Month: February 2020

Grave of the Fireflies 9/10

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NR, 89m, 1988

With the Voice Talents of J. Robert Spencer (Seita), Rhoda Chrosite (Setsuko), Veronica Taylor (The Mother) and Amy Jones (The Aunt). Directed by Isao Takahata. Produced by Toru Hara. Screenplay by Isao Takahata. Music by Michio Mamiya. Based on the short story of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka.

            During the end days of WW2, Allied aircraft bombarded Japanese and German towns in the hopes that the continued assaults would lower moral and hasten the wars end. Japanese cities were built with Japanese homes built close together, with extremely flammable material. This led the Allies to intentionally drop incendiary bombs in order to start massive fires. These firebombing attacks decimated many Japanese cities and lead to the deaths of thousands of Japanese civilians. “War is hell” is a common theme feature in war films such as Saving Private Ryan, Platoon and Paths of Glory. Grave of the Fireflies also explores this theme, the difference is none of the main characters ever pick up a weapon, nor do they ever see an enemy solider. They are on a battlefield, but the battlefield is their neighborhood. This film was shown as a double billing with My Neighbor Totoro, this film was shown first as the distributors didn’t want the audience to leave feeling depressed. After watching this film, I understand why.

            The film opens on September 21, 1945, nineteen days after the Japanese officially surrendered to the Allies. The Japanese are frantically rushing about in eager anticipation, as the Americans will be arriving soon. Two months prior, this news would have been met with fear. The reason the Japanese are happy that the Americans are coming is because Japan is suffering from a massive supply shortage and the Americans are coming with the desperately needed supplies. One Japanese boy is not celebrating, that is because he is about to die of malnutrition. This young boy is named Seita (J. Robert Spencer) and he dies shortly after. A janitor sorts through his meager possessions and finds an empty candy tin box. The janitor throws the tin away, disturbing a cloud of fireflies. The spirit of Seta’s younger sister Setsuko (Rhoda Chrosite) appears and her and the spirit of Seita board a train, presumably bound for the afterlife. The film then cuts back to several months earlier where allied firebombing is decimating Japanese cities. Seita and Setsuko’s mother (Veronica Taylor) is killed during the attack, forcing the orphaned children to move in with their aunt (Amy Jones). The rest of the film centers around the short and tragic lives of the unfortunate siblings.

            The characters in this movie are depressingly enjoyable. Seita is the kindly older brother who makes many sacrifices in order to keep his sister alive and happy. Unfortunately, he’s unable to do this and it crushes him. Setia’s biggest character flaw is he’s unable to put aside his pride and go back to his aunt’s house. While the situation wouldn’t be ideal, it would ensure that he and Setsuko would survive. Setsuko is a five-year-old girl who mainly serves to demonstrate the destruction of innocence. This works as by the time her character dies, many in the audience are brought to tears. The mother is given a small amount of screen time and the father is given no screen time. The father is a captain in the Imperial Japanese Navy, who died when his ship was hit by a torpedo. The mother dies to quickly for the audience to get to know her. Setsuko and Setia’s aunt starts off acting kind to the siblings, but eventually she grows short with the siblings causing them to eventually strike it out on their own.

            The animation of this film is extremely well done. Instead of the traditional black lines, the outlines were done in brown. This gives the film a softer feel. While the character animation is haunting realistic. Immediately after Seita visits his mother in the makeshift hospital, he lies to Setsuko in order to spare her from seeing their mother in a burned state. Setsuko doesn’t say anything but, she looks down and begins to fidget back and forth. This shows without saying a word that Setsuko wants to see her mother, but she understands the situation. This extremely realistic to what an actual toddler would do if put in the same situation. One of the only fault I can find with the animation is at times the characters’ facial expressions get exaggerated. This is most notable when they are about to cry.

            A central theme of this movie is the loss of innocence. This is evident in even the title of the film. In one dazzling scene Setsuko and Seita gather fireflies that illuminate their cave. Unfortunately, Seita and Setsuko are unaware that fireflies only live a few days after reaching adulthood and by morning the fireflies are dead. This symbolizes the beauty and unfortunate fragility of innocence. This mirrors the loss of innocence in the main characters. Near the beginning of the film the siblings are living happily with their mother, but by the end of the film Seita and Setsuko are dead after experiencing the worst aspects of a war-torn society.

            This film is Studio Ghibli’s most depressing film. The film’s opening lets the audience know that there’s going to be no happy ending for these characters and that the two children that the audience follows throughout the film is going to die. This will certainly throw several people off as Ernie states in Elmo in Grouchland “Who’d want to see a movie with a sad ending?” I get this notion, as this film is very difficult to sit through. However, I feel this is an important movie to watch. This film beautifully shows how war is indiscriminate and brings harm to everyone. The best way I can describe this film is the best movie I never want to watch again.

Note: I know this movie is not meant to be taken as an anti-war film. The director Isao Takahata wanted to create a film that conveyed an image of the brother and sister living a failed life due to isolation from society. However, that doesn’t take away from the powerful nature of the film and its depiction of two children trying to survive in an almost apocalyptic environment.

My Neighbor Totoro 9/10

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G, 86m, 1988

With the Voice Talents of Dakota Fanning (Satsuki Kusakabe) Elle Fanning (Mei Kusakabe), Tim Daly (Tatsuo Kusakabe), Lea Salonga (Yasuko Kusakabe), Frank Welker (Totoro and Catbus), Paul Butcher (Kanta Ōgaki), Pat Carroll (Nanny), Ashley Rose Orr (Michiko), Kath Soucie (Mrs. Ogaki), Russi Taylor (Kanta’s Aunt)  and Tress MacNeille (Miss Hara) David Midthunder (Mr. Ogaki) Directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Produced by Toru Hara. Screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki. Music by Joe Hisaishi.

            Studio Ghibli has given audiences some truly wonderful films since its establishment in 1985. Films like Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke continue to dazzle and inspire audiences as much as early Disney films do. One of Studio Ghibli’s earliest films is My Neighbor Totoro. Released in 1988, My Neighbor Totoro was released the same day as Grave of the Fireflies directed by Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata. Released on the same bill, Grave of the Fireflies was shown first with My Neighbor Totoro being shown last. The mindset was for audiences to leave on the cheerful note of Totoro, instead of the downer ending of Grave of the Fireflies. Like several of the early Disney movies, My Neighbor Totoro was not a huge success, but over time the film quickly garnered recognition and it was one of the films responsible for popularizing anime in the West. Nowadays the film is regarded as one of the greatest animated films ever made. However, this can lead to some people going into the film with a mindset that this film is a masterpiece and as a result they may end up disappointed by what they get.

            The plot is very simple. The film opens with a nice little musical number about Totoro. We are then introduced to the Kusakabe family which consists of ten-year-old Satsuki (Dakota Fanning), four-year-old  Mei (Elle Fanning) and the hardworking father, Tatsuo (Tim Daly) moving to the countryside to be closer to the hospital where the mother Yasuko (Lea Salonga) is currently staying. While moving into and exploring their new house, Mei and Satsuki discover some tiny creatures called Susuwatari. Susuwatari are small tennis ball-sized, pitch-black and fuzzy-haired beings with two large eyes and long, thin limbs. They look very similar to the soot sprites in Spirited Away. This leads them to believe their house is haunted, which their father lovingly encourages. As time goes on, the girls come across Totoro (Frank Welker), a giant fluffy forest spirit and the Catbus (Frank Welker). The rest of the film centers around the Mei and Satsuki as they spend time with the forest spirits and are forced to learn to come to terms with some of life’s more uncertain moments.

            The characters in this film are immensely enjoyable. Satsuki is a tomboyish older sister, who as the older sister must take on the role of surrogate mother to Mei as both their parents are too busy to spend a lot of time with them. Mei is a carefree little girl who still looks at the world with childlike innocence. The sister’s relationship strongly reminded me of Lilo and Nani’s sisterly relationship from Lilo and Stitch. Satsuki, like Nani, has to make many sacrifices for her little sister and since they are sisters, they’re bound to fight. Satsuki tries to put on a strong face and not show emotion, like adults supposedly do. This means she has to grow up too fast in order to properly watch over her little sister. Satsuki and Mei are voiced by real life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning (at least they are in the Disney English dub), so their sibling banter and sisterly love seem that much more genuine as their performance is coming from a place of understanding. However, some may find the voice work of the Fanning sisters to be a little grading and they often have to shout their lines. I don’t have a problem with their performance as I feel they did a good job of capturing the characters emotions. The mythical characters are especially creatively imaginative. Characters like Totoro and the Catbus have become icons of Japanese animation, with Totoro even serving as Studio Ghibli’s mascot and making cameos in films such as Toy Story 3. The rest of the characters are enjoyable. The father is presented as a hardworking individual who loves his children, but he doesn’t always have time for them do to his busy work schedule. In this since, he reminds me of my own father. The mother is depicted as a kind and caring woman who loves her daughters, but she’s sick so she can’t be there with them. The sub plot involving the bedridden mother, becomes much more emotional when one learns that Hayao Miyazaki’s mother was bedridden for a good chunk of his childhood. While it’s not specifically stated in the film, Hayao Miyazaki has stated that the illness the mother is suffering form is tuberculosis.

            The animation of this film is top notch. The character design is truly well done. The character design is so good that other Ghibli films have seemed to take the model sheets of the characters and tweaked them a bit. For example, Tatsuo looks extremely similar to Kiki’s father from Kiki’s Delivery Service as well as Jiro Horikoshi from The Wind Rises. Satsuki shares some resemblance to Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service and Sheeta from Castle in the Sky. The backgrounds are a simplistic pastoral countryside. This mirrors the simplicity of the plot. As the film is framed from the view of a child it’s only natural for the film to be animated in a simplistic whimsically imaginative style.

            This is one of Studio Ghibli’s more lighthearted films. Older audiences can certainly enjoy the film, but there’s no denying that this film is geared towards children. While there is no denying this film is really good, I think people need to go in not expecting much. Hype can certainly kill a film for some people, and I certainly know people who disliked this film because they had heard so much about it and how it was one of the greatest animated films of all time. This overhyping of the movie ended up souring their enjoyment of the film. This film is very simple, it’s about two sisters’ daily lives after they move to the countryside to be closer to the hospital where their sick mother is. There is no antagonists and the only real conflict is towards the end when Mei disappears for a bit. But in my opinion, that’s the true beauty of this film. This is a calm, simple relaxing film, that feels like a nice breezy summer of one’s youth. I truly enjoy this film and I feel it has a good message. I highly recommend this film for kids and for older audiences who just want a calm and sweet film.

Note: There is a scene where the father bathes with Mei and Satsuki. This was a common practice in Japan at the time, but some may find this to be weird. There is no nudity and the scene is framed as a doting father spending time with his daughters.

Toy Story 2 9/10

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G, 92m, 1999

With the Voice Talents of: Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Kelsey Grammar (Stinky Pete), Don Rickles (Mr. Potato Head), Jim Varney (Slinky Dog), Wallace Shawn (Rex), John Ratzenberger (Hamm), Wayne Knight (Al McWhiggin), Annie Potts (Bo Peep), Estelle Harris (Mrs. Potato Head), John Morris (Andy Davis), Joe Ranft (Wheezy), Jodi Benson (Barbie), R. Lee Ermey (Sarge), Laurie Metcalf (Andy’s Mom), Jonathan Harris (the Cleaner) and Andrew Stanton (Emperor Zurg). Directed by John Lasseter. Produced by Helene Plotkin and Karen Robert Jackson. Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlin and Chris Webb. Music by Randy Newman.

            When it comes to sequel films, I always approach them with caution. For me a sequel should recreate the world of the original, enhance the characters and the world they inhabit and provide anew and engaging story. Films that succeed at this are Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, The Dark Knight, Aliens and the Bride of Frankenstein. Toy Story 2 meets my criteria for a good sequel and surpasses it.

            The film opens with an amazing sequence of Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) flying through a barren rocky wasteland. It turns out this is the base of the Evil Emperor Zurg (Andrew Stanton). Buzz battles and navigates his way until he comes face to face with Zurg. A fight ensues and Buzz is killed. The End. Just kidding, it turns out the opening sequence was just a video game. Woody (Tom Hanks) is worried because he can’t find his cowboy hat, which may affect Andy’s (John Morris) decision to take him to Cowboy Camp. Woody finds his hat and since Andy has a few minutes before he has to leave, he plays with his toys. This results in him accidentally ripping Woody’s arm, causing him to leave Woody behind. While Andy is gone his mom (Laurie Metcalf) has a yard sale and she grabs Wheezy (Joe Ranft), a penguin who has lost his squeaker. Woody heroically saves Wheezy but is stolen by a toy collector named Al (Wayne Knight). Woody is brought back to Al’s apartment where he learns that he is a valuable collector item complete with merchandise and a TV show called Woody’s Roundup. The other members of Woody’s Roundup are Jessie (Joan Cusack) the yodeling cowgirl, Stinky Pete (Kelsie Grammar) the prospector and Bullseye Woody’s horse. Woody learns from the gang that Al intends to sell them to a toy museum in Japan. Back at Andy’s room the other toys set off to rescue Woody begore Andy returns.

            By all accounts this film should have been a disaster. The production and story development were rushed to the point the film was made in less than half time it takes to make an animated film and at one point the majority of the film was almost lost due to someone accidentally deleting it. The film was saved due Galyn Susman having a backup of the film because she sometimes needed to work from home because of her kids. During the early stages of production of this film, the filmmakers took a hard look at the script and realized that the film wasn’t going to be good. So, John Lassiter and a team of storytellers rewrote the entire script in one weekend. Just one of these elements could have spelled disaster for the film, but through dedication, hard work and a fantastic story, the team at Pixar was able to create an amazing film.

            This should go without saying that the animation on Toy Story 2 is a vast improvement on the original. The character design looks more flushed out and more well-rounded, while still retaining their appearance from the original film. The character design of the human and canine characters is a vast improvement with background human characters looking distinctly different from one another. In the original film, a lot of the kids looked eerily similar to Andy (maybe this explains why he’s never shown or mention in any of the Toy Story films) and the human characters in the backgrounds look like they were modeled for a video game. Although the animation has improved, it still does looks a tad dated but it’s still very impressive for it’s time. At worst the human characters look similar to some of the characters from later Barbie movies.

Disney is notorious for releasing horrendous butchering of their beloved films in the form of direct to video sequels. This film was going to originally be released straight to video, but it was decided to release this film in theaters. This is due to the filmmakers’ faith in the story. The story and characters make this movie. The film wonderfully juggles two completely different plots that a lesser film would have muddled this up but Toy Story 2 is able to take these two contrasting plots and tie them up beautifully in a way that doesn’t feel forced or contrived.

There’s an unfortunate belief in the United States that animation is a medium just for children. Toy Story 2 is a perfect argument against this belief. Kids can enjoy the fun characters, the interesting story and laugh at the humor. Adults can enjoy these elements and more. Toy Story 2 really dives into the psyche of a toy. The character Jessie was abandoned by her owner and in a beautiful montage set to a hauntingly beautiful performance by Sarah McLachlan. The audience can really tell that this character is hurt by this trauma and she even suffers from PTSD when confronted with going into a dark box which triggers her because she spent many and lonely years in a dark box. The film also hits a more personal note with parents. Woody has to deal with the fact that someday soon, Andy will grow up and he won’t need him anymore. Parents can easily relate to the feeling of dread about their child leaving them when they grow up and the joy that comes from watching them grow up.

The best new song of the film is a beautifully melancholic song called “When She Loved Me” which is sung by Sarah McLachlan. The song is about abandonment who once loved you from a toy’s perspective. When a song sung by a toy can be so poignant, this shows the raw talent those who worked on this song. The film also features a wonderful send up to the classic western shows of the 1950s and 60s with the theme song “Woody’s Roundup” performed by the Riders in the Sky. The song as well as the tv show really encapsulates the romanticized feelings for the American Old West that was popular during the 1950s. The final song is a new rendition of “You’ve got a friend in Me”. I personally sound the original version better, but I found this version to be enjoyable.

This film drastically expands the world of Toy Story. The original film had four primary locations. Sid’s house, Andy’s house, Pizza Planet and Dinoco. The second film has entirely new locations that sometimes serve as easter eggs from the first film. Al’s Toy Barn is a prominent location in this film and in the first film it was mentioned as carrying Buzz Lightyear action figures in a commercial.

Toy Story 2 is the precise model for a good sequel. With the animation market being saturated by awful sequels like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Shrek 3, The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2 and Hoodwinked Too; with the filmmakers only intent is to make a quick buck, It’s refreshing to see an animated sequel done right. .

Toy Story 9/10

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G, 81m, 1995

Starring Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Don Rickles (Mr. Potato Head), John Ratzenberger (Hamm), Jim Varney (Slinky Dog), Wallace Shawn (Rex), Annie Potts (Bo Peep), R. Lee Ermey (Sergeant), Joe Ranft (Lenny), Jeff Pidgeon (Little Green Aliens), John Morris (Andy Davis), Laurie Metcalf (Mrs. Davis), Erik von Detten (Sid Philips), Sarah Freeman (Hannah Philips) and Penn Jillette (Buzz Lightyear TV commercial announcer). Directed by John Lasseter. Produced by Ralph Guggenheim and Bonnie Arnold. Screenplay by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow. Music by Randy Newman.

            While the idea of toys coming to life while humans aren’t around has been done in earlier films such as The Christmas Toy, Where the Toys Come From and The Mouse and His Child, Pixar’s Toy Story offers a fresh and engaging take on the concept. Woody (Tom Hanks) is a pull string cowboy that is the head honcho of Andy’s (John Morris) toys as well as Andy’s favorite toy. When the toys learn that Andy is having a birthday party, they get anxious because this could mean that Andy would get new toys that will replace them. Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) is the final present Andy receives and Buzz quickly becomes Andy’s new favorite toy. Woody grows jealous of Buzz and through some mishaps accidentally knocks Buzz out an open window. The toys quickly turn on Woody and are in the process of restraining Woody when Andy returns to his room to get a toy that he can bring to Pizza Planet, a fun place that strongly reminded me of Incredible Pizza. Only Pizza Planet is space themed and all of the games and décor reflect this. Unable to find Buzz, Andy grabs Woody instead. Buzz, having received no injuries from his fall, sees Andy getting in his family’s van and hitches a ride. While Andy and his family are distracted at a gas station, Buzz confronts Woody for “tying to terminate” him and a fight ensues causing them to fall out of the van. Not noticing that Woody is gone, Andy’s family drives off causing Woody to be distressed at being “a lost toy”. Hitching a ride in a Pizza Planet vehicle that would later become a staple cameo in later Pixar films, they make it to Pizza Planet. Through some mishaps Woody and Buzz end up in the hands of Sid (Erik von Detten), who enjoys torturing toys and blowing them up. Now Woody and Buzz must escape from Sid’s house and make it back to Andy before his family moves away.

            Since it is the first full length animated film, Toy Story does look a tad dated in some respects. Now granted for its time the animation and designs look amazing, but the animation doesn’t really hold up in two areas. The human characters and Scud, Sid’s dog, have plastic look to them. Now granted this film was released in 1995 so I’m not going to fault the film for this. The film’s animation even surpasses animation films such as Foodfight, Hoodwinked, Sir Billi and The Little Panda Fighter. All of the afore mentioned films were released at least ten years after Toy Story, which should stand as a testament to how good the animation looks.The animation on the toys on the other hand looks absolutely stellar. The house where Andy and his family live in looks like a house that has been lived in. There are chips, marks and scratches in the wood paint. There are stains on the floor. All of these little touches make the world of Toy Story seem more real. There are many more examples of the excellent attention to detail.   Reflections appear on Buzz’s helmet. The spoon Woody picks up to use as a mirror looks like a real spoon. The fabric on the character’s clothing looks like actual clothing. The character of Bo Peep is made of porcelain, which is extremely fragile. As such she’s animated walking gracefully and carefully and her movements are very daintily. With the exception of Buzz (because he is brand new) all of the toys looked played with. The have a sense of age to them.

            In many animated films, the designers of the film will just cut and paste the same location with minute changes in the hopes that the audience won’t notice (we notice). In Toy Story, Andy’s and Sid’s room are drastically different in design and tone. Andy’s room is bright and colorful and gives off a sense of warmth and welcoming. Sid’s room on the other hand, feels dirty and dark and it gives off a sinister and foreboding feel. As if the entire room is trying to scream “you are not safe here. Get out while you still can.”.

            At its heart this film is a simple classic contemporary buddy picture. This is in stark contrast to Disney’s ordinary fairy tale-oriented films. What makes this film stand out is the writing and how fun the characters are. As a child I like many kids my age, adored Buzz Lightyear. I remember having actual toys of most of the characters from the film and recreating my favorite scenes from the movie. This film also does something not very many animated films were doing at the time. When you really stop and think about it Toy Story, doesn’t truly have a villain in it. Even though he’s portrayed as a villain, Sid isn’t really a bad kid. He just likes to blow stuff up, which many of us can relate to. He doesn’t know that the toys are alive and he’s never shown being cruel to living creatures (except for his sister, but that’s the job of an older sibling. To torment their younger siblings.).

            One message that the film has that I’ve never heard anyone mention is don’t judge others based on appearances. This is shown through Woody and Buzz’s reactions to the appearances of the mutant toys who both assume are cannibals. However, as the film progresses, they both realize that they were wrong to judge them so hastily. Now granted this was only after the mutant toys fix Buzz’s arm but overall, I’d say it’s a good message that more people need to take to heart.

            Toy Story doesn’t try to talk down to its audience or cater to only kids like so many animated films do. This film is perfect for kids and adults and its humor doesn’t rely on juvenile or toilet humor. The comedy has a perfect blend of comedy for kids and adults. There’s one particular joke that flew over my head as a child, but as an adult, it makes me laugh every time. In the scene, Buzz is having a tea party with two decapitated dolls, to whom he refers to as Marie Antoinette and her little sister.

            As is commonplace in most Disney animated films, Toy Story is enhanced with the accompaniment of songs to progress the story. Contrary to most of Disney’s animated films, the three songs of Toy Story are not sung by the characters. They are instead sung by Randy Newman. The first and the most iconic is “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”. The song talks about the relationship between toys and their kid and how the toy’s love for their kid will last forever. This song could easily be used in to describe the love between parent and child, which the entire Toy Story series could be viewed through that lens. The second song is “Strange Things”, which tells about the terrifying uncertainty that Woody feels as Andy pays more attention to Buzz. The final song is “I will go Sailing no More”. This song describes the lament Buzz feels when he realizes he’s a toy and he can’t actually do the things he thought he could do.

            In a lot of ways Toy Story is very similar to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Both film were made by studios who were only known for producing shorts. Both films were the first films many of the filmmakers had ever worked on. Both films were the first of their kind, Snow White was the first full-length cel animated film and Toy Story was the first full-length computer-generated film. Both films were huge gambles for the studio and had either film failed the studios would have almost certainly closed down. Both films were considered unwatchable prior to their release because many believed that nobody could sit through an entire feature made with the new animation style. Both films helped pioneer a legacy of excellence that resulted in some of the greatest films ever made.

            While its story is simplistic, Toy Story triumphs through excellent animation, an engaging story and well-rounded fun characters. What else can I say, but this film has a friend in me.

Pokémon: The First Movie 6/10

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G, 75m, 1999

With the Voice Talents of Veronica Taylor (Ash Ketchum), Rachael Lillis (Misty and Jessie), Eric Stuart (Brock, Squirtle and James), Ikue Otani (Pikachu), Rodger Parsons (Narrator), Satomi Korogi (Togepi), Maddie Blaustein (Meowth and Raymond), Jimmy Zoppi (Fergus), Ed Paul (Corey and Giovanni), Lisa Ortiz (Neesha), Kayzie Rogers (Miranda), Philip Bartlett (Mewtwo and Doctor Fuji), Kōichi Yamadera (Mew), Lee Quick (Officer Jenny) and Megan Hollingshead (Nurse Joy). Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and Michael Haigney. Written by Takeshi Shudo. English version written by Michael Haigney, Norman J. Grossfeld and John Touhey. Produced by Choji Yoshikawa, Tomoyuki Igarashi and Takemoto Mori. Music by Shinji Miyazaki. Based on the Pokémon franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri.

            As a kid I was a massive Pokémon fan. I collected the trading cards, I watched the anime and I played the various video game adaptations to the point of obsession. That being said I never watched this movie as a kid. I hadn’t discovered Pokémon when the film hit theaters and I doubt my parents would have taken me had I been into Pokémon at the time (not that I blame them of course). When I did get into Pokémon, I was aware of the film’s existence and that I featured Mew and Mewtwo. However, I was never able to watch the film as I had no way of watching it due my household not having cable or an internet connection capable of streaming. Now that I’m an adult will this film Weedle its way into my heart or will this movie leave me feeling Krabby?

            The film opens with Mewtwo (Philip Bartlett) having a philosophical monologue about the relationship between Pokémon and trainers. Mewtwo then awakens in a glass tube where he learns from his scientist creators that he was created from the DNA from Mew. Mewtwo then becomes enraged when he learns he was created as nothing more than a science experiment. Mewtwo then promptly massacres the scientists. Standing among the burning wreckage of the lab, Mewtwo is approached by Giovanni (Ed Paul) who takes him away to be properly trained. When he learns that Giovanni only sees him as a servant, Mewtwo promptly attacks Giovanni and flees to the deserted island where he was created. We then cut to the movie’s heroes Ash (Veronica Taylor), Brock (Eric Stuart), Misty (Rachael Lillis) and Pikachu (Ikue Otani). While they’re about to sit down for lunch Ash is called out by another trainer called Raymond (Maddie Blaustein) who looks like a cross between a Team Magma and Team Aqua grunt. How does the challenging trainer know who Ash is? At this point in the series, Ash has no real call to fame that would make him instantly recognizable. Ash is able to defeat the trainer with little effort, which is weird because at one-point Pikachu one shots a Golem. For those of you that don’t know Pikachu is an electric type Pokémon and Golem is a ground and rock Pokémon. This means that Pikachu’s attacks should have little to no effect on Golem. The match is watched by Mewtwo and he sends a Dragonite to deliver an invitation to battle the world’s greatest Pokémon trainer. The match is also watched by Team Rocket, consisting of Jessie (Rachael Lillis), James (Eric Stuart) and Meowth (Maddie Blaustein). They intercept the Dragonite’s message and decide to attend the party as well. In order to ensure that only the strongest trainers make it to the island, Mewtwo creates a storm to stop any weak trainers from attending. Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu are able to make it to the island along with Team Rocket, who largely stay out of sight and contribute nothing to the plot. On the island the trio meets three other trainers who were able to brave the storm. The other trainers are never mentioned by name and the only reason I know who they are is I read the movie novelization when I was a kid. The trainers who had made it to the island where they meet Mewtwo. Mewtwo reveals his despise for humanity and the weakness of Pokémon for allowing themselves to be enslaved by humans. Mewtwo then forcibly captures the other trainers’ Pokémon and clones them so he can wipe out humanity and the weak Pokémon. Now it’s up to Ash and the other trainers to stop Mewtwo and his fiendish plans.

            I cannot recommend this film to those who are uninitiated with the concept of Pokémon and I’m a little hesitant to fans who never watched the original series. The later is mainly due to fans not knowing or caring who Ash’s traveling companions are, since the movie fails at developing or properly describing any of the main character’s personalities or who they are as a character. Another reason fans who never saw the original series will be confused by certain elements. For example, it’s established that most Pokémon can only say their names, i.e. Pikachu says “Pikachu”, Charmander says “Charmander”, and so on. However, Mewtwo and Meowth can talk and be understood by humans. Mewtwo can be explained away by saying that the scientists modified him somehow or as he is the strongest psychic Pokémon, he can communicate with humans. But what about Meowth? The reason Meowth can speak is never explained in the film, but it is in the show. Meowth learned how to speak to impress a female Meowth who was obsessed with human culture. However, the female Meowth thought that because he can speak like a human, Meowth is a freak so she rejected him.

            The film’s plot is rather weak and flimsy, and the film does feel like an extended episode. With the exception of Mewtwo, none of the other characters get any real character development nor do they learn a lesson at the end. The film also fails to explain other minute details such as why only three other trainers besides the main trio were able to make it to the island as surely several of the other trainers had at least one Pokémon that was strong enough to help them cross a hazardous storm, if they all were confident enough that their Pokémon could defeat someone who called themselves the strongest Pokémon trainer or why some of the characters misidentify their Pokémon for no apparent reason. The area where the film shines the most is the depiction of the vilian Mewtwo. The film does an excellent job setting up Mewtwo as a compelling vilian so by the time he starts to do evil things we understand his motivation, even if we don’t agree with him. Some of my favorite scenes involving Mewtwo are the scenes where he’s depicted with dark highlights and eerie shadows accompanied by a foreboding and intense score. Some may find the film’s over reliance of puns to be Gastly, but I found to be fitting with the spirit of the original series. Now granted the puns in this film are not as bad as the puns in The Digimon Movie, but some might find this to be Farfetch’d.

            The movie tries to shoehorn a massive anti-war/anti-violence message, but this message is contradictory. When you get right down to it, one of the biggest parts about Pokémon is to get your Pokémon to fight other Pokémon to make their master, as the show put it “The very best, like no one ever was”. In theory this is a good message to teach, but not when it contradicts with one of the biggest selling points of your franchise. The film does however have an important more subtle message. The message is it doesn’t matter what you were born into or the circumstances of one’s birth. What matters is what you choose to do with it. This is a very important message to teach and the film introduces this idea by having Mewtwo come to this realization.

            The animation is a huge upgrade to the original series. The character and Pokémon designs are much more defined, and their movements are smoother and more fluid than they were in the original anime. This compliments the fast-paced action scenes needed to show the brutality of Pokémon battle.

            On its own the movie falls short. This is mainly because the film fails to explain key aspects that a newcomer would need to understand to enjoy the film. As a Pokémon movie, it’s a serviceable watch that provides visually interesting battle sequences and a rare appearance by Mew and Mewtwo, both of which had never gotten a proper appearance in the anime up to the point when this film was released. However, I cannot recommend this film to non-Pokémon fans as it does cater to the fan base and the film feels like an extended episode of the anime.

Bambi 9/10

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G, 70m, 1942

With the Voice Talents of Bobby Stewart (Baby Bambi), Donnie Dunagan (Young Bambi), Hardie Albright (Adolescent Bambi), John Sutherland (Adult Bambi), Peter Behn (Young Thumper), Tim Davis (Adolescent Thumper and Adolescent Flower), Sam Edwards (Adult Thumper), Stan Alexander (Young Flower), Sterling Holloway (Adult Flower), Paula Winslowe (Bambi’s Mother and Pheasant), Will Wright (Friend Owl), Cammie King (Young Faline), Ann Gillis (Adult Faline), Fred Shields (The Great Prince of the Forest), Margaret Lee (Thumper’s Mom), Thelma Boardman (Girl Bunny, Quail Mother, Female Pheasant) and Perce Pearce (Mr. Mole). Directed by David Hand, James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Graham Heid, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield and Norman Wright. Produced by Walt Disney. Screenplay by Perce Pearce, Larry Morey, Vernon Stallings, Melvin Shaw, Carl Fallberg, Chuck Couch and Ralph Wright. Music by Frank Churchill and Edward H. Plumb. Based on the book Bambi, a Life in the Woods by Felix Salten.

            Walt Disney originally planned to make this his second film after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. However, production problems such as an inability to properly portray the necessary realism that Walt wanted, caused the film to be delayed as his fifth feature, behind Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia and Dumbo.

            The film opens with a beautiful panning shot of the forest that shows the beautiful lushness of the forest. The camera then rests on a sleeping owl, who we later learn is called Friend Owl (Will Wright). Friend Owl is suddenly awoken by a great commotion. It turns out that a baby prince was born. Why this particular deer is special and why he alone is going to be the next Prince of the Forest is never revealed. The young buck is named Bambi, by his mother (Paula Winslowe). The rest of the film follows Bambi as he grows up and befriends Thumper the Rabbit and Flower the Skunk.

            This is one of the perfect examples of a coming of age story. The shortened synopsis of Bambi is it’s a film about the life of a deer. This film truly illustrates what life is truly about. It features the happy moments like learning how to ice skate and making new friends, as well as some of the sad moments like Bambi and his mother being unable to find enough food to eat and a certain scene that I won’t spoil, but anyone who has seen the movie knows exactly what I’m talking about. This film wisely doesn’t boggle itself down with stupid side plots, it just focuses on the little moments of life. This makes it a film where it’s more about the journey rather than the actual destination.

            This is the first Disney film completely grounded in reality. From the way the animals move and behave, to the look of a spring shower, everything in this film breathes life (until a certain point). When a character dies, they stay dead. There’s no magic spell or MacGuffin that will bring them back. The jump in animation is extremely evident in this film. In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the deer resemble bags of flour with stick legs more than they resemble a living breathing animal. The deer move and react the way a deer would act (for the most part). When Bambi is out frolicking in the fields kicking his legs in the air, I can’t help but smile at the minute details the animators nailed on this film. I grew up on a farm, so I’ve seen a lot of calves in my lifetime. They act almost the exact same way as Bambi does when he’s frolicking in the meadow.

This film is an artistic tour de force. The Multi-plane camera was able to give the forest a sense of depth. This is not a flat barren looking forest, it’s lush and beautiful looking. It looks like it could truly be the home for some woodland critters. The impressionistic landscape matches the character design, so the characters don’t look out of place inside the forest. This is due to the amazing artistry of the Disney staff, such as Tyrus Wong, who is largely credited for making the forest look as grand as it does.

            The characters of this film are a ton of fun. Bambi as a character is a little dull, as he spends the majority of the beginning of the film looking around with doe-eyed amazement. Thumper is the wise cracking neighborhood kid that says the first thing that pops in his hand (in other words, me). Flower is the shy awkward character. As he is a skunk, a lesser film would have made several fart jokes, because Flower’s a skunk therefore he must utilize the defensive technique skunks are known for. This film wisely avoided this obvious gag that may have been funny to some, I feel it would have resulted in a detriment to an otherwise mature animated film. I love how they never actually show “man” onscreen. This way the audience can insert themselves into the film and realize how their actions can destroy a fragile ecosystem.

            The environmental message is powerful, but not overbearing or forced. The message is simple. Humans have to be careful with their actions, otherwise they can bring ruin to themselves and others. Some may claim this film has an anti-hunting agenda. I disagree, the focus of this film is the life of Bambi and the trials and tribulations he must face while growing up. True, Bambi’s mother’s death is heart wrenching, but that was the act of one individual. In reality, hunters typically don’t hunt does as it is largely looked down upon in the hunting community. I’ve heard plenty of boasting from hunters about how they shot a 8-point or a 10-point buck, but I have yet to hear a hunter boast about killing a doe.

            I do feel Bambi has a massive tone problem in one particular spot in the film. The film goes from showing a very powerful and emotional scene, to a bright and happy go lucky scene. This takes the audience out of the moment, leaving many members of the audience to wonder what’s going on. While the emotionally powerful scene was executed well, it did not follow through well. The Land Before Time and The Lion King had similar scenes, but they knew to hold off on the bright and colorful moments until the film had at least addressed what had just happened.

            Bambi showcases how beautiful and tragic an animated feature can be. Although it has a simple plot, the film’s saving grace is the likeability of the characters and the gorgeous animation that wouldn’t be topped be topped until the Disney Renaissance, almost fifty years after Bambi’s theatrical release.

The Great Mouse Detective 8.5/10

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G, 74m, 1986

With the Voice Talents of Barrie Ingham (Basil), Vincent Price (Professor Ratigan), Val Bettin (Major Dr. David Q. Dawson), Susanne Pollatschek (Olivia Flaversham), Alan Young (Hiram Flaversham), Candy Candido (Figit), Diana Chesney (Mrs. Judson), Eve Brenner (Queen Mousetoria) Melissa Manchester (Miss Kitty Mouse) Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes), Laurie Main (Dr. Watson) and Frank Welker (Toby and Felicia). Directed by Ron Clements, John Musker, Dave Michener and Burny Mattinson. Produced by Burny Mattinson. Screenplay by Peter Young, Vance Gerry, Ron Clements, John Musker, Steve Hulett, Burny Mattinson, Matthew O’Callaghan, Dave Michener, Bruce Morris and Mel Shaw. Music by Henry Mancini. Based on the book series Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus.

After the disastrous critical and financial failure of The Black Cauldron, the future of the animation department at the Disney Studio was left in question. The studio really hadn’t had a largely successful film since Walt Disney’s death in 1966. The time period from about 1970 with the release of The Aristocats,to 1989 with the release of The Little Mermaid, was such a turbulent time in the Disney Studio, it was dubbed by some to be the “Disney Dark Age”.

The film opens in London in 1897, where we’re introduced to Olivia (Susanne Pollatschek) and Hiram Flaversham (Alan Young). The Flavershams are toymakers, and on this particular day it’s little Olivia’s birthday. Hiram, being a kind and dotting father (the mother is absent and is presumed dead) makes Olivia a dancing ballerina, much to her delight. The merriment is interrupted when a bat named Figit (Candy Candido) kidnaps Hiram, leaving poor Olivia all alone. Major Dr. David Q. Dawson (Val Bettin) discovers her crying in a discarded boot. She tells him of her plight and how she’s looking for the Detective Basil of Baker Street (Barrie Ingham). Fortunately for Olivia, Dr. Dawson knows where Baker Street is, and he accompanies to Basil’s place of residence. The eccentric Basil makes his appearance and proves his sleuth skills by giving exposition on Dr. Dawson that had already been told by Dr. Dawson. After learning of the details of her father’s abduction, Basil agrees to take the case. Basil reveals that the bat that took her father is employed by the villainous Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price). The rest of the film centers around Basil and Dr. Dawson trying to uncover Ratigan’s nefarious plot, stop him and to rescue Olivia’s father.

The characters in this movie are just a thrill to watch. The hero and vilian play off each other perfectly. Basil is a highly intelligent and rather narcissistic sleuth, who has made it his mission to bring down Ratigan. Ratigan is a deliciously evil vilian, right down to Ratigan making evil Shakespearean gestures. Dawson and Olivia serve as the characters that adults and children can live vicariously through. The relationship of the characters are enhanced by the wonderful work of the voice actors, who did a tremendous job in their line delivery.

The animation of this film has a more cartoonish feel, rather than a realistic feel. The background of this film are drawn quite well, and they truly capture the dark beauty of Victorian era England. This film utilizes one of the first uses of CGI in an animated film. The process was used during the climatic fight inside Big Ben. The animation of the gears of Big Ben are simplistic as the CGI animation was limited at the time. Where it truly shines is camera angles and movements add to the intensity and tension of the action scenes. The action sequences are particularly memorable as they actually have weight to them. Basil actually cries out in pain when Ratigan scratches him, and seeing Ratigan go from a sophisticated and educated character to a snarling feral beast, is particularly terrifying.

During the turbulent time of the “Disney Dark Age” a former Disney animator name Don Bluth had left the Disney studio with several other animators in 1979, during the production of The Fox and the Hound. Bluth and his team believed that the Disney Studio was no longer creating content that was created during Walt’s lifetime, so they left to create their own animated films. The first film they released was The Secret of Nimh in 1982. The film was a financial success and lead to a rivalry between Bluth and the Disney Studio. Bluth even released a mouse centered animated film the same year The Great Mouse Detective was released. The film was An American Tail and it outgrossed The Great Mouse Detective by over forty-five million dollars, but the question remains, is An American Tail a better film than The Great Mouse Detective? In this critic’s opinion the answer is no. I feel that the relationship between Basil and Ratigan is more entertaining than the relationship of Fievel and Warren T. Rat and I found the characters in The Great Mouse Detective to be more compelling tan the characters in An American Tail. The songs in An American Tail are better than the songs in The Great Mouse Detective, with “Somewhere Out There” even getting two Grammy awards in 1988. Now granted “The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind” and “Let Me Be Good To You” from The Great Mouse Detective are more entertaining and are more pleasant to listen to than “There Are No Cats In America” and “A Duo” from An American Tail, however none of the songs in The Great Mouse Detective are as good as“Somewhere Out There”. The voice acting in The Great Mouse Detective is better than the voice acting in An American Tail as some characters like Fievel and Gussie Mausheimer. Although Olivia was voiced by a child actress, her voice never comes across as grading or annoying.

Despite being released during the “Disney Dark Age”, The Great Mouse Detective and Oliver and Company are considered to be the beginning of the Disney Renaissance. I personally consider this film to be better than Pocahontas and Hercules, which were released during the Disney Renaissance. The Great Mouse Detective and its unfortunate failure in the box office e when compared to An American Tail helped serve as the necessary kick in the pants the Disney Studio needed and helped lay the groundwork for the Disney Renaissance. As it is a cartoon, several liberties were taken for plot convenience, but overall it’s still a highly enjoyable film.

An American Tail 7.5/10

Nick SheedyLeave a comment

G, 80m, 1986

With the Voices Talents of Philip Glasser (Fievel Mousekewitz), Amy Green (Tanya Mousekewitz), Nehemiah Persoff (Papa Mousekewitz), Erica Yohn (Mama Mousekewitz), Dom DeLuise (Tiger), Pat Musick (Tony Toponi), John Finnegan (Warren T. Rat), Cathianne Blore (Bridget), Neil Ross (Honest John), Christopher Plummer (Henri), Madeline Kahn (Gussie Mausheimer) and Will Ryan (Digit). Directed by Don Bluth. Produced by Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and Jon Pomeroy. Screenplay by Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss. Music by James Horner.

            The film opens in 1885 in Shostka, Russia. We are then introduced to the Mousekewitz family, who are celebrating Hanukkah (yes, the family is Jewish, and no the film never really references this again). Their celebration is interrupted when the Cossacks, along with their cats (who brings their cats on a raid? I can understand dogs, but cats?) attack the town, burning houses and killing all in their path. This leads the family to travel to Hamburg, Germany where they board a boat to travel to the United States. Following a musical sequence, a storm breaks out where characters from various countries sing about the woes of their countries and the optimism of which they view the United States. Fievel (Philip Glasser) is separated from his family. The rest of the film focuses on Fievel trying to reunite with his family.

The characters in this film run the gambit of being likeably funny characters, to being outright annoying and even offensive at times. Fievel, while likeable, suffers from what I call stupid fake hero syndrome – where he’ll suddenly get a burst of courage and do something extremely stupid, only to retreat after the courage fades. When the cats are attacking the town in Russia, Fievel runs out, beating a spoon against a pan trying to frighten the cats. At times, Fievel’s voice can be rather grating. I found it interesting that Fievel is dressed very similar to Mickey Mouse as he is portrayed in Fantasia. Both characters wear long, baggy red clothes, and both have blue hats that are important to them.Fievel also never goes through the proper process of coming to the United States. Therefore, Fievel is technically an undocumented immigrant. The rest of the Mousekewitz family is your standard good-natured family (although I noticed halfway through the movie that the baby Yasha mysteriously disappears and is never seen again). Tiger (Dom DeLuise) is your typical, good natured, bumbling, token nice cat. The fact that he’s in a gang though, conflicts with his established character. He openly states that he’s a vegetarian, and I can’t see the other cats being ok with this, as it seems the sole purpose of the gang is to eat and terrorize the mice. Characters like Digit (Will Ryan) and Gussie Mausheimer (Madeline Kahn) are just there for comedic relief, and often times come across as annoying. One character who is particularly offensive is the drunkard Irish politician Honest John (Neil Ross), and no, this Honest John has no resemblance to the Honest John In Disney’s Pinocchio. I understand that the character is meant to be a caricature of Tammany Hall politicians of that era, but he comes across as a negative stereotype of Irish people. I also fail to see what makes the other cats follow Warren T. Rat (John Finnegan). He’s one of the smallest cats in the gang (the cats aren’t shown to have any need of the protection money he gets from the mice). He’s not particularly menacing, and he’s never seen demonstrating any real force of power. I also fail to understand why someone who’s trying to con a group of people would use such an obvious fake name. In this situation, it’d be the same as if I was an Alien was trying to impersonate a human, and had the name Nicholas L. Human. The love side plot between Tony (Pat Musick) and Bridget (Cathianne Blore) serves little to nothing in the plot, and is just unbelievable and unnecessary. Now, this could have worked out better had the filmmakers had Bridget, who is from an aristocratic Irish born family, been forbidden from seeing Tony, who was from the lower classes. This would have added an excellent commentary on the nature of class prejudice, but instead the filmmakers decided to shoehorn a bland, forgettable, and unnecessary love story in the plot.

            The animation on this film is a mixed bag. While the character design of the animal and the human characters does look nice, at times the animation can get a little awkward. Throughout the movie, there are several scenes where a character, who is neither speaking nor being spoken to, suddenly freezes. Now it’s fine to have a character sit around not moving very much in your animated film because animating every character is difficult and expensive. What’s not ok is to have a character freeze up with the same look on their face, neither moving nor blinking. This gives them an almost petrified look. There are also multiple animation errors in the film, mainly involving Fievel and his hat. In one scene, Fievel is depicted wearing or holding his hat, in the next, the hat will be missing, and in the next he’ll have his hat again. Several characters change color tones throughout the film. I’d understand if this was intentional, showing a character that is sad or depressed as less colorful, but, there’s no consistency with the color tones, so it just ends up being distracting. Now this isn’t to say that the animation of this film is bad throughout the film. I particularly enjoyed the scenes involving song and dance number. My favorite scene would have to be the “Somewhere Out There” number.

            This was the second film that Don Bluth made, and while it’s not as good as his first film, The Secret of Nimh, it is certainly better than the films Bluth and his team would create later on, such as A Troll in Central Park and Thumbelina. It’s also painfully obvious that this film didn’t have a large budget, and this really shows in the animation. Younger viewers might find this film to be a tad too depressing, and at times scary (seriously what does Don Bluth have against cats?). In The Secret of Nimh and An American Tail some of the cats are drawn in a way that looks demonic. Sure the film has its flaws, but I found it to be a fun parable about a bunch of minority groups banding together to stop another group from taking away their freedom.