The Pirates! A Band of
Misfits-For those of you who love swashbuckling pirate adventures like
the first Pirates of the Caribbean, but hate horrible films like the
last three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, you may want to switch gears
in favor of the infinitely superior Aardman comedy Pirates! A Band of
Misfits. While it wasn’t exactly one of the highest grossing films of last
year, it was certainly one of the most enjoyable.
The film focuses on the exploits and adventures of the main
character Pirate Captain. Right off the bat this film gets an A+ for accuracy,
since there is no way you are going to see a movie about a guy literally named
Pirate Captain and not know what type of flick it is. The film offers the
voices of countless talented actors such as Brendan Gleeson, Jeremy Piven,
Martin Freeman, Hugh Grant, and my personal man-crush David Tennant.
What makes this film great is the combination of the two
types of comic delivery I discussed in my Arrested Development review last year
(http://www.gump-o-rama.blogspot.com/2012/02/toothpick-tv-arrested-development.html):
gags and setups. While the film makes frequent and excellent use of both visual
and recurring gags (falling gags are kept blissfully minimal), setups are also
used to elicit the higher brow laughs that are usually so hard to find in
family films like this. Where the film really shines however, is the idea of
creating a setup joke that usually pays off with the use of a gag. It’s a hard
trick to pull off in film, but proper use of this device (which Aardman has
mastered with the Wallace and Grommit works) can lead to the highest
forms of comedy, and in this movie they nail it.
This film is a great example of a family film that actually
appeals to the entire family, and I’m happy to report that this is a trend in
Hollywood that has steadily become more frequent. It used to be that a family
film was typically loved by kids while being loathed by adults, but since films
like Shrek, Toy Story, and How to train Your Dragon have
come along it’s good to see that parents don’t have to be resigned to films
like Baby Geniuses just for the kid’s sake.
9 out of 10
Wreck-it Ralph-Video
game movies have had a despicable history in Hollywood to say the least. When
you can say that the best examples of video game films are Max Payne and
Prince of Persia, then you know you have problems with your genre. This
is why as a gamer, I’m happy to report that Wreck-it Ralph is a film
finally made by gamers, for gamers, that everyone can appreciate.
This film perfectly encapsulates the magic of a loaded
arcade, from the diversity of games to the diversity of the players themselves.
A real treat for children of the arcade generation, the movie does a great job
developing characters that feel unique to both a Disney film while letting them
feel like they belong in an arcade from the glory days. One of my favorite
things about this film is the constant references to arcades and games of the
past, something that the studio had to pay a great deal for. Everything from
appearances by characters such as Ryu, Bowser, and Q-Bert, to a tiny gag from
the Metal Gear Solid franchise, the references were great to see in the film
because they are quick and simple, and not just overused pop-culture referenced
easy jokes that are so prevalent in Seth McFarlane works. I also loved the
subtle reference to Walter Day from Twin Galaxies, and fans of King of Kong
will get a kick out of his “appearance” in the film.
One thing I wish they had explored more in this film was the
idea of jumping from game to game. I loved seeing the fully flushed out and
beautiful worlds of the games in this film, complete with real characters and
built in rules that are fitting for an arcade. For example, you always
regenerate if you die in your arcade,
but if you visit another arcade and die, it’s permanent. But then after they go
to the effort of creating these amazing worlds and locations, the second and
third act take place in a world that looks like a glorified version of
Candyland and it just feels like they settled on the least interesting place
(despite the numerous brilliant candy themed puns). How great would it have
been to see more of these game worlds in the film? Even if they did it in a
collage like the door factory scene in Monsters Inc.
Luckily this is one of the only complaints I had about the
film. A stellar lead by John C Reilly is vaulted to the front of a great
supporting cast, with a special mention for Jack McBrayer as Ralph’s Frenemy
Fix-it Felix Jr. The story of an anti-hero trying to change for the better is
handled well for a family film, and kids and adults alike will love the well
written jokes. The film will resound most with gamers and children of the
arcade, but is good enough to be loved by anyone watching it.
9.25 out of 10
The Hobbit-Let’s
get something straight, despite the polarized audiences out there The Hobbit
was an incredibly enjoyable film. Now true, it doesn’t stack up to the original
trilogy, and at times feels like having a burger after finishing your filet
mignon, but you know what, sometimes nothing hits the spot like a good burger.
And true, it may not technically be a “Family” film, but it’s tame and fun
enough for people of all ages to enjoy.
While it doesn’t quite have the “oomph” of the Lord of
the Rings trilogy, there is still a lot to like about this film thanks to
the talented direction of Oscar winning director Peter Jackson. One scene in
particular (which I included in my best of 2012 list) of the dwarves singing a
song about their lost home in front of a roaring fire is worth the price of admission
alone, and the battle scenes still have a lot of great things working for them.
Peter Jackson has a tendency to inflate action scenes larger than they were
originally intended, but in this film the scenes never feel overly long or
bloated. The final scene in the goblin mines was particularly impressive.
Sir Ian and Martin Freeman do an admirable job in their
roles as Gandalf and Bilbo, with the rest of the relatively unknown supporting cast
bringing in strong performances. I also enjoyed seeing Sylvester McCoy (AKA the
seventh Doctor) in his role as Radaghast the Brown, and Christopher Lee (while looking
quite worn) was still commanding and intimidating as Saruman. Something I’ve
always loved about these films were the sweeping landscape shots, and while
they were still beautiful and plentiful in this film they felt much more
processed and computer generated than the original films. One thing in this
film that everyone can agree was truly amazing however was Andy Serkis’ return
as the literary and film icon Gollum, and he was just as fantastic in this film
as he was in the previous trilogy.
This newest incarnation of Middle Earth may not be as
impressive as Jackson’s first foray into that world, but anyone who says this
film is terrible is truly ignoring all of the great film work going into this
movie. Likeable characters, strong storytelling, interesting arcs, and
beautiful cinematography make this a strong film regardless of past works. If
you can get past the small problems in this film, then you can enjoy a truly
well made fantasy adventure film.
8.5 out of 10
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