Maleficent (2014)

Film Title: Maleficent
Released: May 28, 2014
Directed by: Robert Stromberg
Written by: Linda Woolverton (screenplay), based on the story La Belle au bois dormant by Charles Perrault, based on the motion picture Sleeping Beauty adapted by Erdman Penner with screenplay by Joe Rinaldi, Winston Hibler, Bill Peet, Ted Sears, Ralph Wright & Milt Banta, based on the story Little Briar Rose by Jacob Grimm & Wilhelm Grimm
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning & Sharlto Copley

Plot: A betrayed fairy curses an infant princess but then realizes that the girl may the land's only hope of survival.

IMDb: 7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 49/100
My Score: 4.5/5

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

I would like to start this review with a disclaimer. I am not one of those seemingly endless scores of people who find Angelina Jolie drop-dead gorgeous. In fact, I don’t even usually find her to be all that great of an actress. I went into this movie thinking that I would very much dislike the film. As you can tell from the score above, that was not the case at all; quite the opposite, in fact. It is less a re-telling of Sleeping Beauty as it is a re-imagining. Maleficent (Jolie) is a fairy who is betrayed by Stefan (Sharlto Copley), who cuts off her wings. For his feat, he is named heir to the dying king and once the monarch passes, he ascends the throne. Time passes and Maleficent, who was in love with Stefan, grows increasingly embittered. When Stefan throws a grand celebration to announce the birth of his daughter, Maleficent shows up and curses the child out of blind hatred of the man who stole more than he ever realized from her. Stefan entrusts the care of the infant to three inept fairies (Leslie Manville, Imelda Staunton and Juno Temple) until her sixteenth birthday but it is Maleficent who truly watches over the girl named Aurora (Elle Fanning) as she grows. Her exuberance and simple joy of life help Maleficent remember what her life was like before her wings were stolen and her heart broken. But King Stefan has fallen deeper into madness as each year has passed and will stop at nothing to destroy Maleficent. The script humanizes Maleficent and makes her the most sympathetic character in the whole affair. The principle cast is phenomenal. Jolie’s naturally angular features are exaggerated and it seems like this was a role her face was made to play. Copely is such an underrated actor. He delivers excellent performances in every film I’ve ever seen him in, hero or villain. He is such a chameleon that he seems to simply embody every character he portrays, like he just is the character instead of an actor playing a character. But the standout performance belongs to the cherub-faced Fanning, whose smile, laughter and pure joy is infectious. I had no problem believing that Aurora would melt the iciest of hearts. Like any good Disney princess, she makes everyone around her better people. Sam Riley is Diaval, a bird who Maleficent saves from death and turns into a man. He starts out as a henchman, being turned back and forth from a man into a bird (or various other creatures) as Maleficent sees fit, but as time moves on, becomes her friend and, more importantly, her conscience. The main complaint I have are the characters of Flittle (Manville), Knotgrass (Staunton) and Thistlewit (Temple). While all fine actresses, the characters are simply out of place in film. Like Jar Jar Binks in The Phantom Menace or Olaf in Frozen, the characters seem to be completely out of place in the rest of the universe and present only for the much younger viewers to have someone goofy to laugh at. Speaking of Frozen, it is nice to see Disney continue to explore other types of love than just the heterosexual romantic kind that dominates all of the classic Disney fairy tales. This is a great script with fantastic performances and the right mix of humor, action and romance making this a fairy tale film to be spoken about in the same breath as The Princess Bride, arguably one of the best live-action fairy tales ever committed to celluloid. The only other mild complaint I might have was the ending. I’m not 100% sure what I was expecting of the climax, and when it was over I did have to remind myself that this was a Disney fairy tale, after all. Of course there was going to be a happily ever after. This is director Robert Stromberg's debut film. He has worked on a slew of projects, mostly in the visual effects department, but has shared two Oscars for Production Design; the first for James Cameron's Avatar and the second a year later for Tim Burton's re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland. Screenwriter Linda Wolverton also worked on Burton's Alice in Wonderland as well as a number of other more classic Disney titles such as The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. Maleficent was nominated for a slew of awards including an Oscar (Best Achievement in Costume Design), a couple of BAFTAs (in the Children’s Award categories) and a handful of Saturn Awards (Best Fantasy Film, Best Actress [Angelina Jolie], Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Film [Elle Fanning] and Best Costumes).

The Pebble & the Penguin (1995)

Film Title: The Pebble & the Penguin

Released: April 11, 1995

Directed by: Don Bluth & Gary Goldman

Written by: Rachel Koretsky & Steven Whitestone

Starring: Martin Short, James Belushi & Tim Curry

Plot: A shy penguin goes through several adventures trying to present an engagement pebble to the girl of his dreams.

IMDb: 55/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 11/100

My Score: 2/5

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

The Pebble and the Penguin is one of the lesser known works of great animator Don Bluth, whose resume includes such beloved films as The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven, just to name a few. The reason it is lesser known is simply because its terrible. An introverted penguin named Hubie (Martin Short) wants to present the girl of his dreams (Annie Golden) with a pebble to signify their betrothal. If she accepts, they will mate together for the rest of their lives. This story element is based on the actual mating rituals of the of Antarctic Adélie penguins. Competing for Golden's attention is Drake (Tim Curry), a big bully of a penguin who pushes around everyone, especially Short. Short manages to tell Golden how he feels about her and she reciprocates his affections. But a jealous Drake will not denied his chosen bride and pushes Short into the water where he narrowly escapes a leopard seal but is swept away from his home on an ice flow. He's captured by some humans and caged on their ship with several other penguin specimens, including the rebellious Rocko (James Belushi). Determined to get back to Golden, Short helps Belushi escape and the pair make their way back to Antarctica. This family animated musical falls short in several respects. First off, the original songs, written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, are awful, wandering messes that are instantly forgettable. Tim Curry is a fantastic voice actor and has lent his talents to a number of memorable villains. In The Pebble and the Penguin however, he falls flat with a weird accent that is completely distracting. The production of the film was fraught with issues, including MGM cutting production values and animation companies working on the film being bought and sold, and neither Bluth nor fellow director Gary Goldman stayed on board and had their names removed from the final product. The 2007 "Family Fun Edition" DVD release of the film, supervised by Goldman, did receive a Satellite Award nomination for Best Youth DVD.

Level Up (2011)

Film Title: Level Up
Released: November 23, 2011
Directed by: Peter Lauer
Written by: Derek Guiley & David Schneiderman

Starring: Gaelan Connell, Connor Del Rio, Jessie Usher & Aimee Carrero

Plot: A group of disparate online gamers must band together when villains from their favorite video game invade the real world.

IMDb: 4.3/10
My Score: 2/5

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Level Up, released on DVD with the subtitle The Movie, served as a pilot for a television series of the same name that ran on Cartoon Network for two seasons starting in January 2012. Three walking high school clichés (Gaelan Connell as the geek, Connor Del Rio as the goof-off slacker and Jessie Usher as the popular jock) all have one thing in common: they all play a World of Warcraft-like MMORPG (or massive multi-player online role playing game, for the uninitiated) called Maldark: Conqueror of All Worlds. Not only do they play the game but they are all in the same clan and go to the same school but have no idea of their true identities in the real world. The film opens with a janitor accidentally bouncing a beam of energy from some kind of device on a military base off of a satellite and hitting a room full of computer servers. Then we are introduced to the main characters, who all hate each other and are made fun of individually for playing the game. Later that night they all log on and play the game together, enter a new area and defeat a dragon (which is later stated represents the server's firewall). This action, coupled with the beam earlier, allows the game's eponymous villain, Maldark (George Faughnan), to send his minions into the real world. It also conversely allows the the teens to enter the video game world and bring their weapons with them back into reality. The trio must eschew the high school social structure and band together to defeat the threat and save their town. Helping them out are a fellow high-schooler/gaming noob (Aimee Carrero, a girl!) and the neurotic creator/designer of the game (Eric André). The interesting, if not entirely original, premise is really wasted with bad jokes, some terrible acting and an awful script full of embarrassing stereotypes of high school cliques and role paying games. Watcher beware. Here's a trailer for the movie with a short peek behind the scenes.

City of Ember (2008)

Film Title: City of Ember
Released: October 10, 2008
Directed by: Gil Kenan

Written by: Caroline Thompson based on the book by Jeanne DuPrau

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Tim Robbins & Bill Murray

Plot: In the majestic underground city of Ember, the great generator that has illuminated the darkness for generations has stared to fail. Two teenagers task themselves with finding a solution.

IMDb: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 53/100
My Score: 3/5

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

City of Ember is a 2008 family adventure film from Tom Hanks' production company Playtone distributed by Walden Media. Directed by Gil Kenan from a script by frequent Tim Burton collaborator Caroline Thompson, it is based on the 2003 novel by Jeanne DuPrau and was released just two months after the final book in the series, The Diamond of Darkhold, hit store shelves. In the opening sequence, it is revealed that the city of Ember was built underground in order to preserve humanity following a global catastrophe. A mechanical box containing the instructions for reemergence on the surface, with a 200 year timer, is passed from mayor to mayor. This plot point is pretty cleverly conveyed by the box passing from one set of hands to another with the timer winding down to show the passage of years. When one mayor dies before imparting the importance of the box to a successor, it is placed in a closet and forgotten with 47 years left on the timer. The years pass, the box opens and no one notices. Now in the year 241, the ancient generator that provides light and energy for the city is failing. Having been running several decades beyond its intended use, blackouts are becoming commonplace and taking longer to resolve. Not only that, but the storehouses of food supplies are also running low. Into this scenario is introduced plucky teenager Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan), an orphan and descendant of the mayor who died in office, living with her dying, senile grandmother and much younger sister. On Assignment Day, a day where those who are of age chose the occupation they will perform for the rest of their lives by pulling job titles out of a burlap bag, Ronan is given the occupation of pipeworks laborer, much to her dismay. Another teen, Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway) pulls out "messenger" but asks Ronan to switch with him. Working in the pipeworks will get him close to the generator, which he believes he will be able to fix if given the chance. She readily agrees, as messenger was the job she was hoping for in the first place. Ronan ends up coming across the long-forgotten box in the closet it was scuttled into but the papers inside are damaged. She enlists the help of Treadaway in solving the riddle and the duo uncover a conspiracy involving Mayor Cole (Bill Murray), his loyal henchman (Toby Jones, who looks like denizen of Whoville), a storeroom clerk named Looper (Mackenzie Crook) and a room full of hoarded food supplies. The kids realize that the contents of the box may be the one thing that can save Ember and chase the mystery voraciously, dodging Murray and company as well as giant, mutant moles that roam the ancient tunnels surrounding the city in the process. They are aided to various degrees in their pursuit by Treadaway's father (Tim Robbins), seasoned narcoleptic pipeworker Sul (Martin Landau) and an old friend of Ronan's family, greenhouse farmer Clary (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). In the grand tradition of child protagonists taking on entrenched and often corrupt adult authority, and usually saving the world in the process, City of Ember boasts some really incredible looking set design that has a post-apocalyptic-meets-steam-punk feel. We're treated to stand out performances from Ronan, who brings a quiet intelligence and hopefulness to Lina, and Robbins as a disheartened revolutionary whose spark is reignited by his son. Unfortunately, Murray as the corrupt mayor is a major let down as it seems he's sleepwalking through the film with Jones and Crook providing all the menace. The decent and sometimes impressive effects through the film end on a low note with a badly animated sequence of the heroes traveling through a series of underground water tunnels in what appears to be an homage to Splash Mountain. A brisk 95 minute run time glosses over much backstory and doesn't give you a chance to really explore this gorgeous and fascinating world. Also co-starring Mary Kay Place, City of Ember is a flawed but entertaining film that was nominated at the 2009 Irish Film and Television Awards (Best Actress in a Lead Role in a Film: Soairse Ronan) and the 2008 Satellite Awards (Best Art Direction & Production Design: Jon Billington, Martin Laing and Best Costume Design: Ruth Myers).

Batman (1966)

Film Title: Batman
Also known as: Batman: The Movie, Batman & Robin (Hong Kong)
Released: July 30, 1966
Directed by: Leslie H. Martinson

Written by: Lorenzo Semple Jr. based on characters created by Bill Finger, Edmond Hamilton, Bob Kane, Sheldon Moldoff, Jerry Robinson, & Dick Sprang

Starring: Adam West, Burt Ward, Lee Meriwether, Cesar Romero, Burgess Medredith, & Frank Gorshin

Plot: The Dynamic Duo, Batman and Robin, must save the world from the combined forces of Catwoman, the Riddler, the Penguin & the Joker.

IMDb: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 79/100
My Score: 3.5/5

1966's Batman, later commonly referred to as Batman: The Movie, was released in between seasons one and two of the Batman television series. The stars of the show, Adam West and Burt Ward, are present in their roles as Batman and Robin, respectively, as are the most notorious villains from their rogues gallery: Cesar Romero as the Joker, Burgess Meredith as the Penguin and Frank Gorshin as the Riddler. Lee Meriwether makes her only appearance as Catwoman, taking over for Julie Newmar who appeared in both seasons one and two of the series but was unable to star in the film due scheduling conflicts. The story concerns the super villains kidnapping inventor Commodore Schmidlapp (Reginald Denny as in his final film appearance) and his invention, the total dehydrator, a device that removes every bit of water from a person, reducing them to dust. Aiding the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder are their allies Commissioner Gordon (Neil Hamilton), Chief O'Hara (Stafford Repp) and trusty butler Alfred Pennyworth (Alan Napier), all whom appear on the series. Wacky and surreal, including colorful onscreen signs reading "Pow!", "Bang!", etc, during fight scenes, a proliferation of Dutch angles and nearly everyone onscreen overacting, it stands as a touchstone of camp, and watched as such, is a lot of fun. Batman is one of my favorite comic book characters and I usually prefer the darker, grittier, post-Frank Miller version of him. Miller's 1986 comic book miniseries The Dark Knight Returns forever eradicated the kitschy aesthetic associated with the character for years after the series ended. But this adaptation of the hero hearkens back to the more family friendly, post-World War II era of Batman history, and does so wonderfully. While everyone is delightfully demented, I enjoyed Gorshin's interpretation of the Riddler the most out of all the villains. He imbues the character with such manic madness that he has an almost childlike sense of wonder that is truly a treat to watch. The godfather of fitness Jack LaLanne makes a quick cameo as a man on a rooftop exercising with a group of girls who wave at the Batcopter as it passes overhead near the beginning of movie. In 1972, director Leslie H. Martinson won the Golden Gryphon Award at the Giffoni Film Festival for his work on the movie. Watch the trailer below and check out this informative feature length history of Batman and review of the movie from The DVD Shelf Movie Reviews.

The Lego Movie (2014)

Film Title: The Lego Movie

Released: February 7, 2014

Directed by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

Written by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller based on a story by Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

Starring: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman & Will Farrell

Plot: An unexceptional construction worker is called upon to save the universe.

IMDb: 8.0/101

Rotten Tomatoes: 96/100

My Score: 5/5

Simply put, The Lego Movie is fantastic. From start to finish it is very difficult for me to find fault with the film. The voice acting, the script and the music are all amazing. Lord Business (Will Farrell) is a megalomaniac who is going to end the universe by using a relic called the Kragle to keep everything exactly the way he wants it. A group of master builders are the only thing that stands in his way. Emmett (Chris Pratt) is an ordinary construction worker who finds the mythical Piece of Resistance, the only thing that can stop the Kragle. Full of the humor that makes the Lego video games so much fun, the story is really so inventive and creative that its difficult to say much about it without giving away everything. Mark Mothersbaugh's electro heavy score fits perfectly with the frenetic action and the song "Everything is Awesome" is so delightfully cheesy, upbeat and catchy that it'll be stuck in your head for days. With the exception of the mysterious relics, everything is made from Lego pieces, including dust, smoke and water, lending a definite sense of authenticity to the whole affair. While everyone who lends a voice is superb, Liam Neeson really steals the show as the police officer henchman of Lord Business with a split personality. He is both Good Cop and Bad Cop, and his good cop voice is so terrible that it easily steals the show as the best of the bunch. That really says something when he is among a crowd that includes Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, Will Arnett, and Nick Offerman. Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Will Forte and Cobie Smulders also lend their voices in smaller supporting roles. Hopefully the Academy won't forget about this one during the Oscar race at the end of the year.