Tag Archives: Yarrow Cheney
Ralph Breaks The Internet, The Nutcracker And The Four Realms & The Grinch Movie Reviews
Three more quickies today as I try to catch up on reviewing the 2018 films I've seen. Two of these were okay (just okay) and one was pretty dreadful…
Directed by Rich Moore & Phil Johnston
Starring: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Alfred Molina, Ed O'Neill
Six years after the events of "Wreck-It Ralph," Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure.
I love the first Wreck-It Ralph. I think it's easily one of the better Disney films of recent years and I appreciated that it felt like such an original idea. Hell, it's almost as good as Pixar's films! (Almost). And being a lover of the Eighties, I of course loved the classic video game element. Therefore, it was likely that I wouldn't enjoy this sequel as much. It doesn't have the magic of the first film (as is often the case with sequels). And it also loses the simple video game innocence of the first film by making the Internet the focus of this one (and having all the brand names in your face constantly). I hate the Internet. Okay… I'm on it all the damn time… (like now). But I'd still rather be living in the pre-Internet Eighties again.
I'll start with the best thing about this sequel: Ralph & Vanellope. I love these characters and they're just as loveable in the sequel as in the first film. Actually, Vanellope is even better in this one – she's much sweeter since becoming friends with Ralph. They make this movie worth watching and I did really enjoy seeing them again even though I didn't like the story itself all that much. I also enjoyed the "Oh My Disney" bit. It kind of goes against saying I wasn't crazy about all the commercialism but I admit that I love Disney. I'm a Disney whore! I love going into the damn Disney Store. I'm such a child. So, I did really like seeing Vanellope with all the Disney princesses. Those bits were a lot of fun and I liked spotting so many other Disney characters & references. Oh and I loved that one cameo (don't want to spoil it)! Screw it – This is a Disney film. They're allowed to Disney-fy the crap out of it! I liked those bits just fine.
Where it fails is when it talks about eBay & memes & viral videos & etc etc etc. And the end gets a bit bizarre and didn't really work for me at all. I really missed the innocence of the first film. This was okay but where can they go from here? It was just a little disappointing but my expectations weren't too high anyway since Disney sequels are rarely all that great. Oh, but the end credits scenes were brilliant! There are two: one partway through the credits and one at the very end. I highly recommend staying for them as they're pretty much better than the entire movie itself.
The Nutcracker And The Four Realms (2018)
Directed by Lasse Hallström & Joe Johnston
Based on The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffmann & The Nutcracker by Marius Petipa
Starring: Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Eugenio Derbez, Matthew Macfadyen, Richard E. Grant, Misty Copeland, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman
This is a retelling of E. T. A. Hoffmann's short story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" and Marius Petipa's The Nutcracker, about a young girl who is gifted a locked egg from her deceased mother and sets out in a magical land to retrieve the key.
Wow – this has very negative reviews & ratings on IMDb. I don't fully understand why. I think people were definitely too harsh on this one. No, it's certainly not great and is quite weak for a Disney film but it was lovely to look at and had a fun story. Hell, I enjoyed it more than that live-action and completely pointless Beauty And The Beast. At least this is a story I didn't already know and isn't a re-hash of a far superior film.
Maybe the story was a little too weird for audiences these days? People don't really go for anything slightly bizarre anymore. As I said, it's quite a lovely looking film and I liked that it felt a bit like Narnia at first. It makes for a good winter movie in the lead up to Christmas. I also thought the main girl was very good, just as she was in Interstellar (she was the only good thing about that overblown Nolan film).
And Morgan Freeman is in this. Yay! (Am I allowed to admit to loving him again yet? Are people over the "oh my god, he said flirty things to women!" bullshit?). And Helen Mirren – I like that saucy minx too. Unfortunately, Keira Knightley is in this as well. Have I mentioned that she annoys me? (Yes, I have. Many times). Speaking of her and how I said in my previous review that I'm a Disney whore: Knightley recently got on her high horse again and said she doesn't let her kid(s?) watch Disney movies because they're a bad influence and blah blah blah. Screw that. How about you talk to them & teach them the difference between reality & fantasy and then let them watch what every other kid watches and enjoys? Are they not allowed to watch this movie, then???
Anyway. This movie was okay but it was also missing something. I can't quite figure out what it was missing, though. It has the right elements to make it a family classic but it's already fading from my mind only a few weeks after seeing it. Maybe it's Knightley's fault! Her role is too big. She got on my nerves, especially with that stupid voice she put on. Yeah, let's blame her. Otherwise, this is a decent enough family Disney movie that doesn't quite deserve the horrible reviews it has had.
The Grinch (2018)
Directed by Scott Mosier & Yarrow Cheney
Based on How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, Cameron Seely, Angela Lansbury
Narrated by Pharrell Williams
Music by Danny Elfman
Plot Synopsis (via Wikipedia)
The plot follows the Grinch as he plans to ruin Whoville's Christmas celebration by stealing all the town's decorations and gifts.
Ugh. No. Okay – I'm a big fan of the 1966 American TV classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Who isn't?! That show has been a yearly American tradition for ages now. It's one of the most beloved holiday TV specials. That's why they shouldn't have done this film. They were never going to live up to something that is, quite frankly, almost complete perfection.
Speaking of movies fading from my mind only a few weeks after seeing them, I can barely remember a thing about The Grinch now. I remember liking his adorable and long-suffering dog Max, but the same goes for the 1966 version anyway. I think the biggest problem with this version is this: The Grinch isn't enough of an asshole. TV Grinch was gloriously mean. Then, to make it even worse, this movie added a bullshit backstory to help explain why The Grinch is a bit of an asshole. We don't need a stupid backstory! Can't someone just be an asshole for the hell of it? I mean, I'm a bit of an asshole for no good reason. This is probably why I've always slightly preferred The Grinch before his heart grows. He's damn funny at the beginning of the 1966 version. He's boring as shit in this lifeless adaptation.
Oh well – I guess it's still not as bad as that Jim Carrey monstrosity, which is one of my most-hated movies of all time. Just leave The Grinch the fuck alone, Hollywood. That's what he wants anyway! Oh, and why the hell did they have Pharrell Williams only narrate this movie and not do the music as well? His music is one of the things that makes Despicable Me so great. Illumination is clearly never going to live up to that film ever again.
Tagged 4.5/10, 6.5/10, 7/10, Alan Tudyk, Alfred Molina, Angela Lansbury, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cameron Seely, Danny Elfman, Directed by Scott Mosier, Dr Seuss, E. T. A. Hoffmann, Ed O'Neill, Eugenio Derbez, Film, Gal Gadot, Helen Mirren, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, Illumination, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Joe Johnston, John C Reilly, Keira Knightley, Kenan Thompson, Lasse Hallström, Mackenzie Foy, Marius Petipa, Matthew Macfadyen, Misty Copeland, Morgan Freeman, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, Movies, Pharrell Williams, Phil Johnston, Ralph Breaks The Internet, Rashida Jones, Review, Reviews, Rich Moore, Richard E. Grant, Sarah Silverman, Taraji P. Henson, The Grinch, The Nutcracker, The Nutcracker And The Four Realms, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, Wreck-It Ralph, Yarrow Cheney
The Secret Life Of Pets (2016) Review
The Secret Life Of Pets (2016)
Directed by Chris Renaud & Yarrow Cheney
Starring: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Steve Coogan, Ellie Kemper, Bobby Moynihan, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Jenny Slate, Albert Brooks
Production company: Illumination Entertainment
A terrier named Max's quiet life is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray, who Max instantly dislikes.
Ah, Illumination Entertainment… They gave us the Despicable Me movies (love those!) and Hop (awful!). Oh, and The Lorax (meh) and Minions (disappointing movie but Minions are one of my favorite cinematic creations so I can't complain too much). Luckily, The Secret Life Of Pets is closer to Despicable Me than Hop. I thought it was fun & think I actually enjoyed it even more than my kid did. It will never be a personal favorite of mine the way Pixar movies and Despicable Me are, but it's nice to go to an animated kids' film that I can get some enjoyment out of too. I'm so selfish… 😉
The Secret Life Of Pets starts out really strong with our main character (a dog named Max) and the owner he adores. We then meet his friends: the neighbor pets who are all left home alone each day when their owners head off to work. We see the pets interact & watch how they keep themselves and each other entertained all day. These scenes were cute with some genuinely funny moments & they really could've stayed within this one building for the entirety of the movie and it would've been great. Unfortunately, it all goes a little too over-the-top once they leave the building & the story gets more complicated. I think the simplicity of the first half of the movie worked much better.
The second half was still fun, though. This movie has LOADS of characters, which kind of takes away from our main set of pets from Max's neighborhood. But I suppose it also means that every kid will easily have a couple of favorites as there are so many different types of animals & personalities going on. My kid loved Gidget. Not sure who my favorite was… I liked Gidget as well as Max & Pops (an old dog with wheels voiced by Dana Carvey).
I have to say that one bit with the "bad guys" (previous pets abandoned by their owners) & a big viper is a bit intense for the very young. My 7-year-old didn't like this part & she's not one to really get too scared by movies. So bear that in mind if you're wondering if it's suitable for a toddler (I'd say it's not).
I was surprised that my kid said the movie was "just okay" afterwards & that she preferred Zootropolis. Zootropolis really rubbed me the wrong way by being far too preachy (I bitched about that HERE). I don't mind messages in kids' films but don't like when they're forced down our throats. Plus, I just found that movie really boring. The Secret Life Of Pets is a straightforward animated kids' movie with funny characters, some good laughs & no preaching (Although I suppose you could say there's sort of a message to not discard your pets). Unlike Zootropolis, I thought it was funny and had far more memorable characters. But, hey – the kid liked it less so what do I know?? I was just happy to watch a decent kids' movie that didn't bore me to tears or annoy me. It's a fun popcorn movie that was more enjoyable than I was expecting but certainly not a timeless classic like many Pixar & Disney movies. But very few movies are as good as those, right?
If you're curious, this is how I'd rank the cinema movies I've seen with my kid in 2016. It's summer vacation now so I'm kind of stuck seeing only kids' films now until September. Oh well – at least I'll finally be seeing Finding Dory this weekend. Can't wait!!!
My 2016 Kids' Movies – Best To Worst:
– Goosebumps
– Kung Fu Panda 3
– The Secret Life Of Pets
– The Jungle Book
– Zootropolis
My Kid's Best To Worst Order As I Suppose Her Opinion Is More Important: 😉
– Pan (went with her father – she loved it)
– TIE: Kung Fu Panda 3 & Zootropolis
Tagged 7/10, Albert Brooks, Bobby Moynihan, Chris Renaud, Dana Carvey, Ellie Kemper, Eric Stonestreet, Film, Hannibal Buress, Illumination Entertainment, Jenny Slate, Kevin Hart, Lake Bell, Louis C.K., Movie Review, Movie Reviews, Movies, Review, Reviews, Steve Coogan, The Secret Life Of Pets, Yarrow Cheney