Category Archives: Animation

Incredibles 2

Incredibles 2                                       4 stars

After an absence of 14 years, Pixar has brought us the sequel to their animated hit, The Incredibles.  At least they did in 2018, but I just got around to this one.  The colorful animation and fast moving action scenes are all still here as Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl struggle to adapt to more mundane life as being a superhero has been declared illegal.  Apparently, the criminals didn’t get the message as first the Underminer tears up the city and then newcomer, Screenslaver arrives to take over the city.  The switch here is that it is now Elastigirl who must bring the criminals to justice while husband, Mr. Incredible stays home to take care of the kids.  Things of course don’t work out that way as it is discovered that baby Jack Jack has developed superpowers that outmatch anything the rest of the family has and then the criminal Screenslaver gets the upper hand over our superheroes.  It will be time for the whole family plus their friends to team up and protect the city from this threat.  There is plenty of action for the kids and funny dialogue for us adults in the two hour long return to The Incredibles world.  It’s too bad that we had to wait for 14 years for this sequel, perhaps one of Pixar’s best to find its way to the screen.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Ralph Breaks the Internet            4 ½ stars

For my first movie while being stuck at home because of Coronavirus I picked Ralph Breaks the Internet, the sequel to Wreck It Ralph, the well received movie about a video arcade character from the eighties.  It’s appropriate to see this one as it includes the release of a virus that wreaks havoc on the population.  Ralph (John C. Reilly) spends his days either in his videogame at the arcade or hanging out with his best friend Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), that is, until an accident leaves Vanellope’s racing game, Sugar Rush, disabled making her a character without a game.  Ralph gets an idea when he learns about the internet and a thing called e-Bay, where almost anything can be found at a price, so the set off into the world of the internet where they meet all kinds of interesting characters.  The charm of the movie is the presentation of the things we run into when online, such as annoying pop-up ads, web searches, (Mr. KnowsMore), Chat pages and characters from popular movies.  Of course the best of these is the collection of all the Disney princesses in one place when they try to help out poor Vanellope.  The quest is aided by Yesss (Taraji P. Henson), the head algorithm of the website BuzzzTube who comes up with some hilarious ways for ralph to make money with ridiculous videos.  The breaking of the internet comes about with a misguided attempt by Ralph to try to change the path that Vanellope has chosen for herself.  It’s a funny family safe movie that has a lot going for it in spite of the virus.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse           4 stars

I made a real departure from the usual movies I see and took a look at Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, 2018’s animated version of the web slinging superhero from the Marvel universe.  I have not seen all of the Spiderman movies, but I’ve seen enough to be familiar with his story and some of his various enemies.  This animated movie bears little resemblance to the earlier live action versions and looks much more like a comic book, with its bright colors and fast moving action sequences.  It departs from the usual story as it creates a new Spiderman character in the form of a black teenager who gets his spider powers in the usual way, but is very unsure of himself through much of the film.  The story is quite bizarre with a large assortment of villains brought together by the sinister Kingpin who is conspiring to build a giant supercollider in order to kill everyone or some such plot.  It also involves a collection of other Spidermen gathered from alternate dimensions that are brought together to defeat the evil Kingpin.  One interesting one is Spider-Ham, a cartoon pig Spiderman (voiced by John Mulaney) who always has a clever wisecrack in any situation.  The movie collected some of the highest marks for an animated movie so I decided to finally take it in for a change of pace.  The story absolutely does not stick to the standard Marvel background.  It’s perfectly suited to the younger viewers out there.

The Lion King

The Lion King     2 stars

Disney felt the need to redo the animated beloved movie The Lion King from 1994 only this time with modern CGI effects and a new all star cast. The movie is a technical achievement in visual effects with very realistic looking animals and background terrain, but the feelings of the emotions are missing as none of the facial expressions of the original animated characters can’t be duplicated. I also found it hard to tell some of the characters apart based on their appearance. The familiar story is very much the same as the original so of course there is no new territory covered here. There were good comedic performances by Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner as Pumbaa the warthog and Timon the meercat. The music was impressive with some original songs being sung by an African choir. I am just not convinced that this movie needed to be made even though it had impressive theater ratings.

Frozen II

Frozen II               4 stars

Six years after we met Elsa and Anna, the sister princesses of Arendelle, comes Frozen II, the sequel that finds the kingdom in danger from some unleashed magical spirits from the enchanted forest (if I understand this correctly). We again see the Disney magic with many colorful scenes and musical numbers that made the first movie such a hit. This time around the characters are dealing with some darker forces that have to do with magical spirits that threaten this land and it all has to do with a conflict in the past between the kingdom and another civilization that is now hidden in the enchanted forest. There is plenty of comedy provided by Olaf, the snowman and the lovable oaf Kristoff who is trying to figure out how to propose to his love, Anna. The story is definitely more complicated than the original Frozen and would be hard for young minds to follow, but that may not be all that important. There is a long hidden secret concerning Elsa and Anna’s dead parents that helps to explain the old conflict and why it is that Elsa has magic powers. It was all a little too confusing for me to follow, even. The outstanding cast of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff is expanded with Sterling K. Brown and Evan Rachel Wood. The movie has a positive message for the kids about sticking together through challenges. Overall, it’s a good Disney movie suitable for young minds despite some of the darker moments.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World      4 ½ stars

Last year brought the third chapter of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy and it is a fitting ending to the story of the young Viking leader, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his close dragon friend, Toothless, who is always by Hiccup’s side. This time the Vikings of Berk are living peacefully with their dragon friends, but things have gotten very overcrowded. You could also call the movie, “How to Train Your Dragon: The Love Chapter”, as there is a new character in Toothless’ life, a female all white Light Fury, who has captured the attention of Toothless. There is a new villain also in the person of Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham), a master dragon trapper who together with the Trappers are seeking to put an end to the peaceful cooperation between the Vikings and their dragon friends. As the leader of the Vikings, Hiccup can see they cannot safely remain in their village and leads humans and dragons with the support of his girlfriend, Astrid (America Ferrera), in a search for the mysterious hidden world, the legendary land from which the dragons originated. The movie excels once again with the Disney animation we have seen in the previous chapters, (which go way back to 2010 believe it or not). Besides giving us the thrills of its action sequences, the movie is best when focusing on the friendship between Hiccup and Toothless, which resembles traditional movies dealing with a boy and his dog (or horse). But this time Hiccup faces the new challenge of facing what is best for Toothless and everyone in his world. This third chapter in the How to Train Your Dragon series, I think measures up to the quality of the original, something we rarely see in this age of multiple movie sequels.

Weathering With You

Weathering with You      4 ½ stars

Weathering with You is the creation of Japanese writer and director Makoto Shinkai, who has made several animated films, but this is the first that I have seen. The animation looks a lot like the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki, of which I have seen several, like Kiki’s Delivery Service. The story centers on teenager Hodaka who has run away from his small town for the big city of Tokyo. There the city is engulfed in horribly gloomy rain that reflects the circumstances of the runaway. While he is taken in by a man who seeks to exploit him in his gossip magazine business, Hodaka meets a young girl named Hina that he takes an immediate liking to. She also comes from an unfortunate home situation and has a younger sister and brother to look after. Hodaka discovers something very unusual about his new friend. Hina possesses the power of a Sunshine Girl, a being of a Japanese myth who is able to control the weather through prayer. Her explanation is that she came to be this way through her praying by her dying mother. The pair find that they are able to make a living off of this power by bringing sunshine to Tokyo for payment. They soon become quite the celebrities on social media, but find that this power comes at a price when it endangers their lives. The weather aspect of the movie reflects the mood on screen of the main character and has a message about climate change as Tokyo is threatened by the rising water level. I found the movie to have a dramatic message about the power of love and self-sacrifice. It has some very detailed animation of an urban landscape drenched in rain and some well placed songs to support the mood of the film. Shinkai is also known for his very successful earlier film in Japan called Your Name. I have not seen it but it apparently has a similar theme to Weathering with You and sounds like it would also be worthwhile to see.

I Lost My Body

I Lost My Body   4 stars

To call the animated French film I Lost My Body unconventional is certainly something of an understatement. The 81 minute film tells a story of a young Frenchman in Paris in three separate storylines. The first, animated in color, follows the journey of a severed hand that can move and has senses and thoughts of its own. The hand escapes from a refrigerator and travels through the city trying to find its body. Along the way it encounters many dangers such as a pigeon, a pack of ravenous rats and a playful dog. Hopefully, that doesn’t bother you too much. A second segment is a flashback to the childhood of Naoufel, the owner of the hand, who was a happy youngster, that is until both his parents were killed in a car crash and he had to live with an uncaring uncle. This part is all done in black and white and shows his dreams of the future. The third segment follows Naoufel as a young man (still with hands intact) struggling to survive by delivering pizzas in the city, something he is not very good at. Then one evening he has a brief encounter with a young woman, Gabrielle, via an apartment intercom where he was trying to make a delivery, and he senses that they have a connection. So he sets off to find out more about her in order to arrange a meeting again. Unfortunately, for Naoufel this quest might look more like stalking to some people. The animation is all hand drawn and done in a vivid manner that keeps your attention throughout the short movie. All of the segments have a common thread of dealing with loss and seeking to connect with those that we care about. If the unusual subject matter doesn’t turn you off, I would recommend seeing this animated movie. It is in French with subtitles. As it has an adult theme, it should not be viewed by children. The movie is unconventional and surprising with an uplifting message.

Klaus

Klaus                     4 stars

Klaus is an animated Christmas movie from last year that gives us a different take on the Christmas story of Santa. This beautifully animated tale tells a new origin story of Santa set in a cold village in the north where the residents all seem to resent one another. That is, until a young postman is assigned to the village and discovers an old carpenter who makes children’s toys. Jesper devises a way to get the toys delivered to the children of the town, but his motives may not be quite altruistic. If you haven’t seen Klaus yet, I suggest that you check it out this holiday season. The movie was nominated for a Best Animated Feature Academy Award.

Onward

Onward                                4 stars

Last year’s addition to the Pixar library of films, Onward, takes us to a new fantasy world, one where magic has given way to use of technology and comfort. The creatures that inhabit this world are less skillful and out of shape versions of their ancestors that lived long ago. Director Dan Scanlon who also co-wrote, gives us a story of two elf brothers who lost their father at a young age and still miss him. Through unusual circumstances Ian and Barley have the chance to bring him back for one day through the use of magic spells, but first must go on a quest for an enchanted stone. Barley, who is into role playing magic games sees it as a great adventure that he is prepared for, but Ian, who is only 16, is more nervous about the whole proposition. Together they face the challenges and comical situations as they solve riddles and flee from the cops on their great quest. (They are accompanied by the lower half of the reincarnated dad who can only be restored upon completion of the quest.) The movie has much in common with other Pixar productions like Toy Story including the messages of human relationships and how we rely on one another. It doesn’t quite measure up to the standards set by the best Pixar creations, but is worth seeing for the younger audiences. Scanlon (who also directed Monsters University) took the idea from his own life experiences as he and his older brother lost their father when they were very young. Onward is nominated for the Best Animated Feature Academy Award.