Sept 29: The Princess and the Frog

"A fairy tale set in Jazz Age-era New Orleans and centered on a young woman named Tiana and her fateful kiss with a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again."

Directed by: Ron Clements & John Musker, Rated: G, 97 minutes

Disney has had a lousy streak in the past five or so years. With countless direct-to-DVD quasi sequels, lackluster stories, and an almost complete absence of fairy tales, the House of Mouse didn't seem like it could turn itself around. Luckily for all of us (and our kids), Disney struck gold again in 2009 with The Princess and the Frog, a throw back to the older style of animation with hand drawn marvels and even catchier songs. Sure, it has it's flaws (what kid's movie doesn't?), but The Princess and the Frog gives us a reason to believe again and gives us an almost instant classic that can sit right beside The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and the rest of Mickey's favorites. 

The Lion King: still turning grown men into little crying girls

We all know the story of the Frog Prince, a man trapped inside the body of an amphibian who can only get out with a kiss from a beautiful young woman. Well The Princess and the Frog changes things up a bit. Instead of the prince being "saved" and turned back into a man, the woman, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), that kisses him becomes a frog herself. Cursed by The Shadow Man (Keith David), a greedy voodoo witch-doctor, the prince, Naveen (Bruno Campos) and Tiana must figure out a way to turn back into human before it's too late, making their way through the Louisiana bayou with a trumpet-playing alligator and a firefly in love with a star. Of course, the two at first hate each other, Naveen looking down on Tiana for not fixing him and Tiana blaming the prince for the situation they have found themselves in. But as you can imagine with every Disney movie, they find their way to a fairy tale ending where everything works out beautifully. 

Nothing screams Disney like a rather large animal playing a particularly tiny instrument. F**k yes. 

The best part of The Princess and the Frog is most definitely the visuals. With the nostalgic feel of hand drawn animation and a glossy modern finish, the movie looks incredible. You can see the effort Disney put into the film and it completely delivers. Of course, something can only look so good. The movie also has a very delightful story, with plenty of laughs and captures the atmosphere of New Orleans and the southern swamps. The score is also terrific, with the legendary Randy Newman creating the music as well as the original songs, which are just as catchy as ones you remember growing up with. 

Even though he's a little on the odd looking side, I'll always "got" a friend in him. 

I would highly recommend The Princess and the Frog. It's beautiful, it's fun, and it's a great reminder of how good Disney really can be. This and Tangled are the perfect additions to the Disney Vault and leave you genuinely excited for another golden age from Walt's imagination. While bits of the movie can seem problematic and the ending is obviously predictable, it's still a marvel to watch and warrants a viewing. Hell, I even downloaded the soundtrack it's that good. 

The Good:

amazing visuals that look blend both the new and old styles of animation

The Better:

a terrific soundtrack that'll stick itself inside your head for days on end

The Best:

knowing Disney is back and making up for all of its failures, reminding us it's a worthwhile studio again

Overall: 8.3/10

Trailer:

Sept 10: Monsters, Inc.

"Monsters generate their city's power by scaring children, but they are terribly afraid themselves of being contaminated by children, so when one enters Monstropolis, top scarer Sulley finds his world disrupted."

Directed by: Pete Docter, Rated: G, 92 minutes

There are just a handful of movies that come out these days that actually inspire your creative side. Imaginative flicks are rare, but when a good one comes along, it's even more special. Monsters, Inc. is one of those movies. Pixar's 2001 movie is one of their best, and it creates a world so exciting, so original, and so damn genius you can't help but love every minute of it. You continue to want to explore Monstropolois with Mike and Sully and meet every monster on the street corner and at Monsters, Inc. Even little Boo, a kid who sneaks into the realm of monsters, immediately grabs your attention and heart. 

D'aww. 

The film tells the story of how the monsters at Monsters, Inc. capture the screams of the children they scare and use them as a source of energy to run a bustling city. James "Sulley" Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman) and his assistant and best friend, Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) lead in the number of all-time screams. In the world of Monstropolis, children are the source of energy from their fear, but they are also considered dangerous by the monsters, and even a sock from a kid's room needs to be contained and disinfected. After Sulley accidentally lets in Boo, a young girl who finds the monster to be an adorable giant kitty, Sulley and Mike must figure out what to do, as this breach of security means deadly consequences for the monsters and the city. It's not long after Boo arrives that Sulley begins bonding with the kid and realizes that children are not as deadly as everyone is made to believe. Mike and Sulley must then figure out a way to get Boo safely back to her room, while evading the authorities and the up-to-no-good Randal Boggs (Steve Buscemi) a rival monster. 

Not since Buzz and Woody have we seen a friendship like this. 

Monsters, Inc. creates a fun cast of characters you love almost immediately. Billy Crystal and John Goodman do such good jobs you can easily tell how much fun they're having. Each actor completely embodies the character they voice and seeing them inhabit an even more colorful and interesting world makes Monsters, Inc. all the more better. The humor is strong as well, and each laugh isn't tailored specifically to kids (as most of Pixar's humor is). With the recent announcement of Monsters University, a prequel to Monsters, Inc., it's exciting thinking that we'll get a chance to revisit the world created with this film, as every aspect of it is memorable. Boo, the cute-as-a-button little girl has so much to love about her and she's still one of the most accurate and adorable portrayals of a kid in an animated flick. The fact Pixar cast an actual little girl (Mary Gibbs) adds to their genius and makes Boo one of the most beloved characters in Pixar history, at least in my opinion. 

D'aww. 

As I mentioned, Monsters, Inc. is an incredibly creative film. It's such a simple, yet genius idea that makes you wish you thought of it yourself. It also has a great message, showing that a child's laugh is more powerful than his/her scream, and that even the things that go bump in the night have their own worries as well. While it's not the greatest Pixar film, visually, it makes up for it in its imagination and character design. Mike and Sulley are completely different monsters, and certainly represent the nerd and the popular guy you see in high school. Yet, their friendship works and along with their growing love for Boo, is the heart of the film. I would highly recommend this film. Chances are you have already seen it (as had I), but I suggest revisiting it and being reminded at how good it really is. Hearing something in your closet at night doesn't have to scare you. With Monsters, Inc., you'll see why. 

The Good:

One of Pixar's most imaginative films, crafting hilarious and heart-warming characters in a vibrant world

The Better:

Billy Crystal and John Goodman voicing Mike and Sulley, and knowing that no one else could voice these characters

The Best: 

Knowing that original films can still be made and having faith (even if it's now a little shaky) that Pixar will continually deliver 

Overall: 9.2/10

Trailer:

And if you haven't seen it yet, here's the trailer for Monsters University

Aug 23: ParaNorman

"A misunderstood boy, takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse."

Directed by: Chris Butler & Sam Fell, Rated: PG, 93 minutes

There's a lot to be said about the world of 3D these days. A lot of people agree that the "gimmick" is simply a way to make more money and ride the cash wave of a fad while others genuinely think that it's the way of the future for film. I, on the other-hand, find 3D to be too distracting and not worthwhile. However, I have one exception to that idea and that is that 3D looks amazing with animated movies. ParaNorman, the newest "cartoon" to employ the use of 3D uses it to great effect and only strengthens my theory. It's a beautifully dark movie that relishes in its visuals and the 3D lets the audience truly enjoy what's playing out on screen. ParaNorman is a stop-motion animated film and with those pesky glasses sitting on your nose, you can pay attention to the closest of details so many animators worked at putting together.

Stay until after the credits for a quick peek at the actual character model creation, it's ridiculously impressive. 

Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a regular young boy with quite unusual abilities. For as long as he can remember, he can see the dead, and converses with them on a daily basis. Be it with his grandma, whose ghost lingers in the house, or a bunch of old ghouls in town, Norman is always saying "Hello" to whoever he sees. Of course, this is looked upon as something strange and his classmates and even his own family ostracize the kid because he can see the dead. Norman's town, Blithe Hollow, looks down upon him as well, but when a witch's curse is set to bring the dead back to life in that very town, it's up to him (and only him) to save it. As his fellow townspeople slowly realize the strange and paranormal exist, he's aided by his new friend, Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), a bully named Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), his sister Courtney (Anna Kendrick), and Neil's brother Mitch (Casey Afleck). Zombies, brought to life (or death?) by the evil witch invade his town and it's up to him to figure out a way to stop the curse. While ParaNorman's story sounds fun right off the bat, it's actually pretty dramatic and even shocking at times. Norman is completely alone in his own little world and the ridicule he suffers is almost hard to watch. The animators did a terrific job capturing his sadness and it really makes you feel bad for the kid. Also, at the heart of the story, involving the witch, her story is also dramatic and extremely depressing. These two parts are just some of the reasons why the film is not meant for kids. 

Toilet paper zombies are just the beginning...

As mentioned, ParaNorman's success is in its visuals. Laika Animation Studios, the people behind Coraline, return to the stop-motion world with finesse and beauty. Each scene is rich in detail and the character models look amazing. It's quite a sight to behold and the 3D manages to capture it in further detail. Along with the incredible animation, ParaNorman also has one hell of a soundtrack featuring songs written by Jon Brion as well as Season of the Witch by Donavan. The film's climax has an incredible song that is very reminiscent of Clint Mansell's score in The Fountain, so you can only imagine how powerful the music is. However, as much of the film has been advertised towards kids, the visuals have moments of genuine terror and I would not recommend it for the young ones. A lot of the humor is pulled right from the trailers too, and if you think you can go into the film expecting laugh after laugh, you're going to have a bad time. The movie is ridiculously mature for something PG (and animated) and the main conflict of the story is more of a history lesson than anything else. But don't think that this is a flaw of the film, as it really is a strength, but go into it knowing full well that it's not a fun, whimsical, magical ride through a little animated town. 

If you think Coraline is freaky, ParaNorman is much more creepier. 

As much as I would love to go into more detail about the ParaNorman's plot, there's not much I can talk about without giving away crucial details. It's sad, I'll leave it at that but still manages to inspire you with its visuals. It's definitely worth seeing in theaters and I would highly recommend catching it in 3D if you have the chance. The voice talent involved in the film is perfect, and along with the previously mentioned cast members, John Goodman, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, and Bernard Hill also lend their voices to the film. I do wish that this film received a release closer to Halloween, but nonetheless, it at least put me in the mood for fall, which at this point of the summer cannot come soon enough. 

The Good:

incredible visuals that set the bar even higher in the world of animation as well a terrific soundtrack to accompany it

The Bad:

not as much a bad as it is an unexpected point, but the film packs a very mature story that has themes many adults would even find creepy (or sad)

The Ugly:

the thought that the plot central to the film has actually happened in our history and that the consequences of said plot point were really swept under the rug 

Overall: 7.8/10

Trailer:

Aug 14: Raising Arizona

"When a childless couple of an ex-con and an ex-cop decide to help themselves to one of another family's quintuplets, their lives get more complicated than they anticipated."

Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen, Rated: PG-13, 94 minutes

Raising Arizona is one of the most entertaining screw-ball comedies of all time. It's the Coen brothers debut in the black comedy genre and puts together a terrific cast full of over-the-top cartoon characters that find themselves in deeper than they hoped. The film is delightfully original and tells a story so bizarre and strange that you can't help but enjoy every moment of it. And, being Cage Week and all, Raising Arizona gives us one of Cage's breakout performances and he's never been better. 

Awwww yeah.  

The story follows H.I (Cage), an ex-con, and his wife, Ed (Holly Hunter), a cop. The two are blissfully married and have the seemingly perfect life. H.I has straightened out his life for his new love and promises to do whatever it takes to make her happy. When they discover that Ed is barren and cannot have children, the two try every legal mean possible to have a child of their own. However, H.I's "checkered background" prevents the couple from adopting. Meanwhile, in their little south western town, the Arizonas, Nathan (Trey Wilson) and Florence have just given birth to quintuplets. H.I and Ed see this as their opportunity to have a child and think that the Arizonas have their hands full already and that relieving them of one of their newborns would not only be justified but also what God would want. Thus, H.I breaks into the Arizonas house, kidnaps one of the quintuplets (he thinks it's Nathan Jr.), and returns to his wife who's happier than a clam to finally have a child. Nathan Arizona, the owner of Arizona's largest unpainted furntiture warehouse, puts up a $25,000 reward to whoever can return his baby to him and H.I and Ed struggle in figuring out what to do now that they're in hot water and in hiding. Throw in another two ex-cons, the Snoats brothers (John Goodman and William Forsythe), a scary bounty hunter, and a rather incompetent police force and Raising Arizona becomes a crazy ride through the American southwest. 

Whoa, now.

Now, I'm a huge fan of the Coen Brothers and have seen all of their films multiple times. Raising Arizona, one of their first, is also one of their best movies. While most comedies taper out towards the end, Raising Arizona is constant with the laughs and ridiculous situations. When you think it can't get any better (or funnier), the film raises the bar another level and outdoes itself. The film is full of a cast of caricatures and exaggerated scenarios and any realism goes out the door almost immediately to a grand effect. Raising Arizona blends a pitch-perfect script with an absolute perfect cast and turns the comedy into something worth talking about 20 years later. 

They wouldn't have those Oscars without Arizona. 

As you can tell, I would highly recommend Raising Arizona. I had not seen the film for a couple of years before today and after re-watching I can only reaffirm my love for it. The Coen Brothers are two of the most unique filmmakers working today and while they have expanded their style to some extent, a lot of what is in each of their more recent movies has some connection to Raising Arizona. The film also helped jump-start the careers of Cage and Hunter, who have both gone onto follow their own paths quite successfully and also is the first time the Brothers worked with John Goodman, and you can now see the wondrous places that relationship has gone. 

The Good:

a script so crazy, yet so full of heart (in it's own little way) that turns unlikable people into great sympathetic characters

The Better:

a terrific cast that includes Cage, Hunter, Goodman, and more

The Cage:

perfect and over-the-top...  well before the crazy

Overall: 9.5/10

or

Four and a half Cages out of Five

Trailer:

March 7: Red State

"Set in Middle America, a group of teens receive an online invitation for sex, though they soon encounter fundamentalists with a much more sinister agenda."

   Kevin Smith, after years of making comedies, decided to try something a little different. In Red State, Smith turns everything upside down and gives us a violent, saddistic tale about a religious family and the lengths they will go to keep each other safe and "cleanse" the souls of the local population. Smith has stated that it's almost a satire based on the real life of Westboro Baptist Church's pastor, Fred Phelps and his family. If you do not know, this is the nutcase family that pickets army funerals and condemns anyone associated with homosexuality. Sure, it's okay to have your own beliefs, but these guys are so f**ked up, and Kevin Smith makes a wonderfully morbid movie paralleling them. 

I hate this man with so much passion. 

   Red State's cast is quite the mix of actors and actresses. An FBI agent, played by John Goodman, is central to the film's plot and he plays it very well. He's unexpected in the role because it is just a tad bit badass, and one does not assume Mr. Goodman's the kind of guy to "bring it". The star of the film, however, is Michael Parks, who plays the patriach of the pseudo-Christian clan. His charisma is terrifying and you totally believe he's the leader of a messed up church. He has a couple of monologues that give you chills and the intensity with which he delivers them is insane. He's a combination of Hitler and some deranged leader of some cult. His performance is definitely overlooked and, if Red State's plot was a little thicker, he may have been more recognized. 

He also sings a creepy little psalm... and then lights someone on fire. 

   Overall, Red State is a nice change of pace for Kevin Smith and, although it does not deliver entirely when it comes to the story and pacing, the acting and dialogue make it worth a watch. With great performances all around and carnal, gritty camerawork, Red State proves to be more than just a festival of gore and violence. The subject matter may offend many but when you see such a brutal display of the use of Christianity, you can't help but root against the "Church". 

The Good:

Michael Parks and is incredible performance

The Bad:

an almost complete lack of a strong story

The Ugly:

knowing that the Westboro Baptist Church could just be a cache of weapons away from losing it and declaring "war"

Overall: 7.8/10

Best Quote:

Joseph Keenan: "People just do the strangest things when they believe they're entitled. But they do even stranger things when they just plain believe."

What to look for:

A terrifying, suspenseful monologue from Parks leading up to a disturbing act of violence