WilliamOTyler Reviews

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Star Trek finds its way back to celebrating diversity and integrity

[7/10 · 23 July 2016]

The USS Enterprise continues its exploration of space, the final frontier, in Star Trek: Beyond, the third film in Star Trek's newly named Kelvin Timeline which rebooted the popular franchise in 2009. Taking a change of course for the series, previous director J.J. Abrams stays on as producer while giving the helm to new director Justin Lin, probably best known for his work on the Fast & the Furious films. Lin's style here is immediately noticeable, with that almost too quick pacing that was inherit to his previous work keeping the film progressing and interest high as scenes bombard with spectacularity. While the film rarely slows down to allow quieter, more dramatic moments to fully play out and become too significant, Star Trek's main themes of compassion, diversity and unification are back in full force, and it is just wonderful.

Simon Pegg, who stars in the film as Scotty, also takes over writing chores with Doug Jung, and their love for Star Trek is more than apparent, giving it a stronger likeness to the original series than the previous two films. Although some smaller plot elements and details fall between the cracks, it never upsets the cohesive feeling of joy, humanity, morality and hope that the movie instills, even in general midst of trying times. And it's all done in style, with unbelievably gorgeous set productions, intricate creature make-up effects, wonderful special effects and an overall vibrant visual flair, without too many lens flares on the ship.

A captain is only as good as his crew, and this ensemble is just that: a great crew. It is lovely that science fiction is what seems to be paving the way for more inclusion amongst lead roles in Hollywood and, although Star Trek has been groundbreaking with its diversity before, it is quite thick and palpable here. These characters showcase different races, sexes, sexualities, even species. Newcomer Jaylah is fantastic, able to break the mold and give strength and softness, power and vulnerability all simultaneously without having to succumb to just being a side character or love interest. In fact, the lack of a serious love story in a major American motion picture is a wonderful relief in itself, letting the characters grow organically as individuals. Yet, they are each also multifaceted, not defined by just being a woman, or just being gay or just being black, but rather they are each a whole developed person that just happens to have all these wonderful traits. And while the story allows for each of them to show what they're worth and their own individual importance, the true grit of the movie is how important they are to each other and how each one makes the crew stronger, especially in times of devastation.

This is about camaraderie and overcoming. This is what can happen when a true group, family, or crew is formed, allowing them all to bring their strengths to work together as a whole for the greater good, all while keeping their integrity, moral compass and prime directive not only in tact, but front and center. It's a bittersweet family with the recent real life death of actor Anton Yelchin who plays Chekov, but what an astounding lasting legacy and final film to be associated with. With Beyond, Star Trek finds its way back to those important ideals that originally set the franchise apart from other outer space adventures, a great gift to its fans on the 50th anniversary of the original series.

The Jungle Book (2016)

Ironically unnatural and inorganic.

[6/10 · 18 April 2016]

Director Jon Favreau brings his take on Disney's 1967 classic animated film The Jungle Book in a new, live-action remake by the same name. The tale, originally based on a collection of stories by author Rudyard Kipling, is all too familiar. Mowgli is a mancub, raised in the jungle and befriended by animals, that must return to the man village when the jungle becomes too dangerous for him. This new variation, however, contorts all the pure wildness of the adventure and its characters into a stagnant yet laborious bore.

It's interesting that this film is considered live-action, although all of its background settings and all but one of the characters are completely computer generated and animated imagery. It's been an increasing trend in big budget Hollywood movies, though. There is something about the combination of falsely created animals and backdrops along with a real boy actor that just doesn't sit well, visually. The jungle atmosphere is more than believably authentic and the animals all look great, realistic even, with beautifully furry textures. They are so impressively real looking that you want to reach out and touch them in spectacular 3D. Yet, there is something completely unnatural about them. Usually the uncanny valley appears when looking at a created human character that is simultaneously too real but not quite real. This is the first time I've had the same sensation from non-humans, an animal uncanny valley. There is just something slightly off about them and the way they move, or often don't move, that takes me out of the movie altogether. To be wild animals in an adventure movie, they sure do a lot of sitting around and talking.

There seem to be more talking animal head shots in this film than anything else, but the mouths of these characters barely move, a kin to watching one of Disney's direct to home video dog Buddies movies, creating quite a disconnect. While the film boasts a surely perfect cast of great actors for the wildlife, all of the voice acting is pretty stilted. The lines are delivered, but never really feel felt. The film also gives a nod to the original by including a couple of its memorable songs, but here they are sort of kind of oddly talked through, not sang, in the middle of scenes, becoming irrelevant and bizarre. Our only true connection as an audience into this experience is our lone live actor, newcomer Neel Sethi as Mowgli, who, although completely adorable, isn't quite the best actor.

The updated story here is a twisted hodgepodge of contrived scenes that actually do add up to lead Mowgli specifically to the climax of the film, but don't flow in any organic way in doing so. There is also some very heavy borrowing of specific scenes and bit characters from other Disney movies set in nature like The Lion King, Bambi and Tarzan that really don't serve its needed purpose. Instances in the film were created with partial documentary style camera shots to enhance the real and natural the else trying to be presented, but within a dramatic story, it actually works against it. So while the technicality of the film is applaudable, it still just doesn't measure up. Nothing about the film feels just right, making The Jungle Book the most unnatural movie about being in nature I've ever seen.

Hardcore Henry (2015)

A vulgar video game brought to life: fun!

[7/10 · 9 April 2016]

After focusing on directing a few music videos in a similar style, first time feature film director Ilya Naishuller brings to life what is essentially a live-action first-person shooter video game in Hardcore Henry. It starts with a tutorial section, giving you the layout of what kind of film this will be and a little bit of what's going on. From there, it's balls to the wall action played out just like familiar game missions. From fighting hordes of enemies while protecting a moving object to looting downed enemies after defeat, you'll feel like you should be holding a game controller while watching this film. Of course, save points, er, I mean short breaks are taken as the mission givers explain what's to happen next and what location you're off to. Henry himself also does a sort of leveling up, learning more about the situation at hand after each stage or encounter before squaring off in the next round.

Not only does the film play out like a video game storywise, but even more blatantly in its visual style. It's a bit unfortunate, though, that the film's best feature, watching from the protagonist's first-person point of view through the entire movie, is also one of its faults. Hardcore Henry focuses on a cool gimmick that is unfortunately not mastered enough here for a feature length film. Other films, like Strange Days and Being John Malkovich, have used this point of view sparingly to great effect. To see a full feature film set in this frame, literally transporting it's viewer into the mind of our protagonist, excited me. This is a great way to feel involved and indeed the film does feel interactive. More than just an adrenaline fueled action film, it's an experience. It feels almost like a theme park attraction in many ways. Just imagine the surreal feeling one would get watching a film like this in a virtual reality headset or moving seats whose choreography matches the movements of Henry. But, really, it's a visual overload, and the editing and pacing here don't quite work for this style of feature. Everything moves so quickly that it's sometimes hard to appreciate some of the great shots that actually are being set up, which is upsetting. While I didn't feel any nausea as I've heard other viewers have, a lot more planning and focus would have had better results in the film overall.

The film's greatest fault, though, is its very flimsy storyline that falls apart at the drop of a hat and leaves all kinds of questions unanswered. It seems to inject confusion into the plot just for the sake of confusion. We're learning just as Henry is learning, so that's fine, but this is a literal slice of life film. It starts, and we travel with our character until it's anticlimactic stop. And that's just the end, with no tidying up afterwards. The story also suffers from what many video game story lines suffer from: repetition. Sharlto Copley is the actor seen most in the film, taking up a majority of the roles. While he does a fine job pulling off what needs to be pulled off, it gets a bit repetitive to see and hear the same mission giver, as well as seeing and hearing many similar missions over and over.

But that's not really the point of this type of film is it? This is a brawler. Living up to its name, this is a hardcore, brutal, bloody film and its audience doesn't need a sensible story as much as it wants dramatic shoot 'em ups, swinging baseball bats and metallic knuckles. Seeing the events of such a video game type of project played out by real actors really makes you far more aware of just how violent today's games are. Still, even with its faults, I'm glad that the risk for such an avant garde feature film was taken. Perhaps even because of its faults, Hardcore Henry is indeed enjoyable in a rather vulgar way.

Zootopia (2016)

A socially and politically conscious film from an unlikely source

[8/10 · 7 March 2016]

Disney's 55th animated feature film is a lively urban romp with great comedic timing and a mysterious, slightly neo-noir flair. In a nutshell, it's a lot of fun. However, Zootopia is somehow simultaneously one of the most seriously and politically relevant films of the year, greatly unexpected within a children's film from a studio built on dreams and magic. Disney leaves the magic, so to speak, at the door. Instead, we get the story of a little bunny's first time in the big city where she has to handle various characters, their differences and all the positive and negative ideals therein.

The film does a fine job of blatantly dealing with current social issues that might normally be given a subtle nod or completely swept under the rug in a mainstream, animated film. Here, the idea that minorities are predators capable of being savage because of where they come from or that people from a certain area or background don't exactly get a fare chance in life is what actually makes the film. There is extreme prejudice and intolerance and even someone who believes they are fighting against it can still be prejudiced themself without even realizing it. There is a rampant and uncontrollable drug problem within the urban communities of the city, as well as missing people who are seemingly deemed unworthy of being found. And, of course, there is mob-like corruption within the ranks of the delightful animals. But there's a red herring. The film also shows that characters with naturally gruff demeanors can still be on the side of the good and characters that are innocent can still hustle and stand up for themselves.

While the design of the film is indeed well done, from its characters to its locations, and the animation is top notch as usual, nothing visually stands out as being incredible. Disney is no stranger to anthropomorphized animals. In fact, some of the character designs in Zootopia borrow heavily from previous characters within the company. But, whether intentional or not, this all works to effect for the film. Having a city scape and characters that don't immediately stand out because they are seemingly familiar grounds the film into reality. This is any major melting pot of a city that these indifferences are happening in. And these are, symbolically, the same characters we come into contact with during our everyday.

Having a DMV run by sloths shows that Zootopia does its fare share of playing up stereotypes as well, although it tries to break them by doing so. Some minor jokes, such as not touching someone's hair or using certain words that are only acceptable within a certain group of people, or even using a certain dialect, are included for specific audiences and the fact that they are there creates a feeling of specific inclusion. It is interesting, though, that in a film that speaks to the positive nature of opportunity and diversity, the voice cast still boasts typical actors in the major roles. Don't get me wrong, Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman as Judy and Nick respectively are great and definitely get the job done. Idris Elba, Tommy Chong, Octavia Spencer and Shakira, among a handful of others, are equally enjoyable and round out the diversity of the film's cast, but all in mostly minor roles.

That is to say, it would be nice if a studio of Disney's caliber and reach could tell an animated story just like this, but without hiding behind furry animals that could be voiced by anyone, instead actually showing the differences and struggles of humanity with actual humans of difference races, creeds and backgrounds that we don't often get to see in animation. It's understandable, though, to use fuzzy bunnies and foxes to lighten the load of some of these harsh, real world themes in a children's movie. They also help in getting the movie to hit a bigger audience, which is important for this kind of story. Disney has indeed taken a major step forward with Zootopia, a socially and politically conscious film that probably no one ever expected from the mouse.

The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)

Horrifically Enchanting

[10/10 · 29 February 2016]

The Witch, following a family upon their move into the wilderness of 1630s New England, is the debut feature film from director Robert Eggers who embeds the project with an essence of horror not often seen. While many audiences are busy looking for, or even lazily just waiting for, big jumps and stingers for their scares like most modern movies of the genre, they are missing the creepy details that truly push a slow burn like this film into horror. It's so realistically done that you worry that it shouldn't be happening, and are likewise worried of the consequences for the family.

The ensemble cast is first and foremost in bringing this story to life. The acting is just incredible. You can see heavy breath leaving the body. You can see the confusion in their eyes. You can see evil determination and quiet despair. Each actor has a moment of triumph where their talent alone is on display, and these scenes hit like a goat to the gut. What makes it even more impressive is that more than half of the main cast is made up of child actors that pull these feats from who knows where. They are eerily effective in a way that, at one point, I questioned whether one of the children was actually an adult acting through motion capture. It was not the case. The acting is just that intense and believable.

Other points and aspects of the film also make you question everything you're seeing. Has any of this story been real? Is what is happening in this story being imagined? There's a sense of ambiguity that, instead of making things more comfortable because it's probably just an old-timey urban legend, actually makes you more hesitant to step further into darkness because it could very well be real. While those horrific voices help make up a vivid and powerful score by Mark Koven, could these chants actually be coming from nearby evil as well? The forest, already a naturally dangerous place, is left open to become a supernatural place of folklore where any animal you encounter could be something more and the tall trees creep in close to overcome you.

It's a masterful choice to shoot this film in more of a full frame aspect ration, which makes its presentation alone feel old and classic, purposefully dated to a time long since experienced. At the same time, it subconsciously makes the film about a tight-knit family go completely claustrophobic and uncomfortable, even when outdoors. It's isolating. The camera is used like a lullaby, going back and forth between sweeps across plains and utter stillness until it trances you into the unknown. There is depth and uneasiness in every frame, and bewilderment after every turn. Takes that last longer than expected leave you to breathe during these down times, but there really is no downtime when you're numbed into a sense of wonder.

All of this culminates into a film that floats into a state of euphoria, capturing an emotion that you may not have known was even there before. It's a witch film unlike any witch film you've seen, taken seriously and realistically, but with a climate of dread. It's a slice of life film, really, albeit a slice of an alternative life. As familiar in storybooks as it might be today, these were the absolute thoughts and stories passed around by those who lived during the time, the stories that many thought to be real. The Witch is the definition of the American witch mythology, portrayed in its purest state of horrific enchantment.

The Monkey King 2 (2016)

A spectacle of epic proportions!!!

[8/10 · 18 February 2016]

The Monkey King 2 picks up right where the first Monkey King left off, continuing the story based on the legendary Journey to the West tales. This sequel is quite a level up from the first in a lot of ways. It's calmer and all around more precise and focused in its filmmaking, which in itself makes for a better upgrade, but the special effects and overall look of the film have been ratcheted up as well. Not that the previous installment was bad, but The Monkey King 2 finally presents a version of this classic Chinese story that lives up to its original epic otherworldliness.

The film is beautifully and intricately designed. The sets are grand, even when they aren't really there. The costumes are lavish, holding great detail and weight. From monkey fur to pig nose, the makeup effects are stunning and amusing. The fight sequences are dramatically extraordinary, as they should be for deities at battle, with great choreographed wirework for literal high-flying action. The CG animation is not the absolute best, but even that doesn't deter from the film. There's so much going on anyway that nothing is ever able to pull you out of the adventure. There is always something else more beyond belief to draw your eye. Since the film was actually shot in 3D, not converted to the format afterwards, it perfectly matches the bigger than life feel of the film and is extremely successful and atmospheric.

The Monkey King is the stuff of legends, and the actors here are perfectly cast in a rich variety of characters. Xiaoshenyang is an adorably perverted piggy Zhu Bajie, Him Law makes a hefty brute in Sha Wujing and Feng Shaofeng comes honest as monk Tang Sanzang. Li Gong is absolutely flawless as the villainous White Bone Demon, a knockout that throws back to classic female villains that are as deadly as they are beautiful. She is formidable. This is what Angelina Jolie should have been in Maleficent. Likewise for her henchwomen and their entrance into the film is a dazzling moment of horror. Aaron Kwok, starring as The Monkey King himself, gives a smoother portrayal than his predecessor. I'm unsure if it was a character choice after the events of the first movie or an actor's choice to make the character a little cooler, but it's a good choice nonetheless, making him simultaneously more relatable and dreamy, but still with his playful monkey mannerisms and charm.

The Monkey King 2 is a top notch spectacle, in incredible 3D, that puts Hollywood's latest over the top endeavors to shame. With movies like Gods of Egypt, and all of its gloriously shiny cultural appropriation, happening more often than not, it is wonderful to see a big budget film made by and for its own culture. It adds more than authenticity. It's also amazing to see how majorly the movie has done in the Chinese box office. No doubt due to its timed release around the Chinese New Year, celebrating the year of the monkey, the film has already set a world record of $548 million in one week, topping Star Wars: The Force Awakens which previously held the spot. And The Monkey King 2 well deserves all the success that the year of the monkey brings to it.

Amélie (2001)

An overwhelmingly romantic look at life

[10/10 · 13 February 2016]

Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a master of whimsical quirk and Amélie might be his ultimate achievement. It's a kind of neo-fairytale or modern storybook romance, heightened to such with its narration and its wonderful score by Yann Tiersen, simple and melodic, like a small band playing in a cafè on a sunny afternoon. It delves more than slightly into fantasy, as romance often does, but does so in a very refreshing and fun way. This is a world where gnomes travel and skeletons are somewhat sensual. At the same time, this is just the magic that can and does happen everyday.

Audrey Tautou is impressingly adorable as title character Amélie Poulain, a young woman with the power and imagination to change the lives of just about everyone she comes into contact with. She lives in the moment, enjoying the ways she can bring smiles to the faces of her friends and right the wrongs that she witnesses. She's quiet and seemingly meek, but speaks volumes with her mischievous smile and loving eyes. She finds exciting adventure in what could be the most mundane situations, not taking any little thing for granted.

The film is stuffed with intertwining stories small and large that Amélie drives along, and they are each as important as the next, no matter how much or how little the movie dwells on them. What truly brings happiness? Does the truth really matter if we never know it, when it's what we personally experience that moves us along, for better or for worse. How important is the smallest exchange we may have with a stranger? Sometimes you don't even realize just how much of an effect you have, because you're not seeing the situation from their eyes. But it's all important. The details are all meaningful.

Visually, the film is mostly warm and lush with yellows and reds that pop like blood coursing through the heart. This is contrasted with an undertone of very vibrant greens and cool blues that create a fantastic atmosphere and make everything feel like an organic, natural setting. The color theory here is actually quite amazing, making the film special and nostalgic right from the beginning. It has a lightness, but is still emotional and will leave you with the inspirations of a hopeless romantic. It warms your heart, becoming overwhelming without being overbearing.

Amélie is indeed pure romance. This is the romance of life and it's intricacies, even in it's darkest moments. The film allows you to enjoy even the smallest things that might usually be overlooked and gives importance to the playful particulars of life like the joy of peeling large strips of wallpaper or skipping the best stones along a canal. It shows how one small thing may unfold a series of events that can help you conquer your fears or lead you to where you need to be in life. It shows the perfect, imaginary life we live in our heads and how close to the real world it could actually be. And, of course, it shows true love, as easy or as hard as it might be to find, and just how close it might come to slipping right through your fingers if you're not looking at it from the right angle.

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

A lovely film for a lovely Bella Notte

[8/10 · 13 February 2016]

Lady and the Tramp is a romantic tale told through the eyes of both a dog well off and a dog from the streets. But it's romantic not only in relation to love and affection. It's also a boldly romanticized look at turn of the century American life, set in a small idealistic all-American town, much like Disneyland's Main Street. It's a vibrant film, although somewhat non-traditional for Disney, full of lovable characters that are beautifully framed and extraordinarily animated.

Lady and Tramp are almost like Romeo and Juliet, without quite as much drama. They come from very opposing ideals, or sides of the tracks, which shows a nice contrast in personality and atmosphere. As they see life from the other's perspective, their characters grow both independently and together, and although neither character is perfect, they seem to work together in just the right way. It's not about finding someone who fits into your world, it's about finding someone that you are OK to compromise with. The two have a great chemistry together, like old Hollywood stars. Supporting characters such as Lady's friends Jaques and Trusty help to bring on emotional moments, but the true meat and bones of the story are between the two leads and the lives they lead.

The design of this film is impeccable, capturing the architecture and styling so well of the early 1900s. Lady and the Tramp was the first animated movie created in CinemaScope, and it visually shows with breathtaking background paintings and wonderfully full shot compositions. Likewise, the animation of the animals is just smooth and authentic. The dogs are given such great personalities, borrowing from both dog and human characteristics.it's great to see Tramp's switching from playboy to protector, and Lady gives a full range of emotion throughout the film. And of course, the most memorable romantic moment in Disney animation happens here when Lady and Tramp share a lovely Bella Notte.

Although not a musical in the usual sense that Disney is known for, there is a small selection of songs that pop-up throughout the film. Written and performed mostly by singer Peggy Lee, these songs are quite charming and as catchy as a lullaby that swims in your head. Lee's voice- acting prowess even earned her a character named after her in the film, Peg, who performs He's A Tramp, which could easily have been a hit without the help of the movie. The Siamese Cat Song, despite its brief display of the stereotyping that occurred during the time, is also a fun character driven moment that introduces us to what could be considered the film's villains, if the villain isn't just life itself.

Lady and the Tramp is, in fact, the rare Disney gem that doesn't have a pure, clear-cut villain that continuously steals the show and motivates the plot. Instead, it relies on general dangers of dog life and the type of obstacles it throws at you to create the tension. And that's all it needs. It does for domesticated animals what Bambi did for wild animals before it. It romanticizes them, and shows just how loving dogs can be.

Deadpool (2016)

Deadpool is low & dirty & full of heart

[8/10 · 12 February 2016]

Who knew when Wade Wilson first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1991, created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld as an answer to DC Comics' character Slade Wilson, that his wise- cracking antics would become media gold. Deadpool, the new movie based on the character, solidifies the Marvel anti-hero as a big hitter and a money maker, able to stand on his own. That may not be so surprising with such a long-time fan base eagerly waiting for any and every fourth wall the character will break. What is surprising is that along with all the quips and punches that are expected of Deadpool, his movie brings actual weight and story that grounds the craziness.

Deadpool is debauchery. The film rides low and dirty on filthy humor and over the top fights, guns a-blasting and swords at the ready. It cashes in on just about every stereotype that comes with the machismo action genre, but pokes fun at it and at itself. More than that, it oddly turns much of it on its head in various circumstances. Everyone, including Deadpool himself, is a sex object here, and rightfully so. This is a very sexy movie. At the same time, all of the major women of the movie hold more than their own strength, in their own way. These are nice rules to break.

While the film is unrelenting in its one-liners, puns and references to pop culture, most of which are spot on and hilarious, there is actually a lot of heart here. The story has a depth that is shocking, and the editing helps to balance that flow in and out of the sane and the loony. It somehow is a cathartic film, not only getting out all that naughtiness and aggression, but also finding ways to connect its characters through heart, love, trust and companionship. So that's why it was released Valentine's Day weekend! It's even a great date movie.

Deadpool is a sweetheart, and the role that Ryan Reynolds was born to play. For as silly as it is, Reynolds takes the character seriously, able to deliver the most absurd jokes and the most ridiculous lines of dialogue with complete feeling and gravity. He also shows the most range that I believe I've ever seen him do. This is a flamboyant and spastic character, which is hard enough to make believable and not campy on its own, but to have to run through everything that this film's plot throws at you on top of that is a feat. Reynolds has really found a great performance in the Merc with a Mouth.

You come to a movie like Deadpool for the comedy and action, but you get swept up in the love, the horror and the drama, ending up with quite a well rounded flick. In fact, it's one of the heftiest superhero origin stories told on film in recent years. This is a dessert with something for everyone to enjoy, including nuts and a great big banana, topped off with cherry popping childishness. But please, do not bring your children to see this movie. It's a great date movie, remember, but for perverted, consenting adults, like us!

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Disney's crowning achievement

[10/10 · 29 January 2016]

There are some classic movies that you get to know so well, that eventually you think you can just put it on as background noise while you do other stuff, but if you happen to look up at the screen for one moment, you are completely captivated and kept from looking away until the credits have rolled. Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty is one of those movies. This animated production is that rare, perfect alignment of masters of their crafts, like Marc Davis, directing animator of both the film's protagonist and antagonist, and painter Eyvind Earle who served here as production designer, among many other artists, that creates something wonderfully unlike anything else.

When it was decided to do Sleeping Beauty, the company knew they would have to push the artistry further than they ever had before to purposefully make the film stand out from everything that had ever come before it. The story's medieval setting perfectly caters to this with Gothic architecture, patterned tapestries, sculpted box trees and other hyper detailed background elements. To match, Disney ditched the soft and round and inviting characters that they usually portray for character designs that are more jagged and angular, strong with deep straight and vertical lines. The detail of the film really is just staggering. Add to that the fact that this was all done in Super Technirama 70 means not only more detailed art, but physically larger portions of art needed to be created to fill the film's frame, and every single frame from this film could be a framed painting hanging in a museum all on its own.

Just as your eyes finally settle from all the detail and you think the movie couldn't be any more perfect, it happens. A blustery wind and a flash of lightening introduces you to the most iconic villain in all of the Disney stable. If anyone can crash a party and completely steal a show, it is Maleficent, which is a feat from a character with very little action. She's a speech giver, which means her captivation comes completely from her design, her slight movements, her voice, and her overall demanding presence. She can stand completely still and yet you will never lose her within the intricacies of the settings around her because you will never even take your eyes off of her. A spell has truly been cast, and while our princess has the least amount of lines for any human title character in a Disney animated movie, Maleficent more than fills the stage, making the movie really all about her.

Other characters, like the film's hero Prince Phillip, are also more well rounded than the archetype had been in previous Disney films, and he would have to be to even enter into such a dark and threatening climatic battle. This Dark Ages atmosphere of Sleeping Beauty is spurned on by its classical score, a brilliant arrangement by George Bruns of the original music from the Sleeping Beauty ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The idea to take this well known music and reset it to the events of the movie adds weight and seriousness, as well as an heir of familiarity. It also does well to heighten certain moments in the film to truly chilling and mesmerizing states.

It's a wonder that the film was a failure upon its initial release. The increase to its art and production meant that it was also Disney's most expensive animated film to date, and unfortunately could not make its money back at the box office, resulting in quite a change in style at the studio. The company's next release would be the scratchily designed 101 Dalmatians, with Sleeping Beauty ending the era of the lush and overly romantic Disney animated film. It has since gained both its money back and popularity, though, considered by many to be one of Disney's crowning achievements. As for me, I am perfectly comfortable in going further than that to call Sleeping Beauty the best animated film of all time.

Maleficent (2014)

A spotlight on Angelina Jolie, but not much else.

[7/10 · 28 January 2016]

Maleficent is arguably Disney's most iconic villain, so it's no big surprise that when the mouse house decided to do a movie reminiscent of Broadway's Wicked, retelling one of their classic fairy tales from the point of view of the villain, they would choose the evil fairy. She definitely is poised enough to hold her own movie, especially with the help of the bone structure and natural talent of Angelina Jolie, but even with an almost solid story and a fantastical landscape, Maleficent's movie falls slightly short of being the fully fierce dragon you expect it to be.

First time director Robert Stromberg creates a beautiful enchantment of a movie that bridges daydreams with nightmares. The film's lavish look showcases Stromberg's eye for visual effects and is extreme at points, but at least extremely good. Coupled with a dark James Newton Howard soundtrack and a story that was apparently helped on by an uncredited Paul Dini, you'd think you'd have instant success! And you almost do.

As the title character, Maleficent's side of the well-known Sleeping Beauty story clearly focuses on her, and Angelina Jolie portrays the character to a T! This film is a spotlight for both Jolie and the character of Maleficent at the same time. Every move, physically and mentally, makes sense. She has a way of channeling the character we already know while adding to her and creating something altogether new, looking absolutely incredible the entire time. Maleficent's style and design are just spectacular, from the horns and cheekbones to the costumes and wings. The audience really gets to know her as they watch her deal with the situations arising around her, and one can tell her mood just by the colors and textures she adorns herself with.

But while Maleficent herself stands horns above the competition, no other character is really fleshed out. There is enough story to understand everyone else's motivations, but not enough screen time for you to care about their respective outcomes. This could be a deliberate attempt to have one side with Maleficent's cause, but more so it feels like an unfortunate side effect of the biggest downside in the entire movie: the editing and pacing.

While several scenes are presented as epic moments, the filler in-between them comes off like a series of unfinished vignettes, almost like watching a montage of clips from a movie rather than watching the entire movie itself. A lot of time period is covered from beginning to end in this film and a longer running time would have helped to properly progress everyone's story, including Maleficent's, in a more organic and emotional way. It seems like some character development happens off screen because of this, even though all the integral information we need for the movie is indeed presented to us.

Even while feeling a little rushed, Maleficent is still quite entertaining and Angelina Jolie is simply captivating. The landscapes, costumes, soundtrack, visual effects and story all meld into a strange but sensationally good time. The movie manages to take the Disney classic and twist it into something rigid wrapped in fetish that is sure to get the attention of today's audience. I'm interested to see what is next for Stromberg's directing eye.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)

An iconic tale of horror from Disney

[7/10 · 28 January 2016]

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad comes from a time in Disney's history where it was cheaper to make shorts than feature length films. So that's exactly what they did, and would combine various shorts together, disguised as feature length films for the audience. Here, the stories of The Wind in the Willows and Sleepy Hollow form to make a feature that focuses on fabulous characters from classic literature.

The Mr. Toad segment of the film is manic, completely wacky and whimsical. It brings some great character animation and some true squash and stretch that bring a real energy to the story. The characters and their designs are all memorable, even if they seem simple and small compared to the usual grandeur that comes from Disney. The story balances on silly and serious, tackling issues of trust and control while still bringing laughs and moments of cuteness. But as kinetic as Mr. Toad's wild ride is, the true fun begins with the second segment, focusing on the tale of Ichabod Crane.

Disney doesn't often delve into the horror genre, and when it does it usually looks like heffalumps and woozles or pink elephants on parade. Here, we are introduced to characters through silly gags and songs that feel very much Disney and very much like the previous segment. But this retelling climaxes in one of Disney's great scares as Ichabod encounters the Headless Horseman.

Movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Frankenweenie and The Hunchback of Notre Dame may be better examples of Disney's take on horror, but this take on Sleepy Hollow is both hair-raising and iconic. As the mood becomes clearer, the story becomes quiet, aside from the narration, and there is a real sense of isolation, allowing the imagination to begin to play its games. Drastic colors and lighting are on full display here, as well as other elements that would prove frightening to some adults, let alone any child. Again, the animation becomes kinetic and manic and expressive, but this is quite beautiful in a way that Mr. Toad's story was not and leaves a lasting impression on anyone who has the pleasure to view it. This segment has even directly inspired scenes in Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow.

Despite not being part of Disney's usual, popular fare, both Ichabod and Mr. Toad's stories are entertaining and bring a sense of excitement in their own right. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is not a film to treat lightly, with its spectacular character animation, bold sequences and dynamic energy. And all this wrapped up within a narration by Bing Crosby and Basil Rathbone.

Frozen (I) (2013)

A nice twist on the standard Disney Princess tale

[8/10 · 28 January 2016]

Disney's newest adventure, Frozen, is a spectacle unlike any we've seen in a long time. The animation studio's venture into the cold is pure magic, twisting on the theme of true love that the Disney princesses are known for.

Frozen is loosely, and I mean LOOSELY based on Hans Christian Anderson's classic story of The Snow Queen. But this version doesn't pit the two girls as rivals for a male's affection. They are sisters. Within the first few minutes, thanks to a lot of quick yet touching storytelling akin to the opening of Up, you understand their complicated relationship completely. These characters have so much depth, in fact, that they, arguably, give some of the best and most believable performances in Disney's long history of animation.

The combination of design, animation and voice acting for both Elsa and Anna create two very strong and well rounded characters that both complement and contrast each other. Elsa, the older sister, goes from being a kid princess to a young queen with much more responsibility than her younger sister Anna can understand. But the two have very similar story arcs through- out the film as they both grow into their confidence.

The movie almost has feminist qualities with how strong the sisters are presented. Anna and Elsa, after all, are the only two main female characters with silly, bumbling, lovelorn and/or conniving men all around them. On top of that you have the juxtaposition of the freedom of woman in nature versus the stigma of witchcraft. It's about what helps you to find what's important and who you really are as opposed to who others want you to be.

Anna and Rapunzel, from Disney's earlier film Tangled, are somewhat different versions of the same character. They have the same personality and plight, but Anna's method of achieving an outcome is far more in charge. Elsa, on the other hand, stands on her own as a scene stealer. I don't think we've ever seen a Disney character quite like this before. She is a powerhouse.

All this before even getting to the visual artistry of the film. Stark snow reflecting vibrantly colored skies and glossy ice creating mirrored patterns are showcased beautifully here, to realistic effect. You feel a chill in the air with every gust of wind and every falling snowflake. Even Elsa's Bob Mackie-esque gown coldly glitters around her.

Frozen is soft and dramatic at the same time, giving it the styling of a music video. In fact, the movie is tailor made to be Disney's most spectacular stage musical to date, if they were to follow through on such an idea. The songs flow in and out of the story in a way that if most of them were taken out, the audience would have a lot of questions. At the same time, they are catchy enough for you to be humming one or two on the way out of the theater.

Overall, Hans Kristoff Annaderson's….er, that should be Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen has been adapted and transformed into something of an instant classic for Disney, with playful music, lush visuals and a strong story and characters that should inspire confidence in being one's self. Else has quickly leaped into my handful of favorite Disney characters. Now excuse me while I go watch her again…in 3D.

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Disney animates Marvel with great, beautiful action

[7/10 · 28 January 2016]

Disney steadily adds to its canon of superhero characters with the addition of Big Hero 6. Based on a Marvel comic, the film follows young prodigy Hiro Hamada and his friends as they inadvertently become a team of heroes set on saving their town of San Fransokyo. But instead of the usual fare of princesses and fairy tales, this time Disney lends it's magic by way of modern tech and high energy action sequences, all while keeping its heart in the right place.

The film is story driven, and there is really a lot of story. Just as you think you've settled into all the things you need to know, more characters and backgrounds are introduced to further push it along. The general story is a simple and predictable one, once you've been introduced to all of the characters. They each serve a purpose and it's not hard to figure out who is there for what reason. But the film manages to feel fresh and new, all while being authentic to the superhero tropes.

No superheroes would be complete without a worthy super villain to oppose them and Yokai will join the long list of dramatically menacing Disney villains. Of all of the outrageous characters in the film, he is the most visually striking, sleek and dark and formidable. He works as a nice counterpart to Baymax, who will undoubtedly be the movie's runaway star. Baymax's stark white and wholesome demeanor is a complete contrast to the villain's all black corruption. While Baymax is cute, Yokai is sinister, but he is smashingly smooth in motion. In fact, the whole movie is.

The look of the film is quite a stray away from what you're used to from the company. Not since Oliver & Company has Disney's animation been in such a modern and urban setting. Flashy neon lights and billboards cover the big city and the lighting is always atmospheric. Colors shift between dark and moody and vibrant and romantic. Towards the end of the movie, you'll even see the most beautiful and unexpected cotton candy clouds. And the camera moves seamlessly through all of this, following the berserk flow of the film's many engrossing action scenes.

When the film does take its breaks from literal high-flying adventure, it settles into moments of true sympathy and pathos. It tugs hard on the heartstrings, sometimes maybe even a little too hard, but all for good reason and to help up the anti. Not all of it works, as the artificial intelligence aspect goes for a WALL-E but doesn't quite hit it. And it would have been nice to see some of the other characters a little more, as not much time is spent on them even though they are thrust into the spotlight. Watching these newfound superheroes find themselves and their purpose is what it's really all about.

This is Disney proper's first real foray into animated superheroes, arguably with the small exception of Bolt, but that's going down a different route. Here, the film borrows heavily from all of its Disney brethren. Marvel is the source material, so it's mark is inherent. But the film also feels a lot like Pixar's The Incredibles, and has nods to other stable sci-fi and action flicks like Lilo & Stitch and TRON. But this isn't a bad thing; it's not at all a rehash. Big Hero 6 uses these inspirations to show a new Disney like you've never really seen it, and it's enjoyable all around.

Tarzan (1999)

This Tarzan is as energetic and fluid as only animation can make him.

[9/10 · 28 January 2016]

Disney's 1997 film Tarzan is often overlooked, partially because it's a stand alone film that hasn't been inducted into a franchise of princesses and also partially because the rights to the character of Tarzan are still tightly guarded by the estate of his creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs. Even still, it has proved itself to be a technological feat with a story, music and design worthy enough of being called a Disney classic.

Coming at a time when Disney was struggling to recreate the success of The Lion King, it was probably a wise choice to do a story that most audiences would have already read or seen in some form. The general story is really already set, but Disney's presentation of the action swells while being comedic, romantic and even kinetic in a way that live-action filmmaking most likely could not pull off. Tarzan's movements swinging and sliding through the trees are inspired by modern skateboarders with lots of high energy. At the same time, the movie manages to balance its action with calm scenes focusing on character growth and romanticism. Tarzan learning a new culture and language is something mostly skipped over in Disney's earlier Pocahontas, so they get the chance to really explore through it here, and add in some laughs as well. Tarzan balances all of these aspects at once, creating a nice and natural flow.

One thing that helps this natural movie flow is the music, presented not in crazy song and dance numbers, except one, but more so in several musical montages that not only cover a lot of time and growth, but does so in, again, a very organic way that doesn't feel too abrupt. Phil Collins' original songs are not only catchy and upbeat when they need to be, but also lullabying. They give us a sense of what the characters are thinking and feeling without them having to stop and sing it to us, adding to that flow.

In fact, Tarzan is probably one of Disney's most fluidly animated films. Characters move smoothly and instinctively through the atmosphere so that it feels like they are gliding, yet they still are weighted and grounded. Long shots of Tarzan tree surfing or battling Sabor allow the camera to move with and around the characters seamlessly which, during the time that this film came out, was technically unheard of in animation. The production team created a new program called Deep Canvas just for this purpose, allowing them to take digitally painted backgrounds and animate them in 360 degrees. It's quite an achievement.

Deep Canvas manages to pull the characters into the scenes even more than previous films, so that they become one. The bright colors of the characters are mimicked in the backgrounds, and even characters themselves hearken to other characters with their designs. Tarzan's lean but muscular design is exactly what it should be for someone who is constantly moving around on his knuckles the way his family of gorillas do. Along with his matted dreads, he is believably someone who has been stuck in a jungle for most of his life. While Disney has made a reputation out of giving animals human characteristics, perhaps only Mowgli in The Jungle Book has been an example of the opposite before Tarzan. These visual cues are memorable and strong.

So Tarzan is not an animated movie to easily turn away from, despite it being often overlooked. The beautiful Deep Canvas technology aids a familiar story in being new, with perfectly balanced aspects of comedy, romance and action. Catchy music and stark designs also help to make Tarzan a Disney classic that should stand the test of time. It's a wonderful jungle to get completely lost in.

Melancholia (2011)

A fantastic (and fantastical) study in depression.

[10/10 · 28 January 2016]

Lars Von Trier is definitely no stranger to gut wrenching films after directing the likes of Dancer in the Dark and Antichrist. His 2011 film Melancholia is something altogether different, though. It is slow, painful and often quiet. So quiet in fact that there are parts where the most noise you here is heavy breathing. The film's poster captures a scene that is a call back to the tragic demise of William Shakespeare's Ophelia, being engulfed by the waters of a brook with a calming sense that this is what is to happen. It's fitting as the film is a smooth but aching look at depression and how it affects people during a time of immense crisis.

The film's prologue is a series of incredible otherworldly shots, set against Richard Wagner's classical Prelude from Tristan und Isolde, that invoke the feeling of, well, melancholy right from the beginning. These shots move so eerily slow that you at first question whether they are still frames or not. At the same time, they mesmerize and peak interest, more than hinting at the events that are to come throughout the movie. These shots are a perfect, pristine gloomy lull. Once you begin to meet the characters and the chapters of despair begin to unfold, however, the shots become gritty and grainy, hand-held and shaky, making it more real and relatable.

As much as the film is a study of the disease, the cast equally portrays related character studies in depth. While one character builds anxiety, the other is calm and collected, readying for the inevitable as gloomy as it may seem. Some suffer silently while others panic and make rash decisions. Moments of the film are so tense with animosity that it's almost awkward to watch. Keifer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling, John Hurt and Cameron Spurr all bring in great supporting roles rounding out the family and their relationships, but the film is without a doubt made by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg as sisters on almost opposite sides of the spectrum.

Dunst is surprisingly effect as Justine, the very essence of melancholy, capable of showing deep emotion through a seemingly careless stone face. She has an aura of foreboding that could seemingly drop birds dead from the sky. In fact, it's probably Dunst's best role since playing the formidable vampire child Claudia in Interview with a Vampire. Gainsbourg seems on the surface to be more level headed as Claire, but has a struggle all her own to keep control when there is absolutely none to have. It is all severely poignant.

Von Trier's Melancholia is a masterpiece study of depression. The film is well over 2 hours long and feels all of it. If you find it excruciating to get through and never want to watch it again, then Von Trier has done his job of channeling depression well. It shows the acts, and the lack of acts for that matter, that can stem from depression. It shows where depression itself can stem from. It shows how those around the depressed interact and react, how they understand and how they really don't understand. And, interestingly enough, it showcases a situation in which depression actually is a kind of wanted and even helpful quality. It's a somewhat far-fetched, fantastic scenario, but depression often feels like the end of the world, whether it actually is or isn't. This is indeed trauma, at it's most beautiful and purist state.

Europa (1991)

A mesmerizing film for the senses.

[9/10 · 28 January 2016]

I shall now count from 1 to 10. On the count of 10, we shall have reviewed Europa. I say 1. Lars Von Trier's finale to his Europa Trilogy focusing on crisis in Europe is aptly titled Europa. It's a more straight forward film than the director's usual fare, being more of a take on classic cinema than his others. 2. That certainly doesn't stop it, however, from being quite an experiment in time, space and even color within the medium and creating some hauntingly memorable scenes and shots.

3. Europa is very Hitchcockian. It builds tension through story and character, but is able to successfully mimic that tension visually. 4. Trust no one. Trust nothing. Anything could be as real as what's on the projection screen behind you. The movie hits a sort of lull early on while developing the story and characters, and is seemingly nothing special apart from being an exceptional call back to older political espionage films. The filming and acting style as well as the general script is all more than evocative of the popular film noir movies of the 40s and 50s. The sets are lavish, the romance is melodramatic and it's full of all of those old clichés. It is nostalgic for movies long since gone. Then, ever so slightly, every once in awhile, it reminds you that this is no ordinary film. Your narrator gives you a new task and 5. counts you down again, or an object will mysteriously pop up in color against this black and white film.

6. The film feels old but is interestingly brought about by new methods. Lars Von Trier is playing with contradictions here, keeping you on your toes about what's real and what's not. He's playing with the languages being spoken in the film, moving from English to German and back again, sometimes in the middle of sentences. He's playing with the black and white nature of the story with color that creeps in at odd moments. 7. He's playing with whether this is the real world, or a dream, not only visually, but with the voice of God directing you as a viewer through this adventure, as if a director is calling out your actions to you on a film set.

8. He's definitely playing with expanding the small, claustrophobic spaces within the tight corridors of the moving train inside which most of the film takes place, into huge spaces by way of using a back projected screen. Acting in front of and interacting with an actual projection screen with moving images instead of standing in front of a green or blue screen and having items added later means that these masterful shots must be perfectly composed, and surely rehearsed, just to line up correctly or else fall completely apart. It's a rather fantastic effect.

9. In a way, and especially by the film's end, Europa is a film for the senses, with visual cues that turn in every direction, stimulating story, a often intense backing score and hypnotizing audio. As these elements move through the film, and move you through the film, it's like going in and out of consciousness. Europa is an incredible experience that manages to make something as serious as Nazi Germany a fun and intriguing ride. And within it all, Von Trier even gives himself a small cameo in pure Hitchcock fashion. 10. Experience Europa.

Peter Pan (1953)

A timeless, ageless, classic.

[8/10 · 26 January 2016]

Walt Disney's Peter Pan has become a beloved classic, cherished by generations of audience members of all ages. And its no wonder why. Most everyone can relate to the enchantment of wanting to stay young forever, all the while going on an adventure in a far off land. It's a simple story that's been told time and time again, on both stage and screen, but Walt Disney's version of Peter Pan is probably the most recognizable. The design of the film is not quite as remarkable as some of the company's other productions, coming right off the design of Alice in Wonderland, but its still beautiful none-the-less. The animation itself is the most spectacular aspect of the movie as the movie is very character driven. As the story runs that fine line that crosses from close and emotional moments to pure slapstick comedy, the animation reflects it all, developing some of the strongest personalities to come from Disney.

The characters, as well known as they are outside of this film, are very quintessential Disney here. The Darling children are grounded as the real audience experiencing magic for the first time. We see through their eyes and experience the wonder with them as they visit Neverland. While Wendy says she doesn't want to grow up, and is mesmerized by the wonderful things she sees around her, she also naturally takes on the role of the mother, fleshing her out into a character who also understands responsibility and seriousness where no one else does.

Peter Pan somehow manages to be both a brat and charming at the same time. He is the timeless boy, literally, that everyone wants to hold onto. All the girls are simply head over heels for him and all the boys aspire to be like him. He is the definitive boy hero. Captain Hook is surprisingly a mostly silly villain, even becoming the butt of many jokes, but this still doesn't diminish his dangerousness. You never forget for a moment that he is ready to take down Peter Pan. His best moments are as a speaker, such as his moment playing the piano with his hook while talking with Tinker Bell. Here, you see scheming and the true great threat right in his eyes. It's also a nice nod that the voice-actor who plays Hook continues the tradition of playing the Darling father as well.

Tinker Bell has some of the best moments in the movie, especially for a sidekick. Scenes like her noticing the size of her hips while standing on a mirror or literally turning red in anger add so much to her character. And the fact that she doesn't speak, only giving sounds of a bell as per the original story, makes her moments of pantomime that much greater. It's no wonder she would go on to have an illustrious career as a character on her own outside of the film, but unfortunately she has never again had the charm that she has here.

Other sidekick characters also leave a mark. Mr. Smee is one of the most unforgettable villain henchmen, and Tick-Tock the crocodile offers the biggest action scenes in the film, chasing off Hook. Unfortunately, the portrayal of the Indians is very stereotypical of the times, a misstep that surprisingly hasn't been edited out like some of Disney's other objectionable film moments. But even they have lovingly memorable scenes.

Disney yet again captures all of this youthful innocence with vibrant animation, catchy songs and characters that seem to lead a life all their own. It's not about wondering what's going to happen at the end of the film, but about how these characters are going to lead you there through this familiar story. Peter Pan truly is ageless and will no doubt continue to be enjoyed by audiences for years to come.

Dancer in the Dark (2000)

Heartbreaking!

[10/10 · 7 January 2016]

The film fades from black and opens like eyesight coming into focus for the first time. As fine art continues to fade in and out, a motif evocative of bursted capillaries takes over. This is Dancer in the Dark, a film by Lars Von Trier about Selma, a foreign immigrant woman in 1960s Washington State who loves movie musicals but is slowly going blind. The film is a musical itself, but a very unconventional one. It's not the glamorous romp that Selma sees on the big screen. Instead, it's a rough around the edges look at escapism and perceived Americana that showcases the contrast of how we use sight, sound and imagination to get through our everyday lives.

Most of the movie looks more like a documentary, very much like real life. It's so unpolished that it seems like improv, like everything is being made up on the fly or that the camera is just capturing these real, personal events. Of course as the story continues you know that everything is indeed planned and once you get to the first musical number, which doesn't happen until nearly 40 minutes in, everything is actually specifically choreographed. While these real life moments were filmed with what seems to be a single hand-held camera, the musical moments become dreamlike and are shot with over 100 digital cameras placed around the location to catch every move from every angle. This footage was then edited to give a sense of stability within Selma's mind, standing out from her otherwise rocky life. It's quite ingenious.

The cast is filled with actors' actors that each bring truth to their characters no matter how big or small the role is. Veteran actress Catherine Denueve is abrasive but supportive as Selma's friend and coworker, Peter Stormare is sympathetic as a man after Selma's affection and David Morse really pushes the film to new points as Selma's neighbor and landlord. Cara Seymour, Siobhan Fallon, Udo Kier, Stellan Skarsgård, Vladica Kostic and Joel Grey are all also in smaller roles, though still as equally important to the film. Icelandic singer Björk, who has a limited experience with acting, stars as Selma herself and brings veracity, sincerity and an incredibly raw experience to the character.

Selma struggles between being a woman of her word, holding her ground and simultaneously feeling helpless. She's dealing with her own personal burdens, being a single mother trying to give her son a future he can see, and the burdens given to her by others, being a friend in a position where she doesn't have much of a choice to make. Many might question why Selma doesn't take the easy road through her situation, but that's just the point. She is so innocent and her moral convictions are so strong that she never even feels the need to. It might seem like an unrealistic decision to make, but it's only as unrealistic as any other movie musical, just in the opposite direction.

Dancer in the Dark completes Von Trier's Golden Hearts Trilogy of films in which the heroine remains naive despite her experiences. It should also be noted that the Danish director's view of vintage America is a view from afar as the director has very rarely if ever even been to America and the film was shot in Denmark. The portrayal here of small town American living and the American justice system are skewed and exaggerated, a bit simple but still unsurprising. It's a heartbreaking and unsettling film that you will assuredly not clap for at the end, as you might a usual musical, despite whether you appreciate it or not.

Dogville (2003)

Simple but Effective

[8/10 · 6 January 2016]

Dogville depicts the happenings of a humble little American town, of the same name, when a troubled newcomer stumbles into town and begins to stir its residents out of their comfort zone. It is the first movie in director Lars Von Trier's USA: Land of Opportunities series that follows a woman named Grace, portrayed here by Nicole Kidman, as she moves through America experiencing its history and culture. Here, she has somewhat of a backwards Cinderella story as Von Trier strips the idea of a small American town down to its bare essentials.

The entire film takes place in a black box on a sound stage where the buildings and locations of the town are outlined in chalk on the floor, like a life size map with minimal props around to sell the idea that this is where these citizens live. It's strange for a fully fledged film, but it doesn't take long to get used to, as the story and characters are enticing enough to fill in the gaps for a suspension of belief. Before long, you won't even notice that walls don't hide anything from anyone and the mine at the edge of town isn't just a series of wooden arches.

With a background that is mostly black, the cinematography is pretty limited to a few interesting lighting effects and pulling focus to the actors at hand. It seems that it would be very fun and freeing for an actor to be able to work with an ensemble cast on a project like this. The ensemble is so filled with great actors that there are too many to name them all, but the chemistry among them is smooth, fitting them together like pieces of a complete puzzle. They all get their moments to shine within the stories that intertwine these households together.

Dogville is somehow a convincing combination of several mediums, film, the stage and prose, that could have gone horribly wrong. All three of these mediums have different ways of telling the same story that need to be taken into account when adapting from one to the other, but here, they all work separately and simultaneously together without becoming a jumbled mess. This is like a filmed production of a stage show playing out the actions read from a novel, with John Hurts as the voice of God narrating the actions, thoughts, backgrounds and feelings of all of the characters, which sounds a bit much but actually ends up being simple and lovely.

Though it does still tread that balance of realism and fantasy, this is very different for a film from Lars Von Trier. It is much less involved and simple, in a way, but that lends itself to how Von Trier may be perceiving America, a place the director hasn't really experienced first hand, and it's people who have long been critically harsh and at odds with him. Even still, Dogville manages to be yet another bitter and thought provoking look at life and the struggles we experience.

The Element of Crime (1984)

An incredible way to start a feature film career!

[8/10 · 6 January 2016]

Director Lars Von Trier's first feature length film, The Element of Crime, follows a former cop named Fisher, played by Michael Elphick, who is remembering the last case he worked on using unconventional methods to track down a serial killer known as the Lotto Murderer. As Fisher returns to the investigation, searching through his memories, everything is extremely eerie and surreal. The entire film, in fact, is like watching a dream. This world that he remembers is a dystopian film noir, complete with a femme fatale, a monochromatic styling, crazy plot twists and everything else the genre is known for, but all in Von Trier's unique style.

First and foremost, this film is a visual feast. Perhaps it is even too much of a feast, as often is the case with first time experimental filmmakers, but there is definitely something to watch in every shot with such incredible cinematography. Brilliant shots, like looking down at a mirror so that you see both a face and feet all at once, jump at every edit. Color is very important, despite the fact that it is mostly a sort of sepia tone. It's a different take on the black and white noir style to have the entire film in a yellowish, orangish tint, and this coming before it became an overused Hollywood trick. Blacks and shadows are just as important as the colors, creating depth as light sources themselves live and move through the frames and every once in awhile a highlighted blue object will appear to add contrast and shake up your visual interest.

Heightening the dreamlike state, the film unfolds in such a melodic way that it becomes hypnotizing. The editing keeps the ambiance flowing through from scene to scene. Often the dialogue of the film will purposely contradict itself, creating a little bit of confusion and causing a step back. It's like watching poetry where the feeling you get and the rhythm in which it's presented is just as important as what's actually happening, even if they don't always match. This is how the brain works, going back and forth sorting out our issues until we're finally resolved in the end.

The Element of Crime is very similar to and even on par with another film noir with a science fiction slant, Jean-Luc Goddard's Alphaville. Both are mysterious and atmospheric, as any film noir should be, but these are different. They are heavier and darker in mood. The low, grumbling voice over heard throughout both creates a tension and an uneasy spine tingle that is not often found within the genre. Likewise, it's not hard to see where this movie may have influenced others. The City of Lost Children definitely seems to have taken some visual cues from here.

You can see all of the early details that would come to be staples for the director in his career, including the overlaying fantasy aspects that makes his films otherworldly while still based in realism, as well as his love of trilogies, one of which, the Europa Trilogy which shows crisis situations set in a futuristic Europe, is started by this film. Von Trier spared no expense, or thought, on this endeavor and it really payed off and paved the way for a great artistic career. What a way to come full fledged into the industry with a debut feature like The Element of Crime.

Krampus (I) (2015)

This Krampus is fun, but very tame

[7/10 · 14 December 2015]

Director Michael Dougherty returns to the screen with another holiday tale, but this time he leaves the scares of Halloween behind to reinvent the story of the ancient dark side of the Christmas season. Krampus does a great job of setting a certain mood through the first act of the film. The opening credits sequence is great, laying the groundwork for both the comedy and the horror that is to come. By the time snowfall covers the neighborhood, and you're into the thick of the frost and the snowmen, you've gathered that this will be a chilling tale.

Suddenly, though, the film introduces aspects that quickly cheapen it, setting you up, instead, for a completely different ride and never really letting the nice buildup from the beginning pay off.

The cast pulls it all off well enough. True shrills come from Toni Collette and her film daughter Stefania LaVie Owen while you'll love to hate David Koechner and Adam Scott keeps the heart of the family sincere. And while everyone has their moments of jokes, the film doesn't quite find that great balance between horror and comedy, like its predecessor Gremlins. There are some great moments of fear and definitely some laughs, but it seems to go from one extreme to the other. Then there are moments where it is unclear whether the laugh is intentional or not, which just makes it a little awkward.

The design of the film is its highlight. The cold and moody atmosphere immediately jumps out at you, and feels rightfully frostbitten. Krampus himself is an interesting twist that works with this movie, creating even more mystery around the character and implying more back story just through his clothing. His minions are all visually interesting enough, though that may be all that they have going for them. A high point is actually an animated sequence that seems to allow the style to let loose and do the things it really wants to do in the rest of the film. There are a few engaging scenes that really do deserve a spotlight, but the movie as a whole is still a little weak.

Coming off the heels of Trick 'r Treat for Dougherty, which became an instant classic for its holiday and masterfully weaves several stories in and out of each other, this film struggles all over the place with telling just it's one story. Perhaps the director is better at creating his own mythology than interpreting an existing one. Maybe there is also a play of too many hands in the pot, as this is a very Americanized telling of Krampus, with cutesy monsters and gingerbread men added in. While it reeks of big studio mandates to appease a bigger audience, it's hard to decipher whether that is true, or whether it's a cash in on the successful cuteness of Trick 'r Treat's Sam, or whether it is both of these ideas. It's not fully successfully done here, but it's an overall fun time even if not really as scary as a Krampus movie should be. One thing is for sure: that Guillermo del Toro inspired Jack in the Box will creep into your memory long after the movie is over.

Cosmic Scrat-tastrophe (2015)

Poor Scrat!

[4/10 · 27 November 2015]

Scrat, that silly prehistoric saber toothed squirrel from the Ice Age franchise that has since proved popular enough to become the logo character of Blue Sky Studios, the movies' production company, is at it again. This time his nut chasing antics somehow send him into outer space, completely changing the game and genre for the little guy and setting into motion a series of world changing events. But will poor Scrat ever get his nut?

There are some little laughs and a lot of "how does that actually work" if you try to use too much reason with this short. Without reason, though, it's a quick romp that's sure to entertain children, just like all of his previous outings. It is, indeed, the exact same formula yet again, just in a different setting, easily falling into the generic memory of them all. But, as I said, children eat up his mindless slapstick comedy, no matter how mediocre it may seem, and that really is the point, isn't it?

The short does give a little nod to known science fiction and outer space films, though not enough to make it truly referential and worthwhile. For those that are fans of the Ice Age films, however, these Scrat shorts do answer some questions involving the overall story, and keep pretty good continuity all throughout. But that really only means that this cosmic adventure raises more questions than it answers. Nuts!

Sanjay's Super Team (2015)

Both fun and important! Very impressive, Pixar!

[10/10 · 27 November 2015]

Sanjay's Super Team is a breath of fresh air, not only to Pixar animation, but to all of mainstream animation and certainly to anything generally coming from Disney. This short follows Sanjay, a little boy who is a big fan of superheroes, but not of practicing his religion much to the dismay of his traditional Hindu father. But as the tables turn, Sanjay is thrust into action and the short really takes off into beautifully wild and inspiring action. Through a series of different styles of animation, Sanjay's adventure goes from mundane to epic, bringing with it bright colors and intricate designs that command the screen.

This short is shiny, a true visual feast, but it also stands out for its story content. Sanjay's Super Team feels authentic because it is, as real life Sanjay Patel directed the short based on exaggerated experiences from his youth. It's lovely to see a culture and it's religion that is oft overlooked in American cinema get some attention. This is Pixar's first project, of all of their shorts and feature-length projects alike, featuring humans to be lead by a person of color protagonist, after all, so it's as important as it is fun, if not more. It's also nice to see Hinduism and it's Gods portrayed in such an encouraging and positively energetic way.

It has moments reminiscent of The Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack, which is a completely good thing. If only Pixar had given us a new feature length action film of this caliber and laid those tired old dinosaur bones to rest.

Ant-Man (2015)

Ant-Man proves that sometimes smaller is better!

[7/10 · 18 July 2015]

The end of phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes in a form smaller than to be expected. After the over the top hype of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the film series takes a nice, somewhat calmer change of pace with Ant-Man. It branches off from Marvel proper to create less of a superhero action blockbuster and more of a heist comedy with superheroics in it.

Ant-Man is somehow both epic and mundane at the same time. It's first act is slow, but building, introducing the audience to characters and their backgrounds before they actually meet each other to get the fun started. In some ways, this is more of an actor's film than we've seen from the series, and even manages to fit serious beats into a mostly comedic movie. Michael Douglas is heartwarming, Corey Stoll is fantastic and Evangeline Lilly's Hope might actually be the most compelling female character to come out of the MCU yet. THIS is how you do a badass business woman with a bob correctly. I look forward to seeing where she goes in the future of the franchise.

Of course Ant-Man is also great at ruining those serious moments because the film doesn't take itself too seriously to begin with, which is actually a smart way to get the audience into such an outlandish idea. Paul Rudd has been perfectly cast, balancing the line of silly and sympathetic. It's interesting to note that in addition to having a strong female character, this is probably the most diverse cast in a Marvel film, excluding the many fictional races in a Guardians of the Galaxy. At first this seems great! But then again, this is a heist movie, so it seems unfortunate that diversity really comes in when criminal activity is involved. That being said, this supporting cast is great too, with many funny moments.

Ant-Man is absurd on a level that it should only work in animation where anything can happen, but it's pulled off believably well for live-action. It also feels like a video game, complete with boss levels that need strategic timing to defeat. Once we get into the theatrics that we expect from a Marvel movie, they're still very minuscule and mundane in the grand scheme of things, but they are also bold, beautifully excessive and stunning. When big action scenes take place inside of a bathtub or something as small as a suitcase, you know you're in for something different.

Many complained that Ant-Man wasn't included in the original Avengers movie, as the character plays a major part on the team in the comics. But after seeing his introduction into the MCU, it's completely understandable why they would want to save a smaller film like this for after they've well established their universe. Ant-Man is a different kind of dynamic, though still very wondrous. It's not the big action that you've come to expect from Marvel, but that's kind of the point: to be small, and to be enjoyable as just that. Size doesn't matter, it's all in how you use what you got.