When Instincts Collide

Well, wouldn't you know it! This blog isn't dead after all! No, on the contrary, a brand new year of "Animation Revisited" is just beginning. After getting moved into college, I decided it would be far more prudent to share my passion for animation with my dormmates than to shut myself up in my room and watch movies on my computer. It's definitely a lot more fun when you can share a movie experience with somebody; reminds me of last year, when my sister and I always watched them together.

But I digress. Let's pick up where we left off, shall we?

The Fox and the Hound
Original release: July 10, 1981

Oh, I hear you. You just went "aww." This movie is widely known as one of Disney's saddest. It is the tale of an orphaned fox kit, raised by a widow, and a hunting hound puppy who lives nearby. The two kids, named Tod and Copper respectively, soon become playmates and promise to each other that they'll "always be friends forever." But the two are separated over the course of that winter, and by the time they reunite, their conflicting instincts have grown stronger. I'm not going to say much more than that for now.

This movie is undeniably heartfelt. It's hard not to get a little choked up when the friends are separated, when Tod has to fend for himself, when the two protagonists have to decide how deeply to honor their former friendship. As one of my dormmates said after we were finished, "That's the biggest emotional trip I've been on in a while." I know there were definitely tears forming in my eyes at a few moments there. It's no wonder this film is remembered so fondly: anything that tugs on your heartstrings at such a level has to be at least a good movie, if not an excellent one. Watch the following scene to see what I'm talking about.



But, like everything else, it's not perfect. There were several rather hokey moments involving silly facial expressions, unrealistic dialogue, and a character talking to him-/herself. (You may have noticed some funny mouth movements made by the widow in the above video, for example.) Also... oh, man. The scenes with Vixie. Ha! Those were the scenes that made us all laugh as we watched. Disney is well-known for its use of innocent romance. Generally the relationships that end up resolving at the end of the film start developing in the earlier half of the movie. Not so here. Tod and Vixie meet more than halfway through the film, and BAM! Infatuation. Not to mention Vixie has got to be the ditziest female character Disney ever created. I won't reiterate all the risque jokes that we made, but you get the idea.

Interestingly enough, most people don't know that this movie was actually loosely based on a novel. The 1967 novel by Daniel Mannix is actually just the story of the life of a fox, initially raised by humans and killed by hunters. In the book, Tod and Copper were never friends; the fox kills Copper's fellow hunting dog Chief, and Copper and his owner swear revenge...and get it. In the movie, Chief is still seriously wounded while chasing Tod, and Copper and his owner head out to get him, but Disney's famous family-friendly adaptations this time around included (a) leaving everyone alive at the end and (b) introducing the childhood friend element. What's rather intriguing is that the introduction of the latter actually helped to make the movie deeper, due to the conflicts of the two characters.

So. While this film clearly has its weak moments, there is more than enough substance to make it worth your time. You won't regret watching this, I can guarantee you.

Mahewa's rating: 3.8/5

Critics generally thought that while the animation was quite well done (this was the first work of their new, younger animation team), the plot and characters seemed formulaic. Check out IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes for more information.

Animation and Me: A Reflection

First of all, I apologize to any actual followers of this blog: this entry is not a movie review. It is an assignment for English class. But I thought, Why not include it here? You don’t have to read this, though I hope you will.

I’ve thought a lot recently about my enthusiasm for animation. I’ve touched on this before (read my profile), but even so it’s hard to pinpoint why I love animation so much. Perhaps it’s the ability to make anything believable. Since nothing is filmed, the movie isn’t meant to look ultra-realistic, so you can include the unusual without fear. Maybe that’s why so many animated films center on human-like animals or have fantasy themes. Is that why they’re so appealing to me, because they have talking animals and magic users? Or, perhaps it’s the style. Animation, whether traditional or 3-D, generally looks simpler than real life, more stylized.

In any case, my fascination began when I was quite young. Not surprising, you say? I agree. Kids are notorious for drinking in any and all cartoons, regardless of quality. How else do you think those awful Disney direct-to-video sequels managed to net any sales? Because they are movies that parents buy to give their kids something unproductive to do and keep them busy.

But the older I got, the more I was able to discern between the mindless entertainment and the works worthy to be called good movies alongside live-action films. I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I remember walking through Rite Aid one day several years ago and passing by a display stand for Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure. Rather than wanting to snatch up a copy, I thought, “Eh, it probably isn’t that great.” I ended up watching the movie at one point (I don’t remember why) and noticing that its quality level was indeed below that of its prequel. A few years later I was consciously aware of the Disney “cheapquel” phenomenon; I think it was having to sit through Pocahontas II: Journey to the New World that eventually made me painfully aware of Disney’s imperfection. I have since learned to only expect the worst from that family of movies. (Though I did at one point watch The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea out of pure curiosity, and was rewarded with a wasted afternoon and a crummy mood.)

But how much has animation influenced my everyday life? Good question. I’ve liked art and animals from early age, and in middle school began to do my first “art.” It was mostly of dragons, unicorns, horses, and cats. Granted, it wasn’t all that great. Fair, but with lots of room for improvement. But then, in tenth grade, I rediscovered The Lion King. Before I knew it, I was doodling lions. At first they didn’t look very good, but the more time went on, the more I could successfully emulate lions drawn in Disney’s style, and the more I could successfully depart from Disney’s style and keep the art looking good. As my confidence grew, I returned to dragons and cats and introduced canines to my repertoire as well, but giving them all a Disney-like twist as well as my own tastes. Now I can tackle almost any animal with an appealing, animation-reminiscent style.

Also, after the “rediscovery,” I regained interest in animated movies in general. I returned to watching the videos that my family owns. After a while, once my art had improved as described earlier, I fancied trying to animate things myself. It was perfect: I could make my cool drawings move, just like the good movies! I have made a few attempts at animation over the months, and I intend on developing my skills in the area much further in the future.

I started this blog as an assignment for my twelfth grade English class. The only instruction was that the entries be “responses to something.” I sat down and thought for a while what I wanted the theme of my blog to be; I didn’t want to just write about random things I saw, but about a cohesive set of material. So what’s something that I like a ton that others might be interested in? Animated movies, of course. Music is too wide of an area to effectively explore so casually, and math is appealing only to a small portion of the population. And come on, what could I effectively write in a blog about Spanish that people would read?

There you have it; I enjoy animated movies, as explained before, and many other people do too. But animation in itself isn’t something I can do very well yet. I’ll try to work on it in the future, but right now I am content with my skills in still art. I definitely want to take art classes in college and explore all of my artistic potential.

College? To those of you who know me, art doesn’t seem like what I would specialize in. Sure, I’ll take music lessons and join ensembles. Sure, I’ll try to get better at Spanish and maybe learn another language. But if I were to lose all my skills but one—suddenly not know how to do anything right but one thing—that thing would not be the saxophone, nor my mathematical prowess, nor my knack for languages. I would choose to keep my immersion in animation-styled art. (Well, okay, I wouldn’t want to give up my singing voice either.) It’s a surprising conclusion for myself to come to, but if I look at my history and at my life today, I realize just how much I rely on doodles of animals to get me through the day.

In the end, I guess it’s not so much that animation itself will be an important part of my life, though I love it. What will remain an integral part of my life is the stylistic impact that animated movies have had and will continue to have on my art.

Thank you.

The Jungle...Again

Hey, look. We're back in Africa.

Tarzan
Original release: June 18, 1999 (UK)

Edgar Rice Burroughs' book Tarzan of the Apes, published in 1914, has inspired an astounding number of films. Wait, let me count... forty-nine films. That's an awful lot. It will generally be agreed upon, however, that this particular rendition is one of the finest.

If you've been following the blog or are in my English class, you may notice: this film was the last film of the Disney Renaissance. Is that ringing a bell? In the early 2000s, Disney's films went into a slump. Luckily, this one is free from any such worries about quality. Through a combination of smooth animation, impressive CGI work, catchy music, and an emotional story, this movie will keep you hooked from beginning to end.

The story opens with a shipwrecked couple and their baby, who start building a new home in the jungle where they get stranded. At the same time, two gorillas play with their infant son. Immediately I was impressed with how well these two parallel scenarios were interlaced. The music didn't hurt, either.

While we're on that, I'm going to have to talk about the music. I have to say that the music really helps make this film what it is. This is Phil Collins! He is a high-quality songwriter, regarding both the lyrics and the music, which always seem to go together quite well with each other as well as with the movie. The most famous tune from Tarzan is probably "You'll Be in My Heart," which makes sense; it did win the Oscar for Best Original Song that year. But the other songs are just as interesting. In the case of "Trashin' the Camp," I was seriously tempted to get up and start dancing around the room. But my favorite song in this movie is "Strangers Like Me." In the movie, this segment covers a lot of important plot progression: this scene focuses on Tarzan's time and studies with the human trio and its results, namely questions about the gorillas and a budding romance between Tarzan and Jane. Oh, there I go again, being a romantic.



Quick! What's that device shown at 0:59? You should know this if you were taking notes on Monday!

Watching this again after some time, I was surprised how emotional it was. Tarzan is a much more conflicted character than you might think. As a kid, there's the scene where he looks at his reflection in the river and tries to cover his bare human skin with brown mud. All through his adolescence (the "Son of Man" segment) he is something of an overachiever, but only because he is trying to prove himself to his family, particularly the leader Kerchak. When Tarzan presents the leopard's body to Kerchak, you can see how desperately he wants Kerchak to accept him. And the part where he tackles Kerchak to the ground to let his human friends escape, and the guilt trip scene with Clayton in the boat, and... Okay, okay. I need to calm down.

But what was most moving of all was the scene in which Tarzan's gorilla mother, Kala, finally reveals his past to him. That scene made me cry. I'm serious, there were tears coming out of my eyes. It was rather embarrassing, too. I don't think I've ever cried before when watching this! But seriously, the scene is extremely touching. (I couldn't find a smaller clip, so you'll have to skip to about 3:30 and watch until 6:30.)



Another high point of the film was the amazing background work. Why is it that Tarzan remains the highest budget Disney film in history? Because of something called Deep Canvas, a program designed to use 3-D computer generated imagery that had a loose, artistic, oil-painted look that ends up looking extremely impressive.

Low points? The villain Clayton, while he does serve his function as villain well, is strikingly similar to Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, albeit slightly uglier and with a heavy British accent. The sailors weren't all that impressive, either. Sabor, the leopard, was more of a dangerous force of nature than a villain. That's not to say his scenes weren't dramatic and action-packed, because they were. He just seemed a smidgen unrealistic. (Mahewa notes that a real leopard would have given up the fight after ten seconds and gone on to find an easier meal.)

So we have nice music, a strong story, high-quality animation, and well-done action. Actually, I was impressed by how well they were able to switch between comedic moments and serious moments, and vice versa. This film definitely deserves its recognition.

Mahewa's rating: 4.0/5




Interested in Entertainment Weekly's review of this flick? Read here for one writer's expressed awe at the visuals and emotions.

P.S. That device was a praxinoscope.

Insanity Realized

Alice In Wonderland
Original release: July 26/28, 1951 (UK/US)

It's unbelievable how many film adaptations there have been of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. But most of the time, if somebody starts talking about a girl called Alice who gets lost in a Wonderland, he or she is most likely speaking of either the original books or Disney's famous adaptation of them. Come on, who here has never heard of "the teacup ride"? (The ride itself, Mad Tea Party, has been a favorite at Disneyland Park ever since the entire park opened in 1955.)

It sounds blunt, but it's true: this movie is a mess. The scenes seem at first entirely random, and in many ways they are. Of course, you can't do too much else with Carroll's books, which barely have any plot on their own. Walt Disney's intention was to center the entertainment factor of the movie around its visuals and music, rather than a strict story. Actually, the studio found it difficult to pull off just right; the movie was officially proposed in different formats at least four times after 1945.

Nevertheless, there is in fact a plotline: Alice is bored with her lessons and wishes she could be in her own world of "nonsense." Upon accidentally entering such a world, she proceeds to chase after the White Rabbit for a surprisingly long time, continually revived by her curiosity. Over time she realizes that though nonsense can seem fun, it can also feel pointless; under certain conditions, it can even do serious damage to a person's spirits. She eventually decides that logical thinking does indeed have its place in the world. For a glimpse into the more serious points of the movie, watch the following clip; it's a surprisingly sorrowful, despairing musical number that Alice sings to herself after she's gotten hopelessly lost in the woods.



Well, it may be a mess, but it's an entertaining mess. It's impossible to sit through more than ten minutes of this movie without laughing out loud. I myself have a personal affinity for Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum: I played Dum in a stage adaptation of Carroll's works when I was in middle school. In any case, here's a clip of the infamous Cheshire Cat to tickle your funny bone and cheer you up after that last particularly melancholy clip.



Think his voice sounds familiar? That's Sterling Holloway! He voiced a great number of Disney characters in the early years, including the stork from Dumbo and the python Kaa from The Jungle Book.

The movie doesn't just have humor and fantastical visuals; it also has some surprisingly catchy tunes. Once you've seen this movie, you'll keep humming its tunes for a week afterward. I've had "Painting the Roses Red" playing in my head the entire afternoon, myself.

For an adaptation of such a tricky pair of books, this movie does a nice job and is really quite enchanting to watch. This Disney classic won't disappoint.

Mahewa's rating: 4.0/5

Bring on the Canines.

This film was made by Steven Spielberg's studio Amblimation, later renamed Amblin Entertainment. Don Bluth used the studio to produce one of his most best-known, An American Tail: Fieval Goes West. This particular film has no connection to Bluth, though as I understand it, it has quite a following anyway.

Balto
Original release: December 22, 1995

Based on a true story, Balto tells the story of the eponymous sled dog who led a team of dogs bringing coveted antitoxins to a diptheria-stricken Nome, Alaska in 1925. Obviously, the movie takes several liberties from what history tells us of the epidemic. In real life, the transfer of the medicine from Nenana to Nome was a relay race, and Balto was a Siberian Husky and leader of the last leg of the race. In the movie, essentially one sled team (aside from the Balto/Steele swapping as lead) makes the entire journey round-trip, and Balto is an outcast...specifically, a half-wolf. Well, if you're going to make a movie, I guess you have to get your conflict somewhere.

There appears to be some overlap between The Lion King fans and Balto fans. I first learned this when I discovered what is now one of my favorite sites, The Lion King Source, and saw that it had a sister site, aptly named Balto Source. How strange; I hadn't heard much about Balto before, at least not nearly as much as about many Disney movies. So after months of knowing its fans, I finally decided to take a peek at it. I wasn't sure what to expect. Now that I've seen it, I can say that there are definite pros and cons.

Pros:

• Animals! Everybody loves animals. I'm sure that the abundance of fluffy canines contributes greatly to its appeal, since the dog is such a popular animal. ("Canine supremacy," Mahewa growls.) And I'm sure I'm not the only one who likes to see lots of flowy, swishy follow-through with animated fur.
• A cute romance. Oh, okay, okay. Maybe that's not a pro to some of you. But I like it. The recreated "Northern Lights" worked well as a unifying element, and they looked nice.
• A deeply conflicted, but distinctly 'good,' protagonist that you want to identify with. Unlike Charlie B. Barkin. Took way too long for that dog to start looking like a nice guy...
• A healthy dose of action. Grizzly bears, top-dog duels, rocky cliffs, avalanches, falling icicles! Whoo! (Even though the grizzly bear attack scene was a dead rip-off of The Fox and the Hound.)
• Mysticism (and wolves ^^). I love the scene where Balto realizes that he can take pride in his wolf heritage, and howls to the wind. I also thought that the shot where the Northern Lights shifted into a howling wolf head was pretty wicked awesome!

Cons:

• Poorly animated humans. The only decent-looking human is the girl Rosy.
• Predictability. Several times I felt like saying, "I saw that coming." Also, there were a couple of scenes where I thought the staging/pacing/camera work could have been made a lot more dramatic than they were.
• Immemorable soundtrack. I liked the introductory music, but after the first scene I paid no attention to the music at all. Very generic.

Did you know that this film contains live action segments? The introduction and conclusion are filmed in New York, where two characters talk about the story and see the statue and memorial of the famous dog. These scenes serve to reemphasize that the movie was grounded in real history. Here's the statue if you're curious.

I can see how one might make a connection between Balto and The Lion King: they're both about animals, which is always an appealing theme, and they involve many classic movie elements: drama, action, adventure, romance. However, I have to say that Balto doesn't even come close to top dog on my list...pardon the pun. It's good enough, but not excellent.

Mahewa's rating: 3.0/5




My younger sister watched this with me and said that she really liked it. She also accurately noted that I didn't seem very "enthusiastic" after the viewing was over. To each his own, they say. You may very well come to like this movie; then you'd be right at home with my good friends on Balto Source.

It's About Time.

I decided that one of Studio Ghibli’s works was long overdue as a feature here. So here we go!

Spirited Away
Japanese release: July 27, 2001
U.S.A. release: September 20, 2002

You may have noticed that I’ve mentioned Hayao Miyazaki before in this blog. And with good reason: he is heralded by many critics as one of the best film directors alive today. I have long wanted to include one or more of his works on this blog, if only to include more non-Disney works. Yet when I watched it, I was simply blown away. This man is a genius!

The movie opens very effectively, with a scene that showcases our characters and story setup well: young (and lazy) Chihiro and her parents are moving, but Chihiro herself is extremely sullen about the move and is often stubborn with her parents. They wind up in an unexpected, mysterious place inhabited by spirits, and Chihiro has to learn to work hard and do what is right if she is to rescue her parents and escape the spirit world.

The fantastical setting of this film is very different from our usual idea of a fantasy, i.e. a “western” or “medieval” fantasy. There are funny little stone monuments shaped to look like short, rotund people. Out of nowhere we see oozing black shadows, human-sized frogs, and weird creatures that look like they have roots growing out of their mouths. The way in and out of the spirit world is a grassy hill or a flooded sea, depending on which side of the gap you’re in. Chihiro must hold her breath crossing a bridge, is controlled by her true name being taken away, and isn’t allowed to look back as she leaves. Yet even though this created world seems a bit haphazard and unorthodox, you can’t help but be drawn in by it. It is thorough, imaginative, and just looks so good!

Actually, I was a bit surprised at the animation. The animation of the characters seems to be at a lower frame rate than we are used to, so it looks slightly chunky in places. But the coloring and shading is so smooth, the expressions and motions so lifelike, and the background art so spectacular that you don’t really care about the walk cycles. All you can think when you see this movie is “gorgeous!” I decided that the best way to let you glimpse this visual wonder without revealing too much of the story was its trailer, so here it is.



Our story is in essence a coming-of-age story. Chihiro has never had to do any manual labor; as Lin says, “Haven’t you ever worked a day in your life?” In the opening sequence, she comes across as apathetic and clings selfishly to memories of her old home. She doesn’t appear to be very fond of her parents until she loses them. Yet over the course of the film, she learns to accept hard work, make new friends, and make the right moral choices. The scene with the river spirit who has suffered from pollution is a test of bravery and responsibility, the temptation scene with No Face one of resistance to greed, and the rescuing Haku segment one of love.

Yet many other characters have learning experiences, not just Chihiro. The giant, spoiled baby Boh leaves his pen for the first time and takes it upon himself to learn to walk so that he can stay with Chihiro. No Face, even though his greed, still cares for Chihiro, and follows her to Zeniba’s place and gladly stays there as an assistant. And Haku, of course, gradually breaks free from Yubaba’s power through his love for Chihiro.

Before we go, I have to slip in a word about the music. It was provided by the New Japan Philharmonic, which gives many segments a majestic quality. But in several scenes, the music is simply a piano solo, giving the film a lonely, mystical tone. It is really quite beautiful.

I can do no less than to call this film a masterpiece. If you haven’t seen it yet, then you are in for a real treat.

Mahewa’s rating: 5.0/5




If you’re still not convinced, Rotten Tomatoes gives this flick a whopping 97% approval rate! Check it out for yourself.

Give a Roar!

I know what you're thinking: "Hey, no fair! You're already a fan of this movie!" True, I have this flick memorized back to front. But don't forget that there are reasons why I like it. I faithfully went and watched this again, and now I plan on telling you just what makes this movie so important to me.

The Lion King
Original release: June 24, 1994

I have loved this movie ever since my toddler years. (My mother claims I saw it at least twice in theaters!) I had a little finger puppet made to look like cub Nala for a while. When the first sequel came out, we bought it on VHS, and soon after purchased a large stuffed Kiara for me to cuddle. And when the second sequel was released on DVD, we bought that too. The plush toys are long gone, but we still have all three films at home. What's funny, though, is that after the first handful of times watching each movie, I wouldn't think about it much for a long time. So why was I continually inspired to obtain these films if I wasn't a constant fan? Imprinting, maybe?

Anyway, I loved the movies throughout life, but it wasn't until the winter of 2006 that I "rediscovered" them. Being by now more mature, I was able to actively recognize which aspects of the movie drew me in, rather than simply being drawn in.

First and foremost, there is the music. Kudos to those geniuses that are Elton John, Tim Rice, and Hans Zimmer! The musical numbers and score felt like they were part of the same world, and was that world amazing. The catchy beats, the meaningful lyrics...and the authenticity! These guys made the right choice when they hired Lebo M and his choir to record the African vocals. The film's opening shot of a sunrise over the savannah, accompanied by a suddenly piercing vocal solo, has become a cinematic icon. Take a peek if you've forgotten.



Second there is the plot. Most other Disney animated features are retellings of known stories. Take, for example, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame as author-written stories and Hercules, Robin Hood, and Mulan as folk tales. Now, The Lion King is different. It borrows ideas from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Greek tragedies, the Bible, and even that old anime "Kimba the White Lion." The result is a completely independent story that attracts all ages. Actually, some critics have complained that the movie is too heavy for the youngest kids. The two-year-old me, however, didn't seem to have a problem with it, and if anything, the dramatic, emotional story is what makes it so touching and magical to the rest of us! Watch as we see the young cub Simba flicker back and forth between a snotty prince and an innocent child. Even when he has developed his musculature and grown a handsome mane, it is not hard to peer beneath the exterior and see that conflicted little cub, eyes shining with tears.

Third, it's an animal world. It's not a movie about humans with the occasional animal character, such as Aladdin; it's not a movie about animals with minor human characters, à la Lady and the Tramp; no, it is a human story with absolutely no humans in it! To me, that's paradise! Maybe that's what makes this setting so attractive: it is a world completely cut off from the human world that we are familiar with. It could take place in 1994, in 1894, in 200 BC for all we care. And we don't. We want to lose ourselves in this world untouched by mankind. We want to be these animals.

Have you ever heard of "fanfiction"? A fanfiction is a story that is written to take place in a world defined by an already existing movie, book, game, etc. If you go to FanFiction.net and look under "Movies," you will see that The Lion King has an astounding amount of fanfiction credited to it. Why is that? It is because of this oasis of a universe that leaves so much open to one's imagination. Click here for a (somewhat informal) essay about this phenomenon.

I'm not sure if I should call this my fourth reason for loving this film, since it somewhat falls under the category of this isolated animal world. That is this: the animation and visual effects blow you away. The characters are all quite visually appealing, captivating you with their vulnerable human expressions and their natural feline movements; is it any wonder that there exists The Lion King Fan-Art Archive with nearly 8000 registered artists, including myself? The opening number, as you've seen, features some spectacular landscapes. And the stampede? I would go so far as to say that it is the most powerful scene in the entire movie. Check it out below.



I hope that I have illuminated my reasons for why I appear so obsessed with this flick. Thank you.

Mahewa's rating: 5.0/5




Oh, it appears that Mahewa desperately wants to talk for a little bit. Here, I'll let her take the stage.

Hi, everybody! I'm Mahewa, the incarnation of Amanda's deep love for the feature film mentioned above. Well, not incarnation, since I only appear on paper and computer screens, but hey. It was through me that my dear creator explored her newfound passion for this movie...and not only that, but refined her artistic techniques and developed a signature drawing style that has extended into all living beings that she chooses to draw, including other felines, canines, equines, reptiles, birds, and even humans (to some extent). She wistfully mentions that she draws me far more often than she actually draws the characters from The Lion King, but I'm happy enough with that! Well, there's not much I really wanted to talk about; it just felt fitting that I speak for a while, and this was the perfect entry in which to do so. Okay, I'm done now.

Um...yes. Thank you for that, my dearest fursona. Well, there you have it. Until next time, here on "Animation Revisited"!

Plug Your Ears.

All right. Our item of scrutiny this time around was another one of Don Bluth’s works. The question is, is it a treasure…or trash? I set out to discover that myself.

All Dogs Go to Heaven
Original release: November 17, 1989

The prospect of viewing this movie has intrigued me for a while. I had known of the movie for a long time, though only because I had repeatedly glanced its cover and the cover of its sequel when browsing Blockbuster Video and Hollywood Video. Apparently nobody else in my family had ever heard of it. Also, I was on an online forum recently, dedicated to The Lion King and Balto if you must know, and I saw that a user had an avatar and signature depicting characters from All Dogs Go to Heaven. It shouldn’t have surprised me; of course fans of Balto would gravitate towards another animated film about a dog. But seeing these images triggered memories of that long-forgotten VHS cover from the rental dealerships.

If there’s an animated movie for which the critics say pretty much the exact opposite of what the general populus thinks, this is that movie. According to Leonard Maltin, this film was “a major disappointment.” Blockbuster’s guide said it had a “weak story” and a “feeble musical score.” The blokes at Rotton Tomatoes didn’t seem too fond of it. However, the comments and message board threads from its IMDb page tell a different story. There are quite a few people out there that proudly proclaim themselves as obsessed with the movie. And just look at its sales! Even though this film was in direct competition with Disney’s fabulous The Little Mermaid during its stay in theaters, it later became one of the top selling VHS movies ever.

You can imagine how befuddled I was by these mixed messages. So I checked the problematic movie out from the library to find out for myself.

I’ll start out with what I did not like. First and foremost, the storyline is haphazard at best. The creators had a nice idea going when they decided to make a movie about dogs, normally seen as happy, loving creatures, actually living lives of partying and gambling far from human eyes; the main character Charlie would, of course, see the error of his ways through the love of—and for—an innocent girl. But they tried to do too much. I found it hard to concentrate on the storyline, and inconsistencies were scattered everywhere. Look, I’m sorry, but laser guns did not exist in 1939. The morally questionable hero, Charlie, is suddenly center stage of a scene in which he brings food for the puppies of one of his friends and teaches them the virtues of sharing. Charlie B. Barkin, sharing?! Then there’s the scene where the two leads fall through a weak wooden floor into the flooded basement, where they get abducted by tribal rats and almost fed to an alligator. The alligator in question falls in love with Charlie’s singing voice and promptly proclaims the confused dog as his lifelong friend. No wonder I was so confused.

I can connect some of the wandering nature of this film to the weak musical numbers. They’re hard to remember and don’t seem to develop the story much. I already mentioned Charlie’s incongruous lesson on sharing…but did I mention that it’s a musical number to boot? Also, when it comes down to the wire, I think introducing that singing alligator was merely an excuse to make a lavish musical number, give the girl a reason for catching pneumonia, and contribute to a more interesting climactic battle.

But you can’t go on for too long without praising some of the aspects of the movie. Primarily, Don Bluth’s studios house some amazing animators. The dogs looked quite doglike and moved in a very realistic, doggy manner, especially Charlie. The humans were likewise very human-looking. And the effects! My favorite shot in the entire movie was the shot where Charlie’s spirit is whisked away to Heaven. Sadly, I could only find a clip of a larger chunk of the movie, but watch from about 4:02 to 4:21 in this clip and you’ll see what I’m talking about. (I would embed the video as I normally do, but YouTube is refusing to cooperate.)

I’m finding myself in a sort of dilemma. I watched this a couple of nights ago, and I knew I should have done my write-up right then, when it was on my mind! I walked away from the movie still distracted by the random plot and ranting about it being not worth my time. I intended to give it an extremely low score. But here I am now, realizing how many people there are that love this movie to bits, and it makes me wonder: did I miss something? What if I offend people? Should I soften up, or should I refuse to be swayed?

My answer to this dilemma came when I realized a surprising fact. Later that afternoon, after watching the movie, my sister and I walked down to the library to take our things back, including the VHS of All Dogs Go to Heaven (and Pinocchio, for that matter). Only now am I brave enough to acknowledge that despite the movie’s obvious flaws and the dire warnings of Leonard Maltin, I wanted to watch it again. We’d returned it without a second thought, and curse it all, I wanted to watch it again!

Here’s my final verdict. It’s an intriguing idea for a story, and it has a nice message. The quality of the animation will make it worth your time. Just try not to let the zigzag nature of the plot get to you, and plug your ears during the musical numbers, and you’ll probably be fine. You may even end up being a big fan.

Mahewa’s rating: 2.3/5




P.S. There's an angel dog that welcomes Charlie to Heaven and, later, consistently warns him of his peril back on Earth. Well, her dreamy voice and the fact that the hero's name is Charlie...is anybody else forcibly reminded of Charlie the Unicorn?

P.P.S. I want to strangle that gator.

Unearthing a Classic

So what's on the schedule for this week? Another one of Disney's oldest, that's what! Amazingly, this was the second animated film Walt Disney ever made, and it's still a wonder to watch.

Pinocchio
Original release: February 7, 1940

This film is undoubtedly a favorite among families all over the country, as it has been for decades; the movie was so popular that it was re-released to theaters seven times! The character of Jiminy Cricket has appeared in countless places, and is perhaps the most recognized Disney character after Mickey Mouse...and perhaps Donald Duck. ("And Simba," Mah reminds me.)

It's hard to put a finger on what exactly makes this movie such a good one. First, I can say that its characters function well. I've actually become quite partial to that fox, Honest John. He's clever and somewhat comical; he leads Pinocchio astray for a bit of fun and to earn a handful of coins, nothing more, as is evident from the terror he expresses at the Coachman's far more diabolical plans. I also made several notes about how much work went into Jiminy Cricket's characterization. He really is quite charming. Now if only they'd made him look like a cricket...

Second, the musical numbers in this movie are entertaining to listen to and simply beg to get stuck in your head. "When You Wish upon a Star" has become a landmark tune in itself: hum it and you will turn heads. I'm serious. Disney even made it its official fanfare recently. Don't believe me? Take a look.



Gee, that tune sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Granted, there were a few moments in the movie that had me scratching my head. In Geppetto's first scene, he came off as a bit, well, mentally unstable. And when we first meet the Blue Fairy, she looks exactly like a Snow White who got her hair bleached. And that whale, Monstro? He's completely hollow! Whatever happened to the idea that the mouth, stomach, and lungs are all separate cavities?

However, it's pointless to rail at these minor grievances. The rest of the movie far outweighs the questionable scenes. I particularly liked the puppeteer, Stromboli; greedy and irascible, he serves as the perfect model of a person who has fallen into the "temptation" that Jiminy has warned Pinocchio about. And though Monstro may be anatomically inaccurate, he is the perfect vehicle to carry the story's climax: a fearsome monster who is determined to make the protagonists feel his wrath.

Perhaps the most amazingly staged scene is the one I'm about to show you. Many people, critics and casual watchers, have described the following sequence as one of the most frightening that they've ever witnessed. Do you dare to click 'Play'?



You can laugh at me if you want, or call me an imposter in the realm of animation aficionados, but I had never seen this movie before. Seeing as it is considered one of the most classic of the classics, I figured that it would be a good idea to watch it for the purpose of this blog...and, of course, for recreation. I had fun watching this. After all, that's what movies are about, right?

Mahewa's rating: 4.7/5




Let's try something a bit different when looking at reviews. Here is a page from MSN Shopping (don't laugh) that contains snippets about what customers thought of the DVD. Each answer is thorough and concise. Sometimes you've got to value brevity; just ask any Twitter user.

Below the Surface

We couldn't possibly continue much farther with this blog without discussing this movie. It's the classic that began the Disney Renaissance in 1989, and still loved by families across the continent.

The Little Mermaid
Original release: November 17, 1989

This movie is undeniably a classic. You could say it was a classic before it was even made: "The Little Mermaid" is the name of a short story written by Hans Christian Andersen in the 1830s. Walt Disney himself was so charmed by the story that he drafted a screenplay for it not long after Show White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in 1939. The project was put on hold, and nobody from the studio attempted to revive the project for many decades. In the meantime, many other studios made their own adaptations of the fairy tale. Disney's version, however, is undoubtedly the most famous and culturally influential of the adaptations.

There are many aspects of this film that make it worth watching. For me, the most immediate of those factors is the music. The songs in this movie tell the story well, especially "Part of Your World." I felt that it was extremely effective at setting up the parallelism of the two worlds. Just as we may dream of that alien world that is the ocean, Ariel dreams of a world equally alien to her: our world. Her voice is also quite refreshing; I'm sure we were getting tired of all those soprano princesses. (And, as Tom Hulce did in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Jodi Benson got to not only recite Ariel's lines, but sing her songs! I'm impressed.)

Additionally, the songs are very fun to listen to. It's no wonder that "Under the Sea" won an Oscar for Best Original Song. I think my favorite song, though, is "Kiss the Girl," simply because it combines a catchy beat with an enticing, New-Age-like sound. Tempted? Watch it now if you'd like. Feel free to sing along, too...this version has lyrics embedded!



Each character had decent characterization in this movie. You have the curious, kind-hearted girl and her protective father. You have a disgruntled once-composer forced to tag along after her, along with her loyal but slightly neurotic younger friend. You have a not-so-princely prince...in fact, Eric struck me as the most unorthodox Disney prince I've ever seen, and there are a lot of those. And, of course, there's a quirky, smug, and very dangerous villainess who's after Triton's crown. Personally, I think Ursula's one of the creepiest animated villains to ever exist.

The only thing I didn't like about this movie was the sugary way that Ariel and Eric spoke about each other (not to their faces, I meant before she transforms). Sure, love at first sight is all well and good in a movie, and I am a bit of a sucker for romance, but do you two really have to go on with the "Oh, he's very handsome, isn't he?" It's annoying. Very annoying.

Other than that, I thought this movie was quite powerful. Here, let me tell you a little bit of a story. Last year, Yahoo! conducted a user survey to find the 30 best animated features of all time. Holding the top ranking was, of course, Finding Nemo. ("And in second place was The Lion King!" Mahewa interjects.) The top of the list is practically hogged by Pixar, but The Little Mermaid snagged spot #15! Check out the list here.

Mahewa's rating: 4.2/5




For more information on this fun film, try IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes.

Taking You Back In Time

And when I say back in time, I mean very far back in time! You may very well have childhood memories of this film. I selected it because I hadn't seen it since I was...well, I'm not sure. I can't have been older than four.

The Land Before Time
Original release: November 18, 1988

This film, released by Universal, was directed by a man called Don Bluth, known to many animation aficionados as Disney's main competitor in the 1980's, beating out the latter's movies in the box office for several years straight. It was not until 1989 that Disney finally caught up, with its release of The Little Mermaid. Now, this was the man who directed such greats as An American Tail and Anastasia. You don't mess with Don Bluth.

It is said that Don Bluth's works are a bit grittier and a bit deeper than Disney's...or at least, used to be in that era. He left Disney's studios in 1979, complaining that the features had "lost their charm." I can definitely attest that this movie was no mere sugar-sweet movie only for kids. Would a sugar-sweet movie for kids even dare to show the mother Longneck's wound from the Sharptooth? Would a suger-sweet movie for kids so clearly address stereotypes and racial prejudices? Would it have been able to come up with such a powerful yet simple motif for the mother's spirit: the lone, dew-laden Tree Star?

Oh, that reminds me! I find it truly amazing how much thought went into the dinosaurs' speech. So many things that we think have straightforward names are completely rethought, given even more intuitive names; these beautifully simple names match perfectly with the characters, who are people with absolutely no knowledge of science and scientific terms. Thus an Apatosaurus becomes a Longneck, a Tyrannosaurus a Sharptooth, a mystical leaf a Tree Star, a volcano a Mountain That Burns, an earthquake an Earthshake, the sun the Bright Circle. This language makes the dinosaurs' world all the more simple and mystical.

If you think about it, the world in which the story occurs is more of a fantasy world than a historical one. Aside from the beautiful language, we have all the stylized scenery, mundane objects and places that seem to be characterized nonetheless, and...animals that lived millions of years apart from each other! I have yet to see a decent dinosaur movie that paid attention to the difference between 'Jurassic' and 'Cretaceous'! Get it straight, people. But that's just a minor detail, the kind of thing I get picky about. The slight inconsistencies in chronology do not obstruct the storytelling in any way. Remember: fantasy.

I was thoroughly impressed by the work that went into developing the characters and portraying the complex relationships between them. Cera usually comes off as a stuck-up twit, but there are some moments when you really feel sorry for her. Conversely, Littlefoot is the primary protagonist devoted to following his mother's dying wish—to find the Great Valley—but there are so many times when you want to yell at him, "No, you stubborn idiot! There actually IS a T. rex behind you!" And then we have the neurotic Petrie who's scared of flying, the silent giant Spike, and the happy-go-lucky Ducky. Yep yep yep!

This film, though it has a few strange bits (did they really have to reveal the Great Valley with that old sunbeam-spotlight trick?) and is less saccharine than some other works of animation, is truly a classic that still appeals to young and old. Almost makes you forget the thirteen crappy sequels that it "inspired." Today, the original movie still has all of the charm it used to. Come on, I dare you to watch the following clip and not be hypnotized by its mind-numbingly adorable cuteness.



Mahewa's rating: 3.6/5




Why not check out this film's pages at IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes?

New Continent, New Rainforest

Our next movie is, like The Jungle Book, set in a rainforest. However, this time the rainforest is in Australia. "Australia? I thought Australia was nothing but deserted outback!" Well, it's got rainforests too. But enough about that. Let's cut to the chase and introduce our next movie.

FernGully: The Last Rainforest
Original release: April 10, 1992

This is not a Disney movie. Rather, it was distributed by 20th Century Fox. This could explain its lack of popularity as opposed to, say, The Little Mermaid or the like. Still, it has attracted a following, including Mah and I.

Each person calls this movie something a little different. Some call it sweet, others preachy; some powerful, others propaganda. That is because the storyline of the movie centers around halting the destruction of a natural habitat. We'll leave it up to you to decide whether it's something more people should see, fewer people should see, or neither. But I do invite you to watch it yourself first before making your decision.

The most impressive thing about this movie is how well it captures the majesty and complexity of the Australian rainforest. Through a combination of well-researched backdrops and a haunting, reverberating score, I'd say the setting is portrayed quite well. In fact, let's talk a bit more about the score. The movie alternates between New-Agey tribal-like singing and chants (which sound pretty darn awesome) and more popular songs with a beat. My two favorites are "Life is a Magic Thing" and "A Dream Worth Keeping." For the most part, I think the songs work well and don't disrupt the flow of the movie. (The only exception is Raffi's "It's Raining Like Magic," which shows up kind of randomly and only plays for about 40 seconds.) To see what I'm talking about, feel free to watch the first four minutes or so of the movie, shown below.



Many critics have complained about the"cookie-cutter characters" that lack any interesting and original traits or mannerisms. I agree to this view to an extent. However, though the characters may not be the most outstanding, they all have very realistic progressions throughout the movie. You have a slightly ditsy teenager who, through acquiring understanding of the world, finally gets a decent grasp of her magic skills; the ignorant city kid who comes to love the wild after being exposed to it; the carefree but protective boyfriend who suddenly finds his position threatened; and more. Of course, I couldn't do a write-up of this movie without mentioning everyone's favorite character, Batty Koda. This off-the-hinges fruit bat steals the show whenever he's on screen, probably due to Robin Williams' genius voice work. Check out some of his top moments below. (Warning: plot spoilers.)



Annoyingly, the animation quality of this movie is a little bit below par—that is, the standard I have come to expect from watching too many movies from Disney and Studio Ghibli. But it's still very likeable, and as I said before, the scenery is stunning. So, though it's not the best movie, it's cute and colorful...and definitely worth a look.

Mahewa's rating: 3.2/5




Check out some reviews from The New York Times, The Austin Chronicle, and The Washington Post.