5 posts tagged “cartoon”
This is a Pixar film so it is certain to make gobs and gobs of money. It probably should too because it is loads better than pretty much any other animated movie out since the last Pixar film. There are some pretty weird messages in the film though.
The storyline of the film is that humans polluted the planet and left it while an army of little robots gathers up all the junk. At the start of the film only one of these WALL-E units seems to be left alive and it is our hero. One day a rocket lands and out comes a fancier new robot. This EVE robot and WALL-E bond. The rocket comes to take back EVE and WALL-E hitches along and encounters what has become of humanity.
One of the weirdest things about the film is that WALL-E is basically a STALK-R. EVE doesn't want all that much to do with him at first. He just keeps following her around and even when he follows her to the humans she doesn't even know about it. Of course in the end they fall in love which sends the message that you just need to keep bothering a woman until they give in no matter how much they tell you that they aren't interested in you.
There is also the matter of the depiction of the humans in the film. For one thing, there are live action people shown in historic video clips from the company that built the ships for escaping Earth. However, the humans that WALL-E meets are computer generated. I guess that they were trying to draw a line between the normal people of the past and the obese people of the films setting but I'm not at all sure that it works well.
The obese nature of the people is also kind of weird as well. I'm not really sure what the message about them is supposed to be. I guess that it is some sort of message about consumerism, mediated societies and sedentary lifestyles but the message is muddied by the fact that aside from obesity there really isn't much of a downside to their lifestyle. Everything on the ship is well run, and everyone seems happy, nice, and without negatives such as hate, violence, or other evils of society. If everyone is happy -- and there is even an off-handed rational why everyone seems obese because of the low gravity which indicates that maybe their physical condition might not even be all that unhealthy for them -- then what is the problem? The Earth is ruined and no amount of exercise or good health is gong to change that.
four thumbs up
Cute little robot
WALL-E should be called STALK-R
But no fatties please
The storyline of the film is that humans polluted the planet and left it while an army of little robots gathers up all the junk. At the start of the film only one of these WALL-E units seems to be left alive and it is our hero. One day a rocket lands and out comes a fancier new robot. This EVE robot and WALL-E bond. The rocket comes to take back EVE and WALL-E hitches along and encounters what has become of humanity.
One of the weirdest things about the film is that WALL-E is basically a STALK-R. EVE doesn't want all that much to do with him at first. He just keeps following her around and even when he follows her to the humans she doesn't even know about it. Of course in the end they fall in love which sends the message that you just need to keep bothering a woman until they give in no matter how much they tell you that they aren't interested in you.
There is also the matter of the depiction of the humans in the film. For one thing, there are live action people shown in historic video clips from the company that built the ships for escaping Earth. However, the humans that WALL-E meets are computer generated. I guess that they were trying to draw a line between the normal people of the past and the obese people of the films setting but I'm not at all sure that it works well.
The obese nature of the people is also kind of weird as well. I'm not really sure what the message about them is supposed to be. I guess that it is some sort of message about consumerism, mediated societies and sedentary lifestyles but the message is muddied by the fact that aside from obesity there really isn't much of a downside to their lifestyle. Everything on the ship is well run, and everyone seems happy, nice, and without negatives such as hate, violence, or other evils of society. If everyone is happy -- and there is even an off-handed rational why everyone seems obese because of the low gravity which indicates that maybe their physical condition might not even be all that unhealthy for them -- then what is the problem? The Earth is ruined and no amount of exercise or good health is gong to change that.
four thumbs up
Cute little robot
WALL-E should be called STALK-R
But no fatties please
I didn't have much hope for this film. I didn't really want to see it but I needed to run an errand out by the theater and it was already in the Five Buck Club so I figured I would go see it.
Surprisingly, it was a bit better than I thought it would be. There were no stupid songs -- something I despise about animated films. There was no wise-cracking sidekick. And honestly, for a Jack Black film there wasn't all that much wacky stuff. So what was there? There was a surprising amount of fight scenes. Moreover, they were surprisingly good.
That being said, the fight scenes were pretty much the only reason to see the film because the story is not only predicable but also trying to set up a franchise. Po, the panda, is an outcast who loves kung fu. His father, who is a duck, wants him to follow in the family business. There is a big event to announce who will be the "dragon warrior" and although there are 5 great highly trained competitors, Po is chosen. He has set backs. Then he wins.
The reason why I say it is trying to set up a series is that whole "dad is a duck" thing. There aren't any other giant pandas in the film (although the master is a rad panda). There also isn't any evidence that in the world of Kung Fu Panda ducks are capable of giving birth to pandas. There is one part where you think they are going to address the parentage of Po but they don't So from that it seems clear that the inevitable sequel, whether it is at the theater or direct to dvd, will be all about Po's parents.
two thumbs up
Fighting animals
Why don't they eat each other
Vegetarians?
Surprisingly, it was a bit better than I thought it would be. There were no stupid songs -- something I despise about animated films. There was no wise-cracking sidekick. And honestly, for a Jack Black film there wasn't all that much wacky stuff. So what was there? There was a surprising amount of fight scenes. Moreover, they were surprisingly good.
That being said, the fight scenes were pretty much the only reason to see the film because the story is not only predicable but also trying to set up a franchise. Po, the panda, is an outcast who loves kung fu. His father, who is a duck, wants him to follow in the family business. There is a big event to announce who will be the "dragon warrior" and although there are 5 great highly trained competitors, Po is chosen. He has set backs. Then he wins.
The reason why I say it is trying to set up a series is that whole "dad is a duck" thing. There aren't any other giant pandas in the film (although the master is a rad panda). There also isn't any evidence that in the world of Kung Fu Panda ducks are capable of giving birth to pandas. There is one part where you think they are going to address the parentage of Po but they don't So from that it seems clear that the inevitable sequel, whether it is at the theater or direct to dvd, will be all about Po's parents.
two thumbs up
Fighting animals
Why don't they eat each other
Vegetarians?
I've seen all the Pixar movies but I don't think I've seen any of them in the theater. I generally think they are ok. Nothing awesome but nothing bad.. I never got around to seeing Cars so when it was in the library I checked it out.
It took me a while to get into this one. I guess I had a hard time getting around the fact that there's no real logic to a world made of cars. I kept wondering how the cars were made and how the cars made things. They didn't have hands so how did they do anything? I know. I should just accept it and I did by the end.
It also didn't help that the storyline is entirely obvious. If you've seen Doc Hollywood, you've seen this movie. Except for the boobs.
The large number of celebrity voices was also a bit off-putting. I kept going, "That sounds like..." throughout the thing.
But after I got past all that, the movie was ok.
Basically, Cars stars a cocky race car who gets forced to stay in a small town and learns to think of and appreciate others.
The best part of the whole thing, however, was the end credits where they showed cars at a drive-in watching car versions of Pixar movies such as Toy Car Story with Woody the cowboy as a Woody wagon and A Bug's Life featuring VW Beetles instead of insects. Other than that, I don't have much to say about the film. It was nice to see the town come together and such but not all that memorable. I'm sure that car-crazy kids loved it, though. Just not me.
one thumb up
The cars have no hands
How do they build all these things?
I am so confused
It took me a while to get into this one. I guess I had a hard time getting around the fact that there's no real logic to a world made of cars. I kept wondering how the cars were made and how the cars made things. They didn't have hands so how did they do anything? I know. I should just accept it and I did by the end.
It also didn't help that the storyline is entirely obvious. If you've seen Doc Hollywood, you've seen this movie. Except for the boobs.
The large number of celebrity voices was also a bit off-putting. I kept going, "That sounds like..." throughout the thing.
But after I got past all that, the movie was ok.
Basically, Cars stars a cocky race car who gets forced to stay in a small town and learns to think of and appreciate others.
The best part of the whole thing, however, was the end credits where they showed cars at a drive-in watching car versions of Pixar movies such as Toy Car Story with Woody the cowboy as a Woody wagon and A Bug's Life featuring VW Beetles instead of insects. Other than that, I don't have much to say about the film. It was nice to see the town come together and such but not all that memorable. I'm sure that car-crazy kids loved it, though. Just not me.
one thumb up
The cars have no hands
How do they build all these things?
I am so confused
I'm generally not a fan of Don Bluth's animation. There's just something about it that bugs me. It is very distinctive, however, so that's something. I can spot something from Bluth a mile away. The Secret of Nimh is just about the only thing from Bluth I've ever liked. Of course I originally saw it as a kid so I might be biased.
The story here is pretty simple but it is also interesting in that it paints humans as kind of mean and cruel. Basically there were a bunch of rats and mice that were experimented on by a lab. The experiments made the rats and mice as smart as humans. The rats escaped but only two of the mice made it. One of the mice went on to have a family with a normal mouse who didn't know anything about the experiments or the connection to the rats. He died and the normal mouse needs the help of the rats to protect her sick kid from the farmer who is going to plow the field. Complications ensue.
I think the charm of the movie is the mystery of the rats and the impending doom. Smart animals that can invent things and write is pretty cool. And there really aren't any stupid songs in this so that is certainly something in its favor. Why people think that kids movies need songs in them I'll never know. Even as a kid I hated the songs in most of them.
four thumbs up
Those rats are so smart
Who needs opposable thumbs?
Stay out of my house!
The story here is pretty simple but it is also interesting in that it paints humans as kind of mean and cruel. Basically there were a bunch of rats and mice that were experimented on by a lab. The experiments made the rats and mice as smart as humans. The rats escaped but only two of the mice made it. One of the mice went on to have a family with a normal mouse who didn't know anything about the experiments or the connection to the rats. He died and the normal mouse needs the help of the rats to protect her sick kid from the farmer who is going to plow the field. Complications ensue.
I think the charm of the movie is the mystery of the rats and the impending doom. Smart animals that can invent things and write is pretty cool. And there really aren't any stupid songs in this so that is certainly something in its favor. Why people think that kids movies need songs in them I'll never know. Even as a kid I hated the songs in most of them.
four thumbs up
Those rats are so smart
Who needs opposable thumbs?
Stay out of my house!
I got this from the library because it was there and I hadn't seen it. Well, now I can say I've seen it.
That's about it.
OK, there's more to it than that. Basically, this movie is all about telling kids that the animals like it in the zoo. The zebra is the only one who even wants to see what the world outside of the zoo is like. The others are happy and content in their tiny little cages. Zoos are great kids! Yes animals would much rather be in cages and surrounded by people than where they came from.
The other thing this movie is about is how great New York City is. They couldn't just have the story start off in any zoo. Oh no, they had to have the movie take place in the Central Park Zoo. Because there really aren't enough movies and television shows that take place in New York City. I mean besides nearly all of them.
Other than that, there isn't much here. The penguins are entertaining. The character designs are kind of nicely stylized. But there aren't a lot of good jokes here. There's one five minute part when they get to Madagascar that has a lot of good allusions to other things but other than that there really isn't much.
one thumb down
This is snoresville, man
There's nothing here to see
Move along people.
That's about it.
OK, there's more to it than that. Basically, this movie is all about telling kids that the animals like it in the zoo. The zebra is the only one who even wants to see what the world outside of the zoo is like. The others are happy and content in their tiny little cages. Zoos are great kids! Yes animals would much rather be in cages and surrounded by people than where they came from.
The other thing this movie is about is how great New York City is. They couldn't just have the story start off in any zoo. Oh no, they had to have the movie take place in the Central Park Zoo. Because there really aren't enough movies and television shows that take place in New York City. I mean besides nearly all of them.
Other than that, there isn't much here. The penguins are entertaining. The character designs are kind of nicely stylized. But there aren't a lot of good jokes here. There's one five minute part when they get to Madagascar that has a lot of good allusions to other things but other than that there really isn't much.
one thumb down
This is snoresville, man
There's nothing here to see
Move along people.
