Brave

I finally got to see Pixar’s Brave and I really enjoyed it. By FAR the best animated film of last year. I can’t understand the many mediocre reviews I read about it. Perhaps because I am less a fanboy at my age and it takes me time to go see a film, I avoid the hype that accompanies such things. For instance the hype surrounding The Avengers completely baffles me. I thought it was a work of astounding nothingness. Endless fights that felt no more interesting than those atrocious last Star Wars films. Unless you really, really believe that seeing the Avengers in one film will change ones life in some fundamental way. But Brave worked for me. I expected so much less because of the constant talking down about it. Maybe that’s why I liked it so much. I had zero expectations. I enjoyed Wreck it Ralph, but the video game world isn’t that interesting to me. It worked well as a comedy and I was thinking it should have won the Oscar. But after seeing Brave, I don’t think there was a real contest.

And yes, it takes me a long time to see films these days. But I’m starting to catch up. My daughter and I are seeing more films in the theatre again after 6 or so years of hardly going.

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Animation Monday

I’m back on this horse. It used to be Animation Wednesday. But I’ve moved it. No room on Wednesdays anymore. All I can promise about Animation Monday, is a post that is about animation. Kind of. In some way. Sort of…

A bevy of new animated films coming up. Some look great, some, well…

Of course Pixar hits us with Brave soon. I’m sorry to say that the previews have not been interesting to me. It feels a little redundant after Dreamworks excellent, How to Tame Your Dragon. I know, I know. There’s no dragons in Brave. It’s a completely different film. Then why does it seem so similar and uninteresting to me? I liked Dragons because it was one step away from reality, based on a mish-mash of wonderful mythologies. Brave’s more reserved and realistic approach seems a bit tired. I am sad to say I have a John Carter feeling about this film. The preview seems lacking and doesn’t build any excitement in me. I hope I am wrong!

Visit the Brave Trailer.

Oregon based Laika serves up ParaNorman in the fall. It’s a stop motion/computer assisted animated feature. The first trailer didn’t move me. But the full trailer made it look like great fun. I went from not really caring, to looking forward to it. I hope it’s a stronger story than their last effort. I thought Coraline was too in love with it’s own art direction and forgot to have a screenplay that made sense. ParaNorman seems perfectly timed to take advantage of the monster interest that I see bubbling up with kids right now.

The ParaNorman trailer.

Then there is Rise of the Guardians from Dreamworks. I have a thing against stories that combine classic Holiday characters. And the trailer is SOOOO heavy and takes itself soooo seriously that it’s kind of goofy. Are they trying for the runaway success that was Rare Exports? That’s a Fighting Santa film too, if you missed it. Maybe it’s my dislike of every kids film that solves the major issues with a fight (as this one seems to do). The easiest of all conclusions – have them fight. I mean it worked in World War II right? And is Santa more interesting to kids when he carries swords? Why not just make him a Transformer? I always felt the weakest part of The Nightmare Before Christmas was the ‘Worlds of each Holiday’ aspect. But at least it was set up with a bit of whimsy. This one seems 100% whimsy free. Imagine the ads – On November 21st, watch beloved holiday creatures FIGHT to the death!

Maybe they can co-market with the UFC.

And yes, I know about Bill Joyce’s books that this is…based on? Inspired by? Marketed for? And yes, I see the toys and the video games. But I ask again…Is Santa any more interesting to kids when he has swords? Maybe. At least to the children of Ninjas.

Rise of the Guardians trailer.

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