Hey guys! I just wanted to quickly share with you my latest Obscure Animation review. This is a monthly series I do over on my youtube channel profiling an animated film that is less well known and why you should see it. This month’s pick, Transformers: The Movie, is loved by many but I still feel like it counts as it isn’t as well known as say a Disney or Pixar film.
People might be surprised to see me praise a Transformers movie as I am not a fan of any of the recent live action versions by schlockmeister Michael Bay. It’s frustrating because this film is actually a good scifi movie with emotion and heart which none of the Bay films have and I feel it is maligned by association when it shouldn’t be.
There are a lot of things Transformers: The Movie does right, which the live action films don’t do. First of all, it gets us right into the action. There is no origin story or lame humans finding the transformers. This is a movie about transformers!
Spoiler alert! (It’s 30 years old guys. See it!)
It starts out with the Decepticons and Autobots fighting and Optimus Prime is battling Megatron to protect Autobot City. They battle and it is awesome but Optimus Prime is wounded in the fighting. And then in an emotional scene Optimus Prime hands over the Matrix of Leadership to Ultra Mangus and then dies.
It was a bold move to kill off your lead character but it is handled so well and creates an emotional tie to all the action throughout the rest of the movie. It’s interesting because they had cynical motives of wanting to sell new toys so they killed off a bunch of characters to introduce new characters, but it works. It creates real stakes behind the story and isn’t just mindless dopey action like Bay films.
So Megatron and the Decepticons end up getting gathered by a giant planet transformer named Unicron who makes a deal with Megatron. He turns Megatron into Galvatron and in return he must get Unicron the Matrix of Leadership.
This starts our story (great start right!) and we get a ton of cool characters like Hot Rod, Kup, Ultra Mangus, Arcee, Springer, Perceptor. There are only 2 humans in the film Daniel and his father Spike but they are treated just like any other characters and used sparingly. It really is a scifi story and the story is taken seriously by all involved.
Director Nelson Shin does a wonderful job with the animation which is bright and colorful and the story by Ron Friedman is smart, keeps you guessing and has moments to breath combined with the great action. It’s a movie you can watch multiple times and get new things out of it on each viewing.
The voice cast is iconic with Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron, Orson Wells as Unicron, Judd Nelson as Hot Rod, and Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime. And the music by Vince DiCola is intense and entertaining.
I feel like many reading will discount this movie as silly nonsense but I would encourage you to watch it with an open mind as it is a very good film. It has a good story with action, emotion, and fun. The animation is well done, and it has a nice message about leadership and finding your calling. It dares to take kids seriously and challenge them with themes of death, loss, sacrifice and even war, but it still entertains them at the same time.
Give it a shot. I think you just might like it
Overall Grade- A
(and if you feel so inclined I would love if you watched my video review and left a comment/thumbs up. Thanks. Also, if you have any suggestions for Obscure Animation let me know! Obscure animation doesn’t have to be unheard of but just less celebrated than the Disney or Pixar classics).
So I did it! I set a goal to watch all the Superman and Batman movies before Batman v Superman. Watching Superman movies was interesting because most of them I hadn’t seen in a long time so it was kind of like watching them fresh. I’ve never been that big of a comic book movie person and Superman was always pretty far down my list, but I do have nice memories of Christopher Reeves. When I was in high school I read his autobiography and was very moved by his personal story.
Superman is a fun character because he is so pure. He’s practically the definition of a hero because his mere existence is to help humans and spread hope. Some of the versions miss this sense of hope and some forget it in favor of ridiculous comedy. I’d say you get a little bit of everything with Superman. At his core he should be a hero.
Just like with Batman, the Superman movies have their highs, lows and mehs. And just like with Batman I am going to do it Best Shot style and pick one image from each film that summarizes my experience watching it.
I’ll be honest this movie didn’t hold up for me the way I thought it would. Richard Donner’s film was a trailblazer in the world of comic book movies but my problem was how long it took to get going. It takes an hour before you meet Christopher Reeves’ Clark Kent/Superman and he doesn’t fly until almost the 1 1/2 hour mark. That was too slow for me.
Some of the origin story is compelling. I like Marlon Brando as Jor-El and his role as a kind of Savior character is interesting, but it just takes so long. I got bored. Now once we get to Christopher Reeves it is wonderful. He does such a good job differentiating the nerdy Clark Kent and the suave Superman.
I also felt that Margot Kidder as Lois Lane was wonderful and her and Reeves have excellent chemistry. My favorite scenes of the film was their date and the first time they fly together. I’m not the biggest fan of Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor. I don’t mind a silly villain but he wasn’t charming silly but just annoying. John Williams theme is of course iconic and overall it’s an entertaining film, just not quite as great as I remembered it.
Superman 2
This was my favorite of the Superman films I watched. I saw the Donner cut because Richard Lester took over as director and made it a lot sillier. I didn’t have time to compare the Lester version so take that for what you will.
Still I liked that this film focused on Zod, Ursa and Non coming back to have revenge on Superman for their banishment. They are strong villains but the movie wisely focuses the most on Superman and his inner struggle over saving humanity vs having a loving happy life with Lois Lane. This gives a nice emotion and Reeves is very good in these scenes. Plus, you still have the great chemistry between Kidder and Reeves.
There is a little bit of Lex Luthor but luckily it keeps it to a minimum and the violence is strong but in shorter bursts. But mostly this film is great because of the journey of Superman and Reeves strong performance.
Superman 3
Now we get into the bad films. In Superman 3 Richard Lester is given full control and it’s not really even ‘so bad it’s good’. For something to be that kind of guilty pleasure it has to be sincerely trying to be good but this is just a boring, lazy, stupid movie.
Right from the beginning you know they are going for total slapstick with a pratfall routine where telephone booths are toppled over. It gets worse from there.
I felt bad for Richard Pryor because I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie where an actor looked more intoxicated while filming. There were times you couldn’t understand what he was saying it was so slurred together. He plays a programmer who is used by a CEO to do all kinds of dastardly deeds.
Reeves is fine and there is an entertaining scene with him fighting both sides of himself- evil vs good Superman. But they remove Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane and give us Annette O’Toole as Lana Lang who he has no chemistry with.
I picked this shot of Richard Pryor because it showcases the problem of the movie with him skiing down the side of a building and then landing with no injuries. It’s just so stupid.
Superman 4
As bad as Superman 3 is, Superman 4 is even worse. The production team famously took all the money out of the budget so everything looks horrible. Everything from the costumes, special effects, script are horrible.
I guess only good thing about it is you get Margot Kidder back as Lois Lane but it sucks that things had to go out this way for her and Reeves, who were so wonderful together. You have so many cliches with the mean boss at the Daily Planet with the daughter who has hots for Clark (Superman/Clark Kent go on a double date with Lois/Lacy for a long segment).
We get the return of Lex Luthor who creates Nuclear Man which is embarrassing. Superman gives a speech at the UN and you can’t help but cringe. Maybe some people find this ‘so bad it’s good’ but it’s hard when nobody was even trying to make something good.
Superman Returns
Bryan Singer took a break from X-men to make his version of Superman in 2006. It’s not terrible but did we really need to see Lois as a bitter single mother? Brandon Routh is fine as Superman but he is off screen for long segments of time. It really could be called Lois Lane Movie because of the focus given her.
We get Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor who I thought was surprisingly flat in the role. He’s kind of a bully to his assistant played by Parker Posey (who cries most of the film) and not a believable foe for Superman. Maybe I just don’t like the character of Lex Luthor? We’ll see if Batman v Superman can change my mind.
It does have a nice look to it and some impressive sequences. I particularly liked a scene where Superman stops a crashing plane. I liked it visually but also because it took brains and brawn to make it happen. That was cool twist for the character. Overall not a terrible watch but a little bit dry.
It does have many homages to the Donner films and I don’t know if it quite got that balance of originality vs reboot right? It’s tricky.
Man of Steel
Honestly it is the most divisive movie in history. I have grown weary discussing it with people, but I must own I didn’t hate it this time around. I was more ‘meh’. It’s takes Superman into a scifi direction and then adds a disaster movie component. I said while tweeting ‘it’s Superman if you combined Star Trek and San Andreas’ and I think that is accurate.
I hate the flashback structure and it’s not that the destruction exists it’s just gratuitous and repetitive. Do we need to destroy all of Smallville and then destroy building after building of Metropolis? Couldn’t the point be made more succinctly? They also screwed up Lois and Clark relationship. There is not near enough time with them together to believe their relationship or what happens/how she is used.
Michael Shannon is fine as Zod and his motivations are interesting. He is trying to save his people and I liked that. I also love Henry Cavill who is a very beautiful man. I just wish they gave us a few more moments like the kissing scene with him and Lois where he jokes about kissing an alien. It doesn’t have to be a joke but the whole movie he seems depressed.
Diane Lane is excellent as his mother but I didn’t like Kevin Costner as Pa Kent or how they wrote that character at all.
The breaking of Zod’s neck makes sense in theory but it’s at the end of one building after another and it feels gratuitous after such exhaustion.
Snyder needs to learn the art of subtlety and that sometimes less is more. This includes his Messianic imagery. This shot really captured the film for me. Cavill- great. Snyder’s excess- not so great.
And there you have it. I oddly had more to say about the Superman films than Batman. Go figure. I hope you enjoyed all of them.
What is your favorite Superman movie? Put in the comments sections and let’s talk! On to Batman v Superman.
My youtube review of Superman 1 and 2. If you feel so inclined give it a thumbs up.
I must confess- Batman and I have a rather troubled relationship. You know how some people just don’t get Star Wars and why everyone loves it? Well, that’s what Batman is for me. Out of all of the versions of Batman I only really love 1 of them. Only 1 would make my top 200 favorite movies list.
That’s not to say that I hate them. In fact, most of them I find watchable and even enjoy, but it’s just not my fandom.My biggest problem with most Batman movies is that Batman gets sidelined in favor of the villains. I like my superhero movies to be about heroes not villains.
That said, I’m going into this week’s Batman v Superman with an open mind and perhaps less insane expectations than the fanboys. I hope I will like it!
Nevertheless, it had been years since I had seen most of the Batman films so I gave them all a rewatch. I decided to do kind of a Hit Me with Your Best Shot treatment to all these movies and picked one shot that I think captures the movie best and then add a few thoughts on each film:
(For my thoughts on all the Superman movies click here)
Batman 1966- charming and completely ridiculous. Wears out its welcome at nearly 2 hours but the villains are silly fun and Adam West is very dapper as Batman. I like how everything is labeled. That cracks me up. This is my favorite example of the labeling I will just add because I think it is so funny. They label the entrance to the bat cave and Dick and Bruce’s poles.
Batman 1989- I didn’t like it. People talk about Michael Keaton being so great, but he’s hardly in the movie. Next time you watch it pay attention to how much dialogue and screen time Keaton actually has and it will surprise you. Jack Nicholson as the Joker just shouts a lot. I mean there’s a long unnecessary Prince musical number in the middle? I don’t get the appeal to be honest. Even the makeup I don’t really like. Batman Returns- Starts strong and Penguin/Catwoman are creepy and memorable. But it gets too fetishy for my taste. Almost no Batman in this film- like seriously there are long segments with the villains and then Batman/Bruce Wayne appears briefly. Cinematography and art design is cool and feels like a Tim Burton movie, so at least it has that going for it. The Penguin running for office plotline is a snoozefest. It scared me as a little girl and definitely has some horror elements but now it feels more icky than scary for a good chunk of movie.Batman Forever- Jim Carrey is fun as Riddler but Tommy Lee Jones is awful. For a movie meant for children it earns its PG-13 rating with violence and sensuality. Plan by Riddler to overtake all the brains in Gotham with his TV device sure gets implemented quickly and is very silly. It needed to be developed more but instead we get lots of shouting, lame action and Nicole Kidman spouting 90s era pop psychology. The whole movie is silly and special effects look really bad. Batman and Robin- Some so bad its good appeal. Unfortunately even that is marred by a surprising amount of male erotica (and female) for a film made to sell children’s toys. The action is ridiculous with characters defying gravity and having powers that don’t make sense. The one liners are groan inducing especially from Arnold and Uma Thurman is so bad. Careers were ruined all over the place. Batman: Mask of Phantasm- Love it. My favorite Batman movie. I love the animation, and I love the relationship between Bruce and Andrea Beaumont. It’s a Batman movie actually about Batman! Imagine that! The script is so good. I particularly love the conversation at the end with Alfred and Bruce about walking the line between good and evil. Mark Hamil is fantastic as the Joker and he is used more sparingly than Dark Knight. Great Shirley Walker score. (I’ll do a full review of this one of these days)Batman Begins- Overlong but I like it because it is about Batman. I think the cinematography is good and I like that it embraces comic book sensibilities a little bit more than other Nolan films (microwave emitter and all). Liam Nieson is good as Ra’s al Ghul and one of the more complex Batman villains.Dark Knight- I’m not as high on this as everyone else but it is well done. Heath Ledger is great. I’m just not that into crime dramas and think the movie suffers when Joker is off screen. Plus, Harvey Dent’s transformation is so sudden from renegade DA to threatening to kill a child. I needed more time with him and Rachel to buy their relationship and the drastic change. Batman/Bruce Wayne is lost a bit because Joker is so strong. But I totally get why you love it so don’t kill me.Dark Knight Rises– I like the more hopeful tone and Anne Hathaway is great. Bane’s Marxist revolution and the focus on manipulating the masses is interesting. More focus on Batman/Bruce Wayne than Dark Knight. I like my Batman movies to be about Batman! There is too much of Bruce watching the action instead of participating and Marion Cotillard character is weak. However, as with all the Nolan films, it looks great and is well done. It was better than I expected it to be (I saw for first time a few weeks ago).In general, I guess I’m just not that big of a Batman girl but we’ll see how Batman v Superman does. Maybe it can win me over? Here’s hoping! Can any of you relate to my feelings on any of these films? What do you think of them? I would love to hear your thoughts.
My Family Movie Night youtube review of Batman 1966
Yesterday I saw the oldest new release of the year. In a strange turn of events Isao Takahata’s 1991 anime film Only Yesterday is finally getting its US debut. So, 25 years later how does it hold up? It’s cute. I liked it but it didn’t wow me if that makes sense.
Only Yesterday is about a 27 year old single woman named Taeko. She decides to get out of the city and work on a communal farm for the summer. While traveling and during her stay, she is reminded of herself as a little girl in the 5th grade in 1966.
The movie then switches back and forth between stories of her childhood and her time on the farm. There’s really not much else to talk about plot-wise. It’s just about this woman’s life.
I personally love movies about ordinary life but some people will find Only Yesterday to be very boring. Even I nodded off once during an adult segment.
It’s all very simple. Taeko goes through puberty, learns about periods, has a crush, sticks up for a poor kid, gets a spot in a play, and the family tries pineapple for the first time. Aside from her Dad being a jerk and slapping her once there’s really no drama- just ordinary life.
Adult Taeko I found less engaging because it felt more generic and a little preachy in spots. You could tell it was made in 1991 with the talks on organic farming and how the earth is part of us and we should live in harmony (that’s where I dozed off for a sec).
There are a few moments where Taeko daydreams of flying and rainbows but for the most part it’s just her memories without much fantasy. Memories like struggling with math and her sister trying in vain to help her, getting a cold and sitting out from gym etc. You get the idea.
It probably goes without saying the animation is lovely. It has Takahata’s watercolor style, which I enjoy. Everything in the film looks adorable especially Taeko as a little girl. She’s so cute!
Little girl Taeko was also a really well developed character. She’s quirky but not too quirky. She’s shy but not abnormally so. She has friends but also disagrees with them. A lot of the traditional tropes of coming of age films are forgotten and instead we get a little girl facing typical problems little girls face.
Adult Taeko is more of a generic yuppie trying to find herself on the farm. There’s a romance between her and a man named Toshio, which is sweet but a little bland. And like I said some of the adult sections can be preachy.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a hair disappointed in Only Yesterday, but maybe that’s because I was expecting something grand and got something simple instead.
There is a lot that feels very Japanese- particularly a segment where Toshio’s Grandmother talks to Taeko about marriage. This is fine but something about Japanese customs can feel a little cold and distant at times for a coming of age story.
The music is the most dated aspect of the film. The synthesizer and Japanese pop songs (including a rendition of The Rose by Janis Joplin) feel very 1991 but it works fine. It just didn’t wow me like the scores from other Ghibli films by Joe Hisaishi (Only Yesterday’s score is from Katz Hoshi).
Overall, I’d say Only Yesterday is good but not up there in the best of Studio Ghibli. The animation is lovely. The childhood segments are very cute and charming but the adult sections drag a bit and are a little preachy. It’s kind of strange to see adorable Taeko turn into a bland adult, but that’s the way life is. Most of us are far more interesting as children than grown ups!
I certainly recommend seeing Only Yesterday but just calibrate your expectations to something very simple and sweet. If you do, I think you’ll enjoy it even if it isn’t a favorite.
The English dub with Daisy Ridley as Taeko and Dev Patel as Toshio is fine. No issues there.
It will be interesting to see how Only Yesterday does at the Oscars given it is a 25 year old film but Oscars bases off of US release date which makes it a 2016 release. Crazy!
What do you think of Only Yesterday? Do you find it charming or boring? I personally liked When Marnie was There much better but that’s just me.
I just posted this week’s episode of Animated News! I would love if you guys took a look at it. I’m still learning but I think it is getting better.
Here’s a run-down of the news
Zootopia grosses 50 million- only dropping 33% from week 1 and that is really good. The film has made 83 million overseas, 288 foreign total, 431 total.
Storks Trailer- For some reason all of these comedies I’m liking the teasers better than the full trailer but this looks ok. A little generic but ok.
Wild Life Trailer- This was a new film I learned about and I must say not that impressed. It’s being distributed by Lionsgate who gave us Norm of the North. Hopefully it will at least be better than that. Robinson Crusoe on an island run by animals- the idea has potential.
Long Way North Trailer- Another project that was new to me, but this one I’m really excited about. From animator Remi Chaye who worked on Secret of the Kells. It looks beautiful and sounds like a good story. I predict this will be in the running come Oscar season.
Sausage Party Trailer- I’m not impressed with the humor or animation in this adult comedy. To me it looks very lazy. Won’t even share the video with you guys but if you want to watch it here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VoNgLnjzVg
April and the Extraordinary World- I’m very excited for this film that comes to my cinema 4/22. It has a cool steampunk look to it. The 2D animation looks great and I think the story sounds interesting.
Little Prince Gets Dumped- In a bizarre action Paramount Animation has dumped the US release of The Little Prince a week before it was to premiere. Even though I had issues with the film, it certainly deserves to be seen by American audiences. I can’t fathom why they did this?
Power Puff Girls- The new reboot of Power Puff girls debuted at SXSW film festival to great reviews. The intro and other clips I’ve seen look promising.
What in this news interests you? What in all those independent trailers looks the best to you? Why do you think Paramount dumped Little Prince? Are you a Power Puff Girls fan? If so, what do you think of this reboot?
Put in the comments section here or on the video and let’s talk! 🙂 And if you like my video please give it a thumbs up!
I’m very excited to announce my next video reviewing the Oscar nominees for Best Animated Feature Film is up! I have reviewed every year from 2001-2015. Here’s the entire playlist and the Animated Oscars Tag videos people have done. It’s a long video, so perhaps a good one to listen while doing another task. If you like it please give it a thumbs up. Thanks!
A beautiful hand drawn animated film by Ale Abreu that tells the story of a little boy looking for his father. Using basically no dialogue Abreu creates a kaleidoscope of colors and textures as the boy ventures into the city and confronts war, waste, commercialism and fear. Sometimes it can be heavy handed and a bit self-indulgent but it’s also bright, colorful and fun. The music is infectious and will make you smile.
A somewhat cynical yet thought provoking stop motion animated film from Charlie Kaufman for adults. The animation is fluid and smooth as it focuses on a man named Michael who has become disenfranchised with the people in his life. Everyone looks, behaves and even sounds the same. Then he meets Lisa who is different and this excites him. Some of the adult content I felt was distracting from what really made Lisa special. We could have dug deeper but instead we get superficial differences like a scar or voice. Still, it will definitely make you think and if you can handle the content worth a watch.
I don’t know how I could say more about this film. It was my favorite film of 2015 and it is rapidly becoming one of my favorite animated films of all time. I have found myself watching it most weeks since I got it on blu-ray. There’s just something about the dual stories of Riley and Joy that doesn’t age for me. It improves each time I see it. I love the humor, visual splendor, and heart. The end when Riley admits to her parents ‘I miss home’ is perfect. Joy’s journey when she finally realizes that happiness requires sadness is equally strong. Perfection from Pixar.
A delight from the team at Aardman. A spin off from the TV show (which is great and you can watch on Amazon Prime) Shaun is tired of his boring routine and wants a day off. So him and his friends go to the big city and have an adventure. It has the spirit of a silent comedy with minimal dialogue and some great visual jokes. I loved when the Farmer becomes a barber to the stars. It’s a sweet, simple, endearing film. And of course, the animation is wonderful as is usually the case from Aardman. I wish more people in US saw their great films.
This film really impacted me emotionally. Seeing the journey of Anna as she struggles with deep depression and her family’s effort to save her is very beautiful. The main message is that we all have love in our lives. The key is recognizing that love, both here on earth and from those who have passed on. We all have love, and that love has power to rescue. The animation is stunning. I particularly loved the sound mixing and how lush everything felt. The ending may not work for everyone but I thought it was pure truth. Great way for Studio Ghibli to go out. The music and song by Priscilla Ahn is gorgeous.
————————————
So 5 wonderful films! It’s funny looking over these 5 nominees I feel 2015 is a bit of a an underrated year. It certainly was a diverse year especially when you consider 2 very strong films, Peanuts Movie and Good Dinosaur, that were not nominated. And how amazing is it to have a year with only 1 CG film nominated for Best Animated Feature Film. 2014 only had 2. Take that 2D animation is dead crowd! 😉
Anyway, I think you guys know Inside Out is the clear winner in my books; although, I think all 5 are quality films. As I said earlier, Inside Out is a game changer for me. A film I will never forget.
What about you? What do you think of the nominees and do you think the right film won?
Do you ever have those movies that are well regarded but are hard for you to sit through? Atonement is such a film for me. It’s pretty but oh does it annoy the heck out of me. It’s like a tedious set of Downton Abbey episodes but without any of that show’s soapy fun. And at least with Downton Abbey I care about the Crawleys. In Atonement I couldn’t care less about any of these people.
Atonement is directed by Joe Wright with a lot of empty style and it is based on the novel by Ian McEwan. The film stars Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, James McAvoy and Romola Gerai and Vanessa Redgrave. They are all good. It’s just the story that is annoying.
Basically Saoirse plays Briony, a little girl who has a girl’s crush on the servant’s son Robbie. She see’s 2 scenes with her sister Cecilia and Robbie, one which is innocent and one where they are intimate with each other. She intercepts some letters and convinces the police that Robbie is responsible for a rape that occurs. Long and short of it this act of a child ruins everyone’s lives.
The problem is we aren’t invested in the couple or the relationship. We don’t get to see the courtship or really care about them as people. Briony is a horrid little girl and then a flat older woman. We see the couple so briefly and then rest of the movie we get bland war, bland hospital scenes, bland staring across the room at what might have been. I’m sorry but one makeout session does not a compelling couple make.
I also found it annoying when the movie tries to be artistic with 4th wall breaks like characters staring directly at the camera for long periods or when we see the same scene from multiple perspectives. That could be interesting in a book but especially in a movie where a couple is going to be separated for most of the film, I needed more dialogue, more fleshed out characters. It does not make Briony more interesting because she stares at the camera for long periods. It makes me the viewer want to punch her in the nose- and not in a gripping way but in a ‘stop staring and tell me something about who you are!’ way.
In the end, it feels like about 20 minutes of story stretched out into 2 hours. I needed more evidence of why it all mattered. Why is this couple soooo special? Why does this love matter soooo much? I get that a man went to prison, but I didn’t know this man and the film doesn’t give me much of a reason to care for him. Maybe if the film had been told from his perspective it might have been more compelling but as it is he just felt flat.
Anyway, Hit Me with Your Best Shot is about picking a favorite shot even in movies we don’t particularly like, and to its credit Atonement does look nice. There are lots of cool pieces of cinematography but the one that captured my feeling for the film is this:
Robbie is a soldier and he is thinking about that great kiss in the library. He passes a screen with a movie playing for the soldiers and I can’t help but think- I wish I was watching that instead…
Overall Grade- C- just because it looks nice and the acting is good
My friend AJ joined me to talk all about Zootopia today. We dive into the nitty gritty talking about the plot in detail, so this is very spoilery! We talk about the messaging and some of the complaints between both sides of the political spectrum. We talk about the imagery, character design, story and Zootopia’s place in the history of Disney animation. I am going to write up this breakdown in essay format later in the week in a spoilery review but I thought you might enjoy listening to the video.
It’s more the kind of video you listen to while doing other things or driving because it is an hour and half.
Let me know what you think of our discussion and the points we bring up.
For a while watching The Little Prince I was ready to come on here and be pretty harsh on it. Until the first hour mark, the movie was honestly driving me crazy but then it somehow turned itself around and became a decent flick. Usually the ending of films is where they really tank but not in this case. I kind of wish it had been a short 45 minute special because really the first hour is just two characters talking a lot and telling you why what they are saying is so important.
SOME SPOILERS AHEAD! (I couldn’t talk about some of my issues without spoiling because it lay within the story).
So let’s talk about that first hour. My big problem was way too much exposition. At times it felt like a Shyamalan film there was so much talking and not showing!
The plot of the movie is a Little Girl is trained by her mother to keep a tightly planned study schedule. Truly it seemed a little over-the-top it was so micromanaged. I mean what kid would want to plan a play date for the next summer? It strained credulity and made the Mother look really mean.
The goal of the Mother is for Little Girl (that’s her name) to make it into a prestigious school called Werth Academy. They even move just to be in the school boundaries.
However, Little Girl wants to explore and is drawn to an elderly neighbor known as The Aviator. He tells her about the Little Prince who had a rose that he loves and tries to protect. As he tells the story we see it played out in beautiful animation that looks like stop motion.
The problem is not enough happens in the story to be compelling on its own so it becomes a lot of talking about dreams and bold living. As pretty as it was I grew weary of it.
Then The Prince in the story dies for The Rose at the hour mark. This causes Little Girl to become angry at The Aviator for the story and it ending so sadly. She stays away but then he gets sick and she must fly The Aviator’s plane and find the Little Prince on his asteroid. This is when the story starts going. We actually see things happen to our lead character!
When the Little Girl gets to the asteroid, she finds a world where everyone has grown up- kind of an opposite Neverland. The Little Prince has forgotten his past and has been turned into a workaholic adult. He is ruled by a man called The Businessman who is hoarding all the stars to steal all the light and happiness from the world. Now this is a story!
Little Girl then must bring the Little Prince back to his planet and he gets some closure on his lost rose. Little Girl gets a reminder that she cannot grow up too soon.
When she reunites with her Mother they have a new understanding and she is allowed to be a child a little bit longer while still going to the prestigious school.
Once the action in the story started going I was entertained by the Little Prince, but almost like a fable, the metaphors are very heavy-handed. The Businessman clearly is meant to symbolize the Mother and her routine for Little Girl (they even have a similar chalkboard with tasks listed out), but I didn’t mind it. I kind of wish the entire movie had started at that point because I really didn’t need the background on the Prince, The Rose, The Girl and The Mother.
Even in the boring sections there is a nice heart to the film, and I did feel attached to Little Girl and her struggles to be understood by her Mother. I just needed something more concrete to happen sooner to get the plot going. The first hour felt a little like reading a greeting card. Sure it looks nice and has a nice message but I needed more story!
The vocal performances are all wonderful, providing a real warmth to the sometimes one-note characters. Mackenzie Foy (Little Girl), Jeff Bridges (The Aviator), Rachel McAdams (The Mother), Paul Rudd (Mr Prince) are great. Marion Cotillard is heavily billed and I thought would have a big part but she is The Rose and only has a few lines.
The animation is stunning throughout The Little Prince and it is worth seeing for that reason alone. And it does end with real heart that made me tear up a few times. I just wish I could condense the first hour into 15 minutes! In some ways after that reminded me of Neverending Story in its messaging and tone. Still, I can’t ignore an hour of tedious exposition.
Overall Grade- C+
Also why this movie took forever and a day to get to a US release is beyond me. It was written in English originally so it didn’t need dubbing or subtitles. Why the delay? That was very annoying.
