2020 Blindspot Pick #4: Pom Poko (1994)

Tags

Animation, Anime, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

Nature weeps “Farewell”
As mankind bids it “Hello.”
Neither understands.
_____________________

Some may look at the fact that I’m only reviewing #4 of my list of 12 Blindspots for the year in October as a sign of being way behind and perhaps despair because of it. I prefer to think, “Wow, I’ll have such a great sprint of good movies around the holidays!” Either way, I’m finally returning to my Blindspot series with Studio Ghibli’s Pom Poko.

I’m very fond of the majority of the studio’s work, including the heartrending Grave of the Fireflies from the same director, but Pom Poko has never gotten much of a spotlight. Even in montages of various Ghibli movies, Pom Poko is pretty much relegated to one notable scene: a comical battle between two warring tribes of tanuki (Japanese raccoon dogs), which happens to be one of the very first scenes in the film. The rest of the movie was a mystery to me, so I was quite curious to see the rest of the story. Now that I have, I can see why it’s counted among the B-list of Ghibli classics, with the studio’s trademark charm and weirdness being overextended by length and repetition.

From the humorous battle scene on, the film often plays like a mythological nature documentary, explaining the many eccentricities of tanuki pulled straight from Japanese legend: their mischievous antics, shapeshifting abilities, penchant for parties, belly drumming, and…um, their prominent testicles. Yeah, more than anything else, that last point is probably why Pom Poko never hit it off in America. Folk tales tell of the many uses tanuki have for their shapeshifting male parts, and the movie runs with that (the English dub using the euphemistic “raccoon pouch”) as they’re shown expanding their “pouches” into parachutes and weapons. Just writing this feels bizarre, but hey, myths can be weird, especially considering raccoon dogs are a real species.

As with many other Ghibli films, the story is an environmentalist fable, detailing the loss of the tanuki’s forest habitat as man and technology encroach further and further. (I find it interesting that the comic strip Over the Hedge debuted just a year after this film with a similar basic premise.) Much of the movie is spent with the creatures attempting to fight back, leading to some highly entertaining sections where they use their supernatural abilities to scare the unsuspecting humans away. However, from the moment they realize mankind’s threat to the point of no return, there are far too many scenes of the leaders debating their strategy, weighing their options, and trying the same things repeatedly. At nearly two hours, I felt like the film could have easily shed a half hour with little loss.

Director Isao Takahata, Miyazaki’s compatriot in heading the studio’s early releases, won my heart with Grave of the Fireflies, but nothing quite compares with that tragic masterpiece. Pom Poko is at least a visual treat, and the character animation swings wildly in depicting the tanuki as realistic animals, anthropomorphic bipeds, or cartoony caricatures, depending on the mood of the scene. The English dub (which Americanizes the tanuki as just “raccoons”) also boasts a talented voice cast, including Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Clancy Brown, Maurice LaMarche, Tress MacNeille, and J.K. Simmons.

Aside from Spirited Away, Pom Poko might be the Ghibli film most wedded to Japanese culture; one extended scene has a master tanuki conjuring a horde of illusory yokai (Japanese spirits) to scare the humans, referencing stories that are no doubt far more familiar to Japanese audiences than Western ones. Plus, despite its cartoonish aspects, its themes and a few story elements are geared for somewhat older audiences compared to the more kid-friendly Ghibli options. Pom Poko is weird, overlong, creative, frequently delightful, wacky, and even bittersweet by the ending. It’s not likely to become a favorite, but I’m glad to have seen another entry from a legendary studio.

Best line: (Narrator, with a line you’ll never find in any other film) “They used their balls as weapons in a brave kamikaze attack.”

Rank:  Honorable Mention

© 2020 S.G. Liput
701 Followers and Counting!

Frozen II (2019)

Tags

Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Musical

I wish life were more like the movies that end with a swift fade to black,
Where characters make their departures while still in their glory and prime,
Where stories have definite endings and rarely, if ever, come back.
(Unless they accumulate money; then it’s only a matter of time.)

I wonder sometimes where my own life would warrant a “Cut!” and a “Print!”
I’m working my way to a climax, that’s hopefully not when I die.
I wonder if I’m stuck in filler and wish God would give me a hint.
I trust that I’ll know when I see it and hope that it will satisfy.
_______________________

MPA rating: PG

I liked Frozen when it came out in 2013. It’s on my Top 365 movie list. I watched it in the theater and still think “Let It Go” is one of the best movie songs from the last decade. Yet I did put it on my Top Twelve List of Overrated Movies, not because it was bad but because it was overexposed. Disney milked the merchandise so much that it was hard to tell whether the Frozen products ever really went away before the Frozen 2 merch took their place. So it’s easy to believe that Frozen 2 was made solely with profit in mind, but even if that’s the case, it deserves a fair shake and appraisal on its own merits. And I must say I enjoyed this sequel about as much as the first. Like its predecessor, it’s not above criticism, but it’s an enjoyable return to the franchise.

Peace has returned to Arendelle with Elsa (Idina Menzel) as queen, but a strange voice reaches out to her, drawing her to the enchanted forest to the north. And, of course, sister Anna (Kristen Bell), her boyfriend Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Sven the reindeer, and Olaf the snowman (Josh Gad) are right at her side. The plot of Frozen 2 seems to be the aspect most criticized, and indeed it is rather convoluted with flashbacks, mysteries, and vague explanations that can boil down to a single line of dialogue and thus aren’t answered as clearly as they could have been. Even so, cheap cash-ins don’t usually have this kind of laudable ambition, so I still appreciated how the world and lore of Frozen were expanded, even if its parallels to real-world issues are a bit half-baked. Oh, and did anyone else think the ending is suspiciously similar to Ralph Breaks the Internet? Just sayin’.

But come now, who watched Frozen for the plot? “Let It Go” was clearly the biggest draw, so how does the soundtrack compare? The songs of Frozen 2 may not seem as good at first, but I’ve found they get better with repetition. (Yes, I’ve listened to the soundtrack at work.) “Into the Unknown” is the most “Let It Go”-ish belter for Menzel and the only one nominated for the Best Song Academy Award, and I think it was robbed at the Oscars. But “Show Yourself” has even greater power, especially in the context of the film, while “Some Things Never Change” and “The Next Right Thing” are underappreciated gems, especially the latter for its surprisingly deep and relatable lyrics. The animation at least is one aspect that is clearly on par or better than the original; from the horse spirit made of water to the gorgeous fall foliage, the animation is as lovely as any Disney movie yet. I mean, look at this art!

Frozen 2 may not have been able to replicate the original’s awards, not even being nominated for Best Animated Feature (but neither was Weathering with You, so it’s in good company), but it did become the highest-grossing animated film ever, assuming you don’t count that Lion King remake. I still consider Elsa a bit too lacking in personality, but both films are a welcome return to the classic princess genre that so defined the Disney Renaissance of the ‘90s, with their strong female leads and lovable sidekicks. (Olaf once again gets the funniest scenes.) Plus, as a big fan of Norwegian singer Aurora, I was thrilled that she got such high-profile exposure being featured as “The Voice” in the film and “Into the Unknown,” even if her role is just four notes. Time will tell if Frozen 2 has the same kind of staying power that its predecessor had, but it’s a good way to end Disney Animation’s resurgence in the 2010s. Let’s hope it will continue into the next decade.

Best line: (Olaf; the irony is strong with this one) “Tell me, you’re older, and thus all-knowing; do you ever worry about the notion that nothing is permanent?”   (Anna) “Uh, no.”   (Olaf) “Really? Wow, I can’t wait until I’ve aged just like you, so I don’t have to worry about important things.”

 

Rank: List-Worthy (joining the first Frozen)

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
697 Followers and Counting

2020 Blindspot Pick #3: Annie Hall (1977)

Tags

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Love is hard to pin down –
What it is, where it’s from,
Why it makes you a clown
Or remarkably dumb,
Why it strokes you one minute with gentle caress
And pounds you the next with a cold callousness,
Why it fills you with joy at a memory made
That turns bittersweet as the joyful times fade,
Why it brings you to tears
At the thought of a laugh,
Why the grain is so worth
The abundance of chaff.
No, I can’t explain it, doubt anyone could.
You’ll know when you feel it, the bad and the good.
________________________

MPA rating: PG (should be PG-13 nowadays)

Have you ever watched a movie that you can appreciate for everything it does well but still just not connect with it? That was my reaction to Annie Hall. This Best Picture-winning rom com is among Woody Allen’s most iconic films, and I can see why. From innovative storytelling to an insightful script, it deserved acclaim, but I can only offer it so much.

Allen himself plays Alvy Singer, a neurotic Jewish comedian, who after a couple failed marriages, falls for the offbeat beauty Annie Hall (Diane Keaton), with whom he shares a rollercoaster of a romance. The longer I watched Annie Hall, the more a thought continued to grow in my mind: “This is just like (500) Days of Summer!” Sure, Alvy has little in common with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character in that much later film, but there were so many parallels: the non-linear storyline, the quirky girlfriend, the occasional use of split-screen, the digressions with unconventional styles (an animated sidebar here vs the musical number in the other), the ultimate depression as a once happy romance peters out. The 2009 film is practically a remake, though not exactly, sort of how I felt about the plot similarities between Hidden and A Quiet Place.

Annie Hall has so many creative choices that just feel unique and revolutionary even, such as Alvy repeatedly breaking the fourth wall, the visual representation of how a lover feels distant, characters’ inner thoughts being shown as subtitles to contrast with what they’re saying, or his discussions with random people on the street as if they were parts of his subconscious. And then there were the plethora of cameos, from Paul Simon and Carol Kane in larger roles to Christopher Walken used for a one-off gag, not to mention certain stars who had yet to become famous, like Jeff Goldblum, John Glover, and Sigourney Weaver.

And yet, for all those strengths that I enjoyed, I was left feeling oddly cold. For the film being considered the 4^th greatest comedy by AFI, I recall a chuckle here and there but no big laughs; it was full of lines where I didn’t laugh but instead thought, “That’s humorous,” which doesn’t seem like what a comedy should do. Perhaps it was the presence of Woody Allen himself. His overly neurotic Alvy, obsessed with death and Jewish discrimination, is quite a character, but I couldn’t stand to be around someone like him in real life. Plus, there’s the mental baggage of the real-life Allen and the scandalous allegations surrounding him. My VC says he makes her skin crawl and didn’t enjoy the film because of him; the only film with him she rather liked was The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, in which he’s constantly disparaged.

So, I guess I can count Annie Hall with so many other classics that just didn’t quite live up to expectations, right alongside the likes of The Third Man and The Philadelphia Story. I can appreciate it for its groundbreaking eccentricities, but when I consider that it won Best Picture over Star Wars, I just have to shake my head. Considering all the things I liked in Annie Hall, I just thought I would like the whole package more.

Best line: (Alvy Singer’s Therapist) “How often do you sleep together?”
(Annie Hall’s Therapist) “Do you have sex often?”
(Alvy, lamenting) “Hardly ever. Maybe three times a week.”
(Annie, annoyed) “Constantly. I’d say three times a week.”

 

Rank: Honorable Mention

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
692 Followers and Counting

 

Paddington 2 (2017)

Tags

Comedy, Family, Fantasy

(The final NaPoWriMo prompt for the month is to write a poem about something that returns, so I went a bit cynical for a lovably uncynical film.)

A ubiquitous rule of the filmmaking sphere
Is “That which makes money returns.”
Before all the interest and buzz disappear,
They’ll double whatever it earns.

Who cares if the second is not the first’s equal?
(It could be, but most tend to doubt.)
The crowds will turn out nonetheless for the sequel;
That’s why they keep churning them out.
___________________

MPA rating: PG

Paddington 2 is what got me to finally watch these movies. The first Paddington‘s 97% on Rotten Tomatoes is nothing to sniff at, but when its sequel earns a rare 100% and becomes the highest-rated film in Rotten Tomatoes history, it’s time to take a look. And indeed Paddington 2 is the kind of sequel other sequels wish they could be, building on the first with even more genuine sweetness and gently clever humor.

Paddington Bear (Ben Whishaw) is still living happily with the Brown family in London and searching for the perfect birthday present for his distant Aunt Lucy, finding it in an antique pop-up book. In place of Nicole Kidman’s vengeful taxidermist, the new villain on the block is Hugh Grant’s arrogant but washed-up actor Phoenix Buchanan, who has his own designs on the pop-up book and manages to frame Paddington for its theft. With Paddington in prison, the Browns seek to clear their ursine family member’s name.

Ignoring a few predictable elements toward the end, Paddington 2 is an all-around joy of a family film. Paddington himself remains a refreshingly genteel and lovable protagonist, and I loved how he gradually wins over the hardened criminals in the jail through, you know, friendship and marmalade. Many scenes are made wondrous through their handsome visual playfulness, whether by unique sets or seamless effects, and I had to admire how well-structured the gags and side characters’ sub-stories were, each one getting some kind of payoff during the climax. With Hugh Grant being so highly praised for his flamboyant villain, I was expecting a bit more from him, but he still provided a theatrical hamminess that fit perfectly into the plot. And it’s a cold heart that won’t want to shed a tear at the ending.

I’m torn on the ranking I should give Paddington 2. I did love it, but I feel like I’d love it more if I’d seen it as a child, with the same nostalgic fondness I have for something like Stuart Little. Of course, my affection for it could very well grow the more I see it. I don’t know that it deserves to be the highest-rated film ever, but I can certainly agree it’s as close to a modern classic as any recent family film has gotten. It’s a heartwarming reminder that, every now and then, a sequel can validate its existence on its own merits.

Best line: (Mr. Curry, glad that Paddington is gone) “We don’t want him here.”   (Mr. Brown) “No, of course you don’t. YOU never have! As soon as you set eyes on that bear, you made up your mind about him. Well, Paddington’s not like that. He looks for the good in all of us, and somehow he finds it! It’s why he makes friends wherever he goes. And it’s why Windsor Gardens is a happier place whenever he’s around. He wouldn’t hesitate if any of us needed help! So stand aside, Mr. Curry, ’cause we’re coming through.”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
684 Followers and Counting

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

Tags

Action, Animation, Comedy, Dreamworks, Family, Fantasy

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was for a poem praising pets, so I went a bit mythological to extol a dragon as a pet.)

Cats are cute and dogs are dear,
And yet the pet without a peer
Is easily the rarest kind,
The least beloved and most maligned,
The lizards born of myth and lore
That few have ever seen before,
Who ride the winds and skim the waves
And send the bravest to their graves,
Who’ve earned renown as hoarders, wyrms,
Monsters, fiends, and harsher terms
Yet are perhaps misunderstood
And might spice up the neighborhood.
For, given love, like any beast,
A dragon can be tamed, at least.

So Mom and Dad, you have to let
Me get a dragon as a pet.
I’ll take him out on flights each day
And teach him how to roar and slay.
He’ll never singe the rugs, I swear.
Oh, please, let’s have a dragon lair!
______________________

MPA rating: PG

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the third installment in the How to Train Your Dragon series. I loved the first film, while the second left me rather cold, and angry honestly at the way Hiccup’s father was torn from his family. I still consider myself a fan of the series, so I was hopeful The Hidden World would end the trilogy on a better note. Thankfully, it managed to deliver both an entertaining adventure and a satisfying conclusion to the story of Hiccup the Viking and Toothless the Night Fury.

Like many a DreamWorks film, The Hidden World does feel a tad recycled. Expanding the first film’s culture of dragon-hunting, the new villain is the famous and feared dragon hunter Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham), who, like Drago in the second film, employs his own dragons for his purposes. And since the first film’s dragon nest and the second film’s dragon sanctuary weren’t impressive enough, we learn that Hiccup’s father was also searching for an even bigger “Hidden World,” the original home of the dragons. When Grimmel threatens the village of Berk and the peace between Vikings and dragons, Hiccup and his friends evacuate everyone to search for a new safe haven in this Hidden World.

Thanks to ever-improving technology, The Hidden World is probably the best looking of the three films, with lighting, shading, and fire and water effects adding greatly to the atmosphere and the thrilling action scenes. Abraham’s voice also makes Grimmel a dignified but menacing antagonist. The dire threat reinforces the slightly darker epic tone of the second film, while some well-played running gags successfully lighten the mood with doses of humor.

As I watched The Hidden World, I was trying to figure out what was lacking between this (one of DreamWorks’ best franchises) and the likes of Disney or Pixar. In addition to a few mixed messages (like calling dragons pets in the first film yet treating them as equals here), I think a main issue is the side characters; Astrid (America Ferrera) and Hiccup’s mother (Cate Blanchett) fare well, but Hiccup’s other friends are hastily introduced in an opening action set piece yet never make much of an impression beyond a few gags. Despite this, Hiccup and Toothless are a lovable pair to make up for other faults, and it’s genuinely sad as they start to drift apart when Toothless becomes enamored of a female “Light Fury.” Like Ash and Butterfree in Pokemon, it’s clear right away where the story is going with the relationship between dragon and rider, but, even if it didn’t bring a tear to my eye like it might well have when I was ten years old, it was still a touching and beautiful conclusion to an inconsistent but ultimately satisfying trilogy.

Best line: (Stoick, in a flashback) “But with love comes loss, son. It’s part of the deal. Sometimes it hurts, but in the end, it’s all worth it. There’s no greater gift than love.”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
684 Followers and Counting

The Jerk (1979)

Tags

Comedy

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was to write a poem inspired by answers to an “Almanac Questionnaire,” so I tried to do so from the perspective of Steve Martin’s lovable buffoon in this movie. Just keep in mind that my tongue is thoroughly in my cheek here.)

When first I left my native home, the weather – it was mild,
I don’t know why I left my home, except I did and smiled.
Sometimes you simply must grow up from being a poor black child.

Then one day, I saw headlines saying, “You could be a winner!”
And so I took those words to heart and bought a chicken dinner.
It really wasn’t all that hard, with me a mere beginner.

One day I saw a unicorn that spouted much invective;
The spiral horn and satin gown it wore were both reflective.
Perhaps that joint I picked up in an alley was defective.

I’d always hated millionaires and thought they all conspired.
But then I was so flush with cash, to count it made me tired.
So now I do not hate myself; I love what I’ve acquired.

I’ve been declared a lot of things: a jerk, a fool, insane,
And now the courts are milking me for inadvertent pain,
But even if I’m poor again, I’ve no cause to complain.
____________________________

MPA rating: R (though closer to PG-13 by today’s standards, mainly some language, artistic nudity, and loads of innuendo)

Every now and then, I’m reminded of a film that I’ve seen, that I like, and that, for whatever reason, didn’t stick out enough for me to add it to my Top 365 list. The Jerk is just such a film, and it took a recent rewatch to remind me how hilarious this Steve Martin vehicle really is. Deserving mention in the same breath as the great classics of Mel Brooks or the Zucker brothers, Carl Reiner’s The Jerk is a comedy that thrives off not taking itself (or anything) seriously.

Beginning his tale by breaking the 4^th wall and telling the audience the great line “I was born a poor black child,” Steve Martin is an absolute hoot from start to finish. His good-natured Navin R. Johnson is sort of like the original Forrest Gump: He’s raised with love in the South (Mississippi instead of Alabama), gets by on constant willingness to do anything, unintentionally becomes wildly rich, and he’s a lovable idiot. Yet every step in his episodic life journey is chock full of absurdity, from his shock at learning that he’s not actually related to his black adoptive family (“You mean I’m gonna stay this color?”) to the casual way his love (Bernadette Peters) pulls out a cornet while they sing on a beachside stroll.

There are certain scenes that just stand out as comedy gold even all these years later, such as Navin’s belief that a crazed shooter’s poor aim is the result of his hatred for oil cans. One part with Navin talking to his sleeping lover left me in stitches and wondering how Bernadette Peters could keep a straight face, much less appear comatose. But the scene that really clinched this film’s ranking was the one I most remembered: cat juggling! I’m a cat lover and such a thing would be terrible (and probably impossible) in real life, but I swear that scene left me laughing harder than any movie has. If that’s not List-Worthy, I don’t know what is.

The Jerk is not a kids movie, but it doesn’t indulge in its R rating as much as so many modern films do. It’s mainly aggressively euphemistic in its crudeness, which is still better than it could have been if made today. But then again, it probably couldn’t be made today. It also employs certain racial stereotypes that would probably earn too much criticism these days, yet it never feels mean-spirited and even shows a good deal of sweetness between Navin and his adoptive black family. I have often thought that the title should be different; Navin is an imbecile, not a mean person, so the way the word jerk is used today doesn’t quite apply. Even so, The Jerk is pure silliness in celluloid and rarely fails to earn a smile.

Best line: (Navin, engaging in pillow talk) “You look so beautiful and peaceful, you almost look dead. And I’m glad, because there’s something I want to say that’s always been very difficult for me to say. [pause] ‘I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.’ There. I’ve never been relaxed enough around anyone to say that.”

 

Ranking: List-Worthy

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
684 Followers and Counting

VC Pick: Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Tags

Action, Comedy, Fantasy, VC Pick

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was to dive deep and write something inspired by a long James Schuyler poem and multiple criteria. For the first time this month, I… didn’t do that. So here’s a limerick instead.)

There once was a trucker named Jack,
Whose favorite tactic was attack,
But monsters and mystics
Surpassed his hubristics,
And now he just wants his truck back.
_________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

This John Carpenter classic is yet another film my VC has been urging me to see for some time now. I’ve been putting it off because I saw the last few scenes a while ago and thought it was too ridiculous and weird. Now that I’ve seen those same scenes in context, I can confirm that Big Trouble in Little China is indeed ridiculous and weird, but that’s not always a bad thing, right?

Kurt Russell was in his prime as a leading man, so it was probably a no-brainer to team up with John Carpenter for the fourth time. Yet I can’t help but wonder what his initial thoughts were after reading the script. Russell plays Jack Burton, a truck driver who is roped into helping his Chinese friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) rescue his girlfriend (Suzee Pai) after she’s captured by a cursed sorcerer (James Hong) in the dangerous underworld of San Francisco’s Chinatown. Oh, and Kim Cattrall is along for the ride as an intrepid lawyer. Oh, and there’s a trio of evil henchman who can do magic martial arts and wear giant lampshade hats. Oh, and there’s another rival sorcerer who’s a bus driver. Oh, and there’s a sewer monster and a floating head full of eyes and…. (This is where I would have closed the script.)

If you want camp, Big Trouble in Little China delivers it, and it’s a tongue-in-cheek blast. Jack Burton is like a cross between Snake Plissken from Escape from New York and Rick O’Connell from The Mummy, a confident macho man who is constantly bewildered by supernatural forces. Compared with his Chinese allies, he’s also more of a doofus than a hero at times, as when he kicks off a massive fight by shooting into the ceiling, which then falls and knocks him out. Characters are tossed together and thrilling escapes are undertaken with the free-wheeling spirit of a pulp novel and a winking sense of fun, like when a bad guy is so busy posing and making martial arts noises that he doesn’t attack until everyone has practically escaped.

There’s something special about John Carpenter’s films in the ‘80s that just feels different from other movies, especially anything made today. In the case of Big Trouble in Little China, it’s the knowing absurdity that somehow negates every criticism that could be lobbed at it. I’m glad I finally watched this crazy little film; it’s no wonder it’s a cult classic.

Best line: (Jack) “I’m a reasonable guy, but I’ve just experienced some very unreasonable things!”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
684 Followers and Counting

Abominable (2019)

Tags

Animation, Comedy, Dreamworks, Family, Fantasy

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was to write about a fruit. While I haven’t watched any big fruit-related movies lately, I went with the humble blueberry, which was featured in this movie.)

A humble fruit of pie and scone,
The blueberry is barren-grown
In berry fields from East to West
And happy, though it sounds depressed.

With belly-buttons on both ends,
One out, one in, this fruit transcends
The fact it’s on the tiny side
By filling pints in stores worldwide.

If you should drip a drop of juice
Upon your shirt, farewell its use.
Its stain is deep; its flavor sweet,
The M&Ms of nature’s treats.
__________________________

MPA rating: PG

From the trailers, Abominable looked like a been-there-done-that kind of movie, one more example of Dreamworks splicing together pieces of better animated films. Now that I’ve seen it, I’ll admit… it is exactly that, but that’s not to say it’s bad. In fact, I’d say it’s one of the studio’s better films of late, albeit overshadowed by the third How to Train Your Dragon last year.

Abominable is mainly notable for its Chinese setting, ranging from the metropolis of Shanghai to the gorgeous countryside to the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. A teenage violinist named Yi (Chloe Bennet), still grieving from her father’s death, discovers a young Yeti on the roof of her urban apartment and is whisked away as it flees from a wealthy industrialist (Eddie Izzard) attempting to collect it. Along with her two friends, she accompanies the creature she names Everest on a western journey to its mountain home, pursued by Everest’s would-be captors.

As I said, Abominable has plenty of familiar elements: the gentle-giant-bonding-with-kid dynamic (E.T., The Iron Giant), the bad-guy-trying-to-redeem-himself-from-ridicule cliche (Up, Paddington), the hurt-kid-learning-to-move-on-via-friendship trope (The Good Dinosaur, Lilo & Stitch, Next Gen). The waters are well-charted, but the trip and destination are still comfortable. Plus, it’s not entirely predictable, such as making one of the villains not as bad as they seem, and the characters are consistently likable as they grow on their journey. Like Coco’s Latin cast, care was taken to hire mostly actors of Chinese descent to match their characters, though it doesn’t do much to dive into Chinese culture, and I enjoyed hearing Chloe Bennet of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as the main heroine Yi.

Best of all, the animation is a visual feast. Everest proves to have magical powers that grow and manipulate the natural environment, and some of those scenes were stunning to behold. The best is probably the interlude where Yi plays her violin as flowers grow all around; both the visuals and Rupert Gregson-Williams’ music are lovely, and for some reason, they throw in a bit of Coldplay’s “Fix You,” which was random but fine by me. Abominable doesn’t reinvent any wheels – heck, with three Kung Fu Panda films, it’s not even Dreamworks’ first set in China – but it’s an enjoyable, family-oriented ride nonetheless.

Best line: (Mr. Burnish) “I’m so used to looking down on the world, it’s amazing how small one feels just by looking up.”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
684 Followers and Counting

Guarding Tess (1994)

Tags

Comedy, Drama

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was to find inspiration in an idiomatic expression from another language, which are often similar to but distinct from our English equivalents. I chose the idiom of “ironing one’s head” being used in Armenian and Turkish to mean annoyingly repetitive, like the constant requests of a shrewish woman, and also tried to develop a few of my own idioms.)

I think she once invented wringers
Just to put me through them daily.
I grit my teeth
And dig beneath
And wish that looks had stingers.

My head is being ironed solely
For the joy of seeing it flat.
My wrinkles never
Hurt her ever,
So why, for love of all that’s holy

Does she get such twisted jollies
Watching me squirm on her hook.
This fly is caught
‘Twixt web and swat,
And someone’s laughing at his follies.

A fool’s not down until you’ve kicked him,
Seems to be her school of thought.
I’m not the first
And not the worst,
So why am I her favorite victim?
______________________

MPA rating: PG-13 (solely for language)

I don’t have much to say about Guarding Tess, which is why it’s a good fit for a day when I don’t have as much time to devote to writing. Plus, it’s an interesting contrast to Shirley MacLaine’s much earlier role in What a Way to Go! that I reviewed a couple days ago. This dramedy follows a perplexed Secret Service agent named Doug Chesnic, who is assigned (forced really) to continue guarding former First Lady Tess Carlisle (MacLaine). Famously difficult to work with behind the scenes, Tess is outwardly an American sweetheart, and when she takes a liking to Doug, not even the President is going to turn her down.

Guarding Tess isn’t really anything special beyond the love-hate relationship formed between Cage and MacLaine. There’s humor to be had in their battle of wills, but it’s neither funny enough to be a comedy nor compelling enough to be a drama, though it has flashes of poignancy surrounding Tess’s late husband, whom Doug also admired deeply. It tries to ramp up some slightly unrealistic tension near the end, but Guarding Tess is little more than a diversion, not that that’s a terrible thing. Fans of Cage and MacLaine should enjoy it, but it felt like the idea behind the story held some missed potential.

Best line: probably the best gag with Secret Service agents radioing each other over supermarket prices

 

Rank: Honorable Mention

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
682 Followers and Counting

2020 Blindspot Pick #1: What a Way to Go! (1964)

Tags

Classics, Comedy, Musical, Romance

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was to write about a homemade gift, so I merged one I’ve given myself with the set-up of a classic ‘60s film.)

I asked a rich woman what she valued most
Of all the excess she possessed.
She told me of gems from the Ivory Coast,
But they were not what she loved best.

Her multiple husbands had filled her accounts
And heaped her with riches obscene.
But Fabergé eggs and saffron by the ounce
No longer enticed such a queen.

The canvas and carvings of classical pros,
Which every museum would covet,
Served only to gild both the lily and rose,
For only one thing made her love it.

A small piece of paper with “I Heart You” on it
From when her first love was dirt poor.
It quite overshadowed a jewel or a sonnet,
For less with nostalgia is more.
__________________________

MPA rating: Approved (due to some steamy romantic scenes, I’d say it straddles the line between PG and PG-13)

It’s a shameful embarrassment that it’s taken four months for me to finally review the first of my Blindspot picks. Life and work and a certain virus have just delayed my access to actually watching any of the twelve movies I selected at the beginning of the year, but here at last I have begun my catch-up. Before I chose my picks, my mom told me that 1964’s What a Way to Go was one of my late dad’s favorite movies, which surprised me because I never saw it with him or heard him talk about it. But he introduced it to her, and now she’s done the same for me.

Black comedies are a difficult balance of two contrasting genres, so what would such a balance look like in the comparative innocence of a 1964 film? What a Way to Go! is the answer. Shirley MacLaine plays a young widow trying to get rid of her vast amounts of wealth, her inheritance from multiple dead husbands, and after a psychiatrist (Bob Cummings) thinks she’s crazy, she recounts the varied tales of how she accidentally led her lovers to both wild success and early graves.

The best thing about What a Way to Go! is its cast: Dean Martin as a snooty playboy, Dick Van Dyke as an everyman-turned-busybody, Robert Mitchum as a suave millionaire, Gene Kelly as a talented performer, and Paul Newman (as I’ve never seen him before) playing a gruff expatriate. Some of the roles are tailor-made for the actor, such as Gene Kelly’s presence allowing for a song-and-dance number, while others seem designed to make them play against type. It seemed odd seeing Shirley MacLaine so young and attractive when I’ve mainly seen her as a grumpy older lady in Terms of Endearment or Steel Magnolias, but she does a great job as the unluckily lucky widow, even holding her own alongside Gene Kelly when dancing.Most of the goings-on are fairly silly, with the husbands’ unusual (non-graphic) deaths earning more laughs than grief, including a gag that’s crept up elsewhere about trying to milk a male cow. I especially liked how each marriage is compared with a different film genre, launching into a series of vignettes recalling silent comedies, foreign art films, musicals, or posh dramas with ridiculously extravagant costumes from the great Edith Head. All in all, What a Way to Go! was a delightful bit of lightweight absurdity, finding hilarity in repeated tragedy and managing to land a happy ending. It certainly looked like everyone involved had fun making it, as I did watching it.

Best lines: (announcer) “Tonight, in ‘Flaming Lips,’ Pinky Benson proved that a comedy can run five and a half hours. Earlier today, Pinky told us his next film will run seven and a half hours.”

and

(Larry Flint/Paul Newman) “Money corrupts. Art erupts.”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
680 Followers and Counting