Movie Trailer: Gatto

 

Movie Review: Hoppers

 

Note: Like other recent Pixar movies this movie does not have a short film before it. Every time there is not a short film before a Pixar feature, I am extremely disappointed. The short films were often the highlight of going to a Pixar movie for me. These shorts were often times just as great if not better than the features. They helped make going to a Pixar movie feel special to me. 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent, if flawed Pixar movie. 

If there is one thing Pixar knows how to do it is how to open a film. The early scenes of this movie with our main character, Mabel as a small girl show Pixar at its best. As someone who had a very close connection with my grandparents and has a love of animals, I felt myself being incredibly moved by these early scenes. While the rest of the movie doesn't completely live up to the beginning, that is a high bar to clear. After this very strong start, the movie still continues to be quite engaging and fun. Much of this is because of Mabel herself. After the excellent prologue, we see Mabel as a 19-year-old college student. Again, it is so easy to see ourselves in her. She is like many of us were at that age. She is impulsive and this impulsiveness causes her to make a mess of things. Yet she is also very passionate and willing to fight for what she believes is right. In some ways we are jealous of her zeal and wish we could be like her again. However, we also recognize her impulsiveness and remember wrong decisions we made because we didn't take the time to stop and think things through. Because her character captures a 19-year-old so well, we immediately grow an emotional connection to anything that happens in this movie. This emotional connection keeps this film grounded even when its story veers into sci-fi territory. 

The basic sci-fi premise of this movie is very clever. While the film itself points out the similarities to Avatar, frankly this movie handles the idea much better than James Cameron's film does. The story telling here is simple more mature, clever and fresh. The story itself moves at a quick pace and never once loses the audience's interest. There is a very strong and fun villain as well. While the action packed climax may go on too long, it is again very creative and entertaining. 

The main problem with this movie is that the humor often falls flat. It feels like the filmmakers are trying too hard to be funny. Instead of funny the comedy can come off as too loud obnoxious.

This film's director was Daniel Chong, who is probably best known for creating the Cartoon Network TV series, We Bare Bears. However, he has worked at Pixar before as a story artist. As a story artist he worked on such Pixar movies as Cars 2 (2011) and Inside Out (2015) (my personal favorite Pixar movie). Since Turning Red (2022), he has been credited as part of the Pixar Senior Creative Team. The movie's writer was Jesse Andrews. This is his second film for Pixar (after Luca (2021)). His non-Pixar films include the live action movies Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015) and Every Day (2018). 

Though it has some flaws, this movie is creative and features the heart that Pixar movies are known for. I strongly recommend this to all Pixar fans.    

Movie Trailer: Toy Story 5

 

Movie Trailer: Hoppers

Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #242

 Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again, it is time for some classic cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection begins with a classic Disney short starring Pluto, Cat Nap Pluto (1948). This short film also features Figaro, who made his big screen debut in the Disney feature film, Pinocchio (1940) as Geppetto's cat. The cat would prove such a popular character with those at the Disney studio he would also be used in the studio's cartoon shorts. 

Ub Iwerks is a legend of animation if there ever was one. His work with Walt Disney (the two co-created Mickey Mouse) in the 1920's remain some of the highlights of Disney history and it is hard to imagine where Disney would be without Ub. However, thoughts on the cartoons he himself heading after leaving Walt prove not to be as popular with cartoon fans. While I do agree that none of this work reaches the height of the best of his Disney work, I personally feel there is a lot to enjoy about these cartoons and that includes his Flip the Frog cartoons. Up next is one of those, The Cuckoo Murder Case (1930). The following is a review from Motion Picture News, "Fifteen or more series of animated cartoons on the market at one time make the going tough for this type of short. That is unless they are turned out with the cleverness of 'Cuckoo Murder Case,' one of the Flip the Frog subjects produced by Ub Iwerks. Here the cartoonist takes the usual mystery slant but sends it over with loads to spare. The answer is in the treatment. Iwerks has Flip go through the most amazing contortions. This shows real thought."  

Next up comes a clip from The Fleischer Screen Song cartoon, When Yuba Plays the Rumba on the Tuba (1936). The music in this film is provided by The Mills Brothers. This includes not only the title song but the music throughout the cartoon, much of which is done with scat singing. Music-wise The Mills Brothers through their own version of scat singing were able to sound like a full band using only their voices and one guitar. This type of music works remarkably well as the score for a cartoon. 

The Hound For Hire – Sam Basset, Private Eye series of theatrical shorts is hardly held in high regard. In fact, Jerry Beck has often included these films in his annual Comic-Con panel, Worst Cartoons Ever. Despite this, there is a certain corny charm to films, even if one would never call them good. So "enjoy" Case of the Nervous Sheriff (1961).

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Up next comes the Pixar short, Luxo Jr. (1986). 

The most famous film animator/comic strip artist Winsor McCay made is easily Gertie the Dinosaur (1914).  This film was actually a vaudeville act before it was in theaters. The act consisted of Winsor McCay talking to his animated dinosaur Gertie. He would tell her what to do and Gertie would do it (most of the time). This was translated to theaters by having an off-screen narrator, who speaks through intertitles (since this was a silent film). This film has often times wrongly been called the first cartoon ever made. While this is not true (It isn't even McCay's first cartoon, it is his third), its place in animation history is still extremely important. The reason for this is Gertie, herself. She is one of the first animated characters that the audience was allowed to see think. Unlike most of the earlier silent cartoon characters, Gertie does not seem like she is just moving drawings projected on a screen, but instead like a real character that we know and relate to over the course of the film. This was the beginning of character animation, and one of the first successful attempts at it. Like McCay's earlier short Little Nemo (1911) this film begins in live action. Winsor McCay bets his fellow cartoonists that he can make a dinosaur come to life and boy does he. This cartoon still holds up incredibly well today and received the number 6 spot in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons. 

For those of you who are still in suspense here is Maggie and Peril (Chapter 2) (1989). Be sure to stay tuned next week to see what happens. 

Today's cartoon selection ends with the Looney Tunes TV special, Bugs Bunny in King Arthur's Court (1978), which was produced, directed and plagiarized by Chuck Jones.

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry. 

Resources Used

The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck.

Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/thunderbean-doings-and-the-case-of-the-nervous-sheriff-1961/

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Movie Review: Elio

 

Note: This movie did not have a short film before us. I am a huge fan of Pixar's short films. I have often liked them just as much, if not more than the features they accompanied. Because of this I find myself continuously disappointed whenever a Pixar movie comes to movie theaters without an accompanying short. I hope that new shorts will come back to accompany all Pixar movies in the future. 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A delightful Pixar film.

This movie's storyline about a young boy who wishes to be abducted by aliens because he doesn't feel like he belongs on Earth combines some typical Pixar charm with a Spielbergian style fantasy. If it doesn't reach the heights of the best Pixar films that is only because the best Pixar movies are some of the best family films ever made. This movie still pulls on your heartstrings though in a way only Pixar can. This film's greatest asset is the main character himself. Elio is a character that we can all see a bit of ourselves in. Most, if not all, of us have felt at one time or another like outsiders no matter where we are. Many of us as kids have fantasized about something similar to Elio's desire to find some place outside of this world where he would belong. This film taps into the basic human desire to belong and therefore will speak to most any audience, though especially to younger audiences. At the same time, we can relate to his aunt, who loves him but struggles to relate to or understand him at times. The relationship between them may be of a broken family but there is still a real sweetness behind it. The basic storyline is great having us see what we would have fantasized about as kids play out, while also showing us that we should not take what we do have in this life for granted. This may be a typical moral for a family movie, but it is very well told. This movie also benefits from some great visuals especially in the sci-fi environment we see in the second and third acts. 

This movie does have its flaws though. Despite this movie having so many comedic moments, none of them are that funny. I simply expected more laughs from a Pixar film. I also felt that the side characters we kind of bland and that the third act felt too neat and tidy to fully work. 

This movie was directed by Adrian Molina (co-director of Coco (2017)), Madeline Sharafian (who had been a writer on Coco, Onward (2020) and Turning Red (2022)) and Domee Shi (director of Turning Red and the Pixar short Bao (2018)). 

Movie Review: Inside Out 2

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

The first Inside Out (2015) is my personal favorite Pixar movie. To me it is the perfect example of everything that makes Pixar great, being an incredibly intelligent film that is also great fun to watch. While probably nothing will ever top that masterpiece (though I would love to be proven wrong), this is a wonderful sequel that shows that the studio still has plenty of Pixar magic. 

This film understands that being a sequel it cannot capture the same awe and wonder that the first film did. Because of this the filmmakers don't even try. Instead, they simply focus on telling a great story. That they do perfectly. Rather than the beautiful introduction to the world of Riley's mind that began the first film, we instead start off with a fun comedic scene. This scene is not only pretty funny, but it perfectly does its job of reintroducing us to these wonderful characters and leaving us exactly where we left off from the last film. It prepares us for the truly emotional journey (pun intended) that we are about to take. The drama truly begins when we are introduced to more emotions (Anxiety, Envy, Ennui (or boredom), Embarrassment). These new emotions completely change how everything will play out in Riley's mind. Though kids will enjoy this movie, it is probably those who have experienced being a teenager, who will apricate this best. This film takes a more complex route than the average coming of age drama does. Instead of focusing on romance or preparing yourself for life beyond school, this movie focuses on how our emotions become more complex. What was simply being happy, sad, angry, scared or disgusted as a kid has grown into emotions that are much more complex and harder to describe. As things become more complex, it becomes so easy to lose sight of who we really are. There is something that is so needed about seeing this played out in such a clever and intelligent but also easy to follow and grasp way. We don't only see Riley but ourselves on the screen, as the film addresses feelings that we may try to hide but in a way that feels like a much-needed hug. Perhaps because of the complex emotions and themes here, there are less all-out tearjerker scenes than in the first movie, but it is hard not to be profoundly touched as the film reaches its final act. The final act of this film is incredibly moving, and I simply got swept away in all the emotion. 

Like all the best Pixar movies, this film does a great job of balancing its more serious scenes with a lot of humor. While not all the humor lands perfectly, the jokes that land are truly hilarious. There were definitely moments (seeing this movie in the theater) when the whole packed audience was laughing out loud. 

This movie marks the directorial debut of Kelsey Mann, who worked as a story supervisor on Monsters University (2013), The Good Dinosaur (2015) and Onward (2020). Before working at Pixar he had been a storyboard artist on such animated TV shows as Duck Dodgers, Megas XLR, My Gym Partner's a Monkey, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The screenplay was written by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein. Meg LeFauve was a co-writer on the original Inside Out as well as The Good Dinosaur and Onward. She even received a story credit on Marvel Studio's Captain Marvel (2019). This is Dave Holstein's first feature film, though he has worked on quite a bit of TV. 

This movie may not have the same sense of awe and wonder that the first film did but it more than makes up for this by simply telling a truly great and moving story. This is a must see for all Pixar fans.   

Movie Trailer: Inside Out 2

Movie Review: Elemental

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

Pixar's first rom-com is very good. If it doesn't measure up to the studio's previous films, that is only because Pixar has set the bar so high. 

At its heart this is a love story and as such it works very well. Ember (who is made of fire) and Wade (who is made of water) fall in love despite the fact that such a thing has not been done before (this is obviously a not too subtle look at racism and inter-racial relationships). The two characters have wonderful chemistry with each other, and their romance comes off as more believable than half the romance movies starring humans. This is because the movie does not rush into the romance, but instead lets the characters naturally grow into it after spending time together. The way this plays out feels completely real. You cannot pinpoint the exact moment in which they fall in love with each other, but instead you as an audience member simply grow naturally into accepting it. This quite simply put is how you do a romance in a movie just right and something makers of live action romantic comedies can definitely learn from. This makes it so even with how cliché the story can get, you still have an emotional attachment to it. 

This film also shows very well Pixar doing what it does best. This is building a fantasy world that feels completely believable. Once you stop to think about it little of the world these elements live in doesn't make much sense, but as you are watching the movie, you completely believe that this place is real. This is due partly to all the little details that show how certain things work in this world. These are often shown in tiny moments but these tiny moments make a big difference. This sense of atmosphere is also shown in the great visuals of this film. There was obviously so much work that went into this artwork and it is felt in every single scene. Yet as wonderful as the artwork is it is always in service to the story and the setting. 

It is strange to say that one of the weakest parts about a Pixar movie is the humor, the humor here could have been a lot better. I found myself not really laughing that much watching this film. Most every gag felt like something Pixar had done before and done better in the past. There were some jokes that really made me smile, but shockingly I never once really laughed. Also, while this is Pixar's first rom-com that does not mean this story really does much that we haven't seen before. In fact, the story feels very familiar and from pretty early on we can guess just how this movie is going to end. The story is done well but this can't stop it from feeling familiar. 

While this may not be one of Pixar's best it is a very good movie on its own terms.

This feature film is proceeded by a delightful short film called Carl's Date. This short film is a bit of a sequel to the wonderful Pixar movie, Up (2009). It is even directed by Bob Petersen who directed that feature (he also provided the voice for Dug). As much as I enjoyed Elemental, I may have liked this short even more. This short film is everything that I love about Pixar. It is charming, funny and digs into deep emotions in a way that only Pixar can. This short film was funny, silly and playful for most of the length. However, the final moments really hit me hard emotionally. Honestly this short would be worth the price of admission alone. This short was originally planned to be part of the Disney + streaming series, Dug Days but it was decided instead to release it to movie theaters and it is easy to see why.  

Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #181

 Hello my friends and welcome back for another selection of classic cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection begins with Sylvester in Peck Up Your Troubles (1945). This short film is certainly a forerunner to the later Tweety and Sylvester cartoons, the first of which would be released in 1947. However instead of Tweety there is a little woodpecker and dialogue is kept to a minimum. This movie was in fact only Sylvester's second cartoon, the first of which was Life With Feathers (1945). Peck Up Your Troubles was directed by Friz Freleng who would later direct nearly all of the Sylvester and Tweety shorts. Friz would later say about Sylvester, "I designed Sylvester to look subtly like a clown. I gave him a big red nose and a very low crotch which was supposed to look like he was wearing baggy pants. But gradually he changed because the construction restricted his animation."  

Up next comes Goofy in The Big Wash (1948). Rather than being directed by Jack Kinney, this short film was directed by Clyde Geronimi, who by this time was mostly working on Disney's feature films. This often causes his work as a director of shorts to get overlooked. Yet his work in shorts was often incredibly delightful and this movie is no exception. This may not be as wild as the Goofy cartoons, Jack Kinney directed, but in its own way it is just as fun. This movie relies heavily on character-based humor and it has really been done better. In this cartoon Goofy washes an elephant named Dolres. This elephant would later appear in the Donald Duck cartoon, Working for Peanuts (1953) and in that film Donald would sing the same song as Goofy does here. 

Next we join Mutt and Jeff in Westward Whoa (1926). This movie was directed by Charles Bowers who also had an unjustly forgotten career staring in live action silent comedy shorts. 

The Betty Boop cartoons from the early 1930's were some of the most risqué cartoons from the golden age of American animation. Anyone who thinks of old cartoons as sweet, innocent and squeaky clean may be surprised to see scenes in these cartoons. One of the most risqué images from one of these cartoons comes from Red Hot Mama (1934), where we are given a look through Betty's dress. Though admittedly the rest of this cartoon is not exactly innocent either. The setting for this film is Hell, where Betty's sexiness excites the various demons. Not everyone back then was fine with what happens in this film as the following exhibitor's review from Motion Picture Herald shows. "Red Hot Mama: Betty Boop - I can remember several years ago after sound had been established that a great cry arose within the industry that the youngsters of that day ( and the show patron of tomorrow) were unable to find any entertainment in the movie palaces because the biz had gone high hat and no entertainment for them. I screened 'Red Hot Mama,' a cartoon yesterday on my Sunday matinee hence this letter. I have always felt that in booking these cartoons the youngsters were getting a treat. I enjoy their hearty laughs and suppressed excitement when their favorite cartoon is on the screen. However 'Red Hot Mama' must have been drawn when the guy was drunk. Betty Boop starts out sweetly, is suddenly transported to Hell and pursued and tortured by all sorts of fire devils, imps and what have you. One variety, the ability to bound in the air and come down on a spear studded tail stabbed in the floor. A grand subject for your juvenile trade? Naturally my Sunday matinee was without a cartoon. The only recommendation I have for this is that the one responsible for it be compelled to sit through a screening every time he has a pink elephant fantasy. Some exhibitor's have said they hesitate to report on products through the Herald for fear of getting in bad with the local exchange. My opinion is that the people who are sincere in this business welcome constructive criticism. Report fairly on pictures with merit and likewise that class of product which is detrimental to our investments. I'm not a crank but it is cartoons such as the Symphonies and 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and 'Little Red Hen' that are in demand and not such a thing as 'Red Hot Mama'. -E.A. Reynolds, Strand Theatre, Princeton, Minn. Small Town and Country Patronage." With the praise of the Silly Symphonies, I am wondering what this exhibitor would have to say about the Silly Symphony, Hell's Bells (1929). The following is a much more positive exhibitor's review from the Motion Picture Herald, "Red Hot Mama: Betty Boop - This is a great cartoon comedy that will please everyone. It is full of good clean entertainment and much better than the average comedy. More time should be given to shorts in order to fill in a poor feature and everything would be better. Running Time eight minutes. -J.J. Medford, Orpheum Theatre, N.C. General patronage."

Now for a commercial break. 

Motion Picture News, 1913

Next we join Popeye in I Don't Scare (1956). This was towards the end of Popeye's career in theatrical cartoon shorts. The last of these shorts was released only a year later in 1957.

Now for Colonel Heeza Lair in Knighthood (1924). The Colonel's cartoon career began in 1913. After 1917 he briefly vanished from movie screens. Yet in 1922 the series returned. New cartoons with the character would be made through 1924. This cartoon coms from the later run of films. These later shorts would combine live action and animation (something the earlier shorts did not do) in way that resembled the Fleischer Brothers' Out of the Inkwell shorts. 

 
Film Daily, 1924

Up next is the Pixar short film, For the Birds (2000). This cartoon premiered at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in 2000, but most movie lovers first saw it play before the Pixar feature film, Monsters Inc. (2001).
 

Now to end with a song. 

Resources Used

I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat: Fifty Years of Sylvester and Tweety by Jerry Beck.

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

 

 

Movie Review: Lightyear

 

Note: There was no short film before Lightyear and you are darn right I am upset at that. 

Michael's Movie Grade: B

This may not be up to par with the Toy Story films, but it is still a lot of fun. 

This is not one of Pixar's most daring movies, nor one of their most touching, but not every Pixar film needs to be Inside Out, The Incredibles or Toy Story. This movie sets out simply to be a fun adventure film and it does a really good job being just that. That is not to say there are none of the touching moments that Pixar is known for. In fact there is one death that hits pretty hard. Still this is not in anyway the focus, which is instead the adventure. Buzz himself is handled quite well. This is not the same Buzz we have seen in the Toy Story movies, instead this is a real space ranger and that Buzz was a toy. This movie manages to make this character feel real and differentiate him from the toy, while still keeping enough of the Buzz we love. This Buzz is also headstrong and has a hard time listening to anyone else, but still deep down has a kind heart and cares for those in his life. In other words even if this is still not the same character, he captures the essence of who Buzz Lightyear is. However the show is stolen by Sox the cat. While the previews made me think this character would be a forced in and annoying comedy relief, he was anything but. For one thing his comedy is quite funny. He made me and the audience I saw this with laugh out loud multiple times. Plus Peter Sohn's voice acting was fantastic. Yet he also works great into the adventure part of the film and works as a great ally for the team. Yet the heart of the film lies in Buzz's teammate Izzy Hawthrone, who counterbalances with Buzz perfectly. You can feel a real connection with these two growing over the course of the film. The scenes between these two have a real feeling of authenticity behind them that does a great job grounding the adventure in reality. The adventure itself is conventional but it works quite well. It captures the feeling of simple Sci-fi fun and if it lacks the complexities of most Pixar movies, there is still a real charm to it. 

On the downside Buzz has two other team members he works with here. They simply seem to serve as comedy reliefs, and although they get a few moments they never really justify their existence when we already have Sox the cat here. They also have very one note personalities. There is also the fact that this movie's message is very easy to get, even for the smallest of kids, yet they have to keep stating it over and over. The reveal of the villain also didn't fully work for me but may work for others. 

Chris Evans did a good job voicing Buzz here and I got so caught up in believing in who this character is that I didn't think about how the voice sounds different. Still I am not sure replacing Tim Allen was necessary (I am a fan of Tim Allen). True this is technically a different Buzz, but I think he would have felt just as much like a different Buzz. And Tim Allen may be a comedian but he handled the more serious scenes of the Toy Story films well and could have handled a less overtly silly version of the character. At the same time, I can't deny that Chris Evans did a really good job with this and having a diffrent voice actor proved to not be distracting at all. 

This may not be Toy Story but it is a lot of fun.      

Some Cartoons For Saturday Morning #180

 Hello my friends. Happy Saturday morning and welcome back for another selection of classic cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection begins with Hop, Look and Listen (1948). This is the first cartoon to pair Sylvester and Hippety Hopper (it is also his debut appearance). After this cartoon the two worked together in 12 more short films. Each of those cartoons followed the formula set by this film, where Sylvester mistakes Hippety for a giant mouse instead of a baby kangaroo. This cartoon was reissued to theaters in 1955.

Casper the Friendly Ghost was created by Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo. The character was created with the intention of staring him in a 1939 children's book. However there was little interest in this idea. During World War 2, Oriolo sold the rights to the book to Famous Studios, the animation studio which was making the Popeye cartoons at this time. The studio originally viewed this as a one shot cartoon, but Sam Buchwald liked the idea and by 1950, Casper cartoons would officially become a series. Animator Myron Waldman worked on the majority of the Casper films would later state, "The boys at the studio used to kid me when we were doing the Caspers; they'd call them the 'ooh-ahh' pictures, but I always felt those pictures would last much longer than a picture that was just based on gags, because nobody can remember the gags. When they go to see it again, or talk about it, I think they like a story - kids especially."  Up next is the first Casper cartoon and one that was also an adaption of the book. So enjoy The Friendly Ghost (1945). 

Broadcasting, 1957

The cartoons continue with The Grocery Boy (1932) starring Mickey Mouse. This is a sweet simple little cartoon of the type that the Disney studio excelled at. The movie is helped by some truly excellent character animation and a great cast of animators. David Hand (who would be the supervising director for Snow White (1937) and Bambi (1942)) animates the film's opening. Tom Palmer animates Mickey and Minnie on the phone, a long sequence that begins with Mickey and Pluto entering the house and ends with Minnie kissing a bump on Mickey's head and the closing moment. Ben Sharpsteen (who would be the supervising director for Pinocchio (1940) and Fantasia (1940)) animates Pluto pulling at the table as well as the statue falling on Mickey. Rudy Zamora animates Mickey and Pluto running to Minnie's house. Future Donald Duck director, Jack King animates Minnie stirring and Mickey shelling the peas. Les Clark (one of Walt's Nine Old Men and one of the studio's top Mickey animators) animates Mickey getting the stuffing out of the turkey. A review in Variety stated, "Nothing outstanding in this one, but a good example of the Disney product." The climatic ending of this cartoon would later be adapted for the Mickey Mouse newspaper comic strip. 

Now for a delightful early Terrytoon, Spring is Here (1932). 

Now for a commercial break. 

Now comes a delightful short film from Pixar, Lifted (2006). This cartoon premiered at the 42nd Chicago International Film Festival. However most moviegoers first saw it play alongside the Pixar feature Ratatouille (2007) in movie theaters. 

Have you every wondered "What makes the moon shine." Well after watching Felix Finds Out (1924), you won't have to wonder anymore. 

Let us close with a song.

Thanks for joining me, come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.

Resources Used

Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin

Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein 

http://afilmla.blogspot.com/

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

Movie Review: Turning Red

 

Note: This film is only available on Disney +

Michael's Movie Grade: B

A good Pixar movie, even if not one of their best.  

The basic storyline is very good. Like many Pixar films it discusses mature themes in a way that perfectly blends into the fantasy-based story. These themes are discussed in a way that is intelligent and thought-provoking but never preachy. The main character is quite likable. While in some ways she is a bit of a stereotype, she is a quite likable one. Though I can't say I can relate to her (I have never gone through any of the situations she did), I can feel for her and there is certainly not a scene that I don't want to see the best for her. Her relationship with her mother is well handled. You can fully see and understand where all the friction comes from. However, the relationship at the same time does not feel cold or distant. You can see that these two really do care for each other underneath it all. This makes us understand why she wants so badly to please her mother, while still live her own life. This creates a dichotomy that would be truly difficult for anyone. With this in mind, where this movie really works is the emotional moments. These moments truly pull on your heartstrings and I would be lying if I said I wasn't moved by some of these scenes. How effective these scenes are, makes all the more sense when you realize what a personal film this was for director Domee Shi (though she has worked on previous Pixar features as a storyboard artist this is her first time directing a feature film, though she did direct the Pixar short, Bao (2018)). Much of this film was based off of her own childhood and experiences growing up. The storytelling also moves at fast pace without ever feeling rushed.

The animation as expected of Pixar is excellent. Though it looks different from other Pixar movies, it still captures the feel of the film perfectly and much of the character animation really makes the characters come to life. 

Where this movie really doesn't work is the humor. There is not one single real laugh here. Instead, every joke falls completely flat. This wouldn't be as much of a problem if the humor did not come off as so loud and obnoxious. This is another film that feels that the louder it is the funnier it is. However, this is not in any way true. Another fault is the main character's friends. These characters have little to no personality outside of what is necessary to tell the story.

Overall while this may not be on the same level as Pixar's best, it is still quite a good movie. 

Movie Review: Luca

 

Note: This film is only available on Disney +

Michael's Movie Grade: B

Maybe not Pixar's finest hour, but a darn good movie in its own right. 

One of the best things about this movie is the sheer atmosphere and the film's excellent animated interpretation of Italy. Director Enrico Casarosa grew up in Italy and had the crew takes trips there with him to show them so many of the places that made his childhood so special. As such this movie does not take place in a vaguely Italian village like so many similar films would do, but instead a beautiful, immersive and nostalgic place that feels completely real to the audience. Like is common in Pixar movies a lot of work was put into even the tiniest details. Yet at the same time the movie has a cartoony look that at first glance is deceptively simple. When many animated movies try to look as real as possible this movie is not ashamed to look like a cartoon and to exaggerate for cartoony effect. However because of the love and care put into this film, we get caught up in the emotion just as much as any great live action film. This proves that a film being ashamedly a cartoon does not mean that it can't have an emotional impact. The three main characters here are wonderful as well. Overcoming the simple stereotypes, they could have been, they feel like real people. We all know someone just like each of these three characters and can relate and care for them very easy. I also love that this film is not afraid to slow down and let us enjoy the little moments as it is moments like these that can truly make a film stand out.

Unfortunately this movie suffers from a weak, cliché and all together boring villain in a story that would have been just fine without such a character. The storyline is also very familiar and it is hard at anytime to not see exactly where it is going to go. The humor while not bad certainly is not as funny as we have come to except from Pixar.

This will not become one of my most watched Pixar movies, but it is one that I know I will truly enjoy each time I watch it.    

Movie Review: Burrow

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

With this delightful short film, Pixar shows that it is just as good at creating 2D cartoons as their more traditionally 2D.

Like many of the best Pixar shorts this film relies on pantomime rather than dialogue. As someone who is a massive fan of silent film, it makes me very glad to see that this style of storytelling still lives on today. Despite featuring some charming visual humor, no one would ever accuse this cartoon of being laugh out loud hilarious. Instead most of the jokes simply raise a smile instead of an auditory laugh. Despite this the film successeds excellently in doing just what the medium of the short film does best. That is to tell a simple story simply. This film has no pretensions beyond being what it is, a charming little cartoon with a charming little story. As one should except from Pixar, the animation is handled excellently and though these characters may not talk they express everything we could want to know about them with simple gestures that work as a truly universal language. The story itself moves briskly but never feels rushed. The main character is very likable and relatable, something that adds much to the enjoyment of this film. 

If you are a fan of Pixar or just cartoons in general this short is definitely worth a watch. 

Movie Review: Soul

 Michael's Movie Grade: B

While not perfect, there is a ton of Pixar charm and magic to go around. 

So much of what makes this movie work comes from its message and its imagination. This movie has a great and very thought provoking message about what we truly live for and how easy it can be to misunderstand that concept. This message will connect with younger Pixar fans but not as much as it will for adult Pixar fans. This is a truly beautiful and inspiring message and one that will make you stop and think about what you are living your life for. The realm of the great beyond and the great before are wonderfully designed and creatively thought-out. There was obviously a lot of thought and effort put into these places and it pays off. Just as great was how our world was portrayed. It felt quite magical while still feeling like our world and not some idealized place. The filmmakers found beauty in the real world without ever sugarcoating a thing. The two main characters are very likable and relatable. They are not simply stereotyped personality traits but fully thought-out people with quite a few facets to there personality. 

There are definitely some places where this film falls flat.. There is a lot of comedy from beginning to end but there are only a few jokes that are actually funny. While there aren't many really bad jokes (there are few groaners here), most of them left me without much of reaction. Simply put I felt like I should have laughed more. While the two main characters were quite likable, the rest of the characters are simply one note stereotypes rather than feel like real people. Also while this movie may not be especially long there are still a few times in which it kind of drags and feels a bit longer than it is. However I definitely felt the good parts of this movie overcame these faults, as the parts of this film that worked were extremely good. 

Video: Listening to Toy Story - The Royal Ocean Film Society

 

Movie Reviews: Onward & Playdate With Destiny

Onward
Michael's Movie Grade: B

While this may not be one of Pixar's best films, it is darn good by any another standard.

Like many Pixar movies, the best thing about Onward is the relationship between the main characters. Barley and Ian feel so believable and real as bothers. They may not completely get along and can easily get on one-another's nerves, yet beneath all this is a sweet and loving relationship. This is heightened by Chris Pratt and Tom Holland's voice work. The two had not had much screen time together in the MCU, but this movie shows they have perfect chemistry together. You have the feeling from simply listening to their voices that these two actors had a brotherly relationship themselves. Though the film's story may be about the boys trying to bring their dad back, in the end the brotherly relationship is the true heart of Onward. When I say heart, when discussing a Pixar film, all of you know what I am talking about. There are some tearjerker moments here and they are just as great as anything else Pixar has done. One tearjerker moment towards the end is absolutely perfect and everything we should expect from Pixar. The story itself is rather conventional, but an intriguing and original premise, as well as some very effective emotional moments completely put the storytelling clichés over.

On the down the humor here didn't have me laughing the way I felt it should have and for a movie that takes place in a fantasy world, the world around the characters didn't impress me as I felt it should either.

All in all, this may not be a Pixar masterpiece, but it is a really good movie.



Playdate With Destiny
Michael's Movie Grade: B+

It seemed odd to me that the short film before Onward would be a Simpsons short but how can I complain about this fun little movie.

This short is pretty much a current silent film. This may seem odd as well since The Simpsons is such a dialogue heavy show, but after the previous similar Simpsons short film, The Longest Daycare, I had no would be a fun cartoon. There is plenty of the good old fashioned Simpsons satire (in fact more than there has been in many recent episodes of the show), showing that the crew doesn't need dialogue to be funny. Maggie's sleepless night certainly made me laugh out loud. It may not be as funny as the best episodes of the show but those episodes are so good that is hardly an insult. This is also a very well animated short that takes advantage of being a theatrical release rather than a TV episode.

With this and The Longest Daycare, I feel The Simpsons should continue making short films, they are some of the strongest things The Simpsons has done in recent years. Regardless of whether or not this trend continues, this is a delightful little film.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Some Must See Movies From the 2010's

With the 2010's coming to a close, I feel it is only appropriate to look back on some of the great movies of this decade. This post will not be a best of list. Rather this is simply me listing some movies from this decade that I really enjoyed.

The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013, Japan). In my mind this is one of Studio Ghibli's best films and deserves to be mentioned with Spirited Away (2001) and Grave of the Fireflies (1988). This movie is a deceptively simple fairy tale that works on multiple levels. It can be enjoyed simply as a very charming fairy tale or a highly intelligent commentary on how our world defines happiness. The animation is incredible and with films like this, it is easy to wish hand drawn animation could still be the norm. I love how the animation will change to fit the emotional mood of the moment, while never feeling abrupt or distracting. The ending makes me tear up every time.

Lean on Pete (2018, U.S.A.). This is easily one of the most emotionally powerful movies of recent years. Yet this movie never slides into forced sentimentality. That is because this movie is an open and honest depiction of how harsh the world can be, but also the beauty that can be found in other moments. With the lack of warmth in our main character's life it is impossible not to understand or relate to his deep connection with the horse he works with. This movie never follows a conventional path and you will never know what we happen next, but be sure whatever does will hit your emotions hard. Be prepared to cry when you see this movie.

Tokyo Fiancée (2014, Belgium) Possibly one of the most offbeat romantic comedies of the decade and certainly one of the most enjoyable. This movie was based off the real life romance of Amélie Nothomb. Our main character grew up in Belgium but spent her life obsessed with all things Japanese. When she moves to Japan (as a French language tutor), she falls in love with a young man obsessed with all things French. What really makes this movie stand out are Pauline Etienne's incredible performance and the breathtaking shots of Japan. Though its offbeat and often very funny sense of humor doesn't hurt either.

Marie's Story (2014, France). A very heartwarming film about a young woman who is both blind and deaf and a nun who helps change her life. The story may seem familiar but it is told so spectacularly here, you won't care. This is a quiet little movie that requires you to pay attention but rewards you extremely richly when you do.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse (2018, U.S.A.). This animated feature is everything one could wish for in superhero movie. It is extremely fun, it has a great story with some depth, a fantastically original visual style and great characters. More than any other superhero movie I have ever seen this film makes it feel like a comic book come to life. This is not only one of the best animated superhero movies but one of the best superhero movies period.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011, U.S.A.) and Captain America: The Winter Solider (2014, U.S.A.). You may love or hate the MCU. Personally I love it and these are in my mind the finest movies to come out of it. The first Captain America is a lovely done period piece that is as fun as any MCU movie has ever been. The second is a more dark and serious film set in the modern day. Both are the smartest and best written movies Marvel Studios ever put out.

Parasite (2019, Korea). I would like to say as little about this movie as possible, as it is best to go in knowing as little as possible. Only know that this is one of the finest suspense movies of recent years.

Moana (2016, U.S.A.). This movie shows Disney animation at its best. Everything is as good as it gets including the songs, the animation, the characters, the story, the action and the pure Disney magic.

Inside Out (2015, U.S.A.). This is easily my favorite Pixar movie. It has everything that is great about Pixar films with none of the faults. Like with all the best movies from this studio, I felt like I traveled to another world. The design work is so perfectly imaginative and detailed that you can easily believe the inside of our mind really looks like this. The characters are fantastic and I like that they even tried to see how far they could push Joy while still making her likable. The story is the finest and most heartfelt to ever come from Pixar and this is the only movie from the studio that has actually made me cry.

Lady Bird (2017, U.S.A.). With just her debut feature, I am willing to accept Greta Gerwig as one of the finest directors of this generation. It is hard to think of any movie in recent years more perfect than Lady Bird. While there have been many movies about young people in their late teens coming of age, I hesitate to think of one that does it as well as this film. This movie is extremely intelligent, perfectly acted and cast, very funny, extremely heartfelt and perfectly directed. If there was a movie this decade I would dare call perfect it is Lady Bird.

Ida (2014, Poland). Movies as beautiful as this come along extremely rarely. This movie is full of pure cinematic magic from beginning to end. Made in black and white, this is one of the best looking films of this decade. The cinematography is perfection, often making one wish black and white movies were still common. However this film is hardly all style and no substance. Director and Co-writer Pawel Pawlikowski revisits his childhood with this movie's story and does it in an incredibly moving and powerful way. No movie buff should go without seeing this brilliant work of art.

Feliz Año Tijuana (2018, Mexico). I came into this movie knowing nothing about it. Little did I except it would be such a moving and powerful film. This movie takes a small simple story a professor who by chance meets an old student in Tijuana at New Years, and turns it into something truly special. This is an independent movie all the way. In fact it was shot without a script, being mostly improvised over six days of shooting. This movie came and left theatres with hardly anybody noticing. However it is truly a great movie and I hope some of you will take the time to seek it out.

-Michael J. Ruhland

Movie Review: Toy Story 4

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

Review: After Toy Story 3 provided such a great ending for the series, many of us (including me) were skeptical when Toy Story 4 was announced. I am happy to say our skepticism was misplaced. This film provides a truly great finish to a series that has been dear to many of our hearts.

This is some ways is the most low key of the Toy Story movies. Most of the conflict is internal (though this can be argued to be true for Toy Story 2 as well) and there is no big physical suspense scene like the incinerator scene from Toy Story 3 or the escape from Sid's room in the first Toy Story. The closest scenes we get are either played more for laughs or more for emotion than the previous examples. This movie shows perfectly that the internal conflict can be just as effective as the external. What Woody goes through here is something that all of us have felt and can relate to. We know we shouldn't react to it as obsessively as Woody does, but if we are all honest with ourselves, it is the way many of us do react. The possibility that we are no longer useful is truly terrifying and a thought that I have struggled with many times. This made this movie possibly the most emotionally relatable Toy Story movie. I understand that this is because of who I am as a person, and scenes from previous movies might be more relatable to you. One thing that made me write off this movie in my head when I saw the trailers was the character of Forky. The idea of a living spork in a Toy Story movie, seemed like a terrible one to me. What shocked me watching this movie is that I actually ended up really liking the character. He made me laugh out loud many times, especially with his obsession with trash, and the way he described it to Woody. A mid-credits sequence featuring him was an especially huge laugh for me. Forky like Woody has more internal conflict than external here. It works perfectly. We have all had those moments when we wondered why we exist and felt like we don't belong. Forky personifies those moments for us, but in a way that has enough warmth and humor that it never becomes depressing. Gabby Gabby is an equally fascinating character, but I refuse to go into more detail to avoid spoilers.

As stated when talking about Forky despite all the internal conflict this movie's emotional moments are balanced out with a lot of great humor. Buttercup's plans, Buzz's inner voice, most scenes involving Ducky and Bunny, and much of Bonnie's interactions with her parents are really funny.

Naturally with this being a new Toy Story movie we get a new Randy Newman song. This song is fantastic and connects to what we are seeing on screen in both a humorous and emotional way.

This movie really is as good of an ending as a series like this can get and I can't recommend it enough.

P.S. I am extremely disappointed by the lack of an animated short before the feature.

-Michael J. Ruhland