Tag Archives: family movies

Penguins of Madagascar

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Sidekicks can steal the show – just ask the minions of Despicable Me,  and now, belatedly, the Penguins of Madagascar, in their very own spy thriller!penguinsmadagascar

The movie opens on a March of the Penguins-like origin story for this band of ragamuffins, and a documentary film crew (voiced brilliantly, in part, by Werner Herzog!)  show them to be, let’s say, more bumbling than brilliant. This proves true once they’re grown as well – they escape the circus from the last movie but land themselves right in the hands of a nemesis they didn’t know they had (John Malkovich), an old zoo-mate from their Central Park days. This nemesis, also known as “Dave”, has it out for penguins in general and these ones in particular – their cuteness took the crowds away from his own zoo exhibit and he’s been harbouring a grudge ever since. The penguins seem to be in a little over their heads but an agency called the North Wind (a wolf voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, a neurotic polar bear, a sarcastic seal, and a sexy snow owl) swoops in to take over the rescue operation.

penguinsofThe traditional animation isn’t ground-breaking and the story’s not exactly scintillating, but I can see how this will work for kids. It’s full of fun visuals, simple puns, and wacky sight gags -“Melons, dead ahead!” It’s very hard not to have fun watching this movie, and if you’re a littlun all sugared up on snack bar, all the better – the pace is frenetic! I’m not sure it has much to keep adults captivated – too silly and earnest – but you should at least be able to sit through it with the kids. And if you’re missing King Julien, then just sit through about half a Pitbull song (if there’s a better musical representation for this empty-but-flashy animation, I don’t know it) during the credits, and whoop, there he is.

 

 

 

Annie (2014)

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I hate to beat a dead horse but.

This is a very dead horse. And with such potential! I thought refreshing Annie’s story, bringing annie2014her into the 21st century, plopping her down into Harlem, and casting her as the lovely and fresh-faced Quvenzhane Wallis were all very wise and exciting decisions, so why then, does the movie have no charm?

Annie lives with mean foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz), who in this version is a C+C Music Factory has-been. I wondered if they would drop the drunk act, which always feels so inappropriate to me, but nope, Cameron slurs and stumbles through her routine, not quite selling the terrible things coming out of her mouth (though she does excel at the more flirtatious\salacious bits). Annie is recruited to go live with New York’s richest man, William Stacks, owner of a successful cell phone franchise, who just happens to also be running for mayor and his shrewd campaign manager (Bobby Canavale) sees her as a potential boost in approval ratings.

No one in this film should be doing a musical – with the possible exception of Jamie Foxx, who’s done well enough before, but you’d never guess it if this was your only proof. The old songs are mistreated, and the new ones are flat. And the choreography, if you can call it that? So lacklustre it’s awkward. Director Will Gluck has no business doing a musical. Neither does Cameron Diaz, and if you can recall her stunningly bad karaoke performance in My Best Friend’s Wedding, then you know she’s the first to admit it. Why then, does her song “Little Girls” steal the show? Not because it’s good, because it isn’t, though Sia’s re-worked it so complements Diaz’s lack of vocal range and talent. But she owns it. At least her sloppiness is intentional.

Wallis is adorable though, and works as an antidote for all our pent-up political cynicism. That’s when the movie teeters into “just okay” status, up from its usual “totally blah”. Looking back, the version of Annie that I loved as a kid doesn’t quite pass muster either, but there’s pluck and spirit and goddamn Carol Burnett! This one just isn’t trying hard enough.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

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TMNT 2014 is an awful movie that also happens to be the most-watched movie by families at home right now. We sat through it out of morbid curiosity and wished we hadn’t, but a certain nostalgia was at play for Sean, who loved the original as a kid.tmnt

We found the original Turtles on Netflix last night and again, a whim was indulged. I’m not going to review this for you, because it’s a movie where grown men play teenaged turtles. In costumes. That talk with New York accents but say California surfer dude things. Oh, and they’re ninjas, trained by a huge rat named Splinter that took 3 puppeteers to control and who looks a little like my Yorkie, Fudgie.

It’s not great, but Sean had very fond memories of it that were sullied by this re-watching. I recently wrote about my own experience watching Annie for the first time in at least two decades, and how it didn’t measure up to my memory either. So instead of reviewing the movie, I’m asking you about your own experience – have you ever had a childhood memory tarnished? Ever loved a movie as a kid and then hated it as an adult? Not all movies age well, and not all people do either! I suppose it’s inevitable that some movies will lose their magic, and I suppose it’s just as possible that some movies never had it, they just had little fans with rosier eyeglasses.

Annie (1982)

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Because an Annie reboot is in theatres right now, I thought an Annie refresher was in order – and was shocked to learn that neither Sean nor Matt had ever seen it in the first place. I assured them it was a classic that may have eluded them in their childhoods but needed to be seen tout Annie-filmde suite.

So I’m going to write it now, in bold: I was wrong. This is not a good movie. I don’t know how or why I had such warm fuzzy feelings about it. Sure the little red curls are cute (a wig!) and I’m sure I fell for the scruffy dog named after my mother, but only a song and a half are decently hummable, and Carol Burnett’s Miss Hannigan feels wildly inappropriate. Not to mention the weirdly racist Punjab character, who wears a turban and can move things with his mind.

Jack Nicholson was originally cast as Daddy Warbucks, and Drew Barrymore auditioned to be Annie. Would that have made any difference? Because my biggest complaint with this movie is th at it’s just not that charming. I was rather bored by it. I can’t imagine what about this movie inspired someone to want to make another, but I admit I’m at least curious to find out how much has changed. Surely Cameron Diaz as Miss Hannigan must be a nicer, soberer creature, less prone to child exploitation and flimsy underclothes? And I’m praying that no one ever has to refer to Jamie Fox as “Daddy.”

Critics don’t seem to have liked this new one (or the old one, for that matter), but the box office tells another story. The first Annie also did pretty well in theatres, was the tenth-highest grossing film of 1982, which still wasn’t enough to make a profit considering its bloated budget. I haven’t been bored enough to get to the 2014 version yet but when I do, you’ll be the first to hear.

Golden Globes – Best Animated Feature Film

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The Nominees are

The Lego Movie

How To Train Your Dragon 2

The Boxtrolls

Big Hero 6

The Book of Life

I have nothing bad to say about any of these movies, they’re all watchable and enjoyable. It’s not easy to compare inflatable robots with Mexican representations of death, or sentient toys with mute dragons, but the Golden Globes (and soon the Oscars) forces us do so, and this year, there’s no contest.

This category holds one of my favourite movies of 2014, period. The Lego Movie is a triumph in legodetail. Every piece of the movie is virtually built with bricks, bricks that are blemished and scratched, bricks that appear to be played with. The nostalgia factor runs deep in this movie, with several familiar faces popping up in cameos throughout the film. Emmett, the hero of the movie, voiced by Chris Pratt, is a likable doofus that appeals to all audience members. Liam Neeson voices good cop\bad cop brilliantly and steals every scene he’s in. The movie shows a pig explode into sausages – I mean, there’s just no beating that. And any kid movie that can sneak in themes of Orwell’s 1984 AND The Matrix has got to be awarded. We’ll start with the Globes, but we’re not stopping until the Oscars.

Score one The Lego Movie. But do I think the Globes will agree? Yes, I do.

 

 

See our other Golden Globes coverage.

 

 

 

The Book of Life

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Matt really disliked this movie but I couldn’t disagree more. The Book of Life is dazzling and vibrant and steeped in beautiful Mexican culture, even if it does fudge the facts a bit. Yes the accents are a bit wonky and the movie embraces stereotype – but that’s just it. They own it. There’s a real sense of pride but it’s never alienating. It may occasionally poke fun at itself but I thought it was sensitive and illuminative.The book of life

And finally an animated feature that, when most people would rather show another talking dog or a cuddly dragon rather than a person of colour, brings us a whole host of Mexican heroes that teach a lesson in love and diversity to a group of white schoolchildren. I thought it was refreshing. I thought it was electrifying to look at, Day of the Dead has inspired so much art and this movie is a real testament to all that came before it, and sorry Matt, but I even loved the mariachi-inspired covers of Radiohead’s Creep and Mumford & Sons I Will Wait. I thought it was a brilliant way to incorporate Mexico’s modernity into a film mostly set in the 19th century.

The story had lofty ambitions but didn’t quite live up to its own goals. The female character balks at her hand in marriage being given away for her. She seems an independent sort, strong, dare I say a feminist, but is sadly animated in the disgusting tradition of cartoons – her eyes are bigger than her hands, her ponytail is wider than her waist, and she’s about half the size of her male counterparts (who are glamorously styled after traditional marionettes). A real disappointment, not to mention the fact that the plot relies on a wager placed between gods as to which of two childhood friends will marry her, because offering a girl as a prize to be won is apparently necessary even when we’ve already established that this girl can think for herself.

The pacing is quick, maybe too quick. Adults, at least, will want to soak in the artistry and the legends but the momentum is unrelenting. The voice work is pretty great, although some of the casting did give me pause. Why are Channing Tatum and Ice Cube voicing Mexican characters? Did they get lost on their way to a 23 Jump Street rehearsal? I mean, I’m relieved that Channing Tatum at the very least isn’t affecting a disingenuous Mexican accent, but I feel that with so much Latino talent, they could have easily found someone better and I can’t think of any  reason why they chose to go with a whiteboy. I realize we’re already stretching our imaginations to include a Mexico where the people speak English (some accented, some not). And I also realize that I probably don’t even have the right to comment on this. And while this movie isn’t a perfect representation of Mexican tradition, it’s a friendly start. It’s familiar enough that American audiences, even American kids, won’t be put off, while bridging a cultural gap that I hope will lead to more family movies doing the same.

 

The Boxtrolls

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The Boxtrolls really seizes the opportunity to create a universe unlike any we’ve either seen. It’s a bit more macabre than we’re used to in a children’s movie, dark and gritty, but immersive and satisfying in its stop-motion animation.boxtrolls

In the town of Cheesebridge, an evil exterminator vows to kill off every boxtroll, spreading lies and ugly myths about them to win public approval (“Hide your delicious babies!”). The boxtrolls live underground, basically in hiding, clothed (or disguised?) in cardboard boxes, where they use pilfered materials to build all sorts of magical things. They only come out at night to snatch unused, unwanted things, but to do so is to put themselves in peril of being caught. Their number dwindles steadily until a young boxtroll named Eggs discovers you can go out into the light, and he must try to rally the timid boxtrolls into standing up for themselves.

The boxtrolls don’t speak, but that doesn’t stop them from each having a unique character (not unlike the Minions, come to think of it), or from communicating what they feel. The humans in the story are a sorry lot – sure Mr. Snatcher, the dastardly exterminator, is evil, but the others aren’t much better.  The troll “monsters” are eminently easier to root for in their sweetness and earnestness. There is also real sorrow here, and stabs at profundity. One human wonders if the boxtrolls “understand the duality of good and evil” while murking up the concept himself.

We have come to expect big things from the animators at Laika (think Coraline) and this film looks just as cool, and even more textured. And I love seeing an animated film where the little girl is not sexed up, and isn’t even crazy skinny. She has little girl proportions! Disney, you’re totally busted: turns out it IS possible to make a girl who looks like a girl. And if you stick around after the credits, you’re in for a treat: there’s a bit of existential animation that’s enlightening and entertaining.

A little slow to start, it’s still a solid movie that will capture children, especially those inclined to gross-out jokes (so, pretty much all). But this was a competitive year in terms of animation, which is great. Everyone’s bringing their A game. It’s just that movies like Big Hero 6 and The Lego Movie earned an A+.

Muppets Most Wanted

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muppetsThis movie picks up exactly where the last one left off, with a rousing musical number about how this is a sequel, and as we all know, the sequel’s never quite as good.

The gang is lured into a world tour by Ricky Gervais playing Mr. Badguy, an agent who’ll give them everything they want, but is secretly the number two to Constantine: world’s most dangerous frog (!). Constantine and Badguy are on a crime spree and are using the Muppets as a front, except for poor Kermit who’s been sent to a Russian gulag as a stand-in for his look-alike, Constantine. Jean Pierre Napoleon (Ty Burrell) and Mr. Eagle are on the case (Interpol, CIA), and as soon as Napoleon’s leisurely European 6 hour lunch break is over, they might actually solve it and save the day.

Gervais looks like his appearance in this film is court-mandated. He’s not having any fun and he tysucks the life out of all the scenes he’s in. Burrell is made for this stuff, and has actual chemistry with a big blue eagle. Tina Fey, playing the gulag’s strict warden, is the stand-out. The moment Kermit is rolled into the prison wearing a Hannibal Lecter mask, you know the Siberian scenes will be your favourite. Fey’s number “In the Big House” seals the deal; it’s the best of the bunch. And the fact that she’s backed up by doo-wopping prisoners played by Danny Trejo, Ray Liotta and Jemaine Clement wearing a crown of sporks just cements it. In fact, seeing Ray Liotta with wagging knees and jazz hands just might make the movie. The only problem with that is that these most cherished scenes are virtually muppet-MUPPETS MOST WANTEDfree, and if muppets are upstaged by humans in a Muppet movie, you’re sunk.

Bret McKenzie, (the other half of Clement’s Flight of the Conchords) is back again after winning the Oscar for his work on the first film (“Man or Muppet”, best original song), but the music has lost its lustre. It’s a lustreless film in general. Maybe we’re just missing the magic that Jason Segel brought, his fandom really breathed life into the franchise and nostalgia played high for us all.

Muppets Most Wanted is just as chock-full of cameos as the its predecessor. Blink and you’ll miss them: Tony Bennett, James McAvoy, the dude from Downton Abbey, Christoph Waltz dancing the waltz, Salma Hayek, Stanely Tucci, Zach Galifinakis, Puff Daddy. And the list continues! It feels a little like more time was spent on lining up cameos than thinking up plot, and that’s too bad, because on paper this film had all the potential of the 2011’s The Muppets, but this is a sequel, and as we all know, the sequel’s never quite as good.

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles (2014)

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Is it still called “jumping on a bandwagon” if you hate what everyone else seems to be hating on? Michael Bay’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot seems like an easy target and wanting to feel like I have a mind of my own, I’d really love to have something nice to say about it. Bay’s project was controversial from almost the moment it was announced – with the last Michaelangelo even accusing the filmmakers of “sodomizing” the Turtles’ legacy – and has been almost universally panned by critics since its release.

I do not write this reboot off because of its comic book origins or because it uses the word “mutogen” at least five times. I don’t blame it for its source material nor its deviation from it. I do blame it though for being bad. So bad. Worse than I had feared.

I grew up with these characters and have seen the 90s TMNT movies more times than I can count. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the first (and best by far) of that franchise but I remember it being a lot more fun. I remember it as a little darker. I definitely remember it taking its time in introducing us to the Turtles, Shredder, Splinter, and their origin stories.

In 2014, we are forced to settle for a talky and lazy script, loud and incoherent action scenes, charmless turtles, and a how-is-she-so-stupid April O’Neil. Splinter and Shredder fail to command respect. I couldn’t help but feel bad for Will Arnett who plays April’s sidekick and is tasked with bringing comic relief to a witless screenplay and can barely conceal his embarrassment. Only Megan Fox, as April, seems immune from the embarrassment with over-zealous delivery as awkward to watch as Arnett’s sheepishness.

Were my childhood memories “sodomized” by this new franchise? Probably not. My memories will remain as fond as ever. It’s this mess that I wish I could forget.

The Book of Life

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The Book of Life is the fourth Golden Globe nominee for Best Animated Feature Film that I have gotten around to reviewing and, unfortunately, the worst in every way I can think of.

The movie was produced by Gullermo del Toro so I know that I’m supposed to love it. And I’ve read several reviews that praised it for its focus on Mexican culture and characters. Fair point but I couldn’t help wondering on what side of the thin line between celebrating diversity and reinforcing stereotypes this film was falling as I nervously glanced around the theater once or twice to see if anyone else found this offenseive. Maybe I was the only one. I’m curious to hear what the internet has to say. What I could not forigive though were the bad song covers from which no one is safe- even Radiohead.

The book of Life may earn some points for its Just Be Yourself message. I’d be more impressed though if every other nominated animated film (although I haven’t seen the Boxtrolls yet) didn’t also have a Just Be Yourself message . In fact, if it turns out the Boxtrolls has a Don’t Stray From the Pack message, I would probably vote for it just for,ironically straying from the pack.

I may not be the target audience for this movie. Some movies are just for the kids and maybe there’s nothing wrong with that. But in the theater where I saw The Book of Life, the kids were as restless as I was, making me wonder who the target audience is supposed to be.