Review: "Coraline" a Deeply Flawed Jewel

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 13 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Coraline (2009)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language, and suggestive humor
DIRECTOR: Henry Selick
WRITERS: Henry Selick (based upon the book by Neil Gaiman)
PRODUCERS: Claire Jennings, Mary Sandell, Bill Mechanic, and Henry Selick
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Pete Kozachik (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Christopher Murrie and Ronald Sanders
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY

Starring: (voices) Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey, Jr., Ian McShane, Aankha Neal, Harry Selick, Marina Budovsky, and Carolyn Crawford

I am a fan of stop-motion animation films, so I was excited to hear that Henry Selick, the director of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas, was making a stop-motion version of Neil Gaiman’s award-winning novel, Coraline. At one 1 hour and 40 minutes, director Henry Selick’s Coraline is the longest stop-motion animated feature in movie history, and it certainly seems even longer. More often than not, watching Coraline feels like a dreary chore instead of an eerie delight.

Coraline Jones (voice of Dakota Fanning) is a curious and adventurous 11-year-old girl who is also feisty beyond her years. Coraline and her parents, Mel and Charles Jones (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) have just relocated from Michigan to Oregon. Coraline misses her friends, and her parents are too distracted by their work as writers to entertain her. Coraline tries to find some excitement in her new environment, the Pink Palace, a boarding house on top of a hill. Her neighbors include the eccentric British actresses, Miss April Spink (Jennifer Saunders) and Miss Miriam Forcible (Dawn French), and an even more eccentric Russian acrobat, Mr. Sergie Alexander Bobinsky (Ian McShane). The only local close to her age is an annoying boy named Wyborne “Wybie” Lovat (Robert Bailey, Jr.) and his equally annoying semi-pet, The Cat (Keith David).

Coraline seriously doubts that her new home can provide anything to interest her – that is until she uncovers a small, secret door in the house. She crawls through the door and into an eerie passageway, which takes her to an alternate version of her life and existence. On the surface, this parallel reality, called Other World, is similar to her real life, but it is much better. The adults are cool, especially Other Mother (Teri Hatcher), a version of Coraline’s mother who pays more attention to Coraline and actually cooks delicious meals and tasty sweets. Coraline thinks that she could stay there forever, but when Other Mother starts to make shocking demands, Coraline wants no part of this off-kilter world. With the help of the mysterious Cat, Coraline makes a bid for freedom, but it will take all her bravery, grit, and ingenuity to save her real family and get back home.

Coraline is the first 3D stop-motion animated film, and for the most part, its ideal audience would be people who admire the art of stop-motion animation. Like Selick’s collaboration with Tim Burton (The Nightmare before Christmas), Coraline is darkly inventive, but not as snappy and clever. In fact, the first half of this film is practically a disaster. The plodding narrative and flat voice performances suggest that Coraline was a short film disastrously stretched to a feature-length film. Even the animation is listless. It is more jerky-motion than stop-motion animation.

It is not until the Other Mother (also known as Beldam) shows her true nature that Coraline’s eerie nature really comes to life. This film has a creepiness that is so unsettling (perhaps because it deals with child abduction), but even then, this story, with its Venus flytrap and spider web allusions, can only limp through a somewhat exciting resolution and last act.

Coraline has the makings of being an exciting cross between the classic fairy tale and a spooky horror story with a contemporary sensibility, but it mostly fails to reach its potential. The only really good characters are Coraline, Other Mother, and the Cat, and the others are feeble, which could be a result of Selick’s surprisingly anemic screenplay. This movie even manages to waste Keith David’s exceptional talents as a voice actor. I admire what the filmmakers tried to do more than I actually like this film. I cannot quite embrace this clunky, clumsy riff on Alice in Wonderland. Still, I can’t dismiss Coraline, because I am one of those people smitten with the art of stop-motion animation.

5 of 10
C+

Saturday, March 13, 2010

NOTES:

2010 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” (Henry Selick)

2010 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Animated Film” (Henry Selick)

2010 Golden Globe: 1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film”

2010 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Voice Performance” (Keith David)

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Disney's The Princess and the Frog FUN FACTS

Walt Disney's The Princess and the Frog FUN FACTS

· FROG FUN -- Animators and visual development artists invited a host of real frogs into the studio in order to truly appreciate what makes frogs frogs.

· DISNEY’S NINTH PRINCESS – Disney’s newest princess, Tiana, joins ranks with Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, Pocahontas, Jasmine and Mulan. The Princess and the Frog is Disney’s first princess film since Mulan, which was released in June 1998.

· PAYING HOMAGE – During “Down in New Orleans” early in the film, the carpet from Aladdin is being shaken up on a wrought-iron balcony. Mama Odie comes across the lamp from Aladdin during “Dig a Little Deeper.” A Mardi Gras parade float is modeled after King Triton from The Little Mermaid—on it are caricatured versions of directors John Musker and Ron Clements (who also directed The Little Mermaid, Louis realizes his dream of playing with a jazz band and the band is called the Firefly Five Plus Lou after a Disney Animation ragtime band from the 1940s-50s known as the Firehouse Five Plus Two (the film’s piano player is even modeled after Disney Legend Frank Thomas was the piano player for the Firehouse Five Plus Two).

· ALL IN GOOD TIME -- It took about 20 minutes for an animator to create one drawing for The Princess and the Frog. It took animators 20-40 hours to create the basis of an individual scene in The Princess and the Frog. That same scene then took another two–three months in the production pipeline before becoming a final scene in color.

· ALL THAT RAIN -- Ron Clements was at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival when he got caught in a downpour and took cover under a table. Clements later added the scene in the bayou in which Tiana and Prince Naveen get caught in the rain.

· LATER GATOR -- The well-known chef Emeril Lagasse voiced the part of Marlon the Gator.

· BLOWING HIS OWN HORN -- Terrence Blanchard, who is a native New Orleans jazz legend and trumpet player, played all of alligator Louis’ trumpet parts in the film. He also voiced the role of Earl the bandleader in the riverboat band.

· PICTURE THIS -- Filmmakers took more than 50,000 photos of local iconic images to use as reference and inspiration including places like the buildings, restaurants and the garden district.

· EVERYBODY LOVES A PARADE – Filmmakers were invited to participate in Mardi Gras aboard a float. At the end of the film, there are caricatures of the directors throwing beads off the float during the wedding parade.

· A GOOD CAUSE -- During their time in New Orleans, directors Ron Clements and John Musker, and producer Peter Del Vecho volunteered for Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild New Orleans.

· ALL IN THE FAMILY -- Some of the background characters were based on members of the production crew. The man with the horse in the opening sequence was based on supervising animator Eric Goldberg. Producer Peter Del Vecho’s likeness can be seen doing the tango across the dance floor at the Masquerade Ball. The girls swooning after Prince Naveen are all based on members of the production team. Marlon West (EFX supervisor) and Bruce Smith (supervising animator) inspired Tiana’s friends in the café, and writer Rob Edwards’ likeness is part of the band. Head of story Don Hall voices the character of Darnell. Storyboard artist Paul Briggs voices the character of Two Fingers.

· LOCAL TALENT -- “Trombone Shorty,” a well-known local musician, played on “Down in New Orleans.” Al Hebron who was the filmmakers’ local tour guide was tapped to provide the voice of the riverboat captain.

· MULTI-TALENTED -- Terence Simeon, Grammy Award®-winning local musician, played the accordion, rub board, triangle and squeezebox on the Zydeco song "Gonna Take You There."

· ALL LIT UP INSIDE -- Randy Newman provides the voice of firefly cousin Randy, who is a caricature of the composer. Newman was actually cast to voice several characters in the film—a raccoon, a turtle—but only the firefly made the final cut.

· PLAY IT AGAIN -- One of the most thrilling moments for director Ron Clements was when he got a personal performance from Randy Newman. Clements arrived early to the session at Newman’s house and the Oscar®-winning composer played the first song he wrote for the film.

· MUSIC TO MY EARS -- Music plays such an integral part of New Orleans lifestyle that filmmakers felt it important to reflect that diversity in the film. Oscar®-winning composer Randy Newman (Cars, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story) created an all-new score for the feature in a range of styles, including jazz, blues, gospel and zydeco; and featuring seven new songs.

· ANIMAL BEHAVIOR -- Directors John Musker and Ron Clements visited the New Orleans Audubon Zoo for inspiration. They saw indigenous alligators, which inspired the film’s trumpet playing alligator, and spoon-billed birds, which influenced the birds in Mama Odie’s gospel song “Dig A Little Deeper.”

· NOW HEAR THIS -- Sound designer Oden Benitez went to Jackson Square in New Orleans to record the sounds of the church bell and streetcar.

· LEGENDS -- One of the most thrilling trips to New Orleans for directors Ron Clements and John Musker was when they recorded Dr. John and Randy Newman at the local recording studio The Music Shed (which looked like a corrugated steel shed). The Gospel Choir was also recorded in the studio, where artists such as Robert Plant, Fats Domino and Norah Jones have all recorded. Both Dr. John and Newman have strong connections to New Orleans.

· INDEPTH RESEARCH -- Filmmakers took the Nanchez Riverboat tour to ensure the authenticity of the riverboat scenes. They also took a private tour of the streetcar system in New Orleans.


The Princess and the Frog arrives on Disney DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, March 15, 2010.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine a Solid Superhero Flick

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux


X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and some partial nudity
DIRECTOR: Gavin Hood
WRITERS: David Benioff and Skip Woods
PRODUCERS: Hugh Jackman, John Palermo, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Ralph Winter
CINEMATOGRAHER: Donald A. McAlpine (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Nicolas De Toth and Megan Gill

SUPERHERO

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, will.i.am, Lynn Collins, Kevin Durand, Dominic Monaghan, Taylor Kitsch, Daniel Henney, and Ryan Reynolds

The fourth film in the X-Men franchise is X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a film that delves into the history of Wolverine, the Canadian-born mutant with the super healing factor and those awesome metal (adamantium) claws. As he did in the X-Men trilogy, Hugh Jackman portrays Logan a.k.a. Wolverine.

Telling the story of Wolverine’s violent and romantic past, X-Men Origins: Wolverine opens in 1845 in the wilds of Canada. A boy named James experiences the activation of his mutant powers and ends up on the run with his older half-brother. James (Hugh Jackman) and his brother, Victor Creed (Live Schreiber), spend the next century as soldiers in the American army, fighting in the Civil War, both World Wars, and the Vietnam War.

Eventually imprisoned, the brothers enter the custody of Major William Stryker (Danny Huston), who offers them a membership in Team X. This is a military black operations unit comprised of mutants, including the mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) and a teleporter named John Wraith (will.i.am). James eventually leaves Team X and moves back to Canada, where he assumes the identity, Logan. He and his girlfriend, Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins), live in peace until Stryker and Victor, separately, find them. Two things happen. Logan is suddenly plunged into a diabolical conspiracy to create the ultimate mutant weapon, and Wolverine is born.

In terms of quality, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is almost, but not quite as good as the original X-Men film (2000), and it is better than X-Men: The Last Stand. X-Men Origins: Wolverine’s character drama – relationships, personal history, conflicts – is not as good as in the first X-Men film, and some of it, such as the origin story at the beginning of this movie, is awkward and poorly done. Some of it, like Wolverine’s brief time with an elderly couple is very good and should have had more screen time or at least replaced some of this film’s other “quiet,” character moments.

The actions scenes are… well, let me just come out and say that I thought they were kick ass. They are by no means perfect, and some of the CGI is a little too obvious. However, the action scenes and fights were so good that they made everything about this film which seemed mediocre leave my mind. The action made me ready for a sequel.

One thing that did surprise me about this film was the acting. It’s good across the board – from the top line stars (Jackman, Schreiber) to the smaller players (Dominic Monaghan as Chris Bradley). Jackman is a good actor, and his performances going back to the original X-Men film are what turned a wildly popular comic book character named Wolverine into a bankable action movie character.

It seems as if it is easy to forget how good an actor Liev Schreiber is, but he reminds us with his Victor Creed. In Schreiber’s hands, Creed is deliciously evil, a rare superb performance as a villain in a superhero movie, and Schreiber will make you miss him every time Creed leaves the story.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine takes the generic explosions, motorcycle stunts, and screaming blood feuds of the action movie and makes them cool and compelling the way a summer popcorn movie should make them. It may have its problems, but what X-Men Origins: Wolverine does, it does well enough to earn our attention.

6 of 10
B

Friday, March 12, 2010

"Pirate Radio" to Debut on DirecTV

DIRECTV Premieres ‘Pirate Radio’ More Than A Month Before DVD Release

Academy Award Winners Philip Seymour Hoffman and Emma Thompson Star in the Film Available to DIRECTV Customers in Crystal-Clear HD

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DIRECTV Cinema™, the ultimate in-home movie experience, will premiere the motion picture, Pirate Radio, to DIRECTV customers more than a month before the film’s DVD release date. Beginning today, customers will have access to the ensemble comedy with an all-star cast including Academy Award winners Philip Seymour Hoffman and Emma Thompson – at the click of a button from the comfort of their couch.

“DIRECTV Cinema strives to deliver the highest-quality movie experience by offering unique content that is above-and-beyond what consumers find on the usual pay-per-view platform”

Written and directed by Richard Curtis, Pirate Radio tells the true story of a band of rogue radio DJs that captivated Britain in the 1960s, blasting rock and pop music from a boat off-shore in direct defiance of the government. Dubbed ‘pirate radio,’ the non-stop underground broadcast reached nearly half the UK's population and helped deliver the music that has defined a generation. The movie will be available to DIRECTV customers in crisp HD* or in standard-definition (SD). Pricing starts as low as $4.99, for SD, on the DIRECTV Cinema and DIRECTV on Demand platforms.

“DIRECTV Cinema strives to deliver the highest-quality movie experience by offering unique content that is above-and-beyond what consumers find on the usual pay-per-view platform,” said Sarah Lyons, vice president of Marketing for DIRECTV. “DIRECTV is thrilled to continue raising the bar with Pirate Radio, by offering it to our customers more than a month before the film’s DVD release. We will continue to deliver an unmatched in-home movie experience that can only be found on DIRECTV.”

The DVD release of Pirate Radio is currently scheduled for April 13. However, it debuts on DIRECTV Cinema more than a month earlier, on March 11. For more information on movies available through the DIRECTV Cinema platform, visit directv.com/cinema.

* HD equipment and HD Access fee are required.


About DIRECTV
DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is the world’s most popular video service delivering state-of-the-art technology, unmatched programming, the most comprehensive sports packages available and industry leading customer service to its more than 25 million customers in the U.S. and Latin America. In the U.S., DIRECTV offers its more than 18.5 million customers the capacity for more than 200 HD channels in Dolby 5.1 theater-quality sound, access to exclusive sports programming such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET™, award winning technology like its DIRECTV® DVR Scheduler and higher customer satisfaction than the leading cable companies for nine years running. DIRECTV Latin America, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American countries, leads the pay-TV category in technology, programming and service, delivering an unrivaled digital television experience to 6.5 million customers. DIRECTV sports and entertainment properties include three Regional Sports Networks (Northwest, Rocky Mountain and Pittsburgh) as well as a 65 percent interest in Game Show Network. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please call 1-800-DIRECTV or visit directv.com.

Twilight News: Twilight Saga: New Moon Debuts "On Demand" March 20

TWIHARDS: At 12:01 a.m. on March 20 Comcast Debuts The Twilight Saga: New Moon On Demand on TV...Hours Before Retail Doors Open


Director’s Commentary Exclusive to Comcast and Other Extras Also Available On Demand

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Whether you’re team Edward or team Jacob, get ready for a date with Edward Cullen and Jacob Black…The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the second film of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series and box office blockbuster, will be available to Comcast On Demand customers and in HD beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, March 20 – the same day as the DVD release. Exclusive director’s commentary for true Twilighters, which can only be seen on Comcast On Demand, will also be available along with additional content.

“Twilight’s midnight release brought millions of fans together in their homes and became the most viewed movie on Comcast On Demand of 2009”

“Twilight’s midnight release brought millions of fans together in their homes and became the most viewed movie on Comcast On Demand of 2009,” said Derek Harrar, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Video and Entertainment Services for Comcast. “Now we’re geared up to do it again with ‘New Moon,’ with exclusive content that can’t be seen anywhere else, except Comcast.”

Beginning March 20 at 12:01 a.m., customers can watch The Twilight Saga: New Moon On Demand with exclusive director’s commentary and a featurette, Life After Twilight, both available at the end of the film. The director’s commentary – not available anywhere else – features approximately 13 minutes of commentary from director Chris Weitz on a number of favorite ‘New Moon’ scenes such as: Bella’s birthday party, Bella’s cliff dive, Bella rescuing Edward in Italy and Bella’s first encounter with the Volturi. Life After Twilight is a cable exclusive that takes a look at how the actors' lives have changed after the phenomenal success of the first movie in the franchise. Also, Comcast customers can watch ‘New Moon’ extras On Demand including Meet the Wolf Pack, Meet the Volturi Coven and an extended ‘New Moon’ trailer beginning March 18. The Twilight Saga: New Moon and additional content will be available On Demand on television (TV) via the On Demand menu under “Movies” > “Movie Collections” > “Twilight: New Moon.” The movie is produced and distributed by Summit Entertainment.

Along with The Twilight Saga: New Moon available the same day as the DVD, a total of 16 theatrical hit movies will be available On Demand in HD the same day as the DVD release this month – the most ever in Comcast On Demand history. Comcast’s same day as DVD releases this month include:

Where The Wild Things Are (3/2)
Precious (3/9)
Pirate Radio (3/11)
Armored (3/16)
Astro Boy (3/16)
Bandslam (3/16)
Did You Hear About The Morgans? (3/16)
Ninja Assassin (3/16)
The Fourth Kind (3/16)
Brothers (3/23)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (3/23)
The Blind Side (3/23)
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (3/30)
Sherlock Holmes (3/30)
Under The Sea (3/30)

These movies and others can be found On Demand via the On Demand menu under “Movies” > “All New Movies.”

These blockbuster movies are part of Project Infinity, the company’s commitment to innovation and the delivery of exponentially more quality content, including more movies. Comcast’s signature On Demand video library currently offers more than 17,000 entertainment programs and 3,000 choices in HD available over the course of a month and features everything from movies, music and top TV shows to the most popular kids, sports, lifestyle and local programs. Comcast also offers 19,000 TV shows and movies to its cable customers to watch online for no additional cost.

The company will continue to focus on increasing the number of content choices available to customers through its Xfinity service that Comcast is rolling out in markets across the country this year. With Xfinity, customers can receive new services that include 100+ HD channels, 50 to 70 foreign-language channels, On Demand video choices increasing to 20,000+ and increased broadband speeds of up to 50 -100+ Mbps. This year Xfinity services will also include new cross platform and mobile apps like the ability to program your DVR from the Internet or mobile device, Caller ID to the TV and other interactive television applications.


About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 23.6 million cable customers, 15.9 million high-speed Internet customers, and 7.6 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, 11 regional sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, which owns two professional sports teams, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, and a large, multipurpose arena in Philadelphia, the Wachovia Center, and manages other facilities for sporting events, concerts and other events.

MiB3 Rumored

So Bloody Disgusting is reporting that Columbia Pictures has "Men in Black 3" in some stage of development.  Sacha Baron Cohen and Josh Brolin's names are attached, but everything depends on a commitment from one of my favorite actors, Will Smith.

Review: Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" Remake is a Powerful SFX Bonanza

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 102 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

War of the Worlds (2005)
OPENING DATE: Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Running time: 117 minutes (1 hours, 57 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for frightening sequences of sci-fi violence and disturbing images
DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg
WRITERS: Josh Friedman and David Koepp (based upon the novel by H.G. Wells)
PRODUCERS: Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Janusz Kaminski, ASC
EDITOR: Michael Kahn, A.C.E.
Academy Awards nominee

SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER/ADVENTURE with elements of drama

Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins, Justin Chatwin, David Alan Basche, Rick Gonzalez, and Morgan Freeman

Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds is a big, giant, summer action movie that worth’s every dime paid to see it, and if you’re going to see it, you must see it on the big screen to appreciate the affect the action sequences can have on you. War of the Worlds may end up being dismissed by the Spielberg haters, but years from not, it’ll be seen as one of the great disaster movies and exceptional sci-fi films.

Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is a bad father, but he’s about to find out just how much his children, teenager-with-attitude Robbie (Justin Chatwin) and his young daughter Rachel (Dakota Fanning), mean to him. Not long after his ex-wife, MaryAnn (Miranda Otto), and her husband, Tim (David Alan Basche), drop the children off for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down. Not long after the drop off, Ray witnesses something that will change his life and the world forever – a towering three-legged war machine emerges from deep beneath the earth, and almost immediately begins to incinerate everything in sight. Thus, a cataclysmic alien attack on earth begins, and no matter where Ray and his children run on their long journey across a ravaged countryside, they cannot find safety or refuge from the extraterrestrial army of Tripods.

War of the Worlds is certainly a Steven Spielberg film, and like all Spielberg directed action/adventure/thrillers this one delivers the goods. It’s a monumentally breathtaking, heart-pumping, heart-racing, and fear-inducing, gargantuan thrill machine. The film looks good thanks in large part to the usual Spielberg cohorts, such as cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and editor Michael Kahn. Technically brilliant, War of the Worlds is full of the Spielberg magic that can keep you on the edge of your set for about two hours or so. The effects for the alien craft and the destruction they wreak are bloody brilliant and eye-popping, even as mind-bending as something like The Matrix; the destruction is enough to make you run from your seat in the theatre because it seems as if these alien behemoths will walk right off the screen and into your lap.

Tom Cruise gives a fine performance, enough to not only give this effects-heavy (over 500 SFX shots) film some humanity, but to sell the idea that this version of War of the Worlds is about a family surviving disaster that is on an apocalyptic level. This is one time the fine young actress Dakota Fanning does not steal the show because Cruise’s performance reveals that at the core of this fabulous summer, atomic fury, joy bomb is the story of man trying to save the family he neglected. Spielberg’s combination of earthly family values and extraterrestrial fury and the heart stopping and the heartwarming is a winning combination.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2006 Academy Awards: 3 nominations: “Achievement in Sound Editing” (Richard King), “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, and Ron Judkins), and “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Dennis Muren, Pablo Helman, Randy Dutra, and Daniel Sudick)

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