Movie Review: Where The Wild Things Are

Movie Review: Where The Wild Things Are                                                                               1-30-16

Based on the beloved children's book by Maurice Sendak, Where The Wild Things Are tells the story of a young mischievous boy named Max, who likes to live on the wild side. When Max bites his mom when he ignores her, he runs away, hitches a ride on a boat, and sails to sea. Max ends up on an island inhabited by monsters and is declared king by them. The Wild Things were built at Jim Henson's Creature Shop, who previously built animatronic/puppet characters for movies like The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Teenage Mutant Turtles, The Flintstones, and Babe, as well as TV shows like The Storyteller, Dinosaurs, and Farscape. The monsters were brought to life faithfully and look just like how they did in the book, the most beautifully and faithfully adapted Henson-related characters since Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, which was also based on a children's book. Where The Wild Things Are will pull at your heart strings and tame the beast inside you.

Rating: The perfect raging of 5 stars

Movie Review: Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin

Movie Review: Pooh's Grand Adventure                                                                               1-25-16

Don't worry! This will be one of only two direct-to-video movies I will review.
Between 1997 and 2008, DisneyToon Studios, a division of the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios, was forced to make countless (and pointless) direct-to-video sequels to classic animated Disney movies. However, as of January 2016, there are only ten movies from DisneyToons that were released theatrically in the US. Today's movie happens to be their first direct-to-video movie: Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search For Christopher Robin. It's the last day of summer, and Christopher Robin is concerned that his friendship with Pooh Bear won't be able to last forever. Tomorrow happens to be the first day of school for Christopher Robin, but he doesn't have the courage to tell the silly old bear. He simply tells Pooh that he is braver than he believes, smarter than he thinks, and stronger than he seems. However, because Pooh Bear's head is full of fluff, he doesn't seem to remember it all. The next day, it was the first day of autumn, and Pooh Bear finds a jar of honey on his front door with a note on it. Since Pooh Bear can only think about honey, he seeks the help of Owl. The note, smudged with honey, stated that Christopher Robin is going to school, but owl interprets it as skull, and sends Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, and Eeyore on a dangerous adventure through the darkest parts of the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh's Grand Adventure is different other movies starring the silly old bear because this movie is noticeably darker. There are many scenes in which the characters are in peril. However, that doesn't stop the movie from telling a heart-felt story the entire family can enjoy.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

Movie Review: Cars

Movie Review: Cars                                                                                                                 1-4-16
 
Pixar's seventh animated feature takes place in a world where everyone and every animal is an automobile, and tells the story of a cocky race car named Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), who only cares about racing. When his truck Mack accidentally lets Lightning loose, he stumbles across a small town in Route 66 called Radiator Springs. Lightning must now pay the price by doing community service. McQueen has to re-pave a road that he accidentally wrecked. Cars is considered by fans, myself included, the weakest Pixar movie. Lightning McQueen is an unlikable protagonist, and acts like a at times. There is a fair amount of filler/scenes that feel unnecessary, like McQueen having a daydream about a furious lawnmower winning the Piston Cup, McQueen sponsoring an anti-rust product, and McQueen and Mater tipping tractors instead of cows, among other scenes. Seriously, how does the tractor tipping scene effect the story? Also, Cars is ridiculously long, having a running time of 116 minutes (an hour and 56 minutes). I am aware that some fans complained that Happy Feet, which was released the same year, was unnecessarily long, but at least almost each scene affects the plot in some way! The only thing I appreciate about Cars is the animation and the music. Cars is perfect for younger kids, despite having some adult humor, but for older kids, like me, Happy Feet is a better choice.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: Inside Out

Movie Review: Inside Out                                                                                                  12-26-15

Like I said in my review of The Good Dinosaur, I thought Pixar lost their magic touch. However, six months ago, Disney/Pixar's Inside Out, which is already claimed a masterpiece, premiered in theaters and got glowing reviews. Directed by Pete Doctor, who also directed Monsters Inc and Up, Inside Out tells the story of what goes inside the head of an 11-year-old girl named Riley Anderson. Riley's emotions, Joy (Amy Pohler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Anger (Lewis Black), help Riley out through her lifetime. When her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco, California, Riley spirals into depression and cries in front of her new classmates. Things get worse when Joy and Sadness get sucked into the labyrinth of long-term memory, and without Joy, Riley can't be happy. Inside Out of Pixar's most original movie since Up and their best since Toy Story 3. And since this is about emotions, expect the movie to get emotional at times.
Rating: The perfect rating of 5 stars
PLUS these Emojis:

Movie Review: The Good Dinosaur

Movie Review: The Good Dinosaur                                           11-25-15
 
After Monsters University, I thought Pixar lost their magic touch. But then, on June 19th, 2015, Pixar's fifteenth animated feature, Inside Out, premiered in theaters and got very good reviews. But that wasn't over; This year, 2015, happened to be the first year Pixar released two films in the same year. Pixar's other feature, The Good Dinosaur, which premiered today, asks a question that has probably been asked before: What would happen if the dinosaurs didn't go extinct? A few million years after the meteor that destroyed the dinosaurs misses the Earth, the dinosaurs learned how to farm vegetables and get along with rodents, canines, and ungulates. The movie tells the story of a young apatosaurus named Arlo, who happens to be youngest and smallest of a batch of three. When his father gets swept away by a rainstorm, Arlo becomes upset. When Arlo gets lost from his family, he meets a man cub who has been stealing from the corn garden. Arlo tries to kill it, but the man cub was quick. He finds food for Arlo, and instead of killing it when he had the chance, Arlo brings the man cub along for the ride home. While other CGI movies like Disney's Dinosaur, Meet the Robinsons, and Ice Age 3 had dinosaurs very realistic-looking, the dinosaurs in Disney•Pixar's The Good Dinosaur looked slightly unrealistic, but still believable, a similar approach Brian Henson, Michael Jacobs, and Kirk Thatcher did with the TV series Dinosaurs. DreamWorks did a similar approach with The Croods, but the flora and fauna looked and acted too Pokemon-ish for a Prehistoric world. In conclusion, The Good Dinosaur is proof that two animated movies from the same studio released the same year can achieve exceptional quality, if done right.
Rating: 4 out of of 5 stars

Movie Review: The Peanuts Movie

Hi, everybody! Starting today, I an going to post old reviews of movies I wrote on my iPod not too long ago. I will post the reviews every few days, starting with my review of The Peanuts Movie, which I wrote back in November. Without further ado, let's start the review!

Movie Review: The Peanuts Movie                                                                                               11-7-15

Have you noticed in the past 35 years, there have been quite a few live-action movies that were based on cartoons? There have been some good ones, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (that one from 1990 with Judith Hoag and Elias Koteas) and George of the Jungle, but there have been some bad ones, like those awful Alvin and the Chipmunks movies, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Last Airbender, and The Smurfs. With the advent of new technology, there have been CGI movies (and some TV shows) that have the characters designed in a classic cartoon style, like The Jimmy Neutron Movie, Ice Age, Madagascar, and the works of Sony Pictures Animation. As of late, there have been three CGI movies based on comic strips, like the ones you'd find in the newspaper. There's been DreamWorks' Over the Hedge, Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin, and released yesterday, The Peanuts Movie.
The tenth animated movie from Blue Sky Studios, the animation house behind the Ice Age movies, Robots, Horton Hears a Who!, and Rio, The Peanuts Movie is based on the comic strips by Charles Schulz and tells the story of a young boy named Charlie Brown. He has all the bad luck a kid would never want, like getting a kite stuck up a tree and getting a football pulled away right before he kicks it. When Charlie falls in love with a new student named Heather, he tries to impress her through entering the talent show and writing a book report on War & Peace. However, because he is Charlie Brown, nothing goes his way. The story may sound depressing, but the movie itself is very sweet and stays true to the original comic strips without being too modern. The animation itself is very convincing, and at some points, I couldn't tell if it was CGI! For those who aren't into the Peanuts or despise the TV specials from the 60s and 70s, I noticed similarities to more modern cartoons, like Doug, Hey Arnold!, and Ed, Edd n Eddy. For example: In this interpretation of the Peanuts comics, Lucy is very similar Helga Pataki from Hey Arnold, except she doesn't have a crush on Charlie. That would be disgusting! Overall, The Peanuts Movie is an enjoyable film for everyone young and old, and is probably the second best animated movie of the year, only behind Disney•Pixar's Inside Out.
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Top 30 Greatest CGI Movies of All TIme Part 3

Top 30 Greatest CGI Movies of All TIme Part 3/3

10. Tangled (2010)
 

I know what you're thinking at this point. "Why have Tangled placed so high?" I'll tell you why: First of all, Tangled is Disney's 50th animated movie! Disney started as a small company in 1923, and Walt's first animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, premiered in late 1937. Now try subtracting 2010 by 1937. That's 50 animated movies in 73 years, which is very impressive. Secondly, think of what characters have been used in the world of computer animation, as of November 2010. There were toys, animals (both extinct and still alive), food, robots, automobiles, monsters, aliens, and most importantly, humans, and the humans in Tangled look great in my opinion. When John Lasseter joined the project, he asked executive producer Glen Keane, a legendary Disney animator, if he wanted to do Rapunzel (that's what the project was called at the time) hand-drawn, but Glen decided to take the CG challenge. Besides, I think Tangled would be even harder to make if it were hand-drawn, because of all that hair. And finally, Tangled is a CGI fairy-tale that ISN'T a satire. How many movies can you think of before Tangled that were identical to it? Sorry, Barbie, but your direct-to-video cheap-quills don't count. Anyway, Tangled is about a 17, going on 18-year-old girl named Rapunzel (Mandy Moore). She was secretly kidnapped by a woman named Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) so she could use Rapunzel's magic hair to keep herself (Gothel) young. On the day before Rapunzel's 18th birthday, Rapunzel encounters a thief named Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), and the both of them go on an adventure that will change both of their lives forever. Tangled is an enjoyable gem with beautiful animation, an organic story that stays true to the original fairy tale, well-developed characters, and rememberable songs by the legendary Alan Menken.

9. WALL-E (2008)
 

700 years into the future, Earth has been piled high with trash. Humans have abandoned the planet and reached extreme levels of obesity and laziness and became entirely dependent on robots. WALL-E, a brown and yellow square-shaped robot, has been working for years to clean up the planet. After he encounters EVE, a more advanced robot who has been sent to find plants, he falls in love, and together WALL-E and EVE save humanity. This was probably the most ambitious animated movie of that year, setting a cute comedy with a somber warning about ecological irresponsibility and runaway consumerism, with very little dialogue. Some fans consider this to be Pixar's best, while others didn't like it that much. Probably because the movie is only 15% dialogue. Never the less, WALL-E is an enjoyable film for the entire family.

8. The Incredibles (2004)

The longest, but arguably the greatest, animated movie of 2004, The Incredibles was Pixar's first movie to have the PG-rating. It was also Brad Bird's first animated movie since The Iron Giant. The Incredibles takes place in a world of superheroes and super-villains. After being saved, who didn't want to be saved, by a superhero named Mr. Incredible, the man sues Mr. Incredible, and all superheroes are banned in that city, or live a normal live as a modern-day citizen. 15 years have passed, and Mr. Incredible (now known as Bob Parr) is married to the super-stretchy Elastigirl (now known as Helen Parr), who gave birth to three kids, each with different superpowers. When a new villain named Syndrome (who's actually a rejected fanboy from Mr. Incredible's fan club) plans to destroy the city with Technodrome knock-offs, it's up to Bob and his family to come out of hiding and save the world. The Incredibles was also Pixar's first feature to have humans as major characters, rather than toys, insects, monsters, or fish. Despite earning the PG-rating, The Incredibles earned great reviews and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

7. Monsters Inc (2001)
 

In another world inhabited by monsters, monsters scare children to use their screams as electricity. The best scarers at Monsters Inc, the company that provides the energy for the city, are James P Sullivan (nicknamed Sulley, voiced by John Goodman) and Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal). When a child goes loose in the monster world, havoc erupts, and it's up to Mike and Sulley to return the girl to her bedroom. While Shrek is good at hilarity and background designs, Monsters Inc has a more organic story (if you think hard enough, Shrek is similar to The Princess Bride) and imaginative character designs. Ultimately, Shrek won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

6. How To Train Tour Dragon (2010)
 

Like Kung Fu Panda, How To Train Your Dragon had no pop-culture references. I personally find that ironic because director Chris Sanders' previous movie, Lilo & Stitch, had quite a few pop-culture references. There were Elvis songs, a live-action B-movie from the 50s, and even a View Master. Anyway, How To Train Your Dragon is about a teenage boy named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (Jay Baruchel) who lives a small Viking village called Berk. The only problem is the pests. While other places may have mosquitoes or mice, Berk has dragons that steal their livestock and fish. After capturing a legendary Night Fury, instead of killing it, Hiccup releases the dragon, names it Toothless, and becomes its friend. How To Train Your Dragon is an enjoyable entry into the DreamWorks library with an original story, brilliant animation, and a music score that deserved to win the Oscar for Best Original Score, though some believe ‘Dragons 2’ was better.

5. Up (2009)

The 2009 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature is about an elderly man named Carl Frederickson (Ed Asner), who ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies it to South America to fulfill his deceased wife's dreams. A young Boy Scout named Russell hitches a ride on Carl's house, much to his (Carl's) dismay. When they finally land in South America, Carl and Russell meet a rare bird that Russell named Kevin, and a friendly talking dog named Dug. Little do Carl and Russell know that Dug is one of the hundreds of dogs who Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer) sent out to capture Kevin, who wants the bird to prove to scientists that a bird like Kevin did exist in Paradise Falls. Up was the first animated movie since Beauty and the Beast to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, and is considered Pixar's masterpiece by fans.

4. Finding Nemo (2003)

In the oceans of Australia, a clownfish named Marlin (Albert Brookes) has a son named Nemo. On his first day of school, Nemo touches a boat against his dad's orders and gets kidnapped by a scuba diver. Now Marlin, along with a forgetful regal tang named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) have to search the whole ocean to find Nemo, while meeting characters like vegetarian sharks, a school of moonfish, and hippy sea turtles. Meanwhile, Nemo gets dumped into a fish tank in a dentist's office with four domesticated fish named Bubbles, Bloat, Gurgle, and Deb, a sea star named Peach, a French cleaner shrimp named Jacques, and a feral Moorish idol fish named Gil (William DeFoe). Finding Nemo is an unforgettable gem with breathtaking animation, many species of fish, and rememberable quotes. 'Nemo' was also Pixar's first movie to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and earned 800 million dollars worldwide at the box-office.

3. Toy Story 3 (2010)
 

In the final chapter of the beloved Toy Story trilogy, problems mount as Andy grows up and goes to college while the toys end up at a daycare center for destructive toddlers, ruled by a sinister teddy bear who smells of strawberries. While the plot may not be as elegant as the previous Toy Stories, Toy Story 3 more than makes up for it by hitting new highs in other areas. For starters, the animation has improved. Not only are there plastic toys as characters, but also plushes. Also, almost all the original voice actors from the first two Toy Stories are back, even Andy's voice actor. Jim Varney, who voiced Slinky Dog in Toy Story and Toy Story 2, sadly passed away in February 2000, so he didn’t return for Toy Story 3. Instead, Slinky was voiced by Blake Clark. Toy Story 3 earned over a billion dollars worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, until Frozen came along. Like Up the previous year, Toy Story 3 got nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture. It also got nominated for Best Original Screenplay and won the Oscars for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song.

2. Toy Story (1995)

In the first full-length computer animated feature film, Woody (Tom Hanks) is Andy's favorite toy, but gets jealous when a newer toy, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), takes Woody's place as Andy's favorite toy. When Woody accidentally knocks Buzz out the window, Woody must save his rival. But things take a dangerous turn when Woody and Buzz get taken by Sid Philips, who tortures toys for his own amusement. Toy Story 1 is actually my least favorite in the trilogy because Woody is treated like an evicted criminal, and the scene in which Andy's toys see Buzz's detachable arm and call Woody a murdering dog breaks my heart. Anyway, Toy Story earned 392 million dollars worldwide, making it the highest-grossing movie of 1995. Toy Story also earned John Lasseter a special Academy Award for the achievement of making a computer animated feature film.

And the best CGI movie of all time is...

1. Toy Story 2 (1999)

In the sequel to the animation phenomenon known as Toy Story, Woody gets kidnapped by Al, a greedy toy collector. When Woody finds himself in Al's apartment, he discovers that he was part of a popular TV series from the 50s called 'Woody's Roundup'. He also meets a perky cowgirl named Jessie (Joan Cussack), a loyal horse named Bullseye, and a boxed prospector named Pete. Little does Woody know that Al wants to sell him and his 'Roundup Gang' to a toy museum in Japan! Now it's up to Buzz Lightyear, along with Hamm, Rex, Slinky, and Mr. Potato Head to rescue Woody. Toy Story 2 takes everything that made Toy Story 1 good and amplifies it by 100%. There are also some enjoyable new characters, like Buster, Andy's dog from the end of the first Toy Story, Mrs. Potato Head (voiced by Estelle Harris), Wheezy the squeaky penguin, who was originally going to be in the first Toy Story, the persuasive 'Stinky' Pete, and the hilarious deluded Buzz, a doppelganger of Andy's Buzz. Toy Story 2 got really good reviews (and is called the rare sequel that lives up to its predecessor), earned nearly 500 million dollars worldwide, and won the Golden Globe for Best Picture.

And those were the 30 greatest CGI movies of all time. What do you think?