The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020)

Tags

Christmas, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Netflix

To all who would rather be elsewhere,
To all who are feeling alone,
To those who wish Christmases long past
Could somehow return when we’re grown,

To all who are missing a loved one,
To all who wish wishes were real,
To all who are hoping that Christmas
Can brighten a year so surreal,

I know well this plaintive nostalgia,
Yet bypassing cynics’ deaf ears,
I still wish you all Merry Christmas.
May smiles replace all your tears.
________________________

MPA rating:  PG

Two years ago, Netflix delivered The Christmas Chronicles, with one of the more fun incarnations of Santa Claus delivered by the incomparable Kurt Russell. In true commercial Christmas fashion, we now have a sequel to the family-friendly romp, but whereas the first film borrowed heavily from Adventures in Babysitting for its plot, the second film leans a bit more on Gremlins and The Santa Clause 3, with mixed but still enjoyable results.

Teenagers Teddy (Judah Lewis) and Kate Pierce (Darby Camp) are still True Believers two years after their previous adventures with Santa Claus (see first movie), but Kate is now depressed having to spend Christmas in Cancun with her mother’s new boyfriend (Tyrese Gibson) and his young son Jack (Jahzir Bruno). While Teddy was the one with the character arc in the last movie, he’s quickly sidelined in favor of Kate and Jack, who are suddenly whisked away to the North Pole by a mysterious ne’er-do-well (Julian Dennison of Hunt for the Wilderpeople) with designs on Santa’s Village.

The first film was a hodgepodge of admittedly likable ingredients from other movies, and its sequel is much the same, though there are still spurts of inspiration. We get to see more of the North Pole this time, a sprawling collection of specialized toy and candy shops populated by impish elves, which should capture any child’s imagination without the creepy qualities of, say, The Polar Express. And following the first film’s example, this one again includes an exuberant musical number of pure Christmas spirit (featuring Darlene Love) that is worth the price of admission.

It’s rather predictable and not quite as good as the first movie, feeling even more like a farrago of Christmas-themed elements that don’t always fit naturally. The antagonist Belsnickel is particularly meh for the most part, though Dennison does his best to channel cartoonish malice. I did enjoy the new cast members, such as wide-eyed Jahzir Bruno and the larger role for Goldie Hawn as Mrs. Clause, though it was weird seeing Tyrese Gibson as a family man compared with his swaggering ladies’ man role in the Fast and Furious films. I also liked how the story expanded on the series’ Santa mythos as well, even if it also tosses in time travel for a sweet yet contrived reason. The Christmas Chronicles 2 probably won’t become a holiday staple, though there are rumors of a third film in the works, but it’s a diverting watch to remind the world of what a great Santa Claus Kurt Russell is.

Rank:  Honorable Mention

© 2020 S.G. Liput
708 Followers and Counting

A very Merry Christmas to everyone!

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

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

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

Paddington (2014)

Tags

Comedy, Family

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was to write about life’s small pleasures, which can include how we treat one another.)

It’s the little things, you know,
That make a day a joy,
The little interactions, like a smile, a wink, a wave,
The “please” or “Miss” or “Mister”
That a shrinking few deploy,
Reminding us some people still recall how to behave.

When hate’s on all horizons
And stress is in the air
And every morning seems less optimistic than the last,
A touch of common courtesy,
Less common but still there,
Can prove the world’s not too far gone, no matter the forecast.
________________________

MPA rating: PG

At last, I finally got to see why everyone loves Paddington so much. For some reason, I never got around to seeing this family film from 2014 until recently, perhaps because I never read the original classic British children’s books when I was young. Paddington has quickly become beloved by both critics and audiences, and it does indeed have a near-perfect blend of whimsy and humor.

The film starts with a flashback about a British explorer discovering a pair of intelligent bears in Darkest Peru, teaching them about England and marmalade sandwiches before returning home. Decades later, those bears’ nephew (voiced by Ben Whishaw) journeys from the jungle to Paddington Station in London, where he is taken in by the kind Brown family (Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins), who give him the name Paddington. He struggles, though, to find where he belongs, even as he’s targeted by a cruel taxidermist (Nicole Kidman).

It’s common for a family film to veer too far into puerile territory and be demoted to a “kid’s movie.” As a kid at heart, I can appreciate the vast majority of cartoons and such (as evidenced by yesterday’s review), but it’s clearly difficult for filmmakers to create something that can appeal to kids and adults without patronizing either. Pixar has mastered it, and so, it seems, has Paddington. There are, of course, jokes and burps and slapstick for easy laughs, but beyond that is an overwhelming abundance of charm. Paddington himself, rendered in bravura CGI, doesn’t have an unkind bone in his body, and his interactions with everyone are marked by a politeness and courtesy that is genuinely refreshing, due to how rare they’ve become in recent times. I’m sometimes irritated by characters who are defended for being clumsy and destructive, and there’s a little of that here, but the charm easily outweighs any negatives.

More than anything, Paddington reminded me of another film about a polite CGI character trying to find his place in the world and being accepted into a nuclear family: 1999’s Stuart Little, which was a beloved movie for me growing up. My nostalgia makes me prefer the earlier film, but I like how Paddington has become the Stuart Little of a new generation. Paddington certainly is more critically lauded, and its inventive camerawork and set design only add to an overall delightful aesthetic. It’s a family film in the truest sense of the words.

Best line: (Mary Brown, giving a description of Paddington to a policeman) “He’s about three foot six, he’s got a bright red hat on, and a blue duffel coat… and he’s a bear.”
(Policeman) “It’s not much to go on.”
(Mary) “Really?”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
679 Followers and Counting

 

The Emoji Movie (2017)

Tags

Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was for a poem about outdated technology, so I went a little into the future to see how generations yet to come might look back on a present-day craze.)

 

The primitive Egyptians had their hieroglyphic font,
A picture-style penmanship to decorate the wall.
And slightly less archaic humans later chose to flaunt
Another image language on the phones they used to call.

You see here all the tiny illustrations they would use
To message, manage, and react in digital discourse.
We’re not sure why developed people (for the time) would choose
To discard words in favor of these mini-metaphors.

From faces showing every mood to smiling excrement,
These symbols were exchanged among them by the gadget-full.
These hands betoken clapping, and this sobbing shows lament,
And no one’s really sure about this purple vegetable.

It took a while for mankind at last to move beyond
This graphical vocabulary sent through cyberspace.
Now who will raise your hand and tell us what replacement dawned?
What new communication took the poor emoji’s place?
______________________________

MPA rating: PG

I watched The Emoji Movie at the end of a terrible day, thinking that, if it was truly as terrible as everyone said, I would associate it with that day and never want to see it again. It’s been lambasted so many times that it’s practically a meme to hate on it. Yet despite all the loathing, four Razzies, and the 7% Rotten Tomatoes score, I must admit it’s not that bad.

The premise is straight out of Inside Out or Wreck-It Ralph, but instead of emotions or video game characters, the cast consists of various emojis living within the digital city of Textopolis, inside the phone of a high schooler named Alex. Gene (T.J. Miller) is the son of two “meh” emojis, and although he is meant to personify indifference, he tends to “break character,” so to speak, and show emotions he shouldn’t, which eventually gets him in trouble and sends him on a dangerous journey through the phone and its many apps.

Would I characterize The Emoji Movie as good? No. It’s frequently dumb or crude humor is lackluster, and the climax, in which a single emoji somehow saves the day and causes an instant change in the direction of the plot, is socially myopic at best, not saying much good for the communication skills of the next generation. Yet, is that really enough reason to label it one of the worst films of the decade?

Other reviews I’ve read have insisted that this film has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, which is a pretty absolute statement for an adult to lob at a film aimed at kids. I thought the animation was colorfully fun and polished, and the world inside the phone, while obviously derivative, had some sparks of creativity, like visualizing Spotify as a series of literal “streams” of music to ride. Though some are grating, I didn’t mind the voice actors either (James Corden, Anna Faris, Maya Rudolph). I do cringe at Patrick Stewart voicing the poop emoji, but Steven Wright as Gene’s “meh” father was an inspired choice.

So The Emoji Movie may be “meh” overall and is so tied to present-day technology that it’s sure to age poorly, but I don’t see what makes it worse than some similarly dumb blockbuster like Minions. There are many other films out there worth hating more.

 

Rank: Honorable Mention

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
679 Followers and Counting

Sing (2016)

Tags

Animation, Comedy, Family, Musical

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was for a poem inspired by a favorite musical genre. So I wrote my own lyrics to the beautiful Leonard Cohen classic “Hallelujah,” which was used in this film, and it’s best sung to that tune.)

I heard there was a big contest
Where people sang to prove they’re the best,
But who would try when all the world sees through ya?
Yet trying is a practice sport,
It’s hard to start, easier to thwart,
But still I saw a chance for hallelujah!

I answered to the casting call;
I saw so many give their all,
But not too much or else they’d have to sue ya.
Then my turn came, and I stepped sincere;
I flung my lungs to the judges’ ear
And hoped to God I’d find my hallelujah.

The echoes waned, and I waited there,
And one leaned backward in his chair,
And said, “If I produced, I would pursue ya.
But this audition’s meant for dance,”
So clearly I did not advance,
But still I got a chance at hallelujah.
It is true-ya,
But who knew-ya?
My debut-ya,
My limelight, but not quite,
Hallelujah.
____________________

MPA rating: PG

At first glance, Sing looks very generic, especially with Illumination largely meh record (The Secret Life of Pets, Despicable Me). Anthropomorphic animals? Seen it, that same year actually with Zootopia. A singing competition? That’s only been done, oh, about 100 times. So what does Sing offer? Well, nothing new really, but it does present its familiar elements in a highly crowd-pleasing way with an all-star voice cast and bright animation to rival its competitors.

A koala named Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) owns an old failing theater with great passion and nostalgia, and when the bank threatens to foreclose on it, he decides to hold a singing competition to revive the venue’s reputation, accidentally offering a cash prize he doesn’t have. A motley crew of animal characters then audition for the show with their eyes on the prize, and things go both very wrong and very right.

The most notable aspect of Sing is the sheer number of pop standards it includes, over 60, sometimes only for a few seconds, an expense that reportedly used up 15% of the film’s budget. From Taylor Swift and Frank Sinatra to Queen and Stevie Wonder, it’s a veritable auditory feast of well-produced popular music, which also offered me the surprise of realizing how well actors like Scarlett Johansson can sing, even as a porcupine. Plus, I have little doubt that Taron Egerton’s rendition of “I’m Still Standing” helped clinch his casting as Elton John in Rocketman.

The diverse characters and personalities – mice, porcupines, pigs, gorillas, elephants – all get basic but relatable character development, and I liked how every one of the contestants had a different reason for wanting to sing and win the money, whether for selfish needs, a chance to start over, or for more personal hopes and dreams. There was charm to spare in the voice cast, which also included Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Tori Kelly, John C. Reilly, and Peter Serafinowicz, and the animation was smooth and colorful, particularly an impressively rendered scene involving a flood.

So ultimately, Sing is an enjoyable film built on a lackluster base. It’s easily criticized for its lack of originality, yet all the ingredients come together to make it surprisingly… likable, I guess is the word. It’s easily Illumination’s best film, in my book. Plus, I do love the original song “Faith,” sung by Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande, which deserves a place in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame. Sing doesn’t step far out of any box, but it’s a thoroughly amusing and pleasant watch sure to get your toe tapping.

Best line: (Buster, showing Ash a garish costume) “Isn’t this a great color for you?”
(Ash) “I can’t tell. It’s melting my eyes.”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
679 Followers and Counting

Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019)

Tags

Action, Comedy, Family, Fantasy

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was for a non-apology, so I wrote one to the ancient cultures that have been despoiled in modern times.)

I’d like to take a moment to say sorry, if I may,
To all the ancient cultures our museums now display.
You went to all that trouble, building monoliths of stone,
Turned now to tourist traps we like to think of as our own.

Apologies to Giza and the pharaohs mummified.
It’s just that, with your pyramids, you hardly tried to hide.
When something’s that conspicuous, what person could resist?
It’s honey to the fly that is the archaeologist.

And ancient Greece, I’m sorry for the snatching of your art;
It’s just that all your masterpieces seem so a la carte.
A marble here, a marble there, no price tag to be seen,
It’s not as if you’ll miss another naked figurine.

Regrets to Rome and China, the Aztecs and Babylon;
You should have left instructions for long after you were gone.
It’s just that one philosophy applies to tomb and shrine:
When something sits there long enough, it might as well be mine.
_______________________

MPA rating: PG

Never in a million years did I think I would have something positive to say about a Dora the Explorer movie, but here we are. I remember growing up when seven-year-old bilingual Dora was at her height of popularity on Nickelodeon, and I also remember how quickly I outgrew her repetitive talking to the camera and decided she had little to offer me. How could a live-action version be worthwhile? Well, it can because Dora and the Lost City of Gold is better than it has any right to be.

Having voiced a character in a cartoon spin-off of the original show, Isabella Moner (now Merced) of Instant Family plays the young explorer, aged up to a teenager. She lives happily with her professor parents (Michael Pena, Eva Longoria) and her CGI monkey Boots in the South American jungle, but her parents reluctantly send her to school in California, hoping their sheltered daughter will socialize and make some friends. Her overly perky naivete makes her less than popular with most students, including her cousin Diego (Jeff Wahlberg), but when she and some classmates are kidnapped back to the jungle, she proves how handy it is to have an explorer as a friend.

Moner as Dora is the heart of the film, and she is a consistent ray of sunshine, earnest without coming off as saccharine. The writers leaned into her cartoon persona’s more ridiculous traits (“Can you say ‘extreme neurotoxicity?’”), and, while not every joke lands, they found some comedy gold with her fish-out-of-water antics. And I’m not sure what to make of a sequence animated like the old show, which offers nostalgia while suggesting that the whole thing was one massive drug trip. Despite that scene and a vaguely liberal bent, it’s a largely family-friendly adventure that can appeal to a much wider age range than the original cartoon did.

The story also has some excitement once it reaches the jungle again, with Eugenio Derbez being a slapstick hoot when he joins the jungle-bound teens. The journeys of Dora’s jungle-marooned classmates may be predictable, but I thought the story found a good balance between adolescent growth and National Treasure-style escapades. From the unexpected guest voices of Benicio del Toro and Danny Trejo to the excellent musical number at the end, the whole thing is self-aware and far more entertaining than I had expected. Can you say “franchise potential?”

Best line: (Sammy, a classmate) “There’s nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal.” (Dora) “There are a lot of things more dangerous than a wounded animal. A healthy animal, for starters.”

 

Rank: List Runner-Up

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
679 Followers and Counting

Little Women (1994)

Tags

Classics, Drama, Family, Romance

(Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt was for a poem about flowers taking on certain meanings, so I decided to compare flowers with the little women of this film.)

A family of daughters is like a bouquet
Of flowers, all different, that brighten the day.

The rose offers beauty and layers of grace,
With thorns to keep those who would pluck in their place.

The daisy seems simple, but as you look nearer,
Complexity waits for the few who revere her.

The lily looks shy with its petals locked tight
But opens up wide when it knows love and light.

And baby’s breath sighs with its placeholder status
Yet binds us all close in an elegant lattice.

From practical pansy to sumptuous mum,
Each woman and bloom are just right as they come.
_____________________

MPA rating: PG

After thoroughly loving Greta Gerwig’s most recent adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel, I had to check out 1994’s similarly acclaimed version from Gillian Armstrong. With such a classic story and relatable characters, it’s clearly hard to go wrong, since this also proved to be a wonderful rendition, even if it didn’t quite match its most recent sister.

The ensemble is full of stars in their prime in the ‘90s: Winona Ryder as Jo, Kirsten Dunst (and later Samantha Mathis) as Amy, Claire Danes as Beth, Trini Alvarado (of Paulie) as Meg, Susan Sarandon as Marmee, and Christian Bale as Laurie, not to mention Gabriel Byrne, Eric Stoltz, and Mary Wickes as well. Unlike Gerwig’s non-linear narrative, jumping back and forth across a four-year gap, this version plays its events in order, which is easier to follow as the March sisters grow up, finding love, heartache, and joy along the way.

So how do the two versions compare? Over and over, I recognized scenes and interactions (which obviously means they came from the book), and I liked them here but couldn’t help preferring the more recent film’s take on them, which might have been reversed if I’d seen this version first. Much of the dialogue that I so loved in the 2019 film wasn’t the same here, a testament to Gerwig’s contribution, yet I still appreciated its simple, often humorous elegance. Individual characters were harder to decide on. Meryl Streep was certainly a more memorable Aunt March than Wickes was. Winona Ryder and Saorsie Ronan are evenly matched as Jo, considering I have a crush on both, but I thought Christian Bale made a more sympathetic Laurie than Timothée Chalamet. Likewise, Friedrich and Jo’s relationship felt slightly more natural and fleshed out here than in the remake.

I must admit one embarrassing thing. I kept being confused by certain differences I viewed as creative choices. Why did they keep giving Beth’s actions to Amy? Only halfway through did I realize I had Beth and Amy mixed up, thanks largely to the casting of the 2019 film. In that one, Florence Pugh plays both the younger and older Amy, but because she looks and is older than Eliza Scanlen as Beth, I thought Amy was the third eldest of the girls, which threw me off when 12-year-old Kirsten Dunst’s Amy was clearly the youngest in the 1994 film. It’s hard to say which is the better option, though. In this film, I thought that the replacement of Dunst with Mathis after the 4-year gap sapped some of the bond formed with Amy, so I can see why keeping the same actress might be desirable, if slightly confusing for people like me. I should really just read the novel.

Ultimately, I loved both versions because they both bring this story to life in a brilliantly traditional way. So many 19^th-century period pieces are centered in Victorian England or focus on some war or significant historical event, so it’s a rare treat to glimpse into the everyday lives of Americans from this time. I may be partial to Gerwig’s incarnation, but both films share a stellar cast and engaging wholesomeness that are equally refreshing.

Best line: (Jo, after Laurie proposes) “Neither of us can keep our temper…”
(Laurie) “I can, unless provoked.”
(Jo) “We’re both stupidly stubborn, especially you. We’d only quarrel!”
(Laurie) “I wouldn’t!”
(Jo) “You can’t even propose without quarreling.”

 

Rank: List-Worthy (I’ll tie it with the 2019 version)

 

© 2020 S.G. Liput
679 Followers and Counting