tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80805329822744202332024-03-04T23:17:57.109-08:00Van Dyke's Life At The MoviesVan Dyke Roth Movie Reviewsvan dykehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681961311256341419noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8080532982274420233.post-11821711815618422172012-02-08T15:07:00.000-08:002012-02-08T15:10:51.849-08:00Titanic Involvement<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRW532exJWvf5SWFBEWRzy7Z9qJlrxj4ZrNo2RxOYKySjjBAqB57rsJz9anVwRwby7RTL1hpgLGCR4n-wwiMJRW1zVTkg9svW7HdaDe7CJTbmAHV5xojAFtregY-XxEyRqTEjk29B7Srj2/s1600/09_titanic.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 321px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRW532exJWvf5SWFBEWRzy7Z9qJlrxj4ZrNo2RxOYKySjjBAqB57rsJz9anVwRwby7RTL1hpgLGCR4n-wwiMJRW1zVTkg9svW7HdaDe7CJTbmAHV5xojAFtregY-XxEyRqTEjk29B7Srj2/s400/09_titanic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706906124437550754" /></a><br />I don't know why I am fascinated with 'Titanic'. Whenever it's on the tube I just have to stop and watch. <br /><br />Last night was a perfect example. I was enjoying 'Big BangTheory' through to its logical, funny conclusion when I decided to channel hop. What's on HBO? What's on Cinemax? Flipping through 'Due Date' and past 'It's Complicated' and seeing that 'Valentine's Day' threatened to eat up an irretrievable portion of my viewing life, I spied 'Titanic' right there in the middle of the on screen television guide.<br /><br />Wonder what part of the movie is on now…hmmm. The love scene in the car? The flirty, charcoal artist scene featuring, I believe, director James Cameron's hands actually doing the drawing? The ship scraping the iceberg? How about bitchy Billy Zane and his over plucked eyebrows? <br /><br />It's a guilty pleasure, this movie. Of course I went for it. <br /><br />Bam! I t's the scene with Leonardo DiCaprio playing poker. It's the beginning! I know he will win boarding tickets and set the movie in motion. Jack and Italian second banana Fabrizio move through the crowd, almost running into a team of horses. Onto the gangway. A small leap and then onto the ship and into cinema history.<br /><br />I am hooked even though I know what's coming. The tragedy… the BIG disaster. The attraction is a lot like another guilty pleasure of mine, Irwin Allen's 'The Poseidon Adventure', the one with Gene Hackman, Roddy MacDowell and Shelley Winters. <br /><br />I don't get why I like to watch these movies. 'Poseidon' has the definite cheese factor. But 'Titanic' is just so, epic.<br /><br />Even though I have to admit, bits of 'Titanic' have always been a little confusing for me. For example, if the movie is from Rose's point-of-view, then how is it she is recollecting Jack and Fabrizio's poker game? Any scene she's not in should not be part of her memory, right? The scene where Molly Brown (Kathy Bates) dresses Jack in her son's tuxedo, the scheming machinations between Cal (Billy Zane) and bodyguard/detective Lovejoy (David Warner), Bruce Ismay (Jonathan Hyde) sneaking aboard a lifeboat, Thomas Andrews (Victor Garber) telling the Captain and pertinent crew that the Titanic will surely go under after displaying the ship's blueprints, etc.<br /><br />That older Rose has quite an imagination, filling in the blanks where her eyewitness account is not enough. Brought aboard a vessel to explore the real Titanic's ruins and provide the testimonial human interest part of the tale, I guess she inadvertently provides whatever fiction she can muster as well.<br /><br />But while logic says it doesn't make sense for the movie to break its own rules regarding point-of-view, the sheer magnitude of the epic visuals combined with superb storytelling bring out the emotion and drama of the situation such that other items become minuscule and just not that important. They become forgivable.<br /><br />You know you can forgive a lot if the story is a good one. Setting youthful romance against the backdrop of certain disaster gives this movie a kind of 'Romeo and Juliet' quality which reaffirms love and hope and longing even in the face of tragedy. There's a kind of immortality in the notion of living in the hearts and minds of others beyond your lifetime. And by watching it, the audience gets a feeling for what the real victims went through and feels sad for the tragic, senseless loss and holds the victims in an honored reverence.<br /><br />I wonder if THAT's why I find 'Titanic' irresistible. Life remembered beyond death is an attractive notion, and so surely spelled out as a theme. Good storytelling and captivating visuals to heighten the drama and really drive the emotional impact home and being held in the capable hands of director/writer James Cameron helps too - by the way. <br /><br />Do you have any movies that do that to you?van dykehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681961311256341419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8080532982274420233.post-58054957338698098612009-09-11T12:49:00.001-07:002009-09-11T14:30:43.873-07:009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eo-igFW9ChZ42y-Xp1k3f47_we_S1ynQ5lB27QAWpHq5y5RXoyoxr0hfsKsYIAwc1YCVkF79CS1N_KyG672H64wGunOHb3-R1vVY-9IzZW94xggf2JuZW4fbjxbTPCWH2NGzYVZm7TcY/s1600-h/9pic12-1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eo-igFW9ChZ42y-Xp1k3f47_we_S1ynQ5lB27QAWpHq5y5RXoyoxr0hfsKsYIAwc1YCVkF79CS1N_KyG672H64wGunOHb3-R1vVY-9IzZW94xggf2JuZW4fbjxbTPCWH2NGzYVZm7TcY/s400/9pic12-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380300990595839586" /></a><br />"9" the new feature distributed by Focus Pictures and produced in part by Tim Burton is a worthwhile post apocolyptic story starring little burlap bag robots, fighting other, huge "War of the World" type gargantuan robots. It's an appealing movie with holes in it's simple plot which are easy enough to overlook. All you have to do is concentrate on it's stunning special effects, beautiful, steampunkish artwork and wonderful animation. Yes, there are some repetitive action sequences and one character who keeps repeating that whatever new idea they have isn't going to work (idea hater). It isn't any earth-shattering, genre shaking film but a thoughtful, morality tale with a lot of heart. Good vocal performances by Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer and Crispin Glover. Directed by Shane Acker.van dykehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681961311256341419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8080532982274420233.post-61274376954763494412009-05-27T18:22:00.000-07:002009-06-16T13:24:20.463-07:00About Pixar Films: Why Are They So FascinatingIt's pretty clear to me that Pixar approaches each project without any restrictive, preconceived notions of what story to tell, which choice of characters to tell it, or how the story is 'supposed' to be told. <br /><br />Pixar teams seek and decide on original solutions. They search for creative ways to tell the story and they go with the best route to fulfill whatever they decide their goals are (illuminating character, action, emotion or pushing the story along or all of these). <br /><br />The Pixar aesthetic is one of high quality. It seeks to celebrate the creative, artistic and beautiful, within the framework of telling a story - without sacrifice.<br /><br />Clearly, their aim is not to maximize plush sales or games or any cross-platform/cross-merchandising revenue streams. Their creative decisions are independent of such and thus not reduced to deciding on the lowest common denominator as a standard. <br /><br />The trust they put in their audience is astounding. Pixar does not believe the audience needs to be spoken down to - rather, by using the basic premise that the audience has a brain and that human emotion is universal - Pixar elevates audiences. Pixar gives the audience permission to use their brains to reason and to understand and feel the emotion of the story situation at hand.<br /><br />You know, you may not remember a specific character or situation in a given movie, but you WILL remember how you felt when you saw a particular Pixar film - and that sets it apart from other animated films which just seek to make you laugh. There's a fullness of emotion, an abstract dimensionality that comes from a Pixar film which audiences find particularly satisfying and attractive.<br /><br />Certainly Pixar is not formulaic in their solutions and that's why they are able to deliver thrilling, original, quality content again and again and again.van dykehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681961311256341419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8080532982274420233.post-76496956750316243542009-04-18T21:23:00.000-07:002009-04-18T21:40:11.684-07:00Phenomenon: Susan Boyle (YouTube)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-bHJRRUMpb6UvZ4gy6itTDBsjSSklwsw3DXRnzuPC40JuDQV5owizp1Gu7nWphVfq9bma0t9A_FhbcwLvINPK0CBpqyFnwVAuPCFM-pPQ-NJpOVF4PTuH5cU8M4dub4ztN7VfCp6XSvg/s1600-h/susanboyle.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: undefinedpx; height: undefinedpx;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-bHJRRUMpb6UvZ4gy6itTDBsjSSklwsw3DXRnzuPC40JuDQV5owizp1Gu7nWphVfq9bma0t9A_FhbcwLvINPK0CBpqyFnwVAuPCFM-pPQ-NJpOVF4PTuH5cU8M4dub4ztN7VfCp6XSvg/s320/susanboyle.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326257328736582866" /></a><br />The statistics are mind-boggling - as of this writing it's over 25 million hits combined on all YouTube channels displaying her performance on Britain's Got Talent. If you haven't yet seen it, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeMAMEggIUc">watch</a>.<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeMAMEggIUcvan dykehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681961311256341419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8080532982274420233.post-57423837505168519592008-10-29T15:59:00.000-07:002008-10-29T16:12:23.473-07:00Not Off Topic: Clever Political AdI thought this political ad was very clever. And since this is political season, it deserves a look-see. What do you think? Or are you just plain sick of it and can't wait for November 4th to come and go already?<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nrBKC3nQHYk&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nrBKC3nQHYk&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>van dykehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681961311256341419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8080532982274420233.post-73343778745163732002008-09-26T10:36:00.000-07:002008-09-26T10:43:59.801-07:00Irritation Friday: Does This Video Affect Your Will To Live?<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pQcUH3tvlnY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pQcUH3tvlnY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I have seen this video and am wondering how it has affected the quality of my life. Let me know if it has affected yours. For some reason it makes me feel woozy and slightly disconnected. I think it may be the first video of an actual alternate universe or maybe a parallel world - like Bizarro World...yeah, that's it - Bizarro World, I mean, what ELSE could it be?van dykehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681961311256341419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8080532982274420233.post-56264425272361567052008-06-27T06:19:00.000-07:002008-12-10T01:17:33.979-08:00WALL•E Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZvy7RUA2oY18pzYUHIsm7cZGALP82hNiM-0AhxEllkcC_bzD9GU1_il9W2FhXeyHddN4MVqCysCuGsp0lF6mY3q8y0CYslxNVPlf_gN92O00zZobQuDY9UUCBUW06_U9VqpuMQSboTFx/s1600-h/wall_e_pod_hires.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZvy7RUA2oY18pzYUHIsm7cZGALP82hNiM-0AhxEllkcC_bzD9GU1_il9W2FhXeyHddN4MVqCysCuGsp0lF6mY3q8y0CYslxNVPlf_gN92O00zZobQuDY9UUCBUW06_U9VqpuMQSboTFx/s400/wall_e_pod_hires.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216613666612745890" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(NOTE: No Spoilers, read with confidence)</span><br /><br />What does it feel like to know you are watching a masterwork unfold before you while you are experiencing it? <br /><br />Well, in the movies, it happens like this. Your senses are heightened because your interest is piqued and you are leaning forward, with eyes as wide and sparkly as hubcaps, intently gathering as much info about what is happening before you because you don't want to miss a single frame of information, or the tiniest moment of humor, beauty and wonderment. You are transfixed, yet transported. You are emotionally invested in the story and characters and your eyes have welled up.<br /><br />You continue watching and it dawns on you what you are witnessing. A masterpiece. You are watching a masterpiece and its name is WALL•E.<br /><br />WALL•E portrays the adventures of a solitary robot who exists on earth, 700 years into the future. WALL•E is an acronym for Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth class and is a robot trash compactor. He diligently does what he is meant to do, stacking his cubes of compacted waste as per his programming. As the movie itself progresses, WALL•E is revealed to be resourceful, curious and lonely, having a special appreciation for a cheery, happier time filled with color, music, dance and, above all, love. <br /><br />We follow WALL•E's adventures on and off earth in what is at once a carefully crafted love story and an equally adept cautionary parable. It's told in the best and most clever use of cinematic language with sound and sight holding equal importance. Its messages run so very deep and heartfelt that they almost become tangible. Our protagonist WALL•E is technology which represents the best of humanity - our determination, love, and caring, surrounded by the worst of humanity - our disrespect for the environment as evidenced by mountains and spires of trash, the detritus of our culture.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Attention Must Be Paid</span><br /><br />From its expository epic scenes of WALL•E's world, to outer space to its compelling poignant conclusion, this is not a movie during which you can get up and go visit the snack bar or the bathroom and expect to pick up where you left off without missing anything significant. Please, don't rob yourself of the experience. Before you settle in, take care of your personal business and concentrate on this movie which deserves your attention.<br /><br />You'll be rewarded with refreshing storytelling choices; non-English cues throughout which demand viewer participation. You'll quickly learn to recognize these actions and sounds and react accordingly - much like audiences did when Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Lillian Gish and Gloria Swanson were in their prime. Pay attention. It's all there for you. Loaded with action and especially heart, the payoff is abundant. Despite the robot at its center, WALL•E has more pathos, feeling and achingly true emotion than many a live action movie. In fact, you may find yourself heavily invested and by movie's end, touched to your core.<br /><br />WALL•E is not only special, but daring. There are camera 'mistakes' in zooming and framing, intentionally made to give the film a documentary, immediate texture. Relying on mostly sight, brilliant sound effects (designed by the ultra-talented Ben Burtt), and music (thanks to composer and conductor Thomas Newman who provided the original score) audiences can identify with characters and follow key plot points. This is no easy undertaking considering the assumption is that audiences want their information spoon fed and dumbed down, being told how to think and feel. But WALL•E presents its information in an exacting and precise manner.<br /><br />Throughout, there are many moments of sheer spectacle and graphic richness. Midway through WALL•E, I was struck by the beauty of a carefully choreographed sequence in which two of its main characters are so artfully propelled through space creating a pas de deux which together with lush music, was awe inspiring, beautiful, graceful and moving. Plus, it furthered character and plot development. Even adding humor. Masterful and terrific.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Can I Continue To Gush For A Moment</span>?<br /><br />How lucky we are to live in a time when technological advances have come to a point where artists like Andrew Stanton (WALL•E, Finding Nemo), Brad Bird (Ratatouille), John Lasseter (Toy Story, Cars) and a host of others can see their concepts come to such fruition! We the movie going public are lucky to have Pixar in our lives. They value the art of the animated film such that in their efforts to develop interesting characters, wondrously beautiful background artwork, and groundbreaking storytelling aesthetics - elevate the genre. No other studio can touch them. Not Disney. Not Dreamworks. None of them. They are above the stratosphere while the others are standing on Everest, looking up and wondering where Pixar is. For sure, Pixar aims high and simply operates in its own league. They're driven by their own demand for excellence, which upon execution, self-propels them to seek out even more creative solutions for their next project, which inevitably leads them to their next excellent outcome.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCuokBlR-QR4xi5xESuhOO2h8-XMlaYGHU7CIsAqvKjprfXuV1OOwn7V8Kp25XylzNgiVAUxZvn7lFDYKUzDTbyWVtWvlmCq2xHncqdKrGrrA536wDazq2F6evLqEO9yCqsaAmqAkiO_a/s1600-h/walle3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCuokBlR-QR4xi5xESuhOO2h8-XMlaYGHU7CIsAqvKjprfXuV1OOwn7V8Kp25XylzNgiVAUxZvn7lFDYKUzDTbyWVtWvlmCq2xHncqdKrGrrA536wDazq2F6evLqEO9yCqsaAmqAkiO_a/s400/walle3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216614433082536130" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Go See It Now (after you finish reading this)</span><br /><br />I loved this film. It is wonderful. It is artfully done. WALL•E's gorgeous, hyper-realistic, visual richness demands repeat viewings. The film speaks to viewers of all generations with messages of finding one's life purpose, of perseverance despite the odds, of the value of cultivating natural curiosity, of never losing hope, of respecting the earth, of the dangers of blind, mass consumerism, of celebrating life and love, of clever use of your own resources, of a rejection of laziness - are timeless. It is not like any animated film which has come before it. It's technically brilliant and sophisticated but more importantly, it will grab your heart and quite possibly, move you. Go see it.van dykehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681961311256341419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8080532982274420233.post-67124459161553563582008-06-16T19:57:00.001-07:002008-12-10T01:17:34.506-08:00Kung Fu Panda<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlF9Xi3GccwEIBa4xyYyB_XNJQeyQN-t0g-IJrWzQVWA0yhR490bmprO5C10Hp5pTTAw82P-3eVkxwjSvNo52spwrkW7sUY2MGXpH_uHXHBWcrTm9yiVRVeXSOCAXoiEzpyyQ9-x_0hKb/s1600-h/kunkgu.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlF9Xi3GccwEIBa4xyYyB_XNJQeyQN-t0g-IJrWzQVWA0yhR490bmprO5C10Hp5pTTAw82P-3eVkxwjSvNo52spwrkW7sUY2MGXpH_uHXHBWcrTm9yiVRVeXSOCAXoiEzpyyQ9-x_0hKb/s400/kunkgu.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212679827849618562" /></a><br />There was a definitely palpable anticipation emanating from the excited crowd as the movie theatre house lights went down and the first flickers of 'Kung Fu Panda' hit the screen. Well, the lights have come up and we can all relax and breathe a zen sigh of relief because the film delivers well on all important aspects - directing, cinematography, character design, and animation - with such humor, wit AND without pulling any punches (couldn't resist). <br /><br />Jack Black is the voice of Po, a giant panda filled with a hearty appetite for food and loaded with hero worship for the Furious Five, a legendary group of kung fu fighters who protect his village. Black's vocal performance embues Po with loads of personality and heart. Po dreams of being a kung fu hero but in reality, his life as a noodle soup maker is humdrum. The plot progresses to take Po out of his dull life and into the exciting world of kung fu (didn't see that coming didja?).<br /><br />From the opening 2-D sequence, accomplished in a highly stylized, very graphic presentation evocative of traditional Far Eastern shadow puppetry aesthetics - the movie is visually compelling. Any artist worth his salt will note the dazzling color design and its use to successfully support the emotions evoked throughout the film. I think to begin the film in one style, based on tradition, is a wonderfully effective choice, particularly when the movie zips to CG/3-D animation. It grabs you. (Find link to <a href="http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie.aspx?m=2078444>1=MOVIES5&mp=t">Opening Dream Sequence</a>.<font color="red"> Only watch this one - other clips may contain spoilers.</font>)<br /><br />Noteworthy vocal performances come from Dustin Hoffman as Head Master (Shifu Red Panda); Ian McShane as Tai Lung (Snow Leopard), Randall Duk Kim as Ancient Master Oogway (Tortoise) and Angela Jolie as Master Tigress (South China Tiger). The movie also features Jackie Chan (Master Monkey), Lucy Liu (Master Viper), Seth Rogen (Master Mantis), James Hong (Mr. Ping) and Michael Clarke Duncan (Javan Rhinoceros) all getting as much character and emotion out of their parts as the script will allow them.<br /><br />Vocal performance highpoints include Dustin Hoffman's droll delivery in the face of Po's inept fighting and Ian McShane's resurrection of the energy and passion of his Deadwood character, Al Swearengen in his villianous snow leopard's threats. (I was a huge Deadwood fan and to listen to McShane even come close to Swearengen made me giggle during the film.)<br /><br />Character design and animation is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. It was apparent when I first saw the trailers and doubly confirmed as I watched the film. Very appealing designs all around. And the movement, particularly during the fight scenes is wonderfully creative. The highlight here are the poses created for each of the Furious Five's meditative states. Oh, and the movement on Oogway the tortoise. His slight tremor of his head and hands while he speaks make for the best kind of character animation - denoting age and wisdom and frailty all at once. <br /><br />(Here's a link to the title sequence: <a href="http://www.shinestudioclients.com/ShinePress/ShineKungFuPandaMovie.html">Kung Fu Panda Titles</a>)<br /><br />The movie operates on a few levels when it comes to humor. And it's not hard to figure out and understand. There are the juvenile lowbrow jokes and the wittier jokes. The sight gags tend to be more on the lowbrow, occasionally predictable side but the movie's wit really shines when it simultaneously satirizes and celebrates the flashy fighting, aerial acrobatics, and even cinematic technique, established in live action kung fu movies from the Bruce Lee flicks of the '70s to present day Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat and Jackie Chan. Many times the 'master/student' relationship is mined for its inherent comedic possiblities.<br /><br />The plot, though forgivably predictable in sections, takes a secondary seat to the excellent design and movement. I liked the plot's simplicity. It does what it should - driving the movie forward - without getting in the way. And the benefit here is without worrying about any significant plot complications, I was free to explore the dazzingly rich environmental design and textures. My eyes could linger over the more beautiful sections, which is kind of a rarity in movies these days. (Can anyone say 'Speed Racer'?)<br /><br />Anyway, I would recommend this movie for kids and adults. Two opposable thumbs up. Go see it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vfofhpDmEk0_N_X_CpFjOJDYV309dJVC15yBujodf1ay9m_WTXTKdQIzew3ph_zBXmXp2IZNejQDS9_6qMuHL1p8Y51hGAZceuHXeNOfTQjyahhOVtIR889jvi9d_RMnyafjrubFk1XB/s1600-h/kung-fu-panda-f1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vfofhpDmEk0_N_X_CpFjOJDYV309dJVC15yBujodf1ay9m_WTXTKdQIzew3ph_zBXmXp2IZNejQDS9_6qMuHL1p8Y51hGAZceuHXeNOfTQjyahhOVtIR889jvi9d_RMnyafjrubFk1XB/s400/kung-fu-panda-f1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212679831277821170" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19sQncxUr37x8Hh6VbSc5QibKTeNChzD_D1U82TDW13zt4GFbgNFY5qalv0u3EVKZCO97pLTXbXFPm0EPx0d1Ay-cZ_vcqqJotvXB14WoWAnPTEHsN6zlZodhUT_gYQZ1Gyk-r41JIRR8/s1600-h/kung+fu+panda.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19sQncxUr37x8Hh6VbSc5QibKTeNChzD_D1U82TDW13zt4GFbgNFY5qalv0u3EVKZCO97pLTXbXFPm0EPx0d1Ay-cZ_vcqqJotvXB14WoWAnPTEHsN6zlZodhUT_gYQZ1Gyk-r41JIRR8/s400/kung+fu+panda.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212679837385329426" /></a>van dykehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681961311256341419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8080532982274420233.post-69424701777515740362008-06-13T00:03:00.000-07:002008-12-10T01:17:35.167-08:00Wall•E<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-NXqhkO0yVmHb_EDD8S5R0zsK4W0CCRyp4YUByWl90IH1lShoUPU0gVwNYoga7DupK-7Sv54ExclZgN2kkRyTn1RT1LR-xRN4YpWXDhBgQ-Z6vecXRV22lBTDVfjdpLiKo_3mxzXn6nR/s1600-h/wall-e-poster3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-NXqhkO0yVmHb_EDD8S5R0zsK4W0CCRyp4YUByWl90IH1lShoUPU0gVwNYoga7DupK-7Sv54ExclZgN2kkRyTn1RT1LR-xRN4YpWXDhBgQ-Z6vecXRV22lBTDVfjdpLiKo_3mxzXn6nR/s400/wall-e-poster3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211261232262526802" /></a>We saw a screening earlier this evening (6/12), of the animated feature <b>Wall•E </b>at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville. The movie will open to the general public later this month (June 27). Suffice to say that it is awesome and I can't wait to see it again at a local theatre with a capacity crowd. Congratulations to all concerned. It was beautiful. (more on this film after 6/27)<br><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOwIwqzJCzhrVk-Btpx7hiQDV6BdwkpN0Y77sNl7dfuvZXlcRD1k6MGjlOGCsxju2R_-PKHpZx-MKd2fJTwrnEsC_9yoWa-eZ-Gv8h8eQeutxomjRomzzYjSIi4U-CrTTvRSH6LxNNUNR/s1600-h/Wall-E_KeyArt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOwIwqzJCzhrVk-Btpx7hiQDV6BdwkpN0Y77sNl7dfuvZXlcRD1k6MGjlOGCsxju2R_-PKHpZx-MKd2fJTwrnEsC_9yoWa-eZ-Gv8h8eQeutxomjRomzzYjSIi4U-CrTTvRSH6LxNNUNR/s400/Wall-E_KeyArt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211261234254612322" /></a>van dykehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09681961311256341419noreply@blogger.com0