For Peanuts fans, this is the best time of year. Over the next three months Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Franklin, Peppermint Patty, along with Woodstock and Snoopy, will be filling TV screens with annual holiday TV specials.
On Thursday evening, ABC will once again show the venerable classic “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” followed by the hilarious Thanksgiving episode, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” in November, concluding in December with the musical animated special “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.
Just in time for THE PEANUTS MOVIE’s big-screen debut on November 6th, Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox have just released a celebration of 65 years of the world of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts.
Charlie Brown, the world’s most beloved underdog, embarks upon an epic and heroic quest, while his best pal, the lovable beagle Snoopy, takes to the skies to pursue his arch-nemesis, the Red Baron. From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the ICE AGE films, THE PEANUTS MOVIE will prove that every underdog has his day.
Going to see a movie is a great idea for weekend family outings, but sometimes it can be difficult to find movies that are appropriate and enjoyable for the whole family! We’ve put together a list of the best upcoming film releases that are a must-see for the whole family.
For your viewing pleasure, here’s a list of the top ten movies to catch with your family this year, starting with the uplifting and inspiring LITTLE BOY in theaters this Friday April 24th!
LITTLE BOY
This is the type of movie that will resonate with everyone in the family! LITTLE BOY is a powerful and moving film about a little boy who is willing to do whatever it takes to bring his dad home from World War II alive. The heartwarming story will capture your heart and lift your spirits as it reveals the indescribable love a little boy has for his father and the love a father has for his son. Set in the 1940s, LITTLE BOY is an instant cinematic classic that captures the wonder of life through the eyes of a 7- year-old little boy. Coming to theaters this Friday April 24th, LITTLE BOY is a must-see for the entire family.
Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios
TOMORROWLAND
TOMORROWLAND, in theaters May 22nd, will be an exciting ride! Take your family an epic adventure with Casey Newton, a girl who discovers TOMORROWLAND in an alternate dimension. In order to save the world she must unravel the mysteries behind the enigmatic location.
Photo Credit: Disney/Pixar
INSIDE OUT
INSIDE OUT explores, in a fun and imaginative way, how our emotions work. The film gives a glimpse into the mind of a young girl, Riley, where you’ll meet 5 of her emotions- Joy, Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Sadness. Watch as Riley’s emotions lead her through her move to a new city, house and school! INSIDE OUT will be in theaters June 19.
Photo Credit: Illumination Entertainment
MINIONS
Everyone’s favorite MINIONS are coming back to theaters this summer, July 10th! The MINIONS are embarking on a new journey to find a new master and save all Minionkind from annihilation. MINIONS is sure to be fun adventure for everyone in the family!
Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
MAX
In theaters August 21, MAX tells the heartfelt story of a precision-trained military dog who serves on the frontlines in Afghanistan alongside his handler, US Marine Kyle Wincott. When Kyle’s family eventually adopts Max the whole family might find an unlikely new best friend. MAX is sure to be a great film for the whole family and an obvious choice for dog lovers!
Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Animation
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2
Following the success of HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA, the sequel comes to theaters September 25. When vampire Vlad comes to town and unexpectedly visits his estranged son Drac, the entire hotel is turned upside down and they’re all in for a brand new monster adventure!
Photo Credit: Columbia Pictures
GOOSEBUMPS
The classic children’s scary stories by R.L. Stine are being brought to the big screen October 16th! Hannah, R.L. Stine’s daughter, befriends the town’s new kid, Zach. But, when Zach accidentally unleashes all the monsters from R.L. Stine’s books, the three of them must team up to put the monsters back where they came from. This will be sure to be a family adventure to look forward to!
Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Fox
THE PEANUTS MOVIE
The Peanuts are back on November 6th with THE PEANUTS MOVIE! The classic gang is coming to the big screen and are sure to capture the hearts of audiences no matter what age. THE PEANUTS MOVIE is a great choice for nostalgic parents who want to introduce the beloved characters to their children!
Photo Credit: Disney/Pixar
THE GOOD DINOSAUR
Find out what Earth would be like if dinosaurs never became extinct in this humorous adventure that will hit theaters November 25th. THE GOOD DINOSAUR will definitely be a great animated adventure that will be enjoyed by everyone in the family!
Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Fox
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: ROAD CHIP
Alvin and the Chipmunks are on a new adventure December 23rd! After coming to believe that Dave is going to propose to his new girlfriend in New York City the Chipmunks are afraid they will be left behind. They have 3 days to stop the proposal and save themselves from losing Dave! The Chipmunks is sure to be a great family film and a hilarious music-filled family adventure.
LITTLE BOY is a powerful and moving film about a little boy who is willing to do whatever it takes to bring his dad home from World War II alive. The heartwarming story will capture your heart and lift your spirits as it reveals the indescribable love a little boy has for his father and the love a father has for his son. Set in the 1940s, LITTLE BOY is an instant cinematic classic that captures the wonder of life through the eyes of a 7- year-old little boy. Written and directed by Smithsonian Institute Award winning director Alejandro Monteverde, LITTLE BOY highlights themes of faith, hope and love in the face of adversity.
A moviegoing experience for all ages, LITTLE BOY features an all-star cast/crew including Oscar® nominated actors Emily Watson and Tom Wilkinson as well as Ben Chaplin, Michael Rapaport, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Ted Levine, David Henrie, Eduardo Verastegui and newcomer Jakob Salvati (the seven-year-old lead actor who delivered an extraordinary, Oscar caliber performance). The film is directed by Smithsonian Institute Award winning director Alejandro Monteverde (BELLA) from a screenplay by Monteverde and Pepe Portillo. Executive produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett (Son of God, upcoming NBC series A.D. and Paramount’s remake of Ben-Hur), the film is produced by Eduardo Verastegui, Leo Severino, Alejandro Monteverde, Emilio Azcarraga (Televisa/Univision), Bernardo Gomez (Televisa), Micky Ohare and Sean Wolfington.
Wow, can it really be 23 years since Billy Crystal was sitting across from Meg Ryan at the deli as she really, really enjoyed her lunch?! Yup and he’s playing a grandpa’ in the new family flick PARENTAL GUIDANCE. And guess who’s grandma’? THE ROSE herself, the still divine Bette Midler! The perennial Oscar host’s daughter is played by Oscar winner Marisa Tomei (MY COUSIN VINNY). These showbiz powerhouses have joined forces for this family friendly (just in time for the holidays) comedy all about..well…families. Here comes the incredibly cute kids and the big generational conflicts. Will they find a happy medium (and eventual ending)? Whatta’ you think?!
Artie Decker (Crystal) and his wife Diane (Midler) are getting ready to enjoy their golden years in sunny California. Life throws them a curve when Artie is fired from his long-standing job as the play-by-play man for a local minor league baseball team. Meanwhile in Atlanta, their only daughter Alice (Tomei) wants to travel with her hubby Phil (Tom Everett Scott) to an awards banquet at a distant resort. Phil’s parents are on a cruise, so she reluctantly calls her mom. Much to Artie’s chagrin she jumps at the chance to spend a few days with their three grandkids: thirteen year-old Harper who’s stressing out about a big music audition, picked upon eight year-old Turner (he’s studders), and wild free-spirited six year-old Barker. Alice isn’t sure if her folks will adhere to her modern parenting methods (she’s also holding on to some old grudges from childhood slights). Can she trust the care of the kids to them and get on the plane with Phil, for gosh sakes?!
The sitcom-like plot doesn’t give these usually talented performers a chance to play anything deeper than “types”. Crystal’s is wise-cracking, ingratiating host persona that we’ve seen so long on the talk shows and the big movie awards. I was wishing for a bit of the darkness he showed in MR. SATURDAY NIGHT. His Artie just wants everybody to like him and get along. He’s almost easing into the jovial “square” that Bob Hope repeated in his 1960’s films. A sequence of him in hip-hop drag as he auditions to be an ESPN X-Games host is particularly painful. Midler’s playing the nurturing, brassy “Auntie Mame” or “Mamma Rose” archetype. She’s gonna show those kids how to have real fun, by golly! There’s a hint of the acid-tongued Bette from RUTHLESS PEOPLE when she deals with a pushy violin teacher, but through most of the film she’s trying to reign in her hubby. Tomei’s regulated to being the repressive straight man to the Billy/Bette comedy duo (like Margaret DuMont and the Marxes). After interesting, edgy work in THE WRESTLER and BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOUR DEAD, this petulant, grown child/ hovering parent seems a couple of steps back career-wise. Good to see Scott back on the big screen, although his Dad role is shuttled off for most of the film. The kids are pretty good child actors with Bailee Madison building on the promise showed couple years ago in DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK.
As I mentioned above, the script could’ve have been the first four episodes of a TV sitcom (shot on videotape with a loud, raucous soundtrack, it would be right at home on the Disney cable channel). The slapstick is sloppy and stilted while many of the actors must mug shamelessly in order to sell the predictable jokes. The sticky sentimentality is equally tough to endure. Listening to ancient radio recordings forges a bond and brings one of the kids out of their shell. Ooo-kay… The same can be said of an old street game that magically brings everyone together. And a kitchen-staged performance of a doo-whop classic tune is almost unbearable (almost as cringe-worthy as the “Low Rider” number in THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN earlier this year). Every pratfall and heart-tugging moment is hammered home by Marc Shaiman’s obvious score (sorry, but your SOUTH PARK score is still sublime). If you’ve got to entertain some older relatives in town for the holiday, then a trip to the multiplex for Billy and company may be just the ticket. But if you really enjoy the past work of these gifted stars, then you’ll want to wait and hope for more worthy material. As Artie Decker would say, “Swing and a miss!”
Well, it looks like Hollywood’s marketers are pulling a bit of a fast one this holiday season (not quite a lump of coal in your stocking). Many news pieces and commercials are touting this as a new work from James Cameron (with many references to AVATAR) with direction by Andrew Adamson (of SHREK and NARNIA film fame). The two men are involved (lots of Cameron interviews are used in publicity TV-ready sound bites), but this film is almost a glorified “infomercial”. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL WORLDS AWAY 3D is a “best of” the company’s Las Vegas house shows strung together with a fairly flimsy story/plot. As the film opens a wide-eyed young girl walks past the railroad tracks of her small town and enters a low-rent circus that’s setting up in a vacant field. She catches the eye of a handsome young man helping to set up the big top. Later a sad-faced clown gives the girl a flyer touting their main attraction, the Aerialist. In the main tent the girl recognizes him as the worker with whom she exchanged glances earlier. An accident occurs and both are plunged into a strange otherworldly dimension. The rest of the film concerns their efforts to re-unite while navigating through the odd settings and inhabitants.
And while they try to find each other they take time to watch all manner of gymnastics culled from all the Cirque shows. Skilled athletes perform gravity defying stunts on trampolines, intricate mechanical contraptions, and inclines. And in water. The first third includes lots of precision diving in pools and elevated glass tubs. All in unusual costuming that accents their straining, contorted muscles ( some of theses outfits veer almost into the fetish arena). Most of the music would be at home with a big sci-fi blockbuster while other tunes are from a top 40 jukebox. There’s a piece from the recently closed Elvis-themed show (with bouncing superheroes) and many classic Beatles songs from the Vegas “Love” show. James Cameron’s crew are able to zoom in on the performers and slow down some of the action to better present the grace of the acrobats. Unfortunately much of the immediacy (and danger) of the live show is lost in a cinema adaptation. Everything’s very colorful and should delight the youngest viewers (the preK set), while some of the preteens may get a tad squirmy, unless they have a penchant for performance and gymnastics. The 3D works best in the film’s opening scenes, but it’s not close to the wonder of HUGO or LIFE OF PI. If you can’t afford to go to one of their permanent shows or the traveling troupe, then this film should satisfy your curiosity about Cirque. But as a film this is more of a tossed together buffet than a banquet. Speaking of meals, you may be better off saving your money in order to hit Sin City, have a great Dinner, and attend, say, “Mystere” as your dessert. Now there’s an evening that’s truly worlds away!
Had to believe that only six years ago the graphic novel film adaptation 300 burst on to movie screens featuring ground-breaking CGI effects and a bravado charismatic performance by a generally unknown actor as the fearless King Leonidas: Gerard Butler. Aside from a great vocal performance in the terrific animated feature HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, Hollywood has not known what to do with this handsome Scott. There’s been a few thrillers like LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, but generally he’s been consigned to “rom-com” Hell, sometimes paired with other denizens of that genre such as Katherine Heigl and Jennifer Aniston. Just a few weeks after the family flick CHASING MAVERICKS, Butler’s back in that pit once more with PLAYING FOR KEEPS. Hmm, this one’s got an Oscar-winning actress in the mix. Maybe this will be the one to show off his acting chops rather than just his scruffy good looks.
Butler plays George, a Scottish soccer superstar well past his prime. After squandering most of his sports earnings he moves to a rental guest house in Virginia. There he can re-connect with the ten-year old son Lewis (Noah Lomax) from his ex-wife Stacie (Jessica Biel), while he tries to become a TV sports analyst. George takes his son to soccer practice and is dismayed by his clueless, distracted coach. The former star steps in to give the team a few pointers. He’s soon lured by a “soccer dad”, the very rich Carl (Dennis Quaid), to take over as coach. Now George must end his son’s team’s losing streak while fending off the advances of Carl’s neglected wife Patti (Uma Thurman) and divorced “soccer moms” Denise (Catherine Zeta Jones) and Barb (Judy Greer). At least he’s finally bonding with his son, but now Stacie’s about to get re-married! Is there a chance that he can turn things around for the team and his family?
Really, is there any doubt where this fluff is heading? At least Butler doesn’t have to strain at another American accent (usually screaming out of one side of his mouth). He’s playing another variation of the man-child who becomes a responsible adult thanks to the love of an adorable tot and an extremely patient woman. At least the ladies are treated to a couple of sans shirt scenes. Speaking of ladies, the actresses here are ill-served by this weak script. The radiantly beautiful Biel is made to look frumpy for most of the flick (Butler’s tousled locks are given more attention than her glowing mane). She’s icy to her ex at first, but that dad-son bonding melts her heart, of course. On the other hand, the maternal temptresses always look like they were just touched up by their personal stylists. After picking up her CHICAGO Oscar, Jones has not had any film roles that have showcased her considerable talents. This role is a bit of an improvement over the wild-eyed shrew in ROCK OF AGES. When Butler’s immune to her sultry smiles she offers herself to groom him for ESPN. Here’s hoping next year’s BROKEN CITY is more worthy of her time. Still, she fares better than Thurman as a desperate housewife on the prowl. At one point she’s bemoaning her hubby’s infidelity, then next moment she’s rolling around on George’s bed in skimpy black lingerie (perhaps to prove she’s got her pre-baby bod back). Maybe Quentin can get her back in the bright yellow track suit soon. The other steamy suburbanite is played by the delightful comic actress, Greer, who is the film’s only bright spot (I’ll add a star just for her way too short scenes). She’s deserving of her own screen showcase. After playing the third pompous movie jerk in a row (after THE WORDS and WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING), I’m happy that Quaid has scored a hit TV series (“Vegas”). If this is what the big screen is offering him, then the small screen can provide much better vehicles. I guess the same can be said for all those involved with this effort.
The actors are certainly not helped by the odd directorial choices from Gabriele Muccino. He overuses the steadycam to the point of nausea. It’s a dialogue scene in a kitchen! Lock that camera down! It’s not edgy, it’s distracting! Same shakiness for the scenes of the soccer team saying inappropriate lines, but it’s so adorably cute. At least we can be safe to say that PLAYING FOR KEEPS is the last dismal dreary rom-com of the year. I wonder if there are cinema penalty cards?
From the big top to the big screen, Academy Award®-nominated director Andrew Adamson and visionary filmmaker James Cameron invite audiences on an all-new 3D adventure – CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: WORLDS AWAY. Two young people journey through the astonishing and dreamlike worlds of Cirque du Soleil to find each other as audiences experience the immersive 3D technology that allows them to leap, soar, swim and dance with the performers.
For Cameron, CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: WORLDS AWAY “was a dream come true. I had been talking to them for some time about doing something in 3D because it’s never been done. How lucky to be working with the Cirque family, to have that talent create such an emotional performance for this film. Because their death-defying acts require such incredible skill and nerve, we felt it was so important to show the cabling, everything supporting that human ability.
“We were working with a different stage crew every four days. We did use the live shows and shot both during the live performances and on their dark days. It was cost effective to shoot during the live shows, but we did get the best stuff on dark days because we were able to come in from different angles. We dropped in with our 10 3D cameras and started shooting. But it’s a lot different than just standing back with a ring of cameras and shooting a live show. We were getting in there with the Steadicam, shooting close-ups — in their faces as close as possible — getting into the action because it’s much better for 3D. I lobbied for high camera positions so when you are shooting down you get that sense of vertigo. At times we were shooting from 50 to 100 feet in the air, and you feel the height of these amazing artists performing 90 feet above the floor. You also realize the jeopardy they are in all the time.
“The live experience of these shows is incredible. But in the movie theater, what we can give you is the experience of being right in the middle of a show where you will really get to see the detailed work that’s gone into the characters, the costumes and the choreography. There is pageantry to the live experience, but there is an intimacy to the 3D experience.”
One of the challenges for the filmmakers of Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away was that 3D involves more complicated cameras and technology and thus more time to set up the equipment. Prep also meant meeting strict safety parameters with underwater cameras (avoiding the lethal mix of electricity and water) and camera cranes (out of harm’s way of aerialists and flying objects.)
“There was a lot of hurry up and wait,” notes producer Martin Bolduc, “which is difficult for Cirque performers as their bodies are cooling off and they need a minimum of time to warm up their muscles after a certain period of inactivity.” Still, the shooting schedule was relatively short — 37 days over three time periods: October-November 2010 in Las Vegas, December 2011 in New Zealand and February 2011 again in Vegas. The only CGI used in the film are scenes in the desert when Mia and the Aerialist travel between the tents.
“Twice a day, five days a week the performers do their work,” says Cameron. “When we told them we would make a 3D film that would really capture their commitment to their art, I don’t think these artists really knew what to expect. They were a bit jaded because they do it day after day, year after year. But when it was over and they saw what they do through our eyes they were awestruck. It rejuvenated them.”
The drive to expand and constantly transform from the circus norm is what separates Cirque du Soleil from the pack. Always positioning itself as “nouveau cirque,” it remains theatrical, character-driven entertainment sans animals. From its humble roots on the streets in the early 1980s to an arty version of the big top to the showbiz behemoth it is today with 20 shows around the world, certain elements of the Cirque du Soleil experience will forever remain.
“You will always need your ‘wow,’ your tender moments, your humor,” says Cirque du Soleil owner and co-founder Guy Laliberté, much like the narrative of any great screenplay. But he reminds that Cirque’s conventions are all about hinting at the plot and teasing at the themes. It is there, he says, on the edge of imaginative interpretation that Cirque du Soleil invites audiences to suspend disbelief and step through the looking glass.
Composer Benoit Jutras wrote the score and transitional music between the Cirque shows used in the film. Barton had previously teamed with Adamson on the Shrek and Narnia films, but the director felt it important to have Jutras, who had written scores for some of the Cirque shows used, to adapt and refine some of that music specifically for Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away.
“The music was really the dialogue of this film,” says Jutras. “You see, Cirque du Soleil developed it as a language for its shows, to tell a story with the music and without words. It becomes the universal language.” It was an element that Cameron and Adamson wanted to retain for the film.
“When it came to inspiration for this film’s score,” Jutras continues, “it was about the passage through life and a young woman who falls in love, about how love makes you go through all of these emotions, the colors of love, so to speak. What I wanted to do with the opening act was to make it a very separate experience, to make it as little like Cirque as possible to show the contrast of the old circus and the worlds of Cirque du Soleil. In the final act, since it was part of KÀ, Stephen Barton used that show to inspire the music (of the final act).”
Unique in scope, this immersive experience melds acts from seven live Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas — “O,” KÀ, Mystère, Viva ELVIS, CRISS ANGEL Believe, Zumanity and The BeatlesLOVE —into a circus love story produced, written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Andrew Adamson (Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe). The film stars Cirque du Soleil strap aerialists Igor Zaripov (The Aerialist) and former artist Erica Kathleen Linz (Mia) as the young couple.
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: WORLDS AWAY will be in theaters December 21st. This Holiday Season, Cirque du Soleil brings their world to your city!
It’s such a great idea you wonder why someone didn’t think of it sooner! Well children’s’ book creator did think of it (sparked by a question posed by his young daughter) and put out a book last year, “The Guardians of Childhood”. The great idea was teaming up all the magical entities that surround kids. It would seem a natural movie since there have been team-ups of monsters (from FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN through DESTROY ALL MONSTERS with Godzilla and his destructive buddies) and, most recently, super-heroes with MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS. So, combining that book series with an animated short “The Man in the Moon”, Dreamworks has produced the full-length CGI 3D animated fantasy adventure RISE OF THE GUARDIANS. So in adapting these works for the big screen, have the film makers retained all the magic and wonder of these iconic kid idols?
The film begins with the first few moments of the origin of Jack Frost (Chris Pine), several hundred years ago. He learns how to use his powers and acquires a magic ice-producing staff. Jump to today in the Arctic. The Guardians-Sandman, The Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) meet at the workshop home of North AKA Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin). It seems that Pitch AKA The Boogeyman (Jude Law) is threatening to darken the lives of the world’s kids. Via North’s special telescope The Man in the Moon tells them to enlist Jack Frost. Frost is reluctant to join the group at first, but after Pitch attacks and loots the Tooth Fairy’s castle, he joins them to prevent Pitch from destroying the children’s innocent belief in the existence of the Guardians.
The film makers have brought together a great group of actors who bring some inspired vocal interpretations of these classic characters. The most fun may be Baldwin’s spirited work as Santa (or North). This is not the cuddly, warm grandpa’ St. Nick harkening to Edmund Gwen in the original MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. This Kringle is a gregarious Russian bear of a man ready to wield his twin swords when needed. Baldwin hits the correct deep bass tones and the accent sounds perfect (you can imagine that his breath smells of borscht). This Santa might enjoy his hot chocolate spiked with a bit of vodka. Speaking of accents, Jackman’s Australian expressions make that egg-delivering bunny a terrific action star (at times we can even hear a bit of a favorite mutant). Fisher’s fairy is a delightful flitty, flirty sprite as she admires everyone’s oral hygiene. Pine’s Frost has some of the cockiness of an extreme sports champ or a surfer dude. His bravado hides his desire to be appreciated by the world’s kids (“Hey, I make snow days!’). As Pitch, Law is a sneering gentleman villain similar to George Sanders, Basil Rathbone, or Vincent Price. He’s an educated eloquent fellow who delights in his wickedness. It’s quite an impressive talented roster.
The talents away from the microphones also impress. The character designs are wondrous. North’s look matches his booming voice. He’s a broad shouldered, bushy-eyebrowed hulk whose red coat always exposes his massive tattooed (one says ‘naught’, the other “nice’) forearms. The bunny’s large feet support his muscled torso. Tooth Fairy is hummingbird-like with bright, nearly fluorescent color (the same is true for her fleet of tiny helpers). Sandman is a sweet, bouncy elf with a constant golden glow. Jack, Pitch, and the human kids (led by Jamie, the last believer) have the right touch of exaggerated features. My only complaint is with Santa’s elves. The tiny triangles bumble, stumble, and try to emulate the much-funnier Minions of DESPICABLE ME. More inspired are the furry, gruff Yetis. They’re Santa’s back-up muscle and really make the toys (“Don’t tell the elves!”). The homes of the Guardians are spectacular (especially the Tooth Fairy’s banks). Some of the action scenes zip across the screen so quickly you may have some difficulty in taking everything in. This hinders the generally excellent 3D work somewhat (I think this film would work just as well flat). RISE is paced closer to the classic Disney fairy tales. It doesn’t have the manic zaniness of recent animated fare like WRECK-IT RALPH or the last MADAGASCAR. This is a soothing bedtime story that should entrance the little ones while the art and voice work should charm the adults. Sweet dreams, or as three of the Guardians say as they dash away, “Merry Christmas! Happy Easter! Don’t forget to floss!”.
In creating his entertainment empire, Walt Disney knew that his company needed to branch out beyond animation. Those hand-drawn classics took a long time to craft, so he first produced adventure flicks out of England before his take on Jules Verne, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, which was a box office sensation in 1954. Establishing a live-action division, Walt released several family flicks over the next few decades ranging from adventures like SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON to the kids comedies featuring Herbie, the Love Bug and The Apple Dumpling Gang. Oops, almost forgot the tear-jerkers, those warm family flicks like FOLLOW ME BOYS and ( gulp! ) OLD YELLER ( I recall a stand-up comic saying that the flick was a test that parents could give their kids-if the kid cried at the end of YELLER, then he was normal ). Many of the movies would be chopped up and turned into multiple episodes of that Sunday night TV staple, ” Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color ” ( ah, TOBY TYLER ! ). In the last few decades Disney Studios have created brands such as Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures to release their more adult fare. But every once in a while a live action film while get the Walt Disney Pictures imprint ( like THE ROCKETEER ). Such is the case with the gentle family fantasy, THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN. I can imagine it playing over a couple of Sundays on ” The Wonderful World of Disney” ( its last prime-time broadcast network incarnation ). So instead of gathering around the set, will families gather at the multiplex for this timeless tale?
In the openiong scenes, Jim and Cindy Green ( Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner ) get some bad news from a fertility specialist. They drive back to their picture-perfect town of Stanleyville USA, ” the pencil capital of the world ” ( probably right down the road from Bedford Falls ). Jim works quality control at the pencil factory while Cindy’s a tour guide at the Stanley Pencil Museum. That night, after many tears ( and a bottle of wine ) the two exchange ideas about what would make a perfect child ( ” He rocks!” “He has a good heart”, etc. ). Jim jots them down in a small notebook, tears out the sheets, stuffs them in a small wood box, and buries it in the backyard garden. Later that night an intense storm wakes the couple. What’s that noise? Something’s scurrying through the house. Jim and Cindy discover the source : a ten year-old boy, covered in mud. And, around his ankles and feet, he’s sprouting bright green leaves. Jim dashes to the garden to check his recent planting. The hole’s been dug up and the wooden box is shattered. Have their dreams been fulfilled? What will become of this lad that sprung up from the soil?
The rest of the film pretty much concerns Timothy ( CJ Adams ) brightening the lives of friends and family in the town. The script doesn’t tackle any intense questions from others about the boy’s arrival ( kind of like the Kents and their foundling in Smallville, Kansas ) or the miracle itself ( must be the same generous movie gods that turned Henry Limpet into a fish ). Most of the supporting characters are standard kid lit types. Dianne Wiest has little to do as the up-tight, hard-nosed curator of the museum ( her Timothy encounter seems a bit forced ). Her nephew, Jim’s factory boss ( Ron Livingston ) is a bullying weasel ( weird to see Mr. OFFICE SPACE in management ). M. Emmet Walsh and Lois Smith are jolly, nurturing grandparent types ( actually the aunt and uncle that raised Cindy ). The true grandpa’ here is the distant, surly father of Jim, ” Big ” Jim ( David Morse ) who becomes Jim’s sounding board for his ‘ good parenting’ raps. Rosemarie Dewitt ( fabulous in HER SISTER’S SISTER ) is wasted as Cindy’s condescending, over-achieving sister. Common clocks in as a stern soccer coach of the Erasers. He’s tough and unbelievably tolerant of the hovering Greens. Timothy’s main pal is Joni ( Odeya Rush ), a scowling pre-teen who warms to the new kid. There’s some confusion about their relationship. Are they buddies or steadies? It’s left hovering ( she towers over him, seeming a bit too mature for the hero ). As for the Greens themselves, I was thankful that Adams made Timothy an engaging, pleasant protagonist. With the wrong actor this could’ve been a very difficult slog ( several recent films had young actors at their center that, to put it delicately, wore out their welcome quickly ). Edgerton, so great in last year’s WARRIOR, makes for a nice, gentle, encouraging sitcom dad. Garner bounces back nicely from the harpy she played in the remake of ARTHUR. Like one of the notes in the box ( ” He should be funny, but not making fun of others funny. Or belch and fart funny” ), the movie has a gentle whimsical air. Most of the set pieces will elicit a couple chuckles ( a music scene is cringe-worthy though ). This film is the happy flip side of last year’s WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. Here parenting is a constant joy, even when things don’t quite work out as you hoped. An economic subplot about saving the factory is far too simplistic, but this is one flick that’s going for your heart instead of your brain. And some of the time it hits the target.
Every so often a film will open the door to a childhood memory or an almost forgotten film. Or sometimes both. Settling in to watch I WISH, the film’s two young leads took my mind back several decades as I watched the big family TV on a Saturday morning that was nearing the afternoon (Mom was probably deciding what to whip up for lunch). Space Ghost, Spider-Man, and all the other animated heroes had bid adieu and a new live-action show was making its debut: “The CBS Children’s Film Festival.” Hosted by kid show pioneers Kukla, Fran, and Ollie (Fran was the human, the other two were hand puppets), this program presented family flicks from around the globe. The premiere offering was a tale of friendship from Japan, 1958’s SKINNY AND FATTY. These two little guys were about my age, but they lived in this almost alien land. Despite the clunky English dubbing (even then I could see that the sound didn’t match their mouths), I was fascinated and quite moved by this sweet little story. I WISH is set in 2011 and deals with a much more mature story, but I hoped to be wrapped up in another story of Japanese schoolboys.
That more mature theme of I WISH is divorce, or more accurately, a family separated. Koichi, a serious twelve year-old boy, lives with his mother and her parents in a small village beneath an active volcano (part of his morning ritual is cleaning the ash off his bedroom floor and furniture). His younger brother, the carefree Ryue, lives with his father in a town many miles away. The two boys haven’t seen each other in several months but exchange frequent cell phone calls. Koichi’s village is a buzz with news that one of the super-fast bullet trains will make one of its stops there. The boy also hears a rumor that when two of the trains pass each other so much energy is generated that anyone within close proximity will get their wishes granted. Koichi is so desperate to re-unite his family that he grabs some railway maps, makes some calculations, and hatches a plan. He and his brother will journey to this passing point and make this wish (that way they’ll double their chances). The boys confer over the phone, and with the assistance of some classmates (and a couple of adults), travel to a magical (they hope) rendezvous.
A pretty simple story, right? Unfortunately the film makers have clogged the film with too many unnecessary subplots. The boys’ Grandpa wants to open a bakery at the train station. One classmate wants to be an actress. Another wants to marry his teacher crush. The father is making music at clubs again. These diversions help make I WISH at least 30 minutes too long. I really wanted it to stay focused on these brothers who share a special bond in those preteen years, although their personalities are quite different. Koichi is very determined and serious, while happy-go-lucky Ryue seems to always have a smile on his face and a bounce in his step (he grins so much I sometimes wondered if the young actor understood his dialogue in some of the more dramatic scenes). Also, their friends seem to be much more engaging than most of the adult characters. The cinematography is terrific especially the shots of that looming volcano. It’s also interesting to note the differences in the Japanese school systems, so it’s a fairly interesting, educational travelogue. But if only the film makers had taken a cue from those two best buddies I discovered on that long ago Saturday and focused on the film’s emotional core, then I WISH would have zipped along faster than any ole’ bullet train
Last year it seemed that Hollywood was taking a short break from adaptations of toys, video games, comic books, and TV shows when two films were announced that would be live-action versions of classic fairy tales. Well, actually both would be based the same tale ” Snow White and the Seven Dwarves ” by the Brothers Grimm. The entertainment news magazines, blogs, and TV programs were all a flutter. Remember the dueling big asteroid and volcano movies from a decade ago! Would the movie-going public be interested in two versions of that raven-haired heroine? And more importantly, who would make it to the multiplex first? Slowly photos and trailers hit the internet and it became clear that the films were quite different in tone. The darker, action-heavy SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN would fit better, perhaps, amid the big, blockbuster thrill-rides of the Summer. Spring was deemed a better time for a more lighter, irreverent, frothy retelling and so MIRROR, MIRROR is the first to hit the screens. Will this Snowy be the fairest flick of the two?
Most of us are pretty familiar with the basic story thanks to Disney’s ground-breaking first animated feature film. The MIRROR team has re-worked the plot and added bits and pieces from other fables and fairy stories. As it begins, the wicked stepmother queen herself ( Julia Roberts ) brings us up to speed with a prologue acted out by shiny porcelain puppets ( CGI, no doubt ). After the King disappeared into the dark forest many years ago, she’s ruled the kingdom ( plunging it into a constant dreary winter ) and kept lovely Snow White ( Lilly Collins ) locked away in the castle. The queen’s running out of funds and may have to marry the frumpy, older, much richer Baron ( Michael Lerner ). The villagers of the kingdom are almost taxed to starvation (shades of Robin Hood ). But then she meets the handsome Prince Alcott ( Armie Hammer ) after he and his valet are robbed by a pack of seven ( ! ) bandits in the nearby woods. Her plans go askew when he meets… guess who at the big animal-themed costume ball ( a bit of Cinderella there ). Banishment, deception, sorcery, reunions, and new friendships occur as the film hurtles towards several big reveals and the ( hopefully! ) happy ending.
This marks the fourth film of director Tarsem Singh ( he made THE IMMORTALS last year ). He gives us many of the same visual tricks ( slow and fast motion, extreme color palettes, wire-work acrobatics, rapid cutting ), but doesn’t have a light touch that this material demands. There’s no THE PRINCESS BRIDE subtlety on display here. There are opulent palace sets, outrageous over the top gowns ( hey Costume Design Oscar nominators! ), and an overly busy Allan Menkin score to capitalize every wink and grimace. And Singh seems to just be moving the cast like chess pieces ( as the queen does in an early scene ) toward the big action set-ups. Julia Robert’s drag-queen villainy and vanity, perhaps a riff on Tallulah Bankhead ( Google her kids! ), quickly becomes tedious. She’s also the mirror reflection/ witch who stares blankly, wears all white, delivers cryptic warnings, and sends killer marionettes ( huh? ) after the heroes. Collins’s Snow is a fairly vacant princess who looks lovely ( even with Peter Gallagher eyebrows ), but tends to be overshadowed in many scenes. She finally gets a bit more interesting after meeting the dwarves and gets a training montage ( surprised I didn’t hear ” Eye of the Tiger’! ) and a makeover ( ?! ) by the metro sexual member of the gang. Speaking of the seven, they’re played by actual diminutive actors ( as opposed to being “hobbit-ized” ) and are not the jewel-miners from the 37′ classic. After taking off their accordian-legs ( really !) we find that each has a name reflective of a trait or habit ( ” Grub ” loves to eat! ” Chuck” likes to laugh or chuckle! Sooo cuuute! And clever! ). One’s got a little crush on Snow and comes off a tad creepy. Hammer is pretty and prince-ly as Alcott ( should make the ladies’ hearts flutter ), but is too pompous and comes off as a teasing older brother in scenes with ” kid sister ” Snow. There’s very few sparks between the two. The very talented Nathan Lane is wasted as the queen’s put-upon aide who looks fearful as he scurries about ( literally after getting hexed! ) and peppers his royal compliments with a sarcastic snark. I was delighted to see a couple of great screen vets. Lerner get delightfully frustrated in his pursuit of the queen, while former ” brat packer” Mare Winningham as the head of castle cleaning and kitchens tries to nurture Snow while placating the queen. Most of the sets are imaginative except for the overused white-blanketed forest. Even in bare feet nobody seems cold there. The very small kiddies may find this amusing, but the pacing and tiresome attempts at wit should have the elders glancing at the time. For a wise cracking jab at story books I’ll take the first SHREK or PRINCESS BRIDE over this ( and I’ll take Jay Ward’s still fresh and hilarious ” Fractured Fairy Tales” from TV’s “The Bullwinkle Show” over all of them). I hope Charlize, Bella Swan, and Thor have a better flick with their take on this timeless tale in a few months.
