So That's Where Babies Come From..."The Boss Baby"

The Boss Baby (2017)

Rated PG

Starring Alec Baldwin, Miles Bakshi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Steve Buscemi, Tobey Maguire

Directed by Tom McGrath

The Story:

This is the story about how Tim (Bakshi) and his little brother (Baldwin) first met, and how they saved the world from not having anymore babies. At least as recounted by Tim (Maguire) now that he's much older.

Well, if you would have told me at the beginning of the year that 2 of my favorite animated films of 2017 would be studies on where babies come from, I would have called you crazy.

But here we are.

After the surprisingly touching Storks taught people how to be better parents, along comes Boss Baby with a lesson on what it takes to be a sibling.

Along with all the laughs, be prepared for an emotional moment or two as well.

This is nothing new of late, as Dreamworks Animation keeps killing it with their movies.

I know the rest of the world clamors for whatever Disney or Pixar is putting out next, but Dreamworks seems to be the most consistent maker of animated hits in our household.

Baldwin shines as Boss Baby, and he basically plays himself, or at least what audiences have come to perceive as Alec Baldwin, just as a tiny baby. Sure, it sounds crazy, but it works.

However, don't look past the role of Tim, which Dreamworks veteran Bakshi imbues with a lot of heart and soul. Graduating to a starring role versus just one of the kid characters he's played before, he holds his own with Baldwin and provides the emotional punch for the movie in the finale.

Apparently a sequel is heading our way. Not sure how they'll pull that off, but I'll be ready for it.

Final Grade: B+

"Sing" Was A Bit Pitchy, Dawg.

Sing (2016)

Rated PG

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly,

Directed by Christophe Lourdelet and Garth Jennings

The Story:

Buster (McConaughey) plans a singing competition to keep his struggling theater alive. But when a typo changes his $1000 prize into much, much more, hundreds of critters are there to audition the next day. The show truly must go on, but what will happen to the singers that are chosen when they discover the prize isn't nearly all it's cracked up to be?

From Illumination Entertainment, the folks that brought us Despicable Me, and have been coasting on that success ever since...

;)

Comes Sing. Anthropomorphic animals that decide to have a talent contest to save an old theater from going out of business.

It sounds cute and harmless, and it pretty much is just that.

It's also very bland.

To the credit of the movie, it actually gets better by the 2nd act, once all of the characters are established and their storylines start to build towards the finale.

The vocal cast was fine, both in dialogue and singing.

It's weird that McConaughey was the lead character, as his usual Texas twang is nowhere to be found in Buster at all.

Or if it was, I sure didn't hear it.

It's fine enough for kids, but it's definitely not on my list of favorite animated films of the year.

Maybe someday they'll make the cut, but with more sequels to Despicable Me, Minions and a Sing 2 on the horizon, I somehow doubt it's coming any time soon.

Final Grade: C

Talk About False Advertising..."The Good Dinosaur"

The Good Dinosaur (2015)

Rated PG

Starring Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Frances McDormand, Steve Zahn, Anna Paquin, Sam Elliott

Directed by Peter Sohn

The Story:

Arlo (Ochoa) is a young dinosaur who gets separated from his family and tries to find the way home. Along the way he runs into a little orphan boy that he names Spot (Bright). The two fight and survive together as they bond on an earth that was spared an asteroid impact that caused dinosaur extinction.

Pixar.

The studio that for the longest time had the Midas touch.

Even their "worst films" were far and away better than any other studio could touch, viewers accepted them, flaws and all.

And then everyone else caught up, and in some instances, have surpassed Pixar for better looking, better feeling stories over the last few years.

So of course, when Inside Out came out, it was the triumphant return of the Pixar of old.

Then the fall came, and The Good Dinosaur premiered, and the bad Pixar of old reared its ugly head and reminded people of how bad some animated movies could be.

But before I tear this movie apart completely, let's just make one thing perfectly clear:

The backgrounds and scenery in this film is ay-may-zing. Gorgeously rendered, it looks sooooo real.

If only the rest of the movie were half that good or realistic...

As we watched this movie, it actually became more fun to laugh at it, because laughing with it was proving difficult.

The character designs were some of Pixar's worst. Their human looks okay, but their dinosaurs look buffoonish and cartoony, and totally out of place in the film.

They were aptly described as looking like characters from that Barnyard film a decade earlier.

Except that movie was funnier and had a much more interesting voice cast.

The voices in this film, save for Steve Zahn and Sam Elliott were boring and uninspired choices.

Plus, the movie seemed to not have anything original to say, but rather they had envisioned a series of "wouldn't it be funny if..." scenes and strung them together into a movie.

Wouldn't it be funny if Dinosaurs and Humans coexisted: The Flintstones.
We'll include a tragic father/son moment: The Lion King.
Then we'll have the dinosaur bond with the kid: Ice Age.
Oh, but how about we add a Western in there too! : City Slickers AND Back to the Future Part 3

To name but a few ideas that were borrowed, and basically made this audience want to watch any of those films instead.

Sadly, much like many of the reviews I write, I start out the review with a grade in my head. Then the more I think and type about the movie, that grade sometimes changes.

Sometimes for the better.

Often times, I get angry or disappointed in what I was offered as entertainment.

I think back to last year's Fantastic Four reboot. It was an okay film on its own, if it had renamed the characters and not called itself Fantastic Four. But it did, and it was downgraded because in the 8 years since the Marvel Cinematic Universe has propelled comic book movies into the forefront of entertainment, the bar is raised and to settle for less is just unacceptable at this stage.

So too is the dilemma for animated movies.

Pixar set the bar so high for everyone else, when movies fail to clear that bar, it's a trainwreck of mediocrity that cannot be tolerated. The problem is, now Pixar has found themselves failing to push the bar any higher, or missing their own bar completely.

Sure, not every movie is going to give you all 90 minutes filled with so much awesomeness you're begging to see it again and again. Remember, I hated the beginning of Inside Out and was about to eject it, or myself, and then it turned a corner and I was hooked.

But you should be happy that you at least saw it once.

The experience shouldn't be, "well I'm glad we got that one over with, and I hope to God to never see it again."

Or to tell the family member that missed the film and loves all animated film that she'd be better off not even bothering.

Final Grade: C-  Sorry Pixar, The Good Dinosaur failed to deliver. D-

Quite A Tale In "The Book Of Life"

The Book Of Life (2014)

PG

Starring Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, Ron Perlman, Christina Applegate

Written and Directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez

The Story:

Best friends Manolo (Luna) and Joaquin (Tatum) grow up as rivals for the adorable Maria (Saldana).  As grown men, the rivalry continues. The relationship catches the eyes of some supernatural beings (Perlman & Applegate) who make a wager on which man will win Maria's hand. When trickery comes to play however, not even death can stop true love and Manolo embarks on a journey of a lifetime.

From the company that brought you Free Birds...

I know, that sentence alone had me very worried as well, as I found that movie to be rather on the boring side of things...

But they fixed my complaint from that movie, which was a rather poor storyline, with a much tighter narrative, and now I'm pleased to say that this has been one of the better animated films I've seen this year.

I never had a problem with their animation, most animation studios are really killing it in terms of look and feel of their films.

Reel FX goes the extra mile on this film as many of the characters look wooden and have puppet joints. The care and attention that went into the work is nothing short of amazing to watch.

A voice cast of names, but aside from the always superb Danny Trejo, I think you'll be hard pressed to feel that the "name" overpowers the voice, and you may be wondering who the cast really is during and after the movie has concluded.

I was expecting to be disappointed going into this one as it pretty much bombed in theaters.

Instead, I'm more disappointed that unless it has Disney or Pixar on the banner, families are staying away from most other animated fare unjustly.

Final Grade: B+

Time To Go Back In Time... "Mr. Peabody and Sherman"

Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)

PG

Starring Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Stephen Colbert, Patrick Warburton

Directed by Rob Minkoff

The Story:

Mr. Peabody (Burrell) is a very smart talking dog who adopts a boy named Sherman (Charles). Among Peabody's many accomplishments is the WABAC machine which allows them to travel back in time and visit with luminaries in history. When Sherman violates a time travel rule, it's up to Peabody to try and set history right, before he loses everything, including his boy!

Did you ever think the Mr. Peabody shorts from Rocky and Bullwinkle would become a feature length movie?

Yeah, me neither.

However they did it, and it worked pretty well.

To be honest, I never really was a fan of Peabody and Sherman back in the Bullwinkle series. I found that to be the weak link, but it was short and over before you knew it, so no biggie.

This film, from Dreamworks Animation, was an enjoyable experience that provided more laughs than dry stretches of "who cares", and that's important in any animated film.

As usual, Dreamworks spares no expense making a lush looking film that is just gorgeous to watch. Then a stellar voice cast that brings the characters to life.

The writing is clever enough, but throws in enough eye-rolling puns to keep in the spirit of the original.

I was expecting the worst, and I was happily disappointed.

:)



Final Grade: B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Wound up under the tree for the kids for Christmas. Won't be opposed to watching it again in the future. Or the past!

Lump Of Coal Indeed... "The Legend of Frosty the Snowman"

The Legend of Frosty the Snowman (2005)

TV-G

Starring Burt Reynolds, Grey DeLisle, Bill Fagerbakke, Larry Miller,

Directed by Greg Sullivan

The Story:

Frosty (Fagerbakke) goes where he is needed most during the holiday season. When the town of Evergreen is experiencing a Christmas crisis, Frosty returns to remind them that the magic of Christmas is real. But is it too late?

Oh. My. Goodness.

Remember the classic, Frosty the Snowman?

Watch that instead.

Watch anything instead.

This one even makes the marginal Frosty Returns (with John Goodman) seem like a stellar Christmas production.

It's bad.

And, it's like 45 minutes long.

Or 3 hours, because that's what it felt like. 

They try to connect the show to the original by way of the magician.

The end almost, almost salvages anything from this wreck.

Of course, if your idea of a good time is watching a cartoon that sucks until the last 5 minutes when a desperate attempt to find a redeeming message and send us home happy, then here you go.

Plus, you get to hear Burt Reynolds warble the Frosty the Snowman song.

Welcome to a special level of hell.

:)

Available to stream on Netflix if you're inclined. You can rent it on Amazon for $7.99.

You could send me $5.00 for saving you the trouble and giving you almost an hour of your life back instead. 

Final Grade: D - raising it out of the "F" territory just for the attempt at the end, and the train wreck of Burt Reynolds totally out of place here.

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'll stop celebrating Christmas long before I ever watch this again.

Rob From The Rich... "Robin Hood"

Robin Hood (1973)

Rated G

Starring Brian Bedford, Monica Evans, Phil Harris, Andy Devine, Pat Buttram,  Peter Ustinov, Terry Thomas, Roger Miller

Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman

The Story:

The animal kingdom decides to tell the story of Robin Hood (Bedford) to let us know what really happened.

Awesomeness ensues.

The first Disney film I ever remember seeing.

It's been my favorite Disney film ever since.

Nostalgia is a powerful thing.

Having seen nearly every other version of Robin Hood, I will say that this is the best version of the tale as well.

Take that Errol Flynn.

And honestly, if you've tried to read the book, you know how utterly boring it really was.

Disney instead injects some great character designs and wonderful voice actors to make this tale magical.

The fact that Robin and Marian (Evans) are really overshadowed by every other character, tells you how deep the talent on display really is.

You could dock points to Disney, and Phil Harris for basically playing the same character from The Jungle Book  as Little John and Baloo share some striking similarities, not the least of which is the voice.

But that's a minor quibble.

Instead marvel at Prince John (Ustinov) and Sir Hiss (Taylor) as possibly the best bad guys to ever grace the screen.

Hilariously evil, they never fail to make me laugh in the movie.

The songs, most of which are handled by Alan-A-Dale (Miller) are catchy, and I can whistle the tunes to this day by memory.

My little one had no interest in this movie when we found it on Netflix.

Now she can't get enough of it.

Welcome to the club.

Currently available to stream on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  Probably still my all-time favorite Disney film.  Might have to upgrade it to Blu Ray someday.

Everything Really Is Awesome... "The Lego Movie"

The Lego Movie (2014)

Rated PG

Starring Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson

Directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

The Story:

Emmet Brickowski (Pratt) is an everyday, ordinary Lego builder.  He goes about his business, never realizing that he is... "The Special".  Yes, prophesied to stop the superweapon, the Kragle from being used by Lord Business (Ferrell) destroying the many Lego realms.  Teaming to help Emmet on his quest are Wyldestyle (Banks) and Batman (Arnett).

Want a fun movie that is great for all ages?

Look no further.

Naturally, for those of us that were kids at one point, Legos are no stranger to our lives.  The bricks can create almost anything you can imagine.

As the years have passed, the sets have gotten cooler, and now there are Legos to reflect pretty much any pop culture obsession.

Way cool for kids.

Possibly even cooler for parents.

Which becomes the crux of the conflict of The Lego Movie.

It seems that Lord Business is more familiar of an enemy than you realize as the movie unfolds, but I don't want to spoil it for those who have not seen the film yet.

The voice cast in the film is amazing.  Pratt is overshadowed by the more famous Legos and/or voices, but that's to be expected for his character. However he brings the heart and soul to the movie along with some pretty good comedy gags.

Batman could easily be seen as the star of this film, and it's easily the best Batman film from DC...

Ever.

:)

This beautiful 3D film is above and beyond all of the previous Lego movies that they've released.

That said, those movies were all pretty darn fun on their own merits.

Combine these films with the stellar Lego videogames, and you begin to realize that a simple building block has reimagined itself for the 21st Century.

They aren't going anywhere, and the future looks very bright for this franchise.

The movie is so good, you can almost forgive all those times you step on a Lego barefoot at 2 AM in the house.

Almost.

:)

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Add this to the other great Lego offerings.  I imagine this will find its way into our house by Christmas.

Whatever You Do, Don't Throw Off... "The Emperor's New Groove"

The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

Rated G

Starring the voices of David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick

Directed by Mark Dindal

The Story:

Emperor Kuzco (Spade) is ready to build himself a birthday present: Kuzco-Topia! The problem? It sits on the hilltop owned by Pacha (Goodman), so the Emperor breaks the news that Pacha's gotta go!  Meanwhile, Yzma (Kitt) is plotting to overthrow the Emperor so that she can rule the kingdom.  Her plan goes awry, and Kuzco winds up as a talking llama in the care of Pacha.

Based on a true story!

No, not really, but welcome to one of the best Disney films of the last generation.

It's funny, from start to finish.

Aside from a great opening number, it's not a musical.

You can think of it as a Buddy Picture... or a Road Picture.  Either works.

Pacha and Kuzco are polar opposites, but they grow to appreciate and care for each other before it's all said and done.

Spade is at the top of his sarcastic game, and turns in likely his best movie performance.

And remember, I like most of Spade's films.

Goodman is great as Pacha, a year before he killed it as Sulley for Pixar's Monster's Inc.

Wendie Malick is hilarious as Pacha's wife, and she comes in quite handy during the 2nd half of the film.

Finally, Kitt and Warburton make for a dynamic evil duo that will keep you in stitches throughout.

There's nothing that I don't love about this film.

Perfect.

No Touchy!

Now streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I own it and it's one of our favorite Disney's of all time.  The little one has discovered it and it's been playing almost daily.  No complaints. :)

The World Gets A Bit Dangerous "Walking With Dinosaurs"

Walking With Dinosaurs (2013)

Rated PG for scary dinosaurs

Starring Charlie Rowe, Karl Urban, Angourie Rice, John Leguizamo, Justin Long, Skyler Stone, Tiya Sircar

Directed by Barry Cook & Neil Nightingale

The Story:

In Alaska, an archaeologist (Urban) is driving his niece (Rice) and nephew (Rowe) to a site where he had found a dinosaur tooth.  Unimpressed, the nephew decides to sit at the truck and pout, when a bird named Alex (Leguizamo) comes along to tell the kid about the story about how that tooth came to be found where it was.  Cue the flashbacks and the story of a little dinosaur (Long) who grows up to be the leader of his herd though unlikely odds.

So apparently the brains behind this thought, let's take the BBC series Walking With Dinosaurs , and cross it with The Land Before Time...

Yes, these dinosaurs talk, though they don't do mouth movements, so it's not nearly as cutesy or annoying as you might think.

I don't know what to think...

The movie itself is nice to look at.  Using actual scenery with CGI, the landscapes and backgrounds are lush and beautiful.

However, I'm not sure how impressed I was overall with the dinosaurs.

Maybe it was the inclusion of humans in Jurassic Park, but I almost think those dinosaurs looked more realistic.

Anyway, the story itself isn't that terrible, and it's a film that the whole family can sit and enjoy/tolerate for 90 minutes, then it's done.

Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: No, I think I'm okay.