Rated PG for mild thematic elements.
Now Streaming on Disney+ A silverback gorilla named Ivan (Sam Rockwell) lives his day as the titular attraction at the Big Top Mall circus headed by friendly ringleader Mack (Bryan Cranston). With the company of various other animals like gentle elephant named Stella (Angelina Jolie) and a stray dog named Bob (Danny DeVito), Ivan lives his life acting as the vicious predator the patrons see him as. But things change when a new animal arrives: a baby elephant named Ruby (Brooklyn Prince). Stella cares for the infant, but wishes she had a better life than the show. She wants Ivan to try and get her to a place where she can be free. So, using his newfound interest in drawing, Ivan sets out to find a way to help Ruby find a better life, which forces him to confront his own place in the world. The One and Only Ivan is yet another movie Disney pulled from a theatrical release and put onto Disney+. And that actually makes sense because it feels lower in budget than their usual theatrical output. Despite some genuinely heartwarming moments, there’s no overlooking how mediocre everything else is. They clearly had a message they wanted to tell, but didn’t spend much time coming up with a way to communicate that in the final film. Much of this happens because the film fails to develop its own identity. Like a number of recent family films about circuses, this movie has a negative view of them. Its main message calls for the release of the animals to a place where they can be free. That wouldn’t be a bad message if this movie did something fresh with it. It really just coasts by on the current popularity of that message rather than actually do anything new with it. But this isn’t the only problem with the film. The first 20 minutes introduce a number of storylines; like Ivan’s jealousy of Ruby being the new headliner at the show or Stella’s belief that not all humans are bad. Then in one rather terribly edited montage, these and the other storylines are swept under the rug and given no further development. Along with the numerous underdeveloped plot lines are a number of underdeveloped characters. There are a wide variety of animals in the circus aside from Ivan, but they don’t add anything to the film. They’re really there to spout off one-liners that consist of puns on what kind of animal they are. Many of these are tired jokes we’ve heard before, and are more groan-worthy than hilarious. The characters aren’t helped by the performances of the actors; many of whom sound miscast in their roles, or sound just plain bored. The only one who seems somewhat invested is Sam Rockwell. He never really sells the character of Ivan, but at least his voice makes the film more watchable. Jolie does a decent job, as well as DeVito; even if his voice doesn’t really fit the breed of dog they chose. There are some really emotional moments that do successfully tug at the heartstrings. However, these are eventually undermined by the film’s conflicting attitude. Circus owner Mack is sympathetic towards the animals. So it is hard to root for Ivan and Ruby’s freedom when (without spoiling anything) their life doesn’t seem that bad. It feels like Mack is treated like a bad person when he really didn’t do anything wrong. A gorilla who draws may be extraordinary, but there’s nothing extraordinary about The One and Only Ivan. In fact, it reminds me very much of Artemis Fowl. The story feels unfocused and rushed. The message has been told many times before and the characters remain underdeveloped. There just is nothing or no one to root for here. It is another mediocre effort from Disney which may be enough for younger viewers but anyone over eight will be bored and wondering what else is on Disney+.
0 Comments
Rated TV-Y7-FV (Fantasy Violence)
Season 1 Now Streaming on Netflix Originally produced for Nickelodeon before moving to Netflix, Glitch Techs hails from the creator of the rather infamous Fanboy & Chum Chum. Now there’s a show that’s easy to mock due to its low-grade CG animation, irritating characters, and juvenile humor. It’s easy to give his newest show a pass because of how bad his last creation was. But before you quickly assume, give this show a fair shot. This new series follows teenage gamers Hector, or Hi-5 (Ricardo Hurtado) and Miko, or Me-K.O. (Monica Ray). After getting accepted into a major gaming competition headed by game company Hinobi, they discover that there is more to their games than they thought. As it turns out, the company’s advanced technology hides malicious glitches that cause games to come to life when they malfunction. After proving themselves capable of containing said glitches, Hi-5 and Miko are given jobs as Glitch Techs; the company’s team of skilled teens who keep them from wrecking havoc on the world. Glitch Techs is a major improvement over his last series. Rather than just being a series of one-off plot lines throughout the episodes, this is a show with a running story. It also abandons the cheap looking CGI for much more pleasant traditional animation that puts an American spin on Japanese cartoon styles (more so than Avatar: The Last Airbender). If there’s anything that you can compare this series to, it’s the failed Cartoon Network series Level Up. Both shows involve teenagers battling creatures released from glitches in video games. The major difference is that this show really expands on that concept; featuring different kinds of monsters from a variety of games. Level Up really only focused on one fantasy game, while this series features games from all different genres. But aside from all the comparisons that can be made with other series, Glitch Techs still manages to be a seriously fun show if you’re looking for something colorful and action-packed to stream on Netflix. With only nine episodes currently available, it’s an easy batch of adventures to get through, with enough brightly colored action and gaming references (both relevant and obscure) to keep you entertained. A lot of this is thanks to the animation. The visual style of the world really embraces the concept of fighting video game creatures in the real world. The characters inhabit a colorful and vibrant world that’s very pleasing to the eye. There are moments with lots of flashes, so anyone with photosensitive problems may have trouble watching it. Speaking the characters, our main protagonists are much more entertaining to watch than the ones from Fanboy & Chum Chum. They are more well-rounded teenagers rather than just crazy kids, and problems they face are more universally relatable. This makes the show more open to a wider audience. It’s not just for kids looking for lowbrow jokes. There’s a lot more intelligence here then most shows made for the young ones. That being said, the show still has a hyperactive nature to it. While there are, for the most part, slow moments for the characters, the action scenes and much of the humor move at a very fast and bombastic pace. If you’re tired of kid shows that move at 100 mph, then you might not like that aspect. However, if you’re willing to get through these parts, the moments of character-based drama will really keep you invested. The way the series incorporates video games into the narrative is also very unique. The concept of Hinobi and the Glitch Techs feels like a reference to the idea of playing video games for a living. This opens up the story to an whole new audience; one that never has much representation outside of YouTube. Even though this might make the series dated years down the road, it’s smart that their trying to reach a side of pop culture that’s around right now. Glitch Techs has a lot of potential to it. Despite working off a well-worn premise from other successful kid shows, the first season shows that with enough time to grow and develop, it can become its own adventure. A lot of the appeal comes from the colorful animation and likable characters. It will be interesting to see where the series goes in its upcoming second season, and whether or not it will be able to live up to that potential. Fingers crossed. Season 2 Premieres August 17 Based on the 2001 young adult fantasy novel by Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl has had a very interesting production history. It’s been in development for over 15 years, but kept having financial issues. It wasn’t until 2015 that director Kenneth Branagh was hired to helm the project. It was then delayed several times; originally set for a release on August 9, 2019, then delayed to May 29, 2020, before getting pushed again due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, the film finally sees the light of day on Disney’s streaming platform, which really feels like Disney accepting defeat. The pre-release trailers garnered negative reactions from audiences, and various news sources cast doubts on the film being a success. By sticking it on Disney+, the studio is essentially getting rid of a project that had very little hope of success rather than waiting for a major release. And after viewing it, it’s easy to see why they did that. Artemis Fowl is a true failure of fantasy filmmaking. It squanders any potential it had as a franchise-starter by ignoring much of its own source material. Instead, we get scene after scene of Hollywood blockbuster clichés. Fans won’t appreciate how little the film uses from the original books and non-fans won’t have any idea what’s going on because the story is so sloppily constructed. The adventure follows the titular Artemis (newcomer Ferdia Shaw), son of a very wealthy antiques dealer (Colin Farrell). He is an intellectual prodigy who has already accomplished many scientific feats despite being only 12. Throughout his life, his father told him stories of a magical world populated by fairies, dwarves, and trolls but Artemis only believes them to be myths. He never anticipated them to be true. After his father is kidnapped by a mysterious villain, Artemis receives the offer of a trade: his father for a powerful fairy artifact that he stole. With the help of his loyal bodyguard Dom (Nonso Anozie), Artemis sets off to find the artifact and save his dad. This causes them to cross paths with two unlikely allies; Holly Short (Lara McDonnell), a skilled agent of the fairy police force, and Mulch Diggums (Josh Gad), a giant dwarf thief. They all must work together to recover the artifact before other fairy forces get it first. It sounds like an epic adventure filled with large set pieces but it is not. That’s really the film’s biggest mistake. The entirety of the story plays out in more or less one location: Artemis’s home. The movie establishes an expansive, magical world that’s only used for several brief subplots that don’t further the main story at all. Other than that, we’re stuck in one small area for basically the whole runtime. The movie also suffers from a frustrating lack of story. Despite being 95 minutes long, there’s not much that actually happens. For the first 40 minutes, the characters either stare at computers or journals or bounce around in useless action scenes before the real action only slightly amps up. From there, we’re treated to a hostage situation that takes up the rest of the film. There’s so little actually happening that, even with a short running time, it feels like a joyless slog. The cast certainly doesn’t help. They can’t even make this stupid fun with their lackluster, campy portrayals of the characters. Newcomer Ferdia Shaw has little to do despite being the main character and what he does is almost hard to watch. Both he and McDonnell look completely lifeless, never showing any true emotion. Sadly, it’s Josh Gad who gives one of the worst performances. He looks as if he already knows the film is bad, so he doesn’t even try. Not only is he very underused in the role, he’s also overused as the film’s unnecessary narrator whose only purpose is to over-explain the film to kids. Half the time his exposition dumps don’t make sense because he gives detailed explanations for things he wasn’t present for. Much like other live-action Disney efforts, the studio opts to use CGI on literally everything, even when it’s completely unnecessary. And for a movie made for about $125 million, it looks unfinished. The effects take a noticeable dip in quality as the film goes along with scenes that are supposed to be beautiful ending up looking messy. But in the end, it’s the script that fails the most. Writers Conor McPherson and Hamish McColl (and probably several uncredited rewriters) can’t commit to the basic rules they’ve established, and can’t even keep motivations coherent from scene to scene. Characters who are supposed to be villains in one scene suddenly become allies in the next. Other characters and plans simply vanish into nowhere as we get down towards the end. Even the film’s central artifact that sends Artemis on his search is never clearly defined throughout and ends up becoming a blatant deus ex machina that makes no sense. It’s hard to explain more without giving away too many spoilers, although I’ve already done that. Artemis Fowl feels more like a feature length prologue rather than an epic fantasy adventure. It shamelessly steals from other blockbuster films to build its world, is populated by a terrible cast, and has nothing going on for most of it, culminating in an ending that resolves absolutely nothing but setting up sequels that will probably never happen. With the hundreds of hours of content available on Disney+, there’s are much better viewing options to watch other than this. Since the late 1960s, one of the longest standing icons in American animation is Scooby-Doo and the members of Mystery Inc. Adding a slight horror-spin to Saturday morning cartoons, their adventures saw them solving spooky mysteries at various locations. And while they never really confronted anything supernatural, their wacky shenanigans made for an entertaining watch for both kids and adults.
This franchise has been the subject of rebooting for as long as it’s existed, with new incarnations rolling out one or twice every decade to varying degrees of success. Some are so good that the formula feels fresh again, while some are so bad that we question why Warner Bros. is still messing with it. Now, the classic characters get a CG-animated update that brings them headlong into the 21st century. Now, Scooby (Frank Welker), Shaggy (Will Forte), Fred (Zac Efron), Daphne (Amanda Seyfriend), and Velma (Gina Rodriguez) are looking to expand Mystery Inc. from their personal club to a full fledged business. But that will have to wait as the gang find themselves entangled in their biggest mission yet. Scooby and Shaggy become the targets of the maniacal villain Dick Dastardly (Jason Isaacs). They pair are rescued and recruited by the legendary Blue Falcon (Mark Wahlberg), his sidekick Dynomutt (Ken Jeong), and their assistant Dee Dee Sykes (Kiersey Clemons). With their help, the gang is off to stop Dastardly from bringing about an apocalyptic event, as Scooby discovers that he is destined for more than he could’ve ever imagined. Scoob! is, as said above, Scooby-Doo for the current age. This means that for some, this might not be the Scooby-Doo their looking for. Despite early promise, the film quickly spirals downward in a whirlpool of pop culture references, rote storytelling, and unappealing visuals. Some may be able to forgive it thanks to its abundance references to the franchise’s past, but hardcore fans may walk away disappointed at seeing these characters act like hollow shells of their former selves. This doesn’t mean that all of the movie gets away unscathed. As a reboot to the series, we are treated to an opening sequence that showcases how Mystery Inc. first met each other. This is, without a doubt, the best part of the whole film. It’s a heartwarming opening that’s so good, it gives you hope that the rest of the movie will be just the same. But right as this portion ends, the movie’s promise slowly comes to an end too. Immediately, we are treated to a scene that’s 85% references to other movies, Internet culture, and a celebrity cameo that feels eight years too late. And this is only one scene. There are mountains of pop culture jokes that take up the vast majority of the characters’ dialogue. As such, we almost never get to here these characters say their iconic catchprashes. Instead, we get jokes about Netflix and Tinder that feel very out of place. This also isn’t helped by the voice cast, who don’t ever nail their roles. Much of the original cast has been replaced (except for Scooby), and despite their potential to fill the roles, nobody ever truly comes alive. They’re so bland in their deliveries that they feel like they were being recorded at a table read rather than a sound booth. Efron especially sounds mostly bored with Fred, and Forte can’t quite reach the high bar set by Shaggy’s previous voice actor Matthew Lillard. The only actor that manages to have some sort of success is Isaacs as Dick Dastardly. While this portrayal of the classic Wacky Races character is nowhere near as fun as that show, Isaacs is the only one who feels like he actually enjoys playing his character. He almost never sounds bored when speaking, and makes the character one of the more watchable moments of the film. Aside from the bland acting, the portrayal of the characters is probably going to make some people mad. The Mystery Inc.’s classic personalities are mostly thrown to the side in favor of making them typical, social media obsessed millennials. Even Scooby and Shaggy’s obsession with all things food is used more as a blink-and-miss sight gag rather than being who they truly are. Also, there’s nothing visually appealing about this movie. The gang’s transition to CG-animation ends up looking wooden. Various shots attempt to recreate the cartoonish look of the original traditional animation, but when put into a more realistic environment, it just looks weird. The people look like plastic figures that barely move, while background characters look like they haven’t finished rendering. When compared to the standards of 3D animation, there’s nothing in this movie that truly jumps out. The script is also all over the place. Rather than work with the franchise’s formula, the movie opts for an uninspired and convoluted adventure story that doesn’t really have a mystery to it. It feels more like a mishmash of superhero and blockbuster clichés rather than a true Scooby-Doo story, so much so that it’s actually easy to forget you’re watching a Scooby-Doo film. There’s also nothing happening that can make us root for the characters. Sadly, like many movies like Star Wars: Episode IX and Captain Marvel, the film feels the need to hold a child’s hand and tell them “nothing bad will happen to Scooby or Shaggy.” If the characters are about to go into a perilous battle, someone gives a long-winded explanation on exactly how they will make it out unhurt. There’s no stakes, and therefore, we have no reason to hope that they’ll make it to the end. Like most big movies today, it’s biggest interest is setting up for future sequels. This is meant to be the first installment in cinematic universe revolving around classic Hanna-Barbera characters. However, this film makes the same mistakes as Universal’s defunct Dark Universe. It unloads everything all at once rather than focus on its own central characters, and it ends up feeling like the studio cares more about what could lead to a sequel or spin-off than the movie their making right now. Scoob! very quickly squanders the potential it had by diverging from what makes Scooby-Doo so iconic and devolving into a third-rate Avengers rip-off. It almost makes sense that this was released straight to VOD, because it looks and feels more like a cheap, home video release rather than a theatrical blockbuster. It makes even more sense when you realize that the director, Tony Cervone, specializes in doing home released Scooby-Doo and Tom and Jerry films. As much as it would be awesome for these characters to get modern treatments, this is certainly not the way to do it. Since certain events have forced us to stay at home, some of us may be spending more and more time with our parents. The global health crisis has, in some way, pushed some families closer together. With very little to do outside the home and some of us out of a job, we have more time to spend with the ones we love. Netflix’s newest animated film tackles the idea of this as one family confronts what that word truly means.
The film focuses on the Willoughby family. The bloodline is famous for being adventurous, exploring the greatest reaches of the world. That is, until the latest generation; who are so selfish and greedy that they keep to themselves in their fancy house while the world grows around them. They’re so in love with each other that they aren’t willing to give any love to their children, Tim (Will Forte), Jane (Alessia Cara) and the Barnaby twins (Seán Cullen). After dealing with an orphaned baby they name Ruth, Jane believes that their lives would be much better if they, themselves, were orphans. Together, the siblings craft a deadly vacation that their parents can’t resist going on, especially with the promise of “no children allowed.” The result of this plan will send the children on an adventure that will teach them the true meaning of family, with the help of an under qualified yet kind-hearted nanny (Maya Rudolph). This latest Netflix animated film is one brightly colored adventure. The Willoughbys is entertaining thanks to its absolutely stunning animation and winning voice cast. However, the movie itself leaves something to be desired. Under all that color is the potential to be a great and thought-provoking film. But in the end, it feels more like a passable diversion rather than something worth chewing on after the credits roll. The animation is really one of the high points of the film. Every frame of this movie oozes color and style. The type of CG-animation used makes it look like whimsical stop-motion, very similar to the visual style of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Certain shots definitely invoke the same look and feel of their first film, the 2008 film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. This is also where some of the best visual gags come in. Everything in the world, from the people to the cars, look like they’re made of paper. The movie doesn’t waist a second in taking full advantage of this, as both of those are flung about like they are made of air. Some scenes depict a car flying through the air from a simple tap, or tons of them piling up like they weigh absolutely nothing. This garners some major laughs because of how absurd it looks. The voice cast is also a high point. Will Forte and Maya Rudolph are among the best, with their particular talents really giving personality to their respective characters. Alessia Cara is also worth mentioning, as this is her first starring role in a movie, and she does relatively well. She gives the character of Jane Willoughby with the adventurous personality she was given by the writers. Unfortunately, the film’s story is one of its biggest letdowns. The structure of the film is very odd. For example, what should have been the story’s act 2 climax happens very soon after the half-way point. The way the movie attempts to follow basic screenplay format makes certain aspects of the film feel simultaneously overstuffed and underdeveloped. Sadly, the film seems more interested in reveling in its own absurdity rather than explore its complex themes. It attempts to tackle subjects like the effects of child neglect and what it means to be apart of a family. But most of the time, these aspects feel like mere jumping off points. This results in certain serious parts being treated more comedically, and comedic aspects are treated more seriously. This means the movie suffers from a major tonal imbalance. Its embrace of absurd and macabre jokes from children’s stories of old is refreshing, but many of the visual gags that reference gruesome deaths come out of nowhere, and as a result are more off-putting than hilarious. By the end, you’re not really sure whether these points were meant to be thought-provoking, or just an excuse to laugh at the characters’ misfortunes. The Willoughbys has some clever gags and is a visual wonder, boasting a brightly colored style that gives the film a very unique personality. It also features a wonderful voice cast that is more than up to the task of bringing this story to life. It’s just sad that the movie’s strange structure and inability to properly balance the comedic from the serious end up hampering the final product. It’s not really a bad film, but given the potential it had to be something truly profound, it’s certainly a disappointment. Though movie theaters have been forced to close, causing several hyped films to get delayed, Universal is making the most of a bad situation by release their latest films online for rental. This now includes Dreamworks Animation’s newest film, Trolls World Tour. A sequel to their 2016 film Trolls, which are based on the classic Troll dolls, this film is a brightly colored, pop-fueled treat for the eyes, and may be the perfect cure for our current climate.
After saving her people from the Bergens, Poppy (Anna Kendrick) does everything she can to be the best queen possible to her tribe of trolls. With the help of her best friend Branch (Justin Timberlake), she leads her people into endless dance parties day after day. But not all is well in their world, as they are about to discover that they are not the only tribe of trolls that exist in their land. In fact, they are one of six main tribes, each dedicated to a different type of music (pop, funk, classical, techno, country, and hard rock). The leaders of each tribe created six musical strings, able to play the six kinds along with all other existing types of music. But eventually, each tribe became disinterested in each other’s music, and decided that they’re better kept apart. At least, until now. Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom), leader of the hard rock trolls, is on a global mission to obtain the six strings from each troll kingdom. Using a guitar of her own design, she plots to use the strings to unite the lands under the total control of hard rock. Of course, with her boisterous attitude, Poppy believes she can use the power of hugs to reason with her. So, she and Branch set off on a journey to unite the various tribes in a (friendly) fight against Barb’s conquest. Trolls World Tour takes its world and characters in a very different direction than the first movie. In fact, it has almost no connection to the events of the first one aside from a brief visual reference. You can watch this movie without seeing the previous film and you won’t be confused. And that’s what makes a great sequel; a film that’s willing to let newcomers in while giving fans of the original more of what they love. And in a time when things are very miserable and uncertain, this movie is something that is guaranteed to lift your spirits. Along with its absolutely stunning and colorful animation, the film has a very ambitious narrative that greatly expands the world of the trolls, while also making some very obvious parallels to the current state of our world (and some unintentional parallels to the pandemic). But what sets this film apart from the hundreds of other movies that try to make the same messages is that this one does it very well. Its story of uniting the various troll tribes is a definite parallel to the concept of bringing all the world’s races and cultures together in harmony. A lot of movies are very quick to point the finger and label a bad guy, as well as make it clear that if you (the viewer) don’t believe in their views, you are a bad person. This movie makes it clear that everyone has their own views, but the way to peace isn’t to make one side look bad. The way to unite everyone is to calmly understand everyones’ sides and figure out how to come together as one. At a time when everyone is yelling at each other and no one seems to be able to compromise on their views, it’s nice to have a movie that supports a very adult opinion when it comes to settling differences. But aside from the message, the film is well made in several other departments. The animation is very vibrant and creative. The way they build the world out of basic arts and crafts supplies gives it loads of character. It feels like The Lego Movie, where everything from water to smoke are made of lego pieces. The use of felt, tinsel, and even bubble soap in this movie makes the world feel playful and inviting; letting you know that this will be a smooth ride. The voice cast is also very good here. Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake once again have great chemistry among each other. But more impressive is the line-up of music stars sprinkled throughout the film. It’s hard to tell which music stars actually have the talent to go into acting, especially voice acting. But all the various artists do pretty good jobs in their respective roles. Trolls World Tour improves upon its predecessor with stunning animation, a stellar voice cast, and an ambitious story that offers a well-rounded message about the world coming together. It isn’t the best that Dreamworks has produced, but it’s far from the worst. If you’re looking for something to lift your spirits during this very troubling time, then this is worth a rent for the whole family to watch. Pixar’s latest film symbolically ushers in a new era for the iconic studio. Their first 11 films from the first Toy Story to the third are sort of the Classic Era, where every film was a masterpiece. Then, beginning with Cars 2 and ending with Toy Story 4, we have the Sequel Era; where the studio attempted to expand on their classics to middling, though usually great, results. They had a few original films during this era, like Inside Out and Coco, but mostly focused on sequels.
Now with Onward, we seemed to have entered a new era, which I unofficially call the Retrospective Era. As of this moment, Pixar will not produce anymore sequels. Every film from here will be an original project with new stories and new characters. The studio appears to be applying what they’ve learned from the previous 20 films to new projects. This opens up the potential for the studio to add more classics to their library. This new film takes us to a world Pixar hasn’t previously explored; a world of wizards, fairies, and trolls. It’s a world full of wonder and magic. However, the magic wasn’t easy to learn. So, as more and more became discouraged from using it, they began to create new ways to get by. The invention of lightbulbs and fireplaces led to the world becoming a very modern place, where cellphones and cars are more commonplace than unicorns and wizard staffs. In this modern fantasy world, we are introduced to Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland), a timid teenager who has just turned 16. He is determined to be a more confident person as he is growing closer to becoming a man. But his own anxieties, and the presence of his fantasy-loving (or in their world history-loving) brother Barley (Chris Pratt), keep him from leaving his comfort zone. But what he desires more than being more confident is to know his father. Ian never got to meet him, as he died before he was even born and when Barley was too young to remember him. Even though he’s gone, Ian might get his wish after all when his mother Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) presents him with a gift from his father: a wizard staff. Along with this historical artifact, he has included a spell that is designed to bring him back for a full 24 hours in order to see who his sons have become in his absence. Ian attempts to perform the spell, but isn’t able to hold it long enough and only brings back his father’s bottom half. Now, he and Barley must race against time in order to find a way to complete the spell and bring their father fully back before he disappears for good. There is a very resonate message to be taken from this premise involving the world itself. The idea that people left behind magic because it was too hard to learn perfectly reflects the way our society has advanced into today. We, as a species, tend to find the simplest ways to get by and avoid the more challenging aspects of life. We go by what gets us through today, but not what get us to tomorrow, so to speak. As such, this movie becomes a parable about what we need versus what we want. The simplest way may be fine at first, but if we continue to follow it, we deny the challenges that we need. This story is a call to action for us to embrace the challenges of life again. Whether people actually respond well to this message is unclear, but it’s nice to have a movie with more on its mind than being a way to escape reality. This great message is supported by the world that serves as its backdrop. As always, Pixar movies display the highest quality animation available today. From the environments to the characters, everything is only a few steps off from hyperrealism. But aside from the animation, the actual setting feels fully realized. Its modern fantasy setting feels more detailed than something like the 2017 Netflix film Bright. These aspects combined make a world that truly feels alive despite the fact that it was made in a computer. The film is also brought to life by its exceptional voice cast. Tom Holland and Chris Pratt not only have great chemistry with each other, but also perfectly fit their respective roles as Ian and Barley. Holland is perfect as the timid high school teenager, while Pratt is great as the magic-obsessed man-child. Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer also have great chemistry as Laurel and the Manticore. This cast is all fantastic in their roles, and help to make their characters as lovable as they are. The only flaw this movie might have is that it doesn’t do much to reinvent its own formula. It follows the basic story bits of a standard Pixar film, but aside from its new setting, the story we follow isn’t too different from any other world the studio has created. It can be pretty predictable at times. But even if predictable, it still has enough little twists and turns that are hard to see coming. Its basic story is only a very minor flaw in an otherwise perfect film. Onward is probably Pixar’s most mainstream film yet, with a setting that isn’t a personification of a human concept or emotion. However, this doesn’t stop it from being an emotional film. It’s a gorgeous, fully realized fantasy world with stunning animation and a perfect voice cast. It may not be held in high regards now, but this feels like a film that, with age, will grow into another classic for a studio that has produced the best in family fare for almost 30 years, and is still knocking it out of the park today. High above the reaches of society, in the middle of the Gold Rush of the 1800s, the world is still a relatively new place. This was a time when we didn’t have computers to scan and map the world right before our eyes. We actually had to go to where we had never explored before, taking us to breathtaking venues that provide one-in-a-lifetime experiences that no computer can truly give you.
Among the populace looking for their future fortunes is Buck, a Saint Bernard dog with a heart of gold, yet no real clue of his own strength. Stolen from his affluent home, Buck is sold off to be a working dog; something he has never done before. As a mail-delivering sled dog, he struggles with his new surroundings. He is unable to really find his place when surrounded by other dogs who have known nothing but the working life as long as they’ve been alive. But as he spends more time in the wild, Buck starts to tap into a previously unknown wild side within him. He slowly starts to get used to his new place and discovers that he may be more suited for the wilds of nature than the comforts of humanity. And when he joins grizzled prospector John Thornton (Harrison Ford) on an adventure to the furthest edges of the world, Buck will discover what he was truly meant for. The Call of the Wild is a heartwarming, refreshingly old-fashioned family adventure that stays true to the themes of the book. It strikes a surprising balance between the sheltered youth of today and some of the source material’s darker moments; providing an adaptation that both kids and adults will enjoy. Even if some visual and story choices are questionable, what the film succeeds in is more than enough to make up for that. There is some issue with the CGI, which at times doesn’t quite strike the right balance between what is real and what isn’t. There are times when it is very clear that most are the latter, to the point where you wonder, “why didn’t they do it as an animated film?” Director Chris Sanders, who co-directed the animated classics Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, takes his first stab at live-action, but with a film that looks and feels more animated in nature. However, this feeling is eventually swept away when you really start to look at the world around the character of Buck, which for the most part is absolutely stunning. There are more than a handful of shots that will bring a tear to your eye from how colorful and full of life they are. The CGI rendered environments of the Yukon manage to capture the raw beauty of that part of the world, making a real treat for the eyes. It also becomes easier to watch the CGI dog that portrays our story’s hero. You start to wonder at times why didn’t they use a real dog, but then you start to see why they didn’t. Not only is Buck put into situations that couldn’t be filmed with a real dog, but the emotion he has to give off is something a real dog can’t do either. Buck’s emotions and expressions are more human-like, and it’s these precise reactions that make us care for him even more. We feel like we can connect with him because we clearly understand what he’s feeling and thinking at all times, something a real dog can’t consistently do. This film is also an impressive showcase for Harrison Ford, who gives one of the most soulful performances of his career. He imbues the character of John Thornton with a level of emotion not seen in many of his other characters. Unlike his return to Star Wars or Blade Runner, his performance here is a much more emotional portrayal of a man broken by life of unfortunate circumstances. He also impresses with his ability to connect with the CGI Buck. It isn’t easy to form a friendship with a character that technically isn’t there, and even harder to make the audience believe in such a friendship. But Ford manages to make a genuinely emotional connection with the animated creature that really makes us care for both of their characters. They have an irresistible chemistry that makes them a joy to watch when they finally meet up and go on their grand adventure. But the most entertaining and emotional moments of the film are some of the darker moments. While not as dark as the events in the book, this adaptation still has some parts that feel much more violent than what other family movies today provide. Buck is placed into some rather violent situations, including a fight with another dog who’s level of combat seems only a couple of steps off from just watching a nature documentary. However, this is actually a good thing. These sequences are just censored enough to capture to true danger of the situation without a traumatizing level of violence. And with a barrage of films that sadly subdue stakes for the sake of not scaring the audience, this movie feels like a much needed return to classic, stakes building drama. We don’t need to have blood-soaked fights, but these moments of suspense are essential to both the attention of the audience and the development of the characters. It’s just nice to have a film that fully embraces this, especially after the stake-less tediums of films like Captain Marvel and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The Call of the Wild is a breath of fresh air in a world of family movies that feel obligated to paint over the darkness of reality for the sake of holding kids’ hands. It doesn’t always find the right combination of real and CGI, but it does manage to create some truly breathtaking imagery, and a lovable canine character that feels more human than any of the actual human characters, who all do a great job (especially Ford) forming a genuinely touching friendship with him. Whether this will become a classic like the preceding adaptations can only be determined by time, but for those looking for an old-fashioned family adventure, this is definitely one to takes your kids to. Based on the Sega video game franchise of the same name, this movie had all the ingredients to be a disaster. Video game movies, as many already know, don’t have the greatest track record in Hollywood. The movie also boasts a rather small cast with the biggest star being Jim Carrey: someone who also doesn’t have the greatest track record these days. But probably the biggest obstacle the film faced was an onslaught of pre-release criticism.
When the first trailer was released, the title character’s on screen design was met with near-universal disdain from critics and fans of the game series. The visual effects team was criticized for making Sonic too realistic, not keeping to his design from the games. So the studio and first time director Jeff Fowler vowed to redesign the character, which seemed very much like a last ditched effort to try and save a movie that might not have anything to save in the first place. So, after its very troubled production, Sonic the Hedgehog has finally hit theaters. It’s easy to understand why people wouldn’t have high expectations for it, so does it live up to that? Is it the massive disaster the pre-release controversy implied it would be? Does it exceed such expectations, or is it destined to be just another video game movie tossed in the trash like many of the others? Well, turns out, not so much. Despite everything going against it, this is another successful entry in the recent winning streak of video game movies. I, of all people, am surprised that the studio was able to turn the film around so quickly and managed to actually fix it in the process. Many studios never seem to care about video game adaptations enough to actually try and make them good, so it’s refreshing that this one actually put in the effort to make it as good as it could be. The surprisingly entertaining film places Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) in our world in a sort of Who Framed Roger Rabbit-style way. As a kid, Sonic was sent to live on Earth as a way to protect him from sinister forces that want his incredible powers. Now a teenager, Sonic longs for some kind of genuine connection despite forming indirect connections with the populace of the small town of Green Hills, Montana (named after the iconic opening level of the original Sonic game). But he’s about to have his life changed when his powers draw the attention of Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). Left with no other options, the government was forced to hire him based on his immense knowledge, despite clearly being a deranged lunatic. Now, Sonic is forced to reveal his presence as he introduces himself to Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), who promptly shoots him on sight with a tranquilizer gun. Tom, who longs for a better life in San Fransisco, is very reluctant to help Sonic find out who, or what, he is. He only agrees when Robotnik turns his sights on Tom as well, trying to force him to turn over Sonic by depicting him as a bad guy. Now, the two are on a mad dash to recover Sonic’s only key to safety, along the way discovering that, despite being different species, they have more in common than they think. This growing friendship between Tom and Sonic is one of the movie’s biggest strengths. James Marsden and Ben Schwartz have amazing comedic chemistry, making their interactions a true delight. Of course, it’s Marsden who really succeeds in forming a genuine connection with a CGI character that really isn’t there. That’s not an easy acting task to pull off but he manages to pull it off with flying colors. But Schwartz also nails his performance as Sonic, imbuing him with all the attitude the character’s 90s personality is synonymous with while also adding a modern spin that makes him relevant to the comedic styles of today. Despite seeming like a cheap casting choice over more A-list stars, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the part as well as he did. Sonic’s success is also thanks to the last minute redesign which ends up being the biggest win for the film. It’s hard to imagine the original Sonic doing any of the kid-like, comedic things that the new Sonic does. His redesign perfectly blends into the world, and fits better with Schwartz performance, which didn’t really work with the original design. In the end, despite the trouble it could’ve have brought, the studio managed to turn a last minute decision into an absolute win. However, the true great performance of the film is, surprisingly, Jim Carrey. Throughout his career, he has been known for a comedic persona that only works if he’s playing the right character. Movies like The Truman Show, Bruce Almighty, and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone make him a wonder to behold, while movies like Mr. Popper’s Penguins only make him seem like he’s trying too hard. Here, his persona works fully in his favor, giving one of his best performances in years. He absolutely chews every scene as the ingenious yet genuinely threatening Dr. Robotnik. His jokes are almost always hilarious, ranging from light chuckles to full-blown belly laughs (mostly providing the latter). These days, it’s hard to imagine his shtick has any remaining potential. But turns out, just give him the right role and he can do wonders. But while on the subject of humor, that’s one point where the movie slightly stumbles. The jokes consist largely of slapstick, Deadpool-style smack talk, and basic gross-out gags. While many of the jokes really do land hard, a lot of them showcase the rougher edges of this style. It’s easy to see that this humor is getting closer to losing its momentum, feeling more stale than refreshing.. Also, much like last year’s Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, the story doesn’t really do anything to reinvent the wheel. It’s a basic storyline that clearly takes inspiration from classics like E.T. and Deadpool and doesn’t really do much to give it some personality of its own. While there are very few bugs and glitches with the execution itself, the story feels more serviceable, only doing what it needs to to deliver what people expect rather than subverting their expectations. But these are really only minor offenses for what is otherwise an entertaining film. It feels amazing that studios are putting more effort into making video game movies the best that they can be. Many other films, like 2018’s Tomb Raider and Rampage, felt very much like the studios never had faith in the film so they just threw something together. Here, it feels like they really cared about the film and wanted it to be as good as it could be. Though it could have been a real trash fire, Sonic the Hedgehog manages to pull itself out of the hole it dug itself into to become one of the best video game adaptations. It boasts great performances, consistently hilarious jokes, a colorful visual style, and more than enough fan service to keep them happy, while also being open to new people who may not be familiar with the source material. Let this be another example that, with enough care and effort, it is possible for video game movies to be much more than the bottom of the barrel of the film industry. Picture this in your mind: an energetic, rowdy kid is running throughout the house without a care in the world. Because he’s not really paying attention to what he’s doing, he accidentally knocks over a priceless vase owned by his parents. Terrified of getting into trouble, he takes the broken pieces and haphazardly puts them back together. The end result is a busted up mess that kind of resembles what it’s really supposed to be. Now, replace the vase with the new film Dolittle, and you have a pretty good idea of how the studio handled it.
This new incarnation of the classic story by author Hugh Lofting puts former Avengers star Robert Downey Jr. in the role of the iconic Dr. John Dolittle. Set seven years after the death of his wife, Dolittle has become a recluse, with only his collection of animal friends for company. He no longer enjoys the presence of humans and resents the idea of ever having contact with the outside world again. That is, until he is called on to an important mission. A ward of Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley) informs him that she is gravely ill. The key to her cure lies in the one adventure Dolittle was never able to finish; a mysterious island with a rumored tree that can cure anything. Along with a boy named Stubbins (Harry Collett), who aspires to learn his ways, Dolittle reluctantly accepts and sets out on a journey that will help him rediscover who he really is. You would think that this would be a recipe for success. The film is based on a popular source material, has a massive A-list cast, and has an almost $200 million budget. But never have so many major ingredients been wasted as badly as this. Dolittle squanders pretty much every last one of its assets and ends up a soulless, CGI shell of film that’s sloppily directed, lazily written, and poorly rendered, with very obvious reshot material that sticks out like a sore thumb. Everything really begins with Robert Downey Jr. Even though he seemed like a good choice at the time, turns out he is gloriously miscast. He just doesn’t work as the character of Dr. Dolittle. Not only that, but this is undoubtedly the worst performance of his career. He totes the line between taking the role seriously and just collecting a paycheck, and never really strikes an entertaining balance. He just looks bored, and ends up dragging the film down with him. But it’s not just Downey that doesn’t work. Pretty much no one works in their respective roles. The entire voice cast of animals never once feel like they enjoy playing their characters. The only one that kind of works is John Cena as Yoshi the polar bear, but even he doesn’t bring the character to life. He just succeeds in making his character half-way watchable. In the end, the voice cast just feels like their narrating the animals rather than playing characters. The reported reshoots, while designed to make the film better, only really succeed in ruining it further. The film they’ve made only feels like a collection of scenes slapped together to make a semi-coherent story. This is perpetuated by the constant use of cuts and abundance of painfully obvious audio replacements. It’s hard to enjoy the movie when it’s so clear how many pieces of dialogue needed to be changed during the reshoots and rewrites. Many of the on-screen human characters never actually say their lines while they’re on-screen, and if they are, their mouths are covered. This makes it distractingly obvious how much was redone, and the little effort they put in to making it feel natural just ends up hampering the film. Dolittle would have been a fun film to look forward to if Universal had put the effort into making it look good despite the fact that it’s a total trash fire. But they didn’t, and as a result, it already didn’t look that great. The trailers can only partially prepare you for the whole product. This film wastes every last one of its assets on an incoherent mess of a film that feels like it should have been shelved; released after another year of reshoots and reedits to try and make it resemble what it could’ve been. But instead, we got something that is more painful than cutting yourself on a shard of the broken vase. |