Rise Up and Watch “Rise of the Guardians”!

Hello movie fans!

2017 is finally coming to an end! Most of us are ready for the hope and change that comes with ringing in the new year, and some of is are afraid that 2018 will bring nothing but pain. This week’s movie is surprisingly deep, and takes into account the power that fear and believing have over people. Today I’ll be discussing Rise of the Guardians. I used to absolutely love this movie, and after watching it again, I can say that I’m once again a fan. So, let’s jump right into the review! (Also, there WILL be spoilers!)

The main protagonists of Rise of the Guardians are all ones we know and love- Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and of course, Jack Frost. However, each character is strikingly unique and nothing like what we grew up seeing. Santa, also called North, is a burly, tattooed, Russian man, who wields swords and works with yetis in his workshop. His sleigh is massive and engine-powered, and he uses portal-creating snow globes to get across continents and deliver his presents. The Tooth Fairy’s design is reminiscent of a hummingbird, with bright feathers and fast-fluttering wings. Of course, she doesn’t work alone. She has thousands of smaller fairies that work with her to collect the teeth of children across the globe. The Easter Bunny is huge, like the bunnies you would sit with at the mall. He’s also Australian, and wields two boomerangs as weapons. He travels by rabbit hole, hiding eggs during Easter celebrations for kids to run and find. It’s a creative twist on the Easter Bunny, but I’m not gonna lie, seeing the eggs run around on little legs getting painted was pretty unnerving. The Sandman brings dreams to the children of the world. He’s literally made of golden sand, which is gorgeous, but must have been a pain to animate. He’s also mute, and speaks by creating little pictures above his head. It makes sense that he’d be a silent character; of course, you wouldn’t want to wake sleeping children as you bring them their dreams!Jack Frost is a mischievous young man who is responsible for bringing the cold snows of winter. His design isn’t as jaw-dropping as the other characters, but he has his own charm. One of his powers is that he can create frost at will, and when he first realized his magic, he had a lot of fun with it. The beautiful and delicate frost designs that Jack Frost creates must have been another pain to animate, but again, they were an utter success.

The story that Rise of the Guardians tells is one for all ages. Jack Frost is a young man turned immortal by the Man in the Moon, made for a purpose that Jack himself doesn’t know. He leads a lonely life, unseen by the children that don’t believe in him. One day, the Guardians of the world- Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and the Sandman- see a threat begin to arise. The Boogeyman, Pitch Black, wants to be believed in by the children of the world, and he wants to bring destruction to the Guardians. A new Guardian is selected to help them in their fight against Pitch, and that Guardian is Jack Frost. Together, the Guardians with their new team member must take down Pitch Black as he attempts to destroy them, forever.

Pitch Black is the embodiment of fear. When children believe in the Boogeyman, they don’t just believe in him; they fear him. That fear is what Pitch uses to control his believers. By making them afraid of the outside world, he isolates them so they will struggle to believe anything but the fear he creates. It is this control, this manipulation of young kids that makes Pitch a villain. He also uses tactics to try to manipulate the Guardians into feeling pity for him. In one scene, Pitch has destroyed the Tooth Fairy’s palace, and begins monologuing to the Guardians. He talks about how, in a world where children are protected by the fairy tales they believe in, there isn’t a place for fear. Pitch wants to bring back fear, and regain the power that he once had. What he wants is to be believed in, and he shows this again is another scene, this time speaking to Jack alone. He tries to show Jack how they are alike, and how they could work together, and be believed in together. Jack is smarter though, and points out the difference between Pitch and the Guardians: children believe in the Guardians, but they fear Pitch.

Along with fear, the idea of knowing yourself is important to the message of Rise of the Guardians. The idea is first introduced by North, when he explains how wonder is his “center”. Wonder is what inspires him to craft his toys, what he protects in the minds of children, and what makes him who he is- a Guardian. By the end of the film, Jack finds his center as well. His center is fun- by looking at his past memories, we see that Jack was always a fun-loving young man, and when he saved his younger sister, he did it by making a game. Fun is who Jack Frost is, and he demonstrates it throughout the film in the different mischievous actions. However, it can be argued that Jack Frost’s center could have been belief. For one, having Jack’s center be belief would have made a much stronger emotional impact that it just being fun. We know that Jack Frost is fun, and thus it is not very impactful when he finds that fun is the most important part of his character. Belief something much more personal to Jack. Here are a few examples of why:

All this time, no child has ever believed in Jack Frost. He was always just a fairy tale for children, and never anything else. Finally being believed and seen by Jamie was a huge thing for Jack, and a huge part of his character development. He becomes more sure of himself, more determined to protect the children like Jamie, and most importantly, after being believed in, Jack was able to accept his role as a Guardian. The Guardian’s center is representative of what they protect in children. North protects the wonder of childish nature, the Easter Bunny protects the hope that lies in the heart of every kid, and so on. With his center being fun, Jack Frost protects the pieces of children that love to have fun. But when the Guardians are on their last leg, with only one kid who still believes, who protects the belief in the Guardians of that child?Jack Frost.

When he and his sister were caught on cracking ice, what did Jack tell his sister to convince her everything was going to be alright?“You have to believe in me.” Belief is just as much a part of who Jack is as fun is, and unlike fun, it’s not as obvious. It is a deep layer of who he is, like a center should be.

The movie ends with Jack saying, “When the moon tells you something, believe it.” Throughout the movie, Jack had a difficult time believing that the Man in the Moon really wanted Jack to be a Guardian, when no child believed in him, and he could barely believe in himself. Jack’s ability to believe in himself, that he could be the Guardian that the Moon and the other Guardians expected him to be, it came from him finally being seen by the children. Jack Frost is an amazingly well-written character, with as much depth to who he is as any real human being.

Belief and fear go hand in hand, as shown by Rise of the Guardians. One message that is displayed by the film is that our fear of the things that frighten us is what gives those frightening things power. We can admit that there are scary things in the world, but we have a choice in whether or not they have power over us. Once the kids realize that they don’t have to be afraid of Pitch, he is no longer visible to them. This can be taken to mean that fear is just another form of belief, but one that is dangerous than the belief one can have in Santa or the Easter Bunny. Surprisingly, Rise of the Guardians has a second message that it enforces. In order for one to develop as a person, they have to understand and believe in themself. This is shown in Jack’s internal struggle of overcoming the doubt he creates in himself over whether he is truly a Guardian. By looking into his past memories, he was able to understand where he came from, and how he was meant to be a Guardian that protected the fun-loving spirits of the children of the world. Rise of the Guardians is an amazing film, with absolutely incredible character design and a deep plot that makes one really think about fear and belief. I’m happy to have closed out the year with this amazing movie.

Remember the Story of the Romanovs with “Anastasia”!

Hello movie fans!

As much as the holidays are about returning home and finding comfort in familiarity and tradition, sometimes it’s good to try new things. This week I’ll be reviewing Anastasia, a film that I had never seen until now. It tells the story of the princess Anastasia, the daughter of the last czar of Russia. After the czar and the rest of his family fled Russia and the evil Rasputin looking to kill the entire family, Anastasia was left behind with no memory of her life before. Antics ensue when conmen Dimitri and Vlad attempt to return Anastasia to the Russian royal family in Paris, not realizing she really is the princess. Of course, their plans are nearly foiled by Rasputin once he realizes he hasn’t killed every member of the royal family. There is much more to the plot that I will discuss later, but for now, let’s hop into the review. (Also, there WILL be spoilers!)

The animation of Anastasia resembles much of what was popular at the time of its release. Despite being created by Fox Animation Studios, the movie strongly resembles that of Disney. It’s possible that this is due to the directors of Anastasia, Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, being ex-Disney animators. Either way, there are some distinct differences between the animation of Anastasia and that of Disney films. The characters in Anastasia are more realistic than those of Disney. Unlike Disney’s large, childlike eyes and mouths, the faces of Anastasia and her companions are less exaggerated and more realistic. There is also one scene in particular the strikes me as being completely unique. When Anastasia and her friends arrive in Paris, they perform a musical number as they adventure in the city. The backgrounds of each scene resemble the style of the Post-Impressionist art style that started in Paris years earlier. The inclusion of such an iconic part of art history made me smile in delight, and appreciate this film a bit more.

Usually about now I’d talk about the music, but for the sake of fluidity, I have to describe the plot of Anastasia. The film is based off the true story of the House of Romanov, which you can learn about here. Of course, the movie is largely fictionalized, but there are several references to the true Romanov story placed throughout. Anastasia starts by showing a great ball being held at the palace of the royal family. It’s full of good fun, and young Anastasia is gifted a music box by her grandmother. Soon, though, fear strikes the House of Romanov. Rasputin, who has sold his soul for evil power, declares his hate for the czar, and curses them to die by his hand.

Soon, riots erupt, clearly a reference to the Revolution of 1905 that was the beginning of the end for the Romanovs in real life. Angry common folk storm the palace and set it on fire, forcing the family to leave. Anastasia runs back into the burning palace to get her music box, and she is trailed by her terror-stricken grandmother. As everything is falling apart around them, a kitchen boy leads Anastasia and her grandmother out the back, but Anastasia drops her music box, which is then grabbed by the kitchen boy. The peril of the family doesn’t end there. As the Romanovs are leaving Russia by train, Anastasia is left behind, and she hits her head.

Twenty years later, it is revealed that Anastasia lost her memories of her past life. She now goes by Anya, and grew up in an orphanage, with only the key to her music box as a hint to her true identity. The key is inscribed with “Together In Paris”, where the Romanovs were planning to visit before they were forced to flee there. Anya makes it her mission to find whoever is awaiting her in Paris. At the same time, news breaks that the princess Anastasia is still alive, and her grandmother is offering a reward for her return to Paris. Dimitri and Vlad are con men looking to make a quick buck by returning an Anastasia look-alike, when they happen upon Anya. Dimitri rationalizes that she bears a striking resemblance to the Romanovs, and with no background of her own, who’s to say she’s not actually the long lost princess?

Either way, the men will get their cash and Anya will get a family. So, the three have their plan, which is nearly thwarted on multiple occasions by Rasputin, realizing that his mission to destroy the Romanovs is not finished. On their mission to Paris, Anya and Dimitri fall in love, and in my opinion, their romance was very well written. In the end, it is revealed that Anya remembers being helped out of the palace by the kitchen boy, and that the kitchen boy was actually Dimitri. Anya then proves that she is the long lost princess to her grandmother by showing the music box she found in Dimitri’s possession, and the key that she’s had in her possession since forever. Anya, now claiming her place as Anastasia, leaves her grandmother in Paris to honeymoon with Dimitri. Anastasia finally had the love she longed for all her life.

As hinted at previously, Anastasia is a musical. The songs were surprisingly catchy, and I found myself humming along during several scenes. The main song of this movie is Once Upon a December, a delicate and somewhat haunting tune shared between Anastasia and her grandmother. The song is a lullaby that Anastasia’s grandmother sings to her, and it is the song that Anastasia’s music box plays. The lyrics of Once Upon a December carry a lot of foreshadowing for the plot. The vagueness of the “someone” that Anastasia sings about is surely a symbol of the amnesia she suffered from over her past. She also sings about figures that dance across her memory, perhaps referencing her family, or even Dimitri. One verse that is particularly meaningful is: “Far away, long ago / Glowing dim as an ember / Things my heart used to know / Things it yearns to remember”. This verse is once again referencing how she struggled to remember her past, and the love that she felt as part of a family. As meaningful as Once Upon a December is, it’s probably the only song on the soundtrack that is as deep as it is. The rest of the songs are simpler, but still very fun.

The character development in Anastasia is nothing to be scoffed at, either. At the beginning of the movie, Anya is a lost, confused young woman. She feels as though she has no place where she belongs, no person that will love her. By the end of the film, she not only has a family and an answer to the question of her identity, but a lover as well. However, it is Dimitri’s development that sticks with me most. He begins the movie as a cocky, lying, but somehow still likable, young man. Through the course of the film, he falls in love with Anya, and realizes that he cares more about getting Anya’s love that the cash reward of returning her. Once he realizes Anya is really Anastasia, he knows that once she is with her grandmother he may never see her again. He also believes that she would never love a poor man such as himself, not realizing that she loves him back. Their love affair ends with Dimitri a changed man, proved by his rejection of the cash reward for returning Anastasia. Instead, what he wants is Anastasia’s love, and he gets it.

All in all, Anastasia has a beautiful message. The story tells that love, romantic or familial, has the power to bring comfort and stability to one’s life. Before finding Dimitri and her grandmother, Anastasia is a lost soul in the cold land of Russia; by the end, she is found and comforted by the love of her grandmother and Dimitri. Before finding Anastasia, Dimitri is a felon living on the streets of St. Petersburg, with not a care for anyone but himself; by the end, he has found a deep sense of caring for Anastasia, and his love brings back a part of his heart that he was looking to fill with money. Overall, Anastasia is a lovely film, and I am very happy that I made the decision to watch it.

Chase Down A Great Story With “Balto”!

Hello movie fans!

Many of us have memories of the movies we used to watch when we were young. I remember fondly afternoons filled with Finding Nemo and Aladdin on repeat, much to the chagrin of my parents. I also remember the days I spent inside school, watching movies on a rainy day or during a lucky class party. One of the movies that we watched most often was Balto, the true story of a dog sled team that carried medicine to the small town of Nome, Alaska that was in dire need of it. The movie warmed the hearts of the teachers more than those of us kids, but now that I’m older and writing this blog, I was fully able to appreciate this film for what it is. So, without further ado, let’s dig into it. (Also, there WILL be spoilers!)

The animation and music of Balto unite harmoniously to create this film. The art is gorgeous in both character design and scenery. The music, too, is wonderfully orchestrated to add feelings of tension and relief, and joy and sadness that carry the story. One scene that demonstrates the unique harmony of music and animation is the scene where Balto and his gang fight a bear in the wilderness of Alaska. The swells in the music add tension to the already exhilarating scene.

Balto’s story is one very common in the tales of old. It emphasizes personal strength and beating the odds for the greater good, and is a very impactful story. Balto starts with the setup of a framing device, like the one discussed in The Book of Life. In the frame story, an elderly woman is walking through New York, looking for a memorial to Balto to show her granddaughter. The grandmother ends up telling the story to her granddaughter on a park bench. The story begins with Balto, a stray dog who is half wolf, and thus considered a dangerous outcast in his home city of Nome, Alaska. Balto wants to be able to run in the annual sled races held in the city, but can’t because of his lack of pedigree. He’s also always looking for a way to flirt with his crush, Jenna, the dog of a little girl named Rosy.

Jenna is also being pursued by Steele, the best sled dog in Nome who is very prideful and prejudiced against Balto. One day, Rosy falls ill with diphtheria, along with many other children. There is, however, no medicine in the city to treat the young ones.

Due to heavy storms, the medicine can’t be transported by sea or air, and by land the medicine can only be delivered to the city of Nenana, which is nearly 700 miles away from Nome. So, a sled dog team is assembled that will take the medicine from a train in Nenana back to Nome. Steele leads the team, but he mainly cares about how it will better his own image, and doesn’t care about the dying children he is helping. Soon after leaving Nenana with the medicine, Steele and his team get lost in a blizzard, and Steele is too prideful to listen to his team when they tell him to stop running them in circles. They end up falling down a steep icy slope, and the driver of the sled hurts himself. When word comes that the team is off their course, Balto goes out to help the team come home. He finds them by sniffing out Steele’s scent, and marks his trail so he can lead them back. However, when Balto does find them, Steele is still too proud and prejudiced against Balto to allow him to help. The tense fight that follows ends with Steele falling off a cliff, but not being injured, and Balto gaining the support of the team to lead them home. Steele does, however, get ahead of the sled team and recreates Balto’s path markings in different directions to get them lost. In the end, Balto follows his instincts and successfully brings the medicine to Nome, just in the nick of time.

Balto is revered as a hero by everyone, and ends up winning Jenny’s heart. Steele, however, was spreading lies that the rest of the team had died in the blizzard due to Balto losing control of his wolf instincts, and he ends up losing all of his dog admirers due to his lies. In concluding the frame story, it is revealed that the elderly woman is in fact the young Rosy from the story.

A majority of the perils faced by Balto and the dog sled team were most likely added for drama. For instance, when Balto is going out to find the lost sled team, he encounters and ends up fighting a bear. Once leading the sled team, Balto ends up falling off a cliff with the medicine, which remains unscathed, and the team then has to escape an avalanche. After taking shelter in an icy cave, they have to run from icicles that begin falling from the ceiling. In the real story of Balto, he and the team mainly have to overcome a large blizzard. Another part in the movie that was fictionalized was the tensions between Balto and Steele due to Balto’s mixed breed.

The real Balto was a purebred Siberian husky, and led the dog sled team from the start of the journey. There were also multiple sled teams that relayed the medicine from Nenana to Nome, not a single team. Overall, it’s not hard to say that a majority of the film is fictionalized for the viewing pleasure of young children, but it still makes for an entertaining story. If you wish to learn more about the true story of Balto, there are several sites you can visit, including this one.

Balto is an extraordinary story about a sled dog team that beats all odds in a harrowing journey to save the lives of a group of children in Nome, Alaska. While the animated feature is a largely fictional tale, there is truth in the message that it sends. The story of Balto says that it is important not to let one’s prejudice against a person prevent you from seeing their true talent. In the film, Steele is very much biased against Balto because of him being half-wolf. However, Balto proves to be more capable of taking the medicine from Nenana to Nome than Steele. It is this flaw in Steele’s judgement, his prejudice against Balto, that leads to his downfall. This story is an excellent example of how hubris can affect a character. But I digress. Balto is a beautiful film, and one that is sure to energize the home and warm the heart during the holiday season.

Find Your Family and Watch “Kubo and the Two Strings”!

Hello movie fans!

The holiday season is a time for celebrating family. Whether it is the people that raised you, or one that you find all on your own, most everybody has people that care about them and that they can call family. Today’s movie deals with many of the themes connected to the idea of family: love, loss, life, and legacy. I will be reviewing the movie Kubo and the Two Strings, and unfolding the secrets within it. So, if you must blink, do it now. (Also, there WILL be spoilers!)

Of course, I have to start by saying that the animation in this movie is truly spectacular. This is another example of a stop-motion animated film, and also relies a bit on CGI. The two styles of animation work together to craft some truly beautiful shots. One scene that sticks out in my mind as being especially gorgeous is when Kubo has a dream that he meets with a blind old man, later revealed to be his grandfather, who shows him the supposed location of the final piece of armor that Kubo and his companions are looking for. The CGI, combined with the lighting, music, and gentle, flowing stop-motion of the characters, creates a serene and stunning scene.

The music of Kubo and the Two Strings draws a lot from traditional Japanese music. Instruments like the shamisen are the main feature, and the music is composed outstandingly in way that draws in the viewers. One scene where the music is a forefront is when Kubo is telling a story to the people in his village. The music that Kubo plays with his shamisen blends with the music in the background to draw in the audience like Kubo draws in the village people.

Kubo is a young boy with magical abilities- by playing his shamisen, Kubo can hold power of paper and create origami figures. He uses his origami magic to tell stories in his village, regularly telling the story of the great hero Hanzo, who is based on Kubo’s own dead father.

His stories always go unfinished for one particular reason- he tells the stories as he hears them from his mother, and her memory always fails her before she can finish. Along with telling stories, Kubo spends his days caring for his mother, who has never been the same since she had to run from the Moon King, Kubo’s grandfather, and her sisters. The three villains took Kubo’s eye, and are always on the hunt for the other. Kubo is never to stay out after dark, or his aunts will find him. One day, Kubo does stay out after dark during a festival, and his aunts do find him. Kubo’s mother uses her magic to send Kubo away from the danger, and bring to life a monkey totem that Kubo carried for protection. As Kubo is flying away, he grabs a strand of his mother’s hair. The young boy now has a mission: with the help of Monkey, he is to find the magic suit of armor that he told about in his stories. It consists of the Sword Unbreakable, the Breastplate Impenetrable, and the Helmet Invulnerable. They also receive help retrieving the items from a samurai companion of Hanzo’s, who was cursed to take the form of a beetle and forget everything of his past. He is accurately named Beetle. When Kubo acquires all three pieces of armor, he will be able to fight the Moon King once and for all.

Many questions arise during the course of the film, and the story does a good job of hiding the answers until the end, making for a very satisfying climax. For instance, Monkey and Beetle’s true identities are kept secret until the very end; Monkey is actually Kubo’s mother, and Beetle is his father. Hanzo was cursed to remain in the form of a beetle after Kubo’s mother fell in love with him instead of killing him. The reason why the Moon King wants Kubo’s eye is also not revealed until the final battle between Kubo and his grandfather. He turns into a horrifying centipede-like monster for Kubo to fight, making for an even more intense fight scene. The Moon King wants Kubo to be able to rule with him, and in order for that to happen, Kubo must be blind. Not just in a literal sense, though; Kubo must become blind to human emotion, completely cold and cruel. Kubo responds to this by proving that memories are the most powerful magic, and if you have your memories, you cannot forget what it is like to be human. He proves this by repairing his shamisen, which had broken its strings in earlier battles, with his mother’s hair, his father’s bow string, and a piece of his own hair. With the connected memories of each family member, Kubo plays his shamisen with such force and magic that the Moon King is reduced to a normal man, defeated by the young boy. Only with the love of his family could Kubo defeat the Moon King who, despite also being family, felt no love.

Another recurring theme of Kubo and the Two Strings is that of one’s legacy that remains after they die. The festival that originally kept Kubo out after dark was one where people celebrated their ancestor’ memories; Kubo was trying to communicate with his father. During a battle between Monkey and one of her sisters, Monkey is wounded, and she begins to question how she will remain in Kubo’s memories when she is gone. Beetle quells her worries with the fact that her memory will remain forever with Kubo. When he tells his stories, the stories of his past, of his family, her memory will be with those words, and she will be forever shared and remembered by others.

Kubo and the Two Strings is an absolutely beautiful film, in both art style and story. It’s main message is one of familial love, and unlike other movies reviewed on my blog, it doesn’t have a concrete statement to describe it. The story of Kubo and the Two Strings is less about the words it takes to describe it, and relies more on the emotional appeal of the story, and the memories that it creates in your mind and the memories that the film reminds you of. For instance, one part that always reminds me how beautiful this film is is when Kubo unknowingly shares a meal with his parents, something he had never done before. The love that this scene radiates always takes me back to the meals that I share with my family, and that emotional appeal truly cements the film in my mind. The vague complexity of this movie may not be fully comprehended by young viewers (it took me more than one watch to really get this one) but for those with the mind to appreciate an incredibly well crafted story, Kubo and the Two Strings is the definition of a family film.

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” is… Fantastic!

Hello movie fans!

This week’s movie is another favorite of my family. Today I’ll be reviewing Fantastic Mr. Fox, which my parents love, but I didn’t really remember all that well before writing this review. However, I do remember loving the book by Roald Dahl that inspired this film. After watching it again, I realized that Fantastic Mr. Fox is a lovely film that I’m very excited to share with you.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is another example of a stop-motion animated film. This one, however, is different from the others, all because of the director. Wes Anderson is a well-renowned American director, and each of his movies has a very distinctive style unique to Anderson. It relies heavily on symmetrical shots and knolling in the compositions. Knolling is the arrangement of objects in parallel to each other or at 90-degree angles. Anderson’s style also uses a strong color pallet; in the case of Fantastic Mr. Fox, warm colors like orange, yellow, and brown create a fall mood that is perfect for this time of year. Overall, Wes Anderson’s style makes Fantastic Mr. Fox a beautifully arranged and aesthetically pleasing film.

Wes Anderson’s style of direction also affects the movie’s soundtrack. 70’s and 80’s pop music is a staple in most of his films, and often the soundtrack revolves around a specific band. In Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Beach Boys make up a lot of the songs used. Instrumental background music also draws inspiration from vintage pop songs and is heavily dependent upon stringed instruments, especially guitar. This choice in music creates a very specific vintage aesthetic that is supported by the movie’s visual style and animation.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is based on a book of the same name by children’s book author Roald Dahl. Both stories hold the same plot and entail similar details that make for a great story. It begins as such: Mr. Fox used to steal birds for a living, but now that he and his wife had a child, he has promised to move on to a safer career as a newspaper journalist. However, he still longs for that extra “je ne sais quoi” that came from being a robber. One day, Mr. Fox makes the decision to move his family from the underground burrow that they lived in to a tree, right by the properties of the farmers Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. After getting settled, Mr. Fox returns to his ways as a robber and steals from the three farmers: chickens from Boggis, ducks and geese from Bunce, and apple cider from Bean. Enraged, the farmers unite and decide to kill Mr. Fox. They first try to shoot him, but only manage to shoot off his tail. Then, they try to dig him out from under the tree he and his family inhabit. Forced to dig deeper underground, and with the farmers following him, Mr. Fox realizes how big of a mistake it was for him to have stolen from the farms. The rest of the animals are in danger because of him, and now that his nephew has been kidnapped by the farmers, it is up to Mr. Fox and his wild instincts to fix the mess he has put himself and others into.

The characters of Fantastic Mr. Fox each have different dynamics between each other, and the resolutions of problems leads to some wonderful character development. The main dynamics I’ll be describing today are between Mr. Fox and his son, Ash, and Ash and his cousin, Kristofferson. Ash is, well, different, as the movie puts it. He wants to be seen as equal to everyone around him, especially his dad. He’s a son looking for affection, despite being socially awkward, and by the end of the film, he and his father see a mutual appreciation for each other.

At the beginning of the film, Ash is hostile and bitter towards his cousin, Kristofferson, after he comes to stay with the Foxes when his father falls ill with double pneumonia. Ash is upset by the fact that Kristofferson seems to be better than him at everything. He’s even getting more attention from Mr. Fox than Ash. Ash takes out a lot of emotions on Kristofferson, but Kristofferson being the nice kid he is doesn’t fire back as cruelly. In the end, Ash apologizes for his rudeness after Kristofferson is kidnapped by the farmers after Mr. Fox. The relationships between the characters of Fantastic Mr. Fox are realistic and amazing to watch.

In the end, Fantastic Mr. Fox is about how human nature can lead to both good and bad. On one hand, Mr. Fox’s inclination towards stealing birds began the plot’s conflict. On the other hand, it was Mr. Fox’s natural instincts that saved him and his friends. Like Mr. Fox, people aren’t perfect, and constantly going by one’s gut can lead to accidents, or happy times. It is important for one to think with their head as much as their heart, as logic and emotion are both valuable in making decisions in one’s life.

See a Movie of Heroic Proportions with “Hercules”!

Hello movie fans!

With the holidays coming near, everyone likes to remember the movies that they watch annually with their family. For me, the season wouldn’t be complete without my grandma putting on The Holiday or an old black-and-white Christmas movie. Of course, my family also has a collection of animated movies that we watch often. My mom’s favorite is Hercules, and that is the movie that I’ll be reviewing today. Disney’s take on the classic Greek myth combined elements new and old to create an entirely new movie full of laughs and fun. And like every animated movie, it contains a message important to the children of today. So, strap yourself in, because this review of Hercules is going to take you for a spin! (Also, there WILL be spoilers!)

Hercules’ art style has a bright color palette and exaggerated character designs that are a match made in heaven for kids’ movies. The bright colors, like those in the Muses’ musical interludes, keep the audience’s attention on the screen. The character design, on the other hand, provides all sorts of fun shapes that increase interest in the movie. The character design also accentuates important features of each character. Hercules, for example, has a massive, strong upper body and overall muscular build important for a heroic character such as he. Before he becomes a hero, though, Hercules is a gangly teenager with knobby knees and hands and feet too big for his body.

These awkward proportions add to the awkwardness in his character, and highlight the fact that he is unpopular amongst the people in his village because of his strength. Overall, the animation is great and what is to be expected of a Disney movie.

The music, too, meets the expectations of a good ol’ fashioned Disney musical. However, there’s a lot of uniqueness in this soundtrack as well. For instance, there is no villain song- that is, a song where the antagonist describes their desires for committing their evil deeds. Think “Be Prepared” in The Lion King or “Hellfire” in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. While there is no villain song, Hercules does deliver two other movie-musical backbones: an ambition song, and a love song. In and ambition song, the protagonist sings about their big goals that are probably going to be met in the next 90 minutes of film. In Hercules, the ambition song is “Go The Distance”, and sung by a young Hercules who is desperate for a place where he will fit in and be accepted and loved by everyone there. The love song is simple: it’s a song performed by the romantic lead about their love for the protagonist, or vice versa. Sometimes it’s even a duet, like “A Whole New World” in Aladdin. Hercules’ love song is “I Won’t Say I’m In Love”, performed by Meg as she tries to deny her romantic feelings for Hercules. Another unique element of the soundtrack is the music genre. Hercules is a movie that was created during the Disney Renaissance, when the company wasn’t doing well in sales and wanted to begin telling more classic fairytale-like stories. Thus, many of their movie musicals had a very showtune-esque vibe that added to the iconic feel of the movies. While some songs still carry that showtune feel, the soundtrack of Hercules also has a church gospel element to it. This is very apparent in the songs sang by the Muses, the goddesses of the arts and music in Greek mythology, and the backup singers of Hercules. In the song “Zero to Hero” and finale song “A Star Is Born”, the gospel vibe is very strong, and the music makes you want to get up and dance. While the choice of having a gospel may have been a bit odd in a movie about ancient Greece, it served its purpose of making the movie fun.

The storyline of Hercules is simple, and sounds a lot like a Greek myth that it was inspired by. It begins when the king of the gods, Zeus, and his wife Hera have a child, Hercules. Zeus’ brother and god of the underworld, Hades, has a plan to take over his brother’s power, but learns from the Fates that Hercules grows up, he will prevent that from happening. In an attempt to cheat fate, Hades gets his henchmen to kidnap the child, turn him mortal with a magic potion, and kill him. Hercules doesn’t finish the potion, so while he does turn mortal, he still maintains the strength of a god. As a baby, he is found and cared for by a farmer couple in Greece. As he grows, he is seen as a freak because of his strength, and wants nothing more than a place where he can fit in, and he’ll do anything to get there. When Hercules learns that he is Zeus’ son, he also learns that he can once again become a god and be where he belongs by being a true hero. Hercules is trained in heroism by the satyr Philoctetes, or Phil. At about the same time Hercules finished his training, Hades learns that he’s still alive, and that his quest for power will not go unchallenged. Hades begins sending monsters after Hercules to try to kill him, but Hercules only becomes stronger, and more famous. In basking in his fame, Hercules forgets the meaning of what a true hero is, and mainly works to acquire more fame and fortune. He also falls in love with Megara, or Meg, a young woman who sold her soul to Hades in order to save her boyfriend that in the end left her. Now, she is caught working for Hades, and even more struggle erupts when Meg falls in love with Hercules as well.

Hades takes advantage of their love and tries once more to get Hercules down for the count so he can take over Zeus’ throne, but it doesn’t work. In the end, Hades is defeated and Hercules becomes a true hero by risking his life for Meg. He is offered the chance to ascend to godhood, but turns it down in order to be with Meg, and everyone lives happy ever after.

Well, happy ever afters don’t exist in Greek tragedies. The mythical story of Hercules differs greatly from the Disney movie, and in fact, Hercules isn’t even the hero’s real name. The hero in Greek mythology is called Heracles; Hercules is his Roman counterpart. In the traditional Greek myth, Heracles is the demigod son of Zeus and the mortal woman Alcmene. Hera, upset at Zeus’ infidelity, attempts to kill Heracles as an infant. He survives, but later on as an adult, Hera puts Heracles under a spell that forces him to kill his wife, Megara, and their kids. After he regains himself, Heracles asks the god Apollo what he could do to rid himself of this crime, and Apollo answers by telling him to complete twelve heroic trials for the king Eurystheus of Mycenae. If he completed the trials, Apollo said, he would become a god when he died. Heracles completes the trials, and as promised, he ascends to godhood after death. Of course, Hercules is a children’s movie, so it’s not expected that the Disney adaptation would include the part where he kills his wife and children. In removing that part of the story, another major plot point is lost: the reason why Hercules has to do so many heroic acts. In the Disney movie, it’s to become a true hero and become a god so he can be in a place that will accept him. In the myth, it’s to wash away his past crimes with the added bonus of being a god after he dies. The initial promise of godhood is one thing that Disney kept from the original myth. A lot of allusions were made to the original story, however they were so minor that it was easy to miss them. The farmer couple that adopted baby Hercules were Alcmene and Amphitryon, Heracles’ mortal mother and her husband in the myth. The very first monster that Hades creates to kill Hercules is a hydra, which is a reference to Heracles’ second labor of killing the Lernean hydra. There is also a part where Phil is describing Hercules’ schedule, and he says that Hercules has to go help Augeus with his stable problem, another reference to Heracles’ fifth labor of cleaning king Augeus’ cattle stables. While there are many differences between myth and movie, there are similarities as well.

As mentioned before, when Hercules begins gaining fame from all his heroic acts, he begins to lose sight of what it means to be a true hero. He relearns what it means when he puts his life on the line to save Meg after she dies. Zeus puts this into words nicely at the end of the movie: “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but the the strength of his heart.” This supports the movie’s main message, which is that being a hero is about more than the material wealth you get from it, it’s about the love for humanity that gets one to do heroic acts. The movie is also about finding a place for yourself; initially, Hercules wants to be with the gods, where he’ll be accepted by his family. In the end, however, he finds a place of belonging in the mortal world with Meg. Hercules promotes selfless actions of heroism, doing good for the sake of being good, and finding a place for yourself with someone, rather that somewhere. These are all important lessons for children to learn, and from a movie such as Hercules, they are sure to remember them.

Come Alive with “The Book of Life”!

Hello movie fans!

As you know, the spookiest holiday of all, Halloween, was celebrated on Tuesday. However, if you are Mexican, like me, you may have also celebrated Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. From October 31 to November 2, it is believed that the spirits of past loved ones are allowed to revisit the land of the living and be reunited with their relatives. This return is highly celebrated in Mexican culture, and Día de los Muertos is one holiday in particular that is filled with happiness, love, and color. This week’s movie is inspired by traditional celebrations of Día de los Muertos, and with so much rich culture to draw from, it is no wonder why this movie is so phenomenal. Today I’ll be reviewing The Book of Life, one of my favorite movies that tells one of my favorite stories. (Also, there WILL be spoilers!)

The art style of The Book of Life is beautiful, and full of vibrant colors and textures. Much of the visual elements are real life symbols of Día de los Muertos. The design of the character La Muerte is a clear example of that. Her design is based off of the sugar skulls that are made in preparation for the holiday, and her dress is adorned with marigolds, the traditional flower of the dead. 

A lot of different aesthetics were used in tje character design, including those of the Aztecs and Spanish conquistadors.

There is also something about the character design that sets The Book of Life apart: the characters in Manolo’s story are designed to look like wooden dolls. They generally have blocky bodies and jointed arms and legs, and textures reminiscent of actual wood. Each character is unique, and retains the beauty of genuine craftsmanship in an animated form. 

The music, too, is beautiful and carries some references to the culture the movie is based in. Latinized covers of Mumford and Sons’ “I Will Wait” and Radiohead’s “Creep” serve as part of the soundtrack, which is filled with original songs. The main character, Manolo, does a lot of singing, considering that music is his passion. His voice is provided by Diego Luna, who can sing with the voice of an angel in my professional opinion. “The Apology Song” supports this beyond shadow of a doubt. With a soft tenderness and conviction, Manolo asks forgiveness from a massive bull that he was meant to fight. The importance of this scene will be explained later on, but the performance of Diego Luna in this song adds an immeasurable amount of emotional pull to an already emotional scene. 

As I mentioned before, the story that The Book of Life tells is one of my favorites. The story starts with a group of kids going to the museum on a field trip, and a kind-hearted tour guide shows them a special section of the museum, where she begins telling them the story of Manolo and his friends. This is how the framing device that is used throughout the movie is set up. In examples of successful uses of this classic storytelling device, well, this one is right up there with The Princess Bride. 

The plotline, too, is very well executed. The Book of Life tells the story of a trio of friends: Manolo Sanchez, María Posada, and Joaquin Mondragon. The fate of the world is placed on their shoulders when the two rulers of the underworld, La Muerte and Xibalba, place bets on which boy will end up marrying María. If La Muerte wins and Manolo marries her, Xibalba must not interfere with the lives of people in the Land of the Living. If Xibalba wins and Joaquin marries her, Xibalba will rule over the cheerful Land of the Remembered and La Muerte will rule over the dreary Land of the Forgotten. Xibalba cheats by giving Joaquin a medal that prevents him from being hurt or killed, and is also coveted by the evil Chakal, leader of the banditos. The years pass, and while María is studying at a convent in Spain, Joaquin trains to become a star general in order to follow in his father’s footsteps, and Manolo is forced to follow in his father’s footsteps as a bullfighter, when his real passion lies in being a musician. Upon her return, María falls for Manolo, but María’s father wants her to marry Joaquin in order to keep him in their town and have him protect them from Chakal. Manolo proposes anyway, but Xibalba once again cheats by sending a snake to bite María. Everyone believes she is dead, but she has only fainted. In order to see his love again, Manolo dies for real and is sent to the Land of the Remembered. With Manolo dead, María ends up marrying Joaquin and Xibalba wins the bet, even though he cheated. Now, it is up to Manolo to find La Muerte in the Land of the Forgotten where she now resides so he can return again to the Land of the Living and be with his love. There is a lot of complexity to this plot, but it is executed so well that is adds depth to the story that the viewer can appreciate, and does not create a wild storyline that only brings confusion. The ability to have such complex story and not allow it to devolve into a weird mess takes an incredibly dedicated writer, which is another part of what makes The Book of Life so spectacular.

Like the story, the characters of The Book of Life have an immense depth and realness to them, and each carries an individual message that is important to teach the children of today. Joaquin Mondragon is an egotistical macho man, who strives to be a hero mainly to make himself look better. By the end of the film, some extreme character growth takes place. Banditos are attacking San Angel for the medal Joaquin wears for protection. As Manolo is about to sacrifice himself to kill Chakal, Joaquin slips the medal onto him, and without it, Joaquin loses an eye, but Manolo survives. In the end, Joaquin learns that a true hero is selfless and helps others in order to make the world happier.

María Posada is a bright young woman, who is fierce and determined in her ways. Her message is simple: women are not objects or a prize to be won; they are people, and should be respected as such. There is one moment in particular where María stands up to Joaquin after he says she would “make a good wife” and that he mainly sees women as prospective wives. It is a strong scene that defines María’s character and makes sure this message is set in stone. 

Manolo Sanchez is a young man with a passion for singing and music, and dreams of being a musician. However, he comes from a huge family of bullfighters, and his father wants him to become a bullfighter as well. Manolo doesn’t want to disappoint his father, but he knows that he can never be a real bullfighter because he cannot kill a bull, and it’s not his dream to be a world famous bullfighter- it’s his father’s. His father knows his son’s real passion is music, but he disregards that in favor of making Manolo into a proper Sanchez, of making Manolo into the man that he wants to see, not the man that he is. In the end, both men learn to accept that Manolo isn’t going to live to the expectations placed on him- he’s going to to his own way. This is where the importance of “The Apology Song” and the scene it is sung in comes into play. In this scene, Xibalba conjures up Manolo’s worst fear for him to fight, and in winning, Manolo is allowed to return to the Land of the Living. Thus, he resurrects all the bulls ever killed by the Sanchez family bullfighters. The bulls combine into one massive bull, and this is when Manolo realizes that he cannot fight it physically, and that he must defeat the bull his own way- through song. So in singing “The Apology Song”, Manolo is not just asking forgiveness for all the killing that his family has committed, he’s asking for forgiveness from his father because he cannot fight bulls like his father wants him to. We learn that Manolo’s greatest fear was accepting himself, and in asking for forgiveness for not being able to meet expectations, he is allowed to follow his own path and accept that fact about himself. Manolo’s message is more complicated that those of his companions- it is that it’s good to separate yourself from impossible expectations, if what is expected of you is not part of a life that will make you happy. 

Along with the messages that each character provides, The Book of Life also carries a message that includes all of the others. It’s simple, and contrasts nicely with the complicated depth of the film. It’s the idea that love comes in many different forms. There’s romantic love, like that between Manolo and María, familial love like that between Manolo and his family, and even the love between friends that exists with our main trio. But there are also more complicated types of love, like the love of humanity that drives people like Joaquin to be heroes. There’s also self-love that comes from self-respect like that of Marían, and self-love that stems from self-acceptance like that of Manolo. Overall, The Book of Life is a movie about all kinds of love, and watching it is an absolutely wonderful way to enjoy a bit of Día de los Muertos.

Long For Something New? Watch “The Nightmare Before Christmas”!

Hello movie fans!
With October coming to an end, I’ve decided to review today one of the most popular Halloween movies by far… or maybe it’s a Christmas movie. That’s right, today I’ll be talking about The Nightmare Before Christmas, one of my all-time favorite movies. It combines all of my favorite aspects of a film: outstanding music, creative character design and beautiful animation, and an outstanding plot and crew of characters. All that, plus it’s inspiring message, makes The Nightmare Before Christmas a truly incredible film. (Warning, there WILL be spoilers!)

I’ve mentioned the art of stop-motion animation before, in my review of the movie Coraline. Stop-motion animation is the animation style in which puppet-like figures are set up and photographed in different positions that, when put together, create the illution that the figure is moving. The process of stop-motion animation is time consuming, but films created this way are often detailed to perfection by their caring creators. These creators usually have specific visions of how they want their  film to come out. In talking about the artistic vision of The Nightmare Before Christmas, it is an absolute sin to not mention Tim Burton. Tim Burton is one of the most inspiring and creative film directors. All of his movies have an iconic feel about them that combines gothic aesthetics and worlds of pure imagination. While he wasn’t the director of this particular film, in fact he was the producer, Burton’s artistry is still an essential component of the film. This is most prevalent in the movie’s art style. The use of extremes character design is something that can rarely be pulled off without being silly, but The Nightmare Before Christmas does so spectacularly. It adds a layer of surrealness that draws viewers deeper into the fantasy from Tim Burton’s imagination. Jack Skellington’s height and thinness, Oogie Boogie’s large, menacing figure, and the varying statures of other background characters all complement each other beautifully in creating the warped world of Halloween Town.

The music, too, is iconic in the way that it just sounds like a Disney soundtrack. This is thanks to the genius of Danny Elfman, who wrote the music for The Nightmare Before Christmas and has been creating music for more than 40 years. The music also has a tone of mystical wonder and joy that fits the imaginative ideas that went into its creation. The joyous warmth of the music can be heard especially well in What’s This, a song sang by Jack Skellington as he explores the new world of Christmas Town. In this song especially, the feeling of utter excitement of finding something new must be heard and felt through the music. Overall, the soundtrack of The Nightmare Before Christmas is strong indeed, and has earned all the recognition that it receives.

Like the soundtrack, the characters of The Nightmare Before Christmas are strong as well. Jack Skellington is the main character; he is a skeleton who desperately wishes for something new and different from his ordinary life. Sally is another important character; a ragdoll brought to life by one Dr. Finkelstein, she longs to be able to live her life free from the strict restraints Dr. Finkelstein puts on her. Both characters wish to have more in their lives, but how they want to have that depth added is different. Sally secretly has feelings for Jack, and she wishes to have those feelings realized into a relationship. Jack, on the other hand, goes an entirely different route. 

After a long, thoughtful walk in the woods, Jack finds himself in a clearing, with doors that lead to the worlds of various holidays; a jack o’ lantern door for the Jack’s homeworld of Halloween Town, an easter egg door for the world of Easter, and a door shaped like a Christmas tree that leads to Christmas Town to name a few. 

Jack explores Christmas Town and falls in love with the feelings of warmth and happiness that prevail throughout. He also has feelings of excitement and being alive, which spurs him into wanting to recreate Christmas in Halloween Town. Sally warns Jack that his venture into Christmas culture will result in failure, but he follows the philosophy that making something so happy couldn’t possibly be bad. In his work, Jack even goes as far as kidnapping Santa Claus and delivering presents in the real world himself. In the end, Sally’s predictions prove true, and Jack Skellington’s new version of Christmas fails.   While he was gone, however, both Santa Claus and Sally were kidnapped by the evil Oogie Boogie and almost eaten by him, until Jack saves the day. And, of course, Jack and Sally learn that they truly were meant to be. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas tells a compelling story of someone who longs for a change to their everyday life, but doesn’t know exactly what they want to change. Jack Skellington believes that remaking Christmas will fulfill what he is missing, despite the warnings of Sally that Santa Claus isn’t who he was meant to be- he’s the Pumpkin King, for heaven’s sake! When Jack realizes this for himself, it is almost to late, and he nearly misses what he really needed- Sally. Her wisdom complements Jack’s eagerness for his passions and allows him to think if his actions are really for the greater good. Likewise, Sally is somewhat quiet and inexperienced in the world, however she is eager to get out there herself. Jack’s extroverted nature and general happiness in the world is complementary to Sally’s demeanor as well.   It’s true that the two of them belong together. 

The main message of The Nightmare Before Christmas is something that’s sometimes overlooked in society: when you’re looking to change something in your life, don’t go overboard or make big changes too fast. Taking small steps to better yourself and your life are important, and those small steps will lead to bigger changes with even bigger outcomes. In a world where entire industries are based around helping people get to big changes fast, it’s important to realize that fast, large changes can lead to dangerous situations that put yourself and others in danger. The Christmas that Jack Skellington put together was frightening and not at all right, which was a consequence of the huge change he went through in such a short amount of time. The key to making a better life is one that can be found with small yet consistent changes, and sometimes, like with Jack and Sally, it can be right in front of you.

“Igor” is Sure to Tickle Your Funny Bone!

Hello movie fans!

If you follow my posts regularly, you know I usually post on Fridays. Well, I had a long week this week, so sorry this post is a day late. No matter, because this week’s movie is a definite relic from my childhood that I’m so happy to share with you! Today I’ll be talking about the movie Igor, which tells the story of a hunchback worker for an evil scientist by the name of Igor who wants to become an evil scientist himself. Full of comedy and memorable characters, this movie is perfect for anyone who wants a good laugh instead of a terrible fright this Halloween.

While Igor’s CGI animation is about average, it’s character design is a bit above that. The use of exaggerated features, like Eva’s large body and one dainty arm, or the huge shoulder pads on all of Dr. Schaudenfreud’s outfits, add to the cartoonish and comedic elements of the film. Another part that adds to this movie’s comedic element is the music. With a strange choice of Frank Sinatra songs and other swing singers, the music doesn’t set much of an intense mood, but rather one of enjoyment. Of course, the score does its job to provide background music that sets the mood for the scenes that aren’t so happy, but the swing music is much more prominent.

The main protagonists of Igor are fun characters that are easily memorable.

First is Igor, the henchman to the evil scientist Dr. Glickenstein. Igor was raised to be such a servant, but his real motivation is to be an evil scientist and make his own creations. His wish to become a great evil scientist leads him to have to deceive his greatest creation yet- a Frankenstein’s monster-esque woman named Eva. 

When she was created, she didn’t become evil; she was in fact too nice to hurt a fly. When an attempt to brainwash her into being an evil monster instead turns her into an aspiring actress (who still cannot carry out any evil acts), Igor thinks up a plan to trick her into entering the Evil Science Fair and winning first place. Igor is helped by two of his earlier creations, Scamper and Brain. 

Scamper is an immortal, talking rabbit who is the master of sarcastic, suicidal humor. Brain is just that- a brain in a jar with a robot body. These characters balance each other out nicely, and fit perfectly into the inventive and funny world of Igor. 

One aspect that I feel is rather well done this movie is worldbuilding. In movies that take place in a fantasy world, like the country of Malaria Igor is set in, building a world that is fantastical enough to work the viewer’s imagination yet realistic enough to not seem flat-out silly is crucial. I think Igor pulls this off well. Once a poor, farming-based nation, Malaria faced a major environmental occurrence: the once sunny countryside was now fully enveloped by a menacing cloud cover. Now that they could not farm, the future looked grim for the country, until King Malbert came up with a plan that would put Malaria’s economy back on track. King Malbert told the people that creating evil inventions would be the only way to succeed, and by threatening to unleash the inventions on the planet and getting countries to pay them not to, Malaria would once again by prosperous. From this economic plan that came down to blackmailing the countries of the world with total destruction rose the power of evil scientists, who worked hard to invent monstrous creations and show them off at the annual Evil Science Fair. The winners of the Evil Science Fair prosper in fame and fortune. This is world of Igor, and with its incredibly creative nature, it holds a lot of promise, as does its plot. 

The plot of Igor is rather promising and makes for an interesting twist on the classic story of Frankenstein. Igor is the hunchback worker of Dr. Glickenstein, and he wishes for nothing more than to be an evil scientist himself. When Dr. Glickenstein dies at the hand of his own invention, Igor plans to take his place at the Evil Science Fair, which is only a week away, and unveil his first successful creation. Igor plans to create life: a monster that could level cities and win him first place at the Fair. However, there are many hurdles Igor has to overcome. First, there is the fact that the monster Igor creates isn’t evil at all, and when he attempts to brainwash her into being evil, she accidentally gets brainwashed into becoming an actress instead. He still plans to compete in the science fair, and he does this by telling her that it is an audition for the musical Annie. 

Then there’s Dr. Schadenfreud, a sham scientist who always manages to win first place at the Evil Science Fair by stealing the best invention for himself. This year, he has it out for Igor’s monster. Dr. Schadenfreud also desperately wants to gain enough power to take the throne from King Malbert and become the ruler of Malaria. 

There is also King Malbert himself, who created the cloud cover that ruined the farming economy of Malaria. Since then, King Malbert has been using the blackmailing scheme he came up with to get rich off of the people’s work. When Igor learns this, he makes it his duty to put an end to King Malbert’s reign. 

While the original story that Igor sets up- a henchman nobody who wants to become a somebody, whose invention has a personality that contradicts the original point of its creation- is very unique and promising, it becomes hidden amongst the various other subplots. Dr. Schadenfreud’s desire to become king seems unnecessary when you realize that it distracts from the main plot, and it would’ve been much simpler to have him work to maintain the power that comes with constantly winning the Evil Science Fair. The same with the big reveal that King Malbert created the clouds and has been lying to the people of Malaria: it draws attention away from the main story about Igor and Eva and should’ve been left out entirely. Creative but too overcomplicated surely describes Igor’s storyline. 

It may have seemed lost a bit in the midst of the havoc of Igor’s plot, but there is a main point to this movie. It’s the idea that morality is more important than popularity- that “being a good nobody is better than being an evil somebody.” These words are spoken by Eva when she has a heart to heart conversation with Igor, and they are repeated by Igor when he realizes that being the best evil scientist wasn’t worth manipulating Eva into participating in the Evil Science Fair. In a world where leaders and other important people are corrupt, it’s important to send the message that even with all that power, it is more rewarding to be a good person. Igor sends a great message, and with humor that is entertaining to both parent and child, it is a fine choice for a Halloween adventure.

Hunt For Monsters and Houses with “Monster House”!

Hello movie fans!
This week’s movie can be best described by a quote from the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds. While performing at one of his concerts, he described a portion of his life by saying, “It’s a cliché, but at the same time, it’s not a cliché.” And the movie I’ll be talking about is like that as well. It takes multiple character archetypes as well as a few key plot points that are all too often used in modern storytelling and makes a storyline that would probably come off as being, well, a cliché and cheesy film. Until, at the very end, the plot takes a turn, and thus a whole other story unravels. Today I will be reviewing the movie Monster House, and if you haven’t seen it already, you will want to by the time I’m done. (Also, there WILL be spoilers!)

Monster House was released in 2006, so it is understandable that the animation isn’t going to be as top notch as in today’s movies. The characters move in a stiff, puppet-like manner and overall the film has a very early-2000’s vibe. However, for what it lacks in animation Monster House surely makes up for with cinematography. It may seem odd to complement the cinematography in an animated movie, but hear me out. Many of the shots used in this film were borrowed from live-action horror films, where they are also used to build suspense and create frightening and compelling scenes. Some examples are the close up, which focuses on one important object or character in a shot

and the over-the-shoulder shot, which shows the scene from the character’s perspective, which works to draw the viewer into feeling like they’re experiencing the scene for themselves.

This varied use of shots keeps the audience’s attention on the screen and envelopes people in the plot. It’s also very rare to see this much variety in an animated movie, where actual cameras aren’t even used. It’s impressive to see how much work went into creating this film.

The music, too, does a good job at building suspense and keeping viewers’ attentions. It swells and sinks at appropriate times to keep in time with the movie. To set the tone of the scene, lighter music is used to create a lighter feeling in the viewer, and darker, more ominous music is used to inspire fear. One scene in which this is done particularly well is actually in the opening scene. It swiftly goes from a sweet tune of happiness as the young girl rides her tricycle, to a more sinister note as she crashes and has her tricycle broken and taken away by the cranky Mr. Nebbercracker. The fluidity of the musical transition is accompanied by multiple varied camera angles that work together to create an extremely well-executed hook.

The plot of Monster House seems very simple and clean cut: three kids named DJ, Chowder, and Jenny work together to solve the mystery of Mr. Nebbercracker’s house. Mr. Nebbercracker is a rude old man who always chases children off his lawn and steals their toys that land on his property, and he dies fairly early in the film. It also becomes apparent to the kids that Nebbercracker’s house is not only creepy, it is alive. Of course, no one else believes them and the kids are left to their own devices to try to kill whatever is bringing the house to life. Already, some clichés are apparent: there’s a group of kids trying to solve a mystery, no one believes that something paranormal is going on, and there’s a creepy man who lives in a creepy house. These are all well-used tropes in modern horror movies, however there is one element that makes Monster House more than an amalgamation of various movie tropes, and that is Mr. Nebbercracker’s background. It is revealed in a flashback that Mr. Nebbercracker was deeply devoted to his wife, Constance, and when she died during an accident while their house was being built, neither person was able to move on. Thus, Constance’s spirit possessed the house, and when aggravated by prankster kids, the house became a raging monster. This is much different than the assumed story of everyone who did not know Nebbercracker personally. Everyone assumed that Nebbercracker killed his wife, and constantly chased away kids to prevent them from knowing the truth. By the end of the film, Nebbercracker and his wife learn that they have to move on from each other in order to remove the toxicity from their relationship. Each of the other characters have their own importance to the film, but Mr. Nebbercracker’s story is what really drives the film.

As mentioned before, several classic character archetypes are used in Monster House that by themselves seem cliché, but in unison are used to make a surprisingly new film.

First off is DJ, the main protagonist of the film. He’s curious about what is happening in the house across the street- the house that belongs to Mr. Nebbercracker. Every child that wanders onto his lawn is promptly yelled at, and every toy that lands on his property is confiscated. DJ wants to know why this is. He wants to know what has made Mr. Nebbercracker so bitter and mean, and explore the mystery behind his creepy old house that seems to come alive. This persistence against all odds and slight arrogance puts DJ in the Hero archetype, a common role for protagonists.

Next is Chowder, DJ’s best friend. Chowder is a goofy character, loose in his ways and prepared to help DJ uncover the mystery of Mr. Nebbercracker’s living home, however he wants to do it his own was. He’s also somewhat sensitive and a bit of a scaredy-cat. It’s the childlike humor and originality that Chowder provides that places him in the Jester archetype.

Then, there is Jenny, the newfound friend of DJ and Chowder. After attempting to sell candy at Nebbercracker’s house and learning of the house’s aliveness, she also wants to help uncover the mystery. She’s the voice of reason in the boy’s antics, however she’s not so straight-laced that she won’t go along with a creative and out-there idea. Her wisdom and rational thought process puts her in the Sage archetype, however the element of trickery and cleverness also makes her a Magician.

While the main kids of Monster House are static characters, meaning they don’t have much major on-screen development, Mr. Nebbercracker is a dynamic character, meaning that he has changed somewhat by the end of the film. He starts off as fitting the Villain archetype, meaning he is willing and ready to stop DJ and his friends from figuring out the mysteries of his house. Except, the man dies before his character can really be explored in the movie. Instead, the depth of his character is shown at the end, when Nebbercracker is revealed to be alive. We learn about his past, and also see that the Lover archetype is more suiting for the old man. He’s devoted to his wife throughout her life, and even into the afterlife, as her spirit possesses the home. However, his loyalty comes with the downside that his wife is also fiercely devoted to him, unable to move on to the afterlife, and has a deep-seeded hatred towards children. In an effort to remain loyal to his wife, Mr. Nebbercracker has to be incredibly mean towards the children that come onto his property, which keeps his wife happy and the children safe, but isolates his tremendously. As a person of the Lover archetype, Mr. Nebbercracker wants to be a part of a community, so this isolation isn’t good for him. In the end, he and his wife have to learn to let go. This creates the change in Mr. Nebbercracker’s character; he goes from being a grumpy villain to showing his true colors as a nice old man.

Simple stories like Monster House often have a straightforward storyline. However, with the added twist provided by Nebbercracker’s backstory, this simple story becomes a deeper homage to love, loss, and judgement. We learn that we can’t judge people without knowing their history, as shown by the fact that Mr. Nebbercracker, who seems like he’s a stereotypical mean old man was actually trying to protect his wife and the innocent children who pass by. We also learn that letting go of those that we’ve loved and lost can be extremely beneficial, as shown by the relationship between Nebbercracker and his wife. Overall, Monster House is a great Halloween movie that is both fun to watch and child friendly.