Never have I truly sat down to analyze what is, was, and always will be my absolute favorite movie. Some people use that term commonly and lightly. Their favorite movie is something they can't pinpoint for sure, or something they change frequently. Not I. My favorite movie has been resting peacefully on a pedestal ever since the second I left the theater. Now, it's important to note than the majority of my interest in film falls into animation, and I have seen hundreds of animated movies. Every Disney movie, every Pixar movie, every Dreamworks movie, every BlueSky movie, most of the Sonys and a handful of Don Bluths. I've seen movies from every kind of angle the industry wants to take. I've seen the critically acclaimed like The Iron Giant; I've seen the critically panned like The Nut Job, and I've enjoyed nearly every one I've seen. That's because I see potential in every film. No film is all bad to me, no animated film, for sure. Every film has effort put into it and has at least one positive aspect, and I take the time to appreciate that. But some films are still much better than others. Just because I can find joy in the lesser acclaimed films doesn't necessarily mean I put them at the top, but not because of what others say about them. How I feel about my films is solely based on my opinions; I will never put a film at the top of the list simply because it is the mainstream. If a mainstream film is there, it's because I've genuinely taken the time and thought to figure out that it truly is a great film (I won't deny that The Lion King is one of my favorites). The film I am discussing today falls in a strange category; everyone knows about it, most have seen it, but it's rarely talked about. I think that's the perfect kind of movie for me to have as a favorite, not something you'd expect an animation fan to have on top, but not something that would baffle you either. Since this movie has remained at the top of my list since the day I saw it, some think it's only there as a crutch. Because I was so obsessed with it and because it was a part of my childhood. This is not true. I have re-watched it several times since my younger years and it remains one of the greatest pieces of cinema I have ever seen. Even films that have blown me away since, such as Bolt and How To Train Your Dragon, can't beat it out. They come close for sure, but they will never top the best. Nothing ever will. This film has everything for a child, adolescent, and adult to enjoy and appreciate, be they an aspiring filmmaker or not. I truly believe it is one of the greatest animated movies of all time and should be more often regarded as such. Until then, I will love it all the same.
What is this film?
Happy Feet.
Directed by the man behind Babe and Mad Max, this winner of Best Animated Feature at the Oscars centers around a young penguin named Mumble, living in a world of penguins who know only one thing: singing. He, however, dances to a different tune. His singing voice is atrocious and tapping his toes is all he knows. His exclusion from his kind escalates so far to him being blamed for the fish famine, so he sets out to set the record straight and, perhaps, finally show them that what makes him different is what makes him special.
What's so great about this film?
Quite honestly...everything.
No aspect of this film is just good. They are all fantastic. And it's hard to find a flaw beyond something minor. Don't believe me? Let's take a look.
Animation
The animation is absolutely stunning. More than eight years later, it still stuns and surpasses even some modern day animation. The characters are very realistic but with enough cartoonish flare to keep the film a fun one that doesn't appear too serious.
Making snow look interesting can be difficult for an animator, but the studio behind Happy Feet undoubtedly pulled it off. The snow is beautiful and every last detail is meticulously animated. The scenery is so incredibly appealing and doesn't simply limit itself to the main setting of Emperor Land. Each location has its subtle difference, from the pebble covered Adelie Land to the murky "land beyond the Elephant seals."
The movement of the characters is also incredibly appealing to watch. Not only are the dancing scenes some of the most enjoyable animated sequences I've ever seen, but the action sequences, such as the leopard seal chase, the killer whale encounter, and sliding down the ice, are incredibly exciting to watch and keep the pace of the film up.
Story
The idea of singing and dancing penguins may sound absurd at first, but give it time and it will catch on. The basis may be obscure, but the producers work with it in a way that it plays out very nicely. Singing is what penguins do to attract a mate. Each penguin must find their own song. A teacher helps young penguins find theirs, and a stricter teacher helps the penguins who aren't as able. They follow this norm as it is what The Great Guin has ordered them to do and they will obey him. Mumble does not, though not by choice. This theme of music leads to Happy Feet being a fun jukebox musical that leads you to feel that every song is where and when it should be. At the time, penguins weren't often the protagonists of animated films. Madagascar was the only CGI film with significant penguins, and they weren't even the main characters. This adds a splash of originality to the film, and, as stated before, the penguins lend themselves to exciting sequences and beautiful scenery.
Beneath the fun premise lies an equally as important message that spoke to me as a young child and still speaks to me now: embrace your differences and don't listen to what others say about them. They're what make you you. This message may be less than original, but it is still just as crucial for today's children to know. This was one of the few films growing up that I truly felt spoke to me and that I truly felt I learned from. I was able to be proud of who I was thanks to it and am still able to do so now.
The story is very heavy when looked at closely. There is no doubt about Noah and the elders having a religion surrounding the Great Guin and their feeling of disgrace towards Mumble could be seen as having deeper implications if one wishes to look upon it in that way. There is also the notion of Mumble being the way he was because his egg was dropped as a child. Technically speaking, Mumble suffered from a birth defect. Mumble is disabled, and he suffers from the exclusion and teasing that many people dealing with such things often receive. This movie empowers those people and reminds them to stand up against adversity and show the world that the way you were born is something you can't change and thus shouldn't be something you would want to change.
Score
Happy Feet has one of the best animated soundtracks I have ever heard. I truly listen to it more than I listen to anything else, even three years after getting it. It's beautiful and can range from subtle to intense. It makes an already epic film even more epic. It comes as no surprise that it was composed by John Powell, who just so happens to be behind my two other favorite animated films, Bolt and How To Train Your Dragon, which also have fantastic soundtracks. I highly recommend you give it a listen, especially the track The Alien Ships.
Characters
Mumble is more than likely my favorite animated character ever. He follows his heart no matter where it leads him, and while he is strong and persistent, he is still a realistic character. He's incredibly awkward and will occasionally become self-conscious about his special skill, but at the end of the day, he knows that what he has is his and he wouldn't want it any other way. No matter what happens to him, he continues to press forward, as he (much like myself) won't take no for an answer. He's lovable, fun-loving, and cleverly designed. He truly steals the show.
It's also hard not to love the comic relief characters, two of which Robin Williams lends the voice to. Not only is their witty, off-kilter humor a blast for all audiences, but they help carry the story along well. Ramon and the amigos are friends to Mumble when he has no others and are his source of respect for his talent. Lovelace is even more crucial to the plot, as he helps lead Mumble to the antagonist, of whom he was a previous victim of circumstance.
The rest of the cast is composed of a variety of different penguins who are all enjoyable in their own ways, but these guys are the main highlights of the film.
Any flaws?
Anything that weakens this movie is incredibly minor and can only be seen upon incredibly deep analyzation. If I had to point anything out, however...
I've never been a fan of the trope where a parent suddenly gains respect for their child once he or she does something to save their community. However, I see it as less abrupt in this film than it is in most. Like Stoick in How To Train Your Dragon, Memphis is not happy to exile his son but feels he has to. He is completely broken once he does so and Mumble helps him see the light once again.
One part of the film that was always unclear to me was when Mumble was trying to get Gloria to leave. The way he says it seems fake, as if he's trying to find some way to convince her to go back simply to protect her. I've never been sure if that's true or if he is genuinely trying to tell her off. This isn't really a flaw, this is just a point of personal conclusion.
One can argue that the finale of the film is a bit embellished. People don't go quite that insane over talented animals and the notion of them abandoning all marine harvesting in the area so quickly is doubtful. However, it isn't that they're thinking, "they can dance, so we have to let them live!", the footage of them dancing simply seems to remind them that they need better care than they're receiving. It also appears that the debate surrounding the issue lasts for a decent amount of time, enough for the delegates to truly think it through.
Over all, the positives of this film surpass those of any other in my opinion and the flaws are small enough to be overlooked, especially considering how greatly the pros outweigh the cons. This truly is the greatest animated film I have ever seen and I will love it until the day that I die. Anyone who has not seen it yet truly, truly needs to. It is nothing less than an under-appreciated masterpiece.
Yes, after all this time, I have decided to return. Summer has arrived so now is a great time to write reviews and such. While I do plan on writing more on here this summer, it's definitely easier said than done, but I'm gonna try my best. It also depends on if I find enough to write about or not. But here I am now, so let's dive right in. As the title implies, today we will be talking about the Disney Channel original series, Shake It Up.
I'll give a brief plot summary for those who are unfamiliar. Cece and Rocky (played by Bella Thorne and Zendaya, respectively) are two best friends living out their dream of being dancers on the popular local TV show, Shake It Up, Chicago. Naturally, they need to balance their lives as dancers with their lives as regular teenagers, a theme you see in most Disney Channel shows. With Cece's little brother, Flynn, Rocky's older brother, Ty, their friend, Deuce, and their two frenemies, Gunther and Tinka, all along for the ride, a lot of shenanigans occur throughout the three-year running series.
Shake It Up premiered at a time when most people my age were losing interest in Disney Channel. Good Luck Charlie premiered in the same year, and I know a handful of people my age who have watched that, but Shake It Up I believe is where most people drew the line. Some see it as the start of the next generation of Disney Channel shows, moving on from Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place to Austin and Ally and Jessie. It wasn't even just that my age group was growing out of these shows; a lot of them saw a decline in the quality of their shows from Shake It Up onward. I didn't watch Shake It Up when it premiered or at all during its run, and have only actively kept up with one live action Disney Channel show since then. However, it's not for the same reason as my peers, not at all. Up until a few months ago, I had hardly seen any of these shows, so I had no opinion on them, and me not watching them had nothing to do with me thinking they didn't look good. When the slew of new shows first came in in late 2010 and during most of 2011, I was in an emotional state where I didn't have the energy to keep up with any shows. I was also in a position where I basically felt as though I wasn't allowed to watch or enjoy any of these shows. I admit, from first glance, Shake It Up looked kind of dumb to me, but a lot of the reason I felt that way was because of peer pressure. It didn't take me long to get over that and think, "Wow, I'd probably really like this show", but I didn't have it in me to start it. Last November, Shake It Up aired its series finale, and around then is when I thought maybe I could watch the whole series now. That's the thing, nowadays I'd love to watch and keep up with these shows, but I'm already seasons behind. However, once one ends, it's easier to keep up, because it won't get ahead of me. I had just finished watching Mighty Ducks on YouTube, I needed a new show to watch. All of Shake It Up was on Netflix so I thought, let's give this a go! And boy, am I glad I did.
Shake It Up was a great show that I loved and enjoyed very much, and there's one main reason why. We'll get into that along with the other lesser reasons, along with a scene that really won me over.
The Friendship: To use a less professional term, Cece and Rocky have become one of my biggest brotps. But not without reason. For starters, Disney Channel girl/girl friendships are always adorable and always cause me to feel a lot of emotions. Miley and Lilly, Harper and Alex, Maddie and London, Raven and Chelsea, you name it. They're all super sweet. But something about Cece and Rocky is different. The thing is, this show isn't about "a girl and her best friend" like some of those others are. It's about "two best friends". I'm not saying that's necessarily better, but it's definitely something new for Disney Channel to play with. And it was good for them to give it a try, not have one character dominate over the other. Sure, you still have the dumb one that always gets them in trouble and the smart one who always wants to keep everything perfect, but you do see the love reciprocated, which is important. Cece and Rocky just have a special connection that stole my heart, and I think I know a lot of the reason why: they remind me of me and my best friend. I can't say they do when it comes down to the specifics; I wouldn't classify myself as Cece and my friend as Rocky or the other way around; we're both kind of a mix of the two. But it's the bond that they share that I can relate to. They're there for each other no matter what happens or what rifts may come between them and they always want to be together. As I got into this show, I noticed myself wanting to text my best friend more, hang out with her more, talk to her more. The more I saw of me and her in Cece and Rocky, the more I appreciated her. That's an impact no other show or movie has had on me, and when a show has an impact on you that branches beyond the show itself, you know you've found something special. I'm glad I found that something special, because I hadn't felt a spark with a Disney Channel show since Hannah Montana. Without a doubt, Hannah Montana will always have the biggest impact on my life and will always be the show closest to my heart and my favorite, but even if to a much lesser extent, it was nice to have a special feeling like that with a show again. There are times when I find myself re-watching bits and pieces of episodes just to get that rush of "brotp feels" again, and that's something I haven't done with any other show besides Hannah Montana and the other Disney Channel show I am currently watching (Liv and Maddie). They just have those special moments, those special lines, that stick with you, and you know the writing is done well when that's the case. Aside from my best friend, Cece and Rocky remind me of some of my past friendships as well. While it is bittersweet to think those relationships have ended, the fact that I can still relate them to a friendship I have now makes it okay.
This is what makes the show stand out. This is what made me fall in love with the show. This is why this show is special and why it will stick with me. This is the main reason why I loved it; the reasons below are important, but not as much.
The Comedy: This is a category I can't say it necessarily has over any other Disney Channel show, but like other Disney Channel shows, this show has had me rolling. There are a lot of aspects of this show that they can pull easy jokes from, and some of them never get old. You have Cece's constant stupidity (which seems like it'd be full of cliche jokes, but many of them are actually rather clever), Rocky's perfectionist behavior, Cece's quirky little brother, Flynn, and what most agree to be best of all, the Hessenheffers. I am still disappointed that Kenton Duty didn't return to play Gunther in season 3, but Caroline Sunshine as Tinka is a riot in and of herself. Disney Channel always has that special ability to give you jokes that you want to bring up in conversation with your friends, and Shake It Up was no exception.
The Music: Guilty as charged, I love Disney Channel music. Give me High School Musical, Teen Beach Movie, or anything in between; I'll love it. It's just such uppity music that gets me in a good mood. Shake It Up has some of the best and catchiest music of its generation. Zendaya is a great singer and has a great voice. Bella Thorne....doesn't have as great of a voice but her songs are still hard not to like. Some of the songs in the show, I'd hear the first note and already think "okay, this is awesome, I love it." Some of them I forgot about until I got a few Shake It Up CDs in Disneyland last week, and upon hearing them again, I fell in love. Again, they're all just so catchy and really capture the essence of this era of Disney Channel. Now, I mention music because it's an integral part of this show. Almost every episode has a song because almost every episode has a dance on Shake It Up, Chicago. If you're going to have music often, it better be good, and in this show, it is, making the show all the more enjoyable.
The Age Range: My generation primarily grew up on Hannah Montana, That's So Raven, and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. When Miley and Lilly were graduating high school, I was just about to graduate middle school. This never kept us from loving these shows, but it's still an interesting thing to think about. You couldn't watch season 1 Hannah Montana and think, "Man, I know how THAT feels!" because when she was in 8th grade, you were probably in 4th. I had the advantage of becoming obsessed with Hannah Montana not long before I became the age that Miley was in the first season, so as I re-watched the show throughout my obsession, I began to find things I could relate to. Shake It Up, on the other hand, is matched with my age range. In the episode, Future It Up, I noticed a sign that said "Class of 2015", and I'm the class of 2015. Cece and Rocky were 13 when I was 13. They end the show with them being 16; I'm 17 and was 16 when the show ended. If I had watched the show from the start, I could've related to the 13 year olds as a 13 year old, but it's still fun watching earlier episodes now thinking, "Yah, I remember when it was like that." Plus, I'm still able to watch more recent episodes and relate to them on a more current level. I bring this factor up because I remember when I was about 5 years old being distressed by the fact that hardly any characters on shows I watched were my age. Kim Possible was, what, 15 in the start of the show? I was happy I at least had Lilo, but that was it. Even though shows like Shake It Up aren't made for people my age, I still enjoy them at this age, so it's nice to be able to watch and enjoy a show with people your age in it.
The Relatability: I already discussed how I can relate this show to my friendships, but now I want to talk about individual characters. I'm having a similar problem with this show as I am with Liv and Maddie; I can't decide which character I'm more like! Sometimes I feel like Cece; lazy, takes no interest in anything, just doesn't care about school and just doesn't get it. Sometimes, or actually, a lot of the time, I feel like Rocky, needing to have everything perfect and needing to be at the top of the class. The episode, Stress It Up, I could really relate to, feeling that you need to do everything at once and you can't just stop and relax. I believe it was that episode that dealt with Rocky "having" to do something to get into a good college when really she didn't, and that's a feeling I get a lot. I'm glad they explored both sides of the teenage girl, especially because one teenage girl, like myself, can feel like they have both of those sides. I think Rocky's character was an important risk for Disney Channel to take, as we've had our "nerds" before, but only a few characters, like Cody Martin, who actually show a need they feel to do everything they can that's right and how that can eventually make them snap, because that's a need many teenagers have that isn't always shown in sitcoms. Also, a good four characters in the main cast remind me of people from my school, some of them even look similar to people at my school in addition to acting similar! That's never happened to me with a show before, and for them to be so similar that I can barely look at the people at school without thinking, "hey, there's Rocky!" or "hey, there's Deuce!" really shows you how well they nailed teenagers on the head. It's also just a fun experience to make those comparisons.
The Fun: This show is just plain fun like most Disney Channel shows. The fact that the main characters are on a dance show promises fun episodes with dance scenes and such, and on top of that, you get the classic Disney Channel quirky adventures and mishaps that keep the show enjoyable.
The Maturity: Here's what the naysayers of today's Disney Channel don't seem to see. People these days argue that Disney Channel no longer has any heart or any important messages. I know not everyone will agree, but I think Shake It Up alone is enough to prove that opinion wrong. I caught myself in near tears at least three times throughout this series, and that doesn't happen to me all that often. I can remember a few of the important times that happened and why they were important.
Rocky trying to get Cece back: In the series finale (spoilers ahead), Cece gets amnesia and doesn't remember Rocky, and Rocky eventually finds herself in tears trying to bring the old Cece back. This scene hit home for me because you don't always see the side of Rocky that really cares for Cece. Sure they always hang out, but Rocky pokes fun at Cece a lot, so sometimes, especially for someone who loves these two to death, you need reassurance that Rocky loves Cece as much as Cece loves Rocky, and this scene gave me exactly that. It's not only that, but it's also that this is one of the rare instances in a Disney Channel show where a character cries in a non-joking way, which we will discuss more later on.
Cece's mom crying about her divorce: The only thing more hard-hitting than a Disney Channel character crying is an adult Disney Channel character crying. No other times come to memory where a parent or other adult on Disney Channel has cried. And in this scene, she is crying about a real issue that could impact the kids watching this show: divorce. Flynn is missing his dad and it shows that Georgia is missing him too, in a sense. This shows kids that divorce isn't only hard on the kids, it's hard on the parents, too, but reassures them that their parents will love them no matter what happens.
THIS. SCENE.
If this scene alone doesn't prove to you that Disney Channel is not on a downward spiral, then I don't know what will. I almost need to write a separate review on just this scene, and, in fact, I will! Let's break it down into the different aspects of this scene that make it important.
Discussing a more serious issue on a children's show: In no way is this the first time Disney Channel has done this. That's So Raven did so with fat shaming and racism, and that racism episode is something that I talk about with my mom to this day. Hannah Montana did so with diabetes. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody did so with dyslexia as well, but I only have vague memories of it. I may be wrong, but I remember never seeing that episode on after a while, so I have a feeling it might have been pulled from the air. This scene definitely stuck with me more than that episode did, though. I'm kind of stating the obvious here but it's very important for children's shows to discuss issues like this because if they understand it from a younger age, they will be better understanding of it as they get older. Plus, some of these issues may apply to them at their age and, as silly as it may sound, there might not be anyone to explain it to them besides Disney Channel. Young kids can easily be victims of racism or fat shaming, or have diabetes or dyslexia, and as many young kids treat TV like one of their caretakers, it's great whenever TV can tell them how to deal with these issues and reassure them that they're not alone. Don't believe me? I remember watching Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas on TV as a kid and there was somewhere in it where some character, I believe it was Max Goof, was donating toys to charity or something of the sort. A few minutes later, I walked up to my mom and told her, "I want to help out other kids this Christmas!" Growing up, we're connected to these characters, which is why the writers use them to teach us lessons. Heck, many of us are still connected to them today and can still learn from them. And I think the line, "People can be mean, especially if they find out you have some kind of weird disorder", is very important, because kids, be they in elementary school or high school, get made fun of for their disorders on a daily basis, and some young kids watching Shake It Up may not know what to do about it. While, of course, they should talk to a parent or counselor about it, this show does help give them a head start, not only reassuring them that there's nothing wrong with having a disorder, but warning them that not everyone will respect and understand their disorder.
An accurate representation of a teenage girl in this situation: I'm a teenage girl, and an often emotional one at that. And I can confirm that this happens. This is far from an over-dramatization, but Disney Channel and other kid's shows rarely seem to show emotional reactions to this extent. Reaching a point where you can't talk and you just fall against your friend crying? Yah, that happens. I know that because it's happened to me. As I was saying before, it's rare to see a serious crying scene in a Disney Channel show (but props to Emily Osment for doing the funniest crying in history as Lilly Truscott). And to have it actually realistically acted out is all the better. This is how teens react to these situations and they're not sugarcoating it, which is important.
An accurate representation of a friend aiding a friend: Again, this is a type of situation I've been in myself. Putting their arm around you, reassuring you that there's nothing wrong with being the way you are? That happens. That totally happens. I've already gushed over this friendship, but for it to be this realistic, especially in a situation like this makes it even better. It shows you how true of friends they really are.
The reality of it: Bella Thorne actually has dyslexia, so the things she's saying are probably actually coming out of Bella's mouth, not Cece's. That crying is probably real.
Up until this episode, I was enjoying the show. I liked it, I thought it was fun. But this episode really won me over and showed me that this show really has a lot of heart packed into it and is special. A lot of the shows I've watched have had "that one episode", and for this show, it was Add It Up. So if you're going to watch an episode of this show to see if my opinions on it are right, watch that one.
Some final personal notes: Aside from the impact on my friendship this show had, this show helped me continue moving forward and away from another relationship. As I said before, when this show premiered, I was in a position where I was "not allowed" to watch it or enjoy it. I have since broken ties with the person that wouldn't allow this and am still on the road to recovery. Watching Shake It Up was an important step on it. Doing something this person told me not to do made me feel a sense of pride and independence in myself. She told me "don't watch it because I know you're gonna like it", and I did like it. This show has been a fun and exciting part of the last few months of my life and I'm glad I didn't let that person stop me from experiencing it.
Overall, Shake It Up was a fantastic show and I'm more than glad that I watched it. Beyond just being enjoyable, it has some special aspects of it that make it stand out amongst other Disney Channel shows. It could easily end up in my top 5 all time favorite Disney Channel shows. So if you think Disney Channel is declining, try watching Shake It Up. It may just change your mind.
After making this blog, I was hoping to review almost every movie I saw, but that definitely hasn't worked out. However, I'd like to look back on the animated movies I have not reviewed and give a quick one (or two....or three) sentence review of each of them and rank them. The ones that deserve further analysis will getfull review. (I'm pretty sure I'll do one for Frozen). I have seen a few live action movies, but this blog is mainly for animation, so I'll only talk about those. Let's go!
Frozen: Following in the tradition of Disney animation, Frozen stuns with breathtaking animation, memorable songs, captivating characters, and a timeless story.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
Free Birds: As an animation studio's first, this came as a pleasant surprise. While far from an animation feat, Free Birds succeeds in being highly enjoyable, full of originality and impressive animation, sound editing, and plot twists for an up-and-coming studio.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2: Much like the first and other Sony Animation productions, Cloudy 2 gets its charm from its fun, which lies in the quick, cartoony visuals and amazingly imaginative story. Without a doubt, more of an animated comedy than epic story, but all the same, quick-witted, fun, fast, colorful, and enjoyable from beginning to end.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
Planes: The negative reviews aren't entirely unjustifiable, but Planes certainly has some positive aspects. Fast and fun animation and well-designed characterssomewhat make up for the story, which wavers on the side of weak and cliche. Nevertheless, if you're a big fan of the characters from the Cars franchise, it's worth a viewing, but it's not something every single animation fan must see.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
Turbo: Like any Dreamworks animated comedy, Turbo packs in the laughs and fun while still having impressive animation. The drama is satisfactory for a movie of its kind and is balanced out with fun characters of a species you've probably never seen in an animated movie before. Some condone it for it's obscurity, but it's strong story (albeit somewhat cliche) makes one look past that.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
Despicable Me 2: Again, the best way to describe this movie is a strong animated comedy. It has enough drama to be taken seriously, but its strength is more so derived from its fun, exciting plot full of bright colors and quick animation. The franchise as a whole is somewhat overrated, but that doesn't take away from it being a greatly enjoyable film and satisfactory successor to the first.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
The Croods: The Croods takes a risky turn for animation with characters that are rather hard to look at (for me, at least), but balances it out with gorgeous scenery and inventive creatures. The story as a whole is very creative, but how much you like certain aspects of it may depend on your relatability to it, as that affected my overall opinion. It introduces nothing too new or special to the animation field, but is probably worth at least one watch.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
Epic: This movie's strength derives from the beauty and creativity of its scenery and creatures. On top of that, it's packed with action, emotion, and loads of fun. Definitely worth seeing, maybe even more than once.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
Escape From Planet Earth: Strange characters and a rather weak story make for a movie that's nothing all that interesting or special. I won't say I didn't enjoy seeing it, but I wouldn't highly recommend it.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
Rise Of The Guardians: In the style of How To Train Your Dragon, Dreamworks wows again with incredibly stunning visuals on top of a compelling, exciting story, plus exceedingly creative views on childhood memories we probably never thought of in this way before.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
Frankenweenie: Well-paced, heart-warming, and without a doubt, very unique, Frankenweenie is a fun, exciting story that is worth a view for any Tim Burton or animation fan.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
Ice Age: Continental Drift Ice Age 4 throws nothing into the field that is profusely unique, but it throws nothing into the field that is disappointing either. It's simply a flat-out enjoyable film with fun characters and an exciting story. If you enjoyed the first three, you'll enjoy this one, but this is yet another film that succeeds at being an animated comedy, and nothing much more than that, though that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
Brave Though unoriginal in many ways and a definite different turn for Pixar, everything "bad" somehow mixes into something good in Brave. Nothing all that new or exciting, but is definitely enjoyable and satisfactory to a Disney or Pixar fan.
One of the best ever - Amazing - Very good - Somewhere in between - Good - Somewhere in between - Pretty good - Okay - Not good
As I said in my last post, I feel that a lot of the reason why I love How To Train Your Dragon so much and why it is quite possibly my second favorite non-Disney animated movie under Happy Feet is because it's so much like Happy Feet. I've found it hard to explain for a while but I'm starting to see the connections more and more, so let's take a look.
In both movies, we see...
- One parent goes away for a period of time, leaving the main character
under the care of another, which contributes to their peculiarities.
Happy Feet: Norma Jean leaves for the fishing season, and while protecting Mumble's egg, Memphis drops it, contributing to his inability to sing and ability to dance.
How To Train Your Dragon: Stoick leaves to destroy the dragons, and, without his supervision, Hiccup is able to spend time training Toothless. Gobber is technically his supervisor at this time.
- A kid, the main character, who does the opposite of what the society around him wants to do and is seen as the loser of the community. Every time he tries to share his opinion, it's shot down. He does not conform to the mold society wants to put him in. He can't conform to society even when he tries.
Happy Feet: Mumble dances when penguins are supposed to sing. He's often called "fuzzball", "hippity hopper", or "freaky feet". When he tries to dance for the skuas' entertainment, for Gloria's love, or for the "aliens" to go away, society shames him and tells him not to. "It just ain't penguin, okay." Mumble tries to sing, but fails.
How To Train Your Dragon: Hiccup trains dragons when vikings are supposed to kill them. He's called "the worst viking of all time." When he tries to tell others that the dragons aren't what they think they are, the others refuse to believe it. "You're not a viking." Hiccup tries very hard to kill Toothless, but can't find it in himself to do it.
- The father puts the main character in a particular class in hopes that
this will make them into what they want them to be. It doesn't help at
all, however.
Happy Feet: Memphis puts Mumble in Mr. Astrakhan's class, who is known to whip singers into shape, but even with her instruction, Mumble continues to dance.
How To Train Your Dragon: Stoick gives Hiccup a chance and puts him in dragon training, but Hiccup only uses this as a way to find out other ways of training dragons.
- His father is disgraced with his ways but eventually learns that they are the only answer and comes to have pride in his son again. They have conversations in which they express their disappointment.
Happy Feet: Memphis is very disgraced by Mumble's dancing, but when he realizes that it's the only way to protect them from the "aliens" and that "it's like singing, with your body", he gives in and expresses confidence in Mumble, namely when saying "I think you'd better dance now." "Mumble, you must renounce your so-called friends, your strange ways."
How To Train Your Dragon: Stoick sees no sense in Hiccup trying to train dragons, but once he realizes that Hiccup is right in that they aren't dangerous and they can be used for good, his pride is restored. "You're not a viking; you're not my son."
- An external threat arises and the only way to face it is with the main character's strange ways, and more people will have to cooperate with them for it to work. The ways of the main character become an integral part of their society after this. This threat is initially discovered by accident, and explains many of the problems facing their society.
Happy Feet: The "aliens" taking the fish are only convinced to go away when all the penguins dance. They are all dancing in the end and continue to dance in the second film. When sliding around with the amigos, Mumble discovers a crane and begins to wonder if it has anything to do with who's taking their fish, which it does.
How To Train Your Dragon: The Red Death is the one causing the villainy and desperation of the dragons, but can only be stopped by dragons, as vikings alone are not strong enough. Hiccup needs his friends to ride dragons with him to take it down, because he and Toothless can't do it alone. When flying with Astrid, he finds his way into the nest, showing why the dragons are so desperate for food.
- The main character finds friends in a foreign place.
Happy Feet: Mumble in Adelie Land
How To Train Your Dragon: The terrible terrors on the distant island. Toothless somewhat counts as well.
- A love interest from the beginning who at first is concerned about the main character's strange ways but eventually discovers their greatness. She has a skill that impresses him.
Happy Feet: Gloria. On multiple occasions, she shows how strange she finds Mumble's dancing, but once she realizes they need it and that it can blend with her singing, she gives in to it. Mumble finds her singing beautiful.
How To Train Your Dragon: Astrid. When first discovering Toothless, she thinks Hiccup is crazy, but when he shows her what he can do, she understands. Her ability to fight dragons initially makes Hiccup swoon.
- The main character admits to the fact that they couldn't change their ways even if they wanted to.
Happy Feet: "Don't ask me to change, pa, 'cause I can't."
How To Train Your Dragon: "300 years and I'm the first viking who wouldn't kill a dragon."
- He faces a near death situation and makes it out alive, but with a lifelong injury.
Happy Feet: The leopard seal biting and scarring his tail.
How To Train Your Dragon: Coming out of the fire with only one leg.
- He tries to find a place away from others to do what he loves.
Happy Feet: Where he dances to "I Wish", and Adelie Land.
How To Train Your Dragon: The glen and the skies.
- A character has a fatal injury (mental/physical) that drives the plot.
Happy Feet: Mumble's egg dropping. This is the reason why he dances and can't sing.
How To Train Your Dragon: Toothless' "half-tail." This makes Hiccup realize he needs him and leads him to helping him fly.
- Society begins to accept him until they realize what a heinous crime he is committing.
Happy Feet: The Boogie Wonderland scene up until Noah suggests he is the reason the fish are gone.
How To Train Your Dragon: They are impressed with Hiccup's "way with the beasts" until they realize he doesn't intend to kill them.
- His skill ends up saving him from a dangerous situation in addition to the larger societal situation.
Happy Feet: His dancing frees him from the zoo.
How To Train Your Dragon: Toothless saves him from the Nightmare.
- Even when shot down by all others, he makes a valiant effort to save his people.
Happy Feet: When Mumble is banished, then jumps into the ocean to go find the "aliens".
How To Train Your Dragon: When the ships leave but Hiccup flies out to their location on other dragons.
- He cannot move on when others of his age are able to.
Happy Feet: Mumble is stuck at the back of the class and never officially graduates school.
How To Train Your Dragon: In the beginning, Hiccup can't be in dragon training with the other teenagers.
- An "all-seeing-eye" wise person's decisions effect the journey.
Happy Feet: Lovelace. Having to save him from his talisman helps Mumble find the "aliens."
How To Train Your Dragon: Gothi. Her choosing Hiccup to kill a dragon allows Hiccup to show he does not wish to do so.
Besides this, of course we simply have the fact that they are both drama-driven epics with stunning visuals, engaging sequences, fantastic score (both composed by the marvelous John Powell, mind you), and a booming ending.
I really need to get this off my chest and I feel this is the best place to do so.
The first time I saw How To Train Your Dragon, I thought it was really good. The second time, I thought it was good, but I didn't get quite as into it as I did the first time. Last week, I watched it for the third time and have come to a conclusion: it's phenomenal. Why? Let me explain.
First off, one reason why I believe I personally enjoyed it so much because it felt as if it were in the same vein of Happy Feet. In case you don't know, Happy Feet is my favorite movie of all time. There are many reasons, but some include the incredible scenery, great characters, breathtaking music, and ability to make the drama not only not boring, but intriguing. HTTYD is just the same. Now let's move on to individual reasons.
The music. Its and the Happy Feet's themes are incredibly powerful. Needless to say, they were both composed by the same great man, John Powell, who happens to be my favorite composer, as he composed for these movies and many of others that I love (Bolt, most importantly, my second favorite animated film). The HTTYD theme just makes you know that you're in for a thrilling, emotional movie, and is a theme I can listen to again and again.
The drama. Normally, I'm not a fan of 100% drama films; a little happiness and comic relief is important. But honestly, this film barely had any, and it made it work. You're completely engaged, and with the plot it has, it should be this dramatic!
The flow. The pacing and flow (although I think the beginning was a little rushed) work very well, and it takes you from beginning to end without being bored at all.
The friendship. I know, we all love it, but to see how much a wild creature can care so dearly for a boy is incredible.
My mind has been made. This is one of my favorite non-Disney movies. It may be a little too late now, but I honestly think this movie needs to become an animated classic. It has the heart and soul of one and it deserves it.
*Alright, so I started this a few months ago and said I would publish it the night before the movie comes out, but now, I've already seen the movie and have decided to confirm or deny these. Reminder, there will be spoilers!*
I won't call these predictions because chances are, plenty of them won't be in the film. I just thought I'd take my guesses and see how close the film gets.
I'm gonna continue updating this with conformations, denials, and additions, and put it up the night before the movie comes out.
- Randall and Mike are best friends, as they are both "nerds".
- Update: This is more than likely seeming true.
CONFIRMED
- Celia and Sulley are dating; and Celia wouldn't give a second thought about dating Mike.
- Update: from what it seems, Celia won't be in the movie.
DENIED mostly. A picture of Celia is seen near the end, but that's it.
- Waternoose and Roz work at the university, Waternoose perhaps as a long-time alumn and of presitgious honor, and Roz perhaps as a lunch lady or custodian. Another thought is that Waternoose visits from MI to give the students a talk about the company.
- Update: Waternoose is no longer on the Wikipedia, so I doubt he'll be in it.
DENIED mostly. Like Celia, a picture of him is seen near the end, but that's all. Roz makes a brief appearance near the end.
- With regard to the "You've been jealous of my good looks since the fourth grade, pal" line in the first film, perhaps they knew each other somewhat in the fourth grade but didn't remember it when they went to college; it only occurred to them once they became friends.
- Update: This is more of a head canon, as Pixar says they'll probably just ignore it.
NEITHER CONFIRMED NOR DENIED. Just ignored, as Pixar planned to.
- While practicing, the scaring majors will try and scare Boo's mom.
- Update: This is really just wishful thinking.
DENIED.
- Most of the other scaring majors in their fraternity weren't scary enough to make the cut, and thus we didn't see them in Monsters, Inc.
NEITHER CONFIRMED NOR DENIED. In the credits, it seems that the OKs became scarers, and yet we don't see them in the other movie. Also, some other students like the RORs ended up working at different scare companies.
- Don Carlton was one of the first monsters in his fraternity and hasn't been successful with the rest of his life and thus has stayed with them. He might be the uncle of Squishy, or at least act like one.
PARTIALLY CONFIRMED, PARTIALLY DENIED. We're not sure if he was one of the first brothers, he seems to have just gone to them once he went back to college. He ends up being Squishy's stepdad.
- Fungus isn't popular, but doesn't start out as a friend of Randall's, either. Maybe he makes fun of him.
DENIED. No Fungus in the film, sadly.
- Sulley gets extremely nervous when he gets his job at MI, and thus, starts working out regularly as opposed to never doing so as he used to.
IMPLIED CONFIRMATION. It seems as though Sulley didn't work out as much because he thought he could just wing scaring and be good at it. Once he understood it takes more than that and got to the big leagues, he knew better.
Back to the old pros and cons format just because I think that's fit for this.
Last night, I saw the movie I've been waiting all year for, and it was just as wonderful as I had hoped, if not even a bit more.
Pros: The characters. I feel like we have a lot more characters here than we did in the first one. I love big worlds with plenty of colorful characters and that's exactly what you get here. If we're going more in depth, the personalities of the characters are great too. There are plenty you fall in love with. You feel for Mike very deeply, even Sulley a bit later on, and characters like Art and Chet are very enjoyable. Also, the way everything happens with the dean is great. It's not too quick to her becoming "good", nor does it avoid it all together. The way it works out is great. The connections to the first film. Whether funny or heartwarming, they make all of us who loved the first movie as children smile. The appearances of other known characters near the end just made the whole movie all the more worthwhile, Roz especially (I was praying for that so hard). As many are saying, we don't go very in depth with Randall, but I think that's okay, because this is more about Mike. But what we do get with Randall is definitely good in my opinion. There are some parts where music from the first film is recycled, and I just love that. The depth. While I did briefly mention this when talking about Mike, I will continue to say that you immensely feel for him and the others and become very invested in what they're going through. Mike was a bit of a flat character in the first film but I've always preferred him over Sulley, so to see this was great. Teamwork. The message is great and played out perfectly. Sulley is scary, but doesn't know the science behind scaring. Mike is the opposite. This is why them teaming up to scare together is the perfect solution. It also shows them that they wouldn't have nothing if they didn't have each other, reference completely intended. The fun. In addition to the world and its colors, the movie is just very fun. It is very deep too, yes, but it is a college movie. You do get some partying, fun training montages, etc. The shipping. At the end. I should've seen it coming. Admittedly, I kinda did, but I'm so glad it happened.
Cons: The friendship. Near the end, the only thing about Mike that Sulley seems to care about is that he knows how to scare. He doesn't show all that much actual care for him. But, honestly, I can't think of another way this could've played out. The pace. Just in one part. Mike introduces the OKs as if he knows them so well, but at that point, I don't think he had even joined them yet. A little hesitation on his part may have better explained that. Character roles. Just a nitpick. You know, I would've liked George to get a legit speaking role, some Boo somehow would've been nice, you know.
Honestly, all those are nitpicks. This movie has no major flaws, but what else would you expect from Pixar?
All in all, this movie was fantastic, just as I hoped it would be. I highly recommend it. Also, I'm pretty bored so I might write a review for Epic and/or some other movies, maybe, maybe not, we'll see.
