Tag Archives: Musical

#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

 

#100: My Fair Lady (1964)

14 Tuesday Oct 2014

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(Best sung to “On the Street Where You Live”)
 
Covent Garden’s full of the unwashed crowd,
Peasants selling wares with accents none should speak aloud.
One rude gentleman knows each origin
And shows off his obscure expertise.
 
One poor flower girl whom he ridicules
Thinks he’ll help her speak all proper-like with English rules.
He is boorish, yet when he’s posed a bet,
He can’t wait for her Cockney to cease.
 
Though Eliza starts to become upset,
She is quickly washed and focused on her alphabet.
Speaking night and day, she is told to say
Sentences of the plain rain in Spain.
 
Henry Higgins and everyone nearby
Grow more weary every time she mutilates an “I.”
She sends Higgins spite till she gets it right,
And she tries in the gentry’s domain.
 
Though tact comes and goes, Higgins thinks that she
Now is ready for a ball with aristocracy.
There his girl excels, casting countless spells
On the nobles who speak so genteel.
 
When it all is done, Higgins’ ego soars,
With no credit for Eliza, whom he just ignores.
She deserts him there in unsure despair,
And the snob doesn’t know how to feel.
 
When he finds her next, she proclaims that she
Doesn’t need him and his arrogant contumely.
When the haughty sir then starts missing her,
She returns by unspoken appeal.
_______________
 

My Fair Lady is one of only ten musicals to win the Best Picture Academy Award, beating out Mary Poppins that same year. Based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, this musical version retains much of his clever dialogue and social commentary and adds a number of classic songs. Alan Jay Lerner’s lyrics are a poet’s delight, making excellent use of internal and feminine rhyme. My favorites would have to be Rex Harrison’s sung/spoken diatribes “Why Can’t the English Learn to Speak?,” “An Ordinary Man,” and “Why Can’t a Woman Be More Like a Man?,” as well as Freddy’s lovestruck serenade “On the Street Where You Live.” Eliza’s dreamy arias “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “I Could Have Danced All Night” are among the film’s most recognizable tunes, but my VC and I find them rather bland compared with her empowered melodies, like “Show Me” and “Without You.” Most of the songs fill a purpose or convey an idea, but those sung by Eliza’s alcoholic father seem like filler, particularly “Get Him to the Church on Time,” even if they’re the most fun ditties.

The film also swept other Oscar categories, such as Director (for George Cukor), Cinematography, Score, and its most well-deserved Best Actor. Rex Harrison is so perfect for Henry Higgins, it’s impossible to imagine anyone else in the role. Audrey Hepburn gives an outstanding performance as well, handling both her Cockney and refined accents skillfully with the proper amount of slight overlap in some later emotional scenes. Why she was not even nominated for Best Actress is one of 1964’s great mysteries, though it still might have gone to Poppins’ Julie Andrews, who originated the role of Eliza on Broadway. True, Eliza’s overreactions early on are appropriately irritating, and her singing voice was dubbed in most instances by renowned dubber Marni Nixon, but Hepburn deserved recognition for what became one of her most enduring roles. The film’s weak point is its final scene, and as much as I dislike the Communist Shaw, I agree with him that the story (which was revised against his wishes) should not end with Eliza returning to her unappreciative “creator.” It ends on an ambiguous note with no indication that Higgins will actually change his behavior toward her, regardless of his obvious self-stifled affection.

My mom ofttimes relates how, in the early ‘80s, she attended an actual Broadway show of My Fair Lady with none other than Rex Harrison himself, perhaps twenty feet away from her seat (it gets closer every time she tells it). There was a different Eliza, but a few other familiar players from the film cast were present. She has called it an awe-inspiring high point in her entertainment life. Perhaps her love for the material transferred to me, for My Fair Lady is among my favorite musicals and a worthy beginning to my top 100 countdown.

Best line: (Higgins, explaining the bet to Eliza) “Eliza, you are to stay here for the next six months learning to speak beautifully, like a lady in a florist’s shop. If you work hard and do as you’re told, you shall sleep in a proper bedroom, have lots to eat, and money to buy chocolates and go for rides in taxis. But if you are naughty and idle, you shall sleep in the back kitchen amongst the black beetles and be wolloped by Mrs. Pearce with a broomstick. At the end of six months, you will be taken to Buckingham Palace, in a carriage, beautifully dressed. If the king finds out you are not a lady, you will be taken to the Tower of London, where your head will be cut off as a warning to other presumptuous flower girls! But if you are not found out, you shall have a present… of, ah… seven and six to start life with as a lady in a shop. If you refuse this offer, you will be the most ungrateful, wicked girl, and the angels will weep for you!”

 
Rank: 53 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

229 Followers and Counting

 

Brother Bear (2003)

10 Friday Oct 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next: #102 – On Golden Pond

© 2014 S. G. Liput

221 Followers and Counting

 

Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)

17 Wednesday Sep 2014

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(Can be sung to the title song)
 
Well, here’s the tale of Miss Loretta Lynn.
She grew up poor, and no one thought it sin.
Kentucky fit her fine,
Her daddy worked in the coal mine,
And life went on as it had always been.
 
But then one day, a man by the name of Doolittle
Caught her eye, and she caught his as well.
Their romance sure was fast,
Her parents were both aghast,
But soon the couple were wed, no ring to tell.
 
It was rough at first, but once they moved away,
They settled down and had kids without delay.
When Doo bought her a guitar,
Who would guess she’d be a star?
Soon she could play it well and sing all day.
 
When her husband urged her on to singing fame,
They both traveled ‘cross the land to earn acclaim.
Her first song climbed up the charts,
And she moved the minds and hearts
Of country fans that made her a household name.
 
Yeah, she soon was best of friends with Patsy Cline,
But Doo was growing jealous all the time.
While she was off on tour,
He raised their kids and more;
They stayed together ever since that coal mine.
 
Though the touring took its slow, exhausting toll,
She bounced right back and sang straight from her soul.
With Doo there by her side,
She sang out countrywide,
This star once born as a coal miner’s daughter.
________________
 

There’s no shortage of musical biopics; the lives of Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and (most recently) Frankie Valli and James Brown have all gotten the Hollywood treatment. In many ways, Coal Miner’s Daughter follows the same formula as many of these, depicting Loretta Lynn’s early poverty, her rise from obscurity, and her marriage and drug issues that luckily did not destroy her like so many others. The script even features a number of lines that could apply to other biopics, such as “Getting’ here’s one thing. Bein’ here’s another” and “If you slow down, they forget about you.” Despite the danger of falling into the not-yet-established clichés, the film succeeds mainly due to the pitch-perfect acting and the endearing way of life shown with both bad and good alike.

After playing a telekinetic misfit in Carrie and a country friend of John-Boy’s on two episodes of The Waltons, Sissy Spacek found her most acclaimed, Oscar-winning role as Loretta Lynn and was specifically chosen for the film by Lynn herself. The fact that Spacek sang all of her songs (as did Beverly D’Angelo as Patsy Cline) raises the film above dubbed biopics and makes it more fascinating to watch. Other films like The Buddy Holly Story and Walk the Line have done the same, but Spacek has a heart and an unaffected earnestness that sets her apart. Tommy Lee Jones as Doo portrays both his faults and his unabashed confidence in his wife with likable pushiness, particularly when he irritably growls “like a big ol’ bar.” Though his attraction to a young teenager is potentially creepy, their relationship is sympathetic and affectionate enough to make them a realistic married couple. The other actors, including Levon Helm as Loretta’s father, are all well-cast, but the leading pair is the heart of the film.

There aren’t many biopics on my list, but Coal Miner’s Daughter is one of my favorites. With its classic country soundtrack and a realistic rise to fame (with only a minor fall), it’s an endearing and straightforward look at a down-to-earth legend.

Best line: (Doo, after complaining about Loretta’s uselessness) “What are you doin’ in this bottom, anyway?”
(Loretta) “I came to see the doctor.”
(Doo) “What for, you sick?”
(Loretta) “Yeah, I’m sick all right; I’m goin’ to have a baby.”
(Doo, laughing) “You know, Loretta, we may have found something you know how to do!”

 

Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 10
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 8
Watchability: 9
Other (country soundtrack and Spacek’s actual singing): +6
Other (language): -1
 
TOTAL: 50 out of 60
 

Next: #118 – E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

© 2014 S. G. Liput

209 Followers and Counting

 

#120: Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

16 Tuesday Sep 2014

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(Can be sung to the tune used in “The Temple” and “The Arrest”)
 
Hippies drive to a desert land,
A raucous, happy, and long-haired band,
To recreate Jesus Christ’s last days,
The most musical of all passion plays.
 
Jesus has followers galore,
But Judas fears there is pain in store.
The high priests plot to cause Jesus’ fall
Before His actions destroy them all.
 
He enters into Jerusalem,
Hosannas ring out to welcome Him.
By cleansing temples and man’s disease,
He keeps on gathering enemies.
 
Judas feels a relentless pull,
Although he fears it is damnable,
To give the Christ to His rivals’ hands
And be the traitor the tale demands.
 
While Jesus begs in His garden prayer,
The soldiers come to arrest Him there.
The high priests stir up the hateful mob,
And Pilate gives in to save his job.
 
Judas hangs himself in shame
But sings one last song all the same.
When Jesus Christ is crucified,
The actors leave, one less to ride.
______________
 

Andrew Lloyd Webber has created some of the best stage musicals ever produced. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was a worthy early effort, but Jesus Christ Superstar was his first real triumph. Webber exhibits a tremendous capacity for hummable tunes, some full songs (the lovely radio hit “I Don’t Know How to Love Him”), others short character motifs (“What’s the Buzz?” and “Always Knew That I’d Be an Apostle”). The Passion Week wouldn’t have been my initial idea for a rock opera, but it works, thanks largely to the plethora of memorable music and Tim Rice’s lyrics, which take the place of spoken dialogue.

As a Christian, I must point out that the musical is not always biblical, focusing on Christ’s humanity much more than His merely implied divinity. Some almost harem-like scenes suggest a physical relationship with Mary Magdalene, and the wording for the Last Supper is strangely twisted, as is Jesus’ fatigue from the incessant crowds. (I don’t believe He would ever have said “Leave me alone,” or “Heal yourselves” as in the stage version.) Plus, the film ends abruptly with the crucifixion, but without the resurrection denouement of The Passion of the Christ; instead, it borrows from Ben-Hur to show an obscure shepherd leading his sheep before the sun-circled cross. Aside from these religious issues, Jesus Christ Superstar also makes some odd artistic choices. While there is much symbolism and natural rock formations are favored over extravagant sets, the filmmakers throw in tanks and jet planes and hard hats, things that make no sense in this kind of movie.

It’s not above criticism, but Jesus Christ Superstar boasts a number of Broadway hits, sung by rocker Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman, and a host of less famous vocalists. One scene in particular is incredibly effective, the scene from the Bible that best displays Jesus’ humanity. His song in the Garden of Gethsemane may not be the catchiest, but it builds to a poignant series of painted crucifixion scenes that makes Jesus’ anxiety completely understandable. My VC even credits the song with deepening her Christian life. The song sung by “Simon Zealotes” is her favorite, though, and “This Jesus Must Die” and “Superstar” are mine. Almost every song is perfect, though Herod’s is uncomfortably derisive, if true to the character. Jesus Christ Superstar is neither the most faithful nor the most blasphemous of Jesus movies, but it’s one of the most watchable, as well as listenable.

Best line: (Jesus to the priests, in one of the few lines bespeaking His divinity) “Why waste your breath moaning at the crowd? Nothing can be done to stop the shouting! If every tongue were stilled, the noise would still continue! The rocks and stones themselves would start to sing!”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 10
Visual Effects: 5
Originality: 8
Watchability: 10
Other (great music): +4
Other (aforementioned issues): -3
 
TOTAL: 50 out of 60
 

Next: #119 – Coal Miner’s Daughter

© 2014 S. G. Liput

207 Followers and Counting

 

Yentl (1983)

13 Saturday Sep 2014

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(Best sung to “Papa, Can You Hear Me?”)
 
Yentl yearns to study,
Which to most is nutty;
She lives in a man’s world, no mistake.
Still her father taught her;
When he dies, his daughter
Leaves to start a new life full of faking.
 
Dressing as a man, she starts an ill-considered plan
To learn some more,
And soon she finds a yeshiva and finds a friend in Avigdor.
She deals with an attraction,
And all their interaction
Is focused on debating and the studies they adore.
 
Avigdor is smitten
Not with what is written
But with dear Hadass, yet he’s denied.
This is detrimental,
So he pressures Yentl
Into taking his place as the bridegroom.
 
Marriage to Hadass becomes a nightly albatross
She must beware,
Yet she encourages Hadass to learn and never fear to dare.
Hadass’s love is growing;
To Avigdor, it’s showing.
At long last, Yentl chooses
To admit her whole charade.
 
Avigdor is shaken
By the road she’s taken.
He stays with Hadass while
Yentl’s dreams won’t fade.
______________
 

Yentl is an outlier among musicals, possessing neither a Broadway counterpart nor a Golden Age of Hollywood predecessor. Barbra Streisand directed and starred in this Mulan-style drama and was the lone singer, though it’s a shame Mandy Patinkin as Avigdor didn’t get to prove his own musical talent, having originated the role of Ché in Evita. There are no show-stopping numbers or much of a “wow” factor for the most part; instead, the songs are written as Yentl’s internal monologues, sometimes sung outright, sometimes in voiceover, frequently featuring melodies inspired by Jewish chants.

Many may have felt the film was self-indulgent on Streisand’s part, including Isaac Bashevis Singer, the author of the short story on which it is based, but Streisand proves her skill both in front of and behind the camera. The cinematography is top-notch, particularly the use of lighting in various montage scenes. Streisand’s singing is unmatched, and she successfully displays a range of emotions, from mournful trepidation in “Papa, Can You Hear Me?” (which brings a tear to my VC’s eye) to impossible, unrequited love in “No Wonder.” Her main weakness is that she doesn’t try to deepen her voice or anything to make her sound more masculine, making her disguise and everyone’s acceptance of it rather unconvincing.

While the film departs from its source material by depicting Yentl’s subterfuge for the sake of Talmudic study in a positive light, I found the film satisfying overall. Aside from one scene of rear male nudity, it is entirely clean and concludes on an uplifting note, in sharp contrast to another Eastern European-set musical Fiddler on the Roof. The Oscar-winning score and songs by Michel Legrand (The Thomas Crown Affair, Wuthering Heights) have an often haunting quality to them, but they lack the catchiness and the hummability of other musicals. Still, as a poet, I have to admire the fluent, contemplative lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. I especially like “This Is One of Those Moments.”

Yentl is one of those films my VC would have even higher on her list. Those who dislike Barbra Streisand probably won’t like this Golden Globe-winning turn as both director and actress, but I enjoy almost any well-done musical, and Yentl is just that.

Best line: (Yentl) “If we don’t have to hide my studying from God, then why from the neighbors?”   (her father) “Why? Because I trust God will understand. I’m not so sure about the neighbors.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: N/A
Originality: 7
Watchability: 9
Other (authentic period setting, music, and Streisand’s singing): +7
 
TOTAL: 50 out of 60
 

Next: #122 – The King’s Speech

© 2014 S. G. Liput

206 Followers and Counting

 

The Music Man (1962)

08 Monday Sep 2014

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(Best sung to “Seventy-six Trombones”)
 
Traveling salesmen’s livings are hard enough
Without the bad name con men imply,
Such as a boy’s band shill named Professor Harold Hill,
Who gives River City, Iowa, a try.
 
Most of the townsfolk fall for his big charade,
But a couple of holdouts hold on to doubt,
Such as the rumored shrew named Miss Marian Paroo,
The librarian that Harold must check out.
 
Hill begins to woo Miss Marion and all the town,
Finagling, inveigling, every chance he gets.
Instruments and uniforms turn every frown
Upside down, banishing all regrets.
 
Though she tries to fight his magnetism all the way,
Still he tries family ties to convince the lass.
Generating hopeful trends and turning enemies to friends,
He signs up young boys to join his class.
 
When he at last has romanced Miss Marion,
Harold sees he’s been romanced as well.
As he has second thoughts, a rival foe connects the dots
And reveals that Hill has naught to sell.
 
Conquered by love, Hill’s caught by an angry mob,
And he must face the music he’s made.
As the kids poorly play, parental pleasure saves the day,
And they all proceed in a parade!
_________________
 

The Music Man is one of the great musicals of the stage and screen, and it happens to be one of my dad’s favorite movies. Seriously, he gets oddly gleeful at random little details, such as the smitten sighs of Marion and her mother. While that’s a little overboard, The Music Man is indeed a fine example of a faithful musical film adaptation.

Very few actors completely own their roles (Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady, Yul Brynner in The King and I), but Robert Preston originated the role of Professor Harold Hill and brings such incomparable charisma that no one can touch him. (Sorry, Matthew Broderick, your remake just can’t compare.) Likewise, Shirley Jones is impeccable as the gradually converted Marian the librarian, as are all the actors, including Paul Ford as the tongue-tied Mayor Shinn, Hermione Gingold as his priggish wife, Buddy Hackett as Hill’s accomplice Marcellus, Pert Kelton as Marion’s extremely Irish mother, the play’s Buffalo Bills as a barbershop quartet Hill forms, and little Andy–Griffith-aged Ronny Howard as Marion’s young lisping brother. Many characters possess a distinct song or background theme that punctuates their scenes; no wonder the film won the Oscar for best adapted score. (Side note: Shirley Jones was pregnant for much of the film shoot, which is skillfully hidden throughout the film. When she and Preston shared their kiss at the foot bridge, he actually felt the unborn Patrick Cassidy kick. Ironically, that same Patrick Cassidy will soon play Professor Harold Hill in a seven-state tour alongside his mother, now playing Marion’s mother.)

A few songs are less-than-memorable, such as “The Sadder but Wiser Girl” and “Being in Love,” but for the most part the film is practically one inspired hit after another. The songs by former John Philip Sousa bandmember Meredith Willson rely less on rhyme and more on rhythm, best demonstrated in the opening salesman song “Rock Island,” which perfectly matches the cadence of a locomotive. The soundtrack is replete with subsequent classics, from “Iowa Stubborn” to “Gary, Indiana” to “The Wells Fargo Wagon” to Buddy Hackett’s nonsensically titled showstopper “Shipoopi.” The best have got to be Preston’s slickly articulate “Ya Got Trouble,” his captivating dance number “Marian the Librarian,” and of course the Sousa-esque “Seventy-six Trombones.” The astounding, Tony-winning choreography by Onna White (Oliver!, Mame, 1776) is matched by some dynamic camerawork that follows the dancers in wide circles (along with some novel overhead shots) and captures the extended cavorting that must have taken much work to accomplish so seamlessly.

While slow in a few parts, The Music Man is a joy to watch, a testament to how mesmerizing swindlers can be and how satisfying it is when someone places enough belief and love in them to make them want to mend their ways. It may not be as high on my list as my dad would like, but I certainly see why it makes him so giddy—for the most part.

Best line: (Harold Hill, after Marion tries putting off his advances) “Oh, my dear little librarian, you pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you’ve collected nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to make today worth remembering.”

 
Artistry: 9
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 6
Originality: 8
Watchability: 9
 
TOTAL: 50 out of 60
 

Next: #125 – Men in Black trilogy

© 2014 S. G. Liput

201 Followers and Counting!

 

The Polar Express (2004)

02 Tuesday Sep 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

© 2014 S. G. Liput

194 Followers and Counting

 

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

 

Cinderella (1950)

11 Monday Aug 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next: #150 – The Nativity Story

© 2014 S. G. Liput

181 Followers and Counting