Tonight I saw Toy Story 4, starring the voices of Tom Hanks and Annie Potts.
Woody (Hanks) and the gang of toys who used to belong to Andy (John Morris) have settled in nicely with young Bonnie (Madeline McGraw) and her family. Bonnie is hesitant about starting Kindergarten, so Woody tags along for her orientation. That's where she creates a new toy, Forky, (Tony Hale) from a utensil that was thrown into the trash.
Forky helps Bonnie adjust to her new school and becomes immediately beloved, but Forky doesn't really want to be a toy and attempts to return to the trash every chance he gets. This keeps Woody on his toes, chasing after him at every turn to ensure he stays put. But Woody isn't always successful and Forky successfully escapes during a road trip. Woody goes after him and they both end up at an antique store where they encounter a doll named Gabby (Christina Hendricks) who has a broken voice box and is desperate to replace it with Woody's.
Meanwhile, Bonnie is devastated that Forky is missing and that sends the family road trip into chaos, with all of the remaining toys in the vehicle worried for Woody and Forky.
All of the usual wit and clever blink-or-you'll-miss-them funnies are as present here as they were in the first three films, as is the charm and heart. It's lovely spending time with characters like Woody and Little Bo Peep (Potts) who we've seen before and the addition of several supporting characters only add delight—Keanu Reeves is a standout as the always-posing stuntman, Duke.
Of course there's a huge action sequence at the climax of the plot, a little creepiness, some genuine sadness and even a budding romance. Really, for a film that's fourth in a franchise, it's incredibly satisfying.
Go see it. You'll still be smiling when you get home.
~~~
Showing posts with label Pixar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pixar. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 03, 2019
Thursday, January 04, 2018
Coco
Tonight I saw Coco, featuring the voices of Anthony Gonzalez and Gael Garcia Bernal.
Miguel (Gonzalez) is a young boy in love with music. He plays the guitar, sings and enjoys the sounds that he passes by in town, but he's forbidden from music by his strict family.
They are in the midst of preparing for El Dia de los Muertos—The Day of the Dead—where they display photos of their ancestors to invite them to come and "visit" that one special day of the year. As this is going on, Miguel plans to enter the town talent show without permission until his guitar gets destroyed so he goes to look for another one.
As he finds the one he intends to "borrow," something paranormal occurs and he's transported into the dead world. There he meets his ancestors, who are entering a rigid customs-like process to be able to cross over to the living world for that one day visit. No, the metaphor couldn't be more obvious.
It's there he encounters Hector (Garcia Bernal) who begs him to take his photo back to the living world with him so he can be remembered and earn visitation. There is also the matter of Miguel coming face to face with his musical idol and realizing things aren't always as they seem.
In typical Pixar fashion, whether you want to or not, you'll shed some tears along the way. It's not as devastating as Up or Toy Story 3, but the writers hit the right tender notes to bring the sads (not that that's a bad thing).
It's also one of their most visually stunning films. The brilliant colors burst with vibrant energy, weaving you deep into Mexican culture as the magical elements capture your senses. Furthermore, the details are impeccable—watch for skeleton faces in everything from the fireworks to the synchronized swimmers.
An emotionally rich, delightful ride for the whole family that will make your heart sing.
~~~
Miguel (Gonzalez) is a young boy in love with music. He plays the guitar, sings and enjoys the sounds that he passes by in town, but he's forbidden from music by his strict family.
They are in the midst of preparing for El Dia de los Muertos—The Day of the Dead—where they display photos of their ancestors to invite them to come and "visit" that one special day of the year. As this is going on, Miguel plans to enter the town talent show without permission until his guitar gets destroyed so he goes to look for another one.
As he finds the one he intends to "borrow," something paranormal occurs and he's transported into the dead world. There he meets his ancestors, who are entering a rigid customs-like process to be able to cross over to the living world for that one day visit. No, the metaphor couldn't be more obvious.
It's there he encounters Hector (Garcia Bernal) who begs him to take his photo back to the living world with him so he can be remembered and earn visitation. There is also the matter of Miguel coming face to face with his musical idol and realizing things aren't always as they seem.
In typical Pixar fashion, whether you want to or not, you'll shed some tears along the way. It's not as devastating as Up or Toy Story 3, but the writers hit the right tender notes to bring the sads (not that that's a bad thing).
It's also one of their most visually stunning films. The brilliant colors burst with vibrant energy, weaving you deep into Mexican culture as the magical elements capture your senses. Furthermore, the details are impeccable—watch for skeleton faces in everything from the fireworks to the synchronized swimmers.
An emotionally rich, delightful ride for the whole family that will make your heart sing.
~~~
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Finding Dory
On July 4, I saw Finding Dory, starring Ellen DeGeneres and Ed O'Neill.
Dory (Degeneres) is a blue tang with a short term memory impairment. As a baby, her parents tried to train her to come home, but when she was young she got separated from them. She made friends along the way, but never got over the loss of her Mom and Dad.
As an adult, she sets out to find them using techniques she's learned and taking some friends with her—like Hank the Octopus (O'Neill)—to keep her focused.
Her voice, Ellen DeGeneres, hits all the right notes to trigger empathy and sympathy. You can't help but root for her as she navigates the wild waters she first explored with her friend Nemo (Hayden Rolence), who makes an appearance here as well. In fact, all of the voices are great from legend Diane Keaton (Dory's mom) to the 7-year-old Sloane Murray, who gives a precious performance as the young version of Dory.
It's frankly hard to find fault with anything that Pixar does and Finding Dory is no exception. Excellent animation? Check. Brilliant casting? Check. Screenplay that ignites tearful waterworks? Check. Charming jokes to keep us laughing as we cry? Check.
The film is thoroughly engaging and enjoyable—my only complaint would be that as a sequel, it took too long to come out after the original.
Let's hope we don't have to wait as long for the third.
~~~
Dory (Degeneres) is a blue tang with a short term memory impairment. As a baby, her parents tried to train her to come home, but when she was young she got separated from them. She made friends along the way, but never got over the loss of her Mom and Dad.
As an adult, she sets out to find them using techniques she's learned and taking some friends with her—like Hank the Octopus (O'Neill)—to keep her focused.
Her voice, Ellen DeGeneres, hits all the right notes to trigger empathy and sympathy. You can't help but root for her as she navigates the wild waters she first explored with her friend Nemo (Hayden Rolence), who makes an appearance here as well. In fact, all of the voices are great from legend Diane Keaton (Dory's mom) to the 7-year-old Sloane Murray, who gives a precious performance as the young version of Dory.
It's frankly hard to find fault with anything that Pixar does and Finding Dory is no exception. Excellent animation? Check. Brilliant casting? Check. Screenplay that ignites tearful waterworks? Check. Charming jokes to keep us laughing as we cry? Check.
The film is thoroughly engaging and enjoyable—my only complaint would be that as a sequel, it took too long to come out after the original.
Let's hope we don't have to wait as long for the third.
~~~
Friday, June 19, 2015
Inside Out
Tonight I saw Inside Out, starring the voices of Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith.
Pixar has done it again. They've gone and created a visually stunning, colorful, magical film that not only pleases the aural senses, but pulls your heart out and presents it to you on a platter.
Riley (Katilyn Dias) is a happy-go-lucky 11-year-old girl living a cozy life with her parents in Minnesota until one day everything changes: the family moves to San Francisco for her dad's job.
She keeps a brave face and tries not to get too upset when the house they arrive to is nothing like the one they left, and the moving van with all their stuff is delayed. The emotions inside of her are fighting the good fight to keep her safe and content, but Sadness (Smith) keeps grabbing her memories and forcing them to change shape. In an effort to keep Riley from getting dismal, Joy (Poehler) tries to rescue those memories and in the process gets catapulted out of "headquarters," leaving only Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) to rule her feelings.
Soon Riley is miserable at her new school, mad at her parents and ready to run back to the Midwest where she can again find happiness. Joy and Sadness have to do whatever it takes to get back inside headquarters to prevent her from going too far down the dark path.
What an amazing metaphor for an adolescent brain!
Didn't we all feel like a crazy train wreck of emotions during those years? Or was it just me because my parents put me through a move when I was the same age as Riley's character? I'm bargaining that most young people—male and female—feel so much uncertainty as their mind and body matures that they're often overwhelmed.
The voice actors here are well-known, but thankfully it's not distracting, because they're so perfectly suited to their assigned emotion (especially Smith, who everyone will remember from the American version of The Office).
I laughed, I cried, I mused, I remembered, I reflected, I hurt, I healed... I loved this film.
~~~
Pixar has done it again. They've gone and created a visually stunning, colorful, magical film that not only pleases the aural senses, but pulls your heart out and presents it to you on a platter.
Riley (Katilyn Dias) is a happy-go-lucky 11-year-old girl living a cozy life with her parents in Minnesota until one day everything changes: the family moves to San Francisco for her dad's job.
She keeps a brave face and tries not to get too upset when the house they arrive to is nothing like the one they left, and the moving van with all their stuff is delayed. The emotions inside of her are fighting the good fight to keep her safe and content, but Sadness (Smith) keeps grabbing her memories and forcing them to change shape. In an effort to keep Riley from getting dismal, Joy (Poehler) tries to rescue those memories and in the process gets catapulted out of "headquarters," leaving only Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) to rule her feelings.
Soon Riley is miserable at her new school, mad at her parents and ready to run back to the Midwest where she can again find happiness. Joy and Sadness have to do whatever it takes to get back inside headquarters to prevent her from going too far down the dark path.
What an amazing metaphor for an adolescent brain!
Didn't we all feel like a crazy train wreck of emotions during those years? Or was it just me because my parents put me through a move when I was the same age as Riley's character? I'm bargaining that most young people—male and female—feel so much uncertainty as their mind and body matures that they're often overwhelmed.
The voice actors here are well-known, but thankfully it's not distracting, because they're so perfectly suited to their assigned emotion (especially Smith, who everyone will remember from the American version of The Office).
I laughed, I cried, I mused, I remembered, I reflected, I hurt, I healed... I loved this film.
~~~
Friday, September 28, 2012
Finding Nemo 3D
Tonight I saw the Pixar classic, Finding Nemo, in 3D.
Though I've seen the film dozens of times, until this evening, I had never seen it in 3D. And oh, how beautiful it was!
Nemo (Alexander Gould), a young clown fish, is angry with his father on the first day of school and swims to a nearby boat. His father, Marlin (Albert Brooks), goes after him but doesn't make it in time and a scuba diver scoops Nemo up.
The young fish lands in an aquarium at a Sydney, Australia dental office; his father desperately sets out (despite his own fears about the ocean) to find him.
Marlin soon meets up with a female fish, Dory, who is voiced by a hilarious Ellen DeGeneres. She suffers from short-term memory challenges, but thankfully remembers the address on the scuba diver's goggles so they can try to get to Nemo.
Nemo meanwhile has made friends with his fellow aquarium fish, as they are busy planning their escape.
Will they reunite? Well, if you haven't seen it by now, you should get yourself to a theater.
As with every Pixar film, there are delightful tidbits for the adults to enjoy while the kids marvel at the visuals. This is all underlined with a healthy dose of heart, delivered sentimentally in just the right places.
I think after seeing the vibrant ocean life pop with new dimension, I love this film even more than I did before.
~~~
Though I've seen the film dozens of times, until this evening, I had never seen it in 3D. And oh, how beautiful it was!
Nemo (Alexander Gould), a young clown fish, is angry with his father on the first day of school and swims to a nearby boat. His father, Marlin (Albert Brooks), goes after him but doesn't make it in time and a scuba diver scoops Nemo up.
The young fish lands in an aquarium at a Sydney, Australia dental office; his father desperately sets out (despite his own fears about the ocean) to find him.
Marlin soon meets up with a female fish, Dory, who is voiced by a hilarious Ellen DeGeneres. She suffers from short-term memory challenges, but thankfully remembers the address on the scuba diver's goggles so they can try to get to Nemo.
Nemo meanwhile has made friends with his fellow aquarium fish, as they are busy planning their escape.
Will they reunite? Well, if you haven't seen it by now, you should get yourself to a theater.
As with every Pixar film, there are delightful tidbits for the adults to enjoy while the kids marvel at the visuals. This is all underlined with a healthy dose of heart, delivered sentimentally in just the right places.
I think after seeing the vibrant ocean life pop with new dimension, I love this film even more than I did before.
~~~
Friday, July 18, 2008
WALL - E
On Tuesday, July 15, I saw the alleged second-coming of animation called WALL-E.
And as far as I'm concerned, WALL-E spells OVERRATE-D.
Sure, the animation is typical-Pixar-cool (the mounds of trash formed into would-be skyscrapers that the humans have accumulated over the years are especially impressive), and the story sends an Important Social Message (as most of these do), but I just wasn't as impressed with the delivery as most of my fellow critics.
Wall-E himself is a robot that was created to manage the trash crises that us obese, lazy, careless Americans...um...humans have created. We've basically trashed ourselves out of our habitat. Clever? Absolutely. But also slightly grim and more than a little in-your-face preachy at times.
The species has been beamed to a superheaven of sorts, where everyone functions from their lounge chair, eats cupcakes in cups and leads generally meaningless (though no doubt, fun) lives. "Autopilots" run the ship, so to speak.
So when another, prettier, more R2D2-like robot (Eva) comes along to keep WALL-E company on earth, it's no wonder sparks fly.
Put simply, there are very tender moments between the two hunks of metal that redeem the story somewhat, but aside from those rare moments, I was either bored or mildly offended at how blatant the moralizing was. And the "battle" scene at the end was painfully formulaic.
I had a much better time at Toy Story.
And as far as I'm concerned, WALL-E spells OVERRATE-D.
Sure, the animation is typical-Pixar-cool (the mounds of trash formed into would-be skyscrapers that the humans have accumulated over the years are especially impressive), and the story sends an Important Social Message (as most of these do), but I just wasn't as impressed with the delivery as most of my fellow critics.
Wall-E himself is a robot that was created to manage the trash crises that us obese, lazy, careless Americans...um...humans have created. We've basically trashed ourselves out of our habitat. Clever? Absolutely. But also slightly grim and more than a little in-your-face preachy at times.
The species has been beamed to a superheaven of sorts, where everyone functions from their lounge chair, eats cupcakes in cups and leads generally meaningless (though no doubt, fun) lives. "Autopilots" run the ship, so to speak.
So when another, prettier, more R2D2-like robot (Eva) comes along to keep WALL-E company on earth, it's no wonder sparks fly.
Put simply, there are very tender moments between the two hunks of metal that redeem the story somewhat, but aside from those rare moments, I was either bored or mildly offended at how blatant the moralizing was. And the "battle" scene at the end was painfully formulaic.
I had a much better time at Toy Story.
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