Rio (2011)

After being a little more than pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Kung Fu Panda, and then adoring last year's How to Train Your Dragon even more than critically lauded Toy Story 3, it goes without saying that in my mind, Dreamworks has gone from being a factory of second-rate animated fare to a studio that could someday rival even the Grand Deity of Animation itself in terms of consistent quality (the "Grand Deity of Animation" being Pixar, of course). Dreamworks' latest effort, Rio, hasn't quite taken them to that point yet, but it's still a ridiculously enjoyable and lusciously vibrant romp.

The film follows Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a rare blue macaw who lives in Minnesota with his owner,

Linda (Leslie Mann). When Blu is taken by ornithologist Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro) to Rio de Janeiro in order to mate with the fierce and independent Jewel (Anne Hathaway), he is promptly kidnapped by a group of bird smugglers. Thus, with the help of the other birds of Rio, Blu and Jewel must go on an adventure through the streets of Carnaval in order to escape and return to Linda and Tulio.

From the very first scene (an exhilarating musical number), the film takes full advantage of the resources that are at their disposal automatically from the plot - those being the gorgeous colors and delectable beats of Rio and of Carnaval. The score, helmed by John Powell (one of my favorite underrated film composers), is, needless to say, amazing - and the use of classic bossa nova is intelligent and perfect. And then there's the visual spectacle on display, one of reds, blues, oranges and yellows, put on display most effectively in the climax of the film, which takes place in a Carnaval Parade. It's in this aesthetic care that the film gets its most success.

Also, it's important to mention the quality of the voice acting on display. Though perhaps Rodrigo Santoro takes it too over the top, the rest of the cast is splendid. I'm a shameless Jesse Eisenberg fan, and I loved him here - he was neurotic, funny, and adorable. Anne Hathaway is, well, Anne Hathaway and what's better than that? And then there's Jemaine Clement, whose deliciously evil work as bad bird Nigel is made even better by a musical number that could have come straight out of "Flight of the Conchords".

As much as I wish awesome voice-overs and great aesthetics are enough to make a film succeed completely, they're not. Unfortunately, Rio suffers from an unspectacular screenplay. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it; it flows well, it's funny, and there are unexpected touches of heart here and there. But, it lacks the sparkle that everything else about the movie has, preventing the film as a whole from reaching the heights that it could have.

However, it's impossible not to enjoy Rio. It's cute, adorable, vibrant and totally entertaining. It may not have taken Dreamworks to a Pixar level (and it's certainly no How to Train Your Dragon) but it's still great fun for any age.

See it: if you like any of the actors involved, if you think Dreamworks has potential, if you like bossa nova, if you kind of want to feel like a kid again, if you've ever seen Black Orpheus.

Skip it: if you didn't like How to Train Your Dragon, if Jesse Eisenberg does nothing for you, if you're imperative to cuteness.

8/10

A Perfect Trio

The Oscars rarely have a category that is 100% perfect - but last year's Animated Film category has been on my mind lately and I can't help but consider it an anomalous example of this occurrence.

You all already know my adoration for How to Train Your Dragon, which was my pick for the winner last year (not that it had any chance). I rewatched it today, and while I was expecting it to drop in my estimation, I actually enjoyed it even more, especially John Powell's marvelous score.

Toy Story 3 was a wonderful winner, the perfect ending to a masterful trilogy. Really, it could not have been a more perfect ending to the long running series and somehow it manages to pack such poignance and emotion into an action adventure movie about toys. Pixar does it again.

And finally, there was The Illusionist, which I finally caught on DVD this past week. Had I seen it before I made my top 10 list, it surely would have grasped a spot on there and I'm even tempted I now prefer it to the other two for the win. What Triplets of Belleville lacked in emotional resonance, it made up for with sly humor - the opposite is true of The Illusionist. Though it doesn't sport the mocking humor of Chomet's previous work, it is instead full of beautiful animation and emotional resonance that carries through the entire film. Truly a beautiful piece of work.

So anyway, this is a rather random post but I had to pay homage to this great trinity of films. The Oscars are not always perfect but the past two years of animated films (don't even get me started on 2010) really have been worthy contenders.

Rango (2011)

With Pixar releasing the rather unpromising "Cars 2" later this year it seems necessary to keep an eye on the rest of the animated crop. Having not yet seen a new movie this year yet, I couldn't wait to start everything off with "Rango", which looked extremely promising and was being critically lauded. Unfortunately, though "Rango" had quite a lot going for it, it ended up being an overall disappointment.

The film tells the story of an unnamed pet chameleon (voiced, of course, by Johnny Depp) with a propensity for the theater, who becomes stranded in the desert after his owners nearly get into a car accident. The chameleon soon finds himself in the drought-ridden city of Dirt, where he meets the sassy lizard Beans (Isla Fisher), and the rest of the town's rodent and reptile inhabitants, all of whom are struggling due to the drought. Seizing an opportunity, the chameleon takes on the name of Rango and becomes the sheriff of the town, where he soon discovers that the town's mayor has an evil plot that is keeping the town dry.

Visually, "Rango" is really quite stunning. Besides the fact that the animation is realistic to a fault, the film's "cinematography" is really fantastic - the design of each shot is full of gorgeous lighting and coloring, while the camera's own movements are some of the most advanced and interesting out I've seen in a CGI animated film (and that does include "Avatar". heh). It comes as no surprise that Roger Deakins was the visual consultant - his cinematographic brilliance really shows. Soundwise the film succeeds as well. Johnny Depp's voice is pretty much perfect for the role and the score was great as well (for Hans Zimmer, anyway. heh heh).

Unfortunately, as seems to always be the case, the screenplay was unable to live up to the film's visual scheme - so much so that it detracted from the overall success of the film (which is not always the case. Sometimes an animated film can get by on looks alone). Though I admire the fact that the film was able to avoid tripping over the big religious and environmental issues it tackled, that was about the only thing it did right. So many of the film's "jokes", which it obviously thought were hysterical, failed miserably. And though the film's first scene is littered with sharp dialogue and laughs, the film loses its steam not shortly after, with incongruities that are impossible to overlook, even through the lens of what I like to call the "family film forgiveness factor".

"Rango" is almost a surefire nominee for Best Animated Film next year at the Oscars, and I imagine it'll be this year's animated critical favorite unless there's a foreign entry. And while its writing was rather disappointing, its visuals are certainly something to applaud. Not a bad start to 2011, by any means, but definitely not what I would have hoped for.

See it: If you're disappointed by the lameness of the rest of what's in theaters, and you don't mind forgoing good writing for unbelievable animated visuals.

Skip it: If you didn't get a good night of sleep the evening before, and if you feel like laughing a lot.

6/10

Summer Wars (2010)

One of the best things about director Mamoru Hosoda's feature film "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time", which I absolutely love, is how interesting and complex all the characters are. Unfortunately, though "Summer Wars" is much more visually stunning than "Girl", the plot does leave something to be desired. The most interesting character in the film is the Grandmother, and her relationship with her family (especially with Wabisuke) is extremely complex. However, the film chooses not to focus on the interesting characters, and instead tries to concentrate on the poorly formulated romance between Kenji and Natuski. The film also misses an opportunity to really explore the subject of technological dangers and dependency that our society faces - it touches the issue, but never quite gets where it wants on that front. That being said, the film is in no way a failure - the use of the "big eccentric family" subplot has been done over and over but this time it feels exhilarating and new. And, based solely on the visuals, this film is magical and magnificent, especially any time the breathtaking digital "Oz" world is involved. It may not be the most satisfying film plot-wise, and it certainly does not match up to "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time", but this film does everything else so, so right.

(7/10)

Tangled up.

That pun was just too obvious but I couldn't help myself.

Last year I fell just a little bit in love with Disney's back-to-roots princess animation story "The Princess and the Frog", which, though not one of my FAVORITE films of the year, was absolutely lovely. To be honest though, my love for that movie is kind of what made me worry about "Tangled". It seemed to me like Disney was going for a snarky Shrek kind of thing, and I was sort of upset - that sort of thing is better for Dreamworks, and after proving how well they could do it the old-fashioned way, why go back to the same old generic thing?

Thankfully, my reservations were proven to be somewhat incorrect, though after watching Disney's 50th Animated Film EVER I have an entirely new set of scruples.

"Tangled" is, as you all surely already know, a reinvention of the Rapunzel story. Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is a girl whose hair has magical healing properties due to a flower that healed her mom during pregnancy. Her parents, the king and queen of a kingdom, lost Rapunzel when the evil Mother Goethel (Donna Murphy) stole her as a baby to keep her powers to herself. Of course, Rapunzel yearns to be free, and on her 18th birthday, she decides to sneak out of her tower, with the help of a bandit named Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) who accidentally lands up there while escaping the king's guards.

This reinvention of the Rapunzel story is quite successful and works perfectly as the vehicle for the typical Disney romance. Duh, Flynn and Rapunzel fall in love and whatnot, but for some reason it doesn't feel corny or anything. A lot of this is due to the technical brilliance of the animation. The movie is so refreshingly colorful and carefully animated - though Rapunzel's hair may not be a consistent length, as my sister lamented, it is still captivating to watch. CGI is very rarely beautiful, and I'm pleased to say that this film achieves some rather aesthetically gorgeous moments.

And Mother Goethel is, simply, one of the best Disney villains in recent years. Where "Princess and the Frog" and even in some ways, "Enchanted" fell slightly short was the very one-dimensional nature of their villains. 'Tis not the case here! The maternal relationship that Rapunzel has with Goethel is rather compelling - we can't forget that she is basically the only mother that she's ever known - and seeing the affection, such as hugs and kind words, between them, makes the villainship so much more horrifying and perfect. Of course, Donna Murphy's brilliant voice work is much to credit for why Goethel is such a great character. She's over the top, she sings wonderfully, and she nails every line.

Sadly, such laurels cannot be awarded to Mandy Moore. Her Rapunzel is occasionally quite good, but too often she sounds whiny, or even worse - as though she's not getting into it enough, which leaves the viewer feeling super distanced from the character. This happens especially during the musical numbers. Her singing voice (at least in my opinion) is kind of annoying, with this weird airyness that is just not convincing.

This leads to another problem with the movie - it doesn't seem committed enough to being a musical! The songs are fine, if not somewhat unmemorable (I mean, it's hard to say anything bad about Alan Menken), but somehow in the context of the entire narrative, they don't feel natural or necessary enough. However, Mother Goethel's song "Mother Knows Best" is probably the best in the movie; it's funny, creepy, and its animation sequence is tight and clever. On the other hand, the movie's musical non-singing score is quite fitting and often transcendent.

Of course, that's not to say that I didn't like the movie. I very much did, and I guess I almost started crying at the end (I'm a leaky faucet though, so don't mind me...). I suppose I'm just trying to identify the reasons it didn't lodge itself into my heart like I would have expected. It's good in so many ways, and it did not fail in the ways I expected - it just didn't reach the level of quality that perhaps it could have. I'm honestly a bit conflicted about it, but I would recommend it even if only so you all will be able to discuss it with me and help me figure it out. Haha!

7/10

Catherine O'Hara Filmography: Rock and Rule (1983)

One of the largest facets of Catherine O'Hara's career is her work as a voiceover actress. And, as a lover of animation, I was looking forward to watching the Canadian cult classic "Rock and Rule", a movie that had a nightmarish release and has only recently been able to find an audience.

"Rock and Rule" is a trippy movie that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in which humans have been replaced by highly evolved humanoid rats and society is evidently based greatly on rock and roll music. The evil, yet highly famous Mok (Don Francks) is searching for the right voice that will become the key to unlocking a demon from another dimension. He finds this voice in Angel (Susan Roman), the singer in a struggling band. When she is kidnapped, it's up to her hotheaded bandmate Omar (Paul LeMat) and the other members of her band to save her.

Overall, "Rock and Rule" is a pretty cool movie, besides having horrendous dialogue. The animation is cool to look at, exuding vibes of Ralph Bakshi and even Sylvain Chomet. There are some particularly stunning sequences, such as the demon summoning at the end. It also has a great soundtrack of songs from classic 80's bands like Cheap Trick, Earth Wind and Fire, Iggy Pop, and others. It's animation for adults for sure, and it works pretty well.

There's not much to say regarding Catherine's work in the movie, because her voice appears only in one scene as "Aunt Edith", the owner of a tattoo parlor that the band stays in while trying to save Angel. She does great voice work, or at least, as much as she could given the smallness of the role, all with a really funny New Jersey accent. Great voiceover work!

So that's about it on "Rock and Rule". I'd recommend it for sure, just as something different from your typical animated fare. OH, and Susan Roman, the voice of Angel, played Sailor Jupiter on the old "Sailor Moon" TV series. Which I watched. So when I heard her voice, it awakened something within me from my childhood. Haha. Funny stuff.

The Movie: 7/10
Catherine: too small of a part to "rate". haha
Best in Show: The musical performers!

Revisiting "The Incredibles"

When I recently rewatched "The Incredibles", I was surprised to notice a slew of things that I had overlooked in previous viewings. "Incredibles" was my favorite Pixar film when it came out - it's a great story and it's a lot of fun on first viewing. But this most recent time, being older and wiser, and having seen it probably 5 times before, there was so much more to realize about the film.

First of all, the storyline is incredibly deep, and the characters are so remarkably layered, which is rare for an animated family film. Just think about it - the main plot revolves around a super hero's midlife crisis and how it affects his family. (You could almost say it's a family-friendly version of "American Beauty" with superheroes and a happy ending. Sort of.) Beyond that, however, the film paints the very complex portraits of several relationships, and the people within them.

Bob and Helen Parr (AKA Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl) are dealing with the trials of marriage, while their children have to deal with being repressed superheroes growing up in a dysfunctional family. The villain, Syndrome, was once a naive child whose entire outlook on superherodom was destroyed, disillusioning him to the point of becoming a super villain. His relationship with his proposed lover, Mirage, is also shown as being extremely strained (it's a small moment, but we learn so much after he doesn't attempt to save her from Mr. Incredible).

On a technical level, the animation is noticeably not as advanced as current Pixar films. However, the animators make some wonderful achievements. One feature of the film is the unbelievable expressiveness that is displayed by the character's eyes and body motions. In a live action film, the small touches of an actor can express so much - thankfully, Brad Bird did not let his medium limit his power to convey emotions that way. So many times (especially with Mirage and Mrs. Incredible) the expression shown through the characters could rival the performance of a live actor.

Finally, the voice acting is some of the best in a long time. Pixar films always have great vocal performances, but you'd be hard pressed to find better than this. Holly Hunter, especially, does great, emotional work that transcends the barrier of the medium to create affecting work. Brad Bird himself is hysterically memorable as Edna Mode, and I was surprised to find out that Sarah Vowell, frequent This American Life contributor, provides the voice for Violet, which I love.

Of course, on multiple viewings, the flaws of a film start to come through as well. There are a few plot holes, and admittedly disturbing moments (is...Dash...killing those people...and enjoying it? He's just a little kid!). But they are so, so small and insignificant that they are easily dwarfed by the spectacular achievements the film reaches. Like most of Pixar's releases, "The Incredibles" was a revolutionary film that resonates even more powerfully on repeat viewings.

How do you feel about The Incredibles? Am I thinking into this too deeply, or am I spot on? Comment BELOW!

Now Playing: Toy Story 3

Oh, Pixar! I'm always so, so skeptical about their movies before they come out. I scoffed at the trailers for Ratatouille, Up, and Wall-E but ended up loving the movies so much. Such is the same with Toy Story 3. I was taken aback by the idea of a third film in the series, and I wasn't particularly impressed with the trailer. But ah, was I proven wrong.

In the third installment of the "Toy Story" series, Andy is now 17 and heading off to college. His toys, including the famous Woody and Buzz Lightyear, are no longer getting played with and they really miss the golden years. Through a bit of a mistake in packing, the toys end up at the Sunnyside Day Care and though it seems like paradise at first, things are not what they seem and it's up to Woody to save everyone and bring them back to Andy.

Toy Story 3 (which is written surprisingly by Michael Arndt, who wrote one of my fave movies of all time, "Little Miss Sunshine") is a perfect piece of nostalgia for those of us who grew up with the first two movies. It starts with an opening montage of home video footage of Andy playing with the toys set to "You've Got a Friend in Me" that was absolutely perfect. I was a blubbering mess during that scene, it was so touching.

Besides being a reminiscence of the old Toy Stories, TS3 also brings a great amount of successful new material to the table. I loved the new toys, especially Bonnie's theatrical troupe (with toys voiced by Bonnie Hunt and Kristen Schaal, among others) who were consistently cute and hysterical. It's a very fun movie and though some of the action-type scenes were a bit long for my taste, they were exciting, especially the climax.

There are not really many, if any, issues I had with the film, besides that afterwards it didn't have the mental staying power that some of Pixar's other films have. It's surely not fair to judge this movie based on Pixar's past successes, but it's hard not to, especially when Pixar has a nearly perfect record.

Overall, TS3 is a great addition to the Toy Story series (is it the finale? I hope so, though who knows, they might make a four, tis not my decision). It's very well written and is both hilarious and touching. I cried, I laughed, I screamed - I felt every emotion possible during this movie. Though it doesn't necessarily surpass Pixar's more recent films it's still a great movie, especially for a tre-quel!

9/10

Penguin Movies...From Best to Worst

Oh, Penguins. They're adorable and actually quite amazing creatures. But for a few years it seemed the penguin movies would just never stop coming, and though there weren't really that many, the trend is over. Let's take a look...

1. March of the Penguins (2005) - Blame it on this one for starting the onslaught of penguin movies. But really, it was quite a beautiful film and it tells an amazing story. Put away all the animation and what you really have are some fantastic animals that live in a very hostile atmosphere.

2. The Pebble and the Penguin (1995) - The penguin movie that came before penguin movies were cool. To be honest, I haven't seen this in ages, but I grew up on this one and from what I know I loved it. It really is a cute story, and like I said, this was the first big penguin movie, and it has some redeeming factual value, so you could call it sort of definitive.

3. Surf's Up (2007) - After the whole AWWW "March of the Penguins". OOOOH "Happy Feet"! This one came along and people (or at least me) were like "EWWW, more penguins? Seriously?" But I was pleasantly surprised. This movie is actually extremely enjoyable, it's got a unique mockumentary format, the penguins are the tropical kind which is new, and it's pretty funny, too. No masterpiece, but you could do worse...(see next entry)

4. Happy Feet (2006) - Yeah, this is the worst penguin movie of all of them. It's weird, because the first time I saw it I really liked it, but then after a recent rewatch, I was extremely disappointed. I'll review it in more detail a bit later, but it's really weak. To be honest, the only really good thing about it (besides Brittany Murphy's voice) is the cuteness of the penguins. Because penguins are freaking cute!

So there you go. There really weren't THAT many penguin movies, but they came in quick succession. We don't have to worry about any more though! (That is, until Happy Feet 2 in 3D comes out in 2011. Woot.)

So did I miss any major penguin movies? Do you agree with my ranking, and how do you feel about the genre? Comment belowww!

TV Meme Day 13: Favorite Childhood Show

There is a show that, by all means, defined my childhood. Or at least, the part of it that I can vividly remember. I've been told I was in love with "Barney" (apparently I started screaming in delight when I got a Barney doll for my 2nd bday) and "Lamb Chops Play Along" (which Andrew wrote a lovely piece on) amongst many others. But the one show that I watched endlessly as a child, and still quite love, is "Arthur".

"Arthur" is a show about Arthur the aardvark, who lives with his parents and sister. Each episode deals with how the Arthur and his interesting friends and family members all deal with each other and the issues that surround their lives.

Unlike many childrens' shows, "Arthur" treats its audience maturely. No baby talk or gibberish here, folks! And, for a childrens' animated series, each of the characters are surprisingly and refreshingly well developed and multi-dimensional. The show takes serious issues that children have to deal with and make them joyous and palatable.

For example, one of the characters is Buster, a fun-loving rabbit with asthma whose parents are divorced. Not quite what you'd think would make up a kids show, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. And this, I believe, is Arthur's greatest achievment. It's remarkably funny, cute and wonderful, and perfect for little kids. But instead of being immature or shying away from mature topics like most shows, it confronts them head on with a spirit of optimism and joy.

"Arthur" really taught me so much and it's a wonderful show that, believe it or not, is still on the air! (Well, I'm not that old peoples!) If you have kids, are a kid at heart, or just want to watch some good television, "Arthur" is the show for you.



Side Note: The "Arthur's Perfect Christmas" is just the best. I watch it every year to get in the spirit. Just like the show it deals with mature issues seamlessly. It talks about different religious traditions, best friends fighting, single parenthood...ah, if only all shows could deal with issues like Arthur!

Best Animated Film...From Best to Worst

I love this category at the Oscars for obvious reasons. Anyway, commentary to follow.

1. Spirited Away (2002)
2. Wall-E (2008)
3. Ratatouille (2007)
4. Up (2009)
5. Wallace and Gromit (2005)
6. The Incredibles (2004)
7. Finding Nemo (2003)
8. Shrek (2001)
9. Happy Feet (2006)

Obviously "Spirited Away" is first. And "Wall-E" is just beautiful.

The best year overall (nominees-wise) was by FAR 2005. "Corpse Bride", "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Wallace and Gromit" would have all been truly worthy winners. This past year was also extremely strong, even though "Up" was my favorite, I would have been extremely happy to see any of the other nominees win.

2006 was ridiculously weak. At the time, I was psyched that "Happy Feet" beat out "Cars" - but on a recent rewatch of "Happy Feet", I was extremely disappointed...it's a snooze fest. I'll review it in more depth at a later time. I'll have to rewatch "Monster House", because I didn't like "Cars" either.

And how about Pixar needs to stop dominating this category? Just kidding. In my opinion, they much deserved it every time they won (and, I'm inclined to say, every time they lost, too). However, I do believe the reign of Pixar is coming to an end (or at least a break). It should be interesting to see how "Toy Story 3" does this year with the Academy...and with critics in general. We don't have much longer to wait to find out for ourselves, now do we?

Anyway, the other three films that Pixar seems to have in production right now aren't really psyching me out that much. "Cars 2"? Ugh. I am not at all interested to see that. "Brave" sounds interesting, hopefully it's up to par. And according to Wikipedia, they're also working on "Monsters Inc. 2" which...should be...interesting! It could be really good, we'll just have to wait and see.

I'm personally getting extremely excited about "The Illusionist" though - you know, Sylvain Chomet's film. I'm actually anticipating it so badly. And, random thought..."Persepolis" was amazing, would it not be lovely to see Marjane Satrapi adapt one of her other graphic novels? ("Chicken With Plums" plz)

Anyway, comment below on whether you agree or disagree on my ranking, the Academy's choices, and your thoughts on Pixar's future and the future of animation in general!

TV Meme Day 6: My Favorite Episode of My Favorite Show

There are too many amazing episodes of Spongebob to just pick my one definitive favorite without feeling like I left something out. Thus, I present to you, my TOP 5 episodes of Spongebob, of ALL TIME!

5. Whale of a Birthday

In this episode, Spongebob goes on a shopping spree buying everything Pearl wants for her birthday, while Mr. Krabs decorates the Krusty Krab cheaply for her. It's a hilarious episode, with so many laugh-out-loud moments, such as "It's a...girl?" and Squidward singing the Boys Who Cry song. So funny.

4. F.U.N

This is just a classic. Plankton and Spongebob becoming friends and the actual F.U.N song in the show is, for fans of Spongebob, one of the most important topics in the show's history. :P

3. The Camping Episode

Spongebob and Patrick go camping with Squidward in this notable episode. When I first saw it, I fell in love, especially with the "Campfire Song Song" that they sing. Which I would embed a clip of, but it's impossible to find a good one. So...sorry everyone. :)

2. Krusty Krab Training Video

This is a great episode because of how unique it was. Being presented as the actual Krusty Krab training video, it's just amazing. From the "HOOPLAH" guy to "People Order Our Patties" to the fakeout ending, this episode is probably one of the most memorable of them all.

1. Band Geeks

This episode is easily my favorite of all time. When Squidward tries to put together a band to show off to his arch-nemesis, the rather unintelligent citizens of Bikini Bottom attempt to work together to help him. Every moment of this episode is hysterical, and it's structured so well. The end, in which Spongebob and the others play a rock concert, is just classic.

That was really difficult. On some other day, there could be five completely different choices...I can think of five more that I love right now but I shall refrain. I think the strongest season of Spongebob was its Fourth, though only a couple from that season are on this list, I pretty much love every episode from it.

TV Meme Day 5: A Show I Hate

To be honest you guys, I'm really at a loss with this one. I don't watch enough TV for there to be a definitive show that I absolutely despise.

Now, I know what you're going to say... "But Robert! I thought you hated Glee! You complain about it all the time!" And while it is true that I rant about all the probs I have with Glee, you guys also probably realize that I do enjoy the show, quite a bit, and I watch it every week despite my cantankerousness about it.

Sure, there are shows that I can't stand to watch, but they're mainly Disney Channel Originals, like..."Wizards of Waverly Place" and "Hannah Montana". And I watched one episode of "J.O.N.A.S." or whatever that show with the Jo-bros was called, and it was absolutely despicable.

I also really cannot stand "Ed, Ed, and Eddy" that was (is?) on Cartoon Network...but there's a lot of horrendous shows up there too. Nickelodeon has gone super downhill in the past few years, the only good show on there these days is "Spongebob" though I also find myself laughing at "iCarly". I don't enjoy it, but I laugh. ;)

But even through all of those shows, there's not one that I want to single out and crush (which I could do for any of them, believe me) because...they didn't do anything wrong except be what they are for their target audience. That sounds hypocritically moral but what can I say? Sure, there's shows I dislike, but hate is such a strong word.

Think of me as the kind of person who is able to find enjoyment in even the worst of entertainment...mainly because I laugh at it so hard.

2009: The Official Top Ten

Finishing off my reminiscences upon 2009, I'm doing my official top 10 of last year. I did a huge post on this earlier this year on my other blog, but I consider it somewhat premature since at the time I hadn't seen a lot of amazing films from the year. Anyway, here you go!

10. Fantastic Mr. Fox
9. An Education
8. Avatar
7. Coraline
6. Up
5. In The Loop
4. The Hurt Locker
3. The White Ribbon
2. (500) Days of Summer
1. Inglourious Basterds

Comment below on your faves from 2009!

TV Meme Day 4: My Favorite Show Ever!

When thinking of television shows that I'd call my "favorite", there is one that easily takes the cake, and that show is Spongebob Squarepants. Seriously, people! :P

A huge part of the reason that I love Spongebob is because I'm the PERFECT age to have fallen in love with the show. I was an impressionable 7 when the show premiered in 1999 (I actually vividly remember watching the first episode), and as I grow up, the show seems to as well.

I'm not going to describe what Spongebob is about, because you should all already know. :) But, it's just an amazing show. The hilarious cast of characters, like Patrick, Squidward, Sandy, Mr. Krabs, and plankton, led by Mr. Squarepants himself of course, is always irresistibly charming. And, Tom Kenny's voiceover work for Spongebob is probably one of the most influential voice-acting jobs ever.

One of the most impressive accomplishments of Spongebob is that it appeals to such a wide audience. I know that not find it funny, but it's a show that appeals to adults with wry and subtle mature humor, while its colorful jokes and characters appeal to even the youngest of kids. As I said before, it's a show that "grew up with me" - I can really watch any episode and find something new to laugh at every time.

Not to mention the fact that I've often noticed discreet social commentary in episodes of Spongebob. For example, the "Grandma's Kisses" episode is an interesting look at familial-social relationships, and the episode "Jellyfish Hunter" takes an unforgiving look at what is certainly a parallel to factory farming. Whether these messages are intentional or not, they still exist and add an entirely new dimension to the hilarity.

Perhaps Spongebob Squarepants seems like an immature choice for my FAVE SHOW EVER OMG but I absolutely can NOT deny that it is. I've loved it ever since I first saw it ten years ago and I'm sure that I'll continue loving it for years to come.

Fascinating Read!

THIS is the first of a five part series about Hayao Miyazaki. Naturally, I'm interested. I haven't gotten to read the entire thing yet because it's a bit late but I can't wait to complete it...the man is a genius.

Now Playing: Shrek Forever After

There is really very little to be said about this movie. It was extremely enjoyable, though it wasn't quite as funny as the other three. Nonetheless! It gave me moments of extreme laughter, and it was a lot of fun to see. I almost want to say that it didn't quite feel like...the end of a series. There was something about the movie that just didn't seem...epic enough, I suppose. The real standout of this film was Walt Dohrn, who voiced Rumpelstiltskin - the best voice acting I've seen since Jennifer Cody in Princess and the Frog! I was shocked to see him also credited as "Head of Story"...that's really interesting. Anyway, he was just perfect in this role - whimsical, great comedic timing, over the top (which I love in voice acting), and just mind blowing. Anyway, I suppose I actually did say a lot about this movie...it's a ton of fun, not the best in the series by any means, but still nice and very cute. Incidentally, I was extremely disappointed by the smallness of Jane Lynch's role. ;)

7/10

Aww, Teehee!

Via My Mom is a Fob...

Me: Hey mom, do you want to go see How to Train a Dragon?
Mom: Why? I don’t have dragon!?
Me: Mom, it’s a movie…
Mom: So? I still don’t have dragon!

Hehe. Anyway, How to Train Your Dragon is still the best movie I've seen so far this year!

Paprika (2006)

As a huge fan of anime and Japanese cinema in general, Satoshi Kon is a director that really intrigues me. "Paprika" is Kon's most recent feature film, and in it he has perfected the non-linear narrative and lush visual design that he showed in earlier films such as the masterpiece "Millenium Actress".

It's useless to try to describe the plot of "Paprika". There is one, a rather obvious one, that revolves around the theft of a machine that allows the user to enter people's dreams. The titular Paprika is the alter ego of a researcher who is working on the device. However, this movie is not about plot. Really, the storyline is simply a device used to procure the visual mastery that the film exhibits.

And what a spectacle it is! The film is constantly spinning in and out of dream sequences (half the time you don't know whether it's dream or reality) and from the very opening sequence where Paprika is running through the city shifting in and out of images, Kon exhibits a virtuosic command of the visuals. Color and symbolism are used to create excitement and suspense, and often times the visuals are extremely frightening, as though the viewer is experiencing the nightmares of the characters.

The music is also pretty perfect - the technological score by Susumu Hirosawa is perfectly fitted for this futuristic thriller. All of the technical aspects of the film are weaved together brilliantly to create the dreamlike tone of the film.

Perhaps the film ends a bit too soon, and the pacing is not always perfect, but despite being confused I was never alienated from the action and always felt like I knew what was going on. It was basically like a dream: nothing is normal but it all feels so right.

I don't necessarily love "Paprika" as much as Kon's other works (especially "Millenium Actress") but with this film he has created an exciting and nearly perfect study of dreams and of the human mind, accented by visual spectacles and ridiculously awesome music.

9/10

Oooooh!!!

I am so excited right now! I thought I was going to have to wait at least a year or so before Tomm Moore, the director of the lovely "The Secret of Kells", would announce anything about a second film. However, thanks to In Contention, I have been proven incorrect! Apparently, Moore is already knee deep on his next movie, which is called "Song of the Sea". I love alternative animation like this and seeing some of this footage that has been released (embedded below) it looks like it will be quite nice.

Song Of The Sea - Conceptual Trailer from Cartoon Saloon on Vimeo.