Day 112: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe & Owen Wilson
Rated:PG
Length: 87 min.
Released: November, 25 2009
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
It is the story of one Mr. Fox and his wild-ways of hen heckling, turkey taking and cider sipping, nocturnal, instinctive adventures. He has to put his wild days behind him and do what fathers do best: be responsible. He is too rebellious. He is too wild. He is going to try “just one more raid” on the three nastiest, meanest farmers that are Boggis, Bunce and Bean. It is a tale of crossing the line of family responsibilities and midnight adventure and the friendships and awakenings of this country life that is inhabited by Fantastic Mr. Fox and his friends.

My Thoughts:
It’s a cute family movie and a wonderful adaptation of the book. The thing I love most about it is how well they bring these characters to life and give them all personalities that fit so well with the story and each other.

It’s animation was great. I don’t know that I could say it’s as good as the Tim Burton team that made The Corps Bride, Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas…but it’s rather close.

The voice work was…well, fantastic. They were cast perfectly and really captured the mannerism and characteristics of each character very well. Each actor’s voice just seemed perfectly tailored to character they played.

By far, the best part of the movie was how spot on it was in bringing the whole book to life. It was amazing to watch, because it was a perfect adaptation. Again, the animation wasn’t as perfect as others I’ve seen, but in the grander picture it was a beautiful and fun filled movie to watch. 4.5 stars out of 5.

Day 106: The Prince of Egypt

The Prince of Egypt
Directors: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner & Simon Wells
Starring: Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Glover, Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Steve Martin & Martin Short
Rated: PG
Length: 99 min.
Released: December 18, 1998
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Egypt, eons of years ago: Pharao Seti commands all male hebrew babies to be drowned. A desperate mother places her son in a basket and lets the Hebrew god guide it along its way on the river. The basket is found by the Queen, and Moses is brought up as a brother to the heir of the throne, Ramses. Years later, the brothers, who grew up happily and wealthy, are split by Moses’ recognition of his true heritage and the suppressing system his brother is about to inherit, willing to carry it on. Fleeing from the city in despair, Moses finds himself being called by God. He is given the task of being the messenger in order to free the Hebrews and to lead them into a country where milk and honey flow.

My Thoughts:
One of the first animated films to come out of Dreamworks Pictures, The Prince of Egypt is absolutely brilliant!  An animated masterpiece by all accounts. Emotionally griping, powerful and perfect in every way.

Most who know me know that I’m not one for musicals and/or song in movies…but when the songs are as powerful and well integrated as these I make an exception. This is how it should be done. The song itself becomes an enhanced tool to tell the story in a more emotional way. The songs really are powerful…and they add to the strength of the movie so much.

The animation is 100% perfect. It blends traditional animation with CG animation so seamlessly! It’s such a grand scale movie, and yet grounded in such a personal story. My favorite part of the story is the dynamic of the brotherly relationship between Moses and Rameses. It’s a great foundation for the film and a perfect for the audience to connect and relate to these powerful and historical figures. These two men have such a history and are so easily put on pedestals. Making them so relatable keeps them grounded. That makes you get really invested in the story, the characters and the outcome of their relationship because you care about them so much.

The all-star celebrity cast that jumped on board is awesome and they fit their characters perfectly. I’ve seen the Exodus story told several different times…this is hands down my favorite. If you have not seen this film I don’t just highly recommend it…I implore you to watch this movie. It is animated perfection and the best representation of the story of Moses I have ever seen.

You guessed it…5 stars out of 5.

Day 101: Renaissance: Paris 2054

Renaissance: Paris 2054
Director: Christian Volckman
Starring: Daniel Craig
Rated: R
Length: 105 min.
Released: September 26, 2006
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Paris, 2042: a dark Rotoscope world of shadows and right angles. Ilona Tasuiev, a brilliant young scientist, is kidnapped, and her employer, Avalon, a major health and beauty corporation, wants her found. Karas, a jaded police captain, is assigned to find her, fast. He seeks help from her sister, Bislane, and they are soon uncovering identify theft, missing files, and hints that something back in 2006 may explain what’s going on. Ilona’s mentor, Avalon’s vice president, a Japanese researcher, an underworld boss, and Bislane’s drug connection all figure in the mix. So does an attraction between Karas and Bislane. What’s behind the kidnapping? Who’s the victim?

My Thoughts:
I had the privilege of watching this movie at the Chicago International Film Festival for my Birthday back in 2006. It was only one of three screenings in the US…and I just loved it. I’m really not one for French films. No it’s not in French…it’s in English, but it was made in France. French Director, crew, motion capture actors…and so on and so on. On occasion they come out with a movie that just blows me away. This is just such a film.

The main thing that turns people off about it is the very stark contrast of the animation which took me a couple minutes to get use to it. To be honest, I think that’s the best part of this film. Not only is the entire film done with ground breaking motion capture acting…the color scheme is done entirely in black and white. There is only a few key placed elements of color and little gray. The fact that they can pull off an entire film with such a sharp contrast was mind boggling. It was such a unique idea.

The use of Daniel Craig for the lead voice was a fantastic idea too. It was a very smart choice on the part of the casting director. The film was released in time to build on the hype of him being the new James bond (which was also a great choice) and gave the English and US audience a point of familiarity to connect with and draw them in.

The story itself was incredibly engaging, action packed, suspenseful, entertaining and it has a thought provoking surprise ending. It is a great film that most people have never heard of…and I highly recommend it. This one is getting 5 stars out of 5.

Day 97: Casper

Casper
Director: Brad Silberling
Starring: Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci, Eric Idle & Cathy Moriarty
Rated: PG
Length: 100 min.
Released: May 26, 1995
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Furious that her late father only willed her his gloomy-looking mansion rather than his millions, Carrigan Crittenden is ready to burn the place to the ground when she discovers a map to a treasure hidden in the house. But when she enters the rickety mansion to seek her claim, she is frightened away by a wicked wave of ghosts. Determined to get her hands on this hidden fortune, she hires afterlife therapist Dr. James Harvey to exorcise the ghosts from the mansion. Harvey and his daughter Kat move in, and soon Kat meets Casper, the ghost of a young boy who’s “the friendliest ghost you know.” But not so friendly are Casper’s uncles–Stretch, Fatso and Stinkie–who are determined to drive all “fleshies” away. Ultimately, it is up to Harvey and Kat to help the ghosts cross over to the other side.

My Thoughts:
This movie was “not allowed” when I was growing up. Neither was the cartoon. Let’s just say I had some rather strict parents who didn’t want me watching anything that was remotely scary, ghostly or mystical in any way. That said, I did end up seeing this one…in school for Halloween. I never told my parents. Oops. Eventually my parents came around to see the error in their over exaggeration and over protection. I still don’t know if they’ve seen this one yet, but if not…they are missing out.

This movie is really a brilliant real life adaptation of the animated classic. The characters are such good replications of the original cartoon characters. Simply put, the CG animation of the ghosts is fantastic! Even 15 years later they are perfect for this concept. They are far enough away from straight cartoon CG to be believable in real life while still staying true to the animated characters and having a slight cartoon/animated feel to them which helps it feel like the original cartoon.

The story is real engaging too. It’s funny, it’s serious, it’s suspenseful, it’s heart warming, it’s scary…it’s just perfect! The whole idea of a psychiatrist trying to help Casper and the incredibly quirky trio of Stretch, Stinkie and Fatso is such a great concept. Lord knows they’ve got some issues to work out.

Its also got a few cool cameos in it too. Like, Ben Steine, Mr. Rogers, Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson and Dan Aykroyd among others. Those are always fun to see.

I’m giving this one 4 stars out of 5.

Day 89: The Animatrix

The Animatrix
Directors: Peter Chung, Andy Jones, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Takeshi Koike, Mahiro Maeda, Kôji Morimoto & Shinichirô Watanabe
Starring: Pamela Adlon,  Clayton Watson, Hedy Burress & Akio Ôtsuka
Rated: NR
Length: 102 min
Released: June 3, 2003
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Anthology of nine short anime (Japanese animation) films tied in to the 1999 blockbuster “The Matrix” and its sequels. “Final Flight of the Osiris”: The crew of the hovercraft Osiris attempt to warn their city of an imminent attack. “The Second Renaissance, Parts 1 & 2″: The story behind the war between man and the machines, how mankind scorched the sky, and the creation of the Matrix. “Kid’s Story”: A teenager is contacted by Neo, and manages to escape the Matrix. “Program”: Two warriors battle in a samurai training simulation when one decides to betray his crewmates and re-enter the Matrix. “World Record”: A champion sprinter manages to break free of the Matrix by sheer physical effort during a record attempt. “Beyond”: A young girl searching for her cat discovers a haunted house caused by a glitch in the system. “A Detective Story”: Private investigator Ash tracks a hacker named Trinity through the looking glass. “Matriculated”: A group of humans capture a machine scout and insert it into a ‘human matrix’.

My Thoughts:
Originally I thought this was going to be super dumb. I don’t like Japanimation at all… or “Anime” as the nerds call it. But this one ended up being pretty cool. They all had their own unique flavor to them, and it gave an interesting lead in to the other two films.

Really there was only about two of the episodes that relate directly to the story of the next couple films, but they give an interesting background on a few minor characters that show up.

Then there are a couple that are totally different, like a detective story or one about a portion of the Matrix that’s got a glitch and causes weird stuff to happen. They were all pretty cool ideas and the animation wasn’t bad…or that annoying. I’m giving this one 3 stars out of 5.

Day 86: The Sword in the Stone

The Sword in the Stone
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Starring: Rickie Sorensen, Karl Swenson & Junius Matthews
Rated: G
Length: 79 min.
Released: December 25, 1963
Full Film on YouTube

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Arthur (aka Wart) is a young boy who aspires to be a knight’s squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for Wart beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give Wart an education (whatever that is), believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn’t quite work out that way.

My Thoughts:
A forgotten gem of the Disney Collection…and one of my favorites! It has the same feel as so many other classics like Sleeping Beauty, Robin Hood, The Jungle Book and so on. For some reason this one doesn’t come to mind right away for most people when thinking of the Disney films of that era.

I’ll be honest, I have been one of those people. Everything that makes a Disney movie works…lovable characters, fun songs, a great moral to the story and fantastic animation. It’s got it all. I’m particularly a fan of the songs in this one…and the wizardry battle between Merlin and the villainous witch Madam Mim.

I’m giving this one 4 stars out of 5.

Day 85: Chicken Run

Chicken Run
Directors: Peter Lord & Nick Park
Starring: Mel Gibson
Rated: G
Length: 84 min.
Released: June 21, 2000
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
Having been hopelessly repressed and facing eventual certain death at the chicken farm where they are held, Rocky the rooster and Ginger the chicken decide to rebel against the evil Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy, the farm’s owners. Rocky and Ginger lead their fellow chickens in a great escape from the murderous farmers and their farm of doom.

My Thoughts:
I love this movie! The animation is fantastic, the story is unique and engaging…and the characters are just hilariously perfect! I love the Wallace and Gromit animated shorts and this one puts them all to shame…it’s so good. It was a welcomed change of pace from the Hannibal series.

Mel Gibson was an odd, but perfect choice to play the American chicken in a house of British hens. I’ll be honest, I was skeptical of that choice the first time I saw it, but it totally worked.

All in all this is a fun movie the entire family can watch. I really don’t have much else to say. Great story, characters, animation, music and voice work. It’s a great flick. 4.5 stars out of 5.

Day 76: The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury

The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury
Directed by: Peter Chung
Starring: Vin Diesel, Rhiana Griffith & Keith David
Rated: Not Rated
Length: 35 min.
Released: June 15, 2004
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
After escaping from a desert planet, Escaped convict Richard B. Riddick and his two companions, Jack and Imam are captured by a crew of bounty hunters of the vessel “Kublah-Khan” commanded by a imperial woman named Antonia Chillingsworth and her chief henchman Junner. Riddick discovers Chillingsworth has her own museum on-board and she collects the galaxy’s most-wanted criminals and instead of delivering them to penal colonies and claiming the bounty, Chillingsworth turns them into living statues and Riddick has become the latest addition to her collection.

My Thoughts:
If you read my “rules’ for this blog you may be asking, “Why is he reviewing this one?  It’s not a feature film.” But I did note that I would make a few exceptions if they dealt directly with a movie series…and this qualifies.

Anyway…

To say this was a strange story would be an understatement. It makes for an interesting transition piece between the two major films, and it provides a unique back story for the next film…but it’s just weird.

The animation is okay, and it’s great that all the actors loaned their voices for this…but it’s just weird. I had a hard time buying it because it was so far out there…even for a sci-fi film. The battle sequences were cool, but as a story…like I said, weird.

I’m giving this one 2.5 stars out of 5.

Day 54: Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (Original Uncut Version)

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (Original Uncut Version)
Directed by: Curt Geda
Starring: Will Friedle, Kevin Conroy & Mark Hamill
Rated: PG-13
Length: 77 min.
Released:  April 23, 2002
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
In latter-21st-century Gotham City, The Jokerz, a street gang enamored of the city’s infamous Clown Prince Of Crime, is breaking into a high-tech engineering plant to steal a powerful generator, a crime stopped by the new Batman (Terry McGuiness) and which puzzles Terry and his mentor, the elderly original Batman Bruce Wayne. The reason for this and other “geek junk” thefts is a mystery even to The Jokerz gang, who are now working for someone claiming to be the original Joker himself. When he makes an appearence at a charity function attended by Bruce Wayne (cover to steal another generator), the Joker taunts Wayne, and later sends his minions to attack Terry McGuiness while he attacks the Batcave. But the original Joker died forty years earlier, and why does this new Joker want high-tech items? When a shaken Barbara Gordon explains the fate of the original Joker, Terry begins to piece the twin mysteries together, culminating in a confrontation with the Joker that literally threatens the very existence of Gotham City.

My Thoughts:
Right away, I have to suggest that you watch the original, uncut, PG-13 version and not the “other” one. Most of the time the “uncut” versions of movies don’t add much, but this one really is an exception to that rule. A lot of key sequences added to this version help the plot make more sense…and the Joker is far more menacing. The other version is such a let down…and confusing at times. That version isn’t worth wasting your time.

I also feel I must make sure everyone knows that this is a full length feature film, not episodes of the TV show. It deals heavily with two TV shows, but it is not just a couple episodes of the show slapped together and then called a movie.

With that said…

For all the fans of the original Batman the Animated Series that aired through the 90s this “new” series that came out was a bit controversial. Some loved it…others hated it. To be honest I love them both. I still prefer the original, but Beyond has it’s place and I can appreciate the update.

No matter the side you fall on this movie has a lot to offer. If you are in the camp of those that hated it I would suggest watching the uncut version and giving this movie a fair shot. To my surprise (and enjoyment), a major chunk of it is actually done in the format of the old animated series. It goes back into the original series and really delivers by tying up some loose ends and bringing some closure to the series. If you are like me you were disappointed that the original animated series just kind of…ended. For me, this film is worth watching just for the “history” portion alone. Also, for all the critics of the new outfit and gadgets batman has…the Joker has a line or two sharing you criticism. It’s actually kind of funny.

Then for all the Batman Beyond fans out there…it’s just sweet getting to see the new Batman take on this classic villain. I mean, the “joker gang” is a nice throw back in the series, but compared to the real deal they are all light weights. It’s nice to have such an excellent villain come back for one last run.

All the original cast is back from the original series, including Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne and of course, Mark Hamill comes back as the Joker…which is just awesome (and boy is the Joker messed up in this movie. Seriously…just…insane. You can really tell why it’s PG-13). Then the new Batman is voiced by Will Friedle know most notably for his role as Eric Matthews in the hit ABC TV show Boy Meets World. I had seen Batman Beyond dozens of times over and never realized that it was him up until this last year. He does a great job.

With all of that said…as a fan of both Batman the Animated Series and Batman Beyond…this one gets 5 stars out of 5.

Day 49: Monsters, Inc.

Monsters, Inc.
Directed by: Pete Docter & David Silverman
Starring: John Goodman, Billy Crystal & Steve Buscemi
Rated: G
Length: 92 min.
Released: November 2, 2001
Trailer

IMDB.com Synopsis:
In the world behind our closet doors, monsters like Mike and Sulley work hard for their income. To be exact, the monster world depends on our children’s screams: It is their energy that makes lightbulbs glow and cars drive. Big companies like Monsters, Inc. collect the scream energy, and many monsters work there in shifts. In these times, it is getting harder and harder to shock the kids properly, since they’re so spoiled by television, so that there’s an energy shortage in the monster world. Sulley, the number one frightener, one day accidentally lets a human child into the monster world. Since kids are supposed to be poisonous and carry loads of diseases, pandemonium ensues. After Mike and Sulley discover that the girl they named Boo actually seems quite harmless, they decide to bring her back through her door into her room. But Boo’s presence is more than just a mere accident. Now, Mike and Sulley have to face an enemy within their own ranks.

My Thoughts:
It’s hard to believe that this movie is now almost a decade old. I only have good stuff to say about this one. It has a great message, Crystal and Goodman are perfect and it has the perfect level of scare, adventure and comedy for the kids as well as the adults. Just the concept of kids scaring monsters is awesome. An idea that parents needed “proof” of for their kids for a long time. Thanks to Disney and Pixar…they have it.

That’s really all I have to say. I just love it. From beginning to end the film is a perfect family animated movie. You’ll just have to watch it for yourself and find out what I mean. I’m giving this one 5 stars out of 5. It’s an animated masterpiece.