In spirit of the Oscars being tonight, I just wanted to take a look at 2013's animated movies and my thoughts on their likelihood of being nominated for Best Animated Feature. NOTE: These do not necessarily reflect my thoughts on the movies themselves, as I will mention. Just because I don't think it will get nominated doesn't mean I don't really wanna see it, and vice versa.
Escape From Planet Earth: No. Just no. I won't even give it a second thought.
Personal thoughts: I did enjoy this movie, but it was for fun. It wasn't Oscar material.
The Croods: Maybe. It doesn't seem very clever or original, but it seems like it could take it in a different direction and/or add some depth. I still don't understand this whole "late November deadline" thing (which either doesn't exist or is new considering The Princess And The Frog's December release and nomination), so if there is none, I can't imagine Rise Of The Guardians having not been nominated and this being nominated, but we'll see.
Personal thoughts: It doesn't look as awful as I originally thought, but it doesn't seem like anything special. Chances are I will end up seeing it at some point, but likely not until the DVD release.
Epic: It probably has a chance. Seems like a big adventure, and probably quite original. Blue Sky hasn't fared all that well in the Oscars thus far, with only one nomination and that having been its first film, so I can't say this is very likely, but it's possible.
Personal Thoughts: Not particularly interested. I can't say it looks unoriginal or too silly, though. Actually, more like too dramatic on my part, which is almost good for the Oscars the way I see it.
Monsters University: Well, it is Pixar, but I think it will have some limitations. It seems to be just a fun flick, and, while I don't expect it to come under the hatred that Cars 2 experienced, it may not be Oscar material, just an enjoyable film for audiences and critics alike. However, this is exactly what I thought about Wreck-It Ralph, and not only did it get nominated, but I had a strong feeling it would right after seeing it. So, with that and the fact that it's Pixar, it probably has a good chance, but I wouldn't guarantee it.
Personal Thoughts: All over it. Monsters, Inc. may not be my favorite Pixar film, but this seems like it'll clean up the few flaws from the first that made it less likable for me and be a great sequel, er, prequel.
Despicable Me 2: Almost definitely no. With the first not having been nominated, I can't see this one being nominated. None of us no anything about the plot, sure, but it's rare that the sequel is deeper and more Oscar worthy than the first. Besides, I expect this one to be more fun and enjoyable so fans of the first can enjoy the characters more. Who knows about the deep part.
Personal Thoughts: I didn't love the first one, but it was nice, so my thoughts now are that I'll see it when it comes to DVD. But I'd like to rewatch the first one and see a freaking real trailer before I decide for sure.
Planes: I'm a major skeptic so I'm not even sure this is coming out in theaters, but if it does, chances are it won't be nominated. For critics, it seems like it's gonna be like Cars, only worse. Enough said.
Personal Thoughts: I don't care what you say, I'm freaking psyched for this movie.
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2: Much like Despicable Me 2, with this one's predecessor not being nominated, I don't see this one having much of a chance. This one we know more about the plot with as of now (and are expecting a trailer in a few days), but the plot seems very silly, adventurous, and fun. Again, not fit for the Oscars.
Personal Thoughts: Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
Turkeys: This is another one that I don't even know much about, namely the release date, but it seems like just a silly family comedy, so probably not. But honestly, it's too early to say.
Personal Thoughts: Not enough information to say for sure, but most likely, yes.
Frozen: It probably has a good chance. The princess stories have always fared well with critics and the academy. The only limitation I see is the possible deadline and the fact that Tangled was snubbed despite its wide critical acclaim and popularity.
Personal Thoughts: Abso-fricken-lutely.
Well, there you have it. So, now that we're done, here's my predicted roster for 2014 Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature:
The Croods
Monsters University
Frozen
Epic
I'll try and update it throughout the year. See you guys later!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Hotel Transylvania: Pros And Cons
For personal reasons, I will not be having posters on my blog anymore, sorry guys. And I guess I'll do pros and cons for this one just cuz it seems more applicable. So let's get to the review! Also, MINOR SPOILERS!
Now here's a movie that I kinda just tossed aside. It didn't look bad, I just wasn't really thinking about it that much. I hate to say it, but I feel like I almost forced myself to be uninterested because it was about humans. (well, monsters, but not animals is my point) After a while I thought....what am I thinking? I'd totally like this movie! Why haven't I seen it? So on my sweet 16th birthday, while in a fancy hotel, I ordered it on demand, and boy, was it good.
Pros:
The animation was what really won me over. Was it gorgeous? No. Was it up to par with Pixar? No. Was it incredibly realistic? No. But you know what? That's exactly what I loved about it! It was just fun! The characters moved and reacted to things like old cartoon characters would. All lively and animated. When I first heard of the movie, I didn't know it was by Sony. I thought it was just gonna be some crappy, poorly animated, dark Halloween movie by a random company. But the first trailer greatly changed my mind.
The characters. They're diverse, they're fun, they have unique personalities, they have great voices, they're just overall fantastic. As a Disney Channel girl, it was a lot of fun to see Selena Gomez play an animated character as well. So, I love Mavis, not just because of that, but because of her personality as well. Murray is a load of fun, Wayne is the cynical Steve Buscemi I always love, Frankenstein is nice and weird, Johnny is hilarious, and Drac is tons of fun but a sweetheart at the same time. Everything about them is fantastic.
The ship. Up with my OTPs actually. The way Johnny cares for Mavis is just so sweet. Mavis can act so insecure, unknowing about the real world and everything, so Johnny does his best to make her feel better about it. It's a sweet, realisitc relationship, unlike some animated couples where the woman takes all the power.
The side-plot of Martha. When Drac was reading the book she wrote, I was in near tears. It's clever, it's interesting, it's intriguing, it's tear-jerking, and best of all, it provides a lot of explanation for things.
The modernness. Some people don't like that in movies, but I do. I'm a teenager for God's sake, I am going to get a laugh out of hearing Sexy And I Know It or a Twilight joke! However, it wasn't over the top modern, which I liked as well. It had evenly spread little tidbits throughout.
It's just fun. So many party scenes, or just running around, or just.....having fun! While I can enjoy dramatic movies, I often prefer it when they're fun. But this had it's drama too, and I think it had the perfect mix. There was much more fun than drama, but too much drama in a movie like this wouldn't have fit in right.
The ending. Am I the only one who picked up on the fact that they had fireworks? Drac said in the beginning that he would never have fireworks, as that would attract humans. But now he knows that humans are okay, so he's okay with having fun with it. As an aside, I love the Zing song and scene.
The relief. Some parts made me fear that they were going to take the wrong turn, but they did the exact opposite. The "liar reveal", as the Nostalgia Critic calls it, is one of my least favorite things in film. I was really hoping Mavis wouldn't be mad at Johnny for lying about being a monster, and she wasn't, not at all! She ran up and gave him a hug! Also, when that guy on the side of the road says
"Welcome to Transylvania!", I was afraid that Johnny had been a dutch bag and told everyone about the hotel, but instead, we were pleased to see how the world truly loves monsters today.
Cons:
The unoriginality. If you think about it, this film is just The Little Mermaid + Monsters, Inc. The dad lost the mom to humans and thus doesn't want his daughter anywhere near them. But when the daughter meets one, they instantly fall in love and the dad has to do something to stop it, but ends up accepting it. There's The Little Mermaid for you. As for Monsters, Inc, humans are seen as dangerous, but when one comes in to the monster world, they must dress them up as a monster to get them back to where they belong. But along the way, everyone starts to like the human and begins to change their ways. While the way they played it all out was original, the backbone was not, but, in all honesty, that didn't bother me too much. The animation and characters were enough to candy coat it.
That's......that's really it.
So overall, I really loved this movie and I am VERY glad I saw it. It may not be for everyone, but if you like fun animated films, you absolutely need to check it out.
Now here's a movie that I kinda just tossed aside. It didn't look bad, I just wasn't really thinking about it that much. I hate to say it, but I feel like I almost forced myself to be uninterested because it was about humans. (well, monsters, but not animals is my point) After a while I thought....what am I thinking? I'd totally like this movie! Why haven't I seen it? So on my sweet 16th birthday, while in a fancy hotel, I ordered it on demand, and boy, was it good.
Pros:
The animation was what really won me over. Was it gorgeous? No. Was it up to par with Pixar? No. Was it incredibly realistic? No. But you know what? That's exactly what I loved about it! It was just fun! The characters moved and reacted to things like old cartoon characters would. All lively and animated. When I first heard of the movie, I didn't know it was by Sony. I thought it was just gonna be some crappy, poorly animated, dark Halloween movie by a random company. But the first trailer greatly changed my mind.
The characters. They're diverse, they're fun, they have unique personalities, they have great voices, they're just overall fantastic. As a Disney Channel girl, it was a lot of fun to see Selena Gomez play an animated character as well. So, I love Mavis, not just because of that, but because of her personality as well. Murray is a load of fun, Wayne is the cynical Steve Buscemi I always love, Frankenstein is nice and weird, Johnny is hilarious, and Drac is tons of fun but a sweetheart at the same time. Everything about them is fantastic.
The ship. Up with my OTPs actually. The way Johnny cares for Mavis is just so sweet. Mavis can act so insecure, unknowing about the real world and everything, so Johnny does his best to make her feel better about it. It's a sweet, realisitc relationship, unlike some animated couples where the woman takes all the power.
The side-plot of Martha. When Drac was reading the book she wrote, I was in near tears. It's clever, it's interesting, it's intriguing, it's tear-jerking, and best of all, it provides a lot of explanation for things.
The modernness. Some people don't like that in movies, but I do. I'm a teenager for God's sake, I am going to get a laugh out of hearing Sexy And I Know It or a Twilight joke! However, it wasn't over the top modern, which I liked as well. It had evenly spread little tidbits throughout.
It's just fun. So many party scenes, or just running around, or just.....having fun! While I can enjoy dramatic movies, I often prefer it when they're fun. But this had it's drama too, and I think it had the perfect mix. There was much more fun than drama, but too much drama in a movie like this wouldn't have fit in right.
The ending. Am I the only one who picked up on the fact that they had fireworks? Drac said in the beginning that he would never have fireworks, as that would attract humans. But now he knows that humans are okay, so he's okay with having fun with it. As an aside, I love the Zing song and scene.
The relief. Some parts made me fear that they were going to take the wrong turn, but they did the exact opposite. The "liar reveal", as the Nostalgia Critic calls it, is one of my least favorite things in film. I was really hoping Mavis wouldn't be mad at Johnny for lying about being a monster, and she wasn't, not at all! She ran up and gave him a hug! Also, when that guy on the side of the road says
"Welcome to Transylvania!", I was afraid that Johnny had been a dutch bag and told everyone about the hotel, but instead, we were pleased to see how the world truly loves monsters today.
Cons:
The unoriginality. If you think about it, this film is just The Little Mermaid + Monsters, Inc. The dad lost the mom to humans and thus doesn't want his daughter anywhere near them. But when the daughter meets one, they instantly fall in love and the dad has to do something to stop it, but ends up accepting it. There's The Little Mermaid for you. As for Monsters, Inc, humans are seen as dangerous, but when one comes in to the monster world, they must dress them up as a monster to get them back to where they belong. But along the way, everyone starts to like the human and begins to change their ways. While the way they played it all out was original, the backbone was not, but, in all honesty, that didn't bother me too much. The animation and characters were enough to candy coat it.
That's......that's really it.
So overall, I really loved this movie and I am VERY glad I saw it. It may not be for everyone, but if you like fun animated films, you absolutely need to check it out.
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