Dinosaur. Treasure Planet. Brother Bear. Home On The Range. Mostly forgettable films from the House of Mouse. I'm a huge Disney fan (not to mention a parent of three), and I didn't even bother watching that last one. So when Wreck-It Ralph came to theaters last fall--right after Brave, if I recall--I didn't even bother to go see it. I didn't know anything about the character(s), had no idea what the story was about, and I don't think I even saw the trailer, even though it would have been perfect … [Read more...] about Wreck-It Ralph: A Sweet Treat Rather Than An Animated Wreck
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Cars 2 and the Future of Movie Reviews
Over the past week, I have read two absolutely scathing reviews of Cars 2: one of which claimed the movie was setting Mater up as a terrible role model for children, and another which went so far as to say that Pixar was now in a free-fall due to the "critical failure" of this movie. Seriously? I just saw Cars 2 with my family, and we unanimously enjoyed it. Obviously a continuing story doesn't have the same kind of feel as when you meet new characters for the first time. The bloom is a bit … [Read more...] about Cars 2 and the Future of Movie Reviews
A 2-D Rant Against a 3-D Dilemma
In a discussion with my mother-in-law about How To Train Your Dragon, she mentioned to me an article she had read about Dreamworks' tactics to "encourage" theaters to make room for the 3-D version of their film: 'Dragon' versus 'Titans' versus 'Alice' in fight over 3-D screens Basically it comes down to this: if theaters with limited 3-D screens (usually just one) choose to keep Alice playing on those screens instead of replacing it with the 3-D version of Dragon, Dreamworks may withhold the … [Read more...] about A 2-D Rant Against a 3-D Dilemma
Addendum to “Alice”
Well, as you might have expected, I did go watch Alice again - this time without the 3D trappings. The colors were in fact noticeably deeper and richer, particularly in the flowers and other surroundings of Wonderland. It wasn't day-glo 70s garishly colorful (which I nearly expected), but it was definitely an improvement. And a lot of the camera angles were so oriented to 3D on their own, that I found I didn't miss the added depth very much at all. Since the 3D effects were so much more subtle … [Read more...] about Addendum to “Alice”
Alice in Wonderland!
Oh my gosh, I have lost track how many months I have been waiting for this movie! I am a huge--dare I say, rabid--fan of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. Both separately and together, these two have produced so many movies which I have loved...well, I'm not a huge fan of the Pee Wee movie, but that was early Burton. But I digress.... Having been home from the theater barely half an hour after seeing this, I will confess that my mind is racing a bit and I am fighting to stay relatively organized. … [Read more...] about Alice in Wonderland!
Cars
Ever since The Little Mermaid gave me permission to enjoy cartoon movies as an adult, I've been impressed by the sheer beauty of Disney animation. From the classics to (most) current films, they are simply gorgeous to watch. It was my husband who told me the history of the multiplane camera -- invented by Walt Disney himself, and used to open nearly every Disney film since Snow White. It's due to my exposure to so many Disney films that I study their opening scenes so carefully. With the … [Read more...] about Cars