I unabashedly loved The Peanuts Movie last year. And it wasn’t just nostalgia for Peanuts, which I do have but I genuinely thought it was a sweet, charming little film. And I’ve always said that the artistry didn’t get enough credit. Just because it was a familiar property I think people missed the hybrid animation trailblazing the film did. So naturally when I saw they had a Peanuts art book I had to jump right on that!
The Art of the Peanuts Movie starts with a forward from director Steve Martino where he talks about how he related to the entire Peanuts gang growing up. “Growing up in the Midwest, Charlie Brown’s neighborhood felt like my own…the gang were like friends that I visited on a daily baiss through the ‘funny pages'” He then talks about the specials and even a Charlie Brown sign on his coffee table growing up that read “Happiness is a Warm Puppy”. He is then honest about the huge pressure he felt in adapting this work that is beloved to many including himself. “It felt like I was carrying Schroeder’s piano, only it had grown to a grand piano”
Finally he was able to overcome his fears by a quote from Charles Schulz himself”One of the solutions is, as Charlie Brown does, just to keep on trying. He never gives up. And if anybody should give up, he should”. I’m not going to lie I teared up a bit reading his essay. I love when artists admit their fear of the art.
Next is another forward by Vanessa Morrison president of 20th Century Fox Animation. This is a little more corporate although she does express her love growing up on the series and reading it with her mother.
Then we get 2 articles about the legacy and new direction of Peanuts as well as early concept ideas. With all that done, we get into the main meat of the book where they dive into the process of making CG characters. It’s really cool. You see the mold making process and how the characters are designed.
They also have this neat graphic showing the comic to 3D transitioning for the entire gang.
Next we get several pages on each character describing the design and attributes.
Next is a cool article about how you keep characters on model and moving in a natural way. This is something they achieved in spades especially in the skating scenes.
It’s really cool as well to learn about the animation and how the computer uses pin points to bring them alive.
We get an entire section on backgrounds and how they created the pop friendly feel of the Peanuts neighborhood.
The last section is mostly about the story and goes into incredible detail about how every facet was created and designed down to the posters and flags on Charlie Brown’s wall. That is so cool to learn about!
And we get storyboards and anything else you could want to know about the process of bringing this movie to screen.
The Art of the Peanuts Movie is a great book because it is so rich. It covers the incredibly difficult task of adapting the strip to a movie, the design process of characters, and the story development and boarding process. You can learn about all sides of animation through this book and it will warm your heart to see such love going into a work of art. I think it might even give some people more respect for what they accomplished than the film is given. At least it does for me but I already loved it.
But definitely if you love the Peanuts and thought The Peanuts Movie was great you should pick up this art book. It’s fantastic!
It’s rare in the world of animated art book that you have one written by the director himself! But that is just what you get with the Song of the Sea Art Book. Anyone who reads this blog knows I consider Song of the Sea to be a modern animated masterpiece so when I saw this for sale I shelled out the big bucks for it. It’s expensive but I had to have it!!
This art book is so rich I could read it for weeks and get new things out of it. It starts out with a brief introduction from art director Adrien Mericeau, head of story Nora Twomey and then director Tomm Moore. What I love is how close the team felt to these characters. Twomey says “Bit by bit, it came together, layer upon layer bound together by story, song and beauty. Once we remained true to Ben and Saoirse and thought of them as real people, everything else came into place”. You feel that closeness to the characters when you watch the film.
Tomm Moore shares how he came up with the idea for Song of the Sea when visiting a beach in Dingle with his 10 year old son Ben. “While there we came across a sea cull and I started thinking about the connection between our attitude to wildlife and our environment and the stories that once reminded us our place in the natural world”. This idea kept “percolating away in my sketchbooks and in the back of my mind”. Isn’t it great that this kind of animation is still possible? That someone can get an idea and make a movie in this day of franchises, marketing gimmicks and big budgets it’s really refreshing.
We then next get a forward by Charles Solomon. This is more like an interview with Tomm Moore sharing his approach to filmmaknig and creating Song of the Sea. It’s really cool that they have a quote from Pixar’s Pete Docter who says “Many films are noisy and manic, full of pop culture jokes; frenetically paced with wacky, manic characters that never hold still. In contrast, Song of the Sea has a quiet beauty. It is graphically gorgeous, yet simple. Best of all, the characters are well-observed and truthful. It’s a joy to watch for so many reasons.” Amen to that!
Next Moore gives tons of information about the mythological and folkloric references. It even explains the meaning behind things I just accepted as his own invention like the spirtuality of the family dog Cu. “As it is the children’s dog Cu’s moment of glory the wind takes the form of 2 Cu Sidhe, fairy dog hounds, from Scottish and Irish folklore.” I don’t know about you but I find that fascinating.
Then Moore has a QandA he did that has incredible details. This is followed by our first chapter of the book which is all about the locations they used and how they sketched what they saw. This includes both sea and cityscapes and we get beautiful color photos along with descriptions.
Next up we have a large section on the characters. This includes the concept art and inspiration for their stories. We get our main characters of course but also smaller characters like the trick-or-treaters and the owls.
What’s really neat about these sketches is the finished product is so similar to them so you really feel like you are seeing into the mind of the artists!
Then we move on to development and production. This details the storyboarding and layouts and what had to be cut that Tomm Moore loved.
The artwork in this segment is just amazing. I wish I could frame every page and put it on my wall!
The final segment is quotes and acknowledgements and has memories and thoughts from producers, cast and crew and then ‘quotes from friends’. They have Don Hall director of Big Hero 6 who says “steeped in his country’s mythology, as well as classic animation from all over the world Tomm Moore is telling that incredibly difficult and all too rare, type of story: the personal film that is accessible to all. And he does it with style, but never at the expense of substance. In fact, the style…actually enhances the substance”. I couldn’t agree more.
The Art Book of Song of the Sea is pricey. I think it cost me $60 because I had to buy it from England but to me it is worth it. I love my book and it has made the movie even better, if that was even possible. If you can afford it I highly recommend picking it up!
Clearly I love animation given this blog but that doesn’t mean I love all animation. And for the most part I don’t care for Disneytoons animation. My poor blogger friend Animatedkid just finished his Disneytoons Canon review and it almost ruined him. Like he almost gave up blogging at one point. I can promise you one thing I will never review the Disneytoons Canon!
But there are a few good to decent films out of Disneytoons. I thought it would be fun to share with you my list of the best and worst of Disneytoons (Worst is much easier to come up with in this case!)
Best-
10. Planes: Fire and Rescue- it’s not a great movie but for its target demographic I didn’t think it was that bad. The animation is actually quite good and the story I thought was ok.
9. Cinderella 3- got problems especially with Anastasia’s character but I feel like they actually tried to tell a new story. It’s creative and there’s some decent animation with the final carriage chase.
8. Tigger Movie- I admit been a while since I’ve seen any of the Winnie the Pooh sequels but this is the one I remember liking the most. Tigger searches for his family and I remember that being a sweet story.
7. Lion King 2- decent follow up to the Lion King. It is similar and misses Jeremy Irons but it’s an ok watch. I like some of the songs like He Lives in You and My Lullaby
6. Great Fairy Rescue- a good story where Vidia tricks Tink into getting caught by a little girl who’s father won’t believe her about fairies. Good animation and good voice talent. Get to see the entire team which I like and Tink, Lizzie and Vidia learn nice lessons
5. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas- who doesn’t like Mickey? And the 3 stories are cute for Christmas.
4. The Three Musketeers- an enjoyable take on the Dumas story with Donald, Goofy and Mickey. Got to like that!
3. The Pirate Fairy- my favorite of the Tinker Bell movies. I like the addition of Zarina who becomes the pirate fairy and all the Easter eggs to Peter Pan. And come on it has Tom Hiddleston as Captain Hook! Loki in a Disney movie! But the animation is good and it’s a decent story
2. Ducktales Movie- think of it as Indiana Jones for kids. It’s a fun treasure hunt with our favorite characters from Ducktales. The animation is pretty good and I like all the voice work. It’s unpredictable with all the wishing and the lamp and all.
1.A Goofy Movie- a movie with a ton of heart, some good songs and a nice story about Goofy and Max going on a road trip (unwillingly by Max). I think most teens can relate to Max but it isn’t too heavy handed with the messaging.
Worst-
10.Planes- I don’t think this is awful but it is pretty boring. The sequel is definitely better in my opinion.
9. Little Mermaid 2- I give it a bit of a pass because I love Little Mermaid but if I’m honest it’s pretty awful. The animation is terrible and it’s a copy of the original film without any of what makes it special. There is one decent song but the rest are lame.
8. Mulan 2- I appreciate that they tried to tackle arranged marriages and feminism in a way but it comes across as very preachy and stupid. I don’t like how Mushu is suddenly against Shang and it’s just a let down from the bold characters of the original film.
7. Tarzan 2- I don’t really like these midquels because they play too much with the original story. I guess this is ok for very small children but thoroughly lame.
6. Atlantis: Milo’s Return- I love the original Atlantis: the Lost Empire but I am one of the few. This was a series that was made and combined together to make a movie and it shows. It doesn’t flow together and all of the mystery and fun of the original is lost.
5. Fox and the Hound 2- a midquel that takes Todd and Copper and has them join a country hoedown band. Just what you always wanted…
4. Beauty and the Beast: the Enchanted Christmas- another midquel that annoys me. It doesn’t make any sense given the original movie. If the Beast had a big Christmas party I don’t think they would be storming the castle in a few months…and besides that it’s just thoroughly lame.
3. Pocahontas 2- I can see how someone can ignore the historical inaccuracies of the first Pocahontas but this is just too much. Just no is all I have to say
2. Cinderella 2- 3 terrible stories combined into one movie. They are trite, lame and poorly animated. The worst is when Jacques gets turned into a human so he can learn that size doesn’t matter…Groan.
1. Hunchback of Notre Dame 2- I am no fan of the original Hunchback of Notre Dame but even I know this sequel sucks. It takes any subtlety or message of the original and stomps it on the ground. Suddenly we have a love interest for Quasi and a bell with jewels on the inside because beauty is found inside…double groan. It’s awful.
So there you have it my best and worst of Disneytoons!
While I am happy vacationing in Spain the first 2 weeks of July I thought it would be fun to post a couple of reviews of animation art books I own. If you don’t have an art book it’s pretty self explanatory. It’s a book that explains and shows the art behind a particular film. These are not limited to animation (Marvel, DC and Star Wars for example have them) but all that I own are. I might not be quite as quick to respond to comments as I usually am on these art book posts because I will be gone. Have patience with me and I hope you enjoy them!
The first book we are going to look at is from the most recent animated release, Finding Dory. It is the Art of Finding Dory.
It’s kind of interesting because this art book has a preface, introduction and forward. The preface is by John Lasseter and he talks about the first time Andrew Stanton pitched Finding Nemo (“You had me at the word fish”) and then Finding Dory (“Nemo had as its canvas the entire ocean, but Dory expands that world even more…where even the plainest quarantine tank is lit by intricate caustics of light playing along its walls and floors). That emphasis on light and how it was used by the artists is a big theme of this art book.
The forward by director Andrew Stanton is quite moving. It shows the emotional connection he had to Dory from get-go. He says “Dory was lost. Most people overlook that fact…You see, Dory was looking for her family, too, only she had forgotten that fact. Dory had been lost for years, no knowing where or when that tragic separation occurred. I’ve always wanted to believe every audience member sensed that longing in her- that a fish with short-term memory loss, wandering the ocean alone, couldn’t truly be happy”. I know feel thoroughly guilty for never thinking that much about Dory- the poor fish! I’m so glad Andrew Stanton told her story because clearly he was very moved by it and it shows in the finished film.
Finally, the introduction by author Steve Pilcher, pencil and marker man on Finding Dory, shares his perspective on the design of Finding Dory. “The way shapes, color and light worked together to support the intent and focus of a shot became a carefully coordinated balance from sequence to sequence, shot to shot”.
You can tell The Art of Finding Dory is written by a technician like Pilcher because it is very technical but I found that fascinating.
The first part of the book is all about the production design. They focused a lot on lighting and how the ocean illuminates things differently than on the land/tank sequences.
I really liked pages that showed the sketching process to making Finding Dory.
They then have tons of information on character design for both small and larger characters.
Next we get tons of storyboards showing the evolution of the film’s story. I love looking at storyboards. It reminds me there are men and women actually drawing this stuff!
Finally we get to see the layout of the Marine Life Institute and all the small details from the flags, maps and signs.
They designed everything for the park- even stuff you don’t really see like the Kidzone bag you see above. That’s so cool!
If you liked Finding Dory then I think you will definitely like the Art of Finding Dory. It’s beautiful to look at but very enriching as well. I learned a lot about computer animation and the Pixar brainstorming process.
Let me know if you get to check it out what you think. Thanks!
Today I had the chance to see the new Legend of Tarzan film, and I must admit to being pretty disappointed by it. Most people will say this is better than Independence Day: Resurgence and they are right but so much of our enjoyment of a film goes down to our expectations. It’s not that I was expecting Tarzan to be great but I was expecting it to be a Tarzan movie. What do I mean by that? To me a Tarzan movie has a man raised by apes flying through the jungle swinging on vines and falling in love with Jane. With Independence Day: Resurgence I expected a dopey alien movie with destruction and that’s basically what I got. My expectations were not similarly satisfied by Legend of Tarzan.
In fact, we get probably under 5 minutes of Tarzan swinging on vines through the jungle and never once with Jane. In this version of the story he is buttoned up in stiff suits and colors until well into the movie and he is already married to Jane from the beginning. You get to see a little bit of how they met but never any romantic jaunts through the jungle. Is that too much to ask in my Tarzan movie?
Instead you get basically a jungle war film. There is a tribal leader played by Djimon Hounsou who has a grudge against Tarzan. . This particular leader guards valuable diamond mines that Christoph Waltz wants to get his hands on. He makes a deal to lure Tarzan to Hounsou for a trade of diamonds. Jane played by Margot Robbie insists on coming along with Tarzan and ends up getting abducted by Waltz.
Then Tarzan and Samuel L Jackson’s George Washington Williams’ character must save Jane. There are lots of battles, some of them quite violent. I wouldn’t recommend it to kids.
Alexander Skarsgard could make a good Tarzan but we literally don’t see him with his shirt off until about 30 minutes into the film and even it’s for purposes of conflict and war. There’s little to no joy or fun in the picture. Samuel Jackson gets a few laughs but that’s about it.
The movie does look nice and the cast has decent chemistry but it’s just not what you want in a Tarzan movie. And Christoph Waltz isn’t good as the evil Captain Leon Rom. He must be great in those Tarantino films because every movie I’ve seen him in he’s been very bad. He’s definitely the worst 2 time Oscar winner I’ve ever seen.
The special effects are amazing throughout and I didn’t hate it but it wastes a lot of potential. In a way it kind of reminds me of Man of Steel. That wasn’t my Superman movie and this isn’t my Tarza movie. I think it is going to be a big bomb for Warner Brothers and why on earth did they spend $180 million on a dark and gritty Tarzan movie? It makes no sense.
Overall Grade- C (on the video I gave it a C+ but I’ve changed my mind!)
Hey guys! I just wanted to give you all a quick update on what is going to be happening the next 3 weeks. Tomorrow I will see the new Tarzan movie and post a review. Then on Wednesday I am going to Spain to visit my sister. I will be in Spain until the 11th! If you want to find updates on the trip follow my social media @smilingldsgirl (facebook, snapchat, twitter, instagram) and my personal blog http://smilingldsgirl.com. I should post at least a couple of times on that blog of my adventures (it’s going to be a lot of beaches).
However, never fear! I am not leaving you or my youtube channel high and dry! I have worked really hard to have content ready while I’m gone on my youtube channel including my weekly family movie night and Disney Canon reviews on Wednesday. Here’s a little update!
And then for this blog I am really excited to be featuring a bunch of animation art book reviews! This will be something different for my blog and I’m excited for you to read these.
Obviously I am going to be out of the country so if I don’t respond to comments as quickly as I normally do please don’t be offended. I will do my best.
Also I will not be reviewing BFG and other films I would normally watch until well after I get back home. I will do my best to play catch up when I get back.
Thanks so much and I hope you are having a great summer. Are you taking any vacations this summer? Let me know what you are doing that is fun! Take care!
So I had the chance to see the Independence Day sequel today and I will be very curious to read what you’all think of the film- especially if you are a big fan of the original. I left feeling like it was just ok. It’s not horrible but it’s not great either. Here’s my review on youtube:
However, recently I rewatched the first one and was honestly a little disappointed. It’s not as good as I remembered it. It ends well but the first hour and 45 was a lot of standing around staring at screens and talking. It was more boring than I remembered and the explosions felt more repetitive than I recalled. It’s not awful but it was a bit of a letdown on the rewatch.
Anyway, I went into this sequel with pretty low expectations. I just wanted to be moderately entertained and I’d say it kind of achieved that standard. There’s attractive people and some decent special effects. Jeff Goldblum is good and there are moments that are dumb fun.
Unfortunately for me it all felt a little forgettable and silly but not necessarily in a good way. It just was ok. The acting is ok. The special effects are ok. The story is ok. It’s probably the kind of movie that will make a decent cable watch on a Saturday but not worth the $20 ticket price some have to pay these days. But like I said it’s not awful so if you are bored and need something to do you could do worse.
The story recalls a lot of elements from the first movie but none really stand out. Like in this film there are multiple scenes where the band of pilot brothers fight the aliens like the Grand Canyon scene in the original and they are all fine but nothing special. There are at least 2 scenes where a president or former president makes a speech and they are fine too.
One odd thing is characters are eliminated without much mourning or sense of loss in the script. Also certain characters try to provide comic relief and fail miserably. The romance is also very bland.
I don’t want to spoil things but certain moments with the aliens are extremely silly, and I guess that is fun. There are actually different aliens they interact with which I thought was kind of clever and interesting. You see a lot more of the aliens this time around than in the last. You also get a little more explanation of why they are doing what they do.
The destruction is very intense this time around but you expect that in Independence Day movie. I guess I struggle a little bit with these kinds of scenes in a post 9/11 world. They just aren’t fun for me any more but that’s just me.
They also try to get you to believe Vivica A Fox goes from exotic dancer to doctor in between the two movies which seems like a stretch. The special effects in a scene with her are especially bad. Also the actor who plays Will Smith and her son, Jessie Usher, isn’t very good and certainly doesn’t have near the charisma as Will Smith. Liam Hemsworth is ok.
It’s a fine movie but not a good one. I can see having fun with it and I did have some dumb fun but it’s forgettable. Let me know what you think if you see it- especially if you are a big fan of the original. That’s just kind of my jumbled thoughts on this one!
So we have hit the half way point of the year and it seems appropriate to look back and say what is my favorite and least favorite films so far. I did a video on youtube about it that I would love if you check out.
But here are my best and worst lists
BEST OF THE YEAR
Zootopia- still most creative film I’ve seen this year. Sure the metaphor has some flaws but I think most fables do if you nitpick them. Fables are used to teach lessons to children and I think this is as close to a modern new fable we’ve ever gotten. I loved Judy Hopps as a character and her bond with Nick. I thought the mystery was great and the world building stunning. Plus, a lot of hilarious laughs too!
Sing Street- the movie that made me smile the largest and that I immediately wanted to force everyone around me to see. A coming of age story of a teen in Ireland in 1985 who forms a band to impress a girl. Completely charming and witty with great music. I loved it, loved it, loved it, loved it.
Love and Friendship- a deliciously saucy take on Jane Austen. Great writing and direction by Whit Stillman. Lady Susan is kind of a Jane Austen anti-hero and her manipulation of others was so much fun to watch. Costumes, production design and acting all fantastic
Finding Dory- Pixar’s latest charms and improved upon the second watch. Great message about the unique gifts of those with disabilities but also quite possibly Pixar’s funniest movie. And it looks fantastic of course.
Everybody Wants Some!- another fantastic period piece by Richard Linklater. More R-rated than I typically go for but I loved spending time with these crazy boys! Amazing performances and great soundtrack also.
April and the Extraordinary World- bold steampunk 2D animated film about a girl who is searching for her parents. It was unlike any other film I’ve ever seen. The animation captures the tone and feel perfectly. Its just refreshing and suprising.
Captain America: Civil War- a fantastic pay off of the arcs we’ve seen grow from both Tony and Steve. One has learned to fear control. Another has learned to embrace its protection. Friendships are tested, people are betrayed and some awesome action goes down. I can’t imagine not being entertained by this film.
Presenting Princess Shaw- a heartwarming documentary about a girl who makes youtube videos of her singing and an Israeli man who finds her singing and shares it with the world. If you ever feel depressed about the internet this is the movie to watch. It shows the benefits of this crazy interconnectivity we all have. Sometimes we can help dreams come true.
10 Cloverfield Lane- I’m not normally a horror person but this was so well done. John Goodman is very scary and Mary Elizabeth Winstead is fantastic. She’s not a stupid shrieky female from a horror movie. She’s smart and the screenplay kept me guessing. I didn’t hate the ending like some did.
Midnight Special- Jeff Nichols plunges right into the heart of this scifi film. No exposition or lead up. No we are immediately in the story. I loved how it showed the different types of belief and how it affects each person’s behavior.
Eddie the Eagle- if you are having a bad day this is the movie to watch. It will make you feel good and give a big smile on your face. Being a huge Olympics junkie I loved Eddie’s crazy story. All the performances are great and the ski jumping scenes are compelling enough.
The Abolitionists- fantastic documentary about project underground which stages operations to free children from sex trafficking. It’s not a dry documentary but you see these operations and some fail, some work and it is nerve wracking and exciting to watch. Heroic what these men and women do.
Kung fu Panda 3- it seems like most aren’t as high on this film as I am but I loved it. I thought it was the best of the 3. It combines the comedy of the first with the action of the second. Plus, the animation is stunning. It’s some of Dreamworks best.
Jungle Book- I liked this movie but I’m definitely not as high on it as everyone else seems to be. I thought it got a little slow in the middle and the songs didnt work; however, the visuals are amazing and I really like how they made Mowgli a more dynamic, less whiny character. The ending is so much better than original film
Only Yesterday- this is half a great film for me. I enjoyed it but for Studio Ghibli I was expecting a little more. Particularly the parts with the adult girl felt false and preachy to me but the kids stuff I loved. And of course I always love Takahata’s animation.
WORST OF THE YEAR
Do-Over- Adam Sandler does it again with a film I had to watch in batches just to get through it. He’s so annoying in this movie as a man who cons his friend played by David Spade into faking their deaths and starting over in Puerto Rico. It’s offensive, disgusting and worst of all not funny.
Mother’s Day- Another offensive film that tries to get a laugh out of a woman calling a man a ‘towel head’. Maybe a sharper comedy could make that work but not here. None of the plotlines are given enough time to be interesting and the performances aren’t great. Worst of all it didn’t say anything insightful or funny about mothering, motherhood or mother’s day!
Norm of the North- I know animation is hard to do so I try to be forgiving but it is really hard with Norm of the North. The characters are inconsistent. The plot is inane. The animation is awful. The story is tired and preachy. It’s awful.
Me Before You- should be an innocent little romantic tearjerker but when you throw in an acceptance of assisted suicide by someone who does not face an imminent death than I have a problem. The movie and book expect us to celebrate this choice but it doesn’t work because the character isn’t given enough choice for the choice to feel valid. For example, he’s not given any mental health care or counseling or shown any other way to live his life. It’s very offensive ableist nonsense. Plus, the lead is a manic pixie dream girl we’ve seen a thousand times. Snore.
The Choice- more incompetently made than Me Before You but it didn’t really offend me. It’s funny because it is called the choice but the character actually doesn’t make the choice. It’s dopey romantic tearjerker but everything was badly done down even to the makeup which looked heavy and caked on at times.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2- what a letdown because I LOVE the original. This not only repeats all the jokes of the original but does it 3 or 4 times till I was rolling my eyes. The big family shenanigans were way over the top and the acting was surprisingly poor. So disappointing.
Bling- I reviewed this for rotoscopers.com here. The animation is actually pretty good but the message is so strange. It’s all about getting the biggest ring to propose to girls even if in one case they have no intention of marrying the character at all. The focus on materialism in a movie clearly aimed at very small children I couldn’t get over.
Warcraft- one of the worst fantasy movies I’ve ever seen. I was bored in the Hobbit movies but at least the narrative made sense. I had no idea here who was fighting who, what their names were, what the rules of the portal or fel was…There is no lead protagonist or central villain making things muddled. There is this pool that I didn’t understand. I guess this is just for the fans because I thought it was awful
Alice Through the Looking Glass- I was not a fan of the 2010 film and this may be worse. It’s a bit brighter but that’s about it. The time travel story is generic at best. Everything is based on this deep relationship between Alice and the Hatter and I never felt that. And it all comes down to a lie over tarts which when you think of all the apocalyptic horrors in last film and destruction in this it is so absurd.
Ride Along 2- I didn’t like the first Ride Along and they didn’t improve upon it here. Kevin Hart is very annoying in this and the story is from a rejected episode of Miami Vice.
The 5th Wave- another young adult dystopian borefest. I hate these kind of movies and this was grim without any interesting characters or new storyline. It’s just really boring and predictable.
Saturday’s Warrior- for the Mormon audience only. Poorly made and acted but some good songs for the faithful. That’s about all it has going for it. Extremely cheesy.
God’s of Egypt- I can’t believe this is this high on the list but darn it all if it didn’t make me laugh. A so bad it’s good situation but make no mistake this ridiculous CG fest is very, very bad. The plot makes no sense, the acting is awful but it is just over the top enough to be funny.
X-Men Apocalypse- what a huge letdown after Days of Future Past. Honestly I don’t understand what other people saw in this film. It’s fractured and no characters are sufficiently developed. The horseman agree to follow Apocalypse without any real explanation. The final battle is bland and boring. I hated Apocalypse as a villain and most of the plotlines we’ve seen in 8 other X-Men movies. It’s a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing. Honestly it reminded me of the 3rd Transformers movie and I’m a huge X-Men fan so that’s depressing to say
Zoolander 2- I didn’t hate this movie but it isn’t good either, but I don’t love the first Zoolander. There are some funny cameos that got me laughing but it also can be very boring and silly
So there you have it. The best and worst of 2016. What would be your list? To see where other movies fall in my ranking check out my letterbox account. http://boxd.it/DSqm
Ok I figure most everyone has given their normal non-spoiler review at this point so I’m going all spoilery! I’ve seen Finding Dory twice and am ready to dissect and talk about more subtle messages and meaning behind our watery tale. Do not read this review if you have not seen the movie. If you want to know my thoughts watch my youtube review which is non-spoilery (I gave it an A, which on a second watch I might move down to A-).
Now we get all spoilery. You’ve been warned.
There are a lot of ways to enjoy Finding Dory. My first watch-through I loved it as a film about a special needs fish and quite possibly Pixar’s funniest film. It’s right up there with Monsters Inc as Pixar film with the most jokes per square inch of screen time. But as I am want to do I dug deeper at some of the more subtle messages in the film. I even pondered on a connection between it and another popular Pixar film that may make Finding Dory more thoughtful than just a silly comedy.
Let’s start by talking about what we know about Dory going into Finding Dory. Obviously she has short-term memory problem. That’s clear in Finding Nemo but what is also clear is how her memory is aided by being around Marlin. Clearly love, support and a continuing presence helps with her memory. She even remembers “P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney” from almost the minute that she is around Marlin. It is then no surprise that being with Marlin and Nemo for a year her memories would continue to improve and that’s what we get at the start of Finding Dory. We also learn that Australia is a much more lush and clean area than where she grew up…
Dory has some flashbacks of her parents and herself as a baby fish. Her parents are warm and nurturing- trying their best to raise their daughter and keep her safe. Dory tells Marlin she must go and find her family and to be honest this surprised me at first. Dory has a family for all intensive purposes already with Nemo and Marlin but she feels a need to find her birth family anyway. With what we see later on in the film I wonder if as soon as she thought of them she was immediately struck with a sense of worry for her family and that is the reason she must hunt them down?
We get a nice little visit from Crush which is basically the only real speaking part of Finding Dory from Finding Nemo. A lot of people were disappointed by that but I was glad they gave us new characters. One of the things the film does well is it forgoes the linear storytelling of Nemo in return for a more bumpy narrative. What I mean by that is instead of having one goal and then Marlin finding a friend to carry him through that goal as in Finding Nemo, in Finding Dory, Dory is often alone and confused with what to do. Then she meets one character who helps her a little bit and then another and another. Again, I think there could be a subtle meaning in all of these characters that one solitary companion wouldn’t have shown.
So with Crush’s help they get to California and are at the Marine Life Institute. This is where we get into the meat of my analysis. The first thing that struck me is how polluted the water around the institute is. Dory even gets stuck in a 6 pack can plastic holder.
Isn’t that strange that the water by a marine life institute which supposedly focuses on conservation and saving fish would be so polluted? If we look at the water it looks dirty and gross.
Then there are two unique things about the Marine Life Institute that stand out. First, the voice of Sigourney Weaver welcomes visitors to the institute. She says “welcome to the Marine Life Institute where we believe in rescue, rehabilitation and release”. There’s a lot of fishy (pun intended) things going on with this statement and institute but the biggest is where do we also hear Sigourney Weaver’s voice in a Pixar film? Why she is the voice of the Axiom computer in WALLE! Now tell me there is not a double meaning behind that!
Now let’s think about what Axiom does. It lulls humans into an acceptance of an imprisoned, satiated life. It is only when the Captain realizes all the breadth and depth of human experience that he revolts against the Axiom and we get the second half of the film. (That’s why I don’t get people who dislike the second half of WALL-E. It’s an amazing awakening for the Captain and the people. I love it!)
I can see some of that same behavior here in Finding Dory. If we think about the largest building at the institute has Quarantine written right on the side. What happens at quarantine? Not really catch and release like they say. The fish are imprisoned in aquariums and sent off to Cleveland where guess what there is no ocean!
And not only that but what have they succeeded to do? They have convinced Hank, our sentipus friend that he desperately needs to go to Cleveland and that the open water is a bad place. It doesn’t sound like the kind of place that is living up to their mission statement! Also, why is Hank missing a tentacle? That seems a little suspect too.
It’s also interesting that all of the marine life immediately agree to help Dory, Marlin and Nemo. If they were in such a great, loving place you’d think they would be resistant to helping.Dory’s parents also set up their home outside of the institute when really to find Dory it makes more sense to go back into the exhibit. I get now why there is no villain in Finding Dory because the INSTITUTE is the villain!!! (Just like in Wall-e)
I think at the very least the Marine Life Institute is a sham! They aren’t releasing fish back into the ocean. In fact, I don’t know if they are even rehabilitating them at all. Think about Dory. She is taken from the water, given a tag and immediately going to be sent off to Cleveland. That seems strange! There doesn’t seem to be anything happening in quarantine but people overly concerned about the missing octopus, making coffee and coordinating the trip to Cleveland.
When Dory has to convince Hank to leave the truck it reminded me a lot of Woody talking to Jesse in Toy Story 2. She has been manipulated to accept a life of imprisonment by Stinky Pete. Woody tells her ‘wouldn’t you give anything to be played with by Emily once again?’. It’s a similar speech from Dory. Yes, the ending is very silly with an octopus driving a truck but it has a new tension to it when you see it as a desperate escape from a compound!
We also have Destiny and Bailey who are interesting characters. They are very sweet and funny but they clearly are not being rehabilitated by the institute. In fact, they are just as convinced of their frailties as Hank. Is that not what Axiom would do? It’s Axiom’s voice telling them they are ok and cared for rather than it actually being true.
Here’s an idea that will blow your mind. What if it is the pollution and treatment by Axiom that caused Dory to lose her memory? I mean short-term memory loss doesn’t happen every day and it makes sense when you think about Axiom. What better way to control subjects than to make them lose their memory? They are able to successfully make everyone forget in Wall-e so perhaps Dory is just the beginning of that process?
At the very least what if the beginning of the Axiom takeover is happening in America and the Marine Life Institute is proof of that type of control? Who knows Cleveland could be the home of the BNL corporation that creates Axiom? We know it is American and Fred Willard certainly has a midwestern voice.
So could it be that Finding Dory is as much a prequel to WALL-E as sequel to Finding Nemo? That may be a stretch but it’s interesting to think about. It certainly adds a layer of thoughtfulness to all the jokes and enjoyable scenes.
On another note, one of the things I loved about the film is the way it dealt with a special needs character. Marlin and even Dory’s parents acknowledge the difficulties of being with someone who has a disability.
There is no doubt it is hard and I like they didn’t sugar coat that but the disabled also see the world through a different lens. We see that with Dory and with Bailey who’s unique vision helps save everyone. Marlin and Nemo even start asking ‘what would Dory do?’ What a great message for kids and families that just because someone is different doesn’t mean they are bad.
I can’t give a review of Finding Dory without talking about the stellar voice cast featuring returning voices Ellen DeGeneres as Dory who is perfect in the role and Albert Brooks as Marlin. Then as new voices we have Ed O’Neill as Hank, Kaitlin Olson as Destiny, Diane Keaton as Dory’s Mom Jenny, Eugene Levy as Dory’s Dad Charlie, Idris Elba as Fluke the hilarious sea lion and many more. They are all outstanding and like I said very funny.
It also has to be said that Finding Dory is stunningly beautiful. The seascapes both in the aquarium and back in Australia are beautiful. I particularly loved a scene where the stingrays are migrating and they move along and sing like a men’s choir.
And like I said Finding Dory is super funny and sweet on a surface level as well, so it’s got something for everyone!
I hope this review showed you some new layers in Finding Dory. What do you think of the connections to WALL-E? What was your favorite part about the film? It’s a beautiful animated film from Pixar and one I will definitely be purchasing on blu-ray.
Overall Grade- A-
PS. And notice how I got through this entire review without mentioning The Good Dinosaur once! (I love that movie btw).
I unabashedly loved The Peanuts Movie last year. And it wasn’t just nostalgia for Peanuts, which I do have but I genuinely thought it was a sweet, charming little film. And I’ve always said that the artistry didn’t get enough credit. Just because it was a familiar property I think people missed the hybrid animation trailblazing the film did. So naturally when I saw they had a Peanuts art book I had to jump right on that!
The Art of the Peanuts Movie starts with a forward from director Steve Martino where he talks about how he related to the entire Peanuts gang growing up. “Growing up in the Midwest, Charlie Brown’s neighborhood felt like my own…the gang were like friends that I visited on a daily baiss through the ‘funny pages'” He then talks about the specials and even a Charlie Brown sign on his coffee table growing up that read “Happiness is a Warm Puppy”. He is then honest about the huge pressure he felt in adapting this work that is beloved to many including himself. “It felt like I was carrying Schroeder’s piano, only it had grown to a grand piano”
They also have this neat graphic showing the comic to 3D transitioning for the entire gang.
Next we get several pages on each character describing the design and attributes.
Next is a cool article about how you keep characters on model and moving in a natural way. This is something they achieved in spades especially in the skating scenes.
It’s really cool as well to learn about the animation and how the computer uses pin points to bring them alive.
We get an entire section on backgrounds and how they created the pop friendly feel of the Peanuts neighborhood.
The last section is mostly about the story and goes into incredible detail about how every facet was created and designed down to the posters and flags on Charlie Brown’s wall. That is so cool to learn about!
And we get storyboards and anything else you could want to know about the process of bringing this movie to screen.
The Art of the Peanuts Movie is a great book because it is so rich. It covers the incredibly difficult task of adapting the strip to a movie, the design process of characters, and the story development and boarding process. You can learn about all sides of animation through this book and it will warm your heart to see such love going into a work of art. I think it might even give some people more respect for what they accomplished than the film is given. At least it does for me but I already loved it.
