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Reviews
Frozen II (2019)
Plays like a TV special
A sequel for a masterpiece like FROZEN was never going to be easy. I originally watched that film 20+ times and recently rewatched it in preparation for the sequel and I'm still floored by it - such an enjoyable, beautifully produced film with a story that had it all - drama, complexity, comedy plus of course the music. IMDB had message boards available at the time where people could discuss films and it was incredible to see how much depth and symbolism and themes people saw in an animated movie primarily intended for children. FROZEN 2 does not replicate that. If you enjoyed the first movie, it's worth watching the sequel BUT I would caution people to NOT expect that "wow" factor so many of us got from the first. There are nice visuals but overall it comes across to me as something that should have been released maybe as Christmas TV special and not a follow-up to the highest grossing animated film of all time. Also, first film had one of the great soundtracks in movie history with LET IT GO and so many other great songs. Not one memorable song in F2. Terrible music and really too much music. The standout character for me was actually Olaf and probably the highlight of the movie was a recap he provides of the events in the first movie - VERY VERY funny. All in all I would say not really a disappointment BUT only if you go in just happy to be able to see the characters again in a follow-up story. Do NOT expect the caliber of film we got in FROZEN.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)
Perfect for Twiligters
OK - this movie is NOT going to get an Oscar. It is not going to go on any official list of best movies ever made. However, if you loved the books, this film will likely hit the spot for you. The Twilight novels are largely cerebral. There is some action and adventure but the meat of the story is what's going on in the characters' heads - their emotions, their relationships, their senses. This is all hard to translate into film and I think this movie does a great job of doing that. There are scenes that could come across as corny or too maudlin. The film makers do a terrific job of re-interpreting those scenes (the honeymoon for one) with just the right touch of humor. This isn't the movie to see if you want to see some potential Academy award film but if you enjoyed the books and want to see the story come to life, pack up your sense of humor, leave the mighty expectations at home and just have some fun watching Bella finally get her vampire!
Marley & Me (2008)
A Wonderful Tribute to Our Pets
This film is a wonderful tribute to the millions of pets out there who love their families and give as much to those families as they do to them. It is particularly nice to see this film (and the book) portraying a family who recognized and treasured their pet as a member of their family and stuck with that animal in both good times and bad. There are so many dogs and cats out there who aren't as lucky as Marley and are discarded the moment they are no longer a puppy or kitten or their family has to move or has a baby or has some other issue that makes the pet an inconvenience. Kudos to this family, the filmmakers and actors for portraying the joys of having a pet and the importance of seeing this as a lifelong responsibility that will bring untold rewards. Wonderful film. Jennifer and Owen were fantastic in their roles.
Up (2009)
Not UP to par with other Pixar classics
I own every Pixar film on DVD but I have to say that UP may be the first one I pass on. I was very excited about seeing the film today after reading several good reviews. I think now that perhaps some reviewers out there are letting the Pixar reputation get to them. I can't believe ANYONE would say this is one of the best films of the year. Films like MONSTERS, INC, FINDING NEMO, WALL-E and TOY STORY deserved accolades like that but UP doesn't have the heart those classics did. The film is at its best early on when the characters aren't talking much. We see a montage of the lead character's life as a young Carl meets an exuberant girl named Ellie. We see them marry, live a life together, experience the highs and lows of life and finally, we see Carl loose his beloved Ellie and become a widower living alone in the house that always was their home. This sequence is moving and made me think that Pixar was about to strike another home run. However, at this point the characters start talking more and the story starts to get a bit...much. Carl decides to tie a bunch of helium balloons to his house in order to fly the house off to South America on the adventure he and Ellie were never able to complete together. He unwillingly takes along a young boy scout stand-in (Russell) who ends up on Carl's porch when the house takes off. Russell is determined to earn the patch for helping the elderly required by his troop in order to graduate to senior status. The balloon premise is a bit far-fetched but since it's an animated film, you go with it. However, once in South America, things get progressively weirder. Carl and Russell end up walking through the jungle and mountains with the house strapped to them, floating above. I think I knew the film was NOT going to be the usual classic I was used to from Pixar when they come across a bunch of talking dogs. It seems Pixar, whose done films about animals who can talk and done films just about humans, wanted to mix the two so they write into the story these dogs with collars that allow us to hear their thoughts. The dogs belong to an old adventurer living in the area who is determined to capture a big, ostrich-like bird to prove he's not the fake the world judge him to be decades ago when he claimed the bird existed. The adventurer has hundreds of dogs and not only do they search the jungles for the elusive bird, they also cook for their master, serve meals AND fly planes. Very weird. I think if you're going to make a film about smart, talking animals - make a film about smart talking animals (FINDING NEMO) and if you're going to do a film about humans, do one like THE INCREDIBLES about humans. In UP Pixar tries to mix the two and it just doesn't work. The ONE character who I thought had the most heart and was most interesting, was Kevin, the big bird who doesn't talk, seems devoted to her young and takes an instant liking to the human boy who probably reminds her of her babies. I heard kids in the audience more than once asking what was going on because they couldn't quite understand the story. I suspect UP will not be one of those films kids will watch over and over again like they do with the other Pixar classics. Pixar has some incredibly talented people but in UP I think they spent too much time on "cool" ideas and not as much time on developing the story and characters into something we could care about and believe in.