Dave's "Up" Review - Spoilers Ahead!

Warning: This review may contain spoilers. If you haven't seen the film yet, read at your own risk!

Pixar is the reason I'm doing what I am for a living today. Like so many others out in the Animation world, I fell in love with 'Toy Story' the moment I saw it, and didn't stop until I was animating stuff for a living.

So with each Pixar release, I try to take it in at least once on opening weekend, and usually a time or two again before it leaves theaters. I've just returned from the theater where I saw 'Up' and as usual, nobody does it better than Pixar.



Like most of the other Pixar films, 'Up' does a wonderful job of treating the viewer to some real laugh out loud gags (I will be telling Dug's squirrel joke for weeks to come), and some truly touching moments.

If I have a beef with the film at all, I think it might be that it was a bit too sentimental at times. Not that it's overdone, but there are some really heavy moments in that film for kids to watch. It's always been one of my biggest complaints in classic Disney films that at times (Fox and the Hound, Old Yeller, Bambi, etc), they bordered on being downright cruel to the viewer. 'Up' danced around that line a great deal, and at times was pretty tough to watch without welling up. My wife cried multiple times at the film.

It's all done well, and you totally get the reason Carl will get to those falls, even if it means killing himself. In the end though, I think that this film like 'Ratatouille' and 'Wall-E' falls on the side of an adult film wrapped in a candy shell for kids.

I guess one other minor complaint might be that I never really found myself cheering for the demise of the bad guy, Charles, because I just sort of felt sorry that he was treated the way he was.

All that aside, 'Up' is an amazing film. It isn't as though the issues mentioned above ruined my experience or anything. It's a roller coaster ride from start to finish and is packed with enough action to keep even the youngest viewer from getting board.

I'd pay to see it again just to watch Dug.

On that note, the animation, and visuals in general, are superb. It's strange that I'm an Animator, and yet the animation is almost a footnote to this review, but I think that's even more of a testament to the art team at Pixar. The animation of Dug is particularly spot-on, with the team nailing a dog's mannerisms perfectly.

In short, go see 'Up' and go see it soon. You'll fall in love with the characters, and root for the oddball team of Carl, Russell, Dug, and Kevin every step of the way.

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Bolt Review

I picked up "Bolt" this weekend, and had a chance to watch it with my family.



First of all, let me just say that I'm not a huge fan of either John Travolta or "Hannah Cyrus." That being said, I actually found both of them to be quite likable in the film. Miley isn't exactly on the verge of winning an Oscar anytime soon, but the creators did a great job of keeping her lines simple and quick, so that she didn't overstay her welcome.

From a visual standpoint, the movie is a blast! The lighting is top-notch, and changes to fit the mood and location of each shot of the film quite well. The animation is also a treat, with some of the scenes, such as the opening chase scene, being an absolute feast for the eyes.

Where I think the film faltered just a bit is in the writing. The "Homeward Bound" concept has been done many times in the past, and while this one added a nice twist, it still felt like a movie I had seen before. The same can be said for some of the gags in the film. Often during the film, I could feel the gag coming long before it took place, such as when the agent gets tossed from the back of the ambulance towards the end of the film.

That being said, I did feel there were some really heart-warming moments in the film, and some great humor. When the film is firing on all cylinders, it's an absolute hoot to watch!

If you're looking for a solid family film, or if you're a fan of animation, you really can't go wrong with "Bolt." It may have been done before, but it's rarely done with the same level of charm and eye candy.

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Kung Fu Panda

For the second time this year, I have seen a 3D animated film that has pushed its way into my Top 10. Dreamworks' "Kung Fu Panda," isn't just a great Dreamworks animated film, it rivals that of any other studio currently out there. The acting, writing, and visuals are all top-notch, and there is something to see for people of all ages.



I made the concious decision not to see "WALL-E" this weekend, despite being a massive Pixar nut. I decided that I should see "Kung Fu Panda" first, since I had yet to get a chance, and figured that the bonus would be a theater that wasn't jammed to the brim with people waiting to see the latest Pixar creation.

To my surprise, the KFP theater was very near full, despite the film being out over three weeks now, and "WALL-E" showing on 20 screens in the same theater. However I found a seat and settled in, popcorn in hand, waiting for the 2D intro I had heard so much about. The intro, as well as the entire movie, lived up to the hype.



I think the thing I loved so much about KFP, outside of the amazing visuals, was a combination of the writing style and the acting choices pulled off by the animation team. For whatever reason, "Bee Movie," totally lacked these performances, and so I was a bit concerned with how the acting would be handled in KFP. However within moments of the first scene in which Po is talking with his "dad" about noodles, it became obvious that the acting was not going to be a problem at all. The subtle shifts of weight, the characters actually putting thought into what they're about to say, the shifty eyebrows of Po, all was really well done.

For the record, I could not stop giggling at the candle scene between Oogway and Shifu, to the point where others in the theater began looking at me. I felt like such an idiot.



As mentioned, the visuals were top notch. The backgrounds felt like paintings, the colors popped against each other, and the textures of the various creatures and buildings were all done with great attention to detail. I found myself at one point just staring at the scales on Oogway's skin as they shook and swayed on his loose old turtle neck.

The prison escape scene is also a feast for the eyes, from an animation standpoint and a visual standpoint in general. You know exactly what the end result of the scene is going to be, and yet you can't stop wondering exactly how it's going to happen.

That being said, if there was one knock against KFP, in my opinion, it was that they sort of "overdid" the whole slow motion thing. I didn't actually count, but I'd say there are at least a dozen times in the film where the film slips into slow motion to show something cool or a funny facial expression. It worked for the most part, but once you've seen the effect for the 10th time, it starts to get sort of old.



There were lots of kids in the theater at my viewing of "Kung Fu Panda," and all seemed to be having a blast. I enjoyed the heck out of it too, and am really glad that I took it in on the bigscreen. This will be a movie that I instantly add to my collection the day it releases, and as I mentioned is a wonderful animated film when compared along side all of the current "classics" in computer animation.

If you want to know just how much I loved it, take a look at how my new "Top 10 Animated Films of All Time" list breaks down:

10. Toy Story 1&2
09. Aladdin
08. The Emporer's New Groove
07. Surf's Up!
06. The Iron Giant
05. Horton Hears A Who
04. Monsters, Inc.
03. Kung Fu Panda
02. Finding Nemo
01. The Incredibles

I imagine "WALL-E" will also wind up in that list somewhere, possibly bumping "Toy Story 1&2" out of my Top 10, but it won't change the fact that "Kung Fu Panda" is an amazing film and one that everyone involved at Dreamworks should be very proud of.

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Go Hear a Who!

You guys all need to go see "Horton Hears a Who!"



I just got back from seeing the film for a second time, and it's amazing. Do yourself a favor and catch this puppy before it leaves the big screen. The story, the art style, the cast, the humor, the animation... all incredible.

The film has even found a home in my Top 10 Animated Films of All Time:

10. Toy Story 1&2
09. Open Season
08. Aladdin
07. The Emporer's New Groove
06. Surf's Up!
05. The Iron Giant
04. Horton Hears A Who
03. Monsters, Inc.
02. Finding Nemo
01. The Incredibles

So go check it out soon, and if you've already seen it, go see it again! That's what I did, and it was just as entertaining as the first time I watched it.

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Quick Summer Movie Review

Here they are, in the order that they come to me.



Live Free Die Hard - It's PG-13, which bothered me going into the film, but it's really not as bad as you might think. Sure there is a bit less blood, and some horrible dubbing to cover up the bad words, but it's still a fun film. Bottom Line: See It

Transformers - Since when do the Transformers hide from parents? The film isn't bad, but it's just more Michael Bay fluff. It could have been so much better, though I doubt the special effects could have been. Bottom Line: Rent It

Ratatouille - It's Brad Bird, it's Pixar, it's amazing. Bottom Line: See It and then See It Again

Pirates 3 - It's more of the same, but if you liked the first two films, you'll like this one as well. Bottom Line: Rent It

Surf's Up - Not as good as Ratatouille, but far better than almost any animated film released last summer. Go see it on the big screen and check out the amazing waves. Bottom Line: See It

Shrek the Third - It's more of the same, which isn't a bad thing, but to be honest, if you're going to go see a CG animated film, you'll probably get more satisfaction out of "Surf's" or "Ratatouille." Bottom Line: Rent It

Spider-Man 3 - It's like they tried to fit part 3, 4 and part of 5 into one film. I'm a huge fan of the first two, and this one just felt like way too much for one film to handle. Bottom Line: Rent It

Knocked Up - It's gross, it's sophmoric, it's filled with stoner humor, and it's one of the funniest films I've seen in a long time. Bottom Line: See It

Man... I watch too many movies.

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Spider-Man 3 - The Review

I'd like to sum up my feelings of "Spider-Man 3" with a song.



Emo-Man
Emo-Man
Combs His Hair
Like An Emo-Fan

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Meet the Robinsons

I took in "Meet the Robinsons" with my lovely bride tonight.



We arrived at the theater to find that they were showing alternate showing of "MTR" and every other one was in 3D. I wasn't too excited to see the film in 3D (I'll take my talking pictures in 2D, thank you very much), but our time was for one of said 3D showings, so I figured I'd give it a shot. The film is in 3D (glasses provided), but it isn't the constant in your face 3D that you find in many films. It was subtle enough that after a while I almost forgot it was there.

I like to keep my reviews short and sweet, so I'll just say that I liked the film a lot. At times it really feels like they're just throwing whatever they can at the film strip to see what sticks, but they do a pretty good job of eventually tying it all back together again.

I will say that The Bowler Hat Guy is easily the best film villain to come around in the last 10 years.



He was absolutely awesome, and I got excited every time he was on screen. Just a really well done character, and I hope that if they decide to make a short for the DVD release that he is the featured character.

The rest of the cast is good, and the visuals are really well done. The film is worth seeing if you have the time, with or without the 3D glasses.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

Anyone else see it? Drop me a comment and let me know what you thought!

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