Cinemaniac Reviews

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Archive for the category “Animation”

14 Jun 2013
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Fantastic Mr. Fox

Review No. 497

“Fantastic” film.

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A-PLUS

DIRECTED BY WES ANDERSON.  PRODUCED BY ANDERSON, ALLISON ABBATE, SCOTT RUDIN, AND JEREMY DAWSON.  SCREENPLAY BY ANDERSON & NOAH BAUMBACH. BASED ON “FANTASTIC MR FOX” BY ROALD DAHL. FEATURING THE VOICES OF GEORGE CLOONEY (MR. “FOXY” FOX), MERYL STREEP (MRS. FELICITY FOX), JASON SCHWARTZMAN (ASH FOX), BILL MURRAY (CLIVE BADGER), WILLEM DAFOE (RAT), AND OWEN WILSON (COACH SKIP). ALSO FEATURING THE VOICES OF ERIC CHASE ANDERSON, WALLACE WOLODARSKY, MICHAEL GAMBON, ROBIN HURLSTONE, HUGO GUINESS, HELEN McCRORY, JARVIS COCKER, BRIAN COX, ADRIEN BRODY, GARTH JENNINGS, WES ANDERSON, ROMAN COPPOLA, AND MARIO BATALI. DISTRIBUTED BY 20TH CENTURY FOX ON NOVEMBER 25, 2009. PRODUCED IN ENGLISH BY THE UNITED STATES. RUNS 1 HOUR, 27 MINUTES. RATED PG BY THE MPAA, FOR ACTION, SMOKING, AND SLANG HUMOR.

FANTASTIC MR. FOX WAS WATCHED ON JUNE 10, 2013.

“Boggis, Bunce, and Bean
One fat, one short, one lean.
These horrible crooks,
so different in looks,
were nonetheless equally mean.”
–music and lyrics by Alexandre Desplat

Creative writing prompts are a matter of reusing and recycling; I think the one I land on the most happens to be: “Choose two different people from two different periods of time. Let them have a conversation with one another. What does one person say, and how does the other react?” The next time I face this prompt, I shall write a response concerning Roald Dahl and Wes Anderson. The problem I’ll run into is the time constraint. These two would sit around all day and not notice sunrise become midnight. You just can’t condense a high-spirited conversation the length of ten, elaborate novels, into a three-page short story.

ashfoxandkylie

From a “West Side Story”-esque scene – the Foxes vs. the Humans.

The animated comedy at hand is tremendously enjoyable for all ages. Wes Anderson has always been fond of expressing stories with adult humor and youthful attitudes, but he’s never been able to channel his work to both parties, due to the inhibitions of the R rating. Fantastic Mr. Fox is rated PG, and in almost every scene, there’s a melodic balance in humor. Anthropomorphism is outstandingly realized. One of my personal favorite moments was a rather fleeting instance: it’s funny for both young and older audiences when Kylie the Opossum starts playing the piano. One age group would laugh at the thought that an opossum can actually tickle the ivories; the other age group would find it amusing that an opossum is able to serenade his critter family as if he were George Gershwin.

My theory is, these five seconds were a subtextual cameo of Anderson’s. If there’s anyone who can adapt Roald Dahl’s work, it’s Wes Anderson. Henry Selick, Danny DeVito, and Tim Burton have all tried and failed. Proverbially, they knew the notes, they just couldn’t play the music. Anderson doesn’t just play the music, he plays it like George Gershwin. It’s been a while since I’ve read Dahl’s book, so I can’t say so for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if along the way, Anderson gave the notes a little twist. A twist that would make even Roald Dahl smile and remark, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Warm Bodies

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Posted in Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, [Film Reviews] and tagged
13 Jun 2013
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Spirited Away

Review No. 496

A movie for all ages, and for THE ages.

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A

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY HAYAO MIYAZAKI. PRODUCED BY TOSHIO SUZUKI. FEATURING THE VOICES OF RUMI HIIRAGI (CHIHIRO OGINO), MIYU IRINO (HAKU/SPIRIT OF THE KOHAKU RIVER), MARI NATSUKI (YUBABA / ZENIBA), TAKASHI NAITO (AKIHIKO OGINO), YASUKO SAWAGUCHI (YUMIKO OGINO), TSUNEHIKO KAMIJŌ (CHICHIYAKU), TAKEHIKO ONO (ANIYAKU), AND BUNTA SUGAWARA (KAMAJII). ALSO FEATURING THE VOICES OF YUMI TAMAI, RYUNOSUKE KAMIKI, AND AKIO NAKAMURA. ENGLISH DUBBING FEATURES THE VOICES OF DAVEIGH CHASE, JASON MARSDEN, SUZANNE PLESHETTE, MICHAEL CHIKLIS, LAUREN HOLLY, RODGER BUMPASS, JOHN RATZENBERGER, AND DAVID OGDEN STIERS; AS WELL AS THOSE OF SUSAN EGAN, TARA STRONG, AND BOB BERGEN. DISTRIBUTED BY WALT DISNEY PICTURES ON JULY 20, 2001. PRODUCED IN JAPANESE BY JAPAN. RUNS 2 HOURS, 4 MINUTES. RATED PG BY THE MPAA, FOR SOME SCARY MOMENTS.

SPIRITED AWAY WAS WATCHED ON JUNE 8, 2013.

“Once you do something, you never forget. Even if you can’t remember.” –Zeniba (Japanese: Mari Natsuki / English: Suzanne Pleshette)

There’s an adage that if something can go wrong, it will. Spirited Away is a tale that presents this perfectly. Young Chihiro is instinctive, but she’s also shy. She’s moving into a new house, and as soon as she opens the car door to get out, she’s petrified with fear. Her parents’ one mistake is in dismissing this as pure shyness. They proceed to an abandoned carnival, notice food, and eat it. They’ve been corrupted by their own greed so much that they don’t even notice how the food is so hot in a carnival so deserted. They are transformed into swine, and in order for them to change back, Chihiro is sent to work herself to the bone in a bathhouse, run by spirits who could care for nothing more than to get their grubby paws on some money. Chihiro is able to forgive her parents for betraying her, only because she is devoted to them. But is it possible that one little girl can use devotion as a weapon against greed, the single driving force that motivates the hundreds that now surround her?

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Miyazaki has an imagination, and he isn’t afraid to use it.

The ending is a dead giveaway. It’s in getting there that an unpredictable beauty takes over. Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is a brilliant “good vs. evil” fable. The story takes the fantasy genre and does it inside-out, similarly to how Guillermo del Toro constructed his Pan’s Labyrinth. This is, in fact, the exact opposite of Pan’s Labyrinth. That film featured a young girl who used her dream world as an escape from her father, a fascist World War II captain, and ended up getting the two worlds dangerously confused. Spirited Away concerns a girl whose reality becomes a world full of nightmares, which she must escape in order to return to her parents.

Spirited Away is either a wholesome film in the costume of a horror movie, or a horror movie in the costume of a completely wholesome film. I’m flummoxed as to which of the two it is, but I’m sure that this is a movie that has touches of both tameness and horror. Hayao Miyazaki proves flawlessly that it’s possible to craft reality out of a fantastical anime. The dangers Chihiro encounters aren’t accessible, but the one fear she has is one that every human has. You could say Spirited Away is more accessible to children who cannot afford to lose their parents, to which I’d argue that there’s someone, something, or some concept in your own life that you can’t possibly separate yourself from. I first watched Spirited Away when I was in the fifth grade, and it struck an emotional chord for me. Although the one this time was an emotional chord of a different pitch, it was just as strong.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

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Posted in Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy, [Film Reviews] and tagged
21 Feb 2013
12 Comments

Frankenweenie

Review No. 415

frankenweenie_ver2

The Bottom Line: Not one of the director’s better works, but still quite enjoyable.

Directed by: Tim Burton
Screenplay by: John August
Story by: Tim Burton
Based on: “Frankenweenie” by Tim Burton and Lenny Ripps
Victor Frankenstein: Charlie Tahan
Mr. Rzykruski: Martin Landau
Elsa van Helsing: Winona Ryder
Edgar “E” Gore: Atticus Shaffer
Bob: Robert Capron
Also Featuring the Voices of: Catherine O’Hara, Christopher Lee, Conchata Ferrell, Frank Welker, James Hiroyuki Liao, Martin Short, Tom Kenny

Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures on October 5, 2012. Produced in English by the United States. Runs 87 mins. Rated PG by the MPAA for thematic elements, scary images and action.

Frankenweenie was watched on February 10, 2013.

“Look! It’s moving. It’s sha — it’s… it’s alive. It’s alive… It’s alive, it’s moving, it’s alive! It’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive! It’s ALIVE!” –Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) in Frankenstein (1931)

Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie is a huge step up from his previous effort, the chaotic Dark Shadows. This time, he’s taking on another horror archetype: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

The film functions like the mind of a child. It’s often absurd, slightly shallow, all the while fun. Although many jokes here are aimed at young children, none are gratuitously juvenile and many of them draw laughter willingly from just about any audience. Most of all, this “horror comedy” is imaginative and even heartfelt. But if you’re seeking down several novel twists on the story we all know, I’d actually advise keeping away from Frankenweenie.

The film succeeds in its script. Color me surprised, as this feature-length animation is based on a half-hour short. I’d assume that one doesn’t go into nearly as much depth, as the subplots are only available here to give the tale coherence.

Victor Frankenstein is a timid boy who loves his dog Sparky to pieces. I’ll let the clichéd name slide; it’s merely a step up from “Fido,” but a dog is a dog is a dog. He accompanies the boy everywhere. Victor wants badly to participate in the science fair, but his dad wants none of it, instead insisting that he play baseball. But during one game, Sparky is hit by a car while trying to catch a baseball for his kind owner. Grief stricken, Victor uses his demented science class to his ability, using lightning as a defibrillator for his dog.

Frankenweenie is a joyously strange Halloween flick. It’s great to know that “weird” isn’t a term definitive of only directors like David Lynch, who target their bizarre films at mature audiences. Tim Burton has embraced his macabre style as violent and adult (Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow), and as wholesome and giddy (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland). Frankenweenie is an immensely strong instance of the latter.

It goes without saying, however, that Frankenweenie is not entirely original. Most disappointing are the climactic moments. I know the younger audience may not get the overly direct allusion, but at this point, it seems like an overblown knockoff of Joe Dante’s Gremlins. Burton claims they’re sea monkeys, but as I’ve seen that timeless ’80s movie several times, I beg to differ.

Frankenweenie warrants a bona fide recommendation in my book. Even those who have never seen the B-horror flicks at which this pokes fun (in black and white, no less) will surely enjoy its featherweight humor. But a less expected ending and a few more touches of Tim Burton’s genius could have done so much in making the passing cartoon a highly memorable fanfare.

B MINUS

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Posted in Animation, Comedy, Family, Horror, Science Fiction, [Film Reviews] and tagged
26 Jan 2013
6 Comments

The Simpsons Movie

Review No. 395

simpsons_movie_ver7

The Bottom Line: The best episode of the greatest American TV show still around. I said it.

Directed by: David Silverman
Screenplay by: James L. Brooks and Matt Groening & Al Jean and Ian Maxtone-Graham & George Meyer and David Mirkin & Mike Reiss and Mike Scully & Matt Selman and John Swartzwelder & Jon Vitti
Based on: “The Simpsons” by Matt Groening and James L. Brooks & Sam Simon
Homer Simpson: Dan Castellaneta
Marge Simpson: Julie Kavner
Bart Simpson: Nancy Cartwright
Lisa Simpson: Yeardley Smith
Other Voices: Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer

Distributed by 20th Century Fox on July 27, 2007. Produced in English by the United States. Runs 86 mins. Rated PG-13 by the MPAA for irreverent humor throughout.

The Simpsons Movie was watched on January 19, 2013.

Bart: “You didn’t bring my pants?”
Homer: “Who am I, Tommy Bahama?”
Bart: “Ohhh. This is the worst day of my life.”
Homer: “The worst day of your life so far!”

The Simpsons isn’t a TV sitcom about a dysfunctional family. It’s actually about the entire town of Springfield, where inhabitants are any demographic from comic book fanatics; to rednecks; to wealthy octogenarians; to quirky, religious next door neighbors. The humor is never selective. When it’s well written–and only on the rarest occasion is it not–it’s bound to appeal to almost anyone and everyone.

Look in the Oxford English Dictionary for “D’oh!” You will find it, all thanks to The Simpsons. And knowing all this, The Simpsons is far more than an animated TV series, per se. It’s a phenomenon that began as an animated sketch on The Tracey Ullman Show, before Matt Groening liberated it into a grand, hysterical world of its own just before Christmas of 1989. Yes, a world of its own, often representing the missteps of ours. The Simpsons is currently facing its 23rd season; for it to suddenly end would be an apocalypse.

I’ve taken every permitting chance to make it clear that I am a diehard fan of The Simpsons. I’ve seen every episode from seasons one, twenty, twenty-one, and twenty-two, and it was only shortly after I became a fan that I set a goal: to see every episode before I kick the bucket (I have some time to check that off the list).

Recently, I watched The Simpsons Movie for the ninth time. It’s amazing how although the humor its quite predictable by now, and I have at least half the screenplay absorbed into my psyche, I’m still picking up on subtleties I hadn’t in my eighth viewing, and perhaps laughing even harder than before.

What’s even more amazing is how well done the film is. I never saw The Simpsons Movie during its time in the theaters, back in summer of 2007, but I remember seeing each trailer as if it were yesterday. The film was advertised as eighteen years in the making. Whether Matt Groening had actually proposed a film adaptation right around the series’ genesis, few can quite know, but considering that a significant drop in the series’ humor came with the new millennium, the claim is quite probable.

The Simpsons Movie takes a humble approach in its story. It really isn’t much different than any other Simpsons episode, except it runs a feature length and is as witty as the best moments in the program. While his daughter is advocating for Springfield’s environment, Homer takes the liberty of saving a pig from being butchered, keeping it as a pet, pampering it…and dumping a massive silo of its feces in the already polluted lake.

These events are precipitated by Grampa Simpson’s chaotic, nonsensical outburst in the middle of church. Throughout the movie, his words begin to make perfect sense: “twisted tail” is the pig; “a thousand eyes” is the creature that appears as a squirrel’s reaction after jumping into a lake infused with pig droppings; “EPA” is the Environmental Protection Agency, who orders that President Schwarzenegger enclose Springfield inside a dome.

Homer doesn’t realize what he has done caused until a mob comes at 7:00 one night. (He remembers it being at 4:00, though, because Access Hollywood is on at both times.) The Simpsons are forced out of their home with ten dollars and a wedding video. They leave for Alaska, but cannot leave their psychotic, unconditionally catastrophic past.

The Simpsons Movie is a gem, filled with the creative genius of its creator and writers, and featuring voice cameos from Green Day, Tom Hanks, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Oh wait, that last one was apparently just a damn good Ah’nold impression. There are several in-jokes only fans of the series will get, but the best way to discover the fandom for which you are destined, than to start right here.

“I was elected to lead, not to read.”

A PLUS

Posted in Animation, Comedy, [Film Reviews] and tagged
03 Jan 2013
2 Comments

A Cat in Paris

Review No. 377

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The Bottom Line: A Cat in Paris isn’t revolutionary, but it’s a light, brief, memorable escapade.

Directed by: Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol
Written by: Alain Gagnol and Jacques-Rémy Girerd
English adaptation by: Michael Sinterniklaas
Voice Features (French): Bernadette Lafont, Bernard Bouillon Bruno Salomone, Dominique Blanc, Jacques Ramade, Jean Benguigui, Jean-Pierre Yvars, Oriane Zani, Patrick Descamps, Patrick Ridremont
Voice Features (English dubbing): Anjelica Huston, Barbara Goodson, Eric Bauza, Gregory Cupoli, JB Blanc, Lauren Weintraub, Marcia Gay Harden, Marc Thompson, Matthew Modine, Mike Pollock, Philippe Hartmann, Steve Blum

Distributed by Gébéka Films in France on December 15, 2010; and by GKIDS in the United States on June 1, 2012. Produced in French by France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Belgium. Alternate English dubbing produced by the United States. Runs 70 minutes. Rated PG by the MPAA for mild violence and action, and some thematic material.

A Cat in Paris was watched on December 25, 2012.

“Time spent with cats is never wasted.” –Sigmund Freud

I’m not very much a “cat person.” Even if I weren’t allergic, I don’t think I would truly enjoy cats. What is there to love about an animal that sleeps when it’s tired and squeals when it wants something? Some people seem as if they’d know the answer, but I much prefer dogs–instinctive, intelligent, and wholly amusing characters.

The black cat we find in A Cat in Paris has a surprisingly canine nature. This cat is adventurous and ambitious, roaming around the city of Paris every night, alongside a burglar, as if to assist him. During the daytime, the cat is owned by a young girl named Zoé. By mere accident, le chat returns one morning with evidence of crimes that occurred over the previous night; now a mystery has been presented to young Zoé, and she becomes determined to solve it within the next day.

By scientific standards, she can outrun you.

A Cat in Paris was released to U.S. film festivals in 2011 for Oscar eligibility; the film ended up earning a nomination for Best Animated Feature. This is proof that when the Academy looks for the year’s Best Animated Feature, they’re merely gathering all the animated flicks of the year and choosing the five best made. Especially for a hand drawn animation, A Cat in Paris encases minimal style and maximal substance. There clearly isn’t much thought given to the visual art beyond the rough sketching.

The film’s point is perhaps to inform that the real art is in the story. Simply reading of the plot summary, this sounds like the sort of crime piece Martin Scorsese would try and get his hands on. After seeing the film, I can only imagine him scoffing at it. No, that’s not to say A Cat in Paris is terrible, it just isn’t that sort of crime film. This is a more lighthearted escapade, in which crime is dealt with a sense of humor, and each burglar is an amusing comic. It’s a giddy, childlike tale, aimed at children, but enjoyable at just about any age.

A Cat in Paris is a fun film. The animation isn’t exactly picturesque, nor is the story, but the former is used as a mere outline, and the latter as a rejuvenating extrapolation.

The music is of perfect quality, too, embellishing an even deeper mood, setting up along the lines of a conventional film-noir.

Where the film hits a few flat notes is in its screenplay. At just 70 minutes, and just over 58 minutes if one were to exclude the credits, A Cat in Paris is extremely short, yet it feels slightly overlong. This strange conundrum derives from an overextended ending. I’m fine with about ten minutes of nonsensical chase scenes, but after that, the joke begins to wear thin. But on a complete spectrum, I wouldn’t continue complaining about a conclusion that was doubled in its acceptable length.

Overall, I had quite a fun time with A Cat in Paris, enough that I’d recommend it to anyone who reads this. It’s not perfect, but if it does disappoint you, it wasn’t even an hour of your life you threw away.

B

NOMINEE
Best Animated Feature

Posted in Animation, Comedy, Crime, Family, Film-Noir, Mystery, [Film Reviews] and tagged
15 Dec 2012
2 Comments

Eight Crazy Nights

eight_crazy_nights_ver2

Bottom Line: Light the menorah and burn this worthless “comedy”!

Directed by: Seth Kearsley
Featuring the Voices of: Adam Sandler, Austin Stout, Jackie Titone, Rob Schneider

“My comedy is different every time I do it. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.” –Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights does to Chanukah the same disservice that was shot at Christmas by debacles like Jingle All the Way and Deck the Halls. What’s so unfortunate about this is that I can’t think of many other Chanukah-centric films. Are there, or is it all A Christmas Story and Miracle on 34th Street? The film is such a disgrace, and it fails to recognize its own audience. As does the rest of Sandler’s work, this “comedy” runs wild with lewd and vulgar jokes that either revolve around bowel movements, sex, or that which offends. I can imagine an elementary schooler enjoying the juvenile schadenfreude presented here, but it’s torture for anyone as mature as Mr. Sandler should be. Not only is it boring, it’s offensive. If you happen to be Caucasian, Christian, African-American, Asian, elderly, epileptic, obese, female, alcoholic, and/or unintelligent, please avoid this multi-offense at all costs.

Read more…

Posted in Animation, Comedy, Music/Musical, [Film Reviews] and tagged
23 Nov 2012
13 Comments

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted

Bottom Line: After a horrific personal experience, I advise you all to remove Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted from your “want” lists.

Directed by: Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath & Conrad Vernon
Alex (the lion): Ben Stiller
Marty (the zebra): Chris Rock
Melman (the giraffe): David Schwimmer
Gloria (the hippopotamus): Jada Pinkett Smith
Also Featuring the Voices of: Bryan Cranston, Frances McDormand, Jessica Chastain, Martin Short, Sacha Baron Cohen

“D’oh!” –Homer Simpson

The dreaded threequel has taken its toll. Why am I always opening Pandora’s Box and involving myself with such debacles? (Sigh.) I was seven years old when Madagascar hit theaters in 2005. Needless to say, I enjoyed much fun in that experience. I’ve given the film at least three further viewings since then, and curiously enough, it only manages to entertain more each time. And I’m not saying the creators are geniuses; they simply know how to reciprocate escapism and ridiculousness for the entire family to enjoy. Four years later came Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Although not quite as much as the first installment, the first sequel was still a joy. When I heard of another sequel due for a summer 2012 release, I was curious. Not thrilled. Curious. And that’s what chips away at my mind whenever I look at a movie poster: curiosity. It killed the cat, and I could very well be next, especially when it subjected me to a film as downright pathetic (have I ever typed that word before?) as Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.

Read more…

Posted in Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, [Film Reviews] and tagged
19 Nov 2012
17 Comments

Wreck-It Ralph

Bottom Line: Wreck-It Ralph will fix a smile across your face.

Directed by: Rich Moore
Wreck-It Ralph: John C. Reilly
Fix-It Felix: Jack McBrayer
Also Featuring the Voices of: Adam Carolla, Alan Tudyk, Dennis Haysbert, Jane Lynch, Sarah Silverman, Skylar Astin

Wreck-It Ralph is essentially Disney’s twenty-first century update to Back to the Future (1985). The ancient “when worlds collide” premise is taken with a grain of salt, blended with modern charm, peppered thoroughly with a curious twist, and shaken up to create a fun-filled family fantasy. What’s so splendid is that the film bears equal appeal to parents and kids. Of course, the modern Disney atmosphere will spin kids off the wall, but in all honesty, I can’t imagine any one parent, one who grew up with Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man, not enjoying just as much a rejuvenating thrill. With this said, I’d deliberately write to the Academy if such a joy doesn’t earn a nomination for the Best Animated Feature Oscar.

Read more…

Posted in Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, [Film Reviews] and tagged
04 Nov 2012
11 Comments

Chico & Rita

Bottom Line: Chico & Rita is sensational.

Directed by: Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, Tono Errando
Featuring the Voices of: Eman Xor Oña, Limara Meneses

Chico & Rita is the beautiful baby born of Casablanca and The Jazz Singer, with Cuban flavor surrounding its virtuous music and animation. Our story, set against 1948, narrates the blooming careers of the two titular musicians from Central America, the former a serenading pianist, the latter a singer with an irresistible voice. Their longing for each other bonds them together, as they perform in the largest American cities, but the journey they take as a travelling duo begins to tear them apart and plunge both of them into emotional distress.

Read more…

Posted in Animation, Music/Musical, Romance, [Film Reviews] and tagged
22 Sep 2012
8 Comments

Pink Floyd—The Wall

Bottom Line: A dark, mesmerizing Fantasia.

Directed by: Alan Parker, Gerald Scarfe
Starring: Alex McAvoy, Bob Geldof, Bob Hoskins, Christine Hargreaves, Eleanor David, Michael Ensign
Other Credits: Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, Michael Kamen, Nick Mason, Richard Wright, Roger Waters

Pink Floyd is, without a doubt, one of the greatest rock groups of all time. Their music is sensational not only by how irresistible the sound itself is, but how that in combination with fluent, elaborate lyrics paint a vivid landscape in our minds. One of their most noteworthy achievements is 1982′s The Wall, a visualization of their album of the same name from just three years earlier. The film isn’t laudable for its great acting or plot, but rather as proof that Pink Floyd can successfully accomplish something that turned out a rotten egg for the genre’s “founding fathers”. We all know who those two are. Technically, Elvis Presley and the Beatles did make movies from their albums; films such as Jailhouse Rock and Help! were so forgettable because the musical numbers, bound by only concept, were taken too literally. The Wall takes Pink Floyd’s 1979 album and renders it perfectly, as a darker yet equally mesmerizing update to Disney’s 1940s classic, Fantasia.

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Posted in Animation, Cult, Drama, Music/Musical, [Film Reviews] and tagged

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