Tag: Live-Action

DUMBO – Review

A scene from Disney’s live-action DUMBO. Courtesy of Disney Enterprises

Anticipation was high for Disney’s live-action remake of its classic animated film DUMBO, particularly when Tim Burton was tapped to direct. Burton’s films often look they take place in a magical, circus-like fantasy world, so it seemed like a sure thing for DUMBO. But while the new DUMBO soars visually, with all the color and magical fantasy hoped for, the re-make of the tale of the little circus elephant that flies falls flat, due to a muddled, wandering script that loses the charm of the original in the sawdust.

By far, the best thing about the new DUMBO is how it looks. DUMBO is visually delightful, as Tim Burton creates a gorgeous, color-drenched, magical circus world with a touch of steam punk. But the director’s good work is undermined by its rambling, dull script by Ehren Kruger, which shifts the focus from the little elephant to a story about the circus and a circus family. Small children and some grown-up die-hard Disney fans might enjoy the live-action DUMBO, but others will be disappointed, as it just does not compare well to the original.

Disney’s classic animated film DUMBO charmed children and parents alike with its tale of a little elephant overcoming bullying and discovering his own hidden talent, with the help of his loving mother and an encouraging circus mouse friend named Timothy The focus of that sweet story is on the mother-child relationship and the young elephant’s discovery of his own special talent, with the help of his mouse friend.

In this live-action version, the CGI animals don’t talk. While both the mother elephant and a circus mouse are still present, the job of encouraging the little elephant falls to two kids, the children of the little circus’ one-time star attraction. However, the change does not work very well and the film does not make much of an effort with it anyway, as the focus is shifted to the adults in the story, particularly the kids’ father and the owner of the struggling little circus. The baby elephant with giant ears who can fly becomes more a supporting character. Not what fans envisioned.

This story is set in 1919, with brother and sister circus kids, Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins), eagerly wait for their father Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) to return from serving in World War I. Before the war, the kids’ parents had been the stars of the little Medici Brothers circus with a daring bareback riding act. The tight-knit community of performers in the aging little Medici Brothers Circus cared for the kids after their mother died in the 1918 flu epidemic but they hope for better times when dad returns, However, when dad steps off the train, the kids get a new shock when they see he has lost his right arm in the war. The circus’ owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) is struggling to keep the rundown little circus afloat and it is not clear what a one-armed horse trainer is going to do, but the impresario will figure something out. Having lost his star attraction, the circus owner invests in a new big draw, an enormous elephant named Jumbo. Better yet, she’s pregnant so the circus is getting a two-fer. When the baby elephant is born, it has freakishly large ears, and the impresario thinks his dreams of sold-out shows are over.

When some of the crew mistreat both elephants, the kids and Holt intervene, and the kids bond with the little elephant, particularly after mom Jumbo is sold. Both the big-eared baby elephant and Holt wind up in the clown act where the little guy gets nicknamed Dumbo. A tickling feather reveals Dumbo’s hidden talent: he can use his enormous ears to fly. The flying elephant draws the attention of V. A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), a millionaire owner of a big, flashy amusement park, who tells the owner of the little circus he wants to help, although we all know there will be a price for that. Vandevere has a plan to star the flying elephant with his French aerialist Colette Marchant (Eva Green). Alan Arkin plays Vandevere investor J. Griffin Remington.

The CGI is wonderful and the scenes of the flying elephant are breathtaking but Dumbo is more a supporting character while the family take the center spot. Unfortunately, the emotional connection between mom and baby elephant is muted, and the kids don’t create the same emotional connection with the elephant as Timothy Mouse did. In fact, the scenes with the kids and the elephant feel flat and forced. The kids’ parts are underdeveloped, with the the girl’s interest in science feeling tacked on and her younger brother is little more than a shadow. The adult actors are the real story focus.

Danny DeVito does his crusty character best as the owner of the little circus, as he falls under the spell of the charming but manipulative wealthy amusement park owner, played with style by Michael Keaton. Colin Farrell does his best to tug at hearts as the always-optimistic Holt, and there is a romance subplot with Eva Green’s French aerialist, who is paired with Dumbo for a Dreamland show.

Visually, DUMBO is a dream. Tim Burton works his magic completely, creating a gorgeous fantasy circus world, both the fading vintage charm of the Medici Brothers Circus and the big, eye-popping extravagance of the millionaire’s Dreamland. While the Medici circus is all sawdust old-fashioned warmth and cotton-candy brightness, darker shades emerge in the coolly-gleaming polish of the big, flashy Dreamland, which has a steam punk vibe.

Audiences may note that amusement park Dreamland has an eerie resemblance to Disneyland, right down to a hall of science that echoes Tomorrowland. It is one of the film’s most intrigue aspects, and given that this is a Disney film, the subtext is curious. Tim Burton reportedly has a fraught history with the company, and when the D falls off the amusement park’s entrance sign, the message seems clear. Maybe the company, fresh off its acquisition of 21st Century Fox, decided to just let this one go.

DUMBO is a very pretty film but a pretty slow, rambling one. The story is a mess, without the sweetness and appeal of the original. While little kids will likely still enjoy it, it might be more of a slog for parents, particularly disappointing if they are grown-up fans of the original.

DUMBO opens Friday, March 29, at multiple theaters.

RATING: 2 out of 5 stars

CHRISTOPHER ROBIN – Review

Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) with his longtime friend Winnie the Pooh in Disney’s CHRISTOPHER ROBIN.

The Winnie the Pooh stories are among the great treasures of childhood but this seeming re-write of the sad life of the real Christopher Robin might unsettle adults who learned the true story of A. A. Milne’s son in last year’s GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN. Ordinarily, a chance to revisit A. A. Milne’s delightful world of the Hundred Acre Wood through film would be most welcome but in light of the sad story revealed in that film, there is something off about the way Disney’s new live-action CHRISTOPHER ROBIN goes about that, with a tale in which a grown Christopher Robin reconnects with happy childhood memories of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore and the rest. GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN revealed the much sadder true story of Milne’s son Christopher Robin, the real boy who was the inspiration for the stories’ fictional one, and the way the publication of the books had a devastating effect on his childhood. The Disney film seems to cut out the unpleasant parts of the real person’s story to create a happier one, which just feels wrong, or at least it will likely seem that way to anyone who saw last year’s powerful drama.

Still, kids certainly will be unaware of all that, as will adults who didn’t see the earlier film and, of course, parents can chose to ignore it too. Actually, in this story, it is the fictional Christopher Robin who has grown up, with a life parallel life to Milne’s real son but with the trauma just cut out. Purely as a family film, CHRISTOPHER ROBIN is a crowd-pleaser, with period charm, lovely locations, nice performances, and a likable fantasy tale that will entertain both children and parents. The live-action combination of actors and CGI-animated stuffed animals is very well done, and the characters are a much better, more faithful depiction of A.A. Milne’s delightful creations than in the earlier Disney animated versions.

The film is directed by Marc Forster, who has successfully mixed children’s literature and the real people behind the stories before in FINDING NEVERLAND, about the creation of Peter Pan. But while children will delight in the Disney live-action/CGI animated stuffed animal characters in this appealing Winnie the Pooh fantasy, there remains something unsettling about the way the film simply erases out all the unpleasant parts. A.A. Milne’s Pooh stories are wonderful but the success of the books and readers’ interest in the real boy who shared the books’ fictional character’s name turned his parents into greedy stage parents exploiting their son, an experience that haunted him throughout life.

The story is set in a post-World War II London, and Ewan McGregor plays a grown-up Christopher Robin, with Robin being his last name. The film gives us a scene of young Christopher Robin saying farewell to his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, as in “The House At Pooh Corner,” and then a quick recap of growing up and into adulthood that roughly resembles part of young Milne’s life. After service in the war, the adult Christopher Robin has a wife, Evelyn (Hayley Atwell) and a nine-year-old daughter, Madeline (Bronte Carmichael), but all his time seems to be taken up by his job as an efficiency manager at a luggage manufacturer. He likes his job and his department of oddball co-workers (played by a wonderful assortment of British character actors) but works too-long hours and is a bit too serious and stern with his young daughter.

Unfortunately, the luggage company is not doing well, and Christopher’s boss Giles Winslow (a delightfully obnoxious Mark Gatiss) insists that he has to work the weekend so they can cut 20 percent from company costs, cuts that may involved layoffs among Christopher’s staff. Working the weekend will spoil his plans for a long-awaited family weekend at the Sussex cottage where the child Christopher Robin played with his toys in the Hundred Acre Wood. Fortunately, Christopher Robin’s childhood friend Pooh and the rest return to save the day and help the grown man reconnect with his childhood and his daughter in a magical adventure.

The real appeal of this film are A.A. Milne’s characters, brought to life in well-done CGI stuffed animal animation and fine voice acting performances. Visually, the film is wonderful. The mix of live actors and stuffed animal characters is seamless and wholly-convincing, as one expects from Disney, and scenes were shot on location in London and Sussex. There is plenty of action, silly humor and exciting chases to please young viewers. Early on, there are a few tense, dark moments which may upset some younger children (not as harsh as BAMBI) but the story quickly switches tone and eventually delivers the kid-pleasing happy ending and a message about family that will please parents.

On the plus side, the film offers an appealing versions of Milne’s characters, much more true to their charm and clever humor than the earlier simplified animated versions. Parents who have not read the originals to their kids should remedy that immediately, as adults will delight to find the stories entertaining and smarter than you expect based on the Disney versions.

While the plot is pretty familiar, mostly a standard tale of a man re-discovering what really is important in his life, director Marc Forester, who also directed FINDING NEVERLAND, has a few surprises in mind. Ewan McGregor turns in a nice performance as Christopher and gets strong backing from the rest of the cast. The voice acting hits all the right comic notes, particularly Brad Garrett as Eeyore and Jim Cummings as Pooh. Others lending their voices include Toby Jones as Owl, Peter Capaldi as Rabbit and Sophie Okonedo as Kanga.

However, the biggest appeal, not surprisingly, are Milne’s beloved characters. Of course, Winnie the Pooh is front and center in this fantasy of a man getting back in touch with his childhood but the surprise and delight is the prominent role given to Eeyore, a character much funnier in the books than in the cartoon version. We still get the hyperactive Tigger and all the other characters to varying degrees. As said earlier, these version are more true to the smarter, funnier books.

Kiddies won’t notice this but adults who saw GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN will notice the striking visual parallels between this film and the drama, which will keep that other darker tale of bad parenting in the front of mind, perhaps Foresters’ subtle unspoken cautionary commentary. Parents who have not seen GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN might want to consider seeing it before taking their kids to this happy fantasy, although that earlier drama is not suitable for some kids, as director Marc Forster may intend some of the subtext as a cautionary tale for parents. The underlying message, buried under all the kid-friendly entertainment, is to let kids be kids, whether one is aware of the true story behind this or not. Other grown-ups who fondly remember Winnie the Pooh should be aware of the sad true story depicted in the drama before embracing this white-washed version of the grown-up Christopher Robin.

For kids, CHRISTOPHER ROBIN is an enjoyable family film, the kind that can entertain both them and their parents, and particularly delightful if they have read the real A.A. Milne stories. For parents who saw the earlier drama, it has a cautionary message. Other grown-up Pooh fans should check out the sad true story depicted in the drama before embracing this fictional tale of Christopher Robin.

RATING: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

GHOST IN THE SHELL – Review

Scarlett Johansson plays The Major in Ghost in the Shell from Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures in theaters March 31, 2017. © 2016 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Scarlett Johansson plays The Major in Ghost in the Shell from Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures in theaters March 31, 2017. © 2016 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

If you are going to re-make a classic, fan favorite film, you might want to keep the original story. Oddly, the live action remake of the anime classic GHOST IN THE SHELL, based on the Japanese manga of the same name, recreates several scenes, sometimes shot-for-shot and keeps some of the same characters. But the American live-action version ditches the mystery, the atmospheric moodiness, and the philosophical aspects in favor of a standard, less-interesting action film story line. That is a lot of changes, without even getting into the controversy of a largely non-Asian lead cast in this manga-inspired story set in futuristic Japan.

Fans of the 1995 Japanese anime original GHOST IN THE SHELL will be disappointed with this hollowed-out, less-interesting live-action American remake. Those who never saw the Japanese original are likely to wonder what all the fuss was about over such a standard if violent film.

Sure, the visual effects look good – impressively good – as does star Scarlett Johansson. Johansson plays the Major, an anti-terrorist specialist who is also a human-cyborg hybrid. Set in a futurist Japanese city and in a time when the line between humans and machine is increasingly blurred, Major and teammate Batou (Danish actor Pilou Asbaek, A WAR, LUCY) work for the anti-terrorist division Section 9. They are tracking an elusive terrorist called Kuze (Michael Pitt), who is attacking the Hanka Corporation, a private company that provides cyborgs and technology-enhancements for humans for government use. Major’s and Batou’s boss is Aramaki (Beat Takeshi Kitano), a Japanese government official attached to Hanka Corporation.

Unlike the Japanese anime GHOST IN THE SHELL, the live-action one begins with an origin story for Major. Major is a herself a new step forward in human-cyborg combinations: an entirely artificial body or “shell” whose human component, called a “ghost,” is only her brain. Major’s brain was salvaged from her original body, which was too damaged to repair. Because of the extent of the damage, Major’s ghost, her human spirit, retains only vague memories of her former life. A scientist, Dr. Ouelet (Juliette Binoche), helps keep her cyborg body in top shape, and also serves as a kind of combination friend and mother figure for her.

Both the 1989 manga and the 1995 original Japanese anime film were hugely influential, winning fans around the world and sparking sequels, movies and TV shows. The film influenced a lot of filmmakers, notably the Wachowskis. The story in this live-action version combines elements of the Wachowskis’ THE MATRIX, along with THE BOURNE IDENTITY, TERMINATOR and other films thrown in. The story is gone but oddly, entire scenes, including some action sequences, are recreated in the new version, sometimes shot-for-shot. the film works hard to incorporate little elements from the original, like the trash truck, the diving scene and the spider-like tank. The live-action film does keep the high level of violence in the anime original.

The new film’s strong point is its breath-taking special effects, and Johansson’s action character performance. A lot of care has been put into re-creating the visual aspects of the anime film, right down to Johansson sporting the same haircut. Johansson wears a form-fitting, flesh-toned body suit to represent the nudity of the original animated character, who despite the film’s gender-role questioning, seems to spend a lot of time nearly bare. Of course, all that questioning is absent in this film, but viewers get a good look at a very fit, curvy Johansson.

The futuristic seaside city where the story takes place looks even grittier and grayer, and all those visual details are skillfully done. A dash of color and Japanese flavor appears in an early scene, where high-powered businessmen and government figures at a corporate function are served by lavishly dressed cybernetic geishas, a sequence that evolves into one of the film’s most violent and visually complex, as the cyborgs, hacked by a terrorist, attack the guests.

In the Japanese animated original, the terrorist that Major and Batou were hunting was a hacker known as the Puppet Master, a figure so shadowy that the authorities were unsure if “he” was male or female, or even human. In the live-action version, that mystery is gone. They know they are hunting a man, who is bent on destroying the Hanka Corporation and their cybernetic work.

Of course, one of the things that made GHOST IN THE SHELL so interesting was the philosophical questioning it raised. Not just its cautionary tale about technology, the commentary on growing corporate power and its intertwining with government power, but about gender identity and sexuality, larger philosophical matters, and even life itself. In the live-action film, all those intriguing elements had been eliminated, reduced to a little commentary on technology in the action movie plot, making for a far-less interesting film.

The visual effects and action in the new GHOST IN THE SHELL are well-done, and Johansson, Asbaek and Binoche try to squeeze what drama there is out of the standard action story. But it is not enough to maintain interest and audiences may be forgiven for nodding off, only to be jarred awake by the film’s outbursts of gunfire and mayhem.

The live-action GHOST IN THE SHELL is a disappointment for fans of the anime original. The flashy special effects alone may satisfy some film-goers but the standard action film plot unlikely to garner any new fans.

RATING: 3 out of 5 stars

 

Review: 2010 Oscar Shorts

Every year folks gather around their television sets and watch as the stars flaunt who they’re wearing on the red carpet and we all lumber through more than three hours of ceremony to hear first-hand which film is crowned Best Picture. Unfortunately, two of the categories that appear in the festivities but go mostly unrecognized are the awards for Best Live Action and Animated Short Films. That is, until recently, when the lineup of nominated shorts began screening in theaters for the general audience to experience and enjoy. This is great for two reasons; one being an increased exposure for the filmmakers, the other being an increased interest from the audience in these films as a part of the annual awards culture.

Thanks to the indie and art house theaters that have taken the reigns, I encourage everyone to make an effort to see as many of the foreign and short films nominated for Academy Awards, prior to the big event. For one week only in Saint Louis, Landmark brings the nominees to the public to screen at the Tivoli Theatre, starting on Friday, February 19.

The animated shorts nominated for the Academy Award this year are not surprisingly dominated by CGI techniques, but Nick Park’s classic stop-motion remains a contender once again. Story is less of a determining factor in this category than concept and execution, which is my favorite pick for the best of the best this Oscar season goes to LOGORAMA.

FRENCH ROAST (France, 8 min.) — directed by Fabrice O. Joubert – is a simple and charming little silent story about the generosity of others and the fact that appearances are often deceiving. A well-to-do man enjoys his coffee in a French café, but when he finds his wallet missing, a Chaplin-esque pursuit of means to pay his bill ensues. The CGI animation has a distinctly old school yet three-dimensional style and is musically accompanied by a jazzy score.

GRANNY O’GRIMM’S SLEEPING BEAUTY (Ireland, 6 min.) — directed by Nicky Phelan – don’t be drawn into the fairy tale trap of this film, because it’s a much darker twist on the classic Sleeping Beauty story you grew up with. Bitter about her age, Granny subjects her grandchild to her own nightmarish retelling of the tale. Certainly not intended for the little kiddies, this CGI-animated film combines claymation-influenced reality scenes with colorful two-dimensional fairy tale sequences.

THE LADY AND THE REAPER (Spain, 8 min.) — directed by Javier Recio Gracia – initially, this film feels like what you might expect to get if Guillermo del Toro directed a Pixar movie, dark and moody, wrought with a romantically Gothic sense of pending doom. However, the story quickly devolves into a typically shallow slapstick chase as the Grim Reaper and a handsome doctor play tug of war with the old lady’s life and soul. While it is fun and technically accomplished, there’s not a great deal of depth to the story.

LOGORAMA (Argentina, 17 min.) — directed by Nicolas Schmerkin – in a world saturated with brand loyalty and positive PR producing corporate spokes-characters, this film takes all that and turns it upside-down. The film forces a gritty, real-world story onto a parallel world made up entirely of these corporate trademarks and logos. Michelin Men cops talking like Tarantino characters, a psychotic Ronald McDonald turned to crime and an effeminate Mr. Clean, these are just some of what to expect from this satirical social commentary with South Park flair.

A MATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH (U.K., 29 min.) – directed by Nick Park – everyone’s favorite stop-motion animated clay characters Wallace & Gromit are back. The absent-minded inventor and his faithfully resourceful pooch pal find themselves facing off against a serial butcher of bakers. Wallace, the luckiest dimwit in the world, is drawn into danger while Gromit, his self-sacrificing dog, protects his master and saves the day. The story more or less fits the typical formula of W&G films, but as usual, it’s the stunning technical and artistic expertise of Nick park that makes the film magical and enjoyable.

The live action shorts nominated for the Academy Award this year have a darker than expected, but definitely welcome theme about them. With the exception of the Swedish entry INSTEAD OF ABRACADABRA, little humor is to be had, replaced by dramatically tragic stories. This year’s live action shorts are a tough call, when considering the best, as they’re all excellent, but for very different and unique reasons.

THE DOOR (Ireland [in Russian], 17 min.) – directed by Juanita Wilson – is a bleak and somber reflection on the effects of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. The story is told of one family, of many, forced from their homes within the effected area and the parents who struggle with their loss of so much more than just a place to call home. THE DOOR is a heartbreaking, eye-opening film, quiet like funeral service. This film may be short, but contains enough dramatic substance and emotional impact to fill a feature-length movie.

INSTEAD OF ABACADABRA (Sweden, 18 min.) – directed by Patrik Eklund – Tomas is a 25-year old amateur magician, eager to become a pro, but when he meets his new neighbor he does whatever it takes to impress her with his magical showmanship, even if it means getting a “real” job to appease his skeptical father. At first resembling a Swedish Napoleon Dynamite with a touch of Harry Potter, Tomas has one major trick left up his sleeve to prove his skeptics wrong… he believes in himself. This feel-good short will certainly conjure up some genuine laughter.

KAVI (India, 19 min.) — directed by Gregg Helvey — tells the story of a young boy who dreams of going to school and playing cricket, but is trapped working hard labor with his parents, enslaved to a ruthless business owner making bricks. The story is told from the boy’s point-of-view, offering a child’s perspective on the pain of the forced laborers and the hope he struggles to maintain for his and his family’s life. KAVI is a film that portrays both the beauty and the ugliness of modern-day India.

MIRACLE FISH (Australia, 18 min.) – directed by Luke Doolan – follows a schoolboy that gets bullied on his birthday, but gets a strange surprise after sneaking into the school’s sick bay and falling asleep. When he awakes, he finds himself all alone in the school, mysteriously empty as if all others had suddenly vanished. Having begun as a curious boy’s adventure, the film gradually becomes a frightening transition from innocence to innocence lost, develops an edge like the Twilight Zone, and ends with a climactic jolt to the head.

THE NEW TENANTS (Denmark, 20 min.) – directed by Joachim Back – introduces two seemingly mismatched roommates recently moved into an apartment building, a building that reveals a dark history and a cast featuring actors Vincent D’Onofrio and Kevin Corrigan as bizarre fellow tenants. Eerily eccentric like David Lynch, smart and dialectically rich like the Coen Brothers, THE NEW TENANTS is a mysterious, philosophical and entertaining slice of the life abnormal. This little movie is a trip!

Live Action ‘Star Wars’ TV Show is Casting

yodastarwars

There have been rumors and whispers about a live-action TV series that would take place in the ‘Star Wars’ universe ever since George Lucas was working on ‘Revenge of the Sith’. His priority became the Animated ‘Clone Wars’ movie and the animated series, but back in 2007 Lucas apparently started writing for a live-action series.

MTV managed to get this little tid-bit revealing something is in the works:

During the junket for the Nicolas Cage thriller “Knowing,† star Rose Byrne let slip that Team Lucas is casting a wide net for actors to join the show. “A lot of my friends have been auditioning for it,† she said. — MTV

Honestly, I think this might be interesting. I really wasn’t a fan of the animated ‘Clone Wars’ movie or the series, but from what MTV has gathered about the approach being taken for the live-action TV series, I like what I’m reading! Check this out…

According to Lucas, the show will focus on minor characters from the saga and be set in the time period between “Revenge of the Sith† (Episode III) and the original “Star Wars† (Episode IV). The action will follow the Rebel Alliance as it slowly gains strength against the Empire. There will be Stormtroopers, but no Jedi or Darth Vader will appear on screen. As he did with the “Clone Wars† series, Lucas will write and shoot an entire year’s worth of episodes before looking for a cable channel on which to air the series. — MTV

So, what do you guys think? Does it sound cool? Is it just more of Lucas marketing his cash cow, or is it something new and different, or both? Does he need to let ‘Star Wars’ go and create something fresh, new and different? (I do, actually, lean towards the latter.) Let us know how you feel by leaving comments.

[source: MTV Movies Blog]