Month: May 2020

Frank and Ollie 8/10

Nick SheedyLeave a comment

PG, 89m, 1995

Starring Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Jeanette A. Thomas, Marie E. Johnston, John Canemaker, John Culhane, Glen Keane and Andy Gaskill. Directed by Theodore Thomas. Produced by Theodore Thomas and Kuniko Okubo. Screenplay by Theodore Thomas. Music by John Reynolds.

            Throughout the history of the Walt Disney Studio, many great filmmakers, musicians and artists have combined their talents to make some of the most beloved films in the history of cinema. This is especially true of their animated films. However, there are some animators that stand out more than others. Perhaps the most well-known group of Disney animators are the Nine Old Men. The Nine Old Men consists of nine animators that started working for Disney in the early to mid- 1930s, with the exception of Les Clark, who started working for Disney in 1927. Their work helped shape the face of Disney animation and the group would work on the animated films of Disney from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to The Fox and the Hound. The Nine Old Men are Les Clark, Marc Davis, Woolie Reitherman, John Lounsbery, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Perhaps the most widely known are Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, who are sometimes referred to as Frank and Ollie.

            The film covers the careers, friendship and daily lives of Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. The film even has the two act out some of the most iconic scenes they worked on. For anybody familiar with the animation process this is a real treat to see two of the greatest masters of animation recreate those iconic scenes. For those not initiated in the process of animation, when a person is animating anthropomorphic, the animator will often use filmed reference material, or they’ll act out the scene in front of a mirror. When I dabbled in animation, I often would have my friend do little movements such as walking or doing simple movements. I’d also keep a little mirror by my desk so I could portray facial expressions accurately. I was teased for a bit, until the instructor said I was doing what real animators do, pretty soon most of the class was using the same techniques they had previously mocked.

            I appreciate how the film gives an insider’s view of the Disney Studio. Frank and Ollie talk about their impressions and memories of famous Disney animators like Freddie Moore, Bill Tytla, Norm Ferguson and Ham Luske. Back in the 1930s these guys were the top animators working at Disney and they were the ones who actually trained the guys that would become the nine old men. These guys would go on to work on and even direct some of the greatest film produced at the Disney Studio such as Pinocchio, Dumbo and Fantasia. The film also features some of the caricatures the two made of each other or other people at the Disney Studio. The drawings of caricatures was and still is an encouraged practice at the Disney Studio as it gives the artists a bit of a release and it helps sharpen the artists skill of communication, because in order for the joke to work the artist has to properly show what makes the certain element that they decided to focus on humorous.

            I appreciate how the film goes into some of the more human elements of the pair. Frank and Ollie both admit that during the 1920s, they’d sometimes go to speakeasies. For those unfamiliar with a speakeasy, it was a place that served alcohol during probation, which was illegal at the time. This little tidbit of information is largely glossed over, but it does add a little but of a human element to the duo by showing that they weren’t always the pure and saintly type that the Disney Studio is known for. Both Frank and Ollie’s wives share little anecdotes about something their husband did or said, and I just find the interaction between the husbands and wives to be absolutely adorable.

            The core theme of this film is the friendship between Frank and Ollie. These two men met at Stanford University, when they were in their early twenties. Their friendship was transferred into the characters they animated such as Captain Hook and Mr. Smee from Peter Pan, Wart and Merlin from The Sword in the Stone and Baloo and Mowgli from The Jungle Book. The pair even co-authored a few books on animation, including Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life in 1981, which is commonly referred to as “the bible of animation”. The film features the spiritual song “Just a Little While to Stay Here” played by Frank Thomas on the piano and I fell the song truly captures the essence of the film which is about life, friendship and art.

            I find this film to be the perfect film to study if one wants to go into animation. Some may find this statement to be a bit odd, as the main theme of this film is about friendship. The film offers a little insight on the Disney Studio while Frank and Ollie worked there, but it never goes as in-depth as other documentaries like Waking Sleeping Beauty, The Pixar Story or The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story. So, you may be asking yourself “what does he mean this film is a perfect film to study if one wants to go into animation?”, my reasoning is simple. Although out the film, both men talk about personality in character animation and the need to make the characters as believable as possible. This topic and many animation topics are covered extensively in Frank and Ollie’s seminal book The Illusion of Life. These lessons that I learned from these two men have actually helped me in my own life, as I try to become a better critic and maybe someday a filmmaker. Whenever I sit down to sketch out a story, I always ask myself questions like “What was this character’s childhood like?” “Why do they act the way they do?” “What do they want out of life?” “What’s their biggest fear?”. I learned to ask these questions from people like Frank and Ollie, who helped me learn the subtleties of personality in animation. The documentary also discusses the importance of planning a sequence out in one’s head before one starts to animate, since the animator is the one who brings life to an animated character they have to take on the role as an actor, by acting out the scenes they’re bringing to life.

            When it comes to many animated films, the only thing a lot of people remember about the real-life people behind the films are the voice actors and maybe a famous director or producer. I find this to be a real shame as animators like Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston helped revolutionize the animation industry. The pair would even be caricatured and voice characters in The Iron Giant, where they were the train conductors, and The Incredibles, where they were the two elderly men who comment on the return of the supers.” Hey, you see that?” “Eh?” “That’s the way to do it. That’s old school.” “Yeah, no school like the old school.” “Right”. Both films were directed by Brad Bird, who had worked with the legendary duo. I remember watching this documentary as a kid and liking it, to the point where I wanted to meet Frank and Ollie, as they had created some of my favorite animated characters. Unfortunately, this would never come to pass as Frank Thomas passed away on September 8, 2004, and Ollie Johnston passed away on April 14, 2008. These men helped create some of the most beloved animated films of all time, and for that I’ll be eternally grateful for helping spark my interest in animation and the medium of film as art.

A Goofy Movie 8/10

Nick SheedyLeave a comment

G, 81m, 1995

With the Voice Talents of Bill Farmer (Goofy), Jason Marsden (Max), Aaron Lohr (Max’s Singing Voice), Jim Cummings (Pete), Kellie Martin (Roxanne), Rob Paulsen (P.J.), Pauly Shore (Bobby), Wallace Shawn (Principal Mazur), Jenna von Oÿ (Stacey), Frank Welker (Bigfoot), Kevin Lima (Lester the Opossum and Roxanne’s Dad), Wayne Allwine (Mickey Mouse) and Tevin Campbell (Powerline). Directed by Kevin Lima. Produced by Dan Rounds. Screenplay by Jymn Magon, Chris Matheson and Brian Pimental. Music by Carter Burwell and Don Davis, Based on Goof Troop by Robert Taylor and Michael Peraza Jr.

            The iconic trio of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy have become some of the most iconic characters in animation history, but oddly enough until the release of this film, none of the characters have received their own full-length feature film. Sure, they have appeared in leading roles in films like Fantasia, Saludos Amigos, Melody Time and Fun and Fancy Free, however these film appearances were only in package films, and at best they might have helped tie the compilation of animated shorts together. During the 1980s and 1990s the trio would appear in more animated projects that put the characters in a more modern setting. One of these animated projects was Goof Troop, which saw Goofy as a single dad raising his son Max in a suburban setting. The series was a hit and this film was released as a follow-up to the series.

            The film opens with a beautiful dream sequence that shows Max (Jason Marsden) running through an amber field of wheat towards the girl of his dreams Roxanne (Kellie Martin). As the two laugh and roll in the grass Roxanne leans forward for a kiss when a terrible transformation begins to take over Max and he turns into the thing he dreads most of all, his dad Goofy (Bill Farmer). Max wakes with a start and rushes off to school while singing “After Today”, along with the rest of the High Schoolers. While at school Max has a meet cute moment with Roxanne. Unfortunately for Max he embarrasses himself by laughing like Goofy. He runs off to meet up with his friends P.J. (Rob Paulson) and Bobby (Pauly Shore), who have agreed to help get Roxanne to notice Max. Their plan involves Max dressing up like the famous Rockstar Powerline (Tevin Campbell) and performing a choreographed song and dance number. The plan goes well until the trio gets caught by Principal Mazur (Wallace Shawn). While at work Goofy gets a call from Mazur, who actually crosses the line when he tells Goofy that he should reevaluate the way he’s raising his child before he ends up in the electric chair. Keep in mind this was over a little bit of shenanigans. Goofy then decides to take Max fishing at Lake Destiny, a place his father took him as a kid. Unfortunately for Max, Roxanne had agreed to go with Max to a party where they’d watch a Powerline concert on Pay for view. In an attempt to explain why he couldn’t go with Roxanne; Max accidentally blurts out that he and his dad are going to see the Powerline concert live. The rest of the film centers around the relationship between Max and Goofy as they travel cross country with their own agendas.

The relationship between Max and Roxanne can best be described as cute. The characters have genuine chemistry together and they act the same way many teenagers act when they have a crush. Many TV shows and movies oversexualize relationships and neglect to show the sweet awkward side of budding relationships. This film remembers what it’s truly like to be young and in love. Max and Roxane’s relationship is extremely popular in the Disney fandom. To the point where I know people who dislike Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas because Max is with a different girl called Mona. However, Roxanne and Max would see each other again in an episode of The House of Mouse which saw the couple on a date. However, the real focus of the film isn’t about Max and Roxanne’s relationship, the real focus of the film is the relationship between Max and Goofy. At the beginning of the film Max has a bit of a tempestuous relationship with his father. While Goofy is seen as a good father who cares deeply for his son, Max is a teenager who is embarrassed about Goofy’s clumsy antics and the way Goofy still treats him as a kid. This could have easily resulted in a generic story and bland characters, but the film handles the relationship really well and the theme of this film would be repeated in the sequel An Extremely Goofy Movie, but I feel this film did it better since  A Goofy Movie’s climax doesn’t feel like a commercial for ESPN. The way these two characters interact is what really gives this movie its heart, this is best exemplified in the turbulent climax when Max and Goofy are clinging to their car, as its thundering down the Grand Canyon. In the scene Max and Goofy are shouting their feelings toward each other, with each character wanting to be understood. “I was only trying to take my boy fishing, ok?” “I’m not, your little boy anymore, dad! I’ve grown up! I’ve got my own life now!” I know that! I just wanted to be part of it.” This scene is by far the strongest in the film and I applaud the filmmakers for going all out with it.

            The animation of this film is surprisingly good. While the Disney company is synonymous with great looking animated features, it also has its fair share of bland looking atrocities. This film could have easily ended up looking like one of Disney’s direct-to-video films, with cheap looking animation and uninspired character designs. Instead we got a great looking animated film that was animated in Walt Disney Animation France and Walt Disney Animation Australia. There’s a fantastic opening sequence that shows Max running towards Roxanne in a dream sequence that goes from a light and whimsical romance moment to a dark nightmarish scene that visually portrays Max’s fear of becoming like his father. However, the animation of this film isn’t perfect as there are several moments when a character in the foreground will either use looped animation or will be completely motionless and this can be a little jarring.

            Despite being based on the animated series Goof Troop, A Goofy Movie has little in common with the series it’s based on. Pete’s wife Peg, and his daughter Pistol are absent from the film and are never referenced throughout the movie. Bobby and Roxanne do not appear in Goof Troop and are hardly mentioned in other Disney properties outside of this film and An Extremely Goofy Movie, which Roxanne is completely absent from. This may actually be for the better, as I’m not really a fan of Goof Troop, mainly because I find the show to be extremely generic and dated and while there are some elements of A Goofy Movie that are a little dated, I still found this to be a highly enjoyable film. I do feel this film is a bit underrated as not a lot of people seem to know of this film’s existence. However, that is beginning to change as I’m beginning to see more references to the film in stores and on social media. While this film certainly isn’t groundbreaking, it is a sweet little film that’s better than one would expect from a film like this. As a kid, I loved to watch this film after the last day of school as the film does begin on the last day of school for Max and I always found it to be a great way to start summer vacation along with watching Recess: School’s Out.

Tarzan 8.5/10

Nick SheedyLeave a comment

G, 88m, 1999

With the Voice Talents of Tony Goldwyn (Tarzan), Minnie Driver (Jane Porter), Glenn Close (Karla), Lance Henriksen (Kerchak), Brian Blessed (William Clayton), Nigel Hawthrone (Archimedes Q. Porter), Rosie O’Donnell (Terk), Wayne Knight (Tantor), Alex D. Linz (Young Tarzan), Taylor Dempsey (Young Tantor), Erik von Detten (Flynt) and Jason Marsden (Mungo). Directed by Kevin Lima and Chris Buck. Produced by Bonnie Arnold. Screenplay by Tad Murphey, Bob Tzudiker and Noni White. Music by Mark Mancina and Phil Collins. Based on Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

            As a kid I remember this film getting promoted a lot. Behind the scenes features were placed before A Bug’s Life and Mulan on VHS. To the film’s credit it is an enjoyable film, however it has garnered some hate over the years as the film that killed the Disney Renaissance. This is mainly because it broke the cycle of having a Disney animated feature, be a musical. I’m guessing they forgot about Rescuers Down Under which featured no songs as well. The film was also the last film released during the Disney Renaissance, which would be followed by a time period where the films released weren’t as memorable as the films released during the Disney Renaissance. I think that’s a little unfair to this film, as I find this film to be better than Hercules and Pocahontas, which were both released during the Disney Renaissance.

            The film opens with an adrenaline filled action sequence, that shows Tarzan and his parents fleeing from the burning wreckage of a sinking ship. They make it ashore and soon construct a house in the trees. Simultaneously Kerchak (Lance Henriksen) and Karla (Glenn Close) are enjoying being parents to an energetic baby gorilla, until the baby is killed by Sabor the leopard, while they were sleeping. Devastated Kerchak leads the troop onward with Karla woefully trailing behind. She hears a strange bout of crying, so she runs off to investigate. She soon comes across the residence built by Tarzan’s parents. Karla cautiously wonders in and she soon spies the corpses of Tarzan’s parents with bloodied paw prints belonging to Sabor. She almost leaves but she notices a picture of Tarzan and his parents and she soon finds baby Tarzan and takes a shing to him. Their blissful introduction is interrupted by Sabor who attacks the pair, but Karla escapes with Tarzan tucked in her arms. Kerchak allows Karla to keep Tarzan as he no longer has a family. Years go by and Tarzan (Tony Goldwyn) has become an immensely muscular fellow, who is even able to wrestle a fully grown gorilla to the ground. One day the troop hears a mysterious sound, and Tarzan goes in investigate. What he discovers is creatures that move and look just like him. The newly arrived humans are Professor Archimedes Q. Porter (Nigel Hawthrone), his daughter Jane Porter (Minnie Driver) and their guide Clayton (Brian Blessed). Now Tarzan must choose between his gorilla family and his newfound human brethren.

            While the songs in this film do match the tone of the film, as well as progress the movie along through mostly montages, the songs selections will polarize audience members. This all boils down to one thing, whether or not said audience member likes Phil Collins. I personally like Phil Collins, and my friends and I even have an inside joke about him Whenever we hang out, inevitably we end up hearing a Phil Collins song, at which point we laugh. As far as the songs of this film goes, they serve their purpose for the film and are enjoyable to boot. In fact, “You’ll Be in My Heart” won best original song at the 2000 Academy Awards. I appreciate how unlike most of the films of the Disney Renaissance this film almost never has its characters burst into song. The characters bursting into song would have seemed a little jarring and wouldn’t have felt natural. However, there are two moments when characters burst into song. The first is the first night Karla and Tarzan spend together. When Tarzan starts crying, Karla sings him a sweet little lullaby, which is something a lot of mothers do to their sons, so it makes sense narratively why this is in the film. It also adds emotional depth to the relationship of Karla and Tarzan, as both lost someone close to them and both characters fill the hole left behind. The second time some of the characters burst into song is when Tarzan’s animal friends are searching for him and come across the empty camp of Clayton and the Porters. Being completely unfamiliar with the objects, they start to observe them and soon they’re having an impromptu scat jam session, using the objects as instruments. While this scene has no real purpose in the film other than for Jane to learn that Tarzan can speak to the gorillas and is a part of their troop, as well as to attract the attention of Clayton and the Professor, the characters bursting into song does make sense as the animals are just having fun and organically burst into song.

            One of the biggest strengths of this film is the relationship between the characters. This is best symbolized by the characters putting their hands against each other’s. This takes place in two forms, the first being Karla and Tarzan, and the other being Tarzan and Jane. The most powerful relationship is between Karla and Tarzan. After losing her child to Sabor, Karla finds maternal love in Tarzan. The relationship between these two characters is quite possibly the strongest mother/son relationship in any Disney film. There are two scenes in particular that illustrate this point. The first takes place after Kerchak tells Karla that Tarzan will never be one of them. That night Tarzan is looking at his reflection in a pool of water. Disliking what he sees, he lashes out at his reflection, until a splatter of mud hits him. Tarzan then covers himself in mud, in order to look more like the gorillas. Karla then cleans him up and shows him that they’re really not that different. The second scene takes place while Tarzan is having some internal struggles about wanting to be with other humans, while still wanting to be with his gorilla family. The scene shows Karla making the heartbreaking decision to show Tarzan where he came from and telling him that she just wants him to be happy. There is minimal dialogue during this scene, and the emotion is mainly told through body movement and facial expressions. This scene is accompanied by a soft melancholic score and it really hits close to home. I’d actually argue that this scene is one of the most powerful in the Disney Renaissance.

            The animation of this film is phenomenal. The look of the African jungle is particularly imaginative and immersive thanks to the development of the Deep Canvas technique. This technique allows artists to produce CGI background that looks like a traditional painting. This allows the camera to be immersive in its world, and at times it emulates a roller-coaster ride, most notably when Tarzan is fighting with Sabor. The movements of Tarzan are extremely imaginative, while maintain a degree of believability. Glen Keane served as the animation director for the eponymous character stated that he modelled Tarzan’s movements off of snowboarders and skateboards when Tarzan is navigating through the jungle on the branches of trees. This allowed for a uniqueness that differentiates Disney’s Tarzan from other films centering around the character, as there are about fifty Tarzan films released prior to this film, with Disney’s Tarzan being the second animated version depending on how you classify how long a film is supposed to be. I’m going by the AFI’s (American Fil Institution) definition of a film being over forty minutes in length. The first animated film featuring Tarzan was Tarzan of the Apes, released a few months prior to the Disney version. In the defense of this film, Tarzan of the Apes does look like a hastily created knock-off of this film, and it never got a theatrical run, however this film would not mark the first time the character made an animated appearance. A manga that was later turned into a fifty-episode anime called Jungle King Tar-chan was heavily influenced by the Tarzan stories, and was released in the early and mid-90s.

            I’m honestly surprised that Tarzan marks the first time the character made an animated theatrical debut. The story of Tarzan lends itself to animation perfectly, and it’s almost impossible to pull off some of the tricks Tarzan is supposed to do in live action. I haven’t seen every single film about Tarzan, but out of the films I have seen, I think this film did it best. It explored new areas of the character, such as the relationship between Tarzan and the ape who raised him. The only real problems I have with this movie is I felt the film should have focused more on Tarzan’s internal struggle with his identity. I felt that Clayton was an unneeded character as he’s just a generic greedy character that is really no different from Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas, or they could have made Sabor the vilian of the film as she killed both Karla’s baby and Tarzan’s parents. This could have worked as she is still alive when Tarzan is an adult so it wouldn’t have been that hard to pull off and Sabor could have been like a Shere Khan type of vilian from The Jungle Book, but I digress. For what it is this is a fantastic film and I thoroughly enjoyed it as a kid, and I find I enjoy it more as an adult.

Flushed Away 7.5/10

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PG, 85m, 2006

With the Voice Talents of Hugh Jackman (Roddy), Kate Winslet (Rita Malone), Ian McKellen (The Toad), Jean Reno (Le Frog), Andy Serkis (Spike), Bill Nighy (Whitey), Shane Richie (Sid), Kathy Burke (Mrs. Malone), David Suchet (Mr. Malone), Miriam Margolyes (Rita’s Grandmother) and Rachel Rawlinson (Tabitha). Directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell. Produced by Cecil Kramer, David Sproxton and Peter Lord. Screenplay by Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Chris Lloyd, Joe Keenan and William Davies. Music by Harry Gregson-Williams.

            Flushed Away is the final collaboration between Aardman Animations and DreamWorks Animation. The studios previous work together includes Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Chicken Run. The reason the two studios stopped working with each other is because of creative differences and the under-performance of Flushed Away at the box office.  Aardman would continue to create other creative films such as Arthur Christmas and The Pirates! Band of Misfits.

            The film opens in London, with some beautiful looking London scenery, including an imaginative shot of the film’s title card underneath the London Bridge. Roddy (Hugh Jackman) is the pampered pet rat of an upper-class family. He lives a life of luxury and when the family that owns him goes away on holiday, Roddy has the run of the place, but it’s obvious he’s very lonely. Despite him joyfully rocking out to “Dancing with Myself”, Roddy’s only playmates are dolls, and he really doesn’t have anyone to talk to. One-night Roddy hears a bump in the night, it’s revealed to be a portly sewer rat named Sid (Shane Richie). Sid immediately starts making the place his own and making a huge mess everywhere. Knowing that he could never forcibly remove Sid himself, Roddy comes up with a plan to flush Sid down the toilet by telling Sid that the toilet was a jacuzzi. Sid, knowing full well what a toilet is pushes Roddy down into the toilet and then flushes the toilet. Roddy then finds himself in the sewer, where he desperately tries to find a way to get home. He learns of the daughter of a captain called Rita (Kate Winslet), who might be able to help him. Roddy finds Rita but she’s being chased by a couple of gangsters under the employment of the Toad (Ian McKellen), for stealing a ruby. Roddy and Rita get captured, but they escape with the master cable, that is highly prized by The Toad. Roddy reveals to Rita that the ruby is a fake and he demonstrates this by smashing the ruby on the side of Rita’s boat, much to her dismay, since the ruby was going to be used to help her family. Roddy then makes a deal with her, saying if she gets him back home, he’ll give her a real ruby. Now the pair must make it back “Up Top” while the Toad and his henchman relentlessly pursue them.

            This marks the first time that Aardman Animations released a completely computer-generated film. Previously they created Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Chicken Run, which were all animated utilizing mostly stop-motion. The decision to animate this film with computers, rather than stop-motion was most likely done because this film features a lot of water and working with this much water would have proved near impossible for the medium of stop-motion. The characters are designed to look like stop-motion animated characters, and as a result the characters have a plastic look. Since it is animated using computers instead of stop-motion the character movements look much smoother and more natural. However, while the animation of the characters is really good and the backgrounds are imaginative, the area where this film falls flat is in the animation of the human characters. At first, they only show the human characters from the torso area, with the exception of a shot of the back of Tabitha’s, Roddy’s owner, head. However, the film unfortunately does show the faces of a few humans and they look absolutely grotesque. One area where the animation does shine is in the design of the sewer world. Instead of the stereotypical drab, dark and dirty sewer, the audience is treated to a visually pleasing and imaginative city that is made up of discarded trash. The design of the underground city is bright and colorful, and it really pops on screen.

            The characters in this film are mostly enjoyable to watch Roddy starts off the film as a fish out of water character, who just wants to get back home to his pampered life. As the film goes on he starts to realize that material possessions aren’t what’s truly important in life. Several times throughout the film he lies about his life above the sewer, but he isn’t lying about being able to supply Rita with the wealth her family needs. He lies about having a family, as he sees that Rita and her family are much happier than he is, despite them living in relative poverty. Rita’s family has each other and they watch out for each other, which makes Roddy envious as he has nobody and the only “friends” he has are plastic dolls. The Toad is one of the more enjoyable characters of this film. He’s an eccentric collector, obsessed with British culture. I found him, and his cousin Le Frog (Jean Rin) to be excellent examples of comedic villains. Despite having many funny scenes, the pair present an ever-present danger to Rita and Roddy. Sid is just meant to serve as a plot device to flush Roddy down the toilet and get him where the majority of the film takes place. He also supplies most of the film’s toilet humor, which makes him come off as a one-dimensional character as we never learn anything about him or his previous life in the sewer. I’d be more forgiving of the character if he made some kind of meaningful contribution to the plot, like maybe Sid could have a heartfelt conversation with Roddy about what’s truly important in life and the reason he prefers living at Roddy’s place, is because he doesn’t have a family, and that nobody would miss him if he was gone, which would have prompted Roddy to supply Sid with a place where he would be appreciated. This proposed idea would have added a bit more depth to the character and the film would have remained largely the same, save for a few extra lines of dialogue.

            The jokes in this film are a mixed bag. One joke that had me grinning was when Roddy was trying to figure out what he’s going to wear today and one of the costumes was Wolverine’s costume from the X-Men comics. This is a subtle nod to Roddy’s voice actor, Hugh Jackman, who portrayed Wolverine in the X-Men films.  However, there are quite a few jokes that involve toilet humor, belching and shots to the groin. Sid scarfs down a fish. “Do you like seafood?” Sid then opens his mouth to reveal the chewed-up mesh of fish. “See food! Get it? These jokes are a plenty in this film. I’m not personally a fan of these types of jokes, but considering the film’s title, I should be happy that the film wasn’t swimming with them.

            This film is simply a delight to watch. The characters are interesting, the plot is engaging, and the humor mostly works. The only real problems I can find with this film are when the jokes rely too much on toilet humor and pop culture references and I do take a bit of an issue with film’s message, which kind of implies that one can’t be happy if they’re alone. I get where they’re coming from, but the message does come off as a little condescending to people who enjoy this type of lifestyle. I find it a real pity that this film under performed in the box-office, causing DreamWorks to sever ties with Aardman as I feel the two companies could have made some more fantastic films together.

Pokémon The Movie 2000: The Power of One 6.5/10

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G, 109m, 1999

With the Voice Talents of Veronica Taylor (Ash Ketchum and Delia Ketchum), Ikue Otani (Pikachu), Rachael Lillis (Misty, Jessie, Venonat and Goldeen), Ted Lewis (Tracey Sketchit), Satomi Kōrogi (Togepi), Eric Stuart (James, Weezing, Scyther, and Squirtle), Maddie Blaustein (Meowth), Roger Parsons (Narrator), Stuart Zagnit (Professor Oak), Kayzie Rogers (Professor Ivy, Mr. Mime and Marill), Eric Rath (Lugia), Amy Birnbaum (Melody), Nathan Price (Slowking), Neil Stewar (Lawrence III) and Tara Sands (Maren and Bulbasaur). Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and Michael Haigney. Produced by Choji Yoshikawa, Yukako Matsusako and Takemoto Mori. Screenplay by Takeshi Shudo Michael Haigney and Norman J. Grossfeld. Music by Shinji Miyazaki. Based on the Pokémon franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri.

            After the immense success of Pokémon: The First Movie, was released barely a year following the release of the original (going by the original Japanese release). Pokémon 2000 promises to make everything bigger and better, and the film certainly delivers on that front. However, this does serve as a bit of a detriment to the film as nothing feels truly personal.

            The film opens with Lawrence III (Neil Stewar) reading a prophecy that foretells of global destruction if the balance between fire, ice and lightning is disturbed. Immediately after reading this Lawrence III upsets the balance of fire, ice and lightning by capturing Moltres. We then cut to Ash (Veronica Taylor), Misty (Rachael Lillis), Tracey (Ted Lewis) and Maren (Tara Sands) travelling to their next destination. Due to a storm, they are thrown off course and end up on Shamouti Island, where the locals are in the middle of a festival. The festival involves a chosen Pokémon trainer going out and collecting three orbs from the Fire, Ice and Lightning Islands and place them at the Shamouti Islands shrine, where a talking Slowking resides. Melody (Amy Birnbaum) will then play the festival’s song on a flute, which is actually Lugia’s (Eric Rath) song and the task is completed. Naturally Ash is chosen as the so called “Chosen One” and rushes off to find the orbs. He ventures off despite being warned of an incoming storm. Ash and his friends manage to reach Fire Island before getting interrupted by Team Rocket. Zapdos suddenly appears and we learn via Meowth (Maddie Blaustein) that since Moltres is gone, Zapdos is claiming the area has his own. Lawrence III picks this moment to capture Zapdos and in the ensuing capture, he accidentally captures Ash and company. For whatever reason Lawrence III tells the group his plan and neglects to take away their Pokémon. This allows for Ash and company to escape and free Zapdos and Moltres. This causes them to take down Lawrence III’s flying fortress and for Articuno to join the fray in a free for all battle. Lugia suddenly appears and informs Ash and company that the only way to stop this madness is for Ash to complete the Island’s traditional Chosen One’s task because Ash is the Chosen One. Now it’s up to Ash to complete the task before the world is destroyed by the ensuing chaos of Zapdos, Articuno and Moltres fighting.

            The film has a new addition to the trio in the form of Tracey and unless you’ve been keeping up with the anime, you’re going to be confused as to why Tracey replaced Brock. As the film doesn’t explain this change, I will. Brock stayed at Professor Ivy’s lab because he had a crush on her, however this did not end well as in later episodes he left Professor Ivy’s lab and for reasons that are never explained, Brock can’t stand hearing her name. This film also gives characters besides Ash and Pikachu to contribute to the plot, instead of standing around in open-mouth horror. Unlike their appearance in Pokémon The First Movie, Team Rocket actually contributes to the plot. Unfortunately, this would be one of the only times Team Rocket actually contributes to the plot of a Pokémon movie instead of existing purely for comedic relief or a gratuitous cameo. As a vilian Lawrence III pales in comparison to Mewtwo. Mewtwo had complexity and the audience could sympathize with him even if they didn’t agree with his methods. Lawrence III is just your run of the mill rich greedy one note vilian. I get that the film is trying to send a message that too much greed can lead to the destruction of the world, but it makes no sense for this vilian to even attempt his plans. He knows that pursuing his plans will probably lead to the destruction of the world, but he goes through with it anyway. If the vilian hadn’t known that his actions would have led to apoplectic circumstance, this would have been more understandable.

            The film’s plot is your generic “Chosen One” story, where a character is the only one that can perform a particular task. We’ve seen this plot in better movies with more compelling characters. This film would have been helped if the destruction was designated to one particular area, after spending a significant amount of time in the area and introducing some compelling characters that the audience could sympathize with and hope that they survive unscathed. The film’s message would have had much more impactful if the villain’s actions caused the death or serious injury of a character that the audience had gotten to know and care for, but no, all we get is a weak and generic plot that leaves no real impact on the audience.

            The film has a subplot involving a ship tease between Ash and Misty. This is completely pointless as their relationship never comes into play in later films and is never resolved in the anime. The film for whatever reason allows Lugia and Slowking to possess the power to communicate with humans. While it’s true Slowking is a psychic type, Slowking’s evolutionary family is notorious for being dimwitted, so it raises some questions as to why he can talk so eloquently, and he was appointed a guardian. I’d give Lugia a pass if, the anime hadn’t devoted an entire arch to a Lugia and its child and those Lugia were unable to communicate with humans. This film also has a hypocritical lesson. After they learn of Lawrence III’s ultimate goal, Misty berates him for collecting Pokémon. This is weird because this is one of the ultimate goals of the franchise is to capture every single species of Pokémon.

            One aspect of the film that I actually enjoyed was that Ash actually hesitates and has self- doubt when he finds out that the quest was real and if he fails then there will be consequences. This highly realistic as somebody like Ash would start off on the quest with a gung-ho attitude, and then hesitate when they discover that it’s all for real. He’s only able to go through with it after getting encouragement from Lugia, his friends and his Pokémon. This shows that it’s normal to doubt your abilities at times and sometimes the best remedy is to talk to people you trust about your insecurities. Granted I believe that Kiki’s Delivery Service handled this message better, but it’s an important lesson for kids to learn. Another aspect I enjoyed from the film was the score. “Lugia’s Theme” is extremely pleasant to listen to and it puts me in a relaxed mood. Another song I enjoyed was “The Power of One” by Donna Summers.

            While I did find this film to be a bit more entertaining than Pokémon the First Movie, Pokémon 2000 suffers from a weak and generic plot that we’ve seen many times as well as one of the weakest villains in any of the Pokémon films. As with Pokémon the First Movie, non-Pokémon fans probably won’t like this film, and I can only recommend this film to fans of the Orange Island arc and die-hard Pokémon fans.