Review: PUSS IN BOOTS

For a movie that centers on the unlikely friendship between a talking boot-wearing feline and a sentient bank-robbing egg, as they search for a golden egg laying duckling who lives in a castle in the clouds, Puss in Boots is incredibly straight forward in its narrative. You have seen this story before, and if you were born pre-Y2K, you might have heard a few of the nursery rhymes it amalgamates. There are no surprises and it pretty much plays out the way you expected it from beginning to end. But it remains good harmless fun within tradition of DreamWorks’ double entendres.

PUSS IN BOOTS TRAILER

Well. This is something I need to see.

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Review: KUNG FU PANDA 2

Now, this is my kind of family movie. Kung Fu Panda is exactly what it promises the title says it will be; it is about kung fu, a panda, and because this is the sequel you know the stakes are going to be higher than in the first one. Last time Po (voiced by Jack Black), the cutely overweight panda, became the Dragon Warrior after defeating Tai Lung, his master’s old apprentice, and training alongside the Furious Five. Now the evil Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), a peacock with serious daddy issues and a fear of pandas, has taken over China and the invention of gun powder threatens the very existence of Kung Fun; it's up to Po and the Furious Five to stop his evil reign and restore the balance to… I guess the force? Kung fu, maybe?

Jack Black joins the new baby panda, ‘PO’

ZOO ATLANTA AND DREAMWORKS ANIMATION ANNOUNCE PANDA CUB’S NEW NAME

100 Day Celebration Features Appearance by Actor Jack Black from “Kung Fu Panda” and “Kung Fu Panda 2”

Dreamworks Animation in a Development Streak

Dreamworks Animation seems to be going on through a development extravaganza. After the success of Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon it seems that the studio has finally found a unique style that is almost free of the pop-culture references that plagued its earlier films. Furthermore, unlike Pixar who has stayed at a one-movie-a-year pace Dreamworks has been tackling two (soon to be three) projects a year. Despite the fact that the releases for this year, Kung Fu Panda 2 and the Shrek spinoff Puss in Boots, as well as the ones for 2012 and 2013 are already set the studio has announced seveal films in development that are set for future releases.

The 38th Annual Annie Award Nomination List for 2011 Arrives!

With all the hub-bub about the upcoming Academy Awards, one should not forget about the Annie Awards, the highest award honor exclusive to animation. An annual event at Royce Hall in Westwood, CA; all of animations highest rollers get together to celebrate the years achievements in black tie. Previous winners and guests include Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline), Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice), Andreas Deja (Lead Character Animator at Disney), Ron Clements & John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin), Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon), John Lasseter, Ed Catmull, Jeffery Katzenberg, and many many more.

After the jump is the list of nominations (production and individual) for this years Annie Awards which will take place on Saturday, February 5th at Royce Hall. Tickets to the award ceremony are $25, and are available here. Who do you think will go home with an Annie this year?

Dreamworks' "Rise of the Gaurdians" gets cast

Glendale, CA – January 27, 2011 – DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA) today
named its all-star cast for Rise of the Guardians, featuring Chris Pine in the lead role of Jack
Frost, together with Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law. The film,
scheduled for release on November 21, 2012, is based on “The Guardians of Childhood,” a series 
of highly anticipated children’s books by William Joyce.

Review: SHREK FOREVER AFTER

Let's get this out of the way. No disrespect to Dreamwork's but honestly I thought this movie was going to be terrible. The Shrek franchise has been getting tired these past few years; repetitive jokes and pop culture references only go so far and the 3rd film was the greatest example of this.

So naturally, when Shrek (4) Forever After came out, I didn't run to the theater. But sitting in my living room yesterday with an academy screener in one hand and a television remote in the other, I decided to give Shrek Forever After a try. You know what? I quite enjoyed it.

How to Train Your Dragon sequel set for 2013

Well, I hope you all enjoyed How to Train Your Dragon a lot, because a sequel has just officially been announced for 2013. Hopefully it will retain the quality of the first.

I suppose we shall get a good idea if that will be or not when Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom is released next year.

Thoughts on the sequel? Remember, the film was based on a book, and there are more in the series, but it was heavily adapted for the big screen.

Review: ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS

Third time IS the charm.

As a small practically independent studio Blue Sky has learned a lot in the last few years. They began with Ice Age, an entertaining and somewhat whimsy film about friendship. It was a noble attempt but Toy Story, another “road film” about friendship it was not. Next they came up with Robots, which sadly was a step down from Ice Age. But last year they came up with Horton Hears a Who, which delivered genuine entertainment, was rendered beautifully, and did not shy away from deeper meaning. The whole family could enjoy it at an equal level. Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs s stands more or less at the same place Horton Hears a Who did, though a little less deep and a little more whimsy, but certainly above all the previous installments of the franchise. What makes this film so effective is that it knows what comedy is about and how animated worlds, such as those made by Disney in its earlier years and Pixar, work.

Review: MONSTERS vs. ALIENS

After throughly enjoying Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar 2, I expected Dreamworks Animation to be on the road to at least something of El Dorado standards again. Something, charming and fun, not relying on references and pop culture, but on relationships of characters and the adventures on which they journey. Then Monsters vs. Aliens came out, and I quickly realized that I was wrong.

Review: MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA

Before I jump into a delightfully short, yet detailed review, let me tell you - I did not see Madagascar. It didn't appeal to me back when it came out in the days before this blog's existence, and even now I probably won't go back and see it. But - I absolutely loved Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Spoilers May Occur - But Not Major Ones
Written by Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder) and directed by Eric Darnell (Madagascar) and Tom McGrath (Madagascar), this film tells the story of Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller) growing up with his dad, Zuba (Bernie Mac). One day, Zuba turns his back and Alex is captured by poachers and sent to the New York Zoo. Then (the first movie) along with some of his friends, Alex left the zoo, went to Madagascar. Now, accidentally ending up in Africa, they need to figure out how to get back to New York as well as deal with family and personal issues along the way.

The visuals are great and stylized in a very delightful, and not distracting way, and the voice acting is pretty excellent. While the cast includes Chris Rock, Alec Baldwin, Ben Stiller, Jada-Pinkett Smith, and David Schwimmer, my favorite character in the film was Bernie Mac, who channeled a king as powerful as Mufasa was but with a heart that might seem even bigger. I was tremendously sad after watching the film when I came to the realization that that character will likely not be in the next installment.

This isn't a Lion King rip-off. Face it, it's pretty hard to make a movie about a pride of lions in Africa and escape similarities entirely. But DreamWorks pulls it off nicely.

The score is written by Hans Zimmer (surprise) and includes a few songs by will.i.am, who also voices the character of Moto Moto in the film. This brings me to another point. DreamWorks seems to have gotten over their ideas that an animated character needs to look like its real life counterpart. Bernie Mac doesn't sound like Bernie Mac, and will.i.am does not sound like you're watching an animated will.i.am. I have always liked the idea of actors creating voices for their characters, because it adds a lot to the film and makes each character even more authentic.

I loved the fact that you did not have to have prior knowledge of the first film to see this one. They explain the previous plot nicely in about 2 minutes and you are instantly caught up to where you should be, as any good sequel should do. All the characters are great, as is their development, and the visual gags are hilarious and simply amazing - especially since there are hardly any pop culture references (finally).

What I didn't like was the heavy inclusion of the old woman from the first movie. I thought that she was a terribly annoying and frustrating character. But every vine of gapes has a few bad ones on it, and it doesn't stop you from eating the rest of them with joy.

Remember when DreamWorks made great movies like The Prince of Egypt and Road to El Dorado? Well, Kung Fu Panda showed it and now Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa has confirmed it. Dreamworks is back on the great filmmaking track, and I have nothing but the highest hopes for their next film, Monsters vs. Aliens.

First trailer for Monsters vs. Aliens, Dreamworks' next film appears online

The next movie from Dreamworks is Monsters vs. Aliens, a movie where a huge alien comes down to earth and the US military establishes a team of monsters (and a really tall girl) to fight it. It is made in the style a 1950's B sci-fi movie, full of every visual and vocal gag that anyone could ever imagine. I personally think it looks hilarious... almost like an animated Leslie Neilsen movie.

Lately Dreamworks has been making some awesome films (Kung Fu Panda & Madagascar 2) so, here's hoping that the trend continues!




Monsters vs. Aliens hits theaters March 27th, 2009

Robert Downey Jr. rejoins Ben Stiller in Mastermind

Moviehole recently announced that Robert Downey Jr. and Tina Fey could possibly star in the upcoming Ben Stiller produced animated film Mastermind. The film follows the trials and tribulations of a supervillain after killing off the hero, Uberman in the first few minutes of the film. The movie will be directed by Dreamworks Animation veterans Cameron Hood and Kyle Jefferson and has a screenplay written by Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons. Ben Stiller has also stated that he may provide the voice for the main character but he's unsure of it at this point.

The last superhero satire helmed by Ben Stiller was the critically panned Mystery Men. Though, Tropic Thunder which was both written and directed by Ben Stiller received critical acclaim and box office success alike. With this film reuniting Stiller and Downey Jr. could we have a Ben Stiller renaissance? this film is still a long way off but at least its looking slightly more promising than the Jerry Seinfeld produced Bee Movie.

Upcoming DREAMWORKS Film: Monsters Vs Aliens

Monsters vs Aliens is next years DREAMWORKS film. It will be the first animated film to go to theaters that is 100% 3D and made for it properly (no more throwing stuff at the screen). The animation and rendering looks simply fantastic, and based on the leaked trailer (which is no longer available online, the premise and jokes are quite funny too.

Here is a synopisis according to Wikipedia:

When California girl Susan Murphy (voiced by Reese Witherspoon) is unexpectedly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall (An inch short of being 50 feet tall, a joke on Attack of the 50 Foot Woman) and is instantly labeled a "monster" named Ginormica. The military jumps into action, and she is captured and held in a secret government compound. The world learns that the military has been quietly rounding up other monsters over the years. This ragtag group consists of the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. (voiced by Hugh Laurie); the macho Dagon the Missing Link (voiced by Will Arnett); the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B. (voiced by Seth Rogen); and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement time is cut short however, when a mysterious alien robot named Gallaxhar (voiced by Rainn Wilson) lands on Earth and begins storming the country.
As a last resort, under the guidance of General W.R. Monger (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland), on a desperate order from The President (voiced by Stephen Colbert), the motley crew of Monsters is called into action to combat the aliens and save the world from imminent destruction.

This trailer also seems to lampoon every single one of its cast members current or past careers as well. Hugh Laurie (HOUSE) plays a Dr. Will Arnett plays a wierdo who is quirky. Seth Rogen plays a blob who is basically Seth Rogen animated (as all his roles are. Kiefer Sutherland (24) plays a war expert Badass. Stephen Colbert plays the president (a nod to the Stephen Colbert for President Campaign).

Based on the trailer, the film is fast paced with a joke a minute, with great rendering and animation. The only oddity is the human male characters faces look a bit... too... caricatured. Almost like MAD Magazine. It seems to be a hilarious take on the B sci-fi movies, and a fresh source of humor that has not been seen in animated films for a while, and before this only seen in Leslie Neilsen movies.

I'll check it out.

Monsters Vs. Aliens hits theaters May 2009

Screen Writes: Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio

Whether you have heard of them or not, Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio have probably been very influential in your movie watching life. Together, this dynamic duo of screenwriters have penned many many blockbuster hits including: Aladdin, The Mask of Zorro, Godzilla, Small Soldiers, The Road to El Dorado, Shrek, National Treasure 1 &2, and the 3 Pirates of the Caribbean films.

There is not much about them around, for a biography's sake, but each was born in Michigan and they use Movie Magic Pro software to write their screenplays.

There will be more on them in time.

Lets Talk About Motion Capture

Lets talk about motion capture animation for a minute. I remember beating 'Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time" and seeing credits for the motion capture team. I was amazed that people could capture motion and translate it digitally, and now as video game and film technology progresses, it is amazing to see all the things that can be done with motion capture animation.

Animation has always been a form of motion capture. Great animators from all over the world, Including Walt Disney Studios, hire actors and performers to come preform many actions live in a studio, so they can 'capture' the motion with their eyes and translate it to hand-drawn animation correctly. Many animated movies, especially those from Don Bluth studio, rotoscope which is a form of Motion Capture, where an action is filmed, and literally traced over with a pencil to become the finished animation. Rotoscoping is often frowned upon in most creative circles, because it is seen that the artist is not good enough to do the animation him/herself. PIXARr uses no motion capture (as told humorously in the end credits of Ratatouille)




Rotoscoping turned 3d is called motion capture. It is taking the action that is recorded and using it to become your final project. Using light reflections and an infrared camera, actors movements are recorded and translated into animation. Robert Zemekis is a large supporter of this, creating such fully mo-cap movies such as "Polar Express" and "Beowulf". Often time, people ask why the movies were not made with real actors in live action, but Mo-cap offers things that are impossible in real life, such as sweeping cameras and closeups in fights, and magical characters, such as Gollum (Andy Serkis) in Lord of the Rings, and Grawp in Harry Potter 5.



What are your opinions on Motion Capture? I think that in live action films it is amazing for effects and makes stunts safer for everyone, but stunt people are against it saying that they are being put out of jobs. What are your opinions? More on this to follow.

Film Review: KUNG FU PANDA

This is the first film since Road to El Dorado and Prince of Egypt that has been made by Dreamworks animation Studios that has been 100% original and that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

The art of the film is beautiful and one can see that much more effort has been put into each shot than ever has been put before in a Dreamworks animated film. Each shot is finely crafted with a delightful depth of field that adds to the realism, and for once there are no blatant fart jokes or obnoxious sexual innuendos. Good job.