2019 Aladdin: A Whole New Review

It will never be the same as the original. This seems to be the motto whenever another live action remake comes out of Disney studios. A quick look at the previous remakes, the consensus seems to be that Cinderella and The Jungle Book are highly praised in their remakes; however, there are the Maleficents, Beauty and the Beasts, Alice in Wonderlands, and Dumbos of the remake world that seriously drag down the live-action remake argument.  (Side note: Christopher Robin was not a remake but it was a fabulous story in and of itself). 

So here we go with another live action remake - Aladdin.  While we already did our audio review, I wanted to make a few points that were better thought through in this format. Will anyone read - most likely not but for those of you who stumbled across this, I appreciate you. First, I feel like there are a few things that the movie should be commended for, which I think was missing from our podcast review. I’m happy the cast appropriately reflected the nationality of where fictional Agrabah was set - something which cannot be said for the voice cast in the original.  For the most part, the casting was incredible and made the movie really come to life. Beyond that, I appreciated how they kept Jasmine out of the bikini-esque top and in actual clothes that would not undermine her character’s motivations to be taken seriously in the movie. While I’m not saying she can’t wear whatever she wants, I believe there would have been some eye-rolling comments regarding her desire to be taken seriously while at the same time revealing her midsection. They also didn’t shy away from showcasing some Bollywood level dance sequences, though I would definitely argue it maybe went a bit too far - as the movie acknowledges as well.  And I have to call out the colors of the movie - absolutely lovely jewel tones that popped, which is a significant juxtaposition to Burton’s films and even the muted Beauty and the Beast.

In the above areas, I think the movie excelled. I also think there were some amazing moments between characters that were not straight from the original that really made for some good belly laughs. I have to commend Delia’s character overall - played by the hysterical Nasim Pedrad - because she didn’t feel like an extra addition and her comic relief was perfect when paired with Smith’s Genie character. The interactions between Pedrad and Smith’s characters made for some of the best moments, even in terms of romantic moments.  And, to briefly mention the Genie, I think Smith did an amazing job making the Genie his own. It was a large footprint to step in to, but I think he showed that he can really make any roll his own. We all knew he would never be what Robin Williams was, but I’m glad he didn’t try and really put his own spin on things, from the songs to the jokes. Unfortunately, Aladdin felt somewhat static but Jasmine had the fiery spark we loved in our princess even from the animated movie. So, overall, the cast was enjoyable.

I thought there were some weaknesses which, while they didn’t ruin the movie for me, they will probably keep it off the same list as The Jungle Book. I don’t think the movie truly succeeded in its attempt to provide a more in depth storyline for Jasmine. There was a lot of telling - telling that she was locked away, telling that her mother was killed, telling that she wanted to be more than a wife - than there was showing. It seemed that, while the movie wanted her to have that same “I’m not a prize to be won” feel from the original, it didn’t quite land the “I’m trained enough to be Sultan” vibe it reached for. This led to an odd song that didn’t quite seem to match the tone that surrounded the rest of the movie, since it had to constantly tie back to the original where Jasmine’s ultimate goals were slightly different. The song’s message was about Jasmine not being silent; however, the movie didn’t really seem to constantly pound this point home. Her father didn’t tell her constantly to hush and I believe only Jafar mentions that she should be seen and not heard once. But the reprise in particular really made a huge pause moment in the movie that didn’t seem earned, beyond the crazy visuals and time stopping moments, and took more than a few of the viewers out of the movie. 

Another area of disappointment was definitely the villain. While I thought the extra bit they included about how Jafar was once a thief but climbed his way to the top was well done - a very Javert from Les Miserables moment - he just didn’t seem to be a threat.  The character didn’t seem creepy or villainous enough - just more of a meh threat that really didn’t have an impact on the kingdom at all.  It also made the finale seem less impactful since the villain didn’t really threaten the livelihood of anyone - especially the citizens that Jasmine continually mentioned as the reason for having a good leader.  Becoming an all powerful sorcerer also didn’t seem to up the ante; however, the visual of him as a genie did look pretty cool.  And, of course, Alan Tudyck was underutilized, reducing him to Hei Hei but with the ability to say some really great one-liners.

So, overall, while I think the movie was good and I would probably watch it again with someone who hasn’t seen it, I wouldn’t give it the same praise that I have given to The Jungle Book or Christopher Robin.  I wish I could sing it higher praises because I feel that there were a lot of risks taken here that make it deserve some recognition. I just wish that these remakes wouldn’t stay so married to the original and should feel more confident to take greater risks.  And I don’t even know if their hands are tied by higher forces that be. Overall, a good film but just missed that great mark that would have really impressed. 

Dumbo Flies But He Needs More Than a Feather to Soar

The original film was a short tale of a little elephant learning to live without his mother in this cruel world, dealing with others making fun of his appearance and learning how to embrace what would make him special. The Burton retelling of this film has that same core element, but broadens the scope to include more of the human characters that were only briefly glimpsed in the animated film. While the original story beats still hold the retelling to a certain timeline of events, the broader aspect and focus allows the storyteller to go a bit further into morals and lessons.

To start, I’ll give a spoiler free overview of the film.  I don’t really follow film and tend to gloss over technical elements such as cinematography and color palette. I can say that the last Burton film I really enjoyed was Sweeny Todd (2007) and Big Eyes (2014), which I never even realized was a Burton film because it didn’t have many of the elements that typically point to him as a part of a film. The Alice films were never my cup of tea - I didn’t even bother with any past the first one because I just did not care for the weirdness of that film - and I never got around to watching Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. The little I can tell you of some of the “Burton” films is that they are typically odd, dark in both tone and color, and some interesting uses of computer graphics or visual effects. With Dumbo, we have a mix of these elements.

The movie sticks with the baby elephant being separated from its mother, but also explores the human characters that inhabit a circus. The highlights of the animated film, including the Casey Jr. map scene, Baby Mine, and Pink Elephants are hit really well; however, the statement of seeing a horsefly, dragonfly, and housefly was given to us by the most disappointing casting of a character. I am happy this wasn’t a beat by beat remake, though I wish there was a bit more development to allow the story to hit the marks it wanted to hit.

While it’s not a dark film, in fact the color palette, while muted, does explore the uses of bright reds, deep blues, and vibrant yellows, there are some pretty dark tones for a Disney film based on an animated film from the Nine Old Men, including the death of a character pretty early on. There are a lot of players in this movie too, but a couple that mainly stick out. Danny Devito’s character lends some hints of humor while Colin Farrell’s character gives us the sympathetic hero coming back from war to a home that is not the same as when he left. There are also the children, who honestly were inconsequential to the movie. I feel they place in two kids but divided the personality between the two that neither felt truly fleshed out, and I didn’t really care for the direction they gave to the daughter. Overall, the addition of humans didn’t do much for the story.

There were also some really bad CG animation moments that made me question what the budget was on this film. The movie definitely had a lot of story to tell, but it felt as if it wanted to tell more and edits precluded that. There were characters that were made to seem important but were never given a lot of time. And despite being the titular character, we don’t spend nearly enough time with Dumbo. While he didn’t talk in the original animated one either, we got more interaction with him because we saw him through Timothy the mouse’s point of view and animals speaking to other animals made sense. It felt as if they didn’t want to commit to having the viewer suspend disbelief and accept that these humans and baby elephant can understand each other. I’m not sure if this would have been the better route because without it, you are left with little Dumbo in the Dumbo film.

Ok, so what is the verdict here? I can’t honestly say. The movie left zero impression on me - which can be both good and bad. It didn’t hit me as hard as Alice to the extent where I was like well, that was a waste. However, it did not impress me to the extent that Jungle Book did (I know I’m jumping directors so maybe say Big Eyes or Corpse Bride). I will say that it’s crazy that the studio that made Jungle Book, whose animated animals looked super realistic, put out Dumbo where the CG animals looks completely rubbery and pasted into the human world. I think it’s worth seeing if you have kids and want to bring them to the movies. I don’t think it’s one you have to rush out to see. And if you were a big Dumbo fan, I truly wonder how this will impact you because it doesn’t trash the original but it extends the original story enough to make it more of a retelling rather than a straight remake.

Want to talk spoilers? Ok - let’s discuss SPOILERS.

First, I really didn’t care for the daughter in this film. I believe it was summed up best by saying she acted like Athena did in Tomorrowland; however, this character was later revealed to be a robot, hence the oddness of her acting made sense. The daughter in Dumbo was not a robot, so her acting like a robot was not great. Danny Devito was stand out - he was the spark of humor that was missing in many other characters. I didn’t get a chance to connect with Farrell’s or Green’s characters, which is bad since they’re behind some of the bigger moments in the film. While Green was lovely as always, it was hard to determine whether she was a good guy or bad guy and where she fell in the plot. Farrell just didn’t hit it for me - he could have been replaced with any other actor and I wouldn’t have noticed. Keaton was great but the big business villain has been done a lot and there was no “twist” in the reveal that he wasn’t on the up and up. So overall, the characters were lacking, which is disappointing since the promise of this film seemed to be the focus of the human characters in the circus surrounding Dumbo.

I do want to talk about the “lessons” of the film, since that seemed to be a big part of what Burton was trying to do here - teach us something. What that was could be a little weird in a Disney film, however. We still have the basic lesson of not judging someone/something just because it looks different than you or seems a little funny. There’s a little more to this with Farrell’s character - who comes back from war missing his arm and is judged for this, first by his kids and then by everyone else’s stares.  He’s also not allowed to go back to his old circus act of riding horses and is instead placed in charge of the elephants. Yet, the way he is prevented from returning to his act doesn’t streamline into the moral of not judging someone by their appearance and thinking a disability automatically equals a handicap - it’s because they literally don’t have the horses anymore so he couldn’t show he could ride again even if he wanted to. If the film had played it that he wasn’t allowed to ride, instead of just not having access to the horses, it would have been great to see Farrell overcome this injury and prove he could still ride, wowwing everyone with his talent again. When he does eventually get up on a horse, it just misses that moment of punch and pizzaz. 

The lesson behind Keaton’s villain is probably the most interesting. So the setup is Keaton runs a theme park essentially - he brings people to the circus rather than doing the “old fashioned” bring the circus to the people on a train across the country. Of course, his main problem is the need for funding/money, so greed colors his actions and the need to make money at any cost plays into his motivations and actions. The villain goes to the extent of sacrificing safety for money and inventing animals to attract customers -  so, what is the movie saying about the person who literally created a theme park destination where families spend their hard earned money on frivolities? It’s an odd juxtaposition to sit in a theater in Walt Disney World and see this portrayed on the screen. It really makes me wonder who signed off on this one.

So there it is - overall, a decent movie but nothing to exclaim over. I think this will honestly take the Mary Poppins Returns route and coast through the box office with no major hits or dips. People are really just biding their time till Endgame. There will be more to discuss, so tune in for our audio review on this week’s podcast where I will get more voices to give their own opinions on Dumbo - stay tuned!!

The Marvelous Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel is the latest entry in the MCU lineup, and my most anticipated of 2019. This is finally the first movie with a female superhero lead, though it still boggles my mind that Black Widow never got one, and takes us back in time with Carol Danvers origin story as Captain Marvel. After Black Panther’s break through last year and success with seven Academy Award nominations, this movie had some big shoes to fill. So, the question is, how did our lady do?

First, some spoiler free thoughts for those who are still pending a viewing of the film. As a woman, I was clearly on the train for a good superhero film. I enjoyed Wonder Woman immensely and felt that, while it had its own hurdles, the film was one of DC’s best in a long time. With that qualification, I can say that I actually enjoyed Captain Marvel more than Wonder Woman. I loved the 90s soundtrack in the movie, which I found more engaging than Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The character development was done well, though there were no crazy twists and turns that were not televised. It was also interesting to see the “start” of the MCU - the pre -Avengers Initiative pitched by Fury at the end of Iron Man, which I still remember got a huge pop in the theater. The very opening of the movie will get a tear out of every Marvel fan. The colors popped when they really needed to and the special effects were gorgeously integrated into the movie that allowed it to feel grounded while taking you to the skies. The only issue that I had with the film was in the first half of the film - the camera work in the fight scenes. I don’t like that hand-held, close up view of a fight - pull back and let me see what’s going on. Other than that, I can confidently say that Captain Marvel did not disappoint and made me excited to see how they continue to use the character going forward.

Alright, now let’s enter into spoiler territory. From here on out, I want to dive a little more into specifics, but I won’t go into the entire storyline as I think that that’s not as important as some pieces.

First, I feel like I should say that, while I have dabbled in the comic book world and enjoyed my fair share of Marvel, I have not had the opportunity to read Captain Marvel and so I was not familiar with her, her story, or even the differences between the Skrull and Kree races - the only exposure to them was via the MCU films and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series (which I have unfortunately not had time to keep up with for the past few seasons). However, even with my limited knowledge, this film did a great job of ensuring that no prior understanding was required. I’m sure if you had more familiarity there might have been some fun nuggets, but nothing was necessary for this viewer’s enjoyment.

As a movie that played around with timelines, there’s always the possibility of confusion on the viewer’s part. However, this movie, while giving us plenty of glimpses into Carol’s past, was never disorienting to the extent that I was taken out of the movie or had difficulty following the storyline. They did a brilliant job casting McKenna Grace, who you may have seen as young Theo in The Haunting of Hill House, as teenage Carol - she again shows great acting acumen and promise for great things in her future career. The sequence where we see the greatness that makes Carol superior than any Kree allows Grace to shine as brightly as Larson and cements the fact that it’s not how many times you’re knocked down, but how many times you get up that matters. Without that terrific young actress in this role, I feel that the movie might have not have had the impact it did, especially with younger viewers.

Ok, so, let’s discuss a bit more about our heroine. While Marvel loves to have the main character tied to someone that is already familiar to the viewer, I feel like it’s done in such a different way in this film that I don’t think it’s actually comparable to the prior situations. Usually, the new character, despite being the main character, can sometimes be outshone by the familiar face - or rather the familiar face is there to help our character because the main character has some weakness that precludes them from fully realizing their true potential and the familiar character acts almost as a guide of sorts. In Winter Soldier, Black Widow is there to help Captain America navigate the new world on his own and his dealing with what Bucky has become. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, you had Tony there to guide Peter in this new life as a superhero with all the fancy gadgets, though the scene in Civil War should have given it away that Peter was doing pretty well in his friendly neighborhood hero role. Many times, the films seem to force the main character off to the side while the familiar face walks them through their own film. Here, however, in Captain Marvel, Danvers is not overshadowed or pushed aside. While we have Fury as the familiar face, Danvers actually takes on the role of tutor to Fury’s young agent. He has no idea about the vastness of the universe and what is possibly out there that could threaten the world he is living in. Danvers never needs to rely on Fury, at most, they work as a team with both characters holding their own. And the fact that they did not brush aside our main character shows that the writers knew they could not do that to our female heroine - which is similar to Wonder Woman. Both of these heroines show that they do not need the male counterpart in their film to be successful or to get things done.

The writers also gave Danvers a great sense of humor - while she’s not as one-liner witty as Starlord or snarky as Stark - she has her own understated humor that hits when it needs to but doesn’t define her character. The other great part of Danvers is how she carries herself. One of the people I watched the movie with denoted that Danvers holds herself with confidence throughout the film, not cockiness. This distinction allows for the viewer to fall in love with her more than say the cocky Iron Man or Starlord, who come off as somewhat obnoxious at times. I love that there was no typical woman discovering her strength or beauty - Danvers knew she was strong but once she realized how strong she was throughout her life, she became even more powerful.

Speaking of strong women, Danvers counterpart Maria Rambeau is another character worthy of praise. I loved that not only was she Danvers flying partner, they had a deep connection that was clear despite the small pieces that the viewer gets of it. There was no typical girl fighting or competition that can sometimes tank female relationships. Both women had their own strength and they recognized the other’s. An important scene that needs to be called out is the one where Danvers shows up to Rambeau’s place after the years she’s been “dead” - there was no fighting or hurtful doubting that soured their relationship. It was acknowledged that Rambeau was deeply hurt that her friend had gone, but she didn’t need it explained that Danvers had no control of her disappearance. They did what the best of friends can do - they easily fell back into their friendship routine of jokes and taking care of each other. This is what true female empowerment is about - no bitterness or jealousy, just understanding and love. You want to embolden women - show this type of relationship more in movies.

Speaking of relationships, I need to point out the thing that was lacking in this film - but that was lacking in a good way. There was absolutely no love interest for Danvers. There was no time where she was put into that trope of female in love - the closest we get is her friendship with Rambeau, but this does not prevent her from taking care of what she needs to take care of, at the end especially. They didn’t do the love interest with Danvers’ teacher or some past love that she was trying to figure out. This film allowed Danvers to shine as her own independent person without being defined by someone or something else controlling her emotions. If anything, this film shows that being in control of your own emotions, while acknowledging they are there, is its own super power. Jude Law’s character, Yon-Rogg, is the one pushing Danvers to be less emotional - a clear parallel to how women are spoken to most of their lives. How many times do we classify a woman as “hysterical” while a man doing the same would be “passionate”? Yon-Rogg constantly tries to push Danvers to put away her emotions, but she finds out that there is power in harnessing those emotions and allowing them to work for her. Fighting them just leads to worse outcomes, while embracing them, along with her entire being, takes her to the next level and puts her above everyone else. She can truly do anything once she accepts who and what she is - all of it. I can’t think of a better message for all females.

While I’m sure there’s plenty that I missed after my first viewing, I can say that this movie did not disappoint. It lived up to my own internal hype and brought me a strong female character that I want to show off to everyone. Celebrate women and support this movie by going to see it on the big screen. Show Marvel that they should have done a female-centered movie long before this, but if waiting allowed this to be their first, then huzzah!

Mary Poppins Returns with Gusto

To simply use the phrase “practically perfect in every way” is cliche, but it is absolutely the truth for Mary Poppins Returns. From the amazing score to the brilliant cast to the obviously dedicated crew, this movie shows what a new creation can do while lovingly holding on to the past. While Disney has been on a run of recreating many of its beloved classics lately, this one shows how, when the time and effort is made, something unique can be created that is a wonderful reflection of the old material.

First, we must talk about the multiple homages to the original movie, which are carefully crafted so the film is not just a blatant re-telling of the same old story. The painted scenes have a newer look, which is perfect for highlighting that the time frame of the movie has also progressed beyond the original’s setting, while the score, hauntingly familiar yet strikingly new, guides the viewer on the journey of the film.  Each note is carefully crafted to tickle the back of one’s mind while transporting the viewer back into the world of Mary Poppins.

Not only is the score breathtaking, but the songs themselves are especially crafted to tug at heart strings and leave one open to the vulnerability of feelings that many don’t have after reaching adulthood. While many knew Lin-Manuel Miranda was a shoe-in for his musical performance, the other cast members don’t let him outshine them. Emily Blunt continues the sweet gentleness of the Poppins character that Julie Andrews first displayed while telling us to “Feed the Birds” and also gives us more of the fun and spunkiness that was initially brought by “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”.  Blunt also brings more whimsy and lightheartedness that Andrews only allowed to peak through during her portrayal.

Another standout has to be Ben Whishaw, whose portrayal of Michael Banks adds to his range as an actor. He shows the vulnerability of a grieving spouse, the stressfulness of raising three children alone, and the joy that can come when your priorities are finally in line.  Emily Mortimer is a doll and perfect as Jane, and the child actors are perfect, which can be a rarity indeed. Unlike the original, the film actually sets up unlikeable characters (dare I say villains), which is a nice change from the original. It also allows the Banks family to not have a “villain”, and shows that the Banks children at least learned the lesson their father needed to learn in the first film. It’s important that things from prior movies stick (looking at you Infinity War), and the characters in this film demonstrate that the lessons Mary initially taught them have not gone completely. It also makes the plot more interesting to have outside forces affect the Banks family, beyond the forces of good.

While the entire cast shines, one might say Meryl Streep’s character, while an interesting addition in the Poppins lore, did not have the same impact as Uncle Albert and the “I Love to Laugh” section. It brought did help in the character development of the film, but there is a clear plot thread that is left dangling. It’s not enough to take one out of the film, but it definitely had a couple of us at the end question if that thread was resolved or not. While I know the composer enjoyed the song for Streep, it just feels a little out of place. Or, perhaps, it was the affected accent that took me out of listening to the song and attempting to understand all the words - multiple listens to the soundtrack will hopefully help, as well as another few viewings of the movie.

Overall, I cannot recommend this movie enough. For those who enjoyed the first, this is a perfect compliment. If you like the original, but maybe don’t have the same fondness as some, give this one the opportunity to fill that place in your heart. It achieves what Disney seems to be have been running after for years - a perfect sequel to an old film without impinging on or just outright copying the original beat for beat. 

Christopher Robin and Losing One’s Self

There's many themes in the latest release from Disney - Christopher Robin - themes of growing up, forgetting the carefree attitude of a child, or even the loss of innocence in war. However, there is one theme that struck me right across the face and left me a blubbering mess throughout the movie, and that was the theme of losing one’s self.  From here on out  - if you haven't seen the movie and don't want anything spoiled - stop reading and go enjoy the movie.  I'll be here when you come back.

Ok, so for those of you who have just come back from seeing this adorable film, let's discuss what I alluded to in the opening. Christopher Robin, the film, is a great addition to the Disney film archives. The details are wonderful, the animation and look of the film is unique and breathtaking, and the theme of growing up and losing the innocence of childhood are all packed beautifully into this 2 hour film. Yet, there was just a little bit more that I connected with, and that's the idea of what it means to not be yourself.  Struggling with mental illness, as many people do, I have been in a deep, dark hole where I cannot even recognize myself as I used to be. It's during those times, when the sadness is constant and the depression feels so great, that I look at myself and I don't understand how I became this person. I then question if I can ever be that happy person that I once was, what feels like so many years ago.  

When Christopher finds himself in a deep hole, literally, I couldn't help but see my feelings illustrated on the big screen. Here he was, this man who had just lost his best friend because of how he acted - instead of being the fun, imaginative boy, Christopher was an angry, loud monster - stuck in a deep hole and unable to climb his way out.  We hear Pooh tell Christopher to not let him go. Behind the tears that this immediately brought to my eyes, I could almost hear my own friends say the same thing - don't let go.  Don't let go of who you were and don't let go of the people who are in your life to help you.  It is easy to isolate and stay stuck down in the hole by yourself, but in the end, this accomplishes nothing and leaves you even more alone than how you felt you were before getting stuck down there in the first place.  

So there we are - Christopher has turned into the monster, has lost all his friends, and he is stuck in a deep hole.  Luckily a little (or rather a lot) of water comes to lift him out of the hole. Then he must go and find his friend because he realizes that he was wrong - water once again giving us the symbol of rebirth and renewal.  On the way to find his best friend, Christopher finds others who also once knew him long ago, but they don't recognize him now. They cannot see behind the darkness that has transformed Christopher from the young happy child into this gloomy adult, and so it is up to Christopher to show them that he does remember how to imagine and play. Once he does this, once he opens himself up and becomes vulnerable, they can finally see that, yes, this is the person they once knew as their friend. On the surface, this comes off as a simple game of make believe, yet the reality of getting out of the hole and learning to act as you once did, happy and carefree, is a longer process. Sometimes it's something you have to fake - pretend to be happy until you are - and then you can see that the you that everyone remembers, the real you, is still there behind the darkness that wants to turn you into something that you are not. 

Christopher's journey in the movie is a shortened version of what people like me are going through, but the end result is the beacon of hope at the end of the tunnel.  His friends helped him in his time of need and, despite having much to deal with in his own life, Christopher realized that putting his friends and family first helped him become a better person than he had turned into. Christopher changes by the end of the film because he learns that certain things in life matter more than others. But the beautiful thing about all of this is that he could not have come to this realization on his own - it took the persistence of a great friend to keep pursuing him, to keep sticking around, and to keep taking steps to make sure that Christopher got the help he needed.  While Pooh's help comes off as clumsy or accidentally helpful, we know that without him being there, Christopher does not see the error of his ways and does not turn his life around.  Of course it's a movie perfect ending, but the hope that this hardship in life will pass and the days will be sunny again is truly what makes it all worth it. And, of course, the guarantee of friends being there for you at the end of your darkness makes the journey out of it all the much more worth it.

So, if you're like Christopher, trust that there is something better for you out there, but you need to be willing to let go of the darkness and the belief that this is just how life has to be for now. You have to be willing to attempt to get out of the hole. If you're like Pooh and have a friend who you can see is losing their selves, please, don't give up on them - your light may be the thing that leads them out of the darkness.