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Post by Belchic on Apr 10, 2018 15:47:22 GMT -5
The Care Bears Movie (1985)
The Care Bears Movie. Whoever thought of making a theatrical movie based on characters made for Hallmark greeting cards had to think of something in order to make this movie. Though the Care Bears were really popular during this time in the 1980’s, so logically, it would make sense to give them a movie while they are at the peak of their popularity. Normally, movies like this don’t perform well at the box office, but this one embarrassingly outgrossed Disney’s big animated feature of the year! So the question remains: Does this movie still deserve to be better than Disney’s biggest flop, or is it a dated cash grab that we should just not care about? Let’s find out.
The Story The story is about a klutzy magician’s apprentice named Nicholas who longs for friends. He stumbles upon an ancient spell book that’s inhabited by a spirit who wants to help him make people love him by improving on his magic skills, but it turns out she’s actually corrupting him to cast spells so that no one in the world will care anymore. Meanwhile, the Care Bears are trying to stop the spirit along with two friends they recently helped or else their home, Care-a-Lot, would be gone forever. To be fair, the whole save the world plot is the most done to death plot in history, but here, it works very nicely. It teaches a good moral to little kids, and it even has some dark moments to keep some older audiences engaged. That and the lack of subplots make it easy to follow. But still, it’s not perfect.
The Animation I have said numerous times that I am a sucker for bright and colorful animation, and this movie doesn’t disappoint. That being said however, I think this movie is a little too bright and colorful. There’s too much use of pastel colors even during the movie’s dark moments. Not to mention the character animation isn’t all that appealing either. Overall, the animation feels more like something you’d see in an 80’s Saturday morning cartoon rather than something that’s really theatrical-worthy like the Disney films from the 90’s.
The Characters This movie had a lot of characters! Maybe even too many! The Care Bears themselves don’t get too much development, but the ones we focus on the most are Tenderheart, the fearless leader, Friend Bear and Secret Bear, who are sort of like the comic reliefs, Grumpy Bear, the more down-to-earth one who usually ends up doing most of the handy work, and Good Luck Bear, and optimistic bear that acts as Grumpy’s assistant through most of the movie. Kim and Jason act as the reliable reformed allies to the Care Bears and are good role models for kids once they get to that state. The Care Bear Cousins don’t get much development with the exception of Brave Heart Lion and Playful Heart Monkey. Nicholas, as I said, is the clumsy loner who gets corrupted. Then there is the spirit, and my God is she freaky, and not to mention powerful! Overall, the characters are hit and miss, but there’s too many that don’t get enough development.
The Songs This movie contains an assortment of songs written by Carole King and John Sebastian. The songs are catchy and upbeat and really give the idea that this is an 80’s movie. “Care-a-Lot” is a peaceful tune that actually talks about feelings. “Nobody Cares Like a Bear” is an...okay song. “Home is In Your Heart” is a good song that talks about how it’s okay to share each other’s differences in your respective homes. “When You Care, You’re Not Afraid to Try” is easily the worst song in the movie. “Look Out, He’s After You” is a suspenseful, Nightmare-inducing Chase Song. Then there’s the finale, “It’s Great to Be in the Care Bear Family”, which is a really fun song that’s perfect to leave a happy feeling in your heart as the movie concludes. While these may not be Oscar-worthy songs, they are still fun songs to listen to once in a while.
The Care Bears Movie is a great introduction to the Care Bears franchise. As far as movies go, it’s far from perfect, but for children under 7, it’s harmless. It also shows a great example of what animated movies of the 80’s are all about, and it set the standards for movies based on toy lines as well as movies based on cartoons. This movie is not good enough to earn my Seal Of Approval, but it’s still good enough for me to enjoy and not put in the Meh category.
Story: 8/10 Animation: 6/10 Characters: 7/10 Songs: 8/10
Overall: 7/10 = 72.5%
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Now it’s time to figure out what my next movie review will be...Oh! It looks like my next review is going to be on a Disney movie from Disney’s dark age in the 70’s after Walt passed away. It’s a movie that doesn’t get discussed much but has a bit of a cult following. It also had some elements from another canceled Disney film. If you’ve figured it out by now, you’re on the straight arrow.
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Post by Belchic on Apr 21, 2018 15:39:18 GMT -5
Robin Hood (1973)
Robin Hood. The 1970’s were a dark decade for Disney. Walt had recently passed away, and for the most part, Disney’s movie division was ignored. Most of their focus during this time was on their theme parks. However, during this time came this retelling of the classic English tale. It wasn’t a hit when it first came out, but during the 80’s, it gained a bit of a cult following. It was one of the first Disney films to be released on home video, and it played on TV quite a few times as well. Though looking back today, is this movie still an underrated gem, or does it deserve to be forgotten just as much as the other Disney films of the decade? Let’s find out...
The Story I’m sure many of you are familiar with the story of Robin Hood. He’s the prince of thieves who is known to rob from the rich and give to the poor, and that’s exactly what he does here. However, this version also has some subplots to make the story more interesting. There’s the story of Prince John who along with the Sheriff of Nottingham who will stop at nothing to get rid of Robin Hood so that he can continue to collect taxes from everyone in the kingdom. There’s also the love story between Robin and Maid Marian who haven’t seen each other for years but still love each other and are hoping to be married some day. The only downside to the story is that the narrator, Alan-A-Dale, claims this to be the real story of Robin Hood, but that’s pretty debatable. Regardless, the overall story is engaging enough to get into, and the plots all make perfect sense and blend together rather nicely.
The Animation It’s easy to tell this was made during the lowest point of Disney’s animation era. It clearly shows that there has been sketching and xerography used a lot in this film. There are even moments where you will see movements that looks identical to previous Disney films! Understandably, this was a low-budget film, so I can’t be too harsh on it. I also gotta give credit to the animators who worked on it like Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and Don Bluth, but I also gotta give a shoutout to Milt Kahl for those reused Animation moments that saved the film, and also John Lounsberry for this being his last film he worked on before his death. The animation isn’t bad per se, in fact, it is quite good, but it’s far from anything groundbreaking.
The Characters There are a lot of characters to talk about here! First, we got the main star, Robin Hood, who is the typical main male hero: charming, lovable, egotistical, but always willing to put other’s needs in front of his own. Little John is the classic sidekick who is usually more of the voice of reason around his best friend but still has his moments. Maid Marian is the classic love interest who can also be playful but is more often the classic damsel in distress. Lady Cluck is more of a supportive mother figure but also shows that she can be a badass at times. Skippy and his friends are the classic kid appeal characters who idolize Robin Hood. Friar Tuck is the honest voice of encouragement. Then we have our villains: Prince John, Sir Hiss and the Sheriff of Nottingham; as cruel as they are, and as much as we are supposed to hate them, these guys are just so hard to take seriously because of how funny and lovable they are! This is overall a fun cast of characters. It’s not perfect, but it’s got a lot going for it.
The Songs One of the things that makes a Disney Movie so memorable is it’s songs, and this movie does not hesitate to deliver such. Unfortunately the songs in this movie are quite forgettable compared to most other Disney songs. That’s not to say they’re bad, but some are quite underrated. “Oo Dee Lally” serves as nothing more than an introduction to our heroes and is the phrase that gets constantly repeated over and over again throughout the movie. Then we have the movie’s love song literally called, “Love”, which sadly didn’t become a big hit for Disney even though it won the Oscar for Best Original Song. “The Phony King of England” is a fun musical extravaganza that pokes fun at the villain. And finally, there’s the tear-jerking “Not in Nottingham”, which shows a perfect example of how great songwriters were in the 70’s. Overall, these may not be the most memorable songs in the Disney catalog, but they’re not too bad, and I actually find them quite underrated.
Robin Hood is an underrated gem in the Disney library. It’s no masterpiece by any means, but it’s definitely a fun movie to watch with your family. If you’re a casual Disney fan that’s only familiar with the essential Disney films and want to broaden your horizons into the more underrated side, then this movie is a good place to start. It may not be as mind-blowing as Zootopia, but it’s definitely a movie that deserves some recognition.
Story: 8/10 Animation: 7/10 Characters: 9/10 Songs: 7/10
Overall: 7.510 = 77.5%
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Now it’s time to figure out what my next movie review will be...Ooh! Now here’s a film that I don’t think many of you have heard of! Next time, I’m going to be taking a look at a foreign animated film that’s about...I guess you can say it’s if you mixed Moulin Rouge with The Fly and Beauty and the Beast.
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Post by Belchic on May 10, 2018 17:37:51 GMT -5
A Monster in Paris (2011)
A Monster in Paris. In this day and age, when people think of animated films, they usually think about the mainstream animated films that are made by the major studios. However, there are also some independent films that usually are exclusive to certain foreign countries. Case in point, this French CGI animated film from 2011. For an underrated film that not many people talk about, should it be considered a gem, or does it deserve to be smashed like a bug? Let’s find out...
The Story The movie takes place in Paris in 1910. It’s about an projectionist and an inventor who accidentally create a giant monster flea after an experimental disaster. The monster runs loose in the city until a performer finds the monster and sees the beauty in him when she discovers he has a beautiful singing voice. The three of them do their best to protect the monster from getting shot down by the authorities. I guess in a nutshell, you can say the movie is another classic retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” if combined with a sci-fi B movie of the 50’s like The Fly. The story is nothing new that we haven’t seen before, but it’s actually executed rather nicely with a nice twist and some good humor thrown in as well.
The Animation This movie came out during a time when we were so used to CGI animation that something like this would not be so mind-blowingly impressive. If anything, it doesn’t look any different from something you’d see from one of the major animation studios like Sony or Illumination. With that said, for an independent film, this movie’s animation is quite impressive, but it’s still nothing mind-blowing like something we’d see from Disney or Pixar.
The Characters The characters in this movie are not too complex, but they’re also not too predictable either. They’re just simple characters. For the heroes, we’ve got Emile, a clumsy and shy projectionist who is just looking for success in his life. Raoul is Emile’s inventor friend who is often egotistical. Lucille, the lead female, is the star of the Cabaret theater who has the heart for the monster. Then there’s the villain, Maynott, who Wants to win the heart of Lucille and kill the monster, and he’s the typical jerk we see in a lot of these love stories. Then finally, we’ve got the title character, Francoeur, who is a misunderstood yet talented giant flea. Of course I cannot talk about him without mentioning his voice actor for the English dub: Sean Lennon (that’s right, the youngest defendant of the Beatles’ founder, John Lennon)! I must say, he did a spectacular job playing his part in the movie and was probably a perfect choice for the character. Overall, this assortment of characters is plain and simple, but in a good way.
A Monster in Paris is a surprisingly-good Film. I highly recommend it to animation fans, enthusiasts of French culture, and of course, hardcore Beatles fans. It’s a shame this movie didn’t get an international release as a mainstream animated film, because I think it deserves to be viewed and should definitely gain a cult following. I say check it out.
Story: 8/10 Animation: 9/10 Characters: 8/10
Overall: 8/10 = 83.3%
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Now it’s time to figure out what my next movie review will be...OH! Here’s a movie that I probably would have gotten a lot of requests to do if I got any! For my next review, I’m going to look at one of Disney’s most recent films. This was a film that was an unexpected success for the studio and has gained a huge cult following that seems to have evolved into its own culture. What is it about you may ask? Well, let’s just say it’s a story about a crime in a big city, and it’s up to a rabbit and a fox to solve it.
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Post by Belchic on May 23, 2018 13:19:52 GMT -5
Zootopia (2016) Zootopia. When I first heard about this film, I thought it was just going to be a cute little film made by Disney that I would enjoy and just move on after that. Much to my surprise, the film was a massive hit and started a huge cult following! I mean, this film is worshiped! Much like how “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” started a culture known as the Bronies, Zootopia started a culture of its own known as the Zootopians. It’s been two years since this movie came out now. Looking back, does the film still hold up as Disney’s “perfect masterpiece”, or is it something we should just forget about and move on? Let’s find out... The Story(WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!)In this movie, we are focusing on Judy Hopps who has a dream of becoming a cop and moving to Zootopia. Of course, everyone often judges her because she’s just a bunny. She achieves her dream and is about to get fired when she is first assigned a case to find the whereabouts of a missing otter. While on the case, she gets the aid of a sly fox named Nick Wilde. As enjoyable as this film is and as excitable as the humor is, the plot has way too many cliches that have been done to death in a lot of recent animated films: 1. The main protagonist has a dream they want to follow but is misjudged by everyone around. 2. Two characters who at first hate each other learn to become friends in the classic buddy comedy style. 3. The surprise twist villain. I don’t mind these cliches so much, but like I said, they’ve been doing it way too often recently in animated films! I mean, come on! It needs a rest! On top of that, as I watch this film, I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be a family classic, a comedy, an action flick, or a crime drama. Well, with the latter, I can understand it being popular. Still, as entertaining as this movie is, it’s still cliche and doesn’t seem to know what kind of a movie it wants to be. Not to mention characters using modern devices like iPhones could risk making the movie feel dated. The AnimationIf there’s one thing Disney never fails to deliver in their animated films, it’s top notch animation, and this movie does not disappoint! The animation in this movie is so spectacular with its attention to detail on everything! They’ve managed to perfectly replicate what we would see for real in the environment whether it be the rainforest, the tundra, the Sahara desert, the countryside, or the big city. It’s as if you are really there! And don’t even get me started on the character animation! Not only did they get the animalistic features down pat on the details of the character design, but they managed to nail how the animals actually act from the way they walk to how they express themselves! The animators truly did their homework on researching these animals and bringing them to life! Also, there are a lot of moments in the movie where you see hundreds of characters (albeit mostly background) in a single scene! I can’t imagine how much work went into stuff like that! This is like the equivalent to what Snow White and Pinocchio were like 80 years prior! It just blows my mind! The CharactersLike I said, the characters in this movie are perfectly-animated. Despite what I said about the cliches though, the characters themselves are not bad. Our main character, Judy Hopps, is the main hero who just wants to do what she believes is the right thing to do. Nick Wilde is the sly con artist who actually has some good intents of his own. The two of them combined end up developing a strong chemistry together throughout the film. Sadly, we spend so much time focusing on them that we don’t get to see much of the other characters. Chief Bogo is the classic d!ck head. Clawhauser is the classic comic relief. Bellwether is just there for the most part. Then we have characters like Yax, Flash and Mr. Big who only get like one small scene in the movie to deliver some entertainment, but then they’re gone for the rest of the movie. Then there’s Gazelle, the pop star; again, she doesn’t do a whole lot in the film, but MY GOD IS SHE HOT! Not only that, but I actually think she should be the most important character in the film because of how much she cares about what’s going on in Zootopia, and she delivers the film’s message with her song, “Try Everything”. Don’t get me wrong; I love all of these characters. They all have lots of potential. It’s just that we don’t see a whole lot of them because Nick and Judy are always hogging the spotlight. I gotta say I’m really surprised to see how much of a fan base Zootopia has gotten and how much it is worshiped. I can understand to some extent why people love this movie so much, but I still think this movie is far from perfect. The animation is perfect without question. The characters are also fantastic, but I wish I could have seen more of some of them. The story, however, is a mixed bag with its plot twists, cliches, mood whiplash, and modern technology which could risk making the movie feel dated years later. Don’t get me wrong; this is not a bad movie by any means. I want to love this movie, but it just didn’t quite meet my expectations. So unfortunately, this movie does not get my seal of approval because while there are plenty of good things to say about the movie, it could have been better. Story: 6/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 9/10 Overall: 8/10 = 83.3% - Now it’s time to figure out what my next movie review will be...Ooh! This one should be interesting! In my next review, I’m taking you all back to the 80’s for a little world tour with these famous cartoon characters. This isn’t the first movie based on a cartoon series, but it is the first one to feature this trio of brothers. (What do you think, Trey_Vore?)
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Post by Trey_Vore on May 25, 2018 14:10:20 GMT -5
Not a bad review Belchic. Good job.
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Post by Belchic on Jun 9, 2018 15:14:55 GMT -5
The Chipmunk Adventure (1987)
The Chipmunk Adventure. It was 1958 when Ross Bagdasarian introduced the world to Alvin, Simon and Theodore, and they became a musical sensation in the 60’s. After which, they disappeared from the world until 1983 with their new revamped Saturday Morning cartoon, “Alvin and the Chipmunks”. The success of this show led to their first theatrical movie in 1987. Keep in mind, this movie is in no way related to the 2007 film or any of its follow-ups! Looking back today, does this movie still hold up to the series it’s based on, or should we just drown it in the ocean? Let’s find out...
The Story In this movie, David Seville is going on a business trip to Europe and is leaving the Chipmunks behind with Miss Miller. Of course, Alvin is jealous of this because he wants to see the sights. Though one day at a diner, the Chipmunks and Chippettes are encountered by two smugglers who are trying to find someone to deliver diamonds for them. They trick them into setting them up for a hot air balloon race around the world, which Alvin and Brittany of course agree to. I will say, for a TV-show-based movie, the story is very well thought out, even if it does feel like a 90-minute episode of the series. It’s not really an overused cliche, and the jokes are very cleverly-written without being shoved into your face. Overall, it was executed rather nicely.
The Animation As much as I love the story, the animation is average at best. I mean, it is definitely an improvement over the series it is based on, but it’s not quite movie quality animation if you know what I mean. Not to mention, the character animation can look really goofy at times, and it’s sometimes quite disturbing.
The Characters For the most part, the characters from the series are what you’d expect. For the Chipmunks, Alvin is the egotist, Simon is the stick in the mud, and Theodore is the innocent one who’s always hungry. For the Chippettes, Brittany is the obsessive diva, Jannette is the clumsy one, and Eleanor is the sweetheart. Dave and Miss Miller are the way they are in the series as well being the father figure and the ditz. Then of course, we’ve got the villains of the movie, Klaus and Claudia. They’re pretty forgettable villains, even though their backstory is interesting, and their henchmen have their own motivations. Overall, this is an average group of characters.
The Songs Of course, it wouldn’t be a Chipmunks presentation without it being a musical, and this movie truly delivers. Some songs like “Ay, Yi, Yi, Yi” and “Diamond Dolls” are forgettable, other songs are catchy like “Gettin’ Lucky”, and the movie’s only cover song, “Wooly Bully”, and there are also some sweet, heartwarming songs like “Off to See the World” and “My Mother”. Though, the best song is hands down, “The Girls and Boys of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, a slamming musical number performed by the Chipmunks and Chippettes as a dueling sing-off that truly defines what this movie is all about! As fun as the songs are, my only criticism is that this movie came out in 1987, it’s easy to tell that they can feel dated, especially by today’s standards, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that they are still awesome, fun and catchy songs.
As the Chipmunks’ first movie, The Chipmunk Adventure still holds up and can still appeal to fans of the franchise. Sure the songs are dated, the animation isn’t the best, and the story and characters are average, but it’s still a fun movie to watch. I recommend this movie to people who are considering doing some travel in the near future when they’re in the mood to watch a corny animated 80’s flick. It may not be a masterpiece, but it’s still a fun movie, and I’d watch it over the live action Alvin and the Chipmunks any day!
Story: 8/10 Animation: 5/10 Characters: 7/10 Songs: 9/10
Overall: 7/10 = 72.5%
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Now, here is the hint for my next review: This movie is what happens when you make a movie that’s a cross between a musical, a summer vacation flick, a high school movie, a buddy comedy, and you have it star one of the Disney Fab Five.
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Post by Belchic on Jun 26, 2018 16:11:04 GMT -5
A Goofy Movie (1995)
A Goofy Movie. As one of Disney’s Fab Five, Goofy has not really had any feature films all to himself until this movie came out. It certainly wasn’t the first movie he was in; he had previously appeared in Disney films like Saludos Amigos and Fun and Fancy Free, But this may be the first movie that stars him. This movie is often regarded as a movie based on “Goof Troop”, only it takes place when Max is in high school. While it wasn’t one of their classic masterpieces, it has in recent days gained a cult following. With that in mind, is this movie as awesome as Powerline, or is it about as embarrassing as Goofy is to his son? Let’s find out...
The Story The story revolves around Max trying to win the heart of his girlfriend, Roxanne. Though, he goes to great lengths to do so on the last day of school and gets in trouble with the principal who winds up calling Goofy suggesting he raise his son differently. So Goofy takes Max on a road trip to take him fishing, which destroys Max’s plans to go to an after school party where the students are going to watch the Powerline concert. Max lies to Roxanne saying that his Dad is taking him to the concert, and Max does his best to try to prove those lies true while Goofy takes him on the road trip from hell. At first, the film feels like a typical buddy comedy and road trip picture, but the jokes are actually very clever and not so in your face, plus it includes the classic humor that Goofy is most known for. It’s a comedy that knows when to put story before jokes.
The Animation For a Disney Movie, the Animation is just average. It is something you would expect from DisneyToon, so it’s nothing too special, but at least it’s not an eyesore. Of course, the character animation can get a little creepy sometimes considering this movie takes place in a universe where everyone is a canine-human hybrid.
The Characters The characters in this movie are again nothing too special, but it’s not all bad. Goofy is the way you’d expect him to be, clumsy, lovable, and always able to get a good laugh out of him. Max is a typical teenage boy wanting the best out of his life but easily humiliated by his dad. Pete and PJ are characters who randomly pop in and out of the film, and they’re portrayed pretty much the same way they are in Goof Troop. Roxanne is the stereotypical flirtatious girl, yet she has a very kind heart and a sweet spot for Max. Then there’s Bobby, which is undeniably Paulie Shore’s best performance. As fun as the characters are, there really isn’t much to say about them.
The Songs With a movie like this, you probably wouldn’t expect it to be a musical, but there are plenty of fun songs in this movie. The movie’s opening number, “After Today”, is an awesome show-stopping musical number expressing how high school students feel on the last day of school, and I may even go as far to say it could give Grease a run for its money! Then there’s “Out on the Open Road”, a catchy jingle that perfectly sums up how a summer road trip should start. “Lester’s Possum Park”, an intended parody on the Country Bear Jamboree, is nothing more than a throwaway song. “Nobody Else But You” is an unnecessary love song that feels more like it was just shoehorned in. Then we have the two songs performed by Tevin Campbell, “Stand Out” and “I 2 I”; as awesome and catchy as they are, they could also feel outdated at times. So yeah, there are some hits and misses here, but it’s overall a good set of songs.
A Goofy Movie is a fun movie for kids to watch at the start of their summer vacation. With its clever humor, fun songs and great theming, I recommend this movie to any Goofy fans out there. It’s far from perfect, but it’s still a fun movie.
Story: 8/10 Animation: 6/10 Characters: 7/10 Songs: 9/10
Overall: 7.5/10 = 75%
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Now, for my next review, I’m going to take a look at a movie themed around America that was made by a former Disney animator who wound up becoming Disney’s biggest rival in the 80’s.
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Post by Belchic on Jul 2, 2018 20:51:02 GMT -5
An American Tail (1986)
An American Tail. After Don Bluth left Disney to become his own director, he proved he can be successful with The Secret of NIMH. Four years later, he would release his follow-up film released the same day as a Disney animated film and ultimately beat it out at the box office. In honor of the Fourth of July, I am going to review this movie that is all about America, the land of opportunity. So in retrospect, is it true that this deserves to be like the Land of Opportunity, or does it deserve to be as lost as Fievel? Let’s find out...
The Story The movie is about a Russian immigrant mouse family known as the Mousekewitz family. After their home gets destroyed thanks largely to a cat invasion, the family decides to move out to America since the father claims there are no cats there. Yeah...might want to rethink that. While on their boat traveling to America, a storm hits, and Fievel falls off the vote and drifts away but fortunately gets washed up where his family arrived. Fievel spends the movie on a search for his family even though they all think he’s dead, with the exception of Fievel’s older sister, Tanya. The story is very well-written to its own credit, but the problem is it’s too depressing. There aren’t enough light-hearted moments to balance the mood. I mean, at least The Land Before Time did that. Regardless, it still has plenty of heart and just the right amount of humor to keep kids entertained without shoving it in their faces.
The Animation All I can say about the animation is, well...it’s Don Bluth. You can always count on his films to have beautiful hand-drawn animation in his signature style. Though two small nitpicks I would make is there seems to be a lack of color. We mostly see a lot of reddish-brown in the backgrounds and not enough variety. That and the character animation could be a little off-putting as these don’t look much like mice and cats. Overall, it’s not bad animation, but it’s not perfect.
The Characters The writers did their best to give us some memorable characters in this movie. For the Star, we’ve got Fievel, the courageous child mouse who doesn’t always have the best of luck but never gives up. Then we’ve got Mama and Papa Mousekewitz, Who are the classic parental figures with Mama being the more strict one and Papa being the more comical yet confident one. Tanya is the kind of big sister we all want to have who is always encouraging and generous. As for the allies Fievel meets, there’s Tony, the classic street kid who kinda reminds me of the Artful Dodger. Bridgette, Tony’s love interest, is the one who tries to be helpful to Fievel in her best way possible. Then there’s Henri who is the lovable voice of reason and Tiger who is the comic relief, and Christopher Plummer and Dom DeLuise both give outstanding performances. Gussie and Honest John are just a bickering duo who feel like they were just shoehorned into the film, but Madeline Khan does do a hilarious Barbara Walters impersonation with her character. Then there’s the villain, Warren T. Rat, who is very cynical and unpredictable that you don’t want to be around him! This was a great cast of characters, but again, it’s not perfect.
The Songs Don Bluth is known to have some memorable music numbers in his films, and this one does not disappoint, especially with James Horner’s unforgettable score. “No Cats in America” is a fun, show-stopping Broadway piece with verses that each depict a different genre and a different mood. “Never Say Never” is also a catchy song with a very meaningful message. “A Duo” is a classic buddy song but still a lot of fun. Then of course, there’s the hit love song, “Somewhere Out There”, a very tear-jerking number that can make the loneliest feel a strong day of hope. These songs are all great classics and deserve to be movie classics.
It may not be one of my top favorites, but An American Tail is still one of the best Animated Films of the 1980’s. With its heartwarming story, classic animation, fun characters, and unforgettable songs, this movie deserves to be a family classic. It may not be my favorite Don Bluth Film, but it is still undeniably one of his best, and I think it’s worthy enough to earn Belchic’s Seal of Approval!
Story: 8/10 Animation: 8/10 Characters: 9/10 Songs: 10/10
Overall: 8.5/10 = 87%
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Hey, guys! It’s kind of ironic that I was planning to review An American Tail around this time. Not only was it in honor of the Fourth of July, but this is also the next animated movie that AniMatt is reviewing this week. I’m sure his review will be more well-polished than mine anyway, but it’ll still be interesting to see how his thoughts compare to mine. But now that that’s over, let me go ahead and hunt at my next animated film review, and this one is going to be on a recent Disney animated film that got a lot of massive hype well before its release; most people like to compare it to Lilo & Stitch, But I compare it more to Pocahontas. Regardless, this movie was nominated for an Oscar in the same category as another animated film released the same year by the same studio, but it lost to that film in question. If you’re happy about the film I am reviewing, than you’re welcome.
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Post by Belchic on Jul 29, 2018 14:08:54 GMT -5
Moana (2016)
Moana. Here is a recent animated feature from Disney that they were anticipating to be their next big hit, but of course, they were not expecting Zootopia to be so highly-praised by fans and critics alike. As for this film, when it was first publicly announced, there was a lot of massive hype for it! Disney fans were anticipating it to be a classic just as much as Disney themselves were. Surprisingly, both this movie and Zootopia ended up getting an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature! So looking back at it now with all that in mind, does this movie deserve all the hype it keeps getting, or is it just another overrated piece that should just be thrown into the ocean? Let’s find out.
The Story There’s not too much to say about the story other than it’s the story of Moana wanting to explore the ocean, but her father doesn’t want her or any of his other people to go beyond the reef. Regardless, she does it anyway because she was chosen to find the demi-god, Maui, to help her return the heart of Te Fiti. It’s basically the typical story of someone having a dream, their elder tells them no, but they do it anyway. After that, the movie becomes your typical buddy comedy. It just feels like this is a story that has been overdone to death. What’s even worse is while the movie feels like its trying to be serious, there are times when it tries to lighten the mood with some comedy, but most of the jokes are just flat out annoying, especially the ones that involve Maui. Not only that, but I just can’t help but compare this movie to Zootopia, as there are way too many things about the two films that are nearly identical. It’s almost as if they took the whole script from Zootopia and just changed the setting and the characters! It really is weird to see Disney release two identical films in the same year!
The Animation While the story of the movie is unoriginal, they make up for it by delivering some breathtaking animation! As far as CGI films go, this is hands down, the best I have ever seen from Disney! Everything is not only pure eye candy, but the details are so realistic! Everything from the character animation to the water, to the stuff we see underneath the water just blows my mind on so many levels. The animation in this movie just left me totally speechless! We’ve come a long way since Toy Story! It just seems like a waste to have such good animation on a film that has such a weak story.
The Characters Much like Zootopia, there is a good handful of characters, but we are mainly focused on just two of them throughout a majority of the film. The titular character, Moana, is basically the stereotypical brave female warrior who tends to get annoyed easily. I guess you can say she’s the Polynesian equivalent of Merida from Brave, thus showing another sign of lack of originality. Then we’ve got Maui, who while not the most attractive-looking character is a character who can be fun and funny at times, but he can also get annoying with his egotism. Although, Dwayne Johnson’s performance makes up for a lot of that. Then there’s Hei-Hei, Moana’s pet chicken who is supposed to be the comic relief, but every time I watch him, I keep asking myself, “Are we supposed to like this guy?” And that’s about it. The rest of the characters hardly get any development in this film really. Not even Te Fiti, though even though, she has a strong backstory, she just comes and goes, and that’s it. As for Moana’s people, we don’t really get a chance to know them as characters. I feel like the writer’s were rushing with this story too much that we don’t get much character development.
The Songs Of course, any Disney movie would not be a classic if it didn’t have memorable songs, so naturally, this song had to be a musical. “Where You Are” sounds like a song that belongs in Lilo & Stitch. “We Know the Way” sounds more like something that should be played in the background. “Your Welcome” is catchy but gets annoying very fast. “Shiny” serves as a nice tribute to David Bowie, but fails at being a villain song. “I Am Moana” felt more like filler. Then of course, there’s the main song, “How Far I’ll Go”, which has all the key essentials to be a Disney Classic. So overall, this isn’t the best Disney soundtrack, but I’ve heard worse.
So is Moana worthy of all the hype it gets? Well, yes and no. If I were to judge this movie on the animation alone, I would totally brand it as a masterpiece, but it doesn’t make up for the fact that it has a lack of character development, a forgettable soundtrack, and an unoriginal story. As far as Disney movies go, I don’t think this one will be one of my top favorites. Your opinion may differ from mine, but I gotta give credit where credit is due. Moana is just a very overrated film and nothing more.
Story: 4/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 5/10 Songs: 6/10
Overall: 6/10 = 62.5%
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Okay! Now, my next review is going to be on an animated film that I don’t think many of you have heard of. It’s part of a series of animated films from the 80’s that were made in Australia and is often played in schools when the students are learning about marine life.
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Post by Belchic on Aug 10, 2018 11:49:06 GMT -5
Dot and the Whale (1986)
Dot and the Whale. Let me start off by saying in 1899, there was a novel called Dot and the Kangaroo written by Ethel C. Pedley. The book was adapted into an animated film in 1977. However, during the 1980’s, the film launched a line of sequels, which had nothing to do with anything from the creative mind of Pedley other than Dot herself going on more adventures. However, unlike the Land Before Time sequels, these sequels actually were released theatrically, but only in Australia, and some even found their way to other countries in some form, but all of them have yet to get a DVD release. That being said, Dot and the Whale is a Film I remember seeing air on TV when I was a kid, and I even watched it in school a couple times while I was learning about marine life. So with that being said, looking back on this film today, does it deserved to be saved like Tonga, or should we just let it get beached? Let’s find out.
The Story In this entry to the Dot series, Dot is trying to save a beached whale from dying. She manages to assemble a group of kids to help her save the whale and goes on a long, treacherous journey through the ocean to find Moby d**k to get help from him. Ignoring the fact that this movie is loaded with a lot of random encounters, and it of course has an environmental message, the story is actually very enlightening and grasps your heart. There aren’t too many annoying jokes, and it’s amazing the lengths Dot goes to save this whale. It delivers a good message to kids teaching them the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone and going out of your way to help someone other than yourself.
The Animation This is a very unique style of animation considering it’s a mixture of animation and live action. By this, I don’t mean like Roger Rabbit. I mean, for the most part, it’s animated characters with their cells laid on top of live action video footage. Sure, it’s not the most professional-looking animation, but it does make the movie a very unique specimen. There are some hand-drawn backgrounds too, but the live-action stuff is more fascinating to look at. That being said, the character animation is mostly goofy-looking and hard to take seriously (it kind of reminds me of Inspector Gadget), but kids will enjoy it nonetheless.
The Characters Like most films I’ve reviewed recently, this movie has an assortment of characters, but most of them don’t get much development. The title character, Dot, is a brave little girl with the ability to talk to animals who will stop at nothing to save Tonga, the beached whale who wants to die because she doesn’t want to be killed by whalers, and that’s why Dot is trying to take her someplace where she’ll be safe. Nelson is Dot’s faithful dolphin companion who is more knowledgeable of the ocean and does his best to help Dot on her quest. Alex and Owen are two boys that Dot befriends who help out Dot and go out of their way to keep Tonga protected and get help from other kids while Dot is away. Then there’s the villain, Joe, who wants to kill Tonga so that he can serve whale meat at his Fish ‘n’ Chips Shop, and he’s hard to take seriously. The other characters Dot meets who help her on her journey just come and go one at a time, and then, we never see them again. It’s like, “Okay, we did our part. Now, let’s get out of here.” Overall, the characters are not bad, but they could be improved. Though I gotta give credit to the cast of only three actors who voiced all the characters!
The Songs While technically not a musical, this movie does have enough songs to talk about them. The main song, “Mother Sea”, is a tear-jerking anthem about the ocean with powerful lyrics. The villain song, “Fish N’ Chips” is just a goofy time-killer. “The Whale Song” is an uplifting song about how whales need to be free, which you couldn’t help but be in a good mood whenever you hear it. “Save the Whale” is just another time-Killer that sounds more like it belongs in The Care Bears Movie. So overall, the songs are half good and half mediocre, but the good songs are memorable enough to overshadow the mediocre ones and make this a good soundtrack.
Dot and the Whale is easily the best of the Dot movies. Sure it may seem a little dated by today’s standards, the animation isn’t perfect, the characters come and go, and of course, there’s the environmental aspect, but it’s all forgivable. It’s certainly a film that’ll teach kids the importance of taking responsibility, and it will definitely get them into ocean life. It’s no masterpiece, but if you can somehow get your hands on it, I say check it out.
Story: 8/10 Animation: 7/10 Characters: 7/10 Songs: 9/10
Overall: 7.5/10 = 77.5%
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Okay! For my next review, since summer vacation is ending for a lot of kids right now, I’m going to be looking at a movie that’s themed on the aspect of summer vacation. It was a direct-to-video movie based on a popular 90’s cartoon, and I guess you could say it’s just a little looney.
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Post by Belchic on Aug 25, 2018 14:36:05 GMT -5
Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation (1992)
Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation. Based on one of the most memorable cartoons of the 90’s, this direct-to-video feature length film, as the title suggests, shows what the Tiny Toons did on their summer vacation. The movie became a hit with fans of the show, and some may say it still holds up today. The question is is that true, or is it more of a waste of time these days? Let’s find out.
The Story What makes this story so interesting is there are multiple stories going on at once, so you can see different Tiny Toon characters going on different adventures during the summer. There are two main stories and three minor stories. The first main story focuses on Buster and Babs who go on an adventure together down river after having a water fight that went too far. While there, they discover dangerous inhabitants of the south such as a family of hillbilly possums who want to eat Babs, and a trio of southern alligator sisters who all want to marry Buster. The second main story involves Plucky as he tags along with Hampton as his family goes on a road trip to Happy World Land, a theme park that Plucky has always wanted to go to. The trip is long and tedious for Plucky, and the Pig family drives him completely insane by playing annoying car games, not attending to his needs, and even picking up a dangerous hitchhiker who happens to be a wanted serial killer! For the three minor stories, we’ve got one about Elmyra going to the zoo and torturing innocent cats. Then we’ve got one with Shirley who reluctantly goes on a date with Fowlmouth. And finally, we get a story with the underrated fan favorite, Fifi, as she tries to get an autograph from her idol, Johnny Pew, who takes her under his wing but only to use as his slave. All of these stories are very entertaining and flow very smoothly together, and the jokes are just brilliant. Sure there are some pop culture references here and there, but they don’t overpower the movie to make it feel irrelevant and dated. It’s just good enough to make you want to watch it again and again, especially during the summer.
The Animation All I can say about the animation is...it’s Tiny Toons. I’ve always known the show to have bright and colorful animation with a classic cartoony feel, but considering this is a movie, it’s really not much better than the show itself. It’s easy to tell this movie was not made for a theatrical release and was intended for TV or a direct-to-video release. It is what it is, and I can’t argue too much.
The Characters I’m not going to go too in-depth about the characters, because if I did, I’ll be here all day. The Tiny Toons themselves are the same lovable characters we all know and love in this movie. By this, I mean characters like Buster, Babs, Plucky, Hampton, Elmyra, Shirley, Fowlmouth, Fifi, Furball, Dizzy and Gogo are all as you would expect them. One character who surprisingly gets a lot of spotlight in this film is Byron the Basset Hound as he tags along with Buster and Babs on their journey Characters like Hampton’s family and Johnny Pew are very unlikable characters, but they’re unlikable enough to make the conflict in the movie tolerable. The antagonists the characters meet like the Boo Sisters and Mr. Hitcher really make the movie plot-heavy. Though if I was to give one criticism, it would have to be the fact that some notable Tiny Toon characters don’t get any spotlight. Some characters like Calamity Coyote, Little Beeper, Sweetie and Merry Melody only get small cameos, while other characters like Sneezer, Concord Condor and Montana Max don’t even appear in the film at all. Regardless, the character selection for this movie doesn’t disappoint, and as I’ve said, fans of the show will love it.
Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation is a movie that still holds up today as one of the best movies based on an animated TV series. If you’re in the mood to watch something fun for the summer and are a fan of Tiny Toon Adventures, then I highly recommend it. If you’re not a fan of the show and didn’t grow up in the 90’s, then this is probably not the movie for you. Regardless, it’s a fun movie to watch with your kids during the summer. It may not be perfect, but it’s got a lot going for it.
Story: 9/10 Animation: 6/10 Characters: 8/10
Overall: 7.5/10 = 77%
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Hey guys. I decided to do something a little different for when I talk about my next animated film review. I’m going to give three hints about the film giving you the opportunity to try and guess what it is. So with that in mind, here are the hints for my next review:
1. This is a movie based on a popular franchise. 2. One of the actors who worked on this movie died recently. 3. This movie is often considered to be the quintessential example of how not to make a movie based on a well-known, popular cartoon.
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Post by Belchic on Sept 7, 2018 23:37:31 GMT -5
Tom & Jerry: The Movie (1992)
Tom & Jerry: The Movie. One of the most iconic cartoon duos got their first theatrical feature-length film over 50 years after their debut. A movie that has quickly gotten a reputation of being not only an example of how not to make a film adaptation of a franchise but also one of the worst animated movies ever made. Does this movie do the cat and mouse justice, or is it as bad as people make it out to be? Let’s find out...
The Story How do you make a feature length film about a cat and mouse who chase each other and commit excessive violence on each other? Well, how about you not make them do it at all? And while we’re at it, let’s throw in some sub-plots that have no relevance to the cartoon whatsoever? We have a story of an orphan girl looking for her father, two rich people who want to inherit the girl for a fortune, a scientist who wants to torture animals, two smugglers who also want to do some kidnapping, random alley animals, a frightening sea captain, and Indiana Jones! Wrap your head around all that! Not only are there way too many sub-plots that have nothing to do with Tom & Jerry, but they have no connection whatsoever! Not to mention, Tom and Jerry are barely even in the movie at all despite being the TITULAR CHARACTERS OF THE FILM! This film’s story pieces just don’t fit together making this whole thing a hot mess!
The Animation There really isn’t much to say about the animation. It looks like any typical cartoon animation of the 90’s. And I don’t mean like Disney Renaissance quality, but more like Saturday morning cartoon quality! Not very fitting for a theatrical animated film. Not to mention the character animation is downright frightening. I mean it’s not as bad as Foodfight!, But the characters always seem to make these creepy faces with eyes that make it feel like they’re staring into your soul! Overall, this animation just felt like a total waste!
The Characters Like the plot, there are way too many characters in this movie to keep track of, and they have no rhyme or reason whatsoever! We’ve got Robyn, the orphan girl. Then we’ve got Robyn’s aunt and uncle who are supposed to be the villains, and their voices are a waste of good talent. Dr. Applecheeks is just Psycho as all hell. And all these other characters. These would have been okay as plots for their own movies, but they don’t all work together as one. Oh, and let’s not forget Tom and Jerry are there too, but even they are out of character because THEY FREAKING TALK! Not only that, but they got Richard Kind and Dana Hill of all people to voice them! Once again, a waste of good talent! This whole cast just does not add up!
The Songs As if making a movie about Tom and Jerry where the duo talks and are barely in the movie at all, the writers of this movie also had the balls to make this movie a musical! I’m not even going to go through each song one by one because they’re just unbearable, and they serve no purpose other than to drag out the movie making it longer than it should be! These songs have no redeeming factors whatsoever!
Whoever said Tom & Jerry: The Movie is one of the worst animated films of all time Certainly was not kidding! This is a perfect example of how not to make a movie on a popular cartoon! With its multiple sub-plots, creepy animation, mixed up characters, annoying songs, and the fact that Tom and Jerry are barely in the film and are totally misrepresented, I don’t see how this movie can possibly appeal to any fan of Tom and Jerry, or any fan of animation in general! Do me a huge favor and avoid this disaster at all costs! I’m sure it comes as no surprise to any of you that this movie has earned Belchic’s Seal of Garbage! It needs to be killed with fire!
Story: 1/10 Animation: 3/10 Characters: 1/10 Songs: 1/10
Overall: 1.5/10 = 15%
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Now if you’re ready, here are the hints for my next review:
1. This movie is one of Doug Walker’s favorite films. 2. One of the main characters in this movie was a regular in Mel Brooks’ films. 3. This movie was directed by a former Disney animator and is his own movie (not Disney’s).
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Post by Belchic on Sept 16, 2018 11:39:37 GMT -5
The Secret Of NIMH (1982)
The Secret Of NIMH. Based on the John Newberry Award-Winning book, “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats Of NIMH”, former Disney animator, Don Bluth, made his first attempt at directing his own animated feature film in the early 80’s. The movie went on to gain a cult following, and to this day, it is often regarded as not only Don Bluth’s masterpiece, but also one of the greatest animated films of all time. With all that in mind, is this movie still worthy of that praise, or should we just let it sink in the mud? Let’s find out...
The Story The movie focuses on a mother mouse named Mrs. Brisby, whose husband was just killed, and at the same time, her son, Timmy, has one pneumonia and cannot get out of bed. However, she has to move her family because it is Moving Day in the area she lives in, so she has to evacuate her family but cannot bring Timmy out of bed because of his pneumonia. So she goes out of her way to try to save her son’s life by getting help from the Rats Of NIMH to move her house instead. This is a story we don’t see very often in animated films where the hero is a worried mother trying to save her son’s life. Mix that in with the backstory of the Rats Of NIMH, as well as some dark edginess, epic imagery, and even a little comic relief to lighten the mood. Everything in the story works just perfectly making this an epic story with a lot of emotion and plots that could keep you on your feet.
The Animation Don Bluth is very well known for his animation style, and this movie is no exception. When you look back at animated movies we have in modern days and look back at this, you really have a great appreciation for it. This whole movie is fully-hand-drawn! No CGI whatsoever! Everything moves so fluently, and it’s just so beautiful to look at! It is truly a masterpiece of animation!
The Characters We have quite a few characters to talk about in this movie, and they’re all great characters that you can easily get behind. The main character, Mrs. Brisby May seem worrisome for the most part, but she’s never afraid to go out of her way to do what she knows in her heart is best for her family. Jeremy, the crow, serves as a perfect comic relief and would mark the first role of Dom DeLuise in a Don Bluth film, and he’s in just enough of the film to not be annoying while at the same time enough to get a satisfying dose of him. Brisby’s children, Theresa, Martin and Cynthia are the classic stereotypes of kids we’d see in a lot of movies like this: the naive little girl, the rambunctious boy, and the straight sister. Auntie Shrew is just there to be a supportive parenting figure, but she can have her moments too. Then there’s the Rats Of Nimh who help Brisby on her mission. This includes Mr. Ages (the wise elder), Justin (the heroic wisecracker) and Nicodemus (the mighty sage). Then there’s the villain, Jenner, who is such an underrated villain mainly due to how sinister he is. While it’s not clear what his beef is with Justin, you just can’t help but be terrified of him since you never know what he’s going to do. This is overall a great cast of characters, and they’re all perfectly-casted. I couldn’t ask for a better cast!
Don Bluth definitely did launch his directing career with a bang! The Secret Of NIMH definitely deserves to be ranked among the greatest animated films of all time! With its heartwarming and epic story, beautiful animation, and characters you can easily get behind, it should definitely rank up there along with the essential Disney movies! If you’re a fan of Don Bluth or hand-drawn Animation in general, and you’re looking for a dark, epic film with a strong story, then this is a must watch! This movie shows a perfect example as to why Don Bluth should be considered one of the legends of animation, and it is another film that is most definitely worthy of earning Belchic’s Seal of Approval!
Story: 10/10 Animation: 10/10 Characters: 10/10
Overall: 10/10 = 100%
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Now if you’re ready, here are the hints for my next review:
1. This movie is two different stories in one. 2. One of the stories is narrated by a legendary American crooner, while the other is narrated by a British horror movie legend. 3. One of the stories has its own ride at Disneyland.
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Post by Belchic on Oct 9, 2018 13:36:32 GMT -5
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. During the 1940’s, Walt Disney suffered some financial problems while making his movies largely due to World War II. Most of the films he made during that decade were low-budget animated films consisting of multiple stories thrown into one known as package films. This was the last movie of the era and it contains two stories, which are based on two well-known tales: “The Wind and the Willows” and “The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow”. While not one of the more recognizable animated films from Disney, it has gained a bit of a cult following, and to some, it’s a traditionally-viewed film on Halloween. So with all that in mind, does this movie do both the stories justice, or does it deserved to be spooked away by the Headless Horseman? Let’s find out...
The Story I will say, Disney manages to do each story justice in this movie. For the “Wind and the Willows” segment, the story is about Mr. Toad having an unhealthy obsession, which is putting his home at risk, to the point where he gets arrested. His friends try their best to help him but to no avail. It’s a very simple story, but it makes up for it with its fun moments. For the “Sleepy Hollow” segment, it’s the story of a new school master coming to the town of Sleepy Hollow and trying to win the heart of a rich man’s daughter but is rivaled by the town’s hero. This segment is loaded with a lot of great humor that I’m sure kids of all ages will enjoy, but the most interesting thing about this segment is there isn’t much dialogue between the characters; most of the dialogue is spoken through narration. Overall, the stories are kind of a mixed bag, but they are a lot of fun and feel very accurate to the stories they are based on.
The Animation Despite not being a big-budget Film, it’s easy to tel the animation was a vast improvement for Disney compared to the works that came before this. I guess you can say this was a transition point for Disney as it gives you an idea what to expect in his upcoming projects like Cinderella. Throughout the film, there are light and dark moments, and the lighting in the animation always captures the mood perfectly. Then there’s the character animation, which mostly looks goofy and cartoony, but it’s still the Nine Old Men at their best. Any way you look at it, it’s Classic Disney.
The Characters There are a lot of characters to talk about in this movie considering there are two parts to it. For the Wind and the Willows segment, you’ve got Mr. Toad, a reckless yet fun character. Mr. Mole, a charming, naive and sympathetic character. Mr. Rat, a wise yet strict character. Angus MacBadger, a gruff, hard-worker with a kind heart. Cyril, Toad’s noble steed and best friend. Mr. Winky, a very sly antagonist who is a very underrated Disney villain. For the Sleepy Hollow segment, we’ve got Ichabod Crane, a comical character who is also a bit of a ladies man. Brom Bones, Ichabod’s rival, who I guess you can say is the original Gaston. Katrina is the love interest between Ichabod and Brom, but seems very one-dimensional. Then of course, there’s the Headless Horseman, who is so sinister and frightening it makes you wonder, “How the fridge did this get into a Disney movie???” Overall, this is a very simple cast of characters, but they could have been improved a little more.
The Songs While not much of a musical, this movie still has a good amount of songs. The Wind and the Willows segment only has one song: “The Merrily Song”, which is a fun song that perfectly describes who Mr. Toad is as a character. The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow segment is more of a musical, which is most likely due to the fact that its narrated by American crooner, Bing Crosby. “Ichabod Crane” and “Katrina” are just recurring songs that basically tell us who the characters are and nothing more. But the most memorable song in this movie is “The Headless Horseman”, a bouncy spooky song that I’m sure is on every Disney Halloween playlist! Overall, the songs are hit and miss, but they’re not awful.
The Adventures Of Ichabod and Mr. Toad May not be one of the strongest Disney films, but it’s still a lot of fun. If you’re a hardcore Disney fan and love Halloween, than this is a must watch! For a casual Disney fan, I still recommend it as I find it a semi-underrated gem, but it does have a cult following. I say give it a watch, but don’t set your expectations too high.
Story: 9/10 Animation: 8/10 Characters: 7/10 Songs: 7/10
Overall: 8/10 = 78%
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Now if you’re ready, here are the hints for my next review:
1. This movie was nominated for Best Animated Feature. 2. It was made by one of the masters of Stop-Motion animation. 3. Some may consider this film to be the younger sibling of what some consider to be his magnum opus.
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Post by Belchic on Oct 23, 2018 16:07:53 GMT -5
Corpse Bride (2005)
Corpse Bride. Tim Burton revolutionized stop motion animation with his 1993 magnum opus, The Nightmare Before Christmas. It wouldn’t be until over a decade later when he would release another stop motion animated film that would feel like its spiritual successor. Oddly enough, this movie came out right after cel animation became obsolete and CGI became the norm for animation, but then this film came out to prove that stop motion animation was not a dead medium (even though Aardman has been proving that non-stop). Strangely, this movie came out merely two months after Tim Burton released his rendition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and both of these movies involve not only Tim Burton, but also Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Christopher Lee, and Danny Elfman! So with that said, could this movie truly be another big hit for Burton, or does it deserved to be buried in a coffin? Let’s find out...
The Story The story involves a boy named Victor who is determined to marry a girl named Victoria. Both of their parents assume the other belongs to a rich family even though neither of them are. Victoria’s parents don’t approve of Victor because of his clumsiness, but one night while practicing his vows in the woods, he accidentally proposes to a corpse named Emily who happens to be an abandoned bride. Now it’s up to Victor to get out of this madness and set things right. It’s a very cleverly-written story and doesn’t feel cliché, and it has some nice twists, which I won’t give away. Tim Burton did a magnificent job crafting such an original story.
The Animation Not much to say other than it’s Tim Burton’s signature animation style. The thing that really stands out is how there are too different worlds with their own unique color scheme. The real world has a dull and depressing gray look while the underworld is more colorful. And of course, the character animation is classic Tim Burton. It may not be as fun as Nightmare Before Christmas, But it has its moments.
The Characters For the most part the characters seem like stereotypes we’ve all seen a million times. Victory is the classic klutzy hero. Victoria is the naive love interest. Victor’s parents are the nice parents while Victoria’s are the mean parents. Emily is the classic love interest that the hero doesn’t want. Pastor Galswells is...Christopher Lee. The maggot Inside Emily’s Head is the overused Peter Lorre parody we’ve seen way too many times. Finally, there’s Lord Barkis, the classic rival of the hero. These characters are all very basic and cliché, making them very forgettable characters, and that doesn’t leave me wanting to watch the movie again.
The Songs Again, the songs are what you’d expect from a Tim Burton musical. It is Danny Elfman at his finest. Songs like “According to Plan” and “Tears to Shed” are classic Danny Elfman tunes with his recognizable songwriting style. The best song in the movie is hands down, “Remains of the Day”. But then there’s “A Wedding”, which feels more like it was just shoehorned in there because they needed one more song. While the songs are enjoyable, and I would easily recommend them to any fans of Danny Elfman, they’re nothing too spectacular, and again, they can’t hold a candle to Nightmare Before Christmas.
Corpse Bride is an interesting underrated piece of Tim Burton’s. It is far from a masterpiece with its average songs and uninspiring characters, but it makes up for it with a great story and classic Tim Burton animation. I highly recommend this movie to Tim Burton fans, especially fans of Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s a fun little Halloween movie, but it’s not one I’d consider a must watch.
Story: 9/10 Animation: 9/10 Characters: 5/10 Songs: 8/10
Overall: 7.5/10 = 77.5%
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Now if you’re ready, here are the hints for my next review:
1. This movie starred two comedians who were both huge stars at the time of this movie’s release. 2. This movie was revolutionary as it was the first of its kind. 3. The movie is the first made by one of the most popular animation studios of our time.
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