Spies in Disguise

Spies in Disguise is the latest animated film from Blue Sky Studios, having just been released into theaters a few weeks ago. It features the voice talents Will Smith, Tom Holland, Rashida Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Reba McEntire, Karen Gillan, DJ Khaled and others. I honestly knew nothing about this movie going in, so I had no expectations. It was surprisingly good. Not great by any means, but compared to some of Blue Sky's other output like Ferdinand, Epic, Robots, and about 47 Ice Age movies, it was good. 

The basic premise is that a super spy named Lance Sterling (voiced by Will Smith) is framed for the theft of an assassin drone by the film's main villain (voiced by Ben Mendelsohn). Now on the run from the very same agency he works for, Lance seeks out a quirky inventor named Walter (voiced by Tom Holland) who accidentally turns the secret agent into a pigeon. Together this unlikely duo needs to avoid being caught, find a way to turn Lance back into a human, and stop the bad guy. 

The plot, while overall a bit formulaic, makes for a pretty fun movie. At only about an hour and forty minutes I thought the film felt a little too fast-paced but, it is targeted to children so it's not a huge surprise. Animation wise, no one is going to mistake this for a Pixar film but, I thought the movie looked pretty good overall and I liked some of the character designs.

 I don't recommend that everyone go out and see this movie. However, as a dad that loves James Bond and Mission:Impossible movies, I took my 7 year old son to see this and we both were able to get enjoyment out of it. 

I give this one a 3 out of 5

70's Month - Day:2 Robin Hood

There have been a ton of big-screen film adaptations based on the classic literary character Robin Hood over the decades. My personal favorite is The Adventures of Robin Hood from 1938, but among some of the other versions I like is Disney's 1973 version simply titled Robin Hood. 

In this version all of the of the characters are anthropomorphic animals: Robin and Maid Marian are foxes, Little John is a bear, Prince John is a Lion, Friar Tuck is a Badger, etc. Aside from the 'Robin Hood, except they're all animals' angle, it's a fairly standard retelling. Robin steals from the rich and gives to the poor, he participates in an archery tournament, he and Maid Marian fall in love... you probably know the story.

Overall, I think it's an enjoyable film, all of the characters are fun, and it's only about 80 minutes long, which is nice. One area the film definitely does fall short for me is the soundtrack. Many Disney films are known for not only their quality animation but also their incredibly memorable songs, and this film's music is pretty forgettable. I don't know where this one ranks among hardcore Disney animation fans, but I like it.

3 out of 5

The Grinch: A New Holiday Classic -or- A Big Lump of Coal?

The Grinch is the latest feature-length adaptation of the classic 1957 Dr. Seuss book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. The film follows the book's basic outline about a grouchy, green, character who lives alone with his dog Max, just outside of the Christmas-loving town of Whoville... and this is where the problems start. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a pretty short book with a very simple premise and, unlike the 1966 T.V. special, this is a hour and a half long movie. As a result, there is a lot needed to pad the runtime and nothing that was added really enhances the story in any sort of meaningful way. This is an Illumination film, and I got pretty much everything I've come to expect from that studio: good animation, exaggerated visuals, a lackluster story and characters, and a healthy dose of slapstick. Unfortunately, despite a few decent gags, the movie as a whole just isn't that good. As far as the voice acting goes, Benedict Cumberbatch voices the Grinch and his performance is ok, but Pharrell Williams narration is distractingly bad throughout. 

 Overall, it isn't as aggressively dumb as the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas starring Jim Carrey, and it isn't unwatchable. I just didn't find it particularly entertaining. I took my 6 year old to see it and he had a blast. So, if you also have little kids it'll probably keep them entertained for 90 minutes. I just wouldn't recommend this one for anyone else.

1.5 out of 5

Coco (2017)

Coco is the latest film in long line of (mostly) quality movies from Pixar. While recently there have been a few Pixar films that missed the mark for me, I was still excited to check this one out.

The film starts out with a young Mexican boy named Miguel who is passionate about music but belongs to a family that has forbidden him from becoming a musician. He learns pretty early on that his great-grandfather was a famous musician and of course he takes this a sign that he should pursue his dreams. Although this is a pretty basic setup and the first 20mins are nothing special, the film picks up and gets really good after that. Miguel travels to the 'Land of the Dead' in search of his famous musical relative and there are a couple fun, though predictable, little twists along the way. As with most movies from Pixar. the characters are fun and, visually, it's a beautiful film.

Overall, Coco a solid film. It's probably not going to be a lot of people's all-time favorite Pixar movie, but it is one of the better ones and did exceed my expectations. The story is strong, heartwarming, and I'm sure will leave more than a few viewers with a tear in their eye by the end. 

I give it a 4 out of 5.

Ranking The Pixar Films

For over 20 years Pixar animation has been making films that are fun for the whole family. The most recent addition to the Pixar library, ' Toy Story 4', was just recently released and I thought it would be fun to take a look back at all these films for an overall ranking. I have done with the Marvel Cinematic Universe films (to check out that list click here). I update those rankings after each new film comes out and I plan on doing the same with this one. As with my Marvel rankings, this is just how I see the films when I compare characters, story, and overall rewatchability. I'm only going to be ranking the major theatrical releases, no animated shorts or direct to DVD movies.

#21 The Good Dinosaur (2015) 

One of these had to be the worst and I found this film thoroughly unenjoyable.

#20 Cars 2 (2011)

Barely escaping the bottom spot on this list is the dumb, misguided 'Cars 2'. If you haven't seen it, don't bother.

#19 Finding Dory (2016) 

It all worked in 'Finding Nemo' but this entry felt stale and about 10yrs too late.

#18 Ratatouille (2007)

This is odd one in that, though it's not a bad film, it's just forgettable. I often don't even remember that it's a Pixar movie.

#17 Cars 3 (2017)

I wrote a whole review on this one that you can check out here. In short, it's fine. Some good animation and a laugh or two, but nothing special.

#16 Inside Out (2015)

A lot of people fell in love with this one, so maybe its just me, but I thought this one was really underwhelming. The voice acting is solid and I like the concept, it just didn't work for me.

 

#15 A Bugs Life (1998)

It's a cute, entertaining movie. It's not amazing but I enjoyed it when it came out and it still holds up ok.

#14 Up (2009)

This was a hard one to rank because it starts out really strong. Unfortunately, for the most part the film is just average with a decent moment or two scattered throughout.

 

#13 Brave (2012) 

I'm not going to rave that this is an excellent film, but I do think it's a bit underrated by most.

#12 Monsters University (2013) 

This one is a mixed-bag. It's not nearly as good as 'Monsters Inc.' but there's still some funny moments and I like all of the characters.
 

#11 Cars (2006) 

Unlike it's two sequels, I actually do like the first 'Cars' film. I've rewatched it a few times and always enjoy it.

#10 Toy Story 2 (1999) 

This one, in my opinion, is the weakest of the 'Toy Story' films. However, it's still a real good movie. 
 

#9 The Incredibles (2004)

Pixar's attempt at a superhero movie ended up being one of their better ones.

#8 The Incredibles 2 (2018)

I like this one better than the first. It's not an all-time great film, but it is fun.


#7 Toy Story 4 (2019)

Toy Story 4 is a completely unnecessary sequel, but a ton of fun nonetheless.


#6 Coco (2017)

Though it may move up or down a spot on this list with more viewings, I think it's safe to say this one is a return to form after a few films in a row that I found underwhelming.

 

#5 Wall-E (2008)

Usually I have a good idea of what I'm going to get going into these movies, 'Wall E' was a rare exception. While it's not perfect, it was far better than I expected it to be.

#4 Finding Nemo (2003)

This one effectively combines a simple but interesting plot with unique characters and some really impressive animation.

#3 Toy Story 3 (2010)

 This one hit every beat I was hoping it would when I first went to the theater to check it out.
It's a really solid movie, with a lot of heart.

#2 Monsters Inc. (2001)

I love this one. It's a ton of fun, and still enjoy it with every repeat viewing. Mike and Sully are right up there with Buzz and Woody as my favorite set of Pixar buddies playing off one another.

#1 Toy Story (1995)

This is the gold standard by which I always compare Pixar films too. It's fun, the characters are great, it's enjoyable start to finish, and it represents a milestone in animation.


Do you agree with my rankings?
How would you rank all these film?
Let me know in the comments below.

80's Month Day 16: All Dogs Go to Heaven

Today's 80's movie is the 1989 Don Bluth film All Dogs Go to Heaven. A childhood favorite of mine, the film features the voice talents of Burt Reynolds, Vic Tayback, Dom DeLuise, Loni Anderson, and others.

The movie starts with two dogs, a German Shepard named Charlie (voiced by Burt Reynolds) and a Dachshund named Itchy (voiced by Dom DeLuise) escaping from the dog pound. Charlie is a sort of smug con-artist type and Itchy is over excitable and often nervous so they're a fun duo.

After their escape, the two return to a casino formerly run by Charlie and his partner, a bulldog named Carface (voiced by Vic Tayback). The business has grown substantially in Charlie's absence and Carface, not wanting to share the profits, murders him. So, Charlie goes to Heaven, as all dogs do, and an angel tells him that a gold watch representing his life has stopped. Not quite ready to be dead, Charlie steals the watch and winds it, resulting in him returning to Earth. However, he's told that if he dies again, he will not return to Heaven. 

 

After returning to earth and reuniting with Itchy, they discover that Carface is holding a young orphan named Anne-Marie prisoner. She has the ability to talk to animals which has given Carface the advantage in rigging the odds on rat races and that's how he gained so much wealth in Charlie's absence. 

 So, Charlie and Itchy rescue the little girl with the idea that they can use her abilities to get revenge on Carface. Anne-Marie isn't interested in helping another greedy dog get rich, but Charlie convinces her that they plan to give their winnings to the poor and help her find some parents. Well, the trio begins making bets and pulling in the big bucks, Charlie and Itchy use the winnings to build a casino in the junkyard they live in, and Anne-Marie gets frustrated that they have yet too help the poor or find her a family. To keep her happy for a little longer, Charlie brings pizza to a family of poor puppies and their mother a Collie (voiced by Loni Anderson) at an old abandoned church. Eventually, Anne-Marie runs away and, of course Carface and his goons catch her. By this point you know how it's all going to end, if you hadn't guessed sooner; Charlie rescues Anne-Marie, sacrificing his own life in the process, Anne-Marie gets adopted, and Charlie's good deed is enough to get him back into Heaven.

Overall, as I stated at the beginning, this was a favorite of mine as a kid and I still was really entertained while rewatching it. The animation is pretty good and the filmmakers did a solid job in getting the right actors to voice these characters. It's not a perfect movie and there are a few parts I would've changed, but it's definitely worth watching.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

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Best of 2016

2016 has come to a close and, as with every year, there were plenty of great movies and disappointments to hit theaters.
 I originally thought about doing a sort of every-man version of the Oscars and pick my favorite actor, director, supporting actor, film score, etc. from this year, but I ended up with just too many categories. So, I decided to break it down into three categories that stood out to me after all my trips to the theater this year.

Best Comic Book Movie:

Captain America: Civil War

Comic Book movies get their own category because now more than ever before there is no shortage of action-packed hero flicks hitting the big screen every year. There was a lot to be excited about going into 2016, but i would say there were more negatives in this category than positives. Civil War was pretty awesome and Dr. Strange was good but, for me, movies like X-men: Apocalypse, Deadpool, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and Suicide Squad either didn't live up to the hype or were flat-out disappointments. Some of these movies would have a good action scene or a fun character but Captain America: Civil War was thoroughly enjoyable and, as a result, was the one that really stood out from the rest of the pack.

Best Animated Movie:

Moana

Much like the Comic Book category this wasn't a close call for me. It had been a while since an animated film came around that I absolutely loved, and then Disney's Moana came out. I wasn't the biggest Finding Nemo fan so I didn't expect Finding Dory to thrill me,and it didn't. I found Trolls hard to sit through, Storks was funny, I didn't even get through all of Secret Life of Pets, Zootopia didn't really move the needle for me, I skipped out on yet another Ice Age sequel... Moana was the only one that really had me entertained, and I even went back to see it a second time.

Best Thing I wasn't Expecting:

Hacksaw Ridge

There were a quite a few movies I really enjoyed this year that caught me off guard. I was surprised how much I liked The Jungle Book remake, but the toss up was really between Hacksaw Ridge and In a Valley of Violence. Both were films that weren't even on my radar until right before they came out, and I thought both were really entertaining. In this category, I give the edge to Hacksaw Ridge because I think it's a bit of a better all-around film but I do recommend checking out both of them if you have the opportunity. (Here are links to both reviews Hacksaw Ridge, In a Valley of Violence)
As a bit of a side note: One movie that wasn't quite as good as I was expecting was Rob Zombie's 31. I liked it but it didn't blow me away.

  A big thanks to everyone who has been reading my reviews this year.

Have a movie recommendation for me to check out in 2017?
Leave it in comments below.

Today's Movie: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

The Fantastic Mr. Fox is a 2009 stop-motion animated film Directed by Wes Anderson, and features a pretty impressive cast of voice actors including George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Willem Dafoe. But is it any good?

 

Mr. Fox (voiced by Clooney) is a thief that gives up his dangerous profession after his wife Felicity (voiced by Streep) reveals that she's pregnant. A few years later and bored with his life as a newspaper columnist, Mr. Fox plans to steal poultry and cider from three farms with the help of his opossum friend. The farmers get angry and attempt to kill Mr. Fox, but only manage to shoot off his tail. So now Mr. Fox, his family, and a bunch of other animals are on the run from the farmers that are determined to kill him. With the farmers distracted and camped outside of Mr. Fox's home, he and some of the other animals dig underneath all three farms and steal everything. It all has seemed to work out pretty well, but Fox's son Ash and his cousin Kristofferson go to steal back Mr. Fox's tail and Kristofferson is soon captured. So, Mr. Fox plans an elaborate rescue mission to get him back and, of course, they succeed. In the end the Fox family makes a new home underneath a supermarket where they have access to all the food they need.

The film has that distinct Wes Anderson style but I don't consider it his best film, and that's sort of my feeling towards the film in many respects. It's a good story but not mind-blowing. I don't think it's the best George Clooney movie. The animation is solid but there is better out there... Overall, for me, this one is good but doesn't quite make that leap to great. I know a few people that love this one, and if you like Wes Anderson films, or are a big animation fan then I definitely recommend it. Otherwise, I wouldn't call it a 'must-see'.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

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The Smurfs (2011)

 

With a new Smurfs movie coming next year, I figured I'd take look back at the first one.

The Smurfs is a 2011 comedy combining computer-animation and live-action and it's based on the characters from both the comics and the 80's "hit?" cartoon of the same name. I'll let you know right up-front, this movie is not very good. 

The film starts with the Smurfs preparing for a Blue Moon Festival which is soon interrupted by a wizard named Gargamel (played by Hank Azaria) and his cat. The Smurfs run into a cave where they find a magic water vortex and they jump in hoping to escape. Of course, the vortex sends them to New York City, because there has never been a fish out of water story where an innocent character(s) end up in NYC. *cough* The Muppets Take Manhattan *cough* Big *cough* Mr. deeds Goes to Town *cough* George of the Jungle *cough* Coming to America *cough* Crocodile Dundee *cough* Splash *cough*... You get the idea. 

It's not an original premise and you see every joke in this one coming from a mile away. The plot is pretty basic: The Smurfs need another blue moon to open up a portal to get back home and during their time in New York they get into all sorts of mishaps, and befriend two human characters played by Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays, all the while trying to stay one step ahead of Gargamel. Oh and you can't forget the classic cliche of having the lovable screw-up character ending up as the hero in the end.

Overall, The Smurfs is not that funny or well written and the animation isn't impressive, but God bless Hank Azaria. It may be a bad movie and he could've phoned it in, but man he gives it his all so I've gotta give him some credit. I have a 4yr old and movie kept him entertained but, unless you have a little kid, I wouldn't recommend it.

I give this one a 1 out of 5.

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Tangled (2010)

I had recently gone to see Disney's newest film Moana (you can check out my review of that film by clicking here). Afterwards, I got into a conversation about Disney's other computer-animated films and realized I hadn't seen 2010's Tangled since it was in the theaters, so I decided to re-watch it.

Walt Disney Animation Studios had previously released a few computer-animated feature films like 2005's Chicken Little and 2008's Bolt, but this was a cut above. 

The plot isn't anything mind blowing: A magical golden flower with the power to reverse aging, and heal illness and injury, etc. is used to heal a sick Queen and, soon afterwards, the Queen gives birth to Princess Rapunzel. But it isn't long before Rapunzel is kidnapped by an old woman named Gothel (voiced by Donna Murphy) who had been using the flower to temporarily regain her youth and has discovered that Rapunzel's hair has the flower's same magical properties. The only problem is that if Rapunzel's hair is cut, it loses it's healing powers, so Gothel keeps her locked away in a tower in the forest. However, as Rapunzel grows up, she eventually wants to leave the tower and see the world a little bit, particularly the lanterns that the whole kingdom releases into the air once a year on Rapunzel's birthday. Gothel, of course, wants to keep Rapunzel's magic hair all for herself and doesn't allow her leave the tower. Eventually, a thief named Flynn Ryder (voiced by Zachary Levi) who is on the run from both the authorities, as well as, two other thieves that he double-crossed ends up finding the tower. From there, the rest of the film pretty much plays out as you'd expect. Flynn and Rapunzel have a wild adventure, and while being pursued by Gothel, and the Kingdoms soldiers, and the two other thieves, they fall in love and eventually live happily ever after.

This is Disney's bread and butter, as Tangled is a film very much in their classic fairy tale formula: There's a princess, an evil old woman, a fall-in-love in just a couple of days love story, an animal sidekick, the songs are good, the animation is good etc. So, it could've easily been a forgettable, paint-by-numbers family movie. However, there are things that do set this apart from many other movies with similar plots. It's entertaining all the way through with some really funny moments along the way, Rapunzel's pet chameleon Pascal in particular that provides quite a few laughs. The voice-acting of Zachary Levi and Donna Murphy is solid, but it's Mandy Moore that really stands out as the voice of Rapunzel and brings that character to life. Overall, It's not my all-time favorite Disney movie but, there's a lot to like about it and it is thoroughly enjoyable.

I give this one a 4 out of 5.

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Today's Movie: Moana (2016)

I had mixed expectations going into this one as I'm not a fan of the last few Disney animated feature films. I was unimpressed with Zootopia (2016) and Frozen (2013), and Big Hero 6 (2014) had some fun moments but I wouldn't call it a great movie. Nevertheless, I wasn't going to skip out on Moana just because I didn't care for those others.

I've always found Disney movies to be more memorable for their characters, quality and style of animation, and music rather than the details of their plots. So, I'm going to approach this review a little differently and examine those three elements individually without giving the story away.

The Characters: The film's focus is on Moana (played by Auli'i Cravalho) and Maui (played by Dwayne Johnson) and I really liked both of those main characters. I liked their personalities, thought they were well written, and had a good chemistry. Even in a voice-acting role Dwayne Johnson's charisma is a force to be reckoned with, and I found Moana to be a really well-rounded, likeable character that I enjoyed much more than I expected.

The Animation: Wow. There are moments in this film that are absolutely breathtaking. The animation is solid, vibrant Disney quality throughout, but there are some moments in particular that are just incredible to look at. This is one of the very rare instances that I recommend seeing the film in 3-D if you have the opportunity.

The Music: The music is a little bit of a mixed-bag. I don't think any of the songs in this one will become one of those super memorable Disney melodies like 'When You Wish Upon a Star', 'Under the Sea' or 'Be Our Guest', but I did think the music was solid for the most part. Most notably, I thought 'You're Welcome' and 'How Far I'll Go' were both pretty catchy tunes.

Overall, I really enjoyed Moana. I thought the film was a ton of fun and it did exceed my expectations. Any issues I have are just little nitpicky things. So, I give this one a 4.5 out of 5.


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Animation Double Feature

I don't often review animated films, but I have two recent releases for this entry: Storks and Trolls. 

First let's take a look at Storks. 

This one mixes solid fast-paced animation with some fun characters. The movie throws what feels like a million jokes at you, but not all of them hit their mark. Overall, while Storks isn't spectacular or groundbreaking, it is an entertaining family flick. 

I give it a 3 out of 5.

Next up, Trolls. 

Colors! Yea sure it lacks a decent story, and developed characters, and clever humor, and the musical numbers add little to nothing to the plot... But at least it's bright. I'd recommend skipping this one. It's a straight-to-DVD quality movie that somehow got a big screen release.

I give this one a 0 out of 5.

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Leave it in the comments below.