Movie Review: ROCK OF AGES

ROCK OF AGES

2012

PG-13

"This place is about to become a sea of sweat, ear-shattering music and puke."

-- Dennis Dupree

Rock of Ages is a 2012 dramatic musical film directed by Adam Shankman that serves as a big-screen adaptation of the off-Broadway musical of the same name. The film opens in 1987 with Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough) on a bus from her native Oklahoma to Los Angeles, where she hopes to find fame and fortune. Shortly after arriving, however, she's mugged and finds herself lost and nearly penniless. Enter young aspiring singer Drew Boley (Diego Boneta) who manages to get her a job at a popular nightclub called The Bourbon Room. The famed venue, however, has hit a recent string of financial troubles, and owner Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin) and his partner Lonny (Russell Brand) are desperately trying to keep the Bourbon Room afloat all while dealing with the ultra-right-wing wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) of the city mayor. In a bit of luck, they manage to book the final performance of a band called Arsenal, which is fronted by superstar rocker Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise). As the night of the massive performance draws near, however, relationships between each of the characters begin to strain, causing a massage amount of upheaval inside The Bourbon Room.

I would like to start by saying that, while I have long wanted to see Rock of Ages in its stage incarnation, I have never had the opportunity. Therefore, I went into the film version a little bit blind, seeing the storyline for the first time. All I knew entering the film was that it was all about rock 'n roll and that Tom Cruise was supposedly going to sing. And always being up for a bit of rock music, I figured I'd have a excellent time. Cue the "Bill & Ted" guitar riff.

Unfortunately, Rock of Ages is missing a few notes here and there. One of the biggest problems with the film is that we're getting a rather humdrum screenplay that's about as predictable as you can get. From the opening scene, we know exactly what direction the film is headed, and that takes a little bit away from the film. If the audience knows how the film's going to end, then what's the point of enjoying the ride? Sometimes the ride is enough to keep a viewer engaged, but if we're simply going off the storyline and the plot devices, then Rock of Ages is sinking, and sinking fast.

Also, we're not getting a ton of help from the cast, at least in terms of their acting. Despite the fact that the film holds an all-star cast, I couldn't really find anything terribly redeeming about the acting portion of the performances. Our film's leads - Hough and Boneta - are both a little too laughable from time to time, and they manage to chew the scenery just a little too much. Cruise is decent, but it's nowhere near his best on-screen role. And to be honest, it was a little bit strange seeing him portray sexual rock 'n roll god. He's never been an overt sex symbol during his career, and to have him try to bring that to the table at his current age just seems a little bit weird. We get a bit of nice interplay between Brand and Baldwin, who probably offer the film's best performances. And still, they're only serviceable. Even great actors like Paul Giamatti and Bryan Cranston can't bring this film any higher. Also be on the watch for decent bit pieces from Malin Akerman and Mary J. Blige, as well as cameos from Will Forte, Eli Roth and T.J. Miller.

Now, I only said that the acting portions of the cast's performances were a little lackluster. Where Rock of Ages does manage to excel is in its soundtrack, and each of the performers brings their A-game for that part of the film. I was thoroughly impressed with Hough and Boneta as our stars, and even Cruise manages to bust out a few songs relatively well. Brand, as you may already know, is a fantastic singer, and his bits are glorious indeed. Even Baldwin and Giamatti manage to sing a few lines here and there, and it works to a nice effect. However, the real glory I think belongs to Boneta, who proves to be - arguably - the best singer of the bunch, and he has some of the most opportunity to belt it out. He even manages to overshadow Hough, which is surprising considering she's also very good. Overall, the soundtrack is fantastic, and I thought that some of the song mash-ups worked relatively well.

At the end of the day, however, Rock of Ages simply isn't that great of a film. It has a shoddy screenplay and weak character development, and normally, that would be enough to doom any movie. However, with a stellar soundtrack like this one has, it's tough not to have fun with Rock of Ages. Anyone who's a fan of this particular genre of rock 'n roll is going to get caught up in the emotion of the songs, and that might lead a viewer to believe they're having an emotional connection with the film. I'd bet that won't be the case, seeing as if you take away the music, then this film's about as devoid of emotion as you can get. It's the music that proves to be the glue in the film, keeping it together just long enough to keep the audience entertained from start to finish.

Movie Review Summary

Grade: C

Should You Watch It? Maybe

Movie Review: SONG OF THE SOUTH

SONG OF THE SOUTH

1946

G

"Johnny didn't mean no harm. He was just tryin' to be like Br'er Rabbit."

-- Uncle Remus

Song of the South is a 1946 Disney film directed by Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson that blends live action with traditional animation. It tells the story of a young boy named Johnny (Bobby Driscoll) who thinks he's going on vacation to his grandmother's plantation. Once his family arrives, however, he learns that only he and his mother Sally (Ruth Warrick) are staying while his father (Erik Rolf) must return to Atlanta for work. Distraught by his father's sudden departure, Johnny decides to run away and make his way back home to Atlanta. As he tries to leave the plantation, however, he stumbles across an elderly African-American gentleman named Uncle Remus (James Baskett), who is known by all for his comical but enlightening tales. He begins to tell Johnny stories about a time long ago, when real folks and "critters" lived in harmony. Through these stories, Johnny starts to learn valuable life lessons, but his mother isn't terribly keen about Uncle Remus filling Johnny's head with these fanciful stories, beneficial as they may seem.

For years and years, Song of the South has been the seeming black mark on the face of Disney films. Although they've had their share of so-so films in the past, there has been nothing to measure up to the controversy surrounding this particular film. The negative publicity towards Song of the South has reached such an uproar that Disney has refused to release the film on any type of home viewing medium since the film was re-released in theaters in 1986. Since that time, it has been nearly impossible to find any copy of the film (although, sources have informed me that DVD copies of the film are available for purchase in England and Japan; I cannot, however, prove these rumors to be true). In today's day and age, most people's most direct contact with the Song of the South story matter comes from the log flume attraction Splash Mountain, located at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, and Tokyo Disneyland in Japan. For years, I've wanted to see Song of the South to see just how terribly controversial it might be, and today proved to be the opportunity I had always wanted. So let's talk about it, shall we?

The first thing I want to say is this: I loved Song of the South. While I have always been and will always be a bit of a Disney fanatic and shame-lacking apologist, I do have to admit I am a bit biased; however, I do have to say that the film proved to be both entertaining and visually beautiful. I will discuss my opinions about the controversial aspects of this film, but I want to talk about its merits first, if you don't mind.

I think it's best to start with the technical aspects of this film. As one of the first major motion pictures to feature both live-action film and animation, Song of the South can easily be considered groundbreaking. Since this time, the use of both animation and live-action has been utilized on a number of occasions, ranging from tiny snippets here and there to films full-blown with the blend such as 1988's Who Framed Roger Rabbit. However, I do have to say that, despite its old age and early technology, Song of the South provides some of the most seamless animation and live-action blending I've ever seen. On three separate occasions, we delve into a world of animation in which Uncle Remus often times enters himself, and this effect alone is worth praise. However, I was most blown away by the film's finale, in which a number of the animated characters come to life in the live-action sequences. It's so well-done that it'll have you believing they just shot it that way and happened to have some very colorful critters bouncing around on that sunny day. So, kudos to the animators who helped bring this film to life.

The film's screenplay also manages to offer quite a bit of delight. It's a simple tale about a boy struggling with the idea of an absent father, and in his stead, he finds a mentor and friend in Uncle Remus, who proceeds to tell him a number of fanciful stories that are meant both to entertain and to teach. Where the screenplay succeeds, however, is in taking these stories and bringing them into Johnny's everyday life. We as the audience see him learn and adapt his behavior based off these tales, and it's these parallels that bring the screenplay from a "good" one to a "great" one.

The acting in the film is also relatively good, considering the type of film we're receiving. Baskett is great as Uncle Remus, sticking with the character from start to finish (Fun Fact: Baskett also provides the vocal performance for the clever Br'er Fox in his stories). Driscoll is serviceable as our leading child actor, although I can see where some viewers might get a little annoyed by him. The rest of the cast fills out nicely, and it's nice to see Hattie McDaniel, even if she's in a limited role.

One of the best things about the film is the music. It's billed as a musical, so Song of the South has to deliver on that particular front, and it certainly does not disappoint. Now, everybody knows the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," but many won't know that it actually took home the Oscar statuette for Best Original Song in 1947. And fans of the Splash Mountain attractions will recognize songs like "How Do You Do?" and "Everybody's Got a Laughing Place." All in all, the soundtrack proves to be fantastic, and all the songs are catchy and are sure to put a smile on your face.

And now, for the controversy. Opponents of this film have often claimed that Song of the South portrays a prejudiced view of African-Americans. The film takes place in the South during a time when slavery was still legal, so it is safe to assume that each of the black actors in the film is, in fact, a slave on the plantation. At times, this can be difficult to remember because of the relationship between the white and the black characters. In nearly every other film that deals with the subject of slavery in the United States, we see a bigoted Caucasian family hatefully driving work from their African-American slaves, all the while standing high above them. Song of the South instead offers a tale where the two races seemingly stand on equal footing, with everyone generally getting along. And that's where some of the controversy has started. Even in 1946, when the film was first released, these ideas were brought to the forefront. One of the heads of the NAACP at the time wrote that the film "unfortunately gives the impression of an idyllic master-slave relationship which is a distortion of the facts." In addition, it has often been claimed that the performances by the black actors are incredibly stereotypical, and for this, the film has been often criticized.

I stand here now to tell you two things: first, I agree with all of the racial issues I have just mentioned, and second, I'm not sure any of it is really that much of a problem. While I can plainly see where the issues might arise, I think that all of this film's opponents are reaching a tad too far into their over-analysis of the film. Yes, there are definitely some stereotypes tossed around here and there, but I think the fact that Disney took the chance to put the African-American characters on equal footing with the white characters is quite a testament in and of itself. For a film to do that in the 1940s is entirely unheard of, and I think that Disney should be commended for the effort. Disney films have always tried to create ideal cinematic worlds, so why shouldn't one of their first major forays into the live-action genre do the same? There's never a sense of hatred or bigotry in the story's telling, so the fact that so many people read that into the story is a terrible notion. The fact that it's been done so much that Disney simply will not release the film is a tragedy.

At the end of the day, Song of the South is a beautifully-crafted film that proves to be entertaining and engaging. While the stigmas of the controversy are sure to swirl around this film until the end of time, I honestly don't think that it's as bad as all the critics make it out to be. I think there's a lot of fun to be had with this film, and if you can find yourself a copy, do yourself a favor and give it a view.

Movie Review Summary

Grade: B+

Should You Watch It? Yes

Movie Review: THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

1993
PG


"Are you a gambling man, Santa?"
-- Oogie Boogie

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 animated film directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton. It tells the story of when holidays collide, clashing the haunted holiday of Halloween with the joy and peace-ridden holiday of Christmas. In the ancient holiday world of Halloweentown, there lives the Jack Skellington (voiced by Chris Sarandon, sung by Danny Elfman) who has become tired of his age-old holiday. As he ventures into the wilderness, he stumbles upon the portals to the other holiday worlds and soon finds himself in Christmastown. Seeing the beauty of the land, he decides to bring some Christmas cheer back to his own town, telling the townsfolk that they are going to take over Christmas this year. They start to prepare their own creepy versions of gifts for all the boys and girls, and they even go as far as to steal the horrible "Sandy Claws" (voiced by Edward Ivory) to keep him from ruining their plans. Unfortunately, Santa is delivered to the incredibly evil Oogie Boogie (voiced by Ken Page), who hopes to make a ruckus of his own.

I was five years old when this film first hit theaters back in 1993, and my earliest memory of the movie was how terrified I was of the trailers I saw in the months leading up to its release. As a young child, the images of terrifying presents on Christmas morning scared me beyond belief. It scared me so badly that I never actually saw the film until a few years ago. And from the moment I first saw the film, I can honestly say that it's one of the most brilliant animated films I've had the pleasure to see in my lifetime.

Let's start with the screenplay. If you're looking for an original story, this one's about as original as they come. Essentially, the monsters from Halloweentown attempt to steal Christmas from the inhabitants of Christmastown in order to add their own dash of holiday cheer. In the time that they spend preparing for the Christmas holiday, the film goes through nearly every Christmas cliché you can possibly imagine and turns it on its ear. Even the film's title is a play on an age-old Christmas tradition: the story "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." At the same time, we're getting a sub-plot of a love story between Jack and a "woman" named Sally (voiced by Catherine O'Hara) as well as a continued predicament with the aforementioned villain, Oogie Boogie, who ranks as one of my all-time favorite cinematic villains. The blending of these intertwining stories puts this screenplay above and beyond your average Christmas, or even your average animated, film.

Our voice acting is also above par, and while no one's truly standing out from the rest, I think part of that has to do with the fact that each and every character's voice fits them so perfectly that there's no one who could truly stand above the rest. Obviously, the collaboration between Sarandon and Elfman to bring Jack to life is simply astounding, but we're also getting some fantastic voice work from the likes of Page and William Hickey, who voices Dr. Finklestein, who plays an integral part of the story.

I think what's truly great about The Nightmare Before Christmas, however, are some of its intangibles. For example, the stop-motion animation is top-notch, and I'd argue that stop-motion wasn't used as effectively again until 2009's Coraline, which was also a Selick/Burton collaboration. The special effects are so good in this film that the earned it an Academy Award nomination in that category (it ultimately lost to Jurassic Park). So if you're not wowed by anything else, at least appreciate the fact that you're seeing an entirely visually pleasing film.

Also, some mention needs to be made of the soundtrack, especially considering this film is a musical. There's two facets to the soundtrack that should be mentioned. First, Elfman's orchestral score is simply beautiful in its own way. Here's a snippet of the score for those of you unfamiliar:

In addition to the orchestral score, we're getting a slew of fantastic original songs to accentuate the film's story. Be on the listen for songs like "Jack's Lament," "What's This?," "Kidnap the Sandy Claws," and my personal favorite, "Oogie Boogie's Song," shown below:

Ultimately, The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the best animated films I've ever had the pleasure to see, and it's made such a lasting impact on the cinematic landscape that it manages to be re-released every October for a limited span, and people continue to flock to the theaters to see it. It's an annual must-see for me, as I watch it at least once between Halloween and Christmas, just to get my fix. If you haven't had an opportunity to see the film, I strongly suggest you do so this holiday season. I'm almost positive you'll love it.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: A+
2 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL

THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL

1992
G


"If I could work my will, every idiot who goes around with a 'Merry Christmas' on his lips would be cooked with his own turkey and buried with a stake of holly through his heart."
-- Ebenezer Scrooge

The Muppet Christmas Carol is a 1992 comedy film directed by Brian Henson that serves as the Muppets' retelling of the classic Charles Dickens tale. The Great Gonzo (voiced by Dave Goelz) serves as our narrator as he tells us the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine), the meanest man in the city of London who has no time for the Christmas holiday. One early Christmas morning, he is visited by the ghosts of his old partners Jacob and Robert Marley (Waldorf and Statler, respectively), who tell Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits during the middle of the night. The first, the Ghost of Christmas Past, shows him his boyhood memories and the tale of love lost. Then, he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Present, who shows Scrooge the family of his top employee Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog) as they celebrate the holiday the best they can despite their poverty. Finally, Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, who shows him what lie ahead in his life should he refrain from changing his ways.

Because there has been so many different incarnations of Dickens's classic tale, I had quite a difficult time deciding which I wanted to watch this holiday season. However, I finally made the decision on the Muppet's version considering I ran across a cheap copy of the DVD a few months ago and had to pick it up. With it being so conveniently available in my own personal collection, I had no choice but to give this one a view. While I know I've seen this film before, it must've been years and years ago when I actually had the opportunity to watch it all the way through. And having just watched the new Muppets film last night, I thought now would be as good a time as any to re-watch this one.

Because this is such a classic tale, it's difficult to decide whether the screenplay actually works all that well without comparing it to the other Christmas Carol films I've seen in the past. The story itself is the basic story we've all grown to know and love, but having the Muppets in the film just seems to make it all the more jolly and fun. However, there doesn't seem to be much of a Muppet emphasis, so to speak. In a sense, it's almost as though the Muppets are regular actors portraying the characters from the story rather than having them be incorporated into the story itself. Each character - except for Rizzo the Rat - embodies a character from the story rather than their own personality. I suppose I was just hoping that the filmmakers might add a Muppet touch to the story, but instead, we're just getting the story as told by Muppets. I hope I've made all that clear.

The acting is actually pretty good considering the type of fare we're receiving. To be fair, the Muppets are the Muppets, so the only real "actor" otherwise in the film is Michael Caine. However, he turns in a splendid performance as the miserly old Ebenezer, and his transformation from hardened old man to joyous lover of life is truly splendid to behold.

The film is also a musical, as the Muppets movies generally are, and we're getting a couple decent original songs throughout the movie. Be on the listen for the opening number entitled "Scrooge," as well as the songs "One More Sleep 'Til Christmas" and "When Love Is Gone," which plays almost like the film's theme.

Ultimately, The Muppet Christmas Carol is a fine retelling of a wonderful holiday classic. Even though the Muppets don't necessarily take over the film, it's still nice to see them grace the screen. If anything, this film should serve as a fantastic entry into the story for younger audiences, who will enjoy the characters and the music. Perhaps it will help them get into the story and, ultimately, into higher forms of literature from there. I suppose we can only hope.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: B
1.5 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: THE MUPPETS

THE MUPPETS

2011
PG


"No drums! No drums! Jack Black said no drums!"
-- Animal

The Muppets is a 2011 comedy film directed by James Bobin that serves as the first theatrically-released Muppets film in twelve years. This film tells the story of a young man/Muppet named Walter (voiced by Peter Linz) who dreams of one day making his way to the Muppet Studios to meet his heroes and idols from "The Muppet Show." When his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary's longtime girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) decide to make their way to Los Angeles for their tenth anniversary, they allow Walter to tag along as they plan to visit the Muppet Studios. When they arrive, however, they find the Studios broken down and deserted, and Walter unwittingly hears of a nefarious plot for oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to tear down the Studios so that he can drill for oil beneath it. The only way to stop him is to raise ten million dollars before the Muppets' contract expires, so, with the help of Kermit the Frog (voiced by Steve Whitmire), the group rounds up the old gang to put on one last show in an attempt to save their old studio from total destruction.

I have to say that when I first heard about a new Muppets film, I wasn't quite sure exactly what I should be expecting. It had been so long since their last theatrical endeavor (1999's Muppets from Space) that it almost felt as though the idea of the Muppets had grown a little stale. However, with a fantastic ad campaign that saw the Muppets filmmakers ripping on trailers from other films this year, I started to get a little bit excited about the prospect. Then the film opened to universally positive reviews - it currently holds a 97% approval rating on Rottentomatoes.com - so it was only a matter of time until I could find myself sitting in a theater waiting to see the movie.

(On a quick side note, I do have to mention the short film - Small Fry - that plays just before the feature-length film. It uses the characters from the Toy Story films and gives us a little glimpse at one of their most recent escapades. It's a fun little film that sets the mood quite well going into our Muppet adventure.)

And now for my actual review. I honestly don't know exactly where to start, so I suppose I'll start with the screenplay, as I often do. Segel partnered with Nicholas Stoller to bring this Muppet adventure to life, and boy, what a doozy did they create. They gave us a Muppet film that pulls at the heartstrings and brings a certain level of drama to the comedy-centric characters we've already grown to know and love. Had they simply made the story about the Muppets attempting to save their old studio, I think the level of nostalgia audiences would have felt would have been enough to make this movie succeed; however, there's so much more working on an even deeper level in this particular film. With the introduction of the new Muppet Walter, we also have to learn about his backstory, and his entire character arc alone is enough to make this movie a sentimental favorite. Add the fact that Segel's character Gary as well as Kermit the Frog also undergo massive arcs, and you've got the makings of a heavy-handed weep-fest that's going to leave you emotionally drained. Fortunately, the comedy comes in droves as well, and the balance that the filmmakers have created between the comedy and the drama is so well-placed that the audience is able to be thoroughly entertained all while going through the necessary emotions. For the comedy, we do have quite a bit of slapstick and gag humor (it wouldn't be a Muppet movie without it), but the dialogue is also crisp and refreshingly original, making this an all-together great screenplay that, although a tad bit predictable, still managed to hook me into the overlapping storylines. But I think what's best about the screenplay is that it's the Muppets taking a serious look at themselves. It's been a long time since they've been in the limelight, and that's the problem they find themselves facing in this film. It's all very metatheatrical, and it plays off surprisingly well considering the type of fare we're used to seeing from these guys. Kudos, Segel and Stoller. You've created a fantastic screenplay here.

And now, for the acting. Let's start with the Muppets themselves, shall we? The Muppets themselves are the same characters they've been for years, and having them on-screen brings so much nostalgia that you can forgive the fact that most of the main Muppets don't really sound the way they once did. To be fair, you could always chalk that up to the fact that they're "aging," but the change in the sound of some of their voices is rather blatant. The addition of Walter is a pleasant surprise, and he and Jason Segel play off one another well. Walter is a Muppet raised in a human environment, so you can imagine where his character arc is going to lie. Segel and Adams are fantastic, playing their parts to an absolute tee, and I even have to give Chris Cooper a lot of credit for the work he did as our villain. I can't imagine anyone truly wanting to play the villain in a Muppet movie (unless you're Tim Curry in 1996's Muppet Treasure Island), but he pulled it off exceptionally well.

However, the real thing you're going to notice in terms of acting is the massive amount of cameo appearances we're getting throughout the film. While some are longer than others, it's a little bit astounding at the caliber of people they got to be in this flick. Jack Black plays a larger, and ultimately rather important, part of the story, but I would still consider his performance more of a cameo than anything else. Rashida Jones plays the television executive who gives the Muppets the opportunity to put on their telethon, and like Black, her role is a bit larger but still nothing more than an extended cameo. Also be on the lookout for the likes of Alan Arkin, Ken Jeong, Jim Parsons, Kristen Schaal, Sarah Silverman, Donald Glover, Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Dave Grohl, Neil Patrick Harris, John Krasinski, Judd Hirsch, Mickey Rooney, and Zach Galifianakis.

One other reason this film proves to be so fantastic is the fact that we're getting an absolutely stellar soundtrack to set the tone of the film. While we're getting some fantastic '80s music (such as the "We Built This City" and "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" and some classic Muppets fare like their theme song and "Rainbow Connection," we're also getting some fantastic original music. Of the new music, I'd have to say my personal favorites are "Life's a Happy Song," "Pictures in My Head" and "Man or Muppet," which you can listen to below. I'd be shocked if this film doesn't score at least one Academy Award nomination for one of these songs, but I suppose we'll just have to wait and see.

To put it plainly, The Muppets is fantastic. It's a return to the glory days of Muppet films old, and it returns in such a manner that it should only be a matter of time until we see another Muppet film, be it a sequel or another Muppet-centric work. I'd just be shocked if this, their most shining moment, proved to be their last. This is easily one of the most entertaining films you're bound to see this holiday season, so if you haven't had a chance to see it yet, drop what you're doing and head to a theater. I know I'll be taking it in again sometime very soon.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: A
2 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN

SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN

1970
Not Rated


"Watch out for that dolly. She's a hardened criminal, I hear."
-- Kris Kringle

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town is a made-for-television animated film directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass that tells the story of Santa Claus. The film opens with postal carrier (voiced by Fred Astaire) serving as our narrator as he tells us of the origins of Santa Claus. According to him, an infant Claus was left on the doorstep of the evil Burgermeister Meisterburger (voiced by Paul Frees) who immediately had the baby sent away. He ended up with a family of elves known as the Kringles who spent their entire lives making toys the could not deliver to children because the Winter Warlock (voiced by Keenan Wynn) prevented their passage across the mountain. The elves took the child as their own and named him Kris (voiced by Mickey Rooney), who vowed to take the toys across the mountain once he was strong enough to make the trek. He took the toys to the town of Meisterburger, who had outlawed toys of all kinds. As the evil lord continued to prevent Kris's ability to deliver the toys, he began to think of more and more innovative ways to succeed in his plans.

I know that I've seen this movie at some point over the years, but I figured I'd give it another go this holiday season. Considering how much I love 1964's Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I thought I might find a way to like this one just as much. It's made in the same way as the Rudolph, but despite the likability of the film, it just didn't quite resonate with me in the same manner that the former film did.

The screenplay offers an interesting tale as to the origins of good old Saint Nick. I don't know whether it's the accepted story behind his origins (although I'm sure there are dozens of stories that some would claim to be the true story), but it's an interesting look nonetheless. The writers were able to place a lot of Christmas song-infused references into the dialogue, so if there's anything to look forward to, it's that bit of wordplay here and there. In the end, the story is satisfying, and the fact that it's told to us by Fred Astaire is definitely a plus.

Strangely enough, my biggest issue with the film was the use of some of the songs. While some of the songs - such as "The First Toymakers to the King" and "Be Prepared to Pay" - seemed to fit the message and the tone of the film, there were a couple - namely, "One Foot in Front of the Other" and "My World Is Beginning Today" - that just seemed terribly out of place. They were so glaringly out there that they took me out of the film's flow. The orchestral score worked well enough, but the musical numbers were just a little too off-kilter to keep me interested and engaged.

Still, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town is a classic TV special that is sure to warm the hearts of millions this holiday season. While it's not quite at the level of Rudolph, it will still manage to leave a lasting impact on the Christmas season. Just don't go in expecting the greatest television event you'll ever see. That would be quite disastrous.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: C+
1 Thumb Up

Movie Review: RIO

RIO

2011
G

Rio is a 2011 animated film directed by Carlos Saldanha that focuses on the last two blue macaws left on the planet. After Blu (voiced by Jesse Eisenberg) is taken from his jungle home, he finds himself in the ownership of a young Minnesota woman named Linda (voiced by Leslie Mann). The two live a carefree existence as companions until a Brazilian ornithologist named Tulio (voiced by Rodrigo Santoro) finds them and tells them that Blu is the last male of his species. After some convincing, Linda agrees to take Blu to Rio de Janeiro where Tulio's office is located. Once there, he attempts to get Blu to mate with his female blue macaw, Jewel (voiced by Anne Hathaway). Before they can do so, however, the two macaws are stolen by smugglers. While the humans desperately try to find them, Blu and Jewel attempt to escape from their captors, including a cockatoo named Nigel (voiced by Jemaine Clement). Once they're free, they must continue to elude re-capture and do so with the help of a toucan named Rafael (voiced by George Lopez) and two smaller birds named Pedro (voiced by Will i Am) and Nico (voiced by Jamie Foxx).

For the most part, we're given a pretty standard and predictable story. As soon as everything is set into motion, it's hard not to guess how the film will ultimately end. I mean, it's a kid's movie - it's not like the birds are going to get offed halfway through, leaving room for a political statement about how we should all respect the environment and the creatures living within it (although the "respect the environment" bit worked extremely well in a little movie called WALL-E). No, there's no over-arching and heavy-handed work here. We just have your basic story of "boy meets girl, girl hates boy, girl learns to love boy," etc., etc., etc. So there's really not much there to surprise you.

As a certain Captain Jack Sparrow said only a few days ago in his newest film, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, "it's not the destination so much as the journey." With a lot of kid's movies nowadays, it's very easy to figure out where we're going to end - the reason the good ones stand apart is because they offer something new and fresh in the time it takes us to reach that logical conclusion. While the storyline is pretty standard, the "freshness" of Rio comes from some of the film's aspects - namely, the voice acting and the musical composition.

Let's start with the actors. Eisenberg and Hathaway are decent as our leads, although I personally had a little bit of trouble listening to Eisenberg without thinking of any of his live-action performances. All I could see was Mark Zuckerberg trapped inside a bird's body, and it was a tad bit off-putting for the first half hour or so. However, the great vocal performances come from the supporting crew. Will i Am and Jamie Foxx steal the show with their mix of spoken word and singing pieces. Their comedy exceeds anything else in the film, going from the dorky to the socially relevant. They appeal to the broadest range, offering some scenes for the kids and some for the teens and adults who may be watching the film as well. I know that on-screen "chemistry" is a term usually left for romantic interludes, but there's a definite chemistry between these two in the film, and it works to their advantage. George Lopez is George Lopez, but it's still nice to hear his familiar voice now and again. I also thought that Clement did a fantastic job as the film's semi-principal villain, providing a maniacal and crazed bird to contrast the rest of the animals on the screen.

The music also works exceptionally well, truly adding a sense of realism to the film as a whole. Brazil is a country known for its music and its celebrations, so for any film set there had to convey as such. In this regard, Rio does not disappoint. The orchestral score from John Powell - who has also scored such animated films as Shrek, Happy Feet and Kung Fu Panda - does well conveying his part of the soundtrack. However, the real credit has to go to the original songs written for the film. My personal favorite songs in the film include the ensemble piece "Real In Rio," Will i Am and Jamie Foxx's "Hot Wings (I Wanna Party)," and Foxx's solo, "Fly Love." The rest of the songs are just as good, but those are easily the ones I enjoyed the most. Clement even gets a song of his own. All in all, I found the film's soundtrack to be superb.

Overall, Rio is a step ahead of being a good but forgettable film. There are a few pieces - namely the presence of Will i Am and Jamie Foxx - that make this movie a little more lasting than it probably deserves to be. Don't expect to be blown away by the storyline because you'll know exactly where it's going. Just take it for what it is, sit back and enjoy the ride, and I'm sure you'll have a blast.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: B
1.5 Thumbs Up

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
2 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: BURLESQUE

BURLESQUE

2010
PG-13

You can watch the trailer here

I know that I'm by no means the key demographic for this film, but with Cher's return to the screen after a seven-year absence as well as the first acting role in a feature film for Christina Aguilera, there was a few reasons to see the movie.

In this Steve Antin-directed flick, we're basically given a pretty standard story of a down-home girl who wants to hit stardom in Hollywood. Ali (Aguilera) sets off from Iowa to make a name for herself in Los Angeles, ultimately starting by waitressing at a burlesque club run by Tess (Cher). After forcing her way into an audition, Ali becomes a back-up dancer at the club, but when a fellow dancer (Kristen Bell) tries to sabotage one of Ali's performances, she responds by singing live in front of the audience. This skyrockets her to a mini-superstardom that attracts the affection of Marcus (Eric Dane), a man trying to buy the club from Tess before it goes under. All the while, Ali is living with Jack (Cam Gigandet), one of the club's bartenders, and is slowly falling in love with him.

I'm gonna be totally honest: the screenplay is absolutely horrendous. Well, that may be a tad harsh. It's not the worst screenplay I've ever seen, but there's absolutely no originality to it whatsoever. Aside from the fact that our main setting is a burlesque club, you could ask a toddler to trace this film's path and they'd probably get it right. It's much too simplistic, and it left a lot to be desired.

Thankfully, the acting somewhat makes up for the pitfalls presented by the storyline. It's always nice to see Cher on-screen, and although she's not by any means at the top of her game, she does give a few spirited scenes, especially via musical number. I also think that Aguilera gives a fine performance. She was wise to choose a role like this for her transition to film because it's so similar to her singing career. I don't think she's as good of an actress as she presents in Burlesque, but maybe this will fool some studios into thinking she is for a little while until she can actually grow as an actress. Luckily, we do have a bit of a scene-stealer in Stanley Tucci, whose little quips and remarks throughout the film are so perfectly timed that I'm not sure I would've liked the movie at all had he not been around.

I'd also like to mention the music in the film which proved to be outstanding. As you can imagine, most of the songs are performed by Christina Aguilera or Cher, and they both do very well, but that shouldn't be much of a shock. If anything, the music is what kept me intrigued throughout the film, with "Express" and "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" being my personal favorites.

As I said before, I'm definitely not the target demographic for Burlesque, but it's not the worst film I've ever seen. Had the screenplay been a little stronger, then maybe I could've said I liked it, but hindsight is 20/20.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: C
Thumb... SidewaysAwards2010: 1 nomination

Movie Review: TANGLED

TANGLED

2010
PG


You can watch the trailer here

Hang on, Toy Story 3. Looks like Disney has a little bit more up their sleeve...

Disney's take on the Rapunzel story, which was directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, adds a few twists and turns with a little bit of contemporary attitude. As a baby, Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) is stolen from her royal world by Mother Gothel (voiced by Donna Murphy) for the fountain-of-youth-like powers that her hair contains. She locks the girl in a remote tower for eighteen years, and every year on her birthday, Rapunzel sees a cloud of lanterns bathe the sky (we're told that these come from the castle where the king and queen hope their daughter will see them and return home). Rapunzel desperately wants to find the meaning behind the lanterns, believing there to be a connection between them and her birthday. Then, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, a mysterious thief named Flynn Ryder (voiced by Zachary Levi) makes his way into her tower, and after making a deal with Rapunzel, agrees to escort her to the flying lanterns she so much wants to see.

As you can imagine, the story takes a number of both comedic and dramatic turns throughout its one-hundred minute run-time, and it just flows so well. This is Disney firing on all cylinders, with every facet of the film fulfilling - no, exceeding - expectations. The story keeps you captivated throughout the movie, and there's never a dull moment.

The voice work is fantastic, especially from Moore who provides both the speaking and singing voice for our lead Rapunzel. She brings such a sense of innocence and wonder to the screen that I haven't seen in a Disney movie since Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Levi also holds his own as our male lead, but the real accolades have to go to Murphy's stellar voice performance as our villain. There's something about Mother Gothel that's both eerie and wonderful. Her song - one of the better one's in the film - is a tour-de-force coming from the Tony Award-nominee.

Speaking of the music: I'm so glad that Disney chose to hold onto the musical aspect of their animated films. Because this was going to be the first CGI princess, I wondered whether they'd go the route of previous Disney-Pixar films that held no emphasis on original compositions. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the soundtrack is simply astounding. The aforementioned Mother Gothel song ("Mother Knows Best") may be the strongest vocally, but there's a song that Moore and Levi share called "I See the Light" that may very well be one of my favorite Disney songs of all time, just falling short of Aladdin's "A Whole New World" (my all-time favorite). Sure, it may take a little time to pick up steam, but I think that some of these songs could become as iconic as some of the former Disney classics.

When you see the film, be on the lookout for a couple on-screen references to other Disney fare (I noticed a reference to both the film Sleeping Beauty and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland). Please, please take in this movie - Disney's 50th animated feature film - because I don't think you'll be disappointed. I went in with my reservations, and I came out smiling from ear to ear.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: A-
Current All-Time Rank: Best - #128
Thumb... Up
Addition to Awards