Fantastic Planet (1973) Review

Purchase from Amazon: DVD - VHS Pros: +Stunning Visuals +Great Soundtrack Cons: -Low production values -Poor plot execution Other films by Rene Laloux: Time Masters, Light Years Similar films: Planet of the Apes, Wizards

Director: Rene Laloux Stars: Jean Topart, Jean Valmont Genre: Science Fiction Based on a novella by Stefan Wul, Fantastic Planet (originally La planète sauvage) is an animated science fiction film from France, featuring gorgeous artwork and designs.  The story is essentially an abridged version of the novella (which has only recently been translated into English and is worth a read), set in the future and taking place on an alien planet called Ygam, on which the master race is a species called Traag, which are essentially just giant blue humanoids. The Traags keep Oms, which is their word for humans, as pets and see the Oms as nothing more than unintelligent animals. What they didn't expect is that the Oms are evolving and learning extremely quickly and threaten their position as the master race of Ygam.  The premise is certainly an interesting one, but it never quite matches the depth that the novella had (not that the novella was particularly "deep"). The story is poorly paced, the characters are undeveloped, and the ending is far too sudden. But this is not the sort of film that is watched for its plot.  What Fantastic Planet is known for, and indeed most praised for, are its visuals. It's certainly an interesting style, calling to mind animation from Yellow Submarine to Monty Python's Flying Circus. The artwork is surreal, grotesque, bizarre, and above all fantastic, with mystical landscapes and imaginative character/creature design. The imagery is the work of surrealist author-painter Roland Topor (who film buffs may know as Renfield from Herzog's Nosferatu). To anyone familiar with Topor's art (if not, do a quick Google search of his name) it is evident that no one else could have produced such impressive designs.  Accompanying the wonderful visuals is an equally wonderful soundtrack, filled with jazzy psychedelic space rock tunes, which match the film's style perfectly, building a weird otherworldly atmosphere and evoking feelings which I can only imagine are similar to that of a hallucinogenic trip. The score was composed by Alain Goraguer, and it is certainly some of his finest work.  While the art is great, the actual animation is somewhat crude. This is certainly due to the low-budget. The production values here are certainly not much. The animation is crude, the voice acting is amateur (both English and French), and due to this a world so imaginative and fantastical occasionally feels empty and hollow, like a golden chest with nothing in it. What they did with the budget is admirable, but unfortunately it does take a bit away from the film. I sometimes feel like looking at stills from this film is more enjoyable than actually watching it.  What Fantastic Planet lacks in story, character, and production, it attempts to make up for with visuals and sound. To some extent it achieves this, certainly creating an interesting look and experience, but it still falls short of being completely satisfying and leaves much to be desired. An interesting premise but a poorly executed plot. Beautiful artwork but lackluster animation. Great soundtrack but bad voice acting.  Fantastic Planet is perhaps worth seeing once, just for the cool designs and enjoyable soundtrack, but it certainly didn't leave me very impressed. What it did well only made me sadder to see the missed potential. I can't imagine myself re-watching this anytime soon.

Wreck-It Ralph (2012) Review

Director: Rich Moore
Stars: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch
Genre: Animation, Children's

I went to the theatre on the day that Wreck-It Ralph and The Man With the Iron Fists came out. I only had enough money for one ticket but I was still undecided which one I would see. I ended up going with Wreck-It Ralph. Why? I don't know. Maybe because it was the closer showtime. Maybe though, just maybe, it's because I subconsciously knew I'd absolutely love it.

I was skeptical of this film at first. Would it portray the gaming culture in a true way? Would it be just a lame film trying too hard to appeal to gamers? Will it be a mere reference fest and will all the third party video game characters from popular games sell the tickets rather than a well-done movie?

I'm happy to say that Wreck-It Ralph went above and beyond my expectations. 

The plot follows Ralph, the main enemy in the video game Fix-It Felix, Jr. But Ralph really isn't a bad guy, he proves to be caring and likable. But yet he is still shunned by the other characters of his video game's world while they all focus their attention and praise towards Fix-It Felix, Jr., the hero of the game. Ralph decides that he wants to be praised for a change, and thinks winning a medal will help him achieve that. But it's not so easy for a bad guy to win a medal so Ralph has to 'game jump' to different video games in the arcade and try his luck at winning one. Throughout his adventures Ralph meets a sweet little girl, voiced by Sarah Silverman, who is a glitch in her game. Ralph forms a bond with this little girl and must help her to become accepted, just as Ralph is trying to become accepted.

For a children's movie it's surprisingly a bit troublesome to explain the plot. It's not hard to follow though, which is obviously good, being that it's directed at kids.

The plot isn't anything surprising really. It's typical Disney plot, but it's charming and adventurous enough to hold anyone's interest.

Though it's still a highly enjoyable film for non-gamers, it is especially rewarding for those who are. Just as the funnest part of watching The Cabin in the Woods for horror fans is noticing all the references, the same goes for Wreck-It Ralph and gamers. There are tons of nods and references and even mockeries to video games of all generations. It's tons of fun just watching the background to catch glimpses of your favorite video game characters. 

None of the real-life video game characters play a large role, which is good, they all just make brief, yet memorable cameos. You have Sonic the Hedgehog, Doctor Eggman, Q*bert, Bowser, numerous Street Fighter characters, Mortal Kombat characters, Pac-Man, Dig Dug, and tons of others. There's nods to Gears of War, Call of Duty, and countless others. I'm tempted to, when the DVD comes out, to watch it over and over again and compile a massive list of all the cameos, references, nods, and easter eggs within Wreck-It Ralph. And perhaps I will.

It will appeal to new school gamers but I think it will be especially enjoyable and nostalgic for those who grew up in the '80s and '90s with Nintendo and Sega consoles and Arcade Rooms. There's plenty of arcade cabinets in Wreck-It Ralph that any kid who has spent their share of coins at the arcade will recognize.

But Wreck-It Ralph isn't just a film that relies on references, nostalgia, and clever cameos. No, it also has a lot of other things going for it. 

All of the film's original characters are awesome. Many films and shows tend to have trouble creating cool and believable fictional games within something that itself is fictional. This film manages to have awesome characters, all of which seem to be inspired by real life characters. Perhaps most importantly they're all likable and easy to sympathize with. Who hasn't dealt with being outcasted and ignored? especially if you're a gamer. So the characters and their situations are easily relatable and portrayed believably. 

The characters are complimented by a great cast of voices. John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, and more all lend their talents wonderfully.

The animation is what you'd expect from a Disney film. I've always preferred 2D animation but there's really nothing bad I can say about the computer animation here. It looks very nice.

As you can imagine it's a film filled with adventure. How could a film about video games not be? The film seems to follow common video game rules and the story kind of progresses as if it were going from level to level. You have Ralph in his world; you have the dark, science fiction first person shooter world where there are plenty of giant bugs to be slaughtered; you have the bright and colorful Mario Kart esque racing world. It would have been nice to see a few more settings but it satisfied.

Is Wreck-It Ralph to video games as Who Framed Roger Rabbit is to cartoons? Is it Toy Story for gamers? Is it The Cabin in the Woods with video games references? In a way, yes. Not to generalize Wreck-It Ralph, because it truly is a film that stands on its own, but it's hard to avoid comparison.

An enjoyable film for old-school gamers, new-school gamers, casual gamers, and even for people who never played a video game in their life. A film worth watching no matter your age. I don't say this about many films, but I hope to see some sequels to this. The possibilities are endless and even I myself have ideas on what future Wreck-It Ralph films could do. A franchise I'd love to see more of. 

I think that Wreck-It Ralph is the greatest gamer movie hitherto. A must see for gamers and recommended for everybody. 

Purchase Wreck-It Ralph on Amazon: Blu-Ray - DVD

ParaNorman (2012) Review

Director: Sam Fell, Chris Butler
Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee (Owen from Let Me In), Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Genre: Children's, Horror

The first thing you'll notice about ParaNorman is how visually pleasing it is. It's stop-motion animation done superbly, some of the best there is as a matter of fact, which shouldn't be of much surprise being that it was produced by Laika, the same guys behind Coraline.

Not only is the animation great but so are the sets and props. The cemetery is wonderfully spooky, the town during the day feels vibrant and alive, the town at night feels like you're watching a drive-in horror flick. It's all very well done and immersing. 

The first starts out with a 70s-esque title card and has Norman sitting watching an old horror flick on the TV. When his mother asks him what he's watching, he replies "Sex and violence." This is a kids movie, and kids will most likely love it, but it can also be highly enjoyed by adults and seasoned horror fans. There is plenty of adult humor in here. From jokes about police to statements on modern society.

The plot, though not particularly original, is suitable for this kids movie, and it manages to engage you and not treat you or your kids like babies. It respects your intelligence, well at least for a kids movie. We follow Norman, a kid who can see ghosts and because of it is not only made fun of and outcasted at school, but also has to deal with the struggle for his parent's acceptance. A situation I think many people, myself included, can relate to.

Since Norman is the only one with these supernatural abilities it is up to him to stop the witch's curse. There's zombies too, but I wouldn't really classify this as a "zombie movie". The zombies don't actually attack anyone and though they look like traditional zombies, there's a bit more to them then that as you'll find out. I found it very funny when the zombies entered the town and looked at the human and they themselves became scared.    The film made it appear as if it were the humans who were more zombie than the zombies were. Clever satire that is.

Then we have the witch, who has cursed the town, who is actually a little girl who was sentenced to death in olden times for being a witch.

Keep in mind this is a children's film, but there are some genuinely scary, or at the very least, creepy parts. The great sets and visuals do a great job creating a creepy theme and atmosphere, that can send chills by itself. Like the part when the fat kid was standing outside Norman's window was quite spooky. (There were some very young kids in the theater who seemed to be pretty terrified). The zombies or the witch never feel particularly threatening, and by the end we find out that they're really not. Quite honestly the only true danger was the humans all along.

The film ends with a moral. And whether you agree with the moral or not (it's a very agreeable moral though) I feel it's better for a film to have a moral rather than not. A film that has something to say, no matter how typical or simple, automatically has more value. Too many films just play it completely safe nowadays and choose to not have to make the viewer use their brains.

ParaNorman is a true homage to the genre, unlike Hotel Transylvania which was merely a cash-in. The theme of the film, and atmosphere also, really make you feel like you're watching a horror film from the 80s. At least that's how I felt. Even the characters are stereotyped into the same personalities as in many horror films. This is both a pro and a con. The loner kid who has supernatural abilities, the fat loner kid who befriends him, the snot-nosed bully, the slutty older sister who falls for any jock who's ripped. They're all present here. And though they're all charming to watch, you can't help but notice their typical-ness and feel like you've seen them all before. So like I said it's really a pro and a con, because it helps set that horror film feel.

It is also said that this is the first children's movie to have an openly homosexual character, which has cause quite a bit of controversy. I personally think this is a great thing and about time.

The soundtrack was great. It felt like a mixture of rock and minimalist techno, which really worked out great. We also get to hear children singing "Season of the Witch" out of tune, and the Halloween theme even plays at one part. The end credit song is "Little Ghost" by the White Stripes, which plays over some beautiful artwork from the film. Yes, even the end credits were very enjoyable and I sat through them till completion.

A great film for kids and adults and even hardcore horror fans. There are some scares, some laughs, and it is very much worth the ride. 

Pros:

+Visually awesome with great animation and theme

+Plenty of nods to the horror genre

+Not a "dumbed down" film

Cons:

-Characters could have been a bit better

Purchase ParaNorman on Amazon: Blu-Ray - DVD

Hotel Transylvania (2012) Review

Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Stars: Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Kevin James
Genre: Computer animated family comedy/horror

With Tartakovsky directing, a name that has worked on great series such as Dexter Laboratory, Samurai Jack, among many others. With a resume like that it wouldn't be wrong to expect a great film from him. So does it live up to the hype? Short answer: no.

Count Dracula is voiced by Adam Sandler, who, surprisingly enough, probably does the best job out of the whole cast. When I first heard he would be voicing Dracula I couldn't help but cringe. But in the end he did a decent enough job. Kevin James voices Frankenstein's monster...so just imagine Doug Heffernan as a monster. Selena Gomez voiced Dracula's daughter, Mavis, and she delivered a pretty solid performance. The werewolf and the mummy were pretty awful. I found David Spade as the Invisible Man to be pleasantly charming.

If you're a big horror fan, particularly of Universal Monsters, you may either want to see this right away or avoid it completely. On one hand it may be cool seeing all these famous monsters on the screen together. On the other hand it may be like watching your favorite characters being spat on by "family comedy."

The Mummy is fat...yes, fat, and he has a black guy's voice. The Wolf Man never transforms. They call Frankenstein's monster Frankenstein, which as we all know is incorrect; the scientist's name was Frankenstein, not the monster. The Bride of Frankenstein, though voiced by the lovable Fran Drescher (The Nanny), was a huge disappointment. Though the Bride of Frankenstein hardly saw any screen time in the original Frankenstein films, she was still a very memorable and awesome looking character, but in Hotel Transylvania instead of giving a beloved but rarely seen character more screen time, they changed her appearance completely, made her a complete bitch, and only threw her a few lines.

So if you hold your Universal Monsters dear, this film may pain you to watch. 

The plot is your standard father-daughter story, and though it can be charming at times, it's just boring, predictable, and unoriginal. You know the deal as far as animated comedy plots go.

Speaking of animation, if you couldn't already tell this is CGI, as are most films of the category today. It's not bad, I'd actually call it good. Problem is the overall visual design and art direction of the film. They had the opportunity to create an amazing theme. Look at all the monster movies this film gets its characters from. Remember that eerie gothic laboratory in Frankenstein? Remember the spooky interior of Dracula's castle? The chilling woods in The Wolf Man? The stormy nights of the Invisible Man? All creating great themes and atmospheres with appealing visual sets...well Hotel Transylvania capitalizes on NONE of those possibilities. 

Dracula's castle's interior is kind of cool. It's not spooky or eerie or mood setting, but it has some merit, though not much. The exterior is horrible; it just looks ugly. They couldn't even add good architecture to this film, something early horror flicks did so well.

This film isn't a nod or a love letter to the films it borrows from. No, it is a cash-in. The only real references I can recall were Frankenstein's monster saying "Fire bad," and the Fly constantly throwing up. Besides that it is essentially just a typical children's animated film with horror characters. (I understand this is a children's film but there is not even anything mildly scary or creepy).

Not to mention this entire film is a shameless rip-off of Mad Monster Party from 1967. Seriously, watch both films and the similarities will be shocking. From the zombie waiters, the chef character, the ENTIRE IDEA OF THE FILM IS STOLEN FROM MAD MONSTER PARTY.

Don't even get me started on the music bits of this film. In the beginning there was a fairly decent punk-esque song reminiscent of the Misfits. That was cool, and it fit being that the Misfits were a horror-punk band. Then at the end, there is the most stereotypical finale song/dance scene, with Dracula rapping and just more general vandalizing of great characters. There are also mentions of Dave Matthews Band and Slipknot. What is this, the early 00s?

There's a joke making fun of Twilight in here also. It was a cheap, inept joke that was obviously added just for pseudo-cred. I despise Twilight as much as the next guy, but adding modern pop culture references that will be meaningless in a few years is not how you make a timeless classic. At least Twilight didn't shame the Dracula name like this film.

The humor in general is very tasteless. You have the fart jokes and whatnot, nothing at all clever. The bit with the skeleton and his wife I found amusing but that hardly warrants watching this.

I'd avoid this at all costs. If you have kids, there are plenty of family films with horror themes that are way better. I'd much sooner give recently released ParaNorman a view, or look out for the upcoming Frankenweeinie. Hell, show your kids the original Universal Monster films, they'll thank you when they're older.

Pros:

+A bunch of famous monsters acting like idiots

Cons:

-A bunch of famous monsters acting like idiots

-Bad plot

-Missed potential

Purchase Hotel Transylvania on Amazon: Blu-Ray - DVD