Outlaw King (2018)

"It must be done in Scoooouuuunnnne!" -Robert the Bruce

Outlaw King is a waste of basically everything except:

• Male Nudity 
• Drone Footage for www.travelscotland.com
• Decent sword-wielding extras

I am of the firm opinion that actors can transcend time, location, and culture; and that there shouldn't be a difference between American and European actors.  We all have the same abilities on paper.  Unfortunately, Chris Pine -while generally being a competent actor- has not mastered the Scottish accent of the era.  It's painful. 

Outlaw King has the potential as a concept to be a wonderful story...but on a grand scale of a (mini)series or conversely on a small scale, like only covering the last battle.  The decision to middle ground for Outlaw King was a mistake.  We go no passion and a very broad confusing story.

2.0 out of 5 stars -editing and drone footage were great. 

Wreck it Ralph (2012)

"I can fix it!" -Fix-it-Felix Jr.
"You're not going Turbo, are you?" -Everyone

Cute. Real cute. Just a solid effort throughout. No crazy wholes. Nice animations. Great structure to achieve emotional reaction from the audience.

-Basically, I would say that it was clear that Jon Lasseter was involved. And for me, his ability to get a story to page and emote is long and full of my theater tears.

So, I am not sure how I feel about nostalgia as an underpinning to nerd culture and thus an emotional tent pole.  On one hand, I am not immune. The Characters, brands, and games of the past are on an expanding curve. In my thinking if in 1950 the total count of imaginary characters and games that made emotional connections with more than 10000 individuals was 1, the count in 2012 is 10000.  With more options, ubiquitous channels, and boundless imagination. The global emotive character pool is exploding.   Maybe to the point where it becomes a business question of why make a new one?  Obviously, I am of an age that has general connection to first person shooters, 8-bit characters, Zangief and Bowser.

On the other hand, -it's just lazy. (opinion.)

Highlight of Wreck It Ralph for me include:

1. Penelope Von Schweetz
1. and her banter with Ralph
2. Alan Tudyk
1. ALWAYS
2. "King Candy!!"
3. John C Rielly
4. Sarah Silverman

Wreck It Ralph actually deserved a sequel.  Hard to imagine, but true. 

3.4 out 5

  

The Princess Switch (2018)

"You know what they say...." -everyone

I'm going to float this out there and see what the internet thinks. I am envisioning that Netflix will soon be announcing the NCU. The Netflix Cinematic Universe. I'm serious. All of their Christmas movies are set in a fictional yet contained joint universe.  -I came to this realization from the kindly old man played by Robin Soans. He's everywhere. Without any reason.

Once you abandon any sense of writing or accountability to taste, then The Princess Switch is at best a marginal hack.

Also for any of you SG-1 fans out there. Tell me that Nick Sagar 1 should not be cast as the new Apophis.  I'd absolutely watch a beta universe version of SG that had him as the villain.

You may have noticed that I really haven't talked anything about The Princess Switch. I'm not going to. Let that sink in as to my feelings.

1.9 out of 5 stars. It is a movie. It had actors. It is should will not be remembered.

A Star is Born (2018)

Jack: Can I tell you a secret?

[Ally looks over to him]

Jack: I think you might be a songwriter. And don't worry, I won't tell anybody. But I'm not very good at keeping secrets.

And we have a clear winner for the best film of 2018 so far and it's not even close.

1. Gaga is Cher but better. 3.0 if you will.
2. To my chagrin, Bradly Cooper can sing, well.    And direct with intention.
3. Sam Elliot is a confluence of soul, sadness, wisdom, and grit.

Here's how I knew I was watching something special. First, I clapped at the end of a performance in the theater just like if I had been in the scene. Second, I cried multiple times. And third, I remembered song lyrics and quotes instantly.

I can't recommend that people with or without souls see A Star is Born. A remake that doesn't make me want to talk about it.

4.28 out 5 stars.

Oh and yes, Andrew Dice Clay is back.

Lilo and Stitch

Lilo: IT'S FISH!! If I gave Pudge tuna, I'd be an abomination! I'm late because I had to go to the store, to get peanut butter, because all we have is, is stinking tuna!!

Stitch: "'Ohana" means "family."

Yeah, I'd never seen this. Sometimes things like this just happen.

What an adorably sad sad movie. It's nothing special in the grand theme of things but, it is made me feel and that is worthy of praise to the creators.

oh and everyone could use more Hawaiian-era Elvis in their lives.

Looking backwards now it impossible that Disney knew or planned for this to be their animated release post 9-11 (obviously), but given that they made cuts and changes to avoid linking the movie to the tragedy, it was clearly on theirs and everyone's mind.

I've been thinking about a direct allegory between Stitch and the Post 9-11 era.  I know it's flimsy..but what is the point of a blog if not put out an untested idea?

Stitch, the fuzzy ball of chaos looking to escape and indestructibly irrational is America in 2002.
Stitch settles down with his new family, controlling his nature. So might America -eventually.

3.2 out of 5 stars

Camelot (1967)

"RUN boy!" -Wort

I am a fan of musicals. I think that my record (see the rest of this blog) is pretty clear on that. I even generally advocate for film adaptations to do their best to adhere to their source material for fidelity. However, there are times when this can go to far. Camelot is one of those.

Honestly, the film adaptation wastes all kinds of opportunities that are only available on film in favor sticking to the play, and thus the whole movie comes off as interminable and boring. I think its run time is about 3 hours excluding an intermission and an overture. *That's basically as long as the play version that I was a part of in 2002.

As the 11th best grossing film of 1967, I can understand why it has fallen into the blurs history, but the music is pretty good and that should count for a little.

2.7 out of 5 stars.

Moana (2016)

Tamatoa: Well, Tamatoa hasn't always been this glam
I was a drab little crab once.

Ground-breaking music but not a new story. Yet, the creators and actors are authentic artists and produce something of joy; a worthwhile experience.

I may be behind the time, but I think Lin-Manuel Miranda is talented. Just a hunch.

Usually, I am much more of traditionalist, musically. I like symmetry, repetition, choruses, catchy melodies, and structure. And Moana by design pays only lip service to these concepts. Yet, the music is gorgeous. It is free and unencumbered.

Allegories are specious at best, but what do you all think about Moana being a more mythic take on Ferngully:The Last Rainforest?  Islanders are more likely to be affected by climate change on this planet and I drew parallels between Moana's impetus for restoring the heart of Tafiti and a global need to see our planet as alive. (and angry.)

3.9 out of 5 stars.