Miscellaneous Movie Musings

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I thought Happy Feet was pretty amusing in an absurd way... and though it was pretty heavy-handed with the message, it was really only the last part of the movie that played host to it. The directing and animation was great, and the story was interesting... but stop-and-sing musical numbers are less interesting to me than numbers where people have a REASON to sing (i.e. they are so filled with emotion that they can't hold it in anymore) and it moves the story forward.

My other big problem with it was the incongruous name and voice of the maternal penguin. Norma Jean? Nicole Kidman's simpering whisper made me cringe. Don't they know Norma Jean's history? It could never be made into a happy penguin movie. (Or a sometimes dark one, even.)

[Alex]

Originally Posted by LSPoorEeyorick

but stop-and-sing musical numbers are less interesting to me than numbers where people have a REASON to sing (i.e. they are so filled with emotion that they can't hold it in anymore) and it moves the story forward.

Interesting. To my view, the penguins in this movie had better reason for their singing and dancing than in any musical ever made (primarily, it is how they find their true love and mate; though a secondary nicely absurd purpose is found in the end).

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Interesting. To my view, the penguins in this movie had better reason for their singing and dancing than in any musical ever made (primarily, it is how they find their true love and mate; though a secondary nicely absurd purpose is found in the end).

I think what interested me most about Happy Feet was the unexpected blend of live action and animation, which was done very, very well.

The music itself kinda bored me when it wasn't cute or amusing. The dancing sequences I loved.

The biggest issue I had with the film, and that I have with a lot of contemporary animated films, was the shoddy voice work. A talented screen actor is not necessarily a talented voice actor. And the only voice work that seemed at all top notch was Robin Williams, because he seems to get that the *voice* is the actor. More voice work for guys like Futurama's Billy West, and less for Nicole Kidman and Elijah Wood, etc.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Interesting. To my view, the penguins in this movie had better reason for their singing and dancing than in any musical ever made (primarily, it is how they find their true love and mate; though a secondary nicely absurd purpose is found in the end).

Yes, I would agree-- but the stop-and-sing numbers weren't necessary, and slowed the action a bit. (I'm thinking primarily here of "Somebody to Love.")

[innerSpaceman]

It was sorta Moulin Rouge on ice. If that movie hadn't been a predecessor, I don't think the pop tunes medley-after-another sung by the penguins would have worked for modern audiences. But I agree with Alex that they do have a reason to sing medlies, explained quite nicely in the film.

The Moulin connection was the only reason for Kidman to be involved with the project ... and now I quite agree her voice work for animation must cease with this film. Elijah was nominally better, but not by much. I wouldn't put his work in the "Truly Awful" category, tho.


What surprises me about the spate of famous actors doing voice-work is how many are good at it. Used to be that famous actors were a death knell for animated projects ... and professional voicers the only quality way to go. But many an actor realizes how much work can be done with the voice, and quite a few are up to expressing a character through voice alone.


Not so many in Happy Feet though. But I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and did not find it preachy in the least. Is Bambi preachy? I rather like films starring animals to express that animals would like us to stop fu<king with them. And I didn't find the Happy Feet approach to be too heavy-handed.








Get it? Feet? Handed? Tee-hee-Hee-hee



.

[flippyshark]

I'm glad that the extended cut of Bedknobs and Broomsticks is available, but I can see why the studio trimmed it. It's leisurely to a fault. About two thirds of the running time is devoted to tracking down a spell that the characters are already carrying with them, for Pete's sake.

The resemblances to Mary Popins are no accident. Walt secured the rights to the book "Bedknob and Broomstick" when he wasn't sure if P.L. Travers was going to let him make Poppins. He figured B&B was similar enough that it would be a suitable replacement project. (it ended up being made after Walt's death, spurred by Poppins' monumental success.)

This one has high nostalgia value for me, but I can see it being a tough sell for someone coming to it new.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Having never seen it, I saw the appeal. It was a fun movie. Of course, I was going in with positive thoughts because I remember rather liking the book, even though I have no recollection of anything in the book. Those fond feelings definitely carried over.

I'd be interested to know exactly what was added. I did notice the rather silly fact that they had the necessary info with them the whole time. So that's not as superfluous in the orginal version? Is the interminable dancing scene in Portabello shorter? Or gone?

Sigh, another DVD that proves, once again, that deleted scenes are by and large deleted for very good reasons.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

It was a pleasure watching David Tomlinson throw himself into this much-more-fun-than-Mr.-Banks role. I love him! He does a great bunny impersonation too...

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

I saw: Lucky Number Sleven last night on DVD.

I think this one flew by alot of people in theatres. It's got a great cast, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsly, Stanley Tuci, Lucy Lui and the not so great, but was good in this Josh Hartnet.

I enjoyed the movie and thought it was a good ride. Well shot and even though the plot is fairly A typical, it was fun getting from one point to the other. It's one of those suprise twist type films where you figure it out pretty early on, but IMHO it was a good time getting to the results.

8 bornieo's out of 10

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Bornieo: Fully Loaded

It's one of those suprise twist type films where you figure it out pretty early on, but IMHO it was a good time getting to the results.

I pretty much went the opposite direction on it.

I too figured out the "twist" pretty much during the opening credits and was bored the rest of the way.

Liked Lucy Liu, liked Morgan Freeman despite him being completely in "I'm Morgan Freeman" mode. Hartnett was flat. Ben Kingsley, sadly, was boring. The humor was inane and Bruce Willis was a void (quite literally, when I think back to the movie I literally can't picture Bruce Willis, just a generic person onto whom my brain attaches the label "Bruce Willis").