"We're not critics. We're professional fan-girls." --- This blog is dedicated to movies and the entertainment industry. We use random selection to bring into light the best and worst of streaming films and entertainment news.
Streaming Service: Paramount+ Movie Name/Year: Blue’s Big City Adventure (2022) Genre: Comedy, Musical, Family Length: 1h 22min Rating: TV-Y Production/Distribution: Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, 9
Story Media Group, Nickelodeon Network, Paramount+ Director: Matt Stawski Writers: Liz Maccie, Angela Santomero Actors: BD Wong, Alex Winter, Steve
Burns, Ali Stroker, Steven Pasquale, Joshua Dela Cruz, Donovan Patton, Taboo,
Jacob Soley, Ava Augustin, Amanda Dela Cruz, Brianna Bryan, Traci Paige Johnson IMDb Blurb: Josh and Blue head to New York
City to audition for a big Broadway musical.
Cat’s Point of View: If I had to sum up my experience with Blue’s Big City Adventure, I’d call it an adorable
big-screen-worthy addition to the wholesome franchise. This is the sort of
movie you can watch with very little kids and feel 100% confident that they’re
not going to be watching anything questionable at all. The bonus is that there
was enough going on that adults shouldn’t be too bored watching along, too! Admittedly, I’m far outside of the demographic Blue’s Clues (1996-2020) is geared
towards. My daughter has even outgrown the inquisitive blue pup and her
sidekicks. All the same, I wasn’t bored to tears watching Blue’s Big City Adventure.
This full-length movie felt like an extended special feature
for the Blue’s Clues show that condensed a small Broadway production into a
format palatable for the very young. The singing and dancing were spot on and
highly entertaining, even though they were working through problem-solving and
hunting those iconic blue paw print clues. Blue’s Big City
Adventure even presents methods of combating performance anxiety through
de-stressing techniques and preparing for the task at hand adequately. In this
case, vocal warm-up exercises were an apt preparation. There’s also a lot to be
said for the teamwork lessons here, too. I don’t want to give it all away, but
I was pleased with the ‘lessons’ couched in fun, song, and dance.
Of course, there’s also the matter of a Blue’s Clues host
reunion of sorts taking place on screen. Steve Burns (Netherbeast Incorporated, Christmas on Mars, Blue's Clues & You)
and Donovan Patton (Team Umizoomi, Super
PupZ, Gabby's Dollhouse) join forces to help current host Joshua Dela Cruz
(Point Man, Adam Bloom, The Tiny Chef
Show) and Blue find their way through New York City in hopes of making it
in time for Josh’s Broadway audition. I was even giggling over the cameo appearances.
The Holiday Season tends to be rather hectic and kids tend
to have large chunks of time away from school during this time period. Blue’s Big City Adventure was well timed
in its release to Paramount+ so that it presents a constructive option to offer
kids while adults are busy with holiday preparation and chores. I’ll say,
though, that it would work wonderfully as a family experience together as
well. An added bonus is that Blue’s Big
City Adventure is streaming on Paramount+ so it doesn’t require all of the
hassle and wrangling to get little ones to a theater. Either way, I’m thrilled that this adorable little blue pup
can frolic through our homes this year, and absolutely would recommend anyone
with young kids to check it out.
Streaming Services: Netflix Movie Name/Year: The Princess Switch: Switched
Again (2020) Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family Length: 96 minutes Rating: TV-G Production/Distribution: Netflix, Motion Picture Corporation of America, Brad
Krevoy Television Director: Mike Rohl Writers: Robin Bernheim, Megan Metzger Actors: John Jack, Vanessa Hudgens, Sam
Palladio, Mark Fleischmann, Mia Lloyd, Nick Sagar, Suanne Braun, Lachlan
Nieboer, Ricky Norwood, Florence Hall, Michelle Chantelle Hopewell, Giles
Taylor, Juliet Cadzow, Ewan Somers, Sandy Welch, Rose McIver, Ben Lamb Blurb from IMDb: When Duchess Margaret
unexpectedly inherits the throne to Montenaro and hits a rough patch with
Kevin, it's up to her double Stacy to save the day before a new lookalike,
party girl Fiona foils their plans.
Cat’s Point of View:
I have been super excited to watch The Princess Switch: Switched Again. I absolutely adored the first
movie, and I was intrigued as to what angle they’d take for the sequel to
ensure this wasn’t just another rinse and repeat of the original swap-up tale. While the film starts off appearing to follow the same sort
of trajectory, don’t worry. There are plot twists aplenty as events progress. The key to enjoying these movies, however, is to just let go of judgment and just have fun with it. It's a fairytale full of the First World Problems of fictional royals, after all.
I definitely want to tip my hat to Vanessa Hudgens (Polar, The Knight Before Christmas, Bad Boys
for Life) for her triple roles here. Each character was nuanced and
distinct, even while switching with each other. She evoked changes in carriage,
demeanor, and speech that were each unique. You don’t often find actors that
can pull that off so flawlessly. Of course, there are a few outstanding examples
– such as Tatiana Maslany’s (Destroyer,
3Below: Tales of Arcadia, Perry Mason) 14 on-screen clones in Orphan Black (2013-2017).
Thankfully, Hudgens only had to juggle 3 look-alikes. I find she’s often underrated as an actor, due
to her beginnings with Disney, appearances in movies such as this, as well as
off-the-wall projects. All the same, she’s one of those that I’d watch,
regardless of the nature of the project she’s involved with. I digress… The settings and scenery were gorgeous and on-point. I loved
the decorations and the whole movie just exuded the spirit of the holidays. I
was also blown away by the costuming – especially for the coronation.
According to IMDb, there seems to be a third movie in the
works. I have no idea how the production team is going to raise the bar without
too much redundancy in the concept – but I’m eagerly anticipating finding out
what they have up their sleeves. As for The Princess
Switch: Switched Again, this is the perfect movie to watch while curled up
with a cozy blanket and a mug of hot cocoa. In fact, I’m probably going to get
my husband to scare up some firewood so we can light the fireplace and I can
watch this film again with my daughter. If you enjoyed the first movie, I’d
wholeheartedly recommend watching this sequel. If you haven’t seen The Princess Switch (2018), maybe it’s
time for a double-feature night!
Production/Distribution: Walt Disney Pictures,
Disney+, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Walt Disney Television
Director: Marc Lawrence
Writer: Marc Lawrence
Actors: Anna Kendrick, Shirley
MacLaine, Bill Hader, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Julie Hagerty, Billy Eichner, Maceo
Smedley, Diana Maria Riva
Blurb
from IMDb: Santa's
daughter must take over the family business when her father retires and her
brother, who is supposed to inherit the Santa role, gets cold feet.
Selina’s
Point of View:
After
I reviewed Holiday in the Wild (2019), on December 20th, we went on our holiday
break. Before the break I was full of Christmas cheer and looking forward to
every moment of that vacation. It was going to be the first Christmas that my daughter
was going to be awake for. The first holiday season in our new home. Hanukkah
and Christmas merged and there were a ton of plans with family and friends. My
birthday was the day after the festivities, and there were decent plans in
place for that. I had everything to look forward to.
Now, December
has always been notoriously bad for me, but this turned out to be the worst holiday/birthday
season of my life. Every ounce of cheer was drained out of me. The only reason
the tree isn’t down yet is because I don’t have the energy to take it down. Between
pulling it together for various functions, my husband, and my daughter, I don’t
have much energy left for anything right now at all.
Needless
to say, returning to work with one last Christmas movie was not my idea of a
good time. I could really go for a horror or mindless action, actually.
Still,
at one point I had been looking forward to Noelle, so I sat down – shut up
– and turned it on.
I was
barely watching it at first. I was expecting it to be a very Elf (2003)
kind of film, and it looked like it was pretty much going to be just that.
As
the movie played on, though, it began to grab me enough that I rewound it so I
could actually pay attention. I’m glad I did, because I really loved it.
I can’t
say it fully re-implanted the seasonal magic I lost, but for its one hour and
forty-minute run time it had me smiling. Believe me, that itself was a feat.
Anna
Kendrick (Into the Woods, Table 19, A Simple Favor) remains one of those actors that I
can just follow anywhere and be absolutely fine with the finished product. She embodied
the adorably joyful titular character. Bill Hader (It Chapter Two, Toy Story
4, Barry) definitely brought his much more subdued character, Nick, to life
as well.
The
story was cute. It did have a lot of similarities to Elf, but it had
some extra nuances to it that took it in a bit of a different direction.
It’s
just a good, solid, original Christmas movie. There’s no romance, either, which
makes it something that could appeal to a larger group of people.
I
could definitely see myself watching this film during the holidays in the
future. Especially if I need a little boost.
Cat’s
Point of View:
It’s not often that a movie
delivers exactly what you hope, and need it to be, while also wrapped up in a
Rated G package. Noelle was the perfect film to cap off what’s
been a real roller-coaster of a holiday season for my household.
Let me tell you… if you are in need
of carpal tunnel surgery in both wrists, I would advise against doing both at
the same time if you can avoid it. Just because you CAN doesn’t always mean you
SHOULD, after all. When all is said and done, I am thankful that I had the
opportunity to accomplish just that – and that endoscopic surgical advancements
allow for such. It just quickly puts into perspective how much is taken for
granted in day-to-day life in regards to hand usage. Shopping, cooking,
carrying things, wrapping presents, holiday deco, and even just getting up from
a seated position became quite the adventure this past week. I’m finding typing
is a bit less of a daunting task than I was afraid it would be at this point,
however. I digress…
The trailers for Noelle promised
a jolly movie with an interesting twist on the Santa mythos and an entirely
plausible ‘what if’ scenario. Of course, the fact that Anna Kendrick was
featured as the lead was another bonus factor in the production’s favor. I
can’t think of anything she’s been involved in that I haven’t liked. (Even
silly hotel commercials.) They hit the jackpot when they signed her on for this
role.
Honestly, the primary cast were all
quite the treat. I think Shirley MacLaine’s (Bewitched, Elsa & Fred, The
Last Word) Elf Polly was my second favorite character.
While remaining firmly a
family-friendly movie, Noelle manages to touch on a wide range
of topics for families in different scenarios and struggles as well as the
figurative and literal journey of self-discovery for the titular role.
I absolutely adored the North Pole
vernacular that’s sprinkled throughout the dialogue of its native characters.
Everything flowed so smoothly and didn’t feel hokey, even when characters were
quoting Christmas carols and making exasperated exclamations milder than ‘shut
the front door.’
It’s been said that Anna Kendrick
has really wanted to be a part of a truly family-friendly holiday movie that
could become part of annual festive traditions. I’d have to say that Christmas
wish became reality. I know that I’m looking forward to watching this one again
next year and then some.
Movie Name/Year: Pokémon
the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction (2014)
Tagline: When
destruction rises, can life prevail?
Genre: Anime,
Fantasy, Family
Length: 76
minutes
Rating: G
Production Companies:
East Japan Marketing & Communications Inc., GAME FREAK, Oriental Light and
Magic, Pikachu Project, Production I.G., Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, TV
Tokyo, Taka Tomy
Writer: Hideki
Sonoda, Satoshi Tajiri, Junichi Masuda, Ken Sugimori
Actors: Ikue
Otani, Sarah Natochenny, Haven Paschall, Mike Liscio, Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld,
Caitlin Glass, Aliver Wyman, Brittney Lee Hamilton, Lianna Marie Dobbs, Marc
Thompson, Michele Knotz, James Carter Cathcart, Rodger Parsons
Blurb from Netflix:
A princess calls upon Ash and his friends to help her find the energy-giving
Heart Diamond, save her domain from its enemies and restore her kingdom.
Selina’s Point of View:
When the original Pokémon came out I was super on board. I
played the games and watched the TV show/movies – though I never did pick up an
interest in the trading card game. I always prefered the complexities of Magic:
the Gathering.
Back then, I learned the first 151 Pokémon rather quickly
and always played along with that silhouette game during commercial breaks.
Even now, at over thirty, I’m still into Pokémon. I play Pokémon
Go pretty often. (There is no shelter from the storm! TEAM INSTINCT!) However,
I did stop keeping up with the cartoon many, many years ago. As a result, I
ONLY know the first 151 Pokémon – with a very minor sprinkling of the next
generation. Very small. Like, maybe four or five not included in the first gen.
Anyway, when this movie came up I was really interested in
seeing where Pokémon went after I stopped watching.
First thought I had was that I 100% prefer Brock and Misty
to the sidekicks Ash has in this film. Of course, that could just be because I
connected with them more. I also had some issue getting behind the thing where
some Pokémon talk. That was reserved for Meowth and Mewtwo when I was watching.
That made it difficult for me to connect to Diancie. It’s a stupid and minor
thing, but I’m old and crotchety and I like my Pokémon to say their own name
god damn it.
There really was nothing wrong with this film. It tugged at
the right heart strings, it had the kind of action that kids love and that
adults can tolerate without needing a glass of wine to get through it. I just
felt such a disconnect from the newer Pokémon and the newer villains, that I
had a hard time seeing it as anything but a general offering of nostalgia.
I’ve watched a few episodes of the TV series with my
daughter; but this was my first Pokémon movie. Of course, my kiddo had already
seen this movie and it was quite a feat to prevent her from bombarding me with
spoilers. She was excited that I’d be watching this – even if she wasn’t up for
watching the whole thing again with me.
The Pokémon Go game has become a staple in our household.
We’re enjoying getting out and interacting with other players as we hunt down
these critters and get a bit of exercise in the process. Because of this, I
think I got an extra level of enjoyment out of the film because I was able to
pick out the Pokémon that I was familiar with on the screen. There were many
involved in the movie that aren’t in the game, though. (I’m hoping that
changes. I want a couple of the adversary Pokémon, darn it.)
Before I chase that wild Pikachu down a random alley,
though, I’ll get back to the movie.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I tend to get a little
bored during the cartoon series. I was
pleasantly surprised that it didn’t happen with the movie. Sure, it wasn’t the
most sophisticated thing I’ve ever seen – but it’s aimed at younger kids. There
are good messages here about friendship, perseverance, and self-confidence.
Fans of the Pokémon experience – whether the card games,
video games, television shows, or mobile app – will likely really enjoy this
movie and feel more of an emotional connection with it. For those that are
unfamiliar with Pokémon, fear not. The movie gives enough information as it
goes so that the viewer won’t get entirely lost.
This is definitely a good recommendation for a fun family
movie that’s not all fluff.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 64%
Netflix’s Prediction for Selina – 3/5
Selina’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 3/5
Netflix’s Prediction for Cat – 3.5/5
Cat’s Trust-the-Dice Score
– 3.5/5
P.S. Scenes during
the credits. They are epilogue-esk.
Actors: Aly
Michalka, AJ Michalka, Jack Coleman, Sheila McCarthy, Michael Trevino,
Christian Serratos, Ron Gabriel, Chris Gallinger, Michael Rhoades, Von Flores,
Sandy Robson, Duane Murray, Ordena Stephens, Dylan Roberts, Stuart Clow, Craig
Eldridge, Alex Hood, Sharon McFarlane, Paula Brancati, Amanda Tilson, Jean Yoon
Two sisters are living life off their daddy’s money. One,
Taylor, is just working on getting her driver’s license. The other, Courtney,
is planning an expensive party with her friends from the country club. When
their spending gets out of hand, their father forces them to take a job at his
dairy factory.
This movie gave me exactly what I expected: a caste-based
stereotype with absolutely nothing new to bring to the table. It was not only a
completely mediocre storyline, but the characters were shallow enough that I don’t
think the very best actors in the world could have pulled them off. Most of the
actors were as mediocre as one would expect for a TV film geared toward teens,
but there was one that just took ‘bad’ to a whole new level, Chris Gallinger.
Seriously, I wanted to throw cheese at my TV screen every time he opened his
mouth.
I wish that was the worst of it.
I do make some allowances for movies like this. Maybe it’s
wrong, but I hold them to a lower standard because they really aren’t going to
be all that good in general. Most of the time, I’m just happy if they’re
watchable. Sure, every once in a while I come across a gem that I really enjoy
(like Cadet Kelly), but those tend to
be the exception, not the rule.
Due to my low expectations, I’m usually willing to forgive
crummy performances and characters with no depth. I found this movie as
unforgiveable as I did simply because the main storyline is never actually
resolved. You’re left with absolutely no resolution to the main conflict.
Cow Belles isn’t
worth the time it takes to watch it.
Writer: Larry
Clemmons, Ken Anderson, Vance Gerry, Frank Thomas, Eric Cleworth, Julius
Svendsen, David Michener
Actors: Roger
Miller, Peter Ustinov, Terry-Thomas, Brian Bedford, Monica Evans, Phil Harris,
Andy Devine, Carole Shelley, Pat Buttram, George Lindsey, Ken Curtis
Robin Hood is Robin Hood. If you don’t know at least the
basics of the story by now, then shame on you. Pick one of the tellings, watch
it and then watch the rest of them.
Disney’s “Robin Hood” is not only one of my all time
favorite versions of the tale, but my favorite Disney movie of all time. As a
child, I would have either put this movie or “Lady and the Tramp” in my ‘favorite’
spot. I’ve found, even all this time later, I still sink into the story. There’s
nothing quite like a childhood favorite that stands the test of time. Even
though the methods of animation are a great deal more advanced today, “Robin
Hood” is still more than just tolerable in that area. In fact, I can name many
current cartoons that don’t stand up to it. You can tell it’s not a modern
movie, but I doubt your typical eight year old is going to care.
Seeing this movie come onto Netflix was like having a sliver
of my childhood dangled in front of me. I felt like I was a kid again just
watching it. The only thing that would make me happier is seeing Netflix get “Bedknobs
and Broomsticks” on streaming.
Actors: Zac
Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique
Coleman, Bart Johnson, Alyson Reed, Chris Warren Jr., Jessica Tuck, Robert
Curtis Brown, Mark L. Taylor, Ryne Sanbrn, Olesya Rulin, KayCee Stroh, Tanya
Chisholm, Miley Cyrus
School’s out and summer is just beginning for the Wildcats.
Troy and Gabriella plan to spend the entire season working together at a
country club, making money and going on dates. Sharpay, one of their classmates,
has different plans for them. As they begin to start trying to enjoy their
summer, she begins plotting to pull Troy away from his friends in order to
steal him for herself.
I saw the good in the original “High School Musical.” I wasn’t
as fond of it as a lot of people, but I got the message and I understood how
people could easily like it.
The sequel is another story altogether. They kept the mediocre
script but dropped the quality of the musical numbers and although they tried
to keep a moral for the story, it just plain fell flat. Not only did it fall
flat, but this movie completely nullified the lesson of the last movie. It was
as if the first one didn’t exist. Suddenly Troy doesn’t want to be himself
again and denies wanting to sing? What exactly was the point of sitting through
the original “High School Musical” then?
The only difference between the two movies that I found to
be an improvement was the acting of Lucas Grabeel. Maybe he took some acting
classes between one and two, but I found him a lot more believable this time
around. Everyone else seemed to drop in quality.
I can imagine it would be fun for kids, but I still feel
like the way they made the first one obsolete caused this one to lose any
meaning it might have had.
Netflix’s Prediction for Me – 3.2/5
Overall Opinion – 2/5
P.S. There are bloopers during the credit roll that are
pretty good.
Movie Name/Year:
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998)
Genre: Children
& Family
Length: 73
minutes
Rating: G
Director: Tom
Ellery, Bradley Raymond
Writer: Allen
Estrin, Cindy Marcus, Flip Kobler, Carl Binder, Mike Gabriel, Susannah Grant,
Philip LaZabnik
Actors: Irene
Bedard, Jim Cummings, Donal Gibson, Linda Hunt, Russell Means, David Ogden
Stiers, Jean Stapleton, Billy Zane, Tim Weske, John Kassir, Colin McCabe,
Michelle St. John, Frank Welker
Pocahontas is trying to get by after hearing rumors of John
Smith’s death. Along the way she learns that England is planning to launch an
attack against her people. When the opportunity arises to sail to London and
speak directly to the king, Pocahontas boards a ship with her escort, John
Rolfe, and heads to the land of the white man.
Before I begin, let me say that I am not going to judge this
movie on historical accuracy. I think the people who do are ridiculous. It’s a
child’s movie. It’s not meant to be accurate, it’s meant to be entertaining and
to share a lesson with children. I’ve never met a single six year old who’s
snubbed a movie because of historical inaccuracy. Besides, if you judge it by
that, you might as well look for scientific accuracy as well, otherwise, just
suspend disbelief and move on.
Despite my defending the “accuracy” issues of “Pocahontas II,”
I have to admit the movie was almost unbearable. Where the first “Pocahontas”
became one of Disney’s classics, exhibiting amazing music and moral undertone; “Pocahontas
II” was very near the opposite, it kept the moral tone but exhibited complete
mediocrity in everything else. The songs were lifeless; the script seemed
forced and lacking creativity. There’s no doubt as to why this movie went
straight to video.
The shining point of the entire movie was the animals, which
were focused on a bit more than in the original. It’s those animals that would
keep any child occupied while watching, but it leaves very little for their
parents to become enthralled with. It’s cute, but not nearly enough.
Writer: Chris Williams, Mark Dindal, David Reynolds, Stephen J. Anderson, Don Hall, John Norton, Roger Allers, Matthew Jacobs
Actors: David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick, Kellyann Kelso, Eli Russell Linnetz, Bob Bergen, Tom Jones, Patti Deutsch, John Fiedler, Joe Whyte
Kuzco is a self-absorbed emperor. He’s not cruel, per-say, just completely unaware that anyone in the world aside from him has wants and needs. After finding Yzma, his advisor, trying to do his job behind his back, he fires her. In what may be the biggest over-reaction ever, she turns him into a llama. His one hope to get himself back to normal is Pacha, a man who knows helping him will result in his village being destroyed.
It’s been a really long couple of months. Murphy’s Law made itself very well known. So, bringing in the month of October with an upbeat Disney movie is pretty much exactly what I needed.
It wasn’t my favorite, but it was more of an opinion than an execution thing. I really don’t like the narration style they went for. They used the kind where half the movie is narrated then you catch up to the first panel and watch the rest happen. I hate to admit I’m conventional in any sense of the word, but when it comes to narration, I am. I don’t like books that change tense in the middle, and I don’t like it in movies either. It’s distracting. The two exceptions I’ve found to the rule are “Army of Ghosts” and “Doomsday” both from the tenth doctor’s first season in Doctor Who. Of course, if there’s one exception there may very well be more.
Aside from that, I thought the movie was really cute. I especially loved the ending. No reason, I just thought it was adorable and uplifting.
In the long run, it was a good, solid, Disney movie.
Actors: Zac
Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique
Coleman, Bart Johnson, Alyson Reed, Chris Warren Jr., Olesya Rulin, Ryne
Sanborn, Socorro Herrera, Joey Miyashima, Leslie Wing, KayCee Stroh, Anne
Kathryn Parma, Nick Whitaker, Falon Grace
Troy is the quintessential jock, at least to the rest of his
school mates. Gabriella, having met him over Christmas vacation, knows
differently. After unlocking in each other the desire to sing, they face a
challenge. Looking to sing together in the high school musical, they test the
restraints of the teenage hierarchy and the caste system of their school.
This movie came out to such mixed reviews that I HAD to add
it to my instant queue. Young teens and children loved this movie so much it
catapulted the leads (Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens) into being nearly
house-hold names. On the other hand, older teens and adults turned their nosed
up in disgust. In fact, the mere attempt to bring this movie up around people
in certain age groups tends to draw the same ire as Twilight. You know what? That’s
a good comparison. They’re both movies that everyone seems to hate in public,
but that have undeniably become ridiculously popular.
I didn’t get it. Before I watched “High School Musical” I
had no idea how so many people could absolutely adore it while others thought
it was bottom of the barrel trash. I’ve never actually met someone who had an “on
the fence” opinion about it; hate or love, if there’s any opinion in the
middle, I haven’t found it.
I won’t lie; I gave in to everything I’d heard. I’m
twenty-eight years old; I’m obviously not hanging around teenagers, so just
about everything I heard made it seem like it would be the worst movie in
creation. This wasn’t the first time I attempted to watch it. I’ve actually
turned it on about six times before now and wound up turning it off within the first
ten minutes. That’s not something I’m proud of, but it’s what happened. I gave
in to peer pressure.
All that said I’m glad I rolled it because it cleared up the
mystery for me. I get it now. I completely understand why the world has
love/hate relationship with this movie. Furthermore, I see both points of view.
Technically, this movie is so parallel to Grease, that I
have chosen to believe it is paying homage to it. One reviewer stated, “There's
no denying the tween audience was hungering for this movie, without even
knowing it.” (Groucho Reviews, Peter Canavese) I don’t think anyone else could
have put it better. My generation was still growing up with “Grease.” The
original came out in 1978, but its sequel came out in 1982, just a year before
I was born. We had that silly, musical, “be yourself” film. By the 90’s,
younger kids were starting to look for the same thing and it’s a shame they
didn’t get anything until 2006. “High School Musical” is like the kid-version
of “Grease”; the same thing, just about the same plot, with more overacting and
a different demographic.
On the hate side of the coin, it’s easy to be angry with
this movie. With such obvious parallels to a timeless classic, the movie didn’t
hold a candle to it. I like both Hudgens and Efron. I’ve seen them in other
movies and have absolutely adored them. Efron absolutely stole my heart as
Richard Samuels in “Me and Orson Wells,” and Hudgens was out of this world as
Blondie in “Sucker Punch.” However, in this movie, they barely made me care at
all. The other actors were even worse. It was like watching, not to be cute, a
high school play. Maybe that’s what they were going for; if it was they made a
big mistake. The characters ultimately lacked depth, as well.
On the love side, the message delivered by this movie was
outstanding. “Grease” gave one story but, with the same basic plot and even
with all its parallels, “High School Musical” really had a better moral.
Perhaps because it was geared toward a much younger audience, this movie made
it clear that there was a lesson to be learned. Add to that some catchy music
and even the parts that are so bad they’re difficult to watch, make the rest of
it worth it.
The sad truth is that I liked the moral better than the
movie. Of course, I’m not the target demographic, so maybe that’s not such a
bad thing. The problem is, how to rate it?
I’ve decided to use my average rating as the “Overall
Opinion.” For children who are 15 or younger, I rate this move a 4.5, easy; for
anyone older than that, I rate this movie a 2, maybe a 2.5.
Overall Opinion – 3.5/5
P.S. There’s an extra scene after the credits finish
rolling.
Writer: Ron
Clements, John Musker, Don McEnery, Bob Shaw, Irene Mecchi, Kaan Kalyon, Kelly
Wightman, Randy Cartwright, John Ramirez, Jeff Snow, Vance Gerry, Kirk Hanson,
Tamara Lusher, Francis Glebas, Mark Kennedy, Bruce Morris, Don Dougherty, Thom
Enriquez
Actors: Tate
Donovan, Josh Keaton, Roger Bart, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Susan Egan, Bobcat
Goldthwait, Matt Frewer, Rip Torn, Samantha Eggar, Barbara Berrie, Hal
Holbrook, Paul Shaffer, Amanda Plummer, Carole Shelley, Paddi Edwards, Charlton
Heston, Patrick Pinney, Lillias White, Vaneese Y. Thomas, Cheryl Freeman,
LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Corey Burton, Keith David, Jim Cummings
Hercules is born to Zeus and Hera, as a full-blood god upon
Mount Olympus. After learning from the fates that the new born was on track to
destroy a plan set to hatch eighteen years into the future, Hades has the boy
kidnapped and turned into a human, then killed. His peons get something wrong
though, and manage to turn him human, but not strip him of all his powers.
Because of that error, Hercules survives in the care of his adopted family.
I’m in love with mythology. Greek, Roman, Celtic; the origin
of said mythology doesn’t matter. Since I was in elementary school I would pick
up any book I came across with any myth, any legend, any fable. I recently
finished reading all the available books in the Percy Jackson series (the next
one comes out in the fall and I’m twitching for it). There was a lot I didn’t
like about the mythology of those books, but I think they mostly got it right.
With Disney’s “Hercules” I know I should hold a lot less against it. After all,
the old Greek myths were not G rated. This movie is for kids, so a lot of the
story had to be watered down; which I expected and I prepared for and I still
was unhappy with.
The origin they went with was just horrible. I couldn’t
really get past it, especially since they based the entire rest of the
storyline on it. In the end they made it fit, but I still cringe. The creation
of Pegasus, however, was just adorable.
The animation was alright. I could have guessed Zeus and
Hercules from their concept art. On the other hand if someone would have stuck
a picture of Hera from this movie in front of me, there would have been several
goddesses I would have guessed and not one of them would be her.
With those issues in mind, the movie wasn’t bad. I just
expect more out of Disney originals. When you put this up against other 90’s
originals (like Pocahontas, The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, etc.)
it just comes up short. The music was good, but not exceptional. The story wasn’t
as memorable when compared to the other instant classics Disney was putting out
at that time. None of this means it was bad.
Disney is still a powerhouse company, putting out more
movies per year than audiences can even digest, but back in the 90’s they were
just starting to become what they are now. Every movie they put out was
original, unforgettable and pretty much genius. Hercules is a really good movie
that kind of loses itself among the rest of those amazing films.
I loved the Meg character though. There’s no secret that I
love that sass.
Director: Ron
Clements, Burny Mattinson, Dave Michener, John Musker
Writer: Pete
Young, Vance Gerry, Steve Hulett, Ron Clements, John Musker, Bruce M. Morris,
Matthew O’Callaghan, Burny Mattinson, Dave Michener, Melvin Shaw, Eve Titus,
Paul Galdone
Actors: Vincent
Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin, Susanne Pollatschek, Candy Candido, Diana
Chesney, Eve Brenner, Alan Young, Basil Rathbone, Laurie Main, Shani Wallis,
Ellen Fitzhugh, Walker Edmiston, Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo, Melissa
Manchester, Frank Welker
This tribute to Sherlock Holmes is Disney-fied and adorable.
Of course, that’s being a little redundant since Disney is pretty much
synonymous with adorable.
Basil, the hero of this story, is a mouse that lives in
Sherlock’s home. Having picked up all the famous detectives mannerisms, he has
become a renowned detective in the world of mice. Dr. Dawson, the new mouse in
town, finds a stray girl and brings her over to Basil when the girl reveals her
father was kidnapped. It isn’t long before Basil and gang are hot on the trail
of the devious, deadly, and self hating, Professor Ratigan.
Old Disney movies are something I am always in the mood to
watch and, likely, always going to love. There’s something about the simple
animation, the semi-relevant songs and adorable creatures that steals my heart
every time. Not to mention, Disney is the very best at making creepy, insane
villains that are still somehow appropriate for kids.
When Disney was more reliably coming out with original
cartoon creations, their stuff was amazing. Within five minutes of watching any
of those films the audience could tell three things; the story was in depth
enough for kids and adults to watch together (without either group getting
bored), the movie was going to be completely enthralling and, on top of that,
one could even tell that the movie about to begin was going to someday be a
classic. Old Disney movies stayed with us as we grew up; Cinderella, Snow
White, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, etc. This movie is one of the lesser
known, but no less memorable and spectacular.
I don’t believe this movie should be rated G. It should
definitely be closer to PG – with insinuated death/murder and a nod to burlesque
shows. But that was really my only problem with the film. Not that I minded the
morbid aspect, but if a movie is going to be rated G, I expect the content to
fit the label, especially when it’s directed toward children.
Overall Opinion – 4.5/5
P.S. – This movie is based off the book titled, “Basil of
Baker Street” by Eve Titus.
Writer: Don
Bluth, Ken Cromar, Gary Goldman, Larry Leker, Linda Miller, Monica Parker, John
Pomeroy, Guy Shulman, David J. Steinberg, David N. Weiss
Actors: Burt
Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Judith Barsi, Melba Moore, Daryl Gilley, Candy Devine,
Charles Nelson Reilly, Vic Tayback, Rob Fuller, Earleen Carey
Charlie, a German Shepherd, is framed and sent to be
euthanized in the pound. His friend, Itchy, a Dachshund, frees him and they
attempt to get Charlie back to work. Early on in trying to get back into the
swing of things Charlie’s ex-partner, Carface (a bulldog), kills him and
Charlie ascends to heaven. Bored as all hell in the place where all dogs go,
Charlie obtains the watch that represents his life, winds it, and finds himself
back alive on Earth. He goes on an adventure with Itchy to kidnap a human girl
that had already been kidnapped by Carface for her ability to talk to animals
in order to fix horse/mouse/frog races.
This is one of those cartoons I used to watch when I was a
kid, that looking back, isn’t really for kids that age. I was six years old
when this movie came out, possibly five considering my birthday is at the end
of the year; keeping that in mind, think about the characters and histories. Charlie
is a gambling con-man, or con-dog as the case may be, and his ex-partner is
quite obviously a spoof on Scarface. Several deaths and violent interactions
occur, insinuations of a sex life for Charlie, etc.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think my mother should have kept
me away from it. I don’t care. However, I do know that, if this movie came out
now, some parent or uptight person would have made a huge stink over its
rating.
Although I like musicals, I found the music in this movie to
be undeveloped and forced. Personally, I think the movie would have benefited
from less or no music. The themes and storylines of the characters were geared
more toward young to mid-teens, where as the music seemed to be more geared
toward the six to ten years olds that voluntarily opt to see rated G movies. I preferred
the movie as a child, before I really understood all the ins and outs of the
storyline, but I still enjoyed it now.
Regardless of how I feel about this movie at this point of my
life, I will always remember it fondly from the past. I will also perpetually
hug my dog for hours after the movie has ended.
