UP

I watched UP http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1049413/ the other day.
It was enjoyable, but I'm disinclined to go along with the majority who claim that it is PIXAR's best work thus far.
Sure, this film is good and I enjoyed myself; it's just that it gets blown away by the likes of WALL-E, Ratatouille and the greatly underrated The Incredibles.
At least UP kicks the crap out of Cars. Ugh, that movie annoys me. It was just like a big-budget adaptation of those irritating BBC kids shows involving sentient vehicles that caper about the village and mockingly cavort in front of humans; their rightful masters.
Burn them all and crush them into a cube, I say.
I wish I could say that'll occur in the sequel, but I know it won't. Shame.

Let's take a look at the highs and the lows of this particular adventure...

HIGHS:
- The early montage involving Carl and Ellie's relationship. This was just beautifully done. The film had basically just begun and I found myself already crying. Their early courtship followed by the rise and inevitable falls of life are displayed with such care and emotion that I was hooked instantly.
PIXAR have always stuck to their motto that “story is king” and that belief is backed up by their diligent attention to the little details regarding character interaction. Simple little moments like Ellie gently placing her hand upon Carl's as children, coupled with the painted hand prints during the mailbox scene just provide depths to the story that sucks you in until you finally realise that you're staring at the screen through moist eyes.
PIXAR made me cry with a speechless little robot and they did it again with this wonderful sequence. Well done.
In fact, such an emotional high point so early in the narrative actually left me kind of detached from the later stages of the film, but perhaps that's just me.

- Kevin the bird is great. I'm not able to type volumes of text concerning this character, because, frankly, she doesn't do very much. What she does do though, and well, is stare about blankly in that awesome 'vacant sidekick' kind of way and squawk in a manner that is funnier than any line of dialogue could be.
She must have been fun to write. Just change the surrounding context and the audience can provide their own meaning for the squawk. Worked for me; I was laughing, and while I was underwhelmed by Kevin at first, by the end of the film, I found myself wishing that she had more screen time.

- Dug is the second character who I wished was given the chance to show off more. He's a big, squishy Golden Retriever...with a collar that allows him to talk. That's just awesome, right there. He's eager to please his master (whoever that may be) and he has that that delicately balanced canine personality that teeters between focused attention and squirrel-based distraction. He gets his share of laughs and he's generally always present on screen...but I couldn't help feeling that the multi-lingual collar plus his personality hinted at some wasted potential, script-wise.
Still, his solid visual design makes him a nice addition to the PIXAR roster and it'd be nice to see him used in some shorts or something similar down the line.

(Clearly reading his lines.)

- PIXAR never really fail to impress with their opening shorts, and 'Partly Cloudy' continues this tradition. I'm even inclined to say that I laughed more during this short than during UP. The concept alone is impressive enough to warrant extended praise and without trying to spoil anything, I'll simply say that the storks that deliver babies have a sort of work-like relationship with clouds. It's a brilliantly simple premise that works wonderfully.
...Oh, and there are few things funnier than watching a stork get winded after a baby ram smashes into its chest. Hilarious.

(Poor, poor stork...)

LOWS:
- Russell is a strange character. He's got a great design and there's loads of potential under the surface, but he never gets any really good lines and I just generally found myself wondering when he was going to click into place, y'know? Yes, I laughed when he got whipped across the face by a tent support strut but that wasn't enough.
Usually the sight of a fat kid getting injured is a comedy high-point and enough to make me enthusiastically recommend it to any film fans who'd enjoy the humorous sight of a plump child being accidentally whacked in the face by a plastic rod.
Alas, this time I felt like something was missing.

- The script could've used some more punch. The dialogue and narrative did the job and everything zigged and zagged where appropriate, but I expected some more spice. If someone cooks you a steak and just hands it to you on a plate, you'd be like, “Sure, this is a well-cooked steak, but I'd like a side of fries, some sauce and a frosty beverage to go with it.” THEN, sir, you'd have a meal.
With UP, I still felt hungry afterwards.
I saw this with my brother-in law and young niece and I think it left her unsatisfied as well. During the car ride home, she spoke more about how much she loved Monsters vs Aliens, instead of how funny Dug was.
Hmmm. Not the words of a customer who's just enjoyed a full meal, says I.

(Potentially hungry UP viewer)

- The talking dogs were wasted. I've already mentioned Dug, but all of the other dogs are basically just loud obstacles. Snore.
Speaking of which; the whole opposing force is nothing to rave about. Okay, the whole 'hero becomes villain' angle is not bad, but Charles Muntz just felt like a hollow place-holder. I got the same vibe from Clayton in Tarzan back in the day, who looked like Captain Hook's brother and seemed like he was merely the villain-shaped peg necessary to fill the villain-hole.
Lazy, folks.

I mentioned The Incredibles earlier, and I'll mention it again now for 2 reasons:
1. It's awesome and it warrants repeated viewing.
2. UP has a few things in common with it in the ways that it has been painted with some darker narrative tones in comparison to most of PIXAR's lighter fare.
I should make it VERY clear now that I personally do not consider this to be a textbook negative; au contraire. I yearn for the day when there are countless animated films aimed at more mature audiences. (Hurry up and get released, 9 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472033/ )
I mention this purely because I was feeling more down than up during this film, and that was not what I had expected. Especially not when 2 key characters had the potential for far more comedy than what was served to us.

As I write this, I'm detecting a scent of negativity that was not my intention.
This IS a good film and the adventure was worth every step. I guess I'm just not as passionate about this film as I thought I'd be. And, as I've learnt like any artist who explores their craft; my work suffers a little when the passion is not there.
Oh well, no drama.

My advice is to suffer through a painful viewing of Cars again before watching UP; then after being in the company of Larry The Cable Guy and the rest of the lame components that make up that bland, damaged wreck, you'll find your journey far more uplifting.

Seriously; Cars is crap, folks.

WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT

Allow me to say now, that if you are definitely against animated films because you consider them “just for kids” and beneath you, and you wish to remain staunchly opposed to any contrary viewpoints; then so be it.
To each his own, and all that.
Everybody is entitled to their own opinion.
And here comes mine...
If your mind is foolishly calibrated as such, regarding animated films, then I can only hope that in the near future a hobo lunges from the darkness and stabs you in an alley that has been marinated in urine and various juices of other unfortunates. Then later on when another 'lonely' transient discovers and eagerly examines your body, the only reason they will NOT violate your corpse sexually is because they will have found that you have explosively soiled yourself in your pre-death panic.
Charming.
If that series of events does not happen to befall you, then congrats. Lucky you. Cup the nearest leprechaun, or whatever.
One fact shall remain; you're still a moron and you're still missing out on many brilliant animated films.

One such brilliant film is Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Yes, it is a hybrid of live-action and animation, but I have still been unfortunate enough to hear savages grunt that they'd not watch it because it's “just a cartoon.”
Understandably, such savages would have stopped (slowly) reading my blog quite some time ago, but for those of you out there who are interested, behold the following compilation of reasons why this film is worth not only your time, but a place amongst your film collection.

- Doing animation at university taught me two valuable lessons:
1. No hot chicks study animation.
2. If I was an animator, I'd probably kill myself...or be stabbed by a hobo.
Animating is uber-annoying, yo. It's just not for me.
I hated 'doing' it...but I definitely respect it. And it is that respect, and understanding of the tedious nature of the craft, that allows me to heap praise upon this achievement.
An achievement which I am going to heavily credit to a man named Richard Williams. He was the animation director on this film and what he managed to do was flat-out genius, all during a time that was pre-fancy CGI trickery.
I cannot praise his work enough. The guy basically turned water into wine and then animated the wine and made it look freaking awesome. If Jesus was around, he'd say, “Fuck, this might be the wine talking, but that is some sweet animation, mang.”


(This is the only Jesus I believe in)

If Roger Rabbit doesn't make you put Richard Williams on your Xmas card list, then definitely check out his film, The Princess and the Cobbler http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112389/
Oh, and after that, watch Aladdin again. It'll open your eyes, ladies and gents.
We all see what you did, Disney. Bad form.

- The score alone is remarkable. Solid double-bass that bounces along and lends atmosphere and a strange blend of both playfulness and mystery. I wouldn't say that it is my favourite Alan Silvestri score, (PREDATOR wears that crown, yo) but it most definitely deserves recognition.

- Bob Hoskins' performance as Eddie Valiant. This was the first film in which I saw Hoskins and for years I thought he was American due to this flawless display and perfect accent. The guy is amazing. Sure, the animation alone is an absolutely mind-blowing achievement for its time, but Hoskins was one of the main reasons why it was so effective and convincing. Keep in mind that NONE of those animated 'co-stars' were actually there. Yes, there were place-holder maquettes so that eye-lines and blocking could be maintained, but a rubber dummy is not going to give you live feedback and reactions from which Hoskins could play off, and or, react to.
He basically mimed the entire film, people. That's impressive.
Constantly think about that when next you watch it. It feels like Roger is physically present alongside Eddie every step of the way. All thanks to Hoskins' work. He reels from impact, convincingly struggles and generally interacts with Roger as if he were absolutely tangible. He manages to convey a sense of weight and presence for a fictional rabbit sidekick that most actors these days (with the help of MILLIONS of dollars worth of CGI effects) never even come close to.
Every time I watch Eddie Valiant and Roger, I am reminded of how lazy most CGI-assisted performances are these days and how the story of an alcoholic private eye and a wacky, cuckold rabbit is infinitely more convincing with its classy 2D animation techniques than nearly every mega-budget CGI circus that rolls in and infects our towns every week.
I understand that, for its time, Roger Rabbit would have been considered a “mega-budget”, effects-heavy film, similar to those I have recently criticized. That being said; what separates this excellent film from the bulk of absolutely horrid, expensive cinematic abominations is the simple fact that despite having impressive effects work, Who Framed Roger Rabbit did not ignore that vital ingredient known as 'acting' or 'performance'.
Oh yeah, and after such an impressive piece of work, Bob Hoskins didn't even get nominated for an Oscar.
Weak, y'all.


(Bob Hoskins + 2 more reasons why this film is excellent)

- Jessica Rabbit is a marvelous cinematic creation. She is portrayed as a highly sexualized, adulterous, homicidal nympho who likes to play heavy-breathing 'patty cake' with balding men in bad suits and professes her innocence with the golden line, “I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way.”
Outstanding.
Oh, she's also married to a rabbit and from that I can only hypothesize that she's either open-minded enough to be giving bestiality a big thumbs-up or she simply has rabbit-like stamina and enthusiasm in the bedroom.
Either way, folks, she's a classy gal and I've always been impressed by the fact that such a busty and risque character, that was almost dripping in mature themes was allowed to seductively bounce across the screen in...a Disney film.
I can only imagine what a Jessica Rabbit ride would be like at Disneyland. Long queues of men would fill those winding lines, yo.
Sigh.
It was nice back in the day when movies had some balls and every film didn't feel like the writer was wearing some politically-correct handcuffs.

- If somebody told you that they recommended a film which heavily featured weasels, you'd probably just increase the volume on your iPod and eagerly anticipate the arrival of the bus, thus providing you with some means of escape from this rodent-loving, station freak.
Fear not, though, when I now inform you that Who Framed Roger Rabbit stars a group of sleazy, animated, mercenary-deputy weasels who wear zoot suits, spats (Hell yes) and eagerly serve a master who relishes in the murder of cute cartoon creatures. One of these weasels is even garbed in a straight-jacket and carries a straight razor, as he and his cohorts slither throughout their scenes and cackle like coked-up hyenas in strip club. (NOTE TO SELF: Write film that includes coke-head hyenas in a titty bar. Nice)
Strangely, I have never found a cute Disney plush-toy of any of these psychotic weasels. Hmmm.
Merchandising oversights aside, these weasels are great characters. I've always been especially fond of the scene where the leader interrogates Eddie while he does his dirty laundry in the sink. The animated weasel manages to carry a real revolver and threatens Valiant by splashing the sink water just before he leaves...and it all looks like the weasel is actually in the apartment. Brilliant.

- Christopher Lloyd is one of those actors who is criminally underused in films these days. Just watch his performance here as Judge Doom and you'll see what I mean. Most people would say that his Doc Brown from Back to the Future is his best character...and I would be inclined to agree. However, Judge Doom is more than worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as that memorably wild-eyed, time travelling scientist. His cold, unflinching presence lends a sense of unease to every scene he creeps into and from the first moment he appears, you feel as if something is just not right with this gent who employs the aforementioned weasel police force and takes a quiet pleasure in every aspect of his daily job...which happens to include watching a cute, little animated shoe as he murders it on screen by dipping it into a vat of toxic chemicals specifically designed to kill toons.
That's right, kids, we get to witness as this harmless creature begs and pleads through puppy-like whimpers and desperate eyes as it is melted, painfully, into oblivion.
Thanks, Disney. Release a special edition that includes a gift voucher for child therapy sessions next, please.

Robert Zemeckis has also mentioned recently that he's thought about doing a sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Would I like to see this? Yes and no.
Yes, because I'd love to revisit this world and so forth...but also no, because it isn't really necessary and in this day and age, it would probably be drowned by CGI and the cinema police would never allow animated characters to be this mature and involved in such adult affairs.
Cause, cartoons are just for kids, right?

Ugh. I'm going for a walk. I hope a hobo stabs me.


"CARTOONS!"