cjd-16 Reviews

Tangled (2010)

A Disney Classic in Every Sense

[9/10 · 24 November 2010]

Despite the modern-sounding title, "Tangled" is perhaps the most classical-styled Disney film since the days of Disney himself.

What really makes this movie feel like a classic is that it digs back, way back, all the way back to Disney's roots, back in the days where the most common main character that you saw in every Disney movie was along the lines of "A completely innocent main character discovers the world." I'm talking Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo, and Bambi. And now we can add Rapunzel to this list, because this is what Tangled is really about: Rapunzel finally stepping out of her tower after 18 years of experiencing absolutely nothing but her little room at the top, and seeing the whole world in wide-eyed wonderment. To some degree, this makes Tangled feel even more "Disney" than even the stellar films of the 90's Disney Renaissance. We fall in love with Rapunzel right from the beginning because we want her, such a kind and loving character, to live her dreams and find beauty in this new world she is experiencing. This aspect of the film is absolutely brilliant. Rapunzel is almost like Snow White in her kindness, and yet she also actually has a real personality! I can't say enough about Rapunzel's character. She is easily near the top of all Disney princesses, mixing the love and kindness of Snow White with the realism and believability of Ariel and Belle.

From a visual standpoint, this is definitely a throwback to the classics as well. The colors are vibrant and lively, and the buildings warm, rounded, cozy, and inviting, as if they themselves have been custom-chosen to convey the sense of wonderment that Rapunzel feels, like she is a child visiting Fantasyland at Disney World for the first time. This adds greatly to the tone of the film, and combines to make the whole world of this movie feel lush, romantic, and inviting. Because of this, the whole thing is a joy to watch even in its imperfect moments. There are some especially amazing scenes, most notably the floating-lanterns scene where the whole kingdom slowly lights up little by little until the whole thing looks like it is glowing from the inside. (It will no doubt be remembered as the "iconic" scene from this movie, like the ballroom scene from Beauty and the Beast.) Pretty much, nothing about this movie is "negative." It has very strong main characters with some really well-done complex relationships amongst themselves, great sidekicks, some good-natured humor, a great classical song-filled musical score that has had me humming it for the last two days, and the plot is staged without a single thing feeling boring or clichéd. And in that manner, I believe that this is the first Disney film in nearly 15 years that can truly be called a Disney classic.

On the film-geek side of it, there is some amazing technical wizardry going on here. This is the best CGI hair ever put on film thus far. For the first time, we have computer-generated hair that can truly be called "beautiful." It shines, it stretches, and has weight that just looks right. Plus just getting the world itself to look warm and inviting is a huge accomplishment, as CGI is generally much more inclined toward producing hard mechanical edges. Great stuff! IMO, this is the biggest step forward in animation since "Tarzan" introduced deep-canvas technology.

One other thing that makes this movie just like the best Disney classics is that it works on all levels. For the adults like us, there is some great thematic subtlety going on beneath the surface, touching on classic coming-of-age themes, mother-daughter relationships, and in Flynn's case, how often the over-confident ruffian is really just hiding personal shortcomings and really doesn't know what he wants. Plus the characters really feel like real people, and never just archetypes or caricatures. And for the kids, there is some really good-natured humor that doesn't talk down to them, a great romance story, and the film was near-perfectly-paced, with not a moment of the running-time wasted, and yet still taking time to breathe to let us see some of the acting "ticks" that really let us get into the heads of the characters.

The only reason I am giving this a 9 is because of some minor contrivance nitpicks that keep this film just below my favorite Disney movies. The only one that I feel is really worth mentioning is the excessive use of cartoon physics. Flynn and Maximus fall off a 100-ft cliff and emerge completely unscathed. Flynn is catapulted from a wheelbarrow over 50 feet through the air and lands perfectly on a horse. And that horse then jumps over 30 feet off of a rooftop and keeps running unphased. That bugged me, and made it feel slightly like this film was taking place in a cartoon universe rather than the real world like most Disney movies, taking away slightly from its credibility. Also, there was something that kept it from feeling as "complete" and "epic" as almost every Disney movie feels, but I can't quite put my finger on why. But ultimately, these things were all minor in the grand scope of things. This was really a character-driven movie rather than external-plot-driven, and the characters are absolutely amazing.

So in one department, I felt that this was as much a classic Disney movie as any ever made, and near-perfect. Due to some slight contrivances, I feel like the physical plot was a step below Disney's best, but in general I feel like Tangled is the first Disney movie in over 15 years that can truly be called a masterpiece. I actively loved almost every second of it, and immediately wanted to go back and see it again. In a world populated by movies that are either too silly or too serious, "Tangled" is a bright ray of sunshine that is a joy to watch at every second.

Bolt (2008)

A Near-Perfect Family Comedy

[8/10 · 15 November 2008]

It's official. Disney is finally back! "Bolt" is a return to the old formula of having a story that works on both the level of entertaining the kids with jokes, and keeping the parents watching with a touching character-based story.

At its base level, "Bolt" is quite possibly the funniest animated film that Disney has ever made. And thankfully, the best humor was not wasted on the movie's trailers. You think you've seen it, but oh, there's so much more! The audience at my theater, kids and parents alike, were laughing like crazy throughout the film, including one joke that kept them laughing for a good minute afterward. (I wouldn't dare spoil it here.) Rhino, the little hyperactive TV-obsessed hamster who has no idea how small he is, steals the show. Almost everything that he does is worth a good laugh, and all of his humor is perfectly in-character... not annoying in the least bit, unlike the Disney sidekicks of the 90's. And there are no fart jokes or potty humor, or other such overly-easy kid-friendly jokes that make adults smack themselves on the heads. It's classic character-based humor, which everyone can appreciate, throughout the film.

The movie's base premise, a character who thinks he's something extraordinary when he's really not, may sound like a rehash of "Toy Story," but it isn't. They only sound similar on paper. The execution, and what the film's drama and basic plot points focus on, are completely different. In "Toy Story," Buzz's ignorance was self-induced, while in "Bolt," Bolt's ignorance is the fault of the studio, who keeps him ignorant for the sake of making a more convincing show. "Bolt" is more of a story about love overcoming cruelty than a self-actualization one.

As a serious film, "Bolt" works for the most part. The first 30 minutes or so, from the opening pet shop scene to the end of the Ohio trailer park scene, are spectacular, showcasing the lightning-fast action scenes that Bolt thinks are real, plus using the wonderfully detailed and subtle character animation, (which is remarkably lifelike,) to capture the tender Penny-playing-with-Bolt moments. You really feel for Penny and Bolt because of how believable the animation is, and those first images of them together really stick in your head throughout the film.

The only place where the story fizzles out a bit is in the middle and some parts of the end. The parts where Bolt actually learns that he is not in fact a super dog, and has to cope with it, were not redundant, but they certainly weren't inspired either. It kind of rushes through them, and doesn't dwell on them, which makes such an intense change in character a lot less significant than it could have been. (This is not a spoiler, by the way... the plot shifts in a completely different direction once this part, which everyone knew was coming, is over.) I personally think this lack of perfection is because the team had only 2 years to finish the film after Sanders left, and didn't have time to iron out the story and dialog in the middle. This keeps the movie from being a masterpiece. If the whole film was as good as the first 30 minutes, it could have been. As is now, it is still a sensational family comedy achievement, but falls just short as a serious character-study film.

Nonetheless, "Bolt" is one of Disney's best films from the last 10 years, and is not to be missed. The kids at the theater unanimously loved it, especially loving the hamster. If you have a family, don't miss it! If you like good light-hearted comedies, don't miss it! If you're a lone Disney fan holding out for the return of the near-perfect character, music, and epic animation, though, you might have to wait until next year's "The Princess and the Frog." "Bolt" is certainly a treat, but is still just short of the levels of the 90's Disney Renaissance.

Fantasia 2000 (1999)

Lacks Subtlety, but Enjoyable.

[7/10 · 20 April 2008]

While I think that it's really great that Disney decided to resurrect Walt's vision for "Fantasia," I think they could have done a much better job recapturing the magic.

The basic Fantasia concept, setting highly sophisticated animation to classical music in an attempt to make the music come alive, is still obviously intact, but what has been lost to some degree in "Fantasia 2000" is the mid-blowing high-art spectacle of the original Fantasia.

What I mean by this is that the original Fantasia was all about visual art. There were so many scenes that were stunningly beautiful, and were in the film for the sole purpose of being beautiful. You can see this all over, most noticeably in the Nutcracker, the Rite of Spring, and A Night on Bald Mountain / Ave Maria. They were beautiful in their simplicity, and neither animation nor music overpowered the viewer. But this simple beauty has dropped significantly with Fantasia 2000. Every small change in the music has been amped up to the hundredth degree in order to make the animation sync up with the music. On other words, they tried way too hard to make everything 'fit,' at the cost of the simple beauty of the animation / music combo.

That's not to say that this movie still isn't great fun, and has some amazing showcases of animation that will leave you open-mouthed at the rich and colorful visual spectacle. Because it does more often than not, and is still a must-see. But it's just that it pales in comparison to what Walt did on the original Fantasia, because it tried a bit too hard. If they had stuck with finding the essence of the music, then animating the simple beauty to be found in it, I have no doubt that this could have been an absolute masterpiece. But as is, it's just a bit too loud and a bit too cartoon-y rather than a mind-blowing artistic spectacle.

I only wish that this movie could have been made after the Pixar merge, because John Lasseter is a man who truly understands animation as an art, and probably could have made a much more sophisticated follow-up to "Fantasia" than Michael Eisner did.

Anyway, here's what I thought about each segment, since the quality is highly varied.

Beethoven's 5th Symphony - 5/10. This is, quite frankly, my least favorite segment in the whole film. The character is overdone, and the oversimplified animation is completely dwarfed by the music. The visuals are completely forgettable compared to the timeless music.

Pines of Rome - 9/10. There are moments where this piece is a bit too loud and comical, but this is also one of the most beautiful segments in the film. It takes ample time to breathe, and let you take the visual spectacle in. I especially love the sequence where the small whale rises up into the light at the top of the ice block. For just a second there, it rivals Miyazakian beauty.

Rhapsody in Blue - 8/10. I love the design of the animation in this segment, because its shapes and flow mesh with the music almost perfectly, creating a great jazz-era blues-iness for the music to go with. There are some great artistic moments that stuck in my head, but as a whole there's just a bit too much action happening in this segment to fully appreciate the unique and distinctive animation. Quite good, though.

Piano Concerto #2 (Steadfast Tin Soldier) - 6/10. Plain and simple, they were trying way too hard to make this segment fit the music perfectly; at the expense of artistic opportunity and character. This segment was completely forgettable.

Carnival of the Animals - 7/10. While this segment was very silly, so was the music. So the wild action and bright color pallet of the yo-yo-ing flamingos came together to form a quite amusing piece. While not a favorite of mine, it was great fun.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice - 10/10. What can I say? This was, and still is, possibly the greatest six minutes in Disney history. A perfect blend of character, visual art, and subtext.

Pomp and Circumstance - 6/10. What Disney tried to do with Donald here was obviously an attempt to recreate what happened with Mickey in the original "Fantasia". And they failed. The arrangement of the music was fantastic, but all of the animation was too loud, and again completely forgettable. There was basically no simple visual artistry, and no subtext to ponder.

The Firebird Suite - 10/10. Finally, after 65 minutes of animation and music, there is a segment that comes close to recapturing the magic of the original "Fantasia." That's not saying that this is prefect; far from it. There still aren't enough "breathing" moments, where you can just pause and enjoy the beautiful animation, for my tastes. But this is by far the most visually stunning and insightful of the new segments. It's no "Princess Mononoke," but for the new Disney, it's close enough.

Pocahontas (I) (1995)

This movie has some slight flaws, but it is magical.

[8/10 · 25 April 2007]

This is by far the most under-rated Disney movie of all time. Sure it wasn't perfect, but it is MUCH better than a 5.6.

The story is absolutely engrossing. There are so many good and realistic things going on... a man learning about all the little things he has missed in life, an Indian princess striving for adventure and guidance amongst her steady and safe society, and a full-blown war between civilizations who both believe that the other is made of savages. I appreciate that this story is a realistic depiction of war, with two disagreeing sides, neither of which is necessarily right or wrong.

The animation in this movie is absolutely spectacular. And it is spectacular in the best way: with a basis in cinematography. The animation is not only spectacular because of the details in the backgrounds and the characters, but even more so because of how beautifully it is used. Scenes such as when Pocahontas and John meet in the mist are the kind of simple beauty that more movies need. When you hear the song "Listen With Your Heart", you can practically feel the breath of the surrounding forest. Fantastic stuff.

Another big high point is the music. Everyone's heard the show-stopping "Colors of the Wind", but the others are worthy of praise as well. "Steady as the Beating Drum", "Just Around the River Bend", "Savages", "Listen With Your Heart", "Mine, Mine, Mine", and the deleted "If I Never Knew You" ALL fit perfectly. Musically, this movie is on par with Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and just a tick behind "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King".

So if all these things are good, why only an 8? Two words... the ending. Everything leading up to it is so engrossing, and "Savages" builds up such an intense conflict drama, and everything is falling apart. This was the chance for Disney to turn this movie into a classic, and with what had to happen, they easily could have. But they completely failed. After "Savages", the scene that should have been the most intense and dramatic climax in their history ended almost instantly. It was too fast, there was almost no drama like their should have been, and the dialog was awful... captured none of the epic feel that it should have. Such a shame that such a great film was wrecked by such a horribly executed ending.

I also wasn't a fan of the constant distractions of the animal sidekicks, and of course there are the matters of historical accuracy and non-stereotypical depiction of the Indians, but as an avid animation fan I was willing to overlook these issues and give it a chance to be a good film in a non-contexted world. Some may be put off by this, but since when have animated films been historically accurate? So, honestly, those who are put off by things like "People in the dynasty when Mulan lived weren't praying to ancestors yet" should probably not expect to like this movie.

Out-of-context, I give it an 8/10 because everything up till the ending was completely magical, and had some of the best moments in all of Disney history, but the ending fell flat. I still want to watch it over and over again, because the rest of the movie really was fantastic. With a proper dramatic ending, I really do think that it could have been nominated for "Best Picture" like the Disney people thought it would. As is, it's a great entry into the animated classics canon. Definitely recommended even though it falls well short of the greatness achieved by the early 90's films.

Meet the Robinsons (2007)

Disney 'keeps moving forward'...

[7/10 · 31 March 2007]

The tagline of this movie is perfect... because it describes exactly what Meet the Robinsons means for the Disney Feature Animation studios... a step forward. Disney had been on a slide in the last few years... they were beginning to make cheap comedy movies with thin characters and story lines. I am happy to report that those days are over.

Now, I'm sure many are wondering just what kind of influence John Lasseter has had on this film... and I can report that it is all positive. This movie could easily have been just as pointless as Chicken Little and The Wild... it could have been another thin comedy... but it wasn't. Here we finally have somewhat of a return to Disney's old style, where they make the audience laugh but also have a deep story with real-life problems and great characters. And I am happy to report that the humor is actually made with wit! There are no fart jokes, no potty humor, and the sidekick characters don't annoy the heck out of you.

The first part of this movie, where we first see Lewis and Goob growing up at the orphanage, and then Lewis is whisked away to the future, is where all of my complaints lie. The beginning is very rushed, and does not give you a chance to really get to know Lewis or his feelings before he is whisked away into the future. And once he gets there, everything remains rushed. You meet the entire Robinson family in only about two minutes, and it's slightly overwhelming to have that much thrown at you. The opening of the future part is the part of the movie where you see what it COULD have been... a comedy that did nothing for you, and tried to overwhelm you with endless one-liners from wacky characters. But then the movie turns serious, the plot begins to unwind, and pace is much better. The characters become deeper and more realistic, their motivations and personalities shine through, and the storyline becomes absolutely fantastic. By the end of the movie, you really feel like you have been on an adventure. The main character shows hope, he develops and grows quite a bit through the course of the film, and there is a very uplifting message, from Walt Disney himself, to keep moving forward.

So, overall, this is great family entertainment. The animation is quite good, much better than most other studios, but I don't think it's quite as great as some critics have made it out to be... maybe because I didn't get to see the 3-D version. But for me, it was the story that made the movie. Combine the great story, witty humor, and fun animation, and you have a movie that is definitely a step in the right direction for Disney. The motto could not be better placed... keep moving forward, and keep looking for better and better films from Walt Disney Pictures in the future.

Mai-HiME (2004–2005)

The most fun I've had watching anime in years.

[9/10 · 2 November 2006]

This show is absolutely fantastic. It goes well beyond the Anime conventionality of the "monster battle of the week", with a huge and diverse cast of characters, deeply moving drama, and some great humor thrown in too. This show ranks among the very best in dramatic animation by far, and is addictive to watch.

The story begins with 15-year-old Mai Tokiha heading off to the Fuuka Academy with her brother Takumi. The boat is attacked in the night by a mysterious girl named Natsuki. Natsuki has a strange power to materialize hand-held flash pistols and summon a mechanical monster named Duran. Natsuki attacks Mai, but a mysterious power comes from within Mai to protect her. As Natsuki fights, the boat breaks apart. Mai is sucked down into the sea. The next thing she knows, she is waking up in the courtyard of Fuuka Academy unharmed, with a trail of singed grass behind her and no memory of how she got there from the sea.

In the successive episodes, Mai learns that she is a "HiME", a maiden blessed by a star which only HiMEs can see, and she has the power to manipulate higher-order matter. As a series of strange monsters called 'Orphans' attacks the Academy, it is up to Mai and the other HiMEs to save the world from them.

The show begins fun, exciting, and light-hearted, with some very good action in the battles with Orphans, and spectacular animation and music. Another high point is the boy-girl humor, which ranks as just about the most hilarious I've seen. This is the general mold for the first ten episodes... humor, character introduction, and a monster battle to cap it off. At episode 11, the first set of 'big bosses' show up, and try to steal the power of the HiMEs for themselves. The result is amazing action and some very touching moments.

Then, at Episode 17, everything changes. This is where Mai-HiME turns from being a fun and enjoyable anime into one of the most intense dramatic shows ever. Everything the main characters know is ripped to shreds bit by bit, and the world comes crashing down around them. These episodes have amazingly intense and complex emotion, and the way in which everything falls apart is so believable. I have never felt so much emotion while watching an animated show.

Another of the great parts of this show is the wide and diverse cast of characters. Almost every possible personality is in this show, including the butt-kicker, the devoted big sister, the gossip queen, the quiet sidekick, the lost kitten, the femme fatale, and the bratty little sister. It is handled surprisingly well. Even though there are over ten characters who could be considered 'main', I found it surprisingly easy to keep track of them all. The show does a wonderful job handling the enormous cast, and each of them are well thought out.

Plain and simple, if you like anime you MUST watch this show. The last ten episodes rank as one of the greatest moments in anime history in my opinion. Since first viewing the fan subs about six months ago, I have watched the series from start to finish no less than four times. It is simply amazing, worth re-watching, and slightly addictive! Check out the DVD's, and enjoy the show!