Gnomeo & Juliet

When I sat down with my kids to watch Gnomeo & Juliet, I wasn't expecting much. There are so many computer animated movies every year, I can't keep track of them all and I don't think most of them are much good. But this one had a couple things going for it that made me enjoy it more than most. First off, as the title suggests, this is a Romeo and Juliet story. With garden gnomes. Yeah, silly, I know, but the plot really does follow the play reasonably closely, and it's a very enduring story. And the movie makers had a fun time throwing in other Shakespeare references here and there. That alone would have probably kept my attention most of the time.

The second thing that is worth mentioning is that Elton John was the executive producer, and his music is used heavily throughout the movie. It could have been overkill, but for a campy sort of movie I thought it worked. The Romeo and Juliet story is full of drama, fights, and romance, and Elton John's vast music catalog can cover it all.

In general I thought Gnomeo & Juliet was reasonably well done. The voice acting (primarily by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt, but also Maggie Smith and Michael Caine) was quite good. And there were some very notable voice cameos by the likes of Dolly Parton, Hulk Hogan, Ozzy Osbourne, and Sir Patrick Stewart. This was a fun little animated romp with a good balance of silly humor for the kids and cultural references for the adults.

***

Ponyo

Ponyo is the most recent film by celebrated Japanese director/illustrator/writer Hayao Miyazaki. Like many people, I love Miyazaki films for their lavish imagery, attention to detail, and sense of wonderment. And Ponyo doesn't disappoint. Based roughly on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Little Mermaid," Ponyo tells the story of a magical fish who is rescued by a little boy and turns into a girl so she can be with him. This is a great movie for people new to Miyazaki as well as long-time fans. It is both accessible and magical. I think Ponyo comes the closes to capturing the feel of My Neighbor Totoro, which is my favorite Miyazaki film. The love of Ponyo and the little boy is rare, innocent, and precious.

Miyazaki films have become more popular in the U.S., ever since Spirited Away won and Oscar. Disney/Pixar's John Lasseter is a huge fan, and thanks in part to him, the U.S. release doesn't suffer from bizarre marketing or sub-par voice-overs like some of the previous releases. I prefer subtitles to dubbing, but with a voice cast including Liam Neeson, Betty White, Tina Fey, Cate Blanchett, and Matt Damon, you can't go wrong either way. Ponyo is a movie I would recommend to young and old alike.

∗∗∗1/2

Seirei no Moribito (Guardian of the Sacred Spirit)

We started watching Seirei no Moribito on the recommendation from my cousin. I'm not a big anime person, but this series is simply a good story. Seirei no Moribito is an epic fantasy that takes place in a far-away land. The main character, Balsa, is a female body-guard who is entrusted to protect a prince. The animation is excellent, but it never takes precedent over the storytelling. Even the impressive action sequences are important to the plot and not just for show. The series is full of vivid, interesting characters that develop through the story line. Chief among these, however, is Balsa, the coolest female character I have seen in a long time.

This animated series is based on a the first book in the Moribito series, by Nahoko Uehashi. The anime version expands on the story somewhat, and I actually liked it a little better than the book, but they were both good. And since the book is just the first of ten novels, I need to read the other ones to properly judge them. I would recommend Seirei no Moribito to anyone, even if (like me) you don't speak Japanese and you don't really watch anime. The DVD's are really expensive, but it's also available online if you know where to look.
∗∗∗1/2

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

I can't quite imagine who thought this movie was a good idea. Logically, some movie executive must have okayed the project, and presumably someone actually looked at the script. I just don't know what they were thinking when they gave it the green light. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is nominally connected with the extremely successful Final Fantasy role-playing video game franchise. However, despite the video games' reputation for complex characters and intricate plots, we have none of that here.

The movie follows the quest of Dr. Aki Ross, the attractive young female scientist (you know the plot is going to be bad just from that phrase) who is searching for the seven "spirits" that will rid the earth of an alien infestation. The usual compliment of stock characters is along for the ride, including the wise old mentor, the attractive male lead, the arrogant and foolish military leader, and a few wise-cracking sidekicks.

The Spirits Within really only has one thing going for it: special effects. At the time it was released, the movie represented an advancement in realistic computer animated characters. For the most part, the people are fairly realistic. You know they aren't real people, but they look and act enough like real people so that it isn't distracting. As is always the case, the effects don't look as good now as they did when the movie came out, but it's still not too bad. However, a little eye candy was never enough to sell a movie with a plot this bad.
∗1/2

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is the most recent of the computer-animated movies created by Pixar and Disney, and in that impressive tradition, it doesn't disappoint. Ratatoille (named after a Mediterranian stew) tells the tale of Remy the rat, who spurns the garbage-eating lifestyle of his family and instead pursues fine cuisine, mixing flavors and learning to cook by secretly watching a cooking show by the famed French chef, Auguste Gusteau. But when Gusteau unexpectedly dies and Remy is separated from his family, he winds up at Gusteau's struggling restaurant with an awkward young washboy named Linguini. Remy's big dreams of making great food come true when he discovers that he can control Linguini's movements by pulling on his hair under his chef's hat. The two team up to create amazing dishes, while trying to escape discovery by a suspicious sous chef. Ratatouille isn't the best movie Pixar has ever made, but it is both charming and entertaining for all ages.
∗∗∗

My Neighbor Totoro

My Neighbor Totoro, in my opinion, is Hayao Miyazaki's greatest film. Considering his enormous and amazing body of work, that's saying something. My Neighbor Totoro isn't as well-known in the U.S. as some of Miyazaki's other works, such as Spirited Away, for which he won an Oscar. The movie was made almost twenty years ago and it is set in rural Japan, with few of the plot elements that American audiences are used to. But from the very beginning, this film is absolutely magic.

The movie begins with two little girls moving into an old house with their father. Their mother has been in the hospital for some time, and they are hoping she will be released soon. In the meantime, the girls meet their new neighbors, who are friendly people. Then one day the youngest girl discovers a furry little creatures and follows him home to his den. These forest animals are called "totoros," and they have magical powers and can't be seen by adults. The girls have several adventures with the totoros, and the big Totoro helps save the day at the end.

Part of the reason I loved this film is how it shows a different lifestyle. Despite the fantastical title characters, most of the movie takes place in a normal, real-life setting. To an American viewer it was interesting to see the differences in housing, schooling, transportation, and culture. I also love how realistic the characters are. The little sister is just as uninhibited, childish, stubborn, and temperamental as a real four year old. The girls' father is gentle and supportive, and believes them when they tell him of their adventures with Totoro. Of course, as always, the animation is gorgeous and articulate, capturing the natural movements of real children.

At its heart, My Neighbor Totoro is about human relationships and struggles, and about being happy. I heartily recommend this film to all ages.
∗∗∗∗

TMNT

I actually really liked the idea behind this movie. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise has seen a couple cartoon series, several video games, and three live-action films. But I thought that a computer animated film was perhaps best suited for the genre, since the creature characters would be just as believable as the human animated characters. I was quite satisfied with the animation of this movie; it was campy, but fun to watch. I was also pleasantly surprised with some of the big-name voice talent the movie used, Patrick Stewart, Lawrence Fishburn, Mako, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Ziyi Zhang. The voices weren't distracting, and they worked very well in their respective roles.

As as often the case with cartoon movies, I wish they movie makers had put a little more effort into a workable plot -- it was a rather outlandish story of monsters from another dimension. (The main characters live in New York City -- how far do you have to look to find crime to fight?) It was definitely a movie geared for the audience that watched the show 15 years ago. I count myself one of that crowd, so I thought it was a fun, silly movie. Not a great movie, but a good enough movie.
∗∗

Princess Mononoke

This movie has become one of my favorite films by Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, partially because it so different from the rest. Although it is a cartoon, Princess Mononoke is nothing less than an epic saga filled with armies, magical creatures, and a struggle to rule the world. The story follows Ashitaka, a prince of a small tribe who is mortally infected by a strange disease after defending his village from a corrupted animal god. Ashitaka leaves his people in search of a cure, traveling through war-torn lands and meeting people from all sides of a great brewing conflict. Some of the other characters include the leader of a mining operation, a group of men trying to kill the great god of the forest, and Princess Mononoke, a girl raised by wolves who fights the miners for control of the forest.

Ashitaka is only one small player in this story, but it is told from his perspective, drawing some comparisons to Star Wars. The story is just as sweeping as the space adventure, but they themes are different. The balance between industrialization and nature and technology and magic are prominent in the film. However, neither industry nor nature are portrayed as the "right" choice. Equally complex are the characters, many of whom are trying to kill each other and make terrible decisions. But Miyazaki makes each personality unique and nuanced -- there are no simple bad guys in this tale. Nor are there completely happy endings, although there is hope for peace and balance in the future.

Princess Mononoke is an excellent film, but be warned: it is not for small children. The level of gore and violence is much higher than your average cartoon, and it carries a PG-13 rating in the U.S. The action and thematic elements are worthy of a sprawling epic Hollywood film, but by rendering it in his gorgeous signature animation, Hayao Miyazaki has told an amazing story in a way that Hollywood never could.
∗∗∗1/2

Howl's Moving Castle

Unlike most films by legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, Howl's Moving Castle is based on a previous work, a book of the same title by Diana Wynne Jones. The story follows Sophie, a meek young woman who falls under a curse that makes her old and wrinkled. She flees to the wilderness, where she encounters the giant walking castle of the mysterious wizard Howl. Sophie takes up residence in the castle as a cleaning woman, and becomes entangled in the affairs of witches, wizards, intrigue, magic, and nations at war. The animation is some of Miyazaki's best, and I enjoyed the interplay between magic and technology. I thought the story was well done, although there were parts of the plot that weren't quite as clear as they could have been. Still, they don't get in the way of an excellent movie. The English dubbing is very well done, and features such impressive voice talent as Lauren Bacall, Christian Bale, and Billy Crystal. Howl's Moving Castle is some of Miyazaki's finest work.
∗∗∗1/2

Kiki's Delivery Service

Kiki's Delivery Service has many of the signature traits of films by the legendary Japanese illustrator Hayao Miyazaki. However, I think it's one of his weakest works. The plot follows Kiki, a young witch who must travel to a new city to practice magic on her own for one year. She and her sarcastic black cat, Jiji, have to adjust to both independence and city life. As the title suggests, Kiki sets up a delivery service and has several adventures and makes new friends while delivering packages. My major issue with this movie is that it doesn't have much of a point. There are some themes of self-realization and growing up, but they aren't well developed. The animation also isn't as rich and detailed as some other Miyazaki movies. I'd call this movie okay, definitely fun for kids, but after seeing other Miyazaki films, this one was something of a let-down.
∗∗