Categories
Movies

Zootopia #TheToiBoxOfWords #film #review

moviereview
So, in case you don’t know, I’m going it alone with my monthly movie reviews from now on. This is my first solo effort. It’s mostly the same review I’ve been doing with some minor changes. I’d love for you to leave comments or responses to any of the questions I pose. Thanks for sticking with me through this transition.

If anyone is interested in my experience of watching Zootopia, click here to see my notes.

This review will consist of me asking myself 10 questions and answering them to the best of my ability.

Wikipedia
Wikipedia

1. What is this film about?

In an animated world where mammals are the peoples of the world, mammals have evolved. Predators and Prey live together in harmony, mostly. At the center of this utopia is the great metropolis of Zootopia. It’s a city, a jungle, tundra, and more where a bunny has a chance to live out her dream of becoming a police officer. When the country bunny hits the big city, she quickly learns that Zootopia isn’t the Mecca she hoped it would be; plus, there’s a mystery to be solved to which no one believes a bunny can do.

It took me a while to realize that there were no reptile, bird, or other talking animal characters. At least I don’t think so.

2. What did I think of the title, poster, and or trailer?

I’m really disappointed that I missed this in the theater. It just wasn’t in the cards for me. I remember thinking the movie looked cute; plus, I love animals and figured that there was probably some great social lesson to be learned in the end. But if I’m being totally honest, the main reason I wanted to see this was because of the Sloth clip.

3. What did I think of the main character(s) and how the actors performed them?

I thought the voices fit the characters well. I especially thought Bateman, Idris, and Slate fit their characters perfectly. I know there must be a lot that goes into making a voice come alive and match up with an animated image, but for me, it’s hard to judge whether or not they really performed well. I either like the match or I don’t.

4. What did I think of the direction and cinematography?

Again, when it comes to animated movies, I don’t know how much cinematography makes a difference, but in terms of direction, I get it. Someone has to decide if the voices sound right and match up, someone has to make sure what’s going on the background applies but doesn’t detract, etc… I’d say Byron Howard and Rich Moore did a great job conveying so much emotion in such a lighthearted setting.

5. What did I think of the soundtrack and score?

I enjoyed the soundtrack and score. They seem to go together well; songs coming in at the right moments that were built up by the score. I liked the use of popular music and the original song performed by Shakira.

6. What did I like about the story as a whole?

I thought the best part of the story were there not-so-hidden social messages that overflowed in this story. I could see small children missing some of them, but any adult who didn’t pick up on these messages were in denial. Themes of racism, bullying, discrimination, stereotypes, and more filled this story and I truly appreciate that.

7. What did I not like about the story?

Even though I saw it coming, I didn’t like who the villain ended up being. I understand that it was all a part of teaching the lesson that we humans still haven’t learned. Oppression will eventually make some people angry and desperate in dangerous ways. We have to stop keeping people down.

Without giving too much away, I wish the movie had addressed some ways in which the Zootopia community was going to keep other “underdogs” from doing crazy stuff like the  villain did.

8. Would I recommend this movie to others and what would I rate this movie?

Yes, I would totally recommend this film. Even if viewers don’t get the social messages, it’s very entertaining. I did actually LOL a few times.

On a scale of 1 to 5 movie reels, I give this film 5 reels.

MLoveIt

9. Is there anything I would have changed or done differently?

I think I would have tried to include the entire animal kingdom, but who knows; there may be a very good reason Disney didn’t go there with this story.

10. Was there anything in this movie that could be related to me or anything I have written?

I have not yet attempted a tale with talking animals as the main characters, but I’d love to give it a try. In any case, I do often slip in some sort of social message in my writing; sometimes I do it without even realising I’m doing it.

Watch, rent, or buy this movie here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Categories
Movies

Winnie the Pooh Review – Mock Squid Soup No.9 #cinephiles #film #review

Wikipedia

This review will consist of me asking myself 10 questions and answering them to the best of my ability. However, before I do that, let’s take a look at my clues from last week.

#1 It’s a buddy movie…I think this is pretty self-explanatory if you know anything about the characters from the Hundred Acre Woods.

#2 The main character is based off a classic story to which its main character was inspired by something that happened in real life…Author A. A. Milne had a son named Christopher Robin who absolutely adored a black bear named Winnie who lived at the London Zoo. Winnipeg, or Winnie, had a sweet tooth just like Pooh Bear, but she preferred ice cream.

#3 In this colorful film, misunderstandings abound…I used the word colorful in place of just coming out and saying that the film was animated. Also, if you know anything about these characters, know that they aren’t the brightest bunch.

Lastly, there was my very subtle bonus clue that stated “the next movie I’m going to review may seem a bit out-of-place;” that is, of course, considering you saw my two previous reviews that were entirely not appropriate for children or maybe even teens (I’m not a parent, so that’s a little gray for me).

New: see my viewing experience notes here.

1. What is this film about?

Winnie the Pooh wakes up hungry and goes in search of honey only to find his friend Eeyore with a missing tail. So, all the stuffed friends and creatures of the Hundred Acre Wood gather together, along with Christopher Robin, to find a replacement tail, with no luck. As Pooh continues his search for honey, it appears that Christopher Robin as gone missing…and without him, calamity ensues.

2. What did I think of the title, poster, and or trailer?

I liked the poster a lot the first time I saw it. I thought the friends were headed on sea voyage until I saw the trailer. I thought the trailer was misleading after seeing the movie, but not in a bad way. In a way, it was good that it didn’t give too much of the story away. As for the title, there have been many movies featuring Winner the Pooh, but I was glad to see he finally got title coverage in his own feature-length film.

3. What did I think of the main character(s) and how the actors performed them?

You must watch this movie with an open mind and perhaps a bit of nostalgia. I can totally see some uptight P.C. person complaining about the misspelled words and the silly misunderstandings that occur, but that’s not the point of the story. I love these characters because they are simple and compartmentalized; easy for children to understand. Obviously, I wouldn’t want real people to be like this, but for talking stuffed animals, it’s perfect.

You have the chubby one who often puts food first.

Then there’s the sad or “downer” one who always needs cheering up.

There’s the pink little people pleaser.

There’s always one who thinks he knows more than everyone else does, and so on…

With all that being said, I still love each and every one of these characters for the innocence and sincerity they represent.

Also, the voice talent on the film is great. You can’t beat John Cleese as your narrator. All the voices and personalities mesh quite well together.

4. What did I think of the direction and cinematography?

Stephen J. Anderson directed this film and is currently most known for his work on the movie Frozen. To be honest, I haven’t considered the impact of direction in animated films. I feel I know too little about the director’s role in animation to really comment on this. I assume voice coaching is involved and perhaps character expressions and pacing, but who really knows.

I guess since I thought the film looked and flowed beautifully, the direction must have been good. I must say, though, that I was so excited to see that this film was a product of tradition animation. I have nothing against computer animation, but for a story as simply and basic, and down to earth as this, traditional was the way to go. I don’t know if I’m ready to see Pooh Bear totally computerized, but I think would have still watched it anyway.

5. What did I think of the soundtrack and score?

I loved this soundtrack. It brought back my childhood and made me like Zooey Deschanel even more. I was very surprised and pleased that the song that appeared in the trailer, didn’t actually appear in the movie. Again, not that that would have been so bad, I just think it was better without it.

6. What did I like about the story as a whole?

This is a story of friendship and overcoming obstacles. I could try to get real deep here if I wanted to, but I don’t think that’s necessary. It’s a sweet movie, suitable for the whole family and clever enough to keep mom and dad awake during viewing.

Pooh Bear may be a little slow and one sighted at times, but when he passes up honey to help a friend, it all comes together…The things we do for the people we love.

7. What did I not like about the story?

I don’t usually have trouble thinking of a dislike, but because this story is so much a part of my youth, I think I must have blinders on. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like. Even the annoying Rabbit was lovable in this film.

8. Would I recommend this movie to others?

Absolutely!

9. If yes, who? What would I rate this movie?

I really think this film is good for anyone, but I realize a children’s cartoon might be a tough sell for some adults.

On a scale of 1 to 5 movie reels, I give this film 5 reels.

MLoveIt

10. Was there anything in this movie that could be related to me or anything I have written?

Tales of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh have shaped my life, so course they have affected my writing. Most importantly, it has affected the way I depict friendship. It saddens me now, as an adult, to know that Christopher Robin grew up and outgrew Winnie the Pooh, though Winnie never stopped loving him and wanting to play with him. I guess that’s why, in my Eternal Curse Series, Giovanni outlives all the people he cares about.

Not one to end on a sad note, I’d like to list my favorite quote. You may have to see the movie to truly appreciate it…“I cannot knot.” 😀

Watch, rent, or buy this movie here.

Mock Squid Soup – Film Society

41375-mocksquidsoup2
MOCK! and The Armchair Squid are proud to introduce Mock Squid Soup: A Film Society. Each month, on the second Friday, we shall host a bloghop devoted to movie reviews. We invite others to participate and post their reviews…Don’t be shy; come join the fun! 🙂

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords