Current Mini Reviews (…Massive Talent, Everything…, Polar Bear, The Bad Guys)

April 23, 2022 | Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! I really wanted to write long reviews for each of these movies but alas I simply ran out of time. Shorter reviews will have to do because I want to get the word out (on most of them) as they are part of a strong April at the cinemas.

So here we go!

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

After years of making schlocky underwhelming films Nicolas Cage seems to be having a bit of a renaissance with films like Pig, Mandy and Spider-man Into the Spider-Verse. With this in mind it perhaps the perfect time to release a film like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. In this comedy Cage pokes fun at his persona, Hollywood in general and tells an endearing story of friendship with the great Pedro Pascal (who was one of my favorite parts of Wonder Woman 84).

In this meta-story a version of Nic Cage, the actor, is hired by Pascal to come to his Birthday party and hopefully read his movie script. Unfortunately while there Cage gets recruited by the CIA to investigate Pascal who is involved with organized crime and abducting the daughter of a fellow mob boss.

The truth is I could have gotten rid of all the espionage plot and just had the movie been about Pascal and Cage becoming friends (make it a My Dinner with Andre but with these 2 dudes) and been perfectly content. They have great chemistry together and I bought them as friends. There are other strong supporting roles from Sharon Horgan, Neil Patrick Harris, Tiffany Haddish and more.

Something like Massive Talent could be smug and annoying but it never loses its sense of humor and spirit of fun. I had a great time with it and I agree with its conclusion that Paddington 2 is the best…

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Everything Everywhere All at Once

If Massive Talent is too meta for you than you definitely should stay away from the new film from distributor A24 Everything Everywhere All at Once. To say this indie martial arts family drama is bonkers would be an understatement. Normally I don’t like movies which feel jumbled and confusing but for whatever reason I had a good time with this one.

The story of the film is about a woman named Evelyn played by Michelle Yeoh who stumbles into an interdimensional portal when visiting her auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis). This portal includes different versions of herself and her family (Ke Huy Quan who is so fun as her husband and Stephanie Hsu as her daughter). We also see the great James Hong as her father.

There are times when the multiverses feel like they are trying too hard to be edgy and weird but it was all in a spirit of fun so I enjoyed it. The weirdest one they have hotdogs as hands!

Such a bonkers film won’t be for everyone but I loved all the homages to classic films thrown in like a whole In the Mood for Love section. The music is also strong by Son Lux and I laughed throughout at the madness. If you are up for something weird give it a shot.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Polar Bear

Now we have for something totally different the latest documentary from DisneyNature Polar Bear. Like all the films in this series it helps us get to know a species of animal (in this case polar bears) and tries to teach kids about the world around them. While this one is harmless and has a good message, I must admit it is one of my least favorite of the DisneyNature docs.

For Polar Bear they don’t give the bear a name but they have Catherine Keener narrating the film in first person. This leads to lines like ”I had the best day of my life”. I mean come on. How could they possibly know that? LOL. These nature docs are always cheesy but this one laid it on especially thick.

Also the film is very heavy-handed on the climate change messaging. I suppose there is a place for that but it made it all less fun and was strange when put up against the cheerful ahtropomorphization of other sequences .

I guess this is harmless for kids but not one of my favorites.

4.5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

The Bad Guys

One of the most exciting trends in moviemaking today is the hybrid 2D/3D animation method. I love the flat, yet rich, designs of films like Spider-Verse, The Mitchells vs the Machines and The Peanuts Movie. Now our latest entry comes from DreamWorks animation with The Bad Guys.

Based on the graphic novels by Aaron Blabey The Bad Guys takes a simple concept of a group of ‘bad guy’ thieves and asks if they can be the good guys? It’s not so different from Wreck-it Ralph in that regard except for here you have more than one character who needs reforming and animation that is truly special.

There are a lot of reasons the animation is stunning in this film but I particularly loved the way the action was shot. I can’t think of a film that has better animated car chases and fight sequences except maybe the web-slinging sequences in Spider-Verse. It was a joy to watch.

I also really liked that it was set in LA with recognizable landmarks. Most animated films are set in fictional cities so that was a fun aspect here. The voice-cast is also excellent without being distracting. I loved Sam Rockwell as our lead Mr Wolf with Awkwafina stealing the show as the cute Ms Tarantula.

The story in The Bad Guys is a basic heist plot and it is definitely predictable but everything else was so great I didn’t care. I’ve seen it twice now and loved it both times. The whole family will enjoy following these bad guys on this very good time!

8 out of 10

Smile Worthy

So there you have it. If you get to see any of these films let me know what you think!

If you enjoy what I do please consider supporting at patreon where you can get tons of fun perks. https://www.patreon.com/hallmarkies

Current Mini Reviews

April 25, 2019 | Rachel's Reviews

Believe it or not there are other movies out in theaters besides Avengers: Endgame. I have already reviewed Missing Link and Breakthrough on this blog but I thought I would give you my quick reviews of 5 other films that might be worth your time to check out:

Penguin Highway

First up the anime film Penguin Highway. Directed by Hiroyasu Ishida this creative and original science fiction mystery will delight audiences of all ages and shouldn’t be missed. It reminded me a lot of the Netflix show Stranger Things with a young boy investigating the strange appearance of penguins in his town.

The relationship between the boy and a woman who comes along with the penguins is a little strange but if you like unpredictable, fresh storytelling you’ll love this film

8 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Penguins

I will eventually do a full review of Disneynature’s latest film Penguins for my Disneynature series on this blog but until then you should definitely check it out. The penguins are so cute especially our lead penguin Steve who is perpetually behind all the other penguins. It’s so cute!

Ed Helms does a good job as the narrator and kids will love seeing this little penguin romance. Some of the music cues were a little much for me but that’s a minor flaw in a very adorable nature film.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

The Perfect Date

Netflix continues in its attempt to take over the romantic comedy world particularly for teenagers with The Perfect Date. Noah Centineo is super charming, and I’d be in love with him if I was 16. That’s really who this movie is made for, teenagers who want to swoon over Noah Centineo. There’s nothing wrong with that but the script needed work.

He’s charming but the story is so strained and there is no chemistry between him and either of the leading ladies. It also feels like a cheap copy of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off without any of that movies emotional heft. If you’re not a 16 year old I’d say pass.

4 out of 10

Frown Worthy

Okko’s Inn

Penguin Highway isn’t the only new anime we’ve gotten this month. We’ve also gotten the sweet ghost story Okko’s Inn. Based on a series of mangas, Okko’s Inn tells the story of a little girl who goes to live with her Grandma at an Inn after her parents die. She soon learns the Inn is inhabited by a series of mischievous ghosts who want to get her into trouble.

Okko’s Inn feels very episodic and is definitely made for very small children. Adults may find it a little cloying but its heart was in the right place so I enjoyed it. If you want to talk to your kids about grief and how to set goals (Okko decides to become a junior Innkeeper) than this would be a fun one to show them.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Long Shot

About 30 minutes into the new romantic comedy Long Shot I was groaning pretty loudly inside. The characters were annoying me and it seemed like the most tired of tropes to have the gorgeous blonde bombshell fall for the schlep who can’t seem to understand you don’t wear a hideous windbreaker to a swanky party. Ugh.

BUT…then something happened and it started to win me over. I think the key point is when they actually start a relationship is where it begins to work. The build up I was irritated but the actual balance of a liberal writer dating the secretary of state started to entertain me. Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron have decent enough chemistry but it’s the script that makes it all work. The commentary on feminism, work, politics and dating feels believable and is very funny. I particularly thought the ending in all its romcom glory is earned.

O’Shea Jackson as Rogen’s best friend stole the show. Hilarious.

This is an R rated film with lots of language and some sexuality so be forewarned.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

DISNEYNATURE 9: BORN IN CHINA

April 23, 2017April 30, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews

This review is very exciting because it is has been 2 years since my last Disneynature review! Back in 2015 I reviewed the Disneynature canon finishing off with Bears. It was a lot of fun so I anxiously awaited their next release this year’s Born in China. Fortunately, the wait was worth while as this is a charming entry in this series of nature documentaries.

The last Disneynature release was 2015’s Monkey Kingdom which is one of the weaker entries as much felt staged but it still was entertaining. However, I was glad to see Born in China get back to more authentic feeling animal footage. In this case we are following 3 animals in China- a giant panda, golden snub-nosed monkey and snow leopard.

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The word to describe Born in China is adorable. Nearly everything about this movie is adorable. The animals are so cute and the story they create is very charming.

Some people might think it is a bit cloying with the narration by John Krasinski but I like how they create stories and characters (as long as it isn’t too staged like Monkey Kingdom).It keeps the nature documentary from getting boring because we have a story to draw us in. Yes, sometimes they go a little bit too far with the narration but I still enjoy it.

We follow these animals for an entire year and see the cycle of their lives. This does include some sobering realities but never too long. It shouldn’t be traumatic for kids. African Cats is the most traumatic of these Disneynature films.

The cinematography and footage they are able to get is remarkable. Especially in the leopard footage I couldn’t help but wonder how they kept themselves safe with these fierce animals that are very hungry! It’s amazing how close up to the animals they get. I realize that is from lenses but still it is very impressive.

Disneynature gives a portion of this week’s ticket sales to conservation efforts so if you can see it go to the theater. It will be a good experience for the entire family and would make a great family home evening. The kids in my theater were eating it up responding with big gasps and awes throughout the film.

I wouldn’t say Born in China is my favorite Disneynature film. That is still Crimson Wing and Chimpanzee but it is still very enjoyable and worth seeing.

Overall Grade- B+

Here is my youtube review. I would love if you took a look and gave it thumbs up.

Disneynature Ranking

June 25, 2015July 8, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Hi guys! So I have finished reviewing the Disneynature films! It has been such an amazing experience to see God’s creation in all their variety and order. I’ve learned a lot, been entertained and inspired. But I know you are dying to know now that I have seen all 8 how do they rank? First of all, they all have incredible cinematography and what these people do to get these images is unbelievable. They risk their lives to keep all of us and especially children aware of these animals. That is worthy of the strongest praise. All of them are worthy of integration into the classroom and could be valuable parts of any home library.

But here is my ranking of the films.

8. Wings of Life– bugs just aren’t that cute and I didn’t learn that much about the bees or bee crisis. The only one I would say was kind of boring although Meryl Streep is good as the narrator.

7. Earth– more like a nature documentary for television. No real narrative but full of amazing images so I enjoyed watching it. Some of the global warming stuff feels a little dated and heavy-handed although a very important message for kids.

6. Oceans– again no narrative and more like a documentary you’d see on PBS or Animal Planet but I love the ocean so it was very interesting. I just like the one’s with a little bit more story added in. Like Earth it feels a little dated and preachy at times.

5. African Cats– this one has amazing images but the narration is a little corny and it can get kind of brutal at times with lions hunting and eating zebras and antelope. It could be upsetting for preschool age children. It’s also a little bit too long.

4. Monkey Kingdom– a very sweet story of Maya and her little monkey baby. I liked Tina Fey and it will provide a good learning opportunity when kids see the different social classes within the monkey tribe. Maya is on the bottom of the class structure so she is kept from doing many things and life is harder. It is the movie which seemed the most staged to me especially the birthday party but I still enjoyed it.

3. Bears– this is the most child-friendly of the films with a bear and her cubs trying to get food, catch fish (basically the bear necessities!). There is a wolf that gives a few tense moments but nothing compared to African Cats. It’s not as slow moving as the more traditional films (Earth, Oceans, Wings of Life etc). It has a narrative kids will like and the bears are really cute.

2. Chimpanzee– this is a cool movie because you can tell the outcome surprised the filmmakers which is the grandest part of nature. They are ready to close up shop when the mother chimpanzee dies and out of the blue another male chimpanzee decides to care for the little chimp. Even Jane Goodall is amazed at what happens. She says it is highly unusual for male chimps. It could be staged but it doesn’t feel so. It is such a huge part of the movie and there are so many interviews and stories that I believe it happened. What they had to go through to make this movie is unbelievable and to hear Goodall talk about the experience gave an authenticity that none of the other Disneynature films have. I sometimes wish they would use a little bit more science but I understand they are trying to tell stories and inspire kids.

1. Crimson Wing- I found out after watching this movie it wasn’t released in theaters!!! Shocking because it was my favorite by a fairly wide margin. I was totally invested in the story of the flamingos in Tanzania. It was such a different environment I have never heard of before with the pink lake with algae, salt flats and beautiful flamingos. The little birds were so cute and as some of them struggled with the salt shackles I got upset. It is set up like a mystery. The mystery of the lake, flamingos and everything else. I liked that and it really got to me! I wanted the cameramen to help the poor little birds, but I know why they couldn’t. It was all so new and different and even though they didn’t give names to the birds there was a narrative. It was good vs evil with the evil Macaques preying on the weak and lonely. It was so different, beautiful, inspiring and absorbing. The score on Crimson Wing was also the best out of all the Disneynature films.

Here’s a video I did of the ranking

So that is the Disneynature films! Have you seen any of them? What do you think? Which are your favorites? Please put in the comments section.

Disneynature 8: Bears

June 23, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Now we get to the last of my Disneynature reviews 🙁 I hope you guys have enjoyed them! I certainly have and feel inspired by the majesty of God’s many creations. It really has been a wonderful experience so thanks for picking them for me to review! After this I will post a ranking of all 8 Disneynature films, so start thinking of what your favorite is! What do you think I will guess?

But before that let’s talk about Bears, which is one of the most kid-friendly of all the Disneynature films and overall most entertaining. The same crew that has given us all the films goes to Alaska and follows brown bears, particularly a mother they name Sky and her two cubs Scout and Amber (not great names. Kind of like Freddy in Chimpanzee…). I know they are dangerous animals but they are also very cute especially the cubs!

Most of the movie is about Sky trying to take care of her cubs especially Scout who tends to wander off or lag behind. She is trying to eat enough salmon to build up her food supply to provide milk during hibernation. Unfortunately her efforts at many swimming holes get thwarted by other bears, wolves and by the salmon themselves. The wolf is painted as the enemy following them and preying on the little bear cubs.

The other bears can even be cannibalistic over the baby bears! It’s unbelievable how close to these animals the filmmakers get. Especially when we know how hungry they are and yet there the crew is without any major projection. Seriously look at this shot! These photographers are nuts!
The narration is done by John C Reilly and it is very similar to Tina Fey in Monkey Kingdom or Tim Allen in Chimpanzee- a lighter more child-friendly narration. I like this style of narration but I do always feel like it lessens some of the gravitas a Morgan Freeman, Jeremy Irons or James Earl Jones would give to these amazing images and creatures. But they are movies for kids and if the lighter narration helps them learn about nature than it is a good thing. I did keep thinking of Wreck-it Ralph the whole time while looking at the bears which was a little distracting. Why does Ralph like these bears anyway? 😉

African Cats was definitely the most brutal of the Disneynature films but this one should have nothing that will upset kids. It’s maybe a little tough for the salmon but that’s about it as far as nature on nature violence. Most of the movie is just bears being super cute and Sky taking care of her cubs. I think kids will really love it and perhaps relate to it a little bit more than a movie like Chimpanzee in such a remote setting. Alaska feels more similar to at least where I live than the jungle.

It doesn’t pack the emotional punch of either Chimpanzee or Crimson Wing so it is slightly lower than those two but I did really enjoy it.

Have any of you seen it? Have your kids? What did they think?

Overall Grade- A-

Disneynature 6: African Cats

June 12, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Next up in my review of the Disneynature films is African Cats. It marks a change in the canon on how the films are told. The previous films have been more standard documentaries. In African Cats we get an attempt at a narrative with character names ascribed to the animals and a supposed story they are telling. If you read my review of Monkey Kingdom which I did out of order they totally describe a social structure, conflict and personality to the monkeys. I don’t know how much of that is hogwash but it does make the films more accessible for the average moviegoer that does not like documentaries.

African Cats tells the story of 2 families of ‘cats’ a single mom Cheetah named Sita with 5 cubs, and Mara and her mother Layla who are lionesses part of a pride. Like with the monkeys they attempt to show a contrast between the lonely isolated cheetahs and the pack of lions that do everything together.

Most of the movie is both cheetahs and lions trying to get food. As both species are carnivores this means it is the most bloody of any of the Disneynature films I’ve seen to date. Many animals are hunted and eaten with blood on the faces of the lions and cheetahs. This might be upsetting to very small children but I asked my friends and they all agreed their kids can handle it.

The little cubs are so cute that it helps with those scenes. Plus, the lions face their own foe that wants to eat them when they have to cross a river filled with crocodiles. As my friend said “they get the whole “circle of life” thing”…

Speaking of circle of life I am a little surprised there wasn’t more analogies made to the Lion King. I think James Earl Jones might have been a cool narrator instead of Samuel L Jackson. Since they are doing a narrative it might have been fun to have a few winks at Lion King or maybe some of the music thrown in?

Let’s start with the many positives of African Cats. It looks amazing. How they were able to get some of these shots I will never know. You are watching these lions tear apart a zebra from limb to limb or a cheetah chase down an antelope or jackle and wondering how the filmmakers aren’t completely terrified?

The vistas of the African safari are stunning. You get these amazing panning shots of herds of wildebeests and the cheetah sprinting at an insane pace. Practically every shot I was left wondering ‘how the heck did they do that?’ and it almost looks fake it is so good.

Also the question of the pride over the cheetah being solo has an interesting dimension for talking with kids about being self-reliant vs relying on others. Working together vs being strong on your own. Both have value and can be a functional part of nature as we see with the cheetahs and the lions.

If the scenes of carnage are a little much it could also be a chance to discuss nature with your children which is a good learning opportunity.

The downsides to African Cats is at 89 minutes it is definitely too long. It could have had a good 15 minutes cut and not missed a beat. There were sections where I started to lose interest- maybe we have one hunting sequence too many?

My other flaw is the narration can feel a little forced and heavy handed. You can tell they were just testing out the adding a story to nature thing and there were segments I wished I could turn the narration off and just watch the animals. I was not emotionally invested in the story like I was with the flamingo movie (still the best of Disneynature by a considerable margin) Crimson Wing. Samuel L Jackson is fine as the narrator but I don’t know if he has the gravitas needed for a project like this. He sometimes seemed a little bored.

But flaws aside it is a beautiful film about some of God’s most amazing creatures. The power of the lion and the speed of cheetah are awe inspiring.

Overall Grade- B

What about you guys? Do you get upset seeing animal-on-animal hunting and killing? Do your kids get upset by that kind of scene? Any of you seen African Cats? It’s a pretty good movie.

Disneynature 5: Wings of Life

June 6, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Now we get our next entry in the Disneynature Canon and it is all about those bugs you swat away or are afraid might sting you. It is called Wings of Life and it is mostly focused on butterflies and bees.

I must admit to being a little disappointed in this film. I went into it with high hopes because I find the subject of bees and the bee crisis to be very interesting. I don’t know if this just is too old (released in 2011 so not that long ago…) or they didn’t think kids would like that kind of discussion but it is sorely missed.

The movie is narrated by Merly Streep and she is good but it is told from the point of view of the flowers which is a little ridiculous and there just isn’t that much personality in a flower or a bee. Animals from the ocean, monkeys, or flamingos have way more expression in their faces and you can get more of a narrative.

In Wings of Life you get a lot of time lapse photography showing the flowers opening up and its ok but I grew a little tired of it after a while. The cinematography is beautiful and I did learn a little bit but it could have been a lot more informative. Maybe part is the problem is it is only insects where the other documentaries I’ve seen on the bee crisis has had experts talking about the problem. That would have been more interesting to me. It’s also too long. Insects don’t have a 77 minute draw, at least for me. An insects life is pretty simple- pollinate, mate, protect and die. It’s not that compelling for 77 minutes. Plus, insects up close and personal are kind of gross looking. Not all cute and adorable like a monkey or a baby flamingo.

The two best segments are about the bats in the dessert which get nectar from cactus blossoms and the Monarch butterflies and their migration. I wish the whole movie had been about the journey of the butterflies. That might have been interesting.

As it is, it is kind of slow and I lost interest. It’s the first of these Disneynature that felt like an old school dry nature documentary. No personality. No pizazz. No real narrative It has some pretty images but I would just look at those online and watch Flamingos instead. That one is still the best of the best.

Plus, I thought the narration from the point of view of the flowers was a little strange and I couldn’t get into it.

Wings of Life tries to send a message about gardening and planting flowers but it is a little too late. I think kids will have already disengage by then and it isn’t any new information for adults so they will be bored.

Overall Grade- C-

Disneynature 4: Oceans

May 24, 2015May 24, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Everyone knows how much I love the ocean and being in the water. In fact, I just got home from my first open water swim of the season. Burr! It was cold! I wish I was close to ocean but I have to satisfy myself with lakes, reservoirs and rivers. But I dream of the ocean. I live for the ocean and miss it when I am far away. So naturally I enjoyed Disneynature’s film Oceans.

Oceans is similar to their Earth film and more of a traditional nature documentary. Unlike Monkey Kingdom there is no attempt to tell a story or give characters names. It isn’t even like the Crimson Wing which doesn’t have characters with names but refers to the flamingos and their hunters in fairytale terms (princess, witches, wizards etc). Oceans doesn’t do any of that. It is a pretty straight forward nature documentary that tries to teach children the value of nature and what we can do to care for the earth better.

The strength of Oceans is its amazing images. The beauty of nature is breathtaking and it has enough animals from different parts of the world that I never got bored.
We get to learn about”

Dolphins-

Whales-

Sea Otters-

Adorable Penguins (seriously who doesn’t find penguins cute and if you are out there- what’s wrong with you!).

Turtles-

Seals-

Jellyfish-

Other Fish

If those images don’t excite you than Oceans is probably not the movie for you. The gorgeous cinematography is most of the appeal and I enjoyed learning about all of these amazing creatures and the environmentalist message isn’t too heavy handed. Jaques Perrin and Jacquez Cluzaud direct and it covers 5 oceans beautifully in 50 different locations!.

Pierce Brosnan narrates but like I said it is minimal and he does a fine job. The music by Bruno Coulais is excellent. He scored the music for The Secret of the Kells which makes sense. Both scores have great drama and impact. Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas have a duet at the end which is about as good as you can imagine a duet by them would be.

The trailer will give you a feel for the movie.

There isn’t much else to say about Oceans. It is a standard style of nature documentary with gorgeous cinematography, music and a good message. Lovers of the ocean like myself will especially love it.

Overall Grade- B+ I need to get to the ocean!

Disneynature 3- The Crimson Wing

May 3, 2015May 3, 2015 | Rachel's Reviews

Last night I watched the 2nd Disneynature film (my 3rd review) called The Crimson Wing and found myself getting emotional over the plights of flamingos. Yep, this movie really got to me more than either of the Disneynature films I have seen (Monkey Kingdom and Earth).

Unlike Earth which split its time between 3 animal families Crimson looks at a species of flamingos that inhabit a series of lakes in Tanzania. These lakes have bizarre properties which happen to be just right for flamingos. The movie approaches their entire existence as a ‘mystery’ and lays out the pieces of how they are able to survive .

It starts out with drinking in the red algae. The water looks red with the algae and that is what makes the flamingos pink. It’s so different and beautiful and the cinematography throughout is stunning. I can’t imagine how many hours in a boat or sitting out on blazing hot salt flats they must have done to get some of their shots. They also don’t resort too time lapse as a gimmick like they did in Earth. This feels like a man standing in the water with a camera watching things happen. Amazing.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a place that changes so rapidly. The sun is so hot that large sections of the lake dry up and there remains red salt beds that the flamingos use to nest. It was really fun to learn about a place that was completely foreign to me. I’ve never heard of these lakes and they were so different than any other natural phenom I’ve ever seen. I mean look at this crazy weird lake in the photo below.

The narration read by Mariella Frostrup (who sounded to me like Cate Blanchett) tries to give a haunting quality and tell a mystery and sometimes it works and other times it feels very cheesy like we are touring Middle Earth instead of Tanzania. Where it does work is the sections involving the little baby chicks that are sooo cute!

You can see in the photo above the piles of salt they nest on and they move around and chirp like adorable little birds they are.

But wait there is evil about! (literally in the movie the predator is referred to as the Wicked Witch of the lake). There are the villainous marabou who I sincerely hated so much. They were so creepy and stood around the pack waiting for the little birds to get separated and pounce!

You probably think I’m joking but I was upset for the little chicks . The way they do it is very absorbing. They show the little chicks who aren’t strong enough get ‘shackles of salt’ around their little legs and they try to walk away from the marabou but the salt weighs them down.

crimsonwing7 — If this doesn’t tug at your heartstrings than we need to talk…

Some are so weighed down when the group leaves the lake they can’t keep up and are left. The film shows them trying to get up and then falling and I was seriously upset! A side of me wanted to yell at the filmmakers and tell them to help the bird and get that salt off but I guess that isn’t their job. I may have even shed a tear….

The flamingos are stunning and the team does a great job showing the scope of the thousands of birds and then time with one or two although they are not given names like Maya in Monkey Kingdom nor do we see a real social structure like MK has.

When the chicks are a little bigger they move to a more traditional part of the lake and there we get evil spotted hyenas picking off the weak and elderly birds!

Some are killed and their bones are left to become part of the red lake and the salt when it changes again and the flamingos migrate elsewhere. It shows these bones of the bird through time and the little chick with the salt shackles that are left behind.

Of the 3 Disneynature films I’ve seen Crimson Wing is my favorite. I was so absorbed in the story of these flamingos and their lake which changes so rapidly. There were moments watching it that I was legitimately concerned even sad at the plight of the salt shackled chicks and the mean marabou.

Very sensitive kids (or adults…) might get a little upset at these scenes and the way the narration and music build milk all the emotion they can out of them.

Here is the trailer:

The music is listed as ‘by The Cinematic Orchestra and Claseria” and it is very good. In fact, they said in my reading that pieces of the orchestration have been used in other movies as recently as The Theory of Everything.

I think most kids will find Crimson Wing fascinating and engaging and adults will get drawn in as well. I’m surprised I had never even heard of it because it was great! It’s just such an interesting lake with its beautiful birds and their cute little chicks. If you loved March of the Penguins you will ove this. It’s great!

Overall Grade- A+ Marabou however are now part of my Disney villains!. 😉

Rachel's Reviews

Rottentomatoes Certified Critic. Reviews of the latest movies especially animation as well as classic reviews, family movie night picks and more

disneynature

Current Mini Reviews (…Massive Talent, Everything…, Polar Bear, The Bad Guys)

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Polar Bear

The Bad Guys

Current Mini Reviews

Penguin Highway

Penguins

The Perfect Date

Okko’s Inn

Long Shot

DISNEYNATURE 9: BORN IN CHINA

Disneynature Ranking

Disneynature 8: Bears

Disneynature 6: African Cats

Disneynature 5: Wings of Life

Disneynature 4: Oceans

Disneynature 3- The Crimson Wing