illumination – We Are Movie Geeks

MIGRATION – Review

It’s the big holiday weekend, and for many families, it’s the perfect time for a big getaway. Oh, we’re not talking about a brief trek “over the river and through the woods”. Nope, how about a big excursion like the McCallister clan in the original HOME ALONE (Paris, sheesh somebody’s doing well)? Come to think of it, it’s strange that the Grisswalds don’t travel anywhere in CHRISTMAS VACATION, though Cousin Eddy drops in from afar. But I digress. Now if that’s what human families do, then how about animal families? To be more specific, those “fine feathered” families. Now in this new animated feature, it’s not ‘”yuletime”, but the temps are starting to fall prompting those web-footed folks to join a big southbound MIGRATION.

Oddly enough this story begins, actually, during storytime. Papa of the Mallards, Mack (voice of Kumail Nanjiani) relates a cautionary fable of ducks leaving the safety of the nest and flying to their doom to his kids, free-spirited pre-teen Dax (Casper Jennings) and sweet adorable baby sister Gwen (Tresi Gazal), all while mom Pam (Elizabeth Banks) rolls her eyes. She thinks that they should “expand their horizons” well past the comfy confines of the bucolic pond near Moose Lake in New England. Then, almost on cue, a flock of migrating ducks drops in for a brief respite. Of course, Dax falls for a cute duckling gal. After they leave, the family puts pressure on Mack, and…he gives in. They’ll catch up with the flock and join them on their journey to sunny Jamaica. And thanks to the pleading of Gwen, grumpy, sloppy old Uncle Dan (Danny DeVito) will also make the trip. The quintet takes to the skies and …heads in the wrong direction. After a detour to a dank swamp that’s home to a spooky but friendly heron named Erin (Carol Kane), the Mallards nearly fly right into the skyscrapers of NYC. There they encounter the boss of some hungry pigeons, Chump (Awkwafina), who, after a near rumble, takes them to a bird that can guide them to the Caribbean. Unfortunately, the exotic Delroy (Keegan-Michael Key) is locked up in a cage in the office above a trendy restaurant. Can they evade the knife-wielding chief and get back en route to paradise? Or will their final stop be inside a hot oven, covered not in suntan lotion, but in orange sauce?

Unfortunately, as with many major animated releases, the celebrity voice cast seems to be a big marketing point. Luckily there are several assured comic voices in use here. Nanjiani excels when Mac is in full over-protective panic mode. DeVito is perhaps our most endearing screen (big and small) grouch. Key is a bombastic delight as the ecstatic bird so far from home. There’s also some funny vocal work from David Mitchell as the yoga instructor/ rec-director of a place that seems like a spa retreat for ducks. Kane brings her zany quirk to the long-limbed Erin. Now, I’m a big fan of Awkwafina (she’s great in the underrated QUIZ LADY), but I’m wondering if she may want to take a voice-over “time out” as this is her eighth feature film (unless she’s hoping to follow in the legacy of the late great June Foray). Ah, but the look of the film is its real “selling point”. The backdrops are full of dazzling primary colors (those rich greens of the forest) in nature which make a terrific contrast with the looming dark canyons of the city and the stunning neons of its trendiest eatery. The character designs are also superb, making each duck unique, and giving some other fowl (Erin, Deroy) a nice “spindly” look as though their limb are bendable plastic tubing. But my favorite design may be the mute villain, the too-cool, muscle-bound, “fully-tatted” chief (love the diamond-shaped shades and the long platinum ponytail with gold hoops). Extra kudos for working in some terrific 2D-style animation in the movie’s “bedtime story” opening prologue. It’s just a shame that the story is not as unique. It’s an air-and-land riff on FINDING NEMO, as the Mallards encounter a new danger and learn lessons in teamwork and understanding others. The tiniest of moviegoers may be enthralled by the bouncy birds, manic action, and eye-popping backdrops, but this family’s not quite a “duck dynasty” in this occasionally amusing MIGRATION.

2.5 Out of 4

MIGRATION is now playing in theatres everywhere

THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE – Review

(from left) Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) in Nintendo and Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.

As I mentioned in last week’s review of the big D&D flick (which topped the box office charts), the 2023 Spring season of game and toy based-movies has finally reached its biggest destination, or at least until Mattel’s “power couple” arrives. And much like last week’s trio of releases, it’s a nostalgic ‘deep dive”, going back over 40 years. Mind you this duo and their giant video game franchise hit the big screen 30 years, in live-action, and is now considered a loopy bit of campy fun. Ah, but there’s no more glued-on phony facial hair in this one because it’s all rendered in lush computer-generated animation by one of the more successful not-Pixar studios of the past couple of decades. But can they jump (and gobble and drive) from the minions to tackle THE SUPER MARIO BROS> MOVIE? And…start…

Before we get to meet the guys, we’re transported to a weird world of ice where an army of fierce fightin’ penguins meets their match in the Kupa turtle army led by the menacing, fire-breathing Bowser (voice of Jack Black). Meanwhile, back in the Big Apple, scrappy plumber bros Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) have opened up their own repair biz but don’t get any respect from former boss Spike ( Sebastian Maniscalco) or even their own family. And after a disastrous first gig, they’re thinking about throwing in the (very wet) towel. But then Mario sees that their neighborhood is being flooded by water rising through the sewer grates and manhole covers. It looks like the city crews can’t get a handle on it, so the boys join the fight. Unfortunately, the water sweeps them further down, below the streets, into a long-neglected sub, sub-area. That’s when a weird glowing pipe sucks in the brothers. Luigi lands in a dark scary land, near of graveyard and a nearby black castle with a lava moat. Mario drops into the Mushroom (his least favorite food) Kingdom where he meets the helpful Toad (Keegan_Michael Key), who tells him that the best way to find Luigi is to ask the land’s ruler, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) for help. But she’s got her hands full with the news of the approaching Kupa army and Bowser (who wants to wed her). She believes that they must join forces with the Kong Kingdom and so the trio travels there. Their king, Cranky Kong (Fred Armisen) will only help if Mario can defeat his son, the reigning “maze-fighting” champ Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) in the big arena. But even if he’s victorious over the hulking brute, will Mario reunite with Luigi, before Bowser claims this strange land and sets his sights on the world above?

The all-star cast sounds as though they’re having a blast voicing these iconic characters that were probably a big part of their childhood. Pratt (who does a bit of the Italian dialect in an early sequence) is properly heroic and confident as Mario, even as his training and a certain ape pummel him. Day is the shakey, in-need-of-protecting kid brother who finally finds his inner warrior thanks to the love of his big bro. Taylor-Joy is an approachable princess, kind of a big sister or sitter to the duo, who is far from the typical storybook “damsel in distress”. Key is full of squeaky-voiced charm as the ever-helpful Toad. Armisen brings a bit of off-kilter snark to the rascally Cranky Kong. Bowser is given a gravely-voiced gravitas by Black (I keep thinking of Mickey’s nemesis Pete), who makes him into a soulful lounge lizard at the piano for his anthem love ballads for “Peaches”. Sure, they’re terrific, but the stand out for me was the perfect casting of Rogen as an agitated aggressive grumpy gorilla, who boasts while he bashes, but is capable of “niceness”. Seth’s familiar chuckle just sounds right coming out of the mouth of the muscular barrel-tosser.

Oh, the aforementioned animation house is the French branch of Illumination. This isn’t their first licensed property (the Seuss stories), so they ably adapt the pixel people into full fluid moving cartoon stars (there was a Saturday morning cartoon in the late 80s). As this is a co-production with Nintendo, the classic character designs are closely followed, somehow making the story work between the more “realistic” Peach to the “bigfoot-style” brothers, the 30s take on the Kongs, and the funny fiendish Bowser and his reptile crew. The use of 80s pop-tunes seems to work within the tale’s action beats. Bits of the gameplay (coins, boxes, and ‘shrooms) are cleverly dropped in, along with some witty bits of slapstick and dialogue. Special kudos to the color stylists who created some eye-popping rainbow-hued backdrops and props. This isn’t a huge ground-breaking achievement in animation history, but it moves along at a good pace for both kids and their folks making this “family fare” that’s better than most world expect. Maybe I wouldn’t use that “s” word, but I’d say that smarty, stylish, and silly work for THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE. And Santa, how about a solo Donkey Kong spin-off flick, ‘puh-leeze’?!

3 out of 4

THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE is now playing in theatres everywhere

DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH – Review

While you’re still finding bits of the jack o’lantern in the front yard or porch, and probably still munching from the big bowl of “fun-sized” candy, Hollywood is dashing right past Thanksgiving (much like retail stores and the remaining malls) to present us with the first big Christmas themed feature film. Yes, though it’s over six weeks away the multiplex hallways will be filled with some familiar carols. And it’s an animated feature, since the end of the year is a major release time for those, too. It’s been well over a year since we’ve seen a new flick from the fine folks at Illumination, home of the DESPICABLE ME franchise along with SING and THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS. So, is this a story of the Minions getting all merry (you can just imagine their bug eyes appearing in the eggnog pitcher). No, that’s because the Universal-based animation house has a deal with the Dr. Seuss estate (going back to their 2012 treatment of THE LORAX). So Seuss and Christmas can only mean one thing: the return of that grumbling green “meanie” who despises all the icons of yule time. And now he’s come somewhat full circle. The children’s book curmudgeon was first brought to life via 2D cell animation for TV in 1966, then Ron Howard directed Jim Carrey (in terrific prosthetics and makeup from Rick Baker and his team) in a live-action feature in 2000, and now he’s back in animation, computer generated with optional 3D, with the title shortened considerably (perhaps to not give away too much of the well-known plot). The holiday tale is now simple DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH.

The story’s narrator whisks us away to the snow-covered town of Whoville as the citizens happily begin three weeks of preparation and decorating mania in anticipation of the big December holiday. Getting caught up in the frenzy is harried working (in and out of the home) single mom Donna Lou Who (voiced by Rashida Jones). As she catches a quick snooze on the trolley, someone else is just waking up. In cave inside a mountain overlooking the village resides the green, furry, ill-tempered Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch), who’s about to enjoy a breakfast served by his tiny dog, Max. But wait, the shelves and fridge are bare. Ah yes, the holidays cause him to “stress eat”. Now, he’ll have to go into town for supplies. Meanwhile, Donna is also about to have breakfast with her twin toddler boys and her pre-teen daughter Cindy Lou (Cameron Seely), who’s focused on a letter she wants to send to the North Pole, home of, ya’ know. As she dashes off to catch the letter carrier, Cindy nearly collides with the Grinch and Max. He sneers that the letter, no doubt with a huge wishlist, will be lost in Santa’s mountain of mail. Leaving the grocery store, the Grinch tries and fails to avoid the number one Whoville holiday enthusiast Bricklebaum (Kenan Thompson), who believes the green guy is his best buddy. Back at his cave, the Grinch comes up with his own Christmas plans, not celebrating nor decorating, but “stealing” the happy day from the town. This just as Cindy Lou, with the help of her pals, hatches her own plan to get in her request to the jolly ole’ elf. With that December deadline approaching, the Grinch, along with his over-worked pooch, goes through his checklist (sled, costume, reindeer?), and delights in getting revenge against that magical, merry day.

For some inexplicable reason, the filmmakers have insisted that Cumberbatch, yes the definitive modern-day Sherlock (sorry Jonny Lee), perform the lead role with an American accent. Hey, his natural speech worked for Karloff over 50 years ago, so why must the “mean one” sound like he’s applying for Harvard (or any of the Ivy League)? Mind you, the right tone of snark is there in his contempt for the happy goofballs that live below him, but he sounds like a cousin of Dr. Steven Strange with a case of the “hangries”. It’s an odd choice that takes some getting used too. Fortunately, he still has a great chemistry with Thompson who brings the same zany energy to the affable, but clueless Bricklebaum that he has for the last fifteen (wow) years as a regular cast member on TV’s “Saturday Night Live”. With his bushy beard obscuring his mouth, he tosses off hilarious jokes much like the masterful Jack Mercer did as Popeye in countless cartoons (I wonder if they might have been added in post, much like Mercer did). Jones as Donna doesn’t have nearly as much fun as that duo. She’s there to be the dutiful, tired, but noble matriarch who says just the right things to encourage and inspire her daughter. As the said daughter, Seely is sweet, but not saccharine with just the correct dose of spunk without becoming obnoxious. I also couldn’t “get” the use of Pharrell Williams as the narrator with his rather listless line reading. Now maybe if Cumberbatch had told the tale in his smooth British baritone. And they bring in family film superstar Angela Landsbury for one scene as the town’s mayor? Talk about under-utilizing an extraordinary talent! that’s “Mrs. Potts” for gosh sakes!

Directors Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier have delivered a flick that’s most pleasing to the eyes with colors that pop, clever designs (I like how the tiny Whoville shops spin around to show their wares), and characters close to the original Seuss pen and ink sketches. But, as with the 2000 feature, it’s all in service to a story that was told almost perfectly in 23 minutes in 1966. Unlike the last version, we don’t delve as much into the pre-adult Grinch (here spending 12/25 all alone in an orphanage), but we get new characters that “pad’ the tale (or to sell more toys, if you want to be cynical). As I said earlier Thompson is tons o’ fun as Bricklebaum, but he doesn’t advance the plot one lick (of a candy cane). The same could certainly be said of the cohorts of Cindy (certainly much older than two, this time out). Again, more merch and maybe a chance to be more diverse. Then there’s Fred, the lone waddling, beefy reindeer with a Shemp Howard-styled orange tuft of hair. He drifts in and out of the film (because Max has to pull that big sled solo). Plus Fred helps to eliminate one of the greatest images of the story, that being the Grinch triumphantly lifting the massive, stuffed sled over his head. Yes, really! The blame can rest at the screenplay by Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow (it took two), which somehow expands and simplifies the story. Now we get to see the Whovians waking to empty living rooms, along with an explanation of the holiday’s true meaning from Donna to Cindy (that singing circle is not enough). And in one tired gag, the Grinch tries to use a giant catapult (did he have one gathering dust in a corner of the cave, or is the empty Acme Company crate nearby). Oh, and we’re “treated” to a modern take (rap) on those classic, timeless Eugene Poddany tunes (you are so missed, Thurl Ravenscroft). The little ones may be amused by the flick’s first act, but their patience will be sorely tested. Though not a big lump of coal, DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH is not the upgrade that’s on anybody’s wish list.

2.5 Out of 5

DESPICABLE ME 3 – Review

So the CARS crew has barely finished a third lap and now another animated franchise is about to join them (or are they in their forth lap?). In 2010 Universal Studios teamed up with a plucky young computer animation company named Illumination to ride the box office tidal wave begun by the folks at Pixar. Their first smash was DESPICABLE ME, a raucous action comedy about an infamous super-villain mellowed when he becomes the foster-father to a trio of orphaned girls. Audiences embraced the title character of Dru and went bananas (that’s what they resemble, after all) over his horde of henchman, the yellow, yammering (nobody knows what their language is) minions. A sequel, DESPICABLE ME 3, followed of course, in 2013 in which Dru got a wife (and the girls got a mom), a super secret agent for good named Lucy. Then in 2015, came a “spin-off prequel” MINIONS, all about the origins of those adorable tablet-shaped terrors. Now, after two big hits last year (THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS and SING), Illumination and Universal deliver what some of the talent are calling the final chapter of the trilogy, DESPICABLE ME 3 (only theatre ticket sales will tell…).

As the film begins, we’re introduced to a new “super mastermind”, Balthazar Bratt (voice of Trey Parker). He’s a former child actor, star of the massive 80’s TV ratings smash “Evil Bratt”. BB was living on top of the world until puberty hit him like a freight train full of tie-in merchandise (his face exploded with acne and upper-lip hair as his voice broke), and his show was canceled. Hungry for revenge, BB sets his sights on stealing a massive jewel from an ocean liner. Luckily two of the top AVL (Anti-Villain League) agents Dru (Steve Carell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) are on the case. During the wild fracas, the jewel is retrieved, but Bratt escapes. Later, at a big AVL meeting, new director Valerie da Vinci (Jenny Slate) fires the couple. Returning home, they try to put on a brave face for the girls, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Nev Scharrel). The minions, however, are finally fed up with Dru’s “good guy” ways and leave their lair (one duo remains loyal) on a journey that eventually lands them in the slammer. The next morning an odd ole’ duffer delivers a message: Gru’s twin brother Dru is footing the bill for a reunion trip to Freedonia (?). After a quick visit to his mum (Julie Andrews), who admits that he has a twin, Gru, Lucy, and the girls board a private jet that takes them right to the opulent estate of pig magnate Dru (Carell again). But he’s got a scheme. Seems that BB did succeed in grabbing the big jewel. Dru wants that rock and needs Gru to share his super villain skills. Now, that he’s no longer an AVL agent, will Gru return to his old ways and jump back to the other side of the law?

The two comedy kingpins at the center of this franchise are in fine, funny voice once more. Carell has perfected this odd “where is he from, Eastern Europe?” accent, giving Dru the same, slightly less confident lilt, and knows when to go in for the “kill”, delivering a scathing put-down or a painful “burn”. But he’s also capable of great warmth and tenderness, particularly when dealing with his “gurrls” and connecting with his wife. Wiig is all perky efficiency as the focused lady agent, but fumbles and stumbles as she tries to switch gears into nurturing parent mode. The best new addition is toon voice vet Parker as the sneering Bratt, as obsessed with his perfect 80’s high-top hair style as he is with his plans for world destruction (“Tinseltown” goes down first, of course). Andrews is very funny in her quick cameos and the kids are still endearing, with Cosgrove adept as the “mature beyond her years” voice of reason. Unfortunately the incredibly talented Ms. Slate is given little to do as the one-note, high-heeled shrew that sets the plot’s wheels in motion.

Yes, the plot, well the entire script, is truly the downfall of this installment. Perhaps it was thought that separating Gru from nearly all of the minions (whose “baby-talk” gibberish is starting to wear thin) would simplify the story, but their escapades seems too close to their last solo flick, though a TV talent show rendition of a Gilbert and Sullivan standard injects some much-needed energy to the flick (shame it’s just a couple of minutes). Bratt is a fun bad guy (a vast improvement over El Macho in number 2) with lots of wacky nods to campy fads of the 1980’s, but he leaves the film for almost 30 minutes (like a host at the Oscars). While the double dose of Gru and Dru elicits a few laughs (mostly concerning Dru’s lush, “TV shampoo ad” hair), the other subplots go nowhere (Lucy desperately trying to bond with the kids, Margo’s determined young local suitor, and the unicorn quest led by Agnes). And really, how can you set part of it in Freedonia and not have a couple of winks to that 30’s classic (a statue of Rufus T Firefly in the town square, or at least a “soup of the day” diner gag)? The colors pop, the character design is still engaging (would love an actual “Evil Bratt” figure) and the animation is slick and smooth (the high-tech jump-suits are a blast). It’s a real shame that the pacing is so off, making the film feel much longer than 90 minutes. Perhaps more slapstick and fewer attempts at pathos would have helped. Either way, for DESPICABLE ME 3, the third time’s not the charm. Now shoo, Gru!

2 Out of 5

Super Cute Trailer Arrives For Illumination’s SING

Illumination has captivated audiences all over the world with the beloved hits Despicable Me, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, now the second-highest-grossing animated movie in history. Following the release of The Secret Life of Pets in summer 2016, Illumination presents SING at the holidays. Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton and Tori Kelly star in a musical comedy about finding the shining star that lives inside all of us.

Check out the first trailer now.

Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, Sing stars Buster Moon (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), a dapper Koala who presides over a once-grand theater that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal optimist—okay, maybe a bit of a scoundrel—who loves his theater above all and will do anything to preserve it. Now facing the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition.

Five lead contestants emerge: A mouse (Seth MacFarlane) who croons as smoothly as he cons, a timid teenage elephant (Tori Kelly) with an enormous case of stage fright, an overtaxed mother (Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon) run ragged tending a litter of 25 piglets, a young gangster gorilla (Taron Egerton) looking to break free of his family’s felonies, and a punk-rock porcupine (Scarlett Johansson) struggling to shed her arrogant boyfriend and go solo. Each animal arrives under Buster’s marquee believing that this is their shot to change the course of their life.

Featuring more than 85 hit songs, SING is written and directed by Garth Jennings (Son of Rambow, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy. Released by Universal Pictures, SING arrives in theaters for the holiday season on December 21, 2016.

Visit the official site: http://www.singmovie.com

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