Hugo

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  An orphan boy, who lives in a Paris train station (Asa Butterfield), fixes clocks and forms relationships with the other train station dwellers in his effort to figure out how he fits into the machine.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Asa Butterfielld, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Michael Stuhlbarg, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Ray Winstone, Jude Law, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Go!  This movie is an instant classic... Which isn't to say that it's not slow and boring at times.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  Sacha Baron Cohen has a small part, and he smiles funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  Once I was done dozing off, I did get around to crying a little.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  I would hope so, it's some of the most interesting directing and cinematography I've seen all year.  In fact, I might even give an award to the 2nd unit director.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  This Ben Kingsley guy is going places-- I mean, Asa Butterfield, right, he's the newcomer.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  You spend most of the time wondering how they gave it that look.  This is a beautiful film, and for once, I didn't even mind the 3D.  In fact, because the film is about the evolution of filmmaking in some ways, this was the first time it actually felt justified.  That said, the pacing is really slow for the first half, and that's not the script's fault.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  It gets around to making some interesting points by the end, but let's not give it any Awards.  Agreed?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Hugo Trailer

Back To Top

Kung Fu Panda 2

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Po the Kung Fu fighting Panda (Jack Black) is tasked to save China and Kung Fu from a military weapon built by an evil peacock (Gary Oldman-- of course).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Dennis Haysbert, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Victor Garber

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. With the lethal combination of feeling more geared toward the kiddies, while at the same time being too action packed with violence for many kiddies, it's just not as good as the first one.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not as much as the first one... by which I mean very little.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not as much as the first one... by which I mean not at all.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Sequel in which I Most Would Have Liked a Refresher on the Dynamic of the Team. I didn't remember any of the characters' traits from the first one, and they aren't clearly defined in this second part... But I guess most kids have watched the first one at least 45 times by now.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Is it just me, or is Angelina Jolie boring as hell? On a positive note, I enjoyed lesser-known actor James Hong's performance so much, I actually thought I was listening to Ken Jeong. (For the sake of clarity, I'd like to explain that by "lesser-known," I mean that despite his 56 year career, which includes about 100 movies and 150 TV series, I've never personally heard of him.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Jennifer Yuh makes interesting artistic choices, like distinguishing the past from the present by using a distinctively old-fashioned, 2-dimensional, Chinese style of animation for the past. Her style is noticeable throughout, as you find yourself often paying attention to the shots and camera angles, my favorite of which is a parody of the Pac Man video game-- which is no doubt setting itself up to be a basis for the Kung Fu Panda 2 video game.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Sequels are tough. How do you move beyond an origin story and keep it fresh? The writers of this script clearly do not know the answers to that question either.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Kung Fu Panda 2 Trailer

Back To Top

Tangled 3D

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Disney's animated version of Rapunzel, about a lost princess, who longs to get out of her tower and visit the world. Is it just me, or does anyone else not remember her hair being magical in any previous versions?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, M.C. Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett, Paul F. Tompkins

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's very cute, but not the most original or funny animated Disney movie of the bunch. Most disappointing are the songs, which seem like rehashes of better songs from more remarkable Disney musicals. I guess the bottom line is that now that they've spoofed themselves in Enchanted, it's very hard to go back to making these princess musicals in a non-joking way. They just seem like some old-fashioned thing trying desperately to make a comeback, and you find yourself thinking of Amy Adams and laughing when you're not supposed to.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Aside from when you're imagining Amy Adams, not so much. But I find Dan Fogelman to be a comedy writer whose forte isn't really humor.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Your small children might cry at the blood, and the multiple frightening falls from high places that seem to pollute these films, which are supposedly made for kids, but clearly only exist to teach them what their nightmares should be about.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Probably not Best Animated Picture of the year. It's a small category, but the competition is thick this year, and this isn't the best one.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The chameleon is right on hue, but the horse chews up the scenery.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: On the plus side, there is a beautiful shot of lanterns floating in the sky that both parallels and exceeds the beauty of the flying balloons of Up. On the minus side, the prince and the horse each take several falls that they shouldn't have survived, which jolts you right out of the reality of this fantasy film. That's why when the prince dies at the end, it almost makes up for all the times he didn't... Come on, that's not really a spoiler, this is a Disney movie, the Prince couldn't possibly die!

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There's not nearly enough of a fish out of water moments for a girl who has never seen anything besides the view from her window. The love story is only thinly developed. And the ending seems like a cheat... I mean, sure I'll buy that it could work, but it's not set up and it's hardly justified.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Did you ever notice that the bad guys always get the most powerful songs?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/tangled/33552/trailers

Back To Top

Despicable Me

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An evil villain (Steve Carell) attempts to steal the Moon, in a last ditch effort to prove that he's the best bad guy in the world, but his plans start to falter when 3 orphan girls come into his life.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews, Miranda Cosgrove, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher, Jack McBrayer, Jemaine Clement, Danny McBride, Mindy Kaling, and the Minions

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Whatever the story departments in the animation world are doing, live action development people should figure it out and start imitating it as soon as possible. In some of these animated movies, it almost feels like someone cared about the user experience... and these are the movies that are supposed to be for little kids, you know, those small-sized people with completely undeveloped minds.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Most of the cleverness is in the details, so pay very close attention.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It goes so far as to make you say, "Awwww." Out loud.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: As enthusiastic as I may seem about this movie, it's not that good.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I was impressed with Steve Carell's accent-- not because I could place what country it was supposed to be from, but because it totally made you forget that it was Steve Carell. Same goes for Russell Brand, who really sounds old. But it goes without saying that the best voice comes from Elsie Fisher, a little girl who can't be more than 8-years-old, and should be able to parlay this into being the next Dakota Fanning.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Pretty standard.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The writers do a nice job of creating an antihero with a backstory that makes you sympathize with him. They quickly establish how mean he is, then suddenly show you why, then the plot sets in motion, and emotionally, you understand what a guy like this is getting out of hanging around a bunch of little girls. The girls are also established in such a way that you buy that they would be accepting of this man's strange home and lifestyle.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/despicable-me/36148/trailers

Back To Top

The Princess and the Frog

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A woman, dressed as a princess, kisses a frog-prince to try to turn him back into a human-prince, but instead, she gets turned into a frog.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jennifer Cody, Jim Cummings, Peter Bartlett, Jenifer Lewis, Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard, John Goodman, Elizabeth M. Dampier, Breanna Brooks

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! But maybe don't bring your children, unless you're okay with exposing them to a flashing joke, a main character who's a lazy womanizer, and a thinly veiled cougar/pedophilia joke.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes. There's a flashing joke, a main character who's a lazy womanizer, and a thinly veiled cougar/pedophilia joke!

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: The Black community will cry when they realize that they finally got their Disney princess, and she spends most of the movie as a frog.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: If MTV knows what it's doing, it will nominate these frogs for Best Kiss-- or at least Most Tongue-tied.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The voice cast is dynamic and versatile, both in the acting and the singing. My only complaint is that I never saw the moment in the frog-prince's face when he falls for our heroine, nor did I really know what it was about her that he fell for. But since most of us know how this story goes, I still went with it.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The musical numbers, particularly those in the Bayou are an imaginative spectacle. But personally, I was most partial to the way the princess was drawn as a young girl, because she looked just like my adorable little niece, Laila. Have I told you lately that I love her?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The script is predictable as can be, but the songs are some of the best I've ever heard in a Disney musical. That's what they get for using jazz, blues and gospel as their base.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-princess-and-the-frog/30244/trailers

Back To Top

Disney's A Christmas Carol 3D

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: If you don't know what A Christmas Carol is about you're probably too young to see a PG movie... or for that matter, to be able to read this.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jim Carrey, Jim Carrey, and Jim Carrey! (Don't you love when they say that? Neither do I.) Also with Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins, Cary Elwes, Fionnula Flanagan

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! This is a tried and true interpretation of Dickens' classic tale, that basically does no interpreting at all. If you've seen any version of it before, the only reason to see this one is for the 3D performance capture effects.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: People don't often think about that fact that this is in no way a humorous story by its nature.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you're an actor it should, because if motion capture continues to catch on, your job will soon be obsolete.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The art direction is pretty spectacular, and if nothing else depicts a beautiful traditional Christmas that makes you long for those fantasy filled days, still so far in the future...

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The actors are done no favors by the directing. Each of their animated counterparts are drawn like uglier versions of the real people, and no matter how many motion-capture probes you put on a person, you can never fully capture the look in their eye. That's why most movies hire professional actors and let them do the acting. Using this fancy technique, the director and the animators have to fill in the blanks, and they don't have nearly as much acting experience as the 3D people they're drawing.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: In his efforts to turn a 50 minute play into an hour and a half long movie, the director builds endless pauses into the dialogue and the action, most of which seem to exist to create suspense, but in fact are only there to create a good time for a little nap. Turns out, I really needed to catch up on sleep.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: That's funny, there was a writer on this? Because (coincidentally) I recently read the play, by Dickens, and I didn't see any differences... It makes you wonder how much he was paid? And how do I get that job?

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: If you're only going to see one version of A Christmas Carol this year, make it one of the other ones.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/disneys-a-christmas-carol/30597/trailers

Back To Top

Up

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After losing the love of his life, an old man (Ed Asner) decides to fulfill the dreams of adventure that he'd always promised his wife. And no, he doesn't bring her ashes.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger, Elie Docter

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I'm going to be the first to say it: the emperor has no clothes on. Just because something has the name Pixar on it, does not automatically mean it's a masterpiece, and if somebody doesn't speak up, our general ability to discern quality from mediocrity could be destroyed forever. But the first 15 minutes are very good.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not nearly enough. Not to mention that the best laugh in the movie comes from someone in the Walla* group.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Boy do they think they're going to. But even though I knew the boyscout had daddy issues from the first time he mentioned "all the dads" coming to the award ceremony, I can honestly say that after watching the whole movie, I have no idea if his dad is supposed to be absentee or just dead. It makes a big difference in regards to what the movie is trying to say. And trust me, it is trying to say something.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Yes, it will win the Academy Award for Best Animated Picture. Not because it's the best, just because it's Pixar.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The dog is good. And I suppose the rest of it would be acceptable to you if you were a small child.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: There is so much that's confusing in this movie, that it comes to no surprise that the lighting, weather, and mood of a scene or location can change within seconds from gloomy to sunny and bright or vice versa. Frankly, the whole movie is heavy handed about what it wants you to feel, and the result is that you feel manipulated and empty.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Sure there are some parts of the story that are cute, clever, and colorful, but there are also parts that are boring, illogical, and completely unexplained.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: *Walla is the group of people who go into the studio during post-production and improvise and record all the voices of the people you see in crowd scenes. In the case of this movie, the "people" consist primarily of talking dogs.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/up/30386/trailers

Back To Top

Coraline

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An animated girl, named Coraline, discovers a secret passageway in her new house that leads to an evil woman, posing as a better version of her mom, in a better version of her life. But when Coraline gets wise to her Other Mom's evil ways, the Other Mom won't let her leave.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgeman, Robert Bailey Jr., Ian McShane

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The colors, animation, and 3D effects are spectacular, but who is the audience for this movie? It's not clever enough for adults, it's too dark for little girls, and it's got too much of a female protagonist for little boys.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you find giant, naked, old lady boobies funny, then sure. I think they can be funny, too... But not in a kids' movie. And by the way, when I say "giant," I guarantee that what you're picturing in your mind right now is only half the size of what they actually drew. And wearing nothing but pasties. I couldn't be more serious.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but the imitation Enya music will put you in a trance and make you very, very sleepy.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Least attractive animated humans ever drawn. Come on, they're animated, there's no excuse for them not to be cute!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I'm a huge Dakota Fanning fan, but the animators didn't do this character any favors with the facial expressions they created. Coraline is not particularly likeable, she's not nearly as cute as Dakota Fanning, and Dakota is much better at using her eyes to look sweet and innocent when she's saying something bratty-- that's how she gets away with all the bratty things she says in live action movies. Teri Hatcher, as the Other Mom, has the opposite effect. Thanks to the animation, her textured vocal tones are, for once, matched by an expressive physicality. What I'm saying is, her performance had a complete lack of Botox!... I actually thought she was fantastic in this.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Aside from the slow pace at the beginning, the directing is quite obviously the star of this film. The animation is vivacious, and with 3D glasses, it even comes right into your seat.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It seems to have been made into a movie about one draft too soon. The beats of a story are there, but it's devoid of those clever, "Why didn't I think of that?" moments. Once we know what the story is going to be, everything is laid out too easily for the protagonist to succeed.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/coraline/26304/trailers

Back To Top

Bolt 3D

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: In this animated movie, a dog named, Bolt, who lives confined to a sound stage in a Truman Show like world, is led to believe that he has actual superpowers and defends the world from the Green-Eyed Man's evil plan. So when his owner, Penny, gets kidnapped, he goes to her rescue, and ends up in the real world, only to discover that he doesn't have superpowers and he is simply the star of a TV series.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: The voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell, James Lipton, Greg Germann, Diedrich Bader, Nick Swardson, J.P. Manoux, Dan Fogelman

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! The premise of a dog who needs to believe he's a real superhero in order to give a convincing performance to an audience of humans is totally ridiculous, and possibly the best reason to see this movie. Other good reasons are: because you are a child, because you have a child, because you wish you were or had a child, and because you like things that are totally cute, sweet, witty and adorable. And let's face it, delusional talking animals on cross-country road trips to save little girls are even more awesome in 3D!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you hate cats, like most well-balanced people, you will appreciate all the laughs at their expense. If you love cats, you should really rethink that, but you will still feel vindicated as they are best characters in the film, and they get all the funny lines that weren't already given to the pigeons. Yes, I am talking about humorous cats and pigeons. I can see you running to buy your ticket now.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There are some moving moments which are especially relatable to domesticated animals that have been abandoned, put in the pound, and released into the wild of the big city to fend for themselves.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: They already got Miley Cyrus, the biggest tween star in the world, to make this her first feature film starring role, so let's spread the good fortune around, by giving the awards to someone else. Nothing whatsoever against this movie, I'm just being a Socialist... er, I mean, "fair."

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Even though he doesn't realize he's just an actor, when he's put to the test, Bolt proves to be a natural talent at it, in a fun sequence where Mr. Mittens, the female cat, has to teach him natural dog tricks like how to act cute so that humans will give you their food. And honorable mention goes to the pigeons who are weirdly wonderful in all their disgustingness, with their quirky neck moves and awkward waddling. I'm pretty sure they must be method actors.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Part road movie, some of these animals must travel from New York to Hollywood, and every city they hit is lit and colored to match real life perfectly. In Vegas they capture the exact color and dryness of the desert, in New York they capture the feeling that dirt and grime is covering every surface, and in Los Angeles they master the classic view of the city, as seen through a layer of muddy smog. And did I mention how cool 3D is?

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Every necessary beat is hit, and hit with humor. The only reason not to enjoy this story is because you're pretentious.

Back To Top

Persepolis

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The animated history of how Iran has evolved in the last 40 years, as told through the eyes of a rebellious girl born in the early 70s, who watches her country become less evolved as she becomes more evolved.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: The voices of Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Simon Abkarian, Gabrielle Lopes

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Telling a historical story through a first person "biopic" point of view is an interesting approach, but it doesn't completely hide the fact that this is more of a lesson in history than a character study. On an intellectual level, it is possible to infer a lot about our world, and how people respond to their governments by either feeling empowered to rebel against them or worn out, apathetic, and helpless to make a change. But you will not leave the theater having gained this insight on a visceral level, you will have to make the effort to think about it afterwards.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There is one highly comedic montage to Rocky's, "Eye of the Tiger," which feels severely out of place in this movie which doesn't include Will Ferrell.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you're from Iran, you will certainly feel depressed about the backwards direction of the people's freedom, as depicted by this film.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Many. Though I would not have predicted this outcome, had the nominations not been announce before my review. It has won and been nominated for too many awards to mention. Mostly in the uncrowded Animation categories, but sometimes in the Foreign Film categories, as well.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Animated.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing was the highlight of this movie. The animation was highly artistic and seemed to move in unpredictable yet organic ways. The closest animation I can think to compare it to would be The Beatles' Yellow Submarine -- though Persepolis is more sophisticated, and doesn't require dropping acid.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I was happy to learn a little something about the history of Iran, but I would have liked to be more emotionally compelled by the film. It played like a biopic. And anyone who's been reading this blog knows how I feel about biopics.

Back To Top