by Jamin Craig | Nov 10, 2014 | Opinion
Big Hero 6, the newest title from Walt Disney Animation Studios, stands as yet another home run for the Mouse House. The film’s blend of action and adventure with close-knit relationships and genuine emotion made for an epic story, one of the best Disney has told in quite some time. Big Hero 6 takes place in the fictional metropolis of San Fransokyo. It tells the story of 14-year-old robotics engineer Hiro Hamada and his older brother, Tadashi. The elder Hamada, a robotics genius, has developed a revolutionary robot healthcare assistant named Baymax. Tadashi dreams of helping the world with his creation, but Hiro sees Baymax doing even more. After a tragic accident, Hiro feels compelled to turn Baymax into a tough fighting machine. The two join forces with a few of Tadashi’s friends (Honey Lemon, Wasabi, GoGo and Fred) to find out the root of a mysterious plot that may correlate with the accident. Big Hero 6 has a lot going for it. The film’s animation is absolutely stunning. Sure, this is Disney, the animation king, but this movie felt very lifelike. The animators included several cues from live-action film. In all the fight scenes, production used a lot of “handheld shaky cam” visuals with “poor” zooming and focusing, but the movement never became distracting. Thinking all the way back to Toy Story, CGI animation has come a very, very long way. But, animation is only a tool used to make the movie. The core of every movie is the story, and this story here is very strong. In fact, this is the best story that Disney has put out...
by Cory Woodroof | Jul 18, 2013 | Opinion
The hero’s species may have switched from Rattus norvegicus to Helix aspersa, but DreamWorks Animation’s latest venture Turbo borrows more than a few tricks from Pixar’s Ratatouille, with Ryan Reynolds’ determined garden snail Theo following nearly the same vermin-to-victory path as Remy the rodent chef. Like Remy, Theo has an absurd dream of one day being a pint-sized race-snail and leaving behind his tomato-gathering job in the yard. After a freak accident involving nitrous oxide, Theo gains racecar-like speed, attracting the attention of Tito (Michael Peña), a chipper food-truck driver who has the bright idea of entering the snail (now called Turbo) in the Indy 500 to compete against the best — including Theo’s idol, Bill Hader’s suave Guy Gagne. Turbo shares a lot in common with the Pixar movie, but it isn’t a soulless carbon copy. Director David Soren’s jovial saga delivers a hearty helping of underdog sentiment with a side of giggly sight gags and some beautifully detailed animation (the racing scenes look stellar in 3D). But the emotional sophistication and depth of storytelling that made Ratatouille a classic just isn’t here. Closer in tone, spirit and achievement to Pixar’s Cars, the earnest Turbo is content just to provide a lot of fun. I’d be lying, though, if I said that Theo’s awestruck gaze over a busy highway didn’t carry the same emotional heft as Remy’s perusing of the Paris skyline. After June’s Monsters University bravely told kids that their career path might work out as they’d hope, a good-hearted movie like Turbo may be needed to remind the little ones that it’s still okay to dream. Review also at...
by Cory Woodroof | May 16, 2012 | Uncategorized
In his newest collaboration with friend Johnny Depp, director Tim Burton has re-entered the world of cobwebs, camp and comedy with Dark Shadows, an adaptation of the late 60s/70s daytime soap opera. With Dark Shadows, Burton returns to his roots – the world of funny-spooky strangeness, utilized in such films as Beetlejuice and Mars Attacks! Fresh off the hay fever nightmare that was 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, Burton finally gets back to the stuff that he’s good at – campy horror comedies. Dark Shadows does take itself seriously, but Burton makes sure his signature style shows. While you can’t call this new Burton adaptation a comedy, per se, the director uses his sense of dark humor to his advantage, cultivating hearty laughs at the expense of the ultra-campy vibe. The plot of the film follows Barnabas Collins (Depp), a pre-revolution era man cursed with the identity of a vampire after denying the love of a witch (Eva Green). Barnabas awakes 200 years in the future (1972 to be exact) to find his family’s once-prominent business in ruins and his current lineage in dire need. To make matters, the lovelorn witch, Angelique, who cursed and imprisoned him now runs the top business in the Collins-founded town of Collinsport. Barnabas, now surrounded by his distant descendants (including Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Lee Miller and Chloë Grace Mortez), sets out to restore the family business to its former glory while dealing with Angelique’s malevolent meddling. At its best, Dark Shadows gives Depp and company a chance to flex their comedic chops. Being that Barnabas is a foreigner to the 20th century, many laughs come from...
by Cory Woodroof | Sep 20, 2011 | News Slider
I really don’t think there is anything Brad Pitt can’t do. While some uneducated film-goers may write him off as one of Hollywood’s hollow “pretty boys”, most film lovers recognize that Pitt is one of the best actors in cinema right now. In Moneyball (based off the novel Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game), Pitt takes the reigns and delivers a fantastic performance as Billy Beane, the GM of the Oakland A’s. Billy Beane’s life revolves around baseball. He, in his glory days, was a star baseball player who was taken into the major leagues right out of high school. Beane’s journey in the major leagues drives his desire for success. Now the manager for a mediocre organization, he loses three major players and looks ahead to the future. His world is turned upside down when he meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill). Brand, a scout for a rival organization, has a method of baseball that will change the method of scouting (and baseball) forever. Beane is quick to take Brand away from his old job and offer him a position with the A’s. The duo work together to craft a great team on the A’s meager budget and prove their naysayers wrong. The film follows the A’s 2002 season, as well as gives a striking character study of Beane. This is not just a movie about baseball. This is an engrossing look into the life of a man who is willing to do everything he can to be successful, even if it means approaching a radical method of carrying out business. The film itself depends on Pitt’s...
by Cory Woodroof | Aug 30, 2011 | News Slider
I’m really not a huge fan of golf. I tried hitting golf balls at a course close to my house as a kid, but reality (and coordination, or a lack of) caught up to me and I decided to hand in the driver. So in honesty, I wasn’t sure Seven Days in Utopia was going to be my cup of tea. Surprisingly, the film is an inspiring sports drama with two great leads. How, might you ask? Let’s delve into the plot. Lucas Black (Friday Night Lights-the movie) plays Luke Chisholm, an up-and-coming professional golfer with a shot to enter the tournament of his dreams. Unfortunately, Chisholm’s career suddenly hits a screeching halt. After a sour encounter with his father (who serves as his caddy), he botches a crucial hole and sends himself into the golf world’s headlines through a public meltdown. Soon after, Chisholm stumbles upon the small town of Utopia, Texas (by means of an automobile accident). There, he meets a man (cinema great Robert Duvall) who gives Luke a new perspective on life. Yes, I know what you’re thinking. The plot does sound a little familiar. Hot-shot rookie messes up severely, winds up in a no-name town, meets and bonds with the locals and winds up a better person. If Seven Days in Utopia had not brought its own qualities to the table, I would be quick to write the film off. I’m happy to say that the film successfully provides viewers with a refreshing experience full of heart and wisdom. Black and Duvall (already on-screen partners in the little-seen-but-very-good Get Low) have demanding presences. Black...
