rapt0r_claw-1 Reviews

Warpath: Jurassic Park (1999 Video Game)

A very enjoyable and innovative game

[13 August 2004]

Warpath: Jurassic Park has to be one of the most innovative beat-ups ever. Instead of the usual martial arts or magic, fireballs and flashes of light for every punch, you have realistic dinosaurs feuding in a plausibly vicious manner. The novelty of fighting as dinosaurs gives Warpath an edge over, say, Tekken or the newer Dragonball Z fighters, that feature humans.

The graphics are incredible considering the age and platform. I didn't think the PSOne could manage the look this game features. The realism is fine, except for the scale. No matter how tremendous the dinosaur, no human (or sheep, or dog, or goat, or cow... you can eat practically anything) ever looks that small. I mean, an adult male Homo sapiens is bigger than a tyrannosaur's head, let alone its tooth! Instead of being intimidating, the exaggeration of their size instead seems ridiculous. Speaking of dinosaurs, there are tons of them that the movies never featured, including an extremely inaccurate (but VERY ferocious) reconstruction of Spinosaurus, a good Suchomimus and Albertosaurus. Many unlockable dinosaurs I only got to see by waiting for a demo to start up. It just takes too much time to unlock the majority of dinosaurs. Seriously, you need to finish one for unlockable no. 1, twice for no. 2, thrice for no. 3, and so on! There are something like 8 or 9 new dinosaurs to unlock, and the game doesn't allow you to save your progress. How can you play for 12 or 13 hours just to unlock a tremendously cool dinosaur, and have no energy left to play with it? That's just indecent!

If you never watch a demo and don't see all the cool dinosaurs that can be unlocked (they can be unlocked, at least by untiring robots), which means you don't know about them and will be perfectly happy to play with your default roster. The bloody, violent fights are replayable and fun, until you've played for three or four weeks, get bored, and only revisit it every now and then. I was disappointed upon finding that there is NO Create-A-Dino mode. It would be a pretty good idea to include such a feature if they decide to make a Warpath 2, or something for PS2 or other next-gen platforms. For today's gamers, who may not be totally happy no matter how many polygons developers throw at them, Warpath is probably doomed to gathering dust in an old, battered CD case.

Brother Bear (2003)

One of Disney's last gasps retains most of what made the studio great.

[8/10 · 8 August 2004]

Sadly, Disney Feature Animation closes down after "Home on the Range." I'm waiting for Disney's last cartoon on DVD, but the subject of this review is "Brother Bear." This is the second last traditional Disney animated feature.

"Brother Bear" is a good story of love, sin, understanding, forgiveness and brotherhood, as the title suggests. It's set in Alaska in the time of the Inuit and the mammoth. Sitka, Denahi and Kenai are brothers (eldest first). After Sitka is killed by a bear, Kenai sets out to kill the bear, whilst Denahi doesn't blame the bear. Kenai kills the "monster," but Sitka, now a powerful spirit, turns Kenai into a bear to take the other's place and atone for his wrongdoing. Denahi thinks the bear has killed his other brother as well, and vows to track down Kenai and kill him. It is different from most other stories. The message is clear, the story straightforward, not muddled by subplots and separate story lines. The film tells a story that is just a fable. Fortunately, that's all it needs to be.

The animation isn't all that gorgeous, yet remains high quality. The bears are realistically depicted, all the animals are their true forms but for the caricature of their funniest features and habits. The forest, which is CG, is beautiful. The color and the realism of it is magnificent. But again, some of the computer effects don't work. The film was clearly trying to aim for something like the DreamWorks half-and-half pictures, with hand-drawn characters acting in photo-realistic environments and effects (i.e. "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" and "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas"). The water in "Brother Bear," in its early stages, looks nearly as bad as that in "The Jungle Book 2." It's flat, with a bit of shine, unlike the fast-flowing, moving torrents of other films. It just looks lame. Don't get me wrong, this is a minor mishap. The Cg layout looks fantastic.

Phil Collins did the score for this! What a surprise! NOT! The soundtrack for "Tarzan" was inspirational: the soundtrack for "Brother Bear" is varying and lackluster. The opening Tina Turner number is decent at best. Collins' songs, which form the bulk of the music in the film, have stupid lyrics, although his great voice saves it from being totally painful. The best song by far was sung by a Bolivian women's chorus, written by Colins. The lyrics for this song were better than the other songs', not bothering to include idiotic rhymes since the English words are never heard. The words were translated into Inuit. When at last the grand performance is over, you whisper: "Wow."

The characters are funny and not at all one-dimensional. Of the brotherhood, Sitka, who plays such a pivotal role, is the weakest. His character is no deeper than enough to make it clear he is brave, wise and self-sacrificing. Everyone's dream big brother to beat up the bad guys. Denahi and Kenai are have much more to them. They, of course, are the typical siblings that incessantly antagonize each other, their battles being a good source of comic relief. "Brother Bear" may have fallen flat on its face without the two distinctly Canadian moose brothers (notice the number of brothers in the film) that are by far the funniest of Disney's recent creations. They get cramps from eating grass and need to do yoga before starting, and spar to practice for the rutting season. Kenai reluctantly allows a young bear cub separated from his mother. This cub is Koda. Correction: The moose are the funniest SIDEKICKS from Disney in recent times. Koda is a lead player. He's funny, exceedingly better equipped to survive than his older chum, and most importantly: extremely cute.

So, does "Brother Bear" live up to the classics of old? Honestly, no, it doesn't. On the other hand, it doesn't exactly make it impossible for them to show their faces in public again. All in all, Disney hasn't ended a creative vacuum. But if you think about it, would Walt have approved? No. He wouldn't have. But what matters isn't how "Brother Bear" compares to other Disney films, but how much you enjoy it in a single viewing. Admittedly, it's funnier than any of than many older films. "Brother Bear" rating: 8/10

Timeline (2003)

An enjoyable film, nothing special.

[7/10 · 8 August 2004]

It seems Crichton book-to-screen adaptations have gone downhill since "Sphere," and although "Timeline" continues the trend, it remains a highly watchable story about time travel and fourteenth century Europe. Unlike the usual "time machine" of most other films, "Timeline"'s contraption is instead a fax machine that destroys objects and reunites them at a different point. This contraption reminiscent of a 50s Duck Dodgers cartoon, messes up big time and opens a "wormhole" to 1357 Castlegard, France. An archeologist who studies Castlegard goes back in time and is lost. A group of his students and son time travel to 1357 to recover him.

One major flaw in the screenplay is the doing away with of the parallel universes idea that Crichton exploited. The theory goes that the past, present and future are all occurring at the same time, each infitesimal span of time is its own little universe, except universes can't contact each other. Other times are floating all around us. This has been revealed through molecular studies. With a quantum computer of impossible size, you fax objects and people to other times. This is exactly what Robert Doniger and ITC have accomplished. This complex theory has been entirely done away with, leaving only the insignificant wormhole to fourteenth century France.

Even such heinous distortion of source material isn't enough to kill the film. One of its strengths is the manner in which events from the book are brought to screen: the gore level is upped, the precision of a beheading maximized, the death of a character made all the more cool and fun to watch. Yes. That's one of the better things about the picture. Morbidity. Back to story. There is an undue amount of distortion of the story for no apparent reason whatsoever. Why do you have to make Chris the professor's son? Worse, why keep mentioning their kinship AGAIN and AGAIN. We KNOW Chris is the professor's son! You said it ten times before!

"Timeline" is the kind of film that doesn't stumble in altogether too many places to kill it, yet it never manages to fly instead of a steady walk. "Jurassic Park" may have had as many flaws as "Timeline," but when "Jurassic Park" doesn't stumble, it soars. "Timeline" rating: 7/10

Finding Nemo (2003)

A perfect comedy, well-timed, well-written, and a magnificent feast for the eyes.

[10/10 · 7 August 2004]

'Finding Nemo' is a Pixar film that upholds the studio's great tradition: terrorizing the rest of the industry with the quality of their films, leaving others at a loss as to how they can compete. The story is simple and straightforward: an overprotective father clownfish traverses the ocean that petrifies him in search of his son, who has been relocated to a seaside dentist's office by divers and kept in an aquarium. The film may not have succeeded so blatantly as it did if Nemo hadn't been landed amongst a plethora of comical roommates, while Marlin's pleasantly forgetful companion, Dory, miraculously manages to be funnier than any of them.

'Nemo' abounds with characters as colorful as the reef itself, brilliantly realized. The simplicity of the story is countered by the obstacles Marlin faces, from deep-sea anglerfish that gives little kids the heebie-jeebies to titanic but likable sharks, trying to defeat their 'addiction' to seafood. The visual effects are spectacular. Never has water, lighting, color, texture, and photorealism been so convincing, let alone all these milestones being achieved in the 95-minute running time of a single picture. 'Finding Nemo' is truly special in this, and although Pixar's self-produced Marionette software has already won an Academy Award, I think it should win again, as the AMPAS can't possibly have foreseen the heights it would reach. Long live Pixar! (10/10)

Anastasia (1997)

An excellent animated film, another in a long line of masterstrokes from Don Bluth.

[7 August 2004]

'Anastasia' is the story of the last hope of the Romanov family, the Grand Duchess Anastasia. This orphan has no knowledge of her royal heritage. The film chronicles her attempts to find her true family, hindered by an undead enemy of the family, Rasputin. Enter a couple of con men intent on collecting the reward for the finding of the Duchess, and you have a ray of hope for the princess. Needless to say, one of the men is Dimitri, a young man who inevitably falls in love with the princess.

The animation is spectacular, creating a classical feel that has been absent for a long time, but has never left Don Bluth's films over twenty years. The introduction of 3D animation for props and effects is more of a curse than a blessing, since the technology isn't advanced enough to achieve believabilty. Add to that superimposition that looks pasted terrible when a character handles a CG object, and the result is a film that isn't so visually ravishing as the purely traditional ways of past Bluth films. The story is based on a true story, but is completely distorted to create a happy ending. The filmmakers may not have had much choice, since the amazingly successful Disney films never end in tears. Contradicting this is the outstanding quality of Bluth's older 'All Dogs Go to Heaven', which features an ending anything but happy.

Despite this, most of the film is particularly anti-Disney. It's characteristically dark, dull and in places frightening. The contrasts are stark but fitting, as Anastasia dreams of a heavenly time with her family, whilst a cut to reality shows her in a precarious position on a ship in a storm. This is spectacularly successful, pulling off the same atompshere and feel as Chernabog from 'Fantasia', so incredibly long ago. Somehow, this 'Anastasia' sequence is even more frightening than the 'Fantasia' finale, since Anya's family's smiling faces have an eerie, menacing quality behind them, although the actul expressions are perfectly joyous and welcoming. Somehow, the atmosphere tells you: *Don't believe them. Don't go any closer*.

'Anastasia' is another film undoubtedly destined to be a classic, a throwback to the glory days of Bluth animation, those first four films: 'The Secret of NIMH', 'An American Tail', 'The Land Before Time' and 'All Dogs Go to Heaven'. The inbetweens may be high quality, but the Bluth cartoon reached its zenith in the eighties. Let's hope for more of the same.

All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

"All Dogs Go to Heaven" is... different (minor spoilers)

[4 August 2004]

A look at the cover gives you the impression: "All Dogs Go to Heaven" is another Disney rip-off that is fun, cheery, and basically the "G" symbol is a warning sign for parents who would rather not die of boredom while their kids watch. Isn't it? No. It is NOT. "All Dogs" is an original movie with a story-line completely unlike anything Disney would do. This is pretty much a cartoon tragedy, about a starring character who isn't even a nice guy. "Robin Hood" (1973) starred a thieving character, but he was a nice guy, risking life and limb to help the poor. Charlie (marvelous voice of Burt Reynolds) is a thief who would like to help himself to some pizza and a run of success in gambling.

"All Dogs" is a sad story that depicts the canine underworld, a dog-eat-dog world of exploitation, lies and murder. Charlie is, as the rest of the dogs say, a dog with "a record." In fact, Charlie gets run over... and this not being a Wile E. Coyote cartoon, he dies. But, of course, if he didn't miraculously return, this would be a short featurette. The way he returns is so original, and so dominant in what happens later on, you simply can't see how the writers ever dreamed it up.

The story is spectacular and certainly a strong point, but that's not where it ends. The animation is mindblowing. Although not like "The Secret of NIMH," it is still breathtaking, beautifully drawn and moves smoothly. The characters look like they're talking more than in many Disney cartoons. The effects, all hand-drawn, must have been extremely tedious to work on, what with sparks, explosions, powerful electrical charges, nightmarish visions of Hell reminiscent of "Fantasia"'s Chernabog character.

The characters, too, are unlike others. The usual story of an animated movie (actually, any movie) would be the righteous hero versus the evil villain. Sometimes, the hero isn't all he seems, but he comes round soon enough. In "All Dogs," the battle isn't hero-vs.-villain, it's villain-vs.-villain, thief-vs.-thief, except we're supposed to sympathize with one of the combatants. We eventually do come to root for Charlie, and boo Carface. In such movies, the hero/thief is a nasty guy who's frosty at the surface but a good soul at heart. Charlie, by contrast, although not as evil as his partner-later-to-be-enemy Carface, is a bad guy who stays bad even after he's been betrayed. He deceives little Anne-Marie to get some money. Instead of the hero inside surfacing at last, Charlie's is a wholesale transformation from bad-at-heart to good-at-heart. That is extraordinary, and special. Plus, he has a wide assortment of friends, from a small but courageous dog to an opera-singing alligator, always helped along by a bunch of faithful dogs unlike Carface's thugs. These friends, however, rip off "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" (1961) by acting exactly like the dogs in that Disney movie's Twilight Bark. This isn't a genuine act of idea robbery; how the hell WOULD the dogs communicate, by mail?

"All Dogs Go to Heaven" is one of the more complex animated movies. It involves stuff that will fly right over the head of little ones or traumatize them, like being eaten alive by bloodthirsty fish. It's more adult-oriented in its true theme and its true meaning, but kids will love it for the funny sidekicks, but they will also cry till their eyes are dry over the ending, that is one of the most emotionally powerful tragedies you've ever seen. Or is it? After all, all dogs go to Heaven.

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

A movie that beautifully combines witty comedy, a great story, marvelous visual effects and a ton of action and drama.

[2 August 2004]

If there is a reason the year 2004 will be remembered in movie history, it might be known as the year sequels struck back. After the amazing "Shrek 2," "Spider-Man 2" is another film that outdoes it predecessor. Even the greatest (or worst) nitpickers will find few flaws.

"Spider-Man" was a movie that showed just how advantageous being a superhero could be. It meant easy money, superspeed pizza delivery and the ability to save lots and lots of lives. The theme was evident throughout the movie. By contrast, "Spider-Man 2" buries the theme, showing just how problematic being blessed with superpowers can be. Instead of superspeed pizza delivery, our hero is too busy to even arrive on time to the pizza parlor. There's no time to make money either. There's no time for ANYTHING, which doesn't help human relations. Yeah. It SUCKS. The story is much more complex in "Spider-Man 2." There's a lot more going on, and a lot more Peter Parker (Toby Maguire) has to deal with. While The Green Goblin (Willem Defoe) from the first film possessed a hoverboard, he was still a weak villain totally devoid of coolness. Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), by contrast, is a supervillain deserving of the title.

The visual effects on Doc Ock are amazing. The menacing tentacles are robotic versions -- even their vocalizations and actions -- of the velociraptors from "Jurassic Park." It's clear that anything reminiscent of something so cool can't be anything other than an improvement. Where did these demon appendages come from? I'll explain.

Dr. Otto Octavius is a famous scientist who has discovered a new form of clean energy that will change the world. He creates a machine, which is revealed publicly. Octavius wears four tentacles that are semi-intelligent, which he needs to operate the machine. However, the machine proves unstable, and the arms are forever welded onto Octavius. The tentacles control him, and he becomes Doc Ock, on a mission to reconstruct a bigger and badder contraption. For this he needs funding. The only possible source is Harry Osborn, who has been trying to avenge his father's death at the hands of Spider-Man. Doc Ock can bring Osborn Spider-Man in return for titium. Parker and Spidey have all this to contend with, as well as Parker's personal problems.

The web-slinging antics of Spider-Man in "Spider-Man" were technologically impressive, but in "Spider-Man 2," they are awe-inspiring. You feel yourself swing with the bug as the camera swoops as the superhero swings in a great arc, and then again. The camera follows people plummeting for what seems like a minute. The thrilling climax is an unimaginable showcase of modern digital effects. Expect the unexpected, and you'll still be taken aback.

"Spider-Man" was almost completely seen through Parker's eyes, besides the occasional switch to the villain explaining his next diabolical scheme to himself. This time, Mary Jane Watson plays a much bigger part. In the first movie, the emotion springs from Parker's love of Mary Jane and the death of his uncle. In "Spider-Man 2," both M.J. and Peter are lost and confused. Peter struggles with telling Aunt May the truth about Uncle Ben's death. So, the solving of all these problems is all the more satisfying, and what makes it better is the way they are solved.

Final word: "Spider-Man" was a very good movie. "Spider-Man 2" is an excellent one, a gem, and something that hints at how good "Spider-Man 3" might be, now the crew have proven themselves.

9/10

Shrek 2 (2004)

One of the better films of the past few years

[30 July 2004]

DreamWorks did the impossible in 2001...it beat Pixar! Andrew Adamson's revolutionary animated film, "Shrek", nabbed the Oscar from under "Monsters, Inc."'s ominous shadow. I couldn't agree with the Academy more (and I mostly don't). "Shrek 2" is a significantly better film than the original, but with competition like "The Incredibles", "Shark Tale" and "Home on the Range", repeating the feat may be hard. "Shrek 2" is the continuing story of two ogres (Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz) who aren't quite living as happily ever after as they expected. After a perfect honeymoon, they are summoned to Fiona's parents' (John Cleese and Julie Andrews) kingdom, along with Donkey (Eddie Murphy) but King Harold isn't too happy with his daughter's choice, as she was supposed to marry the prince *he* had picked for her. This Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) is the son of a Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) who helped the king once, and is using her past good deed to blackmail the ruler into getting rid of Shrek so Charming can marry the princess and be the eventual king. The assassin the king hires is none other than a Zorro spoof, a cute kitty called Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas). The animation of "Shrek" was *revolutionary*, while the animation of "Shrek 2" is *evolutionary*. This doesn't stop it from looking much better than the first film, the humans looking like they are *actually* talking. The story is much more complicated and twists, turns and twists again in a shorter running time than the original. Three dominating factors: 1) Hilarity that never lets up (you can be sure that an emotional moment will be rudely interrupted by a sidesplitting joke); 2) Puss in Boots; 3) Lots and lots of songs. There are a lot of songs borrowed from other films and artists. The songs are excellent, and this time around the characters themselves sing a lot more. The highlights are "Ever Fallen In Love" and the spectacular Eddie Murphy/Antonio Banderas duet, "Livin' La Vida Loca". Speaking of Puss, Donkey has a right to be jealous, as this adorable kitty is a consistent show-stealer, and Banderas' brilliant performance overshadows most of the others most of the time. The film spoofs traditional fairy tales and a lot more modern stuff, like Julie Andrews, "Zorro", "The Lord of the Rings" and "Spider-Man". "Shrek 2" is one film that very few can beat. Magnificent. (9.5/10)

Shrek (2001)

One of the best CG films ever

[30 July 2004]

There's a good chance you're deliberately trying to kill Disney if you put together countless fairy tale marvels and then mash them to pulp. 'Shrek' is a fairy tale story from DreamWorks, starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow. Shrek (Myers) is an ogre who lives in a swamp, not wanting to meet anyone, and dispatching the occasional band of torch-bearing villagers with consummate ease. Until a bunch of fairy tale creatures are relocated to his land by Lord Farquaad (Lithgow), a vertically-challenged tyrant who wants to cleanse his land of the magical creatures. When Shrek and Donkey (Murphy), a fast-talking jackass who tags along with the ogre to lead him to the kingdom, reach Farquaad's realm of DuLoc, they defeat all his knights. The Lord strikes a bargain with Shrek: if Shrek and Donkey can rescue Princess Fiona (Diaz) from her dragon-guarded castle, he will give Shrek his swamp back. So the duo set off. 'Shrek' is unlike any other animated film before. Instead of the righteous, heroic protagonist of traditional Disney fare, the star here is a temperamental, rather unlikable fellow, it being his inclination to be hostile as he correctly thinks everybody hates him. Donkey is his only real friend, the one who forgives Shrek for his despicable behavior, as he is even astier to Donkey than he is to most others. Fiona is the typical high-strung princess, not taking kindly anyone who compromises her dignity, and a true believer in true love, something Shrek scoffs at. The animation is revolutionary, looking more realistic than anything before. However, in three years, 'Shrek 2' and 'Finding Nemo' have surpassed it. 'Shrek' is something for all ages, except for the overprotective parents who mind the occasional rude joke. On the whole, the comedy of the film is what makes it timeless. 'Shrek' is a must-watch for anyone.

Dinosaur (2000)

A great film

[25 July 2004]

'Dinosaur' is a Disney CG film that was made without the help of Pixar, and its success reminds one that Disney may have fallen from grace, but the House of Mouse can still produce something special every now and then. That said, this is no Pixar film, and can't seriously challenge Pixar's ascending product. A certain watch for everyone who's ever liked a Disney film, since this should be watchable at least for anyone who's been enchanted by a Disney classic.

Unlike most other films, 'Dinosaur' doesn't revolve around a single-layer story line. Usually, the plot centres around a hero-beats-bad-guy-and-falls-in-love-with-heroine theme. In 'Dinosaur', the two themes are present, but are interwoven carefully and pulls it off with near-perfection. The computer effects are ground-breaking, if just a level below the stuff these days. One complaint is the lack of attention given minor characters. The nameless lemurs have static fur and look like stuffed toys rather than real animals. The major characters, by contrast, are meticulously designed with realistic fur, seemingly produced strand by strand. The best (or worst) example of this is when Suri sits at the top of a tree surrounded by random lemurs. She looks magnificently real, but the animators' accomplishment with Suri is overshadowed by the absolutely unrealistic characters surrounding her.

Besides the occasional laziness, the visuals are spectacular. The meteor shower sequence is one of the best examples of technical wizardry in films. The menacing beauty of it will imprint itself upon your mind. The characterization is satisfying on the whole, with a more extensive use of side-kicks than usual. The characters of Eema, Balene, Yar and the rest of the lemurs isn't just for laughs; the characters also feature in emotional scenes, key sequences in the film's structure.

Another example of laziness in 'Dinosaur' is the robbery of scenes from Don Bluth's masterpiece, 'The Land Before Time'. Some shots are almost exact duplicates of the traditionally animated film. Some of the themes are repeated as well. Even though 'Dinosaur' is a great film by modern standards, it cannot beat 'The Land Before Time', as 'Dinosaur' just isn't a classic. It will not stay with you forever like the old films. It will enchant you every time you watch it, but you won't think of it that much when you're not watching it. That's why I'm writing this at the moment. My 'Dinosaur' DVD is playing right now. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to write this kind of review, because with 'Dinosaur', you forget all but the best of it.

8.5/10

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

One of Disney's best

[24 July 2004]

Simplest possible explanation of what cements Sleeping Beauty's place as an immortal classic: Maleficent.

Sleeping Beauty was never one of my favorite Disney movies, my parents having lost the tape really early. Since maybe ten years I haven't seen the movie, but now, after seeing it again, I have to admit, it's a masterpiece. I don't understand why it was so berated on first release. Where the critics expecting Snow White? 'Cause this is no Snow White. It's much better.

A long, long time ago, in a kingdom far, far away, King Stefan and the Queen have a daughter, Aurora, so-called because she brought sunshine to their lives. There is a great celebration, and the neighboring kingdom's Prince Phillip is betrothed to Aurora. The three Good Fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, are invited. Flora and Fauna bestow gifts of beauty and song upon Aurora. Before Merryweather can cast her spell, the uninvited Maleficent--the Mistress of All Evil--arrives, furious at not being invited. She curses Aurora, predicting that at the age of sixteen the princess will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning-wheel and die. Merryweather counteracts this by making Aurora go into a deep sleep were she ever to prick her finger, to be reawakened by true love's first kiss. To keep her safe, the fairies take her into the forest, no longer using magic, and calling Aurora Briar Rose. The princess knows nothing of her heritage, and meets no other humans, except for a man "Once Upon A Dream".

One of the greatest things about the movie is the style. The contrast between characters and surroundings (except for Maleficent) is stark. The backgrounds and layouts are colorful, stylized, round and angular at the same time. The characters, however, aim for total realism, except for the minor ones, who are clearly cartoon characters. The animation is beautiful. The movements smooth, the artistry unbelievably high quality. If there was no other likable thing about the movie, the animation would go a long way to saving it.

The story of Sleeping Beauty is, of course, set in stone. Despite everyone's complete familiarity with the fairy tale, the movie manages to enliven it and make it gripping, even though everyone has heard it a thousand times. A most definite improvement in the story is the scene in which Aurora pricks her finger. In the original the spinning-wheel was owned by an innocent old peasant, who just happened to own the last wheel in the land, unnoticed by the rest of the world. In the movie Maleficent hypnotizes Aurora, and commands her to prick her finger. In addition to the atmosphere of foreboding already present in the story, the movie adds genuine suspense, largely owing to the brilliant presence of the wicked fairy.

The characterization is very different from other Disney movies in some ways, but very like others. Usually in Disney's princess movies, the princess herself is something of a cypher, a passive element. This is true for Sleeping Beauty (she has no control over the three basic actions in the movie). The prince usually has an even more minute part, although the story would be nothing without him. Not so this movie. Here Phillip is a much more active character, a hero who battles dragons and witches, who goes through all sorts of hazards. In Snow White all the unnamed prince does is show up and kiss our heroine, in Cinderella Charming risks nothing and is nothing but a prop. But the ultimate character is, of course, Maleficent. Supervised by Disney's women's animator-in-chief, Marc Davis, hers has to be one of the great performances in animation. She is brilliantly drawn, amazingly voiced, and the dragon she transforms into is not just a dragon: it is HER particular dragon (a method taken to greater lengths in The Sword in the Stone). She is magnificent. The three fairies are quarrelsome all right, but they are caricatures that convey particularly clearly their good-naturalness.

Sleeping Beauty is one of those irreplaceable masterpieces. It is a magnificent retelling of a classic fairy tale, with no undue distortion of the source material. Come to think of it, the story EXISTS to be made into a movie; it's just perfect. And near-perfection is what Disney achieved.

9.5/10

Peter Pan (1953)

Another Disney classic...how many are there now?

[24 July 2004]

'Peter Pan' is undoubtedly one of the best of Disney's films. The story isn't too deep or meaningful, as, say, 'Bambi'. The power behind it is the familiarity. Every little kid yearns to haveadventures like Peter, so everyone identifies with the story. To tell the truth, the film is kind of episodic, like an extra-large TV cartoon special. The climax is fittingly climactic, but the final defeat of Hook isn't really powerful enough, which makes it disappointing after all the flashy swordplay. Speaking of Hook, he and Mr Smee are inevitably the scene-stealers, no matter how beloved Peter may be to children. The same way, in Hook/Smee scenes, if you throw in a hungry crocodile, the monstrous reptile will overshadow even Hook. Wendy really looks too old to be horrified about growing up, though, except for the sequences in which she fantasizes about Never Land with all the authenticity of a three-year-old. Never Land is beautiful, to say the least. The lush jungles and the mermaid lagoon is wonderfully brought to life, as is the eery Skull Island. This is the best showcase for the art direction. Also excellent is the detailed, meticulous design of the wooden hideout of the Lost Boys.

'Peter Pan' is one of my all-time favorites. It has humor, great animation, and the best part of it is a simplistic story that revolves around the desires of the child within all of us (I'm still twelve, so I never had to look too deep). A must-see for any animation fan, particularly Disney buffs, the young and the young-at-heart.

9/10

The AristoCats (1970)

One of Disney's better features

[22 July 2004]

The Aristocats is one of my favorite animated movies, but the comparisons between this movie and past Disney classics are reasonable. The dog napping plot of One Hundred and One Dalmatians is adapted to fit the catnapping plot of The Aristocats. O'Malley and Duchess are reconstructions of Lady and the Tramp at heart. But, as long as the end result is just as enjoyable as the past movies, why complain? No matter how the success was achieved, as long as it was achieved.

The plot is simple. Madame Adelaide Bonfamille is an old millionaires spinster in Paris, 1910. The only other people in her lonely life are her cat, Duchess, and her kittens, Toulouse, Marie and Berlioz, as well as the faithful butler, Edgar. When Madame's lawyer, Georges, comes over to make Madame's will, Edgar overhears her plans. She wants to leave all her belongings to her cats, and at the end of their lifespan, the vast sums of money will go to Edgar. Quite unreasonably, Edgar is infuriated, and drugs and catnaps the kittens and dumps them in the French countryside, miles from home. There they find Thomas O'Malley, an alley cat who helps them back home, mainly because of Duchess.

The characterization of O'Malley certainly doesn't seem to have been a problem. Voiced by Phil Harris (Baloo from The Jungle Book), he also acts like the lovable bear and even looks just like you would imagine Baloo to look like, were he transmogrified into a cat. His bunch of jazz cats, led by Scat Cat, are some of the more effective Disney cameo-players. My favorite was the long-haired, blonde English Cat (besides Scat Cat, the rest have no names but clearly distinct nationalities). Roquefort the house-mouse and Frou-Frou the horse have brief roles, but shine in these glimpses. Edgar isn't really the real Disney villain in that he is not evil...he is simply impatient. He is not cruel from the start--his only sin is impatience. If he hadn't known about the will, he would've taken care of the cats as if nothing had happened. One sees his point in a way--what would those cats DO with the money? Madame could have given her estate to Edgar, and the butler would never have abandoned the cats had they not been privileged more than himself. So I like Edgar, in some ways.

The story is a mix of other Disney classics. Besides Fantasia--which had NO plot--this was Disney's first shot at writing an original story for an animated feature, and even so they had to take shortcuts. Here are the main plot elements repeated: 1) Villain-pet naps-animals-for-personal-gain from One Hundred and One Dalmatians. 2) Pampered-pet-learns-of-life-on-streets-through-streetwise-friend from Lady and the Tramp. It also borrows a little bit from Chuck Jones and Abe Levitow's Gay Purr-ee (1962). The plot is berated for being too shallow, but I don't see how it can be with so many elements of faultless classics. Again, as in the first paragraph: If the audience enjoys a story, it doesn't matter how the story developed.

The animation, so often blasted for being lazy and flawed, can never be seen the same way by everyone. It's solely a matter of opinion. The animation isn't bad, like television cartoons: it's a different style, radically different from, say, Sleeping Beauty. If that great fairy tale were portrayed by such animation, it would be the greatest failure in history; the same way, the sketchy, loose, carefree style of The Aristocats is perfect to tell that kind of story with those characters. Sleeping Beauty needed to be immaculate, as near to photography as could be; The Aristocats is the most cartoony of Disney animated features.

The Aristocats will always have an advantage over many films in my book. It was one of the few movies my dad saw in theater, so I was exposed to it more than several other movies. Besides that, it has always been one of Disney's more enjoyable features, more fun than most. It doesn't aim for the realism and drama of Bambi. It's just wholesome entertainment.

9/10

Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)

Funny enough, but don't expect a movie: expect an over-sized short subject (some SPOILERS)

[21 July 2004]

The key to liking this movie is to see it not expecting a real movie. Looney Tunes: Back In Action is a wacky, plot less comedy revolving around the perfectly loony exploits of Bugs Bunny and the world's favorite fowl, Daffy Duck. Nothing more.

Well, maybe SOMETHING more. The plot isn't so bad as all that. Like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the cartoon characters are real actors and co-exist with us mortals (actually, Daffy and Wile E. Coyote might be a little TOO mortal). Daffy is constantly trying to star in his own movie instead of playing second banana to the rabbit, but since Daffy isn't very popular (he's got my vote!) he's fired by vice-president of comedy Kate Houghton. When Kate orders security guard-cum-aspiring stuntman DJ Drake to eject the duck, he inevitably has a hard time of it, eventually catching the duck but also wrecking the trademark Warner Bros. water tower at the same time. Both are fired. Daffy goes home with DJ to discover that his father is a famous actor who a plays a spy as a cover for being a spy.

Meanwhile, the studio decides they want Daffy back. However, Daffy is accompanying DJ in the search for his father, who has been captured by the evil head of the ACME Corporation. DJ's dad was trying to save the world by finding the magical Blue Monkey Diamond. So now, DJ knows about the diamond, and ACME must stop him. Kate and Bugs finally catch up with Daffy and so get caught up in the big world-saving mission.

Not too realistic, huh? Well, it's not supposed to be. Back In Action isn't slowed down by any sub themes or complicated plot twists. There are twists, but they are distinctly cartoony. The humor is very like the original Looney Tunes of over half a century ago, spoofing everything of the era that is famous. One of the most memorable is Bugs Bunny's recreation, shot-by-shot, of the shower scene from Psycho. Which brings us to the other side of the lunacy. Try explaining THAT scene to a five-year-old. I'm only 12, anyway, but I know Hitchcock. Who doesn't? The movie as a whole aims for just plain, sidesplitting, cacophonies laughter from the audience. And that's what it gets.

The animation! Well, probably the best hand animation of the last few years, especially in the opening, when Daffy is reading his next script. Since they're shooting a cartoon, the scene isn't burdened by complicated lighting effects and other stuff. It's animated like a true Looney Tune of the '50s, besides smoother motion, which is only an improvement. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the rest of the movie, which is sometimes CG, like a scene of Bugs in the spy-car. But anyway, it's very good, so credit to Eric Golberg (is he Bill Golberg's brother? Boy, what a contrast - wrestler and animator).

The DVD is packed with discarded footage, zanier than the scenes that made the cut. For all you people looking for a serious, thoughtful movie, DANGER: KEEP OFF. For all you Looney Tunes-lovers, looking for an extended short subject, packed with laughs and spoofs of one and all, you must watch this.

8.5/10

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998 Video)

One of the better Disney sequels

[21 July 2004]

The Lion King was one of the best movies I've ever seen. I was just a six-year-old when Simba's Pride came out, so I was initially overjoyed. After watching it, I was happy with it, since anything featuring Timon and Pumbaa was perfect in my book. Now, I review it with an unbiased eye.

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride isn't really about Simba at all: it's about his daughter Kiara. Kiara is just as adventurous as the young Simba, but Simba is even more overprotective than Mufasa. Kiara disobeys Simba's paranoid rules and ventures into the Outlands, where exiled lions who supported Scar now dwell, including his wife, Zeera. There she meets a young cub called Kovu, and the two hit it off and escape from crocodiles into the safety of the Pridelands, where Simba and Zeera find them. Back home, Zeera berates Kovu for trying to befriend Kiara, but discovers that it is a great plan: she trains Kovu to kill Scar and become king, doing so by winning Kiara's affections, and so getting an opportunity to isolate Simba and kill him. As an adolescent, Kovu faithfully carries out the plan, having gotten into Kiara's good books, but unexpectedly and accidentally having gotten her into his.

The story is, I have to admit, really good. Zeera's devious plot is just as good (if not better) than Scar's in The Lion King. However, the movie is too sentimental, and Kovu falls in love with Kiara IN A DAY. It was much too fast--and much too smooth--to make it totally believable. In the first movie, Simba and Nala have some serious spats. Kiara and Kovu just go off without a hitch. The climax is really good. Most of the plot elements work in its favor. The story is unusual, with lots of sad things happening, more so than the more typical Disney The Lion King. One thing that works heavily against the movie is the all-too-brief appearances of the duo of Timon and Pumbaa and Zazu. The movie doesn't lack comedy, it just needs to get more of it from Timon & Pumbaa.

You must understand that this was never going to fetch as big a profit as The Lion King, as Simba's Pride was only released on video. Therefore, the animation isn't as lavish and immaculate as in the theatrically released predecessor. The detail in the manes, the attention given each blade of grass, is absent. Nevertheless, the animation is very good. It's smooth, but again, just a peg below The Lion King. The artistry on the whole is excellent.

The Lion King: Simba's Pride is one of the more inspired Disney sequels. But, yet again, it pales (just a bit) in comparison to its successor. These sequels are financially efficient, but Disney would not approve. As Walt said, money is not an object. In the years to come, in the end, quality will make or break a movie, not how much money it cost. Art cannot be cheap if it is to be as good as it can be.

7.25/10

Rocket-bye Baby (1956)

An amusing cosmic mix-up

[21 July 2004]

Unusually, this sci-fi cartoon is funny and imaginative (and original) without the presence of such a professional laugh-trigger as the teaming of Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. This time, it revolves around one-shot characters.

Once upon a time, earth and Mars came closer together than ever before. Thus, a serious mix-up occurred when a Martian baby greeted Mr. Wilbur in the waiting room, while Wilbur's son ended up on Mars. Not only is this cute little kid green, he also has antennae and a talent for science unbecoming for someone his age. The Martians inform the Wilburs about the mix-up, and add that if their kid, Mot, is harmed, then the humans' kid, Yob, will not be returned to his rightful parents. But the Wilburs are just a little too late to stop Mot and his "toy flying saucer" zooming off through the city. So a frantic chase ensues, Mr. Wilbur trying to save the Martian to save his own son.

The first impression I got from the cartoon was that it might well lack originality. I thought they must have done the mix-up in another cartoon, and this was just a rehash. But I wasn't expecting the second half of the movie to be as intriguing as it was. The ending was dramatic enough, but the highlight was Mr. Wilbur's series of problems with Mot and his embarrassment at having him for a son. The expressions are priceless. I wouldn't mind Mot, he's really cute and brilliantly animated if you don't mind green. Also particularly memorable is the chase sequence, in which a man who is beating the Martian theories into dust starts bawling in the middle of a fit of laughter, having seen the little green man in the spaceship. Most highly recommended!

8.75/10

Robot Rabbit (1953)

A funny Freleng flick

[21 July 2004]

Chuck Jones is best known as an animator who dealt with futuristic concepts. In Robot Rabbit, however, Friz Freleng directs a science-fiction story starring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

Elmer owns a farm in Indiana, were carrots abound. Such an enticing smorgasbord of vegetables is irresistible to rabbits, so Bugs binges on them. When Elmer finds out, he contacts ACME pest control, which supplies him with a robot to get rid of a long-haired bunnies. However, the robot seems to think anything with long ears is a rabbit, so . . .

Bugs isn't always successful in Robot Rabbit. He gets badly concussed when the intruding pile of tin socks him. This is a very funny cartoon, with a nice ending, and brilliantly animated: few animators would take the trouble to add overlap and elasticity to a few carrots that fly into the air. Recommended for all fans of the carrot-crunching icon we knows as Bugs Bunny. In other words: Recommended to all!

Fantasia (1940)

The Mousetro's greatest achievement. Fantasia WILL amaze ya. (Possible SPOILERS.)

[20 July 2004]

Fantasia is the most amazing animated movie I have ever seen. It may not have the humor of Finding Nemo, nor the simple message of Dumbo. It's so different from anything else the House of Mouse ever created. But it may well be the best.

It's a collection of short subjects with little or no plot, but what makes the compilation unique is that it's all matched to classical music, beautifully conducted by Leopold Stokowski, and bridged by live-action footage of the silhouettes of an orchestra, narrated by Deems Taylor. Besides these sequences, there isn't a word of dialog.

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor: This is nothing but an abstract piece of animation. You see the strings of the cello, the violin, and lots of stripes and shapes that leave trails of color in their wake. Magnificently matched to the music. There's not really that much to explain, just images.

The Nutcracker Suite: An ode to nature based on Tchaikowsky's six dances. Each dance is performed by the most unlikely dancers. Fairies, goldfish, thistles and many more perform the dances, but best of all is Art Babbit's Chinese Dance sequence, with mushrooms. The highlight of the sequence is Hob Low, a little mushroom who seems to lag behind the rest of the impeccable act. Brilliantly animated by Babbit, one of the best sequences in the movie.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice: An old story starring Mickey Mouse and the intimidating wizard Yen Sid (guess what that spells backwards!), matched to Dukas' symphony. This is without a doubt MM's greatest performance. The animation, especially Ugo O'Dorsi's brilliant effects, is impeccable. Funny and dramatic at the same time, everyone who's ever heard of Mickey Mouse should see The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

The Rite of Spring: Igor Stravinsky's Le Sacre was originally meant to signify prehistory, but Disney has taken it much further than a series of old tribal dances. The Rite of Spring starts out at the dawn of the planet, zooming in on our tormented home, spewing lava and rocks. Powerful scenes of the elements that ran amok, without utilizing computers at all (well, they hadn't been invented yet). Then, we skip to the beginnings of life, from the life and death struggle of big bacterium vs. little bacterium. Skip to the dinosaurs, and the constant tyranny of the tyrannosaurus. Many powerful dramatic scenes, beautifully set to the music, until desertification, starvation, a tidal wave and an earthquake wipes out the dinosaurs. Marvelous. One of the best shorts in animation history.

The Pastoral Symphony: Ludwig Van Beethoven's masterpiece, instead of portraying the countryside, takes place in a mythological setting. From Pegasus' family, and the adventures of the little black Baby Pegasus. Next movement revolves around the attempts of a bunch of butt-naked baby cupids trying to bring together single centaurs and centaurettes. Next, the exploits of the amorous and extremely drunk Bacchus and Jacchus, who join in the centaurs' wine-making. But all is interrupted by Zeus, who chucks lightning bolts at the lot till he's bored. Next movement, and order is restored, the sun sets, and Diana fires a comet into the sky. Wonderfully animated, and perfectly matched to great music.

The Dance of the Hours: Ostriches, elephants, hippos and alligators dance to Ponchielli's ballet, in a nobleman's castle, revolving around the leader of the gators, Ben Ali Gator's crush on Hyacinth Hippo. Beautifully animated, wonderful comic relief amidst a storm of serious art. It would've been just as successful as a short cartoon. Hilarious!

A Night On Bald Mountain and Ave Maria: One word: Chernabog. You have to see it to believe it. IS Bald Mountain REALLY a mountain? No, it's the crouching figure of Chernabog, a demon who calls all manner of grotesque, undead, and demonic things to himself, and tortures them in a hellish manner, disposing of them at will. Absolutely terrifying cacodemonic animation coupled with Moussorgsky's dramatic, intimidating score. But as dawn approaches, torch-bearing pilgrims, and Schubert's Ave Maria in the background, subdue Chernabog and the demons, and they return to the Underworld as a masterpiece ends. Vladimir Tytla is the only man who could possible have pulled off this dramatic, spell bindingly horrific sequence. The best piece of animation ever.

Fantasia is something special. Music, comedy, and unadulterated evil. That's a strange mixture. But two hours of these elements come together to make what may be the best movie ever. Fantasia will amaze ya.

10/10

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)

A worthy sequel to a great classic

[19 July 2004]

Fievel, the cute little mouse from An American Tail, is going west for Fievel Goes West. This is one of very few sequels that really deserve the title of the original classics. Fievel Goes West may not have as many touching moments as the original, but that's because it's more of a fast-paced western comedy rather than a heartwarming, sometimes tragic tale (tail?) as An American Tail was.

A by-product of the comedic approach is the look of the movie. Instead of the dark, dull, forbidding color scheme of the first movie, the sequel is supposed to be bright, funny, and altogether welcoming. Thus, you get bright sunshine (sometimes a bit too bright from the characters' point of view) and varied color. The animation hasn't changed all too much, unlike The Land Before Time's sequels for video. The animation retains a bit of Don Bluth's touch, though still a bit different. Altogether, the animation is just about as good as it could be in 1991.

The film as a whole is a gem, but the one thing truly, wonderfully beautiful thing about Fievel Goes West is James Horner's immortal soundtrack. The songs are just as good as An American Tail, which is saying a lot; besides, you have a brutally edited reprise of "Somewhere Out There" from the first film, sung by Tanya. Speaking of Tanya, she's voiced by someone different, presumably to allow for her great singing. For proof, all you need to do is listen to "Dreams To Dream". Great though the aspiring singer is, the end credits rendition of the song by the crazy Lindstradt lady is beautiful.

In Fievel Goes West, our title protagonist is lost on the way to Green River, where he will supposedly find a new lease on life with his family and lots of other hopeful mice. But the dream is shattered when Fievel explores the train, and finds a bunch of cats and a huge spider, led by the smooth talking Cat R. Waul, plotting to befriend the mice before turning them into mouse-burgers by means of a mysterious "better mousetrap"! But Fievel is found out, and the spider knocks him off the train, leaving him hopelessly lost in the desert. I thought they might have made up something different, not the whole mouse-gets-lost-must-return-to-family routine. I couldn't help feeling they'd done that before. However, Dom DeLuise returns for a bigger part alongside the legendary canine sheriff Wylie Burp.

So, overall, what of this sequel? Well, it certainly does the original justice. Yes, it does lack the heart of the original, but having less heart than An American Tail does in no way mean being heartless. Don Bluth might not have had a hand in this, but Fievel Goes West lives up to Bluth's classic story of a little mouse called Fievel.

Animation-9/10; Story-7/10; Plot-7/10; Comedy-8.5/10 = Overall-8/10

Dumbo (1941)

A charming film from The Mousetro (SOME SPOILERS)

[19 July 2004]

I saw Dumbo several times when I was really (I mean REALLY) young, and forgot about it till just a month ago, when I got it on DVD. This is one of the most touching, short, perfect films ever. Nobody should have to pass their childhood without seeing it.

The story is incredibly simple. It isn't cluttered by subplots, it doesn't have more than one story line, it's just a straightforward fable of how a baby elephant rises to fame, but not before being ridiculed for his foolishly immense ears, named Dumbo, and worst of all being ostracized from his mother. But he is rescued by Timothy Q. Mouse, a fast-talking rodent who is the one guy who pities Dumbo. In the end, Dumbo finds his ears are perfect as wings. After the animators so perfectly portray his innocent joy, we see a great change in Dumbo. He suddenly punishes the clowns who made fun of him, shoots peanuts at the nasty elephants like a bombadier circling overhead. I know everyone who was punished for their horrid conduct towards the mute protagonist deserved what they got. But still, I can't help thinking: Is this really Dumbo? I would have expected him to just smile joyously and simply speed-dive into his mother. I just didn't seem like the kind of guy to punish wrongdoers. That's what most heroes do, they beat up the baddies, but Dumbo seemed more like the kind of character to mind his own business, content to be with his mother and not be picked on, not giving a hoot whether the rest of the world ran amok or not.

Despite the last bit, I love Dumbo. The animation is very rounded, warm and welcoming. The cuteness of Dumbo knows no bounds. This is made even more noticeable when Dumbo's ears are revealed when he sneezes, as they were previously tucked back neatly. After everyone sees his ears, the scenes don't look quite so happy. After his mother tries to protect him from a redheaded brat, Skinny, she's labelled "mad elephant" and locked up. After the loss of his mother, all the layouts are dark and sad, reflecting how Dumbo feels. Even the circus' obligatory brightness seems in some way menacing, although the look isn't really different at all. The animation is very simple, not bothering with great detail, but just portraying a cartoon animal, without the added bother of fur, wrinkles and such like.

The character of Dumbo is groundbreaking. It's a great achievement to make a pure, meaningful film without the title character uttering a single word. The medium of animation often expresses emotion better without verbal support. Add to that that the movie really emphasizes Dumbo as an innocent baby who isn't responsible for his long ears, and dialog would ruin the baby image. What makes the meanness of the outside world look even worse is the fact that Dumbo can't even say anything about it. Timothy is a great character. That's nothing more than what you'd expect, for mice are always portrayed favorably in Disney, for obvious reasons. You just love him for helping Dumbo when no one else will. He's also quite the talker, persuading the ringmaster to use Dumbo as his climax, and bringing a bunch of nasty Afro-American crows to tears with a dramatic rendition of Dumbo's tragic story. Which brings us to the crows, presumably cousins of the vultures in The Jungle Book. Both are outcasts themselves, both make fun of the outcast hero before accepting him with an excellent song and then helping him. Mowgli and Dumbo develop friendships with their feathered acquaintances the same way.

No one could ever talk about Dumbo without mentioning the "Pink Elephants On Parade" sequence. A year too late to make the cut for Fantasia, but certainly a surreal, colorful, innovative sequence. It's one of the best animated sequences ever, with lots of strange shots, like when you only see highlights of two waltzing elephants. Timothy and Dumbo endure this nightmare after accidentally imbibing the clowns' champagne. The crows' song "When I See An Elephant Fly" is one I battled with for a long time, trying to get it out of my head. I failed, needless to say. "Baby Mine" is one of the most touching sequences in animation history. The eyes and and the trunk (!) of the two elephants express the mother and son's feelings far better than words. All Dumbo can see of Mrs. Jumbo is her trunk, which cradles him through the bars of Mrs. Jumbo's tiny cell window, as he cries.

Okay, enough of the sadness and despair, the movie! Dumbo is one of the great Disney movies, immortal. Short, simple, basic, yet spectacular in its own simple way. It doesn't try to be Fantasia or Pinocchio. It doesn't go for extravagance. It doesn't wanna be the immortal masterpiece. It just aims to tell a good animated story. Yet in its unambitious SIMPLICITY it manages to do most of that.

The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration (2003 Video)

Finally, a sequel that does the original classic justice (spoilers)

[18 July 2004]

The Land Before Time was one of my most beloved cartoons. It was a far cry from Disney, being dark, moody, and really sad and morose. But since Universal betrayed Don Bluth and started cranking out cheap direct-to-video sequels, I've been unhappy with the series. I liked II and III because I was still in kindergarten, but since then I haven't seen any until I got XII, XIII and IX. I intended to get 'em all, each time hoping for a revival of the old style.

In Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration, you will not find anything like the art direction of the first one, albeit there is a shadow of it in a gloomy swamp. The Great Valley must be bright and cheery, which I forgive, 'cause it's heaven on earth, isn't it? Well, the rest of the sequels acted like the last movie never happened; it's like a TV series with episodes like Dexter's Lab or Johnny Bravo, with no connection between the countless "adventures". However, the tenth installment ties in with the first, featuring a realistic plot. Migration instincts in dinosaurs probably arose not in dreams, but just some weird chemical reaction that said, "Time to haul ass!" But, the animators probably knew that, and kiddies wouldn't get it if you involved scientific mumbo-jumbo in a cartoon that calls tyrannosaurs "sharpteeth".

As far as animation goes, the gist of the last paragraph repeats itself: this is the only REAL sequel. They actually seemed to want to do the classic justice this time around. The animation in the other video releases was no better than a TV show, despite some amateurish attempts at CG effects in the ninth. Now, the hand animation looks smooth and fluent, not quite like the first, but good enough to pass with some confidence, since the sequels Disney's churning out aren't exactly masterpieces. The CGI is the most noticeably improved: the trees, the rocks, the water, every non-character element is CG, except for when a character hits the wanter - then you see a hand-drawn splash.

The voice acting is much better. The filmmakers didn't just walk up to a random guy on the street and ask him if he could read. Some celebrities tag along for this finale. I heard that someone heard that a good source had confirmed that XI was in the works: I don't think so, or hope so. The narrator certainly seemed to say that was it, since he just said that Littlefoot and his dad would have some more adventures, and everything turned out hunky-dory. So I doubt that they'd have the audacity to make another sequel. I think if you're a Don Bluth fan (this ISN'T a Bluth film), you'll like The Land Before Time. If you do, there isn't any real need to see any of the sequels but The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration. It's the only REAL sequel to Bluth's masterpiece.

An American Tail (1986)

One of the first of many that kicked Disney's ass

[18 July 2004]

Don't take me wrong: although An American Tail is a wonderful film, the old Disney classics are not the ones I'm talking about in the summary. I'm talking about the over-commercialized crap we get these days. Don Bluth's second animated feature is again about mice, like Secret of NIMH. I think NIMH was better, though not by much. The songs are pretty good, although not like some Disney songs. The animation, however, is simply gorgeous. I can't believe people dismiss it as poorly animated just because the colors aren't bright! The colors are dark and moody, as they should be, An American Tail--nor any of Bluth's films--were ever supposed to look like Rayman. If you want to see Bluth with bright colors, glance at some cheery scenes from A Troll in Central Park. I find the way Fievel and his family miss each other by inches frustrating, though. In fact, I was surprised Fievel and Tanya couldn't hear each other as they sang "Somewhere Out There". A simply beautiful film, a must for anyone who looks for variation in the field of animation, but infuriating for anyone who thinks the scope of animation should be restricted to Disney.

Hyde and Hare (1955)

A masterpiece portraying Bugs in a different light.

[17 July 2004]

Hyde and Hare is a Bugs cartoon from 1955, a very significant year for Bugs, as he was "deconstructed" by Friz and fellow director Chuck Jones. Bugs always showed great weaknesses in '55, but for a detailed and in-depth look at this unique year, read Kevin McCory's two articles on the subject, entitled "Hyde and Hare: An Overlooked Masterpiece" and its sequel, which takes a look at all '55 rabbit cartoons. Both can be found in the Articles section at looney.toonzone.net. Hyde and Hare in particular is interesting because Dr. Jekyll's formula returns him to a prehistoric barbarian, and Bugs tries to sell himself as an ordinary rabbit, one that has not evolved into the sophisticated, anthropomorphic bunny we know and love, because of his "carrot addiction". If you analyze this cartoon, you'll have a lot to think about.

Hare Trimmed (1953)

Very funny indeed.

[17 July 2004]

I consider myself extremely fortunate, in that I have never been oppressed enough to have seen a cartoon edited for unsuitable material (or so the censors think). Bugs the boy scout does his good deed in delivering Granny, who is plagued by Yosemite Sam's dishonest affections. The funniest part of the cartoon is when Bugs dresses up as Granny and does Yosemite Sam some series hurt, which Yosemite isn't happy with at all. So, in wonderfully predictable style, the antagonist ends up taking out his rage on the real Granny, as he thought Bugs to be the elderly matron even when he'd received a bashing. There really isn't any excuse for editing this cartoon as it has been, and people should be able to enjoy it in its entirety.

Drip-Along Daffy (1951)

Daffy goes west for the first time

[17 July 2004]

Followed-up by My Little Duckaroo, Drip-Along Daffy is one of my favorite cartoons. Daffy is the star, playing a Western-type hero who becomes sheriff of a town in disarray, accompanied by his one-man fanclub, comedy relief in Porky Pig. The antagonist is Nasty Canasta, the core of all the trouble. So if our inept hero can rid the town of Canasta in a one-on-one shootout, all the problems will be solved. With Daffy responsible for the fate of the town, the prospect seems bleak, doesn't it? The animation is excellent. Jones' simple use of subtle expressions is at its glorious best here. Canasta can't really be called a character since he's just a one-dimensional prop, part of the background for Daffy and the show-stealing Porky. For any fan of the greedy, overly confident Daffy, a must-see.