Movie Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

1986
PG-13

You can watch the trailer here

You know me - I'm always down for a good musical comedy, and Frank Oz's Little Shop of Horrors does not disappoint.

We open on a rundown horticultural shop in the skid row part of town where lifelong poorboy Seymour (Rick Moranis) is the chief horticulturalist. He constantly fantasizes and chases after his coworker Audrey (Ellen Greene) who happens to be in an abusive relationship with sadistic dentist Orin (Steve Martin). Seymour has slowly been nursing an unidentified plant that he aptly names "Audrey II" but quickly learns that it can only survive with a constant supply of human blood. As Audrey II continues to grow, Seymour also finds that it can speak (voicework by Levi Stubbs), and it starts to demand to be fed. Seymour finds ways to keep Audrey II satisfied while dealing with the pressure of the new-found fame he has garnered from the survival of this astonishing plant.

When you've got a movie about a human-eating plant, you might have some precautions going in; however, do not be afraid! I think you'll be just as surprised as I was. I've known about this movie for ages with it initially attracting my interest during my drama days in high school. So many of those theater geeks - I say that with as much love as possible - were obsessed with this flick and the off-Broadway show from which it stemmed that I was hard-pressed not to hear about it on a regular basis. However, I never took the time to give it a shot until today, and I am thoroughly impressed. Yes, it's a little bit geeky and dorky, but the story is still quite charming, and it's going to grab you and never let go.

The acting (slash singing) is also quite impeccable, especially from Moranis. Yes, he's usually a bit of a spaz in his roles, but in this one he tones it down a little bit while turning up the pipes. He's not the most amazing singer, but he definitely surprised me with his vocal performance. Greene also does a fantastic job with her role, giving Audrey a very unique voice. I don't think enough can be said about the Elvis Presley-like hilarity that Steve Martin brings to the screen - you'll be rolling with laughter whenever he graces the screen. Oh, and what can I say about some of the brilliant cameos thrown in here and there? Jim Belushi and John Candy are both very good, but a downright brilliant Bill Murray almost steals the show with his couple minutes of glory in this film. And enough can't be said for the voice work from Stubbs who brings a life to Audrey II that's both hilarious and, at times, quite creepy.

As good as everything else is, the music is really what holds Little Shop of Horrors together. I was a little apprehensive with some of the early songs, but once we had some solo and duet numbers, I was totally hooked. I think you've gotta give "Suddenly, Seymour" and "Mean Green Mother from Outerspace" (which nabbed an Oscar nom) credit as two of the best songs in the film, but then again, that could just be me and my personal preference. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman certainly did a fantastic job with the music for this film. I'm tempted to go buy the soundtrack right now, if that means anything.

As much as I've praised this film, I'm sure that it's really only for a select group of people. I can think of quite a few of my friends who would probably hate it, but I guess you can say that about most movies. Personally, I loved Little Shop of Horrors, and I would highly recommend it to anybody who'd be interested in watching a musical about a man-eating plant.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: A
Current All-Time Rank: Best - #119
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Movie Review: THE DARK CRYSTAL

THE DARK CRYSTAL

1982
PG


You can watch the trailer here

I used to think that Jim Henson could do no wrong. All of those movies and television shows based around the Muppets led me to believe that he was full of original ideas. I mean, as lame as it may sound, Muppet Treasure Island is one of my favorite movies. And while The Dark Crystal is definitely original in its production, it leaves a lot to be desired as entertainment.

Our story centers around a Gelfling named Jen (voiced by Henson) who lives on a world far from our own. His world is ruled by an evil band of creatures known as Skeksis who are waiting for the planet's three suns to align because it will give them immortality. Jen is supposedly the last Gelfling on the planet, making him the one prophesied to end the Skeksis's rule. He is sent to find a crystal shard that he will reunite with the dark crystal at the Skeksis's castle, thus ending their control over the planet. Along the way, Jen meets another Gelfling named Kira (voiced by Kathryn Mullen), and the two band together to complete Jen's quest.

When this film was released in 1982, it was promoted as a family film directed towards children. When you take into account that Jim Henson helmed the movie (in collaboration with Frank Oz), one can assume that a fun, lighthearted family film would be the final result. However, The Dark Crystal takes after its namesake and proves to be rather, well, dark. It ultimately seemed more geared towards adults than to children. Some of the creatures probably proved terribly frightening to children sitting in a theater.

The movie is your basic action-adventure story, and I felt like I had seen it all before. Sure, the characters and creatures are as original as they come, but I couldn't help but feel like Henson stole quite a bit from Tolkien. I mean, a quest to return an object to the place it was formed? Sounds a little hobbit-ish to me.

Most of the puppets are rather incredible to see, even if it's oh so obvious that they're puppets. Still, the movements are pretty lifelike. Many of the creatures in the film are quite complex, but none are more so than the Skeksis themselves; they're quite a sight to behold. I did, however, have issue with the our two lead Gelflings. Whereas every other creature, either or big small, has some capacity for showing emotion, the Gelfling puppets seem stoic at best. Their faces do not move, and I couldn't get any sense of emotion from them whatsoever. Normally I'd say that's normal with a puppet, but considering the fantastic job Henson did with every other creature, you would think he'd devote as much love and care for the "stars" of the film.

Overall, the film is innovative and should be commended for the time and effort it must have taken to create such complex puppets and scenery. However, when it comes to basic storytelling, the movie fails on every measure, creating a boring, lifeless film that leaves a lot to be desired.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: D+
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