Category Archives: Family

Toy Story 5

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Toy Story 5                          3 stars

No, I still haven’t seen either of the two major blockbusters of the summer, but I did finally see Toy Story 5, the fifth installment of Pixar’s flagship franchise that started back in the nineties. After four of these popular animated movies that chronicle the adventures of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and Bo Peep, one might ask do we need another one. How can the story be expanded beyond what has already been told? The answer is, of course we do, so that more money can be made for the studio and all the others involved. Back in Toy Story 4 the familiar toys have been separated into two groups, one is led by cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack) and are the toys belonging to an introverted child, Bonnie. The second are the abandoned toys that Woody the cowboy (Tom Hanks) keeps together. Little Bonnie is a lonely girl without any friends. She would like to play with the twins next door but is too shy to talk to them. Besides they don’t play with toys. Instead, they spend their time playing on their tech devices, called LiliPad, where kids can talk online and watch videos. This is the new villain that has entered the Toy Story universe and threatens to destroy everything special about childhood and kid’s toys. In order to get Bonnie connected with other kids, her parents get her a new Lilipad (Greta Lee). This leads to a sleepover that goes horribly wrong for Bonnie and creates havoc in the toy collection. Some of the toys even get placed in storage in the garage! Now taking center stage, Jessie and her steed Bullseye are the ones that must correct things. While on her mission Jessie discovers another girl, Blaze, who lives in the same house that Jessie shared with her first child owner. Blaze does play with toys, so Jessie’s new mission is to bring the two children together somehow. (We see that Jessie must work through her own abandonment issues as she has now been left by two children.) She is aided by Smarty Pants, a toy used for potty training. (It is so appropriate that Conan O’Brien is the voice of Smarty Pants. Be ready for an abundance of bathroom humor.) There is also a pair of old tech toys, a toy camera and a GPS toy that join in. Eventually, Jessie calls in the help of Woody and an army of Buzz Lightyears (Tim Allen) that all work together through more misadventures and action scenes. Naturally, everything will eventually work out all right for all involved. After five movies telling this story, it feels there is little originality left to present. It was technology that made the Toy Story style of animation possible. Now technology has become the villain. Can we just realize that this story has been beaten to death over these thirty plus years and that it is time to put these characters to bed?

Ferdinand

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Ferdinand                           4 stars

One of the more engaging animated films of 2017 was Ferdinand brought to us by Blue Sky Studio and director Carlos Saldanha.  It is based on the children’s book about a sweet bull who is not interested in fighting but just wants to enjoy life and the people/animals around him.  His adventures take him to a peaceful farm in Spain, to a ranch where he “trains” to fight with the other bulls and finally to the fighting ring.  Through it all he keeps his peaceful nature as he deals with trying to keep his fellow bulls safe from the humans who seek to exploit them.  There is plenty to enjoy with the comical characters and the colorful animation.  Especially good are John Cena as Ferdinand and Kate McKinnon as the female “calming” goat, Lupe.  Though not on a level of Lion King or even Rio, this is a fun movie to watch and very suitable for children.

Minions & Monsters

Minions & Monsters       4 ½ stars

I have mostly missed out on the Minions craze that has been delighting audiences over the last 16 years, having only seen one of the previous films that feature these small creators of mayhem. This week I took in the newest film in theaters, Minions & Monsters from Universal Studios. The filmmakers lose the villain Gru character altogether and concentrate solely on the yellow pill-shaped guys and their chaotic ways that confound anyone who makes their acquaintance. They seem to constantly give raspberries and hit each other over the head. The movie is divided into two halves with the first half giving us their origin story by means of a children’s field trip to a movie museum where a guide (Alison Janney) gives us their story throughout history. It seems they have wandered the planet since ancient times looking for the perfect villain for them to faithfully serve. Unfortunately, their antics always end in disaster for the chosen villain, mainly due to two of the Minions, James and Henry, forcing the Minions to repeatedly renew their search for another villain. This continues until they find a new prospect in the form of a wild west bandit being pursued by lawmen. To the Minions this seems perfect for them, so they join in the chase only to find that they are in the filming of a movie in old Hollywood. Here is where things really get fun. The Minions have arrived during the silent film era and meet the excitable director (Christoph Waltz) of the movie they have crashed. The director says he now must start over, but when the two studio heads (Jeff Bridges, voicing two parts) see the Minions on film, they think they have found a new star and the Minions are signed for many new movies. This part is interesting to film buffs as there are countless references to old Hollywood, like Modern Times, Singin’ in the Rain, The Maltese Falcon and Citizen Kane. George Lucas even makes a brief appearance. (There is even a globe that represents the globe from Charlie Chaplin playing Hitler in The Great Dictator.) (We even find out how the Minions got their familiar coveralls clothing.) But things go badly when talkies are introduced and people find out what Minion voices really sound like. So, it’s the end of the Minions’ movie career. But James has the idea to make a monster movie if he can only find the right monster! The second half of the movie begins with James and Henry conjuring a monster from an old spell book they saved from a long dead wizard, resulting in a tiny Cthulu monster (Trey Parker of South Park fame) who promises he can deliver a truly frightening monster for James’ dream. The antics continue through this portion of the film, but I didn’t find it quite as entertaining as the earlier portion. There is a new character introduced in the form of Dort (Jesse Eisenberg), a clumsy robot who lives in a rundown apartment and resembles the robot Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still. In a fitting ending it is up to the Minions to save Earth from the very invading monsters that they brought back. The director, Pierre Coffin, has made something that is equally entertaining to both young and older audiences. I’m sorry I haven’t seen more of these little nuisances in their earlier movies. So, check out Minions & Monsters. It should be around for a long while.

Robot Dreams

Robot Dreams   4 ½ stars

I had not heard of Pablo Berger’s animated movie, Robot Dreams before but after viewing it I have to call it a masterpiece about lost friendships. Set in 1980’s NYC, the movie is based on a graphic novel by Sarah Varon. Using a simple style of animation with no dialogue, all the characters are animals living in a busy urban environment. The main character, DOG, lives alone in a small apartment and is very alone. That is, until he sees an ad for a mail order robot, which he acts on. After a few days he receives a package in the mail containing the mechanical robot, plus some assembly instructions. Before long ROBOT is up and running and a fresh relationship blossoms. The pair become fast friends, sharing activities in the city as ROBOT takes it all in with a sense of awe. DOG is equally inspired as they go roller-skating to Earth, Wind and Fire and hang out under the Queensboro bridge. They spend a day at Oceans Beach going swimming and sunning, until ROBOT suddenly freezes up and can’t move since salt water is bad for his circuitry. The tone changes as DOG is forced to abandon his friend at the beach but hopes to return to retrieve ROBOT the following summer. This is where the movie turns sad, as DOG pursues other activities such as sled riding alone and endures the abuse of other riders like an evil pair of anteaters and going bowling with a snowman. ROBOT, still alone on the beach encounters other creatures too, some abusive, but others caring. We also find out that this mechanical being can dream as he fantasizes of being reunited with his new friend. As time goes by, the close friendship slowly fades and the relationship becomes a thing of the past, though each character treasures the memories. The audience is left wondering if the two friends will find a way to reunite. And if they do, what will it be like. This is the Spanish film director’s first effort at an animated film. Previously, he made Biancanieves, a take on Snow White. He has an effective style of portraying human emotions in his characters using facial expressions and a lack of any dialogue. Aspects of the film have been compared to Charlie Chaplin, who the director is a fan of, as he gives us moments of hilarious comedy alternating with a punch in the gut. The movie is available on Disney + and Hulu. If you see it, I advise that you be emotionally prepared and be ready to be humming EW&F’s September. The movie is also appropriate for children. Robot Dreams was nominated for the Animated Feature Academy Award but lost out to The Boy and the Heron in 2024.

Toy Story 4

Toy Story 4          5 stars

The movie that is currently killing at the box office and will be the best animated movie of the year is Toy Story 4, the 4th (obviously) installment of the Toy Story franchise from Pixar that features the adventures of Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and many others.  This time around the gang of toys are in the possession of Bonnie, a little girl who loves her toys only some more than others.  Woody is apparently not among the favorites.  Bonnie creates a new toy out of the trash at Kindergarten, a spork called Forky (Tony Hale) who seems to have a complex about being trash accompanied by a desire to throw himself back in the trash basket.  It then becomes Woody’s mission to get Forky to realize that he is a toy who is loved by little Bonnie.  Of course things get much more complicated than that when the family along with the toys go on a trip to an RV park.  A whole new adventure is to be had at an amusement park and an antique shop that involves a talking girl doll, Gabby (Christina Hendricks) who has designs on Woody’s voicebox to restore her own damaged voice.  Adding plenty of color and amusement to the story are Ducky and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) two stuffed amusement park prize animals.  I have not seen all of the Toy Story movies but I venture to say this one must be near the top of the series.  It is well suited for young audiences and adults alike.  Look for it to win Best Animated Movie Oscar next year.

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain                      5 stars

The animated film Little Amélie or the Character of Rain co-directed by Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han is short and simply drawn but presents a complex story of self-realization by a toddler. It is based on the writings of Amélie Northomb about her own life growing up in Japan. The story is set in 1970’s Japan where a Western family is living with their three children. The father is a Belgian diplomat. Amélie is the baby and is completely noncommunicative with the family, but she has a wild imagination as described by the narrator. She sees herself as God but is set apart from humanity. Or she sees herself as a tube, something that food passes through without changing. It isn’t until she is two and a half years old when her grandmother from Belgium visits and gives her some chocolate that she finally connects with the family and can immediately speak in complete sentences. (Her first word is vacuum cleaner.) She likes their Japanese housekeeper, Nishio-san the most, who introduces her to Japanese customs and the idea that Amélie’s name means rain. She becomes fascinated by rain and sea creatures, something that leads to a dangerous situation when she wanders off on her own. Even though Amélie is a Westerner, she sees herself as Japanese preferring the company of Nishio-san over her own family. Later though, she learns of the suffering caused by the war and the resentment of the Japanese landowner toward white people, but she is incapable of understanding such complex issues. The animation is done with few colors and without defined lines, preferring a fuzzy look in a minimalist style. The movie gives us some idea of how a toddler might see the world around them, doing all this in only 78 minutes. The movie is up for the Best Animated Feature Academy Award.

Mary Poppins Returns

Mary Poppins Returns   3 1/2 stars

I finally got to see last year’s Mary Poppins Returns, the long overdue sequel to the original Mary Poppins from the sixties starring Julie Andrews.  This time around it is Emily Blunt taking on the title role, a daunting task that she lives up to very well, capturing the personality and always in control attitude of the magical nanny.  This time she is back to take care of the new Banks family with young Michael (Ben Whishaw) who is widowed and Jane (Emily Mortimer) all grown up and in a crisis as Michael’s own employer is about to foreclose on the family house.  Mary takes the three children on some thrilling adventures through animated lands much like in the original movie and finds time to rescue the family from their troubles.  It is also fun to see Lin-Manuel Miranda as the always smiling and cheerful lamplighter, Jack and Dick Van Dyke in a brief special role as the owner of the bank.  There also memorable appearances by Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Angela Lansbury.  It is very tough to be compared to such a masterpiece as Mary Poppins, a movie I loved watching repeatedly as a child.  The musical numbers may not be quite up to the level of the creations that made the original movie so memorable.  The tunes don’t stick with me the way they did, but then I’m not a nine year old anymore.  Maybe today’s kids will find Mary Poppins Returns to be as enchanting as the original seemed to me way back then.

KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters                     4 ½ stars

I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about for the Netflix animated movie KPop Demon Hunters, so I viewed it months after it was in theaters and viewed by record crowds. I know very little about KPop, having some awareness of BTS but that is about it. The movie is very colorful and action packed, following a very popular female musical trio called Huntrix, voiced by Arden Cho, Ji-young Yoo and May Hong. The story is rather light with the premise being that there are demons trying to get into the souls of music fans by means of capturing them with popular tunes. Huntrix can resist the threat with their own popular tunes as long as they can write and perform the best songs for their fans. The problem for them happens when the main demon character comes up with a scheme to defeat Huntrix by enlisting a boy band that challenges them to a competition to become more popular with their fans. At least that is what I took from it. The real entertainment comes from the very catchy and upbeat tunes in the movie. These include their top hit, Golden. (I kept hearing it in my head for days afterward.) So, if you are ready for some rather mindless entertainment, you should see it. Then you can understand what all the kids are excited about. I understand that it broke the box office record for animated movies. And it is sure to receive an Academy Award nomination for Animated Film and probably will win.

Mirai

Mirai                      2 ½ stars

Mirai is a Japanese animated movie that came out last year by anime director Mamoru Hosoda.  The story is about a young boy of 5 or 6 who has to deal with the addition of a baby sister to the family, one that he has a hard time accepting.  There is a lot of misbehaving on the part of young Kun until he is visited by the young teenage version of his little sister who guides him through some odd crisis with his family.  He is also visited by the human version of the family dog who joins in the adventures.  Kum also goes through some other strange adventures when he leaves the house and encounters people that have key roles in his life.  I haven’t seen any of Hosoda’s previous work but I wasn’t thrilled by the story of a little boy who is something of a brat and is slow to respect others in his family.  It’s not up to the level of work by Hayao Miyazaki who brought us Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke and The Wind Rises.  Those were truly exceptional animated movies that I still remember.  Animation is a way to tell a story with some very fantastic elements that can’t be done with live action.  I hope that Hosoda can succeed in coming up with some truly fantastic stories with a moral message.

In Your Dreams

In Your Dreams                 4 stars

From Netflix comes the new animated film, In Your Dreams, that follows the adventures of twelve-year-old Stevie and her little brother Elliot as they venture into the world of dreams. This film arrives after Netflix’s wildly successful KPop Demon Hunters and may not have nearly its marketing or its originality of music, but it does have an impactful message that will appeal to a wide audience. Viewers of course will recognize some favorite tunes in the film including Mr. Sandman, Sweet Dreams and Enter Sandman that are woven into the story. Stevie seems to have a near perfect life with her two parents (Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti) but must put up with annoying little Elliot who came along a few years after her. She becomes concerned when there are signs of trouble in her parents’ marriage and she fears they could split up. One day the siblings discover an old book in a thrift store titled Legend of the Sandman, that tells about the Sandman who can make dreams come true if they believe in him. The two of them try out the instructions in the book and upon falling asleep, they enter the bizarre world of dreams where objects come to life, such as a bed they ride like a horse, breakfast cereal and Elliot’s favorite toy Baloney Tony, a stuffed giraffe who spouts wisecracks (played by Craig Robinson). The promise is that if they can find the Sandman he could make dreams come true and for Stevie this is getting her parents to stay together. The problem is they have to face dangerous situations in the dream land without waking up, something that proves very difficult. In one scene they must do battle with a giant teddy bear. It is all rather amusing but could have the potential of scaring young children. When they finally do find the Sandman (Omid Djalili) he shows them that if they can stay asleep long enough their dream can become reality, so Stevie is determined to make this work. And it does for a while; that is, until it all seems too good to be true. They also meet Nightmara, the creator of nightmares who tells the children that nightmares are there to help us face the bad things in life, but the Sandman wanted to avoid them and make dreams pleasant instead. The movie becomes a life lesson in facing the things that make life difficult and loving each other in spite of the problems that go with being part of a family. There is plenty of color and high intensity action as well as occasional fart jokes that should entertain the youngsters. At an hour and a half, it is about the right length. The writer/director is Alex Woo who previously worked for Pixar. This is his first effort in the director’s chair and I hope we see more to come from his vivid imagination. The movie is available on Netflix.