Zootopia

Posted on March 2, 2016 at 10:00 am

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Lowest Recommended Age:	Kindergarten - 3rd Grade
MPAA Rating:	Rated PG for some thematic elements, rude humor and action
Profanity:	A few schoolyard words
Alcohol/ Drugs:	Animals are drugged, making them violent
Violence/ Scariness:	Action-style law enforcement peril and violence, chases, bullies, some injuries
Diversity Issues:	A theme of the movi
Date Released to Theaters:	March 4, 2016
Date Released to DVD:	June 7, 2016
Amazon.com ASIN:	B01B2CX0LU

Simmer down, out there. In this, the craziest of all political moments in US history, some people are going to tell you that Disney’s adorable “Zootopia” is full of subtext about issues like immigration, sexism, terrorism and the role of law enforcement. There are references to current ways of talking about issues of trust and finding a balance between autonomy and community, but if there’s subtext in this bright, wonderfully imagined Oscar-winning story about animals of all sizes and appetites living together, it is Isaiah 11:6: the lion shall lay down with the lamb.

Of course that depends on which lion and which lamb, and, in this movie, it also depends on a farm-town bunny named Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin) who wants more than anything to be a cop in the big city of Zootopia. There’s some skepticism; rabbits have never been in the police force, which is made up of bigger, more physically powerful animals. But Judy has studied more and worked harder, acing her police academy studies and even mastering the obstacle course. She arrives ready to arrest lots of bad guys, only to be assigned…parking duty. Undaunted, she is determined to be the very best meter maid ever, so resolutely honorable she even gives herself a ticket.

And Judy is so observant that even on parking duty she notices details that could lead to clues about the city’s biggest crime wave, the disappearance of 14 of the city’s citizens, including, most recently, an otter whose devoted wife (Octavia Spencer) is frantic with worry.

A con artist fox (Jason Bateman, perfectly sly as Nick Wilde) may be able to provide important clues. Judy forces him to help her by threatening to turn him in, and our team is on the case. They may appear to be misfits — predator and prey, law-breaker and law-enforcer, cynic and optimist. But it turns out they are a very good match.

Bateman gives Nick’s voice a sardonic, superficially laid-back but really checking out all the angles tone, and Goodwin brings intelligence and integrity to Judy’s enthusiasm. They complement each other perfectly and their growing appreciation, understanding, and friendship is believable and heartwarming. Other outstanding voice talent includes Jenny Slate as a sheep who is the over-worked and under-appreciated deputy mayor and Idris Elba as a cape buffalo police chief.

The world of Zootopia is wonderfully imagined and the animators have a lot of fun with the drastic scale and biome differences in the Zootopia population. Investigations and chase scenes take us through a variety of ecosystems, from Tundra Town and Sahara Square to the Rainforest District. Like Gulliver or Alice in Wonderland, Judy’s proportionate relationship to the immediate surroundings and characters varies wildly. Her pursuit of a weasel thief (Alan Tudyk) goes through a rodent-occupied area where she is as tall as the buildings and has to step around the cars. And she has to find a way to tuck parking tickets behind the windshield wipers of vehicles that are sized for tiny mice and towering giraffes.

Alert audience members will enjoy marvelously understated and witty details, from references to “The Godfather” and “Breaking Bad” to a Department of Motor vehicles staffed entirely by sloths — one, named Flash, gives new meaning to the corny mug on his desk that says “You want it when?” There are some sly pokes at cultural touchstones, with an app featuring a beloved pop star (voiced by Shakira), a “Lemming Brothers” bank, and even a call-out to Disney’s own unstoppable “Let it Go” powerhouse, “Frozen.”

Judy’s irrepressible optimism and equally irrepressible determination make her an endearing heroine, and Nick’s thinly disguised longing for a reason to believe in her keeps him skeptical but not cynical. The themes of predators and prey finding ways to live together peacefully — and the fear and selfishness that threaten that peace — is a graceful context for their learning to trust one another. Disney has created a film I’ve already seen twice and a place I will happily return to again any time.

Parents should know that this film includes law enforcement-style peril and some violence. Characters are drugged and become aggressive and violent. A character is a con artist who cheats, lies, and steals.

Family discussion: Why didn’t Judy’s father want her to join the police force? How did being bullied affect Nick’s choices? How can we make it possible for everyone to be able to follow whatever dreams they have?

If you like this, try: “Over the Hedge” and Disney’s animal-populated version of “Robin Hood”

Watch the Oscar-Winning Animated Short: Bear Story

Posted on February 29, 2016 at 7:32 am

The excited filmmakers noted that this was Chile’s first Oscar — for this animated short about a bear taken from his family to be in a circus, an allegory for the families torn apart by Pinochet’s regime.

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Animation Shorts

Documentary: Becoming Bulletproof, the Story of Filmmakers with Disabilities

Posted on February 27, 2016 at 3:55 pm

Becoming Bulletproof is the story of a movie-making group, many with disabilities, that gets together every summer in Vermont. The documentary about them is available now on iTunes and Amazon.

Gods of Egypt

Posted on February 25, 2016 at 5:36 pm

“Gods of Egypt” has more gods than IQ points. There are some grand and striking visuals and some well-staged fight scenes, but there are also effects that look like they were created for a 64-bit computer game and lines of dialogue that make cheesy sword and sandal epics of the Steve Reeves era look like Noel Coward. It may be pretty to look at, but this is a big budget wheel of cheddar.

The producer and director have both apologized, too little and too late, for making a film based on Egyptian mythology without a single Egyptian actor. The gods are played by Australian Geoffrey Rush (Ra, the sun god and father and grandfather to the other gods), Danish Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Horus, god of air and libertine turned hero), Scotsman Gerard Butler (Set, angry and ambitious god of the desert), American Chadwick Boseman (Thoth, smug god of wisdom), and French Elodie Yung (Hathor, goddess of love). And then there are a few humans, Australian Brenton Thwaites as an Aladdin-style street thief called Bek, and imperious as always British Rufus Sewell as Urshu, Set’s obsequious architect. Given the results, I imagine the Egyptians are relieved not to be a part of it.

The ponderous opening narration informs us that ancient Egypt is the cradle of civilization and so the gods decided to live there among the humans, though they are much taller and have gold for blood. As the story begins, Horus wakes up bleary following an orgy as he is about to take over as king from his wise and progressive father (Australian Bryan Brown). But his uncle Set arrives, kills the king, and plucks out Horus’ super-special eyes. Horus, humiliated and blind, retreats to his temple to sulk and drink. And Set enslaves the entire population to build structures for his glory and decrees that only the rich will obtain eternal life.

Zaya (Australian Courtney Eaton, very appealing) is the servant of Urshu, and the beloved of Bek. With access to Urshu’s architectural drawings, she shows Bek where Horus’ eyes are hidden. She believes that if Horus’ sight was restored, he would be able to defeat Set. Bek gets through an Indiana Jones-style series of traps to retrieve one eye, delivers it to Horus, and persuades him to fight Set and get back his kingdom.

There is visual splendor on a scale Cecil B. DeMille could only dream of, with sumptuous production design by Ian Gracie and costumes by Liz Keogh. But some of the CGI effects are less persuasive than Ray Harryhausen‘s stop-motion miniatures, and a few of them, like Ra’s flames and a sort of sand-based version of Skype, look like they came from a 64-bit video game. The mis-matched sizing of the gods and humans is more silly than impressive. The dialogue is a mish-mash of pretentious claptrap about the Journey and comments like “death is not the end” and “never doubt a man fighting for the one thing as powerful as any god — love.” Occasionally there are painful attempts at humor, as when Bek tells Horus to run from danger: “Mortals do it all the time!” or when Hathor brags that she is “the goddess of too much.” The mythology of ancient Egypt is fascinating and meaningful. This movie is not. It cannot decide whether it wants to be campy or thrilling, but it really does not matter because it fails at both.

Parents should know that this film includes extended sword and sorcery peril and violence with many characters injured and killed, monsters, disturbing images, sexual references and situations, and brief strong language.

Family discussion: Why did Ra treat his sons differently? Why does he say he wants human destiny to be uncertain?

If you like this, try: “Clash of the Titans”

Eddie the Eagle

Posted on February 25, 2016 at 5:28 pm

There are heroes who inspire us because they win, showing indomitable determination and courage, like Jesse Owens in Race. And then there are heroes who inspire us when they lose. They also have indomitable determination and courage. They just do not have any talent. But they go farther than anyone thinks they can. Think of “Rudy,” or “Cool Runnings,” or even the original “Rocky” movie. And now add Eddie the Eagle. He was a sickly boy with a dream of competing in the Olympics. When he was bumped from the British ski team, partly for being clumsy and lower class (at least in this film), he switches to ski jumping. There is one advantage: Great Britain does not have a ski jump team and has not competed in the event in 60 years. The rules had not been updated since then, so, unbelievably, anyone who competed successfully (meaning jumped without falling) could qualify. And since no one else was trying, all Eddie had to do was enter one competition and land on his feet.

The bad news was that he had to land on his feet after skiing down a 70 meter slide.

The real Eddie won hearts with his unpretentiousness and enthusiasm, the nickname dubbed in response to his waving his arms in glee and relief after making it down from the jump in one piece. He was refreshing in an era of product-izd athletes groomed from elementary school for endorsement deals and “Up Close and Personal” segments. At the end of the Games, he was the only athlete mentioned in the final speach, singled out for “soaring like an eagle.”

So it is too bad that the movie does something the real Eddie never did — it cheats. It does not trust the real story or the audience. So with the excuse of an “inspired by” credit rather than a “based on” implication of sticking closer to reality, it insists on amping up the ante with schmaltzy/cutesy made-up characters and events. Hugh Jackman brings tons of charm to the fictitious character of an angry, bitter guy who was once on the American ski jump team but got booted for drinking, women, and a bad attitude. Of course he will be inspired by Eddie’s unsullied determination and good attitude. Taron Egerton (“Kingsman: The Secret Service” and the forthcoming “Robin Hood: Origins”) makes Eddie believably awkward, but the character is nearly infantilized, limited to such a narrow range of qualities and emotions. The big showpiece athletic feat is amped up as well, when just the actual fact of climbing up 30 stories and sliding down it on two little sticks should be plenty.

Parents should know that this film includes illness and sport-related peril and injury, some sexual references, brief non-sexual nudity, smoking, alcohol abuse, and some strong language.

Family discussion: What made Eddie’s goals for himself reasonable ones? Why did Bronson decide to help him? How did helping Eddie change the way Bronson thought about himself?

If you like this, try: “Cool Runnings” and “Rudy”