Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 17th to 23rd, 2019 - Update #26

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BOX OFFICE - From TheWrap:  Disney's "Frozen II" is reviving the box office with a 42 million dollar opening Friday.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Director Tim Miller talks about his film, "Terminator: Dark Fate," its box office failure, clashes with James Cameron, and not having final control of the film.

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MOVIES - From THR:  With the opening of "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," it is time to take a look back at the early work of the film's star, Tom Hanks.  Do you know his early film, "He Knows You're Alone"?  Do you remember his star turn in the notorious 1982 TV movies, "Rona Jaffe's Mazes and Monsters"?  [I remember the latter, dear readers. - Leroy]

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MOVIES - From ShadowandAct:  Lena Waithe talks about sharing a "story by" credit with controversial author, James Frey ("A Million Little Pieces"), on the upcoming film, "Queen & Slim."

From ShadowandAct:  I did not know that there was tension over Black British actors playing African-American chacters, but there is.  So "Queen & Slim" stars, Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith, talk about it.

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CULTURE - From TheGuardian:  At the Anti-Defamation League's "Never is Now" summit on antisemitism and hate, actor Sacha Baron Cohen called tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, Google, and YouTube the greatest propaganda machine in history.  Cohen, in a wide-ranging speech, said that Facebook, if it had existed at the time, would have let Adolf Hitler buy ads for the "final solution" to Germany's "Jewish problem."

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MOVIES-MUSIC - From Deadline:  "Bohemian Rhapsody" producer, Graham King, has secured rights from the Michael Jackson estate to make a film about the "King of Pop's" life.  King will have access to all of Jackson's music.

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SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Apple is delaying the release of director George Nolfi's "The Banker," starring Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie.  The film is based on a true story about Bernard Garrett, Sr., and some troubling allegations have been levied against Bernard Jr., a consultant on the film who has also been involving in its promotion.

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TELEVISION - From TheDailyBeast:  Legends John Cleese and Eric Idle talk about 50 years of "Monty Python's Flying Circus," President Trump, and "Brexit."

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BROADWAY - From THR:  The planned Michael Jackson Broadway musical, "MJ the Musical," has found its Michael, Tony nominee, Ephraim Sykes.

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BLM - From THR:   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wonders if films about American slavery are good for African-Americans.

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AWARDS - From Variety:  The 2020 Film Independent Spirit Award nomination have been announced.  The winners will be revealed Sat., Feb. 8, 2020, one day before the Academy Awards.

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MOVIES - From GQ:  A look at the 50-year friendship of Oscar winners, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, the stars of Martin Scorsese's film, "The Irishman."

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MOVIES - From THR:  "Robocop Returns" a direct sequel to the original "Robocop" film (1987), has a new director, Abe Forsythe, who has been getting buzz for his zombie comedy, "Little Monsters," starring Lupita N'yongo.  Forsythe replaces Neill Blomkamp.

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SCANDAL-MUSIC - From YahooCelebrity:  Actor and Grammy-winning recording artist, Harry Connick, Jr., claims that in the early 1990s, legendary actor and singer, the late Frank Sinatra, acted “completely inappropriate” with Connick’s then-girlfriend and now-wife, model Jill Goodacre.

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  The news of a sequel to Todd Phillips' "Joker" and new films featuring origin stories of other DC Comics' characters may not be correct... yet.

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BOX OFFICE - From DigitalSpy:  Writer-director Elizabeth Banks acknowledges that her just-released reboot of "Charlie's Angels" is a flop, but is still proud of the film.

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STAR TREK - From THR: Noah Fawley, creator of the "Fargo" TV series for FX, will reportedly direct the fourth film in the "Star Trek" reboot series.  Chris Pine will reportedly return as Captain Kirk.  This film is separate from Quentin Tarantino's long-developing "Star Trek" project.

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MOVIES - From TheHollywoodReporter:  Screenwriter Gregory Allen says that once upon a time a Hollywood executive suggested that Oscar-winning actress, Julia Roberts, play Harriet Tubman, a real-life Black American historical figure.  The exec said that Tubman lived so long ago that no one would remember that she was Black.

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MOVIES - From  Variety:  Actress Pom Klementieff ("Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2") has been cast in "Mission: Impossibe 7," which is due July 2021.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix has hired legendary screenwriter Robert Towne and acclaimed director David Fincher to pen a TV pilot script that will act as a prequel to the classic 1974 film, "Chinatown."   Towne won an Oscar for writing "Chinatown."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:   The winner of the 11/15 to 11/17/2019 weekend box office is "Ford v Ferrari" with an estimated gross of 31 million dollars.

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  President Donald Trump names his first "National Medal of Arts" recipients.

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STREAMING - From FlickeringMyth:  Bill Murray will reunite with Peter and Bobby Farrelly on the Quibi comedy, "The Now," in a recurring role.  Murray appeared in the brothers 1996 film, "Kingpin."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:   John Woo comments on the reboot of his 1990s hit film, "Face/Off," and adds his comments to the Scorsese vs. Marvel Studios comic book movies debate.  He also mentions that Oscar-winner Lupita N'yongo has left the remake of his 1989 film, "The Killers."

OBITS:

From Variety:  The actor, Michael J. Pollard, has died at the age of 80, Wednesday, November 20, 2019.  He earned an best supporting actor, Oscar nomination for his appearance in the film, "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967).  He also appeared in Rob Zombie's gruesome cult classic, "House of 1000 Corpses" (2003).

From YahooSports:  Former National Football League player, Fred Cox, has died at the age of 80, Wednesday, November 20, 2019.  Cox was a "kicker" for the Minnesota Vikings for 15 years and played in all four of the Vikings "Super Bowl" appearances.  However, Cox may be best remembered for inventing the soft football that would become the "Nerf" football.

Review: "Planes" Flies Pretty High

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 49 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Planes (2013)
Running time:  91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
Rating: MPAA – PG for some mild action and rude humor
DIRECTOR:  Klay Hall
WRITERS:  Jeffrey M. Howard; from a story by John Lasseter, Klay Hall, and Jeffrey M. Howard
PRODUCER:  Traci Balthazor-Lynn
EDITOR:  Jeremy Milton
COMPOSER:  Mark Mancina

ANIMATION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/FAMILY/SPORTS

Starring:  Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Priyanka Chopra, John Cleese, Cedric the Entertainer, Carlos Alazraqui, Roger Craig Smith, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, Sinbad, Gabriel Iglesias, Danny Mann, Colin Cowherd, Oliver Kalkofe, Klay Hall, John Ratzenberger, and Brent Musburger

Planes is a 2013 computer-animated fantasy adventure film and sports comedy that was produced by DisneyToon Studios.  It was originally intended to be released straight-to-video, but was instead released to movie theaters as a 3D film in August 2013.  Planes is a spinoff of Pixar's Cars film franchise and is co-written and executive-produced by John Lasseter, the director of Cars (2006) and Cars 2 (2011).  Planes focuses on a cropduster plane who dreams of competing in a world-famous aerial race.

Planes opens in the small town of Propwash Junction and introduces Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook).  This young airplane is a cropduster, but he dreams of being an air racer and even has a racing alter-ego he calls “Strut Jetstream.”  Dusty's pal, a fuel truck named Chug (Brad Garrett), encourages Dusty's dream of flying in the airplane race, the Wings Around the Globe Rally.

However, Dusty was built to be a cropduster, not an air racer, but he is determined.  After barely qualifying for the rally, Dusty seeks the help of an elderly and reclusive Navy war plane named Skipper (Stacy Keach), who reluctantly agrees to help him.  Still, the odds are against Dusty, and so are some of his competitors.  Does he have what it takes to win?  Does Dusty truly understand the motto “Volo pro veritas” (“I fly for truth.”)?

I was kind of interested in seeing Planes when it first played in movie theaters, but I changed my mind.  However, I was able to get a Blu-ray copy for review of its sequel, Planes: Fire & Rescue, which was released to theaters in July 2014.  So I decided to see the original film, and I have to be honest, dear reader:  I really like Planes.

Planes is a formulaic animated film aimed at the family audience; meaning children watch it and the parents who take them to the movie suffer through it.  However, Planes is a well-executed and entertaining formulaic animated family film.

The characters are a mixture of familiar little-guy heroic types, ethnic stereotypes, and assorted comic caricatures.  But they're mostly all lovable, and stand-up comedian and actor, Dane Cook, who can be, at best, an acquired taste, is quite good as the voice of Dusty Crophopper.   Carlos Alazraqui is a treat as El Chupacabra, a friendly competitor of Dusty's in the Wings Around the World Rally, and Sinbad makes the most of his character, Roper, the forklift who is also a rally official.

Planes is a well-written version of the little engine that could (in this case, an airplane), and the writers are constantly putting believable obstacles in his way that the audience will want to see him overcome.  Some, like me, will find their hearts lifting as Dusty soars over those obstacles, and also over his primary antagonist and rival, Ripslinger (Roger Craig Smith), who is the kind of jerk I want to see get his comeuppance.  I enjoyed Planes enough, surprisingly so, that I'm ready for the sequel.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, November 2, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Negromancer's Fave Poli-Reads - October 2014 Edition - Update #26

From YahooNews:  Finally, Senator Landrieu tells the truth about something.

From YahooNews:  Surprising Israeli political cartoon about Israeli=U.S. relations.

From RollingStone: Paul Krugman - "In Defense of Obama"

From TheDailyBeast:  The suicide of Israeli soldiers after recent Gaza incursion.

From TheNewYorker:  Andy Borowitz says billionaires to retain control of congress after the midterms.

From NewYorkMagazine:  Can Elizabeth Warren (via Jeanne Shaheen) beat Scott Brown again.

From the GuardianUK:  A controversial book about the Matthew Shepard murder.

From ThinkProgess:  Yes, let's soak the 1 percent with a 90 percent tax rate.

From Prospect:  The making of Ferguson.

From TheGuardian:  Four Blackwater mercenaries/employees found guilty in Nisour Square massacre.

From TheGuardian:  Gamergate.

From ThinkProgress:  This judge is a prick for not granting maternity leave.

From RSN:  Mumia and the commencement speech that cause police to go nuts.

From the GuardianUK:  Matt Taibbi on the justice divide between Wall Street and Ferguson.

From SPLC via RSN:  How Cliven Bundy won and is still winning.

From Consortium News via RSN:  The Washington Post strikes back at Gary Webb revival.

From Consortium News via RSN:  Robert Parry talks about Ronald Reagan's CIA and the contra-cocaine saga.

From TheIntercept:  The neocon-UAE-Iraeli plot to declar Qatar a supporter of terror.
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From TheNewYorkTimes:  Why is President Obama continuing the embargo of Cuba.
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From Consortium News via RSN:  Robert Parry on the mainstream media's tepid response to the ghost of Gary Webb rising again with the release of the film, Kill the Messanger.
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From Think Progress via RSN:  The one time the U.S. had "universal childcare."
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From Reuters:  Sweden to recognize the state of Palestine.
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From the GuardianUK: Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi win the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.

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From YahooNews:  10 States with the worst quality of life... Yes, Louisiana makes the cut.  And her current governor, Bobby Jindal (once called "the little majaraja") thinks his performance makes him a great U.S. presidential candidate for 2016.

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From Truthout:  John Cleese weighs in on FOX News and stupidity.

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From Salon:  The South (Southern states) has a victim complex.

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From MotherJones:  An Alabama law provides lawyers for fetuses.

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From Reuters:  The Supreme Court dodges gay marriage.

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From Truthout:  Funny Obamacare cartoon.

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From Slate via RSN:  (in)Justice Scalia's favorite murderer is innocent.  You just have to laugh.

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From Consortium News via RSN:  The New York Times admits that the Contra-Cocaine story was true... belatedly and relatively hidden.

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From Politico:  "Something is Rotten in the Secret Service" - includes the author's now infamous line about it being Obama's own fault if he is assassinated.

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From the NewYorkTimes:  Our Invisible Rich by Paul Krugman

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From RollingStone and RSN: Koch Bros. toxic empire.

From Rolling Stone via RSN:  Koch's respond to Rolling Stone.

Review: "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" is Surprisingly Quite Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 166 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
Running time:  91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some mild language and innuendo
DIRECTOR:  Joe Dante with Eric Goldberg (animation director)
WRITER:  Larry Doyle
PRODUCERS:  Bernie Goldmann, Joel Simon, and Paula Weinstein
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Dean Cundey (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Rick W. Finney and Marshall Harvey
COMPOSER:  Jerry Goldsmith

ANIMATION/ACTION/ADVENTURE and COMEDY/FAMILY/FANTASY

Starring:  Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin, Timothy Dalton, Heather Locklear, John Cleese, Joan Cusack, Bill Goldberg, Dan Stanton, Don Stanton, Matthew Lillard, Ron Perlman, and (voices) Joe Alaskey, Bob Bergen, Casey Kasem, Frank Welker, Billy West, with (receiving no screen credit) Peter Graves and Michael Jordan

The subject of this movie review is Looney Tunes: Back in Action, a 2003 adventure and comedy film from director Joe Dante.  Back in Action blends live-action and animation and stars Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the rest of the Looney Tunes characters.  In the movie, the Looney Tunes help a down-on-his-luck security guard find his missing father and the mythical Blue Monkey diamond.

Right out of the box, let’s proclaim Looney Tunes: Back in Action a fantastically funny film, almost as good as the gold standard of films that mix live action and animation, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and better than Space Jam.  It’s not dumb and hackneyed as some have claimed; nor is it a cynical attempt to market Time Warner trademarks and merchandise.  Just about anyone who has ever loved the Looney Tunes characters will love this film.

As simple and as silly as it is, LT:BIA’s story ends up making a very funny film.  Daffy Duck (Joe Alaskey) is having another of his many conniptions about his status as second banana to Bugs Bunny (Joe Alaskey), but this time Kate Houghton (Jenna Elfman), an eager young Warner Bros. Studio executive fires Daffy.  Daffy’s shenanigans also cost a studio lot guard, DJ Drake (Brendan Fraser), his job.

Later Daffy and DJ discover that DJ’s dad, Damien Drake (Timothy Dalton), the famous spy movie star, is actually a real life spy.  He’s been kidnapped and is being held hostage in Las Vegas.  Via a special spy signal, he asks his son to find the Blue Monkey Diamond and keep it from the evil Mr. Chairman (Steve Martin), head of the Acme Corporation, who wants to use the diamond’s mystical powers to turn everyone on the planet into monkeys.  It’s up to DJ, Kate, Bugs, and Daffy to find the jewel, rescue DJ’s dad, and save the world.

The films is technically well made, and the merger of animation and live action is easily on par, if not superior to Roger Rabbit.  Joe Dante (Gremlins), no stranger to special effects and genre films, does a fantastic job prepping his film, especially its stars, to act with characters and effects that would only be added after the principal photography was finished.  Animation director Eric Goldberg has also done some of the best helming of animated film in years.  It’s the best work this year by a director of animation after the Finding Nemo crew, which is clearly evident in the Bugs/Daffy/Elmer Fudd (Billy West) surrealistic and imaginatively designed race through the Louvre in Paris.

The cast of actors is fantastic.  Brendan Fraser is an underrated actor, movie star, and comedian.  He’s excellent with physical comedy, and by now has a knack for working in an environment where a lot of the film elements are added after he does his work.  Jenna Elfman is a pleasant surprise, and she has excellent chemistry with her costars, live and animated.

The films gets a hardy recommendation because it’s such fun.  The fact that almost all major and minor characters that have ever appeared in a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon have a part in the film makes it a must see.  There’s even a small scene that plugs 2004’s Scooby-Doo 2, and if that’s not enough for certain moviegoers, then, they are indeed in need of a laugh.  Looney Tunes: Back in Action is just what the doctor ordered.

8 of 10
A

Updated: Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "The Croods" Like a Full-Length Looney Tunes Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 75 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Croods (2013)
Running time:  98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some scary images action
DIRECTORS:  Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders
WRITERS:  Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders; from a story by John Cleese and Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders
PRODUCERS:  Kristine Belson and Jane Hartwell
EDITOR:  Darren T. Holmes
COMPOSER:  Alan Silvestri
PRODUCTION DESIGNER:  Christophe Lautrette
ART DIRECTORS:  Paul Duncan and Dominique R. Louis

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/COMEDY with elements of action and drama

Starring:  (voices) Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman, Clark Duke, Chris Sanders, and Randy Thom

The Croods is a 2013 computer-animated adventure and comedy film that was theatrically presented in 3D.  It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox.  The Croods focuses on a caveman family trekking through an unfamiliar, fantastical world with the help of an inventive boy.

The Croods is set in a fictional version of the prehistoric Pliocene era (apparently called “The Croodaceous”).  The Croods are a six-member family living in a cave.  The father is Grug Crood (Nicolas Cage), who is doggedly protective of his family:  wife, Ugga (Catherine Keener); teenage daughter, Eep (Emma Stone); nine-year-old son, Thunk (Clark Duke); ferocious toddler daughter, Sandy (Randy Thom); and Gran (Cloris Leachman), Grug’s mother-in-law and Ugga’s mother.

Grug wants his family to stay in the cave at all times, except when they hunt for food, which is getting harder to find.  Grug is also against his family trying new things or making discoveries; “new things” are a threat to survival, he declares.  This causes problems between Grug and his rebellious teen daughter, Eep, whose curious nature clashes with her conservative father.  Then, Eep meets Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a nomadic cave boy, who is both clever and inventive.  Eep is immediately attracted to the boy.  Grug hates Guy, but after their cave is destroyed, The Croods find they need Guy, as they travel through an exotic land in search of a new home.

Since the original Madagascar (2005) and Kung Fu Panda (2008), DreamWorks Animation has improved on the technology of computer animation in terms of motion (characters and objects), depiction and creation of environments, picture definition, texture, and range of color.  The Croods proves that this animation production company is determined to keep pushing the envelope.

As for the story and characters, The Croods is best when it’s being fast and funny.  I have found that some of DreamWorks Animation’s films (and even television episodes) have the zest and style of Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated shorts.  In a way, much of The Croods is an extended series of gags that recall Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Road Runner cartoons.

Pretty much every member of The Croods’ cast seems to be a looney toon, except for the mother, Ugga.  For some reason Ugga is practically non-existent; she is like a voice of wisdom, reason, and caution that is repressed and only heard when the film needs to squeeze in a poignant moment between chuckles and yucks.  And then, Ugga’s voice seems barely able to be heard above the fray of manic comedy.  In fact, Catherine Keener, who gives voice to Ugga, is unable to distinguish herself from the standard female voice.  I actually thought that Maya Rudolph was Ugga’s voice.  That is shocking when one considers how distinctive a performer Keener is.

But I guess it comes down to this.  DreamWorks Animation has mastered the technology of computer animation.  They have refined a brand of comedy that ranges from broad to slapstick and from satire to parody.  They embrace the crazy concepts they turn into films that are often inventive concerts of explosive visuals.  Still, DreamWorks Animation’s films lack the emotional resonance frequently found in movies from Pixar (except for Cars 2, which is straight crap).

The Croods can be viewed as a love triangle involving Grug, Eep, and Guy – mostly with Eep in love with Guy and with Grug hating Guy, mainly for that reason.  The performances by the three actors playing these characters are good, but the script really does not delve into this conflict.  It is easier to be surface and let comic moments rather than dramatic moments sell this three-way conflict.

That said, going by what is on the screen, The Croods is an exceptional movie, although stronger drama could have made it a truly great film.  I love the physicality the filmmakers give the characters.  Their wildness and animal-like tendencies (especially the way they move) make them attractive; the way they move, their facial ticks and expressions, and their reactions may it hard to ignore them.  The animation has a sense of depth that makes even its fantastic backdrops seem real – such as the cave and surrounding landscape where the Croods live at the beginning of the film.  I can use this old standby:  The Croods is a visual feast.  It falls short of greatness and perfection, but there is nothing like it, and it is quite good, indeed.

8 of 10
A

Thursday, November 07, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

"Disney's Planes" to Screen at D23

The Walt Disney Studios to Present Disney’s Planes, a High-Flying, Big-Screen Comedy Adventure

D23 Expo Attendees to Be Among the First to See the Film in 3D with Special Appearances from Select Filmmakers and Stars

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Official Disney Fan Club reveals plans for a special 3D screening of the high-flying big-screen adventure Disney’s Planes at the D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.

D23 Expo attendees will be among the first to see Disney’s Planes on its opening day. An action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure from Disneytoon Studios, Disney's Planes will take flight in theaters nationwide August 9, but D23 Expo guests will see this special 3D presentation featuring an introduction by some very special guests. Dusty Crophopper dreams of competing as a high-flying racer, but he’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps him train to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.

Directed by lifelong aviation enthusiast Klay Hall (King of the Hill, The Simpsons), and produced by Traci Balthazor-Flynn, Disney’s Planes features the voices of Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Priyanka Chopra, John Cleese, Cedric the Entertainer, Carlos Alazraqui, Roger Craig Smith, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, Sinbad, Gabriel Iglesias, Brent Musburger, Colin Cowherd, Danny Mann, Oliver Kalkofe, and John Ratzenberger.

The screening is slated for Friday, August 9, 2013, at 3 p.m. at the Arena inside the Anaheim Convention Center. For more information about the movie, check out Disney.com/Planes, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyPlanes and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DisneyPictures.

DISNEYTOON STUDIOS, a division of The Walt Disney Studios, is home to a vibrant group of filmmakers, artists, and production teams who produce original high-quality series-based stories for in-home and theatrical audiences, including Disney’s Planes, which hits the big screen Aug. 9, and the popular Disney’s Fairies franchise, starring Tinker Bell and her Pixie Hollow friends.

About D23 Expo 2013
The D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing attendees with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, and theme parks. For the latest D23 Expo 2013 news, visit www.D23Expo.com. To be part of the D23 Expo conversation, make sure to follow @DisneyD23 and tag your tweets with #D23Expo.

About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s nearly 90-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com; and member-exclusive discounts and special events for D23 Members throughout the year, highlighted by the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, August 9–11, 2013.

Fans can join D23 at www.D23.com and at www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow us @DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.

Review: "Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle" Sputters

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 100 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action violence, sensuality and language/innuendo
DIRECTOR: McG
WRITERS: John August and Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Wibberley, from a story by John August (from the television program created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts)
PRODUCERS: Drew Barrymore, Leonard Goldberg, and Nancy Juvonen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Russell Carpenter (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Wayne Wahrman
COMPOSER: Edward Shearmur
Razzie Award winner

ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Lui, Demi Moore, Bernie Mac, Justin Theroux, Robert Patrick, Luke Wilson, Matt LeBlanc, Crispin Glover, John Cleese, Shia LaBeouf, Ashley Olsen, Mary-Kate Olsen, Pink, Jaclyn Smith, Bruce Willis (no screen credit), and John Forsythe (voice)

The subject of this movie review is Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, a 2003 action comedy from director McG. This movie is a direct sequel to the 2000 film, Charlie’s Angels. Both films are based on the television series, “Charlie’s Angels,” which was originally broadcast on ABC from 1976 to 1981. As in the first film, Full Throttle stars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women employed by a private investigation agency and working for the voice known as “Charlie.”

Charlie’s Angels, the 2000 film remake of the 70-80’s TV show of the same name, was a hoot, a delightful and highly entertaining action/comedy with the guile of a cool Frank Miller comic book. Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, the 2003 sequel, is an overblown, way over-the-top Hollywood production that’s way too full of crap, and miraculously, it still manages to be somewhat entertaining.

It’s pointless to even attempt to describe the plot, as it’s muddled nonsense. The real plot involves the indelicate manner in which the filmmakers place Charlie’s Angels in positions and situations that create mondo opportunities for shots of tits and ass. Natalie Cook (Cameron Diaz), Dylan Sanders (Drew Barrymore), and Alex Munday (Lucy Lui) return as Charlie Townsend’s (voice of John Forsythe) high tech-trained, super-powered, manga-like cuties. This time the grrrrls have to retrieve two encrypted rings, which when combined give up the locations of people in the FBI witness relocation program, and wouldn’t the bad guys love to have that info.

McG, the director of the first film, returns to helm this gigantic, flatulent cartoon that is Full Throttle. The script is lame, but all McG has to do is make the pictures look good, and, as a music video director, he knows how to do that. Imagine The Matrix on drain cleaner, Japanese cartoons (anime) on fast forward, soft porn on the rag, and comic books conceived by horny, high school upper classmen and dull-witted sorority boys and you have the Charlie’s Angel's sequel. Don’t get me wrong; there are lots of laughs. It’s difficult to tell if the filmmakers were trying to be clever or if they were cynical enough to believe that audiences really would take it ‘tween the cheeks. The end result is this dumb as a low-rent retard movie.

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle parodies action movie clichés…badly, and also throws in a stiff riff from Martin Scorcese’s Cape Fear. It’s just too over the top and too much of a crack-addled cartoon. I did like the way the filmmakers tried to created the vibe of a family extended around the Angels; that actually gave me warm feelings. Still, I was half enthralled and half bored out of my mind. For all the fun I had, there were as many moments when I wondered why the experience of seeing this felt so wasteful. This is simply too much candy, and frankly, unless you really crave an empty movie experience, you can wait for the tape. Someone might tell you that this is a sly, wink-wink, nudge-nudge movie and you have to take it for what it is. If he tries to spin trash as something smart, he is a way-too-easy ho for the big, movie making machine in la-dee-da land.

4 of 10
C

NOTES:
2004 Razzie Awards: 2 wins: “Worst Remake or Sequel” and “Worst Supporting Actress” (Demi Moore); 5 nominations: “Worst Actress” (Drew Barrymore, also for Duplex-2003), “Worst Actress” (Cameron Diaz), “Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie” (All Concept/No Content!), “Worst Picture” (Columbia), and “Worst Screenplay” (John August-also story, Cormac Wibberley, and Marianne Wibberley)

Updated: Thursday, June 27, 2013

Winnie the Pooh Film and Marvel's The Avengers Now on DVD

WINNIE THE POOH - The Walt Disney Studios proudly invites families and audiences of all ages to return to the Hundred Acre Wood with some of the world's most beloved characters, as “Winnie the Pooh,” the delightful all-new animated feature film comes home to Blu-ray Combo Pack for the very first time, as well as DVD and Movie Download on October 25, 2011. Reuniting audiences with Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore (who has lost his tail), “Winnie the Pooh” is a honey of an in-home release containing hours of immersive bonus features, including exclusive animated shorts “The Ballad of Nessie” and “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon;” a sing-along viewing option; an informative behind-the-scenes featurette for the whole family and deleted scenes with director commentary – all available on Blu-ray Combo Pack.

Winnie The Pooh will be avaialable at retail as follows:
* 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) for the suggested retail price of $44.99 U.S. and $51.99 Canada
* 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) for the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S. and $46.99 Canada
* 1-Disc DVD for the suggested retail price of $29.99 U.S. and $35.99 Canada
* High-Definition Digital for the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S. and $44.99 Canada
* Standard-Definition Digital for the suggested retail price of $29.99 U.S. and $35.99 Canada

Inspired by the beloved stories from A.A. Milne's books and crafted in Disney's classic style, “Winnie the Pooh,” is the most critically-acclaimed animated film of 2011*. It is narrated by the voice of John Cleese and features the vocal talents of legendary voice actor Jim Cummings (over 350 voices including Gnomeo & Juliet) and a host of other distinctive actors including Craig Ferguson (TV's 'The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'), Tom Kenny (TV's 'SpongeBob SquarePants'), Bud Luckey (Toy Story 3) and musical performances by Zooey Deschanel (indie folk band “She &Him”).

The all-new “Winnie the Pooh” brings back to life the timeless charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes and characters. Sure to become a family favorite for every household, it is directed by Stephen Anderson (Meet The Robinsons) and Don Hall (The Princess and The Frog) and Executive Produced by John Lasseter.

Winnie the Pooh (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

THE AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES – VOLUME 3 IRON MAN UNLEASHED - The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is a television series on Disney DVD that is inspired by the Marvel Comics Super Hero team of the same name. In each episode, the Avengers defend Earth from unimaginable threats – dangerous Super Villains, time-travelling conquerors, alien invaders and mythical beasts bent on the total destruction of humanity. When the forces of evil are so overwhelming that no single hero has the power to save the world, when no hope is left… the Avengers Assemble! Join Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, and many more of your favorite Avengers, as they discover the value of teamwork and friendship in the fight against evil!

The pulse-pounding action continues on October 25th with six unforgettable episodes in the Volume 3 release of The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Enjoy all the thrills as Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk and the rest of the Avengers face off against Baron Zemo’s Masters of Evil and defend earth from a full-scale alien invasion led by the time-traveling Kang the Conqueror!

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Volume 3 Iron Man Unleashed is only available in the U.S. as a 1-Disc DVD for the suggested retail price of $19.99. This release follows the April 26th release of Volume 1 & 2 (episodes 1-13) which consumers can still find for purchase at local retail stores.

Marvel The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Volume Three


THE AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES – VOLUME 4 THOR’S LAST STAND - The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is a television series on Disney DVD that is inspired by the Marvel Comics Super Hero team of the same name. In each episode, the Avengers defend Earth from unimaginable threats – dangerous Super Villains, time-travelling conquerors, alien invaders and mythical beasts bent on the total destruction of humanity. When the forces of evil are so overwhelming that no single hero has the power to save the world, when no hope is left… the Avengers Assemble! Join Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, and many more of your favorite Avengers, as they discover the value of teamwork and friendship in the fight against evil!

On October 25th, get ready for the ultimate adrenaline rush with Volume 4 of The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! In these final seven episodes of Season One, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk and the rest of The Avengers attempt to stop Ultron and his army of robots from ending all of humanity and prevent Loki from unleashing armies from Asgard on Earth!

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! Volume 4 Thor’s Last Stand is only available in the U.S. as a 1-Disc DVD for the suggested retail price of $19.99. This release follows the April 26th release of Volume 1 & 2 (episodes 1-13) and is accompanied with the October 25th release of Volume 3 (episodes 14-10) which will be available for consumers to purchase at their local retail store.

Review: "A Fish Called Wanda" is Still Amazing (Happy B'day, Kevin Kline)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 153 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
Running time: 109 minutes (1 hour, 49 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Charles Crichton
WRITERS: John Cleese, from a story by Charles Crichton and John Cleese
PRODUCER: Michael Shamberg
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Alan Hume
EDITOR: John Jympson
Academy Award winner

COMEDY/CRIME with elements of romance

Starring: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, Marie Aitken, Tom Georgeson, Patricia Hayes, Cynthia Caylor, Ken Campbell, and Geoffrey Palmer

Set in London, a crooked foursome: heist man Georges Thomason (Tom Georgeson), his partner and close friend, Ken Pile (Michael Palin), George’s American girlfriend, Wanda Gershwitz (Jamie Lee Curtis), and Otto (Kevin Kline) a weapons expert who pretends to be Wanda’s brother, but is really her lover, successfully pull off a big time diamond heist. They are about to get away with it when someone informs on George, who is promptly arrested.

George, however, never trusted Otto, so he hid the diamonds away, and only Ken knows where the new hiding location is. Meanwhile, Wanda seduces George’s barrister (attorney), Archie Leach (John Cleese), in hopes that he can discover and reveal to her the stolen loot’s location. There are, however, complications. Archie really falls in love with Wanda, but jealous Otto keeps interfering every time Wanda is about to get intimate with Archie and get the info she and Otto need. As George’s trial approaches, the desperate situation to learn the location of the diamonds really tests the notion of “honor among thieves.”

Nearly two decades after its initial release, A Fish Called Wanda remains a truly great comedy. I laugh at it now as much as I did when I watched in numerous times in the late 80’s. There is any number of reasons the film works so well as both a comedy and a crime film. One is timing, which is required for comedy. If the cast is in synch, it’s probably because they have good chemistry, and good screen chemistry gives a ring of truth to the proceedings – a sense of verisimilitude. The audience can suspend disbelief and believe that the actors are who they’re pretending to be and are really living in the film’s situations. One of the really good examples of this is the scene in which Archie Leach’s wife, Wendy (Marie Aitken), returns home and nearly catches Archie seducing Wanda. While Wanda and Otto, who’d also snuck into the home, scurry behind curtains, we get to watch Cleese’s hilarious performance as he tries to explain to his wife why he’s suddenly appeared in their upstairs living room with a bottle of champagne and two glasses – when he didn’t even know that she’s returned.

The film is also very well written in terms of characters and well-directed in terms of allowing the cast to develop and play the characters. The script is written by the most famous alum of the comedy troupe Monty Python’s Flying Circus, John Cleese, and Charles Crichton, a filmmaker at the legendary Ealing Studios, where he directed another great heist film, The Lavender Hill Mob (the film to which Wanda was often compared when Wanda was release in 1988). Both brought their sensibilities for creating truly mean-spirited, venal, vain, and eccentric characters. American filmmakers are good at making mean characters, but they often transform them into heroes – especially in comedies. From beginning to end, there is never any doubt that the characters in A Fish Called Wanda are liars, cheaters, thieves, and sometimes murderers, but we’re supposed to laugh at them. Their wicked ways cause them many inconveniences and hardships, and their vanity causes them embarrassment. Other characters are constantly picking at the things that make them vain and eccentric. This is comedy and fiction, so it’s OK to laugh at and even like these “bad guys.”

A Fish Called Wanda is also marked by what’s often called tour-de-force performances, and much of it has to do with the fact that the entire cast, especially the four leads are highly skilled actors, but are also excellent comic actors. Each does a simply fabulous job selling their characters to the audience. The most memorable performance in the film probably belongs to Kevin Kline, who won an Oscar for his role as the supposed-CIA agent, Otto. However, he’s only the cherry on top of what remains a great, great comedy.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
1989 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Kevin Kline); 2 nominations: “Best Director” (Charles Crichton) and “Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” (John Cleese-screenplay/story and Charles Crichton-story)

1989 BAFTA Awards: 2 wins: “Best Actor” (John Cleese) and “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Michael Palin); 7 nominations: “Best Film” (Michael Shamberg and Charles Crichton), “Best Actor” (Kevin Kline), “Best Actress” (Jamie Lee Curtis), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Maria Aitken), “Best Direction” (Charles Crichton), “Best Editing” (John Jympson), and “Best Screenplay – Original” (John Cleese)

1989 Golden Globes: 3 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical” “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical” (John Cleese) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical” (Jamie Lee Curtis)

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

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"Die Another Day" Mixes Bond Tradition with Loud Action

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 35 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux


Die Another Day (2002)
Running time: 133 minutes (2 hours, 9 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action violence and sexuality
DIRECTOR: Lee Tamahori
WRITERS: Neal Purvis and Robert Wade
PRODUCERS: Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David Tattersall (director of photography)
EDITORS: Andrew MacRitchie and Christian Wagner
SONG: “Die Another Day” by Madonna-music/lyrics and Mirwais Ahmadzaï-music
Golden Globe nominee

ACTION/ADVENTURE/THRILLER

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, Judi Dench, John Cleese, Michael Madsen, Will Yun Lee, Kenneth Tsang, Samantha Bond, and Madonna (no screen credit)

Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan’s fourth outing as James Bond, Agent 007, is the twentieth film version of Ian Fleming’s classic secret agent/super spy, and many think that the venerable character is showing his age and signs of wear. The issue is merely one of competition. Over the years stunt coordination and computer technology advanced so much that Bond’s low-fi action looked dated next to bigger and louder explosions of other action heroes, secret agents, and troubleshooters.

By the late Eighties, pumped up action thrillers had run Bond out of town; The Living Daylights and License to Kill were not hits and Bond needed a makeover. Post James Cameron’s True Lies, Brosnan became Bond and his first outing, Goldeneye, exploded out of the gate. It wasn’t very good, being more action movie cum video game than secret agent/spy thriller. Maybe the concept is dated and the character a bit long in the tooth, but the producers can still find away to make an exciting action hit.

Die Another Day is high-octane action movie, and it is better than The World is Not Enough and almost as good as Tomorrow Never Dies, the third and second Brosnan Bond films respectively.

The first half is closer in tone to the old Bond. North Korea captures and tortures Bond for 14 months. After his captors work a deal to free him, his masters at M6 cut him loose because they believe the North Koreans broke him during interrogation. Separated from his future tech arsenal and his agency, Bond has to rely on his wits, his smarts, and his experience. The viewer gets to see just how good Bond is and how dangerous a rogue he can be even without an agency to back him. Brosnan was always convincing as Bond. He could be the suave lover and charming chameleon that he needs to be in order to get into places and into people’s heads. Brosnan could also instantly become the ruthless killing machine that is the mark of an agent with a double “O” license.

Bond also meets a mysterious American, Jinx, played to full sexual tilt by Academy Award winner Halle Berry (Monster’s Ball). Together they pursue the pompous Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens), a wealthy jetsetter with the usual world beating schemes. Graves is actually a very good and charming villain, and he has a dangerous sidekick, Zao (Rick Yune).

Much of the second half of the film is borderline, pure sci-fi, but in the hands of Lee Tamahori (Along Came a Spider), the action is intense and has the wall-to-wall ferocity of anime (Japanese animated films) and mania of a comic book. The script by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the screenwriters of The World is Not Enough, is well written and does a good job straddling two film genres – espionage and action. Though the movie runs a bit long, the thrills of the second half are well choreographed and relentless.

Die Another Day has some excellent small parts: John Cleese, in his best outing as Q, Judi Dench as the dour M, and Michael Madsen, always a welcome sight as a tough guy, who should have had a bigger part.

The movie is part secret agent thriller and part loud cartoon. I would like to see more of the former, but, on the whole, it is a very entertaining film and a near perfect film for people who just love loud action movies.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2003 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Madonna-music/lyrics and Mirwais Ahmadzaï-music for the song "Die Another Day")
2003 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Theatrical - Best Supporting Actress” (Halle Berry)

Review: "Shrek Forever After" is an Upgrade from Third Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 37 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Shrek Forever After (2010)
Running time: 93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild action, some rude humor and brief language
DIRECTOR: Mike Mitchell
WRITER: Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke
PRODUCERS: Teresa Cheng and Gina Shay
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Yong Duk Jhun

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE and COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring: (voices) Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Jon Hamm, John Cleese, Craig Robinson, Jane Lynch, and Walt Dohrn

The magic is not gone! Shrek Forever After arrives in theatres and reminds us that the disappointing Shrek the Third was a fluke in the Shrek franchise. When Shrek debuted in 2001, it was certainly different from the typical animated film. Instead of being an update of some fairy tale meant to appease children, Shrek turned the fairy tale on its ear, spoofed pop culture, and introduced odd ball characters that were so endearing a few of them gradually became pop culture stars. The 2004 sequel, Shrek 2, was as good as the first film, but not as fresh and original. Shrek the Third was a misfire. While it may not be an original, Shrek Forever After returns to what the first two films did well.

The new film finds the title character, that lovable ogre, Shrek (Mike Myers), not loving being a lovable ogre. He fought an evil dragon to rescue Prince Fiona (Cameron Diaz), married her, and saved his in-laws’ kingdom, Far Far Away. Before that, however, Shrek was ogre who scared villagers and took mud baths. Now, he is a domesticated family man, changing diapers, and autographing pitchforks for admiring villagers, and his once-fearsome ogre’s roar has become a children’s favorite. Shrek longs for the days when he was “real ogre,” but there is someone with the magic to help him be bad again.

A smooth-talking dealmaker named Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) meets Shrek and offers him a magical contract. Shrek can get a day to feel like a real ogre again, in exchange for ANY day from Shrek’s past. Shrek signs the contract, but the deal creates a twisted, alternate version of Far Far Away. This is a world in which he and Princess Fiona never met, and his friends, even Donkey (Eddie Murphy), don’t know him. He has 24 hours to restore his world or disappear forever.

Shrek Forever After is essentially a spin on director Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, in which a man on the verge of suicide gets to see how unfortunate life would be for his family, friends, and community without him. Because it uses themes similar to the Capra film, this fourth Shrek movie is probably the most heartfelt and sentimental about the importance of close relationships. The narrative is insistent that each individual character is essential to the well-being and happiness of his or her fellow characters. [That said, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) is getting a spin-off film.]

The entire story plays off the idea that the audience, by now, is familiar with these characters, knows their personalities, and has expectations about how the characters will entertain them. And Shrek Forever After delivers. All the voice performances are good, and, unlike in Shrek the Third, Eddie Murphy and Donkey have lots of screen time, which they use to spectacular results. This film also introduces another good Shrek villain, the winning Rumpelstiltskin, superbly performed by animator and voice actor, Walt Dohrn.

Shrek Forever After like the original is big and jolly. Cleverly chosen songs still populate the soundtrack and set the tone for key scenes in the story. Pop culture is slyly referenced and spoofed (like the funny break dancing witches routine), and the main characters still have some of the best jokes and one-liners the audience will hear during the summer movie season. But Shrek Forever After has heart. If this is indeed the last Shrek film (at least for awhile), we are left with a movie that reminds us how much fun Shrek and company are and how much we really like them or even love them.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Review: "Shrek the Third" is Disappointing

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 88 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux


Shrek the Third (2007)
Running time: 93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some crude humor, suggestive content, and swashbuckling action
DIRECTOR: Chris Miller with Raman Hui
WRITERS: Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman and Chris Miller & Aron Warner
PRODUCER: Aron Warner
EDITOR: Michael Andrews

ANIMATION/COMEDY/FANTASY/ACTION/FAMILY

Starring: (voices) Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Ruper Everett, Justin Timberlake, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Cheri Oteri, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Amy Sedaris, John Krasinski, Larry King, Susanne Blakeslee, and Ian McShane

Smelly ogre Shrek (Mike Myers) returns in Shrek the Third, and finds himself in a bit of a fix. When he married Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), he never realized that the union would put him in line to become the next King of Far, Far Away, so when his father-in-law, King Harold (John Cleese), dies, Shrek and Fiona are facing the very real possibility of being the new King and Queen.

Determined to remain an ordinary ogre and return to his peaceful life in the swamp, Shrek sets off with reliable pals Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) on a long journey to find Fiona’s long lost cousin, Artie (Justin Timberlake), an underachieving high school slacker. Making the rebellious Artie accept the throne proves to be a bigger challenge than Shrek suspected.

Meanwhile, Shrek’s old nemesis, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), has returned to Far, Far Away with an army composed of some of classic fairytales most infamous villains, including Captain Hook (Ian McShane) and his crew and the Evil Queen (Susanne Blakeslee) from “Snow White.” It’s up to Fiona and her band of princesses: Cinderella (Amy Sedaris), Rapunzel (Maya Rudolph), Sleeping Beauty (Cheri Oteri), Snow White (Amy Poehler) and, of course, Doris (Larry King), to fight until Shrek and crew return to the country for the final battle with Charming.

Considering the box office success of Shrek and Shrek 2 and the fact that they were actually very good films, Shrek the Third’s mediocrity is shocking. It’s only mildly amusing, and there’s nothing distinguishing about the animation, which actually looks really bad (in terms of character movement and design) in several places. There are too many characters, and not enough of Eddie Murphy’s Donkey who is every bit the star of this franchise that Mike Myers’ Shrek is. Any future installments need a significant overhaul because Shrek the Third looks like the franchise is showing tired, old legs.

5 of 10
C+

Saturday, June 09, 2007

NOTES:
2008 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Animated Film” (Chris Miller)

Review: "Shrek 2" Aimed More at Adults than Children

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 90 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux


Shrek 2 (2004)
Running time: 93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some crude humor, a brief substance reference and some suggestive content
DIRECTORS: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon
WRITERS: Andrew Adamson, J. David Stem, Joe Stillman, and David N. Weiss with Chris Miller; from a story by Andrew Adamson (based upon characters created by William Steig)
PRODUCERS: David Lipman, Aron Warner, and John H. Williams
EDITORS: Michael Andrews and Sim Evan-Jones
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATED/COMEDY/FAMILY/FANTASY/ADVENTURE

Starring: (voices) Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, John Cleese, Julie Andrews, Rupert Everett, and Jennifer Saunders

I found Shrek 2 to be every bit as funny as the original, but I don’t think it’s quite as surprising or better than the smash hit and Academy Award-winning Shrek. The first film was sweet and sentimental, and despite it’s clunky and peculiar computer-generated animation, it was fresh and different. Shrek 2 is every bit the expensive and glossy sequel, and is mostly disposable entertainment. In fact, the filmmakers have managed to make a movie so entertaining that it’s disposable entertainment as art. I laughed a lot and had a damn good time, but as I do with many big summer films, I’d mostly forgotten it not long after I’d left the theatre. There’s nothing wrong with that, but Shrek 2 is like a cheap candy bar, sweet but not necessary. You can wait for home video.

In Shrek 2, the titular Shrek (Michael Myers) and his wife Princes Fiona (Cameron Diaz) with Shrek’s homeboy Donkey (Eddie Murphy) travel to Far, Far Away, Fiona’s home to meet her parents the King (John Cleese) and Queen (Julie Andrews). The royal parents, however, are not happy to see Fiona married to an ogre, which is what Shrek is, and they’d hoped she’d married Prince Charming (Rupert Everett).

It was Charming who was supposed to rescue Fiona in the first film (and not Shrek as it happened) and break the spell that caused Fiona herself to become an ogre at night. Now, that Fiona has married Shrek, she’s a full time ogre. Charming’s mother, the Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) demands that the King get rid of Shrek, so he hires a suave assassin, Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas), to dispatch Shrek. But when Puss becomes Shrek’s friend, Fairy Godmother throws all her magic behind a diabolical plan to trick Fiona away from Shrek and into the arms of her son.

I found Shrek 2’s humor mainly directed at adults, although children can certainly enjoy it. Much of the comedy is built around sight gags, but there are numerous sly cultural references (visual and spoken), witty asides, puns, etc. that will go right over the heads of the kids and many 20-somethings. There is also a surprising amount of sexual innuendo and crude humor. Once again, I think this film is aimed more at adults than children, much like the old Warner Bros. cartoons from the 1930’s and 40’s. They were originally made as theatrical shorts to be shown before films and weren’t specifically aimed at children just because the shorts were cartoons.

Technically, Shrek 2’s animation is much improved over the first film, but PDI, the company that animated both Shrek films has nothing on Pixar, the studio behind Toy Story and Finding Nemo. There is a crucial difference between Pixar and PDI. Pixar does computer animation in the tradition of Disney animated classics: animated films that are fairy tales aimed at children, but also appeal to adults who are “young at heart.” PDI creates broad PG-rated films that attract kids simply because they are animated but are also written to attract adults with rough humor and sarcasm.

The standout voice talents in the film are Eddie Murphy, John Cleese, and Jennifer Saunders. Their performances are what we would expect of actors that are both fine comedians and comic actors, and they are really good at adapting their particular talents for virtually any kind of comedy.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2005 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Original Song” (Adam Duritz-composer/lyricist, Charles Gillingham-composer, Jim Bogios-composer, David Immerglück-composer, Matthew Malley-composer, David Bryson-composer, Dan Vickrey-lyricist for the song "Accidentally In Love")and “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” (Andrew Adamson)

2004 BAFTA: 1 win “Kids’ Vote”

2005 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Adam Duritz, Dan Vickrey, David Immerglück, Matthew Malley, David Bryson for the song "Accidentally In Love")

Review: "Pluto Nash" Harmless and Funny Box Office Disaster

 

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 200 (of 2004) of Leroy Douresseaux

The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour 35 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence, sexual humor, and language
DIRECTOR: Ron Underwood
WRITER: Neil Cuthbert
PRODUCERS: Martin Bregman, Michael Scott Bregman, and Louis A. Stroller
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Oliver Wood
EDITORS: Alan Heim and Paul Hirsch

COMEDY/ACTION/CRIME/SCI-FI

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Randy Quaid, Rosario Dawson, Joe Pantoliano, Jay Mohr, Luis Guzmán, James Rebhorn, Peter Boyle, Burt Young, Miguel A. Núñex, Jr., Pam Grier, John Cleese, Victor Varnado, and Illeana Douglas with Alec Baldwin

In the future, an ex-con named Pluto Nash (Eddie Murphy) takes a dive and turns it into the hottest bar on the moon, Club Pluto. However, when he resists the local mafia’s demands to buy him out, they blow up Club Pluto and put out a far-reaching contract on his life. Now, to save his business and his life, Nash, a beautiful young employee named Dina Lake (Rosario Dawson), and Nash’s loyal robot bodyguard, Bruno (Randy Quaid), rush to discover the who, what, and where on the mafia boss with the initials MZM, before the hit men kill them.

Although released in the late summer of 2002, The Adventures of Pluto Nash was finished in 2000. When the film was finally released, it earned just under $4.5 million on its $100 million budget, the biggest budget to gross loss to date. Still, I have a feeling that Warner Bros. Pictures bailed on the film. It’s not as bad the box office failure indicates, not even close. In terms of Pluto Nash’s concept and production values, it is retro, archaic even. The last time a big studio movie looked like The Adventures of Pluto Nash, it was Total Recall. Pluto Nash is the kind of faux sci-fi that might have gone over better in the 80’s. In fact, the science fiction setting seems arbitrarily chosen; the plot and story would work quite well set in the present day. Heck, this could have been set in Prohibition and been the sequel to Harlem Nights, and like the much maligned Harlem Nights, I really like this.

As it is, Pluto Nash is a funny, goofy comedy. It’s not a very good Eddie Murphy movie; in fact, the film isn’t specifically an Eddie Murphy film because the script isn’t really geared towards his film personality. However, Murphy is funny and loose in this low rent crime comedy. It’s a slapstick and chase comedy, and, as an actor, he does more than just go through the motions.

There is, however, something awkward and mishandled about this film, and it’s hard for me to place my finger on it. The problems start from the conception all the way through the final execution and completion of the project. Still, I enjoyed it for Murphy, some cute moments, and a nice supporting cast that include a small appearance by Pam Grier (sorely underutilized here) and a cameo by Alec Baldwin, who would have made this movie had his part been enlarged. But besides Murphy, I love this most of all because of Rosario Dawson; beautiful, sexy, and possessing a bright screen personality that lights up any scene in which she appears, I’d see a The Adventures of Pluto Nash part two for her.

6 of 10
B

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