Recently I was going over the upcoming summer movie slate and trying to make my predictions on what will hit and miss at the box office. I’m notoriously awful at these predictions but it is fun nevertheless. While going over the releases it occurred to me how many family films are being released this summer. 2015 summer had 8 family films- Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tomorrowland, Jurassic World, Inside Out, Minions, Ant-Man, Fantastic 4, and Pixels. Some might count Mission Impossible 5 but I think that is a stretch. In comparison this year there are 4 just in May.
First let’s talk about the animated films. There are 5 (6 releases but Sausage Party not family friendly.) These 5 are: Angry Birds Movie, Finding Dory, Secret Life of Pets, Ice Age: Collision Course, Kubo and the 2 Strings
Then we have comic book movies. I’m not counting Suicide Squad because I think that will be a pretty hard PG-13. There are 3 films: Captain America: Civil War, X-Men Apocalypse and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows.
We have other live action family films. (I’m not sure about Warcraft family friendly status as I’ve never played the game). But here’s some of them that could attract a family audience:Alice through the Looking Glass, Ghostbusters, Independence Day: Resurgence, The BFG, Legend of Tarzan, Star Trek Beyond, Pete’s Dragon.
That’s 15 movies, almost double what we had in 2015 using basically the same criteria. Even if a few turn out to not be family films it’s still kind of amazing. That leads me to my next question- which will rise and which will sink?
I mean just Disney alone has 5 films within all of their brands and one of them has to strike out. Will it be Pete’s Dragon? Will it be Alice Through the Looking Glass? The BFG? That last one would make me sad because The BFG is the one non-sequel/remake of the group but the book is less well known than Roald Dahl’s others and it doesn’t have a big star like Johnny Depp or Robert Redford.
Other interesting films to look at is the nostalgia wars. Will Star Trek Beyond, Ghostbusters or Independence Day: Resurgence be this year’s Pixels or Terminator: Genisys to bomb at the box office or will they be huge like Jurassic World?
You have 2 video game movies with Angry Birds Movie and Warcraft that will be interesting to watch and 2 studios, Illumination and Liaka, trying something new with Secret Life of Pets and Kubo and the 2 Strings. Will audiences embrace new or flock to known properties like Ice Age Collision Course, X-Men Apocalypse and Finding Dory?
I’m really curious to see how it all plays out. What do you think? What will be the big hits and misses for family films 2016? Have I left something out? Let me know in the comments section. It’s all speculation so let’s have fun talking about it.
Today I had the chance to see the new biopic called The Man Who Knew Infinity. While nothing too spectacular it is a solid inspirational true story about someone I knew nothing about before seeing the film.
Infinity stars Dev Patel as real-life mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan who grew up in a poor neighborhood in Madras, India but had a knack for numbers and mathematical formulas. He even believed the formulas came as visions from God to him, and he knew he needed to share them with the world.
He also gets married to a gorgeous Devika Bhise who starts off doubting his endeavors but ends up supporting him going to England and meeting with professors at Cambridge. I thought her and Patel had a nice chemistry together and kind of wish the movie had just been about their relationship (of course that wouldn’t be true to life but I would love to see something else with the two of them in it).
Ramanujan meets a professor named GH Hardy played by Jeremy Irons (I guess this is his year for biopics with already appearing in Race). The two men become friends despite their cultural and religious differences. Ramanujan is all about the new idea while Hardy encourages him to find the proofs behind the inspiration.
To be honest, this is where the movie lost me a bit. They weren’t successful in explaining the math to a math moron like myself and I got a little bit bored watching them at chalkboards working out equations. I’m sure what they were doing was groundbreaking but since I don’t understand the math or concepts it was hard to get excited. Theory of Everything had its problems but it at least made tough concepts easier to understand than this did. Same with Imitation Game.
The Man Who Knew Infinity ends up being a tragedy but that part of the film is highly predictable. Still I didn’t mind it following basic, by-the-numbers biopic formulas. I don’t need every movie I see to be new and different.
On the whole it is dry during all the math talk and the conversations between professors about whether to ‘grant the Indian fellowship’. That was boring but the relationships were good and the performances sincere. I liked supporting work from Toby Jones, Jeremy Northam, Stephen Fry and Arundhati Nag as Ramanujan’s mother.
Bi0pics on big names like rock stars, generals and inventors are great but I also enjoy these more obscure films as well. The Man Who Knew Infinity tells a good, if standard story and I’m glad I saw it. I would recommend it a rental when it comes out at the Redbox or a stream on netflix.
Are any of you seeing The Man Who Knew Infitity? What did you think? What’s your favorite biopic? Walk the Line and My Left Foot are two of my favorites.
I was recently tagged in the Liebster Award by my friend over at Jason’s Movie Blog. This is kind of like a movie tag where a blogger friend will have 11 questions and you create your own questions. I just recently tagged pretty much everyone I know in the Walt Disney Tag but I will at least answer his questions.
THE RULES
Here are the ground rules for the Liebster Awards….
Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you
Answer the 11 questions the blogger gives you
Nominate 11 bloggers that you think are deserving of the award
Let the bloggers know you nominated them
Give them 11 questions of your own
And post it on your blog!
Question #1
Favorite Movie of All Time?
Pixar’s Up. It’s a movie I could watch every day of my life and never tire of. I love how the relationship between Ellie and Karl continues throughout the whole movie. It reminds me that love continues on as long as we remember them. It’s a beautiful study of regret and grief and how to forgive yourself for the things that don’t work out in life. In my views a perfect film.
“You know what’s wrong with you, Miss Whoever-you-are? You’re chicken, you’ve got no guts. You’re afraid to stick out your chin and say, “Okay, life’s a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that’s the only chance anybody’s got for real happiness.” You call yourself a free spirit, a “wild thing,” and you’re terrified somebody’s gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you’re already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it’s not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It’s wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself”
It’s a film that takes two characters who are walking contradictions. They are both lonely and extremely manic at the same time. They are both needy and aloof. This is what makes them interesting. The film is a reminder that even the screwiest of us can find salvation through love. This final scene is perfection. “No matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself”. Plus, the music, perfection.
Question #3
Last Movie you saw in theaters?
Angry Birds. It wasn’t very good. Can read my review here.
Question #4
If you had the chance to meet one actor or actress in real life….who would it be?
Might seem like an odd choice but I would pick Patricia Heaton because I admire how she has kept her Christian beliefs and stayed a working actress. That’s tough to do.
Question #5
What was your favorite movie of 2015?
Inside Out and I like it more each time I see it. It has become my go-to movie and I find myself watching it every couple of weeks.
That said Star Wars is awesome. I love the space opera and adventure and all the characters. I guess the prequels are kind of lame but still doesn’t tarnish the brand in my eyes.
I don’t know. My life would be a lot lonelier if I didn’t blog and it feels cool to find other weirdos that like the same stuff I like. Also I enjoy writing and crafting persuasive essays that get my opinion across. I’ve seen the quality of my writing improve over the years which is cool.
Question #9
If you could visit any movie world in real life, what would it be?
I think I would go to the world of Jane Austen because any magical place has evil and is actually quite fraught with peril. In Jane Austen’s books/movies everyone is polite and says nice things even if they don’t mean it. Worst thing that could really happen to you is you don’t get married and someone says something mean about your mother. Otherwise a lot of tea and talk. I could live with that. ps. Anyone else super excited about Love and Friendship coming out?
Question #10
What do you collect? Physical copy of movies or digital downloads?
Physical Copy although I have over 500 digital movies in my vudu.com collection. Still I love special features and the HD quality of bluray. Here’s a video where I go over my Disney blurays.
Question #11
What movie are you looking forward to seeing?
Highest up on my list is probably Moana, Rogue 1, Dr Strange and Kubo and the 2 Strings.
As far as my tags I really just feel like I tagged everyone this weekend so I will leave these great questions open to any of you that wants to answer them. Thanks for tagging me Jason. It was a lot of fun!
So I decided to rest over at the theater tonight and watch the new animated release The Angry Birds Movie. I have never played the game before and had mixed responses to the trailer but after being pleasantly surprised (one of the few) by Ratchet and Clank, I was hoping for the same with Angry Birds. Unfortunately I left feeling mostly disappointed.
Not that Angry Birds is a complete loss. The animation is pretty good particularly with the texturing on the feathers. It looked lush and they capture the fast movement of the birds very well. I also was fine with all the voice talent although the celebrity aspect of it did nothing for me. There were a few good jokes and kids will probably have an ok time. This is not Norm of the North bad by any means.
Unfortunately that’s about the end of my praise. The film centers on a bird named Red who you guessed it is angry all the time. Going into the film I figured he would learn his lesson by the end and stop being angry. Instead Angry Birds makes the strange choice of having the kind, happy birds actually be gullible and stupid. The movie confuses confidence with anger and the stupid nice birds learn to be angry. Isn’t that a strange message for kids? It’s one thing to have a character named Anger in Inside Out as a piece of a healthy person but to have the main moral emphasis of the movie be promoting anger is very weird.
Just like Minions last year Angry Birds uses a lot of music cues to get supposed humor. I don’t think any of the songs will be that familiar to kids (bands like Pete Townsend, Ozzy Osbourne, the Carpenters and more) and I don’t even think these artists are that popular with young Moms and Dads so who they are trying to appeal too? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have bands from the 80s or 90s if you were appealing to the parents? Current artists if you were trying to appeal to kids? Regardless, the music jokes were loud, forceful, stretched out and unending. I got tired of them after a while.
These pigs come to steal the eggs of the birds. All of the birds but Red are charmed by the pigs because of the great dance party they throw. Red’s cynicism and grumpiness gets a little old after a while. It felt like certain scenes such as the hoedown party lasted a long time. There were also uncomfortable adult jokes which I really hate in movies aimed at families or children. These weren’t just subtle but out there jokes about sex, mating and harvesting eggs. That’s unseemly in my opinion.
Red goes to find an eagle that is going to save them but this sequence felt very drawn out and it separates the lead characters from the conflict with the pigs leaving said conflict and villains underdeveloped. The eagle potty humor and other jokes did nothing for me.
The final action scene was kind of fun and I’m told uses elements from the game in a very clever way, but that can only take you so far. I felt like the characters were shouting at me a lot and I grew tired of that. I wanted the story to breathe more and calm down.
Overall, it’s harmless. Some small kids will enjoy it but the shouting, overbearing music and the strange message about anger are big problems for me. Ratchet and Clank is a silly simple space adventure where this is more caustic and frustrating. I can see why some enjoy it but it was just not for me. I’m actually a little disappointed as I am always pulling for smaller studios to make a dent in the animation scene. Unfortunately Lego Movie this is not.
It was also frantically edited so I felt a little jerked around with everything happening on screen.
I’d be willing to forgive a lot if I wasn’t so annoyed by the characters and other choices made within the movie. Too bad!
Hopefully most of you have watched my initial reaction review to Captain America: Civil War. If you haven’t here it is again.
Now I’ve had the chance to see the movie twice and have more detailed thoughts. This is a spoiler filled post so stop now if you have not seen the film.
Captain America: Civil War can certainly be enjoyed on a base level. It’s fun, has great action and quipy dialogue that keeps things from feeling too morose. You have engaging actors and their characters who we have gotten to know over 12 films and some new presences in Black Panther and Spider-man. However, I am going to dig a little deeper and talk about themes of friendship and agency within the movie. If you want to just enjoy the movie then that is great but this might not be the post for you.
Steve’s friendship with Bucky has been a part of his story from the beginning.
FRIENDSHIP
Friendship is probably the more obvious theme within the film. We even heard in the trailer Steve saying “he’s my friend” and Tony replying “so was I”. Clearly there is a dynamic of friendship that is tested between the 3 main characters- Bucky, Steve and Tony. However, you also have other friendships that are explored- Rhodey and Tony, Natasha and Clint, Sam and Steve, Steve and Peggy, Steve and Sharon, Scarlet Witch and Vision, Natasha and Steve etc. All of these friendships are tested with the Sokovia Accord.
Aristotle said there are 3 types of friendship (yes I am going to relate Marvel to Aristotle deal with it). There are friendships of utility, pleasure and virtue. A utility friendship is one “that can be easily dissolved and done away with when a more useful version comes into place”. You could argue that Ant-Man and Spider-Man are friendships or relationships of utility in the film. They are helpful but not essential to any of the other players.
Then we have friendships of pleasure. “These types of friendships are built around love or passion for similar things”. Most of the Avengers relationships are this type of friendship. They love similar things- mainly avenging- and that bonds them together. I venture to say most of your friends are friendships of pleasure. They are very valuable and are an essential part of a happy life. Black Panther is kind of an outside observer given he doesn’t really have relationships with any of the other characters.
Here’s where things get interesting. The top level of friendship is one of virtue. “This is that rare friend which supersedes friendships of pleasure or utility. This is that bond which is practically sacred it is so special”.
This is where we get the main conflict of Civil War. At the beginning of the film Steve has had to see his most treasured friendship of virtue die. This leaves him with only one left and that is Bucky. Everybody else it turns out is a friendship of pleasure. He values Tony and even Natasha but when push comes to shove he values his friendship with Bucky more.
The same thing can be said for Tony and his parents. It might sound odd to say a parent is a friend but when it comes down to it Tony is willing to do anything to avenge his parents. They are more valuable than any other relationship. Steve even tries to explain to him that Bucky didn’t know but his love or friendship for his parents is stronger than any such logic. You can also tell from his heartbreak that Pepper is one of those virtuous relationships. Rhodey is but not as much as the others.
Steve has had to see all his friendships of pleasure die, and that is why he is so focused on saving Bucky. It’s a survival instinct in a way. By saving Bucky he is in a way saving part of himself.
When Tony and Steve come to blows at the end it is especially heart breaking because they are two people who have lost everything. It’s what makes it so gripping and emotional.
Tony begins to lose control and doubt his decisions early on in his story
AGENCY
The other main theme of the film centers around agency. When I first heard that Tony was going to be signing the Sokovia Accord I didn’t know if that made sense with his character. Shouldn’t it be Cap who goes along with the government with Tony being the fast-talking outlaw? This is where looking at their films comes into play.
Tony starts out Iron Man not caring about the ramifications of his choices. He sells arms to terrorists. He lives the high life at others expense and he doesn’t care. Then he is imprisoned and becomes Iron Man. In the second movie he has let the fame go to his head but he has started to take more accountability for his choices. He stops producing arms and is trying to make a difference. Then in the Avengers he faces Loki and has a team to support his choices, but Coulson dies and the battle is only narrowly won.
Iron Man 3 comes next and the stresses of making heroic choices is starting to get to him. He has panic attacks and starts to doubt his abilities. Pepper is hurt and he is fooled by the Mandarin. Then in Ultron he see’s the vision of his dead friends and mass suffering all around him. This inspires him to make Ultron and it goes disastrously wrong. So, think about it. You have a man who’s agency has led to disaster.
It starts to make sense now. A man who has a history of panic attacks and bad decision making wants to let other people make the choices. That sounds great! He even tries to limit Scarlet Witch’s choices in the guise of ‘protecting her’. In his mind choices are dangerous and prison is safe.
Let’s look at Steve. His growth is a bit simpler. He started with the morality of a soldier. There are good guys and bad guys and he wanted to be a good guy. He volunteers for the experiment and helps defeat Hydra. But not before he saw how governments can be used to control and manipulate- even his own government in some ways.
Then in Winter Soldier he saw a stalwart organization like Shield get infiltrated by Alexander Pierce. No wonder he doesn’t want to give his decision making ability over to the accord. It makes perfect sense.
You can even see how Tony’s decisions in Age of Ultron creating Ultron would make Cap suspect of even his own organization, the Avengers. He says at the end ‘the Avengers was always more yours than mine” speaking to Tony. No, Captain America must be allowed his agency, and he will not give that up to any group or person- even the Avengers.
Why? Well, that’s where we bring it back to Bucky and friendship. Steve has had to see his one remaining friend lose his agency. As the Winter Soldier, Bucky has essentially become a robot and as his friend of virtue that would be incredibly painful to watch. Of course, Steve is going to do anything to save his friend and that means protecting him and bringing back his agency.
Tony and Steve’s different stories is what leads them into conflict
CONFLICT
And so this is where we get our conflict for the film. We have two friends of pleasure that are motivated by deeper friendships of virtue that they will not put aside, no matter what. Then you also have Tony’s history of panic and his poor choices making him seek for control; where Steve has only seen that control go awry.
The two gather friends to their side and punch it out with Steve basically winning because it is his movie after all. 🙂 Now the Avengers are basically a pack of vigilantes which is what Secretary Ross said they were to begin with. It should make the future with Infinity Wars Pt 1 and 2 very exciting.
What do you think of my analysis? Did you see these themes of friendship and agency within the film? Am I overthinking it? Let me know what themes you saw. Thanks!
My friend Conrado just put up his summer box office predictions. You can read them here. I’m normally awful at box office predictions but the more we discussed it I figured I should offer up my best guess just for fun and give my reasons for my guesses.
Here goes!
Captain America: Civil War– it opened huge and even bigger overseas. It will cross the 1 billion mark before weekend 2 and there is no competition then. Movies people like have had great legs this year (Zootopia, Deadpool, Jungle Book) so I think it could even do well against Alice and X-Men which I think will underpreform.
Finding Dory- all of Pixar’s sequels have done well and this is to a beloved classic, Finding Nemo. You have a celebrity voice cast who are going to promote including Ellen with her platform. I can’t imagine it doing badly. It would have to get totally panned by critics to keep people away and that seems unlikely (even dreaded Good Dinosaur has a 74% on RT).
Suicide Squad- people love the Joker and have responded well to the trailers. I could see a backlash from Batman v Superman but it seems like everyone is pulling for this to be the savior of DC.
TMNT: Out of the Shadows– The first one made a ton of money and Michael Bay associated films seem to be critic proof and always do well at box office. This one has fan favorites Krang and Bebop and Rocksteady.
Independence Day: Resurgence- We are in a nostalgia age and I think people will flock to what I’m sure will be a dopey, fun popcorn flick.
Jason Bourne- This movie has everything going for it. Matt Damon back and Paul Greengrass directing. I have a feeling it will get good reviews and people will want to see it. Plus, it comes out a weekend where the only other major opening film is Bad Moms. Look at what Matt Damon just did in The Martian and this is an established brand. It will do very well.
Central Intelligence– All you have to do is look at Kevin Hart’s Ride Along and The Rock’s San Andreas and we know this movie is going to do well. San Andreas was so stupid and yet it did very well and people like Hart’s comedies. The two of them should be critic proof.
Secret Life of Pets- I debated whether to put this one or the next Ice Age movie because those do so well overseas. Illumination is a marketing machine and I think people like movies about pets. It will be interesting to see how Illumination does without the comfort of the Despicable Me characters.
Pete’s Dragon- This is a bit of a risk but Disney has already hired the director of Pete’s Dragon for their Peter Pan project which shows they have some faith in the film. And it’s main competition the weekend it comes out is Sausage Party. These Disney remakes have just done so well, and I think this one will continue the trend.
Sausage Party- Speaking of Sausage Party this is my risky pick. I just saw the amount of money an R rated comedy, Deadpool, made and I think Sausage Party could follow suit. Kids see Pete’s Dragon. Adults see Sausage Party. It has a lot of big names in the cast and the trailer was received very well.
There’s a bunch of big ones I left off my list. I’ll explain why.
X-Men Apocalypse- pains me to say it but the reviews have not been good. X-Men movies have never done as well as MCU films and I think people will keep going to see other established films like we saw with Jungle Book or Zootopia already this year.
Alice Through the Looking Glass- same with Alice. Reviews don’t look good and I don’t think this is critic proof. The first movie made a ton of money but that was in the hey-day of 3D which is kind of old hat now. I hear very few people buzzing about it and when I suggested it for Church Movie Night there was an audible groan.
Ghostbusters– This had the most disliked trailer in youtube history. I think it will be the Pixels of this year. Good in concept with a decent director and it bombs.
Ben Hur- See box office for Point Break remake. People don’t want this and sword and sandles have not been doing well (see Gods of Egypt box office).
Kubo and the 2 Strings– I desperately want this film to do well and be Liaka’s first huge hit but audiences have shown themselves resistant to non-CG animated films. The only one to do any business despite being fantastic is last year’s Spongebob: Sponge Out of Water and that was only because it was advertised as CG. It’s sad but true.
Star Trek Beyond- This does come out on a good week with only Ice Age: Collision Course as competition, but I don’t feel any buzz or excitement about it. I feel like a lot of people didn’t like the last entry and aren’t excited about this one. Plus, marketing has been lame.
BFG- This is a wild card and I think it will do well but I couldn’t fit it into my top 10. There’s so much family entertainment this summer. It has Steven Spielberg behind it but no major stars like a Tom Hanks. I feel like it is one of Roald Dahl’s lesser-known books. Critics will make a big factor in this ones success I think.
Legend of Tarzan– It comes out the same weekend as BFG so one of them could soar and one sink. I don’t think both will do well. The trailers look good but it couldn’t make my top 10.
So there you go. Now watch me totally be proven wrong as is usually the case with box office predictions! What are your top 10 predictions? Share in the comments section.
There are some movies that are saved by low expectations (and others like Hail Cesar that are hurt by high). Ratchet and Clank is one of the former. I had very little hopes it would be a good film. Video game movies are usually terrible and the first trailer was pretty mediocre.
So, I went to the theater this morning hoping it would be bearable and you know what? It turned out to be a cute little movie. Is it a masterpiece? No, but I was entertained throughout and in the world of video game movies it is head and shoulders above the rest (I know not saying much but it is true).
Ratchet and Clank is based on the video game of the same name which evidently had a reboot this week to coincide with the movie. I’m not sure what fans of the game will think of the film but I thought it was a cute little movie for kids.
It kind of reminded me of Jimmy Neutron or the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger shorts. It is about a lombax named Ratchet who dreams of joining the Galactic Rangers- a group kind of like the Furious 5 of KFP movies that protect the galaxy from invaders.
While auditioning he meets a robot named Clank and they end up battling an evil alien named Chairman Drek who is overseen by Doctor Nefarious.
The humor is actually kind of self-aware and subtle. I was expecting a lot of bathroom humor like we got in last years Home but this was better than that.
You also get to know the team of Galactic Rangers particularly an arrogant one named Captain Qwark who had some decent laughs.
There’ s a nice heart to the film without it feeling forced and it clips along pretty well. I wasn’t bored and found the animation to be impressive for the small budget.
I am sure some you wouldn’t see this unless you were dragged screaming and I get that but I honestly liked it much more than I was expecting too. It’s more made for kids and what I mean by that is there is none of the deep themes or emotions you get in a Pixar movie. This is just a fun little space adventure for kids. Nothing wrong with that.
The vocal performances worked with some of the voices from the game including James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye reprising their roles of Ratchet and Clank. They also have Sylvester Stallone, Paul Giamatti, John Goodman and Bella Thorne. I also liked the music by Evan Wise.
Overall it just felt like all involved were really trying to make something good and that they were having a lot of fun. I appreciate that.
I don’t know how the critics will treat Ratchet and Clank. Like I said it’s not a masterpiece but for what it is, I thought it was entertaining. I think your kids will enjoy it and I’ve heard some game fans are liking it as well. It’s definitely nothing to be embarrassed by or miserable watching like Norm of the North.
I’ve always been kind of intrigued by steampunk. The way the movement combines alternative history, fashion and art is so much fun. Unfortunately in the world of movies steampunk has fallen short with duds like Wild Wild West or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Most of the problem with these films is they are too much style over substance and they assume steampunk=bad campy writing. Well, April and the Extraordinary World is the first film I’ve seen that gets steampunk right giving us a true picture of what life would be like if things had never progressed beyond steam power.
I was able to see April and the Extraordinary World early because I am working with Salt Lake Film Society to sponsor a steampunk costume event for the premiere on April 29 (may change to May 6. More info to come as soon as I hear more). The films distributor GKIDS was kind enough to let me view the film and let me tell you guys- what a treat! If you can make it down to the Broadway (or theater near you) and see April and the Extraordinary World please support this fantastic animated film.
I won’t give too much away about the story but it starts out in an alternate history where Napoleon V is ruling France and since 1870 scientists have been disappearing (and hence their inventions are not invented). This keeps the world from moving past the age of steam and the trees are almost completely gone. Since 1870 a family called the Franklins have been studying a serum that has the power to regenerate life. The government is interested in the serum to make the ultimate invincible soldier but the family is resistant. While April is a little girl her parents are followed and eventually end up missing.
She is then forced to raise herself with her talking cat Darwin (another side effect of the serum is animals can talk). In 1941 she is a young woman who is doing her own research but the government has its eye on her.
One day trying to get supplies she meets a young man named Julius who is intrigued by her strange ways. They are a marriage of convenience at first but turn into good friends.
There is also a cop named Pizoni who is determined to capture the Franklin family if it’s the last thing he does, and April’s grandfather Pops who is sweet and nurturing as all grandpas should be.
On the April and the Extraordinary World wikipedia page it describes it as a “animated fantasy thriller film” and that is very true. The greatest aspect of this movie is it kept me guessing and that’s what you want in a thriller. It was intense, different and absorbing. Aside from one liar reveal trope, I had no idea where it was going or how it was going to turn out. I love when that happens at the movies!
The main conflict revolves around April trying to continue on the work of her parents while being hunted down and followed. Then when she discovers where they are it becomes more of a mystery (a huge part of steampunk). Along the way you get moving mansions, robots, coal and lots of steam.
Fortunately there are also breaks in the action for comic relief particularly from Darwin, the talking cat, who is hilarious. There is some slapstick with the cops and other characters that didn’t quite work as well but those are only a few moments I could tolerate. There’s also a nice heart to the film particularly with April’s sincerity and real responses when interacting with Pops, Julius or Darwin. This is a girl you feel for and are rooting for. There are also smaller plot points that have heart like what happens with April’s father. You really feel for April and can sense her loneliness and even despair.
The only aspect of the story I can see getting complaints is who the villain turns out to be. You’ll either go with it or think it is really strange. I went with it.
It almost goes without saying the animation based on Jacques Tardi’s graphic novel is outstanding. First of all, it is glorious to see such a well made 2D traditionally animated film, but it doesn’t coast on that. It is dark and cold but in a way that feels livable and real. The mixture of the sketchy characters with the black soot, white steam and red buildings stood out and was very unique. Something about it is gorgeous and haunting at the same time.
Honestly the entire film is completely different and tough to describe but that’s what makes it so good. It’s surprising and strange and I had no idea what was coming up next. I have a feeling it is one I will like more with each rewatch.
One reviewer described it as a mixture of Triplets of Belleville and Spirited Away and I can see what he means. It has European surrealist sensibilities with the oddities and strong female lead of a Miyazaki movie.
One of the coolest things about the film is the complexity of the characters. April is by no means a saint stealing repeatedly, Julius is a snitch, Mrs Franklin motivations are hard to pin down and even Darwin is a bit of a smart alleck. This makes them engaging to watch and unpredictable.
I saw the French version with subtitles but the American cast does includes Susan Sarandon, JK Simmons, Paul Giammatti and Tony Hale. I’ve heard they do a good job.
Whenever a film is this ambitious it isn’t going to be for everyone. Like I said, some people will think its strange, but I delighted in its oddness. And I like the way it will make kids think about their world in a new way. Fantasy worlds are great but here is an alternative version of their world. And it is not nearly as bleak or down-trodden as the barrage of dystopian films we’ve gotten of late.
The closest thing I can compare it to is Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. In fact, if your kids can handle the intensity and strangeness of that book they will be fine with April and the Extraordinary World.
This is definitely a film to seek out and support if you can. Let your theaters know you are interested in seeing it. The more support we give these 2D films the more likely they are to be made!
All in all, I loved it and can’t wait to see it again soon.
Overall Grade- A+ (it may be my new favorite of the year. Still debating).
If you get a chance to see it please put in the comments section. If not, does it sound interesting to you? What do you think of steampunk? I have a steampunk outfit ready to go for the premiere which was a lot of fun to put together!
This week has been the week of trailers! I’m glad I stopped reviewing trailers on my youtube channel because I wouldn’t have been able to keep up. They are hard to do videos on because they are unpredictable and cut into work time. Also I don’t know how insightful I really am when it comes to trailers. I feel like I either love them or hate them and that’s about it.
I did write up my review of the Rogue One trailer last week and will be reviewing Angry Birds and Secret Life of Pets on my animated news video later today.
However, there were a bunch of other big trailers and let’s talk about them.
1.Suicide Squad.
I thought it was a good trailer. I particularly like Will Smith seeming like the old Will Smith we knew and loved. I want him to come back to us after disasters like After Earth (and no more of his son!). The Joker looks really intense and I’m curious to see how Batman is going to be involved. Overall I’m intrigued and don’t pay attention to the reshoots story. It turns out it is a whole lot of nothing.
2. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
I’m really excited for this trailer! At first when I heard about the film I didn’t know if it would be nothing but a guy playing hide and seek looking for magical creatures. This looks like an actual story. I liked the humor in the trailer and was surprised to hear mention of Dumbledore as I didn’t think that he was so old. It’s going to be interesting to have a story more set in the muggle world and I liked little touches like the Muggle Approved luggage switch. It should be a fun little movie.
3. TMNT 2
After a very promising Super Bowl trailer this did nothing for me. The humor and the action looks right out of Michael Bay’s playbook and the plot with the purple ooze looks lame. And sort of weird to show us Krang in the Super Bowl trailer and nothing here?
4. Sing Street
I wasn’t aware of this film and now am very excited about it. It is by the director of Once, John Carney, and looks like a combination of School of Rock and About a Boy. I wasn’t super into his Begin Again because it was too much of a copycat of Once but this looks different and sweet.
5. Dr Strange
This trailer was great! I’m so intrigued about this superhero Dr Strange. It looks like something really different for Marvel and of course I love Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr Strange! Tilda Swinton looks awesome and I love the Inception-like visuals with cities folding up and that one shot that looked like a kaleidoscope. This is a perfect trailer because it intrigues me without giving away anything.
So that’s my thoughts on all the trailers. I will have my thoughts on the animated trailers later today and will have my review of The Jungle Book up tomorrow!
