, baby, I could be.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 9
Watchability: 10
Other (I like other films more): -5
 
TOTAL: 51 out of 60
 

Next: #107 – Captain America: The First Avenger

© 2014 S. G. Liput

215 Followers and Counting

 

Ghostbusters II (1989)

28 Sunday Sep 2014

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Dana Barrett has a baby,
But out on the street one day,
Oscar in his baby carriage
Very nearly rolls away.
 
Though the former Ghostbusters
Were forced to locate other work,
Dana asks them to inspect
To see if any dangers lurk.
 
Working at an art museum,
Dana feels uneasy toward
Vigo the Carpathian,
Whose portrait is to be restored.
 
Peter Venkman and his cohorts
Dig into First Avenue,
Where Ray finds a ghastly river
Full of pink slime flowing through.
 
Once the ‘Busters prove they’re sane
By vanquishing two apparitions,
They begin to find more business,
Fueling slime-induced suspicions.
 
When the slime tries grabbing Oscar,
Dana flees to Venkman’s flat,
While the others check the sewers,
Where the moody slime is at.
 
Egon, Winston, Ray, and Peter
Are arrested once again,
And poor Oscar soon is kidnapped
To the art house, Vigo’s den.
 
Once he starts his reign of terror,
All the Ghostbusters are freed,
And they use a certain giant
Statue in their time of need.
 
Crashing evil Vigo’s party,
They destroy his floating head.
Having rescued Dana’s baby,
Peter fills her ex’s stead,
And the Ghostbusters are honored
As defeaters of the dead.
___________________
 

Most probably disagree, but yes, I like the second Ghostbusters more than its predecessor. Perhaps it’s because I saw it first for some reason.  (Similarly, my VC saw Superman II first and prefers it to the original).  Ghostbusters is always hailed as being full of hilarious lines and incidents, but to me, Ghostbusters II is even more so. The pathetic birthday scene seems to indicate the franchise’s fall from grace early on, but it just keeps getting better and better. From Venkman’s side-splitting looks on his psychic TV show to the courtroom scene with Louis Tully’s awkward reappearance to the inversely scary and funny effects of the pink slime (long before the whole ground beef controversy), the hilarity just keeps coming.

Some critics complained that the sequel didn’t add anything to the franchise. Though it doesn’t try to exceed its predecessor, it continues its clever script with even more potent quotables.  For example: “Doe, Ray, Egon.”  In addition, Venkman’s baby banter makes him much more likable than in the first film, and while the villain Vigo is just as soberly menacing as Gozer was, he has a welcome addition in Peter MacNicol as Dr. Janosz Poha, whose Eastern European accent inevitably elicits crack-ups. Plus, while the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was a fictional character, the climax with the Statue of Liberty not only looks more realistic but has the desired uplifting effect on the audience as well as the characters.

I may be in the minority, but I feel that Ghostbusters II was an improvement on the first film, with a similarly absurd plot and lovable characters spouting lines worthy of repetition. There may not ever be a third film with the original cast, but Ghostbusters II is an outstanding swan song for the franchise. Though it may soon return from the dead…with women….

Best lines (so many): (the mayor) “Being miserable and treating other people like dirt is every New Yorker’s God-given right.”
 
(Venkman, upon being asked why they drilled a hole in the middle of the street) “Well, there are so many holes in First Avenue, we really didn’t think anyone would notice.”
 
(Egon, analyzing Oscar’s nursery) “Cozy. My parents didn’t believe in toys.”
(Ray, later on) “You mean you never even had a Slinky?”
(Egon) “We had part of a Slinky. But I straightened it.”

 

Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 8
Watchability: 10
Other (language): -1
 
TOTAL: 51 out of 60
 

Next: #111 – The Matrix

© 2014 S. G. Liput

213 Followers and Counting

 

Shrek (2001)

15 Monday Sep 2014

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Within his swamp, the ogre Shrek
Desires just to be alone,
Content to occupy his wreck
And scare invaders of his zone.
 
But then a Donkey who can talk
Annoys him with his friendliness,
And later, to the ogre’s shock,
He’s forced to share his home address.
 
A bunch of fairy tale rejects
Are dropped outside his home’s facade,
So Donkey eagerly directs
The way to Duloc’s Lord Farquaad.
 
Farquaad has plans to be a king
But needs a princess far away,
So he commissions Shrek to bring
Fiona back without delay.
 
To get his swamp back, Shrek relents,
And Donkey joins him on his quest.
The task before them is immense;
A dragon keeps out every guest.
 
They find and rescue their princess
And narrowly escape the beast.
She’s startled by Shrek’s ugliness
As well as glad to be released.
 
Along the way back to Duloc,
She seems disheartened by the night,
Yet she makes Shrek and Donkey gawk
At how this girl can burp and fight.
 
Unlikely romance starts to brew,
And late that evening Donkey learns
Fiona’s made an ogre too
Until the bright sunlight returns.
 
Next morning, Shrek delivers her,
Misunderstanding a remark,
While, eager for her curse’s cure,
Fiona wants to wed ere dark.
 
Since nobody is pleased at this,
It’s Donkey who convinces Shrek
To dare to be her true love’s kiss
And fight for her, ‘cause what the heck?
 
When Farquaad’s less than sympathetic,
Donkey’s new date makes him chow.
Fiona’s ugly curse poetic
Keeps her ogreish somehow,
And she and Shrek live less ascetic,
Happy ever after now.
____________________
 

Shrek is DreamWorks Animation’s golden boy, having won his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The un-jolly green giant launched their new wave of computer-generated comedies and initiated their unique brand of irreverent, pop-culture-laced humor. An instant classic, the film eclipsed Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. to win the very first Best Animated Feature Academy Award. Will Smith’s recitation of a whole scene from Shrek in I Am Legend illustrates the film’s impact on young and old moviegoers alike.

Mike Myers found his most iconic role as the Scottish-accented ogre, as did Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona. The rest of the voice actors are perfectly cast, from Eddie Murphy’s frenetic, amiable Donkey to John Lithgow’s hilariously narcissistic and overcompensating Lord Farquaad. It was the lovable cast that kept the franchise going for four films, even when it perhaps should have stopped while it was ahead.

“Fractured fairy tales” were nothing new, but Shrek’s mish-mashing of known Disney properties and original characters gave it a mocking edge that was well-tempered by the strangely engaging romance and the don’t-judge-a-book-by-its-cover lesson. The rousing score by Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell is instantly recognizable, and the film also boasts a rocking soundtrack of contemporary pop songs. Both songs and score complement the action and romance beautifully, particularly in the case of the slow-motion castle escape scene and John Cale’s cover of “Hallelujah” during a dramatic montage.

Despite some mild language that set it apart from Disney’s films, Shrek remains one of the high points for DreamWorks Animation. It’s an original fairy tale that offers a fresh take on familiar material.

Best line: (Donkey, complimenting Shrek’s swamp with a line I’ve used countless times since) “I like that boulder. That’s a nice boulder.”

VC’s best line: (Donkey, crashing the wedding) “All right, nobody move! I’ve got a dragon, and I’m not afraid to use it! I’m a donkey on the edge!”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 8
Originality: 9
Watchability: 9
Other (I like other films more): -4
 
TOTAL: 50 out of 60
 

Next: #120 – Jesus Christ Superstar

© 2014 S. G. Liput

207 Followers and Counting

 

Ghost (1990)

12 Friday Sep 2014

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Sam and Molly love each other;
Carl Bruner’s like a brother.
This young pair can’t get much hotter
When they start to play the potter.
Out of nowhere, Sam is slaughtered.
 
On this earth, his ghost remains
And watches Molly’s grieving pains.
He’s shocked that this is now a thriller
When his unrepentant killer
Sneaks in, possibly to kill her.
 
Sam is even more surprised
When a psychic advertised
Turns out capable of hearing
Sam, who gets her volunteering
To keep Moll from disappearing.
 
Molly doubts this Oda Mae,
But it’s hard to turn away.
Carl’s quick to sweep aside
Warnings; he has much to hide.
It was due to him Sam died.
 
Being reimbursed for fraud,
His plan to steal from Sam was flawed.
Sam, through spying, knows Carl’s lying
And continues in his trying
To keep Molly too from dying.
 
Also, Oda Mae’s in danger
When she poses as a stranger
To take Carl’s laundered riches,
Thanks to Sam’s own vengeance, which is
Not without some minor glitches.
 
Carl’s quickly put on edge
When he cannot make his pledge.
After Sam enjoys some passion,
He defends in ghostly fashion
From his “friend,” now scared and ashen.
 
After Carl’s quite unnerved,
Some bloody just desserts are served.
Though their hearts again are breaking,
Sam accepts his own leave-taking
For a heaven of his making.
_________________
 

Ghost is one of those few films that tries to span multiple genres and does so with surprising success. It’s a sensual romance, a supernatural comedy, and a nerve-racking thriller all in one, with some touches of horror thrown in for good measure. The film has special meaning for my family, since its main theme “Unchained Melody” was my parents’ song while dating (you know, “their” song) and the first dance at their wedding reception. Acting as a star vehicle for all three of its headliners, Ghost gained Whoopi Goldberg her lone Oscar win and gave Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore arguably their most popular roles.

To be honest, Goldberg really makes the film. The romance and thriller aspects would probably have been enough to gain it some Oscar nominations and the associated notoriety, but her comedic presence is so spot-on that every one of her scenes makes Ghost that much better. Her awkward reactions to Sam’s invisible voice and his musical method of coercing her (however reluctantly) are simply hilarious, yet they somehow fit in with the otherwise serious film.

Directed by Jerry Zucker of Airplane! fame, Ghost goes back and forth—though not often enough—between Sam’s perspective (with him fully visible) and that of everyone else, who only see Oda Mae arguing with herself. This also allows for a tender reunion scene with Sam and Molly that would look pretty weird from the other perspective. The special effects, including Sam’s intangibility and the glimpses of heaven and hell, are admittedly dated by today’s standards, but they serve the story well enough to not be distracting.

On the down side, the famous potter’s wheel scene gets a little overly explicit, foul mouths abound, and Tony Goldwyn’s death scene is like something out of Final Destination. Aside from the characters speaking of marriage like it’s some radical idea, the film also presents a clearly Hollywood-inspired version of heaven. Not to be judgmental, but Sam doesn’t seem particularly deserving of heaven; in fact, the only thing that seems to warrant hell is intent to kill. No mention is made of God either. It’s not that ghost movies necessarily need clear references to the Lord, but for one that shows an obvious vision of the pearly gates, something is definitely lacking.

Despite these quibbles, Ghost excels in all three of its chosen genres and inverts horror conventions by making the vengeful spirit the protagonist. While not necessarily the best film of 1990, Ghost remains an entertaining and hopelessly romantic foray into the supernatural. Can I get a “Ditto”?

Best line: (Oda Mae Brown, while yelling up at Molly’s apartment) “I’m not gonna stand out here forever!”  (a workman, higher up) “Thank God!”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 9
Watchability: 9
Other (successful genre fusion): +2
Other (language, violence, sex): -4
 
TOTAL: 50 out of 60
 

Next: #123 – Yentl

© 2014 S. G. Liput

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Ghostbusters (1984)

07 Sunday Sep 2014

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Peter Venkman, Ray, and Egon
Study strange phenomena,
ESP and ghostly sightings,
Things to make you drop your jaw.
 
When they lose their college funding,
Business is their next endeavor,
Catching floating apparitions
With devices odd and clever.
 
Soon they get an early nibble
(Which they then put off till later):
Dana Barrett’s seeing creatures
In her home refrigerator.
 
When they capture their first specter,
Calls begin to flood the lines.
New York seems to be attracting
Unexpected eerie signs.
 
He and Dana hit it off,
More or less (it grows with time).
They confine all ghosts they find,
Fighting through recurrent slime.
 
When the EPA comes calling,
Blasting them for violations,
They turn off the storage system,
Loosing phantom infestations.
 
In the meantime, Dana’s fallen
To the demon Zuul’s possession.
She and neighbor Louis Tully
Plan for Gozer’s near aggression.
 
As an otherworldly portal
Helps the ancient god appear,
All Ghostbusters block its way
Until it makes a friend a fear.
 
As a mountainous marshmallow
Wrecks New York, they roast it well,
Rescuing New York and Dana
From phantasms raising hell.
“Who you gonna call” for hauntings?
We all know the famous yell.
________________
 

Many, including my VC, will probably scoff at my not including Ghostbusters in my top 100. I know it’s extremely popular, utterly quotable, and uniquely entertaining, but it simply is not among my top comedies. The best explanation I can give is that I find the film more often amusing than laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Nonetheless, the story of apparition exterminators has rightfully earned a place on countless other top lists, including #28 of AFI’s top comedies. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis are in their prime with a clever script by the latter two, and Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, Rick Moranis, and Ernie Hudson add to the prodigious star power. A few rather dated effects are luckily overshadowed by some impressive pyrotechnics and a few haunting effects that look admittedly real (exploding eggs, flying library cards). Amid all the comedy are also some authentically frightening scenes, such as Dana’s armchair seizure. The refrigerator scene even possibly inspired a later horror film The Refrigerator about a chilled portal to hell. (“Generally, you don’t see that kind of behavior in a major appliance.”)

Some may insist that Ghostbusters ought to be higher, but I still enjoy its blend of comedy and bloodless horror, though I don’t care for its more demonic elements. I do have to include Ray Parker’s “Ghostbusters” in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame. Thirty years later, Ghostbusters remains as classic a haunt as ever.

Best line: (Ray, after they accidentally fry a maid cart that startled them) “I think we’d better split up.”
(Egon) “Good idea.”
(Peter) “Yeah. We can do more damage that way.”
 
VC’s best line: (Ray) “What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath-of-God-type stuff.”
(Peter) “Exactly.”
(Ray) “Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!”
(Egon) “Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes…”
(Winston) “The dead rising from the grave!”
(Peter) “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria!”

 

Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 7
Originality: 9
Watchability: 10
Other (language, demonic elements): -2
 
TOTAL: 50 out of 60
 

Next: #126 – The Music Man

© 2014 S. G. Liput

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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

 

#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

189 Followers and Counting

 

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

184 Followers and Counting