Animated – Page 2 – We Are Movie Geeks

LIFE, ANIMATED – Review

Disney’s animated films have always been entertaining with their heroic stories and whimsical characters. However, they don’t typically save lives off screen. But that’s what happened with the Suskind family. Owen was a young child when he mentally slipped from this world and began to suffer from severe autism. His parents thought they lost him for good when he stopped speaking, and yet, it was through the magic of film that Owen began communicating with his family.

Director Roger Ross Williams doesn’t try to hide the progress Owen has made and make it into a big reveal. Instead, he intercuts his parents’ anecdotes of the early years and old home videos with current interviews with Owen so that audiences can appreciate his progress right from the onset. It’s through the stories that his parents retell where extraordinary and emotional moments are revealed; like when Owen speaks for the first time after speaking incoherently for so long or how Owen’s father starts a conversation with his son through the help of a familiar character.

LIFE, ANIMATED is filled with so many heartwarming moments that it’s like a fairy tale come to life. You would think that on the surface that the film sounds like an advertisement for Disney, but that’s hardly the case. The film stands on its own with real drama and real people, while the animated Disney clips only accent the journey that is at the center of the film. Williams repeatedly makes points to show that these films aren’t so much of an escape from reality for Owen, but more that they serve as a way for Owen to understand basic emotions like love and pain and the trials and tribulations of life. Even the most cynical critics of the Disney enterprise might find their frozen hearts melting at Owen’s connection with ALADDIN, THE LION KING, and THE LITTLE MERMAID.

Beautifully rendered scenes created for LIFE, ANIMATED depict what might be going on in Owen’s head. We hear how he has trouble navigating through the real world and the constant confusion he feels when dealing with change. This animated world begins as black and white but is eventually shown in color when a story that Owen had written comes to life – creating the ultimate Disney character team-up, which will, no doubt, bring a smile to your face.

Incorporating dazzling animated sequences, interviews with Owen and his family, and footage from the lovable Disney films that helped this amazing boy soar in life, director Roger Ross Williams has delivered a film overflowing with heart and absolute joy. LIFE, ANIMATED is a magical crowd-pleaser that illustrates an incredible man overcoming obstacles in his life, while also celebrating the power and importance of film and art in our world.

Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5

LIFE, ANIMATED opens at the Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema in St. Louis on Friday, July 29

THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER – The Review

All hail another cartoon superstar who shines brightly in the animation galaxy. Well, he’s been shining for more than fifteen years now, actually. But in the realm of ‘toon icons, this lil’ guy is pretty unique. He’s not part of the group that were created during Hollywood’s “golden age” to star in pre-feature film short subjects, this includes Felix the Cat and Mickey Mouse in the 1920’s right through to the 1960s’ with the Pink Panther (of course, a few jumped from the printed page to the big screen like Popeye the Sailor and Casper the Friendly Ghost). This fella’s an off-shoot of the made-for-TV superstars that include Rocket J Squirrel and his pal Bullwinkle J. Moose, the Simpsons, and the colossal roster of characters from Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera’s company (Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, the Flintstones, and Scooby Doo). While they debuted on old-fashioned broadcast networks, he’s from a basic cable network. Not the first to make the jump to movies (Beavis and Butthead, South Park and the Rugrats beat him to it), but perhaps he’s the most successful. It’s that “he lives in a pineapple under the sea”, marine biologist/animator Stephen Hillenburg creation Spongebob Squarepants. After making his big screen splash over ten years ago, the lil’ guy and his Bikini Bottom buddies finally return in THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER (cue the piccolo shanty music).

The film begins, not in the world of animation, but on the real ocean as a rickety wooden ship, piloted by the cinnamon whiskered Burger-Beard the pirate (Antonio Banderas), sails toward a desolate island. Once there, BB makes like Indiana Jones and sidesteps a series of booby traps in order to steal a treasure from the grip of a buccaneer’s skeleton. And what is his booty? Why it’s a book! The local seagulls that surround the ship are puzzled. So, BB reads from the book to the confused feathered audience. It’s a story about the denizens of Bikini Bottom, on the floor of the sea, and their love of the fabled Crabby Patty that’s only available at the Crusty Crab restaurant and cooked to mouth-watering perfection by grill-master Spongebob Squarepants (voiced by Tom Kenny). Everybody’s happy about this, except one-eyed, tiny Plankton (Mr. Lawrence), the envious owner of that rival eatery, the Chum Bucket. His plan to steal the sandwich’s secret formula recipe plunges the little burg into chaos and soon our yellow hero is time-trippin’, planet-skippin’, and traveling to the scariest place of all, dry land-the surface word, to confront that despicable Burger-Beard and restore peace to his home.

Since there’s only one actor we get to hear and see, let’s start with Banderas as the shifty, sea-farein’ bad guy. He looks as if he’s having a blast, like a grown-up kid playing ‘dress-up pirate’. There’s a sprightly, playful quality in his performance that’s only hinted at in his action films (the Desperado flicks and THE EXPENDABLES 3) and almost fully utilized in the SPY KIDS series and as the voice of PUSS IN BOOTS. You almost wonder if he’s paying the producers to act in this. Now, this isn’t to dismiss the wonderful voice work from the seasoned pros behind the mike which help make the sea’s denizens spring to vivid life. Kenny projects that wide-eyed, innocent, child-like enthusiasm as the title hero, sort of the absorbent off-spring of Uncle Walt’s mouse and Pee-Wee Herman or Ed Grimley. Lawrence is very funny as the creepy cartoon nemesis that is forced to become a reluctant ally (“what is this T M Work?”). Kudos to Bill Fagerbakke as Bob’s equally naive, but perhaps less bright, best bud Patrick the starfish. His devolution into hungry, angry savagery, complete with a hammer taped to his forehead, is quite funny. Cluncy Brown expertly voices Bob’s profit-obsessed boss Mr. Crab, who’s not a crabby as the always grumpy Squidward given an acerbic tone by Roger Bumpass. The best character arc may be that of Sandy Cheeks, a dive-suit wearing squirrel voiced by Carolyn Lawrence, who quickly transforms from sunshiny, chunky-cheeked cherub into bug-eyed, raving shrew due to burger deprivation. After a decade and a half together, this crew is an unpredictable delight.

Also delightful is the eye-popping color (even in the realcandy-hued seaside-town backdrops late in the story) utilized in the film under the direction of Paul Tibbitt. The use of 3D with animation has often been hit or miss with the rendering often made dark or murky. Not the case here, particularly with the under-the-waves sequences. My only fault with the film may be with the marketing campaign. Trailers, posters, and commercials have shown off footage of Bob and his pals as a psudeo-superhero team in the Avengers/X-Men mold fully rendered in rounded computer generated images (CGI). They do look swell, but they really don’t make an appearance until the final third act (perhaps the last 20 minutes). The events at Bikini Bottom are done in the same classic “cell” animation as in the original TV series, but with the addition of 3D , so that the mouths, noses, and other features rest on different levels, making the characters resemble a drawing come to life, trying to lift itself off the easel or desk. Plus we are treated to many different types of animation. There’s cell, the “super” CGI (with the Bob squad looking like toys escaping from a playpen), the realistic CGI of the pirate’s seagulls, stop-motion puppet style of a helpful space observer (a great nod to a Marvel Comic cosmic player), and some trippy graphic YELLOW SUBMARINE/2001 animation (love seeing Bob and Plankton squeezed and stretched). This is one of the few films that does benefit from the extra D and worth the price. But the eye candy would be all for naught without the very witty script from Tibbitt, Glenn Berger, Jonathon Aibel, and creator Hillenburg that batters and often breaks the fourth wall. And, at just over ninety minutes, it never dips or drags (much like the golden age animation classics). THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER is truly an entertainment for all ages, so make a splash and dive right into this funny, fast-paced adventure. Laughs ahoy, mateys!

4 Out of 5

THE BOOK OF LIFE (2014) – The Review

The great “schnozzola” Jimmy Durante’s signature catch phrase “Everybody wants ta’ get into da’ act!’ couldn’t be more true when it comers to animated features these days. Perhaps this may be a result of the incredible all-ages success of Pixar. Or it might be the love of animation held be many aging “baby boomer” film makers who awaited Saturday mornings in front of the tube (which just ended now that no broadcast networks run weekend ‘toons) or those grand ole’ special kiddie matinees. Tim Burton may have kick-started this trend by coming off his big Batman flicks to produce THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and later direct THE CORPSE BRIDE and FRANKENWEENIE. Johnny Depp and his PIRATES director scored a hit with RANGO. And recently Adam Sandler started a new franchise with HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA. New to the animation arena, but a big name in the fantasy/horror genre is Guillermo del Toro (PACIFIC RIM ). Now he’s not jumping in with a princess fairy tale or a forest animals united-type story. This new film covers much of the same territory as his PAN’S LABYRINTH and is a post-Halloween love letter to his south of the border roots. Settle back in your theatre seats and experience an entry from THE BOOK OF LIFE..

It begins as a school bus full of bored, rowdy pre-teens pulls up to the steps of a museum. Luckily their tour guide Mary Beth (voice of Christina Applegate) knows just how to entrance them. They enter through a secret magical passageway to an area dedicated to the legends and lore of Mexico. Using small carved figures, Mary Beth begins a story about a small village and the realm just below the surface, a colorful land full of spirits called the “Land of the Remembered” run by the beautiful La Muerte (Kate del Castillo), while beneath them is the dank, dismal, dark “Land of the Forgotten” lorded over by the foul Xilbaba (Ron Perlman). On the annual Day of the Dead festival, the two rulers pay a visit to the village. There they observe two boys and a girl at play. Xilbaba proposes a bet over which lad the lass will marry once they’re reached adulthood with the loser of the bet remaining in charge of the Forgotten realm. Years later the young men eagerly await the arrival of their friend’s return after years at a far-off school for young ladies. La Muerte’s choice, Manolo (Diega Luna), has been groomed to follow in a long family line of matadors, but he prefers the guitar to the sword, while Xilbaba’s pick, Joaquin (Channing Tatum), is a much decorated soldier who protects the village. When they re-unite with Maria (Zoe Saldana), all are surprised by her independent attitude (and she’s very good with a sword!). Later, a scheme by the devious Xilbaba sends one of the suitors off to his ancestors. With the help of the wise Candle Maker (Ice Cube), can he make his way back to the land of the living in time to save the village from an unstoppable bandit army?

Just two weeks ago I remarked that THE BOXTROLLS was a visual feast. Well I could say the same for this film, although it may be more of a spicy, Latin buffet. While the denizens of Cheeseburg had a squishy, pliable look owing to the stop motion figures, BOOK’s main characters look to be carved right out of different varieties of wood. But this film is made up of pixels which simulates the look of string puppets or marionettes (no bouncing from overhead wires, though). The modern-day museums wrap-arounds have the usual CGI rounded feel, but Manolo and Joaquin in particular have great carved, smoothed heads while their arms seem to be composed of wired together blocks. the hands separate as the fingers curl. Instead of knees, their legs bend with a middle hinge. Several of the village extras (like the ineffectual soldier) have a built-up 2D effect with eyes and lips jutting out of the side of the head like Picasso’s art. The backgrounds are just as striking. The village has a golden, dusty, lived-in beauty. Below, in the land of the Remembered, it’s a dazzling fiesta with explosions of color. Farther below is a cool mix of mists and moonlight broken up by a wonderful living statue and an ornate maze to challenge the hero. The skeletal denizens have intricate designs carved around their faces with deep, black eyes and holes where the nose should be. One of the best character designs is the hulking bandit leader whose arms flail about like spiked cannonballs atop “slinkees”. This is a world that begs to be explored again and again.

All the voice actors are superb with kudos to Luna who croons several new and classic tunes (including an Elvis standard). Gustavo Santaolalla’s original score weaves in familiar ballads and makes good use of a signature riff from Ennio Morricone. Director Jorge R. Guiterrez (who co-wrote the script with Douglas Langdale) keeps the dramatic story flowing while including many wonderful sight gags and tossed-off humorous asides. The very young viewers may get a tad spooked by the spooks and ghoulies, but older audiences, including adults, will be mesmerized by the stunning visuals and clever script. Here’s hoping that there will be at least one more volume of THE BOOK OF LIFE.

4 Out of 5

Disney’s FROZEN Officially Becomes Highest Grossing Animated Film Of All Time

This weekend, Disney’s FROZEN officially became the highest grossing animated film of all time, and with $1,072.4 million worldwide, it has also entered the list of the top 10 biggest films of all time.

The Walt Disney Studios’ seventh billion-dollar release, FROZEN has earned an estimated $398.4 million at the domestic box office and $674 million internationally.

FROZEN is the first billion-dollar film for Walt Disney Animation Studios and its first film to receive the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature.

FROZEN opened wide domestically on November 27, 2013, posting the #1 all-time Thanksgiving debut ($93.6M five-day, $67.4M three-day) and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ biggest opening ever. It remained in the top 10 films at the domestic box office for 16 consecutive weeks, the longest run by any film since 2002.

Internationally, FROZEN is the biggest Disney or Pixar animated film of all time in 27 territories, including Russia, China, and Brazil. In Korea, where the film has grossed an estimated $77.1 million, FROZEN was #1 for the first five weeks of release and is the biggest animated film, the second biggest non-local film, and Disney’s biggest release of all time. It’s also the highest-grossing animated film of all time in Denmark and Venezuela. Since its debut March 14 in Japan, FROZEN has claimed the #1 spot in its first three weekends and continues to play strongly with an estimated $50.5 million to date.

Released on digital February 25 and on disc March 18, FROZEN is the fastest-selling digital release ever and sold over 3.2 million Blu-ray/DVD units in its first day, putting it on track to be one of the biggest home entertainment sellers in a decade.

The Platinum-certified FROZEN soundtrack returned to the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart last week for a seventh time with more than 1.6 million copies and over 5 million individual tracks sold. The album has also held the #1 position for five nonconsecutive weeks at Spotify and is approaching 110 million streams worldwide.

The Oscar®-winning song “Let It Go” has sold over 2.6 million copies, and the film clip of the song has been viewed over 160 million times on YouTube.

With original songs from Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and an original score by Christophe Beck, FROZEN is directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, written by Jennifer Lee, and produced by Peter Del Vecho. It features the voice talents of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad.

FROZEN is available in theaters in 2D, 3D and Sing-A-Long, as well as on Digital HD & 3D, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, and On Demand.

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Official Site: http://disney.com/Frozen

DINOTASIA – The Blu Review

The Movie –

The dinosaur has been a fascination with myself, like with so many both young and old. Such magnificent, yet enigmatic beasts that can only be imagined by those uneducated in the paleontological studies, the experts themselves cannot agree and are constantly finding themselves rewriting the textbooks on a species of creature hundreds of thousands, even millions of years prior to our very existence. This alone, on its very surface, is enough to call me thoroughly captivated.

Steven Spielberg first captured and capitalized on the possibilities of what I may call dino-tainment in 1993 with JURASSIC PARK. Even today, some nearly 20 years later, the film holds up spectacularly to the test of time. However, its the dinosaur itself whom truly stands the ultimate test of time. From cartoons and TV shows, children’s toys and public broadcasting specials, from the absolutely absurd to the most numbing narratives, dinosaurs never went extinct in our minds.

Filmmakers David Krentz and Erik Nelson bring new life to the dino-doc with DINOTASIA, a feature-length film with a brief running time of 83-minutes. In fact, this is not truly a “documentary” in the purist’s standard. No, this film is far to flamboyant for that. However, there are elements of the genre clearly at play, overshadowed perhaps by the quirkiness, the tongue-in-cheek glibness and the unmistakably poetic prose narration from legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog.

Fully computer-animated, DINOTASIA is presented in chapters, sort of like how Tarantino presented PULP FICTION. The film is more a collection of vignettes that play to a common theme, rather than one, continuously flowing linear narrative. The time frame of DINOTASIA spans entire eras of dinosaur history, from the Triassic to the cretaceous, no period was spared. The individual stories range from the cute and charming to the risque to the violent. This is a story of survival, of birth and death, of daily life… done in a way more appealing to our modern sense of dramatic engagement than to one of scientific authenticity.

DINOTASIA makes clear early on that it means not to educate us so much as to entertain, but some minimal level of dino-knowledge can be gleaned from this film. Certainly, the more humanistic characteristics, the humorous anecdotes and escapades on display, these are meant for our pure enjoyment. To this, I confess they are hit and miss, but to find such a film presenting itself in a documentary fashion, but doing so with a sense of humor is refreshing. Have you ever pondered the experience of a dinosaur unexpectedly tripping off a prehistoric psychedelic mushroom? Look no further.

Violence was a fact of life for dinosaurs. DINOTASIA takes this to heart. Carnivores abound, especially in the skin of Tyrannosaurus Rex, whom makes multiple appearances. To those who still believe the T-Rex is king of all dinosaurs, prepare to be surprised. Sure, the big T dishes out his share of carnage, but takes it in the arm himself a few times as well. (wink, wink — that’s an inside joke) For the little ones, DINOTASIA is an acceptable enough film, with parental guidance, but parents beware of a fair amount of dino-on-dino violence of a graphic nature.

Artistically and technically speaking, the animation and design is commendable. Not nearly as accomplished as the effects in JURASSIC PARK (which, lest you forget, were greatly non-animated) but a vast improvement over so many stop-motion animated sci-fi/fantasy films and documentaries from the ’80s. In terms of the colors and attention to detail, I found myself somewhat mesmerized by the care taken, especially when one considers this anti-documentary is still based on hard science, including some relatively new and groundbreaking paleontological discoveries made since the earlier days of dinosaurs’ big screen debut.

Finally, I must give props to the peculiarity of Werner Herzog’s presence in DINOTASIA. For those who have seen Herzog’s fascinating documentary CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS, his narration is a character on its own merit, lending his oddly lyrical cadence to such a subject only add to its uniquely kitsch quality. An early fan of this project, Herzog joined long-time collaborator Erik Nelson as the narrating voice for the film. Always a treat, occasionally perplexing, Herzog seemingly can do no wrong, whether he makes sense to you or not.

On one final note regarding the overall allure of DINOTASIA… imagine watching the 1991 TV series DINOSAURS, but done as CGI instead of puppets and men in suits, and produced for HBO instead of network television… and, the dinosaurs don’t speak. Imagine this, and once you stop laughing, you may be close to what you can expect from DINOTASIA… a daring, nonsensical, surprisingly non-fictional faux documentary film.

The Extras –

The extra features on this disc are fairly minimal. There is one deleted scene, which deals with dinosaur mating rites, which is interesting and mildly humorous. In addition, there is a hand-drawn version of the final story with is worth a look. The behind-the-scenes segments of the extra features may appeal to those intrigued by the highly technical process of modern animation, but there is little in this portion of the blu-ray to hold the average viewer’s attention.

Deleted Scenes
Extended Scenes
Behind-the-Scenes Animator Clips

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Video Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Running Time: 83 minutes + extras
Audio: English – 5.1 Surround / Stereo
Subtitles: None.

Flat Iron Film Company brings DINOTASIA to DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, November 6th, 2012.

BEING BRADFORD DILLMAN (2011) – The Short Review

We often say the strangest things to children without even realizing how odd it sounds. Children are full of questions, constantly confused by the world or misguided by falsehoods or exaggerations. When children bring these questions to us, as adults, we’re often unsure how to broach certain subjects, so in an effort to spin the answer in a way that will satisfy the child, but not lead on to disclosing too much information too soon, we create these elaborate, often ridiculous stories in place of the simple, honest truth.

For me, watching BEING BRADFORD DILLMAN is a wonderful exercise in recognizing this tendency to conjure up vivid yarns in place of offering a more straight-forward response. Directed by Emma Burch and co-written with Peter Williamson, this is the story of little Molly Flowers, a young girl who declares to her alcoholic mother that she hates boys and wishes they all die after being picked on one too many times. Either stunned by this statement, or driven by her vodka-induced state of mind, Molly’s Mum (voiced by Morwenna Banks) spills a story about how Molly was actually born a boy, named Bradford Dillman, but as she so wanted a little girl, asked the doctor to cut off his willy. Having done so, Molly’s mum now had the girl she wanted and even tells Molly she kept her willy inside a shoebox atop her wardrobe.

My instinctual reaction is one of “who does this?!?” Then I realize many a parent has probably woven a story or two for their children even more bizarre than this. Being a child with an active imagination, as most children do, Molly begins to contemplate what this all means on her terms, subject to her own limited knowledge and innocent perspective of the world. Enter Bradford Dillman… as Molly toys with the idea of retrieving her willy from the infamous shoebox atop the wardrobe, she meets Bradford, a boy of her age who becomes her friend.

Both Molly and Bradford are voiced by Natasha Holberton with a wonderfully curious and playful, yet cynical beyond her years undertone that makes her adventure with Bradford that much more, shall we say… mature. BEING BRADFORD DILLMAN is a family film, of sorts. Holberton gives Molly an energy and innocence fitting of a young girl, but also conveys an inkling of forced maturity, most likely brought on by her single mother’s drinking, smoking and pill-popping habits. The subject matter is kept within bounds of being acceptable for a child’s eyes and ears, but just beneath the surface lies an adult sense of humor that cannot be ignored.

BEING BRADFORD DILLMAN is an animated film with a style that is part marionette and part paper cut-out. The color and texture of the film is gritty and earthy, conveying a sense of dingy darkness to to the story. The artwork features over-sized heads and massively cute yet imposing eyes on Molly and Bradford, while Mum’s face is never revealed, a la the Peanuts cartoons, or Tom & Jerry, whereas the adults are not emphasized as the crucial element of the story. The visual style of BEING BRADFORD DILLMAN reminds me slightly of a cross between Tim Burton and David Lynch, but ever so slightly more refined and traditional as to minimize the awkward weirdness of the Molly’s world without eliminating the uncomfortably bizarre nature of what is taking place in the film. Likewise, I am keen to the writing of the film, funny and cute while just mature enough to draw in the adult audience, especially given the tale Molly’s mum tells that sets Molly on her journey of misguided self-discovery. As for a message, I am certain there is one to be had, but I have yet to pinpoint exactly what it is meant to be, or even what I took the message away as, if I took one away at all.

This tan and sepia world in which Molly lives has a pleasant flavor as BEING BRADFORD DILLMAN is not a sad, downer film. On the contrary, I felt oddly uplifted and happy after watching the film. The closest thing I can compare this to would be Tim Burton’s flash animated series called THE WORLD OF STAINBOY, both in tone and in style, but do not mistake this as being a literal or direct comparison, rather more of an impressionistic similarity that falls within a broad tonal category.

‘Being Bradford Dillman’ Trailer from Being Bradford Dillman on Vimeo.

Check out BeingBradformDillman.com for more information, or “Like” the film on Facebook.

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN – The Review

Motion capture animation and 3D appear to be the rising stars of cinema technology, both of which have the equal shares of supporters and opponents. One thing is for sure, both relatively new technologies are still within their infancy, but there are occasionally examples of the inspiring potential of this trend toward high-tech storytelling. The most current being THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN, a collaborative effort of gargantuan proportion.

While many audiences may not be aware of the film’s origin, or too young to know better, THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN — which happens to be the film’s official, unofficial full title — is adapted from a comic book series from the ’30s of the same name by the Belgian artist Herge, which also became an animated television series which ran 1991-1992. Sadly, I must report I have no personal knowledge or experience with either, so you will not find me referencing the source material in this review, but, by all means… seek them out as I plan to do.

With all the history behind TINTIN, it’s no wonder the film has such an all-star team of imaginative storytellers working behind the scenes to bring the adventures to a whole new audience. Directed by Steven Spielberg, who also co-produced the film alongside Peter Jackson (LORD OF THE RINGS), THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN was written by Steven Moffat, a very talented writer behind the popular BBC series SHERLOCK and DOCTOR WHO, with assistance from Edgar Wright (SHAUN OF THE DEAD) and Joe Cornish (ATTACK THE BLOCK). That’s a lot of creative star power, and we haven’t even introduced the cast yet.

THE ADVENTURES F TINTIN follows a clever, young report named Tintin – no, the dog is not names Tintin, that’s an entirely separate franchise – played by Jamie Bell (JUMPER). Tintin has an unquenchable curiosity, so when he happens upon a magnificent model ship, he manages to haggle a good deal. Immediately following, he finds himself the center of an immense mystery regarding that model ship, for which various unsavory and dark figures are seeking for them selves. This is where Tintin’s adventure begins, leading him to the drunken Captain Haddock, played by Andy Serkis (RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES), a man with a family history crucial to the mystery of the model ship. Tintin also encounters Ivanovich Sakharine, played by Daniel Craig (CASINO ROYALE), a deviously cunning and dangerous foe seeking the secret of the model ship.

One thing you will certainly not experience during the film is sleep. THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN is non-stop action and endlessly fun. Tintin is sort of a combination of the Hardy Boys and Indiana Jones wrapped up into a small, scrappy package, always getting into a pickle but always managing to find a way out of trouble. He and his trusty Scottish terrier – I may be off slightly on the breed — are an effective investigative team, as they work with Captain Haddock and his rum-induced amnesia to recover the secret of the model ship before Sakharine figures it out himself.

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN takes the audience halfway around the globe to Morocco, where the greatest excitement of the story takes place. Tintin runs into a number of interesting characters along the way, including the bumbling Thompson twin detectives, played unrecognizably by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (SHAUN OF THE DEAD, HOT FUZZ). Cary Elwes (THE PRINCESS BRIDE, SAW) also makes a welcome vocal cameo as the Pilot. The most awe-inspiring scene in the film occurs in Morocco, one last massive chase sequence that resembles a deadly life-sized Rube Goldberg contraption that spans an entire ancient city. This sequence is bound to have you leaning forward, even partially lifted from your seat, as Tintin repeatedly navigates through the perils of the Moroccan streets and Sakharine’s henchmen.

I’ve never had a personal grudge against motion capture, which seems a logical marriage between live acting and animation, as we move forward into new cinematic frontiers of technology. With that said, THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN does a splendid job of capturing the energy and excitement of the story using motion capture, but I am also pleased to say that the film gets the 3D right as well, integrating the often intrusive and annoying technology into the entire film, still utilizing the gimmick value of the tool, but without getting in the way. The use of 3D enhances the story without causing hurdles for the film to stumble over, which is rare indeed.

John Williams has been a busy man in 2011, having scored WAR HORSE as well as THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN, but the difference between the two scores is the music’s presence. In WAR HORSE, Williams’ music n unconventional backseat, but in TINTIN his work stands front and center, making itself known with all its glory and becomes, as is usually the case, a character in and of itself.

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN is likely to be the most fun you’ve had in an animated family flick all year, perfectly kid friendly with plenty of visual stimulus to keep the rug rats entertained, while still creative and intelligent enough to keep adults thrilled and engaged. Personally, this is the first animated film in some time I have left the theater with an immediate desire to watch a second time.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

HOODWINKED TOO! HOOD VS. EVIL – The Review

As a film lover, one of the comments I’ve heard over the years that irks me every time is ” Well. it’s intended for kids”. This seems to be a blanket excuse for any sloppily made animated features aimed at the moppet set. I believe that now , thanks to the cinema gems from Pixar, Dreamworks, and Blue Sky, that hackneyed phrase can finally be put to rest. Certainly UP, RIO, and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON have themes that interest youngsters, but they’re well executed stories that all ages can appreciate. The makers of HOOWINKED TOO! HOOD VS. EVIL seem to believe that by pairing up star voices with fairy tale satire that they can score a bullseye with that all ages audience. The end result not only misses that bullseye, it comes nowhere near the target.

As the title suggests, this is a sequel to the original HOODWINKED from a few years ago. The Big Bad Wolf is now part of a secret spy group the Happily Ever After Agency run by a frog named Nick Flippers. When Granny Puckett is captured during a botched rescue if Hansel and Gretel, Red Riding Hood stops her training with the Sister Hoods to prevent Verushka the witch from perfecting the recipe for a chocolate truffle that makes the consumer all powerful. Along the way they must get information from the Giant and enlist the aid of Kirk the Woodsman and his yodeling gang in infiltrating the witch’s towering apartment buiding and defeat her pig army.

This movie included many of my animation pet peeves. I knew I was in for a rough ride when the first credits seen in the first moments is not for the writers or artists but for all the celebrity voice actors. Over a black screen we got all,ALL. the actors listed along with their characters, not in a group or three or four,but individual title cards: Heidi Klum as Heidi! I don’t believe you need a recognizable voice in every role. It’s not a guarantee of quality. Even more than the Shrek films or SHARK TAILS, the script was choked with dated pop culture references. Oh, Granny’s wearing Uma’s yellow track suit from KILL BILL! The Giant’s doing Joe Pesci’s ” Do I amuse you ” monologue from GOODFELLAS! Oh, a Star Wars joke and a Star Trek gag-from the 60’s series! And the characters never shut up for more than a second! The Wolf is chattering away non-stop! One running gag involves a banjo playing goats who shows up just in time to be smashed by some falling object-almost every fifteen minutes! Unfortunately not all the problems here are verbal. The character designs of the Wolf, Flippers and Red are very unappealing and flat. They bounce around the generic backgrounds and seem to have no weight or gravity to them. As I left the theatre my aggravation turned to sadness as I thought of all the artists that worked to produce this soon to be daytime cable TV time filler. A lot of talent is needed to produce any animation. Let’s hope that the HOODWINKED series ends with this installment and the artists move on to projects much more worthy of their time and talent.

Overall Rating: One Half out of 5 stars

SLIFF 2010 Review: MY DOG TULIP

Long, long ago in 1994 the release of an animated film using computer technology was a unique event. Since the success of that first TOY STORY film, the hand drawn animated feature has become almost forgotten. It’s a pleasure to revisit those 2D day with the new animated film from Sandra and Paul Fierlinger MY DOG TULIP based on the novel from J.R. Ackerley. but, as I discovered during the end credits, things are not always as they seem.

I should warn parents out there that although this is a film involving a cartoon dog, Tulip is quite unlike Lady, Tramp, or any of those Dalmatians. She behaves like a real dog. When she’s not eating, sleeping, or barking Tulip is relieving herself and later goes through the canine mating ritual. Although this her master (voiced wonderfully by Christopher Plummer) is completely smitten with his Alation bitch. He trudges through his dull job in an office at the BBC till he can be reunited with his ideal friend.

In a way the film is a love story between the two. His fantasy life with Tulip is shown by simple animated pen line drawings on lined yellow note paper. At times he is scientifically analytical concerning the dog’s bodily functions. During the film he (based on the author Ackerley) deals with intolerant neighbors and a visiting sister(voiced by the late Lynn Redgrave to whom the film is dedicated) who tries to steal away the dog’s affections. J. R. has to deal with several indifferent and hostile veterinarians until meeting one full of wisdom and compassion (voiced by Isabella Rossellini). She offers advice when J.R. decides it’s time to Tulip to “marry.”

We’re then treated to several episodes of him dealing with other dog owners who believe they have Tulip’s perfect husband. And of course they must deal with the onslaught of frenzied neighborhood dogs when Tulip is in heat. All in all a charming look at a real relationship between human and animal. The story is animated with bright colors and minimal backgrounds. The characters are drawn in a “scratchy” pen and ink style. So here’s what surprised me in the end credits: No paper was used in the making of this film. It’s amazing how these computers can fool you. A great film for animation fans and fans of faithful dogs.

MY DOG TULIP will play during the 19th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 13th at 1:00 pm and Sunday, November 14th at 5:00 pm at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.

Review: A TOWN CALLED PANIC

Amidst all the technological advances and trending focus on computer animation, I am pleased to see a continued interest in the traditional art of stop motion animation. Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar continue the trend with their stop motion animated film A TOWN CALLED PANIC.

The feature film, a short but sweet 75 minutes in length, is a follow up to the filmmakers’ 2000 short animation Panique au village. A TOWN CALLED PANIC is filled with frantic and energetic, showcasing comical creativity within its structured chaos. In short, watching A TOWN CALLED PANIC is akin to experiencing GUMBY, having been genetically spliced with TOY STORY, all jacked up on speed and adrenaline.

A TOWN CALLED PANIC follows a small village of folks, created in the style of old school molded plastic toys. Horse, quite literally a plastic toy horse, lives in one house across the road from farmers Stephen and Janine. Living with Horse are the dim-witted stooges Cowboy and Indian, essentially Larry and Curly, whereas Horse replaces Moe with a more Lou Abbott straight man… I mean, horse, of course.

In the town of Panic, a policeman and a mailman also reside, along with many farm animals. It’s a small town, but the town experiences more that its share of antics and accidents at the hands of Cowboy and Indian. The two bumbling idiots mean well, but their good nature causes havoc as they rush to scrape together a last minute gift for Horse’s birthday.

The trouble all begins with Indian making a simple careless mistake while ordering bricks for a homemade BBQ pit, intended as Horse’s birthday gift. This sizable mistake carries a heavy weight, triggering a chain reaction of absurdly bizarre events to unfold. Unsuspecting of his birthday surprises, good and bad, Horse pursues his interest in Mrs. Longray — an attractive female horse that teaches music at a nearby school.

The animation is A TOWN CALLED PANIC is playfully psychotic, with characters running around on their plastic bases, flying through the air as a result of repeated explosions, beat downs from other characters. The colors of the film are rich and the pace of the story and action is fast. I do mean fast! The film is in French, spoken rapidly to match the pace of the action on screen, so the English subtitles move quickly to keep up… so, break out your CLOCKWORK ORNAGE eye clamps and prepare yourself for animated craziness.

A TOWN CALLED PANIC has a familiar feel, similar to the numerous recent “adult” animated programs on late-night cable, but this film has a slightly more refined essence to its madness. In some ways, the encounters and humor that Cowboy and Indian encounter have a hint of Monty Python in their arsenal of influence. One chunk of the story I particularly enjoyed involved three mad scientists and a giant robotic penguin on tank tracks.

Accompanying Cowboy and Indian’s zany little world of make-belief are goggle-wearing fish men, musically-talented farm animals and even an angry woolly mammoth. Much of the action in A TOWN CALLED PANIC is reminiscent of the classic Nick park WALLACE & GROMIT, conveying a sort of Rube Goldberg quality, except in this film its much more chaotic and less choreographed in its purpose, while still moving the story along without any hiccups.

A TOWN CALLED PANIC is pure, enjoyable motion picture viewing. It’s simple, yet complex. It’s not a sloppy or choppy film, but more fluid. Watching this movie is like being transported back to the playground for 75 minutes, but allows the audience to maintain their adult sense of humor in perfect harmony with their awkward inner child.

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The Movie –

The Extras –

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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