Wilsford's Review
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Ben Burtt – WALL-E
Elissa Knight – Eve
Jeff Garlin - Captain
Plot (contains spoilers):
When human consumption has left behind too much garbage that Earth becomes uninhabitable, Big N’ Large, the company that provides us with everything, offers to send the entire Earth’s population on a five year space cruise while the clean up the mess. The Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth Class robot or WALL-E is there to do the job. Unfortunately he has been doing it for 700 years. Working all alone amidst skyscrapers of garbage, WALL-E roams around not only cubing garbage but also collecting interesting items, watching musicals, and interacting with his only friend a cockroach. A spacecraft lands in an opening and leaves behind Eve. Immediately WALL-E is drawn to her and after some explosive encounters, they become friends. However Eve is there for a purpose and that purpose is to find vegetation. Once she finds a plant she takes it and goes into lockdown mode. Not knowing what happened to his friend, WALL-E does everything he can to care for her while she is out. The spacecraft returns for Eve and not wanting his friend to leave, WALL-E grabs holds and is taken on the journey through space to the human “cruise” ship. Big N’ Large has taken care of all of our needs. They have provided many activities, hover chairs to ease getting around, and robots to bring us all the food we want. When we arrive at the ship we find that after 700 years in space, humans have gotten lazy and grossly obese. The arrival of the plant causes some great drama, as an Eve robot, Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator, has never brought back a plant. The captain therefore must start operation re-colonize however the ship’s main computer is operating under different orders: stay in space. Skip over about 20 minutes of conflict, WALL-E, Eve, and humans overcome the computer and come back to Earth.
Reason why I didn’t like it:
• Not as funny as what I was expecting. I did laugh a lot however there wasn’t a constant flow of laughter because it was a serious movie at parts.
Reasons why I liked it:
• The animation was fantastic. The detail of the animation was superb. For earlier animated movies, the animation of the focus of the scene was great, however the background and surfaces are simple, smooth, and monochromatic. This movie had great detail for everything and it, animation wise, is on its own level.
• The story was really good. It was funny and the love story was unique to Pixar. I had read that some thought that the story was a little too mature for Pixar’s target audience. I thought that kids enjoyed it. One of the perks for seeing a movie on its release is that you can see it with its target audience. While at times it was annoying to be in a theater of children, it allowed me to witness that little people got really attached to the story.
• The story telling was good. I didn’t realize it during the movie but my friend Nate pointed out that there was virtually no dialogue. Other than the robots saying “Eve” and “WALL-E” for the first hour they communicated everything through sounds and gestures and that is impressive both for this point and my animation point.
Final Notes: I liked this movie although not as much as “The Incredibles”. However this movie will be a real hit with your kids. If you don’t have kids and have a heart, you will enjoy it as well. Do see this in a theater because I do think you will miss some of the fantastic animation.
Young's Review
'WALL-E', the latest film from Pixar Studios, is a portrait of irony.
Never has a character displayed so poignantly what it means to be human. The irony, of course, is that WALL-E is a robot.
This film is a perfect blend of eye popping visuals, humor and poignancy. At it's core, 'WALL-E' is simply a wonderful story and it is worthy of a 'thumbs up'.
WALL-E is the last of several hundred robots designed to rid earth of a catastrophic waste problem. He is designed to gather trash and compact it into easily stored squares. All of humanity is off in space living in massive ships awaiting the day when it can return home.
WALL-E is just going through the motions of a typical day when a spaceship lands and throws his world for a loop. A machine, named EVE, begins searching for some form of life. After initially being terrified of EVE, WALL-E becomes smitten and grows attached to her. Problems arise, however, when EVE sees a plant that WALL-E has been keeping alive in an old shoe. Upon seeing it, she takes the plant and shuts down. The ship comes back and takes EVE away, but WALL-E is so bound to protect his new love that he hops onboard. The adventure continues among the humans in space as WALL-E tries to save EVE, and EVE tries to do the same for WALL-E.
This movie is a remarkable achievement in several ways. First, and most impressively, is the fact that so much is communicated with such a small amount of dialogue. There are hardly any words spoken in the first half of the movie, and the two main characters barely say anything beyond each other's names. Non verbal communication has never been so prevalent in an animated picture. Ben Burtt, who perfected the audio for the character R2-D2 in the 'Star Wars' franchise, works his magic again here. His sound editing work should earn him an Oscar nomination.
Visually, this film may be the finest work yet by the creative geniuses at Pixar. The initial spaceship landing is so vivid that it makes you feel like you are there. All of the colors and moving parts create a wonderland for the eyes. WALL-E's fascination with the old musical 'Hello Dolly' is also a visual treat.
The two main characters in this film have so much heart and are very easy to root for. WALL-E develops a winning personality after being isolated for so many years. His relationship with EVE is sweet without crossing over into being sappy. This is a story that will connect with both adults and children.
The short film 'Presto', about a rabbit who just wants a carrot and the magician that keeps it from him, precedes 'WALL-E' and continues in the Pixar tradition of entertaining lead-ins.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The Happening
Wilsford's Review
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Mark Wahlberg – Elliot Moore
Zooey Deschanel – Alma Moore
John Leguizamo – Julian
Ashlyn Sanchez - Jess
Plot (contains spoilers):
One morning two friends are sitting on a park bench in Central Park talking when one of them can’t remember what page they were on. She repeats herself and then sits motionless. When she stops talking the other friend realizes that everyone has stopped moving. That is when friend one takes a pin out of her hair and jabs it into her throat. A block away a construction worker falls off a building. The other workers on the ground rush over to help. Then another body falls, then another, and another. In Philidelphia, Elliot Moore and Julian are pulled out of class for a teacher’s meeting. That is where they learn about the incidences and that they are spreading. School is canceled for the day and Julian decides to leave the city. He invites Elliot and Alma even though Julian does not like Alma due to her treatment of Elliot. On the way out the train stops because they have lost contact with everyone. Julian desperate to get in contact with his wife, who had to leave the city later, hitches a ride to New Jersey leaving Elliot and Alma to take care of his daughter Jess. Still not knowing the cause of the incident, the three get a ride but when the hit a crossroad cars coming from the other directions report that people there have committed suicide. They are left with one option, to hike in the only direction they have left. They split into two groups and the wind starts blowing. As one group is making their way, the wind passes through and one by one people start stopping and the inevitable starts. Elliot’s group, which is much smaller, happens upon a house, which is unfortunately inhabited by a crazy old woman. While in the house the wind picks up and Elliot finds himself in a cupboard while Alma and Jess are locked up in a shed. Able to communicate through a pipe in the ground, Elliot decides that he doesn’t want to die by himself and walks outside to them. A few months later Elliot and Alma have adopted Jess, reconciled their marriage, and are having a baby of their own. Also scientists discover the source of the event, it was the trees. The planet is warning us.
Reasons why I didn’t like it:
• The ending was lame. Usually M. Night Shyamalan’s movies have a big twist in the end that wasn’t revealed earlier in the movie as a possibility. About halfway through the idea that it might be the trees was said and I felt that it really cut down the suspense because you knew what the cause was. I thought it would have been better if we never knew what the cause was and all possibilities were plausible.
• In the end it stopped being a movie and started being a platform. One of the last scenes is the scientist telling us that it was the trees and that the planet is warning us. Right there I felt that Shyamalan stopped making a movie to entertain and used his movie to promote his political view. Don’t do that to me. If you want to make a political movie then make one that I won’t go see. I want to see a movie and be entertained not lectured.
• Unnecessary gore. They really promoted this movie as Shyamalan’s first R rated movie and most of the gore, which caused it to be R rated, was dumb and really cheapened the movie. His other movies are suspenseful because he leaves the gore up to our imagination, while he does do this some in the movie, most of unrealistic and really brought the movie down.
Reasons why I liked it:
• It was suspenseful. I know I just got done saying close to the opposite but it was, and I would say that it might be his most suspenseful. The whole time with the crazy old woman had me freaked out. The idea that all these people are running from something that they can’t see is thrilling. The scenes where he did leave the gore to our imagination were very suspenseful. The climatic scene where Elliot and Alma walk out into the wind had me on the edge of my seat.
• The acting was pretty good. I know a lot of people say it was bad but after talking with Nate I did change my opinion. All the actors overacted their parts and seemed to play them as little children. Now some people will say that that is bad acting but it had to be done on purpose because everyone in the movie acted like that. So the question is what is the purpose? I would guess, going along with Shyamalan’s political view (see 2nd point under why I didn’t like it), that he did that to show that we as a society are naïve, think like little children, about our place in the world with respect to Mother Earth. I think that makes sense.
• This movie displayed why Shyamalan is a great moviemaker. A lot of people say that Shyamalan’s movies are good because of the twist endings but I would argue that he is great because he has the ability to tell an original story with an interesting plot filled with unique characters and it is the development of his characters that sets him apart from other moviemakers. The reason the scene where Elliot and Alma brave the wind is because of their personal journey through the movie. They start off as a couple on the brink of break up and go to a couple that chooses to die together. To me that is where the movie is.
Final Notes: By far this movie has given me the most trouble on what grade to give it. I think it shows why he is good but it also has a lot of problems with it. Don’t go see it for the surprise ending, as it will leave you wanting. Go see it for the reasons that Shyamalan is great.
Young's Review
Too much pre-release hype can be a dangerous thing for a new movie. When a film is overexposed before it even hits theaters, a backlash can occur once the public actually sees it.
M. Night Shyamalan's latest film 'The Happening' was widely trumpeted as the visionary filmmaker's first R-rated picture, which has led to much speculation as to whether the rating is just a gimmick to draw viewers to see a bad movie. In this critic's opinion the hype was overblown, and I am giving the film a 'thumbs up'.
The movie begins with strange occurrences of death happening all over New York City. People are impulsively finding ways to kill themselves, whether it be by jamming a hairpin into their throat (hello R-rating!) or by walking off of a building. The scene shifts to Philadelphia, where we meet high school teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg). He is in the middle of a class when he is interrupted for an emergency staff meeting. The principal informs Elliot and his colleagues of a terrorist attack in New York. To be safe, the students are being sent home.
Elliot decides to leave town with his wife Alma (Zoey Deschanel), his close friend Julian (John Leguizamo) and Julian's daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez). In the process of fleeing town and amid rising public panic, Julian leaves Jess behind with Eliot and Alma to go look for his wife in New Jersey. Thus begins an eerie journey to safety for the newly formed family.
This film is unlike anything Shyamalan has ever done. It is like a mix between a second rate horror movie spoof and an old episode of 'The Twilight Zone'. It has more of a creepy science fiction feel than his other work. While there is more gore than in his other films (thus the rating), it doesn't feel over the top. The pacing is a little slower than his other work as well, and it works in this case.
I liked the film for several reasons. First, Shyamalan's direction of his cast is dynamite and it leads to some comic relief in an otherwise tense film. Wahlberg has been panned by many film critics for being too melodramatic and over the top. My interpretation is that this is exactly what Shyamalan is going for and it is the right decision. A scene where Eliot finds out his wife lied about having coffee with another man is not sappy but hilarious because of Wahlberg's genuine hurt about being left in the dark.
The writing is top notch, as is to be expected from a Shyamalan script. The film does not have an overly complicated plot, yet kept me mesmerized throughout. The concept of a country's paranoia over a possible terrorist attack is fitting in today's social climate, and the way in which Shyamalan handles the public's panic is spot on.
The cast is great. I clearly am in the minority here, but I am a big fan of Wahlberg. He has proven in the past that he can do a fun popcorn movie ('The Italian Job'), a feel good underdog sports flick ('Invincible'), and even be a scene stealer in a lesser role ('The Departed'). Here, Wahlberg is perfectly over the top as Eliot and I honestly could not see anyone else playing the part. Deschanel, who delivered a brilliant performance in the underseen cable miniseries 'Tin Man' last year, is also a great casting choice as the offbeat Alma.
The film may leave some M. Night fans seething, either because of the lack of a trademark big twist or because of the relatively tame ending, but I thoroughly enjoyed this creepy homage to second rate horror films of days gone by.
Oh, and one more thing: don't be ashamed when you jump through the roof because of the creepy old lady. I did the same thing.
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Mark Wahlberg – Elliot Moore
Zooey Deschanel – Alma Moore
John Leguizamo – Julian
Ashlyn Sanchez - Jess
Plot (contains spoilers):
One morning two friends are sitting on a park bench in Central Park talking when one of them can’t remember what page they were on. She repeats herself and then sits motionless. When she stops talking the other friend realizes that everyone has stopped moving. That is when friend one takes a pin out of her hair and jabs it into her throat. A block away a construction worker falls off a building. The other workers on the ground rush over to help. Then another body falls, then another, and another. In Philidelphia, Elliot Moore and Julian are pulled out of class for a teacher’s meeting. That is where they learn about the incidences and that they are spreading. School is canceled for the day and Julian decides to leave the city. He invites Elliot and Alma even though Julian does not like Alma due to her treatment of Elliot. On the way out the train stops because they have lost contact with everyone. Julian desperate to get in contact with his wife, who had to leave the city later, hitches a ride to New Jersey leaving Elliot and Alma to take care of his daughter Jess. Still not knowing the cause of the incident, the three get a ride but when the hit a crossroad cars coming from the other directions report that people there have committed suicide. They are left with one option, to hike in the only direction they have left. They split into two groups and the wind starts blowing. As one group is making their way, the wind passes through and one by one people start stopping and the inevitable starts. Elliot’s group, which is much smaller, happens upon a house, which is unfortunately inhabited by a crazy old woman. While in the house the wind picks up and Elliot finds himself in a cupboard while Alma and Jess are locked up in a shed. Able to communicate through a pipe in the ground, Elliot decides that he doesn’t want to die by himself and walks outside to them. A few months later Elliot and Alma have adopted Jess, reconciled their marriage, and are having a baby of their own. Also scientists discover the source of the event, it was the trees. The planet is warning us.
Reasons why I didn’t like it:
• The ending was lame. Usually M. Night Shyamalan’s movies have a big twist in the end that wasn’t revealed earlier in the movie as a possibility. About halfway through the idea that it might be the trees was said and I felt that it really cut down the suspense because you knew what the cause was. I thought it would have been better if we never knew what the cause was and all possibilities were plausible.
• In the end it stopped being a movie and started being a platform. One of the last scenes is the scientist telling us that it was the trees and that the planet is warning us. Right there I felt that Shyamalan stopped making a movie to entertain and used his movie to promote his political view. Don’t do that to me. If you want to make a political movie then make one that I won’t go see. I want to see a movie and be entertained not lectured.
• Unnecessary gore. They really promoted this movie as Shyamalan’s first R rated movie and most of the gore, which caused it to be R rated, was dumb and really cheapened the movie. His other movies are suspenseful because he leaves the gore up to our imagination, while he does do this some in the movie, most of unrealistic and really brought the movie down.
Reasons why I liked it:
• It was suspenseful. I know I just got done saying close to the opposite but it was, and I would say that it might be his most suspenseful. The whole time with the crazy old woman had me freaked out. The idea that all these people are running from something that they can’t see is thrilling. The scenes where he did leave the gore to our imagination were very suspenseful. The climatic scene where Elliot and Alma walk out into the wind had me on the edge of my seat.
• The acting was pretty good. I know a lot of people say it was bad but after talking with Nate I did change my opinion. All the actors overacted their parts and seemed to play them as little children. Now some people will say that that is bad acting but it had to be done on purpose because everyone in the movie acted like that. So the question is what is the purpose? I would guess, going along with Shyamalan’s political view (see 2nd point under why I didn’t like it), that he did that to show that we as a society are naïve, think like little children, about our place in the world with respect to Mother Earth. I think that makes sense.
• This movie displayed why Shyamalan is a great moviemaker. A lot of people say that Shyamalan’s movies are good because of the twist endings but I would argue that he is great because he has the ability to tell an original story with an interesting plot filled with unique characters and it is the development of his characters that sets him apart from other moviemakers. The reason the scene where Elliot and Alma brave the wind is because of their personal journey through the movie. They start off as a couple on the brink of break up and go to a couple that chooses to die together. To me that is where the movie is.
Final Notes: By far this movie has given me the most trouble on what grade to give it. I think it shows why he is good but it also has a lot of problems with it. Don’t go see it for the surprise ending, as it will leave you wanting. Go see it for the reasons that Shyamalan is great.
Young's Review
Too much pre-release hype can be a dangerous thing for a new movie. When a film is overexposed before it even hits theaters, a backlash can occur once the public actually sees it.
M. Night Shyamalan's latest film 'The Happening' was widely trumpeted as the visionary filmmaker's first R-rated picture, which has led to much speculation as to whether the rating is just a gimmick to draw viewers to see a bad movie. In this critic's opinion the hype was overblown, and I am giving the film a 'thumbs up'.
The movie begins with strange occurrences of death happening all over New York City. People are impulsively finding ways to kill themselves, whether it be by jamming a hairpin into their throat (hello R-rating!) or by walking off of a building. The scene shifts to Philadelphia, where we meet high school teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg). He is in the middle of a class when he is interrupted for an emergency staff meeting. The principal informs Elliot and his colleagues of a terrorist attack in New York. To be safe, the students are being sent home.
Elliot decides to leave town with his wife Alma (Zoey Deschanel), his close friend Julian (John Leguizamo) and Julian's daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez). In the process of fleeing town and amid rising public panic, Julian leaves Jess behind with Eliot and Alma to go look for his wife in New Jersey. Thus begins an eerie journey to safety for the newly formed family.
This film is unlike anything Shyamalan has ever done. It is like a mix between a second rate horror movie spoof and an old episode of 'The Twilight Zone'. It has more of a creepy science fiction feel than his other work. While there is more gore than in his other films (thus the rating), it doesn't feel over the top. The pacing is a little slower than his other work as well, and it works in this case.
I liked the film for several reasons. First, Shyamalan's direction of his cast is dynamite and it leads to some comic relief in an otherwise tense film. Wahlberg has been panned by many film critics for being too melodramatic and over the top. My interpretation is that this is exactly what Shyamalan is going for and it is the right decision. A scene where Eliot finds out his wife lied about having coffee with another man is not sappy but hilarious because of Wahlberg's genuine hurt about being left in the dark.
The writing is top notch, as is to be expected from a Shyamalan script. The film does not have an overly complicated plot, yet kept me mesmerized throughout. The concept of a country's paranoia over a possible terrorist attack is fitting in today's social climate, and the way in which Shyamalan handles the public's panic is spot on.
The cast is great. I clearly am in the minority here, but I am a big fan of Wahlberg. He has proven in the past that he can do a fun popcorn movie ('The Italian Job'), a feel good underdog sports flick ('Invincible'), and even be a scene stealer in a lesser role ('The Departed'). Here, Wahlberg is perfectly over the top as Eliot and I honestly could not see anyone else playing the part. Deschanel, who delivered a brilliant performance in the underseen cable miniseries 'Tin Man' last year, is also a great casting choice as the offbeat Alma.
The film may leave some M. Night fans seething, either because of the lack of a trademark big twist or because of the relatively tame ending, but I thoroughly enjoyed this creepy homage to second rate horror films of days gone by.
Oh, and one more thing: don't be ashamed when you jump through the roof because of the creepy old lady. I did the same thing.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Kung Fu Panda
Thumb: Up
Notable Characters:
Jack Black – Po
Dustin Hoffman – Shifu
Ian McShane – Tai Lung
Plot (contains spoilers): Po spends most of his free time dreaming about being the world’s greatest kung fu master. Unfortunately he is fat, clumsy, and a little dim. The day has come to reveal the dragon warrior. Since Po was unable to climb the stairs in time, he is not in the temple to see who it is. However, through a chair and rockets, he launches himself into the temple and is unexpectedly appointed the dragon warrior. Master Shifu can’t believe the choice that has been made and he makes it his goal to get Po to quit. Though Po is put through some horrible tasks, he does not quit. When evil king fu legend Tai Lung escapes from prison, Shifu is forced to do some inward thinking and decides to train Po to become the dragon warrior though he does not know how to do it. When he returns to the temple he finds Po raiding the kitchen and in his pursuit for food, Shifu discovers that Po has come innate Kung Fu qualities and finally realizes how to train Po. In no time at all Po has become the dragon warrior and faces off against Tai Lung in an epic battle.
Reason why I didn’t like it:
• It was a kids movie, so if you are looking for something more then you will be disappointed.
Reasons why I liked it:
• Jack Black is hilarious. I can’t explain why I find him so funny but it just seems that whenever he opens his mouth I laugh.
• This movie was not typical Jack Black humor. So for those of you that don’t really enjoy him, you will still enjoy this movie.
• Great movie for kids. It has great animation, good morals, and it is only one hour and thirty minutes long.
Final Notes: This was a great movie and I enjoyed pretty much every minute of it and I don’t even have kids.
Notable Characters:
Jack Black – Po
Dustin Hoffman – Shifu
Ian McShane – Tai Lung
Plot (contains spoilers): Po spends most of his free time dreaming about being the world’s greatest kung fu master. Unfortunately he is fat, clumsy, and a little dim. The day has come to reveal the dragon warrior. Since Po was unable to climb the stairs in time, he is not in the temple to see who it is. However, through a chair and rockets, he launches himself into the temple and is unexpectedly appointed the dragon warrior. Master Shifu can’t believe the choice that has been made and he makes it his goal to get Po to quit. Though Po is put through some horrible tasks, he does not quit. When evil king fu legend Tai Lung escapes from prison, Shifu is forced to do some inward thinking and decides to train Po to become the dragon warrior though he does not know how to do it. When he returns to the temple he finds Po raiding the kitchen and in his pursuit for food, Shifu discovers that Po has come innate Kung Fu qualities and finally realizes how to train Po. In no time at all Po has become the dragon warrior and faces off against Tai Lung in an epic battle.
Reason why I didn’t like it:
• It was a kids movie, so if you are looking for something more then you will be disappointed.
Reasons why I liked it:
• Jack Black is hilarious. I can’t explain why I find him so funny but it just seems that whenever he opens his mouth I laugh.
• This movie was not typical Jack Black humor. So for those of you that don’t really enjoy him, you will still enjoy this movie.
• Great movie for kids. It has great animation, good morals, and it is only one hour and thirty minutes long.
Final Notes: This was a great movie and I enjoyed pretty much every minute of it and I don’t even have kids.
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