Movie Review: The Greatest Showman

Movie Review: The Greatest Showman                                                                                                     12-1-18

In this rags-to-riches story, Phineas Barnum (Hugh Jackman) has been a street rat his entire life. He falls in love with the beautiful wealthy woman Charity (Michelle Williams), marries her, and started a family with two daughters. After getting fired from the bank, Phineas and his family get loaned a worn-down museum. When the ticket sales for the museum start to dwindle, Phineas decides to round up a group of misfits to help put on 'the Greatest Shown on Earth'.

Now, what do I think of this film? Well, I think that The Greatest Showman is a surprising delight with a decent story, likable characters, historically accurate sets, well-rehearsed choreography, and toe-tapping music that rivals anything Disney has put out in the last decade.

This film is inspired by the true story of the beginnings of the Barnum and Bailey Circus, and people such as bearded women, irregularly tall and short men, and talented acrobats were ridiculed as freaks. This is how society was back then.

The songs in this film also prove that Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriters for this film as well as La La Land, are this generation's Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.

In conclusion, while not as good as Coco, which was released a month earlier, The Greatest Showman is an underrated surprise that, in my opinion, outshines Beauty and the Beast (the 2017 film) and Frozen.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.

Christmas Present Announcement

Hi, everybody! Remember how in my review of Ralph Breaks the Internet, I stated that there would be a Christmas present announcement? Throughout December, I will post five special Christmas gifts: Two movie reviews and a three-part sneak-peak to one of my 2019 projects, Animated Movies Throughout the Years! In this project, each Friday, I will talk about animated movies from 1998 to 2018. However, I'm only doing animated films released in the United States, but I will definitely include imports from countries like Japan, France, and Ireland. First, however, I will do three prequels: 1989-1991, 1992-1994, and 1995-1997. However, if there's a movie that I find inappropriate, I will use this picture instead.

As for the movies that I will review in December, I won't give out the names of the movies, but I will reveal the dates I will review them: December 4th and December 11th.

The Sneak Peek gift trilogy will begin December 7th.

Movie Review: Ralph Breaks the Internet

Movie Review: Ralph Breaks the Internet                                                                                      11-22-18

Wreck-it Ralph, released back in fall 2012, was Disney's 52nd animated feature, and is best described as Toy Story with video games. It got good reviews, did well at the box-office, and won the KCA and Annie Awards for Best Animated Feature. Ever since the film's premiere, there have been rumors about a sequel in the works. After many years, fans will finally see Ralph and Vanellope again in another full-length adventure. However, instead of journeying into more video games likes fans hoped, our heroes will venture into the Internet. When I first heard this, I was concerned that it would be too much like The Emoji Movie, and we all know how that went.

So, does Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-it Ralph 2 rank among the Top 10 on the High Scores, or do we need to insert another token? Let's find out.

In the highly-anticipated sequel to the acclaimed 2012 film Wreck-it Ralph, Litwack plugs a Wi-Fi router into the arcade. When a steering wheel for Sugar Rush breaks, the game gets unplugged, and Vanellope and the rest of Sugar Rush are forced to leave their game and inhabit other games. In order to save her game, Ralph and Vanellope must leave the arcade behind and embark on an adventure across the World Wide Web to retrieve a new steering wheel. However, when Vanellope finds a new interest in Slaughter Race, an online game influenced by Grand Theft Auto, she must decide whether to go back to Litwack's or to make a new home in Slaughter Race.

Now, what do I think of Ralph Breaks the Internet? While not as good as Incredibles 2 or even Paddington 2, Ralph Breaks the Internet has incredible animation, a story that greatly expands on the digital world of the original film, and the highly-anticipated scene of Vanellope with the Disney Princesses.

Just to let you know, these are not the true Disney Princesses. They are Avatars of the princesses and representations of what the fans would think if the Disney Princesses did meet together.

Shank, voiced by Gal Gadot, is a fearless and fierce female character that you'd never except out of a Disney movie.

If I were to complain about one thing, I felt that the film was a bit too long. Also, fans who watched the original film noticed that Mario, the most famous video game character of all time, was absent from Wreck-it Ralph 1. Fans will be disappointed to hear that Mario doesn't appear in Wreck-it Ralph 2, either.

Mario in his tanuki suit power-up from Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario 3D Land.

In conclusion, Ralph Breaks the Internet is a treat that not only fans of the original film, but also those who weren't fans of the first film. It should also be noted that this is the last Disney film for John Lasseter and Ed Catmull to have full involvement with.

Ed Catmull, the late Steve Jobs, and John Lasseter

I also have a special Christmas announcement on Monday.

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

PS. If you are reading this Auli'i Cravalho, happy birthday!

Paddington Double Feature Review

Double Feature Review: Paddington and Paddington 2                                                                11-16-18

Based on the beloved books by Michael Bond, Paddington is about a marmalade-loving bear cub named Paddington. After his uncle got killed in a storm, his aunt sends Paddington on a boat to London. He gets adopted by the Brown family, and Paddington stays with them until they find him a real home. Meanwhile, animal poacher and taxidermist Millicent discovers that Paddington is a rare bear, and plans on killing him so she can add him to her collection.

When I first saw the teaser trailer for Paddington 1, I thought it was disgusting: I was thinking it was going to be like one of those live-action Alvin & the Chipmunks or Smurfs movies. It looked something like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-d-V9jXYDE

However, after watching it, I ended up liking it more than The Good Dinosaur, which was released the same year. Paddington is an enjoyable film with a story that stays true to Michael Bond's books, likable characters, and a memorable score from Nick Urata.

Millicent Clyde, played by Nicole Kidman, is also a memorable villain. She's reminiscent of movie villains that we don't see much of anymore.

In conclusion, Paddington is a wonderful film that easily outshines most of the live-action Disney remakes.

In Paddington 2, the titular bear is happily settled in London with the Browns. While looking for the perfect birthday gift for for his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday (in bear years), Paddington comes across a unique pop-up book in Mr. Gruber's antique shop, and he embarks on a series of jobs to get enough money to buy it. When the book goes missing, Paddington gets framed for the crime and gets sent to prison. While in jail, Paddington befriends the local chef Nuckels, and back in London, the Browns and Mr. Gruber try to find the real culprit and clear Paddington's name.

Paddington 2 is one of the best sequels I have seen in a long time, animated or live-action. The film takes what was wrong about Muppets Most Wanted and fixes each problem and adds the charms of Paddington 1.

Nuckels (Brendan Gleeson) being given a marmalade sandwich by Paddington.

Nearly everything about Paddington 2 is perfect: The story, the characters, the cinematography, the music! In fact, I actually liked Paddington 2 more than Incredibles 2, and I'll probably like it more than Ralph Breaks the Internet. I'll be surprised if this film doesn't get a single Oscar nomination.

Paddington 1 rating: 4 stars out of 5

Paddington 2 rating: The perfect rating of 5 stars

PLUS 5 oranges (for making marmalade)

Movie Review: Mr. Peabody and Sherman

Movie Review: Mr. Peabody and Sherman                                                                               10-11-18

Based on the 60s cartoon duo created by Jay Ward (creator of Rocky & Bullwinkle), Mr. Peabody and Sherman tells the story of the smartest dog on Earth, Mr. Peabody (Ty Burrell) and his adopted human boy Sherman (Max Charles). He and Mr. Peabody take frequent trips through time, visiting many places of the past. When Sherman gets in a fight with Penny Peterson (Ariel Winter) at school and bites her, Mr. Peabody decides to invite Penny and her parents over for dinner to settle the dispute. However, Sherman gets pressured by Penny, and he takes her back in time to Egypt. Now Sherman, along with Mr. Peabody, have to embark on a journey through time to get Penny back and return home.
I think Mr. Peabody and Sherman is an underrated DreamWorks film that ranks among Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and How To Train Your Dragon with animation that matches the Jay Ward style, relatable characters, and a story that differentiates itself from Meet the Robinsons. For starters, the cameos of historical figures like Michelangelo, King Tut, and Mary Antoinette are depicted in a way that doesn't offend the countries and time periods they come from.

The DreamWorks story crew also made Mr. Peabody into a three-dimensional character who delivers some of the best puns in the movie.

It's also interesting to see Ariel Winter, known for voicing Sofia the First, voice a not-so-innocent girl reminiscent of Cindy Vortex from Jimmy Neutron.

Penny teases Sherman about his dog whistle.

Unfortunately, Mr. Peabody and Sherman tanked at the box-office, and ended up being one of PDI's final films with DreamWorks. 'Sherman' was a box-office failure because it had to compete against The LEGO Movie and 300: Rise of an Empire, both of which earned more money.
In conclusion, while not as good as other animated movies in 2014 like How To Train Your Dragon 2, Big Hero 6, or Song of the Sea, is, in my opinion, definitely better than Muppets Most Wanted, which I personally found disappointing. My thoughts about that film are in the link below.
https://asateriale.blogspot.com/2016/10/my-issues-with-muppet-most-wanted.html
More about PDI (Pacific Data Images) is explained in the link below.
https://asateriale.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-brief-history-of-pdi.html
Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Oscarless Cartoons Bonus 3

Oscarless Cartoons Bonus 3: Partly Cloudy (2009)

In this hilarious Pixar short, one big question is answered: Where do babies come from? Well, in this film, babies of all species are made from living clouds, and storks deliver the babies, puppies, kittens, and ducklings to every corner of the world.

Unfortunately, for Peck, his cloud boss, Gus, always ends up making dangerous baby animals to deliver. When Gus shows Peck a baby alligator, the alligator immediately bites Peck.

Peck pulls the gator off his head and delivers it to Florida. When Peck comes back, Gus is ready with a ram lamb, who immediately rams into Peck.

After getting hit by the ram, Peck looks at a gentler cloud with a puppy, and the stork seemed happier.

However, when Peck looked at Gus, he decided to deliver the ram to the mountains. When Peck returned, Gus had a cloud in the shape of a sheep, but it instead, turned out to be a prickly hedgehog.

Peck reluctantly delivers the hedgehog to who knows where, but when Peck returned, he had quills sticking out of his head.

After pulling the quills out, Gus shows Peck his next creation: A giant toothy shark pup!

Peck decided to see one of the happier clouds for advice, but Gus thinks that the bird's going to abandon him for a friendlier cloud, and Gus cries rain.

To Gus's surprise, Peck wasn't going to abandon him after all; He was just getting some protective gear. Gus and Peck are friends again, and the cloud decides to give him one more baby: An electric eel, which of course, shocks Peck.

The idea for this charming short came from director Peter Sohn when he was a kid. He was influenced by the storks from Dumbo, but he always wondered how the babies were made. Sohn decided that the babies in Dumbo were made from clouds, and the babies needed to be delivered by air.

When Sohn was a kid, his mother didn't speak English, so the only way they could communicate together was through watching movies together. When his mom was confused about a certain scene, since she only spoke Korean, Peter Sohn would try his best to translate what the characters were saying from English to Korean. However, he didn't always translate it right.

Peter Sohn also admits that the characters Peck and Gus are based on him and his mother, while the dangerous baby animals represent the miscommunications that Sohn had with his mother long ago.
The football gear that Peck dons at the end represents Sohn's gesture of love saying 'I love you. I'm not going anywhere. I'm gonna always be there for you.'

Well, that's all I have to say about Oscarless Cartoons Bonus Round #3! On October 12th, I will review the underrated DreamWorks film Mr. Peabody and Sherman!

Movie Review: Smallfoot

Movie Review: Smallfoot                                                                                                                       9-28-18

From Warner Animation Group, the people behind The LEGO Movie and Storks, and cult filmmaker Karey Kirkpatrick comes Smallfoot. On the top of Mt. Everest lies a village of yetis. They live by strict rules and rituals written on stones. Migo (Channing Tattum) is destined to be the next gong-ringer, as it's said that the sun will rise once the gong has rung. After being launched over the gong and over the village by mistake, Migo discovers a human that crashed on the mountain, which he calls a Smallfoot. When Migo tells the other yetis that he saw a Smallfoot, the Stone-Maker (Common) banishes him, as one of the stones says that there's no such thing as Smallfoot. Migo meets a group of yetis called SES (Smallfoot Evidentiary Society), who have found evidence of this legendary creature, and Migo sets off on a quest to prove that Smallfoot exists.

Instead of being animated at Australia-based Animal Logic like The LEGO Movies, Smallfoot was animated at Sony Pictures Imageworks. They have provided the animation for all of Sony Pictures Animation's films except for The Star and Peter Rabbit. Imageworks also did the animation for The Angry Birds Movie and Warner Animation Group's own Storks.

Notice any similarities to Hotel Transylvania? That;s because they were done at the same animation studio: Sony Pictures Imageworks!

Now, what did I think of this movie? I actually enjoyed it! One thing that surprised me is that Smallfoot is actually a musical. There are five songs in the film, and while not as catchy as those in CGI musicals like Tangled, Frozen, and Moana, they are much better than the ones in The Lorax, The Hero of Color City, and Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return.

Aside from that, the story is also rather deep. I don't want to say much, since I might spoil the movie, but let's say it's a bit like Brother Bear: One creature discovers a human, which others are afraid of, and discovers that they're not as bad as they seem to be.

If I were to make one complaint, I personally felt that since the film is set in China, the human characters should've looked more Asian.

In conclusion, Smallfoot is a film that both kids and adults are gonna get a kick out of.

Rating: 3 and a half stars out of 5.

Plus 4 pairs of footprints