Brave

Brave, 2012
Directed by Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and Steve Purcell

Brave is Pixar's first original non-sequel film since Up back in 2009. It's also Pixar's first female protagonist, and the first character from Pixar to be feature in the Disney Princess line. So it's a little bit of a first in many way.

I remember first seeing the trailer and realizing that it wasn't telling me very much about what was going to happen in the film (besides that Merida would "fight for my own hand!") so I came into the movie not really expecting anything at all, though I had heard the bears were pretty prominent. So, sitting down in the theatre I was expecting an pretty funny, predictable, mother-daughter movie. Which I got, but it was a lot more funny, a lot less predictable (though still predictable), and a lot of mother-daughter.

As you've all heard, Merida's hair is pretty much worth the price of admission. If you go only to see her hair, that's a pretty good reason. Her hair is beyond cool, especially in the scenes of her as a young girl. Additionally, her three younger brothers were infinitely hilarious, always causing mischief and are so adorable. Her father is hilarious and fun-loving too. However, the mother-daughter relationship is what guides this movie along. Merida is constantly exasperated at her mother, telling her a princess does this, a princess doesn't do that and Merida is frustrated to the max when 3 other clans arrive, with 3 suitors trying to win her hand. Merida does not want to get married. After shooting for her own hand at the archery competition, Merida's mother Elanor has had it. Her daughter is reckless and unladylike and embarassing. The two fight and Merida finds herself in a witches cottage, and with a spell to change her mother. But in a way that Merida doesn't expect.

The movie took a turn at this point which I didn't see coming, but is altogether interesting, though was a bit cheesy at first, but came into it's own and played it's part in the mother-daughter bonding thing really well. While it doesn't hit older audiences as much as the Toy Story movies did, Brave has some great lessons for young children about the importance of having a good relationship with your mother. The two of you may be at odds all the time, but you need to listen to each other if either of you want to get anywhere.

Additionally, the visuals and the score were completely amazing in this movie. While it probably would've been best to see it in 3D (which I didn't), it was still brilliantly gorgeous. And usually I'm not a big fan of Patrick Doyle, but I absolutely loved the score he did.

While many have said it doesn't have the brilliance of past Pixar movies, doesn't hit older audiences as well as younger ones, and plays it a little safe, I say that you shouldn't go into this movie expecting any of these things. They're all very true, but if you're expecting this movie not to be the next Finding Nemo, Toy Story or Up, you'll be vastly disappointed. However, this was something I expected, and knew from the beginning. It was a warrior princess movie which involved mothers, archery and bears, and the importance of listening to your parents. And while it doesn't have the things of what made Monsters Inc and the original Cars so good, Brave has it's own qualities to love about it. And that's how Brave should be viewed, a medium of it's own, not in comparison to other Pixar movies. Brave had some extremely hilarious moments, some mischevious little boys, some awesome red hair, cool Scottish accents, and a strong-willed young woman who learns about changing her fate. Brave is a story of its own. And while not brilliant, it was definitely worth watching, and will be worth watching again.

Overall, I liked the movie. It wasn't the worlds best animated movie, it was just good, and had a lot of laughs and adorableness coming from the three younger brothers, little Merida, Merida's hair, and the appearance of some very small cute bears. It was a fun movie, with awesome accents and nice to look at. We're not looking at a masterpiece here, but it's definitely a nice family movie, and great for fairytale fans. Does it have the chance to bring back Pixar to the Best Picture race? Honestly, I'd say no. While Brave was great, not everyone liked it enough, nor was it brilliant enough, I thought. It's definitely going to be a contender in Best Animated Feature, Best Score and Best Original Song.

7.5/10

A Town Called Panic (2009)

Overall Score: 8.50/10

I have to be honest, A Town Called Panic frustrates me deeply. It is almost entirely Univarn critic proof. My usual go to items on character development, lack of narrative flow, or blatant misnomers pale in comparison to the film's sheer "WTF" factor. A factor so pushed to the extreme of its capabilities, one might imagine this film ought to be watched through multiple levels of consciousness if only in the name of determining which level most amplifies this film's more unique qualities. Because let's be honest, there's absolutely no way you could complain about the movie's weak characters and still keep a straight face when suddenly the image of cow kamikazes works itself into the forefront of your brain.

So I find it hard to know what to say about the film. I think it's pretty much a movie that can only be reviewed on the enjoyment factor. That's how it sells, and presents itself. There's no "now my main character will twist his head in a slightly downward and away direction in the hope of gaining audience sympathy even though he has less dimensions than the marketing's cardboard cutout of him" scenes which press the dramatic issue that's just not there. Nope, A Town Called Panic starts off with a small slice of zany, and just continues piling until the credits roll.

Which leaves the question - how much of the film did I actually enjoy? A pretty good percentage. I won't say I found everything to be quite as glorious, and certain sequences left me wondering more about what will happen next and less about what's going on in the moment. But that is the film's greatest strength. Even during its moments which are low on entertainment, there's a constant feeling that what will happen next can only be even better. This is important for a reason all too often forgotten by Hollywood blockbusters - it keeps you smiling, guessing, and wanting more throughout the film. There's no better feeling than walking away from a movie knowing that at no point did you think "this is a waste of time."

Now I'm not going to deny that A Town Called Panic appeals to a very specific base of filmgoers. Those who expect nothing less than a montage of 'realistic' over the top action sequences loosely tied together by what someone calls a plot, are probably not going to be quick to hop on the Panic bandwagon. Same might be said for those who see the world in only "chick flicks" and "everything else." So if you're going to seek out and indulge in this experience, consider yourself warned. But I should say, I'd recommend indulging in this anyway.

Rango (2011)

Overall Score: 7.75/10

To be absolutely honest, it's not very often that I find myself turned off by a commercial for a movie and then perform a complete 180 when I finally seek it out for an official viewing. If anything, it is far more often that I am drawn in by a commercial and then sulk into a darkened corner and rant when the final product is unveiled. So, it is always a pleasant surprise to find a movie which without caution sails past my lowered expectations, and finds a place high upon my shelf of entertainment.

Last year, that movie was How to Train Your Dragon. This year, the movie is Rango. And believe me, the commercials couldn't be worse with respect to what this film is trying to do. Combining elements of Star Wars and the Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns, whose connection might be less vague than you realize, with surrealism in the vein of Hitchcock/Dali's Spellbound, Rango is a mentally entrancing experience. An experience wrapped in the fragile shell of generic loner becomes hero, family stamped and approved storyline simplicity.

With more curious head turns than a Dancing With the Stars audience at a Higgs Boson seminar, Rango is a charming, lonely soul whose infectious stories and flamboyant mannerisms can take charge of any scene. Where many films deal only with surface level, external aspects of being lonely, Rango's is tackled internally, through the use of dream expositions. We see the power of a vivid imagination and dedication to a character, mixed in with the longing for friends who both appreciate, but also idolize you. You're not just good to them, you're the best to them. And in the case of Rango, that draw means more to him than even the most basic fundamentals of his personality.

Depp delivers a whimsical performance as the sporadic protagonist lizard, Rango. Rich in layers, and heavy on quirky, the character is T-ed up perfectly for Depp's cinematic persona. Ned Beatty continues racking up the villainous vocal roles transition from a cuddly teddy bear to the turtle mayor of Dirt. A straight forward, self-interested baddy whose evil ways rely more on Beatty's strong voice command than demonstrable action. And simply put, the movie couldn't handle much more characterization than that.

The rest of the cast is a hodge podge of worthwhile characters, each with their pre-associated character quirk to maintain their usefulness throughout the run time. There's not much digging to be had here, and the film's better for it. Rango is by all accounts a character piece, living the shadow of the family genre. It's only there because the main story wants to be, but it could easily transfer to another medium without fault.

That's not to say Rango is without faults. Despite the high voltage action, the film Rango can be as unfocused as its titular star. It can turn a hilarious moment that will split the guts of audiences right into the kind of comedy you'd expect to find on some Saturday morning cartoon rehashing the same joke over and over. Taking the ride of Rango is like hoping on a beast of a roller coaster. When it's high, it's as high as any would dare go, but when it's low... well, let's just say the fall is steep, quick, and may involve nausea. But it is to the endless credit of the talent involved that those low moments are brief and far between, using every bit of inertia to keep the movie going up.

Gore Verbinski may have lost me on the last two pirate films, but he sold me hook line and sinker here. Rango is a pure enjoyment of a watch. Granted, its referential obsessions may be lost on those without the cinema knowledge to back it up. Seriously people, if you're over forty and didn't get that was Clint Eastwood, you need a good talking too!

Film Credits:
Directed By - Gore Verbinski
Written By - John Logan

Addendum - Am I the only one who went 'oh come off it' when Music By Hans Zimmer rolled out into the credits? At least half the music in the movie was The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and the Harmonica theme from Once Upon a Time in the West.

The Illusionist (2010)

OVERALL SCORE: 7.50/10

While watching The Illusionist I found myself engrossed  in comparison to another film which I've often found myself reflecting upon. Much like this one, it is a tale of an elderly man caught in a world leaving him behind and a young woman unsure of what the future might entail. That film is Charlie Chaplin's oft overlooked Limelight. It can be an eye opening, world shattering, event to find yourself at the end of your road intersecting with someone just now beginning theirs. The cascade of defining events so contrasting now overlapping can bring out the best, or worst, in people. In the case of The Illusionist, there's a bit of both.

As a visual artist, Sylvain Chomet is one of a select few to have found the equilibrium between realism and inflation in animated cinema. Each new scene, shot, composition, drawing, whatever your preferred defining variable to the world Chomet creates is breathtaking. With every passing frame, I felt my eyes widen and my heart leap. An intense appreciate for the artistry in such films only one other filmmaker has managed to excite out of me in recent years, that of course being Hayao Miyazaki. In keeping with his Triplets of Belleville, The Illusionist is defined almost entirely by visual components presented to the viewer as opposed to the traditional use of dialogue as a means of explaining circumstances.

This is, as many have noted, to the advantage and disadvantage of the film. On the one hand, the beautiful images are so amazing you could easily love the film entirely on that aspect alone. Then again, to do so would be to ignore a few glaring befuddling plot points that weight the film down like an all night buffalo wing binge. First and foremost: motive. While the audience can apply onto the characters a motive of their choosing, the lack of dialogue between them leads to a lack of understanding about them. They act in a manner that is generally consistent, but void of context. Our Illusionist shows a deep care for the young country girl, Alice, he picks up as a loyal fan, but why is entirely left by the wayside. Is it some sentiment of love? Perhaps a parental instinct taken in due to a life on the road with no means to have, or support a family? Or one of any other number of reasons? Who knows.

Then you have Alice, who opens with brief escapades of sympathy and childlike innocence, but seems to lose track of them as the film progresses. Her relationship with the Illusionist appears to be one built entirely on self-gain. She gets to see his magic and in turn he pays for her to have a room to sleep, food to eat, and works nightly shifts to afford her the latest fashionable clothes she often begs for. For this reason alone I would argue that our Illusionist sees a father-daughter quality in his relationship with Alice. An odd mix-max combination of social requirement to look after her, and personal desire. Why he decides to apply a relationship so deep, so quickly is well beyond me.

Which leads to the ultimate struggle The Illustionist has as a film. It's slow, imagery based narrative relies on these characters to see us through the more personal action. What they do and why they do it is crucial to understanding the motives and flow of events. The solemn, melancholic vibe to the film struggles under the weight of underdevelopment. Our emotional investments in these characters are purely self applied with no middle ground with which we can find a resonating balance. In the end, I still couldn't help but reflect even more greatly on Limelight. On the vast, contrasting final shots that come to define both. And, unfortunately, how The Illusionist tales a long told, often repeated tale, and just doesn't quite have enough to elevate it above being merely another fine film amidst a sea of greatness.

Film Credits:
Written and Directed by: Sylvain Chomet
Original Screenplay by: Jacques Tati

Tangled (2010)

OVERALL RATING: 6.50/10

When deriving the formula for a Disney 'Princess' film, it's often easy to forget the real factors that make them work time and time again. The way in which music, creation, and drama can be woven into our basic desires - our dreams. Disney knows better than most that the product of a great (family friendly) fantasy tale involves people rising beyond the monotony of their life. Those at the bottom realizing their dream and helping those on the top to understand theirs. In that respect Disney's 2010 offering, Tangled, knows what it's doing.

Tangled is not a unique experience. It's characters carry with them many allusions to Disney's classic - Aladdin, for example. A thief who dreams big. A princess who seeks to know and love. Cute animal sidekicks that are as defiant, as they are helpful. However, to end any analysis of Tangled there would be to sell the film short. At every turn, Tangled finds a way create something new with old Disney lore and formulate a fresh perspective on life.

It's unfortunate that Tangled doesn't start off strong. The opening is a solid setup narration, but it leads into a handful of musical numbers that are, let's be honest, dreadful. These opening musical numbers are bland, crammed together, and repetitive. Right from the start I was ready to repel the rest of Tangled, and write it off as another film I don't understand the praise for. Rapunzel's (Mandy Moore) depth felt fragile, and frustratingly trite. Her 'adventures' involve a lot of hair flying around, which makes for great CGI but not hilarious moments. Well, not as hilarious as the directors want them to be. With the introduction of Flynn Rider (Zachery Levi), everything changes.

The Rock called, he wants his eyebrow back... oh and a career if you've got it.

Flynn is your made to order thief on the run, with a somber enough back story to tie it all together. He stumbles across the tower which enslaves Rapunzel while on the run following his latest 'job,' and the rest, as they say, is history. Flynn and Rapunzel's scenes together are perfect. They compliment each other in the most dynamic of ways, delivering quality laughs and plot progression. In these moments you can really see writer Fogelman (Cars, Bolt) open up his bag of tricks and let Levi take care of the rest. Levi's portrayal of Flynn as cool, vain, and cunning keeps you guessing on his real motives, while opening your heart to his amusing ways. Fogelman perfectly swaps the straight man and comic moments between Flynn and Rapunzel, allowing both to shine. When Maximus, the royal guard horse and Flynn's mortal enemy, comes into the picture the rest of the film becomes pure Disney magic.

Directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard weave in and out of Disney norms flawlessly. They balance the pleasure with the pain, the love with the loss, and when it comes time to make us fear for the character's lives, they deliver. Intelligently using 3D sparingly, Tangled is a movie that can be revisited without worry on home systems. The 3D here accentuates, not defines, the film. It highlights the visual strengths, such as Rapunzel's hair and the lamp scene by the lake, without resorting to cheap gags (yes I'm looking at you awful Yogi Bear commercial).

The only real downside to Tangled is the lack of character exposition. Donna Murphy is fine as the evil Mother Gothel, but beyond some vanity and cinematic evilness her motivations are left entirely blank. The romantic aspect of Flynn and Rapunzel's relationship seems to grow in leaps and bounds, without solid transition moments to justify some of their sudden changes. During the middle, Tangled sprints on, requesting the audience to keep up as best they can.

By the end, Tangled does enough to leave the audience with a smile on their face, but lacks the depth to impose on them a long lasting connection. They'll remember the highs as it tries desperately to sweep past the lows, but that's a given. The best thing an aspiring audience member can do is to approach Tangled with an awareness of what it isn't (deep) and a desire for what it is (lighthearted fun). At best, it's a high quality imitation that escapes the cliche label through sheer charisma and determination. The characters may lack the fine tuning to make them Disney greats, but they do plenty for one solid outing.

Film Credits:
Directed By: Nathan Greno, Byron Howard
Written By: Dan Fogelman
Based on the Fairy Tale By: Jacob & William Grimm