Shrek (2001)

Genres

Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Fantasy

Directors

Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, Vincent Cassel, Conrad Vernon, Chris Miller, Cody Cameron, Simon J. Smith, Christopher Knights, Aron Warner, Jim Cummings

Storyline

When Lord Farquaad (Vincent Cassel) exiles all the magical creatures to the woods, the fairy-tale beings decide to camp outside the house of ogre Shrek (Mike Myers) who loses his peaceful life. So, in order to get his land back, agrees to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) for Lord Farquaad.

Opinion

Flying over the fact that I haven't seen it in over 3 years (yeah, shame on me), Shrek has been one of my favourite animated films since always and has a special place in my heart not because it's fun, but because it makes fun of fairy tales. 

The story would have been your typical fairy tale story with a princess that needs to be rescued if it wasn't for the fact that there is no Prince Charming here. The hero is a grumpy green ogre who only acts for self-interest; he's basically a mercenary hired to do a job. And the prince (actually he won't be a prince unless he marries a princess) is a coward and rather pathetic little man. This twist (and many others along the way) is what makes the story interesting and charming. It's got some plot holes and a weird romantic subplot, but it eventually delivers its don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover message. 

The soul of the film, however, isn't the story but the characters. They are a bit stereotyped (I mean, the ugly evil ogre isn't that evil after all, the noble is evil, and the friend is all over the place), but they are amazing, especially Shrek who is incredibly grumpy but equally likeable and Donkey, Shrek's animal sidekick. Donkey is actually my favourite thing about the Shrek franchise and he'll always be one of my favourite movie characters because of the wonderful work of Eddie Murphy. He was the perfect cast for the role, and gave such a funny and sweet performance. It's impossible not to love Donkey.

Another awesome thing about Shrek is that the humour works on different levels. When I was a kid I was able to enjoy all the fairy-tale related jokes and references; now I can also enjoy a lot of one-liners, especially those from Murphy and Myers who does a really good job as Shrek. 

The animation is also nice. There's a lot of attention to backgrounds, textures and details which make up for the goofy movements of some/most of the characters. 

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)

Genres

Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Directors

Cody Cameron, Kris Pearn

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Will Forte, Neil Patrick Harris, Benjamin Bratt, Terry Crews, Kristen Schaal, Khamani Griffin, Al Roker, Cody Cameron, Bridget Hoffman

Storyline

After the disastrous food storm, Flint (Bill Hader) left his town and started working at The Live Corp Company for his hero, Chester V (Will Forte). But he's forced to leave his post when he learns that his machine is still operational and it's creating living food.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

Genres

Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Directors

Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Neil Patrick Harris, Bruce Campbell, Andy Samberg, Mr. T, Bobb'e J. Thompson, Benjamin Bratt, Al Roker, Lauren Graham, Will Forte

Storyline

Clumpsy inventor Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) creates a machine that can turn water into food and soon food starts falling from the sky. But it eventually gets out of control as the people of the town ask for more and more food.

Opinion

The first time I saw Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs I didn't enjoy it at all. I found it so boring, I almost fell asleep. Then, months ago (maybe even more), some TMP entries made me realise that I was probably the only one who felt that way so I decided to give it a second chance and I enjoyed it. Probably not as much as everybody else, but definitely more than the first time.

The reason I watched it in the first place was the storyline and it ended up being my favourite part of the film. And it still is. It is original and yet clichéed (there are both the
typical romantic subplot and the father-and-son relationship) but, although it feels dragged at some points, it's quite enjoyable and fun to watch.

However, what I really liked back then and what I really like now is not the story itself but its meaning and how much it has to teach us. Without being too complicated or heavy, the film delivers its message. And it's not that American is fat (okay, maybe that too) but it is about the inability of human beings to contain themselves - we are never satisfied, we always want more and more - but most of all, it shows how we are treating our planet.

My biggest problem with this film is the characters. They are pretty shallow, childish and annoying as well. The lead is barely likeable but you root for him anyway because there isn't a strong villain. The cop and the monkey were kind of nice though. The animation isn't that bright either, but at least the actors did a fairly good job bringing to life the characters.

Blinky Bill the Movie (2015)

Genres

Animation, Adventure

Director

Deane Taylor

Country

Australia, USA

Voice Cast

Ryan Kwanten, Rufus Sewell, Toni Collette, David Wenham, Deborah Mailman, Richard Roxburgh, Robin McLeavy, Barry Otto, Barry Humphries, Tin Pang, Cam Ralph, Charlotte Rose Hamlyn, Billy Birmingham

Storyline

Billy (Ryan Kwanten), an adventurous young koala, embarks on a journey across the Australian outback to find his missing father (Richard Roxburgh). 

Opinion

We all do stupid things and watching Blinky Bill the Movie is definitely the last stupid thing I did. I let the nice(ish) animation fool me and I ended up watching a very poor film.

I have to start by saying that I've never seen the original cartoon so I wouldn't know what to expect (not much, I'm pretty sure about that), but the plot to this film and originality are two parallel lines. If you are not good with math that means they will never meet. It's basically the same story to Finding Nemo only with koalas. And this time around is the son looking for the missing father. It's also pretty simple (and yet doesn't make a lot of sense) and predictable which totally makes sense since I guess the film's targets are 2-year-old kids. 

It also lacks excitement and it's pretty forgettable and still it manages to "teach" the importance of friendship and teamwork although it's not really able to deliver the environmental message it is supposed to.

On the positive side, there is the animation. Like I said above, it's nice, very colourful and bright and the characters are well-crafted. Unfortunately, the animation isn't enough to give depth to those poorly developed and shallow characters. 

Epic (2013)

Genres

Animation, Adventure, Fantasy

Director

Chris Wedge

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Christoph Waltz, Aziz Ansari, Chris O'Dowd, Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis, Steven Tyler, Beyoncé Knowles, Blake Anderson, Judah Friedlander

Storyline

Teenager MK (Amanda Seyfried) is transported into a tiny civilization and finds herself caught in the middle of a battle between good and evil forces. 

Opinion

I don't know if someone other than me has seen Epic Movie, but that movie sure wasn't epic. Same goes with Epic. While it's pretty to look at, it's far from being epic.

Slightly enjoyable, the story lacks originality (it's basically a clone of Luc Besson's Arthur and the Invisibles, from the war between the two tiny population to the impossible/predictable love story), it's not very developed, it's pretty bland, and, in top of that, it has a terrible pacing. At times it's fast and flows well; at times it's slow and feels like it's dragged forever.

The characters aren't that good either. They are pretty bland and clichéed which makes it harder to care for them, especially when you have a villain so weak that makes MCU's look like the best villains ever. However, the main characters are likeable and a few of them are funny (the snail and the slug).

Another issues with Epic is the voice cast. What bothered me the most was the casting of Beyoncé. She is a great artist and I love her voice but voicing an animated character just isn't her thing. Every single line she delivers is flat. Not a single emotion is conveyed by her. But it's not like the rest of the cast does a better job.

Then there's the animation. While it's yet another non-epic aspect of the film, it's good. Everything, from the setting to the characters, is beautiful and so rich in detail it almost looks real.

The Pagemaster (1994)

Genres

Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Directors

Joe Johnston, Maurice Hunt

Country

USA

Cast

Macaulay Culkin, Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Welker, Leonard Nimoy, George Hearn, Jim Cummings, Phil Hartman, Ed Gilbert, B.J. Ward, Ed Begley Jr., Mel Harris

Storyline

Richard Tyler (Macaulay Culkin), a young cowardly boy, enters a library to escape a storm only to be transformed into a cartoon and transported into a world of books, and he has to conquer his fears to return to real life.

Opinion

I watched The Pagemaster a lot as a kid and yet if it wasn't for Brittany's Thursday Movie Picks post, I wouldn't remember about it. Why? Simply because this film is forgettable.

I have to admit that up to this day I still love the storyline. I find the whole kid being transported into a world where books come to life thing quite fascinating - actually, I'd love if that could happen in real life. Also, I loved how the writers incorporated literary classics such as Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Moby Dick into the story, not to mention how I loved spotting on the shelves some books I love, like The Shining and Death in Venice. But that's pretty much it. The plot is terrible. There aren't real plot points, just things happening. And the literary classics are just there. What I mean is that at the end of the movie, a kid won't nothing about those famous characters.

But at least they will (maybe) have some fun with the original characters of the movie, three books: Adventure, Fantasy and Horror. They make a good team and teach the frightened kid how to be brave. By the way, Whoopi Goldberg as Fantasy completely steals the show.

And now there's the worst part, the absolutely horrifying part, even more horrifying than Horror. The animation. I cannot believe this film is only 23 years old. I cannot believe it. The animation is bland and looks cheap. And the colours are terrible. I think a kid would do a better job. 

Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017)

Genres

Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Director

Kelly Asbury

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson, Mandy Patinkin, Joe Manganiello, Jack McBrayer, Danny Pudi, Julia Roberts, Michelle Rodriguez, Ellie Kemper, Ariel Winter, Meghan Trainor, Jake Johnson, Gordon Ramsay 

Storyline

Smurfette (Demi Lovato), Brainy (Danny Pudi), Clumsy (Jack McBrayer) and Hefty (Joe Manganiello) embark on a journey to find a mysterious lost village before the evil Gargamel (Rainn Wilson) does. 

Opinion

After being disappointed with both of Raja Gosnell's films, I was really looking forward for another film to do justice to Peyo's cartoon. But of course that didn't happen with Smurfs: The Lost Village, another mediocre attempt at bringing those little blue cuties to the screen.

I do know it's a kids film, but the story is so simple, straightforward and predictable it's insulting. It's also boring and there's too much nonsense going on, especially towards the end, it's hard to deal with it. And it's all very unfortunate because the lost village plot could have given this film what it needed to be way superior to its predecessors.

Another problem with this film is the characters. They are bland, generic, clichéed and uninteresting. And there are too many of them introduced all at once only to be soon forgotten. Other than Smurfette, Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty's personalities - whom I already knew from the cartoon - I just can't remember anything about the new characters because of how generic they are.

The villain is another problem. While Rainn Wilson does a good job, with all these movies being made, Gargamel is turning into a very boring and uninteresting villain. Isn't about time to use another villain?

The only thing that keeps the film moving is the music. It's kinda fun - although too pop for my tastes - but it still has a flaw, it's forgettable. Just like the humour.

Forgettable is also the appropriate word to describe the animation. It's colourful and vibrant and manages to capture the magic of the Lost Village and Enchanted Forest, but it looks incredibly cheap at times. It's 2017, it should be better than this.

The Boss Baby (2017)

Genres

Animation, Comedy

Director

Tom McGrath

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Alec Baldwin, Miles Bakshi, Steve Buscemi, Tobey Maguire, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Conrad Vernon, James McGrath, David Soren, Nina Zoe Bakshi, Tom McGrath, Walt Dohrn, James Ryan, Eric Bell Jr., ViviAnn Yee, Edie Mirman

Storyline

The life of seven-year-old Tim Templeton (Miles Bakshi) was all peaches until his new brother names Boss Baby (Alec Baldwin) arrived home in a taxi, wearing a wearing and carrying a briefcase and stole his parents' attention. The two instantly hate each other but they'll have to put aside their rivalry as it turns out Boss Baby is a spy on a secret mission and needs Tim's help.

Opinion

I've seen The Boss Baby's trailer like a million times and it didn't appeal me a bit. Which is crazy because now that I've given the film a chance, it isn't half bad. Actually, and I'm kinda embarrassed to admit this, I really enjoyed it. Probably more than I should have.

What I liked the most about it was the story. It is simple and predictable as in any other kid/family film, and it does get a bit ridiculous (the villain creates a puppy that never dies so that people will buy one instead of having a kid. But if people don't have kids anymore, everyone is eventually going to die, so who's gonna buy the puppies?) but at least it's different and original. And it's also engaging interesting and funny.

Which brings me to the characters. They are likeable and fun and they have some development. And easily stealing the show is Boss Baby. He is the coolest and cutest baby I've ever seen - and I'm no baby lover -, and what makes him so good is Alec Baldwin. Yes, Alec Baldwin voices a baby and he does a fantastic job with his sarcastic delivery. The villain isn't a very strong character but he's voiced by Steve Buscemi which is awesome.

There aren't a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, but the film still has enough humour to appeal kids and adults - I'm still amazed by how much fun I had watching this. The vivid and colourful animation is also worthy of a mention, and I regret not seeing this in cinemas in 3D. 

My Life as a Zucchini (2016)

Original Title

Ma vie de Courgette

Genres

Animation, Comedy, Drama

Director

Claude Barras

Countries

Switzerland, France

Voice Cast

Gaspard Schlatter, Sixtine Murat, Paulin Jaccound, Michel Vuillermoz, Paul Ribera, Estelle Hennard, Elliot Sanchez, Lou Wick

Storyline

After losing his mother, Courgette (Gaspard Schlatter) is sent to a foster home with other orphans his age where he will learn the meaning of trust and love. 

Opinion

Among all of this year's Best Animated Picture nominees, I have to say that My Life as a Zucchini was the one that intrigued me the most because it looked different from the others. And it is very different and in a very good way. This is a quirky, funny, touching and emotional without being sentimental stop-motion animated film. In other words, a film everyone should see.

Especially kids of all ages because the filmmakers took a sad, heavy-hearted story and turned it into a light-hearted and very simple tale that has a lot to teach, both to the little one and the adults. By following Courgette, we also get to learn the meaning of unconditional love, trust and friendship.

The film also shows the suffering of children in foster care without being too dark or depressing. It shows that not all the kids in foster homes are being abused, and most important, it shows that there's always hope and it teaches the importance of having a family.

My Life as a Zucchini is also a very sweet and tender love story between two kids and as such, it shows what pure love looks like, and has a lot to teach to adults.

Then, there are nice and developed characters that are brought to life by the voices of a fantastic cast - I really suggest watching it in French because of how good the actors are - and some stunning animation. Everything is beautiful, from the characters to the backgrounds, not to mention the colours. Non-stop animation is just perfect for this little gem.

Storks (2016)

Genres

Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Directors

Nicholas Stoller, Doug Sweetland

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Andy Samberg, Katie Crown, Kelsey Grammer, Keegan-Michael Key, Anton Starkman, Jennifer Aniston, Ty Burrell, Stephen Kramer Glickman, Danny Trejo, Chris Smith, Awkwafina

Storyline

Storks deliver babies...or at least they used to. Now they deliver packages for a global corporation. But when stork Junior (Andy Samberg) accidentally creates a baby, he must fix the error by delivering the baby.

Opinion

This movie was not on my watchlist. Also, I was expecting a truly awful film. That said, I still decided to give a try because I'm an animation junkie, and I'm glad I did because it was quite a surprise. It may not be the best animated flick of the (past) year, but it still is a funny and entertaining family film.

That said, let's start with the first flaw, the story. It is paper-thin and feels forced, not to mention how little sense it makes. The setup is also a bit too complicated for a kid movie. The good thing about the silly story is that it explains to kids in a very imaginative/unrealistic yet nice way the decline in births in latest years, the reason being people picking objects over babies. Now, whether this does or doesn't suit little kids, it's up to you to say.

The characters really make the difference here. The film starts off pretty slowly and isn't very exciting but as soon as the character of Tulip, a goofy and silly young woman, is introduced, the film gets better. It's simply because the character is amazing and incredibly funny. And her chemistry with Junior, the stork, is beautiful.

The animation is also very cute and colourful. Everything looks beautiful, from the settings to the facial expressions of the characters. Especially the baby who is super cute and adorable, and that's a lot coming from someone who doesn't like kids. 

Mulan (1998)

Genres

Adventure | Animation | Comedy | Musical | War

Directors

Barry Cook | Tony Bancroft

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong, Miguel Ferrer, June Foray, Harvey Fierstein, Gedde Watanabe, Jerry Tondo, James Hong, Soon-Tek Oh, Pat Morita, George Takei, Miriam Margolyes, Freda Foh Shen, James Shigeta

Storyline

To save her father from death in the army, young Chinese maiden Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) decides to disguise herself and join in his place.

Opinion

I'll never get tired of saying that war movies aren't my thing and yet "Mulan" was my favourite Disney movie when I was a kid. And it still is nowadays because it isn't only a fun and very entertaining animated film, but it does feature Disney's greatest princess heroine ever.

Although simple and pretty straightforward, this film has that kind of story that not only keeps you interested from start to finish, but that has meaning. By setting the story in ancient China, what the filmmakers did is show the repression of women, their struggle to be who they want to be in a culture where women are expected to be quiet and basically nothing more than somebody's daughters and wives, which sadly is still relevant today. And they also showed the horrors and sorrows of war (I agree that they might be heavy themes for kids, but I grew up watching this and it didn't damage me. Well, at least that's what I think).

As I mentioned above, the reason why I loved and still love "Mulan" are the characters. Mulan is pretty unique in the Disney universe and she is a very positive role model for young girls. She is not a princess but a strong, smart, resourceful and independent young woman, and she shows that each of us can achieve whatever goal we have with hard work and dedication.

Then there are the supporting characters, simply delightful. Eddie Murphy's Mushu is a hell of a sidekick. Not only that little dragon plays an important role in the story, but he's arguably one of the funniest characters ever. Shang is a tough yet insecure man and that's why he is such an interesting love interested. Yau, Ling and Chien-Po are really fun to watch and so is Mulan's grandma. And finally, Shan Yu, the villain, is quite threatening.

There are also some pretty good and catchy songs like "Be a Man", and the animation is stunning and it is so reminiscent of ancient Chinese art that makes is ever more stunning.

The Croods (2013)

Genres

Adventure | Animation | Comedy

Directors

Kirk DeMicco | Chris Sanders

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, Cloris Leachman, Chris Sanders, Randy Thom

Storyline

After their cave is destroyed, the Croods, a caveman family, must trek through an unfamiliar and dangerous world where the rules that used to keep them alive don't apply. 

Opinion

I don't remember seeing a lot of trailers and promotional stuff when "The Croods" came out. I actually think I've read of it for the first time a couple of years ago when I checked out Emma Stone's filmography, which is why I decided to watch it. I know, it took me ages, literally, and I regret not seeing it earlier because it's such a fun and exciting animated film that goes deeper than it might seem.

In fact, while it is pretty straightforward, clichéd and rather predictable - let's not forget it's a kids movie -, the story still is very interesting and explores some of the most basic yet important issues concerning a family, from the importance of sticking together in hard times to the troubled parent-child relationship. It also shows that sometimes it's good to get away from one's comfort zone.

While teaching that, "The Croods" also entertains with its fun, likeable and interesting characters each having but flaws and virtues. They are the kind of characters you find yourself rooting for as well as the kind of characters that will make you laugh with some good, old-fashioned slapstick humour.

The reason why I really enjoyed the characters, though, other than the colourful and nice animation, is the cast. I cannot think of actors that would fit the characters more than those here. Emma Stone is very enjoyable as Eep, the rebellious daughter, Nicolas Cage basically plays himself in a funny way, and Ryan Reynolds does great as Guy, the cool kid with some crazy ideas. Most important, however, is the chemistry between the cast, simply awesome.

Tarzan (2013)

Genres

Adventure | Animation

Director

Reinhard Kloss

Country

Germany

Cast

Kellan Lutz, Spencer Locke, Jaime Ray Newman, Robert Capron, Mark Deklin, Craig Garner, Anton Zetterholm, Joe Cappelletti, Brian Huskey, Faton Millanaj, Maximilian Nepomuk Allgeier, Christian Serritiello, Brian Bloom, Jason Hildebrandt

Storyline

Tarzan (Kellan Lutz) and Jane (Spencer Locke) face a mercenary army dispatched by the evil CEO (Joe Cappelletti) of Greystoke Energies, a man who took over the company from Tarzan's parents after they died in a plane crash.

Opinion

Like I said months ago when I reviewed "The Legend of Tarzan", Disney's "Tarzan" was one of my childhood favourites and seeing that story completely rip apart by this "Tarzan" was truly heartbreaking. This film is bad on so many levels, I doubt there's anyone in the entire world who could enjoy it.

I'm not even sure what the real problem is. The story is a real mess. It took me a while to figure out what was going on and I'm usually pretty smart so I don't think kids will fully understand it. The storytelling is awful, therefore the film ends up being tedious and unengaging.

Then, there are a lot of changes with the story. From Tarzan's origins - frankly, I don't understand what was the point but I have to admit that Tarzan's childhood was the only (slightly) interesting part in the entire film - to the addition of an environmental message that seems taken straight out of James Cameron's "Avatar" and that doesn't really add to the film because it isn't delivered, a job many other animated films got done.

Other than being a complete mess on the script part, the film is a visual catastrophe. Obsolete to say the least, the animation has the quality of an average (and old) video game and it's very unpleasant to the eye. The characters are ugly - I wonder if the graphics had any idea of how a human body is supposed to look like -, and their movements are just terrible. 

Can we now please go back to the old, Disney musical version now and forget about this? 

The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

Genres

Action | Adventure | Animation

Director

Chris McKay

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Mariah Carey, Jenny Slate, Susan Bennett, Billy Dee Williams, Hector Elizondo, Conan O'Brien, Jason Mantzoukas, Doug Benson, Zoe Kravitz, Kate Micucci, Riki Lindhome, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Seth Green, Eddie Izzard

Storyline

To save Gotham City from the Joker's (Zach Galifianakis) hostile takeover, Batman (Will Arnett) has to drop the lone vigilante thing and work with others.

Opinion

Let's be honest, again, "The Lego Movie" wasn't supposed to work. The idea was terrible and I was sure it was going to be a silly kids movie. Needless to say, it turned into a fantastic idea as well as a fantastic film. Batman was pretty much the film's highlight, so it was more that obvious he was going to get his own film soon. It finally happened. And it was awesome.

Although it isn't as good as its predecessor, "The Lego Batman Movie" still is an entertaining, fun, lighthearted superhero flick. And the best Batman movie in years!

Better than the average superhero film, the story is simple - if you've seen the trailer, that's basically it - but it's also engaging and it has more depth that I would have ever imagined. It actually touches some important themes, among which the importance of teamwork stands out, and they are delivered in a way that kids can easily understand them.

The characters are the best part film. As they did in 2014, the filmmakers brought to the screen a different Batman, a version we are definitely not used to see. He is not the dark knight we all know, but a cocky, selfish, childish guy. In other words, some sort of Deadpool. In spite of that, he still remains a likeable character. And it's so refreshing to see this new Batman.

The writers though did not only focus on him, but they took the time to properly write the other characters as well, from the awkward Robin to the awesome Batgirl, to the Joker, the best version of this villain since Heath Ledger's. He isn't as scary as he should be - I doubt the filmmakers wanted to scare kids - still it's very interesting just like his relationship with Batman. I also loved the way the writers were able to integrate villainous characters from other universes, from Lord Voldemort to King Kong.

Other than a solid script, "The Lego Batman Movie" can also claim a lot of funny jokes, delivered as needed, than never failed to put at least a grin on my face - I guess that's the least I could do for the Joker -, dazzling, brilliant visuals, and a soundtrack that will probably have you either wanting to sing or dance. Or both.

Equally awesome is the voice cast. Will Arnett continues his parody of Bale's Batman, Michael Cera's awkwardness fits Robin to perfection, Rosario Dawson is great as Batgirl, and Ralph Fiennes is delightful as Alfred. And kudos to Zach Galifianakis, he makes the Joker so much compelling.

Hercules (1997)

Genres

Animation | Comedy | Fantasy | Musical

Directors

John Musker | Ron Clements

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Tate Donovan, Josh Keaton, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Susan Egan, Frank Welker, Rip Torn, Lillias White, Bobcat Goldthwait, Matt Frewer, Patrick Pinney, Hal Holbrook, Amanda Plummer, Carole Shelley, Paddi Edwards, Paul Shaffer, Jim Cummings, Charlton Heston

Storyline

Newborn Hercules (Tate Donovan), the son of Zeus (Rip Torn), is turned into a half-god, half-mortal by Hades (James Woods), the God of the Underworld, and he's raised by mortals. Years later, he has become a strong young man who is confused about where he belongs when he finds out he is the son of a God and must become a true hero to reclaim his immortality. 

Opinion

Growing up I was one of those kids really into mythology, not any mythology, but Greek mythology, and rewatching "Hercules" made me realise it is the reason for that. I mean, this film is so fun and enjoyable it's impossible not to fall in love with mythology after watching it.

The story is pretty much like any other Disney film - therefore it's predictable - with its main character looking for his place in life and stuff like that, but the dysfunctional Olympian family makes it work. Of course it is not mythologically accurate, but it's definitely a different, and fun way to arouse children's interest towards this subject.

Just like any other Disney movie, this film's strength lays in its characters. Maybe scholars were offended by it - and frankly I don't care -, but this naive and parodic version of Hercules integrates seamlessly with the humour and immediately inspires sympathy. But he is not by far the most interesting character, that role goes to Phil who is simply hilarious, Hades who makes for a great villain, and Megara, a sassy, cynical and sexy woman who provides the film with an independent heroine.

The other important aspect of the film is obviously the music. It is mainly Gospel. Now, I know it doesn't exactly fit into this film, but it's still amazing and catchy, and those five Muses singing and dancing were actually my favourite thing about this movie when I was a kid. And they still kinda are.

On the other hand there's the colourful animation that fits the film beautifully because it's done like Greek art.

Sing (2016)

Genre

Animation | Comedy | Music

Director

Garth Jennings

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Tori Kelly, Taron Egerton, Nick Kroll, Nick Offerman, Garth Jenning, Peter Serafinowicz, Beck Bennett, Jennifer Saunder, Jennifer Hudson, Leslie Jones, Jay Pharoah, Rhea Perlman

Storyline

As an attempt to save his theater, koala Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) launches a singing competition that becomes grander than he anticipates. 

Opinion

After the disappointing "The Secret Life of Pets" I wasn't expecting anything from Illumination Entertainment. Actually I was expecting something, another meh film. Instead "Sing" was a very entertaining, joyful and beautifully animated film.

Something weird about this film is the plot. It is predictable and it features all the imaginable clichés, but I actually found myself not only caring about what was happening, but I was also very engaged. I knew what would happen, but I still wanted to keep watching to see it. Does it make any sense to you? I'm still trying to understand how that's possible.

Also I wasn't expecting the characters to be that good. Although they do remind a lot of the animals from "Zootopia", I still cannot believe how developed each character was, and that was made possible by the film's lack of a single main character. We really get to see a little from the life of each.

The familiar songs fit the film and will probably have you singing and dancing along with the characters and the family-friendly humour is enough to make the audience laugh throughout the film. Maybe there's a scene where some bunnies are shaking their bums to Nicki Minaj's song that isn't very kid-friendly, but after all it's just some animals shaking their tales.

However, the message delivered - you always have to pursuit your dreams - may be a little too hard for kids to understand, and I feel like teens are those able to capture the meaning of it. But that's not really a flaw.

At last but not least the voice cast. From Matthew McConaughey to Seth MacFarlane, all the actors do a good job in their roles. I had a soft spot for Reese Witherspoon and her Rosita (the pig), her amazing voice just conquered me.

The Lego Movie (2014)

Genre

Adventure | Animation | Comedy

Directors

Phil Lord | Christopher Miller

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Cobie Smulders, Jadon Sand, Anthony Daniels, Dilly Dee Williams

Storyline

Ordinary construction worker Emmet (Chris Pratt) sees his life turned upside down when he is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant, Lord Business (Will Ferrell).

Opinion

Like I mentioned in a Thursday Movie Picks post a while back I had no intention to watch this film when it came out. Not to mention spending money on it. I thought it'd be just a stupid kids flick. But I let my brother convince me into going and I was utterly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Even now, after I don't know how many watches, I still find "The Lego Movie" an incredibly entertaining and fun film.

The story is quite light and kinda basic but the great thing is that the writers acknowledged that and used it to their advantage. They indeed decided not to take the story too seriously, mocking the prophecy and throwing in some clichés in a playful way, and it resulted into a very funny, interesting film with a surprising ending.

Something that will definitely win you over are the characters. From Emmet, a very likable, but ordinary guy who is said to the be one, to Bad Cop/Good Cop, they all are funny and each one of them has personality and some development. Especially Batman who is basically a parody of the Dark Knight.

What makes the characters even better is the cast. It really is impressive - I mean, there's Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, and more - and they portray the characters in a very memorable way. Also they really add to the film's comedy which is made both of goofy and clever gags.

The animation also deserves a mention because it's fantastic. It looks like a stop-motion film with a tremendous amount of detail. It is so well done, at times it's hard to believe every single thing is made of Legos.

Oh, and there's also a very catchy song that says it all, everything is awesome!

Moana (2016)

Genre

Adventure | Animation | Comedy | Fantasy | Musical

Directors

Ron Clements | John Musker

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Jemaine Clement, Alan Tudyk, Oscar Kightley, Troy Polamalu, Louise Bush, Christopher Jackson

Storyline

When a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) reaches a Polynesian island, Moana Waialiki (Auli'i Cravalho), the daughter of the chief (Temuera Morrison) of the island, sets off on a journey across the Pacific to set things right.

Opinion

After the disappointing "Frozen", Disney comes with a summer-ish princess film for which I had pretty good expectations. I finally saw it the other night, and unfortunately it killed my vibes. Why? Well, all those positive reviews made me think Disney did great, but they just basically did the same film with different settings.

"Moana" is indeed a very typical, clichéd Disney princess movie. However, somehow - I frankly don't know how that was possible - the film managed to be entertaining. Still, not quite the movie one would expect to win awards.

Leaving the title aside - it sounds like moaning. Also, there's a porno actress with that name so I don't know how appropriate that is for a kids movie, but nevermind -, the biggest flaw of the film is the story. I knew it would be predictable, but what bother me the most is that it seems like the filmmakers didn't care much for it. It lacks ideas and proper development. And I wasn't really expecting that since earlier this year Disney delivered a way stronger story with "Zootopia".

The characters are pretty much the same we are used to see in every Disney princess film. There's the optimistic heroine, the self-absorbed douche, the funny character - the granma in this case -, and the animal sidekick. But they are very likable, especially the heroine, Moana, and the voice cast did a good job, with Dwayne Johnson providing the necessary humour to support Auli'i Cravalho in her debut.

On the good side there's also the catchy songs, the animation, and the breathtaking scenery. But most important, finally the filmmakers didn't feel the need to throw in a romance. It was about time.