“An American Tail” stars Phillip Glasser, Amy Green, John P. Finnegan, Nehemiah Persoff, Erica Yohn, Pat Musick, and Dom DeLuise. Released on November 21, 1986, the film is about a young mouse who sets out on a perilous journey to reunite with his family. The film is directed by Don Bluth, who also directed films such as “The Secret of NIMH”, “The Land Before Time”, and “Anastasia”. Two years ago, I took the opportunity to talk about one of Don Bluth’s earlier works, “Thumbelina”, which you can find in the “Classic Reviews” page. So today I figured, “Why not talk about a Don Bluth film that’s actually decent?”. You know, the one that didn’t suffer from box office losses and negative reviews. It has been quite a while since I watched this film, which spawned a theatrical sequel, two direct-to-DVD films, a short-lived animated series, and the creation of Steven Spielberg’s animation company, Amblimation. I remembered watching the sequels when I was young, but the original? Just bits and pieces. Luckily, I was able to catch the film during its special theatrical run this morning to see if it's worth a trip down memory lane. Set in the 1880s, the story focuses on a Russian-Jewish family of mice known as the Mousekewitzes. When their home is destroyed by the vicious cats during an anti-Jewish arson attack, they attempt to move to a place where they don’t have to worry about getting eaten by the ferocious felines, which is America. However, a massive thunderstorm causes a separation between the young mouse, Fievel (Glasser), and his family. Now, he must scour the unknown world to search for his parents while meeting some new and unexpected characters along the way. This is a pretty simple kids movie that certainly knows how to deliver the charm despite a few scary moments here and there. Although, I would say that I didn’t remember the narrative being so…uneven. I guess that’s what happens when you watched a childhood movie for the first time during adulthood. If you’re looking for a film that matches the same quality as Disney in terms of storytelling, this film doesn’t really do any favors. The way “An American Tail” tells this type of story clearly parallels people’s fight for hope and freedom in this day and age, but it was unable to provide some elements to make the plot and the characters more engaging or interesting. Aside from that, once you get used to its frightening imagery, it’s an enjoyable ride that’ll warm the hearts of people young and old. Even though the characters were pretty basic, the cast did a nice job at bringing them to life, most notably Glasser as Fievel and DeLuise as Tiger, a huge, yet lovable, cat. Glasser remarkably captured the innocence and curiosity of the main character and DeLuise had plenty of light-hearted moments to keep the film from being too dark despite only appearing in the third act. The animation also had its perks in showcasing the vast world of the United States from a mouse’s perspective. While it did have some tiny hiccups during a couple of sequences, the film still retains the endearing and nostalgic art of 2D animation more than 30 years later. Similar to “Thumbelina”, “An American Tail” offers a few songs that rival the likes of Disney, but never came close to being as memorable as “Circle of Life” from “The Lion King” or even “Let it Go” from “Frozen”. The only song that stood out for me was “Somewhere Out There”, which was played twice during the entire film. That musical piece alone was my main highlight of the film’s soundtrack because of the melody and its message. Overall, “An American Tail” is as cute and enjoyable as I remembered it, but I was quite surprised at how it actually turned out after viewing it for the first time as an adult. While the story felt a bit uneven and the characters lack any sort of personal depth, the film is still a charming and family-friendly experience that isn’t afraid to be a bit scary at times. It’s a safe bet that kids and adults are going to enjoy it due to its likable characters and its animation style, but it might not be able to win over some people who are expecting it to be a non-Disney animated classic. Maybe someday I will be able to look at its sequel, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up just yet. C+
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“Porco Rosso” stars Shūichirō Moriyama, Akio Ōtsuka, Tokiko Kato, and Tsunehiko Kamijō. Released on July 18, 1992, the film follows an ex-fighter ace and a curse that transformed him into an anthropomorphic pig. The film is directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who also directed films such as "My Neighbor Totoro”, "Kiki’s Delivery Service”, and “The Wind Rises”. It is based on the three-part manga, Hikōtei Jidai (“The Age of the Flying Boat”), by Miyazaki. Much like "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind”, Miyazaki translated his tale about a pig-like pilot into film with splendid results. This is another Studio Ghibli movie that I remembered watching only once because again, I didn’t have a lot of time viewing movies more than once. So I figured today would be a good day to revisit this animated adventure and see how well it holds up in my own eyes. For this review, I will be looking at the English dub version which has Michael Keaton as the voice of the title character, along with Cary Elwes, Susan Egan, Brad Garrett, David Ogden Stiers, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. The film is set in an alternative World War I era, where an Italian ex-fighter ace named Marco Pagot (Marco Rossolini in the American version), also known as Porco Rosso due to his pig-like appearance, face a series of challenges during his days as a bounty hunter. Ranging from an air pirate crew known as the Mamma Aiuto Gang to his rival, Donald Curtis (Elwes), Porco is going to need a lot of help he can get in the form of his mechanic, Piccolo (Ogden Stiers), and his granddaughter, Fio (Williams-Paisley). This was one of the few occasions where Miyazaki blends his fantasy elements with real-life historical settings, with some explanations of aviation history thrown into the mix, a theme that he revisited in “The Wind Rises” in 2013. Much like his other films, Miyazaki proved that he can make this type of mixture work while also creating a well-paced and simplistic story that’s suitable for both kids and adults. Not only was the storytelling visually entertaining, but it was also thought-provoking in terms of its themes and its political commentary. Michael Keaton delivered a solid vocal performance as Porco Rosso. Even though he sounds a bit underwhelming during a few scenes, Keaton knows how to deliver the charm and likability to his character. Brad Garrett was also very entertaining as the leader of the Mamma Aiuto Gang, who provided some impressive amounts of humor without being too annoying. The animation was the film’s big highlight, mostly because of the aerial sequences. Yes, the backgrounds and the character designs looked pretty nice as well, but the aerial sequences with Porco and the other pilots were definitely some of my favorite parts of the film when it comes to its use of animation. It’s almost like the animators took some inspiration from the other war films that feature aerial dogfight sequences and applied them in “Porco Rosso” as their own. They’re fun to watch, and they’re a bit intense, too. Joe Hisaishi once again impressed me with his undeniable score that makes the film even more immersive. Overall, “Porco Rosso” is a high-flying adventure that’s just as fun and imaginative as you would expect from Hayao Miyazaki. While a tad short from his other classics like “Spirited Away”, the film never lost track of its brilliant mixture of visual storytelling and likable characters. In other words, this is another Studio Ghibli film that I would gladly revisit again at home. I would highly recommend it to animation fans and to those who are interested in aviation. A-“The Cat Returns” stars Chizuru Ikewaki, Yoshihiko Hakamada, Tetsu Watanabe, Yosuke Saito, and Tetsurō Tanba. Released on July 20, 2002, the film is about a high school student who is transported into a world of talking cats. The film is directed by Hiroyuki Morita, who served as an animator on films such as Akira and My Neighbors the Yamadas. It serves as a spin-off of the 1995 film, “Whisper of the Heart”. It is also based on the manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi. Hayao Miyazaki has done extremely well in making Studio Ghibli known for the North American audience. Not because of his grand directorial efforts, but also because he allowed people from other Japanese animated works to direct certain projects for the studio. In this case, Hiroyuki Morita took the responsibility to helm a film centering around a anthropomorphic cat named Baron, who was first introduced in another Studio Ghibli film, “Whisper of the Heart”. It’s very rare to see Studio Ghibli develop a follow-up to one of their films, let alone a spin-off, because all of the projects that they created only serve as one-and-done deals, so as to not tarnish the films’ reputations. Compared to my experiences with the other Studio Ghibli films I looked at, my experience with “The Cat Returns” was very minimal. I only watched it once a while back, and I never got back to it until now. It might’ve been because I grew more fond of the other Ghibli films rather than a film about a talking cat with a top hat, but who knows? Maybe I might like this one a little more than I did during my first viewing. In addition to the return of Baron Humbert von Gikkingen (Hakamada) and Muta (Watanabe) from “Whisper of the Heart”, “The Cat Returns” includes a brand new story that separates itself from the former. This time, they’re attempting to protect a shy high school girl named Haru (Ikewaki), who is whisked away to the enchanted Cat Kingdom after saving the life of a cat prince. Similar to the likes of Totoro, Kiki, and Ponyo, the film offers an imaginative and charming tone that’ll delight young children as well as older fans of Studio Ghibli and animation. Going back to this film after a while, I can clearly see that the plot has its sense of simplicity compared to the other Studio Ghibli masterpieces and the comedic moments can get a bit too silly even though some of them were massively amusing (including Muta). Other than that, all I can say about it is that I had fun watching it again. Sure, the story wasn’t on par with “Spirited Away” or “Toy Story”, but its short and easy-to-follow narrative has a unique way of bringing a smile on my face and its messages about self-discovery were handled pretty well. The animation was top-notch in terms of the character designs, the locations, and its small action sequences. Its colors and lighting made everything, mostly the Cat Kingdom, feel like a cat-lover’s dream come to life. Although, I would say that some of the facial expressions on certain characters were either laughable or a little disturbing to look at, especially the Cat King (Tanba). I mean, seriously, why does he have to look so darn weird when he’s doing those facial expressions? It’s pretty distracting. As for my take on Baron, it took me some time to get used to this character, but I think he had enough substance to finally win me over. Overall, “The Cat Returns” is very simple to follow, yet it has the same type of charm and imaginative wonder that Studio Ghibli is known for. I would also say that this is a pretty impressive introduction to the character of Baron. The film’s uncomplicated, but fun, storyline and its excellent use of animation are enough to impress young kids and older people who are into this type of genre. Now I need to watch “Whisper of the Heart” again at some point. A-“Ponyo” stars Yuria Nara, Hiroki Doi, Tomoko Yamaguchi, Kazushige Nagashima, and George Tokoro. Released on July 19, 2008, the film is about a goldfish who dreams about being human. The film is directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who also directed films such as Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle. Last year, I took the opportunity to review most of the animated features that were created by the Japanese animation company, Studio Ghibli, and acclaimed animation filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki. I found this series of classic reviews pretty fun to work on, so I decided to look at the other ones that I haven’t talked about yet, starting with one of Miyazaki’s latest films. This year marks the 10th anniversary of “Ponyo”, which is the first Studio Ghibli film that I saw in the theater. Everything else before that? Never got the chance to. With that in mind, I figured that now’s the time for me to share my personal thoughts on this latest family-friendly gem with you guys. For this review, I will be looking at the English dub version, which features the voice talents of Noah Cyrus, Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, and Liam Neeson. The film takes the inspiration of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and places it in a traditional Japanese setting. The plot is pretty familiar to The Little Mermaid, in which a sea creature, who is half-human and half-fish, dreams of exploring the human world. However, “Ponyo” offered a few elements that made itself stand on its own instead of being a Japanese carbon copy of Disney’s version of The Little Mermaid, so don’t expect a singing Jamaican crab or an evil sea witch to make an appearance in this film. This is also one of the few Studio Ghibli films that receive a G rating from the MPAA due to its amount of innocence and kid-friendly charm, which would be good for very young children who needed a good introduction to the famous animation studio. But what about the film itself? Did it hold up well against the test of time? Well, obviously, yes. Is it another animated masterpiece? Not exactly, but it still has the imagination and wonder that made Studio Ghibli a powerhouse of Japanese animation. Despite the absence of emotional weight in terms of storytelling, the film has plenty of simplicity and heart to unlock the inner child inside all of us. It’s sweet, charming, and just plain adorable. Like the other Studio Ghibli films that are translated into English, “Ponyo” gathers a bunch of well-known celebrities together to voice the characters, and you can clearly tell that they got some pretty good talent on board. The characters of Sosuke and Ponyo are voiced by Frankie Jonas and Noah Cyrus, respectively, both of which are related to former Disney Channel stars. Frankie Jonas is the youngest member of the Jonas Brothers and Noah Cyrus is the younger sister of Miley Cyrus. Both of these kids delivered some really good chemistry together, although in some scenes, Cyrus’ voice can be a bit tedious for those who can get annoyed very easily. The other cast members also did a solid job with their vocal performances, mostly Tina Fey as Sosuke’s mother and Liam Neeson as Fujimoto, Ponyo’s father who really dislikes humans. Looks like King Triton and Fujimoto have something in common after all. The animation is something that you would find in a children’s storybook, and it is a gorgeous sight. Using the style of traditional animation, the film boasts its brilliant colors to make the sequences and its locations look dazzling and imaginative. The musical score by Joe Hisaishi was also impressive to listen to in terms of its childlike sense of adventure despite not being as memorable as his other scores. Overall, Hayao Miyazaki’s “Ponyo” continues his trend of imaginative and masterful storytelling. While it doesn’t compare to the likes of Totoro or Spirited Away, the film has enough oomph in its storytelling and its colorful animation to impress many Studio Ghibli fans of all ages. I would also highly recommend it to families and their young kids who are in need for some innocence in their lives. Happy 10th anniversary, Ponyo. May your adorableness continue to live on for many years to come. A-“The Dark Crystal” stars Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. Released on December 17, 1982, the film is about an elf-like creature who journeys to restore balance to his home world. The film is directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Over 35 years ago, famous Muppet creator Jim Henson decided to take his creative puppetry skills in a new direction by crafting an original film that’s far different than his beloved Muppet franchise. While it received a mixed response from critics and audiences when it was first released, it later became a fan favorite for Henson followers as well as fantasy enthusiasts. This year sees the latest re-release of the film in a new 4K resolution, and to celebrate, Fathom Events took the chance to screen the new restored version in cinemas nationwide for a limited time. This is one of those films that I haven’t watched too many times. I do remember having it on VHS, but that was because my mother thought that I would like it due to my interest in the Muppets. Since I’m planning on reviewing some more classic films this year, I figured that I would start with this puppetry gem from the 1980s. It has actually been a long time since I last saw this movie, mostly because I was more drawn into the world of 2D and CGI animation during my childhood. Now that I saw it for the first time on the big screen, how well does it affect me as a grown adult? The story takes place a thousand years ago on an alien planet known as Thra, where a powerful, yet broken, crystal formed two new types of alien races: the Skeksis, who uses the crystal’s power to restore their youth, and the Mystics, wizard-like beings with long necks. The main character in the film is Jen (Garlick), the last remaining survivor of the Gelflings who is raised by the Mystics. He is tasked by his Mystic master to search for the missing shard and reinsert it into the crystal before the three suns align with one another. Along the way, he is joined by Kira (Maxwell), another surviving Gelfling, and her pet, Fizzgig. The film is mostly known for having creature-like puppets as the characters without a single human being interacting with them. So, clearly, it depicts moving puppets ruling the universe a long time ago. The world of “The Dark Crystal” is simply imaginative and full of creativity in terms of its setting and creatures, although the story itself is nothing for me to write home about. It follows the basic prophecy formula that we’ve seen multiple times in other films, and the characters themselves, while superbly designed and well-portrayed by the puppeteers, were unable to provide anything special to their one-note personalities. Even the dialogue didn’t help that much, either, especially during some scenes where someone is talking, but their mouths didn’t move. However, I can fully understand why it was so beloved by many people. The film was made during the time where the filmmakers had to use practical effects and a huge amount of imagination to create a fantasy world filled with danger and wonder without computers. They also had to rely on costumes and animatronics to bring the film’s variety of creatures to life, not just puppetry. It really amazes me that they put a lot of effort in making the characters and this world both scary and inventive, most notably the Skeksis. Man, were these guys ugly-looking or what? The cinematography and the music also helped in creating a visionary, fairy-tale-like experience, especially the latter, and the visuals effects still looked good while viewing it on the big screen, even though some of them were a bit dated. Overall, while it boasts more on style rather than substance, “The Dark Crystal” proves that the amount of imagination and hard work can provide some very pleasing results. It’s not the best puppet-involved film in history due to its formulaic plot and the lack of character depth, but its fantastic designs and technical achievements are what made it a unique and enjoyable treat for both puppet lovers and fantasy lovers alike. Is it something that I would recommend to the kids? Well, it will have to depend on how much scary imagery they can handle. Otherwise, just wait until they’re around seven or ten years of age. As for me, I wouldn’t mind watching it again at some point in the future. Sure, the story and the characters fell a bit flat, but as a guy who likes the Muppets growing up, I found it to be a well-crafted piece of puppet filmmaking that should be appreciated by anyone for many generations to come. B- |
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