FROZEN

Animated action\ adventure

 PRINCIPAL VOICE CAST

Idina Menzel: Elsa, the princess of Arendelle

Kristen Bell: her younger sister Anna

Santino Fontana: Prince Hans of the Southern Isles

Josh Gad: Olaf, a snowman

Jonathan Groff: ice seller Kristoff

Chris Williams: owner of Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post

REVIEW

The story of a fearless princess wanting to find her sister, the one with magical power, is replete with musical numbers. In fact, the first half hour or so plays like a Broadway musical with the story being told in lyrical form. From that point the spoken word dominates and we get to see the loving relationship between sisters.

In classic Disney fashion, the sidekick provides a lot of the laughs. In this case it is Sven, Kristoff’s big-hearted reindeer. The silly snowman Olaf steals the show every scene he is in, including the movie poster.

Technically the film is state of the art with exquisite rendering of clothes and hair, beautiful wide screen images but the pedestrian musical numbers are what holds me back to awarding this a five star rating.

Finally one movie-goer had this to say: “I loved the message, about love and devotion, while the kids around me were laughing their heads off at the animals and screeching whenever the snow monster appeared.” That pretty well sums it up.

CLASSIFICATION

 for some action, mild rude humour (really mild).

CLOUDY WITH CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2

Animated action\adventure

PRINCIPAL VOICE MEMBERS

Bill Hader: lifelong inventor Flint Lockwood
Neil Patrick Harris: Flint’s “assistant” Steve, a monkey

Will Forte: world-famous inventor Chester V, head of the Live Corp.

James Caan: his father Tim, owner of a bait and tackle shop

Anna Faris: Samantha “Sam” Sparks, the weather network intern
Benjamin Bratt: Manny, the tv cameraman

Terry Crews: Earl Devereaux, the town policeman

REVIEW

Definitely geared to children, anyone who is not should not be too harsh in judging its excesses. Adults will see it as a pleasant diversion with lots of clever lines providing more than a few comic moments (and some outright laughs) even when things get a little bit gross.

The technical aspect is beyond reproach: the CGI rendering is stunning, the detail quite amazing, the colours brilliant. And the imaginative transformation of vegetables into something resembling people is clever.

CLASSIFICATION

for mild rude humour.

EPIC

 

Animated action/adventure

PRINCIPAL VOICE MEMBERS

Amanda Seyfried: 17-year-old Mary Katherine a.k.a. M.K.

Jason Sudeikis: her father Professor Bomba

Christoph Waltz: Mandrake, leader of the Boggans

Blake Anderson: his son, the Boggan’s general

Colin Farrell: Ronin, leader of the Leafmen

Josh Hutcherson: Nod, Leafman warrior

Beyoncé Knowles: the Forest Queen Tara

Aziz Ansan: Mub, a slug

Chris O’Dowd: his buddy Grub, a snail

Steven Tyler: Nim Galuu, a glowworm

REVIEW

It’s really a bit pretentious to give a film such a grandiose name when in fact the “epic” battle is just the bad guys (called Boggans) trying to steal the new queen and the good guys (called Leafmen) trying to safeguard her. That does not come even close to being a story about heroic feats.

If you are looking for originality, you won’t find much here. The film is replete with old well used storylines and characters we have seen before. It feels like a rehash although there is a added twist to the bad guys: they are downright ugly repulsive creatures living in a dim rotting world. Ugh!

One thing needs to be said: it is well crafted with beautiful rendering using state-of-the-art computer generated images. However character development is uneven: while MK and her dad are lively, animated people the Fairy Queen and Ronin are not. They are simply “going through the motions”. Boring.

CLASSIFICATION

for mild action, some scary images and brief rude language.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY

Professor Bomba’s eyes are green except they change briefly to blue when he meets up with M.K. in the forest then revert to their natural colour for the rest of the movie.

P.S.

It makes you wonder who the target audience the writers had in mind with dialog that includes things like “desiccated wasteland” and “proprietary rights”. Certainly not kids.

THE CROODS

 Animated comedy\adventure

PRINCIPAL VOICE MEMBERS

Emma Stone: teenager Eep Crood

Nicolas Cage: Eep’s father Grug

Catherine Keener: Eep’s mother Ugga

Clark Duke: Eep’s 9-year-old brother Thunk

Randy Thom: Eep’s younger sister Sandy

Cloris Leachman: Eep’s grandmother Gran

Ryan Reynolds: teenager Guy

Chris Sanders: Guy’s pet sloth Belt

REVIEW

This story about a prehistoric family coming to terms with changing conditions borrows heavily from other movies and so lacks in originality:

• the rebellious red-headed teenage daughter facing off against a protective parent we saw in Brave
• rather odd looking creatures encountering one calamity after another we saw in Ice Age
• the well worn messages about being your own person and living life to the fullest has been around for ages

 Relying upon slapstick rather than witty dialogue to appeal to the younger crowd it keeps their attention by employing the age old technique of non-stop peril. That soon becomes boring and the outcome is entirely predictable with the result there is a temptation to leave and get on with your life.

CLASSIFICATION

 for some scary action.

P.S.

This one gets my vote as the dumbest movie title of the year. 

ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT

 Animated action\adventure

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS

Ray Romano: Manny, a mammoth

Queen Latifah: his mate Ellie

Keke Palmer: their teenage daughter Peaches

Aubrey Graham: Ethan

Josh Gad: Louis

John Leguzamo: Sid the sloth

Wanda Sykes: Sid’s Granny

Denis Leary: Diego, a saber-toothed tiger

Josh Peck: Eddie

Peter Dinklage: Captain Gutt, a primate

Jeffifer Lopez: First Mate Shira, a saber-toothed tiger

REVIEW

The fourth in a series (and hopefully the last) overstays its welcome by at least 90 minutes, with only Scrat the saber-tooth squirrel providing any original and/or funny material. The rest of the film comprises recyled themes and images seen at least once in the preceeding three installments amidst lame jokes (groaners at best) and slapstick frantic action.

This mayhem will no doubt please the kids but the rest of us will find it trite. As for the splitting apart of the earth it is too frightening for the young ones (under 5 I’d say) but that does not seem to be of any concern of the producers. And the thrashing dealt upon poor Granny shouldn’t be witnessed by anyone, much less by the target audience.

CLASSIFICATION

 for mild rude humour and action/peril.

MADAGASCAR 3

 Animated action/adventure

PRINCIPAL VOICE CAST

Ben Stiller: Alex, a lion

Chris Rock: his best friend Marty, a zebra

David Schwimmer: Melman, a giraffe

Jada Pinkett Smith: his love interest Gloria, a hippo

Tom McGrath: Skipper, a penguin

Frances McDormand: animal control officer Captain Chantel DuBois 

Sacha Baron Cohen: King Julien XIII, a lemur

Cedric the Entertainer: his underlings Maurice

Andy Richter: and cute little Mort

Bryan Cranston: Vitaly, an intimidating Russian tiger

Martin Short: daredevil Stefano, an Italian sea lion

Jessica Chastain: Gia, a pretty Italian jaguar

REVIEW

Virtual non-stop action coupled with brief musical interludes makes for a pleasant outing as the “old” gang decide to return to their Central Park home in New York city. On the way they encounter unforeseen obstacles and meet new friends. The well-rendered images are ablaze with colour and the musical score is appropriate for the action.

For some reason that’s not apparent to me Alex says we in Canada are “drunk on maple syrup and cheap pharmaceuticals”. Really?

There are a couple of things for the amusement of the adults in the audience but nothing more than a few half-hearted innuendos. By the way, if you choose to see it in 3D as I did, be prepared to duck frequently as lots of things come hurtling at you.

CLASSIFICATION

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN

Animated action/adventure

F.Y.I.
Georges Prosper Remi (22 May 1907 – 3 March 1983), better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of TinTin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 onwards. The notable qualities of the TinTin stories include their vivid humanism and a realistic feel produced by meticulous wide ranging research. Adult readers enjoy the many satirical references to the history and politics of the 20th century.

PRINCIPAL VOICES
Jamie Bell: boy journalist TinTin
Daniel Craig: sinister Ivan Sakharine
Simom Pegg: Detective Thomson
Nick Frost: his partner Detective Thompson
Toby Jones: Aristides Silk, a pickpocket
Andy Serkis: Captain Haddock

REVIEW
Once it gets going the non-stop action can be a bit overwhelming. Unlike earlier Steven Spielberg movies such as the Indianan Jones series that had brief moments of reflection, this one never stops moving. Just in case you miss the point, the heavy handed pounding musical score underscores the on-going peril and drama.

The producers have retained the comic book look in that all the characters have smooth skin so they are halfway between hand puppets and humans in appearance. The scenes are beautifully rendered in exacting detail and several approach works of art they’re that good.

There was a smattering of applause at the showing I attended, mostly by the pre-teen boys in the audience. Not surprising, that seems like the target audience.

CLASSIFICATION

for adventure action violence, some drunkenness and brief smoking.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
Latitude 37 degrees North (as referenced on the scroll) crosses the world at the level of Athens, Greece not somewhere in England.

HAPPY FEET TWO

Animated action/adventure

PRINCIPAL VOICES
Elijah Wood: Mumble, an Emperor Penguin
Alecia Moore: his wife Gloria
Ava Acres: their son Erik
Robin Williams: Ramón and Lovelace
Meibh Campbell: Eirk’s friend Roadica
Lil P-Nut: their friend Atticus
Hank Azaria: a puffin, The Mighty Sven, ruler of Adélie-Land
Sofia Vergara: Ramón’s love interest Carmen
Brad Pitt: Will the Krill
Matt Damon: his friend Bill the Krill
Richard Carter: Bryan the Beach Master, an Elephant Seal
Hugo Weaving: Noah the Elder

REVIEW
Not a total mess, but close to it, this sequel doesn’t come close to the original. Just one look at the list of characters gives you some idea what you’re in for, a rambling storyline intercut with musical numbers. In fact, it plays out more as a musical than a traditional kid’s movie. And what a musical mix it is, from hip hop and rap to an operatic aria solo.

Along the way there are wholesome lessons about hope and self-confidence even though some will question the wisdom of promoting the idea about “achieving what you want by willing it to happen”. Try willing to fly and see what happens! Giving unrealistic expectations to young ones is bound to cause some difficulties in life.

All the characters are beautifully rendered and some images of Antarctica are simply stunning. The two krill buddies provide some comedic relief as most of their puns are real “groaners”. Thankfully the producers have kept the requisite rude bathroom noises to a bare minimum.

CLASSIFICATION

for mild peril and some rude humor.

PUSS IN BOOTS

Animated action/adventure

F.Y.I.
The original Puss in Boots is a French literary fairy tale about a cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for his penniless and low-born master.

PRINCIPAL VOICE MEMBERS
Antonio Banderas: Puss in Boots
Salma Hayek: Kitty Softpaws
Billy Bob Thornton: Jack, one half of an outlaw gang
Amy Sedaris: Jill, the other half
Zach Galifianakis: Humpty Alexander Dumpty

REVIEW
This is not an updated version of the well known fairy tale. Instead it’s about the Puss in Boots that first surfaced in Shrek 2 and now joined by a variety of characters from the Mother Goose stories but with a twist.

The animation is state of the art and the dance sequences are amazing. The musical interludes don’t add anything to the story line but they provide a much needed break in the frantic action.

The humour is of the smile rather than laugh-out-loud type but I cannot recall anything geared to the adults that is over the head of the children.

One thing that they could scrap is the convoluted story about how Puss and Humpty Dumpty first met up. What really matters is their collaboration now.

CLASSIFICATION

for some adventure action and mild rude humor.

CARS 2

Animated action/adventure

PRINCIPAL VOICES
Owen Wilson: champion race car Lightning McQueen
Larry the Cable Guy: Lightning's tow-truck buddy Tow Mater
Bonnie Hunt: Lighting’s girlfriend Sally
Michael Caine: master British super spy Finn McMissile
Emily Mortimer: his field operative Holley Shiftwell
John Turturro: Italian formula 1 race car Francesco Bernoulli

REVIEW
There is a certain expectation when going to see a sequel: it should have many of the same characters and the storyline should be an extension of the original.

Cars 2 meets the first but only partially in terms of the story: the fact Lighting McQueen is invited to participate in the first-ever World Grand Prix of Racing fits in nicely but then there is a significant (and from my point of view unnecessary) departure from expectations: he and his friends become entangled in international espionage led by a group using a secret weapon to destroy cars running on a new sort of fuel. I did go there to see a James Bond movie complete with all kinds of gadgets and weird looking guns firing incessantly.

Consequently the racing aspect loses out to these too frequent and repetitive “battles” making the movie too long at almost two hours. And I’m sure for most viewers the espionage serves only to complicate matters.

On a more positive note the site of the races (Tokyo, the Riviera, Rome and London) are beautifully rendered highlighting the unique features that set them apart as tourist destinations.

CLASSIFICATION

KUNG FU PANDA 2

Animated action/adventure

PRINCIPAL VOICES
Jack Black: panda bear Po
Dustin Hoffman: Master Shifu
Angelina Jolie: Tigress
Seth Rogen: Mantis
Jackie Chan: Monkey
Lucy Liu: Viper
David Cross: Crane
Gary Oldman: Lord Shen, leader of the evil peacock clan
Danny McBride: his right-hand-wolf

REVIEW
The target audience of young ones will thoroughly enjoy themselves. Their older companions might well tire of the many fight scenes but for the kids, there never seems to be enough of that stuff.

The rendering of detail is remarkable and the colours bright. The central theme of accepting oneself is a good lesson to learn amongst all the mayhem. Adding to the enjoyment is the musical score by Hans Zimmer.

CLASSIFICATION

for sequences of martial arts action and mild violence.

RIO

Animated action/adventure

PRINCIPAL VOICES
Leslie Mann: Linda, owner of an independent bookstore
Jesse Eisenberg: Blu, her male domesticated Macaw
Rodrigo Santoro: Túlio, a Brazilian ornithologist (a zoologist who studies birds)
Anne Hathaway: Jewel, a female Macaw
Jake Austin: Brazilian teenager Fernando
Carlos Ponce: exotic bird smuggler Marcel
will.i.am: Pedro, a red crested Cardinal
Jamie Foxx: Nico, a yellow Canary
Georger Lopez: Rafael, a Toucan
Tracy Morgan: Luiz, a bulldog
Jemaine Clement: Nigel, a Cockatoo

REVIEW
The story pitting good guys vs. bad guys is frequently put on hold for a musical interlude most often the samba that is so much part of the vibrant city of Rio de Jeneiro. It’s charming, very colourful and there’s a realistic rendering of the animals and birds.

Anyone older than 10 will probably find the humour to be mildly amusing, not the laugh-out-loud sort. It lacks the jokes geared to the adults that goes over the head of the kids so children will get a bigger kick out of it, this despite the absence of the rude body noises they have come to expect.

CLASSIFICATION
for mild off color humor.

P.S.
The producers have gone to great lengths to capture the reality of Rio even to the extent of the wavy sidewalk pattern along the beach front and correctly showing the Rio Samba School Parade taking place within the grandstand area rather than out on the city streets.

MEGAMIND

Animated action/adventure

PRINCIPAL VOICES
Will Ferrell: evil genius Megamind
David Cross: his sidekick Minion
Brad Pitt: Metro Man, protector of Metro City
Tina Fey: TV news reporter Roxanne Ritchi
Jonah Hill: TV cameraman Hal

REVIEW
Lacking any originality and hampered with a script devoid of any semblance of humour it provides little in the way of entertainment. The story seems like a rehash of similar recently released superhero films but with the predictability of the ending a sure thing.

Speaking of sure things: this one will not win any awards. You heard it here first!

CLASSIFICATION
for action and some language.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
Hal’s t-shirt incorrectly reads “Error 404 … Request not found”. This HTTP standard error response code states only “Not Found”.

DESPICABLE ME

Animated action\adventure

PRINCIPAL VOICES
Steve Carell: Gru, candidate to become “the Greatest Villain of All Time”
Russell Brand: Gru’s mad scientist associate Dr. Nefario
Julie Andrews: Gru’s mother
Jason Segel: upstart inventor Vector
Kristen Wiig: Miss Hattie, owner of an orphanage
Miranda Cosgrove: Margo, a resident of Miss Hattie’s Home for Girls
Elsie Fisher: her tomboy friend Agnes
Dana Gaier: their young friend Edith
Will Arnett: the banker Mr. Perkins

REVIEW
The title gives a hint of what’s to come: a movie about an unpleasant, perhaps socially irresponsible person, who takes pride in being recognized as such. But what it does not tell you is that this is one witty, funny movie that is entertaining and heart-warming.

As with any good animated comedy geared to children there are references that only adults will understand such as the name of Gru’s bank. And there’s one joke for the Spanish speaking crowd and one for those old enough to know how to spell. But there are lots of other funny moments, some of them the laugh-out-loud sort.

Hans Zimmer, as Score Producer, is responsible for the wall-to-wall music. He remains my all-time favourite cinema soundtrack composer.

CLASSIFICATION
for rude humor and mild action.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
The carnival game operator has a soft drink on the counter with a short straw in it. Moments later he takes a sip from it but the straw is twice as long.

P.S.
I enjoyed the movie so much I saw it twice in both formats. To me this time it’s worth the extra few dollars to see the 3D version despite the slightly dimished brillance of colours.

P.S.S.
Stick around during the end credits to see some more antics of Gru’s little yellow minions who jabber away while getting into more mischief.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

Animated action\adventure

PRINCIPAL VOICES
Jay Baruchel: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, apprentice blacksmith
Craig Ferguson: Gobber the Belch, the village blacksmith
Gerald Butler: Hiccup’s father Stoick the Vast, tribal chieftain
America Ferrera: tomboy Astrid Hofferson

REVIEW
Set in a mythical world, the Island of Berk is inhabited by Vikings who for 300 years have had to deal with dragon attacks. This rousing adventure combines a well told narrative with adequate time devoted to character development.

Although not the most original story about growing up and coming through in the end, it is beautifully rendered in the latest CGI animation replete with vivid colour and sometimes stunning detail.

A bonus for any adult attending a movie primarily geared for kids is that it has some one-liners that go right over their head. This one has several, the best one coming from Hiccup’s father midway through.

The only quibble I have (and one of the reasons it loses a star) are the aerial battles that go on forever.

CLASSIFICATION
for sequences of intense action, some scary images and brief mild language.

FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Animated drama

PRINCIPAL VOICES
George Clooney: Mr. Fox
Meryl Streep: his wife Felicity, an artist
Jason Schwartzman: their son Ash
Eric Anderson: his cousin Kristofferson
Owen Wilson: Coach Skip
Bill Murray: Mr. Fox’s badger lawyer
Wally Wolodarsky: Mr. Fox’s faithful sidekick, Kylie the opossum
Robin Hurlstone: chicken farmer Walter Boggis (and Jacques Parizeau look- alike)
Hugh Guinness: Nathan Bunce who raises ducks and geese
Michael Gambon: Franklin Bean, manufacturer of alcoholic hard cider
Willem Dafoe: Rat, the security boss

REVIEW
The title says it all: it is a fantastic movie with all the right elements. The smart, funny, grown-up script seems to have been written more with adults and older kids in mind than for children. The voice work is superlative with just the right nuance and phrasing.

The inter-titles (aka title cards) which are a throwback to the era of silent movies are a clever touch, reminiscent as I recall of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? In any event like that film this one is full of witty dialogue that often provokes smiles and sometimes outright laughter. And like Sundance there are exciting action sequences to keep things moving along at a good clip.

The soundtrack is a delight as are the close-up expressions. This is a fun outing.

CLASSIFICATION
for action, smoking and slang humor.

P.S.
The writers have gone to great length making sure there are no naughty words and keeping it family-friendly by employing the more socially acceptable “what the cuss” instead of the usual “what the @*!#”. How refreshing.

P.S.S.
Like other members of the Canidae biological family (that also includes wolves, jackals, coyotes and the domestic dog) the offspring of foxes are called pups.

G-FORCE

Animated action/adventure

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Zach Galifianakis: Ben, the human handler of the G-Force team
Kellie Garner: his assistant Marcie
Sam Rockwell: voice of the squad leader Darwin
Penelope Cruz: voice of Juarez
Tracy Morgan: voice of weapons expert Blaster
Nicolas Cage: voice of Speckles, the team's computer expert
Bill Nighy: consumer-electronics magnate Leonard Saber
Jon Favreau: voice of Hurley, a pet shop guinea pig
Steve Buscemi: voice of Bucky, another pet shop rodent

REVIEW
With five people being given credit for the screenplay you would think it’s a dandy. It is anything but: the principal story line is confusing, the love interest part unfathomable, the plot structure is all jumbled and the dialogue dull and uninspired. An example: “get your face outta my butt”, “no, you get your butt outta my face”. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Obviously geared to kids but with no double entendre for parents to enjoy. In fact there is nothing even remotely funny despite the requisite rude bodily sounds. Truth be told, there is no fun at all having to sit though this mess.

CLASSIFICATION
for some mild action and rude humor.