Inside Out

Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen, 2015

IMDB

4/5

Pixar Studios has become a trusted source of films that are going to grab the attention of young viewers but also appeal to adult audiences as well. Its no different for Inside Out, a visual feast for the eyes that is clearly an allegory for the growing pains of the tween years. It's a colorful film filled with invention. From the memory balls that roll through the infinite mind of main character Riley, to the personalized islands that are home to Riley's main personality traits. Imagination Land, or the Dream Productions area. The film has the god-like control center of The Truman Show with the kaleidoscopic visual elements of Wreck-it Ralph. You can draw similarities to the Toy Story films in the sense that the story focuses on unseen elements connected to a main character, looking out for them in a sense. Third parties that have a vested interest in a main character's well-being. And the Riley character has some uniqueness herself. Instead of being a chatty tween archetype glued to her cell phone, she is a goofy tom-boy type who is very into hockey. Refreshing character model.

It's interesting because you can easily simplify the plot of the film. You could say it's a movie about a girl who struggles to adapt when her family moves her from Minnesota to San Francisco. But because we are a witness to every thought and action that takes place, it creates a much more detailed story. Every single emotion is a character, a character with some true identity. So many memorable elements to take away from the film. It's a movie with some real heart, and some heartbreak to endure. Ebbs and flows. Another great Pixar film that will prove to be a timeless classic, ripe for multiple viewings.

The Lego Movie

Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, 2014

Can I Stream It?

4/5

Emmet (Chris Pratt) is a very ordinary man. He is happily fulfilling his daily duties at the city construction site when he accidentally stumbles upon the "Piece of Resistance". He soon learns that it's an object designed to disengage a weapon called the Kragle, owned by Lord Business (Will Ferrell); a powerful leader of the city dead-set on solidifying strict order. Because he is the one who discovered the relic, Emmet is considered to be the fabled prophet that old mystic Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman) said would appear to save the Universe from Lord Business' destruction. He is brought to see some Master Builders, people who are capable of building anything without instructions. When they realize that Emmet himself has no creative abilities, they have immediate doubts about his capabilities to fulfill the prophecy.

It's always nice when a film is produced that not only can appeal to the innocent youth, but it can also cater to adults as well on some level. Like so many of the great Pixar films released over the years, The Lego Movie is fueled by solid writing, humor and detailed animation. It cleverly riffs on The Matrix while also maintaining a splashy visual aesthetic similar to 2012's Wreck-it Ralph. An ordinary man, reluctant to believe he may be the most important person in the world, takes on an insurmountable force. A fun take on the age-old David vs. Goliath premise. An underdog story. A collective desire to break free from the shackles of totalitarianism. And the humor hits it's target. The emo-singing Batman (hilariously voiced by Will Arnett). The constant call-backs to Emmet's double-decker couch idea. Green Lantern's (Jonah Hill) relentless pursuit of companionship with the much-resistant Superman (Channing Tatum), quite ironic seeing as the two are paired up in the Jump Street franchise. Many cultural references that never really get old. Not enough can be said about the visuals of the film. The entire Lego universe depicted in the film is so astonishingly elaborate. The colossal buildings. The waves of the ocean. The smoke emanating from the train as it moves down the tracks. Although all of the animation in the film is done with CGI, it skillfully maintains a stop-motion feel and really gives you the impression that the film was made using 3,000,000 Lego pieces that were animated bit by bit. The film hits it out of the park in the final act with a reveal that catches you by surprise. The Lego Movie is an exciting eye-candy-laced thrill-ride that will have you humming "Everything is Awesome" for hours after watching. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Henry Selick, 1993

2/5

From the mind of Tim Burton comes a story about Halloween Land and its inhabitants. After another successful holiday, Jack Skellington expresses his boredom with the repetition and looks for something different to reinvigorate his interest in Halloween. He ventures to a crossroads that has a doorway to Christmas Land. There, he finds a completely different world... one that he becomes quite enamored with.

This film was made in a time when Burton used to make good films. Big Fish, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Batman. Back in a time when Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter weren't fixtures in every piece of work. And despite the fact he didn't direct this one, his personality is all over it. The film is basically a Tim Burton PCP trip laid out before your eyes. A glance into his younger, more creative brain. Bizarre, odd-shaped claymation with an impressive amount of detail. Headless creatures, windy roads etched with curvature, circular tree branches. Everywhere you turn, there's a ghost, ghoul or vampire lurking ready to pop out and go into song. And there's plenty of song. A bit much, actually. In front of Elfman's catchy score are lyrics that end up feeling repetitive and tiresome. It's an eerie musical with Jack Skellington at the forefront. He plays the curious one, the seeker, the explorer. The inhabitants of Halloween Land are satisfied with their existence but he grows hungry. The film plays on the dichotomy of Halloween and Christmas, and reinforces a sort of alternate dimension approach to them where one world isn't aware of the other. When Jack's cross-pollination occurs it's quite artfully done, with the Christmas set pieces almost coming off as a satisfying Candyland game board. But the simple message takes a long time to get delivered as it heads down its predictable path. It's certainly not rich in story as it's a feast for the eyes. While Burton's characters are uniquely constructed, the film could be watched with the volume down. Probably at least worth a single watch to see Burton's art at work, at the peak of his career. 

Finding Nemo

Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkrich, 2003


3/5

Set in the Great Barrier Reef, overprotective single-father Clownfish Marlin gets separated from his only son Nemo who gets caught by a fish collector who places him in a dentist's aquarium. Realizing that his son is in Sydney, he desperately attempts to rescue him and be reunited with the help of some newly acquired friends.

You know that when watching a Pixar film that there's something in it for everyone. The simplistic story structure and memorable characters are going to impress the young viewers, and there's still something engaging for the older ones. There's always clever twists, some kind of moral dilemma. The characters are going to provide some reflection of humanity. There's always going to be a consistency, and a standard of quality to Pixars films. And there's always going to be beautiful visual elements. Colorful coral reefs create a vibrant landscape, with a lot of activity. The characters themselves, while exaggerations of real life creatures, are given distinctive personalities like the surfer-turtle, or the recovering fish addict sharks. It's something you will obviously see in any animated feature, but Pixar does it flawlessly. And in the end, this is a film without any noticeable flaws.

With Nemo, you can sit back and hear Albert Brooks be Albert Brooks. That's never a bad thing. You're going to sit back and hear other familiar voices, like Ellen Degeneres, or Willem Dafoe - all well-placed. And while it may not make as much of an emotional impact as some of the other Pixar movies, it still carries weight and it's probably the most nice-looking of all of them. But the emotional impact is obviously a subjective thing. Perhaps a father would be more affected by this film losing a son, more than he would watching Woody get taken away from Andy in Toy Story. Everything ties together well in the end and Nemo is certainly one of the better Pixar films made.

Wreck-It Ralph

Rich Moore, 2012


3/5

Ralph (John C. Reilly) is sick of being the "bad guy" in his popular arcade game while watching good guy Fix-It Felix (Jack McBrayer) get all of the praise. After feeling ignored when he didn't receive an invitation to the 30th anniversary of the video game, Ralph decides to rebel against the long-enforced arcade rules to try to prove himself as the good guy. If Tron and Toy Story had a baby, it would be Wreck-it. The film is loaded with eye candy that at times make you feel like you're playing Candyland on acid. Sarah Silverman really delivers the stand-out performance as Vanellope. Wreck-it feels nostalgic, with recognizable video game characters from my youth. The vibrant visuals are augmented by an 8-Bit soundtrack. While Wreck-it is imaginative, positive, and loaded with familiar cultural references - it ultimately feels formulaic and predictable. But that's okay, because there's really something in it for everyone.